15.02.2008 21:54:00
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U.S. Energy Systems Reports Agreement with Largest Shareholder to Facilitate Chapter 11 Restructuring
U.S. Energy Systems, Inc. (Pink Sheets: USEY) today announced that the
Company has reached an agreement with Nakash Energy LLC, the Company’s
largest shareholder, that facilitates its restructuring under
Chapter 11. The Company, its Board of Directors and Nakash Energy have
entered into a Governance Agreement which provides for an immediate
standstill of litigation between Nakash Energy and the Company in the
Delaware Chancery Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern
District of New York and under which three new Directors nominated by
Nakash Energy have joined the Company’s Board
of Directors. As reported below, this brings the total number of
Directors to six, all of whom have been recently appointed.
The Company has filed a motion requesting Bankruptcy Court approval of
the Governance Agreement and related matters in the Chapter 11 cases of
the Company and two of its subsidiaries, US Energy Overseas Investments
LLC and GBGH, LLC. If the Bankruptcy Court approves the motion, Nakash
Energy and the Company will file stipulations voluntarily dismissing the
Delaware Chancery Court litigation and the Bankruptcy Court proceedings
between the parties. As a result, Nakash Energy’s
request for an annual meeting of shareholders will be deferred until
after a plan of reorganization is confirmed and substantially
consummated in the Chapter 11 cases. In addition, Nakash Energy will
also voluntarily withdraw its request with the Office of the United
States Trustee for the appointment of an official committee of equity
securityholders in the Chapter 11 cases.
Composition of Board of Directors
The Company reported that on February 13 the Board of Directors elected
Bruce Levy and Michael T. Novosel as Directors of the Company (together
with Bernard J. Zahren, the "Incumbent
Directors”), and also elected three directors
nominated by Nakash Energy: Emzon Shung, Robert Spiegelman, and
Salvatore Nobile (the "Nakash Energy Directors”).
The Company also reported that independent directors Jacob Feinstein and
Ronny Strauss resigned on February 11. USEY’s
Chief Executive Officer, Joseph P. Reynolds, and Vice President and
Chief Accounting Officer, Richard J. Augustine, resigned from the Board
on February 13 and will continue to serve in their respective executive
capacities with the Company.
Under the Governance Agreement, the Board of Directors will be comprised
of an equal number of Incumbent Directors and Nakash Energy Directors,
initially three each, at all times until the confirmation and
substantial consummation of a plan of reorganization in the Chapter 11
cases. The term of each Director will expire at the next annual meeting
of stockholders, so that the whole Board will be eligible for election
by the stockholders at that time.
The Board of Directors also named Bernard J. Zahren and Robert
Spiegelman as Co-Chairmen of the Board.
Mr. Zahren said: "I am pleased to be joined by
individuals with such diverse backgrounds and extensive experience in
power project development, accounting, law and general business
management to help guide the Company through this important period of
reorganization.”
Mr. Zahren continued: "While the Company
continues to face serious financial challenges, principally due to the
heavy debt burden incurred in acquiring its UK assets, we still see
opportunities in the energy sector arising from the need to seek active
energy solutions to the severe consequences of global climate change,
rising fossil fuel prices in general, and concerns over energy
independence in both the U.S. and the UK. The Board will continue to
explore restructuring alternatives that could enable the Company to
pursue the dynamic potential for green and renewable energy, such as our
U.S. Energy Biogas landfill gas-based projects.” Shareholder Meetings
The Governance Agreement further provides that the Company will convene
an annual meeting of shareholders as soon as practicable following
confirmation and substantial consummation of a plan of reorganization in
the Chapter 11 cases and following the Company’s
filing with the SEC of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2007.
The Governance Agreement contains various additional provisions, as will
be outlined in a Form 8-K filing by the Company with the SEC, whereby
all of the Directors and Nakash Energy, in their capacity as
shareholders, have agreed to vote their owned shares of the Company’s
common stock in support of maintaining the composition of the newly
appointed Board of Directors through the confirmation and substantial
consummation of a plan of reorganization in the Chapter 11 cases.
In addition, the Company’s special meeting of
shareholders, originally scheduled for January 29, 2008, has been
further adjourned until Tuesday, February 26 so that the parties to the
related Delaware Chancery Court litigation can continue to pursue
settlement discussions.
New Directors Bruce Levy. Mr. Levy is President of TDX Power, Inc., an
owner/operator of multiple regulated electric utilities in Alaska,
including the utility system on Alaska’s
North Slope at Prudhoe Bay. TDX Power also owns non-regulated generation
facilities and supplies power equipment and engineering services to the
U.S. military markets. Additionally, Mr. Levy is the principal of Bruce
Levy Power Systems LLC, an energy industry consulting firm specializing
in project development and finance, acquisitions and divestitures,
technology and economic evaluation. He previously held executive officer
level positions at O’Brien Energy and New
World Power Corp, and currently serves on the board of directors of TDX
Power and UK-based Global Geothermal Limited.
Michael T. Novosel. Mr. Novosel was a partner in Kostin, Ruffkess
& Company, LLC, Certified Public Accountants, until his retirement in
2007. Mr. Novosel has over 36 years experience in providing auditing and
strategic business planning services. He will serve on the Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors.
Salvatore Nobile. Mr. Nobile is Managing Director of S. Nobile &
Co. LLP, Certified Public Accountants who specialize in audit and
taxation of multi-national companies. Mr. Nobile has over 25 years of
experience in auditing and accounting. He will serve on the Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors.
Emzon Shung. Mr. Shung is an Executive Vice President of the Real
Estate and Aviation divisions of Jordache Enterprises, Inc., a
privately-held company that designs and manufactures a wide variety of
denim, apparel and accessories and also owns and operates several
aviation businesses, including Arkia Airlines, the second largest
airline in Israel, owns the HALUTZA® olive
oil company, and has extensive investments in real estate worldwide.
Robert Spiegelman. Mr. Spiegelman is the General Counsel of
Jordache Enterprises, Inc., and is also General Counsel of Nakash
Energy. He will serve as a Co-Chairman of the Board together with Mr.
Zahren.
Messrs. Zahren, Levy, Nobile, Shung and Spiegelman have voluntarily
agreed to suspend indefinitely any compensation due to them for serving
as Directors.
Additional information can be found at the Company’s
website: www.usenergysystems.com.
About U.S. Energy Systems, Inc.
U.S. Energy Systems, Inc. is an owner of green power and clean energy
and resources. USEY owns and operates energy projects in the United
States and United Kingdom that generate electricity, thermal energy and
gas production. Certain matters discussed in this press release are
forward-looking statements, and certain important factors may affect the
Company’s actual results and could cause
actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements
made in this release, or which are otherwise made by or on behalf of the
Company. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the Company’s
ability to effect a successful restructuring or recapitalization in
Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings; the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s
ability to fund and complete ongoing projects, including the expansion
of the Company’s UK assets, in a timely
manner; the final results of the updated reserve reports and 3D seismic
study of the Company’s gas reserves
structures; the Company’s ability to develop
a commercially viable revised business plan for the UK assets and the
business as a whole; failure to realize the estimated savings or
operating results of acquisitions, and other risks associated with
acquisitions generally, including risks relating to managing and
integrating acquired businesses; changes in market conditions and the
impact of market conditions on the Company’s
capital expenditures; the impact of competition; changes in local or
regional economic conditions, and the amount and rate of growth in
expenses; changes in UK or U.S. federal or state laws and their
interpretation with respect to regulation, energy policy and other
business issues; and the ability to comply with environmental laws and
regulations and to obtain necessary permits; and other risks detailed
from time to time in USEY’s Securities and
Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006 and its Current Reports on Form 8-K
dated June 25, 2007, August 31, 2007, October 1, 2007, October 9, 2007,
and October 16, 2007, January 9, 2008, January 19, 2008, January 24,
2008, January 29, 2008, January 30, 2008, February 4, 2008, and February
11, 2008. The Company does not undertake to update any of the
information set forth in this press release.
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