{"id":"court_ctb_392_2","court":"CTB","case_no":"22-50073","doc_number":392,"sub_number":2,"doc_type":"ORDER","filed_date":"2022-05-18","title":"EXHIBIT 44 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK","summary_zh":null,"summary_en":null,"body_en":"# **EXHIBIT 44**\n\n## **UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK**\n\n#### PACIFIC ALLIANCE ASIA OPPORTUNITY FUND L.P.,\n\nPlaintiff,\n\nvs.\n\nKWOK HO WAN, a/k/a KWOK HO, a/k/a GWO WEN GUI, a/k/a GUO WENGUI, a/k/a GUO WEN-GUI, a/k/a WAN GUE HAOYUN, a/k/a MILES KWOK, a/k/a HAOYUN GUO, GENEVER: HOLDINGS LLC, and GENEVER HOLDINGS CORPORATION,\n\nCivil Action No. 652077/2017\n\nDefendants.\n\n## **NOTICE OF REMOVAL**\n\n## **TO THE CLERK OF THE ABOVE-ENTITLED COURT**\n\n**PLEASE TAKE NOTICE** that on this date, defendant Ho Wan Kwok (\"Mr. Kwok\") by and through his undersigned attorneys, files this Notice of Removal pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1452 and Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9027, removing this entire action from the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County (the \"New York State Court\") to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (the \"Court\" or the \"New York District Court\"), the abovecaptioned case brought by plaintiff Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. (the \"Plaintiff\") in the New York State Court. This Court has original jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b) and 1334(e).\n\nIn support of this Notice of Removal, Mr. Kwok states as follows:\n\n1. On April 18, 2017, Plaintiff filed a civil action numbered 652077/2017 (the \"Action\"). Numerous aspects of the Action are currently on appeal. At present, the Plaintiff in\n\n#### **FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 03/15/2022 04:19 PM** INDEX NO. 652077/2017 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 1195 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/15/2022 Case 22-50073 Doc 392-2 Filed 05/18/22 Entered 05/18/22 23:24:31 Page 3 of 5\n\nthe Action seeks to enforce an order to compel Mr. Kwok to move a boat (the \"Lady May\") that he is alleged to own or control into the jurisdiction of the State of New York, and to otherwise exercise control over purported assets of Mr. Kwok to satisfy a judgment. *See 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*, Case No. 22-50073, Docket No. 57, at ¶ 12 (Bankr. D. Conn 2022) (noting that plaintiff is seeking in this Action the enforcement of an order \"requiring the return of the Lady May to New York\").\n\n2. On February 15, 2022 (the \"Petition Date\"), Mr. Kwok (\"Mr. Kwok\") filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the District of Connecticut, Bridgeport Division (the \"CT Bankruptcy Court\"), and was assigned Case No. 22- 50073 (JAM), (the \"Chapter 11 Case\"). Accordingly, the time for removal prescribed by 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b) and Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9027(a)(2) has not expired.\n\n3. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1452(a) \"[a] party may remove any claim or cause of action in a civil action . . . to the district court for the district where such civil action is pending, if such district court has jurisdiction of such claim or action under § 1334 of this Title[.]\"\n\n4. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b), this Court has jurisdiction to hear all civil proceedings that \"aris[e] under title 11, or aris[e] in or [are] related to cases under title 11\" of the United States Code, the Bankruptcy Code.\n\n5. As of the filing of the Chapter 11 Case, the CT Bankruptcy Court has \"exclusive jurisdiction\" over \"all the property, wherever located, of the debtor as of the commencement of such case, and of property of the estate[.]\" 28 U.S.C. § 1334(e) Accordingly, the Civil Action presently impinges on the exclusive jurisdiction of the CT Bankruptcy Court to determine what is\n\n2\n\n#### **FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 03/15/2022 04:19 PM** INDEX NO. 652077/2017 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 1195 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/15/2022 Case 22-50073 Doc 392-2 Filed 05/18/22 Entered 05/18/22 23:24:31 Page 4 of 5\n\n(or is not) property of the estate, and to exercise jurisdiction over such property. *See In re AE Liquidation, Inc.*, 435 B.R. 894, 904 (Bankr. D. Del. 2010) (determination whether property is property of the estate falls within the bankruptcy court's exclusive jurisdiction); *In re 245 Assocs., LLC*, 188 B.R. 743, 749 fn. 6 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 1995), corrected (Nov. 9, 1995) (\"The commencement of the bankruptcy case vests the district court with exclusive jurisdiction over property of the debtor and the estate.\").\n\n6. Accordingly, as of the filing of the Chapter 11 Case, any action seeking to determine what is (or is not) the property of Mr. Kwok or his estate is governed by 11 U.S.C. § 541 and, thus, the Action is an action \"arising in\" the Chapter 11 Case.\n\n7. This case also is \"related to\" the Chapter 11 Case because it has a close nexus to the bankruptcy proceedings and seeks to determine issues regarding Mr. Kwok's ownership and/or control (or lack thereof) of property and to exercise control over certain assets that are alleged to be within his ownership or control, [1](#page--1-0) as well as actions he is alleged to have taken with respect to his creditors.\n\n8. The Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County is within the Southern District of New York, and accordingly removal to the Southern District of New York is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1452(a). Following removal, Mr. Kwok anticipates seeking to transfer venue to the District of Connecticut and referral to the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut based on the ongoing Chapter 11 Case, rather than seeking referral to a bankruptcy court in the Southern District of New York.\n\n<sup>1</sup> The New York State Court has issued orders that contain factual findings with respect to these issues, including determining that the most relevant purported asset (the Lady May yacht) is within Mr. Kwok's beneficial ownership. That finding is on appeal and Mr. Kwok does not waive his objections to that factual finding or any others that are on appeal.\n\n#### **FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 03/15/2022 04:19 PM** INDEX NO. 652077/2017 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 1195 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/15/2022 Case 22-50073 Doc 392-2 Filed 05/18/22 Entered 05/18/22 23:24:31 Page 5 of 5\n\n9. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1446(d) and Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9027(c), a copy of this Notice\n\nof Removal will be filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, and a copy of this Notice of Removal will be served upon counsel for the Plaintiff.\n\n10. Pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9027(a)(1), Mr. Kwok consents to the entry of a final order by the Bankruptcy Court with respect to any non-core claim within the meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2).\n\n**WHEREFORE**, Mr. Kwok removes the entire action now pending in the Supreme\n\nCourt of New York, New York County to this Court.\n\nDated: March 15, 2022\n\n## **BROWN RUDNICK LLP**\n\nBy: */s/ William R. Baldiga* William R. Baldiga, Esq. Bennett S. Silverberg, Esq. Uriel Pinelo, Esq. Seven Times Square New York, New York 10036 Telephone: (212) 209-4800 Facsimile: (212) 209-4801 Email: wbaldiga@brownrudnick.com Email: bsilverberg@brownrudnick.com Email: upinelo@brownrudnick.com\n\n*Proposed Counsel for Ho Wan Kwok, Debtor*","body_zh":"EXHIBIT 44（物证 44）\nUNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK（美国纽约南区联邦地区法院）\nPACIFIC ALLIANCE ASIA OPPORTUNITY FUND L.P.（太平洋联盟亚洲机会基金有限合伙），\n\n原告，\n\n对\n\nKWOK HO WAN（郭浩云，又名 KWOK HO、GWO WEN GUI、GUO WENGUI［郭文贵］、GUO WEN-GUI、WAN GUE HAOYUN、MILES KWOK、HAOYUN GUO）、GENEVER HOLDINGS LLC（Genever 控股有限责任公司）及 GENEVER HOLDINGS CORPORATION（Genever 控股公司），\n\n民事诉讼案号 652077/2017\n\n被告。\n移审通知\n致上述受案法院书记官\n\n请注意，于本通知之日，被告 Ho Wan Kwok（郭文贵，下称“郭先生”）由其下述签字律师代表，依据 28 U.S.C. § 1452 以及《联邦破产诉讼程序规则》（Fed. R. Bankr. P.）第 9027 条提出本移审通知，将本案全案从 Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County（纽约州纽约县最高法院，下称“纽约州法院”）移审至 United States District Court for the Southern District of New York（美国纽约南区联邦地区法院，下称“本法院”或“纽约联邦地区法院”），即原告 Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P.（下称“原告”）在纽约州法院提起的前述标题案件。依据 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b) 及 1334(e)，本法院对本案享有原始管辖权。\n\n为支持本移审通知，郭先生陈述如下：\n\n1. 2017年4月18日，原告提起了编号为 652077/2017 的民事诉讼（下称“本诉讼”）。本诉讼的诸多方面目前正在上诉中。目前，本诉讼中的原告\n\n提交：纽约县书记官 03/15/2022 04:19 PM 索引号 652077/2017 NYSCEF 文件编号 1195 收到 NYSCEF：03/15/2022 案件编号 22-50073 卷宗 392-2 提交于 05/18/22 录入于 05/18/22 23:24:31 第 3 页，共 5 页\n\n寻求执行一项命令，以强迫郭先生将一艘据称由其所有或控制的船只（即“Lady May”［梅夫人号］）移入纽约州管辖范围内，并以其他方式对郭先生的据称资产行使控制权以清偿判决。参见《Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. 申请作出确认自动中止不适用或依据破产法典第 362(d)(2) 条免除自动中止的命令的动议》，案件编号 22-50073，卷宗编号 57，第 12 段（Bankr. D. Conn 2022）（指出原告在本诉讼中寻求执行一项“要求将 Lady May 号归还至纽约”的命令）。\n\n2. 2022年2月15日（下称“申请日”），郭先生（下称“郭先生”）在 District of Connecticut, Bridgeport Division（康涅狄格区联邦地区法院布里奇波特分部，下称“康涅狄格破产法院”）依据《破产法典》第 11 章自愿提出救济申请，并被分配案件编号 22-50073 (JAM)（下称“第 11 章案件”）。据此，28 U.S.C. § 1446(b) 和 Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9027(a)(2) 所规定的移审期限尚未届满。\n\n3. 根据 28 U.S.C. § 1452(a)，“如果该地区法院根据本编第 1334 条对民事诉讼中的索赔或诉由享有管辖权，则当事人可将该民事诉讼中的任何索赔或诉由……移审至该民事诉讼悬而未决所在地区的地区法院。”\n\n4. 根据 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b)，本法院有权审理所有“根据第 11 编产生的、或在第 11 编项下案件中产生的、或与第 11 编项下案件相关的”《美国法典》（即《破产法典》）民事程序。\n\n5. 截至第 11 章案件提交时，康涅狄格破产法院对“截至该案件启动时债务人的所有财产（无论位于何处）以及破产财团的财产”享有“专属管辖权”。28 U.S.C. § 1334(e)。据此，本民事诉讼目前侵犯了康涅狄格破产法院确定何为\n\n提交：纽约县书记官 03/15/2022 04:19 PM 索引号 652077/2017 NYSCEF 文件编号 1195 收到 NYSCEF：03/15/2022 案件编号 22-50073 卷宗 392-2 提交于 05/18/22 录入于 05/18/22 23:24:31 第 4 页，共 5 页\n\n（或不是）破产财团财产并对该等财产行使管辖权的专属管辖权。参见 In re AE Liquidation, Inc., 435 B.R. 894, 904 (Bankr. D. Del. 2010)（认定某项财产是否属于破产财团财产属于破产法院的专属管辖范围）；In re 245 Assocs., LLC, 188 B.R. 743, 749 脚注 6 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 1995), 更正于 (Nov. 9, 1995)（“破产案件的启动赋予地区法院对债务人和破产财团财产的专属管辖权。”）。\n\n6. 据此，截至第 11 章案件提交时，任何旨在确定何为（或不是）郭先生或其破产财团财产的诉讼均受 11 U.S.C. § 541 规制，因此，本诉讼属于在第 11 章案件中“产生”的诉讼。\n\n7. 本案亦与第 11 章案件“相关”，因为它与破产程序有着密切关联，并试图确定有关郭先生对财产的所有权和/或控制权（或缺乏所有权和/或控制权）的问题，并试图对据称属于其所有或控制的某些资产行使控制权，[1] 以及就其据称针对其债权人采取的行为进行确定。\n\n8. 纽约州纽约县最高法院位于纽约南区境内，据此，依据 28 U.S.C. § 1452(a) 移审至纽约南区是正当的。移审之后，郭先生预计将基于正在进行的第 11 章案件申请将审判地移转至康涅狄格区联邦地区法院并移交至康涅狄格区破产法院，而不是申请移交至纽约南区的破产法院。\n\n1 纽约州法院已发布载有关于这些问题的事实认定的命令，包括认定最相关的据称资产（Lady May 号游艇）属于郭先生的实益所有权范围内。该认定正在上诉中，郭先生并未放弃对该事实认定或任何其他正在上诉的事实认定的异议。\n提交：纽约县书记官 03/15/2022 04:19 PM 索引号 652077/2017 NYSCEF 文件编号 1195 收到 NYSCEF：03/15/2022 案件编号 22-50073 卷宗 392-2 提交于 05/18/22 录入于 05/18/22 23:24:31 第 5 页，共 5 页\n\n9. 依据 28 U.S.C. § 1446(d) 及 Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9027(c)，本移审通知的一份副本\n\n将向纽约州纽约县最高法院书记官提交备查，本移审通知的一份副本将送达原告律师。\n\n10. 依据 Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9027(a)(1)，对于 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2) 含义内的任何非核心主张，郭先生同意由破产法院作出终局裁定。\n\n综上所述，郭先生将目前悬于纽约州纽约县最高\n\n法院的本诉讼全案移审至本法院。\n\n日期：2022年3月15日\nBROWN RUDNICK LLP（布朗·鲁德尼克有限责任合伙律师事务所）\n\n签署人：/s/ William R. Baldiga William R. Baldiga 律师 Bennett S. Silverberg 律师 Uriel Pinelo 律师 时代广场七号 纽约，纽约州 10036 电话：(212) 209-4800 传真：(212) 209-4801 电子邮件：wbaldiga@brownrudnick.com 电子邮件：bsilverberg@brownrudnick.com 电子邮件：upinelo@brownrudnick.com\n\n拟任债务人 Ho Wan Kwok（郭文贵）代理律师","key_entities":["Kwok","Guo","Ho Wan Kwok","Je","CIPA"],"ecf_references":[],"word_count":1183,"status":"published","published_at":"2022-05-18 00:00:00","created_at":"2022-05-18","updated_at":"2026-08-23 12:44:19"}