Monthly Archives: December 2015

Caesars gets late Xmas gift as judge rejects creditors’ early ruling request

Casino operator Caesars Entertainment got a belated Christmas present via a procedural victory in its ongoing court fight with some of its junior creditors.

On Tuesday, New York US District Judge Shira Scheindlin (pictured) ruled against junior creditors’ request for a quick ruling on their lawsuit alleging that Caesars improperly reneged on its debt guarantees. In a 31-page opinion, Scheindlin said there were material disputes surrounding the parties’ claims that would only be resolved by a trial.

In May 2014, Caesars announced that it had sold 5% of its main unit, Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC), to undisclosed institutional investors. Caesars maintained that the fine print on the bondholder agreements stipulated that if Caesars didn’t hold 100% of the equity in CEOC, the parent company was no longer obligated to honor guarantees worth billions of dollars to junior creditors.

Scheindlin’s ruling affects $750m of that debt held by MeehanCombs Global Credit Opportunities Funds and Frederick Barton Danner. In August, Scheindlin made a similar ruling on requests for a quick ruling on lawsuits brought by other junior creditors who were also screwed by Caesars’ sleight of hand. Still more suits are awaiting their own rulings.

Caesars gets late Xmas gift as judge rejects creditors’ early ruling request

Casino operator Caesars Entertainment got a belated Christmas present via a procedural victory in its ongoing court fight with some of its junior creditors.

On Tuesday, New York US District Judge Shira Scheindlin (pictured) ruled against junior creditors’ request for a quick ruling on their lawsuit alleging that Caesars improperly reneged on its debt guarantees. In a 31-page opinion, Scheindlin said there were material disputes surrounding the parties’ claims that would only be resolved by a trial.

In May 2014, Caesars announced that it had sold 5% of its main unit, Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC), to undisclosed institutional investors. Caesars maintained that the fine print on the bondholder agreements stipulated that if Caesars didn’t hold 100% of the equity in CEOC, the parent company was no longer obligated to honor guarantees worth billions of dollars to junior creditors.

Scheindlin’s ruling affects $750m of that debt held by MeehanCombs Global Credit Opportunities Funds and Frederick Barton Danner. In August, Scheindlin made a similar ruling on requests for a quick ruling on lawsuits brought by other junior creditors who were also screwed by Caesars’ sleight of hand. Still more suits are awaiting their own rulings.