Many have had the unpleasant experience of coping with an ill-mannered and disrespectful opposing counsel. Unnecessary motions are filed and unfounded allegations are asserted. Relief requested has no basis in fact or law. Temperatures rise. The volume of argument is loud. Your staff and you are upset. What to do?We asked the Emeritus Trustees and here are some recommendations: First,...

By Hon. Brian Lynch, Bankruptcy Judge, WAWB “[T]he bankruptcy court has a duty to review fee applications, notwithstanding the absence of objections by the United States trustee (“UST”), creditors, or any other interested party….” In re Busy Beaver Bldg. Ctrs., Inc., 19 F.3d 833, 841 (3d Cir. 1994). In Chapter 13 cases this role is critical because in this judge’s...

By Sean G. O'Hair, Staff Attorney to Chapter 13 Standing Trustee Nancy Curry (Los Angeles, CA) Recent changes to the Handbook for Chapter 13 Standing Trustees promise to bring renewed scrutinyto the reasonableness of document requests by a chapter 13 trustee for documents that are not otherwise required to be provided by law.1 The basic idea appears to be that...

By Phil Lamos, Chief Legal Counsel, Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee Lauren A. Helbling (Cleveland, OH) Bankruptcy Rule 2002(a)(5) directs that 21 days’ notice must be given of the “time fixed to accept or reject a proposed modification of a [Chapter 13] plan.” But to whom must notice be given? Specifically, which creditors need to be given notice? This...

By Lawrence R. Ahern, III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Wonk Alert This Part 2 wraps up some suggestions about how the parties to residential mortgages may avoid or minimize problems in the structuring and administration of these loans, with a discussion of subsection 1111(b) of Bankruptcy Code.1 This discussion may seem arcane, as indeed many experienced Chapter 11 practitioners...

By William Sawyer, Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Alabama (Montgomery) (Used with permission. Court News and Views, Volume 18, October 2020) Lawyers who practice regularly in bankruptcy court invariably make many appearances at motion dockets. This article provides practice pointers to lawyers who do not practice often in this Court to familiarize them with our procedures...

You may recognize the title of this article as being the chorus line from the John Fogerty song entitled, “Centerfield.” The song is about a baseball player ready to enter the game. We are at the mid-point of the Major League Baseball season. Coaches will be instructing and motivating their teams in hopes of winning games and eventually winning the...

Introduction Following Part 1's review of the December 1, 2021 changes in the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and Part 2's digest of selected judicial decisions of interest for their procedural import . . . 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...