Maverick Long Enhanced Fund, Ltd. v. Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. (In re Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc.)

594 B.R. 564
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedSeptember 30, 2018
DocketCase No. 08-13555 (SCC); No. 17-CV-4203 (RA)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 594 B.R. 564 (Maverick Long Enhanced Fund, Ltd. v. Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. (In re Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maverick Long Enhanced Fund, Ltd. v. Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. (In re Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc.), 594 B.R. 564 (S.D. Ill. 2018).

Opinion

RONNIE ABRAMS, United States District Judge:

Appellants, a collection of Maverick funds (collectively, "Maverick"), appeal from an order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (Chapman, J. ) disallowing and expunging Maverick's claims against Lehman Brothers Holding Inc. ("LBHI"), a Chapter 11 debtor. For the reasons set forth below, the order of the bankruptcy court is reversed and this matter is remanded for further proceedings.

BACKGROUND

In 2005, each of the Appellant Maverick entities separately entered into a prime brokerage agreement ("Prime Brokerage Agreements") with Lehman Brothers Inc., which signed on behalf of itself and certain affiliates, one of which was Lehman Brothers International (Europe) ("LBIE," collectively with LBHI, "Lehman"). See App. 584. Pursuant to these agreements, LBIE was required, among other things, to maintain custody of Maverick's cash and securities, execute trades, and return Maverick's property, held as collateral, upon request. App. 574-80. The Prime Brokerage Agreements also contained provisions granting LBIE certain contractual rights in the event of a Maverick default. App. 575-76. At the same time, the Maverick entities were parties to a separate set of contracts with LBIE relating to the borrowing of securities to facilitate "short" trades and the provision of margin loans. Under the terms of these agreements, Maverick periodically owed LBIE various amounts.

Meanwhile, Maverick entered into a guarantee with LBHI (the "Guarantee") regarding all of the Maverick property custodied with LBIE. App. 646-49. Governed by New York law, the Guarantee was "absolute and unconditional." App. 647. The Guarantee also was for payment rather than collection, meaning that Maverick was under no obligation to pursue collection efforts against LBIE in the event of a default and could proceed directly against LBHI. App. 647. The purpose of the Guarantee was to protect Maverick if its property became trapped by virtue of an LBIE bankruptcy.

On September 15, 2008, LBIE commenced administration proceedings pursuant to the English Insolvency Act 1986. The same day, LBHI commenced Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States. App. 39. On September 22, 2009, Maverick timely filed claims against LBHI seeking to enforce the Guarantee in that entity's chapter 11 proceedings. App. 535. The bankruptcy court confirmed the Modified Third Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of LBHI and its affiliated debtors. App. 35-95. The Plan provides for partial payments to be made to holders of guarantee *567claims such as Maverick's, provided that the bankruptcy court allows them.

During this period, Maverick and LBIE engaged in negotiations concerning the resolution of their respective claims against one another in connection with LBIE's administration proceedings. On March 30, 2012, LBIE and Maverick entered into a Deed of Settlement ("Settlement Agreement"), which provided for a netting of certain amounts owed to Maverick on the basis of its property custodied by LBIE against amounts owed by Maverick on account of its margin loans and short positions. App. 249-281. The Settlement Agreement provided for Maverick to pay a net amount of $30 million to LBIE. App. 252.

On the basis of United Kingdom bankruptcy laws invoked by LBIE, the Settlement Agreement credited Maverick with the market value of its property at the time the agreement became effective, which was $101.9 million. This stands in contrast to the $118.1 million market value when both Lehman entities entered bankruptcy proceedings, the default date for assessing damages under Chapter 11. Therefore, Maverick contends, it has a claim against LBHI, the guarantor, for the difference between the amount with which it was credited under the Settlement Agreement and the market value of its securities on the day bankruptcy proceedings began.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On June 22, 2016, LBHI filed its objection to Maverick's claims. ECF No. 282. The bankruptcy court heard argument on March 24, 2017, at which point it issued an oral ruling, followed by a supplemental written order, disallowing and expunging Maverick's claims. ECF No. 1. Maverick timely filed its notice of appeal with this Court. ECF No. 1, After briefing was complete, the Court held oral argument. ECF No. 15.

LEGAL STANDARD

District courts have appellate jurisdiction over "final judgments, orders, and decrees" of bankruptcy courts under 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1). "A district court reviews a bankruptcy court's findings of fact for clear error and reviews its legal conclusions de novo. " Davidson v. AMR Corp. (In re AMR Corp. ), 566 B.R. 657, 663 (S.D.N.Y. 2017) (citation omitted). "A finding of fact is clearly erroneous when 'the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.' " Adler v. Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. (In re Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. ), 855 F.3d 459, 469 (2d Cir. 2017) (quoting Anderson v. City of Bessemer , 470 U.S. 564, 573, 105 S.Ct. 1504, 84 L.Ed.2d 518 (1985) ). By contrast, "[h]armless error, meaning an error not inconsistent with substantial justice or that does not affect the parties' substantial rights, is not grounds for reversal." McNerney v. ResCap Borrower Claims Trust (In re Residential Capital, LLC) , 563 B.R. 477, 485 (S.D.N.Y. 2016). "A district court may affirm, modify, or reverse a bankruptcy judge's judgment, order, or decree or remand with instructions for further proceedings." Margulies v. Hough (In re Margulies) , 566 B.R. 318, 328 (S.D.N.Y. 2017) (citation omitted).

DISCUSSION

The bankruptcy court relied on two independent bases for concluding that Maverick's claims against LBHI should be disallowed and expunged: (1) Section 562 of the Bankruptcy Code applies to any damages sustained by Maverick thereby extinguishing, directly or indirectly, the claims asserted against LBHI and (2) even if Section 562 does not apply, Maverick's *568claims fail because Lehman avoided liability by virtue of two exculpation clauses contained in the Prime Brokerage Agreements.

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Bluebook (online)
594 B.R. 564, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maverick-long-enhanced-fund-ltd-v-lehman-bros-holdings-inc-in-re-ilsd-2018.