Latham & Watkins Benefits, Compensation & Employment Practice June 15, 2015 | Number 1844 FAQ: Recent Developments in US Law Affecting Pension and OPEB Claims in Restructurings (2015)1 From theory to practice, planning to enforcement, the answers to 42 of the most frequently asked questions can help you prepare, cope, or respond to a restructuring. This Client Alert answers some of the most frequently asked questions with respect to the treatment of pension-plan liabilities and other post-employment benefits (OPEB) obligations in US bankruptcies.

On May 4, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Bullard v. Blue Hills Bank, No. 14-116, a case which deals with issues of finality and appealability of orders in bankruptcy proceedings. In a unanimous opinion written by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court held that a bankruptcy court’s order denying confirmation of a Chapter 13 debtor’s proposed repayment plan is not a final order and thus is not immediately appealable.

BACKGROUND

When an individual contemplates filing for bankruptcy protection, he or she has a few options. One is to file a Chapter 7 case, and another is to file a Chapter 13 case. In a Chapter 7, all of a debtor’s non-exempt assets are transferred to a bankruptcy estate to be liquidated and distributed to creditors. In a Chapter 13, the debtor retains assets and makes payments to creditors according to a court-approved plan.

Hybrid US/European restructurings can lead to unexpected commercial outcomes because of different practices in intercreditor agreements.

Upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition, an automatic stay goes into effect which provides a debtor with immediate protection from collection efforts by creditors. But the automatic stay is not without limitations.

Double First: A Ukrainian group of companies breaks ground — first by changing the governing law of its high yield bonds from US to English law and then by being the first Ukrainian-based group to restructure via an English law scheme of arrangement The Debate: Chapter 11 vs Scheme of Arrangement The restructuring market has for some time been engaged in a spirited debate about the appropriate forum in which to restructure US law governed high yield (HY) bonds issued by European and American corporates.

In litigation, obtaining a judgment is step one. Step two – often as, if not more, difficult than winning a lawsuit – is collection. In a short, interesting Memorandum of Decision and Order (the “Decision”), Judge Dales of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan (the “Bankruptcy Court”), writes about some of the practical and legal considerations involved with pursuing collection of a bankruptcy court judgment.

Bankruptcy Court reinforces importance of parties’ intent in determining the nature of overriding royalty interests under state law.

There has been much discussion in the media in the past year about the massive amount of professional fees that have been wracked up during the City of Detroit's Chapter 9 bankruptcy. There is always great interest - and debate - about such fees due to the nature of the process: insolvent individuals or companies with no place left to turn file for bankruptcy, creditors take a "haircut" on their claims, and the lawyers get paid. Or so the story goes. As with any complex process, though, there is plenty of nuance that gets lost in the wash, and often is more to the story.

2015 Edition A Practical Guide to Russian Restructurings A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO RUSSIAN RESTRUCTURINGS Introduction Restructurings are likely to be a major topic in the Russian Federation during 2015 and beyond. From a legal perspective, the legislation pertaining to restructurings and insolvencies has benefited from a number of positive developments in recent years. In particular, the amendments which were introduced into the Civil Code1 at the end of 20132 (the Civil Code Amendments) and the Insolvency Law3 at the end of December 20144 represent a significant step forward.