Credit Law

This course is designed to teach the student about the various legal aspects of business credit. Module topics include: Business Organizations, Commercial Transactions, and Government Regulation and Compliance. Each one of these topics is broken down into multiple modules to give in-depth instruction. Please click the "Handouts" tab to access the Credit Law course syllabus.

18 of the 23 modules have Quizzes after them and you are required to pass at least one of them before the next module unlocks. The two Quizzes after each module have different questions. The correct answer for Quiz questions is the answer which is "most right". Please email education_info@nacm.org if you are unable to pass either one of the Quiz attempts.

Some of our modules include guest speakers that provide additional valuable information to the course. Here are descriptions for our instructor and guest speakers:

Credit Law instructor: Rod Wheeland, Wheeland Consulting, LLC: Originally trained as an accountant, Rod became active in executive management and governance in the 1980's. For more than two decades, he served as President & CEO of NACM Commercial Services, one of the most successful trade associations in North America. During his tenure, in addition to the non-profit operations of the trade association and the for-profit operations of the service company, he was involved in mergers and acquisitions and the ownership and management of commercial office buildings. 

Prior to NACM, from 1990-1995, Rod was General Credit Manager for Pendleton Woolen Mills. From 1982-1990, he was a partner in the consulting firm of Dyrnes Wheeland (Portland, Oregon), where he focused on working capital management and effective credit, billing, and accounts receivable practices. 

During the 1980s, Rod began teaching college courses in business credit principles and financial analysis. In recent years, he's added classes on business law and credit law. He continues to enjoy teaching in adult education programs.

Rod has served on several Boards as a Director and as an Officer, including Cascade Employers Association, Oregon Society of Association Management, NACM Oregon and NACM National, and West Willamette Habitat for Humanity.

Rod received the Certified Credit Executive (CCE) designation from the National Association of Credit Management in 1991. He earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives in 2007. He has a BA from Eastern Washington University (Spokane) and an MA from York University (Toronto).

Module 6A and 7A: Bruce S. Nathan, Lowenstein Sandler LLP: With more than 35 years of experience in the bankruptcy and insolvency field, Bruce is a recognized leader nationwide in trade creditor rights and the representation of trade creditors in bankruptcy and other legal matters. He has represented trade and other unsecured creditors, unsecured creditors' committees, secured creditors, and other interested parties in many of the larger Chapter 11 cases that have been filed. Bruce also handles letters of credit, guarantees, security, consignment, bailment, tolling, and other agreements and legal credit issues for the credit departments of institutional clients.

Module 6A and 7A: Lowell A. Citron, Lowenstein Sandler LLP: Lowell's ability to find creative solutions to complex legal issues has led to successful   transactions for a wide range of commercial clients. His pragmatic approach to negotiating deals, coupled with an extensive background in finance and economics, gives him a keen understanding of the business issues involved in each transaction. Lowell's clients include hedge and private equity funds, large operating companies, large trade creditors, investment banks, and others. He advises on transactions ranging from acquisition financing, workouts, DIP financings, leveraged loans, and other forms of financing.

Module 9: Scott E. Blakeley, Blakeley LLP, Partner: Scott, founder of Blakeley LLP, advises companies around the United States and Canada regarding creditors' rights, commercial law, e-commerce and bankruptcy law. He was selected as one of the 50 most influential people in commercial credit by Credit Today. He is a contributing editor for NACM's Manual of Credit and Commercial Law, American Bankruptcy Institute's Manual of Reclamation Laws, and author of A History of Bankruptcy Preference Law. Credit Research Foundation has published his manuals entitled The Credit Professional’s Guide to Bankruptcy, Serving On a Creditors’ Committee and Commencing an Involuntary Bankruptcy Petition. Scott has published dozens of articles and manuals in the area of creditors’ rights, commercial law, e-commerce and bankruptcy and speaks frequently to credit industry groups regarding these topics. 

Module 10: Raeann Binau, CICP: Raeann has just recently left the corporate Credit, Finance World after 35 years as a International Credit Manager.  Raeann has been a NACM member in various Industry Groups, 10 years on the NACM Oregon/NW affiliate Board and chaired 1 year during this time.

She is currently chairing the NACM Oregon/NW/CMA International Industry Group for which she has been a member and chairperson for over 25 years. For the NACM International membership she has been a coach, mentor and teacher for various International Credit Topics.  Currently she is a Director for the NACM CMA Foundation Board and on the Scholorship committee.  She is a member in the ITCF (International, Trade, Credit and Finance) association. 

Module 13A: Jeffrey Cohen, Lowenstein Sandler LLP: A trusted advisor to unsecured creditors, creditors' committees, and distressed companies, Jeff's tenacious counsel adds steady momentum to a growing client base in retail bankruptcy and is a strong resource to distressed clients in the technology sector. His practice centers on Ch. 11 bankruptcy reorganizations and related litigation. Jeff often provides advice to private equity-sponsored and venture capital-backed distressed investors, representing boards of directors and management in the out-of-court wind down or distressed M&A process.

Module 15A: Michael Klein, Cooley LLP: Michael Klein's practice focuses on both the transactional and litigation aspects of Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganizations and liquidations across a wide range of industries, including retail, technology, health care and life sciences. He frequently represents creditors’ committees and debtors, purchasers of distressed assets, landlords, individual creditors and secured lenders in chapter 11 cases. Michael regularly advises clients regarding a variety of contested matters, including, among other things, Rule 2004 investigations, post-petition financings, section 363 sales and plan confirmation issues.

Module 16A: Wanda Borges, Borges and Associates, LLC: Wanda Borges, Esq. is the principal member of Borges & Associates, LLC, a law firm based in Syosset, New York. For more than thirty   years, Ms. Borges has concentrated her practice on commercial litigation and creditors’ rights in bankruptcy matters, representing corporate clients and creditors’ committees throughout the United States in Chapter 11 proceedings, out of court settlements,   commercial transactions and preference litigation. She is a member and Past President of the Commercial Law League of America. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, the Turnaround Management Association and is an associate member of the International Association of Commercial Collectors.

She is a nationally recognized lecturer and author on various legal topics including the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, the Uniform Commercial Code, ECOA, FCRA, antitrust law, and the Red Flags Rule of the FTC.