In the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia Richmond Division
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Case 20-33332-KLP Doc 192 Filed 08/24/20 Entered 08/24/20 17:50:15 Desc Main Document Page 1 of 68 Steven N. Serajeddini, P.C. (admitted pro hac vice) Michael A. Condyles (VA 27807) KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP Peter J. Barrett (VA 46179) KIRKLAND & ELLIS INTERNATIONAL LLP Jeremy S. Williams (VA 77469) 601 Lexington Avenue Brian H. Richardson (VA 92477) New York, New York 10022 KUTAK ROCK LLP Telephone: (212) 446-4800 901 East Byrd Street, Suite 1000 Facsimile: (212) 446-4900 Richmond, Virginia 23219-4071 Telephone: (804) 644-1700 -and- Facsimile: (804) 783-6192 David L. Eaton (admitted pro hac vice) Jaimie Fedell (admitted pro hac vice) KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP KIRKLAND & ELLIS INTERNATIONAL LLP 300 North LaSalle Street Chicago, Illinois 60654 Telephone: (312) 862-2000 Facsimile: (312) 862-2200 Proposed Co-Counsel to the Debtors and Debtors in Possession IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA RICHMOND DIVISION ) In re: ) Chapter 11 ) LE TOTE, INC., et al.,1 ) Case No. 20-33332 (KLP) ) Debtors. ) (Jointly Administered) ) DEBTORS’ APPLICATION FOR ENTRY OF AN ORDER AUTHORIZING THE DEBTORS TO EMPLOY AND RETAIN KUTAK ROCK LLP AS CO-COUNSEL EFFECTIVE AS OF AUGUST 2, 2020 The above-captioned debtors and debtors in possession (collectively, the “Debtors”) 2 respectfully submit this application (this “Application”) for entry of an order, substantially in the 1 The Debtors in these chapter 11 cases, along with the last four digits of each Debtor’s federal tax identification number, are set forth in the Debtors’ Motion for Entry of an Order (I) Directing Joint Administration of Chapter 11 Cases and (II) Granting Related Relief filed on the Petition Date (as defined below). The location of the Debtors’ service address is 250 Vesey Street, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10281. 2 A detailed description of the Debtors and their business, and the facts and circumstances supporting the Debtors’ chapter 11 cases, are set forth in greater detail in (i) the Declaration of Ed Kremer, Chief Restructuring Officer of Le Tote, Inc., in Support of Chapter 11 Petitions and First Day Motions (the “First Day Declaration”), filed contemporaneously with the Debtors’ voluntary petitions for relief filed under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”), on August 2, 2020 (the “Petition Date”). Capitalized terms used, but not otherwise defined in this Application shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the First Day Declaration. Case 20-33332-KLP Doc 192 Filed 08/24/20 Entered 08/24/20 17:50:15 Desc Main Document Page 2 of 68 form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Retention Order”), authorizing the Debtors to retain and employ Kutak Rock LLP (“Kutak Rock” or the “Firm”) as their co-counsel in the Debtors’ chapter 11 cases, effective as of August 2, 2020. In support of this Application, the Debtors rely on the Declaration of Michael A. Condyles (the “Condyles Declaration”), a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B, and the Declaration of Michael O. van den Berg, Esq. (the “van den Berg Declaration”), General Counsel of the Debtors, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit C. In further support of this Application, the Debtors respectfully state as follows: Jurisdiction and Venue 1. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the “Court”) has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334 and the Standing Order of Reference from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, dated August 15, 1984. The Debtors confirm their consent, pursuant to rule 7008 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the “Bankruptcy Rules”), to the entry of a final order by the Court in connection with this Application to the extent that it is later determined that the Court, absent consent of the parties, cannot enter final orders or judgments in connection herewith consistent with Article III of the United States Constitution. 2. Venue is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409. 3. The bases for the relief requested herein are sections 327(a) and 330 Bankruptcy Code, Bankruptcy Rules 2014 and 2016 and rules 2014-1 and 2016-1 of the Local Rules of Bankruptcy Practice and Procedure for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the “Local Bankruptcy Rules”). 2 Case 20-33332-KLP Doc 192 Filed 08/24/20 Entered 08/24/20 17:50:15 Desc Main Document Page 3 of 68 Relief Requested 4. By this Application, the Debtors respectfully request entry of an order authorizing the Debtors to employ and retain Kutak Rock as their co-counsel, effective as of August 2, 2020, to perform any legal services that will be necessary or appropriate in the Debtors’ chapter 11 cases. Pursuant to section 327(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, Bankruptcy Rules 2014 and 2016 and Local Bankruptcy Rules 2014-1 and 2016-1, the Debtors request that the Court approve the retention of Kutak Rock on the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Condyles Declaration, which, inter alia, provide that Kutak Rock will be compensated in accordance with Kutak Rock’s hourly rates in effect when services are rendered and normal reimbursement policies. Background 5. The Debtors are the combination of Le Tote—a venture-backed fashion rental subscription service founded in 2012 in San Francisco—and Lord & Taylor—the iconic luxury retailer which traces its origins to 1826 in New York. Le Tote purchased Lord & Taylor in a transaction which closed in November 2019. The Debtors operate both an online, subscription-based clothing rental service and a full-service fashion retailer with 38 brick-and-mortar locations and a robust e-commerce platform. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Debtors temporarily closed all retail locations in March 2020, although they continued to operate the Le Tote and Lord & Taylor websites. As COVID-19 restrictions relaxed, the Debtors have reopened their brick-and-mortar locations. The Debtors reported revenue of approximately $253.5 million for 2019. As of the Petition Date, the Debtors have approximately 651 employees and funded debt obligations of approximately $137.9 million. 6. On the Petition Date, the Debtors filed voluntary petitions for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The Debtors are operating their business and managing their 3 Case 20-33332-KLP Doc 192 Filed 08/24/20 Entered 08/24/20 17:50:15 Desc Main Document Page 4 of 68 properties as debtors in possession pursuant to sections 1107(a) and 1108 of the Bankruptcy Code. On August 3, 2020, the Court entered an order granting procedural consolidation and joint administration of these chapter 11 cases pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 1015(b). Kutak Rock’s Qualifications 7. Kutak Rock is a national law firm with eighteen offices located throughout the country. The attorneys at Kutak Rock have experience in bankruptcy cases of the size and complexity of these chapter 11 cases. In addition, Kutak Rock is a full-service law firm with attorneys experienced in, among other disciplines, litigation, corporate, real estate, tax, labor and environmental law. 8. The Debtors have chosen Kutak Rock as their co-counsel and desire to employ and retain Kutak Rock as their attorneys for these chapter 11 cases. By separate application, the Debtors have or will request that the Court approve the retention and employment of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Kirkland & Ellis International LLP (“Kirkland”) as bankruptcy co-counsel. The retention of Kutak Rock will provide additional legal resources to advise the Debtors on various matters and will allow the Debtors to operate more effectively given Kutak Rock’s specialized knowledge of bankruptcy law and procedure in Virginia. In particular, the Firm’s lawyers have experience practicing before this Court and have the ability to respond quickly to any contingency, emergency hearings or other matters before this Court. 9. The Debtors have engaged Kutak Rock to represent them as co-counsel in these cases and sought Kutak Rock’s services with respect to, among other things, the Debtors’ preparation for the potential commencement and prosecution of the Debtors’ chapter 11 cases. With this background, Kutak Rock has become familiar with the Debtors’ businesses and has the necessary background to effectively deal with pending matters and with many of the potentially 4 Case 20-33332-KLP Doc 192 Filed 08/24/20 Entered 08/24/20 17:50:15 Desc Main Document Page 5 of 68 complex legal issues and problems that may arise in connection with these cases. The Debtors believe this experience makes Kutak Rock qualified to act as the Debtors’ co-counsel during the pendency of these chapter 11 cases. 10. Accordingly, based upon the Firm’s experience and the expertise developed by many of its attorneys, Kutak Rock’s attorneys are experienced in the representation of debtors-in-possession, are well-versed in the Local Bankruptcy Rules and local practice expectations, and otherwise have the requisite abilities to represent the Debtors properly in these chapter 11 cases. Services to be Provided 11. The Debtors seek to retain Kutak Rock, subject to the oversight and orders of the Court, to provide legal services to the Debtors as needed throughout the course of these chapter 11 cases, including by providing advice with respect to bankruptcy and other substantive legal areas. In particular, the Debtors seek to retain Kutak Rock to perform, among others, the following professional services for the Debtors in close coordination with Kirkland to avoid duplication of services: a) Providing legal advice and services regarding local rules, practices, and procedures and providing substantive and strategic advice on how to accomplish the Debtors’ goals in connection with the prosecution of these chapter 11 cases, bearing in mind that the Court relies on co-counsel such as Kutak Rock to be involved in all aspects of these bankruptcy cases; b) Reviewing, revising, and/or preparing drafts of documents to be filed with the Court as co-counsel to the Debtors; c) Appearing in Court and at any meeting with the U.S.