The Delaware Bankruptcy Court on September 25 issued a ruling in Smallhold that a creditor cannot be presumed to consent to a third-party release in a bankruptcy plan without clear, affirmative consent. This decision rules on...more
For decades, bankruptcy courts have extended the automatic stay through preliminary injunctions halting litigation against a debtor’s nondebtor codefendants. Such relief was relatively routine when the codefendants were the...more
The US Supreme Court has recently issued a pivotal decision that has significant implications across various sectors, including legal, corporate, and public health. The decision settles a significant legal dispute that has...more
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. – holding that the Bankruptcy Code does not authorize the release of third-party claims against non-debtors in a reorganization plan without the...more
Le 27 juin 2024, la Cour suprême des États-Unis a publié une décision très attendue qu’elle a rendue dans l’affaire William K. Harrington, United States Trustee, Region 2, Petitioner v. Purdue Pharma L.P. et al. (l’« affaire...more
On June 27, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States released its highly anticipated decision in William K. Harrington, United States Trustee, Region 2, Petitioner v. Purdue Pharma L.P. et al. (Purdue). At issue was...more
In Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. et al., the U.S. Supreme Court held that nonconsensual releases of third-party claims against nondebtors are not authorized under the Bankruptcy Code, resolving a longstanding circuit...more
On June 27, 2024, in one of its most high-profile bankruptcy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., et al., No. 23-124, holding that the U.S. Bankruptcy Code does not authorize releases...more
In a landmark decision that will significantly impact future reorganization plans, the Supreme Court categorically held in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., that bankruptcy courts lack the authority to approve nonconsensual...more
On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a 5-4 decision rejecting the nonconsensual releases of the Sackler family in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case. The split is an interesting alignment of Justices: Gorsuch writing...more
In a landmark 5-4 decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma that will significantly reshape corporate bankruptcy practice, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved a circuit split regarding the authority of a bankruptcy court to approve...more
On June 27, 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its long-awaited opinion in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., holding that the Bankruptcy Code does not permit nonconsensual releases of nondebtors. As a...more
As the calendar turns to autumn, the United States Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”) is commencing its new term and preparing to address a monumental issue that will impact chapter 11 law and the mass tort system: the permissibility...more
In March 2022, we discussed the decision by the Southern District of New York (the “District Court”) overturning the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York’s (the “Bankruptcy Court”) confirmation of...more
Nonconsensual nondebtor releases have been a key reason businesses facing mass tort claims have filed for bankruptcy. They hope chapter 11 will result in a faster, less expensive resolution of mass tort claims than class...more