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3G / Burger King merger agreement: Section 6.02 ("go shop")

To discharge target boards’ Revlon duties, so-called “go shop” provisions have become standard features in merger agreements. The details of these clauses—length of the “go shop” period, topping rights of the original bidder, etc.—can be heavily negotiated, and Delaware courts have frequently been called to police them. The details belong to an M&A course. Here we focus on the basics:

1. Do you think buyers like these provisions?
2. What about sellers? (Hint: it may matter at what point in time you ask them.)

Section 6.02  Solicitation; Takeover Proposals; Change of Recommendation.  

(a) Solicitation.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, during the period beginning on the date of this Agreement and continuing until 11:59 p.m, New York City time, on October 12, 2010 (the “No-Shop Period Start Date”), the Company may, directly or through its Representatives: (i) solicit, initiate or encourage, whether publicly or otherwise, any Takeover Proposals, including by way of providing access to non-public information; provided, however, that the Company shall only permit such non-public information related to the Company to be provided pursuant to an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement, and provided further that (A) the Company shall promptly provide to Parent any non-public information concerning the Company or its Subsidiaries to which any person is provided such access and which was not previously provided to Parent, and (B) the Company shall withhold such portions of documents or information, or provide pursuant to customary “clean-room” or other appropriate procedures, to the extent relating to any pricing or other matters that are highly sensitive or competitive in nature if the exchange of such information (or portions thereof) could reasonably be likely to be harmful to the operation of the Company in any material respect; and (ii) engage in and maintain discussions or negotiations with respect to any inquiry, proposal or offer that constitutes or may reasonably be expected to lead to any Takeover Proposal or otherwise cooperate with or assist or participate in, or facilitate any such inquiries, proposals, offers, discussions or negotiations or the making of any Takeover Proposal.

 The term “Takeover Proposal” means any inquiry, proposal or offer from any person or group providing for (a) any direct or indirect acquisition or purchase, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, of (1) 20% or more (based on the fair market value, as determined in good faith by the Company Board) of assets (including capital stock of the Subsidiaries of the Company) of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (2)(A) shares of Company Common Stock, which together with any other shares of Company Common Stock beneficially owned by such person or group, would equal to 20% or more of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, or (B) any other equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) any tender offer or exchange offer that, if consummated, would result in any person or group owning, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock or any other equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (c) any merger, consolidation, business combination, binding share exchange or similar transaction involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which any person or group (or the shareholders of any person) would own, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of the aggregate voting power of the Company or of the surviving entity in a merger or the resulting direct or indirect parent of the Company or such surviving entity, or (d) any recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution or any other similar transaction involving the Company or any of its material operating Subsidiaries, other than, in each case, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 Wherever the term “group” is used in this Section 6.02, it is used as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.

 (b) No Solicitation.  From the No-Shop Period Start Date until the Effective Time, or, if earlier, the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9.01, the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any Representative of the Company to, directly or indirectly, (i) solicit, initiate or knowingly encourage (including by way of providing information) the submission or announcement of any inquiries, proposals or offers that constitute or would reasonably be expected to lead to any Takeover Proposal, (ii) provide any non-public information concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries related to, or to any person or group who would reasonably be expected to make, any Takeover Proposal, (iii) engage in any discussions or negotiations with respect thereto, (iv) approve, support, adopt, endorse or recommend any Takeover Proposal, or (v) otherwise cooperate with or assist or participate in, or knowingly facilitate any such inquiries, proposals, offers, discussions or negotiations. Subject to Section 6.02(c), at the No-Shop Period Start Date, the Company shall immediately cease and cause to be terminated any solicitation, encouragement, discussion or negotiation with any person or groups (other than a Qualified Go-Shop Bidder) conducted theretofore by the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their respective Representatives with respect to any Takeover Proposal and shall use reasonable best efforts to require any other parties (other than a Qualified Go-Shop Bidder) who have made or have indicated an intention to make a Takeover Proposal to promptly return or destroy any confidential information previously furnished by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective Representatives.

 The term “Qualified Go-Shop Bidder” means any person or group from whom the Company or any of its Representatives has received a Takeover Proposal after the execution of this Agreement and prior to the No-Shop Period Start Date that the Company Board determines, prior to or as of the No-Shop Period Start Date, in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisor and outside legal counsel, constitutes or could reasonably be expected to result in a Superior Proposal.

 The term “Superior Proposal” means any bona fide, written Takeover Proposal that if consummated would result in a person or group (or the shareholders of any person) owning, directly or indirectly, (a) 75% or more of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock or (b) 75% or more of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in either case which the Company Board determines in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisor and outside legal counsel) (x) is reasonably likely to be consummated in accordance with its terms, and (y) if consummated, would be more favorable to the stockholders of the Company from a financial point of view than the Offer and the Merger, in each case taking into account all financial, legal, financing, regulatory and other aspects of such Takeover Proposal (including the person or group making the Takeover Proposal) and of this Agreement (including any changes to the terms of this Agreement proposed by Parent pursuant to Section 6.02(f).

(c) Response to Takeover Proposals.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 6.02(b) or any other provisions of this Agreement, if at any time following the No-Shop Period Start Date and prior to the earlier to occur of the Offer Closing and obtaining the Stockholder Approval, (i) the Company has received a bona fide, written Takeover Proposal from a third party that did not result from a breach of this Section 6.02, and (ii) the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisor and outside legal counsel, that such Takeover Proposal constitutes or could reasonably be expected to result in a Superior Proposal, then the Company may (A) furnish information with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries to the person making such Takeover Proposal pursuant to an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement and the other restrictions imposed by clause (A) and (B) of Section 6.02(a)related to the sharing of information, or (B) engage in discussions or negotiations with the person making such Takeover Proposal regarding such Takeover Proposal. The Company shall be permitted prior to the earlier to occur of the Offer Closing and obtaining the Stockholder Approval to take the actions described in clauses (A) and (B) above with respect to any Qualified Go-Shop Bidder.

 (d) Notice to Parent of Takeover Proposals.  The Company shall promptly (and, in any event, within one (1) business day) notify Parent in the event that the Company or any of its Representatives receives any Takeover Proposal, or any initial request for non-public information concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries related to, or from any person or group who would reasonably be expected to make any Takeover Proposal, or any initial request for discussions or negotiations related to any Takeover Proposal (including any material changes related to the foregoing), and in connection with such notice, provide the identity of the person or group making such Takeover Proposal or request and the material terms and conditions thereof (including, if applicable, copies of any written requests, proposals or offers, including proposed agreements), and thereafter the Company shall keep Parent reasonably informed of any material changes to the terms thereof.

(e) Prohibited Activities.  Neither the Company Board nor any committee thereof shall (i) withdraw or rescind (or modify in a manner adverse to Parent), or publicly propose to withdraw (or modify in a manner adverse to Parent), the Recommendation or the findings or conclusions of the Company Board referred to in Section 4.04(b), (ii) approve or recommend the adoption of, or publicly propose to approve, declare the advisability of or recommend the adoption of, any Takeover Proposal, (iii) or cause or permit the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to execute or enter into, any letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in principle, merger agreement, acquisition agreement or other similar agreement related to any Takeover Proposal, other than any Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement referred to in Section 6.02(a) or 6.02(c) (an “Acquisition Agreement”), or (iv) publicly proposed or announced an intention to take any of the foregoing actions (any action described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) being referred to as an “Adverse Recommendation Change”).

 (f) Change of Recommendation.  Notwithstanding any provision of Section 6.02(e), at any time prior to the earlier to occur of the Offer Closing and obtaining the Stockholder Approval, the Company Board may effect an Adverse Recommendation Change only if the Company Board determines in good faith (after consultation with its outside legal counsel) that the failure to take such action would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law. ...