05/29/2012 -
Law360 Guest Article: The Art Of Acquiring Distressed Natural Gas Assets
Technological innovation has changed the landscape of domestic natural gas production from shortage to surplus. The result: a glut of natural gas and historically low prices.
05/16/2012 -
Acquiring Distressed Natural Gas Assets Outside of Bankruptcy: Good Deals Today May Be Fraudulent Transfers Tomorrow
Before seizing upon a deal that appears too good to be true, buyers should consider that the transaction may be challenged years later as a fraudulent transfer, leaving the bargain buyer without the assets and nothing but an unsecured claim against an insolvent seller.
02/22/2012 -
Texas Lawyer Guest Article: A Guide to Navigating Mexican Insolvency for U.S. Creditors
Commerce between the United States and Mexico has gone on for centuries, write Charles A. Beckham Jr. and Dr. Luis Manuel C. Méjan. What has changed is the scale of the volume of goods and services exchanged across the border and the laws applicable to that mercantile trade.
11/15/2010 -
Weathering the Storm: Buyer Beware, Fifth Circuit Rules Purchasers of Reorganized Debtors Liable for Undervalued Claim
In an October 19, 2010 opinion arising out of the Scotia Pacific bankruptcy cases, the Fifth Circuit ruled that reorganized Scotia and its affiliate Pacific Lumber Company were obliged – nearly 2½ years after Scotia’s reorganization plan was consummated – to pay Scotia’s former secured lenders approximately $30 million on account of a mistake made by the bankruptcy judge in calculating the amount owed to the secured lenders for the use of their collateral during the bankruptcy cases.
10/19/2010 -
Weathering the Storm: Delaware Bankruptcy Court Rules Bid Procedures in Section 363 Sale Were Unfair and Unreasonable
On September 30, 2010, in
In re American Safety Razor, LLC, et al., Case No. 10-12351 (MFW), the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware ruled that the debtors’ proposed bid procedures for the sale of the business were unfair and unreasonable. The bid procedures, among other things, provided too much discretion to the debtors in the auction process.
12/11/2009 -
Weathering the Storm: Charter Communications Decision Allows Reinstatement of Debt
Many companies secured their financing several years ago when the credit market featured advantageous pricing and loose loan covenants. Because these favorable terms would be impossible for borrowers to obtain in today’s lending environment, many viable companies with highly leveraged capital structures are looking for strategies to restructure debt. Charter Communications (“Charter”), the country’s fourth largest cable television company, took a gamble during, arguably, the most challenging period in the modern era of global corporate finance. See how the company's bold moves paid off.
09/11/2009 -
Derivative Exposure and Counterparty Insolvency: Lessons Learned in the Current Market
Almost all large (and many small) companies in today’s economy use derivatives in one way or another to hedge against future risk. Hedging allows a business to limit potential exposure to market fluctuation upfront (for a price) and instead focus on its strengths and core competencies.