Features

Fourth Circuit Ruling Underscores Judicial Divide On Use of 'Texas Two-Step'
A sharply divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruling shielding a nondebtor in bankruptcy proceedings from asbestos lawsuits underscores the wider and growing divide among judges across the country on the bounds of Chapter 11 protection and corporations' use of the "Texas two-step" to address mass tort litigation.
Features

Novel Issues of Chapter 11 Mass Tort and Complex Claims Cases Impact Claims Against Unrelated Debtors
Chapter 11 cases involving mass tort and complex personal injury claims often require the resolution of novel legal issues that stretch the bounds of existing precedent. As these cases evolve, they can also impact claims against other debtors unrelated to the case at hand through court-approved injunctions, releases or settlements.
Features

After Dismissal of J&J's Second Talc Bankruptcy, Plaintiffs Lawyers Call for Consolidated Trials
With the dismissal of Johnson & Johnson's second talc bankruptcy, plaintiffs lawyers are doubling down on their plans to pursue trials across the country.
Features

Distressed Investors Should Take Advantage of the Upcoming Plethora of Defaulted CRE Loans
What is different about this distressed cycle is that most of the lenders are not foreclosing and taking title to the CRE assets, managing, and leasing them for a few months and then selling the properties. They are more likely to sell the note/mortgage rather than foreclose on the property. This presents a unique and interesting opportunity for astute distressed investors, who are experienced in acquiring mortgage notes secured by commercial property and in the arduous foreclosure and bankruptcy process,
Features

Evolution of Pre-Bankruptcy Planning Raises Questions of Good Faith
In recent years, as extensive pre-bankruptcy planning has evolved, bankruptcy filings frequently involve affiliates of larger companies, engineered with a structuring of liabilities in mind. The question of whether these targeted filings are for a legitimate bankruptcy purpose or should be dismissed has been the subject of significant high-profile litigation.
Features

How the Texas Two-Step Changes How Plaintiffs Litigate Mass Torts
By enabling defendants to shield themselves from mass tort liability, the "Texas Two-Step" is a new obstacle for plaintiffs pursuing mass tort cases against manufacturers of dangerous products.
Features

Could the $18.8M Talc Verdict Threaten J&J's Bankruptcy Plan?
The verdict, which excluded punitive damages, could have been much larger. But the jury's award has the potential to threaten the $8.9 billion settlement and, as a result, a proposed Chapter 11 reorganization plan in the bankruptcy of Johnson & Johnson's LTL Management.
Features

Second Circuit Affirms Slashing of Unreasonable Fees In Dismissed Involuntary Bankruptcy Case
An involuntary bankruptcy petition is a limited, risky remedy for both creditors' counsel and debtor's counsel. The fee problems encountered by counsel for the petitioners and the putative debtor in this case provide a cautionary tale.
Features

Second Circuit Sets Up Seven-Factor Test for Third-Party Releases In Bankruptcy Cases
The Second Circuit had a tough call to make in the Purdue Pharmacy bankruptcy appeal: What to do about the release given to the Sackler families who had agreed to contribute $5.5 to $6 billion to Purdue's reorganization plan but were not themselves in bankruptcy.
Features

Bankruptcy Court Highlights Pitfalls to Avoid When Retaining Experts
Simply because the expert is retained by counsel in anticipation of litigation, does not automatically render all communications privileged.
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