Fulltext Search

Parties structuring certain financial transactions to comply with the Bankruptcy Code safe harbor provisions, including protections from the avoidance powers in Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code,1 must be cognizant of recent case law prescribing the identity of counterparties within the ambit of the provisions.

In a ruling issued just yesterday, MOAC Mall Holdings LLC v. Transform Holdco LLC et al., 598 U.S. ----, 2023 WL 2992693 (2023) (“MOAC”), the United States Supreme Court (the “Supreme Court”) held that Bankruptcy Code section 363(m) is not jurisdictional in terms of appellate review of asset sale orders, but rather, that such section only contains limitations on the relief that may be afforded on appeal. Section 363(m) of the Bankruptcy Code is often relied upon by purchasers of assets in a bankruptcy case as providing finality to any sale order.

As many parties expected, on March 17, 2023 SVB Financial Group (“SVB Financial” or the “Debtor”) the holding company for Silicon Valley Bank, commenced a case under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”) in the Southern District of New York. Judge Martin Glenn has been assigned to the chapter 11 case. Neither Silicon Valley Bank, currently in FDIC receivership, nor its successor Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A. (“SV Bridge Bank”), were included in the chapter 11 filing.

A lot of ink has been spilled in the last 72 hours regarding the historic developments involving Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Our quick summary of the facts and law is below. Cadwalader will continue to monitor these developments closely and will update you with additional insights.

In the past six months, four major players in the crypto space have filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection: Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, FTX, and BlockFi, and more may be forthcoming. Together, the debtors in these four bankruptcy cases are beholden to hundreds of thousands of creditors. The bulk of the claims in these cases are customer claims related to cryptocurrency held on the debtors’ respective platforms. These customer claimants deposited or “stored” fiat currency and cryptocurrencies on the debtors’ platforms.

Introduction

The UK Supreme Court has recently delivered a landmark decision in the case of BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana S.A. [2022] UKSC 25. The decision is of great importance as the Supreme Court considered in detail whether the trigger for the directors’ duty to consider creditors’ interest is merely a real risk, as opposed to a probability of or close proximity to, insolvency.

Background

簡介

英國最高法院最近在BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana S.A. [2022] UKSC 25一案中頒下了重要裁決,其重要之處在於最高法院深入探討了董事考慮債權人權益的責任,是只需出現真正的無力償債風險便已觸發,還是在相當可能或瀕臨無力償債時才觸發。

背景

本案的第二及第三答辯人為AWA公司(「該公司」)的董事。於2009年5月,他們安排該公司向該公司唯一股東(「第一答辯人」)派發1.35億歐元的股息(「該股息」),以抵銷第一答辯人結欠該公司的債務。該公司在支付該股息時,其資產負債表及現金流均處於具償債能力的狀況。然而,該公司有一項與污染相關而金額未定的長期或然負債,導致該公司產生未來可能無力償債的真正風險。

简介

英国最高法院最近在BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana S.A. [2022] UKSC 25一案中颁下了重要裁决,其重要之处在于最高法院深入探讨了董事考虑债权人权益的责任,是只需出现真正的无力偿债风险便已触发,还是在相当可能或濒临无力偿债时才触发。

背景

本案的第二及第三答辩人为AWA公司(「该公司」)的董事。于2009年5月,他们安排该公司向该公司唯一股东(「第一答辩人」)派发1.35亿欧元的股息(「该股息」),以抵销第一答辩人结欠该公司的债务。该公司在支付该股息时,其资产负债表及现金流均处于具偿债能力的状况。然而,该公司有一项与污染相关而金额未定的长期或然负债,导致该公司产生未来可能无力偿债的真正风险。