Indiana

Chapter 13 practice is complicated, and the days when a debtor’s 13 plan was quickly confirmed are few and far between. In addition to proposing confirmable chapter 13 plans, debtors’ attorneys (and in some cases chapter 13 trustees) are litigating defective mortgage claims and contentious objections to confirmation. How can debtors’ counsel ensure that they are compensated for these complicated cases that not only sit on the bankruptcy court’s docket, but often end up on appeal?

Parties can view social media as a treasure-trove of information: Does a debtor discuss assets on Facebook that are not found on the schedules? Do parties make statements in their online posts that conflict with legal positions they are taking in bankruptcy court? Does the ethical duty of a reasonable investigation encompass an obligation to investigate a client’s social media activity? This panel of experts will review the ethical obligations of investigating social media websites of clients and parties, and what may — and in some cases, must — be done to remain zealous advocates.

This panel will discuss common issues that arise in a § 363 sale, including timing issues, typical marketing programs (or conversely, no-shop clauses), bid procedures, break-up fees and bid-protection provisions. The panel might also touch on critical-vendor provisions, employee incentive programs, claw-back and true-up provisions, and successor liability clauses, as well as the applicability of the various subsections in § 363(f).

This panel will examine a multitude of issues involved in financing a chapter 11 exit, including the complications caused by a § 1111(b) election and plan treatment options. Feasibility issues, including balloon provisions and deed-in-lieu clauses, will also be discussed, as well as issues that arise when determining whether a plan is fair and equitable, including deferred payment clauses, interest rates, negative amortization, partial surrender of collateral, carve-outs and differing treatment of trade claims.

This panel will consider the myriad issues involving exemptions and property of the estate, including timing issues involving exemptions (In re Hageman, 388 B.R. 896 (Bankr. C.D. Ill. 2008)), dollar-value exemptions (In re Gebhart, 621 F.3d 1206 (9th Cir. 2010)), limitations on the extraterritorial effect of exemptions (In re Long, 470 B.R. 186 (Bankr. D. Kan. 2012)), non-spousal inherited IRAs (In re Clark, 714 F.3d 559 (7th Cir. 2013)), tax refunds, limited liability company membership interests and § 522(b)(3).