On June 16, 2020, the DOJ, on behalf of the IRS, filed a Notice of Removal removing the Delaware Proceeding to the Delaware District Court. On June 16, 2020, the DOJ, on behalf of the IRS, also filed a complaint commencing an action in the Delaware District Court (the “Collection Action”) seeking a judgment against Altaba in respect of the tax claims and amounts raised by the IRS that are described in the Petition.
On August 10, 2020, the Delaware District Court entered an order remanding the Delaware Proceeding back to the Chancery Court, with the exception of IRS tax claims and Verizon’s tax indemnity claims, which continued to be before the Delaware District Court.
On August 18, 2020, the Fund and the DOJ, on behalf of the IRS, filed the Joint Motion pursuant to which the Fund agreed to retain as security for the claims of the IRS an aggregate amount of $1.76 billion (which is the amount the Chancery Court is being requested to retain as security for the claims of the IRS in the Interim Order Motion described below), subject to agreed upon mechanisms for the release of this security as portions of the IRS claims are resolved over time. In the Joint Motion, the Fund and the DOJ, on behalf of the IRS, requested that the Delaware District Court dismiss the portion of the Delaware Proceeding relating to the IRS claims which had been removed to the Delaware District Court, and remand Verizon’s tax indemnity claims back to the Chancery Court. The Delaware District Court has not yet ruled on the Joint Motion. The Fund and the DOJ, on behalf of the IRS, have agreed that within three days after the date on which the Delaware District Court enters an order substantially in the form attached to the Joint Motion, the DOJ will file a motion requesting that the Delaware District Court dismiss the Collection Action without prejudice.
On August 18, 2020, as requested by the Fund in the Petition, the Chancery Court entered an order barring claims from potential claimants who received notice of the Fund’s dissolution and did not submit a claim by the claims deadline. For further information, please refer to the full text of the Petition.
On August 20, 2020, the Fund filed the Interim Order Motion with the Chancery Court. In the Interim Order Motion, the Fund requested that the Chancery Court establish an initial conservative aggregate amount of security of $7.347 billion, which if approved would allow the Fund to distribute up to $5.155 billion to stockholders. It is not typical for such an Interim Order to be requested in proceedings of this kind. There can be no assurance that the Chancery Court will approve the Interim Order, that the Chancery Court will authorize the aggregate security amount proposed by the Fund in the Interim Order Motion, that the distribution of excess assets based on the Interim Order will occur or, if approved, when any such distribution will occur.
The removal of the Delaware Proceeding to the Delaware District Court, and the related efforts to sever and remand the claims of all parties other than the IRS back to the Chancery Court, could affect the timing of any post-dissolution liquidating distributions. In addition, the Fund cannot predict the impact, if any, of the Covid-19 pandemic on the timing of proceedings in the Chancery Court, or, as applicable, the Delaware District Court, and it is possible that delays could result.
Following the Interim Order, if issued, the Fund will request the Final Order establishing the final amount and form of security for contested known, contingent and potential future claims that are likely to arise or become known within five years of the Effective Time (or such longer period of time as the Chancery Court may determine not to exceed ten years after the Effective Time), pay or make reasonable provision for the Fund’s uncontested known claims and expenses (including any changes to amounts agreed by the Fund and claimants following the issuance of the Interim Order), and establish reserves for other claims as required by the Final Order. The Final Order will reflect the Chancery Court’s, and, as applicable, the Delaware District Court’s, own determination as to the amount and form of security reasonably likely to be sufficient to provide compensation for all known, contingent and potential future claims against the Fund. There can be no assurances that the Chancery Court, and, as applicable, the Delaware District Court, will not require the Fund to withhold amounts in excess of the amounts that we believe are sufficient to satisfy the Fund’s potential claims and liabilities. Accordingly, stockholders may not receive distributions of these additional amounts for a substantial period of time. Factors that could impact the aggregate amount of security required to be retained by the Fund pursuant to the Court Orders, and consequently the amount of the initial post-dissolution liquidating distributions, include the following:
| • | | whether any claims are resolved; |
| • | | whether any litigation is brought against the Fund or its directors and officers; |
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