In partnership with the High School of Justice Training Center of Georgia, CLDP held a workshop on Bankruptcy, Liquidation and Intellectual Property Considerations in Bankruptcy Proceedings in Tbilisi, Georgia. The two-day program, with participation of 23 Georgian judges, included presentations, country-specific case studies, and examples from real practice on Georgia’s registration requirements for commercial companies, bankruptcy cases and processes in the US, preconfirmation issues and case management tools, reorganization and liquidation considerations, international elements in bankruptcy cases, as well as complex intellectual property considerations unique to bankruptcy proceedings.

While Georgia has modern bankruptcy laws and there are some reorganizations, most bankruptcy cases are liquidations.  The participants were particularly interested in how effective reorganizations can allow companies to discharge debt, re-emerge and contribute to the local economy. The participants were also interested in hearing how the United States Trustee program has been effectively utilized to impart transparency and efficiency to Bankruptcy proceedings. The Georgian judges had many questions for the US judges on how to deal with fraudulent conveyances as they have been seeing those issues arise.

The program is a part of the annual curriculum of the High School of Justice Training Center and thus will incorporate Georgian trainers and topics most relevant to Georgian judges. Leading the workshop will be Judge Marvin J. Garbis from the U.S. District Court in the District of Maryland and Chief Judge Nancy V. Alquist, U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Maryland. Through CLDP’s ongoing program of judicial capacity building, Georgian judges will gain the skills necessary to fairly, efficiently, and effectively adjudicate salient topics related to international commercial disputes.