Ethical Issues in Bankruptcy Cases

Ethical Issues in Bankruptcy Cases

By Paul W. Bonapfel, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Georgia

I. Introduction

Lawyers find their professional conduct regulated in several ways. In The Law of Lawyering, the authors note that there are three general sources of standards of conduct for lawyers. One set of standards is found in the disciplinary rules that every jurisdiction has adopted in some form.

It looks like you are not signed in or registered! This content is only available to members.

Or Sign In Below:

No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

Meet the First Black Woman to Serve as Chief Judge for Federal Bankruptcy Court in Cleveland

The Academy

February 4, 2024

February is Black History Month and it’s a time to recognize the past but also honor those who are achieving great things today.

Finding Your Village: An Introductory Guide to Bringing Fair Credit Reporting Act Claims for Clients Post-Bankruptcy

Emily Connor Kennedy

July 24, 2022

I hope that you’ve enjoyed the articles from Mark Leffler and Steve Relyea discussing how our firm began litigating against creditors in bankruptcy court and mortgage servicers in federal district court. In this (final) installment, I will discuss our entry into Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation. Our firm’s history with Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation is intertwined with the relationships...

Members

2019 Legislation Affecting Bankruptcy Practice – Part VI

December 8, 2019

By Lawrence R. Ahern, III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Part VI Two Things Debtors Should Know About the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA), Including a Primer on Chapter 11 Confirmation Introduction This series focuses on four bankruptcy-related bills that were enacted during the 116th Congress and signed into law on August 23, 2019.1 One bill, the Small...

Members

No Room for Error? Determining Whether Your “Secured” Creditor Has a Fatally Deficient UCC-1

March 22, 2020

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Click here for Part I Click here for Part II Part III - Description of Collateral Introduction The . . . It looks like you are not signed in or registered! This content is only available to members. Join Now Or Sign In Below: Username or Email Password Remember me...

Members

2019 Legislation Affecting Bankruptcy Practice

August 18, 2019

By Lawrence R. Ahern, III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) PART I Overview Introduction Four bankruptcy-related bills have been passed by both the House and the Senate this term. The legislation was sent to the President for signature on August 13, 2019.1 The bills were not controversial and had bipartisan support. The legislation affects both business and consumer cases. One...

Members

Making Sense of the Means Test

April 28, 2019

By Leo G. Spanos, Senior Staff Attorney to Martha G. Bronitsky, Chapter 13 Trustee, Northern District of California (Oakland Division) 1. Background & Purpose of Means Test One of the most significant changes introduced BAPCPA is the requirement of a means test to determine whether a debtor qualifies for Chapter 7 relief or, if not, how much a debtor must...

Members

Tax Time Guide: Contribute to an IRA by April 15 to claim it on 2018 tax returns

March 24, 2019

3/19/19 IRS reminded taxpayers that it’s not too late to contribute to an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) and still claim it on a 2018 tax return. Anyone with a traditional IRA may be eligible for a tax credit or deduction on their 2018 tax return if they make contributions by April 15, 2019. This news release is part of a...

Reasonable Fees and/or Questionable Attorney

May 17, 2020

By Marsha M. Brown, Staff Attorney to Chapter 13 Trustee Douglas W. Neway (Jacksonville, FL) We talk about it daily - emailing issues back and forth as to what is reasonable and what is not. Should every Court have a basic reasonable fee structure or should every attorney be required to file an application to prove the reasonableness of his/her...

Members

CFPB Announces Action Against Monster Loans, Lend Tech Loans, and Associated Student Loan Debt-Relief Companies

January 19, 2020

January 9, 2020, the Bureau filed suit against several companies and individuals involved in offering student loan debt-relief services for allegedly obtaining consumer reports illegally, charging unlawful advance fees, and engaging in deceptive conduct. The Bureau’s action is against a mortgage lender called Chou Team Realty, LLC, which does business as Monster Loans (Monster Loans); an allegedly sham mortgage brokerage...

Critical Case Comment – Time is of the Essence

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

May 21, 2023

Chapter 13 plan cannot be modified to treat a priority claim as general unsecured after the time for reconsideration of the order has passed. (Easterbrook) Matter of Terrell, 39 F.4th 888 (7th Cir. July 12, 2022) Case Summary The Terrells’ Chapter 13 plan proposed a classification to pay the State of Wisconsin in full as a priority claim because, they...

Members