Every three years on April 1, the dollar amounts in the Bankruptcy Code are adjusted to account for inflation. The April 1, 2025, increase will be approximately 13.2%, even larger than the nearly 11% increase three years ago....more
In a recent pair of decisions, the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel held that even fully secured creditors with nonrecourse claims and unsecured creditors who are paid off after the involuntary petition may qualify as...more
An involuntary bankruptcy can be a powerful tool in a creditor’s arsenal. Involuntary bankruptcies are rarely filed, however, because of the significant risk of liability for the petitioning creditor if the case is dismissed....more
When an involuntary bankruptcy petition is dismissed, section 303(i) of the Bankruptcy Code permits a debtor to seek reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs from the petitioners, and, if the petition was filed in bad faith,...more
An appeals court has issued an insightful decision on the availability of damages when an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed in bad faith. See Stursberg v. Morrison Sund PLLC, No. 23-1186, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 20286...more
An assignment for the benefit of creditors (ABC) is a process by which a financially distressed company (referred to as the assignor) transfers its assets to a third-party fiduciary (referred to as the assignee). The assignee...more
In most bankruptcies, the company decides to file for relief. In involuntary bankruptcies, creditors force the company into bankruptcy. Involuntary petitions are an extreme remedy, and therefore the requirements and standards...more
A recent decision by the North Carolina Business Court highlights the risks of interfering with property that is part of a receivership estate. The North Carolina Commercial Receivership Act celebrated its three-year...more
A recent decision from a bankruptcy court in Delaware provides a cautionary tale about the risks of involuntary bankruptcy. In the Delaware case, the debtor managed a group of investment funds. The business was all but...more
One of the requirements for an involuntary filing is that the creditors seeking relief (referred to as “petitioning creditors”) must each have a claim that is not subject to a “bona fide dispute as to liability or amount.”...more
Endo creditors seek to resolve U.S. government claims for $465 mln| Reuters - According to court documents filed last week, Endo and a group of the company’s lenders are offering up to $465 million to settle U.S. government...more
For both debtors and creditors, the numbers are important in a bankruptcy proceeding. The Judicial Conference of the United States has announced that certain dollar amounts and dollar limitations in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code...more
In the fall of 1986, a number of involuntary bankruptcy petitions were filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York against certain debtor companies that owned and operated 40% to 60%...more
Trying to collect money from someone who cannot or will not pay you is frustrating. That old chestnut about throwing good money after bad comes to mind. Placing an individual or firm (your “debtor”) into bankruptcy is a...more
Under the "single-satisfaction rule," although a bankruptcy trustee or a chapter 11 debtor-in-possession ("DIP") may seek to avoid and recover avoidable transfers of a debtor's property from more than one transferee, the...more
Section 303 of the Bankruptcy Code allows creditors to initiate an involuntary bankruptcy case against a debtor. The petition initiating the case must be filed by creditors holding claims aggregating to at least $10,000, and...more
The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently issued a decision likely to pique the interest of property owners holding real property in nominee trusts. In Goodwill Enterprises, Inc. v. Kavanagh, the Court addressed whether the...more
In 1930, Clarence Bennett’s wealthy uncle died. He left behind shares in Berry Holding Company ("BHC") that were subdivided into three groups. Bennett was the beneficiary of dividends paid out of one of these groups and, for...more
This update outlines the current trends in China’s bankruptcy filings based on surveys and data of bankruptcy court cases released by the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) in the past five years. Historically, China’s economy...more
The Sixth Circuit recently ruled that a trustee’s claim that a novation occurred upon the execution of amended and restated loan documents could not be dismissed under a Rule 12 (b)(6) motion. The Sixth Circuit remanded the...more
On April 24, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (the “First Circuit”) issued an opinion in the case of Popular Auto, Inc. v. Reyes-Colon (In re Reyes-Colon), Nos. 17-1971-72, 2019 WL 1785039 (1st Cir. Apr....more
On November 8, 2018, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Bankruptcy Court”) issued a decision dismissing an involuntary chapter 11 case filed against Taberna Preferred Funding IV,...more
The Bottom Line - The Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York recently held in Taberna Preferred Funding IV, Ltd. v. Opportunities II Ltd. (In re Taberna Preferred Funding IV, Ltd.), No. 17-11628 (MKV),...more
If you have ever been a creditor concerned about a debtor not paying debts as they become due or paying other creditors while ignoring your demands, then forcing the debtor into an involuntarily bankruptcy may be an option....more
We generally advise clients to think carefully before commencing an involuntary bankruptcy petition against an alleged debtor. One of the primary reasons for our caution is section 303(i) of the Bankruptcy Code, which...more