Handles a wide variety of debt financing transactions in various sectors.
Has experience in special situations and distressed financing transactions, including out-of-court and in-court restructurings.

Lech Wilkiewicz has experience with a wide range of financing transactions, including acquisition financing, first and second lien syndicated lending transactions, transactions with intercreditor components, cash-flow based lending, asset-based lending (including reserve-based lending for oil and gas transactions) restructurings, exit financing and financing transactions in connection distressed entities.

Representative Work

Represented Jones Energy Inc. and its affiliates in their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of Texas. Jones Energy is an Austin, Texas based independent oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of oil and gas properties in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma and Texas that fully equitized over $1 billion in funded debt and preferred equity obligations. Jones obtained confirmation of its uncontested plan just three weeks after filing.
Represented Parker Drilling Company and certain of its affiliates in creditor negotiations achieving a pre-arranged Chapter 11 filing reducing the company’s outstanding funded debt by more than $375 million and in obtaining a debtor-in-possession credit facility and, upon exit from Chapter 11, a first lien asset-based credit facility and a second lien term loan facility in conjunction with a simultaneous international restructuring.
Represented Eagle Bulk Shipping, Inc., a maritime shipping company, in connection with a comprehensive balance-sheet recapitalization, which provided approximately $105 million in incremental liquidity.
Represented Interface Security Systems, a network services and security company, in connection with a refinancing and related capital restructuring, which included refinancing $462 million of existing debt.
Represented oil and gas companies and oil field services companies on numerous transactions, including new credit facilities, amendments and restatements of existing credit facilities, public and private offerings of equity and notes, tender offers, uptier exchanges, acquisition financings and initial public offerings.

Represented Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd., a waste management company, in relation to an amendment and restatement of its credit agreement, which consisted of a $1.85 billion revolver and $500 million term loan A.
Represented Cinemark USA, Inc., a movie theatre chain, in connection with various financing matters, including several amendments to its syndicated loan agreement.
Represented a music publishing company in connection with numerous financing transactions, including entering into a new secured second lien credit agreement and related intercreditor arrangements, amendments to its secured first and second lien credit agreements and an amendment and restatement of its secured first lien credit agreement.
Represented an ad hoc group of noteholders in the CHC Helicopter bankruptcy in connection with its exit financing.
Represented VCA Inc., a leading provider of pet health care services in the United States, in its acquisition, which transaction was valued at approximately $9 billion.
Represented Alliance Data Systems Corporation, a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions, in its acquisition of Conversant, Inc., a digital marketing company, for $2.3 billion in cash and stock.
Represented Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., a water park resort company, in connection with its acquisition by an affiliate of Centerbridge Partners, L.P.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.