Rule 14d-5
  Dissemination of Certain Tender Offers
by the Use of Stockholder Lists and Security Position Listings
a.
Obligations of the
subject company. Upon receipt by a subject company at its principal
executive offices of a bidder's written request, meeting the requirements
of paragraph (e) of this section, the subject company
shall comply with the following sub-paragraphs.
1.
The subject company shall notify promptly transfer agents and any other
person who will assist the subject company in complying with the requirements
of this section of the receipt by the subject company of a request by
a bidder pursuant to this section.
2.
The subject company shall promptly ascertain whether the most recently
prepared stockholder list, written or otherwise, within the access of
the subject company was prepared as of a date earlier than ten business
days before the date of the bidder's request and, if so, the subject company
shall promptly prepare or cause to be prepared a stockholder list as of
the most recent practicable date which shall not be more than ten business
days before the date of the bidder's request.
3.
The subject company shall make an election to comply and shall comply
with all of the provisions of either paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of
this section. The subject company's election once made shall not be modified
or revoked during the bidder's tender offer and extensions thereof.
4.
No later than
the second business day after the date of the bidder's request, the subject
company shall orally notify the bidder, which notification shall be confirmed
in writing, of the subject company's election made pursuant to paragraph(a)(3)
of this section. Such notification shall indicate
i.
the approximate number of security holders of the class of securities
being sought by the bidder and,
ii.
if the subject company elects to comply with paragraph (b) of this section,
appropriate information concerning the location for delivery of the bidder's
tender offer materials and the approximate direct costs incidental to
the mailing to security holders of the bidder's tender offer materials
computed in accordance with paragraph (g)(2) of this
section.
b.
Mailing of tender
offer materials by the subject company. A subject company which
elects pursuant to paragraph (a)(3) of this section to comply with the
provisions of this paragraph shall perform the acts prescribed by the
following paragraphs.
1.
The subject company shall promptly contact each participant named on the
most recent security position listing of any clearing agency within the
access of the subject company and make inquiry of each such participant
as to the approximate number of beneficial owners of the subject company
securities being sought in the tender offer held by each such participant.
2.
No later than the third business day after delivery of the bidder's tender
offer materials pursuant to paragraph (g)(1) of this
section, the subject company shall begin to mail or cause to be mailed
by means of first class mail a copy of the bidder's tender offer materials
to each person whose name appears as a record holder of the class of securities
for which the offer is made on the most recent stockholder list referred
to in paragraph (a)(2) of this section. The subject company shall use
its best efforts to complete the mailing in a timely manner but in no
event shall such mailing be completed in a substantially greater period
of time than the subject company would complete a mailing to security
holders of its own materials relating to the tender offer.
3.
No later than the third business day after the delivery of the bidder's
tender offer materials pursuant to paragraph (g)(1) of this section, the
subject company shall begin to transmit or cause to be transmitted a sufficient
number of sets of the bidder's tender offer materials to the participants
named on the security position listings described in paragraph (b)(1)
of this section. The subject company shall use its best efforts to complete
the transmittal in a timely manner but in no event shall such transmittal
be completed in a substantially greater period of time than the subject
company would complete a transmittal to such participants pursuant to
security position listings of clearing agencies of its own material relating
to the tender offer.
4.
The subject company shall promptly give oral notification to the bidder,
which notification shall be confirmed in writing, of the commencement
of the mailing pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this section and of the
transmittal pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section.
5.
During the tender
offer and any extension thereof the subject company shall use reasonable
efforts to update the stockholder list and shall mail or cause to be mailed
promptly following each update a copy of the bidder's tender offer materials
(to the extent sufficient sets of such materials have been furnished by
the bidder) to each person who has become a record holder since the later
of
i.
the date of preparation of the most recent stockholder list referred to
in paragraph (a)(2) of this section or
ii.
the last preceding update.
6.
If the bidder has elected pursuant to paragraph (f)(1)
of this section to require the subject company to disseminate amendments
disclosing material changes to the tender offer materials pursuant to
this section, the subject company, promptly following delivery of each
such amendment, shall mail or cause to be mailed a copy of each such amendment
to each record holder whose name appears on the shareholder list described
in paragraphs (a)(2) and (b)(5) of this section and
shall transmit or cause to be transmitted sufficient copies of such amendment
to each participant named on security position listings who received sets
of the bidder's tender offer materials pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of
this section.
7.
The subject company shall not include any communication other than the
bidder's tender offer materials or amendments thereto in the envelopes
or other containers furnished by the bidder.
8.
Promptly following the termination of the tender offer, the subject company
shall reimburse the bidder the excess, if any, of the amounts advanced
pursuant toparagraph (f)(3)(iii) over the direct costs incidental to compliance
by the subject company and its agents in performing the acts required
by this section computed in accordance with paragraph (g)(2)
of this section.
c.
Delivery of stockholder
lists and security position listings. A subject company which elects
pursuant to paragraph (a)(3) of this section to comply
with the provisions of this paragraph shall perform the acts prescribed
by the following paragraphs.
1. No
later than the third business day after the date of the bidder's request,
the subject company must furnish to the bidder at the subject company's
principal executive office a copy of the names and addresses of the record
holders on the most recent stockholder list referred to in paragraph (a)(2)
of this section; the names and addresses of participants identified on
the most recent security position listing of any clearing agency that
is within the access of the subject company; and the most recent list
of names, addresses and security positions of beneficial owners as specified
in Rule
14a-13(b), in the possession of the subject company, or that subsequently
comes into its possession. All security holder list information must be
in the format requested by the bidder to the extent the format is available
to the subject company without undue burden or expense.
2.
If the bidder has elected pursuant to paragraph (f)(1) of this section
to require the subject company to disseminate amendments disclosing material
changes to the tender offer materials, the subject company shall update
the stockholder list by furnishing the bidder with the name and address
of each record holder named on the stockholder list, and not previously
furnished to the bidder, promptly after such information becomes available
to the subject company during the tender offer and any extensions thereof.
d.
Liability of subject
company and others. Neither the subject company nor any affiliate
or agent of the subject company nor any clearing agency shall be:
1.
Deemed to have made a solicitation or recommendation respecting the tender
offer within the meaning of
section
14(d)(4) based solely upon the compliance or noncompliance by the
subject company or any affiliate or agent of the subject company with
one or more requirements of this section;
2.
Liable under any provision of the Federal securities laws to the bidder
or to any security holder based solely upon the inaccuracy of the current
names or addresses on the stockholder list or security position listing,
unless such inaccuracy results from a lack of reasonable care on the part
of the subject company or any affiliate or agent of the subject company;
3.
Deemed to be an ``underwriter'' within the meaning of section 211 of the
Securities Act of 1933 for any purpose of that Act or any rule or regulation
promulgated thereunder based solely upon the compliance or noncompliance
by the subject company or any affiliate or agent of the subject company
with one or more of the requirements of this section;
4.
Liable under any provision of the Federal securities laws for the disclosure
in the bidder's tender offer materials, including any amendment thereto,
based solely upon the compliance or noncompliance by the subject company
or any affiliate or agent of the subject company with one or more of the
requirements of this section.
e.
Content
of the bidder's request. The bidder's written request referred to
in paragraph (a) of this section shall include the following:
1.
The identity of the bidder;
2.
The title of the class of securities which is the subject of the bidder's
tender offer;
3.
A statement that the bidder is making a request to the subject company
pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section for the use
of the stockholder list and security position listings for the purpose
of disseminating a tender offer to security holders;
4.
A statement that the bidder is aware of and will comply with the provisions
of paragraph (f) of this section;
5.
A statement as to whether or not it has elected pursuant to paragraph
(f)(1) of this section to disseminate amendments disclosing material changes
to the tender offer materials pursuant to this section; and
6.
The name, address and telephone number of the person whom the subject
company shall contact pursuant to paragraph (a)(4) of this section.
f.
Obligations
of the bidder. Any bidder who requests that a subject company comply
with the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section shall comply with
the following paragraphs.
1.
The bidder shall make an election whether or not to require the subject
company to disseminate amendments disclosing material changes to the tender
offer materials pursuant to this section, which election shall be included
in the request referred to in paragraph (a) of this section and shall
not be revocable by the bidder during the tender offer and extensions
thereof.
2.
With respect to a tender offer subject to
section
14(d)(1) of the Act in which the consideration consists solely of
cash and/or securities exempt from registration under section 3 of the
Securities Act of 1933, the bidder shall comply with the requirements
of Rule 14d-4(a)3.
3.
If the subject
company elects to comply with paragraph (b) of this section,
i.
The bidder shall promptly deliver the tender offer materials after receipt
of the notification from the subject company as provided in
paragraph
(a)(4) of this section;
ii.
The bidder shall promptly notify the subject company of any amendment
to the bidder's tender offer materials requiring compliance by the subject
company with paragraph (b)(6) of this section and shall promptly deliver
such amendment to the subject company pursuant to paragraph (g)(1) of
this section;
iii.
The bidder shall advance to the subject company an amount equal to the
approximate cost of conducting mailings to security holders computed in
accordance with paragraph (g)(2) of this section;
iv.
The bidder shall promptly reimburse the subject company for the direct
costs incidental to compliance by the subject company and its agents in
performing the acts required by this section computed in accordance with
paragraph (g)(2) of this section which are in excess of the amount advanced
pursuant to paragraph (f)(2)(iii) of this section; and
v.
The bidder shall mail be means of first class mail or otherwise furnish
with reasonable promptness the tender offer materials to any security
holder who requests such materials.
4.
If the subject
company elects to comply with paragraph (c) of this section,
i.
The bidder shall use the stockholder list and security position listings
furnished to the bidder pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section exclusively
in the dissemination of tender offer materials to security holders in
connection with the bidder's tender offer and extensions thereof;
ii.
The bidder shall return the stockholder lists and security position listings
furnished to the bidder pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section promptly
after the termination of the bidder's tender offer;
iii.
The bidder shall accept, handle and return the stockholder lists and security
position listings furnished to the bidder pursuant to paragraph (c) of
this section to the subject company on a confidential basis;
iv.
The bidder shall not retain any stockholder list or security position
listing furnished by the subject company pursuant to paragraph (c) of
this section, or any copy thereof, nor retain any information derived
from any such list or listing or copy thereof after the termination of
the bidder's tender offer;
v.
The bidder shall mail by means of first class mail, at its own expense,
a copy of its tender offer materials to each person whose identity appears
on the stockholder list as furnished and updated by the subject company
pursuant to paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section;
vi.
The bidder shall contact the participants named on the security position
listing of any clearing agency, make inquiry of each participant as to
the approximate number of sets of tender offer materials required by each
such participant, and furnish, at its own expense, sufficient sets of
tender offer materials and any amendment thereto to each such participant
for subsequent transmission to the beneficial owners of the securities
being sought by the bidder;
vii.
The bidder shall mail by means of first class mail or otherwise furnish
with reasonable promptness the tender offer materials to any security
holder who requests such materials; and
viii.
The bidder shall promptly reimburse the subject company for direct costs
incidental to compliance by the subject company and its agents in performing
the acts required by this section computed in accordance with paragraph
(g)(2) of this section.
g.
Delivery of materials,
computation of direct costs.
1.
Whenever the bidder is required to deliver tender offer materials or amendments
to tender offer materials, the bidder shall deliver to the subject company
at the location specified by the subject company in its notice given pursuant
to paragraph (a)(4) of this section a number of sets
of the materials or of the amendment, as the case may be, at least equal
to the approximate number of security holders specified by the subject
company in such notice, together with appropriate envelopes or other containers
therefor: Provided, however, That such delivery shall be deemed
not to have been made unless the bidder has complied with paragraph (f)(3)(iii)
of this section at the time the materials or amendments, as the case may
be, are delivered.
2.
The approximate
direct cost of mailing the bidder's tender offer materials shall be computed
by adding
i.
the direct cost incidental to the mailing of the subject company's last
annual report to shareholders (excluding employee time), less the costs
of preparation and printing of the report, and postage, plus
ii.
the amount of first class postage required to mail the bidder's tender
offer materials. The approximate direct costs incidental to the mailing
of the amendments to the bidder's tender offer materials shall be computed
by adding
iii.
the estimated direct costs of preparing mailing labels, of updating shareholder
lists and of third party handling charges plus
iv.
the amount of first class postage required to mail the bidder's amendment.
Direct costs incidental to the mailing of the bidder's tender offer materials
and amendments thereto when finally computed may include all reasonable
charges paid by the subject company to third parties for supplies or services,
including costs attendant to preparing shareholder lists, mailing labels,
handling the bidder's materials, contacting participants named on security
position listings and for postage, but shall exclude indirect costs, such
as employee time which is devoted to either contesting or supporting the
tender offer on behalf of the subject company. The final billing for direct
costs shall be accompanied by an appropriate accounting in reasonable
detail.
1.
Note
to Rule 14d-5.
Reasonably prompt methods of distribution to security holders may be
used instead of mailing. If alternative methods are chosen, the approximate
direct costs of distribution shall be computed by adding the estimated
direct costs of preparing the document for distribution through the chosen
medium (including updating of shareholder list) plus the estimated reasonable
cost of distribution through that medium. Direct costs incidental to the
distribution of tender offer materials and amendments thereto may include
all reasonable charges paid by the subject company to third parties for
supplies or services, including costs attendant to preparing shareholder
lists, handling the bidder's materials, and contacting participants named
on security position listings, but shall not including indirect cost,
such as employee time which is devoted to either contesting or supporting
the tender offer on behalf of the subject company.
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