Can Good Facts Also Make Bad Law? Finality of Orders in Bankruptcy Revisited after Ritzen Group

Larry Ahern is a partner in Brown & Ahern and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University (teaching Secured Transactions) and St. John’s University (Bankruptcy Procedure). He is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys and a Director of the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors. A Rule 31 Certified Mediator in Tennessee, he also holds national certification as a Business Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification. Larry practiced bankruptcy and commercial law after his 1972 graduation from Vanderbilt until 2013, when he limited his practice to mediation and other alternate dispute resolution, consulting engagements by legal and financial professionals on legal issues involving bankruptcy, real estate and commercial law, expert testimony, writing, teaching, and speaking. In addition to his current teaching positions, he serves on the Advisory Board of the St. John’s Law School Bankruptcy LL.M. program and, in 2002, was Visiting Professor at Cumberland School of Law (Secured Transactions and Banking). He also chaired the American Board of Certification and the Tennessee Commission on CLE & Specialization and continues serving the ABC as Director Emeritus. Larry’s other professional affiliations include the American Bankruptcy Institute (former Director) and the Mid-South Commercial Law Institute (former Director and President). He is the author or co-author of 19 books and articles on bankruptcy and commercial law, with other articles pending, and he is a frequent speaker and writer.