Master the statutory authority, fiduciary duties, and complex ethical boundaries of the Subchapter V trustee to effectively navigate and resolve small business bankruptcies.
The Subchapter V trustee is a defining feature of the Small Business Reorganization Act, reshaping how small business Chapter 11 cases are administered. Operating in a hybrid role, the trustee facilitates plan negotiation, monitors compliance, and safeguards creditor interests without displacing the debtor or assuming full operational control of the business.
This program provides a practical, practice-focused overview of the Subchapter V trustee’s statutory duties, procedural responsibilities, and ethical boundaries. Participants will examine the trustee’s role across key case milestones, compare it to other bankruptcy trustee roles, and explore emerging legal and ethical issues affecting modern Sub V practice.
Key Topics Discussed:
Partner | Weinberg Zareh Malkin Price LLP
Adrienne Woods is a Partner of Weinberg Zareh Malkin Price LLP.  She leads the firm’s Restructuring and Creditors’ Rights Practice where she provides innovative and strategic advice to assist clients in meeting their business and personal goals. Adrienne provides debtors and creditors – both individuals and businesses – with full-service bankruptcy counsel.  With more than 20 years of bankruptcy experience, Adrienne has represented individuals and businesses under chapters 7, 11, and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Adrienne’s experience extends to all aspects of bankruptcy practice, whether transactional or litigation, including assisting creditors in pursuing claims against bankruptcy estates, advising on the purchase and sale of distressed assets, defending and prosecuting avoidance actions, defending and prosecuting parties’ rights under executory contracts and leases, advising parties on claims trading and representing parties on appeal. Adrienne’s practice is industry agnostic, having represented debtors and creditors in bankruptcy cases involving homeless shelters, restaurants and bars, oil and gas, airlines, fitness centers, entertainment, consumer goods and retail, alternative energy, health supplements, casinos, real estate, and health care. Adrienne is an active member of several professional organizations, including the New York City Bar Association where she served on the Social Events and Networking Committee. Adrienne also serves as a faculty member of TRT CLE where she lectures on bankruptcy law matters. Prior to joining WZMP, Adrienne began her legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. Alan L. Gropper, former United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York.  After completing her clerkship Adrienne worked at two nationally ranked law firms where she focused on creditors’ rights and later on complex financial restructurings.  In 2013, Adrienne established the Law Offices of Adrienne Woods, P.C. to provide white glove service to individual and small business debtors and creditors.  Earlier in her career, Adrienne was also a Bankruptcy Legal Analyst with Bloomberg Law.
