Bankruptcy

  • June 07, 2024

    Talc User With Cancer Had 2nd Exposure Path, Jury Hears

    A pulmonologist helping make the case that a Texas man got mesothelioma from using Johnson & Johnson talcum powder was pressed Friday as to why he failed to tell jurors that medical records reflect the man had a separate type of asbestos exposure.

  • June 07, 2024

    11th Circ. Urged To Undo Exclusion Of $80M Asset Valuation

    A trustee for creditors of ATIF Inc. told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday that a trial judge erred in excluding an expert's $80 million valuation of the bankrupt title insurance underwriter's 2015 transfer of assets to Old Republic National Title Insurance Co.

  • June 07, 2024

    Brewery Wants Extra Damages For Co-Owner's 'Brazen' Theft

    A Colorado brewery accusing a former manager of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars has asked a state court for permission to seek exemplary damages, saying there's plenty of evidence the former manager willfully stole the money for himself and competing businesses he had a stake in.

  • June 07, 2024

    Rite Aid Can Borrow Another $75M In Ch. 11 Plan Pursuit

    Bankrupt retail drug-store chain Rite Aid Corp. received court approval on Friday in New Jersey for an amended debtor-in-possession financing package that provides $75 million in new-money financing as it moves toward confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan.

  • June 07, 2024

    'Deceit On Deceit': 7th Circ. OKs Atty's Asset-Hiding Sentence

    The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Chicago-area lawyer's three-year sentence for hiding over $350,000 in her brother's bankruptcy, finding two sentence enhancements were properly applied since she "layered deceit upon deceit" to try to conceal assets and cover her tracks.

  • June 07, 2024

    Judge Agrees To DQ Houston Firm In Fight Over MMA Law

    A Texas bankruptcy judge sided with troubled Houston firm MMA Law and agreed this week that another Houston firm, Okin Adams Bartlett Curry LLP, had received confidential information from MMA Law and should be disqualified from representing its creditors.

  • June 07, 2024

    Acorda Therapeutics Gets OK On $185M Ch. 11 Sale To Merz

    Drugmaker Acorda Therapeutics Inc. received a New York bankruptcy judge's approval Friday to complete a $185 million sale of its assets to a fellow pharmaceutical company, allowing Acorda to move ahead with a Chapter 11 plan to wind down its business.

  • June 06, 2024

    'Any Judge' Should Have DQ'd In Romance Case, Attys Told

    A Texas federal judge was adamant Thursday that a former bankruptcy judge should have recused himself from an engineering company's Chapter 11 proceeding because of his relationship with a then-Jackson Walker LLP partner, but seemed torn over whether a lawsuit from a former shareholder over the secret relationship had a leg to stand on.

  • June 06, 2024

    NRA Can't Undo $6.4M Misconduct Verdict In NY AG Case

    A New York judge on Thursday rejected a request by the National Rifle Association and its longtime executives to set aside a jury's $6.4 million verdict that found they misspent charitable funds, saying Attorney General Letitia James provided sufficient evidence for the jurors to rule in her favor.

  • June 06, 2024

    Kwok's 'Whole Movement Is A Scam,' Ex-Fundraiser Tells Jury

    A former top deputy in exiled Chinese billionaire Ho Wan Kwok's anti-Chinese Communist Party movement testified in Manhattan federal court this week that she raised millions of investor dollars out of a deep belief in the cause, but has since realized the entire enterprise was a "scam."

  • June 06, 2024

    Law Firm Says Axe 'Draconian' J&J Subpoena In Talc Claim

    A Mississippi plaintiffs firm urged a New Jersey federal court on Thursday to quash a subpoena served by Johnson & Johnson requesting that the firm turn over documents related to litigation funding and its communication with media outlets, calling the subpoena "draconian" and improper as the firm is not a party to the pharmaceutical giant's current personal injury litigation surrounding its talcum powder products.

  • June 06, 2024

    Alex Jones Abandons Ch. 11 Reorg Plan, Moves To Liquidate

    Right-wing radio host Alex Jones asked a Texas bankruptcy court to convert his bankruptcy case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, abandoning his proposed plan to reorganize his personal debts in the face of more than $1 billion in defamation claims from the families of Sandy Hook school shooting victims.

  • June 06, 2024

    In Reversal, Justices Say Insurer Has Standing In Ch. 11 Case

    Truck Insurance Exchange can intervene in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings of two manufacturing companies facing numerous asbestos injury claims, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in a reversal of the Fourth Circuit, finding Truck qualifies as a "party in interest" under the Bankruptcy Code.

  • June 05, 2024

    Sam Ash Approved For Ch. 11 Sale Process With Baseline Bid

    Bankrupt music store chain Sam Ash Music Corp. received approval Wednesday from a New Jersey bankruptcy judge for procedures governing its Chapter 11 asset sale process after negotiating concessions with its lenders, the official committee of unsecured creditors and the U.S. Trustee's Office.

  • June 05, 2024

    Brown Rudnick Partner's 50% Fee Hike Nixed In Ch. 11 Case

    A Brown Rudnick LLP bankruptcy partner Wednesday had his 50% fee increase rejected by a Delaware judge, who took issue with the proposed hike to $1,500 an hour for representing the creditors' committee in Kidde-Fenwal Inc.'s Chapter 11 case.

  • June 05, 2024

    Ex-Sacks Weston Atty Blames 'Toxic' Firm For His Theft

    A Philadelphia attorney convicted of defrauding his former law firm told a state ethics panel Wednesday that he was remorseful for his deeds, but he noted he was driven to his crime by being owed money by his firm for too long.

  • June 05, 2024

    Davis Polk Guiding Dollar Tree On Potential Family Dollar Sale

    Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is representing Dollar Tree Inc. in a formal strategic review of its Family Dollar business that could lead to a sale, spinoff or other disposition, the Virginia-based retailer revealed Wednesday.

  • June 05, 2024

    Fish Taco Chain Rubio's Files 2nd Bankruptcy In 4 Years

    The California-based fish taco-focused chain Rubio's Coastal Grill filed its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in four years on Wednesday in Delaware, saying it had between $100 million and $500 million of liabilities and plans for an asset sale.

  • June 04, 2024

    FTX Seeks Ch. 11 Stay On Competing Asset Claims

    Defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX has urged a Delaware bankruptcy judge to put the brakes on multidistrict litigation targeting former company insiders, arguing that those claims rightfully belong to the bankruptcy estate and that any property recovered should instead go to creditors. 

  • June 04, 2024

    Regions Bank Escapes Ex-Ruby Tuesday Execs' Benefits Suit

    A Tennessee federal judge threw out a lawsuit lodged by former Ruby Tuesday managers alleging Regions Bank caused them to lose out on more than $35 million by inadequately protecting their pensions and breaching its duties as trustee, saying the retirement plans in question are exempt from federal benefits law.

  • June 04, 2024

    Bread Financial Wants Suit Over Spinoff's 'Death Spiral' Axed

    Financial services company Bread Financial Holdings Inc. and its CEO have asked an Ohio federal judge to toss a proposed investor class action over the alleged "death spiral" of a now-bankrupt spinoff company, saying the suit actually details Bread's "good faith efforts" to establish the spinoff as a successful independent venture.

  • June 04, 2024

    J&J Owes $260M To Ore. Talc Mesothelioma Patient, Jury Says

    An Oregon state jury has ruled that Johnson & Johnson owes $260 million to a woman who said she developed mesothelioma from breathing in asbestos during daily talcum powder use.

  • June 04, 2024

    'Miles Guo Stole My Money': NY Jury Hears Of Alleged Fraud

    A former supporter of exiled Chinese billionaire Miles Guo testified in Manhattan federal court Tuesday that the purported billionaire conned her into investing more than $100,000 in the media company he founded alongside former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon, describing Guo's interrelated business ventures as a "mafia."

  • June 04, 2024

    Bally Sports Parent Reaches Multiyear Fubo Carriage Deal

    The bankrupt owner of Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks told a Texas judge Tuesday that it has reached a multiyear agreement with fuboTV to continue that company's carriage of the debtor's channels on its streaming platform, adding to its roster of new distribution deals as a hearing on its Chapter 11 plan nears.

  • June 04, 2024

    Widow's 'Elderly' Claim For Atty Fee Can't Stand, Trustees Say

    A coal company executive's widow can't demand hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees over a dismissed suit seeking $6.5 billion, United Mine Workers of America pension plan trustees argued, knocking her claim that the trustees are seeking funds from an "elderly woman."

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Defense Takeaways From The Bankman-Fried Trial

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    FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent fraud conviction offers several key lessons for future white collar defendants, from the changing nature of cross-examination to the continued risks of taking the stand, say Jonathan Porter and Gregg Sofer at Husch Blackwell.

  • Series

    Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    What Happens If High Court Rejects Releases In Purdue Ch. 11

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    Reading the tea leaves following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent arguments in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, it appears likely that the justices will decide that bankruptcy courts lack the power to release third-party claims against nondebtors, which would result in one of three scenarios, says Gregory Germain at Syracuse University.

  • Del. Ruling Shows Tension Between 363 Sale And Labor Law

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    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.

  • How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    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.

  • Del. Insurance Co. Liquidation Reveals Recovery Strategies

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    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.

  • How The NY AG Leads Investigations In Civil Securities Fraud

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    Although investigating white collar fraud can put significant strain on state and local resources, the New York Attorney General's Office has continued to use its expansive statutory authority to take a leading role in bringing civil enforcement actions in highly complex financial matters, say Carrie Cohen and Nathan Reilly at MoFo.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape

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    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.

  • Navigating Asset Tracing Challenges In Bankruptcy

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    A Virginia court’s recent ruling in Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc.'s bankruptcy highlights the heightened demand for asset tracing and the strategic use of the lowest intermediate balance rule in recovering funds from commingled accounts, says Daniel Lowenthal at Patterson Belknap.

  • Lender Agreements And Unitranche Facilities: A Fresh Look

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    Unitranche facilities — which offer blended interest rates in a single loan document — are gaining prevalence, and lenders and borrowers should understand their advantages, as well as concerns over the enforceability of a unitranche-style agreement among lenders in bankruptcy, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • What Banks Should Know About FDIC Assessment Rule

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    Max Bonici at Venable answers questions banking organizations may have about the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent approval of a rule implementing a special assessment on banks to recoup costs associated with protecting uninsured depositors after the bank failures earlier this year, and highlights other considerations for uninsured deposits.

  • Series

    Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.

  • Opinion

    Bankruptcy Must Be On The Table As A Student Loan Solution

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    Amid the ongoing discourse on student loan forgiveness, borrowers must have a deeper understanding of U.S. Departments of Justice and Education guidance regarding how the government will agree to discharge loans in bankruptcy, or miss a life-changing opportunity currently available to regain control over their financial condition, say Jonathan Carson and Eric Kurtzman at Stretto.

  • Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.

  • Rockport Ch. 11 Highlights Global Settlement Considerations

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    A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent rejection of Rockport’s proposed settlement serves as a reminder that there is a risk that a global settlement executed outside of a plan may be rejected as a sub rosa plan, but shouldn’t dissuade parties from seeking relief when applicable case law supports approval, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.

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