Edward Mandel v. Mastrogiovanni Schorch Mersky, et

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 7, 2018
Docket17-40392
StatusUnpublished

This text of Edward Mandel v. Mastrogiovanni Schorch Mersky, et (Edward Mandel v. Mastrogiovanni Schorch Mersky, et) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edward Mandel v. Mastrogiovanni Schorch Mersky, et, (5th Cir. 2018).

Opinion

Case: 17-40392 Document: 00514632574 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/07/2018

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals

No. 17-40392 Fifth Circuit

FILED September 7, 2018

In the Matter of: EDWARD MANDEL, Lyle W. Cayce Clerk Debtor

****************************************

EDWARD MANDEL,

Appellant,

v.

MASTROGIOVANNI SCHORSCH & MERSKY; ROSA ORENSTEIN,

Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas USDC 4:12-CV-313

Before JOLLY, DENNIS, and ELROD, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* This is yet another appeal arising out of Edward Mandel’s bankruptcy proceeding. Mandel removed a lawsuit originally filed in Texas state court into his federal bankruptcy proceeding. There was a receiver appointed by the state

* Pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Cir. R. 47.5.4. Case: 17-40392 Document: 00514632574 Page: 2 Date Filed: 09/07/2018

No. 17-40392 court in the removed case. The receiver filed a claim in the bankruptcy proceeding for fees incurred for her actions in the state court lawsuit and in the bankruptcy court. The bankruptcy court awarded the receiver fees, and Mandel disputes that award. Holding that some categories of fees awarded were proper, but some were improperly awarded, we AFFIRM the district court’s judgment in part, but VACATE the fee award and REMAND to the bankruptcy court to recalculate the proper fee award. I. Edward Mandel’s bankruptcy proceeding has spawned multiple appeals before this court. 1 Here, Mandel appeals the bankruptcy court’s fee award to a receiver appointed in Texas state court litigation over the ownership of White Nile, a failed search engine start-up company. The receiver was appointed by the state trial court to protect White Nile’s interests in the ownership dispute. While the White Nile litigation involved several parties disputing ownership and obligations, two are relevant here—Mandel and Steven Thrasher, White Nile’s co-founders. 2 A. The White Nile Receivership and Payment Dispute A lawsuit over the ownership of White Nile was filed in Texas state court. As part of the litigation, the parties initially agreed to the appointment of a receiver to protect White Nile’s interests in the litigation. The state trial court issued three orders relevant to the receivership before the case was removed to federal court as part of Mandel’s bankruptcy. The first state court receivership order set out the scope of the receiver’s authority and agreed that the parties would propose three attorneys to act as

1See, e.g., In re Mandel, 720 F. App’x 186 (5th Cir. 2018); In re Mandel, 641 F. App’x 400 (5th Cir. 2016); In re Mandel, 578 F. App’x 376 (5th Cir. 2014).

2The White Nile litigation was tried in Mandel’s bankruptcy proceeding and twice appealed to this court. See In re Mandel, 720 F. App’x 186 (5th Cir. 2018). 2 Case: 17-40392 Document: 00514632574 Page: 3 Date Filed: 09/07/2018

No. 17-40392 a receiver. The parties were to meet and confer to see if they could agree on an appointment from the three proposed persons, but the order stated the court would appoint a receiver if the parties failed to agree. Mandel agreed to pay 52.5% of the receiver’s fees and Thrasher 47.5% of the fees. The order also stated the receiver was without authority to retain independent counsel without notice to the parties and court approval. The second state court receivership order appointed Rosa Orenstein, who is a bankruptcy attorney and who was one of the parties’ proposed candidates, as the receiver. The scope of the receiver’s duties were set out as follows: to “(1) direct and control White Nile’s participation in this litigation; (2) take actual possession of all White Nile’s books and records . . . and all bank accounts of White Nile; and (3) take constructive possession of all White Nile’s other property.” The second order restated the fee-sharing agreement between Mandel and Thrasher but did not include the prohibition on the retention of independent counsel. There was no language in the second receivership order stating that it vacated or supplanted the first receivership order. The third relevant state court order is a payment order explaining the terms of payment for Orenstein and her retained counsel. Orenstein retained the firm Mastrogiovanni Schorsch & Merksy (Mastrogiovanni) to assist her in her capacity as receiver. Mandel and Thrasher initially agreed to Orenstein’s retention of counsel, but soon Mandel began to object to the continued retention of Mastrogiovanni. Over Mandel’s objection, the state court entered a formal order finding that Mastrogiovanni’s retention was authorized under the receivership orders and stating Mandel and Thrasher’s terms of payment to the receiver and Mastrogiovanni. The payment terms stated the percentage of fees each party was responsible for and the schedule for payment. Mandel failed to comply with the terms of the payment order and wrote to the state court claiming an inability to financially comply. Orenstein moved 3 Case: 17-40392 Document: 00514632574 Page: 4 Date Filed: 09/07/2018

No. 17-40392 to compel compliance and the state court ordered financial discovery from Mandel. The state court held a hearing after Orenstein alleged that Mandel was not complying with the ordered financial discovery, but the state court continued the hearing to allow Mandel another opportunity to voluntarily comply and did not make a ruling at that time. Subsequently, Mandel initiated mandamus proceedings concerning the validity of the payment order and was ultimately denied relief by the Supreme Court of Texas. Orenstein hired an attorney at Hankinson Levinger to represent her in those mandamus proceedings. Mandel filed for bankruptcy on the day that the state trial court was set to resume the hearing on the enforcement of the payment order. Filing the bankruptcy case initiated a litigation stay halting the state court proceedings. B. The Bankruptcy Court White Nile Proceedings After Mandel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, he removed the White Nile litigation to federal court. Orenstein and Mastrogiovanni then filed claims against Mandel’s bankruptcy estate. Orenstein also filed a claim on behalf of White Nile. Thrasher also filed claims individually and derivatively on behalf of White Nile. In the bankruptcy case, Orenstein filed three motions to lift the automatic stay, three corresponding motions to remand, a motion to appoint a trustee, objections to the appointment of additional counsel for Mandel, and opposed cash collateral motions. In connection with the motion to appoint a trustee, Mandel sought to depose Orenstein and she retained counsel to defend herself. The White Nile matter was tried as an adversarial proceeding in the bankruptcy case as a derivative claim of Thrasher. Although Orenstein had made multiple filings in the bankruptcy case-in-chief, the bankruptcy court excused her from participating in the actual White Nile ownership adversarial proceeding. The bankruptcy court did so in a scheduling order on White Nile’s 4 Case: 17-40392 Document: 00514632574 Page: 5 Date Filed: 09/07/2018

No. 17-40392 claims that excused Orenstein from participation in the adversarial proceedings unless Thrasher paid all her expenses. After the trial on Thrasher’s derivative claim in the bankruptcy court, but before the bankruptcy court issued its opinion, the bankruptcy court severed and remanded Orenstein’s and Mastrogiovanni’s claims for receivership fees against Thrasher to the state trial court. The state trial court then approved a settlement between Orenstein, Mastrogiovanni, and Thrasher, to which Mandel was not a party. C.

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Edward Mandel v. Mastrogiovanni Schorch Mersky, et, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edward-mandel-v-mastrogiovanni-schorch-mersky-et-ca5-2018.