Spencer Fane attorney Eric Van Horn recently spoke on a panel during the Commercial Law League of America (CLLA)’s 128th National Convention in Chicago — the organization’s first live, in-person event since 2019.
The presentation, “Out of the Pan and Into the Fire: Controversial Third-Party Releases and Mass Tort Chapter 11 Cases,” focused on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York’s recent Purdue Pharma plan confirmation appeal decision, which rejected certain nonconsensual, third-party releases in the matter. This also included a look at other recent cases that have attracted academic and political attention related to releasing non-debtors from liabilities without their having to file bankruptcy despite creditor objects.
The CLLA is a not-for-profit association of creditors’ rights attorneys, bankruptcy attorneys, commercial collection agencies, and legal network personnel providing networking, legal, educational, and professional services to the business and credit communities. Candice L. Kline, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr; and Hon. Judith Fitzgerald (Ret.), Tucker Arensberg, PC joined Eric on the panel. To watch video of the discussion, please click here.
At Spencer Fane, Eric’s practice focuses on assisting clients nationwide in all aspects of bankruptcy, reorganizations, negotiations, collection actions, multijurisdictional insolvencies, and corporate liquidations. His work in complex Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases has involved representing committees of unsecured creditors and investors, debtors, trustees, secured lenders, landlords, and general unsecured creditors (including critical vendors and suppliers). He also defends clients against bankruptcy preference and fraudulent transfer (clawback) lawsuits, and assists clients in bidding on and acquiring assets out of bankruptcy cases.