Black v. UniBank — 5th Cir. (argued August 5, 2026)
The Fifth Circuit considers whether a Texas receivership court could block UniBank from collecting distributions owed to borrowers it financed. The borrowers invested in what the SEC alleged was a Ponzi scheme, and the receiver proposed dividing recovered money by each victim's net loss. UniBank says its loan agreements gave it security interests in the borrowers' distributions. The receiver says the bank should be treated like the other victims rather than paid first. The district court accepted the receiver's recommendation. UniBank appeals.
Black v. UniBank (No. 25-50986) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argued August 5, 2026.
Sources
Argument audio — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/OralArgRecordings/25/25-50986_08-05-2026.mp3
Argument listing — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-recordings/results?from=2026-08-04&to=2026-08-12
Argument calendar — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-information/court-calendars/ByCase/
Appellate docket — Fifth Circuit:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca5/25-50986
Receiver's report on UniBank's objection — Western District of Texas:https://pnc.5fd.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/137-Unibank-RR.pdf
Receiver's second-quarter 2026 report — Western District of Texas:https://pnc.5fd.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/179-Receivers-Quarterly-Report-2Q26.pdf
Bowman v. UniBank order — Western District of Washington:https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/washington/wawdce/2%3A2023cv00971/323763/42
Insurance Corp. of Ireland v. Compagnie des Bauxites — U.S. Supreme Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-456/pdf/USREPORTS-456-694.pdf
SEC v. Stanford International Bank — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/23/23-10726-CV0.pdf
Montana v. United States — U.S. Supreme Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-440/pdf/USREPORTS-440-147.pdf
RecoverEdge v. Pentecost — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/93/93-02523.CV0.wpd.pdf
Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States — U.S. Supreme Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-424/pdf/USREPORTS-424-800.pdf
Murphy v. Uncle Ben's — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/Opinions/pub/98/98-20239.CV0.wpd.pdf
Andrew R. Escobar — Seyfarth Shaw:https://www.seyfarth.com/people/andrew-r-escobar.html
Andrew Ramiro Escobar — State Bar of California:https://apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/Licensee/Detail/248242
Dennis L. Roossien Jr. — Munsch Hardt:https://www.munsch.com/Professionals/Dennis-Roossien
Dennis L. Roossien Jr. — State Bar of Texas:https://www.texasbar.com/attorneys/member.cfm?id=230096
- 0:00Introduction
- 0:58Andrew Escobar for UniBank
- 1:41Personal jurisdiction
- 5:09Collateral estoppel
- 7:53Colorado River abstention
- 16:53Dennis Roossien for the receiver