Goldman Sachs published a research report suggesting that recently implemented social distancing measures will result in declines in services consumption, manufacturing activity, and building investment that will lower the level of GDP in April by nearly 10%. [Goldman Sachs; Mar. 20, 2020]
The Eight Circuit Court of Appeals Bankruptcy Appellate Panel recently released its decision
Recent oil price drops may accelerate the pace of oil and gas bankruptcies in the United States, reports Law360. In light of such drops, the industry appears to be facing a situation similar to one it faced in 2016 and 2017, when many drilling companies sought bankruptcy protection. [Law 360; Mar. 11, 2020]
In its February 25, 2020, decision in Rodriguez v. FDIC, the US Supreme Court unanimously rejected the “Bob Richards rule” (so named for a 1973 Ninth Circuit decision) and held that federal common law does not govern the allocation of tax refunds within a consolidated corporate group in the absence of a tax allocation agreement to the contrary.1 The decision is likely to have significant implications with respect to inter-corporate disputes over the proper allocation of tax refunds.2
Law360 reports that Purdue Pharma LP is seeking a 180-day extension of a preliminary injunction put in place earlier in the bankruptcy process that halted litigation relating to Purdue’s role in the national opioid crisis not only against the debtors themselves but also against the debtors’ current and former owners, officers, directors, employees, and associated
Law360 reports that Bar Louie secured approval for its sale procedures on Thursday, February 27, 2020. Judge Mary Walrath of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved the sale procedures after cutting the stalking horse bidder’s breakup fee by $1.4 million and eliminating a 1% reimbursement fee intended to be paid
Forty-two state Attorneys General have signed on to a National Association of Attorneys General letter in support of H.R. 4421, which seeks to limit forum shopping in chapter 11 cases by limiting the jurisdiction in which a debtor may file to the jurisdiction where its principal assets are located or the jurisdiction where its principal
The Wall Street Journal reports on a bankruptcy court’s decision to grant a student borrower’s request to erase his student debt [WSJ; Jan.8, 2020]
Bloomberg article discusses new loopholes in CLO documents, giving managers more control, and sparking an investor backlash [Bloomberg; Jan. 23, 2020]
PG&E reaches bankruptcy deal but, as the New York
In an article for Law360, Mayer Brown partners Sean Scott, Adam Paul, Brian Trust, Tom Kiriakos and associate Tyler Ferguson discuss a recent key ruling in the Ultra Petroleum case.
On December 19, 2019, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held in In re Millennium Lab Holdings II, LLC1 that bankruptcy courts have the constitutional authority, well within the constraints of Stern v. Marshall,2 to confirm Chapter 11 reorganization plans containing nonconsensual third-party releases. This decision is notable not only because it is the first federal circuit court of appeals decision addressing (and overruling) a Stern challenge to a bankruptcy court’s authority to approve such releases but also because it was issued in a circuit where the ability of a plan to otherwise provide for nonconsensual releases of third-party claims is already generally recognized.3
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Mayer Brown advised on two transactions – “Restructuring of the Year” in the $1 billion to $10 billion category, and “Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year” in the $500 million to $1 billion category – that were honored by The M&A Advisor in its 14th Annual Turnaround Awards. The annual awards recognize the leading distressed