Tuesday, August 4, 2015

50 Cent is Broke

As most of you know, Curtis James Jackson, III a/k/a 50 Cent filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 13, 2015. He filed what's commonly known as a skeleton petition, which is a bare-bones filing used to get a case on file quickly and which does not contain the required disclosures regarding assets and liabilities. He then filed a motion to extend the timeline to file his actual disclosures, which was granted. On August 3, 2015, he finally filed the rest of his schedules.

To make a long story short, he was almost $8M underwater on the day he filed bankruptcy. I have attached the relevant documents below. Here is a brief explanation of the interesting documents: Schedule A contains his real estate holdings; Schedule B contains all of his other personal property and assets; Schedule D lists the mortgage on his house; Schedule F lists all other unsecured debts, except child support; Schedule I lists monthly income; and Schedule J lists monthly expenses.

Here are the highlights:

  • Total Assets: $24,823,899.18
  • Total Debts: $32,509,549.91
  • Monthly Income: $184,969.58
  • Monthly Expenses:  $108,000
  • Cash in the bank: $10,554,486.13
  • Ownership interests in his companies: $4,412,712.24
  • Total value of his automobiles: $500,618
  • Monthly child support: $14,600
  • Monthly household expenses/utilities: $72,000
  • Monthly meals and entertainment: $3,000
  • Monthly wardrobe: $3,000

Here are the complete schedules. Take a look and let me know if you have any questions about anything in here.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Amendments to Illinois Pro Hac Vice Rules

The Supreme Court of Illinois amended Rule 707 (renamed as Permission for an Out-of-State Attorney to Provide Legal Services in Proceedings in Illinois) and made related amendments to Rules 756(a) and (a)(1) and 718(e) and (f), all effective for appearances filed in proceedings on or after July 1, 2013. The amendments do not require any action by an out-of-state attorney who obtained permission to enter an appearance in an Illinois proceeding prior to July 1, 2013.

Amended Rule 707 permits an out-of-state attorney to enter an appearance in a proceeding in Illinois before a court, a court-annexed alternative dispute resolution body, or a agency or administrative tribunal of the State of Illinois or of a local government unit, if the attorney: 
  • meets licensure and other eligibility requirements
  • associates with an Illinois attorney who files an appearance in the proceeding
  • files a verified Statement with the tribunal

No order of the tribunal permitting the appearance is required. However, the attorney must serve the verified Statement on the ARDC, register annually with the ARDC, and pay fees to the ARDC.

Amended Rule 707 does not affect the longstanding practice under which an out-of-state attorney authorized to practice law in another United States jurisdiction is permitted to provide legal services at a deposition in an Illinois proceeding without need of separate Rule 707 permission, if the out-of-state attorney is assisting an attorney whose appearance in the proceeding is authorized, regardless of the location of the deposition. The out-of-state attorney is subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Illinois (Supreme Court Rules 751(a), 752(a) and (b), 779(a) and Rule 8.5 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct). The longstanding practice is consistent with Rule 5.5 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct. This practice does not permit an out-of-state attorney to file an appearance or to provide legal services before the tribunal, including the filing of any pleading, motion, or other document,  without obtaining Rule 707 permission.

Click here for instructions for a Rule 707(d) statement and for a listing of fees and requirements.