As Europe prepared to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and navigate the resultant uncertain economic environment, Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, plunging the continent into disarray once again. The unprecedented pandemic followed on the heels of Brexit, which itself will have lasting...
The distressed market arguably always has a relatively small share of global capital markets. (Canada’s last recession, for instance, was in 2008-2009.) But in this recent environment characterized by strong M&A activity and easy access to debt and equity capital over the past five years or so...
When investing in distressed or “storied” situations, today’s lenders must double down on the energy and thoughtfulness of their approach to succeed in an environment characterized by unprecedented uncertainty and volatility. Because the road to recovery for the situation will likely be impacted by...
U.S. District Court Judge Laura Swain on January 18, 2022, approved a landmark plan to restructure Puerto Rico’s debt, allowing the U.S. territory to exit bankruptcy after five years. Judge Swain’s pen stroke approving the island’s plan of adjustment (POA) was a historic moment in Puerto Rico’s...
The ongoing restructuring of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is one of the largest ever in the electrical power generation industry within the jurisdiction of the United States. The goal is to transform the utility from a bankrupt, mismanaged public corporation into a privately...
The bankruptcy of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its instrumentalities is unprecedented in legal complexity and scale, with more than $120 billion of municipal liabilities subject to restructuring. To organize and facilitate this task, on June 30, 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law...
On January 18, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico entered an order under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, 48 U.S.C. §2101 et seq. (PROMESA), confirming a plan of adjustment for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and certain of its...
The Title III case of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has been much discussed in restructuring circles since the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) of Puerto Rico commenced the case approximately five years ago, on May 3, 2017. While many mainland discussions have centered on the...
A 10-figure bankruptcy demands innovative approaches to case management and court administration, especially where large numbers of adversary proceedings are expected. One trend in recent cases—pre-discovery mediation—is proving successful in that regard, although it does have potential pitfalls of...
For decades, mediation in bankruptcy has been a preferred method for resolving disputes involving distressed entities, and the enactment of the Small Business Reorganization Acct (SBRA), which became effective on February 19, 2020, practically ensured that this trend would continue. Since the 1980s...
