Bankrupt LL Flooring is a step closer to being sold to its founder and former CEO in a deal that will keep about half of its stores and employees intact. The Henrico-based retailer on Monday received approval from U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Brendan Shannon to move forward with a “going-concern” sale to an affiliate of F9 Investments, a private equity firm run by Thomas Sullivan, who founded LL as Lumber Liquidators 30 years ago. The deal calls for F9 to retain 219 of LL’s 430 stores, along with the stores’ inventory and that of the ...