Large Cap
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September 26, 2024
J&J Is 'Forum-Shopping' In New Spinoff Ch. 11, Trustee Says
The U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog has asked a judge to send the latest Johnson & Johnson talc-liability spinoff bankruptcy to New Jersey, saying Thursday that J&J subsidiary Red River Talc's Chapter 11 petition in the Southern District of Texas is an "assault on the very integrity of the bankruptcy system" and amounts to forum-shopping.
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September 26, 2024
Atty Can't Shield Bank Records In Judge Romance Probe
A former Jackson Walker LLP lawyer on Thursday lost her bid to torpedo a subpoena from the U.S. Trustee's Office seeking her bank records in connection with an inquiry into her secret relationship with a former Texas federal bankruptcy judge, court records show.
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September 26, 2024
FTX Strikes Deal With MDL Counsel For Ch. 11 Plan Support
FTX Trading Ltd. has asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge for permission to enact a settlement with plaintiffs and counsel it's facing in multidistrict litigation in Florida, saying the proposed deal would prevent potentially costly legal tussles and bring the plaintiffs on board to support FTX's Chapter 11 plan.
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September 26, 2024
Stinson Adds Restructuring, Sports Atty From GrayRobinson
Stinson LLP has picked up an experienced of counsel from GrayRobinson PA, who joins its bankruptcy and creditors' rights practice and sports and recreation practice in both Tampa and Wilmington, Delaware.
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September 26, 2024
Meet The Attorneys In Wheel Pros' Ch. 11
Denver-based specialty tire and car accessory producer Wheel Pros has retained teams from Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP as it plans to hand control of the company to lenders.
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September 25, 2024
Sullivan & Cromwell Didn't Ignore FTX 'Red Flags,' Report Says
The Chapter 11 examiner appointed in the bankruptcy case of fallen cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading determined Wednesday that debtor law firm Sullivan & Cromwell didn't ignore any "red flags" about FTX's misconduct related to a $500 million purchase of stock in financial service and digital trading platform Robinhood Markets Inc.
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September 25, 2024
8th Circ. Told Student Debt Relief Should Remain Blocked
Seven Republican-led states are asking the Eighth Circuit to finalize its court order blocking the Biden administration from implementing its second attempt at student loan forgiveness, accusing the White House of "hiding the ball" on the true cost of the plan.
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September 25, 2024
Mining Cos. Say $505M J&J Deal Would Benefit Talc Claimants
A pair of talc producers defended their proposed $505 million liability settlement with Johnson & Johnson at a hearing in Delaware bankruptcy court Wednesday, arguing that an objection from a group of insurers shouldn't derail an agreement that they believe would benefit claimants who alleged they were exposed to asbestos-contaminated talc.
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September 25, 2024
NYSE Cancels Proposal To Extend SPAC Merger Deadlines
The New York Stock Exchange has pulled a proposal that would have provided special purpose acquisition companies with more time to complete mergers while remaining listed, several months after it sought regulatory approval for the extension.
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September 25, 2024
4 Things To Know About J&J's Latest Talc Bankruptcy
Johnson & Johnson moved a newly created talc unit into Chapter 11 in Texas last week, renewing its efforts to address billions of dollars in potential liability tied to its talc products through bankruptcy.
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September 25, 2024
Tupperware OK'd To Temporarily Use Cash To Fund Ch. 11
Iconic food storage and kitchenware brand Tupperware received a Delaware bankruptcy judge's signoff on Wednesday to use cash on hand to fund its operations and Chapter 11 case for the next two and a half weeks after the debtor and a group of secured lenders reached a bridge agreement to allow Tupperware to use cash collateral until mid-October.
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September 25, 2024
Fuel Refiner Vertex Hits Ch. 11 With $422M Debt, Lender Deal
Oil refiner Vertex Energy filed for Chapter 11 protection with $422.5 million in debt and plans to pursue a sale under a prenegotiated restructuring agreement.
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September 24, 2024
J&J Talc Claims Paused, Silvergate Parent Files For Ch. 11
A Texas bankruptcy judge has put on hold certain talc-related personal injury lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, and Silvergate Capital has filed for Chapter 11 to liquidate assets following client losses tied to the FTX collapse. This is the week in bankruptcy.
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September 24, 2024
Revlon Talc Claimants Can Appeal Directly To 2nd Circ.
A New York bankruptcy judge has found the Second Circuit can review his decision to reject 42 asbestos-tainted talc exposure claims against Revlon as having come too late because the claimants' appeal presents questions new and significant enough to justify skipping the district court.
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September 24, 2024
Yellow Corp. Can Depose Teamsters President In Ch. 11 Suit
Bankrupt trucking firm Yellow Corp. can move forward with a deposition of Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, after a Delaware bankruptcy judge declined Tuesday to stay the discovery tied to lawsuits that were filed against the debtor over mass layoffs.
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September 24, 2024
Star Witness Against Bankman-Fried Gets 2 Years In FTX Case
A Manhattan federal judge sentenced former cryptocurrency executive Caroline Ellison to two years in prison Tuesday, crediting her decision to testify against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried but saying the $11.2 billion fraud was too big to warrant a "get out of jail free card."
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September 24, 2024
NJ Judge Leaves J&J Ch. 11 Venue Change To Texas Judge
A New Jersey bankruptcy judge on Tuesday declined the U.S. trustee's request to move Johnson & Johnson's latest talc-unit Chapter 11 from Texas to the Garden State, saying the issue could be as ably decided by a Texas court while avoiding a thorny issue of authority.
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September 23, 2024
J&J Talc Claims Paused In Latest Spinoff Ch. 11
A Texas bankruptcy judge Monday froze certain talc personal injury litigation against Johnson & Johnson, saying a three-week administrative stay will give the court time to decide key jurisdictional issues in the Chapter 11 case of Red River Talc LLC, a newly created J&J spinoff and the pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant's latest attempt to settle claims in bankruptcy that its baby powder caused cancer.
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September 23, 2024
Mallinckrodt Brass Can't Avoid Investor Suit Over 2nd Ch. 11
A New Jersey federal judge ruled Monday that senior leaders of drugmaker Mallinckrodt cannot escape a lawsuit brought by shareholders alleging the company tricked them into thinking it had recovered from bankruptcy and would make a $200 million payment to opioid claimants, finding the investors sufficiently pleaded securities law violations.
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September 23, 2024
Incora Judge To Consider Mediator Amid Ch. 11 Plan 'Logjam'
A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday instructed parties squabbling over aircraft parts supplier Incora's Chapter 11 exit plan to return to court this week with a proposal that could break a "logjam" in negotiations, saying he will appoint a mediator if one is needed.
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September 23, 2024
Decline And Fall: Brand Empires That Hit Bankruptcy
When food container maker Tupperware filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware last week, disclosing more than $1 billion in liabilities and plans for a quick sale, it became the latest iconic brand to seek relief from financial woes in bankruptcy court, following in the footsteps of giants from Rite Aid to RadioShack.
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September 23, 2024
SunPower Gets OK For $45M Asset Sale, Ch. 11 Plan Vote
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday gave residential solar technology company SunPower Corp. the go-ahead for a $45 million sale of the majority of its assets and a creditor vote on its Chapter 11 plan.
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September 23, 2024
Cargo Airliner ESOP Participants Seek OK On $14.5M Deal
Western Global Airlines and its investment manager will pay $14.5 million to end a proposed class action from two pilots for the cargo airliner alleging the company's employee stock ownership plan was mishandled, according to filings in Delaware federal court.
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September 23, 2024
Judge Recuses Self After Opening Jackson Walker Ethics Probe
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur has asked a Texas federal court to investigate potential sanctions against Jackson Walker LLP for its failure to disclose a relationship between a firm partner and a federal judge, also telling the court he would recuse himself from any proceedings involving the ethics breach.
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September 23, 2024
J&J Accuses Beasley Allen Of Casting Bogus Talc Ballots
Johnson & Johnson has accused the Beasley Allen Law Firm of casting about two dozen false ballots against the company's latest talc bankruptcy plan without voters' consent and urged a New Jersey federal court to remove the firm from the plaintiff's steering committee as a consequence.
Expert Analysis
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How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts
As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
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Purdue Ch. 11 Ruling Reinforces Importance Of D&O Coverage
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, holding that a Chapter 11 reorganization cannot discharge claims against a nondebtor without affected claimants' consent, will open new litigation pathways surrounding corporate insolvency and increase the importance of robust directors and officers insurance, says Evan Bolla at Harris St. Laurent.
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Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem
The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.
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Parsing Justices' Toss Of Purdue's Controversial Ch. 11 Plan
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent nixing of OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma's Chapter 11 proposal prevents the Sackler family from settling thousands of civil opioid lawsuits without the consent of all of the plaintiffs, and holds profound implications for bankruptcy cases, say attorneys at MoloLamken.
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No Matter The Purdue Ruling, Mass Tort Reform Is Needed
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon issue its opinion in the bankruptcy of Purdue Pharma LP, and regardless of the outcome, it’s clear legal and policy reforms are needed to address the next mass tort, says William Organek at Baruch College.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Yellow Corp. Lease Assumption Shows Landlord Protections
Yellow Corp.’s recent filing of a motion to assume unexpired leases is a helpful reminder to practitioners to maintain a long-term approach about what is most beneficial for an estate and to not let a debtor's short-term cash position dictate business decisions, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.
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Insurers Have A Ch. 11 Voice Following High Court Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum — which reaffirmed a broad definition of "party in interest" — will give insurers, particularly in mass tort Chapter 11 bankruptcies, more opportunity to protect their interests and identify problems with reorganization plans, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.
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Considerations For Cooperation Contracts In Loan Trades
Significant challenges to settling trades can arise when lenders of syndicated bank loans enter into defense-oriented cooperation agreements, which are growing in popularity, but working through these issues on the front end of a trade can save hours down the road, says Robert Waldner at Crowell & Moring.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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NY Combined Hearing Guidelines Can Shorten Ch. 11 Timeline
The Southern District of New York’s recently adopted guidelines on combining the processes for Chapter 11 plan confirmation and disclosure statement approval may shorten the Chapter 11 timeline for companies and reduce associated costs, say Robert Drain and Moshe Jacob at Skadden.
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Bankruptcy Judges Can Justly Resolve Mass Tort Cases
Johnson & Johnson’s recent announcement of a prepackaged reorganization plan for its talc unit highlights that Chapter 11 is a continually evolving living statute that can address new types of problems with reorganization, value and job preservation, and just treatment for creditors, says Kenneth Rosen at Ken Rosen Advisors PC.