What is Chapter 12 Bankruptcy?

Chapter 12 bankruptcy is a type of bankruptcy specifically fashioned to either family farmers or fishermen seeking to reorganize or consolidate their debts through bankruptcy proceedings. The most commonly filed Chapters of bankruptcy are Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Chapter 12 bankruptcy is probably one of the least commonly filed forms of bankruptcy. Even Chapter 11 bankruptcy or corporate reorganization, is probably more commonly filed than Chapter 12 bankruptcy. Chapter 9 bankruptcy, which involves the reorganization of the debts of a municipality, may Read More +

Weinstein Company Bankruptcy – Harvey Weinstein Pleads “not Guilty”

*** FURTHER UPDATE *** In a further development related to the Weinstein Company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, disgraced former CEO Harvey Weinstein today entered “not guilty” pleas to several charges in the State of New York Supreme Court in Manhattan. The pleas apply to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count each of first-degree and third-degree rape. Weinstein’s attorney, Benjamin Brafman told reporters that the two sexual encounters alleged in the case were “consensual acts that do not amount to sexual criminal Read More +

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code allows debtors to have their debts forgiven through liquidation. During this process, nonexempt assets are sold and the proceeds are distributed to creditors. Unlike Chapter 13 bankruptcy, where a debtor retains their property and pays back a portion of their debts, Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharges remaining debts so the debtor does not have to pay them. As the most common form of bankruptcy, Chapter 7 is also known as straight or ordinary bankruptcy. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is usually a Read More +

Gibson Brands, Inc. Dba Gibson Guitars Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

*** UPDATE TO PREVIOUS ARTICLE *** Ending months of speculation concerning the future of the once iconic guitar manufacturing company, Gibson Brands, Inc., the parent of Gibson Guitars, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection earlier this week. The Nashville, TN-based company is said to have in excess of $100 million in outstanding debt (some reports say that such figure is at least five times greater than the reported amount). In a statement released by the company on Tuesday, CEO Henry Juszkiewicz said, “We are working Read More +

Chapters in Bankruptcy: A Short Primer

RE: CHAPTER 7, 11, & 13 BANKRUPTCIES This article is intended to provide background information on, and will discuss three chapters of the United States Bankruptcy Code – Chapter 7 (“liquidation” or “discharge” bankruptcy); Chapter 11 (“reorganization” bankruptcy); and, Chapter 13 (“wage-earner” bankruptcy). Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code provides for the sale of a debtor’s nonexempt property with the proceeds of sale being distributed among the debtor’s creditors. The process is called, “liquidation”. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is also known Read More +

Rookie Bankruptcy Paralegal Anthony Rodriguez

Episode 1: The Journey My name is Anthony Rodriguez. At age 33 I found myself barely making it in the San Fernando Valley located in the county of Los Angeles, California. Even making a decent income every year, I was still living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. Single, no kids and still struggling! I have nothing but love for California but I do not miss the struggle. In my opinion, there is no longer a middle class in Los Angeles. You Read More +

Connecticut – A Legacy of Debt and the Possibility of Chapter 9 Bankruptcy

The State of Connecticut ended the 2017 fiscal year on a note of financial doom. As of the end of December, 2017, the state had the most underfunded pension system in the nation with over $127 billion in government-worker pension liabilities and no viable plan to institute needed reforms. Public-Worker Pensions – The BIG Problem: Pension woes are not the state’s only problem that threatens the economy, but they are the worst. The problem is huge, made up of the following critical components: pensions for Read More +

Chapter 9 Bankruptcy – Santa Cruz, Ca & Calpers Pension Crises

The City of Santa Cruz, CA is one of the latest municipalities to fall into what some have called a “…disturbing trend that will end in a full-fledged pension crisis” across the breadth and width of the nation. Santa Cruz is a California coastal community of 65,000 residents situated some 75 miles southwest of San Francisco. The small city, home to the University of California at Santa Cruz, is heavily dependent upon year-round tourist trade and not much else in the way of economic support. Read More +

Public Sector Pension Plans: A “ticking Time Bomb”

According to a December, 2017, washingtonfreebeacon.com report “…unfunded liabilities of state public pension funds increased by $433 billion over the past year and presently exceed $6 trillion…”. The report continues, “Unfunded liabilities of public pension plans continue to loom over state governments nationwide. Absent significant reforms, unfunded liabilities of state-administered pension plans will continue to grow and threaten the financial security of state retirees and taxpayers alike.” Astonishingly, the $6 trillion in unfunded liabilities average approximately $18,676.00 for every person in the United States. Alaska has Read More +

Winn-dixie to Close 94 Stores – Parent Company to File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Florida-based Southeastern Grocers – the parent company of the Winn-Dixie grocery chain – announced yesterday that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy by the end of March. Southeastern said it is “…implementing a court-supervised, pre-packaged” debt restructuring agreement after “conducting a thorough review of options for reducing our current debt”. The company expects to reduce current outstanding debt by approximately $500 million. In addition to Winn-Dixie, Southeastern Grocers also operates stores under the brand identities of BI-LO, Fresca y Mas and Harvey Supermarket with Read More +