02:00 PM - 03:30 PM (Pacific)
03:00 PM - 04:30 PM (Mountain)
04:00 PM - 05:30 PM (Central)
05:00 PM - 06:30 PM (Eastern)

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Zoom invitation will be shared the day before the event.

Overview

Companies look for independent directors with varied expertise and experience, but one thing they rarely look for (and hope never to need) in a candidate is restructuring and insolvency expertise. For this reason, when unwanted and unexpected financial distress occurs, many boards are ill-equipped to handle it.

Be prepared and learn the basics from those who have lived it. This 90-minute discussion will address:

• How to discharge your fiduciary duties (including a discussion of the so-called “zone of insolvency”)
• Why, when, and how to retain outside professionals
• How the dynamic between the Board and the C-Suite is impacted
• Understanding and evaluating a company’s strategic alternatives (from out-of-court workouts to chapter 11, and everything in between)

Thank you to our National and Gold Chapter Sponsors!

Panelists

Jonathan Friedland Partner Sugar Felsenthal Grais & Helsinger LLP

Jonathan Friedland, a partner with Sugar Felsenthal Grais & Helsinger LLP, focuses a significant part of his practice on representing corporate directors and boards connected with workout, restructuring, and winddown situations (both in and out of bankruptcy). His vast experience includes companies owned by owner-operators, families, investor groups, venture capital funds, private equity funds, ESOPs, and corporate parents. Jonathan is rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell, 10/10 by AVVO, and has earned many other similar distinctions. He is also the lead author of several books, including Strategic Distress for and Against Distressed Businesses (Thompson Reuters 2021). View Jonathan's LinkedIn profile for more details.

Lawrence Taylor Independent Board Member C-level Executive Financial & Strategy Consultant

Mr. Taylor is a C-level executive, advisor, and board member with more than 30 years of business experience. He has guided organizations through complex restructuring, acquisitions, corporate development activities and capital transactions totaling over $15 billion. His experience spans start-ups to private companies to publicly traded companies. He possesses extensive knowledge of finance, strategy, and operations. He has developed strategic, financial, operating and turnaround strategies across multiple industries, including casino gaming, hospitality, manufacturing, aviation, real estate, retail, and healthcare. He currently serves on the boards of Barrie House Coffee and CLP Holdings III, LLC. At Barrie House Coffee, he chairs the M&A committee and serves on the strategic planning committee.  For 25 years, Mr. Taylor has served on the boards and committees (M & M&A, Strategic Planning,  Restructuring, Finance and Compensation) of multiple companies across various industries.

Nicole Staple Startup Growth Advisor, Co-Founder & Former CEO Brideside

Nicole Staple is an entrepreneur and consultant for consumer and social impact businesses. In 2012 she co-founded Brideside, a direct-to-consumer retailer in the bridal industry, leading the company as CEO and growing from concept to national eCommerce platform with six retail stores and 120 employees. During her tenure, Brideside became one of the largest woman-owned venture businesses headquartered in Chicago. Previously, Nicole held positions as a venture capital investor in Silicon Valley and investment banker. She serves on the Board of Directors for the cancer support nonprofit Gilda’s Club NYC. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, where she is also a guest lecturer.

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