November/December 2015
More from this Issue
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Corporate Restructuring: Will the Force Awaken?
For those of us in the trenches of lower middle market special situations, there are signs of a coming disturbance in the Force. No one knew what the disturbance was at the beginning of 2007, but we soon found out it was subprime mortgages. Who knew in 2007 that my old employer, National City Bank, […] -
Newcomers: November/December 2015
Alabama Philip Arthurs, Warren Averett Turnaround Advisors LLC Cody R. Birdwell Arizona Aaron Biggers, Aaron Brothers Enterprises Inc. Craig Hansen, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP Carl B. Osberg California – Northern Sally Sheehan, Wells Fargo Bank NA California – Southern Kissi Bamfo, Kesewah Distressed Opportunity Fund LLC Fred Ebrahemi, Clearlake Capital Group LP Dan Groen, […] -
Milestones
Marchand Boyd has joined East West Bank in Pasadena, California, as a vice president and relationship manager. He brings extensive knowledge of business innovation and depository solutions with specialized support services for the professional fiduciary. Maria Chiang has joined Trade Finance Solutions Inc., which provides financing solutions in the U.S. and internationally, as senior vice […] -
Hernan Serrano: Seniors’ Advocate
Hernan Serrano has over 25 years of experience in litigation, corporate recovery, turnaround management, and restructuring. He has worked as a financial advisor to law firms, investment banks, accounting firms, commercial banks, asset-based lenders, financial advisors, and corporations. He also has served as a trustee and receiver in numerous cases, including actions brought by the […] -
Examining Proposed Chapter 11 Reforms Through the Lens of Recent Retail Cases
After three years of study, the ABI Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 issued its “Final Report and Recommendations” December 8, 2014, setting forth its findings with respect to suggested improvements to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Among other areas for possible reform, the commission focused on Chapter 11’s barriers to […] -
Selling Investors on the Troubled Retailer
As a veteran investment banker the author knows is fond of saying, “Retail isn’t rocket science—it is nowhere near that simple.” What retailers do have going for them, however, is the real-time performance reviews they receive from their true bosses—the frontline consumer. To satisfy increasingly informed (and therefore picky) customers, a retailer must be on […] -
Creating a Sustainable Footprint in the Changing Retail Landscape
Today’s retailers face unprecedented challenges in the marketplace as they confront the evolution of not only customer shopping patterns, but also how retail is defined. Historically, top tier retailers thrived because they had the best locations and offered desirable merchandise at a great value proposition. Add to that efficient merchandising controls and tight field operations, […] -
Closed for Business: A Methodology for Store Closures in Retail Turnarounds
Against the backdrop of a U.S. retail landscape that some estimate provides over 50 square feet of retail space per person,1 store closures remain an almost daily feature of retail news. From department stores to fast fashion, retailers across the U.S. are grappling with the challenge of deciding which stores to exit, and when and […] -
Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Lenders Adapt to E-Commerce
The retail industry was once dependent on store count and improving same-store sales to drive growth. Fast forwarding to 2015, when Amazon is ranked among the top 10 U.S. retailers, the most widely used buzzword of the year is “omnichannel,” and a retailer could potentially abandon generations of customers if it hasn’t yet invested in […] -
Retail at the Tipping Point
There is no question that we are living through the most dynamic U.S. retail environment since Wal-Mart rolled out nationwide in the 1990s. This time, it’s not a better operator dominating in head-to-head competition, but rather the tipping point of digital commerce and the advent of fast fashion that are changing the retail landscape. While […]