In re MF Global Inc.

531 B.R. 424, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 1819, 61 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 27, 2015 WL 3463027
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 2, 2015
DocketCase No. 11-02790 (MG) SIPA
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 531 B.R. 424 (In re MF Global Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re MF Global Inc., 531 B.R. 424, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 1819, 61 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 27, 2015 WL 3463027 (N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER SUSTAINING THE TRUSTEE’S OBJECTION TO GENERAL CREDITOR CLAIM NUMBER 50200 FILED BY CHARLES SON-SON

MARTIN GLENN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE:

James W. Giddens (the “Trustee”), as Trustee for the liquidation of MF Global Inc. (“MFGI”)1 under the Securities Investor Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78aaa et seq. (“SIPA”) filed an objection (the “Objection,” ECF Doc. #8107) to general creditor claim number 50200 (the “Claim,” ECF Doc. # 8108, Ex. 1) filed by Charles Sonson (“Sonson”).2 The Claim is based on causes of action that Sonson has previously asserted against MFGI in an action filed in Illinois in 2010. Specifically, the Claim asserts causes of action for breach of contract, breach of the fiduciary duty of care, and misrepresentations in violation of the Commodities Exchange Act (the “CEA”) based on MFGI’s allegedly improper liquidation of Sonson’s customer account with MFGI. The Trustee’s Objection seeks to disallow Sonson’s Claim under section 502(d) of the Bankruptcy Code on the basis that Sonson’s account has a negative balance that is subject to turnover, and until Sonson pays MFGI the amount of his account deficit, his Claim must be disallowed. Sonson filed a response in opposition to the Objection (the “Opposition,” ECF Doc. # 8157),3 and the [426]*426Trustee filed a reply (the “Reply,” ECF Doc. # 8730).4 The Court held a hearing on the Objection on April 7, 2015 and took the matter under submission. This Opinion sustains the Objection to Sonson’s Claim.

I. BACKGROUND

On October 31, 2011 (the “Filing Date”), the Honorable Paul A. Engelmayer, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York, entered an order commencing the liquidation of MFGI pursuant to the provisions of SIPA (the “MFGI Liquidation Order”). (Obj.1l 4.) On November 23, 2011, the Court entered the Order Granting Trustee’s Expedited Application Establishing Parallel Customer Claims Processes and Related Relief (the “Claims Process Order,” ECF Doc. # 423), which, among other things, (1) approved the procedures for filing, determining, and adjudicating claims, and (2) established January 31, 2012 as the bar date for filing securities and commodity futures customer claims in the SIPA Proceeding and June 2, 2012 as the date by which all claims must be received by the Trustee. {See id. ¶¶ 6-7.)

A. Sonson’s Account with MFGI

Sonson opened an investment trading account with MFGI through Lind-Wal-dock. (Obj.H 8.) On August 20, 2009, Son-son executed a customer agreement with MFGI (the “Customer Agreement,” Moris-seau Decl. Ex. 2). (Obj.H 8.) The Customer Agreement governed the relationship between the ■ parties and granted MFGI various rights, including, without limitation, the right to declare Sonson in default without declaring a margin call and the right to liquidate his account without affording him prior notice. (Id. (citing Mor-isseau Decl. Ex. 2 ¶ 5).)

According to the Trustee, there was a severe market disruption on May 6, 2010; a rapid decline in prices for many major exchange-listed stocks caused Sonson’s account to become undermargined and exposed MFGI to risk. (Id. ¶ 9.) Although not contractually obligated to do so, MFGI attempted to notify Sonson three times on May 6 to inform him that his account was below margin and that he needed to deposit $154,000 into his account to maintain his minimum margin balance. (Id.) MFGI was unable to speak with Sonson on each attempt to contact him. (See id.)

MFGI’s attempts to contact Sonson on May 6, 2010 are summarized as follows. First, Tracy Schafroth, an MFGI-regis-tered representative, telephoned Sonson’s home number and left a voice message informing him about the margin demand. (Id. (citing Morisseau Decl. Ex. 3 at 14).) Second, Schafroth subsequently called Sonson’s cell phone at approximately 1:25 p.m. (prevailing Central time) and left another voice message indicating that the margin call had been issued. (See id. (citing Morisseau Decl. Ex. 3 at 14); see Sonson Decl. ¶ 12.) Third, Schafroth sent Sonson an email stating the following: ‘Your account ... is on margin call for $154,000. Failure to meet this margin call may result in Lind-Waldock liquidating all or part of the positions in your account. You must notify the order desk in the event that you áre going to meet this call.” (Id. (citing Morisseau Decl. Ex. 4).) After boarding a flight from Boston to Charlotte scheduled to depart at 1:45 p.m. (prevailing Central time), Sonson listened to the cell phone voice message left by Schafroth a few minutes after it was made. (See Sonson Decl. ¶¶ 11, 15.) Despite landing in Charlotte before the close of market on May 6, 2010, Sonson waited until after the [427]*427market closed to contact MFGI. (See id. ¶ 20.)

The Trustee asserts that Sonson’s account was overdrawn within BO minutes from the time Schafroth left Sonson the initial voice message. (Obj-¶ 10.) Sonson failed to contact MFGI, and MFGI was forced to cover Sonson’s debit to protect itself. (Id.) Accordingly, MFGI began liquidating Sonson’s account. (Id.) By the following day, Sonson’s customer account was fully liquidated and had a debit balance in the amount of $51,093.46. (Id.) According to the Trustee, the Customer Agreement provided that Sonson was “unconditionally obligated” to pay MFGI the amount of any debit balance in his account regardless of how it was incurred. (Id. (citing Morisseau Deck Ex. 2 ¶ 5).)

MFGI demanded that Sonson pay the debit balance, but Sonson refused to pay. (Id. ¶ 11.) Sonson contends that MFGI improperly liquidated his account. (Id.) Rather than pay MFGI the debit balance, on June 22, 2010, Sonson commenced a lawsuit (the “Prepetition Litigation”) against MFGI in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (the “District Court”) seeking $284,543 in damages and asserting causes of action for breach of contract, breach of the fiduciary duty of care, and misrepresentations in violation of the CEA. (Id.) MFGI counterclaimed for breach of contract alleging that Sonson failed to pay MFGI the debit balance as well as fees and costs pursuant to the terms of the Customer Agreement. (Id.) The Prepetition Litigation was stayed by entry of the MFGI Liquidation Order.5 (Id.) Sonson has not sought relief from the automatic stay. (Id.)

B. The Claim

On March 30, 2012, Sonson submitted his Claim seeking approximately $545,000. (Id. ¶ 12.) Sonson asserts that the damage award of $284,543 that he sought in the Prepetition Litigation was a minimum amount, and the amount he seeks in his Claim is based on a hypothetical valuation of his MFGI account based on similar positions he held at Tradestation Securities (“Tradestation”). (Id. (citing Morisseau Decl. Ex. 8).)

C. The Objection

The Trustee argues that section 502(d) of the Bankruptcy Code requires the disal-lowance of any claim from a claimant from which property is recoverable unless the claimant pays the amount for which it is liable. (Id. ¶ 14 (citing 11 U.S.C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
531 B.R. 424, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 1819, 61 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 27, 2015 WL 3463027, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-mf-global-inc-nysb-2015.