Judge Blesses Chrysler Deal; Bankruptcy Could End Today

(NEWSER) - The battle to restructure Chrysler is about to go public, and could get messy, Michael de la Merced writes for the New York Times. After failing to get all the automaker’s debt-holders in line, the government prepared a “prepackaged bankruptcy,” a Chapter 11 filing with a reorganization plan that has most of Chrysler’s creditors behind it. But dissenting creditors will be fighting hard for a bigger piece of the pie. More»

Administration triumphs as bankruptcy effectively ends

(NEWSER) - Chrysler finalized its sale of assets to Fiat with a government wire transfer this morning that gave Chrysler $6.6 billion in funds to exit bankruptcy, the New York Times reports. The sale is good news for the Obama administration, which sought an “efficient” restructuring for Chrysler. It may also provide a glimpse into the future of General Motors, also navigating bankruptcy. More»

(NEWSER) - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg today put a temporary stay on the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat, SCOTUSBlog reports. Ginsburg’s motion allows the justices to further consider the matter, and either postpone the sale or let it go forward. A full postponement of the sale would require five judges to agree. Ginsburg’s decision said the sale was “stayed pending further order.” More»

(NEWSER) - A federal appeals court today approved the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat over objections from debt holders in Indiana, the Wall Street Journal reports. The court put the sale on hold until Monday afternoon, or until the Supreme Court issues a stay—which Indiana investors say they will need to file their appeal. “We need to get the Supreme Court to give us more time,” a lawyer for the group said. More»

State treasurer argues that deal tramples on bankruptcy law, Constitution

(NEWSER) - Indiana's attempt to block Chrysler's sale to Fiat moves to a federal appeals court today, the Washington Post reports. The state's treasurer, who oversees three state pension and construction funds that hold $42 million of Chrysler's debt, is arguing that the deal to bring the company out of bankruptcy violates bankruptcy law by favoring junior, unsecured creditors over senior ones. More»