The ABCs of ABCs, Business Bankruptcy, & Corporate Restructuring/Insolvency In the last two installments of this series, we introduced you to things a company should consider before deciding whether to file chapter 11, and a timeline for understanding how a “typical” chapter 11 case proceeds. In this quick little ditty, we want to make sure you understand four concepts that permeate every chapter 11 case except, perhaps, a prepack. 1. The Automatic Stay When a bankruptcy case is filed, an “automatic stay,” is triggered under Bankruptcy Code § 362. The automatic […]

What is the Consolidated Appropriations Act? Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 on December 21, 2020, and President Trump signed the massive act into law six days later, when it became effective. The act includes several changes to title 11 of the United States Code, which is usually called the “Bankruptcy Code,” and most changes sunset on either the first or second anniversary of the effective date of the act. Here are the changes you need to know, in the order they are presented in the act. Property That […]

Why You Should Include a Force Majeure Clause in Lease Agreements     The Northern District of Illinois delivered a victory last month for a tenant who could not operate its leased space as contemplated at the time it entered into the lease (and as it had been operating up until COVID-19), because continuing to operate normally would have violated an order issued by the Governor of the State of Illinois. The case in which this ruling was issued is In re Hitz Restaurant Group, 20 B 05012 (June 20, […]

A written tour of business bankruptcy and its alternatives Subsequent installments in this series will cover the concepts touched upon here in more detail.  We think it prudent, if not necessary, to at least throw some basic chapter 11 concepts on the table now, however, since they are so fundamental to any Chapter 11 case- regardless of which side of the table you sit on. The Automatic Stay Commencing a bankruptcy case triggers an “automatic stay,” which, with certain exceptions (carved out by §362(b)), operates as an injunction against actions […]