On April 6, 2015, Northwest Missouri Holdings, Inc. and three affiliates, filed voluntary chapter 11 petitions in Delaware.  The three affiliates are Oregon Farmers Mutual Long Distance Inc., The Oregon Farmers Mutual Telephone Company and South Hold Cablevision, Inc.  As of this post, only the petition is on file.  The case is docketed as case no. 15-10728 and has been assigned to The Honorable Brendan Linehan Shannon.

With the near-historic drop in oil prices, distressed investors are evaluating a myriad of investment opportunities in the oil industry and related fields. One particular area of focus when analyzing these energy-related opportunities are the master limited partnerships that many energy companies utilize in their corporate structure.

Drop in Oil Prices

In the case of Isaac, et al. v. RMB, Inc., et al., No. 14-11560 (11th Cir. March 17, 2015), the Eleventh Circuit recently upheld summary judgment in favor of a debt collector based on the affirmative defense of bona fide error.  The case presents a good opportunity to see what type of evidence is needed to prevail on the defense.

KRS Summary on Fraudulent Transfers

A fraudulent transfer (fraudulent conveyance) is an attempt to avoid debt by transferring money to another person or company. It is often an issue in debtor/creditor relations, particularly in bankruptcy when referring to insolvent debtors.

On March 31, U.S. Court of Appeals in the 11th Circuit concluded that the district court properly dismissed plaintiff’s FDCPA complaint, using the concept of judicial estoppel.   Ward v. AMS Servicing, LLC, 2015 WL 1432982 (11th Cir. Mar.31, 2015). In this case, the court addressed whether the Defendant was incorrect in charging the Plaintiff a monthly mortgage amount agreed to in a consent order, rather than the amount stipulated in the Note.

Today, in the latest installment of our series reviewing the Final Report and Recommendations of the American Bankruptcy Institute Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, we explore the Commission’s recommendations on executory contracts and leases – discussed in section V.A.  The Commissione

In post-confirmation proceedings, bankruptcy courts maintain the ability to clarify a plan where silent or ambiguous, and interpret a plan to advance equitable considerations.  However, bankruptcy courts are not allowed to modify a plan outside the confines of section

Most bankruptcy lawyers are familiar with section 1111(b) and its attempt to rectify a perceived unfairness resulting from the ruling in In re Pine Gate Assocs., Ltd., Case No. B75-4345A, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17366 (N.D. Ga. Oct. 14, 1976). In Pinegate, the creditor’s collateral had depreciated as the result of a cyclical market fluctuation.

A.   Where We Left Off

Judge Christopher Sontchi issued a notable opinion last week in the bankruptcy case of Energy Future Holdings Corp., et al. (“EFH”), Case No. 14-10979 (D. Del.), ruling that the repayment in full of certain senior secured notes did not trigger an obligation by the debtors to pay a make-whole premium.