Octus First Day Midyear Review: Record-Setting 2026 H1 for Smaller Filings; Midrange Freefalls Surge, Tariffs Hit Largest Companies Hardest, Court Districts in Flux

Legal Research: Jessica Steinhagen Data Analysis: Ian Howland, Johanna Schaaper, Gazi Shihab Editor’s Note: Octus First Day Intelligence’s review for the first half of 2026 is below. Octus First Day Intelligence provides real-time filing alerts when a company with more than $10 million in liabilities files for chapter 11 protection anywhere in the United States. The First Day team also produces and delivers – before the first day hearing – comprehensive case summaries with additional details on the posture of the case, professionals involved and secured and unsecured creditor bodies. First Day also includes a robust database of all cases since 2012. Major industry developments and highlights in the first half of 2026 include the following:   There was a bankruptcy court filing district shakeup: Filings outside the historical top five are at an all-time high amid a retreat from Delaware for billion-dollar filings.   $1 billion-plus and $100 million to $500 million cases are down compared with the last few years, while sub-$100 million and $500 million to $1 billion cases are up.   Freefalls made up 83.3% of cases with liabilities of $100 million to $1 billion while hitting a six-year low for $1 billion-plus filings.   The[...]