Opening-Night Reception at:
Mr. Wilbur Ross Private Residence

HOST: Mr. Wilbur Ross
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, WL Ross & Co.

Panel Perspectives:
re-Defining Distressed Investment Strategies for 2008
Stiff credit markets and cloudy economic outlook is welcome news for distressed investors and related service providers. All the while, to capitalize and capture value will require making the right decisions each step of the way.

Hear from prominent experts about how they are evaluating and defining the criteria for investing in distressed companies over the next 12 months. Significantly, they will share their unique insights on what sectors hold promise as well as their different investment strategies.

Panel Chair: Bruce R. Zirinsky, chairman of Financial Restructuring Department , Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Panel Experts:
Jason Friedman, Managing Director, Private Equity, Marathon Asset Management
Stephen Presser, Partner, Monomoy Capital Partners
Brian Newman, managing director, Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC
David S. Kurtz, managing director and co-head of global restructuring, Lazard LLC

Panel Perspectives: Due Diligence Paradigms
Buying a company in trouble or bankruptcy requires sharp eyes, strong nerves and rigorous analysis. Our distinguished panelist will share their expertise about stepping beyond the balance sheet due diligence to other areas that need to be critically analyzed. Learn about what value can be derived from people, processes and intangibles?

Panel Chair: Ira J. Perlmuter, T5 Equity Partners, Affiliate of Triple Five Group

Panel Experts:       
Michael I, Goldberg, shareholder, Akerman, Senterfitt
Conner Searcy, partner, Insight Equity

Case Discussion:
Emergence of Remy International from Prepackaged Chapter 11 Reorganization

Hear how Remy's management team and professionals were able to restructure its balance sheet in the wake of the liquidity crisis, manage Remy's bondholders' expectations in terms of recovery and corporate control and finalize a crucial long-term supply arrangement with GM that was acceptable to Remy's exit lenders and new equity holders. In addition, Remy's CEO, John Weber, will comment on the state and future of the US automotive sector.

Panel Chair: Michael H. Torkin, partner, Shearman & Sterling LLP

Panel Experts :         
Douglas P. Bartner, partner, Shearman & Sterling LLP
Alan D. Holtz, managing director, AlixPartners, LLP
Stephen Ledoux, managing director, Rothschild Inc.
John H. Weber, chief executive officer, Remy International, Inc.

12:00-1:30pm:

Patio Lunch

Panel Perspectives: Turnarounds in the Middle-Market Companies
Find out why the middle-market companies under 500 million (USD) qualify for attractive turnaround opportunities. Our group of experts will divulge vital information about specific challenges faced by underperforming companies in the middle-market segments and how to overcome those challenges to improve performance and drive value.

Panel Chair: Eric Butte, managing director, Prefrontal Capital

Panel Experts:
Jim Johnson, principal, Wingate Partners
John M. Collard, chairman, Strategic Management Partners, Inc.
Patrick M. O’Keefe, founder, managing partner, O’Keefe & Associates

Panel Perspectives: Smart Financing Options
With widening crisis in the debt markets, what financing options are available to underperforming and distressed businesses? Gain critical information about selecting alternative financing solutions that strengthens cash-flows and advances the restructuring needs of underperforming and distressed companies. 

Panel Chair: Damien W. Kovary, managing director, Heico Acquisitions, LLC

Panel Experts:       
Arthur W. Hollingsworth, managing partner, Lone Star New Markets LP
Dayton T. Carr, general partner, Venture Capital Fund of America, Inc (VFCA Group) 
Anthony Ghee, associate managing director, Yorkville Advisors LLC

Mid-afternoon Break
Sponsored by Merrill Datasite

Keynote Presentation:  Turnaround Management Case Study

Brandon Burgess, chairman and chief executive officer,
ION Media Networks
ION Media Networks Chairman/CEO Brandon Burgess will share observations from navigating a television broadcast turnaround situation over the past 24 months, which has involved: recapitalizing $2.5B of securities, change of control, FCC license transfers, stock de-listing and going private, new cash capital raising, as well as operational business plan re-definition and re-programming.

Panel Perspectives:
Achieving Successful Reorganization under Bankruptcy
Greater numbers of reorganization under bankruptcy require pre-filing strategies, and planning all the way through to post-emergence from Chapter 11. Hear from our distinguished group of panelists how they plan for reorganization efforts to stabilize operations and cash-flows, prevent talent flight, and negotiate with the creditors to successfully emerge from bankruptcy. 

Panel Chair:
Jay m. Goffman, partner, Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Florm, LLP

Panel Experts:
Paul Halpern, partner and general counsel, Versa Capital Management Inc.
James H.M. Sprayregen (Jamie), managing director, Investment Banking Division, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Kevin Lavin, senior managing director, FTI Consulting

Annual Turnaround Awards Gala

7:00 - 8:00 pm:    Gala Reception

8:00 - 10:00 pm:  Dinner and Awards Ceremony