An Overview of Takeover Defenses
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Adopting a Poison Pill in Response to Shareholder Activism
IN THE BOARDROOM CAPITAL MARKETS & CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Ismagilov/Shutterstock.com Adopting a Poison Pill in Response to Shareholder Activism In his regular column, Frank Aquila drafts a memo to a board explaining the considerations it should evaluate when deciding whether to adopt a poison pill. FRANCIS J. AQUILA PARTNER SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP Frank has a broad multidisciplinary practice that includes extensive experience in negotiated and unsolicited mergers and acquisitions, activist and takeover defense, complex cross-border transactions, global joint ventures, and private equity transactions. He regularly counsels boards of directors and board committees on corporate governance matters and crisis management. MEMORANDUM TO: The Board of Directors FROM: Frank Aquila RE: Considerations When Adopting a Poison Pill in Response to Shareholder Activism As we have discussed, the Investor has just filed a Schedule 13D with the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing equity holdings in the Company equal to 8.8% of the Company’s common stock. The Investor has also disclosed its intentions to increase its stake to approximately 15%, seek representation on the Company’s Board, and then advocate for either a spin-off of certain business units or a sale of the Company. 22 April 2016 | Practical Law © 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. To strengthen the Board’s negotiating leverage and provide adequate time to evaluate what alternatives would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, the Board is considering adopting a shareholder rights plan, commonly known as a poison pill, with a 10% threshold. Correctly implemented, the triggering of this poison pill would massively dilute the Investor’s voting and equity stake as soon as the Investor acquires 10% of the Company’s outstanding common stock by allowing all other shareholders to purchase additional shares at a steep discount. -
1 IRREVOCABLE SUBSCRIPTION UNDERTAKING TO: Tryg A/S
EXECUTION VERSION IRREVOCABLE SUBSCRIPTION UNDERTAKING TO: Tryg A/S Klausdalsbrovej 601 2670 Ballerup Denmark ("Tryg") and Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc 25 Cabot Square Canary Wharf London E14 4QA United Kingdom ("Morgan Stanley") and Danske Bank A/S Holmens Kanal 2 - 12 DK-1092 Copenhagen Denmark ("Danske Bank" and together with Morgan Stanley, the "Underwriters") FROM: TryghedsGruppen SMBA Hummeltoftevej 49 2830 Virum Denmark (the "Foundation", "us", "we") Date: 18 November 2020 1 RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER TO ACQUIRE RSA INSURANCE GROUP PLC AND RIGHTS ISSUE IN TRYG A/S 1.1 We understand that Tryg together with Regent Bidco Limited (“Bidco”) and Intact Financial Corporation ("Intact") contemplate an acquisition by Bidco of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of RSA Insurance Group plc ("RSA") (the "Acquisition") by way of court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the UK Companies Act 2006 (including any new, increased, renewed or revised scheme of arrangement) (the ''Scheme''). In connection with the Acquisition, 1 Intact and Tryg have entered into a Separation Agreement with respect to the Scandinavia Sepa- ration, on the terms and conditions as summarised in the draft announcement attached to this irrevocable undertaking as Appendix 1.1 (the ''Rule 2.7 Announcement''), together with such additional terms and conditions as may be required by the Applicable Requirements (as defined in Clause 1.3 below) or as may be agreed in writing between Tryg, Intact, Bidco and RSA provided that such additional terms shall not increase Foundation's payment obligations under this irrevoca- ble undertaking or change the consideration contributed by Tryg to the Acquisition as indicated in the Rule 2.7 Announcement without the Foundation's prior consent. -
The SEC and the Failure of Federal, Takeover Regulation
Florida State University Law Review Volume 34 Issue 2 Article 2 2007 The SEC and the Failure of Federal, Takeover Regulation Steven M. Davidoff [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.law.fsu.edu/lr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Steven M. Davidoff, The SEC and the Failure of Federal, Takeover Regulation, 34 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. (2007) . https://ir.law.fsu.edu/lr/vol34/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Florida State University Law Review by an authorized editor of Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW THE SEC AND THE FAILURE OF FEDERAL TAKEOVER REGULATION Steven M. Davidoff VOLUME 34 WINTER 2007 NUMBER 2 Recommended citation: Steven M. Davidoff, The SEC and the Failure of Federal Takeover Regulation, 34 FLA. ST. U. L. REV. 211 (2007). THE SEC AND THE FAILURE OF FEDERAL TAKEOVER REGULATION STEVEN M. DAVIDOFF* I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 211 II. THE GOLDEN AGE OF FEDERAL TAKEOVER REGULATION.................................. 215 A. The Williams Act (the 1960s) ..................................................................... 215 B. Going-Privates (the 1970s)......................................................................... 219 C. Hostile Takeovers (the 1980s)..................................................................... 224 1. SEC Legislative -
How Risky Is the Debt in Highly Leveraged Transactions?*
Journal of Financial Economics 27 (1990) 215-24.5. North-Holland How risky is the debt in highly leveraged transactions?* Steven N. Kaplan University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA Jeremy C. Stein Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139, USA Received December 1989, final version received June 1990 This paper estimates the systematic risk of the debt in public leveraged recapitalizations. We calculate this risk as a function of the difference in systematic equity risk before and after the recapitalization. The increase in equity risk is surprisingly small after a recapitalization, ranging from 37% to 57%, depending on the estimation method. If total company risk is unchanged, the implied systematic risk of the post-recapitalization debt in twelve transactions averages 0.65. Alternatively, if the entire market-adjusted premium in the leveraged recapitalization represents a reduction in fixed costs, the implied systematic risk of this debt averages 0.40. 1. Introduction Highly leveraged transactions such as leveraged buyouts (LBOs) and lever- aged recapitalizations have grown explosively in number and size over the last several years. These transactions are largely financed with a combination of senior bank debt and subordinated lower-grade or ‘junk’ debt. Recently, the debt in these transactions has come under increasing scrutiny from investors, politicians, and academics. All three groups have asked in one way or another how risky leveraged buyout debt is in relation to the return it *Cedric Antosiewicz provided excellent research assistance. Paul Asquith, Douglas Diamond, Eugene Fama, Wayne Person, William Fruhan (the referee), Kenneth French, Robert Korajczyk, Richard Leftwich, Jeffrey Mackie-Mason, Merton Miller, Stewart Myers, Krishna Palepu, Richard Ruback (the editor), Andrei Shleifer, Robert Vishny, and seminar participants at the Securities and Exchange Commission, the University of Chicago, and MIT’s Sloan School made helpful comments on earlier drafts. -
Frozen Charters
Frozen Charters Scott Hirst* In 2012, the New York Stock Exchange changed its policies to prevent brokersfrom voting shares on corporate governance proposals when they have not received instructions from beneficial owners. Although the change was intended to protect investors and improve corporate governance, it has had the opposite effect: a significant number of U.S. public companies are no longer able to amend important parts of their corporate charters, despite the support of their boards of directors and overwhelming majorities of shareholders.Their charters arefrozen. This Article provides the first empirical and policy analysis of the broker voting change and its significant unintended consequences. I provide empirical evidence that the broker voting change has resulted in the failure of more than fifty charter amendments at U.S. public companies, despite board approvaland overwhelming shareholder support, and that hundreds more companies have frozen charters as a result of the change. The rule change has also made it more difficult to amend corporate bylaws and given some insiders a de-facto veto in proxy voting contests. These costs substantially outweigh the negligible benefits of the broker voting change. I compare a number of solutions to address these problems and identify several that would be preferable to the current approach. Introduction ............................................................................................ 93 I. Charter Amendments and Broker Voting ............................................. 99 A. Amending Corporate Charters................................................. 99 B . B roker Voting .............................................................................. 102 t Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School; Associate Director, Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance and Harvard Law School Program on Institutional Investors. An earlier version of this article was part of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science at Harvard Law School. -
Information to Users
INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 910S075 Antitakeover amendments as alternatives to costly signalling Borokhovich, Kenneth Aubrey, Ph.D. The Ohio State University, 1990 UMI 300 N. -
Investor Bulletin: Reverse Mergers
e Investor Bulletin: Reverse Mergers Introduction merger surviving public company are primarily, if not solely, those of the former private operating company. Many private companies, including some whose operations are located in foreign countries, seek to ac- cess the U.S. capital markets by merging with existing Why Pursue a Reverse Merger? public companies. These transactions are commonly referred to as “reverse mergers” or “reverse takeovers A private operating company may pursue a reverse (RTOs).” merger in order to facilitate its access to the capi- tal markets, including the liquidity that comes with having its stock quoted on a market or listed on an What is a Reverse Merger? exchange. Private operating companies generally have access only to private forms of equity, while public In a reverse merger transaction, an existing public companies potentially have access to funding from a “shell company,” which is a public reporting company broader pool of public investors. A reverse merger with few or no operations,1 acquires a private oper- often is perceived to be a quicker and cheaper method ating company—usually one that is seeking access of “going public” than an initial public offering (IPO). to funding in the U.S. capital markets. Typically, the The legal and accounting fees associated with a reverse shareholders of the private operating company ex- merger tend to be lower than for an IPO. And while change their shares for a large majority of the shares the public shell company is required to report the of the public company. Although the public shell reverse merger in a Form 8-K filing with the SEC, company survives the merger, the private operating there are no registration requirements under the company’s shareholders gain a controlling interest in Securities Act of 1933 as there would be for an IPO. -
A Roadmap to Initial Public Offerings
A Roadmap to Initial Public Offerings 2019 The FASB Accounting Standards Codification® material is copyrighted by the Financial Accounting Foundation, 401 Merritt 7, PO Box 5116, Norwalk, CT 06856-5116, and is reproduced with permission. This publication contains general information only and Deloitte is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. Deloitte shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this publication. As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte & Touche LLP, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Deloitte Tax LLP, and Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, which are separate subsidiaries of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Copyright © 2019 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. Other Publications in Deloitte’s Roadmap Series Business Combinations Business Combinations — SEC Reporting Considerations Carve-Out Transactions Consolidation — Identifying a Controlling Financial Interest Contracts on an Entity’s Own Equity -
A Guide to Going
AST Business Cycle Momentum Series A GUIDE TO GOING PUBLIC AST is a leading provider of ownership data management, analytics and advisory services to public and private companies as well as mutual funds. AST’s comprehensive product set includes transfer agency services, employee stock plan administration services, proxy solicitation and advisory services and bankruptcy claims administration services. Read AST’s Thought Leadership Series: To, Through and Beyond the IPO. Visit AST’s IPO Content Library (lp.astfinancial.com/ipo-content-library2.html)with a dozen helpful articles for your reference before, during and after the IPO. 1 Table of Contents 1 Initial Public Offering Services 4 The Process 6 The IPO Timetable 10 After Going Public 12 Your First Annual Meeting 15 FAQs 17 Additional Ways AST Can Help 19 Corporate Governance Advisory and Proxy Solicitation Services Closed-End Fund IPO Services Equity Plan Solutions IPO Services Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) IPO Services Appendices 25 Direct Registration System (DRS) Frequently Asked Questions Sample Client Lock-up Release Reminder Sample Shareowner Lock-up Expiration Notice Sample Shareowner Lock-up Conversion Portal Notice Glossary 33 2 EVERY COMPANY BEGINS AS AN IDEA. When nurtured, that idea has the potential to grow into something big. Shifting from a privately held company to a public entity can be like moving from a calm country bike ride to the fast-paced streets of New York. Along even the greatest rides, you are bound to encounter rocky paths alongside the smooth roads of reward. At AST ®,we put great emphasis on helping navigate the full range of these transitional processes. -
A Theory of Merger-Driven Ipos
JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS Vol. 46, No. 5, Oct. 2011, pp. 1367–1405 COPYRIGHT 2011, MICHAEL G. FOSTER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE, WA 98195 doi:10.1017/S0022109011000421 A Theory of Merger-Driven IPOs Jim Hsieh, Evgeny Lyandres, and Alexei Zhdanov∗ Abstract We propose a model that links a firm’s decision to go public with its subsequent takeover strategy. A private bidder does not know a firm’s true valuation, which affects its gain from a potential takeover. Consequently, a private bidder pursues a suboptimal restructur- ing policy. An alternative route is to complete an initial public offering (IPO) first. An IPO reduces valuation uncertainty, leading to a more efficient acquisition strategy, therefore enhancing firm value. We calibrate the model using data on IPOs and mergers and acqui- sitions (M&As). The resulting comparative statics generate several novel qualitative and quantitative predictions, which complement the predictions of other theories linking IPOs and M&As. For example, the time it takes a newly public firm to attempt an acquisition of another firm is expected to increase in the degree of valuation uncertainty prior to the firm’s IPO and in the cost of going public, and it is expected to decrease in the valuation surprise realized at the time of the IPO. We find strong empirical support for the model’s predictions. I. Introduction Recent empirical studies suggest that firms’ initial public offerings (IPOs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are not unrelated. According to a survey of ∗Hsieh, [email protected], School of Management, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030; Lyandres, [email protected], School of Management, Boston University, 595 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02445; and Zhdanov, [email protected], University of Lausanne, Extranef 237, Lausanne 1007, Switzerland and Swiss Finance Institute. -
Recapitalization: Voting & Non- Voting Interests
Recapitalization: Voting & Non- Voting Interests Overview Recapitalization is basically a change in a corporation’s capital structure. Corporations recapitalize for a variety of reasons, but generally to make the company more stable or to bring in new investors. For closely held companies, recapitalizations can also be very effective in estate planning. When business interests pass to a successive generation, senior family members can transfer company stock in a tax-efficient manner by generating discounts. If the business agreement restricts certain rights, such as the right to vote or the ability to freely transfer the stock, those restricted business interests are typically worth less to an outside buyer, and hence “discountable” for valuation purposes. Regardless of whether the transfer is by gift or by sale, recapitalization into voting and non-voting stock can allow the assets to be transferred at a lower value. Description and Operations The process by which an existing corporation can be reconfigured to create different classes of stock—such as voting and non-voting stock—is called “recapitalization.” Though not labeled a “recapitalization,” a limited liability company or a partnership can undergo a similar transformation by establishing voting and non-voting interests. Creation of Preferred and Common Stock with C Corporations Recapitalization can refer to the creation of common and preferred stock. Preferred stock has dividend and liquidation priority over common stock. In other words, the owner of preferred stock has a greater degree of security than the owner of common stock. Before 1990, a parent would shift common stock to a child and keep the preferred stock. -
CASE STUDY How Carlyle Creates Value Deep Industryhow Expertise.Carlyle Global Creates Scale and Value Presence
CASE STUDY How Carlyle Creates Value Deep industryHow expertise.Carlyle Global Creates scale and Value presence. Extensive network of Operating Executives. And a wealth of investment portfolio data; we call it The Carlyle Edge. These are the four pillars of Carlyle’s value creation model. By leveragingDeep these industry core expertise. capabilities Global and scaleresources—Carlyle and presence. hasExtensive established network a 30-year of Operating overall Executives. track record And of investinga wealth in companies,of investment working portfolio to make data; them we better call it Theand Carlyleserving Edge. our investors’ These are needs. the four pillars of Carlyle’s value creation model. By leveraging these core capabilities and resources—Carlyle has established a 25-year overall track record of investing in companies, working to make them better and serving our investors’ needs. Carlyle, along with several other investors, led the recapitalization of the Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited. The new equity capital, which allowed the bank to remain independent, was part of a comprehensive plan to increase equity capital and de-risk Butterfield’s balance sheet. In addition, the new capital provided flexibility to restructure Butterfield’s investment portfolio, provision for non-performing loans, decrease earnings volatility, and maintain capital ratios well in excess of regulatory requirements. About Butterfield and the Transaction Carlyle invested in Butterfield in March 2010 through Carlyle Global Financial Services Partners. Established in 1958, Butterfield is the largest independent Bermuda-based depository institution. A publicly traded company, Butterfield shares are listed on the New York (NYSE), Bermuda (BSX) and Cayman Islands (CSX) stock exchanges.