In Re International Wireless Communications Holdings, Inc.

257 B.R. 739, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 145, 37 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 82, 2001 WL 72070
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedJanuary 23, 2001
Docket17-12585
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 257 B.R. 739 (In Re International Wireless Communications Holdings, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re International Wireless Communications Holdings, Inc., 257 B.R. 739, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 145, 37 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 82, 2001 WL 72070 (Del. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION 1

MARY F. WALRATH, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is the objection of International Wireless Communications *741 Holdings, Inc. (“IWCH”), International Wireless Communications, Inc. (“IWC”), Radio Móvil Digital Americas, Inc. (“RMDA”), International Wireless Communications Latin America Holdings, Ltd. (“IWCLA”), and Pakistan Wireless Holdings Limited (“PWH”) (collectively “the Debtors”) to the claim of Ronald B. Fran-kum, Y.F. Severn Limited (a successor in interest to part of Frankum’s claim) and Charles R. Wasaff (collectively “F & W”). That objection seeks to subordinate F & W’s claim pursuant to section 510(b) of the Bankruptcy Code.

1. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

IWCH, one of the Debtors herein, is a holding company which owns interests in operating companies that provide cellular and wireless telecommunications services in foreign countries. The Debtors have no operations of their own; rather, they simply hold interests in operating companies in Asia and Latin America. Those investments are typically minority positions and have required that the Debtors provide substantial continued funding through capital calls and other capital obligations.

On July 17, 1997, Continental Communications Limited (“CCL”) and International Wireless Communications Pakistan Limited (“IWCPL”) entered into the Share Purchase Agreement. (Exhibit C-5.) Pursuant to that agreement, CCL transferred approximately 8 million shares of Pakistan Mobile Communications (Pvt) Ltd. (“Pakistan Mobile”) to IWCPL in exchange for $10 million and approximately 500,000 shares of IWCH.

On or about August 8, 1997, 2 IWCH and CCL executed the Supplement to the Share Purchase Agreement (“the Supplement”). (Exhibit C-6.) The Supplement required IWCH to consummate an initial public offering (“the IPO”) of its stock within 18 months, which would permit CCL to sell the stock being given to it. If IWCH did not timely consummate the IPO, there were several alternative remedies available to CCL. Among those remedies, was the right of CCL, on written notice to IWCH, to require IWCH (a) to issue approximately 50,000 additional shares of IWCH stock to CCL each year until an IPO is consummated or (b) to file a registration statement covering the IWCH stock held by CCL thereby permitting CCL to sell its stock. (Exhibit C-6 at § 2.3.) If an IPO was consummated as originally contemplated, or if CCL exercised its rights under section 2.3 of the Supplement to sell its stock, but CCL received less than $6,159,000, then IWCH would be obligated to issue additional stock to CCL so that the total value received by CCL was $6,159,000.

As a result of liquidity problems, the Debtors filed chapter 11 petitions on September 3,1998, before the 18-month deadline to consummate an IPO under the Supplement. The Debtors filed a pre-ne-gotiated Joint Plan of Reorganization. After a contested confirmation hearing held on February 3, 1999, the Debtors filed an amendment to the Plan on March 22, 1999. After considering the objections to confirmation, we confirmed the Debtors’ Second Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization, as Modified, by Order dated March 26, 1999.

Prior to confirmation, F & W, as successor in interest to CCL, filed a claim in the amount of $6,159,000 against IWCH. F & *742 W subsequently filed an amended claim in the same amount. In their First Omnibus Objection to Claims, the Reorganized Debtors objected to the F & W claim, asserting that the claim should be subordinated pursuant to section 510(b). Alternatively, the Debtors assert that F & W’s claim should be treated as an equity interest.

F & W responded to the objection and appeared in opposition at the hearing held on June 29, 2000. After considering the evidence presented at the hearing and the parties’ briefs, we sustain the objection to the extent that it seeks to subordinate F & W’s claim pursuant to section 510(b). 3

II. JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A), (B) and (O).

III. DISCUSSION

A. Burden of Proof

Initially, a claimant must allege facts sufficient to support a legal basis for the claim. If the assertions in the filed claim meet this standard of sufficiency, the claim is prima facie valid pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 3001(f). In re Allegheny International, Inc., 954 F.2d 167, 173 (3d Cir.1992). If no party in interest objects to the claim, it is deemed allowed under section 502(a). If an objection is filed, the objecting party bears the initial burden of presenting sufficient evidence to overcome the presumed validity and amount of the claim. See Smith v. Sprayberry Square Holdings, Inc. (In re Smith), 249 B.R. 328, 332-33 (Bankr.S.D.Ga.2000) (citations omitted). “If the objecting party overcomes the prima facie validity of the claim, then the burden shifts to the claimant to prove its claim by a preponderance of the evidence.” Id.

B. Section 510(b)

The Debtors assert that section 510(b) mandates subordination of the F & W claim. “The task of resolving the dispute over the meaning of [a statute] begins where all such inquiries must begin: with the language of the statute itself.” United States v. Ron Pair Enterprises, Inc., 489 U.S. 235, 240, 109 S.Ct. 1026, 103 L.Ed.2d 290 (1989). See also Connecticut Nat'l Bank v. Germain, 503 U.S. 249, 253-54, 112 S.Ct. 1146, 117 L.Ed.2d 391 (1992) (“In interpreting a statute a court should always turn first to one cardinal canon before all others.... Courts must presume that a legislature says in a statute what it means and means in a statute what it says there.”).

Section 510(b) provides:

For the purpose of distribution under this title, a claim arising from rescission of a purchase or sale of a security of the debtor or of an affiliate of the debtor, for damages arising from the purchase or sale of such security, or for reimbursement or contribution allowed under section 502 on account of such a claim, shall be subordinated to all claims or interests that are senior to or equal the claim or interest represented by such security, except that if such security is common stock, such claim has the same priority as common stock.

11 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
257 B.R. 739, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 145, 37 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 82, 2001 WL 72070, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-international-wireless-communications-holdings-inc-deb-2001.