Last week we alerted clients to the need for a rapid assessment of their exposure to Satyam in the wake of the much-publicized acknowledgement of fraud and mis-reporting of financial results by the company’s founder and former Chairman.

Recent remarks by the English High Court in the insolvency case Green (Liquidator of Stealth Construction Limited) -v- Ireland [2011] EWHC 1305 (Ch) suggest that in some circumstances, and at least in the context of fast-moving real property transactions, an exchange of emails may well satisfy the requisite formalities for creation of a binding and enforceable contract.

In the case of Rubin v. Eurofinance SA [2010] EWCA Civ 895, [2010] All ER (D) 358 (Jul), the English Court of Appeal, Civil Division, determined that a U.S. bankruptcy court’s monetary default judgment obtained against Eurofinance and its principals, British citizens, was enforceable. In doing so, the Court of Appeal favored a “universal” approach to international bankruptcy cases and recognized adversary proceedings as part and parcel of the main bankruptcy case under American bankruptcy rules.

If there’s a golden rule for the online age we live in, it’s “Always assume anything you post online will be visible to all.” Just like the original Golden Rule, it’s a maxim ignored often enough to bear repeating and frequent illustration. With that in mind, let’s check in on recent developments regarding social media revealing details its users would rather conceal—bankruptcy edition.

Insolvency & Restructuring partner Cecily Dumas recently moderated a panel on special bankruptcy issues in connection with LLCs during the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Bankruptcy 2017: Views from the Bench event at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. During the panel, Dumas and four bankruptcy court judges discussed the viability of bankruptcy-remote LLC structures and the fiduciary duties of members. The group also explored derivative claims, special concerns regarding single-member LLCs, and sales of LLC interests.

A Primer for Issuer Tender Offers, Debt Exchange Offers, Repurchases and Other Liability Management Matters

This primer is a one-stop comprehensive guide for any issuer seeking to restructure its non-convertible debt securities outside of bankruptcy. This publication:

• summarizes the U.S. federal securities laws, rules and regulations that apply to debt restructurings;

• describes various types of debt restructurings; and

• discusses various practical considerations arising in debt restructurings.

The recent Spanish Peaks decision from the Ninth Circuit (covering Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington) deepens the split in case law on the ability to strip off leases in a landlord/borrower bankruptcy.

On July 19, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decided an important case involving oil and gas producers, intermediaries, and the ultimate purchasers of the oil and gas. The case, a bankruptcy matter, is In re: SemCrude, LP, et al.

On April 20, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a unanimous ruling that may terminate much of the litigation triggered by the bankruptcy of Tronox Inc. The Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. The case is In re Tronox Inc.

On January 3, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued a ruling reversing the district court’s decision that Asarco could not proceed with its claims for cost recovery at a Utah Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) mining site. The case is Asarco, LLC v. Noranda Mining, Inc.

Asarco declared bankruptcy in August 2005, and, as the Court of Appeals notes