things, Iconix’s financial results, leverage, cash flow and liquidity profile, declining value of certain of its trademarks and other intellectual property assets, and prospects, all of which senior management believed contributed to concerns regarding the Company’s viability. On April 23, 2020, at the direction of the Board, Dechert LLP, counsel to Iconix (“Dechert”), entered into an engagement letter with Ducera Partners LLC (“Ducera”) for Ducera to provide general financial advisory and investment banking, restructuring, financing and transaction services to Iconix. The Board selected Ducera to act as its financial advisor based on Ducera’s qualifications, expertise, reputation and judgment, and Ducera’s understanding of Iconix’s business.
From late April 2020 through June 2020, the Board met with representatives of Iconix’s senior management, Dechert and Ducera to discuss Iconix’s strategic plans, projections, and liquidity position, including among other things, the adverse impact of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic on Iconix’s revenue and cash flows and the resulting potential near-term liquidity shortfall. At the Board’s direction, Iconix’s senior management, Dechert and Ducera analyzed the potential impact of discrete asset sales, the ability to refinance all or a portion of Iconix’s material indebtedness, and potential broader strategic transactions, as well as prospects for Iconix to continue to operate on a standalone basis. The Board evaluated the potential implications of Iconix’s capital structure on its future business prospects and liquidity outlook, including amortization requirements under the Senior Secured Term Loan. The Board also considered the potential financial impacts associated with the outstanding indebtedness under the Convertible Notes and its securitization notes and the dilutive impact of stock issuances to satisfy interest payment obligations under the Convertible Notes, as well as the potential effect of conversion of the Convertible Notes, on strategic transactions and the value to Iconix’s common stockholders of any such transactions.
In the months that followed, Iconix completed two non-core asset sales (Starter China Limited and Umbro China, Limited) as a means to enhance its liquidity position in the short term, which resulted in aggregate net proceeds to Iconix of approximately $75.2 million, the majority of which was used to reduce Iconix’s existing indebtedness under its Senior Secured Term Loan. The Company, however, continued to have material near-term debt service requirements and experience substantial and recurring losses from operations.
On June 16, 2020, following outreach to and discussions with Iconix management, a third party, Party A, contacted Ducera regarding a potential strategic transaction with Iconix.
On June 29, 2020, representatives of Party A submitted a non-binding proposal for an all-cash acquisition of Iconix that valued Iconix common stock at $15 million.
On July 10, 2020, the Board met and discussed Party A’s proposal with Iconix management, Ducera and Dechert. Following this discussion and in the context of strategic planning discussions with Iconix management, Ducera and Dechert since late April 2020, the Board determined to commence a process to broaden its exploration of strategic alternatives available to Iconix to enhance stockholder value. The Board authorized and directed management and its external advisors to pursue a wide range of strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of Iconix, merger or other business combination, a recapitalization of its existing capital structure, financings or re-financings of its existing indebtedness, sales of equity and equity-linked securities, dispositions of discrete brands and related assets, licensing or other strategic transactions involving Iconix, or any combination of the foregoing. This decision was disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 13, 2020 which was extensively covered by various media outlets.
Through the week of July 20, 2020, Iconix’s senior management, with assistance from Ducera and Dechert, finalized a process letter and confidential information memorandum (the “CIM”) relating to a strategic transaction involving Iconix. On July 21, 2020, Ducera began disseminating the process letter to a broad group of prospective bidders including strategic parties and financial sponsors who were identified based on their potential strategic interest in Iconix’s business and financial wherewithal to complete an acquisition of Iconix.
During July and August 2020, Ducera communicated with 84 potential counterparties, including Party A, and 28 counterparties entered into confidentiality agreements with Iconix. Upon entry into a confidentiality agreement, counterparties were provided with access to the CIM and a virtual data room populated with various financial, commercial and legal information on Iconix. During this time period, Iconix received nine initial indications of interest from potential counterparties: two indications to acquire all of Iconix’s common stock for cash, five indications for a full company sponsor-backed recapitalization, and two indications to acquire certain assets of Iconix. The transaction candidates included a mix of potential strategic parties and financial sponsors. Representatives of Ducera and members of Iconix’s senior management met with eight of the interested parties.