U.K. yellow-pages company Hibu PLC is seeking help from a U.S. bankruptcy judge for a second time in two years, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. A Hibu affiliate, YH Ltd., filed court papers on Wednesday seeking chapter 15 protection while it works to shed some £600 million ($785 million) in debt. If the request is approved by Judge Shelley Chapman, who is overseeing the case, Hibu would be temporarily shielded from distractions like lawsuits and other forms of creditor interference in the U.S. Hibu maintains a substantial presence in the U.S. but much of its debt, issued by YH Ltd., and its corporate leadership is based in the U.K., where the company sought the equivalent of chapter 11 protection earlier this year. A hearing on its chapter 15 petition, which aims for formal U.S. recognition of the U.K. proceeding, is scheduled for Sept. 7 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.
