Mid Cap
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December 06, 2024
Creditor Says Failed Solar Biotech Bidder Shouldn't Get Fee
A creditor of Solar Biotech asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to deny a request to pay the failed stalking horse bidder's $456,000 breakup fee, arguing there was no evidence the protections were necessary or that the bidder relied on them.
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December 06, 2024
Cancer Claimant Amici Slam Bestwall's Two-Step Ch. 11
Georgia-Pacific unit Bestwall's bid to handle asbestos liability using a controversial "Texas Two-Step" Chapter 11 case is "grotesquely inequitable" and "plainly at odds" with the tenets of bankruptcy, a group of injury claimants in separate insolvency proceedings said in a brief urging the Fourth Circuit to toss the case.
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December 06, 2024
Conn. Panel Pares $150M From $1.44B Alex Jones Verdict
The Connecticut Appellate Court on Friday sliced $150 million from a $1.44 billion trial court judgment against Infowars host Alex Jones over his claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, holding the state's consumer protection laws did not allow the massacre's survivors to recover for alleged harms connected to Jones' ancillary product sales.
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December 06, 2024
Calif. Trucking Company Files Ch. 11 With $325M Of Debt
California-based trucking company KAL Freight Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court, saying it has $325 million of debt obligations it can't meet after a post-COVID expansion effort foundered with slackening customer demand.
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December 05, 2024
Icon Aircraft Cleared For Ch. 11 Plan With Investor Claims Deal
A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Thursday he would confirm the Chapter 11 plan from light-sport aircraft producer Icon after the debtor settled with a group of shareholders that sued the company in derivative litigation.
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December 05, 2024
Judge Tells Vintage Wine Estates, Lenders To Settle Row
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Thursday instructed Vintage Wine Estates and its lenders to sit down with a mediator to resolve their differences over the funding for the wine producer's Chapter 11 case.
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December 05, 2024
'Texas Two-Step,' Exec Bonus Bankruptcy Bills Reintroduced
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate this week renewed efforts to pass two bankruptcy bills that would bolster rights for employees and crack down on the controversial use of so-called Texas two-step bankruptcies.
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December 05, 2024
Ex-CEO Of Solar Biz ISun Says Ch. 11 Plan Doesn't Add Up
The former CEO of solar power company iSun is asking a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject the company's proposed Chapter 11 plan, saying it fails to provide for payment of priority claims, including his own deferred paychecks.
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December 05, 2024
Meet The Attorneys Directing Film Finances' Ch. 11 Case
Global movie production services company Film Finances Inc. is using lawyers from boutique insolvency firm Levene Neale Bender Yoo & Golubchik LLP and Wilmington-based Bayard PA to direct its course through bankruptcy in Delaware.
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December 05, 2024
Lowenstein Sandler Suit Gets New NJ Judge After DQ Request
Lowenstein Sandler LLP has persuaded an Essex County Superior Court judge to recuse himself from the firm's $800,000 fee suit against a cannabis dispensary over social connections to the litigants and their counsel and had the case assigned to a new judge this week.
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December 05, 2024
Insurance Giant Allianz Warns Of Rising Insolvencies In 2025
Company bosses and their insurers could face increased claims next year from a predicted rise in corporate insolvencies and class actions, Allianz warned Thursday.
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December 04, 2024
Texas Oil Well Operator Moves Ahead On Speedy Ch. 11 Plan
A Texas bankruptcy judge Wednesday signed off on a timeline to confirm the prepackaged debt-for-equity Chapter 11 plan of oil and gas contractor Independence Contract Drilling, saying he'd save ruling on concerns from the Office of the U.S. Trustee releases and opt-out procedures until a January confirmation hearing.
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December 04, 2024
Alex Jones Atty Needs 30-Day Suspension, Ethics Boss Says
The lead Connecticut attorney in Infowars host Alex Jones' Sandy Hook defamation trial should be suspended for 30 days for directing a subordinate to transmit the victims' personal medical records to other Jones attorneys, the state's legal ethics watchdog said Wednesday.
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December 04, 2024
Meet The Attorneys Directing The US Arm Of Stoli's Ch. 11
A group of Foley & Lardner LLP attorneys is leading the Chapter 11 case for the U.S. arm of vodka giant Stoli Group, which filed for bankruptcy citing liabilities of $50 million to $100 million after the company faced asset seizure by the Russian government and cyberattacks during the summer.
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December 04, 2024
Ideanomics Among Crop Of New Ch. 11s In Delaware
Electric-vehicle technology company Ideanomics Inc. leads a new crop of Chapter 11 cases that hit the Delaware docket over several hours late Tuesday and early Wednesday, joined by debtors in the entertainment and fintech industries.
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December 03, 2024
Mich. Seat Co. On Hook For €4.1M German Lease, Suit Says
A German property owner has said in a new complaint that a Michigan-based automotive seat manufacturer is on the hook for a €4.1 million ($4.3 million at current exchange rates) lease after its European entity defaulted on payments and entered insolvency proceedings.
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December 03, 2024
A Zoom In On Film Finances Inc.'s Ch. 11
If the credits roll on film production services company Film Finances Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in November, the company says the chief culprit is not COVID-19 or a protracted strike by Hollywood actors and writers, but rather its owner that withheld the cash it needed to stay afloat.
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December 03, 2024
New Judges Include One Who Aided Puerto Rico Bondholders
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed two federal judges for Pennsylvania and one for the District of Columbia, who came under scrutiny during her confirmation hearing for her work at Jones Day.
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December 03, 2024
Fla. Court Urged To OK 'Offensive' $645K Deal In Firm's Ch. 11
A law firm debtor urged a Florida bankruptcy court Tuesday to approve a $645,000 settlement in its Chapter 11 to resolve a proposed fraudulent misrepresentation class action in state court against a former Miami insurance attorney, who called the potential deal "offensive" and said it's possible he'll be sued again.
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December 03, 2024
Catching Up With New Bankruptcy Case Action
In a more muted holiday week for bankruptcy filings, the courts still saw several cases come in, including the U.S. arm for iconic vodka brand Stoli and the Cayman Island subsidiaries of struggling budget airline Spirit.
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December 03, 2024
Stoli USA Gets OK To Fund Ch. 11 With Fifth Third's Collateral
A Texas bankruptcy judge said Tuesday he would allow the U.S. arm of vodka giant Stoli Group to use cash collateral to fund its Chapter 11 case on an interim basis after the debtor reached an agreement on reporting requirements with its prepetition lender, Fifth Third Bank.
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December 03, 2024
Alex Jones Atty Seeks Leniency Over Sandy Hook 'Mistake'
The lead attorney in Infowars host Alex Jones' $1.44 billion Connecticut defamation trial admits he "made a mistake" when he approved sending several Sandy Hook Elementary School victims' confidential records to other Jones attorneys, saying Tuesday he should receive either no discipline or a reprimand in a pared-down case.
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December 03, 2024
Film Financing Firm Gets OK For Ch. 11 Auction In January
A Delaware bankruptcy judge gave Film Finance Inc., a company that offers financing for high-profile film projects, the go-ahead Tuesday to put itself on the auction block early next year after dropping protections for its baseline bidder that had attracted the ire of the U.S. Trustee's Office.
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December 03, 2024
Nostrum Says Nearly 30 Potential Buyers Have Signed NDAs
Drugmaker Nostrum Laboratories told a New Jersey bankruptcy judge Tuesday that close to 30 parties are weighing bids for the company's assets, with the debtor planning to choose a stalking horse bidder in the coming weeks.
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December 03, 2024
Texas Oil Driller Hits Ch. 11 With $207M Debt-Swap Plan
Oil and gas drilling services provider Independence Contract Drilling has filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court with more than $230 million in debt and a prepackaged debt-swap restructuring plan.
Expert Analysis
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Expect More Restaurant Ch. 11s As COVID Debt Comes Due
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.
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Mitigating Risk In Net Asset Value Facility Bankruptcies
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.
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Tax Traps In Acquisitions Of Financially Distressed Targets
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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.
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7 Steps To Take Before Responding To Claim Objections
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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.
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Tips For Handling Single Asset Real Estate Bankruptcy Cases
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
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.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
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.
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Ch. 11 Ruling Shows Early Attempt To Tackle Purdue Fallout
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.
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9 Liability Management Tips As Debt Maturity Cliff Looms
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.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
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.
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How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy
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.
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Avoiding Retail Bankruptcy As Economic Uncertainty Persists
Amid record retail bankruptcies and continued economic uncertainty in 2024, retailers can take specific steps like building stronger cash-flow models, managing inventory wisely and reassessing cost structures to avoid financial distress, say consultants at BRG.
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Banking Compliance Takeaways From Joint Agency Statement
Federal bank regulatory agencies’ recent joint statement warning of risks associated with third-party fintech deposit services spotlights a fundamental problem that may arise with bank deposit products that are made through increasingly complex customer relationships, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.