On April 7, 2016, Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (aka PacSun, aka Pacific Sunwear) filed for chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
Through the bankruptcy, Pacific Sunwear is seeking bankruptcy protection in order to get rid of two thirds of its debt and restore its balance sheet, according to CEO Gary Schoenfeld in a statement. Pacific Sunwear is also looking to reduce the cost of running its stores, either by negotiating with landlords or getting out of leases.
Landlords need to pay close attention to this bankruptcy. Pacific Sunwear has approximately 600 retail store locations across the country. Not surprisingly, the Debtors have already filed a motion to establish procedures for rejecting executory contracts and unexpired leases.
Whether Pacific Sunwear rejects store leases, or assumes the leases, the rights of Pacific Sunwear's commercial landlords will invariably be impacted. Below is a link to a previous post titled " Ten Things Every Commercial Landlord Should Know About a Tenant in Bankruptcy." This link provides a brief summary of some of the issues landlords should consider when a commercial tenant such as Pacific Sunwear files for bankruptcy.
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