TIDMOFF
RNS Number : 8913U
Office2office PLC
21 October 2014
Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in
part, directly or indirectly, in, into or from any jurisdiction
where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws or
regulations of such jurisdiction.
21 October 2014
RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER
for
OFFICE2OFFICE PLC
by
EVO BUSINESS SUPPLIES LIMITED
a newly incorporated company owned by the Endless III Funds that
are managed by Endless LLP
to be effected by means of a Scheme of Arrangement under Part 26
of the Companies Act 2006
Court sanction of scheme of arrangement
The Board of office2office plc ("office2office") is pleased to
announce that the scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme") in order to
effect the recommended cash offer by EVO Business Supplies Limited
("EVO") to acquire the entire issued and to be issued ordinary
share capital of office2office, was today sanctioned by the High
Court of Justice in England and Wales (the "Court Sanction").
In order for the Scheme to become effective in accordance with
its terms, the Court will now need to confirm the Capital Reduction
at the Reduction Court Hearing, which is scheduled to take place on
23 October 2014. The office2office Acquisition also remains
conditional upon delivery of a copy of each of the Court orders and
of the requisite statement of capital (amongst other documents) to
the Registrar of Companies and, if the Court so orders in order for
it to become effective, the registration of the Reduction Court
Order and the statement of capital by the Registrar of
Companies.
Dealings in office2office Shares are expected to be suspended
from 7.30 a.m. on 23 October 2014, in accordance with
office2office's application to the UKLA.
Subject to Court confirmation of the associated Capital
Reduction and the timing of the delivery of the Court orders to
Companies House, the Effective Date of the Scheme is expected to be
24 October 2014. Further details of the expected timetable of
principal events of the Scheme are set out below.
Upon the Scheme becoming effective, the consideration of 51
pence in cash per office2office Share to be paid to office2office
Shareholders pursuant to the terms of the Scheme is expected to be
dispatched (in the case of certificated holders of office2office
Shares) or settled in CREST (in the case of uncertificated holders
of office2office Shares) no later than 7 November 2014.
Expected timetable of principal events
The timetable through to completion of the office2office
Acquisition is expected to be in line with the Scheme Document and
is summarised below:
Event Expected time/date(1)
Scheme Record Time 6.00 p.m. on 22 October
2014(2)
Reduction Court Hearing (to confirm 23 October 2014(2)
the Capital Reduction and to authorise
the Re-registration)
Effective Date 24 October 2014(2)
Cancellation of admission to trading by no later than 8:00 a.m.
and listing of office2office Shares on 27 October 2014(2)
Despatch of cheques, or CREST accounts Within 14 days of the Effective
credited, in respect of the consideration Date(2)
Long Stop Date 14 November 2014(3)
To the extent any of the above expected dates or times change,
office2office will give notice of any such changes and details of
the revised dates and/or times to office2office Shareholders by
issuing an announcement through an RIS.
Notes:
(1) All times set out in this timetable refer to London, UK time unless otherwise stated.
(2) These times and dates are indicative only and will depend
on, among other things, the dates upon which: (a) the Court
confirms the Capital Reduction; and (b) the Conditions are
satisfied or (where applicable) waived. It will also depend on
whether the Court Order(s) sanctioning the Scheme and confirming
the Capital Reduction and, in relation to the Capital Reduction,
the Statement of Capital are delivered to the Registrar of
Companies, and if required by the Court, when the Reduction Court
Order is registered.
(3) The latest date by which the Scheme must be implemented may
be extended by agreement between office2office and EVO with the
prior consent of the Panel and (if required) the approval of the
Court.
Following the Court Sanction, 375,273 office2office Shares have
been allotted as a result of the exercise of share options pursuant
to the office2office PSP, and such shares will be subject to the
Capital Reduction.
Capitalised terms, unless otherwise defined in this
announcement, have the meaning given to them in the Scheme Document
published on 8 September 2014.
Enquiries:
EVO +44 (0) 113 210 4000
Mathew Deering
Deloitte Corporate Finance (Financial
adviser to EVO and Endless) +44 (0) 207 936 3000
Byron Griffin / David Smith
/ Adrian Hargrave
office2office plc +44 (0) 1603 691 102
Jim Cohen / Simon Moate / Hugh Cawley / Debbie Rodwell
Rothschild (Financial adviser +44 (0) 113 200 1900
to office2office)
Stephen Griffiths / Matthew
Jowett
WH Ireland (Broker to office2office) +44 (0) 207 220 1666
Adrian Hadden
MHP Communications (PR adviser +44 (0) 203 128 8100
to office2office)
Reg Hoare / Katie Hunt / Jade
Neal
Further information
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not
intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or
the solicitation of any offer to sell, or an invitation to
subscribe for, 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 office2office
Acquisition or otherwise.
EVO's offer to office2office Shareholders will be made solely by
means of the Scheme Document, which contains the full terms and
conditions of the office2office Acquisition, including details of
how to vote in respect of the Scheme. Any vote in respect of the
Scheme or other response in relation to the office2office
Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information
contained in the Scheme Document. office2office Shareholders are
advised to read the formal documentation in relation to the
office2office Acquisition carefully once it has been
despatched.
The statements contained in this announcement are made as at the
date of this announcement, unless some other time is specified in
relation to them.
Deloitte Corporate Finance is acting for EVO and Endless and no
one else in connection with the office2office Acquisition and will
not be responsible to anyone other than EVO and Endless for
providing the protections afforded to clients of Deloitte Corporate
Finance or for providing advice in relation to the office2office
Acquisition, the contents of this announcement or any other matters
referred to in this announcement. Deloitte Corporate Finance is a
division of Deloitte LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the
United Kingdom by the FCA in respect of regulated activities.
Rothschild, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation
Authority and regulated by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation
Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as the sole financial
adviser to office2office and no-one else in relation to the subject
matter of this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone
other than office2office for providing the protections afforded to
clients of Rothschild nor for providing advice in relation to the
subject matter of this announcement.
Overseas jurisdictions
The availability of the office2office Acquisition or the
release, publication or distribution of this document to
office2office Shareholders who are not resident in and citizens of
the United Kingdom may be restricted by the laws of the relevant
jurisdiction in which they are located or of which they are
citizens. Such persons should inform themselves of, and observe,
all applicable legal and regulatory requirements of their
jurisdictions. Any failure to comply with the requirements of such
jurisdictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of
such jurisdictions. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law, the companies and persons involved in the office2office
Acquisition disclaim any responsibility or liability for the
violation of such restrictions by any person. This document has
been prepared for the purposes of complying with English law, the
Listing Rules, the rules of the London Stock Exchange and the Code
and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which
would have been disclosed if this document had been prepared in
accordance with the laws of jurisdictions other than England and
Wales.
The office2office Acquisition will not be made, directly or
indirectly, in or into, any Restricted Jurisdiction. Accordingly,
copies of this document and formal documentation relating to the
office2office Acquisition are not being, and must not be, directly
or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, transmitted,
distributed, sent or accessed in or into or from any Restricted
Jurisdiction. Persons receiving this document (including without
limitation custodians, nominees and trustees) should observe these
restrictions and must not mail or otherwise forward, transmit,
distribute or send it in or into or from any Restricted
Jurisdiction.
Notice to US Holders
US Holders should note that the office2office Acquisition
relates to the securities of an English company, is subject to UK
disclosure requirements (which are different from those of the US)
and is proposed to be implemented under a scheme of arrangement
provided for under English company law. A transaction effected by
means of a scheme of arrangement is not subject to the tender offer
rules under the US Exchange Act and the proxy solicitation rules
under the US Exchange Act will not apply to the office2office
Acquisition. Accordingly, the Scheme is subject to UK disclosure
requirements and practices, which are different from the disclosure
requirements of the US tender offer and proxy solicitation rules.
The financial information included in this announcement and which
may be included in the Scheme Document has been, or will have been,
prepared in accordance with IFRS (with the exception of financial
information provided on EVO or Vasanta which has been prepared in
accordance with UK GAAP) and thus may not be comparable to
financial information of US companies or companies whose financial
statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles in the US. However, if EVO were to exercise
its right to implement the acquisition of the office2office Shares
by way of a takeover offer, such offer will be made in compliance
with applicable US laws and regulations.
The receipt of cash pursuant to the office2office Acquisition by
a US Holder as consideration for the cancellation of its Scheme
Shares pursuant to the Scheme may be a taxable transaction for US
federal income tax purposes and under applicable US state and
local, as well as foreign and other, tax laws. Each office2office
Shareholder is urged to consult his independent professional
adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the
office2office Acquisition applicable to him.
It may be difficult for US Holders to enforce their rights and
claims arising out of the US federal securities laws, since EVO and
office2office are located in countries other than the US, and some
or all of their officers and directors may be residents of
countries other than the US. US Holders may not be able to sue a
non-US company or its officers or directors in a non-US court for
violations of 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.
If EVO were to exercise its right to implement the acquisition
of the office2office Shares by way of a takeover offer, EVO or its
nominees, or its brokers (acting as agents), could make certain
purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, office2office Shares
outside of the US, other than pursuant to the takeover offer, in
accordance with normal UK practice and pursuant to Rule 14e-5(b) of
the US Exchange Act. These purchases could occur either in the open
market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at
negotiated prices. Any information about such purchases would be
disclosed as required in the UK, would be reported via an RIS and
would be available on the London Stock Exchange website at
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/prices-and-news/pricesnews/home.htm.
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in
1% 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) 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 Code, any person who is, or becomes,
interested in 1% 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, save to the
extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule
8 of the Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b)
of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (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 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 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 +44
(0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are
required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing
Disclosure.
Publication on website and hard copies
A copy of this announcement will be available, subject to
certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted
Jurisdictions, on Endless' website (www.endlessllp.com) and on
office2office's website (www.office2office.co.uk) by no later than
12 noon on the Business Day following this announcement. For the
avoidance of doubt, the contents of those websites are not
incorporated by reference and do not form part of this
announcement.
office2office Shareholders and persons with information rights
may request a hard copy of this announcement (and any information
incorporated by reference in this announcement) by writing to
Capita Asset Services, PXS, The Registry 34 Beckenham Road,
Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU or by calling 0871 664 0300 (or, if calling
from outside the UK, on +44 (0)20 8639 3399). Calls within the UK
cost 10 pence per minute plus network extras, lines are open 9:00
a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (except English bank holidays).
Calls from outside the UK will be charged at the applicable
international rate. It is important that you note that, unless you
make such a request, a hard copy of this announcement (and any such
information incorporated by reference in it) will not be sent to
you. You may also request that all future documents, announcements
and information be sent to you in relation to the office2office
Acquisition in hard copy form.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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