ABI's Diversity and Inclusion Committee Announces 2024 Mentorship Program Participants

Alexandria, Va. - The American Bankruptcy Institute's (ABI's) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee announced that it has commenced its 2024 Mentoring Program to connect active or recently graduated business and law students with ABI past presidents and members who can provide guidance on career and professional development. Launched in 2021, the program brings mentors and mentees together to discuss ethical issues, common malpractice risks and traps, career goals, client development, and more.

The 2024 group of mentees includes:

• Carly Everhardt of K&L Gates (Miami)
• Ryan Fletcher of Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel (Honolulu)
• Maria C. Carr of McDonald Hopkins LLC (Cleveland)
• Andrew Arthur of White and Williams LLP (New York)
• Adrienne Ho of Aird & Berlis LLP (Toronto)
• Melina Khoudari of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor (Wilmington, Del.)

ABI members volunteering to serve as mentors this year include:

• Malhar Pagay of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Los Angeles)
• Paul Hage of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP (Detroit)
• Janice Grubin of Barclay Damon (New York)
• Gerard Luckman of Forchelli Law (Uniondale, N.Y.)
• Michael Ozawa of Restructuring Solutions LLC (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.)
• Bankruptcy Judge Sage M. Sigler (N.D. Ga.; Atlanta)

ABI's Mentorship Program will hold bi-monthly meetings to discuss a variety of topics with resources from ABI and members of the reorganization community, including judges, trustees, attorneys and accountants. The group meetings will provide an opportunity to interact with other experienced insolvency professionals while offering an educational program and fostering opportunities to discuss important topics in the mentees' professional development.

The overall mission of the DEI Committee is to address issues with diversity, including racial diversity, within ABI, its leadership and our industry. The DEI Committee is chaired by Michael Bernstein of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Washington, D.C.) and Shanti Katona of Polsinelli (Wilmington, Del.).

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 10,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abi.org/calendar-of-events.