A modification of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan on the eve of the hearing on confirmation of that plan requires re-solicitation of votes and re-voting if the modification materially and adversely affects a class of claims or interests, i.e., equity holders, according to the Eleventh Circuit’s opinion in In re America-CV Station Group, Inc., 56 F.4th 1302 (11th Cir. Jan. 5, 2023).
- Companies Seek More Liquidity – As access to capital may decrease in the coming year, companies on the periphery of needing more operations income are reaching out to lenders to capture the full amount of capital they can borrow currently.
- Correction in Valuations of Companies Without Apparent Underlying Assets – Investors are scrutinizing the valuations of companies more closely, particularly those whose probability of success is tied to nascent products or services.
- Operations Right-Sizing is Underway – Companies are
Summary of Key Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Amendments
On November 11, 2022, FTX, the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States. Reports suggest that the exchange might have a shortfall of as much as US$8 billion. The collapse has sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency market, undermined investor confidence and led to renewed calls for authorities to accelerate the implementation of fit-for-purpose regulations.
Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Are customers’ digital assets held by exchange platforms in so-called “Custodial” and “Withhold” accounts property of the bankruptcy estate? This may be coined the golden question in the recent crypto bankruptcy chronicles, and at a status conference held Oct. 7, 2022, Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn of the Southern District of New York scheduled Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 as tentative dates to hear oral arguments on the issue.
In life (as in business), as Heraclitus said, “the only constant is change.” In today’s fast-paced economy, this axiom should be kept in mind during contract negotiations, especially in a bear market.
Brazos Electric Cooperative received the go-ahead from Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones to seek creditor approval for its bankruptcy plan that provides for Brazos to pay $1.4 billion to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) for costs stemming from February 2021 winter storms.
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The Eleventh Circuit has held that amounts paid post-petition for an administrative expense claim under Section 503(b)(9) of the Bankruptcy Code do not reduce the “new value” otherwise available to the creditor as a defense to a preference claim. Auriga Polymers Inc. v. PMCM2, LLC, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 19761 (11th Cir. July 18, 2022).