State of Distressed Debt: C Street CEO Henes on Board Dynamics

To illustrate how uniquely challenging the restructuring experience is for the unacquainted, C Street Advisory Group founder and CEO Jon Henes recalled a client CEO’s sentiment after complex, hardball restructuring negotiations: “Every time we walk into a room ... I feel like I’m in one big game of poker. Except you know what your cards are and you know what my cards are and you know what everybody in the room’s cards are and so do they. The only person who doesn’t know what anybody’s cards are is me ... And I’m the CEO of the company.” Henes sits down with Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Negisa Balluku and Phil Brendel to explore boardroom dynamics (including a Wellman Chapter 11 retrospective) around those “most consequential moments,” managing fast-moving leaks by controlling the narrative, the intersection of Big Law and AI, and his outlook on LMEs and bankruptcies. The podcast concludes (1:24:00) with BI’s Noel Hebert joining Negisa and Phil to discuss the latest developments in Incora, Serta, First Brands, Optimum Communications and DISH DBS. The State of Distressed Debt podcast is part of BI’s FICC Focus series.