{"id":"court_ctb_1221_0","court":"CTB","case_no":"22-50073","doc_number":1221,"sub_number":0,"doc_type":"ORDER","filed_date":"2022-12-11","title":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION In Re \\* Case No. 22-50073 (JAM) \\* HO WAN KW","summary_zh":"庭审记录 —— Ho Wan Kwok 破产案（郭文贵 / Guo Wengui / Miles Guo），CTB 22-50073 ECF #1221（2022-12-11提交）。本文件为2022年12月2日举行的继续听证会笔录，法官 Julie A. Manning 听取了关于债务人保护令动议的辩论；债务人主张对其庇护申请文件保密并拒绝向受托人披露，受托人 Luc Despins 则主张相关诉讼属破产财产并要求获取该案件卷宗材料。","summary_en":"Hearing Transcript — In re Ho Wan Kwok (Miles Guo / Guo Wengui), CTB 22-50073, ECF No. 1221 (filed Dec. 11, 2022). This document is the official transcript of the December 2, 2022 continued hearing before Judge Julie A. Manning regarding the debtor's motion for a protective order seeking to prevent disclosure of his asylum application to the Chapter 11 Trustee.","body_en":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION In Re \\* Case No. 22-50073 (JAM) \\* HO WAN KWOK and GENEVER \\* HOLDINGS CORPORATION, \\* Bridgeport, Connecticut \\* December 2, 2022 Debtor. \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* \\* TRANSCRIPT OF MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER BEFORE THE HONORABLE JULIE A. MANNING UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE APPEARANCES: For the Debtor: STEPHEN KINDSETH, ESQ. Zeisler and Zeisler 10 Middle Street, 15th Floor Bridgeport, CT 06604 For the Plaintiff: ANNECCA SMITH, ESQ. Alliance Asia Opportunity Robinson & Cole Fund L.P.: 28 Trumbull Street Hartford, CT 06103 STUART SARNOFF, ESQ. O'Melveny & Myers LLP Times Square Tower 7 Times Square New York, NY 10036 Chapter 11 Trustee: LUC A. DESPINS, ESQ. Paul Hastings LLP 200 Park Avenue New York, NY 10166 For the Chapter 11 NANCY KINSELLA, ESQ. Trustee: Neubert Pepe & Monteith, PC 195 Church Street New Haven, CT 06510 Proceedings recorded by electronic sound recording, transcript produced by transcription service. **Fiore Reporting and Transcription Service, Inc. 4 Research Drive, Suite 402 Shelton, Connecticut 06484 (203)929-9992**\n\nCase 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 2 of 7\n\nHo Wan Kwok - December 2, 2022 2 (Proceedings commenced at 10:06 a.m.) THE COURTROOM DEPUTY: Case no. 22-50073 Ho Wan Kwok and Genever Holdings Corporation and Genever Holdings, LLC. THE COURT: Good morning. If we could have appearances for the record, starting with the Chapter 11 Trustee, please. MR. DESPINS: Good morning, Your Honor. Luc Despins, Chapter 11 Trustee. THE COURT: Counsel for PAX? MR. SARNOFF: Good morning, Your Honor. Stuart Sarnoff, O'Melveny and Myers, for creditor, PAX. MS. KINSELLA: Good morning, Your Honor. Nancy Kinsella on behalf on the Chapter 11 Trustee. THE COURT: Good morning. MS. SMITH: Good morning, Your Honor. Annecca Smith, Robinson and Cole, also on behalf of creditor, PAX. THE COURT: Good morning. MR. KINDSETH: Good morning, Your Honor. Stephen Kindseth for the debtor, Ho Wan Kwok. Attorney Romney apologizes for not being here. He got the booster shot yesterday and had a pretty severe reaction to it today, unfortunately, and so he's not able to be present at this time. THE COURT: Okay. I'm sorry to hear that. Thank\n\nHo Wan Kwok - December 2, 2022 3 you. Attorney Hellman? Oh, you're not appearing in the main case, sorry. You're right. You were right to sit down. Thank you. Sorry. Okay. On the calendar in the Kwok case this morning is a continued hearing on a motion for protective order. And Attorney Kindseth, I understand that Attorney Romney is not going to be here today, given what you've just stated, which is unfortunate for him, obviously. But I do believe you were here in court the other day when I spoke with Attorney Romney and the Chapter 11 Trustee and counsel about the protective order. MR. KINDSETH: Of course. THE COURT: So where do things stand as of this morning with regard to the protective order. MR. KINDSETH: After discussing the matter -- in presenting the issues to Mr. Kwok, Mr. Kwok is not inclined to consent to the trustee and the trustee's counsel obtaining a copy of the asylum application. THE COURT: So he objects, as opposed to not inclined. He objects. MR. KINDSETH: I apologize. THE COURT: That's okay. No, I just want to make the record clear. MR. KINDSETH: So he stands by the objection -- Case 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 3 of 7\n\nCase 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 4 of 7\n\n|    | Ho Wan Kwok - December 2, 2022<br>4                           |\n|----|---------------------------------------------------------------|\n| 1  | sorry.<br>He stands by the arguments made in the motion for a |\n| 2  | protective order, the reply and arguments of counsel,         |\n| 3  | Attorney Romney, in support of the position that a            |\n| 4  | protective order should enter protecting the disclosure of    |\n| 5  | the asylum application.                                       |\n| 6  | THE COURT:<br>Okay.<br>Thank you.                             |\n| 7  | Trustee Despins?                                              |\n| 8  | MR. DESPINS:<br>Thank you, Your Honor.                        |\n| 9  | Obviously, it's not a request for a protective                |\n| 10 | order. It's so that we cannot see the application at all.     |\n| 11 | So we've already argued it. I want to be precise.             |\n| 12 | This is not a situation where you need to compel the debtor   |\n| 13 | to give us the application.<br>The other side in the          |\n| 14 | litigation already has it.                                    |\n| 15 | If you're inclined to do so, you would only need              |\n| 16 | to authorize them, the law firm of Jenner and Block, to       |\n| 17 | share with us the court pleadings in that case, including     |\n| 18 | the asylum application.                                       |\n| 19 | So this is not a situation where you need to                  |\n| 20 | compel the debtor to do anything because it's already been    |\n| 21 | produced to the other side.                                   |\n| 22 | And, Your Honor, we've been at this -- not in this            |\n| 23 | court but outside of court for three months.<br>This is       |\n| 24 | probably, in mind, of course, the simplest issue in this      |\n| 25 | case. It's not privileged.<br>It's -- we absolutely have the  |\n|    |                                                               |\n\nHo Wan Kwok - December 2, 2022 5 obligation to see it to decide or to engage with Jenner and Block in trying to settle this to see what is this claim worth. I can't do this blind and I would urge Your Honor to enter an order as soon as you can allowing the firm of Jenner and Block to share all court pleadings in that case, subject to two protective orders; the one in that case that we've already signed and the one in this case -- THE COURT: Does the record of this case have the protective order in the case in which Jenner and Block is involved? I'm not sure I've seen that. That's why I'm asking that question. MR. DESPINS: The answer is I don't know. THE COURT: Okay. That's fine. I'll figure it out. But I don't believe I've seen that protective order. Do you know, Mr. Kindseth, if that protective order that Trustee Despins is just speaking about that was entered in another court in which Jenner and Block is involved in that matter, has been put in the record of this Chapter 11 case? MR. KINDSETH: I do not know. THE COURT: Okay. MR. KINDSETH: But I would like to address the procedural representation of the trustee. The matter before the court is the motion for a Case 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 5 of 7\n\nHo Wan Kwok - December 2, 2022 6 protective order that we filed seeking to protect the disclosure of the asylum application. There is no motion by the trustee asking the court to direct Jenner and Block in separate litigation to produce information to the trustee or authorize it. That's not before the court that relief has not been sought. And so I just want to be very clear, procedurally, the question is whether or not the protective order that the debtor requested may enter. THE COURT: Okay. Trustee Despins? MR. DESPINS: Your Honor, this would set up -- I mean, this is a Kwok special -- is that, obviously, we thought this issue would be resolved through this motion. And Jenner and Block is not going to produce without -- because they're afraid they're going to get sued by Mr. Kwok. They're going to produce without a court order saying we're authorized to see it. Do we really have to file a motion to compel? This is -- we're spending so much money and time on this. I think Your Honor has the authority under the code of 521 to do this either compelling the debtor to turn it over, or authorizing us. It's an asset of the estate. The lawsuit is an asset of the estate. We need to have access to all elements of that asset and the court can *sua sponte* order that. Case 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 6 of 7\n\nCase 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 7 of 7\n\nHo Wan Kwok - December 2, 2022 7 THE COURT: I'm not sure if it needs to be *sua sponte*. I think it's within -- whatever the court orders is within the preview of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure with regard to a motion for a protective order. The court can grant the motion for a protective order. The court can deny the motion for a protective order or the court can grant whatever relief it thinks appropriate in connection with the issues in the protective order. So I don't think there's a need for any further motions to be filed. The court will -- I asked the parties, which you obviously did, to have a discussion about whether there could be an agreement. There isn't. So the court will rule. And so hopefully maybe even today. So we can move on from that matter then. So now we can call the adversary proceeding, please. I, CHRISTINE FIORE, Certified Electronic Court Reporter and Transcriber, certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript from the official electronic sound recording of the proceedings in the above-entitled matter. 23 December 6, 2022 24 Christine Fiore, CERT 25 Transcriber","body_zh":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT（美国破产法院）\nDISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT（康涅狄格区）\nBRIDGEPORT DIVISION（布里奇波特分院）\n有关 * 案号：22-50073 (JAM)\n*\nHO WAN KWOK（郭文贵）及 GENEVER *\nHOLDINGS CORPORATION（源泉控股公司）， * 康涅狄格州布里奇波特\n* 2022年12月2日\n债务人。 *\n* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *\n保护令动议听证笔录\n主审：UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE（美国破产法官）JULIE A. MANNING 阁下\n出庭人员：\n代表债务人：\nSTEPHEN KINDSETH, ESQ.\nZeisler and Zeisler\n10 Middle Street, 15th Floor\nBridgeport, CT 06604\n代表原告\nAlliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P.：\nANNECCA SMITH, ESQ.\nRobinson & Cole\n28 Trumbull Street\nHartford, CT 06103\nSTUART SARNOFF, ESQ.\nO'Melveny & Myers LLP\nTimes Square Tower\n7 Times Square\nNew York, NY 10036\nChapter 11 Trustee（第11章受托人）：\nLUC A. DESPINS, ESQ.\nPaul Hastings LLP\n200 Park Avenue\nNew York, NY 10166\n代表第11章受托人：\nNANCY KINSELLA, ESQ.\nNeubert Pepe & Monteith, PC\n195 Church Street\nNew Haven, CT 06510\n诉讼程序由电子声音录音记录，听证笔录由转录服务机构制作。\nFiore Reporting and Transcription Service, Inc.\n4 Research Drive, Suite 402\nShelton, Connecticut 06484\n(203)929-9992\n\nCase 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 2 of 7\n\nHo Wan Kwok - 2022年12月2日 2\n（庭审于上午10:06开始）\n法庭副书记官：案号 22-50073，郭文贵以及 Genever Holdings Corporation 和 Genever Holdings, LLC。\n法庭：早上好。请各位在记录中登记出庭，首先从第11章受托人开始。\nDESPINS 先生：早上好，法官阁下。Luc Despins，第11章受托人。\n法庭：PAX 的律师？\nSARNOFF 先生：早上好，法官阁下。Stuart Sarnoff，来自 O'Melveny and Myers，代表债权人 PAX。\nKINSELLA 女士：早上好，法官阁下。Nancy Kinsella 代表第11章受托人。\n法庭：早上好。\nSMITH 女士：早上好，法官阁下。Annecca Smith，来自 Robinson and Cole，同样代表债权人 PAX。\n法庭：早上好。\nKINDSETH 先生：早上好，法官阁下。Stephen Kindseth 代表债务人郭文贵。Romney 律师因未能到庭表示歉意。他昨天接种了加强针，不幸的是今天反应相当严重，因此目前无法到庭。\n法庭：好的。听到这个消息我感到遗憾。谢谢\n\nHo Wan Kwok - 2022年12月2日 3\n你。Hellman 律师？哦，您没有在主案中出庭，抱歉。您是对的。您坐下是对的。谢谢。抱歉。好的。今天上午 Kwok 案日程上是对保护令动议的继续听证。Kindseth 律师，考虑到您刚才陈述的情况，我知道 Romney 律师今天不会到庭，这显然对他来说很不幸。但我相信前几天我和 Romney 律师、第11章受托人及律师就保护令进行交谈时，您也在法庭现场。\nKINDSETH 先生：当然。\n法庭：那么截至今天上午，保护令方面的情况如何？\nKINDSETH 先生：在讨论该事项——向郭先生说明问题后，郭先生不同意受托人及受托人律师获取庇护申请的副本。\n法庭：所以是他提出异议，而不是不同意。他提出异议。\nKINDSETH 先生：我表示歉意。\n法庭：没关系。不，我只是想让记录明确。\nKINDSETH 先生：所以他坚持异议——Case 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 3 of 7\n\nCase 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 4 of 7\n\nHo Wan Kwok - 2022年12月2日\n1 抱歉。\n他坚持在保护令动议、\n2 答辩状以及律师 Romney 律师支持\n3 应当作出保护令以保护\n4 庇护申请不被披露的立场时\n5 所提出的论点。\n6 法庭：好的。\n谢谢。\n7 Despins 受托人？\n8 DESPINS 先生：谢谢您，法官阁下。\n9 显然，这并不是一个对保护令的请求。\n10 他们的目的是让我们根本看不到该申请。\n11 所以我们之前已经辩论过了。我想讲得明确一些。\n12 这并不是需要您强迫债务人\n13 向我们提供申请的情况。\n该诉讼中的\n14 另一方当事人已经拥有该申请了。\n15 如果您倾向于这么做，您只需要\n16 授权他们，即 Jenner and Block 律师事务所，\n17 与我们分享该案中的法庭诉讼文书，\n18 包括庇护申请。\n19 所以这并不是需要您\n20 强迫债务人做任何事情的情况，\n21 因为该文书已经提供给对方了。\n22 而且，法官阁下，我们一直在处理这件事——不是在\n23 本法庭，而是在庭外已经处理了三个月。\n在我看来，这当然\n24 可能是本案中最简单的问题。\n25 这不享有特权。这是——我们绝对有\n\nHo Wan Kwok - 2022年12月2日 5\n查看它的义务，以决定或与 Jenner and Block 进行接洽尝试和解此事，看看这项索赔价值几何。我无法盲目处理此事，我敦促法官阁下尽快作出一项命令，允许 Jenner and Block 律所在遵守两项保护令的前提下，分享该案中的所有法庭诉讼文书；即该案中我们已经签署的那项保护令，以及本案中的那项——\n法庭：本案的案卷记录中是否有 Jenner and Block 参与的那起案件中的保护令？我不确定我是否见过。这就是我问这个问题的原因。\nDESPINS 先生：回答是我不知道。\n法庭：好的。没关系。我会查清楚的。但我认为我没见过那份保护令。Kindseth 先生，您是否知道 Despins 受托人刚才提到的由另一家法院作出的、Jenner and Block 参与该事项的保护令，是否已经记入本第11章案件的记录中？\nKINDSETH 先生：我不知道。\n法庭：好的。\nKINDSETH 先生：但我想对受托人的程序性陈述作以回应。法庭面前审理的事项是我们提起的 Case 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 5 of 7\n\nHo Wan Kwok - 2022年12月2日 6\n旨在保护庇护申请不被披露的保护令动议。受托人并未提出动议请求法庭指示另案诉讼中的 Jenner and Block 向受托人出示信息或予以授权。这并非法庭目前审理的内容，该救济未曾被申请。因此我只是想非常明确，在程序上，核心问题是债务人所请求的保护令是否可以作出。\n法庭：好的。Despins 受托人？\nDESPINS 先生：法官阁下，这会导致——我的意思是，这是郭氏的典型手段——显然，我们本以为这个问题可以通过这项动议解决。而 Jenner and Block 不会在没有——因为他们害怕被郭先生起诉。他们不会在没有法院命令表明我们有权查看的情况下出示。我们真的必须提交一份强制作出动议吗？这——我们在这上面花费了太多的金钱和时间。我认为法官阁下根据法典第521条拥有职权来处理此事，无论是强制债务人移交，还是对我们进行授权。这是破产财产的资产。该诉讼是破产财产的一项资产。我们需要能够访问该资产的所有组成部分，法庭可以依职权作出命令。Case 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 6 of 7\n\nCase 22-50073 Doc 1221 Filed 12/11/22 Entered 12/11/22 13:08:59 Page 7 of 7\n\nHo Wan Kwok - 2022年12月2日 7\n法庭：我不确定这是否需要依职权进行。我认为这属于——无论法庭作出何种命令，均属于《联邦民事诉讼规则》关于保护令动议的审理范围之内。法庭可以准许保护令动议。法庭可以驳回保护令动议，或者法庭可以就与保护令相关的问题给予其认为适当的任何救济。因此我认为无需再提交任何进一步的动议。法庭将——我曾要求各方就能否达成协议进行讨论，你们显然也讨论了。并未达成协议。因此法庭将作出裁决。希望甚至可能是今天。那么我们就可以继续推进接下来的事项了。现在请传唤对抗性诉讼程序。\n我，CHRISTINE FIORE，公证电子法庭记录员兼转录员，兹证明上述内容是根据上述案件诉讼程序的官方电子声音录音制作的准确听证笔录。\n23 2022年12月6日\n24 Christine Fiore, CERT\n25 转录员","key_entities":["Kwok","Je","Ho Wan Kwok","Despins","Luc Despins","Paul Hastings"],"ecf_references":[],"word_count":1612,"status":"published","published_at":"2022-12-11 00:00:00","created_at":"2022-12-11","updated_at":"2026-08-23 12:53:09"}