Introduction
Chapter 11 filings cut across every industry, from retailers and restaurants to drug makers and bitcoin miners. A filing does not mean a company is closing.
Hertz, Chesapeake Energy and Avaya all filed and then emerged. Others were sold or wound down.
This article lists notable U.S. companies that filed for Chapter 11, explains why they filed, and separates the filing from the eventual outcome.
Commercial Chapter 11 activity is rising: Epiq reported 6,560 commercial filings in January through September 2026, up 11% from the same period in 2025.
Statuses below reflect information current as of October 20, 2026. Court proceedings move quickly, so verify each case against current dockets and company disclosures.
Key Takeaways
- Chapter 11 generally lets a business keep operating while restructuring debt under court supervision.
- A filing is a legal event, not proof a company has permanently shut down.
- Useful comparisons include filing date, court, stated cause, and final outcome.
- Cases end in reorganization, sale, conversion, or liquidation.
What Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Means
Chapter 11 is a court-supervised reorganization process typically used by businesses. The debtor usually stays in possession and runs the company as a "debtor in possession," while the bankruptcy court rules on motions and plan confirmation.
The Players
- Debtor: the company filing, often with affiliates that file separate petitions
- Bankruptcy court: oversees the case and confirms any plan
- Creditors' committee: appointed by the U.S. Trustee in qualifying cases to investigate and consult with the debtor
- Lenders and restructuring professionals: negotiate financing, sales and plan terms
How It Differs From Other Chapters
- Chapter 7: liquidation, generally with a trustee selling assets
- Chapter 13: individual repayment plans
- Chapter 15: cross-border insolvency proceedings
Prepetition vs. Postpetition
The automatic stay generally halts collection actions once a company files. Prepetition debts are handled through the claims process, while postpetition expenses follow the Bankruptcy Code and court orders.
Suppliers should note that goods delivered within 20 days before filing may support an administrative-expense claim under Section 503(b)(9). Review payment terms and court orders before shipping more product.
Financing, Sales and Plans
A debtor may seek court-approved debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, renegotiate contracts, sell assets or propose a plan. Pier 1 Imports' filing, for example, included a commitment of roughly $256 million in DIP financing.
Even with DIP financing and a confirmed plan, a filing does not guarantee survival, full creditor recovery, saved jobs or a continued brand.
Notable Companies That Filed for Chapter 11
The table below is curated, not exhaustive. Reasons are attributed to the cited filing or company statement, not treated as independent findings. Where a source did not state a trigger, the table says so.
Retail and Pharmacy
| Company | Petition date, court | Stated reason or purpose | Latest confirmed status |
|---|---|---|---|
| J.C. Penney | May 15, 2020; S.D. Tex. | Court declaration cites the pandemic among events leading to the case | OpCo sale completed Dec. 7, 2020 |
| Pier 1 Imports | Feb. 17, 2020; E.D. Va. | Not stated in the public record | Final decree closing cases dated Jan. 21, 2025 |
| Party City Holdco (2024 case) | Dec. 21, 2024; S.D. Tex. | Company said filing would maximize stakeholder value | Plan confirmed Aug. 27, 2025; effective Sept. 22, 2025 |
| Rite Aid (2023 case) | Oct. 15, 2023; D.N.J. | Consensual restructuring to reduce debt | Plan effective Aug. 30, 2024; a separate case followed in 2025 |
| New Rite Aid, LLC (2025 case) | May 5, 2025; D.N.J. | Not stated in the court record | Plan confirmed Nov. 26, 2025 |
Restaurants, Consumer Goods and Real Estate
| Company | Petition date, court | Stated reason or purpose | Latest confirmed status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEC Entertainment | June 24, 2020 (court opinion); S.D. Tex. | Court record links the case to COVID capacity limits and venue closures | Final disposition not readily available in the public record |
| Tupperware Brands | Sept. 17, 2024; D. Del. | Sought operating flexibility and a court-approved sale process | Sale of substantially all assets closed Nov. 27, 2024 |
| Revlon | June 15, 2022; S.D.N.Y. | Not stated in the filing | Emerged May 2, 2023 |
| WeWork | Nov. 6, 2023; D.N.J. | Not stated in the public filing | Emerged June 2024 |
Healthcare, Pharma, Technology and Energy
| Company | Petition date, court | Stated reason or purpose | Latest confirmed status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invitae | Feb. 13, 2024; D.N.J. | Not stated; Labcorp selected for an asset purchase agreement | Plan confirmed Aug. 2, 2024 |
| Endo International plc | Aug. 16, 2022; S.D.N.Y. | Not stated in the court record | Plan effective Apr. 23, 2024 |
| Avaya | Feb. 14, 2023; S.D. Tex. | Company described a prepackaged filing to accelerate transformation | Emerged May 1, 2023 |
| Core Scientific | Dec. 21, 2022; S.D. Tex. | Not stated in the case chronology | Emerged Jan. 23, 2024 |
| Chesapeake Energy | June 28, 2020; S.D. Tex. | Not stated in the case chronology | Emerged Feb. 9, 2021 |
Transportation and Automotive
| Company | Petition date, court | Stated reason or purpose | Latest confirmed status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertz | May 22, 2020; D. Del. | SEC filing links the case to expired forbearance and waiver agreements | Plan confirmed June 10, 2021; exited June 2021 |
| Yellow Corporation | Aug. 6, 2023; D. Del. | Company attributed filing to unresolved Teamsters negotiations | Final disposition not readily available in the public record |
| Motors Liquidation Co. (former GM) | June 1, 2009; S.D.N.Y. | Not stated in available public excerpts | Sale closed July 10, 2009; cases recorded as closed |
Endo is an Irish-incorporated parent, included because it filed a U.S. Chapter 11 case, not a foreign proceeding. The company named in a case may be a parent, subsidiary or operating entity, and joint administration does not merge separate estates. Check each debtor name in the petition and docket.
Recent examples also include FRC Balance, LLC, a Scottsdale, Arizona health-focused restaurant chain reported on October 5, 2026 as filing with $42.1 million of funded debt after closing 12 restaurants. It is pursuing a court-supervised sale. No completed sale or later outcome is documented yet.
Rumors, out-of-court workouts, Chapter 7 cases and foreign proceedings do not belong on a Chapter 11 list unless a U.S. petition confirms it.
Why Companies File for Chapter 11
The cases above show recurring pressures, though they are illustrations, not a frequency ranking:
- Expired lender agreements: Hertz's filing tied to expiring forbearance and waivers
- Debt burden: Rite Aid described debt reduction as a restructuring goal
- Pandemic disruption: J.C. Penney and CEC court records addressed closures and capacity limits
- Labor disputes: Yellow attributed its filing to unresolved union negotiations
Pressures compound. Falling revenue shrinks cash flow, while debt service, leases and supplier obligations stay fixed. That is how a familiar brand can land in court without any fraud or incompetence involved.
Voluntary vs. Involuntary
Most cases are voluntary petitions under Section 301. Section 303 allows creditors to start an involuntary case, with limits on which chapters apply. An involuntary case requires at least three creditors holding qualifying unsecured claims.
Repeat Filings
Party City filed in January 2023 after negotiating with an ad hoc noteholder group, then filed again on December 21, 2024. Why the first restructuring failed is not readily established in the public record.
Broader research offers context. A 2025 Applied Economics study of U.S. public-company filings from 1979 to 2022 found higher liability-to-asset ratios were associated with refiling. Surviving 33 months after emergence was associated with a lower chance of a repeat filing. The findings apply only to that sample.
What Happens After a Chapter 11 Filing?
The Typical Lifecycle
- Petition and automatic stay: collection and enforcement actions generally stop
- First-day motions: requests to keep operating, use cash collateral or obtain financing
- Claims process: the court sets deadlines for creditors
- Disclosure statement and plan: creditors vote where required
- Confirmation and effective date: the plan takes effect
- Alternatives: a sale, conversion to Chapter 7, or dismissal
The sequence varies. Tupperware, for example, pursued a sale process rather than a standalone reorganization.
What It Means for Stakeholders
- Employees: qualifying prepetition wage claims receive statutory priority under Section 507(a)(4)
- Vendors: may hold a 503(b)(9) claim for goods delivered in the 20 days before filing
- Landlords: leases can be assumed or rejected; CEC's court denied rent abatement as to objecting landlords
- Shareholders: treatment depends on the plan, not the filing itself
Operating Through the Case
Companies often close locations, sell assets, renegotiate contracts, cut headcount or raise new capital while in court. Final outcomes can differ from the opening plan.
Core Scientific announced emergence in January 2024, while Tupperware's court filing reports its asset sale closed in November 2024. Neither is typical, but both show how different the endpoints can be.
Tracking Developments
Useful documents include docket entries, court orders, plan documents and sale materials. Each Chapter 11 debtor must also file monthly operating reports, generally due within 15 days after month-end, according to U.S. Trustee guidelines.
On outcomes, a 2015 UCLA study found 70% of large public companies seeking to reorganize succeeded. That cohort is narrow and does not represent all Chapter 11 cases.
Anyone making legal, credit, investment or trading decisions should consult qualified professionals and current case materials, not a general article.
How to Research and Verify Chapter 11 Filings
A Repeatable Checklist
- Confirm the petition date and the exact debtor entities
- Record the court, case number and chapter
- Note reported assets and liabilities
- Check whether affiliates filed separate petitions
- Reconcile status claims against court orders, not just press releases
Then verify those details against primary sources:
- PACER's Case Locator, the national index for federal bankruptcy dockets
- Claims-agent sites run by Kroll, Epiq, Stretto and Verita for notices, deadlines and plan documents
- Form 8-K Item 1.03 for public-company bankruptcy disclosures, with later court orders controlling
Separating Fact From Claim
Management statements describe intent, not findings. Compare court documents, company releases, creditor filings, regulatory disclosures and reputable reporting. Attribute reasons to their source, as the table above does.
Where BankruptcyData Fits
BankruptcyData, founded in 1986, provides bankruptcy intelligence covering more than 600,000 records across 45+ years of U.S. activity. Its platform offers live reporting, docket monitoring, alerts and historical outcomes. It is a research and data resource, not legal advice.
Professionals can also use licensed datasets, API feeds or its MCP server for AI assistants to:
- Monitor customers and counterparties
- Research precedent
- Spot distress signals before a filing
- Follow many cases at once
Update Policy
Review this list at least quarterly. Revise sooner after any of these events:
- A new notable filing
- Plan confirmation or emergence
- Sale approval
- Dismissal or conversion
- Liquidation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 11 bankruptcy?
It is a court-supervised process businesses use to reorganize debts and operations. The goal is to continue as a going concern when possible.
What companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy?
See the verified examples above, from J.C. Penney and Hertz to Party City and Rite Aid. The list is curated, not exhaustive, so check current status against primary records.
Does Chapter 11 mean a company is going out of business?
No. Some companies reorganize or are sold, while others liquidate or cease operating.
What happens to a company after it files Chapter 11?
It typically keeps operating while the court handles motions and creditor claims. Financing, asset sales, a reorganization plan, or another outcome usually follow.
Can a company file Chapter 11 more than once?
Yes. Party City filed in 2023 and again in 2024. Circumstances and consequences depend on the prior case, timing and bankruptcy rules.
How can I find out whether a company filed for Chapter 11?
Check company disclosures, bankruptcy court records and reliable financial reporting. Platforms such as BankruptcyData also track filings in structured form.
