Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P.

Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P.
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued December 4, 2023 Decided June 27, 2024
Full case name	William K. Harrington, United States Trustee, Region 2 v. Purdue Pharma L.P., et al.
Docket no.	23-124
Citations	603 U.S. 204 (more)
Argument	Oral argument
Decision	Opinion
Case history
Prior	Bankruptcy Court's Confirmation Order and related Advance Order vacated, In re Purdue Pharma, 635 B.R. 26 (S.D.N.Y., 2021), order affirmed in part, reversed in part, In re Purdue Pharma LP, 69 F. 4th 45 (2nd Cir., May 30, 2023); cert. granted (Aug. 10, 2023)
Questions presented
Whether the Bankruptcy Code authorizes a court to approve, as part of a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, a release that extinguishes claims held by nondebtors against nondebtor third parties, without the claimants’ consent.
Holding
The bankruptcy code does not authorize a release and injunction that, as part of a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11, effectively seek to discharge claims against a nondebtor without the consent of affected claimants.
Court membership
Chief Justice John Roberts Associate Justices Clarence Thomas · Samuel Alito Sonia Sotomayor · Elena Kagan Neil Gorsuch · Brett Kavanaugh Amy Coney Barrett · Ketanji Brown Jackson
Case opinions
Majority	Gorsuch, joined by Thomas, Alito, Barrett, Jackson
Dissent	Kavanaugh, joined by Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan
Laws applied
Title 11 of the United States Code

Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., 603 U.S. 204 (2024), is a United States Supreme Court case regarding Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.^[1] The case addressed the 2022-2023 Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement and whether, under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, a release extinguishing claims held by nondebtors against nondebtor third parties, without the claimants’ consent could move forward. Following deliberations, the justices determined that the Bankruptcy Code did not authorize the claimant's order, blocking the bankruptcy plan.