INDUSTRY NEWS

Major background screening providers file for bankruptcy

The parent company of background screening providers HireRight, Kroll and USIS has filed for bankruptcy protection, citing $1.8 billion of funded debt.

Falls Church, Virginia-based Altegrity, Inc., which is funded by a number of investment banks and venture capital firms, said the USIS business will be shut down and liquidated, while HireRight and Kroll will continue to operate under bankruptcy protection.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Altegrity blamed its financial problems largely on a massive cyberattack last year on a division of its business that provided background checks to U.S. federal government agencies.  The incident caused the company to lose key government contracts and forced them to lay off more than 2,500 employees. The company is still under investigation by the Justice Department for fraud.

In November 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that senior note holders for Altegrity negotiated a “make-whole” provision designed to increase their odds of a large payout if the company files for bankruptcy. It is unclear if this is still a part of the company’s restructuring plan.

Sources:

The Wall Street Journal, 2/10/15 – http://www.wsj.com/articles/altegrity-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy-1423446150

The Wall Street Journal, 11/16/14 – http://www.wsj.com/articles/altegrity-debt-investors-aim-for-rainy-day-payout-1416179983

Alegrity, Inc., 2/3/15 – http://www.altegrity.com/Pdfs/Altegrity-RSA-Press-Release.pdf

Providence Business News, 2/9/15 – http://pbn.com/Altegrity-files-bankruptcy-after-state-sponsored-breach,103422

Posted: February 11, 2015