Professor Nancy Rapoport Talks Caesars Bankruptcy in Las Vegas Sun

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport was featured in a May 20 Las Vegas Sun article titled “UNLV law professor is a key player in Caesars Entertainment bankruptcy case,” about her recent appointment to lead a committee to review bills for legal work as well as other professional fees and expenses tied to the Caesars bankruptcy proceedings.

Professor Rapoport described her job as “helping the court take a ‘first cut’ at determining the reasonableness of professional expenses, such as fees for attorneys and advisers.”

“One of the things that we look at is the ratio of those fees to the overall stuff that’s going on in the Chapter 11,” she said. “When you put it in the context of how much money is at stake overall, it’s typically pretty proportional. But it’s still a lot of money.”

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

May 14 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The May 14 issue of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Nancy Rapoport, student Alexandria Mendonca, and alumnus Nicholas Vaskov '02.

Professor Rapoport has thrice been a dean, including service as Boyd's interim dean in 2012-2013. She presently serves as Senior Advisor to the President of UNLV. She is one of the most productive members of the Boyd faculty. Her work has been cited more than 700 times in law reviews and journals; courts, too, follow her work -- frequently citing her books and articles as persuasive authority.

After graduating from Boyd, Mendonca will attend Oregon State University to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree in biochemistry, and eventually a Ph.D. She plans to take the patent bar, with her sights set on teaching law or science down the road.

Vaskov serves as System Counsel and Director of Real Estate Planning for the Nevada System of Higher Education. His practice focuses on real estate transactions and finance, construction, and land use -- but on any day can span almost any aspect of higher education law and policy.

To subscribe to Boyd Briefs, visit law.unlv.edu/BoydBriefs.

Professor Nancy Rapoport Appointed to Fee Committee in Caesars Bankruptcy Case

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport has recently been appointed as the Independent Member of the Fee Committee in the Caesars bankruptcy case in Chicago. The Fee Committee is responsible for reviewing the fee applications for estate-paid professionals and making recommendations to the Bankruptcy Court.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Present on Bankruptcy Fees Webinar

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On May 28, Professor Rapoport will participate as a panelist in a webinar titled, "Bankruptcy Fees in Large Chapter 11 Cases." The webinar, approved for 1.5 CLE credits, is being hosted by the National Association of Legal Fee Analysis.

The course description reads, "Panelists address why the Bankruptcy Code makes the court review fees for reasonableness and examine the new fee guidelines set forth by the USDOJ's U.S. Trustee Program. Panelists focus their discussion on the role, benefits and results of the options available for bankruptcy courts: fee examiners, fee review committees, fee auditors and software programs. They also offer a host of red flags that trigger a review of fees and consider interim fee awards versus final fee awards. Finally, panelists conclude with a discussion of the Baker Botts v. ASARCO case currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court."

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Nancy Rapoport Interviewed by Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 9, Professor Rapoport was quoted in a Las Vegas Review-Journal article titled “Some ex-Caesars employees lose retirement income because of bankruptcy” discussing the loss of retirement income for employees under a Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan (SERP) as a result of Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s bankruptcy restructuring.

The article reads, “Nancy Rapoport, who specializes in bankruptcy matters, said it’s too early in the process to determine if the SERP creditors will receive any portion of the retirement funds.”

She added, “A lot depends upon how much value is in the estate and what is left over for the unsecureds. I have seen bankruptcies where the unsecureds are paid in full, but it’s rare.”

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Give Keynote Speech in Colombia

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport will travel to Bogota, Colombia on March 9 to attend a meeting of the Superintendency of Companies and deliver the keynote address on ethics and social science to corporate boards. 

The Superintendency of Companies is a Colombian regulatory agency that governs all types of business associations in Colombia. The agency is organizing a seminar on D&O liability and corporate law and ethics.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

3/12 Update: Read Professor Rapoport's blog post about her trip here.

Professor Nancy Rapoport Attends VALCON 2015

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport will join a panel on “Ethical Turnarounds” and address the topic of maximizing value for law firms and their clients on Feb. 27 at VALCON 2015, Emerging Valuation Issues in Bankruptcy and Beyond.

Co-presented by the American Bankruptcy Institute, The Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors, and The University of Texas School of Law, VALCON 2015 offers attendees the opportunity to hear from and meet leading professionals in the distressed debt, restructuring and valuation business.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Attend Annual Oil & Gas Conference

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport will travel to Houston to attend the 66th Annual Oil & Gas Conference on Feb. 19. At the conference, she will give an ethics presentation and talk about how social science can lead to more ethical behavior in law firms.

The conference, which attracts more than 500 participants each year, is the oldest continuously presented CLE program in the nation. Over the course of the two-day event, a variety of topics will be covered including U.S. Litigation, International, U.S. Transactional, Oilfield Services, U.S. Regulatory, Compliance and Environmental.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Speak at Estate Planning Forum

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport will be traveling to the Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council (SAEPC) in Tucson on Feb. 18 to speak on the topic of cognitive biases. Earlier this month, Professor Rapoport presented to the Tulsa Estate Planning Forum.

The SAEPC is a local organization that fosters continuing education and networking opportunities for professional estate planners.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Nancy Rapoport Attends Estate Planning Forum

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport recently attended the Tulsa Estate Planning Forum Feb. 9 to speak on the topic of why people make bad decisions. The Tulsa Estate Planning Forum, a non-profit organization, invites distinguished speakers to present on relevant estate planning topics to its membership of professionals.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Nancy Rapoport Speaks at Bankruptcy Conference

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Feb. 6-7, Professor Rapoport traveled to Sacramento to speak on bankruptcy ethics and social science at the 14th Annual Northern California Bankruptcy Conference.

Hosted by the Sacramento Valley Bankruptcy Forum, the two-day seminar is held each year on topics of interest to the membership and public to address concerns involved in the bankruptcy process.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture. 

Professor Nancy Rapoport Interviewed by Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Jan. 28, the Las Vegas Review-Journal ran an article titled “Judge’s ruling on Chicago court seen as win for Caesars” discussing the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Caesars Entertainment Corp. and the recent ruling allowing the company’s reorganization to take place in Chicago.

The ruling was a clear win for Caesars, said Professor Rapoport in the article. However, she also cautioned it was still early to tell how the case will proceed.

“A lot depends on what unrolls over the next few weeks,” she said. “This is a complicated, big bankruptcy with a lot of thorny issues.”

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture. 

Professor Nancy Rapoport Quoted in Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Jan. 15, Professor Rapoport was quoted in the Las Vegas Review-Journal article "Caesars puts largest unit into bankruptcy; judge to issue modified stay."

The article reads, "UNLV Boyd School of Law professor Nancy Rapoport, who specializes in bankruptcy matters, said it was 'a little unusual' that the competing bankruptcy filings took place in different states. Caesars operates two casinos in Illinois, Harrah’s Metropolis and Harrah’s Joliet, which allowed the company to file its action in the state. 'The easiest thing is to dismiss the involuntary case,' Rapoport said. 'The unsecured creditors are just trying to take control and preserve their rights.'"

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture. 

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Attend American Bankruptcy Institute Executive Committee Meeting, Conference

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

From Dec. 3 to 6, Professor Rapoport will attend the American Bankruptcy Institute's Executive Committee and Board of Directors meeting as well as the organization's 2014 Winter Leadership Conference. The meeting and conference will take place in Palm Springs, Calif.

The conference will feature topics designed for consumer and business practitioners, as well as financial advisors. It will also include an ethics session that focuses on social media.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture. 

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Speak at Bankruptcy Ethics Symposium

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Nov. 21, she will be the keynote speaker at the Federal Bar Association's 11th Annual Bankruptcy Ethics Symposium in Los Angeles.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture. 

Professor Nancy Rapoport Visits Fredrickson & Byron Law Firm

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Oct. 30, Professor Rapoport traveled to Minneapolis to visit the Fredrickson & Byron law firm.

She met with lawyers and clients to discuss ethics and social media.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture. 

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Participate in Annual Bankruptcy Ethics Symposium

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport will attend the 11th Annual Bankruptcy Ethics Symposium on Nov. 21 in Los Angeles. She will give a presentation titled “A Ethics Conversation with Professor Nancy B. Rapoport.” 

The event is sponsored by the Los Angeles Federal Bar Association, one of the oldest and largest chapters of the national Federal Bar Association.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.  

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Address Sioux Falls Estate Planning Council

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Rapoport will deliver a lunchtime talk on cognitive biases and groupthink at an event hosted by the Sioux Falls Estate Planning Council on Oct. 15.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.  

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Participate in National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges' Annual Meeting

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Rapoport will attend the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges' 88th Annual Meeting from Oct. 8 to 11 in Chicago.

She will participate on an ethics panel modeled on Chicago Public Radio's program "Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!"

The National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges is an association that provides continuing education to lawyers, judges, and other involved professionals, while promoting cooperation among Bankruptcy Judges to improve the practice of law in the Bankruptcy Courts of the United States.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.  

Professors Garcia, McGinley and Sternlight to Present at Ninth Annual Labor and Employment Law Scholarship Colloquium

Ruben J. Garcia is a Professor of Law at the Boyd School of Law.

Ann McGinley is a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

Jean Sternlight is the Michael and Sonja Saltman Professor of Law and the Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the Boyd School of Law.

Professors Garcia, McGinley and Sternlight will attend the Ninth Annual Labor and Employment Law Scholarship Colloquium in Boulder, Colo. from Sept. 11 to 13. The colloquium attracts scholars from around the country who gather each year to discuss works, progress, and ideas in the field.

Professor Garcia will be speaking on the topic of how the politics of minimum wage affect low-wage nonunion workers.

Professor McGinley will present her paper, “We Are All Contingent.”

Professor Sternlight will present a paper, “Disarming Employees: How American Employers Are Using Mandatory Arbitration to Deprive Workers of Legal Protection.”