Venue/Jurisdiction

Bankruptcy Courts Always Have Post-Confirmation Jurisdiction for ‘Core’ Matters

The Third Circuit opinion by Thomas Ambro explained that the ‘close nexus’ test does not apply when a post-conformation dispute is ‘core’ or entails enforcing a court order.
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Bankruptcy Judge Finds Liability for a Municipality’s Denial of Due Process Rights

A local government removed a lawsuit to bankruptcy court, but the bankruptcy judge turned around and slam-dunked the government for violating the plaintiff’s Fourteenth Amendment rights.

A Solvent Estate Must Be ‘Likely’ to Confer Standing on an Individual Chapter 7 Debtor

The Seventh Circuit doesn’t accept a debtor’s asset schedules as gospel in deciding whether there is appellate standing.
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Sixth Circuit Defines Res Judicata Liberally

Res judicata can bar a claim in a later lawsuit if it wasn’t raised in bankruptcy court, given a bankruptcy court’s broad jurisdiction.
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Channeling ‘Asbestos’ Claims Is a Legitimate Use of Chapter 7, District Judge Says

Reversing the bankruptcy court, a district judge ruled that a company may file in chapter 7 even when there are no operations and no assets aside from insurance.

Bankruptcy Removal Isn’t the Same as General Removal, Fifth Circuit Explains

Fifth Circuit finds ‘related to’ jurisdiction in a lawsuit between two third parties who were neither debtors nor creditors.
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No De Novo Review of Discovery Sanctions After the Reference Is Withdrawn

An adverse inference sanction for spoliation of evidence is reviewed for abuse of discretion by the district court after withdrawal of the reference.

Parties May Not Consent for Magistrate Judge to Decide a Bankruptcy Appeal

Fifth Circuit holds that 28 U.S.C. § 158 requires district judges or BAPs to decide bankruptcy appeals.
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