Let’s Make a (Subchapter V) Deal!
Friday, October 9th, 2026 – 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Moderator:
Hon. Paul W. Bonapfel
Speakers:
Hon. Scott M. Grossman
Hon. Deborah L. Thorne
Amy Denton Mayer
Caroline Djang
Description:
Join your host Judge Paul “Monty Hall” Bonapfel to match wits with celebrity teams of contestants answering difficult and tricky questions about subchapter V.
Bios:
Paul W. Bonapfel has been a Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Georgia since 2002. He is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and co-author of Chapter 13 Practice and Procedure (Thomson Reuters). He received his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 1975 and his B.A. cum laude from Florida State University in 1972.
Scott M. Grossman is the Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Grossman earned his J.D. with honors from the George Washington University Law School, and his B.S.Acc., with honors, and M.Acc. degrees from the University of Florida.
Judge Deborah Thorne was appointed as a bankruptcy judge in the Northern District of Illinois in 2015. Prior to that she represented corporate debtors, secured and unsecured creditors in numerous bankruptcies throughout the country and was appointed as a federal court receiver in a number of cases initiated by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Judge Thorne previously served on the American Bankruptcy Institute Executive Committee. She has also served on the Board of Governors for the Seventh Circuit Bar Association and as Education Chair for the Chicago Bar Association. She was the President of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges from 2021 through 2022. She is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Judge Thorne is a speaker and writer on bankruptcy issues and has authored numerous articles in the ABI Journal and NACM’s Business Credit. She is the author of Preference Defense Handbook: The Circuits Compared and co-authored Interrupted! Understanding Bankruptcy’s Effects on Manufacturing Supply Chains, both published by ABI.
Amy Denton Mayer is a partner on the firm’s Business Reorganization Team in the Tampa office. She has more than two decades of experience representing debtors, creditors, committees, trustees, assignees, purchasers, and other stakeholders in complex bankruptcy cases under Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13, as well as in assignments for the benefit of creditors and out-of-court workouts. Amy also serves as a Subchapter V Trustee in the Middle District of Florida and has been appointed in over 140 cases—more than any other trustee in the country. She frequently acts as a court-appointed examiner and post-confirmation fiduciary, and regularly appears in contested matters and bankruptcy appeals. Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law and a Certified Public Accountant, Amy is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a Senior Fellow of the Trial Law Institute, and a member of the Litigation Counsel of America. She is a frequent speaker and author on bankruptcy topics and was recognized by the American Bankruptcy Institute as a “40 Under 40” honoree and by IWIRC Florida as a Trailblazer.
Caroline Djang is a Partner at Buchalter LLP, where she is a member of the firm’s Insolvency and Financial Law Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Orange County Litigation Practice. Based in Irvine, Caroline is widely recognized for her strategic counsel in bankruptcy and financial restructuring, representing creditors, trustees, debtors, and committees in high-stakes litigation. A certified mediator and Chapter 11 Subchapter V Trustee for the Central District of California, Caroline combines legal precision with practical insight—guiding clients through debt recovery strategies and financial distress with clarity and confidence. She is also a sought-after speaker on many topics, including the Small Business Reorganization Act.