⛽️New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Rosehill Resources Inc. ($ROSE)⛽️

Rosehill Resources Inc. ($ROSE)

July 27, 2020

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Rosehill Resources Inc. ($ROSE), a Texas-based independent E&P company focused, via a fellow-debtor operating company, Rosehill Operating Company LLC (“ROC”), on the Permian Basin (and, more specifically, the Delaware Basin), filed for bankruptcy because of the usual suspects that literally every oil and gas company blames. Seriously, it’s like everyone is just copying and pasting Arya Stark’s hitlist at this point: “Vladimir Putin, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, COVID-19, the competition, too much debt, etc. etc.” Never mind: we’ll stop ourselves. We’ve all heard this before. Many. MANY. Times.

Speaking of the debt, here is what the capital structure looks like and this is what will happen to it pursuant to the prepackaged plan of reorganization that’s already on file:

©️PETITION LLC

That should be pretty self-explanatory but there are a few things to highlight:

• The $235mm exit RBL actually represents a decreased borrowing base. The original RCF had a maximum commitment of $500mm with a most recent borrowing base of $340mm. That borrowing base amount created a deficiency/liability the company struggled — when coupled with service obligations related to the RCF, secured notes and preferred stock — to make.

• The DIP will run at 8% PIK which is better than the 10% cash pay under the secured notes.

In terms of operations, Rosehill operates or owns working interests in 133 oil and gas wells of which 128 are producing or are capable of production. And here’s what that production looks like:

Is that interesting? Not particularly. We include only to demonstrate that we’re not the only ones who are capable of highly unfortunate and irritating typographical errors. More interesting is the fact that Rosehill earned $302.3mm in revenue in ‘19 against $239mm of operating expense. Revenue was basically flat from ‘18 whereas the company’s operating expense increased. On the plus side, the company had some favorable hedge agreements in place which, upon monetization, resulted in $87.6mm in proceeds that the company ultimately used to paydown its RCF immediately prior to the filing. Actually, who are we kidding? That’s not particularly interesting either.

Given how boring this bankruptcy is, the last thing we’ll mention — again because we and the entire world of finance seems to be obsessed with the topic — is that the company emanated out of … wait for it … wait for it … a SPAC!! While the company was originally incorporated in 2015 as a SPAC under the name KLR Energy Acquisition Corporation — sponsored by the KLR Group’s Edward Kovalik, Stephen Lee and Reid Rubinstein — the business corporation that ultimately became Rosehill Resources Inc. occurred in April 2017.

The rest, as they say, is now history. Perhaps we should start taking a running tally: new SPAC IPOs vs. old SPACs that have now filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy!

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

• Capital Structure: $226.5mm RCF, $106.1mm second lien secured notes,

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (David Feldman, Matthew Kelsey, Dylan Cassidy, Hillary Holmes, Shalla Prichard, Michael Neumeister, Ashtyn Hemendinger) & Haynes and Boone LLP (Kelli Norfleet, Arsalan Muhammad)

  • Financial Advisor: Opportune LLP

  • Investment Banker: Jefferies Group LLC (Jeffrey Finger)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Admin Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: White & Case LLP (Mark Holmes) & Bracewell LLP (Jason Cohen)

  • Admin Agent to the Secured Note Purchase Agreement: US Bank NA

    • Legal: Shipman & Goodwin LLP (Kimberly Cohen, Robert Borden)

  • Second Lien Noteholders & Series B Preferred Stockholderes & Majority DIP Lenders: EIG Management Company LLC

    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Chad Husnick, Christopher Koenig, Mary Kogut Brawley) & Zack A. Clement PLLC (Zach Clement)

  • Tax Receivable Claimant & Preferred and Common Stockholder: Tema Oil & Gas Company

    • Legal: McDermott Will & Emery LLP (James Kapp III, Brandon White, Nathan Coco, Fred Levenson, Michael Boykins)
      
      
      

👰🏾New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Occasion Brands LLC 👰🏾

Occasion Brands LLC

July 22, 2020

Occasion Brands LLC is owner and operator of three e-commerce properties that hock dresses for proms, homecomings, weddings, and other special occasions; it owns promgirl.com, simplydresses.com, and KleinfeldBridalParty.com. The company is owned by a lower middle market private equity shop called Milestone Partners. Thanks primarily to promgirl.com, the business generated gross revenue over $50mm in both ‘18 and ‘19.

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

• Capital Structure: $1.5mm of secured indebtedness via promissory notes (Milestone Partners), $2.5mm Allure promissory note, $1.325mm PPP (JPMorgan Chase Bank NA)

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Sills Cummis & Gross PC (S. Jason Teele, Daniel Harris)

  • Financial Advisor: Insight Partners LLC (Robert Nolan)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Briggs & Stratton Corporation ($BGG)

Briggs & Stratton Corporation

July 20, 2020

You may not know of Briggs & Stratton Corporation ($BGG) but it’s likely that you’ve used one of its products. Its small gasoline engines are used in outdoor power equipment like lawn mowers, and it designs, manufactures and markets power generation, pressure washer, lawn and garden, turf care and job site products. Its engines even power go-karts! It offers a variety of different brands and its products are in 100 countries around the world.

The company has a rich history. In Wisconsin circa 1908, inventor Stephen Briggs and investor Harold Stratton co-founded what, two years later, would be an auto and auto parts manufacturer incorporated as Briggs & Stratton. The two men added small gasoline engines to their product suite, powering early washing machines and reel mowers. The company went public in 1928. For decades thereafter, the business ventured into agricultural and military applications (producing generators for the WWII effort), ultimately revolutionizing the first lightweight aluminum engine in 1953. The post-War suburbian boom helped fuel the company’s growth in the 50s and 60s. Lots of lawns to mow! The company has iterated a lot since then: it no longer produces auto components, for instance. The core business is currently focused around two segments: engines (primarily sold to OEMs of lawn and garden equipment) and products (i.e., outdoor power equipment, job site products, etc.).

Unfortunately, a rich history doesn’t insulate companies from distress — a lesson that many long-standing companies have learned lately as the bankruptcy bin fills to the brim with companies with 100+ year histories (see, also, BJ Services LLC, Brooks Brothers Group, RTW Retailwinds, Congoleum Corporation). Alas, the company and four affiliates (the “debtors”) also could not avoid chapter 11, filing early Monday in the Eastern District of Missouri, and citing (i) cautious ordering patterns from channel partners, (ii) weather, (iii) Sears’ demise and bankruptcy (bankruptcy dominos!!), (iv) consumer preference shifts, and (v) China, for its troubles. With approximately $200mm of notes maturing at year end (Dec) and a springing maturity of 9/15/20 if the notes are still outstanding by then, the debtors, to top things off, faced real challenges related to the balance sheet.

Because of all of the aforementioned factors, the debtors implemented a “strategic repositioning plan” that included shutting plants, laying off workers, suspending employee benefits (including underfunded and unfunded pensions), lowering capital and discretionary spending, eliminating a shareholder dividend and suspending a share repurchase program. COVID-19, as we’ve seen over and over again, got in the way of these efforts. “The preliminary estimate of the sales decline caused by the pandemic for the fiscal fourth quarter was $157 million and for the fiscal year was $197 million.” 😬

The good news is that the debtors have a buyer in the wings. Bucephalus Buyer LLC, a dramatically-named affiliate of KPS Capital Partners LP entered into a stalking horse purchase agreement with the debtors pursuant to which it would buy the debtors’ assets and equity interests in non-debtor subsidiaries for $550m in cash plus the assumption of certain liabilities. To fund this process (and take out the ABL in full), the debtors obtained (i) a commitment from prepetition ABL lender, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, for a $412.5mm DIP ABL (L+3.5%), (ii) a commitment from KPS for a $265mm DIP Term Loan facility (L+7%) and (iii) consent to use the ABL lenders’ cash collateral. The DIP agreement mandates that a qualified sale order be entered by the bankruptcy court no later than September 24, 2020 (subject to caveats that would push the date out to December 31, 2020).

• Jurisdiction: E.D. of Missouri (Judge Schermer)

• Capital Structure: $260.4mm North American ABL, $53mm LOCs, $12.4mm Swiss ABL (JP Morgan Chase Bank NA), 202.7mm unsecured notes (Wilmington Trust NA)

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Gary Holtzer, Ronit Berkovich, Debora Hoehne, Martha Martir, Andrew Citron, Edward Soto, Janiel Jodi-Ann Myers, Lauren Alexander, Corey Berman) & Carmody MacDonald PC (Robert Eggmann, Christopher Lawhorn, Danielle Suberi, Thomas Riske, Lindsay Leible Combs, Angela Drumm)

  • Financial Advisor: EY (Jeffrey Ficks)

  • Investment Banker: Houlihan Lokey Capital Inc. (Reid Snellenbarger, Jeffrey Lewis)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Prepetition & DIP Agent ($677.5mm): JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (Peter Knight, Jonathan Gordon)

  • Stalking Horse Purchaser ($550mm): Bucephalus Buyer, LLC (KPS Capital Partners LP)

    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Chad Husnick, Gregory Pesce, Claire Stephens, Guy Macarol) & Armstrong Teasdale LLP (Richard Engel)

  • Ad Hoc Group of Noteholders

    • Legal: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP

    • Financial Advisor: Imperial Capital LLC

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - J.C. Penney Company Inc. ($JCP)

J.C. Penney Company Inc.

May 15, 2020

Let’s be clear about something right off the bat. Encino Man, Captain America and Austin Powers could all suddenly surface from being entombed in ice for decades and even THEY wouldn’t be surprised that Texas-based J.C. Penney Company Inc. (and 17 affiliates, the “debtors”) filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

There are a couple of ways to look at this one.

First, there’s the debtors’ way. Not one to squander a solid opportunity, the debtors dive under “COVID Cover”:

“Before the pandemic, the Company had a substantial liquidity cushion, was improving its operations, and was proactively engaging with creditors to deleverage its capital structure and extend its debt maturities to build a healthier balance sheet. Unfortunately, that progress was wiped out with the onset of COVID-19. And now, the Company is unable to maintain its upward trajectory through its “Plan for Renewal.” Moreover, following the temporary shutdown of its 846 brick-and-mortar stores, the Company is unable to responsibly pay the upcoming debt service on its over-burdened capital structure.”

The debtors note that since Jill Soltau became CEO on October 2, 2018, the debtors have been off to the races with their “Plan for Renewal” strategy. This strategy was focused on getting back to JCP’s fundamentals. It emphasized (a) offering compelling merchandise, (b) delivering an engaging experience, (c) driving traffic online and to stores (including providing buy online, pickup in store or curbside pickup — the latest in retail technology that literally everyone is doing), (d) fueling growth, and (e) developing a results-minded culture. The debtors are quick to point out that all of this smoky verbiage is leading to “meaningful progress” — something they define as “…having just achieved comparable store sales improvement in six of eight merchandise divisions in the second half of 2019 over the first half, and successfully meeting or exceeding guidance on all key financial objectives for the 2019 fiscal year.” The debtors further highlight:

The five financial objectives were: (a) Comparable stores sales were expected to be down between 7-8% (stores sales were down 7.7%); (b) adjusted comparable store sales, which excludes the impact of the Company’s exit from major appliances and in-store furniture categories were expected to be down in a range of 5-6% (adjusted comparable store sales down 5.6%); (c) cost of goods sold, as a rate of net sales was expected to decrease 150-200 basis points (decreased approximately 210 basis points over prior year, which resulted in improved gross margin); (d) adjusted EBITDA was $583 million (a 2.6% improvement over prior year); and (e) free cash flow for fiscal year 2019 was $145 million, beating the target of positive.

Not exactly the highest bar in certain respects but, sure, progress nonetheless we suppose. The debtors point out, on multiple occasions, that prior to COVID-19, its “…projections showed sufficient liquidity to maintain operations without any restructuring transaction.” Maintain being the operative word. Everyone knows the company is in the midst of a slow death.

To prolong life, the focus has been on and remains on high-margin goods (which explains the company getting out of low-margin furniture and appliances and a renewed focus on private label), reducing inventory, and developing a new look for JCP’s stores which, interestingly, appears to focus on the “experiential” element that everyone has ballyhooed over the last several years which is now, in a COVID world, somewhat tenuous.

Which gets us to the way the market has looked at this. The numbers paint an ugly picture. Total revenues went from $12.87b in fiscal year ‘18 to $12b in ‘19. Gross margin also declined from 36% to 34%. In the LTM as of 2/1/20 (pre-COVID), revenue was looking like $11.1b. Curious. But, yeah, sure COGs decreased as has SG&A. People still aren’t walking through the doors and buying sh*t though. A fact reflected by the stock price which has done nothing aside from slowly slide downward since new management onboarded:

All of this performance has also obviously called into question the debtors’ ability to grow into its capital structure:

Here’s a more detailed look at the breakdown of unsecured funded debt:

And yet, prior to COVID, the debt stack has more or less held up. Here is the chart for JCP’s ‘23 5.875% $500mm senior secured first lien notes from the date of new management’s start to today:

Here is the chart for JCP’s ‘25 8.624% $400mm second lien notes from the date of new management’s start to today:

And here is our absolute favorite: JCP’s ‘97 7.625% $500mm senior unsecured notes:

The fact that these notes were in the 20s mere months ago is mind-boggling.

We talk a lot about how bankruptcy filings are a way to tell a story. And, here, the debtors, while not trying to hide their stretched balance sheet nor the pains of brick-and-mortar department stores with a 846-store footprint, are certainly trying to spin a positive story about management and the new strategic direction — all while highlighting that there are pockets of value here. For instance, of those 846 stores, 387 of them are owned, including 110 operating on ground leases. The private brand portfolio — acquired over decades — represents 46% of total merchandise sales. The debtors also own six of their 11 distribution centers and warehouses.

With that in mind, prior to COVID, management and their advisors were trying to be proactive about the balance sheet — primarily the term loans and first lien secured notes maturing in 2023. In Q3 ‘19, the debtors engaged with their first lien noteholders, term lenders and second lien noteholders on proposals that would, among other things, address those maturities, promote liquidity, and reduce interest expense. According to the debtors, they came close. A distressed investor was poised to purchase more than $750mm of the term loans and, in connection with a new $360mm FILO facility, launch the first step of a broader process that would have kicked maturities out a few years. In exchange, the debtors would lien up unencumbered collateral (real estate). Enter COVID. The deal went up in smoke.

There’s a new “deal” in its stead. A restructuring support agreement filed along with the bankruptcy papers contemplates a new post-reorg operating company (“New JCP”) and a new REIT which will issue new common stock and new interests, respectively. Beyond that, not much is clear from the filing: the term sheet has a ton of blanks in it:

There’s clearly a lot of work to do here. There’s also the “Market Test” element which entails, among other things, running new financing processes, pursuing potential sale/leaseback transactions, and pursuing a sale of the all or part of the debtors’ assets. If the debtors don’t have a business plan by July 14 and binding commitments for third-party financing by August 15, the debtors are required to immediately cease pursuing a plan and must instead pursue a 363 of all of their assets. Said another way, if the economy continues to decline, consumer spending doesn’t recover, and credit markets tighten up, there’s a very good chance that JCP could liquidate. Remember: retail sales sunk to a record low in April. Is that peak pain? Or will things get worse as the unemployment rate takes root? Will people shop at JC Penney if they even shop at all? There are numerous challenges here.

The debtors will use cash collateral for now and later seek approval of a $900mm DIP credit facility of which $450mm will be new money (L+11.75% continues the trend of expensive retail DIPs). It matures in 180 days, giving the debtors 6 months to get this all done.

*****

A few more notes as there are definitely clear winners and losers here.

Let’s start with the losers:

1. The Malls. It’s one thing when one department store files for bankruptcy and sheds stores. It’s an entirely different story when several of them go bankrupt at the same time and shed stores. This is going to be a bloodbath. Already, the debtors have a motion on file seeking to reject 20 leases.

2. Nike Inc. ($NKE) & Adidas ($ADDYY). Perhaps they’re covered by 503(b)(9) status or maybe they can slickster their way into critical vendor status (all for which the debtors seek $15.1mm on an interim basis and $49.6mm on a final basis). Regardless, showing up among the top creditors in both the Stage Stores Inc. bankruptcy and now the J.C. Penney bankruptcy makes for a horrible week.

3. The Geniuses Who Invested in JCP Debt that Matures in 2097. As CNBC’s Michael Santoli noted, “This JC Penney issue fell only 77 years short of maturing money-good.”

4. Bill Ackman & Ron Johnson. This.

And here are the winners:

1. The New York Times. Imperfect as it may be, their digitalization efforts allow us all to read and marvel about the life of James Cash Penney, a name that so befitting of a Quentin Tarantino movie that you can easily imagine JC chillin with Jack Dalton on some crazy Hollywood adventure. We read it with sadness as he boasts of the Golden Rule and profit-sharing. Profits alone would be nice, let alone sharing.

2. Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Seriously. These guys are smoking it and have just OWNED retail. In the past eight days alone the firm has filed Stage Stores Inc., Neiman Marcus Group LTD LLC and now JCP. It’s a department store hat trick. Zoom out from retail and add in Ultra Petroleum Corp. and Intelsat SA and these folks are lucky they’re working from home. They can’t afford to waste any billable minutes on a commute at this point.

3. Management. They’re getting what they paid for AND, consequently, they’re getting paid. No doubt Kirkland marched in there months ago and pitched/promised management that they’d secure lucrative pay packages for them if hired and … BOOM! $7.5mm to four members of management!

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

• Capital Structure: See above.

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Joshua Sussberg, Christopher Marcus, Aparna Yenamandra, Rebecca Blake Chaikin, Allyson Smith Weinhouse, Jake William Gordon) & Jackson Walker LLP (Matthew Cavenaugh, Jennifer Wertz, Kristhy Peguero, Veronica Polnick)

  • OpCo (JC Penney Corporation Inc.) Independent Directors: Alan Carr, Steven Panagos

    • Legal: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (Steven Reisman)

  • PropCo (JCP Real Estate Holdings LLC & JC Penney Properties LLC) Independent Directors: William Transier, Heather Summerfield

    • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP

  • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP (James Mesterharm, Deb Reiger-Paganis)

  • Investment Banker: Lazard Freres & Co. LLC (David Kurtz, Christian Tempke, Michael Weitz)

  • Store Closing Consultant: Gordon Brothers Retail Partners LLC

  • Real Estate Consultants: B. Riley Real Estate LLC & Cushman & Wakefield US Inc.

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • DIP Agent: GLAS USA LLC

    • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer

  • RCF Agent: Wells Fargo Bank NA

    • Legal: Otterbourg PC & Bracewell LLP (William Wood)

    • Financial Advisor: M-III Partners (Mo Meghli)

  • TL Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

  • Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Trust NA

  • Ad Hoc Group of Certain Term Loan Lenders & First Lien Noteholders & DIP Lenders (H/2 Capital Partners, Ares Capital Management, Silver Point Capital, KKR, Whitebox Advisors, Sculptor Capital Management, Brigade Capital Management, Apollo, Owl Creek Asset Management LP, Sixth Street Partners)

    • Legal: Milbank LLP (Dennis Dunne, Andrew Leblanc, Thomas Kreller, Brian Kinney) & Porter Hedges LLP

    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey (Saul Burian)

  • Second Lien Noteholders (GoldenTree Asset Management, Carlson, Contrarian Capital Management LLC, Littlejohn & Co.)

    • Legal: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP (Kris Hansen) & Haynes and Boone LLP (Kelli Norfleet, Charles Beckham)

    • Financial Advisor: Evercore Group LLC (Roopesh Shah)

  • Large equityholder: BlackRock Inc. (13.85%)

📺 New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Frontier Communications Inc. ($FTR) 📺

Frontier Communications Inc.

April 14, 2020

We often highlight how, particularly in the case of oil and gas companies, capital intensive companies end up with a lot of debt and a lot of debt often results in bankruptcy. In the upstream oil and gas space, exploration and production companies need a lot of upfront capital to, among other things, enter into royalty interest agreements with land owners, hire people to map wells, hire people to drill the earth, secure proper equipment, procure the relevant inputs and more. E&P companies literally have to shell out to pull out.

Similarly, telecommunications companies that want to cover a lot of ground require a lot of capital to do so. From 2010 through 2016, Connecticut-based Frontier Communications Inc. ($FTR) closed a series of transactions to expand from a provider of telephone and DSL internet services in mainly rural areas to a large telecommunications provider to both rural and urban markets across 29 states. It took billions of dollars in acquisitions to achieve this. Which, in turn, meant the company took on billions of dollars of debt to finance said acquisitions. $17.5b, to be exact. Due, in large part, to the weight of that heavy debt load, it, and its 28922932892 affiliates (collectively, the “debtors”), are now chapter 11 debtors in the Southern District of New York (White Plains).*

The debtors underwrote the transactions with the expectation that synergistic efficiencies would be borne out and flow to the bottom line. PETITION readers know how we feel about synergies: more often than not, they prove elusive. Well:

Serving the new territories proved more difficult and expensive than the Company anticipated, and integration issues made it more difficult to retain customers. Simultaneously, the Company faced industry headwinds stemming from fierce competition in the telecommunications sector, shifting consumer preferences, and accelerating bandwidth and performance demands, all redefining what infrastructure telecommunications companies need to compete in the industry. These conditions have contributed to the unsustainability of the Company’s outstanding funded debt obligations—which total approximately $17.5 billion as of the Petition Date.

Shocker. Transactions that were meant to be accretive to the overall enterprise ended up — in conjunction with disruptive trends and intense competition — resulting in an astronomical amount of value destruction.

As a result of these macro challenges and integration issues, Frontier has not been able to fully realize the economies of scale expected from the Growth Transactions, as evidenced by a loss of approximately 1.3 million customers, from a high of 5.4 million after the CTF Transaction closed in 2016 to approximately 4.1 million as of January 2020. Frontier’s share price has dropped … reflecting a $8.4 billion decrease in market capitalization.

😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬

Consequently, the debtors have been in a state of liability management ever since the end of 2018. Subsequently, they (i) issued new secured notes to refinance a near(er)-term term loan maturity, (ii) amended and extended their revolving credit facility, and (iii) agreed to sell their northwest operations and related assets for $1.352b (the “Pacific Northwest Transaction”). The Pacific Northwest Transaction has since been hurdling through the regulatory approval process and seems poised to close on April 30, 2020.**

While all of these machinations were positive steps, there were still major issues to deal with. The capital structure remained robust. And “up-tier” exchanges of junior debt into more senior debt to push out near-term maturities were, post-Windstream***, deemed too complex, too short-term, and too likely to end up the subject of fierce (and costly) litigation**** As the debtors’ issued third quarter financials that were … well … not good, they announced a full drawn down of their revolver, instantly arming them with hundreds of millions of dollars of liquidity.

$FTR with the clean sweep - Revs, margins, ebitda, FCF, churn, subs, ARPC all worse sequentially. https://t.co/vn49m5PDPP

— JV (@AyyouEm) November 5, 2019

The company needed reconstructive surgery. Band-aids alone wouldn’t be enough to dam the tide. In many respects, the company ought to be commended for opting to address the problem in a wholesale way rather than piecemeal kick, kick, and kick the can down the road — achieving nothing but short-term fixes to the enrichment of really nobody other than its bankers (and Aurelius).

And so now the company is at the restructuring support agreement stage. Seventy-five percent of the holders of unsecured notes have agreed to an equitization transaction — constituting an impaired consenting class for a plan of reorganization to be put on file within 30 days. Said another way, the debtors are taking the position that the value breaks within the unsecured debt. That is, that the value is at least $6.6b making the $10.949b of senior unsecured notes the “fulcrum security.” Unsecured noteholders reportedly include Elliott Management Corp., Apollo Global Management LLC, Franklin Resources Inc., and Capital Group Cos. They would end up the owners of the reorganized company.

What else is the RSA about?

• Secured debt will be repaid in full on the effective date;

• A proposed DIP (more on this below) would roll into an exit facility;

• The unsecured noteholders would, in addition to receiving equity, get $750mm of seniority-TBD take-back paper and $150mm of cash (and board seats);

• General unsecured creditors would ride through and be paid in full; and

• Holders of secured and unsecured subsidiary debt will be reinstated or paid in full.

The debtors also obtained a fully-committed new money DIP of $460mm from Goldman Sachs Bank USA. This has proven controversial. Though the DIP motion was not up for hearing along with other first day relief late last week, the subject proved contentious. The Ad Hoc First Lien Committee objected to the DIP. Coming in hot, they wrote:

Beneath the thin veneer in which these so-called “pre-arranged” cases are packaged, lies multiple infirmities that, if not properly addressed by the Debtors, will ultimately result in the unraveling of these cases. While the Debtors seek to shroud themselves in a restructuring support agreement (the “RSA”) that enjoys broad unsecured creditor support, the truth is that underlying that support is a fragile house of cards that will not withstand scrutiny as these cases unfold. Turning the bankruptcy code on its head, the Debtors attempt through their RSA to pay unsecured bondholders cash as a proxy for their missed prepetition interest payment, postpetition interest to yet other unsecured creditors of various subsidiaries, and complete repayment to prepetition revolver lenders that are attempting, through the proposed debtor-inpossession financing (the “DIP Loan”), to effectively “roll-up” their prepetition exposure through the DIP Loan, all while the Debtors attempt to deprive their first lien secured creditors of contractual entitlements to default interest and pro rata payments they will otherwise be entitled to if their debt is to be unimpaired, as the RSA purports to require. While those are fights for another day, their significance in these cases must not be overlooked.

Whoa. That’s a lot. What does it boil down to? “F*ck you, pay me.” The first lien lenders are pissed that everyone under the sun is getting taken care of in the RSA except them.

• You want to deny us our default interest. F+ck you, pay me.

• You want a DIP despite having hundreds of millions of cash on hand and $1.3b of sale proceeds coming in? F+ck you, pay me.

• You want a 2-for-1 roll-up where, “as a condition to raising $460 million in debtor-in-possession financing, the Debtors must turn around and repay $850 million to their prepetition revolving lenders, thus decreasing the Debtors’ overall liquidity on a net basis”? F+ck you, pay me.

• You shirking our pro rata payments we’d otherwise be entitled to if our debt is to be unimpaired? F+ck you, pay me.

• You want to pay unsecured senior noteholders “incremental payments” of excess cash to compensate them for skipped interest payments without paying us default interest and pro rata payments? F+ck you, pay me.

• You want to use sale proceeds to pay down unsecureds when that’s ours under the first lien docs? F+ck you, pay me.

• You want to pay interest on the sub debt without giving us default interest? F+ck you, pay me.

• You want to do all of this without a proper adequate protection package for us? F+ck you, pay me.

The second lien debtholders chimed in, voicing similar concerns about the propriety of the adequate protection package. For the uninitiated, adequate protection often includes replacement liens on existing collateral, super-priority claims emanating out of those liens, payment of professional fees, and interest. In this case, both the first and second liens assert that default interest — typically several bps higher — ought to be included as adequate protection. The issue, however, was not up for hearing on the first day so all of this is a preview of potential fireworks to come if an agreement isn’t hashed out in coming weeks.

The debtors hope to have a confirmation order within four months with the effective date within twelve months (the delay attributable to certain regulatory approvals). We wish them luck.

______

*Commercial real estate is getting battered all over the place but not 50 Main Street, Suite 1000 in White Plains New York. Apparently Frontier Communications has an office there too. Who knew there was a speciality business in co-working for bankrupt companies? In one place, you’ve got FULLBEAUTY Brands Inc. and Internap Inc. AND Frontier Communications. We previously wrote about this convenient phenomenon here.

**The company seeks an expedited hearing in bankruptcy court seeking approval of it. It is scheduled for this week.

***Here is a Bloomberg video from June 2019 previously posted in PETITION wherein Jason Mudrick of Mudrick Capital Management discusses the effect Windstream had on Frontier and predicted Frontier would be in bankruptcy by the end of the year. He got that wrong. But did it matter to him? He also notes a CDS-based short-position that would pay out if Frontier filed for bankruptcy within 12 months. For CDS purposes, looks like he got that right. By the way, per Moody’s, here was the spread on the CDS around the time that Mudrick acknowledged his CDS position:

Here it was a few months later:

And, for the sake of comparison, here was the spread on the CDS just prior to the bankruptcy filing last week:

Clearly the market was keenly aware (who wasn’t given the missed interest payment?) that a bankruptcy filing was imminent: insurance on FTR got meaningfully more expensive. Other companies with really expensive CDS these days? Neiman Marcus Group (which, Reuters reports, may be filing as soon as this week), J.C. Penney Corporation Inc., and Chesapeake Energy Corporation.

****Notably, Aurelius Capital Management LP pushed for an exchange of its unsecured position into secured notes higher in the capital structure — a proposal that would achieve the triple-frontier-heist-like-whammy of better positioning their debt, protecting the CDS they sold by delaying bankruptcy, and screwing over junior debtholders like Elliott (PETITION Note: we really just wanted to squeeze in a reference to the abominably-bad NFLX movie starring Ben Affleck, an unfortunate shelter-in indulge). On the flip side, funds such as Discovery Capital Management LLC and GoldenTree Asset Management LP pushed the company to file for bankruptcy rather than engage in Aurelius’ proposed exchange.

---

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

• Capital Structure: $850mm RCF, $1.7b first lien TL (JP Morgan Chase Bank NA), $1.7b first lien notes (Wilmington Trust NA), $1.6b second lien notes (Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB), $10.95mm unsecured senior notes (The Bank of New York Mellon), $100mm sub secured notes (BOKF NA), $750mm sub unsecured notes (U.S. Bank Trust National Association)

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Stephen Hessler, Chad Husnick, Benjamin Rhode, Mark McKane, Patrick Venter, Jacob Johnston)

  • Directors: Kevin Beebe, Paul Keglevic, Mohsin Meghji

  • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc. (Carlin Adrianopoli)

  • Investment Banker: Evercore Group LLC (Roopesh Shah)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Major equityholders: BlackRock Inc., Vanguard Group Inc., Charles Schwab Investment Management

  • Unsecured Notes Indenture Trustee: Bank of New York Mellon

    • Legal: Reed Smith LLP (Kurt Gwynne, Katelin Morales)

  • Indenture Trustee and Collateral Agent for the 8.500% ‘26 Second Lien Secured Notes

    • Legal: Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP (Joseph Schwartz, Curtis Plaza, Tara Schellhorn)

  • Credit Agreement Administrative Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Sandeep Qusba, Nicholas Baker, Jamie Fell)

  • DIP Agent: Goldman Sachs Bank USA

    • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Eli Vonnegut, Stephen Piraino, Samuel Wagreich)

  • Ad Hoc First Lien Committee

    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Brian Hermann, Gregory Laufer, Kyle Kimpler, Miriam Levi)

    • Financial Advisor: PJT Partners LP

  • Second lien Ad Hoc Group

    • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP (Susheel Kirpalani, Benjamin Finestone, Deborah Newman, Daniel Holzman, Lindsay Weber)

  • Ad Hoc Senior Notes Group

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

    • Financial Advisor: Ducera Partners LLC

  • Ad Hoc Committee of Frontier Noteholders

    • Legal: Milbank LLP (Dennis Dunne, Samuel Khalil, Michael Price)

    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Inc.

  • Ad Hoc Group of Subsidiary Debtholders

    • Legal: Shearman & Sterling LLP (Joel Moss, Jordan Wishnew)

  • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors

    • Legal: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP (Amy Caton, Douglas Mannal, Stephen Zide, Megan Wasson)

    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Richard Newman)

    • Investment Banker: UBS Securities LLC (Elizabeth LaPuma)

⛽️New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Whiting Petroleum Corporation ($WLL)⛽️

Whiting Petroleum Corporation

April 1, 2020

Denver-based Whiting Petroleum Corporation ($WLL) and four affiliates (the “debtors”), independent oil-focused upstream exploration and production companies focused primarily on the North Dakota and Rocky Mountain regions, filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas. This is a story that requires an understanding of the debtors’ impressively-levered capital structure to understand what’s going on:

• $1.072b ‘23 RBL Facility (JPMorgan Chase Bank NA)(springing maturity to 12/20 if the ‘21 notes below are not paid in full by 12/20)

• $189.1mm ‘20 1.25% convertible senior unsecured notes due 2020 (Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.)

• $773.6mm ‘21 5.75% senior unsecured notes

• $408.3mm ‘23 6.25% senior unsecured notes

• $1b ‘26 6.625% senior unsecured notes

You’ve heard us talk about the capital intensive nature of E&P companies so … yeah … the above $3.443b of debt shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to you. The company is also publicly-traded. The stock performance over the years has been far from stellar:

What’s interesting here is that EVERYONE knows that oil and gas has been a value-destructive sh*t show for years. There’s absolutely ZERO need to belabor the point. Yet. That doesn’t stop the debtors’ CRO from doing precisely that. Here, embedded in the First Day Declaration, is a chart juxtaposing a $100 investment in WLL versus a $100 investment in an S&P 500 index and a Dow Jones U.S. E&P Index:

We should also add that the spike reflected in the above chart in the 2017 timeframe isn’t on account of some stellar improvement of operating performance; rather, it reflects a November 2017 1-to-4 reverse stock split which inflated the reflected price of the shares. Just to be clear.

Notwithstanding the hellacious performance since 2014, the debtors take pains to paint a positive picture that was thrown into disarray by “drastic and unprecedented global events, including a ‘price war’ between OPEC and Russia and the macroeconomic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic….” In fact, the debtors come in HOT in the introduction to the First Day Declaration:

The Debtors ended 2019 standing on solid ground. While the Debtors had more than $1 billion in unsecured bond debt set to mature prior to December 2020, the Debtors had significant financial flexibility to restructure their capital structure. Most importantly, the Debtors began 2020 with a committed revolving credit facility that provided them with committed financing of up to $1.75 billion—more than enough liquidity to service the Debtors’ 2020 maturities and fund anticipated capital expenditure needs throughout the year. For these reasons, the Debtors secured a “clean” audit report as recently as February 27, 2020.

And to be fair, the debt was doing just fine until the middle of February. Indeed, the unsecured notes didn’t hit distressed levels until right after Valentine’s Day. Check out this freefall:

Who needs open amusement parks when you can just follow that price action?

Already focused on “liability management” (take a drink!) given the looming ‘21 notes maturity and the corresponding RBL springing maturity, the debtors’ retained professionals shifted over to restructuring talks with an ad hoc committee of noteholders. The debtors also drew down $650mm on their revolver to ensure adequate go-forward liquidity (and, cough, avoid the need for a relatively more expensive DIP credit facility). After what sounds like serious deliberation (and opposition from the ad hoc committee), the debtors also opted to forgo the $190mm maturity payment on the convertible notes due April 1.

The debtors filed the case with the framework of a restructuring support agreement (aka a term sheet). That framework would equitize the converts and the unsecured notes, giving them 97% of the equity (for now … debt is also still under consideration). Unsecured claims will be paid in full. Existing equity would receive 3% of post-reorg equity and warrants. Post-reorg management will get 8% of the post-reorg equity. In total, this would amount to the evisceration of over $2b worth of debt. 😬

Speaking of management, a lot of people were up in arms over this bit in the debtors’ Form 8-K filed to announce the bankruptcy filing and term sheet:

That’s right. A nice immediately-payable bonus to management.

Remember that story of Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld getting punched the day after Lehman’s bankruptcy on a treadmill in the corporate gym?

Fees like something like that may be coming soon to $WLL headquarters... 👀

— EnergyCynic (@EnergyCynic) April 1, 2020

We’d love to hear how this ISN’T a subversion of code provisions regarding KEIPS/KERPS. Seriously, write us: petition@petition11.com. Ensure stability huh? Tell us: WHERE THE F*CK ARE THESE GUYS GOING TO GO IN THIS ENVIRONMENT? But at least they’re passing up their (WILDLY WORTHLESS) equity awards and bonus payments. FFS.

Ok, fine. Maybe there were contractual provisions that needed to be taken into account. And maybe the alternative — sh*tcanning management and rejecting the employment contracts — doesn’t fit the construct of leaving an umimpaired class of unsecured creditors. Equity is wildly out-of-the-money and getting a tip here anyway. This, therefore, is just a transfer of value from the noteholders to the management. We have to assume that the noteholders, then, were aware of this before it happened. If not, they should be pissed. And the Directors — who make between $180,000 and $305,000 a year — ought to be questioned by said noteholders about potential breaches of duties.

---

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

• Capital Structure:

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Stephen Hessler, Brian Schartz, Gregory Pesce, Anna Rotman) & Jackson Walker LLP (Matthew Cavenaugh, Jennifer Wertz, Veronica Polnick)

  • CRO: Stein Advisors LLC (Jeffrey Stein)

  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Julie Hertzberg)

  • Investment Banker: Moelis & Company

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • RBL Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

  • Ad Hoc Committee of Noteholders

    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Andrew Rosenberg, Alice Beslisle Eaton, Michael Turkel, Omid Rahnama) & Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Eric English, Genevieve Graham)

    • Financial Advisor: PJT Partners LP

  • Creditor: Caliber North Dakota LLC

    • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Alfredo Perez, Brenda Funk)

⚾️New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Modell's Sporting Goods Inc.

Modell's Sporting Goods Inc.

March 11, 2020

There’s nothing particularly new or interesting about another liquidating retailer — especially when it’s just another in a long line of companies in its business segment to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Sorry to be callous: we get that Modell’s Sporting Goods Inc. is a family-owned establishment with 134 stores and thousands of employees. We get that people aren’t shopping at brick-and-mortar locations, that Walmart Inc. ($WMT), Target Inc. ($TGT), Amazon Inc. ($AMZN), and, in this category, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. ($DKS) are crushing the competition, and that there’s a “decline in sports team participation among youth and teens.” Here’s the number of tackle football participants over the age of six years old in the United States:

This trend in football, however, is not pervasive. Participation in high school baseball, for instance, is on the rise. Most other major high school sports are pretty static, soccer being an exception as that, too, is increasing in popularity. So, sure, okay. We’ll just take the company’s word for it.

But the company doesn’t just blame the youths for its demise; it blames global warming (“warm winter weather in the Northeastern states, which negatively affected the sales of cold-weather goods and items and overall store traffic…”), the crappy-a$$ New York Knicks and disappointing Philadelphia Eagles (“lower than anticipated sales of licensed goods in the fourth quarter of 2019 based on local professional team performance”), and inventory disruption from creditors who’ve gotten sick and tired of getting regularly screwed over by administratively insolvent retailers.

It doesn’t really blame its model. For instance, it doesn’t have any private label apparel. Nor does it own any of its real estate. It is completely beholden to its vendors and foot traffic at strip malls and shopping malls. It leases everything. Apparel merchandise expenses were roughly $225mm/year and rental expenses totaled approximately $95mm/year, constituting approximately 46% and 19% of gross sales ($490mm), respectively. In addition, it has unionized employees. The company is on the hook (jointly with a non-debtor entity) for a pension plan underfunded by $25.8mm.

Of course the company also has debt. It has a unitranche revolving credit facility and term loan with JPMorgan Chase Bank NA and Wells Fargo Bank NA, respectively. As of the petition date, the company owes approximately $39mm under the facility. But as operating performance deteriorated, JPM and WFC became skittish and increased discretionary reserves by $18mm — the nail in the coffin as the company no longer had sufficient liquidity to continue to operate (PETITION Note: Wells Fargo has been particularly savage when it comes to aggressively increasing reserves on its retail clients. We’ve seen this movie before with Pier 1 Imports Inc. and Destination Maternity Inc.). This, despite the company started stretching its vendors and landlords. Rent for February and March went unpaid. The company projects $100mm in general unsecured claims, ex-lease breakage claims.

While the business suffered, multiple attempts to achieve an out-of-court restructuring and/or a sale to a strategic buyer failed. The company will now undertake a coordinated wind down to maximize recoveries for stakeholders. Absent some White Knight swooping in here at the 13th hour, pour one out for Modell’s Sporting Goods Inc.

• Jurisdiction: D. of New Jersey (Judge Papalia)

• Capital Structure: $29.5mm RCF (JPMorgan Chase Bank NA), $9.225mm Term Loan (Wells Fargo Bank NA)

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Cole Schotz PC (Michael Sirota, David Bass, Felice Yudkin)

  • Financial Advisor: Berkeley Research Group LLC (Robert Duffy)

  • Investment Banker: RBC Capital Markets

  • Real Estate Advisor: A&G Realty Partners LLC

  • Liquidation Consultant: Tiger Capital Group LLC

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: Otterbourg PC (Daniel Fiorillo, Chad Simon) & Norris McLaughlin PA (Morris Bauer, Allison Arotsky)

  • Wells Fargo Bank NA

    • Legal: Riemer & Braunstein LLP (Steven Fox)

  • Local 1102 RWDSU UFCW, Local 1102 Retirement Trust, and Local 1102 Health and Benefit Fund

    • Legal: Rothman Rocco Laruffa LLP (Matt Rocco) & Lowenstein Sandler LLP (Kenneth Rosen)
      

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

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

New Chapter 11 Filing - Anna Holdings Inc. (a/k/a Acosta Inc.)

Anna Holdings Inc. (a/k/a Acosta Inc.)

DATE

Back in September 2018’s “Trickle-Down Disruption from Retail Malaise (Short Coupons),” we noted a troubled trio of “sales and marketing agencies.” We wrote:

With the “perfect storm” … of (i) food delivery, (ii) the rise of direct-to-consumer CPG brands, (iii) increased competition from private-brand focused German infiltrators Aldi and Lidl, and (iv) the increasingly app-powered WholeFoods, there are a breed of companies that are feeling the aftershocks. Known as “sales and marketing agencies” (“SMAs”), you’d generally have zero clue about them but for the fact that you probably know someone who is addicted to coupon clipping. Or you’re addicted to coupon clipping. No shame in that, broheim. Anyway, that’s what they’re known for: coupons (we’re over-simplifying: they each perform other marketing, retailing, and data-oriented services too). The only other way you’d be familiar is if you have a private equity buddy who is sweating buckets right now, having underwritten an investment in one of three companies that are currently in distress. Enter Crossmark Holdings Inc., Acosta Inc., and Catalina Marketing (a unit of Checkout Holding Corp.). All three are in trouble.

What’s happened since? Catalina Marketing filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Crossmark Holdings Inc. effectuated an out-of-court exchange transaction, narrowing averting a chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. And, as of last week, Acosta Inc. launched solicitation of a prepackaged chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. It will be in bankruptcy in the District of Delaware very very soon. We’ve basically got ourselves an SMA hat-trick.

Before we dive into what the bloody hell happened here — and it ain’t pretty — let’s first put some more meat on those SMA bones. In doing so, mea culpa: we WAY over-simplified what Acosta Inc. does in that prior piece. So, what do they do?

Acosta has two main business lines: “Sales Services” and “Marketing Services.” In the former, “Acosta assists CPG companies in selling new and existing products to retailers, providing business insights, securing optimal shelf placement, executing promotion programs, and managing back-office order-to-cash and claims deduction management solutions. Acosta also works with clients in negotiations with retailers and managing promotional events.” They also provide store-level merchandising services to make sure sh*t is properly placed on shelves, stocks are right, displays executed, etc. The is segment creates 80% of Acosta’s revenue.

The other 20% comes from the Marketing Services segment. In this segment, “Acosta provides four primary Marketing Services offerings: (i) experiential marketing; (ii) assisted selling and training; (iii) content marketing; and (iv) shopper marketing. Acosta offers clients event-based marketing services such as brand launch events, pop-up retail experiences, mobile tours, large events, and trial/demo campaigns. Acosta also provides Marketing Services such as assisted selling, staffing, associate training, in-store demonstrations, and more. Under its shopping marketing business, Acosta advises clients on consumer promotions, package designs, digital shopping, and other shopper marketing channels.”

In the past, the company made money through commission-based contracts; they are now shifting “towards higher margin revenue generation models that allow the Company to focus on aligning cost-to-serve with revenue generation to better serve clients and maximize growth.” Whatever the f*ck that means.

We’re being flip because, well, let’s face it: this company hasn’t exactly gotten much right over the last four years so we ought to be forgiven for expressing a glint of skepticism that they’ve now suddenly got it all figured out. Indeed, The Carlyle Group LP acquired the company in 2014 for a staggering $4.75b — a transaction that “ranked … among the largest private-equity purchases of that year.” Score for Thomas H. Lee Partners LP (which acquired the company in 2011 from AEA Investors LP for $2b)!! This was after the Washington DC-based private equity firm reportedly lost out on its bid to acquire Advantage Sales & Marketing, a competitor which just goes to show the fervor with which Carlyle pursued entry into this business. Now they must surely regret it. Likewise, the company: nearly all of the company’s $3b of debt stems from that transaction. The company’s bankruptcy papers make no reference to management fees paid or dividends extracted so it’s difficult to tell whether Carlyle got any bang whatsoever for their equity buck.*

Suffice it to say, this isn’t exactly a raging success story for private equity (calling Elizabeth Warren!). Indeed, since 2015 — almost immediately after the acquisition — the company lost $631mm of revenue and $193mm of EBITDA. It gets worse. Per the company:

“Revenue contributions from the top twenty-five clients in 2015 have declined at approximately 14.6 percent per year since fiscal year 2015. Furthermore, adjusted EBITDA margins have decreased year-over-year since fiscal year 2015 from over 19 percent to approximately 16 percent as of the end of fiscal year 2018.”

When you’re losing this money, it’s awfully hard to service $3b of debt. Not to state the obvious. But why did the company’s business deteriorate so quickly? Disruption, baby. Disruption. Per the company:

Acosta’s performance was disrupted by changes in consumer behavior and other macroeconomic trends in the retail and CPG industries that had a significant impact on the Company’s ability to generate revenue. Specifically, consumers have shifted away from traditional grocery retailers where Acosta has had a leadership position to discounters, convenience stores, online channels, and organic-focused grocers, where Acosta has not historically focused.

Just like we said a year ago. Let’s call this “The Aldi/Lidl/Amazon/Dollar Tree/Dollar Store Effect.” Other trends have also taken hold: (a) people are eating healthier, shying away from center-store (where all the Campbell’s, Kellogg’s, KraftHeinz and Nestle stuff is — by the way, those are, or in the case of KraftHeinz, were, all major clients!); and (b) the rise of private label.

Moreover, according to Acosta, consumer purchasing has declined overall due to the increased cost of food (huh? uh, sure okay). The company adds:

These consumer trends have exposed CPG manufacturers to significant margin pressure, resulting in a reduction in outsourced sales and marketing spend. In the years and months leading to the Petition Date, several of Acosta’s major clients consolidated, downsized, or otherwise reduced their marketing budgets.

By way of example, here is Kraft Heinz’ marketing spend over the last several years:

Compounding matters, competition in the space is apparently rather savage:

“Acosta also faced significant pressure as a result of the Company’s heavy debt load. Clients have sought to diversify their SMA providers to decrease perceived risk of Acosta vulnerability. In fact, certain of Acosta’s competitors have pointed to the Company’s significant indebtedness, contrasting their own de-levered balance sheets, to entice clients away from Acosta. Over time, these factors have tightened the Company’s liquidity position and constrained the Company from making necessary operational and capital expenditures, further impacting revenue.”

So, obviously, Acosta needed to do something about that mountain of debt. And do something it did: it’s piling it up like The Joker, pouring kerosene on it, and lighting that sh*t on fire. The company will wipe out the first lien credit facility AND the unsecured notes — nearly $2.8b of debt POOF! GONE! What an epic example of disruption and value destruction!

So now what? Well, the debtors clearly cannot reverse the trends confronting CPG companies and, by extension, their business. But they can sure as hell napalm their balance sheet! The plan would provide for the following:

• Provide $150mm new money DIP provided by Elliott, DK, Oaktree and Nexus to satisfy the A/R facility, fund the cases, and presumably roll into an exit facility;

• First lien lenders will get 85% of the new common stock (subject to dilution from employee incentive plan, the equity rights offering, the direct investment preferred equity raise, etc.) + first lien subscription rights OR cash subject to a cap.

• Senior Notes will get 15% of new common stock + senior notes subscription rights OR cash subject to a cap.

• They’ll be $325mm in new equity infusions.

So, in total, over $2b — TWO BILLION — of debt will be eliminated and swapped for equity in the reorganized company. The listed recoveries (which, we must point out, are based on projections of enterprise value) are 22-24% for the holders of first lien paper and 10-11% for the holders of senior notes.

We previously wrote about how direct lenders — FS KKR Capital Corp. ($FSK), for instance — are all up in Acosta’s loans. Here’s what KKR had to say about their piece of the first lien loan:

We placed Acosta on nonaccrual due to ongoing restructuring negotiations during the quarter and chose to exit this position after the quarter end at a gain to our third quarter mark.

HAHAHAHA. Now THAT is some top-notch spin! Small victories, we guess. 😬😜

*There have been two independent directors appointed to the board; they have their own counsel; and they’re performing an investigation into whether “any matter arising in or related to a restructuring transaction constituted a conflict matter.” There is no implication, however, that this investigation has anything to do with potential fraudulent conveyance claims. Not everything is Payless, people.

• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge )

• Capital Structure:

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Edward Sassower, Joshua Sussberg, Christopher Greco, Spencer Winters, Derek Hunter, Ameneh Bordi, Annie Dreisbach, Josh Greenblatt, Yates French, Jeffrey Goldfine) & Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP (Domenic Pacitti, Michael Yurkewicz, Sally Veghte)

  • Independent Directors: Gary Begeman, Marc Beilinson

    • Legal: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC

  • Investment Banker: PJT Partners Inc. (Paul Sheaffer)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • A/R Facility Agent: Wells Fargo Bank NA

  • Admin Agent and Collateral Agent: Ankura Trust Company LLC

    • Legal: Shearman & Sterling LLP (Joel Moss, Sara Coelho) & Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (Patrick Jackson)

  • First Lien Credit Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP (Scott Talmadge, Samantha Braunstein) & Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, David Queroli)

  • First Lien Lender Group

    • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Damian Schaible, Stephen Piraino, Jacob Weiner)

    • Financial Advisor: Centerview Partners

  • Minority First Lien Lenders

    • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Michael Messersmith, Seith Kleinman, Sarah Gryll) & Pepper Hamilton LLP (David Stratton)

    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc.

  • Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Trust NA

  • Backstop Parties: Elliott Management Corporation & Oaktree Capital Management LP

    • Legal: White & Case LLP (Thomas Lauria, Michael Shepherd, Joseph Pack, Jason Zakia, Kimberly Havlin) & Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLC (Marc Abrams, Richard Riley)

  • Backstop Parties: Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP & Nexus Capital Management LP

    • Legal: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (Alison Ressler, Ari Blaut, James Bromley) & Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP (Christopher Samis, Aaron Stulman)

  • Sponsor: Carlyle Partners VI Holdings LP (78.47% equity)

    • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (George Davis, Andrew Parlen)
      
      

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Triangle Petroleum Corporation

Triangle Petroleum Corporation

May 8, 2019

If it walks like a chapter 22 and quacks like a chapter 22…it…may…not…actually…be a chapter 22??

Triangle Petroleum Corporation (“TPC”) filed a prepackaged plan of reorganization with the District of Delaware to consummate a balance sheet restructuring. TPC is an independent energy holding company with a focus on the Williston Basin of North Dakota; its assets include a joint venture interest in Caliber Midstream Holdings LP, a midstream services company, leases of commercial and multi-unit residential buildings in North Dakota, and net operating losses. On the debt side of the balance sheet, the company had a $120mm 5.0% convertible promissory note issued to NGP Triangle Holdings, LLC (“NGP”).

So, what’s up with that convertible note? Wholly-owned direct or indirect subsidiaries of TPC — including Triangle USA Petroleum Corporation — filed for bankruptcy back in June 2016 to address their capital structure and, in the course of confirming a plan of reorganization, wiped out their stock. That stock, naturally, was an asset of TPC and, consequently, the New York Stock Exchange delisted TPC, constituting a “Fundamental Change,” under the note and triggering a requirement that TPC repurchase the convertible note for $154mm. TPC didn’t do so. Upon failing to do so, TPC triggered an event of default. Subsequently, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“JPMS”) purchased the note from NGP.

Thereafter, as part of discussions about a forbearance, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA provided the company with a term loan and the company and JPMS amended and restated the convertible note, granting JPMS a second lien in the process. JPMS, however, ultimately concluded that forbearing to nowhere wasn’t exactly a great strategy and so the chapter 11 filing will leave the term loan unimpaired, swap JPMS’ second lien secured note for 100% of TPC’s equity, ride through (what is a de minimis amount of) unsecured claims and wipe out equity, which had been trading over the counter. As of the petition date, the company had $2mm outstanding under the term loan and $167mm outstanding under the newly secured note.

Given that JPMS is the only voting party, this is a pretty easy plan to effectuate. Suffice it to say, JPMS voted yes to the prepackaged plan which means, going forward, it will own the interests in Caliber, Bakken Real Estate and, significantly, the valuable net operating losses.

• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Walrath)

• Capital Structure: see above.

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Kelley Cornish, Alexander Woolverton) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Pauline Morgan, Andrew Magaziner, Shane Reil)

  • Board of Directors: Gus Halas, James Shein, Randal Matkaluk

  • Financial Advisor: Development Specialists Inc. (Mark Iammartino)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Prepetition Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA & J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    • Legal: Duane Morris LLP (Lawrence Kotlar, Joel Walker)
      

New Chapter 11 Filing - Sungard Availability Services Capital Inc.

Sungard Availability Services Capital Inc.

May 1, 2019

Pennsylvania-based Sungard Availability Services Capital Inc., a provider of “critical production and recovery services to global enterprise companies,” with $977mm of net revenue and $203mm of EBITDA in fiscal 2018 filed a prepackaged chapter 11 plan in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday and, if you blinked, you may have missed its residency in bankruptcy. Indeed, some lost their minds because Kirkland & Ellis LLP was able to shepherd the case in and out of bankruptcy in less than 24 hours — breaking the previous record only recently set in FullBeauty. Yes, people care about these things.*

The upshot of this expeditious bankruptcy case is that (a) the company shed nearly $900mm of debt from its balance sheet (reducing debt down to approximately $400-450mm) and (b) transferred 89% ownership to a variety of debt-for-equity swapping funds such as GSO Capital Partners, Angelo Gordon & Co., and Carlyle Group (who will also receive $300mm in senior secured term loan paper). Major equity holders — Bain Capital Integral Investors LLC, Blackstone Capital Partners IV LP, Blackstone GT Communications Partners LP, KKR Millennium Fund LP, Providence Equity Partners V LP, Silver Lake Partners II LP, TPG Partners IV LP — had their equity wiped out. We had previously highlighted KKR’s investment here in “A Hot-Potato Plan of Reorganization. Short BDC Retail Exposure,” discussing the broader context of BDC lending. This is what the capital structure looks like and will look like:

Source: Disclosure Statement

That balance sheet is the driver behind the bankruptcy filing. Per the company:

This legacy capital structure was created based upon the Company’s historical operating model and performance and is unsustainable under current market conditions. When the capital structure was put in place, the Company benefited from a larger revenue base with substantially higher free cash flow. As business conditions evolved and the Company’s revenue declined, cash flow available to service debt and invest in products and services substantially declined. Consolidated net revenue declined by approximately 18% from approximately $1.2 billion in 2016 to approximately $977 million in 20188 while adjusted EBITDA margins remained within a range of approximately 20% to 22%. Negative net cash flow from 2016 to 2018 was approximately $80 million.

In other words, this is as clear-cut a balance sheet restructuring that you can get. Indeed, general unsecured claims are — as you might expect from a prepackaged plan of reorganization — riding through unimpaired. This consensual restructuring is clearly the right result. Getting it in and out of court so quickly is a bonus.

Yet, lest anyone get too high on their own supply, it’s important to note that, while this is a good result under the circumstances, there is a significant amount of value destruction illustrated by this filing. The term lenders are getting merely an estimated 50-73% recovery while the noteholders are getting 7-14%**. Now, it IS reasonable to expect that the “par guys” blew out of this situation long ago. And it is also reasonable to assume that the current holders of loans and notes got in at a significant discount so “value destruction” really is a matter of timing/pricing. For the avoidance of doubt, however, there’s no question that certain lenders experienced some pain on the path to this filing. Here is the chart representing the company’s notes:

So, while some are surely celebrating, others are surely licking their wounds.

*We don’t really want to be too flip about this. As critics of the bankruptcy process, we’re all for seeing more efficient uses of the bankruptcy court — even if that does mean that fees were run up pre-petition without any oversight whatsoever.

**You always have to take these recovery amounts with a grain of salt. In case the rampant Chapter 22s haven’t already taught you that.

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

• Capital Structure:

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Jonathan Henes, Emily Geier, Ryan Blaine Bennett, Laura Krucks

  • Board of Directors: Darren Abrahamson, Patrick J. Bartels Jr., Randy Hendricks, John Park, David Treadwell

  • Financial Advisor/CRO: AlixPartners LLP (Eric Koza)

  • Investment Banker: Centerview Partners (Samuel Greene)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • DIP Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

  • Secured Lender Group

    • Jones Day (Scott Greenberg, Michael Cohen, Nicholas Morin)

    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Capital Inc.

  • Crossover Group

    • Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Philip Dublin, Naomi Moss)

    • Financial Advisor: PJT Partners LP

  • Large Equityholders: Bain Capital Integral Investors LLC, Blackstone Capital Partners IV LP, Blackstone GT Communications Partners LP, KKR Millennium Fund LP, Providence Equity Partners V LP, Silver Lake Partners II LP, TPG Partners IV LP

    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Brian Hermann, Jacob Adlerstein)

New Chapter 11 Filing - Hexion Holdings LLC

Hexion Holdings LLC

April 1, 2019

What we appreciate that and, we hope thanks to PETITION, others will eventually come to appreciate, is that there is a lot to learn from the special corporate law, investment banking, advisory, and investing niche labeled “restructuring” and “distressed investing.” Here, Ohio-based Hexion Holdings LLC is a company that probably touches our lives in ways that most people have no knowledge of: it produces resins that “are key ingredients in a wide variety of industrial and consumer goods, where they are often employed as adhesives, as coatings and sealants, and as intermediates for other chemical applications.” These adhesives are used in wind turbines and particle board; their coatings prevent corrosion on bridges and buildings. You can imagine a scenario where, if Washington D.C. can ever get its act together and get an infrastructure bill done, Hexion will have a significant influx of revenue.

Not that revenue is an issue now. It generated $3.8b in 2018, churning out $440mm of EBITDA. And operational performance is on the upswing, having improved 21% YOY. So what’s the problem? In short, the balance sheet is a hot mess.* Per the company:

“…the Debtors face financial difficulties. Prior to the anticipated restructuring, the Debtors are over nine times levered relative to their 2018 adjusted EBITDA and face annual debt service in excess of $300 million. In addition, over $2 billion of the Debtors’ prepetition funded debt obligations mature in 2020. The resulting liquidity and refinancing pressures have created an unsustainable drag on the Debtors and, by extension, their Non-Debtor Affiliates, requiring a comprehensive solution.”

This is what that capital structure looks like:

(PETITION Note: if you’re wondering what the eff is a 1.5 lien note, well, welcome to the party pal. These notes are a construct of a frothy high-yield market and constructive readings of credit docs. They were issued in 2017 to discharge maturing notes. The holders thereof enjoy higher priority on collateral than the second lien notes and other junior creditors below, but slot in beneath the first lien notes).

Anyway, to remedy this issue, the company has entered into a support agreement “that enjoys the support of creditors holding a majority of the debt to be restructured, including majorities within every tier of the capital structure.” The agreement would reduce total funded debt by $2b by: (a) giving the first lien noteholders $1.45b in cash (less adequate protection payments reflecting interest on their loans), and 72.5% of new common stock and rights to participate in the rights offering at a significant discount to a total enterprise value of $3.1b; and (b) the 1.5 lien noteholders, the second lien noteholders and the unsecured noteholders 27.5% of the new common stock and rights to participate in the rights offering. The case will be funded by a $700mm DIP credit facility.

*Interestingly, Hexion is a derivative victim of the oil and gas downturn. In 2014, the company was selling resin coated sand to oil and gas businesses to the tune of 8% of sales and 28% of segment EBITDA. By 2016, segment EBITDA dropped by approximately $150mm, a sizable loss that couldn’t be offset by other business units.

• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Gross)

• Capital Structure: See above.

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (George Davis, Andrew Parlan, Hugh Murtagh, Caroline Reckler, Jason Gott, Lisa Lansio, Blake Denton, Andrew Sorkin, Christopher Harris) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Michael Merchant, Amanda Steele, Brendan Schlauch)

  • Managers: Samuel Feinstein, William Joyce, Robert Kaslow-Ramos, George F. Knight III, Geoffrey Manna, Craig Rogerson, Marvin Schlanger, Lee Stewart

  • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP

  • Investment Banker: Moelis & Company LLC (Zul Jamal)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Ad Hoc Group of First Lien Noteholders (Angelo Gordon & Co. LP, Aristeia Capital LLC, Barclays Bank PLC, Beach Point Capital Management LP, Capital Research and Management Company, Citadel Advisors LLC, Contrarian Capital Management LLC, Credit Suisse Securities USA LLC, Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP, DoubleLine Capital LP, Eaton Vance Management, Federated Investment Counseling, GoldenTree Asset Management LP, Graham Capital Management LP, GSO Capital Partners LP, Heyman Enterprise LLC, Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC, OSK VII LLC, Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, Silver Rock Financial LP, Sound Point Capital Management LP, Tor Asia Credit Master Fund LP, UBS Securities LLC, Whitebox Advisors LLC)

    • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Ira Dizengoff, Philip Dublin, Daniel Fisher, Naomi Moss, Abid Qureshi)

    • Financial Advisor: Evercore Group LLC

  • Ad Hoc Group of Crossover Noteholders (Aegon USA Investment Management LLC, Aurelius Capital Master Ltd., Avenue Capital Management II LP, Avenue Europe International Management, Benefit Street Partners LLC, Cyrus Capital Partners LP, KLS Diversified Asset Management LLC, Loomis Sayles & Company LP, Monarch Alternative Capital LP, New Generation Advisors LLC, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP)

    • Legal: Milbank LLP (Samuel Khalil, Matthew Brod)

    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Capital Inc.

  • Ad Hoc Group of 1.5 Lien Noteholders

    • Legal: Jones Day (Sidney Levinson, Jeremy Evans)

  • Pre-petition RCF Agent & Post-petition DIP Agent ($350mm): JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

  • Trustee under the First Lien Notes: U.S. Bank NA

    • Legal: Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (James Carr, Kristin Elliott) & (local) Dorsey & Whitney LLP (Eric Lopez Schnabel, Alessandra Glorioso)

  • Trustee of 1.5 Lien Notes: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB

    • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

  • Trustee of Borden Indentures: The Bank of New York Mellon

  • Sponsor: Apollo

  • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; Agrium US, Inc.; The Bank of New York Mellon; Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America; PVS Chloralkali, Inc.; Southern Chemical Corporation; Wilmington Trust; Wilmington Savings Fund Society; and Blue Cube Operations LLC

    • Legal: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP (Kenneth Eckstein, Douglas Mannal, Rachael Ringer) & (local) Bayard PA (Scott Cousins, Erin Fay, Gregory Flasser)

    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc. (Samuel Star)

Updated:

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Windstream Holdings Inc.

Windstream Holdings Inc.

February 25, 2019

See here for our write-up on Winstream Holdings Inc.

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

• Capital Structure: see below.

• Professionals:

  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Stephen Hessler, Ross Kwasteniet, Marc Kieselstein, Brad Weiland, Cristine Pirro Schwarzman, John Luze, Neda Davanipour)

  • Legal (Board of Directors): Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (Louis Strubeck Jr., James Copeland, Kristian Gluck)

  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC

  • Investment Banker: PJT Partners LP

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • DIP Lender ($500mm TL, $500mm RCF): Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

  • Prepetition 10.5% and 9% Notes Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Trust NA

    • Legal: Reed Smith LLP (Jason Angelo)

  • Prepetition TL and RCF Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Sandeep Qusba, Nicholas Baker, Jamie Fell)

  • Ad Hoc Group of Second Lien Noteholders

    • Legal: Milbank LLP

    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Capital

  • Ad Hoc Group of First Lien Term Lenders

    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Brian Hermann, Andrew Rosenberg, Samuel Lovett, Michael Rudnick)

    • Financial Advisor: Evercore

  • Midwest Noteholders

    • Legal: Shearman & Sterling LLP

  • Uniti Group Inc.

    • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Marshall Huebner, Eli Vonnegut, James Millerman)

    • Financial Advisor: Rothschild & Co.

  • Large Unsecured Creditor: AT&T Corp.

    • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Brian Lohan, Ginger Clements, Peta Gordon) & AT&T (James Grudus)

  • Large Unsecured Creditor: Verizon Communications Inc.

    • Legal: Stinson Leonard Street LLP (Darrell Clark, Tracey Ohm)

  • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (AT&T Services Inc., Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO CLC, VeloCloud Networks Inc., Crown Castle Fiber, LEC Services Inc., UMB Bank)

    • Legal: Morrison & Foerster LLP (Lorenzo Marinuzzi, Brett Miller, Todd Goren, Jennifer Marines, Erica Richards)

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - FULLBEAUTY Brands Holdings Corp.

FULLBEAUTY Brands Holdings Corp.

February 3, 2019

We’re going to regurgitate our report about FULLBEAUTY Brands Holdings Corp. from January 6th after the company publicly posted its proposed plan of reorganization and disclosure statement and issued a press release about its proposed restructuring. What follows is what we wrote then:

---

FULLBEAUTY Brands Inc., an Apax Partners’ disaster…uh, “investment”…will, despite earlier reports of an out-of-court resolution to the contrary, be filing for bankruptcy after all in what appears to be either a late January or an early February filing after the company completes its prepackaged solicitation of creditors. Back in May in “Plus-Size Beauty is a Plus-Size Sh*tfest (Short Apax Partners’ Fashion Sense),” we wrote:

Here’s some free advice to our friends at Apax Partners: hire some millennials. And some women. When you have 23 partners worldwide and only 1 of them is a woman (in Tel Aviv, of all places), it’s no wonder that certain women’s apparel investments are going sideways. Fresh off of the bankruptcies of Answers.com and rue21, another recent leveraged buyout by the private equity firm is looking a bit bloated: NY-based FullBeauty Brands, a plus-size direct-to-consumer e-commerce and catalogue play with a portfolio of six brands (Woman Within, Roamans, Jessica London, Brylane Home, BC Outlet, Swimsuits for All, and Eilos).

Wait. Hold up. Direct-to-consumer? Check. E-commerce? Check. Isn’t that, like, all the rage right now? Yes, unless you’re levered to the hilt and have a relatively scant social media presence. Check and check.

Per a press release on Thursday, the company has an agreement with nearly all of its first-lien-last out lenders, first lien lenders, second lien lenders and equity sponsors on a deleveraging transaction that will shed $900mm of debt from the company’s balance sheet. It also has a commitment for $30mm in new liquidity in the form of a new money term loan with existing lenders. Per Bloomberg:

About 87.5 percent of the common reorganized equity would go to first-lien lenders, 10 percent to second liens, and 2.5 percent to the sponsor, according to people with knowledge of the plan who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

Which, in English, means that Oaktree Capital Group LLC, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Voya Financial Inc. will end up owning this retailer. Your plus-sized clothing, powered by hedge funds. Apax and Charlesbank Capital, the other PE sponsor, stand to maintain 2.5% of the equity which, from our vantage point, appears rather generous (PETITION Note: there must be a decent amount of cross-holdings between the first lien and second lien debt for that to be the case). Here is the difference in capital structure:

What’s the story here? Simply put, it’s just another retail with far too much leverage in this retail environment.

Of course, there’s the obligatory product strategy, inventory control, and e-commerce excuses as well. Not to mention…wait for it…Amazon Inc ($AMZN)!

“In addition to these operational hurdles, FullBeauty has also faced competition from online retail giant Amazon, Inc. and retail chains, including Walmart Inc. and Kohl’s Corporation, that have recently entered the plus-size clothing space.”

Kirkland & Ellis LLP, PJT Partners ($PJT) and AlixPartners represent the company.

---

We give bankruptcy professionals grief all of the time for what often appears to be fee extraction in various cases. In our view, there have been some pretty egregious examples of inefficiency in the system and, considering a number of our readers are management teams of distressed companies, we feel it’s imperative that we cure for a blatant information dislocation and help educate the masses. This, though, appears to be an extraordinary case. In the other direction.

The company’s professionals here propose to confirm the company’s plan of reorganization at the first day hearing of the case. As Bloomberg noted on Monday, this would “set a new record for emerging from court protection in under 24 hours.” Bloomberg reports:

The previous record for the fastest Chapter 11 process is held by Blue Bird Body Co., which exited bankruptcy in 2006 in less than two days. Fullbeauty and its advisers aim to beat that mark.

“We structured this deal as if bankruptcy never happened for our trade creditors, vendors and employees to avoid further disruption to the company,” attorney Jon Henes at Kirkland & Ellis, the company’s legal counsel, said in an interview. “In this situation, every day in court is another day of costs without any corresponding benefit.”

In fact, this case would be so quick that, as you read this (on Wednesday), Judge Drain may have already given the plan his blessing. This makes Roust Corporation Inc. (6 days) and Southcross Holdings (13 days) look like child’s play. For that reason — and that reason alone — we’ll forgive the company’s professionals for their blatant victory lap: it’s curious that Bloomberg had a completed interview ready to go at 9:26am on the morning of the company’s bankruptcy filing. Clearly Kirkland & Ellis LLP, PJT Partners LP ($PJT) and Houlihan Lokey Capital ($HL) want to milk this extraordinary result for all it’s worth. We can’t really blame them, truthfully. That is, unless and/or until the company violates the “Two Year Rule” a la Charlotte Russe.

Anyway, why so quick? Well, because they can: the entire capital structure is on board with the proposed plan and trade will ride through unimpaired and paid. All contracts will be assumed. There are no brick-and-mortar stores to deal with: this is a web and catalogue-based business. Like we said, this case is extraordinary. Per the Company:

It is in the best interest of the estates that the Debtors remain in bankruptcy for as short a time-period as possible. If FullBeauty is forced to remain in chapter 11 longer than necessary, it may be required to seek debtor in possession financing, which would cost the Debtors unnecessary bank fees and professional expenses. In addition, although January has been relatively smooth in terms of vendor outreach, FullBeauty expects that trade could contract very quickly if the company remains in chapter 11 longer than necessary—particularly because many vendors are in foreign jurisdictions and they do not understand the nuances of prepackaged cases versus longer prearranged or traditional chapter 11 cases. Every day that FullBeauty remains in chapter 11 results in cash spent that could go to developing the business.

Indeed, for once, it appears that the best interests of the debtor company were, indeed, heeded.*

*Which is not to say that we believe the out-of-court bills will be light.

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

• Capital Structure: $mm debt     

• Company Professionals:

  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Jonathan Henes, Emily Geier, George Klidonas, Rebecca Blake Chaikin, Nicole Greenblatt)

  • Independent Director: Mohsin Meghji

  • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLC

  • Investment Banker: PJT Partners LP (Jamie Baird)

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

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Financial Sponsor (69.6%): Apax Partners LLP

    • Legal: Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP (Elisha Graff, Nicholas Baker)

  • Financial Sponsor (26.4%): Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC

    • Legal: Goodwin Proctor LLP (William Weintraub, Joseph Bernardi Jr.)

  • ABL Agent & FILO Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

    • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Darren Klein, Aryeh Falk)

  • First Lien Agent & Second Lien Agent: Wilmington Trust NA

    • Legal: Shipman & Goodman LLP (Nathan Plotkin, Eric Goldstein, Marie Pollio)

  • Ad Hoc Group of First Lien Term Loan Lenders

    • Legal: Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP (Dennis Dunne, Gerard Uzzi, Nelly Almeida)

    • Financial Advisor: Ducera Partners

  • Ad Hoc Group of Second Lien Term Loan Lenders

    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Basta, Elizabeth McColm, Christopher Hopkins)

    • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Capital Inc. (Saul Burian)

Updated 2/4/19 at 7:03 CT

New Chapter 11 Filing - The NORDAM Group, Inc.

The NORDAM Group, Inc.

7/22/18

A promising contract can sometimes prove to be an albatross. Here, The Nordam Group Inc., an Oklahoma-based aircraft component manufacturing and repair company, has filed for bankruptcy after a long-term development and manufacturing agreement ("LTPA") with Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation ("P&WC") to develop, manufacture, and support an FAA-approved nacelle system for the Gulfstream G500 aircraft proved overly burdensome. Per the company:

"The Debtors currently estimate that their expenses incurred under the LTPA exceed $200 million. These expenses have, in turn, challenged overall financial performance, with EBITDA declining from approximately $88 million in fiscal year 2008 to approximately $50 million in fiscal year 2017. These financial challenges have further impacted the Debtors’ balance sheet and available liquidity, including with respect to the Debtors’ revolving credit facility, which matured on June 18, 2018 with approximately $266.5 million outstanding."

Harsh. After failing to successfully negotiate a resolution to these issues with both its bank group and P&WC, the company has filed for bankruptcy to leverage the Bankruptcy Code's "breathing spell" and, presumably, contract rejection provisions under section 365. The company seeks access to a $45mm DIP credit facility to fund its cases. 

• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Walrath)
• Capital Structure: $266.5mm RCF (JPMorgan Chase Bank NA), $19.2mm unsecured promissory notes   
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Ray Schrock, Ryan Preston Dahl, Jill Frizzley) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Daniel DeFranceschi, Paul Heath, Brett Haywood, Megan Kenney)
  • Financial Advisor: Huron Consulting Group Inc. (John DiDonato, Matthew Fisher)
  • Investment Banker: Guggenheim Securities LLC (Ronen Bojmel)
  • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Independent Directors: David Eaton, Thomas Allison
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Prepetition Agent & DIP Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
    • Legal: Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP 
  • P&WC
    • Legal: Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz (Philip Mindlin, Douglas Mayer) & (local) Stevens & Lee PC (Joseph Huston Jr.)

Updated: 7/23 at 2:09 CT

New Chapter 11 Filing - EV Energy Partners L.P.

EV Energy Partners L.P.

4/2/18

Assuming this filing has adhered to its previously announced Restructuring Support Agreement, this is pretty boring and so we'll just let the company's March press release speak for itself:

"...the Plan, which is subject to confirmation by the Bankruptcy Court, contemplates the equitization of all of the Company’s Senior Notes and the entry into an amended reserve-based lending facility with the Company’s existing lenders. Additionally, the Plan contemplates that suppliers, customers and other holders of general unsecured claims will be paid in full in the ordinary course of business and otherwise be unimpaired. The Company does not plan to reject any of its existing contracts as part of the restructuring."

The noteholders are agreeing to equitize the senior notes in exchange for 95% of the equity in the reorganized company. The upshot of this is that the company will eliminate $343 million of debt and debt-related obligations. 

Because no contracts will be rejected under section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, all suppliers, service providers, customers, employees, royalty and working interest obligation holders will be paid in full in the ordinary course. Due to the company's Master Limited Partnership structure, however, stock holders will get hit by some "CODI" or "Cancellation of Debt Income" which ought to make for an interest tax filing. To alleviate some of that chafe, the company is offering 5% of the reorganized equity and warrants to the stock holders. 

• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware 
• Capital Structure: ~$297 million RBL (funded, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA), ~$356 million 8.0% '19 senior notes (Delaware Trust Company)   
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Joshua Sussberg, Jeremy David Evans, Brad Weiland, Travis Bayer) & (local) Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Laura Davis Jones)
  • Financial Advisor: Perella Weinberg Partners LP 
  • Restructuring Advisor: Deloitte & Touche LLP
  • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Ad Hoc Group of Senior Noteholders
    • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
    • Financial Advisor: Intrepid Partners LLC 
  • RBL Lenders
    • Legal: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
    • Financial Advisor: RPA Advisors, LLC
  • Consenting Sponsor:
    • EnerVest, Ltd. and EnerVest Operating, L.L.C.

Will Update if Filing Differs from Advertised. 

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Cenveo Inc.

Cenveo Inc.

• 2/2/18 Recap: Publicly-traded ($CVO) large envelope and label manufacturer with roots tracing back 100 years filed for bankruptcy. Interestingly, you, our treasured PETITION readers, probably interact with Cenveo's products in your day-to-day life. Cenveo prints comic books you can buy at the bookstore, produces specialized envelopes used by JPMorgan Chase Bank ($JPM) and American Express ($AMEX) to deliver credit card statements, and manufactures point of sale roll receipts used in cash registers and prescription labels found on medication at national pharmacies. Why did it file for bankruptcy? Disruption. And debt. The company notes that its filing was necessary to tame its burdensome funded debt and corresponding annual $99.4mm debt payments (inclusive of cash and "principle" payments). In light of its leverage, the company apparently also suffered from other pressures on the business, including restrictive trade terms and/or the departure of business from vendors. But, wait! There's more. And its textbook disruption. Per the company, "In addition to Cenveo’s leverage issues, macroeconomic factors, including the introduction of new e-commerce, digital substitution for products, and other technologies, are transforming the industry. Consumers increasingly use the internet and other electronic media to purchase goods and services, pay bills, and obtain electronic versions of printed materials. Moreover, advertisers increasingly use the internet and other electronic media for targeted campaigns directed at specific consumer segments rather than mail campaigns." Ouch. To put it simply, every single time you opt-in for an electronic bank statement, you're f*cking over Cenveo. More from the company, "As society has become increasingly dependent on digital technology products such as laptops, smartphones, and tablet computers, spending on advertising and magazine circulation has eroded, resulting in an overall decline in the demand for paper products, and in-turn lowering reliance on certain of Cenveo’s print marketing business. In addition, there is generally a decline in supply of paper products in the industry, such that only a handful of paper mills control the majority of the paper supply. As a result, paper mills and other vendors that sell paper products have a large amount of leverage over their customers, including Cenveo. The overall decline in the paper industry combined with the diminished supply in paper products has led to overall decline in the industry, dramatically impacting Cenveo’s revenues." Consequently, the company has spent years trying to streamline operations and cut costs: it is not entirely clear from the company's filing, but this disruption clearly led to the "downsizing [of] its workforce," a reduction in its geographic footprint, and asset dispositions. But, ultimately, earnings couldn't manage the balance sheet. The company engaged its various parties in interest and was able to secure a (shaky?) restructuring support agreement and a commitment of financing in the amount of a $190 million ABL DIP Facility provided by the Prepetition ABL Lenders and a new $100 million DIP Term Facility backstopped by more than a majority of the holders of First Lien Notes. It will need to address its underfunded pensions (approximately $92.9mm). 
• Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York 
• Capital Structure: see below.
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Jayme Sprayragen, Jonathan Henes, Joshua Sussberg, Michael Slade, Gregory Pesce, Melissa Koss, George Klidonas, Natasha Hwangpo)
  • Financial Advisor: Zolfo Cooper LLC (Eric Koza)
  • Investment Banker: Rothschild Inc. (Neil Augustine, Dan Skolds, Matthew Chou, Philip Engel, Daniel Flanary, Thomas Galluccio, Trip Burke, Farhat Suvhanov)
  • Real Estate Consultants: VanRock Real Estate Consulting LLC
  • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • New Independent Director: Eugene Davis
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Prepetition ABL Agent; $190mm ABL DIP Facility Agent: Bank of America NA
  • $100mm DIP Term Facility Agent: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB
  • FILO Notes Trustee/First Lien Notes Trustee/Second Lien Notes Trustee/Unsecured Notes Trustee: Bank of New York Mellon
    • Legal: Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP (Joseph Schwartz, Curtis Plaza, Tara Schellhorn)
  • FILO Noteholder: Allianz GI US High Yield Fund
  • First Lien and Second Lien Noteholder: Brigade Capital Management, LP
    • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Michael Stamer, David Zensky, Stephanie Lindemuth, James Savin, Kevin Eide)
  • Ad Hoc Committee of First Lien Noteholders
    • Legal: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP (Brett Lawrence, Erez Gilad, Matthew Garofalo, Gabriel Sasson)
    • Financial Advisor: Ducera Partners LLC
  • Examiner: Susheel Kirplani
    • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
  • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
    • Legal: Lowenstein Sandler LLP (Kenneth Rosen, Mary Seymour, Bruce Buechler, Bruce Nathan)
    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc. (Samuel Star)

Source: DIP Motion

Updated 4/2/18

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - EXCO Resources Inc.

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 - Cumulus Media Inc.

Cumulus Media Inc.

• 11/29/17 Recap: It has become routine for a company to tout the synergistic benefits of an acquisition. But synergies only come from solid execution and integration of the new properties into the existing franchise. As we often see, that's a pipe dream that often fails to come to fruition. Take, Cumulus Media, for instance, which from 1998 through 2013, "completed approximately $5 billion worth of acquisitions to grow its network and station businesses," including two large recent acquisitions (Citadel Broadcasting in 2011 and Westwood One in 2013). Notably, "[t]he Company struggled to develop the management and technology infrastructure required to integrate the acquired assets and to support and manage its expanding portfolio. Additionally, certain of the acquisition projections proved erroneous and a number of subsequent management decisions failed to achieve their desired results. The Company was thus unable to achieve the cash flow projections it had made to support the prices paid for those acquisitions...." Projections didn't translate to reality? Color us shocked. Combine these operational challenges with "industry challenges" and you've got a recipe for decreased YOY trends in ratings, revenue and EBITDA. Since 2012. Yikes. But like most bankruptcies, this is a storm of multiple elements. Clearly, the above-noted transactions led to a tremendous amount of incurred debt, capex for integration, and interest expense on that debt. But, in addition, "advertiser and listener demand for radio overall has been negatively impacted by the availability of content and advertising opportunities in growing digital streaming and web-based digital formats, resulting in declines in radio industry revenue and listenership. As a result of these general industry pressures, high acquisition prices and subsequent poor performance, Cumulus Media found itself with an excessive level of debt relative to its earnings and rapidly approaching maturities on its funded debt." So, in other words, blame the debt, Facebook ($FB), Google ($GOOGL), Netflix ($NFLX), Amazon ($AMZN), podcasts, etc., for the decline in radio consumption. So, now the company is in bankruptcy with a restructuring support agreement in place to equitize the term loan. The term loan lenders will get take-back paper and 83.5% percent of the reorganized company. The noteholders will get 16.5% of the equity subject to management incentive plan. Shareholders will get bupkis. 
• Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York (Judge Chapman)
• Capital Structure: $1.73b TL (JP Morgan Chase Bank NA), $637mm 7.75% senior notes (U.S. Bank NA)   
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Basta, Lewis Clayton, Jacob Adlerstein, Claudia Tobler)
  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal North America LLC (David Miller)
  • Investment Banker: PJT Partners LP
  • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Board of Directors: Mary Berner, Jill Bright, Ralph Everett, Jeffrey Marcus, Ross Oliver, Jan Baker
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Ad Hoc Group of Term Loan Lenders (Eaton Vance Management and Boston Management & Research, Franklin Mutual Advisors, Highland Capital Management LP, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, Silver Point Finance LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC and Nuveen Fund Advisors, Voya Investment Management Co. LLC, Beach Point Capital Management LP)
    • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Michael Messersmith, Michael Solow, Seth Kleinman)
    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting LLC
  • Ad Hoc Senior Noteholder Group (Angelo Gordon & Co. LLP, Brigade Capital Management, Capital Research and Management Co., Greywolf Capital Management LP, Waddell & Reed Investment Corporation)
    • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Michael Stamer, Meredith Lahaie, Abid Qureshi, Kate Doorley)
  • Administrative Agent: JP Morgan Chase Bank NA
    • Legal: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Elisha Graff, Nicholas Baker)

Updated 11/30/17

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