Current Report Filing (8-k)
February 14 2019 - 5:32PM
Edgar (US Regulatory)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 8, 2019
SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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Delaware
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000-51217,
001-36693
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20-1920798
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(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
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(Commission
File Number)
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(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
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3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
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60179
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(Address of principal executive offices)
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(Zip code)
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Registrants Telephone Number, Including
Area Code: (847) 286-2500
(Former Name or Former Address, If Changed Since
Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the
Form 8-K filing
is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing
obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
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Soliciting material pursuant to
Rule 14a-12 under
the
Exchange Act (17
CFR 240.14a-12)
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Pre-commencement communications
pursuant to
Rule 14d-2(b) under
the Exchange Act (17
CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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Pre-commencement communications
pursuant to
Rule 13e-4(c) under
the Exchange Act (17
CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this
chapter) or
Rule 12b-2 of
the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (§240.12b-2 of
this chapter).
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Emerging growth company
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or
revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 2.01. Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.
As previously disclosed, on October 15, 2018, Sears Holdings Corporation (the Company) and certain of its subsidiaries (together with the
Company, the Debtors) filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the Bankruptcy Code) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the Bankruptcy
Court). The Chapter 11 Cases are being jointly administered under the caption In re Sears Holdings Corporation, et al., Case
No. 18-23538.
Documents filed on the docket of and other
information related to the Chapter 11 Cases are available free of charge online at https://restructuring.primeclerk.com/sears. Documents and other information available on such website are not part of this Current Report on Form
8-K
(the Form
8-K)
and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in this Form
8-K.
As previously disclosed in a Current Report on Form
8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
January 24, 2019 (the January 24 Form
8-K),
on January 17, 2019, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries (together, the Sellers) entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement
(as amended, the Purchase Agreement) with Transform Holdco LLC (Buyer), an affiliate of ESL Investments, Inc. (ESL), a significant creditor and shareholder of the Company, pursuant to which Buyer agreed to acquire
from the Company substantially all of the
go-forward
retail footprint and other assets and component businesses of the Company as a going concern (the Going Concern Transaction). The
January 24
8-K
is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein. On February 8, 2019, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order authorizing and approving the Going Concern
Transaction pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (the Sale Order).
The Going Concern Transaction was completed on February 11, 2019
pursuant to and in accordance with the Purchase Agreement as amended by that certain Amendment No. 1 to the Asset Purchase Agreement (the Purchase Agreement Amendment) and approved by the Sale Order. The assets acquired by Buyer and
consideration described under the section entitled Assets and Consideration in the January 24 Form
8-K
attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and the Purchase Agreement Amendment attached hereto as
Exhibit 2.1 are incorporated by reference herein.
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of
Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On February 12, 2019, Edward S. Lampert, Chairman of the Board of Directors of
the Company (the Board), and Kunal S. Kamlani, a director on the Board, each notified the Company of his decision to step down from the Board, effective immediately. Their resignations relate to the completion of the Going Concern
Transaction and are not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Companys operations, policies or practices. Mr. Lampert is Chairman of the board of directors, and Mr. Kamlani is President, of
ESL.
The resignation letters of each of Mr. Lampert and Mr. Kamlani are attached hereto as Exhibits 99.2 and 99.3, respectively.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
On February 8, 2019,
the Debtors filed with the Bankruptcy Court a notice of filing of settlement term sheet with the with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (the PBGC), pursuant to which, among other things the Company and the PBGC have agreed: to
terminate the Companys pension plans; that the PBGCs unsecured claim would be reduced to $800 million; the PBGC would receive a senior, secured non-interest bearing note in an amount of $80 million under a chapter 11 plan of
reorganization of the Company (a chapter 11 plan); and the PBGC would release underfunding claims against the Debtors and withdraw its objection to the Going Concern Transaction and to support a chapter 11 plan that incorporates the
agreed upon terms and is not otherwise adverse to the PBGC.
The terms of the settlement with the PBGC remain subject to final documentation and approval
by the Bankruptcy Court.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Form
8-K
may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this filing that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes, targets or anticipates will or may occur in the
future are forward-looking statements. The Companys actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and other factors, which could include the following: risks and
uncertainties relating to the Chapter 11 Cases, including but not limited to, the Companys ability to obtain Bankruptcy Court approval with respect to motions in the Chapter 11 Cases, the Companys ability to confirm an acceptable plan of
reorganization, the effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company and on the interests of various constituents, Bankruptcy Court rulings in the Chapter 11 Cases and the outcome of the Chapter 11 Cases in general, the length of time the Company will
operate under the Chapter 11 Cases, risks associated with third-party motions in the Chapter 11 Cases, the potential adverse effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Companys liquidity or results of operations and increased legal and other
professional costs necessary to execute the Companys
reorganization; the conditions to which the Companys
debtor-in-possession
financing is subject and the risk
that these conditions may not be satisfied for various reasons, including for reasons outside of the Companys control; the impact of and ability to successfully implement store closures; the Companys ability to consummate sales of assets
and the terms and conditions of any such sales; uncertainty associated with evaluating and completing any strategic or financial alternative as well as the Companys ability to implement and realize any anticipated benefits associated with any
alternative that may be pursued, including the asset sales and wind down of operations; the consequences of the acceleration of our debt obligations; trading price and volatility of the Companys common stock and the risks related to the
Companys delisting from Nasdaq and trading on the OTC Pink Market; as well as other risk factors set forth in the Companys Annual Report on Form
10-K
and Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company therefore cautions readers against relying on these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or
persons acting on the Companys behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to
update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Item 9.01 Financial
Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
hereunto duly authorized.
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SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION
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Dated: February 14, 2019
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By:
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/s/ Mohsin Meghji
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Mohsin Meghji
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Chief Restructuring Officer
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