Bankruptcy Blogs

The money keeps rolling in for creditors of Howrey LLP, the Washington, D.C.-based law firm that went out of business in 2011.

In the latest settlement struck by Howrey trustee Allan Diamond, a group of former Howrey leaders and a law firm that initially advised the defunct firm on its bankruptcy have agreed to pay $1.85 million.

Borrowers who are being sued by lenders over the money owed on foreclosed mortgages are making novel use of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. They argue that they cannot be sued if they live in a state different from the one where the property is located.

On December 23, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an opinion on an issue of first impression, namely the scope of § 304(a)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, 15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77aaaa (the “TIA”), and its application to certificates issued by trusts under pooling and servicing agreements (“PSAs”).  See Ret. Bd. of Policemen’s Annuity & Benefit Fund v. Bank of N.Y. Mellon, Nos. 13-1776-cv, 13-1777-cv (2d Cir. Dec. 23, 2014).

Wall Street Journal

It's about to get harder for brokers to hide their dirty laundry from clients, according to the paper. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority will begin sharing with state insurance regulators a monthly list of securities brokers who have been banned or suspended from the industry. The move stems from concerns that regulatory gaps have allowed some brokers to continue peddling financial products to clients even after they have been nailed for misconduct. A...

On December 28, 2014, Egenix, Inc. filed for bankruptcy with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.  As of today’s date, the only document filed with the Court in this action is the petition itself.  According to the petition, Egenix has $500,000 to $1 million in estimated assets, and $1 million to $10 million in estimated debts.