JP Morgan payoff in WaMu case faces FDIC hurdle -WSJ

* JP Morgan stands to get $1.4 bln tax refund -WSJ

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* FDIC has reversed stand on payout -WSJ

* Regulator still to sign off on WaMu reorg plan

NEW YORK, March 28 (Reuters) – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp is not yet on board with Washington Mutual Inc’s (WAMUQ.PK) bankruptcy reorganization plan, including a massive tax refund to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), according to the company and a Wall Street Journal report.

JPMorgan stands to get a $1.4 billion tax benefit following its 2008 acquisition of Washington Mutual’s banking subsidiary, but the FDIC has reversed its stand on supporting such a payout, the Journal reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.

Washington Mutual, which is tied to the biggest bank failure in U.S. history, said on March 12 it had agreed to split two potential tax refunds worth a combined $5.6 billion with JPMorgan and the FDIC. [ID:nN12152501]

A U.S. law that created the tax refund, however, specifically forbids companies that received bailout funds, which includes JPMorgan, from receiving such a payment.

The tentative deal among JPMorgan, the FDIC and Washington Mutual also would end their various legal fights over claims to disputed bank deposits. The agreement was to be finalized and included in the reorganization plan.

However, late on Friday Washington Mutual said it filed a plan of reorganization with the Delaware bankruptcy court that implements the terms of the settlement agreement but does not have everyone on board.

Washington Mutual said the FDIC had not agreed to all of the provisions of the draft settlement agreement. It added that discussions were ongoing among the parties and they were hopeful that such agreement will be obtained in the near future.

An FDIC spokesman said the regulator was working with all parties involved to reach agreement with respect to all terms of the proposed settlement.

“The plan, disclosure statement, and settlement agreement that were filed on Friday do not reflect the continuing discussions among the parties,” the FDIC said in an e-mailed statement.

A JPMorgan spokesman was not immediately available for comment on Sunday night.

Seattle-based Washington Mutual filed for bankruptcy in September 2008 at the height of the global financial crisis.

Washington Mutual’s jittery depositors yanked nearly 10 percent of the bank’s $188 billion in deposits in a matter of days, prompting regulators to seize the operation.

After it was seized, the FDIC sold the bank to JPMorgan for $1.9 billion.

Washington Mutual also said on Friday that the reorganization plan would see it distribute more than $7 billion to creditors.

The plan also calls for the reorganized company to undertake a rights offering, under which certain creditors will receive a right to buy newly issued shares of the reorganized company. The reorganized company will have interest in WMI Investment Corp and WM Mortgage Reinsurance Co, it said.

It will cancel its current preferred and common shares.

The case is In re Washington Mutual Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington), No. 08-12229. (Reporting by Paritosh Bansal in New York, Tom Hals in Wilmington, Del., and Karey Wutkowski in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

JP Morgan payoff in WaMu case faces FDIC hurdle: report

(Reuters) – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp is not yet on board with Washington Mutual Inc’s (WAMUQ.PK) bankruptcy reorganization plan, including a massive tax refund to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), according to the company and a Wall Street Journal report.

JPMorgan stands to get a $1.4 billion tax benefit following its 2008 acquisition of Washington Mutual’s banking subsidiary, but the FDIC has reversed its stand on supporting such a payout, the Journal reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.

Washington Mutual, which is tied to the biggest bank failure in U.S. history, said on March 12 it had agreed to split two potential tax refunds worth a combined $5.

A U.S. law that created the tax refund, however, specifically forbids companies that received bailout funds, which includes JPMorgan, from receiving such a payment.

The tentative deal among JPMorgan, the FDIC and Washington Mutual also would end their various legal fights over claims to disputed bank deposits. The agreement was to be finalized and included in the reorganization plan.

However, late on Friday Washington Mutual said it filed a plan of reorganization with the Delaware bankruptcy court that implements the terms of the settlement agreement but does not have everyone on board.

Washington Mutual said the FDIC had not agreed to all of the provisions of the draft settlement agreement. It added that discussions were ongoing among the parties and they were hopeful that such agreement will be obtained in the near future.

An FDIC spokesman said the regulator was working with all parties involved to reach agreement with respect to all terms of the proposed settlement.

“The plan, disclosure statement, and settlement agreement that were filed on Friday do not reflect the continuing discussions among the parties,” the FDIC said in an e-mailed statement.

A JPMorgan spokesman was not immediately available for comment on Sunday night.

Seattle-based Washington Mutual filed for bankruptcy in September 2008 at the height of the global financial crisis.

Washington Mutual’s jittery depositors yanked nearly 10 percent of the bank’s $188 billion in deposits in a matter of days, prompting regulators to seize the operation.

After it was seized, the FDIC sold the bank to JPMorgan for $1.9 billion.

Washington Mutual also said on Friday that the reorganization plan would see it distribute more than $7 billion to creditors.

The plan also calls for the reorganized company to undertake a rights offering, under which certain creditors will receive a right to buy newly issued shares of the reorganized company. The reorganized company will have interest in WMI Investment Corp and WM Mortgage Reinsurance Co, it said.

It will cancel its current preferred and common shares.

The case is In re Washington Mutual Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington), No. 08-12229.

(Reporting by Paritosh Bansal in New York, Tom Hals in Wilmington, Del., and Karey Wutkowski in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

Keri Hilson Joins Keyshia Cole and The Dream on the 20-City ‘A Different Me’ Tour

Keri Hilson Joins Keyshia Cole and The Dream on the 20-City ‘A Different Me’
Tour

The Tour Kicks off May 13th in Cincinnati, Ohio

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 20 /PRNewswire/ — Singer/Songwriter Keri Hilson
will join Keyshia Cole and The Dream on the A Different Me tour which will
kick off on May 13th in Cincinnati, Ohio. Riding on the success as a guest
artist on Lil Wayne’s “I Am Music Tour,” Hilson has been given another
opportunity to engage fans with an exciting stage performance during the
20-city tour.

Hilson’s debut album In A Perfect World recently debuted at #1 on Billboard’s
R and B/Hip Hop Chart. Her current single “Knock You Down,” featuring Kanye West
and Ne-Yo, is steadily climbing the charts, and the video landed today at the
#1 spot on BET’s 106 and Park.

Cole and Hilson collaborated on Hilson’s third single “Get Your Money Up,”
which is also featured on the new album.

Stay connected to Keri Hilson by visiting http://www.kerihilsonmusic.com/.

A DIFFERENT ME TOUR DATES
DATE CITY VENUE

Wednesday, May 13 Cincinnati Aronoff Center

Thursday, May 14 Milwaukee Riverside Theatre

Friday, May 15 Chicago Chicago Theatre

Saturday, May 16 Detroit Fox Theatre

Thursday, May 21 Atlanta Fox Theatre

Friday, May 22 Greensboro Special Events Arena

Saturday, May 23 Atlantic City Mark Etess Arena Taj Mahal

Sunday, May 24 NYC WAMU @ MSG

Thursday, May 28 DC Constitution Hall

Saturday, May 30 Norfolk Ntelos Pavilion

Sunday, May 31 Columbia, SC Township Auditorium

Tuesday, June 2 Newark NJPAC

Friday, June 5 Mashantucket, CT MGM Foxwoods

Saturday, June 6 Baltimore Pier Six Pavilion

Tuesday, June 9 Nashville Ryman Auditorium

Thursday, June 11 St. Louis Fox Theatre

Saturday, June 13 Dallas Nokia Live

Sunday, June 14 Houston Reliant Arena

Thursday, June 18 Oakland Paramount Theater

Saturday, June 20 LA Nokia

SOURCE Interscope Records

Yvette Gayle, +1-310-865-6278, fax, +1-310-865-7903, yvette.gayle@umusic.com,
or Fairley McCaskill, +1-310-865-9634, fax, +1-310-865-7903,
fairley.mccaskill@umusic.com, both for Interscope Records