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Congratulations to R. Pete Smith* and Jonathan A.

By: Scott Lauck, May 17, 2016 [Money20 – Missouri Lawyers Weekly Reprint]

McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan is the formal kind of law firm where the chairman, R. Pete Smith, is listed as “Mr. Smith” on the nameplate on his door. It’s also the kind of place where Smith feels free to play the occasional game of fetch with his dog, Roxie, who is hanging out on a couch in his office.

The Kansas City Chapter of Empower Missouri will honor The Kansas City Worker Justice Center (KCWJC) at the 2016 Empower Missouri Award Dinner on May 25, 2016.  KCWJC was chosen because of the pro bono work they have done in Metropolitan Kansas City for more than 10 years assisting the victims of wage theft, helping workers recover lost wages and learn their rights as laborers, and protect themselves from future threats of wage theft.  Due to his continued advocacy for workers’ rights and many hours of pro bono work with KCWJC, John Gar

When a debtor seeks to reaffirm a debt, and the debtor acts pro se with respect to the reaffirmation, the Bankruptcy Code requires a court hearing to approve, unless real property secures the debt. 11 USC 524(c)(6). The 2005 Bankruptcy amendments included a new section 524(m) inserting a presumption of undue hardship where the debtors’ monthly expense exceeds income as shown by schedules on file.