1 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the Credit Edge, a WEEKI Monkets podcast. 2 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: My name is James Grumby. I'm as senior editor at Bloomberg. 3 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 2: And I'm Steve Flynn. I'm a team leader and senior 4 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: credit analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence and I cover the communications sector. 5 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 2: This week, we're very pleased to welcome Scott Greenberg, Global 6 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 2: Chair of the Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice at Gibson Dunn. 7 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 2: How are you, Scott, I'm good, Thanks for having me in, 8 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 2: Thanks for being here. Scott is a partner in Gibson 9 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 2: Dun's New York office, Global chair of the firm's Business 10 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 2: Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group and a member of the 11 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: firm's executive Committee. Scott focuses on representing debtors and creditors 12 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 2: in court and out of court restructurings. Chambers USA described 13 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 2: Scott as an excellent lawyer and deal maker that is brilliant, 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 2: super connected, and great at managing adversaries and clients. Prior 15 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 2: to joining Gibson Dunn, Scott was a partner at Jones 16 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 2: Day from twenty thirteen to twenty nineteen, where he also 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 2: served as co head of the Jones Day business restructuring 18 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 2: and reorganization practice. Scott has received numerous awards and accolades 19 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 2: from industry associations and publications, including deal Maker of the 20 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 2: Year from The American Lawyer in twenty twenty one. Scott 21 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 2: has recently represented lenders in a number of large restructurings, 22 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 2: including for Altese France, which was the first large scale 23 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 2: liability management exerciser l and E in Europe, Comscope, and 24 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 2: Diamond Sports Group. 25 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: So thank you, Steve, for as we say every week now. 26 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 1: Credit markets are hot and companies are taking advantage, raising 27 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: tens of billions of dollars in new debt over the 28 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: last few weeks. There's also more distress. Rates are staying 29 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: high for longer than most people had expected. There's a 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: large pile of debt coming due. At the same time, 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: Trade wars and a whole load of other US policy 32 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: uncertainties are pushing companies to the brink. They are trying 33 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: to stay alive by using ever more creative, some would 34 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,519 Speaker 1: say overly aggressive tactics to write down debt and delay repayments. 35 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: So Scott, let's start there. You are the perfect guests 36 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: to discuss this. Where do we go next with the lemes. 37 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: Otherwise there haven't been that many recently. I all we 38 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: hitting some kind of a wall, given potential for reputational 39 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: risk and the longer term damage to the investor base. 40 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 3: I don't think so. I mean, I do agree that 41 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 3: there was probably a small pause. I think some of 42 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 3: that was candidly just over the summer, people taking a break, 43 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 3: maybe our lender base having enough of the lemies they 44 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 3: had their fill. But I don't think the overall playbook 45 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 3: has changed. I think, you know, particularly in the stressier 46 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: situations where you continue to have borrowers and sponsors with 47 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 3: flexibility in their documents, and particularly in a situation where 48 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: they have time, meaning there's not a catalyst, liquidity or 49 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 3: maturity that's going to limit their playing field. I think 50 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 3: you'll continue to see the lemy played book rolled out. 51 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 3: You know, whether or not it's going to be to 52 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 3: the level of volume we've seen over the last year 53 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 3: or two, I guess remains to be seen. I think 54 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 3: you're starting to see some companies just kind of tip 55 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 3: over and go the traditional way here in the US, 56 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 3: you know, a chapter over season, a different type of process. 57 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 3: But don't I don't think you've seen a real material 58 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 3: slow down in Leomi. I think it will continue. 59 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: Skins often asked who really benefits from an lem as 60 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: a lot of companies and ultimately end up in bankruptcy. 61 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 2: There was an interesting article the other day on the 62 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 2: Terminal about a report from Edward Altman and Eric Rosenthal 63 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: that talked about the number of companies that file for 64 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: bankruptcy within two years of executing a large scale ANLUM. 65 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 3: Right, I mean, my honest answer to that question is, 66 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 3: and it's a good question, is always the same, I think, 67 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 3: particularly in a private scenario, of the sponsors almost always 68 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 3: benefit because if you step back and look at the situation, 69 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 3: presumably there was some financial crisis that they are staving 70 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 3: off where there may have otherwise been a change of 71 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 3: control or a more traditional process which would facilitate a 72 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 3: transfer of ownership. The sponsors continuing to stay in their 73 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 3: seat through these lemies. So I think while they may 74 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 3: be giving up document flexibility and other things as the 75 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 3: trade with the paribial lenders, in the long run, even 76 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 3: if it files for bankruptcy in two or three years, right, 77 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 3: they bought those extra two or three years, and whether 78 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 3: or not obviously result in what they want. It is 79 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 3: a different question, I think. Apart from that, obviously you 80 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 3: need two to tango, so to speak, and you need 81 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 3: willing lenders to participate in these transactions. And I'm sure 82 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 3: we'll talk about this, but I think historically what we've 83 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 3: been seeing, particularly in the US and most see what 84 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 3: happens in Europe has been, you know, the larger institutions, 85 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 3: the ones with more exposure, are obviously better situated at 86 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 3: the negotiation table to do better for themselves gosh. 87 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 2: And then lemies are typically more successful if they're in 88 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: conjunction with a company doing some sort of turnaround. Correct. Like, 89 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 2: I cover the communications sector, and I've seen cases where 90 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 2: that works, in cases where it does, and a great 91 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: one was lumin Technologies. They did at a very large 92 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 2: scale l ME a couple of years ago, and then 93 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 2: they turned around and they signed some high capacity network 94 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 2: deals for AI capacity that brought in a lot of 95 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: cash up front, really helped turn their business around. They 96 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 2: turned around, they're selling their consumer five operations to AT 97 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 2: and T and you've seen a significant increase in their 98 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 2: bond prices, a lowering of their bond yields. So it 99 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 2: has worked. But there was in conjunction with something helping 100 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 2: turning it around. The other side of the story could 101 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 2: be a company like iHeart. They just did a rather 102 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 2: large restructuring lemy within the past year. But you know, 103 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 2: the industry still faces a challenge. So a lot of 104 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 2: those bonds are yielding well over eleven percent, so there's 105 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: still difficulties there, right. 106 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 3: I mean, look, some of these are play for time. 107 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 3: If you think about kind of traditional commodity driven businesses 108 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 3: where you have cycles and maybe it's the wrong time 109 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 3: in the cycle for the business and they're the sponsor 110 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 3: and the owner just looking for more time for that 111 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 3: cycle to come back. There seems to be more receptivity 112 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 3: because the people and invest in these businesses seem to 113 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 3: understand that. In leemy for the sake of an enemy, 114 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 3: which I think is kind of the other end of 115 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 3: the spectrum where lenders are just taking discount and hoping 116 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 3: for a better day without a real game plan, as 117 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 3: you said, whether it's M and A or something else, 118 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 3: or a change in the industry or macro change like 119 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 3: we've seen with some of the terrific issues that have 120 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 3: impacted the trading prices of these credits. I think that's 121 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 3: probably where you're seeing a little bit of a slowdown 122 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 3: of the desire on the lenders part because again, you 123 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 3: need two parties to do these, to engage in analomy, right, 124 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 3: there needs to be a bigger selling point. We're doing 125 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 3: this because, right because there's a change that ultimately is 126 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 3: going to result in the company doing better and therefore, 127 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 3: as lenders to the company, your recovery is being better. 128 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: There's also some concern around the kind of legality of these, 129 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: you know, given that they are getting very aggressive and 130 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: some people getting a bit aggrieved. We had you a 131 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: recent event in LA when you were alongside Cuxton Ellis 132 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: to find his point of David Nemchek, who said that 133 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: these tools for allowing creditors to band together for greats 134 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: and negotiating leverage against borrows could be illegal. He's calling 135 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: them anti competitive. What do you make of that? 136 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 3: I think, with all due respect to Dave, who I 137 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 3: know and respect, I think you should stay in his lane. 138 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 3: I don't think on this particular subject he's right. I mean, 139 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 3: we've spent a lot of time with our anti trust 140 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 3: experts internally and my competitors who also put out cooperation 141 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 3: agreements in the market I'm sure have done the same, right, 142 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 3: we don't do anything without doing our work on the 143 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 3: front end. And I think the punchline is we don't 144 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 3: feel that they are now. You know, within the current 145 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 3: construct there may be constructs where people overreach and say 146 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 3: and this doesn't exist at least to the best of 147 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 3: my knowledge. But you know, for example, if XYZ sponsor 148 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,239 Speaker 3: comes to the market, we're all going to band together 149 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 3: in any future financing and not give them financing for 150 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 3: less than you know, S plus one thousand. Like that 151 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 3: definitely has some anti competitive overlay, but that's not what 152 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 3: these documents do. So I think they thread the needle. 153 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 3: I understand why if you're you know, and they clearly are, 154 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 3: you know, the dominant player on the company sponsors side, 155 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 3: why you don't like them because they're taking away some 156 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 3: of the flexibility that you would otherwise have under the document. 157 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 3: So I get the chessboard. We all play chess for 158 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 3: a living. But I think as it relates to legality, 159 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 3: I think we feel very comfortable that they're fine. 160 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: But do you feel that the smaller lenders might litigate? 161 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: I mean, as our ACE reporters, Reshmi bas who puts 162 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: it private equity is dumping angry lenders in the cheap seats. 163 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,719 Speaker 1: There's a class system developing, there's a whole you know 164 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: a load of examples of smaller investors getting burned. 165 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 3: I think it depends, right, and this is kind of 166 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 3: the the art, not science, to these enemies on a 167 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 3: one by one basis, right in. What you're talking about 168 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 3: is kind of the textbook elemy where there's a deal 169 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 3: with the sponsor and there is a disparity in treatment, 170 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 3: usually from and it's usually just the function of the 171 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 3: largest lenders to the small slenders. To your point, then obviously, 172 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 3: if you're the smaller lender and you're not getting the 173 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 3: same deal, you're not very happy. I think the question 174 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 3: becomes is the deal good enough where those lenders, while 175 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 3: they may not love it, will participate because the alternative 176 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 3: is not great, Or do you end up in a 177 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 3: situation where the deal is so aggressive that people just say, 178 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 3: you know, why not just litigate? Right at this point, 179 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 3: I've been put to your point all the way up 180 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,319 Speaker 3: in the nosebleeds, and it's worth hiring a lawyer and 181 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 3: fighting the fight, I would say, at least, And we've 182 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 3: had a couple that have had some litigation, but at 183 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 3: least in most of the lme's there's very high participation 184 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 3: and take up, which I think is a sign that 185 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 3: you know, collectively, the company and the lenders and the 186 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 3: advisors kind of thread the needle in the right way 187 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 3: where it's kind of good enough, where everyone's going to participate, 188 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 3: even if it's not equal treatment. 189 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,439 Speaker 2: So if we take a step back, when you think 190 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 2: about forming a group or representing debt holders, so how 191 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 2: early do you get involved and how quickly do you 192 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 2: try to form a group with a cooperation agreement? 193 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 3: Two different things in my mind, and group formation, you know, 194 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 3: comes in many flavors. I think the reality is, and 195 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 3: I think everyone understands this. There's there's a lot of 196 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 3: movement early on the on both sides of the transom, 197 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 3: on the lender and on the borrowers side. But I 198 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 3: think on the lender side, and I think a lot 199 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 3: of credits are probably coming into people's visibility, probably you know, 200 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 3: sooner than is obvious, meaning you know, we'll be talking 201 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 3: to a very large lender in a particular credit. It's 202 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 3: on their internal watch list. Maybe it's still trades in 203 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 3: the nineties, it's got some macroheadwinds, you know, and dependent 204 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 3: candidly with the lum environment. Depending on who the sponsor is, 205 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 3: people may say, as soon as this trade's off, we 206 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 3: need to organize because we're worried the sponsor may be aggressive. 207 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 3: So there are different catalysts, but I would say generally speaking, 208 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 3: organization comes early. The reality is by the time something 209 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 3: hits you know, your guy's news wire or you know, 210 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,680 Speaker 3: bankruptcy rags or whatever, you should assume that deal has 211 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 3: been staffed for a very long period of time as 212 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 3: an advisor, and so I think that has been the 213 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 3: case for a while. Cooperation agreements, I do not think, 214 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 3: despite everyone probably feels like you know, in every deal 215 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 3: we're out peddling a cooperation agreement, it's not one size 216 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 3: to it's all. There are plenty of deals where a 217 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 3: cooperation agreement doesn't make sense because it may limit your 218 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 3: optionality in terms of what you want to do and 219 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 3: without going too far down the transmit. But like we 220 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 3: did Tropicana earlier this year, and we never had a 221 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 3: cooperation agreement in that deal, and that wound up being 222 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 3: an enemy with a multi tiered approach like we've talked 223 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 3: about in other situations where you have you know, long 224 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 3: dated maturities, which by definition means that the company has 225 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 3: more time to play the games and needs to play 226 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:00,839 Speaker 3: and lose documents. And perhaps a sponsor who's known for 227 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 3: not being afraid to use the room and their documents 228 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 3: and cooperation rooments makes more sense. But it is not. 229 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 3: It's not as easy as a decision as I think 230 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 3: maybe the outside thinks it is. It's something that people 231 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 3: ponder and debate as a group. I mean, we're having 232 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 3: a couple of debates on it this week on different credits, 233 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 3: whether or not it makes sense. 234 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 2: So and when forming a group, do you try and 235 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,559 Speaker 2: reach certain thresholds as far as owning a certain amount 236 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 2: of principle and whether in different parts of the capital 237 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 2: structure right so that you have the term loans, maybe 238 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 2: secured bonds on secured bonds, hold co OpCo or do 239 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 2: you look at some of the biggest bonds there and 240 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,839 Speaker 2: try and get a obviously over fifty percent would be great, 241 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,719 Speaker 2: But are the certain percentages where you feel you have 242 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 2: enough to go to the company and yeah. 243 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 3: I think you hit. I mean, this goes back ten years, 244 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,839 Speaker 3: long before the world of alomy. Just in the world 245 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 3: of like amendments and forbearance agreements and waving defaults when 246 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 3: we actually had covenants. The fifty percent, particularly in the 247 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 3: TLB market obviously, is usually the magic number that were 248 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 3: aiming for. I think sub fifty percent. You have to 249 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:05,599 Speaker 3: think about it from the company's perspective, like what do 250 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 3: you really have to offer? Right, So in a traditional environment, 251 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 3: you know I could wave, I can forbear, I can amend, 252 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 3: I could do things to help the borrow or if 253 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 3: they get in a tough spot from a financing perspective, 254 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 3: In a document that you know doesn't have things like 255 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 3: support nation protection, I could provide new money on a 256 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 3: super senior basis with fifty one percent. And then in 257 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 3: the LME environment, you can provide amendments that may be 258 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 3: necessary to the documents to implement the LME. So look, 259 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 3: when you first start, a group might might be thirty 260 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 3: five or forty like sure, but I think realistically for 261 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 3: you to have bargaining power from the other side's perspective, 262 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 3: you should probably have north of fifty percent. 263 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: Do you tend to represent these DICO or the restructuring group? 264 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 3: Oh, that's a great question. So usually the way it 265 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:03,199 Speaker 3: happens is there will come together first. It It should 266 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:05,839 Speaker 3: be the largest lenders by definition, right, because they are 267 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 3: the ones picking advisors, bankers and lawyers, and usually at 268 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 3: least in my deals. Right Because to the point you 269 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 3: were making earlier, a lot of these things form early 270 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 3: and kind of sit around for a little while. A 271 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 3: STEERCO really only gets constituted at a time when things 272 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 3: are starting to move. So companies advisors reach out, they 273 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 3: send across an NDA to us and our banker they're 274 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 3: ready to talk. That's the time usually where you'll solidify 275 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 3: a steerco. It doesn't usually make sense early on in 276 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 3: an engagement to create that dichotomy because it's you know, 277 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 3: some of these deals some may just get refinanced and 278 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 3: nothing ever happens. Right, So there's not there's no point. 279 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: Right, Okay. In general, valuations are coming down, you know, 280 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: the economy slowing their headwinds. How is that changing the 281 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: restructuring tools? 282 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 3: I think I'm seeing that, you know, despite maybe some 283 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 3: pressed to the contrary, like what I'm seeing actually is 284 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 3: a decent amount of traditional restructuring uptick. Again, I don't 285 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 3: think LEM is going anywhere. I think that tool will 286 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 3: remain a great tool for candidly for sponsors and to 287 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 3: a lesser extent for our clients. But I have seen both, 288 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 3: you know, new deals that need to go traditional restructuring 289 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 3: because the problem is too big to solve through an lemy, 290 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 3: or there's a liquidity crisis that no one's going to 291 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 3: fund without fixing the balance sheet. And I've candidly had 292 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 3: you know, multiple of my old lems, and this will 293 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 3: be you know, to your earlier point the test of time. 294 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 3: I've had some old lem's come back that you know, 295 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 3: we did the lemy and the band aid kind of 296 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 3: slipped off in this environment, and it's probably going to 297 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 3: need to be a real restructuring this time. 298 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: On the sponsor's side, are you seeing more than by 299 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: a bat that debts. 300 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 3: Certain sponsors, I think certain sponsors that are more credit savvy, 301 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 3: like without naming any names, like some of the big 302 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 3: sponsors that are also big credit players in those situations, 303 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 3: we tend to see them be more astute too, you know, 304 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 3: particularly if they think things are just mispriced, you know, 305 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 3: going in and buying up a lot of you know, 306 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 3: sometimes a lot of the junior in debtedness, which obviously 307 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 3: is gonna be trading at the discount the most discount. 308 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 3: And then I've had situations some of which I'm involved, 309 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 3: now are you know? Unknowingly to us, the sponsor got 310 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 3: involved in the capital structure, and then when we came 311 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 3: to the table to negotiate a deal, they used it 312 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 3: as a leverage chip, right, like I'll take this debt 313 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 3: and subordinate it if you'll do X, Y and Z. 314 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 3: So I think it's it's definitely a play. I don't 315 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 3: think it's all sponsors though, I think it's a subset 316 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:45,119 Speaker 3: of sponsors. 317 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: What about sponsors stress more broadly? Are using situations where 318 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: there is stress spreading across the portfolio and how does 319 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: that affect sponsor's choice and what to do. 320 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 3: You mean like one particular sponsor having a lot of 321 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 3: distressed names? Yes, yeah, I mean I think we probably 322 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 3: know who all those are. But yeah, I mean I 323 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 3: think the ones that have had a lot of distress 324 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 3: in their portfolios to deal with tend to be the 325 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 3: ones that are doing more of the leemy stuff, right 326 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 3: because they're trying to figure out a way to punt 327 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 3: things forward and give themselves a lifeline. Just thinking through 328 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 3: the things we have in the pipeline, Like, yeah, we 329 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 3: have the flip side of that is also true, though, 330 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 3: as I say it out loud, I mean, we have 331 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 3: some sponsors that are like you know, white shoe sponsors 332 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 3: that everyone knows, that have several troubled names in their 333 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 3: port co in their portfolio that historically have not engaged 334 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 3: in lemy and don't seem to be interested in engaging 335 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 3: in eleme. So it's really a mix bag. 336 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:44,640 Speaker 2: So the investors you work with, I think you mentioned 337 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 2: this earlier about putting new money in so just you know, 338 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 2: question is how willing are they often to invest more money? 339 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 2: Is it throwing good money after bad? I mean I 340 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 2: can think of a recent example where it's worked. Echo 341 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 2: Star Yeah great, right, Like so they well they did 342 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 2: two things, trying to do something with the DBS bond holders, 343 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 2: which they fought back on and that seemed to be 344 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,360 Speaker 2: the right move. Give one of those DBS bonds traight now. 345 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 2: But the Echo Star convert holders not only did they 346 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 2: roll over their convert but they invested a lot of 347 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 2: new money with a large new bond. And now with 348 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,360 Speaker 2: the recent spectrum sales, those bonds are up. You know, 349 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 2: I've done very very well. So it's just the willingness 350 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:23,640 Speaker 2: for lenders to invest more money in a situation like that. 351 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 3: Well, I mean Echo Store obviously was a great result, 352 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 3: and we know a lot of folks in that they're 353 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 3: very happy with the way that turned out. I think 354 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 3: in these situations, I do think, Look, all of our 355 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 3: clients are very savvy. They're not just going to pour 356 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 3: good money after bad for the sake of doing so. 357 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 3: And it's a function of in sometimes defensive capital right, 358 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 3: protecting your existing investment. I will say I feel like 359 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 3: on a personal level, just in the stuff I'm working on, 360 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 3: I've definitely seen more situations where investors have tapped the 361 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 3: brakes on writing the new check because they're concerned that 362 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 3: tier point they're just putting good money after bad. And again, 363 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 3: I think in those scenarios you got to look for context, meaning, well, 364 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 3: if we don't fund, what does that mean. And if 365 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 3: the answer is it means a desperate sponsor is going 366 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 3: to move whatever valuable collateral we have to fund it 367 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 3: and rip it out of our system, then it may 368 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 3: bring us back to the table, right, because the alternative 369 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 3: is not very great for us if it means you're 370 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 3: putting pressure on junior creditors in the structure or two, 371 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 3: well what have you and the sponsor to protect themselves 372 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 3: because the alternative is a bankruptcy where they get wiped out. 373 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,679 Speaker 3: Then that's okay result if you're the senior lender. So 374 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 3: the playing board is set. I do think, I mean, 375 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,439 Speaker 3: I don't think anything's changed, right. I think all of 376 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 3: our clients are extremely savvy and intelligent. They wouldn't just 377 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 3: write a check for the sake of writing a check. 378 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 3: I do think people are pressing back more though, on 379 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 3: situations where the company just comes and expects that the 380 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,640 Speaker 3: senior lenders are just going to solve the problem for them. 381 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. And I guess there's certainly example where investors refuse 382 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 2: to take the haircut, right because again we go back 383 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 2: to Echo Star Wars, a very complicated situation, but they 384 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 2: were trying to I think that an agreement to sell 385 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 2: Dish dbs to direct TV for a dollar, but the 386 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 2: bond holders were required to were offered to swap into 387 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,640 Speaker 2: a direct TV debt, which obviously would be a big 388 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:19,880 Speaker 2: improvement and credit quality, but they were required to take 389 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 2: some very large haircuts depending on the bond and they 390 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 2: were refuse. I guess with certain cases will lenders be like, hey, 391 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 2: we're willing to take our chances if this goes bankrupt, 392 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 2: well restructure and we'll own it throughout the process ourselves. 393 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's very much the case. I mean, obviously, 394 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 3: without getting into any specifics, viv a situation now where 395 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 3: we've been there for a while. There's been on again, 396 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 3: off again discussions with the company and the sponsor. We 397 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 3: kind of hit pause on an ELM that we were 398 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 3: talking about months ago. The business has continued to deteriorate, 399 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 3: and I think the sponsor still is expecting the clients 400 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 3: to take a haircut. And I think that's a situation 401 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 3: where it's like, I know what the alternative is. It's 402 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 3: not great, but it also doesn't make sense for me 403 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 3: to give back forty cents in my face claim if 404 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 3: I think this thing is headed towards the bankruptcy. So yeah, 405 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 3: I mean that's a live deal I'm working on at 406 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 3: the moment. So I do think you're seeing some of 407 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 3: that pushback. 408 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: I'll want you look at the secondary market's got I mean, 409 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,440 Speaker 1: in terms of co op versus non co op trading. 410 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: Is that a signal that you look at. 411 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,199 Speaker 3: I mean, we're aware of it, and we have to 412 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 3: be cognizant of it and candidly when we draw drop 413 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 3: some of these co ops. You know, sometimes you got 414 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:31,440 Speaker 3: to spend time with the trading desks on the phone 415 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,199 Speaker 3: just to kind of get them familiar, because obviously the 416 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 3: clients want liquidity, and so if the co op is 417 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 3: strangling liquidity, that doesn't help our clients. And you know, 418 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 3: when we did al Tease right for example, I don't 419 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,719 Speaker 3: think the European traders were too used to or not 420 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 3: used to it at all, dealing with you know, co 421 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,199 Speaker 3: op versus non co op paper. So we spent enormous 422 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,239 Speaker 3: amount of time trying to educate the desks to make 423 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 3: it as painful as painless as possible. Sorry painful, but 424 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 3: I would say we're cognizant of it. Again, I mean, 425 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 3: I don't know if we're going to get into this, 426 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 3: but there's multiple flavors of co ops nowadays. So in 427 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 3: a co op, we're ninety percent, you know, hypothetically of 428 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 3: the loan is under co op. The trading issue is 429 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 3: usually not an issue. In a world in which you 430 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,439 Speaker 3: have a you know, fifty percent co op, then you 431 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 3: have a big trading disparity, and you know, we even 432 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 3: have some situations that that we recently and something I'm 433 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 3: involved in which was a head scratcher to me. We 434 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 3: had people calling us because there was a trading disparity 435 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 3: between the co op and the Steerco paper, which made 436 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 3: no sense to me because there was no there's no 437 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 3: way to delineate Steerco paper in these situations. So yeah, 438 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 3: I mean it definitely impacts trading. The punchline is if 439 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:48,679 Speaker 3: we're doing it right, we're trying to make sure it's 440 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 3: as like what is possible, so it's not a hindrance 441 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 3: on our client's ability to trade. And trading disparity I 442 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 3: think is very much a contextualized issue, meaning if or 443 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 3: seeing a bifurcated deal coming, then there's a trading disparity. 444 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 3: If everyone thinks that this is a everyone's holding hands 445 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 3: and getting the same deal, there should not be a 446 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 3: trading disparity. 447 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: So talk to us about Europe, Scott. I mean, I 448 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: know you spend a lot of time there, and you've 449 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,159 Speaker 1: built up a team there and you you kind of 450 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,439 Speaker 1: have good presence there. When I talked to people in Europe, 451 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: you know, even not that long ago, you know that 452 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: general sense is and I'm paraphrasing and probably crudely breaking 453 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: it down, but Europe is slightly more genteel judges won't 454 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: stand for the shenanigans that you get in the US. 455 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 1: Management has more exposure to personal liability, there's more concern 456 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: about reputational risk. 457 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 3: Is that so I definitely think Europe is different. I 458 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 3: don't think you can take the American model and just 459 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 3: export it, so I think that's one hundred percent tro 460 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 3: and as the American I should definitely refer to the Europeans. 461 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 3: But from my experience, what I've seen is it is 462 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 3: a smaller sandbox in the sense of at least on 463 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 3: the lender side, right there's just there's less institutions, So 464 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 3: it's kind of hard to do one of these bifrikid 465 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 3: deals when these folks are working with each other in 466 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 3: every single credit historically, So there's less appetite for the 467 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 3: lender on lender of violence as it's been coined here. 468 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 3: And I do think there is reputational risk, but that 469 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 3: I mean that was the case here as well right 470 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 3: ten years ago. And I think most of the White 471 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 3: Chee sponsors, maybe minus one or two, have kind of 472 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 3: ripped off the band aid because I think they've discovered 473 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 3: that the markets are forgiving and have a short memory. 474 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 3: So what I would say is, do I see the 475 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 3: eleemy stuff moving to Europe? Yes? Do I see it 476 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 3: in the volume that we have here in the US? Know? 477 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 3: And do I see the more aggressive transactions that have 478 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 3: been implemented here in the US, you know, becoming commonplace 479 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 3: in Europe? Probably not, But I do think if you 480 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 3: just step back and think about it, same documents in 481 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,919 Speaker 3: large measure, a lot of them are the same sponsors, right, 482 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 3: It's just their investments up versus the US, and what 483 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 3: you're seeing is on the same advisors, right, So you're 484 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 3: getting the same you know, without naming names. You're getting 485 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 3: the same lawyers and bankers hired in Europe for deals 486 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 3: that they do here. So it's not surprising that they 487 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 3: would potentially roll out a playbook that's worked. So it 488 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:19,640 Speaker 3: remains to be seen. But I don't disagree with your 489 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 3: your your intro. I think that is very true. 490 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:24,920 Speaker 1: Are there places that it works better countries? 491 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 3: Okay? Now, now we're going to get into my my 492 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 3: knowledge of the various geographies and overall lying fiduciary duties. 493 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 3: But I mean it is relevant right to your point 494 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 3: about because look, if someone's looking the challenge in element, 495 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 3: the first place, you look at the docs, right did 496 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 3: did they breach a covenant? Did they over blast the basket? Did? 497 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 3: The reality is you have very smart lawyers on both 498 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,680 Speaker 3: sides of the table. For the most part, that's usually 499 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,679 Speaker 3: a no. You could get creative with an argument, but 500 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 3: presumably there was room in the documents to begin with 501 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 3: to at least theoretically move an asset for example. So 502 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 3: the second place a lot of people go is okay, 503 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 3: is there a state law claim of action like a 504 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 3: fiduciary duty type claim or a fraudulent transfer type claim, 505 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 3: which obviously will vary by jurisdiction. So for example, when 506 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,359 Speaker 3: we did SFRLTAST France and there are a lot of threats, 507 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 3: you know, as part of the negotiation about moving assets 508 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 3: away from us, my partner, John Pierre Fargus, who runs 509 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 3: my French office or my French restruction practice, who's best 510 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:31,199 Speaker 3: in class there, felt very confident that from a fiduciary 511 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 3: duty liability standpoint, that that was a hollow threat versus 512 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 3: here in the US, we would take that threat much 513 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 3: more seriously. So those type of jurisdictional overlay issues are 514 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 3: very relevant. Whether it's France or Luxembourg or the UK 515 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 3: or Germany, it varies by jurisdiction. So yes, that comes 516 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 3: into play as well. I think the US has, you know, 517 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:55,919 Speaker 3: the business judgment standards a little bit more protective of 518 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 3: the boards here. 519 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: But you wouldn't say I'll go to Italy ol Spain 520 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,120 Speaker 1: and we can get away with more stuff. For there's 521 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: not like a target on a particular country where things 522 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: are loose. 523 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 3: I think there probably is. I won't speak to it 524 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,400 Speaker 3: for obvious reasons, but I think there are certain jurisdictions, 525 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 3: you know, deferring to my colleagues overseas where they feel 526 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 3: there's I mean, we talk about these things with our clients. Right, 527 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 3: if it's in France, you probably can't do X. If 528 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 3: it's in Germany, you probably can't do Y. If it's 529 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,639 Speaker 3: in Luxembourg, maybe you could do this. So it is 530 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,199 Speaker 3: part of the conversation when we're thinking about how to 531 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 3: you know, roll forward a transact. 532 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: It's more case by case than you know you're you 533 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 1: are beefing up massively in one country because you see 534 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 1: a huge amount of transactions in one place. 535 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 3: I mean, right now, again from from the American practitioners perspective, 536 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 3: you know, I'm seeing a ton of distress in France 537 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 3: and we, luckily for US, we have a great practice there, 538 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 3: so we're doing a lot of it. So like, are 539 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 3: we in France in a big way because there's a 540 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 3: ton of distress? Yes? Is that because we think it's 541 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 3: a leemy friendly environment? No? Actually, probably the inverse is true. 542 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: So it's also a question of scale. How much does 543 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: that act as a deterrent the deal? The deals relatively 544 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: much smaller than they are in the US. 545 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 3: Right in the capital structures, yes, yeah, I mean for 546 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,159 Speaker 3: the for the most part, that's true. I mean, but 547 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 3: if obviously SFR was a massive capital structure. You know, 548 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 3: it's public that we're involved in multis International, it's another 549 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 3: massive capital structure. So there are some big ones, but 550 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 3: you're right, I mean, there's less multi billion dollar structures 551 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 3: than we deal with here in the US. 552 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: And other than the fact that cop agreements work, which 553 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,680 Speaker 1: you're a big advocate of, what are the lessons do 554 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: we learned from Maltese? 555 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,440 Speaker 3: So, and just to pause on that, I think co 556 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 3: op agreements are legal to go to a discussion earlier, 557 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 3: and I think they're appropriate in certain circumstances. I don't 558 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 3: think that there and I said it earlier, I'll say 559 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 3: it again. I don't think that they're one size fits all. 560 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 3: I think there are times sometimes when actually our clients 561 00:28:57,480 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 3: want to rush to a co op, where maybe we 562 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 3: should let things play forward to see if it makes 563 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 3: sense contextually in that circumstance. In SFR, it made a 564 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 3: ton of sense to me. That was a little bit 565 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 3: more of a no brainer. You had a massive capital structure. 566 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 3: You had a company who came out who basically said 567 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 3: telegraph they were looking to capture discount. And you had 568 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 3: lenders within our syndicate who were US holders, Euro holders, 569 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 3: you had power holders, You had people that bought in 570 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 3: at a steep discount. So you just had varying degrees 571 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 3: of thought processes from their own internal perspective. And I 572 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 3: think had there not been a co op, given the 573 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 3: size of that structure, it would have been very easy 574 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 3: for the company its advisors to go pick off large 575 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 3: holders and do things to pit holders against each other. 576 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 3: So in that one it made a lot of sense 577 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 3: to me. No one was looking to do an enemy 578 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 3: off the backs of someone else, and that deal which 579 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 3: printed was one hundred percent pro rata. Everyone in the 580 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 3: secured group got the same deal, So that made a 581 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 3: lot of sense. In other scenarios where you have really 582 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 3: big lenders, you know, paper straining as deep discount, they 583 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 3: may want to put money to work, you know, rushing 584 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 3: out with a big co op may cut against their interests. 585 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: Just going back to Europe, how's the build out of 586 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: your business going. You've hired some people, you're hiring more. 587 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's going great. In the US. I mean, we've 588 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 3: been plugging away for a while and have been extremely 589 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 3: busy for years. Knock on wood, we haven't you know, 590 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 3: we haven't had a lull on a on a personal level. 591 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 3: So two things. One is, obviously the market has changed. 592 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 3: I've been doing this roughly twenty five years and it's 593 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 3: changed drastically in the last five and luckily we were 594 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 3: part of that change as opposed to reacting to it. 595 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 3: And that is this whole change to eleemy being you know, 596 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 3: a precursor and sometimes a substitute for a change of 597 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 3: control type transaction. So you need more lawyers that know 598 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 3: how to do that work. And it really is finance 599 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 3: heavy and not all bankruptcy lawyers, certainly when I started 600 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 3: my career twenty five years ago, were heavily trained to 601 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 3: focus on every nuance at credit docs at a young age, 602 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 3: and so we've really changed our training as it relates 603 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:23,719 Speaker 3: to our up and comers, and also are recruiting. So 604 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 3: a lot of the hiring I've done in the last 605 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 3: two years have really been heavy finance folks, not people 606 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 3: I would call traditional restructuring lawyers, not the folks that 607 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 3: throw in a suit and tie and go to court, 608 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 3: but the ones that could dig into a credit agreement 609 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 3: and come up with a host of options for our clients. 610 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 3: And I'll continue to we can never have enough bench 611 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 3: as it relates to people with that skill set. Separately, 612 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 3: a big personal goal of mine was really to build 613 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 3: out the European practice because in my mind I could 614 00:31:54,840 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 3: see this work that we do here spreading to Europe again, 615 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 3: not necessarily the same level of intensity or aggressiveness that 616 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 3: you see in the US, but but versions of it. 617 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 3: And you know, most of our clients that you know 618 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 3: we'd rely on here for new work are the same 619 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 3: people that play in Europe. So to us, it was 620 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 3: a natural progression to try to continue that relationship overseas. Historically, 621 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 3: we always had a very deep team in places like France, 622 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 3: so that was easy. In Europe, we were good, but 623 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 3: we needed more, I mean honestly, and so we went 624 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,840 Speaker 3: out and we uh and that's a tough market to recruit, 625 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 3: and I mean it's just it's a small, finite universe 626 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 3: of people that are super relevant and everyone wants those 627 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 3: samful of people. So we were able to pull off 628 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 3: a pretty big acquisition earlier this year. We brought in 629 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 3: the leader of senc's restruction former snce's restructuring practice and 630 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 3: finance and a host of associates game with them, which 631 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 3: was a huge bolster to our group in London. And 632 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 3: I would say, I'm not done there. There's more to come. 633 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: And more in other countries in Europe. 634 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, one hundred percent as well, And there's one in 635 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 3: particular that will be coming soon. But the jurisdiction is 636 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 3: so small. Stay away from avoiding. 637 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: But again, if I'm sitting in Milano, Madrid or Frankfurt, 638 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: why why give some done? I mean, why not just 639 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,160 Speaker 1: go to my guy that I've been talking to for decades, 640 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 1: that you know, speaks my language. He's been sitting there 641 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:22,480 Speaker 1: from the front of. 642 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 3: Me, from an advisor front, or from a client front. 643 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:26,200 Speaker 1: From a you know, if I want to get a 644 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 1: little fun to do this sort of why do I 645 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: need to go to give some done. 646 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 3: Well for this sort of work. I mean, my honest 647 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 3: pitch for that, because I think it rained true, is 648 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 3: we've just done more of it than anyone else, and 649 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 3: so there's a certain level of sophistication that we have 650 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 3: just having dealt with all this stuff for the years. 651 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 3: And I think if you think about you know, deals 652 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 3: like Altice, which was an lum in Europe, it was 653 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 3: a combination of my French practitioners who are best in 654 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 3: class and kind of know that market in the nuances, 655 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 3: and then us taking the technology that we've been doing 656 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 3: here forever and kind of transplanting it with the with 657 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,400 Speaker 3: the benefit of our French partner's you know, advice to 658 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 3: make sure we're not hitting any guardrails and transplanting it. 659 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 3: So I think that's you know, the pitch, so to speak. 660 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 3: I think it's there. There's something that is said if 661 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 3: you even look at the US market, there's really a 662 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,279 Speaker 3: subset of law firms both on the company and on 663 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 3: the lender side that do all of this. So I 664 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 3: think it's it's a natural progression to take that expertise 665 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 3: and to bring it to your clients overseas. 666 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:33,879 Speaker 2: And then when when you're representing debt holders and you're 667 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 2: dealing with a company, is there any difference in the 668 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 2: type of company, For example, if it's a sponsor private 669 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:43,439 Speaker 2: equity held equity for the most part, or it could 670 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:47,000 Speaker 2: be a company that's got a very influential founder like 671 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 2: we talked about Echo Star with Charlie organ or or 672 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 2: dealing with a more widely held public company. 673 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 3: Uh. Yeah, I mean there's definitely a difference in my 674 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 3: mind between public and private. You know, I don't think 675 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 3: you've really seen much of any public style le me right, 676 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 3: because if you think about people's motivations to do these transactions, 677 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 3: if you're a sponsor of the motivation is pretty obvious 678 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 3: to do one of these transactions to get more time, 679 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 3: to hopefully get a return to your LPs, to not 680 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 3: have to write down an investment, etc. I mean, obviously, 681 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 3: if you're dealing with the company of public shareholders, I 682 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 3: mean they're still benefit people are fiduciaries to their public shareholders, 683 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 3: but you usually don't have like one united voice so 684 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 3: to speak, pushing in this direction. I do think, I mean, 685 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 3: we have some stuff in the pipeline and in the 686 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,240 Speaker 3: work so to speak that are public, so we'll see 687 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,400 Speaker 3: if we kind of finally cross that transom. But I 688 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:47,720 Speaker 3: think for the most part, just given you need another 689 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 3: party to transact with who's motivated, I do think that 690 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 3: most of the stuff will stay on the sponsor side. 691 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 1: I want to ask you it's about the concept of 692 00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:00,919 Speaker 1: m blockers and omni blockers. A recent guest, Sabrina Fox Legal, 693 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 1: said that they should be on all deals. Essentially, this 694 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 1: is anti lem language and the documentation saying the borrow 695 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: won't use terms to subordinate lenders kind of umbrella protection 696 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 1: against the range of lemies. Is that a viable option 697 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: when it catch on to you seeing any of those 698 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 1: at all. 699 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,520 Speaker 3: Well, there are I mean that's a generic leemy blocker term. 700 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:21,360 Speaker 3: I mean, if you look at deals nowadays, there's things 701 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 3: like sort of protection or j crew protection or chew 702 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:29,359 Speaker 3: WE protection, some of the more famous lemies that are 703 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 3: out there. And I think it goes to the whole 704 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 3: commentary we're having before, is like in the syndication process, 705 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,680 Speaker 3: how much leverage do folks have on the front end 706 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 3: to get those kind of protections in the document. You're 707 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,239 Speaker 3: seeing more and more of them. You're seeing things like 708 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 3: J crew protection in documents. That being said, right, it's 709 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,480 Speaker 3: a cat and mouse game. You'll see a version of 710 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,759 Speaker 3: J Crow protection and then someone on our team will 711 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:54,320 Speaker 3: take a look at it and be like, I've figured 712 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 3: out a way to navigate around it. So I think 713 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 3: you are seeing some documents on the primary issuing side 714 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:03,839 Speaker 3: where some of these protections are getting in. Where they're 715 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 3: really finding their way in is post Lmy. So people say, Okay, 716 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 3: I'm doing this deal because you have leverage against me, 717 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 3: because you have this optionality under the document. However, you 718 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 3: know I'm shutting the door, right. So on the back 719 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 3: end of this deal, we're going to close everything off. 720 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:21,439 Speaker 3: We're going to have every protection. We're going to tighten 721 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 3: down your baskets, we're going to tighten down your r 722 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:27,239 Speaker 3: peak capacity, et cetera. And So what's interesting is you're 723 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 3: now seeing a lot of people in the secondary market, 724 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 3: and I talk to clients all the time that are 725 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 3: very interested in buying the post Elmy paper in the 726 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 3: marketplace because that they know is protected paper. Look if 727 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 3: on the on the front end of an underwriting process, 728 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:49,359 Speaker 3: if if lenders were able to advocate and get in 729 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,360 Speaker 3: real enemy protections and all these documents, we could just 730 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 3: go back to being restructing lawyers. I'm not seeing a 731 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:56,359 Speaker 3: change anytime soon. 732 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:58,560 Speaker 1: And that hasn't died restructing laws. 733 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 3: There was a yeah. I rolled my eyes a little 734 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 3: bit at that. No, I don't think it's died. I 735 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,600 Speaker 3: think the markets changed. My honest view is what's happened 736 00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 3: is instead of this being kind of a one step 737 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 3: process when you need to recapitalize or fix a business, 738 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 3: it's almost become a two step process. The lemy comes first, 739 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 3: and if the enemy sticks, there never is a part two. 740 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 3: So maybe that kills the restructuring lawyer. But I think 741 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 3: what we'll probably see over time and time will tell 742 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:28,239 Speaker 3: is that it won't stick in a decent percentage of 743 00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:30,399 Speaker 3: these and you'll still have the restructure. So so now 744 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:32,480 Speaker 3: I'm not a I'm not a believer in the line. 745 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 3: I thought that restructuring lawyers are dead, But. 746 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:35,719 Speaker 1: The real Senate would just say it's another way of 747 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: the lawyers getting paid twice. 748 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 3: I mean that it's a cynical look at it, but 749 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 3: it happens to be true. I mean, it's it's two 750 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 3: bites at the apple, so to speak. 751 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,440 Speaker 1: If it's required, so talk about the pipeline. You do 752 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:51,719 Speaker 1: expect these things to come back lemies, you know, is 753 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:53,920 Speaker 1: it coming back strong in the in the in the 754 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:56,400 Speaker 1: fourth quarter, does it continue into next year? Do you 755 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 1: see a good you know, wide range of sectors involved 756 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:01,040 Speaker 1: in times of businesses? 757 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I would say it's it's definitely ticking up 758 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 3: a bit. I think everyone kind of took a deep breath, candidly, 759 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:11,920 Speaker 3: because I feel like so many of our clients and 760 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,040 Speaker 3: again it's the same players, and all of these deals 761 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:16,360 Speaker 3: just had one after the other after the other and 762 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:19,919 Speaker 3: probably had enough, so to speak. I don't think from 763 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,760 Speaker 3: talking to my own clients that they've gone anti eleemy. 764 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:27,960 Speaker 3: I do think perhaps sponsors have to make a better 765 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:32,080 Speaker 3: case to the lender community as to why in a 766 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 3: particular credit it makes sense for them to engage on 767 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:38,160 Speaker 3: lem I don't think it's just because the debt's trading off, 768 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 3: So I think there's maybe a little bit more of 769 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,800 Speaker 3: a dance that needs to happen on both sides of 770 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:48,360 Speaker 3: the table. Yeah, I think there will continue to be, 771 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 3: you know, a large amount of enemy rolling into twenty five. 772 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 3: I don't think that's going to change. I don't know 773 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 3: that it's sector specific per se, but certain sectors which 774 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 3: are struggling, whether it's chemicals or what have you at 775 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:07,120 Speaker 3: the moment, are more prone to it just because their 776 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 3: securities pricings are trading off. Right. So if you have 777 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 3: a bunch of companies in the same sector and they're 778 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 3: all trading in the sixties, I think you might see 779 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 3: a lot of enemy in that particular sector. But I don't. 780 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 3: I think it has more to do with the trading 781 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 3: volumes and the trading prices than it has to do 782 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:25,880 Speaker 3: with you know, advisors, you know, at targeting a particular sector. 783 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:29,000 Speaker 1: But rolling into twenty six you said twenty five. 784 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 3: I'm sorry, yeah, finish twenty fifth. It's been a long year. Yes, 785 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:34,880 Speaker 3: I mean, I think realistically it'll it'll continue to roll in. 786 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 1: And it's the US, it's Europe, it's. 787 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 3: I think so I mean, I I us I think 788 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,800 Speaker 3: is is you could take for granted that you'll continue 789 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 3: to see high volume of enemies here. I think everyone's 790 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:47,960 Speaker 3: used to it, and sponsors are kind of gotten used 791 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 3: to it as well, maybe less concerned about the reputational hit. Europe. 792 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:57,120 Speaker 3: I think you've seen a couple posts SFR, not on 793 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:00,319 Speaker 3: the same scale or size, So I think think you'll 794 00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:03,839 Speaker 3: continue to see them in Europe again, you know, for 795 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:05,840 Speaker 3: all the reasons we discussed earlier. Do I think it 796 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,800 Speaker 3: becomes the snowball that is the US now? Do I 797 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:11,320 Speaker 3: think you'll see more of them with some of the 798 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:13,120 Speaker 3: same players in Bob, Yes, but. 799 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:16,280 Speaker 1: You are global, why not Let's time? Why not Africa, 800 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:17,240 Speaker 1: Middle East? Asia? 801 00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:19,840 Speaker 3: We don't have offices in all those places, so that 802 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:23,080 Speaker 3: could be the next thing venture Why Yeah, I think 803 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:26,920 Speaker 3: I think we'll probably we'll stick to to Europe for 804 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,399 Speaker 3: the time being. In the US, I mean, we'll see 805 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:33,080 Speaker 3: if this becomes becomes a trend anywhere else. But I think, 806 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,839 Speaker 3: you know, in certain of those jurisdictions, it's just restructuring 807 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:39,920 Speaker 3: per se is not as much of a developed practice 808 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:41,120 Speaker 3: as it is in US and Europe. 809 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:44,840 Speaker 1: And basically the aggressive you know, the enemies in the 810 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,479 Speaker 1: US just get more aggressive, do they more cut throat? 811 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:48,799 Speaker 1: And Europe joins in. 812 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:51,400 Speaker 3: So I think the opposite is true. I think the 813 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 3: enemies in the US have actually tried to be more inclusive. 814 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,319 Speaker 3: I mean, you know, without getting into it because we're 815 00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:58,799 Speaker 3: involved in some of them. But if you look at 816 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 3: like the twenty twenty type transactions during COVID of like 817 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:03,560 Speaker 3: sort of and Trimark and board riders that were truly 818 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 3: non Parada, I think the market had shied away from those. 819 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:16,719 Speaker 3: They've tried to create a a a structure where everyone's 820 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 3: incentivized to participate. And you know, from our perspective, you know, 821 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 3: a good enemy is obviously one that staves off a 822 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:26,759 Speaker 3: change of control in the long term into your you 823 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:28,839 Speaker 3: know examples of ecro Store and these other ones where 824 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:31,600 Speaker 3: on the back end there's a recovery and our clients 825 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:34,440 Speaker 3: do very well economically, that that's the best enemy. But 826 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:36,120 Speaker 3: I think in the short term, because none of us 827 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 3: have a crystal ball when when we think about what's 828 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 3: a good enemy that we just closed, you know, having 829 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:45,920 Speaker 3: very high take up and participation is is good in 830 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:48,400 Speaker 3: our minds as advisors at least because it means we 831 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:51,480 Speaker 3: created a mouse trap that worked that people you know, 832 00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:53,520 Speaker 3: kind of played with. If if you have a huge 833 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:56,920 Speaker 3: amount of holdouts, probably not a great enemy, and. 834 00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:59,239 Speaker 1: The client understands that and respective that they're don't just 835 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 1: trying to get every last dollar rounds, but they actually see. 836 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:04,640 Speaker 3: Oh, they one hundred percent understand the playing field. I mean, 837 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:07,200 Speaker 3: if you think about it, if fifty percent of you know, 838 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:10,360 Speaker 3: talking about the fifty percent figure before, fifty percent of 839 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:12,440 Speaker 3: people just went in the room, cut a deal and 840 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:15,279 Speaker 3: took all the goodies for themselves, you'd have forty nine 841 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 3: percent not participating, right, even though they theoretically got a 842 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:20,640 Speaker 3: better deal. That that's all of our clients are smart 843 00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:23,160 Speaker 3: enough to know that's not that's not a win, that's 844 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:26,279 Speaker 3: a litigation or even worse, you know, a company just 845 00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:30,720 Speaker 3: faltering and falling down into a bankruptcy. So yeah, clients, 846 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:33,920 Speaker 3: clients totally get that. You know, you might be able 847 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:35,640 Speaker 3: to do a little bit better, but you know you 848 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 3: need to leave enough where people want to participate. 849 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 1: Great stuff, Scott Greenberg with Gibson done. Many thanks for 850 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 1: joining us on the Credit. 851 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:44,600 Speaker 3: Edge, Thanks for having me, Thank you, and. 852 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:47,200 Speaker 1: Of course very grateful to Steve Flynn with Bloomberg Intelligence. 853 00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:48,280 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us today. 854 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:50,319 Speaker 2: Great to be here. Thank you for even more. 855 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:52,719 Speaker 1: Credit market analysis and insight. Read all of Steve's great 856 00:43:52,719 --> 00:43:55,239 Speaker 1: work on the Bloomberg Terminal. Bloomberg Intelligence is part of 857 00:43:55,239 --> 00:43:58,280 Speaker 1: our research department, with five hundred analysts and strategies working 858 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:01,600 Speaker 1: across all markets, coveraging over two thousand equities and credits 859 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:04,000 Speaker 1: and outlooks on more than ninety industries and one hundred 860 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:08,560 Speaker 1: market indices, currencies and commodities. Please do subscribe to The 861 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:11,360 Speaker 1: Credit Edge wherever you get your podcasts. We're on Apples, 862 00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:14,360 Speaker 1: Spotify and all other good podcast providers, including the Bloomberg 863 00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:17,600 Speaker 1: Terminal at b pod Go. Give us a review, tell 864 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:21,320 Speaker 1: your friends, or email me directly at jcrombieight at Bloomberg 865 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:24,319 Speaker 1: dot net. I'm James Crombie. It's been a pleasure having 866 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:43,360 Speaker 1: you join us again next week on the Credit Edge