When a business becomes unable to meet obligations such as employee salaries, day to day invoices, and bank debt, management may turn to Bankruptcy law to liquidate or reorganize. As a rule, Courts prefer reorganization over liquidation, provided reorganization would be viable, preserve jobs, keep assets productive, and enhance the local economy. To begin with...Read More

Continental Casualty Company v. Symons, et al. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Citation: 14-2665, 14-2671 & 15-106 Decided: March 22, 2016 This fraudulent transfer case pits 2 insurance company’s – as well as the controlling family of the seller and their related businesses – against one another. despite some fancy footwork on the part of...Read More

In this case the value of unexpired commercial leases was put to the test. When a popular auto-repair/oil-change franchise went into Chapter 11, its unsecured creditors sought to recoup of the value of 2 unexpired leases it relinquished just before filing. The 7th Circuit analyzed the issue under 2 provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and...Read More

The “good faith” defense articulated in 11 U.S.C. 550(b)(1) applies as long as the transferee: (1) is an immediate or mediate transferee under §550(a)(2); (2) took the transfers for value; (3) took the transfers “in good faith;” and (4) took the transfers “without knowledge of the voidability of the transfer avoided.”Read More

The Attorney for Defendants in the District Court filed a lien on proceeds in a related State case and attempted to jump the line in terms of priority. When the District Court stopped him he sought relief in the 7th Circuit. The Appellate Court not only disagreed with his actions but actually sanctioned him for...Read More

Debtor Hospital filed an adversary complaint claiming that a prepetition government claim should be subject to the Automatic Stay. The Bankruptcy Court agreed citing 11 U.S.C. 362(a)(6). District Court reversed in part. The 7th Circuit Reversed again.Read More

As stated by the Supreme Court: requiring Bankruptcy Attorneys to bear the costs of their fee-defense litigation under 330(a)(1) "creates no disincentive to bankruptcy practice." Hear that Bankruptcy lawyers? You're on your own.Read More

For Debtors, Chapter 7 Liquidation is the ultimate relief, while Chapter 13 and 11 Reorganization offers an opportunity to reduce their Debtor’s payments in light of their income. In either type of case however, the Creditor is not entitled to anything until it has filed is Proof of Claim.Read More

This Opinion from Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Judge Jack Schmetterer showcases the interplay of Federal and State law in a complex commercial scenario. It also displays the characteristic desire of Federal Courts to keep things clear and simple: which is unfortunately the opposite of how convoluted factual and legal situations play out in State...Read More

Diversity jurisdiction brought this complex commercial case before the 7th Circuit, which applied Illinois law to a series of trademark and business questions. At issue was whether the developer of chenille fabric under the tradename "Kashwere" (Selzer) could prevent a series of transactions via a non-compete agreement ("NCA") and, conversely, whether the buyer of the...Read More