Large Cap
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April 16, 2025
Reed Smith Wins Stay Order In Eletson Shipping Feud
For now, Reed Smith will not be compelled to turn over a client file to the new owners of reorganized international shipping group Eletson, following a temporary stay issued by the Second Circuit amid the BigLaw firm's fight to continue representing the company's prebankruptcy shareholders.
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April 16, 2025
Global Clean Energy Files Ch. 11 With Over $2B In Debt
Renewable fuels company Global Clean Energy Holdings Inc. filed for Chapter 11 relief Wednesday in Texas with more than $2 billion of liabilities, about $2 million of cash on hand and a prearranged restructuring plan supported by most of its secured lenders.
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April 15, 2025
Talc Claimants Say It's Time To End Barretts' Ch. 11
Talc injury claimants on Tuesday continued to press a Texas bankruptcy judge to dismiss Barretts Minerals Inc.'s Chapter 11 case, while the judge said he was concerned the company had not yet put a value on claims its parent company failed to properly test for asbestos in its talc.
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April 15, 2025
J&J, Others Say Asbestos Trusts Can't Purge Records
A group of asbestos litigation defendants and related bankruptcy debtors, including Johnson & Johnson, sued 10 asbestos claims trusts in Delaware's Court of Chancery on Tuesday, accusing them of pursuing an improper destruction of evidence linked to tens of thousands of potential cases.
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April 15, 2025
US Trustee Goes After Releases In Zips Car Wash Ch. 11 Plan
The Office of the U.S. Trustee urged a Texas bankruptcy judge to reject Zips Car Wash's plan to wash away some $279 million in debt, saying the updated Chapter 11 plan contains nonconsensual third-party releases.
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April 15, 2025
Paul Weiss To Narrow Forever 21 Work Amid Conflict Claims
Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP told a Delaware bankruptcy judge Tuesday that it would be willing to reduce its proposed work for liquidating retailer Forever 21 in response to an objection by the U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog, which argued the firm is conflicted in the Chapter 11 case and shouldn't be hired by the debtor.
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April 15, 2025
Stiff Competition, Rate Hikes Drove Zips Car Wash Into Ch. 11
Zips, one of the largest car wash operators in the country, found itself in bankruptcy court earlier this year as the company struggled due to increasing competition, high interest rates, a heavy debt load, an unwieldy real estate portfolio and the aftermath of a hurricane in September, according to its case filings.
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April 15, 2025
Boies Schiller Can't Escape Guo Clawback Claim, Judge Rules
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP must face a Chapter 11 trustee's nearly $654,000 clawback case for receiving cash from a company connected to since-convicted Chinese exile Miles Guo, a Connecticut bankruptcy judge has ruled, advancing the case against the firm's motion to dismiss.
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April 15, 2025
Husch Blackwell Adds Chamberlain Hrdlicka Bankruptcy Ace
Husch Blackwell LLP has fortified its insolvency and commercial bankruptcy practice with a partner in Austin, Texas, who came aboard from Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry.
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April 14, 2025
Judge Says Barretts Needs Independence To Resolve Ch. 11
A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday said he would have to consider ways to increase Barretts Minerals Inc.'s perceived independence from its parent company if he agrees to allow the talc miner to stay in Chapter 11.
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April 14, 2025
Crypto Firm DCG Can't Dodge NY AG Suit Over Genesis Woes
Crypto venture capital firm Digital Currency Group must face the bulk of the New York attorney general's claims it defrauded investors by hiding the dire financial condition of its bankrupt lending subsidiary Genesis Global, a New York state judge has ruled.
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April 14, 2025
Debt Deals On The Rise, Purdue Can Begin Claims Processing
A Texas district court, not a bankruptcy court, will oversee the U.S. trustee's efforts to claw back millions in legal fees paid to Jackson Walker over an undisclosed relationship between an attorney and bankruptcy judge; out-of-court debt deals eclipsed Chapter 11s by a 4-to-1 ratio last year; and drug manufacturer Purdue Pharma can begin processing claims ahead of a Chapter 11 confirmation hearing. This is the week in bankruptcy.
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April 14, 2025
UK Co. Says Ex-Sikorsky Atty Gave 'Inconsistent' Testimony
A British company locked in a $64 million contract feud with Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft accused its former in-house counsel of giving testimony "blatantly inconsistent" with other evidence at a Connecticut trial, requesting the alleged transgressions be discussed after a Texas bankruptcy judge slammed the lawyer for providing "false statements" in a separate matter.
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April 14, 2025
Nashville Objects To Wellpath's Ch. 11 Plan Over Releases
The government of Nashville, Tennessee, has asked a Texas bankruptcy judge to reject confirmation of prison healthcare company Wellpath's Chapter 11 plan, arguing it improperly includes releases and exculpations for parties who are not part of the bankruptcy case.
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April 11, 2025
Outdated Brand Could Hinder Hooters' Ch. 11 Recovery
Hooters has built its brand on buxom women wearing orange micro shorts while serving hot wings and frosty mugs of beer, but experts said the racy concept that made it a household name is outdated and could stymie the company's recovery as it seeks to emerge from Chapter 11.
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April 11, 2025
Under The Radar: Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed
The Texas Attorney General asked for a consumer privacy ombudsman in 23andMe's Ch. 11 case; The Chapter 11 trustee handling Chinese exile Miles Guo's estate balked at an appeal against a decision advancing dozens of clawback proceedings; and a Delaware bankruptcy judge dismissed the Chapter 7 case of electronics recycler Camston Wrather at the request of the estate trustee.
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April 11, 2025
Forever 21 Can't Tap Cash Collateral In Ch. 11, Creditors Say
The unsecured creditors committee in fast-fashion chain Forever 21's Chapter 11 has challenged the debtor's motion to use cash collateral, telling the Delaware bankruptcy court that the funding bid is part of a plan that would prejudice the group and leave the creditors with insufficient recoveries.
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April 11, 2025
US Trustee Calls Mitel Networks Ch. 11 Plan Unconfirmable
Software group Mitel Networks' prepackaged Chapter 11 plan trimming $1.1 billion of debt has nonconsensual third party releases and can't be confirmed, the Office of the U.S. Trustee told a Texas bankruptcy judge.
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April 11, 2025
Alex Jones' Sandy Hook Atty Lands 7-Day Suspension Credit
Alex Jones' former lead Connecticut attorney will be suspended for only one additional week because of a prior sit-out in 2023, a state court judge has clarified, saying she hadn't considered that Norm Pattis was previously benched while he appealed his discipline for his role in transferring Sandy Hook families' confidential records to another Jones attorney.
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April 11, 2025
Ex-Girardi CFO Gets 10 Years For 'Devastating' Fraud
A California federal judge sentenced Girardi Keese's former chief financial officer to just over 10 years in prison Friday for aiding firm leader Tom Girardi's $15 million client theft scheme while also embezzling $6 million for himself, saying the two interrelated schemes "had devastating and far-reaching effects."
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April 10, 2025
Judge Isgur To Mediate Sorrento Ch. 11 Dispute
One of the most prominent bankruptcy judges in the United States is mediating a dispute between the liquidating trustee for biopharmaceutical company Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. and a unit of B. Riley Financial as the parties try to reach a settlement to avoid litigation.
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April 10, 2025
Prospect Medical Hospitals Get One More Reprieve In Ch. 11
Hospital operator Prospect Medical has scored $6 million in financing to temporarily stave off the closure of three Pennsylvania hospitals, the debtor's counsel told a Texas bankruptcy judge Thursday.
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April 10, 2025
Amyris Ch. 11 Trust Sues Ex-CEO Over $200M Skin Care Deal
A creditor trust created under Amyris' Chapter 11 plan has sued the biotechnology company's former CEO in Delaware bankruptcy court, accusing him of abandoning his fiduciary duties by entering into a product licensing deal that locked in low prices for its cosmetics ingredients and contributed to the firm's insolvency.
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April 10, 2025
Byju's Alpha Sues Co-Founder Over $533M In Missing Funds
The bankrupt U.S. subsidiary of Indian tech giant Byju's has filed a suit alleging the company's founder had a direct hand in the disappearance of $533 million in company assets prior to its Chapter 11 filing.
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April 10, 2025
Judge Romance Fee Disputes Moved From Bankruptcy Court
A Texas federal district court agreed to preside over a suit brought by the U.S. Trustee's Office to make Jackson Walker LLP forfeit fees from more than 30 cases overseen by a former bankruptcy judge who was romantically involved with a one time-partner from the firm.
Expert Analysis
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7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring
President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection
Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
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3 Factors Affecting Retail M&A Deals In 2025
Retailers considering mergers and acquisitions this year face an evolving antitrust environment, including a new administration under President-elect Donald Trump, revised merger guidelines and a precedent set last year by a canceled $8.5 billion handbag merger, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation
Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
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Consultants Should Be Aware Of DOJ's Potential New Reach
The U.S. Department of Justice's recent first-of-its-kind settlement with McKinsey & Co. indicates not only the DOJ's more aggressive stance toward businesses' potential criminal wrongdoings, but also the benefits of self-disclosure and cooperation when wrongdoing becomes apparent, says Dom Caamano at Kibler Fowler.
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Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
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An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025
As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
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Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team
In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.
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Justices May Find Gov't Can Keep Fraudulent Transfer Benefit
Based on the justices' questions at the recently argued U.S. v. Miller, the Supreme Court appears prepared to hold that the U.S. — unlike any other creditor — is permitted to retain the benefits of a fraudulent transfer to the detriment of other bankruptcy creditors, says Kevin Morse at Clark Hill.
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When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US
As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.
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What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025
The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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How The Onion Could Still Buy InfoWars
While a Texas bankruptcy judge nixed the sale of InfoWars to The Onion on Tuesday, a slight tweak to the novel mechanism proposed could make the sale approvable, says Christopher Hampson at the University of Florida.