New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Centric Brands Inc. ($CTRC)

Centric Brands Inc.

May 18, 2020

New York-based Centric Brands Inc. ($CTRC)(f/k/a Differential Brands Group Inc., Joe’s Jeans Inc., and Innovo Group Inc.) and 34 affiliates (the “debtors”) filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this week after COVID-19 ripped through the economy and disrupted retail operations all over the country. You’ve likely never heard of Centric Brands Inc. (unless you happened to have a soft spot for esoteric brand stocks). But there is a very good chance that you’ve purchased one of its licensed products or one of its privately-owned brands. They’re ubiquitous. And they’re ubiquitous because the company’s reach has expanded aggressively over the years.

The company started in 1987, acquired Joe’s Jeans in 2007, acquired Hudson Brand in 2013, merged with Robert Graham in 2015, acquired SWIMS in 2016 and then acquired Global Brands Group Holding Limited in 2018 for $1.2b. The majority of the company’s $1.7b of funded debt emanates out of that last transaction. More on this in a moment.

In addition to the aforementioned private brands, the company designs, produces, merchandises, manages and markets approximately 100 brands pursuant to various licenses. These brands include AllSaints, Calvin Klein, Disney, Jessica Simpson, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger and many more. The company sells its licensed and private-brands in one of three categories: kids, accessories, and men’s and women’s apparel. The former two grew from ‘18 to ‘19. The latter…well…not so much. All of the company’s product is made in Asia or Mexico.

For distribution, the company sells wholesale to, among others, bigbox retailers like Walmart Inc. ($WMT) and Target Inc. ($TGT), to department stores like Macy’s Inc. ($M), Kohls Corporation ($KSS) and J.C. Penney Corporation ($JCPQ), to off-price retailers like TJX Companies ($TJX) and Ross Stores ($ROST), and on Amazon Inc. ($AMZN). It also has brick-and-mortar stores for its private label brands Robert Graham (33 stores) and SWIMS (one store) as well as certain licensed brands like BCBG (46 stores), Joe’s Jeans (13), and Herve Leger (one). Finally, the company operates partner shop-in-shops for BCBG with big department stores.

Bankruptcy aficionados are familiar with the BCBG brand. BCBG filed for bankruptcy itself back in March 2017. Marquee Brands LLC later acquired the entire portfolio of brands from BCBG Max Azria Global Holdings — including BCBGMAXAZRIA, BCBGeneration and Herve Leger — for $108mm later that year. Marquee’s licensing partner? Global Brands Group Holding Limited, which, as noted above, is now part of Centric Brands. Through license agreements entered into back in July 2017, Centric has the right to manufacture and distribute certain licensed BCBG product; it also has the right to use certain intellectual property for retail and e-commerce sales.

Back in April, BCBG and the company started getting after it. BCBG was pissed because the company owed it $3mm in royalty payments. After the company continued not to pay, BCBG terminated the agreement. Now the parties have a settlement. The company is rejecting the licensing agreements, agreeing to let BCBG setoff $3mm against its pre-petition claim (which is capped at $20mm and pledged in support of the plan), and agreeing to pay ongoing royalties on the goods to be supplied to wholesale partners. Marquee Brands LLC is taking the licenses back and intends to add BCBG to its e-commerce portfolio.*

Soooooo…what happens to those brick-and-mortar locations we mentioned earlier? The debtors filed a motion already seeking to reject nonresidential real property leases effective as of the petition date. The debtors seek approval to reject seven Robert Graham leases, 42 BCBG leases and one Joe’s Jeans lease. Of those rejected leases 25 are in locations managed by Simon Property Group ($SPG). But, sure, the “A” malls are juuuuuuuust fine folks. Nothing to see here.

Well, except the capital structure. It’s so large it’s kinda hard to miss. The company has:

• $163.9mm RCF,

• $20mm ‘20 term loan bridge,

• $631.9mm ‘23 first lien term loan (HPS Investment Partners, Ares Capital Corporation)

• $719.8mm second lien term loan (GSO Capital Partners LP and Blackstone Tactical Opportunities Fund),

• $200.3mm securitization facility, and

• $28.7mm unsecured convertible notes plus $10mm modified convertible notes.

Luckily the holdings are concentrated among the above-noted funds. Accordingly, HPS, Ares and Blackstone will end up lenders in an exit first lien term loan and own the reorganized equity on the backend of this restructuring. HPS and Ares will own 30% of the equity and Blackstone will own 70% (subject to dilution). Your kids’ favorite licensed casualwear powered by private equity!**

*It is unclear what Marquee Brands LLC will do with the BCBG wholesale business. This article suggests they’ll do something and then goes on to emphasize only the e-commerce approach.

**The case will be powered by a $435mm DIP credit facility of which $275mm will be provided by the revolving lenders (and will rollup the pre-petition facility) and roll into an exit facility. The remaining $160mm will be a DIP term loan provided by Blackstone which will role into the exit first lien term loan with the first lien term lenders. The debtors will also extend its existing Securitization Facility.

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

• Capital Structure: $163.9mm RCF, $20mm ‘20 term loan bridge, $631.9mm ‘23 first lien term loan, $719.8mm second lien term loan, $200.3mm securitization facility, $28.7mm unsecured convertible notes, $10mm modified convertible notes

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Ropes & Gray LLP (Gregg Galardi, Christine Pirro Schwarzman, Daniel Egan, Emily Kehoe)

  • Financial Advisor/CRO: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Joseph Sciametta)

  • Investment Banker: PJT Partners LP (James Baird)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Prepetition First Lien Revolver & DIP Agent ($275mm): ACF Finco I LP

    • Legal: Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP (Julia Frost-Davies, Laura McCarthy)

  • First Lien Lenders: HPS Investment Partners, Ares Capital Corporation

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

  • Preptition Second Lien TL & DIP TL Agent ($160mm): US Bank NA

    • Legal: Nixon Peabody LLP (Catherine Ng)

  • Second Lien Lenders and DIP TL Lenders: GSO Capital Partners LP and Blackstone Tactical Opportunities Fund

    • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Ira Dizengoff, Philip Dublin, Brad Kahn)

  • Receivables Purchase Agreement Agent

    • Legal: Mayer Brown LLP (Brian Trust)

  • Major equityholders: Cede & Co., GSO Capital Opportunities Fund III LP, GSO CST III Holdco LP, TCP Denim LLC, Tengram Capital Partners Fund II LP, Ares Capital Corporation

⛽️New Chapter 11 Filing - Echo Energy Partners I LLC⛽️

Echo Energy Partners I LLC

March 24, 2020

Soooooo, this is an odd one. On March 24, 2020, Oklahoma City-based Echo Energy Partners I LLC, an independent oil and gas company — primarily natural gas from the Anadarko Basin — filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas. It was a bare bones filing. For well over a week, the docket sat empty with no real substantive pleadings filed or definitive information coming through about the case. Then, finally, over a week later, the company filed more actual first day motions and its First Day Declaration. Usually the automatic stay doesn’t apply to the debtors’ work but, yeah, sure, more power to them.

Anyway, now we know what’s up. And it’s not particularly original or interesting. The upshot? Apparently nobody wants to finance “gas-heavy, capital intensive, non-operated wells with longer production curves” in a $2.00 per million Btu environment let alone a now-sub-$2.00 per million Btu environment. The debtor, therefore, ran into severe liquidity constraints — a situation compounded by third-party operators like Continental Resources inc. ($CLR) initiating forced forfeitures of the debtor’s working interest in key wells.

What’s the plan now? Well, it ain’t looking good. The debtor has a $8.5mm DIP commitment from its pre-petition lender, Texas Capital Bank ($TCBI), and hopes to use the chapter 11 process to pursue a sale of its business.

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

• Capital Structure: $80mm RCF (Texas Capital Bank) & $165mm notes (HPS Investment Partners LLC)

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Bracewell LLP (William A. Wood III, Jason G Cohen)

  • Manager: John T. Young Jr.

  • Financial Advisor: Opportune LLP (Gregg Laswell)

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

New Chapter 11 Filing - Elk Petroleum Inc.

Elk Petroleum Inc.

May 22, 2019

On May 22nd 2019, Elk Petroleum Aneth, LLC and Resolute Aneth, LLC voluntarily filed petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a restructuring support agreement with their noteholders. The debtors already have a plan of reorganization on file. Per the disclosure statement, the debtors claim that the cause of its financial distress and eventual bankruptcy was due to:

Debtors’ ambitious endeavors to acquire multiple oil and gas assets outpaced the Debtors’ balance sheet, and in certain respects, performance of the operated and non-operated assets failed to meet initial expectations.

The debtors tried to alleviate uncertainty of future cash flows through hedging oil prices. Oil prices went up, however, not down, and the hedging was, with the benefit of 50/50 hindsight, clearly a bad mistake. Here is what they have to say about that:

Debtors were unable to capture the financial benefits of the improving commodity price environment due to their hedge obligations under the BP ISDA.

Whoops. The Debtors are to receive $10mm in Debtor-in-Possession financing by certain supporting noteholders. All in all, the cause of distress continues to align with the reason for other bankruptcy filings in O&G land we’ve touched on. High fixed costs, lower than expected revenues and impatient lenders.

• Jurisdiction: District of Delaware (Judge Laurie Silverstein)

• Pre-Petition Capital Structure:

  • Revolving Credit Facility: $14.5mm FO Revolver (AB Elk Holdings LLC)

  • First Lien Credit Facility: $114.0mm TL (HPS Investment Partners)

  • Unsecured Debt: $54.9mm TL (LIM Asia Special Situations Master Fund Limited, AB Elk Holdings, ACR Multi-Strategy Quality Return (MQR) Fund, A Series of Investment Management Series Trust II (“ACR”), Fulcrum Energy Capital Fund II, LLC)

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Proposed Debtors & Debtors-in-Possession - Norton Rose Fulbright LLP (Gregory M. Wilkes, Kristian W. Gluck, Scott P. Drake, John N. Schwartz & Shivani Shah) Womble Bond Dickinson LLP (Matthew P. Ward & Morgan L. Patterson)

  • Financial Advisor: Ankura Consulting Group, LLC (Scott M. Pinsonnault), Opportune LLP

  • Investment Banker: Stephens Inc.

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • HPS Investment Partners: Provider of First Lien Term Loan

  • Certain unsecured loan holders:

    • AB Co-Invest Elk Holdings LLC

  • Certain secured debt holders:

    • AB Elk Holdings LLC

    • Riverstone Credit Partners - Direct, L.P.

    • Riverstone Credit Partners II - Direct LP

    • Riverstone Strategic Credit Partners S, L.P.

    • Riverstone Strategic Credit Partners A-2 AIV, L.P.
      

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - LBI Media Inc.

LBI Media Inc.

November 21, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving y’all!! LBI Media Inc. and several affiliates FINALLY filed for bankruptcy today in the District of Delaware after years of questions about its financial health. The company is a privately held minority-owned Spanish-language broadcaster that owns or licenses 27 Spanish-language television and radio stations in the largest US markets; it services the largest media markets in the nation, including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Miami, Houston and Dallas. It is also a victim of disruption.

The company notes that it has “faced the market pressures that have broadly affected U.S. television and radio broadcasters, including the 2008 recession and the diversion of advertising spend by companies to digital media.” Insert Facebook Inc. ($FB) here. That’s not all, though, of course: the company is also hampered by “a substantial debt load and corresponding interest expense obligations” which has stunted LBI’s financial performance, ability to invest and grow, and liquidity.

To address this situation, the company obtained an investment from its now-DIP lender, HPS Investment Partners, in April 2018 for a new first lien credit facility. This provided the company with much needed liquidity and, in turn, briefly extended the company’s runway out of bankruptcy court. The “make-whole” provision attached to the facility, however, became the subject of much controversy and an ad hoc group of second lien noteholders sued in New York state court for an injunction to hinder the transaction. Ultimately, the state court denied the noteholders.

But…but…the noteholders persisted. And this, apparently, left a bitter taste in the mouth’s of company management (and its counsel). Junior Noteholders, meet bus. 🚌🚌 The company notes:

Following the closing of the transaction, LBI sought to continue its growth efforts. However, such efforts were weakened by the Junior Noteholder Group, which continued to litigate against the Company, its founder and CEO, and HPS, the Company’s sole senior lender. The Junior Noteholder Group commenced multiple lawsuits, and threatened several more, distracting management from operations. These actions and threats not only hindered the Debtors’ efforts to improve their operations, but certain actions, including seeking to enjoin the first lien financing, risked pushing LBI into a precipitous freefall bankruptcy.

When coupled with the Debtors’ tightening liquidity (which was exacerbated by the expense of the Junior Noteholder Group litigation), the Junior Noteholder Group’s actions made it substantially more difficult for LBI to achieve the growth it had hoped for, and the Company determined that a comprehensive reorganization may be necessary.

Thereafter, settlement talks with the Junior Noteholders proved unsuccessful and, now, therefore, the company marches into bankruptcy court with a Restructuring Support Agreement (“RSA”) in hand with HPS whereby, subject to a “fiduciary out,” HPS will serve as (prearranged but hardly set in stone) Plan sponsor and swap its $233mm first lien senior secured notes for a majority equity interest in the company. The Plan — which at the time of this writing isn’t on the docket yet — reportedly provides for recoveries for other “supporting” constituencies. What’s that we hear? IT’S A (DEATH) TRAP!?!

(PETITION NOTE: for the uninitiated, a “death trap plan” is an inartful term for when the Debtor proposes and the senior lenders allows a recovery to trickle down the “priority waterfall” to junior lenders but only on account of said junior lenders’ support of, or vote for, the proposed Plan. In essence, its consideration for dispensing with “holdup value.” A “fiduciary out” gives the Debtor flexibility to, despite the RSA, agree to an alternative transaction that bests the HPS transaction without penalty or the need to pay a “break-up fee.”).

The plan provides the company with 75-day period to run a marketing process. While the company will market the company to potential strategic and financial investors, it is also making overtures to the Junior Noteholders to take out HPS’ claim(s) (without needing to satisfy the make-whole) and become the Plan sponsor such that it could walk away with 100% equity in the company.

All of which is to say: don’t let the terms “RSA” and “Plan” fool you. This is far from a consensual case being presented to the Bankruptcy Court Judge wrapped up in a shiny bow. The Junior Noteholders have been fighting the company and HPS for months: there is no reason to suspect that that will stop now merely because the company is a chapter 11 debtor.

• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Lane)

• Capital Structure: $233mm 10% ‘23 senior secured notes, $262mm 11.5/13.5 ‘20 PIK toggle second priority secured notes, $27.95mm 11% ‘22 PIK unsecured Intermediate senior Holdco notes (TMI Trust Company), $8.46mm 11% ‘17 unsecured Holdco notes (U.S. Bank NA)    

• Company Professionals:

  • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Ray Schrock, Garrett Fail, David J. Cohen) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Daniel DeFranceschi)

  • Board of Directors: Jose Liberman, Lenard Liberman, Winter Horton, Rockard Delgadillo, Peter Connoy, Neal Goldman

  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal North America LLC

  • Investment Banker: Guggenheim Securities LLC

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Prepetition First Lien & DIP Lender: HPS Investment Partners LLC ($38mm)

    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Basta, Jeffrey Safferstein, Sarah Harnett) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Pauline Morgan, M. Blake Cleary)

  • First Lien Trustee: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB

    • Legal: Morrison & Foerster (Jonathan Levine) & (local) Ashby & Geddes PA (William Bowden)

  • Collateral Trustee for First Lien Notes: Credit Suisse AG

    • Legal: Locke Lorde LLP (Juliane Dziobak)

  • Ad Hoc Group of (Junior) Second Lien Noteholders

    • Legal: Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (Rachel Strickland)

  • Ad Hoc Group of Holdco Noteholders

    • Legal: Landis Rath & Cobb LLP (Matthew McGuire)

Updated 11/21/18 at 8:27 CT

New Chapter 11 Filing - Expro Holdings US Inc.

Expro Holdings US Inc.

• 12/18/17 Recap: Servicer to offshore, deepwater and other "technically challenging environments" filed a prepackaged bankruptcy to eliminate its entire $1.4b of debt (and attendant interest expense) via equity conversion in a balance sheet deleveraging transaction. Why did it file for bankruptcy? Private equity, of course. In 2008, the company turned down an acquisition offer from Halliburton in favor of a competing bid from a private equity group for $3.2b in cash, the largest LBO in the UK in 2008. Ok, so we're only half serious. Naturally, the oil and gas downturn led to a marked decline in demand for Expro's services. Psst: the PE-infused debt. The senior lenders will get the equity in the reorganized company while mezz loan holders and equity holders will get warrants. The company has lined up a $145mm DIP credit facility.
• Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas
• Capital Structure: $125mm RCF (HSBC Bank USA), $1.261b TL, $18mm Mezz Loan.      
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Brian Hermann, Alice Eaton, Sarah Harnett, Alexander Woolverton) & Jackson Walker LLP (Patricia Tomasco, Matthew Cavenaugh, Jennifer Wertz)
  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Julie Hertzberg, Jay Herriman)
  • Investment Banker: Lazard Freres & Co. 
  • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Mezzanine Facility Agreement Agent: Bank of New York Mellon
  • Credit Agreement Admin Agent: HSBC Bank USA
  • RCF Lenders
    • Legal: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
  • Ad Hoc Group of First Lien Lenders
    • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Damian Schaible, James McClammy, Christopher Robertson) & (local) Haynes and Boone LLP (Charles Beckham Jr., Kelli Norfleet, Kelsey Zottnick)
    • Financial Advisor: Rothschild Inc.
  • Ad Hoc Group of Shareholders (Goldman Sachs, HPS Investment Partners LLC, KKR, Candover/Arle, Park Square)
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP
    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Inc.

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Orchard Acquisition Company LLC (The J.G. Wentworth Company)

The J.G. Wentworth Company

• 12/12/17 Recap: What's the statute of limitations for getting tagged with the "Chapter 22" label? While this may be out of bounds thanks to the passage of time, this is not the company's first foray in bankruptcy court, having previously filed during the financial crisis in 2009. It subsequently emerged under new private equity ownership and then IPO'd in 2013. This time around, the specialty-finance company in the business of providing financing solutions ((e.g., mortgage lending (as an approved issuer with Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae), structured settlement, annuity and lottery payment purchasing, prepaid cards, and personal loans)) filed a prepackaged bankruptcy pursuant to which its lenders will be swapping debt for at least 95.5% of the new equity and some cash. Holders of partnership interests and tax-related claims will get the remaining equity (subject to dilution by the 8% of equity set aside for management allocations). The company will eliminate its $449.5mm of debt and have a $65-70mm revolving credit facility to utilize going forward. The company blames regulatory requirements and a highly competitive market that pressured rates, service levels, products, and fees for its downfall. 
• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Gross)
• Capital Structure: $449.5mm '19 first lien TL (Jefferies Finance LLC)     
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP (Elisha Graff, Kathrine McLendon, Edward Linden, Randi Lynn Veenstra, Haley Garrett, Nicholas Baker, Bryce Friedman) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Edmon Morton, Sean Beach)
  • FInancial Advisor: Ankura Consulting
  • Investment Banker: Evercore 
  • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Jefferies Finance LLC
    • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Damian Schaible, Natasha Tsiouris, Erik Jerrard) & (local) Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP (Jeremy Ryan, R. Stephen McNeill, D. Ryan Slaugh)
    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc. (formerly CDG Group LLC)
  • New RCF Commitment Party (HPS Investment Partners LLC)
    • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Matthew Barr, Kelly DiBlasi, Damian Ridealgh) & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Curtis Miller, Matthew Talmo)

Updated 12/13/17

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy & CCAA - Toys "R" Us Inc.

Toys "R" Us Inc.

• 9/19/17 Recap: So. Much. To. Unpack. Here. We've previously discussed the run-up to this massive chapter 11 bankruptcy filing here and here. Still, suffice it to say that, unlike many of the other retailers that have predictably filed for bankruptcy thus far in 2017, this one was different. This one seemingly came out of nowhere - particularly given the proximity to the holiday shopping season. Before we note what this case is, lets briefly cover what it isn't and clear the noise that is pervasive on the likes of Twitter: this is NOT "RIP" Toys "R" Us. We don't get overly sentimental usually but the papers filed with the bankruptcy court were well-written and touching: this is a store, a brand, that means a lot to a lot of people. And it's not going anywhere (the company will have its challenges to assure people that this is the case). This is a financial restructuring not a liquidation: the company simply hasn't been able to evolve while paying $400mm in annual interest expense on over $5b of private equity infused debt. Plain and simple. Yes, there are other challenges (blah blah blah, Amazon), but with that debt overhang, it appears the company hasn't been able to confront them (PETITION side note: an ill-conceived deal with Amazon 18 years ago is mind-blowing when viewed from the perspective of Amazon's long game). With this filing, the company is signaling that the time for short term band-aids to address its capital structure is over. Now, "[t]he time for change, and reinvestment in operations, has come." Decisive. Management isn't messing around anymore. With a reduction in debt, the company will be unshackled and able to focus on "general upkeep and the condition of...stores, [its] inability to provide expedited shipping options, and [its] lack of a subscription-based delivery service." Indeed, the company intends to use a $3.1b debtor-in-possession credit facility to begin investing in modernization immediately.
• Interesting Facts:
  • Toy Manufacturers: Mattel ($MAT)(approx $136mm), Hasbro ($HAB) (approx $59mm) & Lego (approx $31.5mm) are among the top general unsecured creditors of the company. Mattel and Hasbro's stock traded down quite a bit yesterday on the rampant news of this filing. Query whether any of the $325mm of requested critical vendor money will apply to these companies.
  • The Power of the Media (read: NOT "fake news"): This CNBC piece helped push the company into bankruptcy. Bankruptcy professionals were retained in July (or earlier in the case of Lazard) to pursue capital structure solutions. In August the company engaged with some of its lenders. But then "...a news story published on September 6, 2017, reporting that the Debtors were considering a chapter 11 filing, started a dangerous game of dominos: within a week of its publication, nearly 40 percent of the Company’s domestic and international product vendors refused to ship product without cash on delivery, cash in advance, or, in some cases, payment of all outstanding obligations. Further, many of the credit insurers and factoring parties that support critical Toys “R” Us vendors withdrew support. Given the Company’s historic average of 60-day trade terms, payment of cash on delivery would require the Debtors to immediately obtain a significant amount—over $1.0 billion—of new liquidity." 
  • Revenue. The company generates 40% of its annual revenue during the holiday season.
  • Footprint. The company has approximately 1,697 stores and 257 licensed stores in 38 countries, plus additional e-commerce sites in various countries. The company has been shedding burdensome above-market leases and combining its Babies and Toys shops under one roof; it intends to continue its review of its real estate portfolio. Read: there WILL be store closures.
  • Eff the Competition. Toys has some choice words for its competition embedded in its bankruptcy papers; it accuses Walmart ($WMT) and Target ($TGT)(the "big box retailers") of slashing prices on toys and using toys as a loss leader to get bodies in doors; it further notes that "retailers such as Amazon are not concerned with making a profit at this juncture, rendering their pricing model impossible to compete with..." ($AMZN). Yikes. 
  • Experiential Retail. The company intends to invest in the "shopping experience" which will include (i) interactive spaces with rooms to use for parties, (ii) live product demonstrations put on by trained employees, and (iii) the freedom for employees to remove product from boxes to let kids play with the latest toys. And...wait for it...AUGMENTED REALITY. Boom. Toysrus.ar and Toysrus.ai here we come. 
• Jurisdiction: E.D. of Virginia (Judge Phillips)
• Capital Structure: see below     
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Jamie Sprayragen, Anup Sathy, Edward Sassower, Chad Husnick, Joshua Sussberg, Robert Britton, Emily Geier) & (local) Kutak Rock LLP (Michael A. Condyles, 
    Peter J. Barrett, Jeremy S. Williams) & (Canadian counsel) Goodmans LLP
  • Legal to the Independent Board of Directors: Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal North America LLC (Jeffrey Stegenga, Jonathan Goulding, Tom Behnke, Cari Turner, Jim Grover, Arjun Lal, Doug Lewandowski, Bobby Hoernschemeyer, Scott Safron, Kara Harmon, Nick Cherry, Adam Fialkowski)
  • Investment Banker: Lazard Freres & Co., LLC (David Kurtz)
  • Real Estate Consultant: A&G Realty Partners LLC (Andrew Graiser)
  • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Communications Consultant: Joele Frank Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
• Other Parties in Interest:
• ABL/FILO DIP Admin Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
  • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Marshall Heubner, Brian Resnick, Eli Vonnegut, Veerle Roovers) & (local) Hunton & Williams LLP (Tyler Brown, Henry (Toby) Long III, Justin Paget)
• DIP Admin Agent (Toys DE Inc). NexBank SSB & Ad Hoc Group of B-4 Lenders (Angelo Gordon & Co LP; Franklin Mutual Advisors LLC, HPS Investment Partners LLC, Marathon Asset Management LP, Redwood Capital Management LLC, Roystone Capital Management LP, and Solus Alternative Asset Management LP)
  • Legal: Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz (Joshua Feltman, Emil Kleinhaus, Neil Chatani) & (local) McGuireWoods LLP (Dion Hayes, Sarah Bohm, Douglas Foley)
• Ad Hoc Group of Taj Noteholders.
  • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Brian Hermann, Samuel Lovett, Kellie Cairns) & (local) Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP (Christopher Jones, Jennifer Wuebker)
• Steering Committee of B-2 and B-3 Lenders (American Money Management, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Ellington Management Group LLC, First Trust Advisors L.P., MJX Asset Management LLC, Pacific Coast Bankers Bank, Par-Four Investment Management LLC, Sound Point Capital Management, Taconic Capital Advisors LP).
  • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Michael Messersmith, D. Tyler Nurnberg, Sarah Gryll, Rosa Evergreen)
• 12% ’21 Senior Secured Notes Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Trust, National Association.
  • Legal: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (Todd Meyers, David Posner, Gianfranco Finizio) & (local) ThompsonMcMullan PC (David Ruby, William Prince IV)
• Bank of America NA
  • • Legal: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (Paul Leake, Shana Elberg, George Howard) & (local) Troutman Sanders LLP (Jonathan Hauser)
  • Private Equity Sponsors: Bain Capital Private Equity LP, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. ($KKR), and Vornado Realty Trust ($VNO)
• Large Creditor: Mattel Inc.
  • Legal: Jones Day (Richard Wynne, Erin Brady, Aaron Gober-Sims) & (local) Michael Wilson PLC (Michael Wilson)
• Large Creditor: LEGO Systems Inc.
  • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Matthew Barr, Kelly DiBlasi) & (local) Walcott Rivers Gates (Cullen Speckhart)
• Large Creditor: American Greetings Corporation.
  • Legal: Baker & Hosteler LLP (Benjamin Irwin, Eric Goodman)
• Creditor: River Birch Capital
  • Legal: Andrews Kurth & Kenyon LLP (Paul Silverstein)
• Creditor: Owl Creek Asset Management
  • Legal: Stroock Stroock & Lavan LLP (Samantha Martin)
• TRU Trust 2016-TOYS, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2016-TOYS acting through Wells Fargo Bank NA
  • Legal: Dechert LLP (Allan Brilliant, Brian Greer, Stephen Wolpert, Humzah Soofi) & (local) Troutman Sanders LLP (Jonathan Hauser)
• Trustee: Tru Taj DIP Notes (Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB)
  • Legal: Porter Hedges LLP (Eric English) & (local) Spotts Fain PC (James Donaldson)
• Committee of Unsecured Creditors (Mattel Inc., Evenflo Company Inc., Simon Property Group, Euler Hermes North America Insurance Co., Veritiv Operating Company, Huffy Corporation, KIMCO Realty, The Bank of New York Mellon, LEGO Systems Inc.)

First Day Declaration

First Day Declaration

Updated 10/5/17 11:40 am

New Chapter 11 Filing - 21st Century Oncology Holdings Inc.

21st Century Oncology Holdings Inc.

• 5/21/17 Recap: People have been talking about an uptick in healthcare-related bankruptcies. Is this the start? Here, Florida-based cancer care provider founded in the early 80s with 179 locations (including some in South America and Latin America) finds itself in bankruptcy court after years of acquisitions (including once-bankrupt Oncure Holdings Inc.) and a perfect storm of causes - most notably, an over-levered balance sheet. Other contributing factors to the company's chapter 11 filing include (i) decreased reimbursements under current insurance programs, (ii) Medicare changes, (iii) a shift from higher revenue per treatment PPO insurance plans to HMO plans, and (iv) government regulations, penalties and settlements. Some government inquiries remain outstanding. The company has a restructuring support agreement in place, a proposed $75mm DIP credit facility, and the plan is to delever the balance sheet by up to $500mm.
• Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York
• Capital Structure: $599mm TL & $121mm RCF (Morgan Stanley Senior Funding), $35mm MDL Facility (Wilmington Savings Fund Society), $368mm 11% '23 senior unsecured notes (Wilmington Trust National Association), $19mm PIK notes    
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Christopher Marcus, William Guerrieri, John Weber, Alexandra Schwarzman, Mark McKane, Michael Esser)
  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Paul Rundell)
  • Investment Banker: Millco Advisors LP (Brendan Hayes)
  • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Prepetition MDL Agent: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB
    • Legal: Pryor Cashman LLP (Seth Lieberman, Patrick Sibley, Matthew Silverman)
  • First Lien Ad Hoc Committee and DIP Lenders (Apex Credit Partners LLC, Black Diamond Capital Management LLC, BlueMountain CLO Management LLC, Carlson Capital LP, Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, GMO Credit Opportunities Fund LP, Goldman Sachs Asset Management LP, HPS Investment Partners LLC, IA Clarington Investments Inc., Intermarket Corporation, Key Bank National Association, MJX Asset Management LLC, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding Inc., Och-Ziff Capital Investments LLC, Q Investments LP, Silver Rock Financial LP, Wazee Street Capital Management LLC, Wells Fargo NA)
    • Legal: Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP (Dennis Dunne, Evan Fleck, Matthew Brod)
    • Financial Advisor: PJT Partners LP
  • Ad Hoc Group of Crossholder Lenders
    • Legal: Stroock Stroock & Lavan LLP  (Frank Merola, Jayme Goldstein, Matthew Schwartz, Samantha Martin)
    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Capital Inc.
  • Major Equity Holders (Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Vestar Capital Partners V LP)
    • Legal for CPPIB: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (Mi Chi To)
  • DIP Administrative Agent: Morgan Stanley Senior Funding
    • Legal: Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (Joel Levitin, Richard Stieglitz Jr.)
  • Patient Care Ombudsman
    • Legal: Otterbourg PC (Melanie Cyganowski, Keith Costa, Jennifer Feeney)
  • Backstop Parties: Beach Point Capital Management LP, Governors Lane LP, JPMorgan Investment Management Inc., Oaktree Capital Management LP, Roystone Capital Management LP, HPS Investment Partners LLC
  • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
    • Legal: Morrison & Foerster LLP (Lorenzo Marinuzzi, Jonathan Levine, Daniel Harris, Benjamin Butterfield)

Updated 7/11/17

New Chapter 15 Filing - Mood Media Corporation

Mood Media Corporation

• 5/22/17 Recap: Publicly-traded (on the Canadian exchange) provider of sound, sight, and scent solutions for retail, restaurant and hospitality companies has filed for CBCA and Chapter 15 to effectuate a deleveraging transaction. The transaction in brief: noteholders are swapping their 9.25% notes for $500mm new second lien notes and common stock in the reorganized company (subject to upsize via rights offering participation). Equity will get 17 cents on the dollar. The company will also install a $315mm first lien facility. So, it sounds like the company will still have a f*ck-ton of debt on it. But we're just thankful that the company that brags that "We Put People in the Mood to Buy" will still be providing customers of Qdoba, McDonald's & Ikea, to name a few, with the full sensory experience that inspires needless consumerism of unhealthy and/or bad quality food and wares. Those annoying text message offers you might randomly get? Yeah, it's possible that's from Mood Media. Remember muzak? Yeah, that's also Mood Media. Muzak filed for bankruptcy back in February '09 (with Kirkland & Ellis as counsel then too) and emerged a year later with Silver Point Capital Management as the majority owner. Mood Media then bought Muzak for $345mm in March 2011. Pursuant to this transaction, Apollo Global Management LP and GSO Capital Partners will own this sucker.
• Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York
• Capital Structure: $250mm first lien term loan (Credit Suisse AG), $350mm '20 9.25% senior unsecured notes (Bank of New York Mellon), $50mm '23 10% senior unsecured MMGSA notes (Computershare Trust Company NA)(subsidiary level)    
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Edward Sassower, Joshua Sussberg, Adam Paul, Bradley Giordano, Whitney Fogelberg) & (Canadian counsel) Stikeman Elliott LLP (Alexander Rose)
  • Financial Advisor: Allen & Company LLC
  • Investment Banker: Origin Merchant Partners
  • Claims Agent: JND Legal Administration (*click on company name above for free docket access)
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • MMGSA noteholders: GSO Capital Partners LP, Apollo Global Management LLC
    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Robert Agar) & (Canadian counsel) Goodmans LLP (Brendan O'Neill)
    • Financial Advisor: Credit Suisse
  • New Lender: HPS Investment Partners LLC
  • The Bank of New York Mellon & BNY Trust Company of Canada
    • Legal: Emmet Marvin & Martin LLP (Edward Zujkowski, Thomas Pitta)

Updated 7/11/17

New Chapter 11 Filing - Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

• 3/29/17 Recap: File this under the most heavily leaked/discussed bankruptcy filing of all time: the Japanese government seemed to make an announcement about the proposed filing every hour. So...Pennsylvania-based nuclear power company filed for bankruptcy (30 debtors in total) after its parent, Toshiba, took a uuuuuuuuuge $6b+ write-down due to delayed and above-budget construction of plants in Georgia and South Carolina. The company secured a $800mm commitment for a DIP facility to fund the cases after a competitive DIP process with powerhouses like Goldman Sachs, Highbridge and Silver Point duking it out with Apollo. We've already covered this company a lot in previous weeks so suffice it to say that the upshot of this filing is that it will lead many to question the viability of nuclear as an alternative power source.
• Jurisdiction: SD of New York 
• Company Professionals:
  • Primary Legal: Weil (Gary Holtzer, Garrett Fail, Robert Lemons, David Griffiths, Charles Persons, David Cohen)
  • Legal for Toshiba Nuclear Energy Holdings (UK) Limited: Togut Segal & Segal LLP (Albert Togut, Brian Moore, Kyle Ortiz)
  • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLC (Lisa Donahue)
  • Investment Banker: PJT Partners Inc. (Timothy Coleman, John Singh, Mark Buschmann, Harold Kim)
  • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name for docket)
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Toshiba Corporation
    • Legal: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (Van Durrer, Paul Leake, Annie Li) 
  • Prepetition Agent:
    • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (Zulfiqar Bokhari) 
  • Proposed DIP Lenders: Apollo Investment Corporation, AP WEC Debt Holdings LLC, Midcap Financial Trust, Amundi Absolute Return Apollo Fund PLC, Ivy Apollo Strategic Income Fund, Ivy Apollo Multi Asset Income Fund
    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkand Wharton & Garrison LLP (Jeffrey Saferstein, Claudia Tobler, Kevin O'Neill) 
  • Proposed DIP Agent: Citibank NA
    • Legal: Shearman & Sterling LLP (Fredric Sosnick, Ned Schodek) 
  • Competing (but losing) DIP Providers: Goldman Sachs Bank USA, HPS Investment Partners LLC, Silver Point Finance LLC
  • Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and City of Dalton Georgia
    • Legal: Jones Day (Gregory Gordon, Dan Prieto, Amanda Rush, Anna Kordas, Jeffrey Ellman)
  • Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia
    • Legal: Alston & Bird LLP (Dennis Connolly)
  • South Carolina Electric & Gas Company and South Carolina Public Service Authority
    • Legal: Reed Smith LLP (Paul Singer, Derek Baker, Tarek Abdalla)
  • Oglethorpe Power Corporation (An Electric Membership Corporation)
    • Legal: Dechert LLP (Michael Sage, Stephen Wolpert) & Parker Hudson Rainer & Dobbs LLP (C. Edward Dobbs)
  • Exelon Generation Company LLC
    • Legal: Ballard Spahr LLP (Matthew Summers)
  • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
    • Legal: Proskauer Rose LLP (Martin Bienenstock, Timothy Karcher, Vincent Indelicato)
    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC

Updated 5/31/17