Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

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

The Bankruptcy StrategistKickerFeaturesSectionsNewsLJN Newsletters

Balancing the Equities in Municipal Bankruptcies

By Mark S. Kaufman
December 31, 2014

When it comes to explaining what has prompted the incidence of financial distress being experienced by an increasing number of our nation's cities, perhaps the most persistent and significant cause is a troubled city's obligations to fund substantial pensions for its employees, both retired as well as its active work force.

It is in this context that the recent rulings regarding pension liabilities in the Detroit and Stockton, CA, bankruptcies have taken center stage. Legal issues surrounding whether pension benefits can be modified under our bankruptcy laws, even in the face of state constitutional protections that would otherwise preclude the abrogation of promised retiree benefits to public employees, are now front-page news. But more recently, the focus has shifted from whether pensions can be impaired to a more complex set of questions about when and to what extent such modifications should be required for a fiscally challenged city to successfully garner a court's confirmation of a Chapter 9 plan of adjustment. More than any other set of legal issues arising in the municipal distress context, it is fair to say that the treatment of pension liabilities has quickly become the most significant focus of creditor constituencies and their professionals.

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.

Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent Trolls Image

With trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.