First Day Orders in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Cases

When a Chapter 11 business bankruptcy is filed, as a general rule the debtor company cannot pay prebankruptcy debts until a plan or reorganization is approved many months letter. However, in certain circumstances the inability to pay certain prepetition debts can put the company out of business. For example, if a bankruptcy is filed on a Thursday and the next day payroll is to be paid for the prior 2 weeks, the company must be able to pay that or will lose many employees. Or a company might be dependent on the services of a vendor such as a vendor that provides packaging for items sold by debtor. To avoid impacting the debtor the rules provide the opportunity to file a motion to be heard almost immediately on the first day the bankruptcy is filed. The rules such as New Jersey local bankruptcy rule 9018 require immediate notice by telephone and email to creditors to have an opportunity to respond or object. While the creditors have limited time to respond these orders are necessary if a reorganization is to be successful