As a corporate officer or director, the only way to take a bad situation like bankruptcy and make it worse is to be confronted with personal liability for the company’s debts, when you could have taken simple steps to position yourself better. Senior management must pay close attention to specific responsibilities and the resulting potential for liability when insolvency is on the horizon. This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic when bankruptcies are on the rise.

Hoard Cash

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic turmoil that may provide opportunities for financially secure companies with capital to make a strategic acquisition of distressed assets and for investors to acquire valuable assets. The following highlights some important considerations when evaluating a purchase of distressed assets.^[1]

How to Finance the Purchase of Distressed Assets

Introduction

On June 23, the New York County Supreme Court issued a rare preliminary injunction temporarily halting a mezzanine lender’s UCC foreclosure sale of the Mark Hotel in New York City because the procedures for the foreclosure sale were not commercially reasonable in light of conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (D2 Mark LLC v. Orei VI Investments LLC, 2020 WL 3432950 (2020)).

For many years, commercial lenders have struggled with ways to protect their collateral following a borrower’s default. If a lender wanted to appoint a receiver to ensure the collateral maintained its value, Florida law provided inconsistent guidance and was a patchwork of different legal opinions detailing when appointment was appropriate and what powers the receiver would possess. Fortunately, a new Florida law will finally provide welcome clarity, certainty and expediency in the appointment of receivers in commercial property litigation and related foreclosures.

On June 30, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 350 (“SB 350”), which is intended to serve as a backstop for customers as Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“PG&E”) completes its restructuring process and begins implementing the reorganization plan recently confirmed by the United States Bankruptcy Court.

On June 22, 2020, FERC issued a declaratory order confirming its view that it shares jurisdiction with the United States Bankruptcy Court (“Bankruptcy Court”) over transportation agreements between ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC (“ETC Tiger”) and Chesapeake Energy Marketing L.L.C. (“Chesapeake”). As a result, aside from obtaining approval from the Bankruptcy Court to reject its contracts with ETC Tiger, Chesapeake must seek a determination from FERC as to whether a filed rate may be modified or abrogated under the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”).

Two recent bankruptcy court cases remind counsel of the great importance of knowing the proclivities of the presiding panel of judges who will hear your client’s case. Experienced practitioners know the law and the best advocates also know the assigned judges. Both cases discussed below illustrate the importance, at least in bankruptcy practice, of arguing the law in a fashion that addresses the court’s sense of what is fair and proper under the case’s unique circumstances.

Voluntary Retirement Plan Contributions Are Required for Maintenance or Support?

In Houston, oil is king. But this year, several energy titans are among a troubling and growing corporate list turning to bankruptcy protection. Even if the economy rebounds unexpectedly, experts expect the sharp increase in bankruptcy proceedings to continue, at least for the remainder of 2020.

Bankruptcy Boom Creates E-Discovery Issues

Everyone, including the least empathic in our society (aka, lawyers), knows that we should seek to uphold the golden rule and “do unto others…” with respect to family, friends, and acquaintances, but does this also apply in the corporate world? Apparently so, as a Delaware bankruptcy court just ruled that preferred shareholders with a bankruptcy-filing blocking right (also known as a “Golden Share”) must consider the effects on other shareholders and all other creditors when exercising such right.