Michael A. Sloman

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 prearranged Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. As one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, Rite Aid employs over 45,000 people, including 6,100 pharmacists in 2,100 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. Through Elixir, its pharmacy benefit management business, Rite Aid manages pharmacy benefits for more than one million members through accredited specialty and mail-order pharmacies. Following months of negotiations, Rite Aid entered Chapter 11 with access to approximately $3.45 billion in committed post-petition DIP financing provided by its existing bank lenders and an agreement in principle with a majority of its secured bondholders on the terms of a comprehensive restructuring to delever its $4 billion debt load and right-size its operational 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 is the largest home goods retailer in the United States, offering everything from bed linens to cookware to home organization, baby care, and more. Bed Bath & Beyond operates hundreds of stores and employs approximately 14,000 people across North America. Through its Chapter 11 case, Bed Bath & Beyond will conduct an orderly and value-maximizing wind down of its business, while simultaneously marketing a sale of all or part of the business. Prior to the Chapter 11 filing, advised Bed Bath & Beyond on a series of complex transactions, including an underwritten public offering for up to $1 billion in proceeds and a concurrent significant amendment of its credit agreement to decelerate the debt, waive certain defaults, and upsize the FILO facility by $100 million.

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.