Legal

Houston-based Charming Charlie filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday with a plan to revamp operations, reduce debt, and shrink its chain of jewelry and accessories stores in a hotly competitive retail environment. The company said in a news release that it had entered a restructuring support agreement with most of its lenders and shareholders.…

The judge overseeing the Toys"R"Us bankruptcy case ruled Tuesday that the insolvent retailer can pay its 17 top executives $14 million in incentive bonuses. Toys"R"Us, which is based in Wayne, N.J., agreed to trim its original $16 million bonus proposal by $2 million, and to make $5 million of the bonus payout contingent on the company creating…

In the face of record-setting store closures, Simon Property Group is fighting back. An Indiana judge ruled in favor of the Indianapolis-based mall operator Monday, forcing Starbucks to keep 77 failing Teavana stores open and honoring their leases. The Seattle-based coffee chain announced it planned to close all 379 Teavana locations in July. In August, Simon malls…

The tax bill passed in the U.S. Senate over the weekend will boost consumer confidence, and savings from the reform could be enough to pay for many families’ holiday shopping, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). “This vote couldn’t come at a better time,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO, NRF, in a statement.…

Yesterday, the National Retail Federation (NRF) wrote and open letter to the Senate to pass a comprehensive tax reform legislation set for a vote this week (as early as today), saying the measure would create jobs and boost the economy by bringing back investment that has gone overseas while also helping small businesses and consumers.…

The U.S. Supreme Court accepted a case that could roil the credit card business, agreeing Monday to consider reviving government allegations that American Express Co. thwarts competition by prohibiting merchants from steering customers to cards with lower fees. A federal appeals court had thrown out the lawsuit, saying the U.S. government and 11 states failed to…

A Utah-based retailer of outdoor and mountaineering gear has filed a federal lawsuit against L.L.Bean, alleging that its recent marketing campaign slogan, “Be an Outsider,” infringes on a trademark registered in August. Alfwear, which sells outdoor clothing under the name KÜHL, claimed in its Oct. 2 lawsuit that it has been using the phrase “the outsider”…

Amazon.com has been ordered to pay 250 million euros ($294 million) to Luxembourg after the European Commission (EC) found that the online retailer received illegal tax benefits. The EC says Amazon received tax advantages between 2006 and 2014 in the country without any "valid justification." Margrethe Vestager, the EU's commissioner for competition, said in a statement,…

Sears Holdings Corp. is getting another cash infusion from CEO Edward Lampert, just in time for the key holiday season. Lampert has agreed to loan Sears $100 million through his ESL Investments fund — if the retailer agrees to pledge more stores or other assets as collateral. The agreement, disclosed in a recent filing with…

Serta Simmons is suing Bob's Discount Furniture for false advertising. The Chicago Tribune reports the lawsuit, filed last week in Chicago, alleges Bob’s took a mattress comparison too far when it said its Black Label Gel mattresses had essentially the same components as Simmons’ Beautyrest Black mattresses, except for the “fancy logo” and the price.…