{"id":4123,"date":"2024-10-24T11:25:01","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T15:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/?p=4123"},"modified":"2024-10-29T14:04:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T18:04:20","slug":"michael-j-kaplan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/judges\/michael-j-kaplan\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael J. Kaplan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">1991 \u2013 present<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Federal Judicial Service:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Recalled Bankruptcy Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York.\u00a0 Chief Bankruptcy Judge, 1993 to 2000.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Education:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1971<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Columbia University, B.A., 1968<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Professional Career:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Lawyers Co-Operative Publishing, Rochester, New York, 1972-1981<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Private Practice, Rochester, New York, 1974-1981<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Adjunct faculty member, Rochester Institute of Technology and Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York, 1973-1981\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Noteworthy Cases:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In re Adelphia Recovery Trust<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Nos. 1:07-CV-00553, 1:07-CV-00555, 1:07-CV-00554:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At the time that Adelphia Communications collapsed in 2002 under the weight of misdoings by John Rigas, it owned (through a subsidiary) the Buffalo Sabres Hockey Club and its affiliated companies.\u00a0 The NHL consequently caused them to commence Chapter 11 cases.\u00a0 The League found a buyer in due course \u2013 an entity controlled by businessman B.\u202fThomas Golisano.\u00a0 In April 2003, Judge Kaplan, with the in-court support of the Adelphia debtors and the Adelphia Creditors Committee, approved a sale of all assets of the Sabres affiliates\u2019 assets to the buyer, \u201cfree and clear\u201d of relevant liens.\u00a0 Less than three months later, Adelphia and its creditors committee sued three banks in the Adelphia bankruptcy court (in the Southern District of New York) for $34.1 million, asserting that those banks, which had held liens on those assets until Rigas caused Adelphia to buy the Sabres and cash out those lienholders, had received \u201cfraudulent transfers\u201d when they were so cashed out.\u00a0 The banks commenced a declaratory judgment action in the WDNY, arguing that the various Sabres\u2019 sale orders insulated them.\u00a0 Judge Kaplan and Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber (who presided in the Adelphia cases in the SDNY) worked out reciprocal orders by which Judge Kaplan would decide whether that was correct, and if so, the action in the SDNY would be dismissed.\u00a0 If not, then the WDNY would send the banks to the SDNY to defend on the merits.\u00a0 Judge Kaplan ruled that the Adelphia participants did not have a \u201cduty to speak\u201d regarding the planned action against the banks, and that because there was no mention or consideration of the banks, none of his orders protected them.\u00a0 U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara reversed on grounds that became the focus of review by the Circuit Court.\u00a0 The Circuit affirmed the District Court in the seminal ruling of <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In re Adelphia Recovery Trust<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, 634 F.3d 678 (2011), holding that \u201cjudicial estoppel\u201d barred Adelphia from pursuing the action against the banks after standing silent when Judge Kaplan asked in general terms at the hearing on the sale of the assets whether everyone with an interest in the assets had consented.\u00a0 The court observed, \u201c[i]n our view a party puts the integrity of the judicial process at risk not only when it knowingly lies but when it takes a position in the short term knowing that it may be on the verge of taking an inconsistent future action .\u202f.\u202f. [and it] cannot escape judicial estoppel by keeping its attorney in the dark about its plans.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Id<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. at 696697.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">In re Adelphia Recovery Trust<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">, 2009 WL 385474 (W.D.N.Y. 2009), <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">aff\u2019d<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">, 634 F.3d 678 (2011)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/appellate-courts\/ca2\/09-0799\/09-0799_amd_opn-2011-03-27.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/appellate-courts\/ca2\/09-0799\/09-0799_amd_opn-2011-03-27.html<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">In re Laidlaw USA, Inc.<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">, Nos. 01-14099 \u2013 01-14104:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">On the business side of the Court\u2019s work, Laidlaw International had been a Canadian corporation until it reorganized before Judge Kaplan in 2003.\u00a0 The owner of Greyhound bus lines, Laidlaw school buses and Laidlaw ambulance services, it became a U.S. corporation, with annual revenues of over $3 billion.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">In re Behn<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">, Nos. 99-11231, 99-1165:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">On the consumer side of the work of the Court, the case of Bonnie Behn, 99-11231, presented the question of whether monetary sanctions ordered by the District Court for willful violation of its order limiting protests at abortion clinics were dischargeable in Ms. Behn\u2019s Chapter 7 case.\u00a0 Judge Kaplan\u2019s ruling that excluded the award from discharge was cited during Congressional debate over whether such result should or should not be codified.\u00a0 106 CONG. REC. S103-104 (daily ed. January 26, 2000).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In re Behn<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, 24 B.R. 229 (Bankr. W.D.N.Y. 1999)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/in-re-behn-2?sort=relevance&amp;type=case&amp;resultsNav=false&amp;tab=keyword\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/in-re-behn-2<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1991 \u2013 present\u00a0 Federal Judicial Service:\u00a0 Recalled Bankruptcy Judge, U.S.  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,38,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-active-judges","category-bankruptcy-judges","category-judges"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4123"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4149,"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4123\/revisions\/4149"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}