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Client Memorandum
Delaware Court of Chancery Finds Zero Merger Consideration to
Be Entirely Fair to Common Stockholders
In In re Trados Inc. S'holder Lido., the Delaware Court of Chancery held that while management and the
preferred stockholders received all of the merger consideration in the sale of a corporation, the merger was still
entirely fair to the common stockholders because the common stock had no economic value before the merger.
Although "the defendant Trados Inc., a venture capital backed corporation, increased its
directors did not adopt any revenue for years, but was never profitable. In 2004, the venture
protective provisions,failed to capital related directors began searching for an exit and adopted
consider the common a management incentive plan which compensated management
stockholders, and sought to exit in a sale of the corporation even if the common stockholders
(the corporation] without received nothing. When the corporation was sold for $6o million
recognizing the conflicts of in zoos, management received $7.8 million of the merger
interest presented by the consideration, pursuant to the management incentive plan, and
Merger," the defendants the venture capital investors received $52.2 million of a 857.9
prevailed because the common million liquidation preference. The common stockholders
stock had no economic value received zero merger consideration.
before the merger.
The plaintiff common stockholders alleged that the board had a
fiduciary duty to continue to operate the corporation on a stand-alone basis, rather than sell the corporation,
because that course of action would maximize value for the common stockholders. Further, the plaintiffs
argued that the board's actions should be subject to entire fairness because the majority of the directors that
approved the merger were not disinterested and independent. Of the seven directors on the board, two of the
directors received post-transaction employment and material payments under the management incentive plan,
and three of the directors were "fiduciaries for (the venture capital investors] that received disparate
consideration in the Merger in the form of a liquidation preference."
The court agreed that the defendants had to prove that the transaction was entirely fair. As a result, the
defendants were obliged to demonstrate that the sale was the product of both fair dealing and fair price.
Applying the entire fairness standard of review, the court found that the evidence relating to fair dealing
weighed in favor of the plaintiff because no contemporaneous evidence suggested "that the defendants set out
to deal with the common stockholders in a procedurally fair manner." In fact, the evidence suggested that the
defendants sought only to advance the preferred stockholders' interests. For instance, the venture capital
directors hired a new CEO who understood his "mission" was to sell to the corporation. Further, the
management incentive plan (i) eliminated the common stockholders' ability to receive merger consideration in
certain circumstances in which the sale price was greater than the preferred stockholders' liquidation
preference and (ii) changed management's incentives from being aligned with the common stockholders.
Moreover, the fact that the merger was not conditioned on a vote of a majority of the disinterested common
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
.1)2(113 Paul. Weiss, Rifrand, Wharton & Garrison 1.1.P. In somejurisdictions, (hilt pohlitation may he consider, d
Past representaihqts are no guarantor t -future outcvates.
EFTA00602538
Paul I Weiss Client Memorandum
stockholders, while not evidencing unfairness, "deprive[d] the defendants of otherwise helpful affirmative
evidence of fairness."
With regard to fair price, however, the court held that the evidence did not weigh in favor of either side. While
the new CEO had made headway in improving business performance, the corporation had been facing cash flow
problems. On the other hand, the court found that the defendants' expert witness provided persuasive
testimony that the corporation was worth less than the merger consideration. As such, even under the high
standard of entire fairness review, the defendants proved that the corporation "did not have a reasonable
prospect of generating value for the common stock." The court noted if common stock has no value pre-merger,
then the common stockholders received the "substantial equivalent in value of what they had before" and the
transaction was entirely fair.
This memorandum is not intended to provide legal advice, and no legal or business decision should be based
on its content. Questions concerning issues addressed in this memorandum should be directed to:
Arid J. Deckelbaum u tin . Hamill to hen P. Lamb
Jeffrey D. Nlarell Steven J. Williams Frances Mi
swi tains@. fini
Justin A. Shuler contributed to this memorandum.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
CA: 2013 Pout. Weiss, ROittd, Wharton e: Garriao, 1.1.1'. In stone this publication way he attorney t ternisiny.
Past representations an• no guarantee qffuture outcomes.
EFTA00602539
ArtSpace
Cash Flow 2010 - 2017 & Current Cash Flow Forecasted Cash Flow
FY 2010 FY 2011 PI 2012 FY 2013 1.414 Cumulative Sep. Dec 14 FY 2015 PI 2016 FY 2017 Cumulative
Wei41tILfunding
Capital 1,226,000 1,950.845 1,905,000 7.048,399 0 12,129,244 0 0 0 0 0
Revenue 0 757,738 2,276,574 2,354,257 1,253.751 6.642.320 897,076 3,067,804 4,886,246 8,914,381 17.765,507
Loans 0 0 0 0 736,664 736,664 0 0 0 0 0
1.225.000 2,708,583 4,181,574 9,402.656 1,990,415 19.508,228 897.076 3,067,804 4,886,246 8,914,381 17,765,507
yments
Pa
Operational
COGS 1612.911) 11.768.(107) 11.674.791) 1991207) 15.246.906) (704,982 12.311,0671 13.479.105) (6,271.974) (12.767.124)
Salaries (693,3141 11,341,826) 12336,393) 11.610.411) 16.184934) (662,502 17.215.8171 12.290,124) 12.383.729) 0.549.9721
Marketing (1133/1321 (607.619) (823,360) 1249.6411 11.964,0521 (110,000 (2704401 1278,100) 178444 3) (944543)
Technology (154,6911 (412.7621 1416,9441 1513.196) 11407,5831 (64.209 (196,692) 1213.544) (216373) (691.017)
Professional Fees (109.0691 (191.9411 (331,635) P66.61 11,396.339) (65.000 (6022001 (60,0001 (6400°) (245.000)
TM (76.550) (119.6391 1122399) (81.686) 1500,1741 (20.009 (50.0001 (50.0001 150.060) (170400)
Merchandsing/Product/EM (381.296) 169200) 1145.153) 1116.45 16)2.7091 0 0 0 0
Other Expenses (109,982) (117.0161 (213.3391 1187.4891 23.76 (04,665) (22.002 (46.000) (46.0001 (46,000) 1160.000)
YIP Alt fair Purchase 0 0 1100.0001 (100.0001 0 0 0 0
Other Salaries/Wage Related 0 0 (46.6491 (46.649) 0 0 0 0
Security Deposits 124.764) 0 0 (24.764) 0 0 0 0
Fixed Assets 137,837) 011.7661 0 (79.603) (100.000) 0040001 1104000/ 1300.000)
Taxes & Interest o o (11,2021 (14.37.1 125,911) (106.000) (1040001 1100.000) (300,000)
Accrued Commissions o o 0 0 0 (4110,01:41 0 0 0 1400.000/
Bonuses (Stay) o o 0 0 0 (250,0201 0 0 0 1250.000)
Integration Costs o 0 0 0 0 150.003) 0 0 0 (50.000)
1109.982) (2,390,8s0) (4,767,198) (6,695.495) (4,328,9031 (18,192,157) 12.344392) 15,349,576) (6.616,973) (9,512,7191 123.827,6601
Working Capital Movement (52,896) 114,780 (740019) (5813201 (1554691 (1,425,526) 0 0 0 0 0
Total Payments 11622030) 12.276.100) 15,507,2171, 17,277,615) (4A114.572) (19,7083611 (2,344392) 15.349,576) (6,616.973) (9.511.7191 123.827,6601
EuLtElreilsommact
Total Cash Inflows 1,225403 2,708483 4,1/1.571 9.402,656 1.990415 19,508.228 897,076 3467,034 4,886,246 8,914,381 17,765.507
Total Cash Outflows !002 ?Ft") 12.276.100) (5307.2171 (7./77,615) 14484.5721 119306.313) 12.349.392) (5.349.576) (6,616.973) (9.512.7191 03.827.6601
Net Cash Inflow 1.062,120 432,00 (1325.643) 2425,041 11.494.1571 (200,156) (1,451316) 12,281.772) (1,730.727) (596,338) 16,067.1531
• Original Cash now forecast for 2014 - 2017 assumed minimal movement in Working Capital
Merchandising/Product/Edit 2014 - 2017 covered by Salaries & Phaidon internal resources
EFTA00602540
EFTA00602541
ℹ️ Document Details
SHA-256
03979810d5c0497917ea868bf1b731cd341c5f4e2cce8cee0e2032f324c56851
Bates Number
EFTA00602538
Dataset
DataSet-9
Document Type
document
Pages
4
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