Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

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

The Trouble with Constructive Trusts

By Harold D. Jones and Adam P. Wofse
November 29, 2004

The equitable remedy of constructive trust is employed when “property has been acquired in such circumstances that the holder of the legal title may not in good conscience retain the beneficial interest,” and therefore equity converts him into a trustee. In re Koreag, Controle et Revision S.A., 961 F.2d 341, 353 (2d Cir. 1992). This legal theory arises in bankruptcy cases when a non-debtor party with a pre-petition contract, which ostensibly grants such party an ownership interest in funds or which establishes an agency relationship with a debtor, seeks, in the bankruptcy case, to assert its ownership rights to the funds held by the debtor.

As case law in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit holds, such contractual language, without other factors, will likely result in a determination that the imposition of a constructive trust is not warranted and consequently, the funds are property of the debtor's estate. Such a result affords the non-debtor party to the contract merely the rights of a general unsecured creditor.

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
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.