Introduction

On October 16, 2012, battery maker A123 Systems, Inc., and various subsidiaries, filed chapter 11 petitions for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.  A123 started its business in 2001 seeking to capitalize on the growing use of lithium-ion batteries in transportation and energy systems.  According to papers filed with the Bankruptcy Court, the company first began producing commercial batteries in 2006.  See Declaration of David Prystash in Support of Chapter 11 Petitions and First Day Motions (hereinafter the "Decl.") at *4.  By

Earlier this month, GameTech International, Inc., and various related entities (collectively, "GameTech"), filed chapter 11 petitions for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. According to GameTech's Declaration in Support of its Chapter 11 Petitions (the "Decl."), the company entered the electronic bingo business in 1994  and the video lottery terminal ("VLT") and slot machine business in 2007.  Decl.

Introduction

When talking about mergers, acquisitions and maybe even liquidations, retirement plans can sometimes get lost in the shuffle.  Asset purchases that result in the liquidation of the seller company, or acquisitions of assets by buyers, can create problems over legacy retirement plans.  These "orphan" plans just don't disappear and they have to be dealt with properly.

On June 23, 2011, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that has sent waves through bankruptcy courts across the nation. Stern v. Marshall, 131 S.Ct. 2594 (2011), is the latest opinion in a long running dispute between the estate of Vickie Lynn Marshall, better known as Anna Nicole Smith, and the estate of her late husband’s son, Pierce Marshall.

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

Last year, the Liquidating Trustee (the "Trustee") in the Midway Games bankruptcy began filing avoidance actions against creditors of the bankruptcy estate. Midway Games ("Midway" or the "Debtor") filed petitions for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on February 12, 2009. For those not familiar with this bankruptcy proceeding, Midway developed and distributed video games throughout the North America, Europe and Asia.

Bankruptcy Code § 365(d)(3) requires the trustee or the debtor in possession to "timely perform all the obligations of the debtor . . .arising from and after the order for relief under any unexpired lease of nonresidential real property, until such lease is assumed or rejected, notwithstanding section 503(b)(1)." In 2001 the Third Circuit construed this section to require the debtor to perform the lease in accordance with its terms. CenterPoint Properties v. Montgomery Ward Holding Corp. (In re Montgomery Ward Holding Corp.), 268 F.3d 205 (3d Cir. 2001).