Business Reorganization

Through the EB-5 immigrant investor program, a foreign national can invest at least $500,000 into a qualified project, and if that investment leads to the creation of at least 10 jobs in the U.S., the investor becomes eligible for permanent U.S. residency. The EB-5 Program has expanded dramatically over the last decade, typically with USCIS-qualified “regional centers” pooling investments to provide inexpensive liquidity to real estate developments and other businesses. This panel will discuss recent developments and issues involved in EB-5 restructurings and chapter 11s.

This panel of legal experts break down a number of significant issues that are currently dividing circuits across the country, including the effect of rejecting trademark licenses, the allowance of claims for “make-whole” premiums, third-party plan releases, the right to assume and assign intellectual property agreements, the calculation of lease-rejection damages under § 502(b)(6), and the standard for satisfying the impaired consenting class requirement under a joint plan. Do you know where your circuit stands on these key issues?

This panel is a great way to stay ahead of your peers and adversaries! The panelists present a cutting-edge review of the most important decisions of the day that could impact your practice.

This panel focuses on the most important adequate-protection issues, including current cash payments in the form of legal fees for “secured” creditors, how diminution in value claims for different types of assets are determined, how intercreditor agreements may limit junior secured creditors’ rights to demand and receive adequate protection, and the valuation of assets.

Featuring the Judges of the 2019 Annual Spring Meeting

Technology is being used with increasing frequency to enhance the practice of law in complex chapter 11 cases. This panel discusses the use of cutting-edge technology in chapter 11 cases, including technology to collect and present data, prepare preference analyses, e-discovery, e-balloting and technology in the courtroom. The panel also discusses some of the challenges caused by technology, and how to avoid “death by data.”

Mediating disputes is not new to bankruptcy litigation, but recent years have seen a trend toward pre-plan mediation of key issues in chapter 11 cases that pave the way for asset sales, plan confirmation and an efficient emergence from bankruptcy. Some examples of this include “bet the farm” litigation necessary to fund plan distributions, lien challenges/avoidance claims, claim objections, plan treatment, sale objections, third-party releases and insider claims, and structured dismissals. This panel discusses the role of UCCs, confidentiality of mediation discussions (especially important on case-dispositive issues if the matter is not resolved), impact of the changing composition of senior lenders from institutions to private-equity and hedge funds, and judicial acceptance and/or encouragement of mediation of key disputes, including the authority to order mediation.

Borrowers have been using relaxed credit agreement and bond covenants to “strip” assets from the collateral/asset pools that lenders think secure them. Neiman Marcus, J.Crew, PetSmart and BC Partners are recent examples. By focusing on these examples, this panel will discuss the covenant-lite structure of today, what the documents really say, who benefits and who gets hurt, and who influences the structure and outcome.

Hear from our accomplished panelists as they highlight recent business cases of significance to bankruptcy practitioners.