On October 7, 2016, Reed Smith assisted the International Energy Credit Association (“IECA”) in preparing an enforceability opinion for the release its Master Netting Agreement (the “MNA”) under both English and U.S. law.1 The MNA is billed as a state-of-the-art solution designed to manage the termination, close-out, and netting of both physical and financial transactions, including in the … Continue Reading
A pair of recent decisions adds more fuel to the debate over forum shopping by debtors. This time the issue involves application of the Bankruptcy Code’s safe-harbor provision in section 546(e). Conflicting interpretations by the courts in several circuits are undermining the certainty that was intended to protect financial markets and creating jurisprudence that varies … Continue Reading
In a September 18, 2015 order, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York affirmed a bankruptcy court order denying administrative claim treatment to Hudson Energy Services, LLC (“Hudson”) for its retail sales of electricity to the debtor.1 The decision does not address any “safe-harbor” or forward contract issues, but is among … Continue Reading
In a recent decision related to the SemCrude bankruptcy, the federal district court upheld the Bankruptcy Court’s rulings on the efficacy of certain common risk-mitigation tools used in the energy trading and marketing business – namely product payment netting and cross-product setoff upon liquidation and closeout. The decision comes amid long-running challenges from producers who … Continue Reading
In Krol v. Key Bank National Association, et al. (In re MCK Millennium Centre Parking, LLC), Adv. No.14-00392 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 24, 2015), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois (the “Court”) issued a decision of particular importance to lenders and securitization servicers facing complications from the bankruptcy of a borrower involved in a … Continue Reading
In the latest EIA STEO Report (April 2015), the DOE projects oil prices for WTI to remain around or below $60 per barrel for the balance of 2015 and grow to $70 per barrel in 2016. In this environment of excess supplies and relatively low prices, many believe in the likelihood of an increase in … Continue Reading
