Large Cap
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December 16, 2024
Judge Kills Infowars Sale, BigLaw Firms Duck Suit
A Texas court blocked an attempt from satirical news outlet The Onion to buy conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' radio show, and a racketeering suit against Jackson Walker LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP over allegations they profited from former bankruptcy Judge David R. Jones' romantic relationship with a member of the bankruptcy bar was dismissed.
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December 16, 2024
Incora Moves Toward Confirmation After Opt-Outs OK'd
A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday approved the opt-out mechanism for third-party releases in the Chapter 11 plan from aircraft parts supplier Incora, overruling an objection from the U.S. Trustee's Office.
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December 16, 2024
Reed Smith, Eletson Battle Over Sanctions In Ch. 11
The current and former owners of reorganized Greek shipping group Eletson Holdings clashed in New York bankruptcy court Monday over sanctions requested against Reed Smith LLP, the Chapter 11 counsel to the previous Eletson, and others in a dispute over implementing its confirmed bankruptcy plan that an attorney compared to the movie "Groundhog Day."
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December 16, 2024
Global Brands Trustee's $296M Ch. 11 Clawback Suit Survives
A $296 million adversary suit brought by a litigation trust created for the benefit of reorganized debtor Global Brands Group's creditors can continue after a New York bankruptcy judge on Monday said the defendants were subject to the personal jurisdiction of his court.
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December 16, 2024
Restaurants Struggled In 2024 As Costs Rose, Visits Fell
Many restaurants have faced challenges this year, grappling with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation and difficulty passing costs onto increasingly price-sensitive patrons — pressures that are expected to persist into the next year, experts told Law360.
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December 13, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen a group of franchise operators hit Vodafone with a £120 million ($151 million) claim for allegedly imposing commission cuts, green energy tycoon Dale Vince pursue another libel action against the publisher of the Daily Mail, and parcel delivery giant Yodel face a claim by an investor that helped save it from collapse earlier in the year.
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December 13, 2024
Auto Mogul Must Turn Over Note Info In $127M Collection Row
An auto mogul, his living trust and one of his companies must turn over documents related to a $20 million payment on promissory notes as part of marathon litigation related to Alter Domus LLC's attempts to collect on a $127 million judgment, a Michigan federal judge has ruled.
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December 13, 2024
Under The Radar: Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed
An artificial intelligence startup said its former CEO can't put a freeze on her indemnification claims in its bankruptcy while she faces criminal and civil fraud charges. The bankrupt former owner of a talc mine owner said it needs another $9 million in Chapter 11 funding to close its case. And, the Office of the U.S. Trustee said use of opt-out forms to get creditor consent to third-party releases aren't allowed under state law.
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December 13, 2024
Ice Miller Expands To Miami With Greenspoon Marder Hires
Ice Miller LLP announced that it launched a new location in Miami with the addition of three transactional attorneys from Greenspoon Marder LLP, in what the firm said is part of a strategy to grow its presence in South Florida.
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December 13, 2024
US Trustee Wants Spirit To Explain Counsel Bid For Ch. 11
The U.S. Trustee's Office is opposing Spirit Airlines' bid to hire Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as primary counsel in its Chapter 11 and Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP as its conflicts counsel, telling a New York bankruptcy court that the carrier needs to specify what potential conflicts of interest exist.
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December 13, 2024
Ex-Weil Restructuring Atty Returns As Co-Chair
Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP announced Friday the return of a longtime partner who departed the firm last year to lead the debtor-side restructuring practice in the U.S. for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.
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December 13, 2024
McKinsey To Pay $650M For Work With Opioid Maker Purdue
Consulting giant McKinsey & Co. will pay $650 million to resolve charges related to its work helping Purdue Pharma market and boost sales of OxyContin, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
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December 12, 2024
BakerHostetler Can't Ditch RICO Claims In Bankruptcy Fight
A Texas bankruptcy judge Wednesday trimmed fraud and legal malpractice claims alleging BakerHostetler aided a $100 million insurance fraud scheme, but he refused to throw out civil racketeering claims, finding that the allegations are "well-pleaded," and he must assume, for now, that they're true.
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December 12, 2024
Incora's Opt-Outs Not Like Class Actions, US Trustee Says
The U.S. Trustee's Office on Thursday objected to the third-party releases in the Chapter 11 plan from aircraft parts supplier Incora, arguing in a Texas bankruptcy court that the opt-out mechanism for the releases is not comparable to class action procedures.
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December 12, 2024
Texaco Says La. Suits Blocked By 1988 Ch. 11 Plan
Texaco Inc. and Louisiana state and local officials on Thursday clashed before a New York bankruptcy judge over whether the oil company's decades-old Chapter 11 plan bars the officials from suing Texaco over allegations its drilling operations violated state law.
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December 12, 2024
Brazilian Airline GOL Files Ch. 11 Plan To Cut $2.5B Debt
Low-cost Brazilian airline GOL Linhas has revealed a proposed Chapter 11 plan after reaching a global settlement with creditors, major investor Abra Group Limited and other stakeholders that would extinguish $2.5 billion in debt before its January confirmation hearing.
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December 11, 2024
Q&A With 1MDB Co-Liquidator Angela Barkhouse
Angela Barkhouse, who leads the offshore restructuring business for Kroll, has faced heartbroken creditors and corrupt presidents in her time running financial probes and offshore asset recoveries, including stints as a joint liquidator for 1Malaysia Development Berhad and as an investigator of fraud by a former Maldives president.
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December 11, 2024
US Trustee Wants To Pump Brakes On Spirit Airlines Ch. 11
The Office of the U.S. Trustee has objected to the pace of Spirit Airlines' Chapter 11 case, saying the ultra-low-cost carrier's bankruptcy is too large and complex for the court to allow a rush to a combined confirmation and disclosure statement hearing in February.
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December 11, 2024
NRA Ordered To Reform Policies After NY Misconduct Verdict
A New York judge ordered changes to the National Rifle Association's board structure and organizational policies Wednesday to "prevent future violations of law," following a jury verdict that found widespread financial misconduct and whistleblower retaliation within the gun group.
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December 11, 2024
High Court Bar's Future: Haynes Boone's Daniel Geyser
Daniel L. Geyser of Haynes and Boone LLP is an unconventional U.S. Supreme Court advocate in every respect, from the path he forged to become one of the high court's frequent arguers to the way he runs his current practice from more than half a country away from the nation's capital.
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December 11, 2024
Meet The Attys Behind EV Battery Co. Northvolt's Ch. 11
A team of attorneys from Haynes and Boone LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are representing Swedish electric-vehicle battery manufacturer Northvolt AB in its Chapter 11 case in Texas as it seeks to streamline its business and sell off factories and subsidiaries unrelated to its core mission.
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December 11, 2024
Embattled Texas Law Firm Heading To Mediation In Ch. 11
Troubled Houston law firm MMA Law said it will engage in mediation with litigation funders Equal Access Justice Fund LP and creditors to try to sort out issues pertaining to the firm's bankruptcy plan and other matters, days after Equal Access escaped a class action involving MMA Law.
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December 11, 2024
DA Says Allegheny County Pension System Risks Insolvency
The Allegheny County employee retirement coffers could run out of money within 15 years, the Pennsylvania jurisdiction's top prosecutor warned in a lawsuit seeking to make the county and the retirement board fix the allegedly floundering system.
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December 11, 2024
Blank Rome Partner Promotions Hold Steady At 12
Blank Rome LLP scored a three-peat with its recent attorney promotions after announcing this week it will elevate 12 attorneys to partner for the third year in a row when the new year starts.
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December 11, 2024
Prison Health Co. Wellpath's $362M Ch. 11 Loan Gets OK
A Texas bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved prison healthcare provider Wellpath Holdings Inc.'s bid to borrow $362.3 million in Chapter 11 financing after the company trimmed part of the funding to resolve an objection from the U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog.
Expert Analysis
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7 Steps To Take Before Responding To Claim Objections
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
When counsel is notified of an objection to the proof of claim in a bankruptcy case, they should contact the client and begin discussing the cost and benefit of responding.
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Tips For Handling Single Asset Real Estate Bankruptcy Cases
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Bankruptcy counsel should consider several strategies when representing either a debtor or lender in single asset real estate debtor Chapter 11 cases, which generally arise when a debtor is forced to file for relief to stop an impending foreclosure sale.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Ch. 11 Ruling Shows Early Attempt To Tackle Purdue Fallout
A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Parlement Technologies’ Chapter 11 case, which denied a bid by Parler’s former owner to extend its bankruptcy stay to nondebtors, illustrates early efforts to grapple with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Purdue Pharma for a recurring bankruptcy issue, say Daniel Lowenthal and Jonah Wacholder at Patterson Belknap.
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9 Liability Management Tips As Debt Maturity Cliff Looms
As the debt maturity cliff swiftly approaches in this challenging environment, attorneys at Winston & Strawn highlight the top considerations for boards of directors and finance professionals to think about when structuring and executing liability management transactions, including reviewing capital structure, evaluating debt covenants, and more.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy
In light of an increase in year-to-date Chapter 11 filings, businesses must understand the importance and value of intellectual property in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, from contributing to enterprise value, to providing leverage in negotiations and facilitating recovery, says Gregory Campanella at Ocean Tomo.
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Avoiding Retail Bankruptcy As Economic Uncertainty Persists
Amid record retail bankruptcies and continued economic uncertainty in 2024, retailers can take specific steps like building stronger cash-flow models, managing inventory wisely and reassessing cost structures to avoid financial distress, say consultants at BRG.
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Banking Compliance Takeaways From Joint Agency Statement
Federal bank regulatory agencies’ recent joint statement warning of risks associated with third-party fintech deposit services spotlights a fundamental problem that may arise with bank deposit products that are made through increasingly complex customer relationships, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.
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Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Chapter 11 Ruling Signals Emphasis On Lockup Provisions
A New York bankruptcy court's recent ruling in GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes’ Chapter 11 case provides creditors with a strong basis for resisting requests to lock up or otherwise limit their voting rights, say Dania Slim and Andrew Alfano at Pillsbury.