On May 9, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and Cost Plus, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Bed Bath & Beyond will acquire Cost Plus in an all cash transaction valued at $495 million. Willkie represented Peter J. Solomon Company, financial advisor to Cost Plus, in the deal. Based in Union, NJ, Bed Bath & Beyond and subsidiaries is a chain of retail stores, operating under the names of Bed Bath & Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, Harmon, Harmon Face Values and buybuy BABY, and is a partner in a joint venture that operates retail stores in Mexico under the name Home & More. Oakland, CA-based Cost Plus, Inc. is a leading specialty retailer of casual home furnishings and entertainment products with 259 stores under the names World Market, Cost Plus World Market, Cost Plus Imports and World Market Stores in 30 states.

The deal was handled by partners Steven Seidman and Laura Delanoy, and associate Adeline Park.