by CalculatedRisk on 11/19/2008 11:45:00 PM

General Growth Properties, the second largest mall owner in the U.S. behind Simon Property, has hired bankruptcy counsel ...

From the WSJ: Mall Owner Lines Up Bankruptcy Law Firm (hat tip crispy&cole)

Debt-laden mall giant General Growth Properties Inc. has hired the law firm Sidley Austin as bankruptcy counsel ... The move doesn't mean a Chapter 11 filing is imminent.
...
The company, which owns more than 200 U.S. malls, has struggled to repay debt it amassed during an acquisition binge near the market's peak.