WeWork Takes Strategic Action to Significantly Strengthen Balance Sheet and Further Streamline Real Estate Footprint
07 November 2023 - 3:19AM
Business Wire
WeWork spaces remain open and operational and
the Company will continue to provide its signature member
experience
Company enters into Restructuring Support
Agreement with strong support from key financial stakeholders to
drastically reduce its existing funded debt
WeWork Inc. (NYSE: WE) (“WeWork” or “the Company”), the leading
global flexible space provider, today announced that it has
commenced a comprehensive reorganization to strengthen its capital
structure and financial performance and best position the Company
for future success. The Company maintains the strong support of its
key financial stakeholders and has entered into a Restructuring
Support Agreement (“RSA”) with holders representing approximately
92% of its secured notes to drastically reduce the Company’s
existing funded debt and expedite the restructuring process. During
this period, WeWork will further rationalize its commercial office
lease portfolio while focusing on business continuity and
delivering best-in-class services to its members, as global
operations are expected to continue as usual.
To successfully achieve its goals, WeWork Inc. and certain of
its entities filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
Bankruptcy Code, and intend to file recognition proceedings in
Canada under Part IV of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
(the “CCAA Recognition Proceedings”). WeWork’s locations outside of
the U.S. and Canada are not part of this process. WeWork’s
franchisees around the world are similarly not affected by these
proceedings.
WeWork has a deliberate and value maximizing lease rejection
plan that is expected to position the company for operational and
financial success. As part of today's filing, WeWork is requesting
the ability to reject the leases of certain locations, which are
largely non-operational and all affected members have received
advanced notice.
David Tolley, CEO of WeWork said, “It is the WeWork community
that makes us successful. Our more than half-million members around
the world turn to us for the best-in-class spaces, hospitality, and
technology that our 2,500 dedicated employees and valued partners
provide. WeWork has a strong foundation, a dynamic business, and a
bright future.”
“Now is the time for us to pull the future forward by
aggressively addressing our legacy leases and dramatically
improving our balance sheet,” Tolley continued. “We defined a new
category of working, and these steps will enable us to remain the
global leader in flexible work. I am deeply grateful for the
support of our financial stakeholders as we work together to
strengthen our capital structure and expedite this process through
the Restructuring Support Agreement. We remain committed to
investing in our products, services, and world-class team of
employees to support our community.”
WeWork is filing with the Court a series of customary "First Day
Motions" to facilitate a smooth transition into the process and to
support operations throughout its cases, which it expects to be
approved in short order. The Company will continue servicing its
existing members, vendors, partners, and other stakeholders in the
ordinary course of business. WeWork expects to have the financial
liquidity to execute these proceedings and continue business in the
ordinary course.
Additional information regarding the Company's Chapter 11
process is available at https://dm.epiq11.com/WeWork. Stakeholders
with questions may call the Company's Claims Agent, Epiq at (877)
959-5845 or (503) 852-9067 if calling from outside the U.S. or
Canada, or email WeWorkInfo@epiqglobal.com.
Advisors Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Cole Schotz P.C.
are serving as legal counsel, PJT Partners LP is serving as
investment banker, Alvarez & Marsal North America, LLC is
serving as financial and restructuring advisor, Goodmans LLP is
serving as Canadian legal counsel, C Street Advisory Group is
serving as strategic communications advisor, and Epiq Corporate
Restructuring, LLC is serving as claims and noticing agent to the
Company. WeWork has retained Hilco Real Estate to assist with lease
renegotiations.
Source: We Work Category: Investor Relations
About WeWork WeWork Inc. (NYSE: WE) was founded in 2010
with the vision to create environments where people and companies
come together and do their best work. Since then, we’ve become the
leading global flexible space provider committed to delivering
technology-driven turnkey solutions, flexible spaces, and community
experiences. For more information about WeWork, please visit us at
wework.com.
Forward Looking Statements Certain statements made in
this press release, including, but not limited to, statements about
WeWork’s continued operation of the business as
“debtors-in-possession”; WeWork’s expectation to be granted First
Day Motions and the ability to pay its current obligations when due
and satisfy its continuing obligations, including, but not limited
to, employee benefits and wages, vendors and suppliers of goods and
services, and insurance and tax obligations; WeWork’s expectation
that the transactions contemplated by the RSA and the Chapter 11
Cases are consummated by the Court in the terms outlined in the
RSA, and that the transactions result in significant reduction of
its debt balance; and WeWork’s ongoing transformation efforts,
including renegotiating its leases, and any assumptions underlying
any of the foregoing may be deemed “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are predictions,
projections and other statements about future events that are based
on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are
subject to risks and uncertainties. Although WeWork believes the
expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are
based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its
expectations will be attained, and it is possible that actual
results may differ materially from those indicated by these
forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties
and other factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to,
risks and uncertainties regarding WeWork’s ability to successfully
consummate and complete a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11;
WeWork’s ability to continue operating in the ordinary course while
the Chapter 11 Cases are pending; potential adverse effects of the
Chapter 11 Cases on WeWork’s business, financial condition,
liquidity and results of operations; WeWork’s ability to obtain
timely approval by the Court with respect to the motions filed in
the Chapter 11 Cases; objections to WeWork’s recapitalization
process or other pleadings filed with the Court that could protract
the Chapter 11 Cases; employee attrition and WeWork’s ability to
retain senior management and other key personnel due to the
distractions and uncertainties caused by the Chapter 11 Cases;
WeWork’s ability to improve its liquidity and long term capital
structure and to address its debt service obligations through the
restructuring; WeWork’s ability to comply with the restrictions
imposed by the terms and conditions of the potential financing
arrangements; WeWork’s ability to find solutions with landlords to
effectively and timely rationalize its real estate footprint;
WeWork’s ability to effectively implement its strategic plan;
WeWork’s liquidity needs to operate its business and execute its
strategy, and related use of cash; WeWork’s ability to maintain
relationships with suppliers, customers, employees and other third
parties and regulatory authorities as a result of the Chapter 11
Cases; the effects of the restructuring and the Chapter 11 Cases on
WeWork and on the interests of various constituents, including
holders of WeWork’s common stock; the Court’s rulings in the
Chapter 11 Cases, including the approvals of the terms and
conditions of any plan of reorganization and the outcome of the
Chapter 11 Cases generally; the length of time that WeWork will
operate under Chapter 11 protection and the continued availability
of operating capital during the pendency of the Chapter 11 Cases;
risks associated with third party motions in the Chapter 11 Cases,
which may interfere with WeWork’s ability to consummate a plan of
reorganization or an alternative restructuring; increased
administrative and legal costs related to the Chapter 11 process;
other litigation and inherent risks involved in a bankruptcy
process; and the other risks and uncertainties disclosed in
WeWork’s annual and quarterly periodic reports and other documents
filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.
WeWork undertakes no duty or obligation to update or revise these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future developments, or otherwise, except as required by law.
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