Richard Obank comments on recent experience in handling the collapse of UK arthouse and indie film distributor Metrodome Group and the challenges facing film distributors generally.
We acted on the pre-pack administration sale of Metrodome Group to 101 Films, which completed in August following a lengthy unsuccessful attempt by management to find a buyer.
Welcome to the latest edition of DLA Piper’s monthly newsletter – Pensions Round-Up – in which we provide an overview of developments in pension legislation, case law and regulatory guidance. In this edition we look at key developments from October 2016 including the following. ■ The Pensions Regulator: the publication of reports which look at cases concerning the power to declare scheme amendments void, failures to complete the scheme return, and the potential use of the Regulator’s anti-avoidance powers.
On the Horizon
Welcome to the second edition of the On the Horizon newsletter - a regular update on upcoming cases and anticipated regulatory developments by the DLA Piper Banking and Finance Litigation team.
AUTUMN 2016
Cases to watch
The aim of a payment action is to recover monies due. Obtaining a positive judgment from the court is just the first step in that process. The party with the benefit of the judgment still needs to enforce the order if payment is not made. This guide describes what enforcement means in practice and the approach to enforcement in Scotland.
Getting started
To enforce a court decree in Scotland, creditors need to do the following:
Political and economic uncertainty in the aftermath of the referendum result in the UK has dampened sentiment on the high street and hit consumer confidence.
According to the National Institute of Economic and Research, there is an "even" chance of Britain falling into recession by the end of next year and the Bank of England has significantly reduced its growth forecast for 2017.
In Quadrant Structured Products Co. v. Vertin, 2015 WL 2062115 (Del. Ch. May 4, 2015), the Delaware Court of Chancery (Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster) announced a bright-line standard governing the threshold inquiry of when a creditor can maintain a derivative suit against directors for breach of fiduciary duty. The court held that a creditor need only establish that the company was balance sheet insolvent at the time the suit was filed and that the creditor’s standing will not be extinguished if the company rides back into solvency during the litigation.
In recent months, the US has seen a staggering increase in the number of retailers, both large and small, filing for bankruptcy. Among others, Dots, Alco Stores, Radio Shack, Deb Shops, Wet Seal, and Delia’s have each filed for bankruptcy protection in the past six months alone.
On September 26, 2014, in the Farnum case (Krys v. Farnum Place, LLC (In re Fairfield Sentry Ltd.), 768 F.3d 239 (2d Cir. 2014)) the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that Bankruptcy Code section 363 review applied to a transfer of a Securities Investor Protection Act (“SIPA”) claim held by an off-shore entity in foreign liquidation proceedings recognized in the United States. The decision is significant for two reasons.
Bankruptcy Code protects certain Ponzi scheme payments. The trustee for debtor Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities (BLMIS) sued to avoid fictitious profits paid by BLMIS to hundreds of customers over the life of the Madoff Ponzi scheme. The defendant customers moved to dismiss certain of these avoidance claims pursuant to 11 USC Sec. 546(e), which shields from recovery securities-related payments made by a stockbroker. The trial court agreed that Sec. 546(e) barred the claims, dismissing them, and the Second Circuit affirmed.
Since 2011, there have been an increasing number of restructurings in higher education. What may have started with the foreclosure and sale of ATI Schools and Colleges has continued this year with last month’s