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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
May 02, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [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.
In July 2019, a plaintiff shareholder filed a putative class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio alleging that the Company made false and/or misleading statements relating to the November 2018 announcement that the Company was reducing its quarterly dividend. In September 2019, a different plaintiff shareholder filed a second putative class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio containing substantially the same allegations and seeking substantially the same relief.  In October 2019, the Court issued an order consolidating the two putative class actions, appointing a lead plaintiff, and approving that lead plaintiff’s selection of lead counsel.  The lead plaintiff filed a consolidated amended complaint on December 20, 2019 that asserted substantially the same allegations and sought substantially the same relief as the initial complaint.  The Company filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint on February 18, 2020, the lead plaintiff filed an opposition to the Company's motion to dismiss on May 4, 2020, and the Company filed a reply brief in further support of its motion to dismiss on June 3, 2020.  The Company's motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint is now fully briefed and pending before the court.  The Company views this lawsuit as meritless and intends to defend against this lawsuit vigorously. 
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 our quarterly dividend prior to the announced reduction of the dividend in November 2018. The Company intends to seek dismissal of the lawsuit.
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.  The Company is currently evaluating potential options for responding to the lawsuit.
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 $36 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 part of the sale, a liability of $5 million was recorded for these obligations. During 2019, additional reserves of $35 million were recorded related to these obligations. As of May 2, 2020, the Company has recorded reserves of $37 million related to these and certain other obligations related to the La Senza business. As of May 2, 2020, reserves of $6 million are included within Accrued Expenses and Other on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and the remaining reserves are included within Other Long-term Liabilities.
Other
In connection with noncancelable operating leases of certain assets, the Company provided residual value guarantees to the lessor if the leased assets cannot be sold for an amount in excess of a specified minimum value at the conclusion of the lease term. The leases expire at various dates through 2021, and the total amount of the guarantees is $94 million. The Company recorded a liability of $17 million as of May 2, 2020 and February 1, 2020, and $10 million as of May 4, 2019 related to these guarantee obligations. This liability is included in Current Operating Lease Liabilities on the May 2, 2020 and February 1, 2020 Consolidated Balance Sheets, and in Long-term Operating Lease Liabilities on the May 4, 2019 Consolidated Balance Sheet.