Automatic Stay Pitfalls and Sanctions: Creditor Lessons from Recent Bankruptcy Case Law

Jaime Leggett | Bast Amron LLP

Jaime Leggett focuses his practice on bankruptcy and complex commercial litigation, with extensive experience litigating issues arising under the automatic stay and related creditor-debtor disputes. His work includes representing trustees, secured and unsecured creditors, equity holders, and debtors in contested bankruptcy proceedings, as well as assignees and creditors in assignments for the benefit of creditors. Jaime regularly handles disputes involving control and retention of estate property, alleged stay violations, sanctions exposure, and recovery strategies in bankruptcy cases.

His practice also includes federal and state court commercial litigation and trial work, with particular emphasis on post-petition conduct and possession disputes, and adversary proceedings involving estate property and creditor enforcement actions.

Prior to joining the firm, Jaime practiced in New York City focusing on complex commercial and bankruptcy litigation. He previously served as a law clerk to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper of the Southern District of New York and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Weissbrodt of the Northern District of California, providing him with a deep, judicial-level perspective on automatic stay enforcement and sanctions issues.

Alan C. Hochheiser | Maurice Wutscher LLP

Alan is a leading creditors’ rights and bankruptcy practitioner with extensive experience advising and defending secured and unsecured creditors on automatic stay compliance, sanctions exposure, and post-petition conduct. He represents financial institutions, lenders, servicers, and businesses in consumer and commercial bankruptcy matters, with a particular focus on willful stay violations, overlapping FDCPA risk, and operational practices that give rise to litigation.

Alan is a frequent national speaker and author on bankruptcy and creditor compliance issues, including avoiding sanctions, post-petition conduct, and emerging appellate case law affecting creditor rights. He brings a practical, creditor-focused perspective to navigating the automatic stay while preserving recoveries and minimizing risk.

I. When the automatic stay applies and the scope of prohibited conduct | 1:00pm – 1:30pm

II. Retention of property and control over estate assets | 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

III. Defining property of the estate under recent case law | 2:10pm – 2:30pm

IV. Willful violations and sanctions exposure | 2:30pm – 2:50pm

V. Creditor strategies to maximize recoveries while minimizing risk | 2:50pm – 3:10pm