March 05, 2018

Supreme Court Says Insider Status Is Reviewed for Clear Error Under Existing Test

Some justices are critical of the existing test for ruling on non-statutory insider status.

Supreme Court

February 22, 2018

Consumer Protection Claims by Governments Are Discharged in Chapter 11

Consumer protection claims brought by states are nondischargeable in chapter 11 only when the state has been the target of fraudulent representations.

3rd Circuit, Delaware

February 21, 2018

Plan Confirmation Cuts Off Adverse Claims to Ownership of Debtor’s Property

Res judicata is flexibly applied again to bankruptcy cases.

2nd Circuit, New York, New York Southern District

February 15, 2018

Failing to Purchase Health Insurance Won’t Result in a Priority Tax Claim

The exaction for failure to purchase health insurance under the ACA is a tax for constitutional purposes but not a tax under the Bankruptcy Code, New Orleans judge rules.

5th Circuit, Louisiana, Louisiana Eastern District

February 06, 2018

Ok to Bifurcate the Lien on an Auto Used by the Debtor’s Non-Filing Partner

Congress created a loophole in the hanging paragraph in Section 1325(a).

4th Circuit, West Virginia, West Virginia Northern District

February 05, 2018

Repaying an Avoided Transfer Doesn’t Always Result in an Allowed Claim

Repaying a fraudulent transfer won’t elevate a disallowed claim to allowed status.

9th Circuit, Hawaii

February 02, 2018

Illinois Divorce Court Can Strip Away Estate Property, Seventh Circuit Says

Overlay divorce and bankruptcy, and you’ve got a big mess.

7th Circuit

February 01, 2018

Another Example: Student Loans Are Virtually Impossible to Discharge

District court second-guesses the sufficiency of evidence that the bankruptcy court found sufficient.

3rd Circuit, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Eastern District

January 31, 2018

Eighth Circuit Broadly Draws the Line to Identify ‘Unknown’ Claims that Are Discharged

Eighth Circuit sides with the Third: ‘Reasonably ascertainable,’ not ‘reasonably foreseeable,’ determines which creditors are entitled to actual notice.

8th Circuit

January 25, 2018

The Validity of a ‘Golden Share’ to Bar a Filing Goes to the Fifth Circuit

The Fifth Circuit is being asked to decide whether loan structuring can prevent a borrower from filing bankruptcy.

5th Circuit, Mississippi, Mississippi Southern District