Large Cap
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May 08, 2024
NY AG Says $6M NRA Verdict Should Stand
A New York state court should not undo a jury's finding that the National Rifle Association allowed its officers to misappropriate $6.4 million of donor money, the state's attorney general has argued, saying trial evidence abundantly laid out evidence of misconduct and organizational failures.
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May 08, 2024
FTX Says Full Recovery Coming Based On 2022 Crypto Price
Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading Ltd. has claimed its proposed Chapter 11 plan would be able to pay creditors in full with a $13 billion distribution that exceeds the estimated allowable $11.2 billion in claims, but the payout is based on the value of cryptocurrency in November 2022, when the exchange filed for bankruptcy protection.
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May 08, 2024
Bill To Undo SEC Crypto Accounting Bulletin Passes House
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to overturn the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's controversial cryptocurrency accounting guidance despite protests from Democrats to take a more targeted approach to amend the directive and a White House pledge to veto the bill.
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May 08, 2024
99 Cents Beats Creditor Objection To Get OK On $61M DIP
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved discount store 99 Cents Only's full $60.8 million Chapter 11 financing deal after rejecting a group of noteholders' objection to the relief, finding an intercreditor agreement barred the group from blocking debtor-in-possession funding.
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May 08, 2024
Rite Aid Can Sell Analytics Arm Health Dialog For $2.75M
Pharmacy retail chain Rite Aid got the green light Wednesday from a New Jersey bankruptcy judge to sell most of its coaching and analytics division, Health Dialog, to healthcare technology firm Carenet Health for $2.75 million as it works towards confirming a Chapter 11 plan.
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May 07, 2024
Federal Courts Choosing To Stay Out Of Texas Grid Fights
The Fifth Circuit has again refused to wade into fights over actions taken by Texas' grid operator during a 2021 winter storm, further underscoring federal courts' reluctance to disturb the historic independence of the Lone Star State's electricity sector, attorneys say.
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May 07, 2024
SEC Says Morrison Can't Save Terraform From Disgorgement
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said bankrupt crypto firm Terraform Labs should remain on the hook for potentially $3.6 billion in disgorgement over its fraud trial loss, saying any claims that its unregistered transactions took place beyond the court's reach are undermined by the agency's congressional authority.
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May 07, 2024
Gronk, Others To Pay $2.4M In Voyager Crypto Promoter Suit
Retired football star Rob Gronkowski, NBA player Victor Oladipo and NASCAR driver Landon Cassill have agreed to collectively pay $2.4 million to settle allegations they helped promote failed cryptocurrency exchange Voyager Digital Holdings Inc.
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May 07, 2024
WeWork Wins Interim OK Of $50M New Money DIP In Ch. 11
A New Jersey bankruptcy judge said Tuesday he will approve $50 million of debtor-in-possession financing for WeWork, overruling objections from the office space provider's co-founder and ex-CEO Adam Neumann, whose lawyers alleged the financing agreement was actually an unfairly discounted asset sale in disguise.
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May 07, 2024
Celsius Judge Blasts Stretto's 'Inexcusable' Data Breach Delay
A New York bankruptcy judge slammed claims agent Stretto on Tuesday in response to the company's failure to notify Celsius Network customers affected by a data breach last month, an incident that compelled the crypto lender to pause distributions to creditors.
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May 07, 2024
Steward Health Gets Ch. 11 Loan, Says It Plans Hospital Sales
A Texas bankruptcy judge Tuesday allowed Steward Health Care to take out $75 million in Chapter 11 financing to meet its next-day payroll after being told the hospital chain plans to sell facilities to pay down its $9 billion in debt.
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May 07, 2024
Judge Rips 2nd Circ.'s 'Erroneous' Ruling In Sears Lease Spat
A New York federal district judge ruled that Sears Holdings Corp.'s lease for the Mall of America in Minneapolis should be returned to the bankrupt retail chain's liquidating trustee, saying that the decision gives "scant comfort" as it removed from the books "an obviously outlier ruling" by the Second Circuit.
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May 07, 2024
Prepetition Waivers Sway Invitae Judge On Kirkland Hire
A New Jersey bankruptcy judge approved the retention of Kirkland & Ellis LLP as bankruptcy counsel for debtor Invitae Corp. Tuesday, the same day he approved a $239 million sale of its assets to Labcorp.
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May 06, 2024
Kwok Ch. 11 Trustee Pounces On Co-Defendant's Guilty Plea
The Chapter 11 trustee seeking to wrangle a company from an individual who allegedly received it from Chinese exile Ho Wan Kwok's former chief of staff Yanping "Yvette" Wang says Wang's guilty plea in New York criminal court negates her attempt to slow-walk a Connecticut bankruptcy court adversary proceeding.
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May 06, 2024
FCC Only Commits To Normal Review Of Soros-Audacy Deal
The FCC has informed two Republican lawmakers worried about Soros Fund Management's acquisition of an ownership interest in radio station owner Audacy that it will conduct a regular license review, but stopped short of promising the foreign ownership review that the legislators want due to their concerns about the fund's "deeply partisan" billionaire owner.
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May 06, 2024
Aircraft Parts Co. Incora Blasted Over Releases In Ch. 11 Plan
Bankrupt aircraft component supplier Incora's amended Chapter 11 plan was opposed by the Office of the U.S. Trustee and a group of its noteholders in a Texas bankruptcy court on the grounds that its scope of claims releases is too broad.
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May 06, 2024
Hospital Chain Steward Health Hits Ch. 11 With Over $1B Debt
Embattled hospital operator Steward Health Care filed for Chapter 11 protection Monday in a Texas bankruptcy court with more than $1 billion in debt, blaming rising costs and falling government reimbursement rates.
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May 03, 2024
Harvey Weinstein Denied Win In $1M Fee Fight With Jose Baez
A New York state judge on Friday denied an early win to Harvey Weinstein in his $1 million fee dispute with criminal defense attorney Jose Baez, saying the incarcerated former media mogul produced nothing but a "self-serving affidavit" and "haphazard printout" to make his arguments.
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May 03, 2024
9th Circ. Orders 2nd Look At Stay In PG&E Wildfire Suit
The Ninth Circuit on Friday told a lower court to reconsider its order staying claims PG&E investors brought against officers, directors and others over wildfire liability, saying more factors should have been considered before the stay was granted.
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May 03, 2024
Judge OKs Syracuse Diocese Ch. 11 Plan Disclosures
A New York bankruptcy judge has approved the disclosure statement for the Chapter 11 plan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, New York, and set a confirmation hearing on the plan in September.
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May 03, 2024
Keeping Track Of The Catholic Diocese Bankruptcy Cases
New federal legislation that aims to bolster protections for sex abuse victims in bankruptcy has put renewed focus on the more than dozen Catholic dioceses that have turned to Chapter 11 to manage their liability for alleged child abuse crimes.
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May 03, 2024
Tech Co. ConvergeOne Can Tap Final $70M Leg Of $215M DIP
A Texas bankruptcy judge has given final approval to information technology company ConvergeOne's two debtor-in-possession loans, letting the company access $70 million of new money as it works to confirm a prepackaged Chapter 11 plan to clear $1.6 billion of debt.
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May 03, 2024
SVB Seeks Exit Fee For $340M Brookfield, Sequoia JV Sale
SVB Financial Group has urged a New York bankruptcy court to sign off on protections for a joint venture of Brookfield and Sequoia that is offering $340 million to purchase its investment platform, explaining that a $15.1 million break-up fee provision is necessary to secure the bid.
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May 03, 2024
Ohio Atty Gets 3rd Suspension After Not Reporting Conviction
A Cleveland-area attorney trying to get reinstated after neglecting bankruptcy cases was suspended yet again by the Ohio Supreme Court, which said he failed to report a drug conviction to his county bar association for almost eight months.
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May 03, 2024
Kwok's Ex-Chief Of Staff Pleads Out Before $1B Fraud Trial
The former chief of staff to exiled Chinese billionaire Ho Wan Kwok pled guilty in Manhattan federal court on Friday to participating in a $1 billion investor fraud, less than three weeks before she was scheduled to go to trial alongside her erstwhile boss.
FTX Spurs Corporate Sleuths Nardello Into Ch. 11 Probes
Corporate investigations firm Nardello & Co. is known for probing corporate scandals and financial crime, but since being tapped in 2022 to investigate fraud at fallen crypto giant FTX, the firm has been expanding more into the potentially lucrative realm of bankruptcy.
Meet The Weil Attys Guiding Steward Health's Ch. 11
A team of attorneys from Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP is representing Steward Health Care System LLC as the embattled hospital operator navigates Chapter 11 in a Texas bankruptcy court with more than $1 billion in debt.
WeWork Advances Plan, J&J's Third Filing, More Jones Drama
WeWork Inc. pushed forward a reorganization plan despite its former CEO's objections, Johnson & Johnson disclosed plans for a prepackaged bankruptcy case supported by a $6.5 billion settlement, and an appeals court upheld more than $400,000 in sanctions as part of bankruptcy proceedings for Georgia-Pacific's asbestos unit.
Expert Analysis
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How Banks Can Preserve Value Amid Corporate Default Surge
Amid a busy time for corporate bankruptcies, banks need a nuanced understanding of contractual rights, regulatory frameworks and evolving legal developments to protect and preserve their rights and interests, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.
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Key Priorities In FDIC Report On Resolving Big Bank Failures
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s report last month on the resolvability of large financial institutions contains little new information, but it does reiterate key policy priorities, including the agency's desire to enhance loss-absorbing capacity through long-term debt requirements and preference for single-point-of-entry resolution strategies, say attorneys at Freshfields.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Ch. 11 Case Shows Why Plan Acceptance Procedures Are Key
Sunland Medical's recent liquidation plan proposal is an important example of how top-notch judges and attorneys propose and analyze complex issues during the confirmation process, and the bankruptcy court was forward-thinking to consider the implications of such proposed treatment in the face of the Bankruptcy Code, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.
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Risks Of Rejecting Hotel Mgmt. Agreements Via Bankruptcy
In recent years, hotel owners have paid a high price when they attempted to use bankruptcy proceedings to prematurely terminate their hotel management agreements, highlighting that other options may be preferable, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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NC Rulings Show Bankruptcy Isn't Only For Insolvent Debtors
Two recent rulings from a North Carolina bankruptcy court show that lack of financial distress is not a requirement for bankruptcy protection, particularly in the Fourth Circuit, but these types of cases can still be dismissed for other reasons, say Stuart Gordon and Alexandria Vath at Rivkin Radler.
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What Bankruptcy Deadline Appeal May Mean For Claimants
If the Third Circuit reverses a recent appeal made in In re: Promise Healthcare, litigation claimants within the circuit will not be able to rely on the proof of claim process to preserve the claim — but if the court affirms, the U.S. Supreme Court may need to step in to resolve the circuit split on this issue, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.
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Wesco Ch. 11 Ruling Marks Shift In Uptier Claim Treatment
A Texas bankruptcy court’s recent decision in In re: Wesco Aircraft Holdings leaves nonparticipating creditors with a road map to litigate to judgment non-pro rata liability management transactions, and foreshadows that bankruptcy courts may no longer be a friendly forum for these types of claims, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Charting The Course For Digital Assets In 2024
Although 2023 was a tough year for the digital asset industry, upcoming court decisions, legislation and regulatory action will bring clarity, allowing the industry to expand and evolve, and the government will decide what innovation it will allow without challenge, says Joshua Smeltzer at Gray Reed.
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Del. Ruling Shows Tension Between 363 Sale And Labor Law
The Delaware federal court's ruling in the Braeburn Alloy Steel case highlights the often overlooked collision between an unstayed order authorizing an asset sale free and clear of successor liability under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code and federal labor law imposing successor liability on the buyer, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
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Del. Insurance Co. Liquidation Reveals Recovery Strategies
Arrowood's recent liquidation in the Delaware Chancery Court offers a positive development for policyholders and claimants, providing access to guaranty association protections amid the company's demise, say Timothy Law and Ann Kramer at Reed Smith.