Large Cap

  • April 26, 2024

    ABI President Chris Ward Talks Fees, Purdue Pharma, Phillies

    Chris Ward of Polsinelli LLP, the new president of the American Bankruptcy Institute, expects high interest rates to continue dogging debt-laden companies this year. He's also skeptical a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting nonconsensual releases in the bankruptcy case of Purdue Pharma LP would radically alter third parties' ability to get liability shields and thinks Chapter 11 has become too expensive, he told Law360 on Friday.

  • April 26, 2024

    Insurers Want Ch. 11 Plan Docs In Kidde-Fenwal Case

    Insurers that provide coverage to bankrupt fire suppression company Kidde-Fenwal Inc. have asked a Delaware court to access drafts of the Chapter 11 plan the company has provided to unsecured creditors in ongoing mediation, saying they need to know how the plan could affect them.

  • April 26, 2024

    Republic First Bank Fails In Biggest Bust Since 2023 Turmoil

    Republic First Bank, a roughly $6 billion bank based in Philadelphia, was shuttered Friday by Pennsylvania state banking regulators and sold to Fulton Bank NA, capping off a prolonged decline that only worsened in the wake of last spring's regional bank failures.

  • April 26, 2024

    Invitae Defends Its Ch. 11 Hire Of Kirkland Against DQ Bid

    Bankrupt genetic-testing company Invitae Corporation has told a New Jersey bankruptcy judge that attempts to disqualify Kirkland & Ellis LLP as its bankruptcy counsel are baseless and no conflicts exist for the firm due to its representation of a creditor in other legal matters.

  • April 26, 2024

    3% Stalking Horse Breakup Fee Ok'd In Eye Care Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge has approved protections for optometry software company Eye Care Leaders Portfolio Holdings LLC's stalking horse bidder, allowing the company to pay private equity firm Create Capital a 3% breakup fee on its $11 million offer.

  • April 25, 2024

    McDermott Judge U-Turns, Says Some Investors Deserve Cert.

    A Texas federal magistrate judge reversed his recommendation that investors be denied class certification in litigation over McDermott International's $6 billion merger with Chicago Bridge & Iron, saying a former CB&I shareholder class "should be certified now" and a putative McDermott stock purchaser class be created for subsequent consideration.

  • April 25, 2024

    Joann Fabric Wins Confirmation Of Prepackaged Ch. 11 Plan

    Joann Inc., parent company of retailer Joann Fabric and Crafts, received a Delaware judge's approval of its prepackaged Chapter 11 plan Thursday that will lighten its debt load by $505 million.

  • April 25, 2024

    3rd Circ. Lets Mallinckrodt Off Sanofi's Royalty Hook

    A Third Circuit panel said Thursday that Mallinckrodt PLC's Chapter 11 bankruptcy could sever its obligation to pay Sanofi-Aventis US LLC royalties on sales of an autoimmune disease drug, finding that Sanofi's contract to sell Mallinckrodt the rights to the drug created a claim ripe to be extinguished.

  • April 25, 2024

    DOJ Still Owes Victims After $139M Nassar Settlement

    The federal government's $139 million settlement for victims of convicted sexual abuser Larry Nassar goes a long way toward holding the FBI responsible for its egregious mishandling of the victims' allegations, but gives no assurance that such complaints in the future will be handled properly, legal experts say.

  • April 25, 2024

    Express Inc. Bankruptcy Tests Once And Future Mall 'Darling'

    Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, Express Inc. made a fateful decision to invest more in its retail clothing stores despite dwindling profits as consumers increasingly embraced online shopping. That left the company ill-prepared for the e-commerce boom to come in 2020 — and set it on a path that culminated in its bankruptcy filing this week.

  • April 25, 2024

    Labcorp Makes $239M Bid In Invitae's Ch. 11 Auction

    SoftBank-backed genetic testing company Invitae has informed a New Jersey bankruptcy judge that its asset sale auction resulted in a successful $239 million cash bid, along with other noncash considerations, from laboratory services giant Labcorp.

  • April 24, 2024

    Jury Must Decide Law Firms' Fee Dispute Over Nassar Suits

    A jury will need to decipher the terms of an agreement in a fee dispute between Andrus Wagstaff PC and Lipton Law Center PC for joint representation of the survivors of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, a Michigan federal judge ruled Wednesday, partially rejecting Andrus Wagstaff's summary judgment bid.

  • April 24, 2024

    Kwok Jurors To Be Anonymous Amid Harassment Concerns

    Jurors who will decide the criminal fraud and racketeering case against exiled Chinese billionaire Ho Wan Kwok will be anonymous and partially sequestered, a New York federal judge said on Wednesday, ruing that if their identities are revealed they could face the same harassment that befell Kwok's bankruptcy trustee.

  • April 24, 2024

    Nuclear Fuel Co. Investor Sues Over Hair-Trigger 'Poison Pill'

    A Centrus Energy Corp. stockholder on Wednesday hit the company, as well as current and former directors, with a proposed class action in Delaware Chancery Court, challenging allegedly hair-trigger shareholder rights "poison pill" restrictions that activate anti-takeover measures based on a relatively low share ownership percentage.

  • April 24, 2024

    Meet The Team Guiding Retailer Express Inc. Through Ch. 11

    Fashion retailer Express Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection Monday in Delaware with more than $1 billion in debt, saying it has an offer from a group of buyers for the majority of its assets, including its stores.

  • April 24, 2024

    Noteholders Say Chilean Telecom Lacks US Ties For Ch. 11

    A group of WOM SA noteholders asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to dismiss the Chilean cellphone network operator's Chapter 11 case, saying the company has no connections with the United States and courts here don't have jurisdiction over the company's assets.

  • April 24, 2024

    Oligarch's Family Can't Nix €1.5B Bankruptcy Bid

    The widow and a daughter of the late Russian cement oligarch Oleg Bourlakov stumbled in their global legal battle with relatives over his fortune after a London judge declined to stop €1.48 billion ($1.59 billion) bankruptcy proceedings in St. Petersburg.

  • April 24, 2024

    7th Circ. Revives Suit Over Paper Co.'s ESOP Valuation

    The Seventh Circuit reopened a suit claiming executives at a defunct paper company and financial advisers overvalued the business to persuade workers to put retirement savings into an employee stock ownership plan, saying a lower court viewed the allegations too narrowly when it tossed the case.

  • April 23, 2024

    WeWork Urged To Add Info Ahead Of Ch. 11 Plan Doc Hearing

    Bankrupt flexible office space company WeWork Inc. will present its Chapter 11 plan disclosure statement for court approval April 29 in New Jersey, but a judge there urged the debtor to add significant information to the document ahead of that hearing, which the court scheduled on shortened notice.

  • April 23, 2024

    Del. Atty Tapped To Probe Oakland Diocese's Ch. 11 Fees

    A California bankruptcy judge Tuesday gave his blessing to appoint a fee examiner in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland despite his initial trepidation over hiring a Delaware lawyer with potential connections to the lawyers whose bills will be under the microscope.

  • April 23, 2024

    Retailer Express Inc. Gets OK To Tap $35M In DIP Financing

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Tuesday said she would approve Express Inc.'s request to borrow $35 million in debtor-in-possession financing and to roll up other debt so that the apparel retailer can stay afloat during its Chapter 11 proceedings and a planned sale of assets.

  • April 23, 2024

    ABI Names Christopher Ward President, Elects New Directors

    Christopher A. Ward of Polsinelli LLP will lead the American Bankruptcy Institute as president for a one-year term, the organization said Tuesday, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Bruce Harwood will succeed him next April.

  • April 23, 2024

    DOJ Unveils $139M Deal For Larry Nassar Victims

    The U.S. Department of Justice will pay $138.7 million to settle 139 tort claims accusing the Federal Bureau of Investigation of not doing enough to stop the sprawling, decades-long sexual abuse of hundreds of victims at the hands of USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar, according to a Tuesday announcement.

  • April 22, 2024

    Alex Jones' InfoWars To Have Key Ch. 11 Plan Hearing In June

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday rescheduled to June 14 a key hearing on how the court should handle Alex Jones' media company Free Speech Systems LLC's Chapter 11, adding that he plans to keep the separate but interwoven bankruptcies of Jones and his company moving forward.

  • April 22, 2024

    Subchapter V Report, Express Hits Ch. 11, NY Diocese Fallout

    The American Bankruptcy Institute held its annual spring meeting last week, where a task force on Subchapter V presented its report and recommendations on small-business bankruptcy filings, and clothing retailer Express Inc. landed in Chapter 11 with more than $1 billion in debt.

Expert Analysis

  • Co. Directors Must Beware Dangers Of Reverse Factoring

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    New accounting requirements governing the disclosure of so-called reverse-factoring programs have revealed billions of dollars worth of hidden liabilities on companies’ ledgers, and directors of corporate boards should review their companies’ books for this hidden danger, say Garland Kelley at Looper Goodwine, Amin Al-Sarraf at Locke Lord and Jill Basinger at Discovery Land.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Why 7th Circ. Libel Ruling Is Crucial For The Media

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    As more defamation plaintiffs attorneys argue that allowing a published statement to remain online after additional evidence of falsity emerges equates to actual malice, the Seventh Circuit's recent National Police Association v. Gannett opinion should be lauded by the media and online publishers as a favorable decision, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • 3 Cases Show Tensions Between Arbitration And Insolvency

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    The intersection of international arbitration and insolvency may influence the formulation of litigation strategy on a global scale, and several recent cases illustrate the need for counsel to understand how courts are varying in their approaches, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Air Ambulance Ch. 11s Show Dispute Program Must Resume

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    Air Methods’ recent bankruptcy filing highlights the urgent need to reopen the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution program for air ambulances, whose shutdown benefits insurance companies and hurts providers, says Adam Schramek at Norton Rose.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

  • Why Delaware ABCs Are No Longer As Easy As 1-2-3

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    In light of the Court of Chancery's recent focus on additional disclosures, the assignment for the benefit of creditors process in Delaware may no longer be as efficient as it once was, and companies should be prepared to provide significantly more information leading up to an ABC, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Diamond Sports Cases Shed Light On Executory Contracts

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    Recent Texas bankruptcy cases involving telecast fees payable by Diamond Sports to certain Major League Baseball teams provide a window into the dynamic relationship that can develop between debtors and counterparties under some executory contracts, say Joseph Badtke-Berkow and Robin Spigel at Allen & Overy.

  • Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.

  • The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'

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    The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.

  • Balancing Justice And Accountability In Opioid Bankruptcies

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    As Rite Aid joins other pharmaceutical companies in pursuing bankruptcy following the onslaught of state and federal litigation related to the opioid epidemic, courts and the country will have to reconcile the ideals of economic justice and accountability against the U.S. Constitution’s promise of a fresh start through bankruptcy, says Monique Hayes at DGIM Law.

  • SVB Bankruptcy Case Raises Asset Control Questions

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    The initial disputes in Silicon Valley Bank's bankruptcy case between the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the debtor over tax refunds and deposits are likely to signal the rekindling of old battles for limited assets last fought during the Great Recession, say Jeffrey Rothleder and Maura McIntyre at Squire Patton.

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