Navigating the Bankruptcy Court's Power to Modify A Secured Creditor's Lien
April 02, 2017
This article focuses on the impact of section 552 of the Bankruptcy Code, which addresses the effect of a bankruptcy filing on property acquired by the debtor after the filing of the bankruptcy case (referred to as "after-acquired property") and proceeds of pre-bankruptcy collateral.
The Chapter 9 Crucible
April 02, 2017
Any bankruptcy practitioner, upon first contact with a municipal bankruptcy case, may be shocked by the lack of substantive law to be found in Chapter 9. The dearth of detail has long caused bankruptcy lawyers and courts to turn to the far more substantive provisions of Chapter 11 for practical guidance.
What Constitutes 'Proper' Notice?
March 02, 2017
Proper notice is a hallmark of all bankruptcy proceedings. If a creditor or party-in-interest has no notice of a particular matter, many courts have ruled that the creditor or party-in-interest will not be bound by a particular court's determination.
Client Data in the Age of Digital Technologies and Cyber Warfare
March 02, 2017
Ubiquitous news of law firm data breaches, even among BigLaw, spotlights a treasure trove of trade secrets, confidential and strategic transactions, and sensitive client information. No wonder law firms are perceived to be attractive targets of cyber-attacks. Attractive? You can't help that. Easy? Not so fast.
The Intent of Section 546(e)
February 01, 2017
<b><i>Will Reversing a Transaction 'Seriously Upset The Securities Market' Ability to Function'?</b></i><p>On Dec. 1, 2016, Bankruptcy Judge Michael J. Kaplan, held that when a private company repurchases stock from a shareholder, and the payments were made "by" the company "to" the shareholder, through a bank, those payments are not protected by Bankruptcy Code § 546(e)'s safe harbor defense because its application "cannot be permitted to turn upon the use of a bank."
Make-Whole Mayhem
February 01, 2017
<i><b>Uncertain Treatment of Make-Whole Premiums Upon Bankruptcy-Induced Acceleration and Redemption of Indentures</b></i><p>Recently, tempted by attractive interest rates, certain borrowers have sought to use the bankruptcy process to shield themselves from their obligations to pay make-whole premiums contemplated by their indenture documents. Although certain courts have allowed crafty borrowers to shed unwanted make-whole obligations through the bankruptcy process, other courts refuse to sanction such manipulation.
Split Ninth Circuit Requires Default Interest To Cure Default
February 01, 2017
A Chapter 11 debtor "cannot nullify a preexisting obligation in a loan agreement to pay post-default interest solely by proposing a cure," held a split panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Nov. 4, 2016.
Post-Confirmation Jurisdictional Shrinkage
February 01, 2017
Although Congress has not expressly addressed when and under what circumstances bankruptcy jurisdiction ends, most courts agree that a bankruptcy court's jurisdiction "shrinks" after confirmation of a plan. This article discusses the factors that courts take into consideration in determining the extent of the post-confirmation jurisdictional shrinkage.
