9th Circuit

Dischargeability Judgment Must Not Lower Interest on a Creditor’s Judgment

Abuse of discretion automatically results if a judgment harms a defrauded creditor.

Courts Split on Stripping Down Residential Mortgages in Chapter 11

Ninth Circuit B.A.P. and Third Circuit duke it out over Section 1123(b)(5).

Student Loans Incurred for a New Profession Are Consumer Debts

Non-consumer debts must be related to an existing business or current job.

Estate Planning Does Not Blow Away a Generous State Homestead Exemption

Appellate panel rides to the rescue and saves a couple about to lose their home.
Court: 

Debtors Not Sharing Fruits of Stay Violation Claim with Creditors Must Arbitrate

You can’t stiff your creditors and profit from an inadvertent stay violation claim.

Auditors of a Ponzi Scheme Are Exonerated in the Ninth Circuit

Be sure to issue a qualified report when auditing a Ponzi scheme.
Court: 

Tim Blixseth Making Law on Extended Jailing for Civil Contempt

Is one year’s jailing too long for civil contempt? Evidently not in Montana.

Failed Lawyer Discharges $264,000 in Student Loan Debt

Advanced degrees for once were no bar to discharging student loans.

Claim Buyer Doesn’t Acquire Seller’s Insider Status, Ninth Circuit Holds

Debtor-friendly opinion validates strategy for cramming down on secured lender.
Court: 

Successor Liability Overrides Sale Free and Clear on Labor Law Claim

363 sale provides no protection from a union’s claim for successor liability.