On Bankruptcy and Mediation
Filling the void (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson “No State shall . . . pass any . . . Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts.” --U.S. Constitution, Art. 1, Sec. 10, Cl. 1 (the “Contracts Clause”). One of the earliest opinions from the U.S. Supreme Court on the subject of bankruptcy is Sturges... Continue Reading →
By: Donald L Swanson On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its majority and concurring opinions in the City of Chicago v. Fulton case. The opinions give a technical victory to the City on a narrow legal issue but suggest that the City may be in a difficult position on a variety of related... Continue Reading →
Uniformity (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson We've dodged the bullet . . . again! Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in GE Capital Retail Bank v. Belton (Case No. 20-481), where the question presented is: Which federal statutory scheme takes precedence in resolving important bankruptcy issues -- the Bankruptcy Code or the... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/W23y7atJORM Debtor digital signatures -- some background Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXXVIX, No. 1, January 2020. Here is a link to the original publication. Debtors sign their federal tax returns digitally all the time. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows digital signing, without reservation; the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutes digital... Continue Reading →
By: Donald L Swanson A family business in Chapter 11 (whether in Subchapter V or a regular Chapter 11) has one task that stands above all others in importance. It’s this: The business must generate a positive cash flow. The Lawyer’s Impossible Task All the favorable bankruptcy rules that exist, and all the favorable bankruptcy court... Continue Reading →
Must prepare to perform (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson (b) . . . the trustee may, based on reasonable due diligence in the circumstances of the case and taking into account a party’s known or reasonably knowable affirmative defenses under subsection (c), avoid any transfer of an interest of the debtor in property—... Continue Reading →
Uniformity (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson The U.S. Constitution requires that bankruptcy laws be “uniform . . . throughout the United States.” Among such uniformity requirements is this: rulings on core bankruptcy issues must be subject to meaningful appellate review—all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Explaining this requirement is the dissent... Continue Reading →
Unbiased justice (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson The Acting Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States [on whether to grant the Petition for Writ of Certiorari]. --From U.S. Supreme Court docket entry dated October 5, 2020, in Deutsche Bank v. McCormick Foundation... Continue Reading →
A conduit (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By Donald L. Swanson Under the Bankruptcy Code, an “initial transferee” is strictly liable for a fraudulent transfer—there is no good faith, subsequent advance, or similar defense. Fortunately for some fraudulent transfer defendants, it’s possible to be the “recipient” of a transfer as a mere conduit, without becoming a “transferee”... Continue Reading →
Voting (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson In Subchapter V of the Bankruptcy Code, the “Post-Petition Disclosure and Solicitation” provisions of § 1125 do not apply without a specific court order (see § 1181(b)). Voting Questions So, a question exists on how the plan voting provisions of § 1126 and Fed.Bankr.R. 3018 might apply... Continue Reading →
