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Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (CCU)
Bain Capital / Thomas H Lee Partners
$26.7B Buyout - Troubled Deal
Summary
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Board
approves revised buyout proposal
- Board
had rejected this offer just days before
- Buyout group proposed changes on eve of scheduled
May 6 shareholder vote
Offer
had already been increased once;
Shareholder meeting delayed twice
Shareholders
approved merger
9.25.07
Developments
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Club Deal
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Bain
Capital Partners
Thomas
H Lee Partners
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Advisors
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Financial
- CCU: Goldman Sachs
- Special Committee: Lazard Freres
Legal
- CCU: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
- Special Committee: Sidley Austin
- Private Equity Group: Ropes & Gray / Dow Lohnes
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Deal Revised - Litigation Settled 
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Announced
5.13.08
- Price cut to $36.00 per share, from $39.20
- Shareholders may still elect to take stub equity
- Private equity firms and banks to put
acquisition funds in escrow
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Bidding History
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Original
deal announced
at $37.60 per share 11.16.06
Market value of
Clear Channel Outdoor increased
sharply
- 90% of billboard company is owned by CCU
- Defends deal and deal price
CCU
postponed its shareholder meeting
- Meeting originally set for March 21
- Deal was meeting resistance
- Needs 2/3rds approval, per Texas law
- Fidelity (10% holder) reported to be voting
AGAINST
-
Glass Lewis
(proxy advisory firm recommends AGAINST
- Highfields Capital says it will vote its 5% AGAINST
Offer
increased to $39.00 per share 4.18.07
- In response to shareholder pressure
- Shareholder meeting delayed until May 8
- Outcome of vote still uncertain
Board
rejects revised buyout proposal
- Buyout group proposed changes on eve of scheduled
May 6 shareholder vote
- Increase per share payment to public shareholders
from $39.00 to $39.20
- Give public shareholders the option to elect stub
equity
- Insiders would instead get $37.60 per share
(the value they initially recommended to the board)
- Board rejected this revised proposal, for
following reasons:
- Necessity to further delay an already postponed
shareholder meeting
- Increase for public shareholders would only be
0.5%
- Continued opposition from significant
shareholders and proxy advisory firms
Board
reconsiders revised buyout proposal
- Delays shareholder meeting until May 22
- Reconsiders buyout group revised offer
Board
accepts revised buyout proposal
- Increases per share payment for all shareholders
from $39.00 to $39.20
- For up to 30% of post-merger equity
- Subject to proration
- Fees payable to private equity group will be
limited
- NewCo to have at least two independent directors
- Special meeting to approve deal will be held at
later date;
Regular annual meeting to be held on May 22
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Troubled Deal - Litigation
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CCU
wins TRO in Texas
-
CCU press release
3.27.08
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Temporary Restraining Order
3.26.08
- Texas District Court Judge John D. Gabriel of
Bexar County, awarded a Temporary Restraining Order in favor of Clear
Channel
- Banks were ordered to not "interfere with or
thwart consummation of the Merger Agreement" by 1) refusing to fund the Merger
transaction, 2) insisting on terms that are inconsistent with the Commitment
Letter, or 3) refusing to act in good faith in the drafting of definitive loan
documents
- Bank filings 4.08.08
New
York court filings
- Bank's brief - Motion for summary judgment,
argues that
- Banks haven't breached the commitment letter
- Specific performance is unavailable as a remedy
- Bank's liability is at most the break-up fee of
$500mm
- CC Media brief - Motion to dismiss counterclaims
4.09.08
CCU
and buyout firms sue lenders
-
CCU press release 3.26.08
- Deal has been held up for months over financing
issues
- Plaintiffs allege "lenders remorse"
- Per lawsuit, banks stood to lose $2.6B
immediately upon funding the debt, when debt is marked-to-market for
current market conditions
- CCU's 2007 revenue and net income are up from
2006
Banks
have resisted closing because of changes in market conditions
- Deal has been held up for months over financing
issues
- Closing was scheduled; Banks failed to attend
- Stock price had declined substantially in response
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Merger Agreement
Merger Agreement Amendments
Amendment
#1 4.18.07
- Increased per share consideration ($39.00 per
share)
- Changes to break-up fee
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Amendment #2 5.17.07
- Stub equity
- Additional consideration if closing doesn't occur
by 12.31.07
- Buyout group transaction fess capped at $87.5mm
- Board to have at least two independent members
- Select amended sections of merger agreement
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Equity Rollover Option -
Stub Equity
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Public
stockholders can elect not to cash out
- Can exchange some or all of their CCU shares for
shares in the newly incorporated acquisition company
- For up to 30% of post-merger equity,
subject to proration
- Up to $1.2B of
post-merger equity
(when valued at $39.20 per share)
- Stub equity will be SEC-registered but won't be
exchange listed
Merger
agreement provisions
- Select amended sections of merger agreement
Registration
statement
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SEC Filings
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Schedule
13D
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Proxy Solicitation
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New
meeting set for 9.25.07
Special
meeting postponed
- 2007 annual meeting to be held May 22
- Special meeting to approve deal postponed again
Proxy
statement filings
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Deal Protection
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No
shop covenant
Break-up
fee
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Regulatory Approvals
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HSR
Act
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Fairness Opinion
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Goldman Sachs fairness opinion
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Tax Matters
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Disclosure
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Related Topics
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