JPMorgan Chase & Co received a painful reminder recently that mistakes can be very costly after their appeal to the Second Circuit was remanded; the clerical mix-up could cost the company $1.5 billion.
Section 9-509(d)(1) of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) provides that a UCC-3 termination statement is effective only if “the secured party of record authorizes the filing.”
Compared to much of the rest of the world, the United States had the most positive economic, business, and financial news in 2014.
The composition of the Top 10 List of public bankruptcy filings for 2014 indicates that the U.S. has largely left behind the fraud, excess, abuse, and improvidence that dominated the bankruptcy landscape during the 2007–08 financial crisis and the ensuing Great Recession. Continuing a trend that began in 2012, only a single representative from the banking and financial services industry made the cut.
After nearly three years of study and 16 public field hearings, a commission established by the American Bankruptcy Institute (the “ABI Commission”) to study the reform of chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code issued its Final Report and Recommendations on December 8, 2014 (the “Report”). The ABI Commission comprises nearly 130 corporate restructuring authorities serving on 13 advisory committees.
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.
Introduction
A mortgage lender sought sanctions against the debtor, its sole shareholder and its attorney. It alleged that the bankruptcy petition was filed for an improper purpose.
“Don’t care how; I want it now” – Veruca Salt, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Despite lower-than-average Chapter 11 activity in 2014, the legal landscape for distressed investors has continued to evolve, with significant legal developments in credit bidding, make-whole premiums and intercreditor agreements. By staying apprised of the evolving jurisprudence in these areas, distressed investors can mitigate risks that have foiled lenders in recent cases.
Credit Bidding
The Bankruptcy Code's so-called "cramdown" statute provides debtors with a significant tool that can be used to impose a reorganization plan upon recalcitrant secured lenders, subject to fulfillment of certain requirements. In particular, Section 1129(b) of the Bankruptcy Code allows a bankruptcy court to approve a debtor's reorganization plan over the objections of a secured creditor so long as the plan is "fair and equitable" to the creditor.