In re Serviços de Petróleo Constellation S.A.

600 B.R. 237
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 9, 2019
DocketCase No. 18-13952 (MG)
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 600 B.R. 237 (In re Serviços de Petróleo Constellation 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 Serviços de Petróleo Constellation S.A., 600 B.R. 237 (N.Y. 2019).

Opinion

MARTIN GLENN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

*243I. INTRODUCTION

On December 7, 2018, Andrew Childe (the "Foreign Representative" or "Petitioner") commenced the jointly administered Chapter 15 Cases and sought this Court's recognition of the joint judicial reorganization (recuperação judicial or "RJ") of each of the Chapter 15 Debtors in the jointly administered judicial organization proceeding (the "Brazilian RJ Proceeding") pending in the 1st Business Court of Rio de Janeiro (the "Brazilian RJ Court") pursuant to Federal Law No. 11.101 of February 9, 2005 (the "Brazilian Bankruptcy Law") of the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil ("Brazil").2 (Verified Petition at 7.) The Foreign Representative seeks recognition of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding for each of the Chapter 15 Debtors as either a foreign main proceeding or, in the alternative, as a foreign nonmain proceeding, pursuant to chapter 15 of title 11 of the United States Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101 - 1532 (the "Bankruptcy Code"). The Court must therefore determine the center of main interests (the "COMI") for each Chapter 15 Debtor in the enterprise group to determine whether-and to what extent-it should grant recognition of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding with respect to each.

When deciding whether to grant recognition of a foreign proceeding, whether as a foreign main or foreign nonmain proceeding, the Court begins with the statutorily prescribed presumption that the COMI of each foreign debtor entity is the place where that entity has its registered office. Of these Chapter 15 Debtors, two have registered offices in Luxembourg, one has a registered office in the Cayman Islands, one has a registered office in Brazil, and six have registered offices in the British Virgin Islands. Because the Foreign *244Representative seeks recognition of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding as main (or nonmain in the alternative), the Foreign Representative bears the burden of providing sufficient evidence to rebut the registered office presumption for each of the Chapter 15 Debtors that is incorporated outside of Brazil.3

As a broad overview, the Chapter 15 Debtors are members of an integrated enterprise group known as the Constellation Group.4 While the Constellation Group is discussed as a group entity at times throughout this opinion's opening sections for context, it is important to bear in mind that the Court's recognition is granted on an individual debtor by debtor basis. The Constellation Group's tripartite business enterprise consists of (i) offshore drilling, (ii) onshore drilling, and (iii) investments in several joint ventures and associated entities related to the operation of floating production storage and offloading units ("FPSOs"). The Chapter 15 Debtors are a subset of the Constellation Group. The ten Chapter 15 Debtors along with their direct and indirect affiliates comprise the Constellation Group ("Constellation Group"), and the Chapter 15 Debtors along with their affiliates that are debtors in the RJ Proceeding are referred to as the RJ Debtors ("RJ Debtors").

The Constellation Group's current financial distress is attributable, in large part, to the cyclical nature of the deepwater drilling market, which entered a sustained down cycle and created a number of major bankruptcies in the sector.5 By the time of filing, seven of the Constellation Group's eight offshore drilling rigs were either no longer contracted or soon to come off contracts. As of November 30, 2018, the Constellation Group was liable for approximately US$ 1.5 billion in aggregate outstanding third-party financial indebtedness (including accrued interest) under four credit facilities and two bond issuances.

On January 29, 2019, Alperton Capital Ltd. ("Alperton"), a contingent creditor of one of the ten Chapter 15 Debtors (Constellation Overseas), filed its Limited Objection of Alperton to the Petition for Recognition of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding . ("Alperton Objection," ECF Doc. # 35.) Alperton's limited objection contends that the Chapter 15 Debtors "have not satisfied their burden of proof that the location of *245the Debtors' [COMI] is in Brazil and Alperton objects to recognition of the RJ Proceeding as a foreign main proceeding." (See id. ¶ 8.) In support of the Alperton Objection, Alperton submits and incorporates by reference the Declaration of Andrew G. Dietderich, which was filed concurrently therewith. ("Dietderich Decl.," ECF Doc. # 36.) On February 4, 2019, counsel for Alperton filed the Second Declaration of Andrew G. Dietderich. ("Second Dietderich Decl.," ECF Doc. # 44.) Additionally, the Chapter 15 Debtors and Alperton agreed to a Joint Stipulation of Undisputed Facts , dated February 5, 2019, in lieu of cross-examination of the Debtors' declarants. ("Stipulation," ECF Doc. # 46.)

On February 5, 2019, the Court held the hearing on the Chapter 15 Debtors' Petition (the "Recognition Hearing"). (See "Hr'g Tr.," ECF Doc. # 59.) At the Recognition Hearing, the Court received evidence and heard oral argument regarding the Verified Petition.6 The Court reserved judgment on recognition of the Verified Petition and directed the parties to submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law regarding recognition of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding.7 (See id. at 74:2-7, 156:11-25.)

Alperton does not object to recognition of the Brazilian RJ Proceeding as a foreign nonmain proceeding. (Id. at 15:7-11 ("[W]e have no objection to the recognition of the Brazilian RJ as a foreign non-main.").) Rather, Alperton argues that the COMI for the entire Constellation Group is not in Brazil. (Id. at 15:24-25 ("[W]e believe COMI is not in Brazil for the group.").) It argues that the "COMI for all ten foreign debtors in the international group is Luxembourg." (Id. at 96:3-4.) Additionally, Alperton asks that "the Court allow the Brazilian court in the RJ Proceedings the opportunity to decide the question of COMI, and recognize the RJ Proceeding in these Chapter 15 Cases for the time being as either a foreign non-main proceeding or a foreign main proceeding ...." (Alperton Objection ¶ 9.)8

The Brazilian Court of Appeals recently announced a decision to dismiss the RJ Proceeding with respect to two of the Chapter 15 Debtors-Arazi and Olinda Star-and an additional RJ Debtor-Lancaster Projects Corp.

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Bluebook (online)
600 B.R. 237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-servicos-de-petroleo-constellation-sa-nysb-2019.