Changes may be coming to the Bankruptcy Code’s safe harbor provisions.[1] In 2012 the American Bankruptcy Institute established a Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 (the “ABI Commission”), composed of many well-respected restructuring practitioners, including two of the original drafters of the Bankruptcy Code, whose advice holds great weight in the restructuring community.

The outcome of the TOUSA appeal has been much anticipated and closely watched by the lending community, their counsel and advisors, and legal scholars. On May 15, 2012, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion (found here), reversing the District Court for the Southern District of Florida and affirming the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, at least insofar as to the bankruptcy court’s factual findings, but not remedies.

In Lehman Brothers Special Financing, Inc. v. Ballyrock ABS CDO 2007-1 Limited (In re Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc.), Adv. P. No. 09-01032 (JMP) (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. May 12, 2011) [hereinafter “Ballyrock”], the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York held that a contractual provision that subordinates the priority of a termination payment owing under a credit default swap (CDS) to a debtor in bankruptcy, and which caps the amount of the termination payment, may be an unenforceable ipso facto clause under section 541(c)(1)(B).

On Friday, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation closed Horizon Bank, headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, and appointed the FDIC as receiver for the bank. As receiver, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Bank of the Ozarks, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, to assume all of the deposits of Horizon Bank.

On Friday, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance closed Satilla Community Bank, headquartered in St. Marys, Georgia, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.

On Friday, the Michigan Department of Financial and Insurance Services closed the Bank of Ann Arbor, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and appointed the FDIC as receiver. As receiver, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Bank of Ann Arbor, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to assume all of the deposits of New Liberty Bank.

On Friday, the Missouri Division of Finance closed Southwest Community Bank, headquartered in Springfield, Missouri .

On Friday, the Illinois Department of Financial Professional Regulation - Division of Banking closed Midwest Bank and Trust Company, headquartered in Elmwood Park, Illinois, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.

Today, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law held a hearing entitled “Ramifications of Auto Industry Bankruptcies; Part II.” Testifying before the committee was Ron Bloom, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Treasury.