Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Bankruptcy & Restructuring Practice William W. Kannel and Mintz Member P. Miyoko Sato will be featured speakers at Smith’s Research & Gradings 2019 High Yield Municipal Bond Conference, which will be held from October 2-3 in Greenwich, Conn.

Ms. Sato will lead a panel discussion held on Wednesday, October 2 titled “Distress in Higher Education,” during which panelists will discuss distinguishing features of schools successfully navigating the challenges currently facing colleges and universities and warning signs of future distress. The discussion will also focus on how structures and collateral packages create or limit options for bondholders in distressed situations.

Ms. Sato’s practice centers on the representation of mutual fund companies, bond trustees, investment advisory firms, insurance companies, and other institutional investors in connection with their investments in distressed tax-exempt securities. Her particular focus is in the area of high-yield securities in workout transactions and bankruptcies.

Mr. Kannel will lead a panel held on Thursday, October 3 titled “Puerto Rico Panel: When Politics Fail,” which will examine notable legal precedents from Puerto Rico’s debt restructuring and the impact of Puerto Rico’s proceedings on its economic well-being and the bond markets generally and the current political situation on the island. Panelists include The Honorable Carmelo J. Ríos Santiago, Puerto Rico Senate Majority Leader, Ian Rogow, Vice President and Co-Head of Municipal Bond Research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Sean Gumbs, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting and financial advisor for the Puerto Rico Retiree Committee.

Mr. Kannel has extensive experience in corporate and municipal reorganizations and debt restructurings both in and out of court. He represents creditors and debtors across a wide range of industries throughout the country in all phases of distressed debt negotiations, bankruptcy litigation, and distressed asset acquisitions.

Smith’s High Yield Municipal Bond Conference examines the nature and durability of revenues pledged to support repayment of bonds over the next 30 years. This year, Smith’s High Yield Municipal Bond Conference will look at the implications of regulatory changes, the potential for rising rates and the possibility of a recession.

View the full conference agenda and additional details here.

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