Features

Employee Claims in Bankruptcy Pose Significant Liability Exposure
<b><i>Lessons Learned From In Re FPMI Solutions Inc.</i></b><p>When a corporation determines to file for Chapter 11 protection, questions concerning the status of existing labor and employment agreements and viability of employee claims immediately arise. Indeed, there are litanies of potential pitfalls for companies that file for bankruptcy without strictly following the requirements of federal or state employment laws.
Features

Third-Party Litigation Funding
<b><i>A New Option for Resource-Strapped Bankruptcy Estates</i></b><p>Despite third-party litigation funding's explosive growth, corporate restructuring/insolvency practitioners in the U.S. are not yet frequent participants in such arrangements. Yet litigation funding could be especially beneficial to provide a new source of capital for otherwise asset-starved estates.
Features

Third Circuit Defines 'Received' for Section 503 (B)(9) Claims
For over a decade now, the Bankruptcy Code has granted a priority of payment with regard to creditor claims for goods received by the debtor in the 20 days before bankruptcy. A creditor merely needs to demonstrate that the debtor "received" the goods within the prescribed pre-bankruptcy interval, and its claim attains priority as an administrative expense. Ah, but therein lies the rub.
Features

Validity of an Avoidance Claim Sale
<b><i>Third Circuit Sidesteps Ruling</i></b><p>The Third Circuit recently dismissed an appeal from "the sale of legal claims" as "statutorily moot" under Bankruptcy Code § 363(m) because the appellants "had not obtained a stay" of the effectiveness of the sale order pending appeal. Here's why this ruling is so important.
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.
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