Law Commons^™

Bankruptcy Law, John T. Laney Iii, Siena Berrios Gaddy, Victoria Barbino Grantham

Mercer Law Review

This Article focuses on bankruptcy opinions issued by the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Topics addressed include 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A)’s preclusion of discharge of debts obtained by fraud of a partner or agent; the Supreme Court’s effort to “bring some discipline” to 11 U.S.C. § 363(m) and the use of the term “jurisdictional;” abrogation of tribal sovereign immunity in 11 U.S.C. § 106(a); Chapter 11 plan modification under 11 U.S.C. § 1126 and Bankruptcy Rule 3019(a); the anti‑modification provision of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) and its connection …

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Thomas Alec Chappell, Siena Berrios Gaddy

Mercer Law Review

This Article focuses on bankruptcy opinions issued by the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Topics addressed include constitutionality of the 2017 U.S. Trustee quarterly fee increase; statutory mootness under 11 U.S.C. § 363(m); retroactive application of § 505(a)(2)(C); exemption of traditional and Roth IRAs from a debtor’s bankruptcy estate; scope of “claim” under § 101(5); effect of post-petition transfers on the new value preference defense; scope of the fiduciary capacity exception from discharge of § 523(a)(4); and errors in debtor’s name in a financing statement.

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Victoria Barbino Grantham

Mercer Law Review

Following the pandemic-related drop in bankruptcy filings during 2020, bankruptcy filings for both individuals and corporations continued to decline in 2021. Experts disagree about the cause of the decrease of filings during a period many believed would see a windfall. Some cite government stimulus programs for both individuals, and corporations, others low-lending rates which allowed companies to access capital more freely, and some believe court closures and backlogs have discouraged parties from formal judicial restructuring. No matter the cause, all experts expect filings to increase in 2022.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued several notable …

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Victoria Barbarino Grantham

Mercer Law Review

This year’s Bankruptcy Law Article surveys include both notable cases and legislation that will have an impact on the practice of bankruptcy law in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. It will address one Supreme Court of the United States case argued in October 2020, which was decided early in 2021, and three Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals cases decided in 2020. This Article will also include a follow up on the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 and a glimpse into the CARES Act, the most groundbreaking legislation of its kind, and its provisions that …

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Nicholas Greer

Mercer Law Review

This year's Bankruptcy Law Article surveys both opinions and recent legislation that will have an impact on the practice of bankruptcy law in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The decisions in this article come from the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States District Courts located in the Eleventh Circuit, as well as the United States Bankruptcy Courts located in the Eleventh Circuit. Throughout the survey period, January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, countless decisions related to bankruptcy law have been handed …

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, William J. Diehl

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys opinions decided in 2017 that will impact bankruptcy law practice in the Eleventh Circuit. These decisions come from the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, United States District Courts, and Bankruptcy Courts. While courts in the Eleventh Circuit have addressed other important questions pertinent to bankruptcy law, this Article focuses on select decisions that the Authors believe will have the greatest impact on the readers' practices. The Article first updates cases cited in last year's annual survey. The Article continues by discussing cases involving bankruptcy courts' jurisdiction, …

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Nicholas J. Garcia

Mercer Law Review

This Article is a review of select bankruptcy opinions issued in 2016 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The selected bankruptcy opinions surveyed and summarized by the Authors involve the following bankruptcy topics: Stale Debt Collection, the Dischargeability of Debts, Exemptions, Contempt, Judicial Estoppel, and the Rules of Procedure. During 2016, the Eleventh Circuit addressed some "exceptionally important" issues arising in consumer bankruptcy cases and created a circuit split requiring resolution by the United States Supreme Court.

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Nicholas J. Garcia

Mercer Law Review

This Article is a review of bankruptcy opinions issued in 2015 by the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the district courts and bankruptcy courts within the Eleventh Circuit. This Article covers issues regarding the following bankruptcy topics: lien stripping, exemptions, fraudulent transfers, the discharge injunction, executory contracts, and conversion.

Down The Rabbit Hole: Crawford V. Lvnv Funding, Llc Upends The Role Of The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act In Consumer Bankruptcy, Brittany M. Dant

Mercer Law Review

For decades courts have faced the issue of whether the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (the FDCPA) applies to filing proofs of claims in consumer bankruptcy cases. Courts have historically been cautious of applying the FDCPA in the realm that the Bankruptcy Code covers. As such, the majority of courts faced with this question found the answer to be a resounding "no." However, in Crawford v. LVNV Funding, LLC, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit turned the tide when it held that the filing of a proof of claim on a timebarred debt in Chapter …

More Than Money: Emotional Distress Damages In Bankruptcy Proceedings, H. Thomas Shaw

Mercer Law Review

The bankruptcy process is often viewed as purely financial, evoking images of only dollars and cents, secured and unsecured debts, and reorganization. However, there is more involved than purely financial matters. It can be personal, emotional, and leave a lasting effect upon the debtor's life. Historically, bankruptcy could be devastating to an individual, leading to public shame and humiliation. Although the public is now more accepting of a debtor's plight, it is still a harrowing experience. Due in part to the sensitive nature of bankruptcy, the drafters of the Constitution gave Congress the ability to pass uniform bankruptcy laws throughout …

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Daniel Taylor

Mercer Law Review

This Article offers a review of recent bankruptcy-related opinions issued in 2014 by the United States Supreme Court and courts within the Eleventh Circuit. The topics are varied, ranging from the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy courts to the ever-developing law arising from "lien stripping."

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Daniel Taylor

Mercer Law Review

This Article focuses on bankruptcy opinions issued in 2013 by the Supreme Court of the United States and courts within the Eleventh Circuit. The topics range from the legality of "ghostwriting" to the definition of "defalcation" under section 523(a)(4) of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell, Tim Colletti

Mercer Law Review

This Article focuses on bankruptcy opinions issued in 2012 by the courts in the Eleventh Circuit. The topics are varied, ranging from the constitutionality of bankruptcy-specific exemption schemes enacted by the states to the ever-growing body of law arising from the means test.

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

This Article offers a review of recent bankruptcy law developments' in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.' Two notable areas of activity in the past year included: (1) bankruptcy court jurisdiction, which was ruled on by the United States Supreme Court; and (2) mortgages in Chapter 13 cases, which were the subject of both case law and a new bankruptcy rule.

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

The past few years have been somewhat uneventful in terms of the development of bankruptcy law in Eleventh Circuit courts. The year 2010 was no exception. The lack of significant cases in the lower courts, however, has been offset by notable activity in the Supreme Court of the United States, which has decided five bankruptcy cases since last year's Survey.

Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, Pa. V. United States: "In Contemplation Of' The Meaning, Applicability, And Validity Of Attorney Restrictions In The Bapcpa, Joseph D. Orenstein

Mercer Law Review

In Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, PA. v. United States, the Supreme Court of the United States held that, under section 227 of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA), attorneys who provide bankruptcy counsel are "debt relief agencies." The Court also held two BAPCPA provisions constitutional: one provision that prevented debt relief agencies from advising a debtor to incur more debt in contemplation of bankruptcy and another that imposed disclosure requirements on debt relief agencies. In light of the inconsistent and unclear interpretations of BAPCPA provisions considered in this case, the Court's ruling acts to …

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

I. INTRODUCTION

In 2009 the country entered into a significant recession, but bankruptcy law-perhaps surprisingly-remained relatively static, at least in the Eleventh Circuit. On a national level, things were a bit more interesting; the Chrysler bankruptcy was much discussed in the media and there was a renewed interest in allowing individuals to modify primary residence mortgages in bankruptcy. Still, even the collapse of the housing market could not move Congress to amend the Bankruptcy Code. Despite the action on a national level, in the Eleventh Circuit it was business as usual with a year that can best be described as …

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

In 2007 the world of bankruptcy law lacked much of the excitement seen in 2005 and 2006. During the previous two years a variety of novel issues and intra-circuit conflicts arose as courts began interpreting the 2005 amendments to the Bankruptcy Code. The pace settled down in 2007 as courts began work that consisted more of refinement than innovation. They tackled the scope of sovereign immunity, the automatic stay, undue hardship for student loan discharge, and the hanging paragraph in § 1325(a). These and other recent developments in Eleventh Circuit bankruptcy law are addressed in this Article.

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

"Stringent execution" may be the watch phrase for implementation of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 ("BAPCPA"). The bankruptcy bar has lived with BAPCPA for well over a year, and if one common thread arises in the case law, it is judges dissatisfaction with what may kindly be referred to as "drafting flaws." Many courts have highlighted these flaws-and other perceived inadequacies in BAPCPA-by ruthlessly enforcing the statute's plain language. This has already led to the enactment of one amendment by Congress, as well as criticism from some of its members. Whether further amendments will follow …

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

Never underestimate the persistence of the credit lobby. In the most significant development in bankruptcy law since last year's Article, Congress finally, after eight years of trying, enacted bankruptcy reform legislation in the form of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act ("BAPCPA" or the "Act"). At least one judge has stated that "to call the Act a 'consumer protection' Act is the grossest of misnomers." Indeed, the Act creates new roadblocks for entrance into bankruptcy, such as the pre-petition credit counseling requirement and Chapter 7 means testing; limiting or eliminating the protection of the automatic stay for repeat …

Judicial Estoppel And The Eleventh Circuit Consumer Bankruptcy Debtor, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

Judicial estoppel is an equitable doctrine intended to prevent a litigant from making a mockery of the judicial system by asserting inconsistent positions in different legal proceedings. The peculiarities of bankruptcy, however, are not always conducive to the easy application of judicial estoppel, particularly when it harms the debtor's creditors. Since the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided its first bankruptcy-related judicial estoppel case in 2002, the court has not fully addressed some important complexities raised by bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

No one topic dominated bankruptcy cases arising in the Eleventh Circuit in 2004, but several developments took center stage. First, judicial estoppel re-emerged as a tool used to prevent a windfall to the debtor when the trustee is the real party in interest. Second, any benefit accruing to debtors after last year's Supreme Court decision on state sovereign immunity may have been effectively eliminated by a recent circuit court decision. Third, student loan creditors endeavored to eviscerate the last remnants of the undue hardship discharge by invoking the availability of the income contingent repayment plan. This Article addresses these and …

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy And Section 707(B): Should The Subjective "Substantial Abuse" Standard Be Replaced By An Objective "Means-Testing" Formula?, J. Kaz Espy

Mercer Law Review

Because our society has become more and more reliant on the concept of "credit," the level of individual indebtedness has risen and, as a direct corollary, individual filings for bankruptcy relief have also increased. Credit can be beneficial to John D. Consumer ("Consumer") by allowing him to take possession of goods and pay for them at a later date. This in turn stimulates the economy by giving consumers more buying power. However, when Consumer fails to use discretion in his use of credit, he quickly finds out how the seemingly wonderful concept of credit can become a nightmare. If Consumer …

Bankruptcy, James D. Walker Jr., Amber Nickell

Mercer Law Review

Since last year's article, the courts in the Eleventh Circuit have issued-with a few exceptions-mostly routine bankruptcy opinions. The United States Supreme Court, however, has been very busy, deciding six bankruptcy-related cases. It makes sense to begin with one of the most anticipated of those opinions.

Bankruptcy, W.H. Drake Jr., Christopher S. Strickland

Mercer Law Review

Undeniably, 1999 proved to be an important year for bankruptcy in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, with the circuit ultimately producing eleven opinions bearing upon the debt relief process. In keeping with the cosmopolitan nature of bankruptcy practice, these decisions involved the court's performance of diversified tasks, ranging from the interpretation of intricate Bankruptcy Code provisions to the construction of governing requirements from the Uniform Commercial Code and the resolution of potential conflicts between the bankruptcy process and various constitutional or state law provisions. Provided below is an overview of each decision rendered during 1999.

Bankruptcy, W.H. Drake Jr., Christopher S. Strickland

Mercer Law Review

Undeniably, 1998 proved to be an important year for bankruptcy in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, with the circuit ultimately producing a total of fourteen opinions having material bearing upon the debt relief process. In keeping with the cosmopolitan nature of bankruptcy practice, these decisions involved the court's performance of diversified tasks, ranging from the interpretation of intricate Bankruptcy Code provisions, to the construction of governing requirements from the Uniform Commercial Code, and the resolution of potential conflicts between the bankruptcy process and various constitutional or state law provisions. Provided below is an overview of each decision rendered during …

A Primer On 11 U.S.C. § 328(A) And Its Use In Alternative Billing Methods In Bankruptcy, Robert J. Landry Iii, James R. Higdon

Mercer Law Review

Compensation of attorneys and professionals in the bankruptcy field is one of the most written about areas in bankruptcy law. Professionals, both familiar and unfamiliar with the mandates of the Bankruptcy Code and Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, are having an increasingly difficult time obtaining approval for the envisioned compensation. Problems generally do not arise for debtors' attorneys in the run-of-the-mill Chapter 7 case or Chapter 13 case. Flat fees are charged in most of these cases, and applications to employ debtors' attorneys are not filed. Therefore, retention orders are not entered. However, outside the run-of-the-mill Chapter 7 or 13 …

Bankruptcy, W. Homer Drake Jr., Michael M. Duclos

Mercer Law Review

Unlike past years when the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a tremendous number of bankruptcy decisions each term, 1997 turned out to be a very quiet year because the Eleventh Circuit issued only eight opinions addressing matters arising under the Bankruptcy Code. This Article is a survey of those 1997 bankruptcy decisions.

How Should Property Be Valued In A Cram Down?, Mark E. Beatty

Mercer Law Review

One of the most intriguing topics in bankruptcy law is the valuation of property in cram down cases, specifically Chapter 13 cases. This article will first present and discuss the different methods of valuation employed by the circuit courts before Associates Commercial Corp. v. Rash (Rash III) was decided by the Supreme Court and the reasoning behind these methods. The next section will discuss the opinion in Rash and the chosen method of valuation in Chapter 13 cram down cases. The third section will discuss the implications of the decision in Rash. The Article will conclude with …

Bankruptcy, W. Homer Drake Jr., Michael M. Duclos

Mercer Law Review

During 1996, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit decided twenty-three cases in the area of bankruptcy law. These decisions covered a wide variety of issues arising under the Bankruptcy Code, as well as several issues concerning nonbankruptcy law. This Article is a survey of the bankruptcy decisions rendered by the Eleventh Circuit in 1996.