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Statutory Liens And The Bankruptcy Act: U.C.C. § 2-702 And Section 67(C), Robert Green

Robert A. Green

Ending The Nonsense: The In Pari Delicto Doctrine Has Nothing To Do With What Is § 541 Property Of The Bankruptcy Estate, Jeffrey Davis

Jeffrey Davis

The recent wave of disregard for corporate fiduciary responsibilities has provided numerous opportunities for courts to consider whether the corporations bankrupted by the unlawful acts of their principals should be prohibited by the in pari delicto doctrine from pursuing liability claims against third parties who contributed to the harm. In an array of recent cases, courts have reluctantly and apologetically, yet uniformly, permitted third parties who contributed to the demise of these corporations to escape liability because they felt § 541 of the Bankruptcy Code (the "Code") left them no other choice. Section 541 provides that the filing of a …

Florida's Beefed-Up Assignment For The Benefit Of Creditors As An Alternative To Bankruptcy, Jeffrey Davis

Jeffrey Davis

Two new corporate clients have been referred to you. The owners of both corporations have consulted lawyers about their struggling businesses and now seek second opinions. The first was advised by its attorney to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, the second was advised to file a Chapter 11 petition. You think both should consider an assignment for the benefit of creditors. Why? Stated simply, an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or an ABC, is normally much simpler and almost always less expensive than a comparable bankruptcy proceeding.' The substantial savings in expense results in larger payouts to both …

Chapter 9 Plan Confirmation Standards And The Role Of State Choices, Juliet Moringiello

Juliet M Moringiello

Because so few municipalities have ever filed for bankruptcy, none of the Chapter 9 confirmation standards have benefitted from extensive judicial scrutiny. The standards are particularly undeveloped as applied to cities and counties, whose debt structure and service obligations are more complicated and diverse than those of the special purpose districts whose cases generate the vast majority of Chapter 9 judicial opinions. The lack of clarity is not only bad for distressed cities and their creditors, it is undesirable from a public policy standpoint. States can choose whether to permit their municipalities to file for bankruptcy, and clear plan confirmation …

Exploring Chapter 11 Reform: Corporate And Financial Institution Insolvencies; Treatment Of Derivatives -, Michelle Harner

Michelle M. Harner

No abstract provided.

When Does Some Federal Interest Require A Different Result?: An Essay On The Use And Misuse Of Butner V. United States, Juliet Moringiello

Juliet M Moringiello

Thousands of judges and scholars have relied on the statement in the 1979 Supreme Court opinion in Butner v. United States that “property interests are created and defined by state law . . . unless some federal interest requires a different result.” Often, they cite to the statement as a policy constraint that elevates state property law over federal bankruptcy law. This Essay, written for the American Bankruptcy Institute – University of Illinois Symposium on Chapter 11 Reform, posits that the Butner rule is not as broadly applicable as commonly believed. To do so, the Essay surveys some notable uses …