Bankruptcy trustee selects independent examiner to probe 2007 buyout of Tribune Co.

Examiner chosen in Tribune bankruptcy

DOVER, Del. — The trustee in the Tribune Co.’s bankruptcy has appointed an independent examiner to review the 2007 leveraged buyout of the media conglomerate.

The trustee submitted a court filing on Friday appointing Kenneth Klee, a California bankruptcy lawyer and law professor at UCLA, as examiner, subject to court approval.

Klee will look into issues surrounding the buyout engineered by real estate mogul Sam Zell.

Klee will also look at whether the bondholders should be penalized for filing a complaint in the bankruptcy case and violating a confidentiality agreement in doing so.