On August 4, 2016, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court considered cross-motions for summary judgment in a preference action case styled as Pirinate Consulting Group, LLC v. Maryland Department of the Environment (In re NewPage Corp.), Adv. Pro. No. 13-52206 (KG). This gem of an opinion is noteworthy in that it analyzes various defenses raised by
contemporaneous exchange
Minimizing Preference Exposure (Part II) – Contemporaneous Exchanges
By Fox Rothschild LLP on
Posted in Preference Litigation
In this prior post, a discussion was provided in connection with requiring a company to prepay for its goods or services in order to limit potential preferential exposure. If a company heading into bankruptcy cannot prepay for its goods or services, however, another measure which can be taken by vendors to minimize their preferential…
Preference Payments: Brief Analysis of Preference Actions and Common Defenses
By Fox Rothschild LLP on
Posted in Preference Litigation
It’s your worst nightmare: you provided goods and services to a financially struggling company, only to find out that it filed for bankruptcy, leaving your company with a large unpaid balance. Worst yet, after the debtor filed for bankruptcy, you receive a demand letter in the mail threatening a lawsuit if you do not return…
Mortgage Lenders Network Files Preference Actions
By Fox Rothschild LLP on
Posted in Preference Litigation
Introduction
In January, Mortgage Lenders Network commenced over 65 adversary actions against various defendants, seeking the avoidance and recovery of preferential transfers (read one of the preference complaints here). As reflected in its complaints, Mortgage Lenders filed a chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court on February 5, 2007. During the ten years prior to its bankruptcy, Mortgage Lenders grew from a small mortgage company with seven employees, to a residential mortgage provider serving 47 states with over 1,700 employees.
Given the commencement of Mortgage Lenders’ preference program, this post provides a brief summary of the elements and common defenses to preference claims.
Elements to a Preference Claim
In order to establish that a party received a preferential transfer, the plaintiff must prove that payments were received by a creditor on account of an “antecedent debt.” Further, the preferential payments must be made (i.) while the debtor was “insolvent”, (ii.) made within 90 days before the debtor filed for bankruptcy, and (iii.) the payments provide the creditor with more payments than it would receive if the debtor had liquidated under a chapter 7 liquidation.
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