Ferry, Joseph & Pearce Partner Elected President of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees

Wilmington, DE – Michael B. Joseph, a partner in the center city Wilmington Delaware law firm Ferry, Joseph, & Pearce, P.A., has been elected President of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees (NACTT) as a result of his involvement with the organization since 1987.

The NACTT promotes education and training for professionals relating to consumer bankruptcy, in general, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, in particular. As their mission statement explains, “The NACTT will provide a forum within which Chapter 13 Trustees will act as an information and communication resource to advance education, leadership, and continuous improvement in the administration of bankruptcy. We will provide the means to establish and implement professional standards and participate in the national legislative and administrative processes while promoting the highest ethical principles.”

The organization’s membership consists of more than 200 bankruptcy trustees and 1,000 members including bankruptcy judges, lawyers for debtors and creditors, certified public accountants and other insolvency professionals from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The NACTT presently has more than 1,000 members whose membership consists of trustees, bankruptcy judges, lawyers for debtors and creditors, certified public accountants and other insolvency related professionals.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is that section of Federal Law that provides for the adjustment of debts of an individual with regular income. Within the provisions of the bankruptcy law Chapter 13 debtors are allowed to keep their property and pay debts usually over 3 to 5 years under a court approved plan that is supervised by the Chapter 13 Trustee.

Michael B. Joseph assisted in the formation of Ferry, Joseph & Pearce, P.A. in 1990. He currently represents creditors and trustees in bankruptcy matters and is on the Register of Approved Mediators of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Mr. Joseph has lectured extensively on bankruptcy, including his participation in the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustee Seminars, such as the NACTT’s 45th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar, which recently took place in Grapevine, Texas.

Mr. Joseph has also participated in bankruptcy seminars for the National Business Institute Bankruptcy, the Delaware State Bar Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute. Additionally, he has been named as one of the top 100 lawyers in Delaware in Delaware Today Magazine several times and was most recently featured in their “Top Lawyers” issue in November, 2008.

Ferry, Joseph & Pearce, P.A. is a Delaware law firm with a varied practice including: Litigation, bankruptcy and reorganization (including Delaware Preference Actions), probate, trust and guardianship litigation, elder law, personal injury, negligence, business, commercial and collection law. The firm’s clients include: Fortune 500 companies, states, cities, counties, unions, small and large businesses, law firms, individuals and families.

Ferry, Joseph & Pearce, P.A. is also a member of International Society of Primerus Law Firms (Primerus). Primerus is the leading alliance of small and medium sized, top-rated, independent firms. With over 150 law firms located in the U.S., Canada, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Mexico and Switzerland, Primerus firms provide clients with responsive, high quality, partner-level service for much less than what large law firms charge. All Primerus law firms are: AV- rated using the Martindale-Hubbell peer review service; screened for excellence; and audited annually for continued quality.