Students in the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Business Law Program had a special opportunity on Nov. 14 to showcase their abilities during the Bankruptcy+ Client Counseling Competition. In its fourth year, the competition challenges participants to demonstrate client counseling skills and knowledge of the intersecting areas of bankruptcy, intellectual property, and contract law.
The competition’s fact pattern, developed with input from federal bankruptcy judge (retired) Robert Gordon ’82 and bankruptcy attorney Bud Stephen Tayman, tested students’ ability to advise a small business on the brink of insolvency while navigating competing interests among three stakeholders. Teams had to address questions such as how a bankruptcy filing would affect ongoing licensing deals, whether certain assets were part of the estate, and how contractual breach risks might reshape negotiations among the parties.
The multifaceted scenario pushed competitors to think holistically about how financial distress can quickly expand into issues of licensing, branding, and commercial agreements.
Across multiple rounds, teams were observed by volunteer judges as they met with legal practitioners acting as clients. Competitors were evaluated on their ability to establish rapport, identify key facts, and translate complex legal concepts into actionable guidance. The conversations often required students to balance empathy with clarity as they worked to build trust and gather information without overwhelming their clients.
Many students pursued innovative counseling strategies to strike this balance. One team guided their “client” to view financial distress as an opportunity for restructuring. Another explored how intellectual property could serve as a strategic asset during negotiation.
Competition judges praised the students’ ability to work methodically through uncertainty and maintain client-centered communication even when presented with a complex matter. They also noted how quickly students were able to pivot between business realities and legal strategy, similar to real-world counseling.
“We’re proud of our students’ engagement, creativity, and commitment to client-centered lawyering,” said Heather Terech, managing director of the Business Law and Intellectual Property programs. “Our students showed outstanding preparation, professionalism, and collaboration as they worked through complex, real-world pre-bankruptcy business issues.”
The team of Courtney Patterson ’27 and Molly Simpson ’27 was awarded first place. William Andrews ’27 and Ann Kelly ’27 took second. Mordecai Jhudovitz ’27 and teammate Patricia Castle ’27 came in third.
“This was truly one of the most engaging experiences of my law school career thus far,” first-place competitor Patterson posted on LinkedIn, “and we couldn’t have done it without the month of preparation from our amazing coaches.”
Distinguished practicing attorneys, many of whom are alums, volunteered to help coach the two-person teams, play the fictional “clients,” and judge the competition. The volunteers were a mixture of seasoned bankruptcy and commercial litigation attorneys and recent graduates who identify closely with their mentees’ experience preparing for careers in business law.
Volunteers included coaches Eric Steiner, David Tayman, and Bud Tayman; “clients” Jodie Bekman ’99, Joe Selba ’09, and Rebekah Paradis ’23; and judges Robert Hockenbury ’21, Natalie Gibson ’23, and Jeffrey Rhodes.
“This competition is an incredible opportunity for our students, thanks to the alums and friends who shared their time and expertise,” said Terech. “We are deeply grateful for their engagement, which enriches our students’ educational experience and strengthens our community.”