On Bankruptcy and Mediation
A bad development (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson The existence of a bankruptcy option is a good thing for any debtor-creditor situation that is highly stressed—whether the bankruptcy option is used or not. This is especially true in mass-tort cases where a potential exists for (i) hugely-disparate results for similarly situated plaintiffs, and... Continue Reading →
A rough day (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson A mass-tort asbestos case before the U.S. Supreme Court is Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc., Case No 22-1079. Here is a link to the transcript of oral arguments in that case, from March 19, 2024. In Truck Insurance, the question is whether... Continue Reading →
An appellate gatekeeper? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Over the years, I’ve heard lots of people say, “Bankruptcy abuse is a huge problem,” as a self-evident and undeniable proposition. But here’s the thing. Debtors who try to abuse the bankruptcy system rarely get away with it. That’s because there are too many gatekeepers—and... Continue Reading →
Bankruptcy judge as gatekeeper? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Over the years, I’ve heard lots of people say, “Bankruptcy abuse is a huge problem,” as a self-evident and undeniable proposition. But here’s the thing. Debtors who try to abuse the bankruptcy system rarely get away with it. That’s because there are too many... Continue Reading →
U.S. Trustee as gatekeeper? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Over the years, I’ve heard lots of people say, “Bankruptcy abuse is a huge problem,” as a self-evident and undeniable proposition. But here’s the thing. Debtors who try to abuse the bankruptcy system rarely get away with it. That’s because there are too many... Continue Reading →
Creditors as gatekeeper? (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Over the years, I’ve heard lots of people say, “Bankruptcy abuse is a huge problem,” as a self-evident and undeniable proposition. But here’s the thing. Debtors who try to abuse the bankruptcy system rarely get away with it. That’s because there are too many gatekeepers—and... Continue Reading →
Debtor's attorney as gatekeeper? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Over the years, I’ve heard lots of people say, “Bankruptcy abuse is a huge problem,” as a self-evident and undeniable proposition. But here’s the thing. Debtors who try to abuse the bankruptcy system rarely get away with it. That’s because there are too many... Continue Reading →
Abuse? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson I recently heard politicians on all sides of the political divide agree on one thing as self-evident: that bankruptcy abuse by “fabulously wealthy corporations” is rampant; and Johnson & Johnson is a prime example of that abuse. Those partisans also agree on this point (again, as self-evident):... Continue Reading →
By: Donald L Swanson The American Bankruptcy Institute’s Subchapter V Task Force has issued its “Preliminary Report” on “Maintaining the $7,500,000 Debt Cap for Subchapter V Eligibility.” This article quotes from and summarizes the Report. Recommendation The Task Force recommends making permanent the $7,500,000 debt cap for Subchapter V eligibility, which is set to expire and... Continue Reading →
Scouting? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Congress, the federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court all need to recognize this historical reality: bankruptcy is an efficient and effective tool for resolving mass tort cases, as demonstrated by cases with huge-majority approval votes from tort victims. And all those institutions need to prevent... Continue Reading →
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