Consumer

The title says it all — and these sessions are always full of fireworks. We’ll cover post-petition appreciation in chapter 13s (to whom does it belong?), bifurcation of chapter 7 fees, and lien-stripping in chapter 20. You might be picking a side, but you’ll learn a lot from both sides!

Join ABI Editor-at-Large Bill Rochelle as he hosts a panel of bankruptcy judges to discuss circuit splits on important consumer bankruptcy issues. This panel will be presented in a fun game-show format where the judges will vote to resolve the issues before they reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

If you are newer to chapter 13 practice, you won’t want to miss this panel. Join a judge, chapter 13 trustee, and debtor and creditor counsel as they show you how to navigate a chapter 13 case from both debtor and creditor perspectives. The discussion will include plan drafting and modification, claims filing, objecting to confirmation, dismissal, conversion, and getting paid in chapter 13 cases, as well as an overview of the tools you must take advantage of to make a chapter 13 work.

The Judges Roundtable will provide opportunities for discussion and interaction with our exciting panel of judges from around the country. Participants can engage in a small group format on the following three topics: (1) What happens when the various COVID moratoria on enforcement end; (2) who gets the benefit of post-petition appreciation of an asset when a case converts from chapter 13 to chapter 7; and (3) measuring the success of the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019.

Who knew that marketing should have been a law school class? Today’s legal landscape demands that lawyers be savvy marketers who can promote themselves online, building their reputations in the community and becoming “go to” practitioners for other lawyers and clients. Learn how to make your name pop in the legal realm.

This panel will discuss changes in the CARES act and consolidated appropriations act as well as general housing issues.

The Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, along with Florida’s Middle District, have all set up successful mortgage-mediation programs. This panel will spill the details on how they did it, particularly the ways in which they used web-based portals for document exchanges. Also on tap: the role of mediators and the court’s role in overseeing order processes and timelines.

A conversation on how bankruptcy courts can get ready for the expected tsunami of mortgage defaults post-COVID and beyond. The panelists will share recent updates on extending the same process to address student loan defaults in chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.

This session will discuss how to get your consumer bankruptcy appeal across the finish line. We’ll cover strategic considerations, common pitfalls (e.g., standing, finality, mootness) and tips for navigating the course.

Many debtors cannot afford to pay Ch. 7 fees in full in advance of filing. This leads to perverse outcomes for debtors, including the common filing of Ch. 13 cases solely to obtain a stay while paying counsel’s fees over time or not filing a needed bankruptcy. Courts across the country are adopting local rules allowing prepetition agreements to render services post-petition for payments to be made post-petition. Many courts do not allow this. What is appropriate?