In a recent decision,1 the United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the 9th Circuit clarified an important step that construction lienholders must take to perfect their liens when the debtor has filed a bankruptcy petition before the lienholder files a foreclosure lawsuit.
Agricultural economists have long warned of a looming farm crisis. However, for the most part, they have been wrong. In 2021, nationwide Chapter 12 family farmer bankruptcy filings were at second lowest level since Chapter 12 was enacted in 1987. The low level of Chapter 12 filings is all the more surprising given that Congress more than doubled the debt limit for Chapter 12 eligibility (to $10 million) in 2019.
Good evening.
Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of March 7, 2022.
In Ernst & Young Inc. v. Aquino, the court upheld the application judge’s decision to grant the orders the Bondfield monitor and trustee in bankruptcy requiring payments made at undervalue to be repaid. In coming to its decision, the Court applied the corporate attribution doctrine.
Among many other accommodations, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provided small business and individual debtors with expanded access to bankruptcy relief. The extended provisions include:
The Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey denied motions to dismiss the chapter 11 case of the newly created subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, LTL Management LLC, and granted the debtor’s motion to stay prosecution of actions asserting talc related personal injuries against its J&J affiliates and the products distributors. This is the first opinion outside the North Carolina bankruptcy court approving the use of the so-called Texas Two Step as a bankruptcy execution strategy.
The Motions to Dismiss
From 1 April 2021, the Bankruptcy Regulations 1996 (Cth) (Former Regulations) were replaced by the Bankruptcy Regulations 2021 (Cth) (Bankruptcy Regulations). Whilst the various amendments introduced by the new Bankruptcy Regulations have been largely represented as minor and administrative in nature, there is one critical amendment concerning the method for service of bankruptcy notices.
What is a bankruptcy notice?
The Bankruptcy Protector
Facts
The US Supreme Court tends to hear a couple of bankruptcy cases per term. Most of these cases deal with interpreting provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. However, every few years or so, the Supreme Court decides a constitutional issue in bankruptcy. Some are agita-inducing (Northern Pipeline, Stern), some less so (Katz). The upcoming case is a little more nuanced, but could have major consequences.
Over the past decade, there have been several court decisions on whether particular make-whole premiums should be allowed as part of a creditor's claim in bankruptcy, such as Momentive,1 EFH,2 American Airlines,3 and Ultra Petroleum.4 Although these decisions and others set forth the legal standards to be applied and resolved the specific claims at issue, the decisions provide little guidance or clarity on the allowability of make-whole claims in future cases.