LATAM Airlines on Wednesday defended its request to access $2.45 billion in funding, urging a judge to reject junior creditors’ contention that the financing package is designed to keep existing shareholders in control of the company at a steep discount. Lisa Schweitzer of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, representing the Chilean airline, argued during a telephonic hearing on Wednesday before US Bankruptcy Judge James Garrity in New York that shareholders providing some of financing have no insidious intentions and are in fact attempting to protect the revenue-starved company.<br/>