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Secured creditors can learn a great deal from a few recent bankruptcy cases involving the Uniform Commercial Code that remind us that the “devil is in the details.” These cases show that it is unrealistic to expect forgiveness by a court after a misstep involving Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Once a debtor files bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Code Section 544(a), also known as the “strong arm clause,” provides the trustee or the debtor the rights of a creditor with a judicial lien on the property of the debtor as of the date of the bankruptcy petition. See, Legislative History, Section 544(a).
Overview of Limitations on Employee Compensation in Bankruptcy
By Carl E. Black and Jonathan Noble Edel
Recognizing the potential consequences, companies in Chapter 11 bankruptcy often try to reduce employee uncertainty by seeking authority from the bankruptcy court. The Bankruptcy Code, however, imposes a variety of limitations on the ability of a debtor-employer to provide certain types of compensation and benefits to “insiders,” a term that is broadly defined in the Bankruptcy Code.
Third Circuit Allows Repossessing Secured Lender to Hold Collateral Pending Bankruptcy Stay
By Michael L. Cook
“[A] secured creditor [has no] affirmative obligation under the automatic stay to return a debtor’s [repossessed] collateral to the bankruptcy estate immediately upon notice of the debtor’s bankruptcy,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held on Oct. 28, 2019 in In re Denby-Peterson.
Sympathy for the Debtor? Not When It Comes to Student Loans
By Rudolph J. Di Massa Jr. and Jarret P. Hitchings
The assumption that bankruptcy can’t relieve a borrower of student loan obligations is incorrect, however a debtor must provide compelling evidence that an undue hardship will result if the debtor is required to repay the loan.
‘Dirt for Debt’ In Bankruptcy Plans of Reorganization
By Peter Janovsky
A debtor’s goal in a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is to confirm a “plan of reorganization.” Creditors usually have the right to vote for or against a plan, and in some cases, a plan can be confirmed over the objection of one or more classes of creditors. This is called a “cram-down.” The Bankruptcy Code’s rules governing cram-down are complex and differ for secured and unsecured classes of creditors. This article shows how bankruptcy courts have ruled on a particular method of cram-down known as a “dirt-for-debt” plan.