Charles N.Bensinger III (Chip)

Partner

New York + 1.212.326.3797

Chip Bensinger has nearly 25 years of experience in lending and other finance transactions, representing both capital providers and users in secured and unsecured matters, cross-border and multijurisdictional financings, acquisition financings, asset-based loans (ABLs), sports franchise and arena financings, subordinated and mezzanine debt issuances, private placements, and restructurings and chapter 11 debtor-in-possession and exit financings.

Representative clients include: public and private company borrowers such as Conagra Brands, Delaware North, Diebold Nixdorf, Flowers Foods, Frontier Communications, Lamb Weston, Rex Energy, Verint Systems, and Welbilt; private equity firms such as AGIC Capital, EagleTree Capital, Goode Partners, J.F. Lehman & Co., One Equity Partners, and Riverside; and lenders such as Angelo Gordon, CIT, Citizens, Jefferies, RBS, and SunTrust.

Representative transactions include: innumerable private equity acquisition financings, including advising a consortium of private equity firms in an unusually complex $2.8 billion commodities ABL, term loan, and subdebt acquisition financing; ConAgra Brands' $10.9 billion acquisition of Pinnacle Foods, $6 billion acquisition financing of Ralcorp Holdings, and $1.1 billion spin-off financing of Lamb Weston; an $11.6 billion acquisition financing commitment for Frontier Communications; the $3.1 billion financing of Diebold's cross-border tender offer acquisition of a publicly traded German company; representing a debtor during three years of chapter 11 proceedings and its emergence with five layers of secured and unsecured debt; and financings of baseball (MLB), basketball (NBA), and hockey (NHL) franchises (including construction of the world-class Prudential Center in New Jersey).

Chip was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He joined Jones Day in 1997 and became a partner in 2007.

Experience

  • EagleTree Capital acquires PRA EventsJones Day represented EagleTree Capital in connection with its acquisition of PRA Events, Inc., a leading business event management firm, from CI Capital Partners.
  • J.F. Lehman & Company backed NorthStar Group acquires Trans Ash Inc.Jones Day advised NorthStar Group, a portfolio company of J.F. Lehman & Company, in the acquisition and financing of Trans Ash Inc., a leading provider of coal ash (or coal combustion residuals) services to utilities customers across North America.
  • EagleTree backed company Arc acquires HR Technology and Education Technology portfolios from LRP Media GroupJones Day advised EagleTree Capital in the acquisition and financing by Arc of a portfolio of event and related media assets serving the HR Technology and Education Technology sectors from LRP Media Group.
  • EagleTree Capital acquires MacKenzie-Childs from Castanea PartnersJones Day advised EagleTree Capital in the acquisition and financing of MacKenzie-Childs, the artisan-driven American heritage home decor brand, from Castanea Partners.
  • Conagra Brands amends and extends $2.0 billion revolving credit facility and obtains $500 million delayed draw term loan facilityJones Day represented Conagra Brands, Inc., a leading branded foods company, in connection with (i) an amendment and extension of a $2.0 billion unsecured revolving credit facility with Bank of America, N.A., and (ii) a new $500 million unsecured delayed draw term loan facility with Farm Credit Services of America, PCA.
  • United Natural Foods obtains $2.6 billion credit facilityJones Day advised United Natural Foods, Inc., a leading distributor of natural, organic, specialty, produce and conventional grocery and non-food products, and provider of support services to retailers in the United States and Canada, in connection with its $2.6 billion secured asset-based revolving credit facility, including a U.S. dollar equivalent of $100 million sublimit for borrowings in Canadian dollars, with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association as administrative agent.
  • Nasco sells Whirl-Pak®Jones Day advised EagleTree Capital and its portfolio company, Nasco, in the sale of Whirl-Pak®, a leading provider of sterilized sampling and testing solutions including its line of write-on, stand-up, filter and other specialty single-use sterilized sampling bags and accessories, to Filtration Group, an affiliate of Madison Industries.
  • EagleTree Capital portfolio company acquires bChannelsJones Day advised EagleTree Capital in connection with the acquisition and financing by portfolio company The Channel Company of bChannels, a leading global marketing and data services agency specializing in the technology channel.
  • J.F. Lehman portfolio company acquires Tube TechJones Day advised long-standing client J.F. Lehman & Company, a leading mid-market private equity firm focused on the defense, aerospace, and maritime sections, in connection with the acquisition by portfolio company Integrated Global Services, Inc., a leading provider of thermal spray and other surface protection solutions, of international cleaning and inspections solutions provider, Tube Tech.
  • EagleTree Capital acquires Andronaco IndustriesJones Day advised EagleTree Capital in the acquisition and financing of Andronaco Industries, a leading provider of corrosion-resistant flow control technologies.
  • Goode Partners acquires ReadyWiseJones Day advised Goode Partners in the acquisition and financing of ReadyWise, the leader in emergency food preparedness.
  • EagleTree Capital acquires The Channel CompanyJones Day advised EagleTree Capital in the acquisition and financing of The Channel Company, a leading provider of business services for the IT sector, from Stone-Goff Partners.
  • EagleTree Capital acquires LigneticsJones Day advised EagleTree Capital in connection with the acquisition and financing of Lignetics, Inc., the largest consumer-focused wood pellet manufacturer in the U.S., from Taglich Private Equity and Mill Road Capital.
  • J.F Lehman successfully closes its first single asset continuation fund for NorthStar GroupJones Day represented J.F. Lehman & Company, a leading middle market private equity firm focused exclusively on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors, in connection with the successful closing and debt financing of its first single asset continuation fund, which will allow the firm to maintain its ownership of NorthStar Group in partnership with management.
  • J.F. Lehman & Company sells BEI PrecisionJones Day advised J.F. Lehman & Company in the sale of BEI Precision Systems & Space Company, Inc. to Quantic Corporate Holdings, Inc., a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management.
  • EagleTree Capital acquires IntegreonJones Day advised EagleTree Capital in connection with the acquisition and financing of Integreon, a leading global managed services provider, from NewQuest Capital Partners.
  • Koch Strategic Platforms invests in Astranis Space Technologies valuing company at $1.4 billionJones Day represented Koch Strategic Platforms in connection with its participation in the $250 million Series C financing round of Astranis Space Technologies, a builder of small, low-cost telecommunications satellites to connect the four billion people who currently do not have access to the internet.
  • Verint Systems completes $315 million Convertible Notes offeringJones Day represented Verint Systems Inc., a provider of Actionable Intelligence® solutions and value-added services, in connection with an offering of $315 million aggregate principal amount of 0.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026.
  • FuseFX acquires Rising Sun PicturesJones Day advised FuseFX, a portfolio company of EagleTree Capital, in connection with the acquisition and financing of Rising Sun Pictures, a world-renowned, high-end visual effects studio headquartered in Adelaide, Australia.
  • J.F. Lehman & Company acquires Trillium Engineering, LLCJones Day advised J.F. Lehman & Company, a leading middle-market private equity firm focused exclusively on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors, on its acquisition of a substantial investment in Trillium Engineering, LLC, a leading designer and manufacturer of highly engineered camera gimbals for unmanned aerial systems ("UAS") performing mission-critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, from its founders.