Final Chapter for American Apparel

This last week, the country’s once largest garment maker, began to lay off 2,400 workers in Southern California. The layoffs will continue through this week and affects workers on the manufacturing and production side, American Apparel said. The company has about 3,500 factory workers in Southern California.

Gildan Activewear, a Canadian clothing maker, won an auction in bankruptcy court to buy the American Apparel brand and some of the company’s manufacturing equipment for $88 million. American Apparel’s 110 stores and its website will remain open, until at least April, under a 100-day license with Gildan.

American Apparel filed its second bankruptcy protection in November 2016. In 2014, the company ousted founder and Chief Executive Dov Charney as a result of numerous sexual assault allegations. Since then the company has dealt with constant financial problems, poor design, and failing ability to spark interest in its consumers.

At the time of the auction win, Glenn Chamandy, chief executive of Gildan, said American Apparel “will be a strong complementary addition” to the company’s portfolio.

“We see strong potential to grow American Apparel sales,” said Chamandy. There is potential “to drive further market share penetration in the fashion basics segment” both in North America and internationally.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

As more and more businesses struggle, the term “Chapter 11 bankruptcy” is more common than ever.

Under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the business or individual undergoes a reorganization in order to pay down its debt and reorganize its income and expenses while regaining its profits. If your business is a corporation, limited liability company (LLC) or partnership, it can continue business operations during the bankruptcy process. While the business is making payments through the debt repayment plan, the business continues operating.

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy process can be a complex, and lengthy one. Here is a general outline of what is required during a typical Chapter 11 case.

Credit Counseling Course for Individual Bankruptcy

If you are filing for Chapter 11 as an individual and not for your business, you will need to complete a credit counseling course. This course must be done with an approved agency prior to filing your bankruptcy. This course is not required if you are filing to reorganize the debts of a business.

To prepare your petition you will need to complete a list of your (or your company’s) assets, debts, income, and expenses. Additionally, you will need to create a summary of your financial affairs. Review everything to check for accuracy. Then you will be able to file your petition with bankruptcy clerk’s office. This filing triggers an “automatic stay” which prohibits most creditors from being able to continue their collection efforts against you or your assets until a bankruptcy judge gives them permission to do so.

Monthly Operating Reports

During your Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, you must prepare and file monthly operating reports, documenting your income and expenses for the month, with the bankruptcy court. These reports are made available to your creditors and the United States Trustee who then assess whether or not your plan for reorganization is feasible. Since the approval of your plan will be based on these reports, you will want to make sure you pay close attention to them. This is also a good reason to work with a bankruptcy attorney that knows the process and can ensure that everything is recorded in a correct manner.

Initial Debtor Interview and Meeting of Creditors

Typically, debtors are required to attend an initial debtor interview. During this meeting the United States Trustee meets with a debtor to review preliminary information regarding the case. The Trustee will also review a debtor’s responsibilities during the bankruptcy process.

After the initial debtor interview, the next meeting is the 341 meeting of creditors. You will need to attend this about thirty to forty-five days after the initial filing date of your case. It usually lasts one to two hours. This meeting is a public hearing that gives your creditors an opportunity to question you under oath regarding your Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition.

Disclosure Statement

You will need to file a disclosure statement containing information about your financial affairs. This will allow your creditors to make informed decisions when they decide if they will accept or reject your plan.

What should be included on the disclosure statement is dependent on the nature, history, and size of the Chapter 11 debtor. For small business cases, a bankruptcy court may decide a separate disclosure statement is not needed because the plan of reorganization provides thorough information.

Here are some of the typical items included in a disclosure statement:

financial history of debtor
circumstances that led to the bankruptcy filing, including significant events like job loss or injury
summary of reorganization plan
description and value of debtor’s assets
description of claims, liabilities and how they are addressed in the plan
tax consequences of reorganization plan
plan confirmation procedures and requirements
feasibility of plan
comparison with Chapter 7 liquidation, and
all other information that a creditor would need to make an informed judgment about the plan.

The disclosure statement and proposed plan of reorganization is then mailed to every party in interest, including your creditors. The disclosure statement also includes information for your creditors that explains how they may participate in the bankruptcy. It also includes information regarding how the creditor’s rights may be adversely affected.

Disclosure Hearing

After the disclosure statement is filed, a court holds a hearing to approve or reject it. Typically, a plan will not be accepted or rejected until the disclosure statement is approved.

There will be a hearing for the disclosure statement during which parties involved can object to the language included in the statement. Usually disclosure statements are approved and the hearing is just a formality.

Proposed Plan for Reorganization

You will outline how creditors will be treated in your plan of reorganization. Creditors are assigned as either priority debt creditors, secured debt creditors, or unsecured debt creditors. If a creditor does not approve how they are treated in your proposed plan of reorganization, you are able to file a motion (called a cramdown) asking the judge to force the creditor to accept the plan.

Confirmation Hearing

You will ask a judge to approve your plan of reorganization at your confirmation hearing. All of your creditor classes will need to have accepted your plan for a judge to be able to approve the plan. This is where you would file a cramdown motion if you have not received approval. A court will then need to reschedule the confirmation hearing. If the creditor does not respond to this motion for cram down, it is ruled as accepting the plan. But if the creditor does respond to the motion, you will need to negotiate with the creditor to try to get it to accept plan treatment. If an agreement cannot be made between you and the creditor, then a judge will decide at a hearing.

Making Payments

After your reorganization plan is approved, you have to start making payments to creditors in accordance with that confirmed plan. You will need to abide with the new contract you have with each of your creditors. If you default on payments, a creditor may sue you on that basis. Because of the agreed to plan, you will have little recourse.

Payments can continue for many years depending on your proposed plan. And debts such as mortgages or car notes typically get re-amortized over an extended period. This means a lender recalculates the monthly payments during the repayment term.

Discharging of Debts

A discharge of debts is the main reason you enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and it happens after you have made all required payments to your unsecured creditor class. After paying everything off you will ask the court for a discharge of the remainder of your unsecured debts. This motion prevents any of these creditors from collecting on any of the debts in the plan. This is the end of your Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Working with an Attorney

Facing bankruptcy, regardless of if it’s a personal or business bankruptcy, is a scary thing. There might be ways to avoid it and still keep your credit intact. Working with a bankruptcy lawyer will ensure you are made aware of all the options available to you. Because bankruptcy law can be confusing, it’s highly advised that you work with a bankruptcy attorney that can walk you through the process and clarify any questions or concerns you might have should you decide to file. There can be a lot of questions during this extremely stressful time. Let the lawyers at RHM LAW LLP walk you through the process so you can achieve the best outcome possible.