Judge Drain’s recent bench rulings in Momentive Performance Materials in 2014 generated a great deal of controversy in the distressed debt world.  Distressed investors, lenders, and commentators have questioned whether the Momentive rulings will lead to an industry trend in which debtors seek to cram down their secured lenders to take advantage of the ability to do so at below market interest rates.  

In section IV.E of its report and recommendations of reforms to chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, the American Bankruptcy Institute Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 (the “Commission”) considered changes to the Bankruptcy Code’s “safe harbor” provisions.

Businesses with a global footprint require agile, sophisticated counsel possessing in-depth knowledge of the international aspects of bankruptcy and restructuring. The bankruptcy court 

“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” – HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey

As a general rule, bankruptcy courts do not enforce provisions in organizational documents, loan agreements, or other prepetition contracts that purport to alter or waive the protections of the Bankruptcy Code. As with most rules, however, there are exceptions.

Since it burst onto the Bankruptcy Code scene in 2005 with the passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA), section 503(b)(9) of the Bankruptcy Code, which affords a creditor administrative priority for the value of goods the debtor received within 20 days prior to its bankruptcy fi

As a general matter, governance provisions in a chapter 11 debtor’s organizational documents continue to apply postpetition.  But what if those governance provisions prevent the debtor from engaging in an act expressly authorized by the Bankruptcy Code?  This issue was recently addressed by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Sou

Discounted cash flow analysis is a mainstay among the valuation methodologies used by restructuring professionals and bankruptcy courts to determine the enterprise value of a distressed business. Despite its prevalence, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York recently concluded the DCF method was inappropriate for the valuation of “dry bulk” shipping companies. 

Who are we kidding? The topic of statutory insiders has been a blog favorite, year after year.

Under section 365(d)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code, an unexpired lease of nonresidential real property is automatically deemed rejected if a debtor-lessee does not assume such lease within 120 days of its bankruptcy filing, or within 210 days with court permission.