NEW YORK, March 7 (Reuters) – Record-high food prices could
be the tipping point this year for U.S. restaurants already
struggling with high debt loads and tight-fisted consumers.

The economic downturn and drop in consumer spending has
sent a handful of restaurant chains — such as Uno Chicago
Grill pizza, Fuddruckers and Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse — into
bankruptcy court during the past year. And 2011 is not likely
to be much better, experts say.

NEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) – A former public relations
employee has sued Publicis Groupe (PUBP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for $100 million,
saying the French advertising company discriminates against
women in pay and promotions.

Women make up 70 percent of the company’s public relations
staff but hold only about 15 percent of leadership positions,
the lawsuit says.

NEW YORK, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Lehman Brothers and Barclays
deceived JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) with bad assets that the
failed investment bank’s own employees dubbed “goat poo,”
according to new court papers that escalate a legal battle
between the financial firms.

JPMorgan filed new court claims in the case, contending
that Lehman left it with $25 billion in unpaid loans secured by
undesirable assets like those left out of the sale to
Barclays.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bookseller Borders Group will conserve cash by delaying its January payments to vendors and landlords as it tries to complete a debt restructuring, the company said on Sunday.

The move comes after Borders said on Thursday that it had received a conditional commitment from GE Capital, which is one of its banks, for a $550 million senior secured facility.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Borders Group Inc may find that filing for bankruptcy is the next plot turn in its many-chaptered struggle to survive.

Bankruptcy court could push the second-largest bookstore chain, its lenders and book publishers to make sacrifices and give the company a chance to keep going. As it stands now, publishing sources see little progress in financial talks with lenders, and the company continues to need cash.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (LEHMQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said it will take longer than expected to win approval of its bankruptcy reorganization plan as it tries to settle differences with creditors, who are owed well over $300 billion.

Harvey Miller, a lawyer for the company, told a U.S. bankruptcy judge in Manhattan that Lehman hopes to file a revised Chapter 11 plan within seven to 10 days, and win court approval of the plan “well before the end of the year.”

Jan 6 (Reuters) – Bookseller
Borders Group Inc (BGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), which is trying to refinance and
conserve cash, has hired FTI Consulting Inc (FCN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and is in
talks with restructuring advisors at Jefferies & Co, sources
said on Thursday.

The bookseller has hired FTI, a firm known for its
restructuring practice, to assist in analyzing its finances,
according to sources familiar with the situation. That move was
done at the request of its banks, according to one of the
sources.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Almost since Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc collapsed in September of 2008 it has been working on a plan to pay back creditors.

And now that a group of unhappy bondholders — including the county of San Mateo, California — has put out its own roadmap for paying out against the hundreds of billions of dollars of claims made by creditors, the failed financial company may get a leg up to do so, experts said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Almost since Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (LEHMQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) collapsed in September of 2008 it has been working on a plan to pay back creditors.

And now that a group of unhappy bondholders — including the county of San Mateo, California — has put out its own roadmap for paying out against the hundreds of billions of dollars of claims made by creditors, the failed financial company may get a leg up to do so, experts said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Grocery store chain Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co (GAP.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) filed for bankruptcy on Sunday, drained of cash by tough competition and a sluggish economic recovery.

Once the largest U.S. grocer, the owner of about 400 stores under brands such as A&P, Waldbaum’s and Super Fresh filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York with more than $1 billion in assets and more than $1 billion in debt, according to court documents.