In a 2021 chapter 15 decision, In re Bankruptcy Estate of Norske Skogindustrier ASA,1 the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York held that foreign law avoidance claims that are sufficiently analogous to claims under section 548(a)(1)(A)2 of the Bankruptcy Code—but not identical—may fall within the intentional fraud exception to the safe harbor provisions of section 546(e)3 of the Bankruptcy Code (the “Safe Harbor”).
Business people value their reputations because they take pride in their good names, and “not for some nebulous financial gain.” They:
Here are a couple long-standing and foundational policies for the entire bankruptcy system:
- Bankruptcy laws protect the honest but unfortunate debtor; and
- Discharge exceptions are to be strictly construed against the objecting creditor and liberally construed in favor of debtor.
So, for all my decades of practice under the Bankruptcy Code, this idea has held sway: an honest debtor is entitled to a bankruptcy discharge.
As we previously reported, certain temporary bankruptcy code amendments that U.S.
On April 28, 2022, HONX, Inc. of Houston, TX filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Case No. 22-90035). Hess Corp owns 100% of the debtor’s equity. The petition includes a written consent by the independent directors of Honx providing for entry into a funding agreement among the debtor and Hess Corp.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently held that the “no fair ground of doubt” standard established by the Supreme Court of the United States in Taggart v. Lorenzen, a case involving alleged violation of a Chapter 7 discharge order, governed civil contempt proceedings for violation of a confirmed reorganization plan under Chapter 11.
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Hon. Gerald E. Rosen (Ret.) serves as mediator, arbitrator and neutral evaluator in high-level business cases for the JAMS office in Detroit.
1 The Third Circuit also affirmed a judgment that awarded the senior creditor damages for the misapplication of such collateral proceeds in violation of the intercreditor agreement’s turnover provision.
A bankruptcy court gave "unnecessary and likely incorrect" reasoning to support its "excessively broad proposition that sales free and clear under [Bankruptcy Code ("Code")] Section 363 override, and essentially render nugatory, the critical lessee protections against a debtor-lessor under [Code] 365(h)," said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Feb. 16, 2022. In re Royal Bistro, LLC, 2022 WL 499938, *1-*2 (5th Cir. Feb. 16, 2022).
The Bankruptcy Protector
Envision a scenario in which you purchased a right of first refusal for a parcel of real estate. That right, as bargained for, would let you purchase the parcel if it was put up for sale by matching any competing bidder’s offer. As a diligent prospective purchaser, you would naturally record that right of first refusal in the appropriate land records. So far so good.