Webinar
Jun 4, 2026
Navigating Disruption, Distress and Disputes in Tumultuous Times
Thursday, June 4th, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific
About the Program
The final session of our 2026 Commercial Litigation Outlook Webinar Series turns to the economic fault lines reshaping commercial litigation: the intersection of bankruptcy and restructuring, franchise and distribution disputes, and real estate litigation. As a "K-shaped" economy continues to divide winners from losers, with AI-fueled sectors thriving while middle- and lower-market industries face mounting distress, legal and compliance professionals, in-house counsel, and business leaders face growing exposure across all three areas. This session is designed to provide practical guidance on navigating financial distress, protecting franchise networks, and managing real estate litigation risk in an environment defined by tariff uncertainty, persistent inflation, and elevated interest rates.
Key Topics:
- Bankruptcy and restructuring trends in 2026, including the continued surge in consumer bankruptcy filings, the impact of the approximately $2 trillion "Wall of Maturities" in commercial real estate mortgages, and rising farm bankruptcies, all against the backdrop of a diverging K-shaped economy.
- Franchise and distribution risks stemming from franchisee financial distress, including the essential elements of a franchisee bankruptcy strategy, from protecting franchisor rights under the automatic stay to preparing for litigation when owners and creditors seek to assign blame.
- Real estate litigation hotspots, including the rise of commercial landlord-tenant disputes and guaranty litigation, increased scrutiny of mortgage fraud in flip transactions, and a foreclosure landscape where distressed borrowers are increasingly handing back the keys or heading into bankruptcy.
- How economic divergence is driving litigation risk across property types and sectors, from the boom in data center construction fueled by AI demand to the struggles facing older office buildings, middle-tier hotels, and an auto industry grappling with record affordability challenges.
This timely program underscores how macroeconomic pressures, including tariffs, inflation, rising costs of capital, and labor market uncertainty, are converging to fuel distress and disputes across bankruptcy, franchise, and real estate practice areas. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for anticipating financial distress, protecting contractual and creditor rights, and navigating an increasingly complex commercial litigation landscape.
Speakers
James Sowka, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Sam Rowley, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Elizabeth Schrero, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Moderator:
Mark Johnson, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
If you have any questions, please contact Sadie Jay at sjay@seyfarth.com and reference this event.
Recordings from earlier sessions in the series are available here.
To comply with State CLE Requirements, CLE forms requesting credit in IL or CA must be received before the end of the month in which the program took place. Credit will not be issued for forms received after such date. For all other jurisdictions forms must be submitted within 10 business days of the program taking place or we will not be able to process the request.
Our live programming is accredited for CLE in CA, IL, and NY (for both newly admitted and experienced). Credit will be applied as requested, but cannot be guaranteed for TX, NJ, GA, NC and WA. The following jurisdictions may accept reciprocal credit with our accredited states, and individuals can use the certificate they receive to gain CLE credit therein: AZ, AR, CT, HI and ME. For all other jurisdictions, a general certificate of attendance and the necessary materials will be issued that can be used for self-application. CLE decisions are made by each local board, and can take up to 12 weeks to process. If you have questions about jurisdictions, please email CLE@seyfarth.com.
Please note that programming under 60 minutes of CLE content is not eligible for credit in GA. programs that are not open to the public are not eligible for credit in NC.