Debt exchanges have long been utilized by distressed companies to address liquidity concerns and to take advantage of beneficial market conditions. A company saddled with burdensome debt obligations, for example, may seek to exchange existing notes for new notes with the same outstanding principal but with borrower-favorable terms, like delayed payment or extended maturation dates (a "Face Value Exchange"). Or the company might seek to exchange existing notes for new notes with a lower face amount, motivated by discounted trading values for the existing notes (a "Fair Value Exchange").

One of the primary fights underlying assumption of an unexpired lease or executory contract has long been over whether any debtor breaches under the agreement are “curable.” Before the 2005 amendments to the Bankruptcy Code, courts were split over whether historic nonmonetary breaches (such as a failure to maintain cash reserves or prescribed hours of operation) undermined a debtor’s ability to assume the lease or contract.

On Friday, the Washington Department of Financial Institutions closed North County Bank, headquartered in Arlington, Washington, and appointed the FDIC as receiver. As receiver, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Whidbey Island Bank, headquartered in Coupeville, Washington, to assume all of the deposits of the failed bank.

On Friday, the Florida Office of Financial Regulationclosed Haven Trust Bank Florida, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and appointed the FDIC as receiver. As receiver, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with First Southern Bank, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, to assume all of the deposits of the failed bank.

On Friday, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation closed three bank subsidiaries of Bank of Florida Corporation: (1) Bank of Florida – Southeast, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; (2) Bank of Florida – Southwest, Naples, Florida; and (3) Bank of Florida –

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.