On April 20, 2011, the IRS issued proposed regulations under Treas. Reg. §1.267(f)-1(c) (the Proposed Regulations), which will become effective after they are adopted as final regulations. The Proposed Regulations modify the current deferred loss rules to allow the acceleration of a deferred loss in certain circumstances that routinely arise in international restructurings of U.S. companies. Accordingly, corporations in a controlled group that are considering a sale to another member of the controlled group should evaluate the consequences under the Proposed Regulations.

Commercial landlords should take notice. Within the last several months, one women’s clothing retailer after another has gone out of business. On Dec. 4, 2014, Philadelphia-based Deb Shops filed Chapter 11. Next came Delia’s, based in New York, which filed bankruptcy only four days later. On Jan. 9, 2015, Body Central, based in Florida, a chain with 265 stores, announced that it was closing all of its stores by way of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, an alternative to federal bankruptcy. On Jan.

The economy is humming along and bankruptcy filings are at historic lows.  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/01/prweb12432257.htm.   Nevertheless, a recent trend in retail may suggest that the times, they are a changing.

In recent months, the US has seen a staggering increase in the number of retailers, both large and small, filing for bankruptcy. Among others, Dots, Alco Stores, Radio Shack, Deb Shops, Wet Seal, and Delia’s have each filed for bankruptcy protection in the past six months alone.

Last year, the 112-year old retailer J.C. Penney was regularly in the news – and it was rarely good.  The stock was in a free-fall, in the process of dropping from about $20 per share in May 2013 to a low of a little more than $6 dollars per share in late October.  Media reports were grim, focusing on the attempt and failure of the former Apple executive Ron Johnson to turn the business around.  But now, as we approach the critical holiday season, J.C.

American Apparel has been on the watch-list for those who follow distressed retailers for quite a while.  The company, known for its provocative advertising and American-made apparel, has approximately 249 retail stores in the U.S. and 19 other countries.

While the American economy continues to grow at a tepid pace, the filing rate for both personal and business bankruptcies has slowed dramatically. As banks have cleared many, but certainly not all, of their problem loans and have curtailed lending activity, the main driver of small- and medium-business bankruptcies has slowed. However, like death and taxes, bankruptcy is not going to go away. The retail sector appears to be primed for the next wave in bankruptcy filings, and that means that vendors, suppliers, and other creditors should be prepared.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy many businesses have been negatively impacted financially throughout regions from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.  Hardest hit are businesses located not only along the New Jersey, Staten Island and  Long Island  NY  coasts but in areas  that  have never experienced such a devastating disaster.  Areas  such as  Hoboken NJ,lower Manhattan and the NYC  East Side.  Even  businesses  located in inland  communit

Introduction

In November 2008, Circuit City filed for bankruptcy protection. Circuit City had the same business model as Best Buy: selling electronic equipment in large retail stores. Other retailers with that business model are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with online sales from companies such as Amazon, eBay, or Walmart. Best Buy’s store sales have fallen for the last eight quarters while expenses increase. Although Best Buy has a large cash buffer, many analysts believe it is only a matter of time before Best Buy also files for bankruptcy, perhaps in 2013.