The U.S. Supreme Court offered some good news to secured lenders last week, tempered with words of caution. In Chicago v. Fulton, the Court held that a secured creditor does not violate Section 362(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code by merely continuing to hold property of its debtor after that debtor files a bankruptcy petition.
U.S. Supreme Court
Recent United States Supreme Court Decision Tackles Question of What Happens When Bankruptcy Meets Intellectual Property
A recent United States Supreme Court decision handed down in May addressed what occurred when contract, bankruptcy, and intellectual property laws intersected.[1] In Mission Products Holdings, Inc. v. Tempnology, LLC nka Old Cold, LLC, the Supreme Court was presented with the question of whether a debtor’s rejection of an executory contract rescinded…
U.S. Supreme Court Holds Transportation Workers Exempt from Arbitration
Generally, a contract is the law between parties, which has long been the position of the U.S. Supreme Court. However, as most well know, this principle is not without limitation. On January 15, 2019, in New Prime v. Oliveira, the Court unanimously held that disputes concerning contracts of employment involving transportation workers engaged in…
Out with Davis & Sons and in with Doiron: The 5th Circuit Simplifies Maritime Contract Test
For nearly 30 years, district courts within the US 5th Circuit have evaluated whether maritime or state law applies to oil and gas service contracts using the 6-factor test from Davis & Sons, Inc. v. Gulf Oil Corp., 919 F.2d 313 (5th Cir. 1990). The Davis factors focused mainly on the nature of the…
South Louisiana Flood Protection Authority Files Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the United States Supreme Court
Consistent with public comments that it will pursue all available appellate remedies, today the South Louisiana Flood Protection Authority filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court, to seek review of the decision in Board of Comm. of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company…
Decedents Who Are Neither Jones Act Seaman Nor Covered By The LHWCA Are “Nonseafarers”
In the recent case of In re Marquette Transp., No. 13-5114, 2016 WL 1695109 (E.D. La. 4/26/16), Judge Sarah Vance offered the latest comment on how a “seafarer” is defined by the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. v. Calhoun, 516 U.S. 199 (1996).
In re Marquette arose out of…
U. S. Supreme Court Orders State Licensing Board to Cease and Desist Antitrust Activity
On February 25, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an opinion against the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners (the “NC Board”) finding that the NC Board had violated federal antitrust law by issuing cease and desist letters to non-dental licensed persons who performed teeth whitening services. The case involved an administrative…