Executory Contracts/Leases

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

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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.

Cross-border financings almost always lie at the heart of cross-border insolvency cases, and holding an enforceable lien usually spells the difference between recovery and loss in such cases. This panel will focus on creating, perfecting and enforcing liens on assets held by Caribbean borrowers, as well as on the 2010 amendments to Article 9 of the U.S. Uniform Commercial Code that became effective in July. Topics will include UNCITRAL’s legislative guide on secured transactions, the Organization of American States’ Model Inter-American Law on Secured Transactions, competing forums for resolving disputes over liens on Caribbean assets, Article 9’s choice-of-law rules, and financing concepts peculiar to common law countries in the Caribbean (e.g., the distinction between fixed and floating charges and crystallization).

This first session of a new “skills” seminar series will examine documents that are often used to restructure debt outside of bankruptcy. Learn the purpose and legal underpinnings of the various component parts of frequently used workout documents such as forbearance agreements, intercreditor agreements and restructuring/override agreements. The panel will focus on real-world examples of good and bad provisions of workout documents and will provide drafting tips.