Large Cap
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August 21, 2024
FTX's Salame Says Feds Broke Deal Not To Probe Girlfriend
Former FTX executive Ryan Salame urged a New York federal judge Wednesday to either vacate his May conviction or stop federal prosecutors from investigating his domestic partner Michelle Bond for related political campaign-finance offenses, saying prosecutors induced his guilty plea by promising not to probe Bond.
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August 21, 2024
Girardi Faked Dementia Symptoms, Neurologist Testifies
A neurologist with Vanderbilt University testified Wednesday in Tom Girardi's criminal fraud trial in California federal court that the disbarred attorney was likely exaggerating his cognitive problems in late 2020 just as his law firm imploded into bankruptcy and his legal problems mounted because he believed it would be "beneficial."
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August 21, 2024
Top Bankruptcy Cases Of 2024: Midyear Report
Famous debtors, major U.S. Supreme Court rulings and "shocking" turnarounds have headlined an already busy 2024 in bankruptcy, and elevated interest rates are expected to continue pushing more companies to the brink this year, experts told Law360.
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August 21, 2024
Ex-LNG Contractor Seeks Share Of Funds, Insurance In Ch. 11
Zachry Holdings Inc., the former contractor for a Texas natural gas plant, asked a bankruptcy judge in the state to decide it is due a bit under $2 million from an account shared with its onetime partners and over 70% of insurance recoveries until it is compensated for repair work it carried out.
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August 21, 2024
5 Takeaways From Closed-Door Hearing On Judge Romance
A hearing transcript unsealed Wednesday unpacks a secret meeting between Jackson Walker LLP and former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David R. Jones, covering Jones being criminally investigated for concealing his romance with an ex-firm partner, him accusing the U.S. trustee of leaking news of that probe and that Jones likely has failed to avoid a deposition.
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August 21, 2024
Alleged WeWork Fraudster Fires Dickinson Wright Before Trial
Lawyers from Dickinson Wright PLLC told a New York federal judge on Wednesday that they have been discharged by the former CEO of real estate investment firm ArciTerra ahead of his October trial for issuing a bogus $77 million offer for WeWork shares.
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August 21, 2024
Calif. AG Secures Rite Aid Deal Ensuring Pharmacy Access
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a settlement with Rite Aid Corp. that will allow his office to oversee any changes in ownership of the company's retail pharmacy outlets across the state.
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August 21, 2024
Eversheds Adds Another Kilpatrick Bankruptcy Atty In Atlanta
Eversheds Sutherland's growing U.S. finance practice group picked up another new addition Wednesday, an Atlanta counsel who was previously with Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.
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August 20, 2024
Girardi Jury Hears Of Ex-CFO's Alleged Bahama Hideout Plan
The former fiancee of ex-Girardi Keese executive Chris Kamon told a California federal jury in Tom Girardi's criminal trial Tuesday about a dramatic call she received from Kamon, during which he told her he was about to be "pinned" for the firm's crimes and wanted her to flee to the Bahamas with him.
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August 20, 2024
Midyear Check-In: Boy Scouts Bankruptcy
Hundreds more men who were sexually assaulted when they were Boy Scouts have received distributions from the settlement trust that is determining their claims as the pace of payments picks up, the most recent report from the Chapter 11 settlement trust showed.
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August 20, 2024
Steward Health, Landlord Spar Over Ch. 11 Hospital Sales
Bankrupt hospital operator Steward Health Care has filed an adversary suit against the landlord for 30 of its hospitals, Medical Properties Trust, saying the landlord is throwing a wrench in the sale process for the facilities and trying to hoover up all the proceeds.
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August 20, 2024
Byju's US Units Face Lenders' Bid For Discovery Sanctions
Creditors of the insolvent U.S.-based financing arm of Indian education technology giant Byju's have asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to bar other Byju's subsidiaries from disputing issues of fact tied to an involuntary Chapter 11 petition filed against those units, alleging they did not comply with discovery requests.
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August 20, 2024
Texas Franchisee Accuses Party City Of Monopolizing Market
An operator of Party City franchise stores accused the party supply retailer's parent company of monopolizing the party goods market, saying the company seeks to drive its competitors, including franchisees, out of business through its use of unfair competition, illegal price-fixing and bad faith business practices.
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August 20, 2024
Retailer Conn's Gets OK For September Asset Auction
A Texas bankruptcy judge Tuesday gave furniture and appliance retailer Conn's the go-ahead to put its assets, including its portfolio of consumer loans, on the auction block in September, with counsel for the company saying it already has dozens of interested parties.
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August 20, 2024
SunPower Gets OK To Liquidate Extra Solar Panels
A Delaware bankruptcy judge said he would let residential solar technology company SunPower Corp. liquidate its remaining solar panels and other inventory that are not part of the company's primary bankruptcy sale.
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August 20, 2024
A Deep Dive Into Law360 Pulse's 2024 Women In Law Report
The legal industry continues to see incremental gains for female lawyers in private practice in the U.S., according to a Law360 Pulse analysis, with women now representing 40.6% of all attorneys and 51% of all associates.
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August 20, 2024
These Firms Have The Most Women In Equity Partnerships
The legal industry still has a long way to go before it can achieve gender parity at its upper levels. But these law firms are performing better than others in breaking the proverbial glass ceiling that prevents women from attaining leadership roles.
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August 20, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
A nearly record-breaking attorney fee got the nod in Delaware last week, along with Chancery Court settlements involving an international private jet service and a chain of trampoline parks. New disputes involved a famous burger restaurant chain, a computer-chip maker, a now-defunct genomic science company, and a historic manor house in west London.
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August 19, 2024
TPG Dumped Opioid Co. On 'Unsuspecting' Endo, Suit Says
After pushing Par Pharmaceutical to grow its market share in generic opioids and disregard federal requirements to report suspicious orders, TPG Capital saw other opioid manufacturers being inundated with litigation and sold Par to "an unsuspecting" Endo International PLC, according to a lawsuit filed in New York bankruptcy court.
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August 19, 2024
Meet The Attys Behind The Pitney Bowes E-Commerce Ch. 11
DRF Logistics, the former e-commerce arm of shipping group Pitney Bowes, has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas with plans to close shop after years of heavy losses. To navigate bankruptcy, DRF has tapped a team of New York- and Houston-based lawyers with Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP.
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August 19, 2024
Chinese Exile's Daughter Wants Ch. 11 Sanctions Overturned
The daughter of bankrupt Chinese exile Miles Guo and her New Jersey-based attorney are asking the Second Circuit to overturn a bankruptcy judge's $83,370 discovery sanction, calling the discovery requests in question unclear and the sanction excessive.
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August 19, 2024
Ex-Judge Jones Beats Conspiracy Suit, Robertshaw Plan OK'd
A Texas federal judge has thrown out a racketeering lawsuit alleging a conspiracy involving Kirkland & Ellis, Jackson Walker, ex-bankruptcy judge David R. Jones and an attorney with whom he had a romantic relationship, but a separate judge decided to sanction Jones for meeting with Jackson Walker for an "off-the-record" interview. This is the week in bankruptcy.
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August 19, 2024
FTX Sees Push For Disputed Claim Reserve In Ch. 11 Plan
The litigation administrator for the Celsius Network Chapter 11 plan and the liquidators of Three Arrows Capital have asked a Delaware bankruptcy court to reject FTX's Chapter 11 plan, unless it reserves funds for disputed claims, as part of a stream of objections filed against the onetime cryptocurrency exchange giant's reorganization proposal.
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August 19, 2024
Ex-McElroy Execs' Theft, Bias Cases Paused Amid Ch. 11
A New Jersey state court has sided with McElroy Deutsch and stayed all litigation between the law firm and two former executives, including both the firm's fraud claims and discrimination counterclaims made against it, while a related bankruptcy case plays out.
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August 19, 2024
Robertshaw Judge OKs Ch. 11 Exit Plan Opposed By Invesco
A Texas bankruptcy judge approved appliance-parts maker Robertshaw's Chapter 11 reorganization plan, overruling an objection from the company's onetime controlling lender and allowing Robertshaw to turn over its business to a group of rival investors.
Expert Analysis
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Yellow Corp. Lease Assumption Shows Landlord Protections
Yellow Corp.’s recent filing of a motion to assume unexpired leases is a helpful reminder to practitioners to maintain a long-term approach about what is most beneficial for an estate and to not let a debtor's short-term cash position dictate business decisions, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.
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Insurers Have A Ch. 11 Voice Following High Court Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum — which reaffirmed a broad definition of "party in interest" — will give insurers, particularly in mass tort Chapter 11 bankruptcies, more opportunity to protect their interests and identify problems with reorganization plans, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.
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Considerations For Cooperation Contracts In Loan Trades
Significant challenges to settling trades can arise when lenders of syndicated bank loans enter into defense-oriented cooperation agreements, which are growing in popularity, but working through these issues on the front end of a trade can save hours down the road, says Robert Waldner at Crowell & Moring.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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NY Combined Hearing Guidelines Can Shorten Ch. 11 Timeline
The Southern District of New York’s recently adopted guidelines on combining the processes for Chapter 11 plan confirmation and disclosure statement approval may shorten the Chapter 11 timeline for companies and reduce associated costs, say Robert Drain and Moshe Jacob at Skadden.
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Bankruptcy Judges Can Justly Resolve Mass Tort Cases
Johnson & Johnson’s recent announcement of a prepackaged reorganization plan for its talc unit highlights that Chapter 11 is a continually evolving living statute that can address new types of problems with reorganization, value and job preservation, and just treatment for creditors, says Kenneth Rosen at Ken Rosen Advisors PC.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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11th Circ. Ruling May Foreshadow Ch. 15 Clashes
The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in In re: Talal Qais Abdulmunem Al Zawawi has introduced a split from the Second Circuit regarding whether debtors in foreign proceedings must have a domicile, calling attention to the understudied nature of Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code, say attorneys at Cleary.
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Bankruptcy Courts Have Contempt Power, Del. Case Reminds
A Delaware bankruptcy court recently held Camshaft Capital and its principal in contempt, serving as a reminder to bankruptcy practitioners and anyone else that appears before a bankruptcy judge that there are serious consequences for failing to comply with court orders, say Daniel Lowenthal and Kimberly Black at Patterson Belknap.
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What Lies Behind Diverging US And UK Insolvency Trends
Contrasting U.K. and U.S. insolvency trends highlight the importance of policy interventions in shaping consumer financial outcomes and economic recovery, and while the U.K.'s approach seems to have mitigated issues, the U.S. faces challenges exacerbated by economic conditions and policy transitions, says Thomas Curran at Thomas H. Curran Associates.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data
Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.