|
Case 120-bk-12043 Doc 573 Filed 01/13/21 Entered 01/13/21 110353 Desc Main
<br />Document Page 13 of 44
<br />Case 1:20-bk-12043 Doc 573 Filed 01/13/21 Entered 01/13/21 1103:53 Desc Main
<br />Document Page 14 of 44
<br />TOTAL BALLOTS COUNTED
<br />ACCEPT
<br />REJECT
<br />Class
<br />Voting
<br />VOTING CLASS
<br />AMOUNT
<br />NUMBER
<br />AMOUNT
<br />NUMBER
<br />Result
<br />Class
<br />$13,775.80
<br />3
<br />$2,762.36
<br />1
<br />Other Priority Claims
<br />83.30 %
<br />75.00 %
<br />16.70 %
<br />25.00 %
<br />Accept
<br />Class
<br />$1,365,500.00
<br />1
<br />$0.00
<br />0
<br />Accept
<br />DIP Lender Claims
<br />100.00 %
<br />100.00 %
<br />0.00 %
<br />0.00
<br />Class
<br />$18,118,585.10
<br />1
<br />$0.00
<br />0
<br />Accept
<br />Prepetition Lender
<br />Claims
<br />100.00 %
<br />100.00 %
<br />0.00 %
<br />0.00
<br />Class
<br />$14,078,182.01
<br />76
<br />$197,918.38
<br />11
<br />Accept
<br />General Unsecured
<br />Claims
<br />98.61 %
<br />87.36 %
<br />1.39 %
<br />12.64
<br />(See Young Declaration, attached hereto as Exhibit A.)
<br />The Combined Hearing Order established January 5, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) as
<br />the deadline for objections the adequacy of the Disclosure Statement or confirmation of the Plan.
<br />II. THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT AND SOLICITATION PROCEDURES
<br />SHOULD BE APPROVED UNDER SECTIONS 1125(B) AND 1125(A) OF THE
<br />BANKRUPTCY CODE
<br />As discussed above, on December 1, 2020, Solicitation Packages were distributed to all
<br />Holders of Claims entitled to vote on the Plan. The Disclosure Statement provides extensive
<br />information regarding, among other things, the Plan, events preceding the commencement of these
<br />Chapter 11 Cases, claims against the Debtors' estates, estimated recoveries for creditors under the
<br />Plan, risk factors affecting the Plan, and federal tax law consequences of the Plan. In addition,
<br />IN
<br />Case 1:20-bk-12043 Doc 573 Filed 01/13/21 Entered 01/13/21 1103:53 Desc Main
<br />Document Page 15 of 44
<br />This Court has broad discretion to determine whether a disclosure statement contains
<br />"adequate information" based on the facts of this case. In re Cajun Elec. Power Coop., 150 E3d
<br />503, 518 (5th Cit. 1998) (citing the legislative history to § 1125 in holding that what constitutes
<br />"adequate information" will be governed by the circumstances of each case). Despite Congress'
<br />directive in 11 U.S.C. § 1125(b) that the Disclosure Statement is sufficient without a valuation of
<br />assets, including litigation claims, the Joint Disclosure Statement contains a projected recovery
<br />based on a low and high in. on litigation claims. In the case of a liquidating plan, this
<br />information is more than adequate.
<br />The Disclosure Statement contains more than "adequate information," as defined in §
<br />1125(a)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code. The Disclosure Statement is a 65-page document that
<br />discusses, among other things: (a) the terms ofthe Plan; (b) voting instructions and information
<br />about the confirmation hearing; (c) the Debtors' businesses, assets and significant debt obligations;
<br />(d) the events leading to the Debtors' Chapter 11 Cases; (e) events during the Debtors' Chapter 11
<br />Cases; (f) the Proponents' satisfaction ofthe standards for confirming a plan, including the "best
<br />interests of creditors" and "feasibility" tests; (g) certain risk factors to be considered; and (h) the
<br />federal income tax consequences attendant to confirmation and the distributions made under the
<br />Plan.
<br />Moreover, the Proponents have complied with all other applicable provisions of the
<br />Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure including Bankruptcy Rules 3017
<br />and 3018, and all applicable nonbankruptcy laws, rules or regulations with respect to disclosure
<br />and solicitation of acceptances ofthe Plan. Having satisfied the requirements unposed by sections
<br />1126(b) and 1129(a)(1) ofthe Bankruptcy Code governing prepetition disclosure and solicitation,
<br />the Proponents submit that the Disclosure Statement and solicitation procedures should be
<br />approved.
<br />creditors entitled to vote were provided with a clear description of the Debtors' liquidation, the
<br />liquidating trustee, risks involved in the plan process, and all legal aspects of the Plan.
<br />Pursuant to section 1125 ofthe Bankruptcy Code, the proponent of a chapter 11 plan must
<br />provide holders of impaired claims and interests entitled to vote on a plan with "adequate
<br />information" regarding the plan. Section 1125(a)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code states, in relevant
<br />part:
<br />[A]dequate information" means information of a kind, and in sufficient detail, as
<br />far as is reasonably practicable in light ofthe nature and history ofthe debtor and
<br />the condition of the debtor's books and records, including a discussion of the
<br />potential material Federal tax consequences ofthe plan to the debtor, any successor
<br />to the debtor, and a hypothetical investor typical ofthe holders of claims or interest
<br />in the case, that would enable such a hypothetical investor of the relevant class to
<br />make an informed judgment about the plan
<br />11 U.S.C. § 1125(a)(1). "Adequate information" has been interpreted as information that is
<br />"reasonably practicable" to permit an "informed judgment" by creditors and interest holders, if
<br />applicable, to vote on a chapter 11 plan. See Nestle WatersN. Am. Inc. v. Mountain Glacier LLC
<br />(In re Mountain Glacier LLC), 877 E3d 246,248 (6th Cit. 2017). The adequacy of information in
<br />a disclosure statement is determined on a case -by -case basis. See In re A. C. Williams Co., 25 B.R.
<br />173, 176 (Banta. N.D. Ohio 1982) ("What constitutes adequate information under [section
<br />1125(a)(1)] must be determined on a case -to -case basis under flexible standards."); see also H.R.
<br />Rep. No. 95-595, at 409 (1977) ("Precisely what constitutes adequate information in any particular
<br />instance will develop on a case -by -case basis. Courts will take a practical approach as to what is
<br />necessary under the circumstances of each case."). Further, in a liquidating case such as this one,
<br />the definition of "adequate information" accommodates the possibility that adequate information
<br />about a liquidation plan may be different than such information about a proposed restructuring of
<br />the business. In re Michelson, 141 B.R. 715, 720, n.13 (Banta. E.D. Cal. 1992).
<br />14
<br />Case 1:20-bk-12043 Doc 573 Filed 01/13/21 Entered 01/13/21 1103:53 Desc Main
<br />Document Page 16 of 44
<br />III. MODIFICATIONS TO THE PLAN
<br />The Proponents intend to make certain nonmaterial and/or nonadverse modifications (the
<br />"Modifications") to the Plan as further described in this section.
<br />Section 1127(a) of the Bankruptcy Code provides:
<br />The proponent of a plan may modify such plan at any time before
<br />confirmation, but may not modify such plan so that such plan as modified
<br />fails to meet the requirements of sections 1122 and 1123 of this title. After
<br />the proponent of a plan files a modification of such plan with the court, the
<br />plan as modified becomes the plan.
<br />11 U.S.C. § I127(a). Section 1127(d) provides:
<br />Any holder of a claim or interest that has accepted or rejected
<br />a plan is deemed to have accepted or rejected, as the case may
<br />be, such plan as modified, unless, within the time fixed by the
<br />court, such holder changes such holder's previous acceptance
<br />or rejection.
<br />11 U.S.C. §1127(d). The Bankruptcy Rule designed to implement section 1127(d), in turn,
<br />provides in relevant part:
<br />In a ... chapter 11 case, after a plan has been accepted and before its confirmation,
<br />the proponent may file a modification ofthe plan. If the court finds after hearing on
<br />notice lathe trustee, any committee appointed under the Code, and any other entity
<br />designated by the court that the proposed modification does not adversely change
<br />the treatment ofthe claim of any creditor or the interest of any equity security holder
<br />who has not accepted in writing the modification, it shall be deemed accepted by
<br />all creditors and equity security holders who have previously accepted the plan
<br />Fed. R. Banta. P. 3019(a). None of the Modifications to the Plan constitutes an "adverse change,"
<br />within the meaning of Bankruptcy Rule 3019, as to any of the affected Classes.
<br />Section 1127 of the Bankruptcy Code gives a plan proponent the right to modify the plan
<br />"at any time" before confirmation. In this case, the Modifications are minor and do not require re -
<br />solicitation or preclude immediate confirmation of the Plan. On the basis of the foregoing and
<br />related cases, the Court can and should conclude that the impact of the proposed Modifications on
<br />15 16
<br />
|