Honorable Vincent F. Papalia

United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey

Staff Information

Margaret (Peggy) Cohen | Judicial Assistant - (973) 368-1244

Juan Filgueiras | Courtroom Deputy - (973) 645-3262

Mariela Primo | Court Reporter - (973) 776-3457

Margaret Hall | Law Clerk

50 Walnut Street
Newark, NJ 07102
Courtroom 3B

Chambers e-mail: chambers_of_vfp@njb.uscourts.gov

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Communication

Judge Papalia's staff may be contacted by telephone, email (chambers_of_vfp@njb.uscourts.gov) or regular mail. For emergent applications, parties should notify Chambers by email. Parties should be guided by D.N.J. LBR 5071-1 regarding adjournment requests.

Telephonic appearances: Upon approval from the Chambers of Judge Papalia, counsel may appear telephonically.

Copies of Papers

NEW PROCEDURE: In addition to mandatory e‑filing, Judge Papalia requests courtesy copies of all papers with voluminous exhibits (in excess of 5 exhibits or 50 pages) be provided in a binder with tabs and delivered to Chambers within two (2) business days of their filing, unless sooner action is required.

This requirement does not apply to stay relief motions in Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 cases, unless the parties are otherwise advised by the Court.

Motions

Motions:

Parties should be guided by D.N.J. LBR 9013-1 through 9013-5 regarding the filing of motions, responsive papers, and cross-motions.

Chapter 7 and 11: Motions in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 cases are scheduled on Tuesdays. Appearances are required on contested motions, while uncontested matters are decided on the papers.

Chapter 13: Motions and confirmation hearings in Chapter 13 cases are scheduled on Chapter 13 days (the first and third Thursdays of each month).

First Day Motions in Complex Chapter 11 Cases: The parties should notify Chambers regarding the filing and scheduling of all first day matters. Parties should also be guided by D.N.J. LBR 9013-5.

Proposed orders should be submitted in accordance with D.N.J. LBR 7058-1, 9013-1, 9013-4, and 9021-1.

Discovery Disputes: Judge Papalia prefers to resolve most discovery disputes without the filing of a formal motion. In most cases, the parties seeking relief should contact chambers to request permission to file a short letter (2-3 pages) outlining the issue(s). If granted, the opposing party may respond with a similar length letter and the Court will schedule a hearing (usually telephonic) to address the issue(s). The parties must state that they made a good faith effort to resolve the dispute prior to bringing it to the Court’s attention. Parties should also be guided by D.N.J. LBR 7037-1.

Telephonic appearances: Judge Papalia is amenable to telephonic appearances in accordance with the policy stated on the Court's website: www.njb.uscourts.gov. Upon approval from the chambers of Judge Papalia, counsel may appear telephonically by arranging a telephone appearance through CourtCall, by calling (866) 582-6878 not later than 3 p.m. the business day prior to the hearing date. CourtCall will provide attorneys with written confirmation of the telephonic appearance and a number to call to make the appearance.

For additional calendar information, see www.njb.uscourts.gov

Trial

Trial:

Pretrial Procedures: Parties should be guided by D.N.J. LBR 7016-1.

Pursuant to D.N.J. LBR 9019-1 and 9019-2, all adversary proceedings are presumptively referred to mediation.

Pursuant to D.N.J. LBR 7016-1(b), if the parties submit Local Form Joint Order Scheduling Pretrial Proceedings and Trial and Local Form Mediation Order not later than three days before the scheduled pretrial conference, they do not need to appear at the pretrial conference.

Requests to Enter Default and Default Judgment: Parties should be guided by D.N.J. LBR 7055-1. Judge Papalia reviews the adversary complaint with respect to which default judgment is requested and will schedule a proof hearing where necessary.

Fee Applications

Fee Applications:

Counsel should be guided by D.N.J. LBR 2016-1 through 2016-5.

Reaffirmation Agreements

Reaffirmation Agreement:

Parties should be guided by 11 U.S.C. § 524 and Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4008.

Leases: Judge Papalia does not approve reaffirmation agreements on leases. The parties may enter into a lease assumption agreement without need for Court approval.

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Honorable Vincent F. Papalia

Staff Information

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