AAllllooccaattiioonn ooff AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk iinn Mergers & Acquisitions SSccootttt PP. PPeerrllmmaann Partner Mayer Brown LLP +11.220022. 226633.33220011 [email protected] December 11, 2007 Mayer Brown LLP OOvveerrvviieeww • Allocation of antitrust risk is an issue that frequently arises between parties to mergers or acquisitions that raise potential antitrust concerns • This presentation: – DDeessccrriibbeess tthhee ttyyppeess ooff ccoonnttrraaccttuuaall pprroovviissiioonnss aaddoopptteedd ttoo aallllooccaattee antitrust risk – Identifies factors that determine the type of provision adopted in a ppaarrttiiccuullaarr ttrraannssaaccttiioonn – Analyzes the implications of different types of antitrust risk allocation provisions for the parties’ dealings with the antitrust enforcement aaggeenncciieess – Addresses legal issues with respect to interpretation of these provisions and whether the parties can withhold these provisions from enforcement aauutthhoorriittiieess bbeeccaauussee tthheeyy aarree ccoovveerreedd bbyy tthhee jjooiinntt ddeeffeennssee oorr “ccoommmmoonn interest” privilege Mayer Brown LLP AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk AAllllooccaattiioonn PPrroovviissiioonnss:: PPuurrppoossee • In the U.S., mergers and acquisitions are reviewed at the federal level by either the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice or the Federal TTrraaddee CCoommmmiissssiioonn ((mmeerrggeerrss mmeeeettiinngg cceerrttaaiinn ddoollllaarr tthhrreesshhoollddss mmuusstt bbee notified to these agencies under the Hart‐Scott‐Rodino Act) • Purpose of this review – to determine whether the combination of two bbuussiinneesssseess tthhaatt ccoommppeettee wwiitthh rreessppeecctt ttoo cceerrttaaiinn pprroodduuccttss oorr sseerrvviicceess wwiillll enable the merged entity to exercise “market power,” i.e., the power to raise prices above competitive levels or exclude competition •• IIff tthhee rreevviieewwiinngg aaggeennccyy ddeetteerrmmiinneess tthhee ttrraannssaaccttiioonn iiss lliikkeellyy ttoo rreessuulltt iinn ssuucchh “anticompetitive effects,” it may oppose the transaction altogether, or condition approval on the parties agreeing to “remedies” such as divestitures of certain assets or businesses, or other restrictions on the merged business ((e.gg.,, reqquire licensingg of certain IP)) • Parties to a merger or acquisition for which there is a significant possibility that such divestitures or other remedies will be required typically include a pprovision in the mergger aggreement to allocate the risk of such remedies between them Mayer Brown LLP AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk AAllllooccaattiioonn PPrroovviissiioonnss:: TTyyppeess • GGeenneerraallllyy, tthhee PPuurrcchhaasseerr wwaannttss ttoo mmiinniimmiizzee iittss ccoonnttrraaccttuuaall obligations to make divestitures, hold businesses or assets separate pending divestiture, or agree to any other restrictions on the post‐merger business • The Seller usually wants the Purchaser to do whatever is necessary to obtain antitrust approval as quickly as possible so it can get its moneyy,, includingg aggreeingg to anyy divestitures or other restrictions requested by the reviewing agency Mayer Brown LLP AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk AAllllooccaattiioonn PPrroovviissiioonnss:: TTyyppeess • “Hell or high water” – Except to the extent otherwise provided in Section X, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, each of the parties hereto sshhaallll ((ii)) mmaakkee pprroommppttllyy iittss rreessppeeccttiivvee ffiilliinnggss aanndd tthheerreeaafftteerr mmaakkee aannyy other required submissions, under the HSR Act and any other Law with respect to this Agreement and the Mergers, if required, and (ii) use its reasonable efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all appropriate action, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws to consummate and make effective the Mergers, and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including using its reasonable efforts to obtain all Permits, consents, approvals, authorizations, qualifications and orders of Governmental Authorities wwiitthh tthhee CCoommppaannyy aanndd tthhee SSuubbssiiddiiaarriieess aass aarree nneecceessssaarryy ffoorr tthhee consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and to fulfill the conditions to the Mergers and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Mayer Brown LLP AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk AAllllooccaattiioonn PPrroovviissiioonnss:: TTyyppeess • Divestiture Obligation Limited by “Material AAddverse EEffffect”” or ““MMAAEE”” – The Comppanyy and Parent shall coopperate with each other and . . . use . . . their respective reasonable best efforts . . . (ii) to obtain as promptly as practicable all consents, registrations, approvals, permits and authorizations necessary or advisable to be obtained from any . . . Governmental Entity in order to satisfy the conditions in Article X and to ccoonnssuummmmaattee tthhee MMeerrggeerr . . . ;; pprroovviiddeedd, hhoowweevveerr, tthhaatt, nnoottwwiitthhssttaannddiinngg anything to the contrary in this Agreement, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be required to agree (with respect to (x) Parent or its Subsidiaries or (y) the Company or its Subsidiaries) to any divestitures, licenses,, hold sepparate arranggements or similar matters in order to obtain approval of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement . . . under applicable Competition Laws if such divestitures, licenses, arrangements or matters would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, assets and liabilities ((ttaakkeenn ttooggeetthheerr)) oorr bbuussiinneessss ooff PPaarreenntt aanndd iittss SSuubbssiiddiiaarriieess aanndd tthhee Company and its Subsidiaries on a combined basis. Mayer Brown LLP AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk AAllllooccaattiioonn PPrroovviissiioonnss:: TTyyppeess • Divestiture up to certain dollar amount – Parent and Seller shall, if required by one or more Governmental Entities acting pursuant to any applicable antitrust, competition or ssiimmiillaarr llaawwss ttoo oobbttaaiinn aanny ooff tthhee . . . ccoonnsseennttss, cclleeaarraanncceess, aapppprroovaallss . . . or if required by a federal, state or foreign court, agree to the divestiture by Parent, Seller or any of their respective Subsidiaries of shares of capital stock or of any business, assets or property of Parent or its SSuubbssiiddiiaarriieess oorr SSeelllleerr oorr iittss SSuubbssiiddiiaarriieess aanndd tthhee iimmppoossiittiioonn ooff aannyy limitation on the ability of Parent or its Subsidiaries or Seller or its Subsidiaries to conduct their respective businesses or to own or exercise control of their respective assets, properties and stock (including licenses, hold separate agreements, covenants affecting bbusiiness operattiing practtiices or siimiillar matttters)) iiff suchh ddiivesttiittures andd limitations, individually or in the aggregate, would not be reasonably expected to result in the loss of annualized revenue of Parent and Seller on a combined consolidated basis of more than $225,000,000. Mayer Brown LLP AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk AAllllooccaattiioonn PPrroovviissiioonnss:: TTyyppeess • Disclaimer of any obligation to agree to ddiivestiitures or restriictiions – Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event wwiillll PPaarreenntt oorr SSuubb bbee oobblliiggaatteedd ttoo pprrooppoossee oorr aaggrreeee ttoo aacccceepptt aannyy undertaking or condition, to enter into any consent decree, to make any divestiture, to accept any operational restriction, or take any other action that, in the reasonable judgment of Parent, could be expected to limit the right of Parent or the Surviving Corporation to own or operate all or any portion of their respective businesses or assets. With regard to any Governmental Antitrust Entity, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary . . . shall, without Parent's prior written consent in Parent's sole discretion, discuss or commit to any divestiture transaction, oorr ddiissccuussss oorr ccoommmmiitt ttoo aalltteerr tthheeiirr bbuussiinneesssseess oorr ccoommmmeerrcciiaall pprraaccttiicceess iinn any way, or otherwise take or commit to take any action that limits the Parent's freedom of action with respect to, or the Parent’s ability to retain any of the businesses, product lines or assets of, the Surviving Corporation or otherwise receive the full benefits of this Agreement. Mayer Brown LLP AAnnttiittrruusstt RRiisskk AAllllooccaattiioonn PPrroovviissiioonnss:: FFaaccttoorrss • TThhe ttype off proviisiion tto whhiichh tthhe parttiies agree depends on factors such as: – Degree to which the transaction raises substantive antitrust concerns – Rellative bbargaining power off thhe Purchhaser andd Sellller – Type of remedy likely to be required by the reviewing agency – Importance of other issues that may cause a party to trade off its preferred type of clause Mayer Brown LLP IImmpplliiccaattiioonnss ooff DDiiffffeerreenntt PPrroovviissiioonnss •• AAss tthheessee ffaaccttoorrss ssuuggggeesstt, tthhee ttyyppee ooff pprroovviissiioonn aaggrreeeedd uuppoonn wwiillll depend largely on the interests and relative bargaining positions of the parties • Often, no one type of antitrust risk allocation provision is objectively “best” for any given transaction • However, different types of clauses may raise issues the parties should consider Mayer Brown LLP
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