In re Sunedison, Inc.

576 B.R. 453
United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York·Decided November 8, 2017·No. Case No. 16-10992 (SMB) (Jointly Administered)·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER REGARDING THIRD-PARTY RELEASES UNDER THE DEBTORS’ JOINT PLAN

STUART M, BERNSTEIN, United States Bankruptcy Judge:.

On July 28, 2017, the Court confirmed the Debtors’ Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization, dated July 20, 2017 (the “Plan”).1 The Plan contains a broad third-party release (the “Release”) in favor of numerous non-debtors, and the Releasing Parties, as defined in § 1.196 of the Plan, include “all Holders of Claims entitled to vote for or against the Plan that do not vote to reject the Plan,” hereinafter, the “Non-Voting Releasors.” Although no Non-Voting Releasor objected to the Release, the Court sua sponte raised whether it can and should be approved, and reserved decision on the issue. (Confirmation Order at ¶ HH.)

The Debtors subsequently filed a supplemental memorandum of law. (Debtors’ Memorandum of Law in Support of Approval of Certain Non-Debtor Releases Contained in the Second Amended Plan of Reorganization of SunEdison, Inc. and its Debtor Affiliates, dated Aug. 3, 2017 (“Debtors Memo”) (ECF Doc. # 3793).) After considering their arguments and the applicable law, the Court concludes that the Debtors have failed to demonstrate that Non-Voting Releasors impliedly consented to the Release, that the Court has jurisdiction to release the Non-Voting Re-leasors’ third party claims to the extent set forth in the Release, or that approval of the non-consensual Release is appropriate under the standards enunciated in Deutsche Bank AG v. Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc, (In re Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc.), 416 F.3d 136 (2d Cir. 2005) (“Metromedia”).

BACKGROUND

The background to these cases is described in In re SunEdison, Inc., 556 B.R. 94, 98-99 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2016), and the Court limits the discussion to the facts relevant to the issue before it. The Plan that was ultimately confirmed included a broad third-party release. Section 11.6 of the Plan, entitled “Release by Holders of Claims,” stated in relevant part:2

As of the Effective Date, subject to Article 11.8, the Releasing Parties shall be deemed to have conclusively ... released ... the ... non-Debtor Affiliates, and the Released Parties from any and all Claims ... that such Entity would have been legally entitled to assert ... based on or in any way relating to, or in any manner arising from, in whole or in part, the Debtors, the Debtors’ restructuring, the Chapter 11 Cases, the Original DIP Facility, the Replacement DIP Facility, the purchase, sale, or rescission of the purchase or sale of any security of the Debtors or the Reorganized Debtors ... or the transactions or events giving rise to, any Claim or Interest that is treated in the Plan, the restructuring of Claims and Interests prior to or in the Chapter 11 Cases, the negotiation, formulation, or preparation of the Plan, the Disclosure Statement, the Plan Supplement, the Rights Offering, the GUC/Litigation Trust Agreement, or related agreements, instruments, or other documents, upon any other act or omission ... taking place on or before the Effective Date of the Plan, other than Claims or liabilities arising out of or relating to any act or omission of a Released Party that constitutes fraud, willful misconduct, or gross negligence.
The Plan includes an equally broad group of parties receiving the Release:
“Released Parties” means, collectively, in each case, solely in their respective capacities as such: (a) the Debtors and all of the Debtors’ and Reorganized Debtors’ (1) current financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, representatives, and other professionals (collectively, the “Debtor Professionals”); (2) current employees, consultants, Affiliates, officers and directors, ... ; and (3) Existing Directors, (b) the Original DIP Agents, (c) the Original DIP Lenders and all other Original DIP Secured Parties, (d) the Replacement DIP Agents, (e) the Replacement DIP Lenders, (f) the Supporting Second Lien Parties, (g) all Professionals (to the extent not duplica-tive of the Entities covered by clauses (a) and (m) of this definition), (h) the Creditors’ Committee and each of its members, solely in their capacity as such, (i) the Indenture Trustees, (j) the Second Lien Collateral Trustee, (k) the Second Lien Agents, (l) any underwriters, arrangers, or placement agents in respect of the Second Lien Senior Notes, (m) the Prepetition First Lien Secured Parties, (n) the Prepetition First Lien Agents, (o) the Applicable Issuers, and (p) with respect to each of the above-named Entities described in subsections (b) through (o), such Entity’s current and former affiliates, subsidiaries, advisors, principals, partners, managers, members, employees, officers, directors, representatives, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, consultants, agents, and other representatives and professionals, in each case to the extent a claim arises from actions taken or omissions by any such person in its capacity as a related person of one of the parties listed in clauses (b) through (o) and is released as against such party.

(Plan at § 1.195.) Recognizing that these clauses are hard to digest in one sitting, I will return to them later.

Finally, the definition of “Releasing Parties” was very comprehensive, and included not just the holders of claims that voted to accept the Plan, but also “to the fullest extent permitted by law, all Holders of Claims entitled to vote for or against the Plan that do not vote to reject the Plan.” (Plan at § 1.196.) In short, the Non-Voting Releasors would release a largely unidentifiable group of non-debtors from liability based on pre-petition, post-petition and post-confirmation (ie., future) conduct occurring through the Plan’s future Effective Date3 that related in any way to their claims or these bankruptcy cases subject to the usual exceptions for fraud, willful misconduct, or gross negligence. In addition, the Plan included a corresponding injunction that barred the pursuit of any released claim. (Plan at § 11.9.)

The Court expressed concern regarding its authority to bind non-voting creditors (who were entitled to vote) to the Release.4 Rather than decide the issue at the disclosure statement stage when the Release first came to the Court’s attention, the Court deferred it to the confirmation hearing. Accordingly, the Court directed the Debtors to modify the Disclosure Statement and ballots to make clear in conspicuous language that the Debtors intended to ask the Court, at the confirmation hearing, to deem the failure to vote by parties entitled to vote as consent to the Release. (First Amended Disclosure Statement for the First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of SunEdison, Inc. and its Debtor Affiliates, dated June 12, 2017 (“Disclosure Statement”), at vii (ECF Doc. # 3313); Order (A) Approving the Adequacy of the Debtors’ Disclosure Statement; (B) Approving Solicitation and Notice Procedures With Respect to Confirmation of the Debtors’ Joint Proposed Plan; (C) Approving the Form of Various Ballots and Notices in Connection Therewith; and (D) Scheduling Certain Dates With Respect Thereto, dated June 13, 2017, at ¶ 34 (ECF Doc. # 3319).)

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In re Sunedison, Inc., 576 B.R. 453 (N.Y. 2017).

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