eastern european countries - Brinkmann & Partner

WelcomeChris LaughtonPresident of INSOL EuropeMarc AndréCo-chair of the EasternEuropean Countries’Committee (EECC)Carlos MackCo-chair of the EasternEuropean Countries’Committee (EECC)Dear Colleagues and GuestsThe 7th EECC conference will take us to Tallinn,the capital of Estonia.Estonia with its 1.3 million people may not be easily found on the map of Europe but it is certainlyworth the effort! This small nation below the edge of Scandinavia amazes with its rich culture andentertainment, enchanting nature and welcoming people. Relatively undiscovered but easilyaccessible, Estonia is a NATO and European Union member, a proud northern nation known for itsrational mindset. Estonia is an e-state with the most up to date technology enabling people toaccess the web throughout the open spaces in the city, pay for their car parking and even voteelectronically. The revolutionary Skype system is an Estonian product.We are fortunate indeed that the conference will be held at the RadissonBlu Hotel Olümpia, Tallinnwith its extensive conference facilities making it a perfect venue for us. The hotel is well situated toappreciate the uniqueness of Tallinn’s cobblestone streets, its winding alleys and intact medieval walls.This year’s INSOL Europe EECC conference promises to be of great importance at a time ofuncertainty over sovereign debt and the resultant threat to the heart of the European financialsystem. The role of the Insolvency Practitioners and their advisers has never been of suchimportance. This year’s technical programme has been developed with this in mind and we are trulygrateful to our joint Technical Programme organisers, Signe Viimsalu and Nigel Davies.The conference programme includes something for everyone and leaves no player or region off theagenda. It represents another valuable opportunity to meet with old friends and establish newcontacts in this most demanding and multi-disciplinary of professions! We address the futureevolution of the EU Insolvency Regulation which mirrors the reality of cross-border operations andfinancing structures in modern business. Relying on a domestic market and network is no longerenough to address the challenges of the 21st Century!In Tallinn we will consider carefully the role debt to equity conversions can play in futurerestructuring projects where liquidation of the assets may not always be the best solution. Whendoes intervention cause more harm than good? Who is at fault when businesses fail? Reflecting theadvanced technologies developed in Estonia, we will look at online asset auctions. The internet isenabling young professionals to develop their futures in a way unimaginable ten years ago. We endwith an assessment of insolvency in the virtual world and its impact on society as a whole.The social programme will be as rich as the technical programme, providing a great balance betweenlearning and leisure, finance and fun! We look forward to saying “Tere!” (welcome in Estonian) toyou in Tallinn. This promises to be one of the biggest and best EECC conferences so far, so do notmiss it!Finally our thanks go to all our sponsors, especially our main sponsor Swedbank, for their generosityenabling us to stage this event.PAGE 2 INSOL Europe’s 7th EECC Conference – Tallinn 2011