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Monsanto Company; Rule 14A-8 No-Action Letter

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Monsanto Company; Rule 14A-8 No-Action Letter UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 DIVISION OF CORPORATION FINANCE October 14,2014 Gordon S. Moodie Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz [email protected] Re: Monsanto Company Dear Mr. Moodie: This is in regard to your letter dated October 8, 2014 concerning the shareholder proposal submitted by Adam Eidinger for inclusion in Monsanto's proxy materials for its upcoming annual meeting of security holders. Your letter indicates that the proponent has withdrawn the proposal and that Monsanto therefore withdraws its September 19, 2014 request for a no-action letter from the Division. Because the matter is now moot, we will have no further comment. Copies of all of the correspondence related to this matter will be made available on our website at http://www.sec.gov/divisions/cor_pfin/cf-noaction/14a-8.shtml. For your reference, a brief discussion of the Division's informal procedures regarding shareholder proposals is also available at the same website address. Sincerely, Raymond A. Be Special Counsel cc: Adam Eidinger *** FISMA & OMB Memorandum M-07-16 *** WACHTELL, LIPTON, ROSEN & KATZ MARTIN LIPTON .JODI .J, SCHWARTZ 51 WEST 52NO STREET MARK GORDON DAVID E. SHAPIRO HERBERT M. WACHTELL ADAM 0. EMMERICH .JOSEPH D. LARSON DAMIAN 0, DIDDEN LAWRENCE B. PEDOWITZ GEORGE T. CONWAY Ill NEW YORK, N.Y. 10019-6150 LAWRENCE 8. MAKOW ANTEVUCIC PAUL VIZCARROND01 .JR. RAJ.PH M. LEVENE .JEAHNEMARIE O'BRIEN IAN BOCZJC.O PETER C. HEIN RICHARD G. MASON TELEPHONE: (212) 403-1000 WAYNE M, CARLIN MATTH~ M. GUEST HAROLD S. NOV1KOFF . MICHAEL .J. SEGAL FACSIMILE: (212) 403-2000 STEPHEN R. DIPRIMA DAVID E. KAHAN MEYER G. KOPLOW DAVID M. SILK NICHOLAS G. DEMMO DAVID K. LAM THEODORE N. MIRVIS ROBIN PANOVKA IGOR KIRMAN BENJAMIN M. ROTH EDWARD D. HERLIHY DAVID A. KATZ GEORGE A. KATZ CI 965·1 9691 .JONATHAN M. MOSES .JOSHUAA. FELTMAN DANIELA. NEFF ILENE KNABLE GOTTS .JAMES H. FOGELSON UB67·19011 T. EIKO STANGE ELAINE P, GOLIN ERIC M. ROTH DAVID M. MURPHY LEONARD M. ROSEN 11965·20141 DAVID A. SCHWARTZ EMIL A. KLEINHAUS ANDREW R. BROWNSTEIN .JEFFREY M. WINTHER .JOHN F, LYNCH KARESSA L, CAIN MICHAEL H. BYOWITZ TREVOR S. NORWITZ OP' COUNSEL WILLIAM SAVITT RONALD C. CHEN PAULK. ROWE BEN M. GERMANA ERIC M. ROSOP' GORDON s. MOODIE MARC WOLINSKY ANDR~.J.NUSSBAUM WILLIAM T. ALLEN PHILIP MINDLIN MARTIN .J.E. ARMS DONG.JU SONG DAVID GRUENSTEIN RACHELLE SILVERBERG PETER c. CANELLOS ROBERT M. MORGENTHAU GREGORY E. OSTLING BRADLEY R. WILSON STEVEN A. ROSENBLUM STEVEN A. COHEN DAVID M. EINHORN BERNARD W. NUSSBAUM DAVID D. ANDERS GRAHAM W. MELI STEPHANIE .J. SELIGMAN DEBORAH L. PAUL KII!:NNETH D. P'ORREST ERIC S. ROBINSON ANDREA K. WAHLQUIST GREGORY E. PESSIN .JOHN P'. 5AVARESE DAVID C. KARP THEODORE G~ERTZ PATRICIA A. ROBINSON• ADAM .J, SHAPIRO CARRI&: M, REILLY SCOTT K. CHARLES RICHARD K. KIM MAURA R. GROSSMAN MICHAEL W. SCHWARTZ NELSON 0. P'ITTS MARK F. VEBLEN DAVIDS. NEILL .JOSHUA R. CAMMAKER RICHARD D. KATCHER ELLIOTT V. STEIN .JOSHUA M. HOLMES THEODORE A. LEVINE WARREN R. STERN DOUGLAS K. MAYER PATRICIA A. VLAHAKIS ROBERT B. MAZUR AMY R. WOLF • ADMITTED IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNSEL DAVID M. ADLERSTEIN NANCY B. GREENBAUM AMANDA K. ALLEXON MARK A. KOENIG LOUIS .J. BARASH .J. AUSTIN LYONS DIANNA CHEN ALICIA C. McCARTHY ANDREW .J.H. CHEUNG SABASTIAN V. NILES PAMELAEHRENKRANZ AMANDA N. PERSAUD KATHRYN GETTLES-ATWA .JEFFREY A. WATIKER PAULA N. GORDON October 8, 2014 DELIVERED BY F_EDERAL EXPRESS AND EMAIL ([email protected]) Office of Chief Counsel Division of Corporation Finance U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20549 Re: Shareowner Proposal Submitted by Adam Eidinger for Inclusion in the 2015 Proxy Statement of Monsanto Company Ladies and Gentlemen: This letter is submitted on behalf of Monsanto Company (the "Company"), which received a shareowner proposal (the "Proposal") from Adam Eidinger (the "Proponent") for inclusion in the proxy statement and fonn of proxy to be distributed to the Company's shareowners in connection with its 2015 annual meeting of shareowners (the "2015 Proxy Materials"). In a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission'') dated September 19, 2014 (the "Company Letter''), the Company requested that the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Commission confirm that it would not recommend any enforcement action if the Company excluded the Proposal from its 2015 Proxy Materials. Enclosed as Exhibit A is a letter from the Proponent dated October 7, 2014, withdrawing the Proposal (the "Proponent Letter"). In reliance on the Proponent Letter, the Company hereby withdraws the no-action request relating to the Company's exclusion of the Proposal pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, set forth in the Company Letter. W/2395743 WACHTELL, LIPTON, ROSEN & KATZ Office of Chief Counsel Division of Corporation Finance U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission October 8, 20 14 Page2 Please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned, Gordon S. Moodie, at (212) 403-1180 or [email protected]. v;}J/:urs, G~~ cc: Adam Bidinger Nancy Hamilton, Monsanto Company 2 Exhibit A Proponent Letter [See attached.] 0 October 7, 2014 Adam Eidinger *** FISMA & OMB Memorandum M-07-16 *** Monsanto Company cfo David F Snively Corporate Secretary 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard Mail Stop A3NA St. Louis, Missouri 63167 Dear Mr. Snively, Please withdraw from consideration my shareholder proposal on Monsanto's Round Up products. I would appreciate that you notify the SEC my proposal has been withdrawn and that your no action letter of September 22 can be disregarded. Sincerely, Adam Eidinger *** FISMAPh: & OMB Memorandum M-07-16 *** Email:*** FISMA & OMB Memorandum M-07-16 *** WACHTELL, LIPTON, ROSEN & KATZ MARTIN LIPTON .JOD\ .J. SCHWARTZ 51 WEST 52ND STREET MARK GORDON CAVID E. SHAPIRO ._,ER.BERT M. WACHTE~L. ADAM 0. !:MMERICH NEW YORK, N.Y. 10019-6150 ..JOSEP ... D . LARSON DAMIAN G . OIDOEN LAWRENCE B. PEOOWJTZ GEOP.GE T . CONWAY Ill LAWRENCE S. MAKOW ANTEVUCIC PAUL VIZCARRO~DO, JR. RALPH M . L£VENE TELEPHONE: (212) 403-1000 ..JEANNEMAI'I£ O'BRIEN IAN BOCZKO PETER C. HEIN RICHARD 0. MASON WAYNE M. CARUN !rlo1ATTHEW M. GUEST HAROLD S. NOVIKOF"F MICHAEO.. ,J, SEGAL FACSIMILE: (212) 403-2000 STEPHEN R. DIPRIMA DAVID E. KAHAN MEYER G. KOPLOW DAVID M . SILK NICHOLAS G. OEMMO DAVID K. LAM THEODORE N. MIRVIS ROBIN PANOVKA IGOR KIRMAN BEN..JAMIN M. ROTH EDWARD D. HERLIHY DAVID A . KATZ GEORGE A. KATZ <1965-1989) .JONATHAN M. MOSES JOSHUA A. FELTMAN DANIELA. NEFF I LENE KNABLE GOT'!'S ..JAMES H. FOGELSON (1987-1991) T. EI!<O STANGE E~iNE P. GOLIN ERIC M. ROTH DAVID M . MURPHY LEONARD M. ROSEN 0965•2014) DAVID A. SCHWARTZ EMIL A. KLEINHAUS ANDREW R. BROWNSTEIN .JEFFREY M . WiNTNER .JOHN F". LYNCH KARESSA L. CAIN MICHAEL BYOWITZ TREVOR S . NORWITZ 1-'. OF COUNSEL WILLIAM SAVITT ROSALO C . CHEN PAULK. ROWE BEN M . GERMANA ERIC M. ROSOF GORDON S. MOODIE WILLIAM T. ALLEN PHILIP Mll'liDLIN MARC WOLINSKY ANDREW.,), NUSSBAUM MARTIN J . E. ARMS DONGJU SONG PETER C. CANELLOS ROBERT M. ~ORGENTHAU ~AVID GRUENSTEIN RACHEL.LE SILVERBERG GREGORY E. OSTLING BRAOLEY R. WI L.SO N DAVID M. EINHORN BERNARD W. NUSSBAUM ST!:VEN A. ROSENBLUM STEVEN A . COHEN DAVID B. ANDERS OftAHAM W. MELI KENNETH B. FORREST ERIC S. ROBINSON STEPHANIE..;, SELIGMAN DEBO~H L. PAUL ANDREA K. WAHLQUIST GREGORY E. ~ESSIN THEODORE GEWERTZ PATRICIA A. ROBINSON* JOHN F. SAVARESE DAVID C . KAP!P ADAM ..J. SHAPIRO CARRIE M. REii.:.LY MAURA R. GROSSMAN MICHAEL W . SCHWARTZ SCOT~ K. CHARLES RICHARD K. KIM NELSON 0 . F"ITTS MARK F. VEBLEN RICHARD 0. KATCHER DAVID S. N E!LL ..JOSHUA R , CAM MAKER ELLIOTT V . STEIN JOSHUA M. HOLMES '!'HEODORE A. LEVINE WARREN A. STERN DOUGLAS K . ~AYtR PATRICIA A. VLAHAKIS ROBERT B . MAZUR AMY R . WOLF *ADMITTED IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNSEL DAVID M. ADLERST!:IN NANCY B. GREENBAUM AMANDA K. A:..LEXON MARK A. KOENIG LOUIS ..L BARASH. ..J. AUSTIN LYONS DIANNA CHEN ALICIA C . McCARTHY ANDREW ..J.H. CH£UNG SABASTIAN V . NILES PAMELA EHRENKRANZ AMANDA N, PERSAUD KATHRYN GETTLES-ATWA JEFFREY A. WATIKER PAULA N. GORDON September 19, 2014 DELIVERED BY FEDERAL EXPRESS AND EMAIL ([email protected]) Office of Chief Counsel Division of Corporation Finance U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20549 Re: Shareowner Proposal Submitted by Adam Eidinger for Inclusion in the 2015 Proxy Statement of Monsanto Company Ladies and Gentlemen: This letter is submitted on behalf of Monsanto Company (the "Company"), which has received a shareowner proposal (the "Proposal") from Adam Eidinger (the "Proponent") for inclusion in the proxy statement and form of proxy to be distributed to the Company's shareowners in connection with its 2015 annual meeting of shareowners (the "2015 Proxy Materials"). The Company hereby notifies the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") of the Company's intention to exclude the Proposal from its 2015 Proxy Materials for the reasons set forth below. The Company respectfully requests that the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Commission (the "Staff'') confirm that it will not recommend any enforcement action if the Company excludes the Proposal from its 2015 Proxy Materials. Pursuant to Ru1e 14a-8(j) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), we have (i) filed this letter, which includes all correspondence with the Proponent regarding the Proposal and an explanation of why the Company believes that it may W/2379323 WACHT E: LL, LIPTON, ROSEN & KATZ Office of Chief Counsel Division of Corporation Finance U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission September 19, 2014 Page2 exclude the Proposal, with the Commission no later than 80 calendar days before the Company intends to file its definitive 2015 Proxy Materials and (ii) concurrently sent copies of this correspondence to the Proponent.
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