New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - EXCO Resources Inc.

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EXCO Resources Inc.

  • 1/15/18 Recap: Dallas-based oil and gas exploration and production company filed for bankruptcy with no plan, no buyer, and a $250mm DIP credit facility in hand from the likes of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, Bluescape Resources Company LLC, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. ($JPM). The company intends to use bankruptcy to try and find a strategic buyer. Shockingly, it doesn't have a stalking horse bidder, all-the-more-surprising because this bankruptcy filing has been anticipated for a year, if not more. W.L Ross & Co. LLC, the former firm of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (#MAGA!!), and Oaktree Capital Management Funds ($OAK) are two large equityholders with holdings of 12.5% and 8.29%, respectively. Companies in EXCO's list of top unsecured creditors is a who's who lineup of once-stressed, distressed, or bankrupt companies, including Azure Midstream, Goodrich Petroleum ($GDP), Chesapeake Energy ($CHK), Stallion Oilfield Services, Nuverra Environmental Solutions, and Light Tower Rentals, among others. At the time of this writing, the company hasn't completed its first day filing but do we even need to read the papers to understand why this company with $1.3 billion of total debt is in bankruptcy court? RIght, probably not. 
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas (Judge Isgur)
  • Capital Structure: $1.35b of debt including $131.5mm 7.5% '18 Senior Notes (Wilmington Savings Fund Society), $70.1mm 8.5% '22 Senior Notes (Wilmington Savings Fund Society). 
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Patrick Nash, Christopher Greco, Alexandra Schwarzman, Stephen Hackney, Ryan Moorman) & (local) Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP (Marcus Helt)
    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (John Stuart)
    • Investment Banker: PJT Partners (Steven Zelin, Michael O'Hara, Adam Schlesinger, Zachary Rigoni, Keith Lord, Jeremey Woodard, Scott Meyerson, Gregory Nelson, Emmanuel Recachinas, Aaron Brenner, Tony Yang, Jennifer Wang)
    • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • DIP Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
      • Legal: Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP (Nicholas Baker, Sandeep Qusba) & (local) Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (Louis Strubeck, Kristian Gluck, Ryan Manns)
    • DIP Lender: Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited
      • Legal: Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP (Andrew Glenn, Eric Taube, Adam Shiff, Emily Kuznick, Shai Schmidt)
    • Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB
      • Legal: Seward & Kissel LLP (John Ashmead, Robert Gayda, Catherine LoTempio)
    • Cross Sound Management
      • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP (Benjamin Finestone, K. John Shaffer) & (local) Jackson Walker LLP (Patricia Tomasco, Matthew Cavenaugh)
    • Gen IV Investment Opportunities LLC and VEGA Asset Partners LLC
      • Legal: White & Case LLP (Thomas Lauria, Michael Shepherd) & (local) Gray Reed & McGraw (Jason Brookner)
    • Bluescape Resources Company LLC
      • Legal: Bracewell LLP (Kurt Mayr, David Lawton, Jason Cohen)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Brown Rudnick LLP (Robert Stark, Kenneth Aulet, Sigmund Wissner-Gross, Gerard Cicero, Steven Levine) & (local) Jackson Walker LLP (Patricia Tomasco, Matthew Cavenaugh)
      • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc. (Andrew Scruton)
      • Investment Bank: Intrepid Partners LLC (Matthew Hart)

Updated 4/1/18 at 12:13 CT

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Vasari LLC (d/b/a Dairy Queen)

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Vasari LLC

  • 10/30/17 Recap: Texas-based large franchise operator of Dairy Queen brand restaurants operating approximately 70 locations across Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico filed for bankruptcy. Burdened under the weight of its debt, its lease obligations, and franchise fees, the company struggled to generate revenue to offset its obligations. Why? Well, somewhat surprisingly, the company doesn't immediately dive into the "restaurant excuse bin" (air-quotes) with hackneyed narratives like "bad weather," "experiential desires" and "millennials don't SNAP upside-down frozen treats." Rather, the company notes, "[t]he difficulties faced by the Debtor can largely be traded to the much publicized decline in oil prices. The decline in oil prices has severely impacted the job market for oil related jobs in regions of west Texas and east Oklahoma and has thus resulted in cross-industry declines in revenues in areas heavily dependent on oil related jobs." The company continues, "Since bouncing from a 12 year low, oil prices have begun to rebound; however, oil-related jobs have not. Without oil-related jobs, certain DQ locations will likely continue to underperform, causing a drain on the Debtor's resources." Hurricane Harvey was the cherry on top, disrupting operations in 17 locations. Now, the company intends to use bankruptcy to continue to evaluate its store footprint, shed some stores, and pursue a sale of the remaining locations. 
  • Jurisdiction: N.D. of Texas (Judge Mullin)
  • Capital Structure: $10.8mm debt (Cadence Bank NA), $777k PIK subordinated promissory note.    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Husch Blackwell LLP (Vickie Driver, Christina Stephenson, Ryan Burgett, Alexander Terras)
    • Financial Advisor: Mastodon
    • Claims Agent: Donlin Recano & Co. Inc. (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Prepetition/DIP Lender: Cadence Bank NA
      • Legal: Morris Manning & Martin LLP (Frank DeBorde, David Mayo) & (local) Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP (Holland O'Neil, Jason Binford)  
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Gray Reed & McGraw LLP (Jason Brookner, Michael Bishop, Lydia Webb)

Updated 11/17/17

New Chapter 11 Filing - Vanguard Natural Resources

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Vanguard Natural Resources

  • 2/2/17 Recap: Houston-based oil and gas producer files chapter 11 pursuant to a restructuring support agreement that, if implemented, will permit the company to cut over $700mm of debt. The company has secured a $50mm DIP. 
  • Jurisdiction: SD of Texas
  • Capital Structure: $1.372b '18 L+250 RBL (Citibank N.A.), $76mm '20 7% second lien notes, $51'm '19 8.375% unsecured notes (Wilmington Trust), $382mm '20 7.875% unsecured notes (UMB Bank)    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Paul Hastings LLP (Chris Dickerson, James Grogan, Todd Schwartz, Alexander Bongartz, Brendan Gage)
    • Financial Advisor: Opportune LLP (Scott Anchin)
    • Investment Banker: Evercore Partners (Daniel Aronson, Marco Acerra)
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk (*click on company name for docket)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Group of 2L noteholders (Fir Tree Inc., Wexford Capital LP, York Capital Management Global Advisors)
      • Legal: Morrison & Foerster LLP (Jonathan Levine, John Pintarelli, Daniel Harris) & (local) Jackson Walker LLP (Monica Blacker, Matthew Cavenaugh)
    • Ad Hoc Committee of Senior Noteholders & UMB Bank NA
      • Legal: Milbank (Dennis Dunne, Andrew LeBlanc, Samuel Khalil) & (local) Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Eric English)
      • Investment Bank: PJT Partners Inc.
    • RBL Lender: Citibank NA
      • Legal: Weil (Stephen Karotkin, Joseph Smolinsky, Blaire Cahn, Christopher Lopez)
    • UMB Bank
      • Legal: Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (Eric Wilson, Benjamin Feder, T. Charlie Liu)
    • Wilmington Trust
      • Legal: Pryor Cashman LLP (Seth Lieberman, Patrick Sibley, Matthew Silverman) & (local) Cole Schotz PC (Michael Warner, Benjamin Wallen)
    • Independent Directors of the Board
      • Legal: Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP (Robin Russell, Tad Davidson, Joseph Buoni)
    • Unsecured Noteholder & Preferred Unitholder: Panning Capital Management 
      • Legal: Munger Tolles & Olson LLP (Thomas Wolper, Seth Goldman) & (local) Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (William Greendyke, Jason Boland, Bob Bruner, Louis Strubeck) 
    • Ad Hoc Equity Committee
      • Legal: Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP (John Melko, Sharon Beausoleil, Michael Riordan, Sean Wilson, Holland O'Neil)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Akin Gump (Charles Gibbs, Michael Stamer, Abid Qureshi, Meredith Lahaie, Kevin Zuzolo)
      • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting

Updated 3/22/17

 

New Filing - Valuepart Inc.

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Valuepart Inc.

  • 10/27/16 Recap: Distributor of parts for earth-moving equipment made by the likes of Caterpillar and Deere files for bankruptcy due to decreased revenues. The WSJ highlights that the company doesn't specify what caused the decline but it's pretty obvious: both CAT and DE new builds are down as farmers and others rely more heavily on rentals given depressed commodity prices.  
  • Jurisdiction: N.D. of Texas
  • Capital Structure: $27mm funded ABL (Wells Fargo)     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP (Marcus Helt, Thomas Scannell, Mark Moore)
    • Financial Advisor: CR3 Partners (Greg Baracato)
    • Investment Banker: FocalPoint Securities LLC (Michael Fixler)
    • Claims Agent: Upshot Services (*click on company name for docket)
    • Other Parties in Interest:
      • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
        • Legal: Kane Russell Coleman & Logan PC (Joseph Coleman, John Kane)
        • Financial Advisor: Lain Faulkner & Co., PC (Dennis Faulkner)

Updated 12/30/16.