Meredith S. Grabill
How Judge Grabill rules, drawn from 24 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Grabill
Meredith S. Grabill is a United States bankruptcy judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. She has served on the court since October 2019.
Judge Grabill's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Grabill, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Motions
File an ex parte motion to continue by 5 p.m. on the second business day before the hearing and simultaneously send a proposed order to the Section A orders inbox.
“Ex parte motions to continue hearings must be filed on the record not later than 5:00 p.m. on the second business day before the scheduled hearing. A proposed order to the relevant effect shall be simultaneously submitted to the Orders Inbox for Section A to be processed by chambers.”
Motions
A continuance motion must state why a continuance is warranted and whether contacted opponents or parties in interest consent or oppose.
“All motions to continue must set forth the reasons a continuance is warranted, as well as state that opponents or parties in interest have been contacted and either consent or oppose the continuance.”
Motions
Email a proposed consent order by 5 p.m. on the second business day before hearing; it must state the resolution terms and bear the required signatures.
“Proposed consent orders on matters which are resolved before the hearing date must be e-mailed to the Orders Inbox for Section A not later than 5:00 p.m. on the second business day before the scheduled hearing. The proposed consent order must set out the terms of the resolution and must be signed by the parties to the motion and any party whose interest may be substantially affected by the proposed consent order.”
Motions
File written objections and responses at least seven days before the hearing for the court to consider them.
“The court will only consider written objections and responses that are filed at least 7 days prior to the hearing date.”
Conferences
Parties in interest must appear at the hearing unless the court has entered the consent order beforehand.
“If the proposed consent order is NOT entered prior to the hearing, all parties in interest must appear at the scheduled hearing.”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026).
- General Order 2024-5: consensual Subchapter V confirmation hearings ↗
- Amended General Order 2024-3: Loan Modification Management Program ↗
- General Order 2024-2: Chapter 13 secured creditor attorney fees ↗
- Amended General Order 2021-2: Hybrid Model Plan for hearings ↗
- Amended General Order 2019-4: Complex Chapter 11 cases ↗
How Judge Grabill decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A Chapter 13 debtor may qualify for CARES Act plan relief when the pandemic materially worsened an existing payment problem; the arrears need not have begun after the statute's effective date.
“nothing in the text of the CARES Act forecloses the relief available under § 1329(d) to those Debtors simply because they were behind in plan payments prior to March 27, 2020.”
A proof-of-claim objection that rebuts prima facie validity shifts the ultimate burden to the claimant, with applicable state law governing the trial burden.
“If the objecting party puts forth sufficient evidence to rebut a proof of claim’s prima facie validity, the claim is not per se denied.”
In the Crosby decision, repayment risk stayed with the debtors, so the court treated the financing agreement as a loan despite its sale label.
“The Court thus concludes that the unambiguous terms of the Forever MCA Agreement substantively reveal the Debtors’ complete exposure to the direct risk of non-payment of Crosby Accounts Receivables, making the agreement a disguised loan under New York law.”
Procedural preferences
Competing lien claimants do not receive summary judgment when the record leaves genuine disputes about execution, validity, or ranking.
“Because the Court cannot weigh evidence at this stage, the Court finds that genuine issues of material fact exist the validity and ranking of lien rights held by both Whitney and Fairport REO such that summary judgment is inappropriate.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“this Court will enter orders (1) GRANTING the Second Motion To Modify Plan Payments filed by Beverly Gilbert, [No. 16-12120, ECF Doc. 91]”
“(2) DENYING the Trustee’s motion to dismiss, [No. 17-10402, ECF Doc. 93], and GRANTING the Motion To Suspend and Modify Chapter 13 Plan filed by Woodrow and Nadrine Hayden, [No. 17-10402, ECF Doc. 95]”
“(3) DENYING the Trustee’s motion to dismiss, [No. 19-11446, ECF Doc. 79], and GRANTING the Motion To Modify Chapter 13 Plan filed by Andrea Lucas, [No. 19-11446, ECF Doc. 96]”
“(4) DENYING the Trustee’s motion to dismiss, [No. 19-11993, ECF Doc. 43], and GRANTING the Motion To Modify Chapter 13 Plan Post-Confirmation filed by Tonja Masion Breaux, [No. 19-11993, ECF Doc. 45]”
“(1) GRANTS the SBA’s Motion for Reconsideration, [ECF Doc. 27];”
“(3) GRANTS the SBA’s Motion for Summary Judgment, [ECF Doc. 12]; and”
“(4) DENIES RTR’s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF Doc. 14].”
“the Court determined to confirm the Plan.”
“the Court announced during the Confirmation Hearing that it would confirm the Plan.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Debtor’s Royal Alice Properties LLC’s Motion To Disqualify Barry Goldin as Counsel for Arrowhead Capital Finance Ltd. and To Strike Arrowhead’s Opposition and Objection to Debtor’s Amended Disclosure Statement, [ECF Doc. 174], is DENIED.”
“For the foregoing reasons, this Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART the Emergency Motion of Debtor Royal Alice Properties LLC for (a) Reconsideration of the Court’s Order Dated September 4, 2020; (b) Authorization To Continue To Prosecute and Defend Adversary Proceedings and/or (c) Stay Pending Appeal.”
“Based on the foregoing, this Court (1) DENIES the UST’s Motion To Convert and WBL’s Joinder”
“and (2) DENIES AS MOOT the Debtor’s Motion To Dismiss.”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Motion is GRANTED.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Motion To Dismiss is DENIED.”
“the Court granted the Fee Application in part, awarding Lugenbuhl $48,087.50 in fees and $627.56 in reimbursable expenses for services rendered to Seven Three Distilling Company, LLC (‘Seven Three’ or the ‘Debtor’) after an Order for Relief was entered in the case on August 5, 2021.”
“For the reasons stated above, the Motion is GRANTED.”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Claim Objection is SUSTAINED IN PART and OVERRULED IN PART as set forth herein.”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Motion is GRANTED.”
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