Private Equity Backing and Legal Engines Start Up
Marelli is owned by funds managed by private equity titan KKR & Co. Inc., which now faces one of its larger industrial shakeups. While equity holders typically rank last in bankruptcy recoveries, KKR’s support of the reorganization plan signals hope that the restructuring could salvage long-term value.
The company has hired Laura Davis Jones of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP as lead bankruptcy counsel, steering the company through the legal wreckage.
The lead bankruptcy case, Marelli Automotive Lighting USA Inc., is filed under case number 1:25-bk-11034.
A Cautionary Tale of Tariffs and Global Exposure
Once a powerhouse of cross-border supply chains, Marelli’s collapse is a sobering tale of how geopolitical friction and trade policy can pull the rug out from under multinational corporations. It adds to a growing list of industrial players ensnared by tariff warfare—where profitability is only as stable as the next customs hike.
Still, the $1.1 billion financing lifeline and widespread creditor support hint that Marelli could drive out of bankruptcy and back onto the road—if it can navigate the detours ahead.
