Imagination Technologies Group PLC Court sanction of Scheme (4360V)

TIDMIMG

RNS Number : 4360V

Imagination Technologies Group PLC

02 November 2017

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

2 November 2017

RECOMMED CASH ACQUISITION

of

Imagination Technologies Group plc

by

CBFI Investment Limited

a wholly-owned subsidiary of funds managed by

Canyon Bridge Capital Partners, LLC

to be effected by means of a Scheme of Arrangement

under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006

Court sanction of Scheme

Imagination Technologies Group plc ("Imagination") announces that the High Court of Justice in England and Wales has today sanctioned the scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act (the "Scheme") by which the recommended all cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Imagination (the "Acquisition") by CBFI Investment Limited ("CBFI"), a newly incorporated company, indirectly owned by Canyon Bridge Fund I, LP, a fund managed by U.S. headquartered Canyon Bridge Capital Partners, LLC, is being implemented. The Scheme has become fully unconditional, subject only to the delivery of the Court Order to the Registrar of Companies.

It is anticipated that the Effective Date will be today, 2 November 2017, being the date that the Court Order is expected to be delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

The Scheme Record Time will be 6.00 p.m. (London time) on 3 November 2017. No transfers of Imagination Shares will be registered after this time.

Applications will be made to the London Stock Exchange and the UK Listing Authority in relation to the de-listing of Imagination Shares from the Official List and the cancellation of the admission to trading of Imagination Shares on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange which is expected to take effect by 8.00 a.m. tomorrow, 3 November 2017.

There has therefore been a change to the expected timetable of principal events for the Acquisition as set out below:

 
 Event                                 Expected time/date(1) 
 Last day of dealings in Imagination   Thursday 2 November 
  Shares                                2017 
 Effective Date of the Scheme          Thursday 2 November 
                                        2017 
 De-listing of Imagination             8.00.a.m on Friday 
  Shares                                3 November 2017 
 Last day for registration             6.00 p.m. on Friday 
  of transfers of, and disablement      3 November 2017 
  in CREST of Imagination shares 
 Scheme Record Time                    6.00 p.m. on Friday 
                                        3 November 2017 
 Despatch of cheques and crediting     By 16 November 2017 
  of CREST for cash consideration 
  due under the Scheme 
 
 

(1) These times and dates are indicative only and will depend, among other things, on when the Court Order sanctioning the Scheme is delivered to the Registrar of Companies. Imagination will give notice of any change(s) by issuing an announcement through a Regulatory Information Service and, if required by the Panel, post notice of the change(s) to Imagination Shareholders and persons with information rights.

Full details of the Acquisition are set out in the scheme document published on 9 October 2017 (the "Scheme Document").

Unless otherwise defined, all capitalised terms in this announcement ("Announcement") shall have the meaning given to them in the Scheme Document.

 
 Enquiries 
 
 Imagination Technologies Group             Tel: [phone] 
  plc                                                  511 
 Andrew Heath, Chief Executive 
  Officer 
 Guy Millward, Chief Financial 
  Officer 
 
 Rothschild (Lead financial adviser          Tel: [phone] 
  and sole Rule 3 adviser to Imagination)             5000 
 Ravi Gupta/Warner Mandel/Yuri 
  Shakhmin/Pietro Franchi 
 
 Jefferies International 
  (Financial adviser and corporate           Tel: [phone] 
  broker to Imagination)                              8000 
  Nick Adams/Daniel Aharoni/David 
  Watkins 
 
 Instinctif Partners (PR advisor             Tel: [phone] 
  to Imagination)                                     2020 
 Adrian Duffield/Kay Larsen/Chantal 
  Woolcock 
 

Important notices

N M Rothschild & Sons Limited, which is authorised by the FCA in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for Imagination and no one else in connection with the Acquisition and will not be responsible to anyone other than Imagination for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Acquisition or any other matters referred to in this Announcement.

Jefferies International Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for Imagination and no one else in connection with the Acquisition and will not be responsible to anyone other than Imagination for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Acquisition or any other matters referred to in this Announcement.

Further information

This Announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities of Imagination in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Acquisition will be made solely by means of the Scheme Document or any document by which the Acquisition is made, which contains the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition.

This Announcement does not constitute a prospectus or prospectus equivalent document.

Overseas Shareholders

The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and/or regulation. Persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom or who are subject to the laws and regulations of other jurisdictions should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable requirements. Any failure to comply with the applicable restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the companies and persons involved in the Acquisition disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. This Announcement has been prepared for the purposes of complying with English law, the rules of the London Stock Exchange, the Listing Rules and the Takeover Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of England.

Unless otherwise determined by CBFI and Imagination or required by the Takeover Code, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Acquisition will not be and must not be made available, directly or indirectly, in, into or from a jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction. Accordingly, copies of this Announcement and all documents relating to the Acquisition are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed, transmitted or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from a jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction, and persons receiving this document and all other documents relating to the Acquisition (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise distribute or send them in, into or from such jurisdictions where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction. Persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable requirements.

Further details in relation to Overseas Shareholders are contained in the Scheme Document.

The Acquisition is subject to the applicable requirements of the Takeover Code, the Panel, the London Stock Exchange and the FCA.

Additional Information for US Investors

The Acquisition relates to the shares of an English company and is proposed to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under the laws of England and Wales. Neither the proxy solicitation rules nor the tender offer rules under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, will apply to the Acquisition. Moreover, the Acquisition is subject to the disclosure requirements and practices applicable in the United Kingdom and under the Takeover Code to schemes of arrangement, which differ from the disclosure requirements of the US proxy solicitation rules and tender offer rules. Financial information included in this Announcement has been prepared, unless specifically stated otherwise, in accordance with accounting standards applicable in the UK and thus may not be comparable to the financial information of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the US.

The information contained in this Announcement has neither been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission or any US state securities commission. Neither the US Securities and Exchange Commission, nor any state securities commission, has passed upon the fairness or merits of the proposal described in, nor upon the accuracy or adequacy of the information contained in, this Announcement.

It may be difficult for US holders of Imagination Shares to enforce their rights and claims arising out of the US federal securities laws, since CBFI and Imagination are located in countries other than the United States, and some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of countries other than the United States. US holders of Imagination Shares may not be able to sue a non-US company or its officers or directors in a non-US court for violations of the US securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel a non-US company and its affiliates to subject themselves to a US court's judgement.

The receipt of cash pursuant to the Acquisition by a US holder as consideration for the transfer of its Scheme Shares pursuant to the Scheme will likely be a taxable transaction for United States federal income tax purposes and under applicable United States state and local, as well as foreign and other, tax laws. Each Imagination Shareholder is urged to consult his or her independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him or her.

In accordance with normal UK practice and pursuant to Rule 14e-5(b) of the US Exchange Act, CBFI or its nominees, or its brokers (acting as agents), may from time to time make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, Imagination Shares outside of the US, other than pursuant to the Acquisition, until the date on which the Acquisition becomes Effective, lapses or is otherwise withdrawn. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. Any information about such purchases will be disclosed as required in the UK, will be reported to a Regulatory Information Service and will be available on the London Stock Exchange website at www.londonstockexchange.com.

Forward looking statements

This Announcement (including information incorporated by reference in this Announcement), oral statements made regarding the Acquisition, and other information published by CBFI and Imagination contain statements which are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are prospective in nature and are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections of the management of CBFI and Imagination about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement include statements relating to the expected effects of the Acquisition on CBFI and Imagination, the expected timing and scope of the Acquisition and other statements other than historical facts. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Announcement may be forward looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words "targets", "plans", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "should", "could", "would", "may", "anticipates", "estimates", "cost-saving", "projects", "goal", "strategy", "budget", "forecast" or "might" or, words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof, are forward looking statements.

Forward looking statements include statements relating to the following: (i) future capital expenditures, expenses, revenues, earnings, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, dividend policy, losses and future prospects; (ii) business and management strategies and the expansion and growth of CBFI's or Imagination's operations resulting from the Acquisition; and (iii) the effects of government regulation on CBFI's or Imagination's business.

These forward looking statements are not guarantees of future financial performance. Except as expressly provided in this Announcement, they have not been reviewed by the auditors of CBFI or Imagination or their respective financial advisers. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results and are based on certain key assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward looking statements. These factors include the satisfaction of the Conditions, as well as additional factors, such as: fluctuations in the capital markets; fluctuations in interest and exchange rates; the occurrence of unforeseen disasters or catastrophes; political or economic instability in principal markets; adverse outcomes in litigation; and general, local and global economic, political, business and market conditions. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should therefore be construed in the light of such factors. Neither CBFI nor Imagination, nor any of their respective associates or directors, officers or advisers, provides any representation, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements in this Announcement will actually occur. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward looking statements. All subsequent oral or written forward looking statements attributable to CBFI or Imagination or any of their respective members, directors, officers or employees or any persons acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. CBFI and Imagination disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward looking or other statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than in accordance with their legal and regulatory obligations.

Publication on website and hard copies

A copy of this Announcement and the documents required to be published by Rule 26 of the Takeover Code will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on Canyon Bridge's website at www.canyonbridge.com/#in-the-news and Imagination's website at https://www.imgtec.com/sales-process/. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of those websites are not incorporated into and do not form part of this Announcement.

Dealing disclosure requirements

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Takeover Code, any person who is interested in one per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the Offer Period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) of the Takeover Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the Offer Period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Takeover Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in one per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Takeover Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Takeover Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4 of the Takeover Code).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the Offer Period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on [phone] if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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November 02, 2017 10:46 ET (14:46 GMT)