On the heels of last year’s Hurricane Irma, everyone is mindful about the upcoming 2018 hurricane season. Last year, Hurricane Irma hit Florida and left about 65% of the state without power. In the months following the storm, businesses in the affected areas often struggled to recover, and it was a more difficult process for some more than for others. Those companies that have relied too much on leverage and stretched their borrowing to the limit may find it difficult to get back on their feet.

Ever wonder about bankruptcy appeals; about how long a bankruptcy appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals will take? The answer lies in the Court’s statistical data.

In recent cases where lawyers have signed proofs of claim for their clients and litigation ensued, the signing attorneys were deposed with respect to the facts surrounding submission of the claims.  For some time, an attorney who signed a proof of claim on his client’s behalf has been risking disqualification or being called as a fact witness concerning the factual basis for the claim in related litigation.

Before a losing party forges ahead with an appeal of an order or judgment from a bankruptcy court located in the Eleventh Circuit (or any other circuit for that matter), such party would do well to consider whether it has standing to prosecute an appeal in the first instance.

If Party A files an involuntary bankruptcy case against Party B that is contested by Party B, and if Party A fails to convince a bankruptcy court that Party B should be a debtor in such involuntary bankruptcy case, the general rule is that Party A must pay the reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by Party B in successfully obtaining dismissal of the involuntary filing.