Cengage Learning, the private equity-backed education publisher saddled with $5.8B in debt, is getting PR advice from Kekst and Company through its July 2 pre-packaged bankruptcy filing.

algebraKekst, which has worked with private equity owner Apax Partners, is supporting Cengage's in-house team led by VP of PR and media relations James McCusker, an ICR and G.S. Schwartz & Co. alum.

Cengage, the former Thomson Learning that was sold before the Thomson-Reuters merger in 2007, announced its Chapter 11 plan today, along with a pact with lenders to eliminate more than $4B in debt. CEO Michael Hansen said the plan supports a "long-term business strategy of transitioning from traditional print models to digital educational and research materials."

Vendors and more than 5,000 employees will continue to be paid on schedule, the company said.

Kekst partner Kimberly Kriger works the Cengage business.

Apax and OMERS Capital bought Cengage for $7.75B in 2007.