No CLE

Recent decades have seen substantial expansion in exemptions from the Bankruptcy Code’s provisions with respect to repurchase agreements, or “repos.” These agreements, which are equivalent to very-short-term (often one-day) secured loans, are exempt from such core bankruptcy provisions as the automatic stay, the avoidability of fraudulent transfers and the avoidability of preferences. Recent scholarship has questioned whether these exemptions are justified for mortgage-backed securities and other securities that could prove illiquid or unable to realize their long-term value in the event of the kind of panic experienced during the financial crisis of 2007-09. This panel will explore the arguments for and against revising the Bankruptcy Code’s existing treatment of these agreements.

The Final Report of the Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 is the culmination of more than two years of testimony, advisory reports and deliberations. This panel will present key finds as submitted to Congress and includes several members of the Commission and the official reporter.

News from Radio Shack. Effect of the ABI Commission recommendations on retail cases. Sales free and clear of leaseholds: The conflict between §§ 363(f) and 365(h); In re Revel Casino.

The statement of intent and its value to the bankruptcy process will be the focus of this panel’s discussion, along with an updated look at the so-called fourth option: the debtor’s ride-through.

Even though the Commission recommended no curtailing of credit-bidding rights, challenges continue. More on GM: Can an order really be free and clear of successor liability, and what is successor liability, anyway?

The determination of the amount of a secured creditor’s claim and related issues often have a significant impact on both junior creditor recoveries and the likelihood of a successful reorganization. Such cases as Gencarelli, School Specialty, Momentive Performance Materials and MPM Silicones regarding “make whole” or “yield maintenance” provisions, as well as cases like SW Boston relating to the calculation of oversecured or undersecured status, have led to further uncertainty in this area. These provisions are under increasing attack as debtors attempt to refinance high-yield debt in today’s lower-interest-rate environment. Finally, the recent decisions in Fisker Automotive Holdings, Free Lance-Star Publishing and RML Development have raised uncertainty in the area of credit-bidding.