Last month, Jeoffrey Burtch, the Chapter 7 Trustee (the "Trustee") in the Opus East bankruptcy filed approximately 90 preference actions against various defendants.  As stated in his complaints, the Trustee "seeks to avoid and recover ... all preferential transfers of property made for or on account of an antecedent debt made to or for the benefit of the Defendant by the Debtor during the ninety-day period prior to the filing of the Debtor's bankruptcy petition under 11 U.S.C. sec.

Summary

On February 1, 2011, AES Thames, LLC ("AES" or "Debtor") filed petitions for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. According to the Declaration of AES's President in Support of First Day Motions (the "Declaration"), AES owns and operates a coal-fired power plant in Montville, Connecticut.

A discovery dispute gave the bankruptcy court an opportunity to rule on the common interest privilege which, the court said, has completely replaced the joint defense privilege for information sharing among clients with different attorneys, citing In re Teleglobe Communications Corp., 493 F.3d 345, 364 n. 20 (3d Cir. 2007). Leslie Controls, Inc., Case No. 10-12199 (Bankr. D. Del. 9/21/10)(Sontchi, B.J.).

Introduction

George Miller, the Chapter 7 Trustee in the HomeBanc Mortgage bankruptcy, recently filed approximately 400 preference actions against various defendants under section 547 of the Bankruptcy Code. According to a Summons filed in one of the adversary actions, the first pre-trial conference is scheduled in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on April 21, 2010. The HomeBanc bankruptcy, along with these adversary actions, are before the Honorable Kevin J.

On March 2, 2017, Cal Dive Offshore Contractors, Inc. (“Cal Dive” or “Debtor”) filed approximately 136 complaints seeking the avoidance and recovery of allegedly preferential and/or fraudulent transfers under Sections 547, 548 and 550 of the Bankruptcy Code.

On August 29, 2016, the Third Circuit released a precedential opinion (the “Opinion”) which opined that a “[redemption] premium, meant to give the lenders the interest yield they expect, [does not] fall away because the full principal amount is now due and the noteholders are barred from rescinding the acceleration of debt.” The Third Circuit’s Opinion is available here. This Opinion was issued in an appeal from a decision made in the Energy Future Holdings Bankruptcy Case No. 14-10979.

On August 23, 2016, Judge Sue L. Robinson of the Delaware District Court issued an Order denying an appellant’s motion for stay pending appeal. The decision was issued in a appeals arising from the Molycorp Bankruptcy (which is docketed, at case 15-11357 in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court). The appeals are docketed in the District Court as Case Numbers 16-286 and 16-288. A copy of the Opinion is available here.

Introduction