News & Analysis as of

Chapter 7 Fiduciary Duty

Proskauer Rose LLP

Conflict Between Delaware LLC Act and Bankruptcy Code Affects Creditor Toolbox

Proskauer Rose LLP on

As you know from our prior alerts, creditors of borrowers formed as Delaware LLCs (as opposed to corporations) lack standing under Delaware law to sue directors for breaching fiduciary duties even when, to the surprise of...more

King & Spalding

Aiding and Abetting Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims Against Lender Survive Motion to Dismiss

King & Spalding on

On April 26, 2023, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware denied in part and granted in part motions to dismiss a chapter 7 trustee’s breach of fiduciary duty and aiding and abetting claims. The defendants...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

Del. Bankruptcy Rulings Instruct on Creditors' Rights to Sue

Proskauer Rose LLP on

Creditors of distressed businesses are often frustrated by shareholder- controlled boards when directors pursue strategies that appear to be designed to benefit shareholders at the creditors' expense. In these...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

Suing Directors of a Troubled Business: When Form Trumps Substance

Proskauer Rose LLP on

Creditors of distressed businesses are often frustrated by shareholder-controlled boards when directors pursue strategies that appear to be designed to benefit shareholders at the creditors’ expense. In these circumstances,...more

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Delaware Court Finds Texas’s Trust Fund Doctrine Lives, but Debtor’s Fiduciary Claims Dead on Arrival

A Delaware bankruptcy court recently held that Texas’s “trust fund doctrine” remains applicable for companies that have not availed themselves of Texas’s formal dissolution process.  Nonetheless, fiduciary claims by a...more

Freeman Law

Bankruptcy and Non-Dischargeability Causes of Action

Freeman Law on

This adversary proceeding in Rennaker v. Davis, Case No. 20-04065 (Bankr. N.D. Tex., Nov. 9, 2021), involves a litany of non-dischargeability allegations – both under 11 U.S.C. §523 and §727. Judge Mark Mullin’s opinion...more

Ward and Smith, P.A.

Will My Judgment Get Discharged in Bankruptcy?

Ward and Smith, P.A. on

Bankruptcy is meant to provide a fresh start for the honest but unfortunate debtor. A debtor who files Chapter 7 does so with the presumption that all his or her debts will be forgiven or "discharged." But what about the...more

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Another Ruling on Public Auctions Versus Private Sales Under Section 363

Two weeks ago, we discussed asset sales under Bankruptcy Code section 363. As that post noted, section 363 requires court approval for asset sales outside the ordinary course of business, with courts ensuring that sales...more

Amundsen Davis LLC

A Lesson On Good Corporate Governance?

Amundsen Davis LLC on

While on its face, a recent decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit discusses what is not included in the duties of an officer, one can glean from the decision the importance that a Board of...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Bax Limits Standing to Pursue Derivative Claims in Bankruptcy

Since the Delaware Supreme Court held in CML V, LLC v. Bax that creditors of a Delaware LLC lack standing to pursue derivative breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims, even if the LLC is insolvent or near insolvent, bankruptcy courts...more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Officers’ Duty to Obey Board of Directors’ Instructions Overrides Duty to Provide Information

Citing duty to obey the board’s lawful instructions, the Seventh Circuit rejects breach of fiduciary duty claims under Indiana law against bankrupt bank holding company’s former officers. Corporate officers of a distressed...more

Gray Reed

Your Shuttered Business: Bankrupt It, Dissolve It or Walk Away?

Gray Reed on

After reluctantly shuttering her family owned Widgets-R-Us last month due to insufficient profits to pay even the secured debt, Susie Sears is now dealing with disbelieving unsecured creditors. What should she do?...more

Pullman & Comley, LLC

Connecticut District Court Applies Expansive Reading of “Fiduciary” in Determining Non-dischargability of Breach of Fiduciary Duty...

Pullman & Comley, LLC on

A debt “for fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity” cannot be discharged in an individual bankruptcy case. 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(4). The precise scope of the term, “fiduciary,” within the meaning of this...more

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Fifth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Claims Relating to Pre-Petition Payments to D&O’s

The Fifth Circuit, in In the Matter of: ATP Oil & Gas Corp. (Tow v. Bulmahn, et. al.), dismissed breach of fiduciary duty claims and fraudulent transfer claims brought by a chapter 7 trustee relating to cash bonuses and...more

Jones Day

Focus on Health Care Provider Bankruptcies

Jones Day on

The next few years are expected to see a significant increase in the volume of bankruptcy cases filed by health care providers. Thus far in 2017, the number of bankruptcies in health care-related sectors, including hospitals,...more

Mintz - Bankruptcy & Restructuring Viewpoints

Exculpatory Provisions Under Delaware Law: Say What You Mean And Mean What You Say

Exculpation provisions in operating agreements must be carefully crafted in order to protect members, managers, directors and officers for breaches of fiduciary duties...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Breach of Fiduciary Duty (and Related) Claims Are Not Easily Defeated: A Case Study in Motions for Judgment on the Pleadings

Robins Kaplan LLP on

Just what must be alleged for claims for breach of fiduciary duty to proceed past initial pleadings and into meaningful fact development? In a recent decision, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of...more

Locke Lord LLP

Eastern District of Louisiana Dismisses Officer Compensation Fraudulent Transfer Claims in Tow v. Bulmahn

Locke Lord LLP on

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana dismissed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee’s claims against officers and inside directors of ATP Oil & Gas Corporation in Tow v. Bulmahn on Wednesday. In Tow v....more

Mintz - Employment, Labor & Benefits...

A WARNing to Directors and Officers — Failure to give proper WARN Act notice may breach your fiduciary duty

At first glance, Stanziale v. MILK072011, looks like someone suing over a bad expiration date and conjures up images of Ron Burgundy proclaiming “milk was a bad choice.” But in actuality Stanziale is much more interesting: it...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Seventh Circuit Says Violations of Wisconsin’s Theft-by-Contractor Statute Are Not Dischargeable in Bankruptcy

Foley & Lardner LLP on

The Bankruptcy Code prevents an individual debtor from discharging certain debts, including, upon request of the creditor, debts for “fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity.” 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4). The...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Orrick's Financial Industry Week in Review

SEC Provides Additional Analysis Related to Proposed Pay Ratio Disclosure Rules - On June 4, the Securities and Exchange Commission provided additional analysis related to its proposed rules for pay ratio disclosure. The...more

Troutman Pepper

LLC Managers Beware: Get Involved With Member Distributions By an Insolvent LLC and You May Be Personally Liable

Troutman Pepper on

A chapter 7 trustee sued a manager of three limited liability company (LLC) debtors for breach of fiduciary duty and to hold the manager personally liable for distributions made to members, including himself....more

Poyner Spruill LLP

Lenders Across North Carolina Can Breathe Sigh of Relief - NC Supreme Court reverses decision in significant banking litigation

Poyner Spruill LLP on

In a case that has implications for all banks in North Carolina, the North Carolina Supreme Court removed a cloud of uncertainty that has remained over the North Carolina banking industry for more than 18 months. The Supreme...more

Poyner Spruill LLP

North Carolina Court of Appeals Allows Borrower to Take Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims Against Lender to a Jury

Poyner Spruill LLP on

In what may be a first for a North Carolina appellate court, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has reversed the entry of summary judgment for a lender on a borrower’s breach of fiduciary claim. In Dallaire v. Bank of...more

24 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 1

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide