Thomas H. Lee Partners

5 Stories

Simmons Bankruptcy: Study in Private Equity Run Amok

Buyout firms profited as mattress maker saw its debt skyrocket

(Newser) - The mattress company Simmons will be filing for bankruptcy protection soon, wiping out bondholders and jeopardizing more jobs at a company that's already fired a quarter of its work force. While Simmons watched its debts balloon nearly tenfold since 1991, a string of private equity firms bought and sold the...

Clear Channel, Buyers Sue Banks Over Soured Deal

Equity firms claim lenders backtracked on financing takeover of broadcast giant

(Newser) - The two private-equity firms set to buy Clear Channel sued the group of banks they had engaged to fund the deal, the Wall Street Journal reports. Joined by Clear Channel, Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners accused the consortium—including Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, and Wachovia—of breaching contract by...

$19B Buyout of Clear Channel Nearly Dead

Credit woes have sale of radio giant to private firms crumbling

(Newser) - A $19 billion bid to privatize Clear Channel appears likely to fall through as buyers and financiers bicker—with credit-crunch-induced liquidity woes a major stumbling block, the Wall Street Journal reports. A credit agreement between private equity firms and the banks funding the move has become shaky. “No one...

Investors Worry Clear Channel Sale Is Off the Air

Credit worries and a slumping stock price have Wall Street worried the deal is done

(Newser) - Optimism on Wall Street about Clear Channel's $19 billion equity buyout is fading and its share price is spiraling lower as the deal, more than a year in the making, appears to be unraveling—done in by regulatory issues, credit worries, and deteriorating industry conditions, the Wall Street Journal reports....

Clear Channel Board Takes Private Equity Bait

(Newser) - After months of stops and starts, Clear Channel's board today gave the green light to a $19.5 billion buyout offer. The communications giant bit after Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital, which have been bidding since November, gained the backing of two large shareholders. The successful offer was...

5 Stories