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Full-Text Articles in Law
Securities Class Actions And Bankrupt Companies, James J. Park
Securities Class Actions And Bankrupt Companies, James J. Park
Michigan Law Review
Securities class actions are often criticized as wasteful strike suits that target temporary fluctuations in the stock prices of otherwise healthy companies. The securities class actions brought by investors of Enron and WorldCom, companies that fell into bankruptcy in the wake of fraud, resulted in the recovery of billions of dollars in permanent shareholder losses and provide a powerful counterexample to this critique. An issuer's bankruptcy may affect how judges and parties perceive securities class actions and their merits, yet little is known about the subset of cases where the company is bankrupt. This is the first extensive empirical study …
The Law Of Ponzi Payouts, Spencer A. Winters
The Law Of Ponzi Payouts, Spencer A. Winters
Michigan Law Review
When a Ponzi scheme collapses, there will typically be net winners and net losers. The bankruptcy trustee will often seek to force the net winners - those who received more money back from the Ponzi scheme than they invested - to disgorge their profits. Courts diverge on whether they should compel disgorgement in this instance. This Note argues that under prevailing fraudulent transfer law, net winners in a Ponzi scheme need not disgorge their profits. This is because the investor's dollar-for-dollar discharge of a preexisting debt constitutes the transfer of value in exchange for the payout. There are two exceptions …
The Nondischargeability Of Student Loans In Personal Bankruptcy Proceedings: The Search For A Theory, John A. E. Pottow
The Nondischargeability Of Student Loans In Personal Bankruptcy Proceedings: The Search For A Theory, John A. E. Pottow
Articles
In fiscal year 2002, approximately 5.8 million Americans borrowed $38 billion (USD) in federal student loans. This was more than triple the $11.7 billion borrowed in 1990. As a rule of thumb, tuition has been increasing at roughly double the rate of inflation in recent years. This troubling trend of accelerating tuition, coupled with the fact that real income has stagnated for men and increased only modestly for women over the past two decades, means that more and more students are going to need to turn to borrowed money to finance their degrees absent a radical restructuring of the postsecondary …
The Maxwell Case, John A. E. Pottow
The Maxwell Case, John A. E. Pottow
Book Chapters
This chapter will provide some broader context regarding the famous Maxwell Communication bankruptcy, which is one of the most significant cross-border insolvency precedents to date.1 It does so by first looking at Bob Maxwell's life and business in roughly chronological stages (the good, the bad, and the ugly). It then explores the insolvency proceedings that bear his name (the beautiful) and one specific litigation action within those proceedings of particular importance (the exquisite). Finally, it offers some brief reflection on what the Maxwell case may have taught us (the sublime).
Judicial Abuse Of "Process": Examining The Applicability Of Section 2f1.1(B)(4)(B) Of The Federal Sentencing Guidelines To Bankruptcy Fraud, Hideaki Sano
Michigan Law Review
The proliferation of bankruptcy filings over the past decade has coincided with a comparable increase in the incidence of bankruptcy fraud. In response to this growing problem, the United States Department of Justice has placed greater emphasis on federal prosecution of bankruptcy fraud. As a result, federal judges are increasingly applying the Federal Sentencing Guidelines ("Guidelines") to bankruptcy fraud and have begun to implement uniform standards for sentencing defendants convicted of this crime. Congress enacted the Guidelines pursuant to the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. In instituting the Guidelines, Congress sought honesty, reasonable uniformity, and proportionality in sentencing. Congress attempted …
Abandoning Bankruptcy Law's "Identity Of Interest" Exception, Michigan Law Review
Abandoning Bankruptcy Law's "Identity Of Interest" Exception, Michigan Law Review
Michigan Law Review
Section I of this Note discusses the goals and weaknesses of the identity of interest exception; Section II explains the advantages of consolidation and novation; and the final Section suggests a way to separate cases where novation is appropriate from those where consolidation is the preferred remedy.
Federal Procedure-Applicability Of State Decisional Law Interpreting State Statutes Of Limitations Under Section 11 (E) Of The Bankruptcy Act, Charles E. Oldfather S.Ed
Federal Procedure-Applicability Of State Decisional Law Interpreting State Statutes Of Limitations Under Section 11 (E) Of The Bankruptcy Act, Charles E. Oldfather S.Ed
Michigan Law Review
Plaintiff is the trustee in bankruptcy of a Virginia corporation whose petition for reorganization under chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act was approved by a Virginia federal district court in 1942. Plaintiff filed this action in a New York federal district court under section 11 (e) of the Bankruptcy Act against defendant, the principal stockholder, and others for breach of fiduciary duty. The alleged breaches of duty occurred in 1927 and 1929. The defendant pleaded the New York statute of limitations and contended that it should be applied as interpreted by New York decisions, which hold that the statute begins …
Bankruptcy-The New Test Of Perfection Under Section 60a-Effect Of Public Law 461, William R. Worth S.Ed.
Bankruptcy-The New Test Of Perfection Under Section 60a-Effect Of Public Law 461, William R. Worth S.Ed.
Michigan Law Review
A preference given to a creditor by an insolvent debtor is not a fraud on his other creditors, regardless of the fact that such payment reduces the share that they would be able to obtain upon an orderly liquidation and pro rata distribution of his estate. This simple principle has caused great confusion and trouble in the development of collective procedures for the satisfaction of the claims of creditors. It led through various channels to a very sweeping definition of preferences and provision for their avoidance in the Chandler Act of 1938, and has now produced, by a process of …
Corporations - Rights Of Action By The Representative Of Corporate Creditors - Effect Of Corporate Assent, Edward W. Adams
Corporations - Rights Of Action By The Representative Of Corporate Creditors - Effect Of Corporate Assent, Edward W. Adams
Michigan Law Review
By various acts the directors and officers of a corporation--its agents for the conduct of corporate business--may wrong the corporation or make possible a wrong to the corporation or to the body of corporate stockholders. When the corporation becomes involved in insolvency proceedings, in order to make available to creditors as many assets as possible, the receiver or trustee in bankruptcy determines whether some cause of action will lie to recover damages or property, or whether he may successfully defend to preserve assets. If the corporation itself could have been successful in the litigation, the solution would be easy because …
Equity - Specific Performance Of Contract To Lend Money, Robert C. Lovejoy
Equity - Specific Performance Of Contract To Lend Money, Robert C. Lovejoy
Michigan Law Review
Plaintiff, through the Mortgage Service Bureau, which acted as intermediary, negotiated a loan from defendant bank, secured by a mortgage on plaintiff's land. Plaintiff executed and delivered notes and a mortgage, and defendant drew a check for one of the loan installments payable to plaintiff and the bureau, The latter without authority took the check, forged plaintiff's signature, and kept the money. The bureau being out of business and insolvent, plaintiff, with an unfinished house on his hands and without funds to complete it, sought specific performance of the agreement to lend. Held, plaintiff was entitled to specific performance, …
Bankruptcy - Debts Not Affected By A Discharge - Goods Purchased When Insolvent With No Intent To Pay, William C. Wetherbee Jr.
Bankruptcy - Debts Not Affected By A Discharge - Goods Purchased When Insolvent With No Intent To Pay, William C. Wetherbee Jr.
Michigan Law Review
Respondent was suing the debtor in a municipal court of Georgia for goods purchased on account. When the debtor was ajudicated a bankrupt, the respondent changed his action from contract to tort by alleging that the bankrupt had purchased the goods when insolvent with no intent to pay for them. A judgment was obtained by respondent and the bankrupt subsequently received a discharge in bankruptcy. The bankrupt now asks that the respondent be enjoined from further proceeding to enforce this judgment by garnishment or in any other manner. Respondent claims that the judgment was not discharged since it was a …
Fraudulent Conveyances - Executory Consideration As "Fair Consideration" Under The Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, Robert Kneeland
Fraudulent Conveyances - Executory Consideration As "Fair Consideration" Under The Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, Robert Kneeland
Michigan Law Review
Plaintiff, a purchaser of mortgaged realty, claimed that there had been a series of conveyances of this property originating with a remote grantor, fraudulent as to said grantor's creditors. At the time plaintiff learned of this, he had already paid taxes on the property and paid $4605 on the purchase price, leaving a balance of $2986 due on his contract. Since, allegedly, plaintiff would have been subject to an action of the creditors to have the conveyance to him set aside/ plaintiff sought to join all creditors and defrauders in an attempt to clear the title, or, if the transaction …
Trusts - Spendthrift Trusts - Beneficial Interest Held Not Attachable To Make Good Liability As Trustee, W. Wallace Kent
Trusts - Spendthrift Trusts - Beneficial Interest Held Not Attachable To Make Good Liability As Trustee, W. Wallace Kent
Michigan Law Review
Janet Jones was an inactive trustee and one of the beneficiaries of a spendthrift trust. Because of lack of good judgment on the part of her co-trustee, and without any moral fault on her part, Janet was charged with liability for a large sum. Her surety, who paid the succeeding trustee, took an assignment of the rights of the trust estate against Janet Jones and demanded that the trustee pay to it all the income, past, present and future, which the trust instrument gave to such beneficiary. The trustee brought this action for instructions. Held, as the trust estate …
Corporations - Derivative Suits - Insolvency As A Bar, Edmund O'Hare
Corporations - Derivative Suits - Insolvency As A Bar, Edmund O'Hare
Michigan Law Review
Plaintiff, stockholder in defendant bank, brought a derivative suit against the bank's directors to recover moneys allegedly wrongfully appropriated by them from the bank's assets. Before the commencement of the suit the bank had become insolvent and was in the process of liquidation. Held, the directors' motion to dismiss should be granted, since a stockholder may not maintain an action to hold an insolvent corporation's directors liable for fraud or mismanagement unless it appears that he will be benefited by the relief demanded, and full recovery here would still leave an excess of liabilities over assets. Falvey v. Foreman-State …
Corporations - Rights Of Creditors Of Insolvent Corporation - Greater Than Rights Of Corporation
Corporations - Rights Of Creditors Of Insolvent Corporation - Greater Than Rights Of Corporation
Michigan Law Review
The dissenting and majority opinions of Justices Roberts and Cardozo in the recent case of McCandless v. Furlaud are illustrative of basically divergent conceptions of the status and function of the corporate receiver. In the following examination and evaluation of these conflicting positions, attention will be directed chiefly to those situations involving the problem of promoter's profits. The language and attitude of the courts, however, is typical of that adopted in all cases in which the questions considered arise and the conclusions suggested are of general application.
Corporations - Obligation To Refund Dividends Paid Out Of Capital
Corporations - Obligation To Refund Dividends Paid Out Of Capital
Michigan Law Review
The general rule is fairly well established that, where dividends are paid, in whole or in part, out of the capital stock, corporate creditors, being such when the dividend was declared, or becoming such at any subsequent time, may, to the extent of their claims, if such claims are not otherwise paid, compel the stockholders to whom the dividend has been paid to refund whatever portion of the dividend was taken out of the capital stock. This, however, has been modified in the federal courts to the extent that where the dividend, although paid entirely out of capital, was received …
Bills And Notes - Is One Assuming Liabilities To The Creditors Of His Transferor A Holder In Due Course
Michigan Law Review
The plaintiff entered into an agreement whereby it was to receive all the assets of an insolvent bank as consideration for the assumption of certain specified liabilities. Among the assets was a note upon which the plaintiff is now suing a prior indorser. Although it was the intention of the defendant to indorse as agent in accordance with the request of the insolvent bank, on the face of his endorsement he indorsed individually. Held, that since the plaintiff was not a holder in due course, the note was subject to the same defenses in the hands of the plaintiff …
Bankruptcy-Effect Of Discharge On Assignment Of Expectancy
Bankruptcy-Effect Of Discharge On Assignment Of Expectancy
Michigan Law Review
The Bankruptcy Act of the United States provides for the preservation of liens against a bankrupt's property not specifically declared by the Act itself to be dissolved because of fraud or because obtained within four months prior to the filing of the petition in bankruptcy. A discharge in bankruptcy protects the bankrupt from personal liability but does not affect valid and subsisting liens. These may be enforced after the discharge is granted
Torts-Negligent Misrepresentation-Duty Arising From Contract To Persons Not Parties
Torts-Negligent Misrepresentation-Duty Arising From Contract To Persons Not Parties
Michigan Law Review
The defendants, accountants, examined the books of the Stern Co., knowing that their balance sheet and 32 certified copies would be exhibited as a basis for future credit, but not knowing of the plaintiff particularly. Through negligence they failed to discover and report insolvency. Relying upon the report showing a solvent concern plaintiff extended credit to the Stem Co. He sued for his loss in two counts, negligence and fraud. Held, defendants had no duty to plaintiff to exercise due care, so he can not recover for negligence in the examination. But defendants might be liable for fraud as …