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Chapter 5 Causes of Action
How Far Can the Trustee Reach?
Bernard Madoff’s infamous Ponzi scheme left victims in its wake worldwide and resulted in numerous bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings around the world. How far can the trustee’s power reach?
90-Second Lesson: You Default on a Commercial Loan, What Happens Next?
QUESTION: Scott T, emailed, asking, “I have a client who owns a few income-producing properties, and she thinks she may not be able to make her next mortgage payments to her lender. What should I tell her to expect?” ANSWER: Once a default on a commercial loan is looming or occurs, a proactive mortgage lender […]
Ponzi Scheme Lender May Be Off The Hook, After All: A Case Study
The Sixth Circuit would quote Ohio case law to explain that “A contract of novation is created where a previous valid obligation is extinguished by a new valid contract, with the consent of all the parties, and based on valid consideration.” In a sense, a novation establishes that the prior contract is fully performed by the novated contract.
There Ought to Be a Law, and There Is: When the Insolvent LLC’s Manager Distributes Cash But Does Not Pay Creditors
The borrower is an LLC managed by a greedy principal member. The borrower slowly pays the secured creditor and unsecured creditors over years and its business becomes insolvent. The insolvent LLC makes cash distributions to its members, but not to the secured creditors. Is there a law against this sort of behavior?
Fraudulent Transfer Remedies: How Much is Enough?
Examining the TOUSA Case Ruling on Fraudulent Transfers One of the most powerful tools in the Bankruptcy Code available to bankruptcy trustees (or other estate representatives) to maximize the recovery of creditors is the power to avoid and recover fraudulent transfers of a debtor’s property. These include transfers that are made, or obligations that are […]
Dealing with Corporate Distress 01: Hello Darkness, Our Dear Friend
A Series on the ABCs of ABCs, Business Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring/Insolvency Greetings, Dear Reader: It seems you’re interested in learning how to deal with corporate distress, and we’re glad you’re here. But let’s first make sure you got on the right plane. Maybe you… Are a C-suite executive of a business that’s considering buying […]
Buying Operating Assets from a Distressed Seller
A Practical Guide to Assessing Legal Risk and Potentially Fraudulent Transfers “One man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure.” -William & Robert Chambers Journal of popular literature, science and arts (1879) “A little learning is a dangerous thing” -Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism (1709) Buying operating assets from a financially distressed seller can […]
Dealing With Distress for Fun & Profit – Installment #16 – Super and Residual Priorities
This series was started with a broad overview of business bankruptcy, but our last few installments have focused on: unsecured creditors the priority scheme in bankruptcy protecting/collecting your claim In this installment, we draw on our discussion of the priority scheme, with a special focus on super and residual priorities. As previously discussed, not all […]
Litigation Funder Monetizes Portion of Fraudulent Transfer Judgment in Cutting-Edge Transaction
Gerchen Keller purchases a portion of the interest in proceeds of $213 million fraudulent conveyance judgment in innovative public sale. An interesting transaction took place on September 8, 2016. The chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee for Magnesium Corporation of America (“MagCorp”) sold a $50 million share of a $213 million judgment it has against fraudulent conveyance […]
What Else Can a Creditors Committee Do? Maybe Reap $1.5 Billion for Unsecured Creditors (Lender Beware)
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and others (“JPM”) lent $1.5 billion to General Motors Corporation (“Old GM”) under a term loan agreement (the “Term Loan Agreement”). JPM was the senior secured creditor of Old GM. Old Gm went into chapter 11 bankruptcy. Under the terms of the DIP financing approved by the bankruptcy court, proceeds of […]