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  • September 27, 2024

    Puerto Rico Utility Creditors Seek OK For Bond Claims Suit

    Representatives of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's unsecured creditors are asking a New York federal judge to allow them to contest what they say is the wrongful lumping of $8.4 billion in bondholder claims with their own claims against the utility.

  • September 27, 2024

    Del. Judge To Mediate Incora Ch. 11 Plan Disputes

    U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brendan L. Shannon of Delaware said Friday he would oversee the mediation of a dispute in Texas bankruptcy court that involves aircraft parts supplier Incora and two rival groups of creditors, as the parties seek a settlement clearing Incora to exit bankruptcy.

  • September 27, 2024

    Rate Cuts Offer Balm For Companies Teetering On Bankruptcy

    The Federal Reserve's jumbo interest rate cut last week has lifted hopes that cheaper debt and a potential soft landing will let companies on the brink of bankruptcy avoid insolvency, a welcome reprieve for distressed borrowers at a moment when Chapter 11 filings are at the highest levels in years.

  • September 26, 2024

    Judge Says Avon Should Hold Off On Deal With Parent Co.

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge told cosmetics giant Avon Products Inc. on Thursday that it needs to give creditors more time to investigate its dealings with its Brazilian parent company before he can approve a proposed settlement of claims against the parent.

  • September 26, 2024

    NY Diocese Reaches $323M Settlement With Abuse Survivors

    Long Island's bankrupt Roman Catholic diocese has agreed to a nearly $323 million deal with hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse, a historic settlement that will bring to a close after four years the church's Chapter 11 case, according to a statement issued Thursday.

  • September 26, 2024

    WR Grace Asbestos Ch. 11 Spanned Legal Generation

    Chemical manufacturer W.R. Grace is seeking to put an end to its 2001 asbestos-driven bankruptcy case in a legal landscape that may mean courts will never see an asbestos bankruptcy of this length and complexity again.

  • September 26, 2024

    Del. Bankruptcy Judge Says Purdue Limits Opt-Out Releases

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge says the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Purdue Pharma LP barring nonconsensual third-party releases does not allow a kind of oft-used opt-out waiver for voters who don't return ballots.

  • September 26, 2024

    J&J Is 'Forum-Shopping' In New Spinoff Ch. 11, Trustee Says

    The U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog has asked a judge to send the latest Johnson & Johnson talc-liability spinoff bankruptcy to New Jersey, saying Thursday that J&J subsidiary Red River Talc's Chapter 11 petition in the Southern District of Texas is an "assault on the very integrity of the bankruptcy system" and amounts to forum-shopping.

  • September 26, 2024

    Atty Can't Shield Bank Records In Judge Romance Probe

    A former Jackson Walker LLP lawyer on Thursday lost her bid to torpedo a subpoena from the U.S. Trustee's Office seeking her bank records in connection with an inquiry into her secret relationship with a former Texas federal bankruptcy judge, court records show.

  • September 26, 2024

    FTX Strikes Deal With MDL Counsel For Ch. 11 Plan Support

    FTX Trading Ltd. has asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge for permission to enact a settlement with plaintiffs and counsel it's facing in multidistrict litigation in Florida, saying the proposed deal would prevent potentially costly legal tussles and bring the plaintiffs on board to support FTX's Chapter 11 plan.

  • September 26, 2024

    Stinson Adds Restructuring, Sports Atty From GrayRobinson

    Stinson LLP has picked up an experienced of counsel from GrayRobinson PA, who joins its bankruptcy and creditors' rights practice and sports and recreation practice in both Tampa and Wilmington, Delaware.

  • September 25, 2024

    Sullivan & Cromwell Didn't Ignore FTX 'Red Flags,' Report Says

    The Chapter 11 examiner appointed in the bankruptcy case of fallen cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading determined Wednesday that debtor law firm Sullivan & Cromwell didn't ignore any "red flags" about FTX's misconduct related to a $500 million purchase of stock in financial service and digital trading platform Robinhood Markets Inc.

  • September 25, 2024

    8th Circ. Told Student Debt Relief Should Remain Blocked

    Seven Republican-led states are asking the Eighth Circuit to finalize its court order blocking the Biden administration from implementing its second attempt at student loan forgiveness, accusing the White House of "hiding the ball" on the true cost of the plan.

  • September 25, 2024

    Mining Cos. Say $505M J&J Deal Would Benefit Talc Claimants

    A pair of talc producers defended their proposed $505 million liability settlement with Johnson & Johnson at a hearing in Delaware bankruptcy court Wednesday, arguing that an objection from a group of insurers shouldn't derail an agreement that they believe would benefit claimants who alleged they were exposed to asbestos-contaminated talc.

  • September 25, 2024

    NYSE Cancels Proposal To Extend SPAC Merger Deadlines

    The New York Stock Exchange has pulled a proposal that would have provided special purpose acquisition companies with more time to complete mergers while remaining listed, several months after it sought regulatory approval for the extension.

  • September 25, 2024

    Tupperware OK'd To Temporarily Use Cash To Fund Ch. 11

    Iconic food storage and kitchenware brand Tupperware received a Delaware bankruptcy judge's signoff on Wednesday to use cash on hand to fund its operations and Chapter 11 case for the next two and a half weeks after the debtor and a group of secured lenders reached a bridge agreement to allow Tupperware to use cash collateral until mid-October.

  • September 25, 2024

    Fuel Refiner Vertex Hits Ch. 11 With $422M Debt, Lender Deal

    Oil refiner Vertex Energy filed for Chapter 11 protection with $422.5 million in debt and plans to pursue a sale under a prenegotiated restructuring agreement.

  • September 24, 2024

    J&J Talc Claims Paused, Silvergate Parent Files For Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge has put on hold certain talc-related personal injury lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, and Silvergate Capital has filed for Chapter 11 to liquidate assets following client losses tied to the FTX collapse. This is the week in bankruptcy.

  • September 24, 2024

    Revlon Talc Claimants Can Appeal Directly To 2nd Circ.

    A New York bankruptcy judge has found the Second Circuit can review his decision to reject 42 asbestos-tainted talc exposure claims against Revlon as having come too late because the claimants' appeal presents questions new and significant enough to justify skipping the district court.

  • September 24, 2024

    Yellow Corp. Can Depose Teamsters President In Ch. 11 Suit

    Bankrupt trucking firm Yellow Corp. can move forward with a deposition of Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, after a Delaware bankruptcy judge declined Tuesday to stay the discovery tied to lawsuits that were filed against the debtor over mass layoffs.

  • September 24, 2024

    Star Witness Against Bankman-Fried Gets 2 Years In FTX Case

    A Manhattan federal judge sentenced former cryptocurrency executive Caroline Ellison to two years in prison Tuesday, crediting her decision to testify against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried but saying the $11.2 billion fraud was too big to warrant a "get out of jail free card."

  • September 24, 2024

    NJ Judge Leaves J&J Ch. 11 Venue Change To Texas Judge

    A New Jersey bankruptcy judge on Tuesday declined the U.S. trustee's request to move Johnson & Johnson's latest talc-unit Chapter 11 from Texas to the Garden State, saying the issue could be as ably decided by a Texas court while avoiding a thorny issue of authority.

  • September 23, 2024

    J&J Talc Claims Paused In Latest Spinoff Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge Monday froze certain talc personal injury litigation against Johnson & Johnson, saying a three-week administrative stay will give the court time to decide key jurisdictional issues in the Chapter 11 case of Red River Talc LLC, a newly created J&J spinoff and the pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant's latest attempt to settle claims in bankruptcy that its baby powder caused cancer.

  • September 23, 2024

    Mallinckrodt Brass Can't Avoid Investor Suit Over 2nd Ch. 11

    A New Jersey federal judge ruled Monday that senior leaders of drugmaker Mallinckrodt cannot escape a lawsuit brought by shareholders alleging the company tricked them into thinking it had recovered from bankruptcy and would make a $200 million payment to opioid claimants, finding the investors sufficiently pleaded securities law violations.

  • September 23, 2024

    Incora Judge To Consider Mediator Amid Ch. 11 Plan 'Logjam'

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday instructed parties squabbling over aircraft parts supplier Incora's Chapter 11 exit plan to return to court this week with a proposal that could break a "logjam" in negotiations, saying he will appoint a mediator if one is needed.

Expert Analysis

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Expect More Restaurant Ch. 11s As COVID Debt Comes Due

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    The wave of restaurant bankruptcies is likely to continue in the coming months as companies face the looming repayment of COVID-19 pandemic-era government loans, an uncertain economy and increased interest rates, says Isaac Marcushamer at DGIM Law.

  • Mitigating Risk In Net Asset Value Facility Bankruptcies

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    In times of economic turbulence, parties to bankruptcy proceedings that involve net asset value facilities can mitigate risk by understanding the purpose of the automatic stay, complications it can create for NAV facility lenders and options for relief, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Tax Traps In Acquisitions Of Financially Distressed Targets

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Parties to the acquisition of an insolvent or bankrupt company face myriad tax considerations, including limitations on using the distressed company's tax benefits, cancellation of indebtedness income, tax lien issues and potential tax reorganizations.

  • 7 Steps To Take Before Responding To Claim Objections

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    When counsel is notified of an objection to the proof of claim in a bankruptcy case, they should contact the client and begin discussing the cost and benefit of responding.

  • Tips For Handling Single Asset Real Estate Bankruptcy Cases

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Bankruptcy counsel should consider several strategies when representing either a debtor or lender in single asset real estate debtor Chapter 11 cases, which generally arise when a debtor is forced to file for relief to stop an impending foreclosure sale.

  • How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations

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    Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

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    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Ch. 11 Ruling Shows Early Attempt To Tackle Purdue Fallout

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    A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Parlement Technologies’ Chapter 11 case, which denied a bid by Parler’s former owner to extend its bankruptcy stay to nondebtors, illustrates early efforts to grapple with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Purdue Pharma for a recurring bankruptcy issue, say Daniel Lowenthal and Jonah Wacholder at Patterson Belknap.

  • 9 Liability Management Tips As Debt Maturity Cliff Looms

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    As the debt maturity cliff swiftly approaches in this challenging environment, attorneys at Winston & Strawn highlight the top considerations for boards of directors and finance professionals to think about when structuring and executing liability management transactions, including reviewing capital structure, evaluating debt covenants, and more.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy

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    In light of an increase in year-to-date Chapter 11 filings, businesses must understand the importance and value of intellectual property in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, from contributing to enterprise value, to providing leverage in negotiations and facilitating recovery, says Gregory Campanella at Ocean Tomo.