4. Merger with BPW Acquisition Corp. and Related Transactions

On April 7, 2010, the Company completed a series of transactions (collectively, the “BPW Transactions”) which, in the aggregate, substantially reduced its indebtedness and significantly deleveraged its balance sheet, consisting of three related transactions: (i) an Agreement and Plan of Merger between Talbots and BPW Acquisition Corp. (“BPW”) pursuant to which a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company merged with and into BPW in exchange for the issuance of Talbots common stock and warrants to BPW stockholders; (ii) the repurchase and retirement of all shares of Talbots common stock held by AEON (U.S.A.), Inc. (“AEON (U.S.A.)”), the Company’s then majority shareholder, totaling 29.9 million shares; the issuance of warrants to purchase one million shares of Talbots common stock to AEON (U.S.A.) and the repayment of all of the Company’s outstanding debt with AEON Co., Ltd. (“AEON”) and AEON (U.S.A.) at its principal value plus accrued interest and other costs for total consideration of $488.2 million; and (iii) the execution of a third party senior secured revolving credit facility which provides borrowing capacity up to $200.0 million, subject to availability and satisfaction of all borrowing conditions.

BPW was a special purpose acquisition company with approximately $350.0 million in cash held in a trust account for the benefit of its shareholders to be used in connection with a business combination. BPW had no significant commercial operations, and its only significant pre-combination assets were cash and cash equivalents which were already recognized at fair value. The Company recorded the shares of common stock and warrants issued in the merger at the fair value of BPW’s net monetary assets received on April 7, 2010. The net monetary assets received in the transaction, consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents, were $333.0 million, after payment of all prior BPW obligations. No goodwill or intangible assets were recorded in the transaction.

In connection with the merger, the Company issued 41.5 million shares of Talbots common stock and warrants to purchase 17.2 million shares of Talbots common stock (the “Talbots Warrants”) for 100% ownership of BPW. Approximately 3.5 million BPW warrants that did not participate in the warrant exchange offer (the “Non-Tendered Warrants”) remained outstanding at the closing of the merger. Additionally, in connection with the merger, the Company repurchased and retired the 29.9 million shares of Talbots common stock held by AEON (U.S.A.), the former majority shareholder, in exchange for warrants to purchase one million shares of Talbots common stock (the “AEON Warrants”). As a result of the BPW Transactions, the Company became subject to annual limitations on the use of its existing net operating losses (“NOLs”).

With the consummation and closing of the BPW merger, the Company repaid all outstanding AEON and AEON (U.S.A.) indebtedness on April 7, 2010 at its principal value plus accrued interest and other costs for total cash consideration of $488.2 million. As the AEON and AEON (U.S.A.) debt extinguishment transaction was between related parties, the difference between the carrying value and the repayment price was recorded as an equity transaction. Accordingly, the Company recorded no gain or loss on the extinguishment and the difference between the repayment price and the net carrying value, consisting of $1.7 million of unamortized deferred financing costs, was recorded to additional paid-in capital.

Further in connection with the consummation and closing of the BPW merger, the Company executed a senior secured revolving credit agreement with third party lenders which provides borrowing capacity up to $200.0 million, subject to availability and satisfaction of all borrowing conditions. See Note 13, Debt, for further information including key terms of this credit agreement.

Merger-related costs are those expenses incurred in order to effect the merger, including advisory, legal, accounting, valuation and other professional or consulting fees as well as certain general and administrative costs incurred by the Company as a direct result of the closing of the BPW Transactions, including an incentive award given to certain executives and members of management, contingent upon the successful closing of the BPW Transactions. The incentive portion of merger-related costs was awarded in restricted stock units and cash for efforts related to the closing of the BPW Transactions. The cash bonus awarded was paid in the first quarter of 2010 in connection with the consummation of the BPW Transactions. The restricted stock units awarded cliff vested 12 months from the completion of the BPW Transactions. Legal expenses classified as merger-related costs include both those costs incurred to execute the merger as well as those costs incurred related to subsequent merger-related legal proceedings. Other costs primarily include printing and mailing expenses related to proxy solicitation and incremental insurance expenses related to the transactions. The Company has recorded total merger-related expenses of $35.0 million. In the thirteen weeks ended October 30, 2010, the Company updated its estimate of legal expenses incurred related to these proceedings under its indemnification obligations with the other parties to this matter, resulting in a credit to merger-related accounting and legal expenses in the third quarter of 2010. Approximately $7.7 million of costs incurred in connection with the execution of the senior secured revolving credit facility were recorded as deferred financing costs and included in other assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. These costs are being amortized to interest expense over the three and one-half year life of the facility. Approximately $3.6 million of costs incurred in connection with the registration and issuance of the common stock and warrants were charged to additional paid-in capital.

Details of the merger-related costs recorded in the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010 are as follows:


	Thirteen Weeks Ended					Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	October 29,		October 30,			October 29,		October 30,
	2011		2010			2011		2010
	(In thousands)
Investment banking	$	—	$	—		$	—	$	14,255
Accounting and legal		—		(431	)		—		6,219
Financing incentive compensation		—		1,210			885		5,638
Other costs		—		8			—		1,538

Merger-related costs	$	—	$	787		$	885	$	27,650

The following pro forma summary financial information presents the operating results of the combined company assuming the merger and related events, including the repurchase of common stock held by AEON (U.S.A.) and repayment of all outstanding indebtedness owed to AEON and AEON (U.S.A.) and the execution of the senior secured revolving credit agreement, had been completed on January 31, 2010, the beginning of Talbots’ fiscal year ended January 29, 2011.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	October 30, 2010				October 30, 2010
	Actual		Pro Forma		Actual		Pro Forma
	(In thousands, except per share data)
Net sales	$	299,099	$	299,099	$	920,502	$	920,502
Operating income		19,833		19,833		31,460		24,588
Income from continuing operations		16,974		16,974		10,399		8,787
Earnings per share — continuing operations:
Basic	$	0.24	$	0.24	$	0.16	$	0.13
Diluted	$	0.24	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.12
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic		68,424		68,424		64,878		67,670
Diluted		69,442		69,442		66,008		68,800

Based on the nature of the BPW entity, there was no revenue or earnings associated with BPW included in the consolidated statements of operations.