{"id":"court_ctb_802_0","court":"CTB","case_no":"22-50073","doc_number":802,"sub_number":0,"doc_type":"DECLARATION","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 |  |\n| Debtor.                                                         | :<br>:                      |  |\n| --------------------------------------------------------------- | :<br>x                      |  |\n\n## **THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL DECLARATION OF DISINTERESTEDNESS OF LUC A. DESPINS**\n\nI, Luc A. Despins, declare the following is true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief:\n\n1. I submit this declaration (the \"Third Supplemental Declaration\") to supplement (a) the declaration submitted to the Court on July 7, 2022 [Docket No. 515-1] (the \"Initial Declaration\")<sup>1</sup> as part of the U.S. Trustee's request to appoint me as chapter 11 trustee (the \"Trustee\") in the chapter 11 case of Ho Wan Kwok (the \"Debtor\") pending before this Court (the \"Chapter 11 Case\"); (b) the declaration submitted to the Court on July 12, 2022 [Docket No. 538] (the \"First Supplemental Declaration\"); and (c) the declaration submitted to the Court on July 28, 2022 [Docket No. 633] (the \"Second Supplemental Declaration\" and, together with the Initial Declaration and the First Supplemental Declaration, the \"Prior Declarations\"), and in further support of my application to approve the employment of Paul Hastings as counsel to the Trustee (the \"Application\"). I hereby supplement the Prior Declarations with respect to both my appointment as chapter 11 trustee and the retention of Paul Hastings, as follows:\n\n<sup>1</sup> Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Initial Declaration.\n\n2. I attached to the Initial Declaration a schedule of parties in interest (the \"Initial Parties in Interest List\") that was used by Paul Hastings as part of its review procedures to enable it to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Bankruptcy Code, the Bankruptcy Rules, and any local rules of the Court regarding the service of a trustee and the employment of professionals under the Bankruptcy Code (the \"Review Procedures\").\n\n3. Subsequent to my appointment as Trustee, and as part of the process of my investigation into the assets and financial affairs of the Debtor, I have become aware of a number of additional parties that I believe may be considered parties in interest in connection with the Chapter 11 Case. I attach hereto, as Schedule 1, an updated list of parties in interest that is supplemented to include these additional parties (the \"First Revised Parties in Interest List\"). I have also attached, as Schedule 2 hereto, a redline comparison document showing the newly added parties (the \"Recently Added Parties in Interest\") as compared to the parties on the Initial Parties in Interest List (the \"Previously Known Parties in Interest\"). I have asked Paul Hastings Personnel to apply the Review Procedures, as applicable, to the Recently Added Parties in Interest.\n\n4. Based on the results of the Review Procedures , I believe neither Paul Hastings nor any of its attorneys, including me, has any connections (as that term is used in Bankruptcy Rule 2014), with any of the Recently Added Parties in Interest, except:\n\n> a. Williams & Connolly LLP (\"Williams & Connolly\") assisted the Debtor in connection with the formation of Genever Holdings Corporation (BVI) and is a target of the Trustee's investigation of professional firms that have represented the Debtor and entities linked to the Debtor. Williams & Connolly is a current client of Paul Hastings in connection with Unrelated\n\n> > -2-\n\nMatters related to employment law advice. I, in my capacity as Trustee, am able to be adverse to Williams & Connolly and to be the named plaintiff, as chapter 11 Trustee, in any lawsuit against Williams & Connolly. All matters related to Williams & Connolly will be handled by my local and conflicts counsel, Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C. (\"NPM\").\n\n- b. I have received reports that the Debtor (or entities affiliated with the Debtor and/or his family members) may have done business with Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, Chase Bank, and HSBC (the \"Banks\"). The Banks therefore have become targets in the Trustee's investigation of the Debtor's assets and financial affairs because they may be in possession of documents relevant to such investigation. Paul Hastings represents the Banks in various Unrelated Matters. (Paul Hastings, like other large law firms, represents numerous large financial institutions such as the Banks as a matter of course). I, in my capacity as Trustee, am able to be adverse to the Banks and to be the named plaintiff, as chapter 11 Trustee, in any lawsuit against the Banks. All matters related to the Banks will be handled by NPM.\n- c. The law firm of Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP (\"EKLJ\"), has represented Lamp Capital LLC (\"Lamp\"), the entity that funded the retainer paid to the Debtor's former bankruptcy counsel, in its capacity as a non-party involved in *Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. v. Ho Wan Kwok*, Index No. 652077/2017 (N.Y. Sup. Ct.) (J. Ostrager). As such, EKLJ is a target of the Trustee's investigation of professional firms\n\n-3-\n\nthat have represented the Debtor and entities linked to the Debtor. A partner at EKLJ, though not the partner representing Lamp, currently represents Paul Hastings in an Unrelated Matter. I, in my capacity as Trustee, am able to be adverse to EKLJ and to be the named plaintiff, as chapter 11 Trustee, in any lawsuit against EKLJ. All matters related to EKLJ will be handled by NPM.\n\n5. In addition, subject to what was previously disclosed in the Prior Declarations, I continue to believe that neither Paul Hastings nor any of its attorneys, including me, has any connections (as that term is used in Bankruptcy Rule 2014), with any of the Previously Known Parties in Interest, except:\n\n> a. Counsel Press Inc. (\"Counsel Press\") was listed by the Debtor on his SOFA as a creditor that received a payment within the 90 days preceding the commencement of the Chapter 11 Case. Shortly before the filing of this Third Supplemental Declaration, an affiliate of Counsel Press Inc. became a client of Paul Hastings in connection with an Unrelated Matter. I, in my capacity as Trustee, am able to be adverse to Counsel Press and to be the named plaintiff, as chapter 11 Trustee, in any lawsuit against Counsel Press. All matters related to Counsel Press will be handled by NPM.\n\n6. I declare under penalty of perjury under 28 U.S.C. § 1746 that the foregoing is true and correct.\n\nExecuted August 29, 2022, at New York, NY.\n\nLuc A. Despir\n\n-4-","body_zh":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION（美国康涅狄格区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\n债务人。\n\nx\nLUC A. DESPINS 关于无利害关系的第三次补充声明\n\n我，Luc A. Despins，谨声明就我所知、所悉及所信，以下内容真实无误：\n\n1. 我提交本声明（“第三次补充声明”），以补充：(a) 于 2022年7月7日 提交给法院的声明 [Docket No. 515-1]（“初始声明”）1，该声明是作为 U.S. Trustee（美国受托人）请求任命我为本院审理中的 Ho Wan Kwok（郭文贵）（“债务人”）第11章案件（“第11章案件”）的第11章受托人（“受托人”）的一部分；(b) 于 2022年7月12日 提交给法院的声明 [Docket No. 538]（“第一次补充声明”）；以及 (c) 于 2022年7月28日 提交给法院的声明 [Docket No. 633]（“第二次补充声明”，与初始声明和第一次补充声明合称“前次声明”），并进一步支持我关于批准聘请 Paul Hastings（普衡律师事务所）作为受托人法律顾问的申请（“申请”）。我就我被任命为第11章受托人以及聘请普衡律师事务所两项事宜，谨对前次声明补充如下：\n\n1 本声明中未予定义的首字母大写术语应具有初始声明中赋予它们的含义。\n\n2. 我在初始声明后附了一份利害关系人清单（“初始利害关系人清单”），普衡律师事务所将该清单作为其审查程序的一部分，以便其能够确保遵守 Bankruptcy Code（《破产法典》）、Bankruptcy Rules（《破产规则》）以及本院关于受托人履职和根据《破产法典》聘用专业人员的任何本地规则的要求（“审查程序”）。\n\n3. 在我被任命为受托人之后，并且作为我对债务人资产和财务状况调查程序的一部分，我获悉了若干我认为可能被视为与第11章案件相关的利害关系人的额外当事方。我在此随附附表1，即经补充包含这些额外当事方的更新利害关系人清单（“第一次修订利害关系人清单”）。我还在此随附附表2，即一份红线比对文件，显示与初始利害关系人清单上的当事方（“先前已知利害关系人”）相比新增加的当事方（“近期新增利害关系人”）。我已要求普衡律师事务所人员对近期新增利害关系人适用审查程序（如适用）。\n\n4. 根据审查程序的结果，我相信普衡律师事务所及其任何律师（包括我在内）与任何近期新增利害关系人均不存在任何关联（依据《破产规则》第2014条中所使用的该术语含义），但以下情况除外：\n\na. Williams & Connolly LLP（“Williams & Connolly”）曾协助债务人设立 Genever Holdings Corporation (BVI)，并且是受托人对曾代表债务人及与债务人相关联实体的专业机构进行调查的目标之一。Williams & Connolly 是普衡律师事务所目前在与雇佣法咨询相关的无关事务中的客户。我以受托人身份，能够与 Williams & Connolly 处于相对利益方，并能够在针对 Williams & Connolly 的任何诉讼中作为第11章受托人担任指定原告。与 Williams & Connolly 相关的所有事务将由我的本地及利益冲突法律顾问 Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C.（“NPM”）处理。\n\n-2-\n\nb. 我已收到报告称，债务人（或与债务人及其家庭成员关联的实体）可能曾与 Standard Chartered Bank（渣打银行）、Citibank（花旗银行）、Chase Bank（大通银行）和 HSBC（汇丰银行）（统称“各银行”）有业务往来。因此，各银行已成为受托人调查债务人资产和财务状况的目标，因为它们可能持有与该调查相关的文件。普衡律师事务所在多项无关事务中代表各银行。（普衡律师事务所与其他大型律师事务所一样，在日常业务中代表诸如各银行等众多大型金融机构）。我以受托人身份，能够与各银行处于相对利益方，并能够在针对各银行的任何诉讼中作为第11章受托人担任指定原告。与各银行相关的所有事务将由 NPM 处理。\n\nc. Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP（“EKLJ”）律师事务所曾作为涉及 Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. v. Ho Wan Kwok, Index No. 652077/2017 (N.Y. Sup. Ct.) (J. Ostrager) 案件的非当事方，代表向债务人前破产法律顾问垫付预付金的实体 Lamp Capital LLC（“Lamp”）。因此，EKLJ 是受托人对曾代表债务人及与债务人相关联实体的专业机构进行调查的目标之一。EKLJ 的一名合伙人（但不是代表 Lamp 的该名合伙人）目前在一项无关事务中代表普衡律师事务所。我以受托人身份，能够与 EKLJ 处于相对利益方，并能够在针对 EKLJ 的任何诉讼中作为第11章受托人担任指定原告。与 EKLJ 相关的所有事务将由 NPM 处理。\n\n-3-\n\n5. 此外，在前次声明先前所披露内容的约束下，我继续相信普衡律师事务所及其任何律师（包括我在内）与任何先前已知利害关系人均不存在任何关联（依据《破产规则》第2014条中所使用的该术语含义），但以下情况除外：\n\na. Counsel Press Inc.（“Counsel Press”）被债务人在其财务状况说明书中列为在第11章案件启动前90天内收到付款的债权人。在提交本第三次补充声明前不久，Counsel Press Inc. 的一家关联实体成为普衡律师事务所在一项无关事务中的客户。我以受托人身份，能够与 Counsel Press 处于相对利益方，并能够在针对 Counsel Press 的任何诉讼中作为第11章受托人担任指定原告。与 Counsel Press 相关的所有事务将由 NPM 处理。\n\n6. 我根据 28 U.S.C. § 1746 声明，在承担伪证罪处罚的前提下，上述内容真实且正确。\n\n签署于 2022年8月29日，地点：New York, NY（纽约州纽约市）。\n\nLuc A. Despins\n\n-4-","key_entities":["Paul Hastings","Kwok","Ho Wan Kwok","Despins","Je"],"ecf_references":[],"word_count":1084,"status":"published","published_at":null,"created_at":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-23 12:43:39"}