Bankruptcy Brief

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | January 7, 2014

January 9, 2014

NEWS AND ANALYSIS

SURVEY: SMALL RATE INCREASES COULD FUEL MORE RESTRUCTURINGS

Corporate restructurings might be rarer these days, but professionals think a small increase in interest rates could change that dramatically, according to the 2014 Outlook Survey of restructuring experts fielded by advisory firm AlixPartners, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Half of the professionals who took part in the survey believe that a two-point or less increase in interest rates could trigger a "significant" increase in restructurings. About 56 percent of those professionals said that they expect the Federal Reserve to taper its "quantitative easing" during 2014, something the Fed itself has hinted at. In terms of what types of businesses might face issues this year, retail was the top vote-getter. Of the 104 senior attorneys, investment bankers, fund managers and other restructuring professionals who answered the survey, 57 percent picked retail as one of the top three industries that will increasingly be facing restructuring. With public companies still finding abundant access to cash, 58 percent of the restructuring professionals said they expect more distressed situations to arise involving private companies than public companies, up slightly from last year. Read more. (Subscription required.)

ABA: CONSUMER DELINQUENCIES FELL IN 3Q 2013

The American Bankers Association said today that U.S. consumer delinquencies dropped sharply in the third quarter of 2013 as the economy grew and the housing market improved, Reuters reported today. Late payments dropped significantly in two home-related loan categories, the bank industry group said. A composite ratio that reflects late payments in eight loan categories, including personal and auto loans, fell 13 basis points during the quarter to 1.63 percent of all accounts, a record low, the ABA said. Consumer delinquencies are expected to hover at low levels as the economy continues to improve, the bank group said. Late payments declined or held steady for nearly all of the categories in the composite ratio during the third quarter, although delinquencies rose for property improvement loans. Read more.

U.S. CONSUMER BORROWING UP $12.3 BILLION IN NOVEMBER

The Federal Reserve said that Americans increased their borrowing in November led by continued gains in auto and student loans, the Associated Press reported yesterday. The Federal Reserve said that consumers increased their borrowing activity by $12.3 billion in November to a seasonally adjusted $3.09 trillion. That is a record level and follows an October increase of $17.9 billion. Almost all of the November increase came from an $11.9 billion rise in borrowing for auto loans and student loans. Borrowing in the category that covers credit cards ticked up only $457.8 million after surging in October. Read more.

ALTERNATIVE LENDERS PEDDLE PRICEY COMMERCIAL LOANS

About two dozen nonbank lenders -- including OnDeck Capital Inc., Kabbage Inc. and CAN Capital Inc. -- lent about $3 billion collectively last year, double the 2012 total, estimates Marc Glazer, chief executive of Business Financial Services Inc., a lender with about $100 million of such loans outstanding, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. These short-term lenders want to become the go-to financiers for business owners needing quick cash, often $50,000 or less. Biz2Credit, an online loan broker for small businesses, says an analysis of loan applications made in December through its website showed that big banks approved 18 percent of loan applications by its customers in December, while small banks approved 49 percent. Short-term lenders such as Swift and OnDeck typically structure their loans to be repaid in months, not years. To reduce risk, payments are collected daily or weekly, enabling lenders see how loans perform "in real time, as opposed to the wait-and-hope model," says Daniel DeMeo, chief executive of New York-based CAN Capital. Interest rates on such loans can run in excess of 50 percent, on an annualized basis, much higher than on conventional bank loans. Usury laws limiting interest rates generally don't apply to the short-term lenders, and some of the loans are originated in states that don't cap interest rates on commercial loans. Read more. (Subscription required.)

OLDER AMERICANS SHUN RETIREMENT AT 65 FOR RISKY STARTUPS

Older Americans are increasingly shunning retirement to start companies because they see job opportunities as being limited after age 55, don't have enough savings to retire comfortably or want to work for themselves, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. People from ages 55 to 64 started 23.4 percent of companies in 2012, up from 14.3 percent of new entrepreneurs in 1996, according to the Kauffman Foundation's research. About a quarter of Americans between ages 44 and 70 are interested in creating their own company or nonprofit venture, according to November 2011 research by San Francisco-based Encore.org, which studies baby boomers' plans for new careers. The average age of 500 recent applicants for a Florida entrepreneurship program funded in part by the U.S. Labor Department was 51, said Michael O'Donnell, regional project manager for Startup Quest in Fort Lauderdale. Read more.

PENSION DRAG ON EARNINGS MAY REVERSE

Nearly 30 large companies over the past few years have switched to "mark-to-market" pension accounting to make it easier for investors to gauge plan performance, the Wall Street Journal reported today. With the switch, pension gains and losses flow into earnings sooner than under the old rules, which are still in effect and allow companies to smooth out the impact over several years. Companies that switch to valuing assets at up-to-date market prices may incur more volatility in their earnings, but it offers a more current picture of a pension plan's health and its contribution to the bottom line. In 2011 and 2012, that change hurt the companies' earnings, largely because interest rates were falling at the time. But for 2013, it may be a big help to them, accounting experts said, a factor of the year's surge in interest rates and strong stock-market performance. Read more. (Subscription required.)

NEXT WEEK! NEW ABILIVE "BACK TO BASICS" WEBINAR SERIES KICKS OFF WITH A LOOK FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND OPERATING REPORTS

Send your associates to ABI's "Back To Basics" webinar series, hosted by the Young and New Members Committee, this month. The series will cover the fundamentals of financial statements and operating reports (Jan. 14), using financial documents as evidence (Jan. 21), and hedge funds (Jan. 28). Let a trusted CLE provider help get your associates up to speed. Register for the complete series and get the third webinar free!

ABI LAUNCHES SIXTH ANNUAL WRITING COMPETITION FOR LAW STUDENTS

Law school students are invited to submit a paper between now and March 4, 2014 for ABI's Sixth Annual Bankruptcy Law Student Writing Competition. ABI will extend a complimentary one-year membership to all students who participate in this year's competition. Eligible submissions should focus on current issues regarding bankruptcy jurisdiction, bankruptcy litigation, or evidence issues in bankruptcy cases or proceedings. The first-place winner, sponsored by Invotex Group, Inc., will receive a cash prize of $2,000 and publication of his or her paper in the ABI Journal. The second-place winner, sponsored by Jenner & Block LLP, will receive a cash prize of $1,250 and publication of his or her paper in an ABI committee newsletter. The third-place winner, sponsored by Thompson & Knight LLP, will receive a cash prize of $750 plus publication of his or her paper in an ABI committee newsletter. For competition participation and submission guidelines, please visit http://papers.abi.org.

DETROIT EMERGENCY MANAGER KEVYN ORR TO KEYNOTE ABI'S 32ND ANNUAL SPRING MEETING ON APRIL 25

Kevyn Orr, emergency manager to the city of Detroit, will provide the keynote at the Friday Luncheon at ABI's 32nd Annual Spring Meeting at the JW Marriott in downtown Washington, D.C. The conference, taking place April 24-27, 2014, features a roster of the best national speakers, while the depth and scope of topics offer something for everyone. Specifically, four concurrent workshops will cover various "tracks," including programs for attorneys in commercial cases, a track for restructuring professionals, a track of professional development programming and a track dealing solely with consumer issues. The Annual Spring Meeting offers 18.25/22 hours of CLE/CPE credit, along with ethics credit totaling 3.25/4 hours. In addition, committee sessions will drill down on topics covered in the larger sessions to provide you with the most practical and varied CLE/CPE experience ever. Also featured will be a special half-day optional event sponsored by ABI and the FCBA titled "The Intersection of the FCC and Bankruptcy Law."

Sessions at the 2014 Annual Spring Meeting include:

- 18th Annual Great Debates
- Where the Work Is (and Isn't)
- The Ever-Changing Role of Committees
- Large Complex Trusts: A General Motors Case Study
- Municipal Bankruptcies
- Use of Governmental Assistance Programs in Chapter 13
- The Financial Professional’s Role in Out-of-Court Restructurings and Dissolutions
- Civility in the Restructuring Profession
- Union Contracts
- Student Loan Update
- Social Media: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
- The § 363 Sale Process from a Transactional Perspective

The conference kicks off with an Opening Reception at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, offering a truly D.C. experience. Optional events include a golf tournament at Westfields Golf Club, a Washington Nationals vs. San Diego Padres baseball game and an evening at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: NEWCO ENERGY V. ENERGYTEC INC. (IN THE MATTER OF ENERGYTEC INC.; 5TH CIR.)

Summarized by Eric Lockridge of Kean Miller LLP

The Fifth Circuit ruled that § 363(m) does not moot the appeal of an order determining the nature and extent of a nonbankrupt party's interest in a pipeline system when the § 363 sale was approved subject to a later judicial determination of that interest.

There are nearly 1,200 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: LITIGATION HOLD EXTENDS TO THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT AGENTS

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks more than 80 bankruptcy-related blogs. Insurance and financial institutions understand the importance of data preservation, but from time to time -- usually in the throes of complex litigation -- the specific requirements of federal and state data preservation laws need to be examined more closely. A recent post takes a look back at the major data preservation cases that affected insurance companies and financial institutions in 2012 and 2013.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

A debtor may strip liens in a "chapter 20" case.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL

INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 43 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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NEXT WEEK:

COMING UP

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2014

January
- abiLIVE "Back To Basics" Webinar- Financial Statements and Operating Reports
    Jan. 14, 2014
- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
    Jan. 20, 2014 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- abiLIVE "Back To Basics" Webinar- Financial Documents as Evidence
    Jan. 21, 2014
- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
    Jan. 23-24, 2014 | Denver, Colo.
- abiLIVE "Back To Basics" Webinar- Hedge Funds
    Jan. 28, 2014

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
Feb. 6-8, 2014 | San Juan, P.R.
- VALCON14
Feb. 26-28, 2014 | Las Vegas, Nev.

March
- Bankruptcy Battleground West
March 11, 2014 | Los Angeles, Calif.
- Alexander L. Paskay Memorial
Bankruptcy Seminar
March 13-15, 2014 | Tampa, Fla.

April
- Annual Spring Meeting
April 24-27, 2014 | Washington, D.C.

Read more about Survey Small Rate Increases Could Fuel More Restructurings

New Supreme Court Case Tests Absolute Right to Convert Chapter 13

Read more about New Supreme Court Case Tests Absolute Right to Convert Chapter 13

Commentary Resolution Authority Too Vague to Succeed

Read more about Commentary Resolution Authority Too Vague to Succeed

Obama to Push Congress on Mortgage Relief

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | August 21, 2012

August 21, 2012

NEWS AND ANALYSIS

OBAMA TO PUSH CONGRESS ON MORTGAGE RELIEF

President Obama yesterday called on Congress to act on home mortgage relief when it returns for a brief legislative session in September, The Hill reported today. The housing market is widely believed to be the most significant drag on the economy, and Obama was under fire in a recent New York Times front-page story for the inability of his administration to address the burden of homeowner debt. "We are going to be pushing Congress to see if it can pass a refinancing bill that puts $3,000 in the pocket of the average family that has not yet refinanced their mortgage," he said. The White House is supporting a trio of Senate Democratic bills that streamline refinancing:

• Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) in May introduced the “Responsible Homeowners Refinancing Act of 2012.” The bill would streamline refinancing for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac borrowers by eliminating upfront fees and appraisal costs, among other changes.

• Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has a bill called the “Rebuilding Equity Act” for loans of 20 years or less. It would require Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to pay all closing costs.

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has a bill to aid underwater homeowners by allowing them to receive Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance.

While significant, the White House-backed legislation falls short of the extensive housing action urged by some. Liberal groups and unions want Obama to replace Edward DeMarco — acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — to force the agency to approve principal mortgage reductions. Others want legislation to allow bankruptcy judges to approve principal reductions in chapter 13. Read more.

CASE AGAINST FORMER FREDDIE MAC EXECUTIVES HINGES ON DEFINITION OF "SUBPRIME"

Figuring out the definition of a "subprime mortgage" by a U.S. judge could determine whether three former Freddie Mac executives misled investors about loans backed by the mortgage giant before it sank, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Lawyers for the former executives, including Chief Executive Richard Syron, sparred at a hearing with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the definition of "subprime" and "subprime-like." The fight came as lawyers for the former Freddie Mac executives urged U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan to throw out an eight-month-old fraud lawsuit by the SEC alleging that the former executives made "materially false and misleading public disclosures" about the company's housing-market exposure in 2007 and 2008. Lawyers for Syron, Patricia Cook, a former Freddie Mac executive vice president, and Donald Bisenius, a former senior vice president, asked the judge to dismiss the suit because Freddie Mac told investors it did not classify single-family loans using the words "prime" or "subprime." Instead, Freddie Mac provided investors with tables outlining the characteristics of loans, allowing investors to draw their own inferences about loan quality, the lawyers said. The lawyers cited an investor document that said the amount of loans that would have been subprime if the term that Freddie Mac used was "not significant." Suzanne Romajas, a lawyer for the SEC, agreed that there is no universally accepted definition of "subprime," but she said Freddie Mac used a combination of factors to decide whether a certain loan was high-risk, and the former executives should have disclosed all of the mortgages that were vulnerable to potential default. For example, including mortgages with "subprime-like" characteristics would have increased Freddie Mac's overall high-risk loan exposure to 10 percent of its portfolio, not the 0.1 percent claimed by the company, she added. Read more. (Subscription required.)

SUPREME COURT CASE COULD CURB DEBT-COLLECTION LAWSUITS

Fearing that the legal playing field could be tilted against consumers, a group of federal and private consumer agencies have filed briefs in a U.S. Supreme Court case that threatens to shift the cost of a lawsuit to consumers in debt-collection cases, CreditCards.com reported today. In the past, collectors have absorbed court costs in "good faith" suits by consumers, even if the consumer loses, unless the consumers sued in bad faith or for purposes of harassment. Without this protection from fee shifting, people would be discouraged from suing debt collectors, say the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Board and a group of private consumer advocacy groups in legal briefs filed this month. There has been a surge in the number of cases filed against debt collectors under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the 1977 federal law that regulates the activities of third-party debt collectors. The case that made it to the Supreme Court, though, could discourage such suits, the agencies say. The case, known as Marx v. General Revenue Corp., revolves around the experience of Olivea Marx, a Colorado woman who racked up student debt and failed to pay it, then was contacted by a debt collector. Marx, a single mother with two young children and a low-paying job, claimed that the collector's vigor went beyond the limits of the law. The collector called her several times a day, she said, and illegally threatened to garnish half her wages and sent a collection-related fax to her employer. She sued, but the lower court disagreed, finding that the debt collector's contact with the woman's employer did not violate the law because it did not specifically mention her debt. The court ordered her to pay $4,543 in costs -- nearly all of which compensated the debt collector for hiring a court reporter and bringing in witnesses. Read more.

TRANSUNION: U.S. AUTO LOAN DELINQUENCY RATE IN SECOND QUARTER AT LOWEST LEVEL

Credit-information company TransUnion Corp. said that the national delinquency rate of auto loans in the U.S. hit its lowest level for the second consecutive quarter since the firm began tracking the data in 1999, Dow Jones Newswires reported today. Auto loan delinquency rates in the second quarter dropped to 0.33 percent, down from 0.36 percent in the first quarter and 0.44 percent in the period a year ago. In addition to increased demand in new and used autos, bank auto debt per borrower rose to $13,427 in the second quarter from $12,689 in the previous year. TransUnion said that despite growing bank auto debt, the majority of states and cities are experiencing declines in their auto loan delinquency rates. Read more.

REGIONAL AIRLINES FACE CLOSINGS, BANKRUPTCY

Regional airlines operate half the nation's scheduled flights, but several of those carriers are being closed or are in bankruptcy court protection, USA Today reported today. They face significant challenges, as the big airlines they often fly for are phasing out smaller and costlier regional jets and cutting some low-traffic regional routes to focus on those that are more lucrative. Delta, the largest operator of 50-seat aircraft among U.S. airlines, will shutter regional carrier Comair after Sept. 29. Pinnacle Airlines, with subsidiaries such as Colgan that have flown for United, US Airways and Delta, filed for bankruptcy protection in April. AMR, the parent company of American Airlines and regional carrier American Eagle, filed for bankruptcy protection in November. "Airlines are finding these smaller jets just don't make them any money," says industry analyst Mike Boyd. "That's why they're shutting down Comair. That's why Pinnacle is in bankruptcy. It's a sector of (the) industry that provides a type of aircraft that's rapidly becoming obsolete." Read more.

ORCHESTRAS FIGHT HARD TIMES THROUGH BANKRUPTCY SEEKING NEW MODEL

Orchestras across the country continue to struggle financially, and some are following the lead of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Bloomberg News reported today. The Philadelphia Orchestra was the biggest among at least five U.S. symphonies to seek court protection in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse. Others include music organizations in Louisville, Ky., Syracuse, N.Y., Albuquerque, N.M., and Honolulu. Though subject to the same harsh realities of bankruptcy as corporations, the recent reorganization in Philadelphia -- and the decreased debt and expenses the group emerged with -- may serve as a model for other symphonies struggling with fewer donors and lower ticket sales. With its turnaround plan approved, the Philadelphia Orchestra Association exited court protection on July 30 after 15 months, having resolved $100 million in claims with a $5.5 million settlement, shrinking its payroll and winning a release from its pension obligations. Read more.

Click here to listen to an ABI podcast that focuses on orchestra bankruptcies.

DON'T MISS THE "WHEN IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHAPTER 11 THE BEST FIT?" WEBINAR ON SEPT. 27!

Chapter 11 can offer significant relief for certain individuals who need a restructuring of their finances. Learn when and how to use this tool in a 75-minute live webinar on Sept. 27 at noon ET. An expert panel will guide you through a successful individual chapter 11 and discuss key issues such as plan confirmation, modification and treatment of future income and secured debt.

Panelists on the webinar include:

• James F. Molleur of the Molleur Law Office (Biddeford, Maine)

• John P. Fitzgerald, III, of the Office of the U.S. Trustee (Boston)

• Raymond J. Obuchowski of Obuchowski & Emens-Butler, PC (Bethel, Vt.)

• Jennifer Rood of Bernstein Shur (Manchester, N.H.)

This panel was the highest rated at ABI's Northeast Bankruptcy Conference in July. The webinar is available to ABI members for $75. To register, please click here.

ABI IN-DEPTH

ABI MEMBERS WELCOME TO ATTEND ACB'S FREE HALF-DAY "BANKRUPTCY: BACK TO THE FUTURE" PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER

The American College of Bankruptcy invites you to attend a free half-day program on Sept. 28 in Chicago for a discussion of many of the challenging topics facing current bankruptcy and reorganization professionals. Topics to be addressed include recent decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, important work of the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules, and developments in the field of bankruptcy ethics. The nation’s leading judges, academics and bankruptcy professionals are among the speakers for the program. While there is no cost to attend, seating is limited, so early reservation is suggested. For more information and to register, please click here.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: NUVEEN MUNICIPAL TRUST V. WITHUMSMITH BROWN, P.C. (3D CIR.)

Summarized by Matthew Heimann of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, PC

Affirming the district court, the Third Circuit held that the district court did have "related to" jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b) to adjudicate Appellant's action against the debtor’s accounting firm and counsel regarding an audit report and opinion letter that was prepared for the pre-petition transaction. The Third Circuit enunciated the principles of "related to" jurisdiction and its "conceivability" inquiry that applies to such analyses.

There are more than 600 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT’S RULING IN THE PILGRIM’S PRIDE CASE

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post examines the Fifth Circuit's ruling in the Pilgrim's Pride case. The court ruled in the case that a $1 million “enhancement fee" is OK after the company's reorganization plan paid a 100 percent dividend to unsecured creditors.

ABI Quick Poll
The Twombly/Iqbal rule for pleading ‘plausible’ claims has been applied too stringently in dismissing avoidance actions for failure to state a claim.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?

Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL

INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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NEXT EVENTS:

Sept. 11, 2012
Register Today!

Sept. 13-15, 2012
Register Today!

Sept. 13-14, 2012
Register Today!

COMING UP:

Sept. 19-20, 2012
Register Today!

"WHEN IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHAPTER 11 THE BEST FIT?" LIVE WEBINAR
Sept. 27, 2012
Register Today!

Oct. 4, 2012
Register Today!

Oct. 5, 2012
Register Today!

Oct. 8, 2012
Register Today!

ABI YOUNG AND NEW MEMBERS COMMITTEE “TRENDING ISSUES: EXAMINERS AND SELECT PLAN CONFIRMATION ISSUES” WEBINAR
Oct. 15, 2012
Register Today!

Oct. 18, 2012
Register Today!

Nov. 7, 2012
Register Today!

4TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Nov. 9, 2012
Register Today!

Nov. 12, 2012
Register Today!

Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012
Register Today!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September
- 7th Annual Golf and Tennis Outing
     September 11, 2012 | Maplewood, N.J.
- Complex Financial Restructuring Program
     September 13-14, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference
     September 13-15, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- 38th Annual Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization
     September 19-20, 2012 | New York, N.Y.
- "When Is an Individual Chapter 11 the Best Fit?" Live Webinar
     September 27, 2012
- American College of Bankruptcy's "Bankruptcy: Back to the Future" Program
     September 28, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

October
- Nuts & Bolts for Young and New Practitioners - KC
October 4, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.
- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program, Midwestern Consumer Forum
October 5, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Bankruptcy 2012: Views from the Bench
     October 5, 2012 | Washington, D.C.
- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     October 8, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.
- "Trending Issues: Examiners and Select Plan Confirmation Issues" Webinar
     October 15, 2012
- International Insolvency and Restructuring Symposium
     October 18, 2012 | Rome, Italy

November
- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium
     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico
- Professional Development Program
     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.
- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.
- Winter Leadership Conference
     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

Read more about Obama to Push Congress on Mortgage Relief

Corporate Bankruptcy Filing Increase Not as Large as Expected

Read more about Corporate Bankruptcy Filing Increase Not as Large as Expected

Administrations Student Debt Plan Would Ease Burden but Critics Say It Could Promote Overborrowing

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | May 14 2013

May 14, 2013

NEWS AND ANALYSIS

ADMINISTRATION’S STUDENT DEBT PLAN WOULD EASE BURDEN, BUT CRITICS SAY IT COULD PROMOTE OVERBORROWING

The White House proposal that the government forgive billions of dollars in student debt over the next decade is supported by student advocates, but critics say that it would expand a program that already encourages students to borrow too much and stick taxpayers with the bill, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The proposal, included in President Barack Obama's budget for next year, would increase the number of borrowers eligible for a program known as income-based repayment (IBR), which aims to help low-income workers stay current on federal student debt. Borrowers in IBR programs make monthly payments equivalent to 10 percent of their income after taxes and basic living expenses, regardless of how much they owe. After 20 years of on-time payments—10 years for those who work in public or nonprofit jobs—the balance is forgiven. Under the program today, most borrowers with loans issued since October 2007 are eligible to participate. The budget proposal—which requires congressional approval—would let all borrowers with pre-2007 loans participate and would make tax exempt any debt forgiven through the program. (Loan forgiveness can be considered taxable income.) Read more. (Subscription required.)

SURVEY: MILLIONS STRUGGLING WITH MEDICAL DEBT

A recent survey found that medical debt continues to weigh on the shoulders of millions of consumers, according to a column in yesterday’s Dallas Morning News. Last year, 41 percent of adults ages 19 to 64 said that they had problems paying medical bills or were paying off medical debt over time, according to a survey by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that promotes improvements in the health care system. Twenty-nine percent of those paying off medical bills said they were carrying more than $4,000 in debt, and 16 percent reported $8,000 or more in medical debt. Gaps in health insurance, inadequate coverage and large medical bills have left millions with medical debt, said Sara Collins, vice president of Affordable Health Insurance at the Commonwealth Fund. The Affordable Care Act, which goes into full effect next year, has improved the situation somewhat, she said. In particular, a provision that allows adult children to remain on their parents’ health insurance policies until they are age 26 has had an impact. Another bill currently being considered in Congress, the "Medical Debt Responsibility Act," would prohibit credit bureaus from using paid-off or settled medical debt collections in determining a consumer’s creditworthiness. The bureaus also would have 45 days from the date the medical debt collection is paid off or settled to expunge the collection from the consumer’s credit report. Read more.

TRANSUNION: CREDIT QUALITY OF MORTGAGE BORROWERS NATIONWIDE HAS IMPROVED

Widely reported mortgage delinquency rates are being weighed down by older mortgages and loans long past due, but more recent mortgages are performing at pre-housing-bubble norms, according to an analysis of national lending data by TransUnion, the Chicago Tribune reported today. In a study of 52 million mortgages, the credit information provider found that mortgages originated before 2009 comprised 50 percent of all outstanding loans and 86 percent of all loans that were 60 days or more past due. That translates to 14.5 percent of loans originated in 2007 falling delinquent within their first three years, compared with only 2.5 percent of mortgages originated in 2010, after the housing bubble burst and lending standards tightened. Read more.

CREDIT-RATING AGENCIES POISED TO AVOID OVERHAUL

Three years after Congress told federal regulators to consider changing the way credit-rating agencies are paid, the industry appears poised to dodge a major overhaul, the Washington Post reported today. The ratings firms have been widely criticized for contributing to the 2008 financial crisis by issuing high ratings to toxic securities backed by residential mortgages. Since then, the way these firms are compensated has come under scrutiny, with critics arguing that the agencies have a conflict of interest because they are paid for their analysis by the very banks and corporations whose products they are rating. One proposal designed to end this “pay to play” dilemma comes from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who is pushing to have the Securities and Exchange Commission set up an independent board that would assign financial products such as bonds to credit-rating agencies to rate, rather than allow banks and companies to choose which agencies to use. The approach will be debated today when the SEC holds a day-long roundtable to discuss the credit-rating agencies’ business model with industry officials, academics and investor advocates. But several analysts who track the issue say it is unlikely that the SEC will adopt a plan that separates hiring from payment, in part because doing so is not as simple as it appears. Read more.

ANALYSIS: IP TRANSACTIONS NEED SPECIAL CARE WHEN COMPANY IS IN FINANCIAL DISTRESS

In intellectual property licensing deals where one party is in financial distress, practitioners must take particular care as the transaction unfolds, according to experts on the topic, Reuters reported yesterday. IP counsel Daniel Ilan and bankruptcy partner Lisa Schweitzer, both of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, who in 2011 represented Nortel Networks in the $4.5 billion bankruptcy sale of its residual patents, said that caution is especially needed when balancing the fate of intellectual property during bankruptcy. Due to the way that recent transactions are scrutinized by bankruptcy courts for fairness, they may be voided or challenged if they appear to have been made for less than market value, said Schweitzer. If the company seeking to license its IP is financially distressed, including on the verge of bankruptcy, the company that pays for the license must make sure it is paying a fair price for the property, Schweitzer said. U.S. appeals courts have disagreed over whether certain obligations under IP licensing contracts, including the responsibility of the licensor to protect the "quality" of the trademark, constitute obligations that are absolutely necessary in order to complete the contract, Ilan said. Read more.

For more information about intellectual property in bankruptcy or valuation issues in bankruptcy, be sure to pick up a copy of Bankruptcy and Its Impact on Intellectual Property Law, Second Edition and A Practical Guide to Bankruptcy Valuation from ABI's Bookstore.

NEW ABI LIVE WEBINAR ON MAY 29 WILL FOCUS ON CLASS ACTIONS IN BOTH BUSINESS AND CONSUMER CASES

Class action lawsuits in both chapter 11 and 13 cases are becoming more prevalent. Are you wondering whether your clients’ WARN Act claims would be better pursued against a debtor company in a class action adversary proceeding or in a class proof of claim, or both? If your client has been sued in a debtor’s consumer class action adversary proceeding, do you know the best defenses against class certification? ABI's panel of experts will highlight the case law and explore the potential benefits and pitfalls of class actions by creditors against debtor companies in chapter 11 cases and by debtors/trustees against creditors in chapter 13 cases on May 29 from 1-2:15 p.m. ET. Special ABI member rate available! Click here to register.

ASSOCIATES: ABI'S NUTS & BOLTS ONLINE PROGRAMS HELP YOU HONE YOUR SKILLS WHILE SAVING ON CLE!

Associates looking to sharpen their bankruptcy knowledge should take advantage of ABI's special offer of combining general, business or consumer Nuts & Bolts online programs. Each program features an outstanding faculty of judges and practitioners explaining the fundamentals of bankruptcy, offering procedures and strategies tailored for both consumer and business attorneys. Click here to get the CLE you need at a great low price!

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; NEXT STOP IS CENTRAL STATES BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP IN JUNE

Rob Schwartz and Scott Gautier are tied at 34 Stableford Points atop the closely bunched leaderboard after the ABI's Golf Tour's first stop at Lake Presidential Golf Club. Next up for the Tour is the famed Bear course at the Grand Traverse Resort at the Central States Bankruptcy Workshop on June 14. Final scoring to win the Great American Cup—sponsored by Great American Group—is based on your top three scores at seven scheduled ABI events, so play as many as you can before the tour wraps up at the Winter Leadership Conference in December. See the Tour page for details and course descriptions. The ABI Golf Tour combines networking with fun competition, as golfers "play their own ball." Including your handicap means everyone has an equal chance to compete for the glory of being crowned ABI's top golfer of 2013! There's no charge to register or participate in the Tour, and women are most welcome.

ABI MEMBERS WELCOME TO ATTEND INSOL'S LATIN AMERICAN REGIONAL SEMINAR ON JUNE 13 IN SAO PAULO

ABI members are encouraged to attend INSOL’s Latin American regional seminar in São Paulo, Brazil, on June 13. The one-day seminar has been organized by INSOL in association with TMA Brasil to cover current cross-border insolvency and restructuring topics. The seminar is designed to be interactive and to allow the attendees to discuss and debate about practical issues with speakers who are leading players in the insolvency and restructuring field and with experience in insolvency proceedings involving different countries. The seminar will benefit from simultaneous translation in English, Portuguese and Spanish. For more information and to register, please click here.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: BRANIGAN V. DAVIS (IN RE DAVIS; 4TH CIR.)

Summarized by Ann Brogan of Crowley, Liberatore, Ryan & Brogan, P.C.

In two “Chapter 20” cases, the Fourth Circuit affirmed confirmation orders stripping off valueless junior liens against debtors’ property. In a 2-1 ruling, the Court rejected the argument of the chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee that the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 created a per se rule that barred lien-stripping in Chapter 20 cases.

There are more than 800 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE SUPREME COURT'S RULING IN BULLOCK V. BANKCHAMPAIGN

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent post takes a closer look at the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday in Bullock v. BankChampaign NA involving the definition of "defalcation" in 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4).

ABI Quick Poll

Bankruptcy courts should implement constructive trusts in any case where applicable state law would recognize them.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL

INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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THIS WEEK:

May 15, 2013
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