This practice note discusses how a bankruptcy court may recharacterize documents that purport to create a loan transaction and determine that the transaction, despite labels, is something else—a transaction providing for a...more
Prior mortgages are typical due-diligence items in the real estate title review process for renewable energy projects. Resolving issues related to prior mortgages is key to establishing a title policy that is satisfactory to...more
In the latest chapter of more than a decade of contentious litigation surrounding the 2007 leveraged buyout ("LBO") and ensuing bankruptcy of media conglomerate Tribune Co. ("Tribune"), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third...more
With COVID-19 having shut down many businesses, lenders increasingly are worried about their borrowers’ ability to repay loans. Lenders are concerned about the value of their collateral because of the loss of the spring...more
Everyone is familiar with the “Rock, Paper, Scissors” method of resolving disputes where scissors cut paper, paper covers rock, and rock breaks scissors. In Futuri Real Estate, Inc. v. Atlantic Trustee Services, the Virginia...more
In 1930, Clarence Bennett’s wealthy uncle died. He left behind shares in Berry Holding Company ("BHC") that were subdivided into three groups. Bennett was the beneficiary of dividends paid out of one of these groups and, for...more
In French v. Linn Energy, L.L.C. (In re Linn Energy, L.L.C.), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit addressed the scope of Bankruptcy Code Section 510(b), settling on an expansive reading of the Section,...more
European Leveraged Finance Client Alert Series: Issue 6 July, 2019 - Sub-investment grade rated property companies in the German market are increasingly supplementing conventional real-estate senior secured bank financing...more
In Momentive Performance Materials Inc. v. BOKF, NA (In re MPM Silicones, L.L.C.), 874 F.3d 787 (2d Cir. 2017), cert. denied, 138 S. Ct. 2653 (2018), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a number of lower...more
In California, priority between competing liens on the same real property is usually determined by the “first in time, first in right” rule. Under that rule, different liens on the same property have priority according to...more
Intercreditor agreements between secured creditors are intended to limit the potential for litigation and result in predictable commercial outcomes with respect to recoveries from collateral in enforcement actions and...more
Recently, in Official Comm. of Unsecured Creditors v. Victory Park Capital Advisors, LLC (In re Katy Indus., Inc.), Case No. 17-50937 (Bankr. D. Del. July 6, 2018), the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware dismissed...more
In Momentive Performance Materials Inc. v. BOKF, NA (In re MPM Silicones, L.L.C.), 2017 BL 376794 (2d Cir. Oct. 27, 2017) ("Momentive"), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in a long-anticipated decision,...more
The Situation: In In re MPM Silicones, L.L.C., secured noteholders argued that replacement notes distributed to them under a cram-down chapter 11 plan should bear market-rate interest rather than the lower formula rate...more
In the recent Arizona Court of Appeals case Earle Investments, LLC v. Southern Desert Medical Center Partners, 762 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 12 (2017), the Court of Appeals addressed the question of the scope of a subordination...more
Blank Rome Partner Ira Herman authored “Anticipating and Managing Bankruptcy Risk,” a series of articles prepared for the Financial Restructuring & Bankruptcy module of Lexis Practice Advisor, a comprehensive practical...more
The European Commission (“Commission”), on 23 November 2016, released its legislative proposals to amend the EU’s Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (“BRRD”) to provide more detailed rules relating to the setting of MREL...more
What is an SNDA? An SNDA, or subordination (the “S”), non-disturbance (the “ND”) and attornment (the “A”) agreement, is an agreement between the lender providing financing to the landlord and a tenant of the property. ...more
Weary of having to solicit those pesky subordinations of pre-existing mortgages to your recently-acquired oil and gas leases? Tired of chasing down the third assistant to the fourth vice president for loan servicing just to...more
When visible construction begins, Nevada law says mechanic’s liens attach to the construction site. A construction lender wants to ensure that its deed of trust securing the construction loan has first priority to the...more
In a recent decision, the Utah Supreme Court addressed a matter of first impression in Utah, namely, whether a subordination agreement between two senior lenders, which reversed the priority of their respective liens against...more
For many sponsor backed borrowers, and this would include technology companies which have raised at least one round of financing, the equity cure provides a lifeline which isn’t necessarily available to traditional borrowers....more
When an insolvent entity files for bankruptcy, it can be tough to be a creditor. But holding equity — stock in a corporation or a membership interest in an LLC, a limited liability company — can be even worse. ...more
The SEC Acts to Protect Whistleblowers Against Restrictive Confidentiality Provisions. In a development that should send HR directors and general counsels to review their form confidentiality agreements, the SEC announced...more
On March 13, 2015, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, in the case of Walnut Creek Mining Company v. Cascade Investment, LLC, Civ. No. 14-738-LPS (In re Optim Energy, LLC, Bankr. Case No....more