⛽️New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Nine Point Energy Holdings Inc.⛽️

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Nine Point Energy Holdings Inc.

Colorado-based Nine Point Energy Holdings Inc. (along with three affiliates, the “debtors”) is and independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana. It is the successor to Triangle USA Petroleum Corporation, which filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2016 and confirmed a plan in March 2017. Four years later, it’s back in bankruptcy court. 😬

Followers of E&P bankruptcies have become accustomed to disputes relating to E&P companies and their midstream gathering, transportation and processing providers. Here, Caliber Midstream Partners LP was the debtors’ largest midstream services provider — “was” being the operative word after the debtors terminated the long-term midstream services agreements on the eve of bankruptcy. The story, however, doesn’t end there.

The debtors are willing to enter into a new arrangement with Caliber going forward. It’s unclear how the new arrangement might differ from the existing arrangement because redaction, redaction, redaction. The economic terms of the contract have not been disclosed. 🤔

And so here we are with another potential “running with the land” scenario. If you’re unfamiliar with what this is, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to E&P bankruptcy cases. Just Google it and you’ll pull up probably 8928394829248929 law firm articles on the topic. As this will be a major driver in the case, it probably makes sense to refresh your recollection.

Why are the debtors in bankruptcy? All of the usual reasons, e.g., the big drop in oil prices thanks to COVID-19 and Russia/OPEC. Nothing really new there.

So what does this filing achieve? For starters, it will give the debtors an opportunity to address the Caliber contracts. Moreover, it will avail the debtors of a DIP facility from their pre-petition lenders in the amount of ~$72mm — $18mm in new money and $54mm on a rollup basis (exclusive of an additional $16.1mm roll-up to account for pre-petition secured swap obligations)(8% interest with 2% commitment fee). Finally, the pre-petition-cum-DIP-lenders have agreed to serve as the stalking horse purchaser of the debtors’ assets with a credit bid floor of $250mm.

Date: March 15, 2021

Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Walrath)

Capital Structure: $256.9mm credit facility, $16.1mm swap obligations

Company Professionals:

  • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (Richard Levy, Caroline Reckler, Jonathan Gordon, George Davis, Nacif Taousse, Alistair Fatheazam, Jonathan Weichselbaum, Andrew Sorkin, Heather Waller, Amanda Rose Stanzione, Elizabeth Morris, Sohom Datta) & Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Michael Nestor, Kara Hammond Coyle, Ashley Jacobs, Jacob Morton)

  • Board of Directors: Patrick Bartels Jr., Dominic Spencer, Frederic Brace, Gary Begeman, Alan Dawes

  • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLP (John Castellano)

  • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners LP (John Cesarz)

  • Claims Agent: Stretto (Click here for free docket access)

Other Parties in Interest:

  • Pre-petition & DIP Agent: AB Private Credit Investors LLC

    • Legal: Proskauer Rose LLP (Charles Dale, David Hillman, Michael Mervis, Megan Volin, Paul Possinger, Jordan Sazant) & Landis Rath & Cobb LLP (Adam Landis, Kerri Mumford, Matthew Pierce)

  • Ad Hoc Group of Equityholders: Shenkman Capital Management, JP Morgan Securities LLC, Canyon Capital Advisors LLC, Chambers Energy Capital

    • Legal: Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (Jeffrey Pawlitz, Matthew Dunn, Mark Stancil) & Richards Layton & Finger PA (John Knight, Amanda Steele, David Queroli)

  • Midstream Counterparty: Caliber Measurement Services LLC, Caliber Midstream Fresh Water Partners LLC, and Caliber North Dakota LLC

    • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Alfredo Perez, Brenda Funk, Tristan Sierra, Edward Soto, Lauren Alexander) & Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Curtis Miller, Taylor Haga, Nader Amer)

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Neiman Marcus Group LTD LLC

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Neiman Marcus Group LTD LLC

May 7, 2020

Dallas-based Neiman Marcus Group LTD LLC, Bergdorf Goodman Inc. and 22 other debtors filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas late this week. If anyone is seeking an explanation as to why that may be outside the obvious pandemic-related narrative, look no farther than this monstrosity:

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A quick reality check: that $5b capital structure isn’t attached to an international enterprise with hundreds or thousands of stores. You know, like Forever21. Rather, that horror show backs a 68 store business (43 Neiman Marcus, 2 Bergdorf, 22 Last Call). Ah….gotta love the good ol’ $5b leveraged buyout.

This case is all about “BIG.”

Big capital structure stemming from a big LBO by two big PE funds, Ares Capital Management and CPP Investment Board USRE Inc.

Big brands with big price tags. PETITION Note: top unsecured creditors include Chanel Inc., Gucci America, Dolce and Gabbana USA Inc., Stuart Weitzman Inc., Theory LLC, Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent America Inc., Burberry USA, and more. There is also a big amount allocated towards critical vendors: $42.5mm. Nobody messes with Gucci, folks. Here’s a live shot of a representative walking out of court confident that they’ll get their money:

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Big fees. More on this below.

Big, complicated — and controversial — multi-year re-designation and asset stripping transactions that were part of the debtors’ (and now non-debtors’) elaborate strategy to restructure out-of-court by kicking the can down the road. This is undoubtedly going to stir a big fight in the case. More on this below too.

Big value destruction.

Here is what will happen to the pre-petition capital structure under the proposed term sheet and restructuring support agreement filed along with the chapter 11 papers — a deal that has the support of 78% of the term lenders, 78% of the debentures, 99% of the second lien notes, 70% of the third lien notes, and 100% of the private equity sponsors:

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The Asset-Based Revolving Credit Facility and FILO Facility will get out at par. There’ll be a $750mm exit facility. Beyond that? All that red constitutes heaps and heaps of value that’s now essentially an option. It’s a bet that there is a place in the future for brick-and-mortar luxury department stores. Pursuant to the deal, the “Extended Term Loans” will get the lion’s share of equity (87.5%, subject to dilution). The rest of the capital structure will get small slivers of reorganized equity. General unsecured creditors will get “their pro rata share of a cash pool.” The private equity sponsors will get wiped out but for their hoped-for liability releases.

Back to those big fees. The biggest issue for this week was the debtors’ proposed $675mm new money DIP credit facility (that comes in junior to the existing ABL in priority…in other words, no roll-up here). The DIP is essentially 13% paper chock full of fees (including a backstop fee payable in “NewCo equity” at 30% discount to plan value). One disgruntled party, Mudrick Capital Management, a holder of $144mm of the term loan, appears to have beef with Pimco and other DIP backstop parties — saying that the backstop agreement is inappropriate and the DIP fees are outrageous, likening the fee grab to a COVID hoarding mentality — and therefore felt compelled to cross-examine the debtors’ banker as to the reasonableness of it all. If you’ve ever imagined a kid suing other kids for not picking him for their dodgeball team, it would look something like this did.

And so Lazard’s testimony basically boiled down to this:

“Uh, yeah, dude, nobody knows when the economy will fully open up. The company only has $100mm of cash on the petition date. And IT’S NOT OPERATING. That money is enough for maybe 3 weeks of cash burn given that the debtors intend to continue paying rent (unlike most other retailers that have filed for bankruptcy lately). Damn pesky high-end landlords. Anyway, so we’ll burn approximately $300mm between now and when stores are projected to reopen in July/August. No operating cash flow + meaningful cash burn = risky AF lending environment. It’s unprecedented to lend into a situation with a cash burn that, while it pales in comparison to something like Uber, is pretty damn extreme. Look at the J.Crew DIP: it ain’t exactly cheap to lend in this market. There are no unencumbered assets; there certainly isn’t a way to get junior financing. And a priming fight makes no sense here given the impossibility of showing an equity cushion. So stop being an entitled little brat. There’s no obligation on anyone to cut you into the deal. And if you’re going to cry over spilled milk, take up your beef with Pimco and f*ck right off. Alternatively, you can subscribe to your pro rata portion of the DIP and enjoy all of the fees other than the backstop fee.”

The Judge was convinced that the above rationale constituted good business judgment and approved the DIP on an interim basis.

The hearing also foreshadowed another contentious issue in the case: the myTheresa situation. See, the Debtors’ position is the following: “The ‘17 MyTheresa designation as unrestricted subs + the ‘18 distribution of the myTheresa operating companies to non-debtor Neiman Marcus Group Inc. (a/k/a the “asset stripping” transaction) + a ‘19 wholesale amend-and-extend + cost-saving initiatives + comparable same store sales growth for 7 of 10 quarters + “significantly expanded margins” during the holiday period = rocket ship future growth but for the damn pandemic. On the flip side, Marble Ridge Capital LP takes the position that:

…the Debtors’ financial troubles were entirely foreseeable well before recent events. The Company has operated at leverage multiples more than twice its peers since at least 2018 (prior to the fraudulent transfers described herein). And last year’s debt restructuring increased the Company’s already unsustainable annual interest expense by more than $100 million while only reducing the Company’s debt load by $250 million leaving a fraction of adjusted EBITDA for any capital expenditures, principal repayment, taxes or one-time charges. Sadly, the Debtors’ financial distress will come as no surprise to anyone.

This ain’t gonna be pretty. Marble Ridge has already had one suit for fraudulent transfer dismissed with prejudice at the pleading stage. Now there are defamation and other claims AGAINST Marble Ridge outstanding. And subsequent suits in the NY Supreme Court. Have no fear, though, folks. There are independent managers in the mix now to perform an “independent” investigation into these transactions.

The debtors intend to have a plan on file by early June with confirmation in September. Until then, pop your popcorn folks. You can socially distance AND watch these fireworks.

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

  • Capital Structure: See above.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Anup Sathy, Chad Husnick, Matthew Fagen, Austin Klar, Gregory Hesse, Dan Latona, Gavin Campbell, Gary Kavarsky, Mark McKane, Jeffrey Goldfine, Josh Greenblatt, Maya Ben Meir) & Jackson Walker LLP (Matthew Cavenaugh, Jennifer Wertz, Kristhy Peguero, Veronica Polnick)

    • Independent Managers of NMG LTD LLC: Marc Beilinson, Scott Vogel

      • Legal: Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (Brian Lennon, Todd Cosenza, Jennifer Hardy, Joseph Davis, Alexander Cheney)

      • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Dennis Stogsdill)

    • Independent Manager of Mariposa Intermediate Holdings LLC: Anthony Horton

      • Legal: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

    • Neiman Marcus Inc.

      • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (Jeffrey Bjork)

    • Financial Advisor/CRO: Berkeley Research Group LLC (Mark Weinstein, Kyle Richter, Marissa Light)

    • Investment Banker: Lazard Freres & Co. LLC (Tyler Cowan)

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Pre-petition ABL Agent: Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch

      • Legal: White & Case LLP (Scott Greissman, Andrew Zatz, Rashida Adams) & Gray Reed & McGraw LLP (Jason Brookner, Paul Moak, Lydia Webb)

    • FILO Agent: TPG Specialty Lending Inc.

      • Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (Adam Harris, Abbey Walsh, G. Scott Leonard) & Jones Walker LLP (Joseph Bain)

    • Pre-petition Term Loan Agent: Credit Suisse AG Cayman Islands Branch

      • Legal: Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP (Paul Zumbro, George Zobitz, Christopher Kelly) & Haynes and Boone LLP (Charles Beckham, Martha Wyrick)

    • Second Lien Note Agent: Ankura Trust Company LLC

    • Third Lien Note Agent: Wilmington Trust NA

    • Unsecured Notes Indenture Trustee: UMB Bank NA

      • Legal: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP (Douglas Mannal, Rachael Ringer)

    • 2028 Debentures Agent: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB

    • Ad Hoc Term Loan Lender Group (Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP, Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, Sixth Street Partners LLC)

      • Legal: Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz (Joshua Feltman, Emil Kleinhaus) & Vinson & Elkins LLP (Harry Perrin, Kiran Vakamudi, Paul Heath, Matthew Moran, Katherine Drell Grissel)

      • Financial Advisor: Ducera Partners LLC

    • Ad Hoc Secured Noteholder Committee

      • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Andrew Rosenberg, Alice Belisle Eaton, Claudia Tobler, Diane Meyers, Neal Donnelly, Patricia Walsh, Jeffrey Recher) & Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Eric English, M. Shane Johnson)

      • Financial Advisor: Houlihan Lokey Capital Inc.

    • Large Creditor: Chanel Inc.

      • Legal: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP (Justin Bernbrock, Michael Driscoll)

    • Large Creditor: Louis Vuitton USA Inc.

      • Legal: Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP (Nathan Rugg)

    • Large Creditor: Moncler USA Inc.

      • Legal: Morrison Cohen LLP (Joseph Moldovan, David Kozlowski)

    • Marble Ridge Capital LP & Marble Ridge Master Fund LP

      • Legal: Brown Rudnick LLP (Edward Weisfelner, Sigmund Wissner-Gross, Jessica Meyers, Uchechi Egeonuigwe)

    • Mudrick Capital Management LP

      • Legal: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (Michael Rosenthal, Mitchell Karlan, David Feldman, Keith Martorana, Jonathan Fortney)

    • Sponsor: CPP Investment Board USRE Inc.

      • Legal: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (Jasmine Ball, Erica Weisgerber) & Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (Hugh Ray, William Hotze, Jason Sharp)

    • Sponsor: Ares Capital Management

      • Legal: Milbank LLP (Dennis Dunne, Thomas Kreller)

    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors

      • Legal: Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Richard Pachulski) & Cole Schotz PC (Daniel Rosenberg)

      • Financial Advisor: M-III Advisory Partners LP (Mohsin Meghji)

      • Valuation Expert: The Michel-Shaked Group (Israel Shaked)

⛽️New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. ($DO)⛽️

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Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.

April 26, 2020

Houston-based Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. and 14 affiliates (the “debtors”), a contract drilling services provider to the oil and gas industry filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas. The company has 15 offshore drilling rigs: 11 semi-submersibles and four ultra-deepwater drillships deployed around the world (primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, Australia, Brazil and UK). Offshore drilling was already challenged due to excess supply of rigs — and has been since 2014. Recent events have made matters much much worse.

Thanks MBS. Thanks Putin. Thanks…uh…debilitating pandemic. The left-right combination of the Saudi/OPEC/Russia oil price war and COVID-19 has the entire oil and gas industry wobbling against the ropes. The pre-existing reality for offshore services companies “worsened precipitously” because of all of this. And so many companies will fall. The question is at what count and at what strength will they be able to get back on their feet. Given that this is a free-fall into bankruptcy with no pre-negotiated deal with lenders, it seems that nobody knows the answer. How could they? More on this below.

Unfortunately, the services segment the debtors play in is particularly at risk. “Almost all” of the debtors’ customers have requested some form of concessions on $1.4b of aggregate contract backlog. One customer, Beach Energy Ltd. ($BEPTF), “recently sought to formally terminate its agreement with the Company” (an action that is now the subject of an adversary proceeding filed in the bankruptcy cases). The debtors have been immersed in negotiations with their contract counter-parties to navigate these extraordinary times. It doesn’t help when business is so concentrated. Hess Corporation ($HES) is 30% of annual revenue; Occidental Petroleum Corporation ($OXY) is 21%; and Petrobras ($PBR) is 20%. BP PLC ($BP) and Royal Dutch Shell ($RDS.A) are other big customers.

With the writing on the wall, the debtors smartly drew down on their revolving credit facility — pulling $436mm out from under Wells Fargo Bank NA ($WFC). WFC must’ve loved that. Times like these really give phrases like “relationship banking” entirely new meaning. The debtors also elected to forgo a $14mm interest payment on its 2039 senior notes. Yep, you read that right: the company previously issued senior notes that weren’t set to mature until 2039. Not exactly Argentina but holy f*ck that expresses some real optimism (and froth) in the markets (and that issuance isn’t even the longest dated maturity but let’s not nitpick here)!

Yeah, so about that capital structure. In total, the debtors have $2.4b in funded debt. In addition to their $442mm of drawing under their revolving credit facility, the debtors have:

  • $500mm of 5.7% ‘39 senior unsecured notes;

  • $250mm of 3.45% ‘23 senior unsecured notes;

  • $750mm of 4.875% ‘43 senior unsecured notes; and

  • $500mm of 7.785% ‘25 senor unsecured notes.

As we’ve said time and time again: exploration and production is a wildly capital intensive business.

So now what? As we said above, there’s no deal here. The debtors note:

The Debtors determined to commence these Chapter 11 Cases to preserve their valuable contract backlog, and preserve their approximately $434.9 million in unrestricted cash on hand while avoiding annual interest expense of approximately $140.1 million under the Revolving Credit Facility and the Senior Notes, and to stabilize operations while proactively restructuring their balance sheet to successfully compete in the changing global energy markets. The Debtors and their Advisors believe cash on hand provides adequate funding at the outset of these cases. The Debtors are well-positioned to successfully emerge from bankruptcy with a highly marketable fleet, a solid backlog of activity, a strong balance sheet and liquidity position, and a differentiated approach and set of capabilities. Despite the volatile and current uncertain market conditions, the Debtors remain confident in the need for their industry, its importance around the world, and the critical services they provide.

We suspect the debtors will hang out in bankruptcy for a bit. After all, placing a value on how “critical” these services are in the current environment is going to be a challenge (though the relatively simple capital structure makes that calculation significantly easier…assuming the value extends beyond WFC). One thing seems certain: Loews Corporation ($L) is gonna have to write-down the entirety of its investment here.

*****

We’d be remiss if we didn’t highlight that, similar to Whiting Petroleum’s execs, the debtors’ executives here got paid nice bonuses just prior to the bankruptcy filing. PETITION Note: We don’t have data to back this up but there appeared to be a much bigger uproar in Whiting’s case about this than here. Which is not to say that people aren’t angry — totally factually incorrect — but angry:

Because equity-based comp doesn’t exactly serve as “incentive” when the equity is worth bupkis, the debtors paid $3.55mm to employees a week before the filing and intend to file a motion to seek bankruptcy court approval of their go-forward employee programs.

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

  • Capital Structure: $442mm RCF (inclusive of LOC)(Wells Fargo Bank NA). See above.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Basta, Robert Britton, Christopher Hopkins, Shamara James, Alice Nofzinger, Jacqueline Rubin, Andrew Gordon, Jorge Gonzalez-Corona) & Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Eric English, M. Shane Johnson, Genevieve Graham)

    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Nicholas Grossi)

    • Investment Banker: Lazard Freres & Co. LLC

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Prepetition RCF Agent: Wells Fargo Bank NA

      • Legal: Bracewell LLP

      • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting

    • Indenture Trustee: The Bank of New York Mellon

    • Ad Hoc Group of Senior Noteholders

      • Legal: Milbank LLP

      • Financial Advisor: Evercore Group LLC

    • Major Equityholder: Loews Corporation

      • Legal: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (James Bromley)

    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors: The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company NA, National Oilwell Varco LP, Deep Sea Mooring, Crane Worldwide Logistics LLC, Kiswire Trading Inc., Parker Hannifin Corporation, SafeKick Americas LLC

      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Ira Dizengoff, Philip Dublin, Naomi Moss, Marty Brimmage, Kevin Eide, Patrick Chen, Matthew Breen)

      • Financial Advisor: Berkeley Research Group LLC (Christopher Kearns)

      • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners LP (Alexander Tracy)

⛽️New Chapter 11 Filing - CARBO Ceramics Inc. ($CRRT)⛽️

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CARBO Ceramics Inc.

March 29, 2020

Houston-based CARBO Ceramics Inc. and two affiliates (the “debtors”) are the latest oil and gas servicers to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy; they are manufacturers and sellers of ceramic tech products and services and ceramic proppant for oilfield, industrial and environmental markets. Make no mistake, though: they are indexed heavily to the oil and gas market.

Here’s a paragraph that literally scores of companies ought to just copy and paste (with limited edits) over the next several months as a wave of oil and gas companies crash into the bankruptcy system:

Beginning in late 2014, a severe decline in oil prices and continued decline in natural gas prices led to a significant decline in oil and natural gas drilling activities and capital spending by E&P companies. While modest price recoveries have occurred intermittently since that time, prices have generally remained depressed and recently fell precipitously again to near record low levels. The Company’s financial performance is directly impacted by activity levels in the oil and natural gas industry. A downturn in oil and natural gas prices and sustained headwinds facing the E&P industry have resulted in both reduced demand for the Company’s products and services and reduced prices the Company is able to charge for those products and services. Because drilling activity has been reduced over a protracted period of time, demand for all of the Company’s products and services (proppant, in particular) has been significantly depressed.

They can then follow it up with some astounding business performance figures like:

From 2014 to 2019, the Company’s total revenue for base ceramic media fell from approximately $530 million to approximately $34 million.

BOOM!

Of course, this financial pain will trickle down to others. Like railcar and distribution center lessors, among others.

The debtors have a consensual deal with their pre-petition secured lenders, Wilks Brothers LLC and Equify Financial LLC, to equitize their debt — including maybe the DIP if its not rolled into an exit facility. The deal is interesting because it provides 100% recovery to unsecured creditors of two debtors and a cash payment option to unsecured debtors of the main debtor. The lenders will see a liquidating trust with a whopping $100k so that certain avoidance actions can be pursued. And, finally, there’s a “death trap.” If the unsecured creditors vote to accept the plan, the pre-petition secured creditors will waive their “very significant unsecured deficiency claim.” If not, they’ll flood them into oblivion. Of course, this statement implies that the value of the business is negligible at this point. Reminder: revenue dipped from $530mm to $34mm in 2019. Can’t imagine numbers for 2020 are looking particularly rosy either. Finally, all of the above is subject to a “fiduciary out” — you know, in case, by some miracle, someone else actually wants this business (spoiler alert: nobody will).

Also interesting is the value of the NOLs here which dwarf the funded debt. 🤔

Wilks will fund a $15mm DIP to finance the cases with $5mm needed within the first 14 days of the cases. This, however, is subject to what we’ll call “The COVID-caveat.” Per the company:

The DIP Budget is based on information known to date and is the best estimate of the Debtors’ current expectations. It should be noted that the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and the severe disruption and volatility in the market has caused and continues to cause major challenges across all industries and may ultimately result in the Debtors’ falling short of their forecasted receipts.

Interestingly, they note further:

The Company’s New Iberia facility is currently non-operational due to a state-wide shelter-in-place order, but the Company, pursuant to applicable state law, is continuing to pay its employees. While the shelter-in-place order could terminate by April 10, 2020, it is possible that the order will be extended.

While the Company’s other facilities in Alabama and Georgia are still operational, it is possible that these states will also enact shelter-in-place orders in the near term that will force these facilities to go non-operational.

The simultaneous supply and demand shock in the oil market is unprecedented and may cause a substantial strain on or reduction in collections from the Company’s primary customers, many of whom are dependent on oil prices.

None of this is surprising but it’s interesting to see the various x-factors that are now part of the DIP sizing process.

As you all very well know, these are extraordinary times.

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

  • Capital Structure: $65mm RCF (Wilks Brothers LLC & Equify Financial LLC)

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Vinson & Elkins LLP (Matthew Moran, Matthew Struble, Garrick Smith, Paul Heath, David Meyer, Michael Garza) & Okin Adams LLP (Matthew Okin, Johnie Maraist)

    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc.

    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners LP (Jakub Mlecsko)

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Prepetition Secured Lender & Major Equityholder: Wilks Brothers LLC & Equify Financial LLC

      • Legal: Norton Rose Fulbright LLP (Greg Wilkes, Francisco Vazquez)

      • Financial Advisor: Ankura Consulting Group LLC

🌑New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Hartshorne Holdings LLC🌑

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Hartshorne Holdings LLC

February 20, 2020

You have to hand it to creative name conventions. Especially when viewed from the lens of restructuring where all we see are BlackRock, StonePoint, Stone Hill, Owl Creek, Owl Rock, Oak Hill, etc. etc. For some reason trees, owls and rock formations are the only things that convey “steward of capital,” it seems. If we were starting a fund we’d go with something far more interesting. Giantsbane Capital, for instance. Or Hartshorne Capital. Sadly, Hartshorne is already taken. It’s the name of the latest coal company to file for bankruptcy (#MAGA!).

Kentucky-based Hartshorne Holdings LLC and three affiliates (the “debtors”) mine thermal coal — the kind used for power production — in the Illinois Coal Basin Western Kentucky. Per the debtors:

The Western Kentucky area is among the best mining jurisdictions in the United States due to its proximity to utility companies and access to low cost power, transportation and a non-union labor pool. Mining conditions at the Poplar Grove Mine are generally similar to those encountered in neighboring mines, which rank as some of the most productive room-and-pillar thermal coal operations in the United States.

In this first instance, this sounds highly positive. As does the fact that the debtors are party to (a) two fixed-priced coal sales contracts and a (b) fuel purchase order — all on terms that are “economically advantageous” for the debtors. So, what gives?

Well, for starters, we all know the macro issues. The coal industry is in secular decline, capitulating under the weight of declining commodity prices (induced in part by fracking and a US-based natural gas boom), reduced coal-based power capacity, and regulatory compliance constraints. Sh*t, are there any coal companies that haven’t gone bankrupt yet (yeah, yeah, Foresight Energy, but that’s coming and y’all know it).*

As if the macro conditions aren’t bad enough, this company ran into every operational issue under the sun. You name it, these guys experienced it:

  • Unexpected geological soil issues. ✅

  • Water issues. ✅

  • Delays caused by encountering a geological fault. ✅

  • Poor conditions for mine car movement. ✅

  • Increased mine car battery changes (due to the poor conditions). ✅

  • Less-than-expected processing yields. ✅

So while the debtors had economically advantageous contracts, they nevertheless couldn’t operate in such a way that was sustainable. Liquidity became extremely tight and, due to that, the debtors’ lenders refused to continue to finance the business. Any out-of-court resolution, therefore, became unrealistic and here we are. The debtors will now seek a sale of their assets in bankruptcy.

__________

*The debtors note:

Thermal coal demand in the domestic electric power sector has declined from 935 million tons in 2011 to 636 million tons in 2018 and coal has seen its share of the domestic electricity generation market reduce from 43% in 2011 to 31% in 2017.

  • Jurisdiction: W.D. of Kentucky (Judge Fulton)

  • Capital Structure: $42.6mm Term Loan, $9mm Royalty Interest (SP2 Royalty Co. LLC)

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Squire Patton Boggs US LLP (Stephen Lerner, Norman Kinel, Nava Hazan, Travis McRoberts, Kyle Arendsen, Maura McIntyre) & Frost Brown Todd LLC (Edward King, Bryan Sisto)

    • Financial Advisor/CRO: FTI Consulting Inc. (Bertrand Troiano)

    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners LP

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Pre-Petition Senior Secured & DIP Agent ($7.5mm): Tribeca Global Resources Credit Pty Ltd

      • Legal: Wyatt Tarrant & Combs LLP (John Brice)

⛽️New Chapter 11 Filing - Legacy Reserves Inc.⛽️

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Legacy Reserves Inc.

June 18, 2019

Even at 95 years old, you can’t get one past Charlie Munger. #Legend.

The Permian Basin in West Texas is where it’s at in the world of oil and gas exploration and production. Per Wikipedia:

As of 2018, the Permian Basin has produced more than 33 billion barrels of oil, along with 118 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This production accounts for 20% of US crude oil production and 7% of US dry natural gas production. While the production was thought to have peaked in the early 1970s, new technologies for oil extraction, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have increased production dramatically. Estimates from the Energy Information Administration have predicted that proven reserves in the Permian Basin still hold 5 billion barrels of oil and approximately 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

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And it may be even more prolific than originally thought. Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy recently issued a report indicating that Permian projected output was already above 4.5mm barrels a day in May with volumes exceeding 5mm barrels in June. This staggering level of production is pushing total U.S. oil production to approximately 12.5mm barrels per day in May. That means the Permian now accounts for 36% of US crude oil production — a significant increase over 2018. Normalized across 365 days, that would be a 1.64 billion barrel run rate. This is despite (a) rigs coming offline in the Permian and (b) natural gas flaring and venting reaching all-time highs in Q1 ‘19 due to a lack of pipelines. Come again? That’s right. The Permian is producing in quantities larger than pipelines can accommodate. Per Reuters:

Producers burned or vented 661 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) in the Permian Basin of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, the field that has driven the U.S. to record oil production, according to a new report from Rystad Energy.

The Permian’s first-quarter flaring and venting level more than doubles the production of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico’s most productive gas facility, Royal Dutch Shell’s Mars-Ursa complex, which produces about 260 to 270 mmcfd of gas.

The Permian isn’t alone in this, however. The Bakken shale field in North Dakota is also flaring at a high level. More from Reuters:

Together, the two oil fields on a yearly basis are burning and venting more than the gas demand in countries that include Hungary, Israel, Azerbaijan, Colombia and Romania, according to the report.

All of which brings us to Legacy Reserves Inc. ($LGCY). Despite the midstream challenges, one could be forgiven for thinking that any operators engaged in E&P in the Permian might be insulated from commodity price declines and other macro headwinds. That position, however, would be wrong.

Legacy is a publicly-traded energy company engaged in the acquisition, development, production of oil and nat gas properties; its primary operations are in the Permian Basin (its largest operating region, historically), East Texas, and in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions. While some of these basins may produce gobs of oil and gas, acquisition and production is nevertheless a HIGHLY capital intensive endeavor. And, here, like with many other E&P companies that have recently made their way into the bankruptcy bin, “significant capital” translates to “significant debt.”

Per the Company:

Like similar companies in this industry, the Company’s oil and natural gas operations, including their exploration, drilling, and production operations, are capital-intensive activities that require access to significant amounts of capital.  An oil price environment that has not recovered from the downturn seen in mid-2014 and the Company’s limited access to new capital have adversely affected the Company’s business. The Company further had liquidity constraints through borrowing base redeterminations under the Prepetition RBL Credit Agreement, as well as an inability to refinance or extend the maturity of the Prepetition RBL Credit Agreement beyond May 31, 2019.

This is the company’s capital structure:

Legacy Cap Stack.png

The company made two acquisitions in mid-2015 costing over $540mm. These acquisitions proved to be ill-timed given the longer-than-expected downturn in oil and gas. Per the Company:

In hindsight, despite the GP Board’s and management’s favorable view of the potential future opportunities afforded by these acquisitions and the high-caliber employees hired by the Company in connection therewith, these two acquisitions consumed disproportionately large amounts of the Company’s liquidity during a difficult industry period.

WHOOPS. It’s a good thing there were no public investors in this thing who were in it for the high yield and favorable tax treatment.*

Yet, the company was able to avoid a prior bankruptcy when various other E&P companies were falling like flies. Why was that? Insert the “drillco” structure here: the company entered into a development agreement with private equity firm TPG Special Situations Partners to drill, baby, drill (as opposed to acquire). What’s a drillco structure? Quite simply, the PE firm provided capital in return for a wellbore interest in the wells that it capitalized. Once TPG clears a specified IRR in relation to any specific well, any remaining proceeds revert to the operator. This structure — along with efforts to delever through out of court exchanges of debt — provided the company with much-needed runway during a rough macro patch.

It didn’t last, however. Liquidity continued to be a pervasive problem and it became abundantly clear that the company required a holistic solution to its balance sheet. That’s what this filing will achieve: this chapter 11 case is a financial restructuring backed by a Restructuring Support Agreement agreed to by nearly the entirety of the capital structure — down through the unsecured notes. Per the Company:

The Global RSA contemplates $256.3 million in backstopped equity commitments, $500.0 million in committed exit financing from the existing RBL Lenders, the equitization of approximately $815.8 million of prepetition debt, and payment in full of the Debtors’ general unsecured creditors.

Said another way, the Permian holds far too much promise for parties in interest to walk away from it without maintaining optionality for the future.

*Investors got burned multiple times along the way here. How did management do? Here is one view (view thread: it’s precious):

😬

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

  • Capital Structure: See above.

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Sidley Austin LLP (Duston McFaul, Charles Persons, Michael Fishel, Maegan Quejada, James Conlan, Bojan Guzina, Andrew O’Neill, Allison Ross Stromberg)

    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Seth Bullock, Mark Rajcevich)

    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners (Kevin Cofsky)

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (Wilmington Trust NA, Dalton Investments LLC, Paul Drueke, John Dinkel, Nicholas Mumford)

    • GSO Capital Partners LP

      • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (George Davis, Adam Goldberg, Christopher Harris, Zachary Proulx, Brett Neve, Julian Bulaon) & (local) Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Eric English, M. Shane Johnson)

    • DIP Lender: Wells Fargo Bank NA

      • Legal: Orrick LLP (Raniero D’Aversa, Laura Metzger)

    • Prepetition Term Agent: Cortland Capital Market Services LLC

      • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Gerardo Mijares-Shafai, Seth Kleinman)

    • Indenture Trustee: Wilmington Trust NA

      • Legal: Pryor Cashman (Seth Lieberman, Patrick Sibley, Andrew Richmond)

    • Ad Hoc Group of Senior Noteholders (Canyon Capital Advisors LLC, DoubleLine Income Solutions Fund, J.H. Lane Partners Master Fund LP, JCG 2016 Holdings LP, The John C. Goff 2010 Family Trust, John C. Goff SEP-IRA, Cuerno Largo Partners LP, MGA insurance Company Inc., Pingora Partners LLC)

      • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Brian Resnick, Stephen Piraino, Michael Pera) & (local) Rapp & Krock PC (Henry Flores)

Updated 7/7/19 #188

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Gastar Exploration Inc.

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Gastar Exploration Inc.

October 31, 2018

The fallout from the oil and gas downturn appears to have a long tail.

Gastar Exploration Inc. ($GST), an oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused on shale resource plays in Oklahoma filed a prepackaged bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas.

For anyone looking for a short primer on what exactly transpired in oil and gas country upon the 2014 downturn in commodity prices is in luck: the company provides a succinct explanation in its bankruptcy filings. It notes:

The market difficulties faced by the Debtors are consistent with those faced industry-wide. Oil and gas companies and others have been challenged by low natural gas prices for years. Since January 2014, natural gas prices fell from a peak of $5.39 per MMBtu in January 2014 to $1.73 per MMBtu by March 2016, and remain at approximately $3.17 per MMBtu. The price of crude oil has similarly plummeted from a high of $107.26 per barrel in June 2014 to a low of $29.64 per barrel in January 2016. Crude oil prices remain at approximately $67 per barrel. Additionally, NYMEX futures curves for both natural gas and crude oil are backward dated, indicating an expectation among real-money traders in the derivatives market that these commodity prices are expected to decline over the next several years.

These market conditions have affected oil and gas companies at every level of the industry around the world. All companies in the oil and gas industry (not just E&P companies) have felt these effects. However, independent oil and gas companies have been especially hard-hit, as their revenues are generated from the sale of unrefined oil and gas. Over 160 oil and gas companies have filed for chapter 11 since the beginning of 2015. Numerous other oil and gas companies have defaulted on their debt obligations, negotiated amendments or covenant relief with creditors to avoid defaulting, or have effectuated out-of-court restructurings.

The Debtors were not immune to these macro-economic forces.

With hundreds of millions of dollars of debt, the company managed to avoid a bankruptcy filing during that time. This is primarily due to a 2017 refinancing transaction that it consummated with Ares Management LLC pursuant to which the company took on new first lien term loans, new second lien converts, and obtained a $50mm equity investment from Ares. The capital structure, at the petition date, is comprised of these term loans and converts. The company intended the new financing to help it weather the downturn and bridge it to a more favorable operational performance and capital markets environment. Alas, it’s in bankruptcy. So, we guess we know how those intentions played out in reality. Indeed, the company experienced significant operational challenges that resulted in a decreased in well production performance — a result that came to pass only after the company incurred the costs of production. Sheesh.

Now the company seeks, in partnership with Ares, to push through a speedy chapter 11 bankruptcy that would have the effect of deleveraging the balance sheet by approximately $300mm, handing all of the equity to Ares (on account of their second lien notes claims), and wiping out the preferred and common equity — which would only be entitled to warrants in reorganized Gastar if they don’t object to the restructuring or seek the appointment of an official committee of equity security holders. Which in the case of both common equityholders (Fir Tree Capital Management LP & York Capital Management Global Advisors LLC) and preferred equityholders…uh…is exactly what they’re doing. Clearly those warrants weren’t much of a carrot. And Judge Isgur happens to have previously demonstrated a soft spot in his heart for equity committees. See, e.g., Energy XXI.

Prior to the first day hearing, Fir Tree and York (by attorneys Quinn Emanuel - a sign of seriousness) filed an emergency motion seeking the appointment of an equity committee alleging, among other things, that the company’s plan is a pure Ares jam fest. They seek an investigation of Ares’ actions (including the refinancing transaction), citing the Energy XXI case, and noting in the process that with unsecured creditors riding through the plan, there is no viable adversary to the debtor other than the zeroed-out equity. Which makes this a private equity vs. hedge fund hootenanny!

Subsequently, an ad hoc committee of preferred stockholders filed a motion joining the arguments of Fir Tree and York, noting, however, that as a preferred equity they’re liquidation preference trumps the interest of the common stockholders. They, too, want an investigation into Ares’ involvement in these cases.

A hearing is scheduled for later this week.

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

  • Capital Structure: see below (+$13.3mm in hedging obligations).     

  • Company Professionals:

    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Ross Kwasteniet, Anna Rotman, John Luze, Ciara Foster, Brett Newman) & (local) Jackson Walker LLP (Patricia Tomasco, Matthew Cavenaugh)

    • Financial Advisor: Dacarba LLC

    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners LP (Kevin Cofsky)

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

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Financial Sponsor: Ares Management LLC

      • Legal: Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP (Paul Aronzon, Thomas Kreller, Robert Liubicic, Haig Maghakian)

    • Minority Shareholders: Fir Tree Capital Management LP & York Capital Management Global Advisors LLC

      • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP (Emily Smith, K. John Shaffer, Benjamin Finestone, Kate Scherling)

    • Ad Hoc Committee of Preferred Stock Holders (Aedes LLC)

      • Legal: Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (Paul Silverstein, David Zdunkewicz, Brian Clarke, Timothy Tad Davidson II)

    • DIP Agent & TL Agent: Wilmington Trust NA

      • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Christopher Odell, Hannah Sibiski, Brian Lohan, Seth Kleinman)

Source: First Day Declaration

Source: First Day Declaration

New Chapter 11 Filing - R.E. Gas Development LLC (a/k/a Rex Energy)

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R.E. Gas Development LLC

5/18/18

Pennsylvania-based R.E. Gas Development LLC and its affiliates are independent publicly-traded ($REXX) oil and gas companies operating in the Appalachian Basin with a focus on drilling and exploration activity in the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale and Upper Devonian Shale, mostly throughout Western Pennsylvania. Like most other exploration and production companies that have found their way in bankruptcy court over the last several years, the sudden steep decline in crude oil and nat gas prices that began in 2014 significantly affected the company's liquidity and ability to manage its balance sheet. After all, this company isn't operating in the Permian. Revenues for 2017 were $205.3 million. 

After months and months of foreplay, the company enters bankruptcy court with a restructuring support agreement ("RSA") in tow: it provides for a dual path pursuant to which the company will, in agreement with its secured lenders, pursue a sale of substantially all assets or, in the absence of qualified bids, pursue a plan process pursuant to which the first lien lenders (i.e., Angelo Gordon) will swap (DIP) debt for equity in the reorganized company. The RSA purportedly has the support of 100% of the first lien lenders and 71.8% of the outstanding second lien notes.

To fund the company throughout the dual process, the company seeks a $411 million DIP credit facility, the proceeds of which will be used to (i) roll up $261 million of prepetition loans and (ii) settle the "makewhole provision" under the first lien credit agreement to the tune of $50 million. The makewhole was put into place at the time of the issuance of the first lien loan just short of a year ago.  For the uninitiated, the makewhole entitles the lender to certain economics in the event the lenders are "repaid in whole or in part prior to the maturity date or the outstanding indebtedness under the facility is accelerated for any reason." The economics are calculated "based on the sum of remaining interest payments and certain fees due on all loans for the remainder of the make whole period, which terminates on October 28, 2019." In other words, Angelo Gordon structured this to give themselves the utmost economics in the (highly likely) case of an event of default and eventual bankruptcy. Solid planning on their part -- assuming, in particular, that the assets fetch a purchase price that will clear the first lien debt and makewhole amount. Respect. 

So, lo and behold, there was an event of default called in February for failure to deliver quarterly financial statements (which led to other defaults as well). In April, the lenders, after a short forbearance period, issued a notice of acceleration. Cha ching! Makewhole!!

The DIP credit agreement imposes fairly expedited -- but not wholly unreasonable (relative to other recent cases) -- timing on the company, including closing of any sale or confirmation of a plan 170 days after the filing date. 

  • Jurisdiction: W.D. of Pennsylvania (Judge Deller)
  • Capital Structure: see below.
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Jones Day (Scott Greenberg, Tom Howley, Michael Cohen, Anna Kordas, Rachel Biblo Block) & (local) Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney PC (James Newell, Timothy Palmer, Tyler Dischinger)
    • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc. (Albert Conly)
    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners (Alexander Tracy)
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Prepetition First Lien Admin Agent: Angelo Gordon Energy Servicer
      • Legal: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Michael Torkin) & (local) Duane Morris LLP
      • Financial Advisor: PJT Partners
    • Informal Group of 1%/8% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2020 of Rex Energy Corporation
      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Michael Stamer, Meredith Lahaie, Stephen Kuhn, Kevin Zuzolo) and (local) Reed Smith LLP (Eric Schaffer, Maura McIntyre)
      • Financial Advisor: Stephens Inc.
    • Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB
      • Legal: Morrison & Foerster LLP (Jonathan Levine, Daniel Harris) & (local) Reed Smith LLP (Eric Schaffer, Maura McIntyre)
    • BOKF, National Association
      • Legal: Arent Fox LLP (Andrew Silfen, George Angelich, Jordana Renert) & (local) Federic Dorwart, Lawyers PLLC (Samuel Ory)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Brown Rudnick LLP (Robert Stark, Chelsea Mullarney, Sigmund Wissner-Gross, Brian Rice, Steven Pohl, Andrew Carty, Bennett Silverberg, Chelsea Mullarney, Emily Koruda, Justin Cunningham) & (local) Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl LLC (Patrick Carothers, David Lampl, John Steiner)
      • Financial Advisor: Conway MacKenzie Inc. (John Young Jr.)
Source: First Day Declaration

Source: First Day Declaration

New Chapter 11 Filing - VER Technologies Holdco LLC

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VER Technologies Holdco LLC

4/4/18

VER Technologies, a Los Angeles-based provider of for-rent production equipment and engineering support for live and taped television, cinema, live events and broadcast media has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the District of Delaware. We hadn't heard of these guys before and we're guessing that, unless you live in Los Feliz or Silverlake, you haven't either. Suffice it to say that they're they guys behind the guy, so to speak. Recent broadcast work included the 2018 Super Bowl broadcast (eat it Brady); they also serve over 350 live music customers per year including the Biebs and the band-formerly-known-as-Coldplay-now-called-the-Chainsmokers. 

In some respects, this is a story about attempted avoidance of disruption leading to disruption. The company initially specialized in rentals with no equipment customization but, with time, opted to expand its product and service offerings to include customization. This endeavor, however, proved capital intensive to the point where the company exceeded $270 million on its prepetition asset-backed lending facility. This triggered cash sweeps to the company's bank which proved to further constrain liquidity. This sparked a need for an operational and balance sheet restructuring to maximize cash and get the company to the point of a potential transaction.

In other respects, this is another leveraged buy-out that saddled the target company with a wee bit too much debt. Moreover, the company seems to have undertaken a number of ill-advised or ill-executed operational initiatives that, ultimately, undercut revenue. It happens. 

Now the company -- supported by a restructuring support agreement with its lenders (including funds managed by GSO Capital Partners) -- hopes to facilitate a pre-negotiated merger with an entity controlled by Production Resource Group LLCl ("PRG"). PRG is a Jordan Company-owned provider of entertainment and event technology solutions. Naturally, the term lenders will also own a portion of the reorganized company. Per the term sheet, PRG will get 72% preferred and 80% common; the term lenders will get the delta. The reorganized company will still have a meaningful amount of debt on its balance sheet with a proposed new (unquantified) first lien term loan and a $435 million new second lien term loan. 

The company has secured a proposed $364.7 million DIP credit facility ($300mm ABL, $64.7mm Term Loan, of which $50mm is new money) to support its time in bankruptcy. The company seeks to be in and out of bankruptcy court in approximately 115 days. 

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Gross)
  • Capital Structure: $296.3mm ABL Facility (Bank of America NA), $424.2mm term loan (GSO Capital Partners LP/Wilmington Trust NA), $14mm FILO loan, $18.75mm New FTF Inc. Note, $7.5mm Catterton Notes.  
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Joshua Sussberg, Ryan Blaine Bennett, Christine Pirro, Jamie Netznik) & (local) Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP (Domenic Pacitti, Morton Branzburg)
    • Financial Advisor/CRO: AlixPartners LLC (Lawrence Young, Stephen Spitzer, Bradley Hunter, Christopher Blacker, James Guyton, Brad Hall)
    • Investment Banker: PJT Partners LP (Nick Leone)
    • Strategic Communications: Joele Frank
    • Independent Director: Eugene Davis
      • Legal: Kramer Levin Naftalis Frankel LLP (Philip Bentley)
    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Prepetition ABL Agent and DIP ABL Agent:
      • Legal: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (Shana Elberg, Christopher Dressel, Anthony Clark, Robert Weber, Cameron Fee)
      • Financial Advisor: Perella Weinberg Partners
    • DIP Term Loan Agent: Wilmington Trust NA
      • Legal: Alston & Bird LLP (Jason Solomon)
    • Supporting Term Loan Lenders: GSO Capital Partners, ABR Reinsurance Ltd., Consumer Program Administrators Inc., Irving LLC
      • Legal: Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP (Frederick Eisenbeigler, Andrew Gallo, Christopher Carter) & Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Amanda Steele, Joseph Barsalona)
    • 12% Subordinated Noteholder:
      • Legal: King & Spalding LLP (Jeffrey Pawlitz, Michael Handler)
    • Indenture Trustee FTF Note:
      • Legal: Robins Kaplan LLP (Howard Weg, Michael Delaney)
    • Production Resource Group LLC
      • Legal: Greenberg Traurig LLP (Todd Bowen) & Morrison Cohen LLP (Joseph Moldovan, Robert Dakis)
    • Wells Fargo NA
      • Legal: Otterbourg PC (Andrew Kramer)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: SulmeyerKupetz PC (Alan Tippie, Mark Horoupian, Victor Sahn, David Kupetz) & (local) Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLC (Christopher Samis, L. Katherine Good, Aaron Stulman, Kevin Hroblak)
      • Financial Advisor: Province Inc. (Carol Cabello) 

Updated 5/19/18

New Chapter 11 Filing - iHeartMedia Inc.

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iHeartMedia Inc.

3/14/18

iHeartMedia Inc., a leading global media company specializing in radio, outdoor, mobile, social, live media, on-demand entertainment and more, has filed for bankruptcy -- finally succumbing to its $20 billion of debt ($16 billion funded) and $1.4 billion of cash interest in 2017. WOWSERS. The company purports to have "an agreement in principle with the majority of [its] creditors and [its] financial sponsors that reflects widespread support across the capital structure for a comprehensive plan to restructure...$10 billion..." of debt.

The company notes $3.6 billion of revenue and unparalleled monthly reach ((we'll have more to say about this in this Sunday's Members-only newsletter (3/18/18) - this claim deserves an asterisk)). 

Still, as it also notes, the company faces significant headwinds. It states in its First Day Declaration,

"Among other factors, the global economic downturn that began in 2008 resulted in a decline in advertising and marketing spending by the Debtors’ customers, which resulted in a corresponding decline in advertising revenues across the Debtors’ business. Then, as the economy recovered, the Debtors’ industry faced new and intense competition from the rapidly-growing internet and digital advertising industry and the entry of on-demand streaming services, both of which siphoned off the share of advertiser revenues allocated by agencies and brands to broadcast radio. The Debtors have taken various operational steps to stem the negative effect of these trends; among other initiatives, the Debtors have successfully developed emerging platforms including its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital platform and nationally-recognized iHeartRadio-branded live events that are audio and video streamed and televised nationwide."

The company ought to expect these trends to continue.

Large creditors include Cumulus Media Inc. (~$5.6 million...yikes) and Spotify (~$2 million).  

  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas
  • Capital Structure:    
Screen Shot 2018-03-15 at 2.28.26 PM.png

 

  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (James Sprayragen, Anup Sathy, Brian Wolfe, William Guerrieri, Christopher Marcus, Stephen Hackney, Richard U.S. Howell, Benjamin Rhode, AnnElyse Gibbons) & Jackson Walker LLP (Patricia Tomasco, Matthew Cavenaugh, Jennifer Wertz)
    • Financial Advisor to the Company: Moelis & Co. 
      • Legal: Latham & Watkins LLP (Caroline Reckler, Matthew Warren)
    • Restructuring Advisor to the Company: Alvarez & Marsal LLC
    • Legal for the Independent Directors: Munger Tolles & Olson LLP (Kevin Allred, Seth Goldman, Thomas Walper, John Spiegel)
    • Financial Advisor to the Independent Directors: Perella Weinberg Partners LP
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Large Equity Holders: Bain Capital & Thomas H. Lee Partners
      • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Matthew Barr, Christopher Lopez, Gabriel Morgan)
    • Potential Buyer: Liberty Media Corporation & Sirius XM Holdings Inc.
      • Legal: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Stephen Karotkin, Ray Schrock, Alfredo Perez)
    • Successor Trustee for the 6.875% '18 Senior Notes and 7.25% '27 Senior Notes: Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB
      • Legal: White & Case LLP (Thomas Lauria, Jason Zakia, Erin Rosenberg, J. Christopher Shore, Harrison Denman, Michele Meises, Mark Franke, Michael Garza) & Pryor Cashman LLP (Seth Lieberman, Patrick Sibley, Matthew Silverman) & (local) Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP (Robin Russell, Timothy A. Davidson II, Ashley Harper)
    • Successor Trustee for the 11.25% '21 Priority Guaranty Notes
      • Legal: Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (Eric Wilson, Benjamin Feder, Kristin Elliott)
    • Successor Trustee for the 14.00% Senior Notes due 2021
      • Legal: Norton Rose Fulbright (US) LLP (Jason Boland, Christy Rivera, Marian Baldwin Fuerst)
    • Term Loan/PGN Group
      • Legal: Jones Day (Thomas Howley, Bruce Bennett, Joshua Mester)
    • Ad Hoc Group of Term Loan Lenders
      • Legal: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (Michael Messersmith, Tyler Nurnberg, Sarah Gryll, Christopher Odell, Hannah Sibiski) 
    • TPG Specialty Lending Inc.
      • Legal: Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (Adam Harris, David Hillman, James Bentley) & (local) Jones Walker LLP (Joseph Bain, Laura Ashley) 
    • Special Committees of the Board of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc.
      • Legal: Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (Matthew Feldman, Paul Shalhoub, Christopher Koenig, Jennifer Jay Hardy)
    • Ad Hoc Committee of 14% Senior Noteholders of iHeart Communications
      • Legal: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (Robert Klyman, Matt Williams, Keith Martorana, Matthew Porcelli) & (local) Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Aaron Power, Samuel Spiers)
    • 9.00% Priority Guarantee Notes due 2019 Trustee: Wilmington Trust NA
      • Legal: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP (Jayme Goldstein, Daniel Fliman, Brian Wells) & (local) Haynes and Boone, LLP (Charles Beckham Jr., Martha Wyrick, Kelsey Zottnick)
    • Citibank N.A.
      • Legal: Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (Joel Levitin, Richard Stieglitz Jr.) & (local) Locke Lord LLP (Berry Spears)
    • Delaware Trust Company
      • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP (Benjamin Finestone, K. John Shaffer, Monica Tarazi, Victor Noskov)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Ira Dizengoff, Philip Dublin, Naomi Moss, Charles Gibbs, Marty Brimmage)

Updated 3/30/18

New Chapter 11 Filing - Orexigen Therapeutics Inc.

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Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. 

3/12/18

Orexigen Therapeutics is a publicly-traded ($OREX) biopharmaceutical company with one FDA-approved product - "Contrave" - an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise for chronic weight management in certain eligible adults. (Before we continue, please take a minute to appreciate the exquisite creativity these folks deployed with the name, "Contrave." Control + crave = Contrave. We hope they didn't shell out too much cash money to the brand consultants for that one). 

Anyway, the drug could theoretically service the 36.5% of adults the Center for Disease Control & Prevention has identified as obese, a potential market of 91-93 million people in the United States alone. And that number is predicted to rise to 120 million people in the next several years. Yikes: that's 33% of the U.S. population. Apropos, the drug is the number one prescribed weight-loss brand in the US with over 1.8 million prescriptions written to date, subsuming 700,000 patients. The drug is also approved in Europe, South Korea, Canada, Lebanon, and the UAE. 

All of that surface-level success notwithstanding, the company has lost approximately $730 million since its inception. This is primarily because it has been spending the last 16 years burning cash on R&D, clinical studies for FDA approval, recruitment, manufacturing, marketing, etc., both in and outside the U.S. And people wonder why drugs are so expensive. The company believes it could be profitable by 2019 under its existing operating model and revenue forecasts; it enjoys a patent until 2030. 

Obviously the patent is critical because the company, through its banker, attempted a sale prior to the bankruptcy filing but proved unsuccessful. The goal of the bankruptcy filing, therefore, is to effectuate a sale with the benefit of "free and clear" status. While no stalking horse bidder is lined up, The Baupost Group LLC, is leading a group of secured noteholders (including Ecori Capital, Highbridge Capital and UBS O'Connor) to provide a $35 million DIP credit facility and buy the company some time. Will they end up owning it? 

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware 
  • Capital Structure: $165mm 0% '20 convertible notes (The Baupost Group LLC), $115mm 2.75% '20 convertible notes ($25 million outstanding, Wilmington Trust NA), $49.6mm 2.75% '20 convertible exchange senior notes ($38.9 million outstanding, US Bank NA) 
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Hogan Lovells LLP (Christopher Donolo, Eric Einhorn, Christopher Bryant, Jon Beck, Sean Feener) & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Robert Dehney, Andrew Remming, Jose Bibiloni)
    • Financial Advisor: E&Y
    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners 
    • Claims Agent: KCC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Prepetition Collateral Agent & Prepetition Trustee: U.S. Bank NA
      • Legal: Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (James Carr, Benjamin Feder)
    • DIP Lenders
      • Legal: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP (Eric Winston)
    • DIP Administrative Agent: Wilmington Trust Company
      • Legal: Arnold & Porter (Tyler Nurnberg)
    • DIP Lender: Highbridge Capital Management LLC
      • Legal: Brown Rudnick LLP (Robert Stark, Stephen Levine, Uchechi Egeonuigwe) & (local) Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLC (Christopher Samis, L. Katherine Good, Aaron Stulman)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Elliott Greenleaf PC (Rafael Zahralddin-Aravena, Eric Sutty) & (local) Irell & Manella LLP (Jeffrey Reisner, Michael Strub Jr., Kerri Lyman)

Updated March 30, 2018

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Global Brokerage Inc. ($GLBR)

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Global Brokerage Inc.

  • 12/11/17 Recap: Holding company which holds, as its primary asset, an interest in a non-debtor online forex trading company filed a prepackaged bankruptcy to restructure its balance sheet. Troubles for the company began in early 2015 when "unprecedented volatility" in the euro-to-franc currency rate led the Swiss National Bank to eliminate its 1.2 france per euro floor. Instantly, the company was in breach of certain regulatory capital requirements and had to cease operations. After getting rescue financing from Leucadia National Corp. - bridging the company back into regulatory compliance - the company knew that the short term bridge would become an issue. A looming NASDAQ delisting triggered a "fundamental change" call provision on the notes which, of course, the company couldn't pay. The company's plan, solicited prior to filing, is basically an amend-and-extend. The term loan maturity is pushed one year and the converts will get (secured) take-back paper in the same nominal amount with maturity extended five years (with an interest rate uptick from 2.25% to 7%...PIK Toggle, of course). 
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of New York (Judge Wiles)
  • Capital Structure: $300mm secured term loan (Leucadia National Corp), $172.5mm 2.25% convertible notes (Bank of New York Mellon)    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: King & Spalding LLP (Arthur Steinberg, Michael Handler, Sarah Borders, Thaddeus Wilson, Elizabeth Dechant)
    • Financial Advisor: Perella Weinberg Partners
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Group of Convertible Noteholders (683 Capital Partners LP, Lazard Asset Management LLC, Penderfund Capital Management Ltd., Phoenix Investment Advisor LLC, Wolverine Flagship Fund Trading Limited)
      • Legal: Vinson & Elkins LLP (Steven Abramowitz, David Meyer, Lauren Kazer, Eric Hilmo)
    • Leucadia National Corp.
      • Legal: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (Eric Ivestor, Gregory Fernicola)
    • Significant Equityholder: Franklin Resources Inc. 

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - B. Lane Inc. (d/b/a Fashion to Figure)

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Fashion to Figure (@FTFSnaps)

  • 11/13/17 Recap: Another retailer finds its way to bankruptcy. Here, the New York-based plus-size women's specialty retailer with 26-mall-and-outlet-center-based locations has filed for bankruptcy in New Jersey. The company appears to be suffocating under the weight of its brick and mortar locations but purports to have successful e-commerce and wholesale channels. It intends to pursue a sale of all of its assets "to be consummated as soon as possible given the upcoming critical holiday shopping season commencing on 'Black Friday'...." Wait, huh? The company is filing NOW to get out AHEAD of Black Friday? No wonder this company is bankrupt. Of course, the company is also considering vacating locations and "expeditiously conducting going out of business" sales. To this end, the company has filed a bid procedures motion with a joint venture of liquidators, SB Capital Group LLC and 360 Merchant Solutions LLC, lined up as stalking horse bidder for the assets; it also intends to continue to pursue a sale to "one of the largest department store chains in the United States," which apparently expressed some interest pre-petition. Meanwhile, no background on a bankrupt retailer is complete without some private equity shop getting thrown under the bus. Here, the company states (without overtly identifying the PE fund for whatever reason), "In 2012, prompted by a [$15mm] private equity investment, the Company embarked on a rapid expansion of the business. The expansion, however, proved ill-fated and ill-timed, coming at a time when traditional brick and mortar retail was on the decline. Specifically, the Company over-expanded into the shopping mall retail space at a time when market trends were shifting away from traditional brick and mortar stores and towards online retail." Ah, private equity. Speaking of private equity, a fund affiliated with Perella Weinberg Partners is listed as the primary equityholder with a 20.5% position. Curious. Otherwise, it looks like a slate of "friends and family" type investors got burned here. Speaking of getting burned, the list of top creditors reflects a who's who of landlords that the distressed world has become accustomed to seeing at the top of the "Top 30 Creditors" list: Washington Prime Group Inc. ($WPG)(listed once), Westfield Corp. ($WFD)(twice), Simon Property Group Inc. ($SPG)(six times), and Macerich Co. ($MAC)(listed twice). Nothing to see here.
  • Jurisdiction: D. of New Jersey (Judge Sherwood)
  • Capital Structure: $1.0mm secured debt (ACM Capital Fund I LP), $250k (Cowen Overseas Investment LP)
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Lowenstein Sandler LLP (Kenneth Rosen, Bruce Buechler, Philip Gross, Keara Waldron, Michael Papandrea)
    • Prepetition Investment Banker: Cowen and Company LLC
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on the company name above for free docket access)
    • Other Parties in Interest:
      • ACM Capital Partners LLC
        • Legal: Shraiberg Landua & Page (Bradley Shraiberg)
      • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
        • Legal: Hahn & Hessen LLP (Mark Powers, Alison Ladd) & (local) Fox Rothschild LLP (Richard Meth, Paul Labov)
        • Financial Advisor: EisnerAmpner LLP (Edward Phillips)

Updated 5/5/18

New CBCA Proceeding - Concordia International Group

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Concordia International Group

  • 10/20/17 Recap: Canadian-based pharmaceutical company filed for a stay under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) to effectuate a plan to de-lever its balance sheet. The company has a portfolio of 200+ "off-patient" skus with sales all across the world. The company blamed the need for the filing on (i) the proliferation of competitive generic products, (ii) the introduction of new products that treat the same ailments Concordia addresses, (iii) drug pricing pressures (including regulatory pressures in the UK), and its highly-levered balance sheet. The company intends to deploy its "DELIVER" strategy - not to be confused with what should be an obvious DELEVER strategy, but we digress. This acronym stands for a bunch of trite stuff like "Drive growth, "Expand," "Level-set the U.S. Business," "Increase the Product Pipeline," blah blah boring blah blah. In other words, effectively operate a pharma business - the EOPB strategy. Fine, not quite the same ring to it. 
  • Jurisdiction: Superior Court of Ontario
  • Capital Structure: $1.068b secured term loan, £485.63mm secured term loan. $350mm 9% '22 senior secured first lien notes, $135mm 9.5% '22 extended unsecured bridge loan ($100.83 funded ex-interest), $45mm 9.5% '17 equity unsecured bridge loan ($33.61mm ex-interest), $735mm 7% '23 unsecured notes (ex-interest), and $790mm 9.5% '22 unsecured notes (ex-interest)(US Bank NA). Public equity ($CXR).     
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Skadden Arps Meagher & Flom LLP (Paul Leake, Shana Elberg) & (Canadian) Goodmans LLP (Robert Chadwick, Brendan O'Neil, Caroline Descours, Ryan Baulke)
    • Financial Advisor: Perella Weinberg Partners LP
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Secured Term Loan Agent: Goldman Sachs Bank USA
      • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Damian Schaible)
    • Secured Debtholders Committee
      • Legal: White & Case LLP & (Canadian) Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (Marc Wasserman, Martino Calvaruso)
    • Trustee for Secured and Unsecured Notes: US Bank NA
    • Unsecured Debtholders Committee
      • Legal: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP & (Canadian) Bennett Jones LLP (Kevin Zych, Sean Zweig)

Updated 10/26/17

New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Memorial Production Partners LP

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Memorial Production Partners LP

  • 1/17/17 Recap: Utah-based oil and gas MLP filed bankruptcy to deleverage its balance sheet and swap out the entirety of its senior unsecured notes for equity. Shareholders set to receive a tip.
  • Jurisdiction: S.D. of Texas
  • Capital Structure: $700mm funded RCF (Wells Fargo), $646mm '21 7.625% senior unsecured notes, $465mm '22 6.875% senior unsecured notes (Wilmington Trust)  
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Weil (Gary Holtzer, Alfredo Perez, Joseph Smolinsky, Edward Soto, Gabriel Morgan, Scott Bowling)
    • Financial Advisor: AlixPartners LLC (John Castellano)
    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners
    • Claims Agent: Rust Bankruptcy/Omni Consulting (*click on company name for docket)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Ad Hoc Group of Noteholders (Trust Asset Management, Brigade Capital Management, Citadel, Fir Tree Partners)
      • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Brian Resnick, Angela Libby)
      • Financial Advisor: Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC
    • Wells Fargo
      • Legal: Linklaters LLP (Margot Schonholtz, Penelope Jensen, Christopher Hunker) & (local) Vinson & Elkins LLP (Paul E. Heath, Bradley Foxman)
    • Wilmington Trust
      • Legal: Stroock Stroock & Lavan LLP (Erez Gilad)

Updated 1/21/17

New Filing: Bonanza Creek Energy Inc.

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Bonanza Creek Energy Inc.

  • 1/4/17 Recap: The company filed a prepackaged bankruptcy to eliminate $850mm of debt from its balance sheet and infuse the company with $200mm of new equity.
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware
  • Capital Structure: $475mm '17 1.5-2.5% RCF (Key Bank), $500mm '21 6.75% senior unsecured notes, $300mm '23 5.75% senior unsecured notes (Delaware Trust Company).      
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Marshall Huebner, Brian Resnick, Elliot Moskowitz, Adam Shpeen, Lara Samet Buchwald) & (local) Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Amanda Steele, Brendan Schlauch)
    • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal LLC (Seth Bullock)
    • Investment Banker: Perella Weinberg Partners (Kevin Cofsky, Jacob Czarnick)
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click name above for docket link)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • RBL Agent: Key Bank
      • Legal: Bracewell LLP (Trey Wood, Jennifer Feldshur, Dewey Gonsoulin)
    • Ad Hoc Committee of Noteholders (Apollo Energy Opportunity Mgmt, Continental Casualty, Credit Suisse Asset Mgmt, DE Shaw Galvanic Portfolios, Gen IV Investment Opportunities LLC, Lord Abbett & Co., Luxor Capital Group LP, Mangrove Partners, Nomura Corporate Research & Asset Mgmt, Oaktree Capital Management LP, Paloma Partners Management Company, Par-Four Investment Management LLC, Perry Creek Capital Fund I, Socratic Fund Management LP, Whitebox Advisors). Added subsequent to the case filing (Aristeia Capital LLC, Barclays Bank PLC, Continental Casualty Company, Venor Capital Management LP, Wells Fargo Securities LLC); Subtracted subsequent to the case filing (Credit Suisse Asset Mgmt).
      • Legal: Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Edward Sassower, Steven Serajeddini, John Luze, Stephen Schwarzbach Jr.) & (local) Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Laura Davis Jones, Peter Keane)
      • Investment Bank: Evercore
    • Ad Hoc Committee of Equity Security Holders (Fir Tree Inc., HHC Primary Fund, CVI Opportunities Fund I, Silver Point Capital, MatlinPatterson Global Opportunities Master Fund)
      • Legal: Brown Rudnick LLP (Edward Weisfelner, Bennett Silverberg, D. Cameron Moxley) & (local) Chipman Brown Cicero & Cole LLP (William Chipman Jr.)
      • Financial Advisor: Miller Buckfire & Co. (Richard Klein, Matthew Rodrigue)
    • Delaware Trust Company (as successor trustee to Wells Fargo)
      • Legal: Haynes and Boone LLP (Charles Beckham Jr., Keith Sambur) & (local) The Rosner Law Group LLC (Frederick Rosner, Scott Leonhardt)
    • Silo Energy LLC
      • Legal: Arent Fox LLP (George Angelich, Jackson Toof, Andrew Silfen) & (local) Polsinelli PC (Justin Edelson)
    • Senior Unsecured Noteholders: GMO Credit Opportunities Fund LP and Global Credit Advisors LLC
      • Legal: Ropes & Gray LLP (D. Ross Martin, Andrew Devore) & (local) Pepper Hamilton LLP (David Stratton)

Updated 4/2/17