Lehman Brothers Holding will ask on Tuesday the judge who oversees the development of the largest bankruptcy in history to endorse and send to bank creditors for voting a repayment plan of $65 billion, representing about 20% of claims.
The investment bank which went bankrupt in September 2008, proposes the return to creditors, on average, 20 cents for every dollar owed.
The fortunate creditors, the ones who invested in derivatives, will receive almost 28% of the amount due.
If the judge feels that the payment is appropriate and in sufficient amount, the creditors will vote on the plan on November 4.
If they accept the proposal, the justice could give its final opinion in December, bringing to the brink of closing the epic Lehman bankruptcy, more than three years after the resounding failure of the bank. Bankruptcy of the U.S. bank has expanded the mortgage crisis into a global financial crisis, freezing credit markets and throwing the world economy in the most severe recession since the Second World War.
Formal closure of Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and liquidation completion could be prevented by several obstacles. Bank must meet several conditions listed in the repayment plan, including funding, a process that could take “days, weeks or months”, said a company representative last week.
Lehman previously said that it hopes to begin payments to creditors in the first quarter of next year.
The process could be delayed if the bank holding will be faced with objections and appeals from some creditors dissatisfied with the proposed program.
Although the bank has obtained the support of a large number of major lenders, some of them continue to oppose plans proposed by the special administrator. They include a German banking association and Mason Capital Management investment firm, claiming the plan is “too vague” in terms of how creditors will be satisfied with international affiliates of Lehman which didn’t go bankrupt.
Lehman requests that solving these requests be delayed.
The total claims amount of Lehman creditors is over $300 billion. Two groups of investors holding a total debt of about $100 billion already promised that they will support the bank plans.
The association, a syndicate of bond holders led by the hedge fund Paulson & Co. and a group of derivatives creditors including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, have proposed their own repayment plans before accepting Lehman version.
A holding company affiliates of Lehman in Asia, which has debts of about $20 billion, also announced supporting the bank plans.
Lehman had assets of $639 billion on September 15, 2008, when it went bankrupt, six times more than any other American company that went into bankruptcy throughout history.