This Amendment No. 74 to Schedule 13D (this “Amendment”) relates to common shares, par value $0.01 per share (the “Holdings Common Stock”), of Sears Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Holdings”). This Amendment amends the Schedule 13D, as previously amended, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by ESL Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Partners”), JPP II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“JPP II”), SPE I Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“SPE I”), SPE Master I, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“SPE Master I”), RBS Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“RBS”), ESL Investments, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ESL”), JPP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“JPP”), and Edward S. Lampert, a United States citizen, by furnishing the information set forth below. Except as otherwise specified in this Amendment, all previous Items are unchanged. Capitalized terms used herein which are not defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Schedule 13D, as previously amended, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Item 4. | Purpose of Transaction. |
Item 4 is hereby amended and supplemented as follows:
“On January 9, 2019, Transform Holdco submitted a revised offer (the “Revised Proposal”) to acquire substantially all of the go-forward retail footprint and other assets and component businesses of Holdings as a going concern. The Going Concern Proposal, submitted on December 28, 2018, expired in accordance with its terms on January 4, 2019. Except as modified by the Revised Proposal, the terms set forth in the Going Concern Proposal are incorporated by reference into the Revised Proposal.
Pursuant to the oral rulings of the bankruptcy court and the agreements reached among the Reporting Persons, the Debtors and the Consulting Parties (as defined in the Bidding Procedures Order) at the Chambers Conference and the Status Conference before the bankruptcy court on January 8, 2019 (the “Hearing”), the Revised Proposal constitutes a Qualified Bid (as defined in the Bidding Procedures).
This Revised Proposal includes the assumption of additional liabilities that may increase the total purchase price presented by Transform Holdco in the Going Concern Proposal by over $600 million, which, together with the purchase price set forth in the Going Concern Proposal, would provide aggregate consideration to the Debtors in excess of $5 billion. These additional assumed liabilities include (i) up to $166 million of payment obligations with respect to goods ordered by Debtors prior to the closing of the proposed transactions (but as to which goods Debtors have not yet taken delivery and title prior to closing), (ii) up to $139 million of 503(b)(9) administrative priority claims, (iii) up to $43 million of additional severance costs to be incurred by the Debtors, (iv) all cure costs related to contracts to be assumed by Transform Holdco (estimated to be up to $180 million) and (v) up to $135 million of property taxes with respect to the properties to be acquired by Transform Holdco.
The Revised Proposal also contemplates the acquisition by Transform Holdco of additional assets that were proposed to be left with the Debtors’ estate under the Going Concern Proposal.
In connection with the Revised Proposal, Transform Holdco has received updated executed copies of a debt commitment letter from certain lenders with regard to a new asset-based credit facility (the “ABL Commitment”), a debt commitment letter from certain Reporting Persons and funds managed by Cyrus Capital Partners with respect to the rollover of certain debt facilities of the Debtors (the “Rollover Commitment”), a debt commitment letter from certain Reporting Persons and funds managed by Cyrus Capital Partners with respect to a new secured real estate loan (the “Real Estate Commitment”), and an equity commitment letter from certain Reporting Persons (the “Equity Commitment”). Upon receipt of the funds described in the ABL Commitment, the Rollover Commitment, the Real Estate Commitment and the Equity Commitment, Transform Holdco will have sufficient funds available to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Revised Proposal.
Pursuant to the Bidding Procedures Order, and subject to the terms of an escrow agreement between Transform Holdco, Holdings and the escrow agent, certain Reporting Persons have deposited $120 million in cash with the escrow agent selected by the Debtors (which includes a $17.9 million non-refundable deposit described at the Hearing, and is also inclusive of the amounts previously deposited at the time of submitting the Going Concern Proposal). The amounts deposited represent in excess of 10% of the cash component of the purchase price set forth in the Revised Proposal.
The Revised Proposal shall automatically terminate and be deemed withdrawn at the earlier of (i) 5:00 p.m., New York time, on January 13, 2019, if Debtors have not confirmed in writing to Transform Holdco that an “Auction” pursuant to the Bidding Procedures will be held on January 14, 2019 at which Transform Holdco shall be allowed to participate and (ii) 5:00 p.m., New York time, on January 16, 2019, if Debtors have not confirmed in writing to Transform Holdco that Transform Holdco has been selected as a “Successful Bidder” (in connection with the transaction contemplated by the Revised Proposal) pursuant to the Bidding Procedures. There can be no assurances that the Revised Proposal will be accepted by the Debtors or that any of the transactions comprising the Revised Proposal will be consummated on the terms set forth in the Revised Proposal or at all.
The Revised Proposal may relate to, or could result in, some or all of the matters referred to in subparagraphs (a)-(j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D.
The foregoing description of the Revised Proposal does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Revised Proposal, attached hereto as Exhibit 99.85 and incorporated by reference herein.”
Item 5. | Interest in Securities of the Issuer. |
Item 5 is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
“(a)-(b) Each Reporting Person declares that neither the filing of this statement nor anything herein shall be construed as an admission that such person is, for the purposes of Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Act or any other purpose, the beneficial owner of any securities covered by this statement.
Each Reporting Person may be deemed to be a member of a group with respect to Holdings or securities of Holdings for the purposes of Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Act. Each Reporting Person declares that neither the filing of this statement nor anything herein shall be construed as an admission that such person is, for the purposes of Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Act or any other purpose, (i) acting (or has agreed or is agreeing to act) with any other person as a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate, or other group for the purpose of acquiring, holding, or disposing of securities of Holdings or otherwise with respect to Holdings or any securities of Holdings or (ii) a member of any syndicate or group with respect to Holdings or any securities of Holdings.
As of the time of filing on January 10, 2019, the Reporting Persons may be deemed to beneficially own the shares of Holdings Common Stock set forth in the table below.
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REPORTING PERSON | | NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED | | | PERCENTAGE OF OUTSTANDING SHARES | | | SOLE VOTING POWER | | | SHARED VOTING POWER | | | SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER | | | SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER | |
ESL Partners, L.P. | | | 156,380,740 | (1)(2) | | | 73.4 | % (3) | | | 52,570,010 | (2) | | | 0 | | | | 52,570,010 | (2) | | | 103,810,730 | (1) |
JPP II, LLC | | | 65,015,615 | (4)(5) | | | 37.3 | % (6) | | | 20,385,863 | (4) | | | 0 | | | | 20,385,863 | (4) | | | 44,629,752 | (5) |
SPE I Partners, LP | | | 150,124 | | | | 0.1 | % | | | 150,124 | | | | 0 | | | | 150,124 | | | | 0 | |
SPE Master I, LP | | | 193,341 | | | | 0.2 | % | | | 193,341 | | | | 0 | | | | 193,341 | | | | 0 | |
RBS Partners, L.P. | | | 156,724,205 | (1)(7) | | | 73.6 | % (3) | | | 52,913,475 | (7) | | | 0 | | | | 52,913,475 | (7) | | | 103,810,730 | (1) |
ESL Investments, Inc. | | | 156,724,205 | (1)(7) | | | 73.6 | % (3) | | | 52,913,475 | (7) | | | 0 | | | | 52,913,475 | (7) | | | 103,810,730 | (1) |
JPP, LLC | | | 44,629,752 | (5) | | | 29.0 | % (8) | | | 44,629,752 | (5) | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 44,629,752 | (5) |
Edward S. Lampert | | | 156,724,205 | (1)(7) | | | 73.6 | % (3) | | | 156,724,205 | (1)(7) | | | 0 | | | | 52,913,475 | (7) | | | 103,810,730 | (1) |
(1) | This number includes 32,348,223 shares of Holdings Common Stock held by Mr. Lampert, 6,328,688 shares of Holdings Common Stock that Mr. Lampert has the right to acquire within 60 days pursuant to the Warrants held by Mr. Lampert, 3,566,648 shares of Holdings Common Stock that Mr. Lampert has the right to acquire within 60 |