First Brands: Red flags missed, fights ahead, and what creditors can recover

This episode of the Debtwired podcast explores the swift collapse of auto parts company First Brands Group into Chapter 11, the overlooked warning signs on Wall Street, and the high-stakes legal and financial battles now unfolding.Featuring insights from Debtwire’s head of research Tim Hynes, reporter Kunyi Yang, global head of legal analysis, Sara Tapinikes, and court team editor Taylor Harrison, the discussion breaks down what’s at stake for secured lenders, unsecured creditors, and trade claim holders as the case navigates a protracted and fiercely contested restructuring.The episode also delves into the potential for substantive consolidation—a move that could significantly reshape recoveries across creditor classes.

In this episode of the Debtwired podcast, Blackstone’s Rick Campbell joins Melina Chalkia, Debtwire’s primary market reporter for North America, to discuss how the landscape for infrastructure financing is evolving.In this episode, Campbell talks about the shift of infrastructure finance away from traditional banks and toward private credit, alongside a growing demand for power and a global push for digitization. He explains how themes like AI, data centers and renewable energy are converging, with data-center developers starting to build their own generation capacity. Campbell breaks down how these project financing deals are structured and how Blackstone’s “corporate solutions” strategy exemplifies that approach.Campbell is a Senior Managing Director with Blackstone Credit and Insurance (BXCI) based in Houston. He is involved with originating and executing investments in the energy transition, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure sectors. Before joining Blackstone in 2022, Campbell worked as a Managing Director in the Global Infrastructure Finance Group at Citi for nearly 15 years.

In this episode of Debtwired!, James Pade, partner and managing director at Clearlake Capital Group, joins Debtwire co-managing editor, Madalina Iacob, to discuss investing opportunities after Clearlake consolidated its credit arms under one roof.Pade also digs into how lenders are navigating liability management exercises, the challenges faced by smaller CLO managers, and why strong sponsor relationships matter more than ever. Pade notes that Clearlake recently had discussions with stakeholders focused on building stronger, more direct communication with CLO managers and broadly syndicated investors, although it was never an “apology tour.”

Gijs de Reuver, managing director in Houlihan Lokey's restructuring team, discusses the erosion of creditor protections in Europe and the subsequent rise in creditor-on-creditor violence on the latest edition of the Debtwired! Podcast. Gijs also touches on recent high-profile restructuring court decisions in the UK and the role of CDS in restructuring.

Ryan Mulcunry of GA Group joined Debtwire's Senior Reporter Danielle Saba on Debtwired to talk about filling in the lending gaps for retailers and the evolution of asset dispositions.

We'd touch on topics like cheap options, tail risks, base case scenarios – but instead of credit strategies, we’re going to hear about how these can be applied to our lives.Pavlin has recently published a book called “Solving Life: Mastering Decision Making with Investment Wisdom”, which reached #1 in the New Releases and #5 in Investment Books overall categories in the UK in its first month on Amazon.

Holly Etlin, retail turnaround management specialist at AlixPartners, discusses the benefits of restructuring companies inside and outside the courtroom, from prearranged to formal filings and even the rare LME in between in the space.

Fabian Chrobog, founder and CIO of NorthWall Capital, discusses opportunities in the European credit markets, why new money is the new distressed investing, and his views on how best to protect against downside risk on the latest edition of the Debtwired! Podcast. Fabian also talks about some recent landmark transaction the fund has been involved with in the NPL securitisation and legal assets space.

In this episode of Debtwired, SMBC Americas’ Ben Millard joins Debtwire’s reporter Melina Chalkia to break down how the aviation debt markets have evolved post-COVID, from loyalty-backed financings to the emergence of aircraft CLOs. With airlines still focused on deleveraging and preserving credit ratings, Millard explains why non-traditional collateral like frequent flyer programs has become a mainstay in new deals and how investor appetite remains strong despite recent turbulence in the sector.Millard also explores the rise of aviation ABS and CLO issuance, highlighting SMBC’s role in several landmark transactions, including the American Airlines mileage-backed TLB and Carlyle’s aircraft ABS. He touches on restructuring dynamics in the sector, as well as what geopolitical risks like tariffs could mean for aircraft financing.Millard is a Director in the Transportation Department at SMBC Americas. SMBC has been a key player in aviation lending for a long time. SMBC is one of the largest financers of the new economy, from data centers to real estate, offering a debt-focused franchise with a global lens, according to Millard. SMBC Americas has evolved into a corporate and investment bank, while maintaining its efficiency in commercial banking and continuing to diversify its business model to best suit clients.

On the Debtwired! podcast, Robert von Finckenstein and Chris Hall at Interpath, join Johannes Koch, restructuring reporter at Debtwire, to delve into the mechanics of rising distress in European private credit – a trend both speakers expect will continue to captivate the market with more restructurings and debt-to-equity swaps.We look at the main triggers for continued stress in private credit, assess rising default rates, highlight which sectors are under pressure and explore whether private credit, ultimately, is equipped to handle portfolio stress.#restructuring #privatecredit #distress #debtfund