Bankruptcy Avoidance Actions: Navigating the Evolving Standards

Pursuing and Defending Preference and Fraudulent Transfer Actions

Recording of a 90-minute CLE teleconference with Q&A


Conducted on Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Recorded event now available


This seminar will discuss the standards and best practices for prosecuting and defending bankruptcy avoidance actions and analyze the Bankruptcy Code's limitations on and safe harbors for avoidance actions.

Description

As corporate bankruptcies soar, avoidance actions are affecting numerous lenders and vendors. These actions create uncertainty in the current economic decline because creditors are wary of doing business with distressed companies for fear of losing money or collateral in an avoidance action.

For trustees, effective and efficient recovery of payments maximizes distribution to the class of creditors. For creditors, protecting their collateral or monies received from the debtor may be critical to the financial bottom line of the business.

The standards for bringing avoidance actions, defenses to avoidance actions and limitations and safe harbors are constantly evolving and case law is inconsistent among circuits. Thus, it is essential that bankruptcy attorneys understand all of the nuances of avoidance litigation.

Listen as our panel of bankruptcy attorneys discusses case law developments in the area of avoidance litigation and provides best practices for prosecuting and defending avoidance actions.

Outline

  1. Pursuing Avoidance Actions
    1. Chapter 5 actions
    2. Preferences; fraudulent transfers
    3. Liens on avoidance actions; releases
    4. Assignment of avoidance actions; standing
    5. State preference statutes
  2. Defending Avoidance Actions
    1. Defending preference actions
      1. Attacking plaintiff’s prima facie case
      2. Ordinary course of business
      3. New value
      4. Contemporaneous exchanges
      5. Other defenses
    2. Defending fraudulent transfer actions
  3. Limitations of Avoidance Powers
    1. Mechanics liens
    2. Reclamation
    3. Margin, settlement payments, securities contracts
    4. Repurchase agreements
    5. Swaps
    6. Master netting agreements

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key questions:

  • Under what circumstances may creditors bring avoidance actions?
  • How are assets of the estate valued in determining whether the debtor is insolvent at the time of a transfer?
  • What defenses do refinancing lenders have to avoidance actions and why timely perfection of the lien or security interest is critical?
  • Does the discharge of claims by one bankrupt estate distinguish claims against it by another bankrupt estate?

Faculty

Brian E. Greer, Counsel
Dechert, New York

He has substantial experience in complex out-of-court and in-court restructuring matters. His practice focuses on the representation of domestic and foreign debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, creditors' committees, equity sponsors, senior management, financial advisors, and purchasers, sellers, and lenders in distressed M&A transactions.

Steven M. Yoder, Partner
Potter Anderson & Corroon, Wilmington, Del.

He is in the firm's Bankruptcy and Corporate Restructuring practice and heads the firm's representations of debtors. His practice focuses primarily on bankruptcy, restructuring, workouts and commercial litigation. He is also experienced in representing official committees, secured lenders, asset purchasers, equity security holders and other unsecured creditors in large bankruptcy cases in Delaware.

Frederick B. Rosner, Partner
Messana Rosner & Stern, Wilmington, Del.

His practice focuses on debtor's and creditor's rights as well as secured transactions, commercial litigation and general corporate law. He represents chapter 11 debtors, creditors' committees, secured and unsecured creditors, insurance companies, debtor-in-possession lenders, intellectual property licensors and investors in workouts and bankruptcy cases.

Ordering

Online CLE - Audio Recording

Includes audio streaming of full program plus handouts (available 24 hours after live seminar).

CLE: Pre-approved for participatory or non-traditional/alternate format credit in: CA, HI*, NY*, WV*. Pre-approved for self-study credit in: AK, AZ, MO, MT, TX, VT, WA.
Upon request, also available in: CO, CT*, FL, GA, ID, KY, LA*, ME, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR*, SC, TN, UT, WI, WY. If you are applying for credit in one of these states, make sure to select those states when placing your order.
(*Indicates that Strafford must report attendance.)

Online CLE Audio $149.00
Available 24 hours after the live event

How does this work?


Recorded Event

Includes full event recording plus handouts (available after live seminar).

CLE: Pre-approved for self-study credit in: AK, AZ, CA, CT, HI, MO, MT, NY, TX, VT, WA, WV. Upon request, self-study credit is also available in: CO, FL, GA, ID, KY, ME, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR, UT, WI, WY. If you are applying for self-study credit in one of these states, contact Strafford CLE at 1-800-926-7926 ext. 35 or CLE@straffordpub.com.

MP3 Download (Audio Only) $49.00
Available 24 hours after the live event

How does this work?

CD $49.00 plus $9.45 S&H
Available ten business days after the live event

Program Materials

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Program Materials

Requires Adobe Reader 8 or later. Download Acrobat FREE.

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CLE Credit

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Customer Reviews

The program was very thorough, stayed on topic and was well organized.

Thad Wilson

King & Spalding LLP

The webinar was very informative on very pertinent matters and had a good flow.

Noam Wiener

Allen & Overy LLP

The program material was very well organized and thorough.

Laura Buckley

Higgs, Fletcher & Mack

The seminar was very insightful with a terrific grasp of the relevant case law and legal issues.

Gregory Fox

Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP

I liked the different speaker perspectives.

Gina Fama

Standard Chartered Bank

or call 1-800-926-7926

Bankruptcy Law Advisory Board

Mark N. Berman

Partner

Nixon Peabody

Theresa V. Brown-Edwards

Partner

Potter Anderson & Corroon

Michael Foreman

Of Counsel

Haynes & Boone

Matthew Gensburg

Shareholder

Greenberg Traurig

Brian E. Greer

Partner

Dechert

Douglas Lipke

Shareholder

Vedder Price

Victor Milione

Partner

Nixon Peabody

Michael Solow

Partner

Kaye Scholer

Robert A. Weber

Counsel

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom

or call 1-800-926-7926

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