Opinion
4:23-cv-04033-HSG
04-03-2024
HISCOX SYNDICATES LIMITED, a Private Limited Liability Company formed in England, Plaintiff, v. SAMUEL BANKMAN-FRIED, NISHAD SINGH, RAMIK ARORA, CLAIRE WATANABE, HOWARD ANDREW FISHER, AMY WU, ZIXIAO GARY WANG, RYAN SALAME, CAN SUN, CONSTANCE ZHE WANG, LUK WAI JEN CHAN, NATALIE TIEN, ZANE TACKETT, ZHONGYUAN DAVID MA, DANIEL FRIEDBERG, ROBIN MATZKE, PATRICK GRUHN, ROSS RHEINGANSYOO, NICHOLAS BECKSTEAD, and JONATHAN CHEESMAN, Defendants.
BAKER & McKENZIE LLP, Jessica Nall, Ronald L. Ohren, Attorneys for Defendant, Claire Watanabe
Complaint Filed: August 9, 2023
First Am. Complaint: August 10, 2023
BAKER & McKENZIE LLP, Jessica Nall, Ronald L. Ohren, Attorneys for Defendant, Claire Watanabe
ORDER DIRECTING REIMBURSEMENT FROM COURT REGISTRY (RE DEFENDANT CLAIRE WATANABE) (AS MODIFIED) NO HEARING UNLESS REQUESTED BY COURT
Hon. Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., United States District Judge
WHEREAS Hiscox Syndicates Limited, plaintiff in the above-captioned interpleader action, paid the proceeds of a certain insurance policy into the Registry of the Court pursuant to the Amended Stipulation Resolving Interpleader Action; Order [Docket No. 78] (the “Amended Stipulation and Order”), dated January 17, 2024; and
WHEREAS the Amended Stipulation and Order identifies certain defendants in the above-captioned interpleader action as the “WBR Claimants,” each of whom are entitled to reimbursement of unpaid defense costs up to one-third of the “WBR Set Aside” and the “Future Claimant Set Aside,” as those terms are defined in the Amended Stipulation and Order; and
WHEREAS Claire Watanabe (“Watanabe”) is identified in the Amended Stipulation and Order as a WBR Claimant; and
WHEREAS the Amended Stipulation and Order provides that WBR Claimants “shall make requests for distribution of the WBR Set Aside by letter to the Court filed on the docket and attaching summary invoices for the Court's review;” and
WHEREAS Watanabe filed the Request for Reimbursement from Court Registry [Docket No. 89] (the “Request”) on April 1, 2024, through which she requested payment of unpaid defense costs in the amount of $58,345.68, which was supported by summary invoices reflecting those unpaid defense costs (Exhibit A to the Request), as required by the Amended Stipulation and Order; and
WHEREAS the Court has reviewed the summary invoices, together with any additional information requested, and has determined that Watanabe is entitled to reimbursement of $58,345.68; and
WHEREAS Watanabe provided the Court with an executed Form AO 213P (Request for Payee Information and TIN Certification) and IRS Form W-9.
WHEREFORE, for the foregoing reasons, the Clerk of the Court is ORDERED to pay the sum of $58,345.68 to Claire Watanabe by electronic funds transfer in accordance with the EFT information provided on the Form AO 213P. The Finance Department is directed to withdraw the funds from the principal.
IT IS SO ORDERED.