Études de cas

100 % de recouvrement pour les créanciers garantis et nouvelle bouée de sauvetage pour un producteur alimentaire en faillite de 150 millions $.

J.S. Held rachète Shechter & Everett pour développer sa comptabilité judiciaire dans le domaine du droit de la famille en Floride

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Accueil·100 % de recouvrement pour les créanciers garantis et nouvelle bouée de sauvetage pour un producteur alimentaire en faillite de 150 millions $.

Contexte

A $150M, family-owned manufacturer of Mexican-style cheeses and cream products with nationwide distribution was forced to suspend operations following the discovery of Listeria monocytogenes linked to certain cheese products, triggering voluntary recalls and extensive regulatory scrutiny. The Company entered into a Consent Decree with the FDA requiring significant remediation, enhanced controls, and third-party oversight. As a result, production was shut down for approximately 16 months.

The prolonged interruption caused $10M in accounts receivable and inventory write-offs, over $75M in recall-related litigation exposure, and covenant defaults on $11M of secured credit facilities. It also created acute liquidity pressure and strained the Company's relationship with its senior secured lender. After owner capital infusions and a phased restart in 2025, the Company entered Chapter 11 to stabilize operations and address its liabilities.

Nos conseils

Shortly after the production shutdown, J.S. Held was retained by the Company, at its corporate counsel’s recommendation, to provide comprehensive financial advisory services and bankruptcy support throughout the restructuring.

Our experts guided the Company through a successful Chapter 11 process and §363 sale. This outcome drastically improved recoveries from negligible amounts to 100% for the secured lender, subordinated secured lenders, and priority creditors. It also preserved jobs and enabled the Company's legacy to continue through a vertically integrated new operation. Nos principales actions étaient les suivantes :

  • Managing liquidity and assisting with the preparation of court-filed cash collateral budgets.
  • Supporting management in evaluating the financial implications of proposals from prospective buyers and negotiating terms.
  • Assisting in the review, structuring, and execution of the Asset Purchase Agreement (APA) in connection with the §363 sale.
  • Working closely with legal counsel, the secured creditor, and other bankruptcy professionals to ensure alignment and efficient advancement of the sale and bankruptcy process.
  • Preparing Schedules of Assets and Liabilities, Statements of Financial Affairs, and Monthly Operating Reports.

Obstacles et nos solutions

  • Operating losses were mounting weekly and liquidity was rapidly diminishing, placing more than 200 jobs and the Company's 30+ year legacy at risk. Our team explored several strategic options with management and the principals, including a §363 sale. The §363 sale averted a Chapter 7 conversion, saved jobs, and significantly improved projected recoveries for the lender, creditors, and principals:
    • Secured lender’s recovery improved from a negligible amount expected to be collected over multiple years to 100% recovery of principal, interest, and fees across all entities involved, paid at closing.
    • Administrative, subordinated secured, and priority creditors’ recoveries improved from $0 to 100%.
    • Unsecured creditors received a recovery and the opportunity to pursue remnant assets.
    • Principals received full repayment of their DIP loan and full releases.
  • The §363 sale was complicated by the buyers' unwillingness to purchase the Company's operating assets without also acquiring the leased manufacturing facility, which was owned by the principals through a separate entity. Compounding this complexity, the Company and the principals' real estate assets held separate but cross-collateralized loans with the senior secured lender, who provided cash collateral authority in the bankruptcy. In response, our team:
    • Produced a compelling liquidation analysis and alternative strategy that motivated all parties to align on a viable path forward.
    • Worked with the Company’s bankruptcy counsel and multiple law firms representing the principals to clearly define fiduciary duties and run a competitive sale process that included the purchase of the Company’s operating assets and the real estate company’s property.
    • Supported the structuring and execution of the APA, schedules, sale motion, and sale order for a private sale without an auction.
    • Garnered full support for a private sale from the senior lender and the unsecured creditors’ committee.
    • Submitted a declaration attesting to the sale process and its superior benefit to all creditors.
  • The bankruptcy strategy was premised on $19M in DIP financing for working capital to rebuild sales. When the DIP financing stalled, the Company entered a period of prolonged operating losses that could have forced a Chapter 7 conversion. We resolved this challenge by:
    • Structuring DIP financing from the principals, subordinated to the senior secured lender, who provided cash collateral authority.
    • Implementing disciplined liquidity management and cash flow forecasting, allowing management to explore operating scenarios to bridge liquidity to another solution.
    • Helping management define the sale price and negotiate with prospective buyers to produce multiple LOIs.
    • Facilitating open and consistent communication among stakeholders, including lenders, ownership, and management.
  • Customers and vendors were wary of working with the Company after listeria-related issues, a 16-month shutdown, the bankruptcy filing, and unpaid prepetition invoices. To rebuild confidence, our team:
    • Provided verbal and written communications for management to deliver to customers and vendors throughout the restructuring, reinforcing confidence in the go-forward operation.
    • Educated all parties on bankruptcy proceedings and protections, allowing transparent and cooperative business relationships to resume.

Domaines d'activité associés

> Conseil en termes de faillite
Faire face à une faillite est particulièrement compliqué, car celle-ci implique souvent des entreprises en difficulté, des litiges, des documents financiers incomplets ou inexacts, des risques de fraude et d'autres défis, en plus de procédures strictes ordonnées par les tribunaux. Notre équipe expérimentée d'experts en redressement et en restructuration guide les clients tout au long du processus dans le but d'optimiser les résultats pour les prêteurs, les créanciers, les actionnaires et les employés.

 

> Solutions face aux situations difficiles
Nous proposons des solutions globales aux entreprises en difficulté et insolvables afin de maximiser leur redressement, de limiter les risques et de rétablir leur valeur. Nos experts sont mandatés pour aider les entreprises en difficulté à stabiliser leurs activités, protéger les intérêts des parties prenantes et appliquer des stratégies de redressement. Nous adoptons une approche centrée sur les opérations qui voit au-delà du bilan pour éviter toute dégradation supplémentaire et tracer la voie vers une croissance durable.

Nos experts