Chase A. Bentley

Chase has represented debtors, sponsors, ad hoc creditor groups, secured lenders, other creditors, DIP lenders, and acquirors in restructurings in- and out-of-court, as well as in liability management and distressed M&A transactions across a broad range of industries including healthcare, technology, retail, energy, manufacturing, automotive, hospitality, real estate, and entertainment.

Prior to joining Weil, Chase practiced in the restructuring, special situations, and corporate practice groups at a major international law firm. Chase received his B.A. in Political Science from Northeastern University, his J.D., magna cum laude, from Cornell Law School, and his M.B.A. from Cornell S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management. 

Representative Experience

Debtor/Company Experience:

• A leading provider of fiber network solutions in connection with its out-of-court recapitalization of nearly $1 billion in existing debt and over $100 million of new capital
• Kabbage, Inc. d/b/a KServicing, an online loan service provider for over $7 billion of loans issued to small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program, in their chapter 11 cases
• Exide Holdings, a global lead-acid batteries manufacturing company, in their chapter 11 cases. In just 5 months, Exide completed two going concern sale and separation transactions for its U.S. and European/Rest of World businesses (including the negotiation of long-term commercial arrangements among them) and also accomplished a first of its kind global settlement with the Department of Justice and more than 10 state regulators to resolve hundreds of millions of dollars of Exide’s historical environmental liabilities at more than 20 dormant locations
• Arsenal Resources, a pure play Marcellus Basin natural gas operator, in connection with both of its pre-packaged chapter 11 cases*
• A publicly-listed group of apparel and fashion brands in the negotiation and restructuring of their nationwide lease portfolio as part of a liability management strategy*

Creditor/Lender/Acquiror/Other Experience:

• A lender in connection with a series of SPV financings of DISH DBS, DISH Network’s pay-TV business, comprised of $2.3 billion in first lien term loans and $200 million of preferred equity to manage upcoming debt maturities
• A lender in connection with the $2.125 billion financing and comprehensive liability management recapitalization of Alkegen, a manufacturer of high performance fire protection products
• An ad hoc group of secured noteholders in the chapter 11 cases of 99 Cents Only Stores, a discount retailer
• HPS Investment Partners, acting as existing term lender to Envision Healthcare Corporation, one of the nation’s largest medical group management services organizations, and new first- and second-lien lender to Amsurg, the ambulatory surgery division of Envision, in connection with Envision’s out-of-court recapitalization transactions
• An ad hoc group of first lien lenders in connection with the out-of-court cross-border restructuring of Covis Pharma, a multinational specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland
• Monarch Alternative Capital, as the new-money DIP lender to Eagle Hospitality Trust, and purchaser for 11 hotels in the portfolio of Eagle Hospitality, a real estate investment trust holding diverse hotel properties in the United States
• An ad hoc committee of secured lenders in connection with the out-of-court restructuring of Onyx Centersource, a leading provider of hospitality technology for commission payments and recovery solutions for hotels and travel agencies
• The Special Master for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in connection with enforcing judgments for billions and designing a plan for the Court supervised sale of the shares of PDV Holding, Inc., the parent company of CITGO Petroleum, one of the largest refiners, transporters, and marketers of motor fuels, petrochemicals, and other industrial products in the United States
• Longbridge Financial, LLC, a potential replacement servicer, in connection with the chapter 11 cases of Reverse Mortgage Investment Trust
• American International Group, Inc., as equity holder and largest unsecured creditor owed approximately $37.5 billion, in connection with the chapter 11 case of AIG Financial Products Corp.
• Centerbridge, GenNx360, the Wynchwood Trust and certain of their affiliates, as equityholders and the largest secured and unsecured creditors, in connection with the cross-border restructuring of syncreon Group Holdings B.V., a global logistics service provider, which was implemented through an English scheme of arrangement and related U.S. and Canadian recognition proceedings. syncreon’s restructuring was recognized as the 2020 International Company Transaction of the Year by the Turnaround Management Association*
• Charterhouse Capital Partners, as the equity sponsor in connection with the prepackaged chapter 11 cases of its portfolio company, Skillsoft Corporation, a global leader in corporate learning software development and services with liabilities in excess of $2 billion*
• Deutsche Bank, as administrative agent and lender, in connection with the $2.6 billion exit financing facility for Weatherford International, a multinational oilfield services company, upon its emergence from chapter 11*
• JPMorgan, as the prepetition revolver agent and lender, who also served as the agent and lender on both the $700 million DIP and $1.6 billion exit facility, in connection with the pre-packaged chapter 11 cases of Hexion, a manufacturer of specialty chemical and performance materials*
• Sole secured lender to an oil and gas exploration and production company in connection with its forbearance and consensual out-of-court foreclosure process*

Traditional M&A and Finance / Capital Markets Experience:

• KKR and its portfolio company, Global Medical Response, in connection with the acquisition of American Medical Response and the related offering of high-yield bonds and preferred equity issuance*
• New Mountain Capital and its portfolio company, Avantor, in connection with the acquisition of VWR and the related $7.7 billion offering of high-yield bonds and two classes of preferred stock, creating a vertically integrated global supplier of chemical products to the biopharma and life sciences industries*
• KKR in the acquisition of USI Insurance Services, and the related offering of high-yield bonds and preferred equity*
• EQT and its portfolio company, Direct ChassisLink, the largest North American provider of intermodal equipment and container chassis, in the sale of a majority equity position in DCLI*
• Gerdau S.A., a South American producer of long steel, in the sale of certain of its U.S. rebar manufacturing facilities to Commercial Metals Company*
• BrightView Landscapes, the largest U.S. commercial landscaping servicer, together with KKR as its equity sponsor, in its approximately $435 million IPO on the NYSE and subsequent follow-on offering*
• Multiple private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a variety of carve-out, stock split, and other equity transactions*
• Various issuers, underwriters, and potential acquirors in a range of high yield, investment grade and exchange offerings*

*Prior experience before joining Weil.