Banks Bruce

BANKS BRUCE focuses his practice on private equity, financing, and energy transactions, both domestically and internationally, including private equity-backed financings, acquisition financings, oil and gas financings (for both midstream and upstream oil and gas companies), debt restructurings and recapitalizations, syndicated financings, cash flow financings, asset-based financings, mezzanine financing transactions, direct lending transactions, distressed financings, debtor-in-possession financings, and exit financings. Banks additionally has experience in public and private securities transactions, general corporate and M&A transactions, general corporate governance and compliance matters, and commodities and other derivative-related matters.

Chambers USA has recognized Banks for his work in Texas Banking & Finance (2024–2025). Banks was named a 2020 “Rising Star” by Law360 for his work in Finance. He has also been named a “Rising Star” by Texas Super Lawyers from 2017 through 2020 in Banking, Energy & Natural Resources as well as in Securities & Corporate Finance.

• Access Healthcare, a leading revenue cycle management technology platform, in financing aspect of its growth investment from affiliates of New Mountain Capital, LLC (pending).
• ZMC, a media, entertainment, communications, and technology private equity firm, in the sale of its portfolio company 9 Story Media Group to Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) for approximately US$186 million.
• Nassau Financial Group, a Golden Gate Capital portfolio company, in obtaining a US$150 million revolving credit facility and a US$100 million term loan credit facility.
• ZMC, a media, entertainment, communications, and technology private equity firm, in its strategic investment in Wpromote.
• Leon Capital-backed Specialty Dental Brands, a dental support organization, in its partnership with TSG Consumer Partners.
• ZMC, a media, entertainment, communications, and technology private equity firm, in its acquisition of Resonate, the leading provider of AI-powered consumer data and intelligence.
• Affiliates of ZMC in its acquisition of Simpler Trading.
• General Datatech, L.P., an international IT solutions provider and network integrator, in its sale to H.I.G. Capital.
• Henkels & McCoy Group, Inc. in its US$600 million sale to MasTec, Inc.
• ITRenew, a ZMC portfolio company, in its US$925 million sale to Iron Mountain.
• CafeMedia, a portfolio company of investment funds managed by ZMC, in its acquisition of Topic, the AI-assisted content creation and search engine optimization platform developed by Chia Labs, Inc.
• Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners and Oryx Midstream Holdings LLC, in a joint venture with Plains All American of their respective Permian Basin assets, operations, and commercial activities.
• Investment funds affiliated with a U.S.-based private equity fund sponsor in their US$167 million acquisition of MMA Capital Holdings, Inc.
• Wave Computing, Inc., an artificial intelligence IP developer, in its Chapter 11 sale to an affiliate of Tallwood Venture Capital in the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California. This restructuring was recognized as the “Information Technology Deal of the Year” at The M&A Advisor’s 15th annual Turnaround Awards in 2021.
• Primerica in its strategic acquisition of e-TeleQuote, a Florida-based senior health insurance distributor of Medicare-related insurance policies, valued on a pre-debt enterprise basis at US$600 million.
• ZMC-affiliated investment funds in their acquisition of iconic comedy brand The Second City.
• Affiliates of Dallas-based Trive Capital Management LLC, in connection with the stock acquisition of The Oscar W. Larson Company and related entities.
• Warner Gaming on the sale of its one-half joint venture interest in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City to Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.
• Apollo Global Management, Inc. in providing a US$500 million of senior secured loan to, and its commitment to buy over the next 12 months the lesser of 4.9% or US$50 million in the common shares of, MFA Financial, Inc.
• Investment funds managed by an affiliate of ZMC in the financing for its acquisition of Simeio Solutions.
• Sidley-represented affiliates of Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in the financing for the purchase of Oryx Midstream Services. The financing consisted of a US$1.5 billion senior secured Term Loan B facility and a separate senior secured revolving credit facility.
• Resolute Industrial, a portfolio company of One Equity Partners, in a senior secured credit facility to finance its acquisition of Tioga HVAC and related subsequent refinancings.
• MatrixCare, Inc., a portfolio company of OMERS Private Equity, in an incremental financing to finance its acquisition of SigmaCare.
• An upstream oil and gas company with assets in Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota in a reserve-based revolving loan facility with a group of commercial banks, and a second lien financing with a group of institutional investors.
• An upstream oil and gas company with assets in Oklahoma in a reserve-based revolving loan facility.
• A group of lenders in a senior secured financing for an oil field services company with frac sand supply operations, including subsequent incremental financings.
• Athene Holding, a leading retirement services and life insurance holding company, in various intercompany investment and financing transactions.
• Genworth Financial, a leading insurance and financial services company, in a senior secured term loan facility to refinance its senior notes .
• Beacon Roofing Supply, a leading supplier of roofing and building supplies, in a senior secured, asset-based lending facility and senior secured term loan facility to finance its acquisition of Allied Building Products.
• A private, equity-owned global manufacturer of specialty chemicals in an asset-based and senior secured term facility to finance its reorganization and combination with an affiliated business.*
• A private, equity-owned global manufacturer of specialty resins and related products in a senior secured, multicurrency revolver and term loan facility to finance the strategic, take-private acquisition of a related business.*
• An investor group in a multicurrency, senior secured revolver and term loan facility to finance the take-private acquisition of a global coffee company.*
• A private equity investor in an asset-based and senior secured term facility to finance the acquisition of a chain of discount retail stores, and related subsequent financings, including an initial public offering.*
• Thomas H. Lee Partners in a senior secured credit facility to finance the acquisition of Fogo de Chão, and related subsequent refinancings, including an initial public offering.*
• A private equity investor in a senior secured credit facility to finance the acquisition of a global manufacturer of specialty packaging materials, and related subsequent refinancings.*
• A private, equity-owned manufacturer of highly engineered automobile components in its multicurrency, senior secured credit facilities to finance its combination with two affiliated businesses, and related subsequent refinancings, including an initial public offering.*
• A private, equity-backed upstream and midstream oil and gas company in a series of senior secured facilities to finance the development of midstream and upstream properties, including the combination with, and contribution of assets to, an existing master limited partnership.*
• A private equity investor in a senior secured revolver and term loan facility to finance the acquisition of a technology services business in the hotel, resort, and conference center industry, and related subsequent refinancings.*
• A private equity investor in a senior secured revolver and term loan facility to finance the acquisition of a dental support organization, and related subsequent refinancings.*
• A private, equity-owned insurance brokerage in the refinancing of its senior secured credit facilities.*
• A private, equity-backed SPAC in its acquisition of a wholesale bakery business.*
• A private equity investor in a senior secured revolver and term loan facility to finance the acquisition of a software company, and related subsequent refinancings.*
• A pipeline company in financing its acquisition of an affiliated pipeline company.*
• Oil and gas exploration and production companies with assets in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and Wyoming, in connection with various senior secured reserve-based revolving loan facilities.*
• An offshore drilling company in senior secured letter of credit and term facilities to finance its exit from bankruptcy.*
• An E&P company with assets in the North Sea in senior secured letter of credit, revolving, and term facilities, in connection with the bankruptcy of its holding company, and related subsequent refinancings.*
• An oil field services company in its senior secured exit facility, including an exchange of its pre-petition term loans for term loans under its amended and restated credit agreement following its bankruptcy proceedings.*

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Board Member, Vogel Alcove
• Member, Dallas Regional Chamber’s Leadership Dallas Class of 2023