Mid Cap
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September 06, 2024
Property Plays: Faropoint, EPA, Lendlease
Property Plays is a weekly roundup of the latest loans, leases, sales and projects around the country. Send your tips — all confidential — to realestate@law360.com.
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September 06, 2024
Trustee Backs Tossing Ex-McElroy Deutsch CFO's Ch. 11 Case
The U.S. Trustee's Office has urged a New Jersey bankruptcy court to dismiss a Chapter 11 petition from McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP's former CFO, who is currently incarcerated for embezzling millions from the firm, because he has stonewalled the trustee's requests for information about his finances.
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September 06, 2024
Steptoe Adds Co-Leader To Tax Group In New York
Steptoe LLP has expanded its transactions and tax practice by hiring a New York-based partner as a co-leader of the firm's insolvency and restructuring team.
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September 06, 2024
Red Lobster Landlord Sues Zurich Over $1.2M Fire Payment
The owner of a property leased to Red Lobster said a Zurich unit negligently failed to name the owner on settlement checks issued to the eatery after a fire, telling a New Jersey federal court the failure allowed Red Lobster to avoid using the $1.2 million to make repairs.
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September 06, 2024
US Trustee Says Solar Biotech Sale Price May Be Too Low
The U.S. Trustee's Office has filed an objection in Delaware bankruptcy court to Solar Biotech's proposed $14.9 million credit bid asset sale, saying it does not appear to leave anything to pay Chapter 11 expenses.
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September 06, 2024
Man Disguised Businesses To Duck Tax, US Says In $1.9M Suit
A retired business owner who the U.S. government said removed his mailbox to avoid receiving letters from the IRS owes nearly $1.9 million in unpaid tax liabilities, some stemming from pretending to operate his companies as religious ministries, the government said in a suit in Florida federal court.
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September 05, 2024
Real Estate Co. EasyKnock Settles Battle With Ch. 7 Trustee
New York-based real estate investor EasyKnock Inc. would fork over the full alleged value of a debtor's home to her bankruptcy estate as part of a proposed deal to settle the Chapter 7 trustee's fraud claims and the company's own suit alleging collusion.
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September 05, 2024
US Trustee Blasts Releases In Optio Ch. 11 Plan
The U.S. Trustee's Office has asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject Optio Rx LLC's Chapter 11 plan, saying it contains impermissible third-party releases that are overly broad in scope and period.
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September 05, 2024
Asbestos Claimants Want A Say In 4th Circ. 'Two-Step' Appeal
Asbestos cancer survivors and the estates of victims with pending claims against Aldrich Pump LLC, DBMP LLC and Murray Boiler LLC have asked the Fourth Circuit's permission to file an amicus brief in an appeal centered on the separate Chapter 11 case of Georgia-Pacific unit Bestwall, saying they had been prevented from pursuing relief while Aldrich, DBMP and Murray pursue bankruptcy.
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September 05, 2024
Healthcare Cos. Using Ch. 11 As Life Support In 2024
Several healthcare companies, including ventilator maker Vyaire Medical Inc. and hospital operator Steward Health Care System, have filed for bankruptcy this year, citing issues like a post-pandemic revenue drop and ballooning expenses colliding with declining government reimbursements.
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September 05, 2024
Eiger Cleared To Liquidate, Repay Creditors Under Ch. 11 Plan
Drug developer Eiger Biopharmaceuticals will wind down its business and distribute proceeds from sales of its rare-disease treatments to creditors and shareholders under a Chapter 11 plan approved by a Texas bankruptcy judge on Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
Delta Apparel Gets $54M In Bids For Clothing Lines
Clothing company Delta Apparel Thursday told a Delaware bankruptcy judge it had raised more than $54.4 million in an asset auction last week and settled a dispute over its Chapter 11 financing, and got the judge's go-ahead to hire a liquidator for its remaining inventory.
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September 05, 2024
Red Lobster Gets Confirmation For Ch. 11 Exit Plan
A Florida bankruptcy judge signed off Thursday on a plan for seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster to exit bankruptcy just under four months after filing for Chapter 11 protection.
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September 05, 2024
Pa. City Iced Retirees Out Of Ch. 9 Plan Talks, Committee Says
Retiree creditors in the city of Chester, Pennsylvania's bankruptcy have denounced its proposed Chapter 9 plan, telling a judge in Philadelphia it is a "blunt-instrument approach" to complex issues and was docketed without consulting their committee that represents the largest creditor group.
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September 05, 2024
$9.1M In Fees Requested For Calif. Debt Relief Law Firm Ch. 11
Just days after a bankruptcy judge said in court that unsecured creditors in the case of collapsed California debt relief firm Litigation Practice Group will likely receive little to nothing, professionals working on the case filed about $9.1 million in fee requests — enough to use up most of the available cash.
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September 05, 2024
'Flimsy Attack' In $102M Award Suit Falls Flat, Court Hears
Liberian entities fighting to enforce a $102 million arbitral award issued in a dispute over control of a $700 million liquefied petroleum gas shipping joint venture have criticized the award debtor's "flimsy attack" on the arbitrator's impartiality in a filing to a New York federal judge.
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September 04, 2024
Jambys Ch. 11 Plan Draws Fire From Lenders, US Trustee
Several lenders and the U.S. Trustee's Office have all asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject online clothing brand Jambys Inc.'s Chapter 11 plan, arguing that it is not viable, does not deal with their claims and contains impermissible releases and an "overboard" injunction.
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September 04, 2024
Atty Tied To Ponzi Scheme Can't Discharge CFTC Debt
A Colorado federal judge on Wednesday denied an attorney's request to have his debt to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission discharged after he and others were found liable for $10 million for their roles in a Ponzi scheme.
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September 04, 2024
Produce Co. With Bankrupt Parent Settles $1M Payment Suit
A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a $1.3 million payment dispute between Canadian produce distributors and the U.S. arm of a vegetable wholesaler, after the parties reached a deal to resolve the litigation.
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September 04, 2024
LL Flooring, Buyer In Talks To Skirt Ch. 11 Liquidation
Home improvement retailer LL Flooring has until end of day Thursday to finalize negotiations with a possible going-concern buyer, or it will pivot to a Chapter 11 liquidation of its hundreds of stores across the country, attorneys told a Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday.
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September 04, 2024
Former Michelin Tire Factory Site Worth $30M, NJ Jurors Told
The owner of a 22-acre former Michelin Tire factory in Milltown, New Jersey, told jurors Wednesday it should be paid at least $30 million by a borough redevelopment agency to acquire the property through eminent domain for the construction of a 350-unit mixed-use residential development.
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September 04, 2024
US Trustee Challenges AI Video Co. StoryFile's Sale Plans
The U.S. Trustee's Office has asked a New York bankruptcy judge to reject artificial intelligence video startup StoryFile's motion for approval of bidding procedures governing a likely sale of virtually all its assets to a debtor-in-possession lender, arguing that the proposed sale would effectively bypass making payments to secured and priority creditors.
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September 04, 2024
McElroy Deutsch's Former CFO Fights Bid To Sink Ch. 11 Case
The currently incarcerated former chief financial officer for McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP denied that his Chapter 11 filing was a bad faith maneuver meant to stall ongoing civil litigation, claiming instead that the bankruptcy will allow for the liquidation of property for the benefit of creditors.
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September 04, 2024
Linklaters Gains NY Restructuring Pro From Simpson Thacher
An attorney with more than 25 years of transactional experience has left Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP this week to join Linklaters' New York office as head of the firm's U.S. capital solutions practice.
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September 04, 2024
Immunity Can't Shield Ex-Judge In Romance Suit, Court Told
The former head of a now-shuttered barge company is asking a Texas federal judge to keep alive his claims against a former bankruptcy judge over his undisclosed romantic relationship with an attorney on the company's Chapter 11 case, saying the onetime jurist isn't entitled to immunity for "decidedly non-judicial acts."
PE-Backed Red Lobster Has Rocky Route To Post-Ch. 11 Profit
With court approval of its reorganization plan secured, Red Lobster will soon exit bankruptcy with new owners, a 35-year-old chief executive, $60 million in fresh funding and about 100 fewer restaurants. But to pull off its planned turnaround, the seafood chain must revitalize its brand in a tricky market for casual-dining restaurants, and the next 12 months will be critical, experts told Law360.
Subchapter V Filings Slowing After Debt Limit Sunset
After Congress allowed the expanded debt threshold for Subchapter V bankruptcies to expire in June, the rate of new cases filed under the streamlined small-business insolvency process has slowed since the beginning of the year, as practitioners have become more familiar with the statute and how to wield it, experts said.
Former Judge Faces Risks With Looming Atty Romance Depo
Former Texas bankruptcy judge David R. Jones faces some serious risks in an upcoming deposition that was recently given the green light, especially since the U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly conducting a criminal investigation of his undisclosed relationship with a former Jackson Walker LLP partner who appeared before him, according to attorneys.
Expert Analysis
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Ch. 11 Ruling Shows Early Attempt To Tackle Purdue Fallout
A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Parlement Technologies’ Chapter 11 case, which denied a bid by Parler’s former owner to extend its bankruptcy stay to nondebtors, illustrates early efforts to grapple with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Purdue Pharma for a recurring bankruptcy issue, say Daniel Lowenthal and Jonah Wacholder at Patterson Belknap.
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9 Liability Management Tips As Debt Maturity Cliff Looms
As the debt maturity cliff swiftly approaches in this challenging environment, attorneys at Winston & Strawn highlight the top considerations for boards of directors and finance professionals to think about when structuring and executing liability management transactions, including reviewing capital structure, evaluating debt covenants, and more.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy
In light of an increase in year-to-date Chapter 11 filings, businesses must understand the importance and value of intellectual property in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, from contributing to enterprise value, to providing leverage in negotiations and facilitating recovery, says Gregory Campanella at Ocean Tomo.
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Avoiding Retail Bankruptcy As Economic Uncertainty Persists
Amid record retail bankruptcies and continued economic uncertainty in 2024, retailers can take specific steps like building stronger cash-flow models, managing inventory wisely and reassessing cost structures to avoid financial distress, say consultants at BRG.
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Banking Compliance Takeaways From Joint Agency Statement
Federal bank regulatory agencies’ recent joint statement warning of risks associated with third-party fintech deposit services spotlights a fundamental problem that may arise with bank deposit products that are made through increasingly complex customer relationships, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.
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Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Bankruptcy Courts May Be Budding Open To Cannabis Cases
Two recent California bankruptcy court rulings, denying motions to dismiss the respective debtors' bankruptcies, provide persuasive authority to allow cannabis debtors the protections of federal bankruptcy law, say Noah Weingarten and Bethany Simmons at Loeb & Loeb.
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Vendor Rights Lessons From 2 Chapter 11 Cases
A Texas federal court’s recent critical vendor order in the Zachry Holdings Chapter 11 filing, as well as a settlement between Rite Aid and McKesson in New Jersey federal court last year, shows why suppliers must object to critical vendor motions that do not recognize creditors' legal rights, says David Conaway at Shumaker.
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
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Mercon Coffee Ch. 11 Ruling Shows Insider Releases' Limits
A New York bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Mercon Coffee’s Chapter 11 case highlights the stringent requirements for retention-related transfers to insiders, even in cases where no creditor has objected, say Robert Klyman and Scott Shelley at DLA Piper.