Bradley’s Bankruptcy Basics: All about the automatic stay

Elizabeth R. Brusa | Bradley

Elizabeth Brusa focuses on financial services litigation, bankruptcy compliance and litigation, judgment and arbitration award enforcement, and small dollar and unsecured lending.
Elizabeth represents lenders, mortgage servicers, and other financial services businesses in state and federal court litigation, including defending against allegations of violations of various consumer protection statutes, wrongful foreclosures, and debt collection statutes. She further assists financial services clients in prosecuting actions for breach of loan and financing agreements, foreclosure on real and personal property, enforcement of guaranties, and replevin.

Elizabeth also represents financial services clients in various bankruptcy matters, including drafting proofs of claim, attending section 341 meetings, and litigating issues related to use of cash collateral, adequate protection, lifting the automatic stay, section 363 sales, and plan confirmation. Additionally, she represents creditors in defending against allegations of stay, plan, and discharge violations in bankruptcy and state courts.

Beyond representations in court, clients often seek her advice regarding bankruptcy compliance. Elizabeth educates financial services clients about the nuanced requirements of working with customers who file for bankruptcy. Additionally, she assists clients with revising their form correspondence, agreements, and other documents, as well as updating their policies and procedures, to ensure compliance with applicable bankruptcy laws.

Prior to joining Bradley, Elizabeth was a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program, where she prosecuted bankruptcy fraud and abuse in civil cases. Using skills she honed in that practice, Elizabeth vigorously pursues enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards by identifying and tracing assets to secure recoveries for clients. When necessary, she also prosecutes fraudulent transfer actions and veil piercing actions to obtain recoveries.

Elizabeth is a Certified Information Privacy Professional for the U.S. Private-Sector (CIPP/US).

Aaron M. Johnson | Bradley

Aaron Johnson is an associate in the Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group. Aaron’s practice includes representing clients in bankruptcy matters. He also assists clients in acquisitions and dispositions of distressed assets and distressed asset investing in a variety of industries. His experience as a Certified Public Accountant allows him to have insight into the financial needs of his clients.

Aaron has a J.D. from the University of Kentucky School of Law, where he was articles editor of the Kentucky Law Journal. He earned a B.A. (summa cum laude) in Accounting and Business Administration from Transylvania University.

I. What is the automatic stay? | 12:00 pm – 12:20 pm
II. Relief from the automatic stay | 12:20 pm – 1:00 pm

Break | 1:00 pm – 1:10 pm

III. Violations of the automatic stay | 1:10 pm – 2:10 pm