Ascent Resources Marcellus Holdings, LLC, along with two of its affiliates and subsidiaries, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-10265). The Debtors, based in Oklahoma City, OK, operate as an oil and natural gas E&P in the Marcellus Shale basin in the eastern United States.

The New Year brings with it new changes to the bankruptcy code. These recent rule changes apply to any case filed after December 1, 2017, and may apply retroactively to pending proceedings in those instances where it would be “just and practicable.” Although many of the changes deal with consumer bankruptcies, key changes will affect secured creditors.

Changes concerning proof of claim deadlines

On September 22, 2017, the First Circuit Court of Appeals held that § 1109(b) of the Bankruptcy Code (the “Code”) provides a creditors’ committee with an “unconditional right to intervene” in an adversary proceeding.[1]  In reaching this conclusion, the court reversed the District Court for the District of Puerto Rico’s order denying an intervention motion and distinguished its own precedent, on which the District Court had relied.  This decision further bolsters the right of creditors’ com

Scottish Holdings, Inc., Charlotte, NC based reinsurance company, has, along with a single affiliate, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-10160).

Rand Logistics, Inc., along with six affiliates and subsidiaries, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-10175).

In January 2018, Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced a bill that would require corporate debtors to file for bankruptcy protection in the district in which their principal assets or principal place of business is located.

If you are a licensee under a trademark license, what happens to your license if the licensor winds up in the Bankruptcy Court? A recent United States Circuit Court case demonstrates how uncertain the answer is at this time.

Some bankruptcy basics

Ensequence, Inc., a New York, NY based provider of tools for creating interactive television advertising, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 18-10182). Ensequence’s Petition estimates it assets to be between $1–$10 million and its liabilities to be between $10–$50 million.

Patriot National, Inc., a Fort Lauderdale, FL-based provider of technology and outsourcing solutions to the insurance industry, has, along with eighteen affiliates and subsidiaries, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-10189).

PES Holdings, LLC (d/b/a Philadelphia Energy Solutions) has, along with eight of its subsidiaries and affiliates, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-10122). Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, PES operates the largest oil refining complex on the East Coast and is the tenth largest refiner in the United States.