Howdy all you Bankruptcy Bill fans out there!  I’ve been in Austin, TX attending the 28th Annual Jay Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference presented by the University of Texas Law School at the Four Seasons Hotel, and I thought it’d be nice to share a little of what it’s like down here.

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FYI, this cartoon also appears in the Fall 2009 issue of the newsletter for the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Texas along with a nice profile about the Bankruptcy Bill cartoons written by Eric Van Horn, a bankruptcy lawyer with Dallas firm Rochelle McCullough LLP and the writer of the Chapter 8 humor columns in the ABI Journal.  Also, thanks to Judge Alan S. Trust of the Eastern District of New York for his article in the Summer 2009 issue of the Bankruptcy Section newsletter (“Robes Without Stripes”) which provided helpful cultural background for the cartoon.

Highlights of the conference included:

1. Learning that both Professor Jay Westbrook and Judge Keith Lundin both have extensive collection of bankruptcy-related cartoons, and that both Texas and Tennesse have had bands comprised of musical bankruptcy judges who like to write and play bankruptcy-related songs.
2. Judge Lundin’s monogrammed bowling shirt with “High on BAPCPA” on the back.
3. A spirited discussion between Hugh Ray (McKool Smith) and Bruce Grohsgal (Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones) on the topic of “Who’s Really in Charge Here?  Reorganizations in the Shadow of Chrysler and GM.”
4. Learning that Byrnie Bass’ son Brett is a professional bass player and that he not only has played with Enrique Iglesias but currently plays in a band with former Spin Doctors lead singer–and my high school classmate–Chris Barron.  (Here’s an article about Brett from Lubbockonline.com.)
5. Cartoon brainstorming with Andrew Eckerman (Conway Mackenzie, Inc.), Melissa Hayward (Franklin Skierski Lovall Hayward), Jesse Moore (Hunton & Williams), Ian Roberts (Baker Botts), Tim Million (Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr) and Eric Van Horn (Rochelle McCullough).
6. Jogging around the lake and arriving at the Congress Avenue Bridge just in time to see the largest urban bat colony pour out for its evening activities.
7. Hearing Evelyn Biery (Fulbright & Jaworski) recount her role as Anna Nicole Smith for a previous bankruptcy conference musical send-up.
8. An in depth discussion of organic farming with Joe Martinec and Weldon Ponder.
9. The Third Annual Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference Cocktail Reception at Austin hotspot Lanai, hosted by the Young Lawyers Committee of the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Texas.  (Thanks to Jay Ong (Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr), Layla Milligan (Staff attorney for Chapter 13 Trustee) and Eric Van Horn (Rochelle McCullough) for organizing!)
   

   "Ain't that Texas cookin' good!"

10. Obtaining valuable advice from Brian Abramson (Diamond McCarthy) on the topic of sleep training for infants.
11. Barbecue from Stubbs, Iron Works and (at the airport) Salt Lick.  (Thanks to Guy Clark for the inspiration!)
12. Keeping Austin Weird.
13. Having a chance to meet so many wonderful folks on my first-ever visit to the Great State of Texas.  The conference had an extremely friendly and collegial atmosphere, and everyone from associates to partners to judges were accessible and enjoyable to meet.

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Get your BAPCPA Man and Mortgantua T-shirts, Mugs, Cards and More!

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

Bankruptcy Bill

and the following blog-loving bankruptcy lawyers:

• Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)
• George Haines & David Krieger (Haines & Krieger) (Las Vegas, NV)
• Russell A. DeMott – Charleston Bankruptcy Blog (Charleston, SC)
• Nancy Rapoport (nancyrapoport.blogspot.com), the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law (UNLV)

are pleased and excited to announce the first-ever…..

Bankruptcy Song Contest!

1.  FIRST PRIZE: Announcement of the winning entry in a BAPCPA Man cartoon (which will include a cartoon drawing of the winner as one of the characters), plus a signed print of the cartoon.

2.  SECOND PRIZE: A BAPCPA Man t-shirt (or other item from our fabulous catalog of BAPCPA Man and Bankruptcy Bill merchandise on Zazzle)

PLUS…

3.  DONATION:  Bankruptcy Bill and each of the above-listed sponsors will collectively make a donation to the National Consumer Law Center in the amount of $25 for each song submitted in this contest.*

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 5:30 pm EST

How the contest works:

1. E-mail your song(s) to bill [/at/] bankruptcybill [/dot/] us.  (Up to 5 submissions allowed per person or group.)  Submissions are just lyrics, by the way.  Do not send music.  (That’ll come later.)
2. Include: (1) Your name(s), (2) your law firm name (if applicable and desired), (3) city & state, (4) a short 1 or 2 sentence bio about yourself, and (5) any links or contact info.  (All of this info will appear with your song submission when it’s posted.)
3. After the deadline, all entries will be posted on the Bankruptcy Bill site and readers will be invited to vote.
4. The winning entry will be announced in a BAPCPA Man cartoon strip, and the winner will be a included as a cartoon character in the strip.
5. Stay tuned for a future contest/project where we invite people to submit recordings of the songs.

Comments:  Contest is open to anyone and everyone. Songs must be original, i.e., written by the person(s) submitting.  However, it doesn’t have to be new.  It’s fine if you already wrote it 3 years ago while sitting through a deathly boring CLE presentation.  Songs can be about anything and in any style, as long as they tie in to bankruptcy somehow. You’re more than welcome to indicate if the lyrics are intended for a particular tune or style of music, though it’s not necessary.

Intellectual Property: By sending us your submission, you’re of course giving us permission to post the song lyrics on the Bankruptcy Bill site.  But don’t worry.  Other than that, you keep all the intellectual property rights in the song.

*Contest Modifications: Since this is the first time we’ve tried something like this, we reserve the right to modify the rules or adapt appropriately using logic and common sense if there’s something we overlooked or that needs to be addressed.  Also, if we receive some unexpectedly large number of submissions, we’re not going to bankrupt the sponsors/donors or overly tax their coffers.  We’ll just cap it at some appropriate amount, probably work a reference into cartoon somewhere and just go with that groovy BAPCPA flow.

Why are we doing this? Because it’s fun and educational.  The goal is to draw on the latent creativity out there in the bankruptcy world, come up with some good (or at least half-decent) songs, build on the liturgy of bankruptcy pop culture and have a good time with all of this along the way.

Questions? E-mail bill [/at/] bankruptcybill [/dot/] us

Inspiration: Have a listen to Bankruptcy Lover, the original country song about corporate bankruptcy.  Click here for the lyrics.  (For the record, Bankruptcy Lover is not eligible for this contest.)

Additional Inspiration (11.15.09): Check out this post by bankruptcy lawyer Craig Robins on his Long Island Bankruptcy Blog which includes an already existing bankruptcy song by Michael Silverstein of Bloomberg Financial Press on his website www.wallstreetpoet.com.

Just a quick FYI to let readers know that I’ve joined the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA).

I’m glad to be a member and look forward to learning the secret handshake if one exists.  If it does, it would be great if someone out there could email me the protocol.  Or perhaps send me a YouTube video so I can observe and practice?  (I promise not to have it illustrated in a cartoon.)

Secret handshake or not, I look forward to meeting and connecting with fellow NACBA members.

• Click here to tell the ABA Journal if you think the Bankruptcy Bill site (including the Bankruptcy Bill and BAPCPA Man cartoons, bankruptcy haiku and the “Bankruptcy Lover” song) should be included in the Top 100 law blogs:  http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit Deadline is October 2.
  

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*Click here to see BAPCPA Man #7 – BAPCPA Man vs. Mortgantua – Part 1, and here for all previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

More information on MORTGAGES, FORECLOSURE and LOAN/MORTGAGE MODIFICATION:

Here’s a nice “infographic” on the steps in the Foreclosure Process in Nevada made available in PDF format by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.  And if you’re just looking for bankruptcy information, here’s a helpful bankruptcy link.

Below are some useful posts from bankruptcy lawyer blogs on the topics of mortgages, foreclosure, loan modification and the Making Homes Affordable Program.  (Go to the BK Lawyer Blogs page on this site to see a full state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyer blogs. And get in touch if you have a blog and don’t see it listed.)

George Haines, Esq. and David Krieger, Esq. (Haines & Krieger) (Las Vegas, NV)

• Do you qualify for a loan modification?
• Should I intentionally miss mortgage payments to qualify for loan modification?
• Loan Modification: The NOT Making Homes Affordable Program
• Nevada has highest foreclosure rate in the U.S. for 31st straight month
• What’s so great about foreclosure mediation?

Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Brooklyn Judge gives New York homeowners a fighting chance against foreclosure
• New York foreclosures likely to continue as ARMs begin to re-set over next 4 years
• Can I keep my home if I file for bankruptcy in New York?
• Subprime loan modification companies

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Why I Won’t Negotiate Loan Modifications
• Many New York Foreclosure Suits Are Dismissed Because They Are Defective
• Is a Short Sale a Reasonable Alternative to Foreclosure on Long Island?

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Loan Modification Myths Busted
• If I Do Not Reaffirm My Mortgage in Chapter 7, Do I Automatically Lose Title to my House?

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Mortgage Modification in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• Selling Your Home When You’re Broke
• Congress Passes Anti-Foreclosure Bill

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

• Click here to tell the ABA Journal if you think the Bankruptcy Bill site (including the Bankruptcy Bill and BAPCPA Man cartoons, bankruptcy haiku and the “Bankruptcy Lover” song) should be included in the Top 100 law blogs:  http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit (Update:  There was a problem with the link but it should work now.)

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*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

For a more in depth explanation of the automatic stay, have a look at the Wikipedia entry.  Also see posts on the topics of automatic stay and debt collection by the following bankruptcy lawyers on their blogs:

Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Dealing with debt collector harassment in New York

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• What can I do about debt collector harassment in Las Vegas?
• Creditors giving money to debtors? Punitive damages and the automatic stay

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• How Quick Will Creditors Stop Calling Me If I File Bankruptcy?
• What Are Your Rights If a Creditor Violates the Automatic Bankruptcy Stay?
• More posts on the topic of automatic stay and debt collection by Craig Robins.

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Despite the Debtor’s Mishaps Bankruptcy Court Grants Stay
• Can Bankruptcy Help Stop Repossession?

Click here for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with blogs.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

Note:  If you are viewing this site using Internet Explorer, you may not be able to view items in the sidebar.  Clicking on any page or post will cause sidebar items to appear.

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

Below are some helpful posts from bankruptcy lawyer blogs on the topics of mortgages, foreclosure, loan modification and the Making Homes Affordable Program.  Go to the BK Lawyer Blogs page on this site to see a full state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyer blogs.  (And get in touch if you have a blog and don’t see it listed.)

Update 9.10.09: There’s a great piece on NPR about foreclosures and the black-box decision making process regarding loan modifications (“Major Banks Still Grappling with Foreclosure“).  At one point, there’s a clip of reporter Chris Arnold in the Bank of America call center, listening over the shoulder of a call center rep who tells a homeowner they’re not eligible for a loan modification.  Arnold questions the rep and receives a not so satisfying explanation.  The issue is raised with the supervisors and it turns out the homeowner was in fact eligible for a loan modification.  How frequently is this scenario replaying itself?

George Haines, Esq. and David Krieger, Esq. (Haines & Krieger) (Las Vegas, NV)

• Do you qualify for a loan modification?
• Should I intentionally miss mortgage payments to qualify for loan modification?
• Loan Modification: The NOT Making Homes Affordable Program
• Nevada has highest foreclosure rate in the U.S. for 31st straight month
• What’s so great about foreclosure mediation?

Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Brooklyn Judge gives New York homeowners a fighting chance against foreclosure
• New York foreclosures likely to continue as ARMs begin to re-set over next 4 years
• Can I keep my home if I file for bankruptcy in New York?
• Subprime loan modification companies

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Why I Won’t Negotiate Loan Modifications
• Many New York Foreclosure Suits Are Dismissed Because They Are Defective
• Is a Short Sale a Reasonable Alternative to Foreclosure on Long Island?

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Loan Modification Myths Busted
• If I Do Not Reaffirm My Mortgage in Chapter 7, Do I Automatically Lose Title to my House?

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Mortgage Modification in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• Selling Your Home When You’re Broke
• Congress Passes Anti-Foreclosure Bill

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

Note:  If you are viewing this site using Internet Explorer, you may not be able to view items in the sidebar.  Clicking on any page or post will cause sidebar items to appear.

(Click image to see earlier sketch version of cartoon.)

*Correction:  The cartoon previously referred incorrectly to a “Chapter 7 repayment plan.”  Apologies for the confusion.

Below are some helpful posts from bankruptcy lawyer blogs on the topics of unemployment, median income and the means test.  Go to the BK Lawyer Blogs page on this site to see a full state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyer blogs.  (And get in touch if you have a blog and don’t see it listed.)

*Also, for anyone trying to figure out their median income, Best Case has a free on-line median income calculator for any state.

Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• The Means Test and the Unemployment Trap

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• The Means Test is Often the Key to a Successful Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Case
• Long Island Economy: Jobs Down; Unemployment Up; Bankruptcy Up

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• The “Means Test” and the Median Income for Nevada

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Chapter 7 and Middle Class Debtors
• How are Year End Bonuses Treated in a Median Income Test Calculation?

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Facing a Job Loss? Don’t Panic!
• Do You Have the Means to File Chapter 7?

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

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Bankruptcy Billables is an overview of bankruptcy-relevant coverage and discussion from various law-related blogs.

Law Shucks

• links for 2009-08-22 – Mentions Bankruptcy Bill #19 – Law firm raids)
• This Week in Layoffs – 8/21/09
• Reading List for Deal Lawyers – Includes excellent summary of Eat What You Kill by Milt Regan.  (Eat What You Kill is also one of the books in Bankruptcy Bill’s Summer Reading List.)

Point of Law

• Will Number 25 Be The Charm? – S. Todd Brown reviews and analyzes the latest developments in the seemingly endless Congoleum asbestos bankruptcy case.

WSJ Bankruptcy Beat

• Can You Pay My Bills?
• Coyotes Hometown Seeks to Block Gretzky Claim
• Recession Scares Morbid Industries Into Liquidation
• Forget Speidi; Meet Markus and Indrani
• Where’s Schwarzenegger When You Need Him?
• Lucky Dog: Dykstra Values Pooch at $10,000

Creditslips.org

Going Concern

• Preliminary Analytics | 08.26.09 – Madoff & JP Morgan; Colonial Bank-ruptcy; U.S. Postal Service job cuts

Above The Law

• All the News That’s Fit to Recycle (NYT reports: ‘Legal job market is hard!’)
• How to Avoid Getting Fired (very funny video)
• Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 6-10 (2010)
• The Mainstream Media Is Aware That Law Firms Exist, Right? – Commentary on the lack of media attention for the role that law firms played in enabling the global financial crisis.

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*Update: In bankruptcy news today,  Michael Foreman has joined Haynes & Boones‘ New York office.  He was previously at Dorsey & Whitney.

*If you like what you see and want to support us, you can do it via sponsorship/advertising/syndication/other as well as by simply making a donation in any amount via PayPal.

*Click here to see all of the Bankruptcy Bill cartoons and here to see cartoons related to “law firms.”

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

p.s.  Regarding copyright issues, our legal counsel, IP Aileen, says:  “Other bloggers/websites/publications:  You are more than welcome to post Strip #19 – Law Firm Raids on your sites as long as you also include all of the text, links and images in this post, including this paragraph.  If you fail to respect our wishes, we’ll send you back to Kirkland’s restructuring group (Chicago office).”

341 Meeting of Creditors

Here are some blog posts by real bankruptcy lawyers on the topic of the 341 Meeting of Creditors:

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• What will happen at my 341 meeting of creditors in New York? by

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• How Much Should You Say at the Meeting of Creditors in Bankruptcy Court?
• Will Creditors Show Up for My Hearing in Bankruptcy Court?

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

• What happens if I file?  Do I have to go to Court?

George Haines, Esq. of Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• What happens during a Chapter 13 bankruptcy?

*BAPCPA Man would like to offer a special thanks to Eugene S. Melchionne – Connecticut Bankruptcy (Waterbury, CT) for his recent donation to the site.  Eugene, by the way, is currently serving as President of the Bankruptcy Law Network.

*Click here for  Bankruptcy Bill’s state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with blogs.

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.