Sec Form 13D Filing - Outerbridge Capital Management LLC filing for BARNES & NOBLE ED INC (BNED) - 2021-07-28

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13D

(Rule 13d-101)

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT

TO § 240.13d-1(a) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO

§ 240.13d-2(a)

(Amendment No. 7)¹

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.

(Name of Issuer)

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

06777U101

(CUSIP Number)

Outerbridge Capital Management, LLC

767 Third Avenue, 11th Floor

New York, New York 10017

(347) 493-0350

 

Andrew Freedman, Esq.

Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP

1325 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019

(212) 451-2300

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person

Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

 

July 22, 2021

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of This Statement)

 

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§ 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box ☒.

Note:  Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits.  See § 240.13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

 

 

1              The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

	1		NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
				Outerbridge Capital Management, LLC
	2		CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP															(a) ☐
																		(b) ☒
	3		SEC USE ONLY
	4		SOURCE OF FUNDS
				AF, WC
	5		CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) OR 2(e)															☐
	6		CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
				Delaware
NUMBER OF				7		SOLE VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY							0
OWNED BY				8		SHARED VOTING POWER
EACH
REPORTING							5,132,753
PERSON WITH				9		SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
							0
				10		SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
							5,132,753
	11		AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
				5,132,753
	12		CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES															☐
	13		PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
				9.9%
	14		TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
				OO, IA

  

	1		NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
				Outerbridge Special Opportunities Fund, LP
	2		CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP															(a) ☐
																		(b) ☒
	3		SEC USE ONLY
	4		SOURCE OF FUNDS
				WC
	5		CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) OR 2(e)															☐
	6		CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
				Delaware
NUMBER OF				7		SOLE VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY							0
OWNED BY				8		SHARED VOTING POWER
EACH
REPORTING							5,132,753
PERSON WITH				9		SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
							0
				10		SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
							5,132,753
	11		AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
				5,132,753
	12		CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES															☐
	13		PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
				9.9%
	14		TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
				PN

  

 

	1		NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
				Outerbridge Special Opportunities GP, LLC
	2		CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP															(a) ☐
																		(b) ☒
	3		SEC USE ONLY
	4		SOURCE OF FUNDS
				AF, WC
	5		CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) OR 2(e)															☐
	6		CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
				Delaware
NUMBER OF				7		SOLE VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY							0
OWNED BY				8		SHARED VOTING POWER
EACH
REPORTING							5,132,753
PERSON WITH				9		SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
							0
				10		SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
							5,132,753
	11		AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
				5,132,753
	12		CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES															☐
	13		PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
				9.9%
	14		TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
				OO, HC

  

 

	1		NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
				Rory Wallace
	2		CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP															(a) ☐
																		(b) ☒
	3		SEC USE ONLY
	4		SOURCE OF FUNDS
				AF, WC
	5		CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) OR 2(e)															☐
	6		CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
				United States of America
NUMBER OF				7		SOLE VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY							0
OWNED BY				8		SHARED VOTING POWER
EACH
REPORTING							5,132,753
PERSON WITH				9		SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
							0
				10		SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
							5,132,753
	11		AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
				5,132,753
	12		CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES															☐
	13		PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
				9.9%
	14		TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
				IN, HC

  

The following constitutes Amendment No. 7 to the Schedule 13D filed by the undersigned (“Amendment No. 7”). This Amendment No. 7 amends the Schedule 13D as specifically set forth herein.

Item 4.

Purpose of Transaction.

Item 4 is hereby amended to add the following:

On July 22, 2021, Outerbridge entered into a letter agreement (the “Amendment”) with the Issuer, which amends and extends certain provisions set forth under the Cooperation Agreement previously entered into between Outerbridge and the Issuer on June 20, 2020.

Pursuant to the Amendment, among other matters, the Issuer agreed to renominate for election to the Board at the Issuer’s 2021 Annual Meeting each of Mr. Lowell W. Robinson and Mr. Zachary Levenick, each of whom are current members of the Board serving terms set to expire at the Issuer’s 2021 Annual Meeting.

In addition, the Amendment extends Outerbridge’s voting and standstill restrictions contained in the Agreement until that date that is five days prior to the last date pursuant to which stockholder nominations for director elections are permitted pursuant to the Issuer’s bylaws with respect to the Issuer’s 2022 annual meeting of stockholders.

The foregoing description of the Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Amendment, which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 5.

Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

Items 5(a) – (c) are hereby amended and restated to read as follows:

The aggregate percentage of shares of Common Stock reported owned by each person named herein is based upon 51,384,234 shares of Common Stock outstanding, as of June 17, 2021, which is the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as reported in the Issuer’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2021.

A.

Outerbridge Capital

(a)

As the investment manager to Outerbridge Special Opportunities, Outerbridge Capital may be deemed the beneficial owner of the 5,132,753 shares owned by Outerbridge Special Opportunities.

Percentage: Approximately 9.9%

(b)

1. Sole power to vote or direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or direct vote: 5,132,753 3. Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 5,132,753

 

(c)

Outerbridge Capital has not entered into any transactions in the securities of the Issuer since the filing of Amendment No. 6 to the Schedule 13D.

B.

Outerbridge Special Opportunities

(a)

As of the close of business on July 27, 2021, Outerbridge Special Opportunities beneficially owned 5,132,753 shares.

Percentage: Approximately 9.9%

(b)

1. Sole power to vote or direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or direct vote: 5,132,753 3. Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 5,132,753

 

(c)

Outerbridge Special Opportunities has not entered into any transactions in the securities of the Issuer since the filing of Amendment No. 6 to the Schedule 13D.

C.

Outerbridge Special GP

(a)

As the general partner of Outerbridge Special Opportunities, Outerbridge Special GP may be deemed the beneficial owner of the 5,132,753 shares owned by Outerbridge Special Opportunities.

Percentage: Approximately 9.9%

(b)

1. Sole power to vote or direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or direct vote: 5,132,753 3. Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 5,132,753

 

(c)

Outerbridge Special GP has not entered into any transactions in the securities of the Issuer since the filing of Amendment No. 6 to the Schedule 13D.

D.

Rory Wallace

(a)

As the managing member of each of Outerbridge Capital and Outerbridge Special GP, Mr. Wallace may be deemed the beneficial owner of the 5,132,753 shares owned by Outerbridge Special Opportunities.

Percentage: Approximately 9.9%

(b)

1. Sole power to vote or direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or direct vote: 5,132,753 3. Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 5,132,753

 

(c)

Mr. Wallace has not entered into any transactions in the securities of the Issuer since the filing of Amendment No. 6 to the Schedule 13D.

The filing of this Schedule 13D shall not be deemed an admission that the Reporting Persons are, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the beneficial owners of any securities of the Issuer that he or it does not directly own. Each of the Reporting Persons specifically disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein that he or it does not directly own.

Item 6.

Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships With Respect to securities of the Issuer.

Item 6 is hereby amended to add the following:

On July 22, 2021, Outerbridge and the Issuer entered into the Amendment defined and described in Item 4 above and attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

 

Item 7.

Material to be Filed as Exhibits.

Item 7 is hereby amended to add the following exhibit:

99.1       The Letter Agreement, by and among Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. and Outerbridge Capital Management, LLC, Outerbridge Special Opportunities Fund, LP, Outerbridge Special Opportunities GP, LLC and Rory Wallace, dated July 22, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Issuer’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 23, 2021).

 

SIGNATURES

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date: July 28, 2021

	OUTERBRIDGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
	By:	/s/ Rory Wallace
		Name:	Rory Wallace
		Title:	Managing Member

 

 

	OUTERBRIDGE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LP
	By:	Outerbridge Special Opportunities GP, LLC, its general partner
	By:	/s/ Rory Wallace
		Name:	Rory Wallace
		Title:	Managing Member

 

 

	OUTERBRIDGE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES GP, LLC
	By:	/s/ Rory Wallace
		Name:	Rory Wallace
		Title:	Managing Member

 

 

	/s/ Rory Wallace
	RORY WALLACE