Mid Cap
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December 09, 2024
Cooley Attys Sued For Malpractice In Tech Co. Ch. 7
A trustee overseeing a software provider's Chapter 7 liquidation has accused a legal team from Cooley LLP of helping the company's CEO deceive investors and embezzle money while serving as its corporate counsel.
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December 09, 2024
Judge Grossman Reflects On 20 Years On Bankruptcy Bench
After nearly 20 years on the bench in the Eastern District of New York, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Grossman will retire next June.
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December 09, 2024
Famous Steakhouse Chain's Ex-GC Gets Go-Ahead For Bias Suit
The ex-general counsel of iconic steakhouse chain The Palm Restaurant can move ahead with a discrimination lawsuit claiming she was ousted after a 2020 bankruptcy sale, a New York federal court ruled Monday.
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December 09, 2024
Litigation Funding Firms Escape Hurricane Ad Suit
Two litigation funders have succeeded in exiting a proposed class action alleging a law firm deceptively advertised to hurricane victims, with a Houston federal court adopting a magistrate judge's recommendation to toss claims for a lack of plausible allegations.
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December 06, 2024
Ga. Poll Workers Want 'Severe' Sanctions Against Giuliani
The two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation verdict against Rudy Giuliani have asked a federal judge to hold the former Donald Trump attorney in civil contempt and impose "severe" sanctions for his "willful flouting" and "blatant disregard" of court orders.
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December 06, 2024
Creditor Says Failed Solar Biotech Bidder Shouldn't Get Fee
A creditor of Solar Biotech asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to deny a request to pay the failed stalking horse bidder's $456,000 breakup fee, arguing there was no evidence the protections were necessary or that the bidder relied on them.
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December 06, 2024
Cancer Claimant Amici Slam Bestwall's Two-Step Ch. 11
Georgia-Pacific unit Bestwall's bid to handle asbestos liability using a controversial "Texas Two-Step" Chapter 11 case is "grotesquely inequitable" and "plainly at odds" with the tenets of bankruptcy, a group of injury claimants in separate insolvency proceedings said in a brief urging the Fourth Circuit to toss the case.
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December 06, 2024
Conn. Panel Pares $150M From $1.44B Alex Jones Verdict
The Connecticut Appellate Court on Friday sliced $150 million from a $1.44 billion trial court judgment against Infowars host Alex Jones over his claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, holding the state's consumer protection laws did not allow the massacre's survivors to recover for alleged harms connected to Jones' ancillary product sales.
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December 06, 2024
Calif. Trucking Company Files Ch. 11 With $325M Of Debt
California-based trucking company KAL Freight Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court, saying it has $325 million of debt obligations it can't meet after a post-COVID expansion effort foundered with slackening customer demand.
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December 05, 2024
Icon Aircraft Cleared For Ch. 11 Plan With Investor Claims Deal
A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Thursday he would confirm the Chapter 11 plan from light-sport aircraft producer Icon after the debtor settled with a group of shareholders that sued the company in derivative litigation.
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December 05, 2024
Judge Tells Vintage Wine Estates, Lenders To Settle Row
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Thursday instructed Vintage Wine Estates and its lenders to sit down with a mediator to resolve their differences over the funding for the wine producer's Chapter 11 case.
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December 05, 2024
'Texas Two-Step,' Exec Bonus Bankruptcy Bills Reintroduced
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate this week renewed efforts to pass two bankruptcy bills that would bolster rights for employees and crack down on the controversial use of so-called Texas two-step bankruptcies.
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December 05, 2024
Ex-CEO Of Solar Biz ISun Says Ch. 11 Plan Doesn't Add Up
The former CEO of solar power company iSun is asking a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject the company's proposed Chapter 11 plan, saying it fails to provide for payment of priority claims, including his own deferred paychecks.
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December 05, 2024
Lowenstein Sandler Suit Gets New NJ Judge After DQ Request
Lowenstein Sandler LLP has persuaded an Essex County Superior Court judge to recuse himself from the firm's $800,000 fee suit against a cannabis dispensary over social connections to the litigants and their counsel and had the case assigned to a new judge this week.
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December 05, 2024
Insurance Giant Allianz Warns Of Rising Insolvencies In 2025
Company bosses and their insurers could face increased claims next year from a predicted rise in corporate insolvencies and class actions, Allianz warned Thursday.
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December 04, 2024
Texas Oil Well Operator Moves Ahead On Speedy Ch. 11 Plan
A Texas bankruptcy judge Wednesday signed off on a timeline to confirm the prepackaged debt-for-equity Chapter 11 plan of oil and gas contractor Independence Contract Drilling, saying he'd save ruling on concerns from the Office of the U.S. Trustee releases and opt-out procedures until a January confirmation hearing.
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December 04, 2024
Alex Jones Atty Needs 30-Day Suspension, Ethics Boss Says
The lead Connecticut attorney in Infowars host Alex Jones' Sandy Hook defamation trial should be suspended for 30 days for directing a subordinate to transmit the victims' personal medical records to other Jones attorneys, the state's legal ethics watchdog said Wednesday.
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December 04, 2024
Ideanomics Among Crop Of New Ch. 11s In Delaware
Electric-vehicle technology company Ideanomics Inc. leads a new crop of Chapter 11 cases that hit the Delaware docket over several hours late Tuesday and early Wednesday, joined by debtors in the entertainment and fintech industries.
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December 03, 2024
Mich. Seat Co. On Hook For €4.1M German Lease, Suit Says
A German property owner has said in a new complaint that a Michigan-based automotive seat manufacturer is on the hook for a €4.1 million ($4.3 million at current exchange rates) lease after its European entity defaulted on payments and entered insolvency proceedings.
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December 03, 2024
A Zoom In On Film Finances Inc.'s Ch. 11
If the credits roll on film production services company Film Finances Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in November, the company says the chief culprit is not COVID-19 or a protracted strike by Hollywood actors and writers, but rather its owner that withheld the cash it needed to stay afloat.
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December 03, 2024
New Judges Include One Who Aided Puerto Rico Bondholders
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed two federal judges for Pennsylvania and one for the District of Columbia, who came under scrutiny during her confirmation hearing for her work at Jones Day.
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December 03, 2024
Fla. Court Urged To OK 'Offensive' $645K Deal In Firm's Ch. 11
A law firm debtor urged a Florida bankruptcy court Tuesday to approve a $645,000 settlement in its Chapter 11 to resolve a proposed fraudulent misrepresentation class action in state court against a former Miami insurance attorney, who called the potential deal "offensive" and said it's possible he'll be sued again.
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December 03, 2024
Catching Up With New Bankruptcy Case Action
In a more muted holiday week for bankruptcy filings, the courts still saw several cases come in, including the U.S. arm for iconic vodka brand Stoli and the Cayman Island subsidiaries of struggling budget airline Spirit.
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December 03, 2024
Stoli USA Gets OK To Fund Ch. 11 With Fifth Third's Collateral
A Texas bankruptcy judge said Tuesday he would allow the U.S. arm of vodka giant Stoli Group to use cash collateral to fund its Chapter 11 case on an interim basis after the debtor reached an agreement on reporting requirements with its prepetition lender, Fifth Third Bank.
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December 03, 2024
Alex Jones Atty Seeks Leniency Over Sandy Hook 'Mistake'
The lead attorney in Infowars host Alex Jones' $1.44 billion Connecticut defamation trial admits he "made a mistake" when he approved sending several Sandy Hook Elementary School victims' confidential records to other Jones attorneys, saying Tuesday he should receive either no discipline or a reprimand in a pared-down case.
Under The Radar: Bankruptcy News You May Have Missed
A Texas oil and gas driller is seeking permission to sell its oilfields, while the U.S. Trustee's Office is looking to shut another oil producer's yearslong Chapter 11 down, and creditors of a bankrupt medical implant maker are alleging the debtor's bankruptcy financing and sale plans are a way for its private equity sponsor to weasel out of product liability claims.
Meet The Attorneys Directing Film Finances' Ch. 11 Case
Global movie production services company Film Finances Inc. is using lawyers from boutique insolvency firm Levene Neale Bender Yoo & Golubchik LLP and Wilmington-based Bayard PA to direct its course through bankruptcy in Delaware.
Meet The Attorneys Directing The US Arm Of Stoli's Ch. 11
A group of Foley & Lardner LLP attorneys is leading the Chapter 11 case for the U.S. arm of vodka giant Stoli Group, which filed for bankruptcy citing liabilities of $50 million to $100 million after the company faced asset seizure by the Russian government and cyberattacks during the summer.
Expert Analysis
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A Closer Look At SDNY Bankruptcy Rule Amendments
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York’s recent amendments to its local rules aim to streamline key Chapter 11 processes, resolve misunderstandings about previous iterations of the rules and urge caution about the use of artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Skadden.
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FTX Exec's Sentencing Shows Pros And Cons Of Cooperation
The sentencing of former FTX tech deputy Gary Wang, whose cooperation netted him a rare outcome of no prison time, offers critical takeaways for attorneys and clients navigating the burgeoning world of crypto-related prosecutions, says Andrew Meck at Whiteford.
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Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.
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Equitable Mootness Insights From Greenlit Ch. 11 Plan Appeal
A Texas federal court recently allowed a challenge to ConvergeOne's Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan to proceed because it wouldn't disrupt the IT company's confirmed plan or harm creditors, reinforcing the importance of judicial restraint in applying equitable mootness where limited relief is possible, say attorneys at Parkins & Rubio.
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Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review
For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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The Challenges Of Abandoned Retirement Plans In Ch. 7
The Department of Labor's rule for unwinding retirement accounts when plan sponsors file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy was intended to alleviate trustees' administration issues, but practical challenges, like unresolved fee and identification matters, could hinder its implementation, say David Goodrich at Golden Goodrich and Nancy Simons at Stretto.
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Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer
Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.
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When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records
Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.
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3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less
Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.
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So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?
Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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A Strategic Checklist For Bankruptcy Motion Objections
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Hewing to a set of best practices for objecting to a motion in bankruptcy cases can help creditors’ counsel stay on track as they juggle deadlines and jurisdictions, determine whether filing will help or harm the client, and negotiate with the debtor.
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The 3rd-Party Bankruptcy Release Landscape After Purdue
In its Purdue Pharma ruling prohibiting nonconsensual third-party releases, the U.S. Supreme Court did not comment on criteria to render a third-party release consensual, opening a debate in the bankruptcy courts on the permissibility of opt-out versus opt-in releases, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.