On September 20th, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted BNY Corporate Trustee Services Limited ("BNY") leave to appeal the bankruptcy court's decision in the Lehman "Dante" matter. In its January decision, the bankruptcy court had voided certain document provisions providing for the subordination of a swap counterparty's rights to an early termination payment when the swap counterparty or one of its close affiliates went into bankruptcy. BNY holds the collateral subject to this dispute.
On July 30, 2010 the Italian Parliament passed Law 122/20101 which, among others, improved the restructuring proceedings governed by the Italian Bankruptcy Law2 (“IBL”).
The improvements operate on two fronts of restructuring deals which had proven to be still unclear (and thus risky) despite the recent reform:
Typically under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”) when a debtor brings an application to extend the stay period, the court will grant the extension, so long as the applicant debtor is acting in good faith and with due diligence. In the vast majority of such extension applications the debtor has the support of the court appointed Monitor. The recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice case Re Dura Automotive Systems (Canada) Ltd.
Abitibi
In Capital One v. Solehdin,1 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recognized judgments of a Louisiana bankruptcy court and held that they were enforceable in Ontario. The judgments were summary judgments against guarantors under their respective guarantees. The decision is significant – it is one of the first cases where guarantors challenged the recognition and enforcement of such judgments of a foreign bankruptcy court on the basis that the foreign bankruptcy court lacked the jurisdiction to grant the judgments.
In a decision filed on July 7th, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed a district court decision upholding a bankruptcy court order granting summary judgment to American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. (American Home) in connection with a repurchase transaction entered into in 2007 under which American Home sold certain certificates to Bear Stearns International Ltd. (Bear Stearns) for $19,534,000 and agreed to re-purchase the certificates at a later date for $19,636,879.07. In re American Home Mortgage Holdings, Inc., 2010 WL 2676383 (3d Cir.
On May 11, the Board of Directors of the FDIC approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the “NPR”) proposing a rule which would govern the treatment by the FDIC, as conservator or receiver of a failed insured depository institution (a “Bank”), of financial assets previously transferred by such Bank in a securitization or participation transaction. The proposed rule would create a safe harbor to confirm legal isolation of these financial assets if certain conditions are satisfied.
On May 5th, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York issued a decision declaring that a party's right to setoff in an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. ("ISDA") Master Agreement is unenforceable in bankruptcy unless "strict mutuality" exists.
On May 5, 2010, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York issued a decision declaring that a party’s right to setoff in an ISDA Master Agreement is unenforceable in bankruptcy unless strict mutuality exists. (Decision and Order).