Mid Cap
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February 24, 2025
Spirit's Ch. 11 Marks Shift To Debt Reduction Over Cost Cuts
With fresh court approval of its Chapter 11 plan in hand, Spirit Airlines is set to emerge from bankruptcy carrying $795 million less in debt, marking a new generation of air carriers to file for bankruptcy in order to shave debt rather than cut operating costs, according to a Fitch Ratings report.
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February 24, 2025
Spirit Gets Ch. 11 Plan OK; J&J Unit Brings Ch. 11 Plan To Trial
A bankruptcy judge gave Spirit Airlines the all-clear to eliminate nearly $800 million in debt while giving creditors control over the business; Johnson & Johnson's talc spinoff went to trial over a proposed Chapter 11 plan; and the U.S. Trustee's Office took issue with the final $52 million fee application from lawyers for a New York Catholic diocese.
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February 24, 2025
High Court Won't Hear Bankruptcy 'Safe Harbor' Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a dispute over what transactions are protected from clawback by a trustee, leaving in place a Second Circuit decision finding that the U.S. Bankruptcy Code's safe harbor provisions trump the trustee's state-law based fraudulent transfer claims.
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February 21, 2025
Real Estate Recap: 'Park Ave' Effect, Federal Leases, Atty Hires
Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including a fourth-quarter "Park Avenue Phenomenon" seen by top brokerages, industry reaction to the potential federal lease slimdown, and a senior analyst's projection for family office investment in commercial real estate.
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February 21, 2025
Under The Radar: Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed
Sticky's Chicken asked a New York bankruptcy judge to flip its Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 7 after cold and congestion pricing undercut its plans to reemerge from bankruptcy a healthier company, a former Silicon Valley Bank employee asked a bankruptcy judge to approve her late submission of a claim in the bankruptcy case of SVB's defunct parent and FTX defended adversary cases it brought over alleged fraud in the debtor's prebankruptcy acquisition of a stock trading platform.
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February 21, 2025
Prime Core Crypto 'Hopelessly Commingled,' Plan Admin Says
Counsel for the administrator of cryptocurrency custodian Prime Core's Chapter 11 wind-down plan on Friday defended its decision to treat the debtor's cryptocurrency as property of the estate, even when it came from customers.
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February 21, 2025
First Horizon Says Ex-CEO Is Dropping Claims To Avoid Loss
First Horizon Bank told a Florida federal judge that a former bank CEO cannot drop claims against individual bank directors to shield himself from an inevitable adverse judgment in the suit, which accused the bank and its directors of setting up the CEO as a scapegoat in the legal fallout of attorney Scott Rothstein's $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.
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February 21, 2025
'Unsupported Conclusions' Doom Ad App Suit Against Google
A California federal judge has permanently tossed an antitrust suit accusing Google of kicking a now-defunct advertising app maker out of the Play Store in order to squelch a potential digital advertising rival, finding that the act alone was not enough to show harm to the market from the alleged monopolization.
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February 21, 2025
Bank Says Nostrum's Second Investment Banker Unnecessary
Citizens Bank, a creditor of New Jersey drugmaker Nostrum Laboratories Inc., objected to Nostrum's request to retain another investment banker in its Chapter 11 case, arguing that Raymond James is already serving in that role and that the additional $1 million in retention costs provides no "discernible benefit" to the debtor.
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February 21, 2025
Why EV Maker Nikola Pulled Into Ch. 11
Nikola Corp., maker of electric and hydrogen-powered trucks, struggled with financial difficulties common to its field, the costs of litigation in which it became embroiled and expenses tied to a voluntary battery recall, cumulatively leading it to bankruptcy.
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February 21, 2025
Paul Hastings Seeks To End GenapSys Malpractice Action
Paul Hastings LLP has moved for summary judgment in a malpractice action from GenapSys Inc., saying the case is barred because the genomic sequencing company failed to disclose its possible claim until after confirmation of its bankruptcy plan.
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February 21, 2025
Lowenstein Sandler Keeps Up Battle With NJ Dispensary
Shortly after accusing a cannabis dispensary it is suing for unpaid legal fees of acting in bad faith, Lowenstein Sandler LLP asked a New Jersey Superior Court judge on Friday to reject an investment group's similar bid to prevent it from pursuing certain claims in its suit.
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February 21, 2025
Latham Promotes 19 Counsel To Partner In US, Europe & Asia
Less than three months after electing two dozen associates to the partnership, Latham & Watkins LLP said it has elevated 19 counsel from 14 offices around the world to partner, effective March 1.
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February 20, 2025
Select SPAC Targets Are Soaring Ahead Of The Pack
A select breed of companies that went public through mergers with special purpose acquisition companies are performing well lately — hailing mostly from a few specific industries — in stark contrast to the vast majority of SPAC merger targets that have flopped over the past few years, according to data released on Thursday.
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February 20, 2025
Meet The Attys Guiding EV Maker Nikola's Ch. 11
A group of lawyers from Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is guiding Nikola Corp., a manufacturer of electric and hydrogen-powered trucks, in its Chapter 11, as the company plans to sell its assets after facing financial struggles that stemmed from a battery pack recall in 2023.
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February 20, 2025
Law Firm Can't Ax Sex Assault Claim In Ch. 11, Court Told
A former intern for the bankrupt Law Office of George T. Peters PLLC has sued the New York City firm's bankruptcy estate, seeking to ensure that her sexual assault claim against its name partner is not discharged in Chapter 11.
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February 20, 2025
EV Maker Nikola Aims For Quick Ch. 11 Sale
Counsel for Nikola Corp., which makes electric and hydrogen-powered trucks, told the Delaware bankruptcy court on Thursday the company hopes to hold a bankruptcy auction by the end of March and find a buyer before its cash runs out in mid-April.
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February 20, 2025
Drug Co. InvaTech Says Loan Terms Pushed It Into Ch. 11
InvaTech Pharma Solutions LLC, a New Jersey-based developer of generic prescription drugs, chose to enter Chapter 11 with up to $50 million in debt in part because some of its secured loans were inhibiting the company's growth, according to its bankruptcy counsel and court papers.
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February 20, 2025
Forensic Firm Can't Take Control Of Giuliani Assets
A New York federal judge has denied a request by the forensic firm hired to probe Rudy Giuliani's assets to intervene in a lawsuit launched by two former Georgia poll workers who won a $148 million defamation award against him, preserving a settlement that the election workers and Giuliani reached last month.
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February 19, 2025
Ex-Perella Weinberg Partner Denies Plot To Split Firm
A former Perella Weinberg partner on Wednesday testified that he had no plans to break off and start his own restructuring advisory shop before the investment banking firm fired him for purportedly violating his nonsolicitation provisions of his partnership agreements.
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February 19, 2025
Catching Up With New Bankruptcy Case Action
A New Jersey-based generic-drug maker entered Chapter 11, listing up to $50 million in debt and saying two secured loans were inhibiting its growth. A media production company that helps brands like Target sought Chapter 11 protection and disclosed $53.5 million in liabilities, noting that its struggles included being overleveraged. And a sustainable resource recovery company entered Chapter 7 with liabilities exceeding $100 million.
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February 19, 2025
NJ Lawyer Sanctioned, Barred From New SDNY Petitions
A New Jersey lawyer is blocked from filing new petitions in Southern District of New York bankruptcy court and must pay a $2,000 fine to a local Legal Aid Society following an alleged pattern of filing and then abandoning bankruptcy cases, according to a Wednesday sanctions order.
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February 19, 2025
Biora Ch. 11 Loan Approved After Creditors Reach Deal
Biotech company Biora Therapeutics Inc. received final approval Wednesday for its $46 million Chapter 11 financing package after the postpetition lenders and the unsecured creditors committee reached a deal to allow the loan to go forward on a fully consensual basis.
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February 19, 2025
Backup Infowars Bidder Wants Judge To Restart Auction
The backup bidder for Alex Jones' Infowars program has asked a Texas bankruptcy judge to restart an auction for the assets after a previous sale to the parent company of satirical newspaper The Onion was rejected in December.
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February 19, 2025
Creditors Committee Tapped In Liberated Brands Ch. 11
The U.S. Trustee's Office has appointed seven parties, including landlords and vendors, to the official committee of unsecured creditors in the Chapter 11 case of Liberated Brands, as the clothing retailer works to deal with some $226 million in debt and wind down operations.
Expert Analysis
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Ch. 11 Case Shows Why Plan Acceptance Procedures Are Key
Sunland Medical's recent liquidation plan proposal is an important example of how top-notch judges and attorneys propose and analyze complex issues during the confirmation process, and the bankruptcy court was forward-thinking to consider the implications of such proposed treatment in the face of the Bankruptcy Code, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.
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Risks Of Rejecting Hotel Mgmt. Agreements Via Bankruptcy
In recent years, hotel owners have paid a high price when they attempted to use bankruptcy proceedings to prematurely terminate their hotel management agreements, highlighting that other options may be preferable, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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NC Rulings Show Bankruptcy Isn't Only For Insolvent Debtors
Two recent rulings from a North Carolina bankruptcy court show that lack of financial distress is not a requirement for bankruptcy protection, particularly in the Fourth Circuit, but these types of cases can still be dismissed for other reasons, say Stuart Gordon and Alexandria Vath at Rivkin Radler.
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Cannabis Ruling Lights Path For Bankruptcy Protection
A recent Massachusetts bankruptcy appellate court ruling in Blumsack v. Harrington leaves the door open for those employed in the cannabis industry to seek bankruptcy relief where certain conditions are met, but rescheduling marijuana as a Schedule III drug may complicate matters, say Jane Haviland and Kathryn Droumbakis at Mintz.
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What Bankruptcy Deadline Appeal May Mean For Claimants
If the Third Circuit reverses a recent appeal made in In re: Promise Healthcare, litigation claimants within the circuit will not be able to rely on the proof of claim process to preserve the claim — but if the court affirms, the U.S. Supreme Court may need to step in to resolve the circuit split on this issue, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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Conn. Bankruptcy Ruling Furthers Limitation Extension Split
A recent Connecticut bankruptcy court decision further solidifies a split of authority on whether Bankruptcy Rule 9006(b) may be used to extend the limitations period, meaning practitioners seeking to extend should serve the motion on all applicable parties and, where possible, rely on the doctrine of equitable tolling, says Shane Ramsey at Nelson Mullins.
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A 5th Circ. Lesson On Preserving Indemnification Rights
The Fifth Circuit's recent decision in Raymond James & Associates v. Jalbert offers an important lesson for creditors and parties to indemnification agreements: If a debtor has indemnified a creditor, the creditor should consider participating in the bankruptcy case to avoid being deemed to have forfeited its indemnification rights, say Dania Slim and Alana Lyman at Pillsbury.
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Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.
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Del. Ruling Shows Tension Between 363 Sale And Labor Law
The Delaware federal court's ruling in the Braeburn Alloy Steel case highlights the often overlooked collision between an unstayed order authorizing an asset sale free and clear of successor liability under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code and federal labor law imposing successor liability on the buyer, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
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Del. Insurance Co. Liquidation Reveals Recovery Strategies
Arrowood's recent liquidation in the Delaware Chancery Court offers a positive development for policyholders and claimants, providing access to guaranty association protections amid the company's demise, say Timothy Law and Ann Kramer at Reed Smith.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape
The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.