It's time to make offshore operations great again
A potential threat to the Code’s priority scheme is the allowance of “structured dismissals,” which include a settlement as part of the dismissal of the chapter 11 case that would distribute estate assets in a manner that contravenes the Code’s priority rules.
American business experienced a near record number of mergers and acquisitions in 2016, and this trend is likely to continue in 2017. Such corporate transactions raise a number of legal issues, including employment issues.
Brexit. Trump. The year 2016 can be characterized as one of unpredicted results and impending uncertainty. In June, the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union and in November, a tumultuous presidential campaign in the United States ended in a stunning win by Donald Trump. Businesses throughout the world sought not only to understand the possible implications of these and other major events, but also to take strategic advantage of them.
The coming year will likely continue to be a tumultuous year for health care providers, suppliers, and payers, as they adapt to meet new challenges and market forces, particularly in light of the open questions as to the viability and continued existence of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and recent comments made by members of the incoming Trump administration.
Vendors — take note! The Delaware bankruptcy court in In re Reichhold Holdings US Inc. recently issued an important ruling for vendors asserting reclamation rights.
In a rare win for mortgage lenders, the 11th Circuit (controlling law in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama) ruled today that an owner who agrees to “surrender” their residence in bankruptcy court under 11 U.S.C. Section 521(a)(2)(A) also forfeits the right later to challenge any foreclosure proceedings on the property.
The Bankruptcy Code permits a bankruptcy trustee to compel return of a payment made to a creditor within 90 days before a bankruptcy petition. 11 U.S.C. § 547(b)(4)(A). The justification for compelling the return of preference payments is to level the playing field among creditors by not rewarding those who, perhaps, pressed the debtor the hardest on the eve of bankruptcy.
On May 16, 2016 the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion regarding the meaning of “actual fraud” under the Bankruptcy Code. Husky Int’l Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz represents a win for creditors by making it easier to show that a debtor committed fraud. A showing of a more general fraud, as opposed to a specific false representation by the debtor, will suffice to prevent certain debts from being discharged in bankruptcy.
Background
On April 7, 2010, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation declared Northern Capital Insurance Company, a Florida-based property insurer, to be “insolvent and in hazardous financial condition.” The company had been under the administrative supervision of the Office of Insurance Regulation since May 29, 2009. The company is expected to be placed into receivership and all of its policies are expected to be cancelled shortly after the entry of an order of liquidation.