The American College of Bankruptcy invites law schools to compete in the ACB’s Bankruptcy Negotiation Competition, co-sponsored by the UCLA Law School, where the competition will be held. The competition is the 5th such competition hosted by the Ninth Circuit ACB Fellows, and the first one since the COVID-19 pandemic. We have space for twelve teams to compete, and spots will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.
This one-day competition will take place on Saturday, February 6, 2027, at the UCLA Law School in Los Angeles, California. Schools outside the Los Angeles area will want to arrive in Los Angeles on February 5, 2027, as the competition will commence at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Teams should consist of two or three enrolled students, all of whom are in JD or LLM programs. All teams will need a bankruptcy coach who is a professor, practicing lawyer or judge. The American College of Bankruptcy can furnish a coach for your team if the sponsoring professor is unavailable to fill this role.
Registration can be completed through an online form found here. Teams can request an invoice for the $500 registration fee through the form. Please register as soon as possible. No registrations can be accepted after November 13, 2026.
The negotiation fact pattern and financial data have been prepared by ACB Fellows Daniel Bussel, Cynthia Nelson, and Suzzanne Uhland. These materials, together with the rules of the competition, will be sent to the registered teams on November 16, 2026. Students will find this year’s problem to be challenging and very much like scenarios they will encounter in a chapter 11 practice. All teams will need to prepare and submit a written negotiation term sheet no later than January 15, 2027. Awards will be given for the best term sheets and best performing negotiation teams in the in-person competition.
ACB Fellows: Judges wanted! Please contact Judge Collins if interested. There will be a Ninth Circuit Fellows dinner the evening before. More information to follow.