In In re Sandia Tobacco Mfrs, Inc., 2018 WL 4964295 (Bankr. D.N.M. Oct. 12, 2018), the Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico recently held that certain outstanding “assessments” arising under the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004, 7 U.S.C. §§ 518-519(a), and its accompanying regulations were excise taxes entitled to priority under Section 507(a)(8)(E) of the Bankruptcy Code.

The NORDAM Group, Inc., along with four affiliates and subsidiaries, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-11699). NORDAM, based in Tulsa, OK, is a manufacturer of aerospace components and provider of aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul services.

The Rockport Company, LLC, along with nine (9) affiliates and subsidiaries, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-11145). Rockport, based in West Newton, MA, is a designer, distributor and retailer of comfort footwear in more than fifty (50) markets worldwide.

695 Buggy Circle, LLC, along with six subsidiaries and affiliates, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. All of the Debtors are affiliates of, and are seeking joint administration with, the Woodbridge Group of Companies, et al. (Lead Case No. 17-12560).

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: BONT), a department store retailer headquartered in York, PA, has, along with nine (9) of its affiliates and subsidiaries, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-10248).

Dextera Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ: DXTR), a designer and manufacturer of surgical devices based in Redwood City, CA, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 17-12913). The Petition estimates that Dextera has $10 – $50 million in both assets and liabilities.

CalDel Holdings, LLC, a semi-conductor manufacturer headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 17-12266). The petition estimates the Debtor’s assets to be between $1 – $10 million and its liabilities to be between $500,000 – $1 million. The Debtor’s list of top 20 creditors only includes one party—Universal Semiconductor, Inc.

TerraVia Holdings, Inc., a San Francisco-based specialty food company, and two of its affiliates have filed petitions for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 17-11655).

Marsh Supermarkets Holding, LLC, and 15 of its affiliates, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 17-11066-BLS). The petition lists between $0 and $50,000 in assets and between $50 and $100 million in liabilities.

On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an opinion in the case of Trikona Advisers Limited v. Chugh, No. 14-975-cv, 2017 WL 191936 (2d Cir. Jan. 18, 2017), thwarting an attempt to expand the scope of Chapter 15 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”). Specifically, the Second Circuit held, among other things, that Chapter 15 does not prevent a U.S. District Court from giving preclusive effect to the findings of a foreign court presiding over an insolvency proceeding where the action pending in the U.S.