John R. Sobolewski
John’s multidisciplinary practice includes a broad range of finance, restructuring and related matters, including leveraged M&A, private equity, public and private capital markets transactions, complex syndicated bank financings, special situations, in-court and out-of-court workouts, and debt default activism and net-short debt activism situations.
EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Financings
- T-Mobile in connection with its acquisition of Sprint and its related $38.0 billion of financing commitments, $39.0 billion of consent solicitations, and related bridge loan, credit agreement and senior notes issuances
- Gap in connection with its $1.8675 billion ABL credit agreement and $2.25 billion senior secured notes issuances, and its subsequent $1.5 billion unsecured notes issuances
- Searchlight in connection with its investment in Consolidated Communications and its related $2.0 billion of term loan and bond issuances, and subsequent repricings and notes issuances
- XPO Logistics in its €3.24 billion acquisition of Norbert Dentressangle S.A. and $3 billion acquisition of Con-Way, and its subsequent refinancings, repricings and new debt incurrences
- Lions Gate in its $4.5 billion of bank and bond transactions in connection with its acquisition of Starz, and its various subsequent repricing and refinancing transactions, notes issuances and exchanges
- PPG in its $2.0 billion term loan in connection with its acquisition of Tikkurila
- Cengage in its $1.65 billion term loan
- Apollo in its $1.0 billion buyout of Presidio, and Presidio’s subsequent refinancing transactions and leveraged stock buyback
Liability Management Transactions
- Travelport in its $3.6 billion of exchange transactions and financing transactions
- Mallinckrodt in its $495 million out-of-court exchange offer and related financing matters
- Intelsat in connection with over $6.0 billion of issuances of high-yield, holdco and convertible notes, as well as related bond tenders and purchases
Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Debt Default Activism
- Centerbridge Partners in connection with its investment in Speedcast
- Costa Verde in connection with its DIP financing commitment to LATAM
- Goldman Sachs, GSO Capital Partners and Bank of Nova Scotia in various workout and restructuring situations
- Various key stakeholders in major debt default activism and net-short debt activism situations
RECOGNITIONS
John has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Dealmakers in America, and as one of the 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers.
John has also been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers, and a “Rising Star” by Expert Guides.
Select Publications
- Recent Trends in U.S. Corporate Bankruptcy and Restructuring,
in The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Restructuring & Insolvency, 2021.
- Private Equity – Year in Review and 2021 Outlook,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, February 6, 2021.
- Financing Year in Review: From Crisis to Comeback,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, January 19, 2021.
- Acquisition Financing Year in Review: The Decade of Debt,
in Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, January 17, 2020.
- Debt Default Activism: After Windstream, the Winds of Change,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, June 18, 2019.
- Corporate Bankruptcy and Restructuring: 2018-2019,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, February 17, 2019.
- Acquisition Financing Year in Review - From Break-Neck to Brakes-On,
in Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, January 14, 2019.
- Default Activism in the Debt Markets,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, December 4, 2018.
- The Rise of the Net-Short Debt Activist,
in CFO, August 6, 2018.
- 2018 Private Equity Year In Review,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, January 17, 2019.
- Acquisition Financing: A Banner Year Behind, and New Opportunities in the Year Ahead,
in Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, January 17, 2018.
- Acquisition Financing: the Year Behind and the Year Ahead,
in Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, January 18, 2017.