Editors’ Note: this is part of our irregular series in which we answer readers’ questions. If you have a question, submit it to info@dailydac.com and we will try to answer it.

QUESTION:

Fred T. emailed, asking, “I own securities of a company and heard on the news that it is contemplating doing an “exchange offer.” What is an exchange offer?

ANSWER:

An exchange offer is one way a company can complete an out-of-court restructuring. And, for a distressed company that has public debt it may be the only way to accomplish that. An exchange offer consists of the issuing of new securities and an offer to existing security holders to exchange the currently outstanding securities for new securities. As with any financial restructuring, the primary goals are to reduce corporate leverage, minimize near-term debt service, and extend debt maturities. Where corporate bonds are being exchanged, the new securities typically are comprised of securities with a lower priority, such as equity.

Note: This 90 Second Lesson is based, in substantial part, in material reprinted from Commercial Bankruptcy Litigation 2d and Strategic Alternatives for and Against Distressed Businesses, with permission of Thomson Reuters. For more information about these publications, please visit www.legalsolutions.com.