Southmark Corp. v. Schulte, Roth & Zabel (In re Southmark Corp.)

217 B.R. 181, 1997 Bankr. LEXIS 2177
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedMarch 24, 1997
DocketBankruptcy No. 389-36324-SAF-11; Adversary No. 391-3364
StatusPublished

This text of 217 B.R. 181 (Southmark Corp. v. Schulte, Roth & Zabel (In re Southmark Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Southmark Corp. v. Schulte, Roth & Zabel (In re Southmark Corp.), 217 B.R. 181, 1997 Bankr. LEXIS 2177 (Tex. 1997).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

STEVEN A. FELSENTHAL, Bankruptcy Judge.

Southmark Corporation moves the court for a summary judgment under 11 U.S.C. §§ 547 and 550 against Schulte, Roth & Zabel for $1,000,000 plus interest. Schulte, Roth cross-moves for partial summary judgment. The court conducted a hearing on the motions on December 17,1996.

Summary judgment is proper if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, and other matters presented to the court show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Celotex v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Washington v. Armstrong World Indus., 839 F.2d 1121, 1122 (5th Cir.1988). On a summary judgment motion the inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255, 106 S.Ct. at 2513-14. A factual dispute bars summary judgment only when the disputed fact is determinative under governing law. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 250, 106 S.Ct. at 2511.

The movant bears the initial burden of articulating the basis for its motion and identifying evidence which shows that there is no genuine issue of material fact. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. at 2552. The respondent may not rest on the mere allegations or denials in its pleadings but must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Matsushita v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). The court applies the same standards to the cross motion for partial summary judgment.

Southmark contends that it may recover $1,000,000 from Schulte, Roth resulting from payments to the Parks Group to settle a proxy contest and related litigation. South-mark reimbursed the Parks Group $3.3 million for its costs and expenses, including legal fees, incurred in conducting the proxy contest and related litigation. Southmark Corp. v. Schulte Roth & Zabel (In re Southmark), 88 F.3d 311, 313-314 (5th Cir.1996), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 117 S.Ct. 686, 136 L.Ed.2d 611 (1997). This court had dismissed the complaint, holding that before the settlement, Southmark had no enforceable liability to pay the Parks Group costs and expenses, and, therefore, did not make the transfer for or on account of an antecedent debt owed by the debtor before the transfer was made. The District Court affirmed, 88 F.3d at 314, but the Fifth Circuit reversed. While recognizing that the case “presents a rare if not unique fact situation,” the Circuit held that a bright line broad statutory standard should be applied. 88 F.3d at 318. The Supreme Court has denied Schulte, Roth’s petition for a writ of certiorari. Schulte Roth & Zabel v. Southmark Corp. (In re Southmark Corp.), — U.S. -, 117 S.Ct. 686, 136 L.Ed.2d 611 (1997). As a result, both Southmark and Schulte, Roth recognize that the Fifth Circuit has established the law of this case. In its motion, Southmark requests a determination that with the Fifth Circuit’s holding, there are no genuine issues of material fact concerning the elements of 11 U.S.C. § 547(b). Without waiving its position con[184]*184cerning transfer on account of an antecedent debt owed, Schulte, Roth concedes that Southmark is entitled to a determination that it has established the elements of § 547(b).

Schulte, Roth counters, however, that the transfer had been made in the ordinary course of business, 11 U.S.C. § 547(c)(2), or had been contemporaneously made in exchange for new value, 11 U.S.C. § 547(e)(1). Southmark moves for summary judgment on both defenses. Schulte, Roth moves for summary judgment on the contemporaneous exchange defense but otherwise requests that the court set the defenses for trial. On both defenses, Schulte, Roth recognizes that at trial it has the burden of proof, 11 U.S.C. § 547(g), but contends that it has presented summary judgment evidence demonstrating genuine issues of material fact requiring a trial. With regard to the ordinary course of business defense, the court agrees with Schulte, Roth that there are genuine issues of material fact requiring a trial. With regard to the contemporaneous exchange defense, however, Southmark is entitled to a partial summary judgment based on the statutory definition of “new value.”

Under § 547(c)(2), a trustee may not avoid a preferential transfer “(2) to the extent that such transfer was (A) in payment of a debt incurred by the debtor in the ordinary course of business or financial affairs of the debtor and the transferee; (B) made in the ordinary course of business or financial affairs of the debtor and the transferee; and (C) made according to ordinary business terms.” 11 U.S.C. § 547(c)(2). The purpose of the ordinary business course defense is to “leave undisturbed normal financial relations, because it does not detract from the general policy of the preference section to discourage unusual action by either the debtor or his creditors during the debt- or’s slide into bankruptcy.” H.R.Rep. No. 95-595, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 373 (1977), cited in In re SPW, 96 B.R. 683, 685 (Bankr.N.D.Tex.1989). The court must determine, using an objective and a subjective standard, whether the transfer was made in the ordinary course. 96 B.R. at 687. This court must look to the parties’ course of dealing and the industry’s course of dealing.

Southmark contends that it does not ordinarily incur obligations to compensate shareholders for their expenses in connection with a proxy context. Southmark presents summary judgment evidence suggesting that incurring the debt is extraordinary. South-mark relies on a line of eases holding that settlement of litigation is outside the ordinary course of business. In re Florence Tanners, Inc., 184 B.R. 520, 521-522 (E.D.Mich.1995); Hickey v. Nightingale Roofing, Inc., 83 B.R. 180, 184-185 (D.Mass.1988).

Schulte, Roth contends that complex publicly traded companies often face proxy contests, arguing that corporate governance matters constitute an ordinary course of business for publicly traded companies. Schulte, Roth presents summary judgment evidence suggesting that the Parks Group proxy contest had been resolved in the ordinary course of Southmark’s business, consistent with the ordinary course resolution for publicly traded companies.

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217 B.R. 181, 1997 Bankr. LEXIS 2177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southmark-corp-v-schulte-roth-zabel-in-re-southmark-corp-txnb-1997.