--- type: court_doc id: "court_ctb_3511_0" court: "CTB" case_no: "22-50073" doc_number: 3511 doc_type: "ORDER" filed_date: null lang: "zh" url: "https://mubeitech.com/court/court_ctb_3511_0" json_url: "https://mubeitech.com/api/court/court_ctb_3511_0" --- # UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION ) > 原始法庭文件为英文；下方为英文全文，顶部为中文摘要。 ## **UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION** ) ) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_) In Re: ) CHAPTER 11 HO WAN KWOK, *et al.1* ) CASE NO.: 22-50073 (JAM) ) SEPTEMBER 6, 2024 ## **REQUEST FOR STATUS CONFERENCE** Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 105(d)(1), the defendants identified in Exhibit A hereto (collectively, the "Joint Defendants") hereby request a status conference with the Court to discuss matters of scheduling and efficiency concerning dispositive motion practice in the numerous avoidance actions filed by the Trustee that may impact the Joint Defendants and the interplay with this Court's *Order Directing Parties to Mediation, Appointing the Honorable James J. Tancredi as Mediator, and Amending Order Approving Procedures Applicable To Avoidance Claim Adversary Proceedings* [Dkt. No. 3163] (the "Mediation Order"). In support of this request, the Joint Defendants state as follows: The Joint Defendants have been engaged in the mediation process before the Honorable James Tancredi, but remain far from resolution of these adversary proceedings. While the mediations have not yet formally concluded pursuant to this Court's Mediation Order, there are a number of adversary proceedings with similar claims that are not subject to the mediation stay and have proceeded to various stages of dispositive motion practice. *See, e.g., Despins v. Weddle Law PLLC*, Adv. Pro. No. 24-05188 (Bankr. D. Conn); *Despins v. Pillsbury Winthrop* 1 The Debtors in these chapter 11 cases are Ho Wan Kwok (also known as Guo Wengui, Miles Guo, and Miles Kwok, as well as numerous other aliases) (last four digits of tax identification number: 9595), Genever Holdings LLC (last four digits of tax identification number: 8202) and Genever Holdings Corporation. The mailing address for the Trustee, Genever Holdings LLC, and the Genever Holdings Corporation is Paul Hastings LLP, 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166 c/o Luc A. Despins, as Trustee for the Estate of Ho Wan Kwok (solely for purposes of notices and communications). *Shaw Pittman LLP*, Adv. Pro. No. 24-05014 (Bankr. D. Conn.); *Despins v. Mitchell*, Adv. Pro. No. 24-05110 (Bankr. D. Conn.); *Despins v. Meta Platforms, Inc.*, Adv. Pro. No. 24-05117 (Bankr. D. Conn.); *Despins v. The Francis Firm PLLC*, Adv. Pro. No. 24-05168. By way of example, the non-stayed adversary proceedings and those against the Joint Defendants share the common issues concerning the propriety of the Trustee's offensive use of *nunc pro tunc* reverse veil piercing to avoid and recover pre-petition and post-petition transfers from alleged alter ego entities. This will equally be the case in the hundreds of other adversary proceedings against parties other than the Joint Defendants in which the Trustee seeks to avoid and recover transfers by alleged alter egos of the Debtor. The Joint Defendants understand that oral argument has been set for October 1, 2024, in the *Mitchell* and *The Francis Firm* adversary proceedings. Given the status of the Joint Defendants' mediations to date and the pendency of the motion practice in the above-referenced adversary proceedings, the Joint Defendants would like to pursue parallel paths of continuing a settlement dialogue with Judge Tancredi's assistance and at the same time address in an efficient manner many of the same legal issues that will shortly be before the Court. In connection therewith and subject to relief from the stay in the Mediation Order, the Joint Defendants anticipate pursuit of (i) motions to dismiss or motions for judgment on the pleadings, and (ii) motions to certify certain questions to the Delaware Supreme Court (as more particularly described below). To allow for the efficient adjudication of the common legal issues across both the adversary proceedings against the Joint Defendants as well as the other adversary proceedings that are not subject to the stay under the Mediation Order, the Joint Defendants request a status conference to discuss with the Court the best means of having these common legal issues adjudicated in an efficient manner. The Joint Defendants' goal is to streamline the proceedings 2 for the Court and the parties to conserve judicial resources and minimize the costs of the parties, including the estate. For example, the Joint Defendants could file one or more omnibus motions to dismiss and/or motions for judgment on the pleadings to address legal issues that are common across the claims asserted by the Trustee against them. These omnibus motions can then be adjudicated with the pending motions to dismiss in a coordinated manner to minimize the number of briefs and oral arguments, as well as the number of written decisions the Court would have to issue. This is by no means the only way to accomplish the goal of efficiency and economy, and the Joint Defendants will be prepared to discuss other ways to achieve these goals at the conference if this request is granted. In addition, the Joint Defendants anticipate filing motions to seek certification of specific state law questions to the Delaware Supreme Court related to the use and applicability of the Trustee's theory of *nunc pro tunc* reverse veil piercing. Because most of the entities the Trustee alleges to be the Debtor's alter egos are Delaware limited liability companies, the Trustee's ability to use reverse-piercing and the legal effect of an alter-ego determination is governed by Delaware law. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-275(a). The Joint Defendants believe that Delaware law does not permit the Trustee's actions against them and respectfully submit that the most efficient and economical manner to resolve this issue is for this Court to certify these issues to the Delaware Supreme Court pursuant to Del. Sup. Ct. Rule 41(a)(ii). These questions are undecided by the Delaware Supreme Court and will affect hundreds of adversary proceedings in this case. Accordingly, subject to lifting the stay in the Mediation Order, the Joint Defendants intend to seek certification of these state law issues to the Delaware Supreme Court. To best address the procedural and scheduling issues described above and the interplay with the Mediation Order, the Joint Defendants request a status conference with the Court to 3 discuss these matters so that they can be resolved in an efficient and economical manner. Given the pendency of motions to dismiss in other non-stayed cases raising similar issues, including those scheduled for oral argument on October 1, 2024, the Joint Defendants respectfully request that the Court schedule a status conference at its earliest convenience. Respectfully submitted, | By:
/s/ Jeffrey Hellman
Jeffrey Hellman, Esq.
Law Offices of Jeffrey Hellman, LLC
195 Church Street, 10th Floor
Tel.: 203-691-8762
Fax: 203-832-4401
New Haven, CT 06510
jeff@jeffhellmanlaw.com
Federal Bar No.: ct04102
Counsel for Ohtzar Shlomo Solomon Treasure | By:
/s/ Eric Goldstein
Eric Goldstein (ct27195)
Shipman & Goodwin LLP
One Constitution Plaza
Hartford, CT 06103
Tel: (860) 251-5059
Email: egoldstein@goodwin.com
Counsel for Anthem HealthChoice Assurance,
Inc. dba Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield;
Anthem Health Plans, Inc.; Sedgwick Realty | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | LLC | Corp.; Federal Express Corporation; and
Direct Persuasion LLC | | By:
/s/ Scott Charmoy
Scott M. Charmoy, Esq.
CT 15889
Charmoy & Charmoy, LLC
1465 Post Road, Suite 100
Westport, CT 06680
(203) 255-8100
scottcharmoy@charmoy.com
Counsel for Putnam Landscaping LLC | By:
/s/ Michael Seidband
Michael A. Siedband, Esq. (admitted PHV)
Federal Express Corporation
3620 Hacks Cross Road, Bldg. B
Memphis, TN 38104
Tel: (901) 355-2075
Email: Michael.siedband@fedex.com
Counsel for Federal Express Corporation | | By:
/s/ Rowena Moffett
Rowena A. Moffett, Esq. (ct19811)
Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman LLP
271 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
Tel. (203) 772-2600
Email: rmoffett@bswlaw.com
Counsel for Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason
& Anello PC | By: /s/ Michael T. Conway
Michael T. Conway
Lazare Potter Giacovas & Moyle LLP
747 Third Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(917) 242-1597
mconway@lpgmlaw.com
Counsel for Arri Americas Inc. | | By: /s/ Zachary W. Doninger__
The Strong Firm, P.C.
Bret L. Strong | By:
/s/ Sabrina L. Streusand
Sabrina L. Streusand (admitted PHV)
Streusand, Landon, Ozburn & Lemmon, LLP | | Texas Bar No. 00795671
bstrong@thestrongfirm.com
Zachary W. Doninger (admitted pro hac vice)
Texas Bar No. 24129542
SDTX Bar No. 3804761
zdoninger@thestrongfirm.com
Two Hughes Landing
1790 Hughes Landing, Suite 200
The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Phone: 281.367.1222
Fax: 281.210.1361
Counsel for Defendant DJD Creative, LLC | 1801 S MoPac Expressway, Suite 320
Austin, Texas 787046
Telephone: (512) 236-9901
Facsimile: (512) 236-9904
streusand@slollp.com
-and
Ross G. Fingold, Esq.
Stokesbury & Fingold, LLC
10 Waterside Drive, Suite 204
Farmington, CT 06032
Telephone: (860) 606-1709
Facsimile: (860) 606-1770
Ct Bar 05452
rfingold@lawssf.com
Counsel for Cloudflare, Inc. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | By: /s/ Richard J. Bernard
____________
Richard J. Bernard (CT Bar No. 413177)
FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH
LLP
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
Telephone: (212) 248-3140
Facsimile: (212) 248-3141
Email: richard.bernard@faegredrinker.com
-and | By: /s/ Benjamin D. Feder
Eric R. Wilson (ct443553)
Benjamin D. Feder (ct443211)
Canterbury Green
201 Broad Street
Stamford, CT 06901
Telephone: (203) 324-1400
ekrasnow@kelleydrye.com
ewilson@kelleydrye.com
bfeder@kelleydrye.com | | Josh Peterson
FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH
LLP
2200 Wells Fargo Center
90 S. 7th Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Telephone: (612) 766-7000
Facsimile: (612) 766-1600
Email: josh.peterson@faegredrinker.com
-and
Jaclyn C. Marasco | -and-
ASK LLP
Richard J. Reding, Esq. MN SBN 0389945
(admitted pro hac vice)
2600 Eagan Woods Drive, Suite 400
St. Paul, MN 55121
Telephone: (651) 406-9665
rreding@askllp.com
-and-
Edward E. Neiger, Esq.
60 East 42nd Street, 46th Floor | | FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH | New York, NY 10165 | | LLP | Telephone: (212) 267-7342 | |---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 222 Delaware Avenue, Suite 1400 | eneiger@askllp.com | | Wilmington, Delaware 19801 | | | Telephone: (302) 467-4200 | Counsel to Indium Software, Inc. | | Facsimile: (302) | | | Email: jaclyn.marasco@faegredrinker.com | | | Counsel to Cirrus Design Corporation | | | By: /s/ John F. Carberry | By: /s/ David J. Kozlowski | | /s/ Kara A. Zarchin | David J. Kozlowski (CT Bar No. 28240) | | John F. Carberry, Esq. (ct02881) | Morrison Cohen LLP | | Kara A. Zarchin, Esq. (ct30783) | 909 Third Avenue | | Cummings & Lockwood LLC | New York, New York 10022 | | Six Landmark Square
Stamford, CT 06901 | Telephone: (212) 735-8825
Email: dkozlowski@morrisoncohen.com | | Tel: (203) 351-4280 | | | Fax: (203) 708-3933 | -and | | E-Mail: jcarberry@cl-law.com | | | kzarchin@cl-law.com | Jeffrey Rhodes (admitted pro hac vice) | | Counsel for Target Enterprises, LLC | Tayman Lane Chaverri LLP | | and Jamestown Associates, LLC | 2001 L Street NW, Suite 500 | | | Washington, DC 20036 | | | Telephone: (202) 921-4080 | | | Facsimile: (202) 478-2781 | | | Email: jrhodes@tlclawfirm.com | | | Counsel to Mark Gundersen | | | | | /s/ Eric Seltzer | By: /s/ Robert E. Kaelin | | Eric Seltzer / Fed Bar #CT01224 | Robert E. Kaelin – ct11631 | | Gilbride, Tusa, Last & Spellane LLC | rkaelin@murthalaw.com | | 31 Brookside Drive | Murtha Cullina LLP | | Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 | 280 Trumbull Street, 12th Floor | | Email: ehs@gtlslaw.com
Telephone: 203-622-9360 | Hartford, Connecticut 06103
Telephone: (860) 240-6000 | | Counsel for Miller Motorcars Inc. | Facsimile: (860) 240-6150 | | | | | | and | | | By: /s/ Matthew A. Pesce | | | Matthew A. Pesce – ct31208 | | | mpesce@murthalaw.com | | | Murtha Cullina LLP | | | 107 Elm Street | | | Four Stamford Plaza, 11th Floor
Stamford, CT 06902
Phone: (203) 653-5400
Facsimile: (203) 653-5444
Counsel for 3 Columbus Circle, LLC, Bering
Yachts, LLC, and ModSquad, Inc. | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | By: /s/ Robert N. Sensale
Robert N. Sensale (ct 10556)
Bershtein, Volpe & McKeon P.C.
900 Chapel Street, 11th Floor
New Haven, CT 06510
Telephone: 203-777-5800
Facsimile: 203-777-5806
Email: rns@bvmlaw.com
Counsel for 270 W. 39th St. Co LLC | By:
/s/ Alan H. Martin
Alan H. Martin, Esq.
California Bar No. 132301
(admitted pro hac vice)
SHEPPARD MULLIN RICHTER &
HAMPTON LLP
650 Town Center Drive, 10th Floor
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Telephone: (714) 513-5100
Facsimile: (714) 513-5130
AMartin@sheppardmullin.com
-and
Benjamin Gilbert, Esq.
New York Bar No. 5899372
(admitted pro hac vice)
30 Rockefeller Plaza, 39th Floor
New York, NY 10112
Telephone: (212) 653-8700
Facsimile: (212) 653-8701
BOGilbert@sheppardmullin.com
Counsel to Agora Lab, Inc. | | By: /s/ Matthew D. Valauri
Matthew D. Valauri (ct30193)
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker
LLP
1010 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06901
Telephone: 203.388.2433
Facsimile: 203.388.9101
Email: matthew.valauri@wilsonelser.com
Counsel for Clayman Rosenberg Kirschner &
Linder LLP | By: /s/ Sari B. Placona
Sari B. Placona (pro hac vice)
McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC
75 Livingston Avenue, Second Floor
Roseland, New Jersey 07068
Telephone: (973) 721-5030
splacona@msbnj.com
Counsel for McManimon, Scotland &
Baumann, LLC | | Defendant | Adversary Proceeding Number | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------| | Ohtzar Shlomo Solomon Treasure LLC | 24-05082 | | Anthem HealthChoice Assurance, Inc.
dba Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield | 24-05112 | | Anthem Health Plans, Inc. | 24-05058 | | Sedgwick Realty Corp. | 24-05222 | | Federal Express Corporation | 24-05059 | | Putnam's Landscaping, LLC | 24-05211 | | Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason
& Anello PC | 24-05196 | | Arri Americas Inc. | 23-05031 | | Direct Persuasion LLC | 24-05010 | | DJD Creative LLC | 24-05063 | | Cloudflare, Inc. | 24-05115 | | Cirrus Design Corporation | 24-05225 | | Iridium Software, Inc. | 24-05122 | | Target Enterprises, LLC | 24-05138 | | Jamestown Associates, LLC | 24-05147 | | Mark Gundersen | 24-05048 | | 3 Columbus Circle, LLC | 24-05120 | | Bering Yachts, LLC | 24-05207 | | ModSquad, Inc. | 24-05114 | | Miller Motorcars Inc. | 24-05128 | | 270 W. 39th St. Co LLC | 24-05055 | | Agora Lab, Inc. | 24-05005 | | Clayman Rosenberg Kirschner & Linder
LLP | 24-05202 | | McManimon, Scotland & Baumann,
LLC | 24-05194 | ## **EXHIBIT A** ## **CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE** I hereby certify that on September 6, 2024, a copy of the foregoing was filed electronically and served by first class mail, postage prepaid and/or via email on anyone unable to accept electronic filing. Notice of this filing will be sent by e-mail to all parties by operation of the Court's electronic filing system or by First Class mail to anyone unable to accept electronic filing as indicated on the Notice of Electronic Filing. Parties may access this filing through the Court's CM/ECF System. /s/ Eric S. Goldstein Eric S. Goldstein