Laura T. Beyer
How Judge Beyer rules, drawn from 14 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Beyer
Laura T. Beyer became a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of North Carolina in November 2011. She continues to serve on that court.
Judge Beyer's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Beyer, 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
Contacting chambers
Email disposition reports for Judge Beyer to [email protected].
“Judge Beyer Chambers: [email protected]”
Conferences
Report settlements, agreed continuances, and other dispositions of calendared hearings by 4:30 p.m. the day before the hearing.
“E-mail the court to report dispositions of calendared hearings (eg., settlements, consent orders circulating, agreed continuances, etc.) prior to court at any WDNC division. Dispositions must be reported no later than 4:30 pm the day before 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).
How Judge Beyer decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In the Grand Dakota Partners cases, Beyer transferred the jointly administered matters after finding that most creditors and likely witnesses were in North Dakota.
“Because the overwhelming majority of creditors and potential witnesses are located in North Dakota, North Dakota is the logical place for them to participate and for these two bankruptcy cases to proceed.”
Procedural preferences
In Houck, Beyer faulted a creditor for leaving a known automatic-stay problem unresolved instead of promptly seeking emergency relief.
“STS could have come to this court upon learning of the Second Bankruptcy Case and requested an emergency hearing to annul the stay. Instead, it chose to put its head in the sand.”
In Drysdale, Beyer denied requests to conceal an entire bankruptcy docket because generalized privacy concerns did not justify sealing the case; she directed the debtor toward targeted redactions or a motion concerning a particular filing.
“The Debtor can and should make the limited redactions to her filings authorized by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9037 for privacy protection. If another party files or she needs to file a document containing subject matter covered by section 107(b) or (c), she can file a motion seeking to seal the particular document (and notice a hearing on it). Bankruptcy, however, is a public process, and the records of this court are available to the public.”
Cautions
In Bronikowski, Beyer treated a discretionary bonus as an expectation rather than property of the bankruptcy estate.
“A property interest that is contingent on someone else’s discretion is the ‘contingent interest in nothing’ Klein-Swanson.”
In Brainard, Beyer held that depositing exempt proceeds in the court registry did not itself remove their exempt character.
“the court is also not persuaded that the mere deposit of the funds into the registry altered their exempt status.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, the court concludes that the Debtor is the person entitled to receive the Exempt Funds pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2042. Accordingly, the court DENIES the Motion.”
“ORDER DENYING CREDITOR’S APPLICATION TO THE COURT FOR JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE DETERMINING THAT 11 U.S.C. § 362(b)(22) APPLIES”
“Based on the foregoing, the court GRANTS the Motion and DENIES the Joinder Motion.”
“That portion of the Motion seeking dismissal of the two cases under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 for improper venue is DENIED;”
“That portion of the Motion seeking transfer of these two cases to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of North Dakota pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1412 is GRANTED;”
“Accordingly, the Objection is hereby OVERRULED.”
“In addition, since the Debtors do not need to amend their exemptions in relation to the anticipated bonus, the Debtors’ Motion is hereby DENIED AS MOOT.”
“For all of the reasons stated above, this court grants the Plaintiff's cross-motion for summary judgment but denies the Plaintiff's motion for sanctions.”
“The State Court Plaintiffs’ Motion for Relief from Stay is GRANTED to”
“Motion to Extend Stay to Non-debtor and for Injunctive Relief is DENIED;”
“Accordingly, the court hereby DENIES the Motion.”
“The Motion is hereby GRANTED.”
“For the reasons set forth above, the Court will GRANT SECU’s Motion. Plaintiff’s Count I of the Complaint is dismissed with prejudice. Plaintiff’s Count V of the Complaint is dismissed with prejudice to the extent the claim is based on alleged bankruptcy law violations, and dismissed without prejudice to the extent the claim is based on any other basis.”
“IT IS ORDERED that Debtor’s Motion to Turnover (Doc. 145) is DENIED and SBA’s Motion for Relief from Automatic Stay is GRANTED for good cause under 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)(1) such that the United States is authorized to offset Debtor’s pending ERTC payments.”
“Accordingly, the Motions are hereby DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Seven sampled matters were terminated. The pending Brainard matter supplied thirteen express docket outcomes.
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