Bankruptcy

July 09, 2024
Ex-NRA Finance Chief Agrees To 10-Year NY Nonprofit Ban

A former chief financial officer of the National Rifle Association has agreed not to serve as a fiduciary of a New York nonprofit for 10 years as part of a settlement in the state attorney general's suit in state court alleging he and other executives misused donor money, according to deal terms disclosed Tuesday.
July 08, 2024
Giuliani's Creditors Call Ch. 7 Conversion Bid A 'Delay Game'

Rudy Giuliani's unsecured creditors in his Chapter 11 case on Monday slammed the former New York City mayor's bid in New York bankruptcy court to convert the proceedings to a liquidation, saying the move is just another part of his "delay game" to avoid discovery and "responsibility for his malfeasance."
July 08, 2024
Purdue Creditors Look To Sue Sacklers After Justices' Ruling

The official committee of unsecured creditors in the Chapter 11 case of drugmaker Purdue Pharma asked a New York bankruptcy judge on Monday for standing to bring actions against members of the Sackler family that own the company after the U.S. Supreme Court torpedoed a precarious settlement among the parties.
July 08, 2024
Bus Co. Coach Gets $8M Stalking-Horse Bid For More Assets

An industrial transportation provider submitted a roughly $8 million stalking-horse offer for some of the remaining assets of intercity bus operator Coach USA, as the insolvent company seeks to sell more of its assets while in Chapter 11 in Delaware.
July 08, 2024
Romance Writers Group Can Go Ahead With Ch. 11 Plan

A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday allowed Romance Writers of America to move forward with its bankruptcy plan in the trade association's streamlined Chapter 11 case, noting that there were no objections to confirming the reorganization.
July 08, 2024
Rite Aid Says Elixir Buyer In Contempt Over Liability Dispute

Bankrupt pharmacy chain Rite Aid has asked a New Jersey bankruptcy judge to find the purchaser of its prescription benefits subsidiary in contempt, saying the buyer is defying his orders by refusing to assume $200 million of the subsidiary's liabilities.
July 08, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

Prince's heirs were left standing alone in a cold world last week after Delaware's Court of Chancery found their attempts to gain control of the late musician's estate too demanding. Delaware's court of equity also waved a wand for Walt Disney and slashed nearly $10 million from a damages award for Sears stockholders. In case you missed anything, here's a recap of all the latest news from Delaware's Chancery Court.
July 08, 2024
Icon Aircraft Investor Says Co.'s Ex-CEO Can't Pursue Suit

The majority equity owner of Icon Aircraft has asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject a request by a group of investors including the company's former chief executive to continue prosecuting claims that it breached fiduciary duties, arguing those claims belong to the debtor instead.
July 05, 2024
Feds Slam Girardi's 'Last Ditch Effort' To Block Evidence

Prosecutors urged a California federal judge Friday to reject Tom Girardi's bid to suppress evidence collected without a search warrant from his law firm's bankruptcy trustee, arguing that the trustee had control of the firm's books and records and had the power to voluntarily produce the documents for the disgraced attorney's wire fraud case.
July 05, 2024
UpHealth Says $110M Glocal Award Can Be Enforced

Bankrupt medical tech company UpHealth has urged an Illinois court to enforce a $110 million arbitral award against Indian digital healthcare services platform Glocal Healthcare in a bitter feud over an ill-fated merger, saying the court should reject Glocal's argument that the tribunal exceeded its powers.
July 05, 2024
How Reshaped Circuit Courts Are Faring At The High Court

Seminal rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court's latest term will reshape many facets of American society in the coming years. Already, however, the rulings offer glimpses of how the justices view specific circuit courts, which have themselves been reshaped by an abundance of new judges.
July 05, 2024
Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

The U.S. Supreme Court's lethargic pace of decision-making this term left the justices to issue a slew of highly anticipated and controversial rulings during the term's final week — rulings that put the court's ideological divisions on vivid display. Here, Law360 takes a data dive into the numbers behind this court term.
July 05, 2024
High Court Flexes Muscle To Limit Administrative State

The U.S. Supreme Court's dismantling of a 40-year-old judicial deference doctrine, coupled with rulings stripping federal agencies of certain enforcement powers and exposing them to additional litigation, has established the October 2023 term as likely the most consequential in administrative law history.
July 05, 2024
The Sharpest Dissents From The Supreme Court Term

The U.S. Supreme Court's session ended with a series of blockbuster cases that granted the president broad immunity, changed federal gun policy and kneecapped administrative agencies. And many of the biggest decisions fell along partisan lines.
July 05, 2024
5 Moments That Shaped The Supreme Court's Jan. 6 Decision

When the high court limited the scope of a federal obstruction statute used to charge hundreds of rioters who stormed the Capitol, the justices did not vote along ideological lines. In a year marked by 6-3 splits, what accounts for the departure? Here are some moments from oral arguments that may have swayed the justices.
July 05, 2024
The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term

In a U.S. Supreme Court term teeming with serious showdowns, the august air at oral arguments filled with laughter after an attorney mentioned her plastic surgeon and a justice seemed to diss his colleagues, to cite just two of the term's mirthful moments. Here, we look at the funniest moments of the term.
July 05, 2024
Court To Weigh Scope Of Ex-Judge's Atty Romance Testimony

A Texas bankruptcy judge said he must determine the scope of a deposition over a former judge's concealed romantic relationship with an ex-Jackson Walker LLP attorney, reversing course on a stipulation and ruling he has "exclusive authority" to "authorize and set limits regarding the nature of the testimony."
July 05, 2024
The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including gerrymandering, abortion and federal agency authority, and a hot bench ever more willing to engage in a lengthy back-and-forth with advocates. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.
July 05, 2024
Voyager Investors' $6.5M Deal Over Crypto Marketing OK'd

A New York federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a $6.5 million cash settlement between the top brass of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency firm Voyager Digital Holdings and a class of its users who claimed they "aggressively marketed" unregistered securities.
July 05, 2024
Top Federal Tax Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024

In the coming months, the U.S. Treasury and the IRS will defend rules designed to go after what they consider as abusive tax practices, including the economic substance doctrine, the Corporate Transparency Act and the moratorium on employee retention tax credits. Here, Law360 looks at key federal tax cases to watch in the rest of 2024.
July 03, 2024
McKinsey Can Exit Rival's Bankruptcy Conflicts RICO Suit

A Manhattan federal judge Wednesday tossed a lawsuit brought by the founder of turnaround consultant AlixPartners accusing rival McKinsey & Co. of intentionally failing to disclose disqualifying conflicts of interest in big bankruptcy cases, saying the founder doesn't have standing to sue under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
July 03, 2024
Petersen Health Lands $136M In Winning Asset Bids

Petersen Health Care told a Delaware bankruptcy court Wednesday it selected four successful bids, totaling roughly $135.8 million, for the company's skilled nursing facilities, including an offer worth $116.2 million from a stalking-horse bidder.
July 03, 2024
Guo Witnesses Point To Chinese Harassment Of Dissidents

Defense witnesses in the $1 billion fraud trial of Miles Guo told a Manhattan federal jury Wednesday that the Chinese dissident is a prime target of "Operation Fox Hunt," an alleged program within China's government that aims to silence and repatriate critics of the regime.
July 03, 2024
High Court Rulings Thwart Judge Romance Suit, Firm Says

Jackson Walker LLP urged a Texas federal court Wednesday to consider its argument that two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on standing prevent a former shareholder in an engineering company from pursuing a racketeering lawsuit over a bankruptcy judge's concealed romantic relationship with an ex-firm attorney.
July 03, 2024
Giuliani Creditors Say Conversion Motion 'Just Games'

A New York bankruptcy judge will hear arguments next week over whether to convert Rudy Giuliani's Chapter 11 to a liquidation, a move his creditors denounced as gamesmanship with the bankruptcy system.

Expert Analysis

Securing Financial Transparency In Chapter 11 Reporting

As we enter the new year, restructuring professionals would be wise to review Chapter 11 public reporting requirements to navigate what debtors may do to try to minimize public reporting, and what creditors can do to get the public reporting they deserve by striking a balance between financial transparency requirements and tactical moves, say Thomas Moers Mayer and Nancy Bello at Kramer Levin.
4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
Securities Question Stands After Contradicting Crypto Rulings

The debate about the regulation of crypto-assets came to a head in 2023 when two New York federal judges came to opposite conclusions about whether crypto-assets were securities by using the Howey test, highlighting the uncertainty facing the crypto industry as it seeks to resolve definitional questions, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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.