Mezzanine Lending Video Series (Episode 1)
Advancing Agriculture: Security Interests and Article 9 Challenges (Part 1)
In most chapter 11 cases, existing first lien lenders provide post-petition financing to preserve collateral value and maximize recovery. In some situations, a stressed borrower may threaten to pursue a hostile chapter 11...more
Suppose you have made a loan and your collateral includes a lien on receivables or inventory. If your borrower files Chapter 11, you are in danger of your collateral disappearing during the Chapter 11 case. Here's how....more
Trade creditors are usually grouped with “general unsecured creditors” in bankruptcy, but some have liens that can elevate their claim priority. To achieve this, the lien must be properly granted and perfected under...more
In light of the banking failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic (as well as Credit Suisse), this summer, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC proposed guidance and rules for larger banks to (i) develop...more
When a debtor files for bankruptcy, it’s axiomatic that all creditors, wherever located, must immediately cease their efforts to collect on debts owed to them by that debtor, right? Not necessarily so, says the United States...more
On April 28, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma in Kirtley v. Mabrey Bank (In re: Rudick) held that an entity other than the debtor may grant a lien on the debtor’s property, affirming the legal...more
Most issuers of, and beneficiaries under, letters of credit are familiar with the impact a tenant bankruptcy has on the continued effectiveness of draws under the LC. Assuming a “direct draw” letter of credit that does not...more
Whether in sales, syndications or securitization of equipment leases and loans, it is important—and often essential—that the assets be transferred from the seller to the buyer in a so-called “true sale.” That colloquialism is...more
For creditors dealing with debtors in the shadow of bankruptcy, a common scenario repeats itself. The creditor repossesses collateral, attaches an account, or sets off a bank account, and then the debtor files a...more
It is well recognized that, in keeping with the "fresh start" or "rehabilitative" policy, the Bankruptcy Code invalidates after-acquired property clauses in prepetition security agreements, but also includes an exception to...more
The February Supreme Court decision in City of Chicago v. Fulton was widely celebrated in the lending community because the court found that a lender who repossesses a vehicle before a borrower files for bankruptcy is not in...more
Bankruptcy is primarily about “claims.” The debtor seeks to discharge personal liability on claims, while creditors seek payment on their claims. In basic terms, a bankruptcy “claim” is a right to payment. The claim does not...more
Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases are straight liquidations sought by debtors who wish to have most or all of their debts discharged. In Chapter 7 cases, the Chapter 7 trustee obtains control over the debtor’s assets and evaluates...more
The ability of a bankruptcy trustee or chapter 11 debtor-in-possession ("DIP") to obtain credit or financing during the course of a bankruptcy case is often crucial to the debtor's prospects for either maintaining operations...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many hospitality professionals and their clients to confront bankruptcy, insolvency, and loan workout issues for the first time since the Great Recession. Chapter 11 presents a host of unique...more
The ability of a bankruptcy trustee or a chapter 11 debtor-in-possession ("DIP") to use "cash collateral" during the course of a bankruptcy case may be vital to the debtor's prospects for a successful reorganization. However,...more
When entering into a joint venture or other ongoing contractual relationship in which intellectual property (“IP”) is central to the value proposition, parties should hope for the best and plan for the worst. Bankruptcy for...more
Secured creditors must be ever mindful of their rights in consumer bankruptcy cases. Details that might seem technical or insignificant can mean the difference between a creditor's obligation being secured and being...more
Last October we highlighted an important ruling issued in September 2019 by the Seventh Circuit in the bankruptcy proceeding of In re I80 Equipment, LLC. The Circuit Court in that case reversed a decision from the lower...more
In a previous blogpost, we explained the technical requirements for financing statements and the potential risks of failing to satisfy them, highlighting a case where the court ruled, under a prior version of the Puerto Rico...more
Kramer Levin was selected as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Forever 21 and its affiliates, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware on Sept. 29, 2019. Forever 21 is a specialty fashion...more
The American Bankruptcy Institute’s Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy released its Final Report and recommendations on April 12, 2019. The commission was created in 2016 to research and develop recommendations to improve the...more
Manufacturers encounter financing statements in many contexts – as a borrower, as a supplier of goods sold on credit, as a seller in a leveraged acquisition, as a seller of equipment where financing is provided to the buyer...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit — which covers federal courts in North Carolina — recently handed a big victory to lenders whose borrowers file for bankruptcy protection. In SummitBridge National...more
The Bankruptcy Code contains an array of provisions designed to encourage lenders to provide debtor-in-possession ("DIP") financing in chapter 11 cases, including authorization of "superpriority" administrative expense claims...more