Consumer

When issues such as criminal fraud and embezzlement raise their ugly heads and there are potential nondischargeability issues, how do you guide a debtor through bankruptcy while still protecting his right not to incriminate himself? It is a delicate balance that affects all consumer attorneys, trustees and creditors. In this panel, practitioners will discuss strategies to aid in navigating the bankruptcy process when criminal charges are looming. The panel will consist of bankruptcy practitioners, criminal defense counsel and a trustee and will discuss how to help such debtors safely navigate the bumpy legal waters.

The Latest and Greatest: Supreme Court and Lower Court Case Law Update

Consumer Track - The National Mortgage Settlement: How Will It Affect Consumer Bankruptcy Cases? Although the impetus for the $25 billion settlement was robosigning issues in foreclosure cases, many of its provisions affect residential mortgage loans in consumer bankruptcy cases. The panel will discuss the terms of the consent judgment, which will impact the handling of home loans by debtors, the affected servicers, the USTP and the bankruptcy courts.

The New Proof-of-Claim Rules: One Year Later

As same-sex marriage continues to be sanctioned in states across the county, issues about the treatment of same-sex couples in bankruptcy have emerged. Does the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) limit a joint same-sex couple’s right to seek bankruptcy protection? How do same-sex divorces and support obligations impact the rights and obligations of debtors? And in states where only civil unions are available to same-sex couples, does that distinction lead to a meaningful difference for those seeking bankruptcy protection? This panel will discuss and debate the effect of DOMA on bankruptcy cases, the unique issues facing same-sex debtors and their families, and strategies to get debtors in same-sex relationships the debt relief they need.

What You Need to Know about Stern v. Marshall

Luncheon and keynote by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO-07)