Christopher J. Howard

Restructuring

Debtor roles

• Advising the global debtors of FTX Trading in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy and cross-border insolvency

Creditor- and “loan to own” roles

• Fidera, as the largest creditor in the Part 26A restructuring plan of the Project Fürst development in Berlin
• The RCF lenders in connection with the multi-creditor class partially consensual and partially non-consensual restructuring of the Telepizza Group by virtue of one of the first Restructuring Plans in Spain
• Barclays Bank Plc as administrative agent and sole bookrunner to Cineworld plc in its Chapter 11 restructuring which involved a $1.935 billion Debtor-In-Possession credit agreement

• The RCF Lenders, and Barclays Bank PLC as lender and sole bookrunner to Cineworld Group plc during its restructuring which involved a $450 million priority senior secured rescue facility and a second-out elevated term loan.
• The lenders to CarTrawler in relation to its debt restructuring due to being heavily affected by COVID-19. As part of the restructuring, new investor Towerbrook has agreed to acquire all of the share capital and the debt of the existing lenders to CarTrawler
• The junior creditors in the contested proceedings to restructure Virgin Active using a Part 26A Plan
• The lenders to Celsa Poland in relation to its restructuring/refinancing
• An ad hoc group of bondholders enforcing against a subsidiary of Shandong Ruyi (European TopSoho S.à r.l)
• The lenders to Dümmen Orange during its restructuring
• Palamon Capital Partners in connection with its ownership of the IDH Group, including with respect to restructuring and refinancing matters
• Three Hills on the restructuring of its debt and equity investment in Recycling Lives
• AlixPartners as joint administrators of Swissport Holding International in connection with the Swissport restructuring through a scheme and pre-pack
• Caruso and Vornado with respect to its successful challenge to the Chapter 15 and UK CVA proceedings relating to Arcadia Group and Topshop brands
• Royal Bank of Scotland plc, HSH Nordbank AG, Piraeus Bank SA and Aegean Baltic Bank SA on the consensual restructuring of Danaos Corporation, consisting of an amendment and extension of all Danaos’ loan agreement, together with a partial equitization of Danaos’ $2.2 billion secured term loans and subsequently NatWest Group on the disposal of its shareholding in Danaos Corporation in an off-market privately negotiated share sale to Danaos
• The single largest lender in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Bristow Group
• The second lien lenders in the restructuring of Doncasters
• Bondholders holding 2023 notes and a number of crossholders in the restructuring of Steinhoff
• Lombard North Central as lenders to Waypoint Group in its various syndicates, on all Chapter 11 matters including specifically its credit bid under section 363 of The Bankruptcy Code
• The Company and the shareholders of J&P Overseas Limited, a Middle Eastern construction company on its failed restructuring and subsequent liquidation
• The shareholders of Four Seasons Healthcare in connection with its debt restructuring
• The Committee of Unsecured Noteholders on the global restructuring of Algeco Scotsman, Inc.
• The Committee of Senior Secured Noteholders on the restructuring of Brighthouse Group Limited
• The lender on the restructuring of distressed U.K./Australian law firm, Slater and Gordon
• York Capital, who led the Ad Hoc Committee Of Senior Secured Note Holders, in relation to Bibby Offshore Group’s financial restructuring and recapitalisation
• The lenders to GulfMark Americas, in respect of its debt restructuring‎
• RBS, as a senior secured lender of Dubai World, and other minority secured lenders, in connection with the $25 billion landmark restructuring of Dubai World
• hibu, advising the creditors, on its successful refinancing and restructuring the Co-ordinating Committee of Creditors on the global restructuring of Abengoa, a Spanish renewables company operating in more than 80 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Middle East
• Ad hoc committee of Towergate Insurance Group senior secured creditors in connection with Towergate’s successful restructuring
• Senior high yield noteholders on the €1.2 billion restructuring of ATU GmbH through a U.K. administration
• Coordinating committee of distressed funds on the £2.8 billion restructuring of Yell through a scheme
• Lenders on the £1.4 billion restructuring of Airwave
• Dissentient creditors on the successful challenge of the $5 billion Rusal Scheme of Arrangement
• Partially secured lenders on the $10 billion restructuring of Dubai Group
• Alcentra, Babson, Northwestern and Permira on the restructuring of Almatis through Chapter 11. Having been offered 2% of the equity by the opportunity funds the mezzanine now hold approximately 42% of the equity without having injected new money
• International lenders on the £1.4 billion restructuring of Petroplus and the subsequent insolvencies in six European countries
• Lloyds, Prudential, Babson and AXA (as crossholders of the mezzanine and senior debt) on the restructuring of DX Group through a scheme of arrangement that endorsed the use of fee incentives to consenting lenders
• RBS and Lombard on the restructuring and eventual administration of Halliwells LLP, a major regional
  law firm
• RBS as the co-ordinators of the senior lenders on the £1.4 billion restructuring of Four Seasons Healthcare Group. The capital structure consisted of 12 layers of debt, including a senior bond. This was the first major European CMBS restructuring involving a special servicer
• A combination of banks and funds on the £1 billion restructuring of the Barracuda pub and restaurant chain
• RBS and others on the restructuring and eventual run-off of the Lloyds of London insurer, Euclidian Insurance
• Permira and other second lien and mezzanine debt holders on the restructuring of Hilary’s Blinds
• Apollo and others as lenders on the restructuring of Primacom AG
• RBS and other junior debt holders on the restructuring of Oilexco, the Canadian listed North Sea oil lifter. Also advised RBS on the subsequent administration
• RBS, Babson and others as mezzanine lenders on the £250 million Opco and Propco restructuring of the Barracuda pub Group. The mezzanine lenders acquired the equity and preserved most of their debt for a small £15 million equity injection

Company/shareholder/sponsor roles

• Garrett Motion Inc. in its agreement with KPS Capital Partners, LP to purchase its business for $2.1 billion and the commencement of a voluntary Chapter 11 process with the United States Bankruptcy Court to implement the purchase
• PureCircle plc in its consensual corporate restructuring with its lenders and other stakeholders
• The shareholders of Four Seasons Healthcare in connection with its debt restructuring
• Primorsk Shipping Corporation on its pending Chapter 11 reorganisation
• Advising Kenmare Resources plc on the successful negotiation of restructuring in respect of its project and corporate financings
• EurotaxGlass’s Group on its €300 million refinancing
• Arcapita on its global restructuring and subsequent entry into and exit from Chapter 11
• Sponsors and management on the restructuring of DCK Holdings (largest jewelry concession in the U.K.)
• Advising Eksportfinans ASA on its $23 billion contingency plan and successfully resisting attempts by debt funds to trigger a global restructuring of the Group
• DFS on its £750 million Opco and Propco restructuring over an 18-month period
• La Seda de Barcelona and its European subsidiaries on its initial restructuring and subsequent U.K. scheme of arrangement. This was the first Spanish company to implement a restructuring by way of a U.K. scheme of arrangement
• Dubai International Capital on the first phase of its $3 billion restructuring with its international banks

Leveraged Finance

Lender/creditor side

• Goldman Sachs on its refinancing of Expro
• Apollo funds on the financing of their bid for Keepmoat
• RBS and BOS on the £600 million leveraged financing of Towergate by Cullum Ventures and RBS Equity Finance
• RBS on its £300 million of senior and mezzanine facilities to Alflex an Electra Partners investment
• Barclays on its senior and mezzanine facilities to Duke Street in connection with the acquisition of Oasis Healthcare
• Crescent Capital on its provision of mezzanine facilities to GTCR in connection with its acquisition of Call Credit
• Lloyds on the leveraged acquisition of IGEFI Group by Summit Partners
• RBS on the leveraged acquisition of Inchcape Shipping by Istithmar
• Barclays Capital on its proposed €2 billion funding of the acquisition by Apax and others of Banca Fideuram
• Bank of Scotland on the leveraged acquisition by CVV of Paymentshield Insurance
• J.P. Morgan, Lloyds and other arrangers on the recapitalisation of Lonmin Plc as part of its 2012 equity issue
• Full Circle Future LLP in connection with its covenant light PIK facility to Advent in connection with the acquisition of DFS

Borrower/sponsor side

• Carlyle on the £1 billion leveraged acquisition financing of Royal Automobile Club
• Bridgepoint Private Equity on its leveraged financing of the aborted acquisition of Astra-Tech Sweden
• Equity investors on the £600 million leveraged take-private of DFS PLC
• Carlyle on the leveraged recapitalisation of RAC
• GS Partners on the leveraged financing of Endemol

Investment Grade Finance

Lender representations

• J.P. Morgan and BNP Paribas on their provision of post-IPO facilities to Telecolumbus GmbH
• RBS and others as arrangers on their syndicated facilities to Alfred McCalpine plc
• RBS on its £400 million of syndicated facilities relating to the recapitalisation of the hedge fund Bluecrest
• Barclays on its £300 million of receivables facilities to Greenergy
• RBS and Bank of China on their supplier finance joint venture
• Barclays on the £1 billion refinancing of the JCB group

Company/borrower side

• Brevan Howard on its reorganisation facilities
• PartyGaming on its post-IPO facilities
• Arysta on its investment grade syndicated facilities
• Carphone Warehouse on its £1.4 billion demerger facilities
• TNS on its corporate facilities