In re Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd.

509 B.R. 455, 71 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1582, 2014 WL 2025011, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 2183, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 144
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 16, 2014
DocketCase No. 14-11108 (SHL) (Jointly Administered)
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 509 B.R. 455 (In re Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd., 509 B.R. 455, 71 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1582, 2014 WL 2025011, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 2183, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 144 (N.Y. 2014).

Opinion

Chapter 11

MEMORANDUM OPINION GRANTING DEBTORS’ MOTION FOR ENTRY OF AN ORDER (A) AUTHORIZING THE ASSUMPTION OF THE RESTRUCTURING SUPPORT AGREEMENT; (B) APPROVING PAYMENT OF THE TERMINATION FEE; AND (C) GRANTING RELATED RELIEF

SEAN H. LANE, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Before the Court is the motion (the “Motion”) (ECF No. 13) of the above-captioned debtors (the “Debtors”) seeking authorization to assume a restructuring support agreement (the “RSA”). The RSA forms the basis of the Debtors’ prepackaged plan of reorganization by providing for a global resolution of this bankruptcy. The RSA is an agreement among the Debtors and the majority of their creditors, including their secured creditors who are owed more than $1 billion. It also embodies a settlement with the Debtors’ unsecured note holders, while leaving unimpaired the Debtors’ unsecured trade creditors and providing for some recovery to equity holders. For the reasons stated below, the Court grants the Motion because it finds that the RSA is a valid exercise of the Debtors’ business judgment. This ruling is without prejudice to any party’s right to object to the plan at confirmation.1

BACKGROUND

Genco Shipping and Trading Limited and its affiliated Debtors (collectively, “Genco”) is one of the world’s largest drybulk shippers, operating with a fleet of 53 shipping vessels. Genco has a highly leveraged capital structure, with over $1.3 billion of senior secured debt and $125 million of unsecured convertible notes. The senior secured debt is held in three separate credit facilities. The first is known as the “2007 Credit Facility,” with Wilmington Trust, National Association serving as agent, under which the Debtors owe approximately $1.056 billion (exclusive of interest). The 2007 Credit Facility holds a first and second lien on substantially all of the Debtors’ assets. The second facility is referred to as the “$100 Million Credit Facility,” with Credit Agri-cole serving as agent, under which approximately $73.6 million is owed (exclusive of interest). The $100 Million Credit Facility holds a first lien on the five vessels purchased with the proceeds of its loan. Finally, there is the “$253 Million Credit Facility,” with Deutsche Bank serving as agent, under which approximately $175.7 million is owed (exclusive of interest). The $253 Million Credit Facility is secured by liens on thirteen vessels purchased with the proceeds of the loan. In addition to these three levels of secured debt, Genco also has convertible unsecured notes, in the amount of $125 million, that reach maturity in August 2015. Genco also owes various ordinary course creditors, including charterers, vendors and suppliers, all of whom are unsecured.

On April 21, 2014, the Debtors filed voluntary petitions in this Court seeking relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (ECF No. 1). The filing is a prepackaged Chapter 11 case, pursuant to which Genco seeks to implement a consensual debt conversion restructuring that is supported by the majority of the Debtors’ [460]*460lenders. In the instant Motion, the Debtors seek court approval to assume the RSA.

The RSA

Prior to the petition date, Genco negotiated the RSA, establishing the framework for a prepackaged plan of reorganization that would deleverage Genco’s balance sheet and provide new liquidity through a fully backstopped $100 million rights offering. See generally RSA, Ex. 2 to Motion (ECF No. 13). The RSA was executed on April 3, 2014, by the Debtors and approximately 98% of the lenders under the 2007 Credit Facility, 100% of the $100 Million Facility Lenders and $253 Million Facility Lenders, and approximately 82% of the holders of Convertible Notes.

Under the RSA, Genco is required to: (i) support and use commercially reasonable efforts to complete the restructuring contemplated under the RSA; (ii) take no action that is inconsistent with the RSA, the Restructuring Term Sheet, the Pre-pack Plan,2 or that would cause unreasonable delays; (iii) not to support any other plan or transaction (unless covered by the Debtors’ fiduciary out, which is discussed below); (iv) pay the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of certain advis-ors to the supporting noteholders and lenders; and (v) take no action that would be reasonably expected to breach the RSA or interfere with the restructuring. See RSA § 2(a). In turn, the supporting creditors are required to: (i) support approval of the Prepack Plan, disclosure statement, and the restructuring; (ii) timely vote to accept the Prepack Plan and not later withdraw or change their vote; (iii) take no actions in opposition to the Prepack Plan or the solicitation of it; (iv) waive and release any rights to exercise remedies against any collateral of the Debtors in connection with the applicable debt instruments or otherwise applicable nonbank-ruptcy law as of the effective date of the Prepack Plan (except as provided in the Plan); and (v) take no action against the Debtors or any collateral that constitutes an enforcement action or remedy. See RSA § 2(b).

Through the RSA, the Debtors also obtained agreement for consensual use of cash collateral. At the hearing held on April 23, 2014, the Debtors established that, absent the use of cash collateral, they would have insufficient funds to pay employees, maintain business relationships with vendors and suppliers, and otherwise could not finance their operations. The Court entered an order approving the use of cash collateral on April 23, 2014 (ECF No. 37).

The RSA includes a fiduciary out for Genco. It provides: “in order to fulfill the Company Parties’ fiduciary obligations, the Company may receive (but not solicit) proposals or offers for Alternative Transactions from other parties and negotiate, provide due diligence, discuss, and/or analyze such Alternative Transactions received without breaching or terminating this agreement....” See RSA § ll(b)(iii). If Genco announces its intention to pursue an alternative transaction, however, the RSA may be terminated by two-thirds of the supporting creditors on five days’ notice. See RSA § 11(c). If the RSA is terminated to allow Genco to pursue an alternative transaction, and that alternative transaction is consummated, the RSA requires that Genco pay to the Supporting 2007 Facility Lenders and Supporting Noteholders a termination fee of $26.5 mil[461]*461lion plus expense reimbursements. See RSA § 11(f). The termination fee will be treated as an administrative expense and will serve as the sole and exclusive remedy of the Supporting 2007 Facility Lenders and Convertible Noteholders under the RSA. Id.

In accordance with the terms of the RSA, the Debtors and the Supporting Creditors finalized the terms of the Pre-pack Plan and disclosure statement. The Prepack Plan, as contemplated by the RSA, converts approximately $1.2 billion of debt to equity in the reorganized Genco, provides the Debtors with $100 million of additional new money through a fully backstopped rights offering, and extends the maturity dates of the $253 and $100 Million Credit Facilities. In exchange for the conversion of debt to equity, the 2007 Credit Facility will receive 81.1 % of the Reorganized Genco equity and the right to participate in 80% of the rights offering. The Convertible Noteholders will receive 8.4% of the equity and the right to participate in up to 20% of the rights offering.

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Bluebook (online)
509 B.R. 455, 71 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1582, 2014 WL 2025011, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 2183, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 144, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-genco-shipping-trading-ltd-nysb-2014.