In Re: Bernard Madoff

These consolidated appeals arose out of a permanent injunction entered by the Bankruptcy Court and affirmed by the district court, enjoining state law tort actions asserted by appellants, two of Madoff's defrauded investors, against the estate of one of Madoff's alleged co-conspirators and related defendants (Picower defendants). The court concluded that appellants' complaints impermissibly attempted to "plead around" the Bankruptcy Court's injunction barring all claims "derivative" of those asserted by the Trustee. The court also concluded that the Bankruptcy Court operated within the confines of Article III, as recently interpreted by the Supreme Court in Stern v. Marshall. Accordingly, the court held that the Bankruptcy Court did not exceed the bounds of its authority under the Bankruptcy Code or run afoul of Article III. View "In Re: Bernard Madoff" on Justia Law