On March 2, 2016, Sports Authority, Inc. (“Sports Authority”) and six of its affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. The filing will significantly impact Sports Authority’s landlords and trade creditors. In a press release, Sports Authority stated that it intends to close or sell approximately 140 locations and two distribution centers in the coming months. The company is also seeking $595 million in post-bankruptcy financing to continue operations. Sports Authority is a sporting goods retailer with 463 locations in 41 states and Puerto Rico.
Employers scored a big victory in In re Trump Entertainment Resorts, a case of first impression in the Third Circuit, which held that a debtor-employer can terminate their obligations under an expired Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and implement the terms of a final offer.
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From 1 November 2015, additional marketing and disclosure requirements will have to be satisfied by administrators completing pre-packaged sales.
BACKGROUND
The revised Statement of Insolvency Practice 16 (SIP 16) comes into force on 1 November 2015.
RE: BPE SOLICITORS & ANOTHER V GABRIEL [2015] UKSC 39
The Supreme Court considered whether a trustee in bankruptcy who was considering adopting proceedings and lodging an appeal should be personally liable for historic adverse costs which had been awarded against the bankrupt prior to the commencement of the bankruptcy.
A Trustee in Bankruptcy’s liability for litigation costs
Stevensdrake Ltd v Stephen Hunt & Others [2015] EWHC 1527 (Ch)
Introduction
The High Court’s recent judgment in Stevensdrake Ltd -v- Stephen Hunt & Others highlights the need for Insolvency Practitioners to make sure that they carefully review conditional fee arrangements before entering into them and understand the potential contractual ramifications which may give rise to personal liability.
Background
Introduction
The recent Supreme Court decision in Bilta (UK) Ltd (in liquidation) and others v Nazir and others has provided office holders with greater (but not final) clarity on the operation of the ‘illegality defence’.
Many readers will be familiar with the concept of the illegality defence, otherwise referred to by the maxim “ex turpi causa non oritur actio”. It is a rule of law which provides that a claimant cannot rely on its own wrongdoing to found a claim against another party.
RE: HARVEST FINANCE LTD; JACKSON & ANOTHER V CANNONS LAW PRACTICE LLP & OTHERS [2014]
This case concerns the provision of documentation under s236 IA 1986. The documentation requested by the liquidators was extensive and the Respondents wished to claim their time costs (£40,381) of providing the same. The Court held that whilst it was within the Court’s jurisdiction to make an order for costs against the insolvent estate, it was not minded to do so in this case.
The Facts
ASTRA RESOURCES PLC V CREDIT VERITAS USA LLC [2015] EWHC 1830 (CH)
It is trite law that the court will grant an injunction restraining the advertisement of a winding-up petition where the petition amounts to an abuse of process.
E: BW ESTATES LTD; RANDHAWA AND ANOTHER V TURPIN AND ANOTHER [2015] EWHC 517 (CH) (“RVT”)
This decision followed an application by creditors (“the Randhawas”) of BW Estates Ltd (“the Company”) against the administrators of the Company that their remuneration should be deemed excessive and either disallowed entirely or reduced to such extent as the court thought appropriate.
The Facts