On May 26, 2015, continuing a springtime ritual for bankruptcy lawyers, the Supreme Court issued its latest “progeny of Stern” ruling on the adjudicative authority of the bankruptcy courts. In a 6-3 decision the Court held that “Our precedents make clear that litigants may validly consent to adjudication by the bankruptcy courts.” Wellness Int’l Network, Ltd. v. Sharif __ U.S. __ (May 26, 2015). This springtime ritual began four years ago when the Supreme Court…
Springtime is Stern Time
Fifth Circuit has Second Thoughts on Pro-Snax Fees Decision
How would you like to be paid only for work which, in hindsight, unquestionably resulted in a material benefit to your employer? That unsuccessful sales call? Freebie. That account you spent hours trying to collect, but ultimately had to write off? That’s on your time. Thanks. Well, bankruptcy lawyers wouldn’t like that compensation arrangement any more than you. And on April 9, 2015, the Fifth Circuit issued an important opinion in Woerner v. Barron &…
Trademark Licensor Rights Trump Bankrupt Licensee
While Donald Trump’s presidential aspirations and “Celebrity Apprentice” hosting duties make for interesting copy, the most recent news concerning him relates to the bankruptcy case of Trump Entertainment and the interaction between bankruptcy and trademark law. To learn more, click on the link below to an article recently published by the online news site Hotel News Now: http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/15733
STRUCTURED DISMISSALS – HOW THEY WORK PART III: THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CREDITORS TEST
A. Where We Left Off Part II of this series focused on the first element of section 1112(b)’s dismissal test: whether “cause” exists for the court to dismiss or convert the case. Once the judge determines that cause exists, the court must dismiss or convert the case. As a result, a party seeking the approval of a proposed structured dismissal must prove that the structured dismissal is better for creditors than converting the case to…
Litigant Consent and the Power of the Bankruptcy Court
The Supreme Court is currently considering the case of Wellness International Network, Ltd. v. Shariff. As discussed in the blog post on February 16, 2015, at issue in the Wellness International Network case is “whether Article III of the United States Constitution permits the exercise of judicial powers of the United States by the bankruptcy courts on the basis of litigant consent, and if so, whether implied consent based on a litigant’s conduct is sufficient…
Do You Know What is in Your Buyer’s Wallet?
In a recent ruling, the Ninth Circuit held that a seller was liable under the law of fraudulent conveyance to the bankruptcy trustee for the portion of the purchase price funded by a company controlled by the buyer, which was actually a Ponzi scheme, that later filed bankruptcy. Mano-Y&M Ltd. v. Field (In re Mortgage Store, Inc.), 773 F.3d 990 (9th Cir 2014). This holding was reached notwithstanding the fact that there was no allegation…
Stern with a Twist: Supreme Court to Consider Constitutional Authority of Bankruptcy Courts
The Supreme Court has an opportunity to clarify the constitutionality of the allocation of power between federal district courts and bankruptcy courts. On July 1, 2014, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Wellness International Network, Ltd. v. Sharif[1] to address the following: (1) Whether the presence of a subsidiary state property law issue in an 11 U.S.C. § 541 action brought against a debtor to determine whether property in the debtor’s possession is property of…
The Enforceability of Liquidated Damages Clauses
The enforcement of a liquidated damages clause can mean the difference between money in a party’s pocket with little effort versus a protracted and expensive court battle. To learn more, click on the link below to an article recently published by the online news site Hotel News Now: http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/15177/Enforceability-of-liquidated-damages-clauses
Recommendations of the ABI Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11: Intellectual Property Licenses
Beginning in 2012, a distinguished group of bankruptcy attorneys, academics and judges known as the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 (the Commission) held periodic meetings throughout the U.S. to analyze and discuss comprehensive reforms to chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The results of their analyses and recommendations were published on Dec. 8, 2014, in a written format, Final Report and Recommendations (the Report).[1] Not counting appendices, the…
Structured Dismissals – How They Work Part II: Proving That Cause Exists to Dismiss the Case Under Section 1112(b)
A. Where We Left Off As noted in Part I, movants seeking approval of a structured motion to dismiss must generally prove that: (1) the court has the power to enter an order approving a structured dismissal; (2) “cause” exists to approve the structured dismissal; and (3) the structured dismissal is in the best interest of the debtor’s creditors. Part I addressed courts’ authority to enter orders approving structured dismissals under section 105(a) of the…