Benton Lewis

Benton has advised leading private equity sponsors, including Advent International Corporation, Berkshire Partners, Centerbridge Partners, CVC Capital Partners, Genstar Capital Partners, Providence Equity Partners, PSG, Susquehanna Growth Equity, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Trive Capital.

Benton is recognized as a “Rising Star” for Banking in the U.S. by IFLR1000 and is recommended for Bank Lending by Legal 500 US. He was also named a 2018 “On the Rise” lawyer by Texas Lawyer and recognized as a 2018, 2017 and 2016 “Rising Star” in Banking by Texas Super Lawyers*.

Experience

• J.Crew Group, Inc. in its $2.086 billion debt exchange; a $400 million senior secured debtor–in-possession facility to finance business operations during its chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings; a $400 million senior secured term exit facility; and a new $400 million ABL revolving facility to finance business operations upon emerging from its chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings
• Providence Equity Partners in $739 million senior secured facilities to finance its investment in Sweetwater Sound, Inc. and credit facilities to finance the acquisitions of 365 Retail Markets, LLC, TAIT LLC, DoubleVerify, Inc., Learfield Communications, Inc. and certain music assets of Influence Media Music SPV and Barometer Music Royalty Fund I Inc.
• PSG in its investments in Dental Intelligence, Inc., Formstack, LegitScript, Netsurion, NXTSoft, Patron Technology, Singlewire Software, ThreatConnect and Tribute Technology
• Advent International in first and second lien term and revolving facilities to finance its acquisition of an approximately 50% stake in RxBenefits, Inc.; senior credit facilities to finance its acquisition of Clearent LLC; first and second lien credit facilities to finance its acquisition of ATI Physical Therapy; senior secured credit facilities to finance its acquisition of Noosa Yoghurt; $600 million first and second lien multicurrency facilities to finance its acquisition of Culligan International Company; $1.5 billion term and ABL revolving facilities to finance its acquisition of Serta Simmons Bedding LLC; and $376 million first lien credit facility and CAD$140 million second lien term loan to finance its acquisition of RGL Reservoir Management Inc. (formerly RGL Reservoir Operations, Ltd.)
• Trive Capital in senior secured facilities to finance its acquisition of NCB Management Services, Inc. and its investments in California Brazing, Earthlink, Florida Spine & Joint Institute, Picturehead Holdings and Valor Healthcare
• TPG Pace Holdings Corp., a SPAC sponsored by TPG Global, in financing relating to its acquisition of Accel Entertainment, Inc.
• Topgolf International, Inc. in $525 million senior secured credit facilities and $275 million senior secured facilities to refinance existing indebtedness and fund expansion and in its merger with Callaway Golf Company
• GameStop Corp. in connection with its secured debt exchange and its asset-based credit facility
• Bain Capital in a $500 million incremental senior term facility and a $425 million private placement of senior secured notes to finance the acquisition by its portfolio company Kantar Group of Numerator
• Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC in amended senior secured term facilities to reprice existing indebtedness
• KIK Custom Products, Inc. (a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners) in its amended $900 million senior secured term facility to refinance existing indebtedness and pay a dividend to shareholders and an amended $275 million ABL revolving facility, to extend the maturity of the initial commitments
• Claire’s Stores, Inc. in its $135 million debtor-in-possession financing, $250 million exit term loan facility and $75 million exit asset-based revolving facility
• inVentiv Health, INC Research and certain of their related companies in the $3.1 billion refinancing of their existing secured credit facilities in connection with their $4.6 billion merger of equals and the resulting combined company's entry into new $3.1 billion term loan and revolving credit facilities
• CHC Group Ltd (n/k/a CHC Group LLC) in $383 million first and second lien multicurrency exit facilities to finance operations following its bankruptcy proceedings
• Susquehanna Growth Equity in its investment in Real Capital Analytics, Inc. and a senior secured term facility to finance its acquisition of MediSpend
• Clearhaven Partners in senior secured facilities to finance its acquisition of Wowza Media Systems, LLC
• True Food Kitchen in its credit facilities
• Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. in its $980 million credit facility and $832 million standalone multicurrency credit facilities following the sale of its subsidiary, Comdata Inc.
• Charterhouse Capital Partners in $490 million first and second lien credit facilities to finance its acquisition of Armacell Group
• OXEA S.a.r.l. (at the time a portfolio company of Advent International Corporation) in its approximately $1.6 billion first and second lien dividend recapitalization financing
• Culligan International Company (a portfolio company of Advent International) in $430 million first and second lien term facilities to finance its acquisition of ZIP Industries (Aust.) Pty Limited
• Shift4 Payments LLC (f/k/a Lighthouse Network LLC) (a portfolio company of Searchlight Capital Partners) in $600 million first and second lien facilities to refinance existing indebtedness
• P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. (at the time a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners) in $380 million senior secured facilities
• Centerbridge Partners in $305 million first lien term and $75 million revolving facilities to finance its take-private of P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. and secured term and asset-based revolving facilities to finance its acquisition of KIK Custom Products, Inc.
• EQT Infrastructure in first and second lien, senior secured multicurrency facilities to finance its acquisition of WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems, LLC, and its subsidiary, Coinamatic Canada Inc.
• Connolly Corporation (n/k/a Cotiviti Holdings, Inc.) (at the time a portfolio company of Advent International) in its $1.15 billion first and second lien credit facilities to finance its acquisition of iHealth Technologies, Inc.
• Thomas H. Lee Partners in senior credit facilities to finance its acquisition of Acosta, Inc. and term, revolving and mezzanine facilities to finance its acquisition of Intermedix
• Acosta, Inc. (at the time, a portfolio company of Thomas H. Lee Partners) in a $340 million term loan facility to finance its acquisition of Anderson Daymon Worldwide, LLC
• AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. in financing matters related to its sale to Dalian Wanda Group Co. Ltd.
• Berkshire Partners in senior secured facilities and senior subordinated notes to finance Berkshire’s acquisition of Grocery Outlet Inc.
• Bojangles’ Restaurants, Inc. (a publicly traded company backed by Advent International Corporation) in an amendment and extension of its senior secured credit facilities to reprice and extend the maturity of existing indebtedness
• Fortegra Financial Corporation and LOTS Intermediate Co. in a $35 million revolving credit facility and $50 million incremental facility to refinance existing indebtedness and for permitted acquisitions, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes
• IPC Systems, Inc. (a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners) in senior secured multicurrency facilities to finance its acquisition of Etrali Trading Solutions
• Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation in its $1.8 billion exit financing facility
• Simmons Bedding Company in its $35 million debtor-in-possession facility
• RehabCare Group, Inc. in $625 million term and revolving credit facilities to finance the acquisition of Triumph Healthcare Holdings, Inc.
• Grocery Outlet (at the time a portfolio company of Berkshire Partners) in $460 million first and second lien credit facilities and an amendment and restatement of its $370 million first lien credit facility to reprice and refinance existing indebtedness

* Super Lawyers recognition is a Thomson Reuters service