June 27, 2025

Debtor Granted Absolution for a 10-Day Delay in Serving a $40 Million Preference Suit

Although there wasn’t ‘good cause’ to excuse late service of a summons and complaint, the bankruptcy court salvaged a large preference by exercising discretion and granting a 10-day expansion of the 90-day deadline.

2nd Circuit, New York, New York Southern District

June 24, 2025

BAP Upholds Confirmation of a Plan with No Trust for Future Asbestos Claimants

Ninth Circuit BAP confirmed a plan with no future creditors’ trust when the debtor claimed there were no future claims and no one was in court representing future claimants.

9th Circuit

June 20, 2025

WARN Act Damages of $15,100 Per Worker Are Section 507(a)(4) Priority Claims

A chapter 11 debtor may be saddled with smaller WARN Act claims by imposing mass layoffs after filing.

5th Circuit, Mississippi

June 16, 2025

Plan Didn’t Extinguish Debts, Only Discharged Them, Fifth Circuit Says

A plan saying that it satisfies and settles claims does nothing more than discharge the claims. It doesn’t extinguish the claims, the Fifth Circuit says.

5th Circuit

June 06, 2025

Fifth Circuit Explains When There Is No Double Recovery from Avoiding a Lien

Circuit Judge Edith Jones explains that the word ‘or’ in Section 550(a) doesn’t mean ‘and.’

5th Circuit

May 27, 2025

Consent Is an Exception to Jevic’s Insistence on Respecting Priorities in Distribution

Consent from administrative creditors provided grounds for approving DIP financing and a sale when the estate was administratively insolvent.

11th Circuit, Florida, Florida Southern District

May 22, 2025

Two Courts Hold: Injunctions Are Ok to Protect Nondebtors for the Life of a Plan

Judge Meredith Grabill of New Orleans agreed with New York’s Judge Mastando that a Subchapter V plan can enjoin lawsuits against nondebtors for the life of a three-year plan.

5th Circuit, Louisiana, Louisiana Eastern District

May 21, 2025

Segal v. Rochelle May Remain Good Law Only in Limited Circumstances

The elaborate definition of ‘estate property’ in Section 541(a) may have superseded the 1966 ‘sufficiently rooted’ analysis in Segal.

11th Circuit, Georgia, Georgia Southern District

May 09, 2025

In ‘13,’ a Creditor Wanted Debtors’ Counsels’ Fees to Come Last, Not First

Chicago’s Bankruptcy Judge Donald Cassling nixed an idea that would have made chapter 13 unpalatable for debtors’ counsel.

7th Circuit, Illinois, Illinois Northern District

May 05, 2025

‘Notice’ in Rule 3002(c)(7) Means Notice of the Bar Date, Not Notice of the Case

Bankruptcy Judge Scott Grossman adopted the analysis by Bankruptcy Judge Brian Walsh in concluding that creditors are entitled to notice of the claims bar date, not just notice of the filing.

11th Circuit, Florida, Florida Southern District