AMR Corporation

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York·Decided October 28, 2021·No. 11-15463·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK -----------------------------------------------------------x In re: Chapter 11 AMR CORPORATION, et al., Case No. 11-15463 (SHL)

Reorganized Debtors. Confirmed -----------------------------------------------------------x

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

Before the Court are two motions filed by Lawrence M. Meadows in the above-captioned cases of American Airlines, Inc. (“American”) and its related debtor entities (collectively, the “Reorganized Debtors”). The first is a request by Mr. Meadows to temporarily stay this Court’s Order Granting Reorganized Debtors’ Motion to Estimate Maximum Amount of Proof of Claim No. 9676 Under Bankruptcy Code Sections 105(a) and 502(c) [ECF No. 13361]1 (the “Estimation Order”) for a period of no less than 14 days. See Creditor Lawrence M. Meadows Motion to Stay Entry of Order Granting Reorganized Debtors’ Motion to Estimate Maximum Amount of Proof of Claim No. 9676 Under Bankruptcy Code Sections 105(a) and 502(c) [ECF No. 13362] (the “Stay Motion”). The second motion is a request for reconsideration of the Estimation Order and also includes an additional request for a stay of the Estimation Order pending appeal. See Creditor Lawrence M. Meadows’ Motion for Reconsideration of Order Signed on 9/8/2021, Granting Debtor’s Motion to Estimate Maximum Amount of Proof of Claim No. 9676 Under Bankruptcy Code Sections 105 (A) and 502 (C) (Doc 13361) Filed Pursuant to Fed. R. Bnkr. [sic] P. Rule 9023, Seeking a New Trial or to Amend Judgement [sic] of Court’s Order; and Motion to Stay any Subsequent Orders Approving a Final Distribution or Final

1 Unless otherwise indicated, references to the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (“ECF”) docket are to Case No. 11-15463. Decree Closing These Proceedings, Pending Full Resolution of This Motion and Any Associated Appeals [ECF No. 13365] (the “Reconsideration Motion”). For the reasons set forth below, the Estimation Motion and the Stay Motion are both denied. DISCUSSION Familiarity with the underlying facts of this matter is presumed, including with this

Court’s prior Memorandum of Decision granting the Reorganized Debtors’ request for estimation. See In re AMR Corp., 2021 Bankr. LEXIS 1867 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Jul. 14, 2021) (the “Estimation Decision”). But some background is necessary for today’s ruling. On March 2, 2021, the Reorganized Debtors filed a motion under Section 502(c) of the Bankruptcy Code to estimate the amount of Claim No. 9676, which was filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “EEOC”) in the Reorganized Debtors’ bankruptcy cases. See Reorganized Debtors’ Motion to Estimate Maximum Amount of Proof of Claim No. 9676 Under Bankruptcy Code Sections 105(a) and 502(c) [ECF No. 13289] (the “Estimation Motion”). The Estimation Motion requested that the Court estimate the maximum amount of the

EEOC claim at $9.95 million, which matched the settlement amount (the “Consent Decree”) agreed to by the parties in an action brought by the EEOC against American in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona (the “EEOC Lawsuit”). See In re AMR, 2021 Bankr. LEXIS 1867, at *1-4. The Arizona District Court had previously approved the Consent Decree in November 2017. See id. Mr. Meadows, a former pilot for American, filed an appeal in the EEOC Lawsuit but the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the Arizona District Court. See id. After approval of the Consent Decree by the Arizona District Court, the Reorganized Debtors sought approval of the same settlement in this Court under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9019(a). See Motion of Debtors for Entry of Order Pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9019(a) Approving Settlement Agreement Resolving Certain Pending EEOC Litigation [ECF No. 12861] (the “Settlement Motion”). This Court granted the Settlement Motion and entered an order approving the Consent Decree in May 2018. See Agreed Order Pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P.9019(a) Approving Settlement Agreement Resolving Certain Pending EEOC Litigation [ECF

No. 12898] (the “Settlement Order”). Mr. Meadows filed an appeal of the Settlement Order, which is currently pending in the District Court for the Southern District of New York. See Notice of Appeal of Creditor Lawrence M. Meadows [ECF No. 12912]; Meadows v. AMR Corp. (In re AMR Corp.), No. 18-06149 (RA) (S.D.N.Y. July 6, 2018). Because the Settlement Order is still on appeal in the Southern District of New York, the Consent Decree has not yet become effective.2 As a result, there has been no distribution by the Reorganized Debtors for the benefit of the potential claimants under the Consent Decree. In addition, the delay in the Consent Decree becoming effective has prevented any further distributions in the Reorganized Debtors’ bankruptcy proceeding due to the need to hold monies in reserve with respect to the EEOC’s

claim. See Hr’g Tr. 30:14-20 (June 7, 2021) [ECF No. 13335] (the “Estimation Hearing”) (noting that other claimants, primarily old equity, have been waiting for a distribution). Given the delay in distributions in the bankruptcy cases caused by the appeal of the Settlement Order, the Reorganized Debtors decided to seek Court approval to estimate the EEOC claim using the number that the parties had reached in their settlement. As he had with the Settlement Order, Mr. Meadows opposed the Estimation Motion. See Creditor Lawrence M. Meadows Response and Objection to Reorganized Debtors’ Motion to Estimate Maximum

2 Under the terms of the parties’ settlement, Consent Decree does not become effective—and thus, the EEOC’s claim will remain pending on the claims register in an unliquidated amount—until the Settlement Order is final and non-appealable. See In re AMR, 2021 Bankr. LEXIS 1867, at *5. The final and non-appealable requirement applies to both the proceedings before the Arizona District Court and the proceedings before this Court. Amount of Proof of Claim No. 9676 Under Bankruptcy Code Sections 105(a) & 502(c) [ECF No. 13297]. An evidentiary hearing on the Estimation Motion was held before this Court on June 7, 2021. See generally Estimation Hearing Tr. On July 14, 2021, this Court issued the Estimation Decision, which denied Mr. Meadows’ objection and approved the Estimation Motion. See generally In re AMR Corp., 2021 Bankr. LEXIS 1867.

A. Reconsideration The Reconsideration Motion seeks relief under Rule 9023 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, which makes Rule 59(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure applicable to cases under the Bankruptcy Code. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9023. Rule 59(e) authorizes the filing of a “motion to alter or amend a judgment.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(e). Reconsideration is “an extraordinary remedy to be employed sparingly in the interests of finality and conservation of scarce judicial resources.” In re Health Management Sys. Inc. Sec. Litig., 113 F. Supp. 2d 613, 614 (S.D.N.Y. 2000) (quoting Wendy’s Int’l, Inc. v. Nu–Cape Construction, Inc., 169 F.R.D. 680, 685 (M.D. Fla. 1996)). The burden rests with the movant.

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