By Joseph A. Shifer1
An increasingly common feature of the chapter 11 landscape is
the use of a post-bankruptcy trust to deliver value to creditors.
Trusts offer an efficient vehicle to provide a recovery to
creditors if the value to be distributed is not immediately
accessible upon the effectiveness of a plan and will instead be
monetized over time.
In those cases, leaving the debtor in control of distributions
to creditors is impossible because the monetization process
requires oversight by a fiduciary other than the debtor. Delegating
the monetization of illiquid assets to a trust acting for the
benefit of creditors ensures that a fiduciary will act in the best
interests of the creditors and permits the bankruptcy case to be
closed or, even if formally kept open, to be run more efficiently
as a result of a decrease in the number of estate professionals,
reduced reporting requirements and potential cessation of payment
of U.S. Trustee fees.