Features

Reflections on the Life Partners Holding Inc. Bankruptcy
Many bankruptcy practitioners are at least somewhat familiar with the highly publicized proceedings involving Life Partners Holdings Inc. (LPHI), a company that sold fractional ownership interests in life insurance policies — referred to as life settlements. This case was as complex as any could imagine and, as the Trustee appointed to manage this bankruptcy, the author had a front-row seat.
Features

Is Electricity a 'Good' Under Article 9?
Can a creditor obtain a security interest in electricity under UCC Article 9? It covers security interests in fixtures and personal property. Clearly, electricity is not real property or a fixture. But what kind of personal property is it?
Features

Retail Restructuring
Various debt-burdened retailers are looking to their intellectual property assets as a source of untapped value for refinancing transactions. While it remains to be seen which strategies will be most successful, IP assets will play a key role in future retail restructurings.
Features

Recognizing the Signs of Financial Distress
Diagnosing financial distress, and the ability to address the relevant issues, is a necessary role of board members and senior executives. This article examines the types of distress, how to measure it versus how the capital markets measure it, and some of the tools and solutions a company has to address the issues during times of stress.
Features

Discovery Strategies for a Creditor in a Bankruptcy Case
<b><i>Beyond Filing a Proof of Claim</b></i><p>This article explains the rights of a creditor, whether an equipment financier or otherwise, to pursue examinations of a debtor in bankruptcy in order to obtain sworn testimony and information that may be helpful to the creditor.
Features

<b><I>AE Liquidation</I></b>: WARN Act Comfort for Debtors Attempting a 363 Sale, or Just the 'Putin Exception'?
In <I>In re AE Liquidation</I>, the Third Circuit held that a WARN Act notice only must be given when mass layoffs are probable, not when merely foreseeable. As a result, a debtor that was attempting to effectuate a going concern sale under Bankruptcy Code Section 363 was not liable for failing to give a WARN Act notice until the day it determined it could no longer wait for approvals from the buyer to close.
Features

Third Circuit Defines 'Received' for Section 503(B)(9) Claims
In <I>Haining Wansheng Sofa Co., Ltd. v. World Imports, Ltd. (In re World Imports, Ltd.</I>), the Third Circuit firmly declared that "received" in Section 503(b)(9) connotes actual physical custody of the goods by the debtor. This turnabout in the interpretation of the meaning of "received" is a significant development, given that such claims frequently arise in business bankruptcies.
Features

The Art of Filing a Proof of Claim in a Bankruptcy Case
<b><I>Rule Changes You Should Understand</I></b><p>This article focuses on the strategies that an equipment financier may explore when it needs to file a proof of claim in a bankruptcy case to preserve its rights. It also describes a debtor's right to object to a creditor's claim.
Features
Ninth Circuit Reignites Debate over the Interplay of Sections 363, 365
Bankruptcy Code sections 363 and 365 provide different rights for different parties, and they usually operate independently of one another. However, in situations where the two sections overlap, a number of courts have held they are in conflict, because a party invoking one of the provisions will seek to override the interest of a party invoking the other.
Columns & Departments
On the Move
Kobre & Kim LLP announced that Daniel Saval has joined the firm's cross-border insolvency litigation practice as a partner in the New York office.…
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent TrollsWith trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.Read More ›
- Meet the Lawyer Working on Inclusion Rider LanguageAt the Oscars in March, Best Actress winner Frances McDormand made “inclusion rider” go viral. But Kalpana Kotagal, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll had already worked for months to write the language for such provisions. Kotagal was developing legal language for contract provisions that Hollywood's elite could use to require studios and other partners to employ diverse workers on set.Read More ›
- From the PTO to the FDA: What to Consider When Branding Clinical TrialsThe legal implications of branding generally arise initially for companies during the process of selecting a company name and any initial product or service names. For drug development companies, however, careful consideration should also be paid to the implications of branding a clinical trial.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›