December 07, 2023
Debtor May Amend a ‘13’ Plan to Modify the Treatment of a Secured Creditor’s Claim
Chicago Bankruptcy Judge David Cleary followed a decision by then-district Judge David Hamilton and “respectfully” disagreed with decisions by two predecessors on the same bankruptcy bench.
7th Circuit, Illinois, Illinois Northern DistrictNovember 16, 2023
Is an Option an Executory Contract or Not?
When there is a recorded option to purchase real estate, Prof. Westbrook would have analyzed the specific performance rights of the holder of the option under state law, not the question of whether the option was executory.
7th Circuit, Indiana, Indiana Southern DistrictJune 30, 2023
If There’s No Diminution of the Estate, There’s No Preference or Fraudulent Transfer
Just because the debtor orchestrated a fraudulent transfer, the Seventh Circuit tells us there’s nothing for a trustee recover if there was no diminution of the estate.
7th CircuitJune 13, 2023
J&J, Redux: Bankruptcy Court Dismissed 3M Subsidiary’s Chapter 11 Case
Indianapolis Bankruptcy Judge Jeffrey Graham says that the bankruptcy court cannot become “another court of general jurisdiction.”
7th Circuit, Indiana, Indiana Southern DistrictJune 02, 2023
District Judge Reads the Safe Harbor Broadly to Immunize a Leveraged Buyout
Although a stock purchase and a loan payoff were one month apart, a district judge in Indiana found a sufficient nexus to invoke the safe harbor and dismiss a fraudulent transfer suit.
7th Circuit, Indiana, Indiana Southern DistrictMay 18, 2023
Seventh Circuit to Rule on Paying ‘13’ Trustees if Dismissal Precedes Confirmation
Within the next year, four circuits will have ruled on a split where some lower courts pay chapter 13 trustees and others don’t when dismissal precedes confirmation.
7th Circuit, Illinois, Illinois Northern DistrictMay 05, 2023
‘Preponderance’ Replaced ‘Clear and Convincing’ on Adoption of the Bankruptcy Code
The Seventh Circuit explained how preponderance of the evidence became the standard of proof for turnovers and dischargeability when the Bankruptcy Code replaced the Bankruptcy Act.
7th CircuitApril 27, 2023
Failing to File a Claim Has Dire Consequences for a Secured Creditor
A secured lender who doesn’t file a claim doesn’t get paid by the chapter 13 plan and keeps its lien, but can’t reclaim the collateral during the life of the plan.
7th Circuit, Indiana, Indiana Northern DistrictApril 12, 2023
Core vs. Non-Core Doesn’t Determine Whether Arbitration Will Be Enforced
Chicago’s Judge Cleary didn’t compel arbitration of an affirmative counterclaim by the debtor against the creditor that would be determined in the course of passing on the allowance of the creditor’s proof of claim.
7th Circuit, Illinois, Illinois Northern DistrictMarch 23, 2023
Here’s How a Disclaimed Inheritance Can Be Recovered Under Section 544(b)
Although a disclaimed inheritance is ordinarily beyond the avoiding powers, a trustee can step into the shoes of the IRS to set aside the disclaimer.
7th Circuit, Illinois, Illinois Southern District