Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

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

Evolution of Pre-Bankruptcy Planning Raises Questions of Good Faith

By Andrew C. Kassner and Joseph N. Argentina Jr.
August 01, 2023

Ever since the enactment of the Bankruptcy Code decades ago, bankruptcy courts have had to address the threshold question of whether the debtor should be allowed to utilize the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. In the early years, this issue of whether the bankruptcy case was filed in "good faith" usually involved a solvent or insolvent debtor that was embroiled in a two-party dispute and filed the case as a litigation tactic to stop the litigation. Later cases often involved a solvent debtor with many parties in litigation, and courts reviewed whether the debtor had a legitimate bankruptcy purpose or was under financial distress other than the present ability to pay bills as they matured or balance statement insolvency.

In recent years, as extensive pre-bankruptcy planning has evolved, bankruptcy filings frequently involve affiliates of larger companies, engineered with a structuring of liabilities in mind. This is especially relevant in the area of mass tort litigation. The question of whether these targeted filings are for a legitimate bankruptcy purpose or should be dismissed has been the subject of significant high-profile litigation.

Recently, in the case of In re AIG Financial Products, (Case No. 22-11309 (MFW)), which did not involve mass tort litigation, Judge Mary Walrath of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware considered a motion to dismiss a Chapter 11 case filed by former executives of the debtor who claimed the debtor was not facing financial distress that justified a bankruptcy filing, and the purpose of the case was to shift the value of the company to the debtor's parent, American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Walrath denied the motion, and found the debtor faced appropriate financial circumstances and had the appropriate purpose to warrant the filing.

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
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers Image

In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.

CoStar Wins Injunction for Breach-of-Contract Damages In CRE Database Access Lawsuit Image

Latham & Watkins helped the largest U.S. commercial real estate research company prevail in a breach-of-contract dispute in District of Columbia federal court.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.