Large Cap
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November 26, 2024
Meet The New US Trustee For Northern And Eastern Texas
The incoming U.S. trustee for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas is known as a stalwart defender of the bankruptcy process, a trait that helped her win the dismissal of the National Rifle Association's controversial Chapter 11 case.
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November 26, 2024
Spirit Airlines Gets Nod On Initial Jet Sales In $519M Deal
A New York bankruptcy judge on Tuesday blessed the sale of five Spirit Airlines planes to aerospace company GA Telesis as part of a larger $518.9 million deal for 23 of Spirit's Airbus jets.
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November 26, 2024
Catching Up With New Bankruptcy Case Action
Swedish electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt AB and snack maker Hearthside Food Solutions filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief, while former natural gas driller Ursa Operating Company LLC and e-commerce company Grocery Shopii sought Chapter 7 liquidations. A United Kingdom affiliate of Mexican leasing and lending group Mega, the parent company of Canadian charter bus company Bus.com and Canadian utility services provider Rokstad Holdings Corp. each sought recognition of their foreign insolvency proceedings.
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November 26, 2024
X Corp. Says InfoWars Social Media Accounts Can't Be Sold
The parent company that owns X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, told a Texas bankruptcy judge that the Chapter 7 trustee in the case of right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones can't sell X accounts tied to Jones and his InfoWars business because they are the property of the social media company.
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November 26, 2024
99 Cents Only Says Plan Imminent After Noteholder Deal
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved a settlement under which holders of notes issued by bankrupt discount retail chain 99 Cents Only agreed to resolve a challenge to their liens by taking a $297 million haircut in a soon-to-be-filed Chapter 11 plan.
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November 25, 2024
Judge Eyes Dec. Hearing To Sort Out Onion's Bid For Infowars
A Texas judge asked the Chapter 7 trustee in right-wing fabulist Alex Jones' bankruptcy to preserve the status quo until a sale hearing sometime in December that will determine whether the parent company of satirical news publisher The Onion was correctly chosen as the winning bidder in the auction for Jones' Infowars program.
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November 25, 2024
Tuna Price-Fixing MDL Lead Attys Awarded $86M In Fees
A California federal judge has agreed to award a combined total of $86 million in fees and costs to lead counsel representing two classes of canned tuna buyers who reached settlements in recent months with StarKist, Dongwon Industries and Lion Capital in a decadelong price-fixing case.
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November 25, 2024
Lampert, Sears Stockholders Set Appraisal Share Faceoff
Delaware's Court of Chancery has teed up an argument on how to handle class member claims of former Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. stockholders whose share appraisal demand was torpedoed by the company's bankruptcy in 2022.
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November 25, 2024
Spirit's Cayman Units To Hit Ch. 11 As Airline Eyes Swift Reorg
Four Spirit Airlines subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands were expected to file for bankruptcy protection Monday and ask a New York federal court to join the company's main Chapter 11 case, a move that Spirit says will help keep the debtor on course to confirm a reorganization plan.
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November 25, 2024
Hearthside Owner Seeking Debt Swap Approval By Late March
The bankrupt owner of packaged food maker Hearthside Food Solutions told a Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday it is seeking to implement a debt-for-equity swap with its senior creditors by the end of March, obtaining initial approval for several aspects of its restructuring.
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November 25, 2024
Alex Jones Blasts Onion Bid, FTX Tech Deputy Avoids Prison
Alex Jones and a backup bidder linked to his Chapter 7 are challenging the sale of his Infowars website to The Onion, alleging flaws in the auction process. A former FTX's tech deputy can avoid prison time for assisting the FTX fraud case by exposing programming flaws; attorneys who have represented Purdue Pharma can receive $21.2 million in fees for its work during summer. This is the week in bankruptcy.
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November 25, 2024
Madoff Trustee Inks Deal To End $21M Clawback Against ZCM
The trustee liquidating the assets of Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff has agreed to settle its $21.2 million clawback suit against ZCM Asset Holding Co. for $10.6 million, it said in filing in New York bankruptcy court Friday.
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November 25, 2024
Pitney Bowes E-Commerce Arm Confirms Ch. 11 Wind-Down
A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday gave DRF Logistics, the former online delivery arm of shipping and logistics group Pitney Bowes, the all clear to move forward on plans to wind down in Chapter 11 with a recently inked global settlement with the committee of unsecured creditors.
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November 25, 2024
Meet The Attorneys Helping Spirit Airlines Navigate Ch. 11
Ultra-low-cost airline Spirit has called on lawyers from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP to see it through a prearranged Chapter 11 meant to address $3.6 billion in funded debt after the U.S. Department of Justice thwarted the company's bid to merge with JetBlue.
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November 25, 2024
Sanctions Sought Against Reed Smith In Eletson Ch. 11
Creditors of bankrupt gas tanker operator Eletson Holdings Monday called for "harsh sanctions" against company directors and officers and their attorneys at Reed Smith, saying they are peddling bogus legal theories to stall the company's reorganization.
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November 22, 2024
Under The Radar: Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed
Troubled nursing home operator Petersen Health Care reached a settlement with the former owner of one of its properties, a Chapter 11 examiner urged mediation in the bankruptcy of New York hedge fund Weiss Multi-Strategy Advisers and the liquidating trust for Residential Capital LLC was given a two-year extension to continue insurance coverage litigation.
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November 22, 2024
Big Lots Can Close On $760M Asset Sale, Judge Says
A Delaware bankruptcy judge Friday approved the $760 million sale of bankrupt discount retail chain Big Lots to a private equity group and told creditors they were out of time to challenge the company's Chapter 11 financing.
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November 22, 2024
Judge Garrity Will Leave SDNY Bankruptcy Bench In 2025
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, one of the nation's busiest bankruptcy venues, has announced that it will be losing one of its longest-serving judges next year.
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November 22, 2024
Latham Adds 4 Restructuring Attys From Weil And Paul Weiss
Latham & Watkins LLP announced Thursday that it has tapped four restructuring practice leaders from two rival BigLaw shops to join its New York office.
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November 22, 2024
Snack Maker Hearthside Files For Ch. 11 To Shed $1.9B Debt
H-Food Holdings LLC, which makes granola bars, pretzels and other snacks under the name Hearthside Food Solutions for major brands, filed for bankruptcy protection in Texas on Friday, with a restructuring agreement that would allow it to wipe out more than $1.9 billion of debt.
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November 22, 2024
Incora Uptier Fight Lays Bare Risks For Private Equity Backers
In the bruising battles for position among lenders to debt-laden companies, private equity firms often remain relatively unscathed. But a case in Texas federal court over so-called creditor-on-creditor violence now threatens to punish buyout shop Platinum Equity for orchestrating an ill-fated debt exchange, potentially sending a chill over the market for liability management deals.
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November 22, 2024
Hodgson Russ Adds Bankruptcy Talent To Buffalo Team
Hodgson Russ LLP has added an attorney who focuses on complex commercial insolvency matters to its team in Buffalo to work as a partner with its bankruptcy, restructuring and commercial litigation practice.
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November 21, 2024
Franchise Group Lenders Want End To Debtor's Ch. 11 Rights
Lenders of bankrupt retail-focused holding company Franchise Group Inc., including Pacific Investment Management Co. and private equity firm Irradiant Partners, have urged a Delaware bankruptcy judge to end holdco debtor Chapter 11 exclusivity restrictions, arguing that the move offers the best escape from a near-inescapable "Gordian knot" entangling all their claims.
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November 21, 2024
The Onion's Infowars Bid Rests On Whether Highest Is Best
As satirical media company The Onion prepares to defend its offer to buy Alex Jones' right-wing conspiracy show, Infowars, it is relying on the idea that sometimes, the highest offer is not the best one for creditors, experts told Law360.
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November 21, 2024
Big Lots Seeks To Include Claims Against Execs In Asset Sale
Discount retailer Big Lots on Thursday asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to approve a $760 million asset sale to a private equity group and override creditor objections to the inclusion of potential litigation claims against company insiders in the package.
Expert Analysis
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7 Steps To Take Before Responding To Claim Objections
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
When counsel is notified of an objection to the proof of claim in a bankruptcy case, they should contact the client and begin discussing the cost and benefit of responding.
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Tips For Handling Single Asset Real Estate Bankruptcy Cases
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Bankruptcy counsel should consider several strategies when representing either a debtor or lender in single asset real estate debtor Chapter 11 cases, which generally arise when a debtor is forced to file for relief to stop an impending foreclosure sale.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Ch. 11 Ruling Shows Early Attempt To Tackle Purdue Fallout
A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Parlement Technologies’ Chapter 11 case, which denied a bid by Parler’s former owner to extend its bankruptcy stay to nondebtors, illustrates early efforts to grapple with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Purdue Pharma for a recurring bankruptcy issue, say Daniel Lowenthal and Jonah Wacholder at Patterson Belknap.
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9 Liability Management Tips As Debt Maturity Cliff Looms
As the debt maturity cliff swiftly approaches in this challenging environment, attorneys at Winston & Strawn highlight the top considerations for boards of directors and finance professionals to think about when structuring and executing liability management transactions, including reviewing capital structure, evaluating debt covenants, and more.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy
In light of an increase in year-to-date Chapter 11 filings, businesses must understand the importance and value of intellectual property in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, from contributing to enterprise value, to providing leverage in negotiations and facilitating recovery, says Gregory Campanella at Ocean Tomo.
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Avoiding Retail Bankruptcy As Economic Uncertainty Persists
Amid record retail bankruptcies and continued economic uncertainty in 2024, retailers can take specific steps like building stronger cash-flow models, managing inventory wisely and reassessing cost structures to avoid financial distress, say consultants at BRG.
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Banking Compliance Takeaways From Joint Agency Statement
Federal bank regulatory agencies’ recent joint statement warning of risks associated with third-party fintech deposit services spotlights a fundamental problem that may arise with bank deposit products that are made through increasingly complex customer relationships, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.
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Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Chapter 11 Ruling Signals Emphasis On Lockup Provisions
A New York bankruptcy court's recent ruling in GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes’ Chapter 11 case provides creditors with a strong basis for resisting requests to lock up or otherwise limit their voting rights, say Dania Slim and Andrew Alfano at Pillsbury.