Related-to jurisdiction, found.
August 3, 2022The Fifth Circuit found that the federal courts had “related to” jurisdiction because of the relationship between litigation and a bankruptcy plan:
“In Zale, the dispute between NUFIC and Cigna risked disrupting Zale’s reorganization by threatening Zale’s recovery from and access to the Cigna policy funds. Here, NFC’s claims risked the same disruptions: GenMa had pledged to pay the Lessors lots of money and to keep specified cash reserves as part of a global settlement between several parties to GenOn’s restructuring. By threatening GenMa’s ability to fulfill those commitments, NFC’s claims pertained to ‘the implementation and execution’ of that crucial settlement, which was part of GenOn’s plan. Craig’s Stores, 266 F.3d at 390. So we have related-to jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b).”
Natixis Funding Corp. v. Gen-On Mid-Atlantic, LLC, No. 21-20557 (July 29, 2022).