Christopher Plaut is a partner in the New York office of Latham & Watkins. Mr. Plaut is a member of the Finance Department and various practices. He is Chair of the Automotive Industry Group and a member of the Technology, Autonomous & Connected Vehicles, Mining & Metals, and Retail & Consumer Products Industry Groups.
He primarily represents commercial and investment banks in leveraged finance transactions, including acquisition financings, asset-based facilities, and debtor-in-possession and exit financings. A portion of his practice is devoted to the workout of troubled loans and to representing issuers/borrowers in connection with their financing needs. Mr. Plaut has particular experience in cross-border matters, metals and mining, automotive and transportation, industrials, technology, and healthcare.
Mr. Plaut served for a year as judicial clerk to US District Judge Stanley S. Brotman. He is also involved in numerous bar and community activities, including serving as a member of the Banking Law Committee of the New York State Bar Association.
Mr. Plaut's experience includes representation of:
- Barclays Capital in a US$1.275 billion term loan and revolving facility for the Jarden Corporation
- Bank of America in a US$2 billion term loan and revolving facility for Peabody Energy Corporation
- Bank of America in a US$427 million revolving facility for Patriot Coal Corporation
- Foster Wheeler LLC in its US$450 million revolving facility from a syndicate of banks
- Deutsche Bank and another major bank in a US$3.5 billion asset-based credit facility, term loan facility, and synthetic letter of credit facility for The Hertz Corporation
- Credit Suisse in a US$1.2 billion term loan facility for Berry Plastics related to its acquisition by affiliates of Apollo Global Management
- Barclays Capital in a US$2 billion senior secured financing for CIT Group, Inc.
- UBS in a US$100 million senior secured financing for XM Satellite Radio, Inc.
- Lehman Brothers in an approximately US$1.4 billion term loan and revolving credit financing for Pinnacle Foods Finance LLC related to its acquisition by The Blackstone Group
- UBS in a US$1.3 billion term loan, revolving credit facility and senior unsecured notes offering for Algoma Acquisition Corp. related to its acquisition by Essar Steel
- Credit Suisse in a US$1 billion term loan and revolving credit financing for Worldspan, L.P.
- November 2005 Land Investors, LLC, in its US$410 million first lien term loan, first lien revolving credit facility, and second lien term loan acquisition financing
- Bank of America in a US$1 billion revolving credit facility for L-3 Communications Corporation
- The Cooper Companies, Inc. in its US$750 million term loan and revolving credit facility from a syndicate of banks