Northwest Airlines

1. Rule 2019 Revisited

Monday, Mar 08, 2010

Within the last three years, debtors, committees and other parties have breathed new life into Rule 2019 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure by simply moving to enforce its plain terms. This new wave of enforcement has focused parties on the pros and cons of Rule 2019 in modern bankruptcy proceedings, says Gary O. Ravert of McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

2. The Ongoing Debate Over Rule 2019

Friday, Feb 05, 2010

The debtors filed a notice of appeal of the Philadelphia Newspapers decision on the same day it was issued. What is clear is that bankruptcy courts are split on the issue and creditors should not presume to know how a particular court will address Rule 2019’s applicability in their case, say S. Jason Teele, Sharon L. Levine and Cassandra M. Porter of Lowenstein Sandler PC.

3. Former Goodwin Procter Partners Jump To Dechert

Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010

Former Goodwin Procter LLP restructuring partners Allan S. Brilliant and Craig P. Druehl have joined Dechert LLP's business restructuring and reorganization group.

4. Investors Alarmed As Rule 2019 Uncertainty Persists

Thursday, Jan 28, 2010

The controversy over whether distressed debt investors should be forced to disclose how much they paid for their bankruptcy claims is growing, with contradictory court opinions and contentious amendment proposals only adding more fuel to the Rule 2019 debate.

5. Law360 Bankruptcy Editorial Advisory Board

Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010

Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2010 bankruptcy editorial advisory board.

6. Virgin Chief Slams BA-American Antitrust Immunity Bid

Monday, Jan 11, 2010

The head of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. urged U.S. regulators Monday to reject British Airways PLC and American Airlines Inc.'s attempt to have their trans-Atlantic Oneworld Alliance declared immune from antitrust laws, saying the partnership would impede competition for London-U.S. flights.

7. Implications Of In Re Washington Mutual Inc.

Wednesday, Dec 23, 2009

The bankruptcy court's recent decision in In re Washington Mutual Inc. should give pause to financial institutions and investment funds that are considering acting in concert with other similarly situated creditors in a Chapter 11 case. Membership in such a group may require disclosure of sensitive data, say Fredric Sosnick and Edmund Emrich of Shearman & Sterling LLP.

8. AT&T 1st Amendment Claim Doesn't Fly In Yeager Case

Wednesday, Dec 09, 2009

A right of publicity lawsuit by U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager alleging that AT&T Mobility LLC used his name without permission in a news release will continue, now that a judge has rejected AT&T's First Amendment arguments.

9. Latest NMB Rulemaking — Shape Of Things To Come?

Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009

For 75 years, the National Mediation Board has been guided by the principle that representation decisions in the airline and railway industries should be determined by a majority of eligible voters (as opposed to votes cast) in the applicable craft or class. Recently, however, the NMB took the unusual step of engaging in rulemaking for purposes of undoing that precedent, says Steven M. Bernstein of Fisher & Phillips LLP.

10. Class Members Appeal $85M Lufthansa Air Cargo Deal

Tuesday, Nov 03, 2009

With the ink barely dry on an $85 million settlement between Lufthansa AG and plaintiffs in the massive multidistrict litigation accusing a host of air cargo shipping service providers of a worldwide price-fixing scheme, two class members have stepped forward to appeal the deal.

11. 9th Circ. Lets Northwest Defend Against Insurer Suit

Thursday, Oct 29, 2009

Reversing a lower court decision, a federal appeals court has ruled that Northwest Airlines Inc. should be allowed to defend its interests in a dispute over Westchester Fire Insurance Co.'s duty to indemnify an elusive policyholder in an underlying suit brought by the airline.

12. Lufthansa's $85M Settlement OK'd In Air Shipping MDL

Monday, Sep 28, 2009

A federal judge has granted final approval for an $85 million settlement, including more than $14.3 million in attorneys' fees and expenses, between Lufthansa AG and plaintiffs in the massive multidistrict litigation that accused a host of air cargo shipping service companies of a worldwide price-fixing scheme.

13. Delta Settles With Mass. AG Over Pay Schedules

Friday, Sep 18, 2009

Delta Air Lines Inc. will pay $35,000 to the state of Massachusetts to settle allegations that it failed to pay certain workers on a biweekly or weekly schedule, as required by Massachusetts Law.

14. Delta To Offer $500M Note Sale To Refinance Debt

Wednesday, Sep 16, 2009

Delta Air Lines Inc. is planning a private debt offering of $500 million in senior secured notes in an effort to repay all its outstanding loans under fully owned subsidiary Northwest Airlines Inc.'s credit facility, Delta said Wednesday.

15. 12 New Airlines Added To Trans-Pacific Air MDL

Thursday, Aug 06, 2009

British Airways, Air France, China Airlines Ltd. and several other major airlines have been added as defendants to a passenger air transportation antitrust action alleging a global conspiracy to fix prices on long-haul trans-Pacific flights, effectively doubling the number of companies currently implicated in the massive multidistrict litigation.

16. Hunton Vet Snags Role As Chevron VP, GC

Thursday, Jul 30, 2009

Former Hunton & Williams LLP competition practice group head R. Hewitt Pate has signed on as vice president and general counsel of Chevron Corp. to direct the company's worldwide legal affairs.

17. Some Airlines May Be Headed Into Sunset: Experts

Friday, Jul 24, 2009

With airlines forced to slash ticket prices just to fill the seats, many industry observers have begun to discuss potential changes to the industry, either through bankruptcy or consolidation. Either way, they say that not all of the passenger air carriers that are currently flying will be doing so in the near future.

18. Hunton Snags Competition Pro From Linklaters

Wednesday, Jul 01, 2009

As part of a strategy to expand its presence in the European market, Hunton & Williams LLP has added a new partner to its global competition practice who joins the firm's Brussels office from Linklaters LLP.

19. Q&A With Greenberg Traurig's Bruce Zirinsky

Monday, Jun 01, 2009

Congress should consider scrapping parts of the bankruptcy code that prevent companies from retaining their best talent, says Bruce R. Zirinsky, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig LLP's business reorganization and bankruptcy group.

20. Northwest Pilots' Suit Against ALPA Still A Go

Monday, May 11, 2009

A judge has ruled that a class action Northwest Airlines Inc. pilots filed against their union for allegedly negotiating a benefit plan that discriminates against older pilots can proceed, but dismissed allegations that the union acted arbitrarily or in bad faith.