GHL Acquisition Corp. Announces Warrant Restructuring
July 29 2009 - 8:34AM
PR Newswire (US)
- Approximately 26.8 Million Additional Warrants Eliminated or
Restructured - Improves Transaction Economics for Shareholders -
Meaningfully Reduces Post-Closing Warrant Overhang NEW YORK, July
29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GHL Acquisition Corp. ("GHL
Acquisition") (NYX: GHQ, GHQ.U and GHQ.WS) announced today that it
has entered into agreements with certain warrantholders as a result
of which approximately 26.8 million GHL Acquisition warrants will
be repurchased or restructured upon closing of its acquisition of
Iridium Holdings LLC ("Iridium"). The warrants subject to these
agreements, combined with those subject to an agreement with Banc
of America Securities LLC ("Banc of America") previously disclosed,
represent approximately 69% of the 44.1 million warrants that would
otherwise have been outstanding following the acquisition of
Iridium. These repurchases and restructurings are in addition to
all previously announced warrant forfeitures by Greenhill &
Co., Inc. ("Greenhill") (NYSE:GHL), the sponsor of GHL Acquisition.
The effect of the agreements with warrantholders is to
significantly reduce the number of fully diluted GHL Acquisition
shares that will be outstanding following completion of the
acquisition of Iridium. The acquisition of Iridium remains subject
to Federal Communications Commission approval, as well as approval
by GHL Acquisition shareholders. Scott L. Bok, Chief Executive
Officer of GHL Acquisition, commented: "We believe that the warrant
restructuring announced today, in combination with a number of
steps we have already taken, further increases the attractiveness
of our proposed acquisition of Iridium. Prior to today, we had
negotiated a 15% reduction in the originally agreed purchase price
of Iridium, reduced our underwriter's deferred underwriting fee by
approximately $8.2 million, agreed to repurchase approximately 3.7
million warrants held by our underwriter at a discount and agreed
with our sponsor, Greenhill, that it will forfeit approximately
12.4 million warrants. Today's announcement, combined with the
continuing attractiveness of Iridium's business, makes us more
enthusiastic than ever about the valuation at which we are
acquiring the company." Summary terms of today's warrant
restructuring are as follows: -- Approximately 12.4 million
existing warrants will be repurchased by GHL Acquisition for a
total of approximately $3.1 million of cash and approximately $12.4
million of GHL Acquisition common shares, with the number of shares
to be determined based on the offering price per common share of
GHL Acquisition (subject to a minimum of one-tenth of a share per
warrant) in a future equity offering which will be conditioned upon
the closing of the Iridium acquisition. -- Approximately 14.4
million existing warrants will be restructured to increase their
strike price to 115% of the offering price per common share of GHL
Acquisition (subject to a maximum strike price of $11.50) in a
future equity offering which will be conditioned upon the closing
of the Iridium acquisition and will have their expiration date
extended by two years to February 2015. The approximately 14.4
million warrants being restructured in this manner include the 4.0
million remaining private placement warrants held by Greenhill that
have not been forfeited and 0.4 million warrants currently held by
Scott L. Bok, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GHL
Acquisition, and Robert H. Niehaus, Senior Vice President of GHL
Acquisition. -- The above warrant repurchases and restructurings
are in addition to the previously announced repurchase of
approximately 3.7 million warrants currently owned by Banc of
America for approximately $1.8 million in aggregate and to
Greenhill's previously announced forfeitures of approximately 12.4
million warrants, both of which will occur concurrently with the
closing of the Iridium acquisition, should it occur. -- After
reflecting today's agreement, Greenhill's stake in GHL Acquisition
post-closing will include: (i) approximately 6.9 million GHL
Acquisition common shares, which it received for founding GHL
Acquisition and making an $8 million initial investment; (ii) upon
conversion, approximately 1.9 million GHL Acquisition common shares
resulting from conversion of its $22.9 million convertible note
investment in Iridium; and (iii) 4.0 million GHL Acquisition
warrants with an out-of-the-money strike price as described above.
-- At the closing of the acquisition, including the effects of all
warrant restructurings announced to date, there will be
approximately 13.7 million GHL Acquisition warrants with a $7.00
strike price outstanding and approximately 14.4 million GHL
Acquisition warrants with an out-of-the-money strike price as
described above. GHL Acquisition currently anticipates that the
agreements announced today will constitute the last adjustment of
valuation-related or other terms of the planned acquisition and
currently anticipates holding its shareholder vote on the Iridium
acquisition in September 2009. Closing of the acquisition is
subject to, and will occur as soon as practicable following, a
favorable shareholder vote and also remains subject to approval by
the Federal Communications Commission. Conference Call Information
GHL Acquisition will host a conference call for analysts, investors
and other interested parties on Wednesday, July 29, 2009, at 2:00
p.m. Eastern Time (ET) to discuss today's announcement. To
participate, please call the toll-free number 866-393-0612 (U.S.
callers only) or, from outside the U.S., 706-902-1870. The passcode
for the live call is 22359735. A transcript of the conference call
will be filed by GHL Acquisition as part of a Form 8-K with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. About GHL Acquisition Corp. GHL
Acquisition is a special purpose acquisition company launched in
February 2008 in an initial public offering raising $400 million of
gross proceeds. Founded by Greenhill, GHL Acquisition was formed
for the purpose of acquiring, or acquiring control of, through a
merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase,
reorganization or similar business combination, one or more
businesses or assets. It currently has no operating businesses.
Forward-Looking Statements and Other Disclosure This press release
contains, and GHL Acquisition's management may make, certain
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipates,"
"may," "can," "believes," "expects," "projects," "intends,"
"likely," "will," "to be" and other expressions that are
predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects
identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of GHL Acquisition to differ materially from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding the timing
of the proposed transaction with Iridium, whether the transaction
will be approved by GHL Acquisition's stockholders, whether the
closing conditions will be satisfied (including receipt of
regulatory approvals), as well as industry and economic conditions,
and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors.
There is no assurance that GHL Acquisition's expectations will be
realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or if GHL Acquisition's underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected,
estimated or projected. GHL Acquisition's forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of
the date they are made, and, except as required by law, GHL
Acquisition undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking
statements. This press release is for informational purposes only
and does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.
Contact: James Babski GHL Acquisition Corp. +1-212-372-4180
DATASOURCE: GHL Acquisition Corp. CONTACT: James Babski of GHL
Acquisition Corp., , +1-212-372-4180
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