To my mind, Rule 3002.1 is the most powerful, most under-utilized tool in our tool box. And its power is coming to the fore as Chapter 13’s filed during the Great Recession wind to a close. Don’t let your home-owning client leave Chapter 13 without a determination that they are current. Or, if they are […]
Corporate Bankruptcy: So We Can Start Over
Thou shalt not file bankruptcy for a corporation. It’s almost a commandment from on high in my practice. But for every rule, there is an exception and the man sitting in front of me called on the exception. He wanted, (or really “needed”) to stay in the same line of construction work. But business was […]
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble
I find I’m back at the Bankruptcy Mastery keyboard. Several years ago I thought I had said all there was to say here to new bankruptcy lawyers. But stuff just keeps bubbling to the forefront and my fingers itch. It seems there’s more to say, perhaps not exclusively to newbies, but to the broader community […]
Picking Your Chapter 11 Teammates
Professionals in Chapter 11 have to be “disinterested“; make sure they are also capable. You should read this post here if you are keen about taxes. In two recent cases, the estate has employed professionals connected to the debtor in his pre filing past. It’s often the case that accountants and tax preparers come with […]
What Keeps Me Busy
The number of new cases through my doors is down, just like it is everywhere. But I’m staying busy. Busier some days than I would like to be. I thought it might be fun to look at the change in the composition of my cases over the past two years. More complicated cases There […]
Bankruptcy Sales Free And Clear
Now that the real estate market in my area is improving, we are dusting off another of our little used skills to effect sales of property during a Chapter 13: the sale free and clear of liens. The ability to sell property subject to disputes and continue the fight over a bank account, rather than […]
Phantom Creditors In Bankruptcy
Don’t overlook in rem liability when scheduling creditors. These phantom creditors often waft through the lives of debtors. The client may not see them, but as debtor’s lawyers,we must pull those creditors into the light. Phantom creditors may have no claim against the debtor personally, but nonetheless, need to be scheduled. Liabilities of property In […]
