Mass Torts vs. Class Actions: A Tale of Two Strategies
Tips and Strategies for Successful Mass Tort Management
NGE On Demand: Insurance Issues in Bankruptcy with Jason Frye
IP|Trend: Discovering Source Code
The Supreme Court’s 2024 Purdue decision1 held that the Bankruptcy Code does not authorize a release and injunction under a Chapter 11 plan of claims against a non-debtor, even if they relate to claims against or by the...more
In Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. et al., the U.S. Supreme Court held that nonconsensual releases of third-party claims against nondebtors are not authorized under the Bankruptcy Code, resolving a longstanding circuit...more
On June 27, 2024, in one of its most high-profile bankruptcy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., et al., No. 23-124, holding that the U.S. Bankruptcy Code does not authorize releases...more
In a landmark decision that will significantly impact future reorganization plans, the Supreme Court categorically held in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., that bankruptcy courts lack the authority to approve nonconsensual...more
In a landmark 5-4 decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma that will significantly reshape corporate bankruptcy practice, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved a circuit split regarding the authority of a bankruptcy court to approve...more
In perhaps the most significant Supreme Court bankruptcy ruling since Stern v. Marshall, the Supreme Court today—by a 5-4 majority—overruled the Second Circuit’s approval of the Purdue Pharma Chapter 11 plan and its...more
This paper explores the mechanisms by which companies have utilized corporate restructuring through divisive mergers in conjunction with the available protections and tools of the United States Bankruptcy Code to resolve mass...more
A recent Expert Analysis article penned by Frank Perch, "High Court Should Endorse Insurer Standing In Bankruptcy," advocates for the U.S. Supreme Court, in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum Company Inc., to adopt a...more
1. What role does bankruptcy play in mass tort litigation? Bankruptcy can serve as a mechanism for companies to consolidate and manage liabilities arising from mass tort litigation. Understanding this role is crucial for...more
One year ago, we wrote that 2022 would be remembered in the corporate bankruptcy world for the "crypto winter" that descended in November 2022 with the spectacular collapse of FTX Trading Ltd., Alameda Research, and...more
The U.S. Supreme Court closed its last session of the year on Dec. 4 by hearing oral argument in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma LP. The issue to be resolved by the court is the scope of the authority of the bankruptcy court...more
As the calendar turns to autumn, the United States Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”) is commencing its new term and preparing to address a monumental issue that will impact chapter 11 law and the mass tort system: the permissibility...more
Recent Developments in Bankruptcy Law - Cumulative, through April 2023 - 1. AUTOMATIC STAY - 1.1 Covered Activities - 1.1.a Court denies injunction against actions involving debtors’ affiliates. Shortly after filing...more
In a decision that may provide much-needed boundaries around the permissibility of debtors created from “out-of-the-box” prepetition corporate transactions, on January 30, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the...more
On December 16, 2021, Judge McMahon of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (District Court) issued her decision in In re: Purdue Pharma LP, overturning the bankruptcy judge’s confirmation of...more
Mass tort actions are large and complicated matters generally involving a wide cross section of plaintiffs with varying degrees of harm caused by a product or substance. Cases involving serious product failures like vehicle...more
In the wake of asbestos bankruptcies brought on by mass tort liabilities, reorganization plan structures, like that in Johns-Mansville, often funneled asbestos-related claims into a settlement trust, while a “channeling...more
A defendant facing thousands of mass tort lawsuits in federal and state courts throughout the country often will seek to address the litigation by seeking Chapter 11 relief under the Bankruptcy Code. The Chapter 11 process...more