Large Cap
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January 03, 2025
Meet The Attys Guiding Party City Back Through Ch. 11
A team of attorneys from Porter Hedges LLP and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP are representing retail chain Party City in its Chapter 11 case in the Southern District of Texas, as it plans to close its roughly 700 remaining stores and liquidate.
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January 03, 2025
Clark Hill Promotes Its Largest Membership Class
Clark Hill PLC has announced it broke a firm record when it kicked the new year off by elevating nearly 30 attorneys to the membership class, the largest group of promotions in the firm's history.
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January 02, 2025
Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed Over The Holiday
The Fifth Circuit sided with a group of lenders left out of a so-called uptier refinancing deal with mattress seller Serta Simmons, reversing a bankruptcy court's ruling in a closely watched case on liability management transactions; Purdue Pharma secured a one-month extension as its creditors and members of the Sackler family try to reach a settlement in mediation; and retail chain Big Lots reached an eleventh-hour deal to sell some of its stores and thwart a total liquidation.
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January 02, 2025
Celsius To Challenge $445M Claim Denial In FTX Bankruptcy
Celsius Network's post-Chapter 11 plan counsel filed an appeal on Thursday of a Delaware bankruptcy judge's denial of the cryptocurrency network's amended $444.6 million claim against fellow bankrupt crypto platform FTX.
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January 02, 2025
Catching Up With New Bankruptcy Case Action
Biora Therapeutics filed for Chapter 11 with its plan to sell assets to fund ongoing clinical development. Ohio-based compostable film producer Plastic Suppliers sought bankruptcy protection, citing challenges from EU sanctions, pandemic impacts and market shifts. Chinese state-owned construction firm CCA Construction filed for Chapter 11 with up to $10 billion in debt, driven by geopolitical tensions and a $1.6 billion litigation judgment.
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January 02, 2025
Lumio Says Ch. 11 Plan Releases In Line With Purdue Ruling
Solar panel provider Lumio Holdings LLC defended its Chapter 11 plan and disclosure documents Thursday, saying the claim releases included in the plan are consensual and do not run afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court's Purdue Pharma ruling, which barred nonconsensual releases.
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January 02, 2025
'Crush-Resistant' OxyContin Patents Fail At Fed. Circ.
In one of its last major moves in 2024, the Federal Circuit decided to reject an appeal from the bankrupt maker of OxyContin, which is trying to use patent laws to block the release of a competing "crush-resistant" generic painkiller.
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January 02, 2025
Beasley Allen Aims To Toss Suit From Ex-Ally Firm
Beasley Allen has called on a Mississippi federal court to dismiss or transfer a defamation and breach of contract lawsuit from The Smith Law Firm PLLC over their joint venture agreement for talc litigation against Johnson & Johnson, arguing the case should be tossed in favor of its own suit filed earlier in Alabama.
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January 02, 2025
Terraform Founder Arraigned In NY, Denies $40B Crypto Fraud
Terraform Labs creator Do Kwon appeared Thursday before a Manhattan federal judge to deny charges that he orchestrated a $40 billion fraud on customers and investors who backed the cryptocurrency platform based on promises that it had real-world viability.
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January 02, 2025
What Del. Legal Leaders Are Thinking About Heading Into '25
Figuring out how to best use generative artificial intelligence tools in the practice of law, attracting and retaining talent in a competitive legal market, maintaining Delaware's place in the corporate law space, the state of the economy, and the incoming presidential administration are among issues Delaware legal leaders are focused on as 2025 kicks off.
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January 01, 2025
Auto Supply Chain Susceptible To Tariff-Fueled Bankruptcies
Tariffs suggested by President-elect Donald J. Trump would hit an already precariously-positioned North American auto industry particularly hard, forcing price increases or cost-cutting measures to deal with the new trade barriers and leaving parts suppliers to make hard choices to stave off bankruptcy and protect the supply chain, experts say.
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January 01, 2025
Healthcare Restructuring Trends To Watch In 2025
With bankruptcy filings from the likes of hospital operator Steward Health Care, nursing home company Petersen Health and ventilator producer Vyaire Medical, the healthcare industry continued to face major challenges in 2024.
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January 01, 2025
What Lower Rates? Ch. 11s Expected To Stay Sticky In 2025
With the prospect of big interest rate cuts fading, rates may not dip low enough in 2025 to be a panacea for businesses struggling with high levels of debt, consumer frugality and uncertainty under a new administration.
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January 01, 2025
Bankruptcy Issues To Watch In 2025
Bankruptcy professionals are seeing uncertainty in 2025, with a mix of opinions on whether filings will trend up or down, but certainty that there won't be a final word on the claims release questions bankruptcy plans faced in 2024.
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December 23, 2024
McElroy Deutsch Beats Former Exec's Malicious Claim
McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP got a claim for malicious prosecution against it dismissed without prejudice in litigation against its former business development director, who the firm accused of embezzling millions from it.
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December 23, 2024
Party City Reenters Ch. 11 With Plans To Wind Down
Retail chain Party City has returned to bankruptcy with more than $399 million in debt and plans to close its approximately 700 remaining stores and liquidate, saying attempts to improve its bottom line after its 2023 bankruptcy faltered in the face of falling sales.
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December 23, 2024
AI Co. ILearningEngines Hits Ch. 11 With $100M-Plus Debt
Artificial intelligence software company iLearningEngines has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with up to $500 million in debt after a recent cyberattack and proposed securities class action added to mounting pressures facing the company.
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December 20, 2024
High Court Bar's Future: Williams & Connolly's Sarah Harris
Sarah M. Harris of Williams & Connolly LLP never planned on being a U.S. Supreme Court advocate, or even an appellate one. She stumbled upon that career path after realizing her initial goal of becoming a national security or government lawyer wasn't the right fit.
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December 20, 2024
Crypto Trading Co. To Pay SEC $123M Over Terraform Claims
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Friday that it secured a $123 million settlement with a Jump Trading subsidiary for allegedly misleading investors about the stability of the now-collapsed Terraform ecosystem by effectively propping up the project's flagship token following a trading arrangement made while the token dipped in value.
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December 20, 2024
Real Estate Recap: Stats, Multifamily Tech, Pot Shop Pickle
Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including big picture stats for commercial real estate in 2024, how one proptech company is leveraging resident data for multifamily profitability, and a conversation with a BigLaw leader about navigating New York's pot shop crackdown.
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December 20, 2024
SEC Sues Silver Point Over Atty's Receipt Of Nonpublic Info
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued investment adviser firm Silver Point Capital LP in Connecticut federal court on Friday, alleging that it failed to establish policies to safeguard material nonpublic information, particularly from a now-deceased former BigLaw attorney.
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December 20, 2024
Under The Radar: Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed
Bankrupt cryptocurrency company Celsius Network warned of another phishing attempt, a Brooklyn condo developer's Chapter 11 case was dismissed and a Canadian power services company reached a settlement with the owner of its debt.
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December 20, 2024
EV Battery Co. Northvolt Cleared For Ch. 11 Loan, Cash Use
Bankrupt electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt AB received final approval Friday from a Texas court to enter into a $100 million Chapter 11 loan and to access the cash collateral of its secured lenders after working with unsecured creditors to reach consensus on the financial relief.
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December 20, 2024
Yellow Corp. Layoff Notices Had Too Little Info, Judge Says
A Delaware bankruptcy judge has shot down some of trucking company Yellow Corp.'s defenses against claims it failed to give proper notice of more than 25,000 layoffs just before it entered Chapter 11, saying the notices it sent weren't informative enough.
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December 20, 2024
Chilean Phone Co. WOM Gets OK On $500M Takeover Terms
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Friday signed off on the framework for Chilean mobile phone operator WOM SA's $500 million restructuring plan, finding the debtor had exercised sound business judgment in selecting the deal to reduce some $650 million in debt.
Expert Analysis
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.
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So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?
Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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A Strategic Checklist For Bankruptcy Motion Objections
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Hewing to a set of best practices for objecting to a motion in bankruptcy cases can help creditors’ counsel stay on track as they juggle deadlines and jurisdictions, determine whether filing will help or harm the client, and negotiate with the debtor.
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The 3rd-Party Bankruptcy Release Landscape After Purdue
In its Purdue Pharma ruling prohibiting nonconsensual third-party releases, the U.S. Supreme Court did not comment on criteria to render a third-party release consensual, opening a debate in the bankruptcy courts on the permissibility of opt-out versus opt-in releases, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being
As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
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Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.
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Bankruptcy Decision Exemplifies Venue Issue For Franchisees
A California bankruptcy court's decision earlier this month in Pinnacle Foods and a lingering circuit split on assumption of executory franchise contracts highlights the issue of whether franchisee debtors can qualify for case venue in friendlier circuits, says David Gamble at Parkins Rubio.
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Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity
Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.
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Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules
The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
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The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
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What Being An 'Insider' Means In Ch. 11, And Why It Matters
As borrowers grapple with approaching near-term maturities on corporate debt, lenders should be proactive in mitigating the risks of being classified as an insider in potential bankruptcies, including heightened scrutiny, preference risk, plan voting and more, say David Hillman and Steve Ma at Proskauer.
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How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
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Navigating The Bankruptcy Terrain After Purdue Pharma
The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma is having a significant impact on bankruptcies, with recent cases addressing nonconsensual third-party releases and opt-out mechanisms, and highlighting strategies practitioners can employ to avoid running afoul of the decision, say Brett Axelrod and Agostino Zammiello at Fox Rothschild.