Consumer

This panel will feature discussions of subchapter V vs. chapter 13, and their corresponding unique elements and deadlines.

This panel will provide insolvency professionals with practical business-development tips from numerous perspectives.

The global pandemic has had an incredible impact on mortgage issues in consumer bankruptcies and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. From the CARES Act forbearances, to resolving those forbearances through a waterfall of options including partial-claim mortgages, deferral agreements and modifications, to HAF funds, potential sales and other loss-mitigation options, this panel will discuss the pandemic's effects on consumer bankruptcies and the various issues that creditor and debtor attorneys will have to navigate.

This panel will discuss various issues concerning the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy for the last two years have had on valuations and appraisals. Since cash flow is essential for valuations and operations, the panelists will also discuss the effects of the pandemic on businesses’ cash flow and what can be done to recover and improve cash flow. In addition, the panelists will discuss the sales and auctions of assets during the pandemic period.

Debtors’ lives don’t stop once a chapter 13 is filed. Jobs could be changed or lost, property can be sold and inherited, and debtors can become injured and can sue. Debtor's counsel has to know how to “roll with the punches” and still achieve the best outcome for their client. This panel will discuss the impact of foreseen and unforeseen events in a chapter 13 case. Who gets the benefit of equity in a debtor’s home if it is sold and has appreciated since filing? What if the case converts to chapter 7? What assets are included in the chapter 7 estate upon conversion? Does a debtor have a duty to disclose a post-petition asset such as a cause of action or inheritance? How does debtor’s counsel get paid to deal with all of these issues? Is a chapter 13 trustee entitled to be paid if a case is dismissed before confirmation? What are the requirements to modify what is paid in a chapter 13 plan?

Consumer lawyers on behalf of both debtors and creditors deal with myriad ethical issues to ensure effective and economical representation of their clients. This panel will explore the implications of representing individuals, small businesses, insiders and creditors, including what to do when your client becomes your creditor (how far can you go to get paid?) and how to avoid breaching the attorney/client privilege (just who do or can you talk to?). In a small business, the owner often considers counsel to be representing “her” interest. How does counsel for a business deal with this issue under the ethical rules and the Bankruptcy Code? For the creditor, what are the implications of potential conflicts by counsel to the debtor? Can the creditor reach out to a principal of the corporate debtor directly on their guarantee without violating the Rules of Professional Conduct? What are the ethical limits of “unbundling services” to make it more affordable for the client, whether you represent a debtor or a creditor? This panel will explore ways to accomplish your client’s goals, as well as the ethical boundaries of representation under those scenarios.

This informal panel of judges will discuss the latest and most interesting cases they have presided over, and the lessons they’ve learned.