On Friday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed Granite Community Bank, N.A., and appointed the FDIC as receiver.

On Friday, the Nevada Financial Institutions Division closed Sun West Bank, headquartered in Law Vegas, Nevada, and appointed the FDIC as receiver. As receiver, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with City National Bank, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, to assume all of the deposits of the failed bank.

Today, Washington Mutual, Inc. (WMI) announced a Global Settlement Agreement with J.P. Morgan Chase and the FDIC. Under the agreement, J.P. Morgan Chase will give WMI over $4 billion in WMI deposits in its former failed bank subsidiaries in exchange for over $6 billion in other assets. Also, the three parties will split two potential tax refunds worth a total of $5.6 billion.

In a decision that reaffirms its previous rulings on the jurisdictional limits of bankruptcy courts, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently held in W.R. Grace & Co. v. Chakarian (In re W.R. Grace & Co.)1 that bankruptcy courts lack subject matter jurisdiction over third-party actions against non-debtors if such actions could affect a debtor’s bankruptcy estate only following the filing of another lawsuit.

To promote equal treatment of creditors, the US Congress has armed debtors with the power to bring suit to recover a variety of pre-bankruptcy transfers. Prominent among these is a debtor’s ability under Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code to recover constructively fraudulent transfers — i.e., transfers made without fair consideration when a debtor is insolvent.

To promote equal treatment of creditors, the US Congress has armed debtors with the power to bring suit to recover a variety of pre-bankruptcy transfers. Prominent among these is a debtor’s ability under Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code to recover constructively fraudulent transfers — i.e., transfers made without fair consideration when a debtor is insolvent.