544(b) of the Bankruptcy Code empowers a bankruptcy trustee to avoid any transfer of an interest of the debtor in property that is voidable under "applicable law" by an unsecured creditor. Under the plain language of section 544(b), before a trustee can maintain an avoidance action, the trustee must demonstrate the existence of a qualified creditor, i.e., one who: (i) has a right to avoid the transfers; and (ii) holds an "allowable" unsecured claim. Importantly, the scope of "applicable law" is undefined.

Dill Oil Company, LLC v. Stephens, No. 11-6309 (10th Cir., Jan. 15, 2013)

CASE SNAPSHOT

The Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, in a case of first impression before the court, joined the Fourth Circuit in holding that the absolute priority rule remains applicable in individual chapter 11 cases.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

You have almost certainly heard the phrase, “Waiting with bated breath.” As in: we awaited the Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones with bated breath. Or: we greeted the Drug and Device Law Son's diploma ceremony with bated breath. (The former was impressive and awful. As one friend wrote on his Facebook wall, if you had a favorite character in GoT, maybe now you don't.

Last year in this space we reported on a pair of Michigan court decisions (51382 Gratiot Avenue Holdings, Inc. v. Chesterfield Development Company (Chesterfield) and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v.

The United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois has arguably driven the last nail into the coffin of In re Crane, the much criticized decision of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of Illinois. The coffin was already set in place after the Illinois legislature passed S.B.0016 late last year, which was signed into law by Gov.

In re Premier Golf Properties, L.P., BAP No. SC- 11-1508-HPaJu (9th Cir. BAP, Aug. 13, 2012)

CASE SNAPSHOT

The Ninth Circuit B.A.P. affirmed the bankruptcy court decision that post-petition income from greens fees and driving range fees were not “rents, proceeds, or profits” of the secured lender’s pre-petition blanket security interest on all real and personal property (and “all proceeds thereof”) within the meaning of section 552(b), and thus were not cash collateral.

In re S. White Transp., Inc., 473 B.R. 695 (S.D. Miss. 2012)

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In re American Capital Equipment, LLC, 688 F.3d 145 (3d Cir. 2012)

CASE SNAPSHOT

A new troubling case from California allows borrowers to present evidence of prior oral statements of a lender which contradict the terms of the written agreement between the parties with a standard integration clause. Marsha Houston of our Los Angeles office writes more about the case below.

The Newhall Land and Farming Company v. American Heritage Landscape, LP, et al. (In re Landsource Communities Development LLC, et al.) Adv. No. 09-51074 (KJC), (Bankr. D. Del., Aug. 30, 2012))

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