Case 10-31607 Doc 4934 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Main Document Page 1 of 5 UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte Division In re Case No. 10-31607 GARLOCK SEALING Chapter 11 TECHNOLOGIES LLC, et al., Jointly Administered Debtors. 1 MOTION OF THE OFFICIAL COMMITTEE OF ASBESTOS PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMANTS TO SUBSTITUTE COMMITTEE MEMBER The Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants ( Committee ), by and through its undersigned counsel, hereby moves this Court to appoint Ms. Sherri Hoover as substitute Committee member for Mrs. Ruth Sossamon, who recently passed away ( Motion ). The grounds supporting this Motion are as follows. 1. On June 16, 2010, this Court entered an order appointing the members of the Committee. See Order Appointing Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants, Jun. 16, 2010 [Dkt. No. 101] ( Appointment Order ). Among the members appointed was Mrs. Ruth Sossamon, whose tort counsel was the law firm of Motley Rice LLC. Id. at 2. At the time of her appointment, Mrs. Sossamon was acting as personal representative of the probate estate of her late husband, James W. Sossamon, who had sued Garlock prepetition for asbestosrelated personal injury and who died in 2004. In her capacity as personal representative, Mrs. Sossamon held an asbestos-related claim against Garlock, and that claim survives her passing. 2. On July 4, 2015, Mrs. Sossamon passed away. On September 30, 2015, the Probate Court for Charleston County, South Carolina, appointed Ms. Sherri Hoover, James 1 The Debtors are Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC ( Garlock ), Garrison Litigation Management Group, Ltd., and The Anchor Packing Company. DOC# 1766869
Case 10-31607 Doc 4934 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Main Document Page 2 of 5 Sossamon s daughter from a previous marriage, to succeed Mrs. Sossamon as personal representative. A copy of Ms. Hoover s certificate of appointment is annexed hereto as Exhibit 1. 3. On September 30, 2015, the Motley Rice firm filed a proof of claim against Garlock on behalf of James Sossamon s estate for asbestos-related personal injury. 4. Bankruptcy Code 1102(a)(4) provides that [o]n request of a party in interest and after notice and a hearing, the court may order the United States trustee to change the membership of a committee appointed under this subsection, if the court determines that the change is necessary to ensure adequate representation of creditors.... 11 U.S.C. 1102(a)(4). Moreover, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(a) provides in relevant part If a party dies and the claim is not extinguished, the court may order substitution of the proper party. Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(a). 2 Additionally, this Court has authority to modify the Appointment Order through its inherent powers and Bankruptcy Code 105(a). See In re Arms, 238 B.R. 259, 261 (Bankr. D. Vt. 1999); In re Dore & Assocs. Contracting, Inc., 54 B.R. 353, 360 (Bankr. W.D. Wis. 1985). 5. The Committee requests that the Court appoint Ms. Sherri Hoover to replace the late Mrs. Sossamon. This Court originally appointed Mrs. Sossamon, among others, to ensure adequate representation of Garlock s asbestos creditors. To maintain that representation, Mrs. Sossamon s successor, Ms. Hoover, should be substituted in her place. In fulfilling her charge as a Committee member, the Motley Rice firm will act on Ms. Hoover s behalf as attorney and agent. Motley Rice s senior partner, Mr. Joseph F. Rice, has been co-chair of the Committee since its formation in 2010. 2 Rule 25 is made applicable here by Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure 7025 and 9014(c). - 2 -
Case 10-31607 Doc 4934 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Main Document Page 3 of 5 6. The U.S. Bankruptcy Administrator and the Future Asbestos Claimants Representative have informed the Committee that they have no objection to the relief requested in this Motion. WHEREFORE, for the reasons noted above, the Committee requests that this Court enter an order granting this Motion and such other and further relief as this Court deems just and appropriate. Dated October 26, 2015 Respectfully submitted, CAPLIN & DRYSDALE, CHARTERED By /s/ Trevor W. Swett III Trevor W. Swett III (tswett@capdale.com) Jeffrey A. Liesemer (jliesemer@capdale.com) One Thomas Circle, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005 Telephone (202) 862-5000 Elihu Inselbuch (einselbuch@capdale.com) 600 Lexington Avenue, 21st Floor New York, New York 10022 Telephone (212) 379-6000 MOON WRIGHT & HOUSTON, PLLC Travis W. Moon (tmoon@mwhattorneys.com) Richard S. Wright (rwright@mwhattorneys.com) 227 West Trade Street, Suite 1800 Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Telephone (704) 944-6560 Co-Counsel for the Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants - 3 -
Case 10-31607 Doc 4934 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Main Document Page 4 of 5 EXHIBIT 1
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Case 10-31607 Doc 4934-1 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Notice of Motion and Hearing Page 1 of 3 UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte Division In re Case No. 10-31607 GARLOCK SEALING Chapter 11 TECHNOLOGIES LLC, et al., Jointly Administered Debtors. 1 NOTICE OF MOTION AND HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, on October 26, 2015, the Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants filed the Motion of the Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants to Substitute Committee Member ( Motion to Substitute ) in the above-captioned case. Your rights may be affected by this motion. You should read the Motion to Substitute carefully and discuss it with your attorney, if you have one in this bankruptcy case. If you do not have an attorney, you may wish to consult one. WRITTEN RESPONSES TO THE MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE MUST BE FILED BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 (THE RESPONSE DEADLINE ) IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE BANKRUPTCY COURT. If you do not want the Bankruptcy Court to order the relief requested in the Motion to Substitute, or if you want the Court to consider your views on the Motion to Substitute, then on or before the Response Deadline, you or your attorney must 1 The Debtors are Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC ( Garlock ), Garrison Litigation Management Group, Ltd., and The Anchor Packing Company. DOC# 1789174
Case 10-31607 Doc 4934-1 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Notice of Motion and Hearing Page 2 of 3 1. (A) File a formal, written response with the Bankruptcy Court at Clerk, United States Bankruptcy Court Charles Jonas Federal Building 401 West Trade Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 (B) If you have your attorney file a written response, then the response should be filed with the Bankruptcy Court by electronic means through the Court s website, www.ncwb.uscourts.gov, under the jointly administered name and case number shown above. 2. Serve a copy of your response on all parties in interest, including Trevor W. Swett Travis W. Moon Jeffrey A. Liesemer Richard S. Wright Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered Moon, Wright and Houston, PLLC 1 Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 1100 227 West Trade Street, Suite 1800 Washington, DC 20005 Charlotte, NC 28202 John R. Miller, Jr. Garland S. Cassada Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. 227 W. Trade Street, Suite 200 101 North Tryon Street, Suite 1900 Charlotte, NC 28202 Charlotte, NC 28246 Jonathan P. Guy Mark A. Nebrig Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Moore Van Allen PLLC Columbia Center 100 North Tryon Street 1152 15th Street, NW Suite 4700 Washington, DC 20005 Charlotte, NC 28202 A. Cotten Wright Linda W. Simpson Grier Furr & Crisp, PA U.S. Bankruptcy Administrator 101 North Tryon Street, Suite 1240 402 W. Trade Street, Suite 200 Charlotte, NC 28246 Charlotte, NC 28202 Daniel G. Clodfelter Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP 401 South Tryon Street, Suite 3000 Charlotte, NC 28202-2 -
Case 10-31607 Doc 4934-1 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Notice of Motion and Hearing Page 3 of 3 3. If you do not want the Court to grant the relief requested in the Motion to Substitute, or if you want the Court to consider your views on that motion, then you or your attorney should attend the hearing scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2015, at 930 a.m. EST, before The Honorable J. Craig Whitley, United States Bankruptcy Judge, in Bankruptcy Courtroom 1-4, 401 West Trade Street, Charlotte, North Carolina. If you or your attorney do not take these steps, the Court may decide that you do not oppose the relief sought in the Motion to Substitute and may enter an order granting the relief requested. Dated October 26, 2015 CAPLIN & DRYSDALE, CHARTERED By /s/ Trevor W. Swett III Trevor W. Swett III (tswett@capdale.com) Jeffrey A. Liesemer (jliesemer@capdale.com) One Thomas Circle, N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20005 Telephone (202) 862-5000 Elihu Inselbuch (einselbuch@capdale.com) 600 Lexington Avenue, 21st Floor New York, New York 10022 Telephone (212) 379-6000 MOON WRIGHT & HOUSTON, PLLC Travis W. Moon (Bar No. 3067) (tmoon@mwhattorneys.com) Richard S. Wright (rwright@mwhattorneys.com) 227 West Trade Street, Suite 1800 Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Telephone (704) 944-6560 Co-Counsel for the Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants - 3 -
Case 10-31607 Doc 4934-2 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Suggestion of Death Page 1 of 2 UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte Division In re Case No. 10-31607 GARLOCK SEALING Chapter 11 TECHNOLOGIES LLC, et al., Jointly Administered Debtors. 1 SUGGESTION OF DEATH In accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(a), made applicable herein by Rules 7025 and 9014(c) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, the Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants ( Committee ), by and through its undersigned counsel, notes the death of Mrs. Ruth Sossamon, a member of the Committee, who was appointed to that position by order of this Court, entered on June 16, 2010 [Dkt. No. 101]. At the time of her appointment, Mrs. Sossamon was acting as personal representative of the probate estate of her late husband, James W. Sossamon, who had sued Garlock prepetition for asbestos-related personal injury and who died in 2004. In her capacity as personal representative, Mrs. Sossamon held an asbestos-related claim against Garlock, and that claim survives her passing. Mrs. Sossamon passed away on July 4, 2015. On September 30, 2015, the Probate Court for Charleston County, South Carolina, appointed Ms. Sherri Hoover, James Sossamon s daughter from a previous marriage, to succeed Mrs. Sossamon as personal representative. 1 The Debtors are Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC ( Garlock ), Garrison Litigation Management Group, Ltd., and The Anchor Packing Company. DOC# 176713
Case 10-31607 Doc 4934-2 Filed 10/26/15 Entered 10/26/15 173851 Desc Suggestion of Death Page 2 of 2 Concurrently with this notice, the Committee has filed a motion with this Court to appoint Ms. Hoover as substitute Committee member for Mrs. Sossamon. Dated October 26, 2015 Respectfully submitted, CAPLIN & DRYSDALE, CHARTERED By /s/ Trevor W. Swett III Trevor W. Swett III (tswett@capdale.com) Jeffrey A. Liesemer (jliesemer@capdale.com) One Thomas Circle, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005 Telephone (202) 862-5000 Elihu Inselbuch (einselbuch@capdale.com) 600 Lexington Avenue, 21st Floor New York, New York 10022 Telephone (212) 379-6000 MOON WRIGHT & HOUSTON, PLLC Travis W. Moon (tmoon@mwhattorneys.com) Richard S. Wright (rwright@mwhattorneys.com) 227 West Trade Street, Suite 1800 Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Telephone (704) 944-6560 Co-Counsel for the Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants - 2 -