New Jersey District Court Holds that No Evidentiary Hearing is Necessary to Appoint Chapter 11 Trustee

In MicroBilt Corporation v. Ranger Specialty Income Fund, L.P. et al. (In re Princeton Alternative Income Fund, LP), Case No. 3:18-CV-16557 (D.N.J. Nov. 27, 2019), the District Court for the District of New Jersey recently affirmed a bankruptcy court’s decision to appoint a chapter 11 trustee, without conducting a traditional evidentiary hearing.  The holding reinforces that […]

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5th Circuit Upholds Subordination of Deemed Dividends Under Section 510(b)

In In re Linn Energy, LLC, 2019 WL 4149481 (5th Cir. Sept. 3, 2019), the Fifth Circuit recently reminded us that if a debt instrument looks like a security and quacks like a security, it likely is a security for purposes of subordination under section 510(b) of the Bankruptcy Code.  The implications of characterizing an instrument […]

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SCOTUS Determines Trademark Licensee’s Rights Survive Rejection by Debtor in Bankruptcy

A debtor has the right to assume or reject any executory contract or unexpired lease through its bankruptcy, pursuant to the Bankruptcy Code. A trademark license is an executory contract that is subject to assumption or rejection if performance remains due from both parties to the contract. A debtor will reject a trademark license if […]

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Delaware Court Holds Environmental Claim of Unknown Claimant Discharged by Chapter 11 Plan

Addressing unknown future claims in a chapter 11 bankruptcy involves two competing concerns: (a) providing a debtor with a fresh start and (b) providing an unwitting claimant with due process. These competing concerns clash when a debtor seeks to confirm its plan of reorganization, which is intended to provide remedies to all the debtor’s creditors […]

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Fifth Circuit Holds that Chapter 11 Plan Does not “Impair” Claimants by Denying Make-Whole Rights and Contractual Interest

In Keystone Gas Gathering, L.L.C. v. Ad Hoc Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Ultra Resources, Incorporated (In re Ultra Petroleum Corporation), Case No. 17-20793, –F.3d–, 2019 WL 237365 (5th Cir. Jan. 17, 2019) (Oldham, J.), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a class of creditors is not “impaired” by a reorganization plan simply […]

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Gymboree Files for Chapter 22 and Plans to Liquidate

On January 16, 2019, Gymboree Group, Inc. and 10 affiliated debtors (collectively, “Debtors” or “Gymboree”) filed chapter 11 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Richmond Division).  On January 17, 2019, Gymboree, Inc. commenced a parallel proceeding in Canada under subsection 50.4(a) of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada). The Debtors […]

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