Cramdown Plan Stays Suits Against Corporate Parent

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, overseeing the bankruptcy cases of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (“LBHI”) and its affiliated debtors (collectively, the “Debtors”), entered an order on Aug.

On Jan. 25, 2010, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Bankruptcy Court”) held that a trust deed provision reversing a priority of payment waterfall upon the bankruptcy of a credit support provider under a swap agreement is unenforceable under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”).

Creditors often consider filing an involuntary bankruptcy petition against their financially distressed debtors. Before using this extraordinary remedy, a creditor should evaluate whether it will achieve a valid business objective. Additionally, each creditor should evaluate whether there is a valid basis to support the filing. When the debtor's bankruptcy is appropriate, it can be a valuable step in maximizing a creditor's recovery. But the stakes are high.

On August 4, 2016, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court considered cross-motions for summary judgment in a preference action case styled as Pirinate Consulting Group, LLC v. Maryland Department of the Environment (In re NewPage Corp.), Adv. Pro. No. 13-52206 (KG). This gem of an opinion is noteworthy in that it analyzes various defenses raised by a state agency to a preference complaint.

Earlier this summer, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court issued an opinion in the New Century Holdings bankruptcy addressing the definition and purpose of the "Divestiture Rule."  See Carr v. New Century TRS Holdings, Inc. (In re New Century TRS Holdings, Inc.), Adv. No. 09-52251(KJC)(Bankr. D. Del.

At approximately 10:15 this morning, Judge Walrath of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court made an oral ruling confirming Washington Mutual's chapter 11 plan of reorganization.

Over the last three and one-half years, hundreds of attorneys and other professionals have worked thousands of hours in an effort to help WAMU obtain a measure of relief from its debts so that it could emerge from bankruptcy protection with the ability to continue to operate.  What has emerged from the process is a smaller, leaner company with a greatly reduced debt load.

On September 7, 2011, NewPage Corporation ("NewPage" or "Debtors") filed petitions for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.  As stated in NewPage's Declaration in Support of First Day Motions (the "Declaration" or "Decl."), filed with the Bankruptcy Court, NewPage produces coated paper used in magazines, brochures catalogs and textbooks.  NewPage manufactures its products in paper mills located in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and in Nova Scotia, Canada.  Decl. at *4.

Last month, Jeoffrey Burtch, the Chapter 7 Trustee (the "Trustee") in the Opus East bankruptcy filed approximately 90 preference actions against various defendants.  As stated in his complaints, the Trustee "seeks to avoid and recover ... all preferential transfers of property made for or on account of an antecedent debt made to or for the benefit of the Defendant by the Debtor during the ninety-day period prior to the filing of the Debtor's bankruptcy petition under 11 U.S.C. sec.

In PLR 201051019 (12/23/2010), the Service ruled that in computing a consolidated group’s §382 limitation after filing for bankruptcy relief, all of its outstanding liabilities before the ownership change should be taken into account at the adjusted issue price, regardless of whether the obligations were subsequently discharged in whole or in part during the recognition period.