Photo of Brad Knapp

Brad advises clients on a wide range of litigation and bankruptcy matters, with a particular focus on the energy and financial services sectors. He has extensive experience in Chapter 11 proceedings, representing debtors, creditors, creditor committees, and buyers in bankruptcy acquisitions. Brad’s clients include energy companies, consumer finance firms, and various secured and unsecured creditors. He is adept at handling bankruptcy litigation, regulatory matters, and distressed asset acquisitions.

In this episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast, Chris Willis is joined by colleagues Joe DeFazio, Brad Knapp, and Punit Marwaha for a practical introduction to consumer bankruptcy from the creditor’s perspective. The panel walks through the core bankruptcy chapters that consumer financial services companies encounter most often and explains how the automatic stay, co-debtor stay, and discharge injunction operate in real-world servicing and collection environments. They discuss treatment of secured and unsecured debts, reaffirmation agreements, and hot-button issues like the dischargeability of qualified education loans. The conversation also highlights common traps for mortgage servicers, auto lenders, and unsecured creditors, including repossessions, garnishments, foreclosure timing, and plan objections, as well as preference actions and clawbacks.