The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that an insured vs. insured exclusion bars coverage for a suit by a debtor-in-possession against former directors and officers of the company. Biltmore Assocs. v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co., No. 06-16417, 2009 WL 1976071 (9th Cir. July 10, 2009). The court rejected the argument that the debtor-in-possession was a different legal entity from the pre-bankruptcy company insured under the policy.

In an unpublished summary order applying New York law, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has affirmed a district court's judgment finding that many of the factual allegations asserted in a complaint against the directors and officers of the bankrupt policyholder were excluded by a prior litigation exclusion, even though some of the excluded losses accrued during time periods not at issue in the prior litigation. Pereira v. Gulf Ins. Co., 2009 WL 1262954 (2d Cir. May 6, 2009).

As a result of the meltdown of the financial markets, lenders are severely constricting new credit facilities and refusing to renew expiring facilities. The Bankruptcy Code's chapter 11 provides a powerful mechanism for an otherwise viable business to restructure and extend its outstanding debt and in many cases, reduce interest rates on loan facilities.

American Bankruptcy Institute: Caribbean Symposium 2009

Introduction

The recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Saulnier (Receiver of) v. Saulnier has changed the basis for determining whether a licence is property under a provincial Personal Property Security Act (“PPSA”) and the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”).

When H. Jason Gold was appointed liquidating trustee for the bankruptcy estate of Dornier Aviation (North America), Inc., (DANA) in early 2003, creditors were expected to receive as little as three cents per claim dollar. Despite these daunting prospects, Mr.

Liquidations of struggling enterprises can take several forms. While many people are familiar with the concept of a "bankruptcy liquidation," the structure of a liquidation in bankruptcy may vary depending upon the specific type of case. Additionally, bankruptcy is not the only forum for liquidation of distressed companies, only the most common. This article provides a synopsis of some of the various types of liquidations.

Chapter 11 Liquidations

As a result of the meltdown of the financial markets, lenders are severely constricting new credit facilities and refusing to renew expiring facilities. The Bankruptcy Code's chapter 11 provides a powerful mechanism for an otherwise viable business to restructure and extend its outstanding debt and in many cases, reduce interest rates on loan facilities.

A federal bankruptcy court, applying New York law, has dismissed an adversary proceeding brought by a bankrupt home mortgage company against its directors and officers liability insurers, holding that coverage for a pre-petition lawsuit against the mortgage company was barred by application of an “inadequate consideration” exclusion. Delta Fin. Corp. v. Westchester Surplus Lines Ins. Co., Case No. 07-11880 (CSS) (Jointly Administered) (Bankr. D. Del. Dec. 15, 2008). The court also held that the coverage dispute was a non-core proceeding.

The recent downturn in the financial sector and related bankruptcy filings have shed light on issues involving executive compensation, particularly in chapter 11 cases. Specifically, bankrupt companies often have paid substantial bonuses to executives prior to filing for bankruptcy protection and desire to retain those executives throughout the bankruptcy process through additional bonus payments and similar schemes. These types of payments have been criticized as giveaways to management.