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Wisdom and Wit About the World of Bankruptcy & Insolvency

Security Interests in Intellectual Property and Related Issues in Bankruptcy

Intellectual property (“IP”) can act as collateral to be pledged to secure an extension of credit.  For example, a company that borrows money from a bank can pledge its patents as collateral for the loan.  The bank (referred to as the “secured creditor”) in this case will of course...
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Report from the BHBA’s Review of the Three Bankruptcy-Related Supreme Court Decisions

The Beverly Hills Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Section recently held a program discussing the three recent bankruptcy-related Supreme Court decisions:  Law v. Siege l ,  Executive Benefits Insurance Agency v. Arkison (In re Bellingham)  (redux of  Stern v. Marshall ), and  Clark v. Rameker  (regarding inherited IRAs and exemptions).  The program was...
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When One Solution Is Better Than Two

Over the years, clients have sought my advice after they have obtained a judgment against a limited liability company or a corporation and after they have tried, without success, to collect on that judgment.  All of the typical judgment enforcement methods have already failed.  Because judgment debtors generally do...
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Why Aren’t There More Chapter 9 Bankruptcies?

After the housing market collapse, many cities and towns fell on hard times and have yet to recover.  In quite a few communities, housing prices remain low, municipal debt levels are unsustainable, and attempts to raise revenue have been rejected by voters—who are often cash-strapped themselves.  Bankruptcy offers breathing...
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Traps for the Unwary – Transfers of Personal Property Without Delivery

Imagine . . . You’ve just completed a purchase of a friendly competitor’s overstocked inventory from the current season.  She gave you a good price and will let you leave the goods at her warehouse for 30 days, just in time to pick them up for your end of season...
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Intellectual Property Licenses in Bankruptcy

What is IP in the Bankruptcy World? In bankruptcy, intellectual property (IP) licenses are considered property of the bankruptcy estate, and a bankrupt party can do a variety of things with these licenses.  It is important for holders of IP licenses to know what the possibilities are.  But first...
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A New Year Brings New Challenges

A new year always brings new and unexpected challenges.  Turnaround professionals make careers out of expecting the unexpected and helping their clients turn challenges into opportunities. We asked several turnaround professionals to let us know, in a few words, what they see coming in 2014, and here are their...
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What’s Up for Restructuring Professionals in 2014?

Filings are Down Commercial bankruptcy filings were down by 28% in 2013 over the prior period in 2012, and overall bankruptcy filings dropped 15%, putting the country on the lowest level of petitions since 2007 according to figures released by the American Bankruptcy Institute.  The data, compiled by Epiq Systems...
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The Girls Gone Wild Chronicles — Episode 1

Joe Francis built his Girls Gone Wild (GGW) empire (and the ego of an emperor) filming intoxicated college girls in various states of undress, putting that footage on VHS (and later DVDs and branded websites), and selling them to eager consumers across the globe.  If you were alive and...
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To Stalk Or Not To Stalk? — That is the Question in a 363 Sale

The biggest trend in Chapter 11 bankruptcies over the past 10 years is to sell assets through a “Section 363 sale,” named for Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, which describes the standards for sales in bankruptcy court.   Previously, in most Chapter 11 cases, the debtor would propose a...
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