Earlier this month, a corporate lawyer experienced a unique moment that millions of people nationwide know well: getting an ear piercing from a Claire’s employee. But this time, it happened in a courtroom instead of a busy mall.
Kirkland and Ellis attorney Joshua Sussberg had promised a judge he would get a piercing if he could find a buyer for the struggling retail chain, which has filed for bankruptcy twice, most recently this summer.
The deal came up during a bankruptcy hearing on Aug. 7, after Sussberg’s partner Alexandra Schwarzman mentioned that the girls’ jewelry and accessories brand had a special place in her heart since she had gotten her ears pierced at one of its stores. Judge Brendan Shannon shared that his daughters had done the same.
Schwarzman made the courtroom laugh when she revealed that Sussberg had also gotten his ears pierced at a Claire’s in the Town Center Mall in Boca Raton, Fla., during high school. She even showed a 1995 photo of him wearing the jewelry.
“No way,” Judge Shannon said, to which Schwarzman replied, “Absolutely,” according to a court transcript shared with PEOPLE.
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“Ms. Schwarzman, you have made my day,” the judge added.
As the hearing wrapped up, Sussberg explained, “I had a full head of hair at that point in time. That was 30 seasons ago. The ear has nothing in it at this moment, but I am prepared to head back to Claire’s if people are willing to keep it alive, as I think everybody should.”
Judge Shannon replied, “Mr. Sussberg, that seems like a gauntlet has been thrown down, and I will hold you to it. It may actually spur market interest.”
“It would be my absolute greatest pleasure, Your Honor,” Sussberg said.
At the next hearing on Aug. 21, the lawyers announced they had signed a purchase agreement with a buyer group led by Ames Watson, a private equity company.
The judge said, “I think the third prong was that Mr. Sussberg is going to get an earring if this succeeds.”
“Absolutely,” Schwarzman confirmed. “Yes. And I am committed to that. We’re talking about coordinating some in-court ear piercing if we’re successful.”
The sale was approved on Sept. 9, and Sussberg kept his promise. Schwarzman said, “We do have two Claire’s employees here in the courtroom with us to help Mr. Sussberg make good on his promise.”
Judge Shannon noted that Sussberg was wearing a crisp white shirt, which he called “a gutsy move,” and joked, “we’re going to find out if you’re a crier, too.”
Claire’s employee Tiffany Rivera, who has been with the company for over ten years, was ready to give Sussberg his new earring.
“I had to make a phone call to the Marshals Service to get that thing through,” the judge said, referring to Rivera’s piercing equipment.
“It felt great to follow through on my pledge because it meant that Claire’s was going to survive,” Sussberg said. “Close to 1,000 stores would remain open, thousands of people like Ms. Rivera would keep their jobs, and the next generation would have the opportunity to experience Claire’s like so many generations before.”
