Speakers
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Jonathan Perlman (Producer)Genovese Joblove & Battista, P.A. | Miami, FLJonathan E. Perlman is an equity partner and executive committee member at the Genovese Joblove & Battista Law Firm, with offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Tampa and Caracas, Venezuela, where he leads GJB’s Receivership, Class Action and Securities Litigation practice groups.
Mr. Perlman has served as a Federal Court-Appointed Receiver in actions brought by the SEC, FTC and Florida Attorney General, and is responsible for having recovered millions of dollars for victims of fraudulent schemes, including the Creative Capital investment Ponzi scheme, the 321 Loans massive fraudulent debt relief operation, the All Dreams scheme defrauding consumers with false promises of “free” vacations, the Hispanic Global Way fraudulent weight loss product scheme, and the World Patent Marketing invention promotion services scam.
Perlman sits on the board of directors of the National Association of Federal Equity Receivers (NAFER), where he also chairs NAFER’s Best Practices Committee and serves on its judicial outreach, annual conference and international committees. He is also a member of INSOL International.
In addition to administering receiverships, Perlman’s practice focuses on fraudulent and deceptive practices, securities, franchising and accessibility litigation matters. Perlman is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising and the International Franchise Association. The Franchise Times has repeatedly named him a “Legal Eagle,” recognizing the top 100 U.S. franchising attorneys, and has also been recognized numerous times in Who’s Who Among U.S. Attorneys, and as a “Super Lawyer” in Super Lawyer. -
Kathy Bazoian PhelpsRaines Feldman LLP | Los Angeles, CAKathy Bazoian Phelps has been a lawyer since 1991 and is currently a partner at Raines Feldman LLP in the Los Angeles office. In addition to individually serving as a fiduciary in certain matters, Kathy practices in the area of insolvency law, fiduciary representation, and fraud litigation, where she represents federal equity and state court receivers and bankruptcy trustees. Kathy frequently serves as special litigation counsel for fiduciaries and interested parties in fraud-related litigation, cases arising out of receivership and bankruptcy as well as parallel criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings. She is particularly knowledgeable about the administration of Ponzi scheme cases and has extensive litigation experience in claims arising in these types of cases.
Kathy has lectured widely and written on bankruptcy and receivership matters, with a focus on Ponzi schemes. Her book entitled The Ponzi Book: A Legal Resource for Unraveling Ponzi Schemes, co-authored with Hon. Steven Rhodes, has garnered national and international attention as the authoritative work on Ponzi scheme law.
In addition to her roles as lawyer, speaker and author, Kathy also serves as a mediator and is currently on the mediation and arbitration rosters for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, as well as the Bankruptcy Mediation Panel for the Central District of California and the Bankruptcy Mediation Panel for the District of Arizona.
Kathy’s personal interests and accomplishments include extensive travel and the study of the Chinese Mandarin language.
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Kevin DuffRachlis Duff & Peel, LLC | Chicago, ILKevin Duff begins his term as President of NAFER at the 2018 Annual Meeting. Mr. Duff is a member of Rachlis Duff Adler Peel & Kaplan, LLC, a commercial litigation law firm in Chicago, Illinois. He has trial and appellate experience in a variety of complex commercial litigation and receivership matters. Mr. Duff has significant experience in litigation involving Ponzi scheme and other similar illegal, illicit, fraudulent, and sham transactions, including pursuing a spectrum of remedies to recover money and other assets from defendants and third-parties in such circumstances. He serves as a receiver and receiver’s counsel in actions brought by the SEC, CFTC, and private litigants.
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Melanie Damian (Producer)Damian & Valori, LLP | Culmo Trial Attorneys | Miami, FLMs. Damian represents public and private companies and individuals in a variety of complex business and securities litigation. She regularly serves as court-appointed Federal Equity Receiver, Special Monitor, and distribution Agent, and also serves as Receiver and Monitor in state court matters. Ms. Damian also serves as counsel to Receivers serving in both state and federal court. She counsels companies on corporate governance matters and serves as counsel to special litigation committees performing internal investigations in response to shareholder derivative demands. She also represents officers and directors in corporate and securities litigation matters, and various partners or members in closely held “business divorce” matters.
Ms. Damian is a Past Chair of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, President of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Florida Chapter. And, current Chair of the NAFER Regulatory Outreach Committee. -
Steve DonellFedReceiver, Inc. | Los Angeles, CAStephen J. Donell, CPM®, ARM®, CCIM is President of Jalmar Properties. Inc., a full service real estate management/investment/brokerage firm, and is a President of FedReceiver, Inc. both of which are based in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Donell has been active in various fields of real estate and business operations since 1984. Since that time, Mr. Donell has been involved in the acquisition, development, marketing, receivership and/or management of properties and businesses located throughout the country with a market value in excess of $1 billion.
Since 1990, Mr. Donell has administered and/or been appointed as a receiver in more than 600 cases in state /US District Court. Mr. Donell has decades of experience in receivership matters involving residential and commercial real estate, asset and business operations and liquidations, oil and gas partnerships, post judgment enforcement actions, hotel/motel, assisted living facilities, single family and condominium construction completion/entitlements, construction completion, gas station/c-stores, marital dissolutions, sub-standard housing as well as additional types of equity/specialty receivership appointments. Mr. Donell has also administered and/or been appointed in federal court as receiver in actions filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and other government enforcement actions involving business fraud.
Mr. Donell, who is a California licensed real estate broker, is also President of Donell Expert Service, Inc. where he serves as a property management standard of care expert witness. Jalmar Properties, Inc. is a licensed broker in California, Arizona and Nevada. He authors articles and lectures frequently on the topic of state/federal court receivership matters, in 2013 completed his third consecutive year as the Co-President Los Angeles/Orange County chapter of the California Receivers Forum (CRF) and is a Past President of the National Association of Federal Equity Receivers (N.A.F.E.R.).
Webinar: Takedowns and Takeaways in Federal Receiverships
NAFER hosted its first webinar on August 20, 2020. From the unusual to the downright dangerous, learn from the mistakes and success stories of experienced receivers in federal equity receiverships. These professionals will share their stories from the trenches to help educate all of us on the dos and don’ts for receivers in federal cases. The program will provide practice pointers about all aspects of federal receivership cases, including the takeover, asset sales, litigation, and claims administration.