On January 11, 2021, Seadrill New Finance Limited (“NSNCo”), issuer of Seadrill secured notes due 2025, and several affiliates filed a petitionfor relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Case No. 22-90001).

On September 8, 2021, A.B.C. Carpet Co., Inc., dba ABC Carpet & Home, along with two affiliates, filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (Lead Case No. 21-11591). ABC Carpet & Home is a New York City-based luxury furniture retailer. The company estimates $10 to $50 million in assets and $50 to $100 million in liabilities.

On June 7, 2021, Katerra Inc., a Scottsdale, AZ-based “technology-enabled construction company,” filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Case No. 21-31861) along with several affiliates. The company estimates $500 million to $1 billion in assets and $1 billion to $10 billion in liabilities.

Late on April 5, 2021, TECT Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc., along with certain affiliates that manufacture high precision components and assemblies for the aerospace industry, filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 21-10670).

Starion Energy, Inc., along with two subsidiaries and affiliates, has filed a petition for relief under chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-12608). Starion, headquartered in Middlebury, Connecticut, is a competitive retailer of electricity operating in eleven states.

Creditors often think that an involuntary bankruptcy petition is a great bargaining chip when faced with a recalcitrant debtor. However, the actual filing of an involuntary bankruptcy petition (when that petition is filed in “bad faith”) confers a considerable risk to the petitioning creditors. Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued an opinion that re-emphasizes just how risky bad faith involuntary petitions can be for creditors.

The reality of a bankruptcy proceeding is that creditors often receive less than a full distribution on their claims, forcing them to absorb such losses or look for new avenues to make themselves whole. The “bankruptcy haircut” is more often the case for general unsecured creditors and occurs less often for secured creditors (when they are not undersecured) and lessors (when they are not underwater on their lease). Sometimes creditors have the luxury of looking to guarantors to mitigate their losses when the guarantors are not insolvent or otherwise judgment proof.

VER Technologies HoldCo LLC, along with eight subsidiaries and affiliates, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 18-10834).

HCR ManorCare, Inc., a national provider of short-term, post-hospital services and long-term care based in Toledo, Ohio, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 18-10467). HCR’s Petition estimates both its assets and liabilities to be between $1–$10 billion.

KIKO USA, Inc., a retailer of professional makeup and skincare products based in New York, NY, has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 18-10069).