New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Cobalt International Energy Inc. ($CIE)

Cobalt International Energy Inc.

  • 12/13/17 Recap: Houston-based publicly-traded ($CIE) deepwater exploration and production company operating in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and offshore Angola and Gabon in West Africa has filed for bankruptcy. The company blames "a failed sale of Cobalt’s Angolan assets and the related litigation, the prolonged downturn in the exploration and production industry, and nearly $3.0 billion of funded indebtedness" for its filing. The company seeks a sale in bankruptcy. Other than the failed 2016 Angolan transaction, this story is pretty similar to other E&P bankruptcies we've seen in the past. Upshot: offshore exploration is expensive and with oil in the high 50s (a relatively high number), the economics aren't there to support the capital structure. 
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas (Judge Isgur)
  • Capital Structure: $500mm '21 first lien notes (Wilmington Trust NA), $934.7mm '23 second lien notes (Wilmington Trust NA), $619.2mm '19 2.625% unsecured notes (Wells Fargo Bank NA), 3.125% $786.9mm '24 unsecured notes (Wells Fargo Bank NA)
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Marc Kieselstein, Chad Husnick, Brad Weiland, Laura Krucks, Gabor Balassa, Stacy Pepper) & (local) Zach A. Clement PLLC (Zach Clement)
    • Investment Banker: Houlihan Lokey Capital
    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Group of First Lien Notes
      • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Matt Barr)
    • Ad Hoc Group of Second Lien Notes
      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (James Savin)
    • First Lien Indenture
      • Legal: Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP (Andrew Goldman)
    • Significant Equityholders: First Reserve GP XI Inc., The Carlyle Group, Riverstone Holdings LLC, Paulson & Co., Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC

New Chapter 11 Filing - Goodman Networks Inc.

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 11 Filing - Answers Holdings Inc.

Answers Holdings Inc.

  •  3/3/17 Recap: Apax Partners' backed website operator has filed for bankruptcy because it never evolved from Internet 1.0, has too much debt, its main site, Answers.com, is the red-headed step-child of Quora, and, quite frankly, not a single person receiving the PETITION newsletter has visited the site(s) since 2006. Yahoo, FacebookAmazon (AWS), Amex and Silicon Valley Bank are among the top 10 creditors. The debtors solicited a prepackaged plan and so all of the above will be unimpaired - somewhat ironic given that algorithmic changes by Google and Facebook - in addition to a mountain of debt - are the real root causes of the company's decline.
  • Jurisdiction: SD of New York
  • Capital Structure: $40mm revolver, $325mm '21 first lien TL, $180mm '22 second lien TL.   
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Jonathan Henes, Christopher Greco, Melissa Koss, John Weber, Anthony Grossi)
    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Justin Schmaltz, Erin McKeighan)
    • Investment Banker: Rothschild (Steven Antinelli)
    • Claims Agent: Rust Bankruptcy/Omni Consulting (*click on company name for docket)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Group of Consenting First Lien Lenders
      • Legal: Jones Day LLP (Scott Greenberg, Michael Cohen, Bryan Kotliar)
      • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey
    • First Lien Agent: Credit Suisse AG
      • Legal: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (David Feldman, J. Eric Wise)
    • Ad Hoc Group of Consenting Second Lien Lenders (Deerpath Capital Management LP, North Haven Credit Partners LP, Summit Partners Credit Advisors LP)
      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Haur & Feld LLP (David Botter, David Simonds)
        • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc.
    • Second Lien Agent: Wilmington Trust NA
      • Legal: Alston & Bird LLP (Jason Solomon, David Wender)
    • Sponsor Entities: Apax Partners LP, Clarity Holdco LP, Clarity GP LLC
      • Legal: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Elisha Graff, Edward Linden)
    • Proposed Board of Directors of the Reorganized Entity: William Ruckelshaus, Eric Ball, Peter Daffern, Eugene Davis, John Federman, Lonne Jaffe, Brian Mulligan.

Updated 4/2/17

New Chapter 11 Filing - Avaya Inc.

Avaya Inc.

  • 1/19/17 Recap: Late in its transition from a hardware-based business model to a software model, Santa Clara California based communications services provider filed a freefall bankruptcy to address its $6b+ balance sheet and ~$1.45b of pension/OPEB liabilities with the help of a proposed $725mm DIP Facility. 
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York
  • Capital Structure: $55mm domestic ABL credit facility (Citigroup USA Inc.), $3.235b prepetition cash flow credit facility (Citigroup USA Inc.), $1b 7% '19 first priority note, $290mm 9% '19 second priority note, $1.384b 10.5% '21 second priority notes (Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company N.A.).   
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Jayme Sprayragen, Jonathan Henes, Patrick Nash, Ryan Preston Dahl, Bradley Giordano, Justin Bernbrock, Kan Asimacopoulos, Bern Meyer-Loewy, Carl Pickerill, Asif Attarwala, Ameneh Bordi, Robert Britton, Jeremy Evans, Natasha Hwangpo, Stephen Iacovo, George Klidonas, Christopher Kochman, Justin Mercurio)
    • Financial Advisor: Zolfo Cooper LLC (Eric Koza, Charlie Carnaval, Jesse DelConte, Denise Lorenzo, Conor McShane, Fred Jelks, Andrew Ralph, Adam Searles, Jeff Wooding, Howard Gou, Eugene Lavrov, Rohan Joseph, Chris Baydar)
    • Investment Banker: Centerview Partners (John Bosacco)
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk (*click on company name for docket)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • DIP Agent: Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
      • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Damian Schaible, Natasha Tsiouris, Aryeh Falk)
    • Ad Hoc First Lien Noteholders' Group (400 Capital Management LLC, Aegon USA Investment Management LLC, Alta Fundamental Advisors LLC, Anchorage Capital Group LLC, Apollo Management LP, Auburn Mesa LLC, Bain Capital Credit LP, Bank of America NA, Barclays Capital Inc., Benefit Street Partners LLC, Bennett Restructuring Fund Inc., Blackrock Financing Management Inc., Blackrock Advisors LLC, Blackrock Institutional Trust Company NA, BlueCrest Capital Management, Candlewood Group Investment Group LP, Canyon Capital Advisors LLC, Carlson Capital LP, Centerbridge Capital LP, Cetus Capital LLC, Columbia Management Investment Advisors LLC, Continental Casualty Company, CQS (US) LLC, Crescent Capital Group LP, CRG Financial LLC, Cyrus Capital Partners LP, Deutsche Bank AG Cayman Islands Branch, Driehaus Capital Management LLC, DW Catalyst Master Fund Ltd., Empyrean Investments LLC, Farallon Capital Partners LP, Farallon Capital Institutional Partners LP, Farallon Capital Institutional Partners V LP, Farallon Capital Institutional Partners II LP, Farallon Capital Offshore Investors II LP, Farallon Capital F5 Master I LP, Farallon Capital (AM) Investors LP, Farallon Capital Institutional Partners III LP, Noonday Offshore Inc., GLG LLC, Graham Capital Management, GSO Capital Partners LP, HG Vora Capital Management LLC, HPS Investment Partners LLC, Investcorp Credit Management US LLC, ISL Loan Trust, ISL Loan Trust II, J.H. Lane Partners LP, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, JP Morgan Investment Management LLC, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC, Mariner Glen Oaks LP, Medtronic Holding Switzerland GMBH, Merced Capital LP, Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc., Midtown Acquisitions LP, MJX Asset Management LLC, Monarch Alternative Capital LP, Napier Park Global Capital, Newfleet Asset Management LLC, New Mexico State Investment Council, Nut Tree Capital Management LP, NYL Investors LLC, OZ Management LP, OZ Management II LP, OFI Global Asset Management Inc., Onex Credit Partners LLC, OSK V LLC, Par-Four Investment Management LLC, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, Putnam Investments, Redwood Capital Management LLC, Sentinel Dome Partners LLC, Shenkman Capital Management Inc., Silver Point Capital LP, Standard General LP, Taconic Capital Advisors LP, Talamod Asset Management LLC, Telos Asset Management LLC, THL Credit, Voya CLO, Wayzata Opportunities Fund III, Wayzata Opportunities Fund Offshore III LP, Wells Fargo Bank NA, Whitebox Advisors LLC, Wolverine Flagship Fund Trading Limited, Z Capital Credit Partners)
      • Legal: Akin Gump Straus Hauer & Feld LLP (Ira Dizengoff, Philip Dublin)
      • Financial Advisor: PJT Partners LP 
    • Ad Hoc Crossover Noteholders' Group (Alden Global Capital LLC, AllianceBernstein LP, Avenue Capital Management II LLP, Benefit Street Partners, Susquehanna Advisors Group Inc., Franklin Mutual Advisors LLC, Greenlight Capital Inc., Highland Capital Management LP, PGIM Inc., Symphony Asset Management LLC)
    • Updated Ad Hoc Crossover Noteholders' Group (Less: Benefit Street Partners)
      • Legal: Stroock Stroock & Lavan LLP (Kris Hansen, Sayan Bhattacharyya, Gabriel Sasson)
      • Financial Advisor: Rothschild
    • Communications Workers of America
      • Legal: Saul Ewing LLP (Sharon Levine)
    • Successor Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB
      • Legal: Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Doerr LLP (Andrew Goldman, Nancy Manzer)
    • First Lien Notes Trustee: Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company
      • Legal: Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP (Glenn Siegel, Joshua Dorchak, Rachel Jaffe Mauceri)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Morrison & Foerster LLP (Lorenzo Marinuzzi, Todd Goren, Erica Richards, Benjamin Butterfield, Rahman Connelly, Andrew Kissner, James Newton)
      • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (David Miller, Byron Smyl, Marc Alms, Laureen Ryan, Rich Newman, Andrea Gonzalez, Hamish Allanson, Leslie Lambert, Vance Yudell, Jeff Gunsel, Steve Coverick)
      • Investment Banker: Jefferies LLC (Leon Szlezinger)

Updated 5/31/17

New Filing - Optima Specialty Steel LLC

Optima Specialty Steel

  • 12/15/16 Recap: Miami-based independent specialty steel products manufacturer files for bankruptcy in the District of Delaware, capitulating under the weight of debt-laden acquisitions predicated on synergies and efficiencies that, shockingly, couldn't counteract various macroeconomic headwinds. The company cites low oil prices, a strong US dollar, excess capacity, slowing growth in other parts of the world (read: China), and decreased demand for specialty steel products. Unable to pay its December 15 debt maturity, the company filed to take advantage of the automatic stay - funded by cash collateral initially and seeking a DIP by January - and try to reorganize as a going concern.
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware
  • Capital Structure: $171.7mm 12.5% senior secured notes (Wilmington Trust), $87.5mm 12% senior unsecured note (Wilmington Trust; privately-placed with DDJ Capital Management LLC)     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Greenberg Traurig (Dennis Meloro, Nancy Mitchell, Paul Keenan, John Dodd, Ari Newman, Maria DiConza)
    • Financial Advisor: Ernst & Young LLP (Briana Richards)
    • Investment Banker: Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC (James Doak)
    • Claims Agent: Garden City Group (*click on company name for docket)
  • Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Group of Unaffiliated Holders of Senior Secured Notes
      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Philip Dublin, Jason Rubin)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP (Stephen Lerner, Norman Kinel, Nava Hazan, Elliot Smith) & (local) Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP (Christopher Samis, L. Katherine Good, Chantelle McClamb)
    • Wilmington Trust
      • Legal: Morrison & Foerster LLP (Jonathan Levine, James Newton) & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Eric Schwartz, Matthew Harvey)
    • DDJ Capital Management LLC
      • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (Richard Levy, Ted Dillman)

Updated 1/6/17

New Filing - Stone Energy Corporation

Stone Energy Corporation

  • 12/14/16 Recap: Louisiana-based oil-and-gas producer files prepackaged chapter 11 case to sell its Appalachia assets to TH Exploration III LLC (an affiliate of Tug Hill Inc.), and shed approximately $850mm of debt and $46mm of annual interest expense. The company faces a potential equity committee appointment - all the rage these days.
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas
  • Capital Structure: $360mm RCF, $300mm '17 1.75% convertible unsecured notes, $775mm '22 7.5% unsecured notes     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (David Heller, Josef Athanas, Caroline Reckler, Matthew Warren, Matthew Dillard, Christopher Harris) & (local) Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Joshua Wolfshohl, Aaron Power)
    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Dean Swick)
    • Investment Banker: Lazard (David Kurtz) & Tudor Pickering & Holt & Co. (Chad Michael)
    • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on company name for docket)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Agent of RCF (BofA)
      • Legal: O'Melveny & Meyers LLP (George Davis, Suzzanne Uhland, Michael Lotito, Sean Davis)
      • Financial Advisor: RPA Advisors
    • Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company N.A.
      • Legal: Heller Draper Patrick Horn & Dabney LLC (William Patrick III, Tristan Manthey, Cherie Dessauer Nobles)
    • Ad Hoc Group of Unsecured Lenders
      • Legal: Akin Gump (Charles Gibbs, David Zensky, Kevin Zuzolo, Meredith Lahaie, Michael Stamer)
      • Investment Banker: Intrepid Partners
    • Buyer: TH Exploration III LLC
      • Legal:
    • Exxon Mobil Corporation
      • Legal: Haynes & Boone LLP (Charles Beckham)
    • Independent Directors of the Board of Directors
      • Legal: Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP (Robin Russell, Timothy Davidson, Ashley Harper)
    • Ad Hoc Committee of Shareholders
      • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP (K. John Shaffer, Benjamin Finestone, David Gerger, Emily Smith, Victor Noskov)

Updated 1/20/17.

New Filing - Erickson Inc.

  • Erickson Inc.

  • 11/08/16 Recap: Portland-based aviation services company with ties to the oil and gas and defense industries files for bankruptcy to delever balance sheet pursuant to a prenegotiated bankruptcy agreement with its lenders. The Company seeks a $180mm DIP credit facility (with $60mm of new money) to fund operations over the course of the restructuring.
  • Jurisdiction: N.D. of Texas
  • Capital Structure: $140mm RCF (Wells Fargo), $355mm '20 senior secured notes (Wilmington Trust)    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Haynes & Boone LLP (Ian Peck, Kenric Kattner, Kourtney Lyda, Eli Columbus, Arsalan Muhammed)
    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Darrick Martin, Holden Bixler)
    • Investment Banker: Imperial Capital (Chris Shepard)
    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name for docket)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Group of Senior Secured Noteholders
      • Legal: Akin Gump (Scott Alberino, Brad Kahn, Marty Brimmage)
      • Investment Banker: Houlihan (Matthew Neiman, Andrew Morrow, Geoffrey Coutts)
    • DIP Revolving Agent and ABL Agent (Wells Fargo)
      • Legal: Goldberg Kohn Ltd. (Randall Klein) & (local) K&L Gates LLP (David Weitman)
    • DIP Lenders: (Wayzata Investment Partners and MHR)
    • Wilmington Trust
      • Legal: Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Christopher Harney, Bret Harper)

Updated 12/30/16