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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SCHEDULE 13D
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934*
(Amendment No. 1)
If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box. o
Note: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See Rule 13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.
* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting persons initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be filed for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Act) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.
CUSIP No. |
2911 |
1 | NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS: Royal Dutch Shell plc |
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I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY): |
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None | |||||||||||
2 | CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS): |
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(a) o | |||||||||||
(b) o | |||||||||||
3 | SEC USE ONLY: | ||||||||||
4 | SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS): | ||||||||||
OO | |||||||||||
5 | CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e): | ||||||||||
þ | |||||||||||
6 | CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION: | ||||||||||
England and Wales | |||||||||||
7 | SOLE VOTING POWER: | ||||||||||
NUMBER OF | 643,308,858 Common Shares | ||||||||||
SHARES | 8 | SHARED VOTING POWER: | |||||||||
BENEFICIALLY | |||||||||||
OWNED BY | None | ||||||||||
EACH | 9 | SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER: | |||||||||
REPORTING | |||||||||||
PERSON | 643,308,858 Common Shares | ||||||||||
WITH | 10 | SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER: | |||||||||
None | |||||||||||
11 | AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON: | ||||||||||
643,308,858 Common Shares | |||||||||||
12 | CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES (SEE INSTRUCTIONS): | ||||||||||
o | |||||||||||
13 | PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11): | ||||||||||
77.97% of Common Shares | |||||||||||
14 | TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS): | ||||||||||
HC, CO |
Amendment No. 1 to Schedule 13D | ||||||||
Item 1. Purpose of Transaction | ||||||||
Item 7. Material to Be Filed as Exhibits | ||||||||
SIGNATURE | ||||||||
EX-2 | ||||||||
EX-3 |
5
Exhibit | ||||
Number | Exhibit Name | |||
1. | Press
release dated January 23, 2007, entitled Royal Dutch Shell
plc announces recommended offer for minority shares of Shell
Canada (incorporated by reference to the Form 6-K filed by
Royal Dutch Shell plc on January 23, 2007). |
|||
2. | Support
Agreement dated as of January 23, 2007, between Shell Canada
Limited and Shell Investments Limited. |
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3. | Option
Proposal Letter dated January 23, 2007, from Shell Canada
Limited to Shell Investments Limited. |
6
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL plc |
||||
by /s/ Michiel Brandjes | ||||
Name: | Michiel Brandjes | |||
Title: | Company Secretary |
7
Exhibit | ||||
Number | Exhibit Name | |||
1. | Press
release dated January 23, 2007, entitled Royal Dutch Shell
plc announces recommended offer for minority shares of Shell
Canada (incorporated by reference to the Form 6-K filed by
Royal Dutch Shell plc on January 23, 2007). |
|||
2. | Support
Agreement dated as of January 23, 2007, between Shell Canada
Limited and Shell Investments Limited. |
|||
3. | Option
Proposal Letter dated January 23, 2007, from Shell Canada
Limited to Shell Investments Limited. |
(i) | relating to the Canadian and United States economies and political conditions generally; | ||
(ii) | affecting the oil and gas industry in general; | ||
(iii) | relating to general economic, financial, currency exchange, securities or commodity market conditions in North America, including changes in currency exchange or interest rates; | ||
(iv) | relating to changes in the market price of crude oil, bitumen or natural gas on a current or forward basis; | ||
(v) | reasonably attributable to the announcement of the Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, including any change in the trading price of the Common Shares; and |
(vi) | relating to any generally applicable changes in applicable Laws (other than orders, decisions, declarations, rulings, directions, prospects, or decrees against that Person) |
(a) | The Offeror shall mail or cause to be mailed the Offer to all holders of Shares (excluding the Offeror and its affiliates) and to all holders of Options or other rights to acquire Common Shares on or before 5:00 p.m. (Calgary Time) on February 8, 2007, or such later date as may be required for the Offeror to be provided with, and include with the Offer Documents, the valuation prepared by the Valuator and the Directors Circular (as hereinafter defined) which Offer shall be made in accordance with (i) applicable securities laws, regulations and rules and the policy statements, orders and rulings of Canadian, provincial and territorial securities regulatory authorities and (ii) applicable federal securities laws and rules of the United States (collectively, Applicable Securities Laws) and which Offer shall be subject to the conditions as described in Schedule A hereto and no other conditions. The making of the Offer (and the mailing of the Offer Documents) shall be conditional on the following matters: |
(A) | as of the date the Offer is to be made, there shall be no breach of any of the Corporations representations or warranties contained herein or any breach of or non-compliance with any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Corporation contained |
herein, which breach or non-compliance, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation or on the ability of the Offeror to consummate the transactions contemplated herein; and | |||
(B) | that the directors circular prepared by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Directors Circular) shall have been made available not later than five (5) business days following the execution of this Agreement by the Corporation for review by the Offeror, and following such review, the Directors Circular shall have been provided to the Offeror for mailing to holders of Shares at the same time, and in the same package, as the Offer Documents and shall include a statement that, upon the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee, the Board of Directors (A) unanimously (with the RDS Nominees and the President and Chief Executive Officer abstaining) recommends that holders of Shares (other than the Offeror and its affiliates) accept the Offer, and (B) unanimously (with the RDS Nominees and the President and Chief Executive Officer abstaining) concludes that the Offer is fair, from a financial point of view, to holders of Shares (other than the Offeror and its affiliates); |
(b) | The Offer shall be open for acceptance until a time or times that is not earlier than 8:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the 36th day after the day that the Offer is mailed to holders of Shares and to all holders of Options and other rights to acquire Common Shares (the time at which the Offer is initially scheduled to expire being referred to as its Initial Expiry Time), subject to the right of the Offeror in its sole discretion to extend (or further extend) the period during which Shares may be deposited under the Offer, to comply with any legal requirements or if the conditions thereto set forth in Schedule A are not satisfied on or by the Initial Expiry Time and to permit, as the Offeror shall deem appropriate, the depositing of additional Shares (such Initial Expiry Time or any extension thereof, the Expiry Time) | ||
(c) | The documentation constituting the Offer to be mailed to holders of the Shares shall include the take-over bid circular, offer to purchase, related letter of transmittal and notice of guaranteed delivery (the Offer Documents) and shall be prepared by the Offeror in compliance with Applicable Securities Laws; and |
(d) | Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Schedule A and the terms hereof, the Offeror shall, as soon as is practicable in the circumstances and in any event within the time periods required by Applicable Securities Laws, accept for payment and take up and pay for all Shares deposited and not withdrawn under the Offer. |
(a) | Incorporation and Qualification. The Corporation is (i) a corporation duly incorporated and validly subsisting under the CBCA, and (ii) a reporting issuer not in default, in any material respect of any requirement under Applicable Securities Laws. | ||
(b) | Capitalization. As of the close of business on December 31, 2006, the authorized capital of the Corporation consisted of an unlimited number of Common Shares, an unlimited number of preferred shares and an unlimited number of 4% cumulative redeemable preference shares, of which, as of such date, 825,662,514 Common Shares, no preferred shares and no 4% cumulative redeemable preference shares are issued and outstanding and 21,407,238 Common Shares are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of the outstanding stock options referred to in Section 3.1(c). There are no other issued and outstanding securities in the capital of the Corporation. | ||
(c) | Options |
(i) | As of the close of business on December 31, 2006, there were 21,407,238 outstanding stock options (the Options) exercisable at prices ranging from $5.94 to $43.50 per Common Share, to purchase Common Shares under the LTIP and 21,040,038 share appreciation rights (SARs) attached to 21,040,038 Options with a total liability for expected cash settlements in respect of those SARs of $443,664,894. | ||
(ii) | Accurate information with respect to the current Senior Officers of the Corporation as to name of holder, number of |
Options outstanding, applicable strike price, vesting schedule, issue date and exercise date has been provided to the Offeror. | |||
(iii) | Except for the Options , there are not now, and at the first date upon which Shares deposited and not withdrawn under the Offer are taken up and paid for by the Offeror (the Effective Date), there will not be, any other outstanding options or rights to purchase or acquire, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares in the share capital of the Corporation and there are no contracts, commitments, agreements, understandings, arrangements or restrictions which require the Corporation to issue, sell or deliver any shares in its share capital or any securities or obligations convertible into, or exchangeable for, any shares of its share capital other than pursuant to the employee share purchase plan and the directors share purchase plan. |
(d) | Authority, Filings. The Corporation has the corporate power and authority and has received all necessary corporate approvals (including approval of the Board of Directors and the unanimous approval of the Special Committee) to enter into this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Corporation and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Corporation enforceable by the Offeror against it in accordance with its terms, subject only to any limitation under applicable Laws relating to (i) bankruptcy, winding-up, insolvency, arrangement, fraudulent preference and conveyance, assignment and preference and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors rights, and (ii) the discretion that a court may exercise in the granting of equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunction. | ||
Other than filings required under Applicable Securities Laws and notices as may be required by the TSX, material change reports and press releases, no other authorization, consent or approval of or filing with any Governmental Entity is necessary on the part of the Corporation for the completion by the Corporation of its obligations under this Agreement (other than authorizations, consents or approvals required under a Subsequent Acquisition Transaction), the failure to obtain or file which, individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation. | |||
(e) | No Conflict. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Corporation does not, and the performance of this Agreement by the |
Corporation and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement shall not: |
(i) | conflict with or violate the articles or by-laws of the Corporation; | ||
(ii) | conflict with or violate any Law applicable to the Corporation or its subsidiaries and material joint ventures or by which any of their respective properties is bound or affected, the conflict with which or violation of which would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation; or | ||
(iii) | result in any breach of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, acquisition, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or give rise to any rights of withdrawal by any third party in respect of any material joint venture pursuant to, any contract, agreement, lease, license, permit, franchise or other instrument or obligation to which the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or any material joint ventures is a party or by which the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or any material joint ventures or any of their respective properties is bound or affected or result in the creation of a lien on any of the properties or assets of the Corporation or its subsidiaries and material joint ventures which, in any such case, would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation or materially impede the completion of the transactions contemplated in the Agreement. |
(f) | Public Filings. The Corporation has filed all documents or information (the Shell Canada Public Documents) required to be filed by it under Applicable Securities Laws or with the TSX since December 31, 2005. All such Shell Canada Public Documents, as of their respective dates, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading as at the time at which they were filed with the applicable Governmental Entities. All such Shell Canada Public Documents, as of their respective dates (and as of the dates of any amendments thereto), complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Applicable Securities Laws or were amended on a timely basis to correct deficiencies identified by the applicable Governmental |
Entities. The Corporation has not filed any confidential material change report with any Governmental Entity that at the date hereof remains confidential. |
(g) | Financial Statements. The audited consolidated financial statements of the Corporation (including any related notes thereto) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 and the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Corporation (including any related notes thereto) for the periods ended March 31, 2006, June 30, 2006, September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2006 have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and all Applicable Securities Laws and present fairly, in all material respects, the assets, liabilities (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise) and financial condition of the Corporation and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as at December 31, 2005, March 31, 2006, June 30, 2006, September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2006, as applicable, and for the periods covered thereby applied on a basis consistent with the immediately prior period and throughout the periods indicated (except as may be indicated expressly in the notes thereto) and, in the case of unaudited statements, subject to normal, recurring year-end adjustments that are not material. | ||
(h) | Absence of Certain Changes or Events. Since December 31, 2005, except as disclosed in the Shell Canada Public Documents, (i) each of the Corporation, its subsidiaries and material joint ventures including AOSP, has conducted its business only in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice; (ii) to the knowledge of the Corporation there have not occurred any circumstances or events which would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation; and (iii) there have been no undisclosed commitments of the Corporation, its subsidiaries or material joint venture to invest in, buy or sell assets or property from or to, as the case may be, any third party which would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation. | ||
(i) | Absence of Litigation. Except as disclosed publicly by the Corporation, (i) there are no actions, suits, proceedings or investigations that have been commenced or, to the knowledge of the Corporation, threatened against or affecting the Corporation, its subsidiaries or material joint ventures or any of their respective properties, rights or assets before any Governmental Entity which, if determined adversely with respect to the Corporation, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a |
Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation; and (ii) neither the Corporation nor its subsidiaries or material joint ventures, nor any of their respective properties, rights or assets, is subject to any outstanding order that has had or would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation. | |||
(j) | No Undisclosed Liabilities. Except as disclosed publicly by the Corporation neither the Corporation nor any of its subsidiaries has any liabilities (absolute, accrued, contingent, determined, determinable or otherwise) or obligations, in each case, of the type that would be required to be disclosed on a consolidated balance sheet of the Corporation (or the notes thereto) prepared in accordance with GAAP and there is no existing condition, situation or set of circumstances that could be reasonably expected to result in such a liability or obligation, except (i) liabilities or obligations fully reflected or reserved against in the Corporations balance sheet as of December 31, 2005 (or the notes thereto), included in the Corporations financial statements, (ii) liabilities or obligations disclosed in any Shell Canada Public Document filed after December 31, 2005 and prior to the date of this Agreement, (iii) liabilities incurred since December 31, 2005 in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, or (iv) liabilities or obligations that have not had and would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation. | ||
(k) | Directors Support. After reasonable inquiry, the Corporation believes that the directors of the Corporation intend to tender all of their Shares, including any Shares issued upon the exercise of all Options held by them, to the Offer. | ||
(l) | Recommendations. The Special Committee and the Board of Directors have (A) unanimously (with the RDS Nominees and the President and Chief Executive Officer abstaining) concluded that the Offer is fair from a financial point of view, to holders of Shares (other than the Offeror and its affiliates) and (B) unanimously (with the RDS Nominees and the President and Chief Executive Officer abstaining) resolved to recommend that holders of Shares (other than the Offeror and its affiliates) accept the Offer. |
(a) | Incorporation. The Offeror is a corporation duly incorporated and validly subsisting under the CBCA. | ||
(b) | Authority and Filing. The Offeror has the corporate power and authority and has received all necessary corporate approvals to enter into this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Offeror and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Offeror enforceable by the Corporation against it in accordance with its terms, subject only to any limitation under applicable Laws relating to (i) bankruptcy, winding-up, insolvency, arrangement, fraudulent preference and conveyance, assignment and preference and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors rights, and (ii) the discretion that a court may exercise in the granting of equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunction. | ||
(c) | Financing Arrangements. The Offeror has made adequate arrangements to ensure that the required funds are available to effect payment in full of the cash consideration for all of the Shares to be acquired pursuant to the Offer. | ||
(d) | Filings. Other than filings required under Applicable Securities Laws and notices as may be required by the stock exchanges upon which the securities of RDS are listed and press releases, no other authorization, consent or approval of or filing with any Governmental Entity is necessary on the part of the Offeror for the completion by the Offeror of its obligations under this Agreement, the failure to obtain or file which, individually or in the aggregate, would prevent or materially delay consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. |
(a) | not, and will require that its agents and advisors not, take any action of any kind which may interfere with or delay the take up of and payment for Shares deposited under the Offer or the completion of the Offer; | ||
(b) | through its Board of Directors, contemporaneously with the mailing of the Offer Documents, issue and file the Directors Circular, including the recommendations and conclusions set forth in Section 3.1(l), in all jurisdictions where the same is required in accordance with Applicable Securities Laws; | ||
(c) | upon the request of the Offeror, acting reasonably, notify the Offeror forthwith upon becoming aware of any notice of exercise being given in respect of the exercise of any Options, and inform the Offeror of all information (including the identity of the Person giving the notice) known to it regarding such notice of exercise; | ||
(d) | use its commercially reasonable efforts to assist the Offeror successfully to complete the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including co-operating with the Offeror in making any requisite regulatory filings, and giving evidence in relation thereto, and in mailing or otherwise making the Offer including providing copies of the Directors Circular for mailing together with the Offer Documents, to holders of the Shares; | ||
(e) | continue to provide lists of holders (including name, address and number of securities held) of all classes and series of securities of the Corporation prepared by the Corporation or the transfer agent of the Corporation and to provide a list of holders of Options (with full particulars as to the purchase, exercise or conversion price, vesting, expiry date and share appreciation rights) prepared by the Corporation (as well as a security position listing from each depositary, including The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited) and to deliver these lists to the Offeror and to obtain and deliver to the Offeror supplemental lists setting out any changes thereto, all such deliveries to be both in printed form and in computer-readable format; and | ||
(f) | promptly notify the Offeror of any discussions with holders of more than 100,000 Shares related to the Offer. |
(a) | conduct its and their respective businesses in the ordinary course consistent with past practice in all material respects, other than as contemplated by the Corporations draft 2007 Business Plan which has been made available to the Offeror; | ||
(b) | not issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, encumber, agree or offer to issue, sell, pledge, dispose of or encumber (or permit any of its subsidiaries to issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, encumber, agree or offer to issue, sell, pledge, dispose of or encumber) any additional shares or securities of, or any options (including any additional stock options under the LTIP), warrants, calls, conversion privileges or rights of any kind to acquire any shares of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (other than pursuant to the exercise of options issued prior to the date of this Agreement under the LTIP); | ||
(c) | not amend its articles or by-laws or the terms of any of its outstanding securities, any outstanding indebtedness or credit facilities, other than as contemplated by the Corporations long term debt strategy referred to in the minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors made available to the Offeror; | ||
(d) | not split, consolidate or reclassify any of its outstanding shares or undertake any other capital reorganization, or declare, set aside or pay any dividends on or make any other distributions on or in respect of its outstanding Shares (other than quarterly cash dividends of $0.11 per Common Share in accordance with the Corporations past practice, including as to the timing of the declaration and payment of any such dividend), or reduce capital in respect of its outstanding Shares; | ||
(e) | not redeem, purchase or offer to purchase any Shares or other securities of the Corporation; | ||
(f) | not grant to any officer or senior employee of the Corporation or its subsidiaries any increase in compensation or enter into any employment agreement with any current officer or senior employee of the Corporation or its subsidiaries other than such grants as are consistent with past practice; | ||
(g) | not enter into any transaction or perform any act which might (i) interfere with or delay the take up and payment for Shares deposited under the Offer or the completion of the Offer or successful completion of a Compulsory Acquisition or Subsequent Acquisition Transaction, (ii) render inaccurate any of the representations and |
warranties set forth herein as if such representations and warranties were made at a date subsequent to such transaction or act and all references to the date hereof were to such later date or (iii) adversely affect the Corporations ability to perform its covenants and agreements under this Agreement; | |||
(h) | not incur any additional indebtedness (other than in the normal and ordinary course), other than as contemplated by the Corporations long term debt strategy referred to in the minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors made available to the Offeror; | ||
(i) | except as contemplated in any existing contractual commitments, not acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of, or commit to acquire or sell, any assets or property or group of related assets or property (through one or more related or unrelated acquisitions), having a value and/or cost in excess of $100,000,000 in the aggregate; or | ||
(j) | promptly notify the Offeror of any offer or indication of and intention to make an offer by any third party in respect of any of the material properties or assets of the Corporation, its subsidiaries or material joint ventures and will provide copies of any written notification or offer received by it. |
(a) | the Offer has not been made on or before the time provided for in Section 2.1(a) of this Agreement; | ||
(b) | the Offer does not substantially conform, or is modified in a manner not to conform, with the description thereof in this Agreement; | ||
(c) | Shares deposited under the Offer have not, for any reason whatsoever, been taken up and paid for on or before the expiry of ten days after the expiry of the Offer; | ||
(d) | the Offeror has not taken up and paid for at least a majority of the Shares then outstanding not currently owned by the Offeror and its affiliates by June 30, 2007; or | ||
(e) | the Offeror breaches this Agreement in any material respect. |
(a) | the conditions in Schedule A are not satisfied or waived by the Offeror on or prior to the expiry of the Offer or any extension thereto; | ||
(b) | the Corporation breaches this Agreement in any material respect; or | ||
(c) | the Directors Circular does not substantially conform or is modified in a manner not to conform with the description thereof in this Agreement. |
(a) | In the case of the Offeror, as follows: |
(b) | In the case of the Corporation, as follows: |
SHELL INVESTMENTS LIMITED | ||||||
By: | /s/ W. A. Loader | |||||
Name: W. A. Loader | ||||||
Title: Director Strategy & Business Development | ||||||
SHELL CANADA LIMITED | ||||||
By: | /s/ C. Mather | |||||
Name: C. Mather | ||||||
Title: President and CEO | ||||||
By: | /s/ D. H. Burney | |||||
Name: Derek H. Burney, O.C. | ||||||
Title: Lead Director |
(a) | there shall have been validly deposited or tendered under the Offer and not withdrawn a number of Common Shares which constitutes at least a majority of the aggregate number of outstanding Common Shares (including, for this purpose, Common Shares underlying any Options or other rights to acquire Common Shares that are exercisable immediately prior to the Expiry Time) not currently owned by the Offeror and its affiliates and the votes attaching to which shall be qualified to be included as votes in favour of any Subsequent Acquisition Transaction in determining whether minority approval (as construed under Applicable Securities Laws) has been obtained in respect thereof (the Minimum Condition); | ||
(b) | all government or regulatory approvals, authorizations, waiting or suspensory periods (including any extensions thereof), waivers, permits, consents, reviews, orders, rulings, decisions, and exemptions (including, those of any stock exchanges or other securities or regulatory authorities) that are necessary or desirable to complete the Offer, or complete any acquisition of the Common Shares not deposited under the Offer on the same terms as the Common Shares acquired under the Offer pursuant to a Compulsory Acquisition or any Subsequent Acquisition Transaction shall have been obtained or concluded on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Offeror, acting reasonably; | ||
(c) | (i) no act, action, suit or proceeding shall have been threatened, commenced or taken before or by any domestic or foreign court or tribunal or governmental agency or other regulatory authority or administrative agency or commission or by any elected or appointed public official or any other Person in Canada, the United States or elsewhere, whether or not having the force of Law; and (ii) no Law shall have been proposed, enacted, promulgated, amended or applied, in either case: |
(A) | to cease trade, enjoin, suspend, prohibit or impose material interlocutory or permanent limitations or conditions on the purchase by or the sale to the Offeror of Common Shares, the right of the Offeror to own or exercise full rights of ownership of Common Shares, or the consummation of the Offer, a Compulsory Acquisition or any Subsequent Acquisition Transaction; or | ||
(B) | which, if the Offer, a Compulsory Acquisition or any Subsequent Acquisition Transaction were consummated, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation; or | ||
(C) | which challenges, would prevent, or would materially and adversely affect or make uncertain the ability of the Offeror or its affiliates to make or consummate the Offer, or to effect a Compulsory Acquisition or Subsequent Acquisition Transaction; |
(d) | there shall not exist any prohibition at law against the Offeror making the Offer or taking up and paying for Common Shares deposited under the Offer or completing a Compulsory Acquisition or Subsequent Acquisition Transaction; | ||
(e) | there shall have been no breach of the representations, warranties or covenants of the Corporation under the Support Agreement, which breach, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation or on the ability of the Offeror to consummate the transactions contemplated herein and the Support Agreement shall not have been terminated; and | ||
(f) | there does not exist and there shall not have occurred since the date of the Support Agreement (or if there does exist or shall have occurred prior to such date there shall not have been disclosed generally) any change or effect (or condition, event or development including a prospective change or effect) which when considered either individually or in the aggregate would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation or which, if the Offer, a Compulsory Acquisition or a Subsequent Acquisition Transaction were consummated, would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Offeror or the Corporation. |
(a) | SCL will settle a discretionary charitable trust (the Trust) for the benefit of certain Canadian registered charities, which Trust will incorporate a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation under the Canada Business Corporations Act (OptionCo). | ||
(b) | OptionCo will offer to Optionholders to exchange their SCL options for options (Replacement Options) to be issued by OptionCo entitling Optionholders to acquire from OptionCo previously issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares in Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS) (the RDS Shares). The Replacement Options will be the sole and exclusive consideration given for the SCL options. | ||
(c) | OptionCo and SCL will enter into a support agreement (the Option Support Agreement) under which: |
(i) | OptionCo will agree that it will go into the market and acquire for its own account such RDS Shares as are required from time to time (the Particular RDS Shares) to meet its obligations to Optionholders who exercise Replacement Options to acquire RDS Shares; |
- 2 -
(ii) | OptionCo will also agree that settlement for the acquisition of any Particular RDS Shares will occur prior to the time at which the Optionholder pays OptionCo the strike price under the Replacement Options; | ||
(iii) | SCL will agree to pay OptionCo an annual fee of $10,000, plus the cost of operations of OptionCo; and | ||
(iv) | SCL will agree to act as agent for OptionCo in respect of certain dealings with third parties regarding these arrangements including communicating with Optionholders and withholding and remitting amounts to the Canada Revenue Agency, but specifically excluding the acquisition of RDS Shares. |
(d) | SCL will also agree: |
(i) | to loan OptionCo on a demand non-interest bearing basis, prior to the time at which OptionCo has to settle payment for any Particular RDS Shares, an amount equal to the strike price of the relevant Replacement Options; | ||
(ii) | to reimburse OptionCo for any costs incurred by OptionCo, in excess of the strike price of the Replacement Options, in respect of its acquisition of any Particular RDS Shares; and | ||
(iii) | to reimburse OptionCo for any costs incurred by OptionCo in respect of an Optionholders election to receive a cash stock appreciation right alternative; |
and SCL will deposit with OptionCo an amount equal to the anticipated reimbursable costs under (ii) and (iii) of this subparagraph (d) prior to any payments to third parties by OptionCo and OptionCos obligations to return such deposits will be set-off against SCLs obligations to reimburse OptionCo. | |||
(e) | With a view to maintain, insofar as reasonably possible, the economic position of Optionholders, RDS and SCL will consult regarding the terms of the Replacement Options so that such options (other than the securities for which they shall be exercisable) will be substantially similar to the terms of the existing SCL options for which they are being exchanged, including without limitation the provision of a cash stock appreciation right alternative exercisable at the election of the holders of the Replacement Options. It is intended that the in the money amount of the Replacement Options at the time of exchange will be comparable to and in any case not be greater than the in the money amount of the |
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SCL options surrendered by Optionholders upon their acceptance of the Option Proposal. The SCL options surrendered by Optionholders pursuant to the Option Proposal will be cancelled. | |||
(f) | For greater certainty, it is intended that as the existing performance conditions included in certain of the SCL options (Performance Options) can no longer operate once SCLs common shares are no longer listed on the TSX, new performance conditions tied to the performance of RDS will be included in those Replacement Options which are being substituted for Performance Options. | ||
(g) | It is anticipated that the terms of the Option Proposal will be set forth in a letter (the Option Exchange Letter) to be sent to the Optionholders, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Offeror makes the Offer, and accompanied by such other documentation as the Corporation may consider appropriate. |
Yours truly, | ||
/s/ W A Loader | ||
Name: W A Loader | ||
Shell Investments Limited |
SHELL CANADA LIMITED | ||||||
By: | /s/ Derek H. Burney, O.C. | |||||
Name: Derek H. Burney, O.C. | ||||||
Title: Lead Director |