Michael A. Sloman

Vertex Energy, Inc. — Representation of Vertex Energy, Inc. (VTNR) and 23 of its subsidiaries (“Vertex”) in their prearranged Chapter 11 cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Vertex is a leading energy transition company and marketer of high-quality refined products. Vertex filed for Chapter 11 with a restructuring support agreement (“RSA”) that is supported by 100% of the company’s term loan lenders. The RSA and related Chapter 11 plan provide for a recapitalization of the business through a debt-for-equity exchange or a sale of all or substantially all of the debtors’ assets. Vertex commenced its Chapter 11 cases with a $280 million debtor-in-possession financing facility and a commitment from the Company’s intermediation counterparty to continue performing under Vertex’s critical intermediation facility.

Alkegen — Representation of Alkegen, a global specialty materials platform providing high performance materials used in advanced applications, in a refinancing transaction. The Company secured a new $1,925 million first-lien term loan and first-lien senior secured notes and a new $200 million first-out revolving credit facility, and used the proceeds to refinance the Company’s existing first lien term loans and pay down outstanding borrowings under the Company’s revolver. The refinancing transaction also extended maturities under the Company’s existing facilities from 2025 to 2029 and provides additional liquidity to fund operational and growth initiatives. In addition, a majority of holders of Alkegen’s secured and unsecured notes exchanged their notes for new second lien notes due 2029, and the Company commenced an offer to exchange the remaining notes for new second lien notes.

Digital Media Solutions, Inc. — Representation of Digital Media Solutions, Inc. and 36 of its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Digital Media Solutions is a leading technology-enabled advertising company that leverages its advanced technology and proprietary customer data to connect its customers efficiently and effectively with their target consumers. Digital Medial Solutions filed the Chapter 11 cases with the support of its prepetition lenders through the funding of an approximately $122 million debtor-in-possession financing facility consisting of $30 million in new money and approximately $92 million in a “roll-up” of prepetition debt. The prepetition lenders serving as the DIP lenders also entered into a stalking horse agreement with Digital Media Solutions for a $95 million credit bid, subject to higher or otherwise better bids.

PGX Holdings, Inc. — Representation of PGX Holdings, Inc. and 11 of its affiliates (collectively, “PGX”) along with their associated law firm known as Lexington Law Firm (together with PGX, the “Debtors”) in their prearranged Chapter 11 cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware filed on June 4, 2023. The Debtors provide credit repair services and credit monitoring to approximately 130,000 customers. The Debtors had approximately $423 million of funded debt and were defendants in a lawsuit by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) seeking monetary damages in excess of $2.7 billion. Through the Chapter 11 cases, the Debtors raised $19.925 million in new-money debtor-in-possession financing, entered into two stalking horse purchase agreements (one for PGX and one for Lexington Law), conducted a comprehensive marketing process, negotiated a global settlement with the official committee of unsecured creditors, and settled their lawsuit with the CFPB. On September 28, 2023, the Debtors consummated two sale transactions by which the Debtors sold substantially all of their assets as a going concern to their stalking horse bidders.

Rite Aid Corporation — Representation of Rite Aid Corporation (“Rite Aid”) and 119 of its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. Rite Aid entered its Chapter 11 cases with $3.45 billion in debtor-in possession financing. Following months of negotiations including court-ordered mediation with all of Rite Aid’s key stakeholders, as well as several bet-the-company disputes and obtaining an additional $75 million in debtor-in-possession financing later in the cases, Rite Aid was able to delever its balance sheet by approximately $2 billion through a recapitalization transaction with its senior secured noteholders and resolve more than $2.5 billion in pending and threatened litigation. Rite Aid emerged from Chapter 11 on August 30, 2024 with $2.975 billion in committed exit financing, a new go-forward supply contract with McKesson (Rite Aid’s largest vendor and the provider of 98% of Rite Aid’s just-in-time prescriptions), settlement agreements or controlled substance injunctive terms with the Department of Justice and 15 states in which Rite Aid conducts business, and a leaner, more efficient real estate footprint.

SmileDirectClub, Inc. — Representation of SmileDirectClub, Inc. and eight of its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. SmileDirect is an industry leader in telehealth-driven clear aligner therapy with approximately $900 million in funded debt. Through its Chapter 11 cases, the Company obtained access to up to $80 million of debtor-in-possession financing and will seek to implement a going concern transaction following a comprehensive marketing process.

Ideal Protein of America, Inc. — Representation of Ideal Protein of America and its Debtor affiliates in their Chapter 15 proceedings in the United States and proceedings commenced in Canada under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). Ideal Protein, a Québec-based company, provides a comprehensive weight loss protocol and associated nutritional products that assist customers to lose weight and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Ideal Protein intends to use the Chapter 15 and CCAA processes to run a competitive sale and investment solicitation process to maximize enterprise value.

Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. — Representation of Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. and 73 of its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. Bed Bath & Beyond, then the largest home goods retailer in the United States, offered everything from bed linens to cookware to home organization, baby care and more. Through its Chapter 11 case, Bed Bath & Beyond conducted a value maximizing sale transaction for substantially all of its intellectual property assets and an orderly wind down of its business pursuant to a consensual Chapter 11 plan.

SiO2 Medical Products, Inc. — Representation of SiO2 Medical Products, Inc. and certain of its affiliates in their prearranged Chapter 11 cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. SiO2 is a material life sciences company that holds 245 patents, including its flagship technology that combines the best of glass and polymers without the drawbacks of either. SiO2 filed for Chapter 11 with a restructuring support agreement supported by 100% of its first lien lenders. The restructuring support agreement contemplates a $60 million new-money postpetition financing facility and equitization of the first lien lender’s DIP claims and first lien claims in exchange for 100% of the equity of the reorganized company, subject to a marketing process seeking higher and better proposals. The proposed restructuring will reduce the Company’s secured debt by nearly $250 million. 

Dunn Paper Holdings, LLC — Representation of Dunn Paper Holdings, LLC and its affiliates and subsidiaries in connection with an out-of-court restructuring by which an ad hoc group of first lien lenders, comprising all of the company’s approximately $380 million of funded debt, consensually foreclosed upon substantially all of Dunn’s assets and assumed majority ownership of the Company.

Cineworld Group plc — Representation of Cineworld Group plc and 104 of its debtor affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Entertainment Group, is the second-largest cinema chain in the world, operating over 9,100 screens at nearly 750 cinemas in 10 countries worldwide. Cineworld commenced its Chapter 11 cases with approximately $5.1 billion in funded debt and commitments from an ad hoc group of prepetition lenders to provide nearly $2 billion in debtor-in-possession financing.

Aearo Technologies LLC — Representation of Aearo Technologies LLC and its debtor affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Aearo Technologies is a market leader in the energy control space, providing custom noise, vibration, thermal, and shock protection solutions to the aerospace, commercial vehicle, heavy equipment, and electronics industries. Aearo Technologies and its non-Debtor parent 3M are defendants in the largest multi-district litigation in history, with over 230,000 personal injury claims filed related to certain historical Aearo products.