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Tenth Circuit BAP Holds that Section 541 of the Bankruptcy Code Doesn’t Invalidate Transfer Restrictions in LLC Operating Agreements

In a recent decision by the Tenth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, the court held that a chapter 7 trustee could not sell an LLC membership interest pursuant to section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code because of a transfer restriction within the LLC operating agreement. Malloy v. Trak-1 Technology Inc.(In re Kramer), No. 21-005, 2022 WL 17176411 (B.A.P. 10th Cir. Nov. 23, 2022).

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, US Congress
Bankruptcy Court Narrowly Construes Section 546(e) Safe Harbor

The Bankruptcy Protector

On August 18, 2022, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana, in In re BWGS, LLC, No. 19-01487-JMC-7A, 2022 WL 3568045 (Bankr. S.D. Ind. Aug. 18, 2022), narrowly interpreted the safe harbor provision in section 546(e) of the Bankruptcy Code by refusing to dismiss a lawsuit against a guarantor whose liability was eliminated by the debtor’s payment to the bank that held the guarantee.

Overview on Section 546(e) of the Bankruptcy Code

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Bankruptcy, Private equity, US Congress
A Tale of Fraud and Overzealousness: How the Judicial Shrinkage of “Initial Transferee” Saved an Innocent Immigrant From a Corrupt Car Dealer and a Troublesome Trustee

What happens when a shady businessman transfers $1 million from one floundering car dealership to another via the bank account of an innocent immigrant? Will the first dealership’s future chapter 7 trustee be allowed to recover from the naïve newcomer as the “initial transferee” of a fraudulent transfer as per the strict letter of the law? Or will our brave courts of equity exercise their powers to prevent a most grave injustice?

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP
Post Siegel Ruling: Tenth Circuit Orders Refunds for Overpayment of U.S. Trustee Fees

The Bankruptcy Protector

On June 6, 2022, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in Siegel v. Fitzgerald, 142 S. Ct. 1770 (U.S. June 6, 2022) that the increase in fees payable to the U.S. Trustee system in 2018 violated the uniformity aspect of the Bankruptcy Clause of the Constitution because it was not immediately applicable in the two states with Bankruptcy Administrators rather than U.S. Trustees.

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Bankruptcy, US Congress, Supreme Court of the United States, Federal Circuit, Tenth Circuit, US Court of Federal Claims
A Foreign Entity May be Subject to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Jurisdiction Simply by Utilizing a U.S. Bank Account in a Transaction with Another Foreign Entity

A foreign (non-U.S.) company can be dragged unwillingly into a U.S. bankruptcy case if the bankruptcy court has “personal jurisdiction” over the company.

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, Bankruptcy, United States bankruptcy court
A Foreign Entity May be Subject to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Jurisdiction Simply by Utilizing a U.S. Bank Account in a Transaction with Another Foreign Entity

A foreign (non-U.S.) company can be dragged unwillingly into a U.S. bankruptcy case if the bankruptcy court has “personal jurisdiction” over the company.

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, United States bankruptcy court
Statute of Limitations, Res Judicata, and Collateral Estoppel—Oh My! Asserting Affirmative Defenses in Delaware Bankruptcy Court

The issue of whether directors, officers, and/or shareholders breached their fiduciary duties to a company prior to bankruptcy is commonly litigated in chapter 11 cases, as creditors look to additional sources for recovery, such as D&O insurance or “deep-pocket” shareholders, including private equity firms. The recent decision in In re AMC Investors, LLC, 637 B.R. 43 (Bankr. D. Del. 2022) provides a helpful reminder of the importance of timing in bringing such claims and the use by defendants of affirmative defenses to defeat those claims.

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, Private equity
11th Circuit Approves of Third-Party Releases Despite Debtor’s Failure to Comply with Strict Notice Requirements of Bankruptcy Rules

Overview

USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Bankruptcy, Eleventh Circuit
Revisiting the Supreme Court’s 2020 Decision in Acevedo Barring Entry of Nunc Pro Tunc Orders: How to Ensure Your Employment and Fee Applications are Properly Approved

The Bankruptcy Protector

USA, Employment & Labor, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Supreme Court of the United States
Lenders Beware: Lender Liability is Real and Can Cost You Dearly

There is a common misconception that lender liability is a thing of the past. However, a recent decision provides a warning to lenders that they can be held liable and face substantial damages if they exercise excessive control over a debtor’s business affairs.

USA, Banking, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, Due diligence