Total Credits: 7.2 MCLE, 1.2 Ethics, 6.0 Kansas Credit-General, 1.0 Kansas Ethics
8:30-9 a.m. | Registration and continental breakfast
9-10 a.m. | Case law update
Review and updates of new case law relevant to this jurisdiction and bankruptcy practice in general.
Speakers: Hon. Brian Fenimore, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri, Kansas City; Miranda Swift, Stinson LLP, Kansas City; James Crump, Callahan Law Firm, Kansas City
10-10:15 a.m. | Break
10:15-11:15 a.m. | Chapter 13 hot topics
This session will cover procedures and issues that impact chapter 13 practice in the Western District of Missouri.
Learning objectives:
Speakers: Sarah Tidrick, Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee, Kansas City; Jordyn Hill, Licata Bankruptcy Firm PC, Springfield; Wendee Elliott-Clement, SouthLaw PC, Overland Park, KS
11:15-11:30 a.m. | Break
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Escrow 101-103 and the treatment of escrow in a bankruptcy case post-COVID
This presentation will discuss the steps in performing an escrow analysis, how escrow is handled when preparing a proof of claim in a bankruptcy case, and post-petition. Finally, the presentation will examine issues presented since COVID.
Learning objectives:
Speaker: Michael J. McCormick, Michael John McCormick, Esquire, Morristown, TN
12:30-1:30 p.m. | Lunch (provided)
1:30-2:30 p.m. | BAPCPA after 20 years
The good the bad and the ugly - reflections about BAPCPA after 20 years.
Learning objectives:
Speakers: Hon. Cynthia A. Norton, United States Courthouse, Kansas City; John Reed, Reed Law PC, Jefferson City; Jerry Jensen, Assistant U.S. Trustee, Washington D.C.
2:30-2:45 p.m. | Break
2:45-3:45 p.m. | Deal-breaker documents/Gig economy
Speakers: Rachel Foley, Foley Law PC, Independence; Holly Malon-Zukaitis, Office of Chapter 13 Trustee, Kansas City; Joseph C. Jeppson, VI, Kansas City Bankruptcy Bar Association, Kansas City
3:45-4 p.m. | Break
4-5 p.m. | Estate and disaster planning/Transition to retirement (qualifies for 1.2 ethics hours)
Speakers: Chris Stiegemeyer, The Bar Plan Mutual Insurance Company, St. Louis; Betsy Lynch, Chinnery Evans & Nail PC, Lees Summit; Jonathan Bhend, Bhend Law Offices, Joplin
5 p.m. | Adjourn
Opinions and positions stated by presenters of MoBarCLE programs are those of the presenters and not necessarily those of The Missouri Bar. This program is intended as information for lawyers in Missouri, in conjunction with other research they deem necessary, in the exercise of their independent judgment.
Jonathan Bhend was born and raised in Joplin, Missouri. He received his JD from University of Missouri, Kansas City in 2002. He owns his own practice in Joplin Missouri. The main focus of his practice is in bankruptcy law, specifically chapters 13 and 7. In addition to his private practice, Jonathan is also the Public Defender at the municipal court for the city of Joplin.
James is a licensed attorney in the State of Missouri and is admitted to multiple Federal District Courts, as well as the Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Kansas and the Western District of Missouri.
After graduating from law school, James has focused his practice exclusively on protecting and advocating for the rights of consumers. He began his career at Legal Aid of Western Missouri in the Foreclosure Prevention Unit, eventually serving as program manager for that team. During his time at Legal Aid of Western Missouri, James represented clients in both state and federal courts handling a diverse range of issues including consumer bankruptcy, debt defense, foreclosure litigation, and small estate planning.
After nearly five years at Legal Aid of Western Missouri, James joined the Callahan Law Firm in 2017. Since joining the firm, James has continued to represent clients in bankruptcy proceedings and collections lawsuits, and has further grown his practice to include advocating for his clients' rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and numerous other state and federal laws which provide relief for consumers who are working through problems with lenders and other financial entities.
James is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) and the National Association of Consumer Attorneys (NACA). Outside of work, James is a Kansas City native who enjoys spending time with his wife, his two children, and their family dogs. He also enjoys woodworking, camping, and rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Before becoming a bankruptcy judge on August 31, 2017, Brian T. Fenimore led the bankruptcy team at Lathrop Gage LLP for more than 20 years, representing debtors, creditors, and many other parties in interest. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1988 with a degree in Agricultural Economics, and the University of Michigan Law School in 1990. After graduating from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Arthur B. Federman.
Rachel Foley began her bankruptcy career with the United Auto Workers representing GM and Ford employees in Chapter 13 and 7’s. Rachel was the only bankruptcy attorney for the Missouri auto workers and it was not unusual for her to manage 3 – 4 times the regular attorney caseload at any given time. This provided a vast array of case scenarios, experience and knowledge that Rachel continues to pull from today. Where ever the client was located, the Union ensured the auto worker would have representation, including but not limited to being incarcerated in Leavenworth Federal Prison.
Rachel has been recognized for her constant commitment to the representation of debtors. Rachel is the inaugural winner of the K. Colleen Nunnelly Award by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and recognized by her peers as being the Best of the Kansas City Bar in the area of bankruptcy. These recognitions are in addition to being named to the Pro Bono Wall of Fame by the Missouri Bar Association.
Jerry L. Jensen was appointed as the Acting United States Trustee for Region 13 (Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) on August 1, 2023. He has been with the U.S. Trustee Program since 1989. He was appointed as Assistant U.S. Trustee in the Omaha, Nebraska office in 2017 and was a Trial Attorney in the Omaha office prior to that. Before joining the U.S. Trustee Program, he was a Law Clerk to the Honorable William Edmonds, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Iowa. Mr. Jensen received his J.D. from Creighton University School of Law in 1987 and received his LL.M in Agricultural Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1988.
Joe Jeppson owns the Jeppson Law Office which has represented debtors in chapters 7 and 13 bankruptcy in Missouri and Kansas since 2011. Joe is a board-certified specialist in consumer bankruptcy law and has been a regular speaker at local, state, and national events for more than a decade. He has served the bankruptcy bar as a member of the Western District of Missouri’s Attorney Advisory Committee and led the Kansas City Bankruptcy Bar Association as President, VP of Membership Athletic Director.
Betsy Lynch, is a proactive problem solver for small businesses. She represents small businesses in contract and vendor disputes, loan negotiations, bankruptcy, and also helps protect assets using estate & succession planning tools. She received her Bachelors degree in Business and Finance from Westminster College in 2002 and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2005. While clerking for the Honorable Robert L. Trout, an Associate Circuit Judge in Jackson County, she gained experience with landlord-tenant matters, collection suits, small claims matters, county ordinance violations, and civil trials. She left the clerkship in 2007 to practice bankruptcy law at a small law firm in Kansas City. In 2011, she, like many of her clients, opened her own business where she practiced in the areas of business law, bankruptcy, and estate planning, representing small business owners in all areas of asset protection for over twelve years. She joined Chinnery Evans & Nail, PC in 2023 in an effort to provide more comprehensive services to her small business clients.
Holly Malone-Zukaitis is a Staff Attorney for Richard V. Fink, the standing Chapter 13 Trustee for the Western District of Missouri. She has been with the trustee’s office since March 2008. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Michael is a partner at McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLP where he assists in the bankruptcy representation for mortgage lenders and servicers nationwide.
He is a frequent speaker and author on various topics related to bankruptcy, and has appeared as an expert witness on behalf of mortgage servicers.
Chief Judge Cynthia A. Norton was appointed on Feb. 1, 2013. She is a frequent speaker and author on many bankruptcy and related topics.
Mr. John C. Reed is a stockholder in the firm of Reed Law, P.C. in Jefferson City, Missouri. His practice primarily focuses upon financial matters and bankruptcy. He has served as a member of the Bankruptcy Panel of Trustees for the Western District of Missouri since 1992. He is a 2012 recipient of the Michael R. Roser Excellence in Bankruptcy Practice Award from the Commercial Law Committee of the Missouri Bar. He is a graduate of Northeast Missouri State University and received his law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Christian A. Stiegemeyer is the Director of Risk Management for The Bar Plan Mutual Insurance Company where he helps lawyers arrive at practical solutions to a wide variety of ethical and legal malpractice issues. He received his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law.
Miranda Swift is an associate with Stinson LLP. She is based in the firm’s Kansas City, Missouri office, where she is a member of the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group. Miranda assists clients in bankruptcy proceedings and litigation, receiverships, foreclosures and restructurings.
Sarah M. Tidrick is a Staff Attorney for Richard V. Fink, the Standing Chapter 13 Trustee for the WDMO. She has been with the trustee’s office since March 2013. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
Click HERE to review the Cancellation Policy.
The Missouri Bar takes the safety and well-being of its members, the public, and its employees very seriously. We continue to monitor the latest public health updates. We will inform you of any changes to events that affect you. This includes any cancellation notices or changes to venue, format, or safety guidelines.
We encourage all attendees of Missouri Bar events to be aware of and follow public health guidelines for large gatherings. Help us keep everyone in attendance safe by not attending an event if you are ill or believe you may be contagious. Be respectful of the personal comfort level of other attendees when it comes to physical distancing, including shaking hands or other gestures common in networking environments.
By registering for and attending a Missouri Bar event, you agree to take reasonable health and safety precautions and to abide by The Missouri Bar’s posted meeting guidelines.
Please also be advised that, pursuant to RSMo. 537.1005, effective Aug. 28, 2021, “under Missouri law, any individual entering the premises or engaging the services of the business waives all civil liability against the individual or entity for any damages based on inherent risks associated with an exposure or potential exposure to COVID-19, except for recklessness or willful misconduct.”
Please contact The Missouri Bar with any questions or concerns.
