XML 41 R23.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.20.4
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Jan. 30, 2021
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
The Company is subject to various claims and contingencies related to lawsuits, taxes, insurance, regulatory and other matters arising out of the normal course of business. Actions filed against the Company from time to time include commercial, tort, intellectual property, customer, employment, data privacy, securities and other claims, including purported class action lawsuits. Management believes that the ultimate liability arising from such claims and contingencies, if any, is not likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
On February 19, 2020, a plaintiff shareholder filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio alleging derivative claims on behalf of the Company against certain of its current and former directors and officers. The Company was named as nominal defendant. The lawsuit asserts claims for breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and unjust enrichment in connection with alleged misstatements about the Company's quarterly dividend prior to the announced reduction of the dividend in November 2018. On July 21, 2020, the court so-ordered a stipulation staying all proceedings in this lawsuit, pending resolution of the motion to dismiss that the Company filed on February 18, 2020 in the putative class action lawsuit described above. Following the dismissal of the putative class action lawsuit described above, the parties filed a joint stipulation to dismiss the derivative claims without prejudice on November 5, 2020.
On May 19, 2020, a purported shareholder filed a derivative lawsuit on behalf of L Brands, Inc. in the Court of Common Pleas for Franklin County, Ohio. The complaint names as defendants certain current and former directors and officers of L Brands, Inc. and alleges, among other things, that these defendants breached their fiduciary duties by violating law and/or company policies relating to workplace conduct. The Company was named as nominal defendant only, and there are no claims asserted against it. On June 16, 2020, the lawsuit was removed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. On July 6, 2020, the court so-ordered a stipulation staying the lawsuit until December 29, 2020. That stay has since been extended until March 29, 2021.
On January 12, 2021, another purported shareholder filed a derivative lawsuit on behalf of L Brands, Inc. in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The complaint names as defendants certain current and former directors and officers of L Brands, Inc. and
alleges, among other things, breaches of fiduciary duty through asserted violations of law and failures to monitor workplace conduct. The Company was named as a nominal defendant, and there are no claims asserted against it.
La Senza
In connection with the sale of La Senza in the fourth quarter of 2018, certain of the Company's subsidiaries have remaining contingent obligations of $32 million related to lease payments under the current terms of noncancelable leases expiring at various dates through 2028. These obligations include minimum rent and additional payments covering taxes, common area costs and certain other expenses and relate to leases that commenced prior to the disposition of the business. As of January 30, 2021, the Company recorded reserves of $35 million, primarily included within Other Long-term Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, related to these lease-related obligations and certain other obligations related to the La Senza business.