Quarterly Financial Report as of October 1, 2020 (Unaudited)
Note 6 – Legal Proceedings (continued)
In October 2020, the Court approved formal Orders in the LBHI2 and PLC Applications which reflect the rulings made in the judgment and in the Consequentials Hearing which took place on July 24, 2020. As part of those Orders, the Court has granted permission to appeal in respect of certain aspects of the judgment and denied the right to appeal certain other aspects. In December 2020, the Court of Appeal granted Deutsche Bank the right to appeal one of three issues it sought to appeal, denied its request to appeal the other two issues and granted LBHI the right to appeal the single issue that it sought to appeal.
For further information please refer to: www.pwc.co.uk/services/business-recovery/administrations/non-lbie-companies/lbh-plc-in-administration.html and www.pwc.co.uk/services/business-recovery/administrations/non-lbie-companies/lbhi2-limited-in-administration.html
(c) Guarantee Claims For Which LBIE Is The Primary Obligor
On July 10, 2018, LBHI filed a motion to have the Bankruptcy Court determine whether interest payments made by LBIE pursuant to its scheme should be counted as “consideration” by a Primary Obligor on the Primary Claims underlying the remaining Guarantee Claims held by affiliates of Deutsche Bank A.G. (“DB”) and Attestor Value Master Fund L.P. (“Attestor”) [ECF No. 58381]. On August 14, 2018, the Bankruptcy Court ruled that such payments by LBIE were consideration such that DB’s and Attestor’s claims should be deemed satisfied in full. On August 20, 2018, both DB and Attestor filed notices of appeal to the District Court. On August 16, 2019, the District Court affirmed the Bankruptcy Court’s decision. On September 13 and 16, 2019, Attestor and DB filed an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On September 21, 2020, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the District Court’s decision in a Summary Order.
LBHI previously filed an objection to disallow six, LBIE-based, prime-brokerage-related Guarantee Claims seeking $118 million filed by funds related to Maverick Capital Ltd (“Maverick”) [ECF No. 53107]. On March 24, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court granted LBHI’s objection, disallowed Maverick’s claims, and ruled that Maverick could not amend its proofs of claim to assert direct (as opposed to guarantee) liability against LBHI [ECF No. 55346]. Maverick appealed that decision to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
On September 30, 2018, the District Court reversed the Bankruptcy Court’s decision that section 562 of the Bankruptcy Code and certain exculpatory clauses contained in the prime brokerage agreement at issue applied to Maverick’s claims, and remanded the case to the Bankruptcy Court for further proceedings. On July 3, 2019, LBHI filed a motion seeking to reduce Maverick’s claims to $4.3 million. On August 8, 2019, Maverick filed its opposition to that motion. On September 10, 2019, the Court heard argument on the Motion and reserved decision. On September 14, 2020, Maverick filed a supplemental brief in connection with the pending motion. On October 19, 2020, LBHI filed its response to Maverick’s supplemental brief.
(d) LBIE Other
The outcome of the following litigation may impact LBHI’s potential indirect recoveries from LBIE:
AG Financial Products Inc.
On November 28, 2011, LBIE sued AG Financial Products Inc. (“AGR”), an affiliate of Assured Guaranty Corp., which in the past had provided credit protection to counterparties under credit default swaps. LBIE’s complaint, which was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York (the “New York Supreme Court”), alleged that AGR improperly terminated nine credit derivative transactions between LBIE and AGR and improperly calculated the termination payment in connection with the termination of 28 other credit derivative transactions between LBIE and AGR. LBIE asserted in the complaint that AGR owes LBIE a termination payment of approximately $1.4 billion.
On July 2, 2018, the New York Supreme Court dismissed LBIE’s allegation with respect to the breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and the claims relating to the nine terminated transactions, but found that there is a genuine question of fact as to the reasonableness and good faith of AGR’s calculation of its loss, and so LBIE may proceed with its claim against AGR for breach of contract. On July 31, 2018, AGR filed a Notice of Appeal with the New York State Appellate Division. On December 11, 2018, the Appellate Division heard oral arguments on the appeal. On January 17, 2019, the Appellate Division affirmed the Supreme Court’s decision in its entirety. The trial was originally scheduled for March 9-20, 2020, but was adjourned by the Court as a result of risks posed by the coronavirus.