Venue/Jurisdiction

Analysis Foreclosure Wave Averted as Doomsayers Defied

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | November 27 2012
 
  

November 29, 2012

 
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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

ANALYSIS: FORECLOSURE WAVE AVERTED AS DOOMSAYERS DEFIED

The U.S. has not seen the surge of delinquent homes predicted by market researchers, academics and Wall Street analysts following the settlement of the government's investigation into faulty mortgage practices, Bloomberg News reported today. The flood failed to materialize, even after the five biggest U.S. mortgage servicers reached a $25 billion settlement with federal and state regulators in February. Instead, the number of properties for sale shrank to the fewest in a decade, prices appreciated at the fastest pace since 2005, and the gradual healing of the housing market helped boost consumer confidence and the economy. Banks have stepped up foreclosure alternatives to avoid legal challenges. They are forgiving debt, modifying payment plans and approving short sales that allow homeowners to sell for less than they owe. Read more.

U.S. MORTGAGE-BACKER ROLE GROWS AS FISCAL TALKS DELAY FIX

The federal government's role as the backer of most U.S. home loans is becoming entrenched as fiscal issues divert Congress and the White House from a housing-finance overhaul that would shift more risk to private capital, Bloomberg News reported today. At the core of such an overhaul is the future of Washington, D.C.-based Fannie Mae and McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that provide market liquidity by buying home loans and bundling them into securities. As they neared collapse in 2008, the companies were placed into federal conservatorship. "It is vital to the long-term health of our country’s housing and financial markets that our elected leaders seek to bring the conservatorships to a conclusion, and to define the government's role and requirements for housing finance in the future," said Federal Housing Finance Agency acting director Edward J. DeMarco. Housing-finance reform is only “number two or three” on the agenda for Congress, Jim Millstein, the former U.S. Treasury Department chief restructuring officer who now runs advisory firm Millstein & Co., said. "The reality is that a now-four-year-long conservatorship is no longer even threatening to become a nationalization of the mortgage market," said Millstein. "It is becoming the nationalization of the mortgage market." Read more.

DODD-FRANK SWAP-CLEARING RULE GETS CFTC FINAL APPROVAL

Wall Street's largest swap dealers, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., will be required to guarantee trades at clearinghouses starting in March under a rule made final by the top U.S. derivatives regulator, Bloomberg News reported today. The five-member Commodity Futures Trading Commission voted unanimously in a private process yesterday to complete the final determinations, the agency said. The rule, which had been scheduled for a public vote, determines which credit and interest-rate swaps must be guaranteed at clearinghouses owned by LCH.Clearnet Group Ltd., CME Group Inc. and Intercontinental Exchange Inc. "Central clearing lowers the risk of the highly interconnected financial system," CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler said. "It also democratizes the market by eliminating the need for market participants to individually determine counterparty credit risk, as now clearinghouses stand between buyers and sellers." Read more.

FINAL VOLCKER RULE TO BE DELAYED UNTIL 2013

Due to the complexity of the Volcker rule, the challenges of agency coordination and the volume of feedback regulators received, government officials are now pointing to the first quarter of 2013 as a more likely deadline over the year-end goal shared previously by participants like Martin Gruenberg, acting chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., CNBC.com reported yesterday. "Our goal is to achieve a strong and consistent rule, although the process is not as easy or simple as any of us would like," said Treasury Undersecretary Mary Miller. Miller noted that regulators had received more than 18,000 comment letters on the proposed rule, but they were making "steady progress" toward its implementation. The rule, part of the Dodd-Frank Act, aims to restrict banks from making certain speculative investments for their own gain — also known as proprietary trading. Such practices came under harsh scrutiny during the financial crisis when banks made big bets based on the direction of the economy, while advising clients otherwise. Read more.

EXPERTS SAY BANKRUPTCY AN UNATTRACTIVE OPTION FOR DETROIT

While Detroit appears to be headed toward chapter 9 bankruptcy as political and legal battles continue to stall fiscal reforms required by the state for the release of millions in critical bond funding, financial and legal experts warn that the city should avoid bankruptcy, the Detroit News reported today. Experts say that Detroit, which would be the biggest city ever to file for bankruptcy protection in American history, should steel itself for a long, costly process involving a litany of unknowns if the state allows it to proceed with a chapter 9 filing. "The way the laws are now, it's a really messy option," said Kenneth Whipple, a retired businessman and member of the city's Financial Advisory Board created by Gov. Rick Snyder to help monitor Detroit's finances. "There aren't any cities as big as Detroit in as complicated a legal structure that have gone that way." The city and state have been at an impasse over the specific reforms Detroit must meet as part of a "milestone agreement" to claim $30 million in state bond funding that is currently being held in escrow. Detroit needs the funds to get through yet another short-term cash crunch, but the Snyder administration seems unwilling to budge. Read more.

LIVE WEBCASTS AVAILABLE TOMORROW FROM ABI'S WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE!

Not able to attend ABI’s Winter Leadership Conference starting today in Tucson, Ariz.? You will not want to miss two events tomorrow available via live webstream: ABI’s Chapter 11 Commission and a concert by ABI’s Indubitable Equivalents dedicated to Steven Golick.

• At 1:15 p.m. ET (11:15 a.m. MT), ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 will hold its final public hearing of 2012. Members are encouraged to watch the hearing via a live webstream available at http://commission.abi.org. All materials are part of the Commission's record to be transmitted to Congress following the two-year investigation and report.

• At 11:30 p.m. ET (9:30 pm MT), ABI’s Indubitable Equivalents will perform a concert dedicated to ABI member, leader and band mate, Steven Golick, who has recently undergone successful surgery to remove a brain tumor. Steve will be watching from his home in Toronto. Watch the concert live at www.abiband.com.

RICHMOND BAR CALLING FOR NOMINATIONS TO FILL JUDICIAL VACANCY; SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY DEC. 13

The Judiciary Committee of the Richmond (Va.) Bar Association invites ABI members to submit nominations to fill a judicial vacancy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond. The court is looking to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Bankruptcy Judge Douglas O. Tice, Jr. Suggestions must be in writing and should be mailed to Virginia H. Grigg, Esq., c/o Richmond Bar Association, P.O. Box 1213, Richmond, Virginia 23218 or hand-delivered to her at the Bar office located at 707 E. Main Street, Suite 1620, Richmond, VA 23219. Nominations must be received by 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 13, 2012 in order to be considered.

ABI IN-DEPTH

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: KEYSER V. WASATCH TOWERS CONDOMINIUM OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC. (IN RE KEYSER; 10TH CIR.)

Summarized by Brendan Gage of St. John's University School of Law

Affirming the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, the Tenth Circuit dismissed an appeal by debtor Steven Keyser for lack of jurisdiction because his notice of appeal was untimely under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 8002(a).

There are over 700 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: COURT DECISION SPELLS WIN FOR VITRO BONDHOLDERS

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post examines a U.S. appellate court decision yesterday that upheld a bankruptcy court decision to reject Mexican glassmaker's Vitro SAB’s controversial bankruptcy plan. The decision represented a win for bondholders that have been sparring with the company for years over its debt restructuring plan.

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.

LATEST BLOOMBERG LAW VIDEO: BILL ON BANKRUPTCY- PATRIOT COAL CASE KICKED FROM MANHATTAN TO ST. LOUIS

The decision sending the Patriot Coal Corp. reorganization to St. Louis will focus debate on the near impossibility of convincing a judge in New York or Delaware to send a bankruptcy somewhere else, as Bloomberg Law's Lee Pacchia and Bloomberg News bankruptcy columnist Bill Rochelle discuss on their new video. Click here to watch.

ABI Quick Poll

Despite the "free and clear" language of Sect. 363(f), purchasers of assets in 363 sales may still be liable for injuries to unidentifiable future claimants. (In re Grumman Olson Indus, S.D.N.Y.).

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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TOMORROW:

LIVE WEBCASTS AVAILABLE TOMORROW FROM ABI'S WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE:

• ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 public hearing at 1:15 p.m. ET (11:15 a.m. MT).
Click here to access.

• ABI’s Indubitable Equivalents concert dedicated to ABI member, leader and band mate, Steven Golick at 11:30 p.m. ET (9:30 pm MT).
Click here to access.

 

COMING UP:

 

 

MT 2012
Dec. 4-8, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

WCBC 2013
Jan. 21, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Jan. 24-25, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 7-9, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 17-19, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 20-22, 2013
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BBW 2013
March 22, 2013
Register Today!

 
   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

December
- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training
     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

January
- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     January 21, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.


  


- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- VALCON 2013
     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.

March
- Bankruptcy Battleground West
     March 22, 2012 | Los Angeles, Calif.


 
 
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Consumers Paying Down Debt Helps Boost U.S. Expansion

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | October 16, 2012
 
  

October 16, 2012

 
home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

CONSUMERS PAYING DOWN DEBT HELPS BOOST U.S. EXPANSION

Federal Reserve figures show that household debt as a share of disposable income sank to 113 percent in the second quarter from a record high of 134 percent in 2007 before the recession hit, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Debt payments on that basis are the smallest in almost 18 years, while the delinquency rate for credit cards is the lowest since the end of 2008. The progress that consumers have been making will allow gross domestic product to absorb stepped-up deficit reduction by the federal government next year and keep on expanding, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc. He sees GDP growing 2.1 percent in 2013, a bit slower than this year’s projected 2.2 percent, as Congress allows some, but not all, of the scheduled year-end tax increases and spending cuts to go ahead. The GDP number will mask stronger growth for the private side of the economy, which Zandi expects to increase to 3.6 percent from 3.1 percent. Read more.

FED GOVERNOR'S PLAN TO LIMIT BANK SIZE FUELS DEBATE

While academics, politicians and even former bank chiefs have called for the nation's banking behemoths to be broken up or shrunk, Daniel K. Tarullo, a Federal Reserve governor who oversees bank regulation, said in a speech last week that an important part of a bank's balance sheet could be capped at a set percentage of the nation's gross domestic product, the New York Times DealBook blog reported yesterday. That a regulator at the Fed – the most powerful of the banking industry's overseers – would say that such a structural overhaul of the financial system might be considered was a sign that the policy debate over what to do about "too big to fail" might be shifting. Some Republicans looking to repeal the Dodd-Frank Act say that they still want to constrain large banks. Their concern is that the law may lead the market to believe that the government protects large banks. In turn, investors might then provide cheap loans to the biggest banks, fueling even more growth in the banks' balance sheets. "I am completely open to the proposal because of my similar concern about the growing size of institutions that are too big to fail," said Sen. David Vitter (R-La.). "Beyond this specific proposal, there is a growing nonpartisan consensus to do a lot more to limit the size of the megabanks." Read more.

BANKS SEE HOME LOANS AS GATEWAY TO BIG GAINS

Federal stimulus has ignited a boom in mortgage refinancing, and the trend could continue as the government steps up its support of the broad housing market, according to a report in the New York Times DealBook blog on Friday. In the third quarter, banks may have likely originated as much as $450 billion of home loans, according to estimates by Inside Mortgage Finance, a publication that tracks the industry. That figure, which includes both refinances of existing mortgages and new loans to buy a house, would be a considerable jump from the previous period. In the second quarter, banks originated $405 billion, with 68 percent in refinancings. In September, the Fed announced plans to buy large amounts of mortgage-backed bonds. The proposal has driven the price of such securities higher, letting banks earn an even bigger financial gain when they sell mortgages into the market. Read more.

ANALYSIS: FLIPPING HOUSES IS ONCE AGAIN A BOOMING BUSINESS

Flipping houses earned a bad reputation during the housing boom thanks to speculators who bought and sold millions of homes in search of easy profits, but the practice is gaining popularity again as the nation’s real estate market shows signs of life, the Washington Post reported yesterday. The number of flips rose 25 percent during the first half of 2012 from the same period a year earlier, according to research firm RealtyTrac, and the gross profit on each property averaged $29,342. Areas of the country that were hit particularly hard by the housing crash have seen the most pronounced boom in flipping, as investors gobble up foreclosures and short sales — properties sold for less than the owners owe on the mortgage — and resell them to buyers eager to take advantage of record-low interest rates. The Phoenix area leads the country with nearly 10,000 flipped properties during the first half of this year. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta also are high on the list. Read more.

NEW JERSEY CASE MAY UPEND HOME LOAN DISCRIMINATION RULES

A fight between the government and residents of what remains of Mount Holly Gardens in New Jersey has now reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which may decide in the next several weeks whether to take up a case with nationwide implications for the housing industry, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Civil rights advocates are battling the industry over whether the 1968 Fair Housing Act authorizes discrimination suits even without allegations of intentional bias. Lower courts have said that suits can claim that a government policy or company lending practice has a discriminatory effect, known as "disparate impact," even if that was not the intent. Mount Holly has been buying up what it says had become a blighted, high-crime neighborhood, with an eye toward redevelopment. The opponents say that the effort has hurt black and Hispanic residents, devastating the township's only predominantly minority neighborhood. Although the Mount Holly case involves municipal action, the U.S. Justice Department also enforces the disparate impact doctrine against financial institutions. The statute lacks the language supporting this doctrine, which Congress affirmatively included in other laws, so it should not apply, said Jeffrey Naimon, a banking attorney with BuckleySandler LLP. The courts have disagreed. "Allowing disparate impact claims under the FHA would render illegal many legitimate governmental and private activities designed to promote the general welfare of the community," Mount Holly argued in its appeal to the Supreme Court. Read more.

CFPB REPORT FINDS PRIVATE STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS FACE ROADBLOCKS TO REPAYMENT

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Student Loan Ombudsman released a report today saying that private student loan borrowers are sometimes surprised by the terms and conditions of their loans, are given the runaround by their loan servicer and have few options to refinance or modify repayment for a better deal, insideARM.com reported. "Graduates don't have a fair chance to pay back their debts if they are faced with surprises, runarounds, and dead-ends by student loan servicers," said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. "Student loan borrower stories of detours and dead-ends with their servicers bear an uncanny resemblance to problematic practices uncovered in the mortgage servicing business," said CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman Rohit Chopra, who authored the report. Earlier this year, the CFPB announced that outstanding student loan debt crossed the $1 trillion mark. The Dodd-Frank Act established an ombudsman for student loans within the CFPB to assist borrowers with private student loan complaints. Today’s report, which was mandated by Congress, analyzed approximately 2,900 private student loan complaints, comments, and other submissions and input from borrowers. The report found that roughly 95 percent of the complaints are about loan servicing – when borrowers try to pay back their debt or are unable to pay. Read more.

Click here to read the CFPB report.

STUDY: WELL-OFF WILL BENEFIT MOST FROM CHANGE TO STUDENT DEBT RELIEF PLAN

While the federal government is making changes to its income-based student loan repayment plan to help borrowers with relatively high debt, a report released today by the New America Foundation, a nonprofit and nonpartisan policy institute, says that the changes ultimately will provide only marginal help for borrowers who are at the greatest risk of default, the New York Times reported. Rather, the changes would provide big benefits to middle- and high-income borrowers, particularly for those seeking a graduate degree, the authors found. The report says that at least one financial planning company is telling law school students that the changes could allow them to write off $100,000 in student debt. Under current rules, borrowers pay 15 percent of their discretionary income, based on a formula that is meant to exclude money spent on basic life necessities. The remaining balance and accrued interest is forgiven after 25 years of payments. The Obama administration is tweaking the program to lessen the burden for some borrowers by expediting changes that will reduce monthly payments from 15 percent of discretionary income to 10 percent and forgive outstanding balances after 20 years of payments, instead of 25 years. The New America Foundation report says the changes to income-based repayment could provide some benefits to all participants. But the primary beneficiaries would be high-income, high-debt participants who could make relatively small payments for 20 years and then have a large part of their debt forgiven, the authors said. Read more.

Click here to read the New America Foundation report.

WATCH COMMISSION HEARING LIVE TOMORROW!

ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 will hold a public hearing tomorrow, October 17, at the LSTA Annual Conference in New York. The event will be live webcast beginning at 3:15 p.m. ET at the Commission's website (commission.abi.org).

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR STEVEN GOLICK, A COLLEAGUE AND ABI LEADER

Our friend Steven Golick (Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Toronto) is facing a medical crisis. He has been diagnosed with a serious brain tumor, requiring complex surgery and treatment. Steven’s spirits are very strong and he and his family remain optimistic, but he can use our support. A prominent international restructuring attorney and an ABI member since 1994, Steven is also a founding member of the ABI house band, the Indubitable Equivalents. Because the band is important to Steven, his fellow band-mates have organized a new Blog site for Steven's friends and colleagues to show their love and support at this critical time. Please click on this link to share your thoughts with many others, and post as often as you'd like.

ABI IN-DEPTH

LATEST ABI PODCAST EXAMINES LITIGATION SURROUNDING THE DISSOLUTION OF A DISTRESSED LAW FIRM

The latest ABI podcast features Executive Director Sam Gerdano talking with Paul Hage of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss, PC (Southfield, Mich.) and Dylan Trache of Wiley Rein LLP (McLean, Va.) about unfinished business litigation and other issues surrounding the dissolution of a financially distressed law firm. Click here to listen.

MEMBERS WILL NOT WANT TO MISS ABI'S PROGRAM AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING ON OCT. 26

Members planning to attend the 86th Annual NCBJ Annual Conference in San Diego from Oct. 24-27 will not want to miss the exciting line-up scheduled for the ABI program track on Oct. 26. In addition to roundtable discussions on the hottest consumer and business bankruptcy topics, ABI will be hosting a ticketed luncheon that will feature the presentation of the 7th Annual Judge William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award and entertainment by Apollo Robbins, a sleight-of hand artist, security consultant and self-described gentleman thief. Click here to register for the Conference.

To view the list of ABI programs on Oct. 26 and the full NCBJ Annual Conference schedule, please click here.

ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission will also be holding a public hearing on Oct. 26 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. PT at the San Diego Marriott. Interested parties have the opportunity to submit testimony at the hearing. For further information, please contact ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano at [email protected].

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA V. CITY OF BOSTON (IN RE SW BOSTON HOTEL VENTURE LLC; 1ST CIR.)

Summarized by Neal Paul Donnelly of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware

In a dispute between a developer-debtor and its primary secured lender, the BAP affirmed the bankruptcy court's decision to calculate postpetition interest (§506(b)) owing to the lender at the contractual default rate. The BAP also reversed the lower court's ruling as to when the post-petition interest began accruing, finding that the lender had been oversecured since the petition date, so that was when the lender became entitled to interest payments under § 506(b).

There are more than 650 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: SUMMARY OF KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHAPTER 9 AND CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post summarizes several of the key differences between chapter 9 and chapter 11 bankruptcy.

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

Bankruptcy courts should adopt formal loss mitigation procedures to facilitate the negotiation of residential mortgage modifications for consumer debtors.

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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THIS WEEK:

 

WATCH THE CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION HEARING LIVE TOMORROW AT 3:15 P.M. ET VIA WEBCAST!
CLICK HERE
Oct. 17, 2012

 

 

SE 2012
Oct. 18, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

ABI/ST. JOHN'S "BANKRUPTCY AND RACE: IS THERE A RELATION?" SYMPOSIUM
Oct. 19, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

COMING UP:

 

 

ABI'S PROGRAM AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING
Oct. 26, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

MEXICO 2012
Nov. 7, 2012
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4TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Nov. 9, 2012
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SE 2012
Nov. 12, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

SE 2012
Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012
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MT 2012
Dec. 4-8, 2012
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ACBPIKC 2013
Jan. 24-25, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 7-9, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 17-19, 2013
Register Today!

 
   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

October
- International Insolvency and Restructuring Symposium
     October 18, 2012 | Rome, Italy
- ABI/St. John's "Bankruptcy and Race: Is There a Relation?" Symposium
     October 19, 2012 | Queens, N.Y.
- ABI Program at NCBJ's Annual Conference
     October 26, 2012 | San Diego, Calif.

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.

  

 

December
- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training
     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

January
- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.


 
 
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Big U.S. Banks Face Tougher Standards

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | July, 2 2013
 
  

July 2, 2013

 
home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

BIG U.S. BANKS FACE TOUGHER STANDARDS

The Federal Reserve today outlined a multi-pronged plan to place the nation's largest banks under increasingly stringent capital requirements to guard the financial system from risks posed by "too big to fail" companies, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Fed officials said that they hope to act in the coming months on four separate proposals aimed at the eight largest U.S. firms considered "systemically important" to the global economy, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Fed Gov. Daniel Tarullo, the agency's point man on regulation, said that regulators could soon propose a higher leverage ratio, which is expected to fall between 5 and 6 percent, for the largest banks. This capital measure gauges equity against total assets and is favored by some regulators as a better measure of a bank's ability to withstand stress. Regulators are also working on a requirement that these banks hold a minimum amount of long-term debt, a separate charge based on a firm's reliance on volatile forms of short-term funding, and a special surcharge agreed upon by international regulators. Read more. (Subscription required.)

COMMENTARY: THE CORKER-WARNER HOUSING REFORM WON'T WORK

The Corker-Warner bill, introduced last week by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), proposed a new government agency to insure mortgages, but it will only ensure the same loose lending that caused the last financial crisis, according to a commentary in today's Wall Street Journal. The bipartisan bill's intent is to eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored mortgage giants that cratered in 2008 and were bailed out by taxpayers to the tune of $180 billion. The recent financial crisis was the result of government housing policies. Beginning in 1992, these policies required Fannie and Freddie to lower their underwriting standards so people who otherwise lacked the credit standing or financial resources could purchase homes. Fannie and Freddie could take on the risks of these loans only because of the implicit backing of the federal government. The agency proposed in the Corker-Warner bill will establish a new government agency, the Federal Mortgage Insurance Corp. (FMIC), to insure mortgage-backed securities and wind down Fannie and Freddie. As with Fannie and Freddie, investors in mortgage-backed securities will not have to worry about the quality of the underlying mortgages. A major feature of Corker-Warner is the requirement that the private sector share the insurance risk with the new FMIC. The bill specifies that a private risk-sharer like a bond insurer must take the first losses, no less than 10 percent on any securitized pool of mortgages. This is intended to protect the FMIC against losses, though it works only if the quality of the mortgages remains high. Read the full commentary. (Subscription required.)

NORTH LAS VEGAS EMINENT DOMAIN PROPOSAL FACES PUSHBACK FROM HOMEOWNER

A controversial eminent domain proposal rolled out in North Las Vegas, Nev., to help underwater homeowners with their mortgages is facing pushback from an unlikely party—a homeowner living in the city, Housingwire.com reported yesterday. Gregory Smith sued North Las Vegas, claiming that an eminent domain strategy, proposed locally with the help of consultancy firm Mortgage Resolution Partners (MRP), violates several portions of the U.S. and Nevada State Constitutions. The plan follows a similar pattern that MRP has proposed in other jurisdictions — namely that homeowners who are underwater in the city can be helped by giving local governments the power of eminent domain to seize property rights, thereby allowing officials to grant upside-down borrowers a principal reduction after taking over their loans. In his lawsuit, Smith suggests that this type of intervention into investor property rights violates the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, along with various sections of the Nevada Constitution. Furthermore, Smith claims that the proposal disrupts contractual rights granted to all U.S. citizens through the Constitution, as well as the Commerce Clause, which governs interstate commerce. If such a plan were to stick and make it into law, Smith says roughly 5,000 local mortgages would qualify, with MRP targeting loans that are current, underwater and owned by private securitization trusts. This is not the first time MRP has managed to stir up debate in local municipalities: San Bernardino County, Calif., previously debated the strategy before killing off the idea. Read more.

COMMENTARY: WIELDING DERIVATIVES AS A TOOL FOR DECEIT

Derivatives are not always “financial weapons of mass destruction,” as Warren Buffett famously called them, but they are often weapons of mass deception, according to an editorial in Friday's New York Times. Sometimes, banks use derivatives they create to help their clients deceive the public, according to the editorial, and at other times they enable the banks to deceive those clients. The latest revelation of deception by derivatives came in Italian government documents leaked this week to two European newspapers, La Repubblica and The Financial Times. The Financial Times reprted that it appeared as though Italy had used derivatives in the 1990s to allow it to make its budget deficit seem smaller, thus enabling it to qualify for admission to the euro zone. The report added that it appeared that those derivatives, now restructured, might be exposing Italy to a loss of 8 billion euros ($10.4 billion). Such deception by derivatives is hardly new, according to the editorial. Enron used derivatives called “prepaid forward” contracts to hide debt in a way that made corporate cash flow appear better, something the company thought was necessary to impress the bond rating agencies. The banks have done an excellent job, according to the editorial, of persuading the Financial Accounting Standards Board, which sets the rules, not to mess with them. Rather than force the banks to put the assets and liabilities on their balance sheets, as is required in most other countries, the board has proposed additional disclosures that might make it easier to discern the reality. Read the full editorial.

NEW ABI LIVE WEBINAR ON JULY 15 TO FOCUS ON THE § 1111(b) ELECTION, PLAN FEASIBILITY AND CRAMDOWN ISSUES

Utilizing a case study, ABI's panel of experts will explore issues surrounding a lender’s decision on whether or not to make an election under § 1111(b), plan feasibility and voting. The abiLIVE panel will also walk attendees through the necessary mathematical analyses used to analyze these issues. The webinar will take place on July 15 from 1-2:15 p.m. ET. Special ABI member rate available! Click here to register.

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; NEXT STOP IS THE NORTHEAST BANKRUPTCY CONFERENCE ON JULY 12

The next stop for the ABI Golf Tour is the famed Newport National course in Newport, R.I., in conjunction with the Northeast Bankruptcy Conference on July 12. 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.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NEW ABI "BANKRUPTCY IN DEPTH" ON-DEMAND CLE PROGRAM LOOKS AT PRINCIPLES OF PROPERTY OF THE ESTATE: DEMYSTIFYING EQUITABLE INTERESTS

In this 90-minute seminar, Profs. Andrew Kull of Boston University School of Law and Scott Pryor of Regent University School of Law provide an in-depth analysis of a legal principle that has become, in their words, "a long-lost area of the law": § 541 of the Bankruptcy Code. Seeking to demystify what is meant by "property of the estate" and, in particular, the distinction between legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property, Kull and Pryor describe the legal entanglements that ensue when legal title belongs to one person but the equitable title belongs to someone else. The cost of the seminar, which includes written materials and qualifies for 1.5 hours of CLE, is $95. To order or to learn more, click here.

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!

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: MARSHALL V. MARSHALL (IN RE MARSHALL; 9TH CIR.)

Summarized by Lovee Sarenas of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California

The Ninth Circuit upheld the decision of the district court to affirm three decisions of the bankruptcy court involving the chapter 11 bankruptcy estate of Howard Marshall III and his wife, Ilane, that was appealed by Pierce Marshall. First, the Ninth Circuit held that a party has no due process right to a random assignment of a bankruptcy case absent a showing of bias or partiality by the presiding judge. Thus, assigning the debtor's chapter 11 case to Judge Bufford, who was the presiding judge in the related chapter 11 case of Vickie Marshall, was not an error. The appellate court rendered a broad view of "related cases" as defined under the bankruptcy court's local rule 1015-2(a). The circuit court rejected evidence of bias solely from the bankruptcy judge's adverse decisions in the Vickie Marshall bankruptcy case against Pierce for purposes of 28 USC sec. 455. Without more, the Ninth Circuit opined that decisions based on facts shown or events that took place during the court's decision do not demonstrate bias.

There are more than 900 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 CORKER-WARNER BILL

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post takes a closer look at the bill introduced last week by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.). The post finds that the bill's explicit guarantee of backing of risky mortgages is better than the implicit one Fannie and Freddie had, but a more fundamental approach would be to demand that financial actors internalize and capitalize the risks themselves.

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

Law firms should provide support for law student-staffed bankruptcy clinics for consumer debtors.

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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July 11-14, 2013
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July 15, 2013
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July 18-21, 2013
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Aug. 22-24, 2013
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Sept. 10, 2013
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Sept. 12, 2013
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Sept. 18-19, 2013
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Sept. 27, 2013
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Oct. 4, 2013
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Oct. 6, 2013
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Oct. 14, 2013
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Nov. 11, 2013
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Dec. 8-12, 2013
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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

July
- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum
     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.
- abiLIVE Webinar
     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.
- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference
    August 22-24, 2013 | Incline Village, Nev.

September
- ABI Endowment Golf & Tennis Outing
    Sept. 10, 2013 | Maplewood, N.J.
- ABI Endowment Baseball Game
    Sept. 12, 2013 | Baltimore, Md.
- Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization
    Sept. 18-19, 2013 | New York
- Bankruptcy 2013: Views from the Bench
    Sept. 27, 2013 | Washington, D.C.


  


October
- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program and Midwestern Consumer Forum
    Oct. 4, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- ABI Endowment Football Game
    Oct. 6, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
    Oct. 14, 2013 | Chicago, Ill.

November
- Austin Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
   Nov. 10-12, 2013 | Austin, Texas
- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
   Nov. 11, 2013 | Detroit, Mich.

December
- ABI/St. John’s Bankruptcy Mediation Training
    Dec. 8-12, 2013 | New York


 
 
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ABIs Chapter 11 Commission Eyes Updates to Bankruptcy Code

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | January 17 2013
 
  

January 17, 2013

 
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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

ABI'S CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION EYES UPDATES TO BANKRUPTCY CODE

With the Bankruptcy Code now 35 years old, 2013 looks to be a key year in developing a replacement as ABI's Chapter 11 Commission continues its study of chapter 11 with a "top to bottom look" at the Code, The Deal reported yesterday. No specific changes have been recommended to date, and the Commission will not be close to specifics until it gets reports from all 13 of its advisory committees, according to Commission Co-Chair Al Togut of Togut, Segal & Segal LLP (New York). The commission, which is just looking at corporate chapter 11 and the parts of the code that affect business bankruptcies, expects to complete its report in the spring of 2014, said fellow Co-Chair Bob Keach of Bernstein Shur (Portland, Maine), adding that by the end of 2013 the commission should have a good idea of what the report will look like. The report will have two components: ideas for change where there is a consensus and proposals that lack a consensus. Since the ABI does not lobby Congress for legislation, an organization or a combination of organizations will likely work to convert the report into legislation, said Keach. "The idea is to develop a statute for the next 40 years that will get us through as well as this one did," Keach says. Read more.

PENSION FUNDING GAP WIDENS FOR BIG CITIES

A study released on Tuesday by the the Pew Center on the States found that major U.S. cities emerged from the financial crisis with increasingly underfunded pension and retiree health care plans, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Cities employing nearly half of U.S. municipal workers saw their pension and retiree health care funding levels fall from 79 percent in fiscal year 2007 to 74 percent in fiscal year 2009, according to the latest available data, the Pew report stated. The growing funding gulf, which the study estimated at more than $217 billion for the 61 cities in the study, raises worries about local finances at a time when states are also struggling to recover from the recession. More than half, or some $118 billion, of the projected pension shortfall stems from unfunded retiree health care costs, according to the Pew report. Read more. (Subscription required.)

ABI will be holding a media teleconference on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 11 a.m. ET with experts examining municipal distress in 2013. There are limited spots available to ABI members that would like to join the call next week. Contact John Hartgen, ABI's Public Affairs Manager, at [email protected] if you would like to participate in the teleconference.

CFPB'S NEW MORTGAGE RULES AID HOMEOWNERS

U.S. banks will have to do more to help struggling mortgage borrowers keep their homes under final rules released today by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Wall Street Journal reported today. Mortgage-loan servicers, which collect borrowers' loan payments, will have to evaluate troubled borrowers for all loan-assistance options permitted by mortgage investors such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as private investors, according to the CFPB rules that will take effect in a year. Currently, no national standard exists for how mortgage servicers must treat defaulting borrowers. The lending industry "must consider all options available from the mortgage owners or investors to help the borrower retain the home," said CFPB director Richard Cordray. The industry "can no longer steer borrowers to those options that are most financially favorable for the servicer." The agency's move follows numerous federal and state efforts to regulate the industry, which came under fire after reports in 2010 found that banks were foreclosing on borrowers without properly reviewing documents and other paperwork, a practice dubbed "robo-signing." In 2011, regulators found abuses of foreclosure processes at 14 lenders. Ten of those lenders agreed to an $8.5 billion settlement of regulators' allegations. Read more. (Subscription required.)

ANALYSIS: "ODD COUPLE" IN U.S. HOUSE TO TACKLE MORTGAGE FINANCE

The will of the new Congress to begin rebuilding the U.S. mortgage finance system rests largely in the hands of Reps. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), known to be partisan fighters from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Hensarling is the new chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, while Waters is the highest-ranking Democrat. "While we clearly have profound philosophical differences – some might call us Capitol Hill’s newest odd couple – we are exploring areas of common concern where we hopefully can work together," Hensarling said. In addition to grappling with proposals to tweak and amend the Dodd-Frank regulatory law, they will be seeking common ground on what may be the panel's biggest issue this year: The future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. For Hensarling, the solution is to abolish the government-owned mortgage companies and completely privatize the mortgage market. Waters argues that some government involvement is needed to preserve the 30-year fixed home loan. It is likely that the two lawmakers eventually will support a plan that would shrink the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without threatening to choke off the flow of money into home loans. Read more.

FLORIDA DEFIES HOUSING REBOUND AS FORECLOSURES SOAR

More than six years after subprime lending and overbuilding led to the recent U.S. real estate slump, RealtyTrac Inc. reported that Florida had the biggest increase in home seizures last year, and the highest foreclosure rate, Bloomberg News reported today. One in every 32 Florida households received a notice of default, auction or repossession in 2012, more than double the average U.S. rate of one in every 72, according to RealtyTrac Inc.'s report. Home repossessions increased by 16,276 during the year to 84,456, the biggest gain nationwide. Adding to the state’s woes is a backlog of foreclosures caused by a required court review of each case. Judicial supervision of repossessions is slowing Florida’s rebound, in contrast to California and Arizona, so-called nonjudicial states, where lenders send notices to delinquent borrowers and record defaults at the county level without court intervention, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors. It took 853 days on average in Florida to complete a foreclosure in the fourth quarter, the third-longest behind New York and New Jersey, RealtyTrac said in today’s report. The U.S. average rose to 414 days from 348 days a year earlier, the most since the data firm began tracking the metric in 2007. Texas had the shortest period at 113 days. Almost 20 percent of outstanding Florida loans were more than 30 days delinquent or in foreclosure in November, the largest share of non-current mortgages in the nation, according to data provider Lender Processing Services. Read more.

ANALYSIS: REWRITING U.S. TAX LAW HAS CONSENSUS WHILE FIX PROVES ELUSIVE

Maintaining a bipartisan consensus in Congress to rewrite the U.S. tax code will be difficult as there is little agreement on what a tax overhaul means and what it is supposed to achieve, according to a Bloomberg News analysis yesterday. Republicans, who control the U.S. House, want lower tax rates and fewer breaks in a simpler system that raises no additional revenue. The Obama administration and many Democrats endorse some of those goals – particularly corporate rate reduction – while viewing a tax rewrite as a way to guarantee more revenue from top earners. That split will challenge lawmakers as they decide whether to rewrite the code as part of budget talks or work on a major tax bill without a fiscal agreement. Compromise remains elusive, though the code is more convoluted -- and therefore, ripe for change -- following passage of a law Jan. 1 that raised marginal rates and reinstated limits on personal exemptions and deductions. Read more.

BLOOMBERG'S LATEST "BILL ON BANKRUPTCY" VIDEO: MF GLOBAL CREDITORS UNDETERRED BY LOW VALUE

The low valuation creditors of MF Global Holding Ltd. put on their liquidating chapter 11 plan is not deterring the bond market where debt is being sold for roughly twice the predicted recovery for unsecured creditors of the liquidating commodity broker's holding company. Bloomberg Law's Lee Pacchia and Bloomberg News bankruptcy columnist Bill Rochelle explore this and other current cases in their latest video. Click here to view.

TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT CREDITORS' COMMITTEES AND THE ROLE OF THE INDENTURE TRUSTEES AT ABI'S 31ST ANNUAL SPRING MEETING

The 2013 Annual Spring Meeting, to be held April 18-21, 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., 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. More than 16 hours of CLE/CPE is offered in some states, along with ethics credit totaling 3 hours, making the cost only about $50 per credit. In addition, committee sessions will drill down on other topics to provide you with the most practical and varied CLE/CPE experience ever. Sessions include:

• 17th Annual Great Debates
• Mediation: An Irrational Approach to a Rational Result
• Current Issues for Financial Advisors in Bankruptcy Cases
• The Individual Conundrum: Chapter 7, 11 or 13?
• The Power to Veto Bankruptcy Sales
• Real Estate Issues in Health Care Restructurings
• Law Firm Bankruptcies
• How to Be a Successful Expert
• The Ethical Compass: Multiple Ethical Schemes Applicable to Financial Advisors
• Chapter 9s, Nonprofits and Other Nontraditional Restructuring Processes
• And much more!

The Spring Meeting will also feature a field hearing of the ABI Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, a report from the ABI Ethics Task Force, a luncheon panel discussion moderated by Bill Rochelle of Bloomberg News, and a Final Night Gala Dinner featuring a concert by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts!

Register today!

ABI IN-DEPTH

ABI LIVE WEBINAR: REVISITING RADLAX AND HALL – NEW LEGAL AND PRACTICAL IMPACT OF THE DECISIONS

See why this was the top-rated panel at the ABI Winter Leadership Conference last month! Join the expert panel on Feb. 19 from 12:00-1:15pm EST as the summarize and discuss the legal impact and practical implications of the Supreme Court’s 2012 decisions in Radlax and Hall. Participants include:

Susan M. Freeman of Lewis and Roca LLP (Phoenix)

Adam A. Lewis of Morrison & Foerster LLP (San Francisco)

• Prof. Charles J. Tabb of the University of Illinois College of Law (Champaign, Ill.)

Eric E. Walker of Perkins Coie LLP (Chicago)

Click here to register!

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: TIMCO LLC V. T AND M SALES AGENCY INC. (IN RE TIMCO LLC; 6TH CIR.)

Summarized by James E. Bailey III of Butler Snow O'Mara Stevens & Cannada PLLC

The Sixth Circuit ruled that the appeal of the bankruptcy court's decision to remand a case removed by state court action to confirm an arbitration award that was affirmed by a district court was not reviewable by the court of appeals under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(d). The appeal of the order granting relief from the automatic stay to allow the state court action to proceed was moot where the debtor failed to obtain stay pending appeal and the state court had entered a valid order confirming an arbitration award.

There are more than 700 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: HIGH-INCOME EARNERS NOT BARRED FROM PASSING BANKRUPTCY'S MEANS TEST

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A new post discusses the misconception that bankruptcy's means test bars high-income earners from qualifying for chapter 7 relief.

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'S INDUBITABLE EQUIVALENTS: TELL US A TUNE AND WE'LL SING YOU THAT SONG!

ABI's Indubitable Equivalents need your help: Tell us your favorite Rock and Roll tune - that elusive classic that takes you back, makes your feet tap, your head bang, and your horns come out! If we pick your song, you get widespread promotion by the band and you'll receive a free CD of IE’s greatest hits!

To enter, log onto www.abiband.com or “like” the Band’s Facebook page.

The fine print: No purchase necessary. You can enter as many times as you want. Multiple winners will be selected. Winners will be announced on the IE website and on Facebook. Entry deadline: January 31.

ABI Quick Poll

After Stern, bankruptcy courts do not have the constitutional authority to enter final judgments on fraudulent conveyance claims.

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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MONDAY:

 

 

WCBC 2013
Jan. 21, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Jan. 24-25, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 7-9, 2013
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ABI Live Webinar: Revisiting RadLAX and Hall- New Legal and Practical Impact of the Decisions
Feb. 19, 2013
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ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 20-22, 2013
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Paskay 2013
March 7-9, 2013
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BBW 2013
March 22, 2013
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April 18-21, 2013
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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

January
- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     January 21, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- ABI Live Webinar: Revisiting RadLAX and Hall- New Legal and Practical Impact of the Decisions
     February 19, 2013


  

- VALCON 2013
     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.

March
- 37th Annual Alexander L. Paskay Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Practice
     March 7-9, 2013 | St. Petersburg, Fla.
- Bankruptcy Battleground West
     March 22, 2013 | Los Angeles, Calif.

April
- Annual Spring Meeting
     April 18-21, 2013 | National Harbor, Md.


 
 
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Supreme Court Grants Cert in Ninth Circuit Case on Jurisdiction by Consent

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | June 25 2013
 
  

June 25, 2013

 
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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

SUPREME COURT GRANTS CERT IN NINTH CIRCUIT CASE ON JURISDICTION BY CONSENT

The Supreme Court yesterday granted certiorari in Executive Benefits Ins. Agency v. Arkison (In re Bellingham Insurance Agency) about the scope of the bankruptcy court's powers in the wake of the Court's ruling in Stern v. Marshall. In a Ninth Circuit case that drew attention after Stern was decided, a fraudulent transfer defendant argued the bankruptcy court lacked jurisdiction to enter judgment against it. The Ninth Circuit agreed that the bankruptcy court could not enter a final judgment in a fraudulent transfer action but held that the defendant had consented to the bankruptcy court's jurisdiction through its litigation conduct. The Supreme Court will decide whether parties can consent to bankruptcy court jurisdiction. They will also have to rule on a statutory issue about a gap Stern created in the jurisdictional framework. A potential outcome is that bankruptcy courts will lose the power to hear any fraudulent transfer actions. To read the petition for a writ of certiorari, please click here.

LATE AUTO LOAN PAYMENTS EDGED HIGHER IN 1Q 2013

Banks are increasingly extending auto loan financing to borrowers with less-than-sterling credit, a trend that's contributing to a higher rate of missed loan payments, the Associated Press reported today. The rate of U.S. auto-loan payments late by 60 days or more rose to 0.88 percent in the first three months of the year, credit reporting agency TransUnion said today. That's up from 0.82 percent in the first quarter last year, but down from 1 percent in the last three months of 2012, the firm said. Among subprime borrowers, or those whom lenders deem to be higher credit risks because of their track record of managing debt, the delinquency rate jumped to 5.5 percent in the first quarter from 5.09 percent a year earlier. Read more.

ANALYSIS: HIGH-END HOME LOANS STAGE A COMEBACK

Despite a recent sharp rise in mortgage rates, "jumbo" loans are becoming easier to get, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis on Saturday. Lenders originated $54 billion in such mortgages in the first quarter of 2013, according to Inside Mortgage Finance, an industry newsletter, up from $47 billion during the same period a year earlier. Higher loan volume isn't the only sign of a turnaround. The difference in the rate for a government-backed "conforming" mortgage and a jumbo loan is the narrowest it has been since 2007. Many jumbo lenders also have increased the amount of a home's value they will finance, and some are becoming more flexible in evaluating borrowers with strong credit. Read more. (Subscription required.)

COMMENTARY: HOW SAM ZELL IS SINKING TRIBUNE A SECOND TIME AROUND

Sam Zell is gone from the Tribune Co., but his toxic financial legacy lives on, according to a commentary in Friday's Washington Post. Not only did his debt-fueled purchase of one of the nation’s biggest media companies help precipitate its bankruptcy, costing creditors billions of dollars and wiping out thousands of jobs, but he also left a nasty tax mess behind for Tribune, which exited chapter 11 proceedings on Dec. 31. The Internal Revenue Service has challenged the tax-avoiding way that Zell had Tribune unload Newsday, a Long Island, N.Y., newspaper, and it seems almost certain to challenge the way that Tribune unloaded the Chicago Cubs. By the time the final papers are shuffled, the IRS and local tax authorities will likely seek considerably more than half a billion dollars in taxes, penalties and interest from Tribune from the sales of the Cubs and Newsday. Read more.

LATEST ABI PODCAST EXAMINES SUPREME COURT'S DECISION ON THE MEANING OF “DEFALCATION”

ABI's latest podcast features ABI Resident Scholar Scott Pryor speaking with Prof. Keith Sharfman of St. John's University School of Law and attorney Tom Byrne of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (Atlanta) on the issues surrounding the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Bullock v. BankChampaign, N.A. In its decision on May 13, the Court held that a defalcation by a trustee requires a finding of gross negligence or some knowledge that what he or she is doing is improper. Byrne was the counsel of record for Randy Bullock, and Scharfman joined fellow professors on an amici curiae brief in support of BankChampaign. Click here to listen to the podcast.

NEW ABI LIVE WEBINAR ON JULY 15 WILL FOCUS ON THE § 1111(b) ELECTION, PLAN FEASIBILITY AND CRAMDOWN ISSUES

Utilizing a case study, ABI's panel of experts will explore issues surrounding a lender’s decision on whether or not to make an election under § 1111(b), plan feasibility and voting. The abiLIVE panel will also walk attendees through the necessary mathematical analyses used to analyze these issues. The webinar will take place on July 15 from 1-2:15 p.m. ET. Special ABI member rate available! Click here to register.

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; NEXT STOP IS THE NORTHEAST BANKRUPTCY CONFERENCE ON JULY 12

The next stop for the ABI Golf Tour is the famed Newport National course in Newport, R.I., in conjunction with the Northeast Bankruptcy Conference on July 12. 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.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NEW ABI "BANKRUPTCY IN DEPTH" ON-DEMAND CLE PROGRAM LOOKS AT PRINCIPLES OF PROPERTY OF THE ESTATE: DEMYSTIFYING EQUITABLE INTERESTS

In this 90-minute seminar, Profs. Andrew Kull of Boston University School of Law and Scott Pryor of Regent University School of Law provide an in-depth analysis of a legal principle that has become, in their words, "a long-lost area of the law": § 541 of the Bankruptcy Code. Seeking to demystify what is meant by "property of the estate" and, in particular, the distinction between legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property, Kull and Pryor describe the legal entanglements that ensue when legal title belongs to one person but the equitable title belongs to someone else. The cost of the seminar, which includes written materials and qualifies for 1.5 hours of CLE, is $95. To order or to learn more, click here.

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!

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: SUAREZ V. BARRET (IN RE SUAREZ; 9TH CIR.)

Summarized by James Portman Webster of the James Portman Webster Law Office PLC

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel and bankruptcy court's ruling that a state court contempt ruling can be used as evidence that a debt results from a willful and malicious injury and is, therefore, nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6).

There are more than 900 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 IN RE BELLINGHAM INSURANCE AGENCY

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post takes a closer look at the questions raised by the Supreme Court yesterday when it granted certiorari in Executive Benefits Insurance Agency v. Arkison (In re Bellingham Insurance Agency).

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

Law firms should provide support for law student-staffed bankruptcy clinics for consumer debtors.

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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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

July
- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum
     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.
- abiLIVE Webinar
     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.
- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference
    August 22-24, 2013 | Incline Village, Nev.

September
- ABI Endowment Golf & Tennis Outing
    Sept. 10, 2013 | Maplewood, N.J.
- ABI Endowment Baseball Game
    Sept. 12, 2013 | Baltimore, Md.
- Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization
    Sept. 18-19, 2013 | New York
- Bankruptcy 2013: Views from the Bench
    Sept. 27, 2013 | Washington, D.C.


  


October
- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program and Midwestern Consumer Forum
    Oct. 4, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- ABI Endowment Football Game
    Oct. 6, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
    Oct. 14, 2013 | Chicago, Ill.

November
- Austin Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
   Nov. 10-12, 2013 | Austin, Texas
- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
   Nov. 11, 2013 | Detroit, Mich.

December
- ABI/St. John’s Bankruptcy Mediation Training
    Dec. 8-12, 2013 | New York


 
 
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State Bankruptcy Debate Returns

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | November 6 2012
 
  

November 13, 2012

 
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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

STATE BANKRUPTCY DEBATE RETURNS

Nearly two years after a "fierce" debate that "fizzled as quickly as it started," University of Pennsylvania law professor David Skeel is arguing that the idea of giving states a way to file for bankruptcy remains relevant and necessary, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. In addition to corporations and consumers, the Bankruptcy Code allows municipalities to seek chapter 9 protection. But there is currently no chapter set aside for states that find themselves teetering on the brink of insolvency, nor have states needed one. Yet with major budget deficits, underfunded pensions and declining tax revenues, some say that states should have a legal framework within which to restructure. Skeel advocated the idea of state bankruptcy in The Weekly Standard, as well as in the pages of the Wall Street Journal between November 2010 and January 2011, and the view picked up steam once Newt Gingrich and Jeb Bush added their voices. "Creditors of states have a great deal [of difficulty] collecting from the state," Skeel said recently in resurrecting the idea of state bankruptcy. "It's really hard to get a state to pay you because of sovereign immunity." Read more. (Subscription required.)

REGULATOR FACES ANOTHER LAWSUIT OVER DODD-FRANK

The Obama administration's new rules for Wall Street suffered another setback this week as the financial industry leveled a lawsuit challenging a crucial piece of the regulatory overhaul, the New York Times DealBook blog reported on Friday. The CME Group, a giant Chicago exchange, sued its regulator last Thursday over a new rule that aims to shed light on the murky derivatives trading industry. The regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, drafted the rule in January under guidance from the Dodd-Frank Act. The case is part of the financial industry's broader legal assault on Dodd-Frank. As regulators hash out the final details of some 400 rules, Wall Street has shifted the fight from backroom lobbying to the courtroom. The trading commission has already been sued twice over Dodd-Frank rules, and Wall Street plans to turn up the heat on the Obama administration next year with a bevy of other legal challenges. Read more.

ANALYSIS: CHILD'S EDUCATION, PARENTS' CRUSHING LOANS

There are record numbers of student borrowers in financial distress, but millions of parents who have taken out loans to pay for their children's college education make up a less-visible generation in debt, the New York Times reported yesterday. For the most part, these parents did well enough through midlife to take on sizable loans, but some have since fallen on tough times because of the recession, health problems, job loss or lives that took a sudden hard turn. In the first three months of this year, the number of student loan borrowers aged 60 and older was 2.2 million, a figure that has tripled since 2005. That makes them the fastest-growing age group for college debt. All told, those borrowers owe $43 billion, up from $8 billion seven years ago, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Read more.

TWO MILLION COULD LOSE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS UNLESS CONGRESS EXTENDS PROGRAM

More than 2 million Americans stand to lose their jobless benefits unless Congress reauthorizes federal emergency unemployment help before the end of the year, the Washington Post reported today. The people in danger of having their unemployment checks cut off are among those who have benefited least from the slowly improving job market: Americans who have been out of work longer than six months. These workers have exhausted their state unemployment insurance, leaving them reliant on the federal program. In addition to those at risk of abruptly losing their benefits in December, 1 million people would have their checks curtailed by April if the program is not renewed, according to lawmakers and advocates pushing for an extension. Read more.

ANALYSIS: DEEP DISCOUNTS ON FORECLOSED HOMES DISAPPEARING

A market analysis by Zillow found that the average national discount on a foreclosure in September has fallen to only about 8 percent below market value, the Washington Post reported today. That is a significant change from the 24 percent average markdown reported in 2009 during the depths of the housing bust, and another signal that the country's housing market is inching toward recovery. "There’s no such thing as a fire sale on a foreclosure right now," said Marc Joseph, a real estate agent in Fort Myers, Fla. "We’re getting back to that point where if something good hits the markets, we’re getting multiple offers again." According to Zillow, the deepest discounts can be found on foreclosures in the Pittsburgh area, at 27 percent. Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore have average markdowns on foreclosures topping 20 percent. But in many hard-hit markets, particularly ones where home prices fell sharply and investors and buyers have swooped in to buy up foreclosures, discounts have all but vanished. Zillow found that in Las Vegas and Phoenix, there is "no discernible difference" between foreclosure and non-foreclosure sales. Read more.

OPEN PUBLIC HEARING ON CHAPTER 11 REFORM AT ABI'S WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 will hold a public hearing on Friday, Nov. 30, at 11:15 a.m. (MT) during the Winter Leadership Conference in Tucson, Ariz., at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort. Members are welcome to provide testimony on their suggestions for ways to improve the operation of chapter 11. The hearing is the fifth in a series of public field hearings. Statements and video from all the recent hearings can be found at the Commission website at http://commission.abi.org.

Interested members should contact Sam Gerdano at [email protected] for more details about in-person testimony. Those interested may also file written statements of any length for consideration by the Commission. All materials will be part of the Commission's record to be transmitted to Congress following the two-year investigation and report. Please consider this great opportunity to become part of the legal reform of the Bankruptcy Code.

The next public hearing will be Thursday, Nov. 15, at the CFA Annual Convention in Phoenix. For future Commission hearings, please click here: http://commission.abi.org/.

ABI IN-DEPTH

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: OVERSTREET V. JOINT FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, LLC (IN RE CRESCENT RESOURCE LLC; 5TH CIR.)

Summarized by Eric Lockridge of Kean Miller LLP

The Fifth Circuit ruled that an untimely Rule 59(e) motion to alter or amend a district court's judgment affirming a bankruptcy court's dismissal order does not extend the 30-day deadline to file a notice of appeal of the district court's judgment.

There are nearly 700 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: DEWEY LEBOEUF AVOIDS LITIGATION MORASS OF MOST LAW FIRM BANKRUPTCY CASES

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent post examines how the settlement in the Dewey LeBoeuf case has helped the firm avoid the failures that typically produce lengthy and litigious bankruptcy cases. For more on issues related to large firm bankruptcies, listen to a recent ABI podcast here.

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

Despite the "free and clear" language of Sect. 363(f), purchasers of assets in 363 sales may still be liable for injuries to unidentifiable future claimants. (In re Grumman Olson Indus, S.D.N.Y.).

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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Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012
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Dec. 4-8, 2012
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Jan. 21, 2013
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Feb. 17-19, 2013
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Feb. 20-22, 2013
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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

November
- Winter Leadership Conference
     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December
- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training
     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

January
- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     January 21, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.


  

 

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- VALCON 2013
     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.


 
 
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Ninth Circuit Holds Bankruptcy Courts Lack Authority to Enter Final Judgment in Fraudulent Conveyance Actions

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | December 4 2012
 
  

December 4, 2012

 
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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

NINTH CIRCUIT HOLDS BANKRUPTCY COURTS LACK AUTHORITY TO ENTER FINAL JUDGMENT IN FRAUDULENT CONVEYANCE ACTIONS

In a decision issued today in Executive Benefits Insurance Agency v. Arkison (In re Bellingham Insurance Agency, Inc., Case No. 11-35162), the Ninth Circuit held that bankruptcy courts lack authority to enter final judgment in fraudulent conveyance actions against nonclaimants. Relying upon the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Granfinanciera, S.A. v. Nordberg, 492 U.S. 33 (1989) and Stern v. Marshall (131 S. Ct. 2594 (2011), the appellate court noted that the public rights exception to the rule of Article III adjudication does not encompass federal-law fraudulent conveyance claims, even though Congress designated such claims as core proceedings. Instead, bankruptcy courts have the power to hear fraudulent conveyance cases and submit reports and recommendations to the district court. The panel also held that the right to a hearing in an Article III court is waivable, and that the nonclaimant defendant in this case, by not objecting earlier on in the case, consented to the bankruptcy judge's adjudication of the fraudulent conveyance claim. To view a summary of the decision and read the full text of the opinion, visit ABI's VOLO here.

ANALYSIS: FINANCIALLY SICK FIRMS OFTEN GRANT BONUSES IN MONTHS BEFORE BANKRUPTCY FILING

More than 1,600 insiders—executives and others controlling a company—received bonuses, salaries, fees and other compensation totaling more than $1.3 billion in the months before their companies filed for chapter 11, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of more than 80 bankruptcy cases over the past five years. Financially ailing companies such as Hostess Brands often pay bonuses and other compensation to executives and private-equity owners before filing for bankruptcy protection. Hostess's bankruptcy judge said during a Nov. 29 hearing that the payments "will definitely be looked at" as he approved the company's request to start liquidating and laying off more than 18,000 employees. Hostess was exploring a potential bankruptcy filing in July 2011 when its board voted to boost the salary of its chief executive and other high-level officers, according to creditors. Five months later, it filed for chapter 11, its second bankruptcy filing in a decade. Financially ailing companies often pay bonuses and other compensation to executives, directors and private-equity owners in the months before filing for bankruptcy protection. Federal law prevents "retention" bonuses paid to such "insiders" after a bankruptcy case is filed but not before. Read more. (Subscription required.)

OBAMA RECESS APPOINTMENTS FACE FIRST APPEALS COURT TEST

President Barack Obama’s authority to make appointments without U.S. Senate approval is being considered by an appeals court for the first time in a test of so-called pro-forma sessions set up by Republican lawmakers, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday. To prevent Obama from appointing officials after Congress started a holiday break last December, House and Senate Republicans refused to adopt a resolution to formally adjourn. Congressional Republicans opposed to the powers granted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were seeking to block the president from appointing former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as the new agency’s first head, having refused a confirmation vote since he was nominated in July. Obama also appointed Cordray on Jan. 4. His appointment is being contested in a Washington, D.C., lawsuit while the validity of the president's naming of three National Labor Relations Board members on Jan. 4 has been raised in at least three other cases. Read more.

COMMENTARY: THE MORTGAGE CHALLENGE

The biggest economic policy error of President Obama's first term was the failure to address foreclosures effectively, according to a New York Times editorial on Sunday. By favoring the voluntary cooperation of banks in reducing monthly payments for hard-pressed borrowers, Obama’s policies did more to shield the banks from losses than to help homeowners and stabilize the market. Recent signs of a housing recovery aside, nearly three million loans are now in or near foreclosure, according to Moody’s Analytics. In addition, some five million borrowers who are current in their payments have high-rate mortgages that they have not refinanced, in part because of excessive bank fees. In all, nearly 12 million borrowers collectively owe $600 billion more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, a loss of wealth and a load of debt that make a strong and steady economic recovery all but impossible. The question now is whether Obama will use his second term to push through effective mortgage reform, according to the editorial. A first test of his resolve will be the swift nomination of a new director for the agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-controlled mortgage companies that own or back most mortgages. While new leadership at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a key to more relief, the push for more help also could be strengthened through support of legislation that would expand refinancings and principal reductions. A sound mortgage-relief agenda, according to the editorial, also requires an enforcement plan. Read more.

COMMENTARY: BANKRUPTCY FOR DETROIT LOOMS AS UNIONS AND THE CITY COUNCIL RESIST REFORM

Michigan lawmakers have kept Detroit on life support for the past six months and may need to do so indefinitely barring a miraculous economic recovery, according to a Wall Street Journal editorial today. The city will run out of cash this month unless the state releases $30 million in bond proceeds, which are being held in escrow under a consent agreement that council members reluctantly approved in April. The rescue package ties $137 million in state aid to reforms and lets Mayor Dave Bing redo labor contracts. The city has already drawn $40 million from the state and may soon be cut off since council members last month rejected a contract for a legal firm to advise the mayor, a condition of further aid. Read more. (Subscription required.)

STUDENT-LOAN COLLECTION TARGETED FOR OVERHAUL IN CONGRESS

Congress will consider overhauling debt collection in the $100 billion-a-year U.S. student loan program, replacing it with automatic withdrawals from borrowers' paychecks tied to their income, Bloomberg News reported today. Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) plans to introduce legislation as soon as this week that would require employers to withhold payments from wages in the same way they do taxes. Payments would be capped at 15 percent of borrowers’ income after basic living expenses. The bill follows growing concern about the burden of $1 trillion in outstanding student loans, which now exceed credit- card debt. Under the new system, the government would no longer need to hire private debt-collection companies and charge fees that add as much as 25 percent to borrowers' loan balances, leaving defaulted former students even deeper in the hole. Read more.

In related news, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee, is looking into student-loan practices by private lenders that he says resemble the runaround homeowners were given by mortgage lenders, CongressDaily reported yesterday. He is asking the Government Accountability Office to examine problems reported by student borrowers and has asked Sallie Mae Inc., Wells Fargo, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, and Citigroup for information on their practices.

For more on the issue of student loan practices, be sure to listen to ABI’s latest podcast.

LATEST ABI PODCAST FEATURES STUDY ON STUDENT LOAN DISCHARGES AND THE UNDUE HARDSHIP STANDARD

The latest ABI Podcast features ABI Resident Scholar Susan Hauser speaking with Jason Iuliano, the author of "An Empirical Assessment of Student Loan Discharges and the Undue Hardship Standard." Iuliano, a graduate of Harvard Law School and currently a Ph. D. candidate at Princeton University, discusses the methodology of his study and a few of the conclusions that can be drawn from it about student loan discharges and the undue hardship standard in bankruptcy. Click here to listen.

ABI IN-DEPTH

ABI'S INTERACTIVE BANKRUPTCY CODE AND RULES SITE UPDATED TO INCLUDE AMENDMENTS EFFECTIVE DEC. 1

ABI's Bankruptcy Code and Rules site has been updated with all proposed amendments to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure 1007, 2015, 3001, 7054 and 7056 that took effect Dec. 1. Use the most current Code and Rules by going to http://law.abi.org/.

WEBCASTS NOW AVAILABLE OF CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION EVENTS, CONCERT DEDICATED TO ABI MEMBER STEVEN GOLICK

Looking to learn about ABI’s Chapter 11 Commission’s efforts in 2013? Catch the final 2012 public hearing of the Commission? Listen to a concert by ABI’s Indubitable Equivalents dedicated to Steven Golick? Follow the links below to access the webstreams of these recent events:

• ABI's media teleconference held Dec. 3: "Teleconference to Look at Chapter 11 Commission to Date: What Have We Learned?" Click here.

• Final public hearing of ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 that took place on Nov. 30 at ABI’s Winter Leadership Conference. Click here.

• Performance of ABI’s Indubitable Equivalents dedicated to ABI member, leader and band mate, Steven Golick, who has recently undergone successful surgery to remove a brain tumor. Watch the concert at www.abiband.com.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: SUPREME COURT SEEKS VIEW OF SOLICITOR GENERAL IN BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION CASE

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog explores the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday to ask the U.S. solicitor general to provide perspective on whether a bankruptcy court has the power to levy a financial charge against a chapter 7 debtor's residential property, which he has claimed falls under the homestead exemption (Stephen Law v. Alfred Siegel, No. 12-5196, U.S. Sup.).

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.

LATEST BLOOMBERG LAW VIDEO: BILL ON BANKRUPTCY- PATRIOT COAL CASE KICKED FROM MANHATTAN TO ST. LOUIS

The decision sending the Patriot Coal Corp. reorganization to St. Louis will focus debate on the near impossibility of convincing a judge in New York or Delaware to send a bankruptcy somewhere else, as Bloomberg Law's Lee Pacchia and Bloomberg News bankruptcy columnist Bill Rochelle discuss on their new video. Click here to watch.

ABI Quick Poll

A licensee of a trademark has the right to retain the license even when a debtor rejects the underlying contract creating the license. (Sunbeam Products, 7th Cir.)

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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March 22, 2013
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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

January
- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     January 21, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.


  


- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- VALCON 2013
     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.

March
- Bankruptcy Battleground West
     March 22, 2012 | Los Angeles, Calif.


 
 
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Analysis Nearly a Third of Companies that Filed for Chapter 11 Did Not Disclose Plans in Advance

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | November 6 2012
 
  

November 8, 2012

 
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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

ANALYSIS: NEARLY A THIRD OF COMPANIES THAT FILED FOR CHAPTER 11 DID NOT DISCLOSE PLANS IN ADVANCE

More than two dozen companies in the past five years did not disclose chapter 11 bankruptcy preparations to investors, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of regulatory filings. The companies, including Eastman Kodak Co. and American Airlines parent AMR Corp., refrained from warning investors about potentially seeking chapter 11 protection from creditors despite facing dire financial straits or, in some cases, hiring restructuring advisers to make the preparations. Some of the firms only disclosed later in court documents that they had laid the groundwork for the filings in advance. The law is murky in this area: Federal securities laws and regulations do not require disclosure of bankruptcy preparations in most circumstances, even though such information could be deemed "material" to investors, according to securities-law specialists. The Financial Accounting Standards Board is working on proposing a rule that would require executives under certain circumstances to be responsible for disclosing issues related to a company's ability to continue as a going concern. Under current rules, auditors determine whether companies must make that sort of disclosure. The "going concern" disclosure is separate from other general bankruptcy-preparation notifications a company could choose to make. Read more. (Subscription required.)

U.S. CONSUMER CREDIT EXPANDS IN SEPTEMBER

Federal Reserve data released yesterday showed that U.S. consumer credit grew $11.36 billion in September, although Americans appeared to use their credit cards more sparingly, Reuters reported yesterday. So far this year, overall consumer credit has expanded in eight of nine months. Nonrevolving credit, which includes student and auto loans, rose $14.27 billion in September. Student loans made by the government rose 27.9 percent in the 12 months through September, slightly less than the 12-month growth posted through August. The figures also showed a contraction in revolving credit, which mostly measures credit card use. That category dropped to $2.90 billion in September. Read more.

TARIFFS UPHELD, BUT MAY NOT HELP U.S. SOLAR INDUSTRY'S STRUGGLES

Though the U.S. International Trade Commission decided yesterday to uphold tariffs of about 24 to 36 percent on most solar panels imported from China, the action might not do much to aid the financially struggling U.S. solar panel industry, according to a report from today's New York Times. Domestic solar manufacturers said that the duties, to be in place for five years, would make up for unfair business practices by Chinese companies that had harmed the domestic market and allow homegrown companies to hire more workers and thrive. Because the duties apply to panels made of Chinese-produced solar cells, Chinese companies are already avoiding the duties by assembling their panels from cells produced elsewhere, like Taiwan, even if the cell components come from China. The case is also unlikely to have much effect on the central market dynamic that analysts say is driving companies out of business: oversupply. About a dozen panel makers in the United States have gone bankrupt or closed factories since the start of last year. "There have been a few bankruptcies and a few plant closures and so on, but at this point it's just a drop in the bucket," said Shayle Kann, the head of GTM Research, a unit of Greentech Media. Read more.

VIDEO AND PREPARED WITNESS STATEMENTS FROM THE CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION'S 11/3 HEARING NOW AVAILABLE

The video recording of ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission’s hearing on 11/3 at TMA's annual conference is now available. Additionally, prepared witness statements can also be downloaded. Click here to watch the video and access the prepared witness statements.

The next public hearing will be Thursday, Nov. 15, at the CFA Annual Convention in Phoenix. For future Commission hearings, please click here: http://commission.abi.org/.

MEMBERS ENCOURAGED TO WEIGH IN ON REAPPOINTMENT OF BANKRUPTCY JUDGE JUDITH WIZMUR

The current 14-year term of office for Judith H. Wizmur, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey at Camden, is due to expire on Sept. 4, 2013. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is considering the reappointment of the judge to a new 14-year term of office. Members of the bar and the public are invited to submit comments for consideration by the Court of Appeals regarding the reappointment of Bankruptcy Judge Wizmur. All comments should be directed to one of the following addresses: by e-mail at [email protected] or by mail to the Office of the Circuit Executive, 22409 U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-1790. Comments must be received no later than noon on Monday, December 3, 2012.

ABI IN-DEPTH

ELECTION ANALYST AND AUTHOR LARRY SABATO TO DISSECT THE 2012 ELECTION RESULTS AT ABI’S 24TH ANNUAL WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE!

Don't miss ABI's 24th Annual Winter Leadership Conference, taking place Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. This year's conference will feature insights from some of the top insolvency and restructuring experts on issues confronting the profession in 2013, including four specialized tracks geared toward business, consumer, financial advisor and professional development. The featured keynote speaker will be election analyst and author Larry Sabato. ABI's Great Debates a field hearing of ABI’s Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 and 10 committee educational sessions will also be taking place at the conference. Panel sessions include:

Business Track:
• Fraudulent Conveyance Litigation from Soup to Nuts
• Pushing the Envelope
• The Role of the Hedge Fund in Corporate Restructurings: White Knight or Villain?
• Social Networking and Bankruptcy Issues

Financial Advisors Track
• Advising the Corporate Entity
• How to Create Value for the Estate from Your First Client Meeting until Entry of a Final Decree

Consumer Track
• From Infants to Toddlers: Bankruptcy Rules 3001 and 3002.1 Experience First-Year Growing Pains
• The National Mortgage Settlement: How Will It Affect Consumer Bankruptcy Cases?

Professional Development Track
• Litigation Skills: Mock Expert Examination
• “I'm Shocked—Shocked!—to Find that Unethical Conduct Is Going On in Here!”: A Tale of Ethics in Bankruptcy

The conference will also include a final night dinner featuring impressionist, comedian and singer Jeff Tracta, and the sounds of ABI's rock-n-roll band, the Indubitable Equivalents. Register by Monday to save $50 on your registration!

TUCK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS WINS NINTH ANNUAL CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING COMPETITION

A team from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College won the Bettina M. Whyte Trophy at the Ninth Annual ABI Corporate Restructuring Competition, held Nov. 1-2 at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. The second-year MBA student winners also shared a $6,000 cash prize. Students from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business won the second-place award of $3,500, while a team from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business received the $2,500 prize for third place. Click here to read the full press release.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY V. ASBESTOS SETTLEMENT TRUST (IN RE THE CELOTEX CORP.; 11TH CIR.)

Summarized by Jeffrey Snyder of Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP

The Eleventh Circuit ruled that although a district court, at its discretion, may review interlocutory judgments and orders of a bankruptcy court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §158(a), a court of appeals only has jurisdiction over final judgments and orders entered by a district court or bankruptcy appellate panel sitting in review of a bankruptcy court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §158(d).

There are nearly 700 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: SECOND CIRCUIT ADOPTS DEFERENTIAL ABUSE OF DISCRETION STANDARD OF REVIEW FOR EQUITABLE MOOTNESS APPEALS

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post examines how the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in R2 Investments v. Charter Communications, Inc., recently affirmed the dismissal of an appeal from the confirmation order in the bankruptcy of cable company Charter Communications, concluding that the deferential abuse of discretion standard of review was applicable.

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

Despite the "free and clear" language of Sect. 363(f), purchasers of assets in 363 sales may still be liable for injuries to unidentifiable future claimants. (In re Grumman Olson Indus, SDNY).

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.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

  

 

TOMORROW:

 

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

 

MONDAY:

 

SE 2012
Nov. 12, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

COMING UP:

 

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

 

 

MT 2012
Dec. 4-8, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

WCBC 2013
Jan. 21, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Jan. 24-25, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 7-9, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 17-19, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 20-22, 2013
Register Today!

 
   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

November
- 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.

December
- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training
     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

January
- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     January 21, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.


  

 


- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- VALCON 2013
     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.


 
 
ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 

Foreclosure Starts Down on Annual Basis in October

ABI Bankruptcy Brief | November 15 2012
 
  

November 15, 2012

 
home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

FORECLOSURE STARTS DOWN ON ANNUAL BASIS IN OCTOBER

U.S. homes are entering the foreclosure process at a slower pace than a year ago, and fewer properties are being repossessed by lenders, the Associated Press reported today. Between January and October, 971,533 homes were placed on the path to foreclosure, down 8 percent from the same period last year, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said today. At the other end of the foreclosure process, banks repossessed 559,063 homes through the end of last month, a decline of nearly 19 percent from a year earlier. That puts lenders on pace to complete 650,000 foreclosures this year, down from 800,000 in 2011, the firm said. The data, however, also shows that there are signs at the state level that more homes could end up in foreclosure in the coming months. The trend is most evident in judicial-process states such as New York, Florida and New Jersey. Fourteen states saw an annual increase in foreclosure activity, which RealtyTrac measures as the number of homes receiving a default notice, scheduled for auction or repossessed by the bank. Read more.

To see the percentage of loans in foreclosure by state (judicial v. non-judicial) for 3Q 2012, please visit ABI's Chart of the Day page.

MAJOR RETAILERS SELLING FINANCIAL PRODUCTS, CHALLENGING BANK OFFERINGS

As the nation's largest banks remain stingy with credit offerings following the financial downturn, major retailers are stepping in to fill the void, the New York Times reported today. Customers can now withdraw cash at an ATM with a prepaid card from Walmart, take out a loan at Home Depot for a kitchen renovation or kick-start a new venture with a small-business loan from Sam’s Club. This year, Walmart even started to test selling a life insurance policy. Consumer advocates are torn about the growth of this shadow banking industry. Financial products are making it into the hands of people who might not otherwise qualify for them, but these products are not always subject to the same regulations as bank products are. And to turn a profit, retailers generally have to charge more to people with poor credit or none at all. Read more.

SEC REPORT FINDS FAULTS WITH CREDIT RATERS

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said in a report today that the credit-ratings industry remains plagued by failures in meeting its own standards, weak oversight and poor documentation of its rating decisions, despite years of heightened scrutiny after the financial crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported. In its second annual report on the nine credit-rating firms registered with the agency, the SEC said that Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings still do not always follow their own standards for rating deals. The firms are required by the SEC to disclose and follow their methodologies for assigning ratings to securities so that investors know how those deals are being judged. The Dodd-Frank financial overhaul legislation required the SEC to conduct annual examinations of the registered rating firms, and deliver a report on its findings. Read more. (Subscription required.)

Click here to read the SEC's report.

REGULATORS SEEK CHANGES IN HOW MONEY-MARKET FUNDS OPERATE

The government on Tuesday inched closer to tightening its oversight of the $2.6 trillion money-market industry when a panel of top financial regulators put forward options for addressing the industry’s vulnerabilities, the Washington Post reported yesterday. The industry immediately expressed frustration with the proposal, saying that it resembles a plan that failed to gain support from the Securities and Exchange Commission. That plan, vigorously opposed by the industry, stalled when three of the SEC’s five commissioners said they would reject it. Under the recommendations put forward on Tuesday by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the funds would have to set aside reserves as a buffer for times of crisis, restrict how quickly investors can redeem their money, or allow the value of a fund’s shares to fluctuate. Currently, one share of a money market fund is generally valued at $1. The funds have been popular with investors because they seem as stable and reliable as a bank account. But unlike bank accounts, they are not federally insured, and that image of security was shattered during the 2008 financial crisis when the Reserve Primary Fund, the nation’s first money-market fund, "broke the buck" because its value fell below $1 a share. Read more.

OPEN PUBLIC HEARING ON CHAPTER 11 REFORM AT ABI'S WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 will hold a public hearing on Friday, Nov. 30, at 11:15 a.m. (MT) during the Winter Leadership Conference in Tucson, Ariz., at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort. Members are welcome to provide testimony on their suggestions for ways to improve the operation of chapter 11. The hearing is the fifth in a series of public field hearings. Statements and video from all the recent hearings can be found at the Commission website at http://commission.abi.org.

Interested members should contact Sam Gerdano at [email protected] for more details about in-person testimony. Those interested may also file written statements of any length for consideration by the Commission. All materials will be part of the Commission's record to be transmitted to Congress following the two-year investigation and report. Please consider this great opportunity to become part of the legal reform of the Bankruptcy Code.

RICHMOND BAR CALLING FOR NOMINATIONS TO FILL JUDICIAL VACANCY; SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY DEC. 13

The Judiciary Committee of the Richmond (Va.) Bar Association invites ABI members to submit nominations to fill a judicial vacancy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The court is looking to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Bankruptcy Judge Douglas O. Tice, Jr.

Suggestions must be in writing and should be mailed to Virginia H. Grigg, Esq., c/o Richmond Bar Association, P.O. Box 1213, Richmond, Virginia 23218 or hand-delivered to her at the Bar office located at 707 E. Main Street, Suite 1620, Richmond, VA 23219. Nominations must be received by 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 13, 2012, in order to be considered.

ABI IN-DEPTH

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: STOEBNER V. SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC CO. (IN RE LGI ENERGY SOLUTIONS INC.; 8TH CIR.)

Summarized by Eric Lockridge of Kean Miller LLP

The Eighth Circuit ruled that where the debtor acted as a payment intermediary between a utility and a customer and the contract between the debtor and customer required the debtor to remit funds to the utility, the contract created a trust obligation in favor of the utility. Consquently, for purposes of § 547, the utility was a creditor of the debtor because the creditor (1) had unsecured claims for breach of trust and (2) was an intended beneficiary. Further, for purposes of calculating subsequent new value, the issue was not the subsequent services provided by the utility to the customer, but the subsequent payments from the customer to the debtor.

There are nearly 700 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: BOFA VS. MBIA AND THE FUTURE OF PRIVATE LABEL SECURITIZATION

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent post examines the ongoing litigation between BofA and MBIA and its effect on the future of mortgage-backed securities.

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

Despite the "free and clear" language of Sect. 363(f), purchasers of assets in 363 sales may still be liable for injuries to unidentifiable future claimants. (In re Grumman Olson Indus, S.D.N.Y.).

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.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

  

 

NEXT EVENT:

 

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

 

COMING UP:

 

 

MT 2012
Dec. 4-8, 2012
Register Today!

 

 

WCBC 2013
Jan. 21, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Jan. 24-25, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 7-9, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 17-19, 2013
Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013
Feb. 20-22, 2013
Register Today!

 
   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

November
- Winter Leadership Conference
     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December
- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training
     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

January
- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     January 21, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.
- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference
     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.


  

 

February
- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- VALCON 2013
     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.


 
 
ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 

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