Lucas T. Charleston

Partner
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Luke Charleston focuses on direct and syndicated lending transactions, high yield bond deals, stressed, distressed, rescue and other special situations financings and transactions, and in-court and out-of-court restructurings. He also advises on acquisition and corporate financings.

Luke works with credit, hedge and private equity funds and other alternative capital providers. He also represents companies and traditional financial institutions. He has significant experience with a wide variety of transaction structures, including:

• Syndicated, club and bilateral loans
• High yield bond deals
• Debtor-in-possession and exit financings
• First lien/second lien structures
• Split collateral structures
• Unitranche financings
• Priming / uptier financings
• Exchange transactions
• Distressed-for-control investments

Luke has worked on transactions across a range of industries including energy, gaming, retail, media, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, technology, security and health care. His experience includes:

• Represented GTT Communications Inc. in connection with a $140.0 million incremental term loan and a $275.0 million priming term loan as well as its Chapter 11 restructuring, including $800.0 million of exit term loan financing.
• Represented Apollo Global Management in connection with a $700 million debtor-in-possession facility to Scandinavian Airlines.
• Represented Monarch Alternative Capital and other lenders in connection with a $500.0 million first lien term loan facility to Dhanani Group, Inc., the second largest quick-service restaurant franchisee group in the United States.
• Represented Francisco Partners in a $225 million first lien term loan to Eventbrite, Inc., a global self-service ticketing and experience technology platform; a $250 million term loan to 8x8 Inc., a leading integrated cloud communications platform provider; and a $60 million first lien term loan to Reciprocity, Inc., a leader in information security, risk and compliance.
• Represented an ad hoc lender group in connection with the Chapter 11 restructuring of Chuck E. Cheese, including a $200 million debtor-in-possession facility and $375 million of exit term loan financing.
• Represented Chuck E. Cheese in connection with a $50 million super-priority revolving credit facility and an offering of $650 million of senior secured notes.

Luke completed a J.D. in 2008 magna cum laude at New York Law School. He is nationally recommended by The Legal 500 and has been included on the Rising Star lists of Private Debt Investor, IFLR1000 and Super Lawyers.