Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Bankruptcy
-
March 19, 2024
Justices Lean Toward Insurer Standing In Ch. 11 Case
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared reluctant Tuesday to uphold a Fourth Circuit ruling that Truck Insurance Exchange lacked standing to oppose the proposed Chapter 11 reorganization plan of two manufacturers facing numerous asbestos claims, noting it's Truck that must ultimately cover the vast majority of such claims.
-
March 19, 2024
Former Exec Set For Fall Trial In WeWork Stock Fraud Case
A New York federal judge on Tuesday set a fall trial date for the former CEO of real estate investment firm ArciTerra, who denied issuing a fake $77 million tender offer for WeWork shares in a bid to artificially pump up the stock price days before the office-sharing company slid into bankruptcy.
-
March 19, 2024
Plaintiffs In Kwok Trustee Case Must Pay Paul Hastings' Fees
A New York magistrate judge said a group of U.S.-based Chinese nationals must compensate Paul Hastings LLP for more than $327,000 in legal fees the firm wracked up combating a case found to be part of a harassment campaign against billionaire exile Ho Wan Kwok's Chapter 11 trustee.
-
March 19, 2024
McDonald's Franchisee's Ch. 11 Plan Approved With Deal
A Pittsburgh McDonald's franchisee received court approval Tuesday for its Chapter 11 plan after also getting the nod on a $4.35 million settlement with a former employee who was sexually assaulted as a minor by her manager at one of the debtor's restaurants.
-
March 19, 2024
SAS Gets Nod On Ch. 11 Plan With $325M For Creditors
Airline holding company SAS AB, the Stockholm-based owner of Scandinavian Airlines, received a New York bankruptcy judge's approval Tuesday for a reorganization plan that will turn over control of the business to investors that collectively agreed to provide $1.2 billion as part of a refinancing deal last year.
-
March 19, 2024
Skin Care Drug Co. Can Ask Creditors To OK Ch. 11 Plan
A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Tuesday she will give a debtor formerly known as Timber Pharmaceuticals Inc. permission to send its Chapter 11 plan out for a vote by the dermatology drug developer's creditors, after counsel for the company explained it had expanded the creditors' ability to opt out of the plan's claim releases.
-
March 20, 2024
Future Of Judge-Shopping Reform Hazy After Rule Proposal
The policymaking body for U.S. courts provoked a stir last week when it proposed a rule designed to curb "judge shopping," with observers saying that the policy does address one type of the practice but that it remains to be seen if individual federal district courts will be willing to adopt even that limited reform.
-
March 19, 2024
EV Charging Biz Pitches $400K Ch. 11 Staff Retention Plan
Charge Enterprises Inc., a company that builds electric vehicle charging stations and other infrastructure, has urged a Delaware bankruptcy judge to let it offer about $400,000 in bonuses to keep a dozen employees the firm deemed critical during its Chapter 11 case.
-
March 19, 2024
Bankman-Fried's Fraud Left FTX Users Reeling, Letters Say
Customers of Sam Bankman-Fried's fallen crypto exchange are struggling with financial insecurity, skimping on expenses including food and worrying about their assets, according to victim letters lodged ahead of the FTX founder's sentencing for what prosecutors call an $11 billion fraud.
-
March 18, 2024
Genesis Gets OK For $21M Deal To End SEC Crypto Loan Suit
A New York federal judge on Monday approved a $21 million settlement to resolve allegations that bankrupt crypto lender Genesis Global Capital LLC violated the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's regulations by selling unregistered securities in a joint partnership with crypto exchange Gemini Trust Co.
-
March 18, 2024
Genesis Defends Crypto Payments At Ch. 11 Plan Hearing
Cryptocurrency lender Genesis Global Holdco Monday told a New York bankruptcy judge its proposal to distribute cryptocurrency to its customers is both fair and legal as the hearing on its Chapter 11 liquidation plan wound down.
-
March 18, 2024
Voyager Investors Suing Mark Cuban Seek Class Cert.
Investors suing billionaire Mark Cuban over his role in promoting now-bankrupt Voyager Digital Ltd. have pushed for class certification and urged the court to rule that Voyager was selling unregistered securities.
-
March 18, 2024
Amyris Gets OK To Settle Pot Co.'s $15M Trade Secret Suit
A Delaware bankruptcy judge has approved biotechnology company Amyris' $15.1 million settlement with cannabinoid manufacturer Lavvan, resolving yearslong litigation and arbitration proceedings alleging the debtor misused its then-business partner's trade secrets.
-
March 18, 2024
Kirkland Wants To Escape Suit Over Ex-Judge's Relationship
Kirkland & Ellis LLP wants to bring down the hammer on a racketeering lawsuit claiming the firm "conspired" to profit from a Texas bankruptcy judge's secret romance scandal, saying the "flimsy" suit should be dismissed, and both the plaintiff and his attorneys at Bandas Law Firm PC should be sanctioned for filing it.
-
March 18, 2024
Major Lindsey Followed Rules In Sex Assault Suit, Judge Says
A Chicago-based attorney who represents Major Lindsey & Africa LLC in an ex-employee's New York sexual assault suit did not run afoul of court requirements by sending a letter demanding that she drop the claims, a judge held Monday.
-
March 18, 2024
Barnes & Thornburg Lands Morris Manning Bankruptcy Team
Barnes & Thornburg LLP picked up a former Morris Manning & Martin LLP bankruptcy group in Atlanta, the firm announced Monday.
-
March 18, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Multimillion-dollar e-cigarette settlements, $4 billion in stock buybacks and a $6.1 million appraisal tweak were among the big-dollar items logged in the Delaware Court of Chancery's ledger last week. Also on the docket: a Panama port project, a news outlet's defamation case, drone disputes and a flood of mail from Tesla shareholders. In case you missed it, here's all the latest from the Chancery Court.
-
March 18, 2024
Joann Hits Ch. 11 With $1B Secured Debt, Creditor Deal
Fabric retailer Joann Inc., better known as Joann Fabrics, filed for bankruptcy in Delaware on Monday with $1 billion in secured debt and an agreement with its creditors to trim $505 million from its balance sheet.
-
March 16, 2024
Up Next At High Court: Gov't Jawboning & Retaliatory Arrests
The U.S. Supreme Court has a packed oral arguments calendar this week that includes disputes over the Biden administration's work with social media companies to combat misinformation, the appropriate evidence standard for bringing retaliatory arrest claims and whether the federal government can object to a consent decree entered into by three states.
-
March 15, 2024
Ex-Prisoners Partially Settle Prepaid Card Suit For $2.8M
Central National Bank NA and a class of former inmates who were charged fees for using the bank's prepaid debit cards from partner Numi Financial reached a $2.8 million settlement following mediation, but the parties have requested the court stay the case while class counsel investigates Numi's potential insolvency.
-
March 15, 2024
Eletson Creditors Urge Cutting Most Of Reed Smith's Fee Bid
Eletson Holdings Inc.'s unsecured creditors told a New York bankruptcy judge to cut the "vast majority" of the fees Reed Smith LLP requested for its work on the tanker company's Chapter 11 case because the firm wants nearly $1.9 million for work that didn't help the estate.
-
March 15, 2024
Peer Street Can Solicit Ch. 11 Plan Votes, Judge Says
Peer Street told creditors of the company and its entities Friday to expect ballots for their Chapter 11 plan, after a Delaware bankruptcy judge decided the real estate investment platform had disclosed enough information about its proposal for reorganization.
-
March 15, 2024
Kwok Daughter Says Ch. 11 Judge Can't Hear RICO Suit
The daughter of Chinese exile Ho Wan Kwok has implored a Connecticut bankruptcy judge to punt to the district court the civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations claims that a Chapter 11 trustee for her father leveled, contending they raise "significant issues involving non-bankruptcy federal law."
-
March 15, 2024
Judge Voids Boy Scouts Ch. 11 Ballots For Likely Forgery
Three Chapter 11 plan ballots that opted for a quicker but smaller settlement payout in the Boy Scouts of America's bankruptcy should be tossed, a Delaware bankruptcy judge has ruled, finding they were likely forged.
-
March 15, 2024
Cybersecurity Co. Co-Founder Must Face SEC Fraud Claims
A New York federal judge determined that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sufficiently alleged that the co-founder of a now-bankrupt cybersecurity company raked in over $6.2 million in ill-gotten gains by participating in a fraudulent securities scheme that defrauded investors of over $100 million.
Expert Analysis
-
Opinion
Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
-
9th Circ. Ruling Expands The Horizons Of Debt Discharge
The Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel’s recent ruling in RS Air v. NetJets demonstrates that creditors should not be quick to conclude that their recoveries are limited if a debtor commences bankruptcy and receives a discharge, and should instead consider other potential paths for recovery, like alter ego claims, say Dania Slim and Claire Wu at Pillsbury.
-
How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
-
Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
-
How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
-
Why Bankruptcy Is A Budding Alternative For Cannabis Cos.
A set of recent decisions from a California bankruptcy court regarding The Hacienda Co. signal a retreat from a zero-tolerance policy requiring dismissal of any bankruptcy case involving a cannabis-related business, and show why cannabis companies could benefit from having full access to the bankruptcy system, say George Singer and Rachel Gillette at Holland & Hart.
-
Leveraging Municipal Bonds For Green Energy Finance
The U.S.'s transition to renewable energy will require collaboration between public and private capital sources — and that means that lawyers used to working in corporate finance must understand how the municipal bond market functions differently, due to its grounding in the U.S. Constitution, says Ann Fillingham at Dykema.
-
Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
-
Justices Could Use Purdue To Resolve Related Circuit Split
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear Harrington v. Purdue Pharma to determine the validity of nonconsensual third-party releases in bankruptcy, but justices should also take the opportunity to resolve a related circuit split over the constitutional authority of bankruptcy judges to issue final rulings on such releases, says Benjamin Feder at Kelley Drye.
-
Feds' Long-Term Debt Proposal Could Be Costly For US Banks
Federal banking regulators recently released a proposal for long-term debt requirements for certain U.S. banking organizations, which would significantly increase the cost of capital for most covered organizations, and the burden would be exacerbated by other factors in the current lending environment, say Matthew Bisanz and Anna Pinedo at Mayer Brown.
-
Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
-
USW Ruling Highlights Successor Liability In Bankruptcy Sale
A Delaware federal court's recent decision in United Steelworkers v. Braeburn is important for potential asset purchasers in Section 363 bankruptcy sales as it found the purchaser was subject to obligations under the National Labor Relations Act notwithstanding language in the sale approval order transferring the debtor's assets free and clear of successor liability, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.
-
5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
-
Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
-
Ch. 12 Ruling Is A Helpful Addition To Interest Rate Case Law
In its recent In re: Topp ruling, the Eighth Circuit addressed the question of which rate of interest debtors should pay under a bankruptcy plan, showing that the choice of interest rate plan is a factual issue subject to appellate review for clear error, and not a legal issue subject to de novo review, says Donald Swanson at Koley Jessen.