Under the Absolute Priority Rule, for a Chapter 11 plan to be confirmable, claims of a higher priority must be paid in full in order for lower priority claims to receive any recovery, and all creditors must be paid in full in order for equity interest holders to retain any interest in the debtor, or receive any distribution under the plan. The Absolute Priority Rule is embodied in Section 1129(b)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code.

In a landmark decision,[1] the Delaware Court of Chancery addressed, for the first time, the precise duties that a controlling stockholder owes, and the standard of review that will apply, when a controlling stockholder takes actions to block a board of directors’ desired course of action — such as by removing directors or enacting a bylaw requiring a unanimous vote for board action

We have recently published a few blogs on the hot topic of company insolvencies, including more specifically about:

On January 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed an amicus curiae brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to reverse a district court’s decision finding that a debt collector lacked the requisite knowledge and intent to violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) when it sent a debt-collection communication prior to any knowledge of the debtor’s bankruptcy filing.

The English High Court decision of Hunt v Singh [2023] EWHC 1784 (Ch) has provided the most substantive authority on directors' duties to creditors since the decision of the Supreme Court in BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana SA and others [2022] UKSC 25 (“Sequana”). The case specifically considered the point at which a director’s duty to take into account the interests of creditors arises.

The Bankruptcy Code’s Section 547(b) allows a trustee or debtor in possession to recover property transferred to a creditor, known as a preference action. However, the Code also provides defenses to a preference action, including the ordinary course of business defense.

The festive period is a time for celebrating with loved ones, enjoying food and drink, and exchanging gifts. But it can also bring financial challenges. With rising living costs, interest rates at levels not seen for over a decade, and inflation still high, the cost of Christmas can present a further struggle, leaving many overstretched and facing unmanageable debts and insolvency come January.

2023 was a year where we saw buyers and sellers of commercial real estate assets not necessarily always aligned on pricing against a backdrop of lending headwinds. As the year drew to a close, visible signs of distress were reported to be emerging in certain corners of the real estate sector which may well bring fruitful opportunities in 2024 for property investors looking to acquire new assets via distressed or enforced sales. But what is a "distressed" property sale and what are the key considerations for buyers looking to acquire these types of assets?

If you have ever filed a claim in a bankruptcy case, you have also probably received an offer from a third-party claims purchaser to purchase your claim. Before deciding to sell the claim, there are pros and cons that must be carefully considered.

Key Issues

There are several advantages to selling your claim:

A Section 363 sale is a sale of a company's assets pursuant to Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code. The Bankruptcy Court will approve a 363 sale if the debtor can demonstrate a "substantial business justification" for the sale.

Key Issues

In general, Section 363 bankruptcy sales proceed as follows: