In re Northshore Mainland Services, Inc.

537 B.R. 192, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 3134, 2015 WL 5444707
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedSeptember 15, 2015
DocketCase No. 15-11402 (KJC)
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 537 B.R. 192 (In re Northshore Mainland Services, 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 Northshore Mainland Services, Inc., 537 B.R. 192, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 3134, 2015 WL 5444707 (Del. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM REGARDING MOTIONS TO DISMISS CASES2

KEVIN J. CAREY, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Before the Court are separate motions filed by CCA Bahamas, Ltd. (“CCA”) and The Export-Import Bank of China (“CEX-IM”) to dismiss the Debtors’ bankruptcy cases with prejudice pursuant to Sections 105(a), 109(a), 305(a) and 1112(b) of the Bankruptcy Code (docket nos. 206 and 246) (the “Dismissal Motions”). The Debtors filed an omnibus objection to the Dismissal Motions (docket no. 328), as did the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (docket no. 329).3 The Debtors, CCA and CEXIM filed a Joint Pre-Hearing Stipulation (docket no. 436) and an Amended Joint Pre-Hearing Stipulation (D.I. 456) (the “Stipulation”), which set forth stipulated facts, disputed facts, and the parties’ proposed exhibits, along with objections to the exhibits, A hearing to consider the [195]*195Motions to Dismiss was held on August 28, 2015.

The Debtors’ primary asset is a 3.3 million square foot resort complex located in Cable Beach, Nassau, The Bahamas (the “Project”), which is in the final stages of development. Once completed and fully operational, the Project will be one of the largest integrated destination resorts in the Caribbean. The central argument of the Dismissal Motions is that these proceedings belong in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, not the United States.

More specifically, CCA and CEXIM (the “Movants”) assert that the Debtors’ bankruptcy cases should be dismissed on a number of grounds, including (i) that the Debtors are not eligible for chapter 11 relief in the United States under Bankruptcy Code § 109(a) because all but one of the debtor corporations are organized under Bahamian law and hold few assets in the United States; (ii) that the Debtors filed these chapter 11 cases in bad faith or as a litigation tactic to avoid insolvency proceedings in The Bahamas; and (iii) that the best interests of the Debtors and creditors would be better served by dismissal of these cases so that the parties can proceed with insolvency proceedings in The Bahamas, which is the venue with the most significant contacts and interests in the Project, and it follows that most stakeholders would expect Bahamian law to apply to any winding up proceedings.

For the reasons that follow, the Dismissal Motions will be granted, in part, and denied, in part. The Dismissal Motions will be denied as to the chapter 11 case filed by Northshore Mainland Services, Inc. Pursuant to Bankruptcy Code § 305(a), the Dismissal Motions will be granted, without prejudice, as to the remaining chapter 11 cases. FACTS 4

Northshore Mainland Services, Inc. (“Northshore”) is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. The other affiliated debtors are incorporated and organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (the “Bahamian Debtors”). The Project’s developer, Sark-is Izmirlian (the “Developer”), is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of some of the Debtors.

On March 9, 2009, the Developer and China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd. (“CSCEC”) entered into the “Main Construction Contract” for the Project. Section 4.7 of the Main Construction Contract provides that it shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, and, further, that any proceeding regarding the contract will be brought in a state or federal court located in the State of New York. On December 8, 2010, pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption Agreement, the respective rights and obligations under the Main Construction Contract were assigned to and assumed by Baha Mar Ltd. (“BML”) and CCA.5 The As[196]*196signment and Assumption Agreement is also governed by the laws of the State of New York.

On May 31, 2010, BML, as Obligor, and certain other Debtors, as Guarantors, entered into a Facility Agreement with CEX-IM, pursuant to which CEXIM provided the Debtors with a secured debt facility of up to $2.45 billion (the “Facility Agreement” or the “Prepetition Credit Agreement”) to fund the development of the Project. Section 42 of the Facility Agreement provides that it is governed by English law, and Section 43 sets forth the parties’ agreement that the English courts are the most appropriate and convenient for resolving any dispute in connection therewith. Some agreements ancillary to the Facility Agreement are governed by either English, British Colombia, Texas or New York law.

The Guarantors granted CEXIM a security interest in substantially all of their assets pursuant to a certain Debenture, dated January 11, 2011, between certain Bahamian Debtors, as Chargers, and Citibank N.A. Bahamas Branch, as Onshore Security Agent (the “Debenture”). The Debenture, as well as a Pledge of Shares and Charge Over Shares, are governed by Bahamian law. The Project contemplated $3.5 billion of financing, consisting of, among other things: (a) a $2.45 billion secured debt facility provided by CEXIM, (b) a $150 million preferred equity commitment provided by a subsidiary of CSCEC, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Bahamas) Ltd., and (c) an $850 million common equity investment by the Developer. The common equity investment of the Developer consisted of cash, land for the Project along Cable Beach and the three hotels then-operating thereon, as well as other commitments.

The Project, known as the Baha Mar Resort, is one of the most significant single-phase resorts currently under development in the western hemisphere. The Project will include four new hotels, including 2,333 guest rooms, a new Las Vegas-style casino, convention center, a new premier Jack Nicklaus Signature 18-hole golf course, as well as many other first class amenities. Once completed, the Baha Mar Resort will generate nearly 5,000 jobs and is projected to have an annual payroll in excess of $130 million, representing 12% of the GDP of The Bahamas.

Construction on the Project broke ground in February 2011 and the initial completion date for the Project was November 20, 2014. By early 2013, the Debtors determined that, absent corrective measures, CCA would not meet the construction completion schedule. On May 17, 2013, BML and CCA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding setting out agreed items, including increasing the amount of labor working on the Project, interior finish packages and target construction completion dates. These completion dates included a commitment by CCA that the Debtors would receive 100% access to, at a minimum, the key ballrooms and meeting rooms of the convention center on or before March 31, 2014. However, the Debtors did not obtain access to any part of the convention center by March 31, 2014.

On May 16, 2014, BML commenced proceedings to seek relief from the Dispute Resolution Board (“DRB”) pursuant to the Main Construction Contract with respect to the convention center. The DRB issued a Decision and Opinion on August 13, 2014 in which it ruled, among other things that CCA had been proceeding in breach of the [197]*197Main Construction Contract “with respect to the timing and content of the Construction Schedules” and “by failing to proceed expeditiously with adequate forces sufficient to comply with the [Main Construction] Contract.” [CCA Ex. 83, ¶ 39.]

In November 2014, in-person negotiations were held in Beijing among the Debtors, CEXIM, and CCA.

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Bluebook (online)
537 B.R. 192, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 3134, 2015 WL 5444707, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-northshore-mainland-services-inc-deb-2015.