Nortel has no plans to file but bankruptcy protection but it wants to be prepared just in case it needs to pull the trigger.
According to the Wall St. Journal, Nortel has sought legal advice to explore bankruptcy protection if its restructuring plans doesn’t work. Nortel spokesman Ronald Alepian said there is “no bankruptcy filing imminent”, which is hardly a vote of confidence given the uncertainties surrounding a company with flat sales, declining cash reserves and $4.5-billion of debt.
“We remain focused on carrying out the restructuring we outlined on Nov. 10 to cut costs,” he said, adding Nortel “should be able to sustain adequate levels of liquidity in the next 12-18 months”.
Not surprisingly, the Nortel has also been talking to the Canadian government about potential financial assistance. In the past, Nortel has received financial assistance from Export Development Canada, including master facility agreements that EDC continued to provide while Nortel suffered through its accounting scandal.
According to the WSJ, Nortel’s metro Ethernet network business has been reviewed by nearly a dozen companies but a deal has yet to materialize because no one has offered “the right price”. Nortel’s exploration of bankruptcy protection may encourage suitors to wait on the sidelines rather than stepping forward with a bid.
Update: GigaOm has a statement from a Nortel spokeswoman. Nortel’s Bo Gowan has a post on Buzzboard about the WSJ story and Nortel’s strategic focus.
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