Most oil and gas-producing states have oil and gas mineral lien statutes (similar to what many lawyers know as mechanic’s and materialman’s lien statutes) that grant automatically arising liens in favor of vendors that provide services in connection with oil and gas well operations.

In business reorganizations under chapter 11, third-party releases are important tools that often facilitate consensual plans of reorganization, greater recovery for creditors, and an expedited resolution of bankruptcy cases, particularly where a debtor faces mass tort claims.

It is no secret that the IRS and other taxing authorities do well in bankruptcy, often at the frustration of both debtors and general unsecured creditors. For debtors, tax claims frequently are nondischargeable. For general unsecured creditors, IRS claims are entitled to higher priority.

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued an important opinion addressing the question of when goods are “received” for purposes of § 503(b)(9) of the Bankruptcy Code in In re World Imports Ltd.[1] Reversing two lower courts, the appellate court held that in determining whether a seller is entitled to an administrativ