In re Millennium Lab Holdings II, LLC

562 B.R. 614, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1497, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 4142
United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware·Decided December 2, 2016·No. Case No. 15-12284 (LSS) (Jointly Administered)·Published·Cited by 24 cases

Opinion

Re: D.I.: 312, 313, 325, 326, 327, 328, 330, 339, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 367

MEMORANDUM

LAURIE SELBER SILVERSTEIN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

This matter is before the Court on the motion (the “Rule 2004 Motion” or “Motion”) 2 of Marc S. Kirschner, as trustee of two trusts created pursuant to the Debt[618]*618ors’ plan of reorganization, seeking authority under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 2004 (“Rule 2004”) to take discovery from certain third parties (the “Third Parties”)3 regarding the cause of the Debtors’ financial collapse. The Third Parties each object4 to the Rule 2004 Motion. The Court has considered the Rule 2004 Motion, each Objection, the argument of counsel at a hearing held on' May. 4, 2016 and the supplemental submissions made post-hearing. After due deliberation, the Court FINDS and CONCLUDES as follows:

Background5

The Debtors are in the business of providing laboratory-based diagnostic testing. In April 2014, the Debtors borrowed approximately $1.8 billion6 pursuant to a certain senior secured term loan agreement (the “2014 Credit Agreement”), the proceeds of which were primarily used to pay off certain existing debt and provide a special dividend to equity holders, as well as to provide for working capital.

On November 10, 2015, the Debtors filed petitions for chapter 11 relief together [619]*619with their Prepackaged Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization of Millennium Lab Holdings II, LLC (as later amended, the “Plan”).7 The Plan contained a settlement (embodied in a prepetition restructuring support agreement) that resolved disputes between the Debtors, certain pre-petition lenders under the 2014 Credit Agreement and the Debtors’ equity holders, Millennium Lab Holdings, Inc. (“MLH”) and TA Millennium, Inc. (“TA”). Under the settlement, MLH and TA contributed $325 million to the Debtors and received releases from the Debtors and third parties; the claims under the 2014 Credit Agreement were converted into a new term loan in the amount of $600 million; the prepetition lenders received 100% of the equity of the reorganized Millennium; two trusts were created to pursue additional recoveries against “Excluded Parties”;8 and all other creditors received a 100% recovery.9

On December 14, 2015, an order confirming the Plan was entered. As anticipated, the Plan provided for the creation of the two trusts: the Millennium Corporate Claim Trust (the “Corporate Trust”) and the Millennium Lender Claim Trust (the “Lender Trust,” and collectively with the Corporate Trust, the “Trusts”). The Corporate Trust holds the Debtors’ retained claims, and the Lender Trust holds claims contributed by the Consenting Lenders.10 All holders of claims arising under or relating to the 2014 Credit Agreement are the beneficiaries of the Corporate Trust,11 while the Consenting Lenders are the beneficiaries of the Lender Trust.12 The Plan provided funding for both Trusts.13

On December 21, 2015, Mr. Kirschner (the “Trustee”) was appointed as the trustee of both Trusts. On April 6, 2016, the Trustee filed the Rule 2004 Motion seeking authority to examine the Third Parties on behalf of both the Corporate Trust and the Lender Trust. The Trustee seeks to investigate claims the Trusts may have against the Third Parties related to the Debtors’ financial collapse. In particular, the Trustee is seeking to investigate (i) the banks that served as arrangers and/or administrative agents under the 2014 Credit Agreement (i.e. J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC; Citibank Global Markets Inc.; BMO Capital Markets Corp.; Bank of Montreal14; and [620]*620SunTrust Bank) (ii) Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, the law firm that represented J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the administrative agent under the 2014 Credit Agreement) and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (the joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner under the 2014 Credit Agreement) in connection with the 2014 Credit Agreement; and (iii) KPMG, the Debtors’ historical accounting firm (collectively, the “Objectors”).

On April 22, 2016, the Objectors filed their Objections to the Rule 2004 Motion. The Objectors generally assert that: (i) the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the post-confirmation Rule 2004 Motion and (ii) the information requested in the Rule 2004 Motion either falls outside of the scope of Rule 2004 or is overly broad. Separately, KPMG argues that any discovery disputes between KPMG and the Debtors are governed by the arbitration clause contained in the prepetition engagement agreement between KPMG and the Debtors dated July 10, 2015 (the “KPMG Engagement Agreement”).15 On April 29, 2014, the Trustee filed an omnibus reply.16

On May 4, 2016, the Court held an evidentiary hearing on the Rule 2004 Motion.17 The Trustee’s declaration in support of the Rule 2004 Motion was admitted without objection and the Trustee provided additional live testimony. The Trustee testified that he believes that: (i) substantial harm was caused to the Debtors as a result of the 2014 Credit Agreement; (ii) an investigation regarding the circumstances surrounding the origination and papering of the 2014 Credit Agreement is appropriate; and (iii) the Third Parties possess information regarding these circumstances and regarding the possible attendant damages. Nevertheless, the Trustee further testified that “[t]he relief requested in the [2004] Motion is truly in the nature of an initial investigation. No decision has been made to initiate litigation against any party.”18

Following the hearing, the parties provided limited supplemental briefing.19

Discussion

I. Subject Matter Jurisdiction

The Court has authority to determine whether it has subject matter jurisdiction over this Motion.20

Bankruptcy courts derive subject matter jurisdiction from federal statute, rather than Article III of the constitution.21 [621]*621Nevertheless, “[t]he bankruptcy court’s jurisdictional mandate is quite broad.”22 Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157, bankruptcy courts have subject matter jurisdiction over four types of matters, pending referral from the district court: “(1) cases under title 11, (2) proceeding arising under title 11, (3) proceedings arising in a case under tide 11, and (4) proceedings related to a case under tide ^ .23

Cases falling under the first three categories are typically referred to as core proceedings, whereas proceedings “related to” a case under title 11 are designated as non-core proceedings.24

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In re Millennium Lab Holdings II, LLC, 562 B.R. 614, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1497, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 4142 (Del. 2016).

562 B.R. 614 (In re Millennium Lab Holdings II, LLC) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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