Investors have agreed to settle securities claims against more than 30 underwriters who underwrote in excess of $31 billion in debt and equity offerings for Lehman Brothers, the collapse of which was a key chapter in the global financial crisis.  The plaintiffs in these actions alleged that the underwriters, which included Bank of America and units of Bank of New York Mellon, Citigroup and Wells Fargo, assisted Lehman Brothers in making misstatements about its finances prior to its implosion and eventual bankruptcy filing.  The proposed settlement still requires district court app

Grossman v. Lothian Oil Incorporated, 650 F.3d 539 (5th Cir., 2011)  

CASE SNAPSHOT

In a case of first impression in the Fifth Circuit, the court recharacterized a claim of a non-insider, declining to create a per se rule that recharacterization could only apply to insiders.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Northern Capital, Inc. v. The Stockton National Bank, et al. (In re Brooke Corporation), 2011 WL 4543484 (Bankr. D. Kan. Sept. 28, 2011)

CASE SNAPSHOT

Judge James M. Peck of the United States Bank-ruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on December 8, 2011 issued an opinion on a motion of the Lehman Brothers Inc. (“LBI”) trustee (“Trustee”) to confirm his determination that certain claims relating to settled on delivery-versus-payment “to be announced” (“TBA”) contracts do not qualify as customer claims against the LBI estate and therefore are not entitled to Securities Investor Protection Act (“SIPA”) coverage.

Whittle Development, Inc. v. Branch Banking & Trust Co. et al. (In re Whittle Development Inc.) 2011 WL 3268398 (Bankr. N.D. Tex., July 27, 2011)  

CASE SNAPSHOT

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York issued a memorandum decision in the Lehman Brothers Inc. (LBI) liquidation proceeding confirming the LBI trustee’s determination that certain claims relating to TBA contracts do not qualify as customer claims against LBI’s estate.

On Friday, November 25, 2011, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and the Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) issued joint proposed rules to implement the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Act”) described below.  Comments must be received by January 24, 2012.

Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. v. Bethany Holdings Group, LLC, et al., 2011 WL 3427013, (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 5, 2011)

CASE SNAPSHOT

When a traditional nonbanking company files a case under the Bankruptcy Code, a judge is appointed to be the neutral arbiter of disputes that arise between the debtor and its creditors.

In re General Growth Props., Inc., Case No. 09-11977 (ALG), 2011 BL 189724 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. July 20, 2011)  

CASE SNAPSHOT