Leonard Klingbaum is co-head of Ropes & Gray’s global capital solutions and private credit group and actively participates in the firm’s finance group. Leonard’s practice focuses on event driven and opportunistic financing transactions, as well as special situations, workouts, restructurings and insolvency matters. He routinely represents participants in all aspects of the capital solutions' arena, including distressed investing, strategic lending, loan-to-own, and restructuring matters. He has represented lenders (credit funds) and borrowers in direct lending, high yield, and mezzanine transactions, from the lower middle market to large cap transactions. He also acts on behalf of public and private corporate clients as general finance counsel.

Leonard has been recognized by The Legal 500 (United States), where clients recognize him as “diligent and hardworking" and "adept at locating problems and finding solutions.” Additionally, IFLR 1000 ranks him as “highly regarded,” and he has been recognized by the Turnaround Management Association with a Transaction of the Year award. Leonard also has been ranked by Chambers USA as one of America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2021-2023).

Experience

  • Represented AccentCare in an uptier debt exchange that resulted in near-unanimous lender participation, raised $175 million of new money capital, and extended the maturity of its existing $1.3 billion of debt by two years. 
  • Represented a group of existing securitization bondholders in connection with a secured bond refinancing and exchange transaction for Centerline Logistics, dismantling the securitization and replacing with a new multi-tranche secured bond.
  • Represented an ad hoc group of second lien lenders of Yak Access, LLC, a provider of temporary roadways to remote construction sites, in connection with its out-of-court recapitalization and exchange transaction, which eliminated over $500 million of debt. As part of the recapitalization, holders of second lien term loans received a significant primary equity stake as well as various series of preferred stock in the recapitalized Yak.
  • Represented Eldridge Corporate Funding, LLC in connection with a $75 million loan to a leading private equity firm’s general partner in support of the GP’s acquisition of a separate education and networking business.
  • Representing Trinseo Materials Operating S.CA., and certain of its affiliates, in connection with a $1.1 billion innovative financing transaction addressing the Company’s 2024 senior secured term loans and $385 million of its 2025 unsecured bonds. Funds managed and advised by Oaktree, Angelo Gordon and Apollo provided the financing. Trinseo (NYSE: TSE) is a specialty material solutions provider that partners with companies to bring ideas to life in an imaginative, smart and sustainability-focused manner.
  • Represented direct lenders Aquiline Credit Opportunities and Energy Impact Partners in connection with their $40 million senior secured term loan to a leading provider of end-to-end solutions and services for technology transformations.
  • Represented Tecomet, Inc., together with certain of its affiliates, in the refinancing of its approximately $1 billion capital structure, including through the provision of a new revolving credit facility and privately placed first-lien term loan. Tecomet is a global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of orthopedic, robotic assisted, and minimally invasive surgical products, as well as precision components for the aerospace and defense industry.
  • Represented iMedia Brands, Inc. and its affiliated debtors in connection with its DIP financing facility for its pending chapter 11 cases. iMedia and its affiliates are a leading interactive media company that capitalizes on the convergence of entertainment, ecommerce, and advertising.
  • Represented Juice Plus+ in the negotiation and consummation of an out-of-court restructuring transaction with the unanimous participation of the company’s lenders that reduced the company’s debt and preferred equity obligations by over $300 million, extended the maturities of its revolving credit facility and term loans by four and two years, respectively, and raised $30 million of new money from the company’s existing equity holders who retained control of the company.
  • Represented an ad hoc group of first lien lenders to Instant Brands Holdings Inc. in connection with their $390 million prepetition term loans, and the provision of a $132.5 million debtor-in-possession financing.
  • Represented term loan lenders in connection with a $375 million senior secured term loan to the managed care business of Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc.  
  • Represented an ad hoc group of first lien lenders of K&N Engineering, Inc., a consumer-branded designer, manufacturer and marketer of high performance automotive and power sports aftermarket parts, in a $60 million new money financing in connection with its out of court restructuring of approximately $415 million of funded indebtedness.
  • Represented enviolo Inc., an e-bicycle components maker, in its sale to Inflexion Private Equity.
  • Represented Output Services Group, Inc. and certain of its affiliates in connection with its prepackaged Chapter 11 cases. Output Services Group is a leading provider of integrated customer communications and engagement services. The company’s plan of reorganization successfully restructured approximately $825 million of funded indebtedness through a consensual deleveraging of approximately $134 million and new money capital infusion of approximately $70 million. In 2023, The M&A Advisor recognized the successful restructuring of Output Services Group as “Information Technology Deal of the Year” as part of its 17th Annual Turnaround Awards.
  • Represented a leading global investment management firm in connection with an $80M senior secured term loan facility and warrant package to a technology company focused on the key duplication and locksmith markets.
  • Representing Output Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“OSG”), a provider of customer engagement and payment solutions, in connection with negotiations with lenders under its first and second lien credit facilities and its Sponsor in connection with a $25M debt and minority equity investment by its Sponsor in OSG’s RevoPay business.  
  • Represented funds managed by Cyrus Capital Partners and Keyframe Capital Partners as the lead investors in a $150,000,000 second lien convertible note financing issued by Redaptive, Inc., a leading energy-as-a-service provider that funds and installs energy-saving and energy-generating equipment.
  • Represented funds managed by Keyframe Capital Partners in connection with a $30,000,000 multi draw term loan facility to finance the growth of a leading operator of a premium fleet of luxury vehicles.
  • Represented an ad hoc group of first lien debt holders in the chapter 11 cases of  My Alarm Company in connection with DIP Financing and Exit Financing.
  • Represented Reliant Business Services, LLC, the merchant cash advance company, and its special purpose vehicles, in connection with their $75 million senior secured revolving credit facility provided by affiliates of Ares Management Corporation.
  • Representing Altamont Capital Partners in connection with its joint purchase of prepetition debt of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, an owner and operator of dine-in movie theaters, joint provision of $60 million of debtor in possession financing, and credit bid for a substantial part of the business and assets of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas through its chapter 11 cases.
  • Represented Tronox Holdings plc in its refinancing of certain of its outstanding indebtedness with a global $1.3 billion term loan and revolving credit facility and $1 billion of senior unsecured notes.
  • Represented a hedge fund on a DIP loan to Avianca consisting of a loan up to US$1,288,500,000 under a Tranche A Facility and US$702,300,000 under a convertible Tranche B Facility.
  • Represented a hedge fund on a DIP loan to LATAM Airlines consisting of a loan up to US$1,300,000,000 under a Tranche A Facility, up to US$750,000,000 under a Tranche B Facility and up to US$1,150,000,000 under a Tranche C Facility. 
  • Represented a leading global investment management firm in a US$300M loan and warrant package to a leading real estate mortgage trust.  
  • Represented Tronox Holdings plc in a US$500M bond offering of senior secured notes due 2025.
  • Represented Cyrus Capital Partners, Keyframe Capital and another leading global investment management firm to provide financing of up to US$100,000,000 in commercial solar loans. 
  • Centric Brands: Representing Centric Brands Inc., a leading lifestyle brands collective, and certain of its subsidiaries in their chapter 11 cases to recapitalize approximately $1.8 billion in funded indebtedness. Centric filed with a restructuring support agreement backed by its key funded debtholders, $435 million in debtor-in-possession financing, and a path to a quick and consensual emergence with a capital structure reduced by approximately $700 million.
  • A direct lender in connection with its loan and warrant package for a digital mobile advertising company.
  • A direct lender in connection with its loan and warrant package for a digital insurance brokerage business.
  • A direct lender in several capital solutions transactions including for Merex Aircraft, PF Chang’s, and Sears' second lien DIP facility.*
  • Tronox Limited – $2.15 billion term loan; $550 million asset-based revolving credit facility; $450 million 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025; $1.5 billion global term loan; $300 million global ABL; $900 million bond offering; $100 million Rand-denominated working capital facility, $615 million 6.5% Senior Notes due 2026.*
  • Bybrook Capital and Morgan Stanley in debt restructuring transactions for DEMA SpA, an Italian aeronautics parts manufacturer, which included Bybrook Capital’s acquisition of a substantial majority of DEMA’s share capital, and in conjunction with Morgan Stanley, funding a new secured 60 million bond.*
  • LSB Industries, Inc. – successful consent solicitation to effect certain amendments to its 7.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2019 following the company’s $364 million sale of its climate control business.*
  • Morgan Stanley Senior Funding – $90 million senior secured term loan facility and $33 million senior secured term loan facility to firearms manufacturer Colt Defense LLC (named “Distressed M&A Deal of the Year ($250M to $500M)” at the 2017 M&A Advisor Turnaround Awards and “Upper Mid-Market Turnaround of the Year” at the 2016 Turnaround Atlas Awards).*
  • Morgan Stanley Senior Funding – $85 million first lien exit facility to seismic data provider Global Geophysical Services, Inc.; a $60 million term loan and a $25 million revolver (named “Middle Markets Chapter 11 Restructuring of the Year” at the 2016 Turnaround Atlas Awards).*
  • Beechcraft Inc. (f/k/a Hawker Beechcraft) in its bridge “rescue” $120 million loan secured by unencumbered assets, chapter 11 financing and $600 million exit ABL.*
  • Charter Communications Inc. in its bid to utilize lenders’ cash collateral and subsequently reinstate its multi-billion dollar credit facilities.*
  • Revel Resort and Casino in its initial chapter 11 and exit financing matters.*
  • An investment firm in (a) its acquisition through bank debt of Bowe Bell & Howell and subsequent financing matters and (b) Avantair in its attempt to effect a loan-to-own.*
  • Innkeepers USA Trust in its pre-chapter 11 and chapter 11 financing matters including unprecedented multiple chapter 11 financing facilities, and cash collateral use stipulation with mortgage lenders and servicers across nine tranches of debt.*
  • The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P supermarkets) in its $800 million chapter 11 financing.*
  • MSR Resort Golf Course LLC in its $30 million junior chapter 11 financing arrangements and cash collateral use stipulation with mortgage loan servicer.*
  • The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. in its chapter 11 financing (both as counsel to the company in its first chapter 11 and then as counsel to its largest stakeholder and financing source in its second chapter 11).*
  • Lear Corporation in its $500 million chapter 11 financing with embedded exit loan conversion feature.*
  • Tropicana Resort and Casino in its chapter 11 financing matters.*
  • TOUSA in its chapter 11 financing matters.*
  • JPMorgan Chase, as lead arranger and lender to (a) Tower Automotive in its $725 million chapter 11 financing, (b) United Air Lines Inc. in its $1.3 billion chapter 11 financing, (c) Kmart Corporation in its $2 billion chapter 11 financing, (d) Oneida Ltd. In its $40 million chapter 11 financing, (e) O-Cedar Brands, Inc. in its $25 million chapter 11 financing and (f) Sleepmaster L.L.C. (a Serta brand licensee) in its $135 million Chapter 11 financing.*
  • Macquarie Bank in its prepetition, chapter 11 and exit financing to Reddy Ice.*
  • Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in its $30 million mortgage construction loan of a New York City hotel.*
  • Sun Capital Partners in (a) Mark IV financing matters, (b) Friendlys restaurant in its restructuring and bankruptcy financing matters, (c) Berkline/Benchcraft in its financing matters, (d) Perfect Timing in acquisition and subsequent financing matters and (e) Boston Market in connection with acquisition and subsequent financing matters.*

* Experience prior to joining Ropes & Gray

Areas of Practice