In re OI S.A.

587 B.R. 253
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 9, 2018
DocketCase No. 16–11791 (SHL) (Jointly Administered)
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 587 B.R. 253 (In re OI S.A.) 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 OI S.A., 587 B.R. 253 (N.Y. 2018).

Opinion

SEAN H. LANE, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Before the Court is the motion (the "Motion") [ECF No. 232] of Antonio Reinaldo Rabelo Filho, the foreign representative for the debtors in the above-captioned Chapter 15 cases (collectively, the "Chapter 15 Debtors"), requesting that this Court give full force and effect and grant comity in the United States to the foreign restructuring plan (the "Brazilian RJ

*256Plan") confirmed in their Brazilian judicial reorganization (the "Brazilian RJ Proceeding") pending before the Seventh Business Court of Rio de Janeiro (the "Brazilian RJ Court") and also seeking related relief pursuant to Sections 105(a), 1145, 1507(a), 1521 and 1525(a) of the Bankruptcy Code. The Chapter 15 Debtors include Oi S.A. ("Oi"), Telemar Norte Leste S.A. ("Telemar"), Oi Brasil Holdings Coöperatief U.A. ("Coop"), and Oi Móvel S.A. ("Móvel"). Three affiliates of Oi-Portugal Telecom International Finance B.V. ("PTIF"), Copart 4 Participações S.A. ("Copart 4"), and Copart 5 Participações S.A. ("Copart 5")-are also debtors in the Brazilian RJ Proceeding, but are not debtors in these Chapter 15 proceedings. These three affiliates, together with the Chapter 15 Debtors, are referred to collectively as the "Brazilian RJ Debtors." The Brazilian RJ Debtors and their non-debtor affiliates are referred to collectively as the "Oi Group."

Several parties have interposed objections to the language of the proposed order submitted by the Chapter 15 Debtors on the Motion, but these objections have since been resolved. That leaves only one objection to the Motion-an objection (the "Objection") [ECF No. 245] filed by Pharol, SGPS S.A. ("Pharol"), Bratel B.V. and Bratel S.À.R.L. ("Bratel," and, together with Pharol and Bratel B.V., the "Pharol Parties"), who are direct and indirect shareholders of Debtor Oi. Numerous other parties with an economic stake in the Brazilian RJ Proceedings have submitted statements in support of the Motion, including the Steering Committee for an Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders of Oi (the "Steering Committee"), the International Bondholder Committee (the "IBC"), and noteholder Solus Alternative Asset Management. One party, Jasper R. Berkenbosch, who is the insolvency trustee appointed in the Dutch insolvency proceeding of Chapter 15 Debtor Coop, has reserved his right to interpose an objection based on whether the plan proposed by Coop in those Dutch proceedings receives approval from creditors and the Dutch courts.

Nowhere in the Objection do the Pharol Parties ask this Court to rule on any of the legal issues that are still pending in proceedings in Brazil, including the pending appeals of decisions of the Brazilian RJ Court or an arbitration and mediation associated with the Brazilian RJ Proceeding. But the Pharol Parties do request that this Court exercise its discretion to delay giving full force and effect and granting comity to the Brazilian RJ Plan until all the proceedings in Brazil have been resolved. For the reasons discussed below, however, the Objection is overruled and the Motion is granted.

BACKGROUND

A. The Oi Group and the Filing of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding

The Oi Group is among the world's largest integrated telecommunications service providers, with over 70 million customers. Declaration of Antonio Reinaldo Rabelo Filho in Support of the Motion for Order Granting Relief to (I) Enforce the Brazilian Reorganization Plan and (II) Grant Related Relief (the "Supporting Factual Declaration") [ECF No. 230] at ¶ 4. The Oi Group is also a critical source of telecommunications services in Brazil. Id. It is Brazil's largest fixed telephone service provider, with a market share of 34.5% of the total fixed-lines in service in the country. Id.

On June 20, 2016, the Brazilian RJ Debtors initiated the Brazilian RJ Proceeding through the filing of a joint voluntary bankruptcy petition in the Brazilian RJ Court. Supporting Factual Decl. at ¶ 20. The Brazilian RJ Debtors sought to restructure approximately BRL $65 billion *257in third-party debt, which constituted the largest restructuring case in Brazil's history. Id. Ojas N. Shah was initially appointed as the foreign representative for the Brazilian RJ Proceeding with respect to of the Chapter 15 Debtors. Id.

The third-party indebtedness of the Oi Group that is subject to the Brazilian RJ Proceeding consists generally of four types of debt: (i) unsecured export credit facilities guaranteed or insured by export credit agencies or other quasi-governmental financial institutions; (ii) unsecured bonds and like securities issued, varyingly, under New York law, English law, and Brazilian law; (iii) two series of securities issued through Brazilian financial institutions, which consist of interests in lease payments owed by certain of the Brazilian RJ Debtors for the use of real property leased from other Brazilian RJ Debtors; and (iv) secured and unsecured bilateral and syndicated Brazilian bank debt. Id. at ¶ 9. Because the Oi Group is financially integrated, certain of the group's entities engage in intercompany borrowing and lending. Id. at ¶ 10. As a result, certain of the Brazilian RJ Debtors owe intercompany debt, which is subject to restructuring under the Brazilian RJ Plan. Id.

B. Proceedings in this Court

On June 21, 2016, the day after commencing the Brazilian RJ Proceeding, Mr. Shah-on behalf of each of the Chapter 15 Debtors-petitioned for commencement of these Chapter 15 proceedings seeking recognition of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding as the foreign main proceeding of each of the Chapter 15 Debtors [ECF Nos. 7, 8]. On July 22, 2016, this Court entered the Order Granting Recognition of Foreign Main Proceeding and Certain Related Relief [ECF No. 38], holding, among other things, that the center of main interests of each of the Chapter 15 Debtors is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and recognizing the Brazilian RJ Proceeding as the foreign main proceeding of the Chapter 15 Debtors.

On July 18, 2017, consistent with an order of the Brazilian RJ Court and pursuant to a resolution of the board of directors for each of the Chapter 15 Debtors, the Chapter 15 Debtors simultaneously (i) revoked the appointment of Mr. Shah as foreign representative of its Brazilian RJ Proceeding in the United States and his related power-of-attorney, and (ii) appointed Antonio Reinaldo Rabelo Filho as foreign representative (the "Foreign Representative") in the United States for its Brazilian RJ Proceeding and granted him a power-of-attorney to act as such. See Disclosure Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1518 Regarding Substitution of Foreign Representative ¶ 6 [ECF No. 79]. Thus, Mr. Rabelo replaced Mr. Shah as the foreign representative of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding for each of the Chapter 15 Debtors. Supporting Factual Decl. at ¶ 107.

On July 7, 2017, Mr. Berkenbosch commenced a Chapter 15 proceeding in this Court-Case No.

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