On September 15, 2008, Simpson Thacher filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on behalf of client Motor Coach Industries International, Inc. and six of its affiliates. Motor Coach, headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, is the largest assembler of intercity coaches for the United States and Canadian tour, charter and commuter transit sectors and a leading supplier of aftermarket parts for most motor coach makes and models.
On September 16, 2008, Simpson Thacher appeared before the Bankruptcy Court and sought approval for numerous “first day” motions. The Bankruptcy Court granted all of Motor Coach’s motions, including a motion seeking approval of debtor-in-possession financing that includes the extraordinary relief of a “roll-up” of all of the Company’s prepetition first lien debt and more than half of the Company’s prepetition second lien debt. The Company’s goal is to exit Chapter 11 by the end of February 2009.
Attorneys working on this matter include Ken Ziman, Elisha Graff and Jennifer Marines (Bankruptcy), Mary Beth Forshaw, Chris Lucht, Ian Dattner and Ellen Frye (Litigation), Soogy Lee, Jill Kalish, Sandra Kister, Jason Amster and Charlene Caprio (Financing), Gary Horowitz and Mark Brod (Corporate), Steve Todrys, Jonathan Goldstein and Aaron Cohen (Tax), Eric Sarabia (Benefits), and Julie Levy and Jacqueline Rosenblum (Labor). The team has also received tremendous assistance from paralegals Sean Weekes, Courtney Schrenko, Joel Post and Elisabeth Juterbock.