Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman yesterday transferred Patriot Coal's bankruptcy case from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to the Eastern District of Missouri after union workers and bankruptcy regulators lobbied for a transfer, Reuters reported. Judge Chapman chose the venue due the fact that the company's headquarters are in St. Louis, Mo. Members of the United Mine Workers of America had wanted the case transferred to West Virginia, the hub of most of the company's operations, where they could more conveniently attend hearings. Patriot had sought to keep the case in New York, a major hub for corporate bankruptcies and the home of most of Patriot's lawyers and bankers. U.S. Trustee Tracy Hope Davis had also wanted the case moved, but did not state a preferred location, arguing only that Patriot had minimal operations in New York.
