Earlier this summer Standard and Poors published an article that included data on Charlotte North Carolina home prices, reporting that home prices slipped 2.8% from last year (May 09 to May 10). The big picture: foreclosures, home prices, personal finance Foreclosures tend to drag down home prices, complicating the housing market's struggle to recover. The housing rebound that economists once … [Read more...]
What to Look for in a Bankruptcy Attorney: Experience
August 25, 2010 By
Unfortunately, in this recession, bankruptcy and debtor/creditor relations is a growth industry, and as such there are some Johnny Come Latelys. The fact is, experience counts, and the cheapest bankruptcy attorneys in town are not the most experienced. When it comes to handling your financial concerns, you want experience. When we meet with new clients, we sometimes find out that they've … [Read more...]
Bankruptcy 101: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Bankruptcy
January 20, 2010 By
In this economy, most attorneys -- no matter what their practice area -- have established relationships with clients who are now either in financial difficulty, or are affected by someone else's financial difficulties. Divorce attorneys, personal injury attorneys, real estate attorneys, employment law attorneys, and construction law attorneys are just a few of the types of lawyers who frequently … [Read more...]
Primer for Distressed Homeowners: Part 1 of 3
November 30, 2009 By
With the jobless recovery hitting the Charlotte region particularly hard, we're getting a steady stream of calls asking for help preventing home foreclosures, forced sales and sheriff's sales, and facilitating short sales. The general news press has gotten sloppy in the language it uses for distressed real estate, so let's start there: Forced sale is not used often, but when it is it would … [Read more...]
Bankruptcy Trustee Basics
October 31, 2009 By
In addition to my private practice, I serve as a Chapter 7 Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina. Few people know what this means and how this service helps my private practice clients, so here's a primer. What's a bankruptcy trustee? Chapter 7 Trustees (also known as panel trustees) are not government employees. Here in the Western District … [Read more...]
Charlotte Bankruptcy in the Headlines
October 17, 2009 By
When you've been around as long as I have, you call things as you see them. Maybe that's why reporters call me to comment on high-profile bankruptcy cases. Charlotte's 210 Trade files Chapter 7 Bankruptcy In case you missed my 2-second TV debut last week on WSOC, here's a link to what I said about the 210 Trade condominium bankruptcy filing when the reporter asked if buyers were likely to be … [Read more...]
Speaking on Business Bankruptcy
October 13, 2009 By
Unfortunately, lawyers have a reputation for being "all about the money." Few people realize the pro bono (free) work so many of us do for those unable to pay. This week my partner Rick Mitchell and I will be speaking (for FREE) in Charlotte on business bankruptcy for NC LEAP , the premier provider of pro bono business and transactional law services for entrepreneurs operating in the state’s … [Read more...]
Congrats, Justice Teaching Fellows!
August 19, 2009 By
Giving back to the community is one of my passions, along with the law. That's why I was so pleased to chair the NC Bar's Law-Related Education Advisory Committee last year and co-chair the committee that developed The North Carolina Bar Association’s third Justice Teaching Institute (JTI) this year. Hosted by the Charlotte School of Law and held Aug. 3-5 in Charlotte, thirty-four North … [Read more...]