Govt. Claims/Sovereign Immunity

Treasury Offset Program Can’t Be Used After Bankruptcy, District Judge Says

Now on the district court bench, then-Bankruptcy Judge Frank Volk was upheld in a tricky case involving the government’s right of setoff.

The Supreme Court May Duck a Case Involving Federal Common Law vs. State Law

At oral argument, the justices seemed to recognize that Rodriguez v. FDIC does not raise the question of whether the lower courts relied on federal common law in deciding the ownership of a tax refund.

Mediating with a Higher Power: Mediation of Disputes with Governments and Governmental Agencies: Part II

Bankruptcy & Marijuana

First Circuit Explains How to Avoid Liability for an Underfunded Pension Plan

To avoid liability for an underfunded pension plan, the First Circuit describes a structure for investors to employ when buying a sick company

A Fugitive’s Civil Bankruptcy Appeal Can Be Dismissed, Sometimes

The ‘fugitive disentitlement doctrine’ does not allow a federal court to dismiss an appeal because of a fugitive’s contempt of a state court order, the First Circuit rules.

Student Loans Discharged in Part, Even Though Debtor Wasn’t Destitute

A bankruptcy judge can afford little relief from student loans, even for sympathetic debtors who try hard to repay their debts.

Seventh Circuit Holds that Parking Tickets and Fines Are Chapter 13 ‘Admin’ Expenses

Appeals courts won’t allow bankruptcy to shield debtors from paying parking tickets and fines incurred in the course of a chapter 13 case.

Brexit Update: A European Perspective

State vs. Federal Exemptions