Rare and hard to get? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Here’s my take on third-party releases in a bankruptcy plan [not that anyone asked]: third-party releases should be rare and hard-to-get; but in exceptional circumstances (i.e., when a third-party release is needed to get lots of money to claimants quickly under a plan,... Continue Reading →
Subchapter V Trustee’s Facilitation Role (Part 6)—DUTIES & INHERENT POWERS
Inherent power of ocean waves (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson “(b) Duties.—The [Subchapter V] trustee shall— . . . (7)facilitate the development of a consensual plan of reorganization.” From 11 U.S.C § 1183(b)(7)(emphasis added). Facilitation is, by statute, a duty of every Subchapter V trustee—something a Subchapter V trustee must do. But the nature and boundaries of the facilitation... Continue Reading →
Subchapter V Trustee’s Facilitation Role (Part 5)—INVESTIGATION DUTIES
Facilitating investigation (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson “(b) Duties.—The [Subchapter V] trustee shall— . . . (7)facilitate the development of a consensual plan of reorganization.” From 11 U.S.C § 1183(b)(7)(emphasis added). Facilitation is, by statute, a duty of every Subchapter V trustee—something a Subchapter V trustee must do. But the nature and boundaries of... Continue Reading →
Perpetuating A Bad Homestead Exemption Rule at U.S. Supreme Court (Wells v. McCallister)
Vanishing? By: Donald L Swanson “Notwithstanding the court of appeals’ error, this case does not warrant this Court’s review.” Recommendation in Solicitor General’s Amicus Brief (at 16) at U.S. Supreme Court in Wells v. McCallister, filed 3/29/2023 in No. 21-1448 In response to this recommendation by the Solicitor General, the U.S. Supreme Court denies Wells’s Petition... Continue Reading →
College Sports: NIL & Bankruptcy?
College athletics (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson There is an entirely-new group of rich people: well . . . they aren’t actually rich, compared to the truly rich; but compared to most of their peers, they are fabulously rich. NIL Benefits The entirely-new group consists of high-end college athletes. They are a newly... Continue Reading →
Debtors In Possession May Be Sued “Without Leave Of The Court”?! (28 U.S.C. § 959(a), East Coast, & In re Crown)
Ending in a narrow point (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson “Learn something new every day,” is a well-worn adage. And it’s mostly true (I only question giving a literal meaning to the “every day” part). Nevertheless, I’m embarrassed to acknowledge learning only recently of the existence of a noteworthy, bankruptcy-related statute: 28 U.S.C.... Continue Reading →
Congress Needs To Expand § 524(g) To Protect Future Claimants In Mass-Tort Cases (In re Aearo & In re Imerys)
The beginning of § 524(g) By: Donald L Swanson “Were Congress to . . . intervene and expand § 524(g) beyond asbestos cases, bankruptcy would become a more suitable alternative for resolving mass tort cases. Until then, such cases will likely remain problematic under the Code in the face of creditor opposition.” From “Order Dismissing Bankruptcy... Continue Reading →
Beating The “Single Asset Real Estate” Exclusion From Subchapter V Eligibility (In re Evergreen)
A “single asset real estate”? (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Excluded from Subchapter V eligibility is a “single asset real estate” debtor. We have a recent opinion on a Subchapter V debtor who beats that exclusion: In re Evergreen Site Holdings, Inc., [Fn. 1] What follows is a summary of that opinion. Eligibility... Continue Reading →
Subchapter V: Its History And Its Future (An Interview With Robert J. Keach)
https://youtu.be/J-St2KJX6rk By: Donald L Swanson Subchapter V is the newest provision of the Bankruptcy Code—becoming effective on February 19, 2020. Subchapter V arose from a Report by the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11. Here is a link to the Commission’s “Recommendations” on “Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Cases,” which establish... Continue Reading →
3M Bankruptcy Dismissed As “Fatally Premature” (In re Aearo, et al)
Premature (Photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson “Were Congress to . . . intervene and expand § 524(g) beyond asbestos cases, bankruptcy would become a more suitable alternative for resolving mass tort cases. Until then, such cases will likely remain problematic under the Code in the face of creditor opposition.” From “Order Dismissing Bankruptcy... Continue Reading →