Highlights
A Petition for Writ of Certiorari has been granted by the U.S. Supreme Court in Keathley v. Buddy Ayers Construction, Inc., Case No. 25-6, on a ruling from the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.[Fn. 1]
The Question Presented in Kethley v. Buddy Ayers is this:
The casual dining and hospitality sector is navigating a period of profound upheaval, driven by macroeconomic pressures, regulatory uncertainty, and shifting consumer preferences. In this context, private equity and credit funds also face mounting distress, divergent brand fortunes, and a growing need for legal and transactional agility.
11 U.S.C. § 365(c)(2) says (emphasis added):
While Chapter 11 does not require debtor insolvency, it does require good faith (applicable to the petition and the plan), which for solvent debtors seeking to reject and modify lease-counterparty rights, includes establishing some level of financial distress susceptible to resolution through the plan process.
Key takeaways
Section 363(m) of the Bankruptcy Code protects purchasers of assets in a bankruptcy sale. The provision promotes finality of bankruptcy court orders approving sales and is intended to maximize the value that a debtor or bankruptcy trustee is able to realize in a sale of bankruptcy estate assets by providing third-party purchasers with certainty that the validity of a bankruptcy sale will not be subject to subsequent challenges.
On January 20, 2026, the United States Supreme Court issued its unanimous 9-0 opinion written by Justice Alito with a concurrence by Justice Sotomayor in Coney Island Auto Parts Unlimited, Inc. v. Burton and addressed whether vacating a void judgment has a time limit. Prior to the decision, there was an 11-1 circuit split, and the majority view had been that parties were permitted to move to vacate void judgments irrespective of how much time had passed.
This is the second in a series of discussions about insurance issues unique to the Lone Star State.
Here’s a question about the new Uniform Assignment for Benefit of Creditors Act (the “Uniform ABC Act”):
- Is a liquidation under the Uniform ABC Act a good thing or a bad thing for the debtor’s unsecured trade creditors?
The answer is easy: it’s a good thing.
Introduction