The American Bankruptcy Institute‘s Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 issued its report last week, capping more than two years of hearings, meetings, and hard work. Having had the honor of testifying before the Commission on intellectual property and bankruptcy issues at one of its hearings in New York in June 2013
Chapter 11
Amendments To The Federal Rules Of Bankruptcy Procedure, Including One Shortening The Time For Serving A Summons, Take Effect December 1, 2014
Almost every year, changes are made to the set of rules that govern how bankruptcy cases are managed — the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. The changes address issues identified by an Advisory Committee made up of federal judges, bankruptcy attorneys, and others.
Rule Amendments. This year the rule amendments, which go into effect…
The Trend Of Protecting Trademark Licensees In Bankruptcy Continues: For The First Time A Court Extends Section 365(n) Protections To Trademark Licensees On Equitable Grounds
If you doubted it before, you can stop now. The trend of courts finding ways to protect trademark licensees from the harsh effects of losing their trademark license rights in bankruptcy is in full swing.
The latest example comes in the Crumbs Bake Shop, Inc. Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in New Jersey. On October 31,…
A Closer Look At Recent Trends At The Intersection Of Intellectual Property And Bankruptcy Law
I had the honor of being a panelist at the American Bankruptcy Institute‘s 22nd Annual Southwest Bankruptcy Conference last Friday, speaking on current developments in business bankruptcy. My part of the discussion focused on recent intellectual property and bankruptcy law trends. Among the topics I covered were:
- the direction U.S. Courts of Appeals have
…
Cooley GO: A Great New Resource For Entrepreneurs And Their Companies
Cooley GO
Earlier this month, Cooley LLP launched Cooley GO, a terrific new resource center for entrepreneurs with businesses at all stages of the growth cycle. Cooley GO is a mobile-friendly microsite that provides a wide range of free legal and business content covering formation, financing, building a team, working with directors and advisors,…
Why Creditors Can’t Afford To Ignore Objections To Bankruptcy Claims
It’s been several years since I last posted about objections to bankruptcy claims, and the topic is so important to creditors that it’s time to revisit it.
File And Forget? When a customer or other party with which you do business files bankruptcy, it’s important to file a proof of claim on time by the…
A New Way Of Looking At Termination On Bankruptcy Contract Clauses
Ken Adams, Professor Adrian Walters, and I recently collaborated on an article about the ubiquitous “termination on bankruptcy” or ipso facto clauses in contracts. The article was just published by the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section in its online publication, Business Law Today. It’s titled “Termination-On-Bankruptcy…
Patent Reform Bill, And Its Revisions To Bankruptcy Code Section 365(n), Stalls In The Senate
Image courtesy of Matt H. Wade
In December 2013 I wrote about the Innovation Act, H.R. 3309, a bill focused on patent infringement litigation and other patent law reforms that passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis. My interest in the bill was because it would make the most sweeping changes to…
What The U.S. Supreme Court’s Unamimous Decision In A Homestead Exemption Case Says About The Power Of Bankruptcy Courts In Business Cases
It seems that most bankruptcy decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court involve individual debtors, and the Supreme Court’s latest opinion is no exception. Even though the decision is not in a business bankruptcy case, it examines the bankruptcy court’s powers under Section 105(a) of the Bankruptcy Code. Section 105(a) is commonly invoked in business…
Winter 2014 Edition Of Bankruptcy Resource Now Available
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year everyone.
To start the new year off, the Winter 2014 edition of the Absolute Priority newsletter, published by the Bankruptcy & Restructuring group at Cooley LLP, of which I am a member, has been released. The newsletter gives updates on current developments and trends in…