Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Deepening Insolvency Trend Expands to Delaware

BY Luis Salazar
November 01, 2003

Spurred on by the current economic downturn, the use and acceptance of deepening insolvency as a cause of action in the bankruptcy arena continues to become more established and recognized. The Third Circuit already aided this development by recognizing deepening insolvency as a cause of action under Pennsylvania law in Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors v. R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc., 267 F.3d 340 (3d Cir. 2001). Now, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court in In re Exide Technologies, Inc., 2003 WL 22079513 (August 21, 2003) has recognized deepening insolvency — this time as a valid cause of action under Delaware law – in a lawsuit by an unsecured creditors committee against lenders of a bankrupt company.

Background

In 1997, Credit Suisse First Boston and Solomon Smith Barney, as agents, lead a syndicate of 81 other lenders in establishing a $650 million credit facility in favor of Exide Technologies, Inc., and certain of its subsidiaries, all of which are in the stored-energy business. In 2000, these same lenders provided $200 million in additional financing to allow Exide to acquire a competitor, GNB Dunlop. After that acquisition, Exide's financial condition began to deteriorate rapidly. On Oct. 26, 2001, Exide replaced its CFO with a turnaround consultant, at the direction of the lenders. Not long thereafter, Exide and its lenders amended the loan documents to suspend certain financial covenants, in exchange for which the lenders were granted liens on the assets and capital stock of Exide's foreign subsidiaries.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Yachts, Jets, Horses & Hooch: Specialized Commercial Leasing Models Image

Defining commercial real estate asset class is essentially a property explaining how it identifies — not necessarily what its original intention was or what others think it ought to be. This article discusses, from a general issue-spot and contextual analysis perspective, how lawyers ought to think about specialized leasing formats and the regulatory backdrops that may inform what the documentation needs to contain for compliance purposes.

Hyperlinked Documents: The Latest e-Discovery Challenge Image

As courts and discovery experts debate whether hyperlinked content should be treated the same as traditional attachments, legal practitioners are grappling with the technical and legal complexities of collecting, analyzing and reviewing these documents in real-world cases.

Identifying Your Practice's Differentiator Image

How to Convey Your Merits In a Way That Earns Trust, Clients and Distinctions Just as no two individuals have the exact same face, no two lawyers practice in their respective fields or serve clients in the exact same way. Think of this as a "Unique Value Proposition." Internal consideration about what you uniquely bring to your clients, colleagues, firm and industry can provide untold benefits for your law practice.

Risks and Ad Fraud Protection In Digital Advertising Image

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, coupled with the industry-wide adoption of programmatic advertising, poses a significant threat to the effectiveness and integrity of digital advertising campaigns. This article explores various risks to digital advertising from pixel stuffing and ad stacking to domain spoofing and bots. It will also explore what should be done to ensure ad fraud protection and improve effectiveness.

Turning Business Development Plans Into Reality Image

This article offers practical insights and best practices to navigate the path from roadmap to rainmaking, ensuring your business development efforts are not just sporadic bursts of activity, but an integrated part of your daily success.