Bankruptcy judge appoints examiner to probe 2007 buyout of Tribune Co.

Judge appoints Tribune bankruptcy examiner

WILMINGTON, Del. — The judge presiding over the Tribune Co.’s bankruptcy case has appointed an independent examiner to review the 2007 leveraged buyout of the media conglomerate.

The judge on Monday approved the U.S. trustee’s selection of Kenneth Klee, a California bankruptcy lawyer and law professor at UCLA, as examiner.

The judge gave authority to Klee to look into issues surrounding the buyout engineered by real estate mogul Sam Zell, and the potential claims that might be brought on behalf of the bankruptcy estate.

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