⛽️ New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Vista Proppants and Logistics LLC ⛽️

in

Vista Proppants and Logistics LLC

June 9, 2020

You wouldn’t know it from the equity price action in oil and gas this week but lest there be any confusion: generally speaking, oil and gas is still very much f*cked.

Privately-held (The Lonestar Prospects Holdings Company LLC and First Reserve) Texas-based Vista Proppants and Logistics LLC (along with its affiliate filers, the “debtors”) is yet another victim of the oil and gas malaise. Its principal business is producing mine-to-wellhead high-quality, fine-grade “Texas Premium White” frac sand for end users in TX and OK. The business includes mining (via debtor subsidiary Lonestar Prospects Management LLC), trucking (via debtor subsidiary MAALT LP, and transloading (via debtor subsidiary MAALT Specialized Bulk LLC). The company operates three mines in Texas, twelve transloading terminals in TX and OK, three trucking facilities in TX, and a fleet of approximately 100 “last-mile” transport vehicles. Spoiler alert: when oil prices break through the floor and everyone cuts back capacity, there ain’t a whole lot of need for frac sand. Toss in a little COVID into the mix — further decimating the oil and gas space — and, well, here we are in bankruptcy court. The debtors have shut down their mining operations and aren’t engaging in any trucking and transloading activity.

As you might expect, even with all of the cost cutting initiatives under the sun, not operating can have an effect on liquidity. And indeed that’s the case here: the debtors ran out of money to service their operations and their $357+mm of debt (Ares Capital Corporation ($ARCC)). The bankruptcy filing avails the debtors of $11mm of DIP financing and provide an opportunity for the debtors to pursue a sale of their assets to Ares or a third-party buyer.

The other thing this bankruptcy filing does is provide the debtors of the same opportunity that previous frac sand provider, Emerge Energy Services, took advantage of in bankruptcy court. That is, the rejection of railcar leases. These fixed cost contracts make no sense for the debtors anymore as they simply don’t have the volumes to transport. Indeed, the debtors have already filed a slate of contract rejection motions.

Along those lines, this isn’t the first frac sand chapter 11 bankruptcy and it likely isn’t the last either.

*For the avoidance of doubt, ARCC placed this sucker on non-accrual previously. Notably, Bloomberg reported on various comments that Ares’ CEO Michael Arougheti said this week at the Morgan Stanley Virtual U.S. Financials Conference:

“There is a little bit of a risk that people are underestimating the level of distress in the small business and consumer landscape absent the government support,” Michael Arougheti, chief executive officer at Ares Management Corp. said. “When you look at the government aid programs, they’ve generally been structured to get us through June and July, and after that is a big question mark.”

Vista seems apropos of that comment. The question is whether Vista is also the canary in the coal mine for BDC investments. Bloomberg also noted:

The firm’s portfolio companies have received capital injections from equity owners to support business, he said. Within its credit holdings, Ares has been able to negotiate stronger covenants and higher loan prices. The firm is “cautiously optimistic” of receiving debt payments in June, he said.

Set your alarms.

  • Jurisdiction: N.D. of Texas (Judge Morris)

  • Capital Structure: $357.5mm Term Loan (Ares Capital Corporation), $21.9mm ABL (PlainsCapital Bank), MAALT Facility

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Haynes and Boone LLP (Stephen Pezanosky, Ian Peck, David Staab)

    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Gary Barton)

    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Ares Capital Corporation

      • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Dennis Twomey, Charles Persons, Juliana Hoffman)

    • Lonestar

      • Legal: Jackson Walker LLP (Kenneth Stohner Jr., Vienna Anaya)

    • PlainsCapital Bank

      • Legal: Foley & Lardner LLP (Holland O’Neil, Thomas Scannell)

🚗 New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Techniplas LLC 🚗

in

Techniplas LLC

May 6, 2020

Wisconsin-based Techniplas LLC and seven affiliates (the “debtors”), producers and manufacturers of plastic components used primarily in the automotive and transportation industries, filed for bankruptcy in the District of Delaware. “The Company produces, among other things, automotive products, such as fluid and air management components, decorative and personalization products, and structural components, as well as nonautomotive products, such as power utility and electrical components and water filtration products.” After cobbling together acquisitions over the course of the decade, the debtors’ business is now global in scale and its main customers are the leading OEMs in the US, Europe and Asia; it had net sales of $475mm and a net loss of $21mm in fiscal ‘19.

A bit more about the business. The debtors’ primary operating unit, “Techniplas Core,” acts “…as a manufacturer of technically complex, niche products across a wide range of applications and end markets, including the automotive and truck, industrial, and commercial markets.” This is roughly 83% of the business. In addition, the debtors have “Techniplas Prime,” which, aside from sounding like a Transformer that may or may not have it out for the human race, acts as a matchmaker between excess manufacturing capacity and customers in need of manufacturing. Per the debtors:

Serving as a nexus between customers, including OEMs, and other manufacturing companies, Techniplas Prime acts as an extension of Techniplas Core by delivering to customers the manufacturing capabilities of its Prime Partners. This makes Techniplas Prime asset-light and creates a “win-win” scenario for customers and Prime Partners.

Interestingly, this business segment was once dubbed “The Airbnb of Auto Manufacturing,” a moniker that makes almost zero sense and completely misunderstands the Airbnb model but, yeah sure, cheap “by-association” points, homies! Per Forbes:

[Founder George] Votis saw Techniplas Prime as an e-manufacturing platform from which customers could order parts electronically according to their own specifications, and have them built by local factories with unused capacity.

Except it’s not a platform. Like, at all. Airbnb is a digital two-sided platform that brings hosts and travelers together and seemlessly connects them. Techniplas Prime…well…

Screen Shot 2020-05-08 at 11.57.58 AM.png

…well…page not found. Airbnb may be struggling in this COVID environment but we can assure you that you’re not EVER getting a 404 when going to their site. Platform…pssssfft. The Forbes article later contradicts itself saying:

…they focused on 3-D printing and advanced manufacturing technology companies that had spare capacity available for contract operations, for which Techniplas Prime is essentially the broker.

Right. Being a broker is different than being a platform y’all. But we digress.

The debtors have a simple capital structure consisting of a $17.59mm ABL, $175mm in 10% ‘20 notes, and a $6.77mm interim financing agreement for total funded debt around $200mm. The debtors, primarily due to this capital structure, began pursuing strategic alternatives in early 2017. Both an attempted sale process and debt refinancing failed. Thereafter, the debtors explored in 2018 a term loan refinancing of the preptition notes and/or a public equity listing in London. Those, too, failed. For this, the debtors blame a downturn in the automotive market and uncertainty from Brexit (PETITION Note: we’ve been foreshadowing that declining production capacity by the major OEMs was going to rattle through the supply chain so nobody should be surprised by this revelation).

In mid-’19, an attempted sale to a strategic buyer, private equity firm The Jordan Company, kicked off but that, despite some forward-moving progress involving a note purchase agreement and an unexercised call option for 100% of the membership interests in the debtors, ultimately fell through due to the inability to refi out the pre-petition notes. Subsequent attempts — now involving ad hoc group of noteholders and Jordan — also came close but ultimately failed due to deteriorating operating performance that pre-dated OOVID. COVID merely exacerbated things. Per the debtors:

Many customers suspended or drastically reduced production, resulting in a swift drop in demand for the Debtors’ products. Additionally, many of the locations where the Company had offices and manufacturing plants worldwide issued lockdown orders and permitted only essential business to remain open in an effort to control the outbreak and protect the health and safety of the public.

All of this was too much to handle: Jordan peaced out. Liquidity increasingly became an issue and so the debtors obtained a $6.7mm super senior priority bridge financing from the ad hoc group. Indeed, the ad hoc group is stepping up big here: in addition to providing the liquidity the debtors needed to get in chapter 11, they’ve agreed to provide a DIP ($20-25mm new money with a $100mm roll-up) and serve as stalking horse bidder — offering $105mm to purchase the debtors’ international operations and three remaining US-based manufacturing facilities. The debtors hope to close the sale within 44 days of the petition date.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Silverstein)

  • Capital Structure: See above.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: White & Case LLP (David Turetsky, Andrew Zatz, Fan He, Robbie Boone Jr., John Ramirez, Sam Lawand, Thomas MacWright) & Fox Rothschild LLP (Jeffrey Schlerf, Carl Neff, Johnna Darby, Daniel Thompson)

    • Financial Advisor/CRO: FTI Consulting Inc. (Peter Smidt, Andrew Hinkelman)

    • Investment Banker: Miller Buckfire & Co. LLC (Richard Klein)

    • Claims Agent: Epiq Corporate Restructuring LLC (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Stalking Horse Purchaser: Techniplas Acquisition Co. LLC

    • Pre-Petition ABL & DIP ABL Agent: Bank of America NA

      • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Dennis Twomey, Elliot Bromagen) & Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Amanda Steele, David Queroli)

    • DIP Term Agent: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB

      • Legal: Cole Schotz PC (Daniel Geoghan, J. Kate Stickles, Patrick Reilley)

    • Indenture Trustee: US Bank NA

      • Legal: Dorsey & Whitney LLP (Eric Lopez Schnabel, Alessandra Glorioso)

    • Ad Hoc Noteholder Group ‘20 10% Senior Secured Notes

      • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Jonathan Levine, Brian Lohan, Jeffrey Fuisz, Gerardo Mijares-Shafai)

🤖New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Wave Computing Inc.🤖

in

Wave Computing Inc.

April 27, 2020

California-based Wave Computing Inc. and six affiliates (the “debtors”) are independent tech companies that (a) develop cutting edge AI solutions and (b) license IP for microprocessors used in a variety of tech apps. Traditionally, their AI tech was used for voice recognition software for mobile and desktop devices, document analysis, chat bots and vehicle safety and navigation. The second focus — the IP for microprocessors — was a later development emanating out of a June 2018 transaction premised upon theoretical benefits from combining the AI tech with the microprocessor tech. That premise didn’t come to fruition. The debtors launch of a new commercial dataflow microprocessing unit flopped, requiring re-engineering. Said another way, this failure cost the debtors a lot of time and money to figure out a solution.

Making matters worse, the debtors “became embroiled in a dispute relating to a Series E preferred equity offering.” Consequently, the debtors’ liquidity became strained and they needed to borrow new funds from equity sponsor Tallwood Technology Partners LLC.

That wasn’t enough. The debtors required additional capital but the timing was awful: COVID-19’s impact on lending foreclosed the possibility of tapping new liquidity sources — particularly with a litigation overhang in the mix. By this point, creditors and a Series E investor filed lawsuits against the debtors.

The filing is meant to avail the debtors of a much needed breathing spell; it will also provide them with much needed liquidity in the form of a DIP from Tallwood. The $27.9mm DIP includes a $14.5mm new money revolver and a full term loan rollup of the pre-petition debt. As a condition to the DIP, the debtors have also agreed to waive any and all claims they might have against Tallwood (subject to a review period by creditors).

  • Jurisdiction: N.D. of California (Judge Hammond)

  • Capital Structure: $13.4mm secured note (Tallwood Technology Partners LLC), $2.1mm unsecured convertible notes

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Sam Newman, Julia Philips Roth, Charles Persons, Juliana Hoffman, Jeri Leigh Miller)

    • Financial Advisor/CRO: SierraConstellation Partners LLC (Lawrence Perkins, Miles Staglik, Bill Partridge, David Bitterman)

    • Claims Agent: Donlin Recano & Co. (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Prepetition & DIP Lender ($27.9mm): Tallwood Technology Partners LLC

👦🏻New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Boy Scouts of America👦🏻

in

Boy Scouts of America

February 18, 2020

It’s a sad state of affairs when mass tort cases overrun the bankruptcy system. Between a recent deluge of asbestos cases (e.g., ON Marine Services Company LLC, Paddock Enterprises LLC, and DBMP LLC), opioid cases (e.g., Purdue Pharma, Insys Therapeutics), global warming and negligence cases (PG&E) and sexual abuse cases (e.g., USA Gymnastics, one diocese after another), Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz is correct to declare “A New Era of Mass Tort Bankruptcies” in a recent client report. They recently wrote:

The use of the bankruptcy process to address mass tort liability reflects a growing recognition that chapter 11, while imperfect, provides tools for dispute resolution that are not generally available in federal or state courts.

And:

For companies that have insufficient assets to pay claims in full, bankruptcy ensures that the debtor’s limited assets are distributed equitably among claimants, including “future” claimants (those whose claims have not yet manifested). Chapter 11 can allow companies with tort liabilities to maintain operations, thereby continuing to generate funds to make payments over time, while providing a respite from defending lawsuits and a platform to negotiate settlements. Bankruptcy also provides a mechanism for centralizing the resolution of large numbers of tort claims, including through a court estimation of the aggregate liability, greatly reducing litigation costs and increasing the potential for a global settlement.

The purposes of these filings?

The wave of asbestos-related bankruptcies in the 1980s led Congress to enact Bankruptcy Code provisions to facilitate reorganization of debtors facing asbestos claims by establishing a plaintiffs’ trust funded by cash, proceeds of insurance policies, and equity in the reorganized debtor. In exchange for contributing to the trust, the debtor and other contributors receive a “channeling injunction,” which “channels” all existing and future claims to the trust. Upon resolution of the bankruptcy, such claims are brought against and paid by the trust, the debtor is discharged, and other contributors are released from further liability. While the relevant Bankruptcy Code provisions apply by their terms only to asbestos-related claims, similar mechanisms have been used (or are currently contemplated) in the bankruptcies of Takata (defective airbags), Pacific Gas & Electric (wildfire damages), and several Catholic dioceses (abuse claims).

Enter Sidley Austin LLP here. Sidley Austin is widely-credited for the notion that a channeling injunction could be deployed in the Takata chapter 11 case. It’s no wonder, then, that they’d land another major mass tort case and deploy the same playbook. Boy Scouts are well-accustomed to playbooks.

And deploy the playbook, they will.

The Boy Scouts of America are involved in 275 lawsuits currently pending in state and federal courts across the United States. They are also aware of an additional 1,400 claims that have not yet filed. Recently enacted legislation that extended the statute of limitations — passed in 17 states, including 12 in 2019 — led to a deluge of additional recently filed suits against the BSA. Consequently, the BSA spent more than $150mm on settlements and legal costs from 2017 through 2019 alone. Compounding matters, membership and donations are on the decline. BSA registered membership is down 500k since 2012. People are dropping the Boy Scouts HARD.

The BSA has filed a plan of reorganization and disclosure statement along with their customary first day papers. Where the rubber will meet the road is at the asset level. Per the BSA:

…attorneys for abuse victims believed that certain Local Councils with significant abuse liabilities have significant assets that could be used to compensate victims.

The Local Councils, however, are not debtors. There is, though, an ad hoc committee of Local Councils, the purpose of which is to allow the Local Councils to participate in negotiations about a global resolution of abuse claims. The Local Councils share insurance with the BSA and insurance, naturally, will be a huge source of recovery for abuse claimants. Claimants will also want to understand whether Local Councils are being used to shield assets from attack — a strategy exposed in this recent Wall Street Journal piece. This issue appears to be key to the bankruptcy and any potential resolution. The volunteer chair of the Local Council Committee? Richard Mason of Wachtell. Forgot to mention that one in the aforementioned client alert.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Silverstein)

  • Capital Structure: $328mm secured debt (see below)(JPMorgan)

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Jessica Boelter, Alex Rovira, Andrew Propps, James Conlan, Thomas Labuda, Michael Andolina, Matthew Linder) & Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Derek Abbott)

    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Brian Whittman)

    • Claims Agent: Omni Agent Solutions (*click on the link above for free docket access)

Source: Disclosure Statement

Source: Disclosure Statement

🐄New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Borden Dairy Company🐄

in

Borden Dairy Company

January 5, 2020

Dallas-based Borden Dairy Company and 17 affiliated companies joined fellow dairy manufacturer, Dean Foods Company (which we’ve written about here, here, here and, lastly, here upon its chapter 11 filing) in bankruptcy court this week. Why? “Like other milk producers and distributors, Borden is facing a multi-year trend of shrinking margins and increasing competition. These negative trends have been exacerbated by declining margin over milk at retail even as the price of raw Class 1 milk has been increasing.” Boo Moo.

What a storied history. Founded by Gail Borden in 1856 (PETITION Note: read the link if you want to feel awful about yourself and what you’ve accomplished in your life), the New York Condensed Milk Company started the first successful condensed milk processing plant in 1861. In the latter part of the 19th century, the company added processed and evaporated milk to its offerings and pioneered the use of glass milk bottles.

In 1919, the company changed its name to Borden Company in honor of Mr. Borden. This was a period of great uncertainty — one captured in Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” — but that didn’t stop Mr. Borden’s descendants from expanding their dairy-fueled reign. They acquired two of the largest ice cream manufacturers in the US, while also adding cheese and acquiring a chemicals company. Over those years, Borden acquired over 200 companies. “Elsie the Cow” was born in 1936 and became a well known mascot.

By the 80s, Borden was the world’s largest dairy operator with sales exceeding $7.2b. Then gravity prevailed. By the early 90s, the company experienced financial distress borne out of two much expansion over the years and sold to KKR for $2b. KKR then dismantled Borden by selling off divisions and brands to various buyers.

The debtors underwent a comprehensive restructuring in 2017. At the time of the restructuring, the debtors took on a $275mm credit facility held, in tranches, by PNC Bank and KKR. The effective interest rate on the term loan facilities was 9.3% as of 12/31/19, which is on top of the 4.95% interest due under the revolving portion of the loan. So, yeah, debt and the debtors’ interest expense nut is a big part of this bankruptcy filing.

The company is no longer the behemoth it once was. Nevertheless, it employees over 3000 people and makes tens of thousands of service calls to its customers (e.g., Walmart Inc. & Sam’s Club ($WMT)), Kroger Inc. ($KR), 7-Eleven, CVS HealthCorp. ($CVS), Starbucks Inc. ($SBUX), etc.).

But its number suck. In 2018, the company had a total net income loss of $14.6mm on ~$1.2b of sales. In 2019, the loss widened to $42.4mm. Liquidity, therefore, is a big issue — and it’s compounded by (a) interest expense and amort payments on the term loan and (b) employee obligations under mandatory retirement plans and settlements related to pension funds. More on this below.

The macro reasons for the debtors’ problems sound like a Dean Foods’ encore:

  • The milk industry is highly competitive ✅;

  • Non-dairy products and beverages are stealing share (DISRUPTION!!) ✅;

  • Discount grocers have “intensified competition and reduced the margin over milk at retail” ✅; and

  • Walmart and other retailers who use milk as a loss leader are napalming margins ✅;

  • Commodity and freight costs are up ✅.

The company doesn’t tip its hand as to what it hopes to achieve in bankruptcy other than a “breathing spell” to get its sh*t in order. The Wall Street Journal noted:

Borden Chief Executive Tony Sarsam told The Wall Street Journal that he believes Acon, which took a major stake in the company in 2017, will be the primary owner of the business after the bankruptcy. He declined to say how much debt Borden would erase as part of its bankruptcy restructuring.

Acon is currently one of the debtors’ majority owners.

*****

There’s one thing that the Wall Street Journal doesn’t pick up on though. The debtors’ pensioners are about to get the royal screw.

The debtors note that, pre-filing, they made periodic payments pursuant to two settlement agreements they entered into in connection with their withdrawal from its (a) Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund terminated in ‘14 (“Central States”) and (b) Retail, Wholesale and Department Store International Union pension fund terminated in ‘16 (“RWDSU”). In connection with the ‘17 restructuring, the debtors established a special purpose account funded with $30mm to fund these settlement payments — $185,225/month to Central States and $6,000/month to RWDSU. The account now has $26.6mm in it.

The debtors are laying claim to this money; they note that it is unencumbered by their lenders nor the pensioners.

This hasn’t been a great time for pensioners. With coal bankruptcies galore, Jack Cooper, and now the dairy producers, anxiety levels must be through the roof.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Sontchi)

  • Capital Structure: $275mm of funded debt (see above). $30mm Term Loan A (PNC), $175mm Term Loan B (KKR Credit Advisors US LLC), $70mm RCF (PNC)

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer (D. Tyler Nurnberg, Seth Kleinman, Sarah Gryll, Jeffrey Fuisz) & Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (M. Blake Cleary, Kenneth Enos, Elizabeth Justison, Betsy Feldman)

    • Independent Directors: Harold Strunk, Andrea Fischer Newman

    • Claims Agent: Donlin Recano (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • ACON Dairy Investors LLC

    • New Laguna LLC

    • Agent, RCF Facility Lenders & Term Loan A Facility Lenders: PNC Bank NA

      • Legal: Blank Rome LLP (Regina Stango Kelbon, Josef Mintz, John Lucian, Gregory Vizza)

    • Term Loan B Facility Lenders: KKR Credit Advisors US LLC/Franklin Square Holdings LP

      • Legal: King & Spalding LLP (Roger Schwartz, Peter Montoni, Christopher Boies, Stephen Blank) & Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Robert Dehney, Curtis Miller, Matthew Harvey, Matthew Talmo)

    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors

      • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Matthew Clemente, Genevieve Weiner, Michael Fishel, Michael Burke) & Morris James LLP (Carl Kunz III, Eric Monzo, Brya Keilson)

⛽️New Chapter 11 Filing - Legacy Reserves Inc.⛽️

in

Legacy Reserves Inc.

June 18, 2019

Even at 95 years old, you can’t get one past Charlie Munger. #Legend.

The Permian Basin in West Texas is where it’s at in the world of oil and gas exploration and production. Per Wikipedia:

As of 2018, the Permian Basin has produced more than 33 billion barrels of oil, along with 118 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This production accounts for 20% of US crude oil production and 7% of US dry natural gas production. While the production was thought to have peaked in the early 1970s, new technologies for oil extraction, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have increased production dramatically. Estimates from the Energy Information Administration have predicted that proven reserves in the Permian Basin still hold 5 billion barrels of oil and approximately 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

oil gushing.gif

And it may be even more prolific than originally thought. Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy recently issued a report indicating that Permian projected output was already above 4.5mm barrels a day in May with volumes exceeding 5mm barrels in June. This staggering level of production is pushing total U.S. oil production to approximately 12.5mm barrels per day in May. That means the Permian now accounts for 36% of US crude oil production — a significant increase over 2018. Normalized across 365 days, that would be a 1.64 billion barrel run rate. This is despite (a) rigs coming offline in the Permian and (b) natural gas flaring and venting reaching all-time highs in Q1 ‘19 due to a lack of pipelines. Come again? That’s right. The Permian is producing in quantities larger than pipelines can accommodate. Per Reuters:

Producers burned or vented 661 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) in the Permian Basin of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, the field that has driven the U.S. to record oil production, according to a new report from Rystad Energy.

The Permian’s first-quarter flaring and venting level more than doubles the production of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico’s most productive gas facility, Royal Dutch Shell’s Mars-Ursa complex, which produces about 260 to 270 mmcfd of gas.

The Permian isn’t alone in this, however. The Bakken shale field in North Dakota is also flaring at a high level. More from Reuters:

Together, the two oil fields on a yearly basis are burning and venting more than the gas demand in countries that include Hungary, Israel, Azerbaijan, Colombia and Romania, according to the report.

All of which brings us to Legacy Reserves Inc. ($LGCY). Despite the midstream challenges, one could be forgiven for thinking that any operators engaged in E&P in the Permian might be insulated from commodity price declines and other macro headwinds. That position, however, would be wrong.

Legacy is a publicly-traded energy company engaged in the acquisition, development, production of oil and nat gas properties; its primary operations are in the Permian Basin (its largest operating region, historically), East Texas, and in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions. While some of these basins may produce gobs of oil and gas, acquisition and production is nevertheless a HIGHLY capital intensive endeavor. And, here, like with many other E&P companies that have recently made their way into the bankruptcy bin, “significant capital” translates to “significant debt.”

Per the Company:

Like similar companies in this industry, the Company’s oil and natural gas operations, including their exploration, drilling, and production operations, are capital-intensive activities that require access to significant amounts of capital.  An oil price environment that has not recovered from the downturn seen in mid-2014 and the Company’s limited access to new capital have adversely affected the Company’s business. The Company further had liquidity constraints through borrowing base redeterminations under the Prepetition RBL Credit Agreement, as well as an inability to refinance or extend the maturity of the Prepetition RBL Credit Agreement beyond May 31, 2019.

This is the company’s capital structure:

Legacy Cap Stack.png

The company made two acquisitions in mid-2015 costing over $540mm. These acquisitions proved to be ill-timed given the longer-than-expected downturn in oil and gas. Per the Company:

In hindsight, despite the GP Board’s and management’s favorable view of the potential future opportunities afforded by these acquisitions and the high-caliber employees hired by the Company in connection therewith, these two acquisitions consumed disproportionately large amounts of the Company’s liquidity during a difficult industry period.

WHOOPS. It’s a good thing there were no public investors in this thing who were in it for the high yield and favorable tax treatment.*

Yet, the company was able to avoid a prior bankruptcy when various other E&P companies were falling like flies. Why was that? Insert the “drillco” structure here: the company entered into a development agreement with private equity firm TPG Special Situations Partners to drill, baby, drill (as opposed to acquire). What’s a drillco structure? Quite simply, the PE firm provided capital in return for a wellbore interest in the wells that it capitalized. Once TPG clears a specified IRR in relation to any specific well, any remaining proceeds revert to the operator. This structure — along with efforts to delever through out of court exchanges of debt — provided the company with much-needed runway during a rough macro patch.

It didn’t last, however. Liquidity continued to be a pervasive problem and it became abundantly clear that the company required a holistic solution to its balance sheet. That’s what this filing will achieve: this chapter 11 case is a financial restructuring backed by a Restructuring Support Agreement agreed to by nearly the entirety of the capital structure — down through the unsecured notes. Per the Company:

The Global RSA contemplates $256.3 million in backstopped equity commitments, $500.0 million in committed exit financing from the existing RBL Lenders, the equitization of approximately $815.8 million of prepetition debt, and payment in full of the Debtors’ general unsecured creditors.

Said another way, the Permian holds far too much promise for parties in interest to walk away from it without maintaining optionality for the future.

*Investors got burned multiple times along the way here. How did management do? Here is one view (view thread: it’s precious):

😬

  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas (Judge Isgur)

  • Capital Structure: See above.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Duston McFaul, Charles Persons, Michael Fishel, Maegan Quejada, James Conlan, Bojan Guzina, Andrew O’Neill, Allison Ross Stromberg)

    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Seth Bullock, Mark Rajcevich)

    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners (Kevin Cofsky)

    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (Wilmington Trust NA, Dalton Investments LLC, Paul Drueke, John Dinkel, Nicholas Mumford)

    • GSO Capital Partners LP

      • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (George Davis, Adam Goldberg, Christopher Harris, Zachary Proulx, Brett Neve, Julian Bulaon) & (local) Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Eric English, M. Shane Johnson)

    • DIP Lender: Wells Fargo Bank NA

      • Legal: Orrick LLP (Raniero D’Aversa, Laura Metzger)

    • Prepetition Term Agent: Cortland Capital Market Services LLC

      • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Gerardo Mijares-Shafai, Seth Kleinman)

    • Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Trust NA

      • Legal: Pryor Cashman (Seth Lieberman, Patrick Sibley, Andrew Richmond)

    • Ad Hoc Group of Senior Noteholders (Canyon Capital Advisors LLC, DoubleLine Income Solutions Fund, J.H. Lane Partners Master Fund LP, JCG 2016 Holdings LP, The John C. Goff 2010 Family Trust, John C. Goff SEP-IRA, Cuerno Largo Partners LP, MGA insurance Company Inc., Pingora Partners LLC)

      • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Brian Resnick, Stephen Piraino, Michael Pera) & (local) Rapp & Krock PC (Henry Flores)

Updated 7/7/19 #188

🚗New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Total Finance Investment Inc.🚗

in

Total Finance Investment Inc.

February 13, 2019

We’ve been asking about distress in the automotive industry since our inception and most recently noted in “🚗The Auto Sector is Quietly Restructuring🚗 that activity is picking up in the space. Admittedly, this case isn’t exactly what we had in mind. Nevertheless, earlier this week, Total Finance Investment Inc. and Car Outlet Holding Inc. (and affiliated debtors) filed for bankruptcy in the Northern District of Illinois; the debtors are an integrated chain of buy-here pay-here used vehicle dealerships in Illinois and Wisconsin.

What does “buy-here pay-here” mean? The debtors sold used vehicles, provided financing, AND operated an insurance broker to assist customers with procurement of automobile insurance coverage from third-party insurance providers. They “specifically catered to the fast-growing and underserved population of “unbanked” and “underbanked” Hispanic consumers in Northern Illinois and Milwaukee, which historically made up approximately 70% of the Debtors’ customer base.” There’s just one problem with all of this? Competition is BRUTAL. Per the company:

In recent years, BHPH dealerships have been subject to increasing industry-wide pressures that have negatively impacted their operating results, driving a number of the Debtors’ BHPH competitors out of business. The used vehicle dealership market is highly fragmented and fiercely competitive—with approximately 1,800 used car dealerships in Illinois alone—and the Debtors historically competed with other large used car dealerships like CarMax and DriveTime, as well as other BHPH operations. The fragmented nature of the industry and relatively low barriers to entry have led to steep competition between dealerships, putting significant downward pressure on the margins BHPH dealerships earn on vehicle sales. Further, as a result of a protracted period of increased capital availability, indirect auto lenders such as banks, credit unions, and finance companies have in recent years moved to originate subprime auto loans and offer attractive financing terms to customers with lower than average credit scores, putting pressure on BHPH operators’ market share among their traditional customer base.

Because, like, why not? Nothing has ever gone wrong when there has been excessive competition fiercely pursuing the subprime market. 🙈Ironically, the day before this filing, The Washington Post reported that 7mm Americans have, to the surprise of economists, stopped paying their auto loans. Whooooops. Per the WP:

The data show that most of the borrowers whose auto loans have recently moved into delinquency are people younger than 30 years old and people with low credit scores. Eight percent of borrowers with credit scores below 620 — otherwise known as subprime — went from good standing to delinquent on their auto loans in the fourth quarter of 2018.

No. Bueno. Anyway, back to the debtors. Read this part and tell us you don’t suffer PTSD circa-2008:

…capital markets became increasingly accessible for indirect auto lenders, many of which began to originate subprime loans and offer attractive financing terms to borrowers that historically had been overwhelmingly BHPH customers. The Debtors’ prior management team responded to the change in market conditions by providing larger loans with longer terms, accepting smaller down payments, and accepting transactions with increasingly negative equity in order to increase sales volume. The shift to offering riskier loans to subprime customers ultimately led to the Debtors experiencing historically high delinquency rates and losses beginning in the second half of 2015.

But wait. There’s more:

In addition to increased competition in the auto lending industry, the Debtors have also incurred significant expenses to ensure compliance with new regulations enacted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Furthermore, the political climate following the 2016 presidential election has had a negative impact on the spending habits of the Debtors’ traditional customer base in a manner that negatively impacted the Debtors’ operating results.

The debtors, therefore, suffered a consolidated pre-tax loss of approximately $29.9mm. MAGA!!!

The company has been trying to improve cash flows and operating results for years. One major initiative included, as far back as 2016, tightening underwriting standards to reduce consumer finance portfolio losses. We sure hope that there are others who took similar steps given the Washington Post report. But we digress.

Back in 2017, the debtors also received an $84mm equity infusion from Marubeni Corporation. Nevertheless, the debtors continued to hemorrhage to the point of compromising compliance with certain financial covenants under their senior secured debt facility with BMO Harris Bank NA. Thereafter, the company entered into a series of forbearance agreements with BMO as it attempted to figure out either a refinancing or an asset sale. In the end, the debtors obtained a restructuring support agreement and filed for bankruptcy to liquidate the used auto business and transfer its auto loan servicing business to a third-party servicer (PETITION Note: earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the mortgage servicing business is en fuego — notwithstanding the Ditech Holding Corporation bankruptcy (see here). We wonder: what sort of demand is there for subprime auto loan servicing businesses?). BMO Harris will fund the estates with a $4mm DIP credit facility.

So we’re left with this question: is this chapter 11 filing the canary in the coal mine for subprime auto lenders?

  • Jurisdiction: N.D. of Illinois (Judge Doyle)

  • Capital Structure: see below.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Bojan Guzina, William Evanoff, Jackson Garvey)

    • Conflicts Legal: Togut Segal & Segal LLP

    • Financial Advisor: Portage Point Partners LLC

    • Interim Management: Development Specialists Inc.

    • Investment Banker: Keefe Bruyette & Woods and Miller Buckfire & Co. LLC

    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Professionals:

    • Prepetition Lender: BMO Harris Bank NA

      • Legal: Chapman and Cutler LLP (David Audley, Mia D’Andrea)

Source: First Day Declaration

Source: First Day Declaration

😷New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Trident Holding Company LLC😷

in

Trident Holding Company LLC

February 10, 2019

It looks like all of those 2018 predictions about healthcare-related distress were off by a year. We’re merely in mid-February and already there has been a full slate of healthcare bankruptcy filings. Here, Trident Holding Company LLC, a Maryland-based provider of bedside diagnostic and other services (i.e., x-ray, ultrasound, cardiac monitoring) filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York. What’s interesting about the filing is that it is particularly light on detail: it includes the standard description of the capital structure and recent efforts to restructure, but there is a dearth of information about the history of the company and its financial performance. There is, however, a restructuring support agreement with the company’s priority first lien lenders.

Here’s a quick look at the company’s capital structure which is a large factor driving the company into bankruptcy:

Source: First Day Declaration

Source: First Day Declaration

As you can see, the company has a considerable amount of debt. The above-reflected “Priority First Lien Facility” is a fairly recent development, having been put in place as recently as April 2018. That facility, provided by Silver Point, includes a $27.1mm prepayment fee triggered upon the filing of the bankruptcy case. That’s certain to be a point of interest to an Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors. It also contributed to an onerous amount of debt service. Per the company:

In the midst of market and competitive challenges, Trident has significant debt service obligations. Over the course of 2018, Trident paid approximately $26,185,667.75 in cash interest on the Secured Credit Facilities. On January 31, 2019, the Company missed an interest payment of $9,187,477.07 on the Secured Credit Facilities, resulting in an Event of Default on February 8, 2019 after the cure period expired.

But, wait. There’s more. The recent uptick in distressed healthcare activity is beginning to aggregate and create a trickle-down bankruptcies-creating-bankruptcies effect:

Moreover, a number of recent customer bankruptcies – including those of Senior Care Centers, LLC, 4 West Holdings, Inc., and Promise Healthcare Group, LLC – have exacerbated the Company’s liquidity shortfall by limiting the collectability of amounts owed from these entities. A number of other customers who have not yet filed bankruptcy cases are generally not paying the Debtors within contractual terms due to their own liquidity problems. As a result of these collection difficulties and challenges with the new billing system in the Sparks Glencoe billing center, the Debtors recorded $27.8 million of extraordinary bad debt expense in 2018 and $12.7 million in 2017.

Ouch. Not to state the obvious, but if the start of 2019 is any indication, this is only going to get worse. The company estimates a net operating cash loss of $9.1mm in the first 30 days of the case.

Given the company’s struggles and burdensome capital structure, the company has been engaging its lenders for well over a year. In the end, however, it couldn’t work out an out-of-court resolution. Instead, the company filed its bankruptcy with a “restructuring support agreement” with Silver Point which, on account of its priority first lien holdings, is positioned well to drive this bus. And by “drive this bus,” we mean jam the junior creditors. Per the RSA, Silver Point will provide a $50mm DIP and drive the company hard towards a business plan and plan of reorganization. Indeed, the business plan is due within 36 days and a disclosure statement is due within a week thereafter. Meanwhile, the RSA as currently contemplated, gives Silver Point $105mm of take-back term loan paper and 100% of the equity of the company (subject to dilution). The first lien holders have a nice blank in the RSA next to their recovery amount and that recovery is predicated upon…wait for it…

…a “death trap.” That is, if they accept the plan they’ll currently get “ [●]%” but if they reject the plan they’ll get a big fat donut. Likewise, the second lien holders. General unsecured claimants would get a pro rata interest in a whopping $100k. Or the equivalent of what Skadden will bill in roughly, call it, 3 days of work??

The business plan, meanwhile, ought to be interesting. By all appearances, the company is in the midst of a massive strategic pivot. In addition to undertaking a barrage of operational fixes “…such as optimized pricing, measures to improve revenue cycle management by increasing collection rates, rationalizing certain services, reducing labor costs, better managing vendor spend, and reducing insurance costs,” the company intends to focus on its core business and exit unprofitable markets. While it retreats in certain respects, it also intends to expand in others: for instance, the company intends to “expand home health services to respond to the shifting of patients from [skilled nursing facilities] into home care.” Per the company:

Toward this end, Trident conducted successful home health care pilot programs in 2018 in two markets to optimize its Care at Home business model with radiology technicians dedicated to servicing home health patients. Trident hopes to expand this business model to an additional seven markets in 2019.

Like we said, a pivot. Which begs the question “why?” In addition to the debt, the company noted several other factors that drove it into bankruptcy. Chief among them? The rise of home health care. More from the company:

Trident has suffered ripple effects from the distress faced by skilled nursing facilities (“SNF”), which are its primary direct customers. SNF occupancy rates have declined to a multi-year low as a result of structural and reimbursement changes not yet offset by demographic trends. These structural changes include, among other things, patient migration to home health care. The decline in SNF occupancy rates has led to reduced demand for Trident’s services. At the same time, Trident has only had limited success reducing costs in response to lower volumes, as volume declines are driven by lower utilization per facility rather than a reduction in the number of facilities served.

This is a trend worth continued watching. Who else — like Trident — will be affected by this?

Large general unsecured creditors of the business include Grosvenor Capital Management, Jones Day (to the tune of $2.3mm…yikes), Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc., McKesson ($MCK)(again!!…rough couple of weeks at McKesson), Quest Diagnostics Inc. ($DGX), Cardinal Health Inc. ($CAH) and others. They must be really jacked up about that pro rata $100k!!

  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York (Judge Lane)

  • Capital Structure: see above.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (Paul Leake, Jason Kestecher, James Mazza Jr., Justin Winerman)

    • Independent Director: Alexander D. Greene

    • Financial Advisor: Ankura Consulting (Russell Perry, Ben Jones)

    • Investment Banker: PJT Partners LP (Mark Buschmann, Josh Abramson, Willie Evarts, Meera Satiani, Elsa Zhang)

    • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Professionals:

    • Priority First Lien Admin Agent: SPCP Group LLC/Silver Point Finance LLC

      • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Alan Kornberg, Robert Britton, Lewis Clayton, Aidan Synnott, Christman Rice, Michael Turkel)

      • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey LP

    • First Lien Agent: Cortland Capital Market Services LLC

      • Legal: White & Case LLP (Thomas Lauria, Erin Rosenberg, Jason Zakia, Harrison Denman, John Ramirez)

    • Ad Hoc Group of First Lien Lenders

      • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Patrick Nash)

      • Financial Advisor: Greenhill & Co. Inc.

    • Second Lien Agent: Ares Capital Corporation

    • Ad Hoc Group of Second Lien Lenders

      • Legal: Latham & Watkins (Richard Levy, James Ktsanes)

    • Large Creditor: McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc.

      • Legal: Buchalter P.C. (Jeffrey Garfinkle)

    • Large Creditor: Quest Diagnostics

      • Legal: Morris James LLP (Brett Fallon)

    • Equity Sponsor: Revelstoke Capital Partners

      • Legal: Winston & Strawn LLP (Carey Schreiber, Carrie Hardman)

    • Equity Sponsor: Welltower Inc.

      • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Andrew Propps, Bojan Guzina)

    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors

      • Legal: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (David Posner, Gianfranco Finizio, Kelly Moynihan)

      • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP (David MacGreevey)



New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Maremont Corporation

in

Maremont Corporation

January 22, 2019

Michigan-based Maremont Corporation, a subsidiary of publicly-traded non-debtor automobile component manufacturer Meritor Inc. ($MTOR), has filed for bankruptcy along with three affiliates in the District of Delaware. The company was a manufacturer, distributor and seller of aftermarket auto products — many of which contained asbestos; currently, it has no ongoing operations and its only assets are an intercompany receivable, a rent-producing commercial property with Dollar General as a tenant, a few bank accounts, and some insurance assets. In contrast, the company has significant liabilities — notably asbestos-related liabilities including defense and other costs associated with defending 13k pending personal injury and wrongful death claims.

The company, in consultation with its parent and committees of Future Claimants and current Asbestos Claimants, arrived at a prepackaged plan under section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code. The plan envisions a personal injury trust to be funded, in large part, by Meritor (via the repayment of a remaining receivable, a contribution of intercompany payables and a $28mm settlement payment) and a channeling injunction that protects the company (and Meritor) from future suit and liability arising out of the company’s asbestos legacy. Instead, any and all asbestos-related personal injury claims may only be pursued against, and paid from, the personal injury trust.

Meritor, like most of the stock market, got beaten up yesterday. There’s no telling whether the multi-million dollar payout here had anything to do with that.

Source: Yahoo!

Source: Yahoo!

For the uninitiated, this (horrifically boring) bankruptcy filing presents us with a good opportunity to highlight a potential structure (and its limitations) for any imminent Pacific Gas & Electric Company (“PG&E”) chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. PG&E’s issues — as have, by this point, been extensively documented — largely emanate out of (i) some oppressive California state liability laws (inverse-condemnation — definitely), (ii) man-made global warming and resultant mudslides and wildfires (probably), and (iii) at least a glint of negligence (probably). While the company has $18.4b of (mostly unsecured) debt, the catalyst to bankruptcy may be its multi-billion dollar liability from the aforementioned CA-state laws and years of environmental disaster.

Similar to Maremont, PG&E is likely to end up with some kind of plan of reorganization that features a litigation trust (for affected claimants) and a channeling injunction. Except, as John Rapisardi and Daniel Shamah of O’Melveny & Myers point out, there are limitations to that structure. They write:

There is one significant obstacle to any PG&E bankruptcy: the likely inability to discharge liabilities associated with wildfires that have not yet occurred. There have been numerous mass tort bankruptcies in the past that have been resolved through the formation of a litigation trust and channeling injunction, forcing litigants into a single forum where claims are satisfied through trust assets. See, e.g., 11 U.S.C. §524(g) (channeling injunction for asbestos debtors); In re TK Holdings, Doc. No. 2120, Case No. 17-11375 (Bankr D. Del.) (confirmation order with channeling injunction for debtor that manufactured airbags with defective components). But that structure only works for claims based on prior conduct or acts. PG&E, in contrast, faces perennial liability associated with wildfires and inverse condemnation. It may be challenging to discharge the inverse-condemnation liabilities associated with a post-petition wildfire. See 28 U.S.C. §959(a) (debtors-in-possession may be sued “with respect to any of their acts or transactions in carrying on business connected with such property.”).

Prior conduct or acts, huh? A discontinued product that happened to contain asbestos fits that bill. Likewise, a remedied airbag (the TK Holdings referenced above refers to Takata Airbags). Sadly — especially for Californians, there is nothing prior about environmental issues. Those are very much a present and future thing.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)

  • Company Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (James Conlan, Andrew O’Neill, Alison Ross Stromberg, Blair Warner, Alex Rovira) & (local) Cole Schotz PC (Norman Pernick, J. Kate Stickles)

    • Claims Estimation Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal Disputes and Investigations LLC

    • Claims Agent: Donlin Recano (*click on company name above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Future Claimants Representative: James L. Patton Jr.

      • Legal: Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP

      • Claims Estimation Advisor: Ankura Consulting Group LLC

🛌New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Mattress Firm Inc.🛌

in

Mattress Firm Inc.

10/05/18

Recap: See our recap here.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Sontchi)

  • Capital Structure: See below.

  • Company Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Bojan Guzina, Michael Fishel, Gabriel MacConaill, Matthew Linder, Blair Warner) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Edmon Morton)

    • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP

    • Investment Banker: Guggenheim Securities LLC (Durc Savini)

    • Liquidator: Gordon Brothers Group LLC

      • Legal: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (Steven Reisman, Cindi Giglio) & (local) Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP (Mark Minuti, Lucian Murley)

    • Real Estate Advisors: A&G Realty Partners

    • Claims Agent: Epiq Corporate Restructuring LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Barclays Bank PLC

      • Legal: Paul Hastings LLP (Andrew Tenzer, Michael Comerford) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Jason Madron)

    • Citizens Bank NA

      • Legal: Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP (Julia Frost-Davies, Marc Leduc, Laura McCarthy) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Jason Madron)

    • Steinhoff International Holdings N.V

      • Legal: Linklaters LLP (Robert Trust, Christopher Hunker, Amy Edgy) & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Derek Abbott, Andrew Remming, Joseph C. Barsalona II)

    • Exit term loan financing backstop group (the “Backstop Group”): Attestor Capital LLP, Baupost Group, Centerbridge Partners LP, DK Capital Management Partners, Farrallon Capital Management L.L.C., KKR & Co. Partners LLP, Monarch Alternative Capital LP, Och-Ziff Capital Management, Silverpoint Capital

      • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (Mitchell Seider, Adam Goldberg, Hugh Keenan Murtagh, Marc Zelina, Adam Kassner) & (local) Ashby & Geddes PA (William Bowden, Karen Skomorucha Owens, F. Troupe Mickler IV)

Screen Shot 2018-10-06 at 9.11.23 PM.png

🌮New Chapter 11 Filing - RM Holdco LLC (Real Mex)🌮

in

In April's piece entitled "🍟Casual Dining is a Hot Mess🍟" and then in a follow-up in July creatively and originally entitled "🍟Casual Dining Continues to = a Hot Mess🍟" we noted that...well...casual dining is a hot mess. As of today…A. Spicy. Hot. Mess. Actually.

Late last night, RM Holdco LLC, the owner of a portfolio of 69 company-operated and 11 franchised restaurants and contemporary taquerías including Chevy's Fresh Mex, Siniqual, El Torito Grill, Las Brisas and Alcapulco filed for bankruptcy to effectuate a "363 sale" of substantially all of its assets to an affiliate of one of its pre-petition equityholders, Z Capital Partners LLC for $46.75mm. Interestingly, this filing also marks the third — that’s right, THIRD — chapter 22 filing in the last week following Home Heritage Group Inc. and Brookstone Inc. This is how we previously described a “Chapter 22”:

For the uninitiated, Chapter 22 in bankruptcy doesn’t actually exist. It is a somewhat snarky term to describe companies that have round-tripped back into chapter 11 after a previous stint in bankruptcy court.

Real Mex previously filed for bankruptcy in October 2011 and sold to Z Capital and Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC in March 2012. At the time of that previous chapter 11 filing, the company operated approximately 128 restaurants.

This time, the signs of an imminent bankruptcy filing were out there shining for all to see as the company has been sending smoke signals for months. Back in May, Bloombergreported that the company hired Piper Jaffray to pursue a sale — including one that could be consummated in bankruptcy. Thereafter, in June, the company filed a WARN Notice with the Department of Labor indicating that it intends to close its Times Square location and lay off 134 employees. Perhaps the signs were in place even earlier when the company hired the former CFO of Wet Seal, a retailer that, itself, found its way into bankruptcy court twice.

The company highlights various macro factors as reasons for this chapter 11 filing:

For the past six (6) years, the Debtors have struggled with certain industry-wide and company-specific pressures that have negatively impacted their operations. Trends in the greater restaurant industry, including increases to minimum wage and commodity costs, have created substantial pressure on the entire sector, as evidenced by the numerous brands that have filed for bankruptcy in recent years, including Ignite Restaurant Group (Brick House and Joe’s Crab Shack), Macaroni Grill, Garden Fresh, Bertucci’s, Crumbs, Cosi, and Buffets.

And:

In addition, increased competition, especially in the form of available, quality Mexican fast casual options, has had a significant impact on traffic in the Debtors’ restaurants.

For anyone keeping track of the “What Caused Bankruptcy” standings, this would be Amazon Inc. ($AMZN) 282,499,209 and (now) Chipotle Inc. ($CMG) 1.

Compounding matters here is (i) the company’s $200+ million in debt, (ii) an expensive workers’ compensation program, (iii) long-term lease burden (it leases all of its locations, the majority if which are in California), (iv) an expensive-yet-unconsummated-growth-strategy (the company attempted but failed to pursue expensive M&A processes with bankrupted Garden Fresh Restaurant Intermediate Holdings, among others), and (v) poor risk management procedures. On the latter point, it seems the company was a wee bit cavalier about not-at-all-serious matters like alcohol awareness, sexual harassment and food handling safety; therefore, it “experienced higher-than-normal litigation and enforcement-related expenses.” Yikes.

Now, back in October 2016 — in the context of Garden Fresh’s chapter 11 filing — we asked “Are Progressives Bankrupting Restaurants?” Therein we highlighted the following:

…Morberg's explanation for the bankruptcy went a step farther. He noted that cash flow pressures also came from increased workers' compensation costs, annual rent increases, minimum wage increases in the markets they serve, and higher health benefit costs -- a damning assessment of popular progressive initiatives making the rounds this campaign season. And certainly not a minor statement to make in a sworn declaration.  

It's unlikely that this is the last restaurant bankruptcy in the near term. Will the next one also delineate progressive policies as a root cause? It seems likely.

Points for PETITION’s bullseye?

Notably, here, the company also underscores that employee costs were a significant contributor to its liquidity constraints. It states:

While struggling with the specific issues discussed above, the Debtors have also suffered from rising employee wage costs, which are particularly high in California, where the vast majority of the Debtors’ restaurants are located. In an attempt to minimize these costs, the Debtors have implemented a scheduling program that has reduced employee hours and has optimized both front-of-house and back-of-house staffing.

Welcome to the party, Mr. Unintended Consequences.

The company seeks to use the bankruptcy process to effectuate the afore-mentioned sale to Z Capital. While the purchase price is a mere fraction of the debt on balance sheet, Z Capital’s proposed stalking horse asset purchase agreement also provides that it will “offer employment to all Company employees at purchased restaurants who are employed at the closing, and may offer employment to other Company employees as well.” In other words, this may be one of those instances where the funds lose on their investments but the (remaining) employees come out relatively okay. Z Capital and Tennenbaum are also providing the company with a $5.5mm DIP credit facility to finance operations during course of the cases.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge [ ])

  • Capital Structure: $41.7mm first lien credit facility (Wells Fargo Bank NA), $195.1mm second lien credit facility (Wells Fargo Bank NA), $17.53mm in secured reimbursement obligation loans (from Letters of Credit), $53.62mm unsecured subordinated convertible debt (Z Capital = large holder)    

  • Company Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Vijay Sekhon, Christina Craige, Ariella Thal Simonds) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Robert Brady, Elizabeth Justison, Andrew Magaziner, Edmon Morton, Michael Nestor)

    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Jonathan Tibus)

    • Investment Banker: Piper Jaffray & Co. (Jean Hosty, Terri Stratton, Michael Sutter) 

    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Stalking Horse Bidder & DIP Lender: Z Capital Group LLC (Legal: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP)

    • DIP Lender: Tennenbaum Capital Partners (Legal: Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP & (local) Landis Rath & Cobb LLP)

    • DIP Agent: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Thompson & Hine LLP)

New Chapter 11 Filing - The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC

in

The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC

3/19/18

The good news is that the company believes that its total exposure to victims (and creditors) is limited to 999 people/entities and its liability exposure is capped at $1 billion - or at least that's what one could glean from the boxes that the company checked on its chapter 11 petition. 

TWC Chapter 11 Petition
TWC Chapter 11 Petition

TWC Chapter 11 Petition

Let's review what's "new" here without regurgitating everything the mainstream media has covered the last several months... 

The Weinstein Company's primary assets fall into three categories: (i) the film library, (ii) the television business, and (iii) the unreleased films portfolio. The library consists of 277 films and thanks to distribution rights sales internationally and to the likes of Netflix and broadcast/cable networks, generates ongoing cash flow. The television business includes the Project Runway franchise and other content like Peaky Blinders, Scream and Six. The latter unreleased portfolio includes five completed films (including Benedict Cumberbatch's "Current War") and other projects in various stages of development. 

The sale effort to a consortium of investors including Yucaipa, Lantern Asset Management and Maria Contreras-Sweet is well documented. As is the Attorney General of New York's complaint against the company. Neither are worth noting in detail here after months of incessant press coverage. Notably, however, Lantern Asset Management stuck with the process after its consortium partners dropped out, agreeing to become the stalking horse bidder for the assets pursuant to a proposed expedited sale process. Why expedited? In the company's words,

"It is an understatement to say that the last six months have been trying for the Company. Intense media scrutiny and various other factors have resulted in, among other things, the Company’s loss of goodwill with employees, contract counterparties, key talent and the entertainment industry at large. In order to preserve the going concern value of the Company’s Assets for the benefit of its stakeholders, the Debtors have determined that a sale of substantially all of their Assets is necessary. Further, the Debtors believe that time is of the essence and that effectuating any such sale as quickly as possible is necessary to maintain operations and preserve value for the benefit of the Debtors’ stakeholders."

Well, also, the company has no cash and the buyer is pushing for speed as a condition to its bid. Lantern has that luxury as the remaining bidder; it is offering $310 million and the assumption of certain project-level non-recourse indebtedness (read: the debt associated with individual projects). Moreover, the company has indicated that Lantern anticipates retaining "most of the Company's employees." That's good: something positive must come out of this for those who had nothing to do with Mr. Weinstein's behavior. Speed is needed, the company argues, to prevent more employees from leaving (25% have already left). 

Some other miscellaneous facts of note:

  1. Top Creditor. The number one creditor is a judgment creditor to the tune of $17.36 million.
  2. It's Hard Out There for a Pimp. Boies Schiller & Flexner LLC is listed twice in the top 25 creditors. Fresh on the heels of the Theranos fraud suit, this has not been a good week for David Boies and company. 
  3. Other Creditors. Other major creditors include Viacom International ($5.6 million), Sony Pictures Entertainment ($3.7 million), Creative Artist Agency ($1.49 million), and Disney ($1.13 million).
  4. It's Hard Out There for a Pimp Part II. Several law firms are listed in the top 25 creditors for accounts payable due and owing for professional services. Notably, O'Melveny & Myers LLP is listed at #10 and $3.1 million; it had long been rumored to be representing the company leading into the bankruptcy filing. This means, more likely than not, that Cravath was hired as an 11th hour replacement, leaving O'Melveny as a creditor. Also, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has been left hanging after conducting the internal investigation of the charges against Mr. Weinstein. 
  5. The Cumberbatch. "Current War," the feature starring Benedict Cumberbatch is levered up by $7mm under a production-level loan agreement with East West Bank. Nothing unusual here: just a fun fact. We'll see if Cumberbatch's star power can raise this movie above the debt and the Weinstein taint. 
  6. Timing. To the extent any bidder wants to trump Lantern Asset Management, the deadline for bids is April 30 and an auction will occur on May 2 for court approval on May 4. 
  7. #FakeNews. The New York Times and the New Yorker both get credit for taking down Mr. Weinstein and for starting the #metoo movement and Time's Up campaign. 
  8. Ramifications. The company notes that the response to Mr. Weinstein's misconduct was fast and furious including (i) Apple ceasing plans for a 10-part Elvis biopic to be produced by TWC; (ii) Lin Manuel Miranda demanding that TWC release its rights to the movie adaptation of In the Heights, (iii) Amazon ditching TWC, cancelling plans for a David O'Russell series and dropped TWC as co-producer of a Matthew Weiner series; (iv) Channing Tatum halting development of a movie with the company, and (v) Quentin Tarantino seeking a different studio for his next and ninth film, the first time he would use a studio other than TWC. 
  9. Board of Directors. 5 members went running for the exits, including Paul Tudor Jones and Marc Lasry. 
  10. Lawsuits. TWC has been named in at least 9 civil actions by victims of Mr. Weinstein, including a broad federal class action, two civil actions by Mr. Weinstein himself, and 6 civil actions by contract counterparties. 

Lastly, it has been reported that any and all NDAs will be "lifted" and no longer apply. This means that those who aren't as financially able as, say, Uma Thurman and Saima Hayek, may now speak out with impunity. Hopefully this frees various women from the shackles of their memories. 

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Walrath)

  • Capital Structure: $156.4mm secured debt (ex-accrued and unpaid interest, MUFG Union Bank NA), $15.6mm junior secured debt (UnionBanCal Equities Inc.), $18.1mm secured term loan (Bank of America NA), $45.4mm secured industries debt (AI International Holdings BVI Ltd.), $42.5mm secured production facility (MUFG Union Bank NA), $57.2mm of production level debt (including Spy Kids and Current War), $8.3mm secured debt (Viacom Media Networks)

  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP (Paul Zumbro, George Zobitz, Karin DeMasi) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Paul Heath, Zachary Shapiro, Brett Haywood, David Queroli)
    • Restructuring Advisor/CRO: FTI Consulting (Robert Del Genio, Luke Schaeffer, Michael Healy, Thomas Ackerman)
    • Investment Banker: Moelis & Company LLC
    • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Stalking Horse Bidder: Lantern Asset Management
      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Stephen Kuhn, Meredith Lahaie) & (local) Pepper Hamilton LLP (David Stratton, David Fournier) 
    • DIP Agent ($25mm): MUFG Union Bank NA (11% minimum)
      • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Jennifer Hagle) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Robert Brady)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (James Stang, Debra Grassgreen, Robert Feinstein, Bradford Sandler)

Updated 3/30/18

New Chapter 11 Filing - HCR Manorcare Inc.

in

HCR Manorcare

3/4/18 Recap: Ohio-based Carlyle-backed long-term care provider of 450 (i) skilled nursing and impatient rehab facilities, memory care facilities and assisted living facilities (the "Long-Term Care Business"), (ii) hospice and home health care agencies, and (iii) outpatient rehab clinics filed a prepackaged bankruptcy after months of back-and-forth with its REIT-parent and Master Lease counterparty, Quality Care Properties Inc. ($QCP). The bankruptcy will effectuate a transaction pursuant to which QCP will shed its REIT status and take on 100% of the stock in the reorganized HCR. 

Interestingly, retailers aren't the only businesses capitulating under the weight of their rent. Here, the revenues generated by the Long-Term Care Business weren't generating sufficient revenues to cover ordinary course operating expenses and monthly rent obligations to QCP. By way of illustration, 

"For the twelve months ended December 31, 2017, the Company had revenues of approximately $3.741 billion, 82% of which derived from the Long-Term Care Business, and reported a consolidated pre-tax loss from continuing operations of approximately $267.9 million. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had approximately $4.264 billion in total assets and approximately $7.118 billion in total liabilities, debt and financing obligations...."

Rough. In 2016, HCR paid approximately $442mm ($37mm a month) in minimum rent to QCP. In 2017, after extensive negotiations, the amount dipped to $290mm ($24mm a month). With amounts that staggering, no wonder the company struggled. 

The relationship between QCP and HCR emanates out of a 2011 sale-leaseback transaction. After said transaction, QCP became an independent publicly traded company. Significantly,

"At the time of the 2011 Transaction, the business environment in the post-acute/skilled nursing sector was favorable due to a number of factors, including an aging population, expected increases in aggregate skilled nursing expenditures, and supply constraints in the skilled nursing sector due to substantial barriers to entry. The parties negotiated the amount of rent payable under the MLSA against this background."

But, as we consistently point out here at PETITION, projections don't always pan out as planned. Indeed, after the consummation of the 2011 transaction, 

"...the operating environment for post-acute/skilled nursing facility operators has become significantly more challenging. Unfavorable trends for operators of skilled nursing facilities include (a) a shift away from a traditional fee-for-service model toward new managed-care models, which base reimbursement on patient outcome measures; (b) increased penetration of Medicare Advantage plans, which has reduced reimbursement rates, average length of stay and average daily census; (c) increased competition from alternative healthcare services such as home health agencies, life care at home, community-based service programs, senior housing, retirement communities and convalescent centers; and (d) reductions in reimbursement rates from government payors."

Obviously this is a bit of a problem when your have a month rent nut of $37mm. 

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Gross)
  • Capital Structure: $400mm '18 9.5% TL debt (RD Credit LLC), $150mm '19 9.5% RCF, $445mm guaranty obligations under the Master Lease.
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Sidley & Austin LLP (Larry Nyhan, Dennis M. Twomey, William A. Evanoff, Allison Ross Stromberg, Matthew E. Linder) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Robert S. Brady, Edmon L. Morton, Justin H. Rucki, Ian J. Bambrick, Tara Pakrouh)
    • Financial Advisor/CRO: AlixPartners LLC (John Castellano)
    • Investment Banker: Moelis & Co.
    • Independent Directors: Sherman Edmiston, Kevin Collins
    • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest: TBD. 

Updated 3/5/18

New Chapter 11 Filing - BICOM NY LLC

in
  • 7/10/17 Recap: Manhattan based group of Jaguar, Maserati, Ford car dealerships filed for bankruptcy to trigger the automatic stay, prevent JPMorgan Chase from enforcing its rights as secured lender, and buy it more time to pursue a sale of the dealerships.  
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York (Judge Wiles)
  • Capital Structure: $82mm debt (JPMorgan Chase Bank NA)    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Wilk Auslander LLP (Eric Snyder, Eloy Peral)
    • Financial Advisor/CRO: Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC (Steven Agran) 
    • Claims Agent: JND Corporate Restructuring (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Prepetition & DIP Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
      • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Richard Fries, Andrew Propps, Kevin Lantry, Jeremy Rosenthal)

New Chapter 11 Filing - Takata Corporation

in

Takata Corporation

  • 6/25/17 Recap: The long-awaited chapter 11 (and Japanese Civil Rehabilitation Act) filing of the publicly-traded ($TKJP) airbag manufacturer is finally upon us after the Company endured a massive airbag recall (affecting 124mm automobiles that were deployed with non-desiccated PSAN Inflators, worldwide) and corresponding liability. The Company intends to consummate an agreement in principle with privately-held Key Safety Systems out of Sterling Heights Michigan for a sale of substantially all of the Company's assets for $1.588b. Use of proceeds include satisfying the requirements of a plea agreement with the US Department of Justice, paying administrative costs and expenses of the restructuring (cha-ching Weil, PwC, Lazard & Prime Clerk), and funding unsecured creditor recoveries. The Company has secured a $227mm revolving credit facility from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation to fund the cases; per its press release, it has also negotiated with its Japanese original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") for valuable accommodations and liquidity enhancements and continues to negotiate with OEMs elsewhere. Every car manufacturer under the sun is listed as an "undetermined" general unsecured creditor including the likes of Toyota, Ford, Tesla, Fisker, Ferrari, and, of course, the majors. 
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Marcia Goldstein, Ronit Berkovich, Matthew Goren, Jessica Diab, Lauren Tauro) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Michael Merchant, Amanda Steele, Brett Haywood)
    • Financial Advisor: PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (Bill Fasel, Stephen Hammond)
    • Investment Banker: Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Daimler Trucks North America LLC 
      • Legal: White & Case LLP (Thomas Lauria, Michael Shepard, Richard Graham)
    • General Motors Holdings LLC
      • Legal: O'Melveny & Meyers LLP (George Davis, Daniel Shamah, Andrew Sorkin, Gary Svirsky)
    • General Motors LLC
      • Legal: Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn LLP (Joseph Sgroi, Chauncey C. Mayfield II, Scott Kitai)
    • Key Safety Systems Inc.
      • Legal: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (Ron Meisler, Felicia Gerber Perlman, Christopher Dressel, Christine Okike, Esther Adzhiashvili)
    • Honda North America Inc.
      • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Michael Andolina, Jessica Knowles Boelter) & (local) Cole Schotz PC (Norman Pernick, J. Kate Stickles)
    • FCA US LLC
      • Legal: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (Brian Glueckstein, Andrew Dietderich, Alexa Kranzley)
    • Ford Motor Company
      • Legal: McGuireWoods LLP (Mark Freedlander, Frank Guadagnino, John Thompson) & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Derek Abbott)
    • Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC
      • Legal: Mayer Brown LLP (Richard Ziegler)
    • Subaru of America Inc.
      • Legal: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP (Adam Rogoff, Anupama Yerramalli, Philip Bentley, David Braun)
    • Toyota Motor Corporation
      • Legal: Frost Brown Todd LLC (Robert Sartin, Patrica Kirkwood Burgess, Ronald Gold) & (local) Landis Rath & Cobb LLP (Adam Landis, Kimberly Brown, Travis Ferguson)
    • BMW Manufacturing Co LLC
      • Legal: Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (David Rosenzweig, Michael Parker) & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Derek Abbott)
    • Nissan Motor Corporation
      • Legal: Jones Day (Pedro Jimenez)
    • Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc.
      • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Daniel Youngblut, Kevin O'Neill)
    • Tesla Inc.
      • Legal: Irell & Manella LLP (Jeffrey Reisner, Michael Strub, Kerri Lyman) & (local) Reed Smith LLP (Kurt Gwynne, Emily Devan)
    • Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
      • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Timothy Graulich, Elliott Moskowitz, Darren Klein)
    • Volvo Group North America LLC
      • Legal: Baker Hostetler LLP (Eric Goodman) & (local) Morris Nichols
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP (Dennis Dunne, Tyson Lomazow, Abhilash Raval, Bradley Scott Friedman) & (local) Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP (Christopher Samis, L. Katherine Good, Kevin Shaw)
    • Committee of Unsecured Tort Claimant Creditors
      • Legal: Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Laura Davis Jones, James Stang)

Updated 7/11/17 6 pm (CT)

New Chapter 11 Filing - CGG Holding (US) Inc.

in ,

CGG Holding (US) Inc.

  • 6/14/17 Recap: Global geophysical and geoscience company servicing customers primarily in oil and gas E&P is the latest victim of the oil and gas downturn of the past two-or-so years. The company's success is tied heavily to the E&P space and those clients were reluctant to invest in data acquisition projects to identify areas for future production or increased current production; therefore, you can imagine what happened to revenues and what that means when you're looking at a debt-stack as aggressive as this one. Indeed revenues and earnings were cut by 67% from 2012 to 2016. Ad hoc groups of secured lenders and high yield bondholders as well as as certain holders of the converts and certain shareholders of CGG SA, the foreign entity that filed in France and for Chapter 15, have entered into a Lock-up agreement delineating a balance sheet restructuring. The upshot is that the high yield bondholders and converts will own the majority of the equity in the reorganized company. 
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York (Judge Glenn)
  • Capital Structure: $810mm secured debt ($300mm French Revolver of CGG SA - Wilmington Trust (London), $165mm US Revolver - Credit Suisse AG, $342mm US TL - Wilmington Trust NA), $1.6b senior unsecured high yield bonds (The Bank of New York Mellon) and $402.7mm convertible notes (issued by CGG SA).     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Alan Kornberg, Brian Hermann, Lauren Shumejda, Christopher Hopkins) & (Chapter 15 for CGG SA) Linklaters LLP (Margot Schonholz, Robert Trust, Christopher Hunker)
    • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP (Becky Roof, Susan Brown, Brad Hunter, John Creighton, Francisco Echevarria,John Somerville, David Shim)
    • Investment Banker: Morgan Stanley & Lazard (Kenneth Ziman)
      • Legal (Lazard): Sidley Austin LLP (Thomas Labuda Jr., Andrew Propps)
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Secured Lender Committee (Och Ziff, Goldman Sachs International, Makuria Investment Management (UK) LLP, T. Rowe Price)
      • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Kon Asimacopolous, Stephen Hessler, Anthony Grossi, Hannah Crawford)
    • Ad Hoc Committee of Holders of High Yield Bonds (Alden Global Capital, Attestor Capital LLP, Boussard & Gavaudan Asset Management LP, Contrarian Capital Management LLC, Aurelius Capital Management LP, Third Point LLC)
      • Legal: Wilkie Farr & Gallager LLP (John Longmire, Weston Eguchi)
    • Indenture Trustee for Senior Noteholders: Bank of New York Mellon
      • Legal: Hogan Lovells US LLP (Christopher Donoho, John Beck)

Updated 7/11/17 6:41 CT

New Chapter 11 Filing - Goodman Networks Inc.

in

Goodman Networks Inc.

  • 3/13/17 Recap: Frisco Texas-based minority-business-enterprise (MBE) and wireless network and satellite television systems servicer filed a prepackaged chapter 11 case to de-lever its balance sheet by $212.5mm. This is a story, in many respects, about a concentrated revenue base and too much debt. 83% of the company's revenue is attributable to AT&T and "substantial completion of AT&T's 4G network build-out has diminished the associated demand for Goodman's services." Consequently, the company wasn't generating enough revenue to sustain its capital structure. Now, holders of the secured debt will receive cash, $112.5mm of new debt, PIK preferred stock and common stock. To preserve the MBE status, current equity will get PIK preferred stock and 50.1% of the common stock. Query whether that level of retained equity is a lesson to those who invested in this MBE structure. 
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas
  • Capital Structure: $25mm RCF (MidCap Financial Trust), $325mm '18 12.125 % secured notes (Wells Fargo)
  • Company Professionals: 
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Patrick Nash, Joshua Sussberg, Joseph Graham, Laura Krucks, Alexander Cross) & (local) Haynes & Boone LLP (Stephen Pezanosky, Kelli Norfleet)
    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting (John Debus)
    • Investment Banker: June Creek Interests (Andy Jent)
    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name for docket)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Committee of Second Lien Bondholders (Alden Global, AllianceBernstein Global LP, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., J.P Morgan Chase Bank N.A., Phoenix Investment Advisor LLC, Principal Global Investors LLC, Invesco Senior Secured Management Inc., Sound Point Capital Management LP)
      • Legal: Akin Gump (Michael Stamer, Charles Gibbs, Meredith Lahaie, Sara Brauner)
      • Financial: Greenhill & Co. Inc.
  • Wells Fargo
    • Legal: Reed Smith LLP (Eric Schaffer, Lloyd Lim, Maura Nuno)
  • AT&T Corp.
    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Brian Lohan)

Updated 3/28/17

New Chapter 15 Filing: Catalyst Paper Corporation

in ,

Catalyst Paper Corporation

  • 11/1/16 Recap: British Columbia-based paper manufacturer files Chapter 15 in support of a CBCA proceeding a mere four years after a previous CBCA/Chapter 15 restructuring to pursue a sale transaction with Kejriwal Group, an Indian paper manufacturer, and/or delever its balance sheet.
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware, Canada
  • Capital Structure: $134mm CAD funded RCF, $15mm CAD funded TL, $260mm '17 senior secured PIK Toggle Notes.   
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: (Canadian counsel) Stikeman Elliott (Guy Martel, Jonathan McLean) & (US Counsel) Sidley Austin LLP (James Conlan, Dennis Twomey, Blair Warner, Allison Ross) & (local) Young Conaway (Edmon Morton, Ashley Jacobs, Matthew Lunn)
    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Senior Secured Noteholders
      • Legal: Milbank Tweed (Abhilash Raval, Eric Reimer, Haig Maghakian) & (local) Richards Layton (Mark Collins, Michael Merchant, Andrew Dean)
    • Major Shareholders:
      • Mudrick Capital Management, Cyrus Capital Partners, Oaktree Capital Management, Stonehill Capital Management

New Filing: Key Energy Services Inc.

in

Key Energy Services Inc.

  • 10/24/16 Recap: Oilfield services operator filed prepackaged plan to delever its balance sheet by 75% unsecured debt-for-equity swap subject to dilutive rights offering.
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware
  • Capital Structure: $100mm '20 4.5% RCF (Wells Fargo), $315mm '20 9.25% TL (Cortland Capital Markets), $675mm '21 6.75% senior unsecured notes.     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (James Conlan, Larry Nyhan, Jeffrey Bjork, Andrew O'Neill, Christina Craige, John Hutchinson) & (local) Young Conaway (Robert Brady, Edwin Harron, Ryan Bartley)
    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Ed Mosley)
    • Investment Banker: PJT Partners (Mike Genereux)
    • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • ABL Admin Agent (BofA):
      • Legal: Latham & Watkins (Richard Levy, James Ktsanes) & (local) Reed Smith (Kurt Gwynne, Emily Devan)
    • Term Lenders: (BlueMountain Capital Management LLC, TPG Specialty Lending Inc., Tennenbaum Capital Partners)
      • Legal: Davis Polk (Damian Schaible, Eli Vonnegut, Angela Libby) & (local) Richards Layton (Mark Collins, Andrew Dean)
      • Investment Banker: Evercore
    • Supporting Unsecured Noteholders:
      • Legal: Sullivan & Cromwell (Michael Torkin, David Jakus, Lee Parnes)
      • Investment Bank: Houlihan Lokey
    • Supporting Noteholders & Supporting Term Lenders
      • Legal: Cleary Gottlieb (Sean O'Neal, Humayan Khalid, Matthew Rappoport) & (local) Morris Nichols (Robert Dehney, Eric Schwartz, Andrew Remming, Andrew Roth-Moore)
    • Wells Fargo, as TL Agent
      • Legal: Greenberg Traurig
    • Unsecured Noteholders: Silver Point Capital LP, Contrarian Capital Management, Scoggin Capital Management, Platinum Equity Advisors, Quantum Partners, Goldman Sachs Global Special Situations Group

Updated 12/30/16

New Filing - Filip Technologies Inc.

in

Filip Technologies Inc.

  • 10/8/16 Recap: NYC-based maker of cloud-based location software and wearable watch hardware for kids files for chapter 11 bankruptcy to effectuate an expedited sale to potential White Knight stalking horse bidder while receiving DIP financing from AT&T.   
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware
  • Capital Structure: $480k secured debt (AT&T), $125k unsecured debt, $3.1mm unsecured convertible notes      
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Moore & Van Allen (Zachary Smith & Hillary Crabtree) & (local) Bielli & Klaudner LLC (David Klaudner)
    • Financial & Restructuring Advisor: Ankura Consulting LLC (Roy Messing, Michael Swetz, Margaret Brennan, John Rapisardi)
    • Investment Banker: Widebridge Group
    • Claims Agent: KCC
  • Other Parties in Interest:

Updated 12/30/16