Bankruptcy

July 02, 2024
Sens. Urge Synapse Partners To Free Up Customer Funds

A group of Democratic senators led by banking committee chair Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, called on the owners and banking partners of bankrupt fintech intermediary Synapse Financial Technologies to restore customers' access to their deposits.
July 02, 2024
Prosecutors Rest In Chinese Exile's $1B Fraud Trial

Manhattan federal prosecutors on Tuesday concluded their case-in-chief in the $1 billion fraud trial of Chinese dissident Miles Guo, and the defense team began putting on its own witnesses to rebut the charges that the businessman convinced his followers to invest in sham companies.
July 02, 2024
Beasley Allen Slams J&J's DQ Bid 'Check-Up' In Talc Tort

The Beasley Allen Law Firm and Johnson & Johnson continue to spar over the firm and attorney Andy Birchfield's role in long-running federal and state mass torts over talcum powder injuries, with the firm calling out J&J on Tuesday for "prodding" the New Jersey courts to boot the lawyers from the litigation.
July 02, 2024
Ex-Bankruptcy Judge Will Be Deposed Over Atty Romance

The former Texas bankruptcy judge whose secret relationship with a Jackson Walker LLP attorney ignited a major judicial ethics scandal has agreed to sit for a seven-hour deposition to answer questions about the episode.
July 02, 2024
Chancery Cuts Sears Shareholders' $18.3M Award To $8.7M

Minority stockholders of Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores saw their class award in Delaware Chancery Court litigation trimmed from $18.3 million to $8.7 million Tuesday after former Sears CEO Edward S. Lampert and his co-defendants protested that the court had erred in its calculations.
July 02, 2024
Giuliani Disbarred In New York Over Election Falsehoods

A New York appellate court Tuesday barred Rudolph Giuliani from practicing law in New York, citing ample evidence that the former New York City mayor made repeated false statements about the 2020 presidential election.
July 02, 2024
Justices Skip Highland Capital Ch. 11 Plan Look After Purdue

The Supreme Court declined to weigh in Tuesday on the exculpations in the Chapter 11 plan from venture capital firm Highland Capital after parties in the case argued that more clarity was needed following the high court's recent rejection of third-party claims releases in the Purdue Pharma reorganization.
July 01, 2024
Giuliani Wants Bankruptcy Converted To Allow For Liquidation

Rudy Giuliani on Monday asked a New York federal bankruptcy judge to convert his voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 proceeding, which would allow him to liquidate his assets to pay his debts.
July 01, 2024
NJ Hospital Dodges $14.7M In Damages Over Audits

An accounting firm for the former operator of Hoboken University Medical Center has dodged more than $14.7 million in malpractice liability damages even though a New Jersey federal jury found it had violated professional accounting standards in audits of the financially struggling hospital.
July 01, 2024
Justices Told Clarity Needed On Ch. 11 Exculpations

Highland Capital and parties opposed to the venture capital firm's Chapter 11 plan asked the U.S. Supreme Court to clear up how the high court's recent rejection of third-party claims releases in the Purdue Pharma reorganization applies to Chapter 11 exculpations.
July 01, 2024
NJ Judge Tosses J&J Unit's Libel Claim Over Talc Study

A New Jersey federal judge has tossed a bankrupt Johnson & Johnson unit's libel suit over a scientific article linking talcum powder to mesothelioma, ruling the challenged statements in the article are scientific conclusions protected by the First Amendment.
July 01, 2024
Talc Victims Can't Block J&J From Filing For Ch. 11 Outside NJ

A New Jersey federal judge has denied a bid for a restraining order from a group of patients suing Johnson & Johnson over claims they were injured by its talc products, saying their concern that the company would try to file for bankruptcy outside the Garden State is based on speculation and not ripe for litigation.
July 01, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

Two multimillion-dollar settlement approvals, a $25 million fee-shifting demand, and a biotech merger spoiled by murder: This was just the beginning of the drama last week in the nation's preeminent court of equity. Shareholders in satellite companies filed new cases, a cannabis company headed toward trial, and there were new developments in old disputes involving Tesla and Truth Social.
July 01, 2024
Redbox Parent Chicken Soup For The Soul Hits Ch. 11

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc., the parent of movie rental kiosk pioneer Redbox, filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court, saying it owes nearly $1 billion to creditors after it wasn't able to secure enough cash to purchase rights to newly released films.
July 01, 2024
Clothing Maker Delta Apparel Hits Ch. 11 With Sale Plans

Delta Apparel Inc., a Georgia-based clothes manufacturer, and six affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware with around $250 million in debt and plans to sell the lifestyle and clothes brand Salt Life while in bankruptcy.
June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes

By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
June 28, 2024
Will 'Moral Victory' In Purdue Ruling Help Plaintiffs?

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision that the Sackler family members who own Purdue Pharma LP cannot be shielded by the bankruptcy code from lawsuits over the opioid crisis reflects the widespread public outrage over their role in the epidemic, but experts say it remains unclear what will happen next for the individuals and governments that have sued the company.
June 28, 2024
Real Estate Recap: Camping Ban, Mobile Money, Post-Surfside

Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on an Oregon town's anti-camping ordinance, government incentives for manufactured housing communities, and the progress states have made toward building safety in the three years since the tragic condo collapse in Surfside, Florida.
June 28, 2024
Girardi Wins Bid To Offer Mental Condition Testimony At Trial

Tom Girardi's defense team can call a doctor to testify at his upcoming trial as to a potential "mental condition" that they say might indirectly have bearing on his intent to defraud clients, a California federal judge ruled Thursday, rejecting prosecutors' argument that the testimony is irrelevant.
June 28, 2024
In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.
June 28, 2024
Problems Linger Amid Efforts To Clean Up Debt Firm's Mess

After the collapse of a California debt relief firm last year amid allegations of fraud, a bankruptcy judge signed off on a plan to allow a new firm to begin providing services for thousands of affected clients. While the new firm has promised to clean up its predecessor’s mess, some consumers say little to nothing has changed, and now enforcement agencies including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have started asking questions.
June 28, 2024
Rite Aid Ch. 11 Plan OK'd With Insurers' Objections Resolved

A New Jersey bankruptcy judge Friday approved pharmacy chain Rite Aid's Chapter 11 restructuring plan after the company said it had resolved objections from its insurance carriers to how the plan treats their policies.
June 28, 2024
Girardi's Ch. 7 Evidence Fight May Raise Novel Issues

Tom Girardi told a California federal judge that FBI agents violated his constitutional rights by obtaining evidence from his law firm's bankruptcy trustee without a search warrant, an argument that, if successful, could hamstring prosecutors in his upcoming wire fraud trial and shake up law enforcement's dealings with trustees.
June 28, 2024
Judge Finalizes $4M Deal In Eye Doc Ransomware Dispute

A North Carolina federal judge has signed off on a $4 million deal to resolve two class actions over an electronic patient recordkeeping and billing company allegedly failing to give truthful, timely notice to ophthalmology practices and their patients about ransomware attacks that damaged its software for months.
June 28, 2024
Lincoln Logs Maker Basic Fun Inc. Files For Ch. 11

Basic Fun Inc., the toy-maker behind Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday in a Delaware bankruptcy court, listing less than $100 million in assets and liabilities each.

Expert Analysis

4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
3 Pointers From Tilton Case To Help Win Advancement Suits

The Delaware Superior Court’s refusal to let Lynn Tilton sue her advancers for legal fees, ruling she had not yet attempted to negotiate in good faith, suggests that policyholders may fare better if they attempt proactive strategies to narrow disputes over advancement agreements before taking their insurers to court, says Evan Bolla at Harris St. Laurent.
Charting The Course For Digital Assets In 2024

Although 2023 was a tough year for the digital asset industry, upcoming court decisions, legislation and regulatory action will bring clarity, allowing the industry to expand and evolve, and the government will decide what innovation it will allow without challenge, says Joshua Smeltzer at Gray Reed.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
What 2023 Bankruptcy Statistics May Mean For 2024

Bankruptcy data from 2023 shows that we are in an unprecedented time in our economic history because of unique, unpredictable and distressed conditions, and bankruptcy professionals should be prepared for the continued rise in Chapter 11 filings in 2024, says Deirdre O'Connor at Epiq.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
What The 2023 Bank Failures Taught Us, And What's To Come

As 2023 draws to a close, it's apparent that the bank failures this past spring sparked a seismic shift in the regulatory and supervisory landscape for banking organizations, and the consequences are still continuing to be felt throughout the financial sector as we head into 2024, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
What WeWork's Ch. 11 Filing Means For Landlords

WeWork’s recent Chapter 11 filing in New Jersey has the potential to be one of the most consequential cases in the real estate industry in many years, and presents a number of issues for landlords, including unexpired leases, assumption, assignment and more, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
The 4 Top Philadelphia Commerce Court Opinions Of 2023

Four 2023 rulings from the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas — including decisions on judicial privilege, stay requests, sheriff's sales and the appointment of a receiver — highlight the court's commitment to stringent standards and address evolving challenges in commercial litigation, say Jonathan Hugg and Sarah Boutros at Eckert Seamans.
A Former Bankruptcy Judge Talks 2023 High Court Rulings

In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four bankruptcy law opinions — an extraordinary number — and a close look at these cases signals that changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code will have to come from Congress, not the courts, says Phillip Shefferly at the University of Michigan Law School.
3 Defense Takeaways From The Bankman-Fried Trial

FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent fraud conviction offers several key lessons for future white collar defendants, from the changing nature of cross-examination to the continued risks of taking the stand, say Jonathan Porter and Gregg Sofer at Husch Blackwell.
Series

Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.