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DETROIT

TELECONFERENCE RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE: EXPERTS EXAMINE DETROIT'S CHAPTER 9 FILING AND WHAT LIES AHEAD

ABI held a media teleconference yesterday to examine Detroit's chapter 9 filing and what lies ahead for the bankrupt city. Experts on the teleconference discussed some of the factors that led to Detroit's filing and the early legal issues over the city's eligibility to file. Speakers on the program included Bankruptcy Judge Christopher M. Klein (E.D. Calif.; Sacramento), who is presiding over the chapter 9 case of Stockton, Calif.; Deborah L. Fish of Allard & Fish PC (Detroit); and Patrick Darby of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP (Birmingham, Ala.), who represents Jefferson County, Ala., the largest chapter 9 case prior to Detroit's filing with more than $4 billion of municipal debt. The program was moderated by Prof. Juliet M. Moringiello of Widener University School of Law (Harrisburg, Pa.). To listen to a recording of the media teleconference, please click here.

For more information on municipal distress and chapter 9 bankruptcy, see ABI's Municipalities in Peril: The ABI Guide to Chapter 9, Second Edition, from the ABI Bookstore.

COMMENTARY: FACING UP TO AMERICA'S PENSION WOES

While Michigan Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's rulings to stop Detroit's chapter 9 did not stand before a state court of appeals panel and the federal bankruptcy judge assigned to the case, Judge Aquilina did correctly identify public pension promises as the key issue in the case, according to a commentary by Prof. David Skeel of the University of Pennsylvania Law School in the Wall Street Journal today. As recently as three years ago, the conventional wisdom held that public-pension promises, no matter how extravagant, are sacrosanct even if a city files for chapter 9 protection. The first hint that this thinking might be impractical came after Vallejo, Calif., filed for bankruptcy in 2008, according to Skeel. Vallejo successfully restructured its collective-bargaining agreements, and, as then-City Manager Robert Stout reported, the city believed that chapter 9 gave Vallejo the legal authority to alter its pensions as well. But CalPERS, which administers California's state and local pensions, threatened litigation. The city concluded that any reduced pension costs wouldn't be great enough to offset the legal costs, so it backed off. Since Vallejo, the pension question has become increasingly hard to avoid. When Central Falls, R.I., filed for bankruptcy in 2011, the small town made it clear that significant pension cuts were its only hope for recovery. In the end, Central Falls reduced its pension costs by 50 percent. The status of pension obligations is also at issue in the bankruptcies of the California cities of Stockton and San Bernardino, so it is possible that Detroit Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes will have the benefit of previous rulings on the issue when he rules on the Detroit case. Emergency manager Kevyn Orr has signaled that every constituency needs to sacrifice, and Detroit's public workers to this point aren't yielding an inch. If Detroit can make at least modest adjustments to its pensions, and restructure its other obligations as well, Skeel says that the city and other municipalities in dire financial straits may have a fighting chance. Read more. (Subscription required.)

ANALYSIS: PENSION BONDS RAISE RED FLAGS ON MUNIS

Of the $18 billion pile of liabilities Detroit faces in its bankruptcy proceedings, $1.4 billion of it consists of bonds issued in 2005 and 2006 to shore up the city's pension systems, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The fact that Detroit -- or any municipality -- issued these bonds could have been a red flag to investors that there was potential trouble brewing ahead. With Detroit's Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, the city's retirees could see their pensions slashed, officials have warned. And Detroit says its pensions are still underfunded by another $3.5 billion. Some of the other municipalities that have issued similar pension bonds in recent years are among the most problematic: Stockton, Calif., which filed for bankruptcy last year; Puerto Rico, which has struggled through a prolonged recession and was recently downgraded to near junk; and Illinois, which was charged with securities fraud for misleading investors about how it funds its pensions. In fact, Illinois holds the record for the largest pension bond deal ever, selling $10 billion in bonds in 2003, according to Thomson Reuters. If successful, a municipality that sells pension bonds can save money on its pension costs. But if returns on the pension investments are lower than expected, the municipality can actually lose money. In December, credit-rating firm Moody's Investors Service went so far as to say that pension bonds "rarely improve the credit quality of the state or the local government that issues them." Read more. (Subscription required.)

EDITORIAL: THE STUDENT LOAN DEBACLE

Over the last decade, Congress sensibly replaced a system of variable-rate loans with fixed rates that allowed families to know what their loans would cost, according to a New York Times editorial yesterday. It set the rate on both subsidized and unsubsidized loans at 6.8 percent, but later ordered the rate on subsidized loans -- two-thirds of which go to families with incomes under $50,000 -- to gradually decline by half. The refusal, according to the editorial, of Republicans in both houses to renew the lower rate means that students who start college this fall and finish in four years will be saddled, on average, with an extra $4,000 in debt. An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the new, higher rate would earn the government about $184 billion over the next decade after taking into account program costs, including potential defaults. The editorial advocates that in the long term, the loan program needs to be restructured so that the loans are closely linked to the government's actual cost of borrowing, which could reduce rates for students. Read more.

HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE APPROVES HOUSING FINANCE BILL

The House Financial Services Committee approved a Republican housing bill that would liquidate U.S.-owned financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and limit government mortgage guarantees, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. The bill, offered by House Financial Services Chair Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), was passed on a mostly party-line vote of 30-27. Hensarling's legislation would eliminate Washington-based Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within five years and replace them with a National Mortgage Market Utility to securitize mortgages. Unlike a similar bill in the Senate, the House measure would not include U.S. backing for securitized loans, though it would let the Federal Housing Administration play an expanded guarantee role in the event of an economic crisis. Hensarling said that he is eager to bring his measure to a vote on the House floor and will meet with House Republican leaders next week. Read more.

COMMENTARY: TREASURY'S FANNIE MAE HEIST

The federal government currently is seizing the substantial profits of government-chartered mortgage firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, taking for itself the property and potential gains of private investors that the government induced to help prop up these companies, according to a commentary yesterday by former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson in the Wall Street Journal. Earlier this month Olson filed a lawsuit to stop this seizing of profits, now known as Perry Capital v. Lew, and other lawsuits challenging the government's authority to demolish private investment are stacking up. When the nationwide mortgage crisis first took hold in 2007 and 2008, Fannie and Freddie shored up their balance sheets with some $33 billion in private capital, much of it from community banks, which had been encouraged by federal regulators to invest in the companies. As the crisis deepened, the government determined that Fannie and Freddie also needed substantial assistance from taxpayers. Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, and under that law the government ultimately plowed $187 billion into the companies. Taxpayers should get their investment back, but once they do, according to Olson, so should the private investors who first came to Fannie and Freddie's aid. Read more. (Subscription required.)

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - abiLIVE WEBINAR DISCUSSING § 1111(b) ELECTION, PLAN FEASIBILITY AND CRAMDOWN ISSUES RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!

If you were not able to join Monday's well-attended abiLIVE webinar examining § 1111(b), a recording of the program is now available for downloading! Utilizing a case study, ABI's panel of experts explored the issues surrounding a lender's decision on whether or not to make an election under § 1111(b), plan feasibility and voting. The abiLIVE panel also walked attendees through the necessary mathematical analyses used to examine these issues. The 90-minute recording is available for the special price of $75 and can be purchased here.

ABILIVE WEBINAR ON SEPT. 24 TO EXAMINE THE COMPLEX REQUIREMENTS AND ETHICAL DUTIES OF REPRESENTING CONSUMER DEBTORS

The abiLIVE webinar on Sept. 24 will feature a panel of experts discussing the ethical and compensation issues that can arise while representing chapter 7 and 13 debtors as well as individual chapter 11 debtors. Topics covered include client fraud and an attorney's duty to verify client information, attorney fee structures, and complex issues in individual chapter 11 cases. The panel includes perspectives from the attorneys and trustees, as well as the academic reporter for the ABI Ethics Task Force. Click here to register.

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; NEXT STOP IS THE MID-ATLANTIC BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP IN AUGUST

The 5th stop for the ABI Golf Tour is the Hershey Country Club, in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop. Final scoring to win the Great American Cup — sponsored by Great American Group — is based on your top three scores at seven scheduled ABI events, so play as many as you can before the tour wraps up at the Winter Leadership Conference in December. See the Tour page for details and course descriptions. The ABI Golf Tour combines networking with fun competition, as golfers "play their own ball." Including your handicap means everyone has an equal chance to compete for the glory of being crowned ABI's top golfer of 2013! A 22-handicapper won the tour event last week at Amelia Island, Fla.! There's no charge to register or participate in the Tour.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NORTON JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN UNTIL JULY 29

Nominations are now open for the 8th Annual Judge William L. Norton Judicial Excellence Award, to be presented during the ABI luncheon at the annual meeting of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges on Nov. 1, 2013. The award is presented by ABI and Thomson Reuters each year to the current or retired bankruptcy judge whose career embodies the same continued dedication and outstanding contributions to the insolvency community as the award’s namesake, Judge Norton. Nominations are considered by a committee made up of representatives from the Norton treatise and past ABI presidents. Nomination forms, which must be submitted by July 29, are available from Clay Mattson at Thomson Reuters (clay.mattson@thomsonreuters.com).

NEW ABI "BANKRUPTCY IN DEPTH" ON-DEMAND CLE PROGRAM LOOKS AT PRINCIPLES OF PROPERTY OF THE ESTATE: DEMYSTIFYING EQUITABLE INTERESTS

In this 90-minute seminar, Profs. Andrew Kull of Boston University School of Law and Scott Pryor of Regent University School of Law provide an in-depth analysis of a legal principle that has become, in their words, "a long-lost area of the law": § 541 of the Bankruptcy Code. Seeking to demystify what is meant by "property of the estate" and, in particular, the distinction between legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property, Kull and Pryor describe the legal entanglements that ensue when legal title belongs to one person but the equitable title belongs to someone else. The cost of the seminar, which includes written materials and qualifies for 1.5 hours of CLE, is $95. To order or to learn more, click here.

ASSOCIATES: ABI'S NUTS & BOLTS ONLINE PROGRAMS HELP YOU HONE YOUR SKILLS WHILE SAVING ON CLE!

Associates looking to sharpen their bankruptcy knowledge should take advantage of ABI's special offer of combining general, business or consumer Nuts & Bolts online programs. Each program features an outstanding faculty of judges and practitioners explaining the fundamentals of bankruptcy, offering procedures and strategies tailored for both consumer and business attorneys. Click here to get the CLE you need at a great low price!

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: MORT RANTA V. GORMAN (4TH CIR.)

Summarized by John Bollinger of the Boleman Law Firm, PC

Holding that "for both above-median income and below-median income debtors, Social Security income is excluded from the calculation of 'projected disposable income' under § 1325(b)(2)," the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the order of the district court and remanded the case to the district court with instructions to remand to the bankruptcy court for further proceedings consistent with the opinion.

There are more than 900 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: TIME TO DUST OFF THE OLD "GOOD BANK-BAD BANK" PLAN

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post said that governments need to consider the advantages of a good bank-bad bank restructuring as loan assets currently have determinable and probably higher values than earlier in the financial crisis.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

A class of claims should not be considered impaired for purposes of § 1129(a)(10) if the impairment results from the plan proponents' exercise of discretion (i.e., artificial impairment) and not driven by economic need. (In re Village at Camp Bowie I LP).

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL

INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

2013

August
- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop
    August 8-10, 2013 | Hershey, Pa.
- abiLIVE Webinar: How Will the New U.S. Trustee Fee Guidelines Impact You?
     August 20, 2013
- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference
    August 22-24, 2013 | Incline Village, Nev.

September
- ABI Endowment Golf & Tennis Outing
    Sept. 10, 2013 | Maplewood, N.J.
- ABI Endowment Baseball Game
    Sept. 12, 2013 | Baltimore, Md.
- Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization
    Sept. 18-19, 2013 | New York
- abiLIVE Webinar: Complex Requirements and Ethical Duties of Representing Consumer Debtors
     Sept. 24, 2013
- Bankruptcy 2013: Views from the Bench
    Sept. 27, 2013 | Washington, D.C.

October
- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program and Midwestern Consumer Forum
    Oct. 4, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- ABI Endowment Football Game
    Oct. 6, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Professional Development Program
    Oct. 11, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
    Oct. 14, 2013 | Chicago, Ill.
- International Insolvency & Restructuring Symposium
    Oct. 25, 2013 | Berlin, Germany

November
- Complex Financial Restructuring Program
   Nov. 7, 2013 | Philadelphia, Pa.
- Austin Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
   Nov. 10-12, 2013 | Austin, Texas
- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
   Nov. 11, 2013 | Detroit, Mich.

December
- ABI/St. John’s Bankruptcy Mediation Training
    Dec. 8-12, 2013 | New York

DELAWARE SLATED FOR NEW BANKRUPTCY JUDGE AMID GROWING CASELOAD

Delaware's U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the busiest in the country for chapter 11 filings, is getting an additional judge to help handle what officials see as a "full-blown crisis," the subject of a Senate hearing today, Bloomberg News reported. The Wilmington, Del.-based court has a caseload justifying a dozen judges, while it has only half that number now, Chief Delaware U.S. District Judge Gregory M. Sleet, who oversees the bankruptcy unit, said in his 2013 annual report. "The seventh judgeship is important, and funding it is obviously necessary," said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts, which held a hearing this afternoon titled "Sequestering Justice: How the Budget Crisis Is Undermining Our Courts." The hearing centered on the impact of the federal government's spending sequestration on the courts. Coons has been helping to strengthen the financial underpinnings of the bankruptcy courts, sponsoring the bipartisan Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeship Extension Act to extend expiring authorizations in 14 states and Puerto Rico. "A full-blown crisis awaits us" in Delaware as the bankruptcy court deals with 28 percent in budget cuts over three years, necessitating the elimination of 23 of 72 office employees and a furlough program "whereby all staff of the clerk's office take one day every two weeks, without pay, equating to a 10 percent decrease in their salaries," Sleet wrote. The additional bankruptcy judge who has been authorized for Delaware by federal court administrators, "has not been funded," Sleet said. Read more.

To read the prepared witness testimony from today's Senate hearing, please click here.

BACKLOG OF FORECLOSURES CONTINUES TO BLOCK HOUSING RECOVERY

Analysts claim that while the housing market is on the mend -- with progress even in the hardest-hit states -- the backlog of homes in foreclosure and bank-owned properties are still clogging the pipeline, HousingWire.com reported yesterday. The East Coast is a testament to such findings, where the duration of the foreclosure process is high in large part to judicial foreclosure procedures in states using that process, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's latest report. The volume of distressed properties continues to impact housing momentum, and consequently, there is a compelling need for improved public policy on the local and national levels to minimize losses and externalities resulting from foreclosures and REO inventory, explained Diego Aragon, Richard Peach and Joseph Tracy of the New York Fed. As of March 2013, nearly 3 percent of all first-lien loans secured by one-to-four-unit residential properties were 90-plus days delinquent, essentially unchanged from June 2012. In contrast, the percentage of loans in foreclosure, which leveled off at around 4 percent from 2011 through 2012, declined to 3.5 percent by early 2013, the report noted. The decline in the percentage of loans in the foreclosure process was due to a sharp decrease in the number of loans flowing into foreclosure. Read more.

ANALYSIS: DODD-FRANK REMAINS A WORK IN PROGRESS 3 YEARS LATER

When President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Act to overhaul financial regulation three years ago, he observed that for the new rules to be effective, regulators would have to be vigilant, according to a Washington Post analysis yesterday. The moment marked the beginning of what has proven to be a slow and arduous process of trying to implement one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation in decades -- the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Given the severity of the financial crisis, there was great expectation that regulators would move swiftly to enact and enforce the landmark legislation. But the same intense lobbying and political wrangling that took place when the bill was being written has continued to delay or water down some of its provisions. Federal watchdogs were tasked with writing 398 rules to flesh out the law, but they have missed 62 percent of the deadlines set by Congress, according to data from Davis Polk & Wardwell, a law firm that represents financial institutions. Lately, there has been a renewed commitment from the administration to accelerate the process. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told an audience of investors in New York last week that "by the end of this year, the core elements of the Dodd-Frank Act will be substantially in place." A top priority, he said, is to complete the long-delayed Volcker Rule, a controversial provision that would ban federally insured banks from proprietary trading: using their own capital to make trades. Read more.

ANALYSIS OF DETROIT'S CHAPTER 9 FILING

BAD REAL ESTATE DEALS RETURN TO HAUNT DETROIT'S PENSIONS

A litany of real estate deals gone wrong is showing how Detroit's retirement system for 30,000 employees and retirees -- propped up by $1.4 billion in borrowed money -- became a cash cow for a select few, Bloomberg News reported today. Now, these bad investments are coming back to haunt workers and pensioners as Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr proposed slashing their benefits in the city's chapter 9 filing last week, the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Orr wants to restructure $18 billion in debt and long-term obligations and is asking some creditors to accept less than 20 cents on the dollar. Detroit's pensions are underfunded by as much as $3.5 billion in part because of unrealistic assumptions of 8 percent annual investment returns, Orr has said. The pensions say that the gap between assets and obligations to retirees is $700 million, according to a June 20 statement. "Detroit has been working its way to a level of insolvency for decades," Orr said at a news briefing after the bankruptcy filing. The city was "continuing to borrow, continuing to defer pension payments, continuing not to pay its bills on time, continuing a deepening insolvency." On July 19, a Michigan state court judge ruled that Detroit's chapter 9 filing violated the state's constitution by impairing pension benefits. Michigan's attorney general has appealed. Bankruptcy Judge Steven W. Rhodes in Detroit set a hearing for tomorrow to consider giving the city protection from lawsuits. Though authorities have investigated past investments authorized by the two pension boards, personnel changes have occurred on both with changes in city administrations. The present general retirement system trustees are acting responsibly, said the board's legal counsel, Michael VanOverbeke. In June, Orr ordered city investigators to review pension investments, as well as operations and other aspects of employee-benefit programs. Read more.

ABI will be holding a media teleconference tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET to examine Detroit's chapter 9 filing and what lies ahead. There are a limited number of spaces available to listen to the live program. If you would like to listen, please contact ABI Public Affairs Manager John Hartgen at jhartgen@abiworld.org.

ANALYSIS: DETROIT'S BANKRUPTCY REVEALS DYSFUNCTION COMMON IN CITIES

The financial pressures that pushed Detroit into becoming the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history are also playing out on a smaller scale in cities around the nation, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Diminished tax revenue and rising labor costs have left four cities insolvent since 2007. "None of the other cities are as far along, but there are dozens, if not hundreds of cities that have similar issues," said Alan Mallach, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "Every other industrial city has problems that could send them down the same path." U.S. municipalities have recovered slowly from the 18-month recession that ended four years ago, which depressed property-tax revenue and led to investment losses for pensions that many cities haven't fully funded for years. Projected pension and health care obligations for the 61 biggest cities will top assets by about $217 billion, according to a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, a Philadelphia-based research and public-policy group. Read more.

For an analysis of the situation in Detroit, municipal distress and chapter 9 bankruptcy, be sure to pick up a copy of ABI's Municipalities in Peril: The ABI Guide to Chapter 9, Second Edition, from the ABI Bookstore.

COMMENTARY: GETTING DETROIT BACK ON ITS FEET

There is no doubt that Detroit's bankruptcy proceedings will be very painful for Detroit's population of 700,000, but the bankruptcy case might also allow the city to be relieved of paying back its bondholders and banks much of the estimated $9 billion they lent to Detroit on overly rosy assumptions, according to an editorial in today's New York Times. This group of lenders and investors will, of course, push the city and state to also force concessions on city workers and retirees, whose pension funds are underfinanced by about $3.5 billion. But city officials should resist the idea of cutting the pension payments for the city's public workers, which average $19,000 a year. Unlike the situation in other troubled cities where government officials made lavish pension promises and workers gamed the system to inflate their benefits, Detroit's pension problems are quite modest. Moreover, city employees have already had their pay and benefits reduced significantly in recent years. Slashing the meager fixed incomes of retirees will also hurt the city's weak economy because they are more likely to spend most of the money they receive in local businesses. Labor unions also argue that Michigan's Constitution protects their pensions from cuts, which will set up a potentially long legal battle that the city can ill afford. Read the full editorial.

DID YOU MISS MONDAY'S abiLIVE WEBINAR DISCUSSING § 1111(b) ELECTION, PLAN FEASIBILITY AND CRAMDOWN ISSUES? RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!

If you were not able to join Monday's well-attended abiLIVE webinar examining § 1111(b), a recording of the program is now available for downloading! Utilizing a case study, ABI's panel of experts explored the issues surrounding a lender's decision on whether or not to make an election under § 1111(b), plan feasibility and voting. The abiLIVE panel also walked attendees through the necessary mathematical analyses used to examine these issues. The 90-minute recording is available for the special price of $75 and can be purchased here.

NEW abiLIVE WEBINAR ON AUGUST 20: HOW WILL THE NEW U.S. TRUSTEE FEE GUIDELINES IMPACT YOU?

The new U.S. Trustee Fee Guidelines will affect all attorneys and firms who work on larger chapter 11 cases filed on or after November 1st. ABI's Ethics & Professional Compensation Committee will present a panel of experts, including Cliff White, the director of the U.S. Trustee Program, to discuss some of the ways the new guidelines could change day-to-day operations in firms, issues relating to the new market rate benchmarks, and how these changes might alter insolvency practice. Register today to hear government, attorney and academic perspectives on this important and timely topic.

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; NEXT STOP IS THE MID-ATLANTIC BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP IN AUGUST

The 5th stop for the ABI Golf Tour is the Hershey Country Club, in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop. Final scoring to win the Great American Cup — sponsored by Great American Group — is based on your top three scores at seven scheduled ABI events, so play as many as you can before the tour wraps up at the Winter Leadership Conference in December. See the Tour page for details and course descriptions. The ABI Golf Tour combines networking with fun competition, as golfers "play their own ball." Including your handicap means everyone has an equal chance to compete for the glory of being crowned ABI's top golfer of 2013! A 22-handicapper won the tour event last week at Amelia Island, Fla. There's no charge to register or participate in the Tour.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NORTON JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN UNTIL JULY 29

Nominations are now open for the 8th Annual Judge William L. Norton Judicial Excellence Award, to be presented during the ABI luncheon at the annual meeting of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges on Nov. 1, 2013. The award is presented by ABI and Thomson Reuters each year to the current or retired bankruptcy judge whose career embodies the same continued dedication and outstanding contributions to the insolvency community as the award’s namesake, Judge Norton. Nominations are considered by a committee made up of representatives from the Norton treatise and past ABI presidents. Nomination forms, which must be submitted by July 29, are available from Clay Mattson at Thomson Reuters (clay.mattson@thomsonreuters.com).

NEW ABI "BANKRUPTCY IN DEPTH" ON-DEMAND CLE PROGRAM LOOKS AT PRINCIPLES OF PROPERTY OF THE ESTATE: DEMYSTIFYING EQUITABLE INTERESTS

In this 90-minute seminar, Profs. Andrew Kull of Boston University School of Law and Scott Pryor of Regent University School of Law provide an in-depth analysis of a legal principle that has become, in their words, "a long-lost area of the law": § 541 of the Bankruptcy Code. Seeking to demystify what is meant by "property of the estate" and, in particular, the distinction between legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property, Kull and Pryor describe the legal entanglements that ensue when legal title belongs to one person but the equitable title belongs to someone else. The cost of the seminar, which includes written materials and qualifies for 1.5 hours of CLE, is $95. To order or to learn more, click here.

ASSOCIATES: ABI'S NUTS & BOLTS ONLINE PROGRAMS HELP YOU HONE YOUR SKILLS WHILE SAVING ON CLE!

Associates looking to sharpen their bankruptcy knowledge should take advantage of ABI's special offer of combining general, business or consumer Nuts & Bolts online programs. Each program features an outstanding faculty of judges and practitioners explaining the fundamentals of bankruptcy, offering procedures and strategies tailored for both consumer and business attorneys. Click here to get the CLE you need at a great low price!

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: ISAACSON V. MANTY (IN RE ISAACSON; 8TH CIR.)

Summarized by Bryan Robinson of the Law Offices of Bryan Robinson

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the district court's affirmation of the bankruptcy courts imposition of sanctions against the plaintiff (Isaacson) for making factually unsupported, inflammatory and harassing statements against the bankruptcy judge, the bankruptcy trustee, the bankruptcy court and the U.S. Trustee's Office, according to documents filed with the court.

There are more than 900 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: FURTHER EXAMINATION OF DETROIT'S CHAPTER 9 FILING

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post takes a closer look at the issues surrounding Detroit's chapter 9 filing.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

When will the dowward trend of consumer bankruptcy filings turn around?

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL

INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

2013

August
- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop
    August 8-10, 2013 | Hershey, Pa.
- abiLIVE Webinar: How Will the New U.S. Trustee Fee Guidelines Impact You?
     August 20, 2013
- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference
    August 22-24, 2013 | Incline Village, Nev.

September
- ABI Endowment Golf & Tennis Outing
    Sept. 10, 2013 | Maplewood, N.J.
- ABI Endowment Baseball Game
    Sept. 12, 2013 | Baltimore, Md.
- Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization
    Sept. 18-19, 2013 | New York
- abiLIVE Webinar: Complex Requirements and Ethical Duties of Representing Consumer Debtors
     Sept. 24, 2013
- Bankruptcy 2013: Views from the Bench
    Sept. 27, 2013 | Washington, D.C.

October
- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program and Midwestern Consumer Forum
    Oct. 4, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- ABI Endowment Football Game
    Oct. 6, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Professional Development Program
    Oct. 11, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
    Oct. 14, 2013 | Chicago, Ill.
- International Insolvency Symposium
    Oct. 25, 2013 | Berlin, Germany

November
- Austin Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
   Nov. 10-12, 2013 | Austin, Texas
- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
   Nov. 11, 2013 | Detroit, Mich.

December
- ABI/St. John’s Bankruptcy Mediation Training
    Dec. 8-12, 2013 | New York

FIRST QUARTER BANKRUPTCY FILINGS FALL 16 PERCENT FROM 2012, COMMERCIAL FILINGS DROP 27 PERCENT

Total bankruptcy filings in the United States decreased 16 percent in the first calendar quarter (Jan. 1 - March 31) of 2013 from the same period in 2012, according to data provided by Epiq Systems, Inc. Bankruptcy filings totaled 263,516 in the first quarter of 2013, down from the 314,832 filings registered in the first calendar quarter of 2012. Total commercial filings for the first three months of 2012 were 11,521, representing a 27 percent decrease from the 15,869 filings during the same period in 2012. The 251,995 total noncommercial filings recorded in the first calendar quarter of 2013 represented a 16 percent decrease from the 2012 total of 298,963. Click here to read the full ABI press release.

Click here to access the March 2013 bankruptcy filing data charts.

NEW BANKRUPTCY CLAIMS TRANSFER FEE TO TAKE EFFECT MAY 1

Federal bankruptcy courts will institute a new $25 fee for filing evidence of claims transfers, transactions in which bankruptcy claims are sold by one creditor to another, usually as part of a speculative investment, according to a release today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The fee, approved last September by the Judicial Conference of the United States, will take effect May 1. The fee will be assessed by bankruptcy courts on each individual claim or partial claim that is transferred, and it must be paid by the creditor that files evidence of the transfer (typically the claim transfer form) with the courts. Debtors filing for bankruptcy will not be affected by the fee. The fee must be paid by credit card, using Pay.gov, when the claims transfer is filed with the courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, or by whatever means is designated by the court if the claims transfer is not filed electronically. Read more.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PUSHES BANKS TO MAKE HOME LOANS TO PEOPLE WITH WEAKER CREDIT

The Obama administration is engaged in a broad push to make more home loans available to people with weaker credit, an effort that officials say will help power the economic recovery but that skeptics say could open the door to the risky lending that caused the housing crash in the first place, the Washington Post reported yesterday. President Obama's economic advisers and outside experts say the nation's housing rebound is leaving too many people behind, including young people looking to buy their first homes and individuals with credit records weakened by the recession. In response, administration officials say that they are working to get banks to lend to a wider range of borrowers by taking advantage of taxpayer-backed programs — including those offered by the Federal Housing Administration — that insure home loans against default. Housing officials are urging the Justice Department to provide assurances to banks, which have become increasingly cautious, that they will not face legal or financial recriminations if they make loans to riskier borrowers who meet government standards but later default. Officials are also encouraging lenders to use more subjective judgment in determining whether to offer a loan and are seeking to make it easier for people who owe more than their properties are worth to refinance at today's low interest rates, among other steps. Read more.

In related news, the improving job market is lifting incomes and helping families repair credit scores, expanding the pool of eligible buyers and providing additional firepower to the housing recovery, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. About 7 million mortgageholders have had to leave their homes since 2007 because of foreclosure or a short sale, in which a property is sold for less than is owed, according to RealtyTrac. More than 1 million of them are now eligible for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration, which requires a three-year waiting period and a minimum 3.5 percent down payment, said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics Inc. While many Americans will be blocked from buying because of insufficient credit, savings and income, eligible households will expand to nearly 2 million by the end of 2014, Zandi said. Read more.

ANALYSIS: AS BUSINESS LENDING INCREASES, CONCERNS EMERGE ABOUT PROFIT

The recent uptick in bank business lending is starting to flash some warning signs that banks are making loans to businesses at rates that are so low they may end up being unprofitable, the New York Times DealBook blog reported yesterday. A recent survey by the Federal Reserve shows that American banks are charging an average of just 2.83 percent on commercial and industrial loans, down from 3.4 percent a year earlier. Banks of all sizes are participating in this resurgence, including smaller banks, which managed to avoid many of the excesses of the credit boom of the last decade. Extraordinarily low interest rates have breathed life into several markets where companies go to borrow. Last year, companies issued nearly $360 billion of junk bonds in the U.S., according to Dealogic. Less noticed was the increase in commercial and industrial loans at American banks. They added $174 billion of such loans in 2012, a 13 percent increase from the prior year, according to figures from the Fed. Read more.

GAO: 401(K) COMPANIES OFTEN MISLEAD ACCOUNT-HOLDERS

Money management firms frequently offer workers misleading and self-serving information about how to handle their retirement savings when they change jobs, according to a Government Accountability Office report released yesterday, the Washington Post reported. Departing workers are often encouraged to roll their accounts into individual retirement accounts (IRAs) run by the firms that already manage their retirement money, even when it would be best for the outgoing employees to keep their money in a 401(k), the GAO investigation concluded. Having workers move their money into IRAs typically allows money management companies to harvest bigger fees for handling the retirement money, the report said. The GAO had undercover investigators call 30 money management firms posing as workers about to change jobs in an effort to learn how money managers market their services. In seven cases, they were given incorrect information, including that moving their money into an IRA would be "free," even though workers would incur ongoing fees by opening the accounts. The GAO also reviewed the websites of 10 large firms and found that five incorrectly said that their IRAs were free. Read more.

LATEST ABI PODCAST EXAMINES BANKRUPTCY VALUATION ISSUES

ABI's latest podcast features ABI Resident Scholar Prof. Scott Pryor speaking with Dr. Israel Shaked of The Michel-Shaked Group (Boston) and Robert F. Reilly of Willamette Management Associates Inc. (Chicago), authors of a new ABI publication, A Practical Guide to Bankruptcy Valuation. Shaked and Reilly discuss their book and other issues involved in the complex task of valuing a bankrupt or financially distressed business. Click here to listen to the podcast.

For more information or to purchase A Practical Guide to Bankruptcy Valuation, please click here.

BLOOMBERG'S LATEST "BILL ON BANKRUPTCY" VIDEO: STOCKTON MAY WIN THE BATTLE, BUT LOSE THE WAR

Although Stockton, Calif. established the right to be in a chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy, the judge warned the city that victory may be short-lived if bondholders prove that pensioners must take a haircut along with other unsecured creditors. The latest Bloomberg bankruptcy video with Bloomberg Law's Lee Pacchia and Bloomberg News bankruptcy columnist Bill Rochelle examines the issue. Click here to watch.

TOMORROW! DON’T MISS THE ABI LIVE WEBINAR – "LEGACY LIABILITIES: DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL, PENSION, UNION AND SIMILAR TYPES OF CLAIMS"

A panel of experts has been assembled for a webinar on April 5 from 1-2:15 p.m. ET to discuss environmental and pension liabilities, the statutory schemes under which these liabilities arise and the key players involved. Are non-monetary environmental claims dischargeable? Do post-petition expenditures for environmental cleanup constitute administrative expenses? When can an employer terminate a pension plan in bankruptcy, what is the process and what are the consequences? Learn the answer to these questions and more from the comfort of your own office. Special ABI member rate is available! Register here.

HOTEL BLOCK FOR ABI'S ANNUAL SPRING MEETING ALMOST SOLD OUT! REGISTER TODAY!

The hotel block at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., is almost sold out for ABI’s 2013 Annual Spring Meeting! Held April 18-21, 2013, ASM features a roster of the best national speakers, while the depth and scope of topics offer something for everyone. Specifically, four concurrent workshops will cover various “tracks,” including programs for attorneys in commercial cases, a track for restructuring professionals, a track of professional development programming and a track dealing solely with consumer issues. More than 16 hours of CLE/CPE is offered in some states, along with ethics credit totaling 3 hours, making the cost only about $50 per credit. In addition, committee sessions will drill down on other topics to provide you with the most practical and varied CLE/CPE experience ever. Sessions include:

• 17th Annual Great Debates
• Mediation: An Irrational Approach to a Rational Result
• Creditors’ Committees and the Role of Indenture Trustees and Related Issues
• Current Issues for Financial Advisors in Bankruptcy Cases
• The Individual Conundrum: Chapter 7, 11 or 13?
• The Power to Veto Bankruptcy Sales
• Real Estate Issues in Health Care Restructurings
• How to Be a Successful Expert
• The Ethical Compass: Multiple Ethical Schemes Applicable to Financial Advisors
• Chapter 9s, Nonprofits and Other Nontraditional Restructuring Processes
• And much more!

The Spring Meeting will also feature a field hearing of the ABI Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, a report from the ABI Ethics Task Force, a luncheon panel discussion moderated by Bill Rochelle of Bloomberg News, and a Final Night Gala Dinner featuring a concert by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts!

Make sure to register today!

ABI IN-DEPTH

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: ARROYO V. SCOTIABANK DE PUERTO RICO (IN RE ARROYO; 1ST CIR.)

Summarized by William Amann of Craig, Deachman & Amann PLLC

The First Circuit ruled that a chapter 7 debtor lacked standing to appeal because he could not demonstrate that either (1) a reasonable possibility existed that a surplus would exist if the order on appeal was denied or (2) the appealed order adversely affected his discharge.

There are more than 800 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: FURTHER EXAMINATION OF STOCKTON'S ONGOING CHAPTER 9 CASE

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent post takes a closer look at Stockton, Calif.'s chapter 9 case, which was allowed to continue after Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein on Monday issued a bench ruling finding that Stockton is an eligible debtor and therefore entitled to remain in bankruptcy.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

TEE OFF ON THE NEW ABI GOLF TOUR!

Starting with the Annual Spring Meeting, ABI will offer conference registrants the option to participate in the ABI Golf Tour. The Tour will take place concurrently with all conference golf tournaments. The Tour is designed to enhance the golfing experience for serious golfers, while still offering a fun networking opportunity for players of any ability. As opposed to the format used at ABI’s regular conference events, Tour participants will "play their own ball." They will be grouped on the golf course separately from other conference golf participants and will typically play ahead of the other participants, expediting Tour play. Tour participants will be randomly grouped in foursomes, unless otherwise requested of the Commissioner in advance of each tournament. Prizes will be awarded for each individual Tour event, which are sponsored by Great American Group. The grand prize is the "Great American Cup," also sponsored by Great American Group, which will be awarded to the top player at the end of the Tour season. Registration is free. Click here for more information and a list of 2013 ABI Golf Tour event venues.

ABI Quick Poll

The scope of protection of "financial contracts" in bankruptcy should be rolled back to what it was before BAPCPA expanded it in 2005.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL

INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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2013

April
- ABI Live Webinar: "Legacy Liabilities : Dealing with Environmental, Pension, Union and Similar Types of Claims"
     April 5, 2013
- ABI Live Webinar: "Student Loans: Bankruptcy May Not Have the Answers - But Does Congress?"
     April 10, 2013
- "Nuts and Bolts" Program at ASM
     April 18, 2013 | National Harbor, Md.
- Annual Spring Meeting
     April 18-21, 2013 | National Harbor, Md.

May
- "Nuts and Bolts" Program at NYCBC
     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- ABI Endowment Cocktail Reception
     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- New York City Bankruptcy Conference
     May 16, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- Litigation Skills Symposium
     May 21-24, 2013 | Dallas, Texas

June
- Memphis Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
     June 7, 2013 | Memphis, Tenn.
- Central States Bankruptcy Workshop
     June 13-16, 2013 | Grand Traverse, Mich.

July
- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum
     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.
- Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop
     July 18-21, 2013 | Amelia Island, Fla.

August
- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop
    August 8-10, 2013 | Hershey, Pa.