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Bankruptcy
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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
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10 Essential Bankruptcy Litigation Tips For In-House Counsel
Bankruptcy litigation is a complex and multifaceted area of law that poses unique challenges for in-house counsel, and there are several tools at legal professionals' disposal, like appraisals and understanding jurisdictions, to stay well-informed and protect their companies' interests, says Alison Ashmore at Dykema.
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Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.
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Sellers Seeking Best Deal Should Focus On Terms And Price
Rising interest rates and a decline in the automotive mergers and acquisitions market mean that a failed deal carries greater stakes, and sellers therefore should pursue not only the optimum price but also the optimum terms to safeguard their agreement, says Joseph Aboyoun at Fox Rothschild.
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General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI
With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.
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Rite Aid's Reasons For Ch. 11 Go Beyond Opioid Suits
Despite opioid-related lawsuits being the perceived reason that pushed Rite Aid into bankruptcy, the company's recent Chapter 11 filing reveals its tenuous position in the pharmaceutical retail market, and only time will tell whether bankruptcy will right-size the company, says Daniel Gielchinsky at DGIM Law.
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Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information
As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.
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Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD
Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.
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A Look At DOJ's New Nationwide Investment Fraud Approach
Investment fraud charges are increasingly being brought in unlikely venues across the country, and the rationale behind the U.S. Department of Justice's approach could well be the heightened legal standards in connection with prosecuting investment fraud, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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Decoding The Digital Asset Landscape In Bankruptcy
Recent cases show the explosion of cryptocurrency as an asset class has created new challenges for debtors-in-possession, bankruptcy trustees, and federal and state receivers, and fiduciaries will have to consider a number of legal and practical considerations when determining how to manage these assets in insolvency, say David Castleman at Otterbourg and Anthony Facciano at Stretto.
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How Fla. Bankruptcy Ruling May Affect Equity Owners
A Florida bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Vital Pharmaceuticals — which rejected the Third Circuit’s Majestic Star decision that determined a bankrupt corporation’s flow-through status was not protected by the automatic stay — may significantly affect how equity owners can mitigate the impact of flow-through structures in bankruptcy, say Eric Behl-Remijan and Natasha Hwangpo at Ropes & Gray.
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Calif. Ruling May Open Bankruptcy Trustees To Tort Liability
In Martin v. Gladstone, a recent California appellate court decision, the application of tort concepts to bankruptcy trustees could pose a new concern for trustees and federal receivers when controlling and maintaining commercial property, says Jarrett Osborne-Revis at Buchalter.
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Co. Directors Must Beware Dangers Of Reverse Factoring
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.
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Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence
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.
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Why 7th Circ. Libel Ruling Is Crucial For The Media
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.
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Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes
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.