The owners of an ambitious Hawaiian golf project in the Makaha Valley of Oahu said Aloha (hello) to new owners, and Aloha (goodbye) to old debt obligations.
There is much to report since our last update on Voyager Digital’s bankruptcy case discussed here.
The recent bankruptcy filings of Voyager Digital Holdings, Inc. (Voyager) and Celsius Network LLC (Celsius) have abruptly introduced many customers to the bankruptcy process for the first time. Lowenstein Sandler’s experienced bankruptcy and crypto practices are monitoring these cases–and the entire crypto market–to help keep crypto customers and other interested parties educated and informed with respect to the bankruptcy process and what to expect going forward.
Who Is Protecting Your Rights?
The International Risk Management Institute defines a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) as a firm that handles various types of administrative responsibilities, on a fee-for-services basis.1 These responsibilities are generally executed for insurance carriers and typically include claims administration, loss control, risk management information systems, and risk management consulting.
In the latest issue of the Restructuring Department Bulletin, we highlight recent decisions impacting the restructuring arena, including an order in the Southern District of New York finding that U.S.
Go-To Guide:
The crypto winter has overcast the summer for many Voyager customers. Upon the commencement of Voyager’s chapter 11 filing in July, customer accounts were frozen. Unable to trade their own crypto assets, some frustrated customers rushed to consult with legal counsel. Others began studying bankruptcy law in the hopes of finding a legal solution. It was only late last week, on August 4, when some customers found relief from the crypto storm: Judge Michael Wiles approved Voyager’s motion to allow certain customers who had cash in their accounts to withdraw cash, up to $270 million.
Here’s a hard-knocks rule for debtor attorneys:
- Never file Chapter 7 for a corporation or an LLC.
Chapter 7 has always been a grave yard for failed Chapter 11s: that’s where Chapter 11 cases go when debtors can’t get a Chapter 11 plan confirmed. For example, 35.4% of Chapter 11 cases filed between 1989 and 1995 converted to Chapter 7. [Fn. 1]
But Chapter 7 is rarely a good first-choice for corporations and LLCs who want/need to liquidate.
In a recent opinion arising from the Chapter 11 proceedings of Arcapita Bank, Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York affirmed a bankruptcy court decision denying safe-harbor protection to Shari’a-compliant Murabaha investment agreements.1 Specifically, the district court held that the Murabaha agreemen
The defendant "was a `mere conduit' of [a] fraudulent transfer and cannot be liable to the bankruptcy estate for funds she never knew about," held the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on May 5, 2022. In re BICOM N.Y., LLC, 2022 WL 1419997 (2d Cir. May 5, 2022). Affirming the lower courts' granting of summary judgement to the defendant transferee, the court refused to "equate ...