Mid Cap
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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.
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December 02, 2024
Girardi Won't Get New Fraud Trial Despite Memory Claims
A California federal judge on Monday denied Tom Girardi's bid for a new trial after a jury found he misappropriated $15 million worth of client settlement funds, standing by a prior assessment that the disbarred attorney was "exaggerating" symptoms of mild cognitive impairment.
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December 02, 2024
Deal Struck In Discount Chain Plan, No Sanctions In J&J Case
Holders of notes issued by 99 Cents Only will take a $297 million haircut, Beasley Allen dodged discovery sanctions in Johnson & Johnson's latest spinoff bankruptcy and a Mexican industrial equipment leasing group sought U.S. recognition for its reorganization. This is the week in bankruptcy.
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December 02, 2024
Lowenstein Sandler Seeks Judge DQ In Pot Dispensary Suit
Lowenstein Sandler LLP has asked an Essex County Superior Court judge to recuse himself over his social connections with the parties and counsel on the firm's $800,000 fee suit against a New Jersey cannabis dispensary
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December 02, 2024
Justices On Fence In Tax Clawback Case For Defunct Utah Co.
U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed divided during oral arguments Monday over whether the Tenth Circuit was correct to allow the bankruptcy trustee of a defunct Utah company to use state law to claw back $145,000 in federal taxes after the two-year deadline, a ruling that has created a 3-1 circuit split.
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December 02, 2024
Miss America CEO Files $500M Suit Alleging Bankruptcy Fraud
The producer of the Miss America pageant and its related entities have filed a $500 million racketeering suit in Florida accusing developer Glenn Straub of fraudulently pushing the organization into bankruptcy in an effort to take over its assets.
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December 02, 2024
Jackson Walker 'Extinguished' Privilege Over Judge Romance
An Oregon federal judge has said Holland & Knight LLP lawyers must turn over documents regarding their advice to Jackson Walker LLP on how to handle the "debacle" of a former firm partner's intimate relationship with a former bankruptcy judge, finding Jackson Walker has "utterly extinguished" any claim to attorney-client privilege.
Expert Analysis
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Congress Must Increase Small Biz Ch. 11 Debt Cap
Congress must act to reinstate Subchapter V, which recently sunsetted when the debt threshold to qualify reverted from $7.5 million to just over $3 million, meaning thousands of small businesses will no longer be able to use the means of reorganization, says Daniel Gielchinsky at DGIM Law.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Ch. 11 Ruling Clarifies Cross-Border 'Alternative A' Scope
A New York bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in airline holding company SAS’s Chapter 11 case — addressing the applicability of Alternative A, which is similar to Section 1110 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code — is a cautionary tale for contracting European Union member states that have adopted Alternative A domestically but have not made a formal declaration, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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Ambiguity Ruling Highlights Deference To Arbitral Process
A New York federal court’s recent ruling in Eletson v. Levona, which remanded an arbitral award for clarification, reflects that the ambiguity exception’s analysis is not static and may be applied even in cases where the award, when issued, was unambiguous, says arbitrator Myrna Barakat Friedman.
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Justices' Ch. 11 Ruling Is A Big Moment For Debtors' Insurers
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Truck Insurance v. Kaiser Gypsum ruling upends decades of Chapter 11 bankruptcy jurisprudence that relegated a debtor’s insurer to the sidelines, giving insurers a new footing to try and avoid significant liability, say Stuart Gordon and Benjamin Wisher at Rivkin Radler.
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What FTX Case Taught Us About Digital Asset Recoverability
FTX's Chapter 11 plan has drawn lots of attention, but the focus should be on the anticipated outcome for investors, which counters several myths about digital currencies, innovation and recoverability, says Kyla Curley at StoneTurn.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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Synapse Bankruptcy Has Ripple Effects For Fintech Industry
Synapse Financial Technologies’ recent bankruptcy filing marks a significant moment in the fintech industry's evolution, highlighting that stringent compliance and risk management in fintech partnerships are essential to mitigate risk and protect consumers, say Joann Needleman and Ryan Blumberg at Clark Hill.
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Discount Window Reform Needed To Curb Modern Bank Runs
We learned during the spring 2023 failures that bank runs can happen extraordinarily fast in light of modern technology, especially when banks have a greater concentration of large deposits, demonstrating that the antiquated but effective discount window needs to be overhauled before the next crisis, says Cris Cicala at Stinson.
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2 Options For Sackler Family After High Court Purdue Ruling
After the U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked Purdue Pharma's plan to shield the family that owns the company from bankruptcy lawsuits, the Sacklers face the choice to either continue litigation, or return to the bargaining table for a settlement that doesn't eliminate creditor claims, says Gregory Germain at Syracuse University.
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Revisiting Scalia's 'What's It To You?' After Kaiser Ruling
While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser allows insurers to be considered "parties in interest" in Chapter 11 cases, they still need to show they would face an injury in fact, answering the late Justice Antonin Scalia's "what's it to you?" question, say Brent Weisenberg and Jeff Prol at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Florida Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2
The second quarter of 2024 brought two notable bills that will affect Florida's banking and finance community across many issues, including virtual currency abandonment, cancellation of financial services on the basis of political opinions, and the exemption amount of motor vehicles, say Joshua Prever and Andrew Balthazor at Holland & Knight.