KatieHiggins

Partner

Sydney + 61.2.8272.0531

Katie Higgins has extensive experience advising companies, financiers, insolvency practitioners, investors, and directors on restructuring and insolvency matters. She also advises companies and financiers on a wide variety of debt and structured capital markets transactions. Katie is consistently recognized as a leading insolvency, restructuring, and finance lawyer by legal directories.

Some of Katie's recent transactions include acting for the largest single creditor in the Virgin Australia administration; a large medical imaging diagnostics company in the restructuring of a A$260 million facility provided by Dignari Capital; the administrators of Topshop/Topman, Payless Shoes, and American Apparel; the Insurance Commission of Western Australia in the $1.8 billion settlement of the Bell Group liquidation proceedings; Electricite de France in relation to the Paladin Energy administration; Peabody Energy Corporation in the Australian aspects of its U.S. chapter 11 filing and financing associated with its emergence from chapter 11; a major investor and financier in the administration of Aussie Farmers Group; and a key shipper and owner of WICET (Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal) in the 2018 restructure of WICET's senior debt facilities.

Katie's recent transactions also involve a number of debt financing matters, including acting for Hornblower Group in the financing of its acquisition of Australia's leading experiential travel group, Journey Beyond; Ansarada in various pre-listing convertible note rounds; Coronado Global Resources in acquisition financing provided in connection with its $700 million acquisition of Curragh mine and the 2021 refinancing of its facilities with US$350 million high yield bonds and US$100 milllion asset-backed loan; and Peabody in its US$250 million receivables finance facility with PNC Bank.

Expérience

  • Intelligent Monitoring Group acquires Adeva Home SolutionsJones Day is advising Intelligent Monitoring Group Ltd. in the acquisition by subsidiary Mammoth Security Pty Ltd of 100% of Adeva Home Solutions Pty Ltd.
  • Direct lender provides $87 million senior secured credit facility to large private equity-backed provider of medical supplies to companies in commercial cruise and shipping industriesJones Day advised a direct lender, as administrative agent, collateral agent, sole lead arranger, and lender, in connection with a $87 million senior secured credit facility provided to a large private equity sponsored company that provides medical supplies to companies in the commercial cruise and shipping industries.
  • Newell Brands amends $1 billion revolving credit facilityJones Day represented Newell Brands Inc. (“Newell”), a leading consumer products company, in connection with the amendment restructuring its existing revolving credit facility.
  • Peabody Energy obtains $320 million revolving credit facilityJones Day represented Peabody Energy Corporation in connection with the establishment of a $320 million revolving credit facility with PNC Bank, National Association, as administrative agent.
  • SingTel sells Trustwave to The Chertoff GroupJones Day represented Singapore Telecommunications Limited, southeast Asia’s largest telecommunications company, in the sale of Trustwave, a cyber security and managed security services business, to funds affiliated with The Chertoff Group for $205 million. In connection with the sale of Trustwave, Jones Day represented SingTel, as lender, in connection with a unique $195 million senior secured term loan and $40 million unsecured multiple draw term loan facility provided to Trustwave.
  • Coronado Global Resources completes US$150 million financingJones Day represented Coronado Global Resources, Inc. in connection with the replacement of its existing US$100 million asset-based lending facility maturing in May 2024 with a new US$150 million asset-based lending facility maturing in May 2026.
  • Intelligent Monitoring Group acquires ADT security businessJones Day advised ASX-listed Intelligent Monitoring Group Ltd on its A$45 million acquisition of the ADT security monitoring business in Australia and New Zealand (through the acquisition of Tyco Australia Group Pty Ltd) and the associated A$80 million acquisition finance facility and A$17 million equity raising undertaken by accelerated entitlement offer and a top-up placement.
  • Stellex completes buyout of David Brown Santasalo GroupJones Day advised Stellex Capital Management LLC on its buyout of DB Santasalo S.à r.l from N4 Partners.
  • Marelli Group first-ever use of simplified rehabilitation proceedings in Japan to cram-down creditorsJones Day represented Marelli Holdings Co., Ltd. in the restructuring of its US$7 billion senior debt facilities, which included the coordination and implementation of a sponsor selection process, an out-of-court Turnaround ADR process, and the first-ever use of simplified rehabilitation proceedings in Japan to cram-down creditors, and the subsequent implementation and documentation of its restructured financing arrangements across sixteen different jurisdictions outside Japan.
  • Direct lender provides $100 million term loan facility to designer and developer of enterprise softwareJones Day advised a direct lender, as administrative agent, collateral agent, and sole lead arranger, in connection with a $80 million senior secured term loan facility and $20 million senior secured delayed draw term loan facility provided to a designer and developer of enterprise software, the proceeds of which were used, in part, to finance the acquisition of a data technology provider.
  • KeyBank amends and restates $250 million secured revolving credit facility for cloud infrastructure providerJones Day represented KeyBank National Association, as administrative agent, in connection with an amended and restated $250 million secured revolving credit facility provided to a cloud infrastructure provider.
  • OakNorth finances management buyout of Mr Fothergill's SeedsJones Day advised OakNorth Bank plc in connection with its financing of the management buyout of UK-based horticulture company, Mr Fothergill's Seeds by Harwood Private Capital.
  • Hornblower Group acquires Journey BeyondJones Day advised Hornblower Group, Inc. in its acquisition of Australia's leading experiential travel group, Journey Beyond.
  • Beforepay completes A$35 million IPO on ASXJones Day advised Beforepay Group Limited, a leading provider of Pay on Demand services in Australia, in connection with its A$35 million initial public offering on the ASX.
  • Coronado Global Resources completes US$550 million in combined financingJones Day represented Coronado Global Resources Inc., in connection with (i) an offering of US$350 million aggregate principal amount of 10.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, (ii) a secured asset-based revolving credit agreement in an initial aggregate principal amount of US$100 million, and (iii) an offering of US$100 million aggregate principal amount of shares of its Common Stock in the form of CHESS Depositary Interests, which are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
  • Pepper Global restructures corporate groupJones Day advised Pepper Global, a leading diversified global loan servicer and lender, on a major restructure of its corporate group.
  • Peabody Energy completes comprehensive exchange transactionJones Day represented Peabody Energy Corporation (the "Company"), a large private-sector coal company, in connection with a series of recapitalization transactions to, among other things, provide the Company with maturity extensions and covenant relief, while allowing it to maintain sufficient operating liquidity and financial flexibility, including: (i) an offer to exchange any and all of its outstanding $459 million aggregate principal amount of 6.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (the "Existing Notes") for (a) new 10.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 to be co-issued by PIC AU Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Peabody ("AU HoldingsCo"), and PIC AU Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Peabody ("AU HoldingsCorp" and, together with AU HoldingsCo, the "Co-Issuers"), and (b) new 8.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 to be issued by Peabody; and (ii) a restructuring of the revolving loans under the Company's existing credit agreement (the "Existing Credit Agreement") by (a) making a pay down of revolving loans thereunder in the aggregate amount of $10 million, (b) the co-issuers incurring $206 million of term loans under a credit agreement, dated as of January 29, 2021, (c) the Company entering into a letter of credit facility, and (d) the Company amending the existing credit agreement.
  • Anteris Technologies issues A$20 million funding package provided by Mercer Street Global Opportunity FundJones Day advised Anteris Technologies Ltd., a structural heart company focused on developing innovative and durable health solutions through better science and better design, on a A$20 million funding package provided by Mercer Street Global Opportunity Fund, LLC, comprising of A$1 million placement of Ordinary Shares, A$1.5 million worth of Convertible Notes (with a further $1 million worth of Convertible Notes subject to shareholder approval) and a A$16.5 million discretionary drawdown facility.
  • Alfred Medical Imaging acquired by I-MED Radiology NetworkJones Day advised Alfred Medical Imaging in its acquisition by I-MED Radiology Network.
  • Ansarada merges with thedocyardJones Day advised Ansarada NewCo Pty Ltd. in its merger with thedocyard.