🔋New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - 1515 GEEnergy Holding Co. LLC🔋

1515 GEEnergy Holding Co. LLC

February 14, 2019

Though it took a backseat to the overall oil and gas downturn of a few years ago, the power market has also experienced its share of distress and bankruptcy of late: Illinois Power, ExGen Texas Power, Panda Temple Power, FirstEnergy, Westinghouse, and GenOn are just a few of the power companies that found themselves in a bankruptcy court. Now we can add 1515-Geenergy Holding Co. LLC and BBPC, LLC d/b/a Great Eastern Energy, providers of (i) natural gas and electricity to customers in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts and (ii) electricity to customers in Connecticut, to the list. (together, the “Debtors”).

What we love about bankruptcy filings is that, unbeknownst to many, they often provide a pithy overview of an industry that is highly informative without getting too into the weeds. Indeed, in the Debtors chapter 11 papers, they provide a solid history of the decades-long process of deregulated power provision. In summary (and per the debtors):

  • In 1978, Congress passed the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (“PURPA”), which laid the groundwork for deregulation and competition by opening wholesale power markets to non-utility producers of electricity.

  • Following this, in the 80s and 90s, state legislatures passed laws designed to allow competitive retail sale and supply in the nat gas markets.

  • Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 1992 which specifically promoted greater competition in the bulk power market. This began to de-monopolize the utility industry by allowing independent power producers equal access to the utilities’ transmission grid.

  • By 1996, FERC implemented Orders 888 and 889, which were intended to remove impediments to competition in wholesale trade and bring more efficient lower-cost power to the nation’s electricity customers.

  • President George W. Bush later signed into law the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which decreased limitations on utility companies’ ability to merge or be owned by financial holdings / non-utility companies. This led to a wave of mergers and consolidation within the utility industry.

  • Today, more than 20 states have at least partially deregulated electricity markets whereby energy customers may choose between their incumbent local utility and an array of independent, competitive suppliers. This is commonly referred to as a “deregulated” or “competitive” power market.

All of this, of course, created opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to take advantage of newly opened markets. That’s where the Debtors come in. BBPC started serving nat gas to customers in 2000, leveraging its relationships with various commodity supply companies, pipelines and local utility companies for the purchase, delivery and distribution of power and natural gas to their customers. The debtors acquire customers via various marketing channels, including, among other things, an indirect sales team, a network of hundreds of independent brokers. The debtors have approximately 49k commercial customers and 5k residential customers.

So, why is the company now in bankruptcy? Per the Company:

The competitive retail electric power industry is characterized by high degrees of both fragmentation, competition, and customer attrition because power providers compete primarily on price and have little else available to differentiate their products and services. Particularly in years with high volatility in weather and energy prices, customers paying high electricity and gas bills will tend to seek out other competitive retail electric providers, resulting in higher attrition rates. Also, larger independent retail energy providers have been active in acquiring customer books of their competitors.

More than that, though, is the fact that customers are no longer f*cking idiots about how they get electric and gas service. Indeed, the company notes that they are “becoming more and more sophisticated.” It’s amazing what competition and the democratization of information that’s attendant thereto can do for consumers. With more options and pricing plans to choose from, the debtors have been feeling the effects of price compression. Moreover, this bankruptcy is Google’s damn fault. Per the company:

Small consumers are also using energy-efficient appliances and devices, adopting green building technologies, and taking other actions that help protect the environment, but also lower demand for energy products.

All of these factors converged to decrease the Debtors’ revenue and cause them to default on certain of their obligations.

We’re serious. Among the PETITION team, we own a number of Nest and other smart energy-efficient devices.

Anyway, all of this led to the debtors defaulting under their ~$60mm prepetition credit agreement with Macquarie Investments US Inc., which, after several months of forbearances meant to give the debtors an opportunity to refi out Macquarie and/or sell the company, expired under their own terms. Needless to say, the debtors weren’t successful and have filed the chapter 11 to prevent Macquarie from exercising remedies and afford themselves an opportunity to pursue a sale of substantially all of their assets.


  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)

  • Capital Structure: ~$60mm secured credit facility (Macquarie Investments US Inc.) + $30.6mm in collateralized LOCs.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP (Morton Branzburg, Dominic Pacitti, Michael Yurkewicz) & (local) McLaughlin & Stern LLP (Steven Newburgh)

    • Financial Advisor: GlassRatner Advisory & Capital Group LLC

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

  • Other Professionals:

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Novum Pharma LLC

Novum Pharma LLC

February 3, 2019

Another day, another pharma company that has filed for bankruptcy. Curious, too: we don’t recall seeing any restructuring professionals predicting that pharma would be the hot restructuring industry of choice. But we digress.

Here, Chicago-based Novum Pharma LLC, a special pharmaceutical company which owns and manufactures a portfolio of topical dermatology products, filed for bankruptcy in the District of Delaware. The company’s bankruptcy papers are interesting in that they provide a solid overview of the distribution channel for pharma products from the manufacturer to the end user. Disgruntled with all of the players taking a piece of revenues along the way, Novum Pharma attempted to disrupt the status quo by deployment of an alternative business model. Clearly it didn’t achieve the result it had hoped for.

Per the company, here’s how the “traditional” distribution channel typically works:

Source: PETITION LLC

Source: PETITION LLC

As you can see, the PBMs have a significant amount of leverage on account of their ability to determine which pharmaceuticals will be covered by insurance and which won’t. As a result, the company attempted its alternative. This model was predicated upon the concepts of “enhanced patient access” and “hassle free” access. It doesn’t appear that the company achieved that. Here’s how it would work:

Once the healthcare professional writes a script, the patient could get their prescription through one of three ways:

  1. Via a nationwide network of specialty pharmacies like Cardinal Health 105 Inc., a specialty pharmacy division of Cardinal Health Inc., that the company sells its products to and that have agreed to comply with the company’s guidelines;

  2. If 105 Inc. or the other specialty pharmacies cannot fill the prescription because a PBM denied coverage or otherwise, the pharmacy could transfer the prescription to a “consignment hub,” which is a specialty pharmacy that stocks the Debtor’s products on a consignment or bailment basis and will fill a prescription for a nominal fee (paid by the Debtor); or

  3. If a patient seeks to fill the prescription at a pharmacy that doesn’t participate in the company’s network and the PBM denies coverage, the patient will receive the drug for free.

As you might imagine, prescribing physicians are encouraged to provide patients with a hotline number where, no doubt, patients, are encouraged to go route #1. Why? Because the company earns revenue from the specialty pharmacies (read: from Cardinal Health). But, per the company:

In contrast, when a prescription is filled by a pharmacy, the Debtor expends funds to facilitate the transaction. In particular, when a healthcare plan covers some or all of the cost of a Dermatology Product prescription, the Debtor, through its Co-Pay Vendors, pays the amount that is not covered by the healthcare plan. Alternatively, when a healthcare plan rejects a Dermatology Product prescription, the Debtor facilitates the transfer of that prescription to one of its consignment hubs so that the prescription can be filled and mailed to the patient, at no cost to the patient.

Anyone else see the problem with all of this?!? Don’t know about you, but the added friction of calling a hotline and finding some random specialty pharmacy rather than going to the neighborhood CVS is far from “hassle free.”

All of these gymnastics created a company with $19.4mm in assets, the lion’s share of which is its intellectual property. In addition, there are some consulting and sales support contracts and A/R. On the liability side of the balance sheet, the company has $15.2mm due and owing on a secured basis to lender RGP Pharmacap LLC (at a prime plus 9.75% or 14% interest rate, payable in monthly principal installments), and $2.8mm in lease obligations that are secured, in part, by a $500k letter of credit issued by The Huntington National Bank.

Per the company, among the factors that precipitated the company’s bankruptcy were…

…among other things, (i) manufacturing hurdles leading to production delays and product “stock-outs”; (ii) a dispute with Cardinal and CVS regarding the price at which the Dermatology Products can be returned to the Debtor; (iii) managed care actions leading to increased prescription rejection rates for the Dermatology Products; and (iv) market dilution and decreased total prescriptions due to unauthorized generic alternatives being introduced into the market.

In response, the company implemented cost-cutting measures like outsourcing its “back office” function, downsizing its sales force and entering into a more cost-effective lease. But these measures didn’t address the fundamental business challenges confronting the company. The company continued:

The Debtor’s historically low prescription approval rates, compounded by (i) the Debtor’s persistent manufacturing issues which directly damaged the Debtor’s business because the Debtor’s sales force was unable to distribute sample products during a critical product growth period and HCPs were forced to prescribe alternative medications, (ii) the Debtor’s working capital shortages stemming in part from the Cardinal/CVS product return dispute and (iii) generic drug competition (which the Debtor believes is unlawful), led the Debtor to the inevitable conclusion that its business was no longer sustainable and that a restructuring and refinancing of the business would be necessary.

The chapter 11 filing is meant to preserve the company’s assets and provide it with a forum through which to conduct a bankruptcy sale process of the dermatology products to maximize value for the company’s creditors. Based on the various disputes the company has with Cardinal/CVS, there may be some litigation here for an as-of-yet-unformed Creditors’ Committee to pursue as well.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)

  • Capital Structure: $15.2mm of secured debt, $2.8mm in lease obligations

  • Company Professionals:

    • Legal: Cole Schotz PA (David Hurst, Patrick Reilley, Jacob Frumkin)

    • Independent Director: Thomas J. Allison

    • Financial Advisor: CR3 Partners LLC (Thomas O’Donoghue, Layne Deutscher, Cynthia Chan)

    • Investment Banker: Teneo Capital (Chris Boguslaski)

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors

      • Legal: Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. (Andrew Sherman, Boris Mankovetskiy) & (local) Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP (Morton Branzburg, Richard Beck, Sally Veghte)

      • Financial Advisors: Goldin Associates LLC (Gary Polkowitz)

Updated 3/9/19

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Maremont Corporation

Maremont Corporation

January 22, 2019

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

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

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

Source: Yahoo!

Source: Yahoo!


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

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

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

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

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)

  • Company Professionals:

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

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

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Future Claimants Representative: James L. Patton Jr.

      • Legal: Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP

      • Claims Estimation Advisor: Ankura Consulting Group LLC

🚗New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - ATD Corporation🚗

ATD Corporation

10/4/18

Recap: Please see here.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)

  • Capital Structure: See below.

  • Company Professionals:

    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Anup Sathy, Chad Husnick, Spencer Winters, Joshua Greenblatt, Jacob Johnston, Mark McKane, Jaimie Fedell, Andre Guiulfo) & (local) Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Laura Jones, Timothy Cairns, Joseph Mulvihill)

    • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP (James Mesterharm)

    • Investment Banker: Moelis & Co. (Adam Keil)

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Term Lender Committee

      • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Brian Hermann, Aidan Synnott, Jacob Adlerstein, Michael Turkel, David Giller, Oksana Lashko, Eugene Park, Jacqueline Rubin) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Pauline Morgan, Joel Waite, Andrew Magaziner)

      • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey

    • DIP Agent and Pre-Petition ABL Agent (Bank of America)

      • Legal: Parker Hudson Rainer & Dobbs LLP (C. Edward Dobbs, Eric W. Anderson, James S. Rankin Jr., Jack C. Basham) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (John Knight, Amanda Steele, Brendan Schlauch)

    • DIP FILO Lenders & Consenting Noteholders

      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Ira Dizengoff, Philip Dublin, Naomi Moss) & (local) Pepper Hamilton LLP (Evelyn Meltzer, Kenneth Listwak)

      • Financial Advisor: PJT Partners

    • Indenture Trustee: Ankura Trust Company LLC

      • Legal: King & Spalding LLP (Jeffrey Pawlitz, David Zubricki, Jared Zajec) & (local) Chipman Brown Cicero & Cole, LLP (William E. Chipman, Jr., Mark D. Olivere)

    • Michelin North America Inc.

      • Legal: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP (George B. Cauthen, Jody A. Bedenbaugh, Shane Ramsey) & (local) Bayard PA (Justin Alberto, Evan Miller)

    • Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

      • Legal: Jones Day (Timothy Hoffmann) & (local) Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP (Jeremy Ryan, D. Ryan Slaugh)

    • Sponsor: Ares Management

      • Legal: Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP (Paul Aronzon, Thomas Kreller, Adam Moses)

    • Sponsor: TPG Capital

      • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Ryan Dahl, Natasha Hwangpo)

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New Chapter 11 Filing - Jet Midwest Group LLC

2/26/18

Kansas City-based seller and lessor of commercial aircraft and engines has filed for bankruptcy. 

  • Jurisdiction: DofDelaware (Judge Carey)
  • Capital Structure: $17.5mm debt     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Polsinelli PC (Christopher Ward, Shanti Katona, Randye Soref)
    • Claims Agent: JND Corporate Restructuring (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors: None.
  • Secured Lender: Jet Midwest International Co., Ltd.
    • Legal: Dorsey & Whitney LLP (Eric Lopez Shnabel, Robert Mallard, Alessandra Glorioso, Richard Silberberg, Geoffrey Sant, Eric Epstein)

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Dextera Surgical Inc. ($DXTR)

Dextera Surgical Inc.

  • 12/11/17 Recap: Publicly-traded ($DXTR) California based med-device company that designs and and manufactures proprietary stapling devices that enable the advancement of minimally invasive surgical procedures has filed for bankruptcy to effectuate a sale. Why bankruptcy? Per the company's pleadings, "Dextera invested in obtaining regulatory clearances and product development, evaluation, and manufacturing, but experienced interruptions in the ability to produce both staplers and staple reload cartridges to meet customer demand. It also incurred substantial operating losses that significantly impacted liquidity, ultimately leading to the need to file the Chapter 11 Case." The company has lined up a stalking horse purchaser (Aesculap Inc.) who also happens to be the provider of $1.5mm in DIP financing to effectuate the case. The purchase price is reported to be approximately $17.3mm. 
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)
  • Capital Structure: $4mm 5% secured note     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP (Mark Minuti, Teresa Currier, Monique DiSabatino)
    • Special Legal: Cooley LLP (Robert Eisenbach)
    • Financial Advisor: JMP Securities LLC
    • Claims Agent: Rust Consulting/Omni Bankruptcy (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • DIP Lender/Stalking Horse Bidder: Aesculap Inc.
      • Legal: Stevens & Lee PC (Joseph Huston Jr., Robert Lapowsky)

Updated 12/13/17

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Woodbridge Group of Companies LLC

Woodbridge Group of Companies LLC

  • 12/4/17 Recap: Real estate finance and development company focused on buying, improving, and selling high-end luxury homes has filed for bankruptcy. It is a "group of companies" because there are literally scores of individual debtor properties that are set up in special purpose vehicles (Propcos) wholly-owned by other related special purpose vehicles (Holdcos). It's like Inception: an SPV within an SPV. 140 Propcos are debtors and 127 Holdcos are debtors. As you can imagine, there are a ton of intercompany transfers here. The company has been the subject of an SEC investigation since September 2016 on the basis of "potential securities law violations, including the alleged offer and sale of unregistered securities, the sale of securities by unregistered brokers, and the commission of fraud in connection with the offer, purchase and sale of securities." Indeed, the company allegedly raised over $200mm from retail investors. But, wait: there's more. The company has also received information requests from state securities regulators in "approximately" 25 states. PETITION NOTE: what do they mean by "approximately"? There are a finite number of states. Have the requests become SO VOLUMINOUS that they company has lost track of how many there've been? The company has secured a $100mm DIP credit facility from Hankey Capital LLC and attempts to have a plan of reorganization confirmed by the end of 2018. 
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)
  • Capital Structure: $750mm seller financing.    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Current Legal: Klee Tuchin Bogdanoff & Stern LLP 
    • Previous Legal: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (Samuel Newman, Oscar Garza, Daniel Denny, J. Eric Wise, Matthew Kelsey, Matthew Porcelli) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Sean Beach, Edmon Morton, Ian Bambrick, Allison Mielke)
    • Current Restructuring Advisor/CRO: Development Specialists Inc. (Bradley Sharp) 
    • Previous Restructuring Advisor: SierraConstellation Partners LLC (Larry Perkins, John Farrace, Robert Shenfeld, Reece Fulgham, Miles Staglik, Lissa Weissman)
    • Independent Manager of Affiliate: Beilinson Advisory Group LLC (Marc Beilinson)
    • Claims Agent: Garden City Group (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • DIP Lender: Hankey Capital LLC
      • Legal: Buchalter (William Brody, Paul Arrow) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (John Knight, Christopher De Lillo)
    • Former CEO: Robert Shapiro
      • Legal: DLA Piper LLP (US) (Eric Goldberg, Stuart Brown)

Updated 3/24/18 9:45 CT

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Velocity Pooling Vehicle LLC

Velocity Pooling Vehicle LLC

  • 11/15/17 Summary: A few weeks ago we questioned whether the restructuring industry ought to be focusing more on the automotive space, asking whether the bankruptcy of GST Autoleather Inc. was the canary in the coal mine. Now, here, Velocity Pooling Vehicle LLC (d/b/a Motorsport Aftermarket), an Indianapolis-based motorcycle aftermarket parts seller has filed for bankruptcy to address its balance sheet in the face of declining trends in the motorcycle market. The company has announced a consensual restructuring pursuant to which it will equitize its debt; it intends to fast-track the case and emerge from bankruptcy in Q1 '18. The company has secured a $135mm DIP credit facility. Term lenders Monomoy Capital Partners, BlueMountain Capital and Contrarian Partners are coming out with the equity in the company. More to come.
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Carey)
  • Capital Structure: $295mm '21 TL (Wilmington Trust NA), $85mm '22 second lien TL     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Proskauer Rose LLP (Jeff Marwil, Paul Possinger, Christopher Hayes, Jeramy Webb) & (local) Cole Schotz P.C. (Norman Pernick)
    • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP
    • Claims Agent: Donlin Recano & Co. Inc. (*click on company name above for free docket access once link appears)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Administrative Agent: Wells Fargo Bank, NA
      • Legal: Goldberg Kohn Ltd. (Randall Klein, Prisca Kim) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (John Knight, Brett Haywood)
    • Ad Hoc Group
      • Legal: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP (Jayme Goldstein, Daniel Ginsberg, Matthew Garofalo) & (local) Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Edmon Morton, Matthew Lunn)

Updated 11/17/17 6:11 CT