John R. Sobolewski
John represents sponsors and corporate borrowers in their most complex financing and liability management transactions. His multidisciplinary practice spans finance and restructuring, including leveraged M&A and LBOs, special situations and liability management, debt capital markets offerings, syndicated and direct loans, NAV loans and capital call facilities, management company financings, and in-court and out-of-court workouts.
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 awarded the “Leading Lawyers–Highly Regarded” ranking by IFLR, and been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers and a “Rising Star” by Expert Guides.
EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Financing – Funds and Private Equity
- Siris Capital in various matters, including $1.425 billion of bank and notes financings in connection with its acquisitions of Equiniti Group and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
- Searchlight Capital in various matters, including its investment in Consolidated Communicationsand the related $2.0 billion of term loan and bond issuances by Consolidated, and its investment in Mitel Networks
- Tiger Global in various matters
- Apollo Global Management in connection with $1.05 billion of bank and notes financings for its buyout of Presidio, and in Presidio’s subsequent refinancing transactions, leveraged stock buyback, and IPO
Financing – Corporate
- T-Mobile in its acquisition of Sprint and its related $38.0 billion of financing commitments and $39.0 billion of consent solicitations, as well as its related bridge loan, credit agreement and senior notes issuances
- Gap in various matters, including its $1.8675 billion ABL credit agreement and $2.25 billion senior secured notes issuances, and its subsequent $1.5 billion unsecured notes issuances and related tender offers
- 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
- Cengage in various matters, including its $1.65 billion term loan
- XPO Logistics in connection with the financing of its €3.24 billion acquisition of Norbert Dentressangle S.A. and $3.0 billion acquisition of Con-Way, and its subsequent refinancings, repricings and new debt incurrences
- PPG Industries in its $2.0 billion term loan to finance its acquisition of Tikkurila
Liability Management
- Travelport in its $3.6 billion of superpriority financing and exchange transactions, and its subsequent $2.05 billion junior priority exchange transaction
- Mitel Networks in its $1.35 billion of exchange, amendment and financing transactions
- Angelo Gordon in connection with its debt investment in a subsidiary of Envision Healthcare
- Mallinckrodt in various exchange offers and other financing and restructuring matters
- Intelsat in 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 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
Select Publications
- Private Equity—2023 Outlook,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, March 22, 2023.
- Financing Year in Review: The Tide Turns,
in The Harvard Law School Corporate Governance Forum, January 24, 2023.
- Cross-Border M&A - 2023 Checklist for Successful Acquisitions in the United States,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, January 7, 2023.
- Developing Trends in Private Equity Financing,
in Financier Worldwide, September 2022.
- Corporate Bankruptcy and Restructuring: 2021-2022,
in Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, February 15, 2022.
- Private Equity – 2021 Year in Review and 2022 Outlook,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, February 9, 2022.
- Financing Year in Review: A Robust Recovery,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, January 13, 2022.
- 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.
