Joint Stock Company Channel One Russia Worldwide v. Infomir LLC
- George Daniels
- 1:16-cv-01318
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Channel One v. Infomir, Judge Moses stayed proceedings on Channel One’s attorney-fee application against SKM.
Channel One’s attorney-fee application against SKM cannot proceed while the bankruptcy stay remains in effect. The order also concerns the pending bankruptcy case and Channel One’s ability to pursue the fee application.
What happened
Joint Stock Company Channel One Russia Worldwide asked for attorney fees from S.K. Management of New York (SKM), which had filed for bankruptcy while this case was pending. The bankruptcy filing automatically paused the case as to SKM.
A bankruptcy judge later allowed this court to adopt an earlier recommendation and enter judgment on Channel One’s partial summary-judgment motions. The District Court entered a $3,666,000 judgment for Channel One against SKM on December 18, 2024, but the bankruptcy judge did not allow the separate fee application to proceed.
In Joint Stock Company Channel One Russia Worldwide v. Infomir LLC, Judge Barbara Moses ordered that all further proceedings on the fee application remain stayed until the bankruptcy judge issues another order. The order also requires Channel One to update the bankruptcy judge about its sanctions-related status if it seeks permission to pursue the fee application.
The detailed version
- Joint Stock Company Channel One Russia Worldwide v. Infomir LLC · No. 1:16-cv-01318
- George Daniels
- Mar. 7, 2025
Background
Channel One filed an application for attorney fees on February 13, 2025, seeking fees from defendant S.K. Management of New York (SKM). SKM filed a bankruptcy petition on March 24, 2022, and the bankruptcy case remained pending when Judge Moses issued this order.
SKM’s bankruptcy filing triggered an automatic stay under the Bankruptcy Code, pausing this action as to SKM. On August 15, 2022, the bankruptcy judge modified the stay for two limited purposes: allowing the District Court to consider a March 9, 2022 report and recommendation concerning the plaintiffs’ partial summary-judgment motions, and allowing the District Court to enter judgment on those motions.
The District Court later adopted the report and recommendation and, on December 18, 2024, entered judgment for Channel One against SKM in the amount of $3,666,000.
Ruling
The bankruptcy judge did not lift or modify the automatic stay for other purposes, including Channel One’s pending fee application. Judge Moses therefore ordered that all further proceedings concerning the fee application are stayed, subject to a further order from the bankruptcy judge. The order did not grant or deny the fee application.
The order further states that, if Channel One seeks another modification of the stay to pursue the fee application, it must update the bankruptcy judge about its status as a specially designated entity under Executive Order 14024. The order also requires Channel One to promptly notify the District Court if that status changes. The opinion notes that the sanctions-related restriction may prevent Channel One from enforcing the judgment unless the restriction ends or an authorized license is obtained.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.