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US Supreme Court bars non-consensual third-party releases in Chapter 11, strengthening claimant bargaining power and imperilling mass tort plan confirmations

Published on: 01 July 2024

Published by a Law360 reporter
Legal News
Article summary

Concluding that the Bankruptcy Code bars non-consensual releases of third-party claims against non-debtors, the high court has stripped debtors of the means to compel settlements on objecting creditors where claims against non-debtors are involved. This refinement of the Chapter 11 rules introduces fresh obstacles for debtors in plan settlement discussions. For matters yet to be filed, or those not at the confirmation stage, the pursuit of ‘global peace’ has become more difficult.

Jim Morgan of Howard & Howard LLP told Law360 that his first impression is that the ruling delivers significantly greater economic clout to claimants and creditors, and he believes its impact will extend beyond mass tort liabilities. The most pronounced effect, Morgan noted, is that claimants will enjoy enhanced leverage in Chapter 11 plan negotiations, since without their agreement any deal will fall short of the comprehensive resolution that non-debtor owners — including members of the Sackler family who own Purdue — had sought by placing the company into bankruptcy. He added that he is not certain the decision will completely overturn the mass tort bankruptcy system...

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