Consumer

Join us for a round of the “ABI Talks,” with speakers focusing on the ABI Consumer Commission, litigation finance in bankruptcy, transfers and more.

Hosted by the Consumer Bankruptcy and Legislation Committees A fresh start is now becoming less attainable for many debtors because the traditional "all-up-front" attorney fee approach discourages filing for chapter 7. Some attorneys are solving this problem by splitting pre-petition and post-petition services into separate agreements to allow post-petition payments for post-petition work. The panel will discuss the practical need for this type of fee arrangement, the nuts and bolts of this payment arrangement, the pros and cons of such a system, where it is and where it is not allowed under existing law, a discussion of the current case law concerning such a system, and various policy considerations under review by ABI's Consumer Bankruptcy Commission.

This panel will discuss current litigation/case law on discharge injunction violations and remedies, including sanctions.

This panel will discuss pre-petition considerations, disposition of assets and conversion concerns at issue in individual chapter 11 cases.

The most popular session each year, this annual favorite will cover all recent bankruptcy law decisions and current consumer bankruptcy law issues. This session is a must-attend for professionals to stay current on consumer bankruptcy law issues.

This session will consider what an attorney can do after receiving an adverse decision from the bankruptcy court, including strategic considerations, as well as the nuts-and-bolts procedures in deciding whether to appeal and in prosecuting an appeal. What decisions are appealable as final orders? What decisions require permission to appeal on an interlocutory basis? What are the applicable Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure governing appeals, and what requirements do they impose? What is the standard of review for an appeal of an incorrect legal decision? What is the standard of review for an appeal of an incorrect factual finding? How and when can you obtain a stay of an adverse ruling pending the appeal? How do doctrines of jurisdiction, standing, mootness and ripeness apply to an appeal? What types of issues most frequently get appealed, and what rates of success are there?

This panel will explore the impact of unknown (or unknowable) claims and best practices for attempting to bar such claims through a chapter 11 plan or § 363 sale. The panelists will address cases involving product liability (including the recent GM case), environmental claims, and other situations where due-process concerns could limit the ability to bar such claims.

This panel will present a lively discussion of key issues decided in business and consumer bankruptcy cases throughout the country over the past year.