Article X.D of the Plan provides for debtor releases (the “Debtor Releases”) as follows:
Pursuant to section 1123(b) of the Bankruptcy Code, for good and valuable consideration, as of the Effective Date, each of the Released Parties is unconditionally, irrevocably, generally, individually, and collectively, released, acquitted, and discharged by the Debtors, the Reorganized Debtors, and each of their Estates from any and all Causes of Action, including any derivative Causes of Action asserted or assertable by or on behalf of a Debtor, Reorganized Debtor, or any of their Estates, any Causes of Action that any Debtor, Reorganized Debtors, or any of their Estates would have been legally entitled to assert in its own right (whether individually or collectively) or on behalf of the Holder of any Claim against or Interest in a Debtor or other Entity, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, asserted or unasserted, matured or unmatured, existing or hereafter arising, in law, equity, contract, tort, or otherwise that the Debtors, the Reorganized Debtors, or their Estates (whether individually or collectively) ever had, now has, or thereafter can, shall, or may have, based on or relating to, or in any manner arising from, in whole or in part: (1) the Debtors, the Debtors’ in- or out-of- court restructuring efforts, intercompany transactions, the Chapter 11 Cases, the Canadian Recognition Proceeding, the purchase, sale, or rescission of any security of the Debtors, the Plan Settlement, the Settled Claims, the formulation, preparation, dissemination, negotiation, or filing of the Restructuring Support Agreement, the Definitive Documents, the DIP Facilities, the Equity Rights Offering, the New Common Stock, the New Warrants, the Backstop Commitment Agreement, the Exit Facilities, the Disclosure Statement, or the Plan, including the Plan Supplement; (2) any Restructuring Transaction, contract, instrument, release, or other agreement or document (including any legal opinion requested by any Entity regarding any transaction, contract, instrument, document, or other agreement contemplated by the Plan or the reliance by any Released Party on the Plan or the Confirmation Order in lieu of such legal opinion) created or entered into in connection with the Restructuring Support Agreement, the Definitive Documents, the DIP Facilities, the Equity Rights Offering, the New Common Stock, the New Warrants, the Backstop Commitment Agreement, the Exit Facilities, the Disclosure Statement, or the Plan, including the Plan Supplement; (3) the business or contractual arrangements between any Debtor and any Released Party, whether before or during the Debtors’ restructuring, or the restructuring of Claims and Interests before or during the Chapter 11 Cases; (4) the subject matter of, or the transactions or events giving rise to, any Claim or Interest that is affected by or classified in the Plan; (5) the filing of the Chapter 11 Cases or the Canadian Recognition Proceeding, the pursuit of Confirmation, the pursuit of Consummation, the administration and implementation of the Plan, including the issuance or distribution of securities pursuant to the Plan, or the distribution of property under the Plan or any other related agreement; (6) the Settled Claims; or (7) any other act or omission, transaction, agreement, event, or other occurrence taking place on or before the Effective Date arising from or relating to any of the foregoing, including, without limitation, the Unsecured Notes Indenture, the ABL Facility Credit Agreement, the 2016 Credit Agreement, or the BrandCo Credit Agreement, and all matters relating thereto.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the releases set forth above shall not release (1) to the extent that any Causes of Action against the Debtors are not released or discharged pursuant to the Plan, any rights of the Debtors and the Reorganized Debtors to assert any and all counterclaims, crossclaims, offsets, indemnities, claims for contribution, defenses, and similar claims or other Causes of Action in response to such Causes of Action; provided that such counterclaims, crossclaims, offsets, indemnities, claims for contribution, defenses, and similar claims or other Causes of Action may not be asserted against any Related Party of the Debtors or the Reorganized Debtors to the extent such claims have been released or discharged pursuant to the Plan, (2) any Causes of Action set forth in the Schedule of Retained Causes of Action, including any Retained Preference Action, (3) any Cause of Action against any Excluded Party, (4) any commercial Cause of Action arising in the ordinary course of business, such as accounts receivable and accounts payable on account of goods and services being performed, (5) any Cause of Action against a Holder of a Disputed Claim, to the extent such Cause of Action is necessary for the administration and resolution of such Claim solely in accordance with the Plan, or (6) any post-Effective Date obligations of any party or Entity under the Plan, any Restructuring Transaction, any Definitive Document (including those set forth in the Plan Supplement), or other document, instrument, or agreement executed to implement the Plan.
Entry of the Confirmation Order shall constitute the Bankruptcy Court’s approval, pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 9019, of the Debtor Release, which includes by reference each of the related provisions and definitions contained in the Plan, and further, shall constitute the Bankruptcy Court’s finding that the Debtor Release is: (1) essential to the Confirmation of the Plan; (2) an exercise of the Debtors’ business judgment; (3) in exchange for the good and valuable consideration and substantial contributions provided by the Released Parties; (4) a good faith settlement and compromise of the Causes of Action released by the Debtor Release; (5) in the best interests of the Debtors and all Holders of Claims and Interests; (6) fair, equitable, and reasonable; (7) given and made after due notice and opportunity for hearing; and (8) a bar to any of the Debtors, the Reorganized Debtors, and the Estates asserting any Cause of Action released pursuant to the Debtor Release.
Article X.E of the Plan provides for third-party releases (the “Third-Party Releases”) as follows:
As of the Effective Date, each of the Releasing Parties other than the Debtors is deemed to have expressly, absolutely, unconditionally, irrevocably, generally, individually, and collectively, released, acquitted, and discharged each of the Released Parties from any and all Causes of Action, including any derivative Causes of Action asserted or assertable by or on behalf of a Debtor, Reorganized Debtor, or any of their Estates, and any Causes of Action asserted or assertable by or on behalf of the Holder of any Claim or Interest or other Entity, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, asserted or unasserted, matured or unmatured, existing or hereafter arising, in law, equity, contract, tort, or otherwise that the Releasing Parties (whether individually or collectively) ever had, now have, or thereafter can, shall, or may have, based on or relating to, or in any manner arising from, in whole or in part: (1) the Debtors, the Debtors’ in- or out-of-court restructuring efforts, intercompany transactions, the Chapter 11 Cases, the Canadian Recognition Proceeding, the purchase, sale, or rescission of any security of the Debtors, the BrandCo Entities, the Plan Settlement, the Settled Claims, the formulation, preparation, dissemination, negotiation, or filing of the Restructuring Support Agreement, the Definitive Documents, the DIP Facilities, the Equity Rights Offering, the New Common Stock, the New Warrants, the Backstop Commitment Agreement, the Exit Facilities, the Disclosure Statement, or the Plan, including the Plan Supplement; (2) any Restructuring Transaction, contract, instrument, release, or other agreement or document (including any legal opinion requested by any Entity regarding any transaction, contract, instrument, document, or other agreement contemplated by the Plan or the reliance by any Released Party on the Plan or the Confirmation Order in lieu of such legal opinion) created or entered into in connection with the Restructuring Support Agreement, the Definitive Documents, the DIP Facilities, the Equity Rights Offering, the New Common Stock, the New Warrants, the Backstop Commitment Agreement, the Exit Facilities, the Disclosure Statement, or the Plan, including the Plan Supplement; (3) the business or contractual arrangements between any Debtor and any Releasing Party, whether before or during the Debtors’ restructuring, or the restructuring of Claims and Interests before or during the Chapter 11 Cases; (4) the subject matter of, or the transactions or events giving rise to, any Claim or Interest that is affected by or classified in the Plan; (5) the filing of the Chapter 11 Cases or the Canadian Recognition Proceeding, the pursuit of Confirmation, the pursuit of Consummation, the administration and implementation of the Plan, including the issuance or distribution of securities pursuant to the Plan, or the distribution of property under the Plan or any other related agreement; (6) the Settled Claims; or (7) any other act or omission, transaction, agreement, event, or other occurrence taking place on or before the Effective Date arising from or relating to any of the foregoing, including, without limitation, the Unsecured Notes Indenture, the ABL Facility Credit Agreement, the 2016 Credit Agreement, or the BrandCo Credit Agreement, and all matters relating thereto.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the releases set forth above shall not release, prejudice, limit, impact, or otherwise impair (1) to the extent that any Causes of Action against any Releasing Party are not released or discharged pursuant to the Plan, any rights of such Releasing Party to assert any and all counterclaims, crossclaims, offsets, indemnities, claims for contribution, defenses, and similar claims in response to such Causes of Action; provided that such counterclaims, crossclaims, offsets, indemnities, claims for contribution, defenses, and similar claims may not be asserted against the Debtors, the Reorganized Debtors, or any Related Party of the Debtors or the Reorganized Debtors to the extent such claims have been released or discharged pursuant to the Plan, (2) any Cause of Action against a Released Party other than the Debtors, the Reorganized Debtors, or any Related Party of the Debtors or the Reorganized Debtors unknown to such Releasing Party as of the Effective Date arising out of actual fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct of such Released Party, (3) any Cause of Action against any Excluded Party, or (4) any post- Effective Date obligations of any party or Entity under the Plan, any Restructuring Transaction, or any Definitive Document (including those set forth in the Plan Supplement), or other document, instrument, or agreement executed to implement the Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in the Plan shall, or shall be deemed to, alter, amend, release, discharge, limit, or otherwise impair the 2016 Agent Surviving Indemnity Obligations as between and among the 2016 Agent, on the one hand, and any Holders of the 2016 Term Loan Claims (other than Released Parties) on the other hand. For the avoidance of doubt, any 2016 Agent Surviving Indemnity Obligations against a Released Party are expressly released pursuant to the Plan. As used in this Article X.E, “Related Party” means, in each case in its capacity as such, (a) such Debtor’s or Reorganized Debtor’s current and former predecessors, successors, subsidiaries, direct and indirect equityholders, funds, portfolio companies, and management companies, and (b) the current and former directors, officers, managers, members, principals, partners, employees, independent contractors, agents, representatives, managed accounts or funds, management companies, fund advisors, investment advisors, advisory board members, financial advisors, partners (including both general and limited partners), consultants, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, and other professionals of the entities set forth in the foregoing clause (a).
Entry of the Confirmation Order shall constitute the Bankruptcy Court’s approval, pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 9019, of the Third-Party Release, which includes by reference each of the related provisions and definitions contained herein, and, further, shall constitute the Bankruptcy Court’s finding that the Third-Party Release is: (1) essential to the Confirmation of the Plan; (2) given in exchange for the good and valuable consideration and substantial contributions provided by the Released Parties; (3) a good faith settlement and compromise of the Causes of Action released by the Third-Party Release; (4) in the best interests of the Debtors and their Estates; (5) fair, equitable, and reasonable; (6) given and made after due notice and opportunity for hearing; and (7) a bar to any of the Releasing Parties asserting any Claim or Cause of Action released pursuant to the Third-Party Release.
Definitions Related to the Debtor Releases and the Third-Party Releases:
Under the Plan, “Released Party” means, collectively, the Releasing Parties; provided that no Excluded Party shall be a Released Party; provided, further, that, in each case, an Entity shall not be a Released Party if it: (a) elects to opt out of the releases, if permitted to opt out; (b) does not elect to opt into the releases, if permitted to opt in; (c) files with the Bankruptcy Court an objection to the Plan, including the releases, that is not consensually resolved before Confirmation or supports any such objection or objector; or (d) proposes or supports an Alternative Restructuring Proposal without the Debtors’ consent.
Under the Plan, “Releasing Parties” means, collectively, and in each case in its capacity as such: (a) each Debtor; (b) each Reorganized Debtor; (c) each non-Debtor Affiliate; (d) each of the Consenting Creditor Parties; (e) the DIP Lenders; (f) the Creditors’ Committee and each of its members; (g) the DIP Agents; (h) the Unsecured Notes Indenture Trustee; (i) the BrandCo Agent; (j) Citibank, N.A., as the 2016 Agent; (k) the ABL Agents; (l) the Equity Commitment Parties; (m) the Exit Facilities Lenders; (n) the Exit Facilities Agents; (o) each of the parties to Adv. Proc. No. 22-01167; (p) each Holder of Qualified Pension Claims, Retiree Benefit Claims, or Non-Voting Disputed Claims that does not elect to opt out of the releases contained in the Plan; (q) each Holder of Claims or Interests that is deemed to accept the Plan and does not elect to opt out of the releases contained in the Plan; (r) each Holder of Claims that is entitled to vote on the Plan and either (i) votes to accept the Plan, (ii) abstains from voting on the Plan and does not elect to opt out of the releases contained in the Plan, or (iii) votes to reject the Plan and does not elect to opt out of the releases contained in the Plan; (s) each Holder of Claims that is deemed to reject the Plan but does not elect to opt out of the releases contained in the Plan; (t) each Holder of publicly traded Interests in Holdings that elects to opt in to the releases contained in the Plan; (u) with respect to each of the Entities in the foregoing clauses
(a) through (t), each such Entity’s current and former Affiliates (regardless of whether such interests are held directly or indirectly); (v) with respect to each of the Entities in the foregoing clauses (a) through (u), each such Entity’s current and former predecessors, successors, subsidiaries, direct and indirect equity holders, funds, portfolio companies, and management companies; and (w) with respect to each of the Entities in the foregoing clauses (a) through (v), each such Entity’s current and former directors, officers, managers, members, principals, partners, employees, independent contractors, agents, representatives, managed accounts or funds, management companies, fund advisors, investment advisors, advisory board members, financial advisors, partners (including both general and limited partners), consultants, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, and other professionals; provided that no Holder that votes to accept the Plan shall be entitled to opt out of, and each such Holder shall be deemed to opt into, the releases; provided, further that, with respect to any Holder of a Claim or Interest (other than any Holder of publicly traded Interests in Holdings) that does not elect to opt out of the releases contained in the Plan in any capacity, and with respect to any Holder of publicly traded Interests in Holdings that opts into the releases contained in the Plan in any capacity, such Holder and each Affiliate of such Holder that is also a Holder of a Claim or Interest shall be deemed to opt into the Third-Party Releases in all capacities.
Under the Plan, “Excluded Parties” means, collectively, all Entities liable for Talc Personal Injury Claims in respect of Jean Nate products or other products produced by the Debtors, other than any Debtor or any current or former officer, director, authorized agent, or employee of the Debtors. For the avoidance of doubt, any insurer of the Debtors that may be liable for Talc Personal Injury Claims and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and its Affiliates shall be Excluded Parties.
Article X.F of the Plan provides for an exculpation (the “Exculpation”) as follows:
Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan or the Confirmation Order, no Exculpated Party shall have or incur any liability to any person or Entity for, and each Exculpated Party is hereby released and exculpated from, any Cause of Action related to any act or omission in connection with, relating to, or arising out of, the Debtors’ restructuring efforts, the Chapter 11 Cases, preparation for the Chapter 11 Cases, the filing of the Chapter 11 Cases, the Canadian Recognition Proceeding, the Settled Claims, the formulation, preparation, dissemination, negotiation, filing, or termination of the Restructuring Support Agreement and related transactions, the Disclosure Statement, the Plan (including any term sheets related thereto), the Plan Supplement, the DIP Facilities, the Equity Rights Offering, the Backstop Commitment Agreement, the Exit Facilities, or any Restructuring Transaction, contract, instrument, release, or other agreement or document (including providing any legal opinion requested by any Entity regarding any transaction, contract, instrument, document, or other agreement contemplated by the Plan or the reliance by any Exculpated Party on the Plan or the Confirmation Order in lieu of such legal opinion) created or entered into in connection with any of the foregoing, the funding of the Plan, the occurrence of the Effective Date, the pursuit of Confirmation, the pursuit of Consummation, the administration and implementation of the Plan, including the Definitive Documents, the issuance of securities pursuant to the Plan, the issuance of the New Common Stock, and the New Warrants pursuant to the Plan, or the distribution of property under the Plan or any other related agreement, except for claims related to any act or omission that is determined in a Final Order to have constituted actual fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct; provided that the foregoing shall not be deemed to release, affect, or limit any post-Effective Date rights or obligations of the Exculpated Parties under the Plan, the Exit Facilities, any Restructuring Transaction, or any Definitive Document (including those set forth in the Plan Supplement), or other document, instrument, or agreement executed to implement the Plan.
The Exculpated Parties have, and upon Consummation of the Plan shall be deemed to have, participated in good faith and in compliance with the applicable laws with regard to the solicitation of, and distribution of consideration pursuant to, the Plan and, therefore, are not, and on account of such distributions shall not be, liable at any time for the violation of any applicable law, rule, or regulation governing the solicitation of acceptances or rejections of the Plan or such distributions made pursuant to the Plan.
Article X.G of the Plan provides for an injunction (the “Injunction”) as follows:
Except as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or for obligations issued or required to be paid pursuant to the Plan or the Confirmation Order, all Entities that have held, hold, or may hold claims or interests that have been released pursuant to Article X.D or Article X.E of the Plan or discharged pursuant to Article X.B of the Plan, or are subject to exculpation pursuant to Article X.F of the Plan, shall be permanently enjoined, from and after the Effective Date, from taking any of the following actions against, as applicable, the Debtors, the Reorganized Debtors, the Exculpated Parties, or the Released Parties: (1) commencing or continuing in any manner any action or other proceeding of any kind on account of or in connection with or with respect to any such claims or interests; (2) enforcing, attaching, collecting, or recovering by any manner or means any judgment, award, decree, or order against such Entities on account of or in connection with or with respect to any such claims or interests; (3) creating, perfecting, or enforcing any lien or encumbrance of any kind against such Entities or the property or the estates of such Entities on account of or in connection with or with respect to any such claims or interests; (4) asserting any right of setoff, subrogation, or recoupment of any kind against any obligation due from such Entities or against the property of such Entities on account of or in connection with or with respect to any such claims or interests unless such Entity has, on or before the Effective Date, asserted such setoff right in a document filed with the Bankruptcy Court explicitly preserving such setoff, and notwithstanding an indication of a claim or interest or otherwise that such Entity asserts, has, or intends to preserve any right of setoff pursuant to applicable law or otherwise; and (5) commencing or continuing in any manner any action or other proceeding of any kind on account of or in connection with or with respect to any such claims or interests released or settled pursuant to the Plan.