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Bankruptcy Litigation

Preference Demand Letter

Drafting preference demand letters requires meticulous review of financial records, precise calculation of transfer amounts and dates, and careful citation of bankruptcy code provisions. Attorneys spend hours cross-referencing transactions against the 90-day preference period, researching legal standards, and ensuring every element of 11 U.S.C. § 547 is properly addressed.

Automation ROI

Time savings at a glance

Manual workflow3.5 hoursAverage time your team spends by hand
With CaseMark12 minutesDelivery time with CaseMark automation
EfficiencySave 26.3x time with CaseMark

The Problem

Drafting preference demand letters requires extensive document review, complex legal analysis of five statutory elements, and meticulous factual presentation. Attorneys spend hours gathering transfer details, analyzing defenses, and ensuring compliance with 11 U.S.C. § 547 requirements, often delaying critical recovery efforts.

The CaseMark Solution

CaseMark automates preference demand letter generation by analyzing your case documents, identifying preferential transfers, and producing comprehensive letters with complete § 547(b) analysis and defense evaluation. Generate litigation-ready demand letters in minutes instead of hours while ensuring accuracy and professional quality.

Key benefits

How CaseMark automations transform your workflow

Automatically extracts transfer dates, amounts, and parties from financial records

Calculates 90-day preference period and insolvency timeline from bankruptcy filing date

Generates proper 11 U.S.C. § 547 citations with verified legal authority

Includes standard demand timelines and consequence language based on best practices

Reduces 3+ hours of manual drafting to under 10 minutes

What you'll receive

Header and Contact Information
Salutation
Introduction
Description of Preferential Transfer
Legal Basis under 11 U.S.C. § 547
Demand for Payment
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Closing and Signature Block

Document requirements

Required

  • Bankruptcy Petition
  • Transfer Records
  • Creditor Information

Optional

  • Invoices and Payment History
  • Insolvency Evidence
  • Insider Documentation
  • Correspondence Records

Perfect for

Bankruptcy Trustees seeking to recover preferential transfers efficiently
Bankruptcy Litigation Attorneys handling avoidance actions for estates
Debtor-in-Possession Counsel pursuing preference claims in Chapter 11 cases
Law Firm Associates tasked with drafting preference demand letters
Solo Practitioners managing bankruptcy litigation matters

Also useful for

This workflow is applicable across multiple practice areas and use cases

Commercial litigators representing creditors or trustees pursue preference claims against vendors, suppliers, or other commercial parties who received payments within the preference period.

Preference actions under 11 U.S.C. § 547 are frequently litigated in commercial disputes involving business bankruptcies, requiring demand letters before filing adversary proceedings.

M&A attorneys need to identify and recover preferential transfers made by distressed companies prior to bankruptcy filing during due diligence or post-closing disputes.

Preference actions are critical in M&A transactions involving distressed assets or bankruptcy scenarios, where buyers or creditors committees need to claw back preferential payments to maximize estate value.

Financial Services71% relevant

Financial services attorneys advising banks and lenders need to evaluate exposure to preference claims and draft responses when clients receive preference demand letters.

Banks and financial institutions are common targets of preference actions for loan repayments or transfers made within 90 days of bankruptcy, requiring specialized knowledge of both banking and bankruptcy law.

Corporate counsel advising boards and officers on fiduciary duties must address preference exposure when companies face insolvency or potential bankruptcy filing.

Directors and officers need to understand preference risks when authorizing payments during financial distress to avoid personal liability and ensure compliance with fiduciary obligations.

Frequently asked questions

Q

What information does CaseMark need to generate a preference demand letter?

A

CaseMark requires the bankruptcy petition showing the filing date and case details, transfer records documenting the dates and amounts of payments, and creditor information identifying the recipient. Optional documents like invoices, payment history, and insolvency evidence enhance the analysis. The system extracts relevant details from these documents to generate a comprehensive demand letter with complete legal analysis.

Q

How does CaseMark determine if a transfer qualifies as a preference under Section 547?

A

CaseMark analyzes each transfer against the five required elements under 11 U.S.C. § 547(b): transfer to a creditor, on account of antecedent debt, while debtor was insolvent, within the preference period (90 days or one year for insiders), and enabling greater recovery than in Chapter 7 liquidation. The system automatically calculates preference periods, applies the insolvency presumption, and evaluates whether statutory requirements are met based on your case documents.

Q

Can the generated letter address potential defenses the creditor might raise?

A

Yes, CaseMark automatically evaluates and addresses common affirmative defenses under § 547(c), including ordinary course of business, contemporaneous exchange, and new value defenses. The generated letter includes analysis of why these defenses do not apply based on your specific facts, or acknowledges potential defense issues that may affect recovery. This preemptive analysis strengthens your position for either settlement negotiations or subsequent litigation.

Q

How accurate are the preference period calculations for insiders versus ordinary creditors?

A

CaseMark automatically calculates the correct preference period based on the recipient's status, applying the 90-day lookback for ordinary creditors or one-year lookback for insiders under 11 U.S.C. § 101(31). The system identifies potential insider relationships from your uploaded documents and flags transfers that fall within the extended preference period, ensuring accurate temporal analysis for your demand letter.

Q

What happens if I have multiple transfers to the same creditor?

A

CaseMark handles multiple transfers seamlessly by organizing them chronologically in the demand letter with individual dates, amounts, and transaction details. The system calculates the total demand amount, presents each transfer clearly for audit trail purposes, and maintains professional formatting whether you're recovering one payment or dozens. This comprehensive presentation strengthens your claim and facilitates creditor verification.