Supreme Court Case Updates

On June 24, the U.S. House of Representatives passed S.J. Res. 15 by a vote of 218-208 to repeal the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) “True Lender” rule under the Congressional Review Act (CRA).  The OCC published the rule last year to establish a “simple, bright-line test” to determine when a national bank or federal savings association is the true lender. Under the rule, a bank is the true lender and makes a loan if, as of the date of origination, it (i) is named as the lender in the loan agreement or (ii) funds the loan.  Further, the final rule amended the initial proposed rule and added that if, as of the date of origination, one bank is named as the lender in the loan agreement and another bank funds that loan, the bank that is named as the lender in the loan agreement is deemed to have made the loan.  The U.S. Senate passed S.J. Res. 15 last month by vote of 52-47 to invoke the CRA and provide for congressional disapproval and invalidation of the final rule. The repeal now heads to President Biden who is expected to sign it.
Continue Reading House Votes to Repeal OCC True Lender Rule

The United States Supreme Court ruled yesterday in Collins v. Yellin that a restriction on the President’s power to remove the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency at will is unconstitutional as a violation of the separation of powers doctrine. This decision did not come as a surprise, as the Court had ruled in Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that a similar restriction on the President’s power to remove the director of the CFPB at will was unconstitutional.
Continue Reading Supreme Court Rules That Director Of Federal Housing Finance Agency Is Removable At Will; Calabria Fired

This post originally appeared as an article in the July/August 2020 issue of the Journal of Corporate Renewal (JCR), the official publication of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA).

The ability of companies to continue as going concerns has become more challenging than ever. As companies pivot and move forward with product production
and sales, they must consider not only their financial viability but the financial viability of their customers, suppliers, and licensors.
Continue Reading Protecting Exclusive Distribution Rights for Patented Products and Other Licensed IP

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision on July 9, 2020 held that the State of Oklahoma lacked jurisdiction to prosecute an enrolled member of the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma because the crimes he was accused of committing occurred within the Muscogee (Creek) Reservation.
Continue Reading U.S. Supreme Court finds Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Reservation Remains Intact For Purposes of Criminal Jurisdiction

In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court held that bankruptcy courts have the authority to adjudicate Stern claims so long as the litigant parties provide “knowing and voluntary consent.”  This decision in Wellness International Network, et. al. v. Richard Sharif  provides much needed guidance as to the breadth and applicability of the Supreme Court’s 2011 decision in Stern v. Marshall.  
Continue Reading Supreme Court Holds that Bankruptcy Courts can Adjudicate Stern Claims

By Michael M. Lauter 

On May 29, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 that a debtor could not confirm a plan over a secured creditor’s objection if the plan provided for the sale of the secured creditor’s collateral free and clear of liens, but did not provide the secured creditor with the option of credit-bidding at the sale. RadLAX Gateway Hotel, LLC v. Amalgamated Bank, No. 11-166, 2012 U.S. LEXIS 3944 (U.S. May 29, 2012). Such a plan, the Supreme Court held, does not meet the statutory requirements for “fair and equitable” treatment of an objecting secured class in 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b)(2)(A).Continue Reading Canonized Credit-Bidding: The Supreme Court Unanimously Affirms Secured Creditor’s Right to Credit-Bid at Free and Clear Sale in Plan