On May 1, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Merit Management Group v. FTI Consulting, No. 16-784, on appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals from the Seventh Circuit. The Court's decision could resolve a circuit split as to whether section 546(e) of the Bankruptcy Code can shield from fraudulent conveyance attack transfers made through financial institutions where such financial institutions are merely "conduits" in the relevant transaction.

Bond indentures and loan agreements often include make-whole provisions to provide protection to lenders and investors in the event of debt repayment prior to maturity. Make-whole provisions work to compensate the investor/lender for any future interest lost when the issuer/borrower repays the note prior to a specific date.

Following the commencement of an involuntary proceeding against the company by certain creditors in Illinois, Central Grocers, Inc., a retail food cooperative and distributor founded in 1917, and 11 of its affiliates, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 17-10993 BLS). The petition lists between $100 million and $500 million in both assets and liabilities.

Practitioners Beware: When a client located in the state in which you practice law is served with a subpoena from a federal court located in another state, only the relevant federal court in your state (whether district or bankruptcy court) can adjudicate a motion to quash or otherwise modify the subpoena. A recent decision from a Colorado bankruptcy court, In re SBN Fog Cap II, LLC, 562 B.R. 771 (Bankr. D. Colo.

On May 2, 2017, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals clarified whether a bankruptcy debtor retains any property rights in rents after defaulting on a loan that includes an assignment of rents.

David Conaway [email protected] 704.945.2149 Manufacturing Customers Vendors Supply Chain Insolvency Litigation Commercial and Financial Contracts Cross-Border

BACKGROUND

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently affirmed the dismissal of a mortgage loan borrower’s federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and related state law claims because the defendant mortgagee was not a “debt collector” as defined by the FDCPA.

In so ruling, the Court also rejected the borrower’s allegations that the monthly statements the mortgagee sent to the borrower after her bankruptcy discharge were impermissible implied assertions of a right to collect against her personally.

On May 1, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Merit Management Group v. FTI Consulting, No. 16-784, on appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals from the Seventh Circuit. See FTI Consulting, Inc. v. Merit Management Group, LP, 830 F.3d 690 (7th Cir. 2016) (a discussion of the Seventh Circuit's ruling is available here).

Merit Management Group, LP v. FTI Consulting, Inc., No. 16-784

Section 546(e) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 546(e), protects certain prepetition payouts by or to financial institutions from clawback by the trustee of the ensuing bankruptcy estate. In particular, the safe harbor protects transfers made by a debtor by or to a broker, financial institution, or similar intermediary in connection with a “securities contract,” unless the transfer was made with actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud creditors.

(6th Cir. May 2, 2017)

The Sixth Circuit reverses the bankruptcy court, finding that the assignment of rents acted as a complete transfer of ownership and the assignor did not retain any interest in the rents. The court analyzes Michigan law on such assignments and concludes that because the debtor/assignor had no rights in the rents assigned, they were not property of the bankruptcy estate. Opinion below.

Judge: Stranch

Attorney for Appellant: Robert N. Bassel

Attorney for Appellee: Jeremy S. Friedberg