%1

COMMENTARY: THE INTANGIBLE COSTS OF BANKRUPTCIES



While most experts examine direct costs, such as filing fees, professionals fees and court fees, there are indirect costs of a company’s financial distress, which are more abstract, like lost revenue, lost opportunities and lost good will, according to a commentary by Prof. Stephen Lubben in the New York Times DealBook blog on Monday. Some of these costs may be of concern to the company’s stakeholders, but not to policy makers if, for example, financial distress simply results in the shifting of sales from the distressed firm to a competitor firm – unless the competitor is abroad, according to Lubben. If most of the cost is incurred long before bankruptcy, according to Lubben, then we may need to reform the chapter 11 portion of the bankruptcy code in a way that will allow those costs to be cut sooner. Read the full commentary.

ANALYSIS: BURDENED BY OLD MORTGAGES, BANKS ARE SLOW TO LEND NOW



While the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 3.53 percent last week, thousands of would-be homeowners are being locked out of the market because lenders, facing a hard-line stance from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have grown wary of making new loans, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The two mortgage giants have been forcing banks to take back an increasing number of loans that the banks made during the boom years and sold to Fannie and Freddie. To protect themselves from such demands in the future, banks are ratcheting up credit and documentation standards for new mortgages. This play-it-safe stance by banks threatens to undercut the Federal Reserve's latest effort to push down mortgage rates by buying up mortgage-backed securities. Even if rates keep falling, many people will find it much harder to take advantage. Read more. (Subscription required.)

REPORT: CONSUMER CREDIT DELINQUENCIES NEAR 6-YEAR LOW



The American Bankers Association (ABA) said that U.S. consumer-loan delinquencies dropped to their lowest level in nearly six years during the second quarter of 2012, Bloomberg News reported today. Delinquencies across eight loan categories fell a total of 11 basis points to 2.24 percent of all accounts in the second quarter, the best showing since the fourth quarter of 2006, when the rate was 2.23 percent. The rate has now been below the 15-year average of 2.40 percent for two consecutive quarters, the ABA said in its Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin. Delinquencies on bank card debt fell from 3.08 percent of all accounts in the first quarter to an 11-year low of 2.93 percent, well below the 15-year average of 3.91 percent. Read more.

SUBPRIME SECURITIES GAIN 30 PERCENT AS GOLDMAN, CERBERUS TARGET MARKET



U.S. home-loan securities without government backing, the kind of debt that sparked the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, shrank last quarter to less than $1 trillion for the first time in eight years, leaving fewer bonds to meet soaring demand as housing recovers, Bloomberg News reported today. The non-agency mortgage bond market has contracted from $2.3 trillion in mid-2007, when a property bubble fueled by shoddy loans burst, according to Federal Reserve data. It’s fallen to about $970 billion after record homeowner defaults, borrower refinancing and limited sales of new debt. Growing interest in a diminishing asset has bolstered a rally that has pushed returns on subprime-backed securities to almost 30 percent this year. Cerberus Capital Management LP and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. are among firms that have raised money for new funds targeting the bonds, as investors speculate on the real estate recovery or seek to earn higher returns as the Fed pushes yields on safer debt to record lows. Read more.

COMMENTARY: WHY DODD-FRANK RULES KEEP LOSING IN COURT



Since the mid-2000s, regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission have been challenged six times in the federal court of appeals in Washington, D.C., and the SEC lost every time, according to a commentary in the Wall Street Journal today. Some former SEC staffers and investor advocates try to blame the judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, saying that they favor Wall Street. The "blame-the-appellate-judges" theory suffered its latest setback last Friday, when a judge appointed by President Obama, in the district court in Washington, D.C., struck down the controversial rule of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that placed new "position limits" on the amounts of commodities investors can hold. Financial regulators should be particularly attentive to the financial consequences of their actions when adopting regulations, the commentary said. Other agencies have conducted sophisticated cost-benefit analyses for decades, and these are reviewed (and sometimes rejected) by a special White House office of regulation. As an independent agency, the SEC is exempt from that external expert review. Its rules have suffered as a result, according to the commentary. Read the full commentary.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR STEVEN GOLICK, A COLLEAGUE AND ABI LEADER



Our friend Steven Golick (Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Toronto) is facing a medical crisis. He has been diagnosed with a serious brain tumor, requiring complex surgery and treatment. Steven’s spirits are very strong and he and his family remain optimistic, but he can use our support. A prominent international restructuring attorney and an ABI member since 1994, Steven is also a founding member of the ABI house band, the Indubitable Equivalents. Because the band is important to Steven, his fellow band-mates have organized a new Blog site for Steven's friends and colleagues to show their love and support at this critical time. Please click on this link to share your thoughts with many others, and post as often as you'd like.

ABI IN-DEPTH

SEE THE N.L. EAST DIVISION CHAMPION WASHINGTON NATIONALS IN THE PLAYOFFS: ABI HAS YOUR TICKET FOR OCTOBER 10!



Don't miss playoff baseball in Washington, D.C.! Only 20 tickets are available to the ABI Endowment's special event at the Nationals first home playoff game to be played on Oct. 10. For $400, you will receive a game ticket to a luxury suite, food and open bar.Click here to register!

Sponsorships Are also Available!

Stand out from the crowd and sponsor this historic playoff event! Bring a client; tickets included with your sponsorship. All sponsorships are tax deductible. Click here for details.

MEMBERS WILL NOT WANT TO MISS ABI'S PROGRAM AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING ON OCT. 26



Members planning to attend the 86th Annual NCBJ Annual Conference in San Diego from Oct. 24-27 will not want to miss the exciting line-up scheduled for the ABI program track on Oct. 26. In addition to roundtable discussions on the hottest consumer and business bankruptcy topics, ABI will be hosting a ticketed luncheon that will feature the presentation of the 7th Annual Judge William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award and entertainment by Apollo Robbins, a sleight-of hand artist, security consultant and self-described gentleman thief. Click here to register for the Conference.

To view the list of ABI programs on Oct. 26 and the full NCBJ Annual Conference schedule, please click here.



ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission will also be holding a public hearing on Oct. 26 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. PT at the San Diego Marriott. Interested parties have the opportunity to submit testimony at the hearing. For further information, please contact ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano at sgerdano@abiworld.org.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: SUHAR V. BRUNO (IN RE NEAL; 6TH CIR.)



Summarized by Robert Miller of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

The Sixth Circuit found that the debtor's assumption of the marital credit card debt of the debtor and the defendant, as part of a separation agreement, should not impact whether the debtor received reasonably equivalent value for transfers to the defendant in the separation agreement. The Sixth Circuit also followed recent precedent holding that a separation decree under Ohio law neither adjudicates reasonably equivalent value nor has a preclusive effect in a subsequent bankruptcy proceeding to determine whether reasonably equivalent value was transferred as part of the separation agreement.

There are more than 650 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: STOCKTON'S CREDITORS CHALLENGE CITY'S ELIGIBILITY TO FILE FOR CHAPTER 9



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent post examines the court challenge from Stockton, Calif.'s creditors about the city's eligibility to file for chapter 9 protection.

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

Bankruptcy courts should adopt formal loss mitigation procedures to facilitate the negotiation of residential mortgage modifications for consumer debtors.

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

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?



Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

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.

October

- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     October 8, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

- ABI Endowment Event: Nationals Playoff Game

     October 10, 2012 | Washington, D.C.

- "Trending Issues: Examiners and Select Plan Confirmation Issues" Webinar

October 15, 2012

- ABI/Bloomberg Distressed Lending Conference

October 16, 2012 | New York, N.Y..

- International Insolvency and Restructuring Symposium

     October 18, 2012 | Rome, Italy

- ABI/St. John's "Bankruptcy and Race: Is There a Relation?" Symposium

     October 19, 2012 | Queens, N.Y.

- ABI Program at NCBJ's Annual Conference

     October 26, 2012 | San Diego, Calif.

November

- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium

     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico

- Professional Development Program

     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.

- Winter Leadership Conference

     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December

- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training

     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

February

- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute

     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.

ACADEMICS WANT CONGRESS TO GIVE CHAPTER 14 A CHANCE



Members of Stanford University's Hoover Institution's "resolution project" say that the environment is right to revisit their proposed modification of the Bankruptcy Code that adds a section, dubbed "Chapter 14," to address large financial institutions, Dow Jones Newswires reported yesterday. When the official debate on Capitol Hill ended in July 2010 with the passage of the Dodd-Frank financial reform, it looked as though the Hoover Institution had lost its battle to keep the job of unwinding a failing financial institution out of the hands of government. Their proposal, presented at a Senate Banking Committee hearing, never gained traction, and Dodd-Frank's Title II tasks the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. with intervening should the collapse of a financial institution threaten the economy. However, the academics now argue in a new book, Bankruptcy Not Bailout: A Special Chapter 14, that their proposal still has a chance at becoming law. The book's authors also have an unlikely supporter: the FDIC. "The FDIC would support improvements to the Bankruptcy Code that would better allow for the failure of a large complex financial institution without broad systemic disruption," said Andrew Gray, a spokesman for the FDIC, characterizing Title II as a last resort. "Constructive efforts to improve the bankruptcy law and reduce the likelihood that Title II would be necessary are positive." Acknowledging that the repeal of all or part of Dodd-Frank is unlikely, the authors argue that Dodd-Frank and chapter 14 could coexist, providing the government and companies with another option. Read more.

REGULATORS TRY TO BEAT THE CLOCK IN RATE PROBE



U.S. prosecutors are seeking more time to complete their investigation of alleged interest-rate fixing, while banks ensnared in the probe are trying to turn the clock to their advantage as they battle lawsuits claiming damages from rate-rigging, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The Justice Department recently asked several banks to sign "tolling" agreements, in which the companies promise they will not challenge any enforcement action on the grounds that the alleged wrongdoing occurred beyond the statute of limitations. The requests were sent to all the major banks under investigation including Citigroup Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC and UBS AG. Read more. (Subscription required.)

ANALYSIS: CRIMINAL AND CIVIL MORTGAGE-FRAUD CASES HAVE EXPLODED SINCE HOUSING CRISIS



The problem of mortgage scams involving attorneys is growing, according to experts, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Joseph Dunn, executive director of the State Bar of California, said that more than 100 lawyers in California have been disbarred or otherwise disciplined, while about 200 others are facing charges or are under investigation. The California Bar has received more than 11,000 mortgage-related complaints about lawyers since early 2009. John Berry, director of the legal division of the Florida Bar, calls the involvement of attorneys in alleged mortgage scams "one of the most difficult issues we have had to deal with." In a national database of 25,000 homeowner complaints regarding suspected mortgage-related frauds, more than a quarter relate to activities by lawyers or law firms, said Yolanda McGill, a senior counsel at the nonprofit Washington-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law, which began collecting the complaints in 2010. The committee has filed eight lawsuits against parties for allegedly cheating homeowners with false promises of help with their mortgages. Read more. (Subscription required.)

REPORT: PAY GAPS WIDENING AMONG PARTNERS



According to a new survey conducted by legal search consultant Major, Lindsey & Africa and Am Law Daily affiliate ALM Legal Intelligence, partners at Am Law 200, NLJ 350, and American Lawyer Global 100 firms saw their annual compensation rise, on average, 6.4 percent to $681,000 over the past two years. The jump was apparently driven, at least in part, by an uptick in the average rate those partners are billing, from $555 per hour in 2010 to $585 today. The survey, which drew 2,228 responses from attorneys at the firms in question, shows that not all partners have benefited equally from the increase. On average, equity partners are better compensated than their non-equity counterparts, male partners make more than their female colleagues, corporate partners earn more than litigators, and partners in open compensation systems are paid better than those in closed compensation systems. Read more.

FORMER GM CEO: TIME FOR "GOVERNMENT MOTORS" TO HIT THE ROAD



Until the government sells its shares of GM, the company won't be master of its own destiny and will remain wrongly tagged a failure, according to a commentary in today's Wall Street Journal by former GM CEO Ed Whitacre. The government has been an active participant in GM's management for more than three years, according to Whitacre, and it is time for Treasury to step out of the way so that GM can fully focus on what it does best: designing, building and selling the world's best vehicles. The government's authority over GM today is not concentrated in the 500 million shares it still owns, which amount to a hefty but not controlling 26.5 percent ownership stake, according to Whitacre. Rather, the government's power comes from the management apparatus of TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, from which the $50 billion bailout originally came. The result: GM spends an awful lot of time checking in with the people who administer TARP over everything from hiring to executive compensation and management. Read more. (Subscription required.)

HIGH-SPEED TRADING IN THE CONGRESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT



An insider of the secretive world of high-frequency trading is set to attack that industry today on Capitol Hill, giving lawmakers a potential road map to address practices that critics say can put ordinary investors at a disadvantage and the financial system at risk, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Since rapid-fire trading firms now provide many of the buy-and-sell orders that support the market, investors are at the mercy of automated systems that can run amok during volatile times, according to Dave Lauer, who last year quit his job as a trader for an elite Chicago high-frequency trading outfit. Lauer is part of a growing chorus of industry insiders blowing the whistle on approved trading techniques that they say are designed by the traders who derive the most benefit. Lauer is now a consultant on market-structure issues for Better Markets, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group funded by a hedge fund. He testified today before the Senate Banking committee about how he came to believe that high-speed trading has made the market less fair for many investors. One way sophisticated firms get an edge over other investors is the use of complex order types, which are commands that traders use to tell exchanges how to handle their buy-and-sell orders, according to Lauer's testimony. Regulators are looking into whether exchanges, in a rush to gain the business of high-frequency firms, have provided advantages to some sophisticated trading firms that allow them to trade profitably at the expense of other investors. High-frequency trading accounts for some two-thirds of all trading volume, experts say. Read more. (Subscription required.)

Click here for prepared testimony from today's Senate Banking Committee hearing.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR STEVEN GOLICK, A FELLOW COLLEAGUE AND ABI MEMBER



Our friend Steven Golick (Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Toronto) is facing a medical crisis. He has been diagnosed with a serious brain tumor, requiring complex surgery and treatment. Steven’s spirits are very strong and he and his family remain optimistic, but he can use our support. A prominent international restructuring attorney and an ABI member since 1994, Steven is also a founding member of the ABI house band, the Indubitable Equivalents. Because the band is important to Steven, his fellow band-mates have organized a new Blog site for Steven's friends and colleagues to show their love and support at this critical time. Please click on this link to enter and share your thoughts, and post as often as you'd like.

ABI IN-DEPTH

ABI LAUNCHES FIFTH ANNUAL WRITING COMPETITION FOR LAW STUDENTS; PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE ONE-YEAR ABI MEMBERSHIP



Law school students are encouraged to submit a paper now through March 1, 2013, for ABI’s Fifth Annual Bankruptcy Law Student Writing Competition. ABI will extend a complimentary one-year membership to all students who participate in this year's competition. Eligible submissions should focus on current issues regarding bankruptcy jurisdiction, bankruptcy litigation, or evidence issues in bankruptcy cases or proceedings.



The first-place winner, sponsored by Invotex Group, Inc., will receive a cash prize of $2,000 and publication of his or her paper in the prestigious ABI Journal. The second-place winner, sponsored by Jenner & Block LLP, will receive a cash prize of $1,250 and publication of his or her paper in an ABI committee newsletter. The third-place winner, sponsored by Thompson & Knight LLP, will receive a cash prize of $750 plus publication of his or her paper in an ABI committee newsletter. For competition participation and submission guidelines, please visit http://papers.abi.org.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: STATE OF NEVADA V. MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEM INC. (9TH CIR.)



Summarized by Richard Corbi of Lowenstein Sandler PC

Because the defendants had no "obligation" to record assignments or other documents relating to securing property, the prosecution failed to state a claim of liability under Nevada False Claims Act section 357.040(1)(g).

There are more than 600 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: SECOND CIRCUIT SUMMARILY REVERSES CLAIMS-TRADING DECISION



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post examines a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Longacre Master Fund v. ATS Automation Tooling Systems. The Second Circuit summarily reversed a district court decision that will likely strengthen the hand of specialized firms that look to buy claims in large chapter 11 cases, according to the post.

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

Bankruptcy courts should have unfettered discretion in adjusting fee applications, even when no party-in-interest has raised objections.

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

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?



Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

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.

September

- "When Is an Individual Chapter 11 the Best Fit?" Live Webinar

     September 27, 2012

- American College of Bankruptcy's "Bankruptcy: Back to the Future" Program

     September 28, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

October

- Nuts & Bolts for Young and New Practitioners - KC

     October 4, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program, Midwestern Consumer Forum

     October 5, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Bankruptcy 2012: Views from the Bench

     October 5, 2012 | Washington, D.C.

- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     October 8, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

- "Trending Issues: Examiners and Select Plan Confirmation Issues" Webinar

October 15, 2012

- ABI/Bloomberg Distressed Lending Conference

October 16, 2012 | New York, N.Y..

- International Insolvency and Restructuring Symposium

     October 18, 2012 | Rome, Italy

November

- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium

     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico

- Professional Development Program

     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.

- Winter Leadership Conference

     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December

- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training

     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

February

- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute

     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.