PER CURIAM:
The prior opinion is withdrawn and the following opinion is substituted.
Plaintiff and appellant The Spencer ad hoc Equity Committee ("Spencer Committee")
On March 31, 2009, Idearc filed voluntary petitions before the bankruptcy court for relief pursuant to Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The debtors before the court are Idearc and its affiliates (collectively "Idearc" or "Reorganized Debtors"
On December 8, 2009 (the day before the confirmation hearing on the Plan), the Spencer Committee filed objections to the confirmation hearing set for the very next day, alleging fraud in a prior spinoff of debtors from Verizon Communications, Inc. ("Verizon"). The Spencer Committee attempted to assert claims against Verizon and JPMorgan Chase & Co. ("J.P. Morgan")
On August 18, 2010, the district court granted Idearc's motion to dismiss the Spencer Committee's appeal of the Confirmation
This court has jurisdiction to hear appeals of "all final decisions of the district courts", including final judgments in bankruptcy appeals. 28 U.S.C. § 1291; Conn. Nat'l Bank v. Germain, 503 U.S. 249, 253, 112 S.Ct. 1146, 117 L.Ed.2d 391 (1992). Fact findings of the district court and the bankruptcy court are reviewed under a clearly erroneous standard and issues of law are reviewed de novo. United States ex rel. FCC v. GWI PCS 1, Inc. (In re GWI PCS 1, Inc.), 230 F.3d 788, 799-800 (5th Cir.2000) (citing Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. Berryman Prods. (In re Berryman Prods.), 159 F.3d 941, 943 (5th Cir.1998)). "A party who fails to object to a bankruptcy court's assumption of core jurisdiction consents to that court's entry of final judgment." McFarland v. Leyh (In re Tex. Gen. Petroleum Corp.), 52 F.3d 1330, 1337 (5th Cir.1995). This court interprets the terms of a bankruptcy reorganization plan and confirmation order de novo and holistically. See New Nat'l Gypsum Co. v. Nat'l Co. Settlement Trust, 219 F.3d 478, 484 (5th Cir.2000). Finally, "[i]f an appellate court is unable to grant any remedy for [a party], its opinion would be merely advisory and it must dismiss the appeal as moot." See Alberta Energy Partners v. Blast Energy Servs. (In re Blast Energy Servs., Inc.), 593 F.3d 418, 423 (5th Cir.2010).
The issue is whether the district court properly applied the doctrine of equitable mootness to dismiss the Spencer Committee's appeal of the bankruptcy court's Confirmation Order of the Plan. As a general rule, "[t]he doctrine of equitable mootness is designed to protect concerns unique to bankruptcy proceedings." Bank of N.Y. Trust Co. NA v. Pac. Lumber Co. (In re Scopac), 624 F.3d 274, 281 (5th Cir.2010) (citing Manges v. Seattle-First Nat'l Bank (In re Manges), 29 F.3d 1034, 1038 (5th Cir.1994)); see also Bank of New York Trust Co., NA v. Official Unsecured Creditors' Committee (In re Pacific Lumber), 584 F.3d 229, 240 (5th Cir.2009). Unlike an Article III inquiry which examines whether a live case or controversy exists, an equitable mootness analysis recognizes that a point exists beyond which a court cannot order fundamental changes in reorganization actions. Scopac, 624 F.3d at 281. This court examines three factors when assessing equitable mootness: (i) whether a stay has been
On December 31, 2009, the Spencer Committee filed before the bankruptcy court an emergency motion for stay.
To determine whether a Plan has been "substantially consummated" so as to satisfy the second element of the three-part test, the courts must consider the following factors provided by the United States Bankruptcy Code:
11 U.S.C. § 1101(2); see also In re Manges, 29 F.3d at 1041.
"In exercising its discretionary power to dismiss an appeal on mootness grounds, a court cannot avoid its obligation to scrutinize each individual claim, testing the feasibility of granting the relief against its potential impact on the reorganization scheme as a whole." In re AOV Indus., 792 F.2d 1140, 1148 (D.C.Cir.1986). With this rigorous standard for discretionary review in mind, this court evaluates the feasibility of the Spencer Committee's claims alongside the "potential impact on the reorganization scheme as a whole." See id.
The Spencer Committee argues that the Plan has not been substantially consummated primarily based on its own allegations of the debtor's fraud in the creation of the debt itself. In addition, the Spencer Committee argues that the litigation trust, which is incorporated by the Confirmation Order and Plan, permits the future recovery for fraud in the debt recovery. This court concludes that the Spencer Committee has made no showing of fraud with respect to the Confirmation Order such that revocation of the order would be appropriate.
Based upon the district court's independent conclusion that the Plan has been substantially consummated pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1101(2), the record before this
This final inquiry focuses upon whether the requested relief would adversely impact the success of the Plan or the rights of third parties not before the court. The new common stock has been publicly traded since January 6, 2010 and in no small quantity of shares. The district court concluded that numerous third parties' financial rights would be adversely affected by the proposed de novo review and fact-based inquiry proposed by the Spencer Committee. See Berryman, 159 F.3d at 946; see also In re Block Shim Dev. Co.-Irving, 939 F.2d 289, 291 (5th Cir. 1991). Accordingly, this court concludes that, after a careful consideration of the requested relief as against the potential impact upon the success of reorganization and upon the rights of third parties not before the court, the Spencer Committee's requested relief will adversely affect the success of the Plan overall and the rights of third parties not before the court.
In conclusion, (1) the Spencer Committee appeared before the bankruptcy court and did not obtain a stay, (2) the Plan has been substantially consummated, and (3) the Spencer Committee's requested relief would adversely impact the success of the Plan or the rights of third parties not before the court. Accordingly, on the grounds of equitable mootness, this court affirms the district court's order granting Idearc's motion to dismiss the Spencer Committee's appeal of the Confirmation Order of the Plan.