Small Business

This panel will explore the eligibility of small businesses to file under the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA) and the benefits of doing so, along with recent developments and hot topics in this area of the law. The panelists will also discuss Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and whether these loans count toward debt ceilings (is it debt or a grant?), as well as § 525, which prohibits the Small Business Administration (SBA) from discriminating against debtors.

This panel will provide a brief overview of how subchapter V is working in the system, the role of trustees, and hot topics related to subchapter V, including eligibility, disposable income, post-confirmation default and remedies, and much more.

Since the enactment of the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (H.R. 3311, “SBRA”), which took effect on Feb. 19, 2020, bankruptcy courts and practitioners have had opportunities to address a number of novel issues, interpreting and applying what are essentially brand-new Bankruptcy Code statutes. In this panel, we will discuss some of the key SBRA areas that bankruptcy courts across the U.S. are addressing, as well as the novel issues that practitioners are navigating.

The Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 went into effect a mere few weeks before a worldwide pandemic unfolded, setting into motion unforeseen challenges and learning curves for the entire bankruptcy court system. This session consists of two mock presentations that will demonstrate the application of technology in the pre-trial practice and trial presentation of a subchapter V virtual trial.

This panel will review the basics of the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019, as well as recent case law and issues that have cropped up since the SBRA went into effect in February 2020. Topics discussed will include an overview of subchapter V and how it differs from traditional chapter 11, qualifying corporate (and individual) debtors, debt limits pre- and post- CARES Act, the PPP and its changing role in subchapter V, the role of a subchapter V trustee, and conversion/redesignation of a case to subchapter V.