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  • Companies facing bankruptcy can still make smart moves
  • Creditors should consider asserting liens before it’s too late
  • Legal fees may be covered for some unsecured creditors

Oil prices took an historic nosedive Monday as Saudi Arabia and Russia announced plans that would flood a market already crippled by the coronavirus. How long this price war will continue is unclear but Brent and US crude have already lost half their value this year.

In a recent opinion – In re Heritage Home Group LLC, et al., Case No. 18-11736 (KG), 2018 WL 4684802 (Bankr. D. Del. Sept. 27, 2018) – the Delaware Bankruptcy Court addressed the longstanding issue of which professional persons must be retained under section 327(a) of the Bankruptcy Code.

A fundamental tenet of chapter 11 bankruptcies is the absolute priority rule. Initially a judge-created doctrine, the absolute priority rule was partially codified in section 1129(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the Bankruptcy Code. Under section 1129, plans must be “fair and equitable” in order to be confirmed.