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Structured finance transaction documents have typically included subordination provisions in their post-default waterfalls, effectively changing a swap counterparty’s right to get paid from above that of the noteholders to below that of the noteholders.

In its ruling on Wednesday 27 July in the matter of Belmont Park Investments PTY Ltd v BNY Corporate Trustee Services Lte & Anor [2011] UKSC 38 the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has dismissed the appeal by Lehman Brothers Special Finance Inc. ("LSF") relating to the validity of an alleged anti-deprivation provision known as a 'flip' provision which, has the effect of altering the payment priority order as a result of a bankruptcy of the relevant swap counterparty, in this case Lehman Brothers.

On July 25, 2011, JPMorgan Bank filed a third-party complaint against the FDIC in the Southern District of Ohio, claiming the FDIC indemnified JPMorgan when it agreed to buy assets from Washington Mutual, which went bankrupt in 2008.  JPMorgan alleges that it only accepted certain narrow WaMu liabilities in its agreement with the FDIC, specifically excluding liabilities relating to WaMu's pre-closing activities.  Western and Southern Life Insurance Company has since sued JPMorgan for fraudulent misrepresentation in connection with the sale of $650 million in mortgage-backed securi

On June 28, 2011, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit became the latest circuit to weigh in on the hotly contested question of whether a debtor can deny a secured creditor the right to credit bid as part of a Chapter 11 plan providing for the sale of assets encumbered by the secured creditor’s liens. InIn re River Road Hotel Partners, LLC,1 the Seventh Circuit upheld the right of secured creditors to credit bid, a decision that runs directly contrary to recent opinions in the Third and Fifth Circuits.

On July 6, the FDIC adopted a final rule addressing the rights and powers of the FDIC as a receiver of a nonviable systemic financial company under the orderly liquidation provisions of Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act.  The rule addresses: (i) recoupment of compensation from senior executives and directors as well as the receiver's power to avoid fraudulent and preferential transfers; (ii) the priority of claims; and (iii) the receivership administrative claims process as well as secured claims procedures.  The lin

In a long awaited action, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued a final rule on July 6 which addresses the FDIC's rights and powers as receiver of a nonviable systemic financial company under the orderly liquidation authority provisions of Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”) is preparing forms of amendment to its boilerplate master agreements in connection with market practice relating to the suspension of payments by a non-defaulting party. ISDA is also considering a protocol to implement the amendments into existing agreements on a multilateral basis.  

The Court of Chancery of Delaware ruled that counsel failed to establish "excusable neglect" when it requested additional time to submit an expert witness report after the deadline for that report—as provided for in the court's previously issued scheduling order—had expired.

On April 18, the FDIC released a report examining how it could have structured an orderly resolution of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. using the orderly liquidation authority under Title II of theDodd-Frank Act. FDIC Release.

 

On April 21, the Fed issued a request for public information and comment on two bankruptcy-related studies required under the Dodd-Frank Act. One study will focus on the resolution of financial companies in Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the other will focus on international coordination of the resolution of systemically important financial companies under the Bankruptcy Code and applicable foreign law. Comments must be submitted within 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.