Meet The Attorneys Advising Eddie Bauer In Chapter 11

A group of lawyers from Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Cole Schotz PC is guiding the retail operator of outdoor apparel brand Eddie Bauer as it attempts to sell stores in its Chapter 11 case in New Jersey bankruptcy court.

In a declaration filed Monday, Eddie Bauer LLC’s co-chief restructuring officer, Stephen Coulombe, said the debtor plans to sell as many of its roughly 175 stores as it can during the bankruptcy case and liquidate its remaining assets. The debtor currently has $1.74 billion in funded debt.

Eddie Bauer LLC operates Eddie Bauer stores in the U.S. and Canada. In a statement, the company said it planned to conduct store closing sales, but could halt that effort if a going-concern deal is reached.

The debtor’s e-commerce and wholesale operations are not affected by the bankruptcy filing, according to the statement. Stores outside the U.S. and Canada are also not part of the Chapter 11 case.

Founded in 1920, Eddie Bauer outfitted the first American to summit Mount Everest and provided sleeping bags and flight suits for U.S. troops during World War II, Coulombe said. The company went through Chapter 11 twice before and is now owned by Catalyst Brands, the operator of J.C. Penney and other retailers. 

Here are the attorneys advising Eddie Bauer LLC in bankruptcy.

Michael D. Sirota

Sirota is co-chair of Cole Schotz’s bankruptcy department and a member in his firm’s office in Hackensack, New Jersey. He has helped clients including WeWork, Bed Bath & Beyond and Pretium Packaging in their Chapter 11 cases.

Sirota, who has been with Cole Schotz since 1987, received his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law.

Warren A. Usatine

Hackensack-based Usatine is a co-chair in the litigation department at Cole Schotz and a co-managing shareholder at the firm. He has advised clients such as Rite Aid Corp., BlockFi and WeWork in their Chapter 11 cases.

Usatine has worked at Cole Schotz since 1995 and received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Felice R. Yudkin

Yudkin, who is also based in Hackensack, has counseled David’s Bridal, BlockFi and WeWork in their bankruptcies. She is also advising Pretium Packaging in its New Jersey Chapter 11 case.

Yudkin has been with the firm since 2005 and received her law degree from Fordham University Law School.

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