Anthony O’Reilly’s lawyers to file bankruptcy motion in US court

A Pittsburgh attorney representing bankrupt Sir Anthony O’Reilly expects to file a motion within the next week seeking to have the former billionaire’s bankruptcy case in the Bahamas recognised by US courts.

Sir Anthony is seeking the declaration hoping to block the reopening of a civil case against him by his former personal nurse, Sabina Vidunas, who alleges he reneged on a promise to give her millions of dollars worth of stock as compensation after he hired her in 1995, according to court papers.

Ms Vidunas’s lawsuit, which she filed in Pittsburgh in 2013, has been on hold in recent years pending developments in the bankruptcy case. After switching lawyers, Ms Vidunas last month filed a motion seeking to restart her case. Papers outlining the full detail of her specific allegations against Sir Anthony have been sealed by the court until 2037.

Bahamas case

Sir Anthony filed a petition in US bankruptcy court last week seeking recognition for the Bahamas case. On Tuesday, US bankruptcy court Judge Jeffery Deller said the court requires the filing of a formal motion.

Once the motion is filed, Ms Vidunas will have 45 days to respond. Judge Deller has not yet set another hearing date.

Sir Anthony, the celebrated former chief executive of Heinz and once Ireland's richest businessman, filed for bankruptcy in 2015 after accumulating massive debts through deals including a failed investment in Waterford Wedgwood luxury goods group.