September 2010. . . Back to News

On September 16, 2010, Chad Echols, an associate at Hamilton Martens & Ballou, LLC, made a presentation to the South Carolina Bankruptcy Lawyers Association on the non-dischargeability of student loans following United States Aid Funds v. Espinosa. The United States Supreme Court’s ruling, involving 11 U.S.C. 523(a)(8), has increased the bankruptcy bars interest in understanding how the code section defines the term “loan”. Echols provided the group with a survey of the applicable cases, so that they have more confidence advising clients about a bankruptcy filing’s effect on their higher education debt. The presentation also covered the changes made to 11 U.S.C. 523(a)(8) when Congress passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act and current legislation that could again alter 523(a)(8).

Echols is a member of the South Carolina Bar and the York County Bar Association. His practice focuses on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, business law and litigation. He is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and ACA International.

Hamilton Martens & Ballou, LLC, located at 130 East Main Street, Rock Hill, serves clients of all sizes in a broad range of legal matters including business law, construction law, taxation, estate planning and administration, real estate and civil and commercial litigation.