Features
Changing Outcomes Through a Reservation of Rights
In the day-to-day practice of bankruptcy law, it may occasionally be tempting to dismiss "reservation of rights" language as unnecessary or unimportant — after all, a pragmatically minded court will consider the economic reality of the case before it. Right? Well, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware's recent ruling in Emerald Capital Advisors v. Victory Park Capital Advisors (In re KII Liquidating) demonstrates the flaws in that way of thinking.
Features
The Small Business Reorganization Act: A New Bankruptcy Law for Small Businesses
The advantages of Chapter 11 bankruptcy are oftentimes unavailable to small businesses and its owners. The substantial disclosure and reporting requirements alone scare off many potential debtors. In response to this problem, Congress recently created the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019.
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Overview of Limitations on Employee Compensation in Bankruptcy
Recognizing the potential consequences, companies in Chapter 11 bankruptcy often try to reduce employee uncertainty by seeking authority from the bankruptcy court. The Bankruptcy Code, however, imposes a variety of limitations on the ability of a debtor-employer to provide certain types of compensation and benefits to "insiders," a term that is broadly defined in the Bankruptcy Code.
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Third Circuit Allows Repossessing Secured Lender to Hold Collateral Pending Bankruptcy Stay
"[A] secured creditor [has no] affirmative obligation under the automatic stay to return a debtor's [repossessed] collateral to the bankruptcy estate immediately upon notice of the debtor's bankruptcy," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held on Oct. 28, 2019 in In re Denby-Peterson.
Features
Sympathy for the Debtor? Not When It Comes to Student Loans
The assumption that bankruptcy can't relieve a borrower of student loan obligations is incorrect, however a debtor must provide compelling evidence that an undue hardship will result if the debtor is required to repay the loan.
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'Dirt for Debt' In Bankruptcy Plans of Reorganization
A debtor's goal in a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is to confirm a "plan of reorganization." Creditors usually have the right to vote for or against a plan, and in some cases, a plan can be confirmed over the objection of one or more classes of creditors. This is called a "cram-down." The Bankruptcy Code's rules governing cram-down are complex and differ for secured and unsecured classes of creditors. This article shows how bankruptcy courts have ruled on a particular method of cram-down known as a "dirt-for-debt" plan.
Features
Cannabis Businesses In Bankruptcy
Any Cannabis-Related Business or Any Business In a Relationship With One Will Likely Find Itself Barred from the Door of the Federal Bankruptcy Courts The ability to file a federal bankruptcy case is an important resource for struggling businesses. It is particularly important to start-up businesses in an emerging field, such as the production and marketing of cannabis-related products. It is precisely this resource, however, that is currently being denied to cannabis-related businesses.
Features
D&O Policy 'Bankruptcy Exclusion' Held To Be an Unenforceable 'Ipso Facto' Clause
The new decision is significant because lawsuits against former (and current) officers and directors of debtors commonly are brought, as here, by trusts established under plans of reorganization. Because insurance policies often are the only viable source of recovery for the claims asserted in such lawsuits, this decision potentially opens a pathway to creditor recovery in other similar matters.
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Faster, Shorter, Smarter, Better: Strategies for a New Era of Bankruptcy
Faster, Shorter, Smarter, Better Among other trends, practitioners are increasingly using pre-packaged and pre-negotiated cases, drafting clearer and more concise pleadings, employing smarter deposit management practices, and harnessing improved technology — strategies for a new era of bankruptcy.
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Same Class, Different Recoveries — No Bar to Plan Confirmation
Equal treatment of claims in the same class within a plan of reorganization is an important creditor protection in Chapter 11. However, is it possible to provide certain benefits to some creditors within a single class and not others without running afoul of the Bankruptcy Code? In a recent ruling on an issue of first impression, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit certainly made clear it thought so.
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