A Victory Notched for Critical Vendors in Windstream Holdings

It is common practice for a company that files for bankruptcy protection to immedi­ately seek, in its “first day” motions, authority to pay the prepetition claims of certain ven­dors that the debtor deems to be critical to the success of its bankruptcy case. A debtor seeks this authority on the premise that its business would be irreparably disrupted and its efforts to maximize value for its estate and creditors would be severely impaired if these “critical vendors” refuse to provide goods and services post-petition.