PREN14A
PRELIMINARY CONSENT STATEMENT SUBJECT TO
COMPLETION, DATED
SEPTEMBER 28, 2006
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Consent Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant o
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant
þ
Check the appropriate box:
|
|
|
þ
|
|
Preliminary Consent Statement |
o
|
|
Confidential, For Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
o
|
|
Definitive Consent Statement |
o
|
|
Definitive Additional Materials |
o
|
|
Soliciting Materials Pursuant to Section 240.14a-12 |
ENERGY PARTNERS, LTD.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
ATS INC.
WOODSIDE FINANCE LIMITED
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LTD.
(Name of Person(s) Filing Consent Statement, if other than
the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
þ No
fee required.
|
|
o |
Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act
Rules 14a-6(i)(1)
and 0-11 |
|
|
1.) |
Title of each class of securities to which the transaction
applies: |
|
2.) |
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
|
3.) |
Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on
which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was
determined): |
|
4.) |
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
|
5.) |
Total fee paid: |
|
|
o |
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials |
|
o |
Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by
Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for
which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the
previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or
Schedule and the date of its filing. |
|
|
1.) |
Amount Previously Paid: |
|
2.) |
Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
|
3.) |
Filing Party: |
|
4.) |
Date Filed: |
PRELIMINARY CONSENT STATEMENT SUBJECT TO
COMPLETION, DATED
SEPTEMBER 28, 2006
CONSENT STATEMENT
OF
ATS INC.
WOODSIDE FINANCE LIMITED
AND
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LTD.
This consent statement and the enclosed [COLOR] consent
card are being furnished by ATS Inc. (ATS), a
Delaware corporation and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
Woodside Petroleum Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws
of Victoria, Australia (Woodside), Woodside Finance
Limited, a company formed under the laws of Victoria, Australia,
and a wholly owned subsidiary of Woodside and Woodside (for
convenience purposes, throughout this consent statement we
sometimes refer to ATS as the party soliciting consents in
connection herewith), in connection with the solicitation by ATS
of written consents from the holders of shares of common stock,
par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock),
of Energy Partners, Ltd., a Delaware corporation (the
Company), and the associated preferred stock
purchase rights (the Rights and together with the
Common Stock, the Shares) to take the following
actions (each, a Proposal and collectively, the
Proposals) without a meeting of stockholders, as
authorized by the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (the DGCL):
|
|
|
|
1. Remove all eleven existing members of the Companys
Board of Directors (the Board) (and any person(s)
(other than those elected by this consent solicitation) elected
or designated by any of such directors to fill any vacancy or
newly created directorship); and |
|
|
|
|
2. Elect Walter R. Arnheim, Terry G. Dallas, Robert B.
Holland, III, David R. Martin and J. Kenneth Thompson
(each, a Nominee and collectively, the
Nominees) as the directors of the Company (or if any
such Nominee is unable or unwilling to serve on the Board, any
other person designated as a nominee by ATS). |
|
The Proposals are designed to expedite the prompt consummation
of ATSs offer to acquire all issued and outstanding Shares
through a tender offer and second-step merger, as described
below. Neither of the Proposals is subject to, or conditioned
upon, the adoption of the other Proposals; however,
Proposal 2 cannot be effected unless Proposal 1 is
adopted. The effectiveness of each of the Proposals is subject
to, and conditioned upon, the properly completed and duly
delivered, unrevoked written consent to such Proposal by the
holders of record, as of the close of business on the Record
Date (as defined below), of a majority of the Shares then
outstanding. Election of our Nominees will signal that a
majority of the Companys stockholders favor the Board
taking such actions that it may deem necessary or advisable to
facilitate the consummation of the Offer (as defined below) and
the Second-Step Merger (as defined below) and that such
stockholders consider our $23.00 all-cash tender offer, subject
to increase to $23.50 or $24.00 under certain circumstances, for
100% of the Shares (and the Second-Step Merger) to be in their
best interests.
This consent statement is dated
[ ],
2006, and is first being mailed, along with the enclosed
[COLOR] consent card, to stockholders on or about
[ ],
2006.
Additionally, we are separately soliciting proxies (pursuant to
a separate proxy statement filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the Commission)) to be used at
a special meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on
October [ ],
2006, and at any adjournments, postponements or reschedulings
thereof. Specifically, ATS is soliciting proxies from holders of
Shares to vote AGAINST (i) the proposal to
approve the issuance of Shares to stockholders of Stone Energy
Corporation (Stone) in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger,
dated June 22, 2006, among the Company, EPL Acquisition
Corp. LLC and Stone (the Stone Merger Agreement) and
(ii) two other proposals proposed by the Company in
connection therewith. Stockholders should read both this
consent statement and the definitive proxy statement[, when it
is available,] as they pertain to different
matters. The outcome of each solicitation will impact the
stockholders ability to accept the Offer (as defined
below).
Pursuant to Section 2.9(b) of the Companys amended
bylaws, in the event we were required to do so by law, ATS
delivered written notice to the Secretary of the Company on
September 27, 2006 requesting that the Board fix a record
date for this consent solicitation. Pursuant to
Section 2.9(b) of the Companys amended bylaws, the
Board must fix the record date by October 7, 2006 and the
record date may be no later than October 17, 2006 or, if
the Board takes no action with respect to our request, the
record date will be fixed as described in the amended bylaws
(such date as fixed by the Board or otherwise fixed pursuant to
the Companys amended bylaws, the Record Date).
On the Record Date, ATS was the record holder, and shared
beneficial ownership with Woodside, of
[ ] Shares.
On August 31, 2006, ATS commenced a tender offer to
purchase all of the outstanding Shares, at a price of
$23.00 net per Share in cash (less any applicable
withholding taxes and without interest), subject to possible
increase by $0.50 or $1.00 per Share to a total of $23.50
or $24.00 net per Share in cash depending on the resolution
of the Delaware litigation described herein. The terms and
conditions of the offer are described in the Offer to Purchase
(the Offer to Purchase) and the accompanying Letter
of Transmittal (the Letter of Transmittal) and the
instructions thereto (the offer reflected by such terms and
conditions, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to
time, constitutes the Offer), which were included as
exhibits to the Schedule TO filed by ATS with the
Commission on August 31, 2006. The Offer to Purchase and
the related Letter of Transmittal have been separately mailed to
stockholders of the Company with respect to the Offer.
Stockholders are advised to read the Offer to Purchase and
other relevant documents regarding the Offer because they
contain important information about the Offer.
FOR THE REASONS LISTED IN THIS CONSENT STATEMENT, WE BELIEVE
THAT OUR $23.00 ALL-CASH OFFER, SUBJECT TO INCREASE TO $23.50 OR
$24.00 UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR 100% OF THE SHARES (AND
THE SECOND-STEP MERGER (AS DEFINED BELOW)) IS IN THE BEST
INTERESTS OF STOCKHOLDERS AND IS SUPERIOR TO THE OTHER OPTIONS
AVAILABLE TO THE COMPANY AND ITS STOCKHOLDERS. IF YOU WANT TO
TAKE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WHICH WE BELIEVE WILL FACILITATE YOUR
OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT THE SIGNIFICANT PREMIUM FOR YOUR SHARES
OFFERED BY ATS RELATIVE TO THE MARKET PRICE OF SHARES PRIOR TO
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ATSS OFFER, THEN CONSENT
TO EACH OF THE PROPOSALS BY SIGNING, DATING AND RETURNING THE
ENCLOSED [COLOR] CONSENT CARD TODAY.
The purpose of the Offer is to acquire control of, and
ultimately the entire equity interest in, the Company. If,
pursuant to the Offer, ATS accepts for payment and pays for at
least the number of Shares that, when added to Shares already
owned by ATS (and/or Woodside or any of its other subsidiaries),
shall constitute a majority of the then outstanding Shares on a
fully diluted basis, ATS (or another direct or indirect
subsidiary of Woodside) will seek to merge with and into the
Company (the Second-Step Merger). If the Second-Step
Merger occurs, the Company will become an indirect wholly owned
subsidiary of Woodside and each issued and then outstanding
Share (other than any Shares held in the treasury of the
Company, or owned by Woodside, ATS or any of Woodsides
other subsidiaries and any Shares held by the Companys
stockholders properly seeking appraisal for their Shares) shall
be cancelled and converted automatically into the right to
receive $23.00 per share, in cash (or any greater amount
per Share paid pursuant to the Offer (including any right to
receive, if applicable, any Contractual Right (as defined in
CERTAIN LITIGATION below) to receive an additional
amount per Share in connection with the Delaware litigation
described herein)).
The Company previously entered into the Stone Merger Agreement,
in which each outstanding share of Stone common stock would be
converted into the right to receive, at the election of the
holder (subject to the limitations described below):
(i) $51.00 in cash, or (ii) Shares equivalent to the
ratio determined by dividing $51.00 by the market price of
Shares (based on a
20-day trading average
prior to the third trading day preceding the closing of the
merger), provided that the exchange ratio will not be greater
than 2.525 or less than 2.066 Shares per share of common
stock of Stone. The election of cash or stock is subject to a
limit on
2
total cash consideration of approximately $723 million and
a limit on the total number of Shares issued of approximately
35 million. As a result, Stone stockholders could hold up
to approximately 46% of the combined company following the
closing of the proposed merger, assuming the maximum number of
Shares are issued to Stones stockholders.
ATSs Offer is subject to certain conditions, some of which
may be influenced by actions of the Board, including
(i) that the Stone Merger Agreement shall have been validly
terminated on terms reasonably satisfactory to ATS and ATS
reasonably believing that the Company could not have any
liability, and Stone shall not have asserted any claim of
liability in connection with the Stone Merger Agreement other
than the possible payment of the $25.6 million termination
fee required thereby (the Stone Merger Condition),
(ii) the Board having approved the Offer and the
Second-Step Merger or any other business combination
satisfactory to ATS pursuant to the requirements of
Section 203 of the DGCL or ATS being satisfied that
Section 203 does not apply or otherwise restrict the Offer,
the Second-Step Merger or such other business combination (the
Section 203 Condition) and (iii) the
Company entering into a definitive merger agreement with ATS
(and/or any of Woodsides subsidiaries), Nominees of ATS
constituting a majority of the Board or there having been
validly tendered and not properly withdrawn prior to the
expiration of the Offer that number of Shares that, when added
to the Shares then owned by Woodside or any of its subsidiaries,
shall constitute at least 90% of the then outstanding Shares on
a fully diluted basis (including, without limitation, all shares
issuable upon the exercise of any options or warrants) (the
Second-Step Merger Condition).
On September 13, 2006, in response to the Offer, the Board
declared a dividend of one Right for each outstanding Share. The
specific terms of the Rights are contained in the Rights
Agreement, dated as of September 14, 2006 (the Rights
Agreement), between the Company and Mellon Investor
Services LLC, as Rights Agent. The Offer to Purchase contains a
condition that the Company shall not have declared, paid
or proposed to declare or pay any dividend or other distribution
on any shares of capital stock of the Company including by
adoption of a shareholders rights plan which has not otherwise
been terminated or rendered inapplicable to the Offer and the
Second-Step Merger prior to the expiration of the Offer (the
Rights Condition). In order for the Rights Condition
to be satisfied, the Rights must be redeemed or the Rights
Agreement must be terminated or rendered inapplicable to the
Offer and the Second-Step Merger.
As of the date of the filing of this consent statement, the
Board had not taken any action to facilitate the satisfaction of
the Stone Merger Condition, the Section 203 Condition, the
Rights Condition, the Second-Step Merger Condition or any of the
other conditions to the Offer set forth in the Offer to
Purchase. Accordingly, ATS is seeking your consent to the
Proposals to remove the Companys current directors (and
any person(s) (other than those elected by this consent
solicitation) elected or designated by any of such directors to
fill any vacancy or newly created directorship) and to elect to
the Board persons who ATS expects would, subject to their
fiduciary duties under Delaware law as directors of the Company,
take such actions as may be required to expedite the prompt
consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger.
ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSALS, INCLUDING REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD (AND ANY PERSON(S) (OTHER THAN THOSE
ELECTED BY THIS CONSENT SOLICITATION) ELECTED OR DESIGNATED BY
ANY OF SUCH DIRECTORS TO FILL ANY VACANCY OR NEWLY CREATED
DIRECTORSHIP) AND ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES, IS AN IMPORTANT STEP
TOWARD FACILITATING THE PROMPT CONSUMMATION OF THE OFFER AND THE
SECOND-STEP MERGER. ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE URGED TO PROMPTLY SIGN,
DATE AND MAIL THE ENCLOSED [COLOR] CONSENT CARD. YOU MUST
SEPARATELY TENDER YOUR SHARES PURSUANT TO THE OFFER IF YOU WISH
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OFFER. EXECUTING A CONSENT DOES NOT
OBLIGATE YOU TO TENDER YOUR SHARES PURSUANT TO THE OFFER, AND
YOUR FAILURE TO EXECUTE A CONSENT DOES NOT PREVENT YOU FROM
TENDERING YOUR SHARES PURSUANT TO THE OFFER.
For a complete description of the Offer, including the
conditions to the Offer, the Companys stockholders are
referred to the Offer to Purchase and the accompanying Letter of
Transmittal.
If your Shares are registered in your own name, please sign,
date and mail the enclosed [COLOR] consent card to
Innisfree M&A Incorporated (Innisfree) in the
postage-paid envelope provided. If your
3
Shares are held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank nominee or
other institution, you should contact the person in charge of
your account and give instructions to have the [COLOR]
consent card with respect to your Shares be signed, dated and
mailed. Only that institution can execute a [COLOR]
consent card with respect to your Shares and only upon receipt
of specific instructions from you. ATS urges you to confirm in
writing your instructions to the person responsible for your
account and to provide a copy of those instructions to the
Company in care of Innisfree M&A Incorporated, 501 Madison
Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10022, so that ATS
will be aware of all instructions given and can attempt to
ensure that such instructions are followed.
If you have any questions about executing your consent or
require assistance, please contact:
Innisfree M&A Incorporated
501 Madison Avenue
20th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Shareholders Call Toll Free: (877) 456-3427
Banks and Brokers Call Collect: (212) 750-5833
THIS CONSENT STATEMENT IS NEITHER A REQUEST FOR THE TENDER OF
SHARES NOR AN OFFER WITH RESPECT THERETO. THE OFFER IS BEING
MADE ONLY BY MEANS OF THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND THE ACCOMPANYING
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, EACH OF WHICH HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMISSION AND SEPARATELY MAILED TO STOCKHOLDERS.
ATS HAS FILED A PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT WITH THE COMMISSION
RELATING TO A SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS OF
THE COMPANY IN CONNECTION WITH ITS PROPOSED SPECIAL MEETING OF
STOCKHOLDERS AND WILL FILE A DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT WITH THE
COMMISSION. THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT WILL BE MAILED TO THE
STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE
ADVISED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS MAY
OBTAIN A FREE COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT, THE
DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT (WHEN AVAILABLE) AND OTHER RELEVANT
DOCUMENTS FILED BY ATS AT THE COMMISSIONS WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT (WHEN
AVAILABLE) AND SUCH OTHER DOCUMENTS MAY ALSO BE OBTAINED FOR
FREE FROM ATS BY DIRECTING SUCH REQUESTS TO INNISFREE M&A
INCORPORATED, 501 MADISON AVENUE, 20TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NEW
YORK 10022, SHAREHOLDERS CALL TOLL-FREE AT
(877) 456-3427
(BANKS AND BROKERS CALL COLLECT AT
(212) 750-5833).
ATS, WOODSIDE, WOODSIDE FINANCE LIMITED AND THEIR RESPECTIVE
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND OTHER PERSONS MAY BE DEEMED
TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FROM
STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY IN RESPECT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF ATS,
WOODSIDE AND WOODSIDE FINANCE LIMITED WILL BE CONTAINED IN
ATSS DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT. INVESTORS MAY OBTAIN
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE INTERESTS OF SUCH
PARTICIPANTS, WHICH MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF THE
COMPANYS STOCKHOLDERS GENERALLY, BY READING THE DEFINITIVE
PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE COMMISSION
WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
21 |
|
|
|
|
22 |
|
|
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
S-1 |
|
|
|
|
S-2 |
|
|
|
|
S-7 |
|
|
|
|
S-8 |
|
5
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RELATING TO THIS CONSENT
SOLICITATION
The following are some of the questions you, as a stockholder,
may have and the answers to those questions. We urge you to read
this consent statement carefully and in its entirety.
Who is making the solicitation?
ATS Inc. is a recently formed Delaware corporation and an
indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Woodside. ATS has been has
been organized in connection with the Offer and has not carried
on any activities other than purchasing Shares in the open
market and in connection with the Offer.
Woodside Finance Limited (Woodside Finance) is a
company incorporated under the laws of Victoria, Australia, and
a wholly owned subsidiary of Woodside. Woodside Finance, the
primary borrowing and lending entity for Woodside and its
subsidiaries, will provide funding for the Offer, the
Second-Step Merger and related fees and expenses. Woodside
Finance will secure a loan from Société
Générale and will provide intra-group funding to ATS.
Woodside Petroleum Ltd. is a company incorporated under the laws
of Victoria, Australia. Woodside is a leading Australian
producer of oil and natural gas, with exploration and
development ventures ranging across the globe from
Australias North-West Shelf to the Timor Sea, the Gulf of
Mexico, The Republic of Korea, Kenya, Libya, Algeria, Sierra
Leone, Liberia and Mauritania.
What are the proposals for which written consents are being
solicited?
We are soliciting written consents from the Companys
stockholders to (1) remove all eleven existing members of
the Board (and any person(s) (other than those elected by this
consent solicitation) elected or designated by any of such
directors to fill any vacancy or newly created directorship) and
(2) fill the resulting vacancies on the Board with our
Nominees. Election of our Nominees will signal that a
majority of the Companys stockholders favor the Board
taking such actions that it may deem necessary or advisable to
facilitate the consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step
Merger and that such stockholders consider our $23.00 all-cash
tender offer, subject to increase to $23.50 or $24.00 under
certain circumstances, for 100% of the Shares (and the
Second-Step Merger) to be in their best interests.
Why are we soliciting your consent?
On August 31, 2006, ATS commenced the Offer to purchase all
of the outstanding Shares, at a price of $23.00 net per
Share in cash (less any applicable withholding taxes and without
interest), subject to possible increase by $0.50 or
$1.00 per Share to a total of $23.50 or $24.00 net per
Share in cash depending on the resolution of the Delaware
litigation described herein. The terms and conditions of the
Offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase and the related
Letter of Transmittal.
The purpose of the Offer is to acquire control of, and
ultimately the entire equity interest in, the Company. If,
pursuant to the Offer, ATS accepts for payment and pays for at
least the number of Shares that, when added to Shares already
owned by ATS (and/or Woodside or any of its subsidiaries), shall
constitute a majority of the then outstanding Shares on a fully
diluted basis, ATS (or another direct or indirect subsidiary of
Woodside) will seek to consummate the Second-Step Merger. If the
Second-Step Merger occurs, the Company will become an indirect
wholly owned subsidiary of Woodside and each issued and then
outstanding Share (other than any Shares held in the treasury of
the Company, or owned by Woodside, ATS or any of Woodsides
other subsidiaries and any Shares held by the Companys
stockholders properly seeking appraisal for their Shares) shall
be cancelled and converted automatically into the right to
receive $23.00 per share, in cash (or any greater amount
per Share paid pursuant to the Offer (including any right to
receive, if applicable, any Contractual Right (as defined in
CERTAIN LITIGATION below) to receive an additional
amount per Share in connection with the Delaware litigation
described herein)).
As of the date of the filing of this consent statement, the
Board had not taken any action to facilitate the satisfaction of
the Stone Merger Conditions, the Section 203 Condition, the
Rights Condition, the Second-Step Merger Condition or any of the
other conditions to the Offer set forth in the Offer to Purchase.
6
Accordingly, ATS is seeking your consent to the Proposals to
elect to the Board persons who ATS expects would, subject to
their fiduciary duties under Delaware law as directors of the
Company, take such actions as may be required to expedite the
prompt consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger.
If elected, and subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware
law, the Nominees would have the power to take those steps
necessary to permit the stockholders of the Company to accept
the Offer, including approving the Offer and the Second Step
Merger for purposes of Section 203 of the DGCL, terminating
or rendering inapplicable the Rights Agreement to the Offer and
the Second-Step Merger and causing the Company to enter into a
definitive merger agreement with ATS or another subsidiary of
Woodside.
The specific features of ATSs proposals, as well as the
procedures governing the written consent process, are described
in this consent statement.
Complete information about the Offer is contained in the Offer
to Purchase, which is available upon request from the
Information Agent for the Offer, Innisfree, and in ATSs
Schedule TO. The Schedule TO, including exhibits and
amendments thereto, and other information should be available
for inspection at the public reference facilities maintained by
the Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC
20549. Copies of such materials may also be obtained by mail,
upon payment of the Commissions customary fees, by writing
to its principal office at 100 F Street, N.E.,
Washington, DC 20549. The Commission also maintains a home page
on the World Wide Web at http://www.sec.gov that contains
reports and other information regarding issuers that file
electronically with the Commission.
Does this consent statement relate to the same matters you
describe in your proxy statement?
No. We are separately soliciting proxies to be used at a special
meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on
October [ ], 2006, and at any
adjournments, postponements or reschedulings thereof.
Specifically, ATS is soliciting proxies from holders of Shares
to vote AGAINST (i) the proposal to approve the
issuance of Shares to stockholders of Stone in connection with
the transactions contemplated by the Stone Merger Agreement and
(ii) two other proposals proposed by the Company in
connection therewith. Rejection by the Companys
stockholders of the proposed issuance of Shares pursuant to the
Stone Merger Agreement will satisfy a condition of the Offer and
is an important step in securing the success of the Offer.
Stockholders should read both this consent statement and the
definitive proxy statement[, when it is available,] as they
pertain to different matters. The outcome of each solicitation
will impact the stockholders ability to accept the
Offer.
What must happen to complete our tender offer?
The Offer is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain
conditions, including:
|
|
|
|
|
The Companys stockholders shall have validly tendered and
not withdrawn prior to the expiration of the offer at least that
number of Shares that, when added to the Shares then owned by
Woodside or any of its subsidiaries, shall constitute a majority
of the then outstanding Shares on a fully diluted basis. |
|
|
|
|
The Stone Merger Agreement shall have been validly terminated on
terms reasonably satisfactory to ATS, and ATS reasonably
believing that the Company could not have any liability, and
Stone not having asserted any claim of liability or breach
against the Company, in connection with such merger agreement
other than with respect to the possible payment by the Company
of the $25.6 million termination fee required thereby. |
|
|
|
|
The Board shall have approved the Offer and the Second-Step
Merger or any other business combination satisfactory to ATS
between the Company and ATS (and/or any of Woodsides
subsidiaries) pursuant to the requirements of Section 203
of the DGCL or ATS shall be satisfied that Section 203 does
not apply to or otherwise restrict the Offer, the Second-Step
Merger or any such business combination. |
7
|
|
|
|
|
(A) The Company shall have entered into a definitive merger
agreement with ATS with respect to a merger of ATS and the
Company, (B) Nominees of ATS shall constitute a majority of
the Board or (C) the Company stockholders shall have
validly tendered and not withdrawn prior to the expiration of
the Offer at least that number of Shares that, when added to the
Shares then owned by Woodside or any of its subsidiaries, shall
constitute at least 90% of the then outstanding Shares on a
fully diluted basis. |
|
|
|
|
Any applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the
HSR Act), shall have expired or been terminated
prior to the expiration of the Offer. The waiting period expired
on September 26, 2006. |
|
On September 13, 2006, the Board declared a dividend of one
Right for each outstanding Share. The specific terms of the
Rights are contained in the Rights Agreement. The Offer to
Purchase also contains the Rights Condition, which cannot be
satisfied unless the Rights are redeemed or the Rights Agreement
has been terminated or rendered inapplicable to the Offer and
the Second-Step Merger prior to the expiration of the Offer. The
Offer to Purchase contains a complete description of all of the
conditions to the Offer.
If elected, and subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware
law, the Nominees would have the power to take those steps
necessary to permit the stockholders of the Company to accept
the Offer, including approving the Offer and the Second Step
Merger for purposes of Section 203 of the DGCL, terminating
or rendering inapplicable the Rights Agreement to the Offer and
the Second-Step Merger and causing the Company to enter into a
definitive merger agreement with ATS or another subsidiary of
Woodside. ATS expects that its Nominees, if elected to serve as
directors of the Company, would in their independent judgment
and good faith, and subject to their fiduciary duties under
Delaware law, support the Offer and the Second-Step Merger, take
actions necessary to satisfy the Stone Merger Condition, the
Section 203 Condition, the Second-Step Merger Condition,
the Rights Condition and any of the other conditions to the
Offer set forth in the Offer to Purchase which may be influenced
by the Board and seek or grant other consents or approvals as
may be desirable or necessary to expedite the prompt
consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger. Following
their election to the Board, we expect that our Nominees will
take such appropriate action under Delaware law and the
Companys bylaws to reduce the size of the Board to five
members. Election of our Nominees will signal that a majority
of the Companys stockholders favor the Board taking such
actions that it may deem necessary or advisable to facilitate
the consummation of the Offer (as defined below) and the
Second-Step Merger (as defined below) and that such stockholders
consider our $23.00 all-cash tender offer, subject to increase
to $23.50 or $24.00 under certain circumstances, for 100% of the
Shares (and the Second-Step Merger) to be in their best
interests.
How does your consent affect our tender offer?
Even if the stockholders elect our Nominees to the Board, ATS
does not intend to purchase Shares tendered unless the
conditions to the Offer are either satisfied or waived. ATS
expects that the Nominees, if elected to serve as directors of
the Company, would in their independent judgment and good faith,
and subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware law, take
such actions as may be required to expedite the prompt
consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger, including
causing the Rights Agreement to be terminated or rendered
inapplicable to the Offer and the Second-Step Merger. Following
their election to the Board, we expect that our Nominees will
take such appropriate action under Delaware law and the
Companys bylaws to reduce the size of the Board to five
members. If the current members of the Board are not removed and
our Nominees are not elected to the board of directors, then
there is no guarantee that certain of the conditions described
above, such as the Stone Merger Condition, the Section 203
Condition, the Second-Step Merger Condition and the Rights
Condition, could ever be satisfied. Furthermore, there can be no
assurance that the Nominees will take action that will result in
the Offer and the
Second-Step Merger
being consummated. We do not intend to waive these conditions.
There can be no assurance as to the timing or satisfaction of
the conditions to the Offer. While certain conditions to the
Offer are within the control of the Board, certain other
conditions, such as the termination or expiration of any
applicable waiting periods under applicable regulatory approvals
(other than the HSR
8
Act, which waiting period has expired) and the willingness of
stockholders to tender their Shares pursuant to the Offer, are
not within the Boards control. However, absent the Board
(x) failing to take steps to approve the Offer and
Second-Step Merger or (y) taking steps to create additional
impediments or implement or maintain various takeover defenses
in response to the Offer, ATS believes that there is no reason
why the Offer and Second-Step Merger could not be consummated on
a reasonably prompt basis.
If you consent to our proposals, are you agreeing to tender
your shares in the Offer?
No. Delivery of your written consent to our proposals does not
obligate you to tender your Shares in the Offer. Although the
election of our Nominees to the Board is an important step
toward prompt consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step
Merger, we are not asking the Companys stockholders to
tender their Shares by means of this consent solicitation.
Who are the Nominees?
We are proposing that, if our proposal to remove the current
directors is successful, Walter R. Arnheim, Terry G. Dallas,
Robert B. Holland, III, David R. Martin and J. Kenneth
Thompson fill the resulting vacancies on the Board. We may
modify the number and/or identity of our Nominees if we deem
such modification advisable in light of the Companys
actions. The Nominees are independent within the meaning of the
New York Stock Exchange listing standards and, except as
described herein, are not currently affiliated with ATS,
Woodside or any other subsidiary of Woodside, or with the
Company or any subsidiary of the Company. Mr. Martin was,
until March 2006, the General Counsel of Woodside. The Nominees
are highly qualified individuals who we expect would fully
discharge the fiduciary obligations they would owe to the
Company and its stockholders under Delaware law. The principal
occupation and business experience of each Nominee and other
information about each of the Nominees is set forth in this
consent statement under the section entitled ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROPOSALS PROPOSAL 2:
ELECTION OF NOMINEES, which we urge you to read.
Who is eligible to grant written consent in favor of the
proposals?
Holders of record of the Shares as of the close of business on
the Record Date are entitled to provide their written consent in
favor of the Proposals.
How many consents must be received in order to take the
proposed actions?
Consents representing a majority of all Shares as of the close
of business on the Record Date entitled to be voted at a meeting
of stockholders on the Proposals (i.e., a majority of the issued
and outstanding Shares) are required in order to implement the
Proposals.
What is the deadline for submitting written consents?
Under Section 228(c) of the DGCL, no written consent shall
be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein
unless, within 60 days of the earliest dated consent
delivered, written consents signed by a sufficient number of
holders or members to take action are delivered to the
corporation by delivery to its registered office in Delaware,
its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the
corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of
meetings of stockholders or members are recorded. The
Companys bylaws provide that no written consent shall be
effective to take the corporate action referred to therein
unless, within 60 days after the earliest dated written
consent received, a valid written consent or valid written
consents signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take
such action are delivered to the Company and not revoked. ATS
intends to deliver a written consent representing
1,719,000 Shares to the principal place of business of the
Company on or around [ ], 2006.
9
What should you do to support our proposals?
If your Shares are registered in your own name, please sign,
date and return the enclosed [COLOR] consent card to ATS,
care of Innisfree M&A Incorporated, in the postage-paid
envelope provided at 501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor,
New York, NY 10022.
If your Shares are held in the name of a broker, dealer,
commercial bank, trust company or other nominee, only it can
execute a [COLOR] consent card with respect to your
Shares and only upon receipt of your specific instructions.
Accordingly, it is critical that you promptly contact the person
responsible for your account and give instructions to promptly
mark, sign, date and return the enclosed [COLOR] consent
card in favor of the Proposals. We urge you to confirm in
writing your instructions to the person responsible for your
account and provide a copy of those instructions to ATS, care of
Innisfree M&A Incorporated, so that we will be aware of all
instructions given and can attempt to ensure that those
instructions are followed.
Whom should you call if you have any questions about the
solicitation?
Please call our consent solicitor, Innisfree, toll free at
(877) 456-3427 (banks and brokers call collect at
(212) 750-5833).
THE PROPOSALS
ATS is seeking written stockholder consents, without a
stockholder meeting, to the Proposals, which propose that the
Companys stockholders take the following actions:
|
|
|
|
1. Remove all eleven existing members of the Board (and any
person(s) (other than those elected by this consent
solicitation) elected or designated by any of such directors to
fill any vacancy or newly created directorship); and |
|
|
|
2. Elect the Nominees as the directors of the Company (or
if any such Nominee is unable or unwilling to serve on the
Board, any other person designated as a nominee by ATS). |
REASONS TO CONSENT TO THE PROPOSALS
|
|
|
Consenting to the Proposals will increase the likelihood the
Offer will be consummated. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Offer is superior to the merger with Stone, which the
current Board continues to support. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Offer provides you an opportunity to realize an immediate
premium for your Shares (based upon the closing price of the
Shares prior to the commencement of our Offer). In fact, the
Offer at $23.00 per Share represents a 28% premium over the
average closing price of the Companys Shares for the 30
calendar days preceding August 25, 2006 (the last market
close prior to the announcement of the Offer). |
|
|
|
|
|
Depending on the resolution of the Delaware litigation discussed
herein, we may increase the Offer by up to $1.00 per Share
to a total of $24.00 net per Share, resulting in a 33%
premium over the average closing price for the above mentioned
30-calendar day period. |
|
|
|
|
|
If the Stone Merger Agreement is completed, which the current
Board seems committed to seeing happen, the Companys
Registration Statement on
Form S-4 filed
with the Commission on July 21, 2006, as amended by
Amendment No. 1 to the Companys Registration
Statement on
Form S-4 filed
with the Commission on August 28, 2006 (collectively, the
Company
Form S-4)
discloses that the Company will be significantly more leveraged
and such leverage will decrease its financial and operating
flexibility. |
|
|
|
|
|
As disclosed in the Company
Form S-4, the
Stone Merger Agreement will involve the Company paying a
premium to Stone stockholders. As described above, the Offer
will involve the Companys stockholders receiving a
cash premium. |
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
Consenting to the Proposals will create a new Board which we
believe will take steps to help satisfy the conditions to the
Offer. |
|
|
|
|
|
By electing the Nominees, you will be electing a slate of
directors who are committed to your best interests and in
helping you to maximize value as a stockholder of the Company. |
|
|
|
|
ATS expects that our Nominees, if elected to serve as directors
of the Company, would in their independent judgment and good
faith, and subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware law,
support the Offer and the Second-Step Merger, take actions
necessary to satisfy the Stone Merger Condition, the
Section 203 Condition, the Second-Step Merger Condition,
the Rights Condition and any of the other conditions to the
Offer set forth in the Offer to Purchase which may be influenced
by the Board and seek or grant other consents or approvals as
may be desirable or necessary to expedite the prompt
consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger. |
|
|
|
|
|
Election of our Nominees will signal that a majority of the
Companys stockholders favor the Board taking such actions
that it may deem necessary or advisable to facilitate the
consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger and that
such stockholders consider our $23.00 all-cash tender offer,
subject to increase to $23.50 or $24.00 under certain
circumstances, for 100% of the Shares (and the Second-Step
Merger) to be in their best interests. |
|
|
|
|
Consenting to the Proposals allows each stockholder to show
support for the Offer and send a clear message to the existing
Board. |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROPOSALS
PROPOSAL 1: REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS.
The Proposals include the removal of all eleven existing
directors of the Company (and any person(s) (other than those
elected by this consent solicitation) elected or designated by
any of such directors to fill any vacancy or newly created
directorship at the time the action proposed to be taken by this
consent procedure becomes effective). The Companys current
directors are: Richard A. Bachmann, John C. Bumgarner, Jr.,
Jerry D. Carlisle, Harold D. Carter, Enoch L. Dawkins,
Dr. Norman C. Francis, Robert D. Gershen, Phillip A. Gobe,
William R. Herrin, Jr., William O. Hiltz and John G.
Phillips.
Pursuant to Section 3.13 of the Companys amended
bylaws, any director or the entire Board may be removed, with or
without cause at anytime by holders of a majority of the Shares
then entitled to vote at an election of directors. However, the
Companys amended bylaws also provide that consents
representing a majority of all the Shares as of the close of
business on the Record Date entitled to be voted at a meeting of
stockholders on the Proposals (i.e., a majority of the issued
and outstanding Shares) as of the close of business on the
Record Date is required in order to implement Proposal 1.
PROPOSAL 2: ELECTION OF NOMINEES.
The Proposals include the election as directors of the Nominees
named in the table below, each of whom has consented to being
proposed as a Nominee and to serve as a director, if elected,
until the next annual meeting of stockholders and/or until his
or her successor has been elected and qualified. The Nominees
are independent within the meaning of the New York Stock
Exchange listing standards and, except as described herein, are
not currently affiliated with ATS, Woodside or any other
subsidiary of Woodside, or with the Company or any subsidiary of
the Company. Mr. Martin was, until March 2006, the General
Counsel of Woodside. ATS reserves the right to nominate
substitute or additional persons if the Company makes or
announces any changes to its bylaws or takes or announces any
other action that has, or if consummated would have, the effect
of disqualifying any or all of the Nominees.
Directors of the Company are elected by a plurality of the votes
of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and
entitled to vote at an annual meeting, Pursuant to the
Companys amended bylaws, consents representing a majority
of all the Shares as of the close of business on the Record Date
entitled to
11
be voted at a meeting of stockholders on the election of
directors is required in order to implement Proposal 2.
The Nominees have furnished the following information regarding
their principal occupations and certain other matters:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name, Business |
|
|
|
Principal Occupation or Employment During |
(or Residence) Address |
|
Age | |
|
the Last Five Years and Other Directorships |
|
|
| |
|
|
Walter R. Arnheim
|
|
|
61 |
|
|
Since February of 2006, Mr. Arnheim has been a Director of
Magellan Midstream Holdings, a pipeline transportation and
refined products terminalling company. Prior to that,
Mr. Arnheim was a Director of Spinnaker Exploration, an oil
and gas exploration company, from 2004 to 2005, and a Director
of the Washington National Opera from 2000 to 2002. From 1968 to
January 2000, Mr. Arnheim was with Mobil Corporation where
he held a variety of positions, including Vice President of
Planning and Treasurer. |
Terry G. Dallas
|
|
|
55 |
|
|
Mr. Dallas currently serves as a director of Mirant Corporation,
an international energy company, a position he has held since
2006. From 2000 to 2005, Mr. Dallas was CFO of Unocal
Corp., an oil and gas exploration company and, prior to that,
Mr. Dallas held various executive finance positions at
Atlantic Richfield Corporation, an oil and gas company. |
Robert B. Holland, III
|
|
|
54 |
|
|
Mr. Holland is a director (and chairman of the audit
committee) of Max Petroleum, plc, an oil exploration company,
and a partner in Hidroelectrico Santo Domingo, a joint venture
formed to construct hydro power projects in Guatemala, all
positions he has held since 2006. In 2001, Mr. Holland was
appointed Alternate Executive Director of the World Bank by
President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate. In January
2005, Mr. Holland became Acting Executive Director of the
World Bank and Executive Director from September 2005 to 2006.
From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Holland was the managing partner of
Texas Limited, a strategic consulting firm. Prior to that,
Mr. Holland served as General Counsel, COO and CEO of
Triton Energy Ltd., an oil and gas exploration company, from
1993 to 1999. |
David R. Martin
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
Mr. Martin has been a director of Little World Beverages Ltd.
since March 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Martin was General
Counsel of Woodside from 2003 to 2006, Secretary of Woodside
from 2004 to 2006 and a Senior Lawyer at Woodside from 2001 to
2003. Prior to joining Woodside, Mr. Martin spent
12 years working in London, Singapore and Hong Kong,
including nine years as a partner in an international law firm. |
J. Kenneth Thompson
|
|
|
54 |
|
|
Mr. Thompson is President and CEO of Pacific Star Energy LLC, a
private energy investment company in Alaska, a position he has
held since 2000, and Managing Director of Alaska Venture Capital
Group, an oil exploration firm partially owned by Pacific Star
Energy LLC, a position he has held since 2004. Mr. Thompson
served as Executive Vice President of ARCOs Asia Pacific
oil and gas operating companies in Alaska, California,
Indonesia, China and Singapore from 1998 to 2000 and, prior to
that, he was President of ARCO Alaska, Inc., the parent
companys oil and gas producing division based in
Anchorage. Mr. Thompson currently serves as a director of
Alaska Air Group, Inc., the holding company for Alaska Airlines
and Horizon Air, Seattle-based carriers, a position he has held
since 1999 and director (and member of the audit committee and
chair of the compensation committee) of Coeur dAlene Mines
Corporation, a silver and gold producer, a position he has held
since 2002. |
12
Each of the Nominees has consented, if elected, to serve as a
director of the Company and to be named in this consent
statement and in other soliciting materials as a Nominee.
Although ATS has no reason to believe that any of the Nominees
would be unable or unwilling to serve as directors, if any of
the Nominees is not available for election, the [COLOR]
consent card will be voted for the election of such other
nominee or nominees as may be designated by ATS.
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY
ATS has agreed to pay each Nominee a fee of $40,000 for agreeing
to serve as a Nominee; additional fees may be paid, as
appropriate and agreed upon, for any additional services
rendered. The Nominees will also be entitled to reimbursement of
their reasonable and documented
out-of-pocket expenses
directly related to acting as a Nominee in connection with this
consent solicitation. Furthermore, it is anticipated that each
Nominee, upon election, will receive a directors fee,
consistent with the Companys past practice, for services
as a director of the Company. ATS does not currently anticipate
that the Nominees will continue to serve as directors of the
Company following the Second-Step Merger, at which time (should
the Second-Step Merger occur) the Company will become a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Woodside.
ATS has agreed to indemnify each Nominee, to the fullest extent
permitted by the DGCL and other applicable law, against, and to
hold each Nominee harmless from, any and all liabilities,
losses, claims, damages, suits, actions, judgments and
reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable
attorneys fees and expenses) (collectively,
Losses) incurred by each Nominee in connection with
the investigation, preparation or defense of any litigation
(commenced or threatened), any civil, criminal, administrative
or arbitration action, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all
amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation asserted
against, resulting, imposed upon, or incurred or suffered by
each Nominee, directly or indirectly, based upon, arising out of
or relating to the Nominees agreement to be a director
nominee pursuant to this consent solicitation (including in the
Nominees acting as a director of the Company); provided,
however, that ATS will not be liable in any such case to the
extent that any such Losses arise out of any inaccurate written
information supplied by the Nominees for inclusion in any
filings made with any federal or state governmental agency,
including any consent solicitation materials (including this
consent statement), or is found in a final judgment by a court,
not subject to further appeal, to have resulted from bad faith,
gross negligence or willful misconduct on the Nominees
part. Woodside has agreed to guaranty the indemnification
obligations of ATS under each indemnification agreement. In
addition, in the event the Nominees are elected to serve as
directors, ATS has agreed to use all reasonable endeavors to put
in place directors and officers liability insurance
to cover the Nominees against Losses arising out of their
performance of the role of directors, subject to customary
qualifications and exemptions, to the extent the Company does
not have such policies in place.
According to the Companys Proxy Statement for its 2006
Annual Meeting of Stockholders, non-employee directors of the
Company receive an annual retainer of $30,000, meeting fees of
$2,000 for each Board meeting attended and $1,500 for each
committee meeting attended (even if held on the same date as a
Board meeting). The Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an
additional $15,000 per year, each other Audit Committee
member receives an additional $5,000 per year and the
Chairman of each of the Compensation Committee and the
Nominating & Governance Committee receives an
additional $10,000 per year. Meeting fees are paid in cash.
Retainer fees are paid in shares of Common Stock (valued at fair
market value); provided that a director may elect to receive up
to 50% of such retainer fees in cash. Directors may defer all or
a portion of their retainer and meeting fees. Directors are also
reimbursed for their reasonable expenses in connection with
attending Board meetings and other Company events. The
Companys Amended and Restated 2000 Stock Incentive Plan
for Non-Employee Directors provides for grants of stock options
and restricted share units to members of the Board who are not
employees of the Company or any subsidiary. The size of any
grants of stock options and restricted share units to
non-employee directors, including to new directors, is
determined annually, based on the analysis of an independent
compensation consultant. All stock options granted under the
plan have a per share exercise price equal to the fair market
value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant (as
determined by the committee appointed to administer the plan).
Stock options and restricted share units become 100% vested on
the first anniversary of the date of grant provided
13
the eligible director continues as a director of the Company
throughout that one-year period. Prior to the first anniversary
of the date of grant, an eligible director shall be vested in
the pro rata number of options or restricted share units based
on the number of days during that year that the eligible
director served. Stock options expire on the earlier of
(i) ten years from the date of grant or
(ii) 36 months after the optionee ceases to be a
director for any reason.
Other than as described herein, ATS is not aware of any other
arrangements pursuant to which non-employee directors of the
Company were to be compensated for services as a director during
the Companys last fiscal year.
All information regarding the Companys historical director
compensation and benefits arrangements set forth in this consent
statement is derived solely from the Companys public
filings. ATS has relied upon the accuracy of such information
and has not made any independent attempt to verify the accuracy
of such information.
PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSALS
The purpose of the Proposals is to remove the current directors
of the Company (and any person(s) (other than those elected by
this consent solicitation) elected or designated by any of such
directors to fill any vacancy or newly created directorship) and
to elect the Nominees to the Board, thereby facilitating the
consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger. ATS also
seeks to prevent the current directors of the Company from
creating additional obstacles to the consummation of the Offer
and the Second-Step Merger.
If elected, and subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware
law, the Nominees would have the power to take those steps
necessary to permit the consummation of the Offer and the
Second-Step Merger. ATS expects that the Nominees will (and each
of the Nominees have indicated to ATS that they intend to), if
elected, and subject in all cases to their fiduciary duties
under Delaware law, resolve to:
|
|
|
|
|
cause the Section 203 Condition to be satisfied; |
|
|
|
terminate the Rights Agreement or redeem the Rights, or
otherwise act to satisfy the Rights Condition; |
|
|
|
cause the Company to enter into a definitive merger agreement
with ATS or another subsidiary of Woodside, thereby causing the
Second-Step Merger Condition to be satisfied; |
|
|
|
|
take such other actions are may be necessary to satisfy any of
the other conditions to the Offer set forth in the Offer to
Purchase which may be influenced by the Board and seek or grant
other consents or approvals as may be desirable or necessary to
expedite the prompt consummation of the Offer and the
Second-Step Merger; and |
|
|
|
|
take such appropriate action under Delaware law and the
Companys amended bylaws to reduce the size of the Board to
five members. |
Election of our Nominees will signal that a majority of the
Companys stockholders favor the Board taking such actions
that it may deem necessary or advisable to facilitate the
consummation of the Offer and the Second-Step Merger and that
such stockholders consider our $23.00 all-cash tender offer,
subject to increase to $23.50 or $24.00 under certain
circumstances, for 100% of the Shares (and the Second-Step
Merger) to be in their best interests.
If elected, the Nominees will be responsible for managing the
business and affairs of the Company. Each director of the
Company has an obligation under the DGCL to discharge his duties
as a director on an informed basis, in good faith, with the care
an ordinarily careful and prudent person in a like position
would exercise under similar circumstances and in a manner the
director honestly believes to be in the best interests of the
Company and the stockholders. In this regard, circumstances may
arise in which the interests of ATS and its affiliates, on the
one hand, and the interests of other stockholders of the
Company, on the other hand, may differ. In any such case, ATS
expects the Nominees to discharge fully their obligations to the
Company and its stockholders under Delaware law. There can be no
assurance that the Nominees will take action that will result in
the Offer and the Second-Step Merger being consummated.
Conversely, even if our Proposals are rejected, the current
Board could take action to facilitate the Offer and the
Second-Step Merger; however, it has to date made no efforts to
do so.
14
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE NOMINEES
The Nominees have also furnished additional information located
in Schedule I of this consent statement as required by the
Commission.
BACKGROUND OF THE SOLICITATION
The Companys
Form S-4 filed
with the Commission on July 21, 2006 (as amended, the
Company
Form S-4)
provides a summary of the events leading to the Company entering
into the Stone Merger Agreement.
On August 28, 2006, Don Voelte, the chief executive officer
of Woodside placed a telephone call to Richard A. Bachmann, the
chief executive officer of the Company. During this call,
Mr. Voelte indicated that ATS intended to make an offer for
the Company at a price of $23.00 per Share in cash, subject
to the Companys stockholders voting against the announced
merger with Stone. Mr. Voelte stated that he also believed
that under the terms of the Stone Merger Agreement, the Company
would not be able to deal with ATS while this agreement was in
force. Mr. Bachmann confirmed that Mr. Voelte was
correct in his belief. Mr. Voelte also indicated that ATS
would file litigation seeking to invalidate both the
$25.6 million termination fee and the $43.5 million
payment previously made by the Company on behalf of Stone, and
that if both these amounts were invalidated and/or repaid ATS
intended to increase its offer to $24.00 per Share in cash.
Mr. Bachmann did not make any further inquiry of
Mr. Voelte. At the end of the discussion, Mr. Voelte
gave Mr. Bachmann his contact information.
Immediately following this telephone call, ATS filed the claims
described below under CERTAIN LITIGATION against the
Company and Stone in the Chancery Court of Delaware and issued a
press release announcing its proposal and stating its intention
to commence an all-cash tender offer at a price of
$23.00 per Share subject to increase under certain
circumstances depending on the resolution of the Delaware
litigation.
On the afternoon of August 28, 2006, the Company issued a
press release requesting that stockholders of the Company take
no action with respect to ATSs proposal at such time. The
release stated that the Companys Board would meet to
review and discuss ATSs proposal and would advise
stockholders of the Companys position in due
course. On August 29, 2006, the Company amended the
Company Form S-4
(the S-4 Amendment) to include disclosure regarding
the Offer. The S-4 Amendment also revised the Companys
disclosure regarding the ability of its stockholders to act by
written consent by deleting reference to a provision in its
bylaws that purportedly requires approval of 85% of the Shares
outstanding in order for stockholders to act by written consent.
Also on August 29, 2006, the Company sent a letter to its
employees advising them of the current status of the Offer.
On August 31, 2006, ATS commenced its Offer by filing a
Schedule TO with the Commission including the Offer to
Purchase and the accompanying Letter of Transmittal as exhibits.
Also on August 31, 2006, ATS issued a press release
announcing the commencement of the Offer and placed a summary
advertisement relating to the Offer in the Wall Street Journal.
In the Offer to Purchase, ATS stated its concern that the terms
of the Stone Merger Agreement could be interpreted to prohibit
the Company from negotiating a transaction with, or providing
confidential information to, ATS. On September 7, 2006, the
Company filed an action against Stone in the Delaware Court of
Chancery seeking a declaratory judgment to clarify that the
Stone Merger Agreement does not prohibit the Company from taking
certain actions such as negotiating a transaction with, or
providing confidential information to, a third party. In its
complaint, the Company indicated that Stone believed that the
Stone Merger Agreement prohibits the Company from taking such
actions.
On September 8, 2006, ATS filed a preliminary proxy
statement with the Commission to solicit proxies, to be used at
a special meeting with respect to the Stone Merger Agreement,
from the Companys stockholders to vote AGAINST
(i) the proposal to approve the issuance of shares of the
Companys common stock to stockholders of Stone in
connection with the Stone Merger Agreement and (ii) two
other proposals proposed by the Company in connection therewith.
15
On September 11, 2006, ATS filed its Premerger Notification
statement under the HSR Act with the Federal Trade Commission
and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
According to the Companys Current Report on
Form 8-K filed
with the Commission on September 14, 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
On September 13, 2006, the Company entered into indemnity
agreements (collectively, the Indemnity Agreements)
with each of its directors, executive officers and one other
employee. The Indemnity Agreements provide such individuals
with, among other things, certain indemnification and
advancement rights in third-party proceedings, proceedings by or
in the right of the corporation, proceedings in which the
indemnitee is wholly or partly successful, and for an
indemnitees expenses incurred as a witness in a proceeding
by reason of his or her corporate status. |
|
|
|
|
|
On September 13, 2006, the Company entered into amendments
to the Companys change of control severance agreements
with Richard Bachmann, Phillip Gobe, John Peper and Timothy
Woodall (collectively, the Severance Agreements) and
amendments to the change of control severance plan (the
Severance Plan) for 13 officers and key employees,
including two of the Companys executive officers,
Messrs. Dykes and Ottosan. The amendments to the Severance
Agreements and the Severance Plan (collectively, the
Severance Program) include: (i) in the case of
a participant who becomes entitled to severance benefits, if the
participant has not, by the time of his or her termination of
employment, received a bonus for the calendar year before the
calendar year of termination of employment, the participant will
receive a bonus for that year in an amount equal to his or her
target bonus opportunity for that year, (ii) in determining
a participants average annual bonus for purposes of the
bonus component of the severance benefit, the bonus for a
partial year of employment is disregarded, (iii) the
multiple applied in determining the severance payment may not be
changed on or after a change of control and (iv) provisions
to comply with new federal income tax rules relating to
nonqualified deferred compensation. In the case of the Severance
Plan (but not the Severance Agreements), the Board also approved
an amendment making it a good reason basis for
termination of employment if the participant is required to
relocate to an office which is more than 35 miles in
driving distance from the office at which the participant is
employed immediately before the change of control. |
|
|
|
|
On September 13, 2006, the Company adopted changes to
Sections 2.5 and 2.9 of its bylaws. The revised
Section 2.5 grants authority to the presiding officer of a
stockholder meeting to adjourn the stockholder meeting and
allows for the adjournment of a stockholder meeting with or
without a quorum. The revised Section 2.9 eliminated the
85% super-majority voting requirement for stockholder action by
written consent and sets forth (i) the process by which the
record date should be established for an action by written
consent, (ii) the requirements for valid consents, and
(iii) the process for independent inspectors to certify the
validity of any action by written consent. |
|
|
|
On September 13, 2006, the Company adopted a new severance
plan, called the Energy Partners, Ltd. Employee Change of
Control Severance Plan (the New Severance Plan),
covering full-time employees of the Company not covered by the
existing Severance Program. The New Severance Plan provides
that, in the event of certain terminations of employment by the
Company without cause or by the participant for
good reason within two years after a change of
control (which would include the consummation of the Offer), the
participant would be entitled to receive (i) a lump sum
severance benefit equal to 3 weeks of base pay for each
year of service or fraction thereof as a full-time employee of
the Company or Hall-Houston Oil Company (which was acquired by
the Company in 2002) and 3 weeks of base pay for each
$10,000 or fraction thereof of annual base salary and scheduled
overtime pay (subject to a maximum of 52 weeks of base pay
and a minimum of 16 weeks of base pay), (ii) a pro
rata bonus for the calendar year of termination of employment
equal to the pro rata portion of the greater of the
participants average annual bonus for the prior three full
calendar years of employment (or lesser number of prior full
calendar years of employment) and the participants target
bonus opportunity for the calendar year of termination of
employment, (iii) if the participant has not yet received a
bonus for the calendar year before the calendar year of
termination |
16
|
|
|
|
|
of employment, a bonus for such year equal to target bonus
opportunity for such year, (iv) continuation of medical,
dental and life insurance benefits for 12 months provided
the participant pays the same portion of the required premium,
and provided, further, that such coverage would cease if the
participant obtains new employment providing benefits of the
same type, and (v) reasonable outplacement services. |
|
|
|
On September 14, 2006, the Company entered into the Rights
Agreement. |
|
|
|
On September 14, 2006, the Company announced that its Board
had rejected the Offer as inadequate and recommended that its
stockholders not tender their shares into the Offer (as
described below). |
On September 14, 2006, the Company filed a Solicitation/
Recommendation Statement on Schedule
14D-9 with the
Commission (the
Schedule 14D-9).
According to the
Schedule 14D-9,
the Board, after a review of the Offer with its financial and
legal advisors, unanimously determined (with Mr. Hiltz
abstaining) that the Offer is inadequate and not in the best
interests of the Companys stockholders (other than
Woodside and its affiliates), and accordingly the Board
recommended that the Companys stockholders reject the
Offer and not tender their Shares pursuant to the Offer.
On September 18, 2006, ATS issued a press release
expressing, among other things, its disappointment with the
Boards recommendation against the Offer.
On September 27, 2006, ATS delivered a letter to the
Company, in accordance with the Companys amended bylaws,
requesting that the Company set a record duly to determine the
stockholders entitled to consent in connection with this consent
solicitation.
On September 28, 2006, ATS announced that it had extended
the expiration date of the Offer to 11:59 p.m., New York
City time on Friday, October 20, 2006, unless further
extended and that the waiting period under the HSR Act with
respect to the Offer and the Second-Step Merger had expired.
For additional information on the status of the Delaware
litigation, see CERTAIN LITIGATION below.
CERTAIN LITIGATION
Pursuant to the Stone Merger Agreement, the Company agreed to
advance a $43.5 million fee (the Initial Termination
Fee) paid by the Company when it entered into the Stone
Merger Agreement in respect of the
break-up fee Stone owed
to Plains Exploration & Production Company
(Plains), and subsequently paid the Initial
Termination Fee to Plains on the date it entered into the Stone
Merger Agreement. Under the Stone Merger Agreement, Stone has
committed to repay the Initial Termination Fee to the Company in
only a few very limited circumstances e.g., if Stone
is in material breach of the Stone Merger Agreement, or in
certain situations in which Stones board of directors or
stockholders take action resulting in the termination of the
Stone Merger Agreement. Thus, the Company will forfeit any
recovery of the $43.5 million Initial Termination Fee if
the Companys Board changes its recommendation about the
Stone Merger Agreement, or if the Companys stockholders
fail to approve the Stone Merger Agreement, thereby enabling the
Company to pursue a more favorable third-party proposal. The
Companys payment of the $43.5 million Initial
Termination Fee therefore is equivalent to a termination fee of
$43.5 million.
In addition, the Company agreed to pay Stone a
$25.6 million fee (the Additional Termination
Fee) if the Companys Board withdraws or changes its
recommendation in favor of the Stone Merger Agreement, or if the
Companys stockholders do not approve the transactions
contemplated by the Stone Merger Agreement (i.e., do not approve
the issuance of Shares to Stone stockholders in connection with
that merger) in response to a third-party proposal and the
Company within twelve months thereafter enters into such a
transaction.
Combined, the provisions in the Stone Merger Agreement
concerning the Initial Termination Fee and the Additional
Termination Fee amount to $69.1 million. The termination
fee is thus worth approximately 10% of the Companys market
capitalization, which was approximately $690,950,987 as of the
close of trading on the
17
New York Stock Exchange on June 22, 2006, the date the
Company and Stone entered into the Stone Merger Agreement.
On August 28, 2006, ATS commenced litigation in the
Chancery Court of Delaware concerning, among other things, the
validity of the Initial Termination Fee and the Additional
Termination Fee. In the event that we obtain a judgment on the
merits resulting in a court order either (i) invalidating
the Additional Termination Fee in full (an ATF Favorable
Judgment), and such judgment shall have become final and
nonappealable (an ATF Final Favorable Judgment), or
(ii) requiring the repayment by Stone to the Company of the
Initial Termination Fee in full (an ITF Favorable
Judgment), and such judgment shall have become final and
nonappealable (an ITF Final Favorable Judgment),
then we will increase our offer price by $0.50 per Share to
$23.50 per Share. If we receive both an ATF Final Favorable
Judgment and an ITF Final Favorable Judgment, then we will
increase our offer price by $1.00 per Share to
$24.00 per Share.
If, prior to the expiration of the Offer either, or both, of an
ATF Favorable Judgment and an ITF Favorable Judgment shall have
been obtained, but shall not yet have become an ATF Final
Favorable Judgment and/or an ITF Final Favorable Judgment, as
the case may be, then stockholders of the Company whose Shares
have been accepted for payment in connection with the Offer
shall receive $23.00 net per Share and a contractual right
to receive an additional $0.50 per Share (each a
Contractual Right) with respect to each of such ATF
Final Favorable Judgment and/or such ITF Final Favorable
Judgment, as the case may be, to be paid following the date on
which an ATF Final Favorable Judgment or an ITF Final Favorable
Judgment, as the case may be, has been obtained.
Contractual Rights will not be assignable or transferable except
by operation of law (including the laws of descent and
distribution) or by intestacy without the prior written approval
of ATS, and will not be evidenced by any certificate or other
instrument. Upon any payment of the amount due under a
Contractual Right to the person identified in the appropriate
portion of a Letter of Transmittal, ATSs obligations with
respect thereto will be fully discharged. Each Contractual Right
will represent only the contingent right to receive
$0.50 per Share as described in the Offer to Purchase.
Neither ATS nor Woodside will have any fiduciary, contractual or
other duty to pursue any action with respect to the Delaware
litigation described above and in the Offer to Purchase, and all
decisions with respect to such litigation at anytime will be
made at ATSs discretion.
ATSs litigation in the Chancery Court of Delaware also
included a claim to invalidate a provision of the Companys
bylaws which purported to impose an 85% vote requirement for
consent solicitations.
On September 7, 2006, ATS filed a motion for summary
judgment on one of the claims in its complaint filed in the
Delaware Chancery Court on August 28, 2006. ATS sought a
judgment as a matter of law that Section 2.9 of the
Companys bylaws, which purported to impose a supermajority
requirement on stockholder action taken by written consent, is
invalid under Section 228 of the DGCL and Delaware case law.
On September 11, 2006, ATS amended the complaint it had
filed in the Delaware Chancery Court on August 28, 2006.
ATS added a claim challenging Section 6.2(e) of the Stone
Merger Agreement. ATS believes that, as interpreted by Stone,
this non-impairment provision is unlawful and
invalid under Delaware law because it prevents the Board from
exercising its fiduciary duties under Delaware law by, among
other things, informing itself about third-party superior
proposals, such as the Offer.
On September 11, 2006, ATS also filed a motion to
consolidate its action with an action brought by the Company
against Stone in the Delaware Chancery Court on
September 7, 2006, which also challenges Stones
construction of Section 6.2(e) of the Stone Merger
Agreement. The Delaware Chancery Court scheduled a hearing on
these claims for September 22, 2006. With respect to
ATSs other claims, the Delaware Chancery Court ordered
defendants to respond to ATSs discovery requests on an
expedited basis by September 27, 2006.
On September 14, 2006, the Company stated in the
Schedule 14D-9 that the Board had amended its bylaws to
delete the provision that purported to require an 85%
supermajority vote for any action to be taken by written consent
by the Companys stockholders. The Company also disclosed
its belief that such action moots [ATSs] claim
relating to the [unlawful bylaw] and did not submit a
brief in opposition to ATSs
18
motion for summary judgment in accordance with the Courts
briefing schedule. Therefore, it appears that ATSs claim
for summary judgment on Section 2.9 of the Companys
bylaws has been mooted, and the briefing schedule and hearing
ordered by the Delaware Chancery Court are no longer necessary.
On September 22, 2006, the Delaware Chancery Court held a
hearing on the merits regarding the consolidated claims by ATS
and the Company challenging the legality of Section 6.2(e)
of the Stone Merger Agreement as construed by Stone.
On September 26, 2006, the Company moved to dismiss
ATSs claims concerning the legality of the Initial
Termination Fee and the Additional Termination Fee provisions in
the Stone Merger Agreement. The Company also requested that the
court block ATS from taking discovery. In a separate submission,
the Company requested that the court deny ATSs motion for
an expedited trial, or, to the extent that ATSs request is
(or has been already) granted, to schedule a preliminary
injunction hearing rather than a trial. On September 27,
2006, the Delaware Court of Chancery set a hearing on the
Companys motion to dismiss on October 5, 2006. The
court also stated that it will not revisit its past rulings
concerning discovery, and declined to grant a stay on discovery.
On September 27, 2006, the Delaware Court of Chancery
issued an oral ruling on the consolidated claims concerning the
construction and validity of Section 6.2(e) of the Stone
Merger Agreement. A written decision is expected to be issued in
the week of October 2, 2006. The court found that there was
a ripe and justiciable dispute concerning the Companys
ability to explore unsolicited third-party acquisition proposals
(as the term third-party acquisition proposal is
defined in the Stone Energy Merger Agreement), including the
Offer. The court granted the declaratory relief requested by ATS
in part, holding that Section 6.2(e) of the Stone Energy
Merger Agreement does not restrict the Companys ability to
explore, in good faith, unsolicited third-party acquisition
proposals, including the Offer, and does not prohibit the
Company from communicating or exchanging non-public information
with such bidders, including ATS, or from disclosing information
concerning unsolicited third-party acquisition proposals,
including the Offer, to its shareholders. The court found that
the plain language of Section 6.2(e) does not impose any
such restrictions on the Company. The court further held that
the right to explore unsolicited third-party acquisition
proposals is implied in the Boards right to change or
withdraw its recommendation to stockholders regarding approval
of Shares in connection with the Stone Merger Agreement in
relation to a third-party acquisition proposal, as contemplated
in Section 10.1(i) of the Stone Merger Agreement. The court
also found support for its construction in the negotiation
history between the parties, in particular the lack of any
discussion between the Company and Stone concerning the meaning
of Section 6.2(e). The court held that in light of its
ruling that Section 6.2(e) does not restrict the
Companys ability to explore unsolicited third party
acquisition proposals, it did not need to decide whether
Section 6.2(e) was per se invalid. The court dismissed,
without prejudice, the Companys claims insofar as the
relief sought would go beyond its ability to explore unsolicited
third-party acquisition proposals on the basis that no ripe and
justiciable dispute existed concerning these claims.
CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING ATS, WOODSIDE FINANCE AND
WOODSIDE
ATS is a recently incorporated Delaware corporation organized in
connection with the Offer and the Second-Step Merger and has not
carried on any activities other than in connection with the
Offer and the Second-Step Merger, except that ATS acquired
1,719,000 Shares from August 15, 2006 to
August 23, 2006. As of the date of the filing of this
consent statement with the Commission, ATS owned of record, and
Woodside and ATS share beneficial ownership (as defined for
purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the Exchange Act)) of, 1,719,000 Shares,
or approximately 4.5% of the outstanding Shares. The principal
offices of ATS are located at 71683 Riverside Drive, Covington,
Louisiana 70433, and the telephone number of ATS is
(985) 249-5300. ATS is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary
of Woodside.
Until immediately prior to the time that ATS will purchase
Shares pursuant to the Offer, it is not anticipated that ATS
will have any significant assets or liabilities or engage in
activities other than those incidental to its formation and
capitalization and the transactions contemplated by the Offer
and the Second-
19
Step Merger, including the Shares it acquires as referenced
above. Because ATS is recently formed and has minimal assets and
capitalization, no meaningful financial information regarding
ATS is available.
Woodside Finance is a company incorporated under the laws of
Victoria, Australia, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Woodside.
The principal offices of Woodside Finance are located at
Woodside Plaza, 140 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western
Australia 6000. The telephone number of Woodside Finance is
011-61-8-9348-4000.
Woodside Finance, the primary borrowing and lending entity for
Woodside and its subsidiaries, will provide funding for the
Offer, the Second-Step Merger and related fees and expenses.
Woodside Finance will secure a loan from Société
Générale and will provide intra-group funding to ATS.
Woodside is a company incorporated under the laws of Victoria,
Australia with its principal executive offices located at
Woodside Plaza, 240 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia
6000. The telephone number of Woodside is 011-61-8-9348-4000.
Woodside is Australias largest publicly-listed oil and gas
company. It was established in 1954, is listed on the Australian
Stock Exchange (ASX) and has a market capitalization of
about $21 billion. Woodside has about 3,400 employees and
has exploration interests in 11 countries, and production from
four. Since 1992, American Depositary Receipts, each
representing one Woodside share, have been traded over the
counter under the trade symbol WOPEY. Woodside has
not sponsored the issue of these ADRs.
The name, citizenship, business address, business telephone
number, principal occupation or employment, and five-year
employment history for each of the directors and executive
officers of ATS, Woodside, Woodside Finance and certain other
information is set forth in Schedule II hereto. Except as
described in the Offer to Purchase and in Schedule I
hereto, none of ATS, Woodside, Woodside Finance or, to the best
knowledge of ATS or Woodside Finance, any of the persons listed
on Schedule II hereto, has during the last five years
(i) been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding
traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or (ii) been a
party to any judicial or administrative proceeding (except for
matters that were dismissed without sanction or settlement) that
resulted in a judgment, decree or final order enjoining the
person from future violations of, or prohibiting activities
subject to, federal or state securities laws or finding any
violation of such laws.
Except as described in this consent statement or on
Schedule III hereto, (i) none of ATS, Woodside,
Woodside Finance nor, to the best knowledge of ATS or Woodside
Finance, any of the persons listed in Schedule II hereto or
any associate or majority owned subsidiary of ATS, Woodside,
Woodside Finance or any of the persons so listed, beneficially
owns or has any right to acquire any Shares and (ii) none
of ATS, Woodside, Woodside Finance nor, to the best knowledge of
ATS or Woodside Finance, any of the persons or entities referred
to above nor any director, executive officer or subsidiary of
any of the foregoing has effected any transaction in the Shares
during the past 60 days.
Except as otherwise described in this consent statement, none of
ATS, Woodside, Woodside Finance nor, to the best knowledge of
ATS or Woodside Finance, any of the persons listed in
Schedule II hereto has any contract, agreement, arrangement
or understanding, whether or not legally enforceable, with any
other person with respect to any securities of the Company,
including, but not limited to, the transfer or voting of such
securities, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or
calls, guaranties of loans, guaranties against loss or the
giving or withholding of proxies, consents or authorizations.
Except as set forth in this consent statement, during the two
years prior to the date of the filing of this consent statement
with the Commission, none of ATS, Woodside, Woodside Finance
nor, to the best knowledge of ATS or Woodside Finance, any of
the persons listed on Schedule II hereto has had any
transaction with the Company or any of its executive officers,
directors or affiliates that is required to be reported under
the rules and regulations of the Commission applicable to the
Offer. Except as set forth in this consent statement, during the
two years prior to the date of the Offer to Purchase, there have
been no negotiations, transactions or material contacts between
any of ATS, Woodside, Woodside Finance or any of their
respective subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of ATS or
Woodside Finance, any of the persons listed in Schedule II
hereto, on the one hand, and the Company or its affiliates, on
the other hand, concerning a merger, consolidation or
acquisition, tender offer for or other acquisition of any class
of the Companys securities, an election of the
Companys directors or a sale or other transfer of a
material amount of assets of the Company.
20
Except as set forth herein, none of ATS, Woodside Finance,
Woodside or any of the persons listed in Schedule II
hereto: (i) has any arrangement or understanding with any
person with respect to any future employment by the Company or
its affiliates, or with respect to any future transactions to
which the Company or any of its affiliates will or may be a
party; (ii) had or will have, and no member of their
immediate family had or will have, a direct or indirect material
interest in any transaction, or series of similar transactions,
since the beginning of the Companys last fiscal year, or
any currently proposed transaction, or series of similar
transactions, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
was or is to be a party, in which the amount involved exceeds
$60,000; (iii) borrowed any funds for the purpose of
acquiring or holding any securities of the Company; (iv) is
or was within the past year, a party to any contract,
arrangements or understandings with any person with respect to
any securities of the Company, including, but not limited to,
joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or calls,
guarantees against loss or guarantees of profit, division of
losses or profits, or the giving or withholding of proxies;
(v) will receive any special compensation in connection
with the consent solicitation or (vi) has any position or
office with the Company. Except as set forth herein, none of the
associates of ATS, Woodside Finance, Woodside or any of the
persons listed in Schedule II hereto has any arrangement or
understanding with any person with respect to any future
employment by the Company or its affiliates, or with respect to
any future transactions to which the Company or any of its
affiliates will or may be a party.
Directors and executive officers of ATS, Woodside, Woodside
Finance and/or their respective associates may also be directors
or officers of other companies and organizations that have
engaged in transactions with the Company or its subsidiaries in
the ordinary course of business since the beginning of the
Companys last fiscal year. Although ATS is not aware of
any specific transaction involving the Company and such other
companies and organizations, ATS believes that the interest of
those directors and executive officers and their associates with
respect to any such transaction would not be of material
significance.
Except as set forth herein, none of the entities referred to in
this consent statement with which ATS, Woodside or Woodside
Finance has been involved during the past five years is a
parent, subsidiary, or other affiliate of the Company.
CONSENT PROCEDURES
Section 228 of the DGCL states that, unless otherwise
provided in a corporations certificate of incorporation,
any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting
of stockholders, or any action that may be taken at any annual
or special meeting of stockholders, may be taken without a
meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent
or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is
signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than
the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize
or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to
vote thereon were present and voted, and those consents are
delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered
office in Delaware, its principal place of business or an
officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the books
in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded.
The Companys certificate of incorporation does not
prohibit stockholder action by written consent.
Consents representing a majority of all the Shares as of the
close of business on the Record Date entitled to be voted at a
meeting of stockholders on the Proposals (i.e., a majority of
the issued and outstanding Shares) as of the close of business
on the Record Date are required in order to implement each of
the Proposals.
Section 2.9(b) of the Companys amended bylaws
provides that any stockholder seeking to have the stockholders
of Company authorize or take corporate action by written consent
is required to request by written notice to the Secretary of the
Company that the Board fix a record date. The Board is required
to promptly, but in all events within 10 days after the
date on which such written notice is received, adopt a
resolution fixing the record date for the solicitation (which
may not be more than 10 days after the date of the
resolution). If no record date is fixed by the Board within
10 days after the receipt of such written notice, the
record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to
corporate action in writing without a meeting will be the date
on which the first signed consent is delivered to the Company.
On September 27,
21
2006, in the event we were required to do so by law, ATS
delivered written notice to the Secretary of the Company
requesting that the Board set a record date for stockholders
taking action with respect to the Proposals. Pursuant to
Section 2.9(b) of the amended bylaws, the Board must fix
the Record Date by October 7, 2006, and the Record Date may
be no later than October 17, 2006 or, if the Board takes no
action with respect to our request, the Record Date will be
fixed as described in the amended bylaws.
Upon the delivery to the Company of a signed written consent or
consents to take corporate action and/or any related revocation
or revocations, Section 2.9(c) of the Companys
amended bylaws provides that the Company will engage independent
inspectors of elections for the purpose of performing promptly a
ministerial review of the validity of the consents and
revocations. No action by written consent and without a meeting
will be effective until such inspectors have completed their
review, determined that the requisite number of valid and
unrevoked consents delivered to the Company in accordance with
Section 2.9 of the amended bylaws and applicable law have
been obtained to authorize or take the action specified in the
consents, and certified such determination for entry in the
records of the Company kept for the purpose of recording the
proceedings of meetings of stockholders. The action by written
consent and without a meeting will take effect as of the date
and time of the certification of the written consents and will
not relate back to the date the written consents to take the
corporate action were delivered to the Company. In the event
that the action by written consent and without a meeting fills a
vacancy or vacancies on the Board or otherwise elects a director
or directors to the Board, such newly elected director or
directors shall take office and have the authority of a director
conferred upon them as of the date and time of the
certification, and not the date of delivery to the Company of
the written consents. In the event that the action by written
consent and without a meeting replaces a director or directors
on the Board, the authority of such replaced director or
directors shall continue until the date and time of the
certification of the written consents.
Under Section 228(c) of the DGCL, no written consent shall
be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein
unless, within 60 days of the earliest dated consent
delivered, written consents signed by a sufficient number of
holders or members to take action are delivered to the
corporation by delivery to its registered office in Delaware,
its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the
corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of
meetings of stockholders or members are recorded. The
Companys bylaws provide that no written consent shall be
effective to take the corporate action referred to therein
unless, within 60 days after the earliest dated written
consent received, a valid written consent or valid written
consents signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take
such action are delivered to the Company and not revoked. ATS
intends to deliver a written consent representing
1,719,000 Shares to the principal place of business of the
Company on or around [ ], 2006.
If the Proposals are adopted pursuant to the consent procedures,
prompt notice will be given pursuant to Section 228(d) of
the DGCL to stockholders who have not executed consents.
An executed [COLOR] consent card may be revoked at any
time before the action authorized by the executed consent
becomes effective by marking, dating, signing and delivering a
written revocation. A revocation may be in any written form
validly signed by the record holder as long as it clearly states
that the consent previously given is no longer effective. The
delivery of a subsequently dated consent card which is properly
completed will constitute a revocation of any earlier consent.
Section 2.9(c) of the Companys amended bylaws
provides that the Company will engage independent inspectors of
elections for the purpose of performing promptly a ministerial
review of the validity of any revocations. The revocation may be
delivered either to ATS, care of Innisfree M&A Incorporated,
501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10022,
or to the Company at 201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 3400,
New Orleans, Louisiana 70170. Although a revocation is effective
if delivered to the Company, ATS requests that either the
original or photostatic copies of all revocations of consents be
mailed or delivered to ATS, care of Innisfree, at the address
set forth above, so that ATS will be aware of all revocations
and can more accurately determine if and when consents to the
actions described herein have been received from the holders of
record on the Record Date of a majority of outstanding Shares.
22
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
If you were a record holder of Shares as of the close of
business on the Record Date, you may elect to consent to,
withhold consent to or abstain by marking the
CONSENT, DOES NOT CONSENT or
ABSTAIN box, as applicable, underneath each such
Proposal on the accompanying [COLOR] consent card and
signing, dating and returning it promptly in the postage-paid
envelope provided.
In addition, you may withhold consent to the removal of any
individual member of the Board or to the election of any
individual Nominee by writing such persons name on the
consent card. However, Proposal 2 cannot be effected unless
Proposal 1 is adopted.
If the stockholder has signed, dated and returned a consent card
to ATS but has failed to check a box marked CONSENT,
DOES NOT CONSENT or ABSTAIN for one or
more of the Proposals, such stockholder will be deemed to have
consented to such Proposal or Proposals, except that such
stockholder will not be deemed to have consented to the removal
of any member of the Board or the election of any Nominee whose
name is written-in by such stockholder on the consent card.
ATS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CONSENT TO EACH OF THE
PROPOSALS.
YOUR CONSENT IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED
[COLOR] CONSENT CARD AND RETURN IN THE ENCLOSED
POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE PROMPTLY. FAILURE TO RETURN YOUR CONSENT
CARD WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS VOTING AGAINST THE PROPOSALS.
If your Shares are held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank
nominee or other institution, you should contact the person in
charge of your account and give instructions to have the
[COLOR] consent card with respect to your Shares signed,
dated and mailed. Only that institution can execute a
[COLOR] consent card with respect to your Shares and only
upon receipt of specific instructions from you. ATS urges you to
confirm in writing your instructions to the person responsible
for your account and to provide a copy of those instructions to
ATS, care of Innisfree, using the stamped self-addressed
envelope included in the packet so that ATS will be aware of all
instructions given and can attempt to ensure that such
instructions are followed. Since ATS must receive consents from
holders of a majority of the outstanding Shares in order for
each of Proposal 1 and Proposal 2 to be adopted, not
returning a signed consent, a broker non-vote or direction to
withhold authority to vote on the [COLOR] consent card
will each have the same effect as a DOES NOT CONSENT
vote with respect to ATSs solicitation.
VOTING SECURITIES
According to publicly available information (including the
Companys certificate of incorporation and bylaws), the
Shares constitute the only class of outstanding voting
securities of the Company. Accordingly, only holders of Shares
are entitled to execute consents. Each Share is entitled to one
vote. The Companys stockholders do not have cumulative
voting rights.
Between August 15, 2006 and August 23, 2006, ATS
acquired 1,719,000 Shares in the open market as more fully
set forth on Schedule III. ATS intends to deliver a written
consent representing 1,719,000 Shares to the principal
place of business of the Company on or around
[ ], 2006.
The effectiveness of each of Proposal 1 and Proposal 2
is subject to, and conditioned upon, the properly completed and
duly delivered, unrevoked written consent to such Proposal by
the holders of record, as of the close of business on the Record
Date, of a majority of all Shares as of the close of business on
the Record Date entitled to be voted at a meeting of
stockholders on such Proposals (i.e., a majority of the issued
and outstanding Shares). According to the Companys
Schedule 14D-9 filed on September 14, 2006, as of
September 7, 2006, there were 38,434,109 Shares issued
and outstanding. Assuming that the number of issued and
outstanding Shares is 38,434,109, the consent of at least
19,217,055 Shares would be necessary to effect each of
Proposal 1 and Proposal 2. The actual number of
consents necessary to effect the Proposals will depend on the
actual facts as they exist on the Record Date.
IF AN THE COMPANYS STOCKHOLDERS TAKE NO ACTION, IT IS
EFFECTIVELY A VOTE AGAINST THE PROPOSALS. ABSTENTIONS, FAILURES
TO EXECUTE AND RETURN CONSENTS
23
AND BROKER NON-VOTES WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS WITHHOLDING
CONSENT FOR THE PROPOSALS. THUS, WE URGE YOU TO
CONSENT TO EACH PROPOSAL BY SIGNING, DATING AND
RETURNING THE [COLOR] CONSENT CARD.
ATS plans to present the results of any successful solicitation
with respect to the corporate actions proposed herein to the
Company as soon as possible.
SOLICITATION OF CONSENTS
Except as set forth below, ATS will not pay any fees or
commissions to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust
company or other nominee for the solicitation of consents in
connection with the Proposals.
Consents will be solicited by mail, telephone, telefax,
telegraph, the internet,
e-mail, newspapers and
other publications of general distribution and in person.
Directors, officers and certain employees of ATS, Woodside,
Woodside Finance, each of the Nominees and the other
participants listed on Schedule II hereto may assist in the
solicitation of consents without any additional remuneration
(except as otherwise set forth in this consent statement).
Woodside (on behalf of ATS) has retained Innisfree M&A
Incorporated (Innisfree) for solicitation and
advisory services in connection with solicitations relating to
the Proposals, for which Innisfree is to receive a fee up to
$[ ]
in connection with the solicitation of consents. Up to 100
people may be employed by Innisfree in connection with the
solicitation of consents in connection with the Proposals.
Woodside (on behalf of ATS) has also agreed to reimburse
Innisfree for
out-of-pocket expenses
and to indemnify Innisfree against certain liabilities and
expenses, including reasonable legal fees and related charges.
Innisfree will solicit consents for from individuals, brokers,
banks, bank nominees and other institutional holders. Directors,
officers and certain employees of Woodside and ATS may assist in
the solicitation of consents without any additional
remuneration. The entire expense of soliciting consents in
connection with the Proposals by or on behalf of ATS is being
borne by Woodside.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Credit
Suisse) is acting as Dealer Manager in connection with the
Offer and has provided certain financial advisory services to
ATS, Woodside and Woodside Finance in connection with the
acquisition of the Company. In its role as Dealer Manager,
Credit Suisse may contact brokers, dealers and similar entities
and may provide information regarding the Offer to those that it
contacts or persons that contact Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse
has not been engaged to solicit consents, nor has it been
engaged to solicit proxies relating to the Companys
special meeting. Credit Suisse is being paid reasonable and
customary compensation for its services as Dealer Manager in
connection with the Offer and for its services as financial
advisor. Credit Suisse is also entitled to reimbursement for
certain expenses incurred by Credit Suisse, including the
reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel, and to
indemnification against certain liabilities and expenses in
connection with its engagements, including certain liabilities
under the federal securities laws.
Credit Suisse and its affiliates have provided and may in the
future provide various investment banking, financial advisory
and other services to Woodside or its affiliates, for which they
have received or may receive customary compensation. In the
ordinary course of business, including in their trading and
brokerage operations and in a fiduciary capacity, Credit Suisse
and its affiliates may hold positions, both long and short, for
their own accounts and for those of their customers, in the
Shares.
If you have any questions concerning this consent statement or
the procedures to be followed to execute and deliver a consent,
please contact Innisfree at the address or phone number
specified above.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This consent statement contains certain
forward-looking statements which are within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. The safe
harbors intended to be created thereby are not available to
statements made in connection with a tender offer and ATS is not
aware of any judicial determination as to the applicability of
such safe harbors to forward-looking statements made in
solicitation materials when there is a simultaneous tender
offer. However, stockholders should be aware that any such
forward-looking statements are only predictions, subject to risks
24
and uncertainties that exist in the business environment which
could render actual outcomes and results materially different
than predicted. In some cases, such forward-looking statements
may be identified by terminology such as may,
will, could, should,
expects, intends or believes
or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology.
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR THE COMPANYS 2007 ANNUAL
MEETING
Pursuant to the Companys definitive proxy statement for
its 2006 Annual Meeting filed with the Commission on
April 4, 2006, to be considered for inclusion in the proxy
statement relating to the 2007 Annual Meeting, stockholder
proposals must have been received not later than
December 1, 2006. Proposals received after March 6,
2007 will not be voted on at the 2007 Annual Meeting. ATS
assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of
this information.
OTHER INFORMATION
The information concerning the Company, the Stone Merger
Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby contained
herein has been taken from, or is based upon, publicly available
documents on file with the Commission and other publicly
available information. Although ATS has no knowledge that would
indicate that statements relating to the Company or the Stone
Merger Agreement contained in this consent statement in reliance
upon publicly available information are inaccurate or
incomplete, it has not to date had access to the full books and
records of the Company, was not involved in the preparation of
such information and statements and is not in a position to
verify any such information or statements. Accordingly, ATS does
not take any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of
such information or for any failure by the Company to disclose
events that may have occurred and may affect the significance or
accuracy of any such information.
Schedule IV sets forth the security ownership of certain
beneficial owners, directors and management of the Company as
may be obtained by reading the public filings of the Company.
ATS assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness
of any such information.
The information contained in this consent statement concerning
the Offer is a summary which highlights selected information
from the Offer to Purchase and may not contain all of the
information that is important to you. To understand the Offer
fully and for a more complete description of the terms of the
Offer, you should read carefully the entire Offer to Purchase
and Letter of Transmittal.
YOUR PROMPT ACTION IS IMPORTANT. MAKE YOUR VIEWS CLEAR TO YOUR
BOARD OF DIRECTORS BY SIGNING, DATING AND RETURNING THE ENCLOSED
[COLOR] CONSENT CARD TODAY.
ATS INC.
WOODSIDE FINANCE LIMITED
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LTD.
[ ], 2006
If you have any questions or require any assistance in voting
your Shares, please contact:
Innisfree M&A Incorporated
501 Madison Avenue
20th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Shareholders Call Toll Free: (877) 456-3427
Banks and Brokers Call Collect: (212) 750-5833
25
SCHEDULE I
INFORMATION CONCERNING THE NOMINEES
Other than as set forth below, none of the Nominees or their
associates beneficially owns or owns of record any securities of
the Company.
There are no material legal proceedings in which any of the
Nominees or any of their associates is a party adverse to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, or proceedings in which such
nominees or associates have a material interest adverse to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries. No occupation or employment
was carried on by any of the Nominees with the Company or any
corporation or organization which is or was a parent, subsidiary
or other affiliate of the Company and none of the Nominees has
ever served on the Board. There exist no family relationships
among the Nominees or between any of the Nominees and any
director or executive officer of the Company.
None of the Nominees have been involved in any legal proceedings
in the preceding five years described in Item 401(f) of
Regulation S-K
promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933
(Regulation S-K),
which must be disclosed as material for purposes of an
evaluation of the integrity or ability of any person nominated
to become a director under the federal securities laws.
Other than as disclosed in this consent statement, there are no
arrangements or understandings between any of the Nominees and
any other party pursuant to which any such Nominee was or is to
be selected as a director or nominee.
None of the Nominees, their immediate family members, any
corporation or organization of which any of the Nominees is an
executive officer or partner, or is, directly or indirectly, the
beneficial owner of 10% or more of any class of equity
securities, or any trust or other estate in which any of the
Nominees has a substantial beneficial interest or serves as a
trustee or in a similar capacity (a) has been indebted to
the Company or its subsidiaries at any time since the beginning
of the Companys last fiscal year, in an amount in excess
of $60,000 or (b) has an interest in any transaction or
series of similar transactions since the beginning of the
Companys last fiscal year, or currently proposed
transaction or series of similar transactions, to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries was or is to be a party, in
an amount in excess of $60,000.
None of the Nominees nor any of their associates has received
any cash compensation, cash bonuses, deferred compensation,
compensation pursuant to plans, or other compensation, from, or
in respect of, services rendered on behalf of the Company, or is
subject to any arrangement described in Item 402 of
Regulation S-K.
None of the relationships regarding the Nominees described under
Item 404(b) of
Regulation S-K
exists or has existed since the beginning of the Companys
last fiscal year.
None of the Nominees has any position or office with the Company
and no occupation or employment with which the Nominees have
been involved during the past five years was carried on with the
Company or any corporation or organization which is a parent,
subsidiary or other affiliate of the Company.
S-1
SCHEDULE II
INFORMATION CONCERNING DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF
ATS, WOODSIDE AND WOODSIDE FINANCE
|
|
1. |
Directors and Executive Officers of ATS. |
The following table sets forth the name, current business
address, citizenship, current principal occupation or
employment, and material occupations, positions, offices or
employments and business addresses thereof for the past five
years of each director and executive officer of ATS. Unless
otherwise indicated, the current business address of each person
is 71683 Riverside Drive, Covington, Louisiana 70433. Unless
otherwise indicated, each such person is a citizen of the United
States, and each occupation set forth opposite an
individuals name refers to employment with ATS.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Present Principal Occupation or Employment; |
Name, Citizenship and |
|
Material Positions Held During the Past Five Years and |
Current Business Address |
|
Business Address Thereof |
|
|
|
Mark Chatterji
|
|
President and Director of ATS. Mr. Chatterji was |
|
Business Address:
Woodside Plaza
240 St Georges Terrace
Perth, Western Australia 6000 |
|
Director of M&A of Woodside Energy Ltd. from 2004 until June
2006, when he became Director Commercial. From 2003 to 2004,
Mr. Chatterji served as a Captain in the United States
Army, 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry. Prior to this,
Mr. Chatterji was a Vice President at Goldman
Sachs & Co. |
Jeff Soine
|
|
Secretary and Director of ATS. Mr. Soine has been |
|
Business Address:
Sage Plaza
5151 San Felipe, Suite 1200
Houston, TX 77056 |
|
Acquisition Manager of Woodside Energy (USA) Inc. since June
2005. Prior to this, Mr. Soine was Acquisitions Manager of
W&T Offshore Inc. from 2000 to 2005. |
Troy Hayden
|
|
Treasurer of ATS. Mr. Hayden is also Chief |
|
Citizenship: Australia |
|
Financial Officer of Woodside Energy (USA) Inc., a position he
has held since 2005. Prior to this, Mr. Hayden was Chief
Financial Officer of Woodside Petroleum Ltd. from 2004 to 2005
and Treasurer of Woodside Petroleum Ltd. from 1996 to 2004. |
|
|
2. |
Directors and Executive Officers of Woodside. |
The following table sets forth the name, current business
address, citizenship, current principal occupation or
employment, and material occupations, positions, offices or
employments and business addresses thereof for the past five
years of each director and each executive officer of Woodside.
Unless otherwise indicated, the current business address of each
person is Woodside Plaza, 240 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western
Australia 6000. Unless otherwise indicated, each such person is
a citizen of Australia. Unless
S-2
otherwise indicated, each occupation set forth opposite an
individuals name refers to employment with Woodside.
DIRECTORS
|
|
|
|
|
Present Principal Occupation or Employment; |
Name, Citizenship and |
|
Material Positions Held During the Past Five Years and |
Current Business Address |
|
Business Address Thereof |
|
|
|
Jillian Rosemary Broadbent
|
|
Ms. Broadbent has been a Non-Executive Director of Woodside
Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. since 1998.
Ms. Broadbent is also a Director of Coca-Cola Amatil
Limited and Special Broadcasting Service and a Board Member of
Reserve Bank of Australia, positions she has held since 1999,
2002 and 1998, respectively. Previously, Ms. Broadbent was
a Director of Westfield Management Ltd. and Director of
Westfield America Management Ltd. from 2002 to 2004. |
Dr. Ashton Trevor Calvert
|
|
Dr. Calvert is a Non-Executive Director of Woodside Petroleum
Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. and a Director of Rio Tinto plc
and Rio Tinto Ltd., positions he has held since 2005. Prior to
that, Dr. Calvert was a Director of The Australian Trade
Commission and a Director of The Australian Strategic Policy
Institute Ltd. |
Michael Alfred Chaney
|
|
Mr. Chaney has been a Non-Executive Director of Woodside
Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. since 2005. He has been
Chairman and Non-Executive Director of National Australia Bank
Limited since 2004, a Member of JPMorgan International Council
since 2003 and President of Business Council of Australia since
2005. Mr. Chaney also currently serves as Director of
National Equities Limited and Chairman of Gresham Partners
Holdings Ltd. From 1992 to 2004 Mr. Chaney was Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wesfarmers Limited, from
1995 to 2005 a Director of BHP Billiton Limited, from 2001 to
2005 a Director of BHP Plc and from 1990 to 2005 a Director of
Gresham Partners Group Limited. |
Erich Fraunschiel
|
|
Mr. Fraunschiel has been a Non-Executive Director of Woodside
Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. since 2002. He has also
served as Non-Executive Director of West Australian Newspaper
Holdings Ltd. and Chairman of Wesfarmers Insurance Ltd. since
2002, Non-Executive Director of WorleyParsons Limited, Rabobank
Australia Ltd. and Rabo Australia Ltd. since 2003, Chairman of
Lumley General Insurance Ltd. since 2003 and Non-Executive
Director of The WCM Group Ltd. since 2005. Mr. Fraunschiel
served as Non-Executive Director of Foodland Associated Limited
from 2002 to 2004. |
S-3
|
|
|
|
|
|
Present Principal Occupation or Employment; |
Name, Citizenship and |
|
Material Positions Held During the Past Five Years and |
Current Business Address |
|
Business Address Thereof |
|
|
|
Charles Barrington Goode
|
|
Mr. Goode has been Chairman of Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and
Woodside Energy Ltd since 1999. He also serves as Chairman of
Australia and New Zealand banking Group Ltd., Chairman of
Diversified United Investment Ltd. and Chairman of Ian Potter
Foundation Ltd. |
Andrew Jamieson
|
|
Mr. Jamieson is a Non-Executive Director of |
|
Citizenship: United Kingdom |
|
Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. and Executive
Vice President, Gas Projects of Shell Global Solutions
International BY, positions he has held since 2005. Prior to
this, Mr. Jamieson was Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Ltd. |
Jakob Stausholm
|
|
Mr. Stausholm has been a Non-Executive Director of |
|
Citizenship: Denmark |
|
Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. since June
2006. Mr. Stausholm is also Vice President, Finance E&P
of Shell EP International Limited, a position he has held since
2006. Prior to this, Mr. Stausholm was Chief Internal
Auditor at Royal Dutch Shell Plc from 2002 to 2006 and Finance
Manager of Shell Europe Oil Products, Commercial from 2000 to
2002. |
Donald R. Voelte, Jr.
|
|
Mr. Voelte has been Managing Director and Chief |
|
Citizenship: United States |
|
Executive Officer, Woodside Energy Ltd since 2004. Prior to
that, Mr. Voelte was Director, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Chroma Energy Ltd. |
Dr Pierre Jean-Marie Henri Jungels
|
|
Dr. Jungels has been a Non-Executive Director of |
|
Citizenship: Belgium |
|
Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. since December
2002. Dr. Jungels is also a Director of Imperial Tobacco
Group Plc, a position he has held since 2002, Chairman of
Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping Plc, a position he has held since
2004, Chairman of Rockhopper Exploration Plc, a position he has
held since February 2005, Chairman of Oxford Catalyst Ltd, a
position he has held since March 2006, and Director of Baker
Hughes Inc., a position he has held since April 2006. Prior to
this, Dr. Jungels was a Director of Offshore Logistics Plc
(Bristow Group) from September 2002 to August 2006, President of
Institute of Petroleum from June 2002 to December 2003, and
Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Oil Plc from October 1996
to October 2001. |
S-4
|
|
|
|
|
Present Principal Occupation or Employment; |
Name, Citizenship and |
|
Material Positions Held During the Past Five Years and |
Current Business Address |
|
Business Address Thereof |
|
|
|
David Ian McEvoy
|
|
Mr. McEvoy has been a Non-Executive Director of Woodside
Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. since September 2005.
Mr. McEvoy is also a Non-Executive Director of Innamincka
Petroleum Limited, a position he has held since September 2003,
a Non-Executive Director of Po Valley Energy Limited, a position
he has held since September 2003, and a Non-Executive Director
of Australian Worldwide Exploration Ltd, a position he has held
since June 2006. Prior to this, Mr. McEvoy was Vice
President of ExxonMobil Exploration Company from 1992 to May
2002. |
Russell Ronald Caplan
|
|
Mr. Caplan has been a Non-Executive Director of Woodside
Petroleum Ltd. and Woodside Energy Ltd. since February 2006.
Mr. Caplan is also Chairman of Shell Australia Ltd., a
position he has held since February 2006. Mr. Caplan is
also Chairman of Australian Institute of Petroleum, a position
he has held since March 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Caplan was
Senior Vice President Globalisation of Shell International
Petroleum Co. from August 2004 to February 2006, Vice President
Sales & Marketing of Shell Oil Products U.S. from
September 2001 to March 2004, and Executive Vice President
Global Marketing of Shell International Oil Products from
January 1999 to September 2001. |
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
|
|
|
|
|
|
Present Principal Occupation or Employment; |
Name, Citizenship and |
|
Material Positions Held During the Past Five Years and |
Current Business Address |
|
Business Address Thereof |
|
|
|
Robert Cole
|
|
Mr. Cole has been Secretary of Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and
general counsel of Woodside Energy Ltd. since April 2006. Prior
to this, Mr. Cole was a partner at Mallesons Stephen
Jacques from January 1992 to April 2006. |
Frances Margaret Kernot
|
|
Ms. Kernot has been Company Secretary of |
|
Citizenship: Australia and New Zealand |
|
Woodside Petroleum Ltd., Woodside Energy Ltd. and Australian
group subsidiaries since January 2004. Prior to this,
Ms. Kernot served as Company Secretary of LCB Holdings and
Little Creatures Brewing Pty Ltd. from July 2000 to April 2005
and Compliance Officer, Managed Investments for Yates Limited
from June 1996 to June 2003. |
Mark Chatterji
|
|
Mr. Chatterji has been Director of Commercial, |
|
Citizenship: United States |
|
Woodside Energy Ltd. since 2004. For biographical information
see under Directors and Executive Officers of ATS
above. |
|
|
3. |
Directors and Executive Officers of Woodside Finance. |
The following table sets forth the name, current business
address, citizenship, current principal occupation or
employment, and material occupations, positions, offices or
employments and business
S-5
addresses thereof for the past five years of each director and
each executive officer of Woodside Finance. Unless otherwise
indicated, the current business address of each person is
Woodside Plaza, 240 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western
Australia 6000. Unless otherwise indicated, each such person is
a citizen of Australia. Unless otherwise indicated, each
occupation set forth opposite an individuals name refers
to employment with Woodside Finance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Present Principal Occupation or Employment; |
Name, Citizenship and |
|
Material Positions Held During the Past Five Years and |
Current Business Address |
|
Business Address Thereof |
|
|
|
Donald R. Voelte, Jr.
|
|
Mr. Voelte has been a Director of Woodside Finance |
|
Citizenship: United States |
|
since November 2005. For biographical information see under
Directors and Executive Officers of Woodside above. |
Robert Cole
|
|
Mr. Cole has been a Director of Woodside Finance since April
2006. For biographical information see under Directors and
Executive Officers of Woodside above. |
Ross Anthony Carroll
|
|
Mr. Carroll has been a Director of Woodside Finance Ltd. since
March 2005. Mr. Carroll has been Chief Financial Officer of
Woodside Energy Ltd. since March 2005. Prior to that
Mr. Carroll was Vice President
Finance & Planning for BHP Billiton Petroleum Americas
based in Houston, from August 2003 to March 2005 and from July
2001 to August 2003 Mr. Carroll was Vice President
Commercial for BHP Billiton Iron Ore in Perth, Western Australia. |
Frances Margaret Kernot
|
|
Ms. Kernot has been Company Secretary of |
|
Citizenship: Australia and New Zealand |
|
Woodside Finance since January 2004. For biographical
information see under Directors and Executive Officers of
Woodside above. |
Warren Martin Baillie
|
|
Mr. Baillie has been Company Secretary of |
|
Citizenship: Australia and United Kingdom |
|
Woodside Finance Ltd. since December 2005 and Assistant Company
Secretary of Woodside Energy Ltd. since September 2005. Prior to
that, Mr. Baillie was Company Secretary and General Counsel
of Ticor Limited from November 2004 to September 2005, Senior
Associate at Deacons international law firm from July 2002 to
November 2004, and Company Secretary of Cityview Corporation
Limited from May 2000 to July 2002. |
S-6
SCHEDULE III
ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSITIONS OF SHARES BY ATS, WOODSIDE
FINANCE,
WOODSIDE AND THE EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF ATS, WOODSIDE FINANCE AND
WOODSIDE
Other than purchases of Shares in the open market by ATS as set
forth in the table below, none of ATS, Woodside Finance,
Woodside or any executive officer or director of ATS, Woodside
Finance or Woodside has engaged in any transaction involving the
Shares in the past 60 days:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average | |
Trade Date |
|
Shares | |
|
Price | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
15-Aug-06
|
|
|
76,000 |
|
|
$ |
17.7535 |
|
16-Aug-06
|
|
|
284,900 |
|
|
$ |
17.9877 |
|
17-Aug-06
|
|
|
384,900 |
|
|
$ |
17.7292 |
|
18-Aug-06
|
|
|
219,000 |
|
|
$ |
17.7973 |
|
21-Aug-06
|
|
|
181,600 |
|
|
$ |
18.1465 |
|
22-Aug-06
|
|
|
94,200 |
|
|
$ |
18.2207 |
|
23-Aug-06
|
|
|
478,400 |
|
|
$ |
18.1728 |
|
|
Total
|
|
|
1,719,000 |
|
|
$ |
17.9763 |
|
S-7
SCHEDULE IV
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS, DIRECTORS
AND
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY
Except as noted below, the following information was copied from
the Companys Amendment No. 1 to Registration
Statement on
Form S-4 filed
with the Commission on August 28, 2006, and sets forth, as
of August 28, 2006, the number of shares of common stock of
the Company beneficially owned by each director of the Company;
by the Companys chief executive officer; by the four other
most highly compensated executive officers of the Company; by
all directors and executive officers as a group; and by such
persons known to the Company to own beneficially more than five
(5%) of the outstanding common stock of the Company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percent of | |
|
|
Common | |
|
Common | |
Beneficial Owner |
|
Shares | |
|
Shares(1) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Richard A. Bachmann(2)
|
|
|
2,930,896 |
|
|
|
7.6 |
|
John C. Bumgarner, Jr.(3)
|
|
|
63,045 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Jerry D. Carlisle(4)
|
|
|
27,523 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Harold D. Carter(3)
|
|
|
52,351 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Enoch L. Dawkins(5)
|
|
|
19,920 |
|
|
|
* |
|
T. Rodney Dykes(6)
|
|
|
61,446 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Dr. Norman C. Francis(7)
|
|
|
13,460 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Robert D. Gershen(3)
|
|
|
54,876 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Phillip A. Gobe(8)
|
|
|
32,670 |
|
|
|
* |
|
William R. Herrin, Jr.(7)
|
|
|
16,902 |
|
|
|
* |
|
William O. Hiltz(9)
|
|
|
119,895 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Javan D. Ottoson
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
John H. Peper(10)
|
|
|
246,412 |
|
|
|
* |
|
John G. Phillips(3)
|
|
|
49,909 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Timothy R. Woodall
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (15 persons)
|
|
|
3,689,303 |
|
|
|
9.4 |
|
FMR Corp.(11)
|
|
|
3,839,800 |
|
|
|
10.0 |
|
Amber Master Fund (Cayman) SPC(12)
|
|
|
2,046,300 |
|
|
|
5.3 |
|
Steadfast Capital Management LLC(13)
|
|
|
1,930,000 |
|
|
|
5.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%. |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Percentage ownership of a holder or class of holders is
calculated by dividing (1) the number of shares of Common
Stock, including restricted shares, outstanding attributed to
such holder or class of holders, as the case may be, plus the
total number of shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable and restricted share units that vest within sixty
days from August 28, 2006 and warrants held by such holder
or class of holders, as the case may be, by (2) the total
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding plus the total
number of shares of Common Stock underlying options exercisable
and restricted share units that vest within sixty days from
August 28, 2006 and warrants held by such holder or class
of holders, as the case may be, but not Common Stock underlying
such securities held by any other person. |
|
|
(2) |
Includes 930,898 shares of Common Stock pledged to support
obligations incurred in five separate transactions under Forward
Purchase Agreements. Mr. Bachmann retains voting rights
with respect to these shares. The number of shares to be
delivered commencing in June 2007 pursuant to such agreements
will be based on the market price of the Companys Common
Stock and will not exceed 930,898 shares. Mr. Bachmann
has the right to deliver cash instead of shares of Common Stock.
Also includes (i) 327,335 shares of Common Stock
underlying options granted to Mr. Bachmann under our 2006
Long Term Stock Incentive Plan, which may be exercised within
60 days from August 28, 2006, |
S-8
|
|
|
|
|
(ii) 2,171 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned
by Mr. Bachmann and held in trust by the Energy Partners,
Ltd. 401(k) Plan and (iii) 1,000 shares beneficially
owned by Mr. Bachmanns wife. The address for
Mr. Bachmann is Energy Partners, Ltd., 201 St. Charles
Avenue, Suite 3400, New Orleans, Louisiana 70170. |
|
|
(3) |
Includes 28,134 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable, and 1,447 restricted share units vesting, within
60 days of August 28, 2006 granted under our Amended
and Restated 2000 Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee
Directors to each of Messrs. Bumgarner, Carter, Gershen and
Phillips. Also includes 15,819 and 1,993 phantom shares accrued
for Messrs. Bumgarner and Gershen under our Stock and
Deferral Plan for Non-Employee Directors. |
|
|
(4) |
Includes 18,134 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable, and 1,447 restricted share units vesting, within
60 days of August 28, 2006 granted to
Mr. Carlisle under our Amended and Restated 2000 Stock
Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors. Includes
500 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by
Mr. Carlisles wife of which Mr. Carlisle
disclaims beneficial ownership. |
|
|
(5) |
Includes 14,134 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable, and 1,447 restricted share units vesting, within
60 days of August 28, 2006 granted to Mr. Dawkins
under our Amended and Restated 2000 Stock Incentive Plan for
Non-Employee Directors. |
|
|
(6) |
Includes 54,000 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable within 60 days of August 28, 2006 granted
to Mr. Dykes under our 2006 Long Term Stock Incentive Plan.
Also includes 1,543 shares of Common Stock beneficially
owned by Mr. Dykes and held in trust by the Energy
Partners, Ltd. 401(k) Plan. |
|
|
(7) |
Includes 8,134 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable, and 1,447 restricted share units vesting, within
60 days of August 28, 2006 granted under our Amended
and Restated 2000 Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee
Directors to each of Dr. Francis and Mr. Herrin. Also
includes 1,780 phantom shares accrued for Dr. Francis under
our Stock and Deferral Plan for Non-Employee Directors. |
|
|
(8) |
Includes 31,834 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable within 60 days of August 28, 2006 granted
to Mr. Gobe under our 2006 Long Term Stock Incentive Plan.
Also includes 836 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned
by Mr. Gobe and held in trust by the Energy Partners, Ltd.
401(k) Plan. |
|
|
(9) |
Includes 12,134 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable, and 1,447 restricted share units vesting, within
60 days of August 28, 2006 granted under our Amended
and Restated 2000 Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee
Directors to Mr. Hiltz, and 4,314 phantom shares accrued
for Mr. Hiltz under our Stock and Deferral Plan for
Non-Employee Directors. |
|
|
(10) |
Includes 127,300 shares of Common Stock underlying options
exercisable, within 60 days of August 28, 2006 granted
under our 2006 Long Term Stock Incentive Plan, and 68,445
warrants granted in the acquisition of Hall-Houston Oil Company
in 2002, which are currently exercisable. Also includes
1,351 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by
Mr. Peper and held in trust by the Energy Partners, Ltd.
401(k) Plan. |
|
(11) |
Based on an Amended Schedule 13G filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on April 10, 2006, for shares held
by FMR Corp. FMR Corp. has sole voting power with respect to
9,200 of the shares and sole investment power with respect to
3,839,800 of the shares. The address for FMR Corp. is 82
Devonshire Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. |
|
(12) |
Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on September 25, 2006, for shares held
by Amber Master Fund (Cayman) SPC, Amber Capital LP ,Amber
Capital GP LLC, Michel Brogard and Joseph Oughourlian. The
address for Amber Master Fund is P.O. Box 309 GT, Ugland
House, South Church Street, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman
Islands and the address for all other filers is 600 Lexington
Avenue, 34th Floor, New York, New York 10022. |
|
(13) |
Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 17, 2006, for shares held by
Steadfast Capital Management LLC, Steadfast Advisors LLC,
Steadfast Capital, L.P., American Steadfast, L.P., Steadfast
International Ltd. and Robert S. Pitts, Jr., the managing
member of Steadfast Capital Management LLC and Steadfast
Advisors LLC (collectively, Steadfast). The address
for Steadfast is 767 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, New
York 10153. |
S-9
PRELIMINARY COPY SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED
SEPTEMBER 28, 2006
FORM OF CONSENT CARD [COLOR]
THIS CONSENT IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF ATS INC.,
WOODSIDE FINANCE LIMITED AND
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LTD.
Unless otherwise indicated below, the undersigned hereby
consents pursuant to Section 228(a) of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended, with
respect to all shares of common stock of Energy Partners, Ltd.,
a Delaware corporation (Energy Partners), held by
the undersigned as of the record date for determining shares
entitled to consent, to the taking of the following actions
without a meeting of the stockholders of Energy Partners:
|
|
|
1. Remove Richard A. Bachmann, John C. Bumgarner, Jr.,
Jerry D. Carlisle, Harold D. Carter, Enoch L. Dawkins,
Dr. Norman C. Francis, Robert D. Gershen, Phillip A. Gobe,
William R. Herrin, Jr., William O. Hiltz and John G.
Phillips, and any other person (other than those elected by ATS,
Inc.s consent solicitation) elected or appointed to Energy
Partners Board of Directors by such directors to fill any
vacancy on Energy Partners Board of Directors or any
newly-created directorships. |
o CONSENT o DOES
NOT
CONSENT o ABSTAINS
INSTRUCTION: TO CONSENT, WITHHOLD CONSENT OR ABSTAIN FROM
CONSENTING TO THE REMOVAL OF ALL THE PERSONS NAMED IN
PROPOSAL 1, CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX ABOVE. IF YOU WISH TO
CONSENT TO THE REMOVAL OF CERTAIN OF THE PERSONS NAMED IN
PROPOSAL 1, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM, CHECK THE
CONSENT BOX ABOVE AND WRITE THE NAME OF EACH PERSON
YOU DO NOT WISH REMOVED IN THE SPACE PROVIDED BELOW.
(Insert names, as necessary)
IF NO BOX IS MARKED ABOVE WITH RESPECT TO THIS PROPOSAL, THE
UNDERSIGNED WILL BE DEEMED TO CONSENT TO SUCH PROPOSAL, EXCEPT
THAT THE UNDERSIGNED WILL NOT BE DEEMED TO CONSENT TO THE
REMOVAL OF ANY INCUMBENT DIRECTOR WHOSE NAME IS WRITTEN IN THE
SPACE PROVIDED ABOVE.
|
|
|
2. Elect Walter R. Arnheim, Terry G. Dallas, Robert B.
Holland, III, David R. Martin and J. Kenneth Thompson
to serve as directors of Energy Partners (or, if any such
nominee is unable or unwilling to serve as a director of Energy
Partners, any other person designated as a nominee by ATS Inc.). |
o CONSENT o DOES
NOT
CONSENT o ABSTAINS
INSTRUCTION: TO CONSENT, WITHHOLD CONSENT OR ABSTAIN FROM
CONSENTING TO THE ELECTION OF ALL THE ABOVE-NAMED PERSONS, CHECK
THE APPROPRIATE BOX ABOVE. IF YOU WISH TO CONSENT TO THE
ELECTION OF CERTAIN OF THE ABOVE-NAMED PERSONS, BUT NOT ALL OF
THEM, CHECK THE CONSENT BOX ABOVE AND WRITE THE NAME
OF EACH SUCH PERSON YOU DO NOT WISH ELECTED IN THE SPACE
PROVIDED BELOW.
(Insert names, as necessary)
IF NO BOX IS MARKED ABOVE WITH RESPECT TO THIS PROPOSAL, THE
UNDERSIGNED WILL BE DEEMED TO CONSENT TO SUCH PROPOSAL, EXCEPT
THAT THE UNDERSIGNED WILL NOT BE DEEMED TO CONSENT TO THE
ELECTION OF ANY CANDIDATE WHOSE NAME IS WRITTEN IN THE SPACE
PROVIDED ABOVE.
S-10
|
|
|
Dated:
,
2006 |
|
|
|
|
Signature of Stockholder (title, if any) |
|
|
|
|
Signature of Stockholder (if held jointly) |
|
|
Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on the stock
certificate or on the attached label hereon. If shares are held
jointly, each stockholder should sign. When signing as attorney,
executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full
title as such. If a corporation, please sign in full corporate
name by president or authorized officer. If a partnership,
please sign in partnership name by authorized person. |
IN ORDER FOR YOUR CONSENT TO BE VALID, IT MUST BE DATED.
PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS CONSENT CARD PROMPTLY IN
THE ENCLOSED
POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.
S-11