Big-Name Bankruptcies Flock to Two-Judge Court in Virginia

A two-judge court in Richmond, Va., increasingly is becoming a venue of choice for large companies seeking bankruptcy protection.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has developed a reputation among corporate restructuring practitioners as a debtor-friendly venue that issues consistent rulings while running efficient operations.

So far in 2020, 9% of large, publicly traded company bankruptcies have been filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, according to the UCLA-LoPucki Bankruptcy Research Database. That’s more than double the district’s share of major cases during the previous five years.

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