A federal judge recently allowed a trustee’s preferential transfer claim against a law firm to proceed but dismissed a constructive fraudulent transfer claim. The decision highlights the pleading standards and analytical...more
Some courts permit debtors to designate vendors crucial to their business as “critical vendors.” These vendors supply debtors with necessary goods or services. Debtors are permitted to pay them amounts owing when a...more
Bankruptcy preference claims are viewed by businesses as an unfair legal tool that debtors and trustees use to take money back, even though the pre-bankruptcy payments from the debtor were for legitimate business debts. By...more
Any creditor that has experienced more than a few customers or borrowers filing for bankruptcy is aware that there is a risk of being sued by a trustee to avoid transfers that the creditor received prior to the bankruptcy...more
Nothing is more frustrating to a trade creditor saddled with a large unpaid balance owed by a debtor in bankruptcy than being subject to the risk of having to remit back to the debtor’s estate “preference” payments received...more
• In its recent decision in William S. Kaye, Trustee of the BFW Liquidating Trust v. Blue Bell Creameries, Inc. (In re BFW Liquidation, LLC), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that liability for a...more
Trying to explain the primary purpose of Section 547 of the Bankruptcy Code to a client that just received a demand letter or complaint to avoid and recover preferential transfers can be a tough sell. Although the Section’s...more
The ability to avoid fraudulent or preferential transfers is a fundamental part of U.S. bankruptcy law. However, when a transfer by a U.S. entity takes place outside the U.S. to a non-U.S. transferee—as is increasingly common...more
In Weisfelner v. Blavatnik (In re Lyondell Chemical Company), 2017 BL 131876 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Apr. 21, 2017), the bankruptcy court presiding over the chapter 11 case of Lyondell Chemical Company ("Lyondell") handed down a...more
Among the required elements of a claim to avoid a preferential transfer under section 547(b) of the Bankruptcy Code is that, if the creditor-transferee were permitted to retain a pre-bankruptcy payment, it would end up being...more
Judge Christopher S. Sontchi of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Court) issued a decision on Feb. 28, 2017, that has important – and positive – significance for Native American tribal governments, their...more
On December 18, 2014, Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Sontchi issued an opinion granting summary judgment in favor of defendant and against trustee who sought to avoid and recover $1,181,583.84 as preferential transfers pursuant...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held, on June 10, 2013, that payments made by a company to purchase notes issued by an affiliate were transfers made in connection with a “securities contract,” and...more