The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a lender is obligated to conduct a diligent investigation when it becomes aware of suspicious facts relating to the legitimacy of a loan transaction. In Sentinel Management Group, Inc., 2016 WL 98601 (7th Cir. January 8, 2016), the Seventh Circuit found that a bank officer’s puzzlement was enough to place the bank on inquiry notice, which required the bank to investigate the collateral the borrower was using to secure the loan.
Recent changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will significantly alter the discovery proceedings in bankruptcy proceedings, particularly in adversary proceedings. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. Part VII (applying FRCP to adversary proceedings) and Rule 9014(c) (applying FRCP to most contested matters). While not intended to be a comprehensive analysis, below are some key considerations for bankruptcy practitioners navigating the amended rules.
Did Trump win again? Yes, but this time it was not “The Donald” but was instead the casino operator Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc.
In SGK Ventures, LLC, the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois ordered that the secured claims of two entities controlled by insiders of the debtor be equitably subordinated to the claims of unsecured creditors.
Generally when parties to a dispute work out a settlement they can breathe a sigh of relief and put their differences behind them. OK – it’s a little more complicated than that when one of the parties is a chapter 11 debtor that must seek relief from the bankruptcy court to approve the settlement. But what if a party objects? Things get a bit more complicated. And what if the objecting party has no apparent pecuniary interest at stake? In that scenario, the settling parties can rest a little easier as the bankruptcy court in
A recent decision in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York clarifies that restructuring options under Chapter 11 or Chapter 15 are available to foreign issuers of U.S. debt, even if those issuers have no operations in the United States (In re Berau Capital Resources PTE Ltd.). The decision could have widespread implications for cross-border restructuring transactions involving U.S.-issued debt, since the ability to utilize Chapter 11 or Chapter 15 offers many advantages for foreign issuers.
Background
Under long-established common law, loans must be paid only upon maturity, not before. This "perfect tender in time" rule is the default rule in a number of jurisdictions. Many indentures and credit agreements therefore either bar prepayments altogether with "no call" provisions or permit prepayments with "make whole" provisions that require the payment of a specified premium to make up for the loss of future income.
On January 12, 2016, the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, issued a non-precedential opinion in Ward Sand & Materials Co. v. Transamerica Ins. Co., et al. The long-anticipated ruling found that, in long-tail claims, insureds are responsible for the share of liability allocated to insurers that became insolvent prior to December 22, 2004.
In a chapter 15 decision, In re Daebo International Shipping Co., Judge Michael E.
In September 2014, amid “deteriorating financial health” and a “desperate” financial situation, Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Trump Taj Mahal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Around that same time, the Taj Mahal was attempting to bargain with UNITE HERE Local 54 (the “Union”) to renegotiate the parties’ collective bargaining agreement (the “CBA”) prior to its expiration on September 14, 2014. The parties were unable to reach agreement and the CBA expired.