Earlier this week, the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion regarding appeals of orders denying relief from the automatic stay. Generally, the automatic stay (section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code) prevents creditors from taking action against the debtor’s assets outside the bankruptcy process. In order to continue debt collection efforts, creditors can file a
Automatic Stay
Imerys Talc Filed Adversary Claiming Ownership Over Millions of Dollars of Insurance Policies
As a follow-up to our recent post about the Imerys Talc bankruptcy proceedings (the chapter 11 cases filed by a supplier of talc to cosmetic and other companies, like Johnson & Johnson), last week the Imerys Debtors brought suit in their Chapter 11 cases against two affiliated coal companies.
The new adversary proceeding relates to…
When Bankruptcy Is Used to Halt State Court Litigation
This week, a electricity supplier, Starion Energy, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and the case is pending before the Honorable Mary F. Walrath.

The Debtor claims that it needs bankruptcy protection because of pending litigation that was brought by the…
Northern District of Texas Holds EEOC Title VII Enforcement Action Falls Within Exception to the Automatic Stay
In a recent opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held that an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) action brought against an employer for alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is excepted from the automatic stay by 11 U.S.C.§ 362(b)(4) (police and regulatory power…
“Law of the Case” Doctrine Does Not Bind Bankruptcy Court When Considering Subsequent Dispositive Motions
In a recent opinion, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York concluded that the “law of the case” doctrine did not bind the court to its prior ruling that a trustee had adequately alleged claims against debtors for turnover, conversion, and violations of the automatic stay.
In Geltzer v. Brizinova, et al.…