{"id":"court_ctb_240_0","court":"CTB","case_no":"22-50073","doc_number":240,"sub_number":0,"doc_type":"ORDER","filed_date":null,"title":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION \\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\","summary_zh":null,"summary_en":null,"body_en":"# **UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION**\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_ In re : Chapter 11 : Ho Wan Kwok, : Case No. 22-50073 : Debtor.<sup>1</sup> : : \\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_:\n\n# **LIMITED OBJECTION OF THE OFFICIAL COMMITTEE OF UNSECURED CREDITORS TO DEBTOR'S MOTION (I) SETTING BAR DATES FOR SUBMITTING PROOFS OF CLAIM, (II) APPROVING PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING PROOFS OF CLAIM, AND (III) APPROVING NOTICE THEREOF**\n\nThe Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (the \"Committee\") of Debtor and Debtor in Possession, Ho Wan Kwok (the \"Debtor\"), herby submits this Limited Objection to the Debtor's Motion (I) Setting Bar Dates for Submitting Proofs of Claim, (II) Approving Procedures for Submitting Proofs of Claim, and (III) Approving Notice Thereof (the \"Claims Procedure Motion\").\n\nIn support of this Limited Objection, the Committee respectfully represents as follows:\n\n# **RELEVANT PROCEDURAL HISTORY**\n\n1. On February 15, 2022 (the \"Petition Date\"), the Debtor filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11, Title 11 of the United States Code (the \"Bankruptcy Code\"). Since that time, the Debtor has remained a debtor-in-possession pursuant to §§1107 and 1108 of the Bankruptcy Code.\n\n2. No trustee or examiner has yet been appointed in the Debtor's bankruptcy case, although on March 19, 2022, the United States Trustee (\"UST\") filed a Motion for Order\n\n<sup>1</sup> The Debtor is known by the following names: Guo Wengui; Miles Guo; Miles Kwok; and Ho Wan Kwok.\n\nDirecting Appointment of an Examiner, or in the alternative, Motion for Order Directing the Appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee (the \"Examiner/Trustee Motion\"). The Examiner/Trustee Motion was scheduled for a hearing on April 13, 2022 and was continued for scheduling purposes to April 27, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. According to the UST's Amended Proposed Order at n. 1 (ECF No. 116), the Debtor has agreed to the Court's directing the UST to appoint an examiner in this case.\n\n3. On March 21, 2022, the Committee was officially appointed by the United States Trustee and on March 28, 2022, selected Pullman & Comley, LLC (\"P&C\") as its counsel. On April 5, 2022, the Committee filed an application to retain P&C as its counsel, which has been scheduled for a hearing on April 27, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.\n\n4. On March 1, 2022, Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. (\"PAX\") filed its Motion of Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. for Entry of an Order Confirming the Inapplicability of the Automatic Stay or, in the Alternative, Relief from the Automatic Stay Pursuant to Section 362(d)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code (the \"PAX Motion\"). On March 15, 2022, the Debtor filed its Objection to the PAX Motion, to which PAX filed a Reply on March 18, 2022 (ECF No. 98) (the \"PAX Reply\"). On March 28, 2022, the filed a Supplemental Objection to the PAX Motion (the \"Debtor Supp. Obj.\").\n\n5. By the PAX Motion, PAX seeks to return to the PAX Litigation for purposes of compelling the Debtor to return to U.S. jurisdiction a yacht known as the Lady May, which the Debtor and/or the registered owners of the Lady May had been ordered not to remove, but did remove, from the New York court's jurisdiction well over one year ago (PAX Motion, Ex. A, February 2, 2022 Decision and Order of Judge Barry R. Ostrager, the \"February 2, 2022 Decision,\" at 2).\n\n2\n\n6. Based on discussions and proceedings that took place on April 13, 2022 at the hearing on the PAX Motion, the putative legal titleholder to the Lady May is attempting to post cash in the amount \\$37 million with a third-party escrow agent to secure the return of the Lady May and thereby alleviate the need to litigate the PAX Motion.\n\n7. On March 16, 2022, the Debtor filed applications to employ Brown Rudnick LLP as his counsel, Verdolino & Lowey, P.C. as his financial advisor and Stretto, Inc. as his claims and noticing agent, to which various objections, including objections by the Committee, were filed. The initial hearing on these applications was scheduled for April 13, 2022, and at that time they<sup>2</sup> were continued for a hearing on April 27, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.\n\n8. On March 20, 2022, the Debtor filed the Debtor's Motion for Entry of Interim and Final DIP Orders (I) Authorizing the Debtor to Obtain Unsecured, Subordinated Postpetition Financing, and (II) Scheduling Interim and Final Hearings, and (III) Granting Related Relief (the \"DIP Motion\"). The DIP Motion seeks court approval for a postpetition loan (the \"DIP Loan\"). Various objections were filed to the DIP Motion, including one by the Committee, and it has been scheduled for an evidentiary hearing on April 27, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.\n\n9. On April 6, 2022, PAX filed a motion to dismiss the chapter 11 case or, in the alternative, a partial joinder in the UST's request to appoint a chapter 11 trustee (the \"Dismissal Motion\"). The Dismissal Motion has been scheduled for a hearing on April 27, 2022 for scheduling purposes with the Examiner/Trustee Motion.\n\n10. On April 10, 2022, without consulting with the Committee as contemplated by section 1103(c)(3) and without filing a disclosure statement as required by Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3016(b), the Debtor filed a Proposed Chapter 11 Plan.\n\n3\n\n#### **JURISDICTION AND VENUE**\n\n11. This Court has jurisdiction over the Claims Procedure Motion and the contested matter initiated thereby pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334. Venue is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409.\n\n### **OBJECTIONS**\n\n12. The Debtor's proposed procedures improperly seek to impose greater obligations on creditors wishing to file a proof of claim than are required by the Bankruptcy Code, the Bankruptcy Rules and Official Form 410 by requiring them to (i) \"set forth with specificity the legal and factual basis for the alleged claim\"; and (ii) \"include supporting documentation for the alleged claim unless voluminous\" (Claims Procedure Motion ¶18c.).\n\n13. By imposing the requirement of specificity, the Debtor appears to be attempting to create a pleading threshold for factual allegations, similar to what would be required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b), for all proofs of claim, and to simultaneously create an obligation to \"set forth with specificity\" the legal basis for a claim when no such obligation exists under the Bankruptcy Code and Rules. These requirements should simply be removed.\n\n14. As to the proposed requirement to include supporting documentation, it too is improper and contravenes what is required by the Bankruptcy Code, the Bankruptcy Rules and Official Form 410. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3001(c)(1) only requires documentation to accompany a proof of claim \"when a claim, or an interest in property of the debtor securing the claim, is based on a writing….\" Official Form 410 itself simply refers back to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3001(c) (\"[a]ttach redacted copies of any documents supporting the claim required by Bankruptcy Rule 3001(c)). Yet, under the Debtor's proposed procedures, creditors whose claims are not based on\n\n<sup>2</sup> The Debtor withdrew his application to retain Stretto, Inc. on the record of the hearing held on April 13,\n\na writing would nonetheless have to \"include supporting documentation for the alleged claim unless voluminous.\" This requirement should be stricken.\n\n15. The Debtor's proposed procedures would unconditionally and without exception bar any creditor that fails to timely file a proof of claim by the bar date from submitting a proof of claim after the bar date and from voting or participating in any distributions under a plan. This firewall provision, however, fails to take into account that proofs of claim may be filed after the bar date \"to the extent and under the conditions stated in Rule 3002(c)(2), (c)(3), (c)(4), and (c)(6),\" Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3003(c)(3), or that the bar date may be enlarged under under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9006(b)(1), (3). The Debtor's proposed procedures should be modified to comport with these Rules.\n\n16. The Debtor's proposed procedures improperly fail to provide an option for creditors to file proofs of claim electronically. *See e.g* Annex 1 to Claims Procedure Motion, Notice of Deadlines Requiring the Filing of Proofs of Claim to All Persons with Claims Against the Debtor ¶3 (requiring proofs of claim to be delivered to the Court). The Committee suggests a provision such as the following:\n\n\"Attorneys (with full access accounts) and employees of institutional creditors (with limited access accounts) may file Proofs of Claim electronically on the Court's Case Management/Electronic Case File (\"CM/ECF\") system. Those creditors without accounts to the CM/ECF system may apply for and obtain one and file a Proof of Claim electronically via the CM/ECF system.\"\n\n**WHEREFORE**, the Committee respectfully requests that the Court deny the Claims\n\nProcedure Motion unless the foregoing deficiencies are cured and grant such other or further\n\nrelief as it may deem just, equitable and proper.\n\nDated: Bridgeport, Connecticut April 20, 2022\n\n# **OFFICIAL COMMITTEE OF UNSECURED CREDITORS OF HO WAN KWOK**\n\nBy: */s/Irve J. Goldman*  Irve J. Goldman Jonathan A. Kaplan Pullman & Comley, LLC 850 Main Street, 8th Floor PO Box 7006 Bridgeport, CT 06601-7006 (203) 330-2213 igoldman@pullcom.com\n\nIts Attorneys (Application Pending)\n\n# **UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION**\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_ In re : Chapter 11 : Ho Wan Kwok, : Case No. 22-50073 : Debtor.<sup>1</sup> : : April 20, 2022 \\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_:\n\n# **CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE**\n\nI Irve J. Goldman, herby certify that on the 20th day of April, 2022, the *Limited Objection Of The Official Committee Of Unsecured Creditors To Debtor's Motion (I) Setting Bar Dates For Submitting Proofs Of Claim, (II) Approving Procedures For Submitting Proofs Of Claim, And (III) Approving Notice Thereof* was filed via the Court's CM/ECF electronic filing system (\"CM/ECF\"), which sent notice to all parties receiving notification through CM/ECF.\n\n> */s/ Irve J. Goldman*  Irve J. Goldman\n\nThe last four digits of the Debtor's taxpayer identification number are 9595.","body_zh":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION（美国康涅狄格州破产法院布里奇波特分院）\n\n__________________________________________________\n关于：\n第 11 章\nHo Wan Kwok（郭文贵），\n债务人。1\n案号：22-50073\n__________________________________________________\n\n无担保债权人官方委员会对债务人关于 (I) 设定提交债权证明截止日期、(II) 批准提交债权证明程序、以及 (III) 批准相关通知的动议的有限异议\n\n债务人及占有中债务人 Ho Wan Kwok（郭文贵）（下称“债务人”）的无担保债权人官方委员会（Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors，下称“委员会”）特此对债务人关于 (I) 设定提交债权证明截止日期、(II) 批准提交债权证明程序、以及 (III) 批准相关通知的动议（下称“债权程序动议”）提出本有限异议。\n\n为支持本有限异议，委员会谨作陈述如下：\n相关程序历史\n\n1. 2022年2月15日（下称“申请日”），债务人根据《美国法典》第 11 篇（《破产法典》）第 11 章自愿提交救济申请。自那时起，根据《破产法典》§§ 1107 和 1108，债务人一直保持占有中债务人身份。\n\n2. 在债务人的破产案件中尚未指定受托人或审查员，尽管在 2022年3月19日，United States Trustee（美国受托人，下称“UST”）提交了一份关于指示指定审查员的命令动议，或备选地，关于指示指定第 11 章受托人的命令动议（下称“审查员/受托人动议”）。审查员/受托人动议原定于 2022年4月13日举行听证，因排期原因延期至 2022年4月27日上午 9:30。根据 UST 的修正拟议命令脚注 1（ECF No. 116），债务人已同意法院指示 UST 在本案中指定一名审查员。\n\n1 债务人以下列姓名为人所知：Guo Wengui；Miles Guo；Miles Kwok；以及 Ho Wan Kwok。\n\n3. 2022年3月21日，委员会由美国受托人正式指定，并于 2022年3月28日选定 Pullman & Comley, LLC（下称“P&C”）为其法律顾问。2022年4月5日，委员会提交了聘请 P&C 为其法律顾问的申请，该申请已定于 2022年4月27日上午 9:30 举行听证。\n\n4. 2022年3月1日，Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P.（下称“PAX”）提交了《Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. 申请作出确认自动中止不适用或备选地根据破产法典第 362(d)(2) 条给予自动中止救济的命令的动议》（下称“PAX 动议”）。2022年3月15日，债务人对 PAX 动议提交了异议，PAX 于 2022年3月18日就此提交了答复意见（ECF No. 98）（下称“PAX 答复”）。2022年3月28日，债务人对 PAX 动议提交了补充异议（下称“债务人补充异议”）。\n\n5. PAX 意图通过 PAX 动议重返 PAX 诉讼，旨在强迫债务人将名为 Lady May（梅号）的游艇归还至美国管辖范围内，而该游艇早在一年多前就被命令不得移出纽约法院的管辖范围，但债务人和/或 Lady May 的登记所有人仍将其移出（PAX 动议，附件 A，法官 Barry R. Ostrager 于 2022年2月2日作出的判决与裁定，即“2022年2月2日裁决”，第 2 页）。\n\n6. 根据 2022年4月13日在 PAX 动议听证会上进行的讨论和程序，Lady May 的推定法定产权所有人正试图向第三方托管代理人存入 3700 万美元的现金，以担保 Lady May 的归还，从而免去对 PAX 动议进行诉讼的必要。\n\n7. 2022年3月16日，债务人提交了申请，分别聘请 Brown Rudnick LLP 为其法律顾问、Verdolino & Lowey, P.C. 为其财务顾问以及 Stretto, Inc. 为其债权和通知代理人，多方（包括委员会）对此提交了异议。对这些申请的首次听证原定于 2022年4月13日举行，届时这些申请2被延期至 2022年4月27日上午 9:30 进行听证。\n\n8. 2022年3月20日，债务人提交了《债务人申请作出 (I) 授权债务人获取无担保、次级申请后融资、(II) 排定临时和最终听证、以及 (III) 准予相关救济的临时和最终 DIP 命令的动议》（下称“DIP 动议”）。DIP 动议寻求法院对一笔申请后贷款（下称“DIP 贷款”）的批准。针对 DIP 动议提交了多项异议，包括委员会提出的一项异议，该动议已定于 2022年4月27日上午 9:30 举行证据听证会。\n\n9. 2022年4月6日，PAX 提交了驳回第 11 章案件的动议，或备选地，部分加入 UST 指定第 11 章受托人的请求（下称“驳回动议”）。驳回动议已定于 2022年4月27日与审查员/受托人动议一同举行排期听证。\n\n10. 2022年4月10日，在未按第 1103(c)(3) 条预期与委员会协商、且未按 Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3016(b) 要求提交披露声明的情况下，债务人提交了一份拟议第 11 章重整计划。\n\n管辖权与审判地\n\n11. 根据 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 和 1334，本法院对债权程序动议及由此引发的争议事项具有管辖权。根据 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 和 1409，审判地是适当的。\n\n异议理由\n\n12. 债务人的拟议程序不当地试图对希望提交债权证明的债权人施加超出《破产法典》、《破产规则》及官方表格 410（Official Form 410）所规定的义务，要求他们：(i)“明确阐述所主张债权的法律与事实依据”；以及 (ii)“附上所主张债权的支持性文件，除非文件卷帙浩繁”（债权程序动议 ¶ 18c.）。\n\n13. 通过强加明确性要求，债务人似乎企图对所有债权证明创设类似于 Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b) 所要求的事实指控诉答门槛，并同时创设一项“明确阐述”债权法律依据的义务，而《破产法典》和《破产规则》下根本不存在此类义务。这些要求应当直接予以删除。\n\n14. 至于所拟议的附带支持性文件的要求，同样是不当的，并且违反了《破产法典》、《破产规则》和官方表格 410 的规定。Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3001(c)(1) 仅要求在“债权或为担保债权在债务人财产中设定的权益是基于书面形式时……”随债权证明附带文件。官方表格 410 本身也仅仅是指引回 Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3001(c)（“附上破产规则 3001(c) 所要求的支持债权的任何文件的已编辑副本”）。然而，根据债务人的拟议程序，债权非基于书面形式的债权人\n\n2 债务人在 2022年4月13日举行的听证会记录中撤回了其聘请 Stretto, Inc. 的申请。\n\n却仍必须“附上所主张债权的支持性文件，除非文件卷帙浩繁”。该项要求应当予以剔除。\n\n15. 债务人的拟议程序将无条件且毫无例外地禁止任何未在截止日期前及时提交债权证明的债权人在截止日期后提交债权证明，并禁止其根据重整计划进行表决或参与任何分配。然而，该防火墙条款未能考虑到，债权证明可以在“Rule 3002(c)(2)、(c)(3)、(c)(4) 和 (c)(6) 所规定的范围和条件下”于截止日期之后提交（Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3003(c)(3)），或者截止日期可以根据 Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9006(b)(1)、(3) 予以宽展。债务人的拟议程序应当予以修改以符合上述规则。\n\n16. 债务人的拟议程序不当地未能为债权人提供以电子方式提交债权证明的途径。例如参见债权程序动议附件 1《向所有对债务人享有债权之人发出的要求提交债权证明之截止日期的通知》¶ 3（要求将债权证明送交法院）。委员会建议采用类似如下的条款：\n\n“律师（拥有完全访问权限账户）及机构债权人的雇员（拥有受限访问权限账户）可通过法院的案件管理/电子案件档案（Case Management/Electronic Case File，下称“CM/ECF”）系统以电子方式提交债权证明。未开通 CM/ECF 系统账户的债权人可申请并获取账户，并通过 CM/ECF 系统以电子方式提交债权证明。”\n\n据此，委员会谨请求法院驳回债权程序动议，除非上述缺陷得到纠正，并准予法院认为公正、公平且适当的其他或进一步救济。\n\n日期：康涅狄格州布里奇波特，2022年4月20日\n\nHO WAN KWOK（郭文贵）无担保债权人官方委员会\n\n签署人：/s/ Irve J. Goldman\nIrve J. Goldman\nJonathan A. Kaplan\nPullman & Comley, LLC\n850 Main Street, 8th Floor\nPO Box 7006\nBridgeport, CT 06601-7006\n(203) 330-2213\nigoldman@pullcom.com\n其代理律师（申请待决）\n\nUNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION（美国康涅狄格州破产法院布里奇波特分院）\n\n__________________________________________________\n关于：\n第 11 章\nHo Wan Kwok（郭文贵），\n债务人。1\n案号：22-50073\n2022年4月20日\n__________________________________________________\n\n送达证明\n\n我，Irve J. Goldman，特此证明于 2022年4月20日，本《无担保债权人官方委员会对债务人关于 (I) 设定提交债权证明截止日期、(II) 批准提交债权证明程序、以及 (III) 批准相关通知的动议的有限异议》已通过法院的 CM/ECF 电子提交系统（“CM/ECF”）提交，该系统已向所有通过 CM/ECF 接收通知的当事人发送了通知。\n\n/s/ Irve J. Goldman\nIrve J. Goldman\n\n债务人纳税人识别号的后四位为 9595。","key_entities":["Je","Kwok","Ho Wan Kwok","Guo","Miles Guo","CIPA"],"ecf_references":[{"doc_number":98,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":116,"court":"CTB"}],"word_count":1628,"status":"published","published_at":null,"created_at":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-23 12:56:53"}