{"id":"court_ctb_569_2","court":"CTB","case_no":"22-50073","doc_number":569,"sub_number":2,"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| ----------------------------------------------------------- | x                                      |\n|-------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|\n| In re:                                                      | :<br>:<br>Chapter 11                   |\n| HO WAN KWOK,                                                | :<br>:<br>Case No. 22-50073 (JAM)<br>: |\n| Debtor.                                                     | :<br>:                                 |\n| ----------------------------------------------------------- | x                                      |\n\n## **DECLARATION OF PATRICK R. LINSEY IN SUPPORT OFAPPLICATION OF CHAPTER 11 TRUSTEE FOR ENTRY OF ORDER, PURSUANT TO BANKRUPTCY CODE SECTIONS 327, 328, AND 330, BANKRUPTCY RULES 2014 AND 2016, AND LOCAL BANKRUPTCY RULES 2014-1 AND 2016-1, AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING RETENTION AND EMPLOYMENT OF NEUBERT, PEPE, & MONTEITH, P.C., AS LOCAL AND CONFLICTS COUNSEL TO THE CHAPTER 11 TRUSTEE**\n\nI, Patrick R. Linsey, being duly sworn, do depose and say:\n\n1. I am an attorney at the law firm of Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C. (\"NPM\"), which maintains its principal office at 195 Church Street, 13th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, and I make this declaration in support of the *Application of Chapter 11 Trustee for Entry of Order, Pursuant to Sections 327, 328, and 330 of the Bankruptcy Code, Bankruptcy Rules 2014 and 2016, and Local Bankruptcy Rules 2014-1 and 2016-1, Authorizing and Approving Retention and Employment of Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C. as Local and Conflicts Counsel to the Chapter 11 Trustee* in the above-captioned chapter 11 case (the \"Chapter 11 Case\") of Ho Wan Kwok (the \"Debtor\").\n\n2. NPM maintains offices in New Haven, Hartford, and Fairfield, Connecticut, and White Plains, New York. NPM was founded in 1993 and has a widely diversified general and corporate practice. The firm currently employs 36 lawyers, who are assisted by six paralegals.\n\n3. NPM has expertise in practice areas including financial reorganizations, bankruptcy, investigations, corporate, and commercial litigation matters. NPM is well suited for the type of representation required by the Chapter 11 Trustee. Its insolvency practice includes ten attorneys. NPM has substantial resources and expertise in the areas of the law that may arise in this case.\n\n4. NPM has specific and relevant experience in the representation of chapter 11 trustees, post-confirmation liquidating trustees, and creditor committees, including within and in connection with cases in this Court. NPM is also experienced in serving as local counsel, and, in so doing, working cooperatively with lead counsel by assisting in compliance with local rules and procedures, attending to routine and administrative matters as they arise, and otherwise providing services as may be required by lead counsel and in the best interests of its clients, all in a manner that promotes efficiency and avoids any unnecessary duplication of efforts by counsel. Considering the foregoing, NPM is also equipped to provide services as conflicts counsel to the extent that the need arises.\n\n5. NPM intends to apply to the Court for compensation for professional services rendered and for reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with this Chapter 11 Case pursuant to sections 330 and 331 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the \"Bankruptcy Code\"), Rule 2016 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the \"Bankruptcy Rules\"), and Rule 2016-1 of the Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut (the \"Local Bankruptcy Rules\"), and any other applicable rules and orders with respect to this Chapter 11 Case. NPM will charge the Chapter 11 Trustee for its legal services on an hourly basis at its regularly applicable hourly rates in connection with the services required in this Chapter 11 Case.\n\n2\n\n6. At present, the 2022 hourly rates of NPM are \\$140.00 - \\$165.00 for paralegal work; \\$165.00 - \\$350.00 for associates and counsel; and up to \\$450.00 for principals of the firm. NPM's hourly rates are subject to periodic adjustments to reflect economic and other conditions.<sup>1</sup> It is anticipated that NPM's services will primarily be provided by Douglas S. Skalka, whose hourly rate is \\$450.00, Lucas B. Rocklin, whose hourly rate is \\$400.00, and Patrick R. Linsey, whose hourly rate is \\$350.00.\n\n7. NPM will also bill for out-of-pocket expenses made on behalf of the Chapter 11 Trustee, including photocopying, postage and package deliveries, court fees, transcripts, witness fees, service fees, travel expenses, and computer-aided research, in accordance with practices in this District.\n\n8. To the best of my knowledge and belief after due inquiry, neither I, nor NPM, nor any member or associate thereof, represents professionally, or has any connection with, the Debtor, his creditors, any other party-in-interest, their respective attorneys and accountants, the United States Trustee, or any person employed in the Office of the United States Trustee, other than as disclosed herein.\n\n9. NPM maintains a computer database (the \"Database\") containing, *inter alia*, the names of all NPM's current and former clients and, with respect to any engagement, adverse and related persons. I caused to be submitted to, and checked against, the Database all of the following\n\n<sup>1</sup> NPM's hourly rates are typically revised at the end of each calendar year to reflect experience, seniority, and standing. These step increases do not constitute \"rate increases\" (as the term is used in the *Guidelines for Reviewing Applications for Compensation and Reimbursement of Expenses Filed Under 11 U.S.C. § 330 by Attorneys in Larger Chapter 11 Cases Effective as of November 1, 2013*) (the \"U.S. Trustee Guidelines\"). As set forth in the Proposed Order, NPM will provide ten business days' notice to the Debtor, the Assistant United States Trustee for the District of Connecticut (the \"U.S. Trustee\"), and counsel to the Committee and any other official committee, before implementing periodic increases, and shall file any such notice with the Court.\n\nnames: (a) the Debtor; (b) the members of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (the \"Committee\"); (c) creditors as set forth on the List of Creditors in this Chapter 11 Case, (d) Chapter 11 Trustee Luc A. Despins (the \"Chapter 11 Trustee\"), (e) all parties appearing in this Chapter 11 Case, and (f) the following potentially interested or adverse parties: (i) Golden Spring (New York) Ltd; (ii) Hing Ch Ngok; (iii) Qiang Guo; (iv) Mei Gui; (v) HK International Funds Investments (USA) Limited, LLC (purported owner of the *Lady May* yacht); (vi) Bravo Luck Limited (purported ultimate owner of Sherry-Netherland apartment); (vii) Lamp Capital LLC (provider of \\$1 million loan for Debtor's counsel retainer); and (viii) Genever Holdings LLC ((a) through (f), the \"Potentially Interested Parties\").\n\n10. NPM has no relationship or connection with the Potentially Interested Parties, or, to the best of my knowledge, with any other creditor of the Debtor, except that one of NPM's attorneys, Mark I. Fishman (\"Mr. Fishman\"), was contacted in or around March and April 2022 by counsel for Rui Ma and Weican Meng and by counsel for Rong Zhang, Xiodan Wang, and Chong Shen Rap, and another of NPM's attorneys, Douglas S. Skalka, was contacted in or around June 2022 by potential counsel for the prior proposed chapter 11 trustee (whose appointment was withdrawn and was not approved by the Court) (the foregoing, collectively, the \"Consulted Persons\") to discuss potential engagements to represent the Consulted Persons with respect to the Chapter 11 Case, *provided however*, that the Consulted Persons never retained or engaged NPM, NPM did not represent the Consulted Persons or charge them fees, the Consulted Persons never paid NPM fees, and I am not aware of NPM having received any information that would interfere with its representation of the Chapter 11 Trustee (including, were such to occur, in a capacity adverse to the Consulted Persons). See Conn. R.P.C. 1.18. To date and currently, Mr. Fishman is not one of NPM's attorneys providing services to the Chapter 11 Trustee. I was previously an attorney at Zeisler & Zeisler, P.C. (\"Z&Z\"), which firm is counsel to certain parties-in-interest in this Chapter 11 Case, including, as of July 14, 2022, the Debtor. I have not worked at Z&Z since March 2020. I am not aware that the Debtor or any parties-in-interest were clients of Z&Z when I was an attorney at the firm, and I never worked on any matters for or, to my knowledge, relating to, the Debtor or any parties-in-interest in this Chapter 11 Case, while I was at Z&Z.\n\n11. While NPM has made a diligent effort to ascertain the identity of any connections or potential conflicts with interested parties, to the extent that any additional information comes to light, NPM will review, disclose, and resolve any conflict or adverse interests that may appear.\n\n12. Based on the foregoing, insofar as I have been able to ascertain based on the information currently available to me: (a) NPM has no connection with the Debtor, his creditors, the U.S. Trustee, any person employed in the office of the U.S. Trustee, or any other party with an actual or potential interest in the Chapter 11 Case or their respective attorneys or accountants; and (b) neither NPM nor any of its attorneys (i) is a creditor, equity security holder, or insider of the Debtor or his affiliates, (ii) has been, within two years before the Petition Date, a director, officer, or employee of the Debtor or his affiliates, or (iii) has any interest materially adverse to the interests of the Debtor's estate or any class of creditors or equity security holders by reason of any direct or indirect relationship to, connection with, or interest in the Debtor, or for any other reason. Therefore, I believe that NPM is a \"disinterested person\" within the meaning of section 101(14) of the Bankruptcy Code, as modified by section 1107(b).\n\n13. NPM will apply to the Court for compensation under Bankruptcy Code §§ 330 and 331, Rules 2014 and 2016 of the Bankruptcy Rules, and Rules 2014-1 and 2016-1 of the Local Bankruptcy Rules.\n\n5\n\n14. NPM does not believe that Appendix B of the U.S. Trustee Guidelines (the \"Larger Case Guidelines\") applies in this Chapter 11 Case, because the Debtor's petition does not list \\$50 million or more in assets and \\$50 million or more in liabilities. In particular, the Debtor estimated the value of his assets between \\$50,001 and \\$100,000. Nevertheless, NPM intends to make a reasonable effort to comply with the U.S. Trustee's requests for information and additional disclosures set forth in the Larger Case Guidelines in connection with the interim and final fee applications to be filed by NPM in the Chapter 11 Case, but reserves all rights as to their relevance and substantive legal effect in connection with the Application or any application for compensation in the Chapter 11 Case.\n\n15. In the interest of providing maximum disclosure, and notwithstanding NPM's\n\nposition concerning the inapplicability of the Larger Case Guidelines, NPM provides the following\n\nresponse to the request for information set forth in Paragraph D.1. of the Larger Case Guidelines:\n\nQuestion: Did you agree to any variations from, or alternatives to, your standard or customary billing arrangements for this engagement? Answer: No.\n\nQuestion: Do any of the professionals included in this engagement vary their rate based on the geographic location of the bankruptcy case? Answer: No.\n\nQuestion: If you represented the client in the 12 months prepetition, disclose your billing rates and material financial terms for the prepetition engagement, including any adjustments during the 12 months prepetition. If your billing rates and material financial terms have changed postpetition, explain the difference and the reasons for the difference.\n\nAnswer: N/A. NPM has not previously represented the Chapter 11 Trustee.\n\nQuestion: Has your client approved your prospective budget and staffing plan, and, if so, for what budget period?\n\nAnswer: The Chapter 11 Trustee and NPM, in consultation with the Chapter 11 Trustee's lead counsel, Paul Hastings LLP, are discussing staffing and a budget for this Chapter 11 Case for the period from July 8, 2022 through September 30, 2022.\n\n16. NPM has neither shared nor agreed to share with any other person compensation received in these cases, except as is permitted by §504(b)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code.\n\nPursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, I declare under penalty of perjury that the above statements are true and correct.\n\nDated: July 15, 2022, at New Haven, Connecticut\n\n*/s/ Patrick R. Linsey* Patrick R. Linsey","body_zh":"United States Bankruptcy Court District of Connecticut Bridgeport Division（美国康涅狄格区联邦破产法院布里奇波特分院）\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------　x\n\n关于：\n第 11 章\nHo Wan Kwok（郭文贵），\n案号：22-50073 (JAM)\n债务人。\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------　x\n\nPatrick R. Linsey（帕特里克·R·林赛）支持第 11 章受托人依据《破产法典》第 327、328 和 330 条、《破产规则》第 2014 和 2016 条以及《本地破产规则》第 2014-1 和 2016-1 条请求作出授权并批准聘用 Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C. 担任第 11 章受托人本地律师及利益冲突特别律师之命令的申请之声明书\n\n我，Patrick R. Linsey，经依法宣誓，作证并陈述如下：\n\n1. 我是 Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C.（“NPM”）律师事务所的律师，该所主要办公地址位于 195 Church Street, 13th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510。我作出本声明，旨在支持上述 Ho Wan Kwok（“债务人”）第 11 章案件（“第 11 章案件”）中《第 11 章受托人依据〈破产法典〉第 327、328 和 330 条、〈破产规则〉第 2014 和 2016 条以及〈本地破产规则〉第 2014-1 和 2016-1 条请求作出授权并批准聘用 Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C. 担任第 11 章受托人本地律师及利益冲突特别律师之命令的申请》。\n\n2. NPM 在 Connecticut（康涅狄格州）New Haven（纽黑文）、Hartford（哈特福德）和 Fairfield（费尔菲尔德）以及 New York（纽约州）White Plains（白原市）设有办事处。NPM 成立于 1993 年，拥有广泛多样化的综合与公司法律业务。该所目前聘用 36 名律师，并由 6 名律师助理协助工作。\n\n3. NPM 在财务重组、破产、调查、公司及商业诉讼等业务领域拥有专业专长。NPM 非常适合提供第 11 章受托人所要求的代理工作。其破产重组业务团队包括 10 名律师。NPM 在本案可能涉及的法律领域拥有雄厚的资源和专业知识。\n\n4. NPM 在代理第 11 章受托人、重整计划确认后的清算受托人以及债权人委员会方面拥有具体且相关的经验，包括在本法院审理的案件中以及与本院相关的案件中。NPM 在担任本地律师方面亦经验丰富，并在此过程中与首席律师开展协作，协助遵守本地规则和程序，处理出现的日常和行政性事务，并根据首席律师的要求且为委托人的最大利益提供其他服务，所有工作均以提高效率并避免律师不必要重复劳动的方式进行。鉴于上述情况，在需要产生时，NPM 亦具备担任利益冲突特别律师提供服务的能力。\n\n5. NPM 拟依据《美国法典》第 11 编（“《破产法典》”）第 330 和 331 条、《联邦破产程序规则》（“《破产规则》”）第 2016 条、以及《美国康涅狄格区联邦破产法院破产程序本地规则》（“《本地破产规则》”）第 2016-1 条，以及与本第 11 章案件相关的任何其他适用规则和命令，向法院申请就所提供的专业服务获得报酬，并就与本第 11 章案件相关的支出费用获得补偿。NPM 将就本第 11 章案件所需的服务，按其常规适用的每小时费率，按小时向第 11 章受托人收取法律服务费用。\n\n6. 目前，NPM 的 2022 年小时费率为：律师助理工作每小时 $140.00 - $165.00；专职律师及顾问律师每小时 $165.00 - $350.00；该所主要负责人最高为每小时 $450.00。NPM 的小时费率会定期进行调整以反映经济及其他状况。1 预计 NPM 的服务将主要由 Douglas S. Skalka（道格拉斯·S·斯卡尔卡，小时费率为 $450.00）、Lucas B. Rocklin（卢卡斯·B·罗克林，小时费率为 $400.00）和 Patrick R. Linsey（小时费率为 $350.00）提供。\n\n7. NPM 亦将按照本司法管辖区的惯例，收取代表第 11 章受托人垫付的实报实销自付费用，包括复印费、邮费及包裹递送费、法院规费、庭审笔录费、证人费、送达费、差旅费以及计算机辅助检索费。\n\n8. 经正当查询后，据我所知并确信，除本声明所披露者外，我本人、NPM 以及该所的任何成员或专职律师，均未在业务上代理债务人、其债权人、任何其他利害关系方、彼等各自的律师和会计师、United States Trustee（美国联邦破产受托人）或在联邦破产受托人办公室任职的任何人员，亦与彼等无任何关联。\n\n9. NPM 维护一个计算机数据库（“数据库”），其中除其他内容外，包含 NPM 所有现有和既往客户的姓名/名称，以及就任何委托业务而言的对方当事人及相关人员。我已将以下所有姓名/名称提交至数据库并进行了核对：\n\n1 NPM 的小时费率通常在每个日历年年末进行修订，以反映执业经验、资历和地位。此类阶梯式上调并不构成“费率上调”（如 2013 年 11 月 1 日生效的《审查律师在大型第 11 章案件中根据 11 U.S.C. § 330 提出的报酬和费用补偿申请指南》（“《美国受托人指南》”）中所使用的术语）。正如《拟定命令》中所述，在实施定期上调前，NPM 将向债务人、康涅狄格区助理联邦破产受托人（“美国受托人”）、委员会律师以及任何其他官方委员会的律师提供十个工作日的提前通知，并将向法院提交任何此类通知。\n\n姓名/名称：(a) 债务人；(b) Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors（无担保债权人官方委员会，“委员会”）成员；(c) 本第 11 章案件债权人名册上列明的债权人；(d) 第 11 章受托人 Luc A. Despins（吕克·A·德斯平斯，“第 11 章受托人”）；(e) 在本第 11 章案件中出庭的所有当事人；以及 (f) 以下潜在利害关系方或对方当事人：(i) Golden Spring (New York) Ltd（源泉（纽约）有限公司）；(ii) Hing Ch Ngok（岳庆芝）；(iii) Qiang Guo（郭强）；(iv) Mei Gui（郭美）；(v) HK International Funds Investments (USA) Limited, LLC（“Lady May（梅号）”游艇的据称所有人）；(vi) Bravo Luck Limited（Sherry-Netherland（雪梨尼德兰）公寓的据称最终所有人）；(vii) Lamp Capital LLC（为债务人律师聘用定金提供 100 万美元贷款的出资方）；以及 (viii) Genever Holdings LLC（(a) 至 (f) 项统称“潜在利害关系方”）。\n\n10. NPM 与潜在利害关系方没有任何关系或关联，且据我所知，亦与债务人的任何其他债权人没有任何关系或关联，但以下情况除外：NPM 的律师之一 Mark I. Fishman（马克·I·菲什曼，“Fishman 律师”）曾在 2022 年 3 月和 4 月左右接洽过 Rui Ma（马蕊）和 Weican Meng（孟维参）的代理律师，以及 Rong Zhang（张蓉）、Xiodan Wang（王晓丹）和 Chong Shen Rap 的代理律师；NPM 的另一位律师 Douglas S. Skalka 曾在 2022 年 6 月左右接洽过此前拟任第 11 章受托人（其任命已被撤回且未获法院批准）的潜在代理律师（上述人员统称“咨询人员”），以商讨就本第 11 章案件代理咨询人员的潜在聘用事宜；但前提是，咨询人员从未聘请或聘用 NPM，NPM 未曾代理咨询人员或向其收取费用，咨询人员亦从未向 NPM 支付费用，且据我所知，NPM 未收到任何会妨碍其代理第 11 章受托人的信息（包括在发生此类情况时以与咨询人员对立的身份提供代理）。参见 Conn. R.P.C. 1.18。迄今为止且目前，Fishman 律师不是向第 11 章受托人提供服务的 NPM 律师之一。我此前曾是 Zeisler & Zeisler, P.C.（“Z&Z”）的律师，该所是本第 11 章案件中某些利害关系方的代理律师，包括自 2022 年 7 月 14 日起担任债务人的代理律师。我自 2020 年 3 月起便不再在 Z&Z 工作。据我所知，在我担任该所律师期间，债务人或任何利害关系方均非 Z&Z 的客户，且我在 Z&Z 工作期间从未处理过任何为债务人或本第 11 章案件中任何利害关系方办理的事务，或（据我所知）与彼等相关的任何事务。\n\n11. 尽管 NPM 已尽力查明与利害关系方的任何关联或潜在利益冲突，但若有任何进一步信息披露出来，NPM 将对此进行审查、披露并解决可能出现的任何利益冲突或对立利益。\n\n12. 基于上述情况，就我根据目前可获得的信息所能查明的情况而言：(a) NPM 与债务人、其债权人、美国受托人、在受托人办公室任职的任何人员、或在第 11 章案件中拥有实际或潜在利益的任何其他当事人或其各自的律师或会计师均无关联；以及 (b) NPM 及其任何律师均 (i) 不是债务人或其关联方的债权人、权益证券持有人或内部人，(ii) 在申请提出日前两年内未曾担任债务人或其关联方的董事、高管或雇员，或 (iii) 未因与债务人的任何直接或间接关系、关联或在债务人中的权益，或出于任何其他原因，而拥有与债务人破产财产或任何类别债权人或权益证券持有人的利益存在重大对立的任何利益。因此，我认为 NPM 属于经《破产法典》第 1107(b) 条修正的第 101(14) 条含义范围内的“无利害关系人”。\n\n13. NPM 将根据《破产法典》§§ 330 和 331、《破产规则》第 2014 和 2016 条、以及《本地破产规则》第 2014-1 和 2016-1 条向法院申请报酬。\n\n14. NPM 认为《美国受托人指南》附录 B（“《大型案件指南》”）不适用于本第 11 章案件，因为债务人的破产申请书未列出 $50,000,000 或以上的资产以及 $50,000,000 或以上的负债。具体而言，债务人预估其资产价值在 $50,001 至 $100,000 之间。尽管如此，NPM 仍拟作出合理努力，配合提供美国受托人的信息要求以及《大型案件指南》中规定的与 NPM 在本第 11 章案件中将要提交的中期及最终费用申请相关的补充披露，但就其与本申请或本第 11 章案件中的任何报酬申请的相关性及实质法律效力保留所有权利。\n\n15. 为实现最大限度的披露，尽管 NPM 认为《大型案件指南》不适用，NPM 仍就《大型案件指南》第 D.1 段所载的信息要求提供如下答复：\n\n问题：对于本次聘用，您是否同意了对您的标准或常规计费安排的任何变更或替代方案？答复：否。\n\n问题：本次聘用所涉及的任何专业人员是否会根据破产案件所在的地理位置调整其费率？答复：否。\n\n问题：如果您在申请提出前 12 个月内曾代理该委托人，请披露申请提出前聘用的计费费率和重大财务条款，包括申请提出前 12 个月内的任何调整。如果您的计费费率和重大财务条款在申请提出后发生变更，请说明差异及差异的原因。\n\n答复：不适用。NPM 此前未曾代理过第 11 章受托人。\n\n问题：您的委托人是否已批准您的预期预算和人员配备计划？如果是，预算期为何？\n\n答复：第 11 章受托人（Chapter 11 Trustee）与 NPM（NPM）在与第 11 章受托人的首席法律顾问 Paul Hastings LLP（普衡律师事务所）协商后，正在讨论本第 11 章案件自 2022年7月8日至 2022年9月30日期间的人员配置及预算。\n\n16. 除《破产法》（Bankruptcy Code）§504(b)(1) 允许的情况外，NPM 既未与任何其他人分享，也未同意与任何其他人分享在这些案件中收到的报酬。\n\n根据 28 U.S.C. § 1746，我谨在接受伪证处罚的前提下声明，上述陈述真实无误。\n\n日期：2022年7月15日，于康涅狄格州纽黑文（New Haven, Connecticut）\n\n/s/ Patrick R. Linsey（帕特里克·R·林西） Patrick R. Linsey（帕特里克·R·林西）","key_entities":["CIPA","Kwok","Ho Wan Kwok","Guo","Despins","Je","Paul Hastings"],"ecf_references":[],"word_count":2008,"status":"published","published_at":null,"created_at":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-23 13:05:14"}