Mid Cap
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May 27, 2025
High Court Passes On Axed $563M BMO Harris Ponzi Verdict
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review the Eighth Circuit's decision to strike down a $563 million jury verdict against BMO Harris NA over claims that a bank it acquired had aided and abetted Thomas J. Petters' multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.
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May 23, 2025
Law360 Reveals Titans Of The Plaintiffs Bar
This past year, a handful of attorneys secured billions of dollars in settlements and judgments for both classes and individual plaintiffs against massive companies and organizations like Facebook, Dell, the National Association of Realtors, Johnson & Johnson, UFC and Credit Suisse, earning them recognition as Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar for 2025.
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May 23, 2025
Real Estate Recap: Opp Zones, SFR Sector, NYC Casinos
Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including how the "Big, Beautiful Bill" would tweak rules for opportunity zones, the prognosis for the single-family rental sector, and a look at the seven remaining bids for casino licenses in New York City.
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May 23, 2025
9th Circ. Upholds Ch. 13 Plan Against Debt Bifurcation Appeal
The Ninth Circuit rejected a mortgage lender's bid to overturn a California couple's bankruptcy plan, ruling their recalculated home value qualified them for Chapter 13 despite initial estimates exceeding the unsecured debt limit.
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May 23, 2025
Berkley Research Says It Should Not Be Penalized For Hack
Berkeley Research Group said Friday that it should not be penalized for a March hack of its computers that released potentially confidential information about Roman Catholic diocese bankruptcies nationwide because it was the victim of a crime.
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May 23, 2025
JLM Couture Proposes $700K Private Ch. 11 Sale To Founder
Bridal dressmaker and retailer JLM Couture proposed a private sale of its assets late Thursday in Delaware court, saying it is running out of cash to fund its Chapter 11 case and has reached an agreement with its founder and CEO to acquire the business for $713,000.
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May 23, 2025
Alex Jones Says $45.1M Sandy Hook Verdict Unconstitutional
Infowars host Alex Jones' newest attorneys have asked a Texas appeals court to overturn a $45.1 million defamation verdict awarded to Sandy Hook families, arguing the default judgment was unconstitutionally issued after limited discovery and that the award violates Texas law limiting punitive damages compared to actual harm.
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May 23, 2025
What's Happening In Bankruptcy Court This Coming Week
Over the coming week, Delaware judges will hear arguments on the Chapter 11 plans of medical device maker Exactech, app developer Creativemass and nursing facility operator Petersen Health Care, while biofuel company Global Clean Energy asks a Texas judge to send its plan out for a creditor vote and a New York judge ponders if government technology contractor Sysorex belongs in his court.
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May 23, 2025
Battery Co. Li-Cycle Gets Ch. 15 Nod Amid Glencore Sale Bid
A New York bankruptcy judge on Friday granted Chapter 15 recognition to lithium battery recycler Li-Cycle and affiliates after overruling an objection from the U.S. Trustee's Office, as the Toronto-based debtor looks to sell its business and secure new funding.
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May 23, 2025
Meet The Attys Guiding Canadian Geothermal Co. STS' Ch. 15
The foreign representative of Toronto-based geothermal energy company STS in its Delaware Chapter 15 case has enlisted a team of lawyers from Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP to help the company secure U.S. court recognition of its bankruptcy filing in Canada.
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May 22, 2025
'Circular Firing Squad' Is Stalling Romance Case, Judge Says
A Texas federal judge told Jackson Walker LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP that they were stuck in a "circular firing squad" in a debate over whether the former CEO of a defunct barge company could sue the firms over a former bankruptcy judge's secret romance with an attorney.
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May 22, 2025
Senators Unveil DNA Privacy Bill Amid 23andMe's Ch. 11 Sale
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bill designed to safeguard customers' genetic information in bankruptcy cases, saying 23andMe's plan to sell users' DNA data to a pharmaceutical company during its Chapter 11 raises new concerns surrounding consumer privacy.
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May 22, 2025
5th Circ. Revives 'Unclean Hands' Defense In Ch. 13
A Louisiana homeowner can head back to bankruptcy court to try to discharge a $75,000 judgment against him from a contractor who said it was stiffed, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled.
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May 22, 2025
Paper Biz Royal Interco Cleared For $180M Ch. 11 Sale
Arizona-based Royal Interco LLC, a supplier of private-label paper products to grocery chains including Trader Joe's and Aldi, received the Delaware bankruptcy court's permission Thursday to sell its assets to an affiliate of an Italian tissue paper producer Sofidel for $180 million, an increase of more than $50 million from Sofidel's stalking horse bid.
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May 22, 2025
Under The Radar: Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed
Biotech company Molecular Templates defended its Chapter 11 plan against opposition from the U.S. Trustee's Office, paper product maker Royal Interco said its Chapter 11 asset auction has secured a $180 million bid, and insurers for a New Jersey Catholic diocese fought a bid from abuse victims and the diocese to lift a stay to reinvigorate settlement discussions. Here are the bankruptcy stories you may have missed this week.
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May 22, 2025
Meet The Attorneys Directing Genetics Co. Synthego's Ch. 11
A team of lawyers from Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP is guiding Synthego Corp. through its Chapter 11 case in Delaware, as the California-based biotechnology company pursues a sale of its assets to a prepetition lender during the proceedings.
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May 22, 2025
Servicer, BNY Seek Exit From Mortgage Statement Suit
Bank of New York Mellon and a mortgage servicing company have urged a Massachusetts federal court to permanently dismiss a proposed class action accusing them of trying to collect on post-bankruptcy liens, saying federal lending law does not obligate servicers to send mortgage statements to borrowers.
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May 22, 2025
Nostrum Cleared for $1.75M Sale Of Ohio Drug Facility
Bankrupt drugmaker Nostrum Laboratories received approval from a New Jersey court for a $1.75 million sale of an Ohio facility after reaching an agreement with the buyer and lenders over the costs of removing controlled substances at the property.
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May 22, 2025
Silvergate Estate To Chip In For $37.5M Investor Settlement
Silvergate Capital and investors suing over its collapse have reached a $37.5 million deal with a "rare" source of partial funding to resolve claims that the failed crypto-focused bank misrepresented its safeguards against onboarding customers like FTX, the fraud-ridden crypto exchange that made up roughly a sixth of the bank's deposit base.
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May 22, 2025
Procopio Expands In San Diego With Bankruptcy Specialist
Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch LLP is expanding its team, bringing in a Henderson Caverly & Pum LLP bankruptcy pro as a partner in its San Diego office.
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May 22, 2025
Trustee Alleges Developer Sold Gas Rights To Avoid Creditors
A bankrupt developer sold its oil and gas rights to an affiliated company for only $100 per parcel in order to keep them from becoming part of the bankruptcy estate, the estate's trustee has claimed in an adversary complaint.
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May 22, 2025
US Trustee, Jackson Walker Might Mediate Fee Case
The U.S. Trustee's Office and Jackson Walker LLP told a Texas federal judge Thursday they are open to mediating the watchdog's bid to have the law firm forfeit fees from more than 30 cases overseen by a former bankruptcy judge who was romantically involved with a onetime firm partner.
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May 21, 2025
'Tough Luck' Case Law Cited In Refusal To Stop Summons
An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday grudgingly declined to issue an injunction to stop an arbitrator from dragging insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. into arbitration stemming from the bankruptcy of Cooks Venture, a startup that specialized in the production and processing of pasture-raised, slow-growth chickens.
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May 21, 2025
Vegan Restaurant Chain Planta To Tap $1.75M In DIP Funding
A Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday agreed to approve bankrupt vegan restaurant chain Planta's bid to access $1.75 million of its $3.5 million debtor-in-possession financing package, saying it needs funding to continue its efforts toward a sale.
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May 21, 2025
SC Justices Affirm Receivership Order In Asbestos Dispute
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously upheld a trial court's decision to appoint a receiver over a Canadian company's insurance assets as part of discovery sanctions in an asbestos injury lawsuit, despite the company's contention it possesses no property in the state.
Expert Analysis
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Congress Must Increase Small Biz Ch. 11 Debt Cap
Congress must act to reinstate Subchapter V, which recently sunsetted when the debt threshold to qualify reverted from $7.5 million to just over $3 million, meaning thousands of small businesses will no longer be able to use the means of reorganization, says Daniel Gielchinsky at DGIM Law.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Ch. 11 Ruling Clarifies Cross-Border 'Alternative A' Scope
A New York bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in airline holding company SAS’s Chapter 11 case — addressing the applicability of Alternative A, which is similar to Section 1110 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code — is a cautionary tale for contracting European Union member states that have adopted Alternative A domestically but have not made a formal declaration, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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Ambiguity Ruling Highlights Deference To Arbitral Process
A New York federal court’s recent ruling in Eletson v. Levona, which remanded an arbitral award for clarification, reflects that the ambiguity exception’s analysis is not static and may be applied even in cases where the award, when issued, was unambiguous, says arbitrator Myrna Barakat Friedman.
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Justices' Ch. 11 Ruling Is A Big Moment For Debtors' Insurers
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Truck Insurance v. Kaiser Gypsum ruling upends decades of Chapter 11 bankruptcy jurisprudence that relegated a debtor’s insurer to the sidelines, giving insurers a new footing to try and avoid significant liability, say Stuart Gordon and Benjamin Wisher at Rivkin Radler.
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What FTX Case Taught Us About Digital Asset Recoverability
FTX's Chapter 11 plan has drawn lots of attention, but the focus should be on the anticipated outcome for investors, which counters several myths about digital currencies, innovation and recoverability, says Kyla Curley at StoneTurn.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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Synapse Bankruptcy Has Ripple Effects For Fintech Industry
Synapse Financial Technologies’ recent bankruptcy filing marks a significant moment in the fintech industry's evolution, highlighting that stringent compliance and risk management in fintech partnerships are essential to mitigate risk and protect consumers, say Joann Needleman and Ryan Blumberg at Clark Hill.
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Discount Window Reform Needed To Curb Modern Bank Runs
We learned during the spring 2023 failures that bank runs can happen extraordinarily fast in light of modern technology, especially when banks have a greater concentration of large deposits, demonstrating that the antiquated but effective discount window needs to be overhauled before the next crisis, says Cris Cicala at Stinson.
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2 Options For Sackler Family After High Court Purdue Ruling
After the U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked Purdue Pharma's plan to shield the family that owns the company from bankruptcy lawsuits, the Sacklers face the choice to either continue litigation, or return to the bargaining table for a settlement that doesn't eliminate creditor claims, says Gregory Germain at Syracuse University.
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Revisiting Scalia's 'What's It To You?' After Kaiser Ruling
While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser allows insurers to be considered "parties in interest" in Chapter 11 cases, they still need to show they would face an injury in fact, answering the late Justice Antonin Scalia's "what's it to you?" question, say Brent Weisenberg and Jeff Prol at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Florida Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2
The second quarter of 2024 brought two notable bills that will affect Florida's banking and finance community across many issues, including virtual currency abandonment, cancellation of financial services on the basis of political opinions, and the exemption amount of motor vehicles, say Joshua Prever and Andrew Balthazor at Holland & Knight.