Monthly Archives: August 2022

Maurice Wutscher’s Brady Hermann Quoted About Broker Defamation Suits Over U5 Language

Aug. 30, 2022 ­— Maurice Wutscher attorney Brady Hermann was quoted in a recent AdvisorHub article about an increase in defamation claims brought by advisors against firms for language they used on the departing advisor’s Form U5.

Firms must file a U5 notice with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and must report on the form the reason a broker has left.

According to AdvisorHub, firms are steering away from hiring brokers who have been reported as “discharged,” causing brokers to go through litigation.

“Defamation claims, in particular, have increased significantly,” Mr. Hermann told AdvisorHub.

Brady Hermann is senior counsel in the Boston and New York offices of Maurice Wutscher LLP. He regularly represents financial services companies including banks, broker-dealers, financial advisors, financial asset buyers and third party debt collectors in individual, class action and regulatory matters. He has successfully represented clients throughout the country against claims for violations of securities laws, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and various state consumer protection statutes.

Webinar: Maurice Wutscher’s Alan Hochheiser to Discuss Preference Actions in Bankruptcy

alan hochheiser

Aug. 25, 2022 — Maurice Wutscher bankruptcy practitioner Alan Hochheiser will discuss a bankruptcy trustee’s pre-filing obligations under Section 547(b) of the Bankruptcy Code during a Strafford webinar Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 1 pm ET.

This 90-minute CLE course will examine current developments about the trustee’s pre-filing due diligence requirements in Section 547(b), which was amended by the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA) to subject a trustee’s exercise of preference avoidance powers to two requirements before filing suit.

Some case law has developed but controversy still exists regarding what these elements require a trustee to do. The Bankruptcy Code does not define “reasonable due diligence in the circumstances of the case” nor what it means to take “into account a party’s known or reasonably knowable affirmative defenses.”

Mr. Hochheiser will join a panel in reviewing the current state of the law, identify divergent approaches, and offer best practices and options in this continually developing area.

To register for “Preference Actions: Clarifying the Trustee’s Pre-Filing Due Diligence,” click here.

Alan Hochheiser is a principal at national business and financial services law firm Maurice Wutscher LLP, where he advises and represents businesses, regional and national banks, credit unions, equipment lessors and other lenders, as well as secured and unsecured creditors. He currently serves as chair of the ABA Business Law Section’s Consumer Bankruptcy Committee. He has been named to ALM’s list of Cleveland’s Top-Rated Lawyers and is peer-rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the worldwide guide to lawyers.

Webinar: Maurice Wutscher’s Alan Hochheiser to Examine Current Trends in Bankruptcy Litigation

alan hochheiser

Aug. 23, 2022 — Maurice Wutscher bankruptcy practitioner Alan Hochheiser will provide an update on the latest trends in bankruptcy litigation and how those trends are impacting financial services companies during an RMAI webinar Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 9 am PT/12 noon ET.

Mr. Hochheiser and the webinar panel will discuss the latest bankruptcy filing statistics and projections as well as the status of proof of claim litigation and the request for attorney fees. The panel, which will include a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge and a Chapter 13 trustee, will also discuss the fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in City of Chicago v. Fulton and the subsequent circuit and bankruptcy court rulings, which could affect the assets of the estate.

To register for the Receivables Management Association International webinar, click here.

Alan Hochheiser is a principal at national business and financial services law firm Maurice Wutscher LLP, where he advises and represents businesses, regional and national banks, credit unions, equipment lessors and other lenders, as well as secured and unsecured creditors. He currently serves as chair of the ABA Business Law Section’s Consumer Bankruptcy Committee. He has been named to ALM’s list of Cleveland’s Top-Rated Lawyers and is peer-rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the worldwide guide to lawyers.