Business Reorganization

SPECIAL ABI PODCAST EXAMINES SUPREME COURT'S DECISION IN U.S. V. HALL

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5-4) on May 14 in the case of U.S. v. Hall that farmers who sold farm assets during a bankruptcy reorganization under chapter 12 of the Bankruptcy Code were liable for the full amount of the capital gains tax that resulted from the sale. In this special podcast, ABI has assembled three experts involved in the case to discuss the Court's decision and potential ramifications of U.S. v. Hall.

• Susan M. Freeman of Lewis and Roca LLP (Phoenix, Ariz.) represented the petitioners before the Supreme Court and presented the oral arguments in the case.

• Joseph A. Peiffer of Day Rettig Peiffer, PC (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is the counsel of record for the amicus brief filed by Profs. Neil Harl, Jack Williams and Robert Himschoot in support of the petitioners.

• Prof. Jack F. Williams of Georgia State University / Mesirow Financial Consulting, LLC (Atlanta) filed an amicus brief with Profs. Neil Harl and Robert Himschoot in support of the petitioners.

The moderator of the podcast is ABI Resident Scholar Prof. David Epstein.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

CFTC TO RELEASE CLEARING RULE FOR SWAPS

U.S. lawmakers and regulators are seizing on the more than $2 billion in losses disclosed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. to bolster their positions in the nearly two-year-old debate over Wall Street’s rules, Bloomberg News reported today. The Senate Banking Committee was the flash point for the debate today, as Democrats and Gary Gensler, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, used the losses to argue for the 2010 Dodd- Frank Act rules, including a ban on proprietary trading by banks. The types of derivative swaps said to have led to a loss of at least $2 billion at JPMorgan Chase & Co. may be the first for which the CFTC would require guarantees by clearinghouses under the Dodd-Frank Act, Gensler testified. The commission, the main U.S. derivatives regulator, will seek comments this summer on the requirement for swaps of interest rates and credit-default indexes, according to Gensler. Read more.

Click here to read the prepared witness testimony.

COMMENTARY: REINSTATING GLASS-STEAGALL IS NOT A CURE FOR PREVENTING THE NEXT FINANCIAL CRISIS

Since JPMorgan Chase announced its surprise $2 billion and growing trading loss there have been renewed calls from economists, pundits and politicians to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, a Depression-era law that prevented commercial banks from participating in investment banking activities, according to a commentary today on the New York Times' DealBook Blog. Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Massachusetts, sent an e-mail to thousands of her constituents, pressing to bring back the law, which she said, "stopped investment banks from gambling away people's life savings for decades — until Wall Street successfully lobbied to have it repealed in 1999." However, Glass-Steagall would not have prevented the last financial crisis, according to the commentary, and it probably would not have prevented JPMorgan's $2 billion-plus trading loss. Read the full commentary.

CONSUMERS MAY SEE NEW LIMITS ON MANDATORY ARBITRATION

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Securities and Exchange Commission are studying whether to take steps to limit or ban mandatory arbitration clauses from financial contracts with consumers, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Alan Kaplinsky, head of the consumer finance practice at Ballard Spahr LLC, said that a regulatory rollback of mandatory arbitration has the potential to impose new litigation risks and costs on providers of checking accounts, credit cards and payday loans. They can also be found in contracts for employment, mobile phones and rental equipment. The regulator push-back has been evident in at least two recent actions. In February, the SEC forced The Carlyle Group LP to remove from its proposed public offering documents a clause that would have required its new shareholders to use arbitration. The consumer bureau, established by the same Dodd-Frank Act that gave it the power to regulate the clauses, has started a study to determine whether arbitration does consumers more harm than good. Read more.

REPORT: RECORD NUMBER OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FACE BANKRUPTCY

Pummeled by relentless budget cuts, a record number of California school districts are facing bankruptcy, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Inglewood Unified School District and 11 others -– most in northern California -- are currently not able to pay their bills this school year or next, according to a biannual report on the financial health of the state's 1,037 school systems compiled by the state Department of Education. An additional 176 school districts may not be able to meet their financial obligations. All told, the financially troubled districts serve 2.6 million children. Education officials blame much of the crisis on a double blow by the state: budget cuts amounting to 20 percent over the last three years and the deferment of millions of dollars owed to schools but not dispersed until months later. Read more.

ANALYSIS: GRADUATE SCHOOL DEBT ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY A THIRD OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT

Lost in the debate over the nation's student loan debt topping the $1 trillion mark is that graduate students account for a third of that sum -- and that their indebtedness is likely about to grow much worse, according to a SmartMoney.com analysis last week. Beginning in July, subsidized Stafford loans will no longer be available to graduate students, a shift that experts say will force student borrowers into more expensive loans to cover tuition, according to the analysis. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org, which tracks student debt, estimates their debt load at graduation will increase by about 6 percent on average. Read the full analysis.

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR TOMORROW’S LABOR & EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE "EVOLVING LABOR ISSUES IN CHAPTER 11" WEBINAR

Don’t miss the ABI Labor and Employment Committee's "Evolving Labor Issues in Chapter 11" Webinar scheduled for tomorrow from 2-3:30 p.m. ET. A panel of experts will be discussing timely developments in several large complex bankruptcy cases, including Hostess, Kodak, Nortel and American Airlines. The expert panel includes Babette A. Ceccotti of Cohen, Weiss & Simon LLP (New York), former chief counsel of the PBGC Jeffrey B. Cohen of Bailey & Ehrenberg PLLC (Washington, D.C.), Marc Kieselstein of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (New York) and Ron E. Meisler of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Sam Alberts of SNR Denton (Washington, D.C.) will be the moderator for the program. Issues to be discussed include:

• Hostess' efforts to eliminate their multi-employer pension plan contribution liability through motions to reject their labor agreements under Section 1113.
• Kodak's attempt to terminate retiree health benefits.
• The effect of the automatic stay upon efforts by the U.K. Pension Protection Fund and the U.K. Nortel Pension Plan to enforce its powers under the U.K. Pensions Act.
• American Airlines' efforts to reduce legacy costs in bankruptcy.

Click here to register.

ABI IN-DEPTH

JUNE 5 WEBINAR WILL EXAMINE HOW TO HANDLE AN ADMINISTRATIVELY INSOLVENT ESTATE

Panelists from one of the top-rated sessions at the 2011 Winter Leadership Conference are going to reconvene for an ABI and West LegalEd Center webinar on June 5 titled, "Handling the Administratively Insolvent Estate- What to Do When Your Chapter 11 Goes South." CLE credit will be available for the webinar, which will last from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET.

Speakers include:

• Robert J. Feinstein of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (New York)
• Cathy Rae Hershcopf of Cooley LLP (New York)
• Robert L. LeHane of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (New York)

Robert J. Keach of Bernstein Shur (Portland, Maine) will be the moderator for the webinar.

The webinar costs $115, and purchase provides online access for 180 days. If you are purchasing a live webcast, you will receive complimentary access to the on-demand version for 180 days once it becomes available. Click here for more information.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: WRIGHT V. OWENS CORNING (3D CIR.)

Summarized by Kevin Larner of Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed its test for defining a claim in JELD-WEN, Inc. v. Van Brunt (In re Grossman’s Inc.), 607 F.3d 114 (3d Cir. 2010), but held that those claims that arise under Grossman’s, related to bankruptcy cases with plans confirmed prior to the Grossman’s decision, are not subject to discharge because a retroactive application of Grossman’s violates procedural due process. The court also extended Grossman’s test for determining whether there is a claim to include post-petition, pre-confirmation injuries, but also held that this portion of its holding would not be applied retroactively.

More than 500 appellate opinions are summarized on Volo typically 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: SECOND CIRCUIT UPHOLDS DISMISSAL OF CLAIMS AGAINST AUDITOR IN MADOFF PONZI SCHEME

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent post looks at a recent decision by the Second Circuit to uphold dismissal of claims against the auditor in the Madoff ponzi scheme.

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
The Constitutional scheme of uniform federal bankruptcy is a bad idea; the states should have more leeway to adopt their own different approaches to financial distress, at least for their own individual citizens and companies with purely intra-state operations. 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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May
- ABI Labor and Employment Committee's "Evolving Labor Issues in Chapter 11" Webinar
     May 23, 2012

June
- Memphis Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     June 1, 2012 | Memphis, Tenn.
- ABI'S "Handling the Administratively Insolvent Estate- What to Do When Your Chapter 11 Goes South" Webinar
     June 5, 2012
- Central States Bankruptcy Workshop
     June 7-10, 2012 | Traverse City, Mich.

July
- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum
     July 12-15, 2012 | Bretton Woods, N.H.
- Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop
     July 25-28, 2012 | Amelia Island, Fla.

August
- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop
     August 2-4, 2012 | Cambridge, Md.

September
- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference
     September 13-15, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- Complex Financial Restructuring Program
     September 13-14, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.

FINAL REPORT OF ABI’S ETHICS TASK FORCE PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO BOTH CONSUMER AND BUSINESS BANKRUPTCY PROFESSIONALS

The ABI National Ethics Task Force released its final report at ABI’s 31st Annual Spring Meeting to provide recommendations for both consumer and business practitioners for uniform ethical standards in bankruptcy practice. Funded by ABI’s Anthony H.N. Schnelling Endowment Fund, the Task Force formulated a set of uniform ethical standards on a variety of bankruptcy-related matters, including use of conflicts counsel, employment of counsel and necessary disclosures, competency standards, and fiduciary duties of counsel for the debtor in possession (DIP).

The Ethics Task Force was established in 2011 by then-ABI President Geoffrey L. Berman of Development Specialists Inc. (Los Angeles) to address ethics problems encountered by bankruptcy professionals and judges as state ethics rules do not always fit with the realities of bankruptcy practice. The Task Force formed committees, surveyed bankruptcy professionals, academics and judges, and examined recent case law to focus on seven recommendations:

1. proposed amendments to Bankruptcy Rule 2014 governing the hiring of bankruptcy professionals, including greater disclosure provisions for conflicts and connections;

2. duties of counsel for a debtor in possession as fiduciary and responsibilities to the estate;

3. framework for pre-approval of terms for retention and compensation under 11 U.S.C. § 328 to provide efficiency and clarity to courts in bankruptcy professional employment applications;

4. use of conflicts counsel in business reorganization cases, especially in large or complicated cases that may present significant conflicts;

5. best practices for limited services representation in consumer bankruptcy cases;

6. competency for debtors’ counsel in business and consumer cases; and

7. report on best practices on creditors’ committee solicitation.

Profs. Nancy B. Rapoport of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law (Las Vegas) and Lois R. Lupica of the University of Maine School of Law (Portland, Maine) served as reporters and said that while the report provides an ethical guide to all in the bankruptcy profession, new bankruptcy lawyers in particular should make sure they review the final report. "The findings and recommendations within the report are essential for new bankruptcy attorneys to absorb," Lupica said.

To read the ABI Ethics Task Force Final Report, please click here.

REPORT: DISCLOSURE OF INSIDER PAY MURKY IN A FEW CHAPTER 11 CASES

A Wall Street Journal analysis released today found that in 250 chapter 11 cases over the past five years, 19 companies tried to keep the details of insider pay secret, and 17 were successful at doing so. When Reader's Digest first ventured into bankruptcy in the summer of 2009, the multimillion-dollar payouts to top executives that showed up in court filings sparked outrage from employees facing layoffs and retirees staring down benefit cuts. Less than four years later, the publisher is now back in chapter 11, but how much its insiders were paid is not in the public record. RG Steel, whose collapse last year put thousands out of work, identified its top executives only as "Employee A" through "Employee G" when listing what it paid insiders. New York law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP navigated bankruptcy without identifying the firm's top earners. Media giant Tribune Co. didn't reveal the names of insiders who collected $268 million the same year a leveraged buyout put the company on the path to bankruptcy. Read more. (Subscription required.)

DOWN PAYMENT RULES ARE AT THE HEART OF THE MORTGAGE DEBATE

While making home buyers put more money down seemed like an easy fix to prevent the excesses of the housing market, the issue is up for debate as the housing market starts to return and the subprime mess fades from memory, the New York Times DealBook blog reported yesterday. Lenders and consumer advocates — rarely on the same side of the issue — are now cautioning against down payment requirements. They argue that such restrictions could limit lending, and prevent lower-income borrowers from buying homes. They also contend that the new mortgage rules put in place this year will do enough to limit foreclosures, making down payment requirements somewhat superfluous. Regulators want to protect borrowers and promote homeownership. But they also want to encourage lending and insulate the financial system from future shocks. Read more.

ANALYSIS: HOW THE WHEELS CAME OFF FOR FISKER AUTOMOTIVE

The near-collapse of Anaheim, Calif.-based Fisker Automotive Inc.—it missed a loan payment on Monday, earlier dismissed most of its staff and has hired bankruptcy advisors—comes as affluent buyers have turned away from the once-promising startup and falling gasoline prices have chipped away at demand for electric cars, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. Barring a last-minute rescue, the company’s dissolution also represents one of the most prominent failures of the government's use of public funds to wean American industry from fossil fuels—and of how that government backing pushed Fisker to reach too far. At its peak, tiny Fisker received one of the largest U.S. venture capital payouts ever. Its founders raised more than $1 billion from highly regarded Silicon Valley venture funds including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Its biggest single investor, though, was the U.S. In 2009, the Obama administration's interest in cultivating electric cars got the untested Fisker loans totalling $529 million, more than the company had initially requested, and an amount that encouraged private backers to chip in more funds. But despite its wealthy backers, Fisker had plenty of problems. Troubles with suppliers and regulatory requirements added months to the release of the company's first car, the Karma. Although engineers expressed concerns that the software that ran the Karma's display screens and phone connections was not ready, the Karma was released to customers. The company said that its problems were similar to those that would be expected of any new model. In May 2011, the Obama administration, under pressure from critics of its alternative energy spending and after the high-profile failure of U.S.-backed solar panel maker Solyndra LLC, froze disbursements to Fisker, citing delays in the Karma's rollout. Read more. (Subscription required.)

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 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 by highlighting recent appellate and bankruptcy court decisions on May 29 from 1-2:15 p.m. ET. Special ABI member rate available! Click here to register.

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

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: IN RE RODRIGUEZ (3D CIR.)

Summarized by Thomas Horan of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP

Because a chapter 13 plan confirmation order may be revoked only if such order was procured by fraud, the Third Circuit ruled that absence of such fraud prevents the court from reconsidering the plan confirmation order under Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, made applicable in a bankruptcy case by Rule 9014 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.

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: WILL THE NEXT WAVE OF CHAPTER 9 FILINGS BE FROM PUBLIC HOSPITALS?

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A new blog post examines the possibility of a wave of chapter 9 filings by public hospitals.

For further analysis on bankruptcy filings and distress by hospitals, be sure to pick up a copy of the ABI Health Care Insolvency Manual, Third Edition, from ABI's Bookstore!

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.

TEE OFF ON THE ABI GOLF TOUR!

ABI now offers conference registrants the option to participate in the ABI Golf Tour. The Tour kicked off at ABI’s Annual Spring Meeting and will take place concurrently with most conference golf tournaments. It is designed to enhance the golfing experience for serious golfers while still offering a fun networking opportunity for players of any ability. As opposed to the format used at ABI’s regular conference events, Tour participants will "play their own ball" in stroke play format. They will be grouped on the golf course separately from other conference golf participants and will typically play ahead of the other participants, expediting Tour play. Tour participants will be randomly grouped in foursomes, unless otherwise requested of the Commissioner in advance of each tournament. Prizes will be awarded for each individual Tour event, which are sponsored by Great American Group. The grand prize is the "Great American Cup," also sponsored by Great American Group, which will be awarded to the top player at the end of the Tour season. Registration is free. Click here for more information and a list of 2013 ABI Golf Tour event venues and early leader board.

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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2013

May
- "Nuts and Bolts" Program at NYCBC
     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- ABI Endowment Cocktail Reception
     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- New York City Bankruptcy Conference
     May 16, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- Litigation Skills Symposium
     May 21-24, 2013 | Dallas, Texas
- ABI Live Webinar: Consumer Class Actions
     May 29, 2013

June
- Memphis Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     June 7, 2013 | Memphis, Tenn.
- Central States Bankruptcy Workshop
     June 13-16, 2013 | Grand Traverse, Mich.
- INSOL’s Latin American Regional Seminar
     June 13, 2013 | São Paulo, Brazil

July
- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum
     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.
- Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop
     July 18-21, 2013 | Amelia Island, Fla.

August
- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop
    August 8-10, 2013 | Hershey, Pa.

COMMENTARY: THE LESSONS OF LEHMAN: ARE WE READY FOR THE NEXT MELTDOWN?

It's been five years since Lehman Brothers failed, setting off a chain of unanticipated consequences that came perilously close to melting down the world's financial system. Had the Federal Reserve, other central banks and the U.S. government not intervened and thrown trillions of dollars at the crisis to keep financial markets afloat, we would be talking about Great Depression II. The true lesson to take from Lehman is that a simple move that was praised by free-market types at the time — letting Lehman fail — set off unanticipated consequences that brought the financial world to its knees within days. It was an object lesson about how things that seem simple on the surface can come back to bite you in unanticipated places in unanticipated ways, according to an editorial in Friday's Washington Post. When Lehman went under, the Reserve Fund, a big money-market fund, had to take losses because it owned Lehman paper, and some hedge funds that used Lehman's London office as their "prime broker" found their assets frozen as a result of its bankruptcy. That triggered a mad scramble in the U.S. as hedge funds pulled their accounts out of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, neither of which had full access to the array of Fed lending programs that commercial banks did. Both firms would have gone under — inflicting catastrophic pain on the financial system by setting off a worldwide cascade of failures — had the Fed not made Goldman and Morgan Stanley bank holding companies and given them access to unlimited cash to meet customer withdrawals. These two Lehman side effects, which many people have forgotten, typify the problems of dealing with financial crises. We've forced giant, too-big-to-be-allowed-to-fail financial institutions to beef up their capital relative to their assets, which is a good thing. However, we've gravely weakened the ability of the Federal Reserve by taking away key powers that it had used to stabilize things. This problem, combined with the unhappy fact that much of the rest of the federal government is dysfunctional, will cost us dearly when the next financial crisis hits, according to the editorial. And there always is a next one. Click here to read the full commentary.

ABI will host a media call on Sept. 12 at 2:00 p.m. ET on lessons learned at the Lehman anniversary, featuring guests Bankruptcy Judge James M. Peck (S.D.N.Y.; New York) and Harvey R. Miller (Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; New York). Contact (703) 739-0800 for more information.

ANALYSIS: BIG DREAMS, BUT LITTLE CONSENSUS, FOR A NEW DETROIT

There are 78,000 abandoned buildings in Detroit standing in various levels of decay. Services have fallen into dysfunction, and debts are piling ever higher. Yet for all the misery, Detroit's bankruptcy gives an American city a rare chance to reshape itself from top to bottom, according to an analysis in the New York Times yesterday. But reinventing a city so devastated is hardly a sure thing, and the questions about how to proceed loom as large as the answers: Should its areas of nearly vacant blocks be transformed into urban farms, parks and even ponds made from storm water? Could its old automobile manufacturing economy be shifted into one centering on technology, bioscience and international trade? Should Detroit, which lost a million residents over the last 60 years, pin its sharpest hopes on luring more young people here, counting on an influx of artists and entrepreneurs? Some have long been searching for solutions to the hollowing out of Detroit, a city that measures six times the landmass of Manhattan but is now home to only 700,000 people, down from 1.8 million at its peak. No single economic answer will be enough to rescue Detroit on its own, experts say. Instead, leaders have their hopes set on a range of fields, many of which have already found some success here. They have pushed for new medical and science-related businesses near the city's universities and new technology companies and start-ups in the city's downtown. And some are pondering prospects for expanding international trade, given plans for a new bridge to Canada. Click here to read the full analysis.

COMMENTARY: THE NATION'S FUTURE DEPENDS ON ITS CITIES

The residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul suffer, collectively, from a serious insecurity complex. They're always talking about how no one knows anything about their "twin" cities on the upper Mississippi River. Yet the Twin Cities' identity crisis has also proven to be one of their greatest economic strengths. One can't quite put one's finger on exactly what's there because, well, there's an awful lot there. Diversity, in a word, is the secret sauce that creates urban success, according to a commentary in last week's National Journal. Detroit, of course, never suffered from an identity crisis. Everyone always knew what the Motor City stood for: the Big Three automakers. But a lack of diversity was one of Detroit's biggest problems, contributing to its bankruptcy filing. What also sank Detroit, according to the commentary, was that its leaders failed to connect with the sprawl around it and turn the suburbs into part of a unified economic base. In the Detroit area, the city and its suburbs became virtual enemies. Ironically, given the nature of our high-tech, super-connected age, the future will look increasingly like the city-states that ruled the world for millennia. The future, in other words, is going medieval. The rise of the city-state has been a long-term trend, but it's gaining speed. Today, the 388 metro areas in the United States make up 84 percent of the nation's population and 91 percent of its gross domestic product. Urban centers are estimated to generate 80 percent of economic growth in the world, and the percentage may be growing because of the way well-built urban areas with good infrastructure can better apply resources and make more efficient use of tight public funds. Read the full commentary (subscription required).

ANALYSIS: CAN KODAK REINVENT ITSELF AFTER BANKRUPTCY?

Eastman Kodak Co. scientists are tinkering with a new technique, called Stream Inkjet Technology, to improve printing performance, and are working on further perfecting SquareSpot laser-writing technology and potentially toward breakthroughs in spatial atomic layer deposition. The hope is that these kinds of technologies can save a 121-year-old company emerging from 20 months of bankruptcy this week, according to an analysis in Sunday's Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle. The question of whether Kodak can succeed will take years to answer. But sink or swim, the company is now officially entering its next era with a much smaller workforce, dramatically cut costs and a narrower focus on a specific set of markets and offerings. Kodak has bet its immediate survival in part on commercial printing. But for tomorrow, it has its atomic layer research and other similar technology, bonding microscopically thin materials to surfaces. If all of Kodak's plans pan out, it will stop a slide in revenues that dates back to 2005 — the last year Kodak grew. Kodak projections have it bottoming out this year with sales of $2.5 billion, and then slowly growing to $3.2 billion in 2017. However, the company has a lengthy history of promising that it's finally turned the corner and that starting next year, things are going to be better. Kodak has argued that bankruptcy gave it the ability to essentially catch its breath and unload a variety of costs — including retiree health care coverage and some pensions — and that it is ready to soar. Now comes the challenge of taking that revamped and slimmed-down Kodak and making it into something the old Kodak has not been for years: consistently profitable. Click here to read the full analysis.

NEW LIFELINE FOR HOME BUYERS

The Obama administration wants to create a mortgage market that is more forgiving to borrowers who lost their homes due to the recession, an effort that could widen the pool of potential homeowners, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. A recent rule change lets certain borrowers who have gone through a foreclosure, bankruptcy or other adverse event — but who have repaired their credit — become eligible to receive a new mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration after waiting as little as one year. Previously, they had to wait at least three years before they could qualify for a new government-backed loan. To be eligible for the new FHA loans, borrowers must show that their foreclosure or bankruptcy was caused by a job loss or reduction in income that was beyond their control. Borrowers also must prove that their incomes have had a "full recovery" and complete housing counseling before getting a new mortgage. But it isn't clear whether banks will be eager to offer loans with the new terms at a time when they are facing a wave of lawsuits and investigations related to other government-backed loans. In addition, over the past four years, banks have had to buy back tens of billions of defaulted loans as Fannie, Freddie and the FHA faced mounting losses. Because of uncertainties about these "put-backs," lenders have imposed more conservative standards than what the federal entities require. The FHA says it has a separate effort under way to provide greater clarity about when banks could face put-backs. However, lenders say those changes haven't been specific enough to change their lending posture. Click here to read the full article.

EQUIFAX: AUTO, STUDENT LENDING EACH RISE MORE THAN 10%

Student and auto lending surged in the 12-month period ended in July, according to an Equifax report released Thursday, American Banker reported Friday. The total balance on federal and private student loans increased to $884.2 billion in July 2013, up 11.3% from a year earlier, according to the Atlanta credit bureau's National Consumer Credit Trends Report. However, Americans also took out fewer student loans in the first half of the year. The total number of loans originated between January and May fell 9.3% to 4.2 million. Auto loans rose 10.9% to $826.8 billion in July from a year earlier. Meanwhile, bank credit card balances rose for the first time in five years to $536.6 billion, a scant 0.6%. New credit opened between January and May rose 6% to $77.7 billion — the highest level since 2008. "In all other segments, consumers are reducing their debt burdens," Equifax Chief Economist Amy Crews Cutts said. Total balances on first mortgages, home-equity installments and home-equity revolving all fell, and severely delinquent balances for each loan type were at five-year lows. Click here to read the full article.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS PUBLISHED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

The Judicial Conference Advisory Committees on Bankruptcy and Civil Rules have proposed amendments to their respective rules and requested that the proposals be circulated to the bench, bar and public for comment. The following proposed amendments were approved for publication by the Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure in June 2013:

Preliminary Draft of Proposed Amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy and Civil Procedure: The public comment period is open for proposed amendments to Bankruptcy Rules 2002, 3002, 3007, 3012, 3015, 4003, 5005, 5009, 7001, 9006 and 9009; Official Forms 17A, 17B, 17C, 22A-1, 22A-1Supp, 22A-2, 22B, 22C-1, 22C-2, 101, 101A, 101B, 104, 105, 106Sum, 106A/B, 106C, 106D, 106E/F, 106G, 106H, 106Dec, 107, 112, 113, 119, 121, 318, 423 and 427; and Civil Rules 1, 4, 6, 16, 26, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 55, 84 and Appendix of Forms. The public comment period closes on Feb. 15, 2014. Your comments are welcome on all aspects of each proposal. The advisory committees will review all timely comments, which are made part of the official record and are available to the public. Click here to read the proposed amendments and submit comments.

NEW ABILIVE WEBINAR OCT. 3: THE INTERSECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND BANKRUPTCY: KODAK, NORTEL AND OTHER CASES

IP experts will shed light on the mysteries of understanding IP law and navigating the often puzzling sales processes, drawing from their experiences in Nortel, Kodak and other important cases, in an abiLIVE webinar on Oct. 3 from 1:00-2:15 p.m. ET. Speakers will include David Berten (Global IP Law Group, LLC; Chicago), Pauline K. Morgan (Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP; Wilmington, Del.), Cassandra M. Porter (Lowenstein Sandler LLP; Roseland, N.J.), Kelly Beaudin Stapleton (Alvarez & Marsal; New York) and Christopher Burton Wick (Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP; Cleveland). To register, click here.

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE OF THE ABILIVE WEBINAR EXAMINING THE NEW U.S. TRUSTEE FEE GUIDELINES!

If you were not able to join ABI's recent well-attended abiLIVE webinar examining the U.S. Trustee Fee Guidelines for chapter 11 cases filed on or after Nov. 1, a recording of the program is now available for downloading! A panel of experts, including Clifford J. White, the director of the U.S. Trustee Program, discussed some of the ways the new guidelines could change day-to-day operations in firms, issues relating to the new market rate benchmarks, and how these changes might alter insolvency practice. The 90-minute recording is available for the special ABI member price of $75 and can be purchased here.

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; LAST STOP FOR 2013 IS WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN DECEMBER

The 7th and final stop for the 2013 ABI Golf Tour is on Dec. 5 at the Trump National Golf Club, held in conjunction with ABI’s Winter Leadership Conference. Final scoring to win the Great American Cup — sponsored by Great American Group — is based on your top three scores from the seven ABI events. 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! A 22-handicapper won the tour event at July’s Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop. There's no charge to register or participate in the Tour.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: IN RE TOWNE (3D CIR.)

Summarized by Terry Hall of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP

In an opinion marked "Not Precedential," the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the bankruptcy and district courts' holdings that the law firm hired as special counsel to the chapter 11 debtors was not entitled to payment of its fees and expenses from the secured creditor's collateral sale proceeds under § 506(c) following a sale conducted by a chapter 7 trustee after conversion of the case because (a) the law firm's efforts were not necessary to preserve or dispose of the collateral and there was no direct benefit to secured creditor, (b) the secured creditor was not estopped from refusing payment from the proceeds, and (c) conduct by the secured creditor, either lawful or unlawful, is not relevant to the analysis under § 506(c).

There are more than 1,000 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: COMING RULES COULD CUT OFF BANKS FROM AFFILIATES

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post discusses the Fed's preparation of a proposal to toughen Regulation W, which governs how banks do business with their subsidiaries and affiliates.

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

Success fees for financial advisors should be prohibited.

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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2013

September
- ABI Endowment Golf & Tennis Outing
    Sept. 10, 2013 | Maplewood, N.J.
- Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization
    Sept. 18-19, 2013 | New York
- abiLIVE Webinar: Complex Requirements and Ethical Duties of Representing Consumer Debtorsbr>      Sept. 24, 2013
- Bankruptcy 2013: Views from the Bench
    Sept. 27, 2013 | Washington, D.C.

October
- abiLIVE Webinar: The Intersection of Intellectual Property and Bankruptcy: Kodak, Nortel and Other Cases
     Oct. 3, 2013
- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program and Midwestern Consumer Forum
    Oct. 4, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- Professional Development Program
    Oct. 11, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
    Oct. 14, 2013 | Chicago, Ill.
- International Insolvency & Restructuring Symposium
    Oct. 25, 2013 | Berlin, Germany

November
- Complex Financial Restructuring Program
   Nov. 7, 2013 | Philadelphia, Pa.
- Corporate Restructuring Competition
   Nov. 7-8, 2013 | Philadelphia, Pa.
- Austin Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
   Nov. 10-12, 2013 | Austin, Texas
- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
   Nov. 11, 2013 | Detroit, Mich.
- Delaware Views from the Bench
   Nov. 25, 2013 | Wilmington, Del.

December
- Winter Leadership Conference
    Dec. 5-7, 2013 | Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
- ABI/St. John’s Bankruptcy Mediation Training
    Dec. 8-12, 2013 | New York