Seeking relief under the Bankruptcy Code is a common method of restructuring a business pushed into insolvency by tort claims. Under current law, filing a petition under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code allows a business to stay all litigation against it and propose a plan of reorganization that channels tort claims to a settlement trust for valuation and payment.

The approval of third-party releases in connection with the confirmation of a debtor’s chapter 11 plan before a bankruptcy court has become increasingly controversial and the subject of several recent district court decisions.

The term “mootness” refers to a category of related precepts that preclude a reviewing court from reaching the underlying merits of a controversy. While questions dog this doctrine’s constitutional and prudential forms outside of the Bankruptcy Code’s ambit, few doubt either’s general validity. However, within bankruptcy’s periphery, more substantive questions abound.

There are so many involved details and items turnaround professionals have to deal with when they are brought in to help reorganize a company. It is very tempting to fall into a false sense of security when you can just check off the “got it” box without delving into a detailed analysis of complicated issues.