May 3, 2016
Willkie represents the production company behind American Idol in the chapter 11 case.
On April 28, Willkie client Core Media Group and 47 affiliates filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Prior to its filing, Willkie assisted in extensive negotiations with Core’s lenders for almost a year, which ultimately led to a chapter 11 with full support of its first and second lien lenders. On April 29, Willkie also successfully obtained approval of various key first-day motions to allow the company to continue to operate.
Core Media Group, owned as a joint venture formed between 21st Century Fox and Apollo Global Management in 2014, is an independent content and management company. It has produced, through its 19 Entertainment affiliate, award-winning reality programming including American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Core’s operating companies B-17 Entertainment and Sharp Entertainment are not part of the bankruptcy filing.
The matter is being handled by partners Matthew Feldman, Paul Shalhoub, Graham Lane, Matthew Freimuth, Mark Cognetti and Christopher Peters; and associates Andrew Mordkoff, Gabriel Brunswick, Gail Hyman, Iben Madsen, Jason Taylor, Alexander Cheney, Cole Mathews, Kathryn Ranieri, John Kubek and Edward Torres.
