PizzaExpress Financing 2 plc – Representing PizzaExpress Financing 2 plc (“PizzaExpress”) in its Chapter 15 proceeding in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas for recognition of proceedings in the United Kingdom in connection with its restructuring plan under the new Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006. PizzaExpress is the second company to use the Part 26A restructuring plan, which will provide £144 million in new financing, give holders of the existing senior secured notes new debt instruments and equity in the restructured group, and give holders of the existing senior unsecured notes equity in the restructured group. PizzaExpress is part of the PizzaExpress Group, one of the largest and leading casual dining restaurant groups in the world with over 500 restaurant locations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally.
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. — Representing J. C. Penney Company, Inc. and 17 of its affiliates in their pre-arranged Chapter 11 cases. JCPenney, an iconic American retail staple tracing its roots back to 1902, includes private brands such as Liz Claiborne, St. John’s Bay, Stafford, and Arizona Jean Co. JCPenney employs more than 85,000 people, manages a massive supply chain with nearly 3,000 vendors and eleven domestic shipping facilities, and operates approximately 850 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, in addition to a substantial e-commerce business. With approximately $4.9 billion in debt, JCPenney entered bankruptcy with a Restructuring Support Agreement that carries broad first lien stakeholder support and is expected to substantially de-lever the company’s balance sheet.
BJ Services, LLC — Represented BJ Services, LLC and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. BJ Services was a leading provider of hydraulic fracturing and cementing services to upstream oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration and production of North American oil and natural gas resources. As of the Petition Date, BJ Services had over $350 million in funded debt obligations. During the Chapter 11 cases, the Company sold its operations as a going concern, saving over 500 jobs. The company confirmed a fully-consensual Chapter 11 plan and concluded its Chapter 11 cases less than four months after the Petition Date.
Stage Stores, Inc. — Representing Stage Stores, Inc. (NYSE: SSI) and its affiliate Specialty Retailers, Inc. in their Chapter 11 cases pending before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Stage operates in 42 states through 437 department stores under the Bealls, Palais Royal, Peebles, Stage and Goody’s brands and 289 off-price stores under the Gordmans brand. Stage had $1.6 billion in revenue in 2019.
Bluestem Brands — Representing Bluestem Brands, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (“Bluestem”), a direct-to-consumer retailer that provides a wide array of merchandise through multiple channels under the Orchard and Northstar brand portfolios, in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Bluestem filed with over $460 million in funded indebtedness and a stalking horse purchase agreement that contemplates a going-concern transaction.
Murray Energy Holdings Co. — Representing Murray Energy Holdings Co. and certain of its subsidiaries in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Murray is the largest privately-owned coal company in the United States, headquartered in St. Clairsville, Ohio, and has operations primarily in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Illinois, Utah, and Colombia, South America. Murray employs nearly 5,500 people, including approximately 2,400 active union members. Murray entered Chapter 11 with approximately $2.7 billion in prepetition funded debt and more than $8 billion in actual or potential pension and employee benefit obligations.
Barneys New York, Inc. — Representing Barneys and its affiliates, the iconic luxury retailer and Manhattan staple, in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. — Represented Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. and certain subsidiaries (“Aegean”), a leading international marine fuel logistics company with approximately $900 million of funded indebtedness, in their Chapter 11 cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Aegean operates in more than 20 countries worldwide with headquarters in Athens, Greece and a corporate office in New York, New York. In connection with its restructuring, Aegean has reached agreements with certain key stakeholders to deleverage its balance sheet by more than $700 million and continue as a going concern.
