Credit Complications in Agriculture: Tricks, Traps, and Best Practices of Getting Paid

Join us on March 5, 2025, for a 60-Minute Zoom exploring the complexities of agricultural liens, UCC provisions, and contract issues that impact payment rights and responsibilities. This session will provide overview of unique agricultural lien structures, critical UCC considerations, and key contract terms that can either safeguard or jeopardize payment in agricultural transactions.

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: Brandy A. Sargent, Attorney, Partner, K&L Gates LLP

Brandy Sargent is a partner in the firm's Finance practice. She represents debtors, lenders, vendors, purchasers, and official and unofficial committees in a variety of commercial and agricultural finance, bankruptcy, workout, and litigation matters. Brandy has significant experience representing clients in commercial lending, corporate finance, and private equity finance transactions, distressed asset acquisitions, and loan modifications and work outs. Brandy also advises clients with supply chain needs including grower arrangements, and processing, sale and consignment agreements, purchase money security interests, and warehouse and transportation liens. In agribusiness matters, Brandy assists clients with unique issues arising under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), Food Security Act (FSA), state agricultural lien statutes, intellectual property protection needs, and cooperative member and marketing agreements.

Education:

• J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, 1999 (Order of the Coif; Dean’s List)
• B.A., Loyola University - Chicago, 1995 (summa cum laude; Dean’s List)
• Agribusiness Seminar, Harvard Business School Executive Education, January 2015
• Loyola University, Rome, Italy, 1993-1994

Admissions:

• Bar of California
• Bar of Idaho
• Bar of Illinois
• Bar of Oregon

Achievements:

• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law in Portland, 2024-2025
• Selected as an Oregon Rising Star for Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights, 2008-2013

Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, Education Director, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives

After retiring as Tax Director for Southern States Cooperative, Wayne Sine was asked to serve as Education Director for NSAC. He has been a long-time and active member of NSAC, having served as past President of the Atlantic Chapter and past Chair of the Tax Committee. In addition to his work with NSAC, Wayne has served on the Legal, Tax, and Accounting (LTA) Committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Chaired the Tax Committees for both the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association, served on the Tax Policy Committee of the Virginia Society of CPAs, and served as past Region Vice President for the Tax Executives Institute.