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Economic Outlook Panel: Trends, Risks & Opportunities

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Nashville, TN

Thursday, August 27, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM iCalendar Central Standard Time

What does today's economy tell us about tomorrow's turnaround and restructuring landscape? Join the TMA Tennessee Chapter for a timely discussion on the current state of the U.S. economy and what it may signal for businesses, lenders, investors, and restructuring professionals. Our panel will examine key economic indicators, compare today's environment with prior periods of elevated bankruptcy activity, and explore whether current conditions suggest a shift in the restructuring cycle.

Panelists will also discuss the industries and market sectors most likely to be affected in the months ahead, with particular attention to trends relevant to the business community, including the transportation sector and other industries that play a significant role in the regional economy.

Whether you're advising distressed companies, managing credit risk, investing in special situations, or simply looking to better understand the economic forces shaping today's market, this program will provide valuable insight from leaders in economics, finance, valuation, and restructuring.

Please join Elijah Kaplan with Gordon Brothers (Panelist), Ashesh Pansuria with The Tenney Group (Panelist); William Rule in the Judicial Services Office of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (Panelist) and Juhee Britt with Bank of America (Moderator).

This will be an education luncheon where CLE has been approved for 1.25 hours of CLE credit. Lunch will be served for attendees.

Location: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, 1221 Broadway, Suite 2700, Nashville, TN 37203
Time: Noon - 1:30 pm CDT
Parking: Complimentary Parking (Must scan QR code available in meeting room).

Cost: Members Price (Live): $30
Non-Members Price (Live): $40

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

1221 Broadway Fl 24
Nashville, TN 37203-3488

MODERATOR: Juhee Britt, Bank of America, have been in the ABL industry for twenty years with experience in portfolio management, underwriting, and originations at Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Her current role is as a Senior Business Development Officer at Bank of American serving the southeast US markets, providing asset based solutions for middle market, large corporate, and sponsor owned companies.
PANELIST: Ashesh Pansuria is a Director at The Tenney Group, an M&A advisory firm serving the transportation and logistics industry, where he advises company owners on sell-side transactions, valuations, and special situations across trucking, freight brokerage, and logistics.

His background spans financial restructuring, M&A, and special situations advisory, along with distressed investing in the retail and light manufacturing sectors. Before joining The Tenney Group, Ashesh was a Managing Director in the restructuring group at Tortola Advisors in Nashville.

Earlier in his career, he held roles on Wall Street across investment banks and brokerage firms, including a NYC startup that was built, operated, and sold to the largest inter-dealer brokerage firm, and worked in management consulting focused on risk management, business strategy, and program management at firms including Ernst & Young, Lehman Brothers and C3/Ankura.

Ashesh is also an active entrepreneur and operator. He currently owns and operates limited-service branded hotels in Paducah and Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and Pensacola, Florida. Through Capstan, he previously held ownership positions in nine ACE Hardware stores and a sheet metal fabrication company in the Southeast. That operating experience gives him firsthand borrower and owner perspective in restructuring and transaction settings.

Ashesh currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the TMA Tennessee (Nashville) chapter. He holds an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, a Master's in Financial Engineering from the University of Chicago, and an MBA from Vanderbilt University.
PANELIST: Elijah Kaplan, Gordon Brothers serves as a Managing Director within the Capital group at Gordon Brothers. Elijah is responsible for growing the firm’s North American lending initiatives by sourcing and executing opportunities where Gordon Brothers can provide borrowers and stakeholders comprehensive capital and liquidity solutions. He has over 26 years of experience in the private credit and restructuring industries investing in and advising middle market companies. Elijah earned his Bachelors degree from Yeshiva University and his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.
PANELIST: William Rule is Senior Economist in the Judicial Services Office of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. His primary role is the application of quantitative methods to the analysis of the bankruptcy system. Most of his analyses are provided to the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System and to the Chief of the Judicial Services Office to assist with recommendations and determinations related to bankruptcy rules, policies, and procedures and numbers of judgeships. In addition to his work for the Administrative Office, he works directly with bankruptcy courts on long range planning, court performance analyses, location decisions and other issues. He also provides assistance to the Judicial Data and Analysis Office, the Associate Director for the Department of Program Services and the Space and Facilities directorate.

Prior to joining the staff of the Judicial Services Office, he staffed the Judicial Conference’s Long Range Planning Committee and assisted in the development of the first comprehensive long range plan for the federal judiciary.

Before joining the Administrative Office, he worked in the management consulting divisions of Coopers & Lybrand and KPMG Peat Marwick where he was senior project manager responsible for economic analysis, econometric and mathematical modeling and statistical analysis for domestic and international clients in the private and public sectors.

He holds an undergraduate degree in economics with a math minor from Macalester College, and a Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech, where he specialized in monetary theory and policy, industrial organization and econometrics. He has taught in the Virginia Tech graduate economics program as well as for the USDA Graduate School in Washington, D.C. He has also served as an adjunct scholar and member of the advisory committee for the Beacon Hill Institute for Public Policy Research. He is a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.

While he has published a number of really boring papers on various subjects, he has tended to spend much more time assisting others in their research by providing data and analysis. Thus he is mentioned much more often in footnotes than in author citations.
INTRODUCTIONS: Hannah Berny with EmergeLaw PLC, is driven to make a difference. She helps business owners navigate financial distress with clarity and confidence. Focused on preserving value and fostering stability, she develops practical solutions that position businesses for long-term success. Clients often come to her fearing the worst—Hannah listens, assesses the challenges, and crafts strategies to protect what they’ve built.

Before joining EmergeLaw, Hannah practiced at Holland & Knight, a Global Top 50 law firm, where she worked alongside top-tier restructuring attorneys on high-stakes cases across the country. She gained invaluable experience handling complex insolvency matters, representing debtors, creditors, and trustees in sophisticated restructurings and litigation. Wanting to make a direct impact in her hometown of Nashville, she joined EmergeLaw to help small and mid-market businesses navigate financial challenges, maximize value, and preserve jobs.

Known for her sharp legal mind and pragmatic approach, Hannah resolves complex financial issues through strategic negotiation while being fully prepared to litigate when necessary. She understands that restructuring isn’t just about legal strategy—it’s about people, relationships, and securing the future for business owners and their employees. Whether working with clients, creditors, or opposing counsel, she prioritizes practical solutions over drawn-out disputes. With Hannah in their corner, clients gain not just a lawyer, but a determined advocate who helps them regain control of their business and future.

Economic Outlook Panel: Trends, Risks & Opportunities

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