Judge to decide on Yukos filing.

Byline: Jonathan Berke

A judge on Thursday, Jan. 6, decided to begin hearings Feb. 16 on whether the bankruptcy petition of OAO NK Yukos should be dismissed.

Lawyers for Deutsche Bank AG argued before Judge Letitia Clark of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston that the petition should be dismissed on the grounds that the court has no jurisdiction over the Russian oil giant or its Yugansk-neftegaz division, which was sold in December.

"Rather Yukos, dissatisfied with the results to date of pending tax litigation in Russia, has commenced this bankruptcy case in an effort to re-litigate the issues. As such, this …