Executory Contracts/Leases

Hear Judge Harner interview the leading bankruptcy scholar on executory contracts, Prof. Jay Westbrook, as he explains and “demystifies” them.

This session will highlight particularly interesting case law developments to date in 2017 and their impact on bankruptcy law and practice.

This is not Contracts 101, but rather a panel discussion of the critical aspects of drafting contract that attorneys often forget. The panel shall discuss rules of contract construction including the last antecedent rule and its grammatical corollary, judicially adopted rules of interpretation. The panel will discuss how to avoid redundancies and ambiguities (including undefined terms) that create uncertainty and lead to costly and avoidable disputes. The program will discuss nuanced concepts which lead to more effective contracts.

a. terminations (convenience/default) b. effect of FAR bankruptcy clause c. subprime/prime issues: rights of the subcontractor when the prime contractor files d. novation e. assignment of government contracts receivables f. effect of Assignment of Claims Act/UCC Speakers: Lawrence P. Block Stinson Leonard Street LLP; Washington, D.C. Hilary S. Cairnie BakerHostetler; Washington, D.C. Lawrence Sher Reed Smith LLP; Washington, D.C. Holly E. Svetz Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP; Tysons Corner, Va. Janet M. Nesse Stinson Leonard Street LLP; Washington, D.C. Christopher J. Giaimo BakerHostetler; Washington, D.C. Prof. Sally M. Henry Texas Tech University School of Law; Lubbock, Texas Hon. Thomas J. Catliota U.S. Bankruptcy Court (D. Md.); Greenbelt

a. the automatic stay and relief from the stay b. discrimination against the debtor, and how that affects termination c. setoff/recoupment d. buying assets in bankruptcy e. executory contracts issues f. claims by government agencies g. adversary proceedings and other litigation with the government h. employee claims i. interactions with the DOL, DOJ, etc. Speakers: Lawrence P. Block Stinson Leonard Street LLP; Washington, D.C. Hilary S. Cairnie BakerHostetler; Washington, D.C. Lawrence Sher Reed Smith LLP; Washington, D.C. Holly E. Svetz Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP; Tysons Corner, Va. Janet M. Nesse Stinson Leonard Street LLP; Washington, D.C. Christopher J. Giaimo BakerHostetler; Washington, D.C. Prof. Sally M. Henry Texas Tech University School of Law; Lubbock, Texas Hon. Thomas J. Catliota U.S. Bankruptcy Court (D. Md.); Greenbelt

Find out the latest happenings in all of the Southern Districts. What can impact your practice? What should?

Two litigants will argue before a judge panel whether an intellectual property license is executory and assignable. And if it is not assignable, and for business reasons the debtor decides to reject the license agreement, what amounts to rejection of that license agreement and what rights, if any, the licensee has if a rejection occurs.