Converting a Chapter 7 to a Chapter 13
It has been a prevailing view in practice under the Bankruptcy Code that a Debtor has an absolute one-time right under Section 706(a) to convert a case from Chapter 7 to another Chapter, the most common scenario involving conversion from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13. However, two recent circuit level cases, reflecting the case law trend, have found that a motion to convert a Chapter 7 to a Chapter 13 may be denied if not made in good faith.
Features
Pitfalls of Critical Vendor Litigation
The latest development in 'critical vendor' litigation occurred in the case where much of it began ' the Kmart Corporation bankruptcy case. On April 12, 2006, United State Bankruptcy Judge Susan Pierson Sonderby denied motions to dismiss lawsuits seeking the return of critical vendor payments, paving the way for the cases to proceed to trial. Although Judge Sonderby's decision was not published, this latest chapter of the Kmart story is worth noting.
Enron Court Says Transferred Claims Remain Tainted
two recent decisions by the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York serve to reemphasize a maxim well known to those regularly involved in the distressed debt industry. Participants in the market for distressed claims must be aware of the inherent risks and uncertainties in dealing with post-petition debtors, and they must protect themselves accordingly.
Features
News Briefs
Highlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
Court Watch
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
Features
IFA Legal Symposium: Franchise CEOs Emphasize Importance of Legal Counsel in Wide Variety of Business Issues
Legal counsel to franchise systems have responsibilities that range from drafting and updating UFOCs, to assisting with purchases of new systems, to monitoring legislative and regulatory activity. Which of these services are most needed by franchisors, and how can in-house or outside counsel maximize their value? A special CEO Roundtable session at the International Franchise Association ('IFA') Legal Symposium in Washington, DC, in May tried to answer some of those questions by bringing together four veteran franchisor CEOs who detailed how they work with inside and outside counsel and where they see legal flashpoints in franchising today.
FTC Proposes New Business Opportunity Rule
On April 12, 2006, the Federal Trade Commission ('FTC') published in the Federal Register (Business Opportunity Rule 71 Fed. Reg. 19054 (proposed April 12, 2006) (to be codified at 16 CFR Part 437)) a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the FTC's long-awaited business opportunity rule ('Bus Opp Rule'). The Bus Opp Rule will cover business opportunity sellers who now are covered by the FTC's franchise trade regulation rule ('Franchise Rule'), as well as sellers of certain business opportunities who are not now covered by the Franchise Rule. The FTC has long believed that the same regulation was not the best way to regulate both business opportunity sellers and franchisors. More specifically, the FTC has concluded that each group's special characteristics (such as history of consumer protection problems, sophistication of its target purchasers, required investment commitment, and complexity of business system) required a different regulatory approach. The Bus Opp Rule is designed to create a regulatory scheme to focus on the special characteristics of business opportunities. Until the Bus Opp Rule is promulgated, business opportunity sellers must continue to comply with the current and, if and when adopted, amended Franchise Rule.
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
- Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About ItWhy is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?Read More ›
- Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the RoughThere is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.Read More ›
- Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand OwnersBlockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.Read More ›
- Trying to Determine Rights in Pre-1972 Sound RecordingsAudio recordings of speech, musical instruments or any other sounds created before Feb. 15, 1972, are treated very differently from other recorded sounds under U.S. law. Each of the 50 states is free to apply its own rules to the protection of audio sound recordings made before Feb. 15, 1972, and may continue to do so for the next 54 years. As a consequence, the scope of protection for pre-1972 sound recordings is inconsistent from state to state, often vague and sometimes difficult to discern.Read More ›
- Disavowals of Liability Do Not Disembowel Coverage: Liability Settlements and Insurance CoverageLiability insurance policies apply where the insured is liable for bodily injury, property damage, or wrongful acts (depending on the policy). What happens, however, when the policyholder denies that any injury or wrongdoing took place? Does that mean that insurance is not applicable?Read More ›