Few words in real estate transactions inspire as much fear as "time is of the essence." If a closing date or other deadline is time-is-of-the-essence (TOTE), neither party can postpone the closing or extend the deadline without the other party's consent. So if a buyer is unable to timely close (often because they are unable to obtain financing) and the seller is unwilling to postpone the closing, the buyer may forfeit its security deposit and lose a valuable business opportunity. The consequences for failing to meet a TOTE closing are harsh and seemingly unavoidable.
Serving on a court-appointed bankruptcy committee can come with many benefits, and the list just got a little longer. In Blixseth v. Brown, the Ninth Circuit held that committee members enjoy some of the same protections as trustees when it comes to potential attacks for actions taken during a bankruptcy case.
The bankruptcy of solar power developer SunEdison has been one of the most discussed topics of the US renewable energy market in 2016. Christy Rivera, partner in Chadbourne’s bankruptcy group, joins us to discuss outcomes, surprises and lessons learned from SunEdison’s bankruptcy filing.
Originally published in the New York Law Journal
Voters in eight states, including California and Florida, recently approved ballot initiatives to legalize the recreational and medical use of marijuana. Presently, 28 states permit the use of marijuana to different extents.
A recent decision by Judge Sontchi in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware casts some light on the methods that representatives of non-U.S. debtors can—and can’t—use to track down those who owe such debtors money.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Code gives debtors access to powerful rights and remedies that are not available under non-bankruptcy law. As a balance to these extraordinary powers however, a debtor may lose some or all control over its own affairs under certain circumstances. One of the rights that the debtor “puts into play” when it files bankruptcy is the attorney-client privilege (the Privilege).
Creditors are often compelled to commence expensive and time consuming litigation to first prosecute their claims and then locate and seize a debtor's assets. During this lengthy and costly process, the debtor's assets are dissipated and the creditor may realize only a fraction of its claim. The Bankruptcy Code1 allows a trustee to liquidate a debtor's assets in a cost-effective, expeditious manner. Because of this, involuntary bankruptcy is a powerful tool that can expedite and maximize payments to affected creditors.
Everyone makes mistakes … even lawyers! Most of the time we don't even know it because the error is either minor or doesn't affect the outcome. In this article, we discuss a small error by an attorney that could cost his client $1.5 billion. That's billion with a "B".
A "Saab" Story with a Happy Ending: An Inside Look at the Saab Bankruptcy Case
Creditors often assume the worst when they hear that a company that owes them money filed "bankruptcy." They fear that their debt will be completely wiped out or that they will only collect pennies on the dollar. And while that is usually the result, a chapter 11 bankruptcy filing can often lead to creditors being paid a substantial portion of their debt.
On November 7, 2014, the City of Detroit’s historic Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy case culminated with the confirmation of the City’s proposed plan of adjustment (after eight amendments), and the approval of various related settlements. Although little more than a month has passed, a great deal of ink has already been spilled on what the City’s bankruptcy case means, particularly from the viewpoint of the municipality and its citizens.