424b3
Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act of
1933
Commission File No. 333-138033
To the Stockholders of Veritas DGC Inc.:
You are cordially invited to attend a special meeting of
stockholders of Veritas DGC Inc. scheduled for January 9,
2007 at 10:00 a.m., Houston time, at the offices of Veritas
DGC, Inc., 10300 Town Park Drive, Houston,
Texas 77072. At the special meeting, you will be asked to
adopt our agreement and plan of merger, dated as of
September 4, 2006, with Compagnie Générale de
Géophysique and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Volnay
Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II, as this
agreement may be amended from time to time, which is referred to
as the merger agreement. In the merger, Volnay Acquisition Co. I
will merge with and into Veritas, with Veritas surviving the
merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG, immediately followed
by Veritas merging with and into Volnay Acquisition Co. II, with
Volnay Acquisition Co. II surviving the merger and
continuing its corporate existence as a wholly-owned subsidiary
of CGG. Immediately after the merger is effective, the combined
company will be renamed CGG-Veritas.
Pursuant to the merger agreement, CGG will issue to
Veritas stockholders up to approximately 49.8 million
CGG ADSs, representing approximately 10.0 million CGG
ordinary shares, and will pay to Veritas stockholders
approximately $1.6 billion in cash (based on the
outstanding shares of Veritas common stock on July 31, 2006
and the maximum number of additional shares of Veritas common
stock that may be issued in accordance with the merger agreement
pursuant to the exercise of outstanding Veritas stock options or
the conversion of Veritas convertible senior bonds due
2024 or otherwise). Because the value of the per share merger
consideration is determined in part based on the average of the
closing prices of CGG ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange during
a trading period that ends just prior to the effective time of
the merger, the actual amount of cash or number of CGG ADSs that
you will be entitled to receive for each share of Veritas common
stock cannot be determined until the effective time of the
merger and will not be known at the time of the Veritas special
meeting to vote upon the merger agreement. The formula that will
determine the amount of per share merger consideration that you
will be entitled to receive is described on page 93 of this
proxy statement/ prospectus. The tables on pages 3 and 96
of this proxy statement/ prospectus give calculations of the
merger consideration that you will be entitled to receive over a
hypothetical range of values for the CGG ADSs.
You may elect to receive either cash or CGG ADSs with respect to
each share of Veritas common stock you hold, subject in each
case to proration as set forth in the merger agreement and
described in this proxy statement/ prospectus. Regardless of
whether you elect to receive cash, CGG ADSs or a combination of
cash and CGG ADSs, or make no election, the merger agreement
contains provisions designed to cause the value of the per share
consideration you receive to be substantially equivalent.
Each CGG ADS represents one-fifth of one CGG ordinary share,
nominal value
2 per
share. CGG ADSs currently trade on the New York Stock Exchange
under the trading symbol the GGY and will trade
under the trading symbol CGV after the effective
time of the merger. We estimate that immediately after the
effective time of the merger, former Veritas stockholders will
hold CGG ADSs representing approximately 36% of the
then-outstanding CGG ordinary shares (based on the outstanding
shares of Veritas common stock on July 31, 2006 and the
maximum number of additional shares of Veritas common stock that
may be issued in accordance with the merger agreement pursuant
to the exercise of outstanding Veritas stock options or the
conversion of Veritas convertible senior bonds due 2024 or
otherwise).
The merger cannot be completed unless Veritas stockholders adopt
the merger agreement by the affirmative vote of the holders of
at least a majority of the shares of Veritas common stock
outstanding on November 18, 2006 the record date for the
special meeting.
The Veritas board of directors has unanimously approved the
merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement and unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the
proposal to adopt the merger agreement, which is described in
detail in this proxy statement/ prospectus.
The accompanying proxy statement/ prospectus contains detailed
information about the merger, the merger agreement and the
Veritas special meeting. This document is also a prospectus for
the CGG ordinary shares underlying the CGG ADSs that will be
issued pursuant to the merger. We encourage you to read this
proxy statement/ prospectus carefully before voting, including
the section entitled Risk Factors beginning on
page 24.
Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to
attend the Veritas special meeting, please take the time to
submit your proxy by completing and mailing the enclosed proxy
card or, if the option is available to you, by granting your
proxy electronically over the Internet or by telephone. If your
shares of Veritas common stock are held in street
name, you must instruct your broker how to vote such
shares.
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Sincerely, |
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Thierry Pilenko |
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Chairman of the Board of Directors and |
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Chief Executive Officer |
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Veritas DGC Inc. |
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor
any non-U.S. or
state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the
securities to be issued under this proxy statement/ prospectus
or has passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of the disclosure in
this proxy statement/ prospectus. Any representation to the
contrary is a criminal offense.
This proxy statement/ prospectus is dated November 30,
2006, and is first being mailed to Veritas stockholders on or
about December 5, 2006.
Veritas DGC Inc.
10300 Town Park Drive
Houston, Texas 77072
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON JANUARY 9, 2007
To the Stockholders of Veritas DGC Inc.:
We will hold a special meeting of stockholders of Veritas on
January 9, 2007 at 10:00 a.m., Houston time, at
the offices of Veritas DGC, Inc., 10300 Town Park Drive,
Houston, Texas 77072, for the following purposes:
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1. to consider and vote on the proposal to adopt the
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 4, 2006
(which we refer to as the merger agreement), by and among
Veritas, CGG, Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition
Co. II, as this agreement may be amended from time to time;
and |
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2. to transact any other business that may properly come
before the special meeting or any adjournment or postponement of
the special meeting. |
Only Veritas stockholders of record at the close of business on
November 18, 2006, the record date for the Veritas special
meeting, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Veritas
special meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the
Veritas special meeting.
The Veritas board of directors has unanimously approved the
merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement and unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the
proposal to adopt the merger agreement, which is described in
detail in this proxy statement/ prospectus.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, please submit a
proxy as soon as possible. To submit a proxy, call the toll-free
telephone number listed on your proxy card, use the Internet as
described in the instructions on the enclosed proxy card, or
complete, sign, date and mail your proxy card. Submitting a
proxy will assure that your vote is counted at the meeting if
you do not attend in person. If your shares of Veritas common
stock are held in street name by your broker or
other nominee, only that holder can vote your shares of Veritas
common stock and the vote cannot be cast unless you provide
instructions to your broker. You should follow the directions
provided by your broker regarding how to instruct your broker to
vote your shares of Veritas common stock. You may revoke your
proxy at any time before it is voted. Please review the proxy
statement/ prospectus accompanying this notice for more complete
information regarding the merger and the special meeting.
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By Order of the Board of Directors of |
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Veritas DGC Inc., |
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Larry L. Worden |
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Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary |
Houston, Texas, November 30, 2006
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This proxy statement/ prospectus incorporates by reference
important business and financial information about CGG and
Veritas from documents that are not included or delivered with
this proxy statement/ prospectus. See Additional
Information Where You Can Find More
Information beginning on page 190.
Documents incorporated by reference are available to you without
charge upon your written or oral request, excluding any exhibits
to those documents, unless the exhibit is specifically
incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this proxy statement/
prospectus. You can obtain any of these documents by requesting
them in writing or by telephone from the appropriate company.
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Compagnie Générale de Géophysique
Tour Maine Montparnasse
33, avenue du Maine
BP 191
75755 Paris Cedex 15, France
+33 1 64 47 45 00
Attention: Investor Relations
www.cgg.com |
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Veritas DGC Inc.
10300 Town Park Drive
Houston, Texas 77072
(832) 351-8300
Attention: Investor Relations
www.veritasdgc.com |
In order for you to receive timely delivery of the documents
in advance of the Veritas special meeting, CGG or Veritas, as
applicable, should receive your request by no later than
December 29, 2006.
You also may obtain these documents at the website of the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which is referred
to as the SEC, www.sec.gov, and you may obtain certain of these
documents at CGGs website, www.cgg.com, by
selecting Investors and then selecting
Financial Reports, and at Veritas website,
www.veritasdgc.com, by selecting
Investors, then selecting Financials and
then selecting SEC Filings.
CGG and Veritas are expressly not incorporating by reference the
contents of the websites of the SEC, CGG, Veritas or any other
person into this proxy statement/ prospectus. CGG and Veritas
are providing for your convenience only the information about
how you can obtain certain documents that are incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus at these
websites.
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
This document, which forms part of a registration statement on
Form F-4 filed
with the SEC by CGG (File
No. 333-138033),
constitutes a prospectus of CGG under Section 5 of the
U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which is referred
to as the Securities Act, with respect to the CGG ordinary
shares underlying the CGG ADSs to be issued to Veritas
stockholders pursuant to the merger. This document also
constitutes a notice of meeting and a proxy statement under
Section 14(a) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, which is referred to as the Exchange Act, with
respect to the special meeting of Veritas stockholders, at which
Veritas stockholders will be asked to consider and vote upon a
proposal to adopt the merger agreement.
CURRENCIES
In this proxy statement/ prospectus, unless otherwise specified
or the context otherwise requires:
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$ and U.S. dollar each refer to the
United States dollar; |
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and
euro each refer to the euro, the single currency
established for members of the European Economic and Monetary
Union since January 1, 1999; and |
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NOK refers to Norwegian kroner. |
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Annexes
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A-1 |
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B-1 |
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C-1 |
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D-1 |
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E-1 |
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F-1 |
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iv
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MERGER AND THE
VERITAS SPECIAL STOCKHOLDERS MEETING
The following are some questions that you may have regarding
the proposed merger being considered at the Veritas special
meeting and brief answers to those questions. Veritas and CGG
urge you to read carefully the remainder of this proxy
statement/ prospectus because the information in this section
does not provide all the information that might be important to
you. Additional important information is also contained in the
annexes to, and the documents incorporated by reference in, this
proxy statement/ prospectus. Unless stated otherwise, all
references in this proxy statement/ prospectus to CGG are to
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique, a
société anonyme organized under the laws of the
Republic of France; all references to Veritas are to Veritas DGC
Inc., a Delaware corporation; all references to CGG-Veritas are
to the combined company; and all references to the merger
agreement are to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
September 4, 2006, by and among Veritas, CGG, Volnay
Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II, a copy of
which is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement/
prospectus and is incorporated by reference herein.
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Q: |
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What is the proposed transaction? |
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A: |
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CGG and Veritas have entered into a merger agreement, pursuant
to which Volnay Acquisition Co. I will merge with and into
Veritas, with Veritas surviving the merger as a wholly-owned
subsidiary of CGG, immediately followed by Veritas merging with
and into Volnay Acquisition Co. II, with Volnay Acquisition
Co. II surviving the merger and continuing its corporate
existence as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG (together, these
transactions are referred to in this proxy statement/ prospectus
as the merger). CGG will be renamed CGG-Veritas
immediately after the effective time of the merger. |
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Why are CGG and Veritas proposing the merger? |
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A: |
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The boards of directors of CGG and Veritas believe that the
combination of CGG and Veritas will provide substantial
strategic and financial benefits to the shareholders of both
companies and will allow shareholders the opportunity to
participate in a strong, pure-play seismic company offering a
broad range of seismic services and, through Sercel, geophysical
equipment, to the industry across all markets. To review the
reasons for the merger in greater detail, see The
Merger Recommendation of the Veritas Board of
Directors and Its Reasons for the Merger and The
Merger CGGs Reasons for the Merger. |
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Q: |
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Why am I receiving this proxy statement/ prospectus? |
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A: |
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Veritas stockholders are being asked to adopt the merger
agreement. Under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, which governs Veritas, adoption of the merger
agreement requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a
majority of the outstanding shares of Veritas common stock
entitled to vote. Accordingly, if a Veritas stockholder fails to
vote, or if a Veritas stockholder abstains, that will have the
same effect as a vote against adoption of the merger agreement.
Your broker will not be able to vote shares of Veritas
common stock held in street name unless you instruct
your broker how to vote. |
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This proxy statement/ prospectus contains important information
about the proposed merger, the merger agreement and the Veritas
special meeting, which you should read carefully before voting.
The enclosed voting materials allow you to cause your shares of
Veritas common stock to be voted without attending the Veritas
special meeting in person. |
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Your vote is very important. You are encouraged to submit
a proxy as soon as possible. |
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Q: |
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What is the amount of cash and/or the number of CGG ADSs that
I will be entitled to receive for my shares of Veritas common
stock? |
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A: |
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Under the merger agreement, the actual amount of cash or number
of CGG ADSs that you will be entitled to receive for each share
of Veritas common stock you hold cannot be determined until the
effective time of the merger. Those amounts will be determined
based on a formula set forth in the merger agreement and
described in this proxy statement/ prospectus. The per share
consideration will be equal to the aggregate value of all CGG
ADSs and cash being issued pursuant to the merger |
Q-1
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divided by the total number of shares of Veritas common stock
outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the
merger. The value of the CGG ADSs for these purposes, or average
CGG ADS value, as it is referred to in this proxy statement/
prospectus, will be the average of the closing prices of CGG
ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange, referred to as the NYSE, as
reported by The Wall Street Journal during the
20 consecutive trading day period during which the CGG ADSs
are traded on the NYSE ending three calendar days before the
effective time of the merger or, if such calendar day is not a
trading day, then ending on the trading day immediately
preceding such calendar day. There are tables on pages 3
and 96 of this proxy statement/ prospectus that set forth the
per share cash consideration and the per ADS consideration that
would be received by Veritas stockholders based on a range of
hypothetical average CGG ADS values. |
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For a more complete description of what Veritas stockholders
will be entitled to receive pursuant to the merger, see
The Merger Agreement Merger
Consideration. |
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Q: |
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If I am a Veritas stockholder, when must I elect the type of
merger consideration that I prefer to receive? |
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A: |
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Holders of Veritas common stock who wish to elect the type of
merger consideration they prefer to receive pursuant to the
merger should carefully review and follow the instructions set
forth in the election form provided to Veritas stockholders.
These instructions require that a properly completed and signed
election form along with your shares of Veritas common stock be
received by the exchange agent by the election deadline, which
is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 10, 2007.
If a Veritas stockholder does not submit a properly completed
and signed election form to the exchange agent by the election
deadline, then such stockholder will have no control over the
type of merger consideration such stockholder will receive, and,
consequently, will receive only cash, only CGG ADSs, or a
combination of cash and CGG ADSs pursuant to the merger. |
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For a more complete description of what Veritas stockholders
will be entitled to receive pursuant to the merger, see
The Merger Agreement Merger
Consideration. |
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Q: |
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What is a CGG ADS? |
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A: |
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An American Depositary Share, or ADS, is a security that allows
shareholders in the United States to more easily hold and trade
interests in foreign-based companies. ADSs are often evidenced
by certificates known as American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs.
CGG is a French company that issues ordinary shares that are
similar in many respects to common stock of a U.S. company.
Each CGG ADS represents
one-fifth of one CGG
ordinary share. CGG ordinary shares are quoted in euros on the
Euronext Paris SA, which is the French national stock exchange.
CGG ADSs represent certain rights with respect to the underlying
CGG ordinary shares. See Description of the CGG American
Depositary Shares. |
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Q: |
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Are CGG ADSs publicly traded in the United States? |
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A: |
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Yes. CGG ADSs are publicly traded in the United States and are
currently listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol
GGY and will be listed under the trading symbol
CGV after the effective time of the merger. |
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Q: |
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What are the implications of CGG being a foreign
private issuer? |
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A: |
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CGG is subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange
Act applicable to foreign private issuers. CGG is required to
file its annual report on
Form 20-F with the
SEC within six months after the end of each fiscal year. In
addition, CGG must furnish reports on
Form 6-K to the
SEC regarding certain information required to be publicly
disclosed by CGG in France or filed with Euronext Paris SA, or
regarding information distributed or required to be distributed
by CGG to its shareholders. CGG is exempt from certain rules
under the Exchange Act, including the proxy rules which impose
certain disclosure and procedural requirements for proxy
solicitations under Section 14 of the Exchange Act.
Moreover, CGG is not required to file periodic reports and
financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly
as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the
Exchange Act; is not required to file financial statements
prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP (although it is
required to reconcile its annual financial statements to
U.S. GAAP); and is not required to comply with
Regulation FD, which addresses |
Q-2
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certain restrictions on the selective disclosure of material
information. In addition, among other matters, CGGs
officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from
the reporting and short-swing profit recovery
provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules
under the Exchange Act with respect to their purchases and sales
of CGG ordinary shares. If CGG or the combined company loses its
status as a foreign private issuer, it will no longer be exempt
from such rules and, among other things, will be required to
file periodic reports and financial statements as if it were a
company incorporated in the United States. |
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The covenants contained in CGGs outstanding
71/2% senior
notes due 2015, referred to as the CGG senior notes, however,
require CGG to furnish to the SEC a greater level of financial
and non-financial information than the Exchange Act requires of
foreign private issuers for so long as such notes remain
outstanding. Specifically, CGGs current practice is to
prepare financial statements on a quarterly basis and to furnish
them under the Exchange Act on
Form 6-K.
CGGs current practice is also to prepare and furnish under
the Exchange Act, together with such financial statements,
disclosure with respect to its Operating and Financial
Review and Prospects of the type described in Item 5
of SEC Form 20-F. |
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Q: |
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What will happen in the proposed merger to stock options to
purchase Veritas common stock and other stock-based awards that
have been granted to employees, directors and consultants of
Veritas or its affiliates? |
|
A: |
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Each option to purchase shares of Veritas common stock pursuant
to any stock option plan, program or arrangement of Veritas
(other than the Veritas 1992 Employee Non-Qualified Stock Option
Plan) that is outstanding and unexercised immediately prior to
the effective time of the merger, whether or not vested, will be
cancelled and converted into a right to receive an amount in
cash equal to the excess, if any, of the per share cash
consideration in the merger over the exercise price per share
under such option immediately prior to such cancellation and
conversion (less any applicable withholding taxes). Each option
to purchase shares of Veritas common stock pursuant to the
Veritas 1992 Employee Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan which is
outstanding and unexercised as of the effective time of the
merger, whether or not vested, will be cancelled and no
consideration will be paid in connection with such cancellation.
Options that are currently outstanding and unexercised under
that plan, however, may be exercised in accordance with their
terms prior to the effective time of the merger. |
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All Veritas option plans, the Veritas 2001 Key Employee
Restricted Stock Plan and any other plan providing for the
issuance, transfer or grant of any capital stock of Veritas or
any interest in respect of any capital stock of Veritas will be
terminated as of the effective time of the merger. |
|
Q: |
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What will happen to Veritas convertible bonds in the
merger? |
|
A: |
|
Veritas floating rate convertible senior bonds due 2024
(referred to in this proxy statement/ prospectus as the
convertible bonds) that are not converted by their holders into
Veritas common stock prior to the merger will remain outstanding
following the merger. After the effective time of the merger,
the convertible bonds will become convertible for the merger
consideration that a holder of shares of Veritas common stock
that made no election would receive, which will not be
determinable until after the election deadline. |
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A holder of the convertible bonds who converts into Veritas
common stock prior to the election deadline may elect to receive
cash or CGG ADSs or a combination of cash and CGG ADSs in the
same manner as other Veritas stockholders, subject to the
election procedures and proration mechanisms described in this
proxy statement/ prospectus. |
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A holder of Veritas convertible bonds that wishes to have the
right to make an election should tender his convertible bonds
for conversion sufficiently in advance of the election deadline
(in any event, no later than December 21, 2006) and return
a properly completed election form prior to the election
deadline of 5:00 p.m. New York City time on
January 10, 2007 with respect to the shares of Veritas
common stock issued on conversion. |
Q-3
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Q: |
|
What conditions are required to be fulfilled to complete the
merger? |
|
A: |
|
CGG and Veritas are not required to complete the merger unless
certain specified conditions are satisfied or waived. These
conditions include adoption by Veritas stockholders of the
merger agreement, the approval by CGG shareholders of the
issuance of CGG ordinary shares underlying the CGG ADSs to be
issued pursuant to the merger and related matters, the
effectiveness of the
Form F-4
registration statement, of which this proxy statement/
prospectus constitutes a part, and of the
Form F-6
registration statement, and the approval (visa) of the
note dinformation by the AMF, relating to the
CGG ordinary shares underlying the CGG ADSs to be issued in
connection with the merger. There can be no assurance that such
conditions will be satisfied. For a more complete summary of the
conditions that must be satisfied or waived prior to the
effective time of the merger, see The Merger
Agreement Conditions to the Completion of the
Merger beginning on page 105. |
|
Q: |
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How will CGG finance the cash component of the merger? |
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A: |
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CGG has entered into a senior secured bridge loan facility with
Credit Suisse International, as sole and exclusive lead arranger
and sole and exclusive bookrunner, of up to $1.6 billion to
be made available to CGG for the purposes of, among other
things, financing the cash component of the merger
consideration. The bridge loan facility may be drawn only in a
single borrowing on the date of the merger and is payable in
full by a single payment 18 months from the initial funding
date, subject to a six-month extension at the sole option of a
majority of lenders under the facility. |
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Under the bridge loan facility, CGG-Veritas is required to
maintain certain financial covenants and is subject to
affirmative and negative covenants that affect its ability,
among other things, to borrow money, incur liens, dispose of
assets and make acquisitions as further described under
CGG Recent Developments Bridge
Loan Facility beginning on page 40. In addition,
drawing under the bridge loan facility is conditioned upon
certain conditions which, if not met and not waived by Credit
Suisse International, will result in CGG being unable to draw
funds under the bridge loan agreement and having to seek other
financing to complete the merger. See Risk
Factors Risks Related to the Combined Companys
Indebtedness If CGG is unable to draw funds under
the commitment letter, it will have to seek other financing to
complete the merger, which could be on terms that are less
favorable to CGG. |
|
Q: |
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When do CGG and Veritas expect the merger to be completed? |
|
A: |
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CGG and Veritas are working to complete the merger as quickly as
practicable. They currently expect the merger to be completed
during the first quarter of 2007. However, neither CGG nor
Veritas can predict the exact timing of the effective time of
the merger because it is subject to certain conditions both
within and beyond each of their control. See The Merger
Agreement Conditions to the Completion of the
Merger beginning on page 105. |
|
Q: |
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Are Veritas stockholders entitled to appraisal rights? |
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A: |
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If the merger is completed and any holder of Veritas common
stock is required to receive cash (other than cash in lieu of
fractional CGG ADSs) as consideration pursuant to the merger,
holders of shares of Veritas common stock who do not vote in
favor of the adoption of the merger agreement will have the
right to seek appraisal of the fair value of their shares, but
only if they submit a written demand for such an appraisal prior
to the vote on adoption of the merger agreement and they comply
with the other Delaware law procedures and requirements
explained in this proxy statement/ prospectus. See
Appraisal Rights beginning on page 125. |
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Q: |
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How does the Veritas board of directors recommend that
Veritas stockholders vote? |
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A: |
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The Veritas board of directors has determined that the execution
and delivery of the merger agreement was advisable and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are in the
best interests of the Veritas stockholders and unanimously
recommends that Veritas stockholders vote FOR the
proposal to adopt the merger agreement. For a more complete
description of the recommendation of the Veritas board of
directors, see The Merger Recommendation of
the Veritas Board of Directors and Its Reasons for the
Merger beginning on page 51. |
Q-4
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|
Q: |
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When and where will the Veritas special meeting be held? |
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A: |
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The Veritas special meeting will be held on January 9, 2007
at 10:00 a.m., Houston time, at the offices of Veritas
DGC, Inc., 10300 Town Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77072. |
|
Q: |
|
Who can attend and vote at the Veritas special meeting? |
|
A: |
|
All Veritas stockholders of record as of the close of business
on November 18, 2006, the record date for the Veritas
special meeting, are entitled to receive notice of and to vote
at the Veritas special meeting. |
|
Q: |
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What do I need to do now? |
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A: |
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After you have carefully read this proxy statement/ prospectus,
please respond by completing, signing and dating your proxy card
and returning it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope or, if
available, by submitting your proxy by telephone or through the
Internet as soon as possible so that your shares of Veritas
common stock will be represented and voted at the special
meeting. |
|
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Please refer to your proxy card or the information forwarded by
your broker or other nominee to see which options are available
to you. |
|
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The Internet and telephone proxy submission procedures are
designed to authenticate stockholders and to allow you to
confirm that your instructions have been properly recorded. |
|
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The method by which you submit a proxy will in no way limit your
right to vote at the Veritas special meeting if you later decide
to attend the meeting in person. If your shares of Veritas
common stock are held in the name of a broker or other nominee,
you must obtain a proxy, executed in your favor, from the holder
of record, to be able to vote at our special meeting. |
|
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All shares of Veritas common stock entitled to vote and
represented by properly completed proxies received prior to the
Veritas special meeting, and not revoked, will be voted at the
Veritas special meeting as instructed on the proxies. If you
do not indicate how your shares of Veritas common stock should
be voted on a matter, the shares of Veritas common stock
represented by your properly completed proxy will be voted as
the Veritas board of directors recommends and therefore FOR the
adoption of the merger agreement. |
|
Q: |
|
If I am a Veritas stockholder, should I send in my stock
certificates with my proxy card? |
|
A: |
|
No. Please DO NOT send your Veritas stock
certificates with your proxy card. Rather, prior to the election
deadline, which is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on
January 10, 2007, you should send your Veritas common stock
certificates to the exchange agent, together with your
completed, signed election form. If your shares of Veritas
common stock are held in street name by your broker
or other nominee you should follow your brokers or other
nominees instructions for making an election with respect
to your shares of Veritas common stock. |
|
Q: |
|
Can I change my vote after I have delivered my proxy? |
|
A: |
|
Yes. You may change your vote at any time before your proxy is
voted at the Veritas special meeting. You can do this in any of
the three following ways: |
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by sending a written notice to the Secretary of
Veritas in time to be received before the Veritas special
meeting stating that you would like to revoke your proxy; |
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by completing, signing and dating another proxy card
and returning it by mail in time to be received before the
Veritas special meeting or, if you submitted your proxy through
the Internet or by telephone, by submitting a proxy card at a
later date, in which case your later-submitted proxy will be
recorded and your earlier proxy revoked; or |
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if you are a holder of record, by attending the
special meeting and voting in person. Simply attending the
Veritas special meeting without voting will not revoke your
proxy or change your vote. |
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If your shares of Veritas common stock are held in an account at
a broker or other nominee and you desire to change your vote,
you should contact your broker or other nominee. |
|
Q: |
|
What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting
materials for the Veritas special meeting? |
|
A: |
|
You may receive more than one set of voting materials for the
Veritas special meeting, including multiple copies of this proxy
statement/ prospectus and multiple proxy cards or voting
instruction cards. |
Q-5
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For example, if you hold your shares of Veritas common stock in
more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate
voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you
hold shares of Veritas common stock. If you are a holder of
record and your shares of Veritas common stock are registered in
more than one name, you will receive more than one proxy card.
Please complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and
voting instruction card that you receive. |
|
Q: |
|
If my shares of Veritas common stock are held in street
name by my broker or other nominee, will my broker or
other nominee vote my shares of Veritas common stock for me? |
|
A: |
|
Your broker will NOT vote your shares of Veritas common stock
held in street name unless you instruct your broker
how to vote. Such failure to vote will have the same effect as a
vote AGAINST adoption of the merger agreement. You should
therefore provide your broker or other nominee with instructions
as to how to vote your shares of Veritas common stock. |
|
Q: |
|
Who can answer my questions? |
|
A: |
|
If you have any questions about the merger or how to submit your
proxy, or if you need additional copies of this proxy statement/
prospectus, the enclosed proxy card, voting instructions or the
election form, you should contact: |
Mellon Investor Services LLC
480 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
Call toll-free: (866) 293-6622
Call collect
(201) 680-6590
Q-6
SUMMARY
The following is a summary that highlights information
contained in this proxy statement/ prospectus. This summary may
not contain all of the information that is important to you. For
a more complete description of the merger agreement and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, CGG and
Veritas encourage you to carefully read this entire proxy
statement/ prospectus, including the attached annexes. In
addition, CGG and Veritas encourage you to read the information
incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus,
which includes important business and financial information
about CGG and Veritas that has been filed with the SEC. You may
obtain the information incorporated by reference into this proxy
statement/ prospectus without charge by following the
instructions in the section entitled Additional
Information Where You Can Find More
Information on page 190.
The Companies
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique. CGG is
a leading manufacturer of geophysical equipment and
international provider of geophysical services. Founded in
France in 1931, it sells its geophysical equipment primarily to
other geophysical service companies and provides geophysical
services principally to oil and gas companies that use seismic
imaging to help explore for, develop and manage oil and gas
reserves by (i) identifying new areas where subsurface
conditions are favorable for the accumulation of oil and gas;
(ii) determining the size and structure of previously
identified oil and gas fields; and (iii) optimizing
development and production of oil and gas reserves (reservoir
management).
CGG ADSs are currently traded on the NYSE under the trading
symbol GGY and will trade under the trading symbol
CGV after the effective time of the merger. Each CGG
ADS represents one-fifth of one CGG ordinary share. CGG ordinary
shares are quoted on Euronext Paris SA under the trading symbol
GLE.
CGGs principal executive offices are located at Tour
Maine-Montparnasse, 33, avenue du Maine, BP 191, 75755
Paris, Cedex 15 France.
Veritas DGC Inc. Veritas is a leading provider of
integrated geophysical information services to the petroleum
industry worldwide. Its customers include major national and
independent oil and gas companies that utilize geophysical
technologies to: (i) identify new areas where subsurface
conditions are favorable for the production of hydrocarbons;
(ii) determine the size and structure of previously
identified oil and gas fields; and (iii) optimize
development and production of hydrocarbon reserves. Veritas and
its predecessors have been in operation for more than
36 years.
Veritas common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol
VTS.
Veritas principal executive offices are located at 10300
Town Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77072.
Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition
Co. II. Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition
Co. II, are each wholly-owned subsidiaries of CGG and are
each organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. Volnay
Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II were formed
on September 5, 2006 solely for the purpose of effecting
the merger. Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition
Co. II have not conducted any business operations other
than activities incidental to their formation and in connection
with the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.
The principal executive offices of Volnay Acquisition Co. I and
Volnay Acquisition Co. II are c/o Compagnie
Générale de Géophysique, Tour Maine-Montparnasse,
33, avenue du Maine, BP 191, 75755, Paris, Cedex 15 France.
The Merger (see page 44)
CGG and Veritas have agreed to combine their businesses pursuant
to the merger agreement described in this proxy statement/
prospectus. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Volnay
Acquisition Co. I will merge with and into Veritas, with Veritas
surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG,
immediately followed by Veritas merging with and into Volnay
Acquisition Co. II,
1
with Volnay Acquisition Co. II surviving the merger and
continuing its corporate existence as a wholly-owned subsidiary
of CGG. The combined company will be renamed
CGG-Veritas immediately after the effective time of
the merger.
The merger agreement is attached as Annex A to this proxy
statement/ prospectus and is incorporated by reference herein.
CGG and Veritas encourage you to read the merger agreement in
its entirety because it is the legal document that governs the
merger.
Merger Consideration (see page 92)
The merger agreement provides that at the effective time of the
merger, each outstanding share of Veritas common stock will be
converted into the right to receive either a number of CGG ADSs
or an amount of cash, subject to the election and proration
procedures described in this proxy statement/ prospectus. The
actual amount of cash or number of CGG ADSs that you will be
entitled to receive for each share of Veritas common stock you
hold cannot be determined until the effective time of the
merger. Those amounts will be determined based on the formula
set forth in the merger agreement and described in The
Merger Agreement Merger Consideration
beginning on page 92 of this proxy statement/ prospectus.
The formula is designed to substantially equalize the value of
the consideration to be received for each share of Veritas
common stock, at the time the calculation is made, regardless of
whether you elect to receive cash, CGG ADSs or a combination of
cash and CGG ADSs, or make no election. CGG and Veritas deemed
this equalization mechanism to be desirable because the value of
the CGG ADSs will fluctuate between September 4, 2006, the
date the merger agreement was entered into, and the effective
time of the merger. The value of the merger consideration to be
received with respect to each share of Veritas common stock will
be equal to $37.00 plus approximately $1.14 per $1.00 of
average CGG ADS value.
The aggregate amount of cash and the total number of CGG ADSs to
be paid and issued, respectively, pursuant to the merger are
fixed (in each case subject to upward adjustment in the event
that any shares of Veritas common stock are issued in accordance
with the merger agreement pursuant to the exercise of
outstanding Veritas stock options or conversion of Veritas
convertible bonds or otherwise). Because the amount of cash and
the number of CGG ADSs to be paid and issued, respectively,
pursuant to the merger are fixed, the percentage of shares of
Veritas common stock that will be exchanged for CGG ADSs and the
percentage that will be exchanged for cash will depend upon the
average CGG ADS value. The higher the average CGG ADS value is,
the greater the percentage of shares of Veritas common stock
that will be exchanged for CGG ADSs and the lower the average
CGG ADS value is, the greater the percentage of shares of
Veritas common stock that will be exchanged for cash.
For example, if the average CGG ADS value is $30.00, a Veritas
stockholder receiving CGG ADSs in exchange for shares of Veritas
common stock would receive 2.373 CGG ADSs per share of Veritas
common stock, with a value of $71.20 per share based on
that average CGG ADS value, and a Veritas stockholder receiving
cash in exchange for shares of Veritas common stock would
receive $71.20 in cash per share of Veritas common stock. The
exact proration of CGG ADSs and cash each Veritas stockholder
will receive in exchange for such holders shares of
Veritas common stock is subject to the proration procedures
described below. Based on an average CGG ADS value of $30.00,
approximately 48.03% of the outstanding shares of Veritas common
stock would be exchanged for CGG ADSs, and approximately 51.97%
would be exchanged for cash.
Assuming a hypothetical average CGG ADS value of $33.33, which
was the closing price of CGG ADSs on August 29, 2006, the
merger would have a value of approximately $75.00 per share
of Veritas common stock. Assuming a hypothetical average CGG ADS
value of $40.22, which was the closing price of CGG ADSs on
November 29, 2006, the last business day prior to the date
of this proxy statement/ prospectus, the merger would have a
value of approximately $82.55 per share of Veritas common
stock. Assuming a hypothetical average CGG ADS value of
$37.65 based on the average of the per share closing prices
of CGG ADSs as reported in The Wall Street Journal during
the 20 consecutive trading day period ended on November 29,
2006 (which is latest practicable trading day prior to the date
of this proxy
2
statement/ prospectus), the merger would have a value of
approximately $79.92 per share of Veritas common stock.
The following table sets forth, based on various hypothetical
average CGG ADS values, the per share cash consideration and the
per share CGG ADS consideration, as well as the value of such
CGG ADS consideration based on the hypothetical average CGG ADS
values. The table also shows the percentage of outstanding
shares of Veritas common stock that would be converted into CGG
ADSs and cash based on such average CGG ADS values.
|
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Approximate Percentage of |
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|
Value of per Share |
|
Merger Consideration |
Average CGG |
|
Per Share Cash |
|
Per Share CGG |
|
CGG ADS |
|
|
ADS Value |
|
Consideration |
|
ADS Consideration |
|
Consideration(1) |
|
In ADSs |
|
In Cash |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$30.00 |
|
|
|
$71.20 |
|
|
|
2.3734 |
|
|
$71.20 |
|
|
48.03% |
|
|
|
51.97% |
|
|
$31.00 |
|
|
|
$72.34 |
|
|
|
2.3336 |
|
|
$72.34 |
|
|
48.85% |
|
|
|
51.15% |
|
|
$32.00 |
|
|
|
$73.48 |
|
|
|
2.2963 |
|
|
$73.48 |
|
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49.64% |
|
|
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50.36% |
|
|
$33.00 |
|
|
|
$74.62 |
|
|
|
2.2613 |
|
|
$74.62 |
|
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50.41% |
|
|
|
49.59% |
|
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$34.00 |
|
|
|
$75.76 |
|
|
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2.2283 |
|
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$75.76 |
|
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51.16% |
|
|
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48.84% |
|
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$35.00 |
|
|
|
$76.90 |
|
|
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2.1972 |
|
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$76.90 |
|
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51.88% |
|
|
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48.12% |
|
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$36.00 |
|
|
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$78.04 |
|
|
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2.1678 |
|
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$78.04 |
|
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52.59% |
|
|
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47.41% |
|
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$37.00 |
|
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$79.18 |
|
|
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2.1400 |
|
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$79.18 |
|
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53.27% |
|
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46.73% |
|
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$38.00 |
|
|
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$80.32 |
|
|
|
2.1137 |
|
|
$80.32 |
|
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53.93% |
|
|
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46.07% |
|
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$39.00 |
|
|
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$81.46 |
|
|
|
2.0888 |
|
|
$81.46 |
|
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54.58% |
|
|
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45.42% |
|
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$40.00 |
|
|
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$82.60 |
|
|
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2.0650 |
|
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$82.60 |
|
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55.20% |
|
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44.80% |
|
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$41.00 |
|
|
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$83.74 |
|
|
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$2.0425 |
|
|
$83.74 |
|
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55.81% |
|
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44.19% |
|
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$42.00 |
|
|
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$84.88 |
|
|
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$2.0210 |
|
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$84.88 |
|
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56.41% |
|
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43.59% |
|
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$43.00 |
|
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$86.02 |
|
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$2.0005 |
|
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$86.02 |
|
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56.99% |
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43.01% |
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$44.00 |
|
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$87.16 |
|
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$1.9809 |
|
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$87.16 |
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57.55% |
|
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42.45% |
|
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$45.00 |
|
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$88.30 |
|
|
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$1.9623 |
|
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$88.30 |
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58.10% |
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41.90% |
|
Note:
|
|
(1) |
Based on the CGG ADS value. |
The actual value of the cash consideration or number of CGG ADSs
that you will be entitled to receive for each share of Veritas
common stock you hold may differ from the hypothetical amounts
shown in these examples because the actual amounts can only be
determined at the effective time of the merger based on a
formula set forth in the merger agreement and described in this
proxy statement/ prospectus.
Following the effective time of the merger, Veritas stockholders
are expected to own approximately 36% of CGG-Veritas on a fully
diluted basis based on the outstanding shares of Veritas common
stock on July 31, 2006 and the maximum number of additional
shares of Veritas common stock that may be issued in accordance
with the merger agreement pursuant to the exercise of
outstanding Veritas stock options or the conversion of the
Veritas convertible bonds or otherwise.
No assurance can be given that the average value of CGG ADSs
will be equivalent to the fair market value of CGG ADSs on the
date that the merger consideration is received by a Veritas
stockholder or at any other time. The actual fair market value
of the CGG ADSs received by Veritas stockholders will depend
upon the market price of CGG ADSs upon receipt, which may be
higher or lower than the average CGG ADS value or the market
price of CGG ADSs on the date the merger was announced, on the
date this proxy statement/ prospectus is mailed to Veritas
stockholders, on the date a Veritas stockholder makes an
election with respect to the merger consideration, or on the
date of the special meeting of Veritas stockholders.
3
Election of Merger Consideration (see page 97)
You may elect to receive cash or, CGG ADSs in exchange for each
of your shares of Veritas common stock. However, since CGG is
delivering a fixed number of CGG ADSs and paying a fixed amount
of cash (in each case subject to upward adjustment in the event
that any shares of Veritas common stock are issued in accordance
with the merger agreement pursuant to the exercise of
outstanding Veritas stock options, the conversion of Veritas
convertible bonds or otherwise), you cannot be certain of
receiving the form of consideration that you elect with respect
to all of your shares of Veritas common stock. If the elections
result in an oversubscription of the pool of cash or CGG ADSs,
certain procedures for allocating cash and CGG ADSs among
Veritas stockholders will be followed by the exchange agent. See
The Merger Agreement Conversion of Shares;
Exchange of Certificates; Elections as to Form of Consideration;
Proration Proration beginning on page 101
of this proxy statement/ prospectus.
Completion and Delivery of the Election Form (see
page 99)
You should have received an election form with instructions for
making cash and CGG ADS elections. You should properly complete
and deliver to the exchange agent your election form along with
your stock certificates (or a properly completed notice of
guaranteed delivery in lieu of the stock certificates). Do not
send your stock certificates or election form with your proxy
card.
Election forms and stock certificates (or a properly completed
notice of guaranteed delivery in lieu of the stock certificates)
must be received by the exchange agent by the election deadline,
which is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on
January 10, 2007. Once you tender your stock certificates
to the exchange agent, you may not transfer your shares of
Veritas common stock until the merger is completed, unless you
revoke your election by written notice to the exchange agent
that is received prior to the election deadline.
If you fail to submit a properly completed election form,
together with your stock certificates (or a properly completed
notice of guaranteed delivery), prior to the election deadline,
you will be deemed not to have made an election. As a holder
making no election, you will be paid a value per share
equivalent to the amount paid per share to holders making
elections, but you may be paid in all cash, all CGG ADSs, or
part cash and part CGG ADSs, depending on the remaining pool of
cash and CGG ADSs available for paying merger consideration
after honoring the elections that other Veritas stockholders
have made.
If you own shares of Veritas common stock in street
name through a broker or other nominee and you wish to
make an election, you should seek instructions from the broker
or other nominee holding your shares of Veritas common stock
concerning how to make your election.
If the merger agreement is not adopted by Veritas stockholders,
or the issuance of CGG ordinary shares underlying the CGG ADSs
is not approved by CGG shareholders, stock certificates will be
returned by the exchange agent by first class mail or through
book-entry transfer (in the case of shares of Veritas common
stock delivered in book-entry form to the exchange agent).
Treatment of Stock Options (see page 102)
Veritas intends to take such actions as are necessary to cause
all stock options to purchase shares of Veritas common stock
pursuant to any stock option plan, program or arrangement of
Veritas (other than the Veritas 1992 Employee Non-Qualified
Stock Option Plan) that are outstanding and unexercised at the
effective time of the merger, whether or not vested, to be
cancelled and converted into a right to receive an amount in
cash equal to the excess, if any, of the per share cash
consideration over the exercise price per share under such stock
option immediately prior to such cancellation and conversion
(less any applicable withholding taxes). Each option to purchase
shares of Veritas common stock pursuant to the Veritas 1992
Employee Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan which is outstanding
and unexercised as of the effective time of the merger, whether
or not vested, will be cancelled and no consideration will be
paid in connection with such cancellation. Options that are
currently outstanding and unexercised under that plan, however,
may be exercised in accordance with their terms prior to the
effective time of the merger.
4
All Veritas stock option plans and restricted stock plans will
be terminated as of the effective time of the merger.
Treatment of Convertible Bonds (see page 102)
The outstanding Veritas floating rate convertible senior bonds
due 2024 will be entitled, following the effective time of the
merger, to receive upon conversion the merger consideration that
a holder of shares of Veritas common stock that made no election
would receive, which will not be determinable until the
effective time. A holder of the convertible bonds who converts
into shares of Veritas common stock prior to the election
deadline may elect to receive cash or CGG ADSs or a combination
of cash and CGG ADSs in the same manner as other Veritas
stockholders, subject to the election procedures and proration
mechanisms described in this proxy statement/ prospectus.
A holder of Veritas convertible bonds that wishes to have the
right to make an election should tender his convertible bonds
for conversion sufficiently in advance of the election deadline
(in any event, no later than December 21, 2006) and return
a properly completed election form prior to the election
deadline of 5:00 p.m. New York City time on
January 10, 2007 with respect to the shares of Veritas
common stock issued on conversion.
Recommendation of the Veritas Board of Directors (see
page 51)
The Veritas board of directors has determined unanimously that
the execution and delivery of the merger agreement is advisable
and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are in
the best interests of the Veritas stockholders, and has
unanimously approved the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement. The Veritas board of
directors unanimously recommends that Veritas stockholders
vote FOR the proposal to adopt the merger agreement.
Stockholders Entitled to Vote; Vote Required (see
page 42)
You can vote at the Veritas special meeting if you owned shares
of Veritas common stock at the close of business on
November 18, 2006, which is referred to as the record date.
On the record date, there were 36,193,953 shares of Veritas
common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Veritas
special meeting, held by approximately 732 holders of
record. You may cast one vote for each share of Veritas common
stock that you owned on the record date.
Abstentions will be counted in determining whether a quorum is
present at the Veritas special meeting. However, an abstention
will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal to
adopt the merger agreement.
Your vote is very important. You are encouraged to vote as
soon as possible. If you do not indicate how your shares of
Veritas common stock should be voted on a matter, the shares of
Veritas common stock represented by your properly completed
proxy will be voted as the Veritas board of directors recommends
and therefore FOR the adoption of the merger agreement.
Opinions of Financial Advisors (see pages 63 and 69)
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Opinion of Veritas Financial Advisor |
Goldman, Sachs & Co., which is referred to as
Goldman Sachs, delivered its written opinion to the Veritas
board of directors that, as of September 4, 2006 and based
upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth
therein, the per share ADS consideration and the per share cash
consideration to be received by holders of the shares of Veritas
common stock, taken in the aggregate, pursuant to the merger
agreement was fair from a financial point of view to such
holders.
The full text of the written opinion of Goldman Sachs, dated
September 4, 2006, which sets forth assumptions made,
procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the
review undertaken in connection with the opinion, is attached to
this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex B. Goldman
Sachs
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advisory services and opinion were provided for the
information and assistance of the Veritas board of directors in
connection with its consideration of the merger and such opinion
does not constitute a recommendation as to how any holder of
shares of Veritas common stock should vote or make any election
with respect to such merger. Pursuant to an engagement
letter between Veritas and Goldman Sachs, Veritas has agreed to
pay Goldman Sachs a transaction fee that is contingent upon
consummation of the merger and will be calculated based upon the
final value of the merger consideration per share of Veritas
common stock, subject to a minimum fee that will be paid only if
the merger is consummated. Veritas estimates that the aggregate
amount of the transaction fee would be approximately
$26 million, based upon the closing price of CGG ADSs as of
November 20, 2006.
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Opinion of CGGs Financial Advisors |
Credit Suisse. In connection with the merger, Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, which is referred to as Credit
Suisse, delivered a written opinion, dated September 4,
2006, to the CGG board of directors as to the fairness, from a
financial point of view, to CGG of the aggregate consideration
to be paid by CGG in the merger. The full text of Credit
Suisses written opinion is attached to this proxy
statement/ prospectus as Annex C. You are encouraged to
read this opinion carefully in its entirety for a description of
the procedures followed, assumptions made, matters considered
and limitations on the review undertaken. Credit
Suisses opinion was provided to the CGG board of directors
in connection with its evaluation of the aggregate consideration
payable by CGG in the merger, does not address any other aspect
of the proposed merger and does not constitute a recommendation
to any security holder as to how such security holder should
vote or act on any matter relating to the merger.
Rothschild. In connection with the merger, Rothschild,
Inc., which is referred to as Rothschild, delivered a written
opinion, dated as of September 4, 2006, to the CGG board of
directors as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to
CGG of the aggregate consideration to be paid by CGG in the
merger. The full text of Rothschilds written opinion is
attached to this proxy statement/ prospectus as Annex D.
You are encouraged to read this opinion carefully in its
entirety for a description of the procedures followed,
assumptions made, matters considered and limitations on the
review undertaken. Rothschilds opinion was provided to
the CGG board of directors in connection with its evaluation of
the aggregate consideration payable by CGG in the merger, does
not address any other aspect of the proposed merger and does not
constitute a recommendation to any security holder as to how
such security holder should vote or act on any matter relating
to the merger.
Report of Lehman Brothers (see page 79)
The CGG board of directors engaged Lehman Brothers Europe
Limited, which is referred to as Lehman Brothers, to deliver an
independent financial assessment of the fairness to CGG, from a
financial point of view, of the consideration to be paid by CGG
upon consummation of the proposed merger, in accordance with a
request from the French Autorité des marchés
financiers, which is referred to herein as the AMF, that the
CGG board of directors obtain such a report. Lehman Brothers
delivered its report to the CGG board of directors in French and
under French law. An English translation of the Lehman
Brothers report is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus
as Annex E. The report is provided for informational
purposes only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to
the original French-language report filed with the AMF.
Lehman Brothers disclaims any responsibility for any errors
or omissions in the translation. Lehman Brothers does not admit
to being an independent expert under any rules or regulations
applying to the merger, the French prospectus (note
dopération) or this proxy statement/prospectus
(other than within the meaning of the rules of the AMF) or
subject to rules applicable to experts in other contexts.
Lehman Brothers was engaged effective October 10, 2006
and delivered its report on November 9, 2006 (after the CGG
and Veritas boards of directors had approved the merger
agreement and the agreement had been executed by both
companies), and therefore, neither board of directors considered
Lehman Brothers report when making its decision to enter
into the merger agreement. The Lehman
6
Brothers report is directed to the CGG board of directors and
does not constitute a recommendation to any shareholder as to
how such shareholder should vote with respect to the merger.
Board of Directors After the Merger (see page 103)
At the meeting of its shareholders for the purpose of obtaining
approval for the issuance of CGG ordinary shares underlying the
CGG ADSs to be issued pursuant to the merger agreement, CGG will
nominate up to five members of the Veritas board of directors
(including Thierry Pilenko, chairman and CEO of Veritas) to the
board of directors of the combined company effective as of, and
conditioned upon, the occurrence of the effective time of the
merger. Each nominee, if elected, will serve for a term of six
years. After the effective time of the merger, the newly elected
directors will serve on the board of the combined company
together with the 10 current members of CGGs board of
directors.
Name and Executive Offices of the Combined Company
Immediately after the effective time of the merger, CGG will be
renamed CGG-Veritas.
After the effective time of the merger, the executive offices of
the combined company will be located in Paris, France, and the
previous corporate headquarters of Veritas, located in Houston,
Texas, will become the western hemisphere operating headquarters
of the combined company.
Ownership of the Combined Company After the Merger
CGG will issue a maximum of approximately 49.8 million CGG
ADSs pursuant to the merger, assuming exercise of all
outstanding options to purchase shares of Veritas common stock
and conversion of all Veritas convertible bonds into shares of
Veritas common stock. After the effective time of the merger and
based on the assumptions in the preceding sentence, Veritas
stockholders will own approximately 36% of CGG-Veritas on a
fully diluted basis based on the outstanding shares of Veritas
common stock on July 31, 2006 (as disclosed in the merger
agreement) and the maximum number of additional shares of
Veritas common stock that may be issued in accordance with the
merger agreement pursuant to the exercise of outstanding Veritas
stock options or the conversion of the Veritas convertible bonds
or otherwise. Consequently, Veritas stockholders, as a general
matter, will have less influence over the management and
policies of CGG-Veritas than they currently exercise over the
management and policies of Veritas.
Share Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers
At the close of business on November 18, 2006, the
directors and executive officers of Veritas and their affiliates
beneficially owned and were entitled to vote approximately
63,392 shares of Veritas common stock, collectively
representing approximately 0.2% of the shares of Veritas common
stock outstanding and entitled to vote on that date. The
directors and executive officers of Veritas have each indicated
that they expect to vote FOR the proposal to adopt the
merger agreement.
Interests of the Directors and Executive Officers of Veritas
in the Merger (see page 80)
In considering the recommendation of the Veritas board of
directors with respect to the merger agreement, you should be
aware that certain members of the Veritas board of directors and
certain of Veritas executive officers have interests in
the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement that
7
may be different than, or in addition to, the interests of
Veritas stockholders generally. These interests include, among
other things, the following:
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up to four directors from Veritas current board of
directors in addition to Thierry Pilenko, Chairman and CEO of
Veritas, will be invited by CGG to serve on the board of
directors of the combined company after the effective time of
the merger; |
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certain executive officers whose employment is terminated under
certain circumstances after the effective time of the merger
will be entitled to severance benefits; |
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certain executive officers and directors hold stock options and
other stock-based awards granted under Veritas equity
compensation plans which in some cases will vest upon adoption
of the merger agreement by Veritas stockholders and in other
cases will vest if their employment is terminated under certain
circumstances after the effective time of the merger; |
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in any event, such stock options outstanding at the effective
time of the merger will be cancelled and converted into a right
to receive an amount in cash equal to the excess, if any, of the
per share cash consideration over the exercise price per share
under such stock option immediately prior to such cancellation
and conversion (less any applicable withholding taxes); |
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certain of Veritas current executive officers will be
offered continued employment with the combined company after the
effective time of the merger; and |
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directors and officers will be indemnified by the combined
company with respect to acts or omissions by them in their
capacities as such prior to the effective time of the merger. |
The Veritas board of directors was aware of these interests and
considered them, among other matters, in making its
recommendation. See The Merger Recommendation
of the Veritas Board of Directors and Its Reasons for the
Merger beginning on page 51.
Listing of CGG Ordinary Shares and CGG ADSs; Delisting and
Deregistration of Shares of Veritas Common Stock (see
page 91)
CGG will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the CGG ADSs
to be issued in connection with the merger (and underlying CGG
ordinary shares to be issued in connection with the merger) and
to be approved for listing on the NYSE upon the effective time
of the merger. Approval of the listing on the NYSE of the CGG
ADSs to be issued pursuant to the merger is a condition to each
partys obligation to complete the merger. If the merger is
completed, shares of Veritas common stock and preferred stock
rights associated with the common stock will be delisted from
the NYSE and deregistered under the Exchange Act.
Appraisal Rights in the Merger (see pages 97 and 125)
In the event any holder of Veritas common stock is required to
receive cash (other than cash in lieu of fractional CGG ADSs) as
consideration pursuant to the merger, the shares of Veritas
common stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective time
of the merger and held by a holder who has not voted in favor of
the adoption of the merger agreement and who has delivered a
written demand for appraisal of such shares in accordance with
Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, will not be converted into the right to receive the
merger consideration, unless and until the dissenting holder
fails to perfect or effectively withdraws or otherwise loses his
or her right to appraisal and payment under the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The holders of such
shares will be entitled to seek an appraisal of such shares
under Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware. If, after the effective time of the merger, a
dissenting stockholder fails to perfect or effectively withdraws
or loses his or her right to appraisal, his or her shares of
Veritas common stock will be treated as non-electing shares and
be treated as if they had been converted as of the effective
time of the merger into the right to receive the merger
consideration without interest or dividends thereon.
8
Conditions to Completion of the Merger (see page 105)
A number of conditions must be satisfied or waived, where
legally permissible, before the proposed merger can be
consummated. These include, among others:
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adoption of the merger agreement by Veritas stockholders; |
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approval by CGG shareholders of the issuance of CGG ordinary
shares underlying the CGG ADSs to be issued pursuant to the
merger and certain related items; |
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the waiting period (and any extension thereof) applicable to the
consummation of the merger under the Hart Scott Rodino Act,
referred to as the HSR Act, having expired or been terminated
(which occurred on October 25, 2006); |
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all required approvals by the European Commission applicable to
the merger under applicable competition laws, including the EC
Merger Regulation, having been obtained or any applicable
waiting period thereunder having been terminated or having
expired (although CGG and Veritas do not expect any such
approvals by the European Commission will be required); |
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the receipt of certain other authorizations, consents, waiting
periods and approvals of governmental entities in certain
jurisdictions required to be obtained prior to consummation of
the merger; |
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the effectiveness of the
Form F-4
registration statement, of which this proxy statement/
prospectus constitutes a part, and of the
Form F-6
registration statement, and no proceedings for such purpose
pending before or threatened by the SEC, and the approval
(visa) of the note dinformation
by the AMF, relating to the CGG ordinary shares underlying the
CGG ADSs to be issued in connection with the merger; |
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CGG ADSs issuable to the stockholders of Veritas pursuant to the
merger and to the holders of the Veritas convertible debt (and,
if required, the underlying CGG ordinary shares) will have been
authorized for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice
of issuance, and the AMF and the Euronext Paris SA will have
approved the listing of CGG ordinary shares to be issued in
connection with the merger; and |
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the receipt of notification in writing by the Committee on
Foreign Investment in the United States, which is referred to as
the CFIUS, to CGG and Veritas that the CFIUS has determined not
to investigate the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement (which occurred on November 16, 2006). |
Neither CGG nor Veritas can give any assurance when or if all of
the conditions to the merger will be either satisfied or waived
or that the merger will occur as intended.
Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger (see
page 84)
The merger was subject to review by the Antitrust Division of
the U.S. Department of Justice, which is referred to as the
Antitrust Division, and the Federal Trade Commission, which is
referred to as the FTC, under the HSR Act. The Antitrust
Division terminated the waiting period imposed by the HSR Act on
October 25, 2006. CGG and Veritas submitted a notice of the
merger to the CFIUS, in accordance with the regulations
implementing the Exon-Florio Amendment to the Defense Production
Act of 1950, which is referred to as the Exon-Florio Amendment,
and on November 16, 2006, the CFIUS issued a letter stating
that had concluded its action, having found no national security
issues sufficient to warrant further investigation. CGG and
Veritas each conduct business in Norway and each submitted
filings to the Norwegian antitrust authorities, but these
authorities are deemed to have authorized the merger by not
requesting the submission of a full notification. In addition,
CGG and Veritas have each submitted filings to the Brazilian and
UK antitrust authorities, though the approval of these
authorities is not required to complete the merger.
The merger may also be subject to the regulatory requirements of
other municipal, state, federal and foreign governmental
agencies and authorities, including those relating to the offer
and sale of securities.
9
No Solicitation (see page 117)
Under the merger agreement, neither CGG nor Veritas is permitted:
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to solicit, initiate, or knowingly encourage or facilitate the
making of any inquiries regarding any other acquisition
proposal; or |
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subject to certain exceptions, to disclose or provide any
non-public information to any third party with respect to any
such acquisition proposal, afford access to its properties,
books or records to any third party that has made or is
considering making such an acquisition proposal, or approve or
recommend, or propose to approve or recommend, or enter into any
agreement relating to such an acquisition proposal. |
However, before receipt of the requisite approval by its
stockholders, CGG or Veritas may engage in negotiations with a
third party making an unsolicited, bona fide written acquisition
proposal, provided that:
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the board of directors of the party receiving the acquisition
proposal has determined that such acquisition proposal
constitutes, or is reasonably likely to result in, a superior
proposal; and |
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the party receiving such acquisition proposal has complied with
the terms of the merger agreement relating to acquisition
proposals. |
In addition, before receipt of the requisite approval by their
respective stockholders, the board of directors of either CGG or
Veritas may withdraw its recommendation or declaration of
advisability of the merger agreement or recommend, adopt or
approve another acquisition proposal if:
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CGG or Veritas, as the case may be, receives a superior
proposal; or |
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the board of directors determines in good faith that a failure
to change its recommendation would reasonably be expected to be
inconsistent with its fiduciary duties to CGG shareholders or
Veritas stockholders, respectively. |
Termination of the Merger Agreement (see page 121)
The merger agreement may be terminated and the merger may be
abandoned at any time prior to the effective time of the merger
by mutual written consent of CGG and Veritas. Either party will
also have the right to terminate the merger agreement upon the
occurrence of any of the following:
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the failure to consummate the merger by April 15, 2007,
provided that a party may not terminate upon occurrence of this
event if such partys failure to fulfill its obligations
has caused or resulted in the merger not occurring before such
time; |
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the failure to obtain the necessary Veritas stockholder approval
or CGG shareholder approval; |
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the existence of a law or regulation prohibiting the merger, or
the entry of a final and non-appealable injunction or government
order which prohibits or restricts the merger; |
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a material breach of the other partys representations,
warranties or covenants that gives rise to a failure of certain
conditions to closing (subject to a 45 day cure period, if
the breach is capable of being cured); |
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if the other partys board of directors has failed to
recommend the merger, or has withdrawn or modified in a manner
adverse to the other party its recommendation of the merger, or
has recommended or entered into an agreement with a person
making an acquisition proposal; or |
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by CGG, if CGG is responding to an unsolicited hostile
acquisition proposal to acquire at least 40% of the stock or
assets of CGG. |
10
Termination Fee (see page 123)
Under the merger agreement, Veritas or CGG may be required to
pay to the other a termination fee of $85 million or an
expense reimbursement of $20 million if the merger
agreement is terminated under certain circumstances. See
The Merger Agreement Termination of the Merger
Agreement and The Merger Agreement
Termination of the Merger Agreement Termination Fees
and Expenses.
Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of
the Merger (see page 86)
The merger is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization
under Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In
addition, the obligation of Veritas to consummate the merger is
conditioned upon the receipt by Veritas of a tax opinion of its
legal counsel or a ruling by the IRS (a request for which was
filed with the IRS on October 6, 2006) that the merger will
not be subject to Section 367(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue
Code. Veritas expects to receive a response from the IRS to the
ruling request before the election deadline on January 10,
2007 and will publicize the response in a press release. If the
IRS rules that the merger will not be subject to
Section 367(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, we expect
that the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the
merger to Veritas stockholders will be as follows:
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If you exchange Veritas common stock solely for cash in the
merger, you generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal
to the difference between the amount of cash received and your
tax basis in the stock surrendered. |
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If you exchange Veritas common stock solely for CGG ADSs in the
merger, you will not recognize any gain or loss, except to the
extent of the cash you receive in lieu of a fractional CGG ADS. |
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If you exchange Veritas common stock for a combination of cash
and CGG ADSs in the merger, you generally will recognize gain
(but not loss). The gain you recognize generally will equal the
lesser of (1) the excess of the sum of the cash and the
fair market value of the CGG ADSs received over your tax basis
in the Veritas common stock surrendered, or (2) the amount
of cash received. |
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Your holding period for the CGG ADSs received in the merger
generally will include your holding period for the Veritas
common stock exchanged in the merger. |
Please refer to The Merger Certain Material
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences beginning on
page 86 of this proxy statement/ prospectus for a more
complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax consequences
of the merger. Determining the actual tax consequences of the
merger to you may be complex and will depend on your specific
situation. You should consult your tax advisor for a full
understanding of the tax consequences of the merger to you.
Accounting Treatment (see page 90)
CGG will account for the merger using the purchase method under
International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the
European Union, referred to as IFRS.
Payment of Dividends (see page 182)
CGG does not currently pay dividends on its ordinary shares.
Dividend payments by CGG may be limited by the terms of the CGG
senior notes.
Veritas does not currently pay cash dividends on its common
stock. The merger agreement generally provides that Veritas may
not declare, set aside or pay any dividend prior to the
effective time of the merger or the termination of the merger
agreement.
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Comparison of Rights of Veritas Stockholders and CGG
Shareholders (see page 171)
As a result of the merger, some or all of your shares of Veritas
common stock may be all or partly converted into the right to
receive cash or CGG ADSs representing CGG ordinary shares.
Because Veritas is a corporation organized under the laws of
Delaware and CGG is a société anonyme organized
under the laws of the Republic of France, there are material
differences between the rights of Veritas stockholders and the
rights of holders of CGG ordinary shares. These differences are
described in detail under Comparison of Rights of Veritas
Stockholders and CGG Shareholders. The rights of holders
of CGG ADSs differ from the rights of holders of CGG ordinary
shares and are described under Description of the CGG
American Depositary Shares.
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SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL AND OPERATING INFORMATION OF
CGG
In accordance with regulation adopted by the European Union in
July 2002, all companies incorporated under the laws of one of
the member states of the European Union and whose securities are
publicly traded within the European Union are required to
prepare their consolidated financial statements for the fiscal
year that started on or after January 1, 2005, on the basis
of accounting standards issued by the International Accounting
Standards Board. Therefore, in accordance with these
requirements, CGG converted from using French generally accepted
accounting principles to IFRS, as adopted by the European Union.
As a first-time adopter of IFRS at January 1, 2005, CGG has
followed the specific requirements described in IFRS 1,
First Time Adoption of IFRS. The options selected for the
purpose of the transition to IFRS are described in the notes to
CGGs 2005 audited consolidated financial statements
appearing in CGGs 2005
Form 20-F, which
is incorporated into this proxy statement/ prospectus by
reference. Effects of the transition on the balance sheet at
January 1, 2004, the statement of income for the year ended
December 31, 2004 and the balance sheet at
December 31, 2004 are presented and discussed in
Note 30 to CGGs 2005 audited consolidated financial
statements appearing in CGGs 2005
Form 20-F.
The tables below set forth CGGs selected consolidated
financial and operating data:
|
|
|
|
|
as of and for each of the six-month periods ended June 30,
2006 and 2005 in accordance with both IFRS and U.S. GAAP; |
|
|
|
as of and for each of the two years in the period ended
December 31, 2005 in accordance with IFRS; and |
|
|
|
as of and for each of the five years in the period ended
December 31, 2005 in accordance with U.S. GAAP. |
The tables should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified
in their entirety by reference to, CGGs consolidated
annual financial statements and Operating and Financial
Review and Prospects in CGGs 2005
Form 20-F and
CGGs consolidated interim financial statements and
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations in the CGG current
report on Form 6-K
submitted to the SEC on September 5, 2006, both
incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/ prospectus.
All interim financial data are unaudited.
The differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP as they relate
to CGG, and the reconciliation of net income and
shareholders equity to U.S. GAAP for the years ended
December 31, 2005 and 2004 and for the six month periods
ended June 30, 2006 and 2005 are described in Note 31
to CGGs audited consolidated financial statements included
in the CGG 2005
Form 20-F and
Note 17 to CGGs unaudited interim consolidated
financial statements as of and for the six month period ended
June 30, 2006 included in CGGs current report on
Form 6-K submitted
to the SEC on September 9, 2006, respectively, both of
which are incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/
prospectus.
13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of and for the Six | |
|
As of and for the | |
|
|
Months Ended | |
|
Year Ended | |
|
|
June 30, | |
|
December 31, | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
2006 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(In millions except for per share | |
|
|
and ratio data) | |
Amounts in accordance with IFRS:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement of Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating revenues
|
|
|
634.5 |
|
|
|
387.0 |
|
|
|
869.9 |
|
|
|
687.4 |
|
Other revenues from ordinary activities
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
0.8 |
|
|
|
1.9 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(420.4 |
) |
|
|
(298.2 |
) |
|
|
(670.0 |
) |
|
|
(554.0 |
) |
Gross profit
|
|
|
215.0 |
|
|
|
89.6 |
|
|
|
201.8 |
|
|
|
133.8 |
|
Research and development expenses, net
|
|
|
(18.4 |
) |
|
|
(14.8 |
) |
|
|
(31.1 |
) |
|
|
(28.8 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(60.3 |
) |
|
|
(41.9 |
) |
|
|
(91.2 |
) |
|
|
(78.6 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses)
|
|
|
9.8 |
|
|
|
(0.8 |
) |
|
|
(4.4 |
) |
|
|
19.3 |
|
Operating income
|
|
|
146.1 |
|
|
|
32.1 |
|
|
|
75.1 |
|
|
|
45.7 |
|
Cost of financial debt, net
|
|
|
(13.1 |
) |
|
|
(19.6 |
) |
|
|
(42.3 |
) |
|
|
(27.8 |
) |
Derivative and other expenses on convertible bonds
|
|
|
(23.0 |
) |
|
|
(14.7 |
) |
|
|
(11.5 |
) |
|
|
(23.5 |
) |
Other financial income (loss)
|
|
|
(6.6 |
) |
|
|
0.7 |
|
|
|
(14.5 |
) |
|
|
0.8 |
|
Income taxes
|
|
|
(33.0 |
) |
|
|
(14.8 |
) |
|
|
(26.6 |
) |
|
|
(10.9 |
) |
Equity in income of affiliates
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
|
|
6.7 |
|
|
|
13.0 |
|
|
|
10.3 |
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
76.2 |
|
|
|
(9.6 |
) |
|
|
(6.8 |
) |
|
|
(5.4 |
) |
|
Attributable to minority interests
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1.0 |
) |
|
|
(1.0 |
) |
|
Attributable to shareholders
|
|
|
75.3 |
|
|
|
(9.6 |
) |
|
|
(7.8 |
) |
|
|
(6.4 |
) |
Net income (loss) per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic(1)
|
|
|
4.37 |
|
|
|
(0.82 |
) |
|
|
(0.64 |
) |
|
|
(0.55 |
) |
|
Diluted(2)
|
|
|
4.28 |
|
|
|
(0.82 |
) |
|
|
(0.64 |
) |
|
|
(0.55 |
) |
Balance sheet:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
206.4 |
|
|
|
113.1 |
|
|
|
112.4 |
|
|
|
130.6 |
|
Working capital(3)
|
|
|
219.8 |
|
|
|
130.2 |
|
|
|
154.1 |
|
|
|
116.4 |
|
Property, plant & equipment, net
|
|
|
484.8 |
|
|
|
232.6 |
|
|
|
480.1 |
|
|
|
204.1 |
|
Multi-client surveys
|
|
|
79.4 |
|
|
|
113.8 |
|
|
|
93.6 |
|
|
|
124.5 |
|
Total assets
|
|
|
1,673.6 |
|
|
|
1,036.1 |
|
|
|
1,565.1 |
|
|
|
971.2 |
|
Financial debt(4)
|
|
|
431.7 |
|
|
|
246.6 |
|
|
|
400.3 |
|
|
|
249.6 |
|
Shareholders equity
|
|
|
802.6 |
|
|
|
407.5 |
|
|
|
698.5 |
|
|
|
393.2 |
|
Other financial historical data and other ratios:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ORBDA(5)
|
|
|
237.6 |
|
|
|
99.6 |
|
|
|
229.5 |
|
|
|
172.8 |
|
Capital expenditures (Property, plant & equipment)(6)
|
|
|
94.5 |
|
|
|
49.7 |
|
|
|
125.1 |
|
|
|
49.8 |
|
Capital expenditures for multi-client surveys
|
|
|
26.5 |
|
|
|
15.0 |
|
|
|
32.0 |
|
|
|
51.1 |
|
Net financial debt(7)
|
|
|
242.5 |
|
|
|
142.3 |
|
|
|
297.2 |
|
|
|
121.8 |
|
Financial debt(4)/ ORBDA(5)
|
|
|
1.8 |
x |
|
|
2.5 |
x |
|
|
1.7 |
x |
|
|
1.4 |
x |
Net indebtedness(7)/ ORBDA(5)
|
|
|
1.0 |
x |
|
|
1.4 |
x |
|
|
1.3 |
x |
|
|
0.7 |
x |
ORBDA(5)/ Net financial expenses
|
|
|
18.1 |
x |
|
|
5.1 |
x |
|
|
5.4 |
x |
|
|
6.2 |
x |
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of and for the Six | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Months Ended | |
|
|
|
|
June 30, | |
|
As of and for the Year Ended December 31, | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
2006 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
2003 | |
|
2002 | |
|
2001 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(In millions except for per share and ratio data) | |
Amounts in accordance with U.S. GAAP:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement of Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating revenues
|
|
|
642.0 |
|
|
|
398.8 |
|
|
|
860.8 |
|
|
|
709.5 |
|
|
|
645.6 |
|
|
|
719.0 |
|
|
|
795.0 |
|
Operating income
|
|
|
144.2 |
|
|
|
28.5 |
|
|
|
61.9 |
|
|
|
55.0 |
|
|
|
42.7 |
|
|
|
81.9 |
|
|
|
48.6 |
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
42.6 |
|
|
|
7.3 |
|
|
|
8.3 |
|
|
|
(20.2 |
) |
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
15.1 |
|
|
|
9.3 |
|
Per share amounts:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic common stock holder(1)
|
|
|
2.47 |
|
|
|
0.62 |
|
|
|
0.69 |
|
|
|
(1.73 |
) |
|
|
0.27 |
|
|
|
1.29 |
|
|
|
0.80 |
|
|
Diluted common stock holder(8)
|
|
|
2.42 |
|
|
|
0.55 |
|
|
|
0.67 |
|
|
|
(1.73 |
) |
|
|
0.26 |
|
|
|
1.29 |
|
|
|
0.80 |
|
Balance sheet:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
1,677.7 |
|
|
|
1,047.9 |
|
|
|
1,573.8 |
|
|
|
975.8 |
|
|
|
924.2 |
|
|
|
1,036.8 |
|
|
|
1,008.0 |
|
Financial debt(4)
|
|
|
438.4 |
|
|
|
254.0 |
|
|
|
416.7 |
|
|
|
266.5 |
|
|
|
232.4 |
|
|
|
307.8 |
|
|
|
279.5 |
|
Stockholders equity
|
|
|
759.7 |
|
|
|
399.6 |
|
|
|
689.5 |
|
|
|
372.2 |
|
|
|
413.4 |
|
|
|
431.0 |
|
|
|
456.4 |
|
Operational data (end of period):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land teams in operations
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
12 |
|
Operational streamers(9)
|
|
|
52 |
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
46 |
|
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
42 |
|
|
|
42 |
|
|
|
48 |
|
Data processing centers
|
|
|
29 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
27 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
Basic per share amounts under IFRS and U.S. GAAP have been
calculated on the basis of 17,219,465 issued and outstanding CGG
ordinary shares in the six month period ended June 30,
2006, 11,736,024 issued and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in
the six month period ended June 30, 2005, 12,095,925 issued
and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in 2005 and 11,681,406
issued and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in 2004. Basic per
share amounts under U.S. GAAP have been calculated on the
basis of 11,680,718 issued and outstanding CGG ordinary shares
in 2003 and 2002 and 11,609,393 issued and outstanding CGG
ordinary shares in 2001. |
|
(2) |
Diluted per share amount under IFRS has been calculated on the
basis of 17,583,926 issued and outstanding CGG ordinary shares
in the six month period ended June 30, 2006, 11,736,024
issued and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in the six month
period ended June 30, 2005, 12,095,925 issued and
outstanding shares in 2005 and 11,681,406 issued and outstanding
CGG ordinary shares in 2004. For the six-month period ended
June 30, 2005, the effect of convertible bonds was
anti-dilutive. |
|
(3) |
Consists of trade accounts and notes receivable, inventories and
work-in-progress, tax
assets, other current assets and assets held for sale less trade
accounts and notes payable, accrued payroll costs, income tax
payable, advance billings to customers, current provisions and
other current liabilities. |
|
(4) |
Financial debt means total financial debt including
current maturities, capital leases and accrued interest but
excluding bank overdrafts. |
|
(5) |
A discussion of ORBDA (Operating Result Before
Depreciation and Amortization, previously denominated
Adjusted EBITDA), including a reconciliation to net
cash provided by operating activities, is found in
Item 5 Operating and Financial Review and
Prospects Liquidity and Capital Resources
included in the CGG 2005
Form 20-F
incorporated herein by reference. |
|
(6) |
Capital expenditures is defined as purchases of
property, plant and equipment plus equipment acquired under
lease. |
|
|
The following table presents a reconciliation of capital
expenditures to purchases of property, plant and equipment and
equipment acquired under capital lease for the periods indicated: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the Six Months | |
|
For the Year Ended | |
|
|
Ended June 30, | |
|
December 31, | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
2006 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(In millions) | |
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
|
|
|
94.3 |
|
|
|
36.5 |
|
|
|
107.7 |
|
|
|
41.1 |
|
Equipment acquired under capital lease
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
|
17.4 |
|
|
|
8.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital expenditures
|
|
|
94.5 |
|
|
|
49.7 |
|
|
|
125.1 |
|
|
|
49.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(7) |
Net financial debt means bank overdrafts, financial
debt including current portion (including capital lease debt)
net of cash and cash equivalents. |
|
(8) |
Diluted per share amounts under U.S. GAAP have been
calculated on the basis of 17,583,926 issued and outstanding CGG
ordinary shares in the six month period ended June 30,
2006, 13,325,731 issued and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in
the six month period ended June 30, 2005, 12,378,209 issued
and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in 2005, 11,681,406 issued
and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in 2004, 11,760,630 issued
and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in 2003, 11,680,718 issued
and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in 2002 and 11,609,393
issued and outstanding CGG ordinary shares in 2001. In 2002 and
2001, the effects of stock options were not dilutive (as a
result of applying the treasury stock method). |
|
(9) |
Data includes Exploration Resources ASAs streamers (from
and including December 31, 2005) and excludes streamers of
vessels in transit or dry-dock. |
15
SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA OF VERITAS
The table below sets forth selected consolidated financial data
for Veritas for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2002
through July 31, 2006 in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
The selected consolidated financial data are qualified by
reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the
consolidated financial statements of Veritas and its
subsidiaries as of July 31, 2006 and 2005, and for each of
the three years in the period ended July 31, 2006, and
report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting as of July 31, 2006, which are incorporated into
this proxy statement/ prospectus by reference to
Item 8 Consolidated Financial Statements
and Supplementary Data of Veritas annual report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended July 31, 2006, which is referred to as
the Veritas 2006
Form 10-K.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the Year Ended July 31, | |
|
|
| |
|
|
2006(1) | |
|
2005(2) | |
|
2004(3) | |
|
2003(4) | |
|
2002(5) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(In $ thousands, except per share amount) | |
Statement of Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$ |
822,188 |
|
|
$ |
634,026 |
|
|
$ |
564,469 |
|
|
$ |
501,821 |
|
|
$ |
452,183 |
|
Operating income (loss)
|
|
|
132,879 |
|
|
|
64,241 |
|
|
|
27,770 |
|
|
|
(12,112 |
) |
|
|
(833 |
) |
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
82,231 |
|
|
|
83,001 |
|
|
|
5,221 |
|
|
|
(59,097 |
) |
|
|
(24,051 |
) |
Net income (loss) per common share basic
|
|
|
2.33 |
|
|
|
2.45 |
|
|
|
0.16 |
|
|
|
(1.77 |
) |
|
|
(0.74 |
) |
Net income (loss) per common share diluted
|
|
|
2.08 |
|
|
|
2.37 |
|
|
|
0.15 |
|
|
|
(1.77 |
) |
|
|
(0.74 |
) |
Balance Sheet Data (at period end):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
$ |
1,158,030 |
|
|
$ |
966,598 |
|
|
$ |
776,246 |
|
|
$ |
790,945 |
|
|
$ |
781,403 |
|
Long-term debt (including current maturities)
|
|
|
155,000 |
|
|
|
155,000 |
|
|
|
155,000 |
|
|
|
194,225 |
|
|
|
140,000 |
|
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
Includes a gain on involuntary conversion of assets of
$2.0 million. |
|
(2) |
Includes a gain on involuntary conversion of assets of
$9.9 million and a release of deferred tax valuation
allowances of $36.9 million. |
|
(3) |
Includes charges of $22.1 million related to a change in
multi-client accounting policies and $7.4 million related
to debt refinancing. The change in multi-client accounting
policies may affect the comparability between periods and is
more fully described in Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements in the Veritas
2006 10-K, which
is incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/
prospectus. |
|
(4) |
Includes charges of $39.3 million for goodwill impairment,
$4.9 million for impairment of a multi-client survey,
$7.6 million loss related to the sale of Veritas
(RC)2
software operations and $21.0 million related to deferred
tax asset valuation allowances. |
|
(5) |
Includes charges of $55.3 million for impairment of
multi-client surveys, $14.6 million for costs of a
terminated merger and $6.5 million valuation allowance for
deferred tax assets. |
16
SELECTED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
The following selected unaudited pro forma condensed combined
financial information, which gives effect to the merger, is
presented in millions of euros and reflects pro forma financial
results of the merger of CGG and Veritas using the purchase
method of accounting under IFRS and U.S. GAAP.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not
indicative of the income (loss) from operating activities
or the financial condition of the combined company that would
have been achieved had the merger been completed during the
periods presented, nor is the unaudited pro forma condensed
combined selected financial information indicative of the future
operating results or financial position of CGG-Veritas. The
unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
does not reflect any cost savings or other synergies that may
result from the merger. The unaudited pro forma condensed
combined financial information does not reflect any special
items such as payments pursuant to contractual change-of-control
provisions or restructuring and integration costs that may be
incurred as a result of the merger. In addition, the financial
effects of any actions described in the sections entitled
The Merger CGGs Reasons for the
Merger and The Merger Recommendation of the
Veritas Board of Directors and Its Reasons for the Merger,
such as synergies or the effect of asset dispositions, if any,
that may be required by regulatory authorities, cannot currently
be determined and therefore are not reflected in the selected
unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.
CGG reports its financial results in euros and in conformity
with IFRS, with a reconciliation to U.S. GAAP. Veritas reports
its financial results in U.S. dollars and in conformity with
U.S. GAAP. IFRS differs from U.S. GAAP in certain significant
respects. For a discussion of significant differences between
U.S. GAAP and IFRS as they relate to CGGs consolidated
financial statements and a reconciliation to U.S. GAAP of
CGGs net income and shareholders equity for 2005 and
2004, see Note 31 to CGGs audited consolidated
financial statements included in CGGs 2005
Form 20-F, which
is incorporated by reference into this proxy
statement/prospectus.
The selected unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial
information has been derived from and should be read in
conjunction with the unaudited proforma condensed combined
financial information and the related notes included elsewhere
in this proxy statement/prospectus, and the respective
consolidated financial statements of CGG as at and for the year
ended December 31, 2005 and at and for the six-month period
ended June 30, 2006 and the consolidated financial
statements of Veritas at and for the year ended July 31,
2006, each of which is incorporated by reference into this proxy
statement/prospectus, and the consolidated financial statements
of Veritas as of and for the six-months periods ended
January 31, 2005 and 2006.
The selected unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial
information is based on preliminary estimates and assumptions,
which CGG believes to be reasonable. In the selected unaudited
pro forma condensed combined financial information, the cash to
be paid and CGG ADSs to be issued as merger consideration for
Veritas shares of common stock have been allocated to the
Veritas assets and liabilities based upon preliminary estimates
by the management of CGG of their respective fair values as at
the date of the merger. Any difference between the fair value of
the merger consideration and the fair value of the Veritas
assets and liabilities has been recorded as goodwill. Definitive
allocations will be performed after the effective time of the
merger. Accordingly, the purchase price allocation pro forma
adjustments are preliminary and have been made solely for the
purpose of preparing the unaudited pro forma condensed
17
combined financial information and are subject to revision based
on the final determination of fair value after the effective
time of the merger.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At and for the Six | |
|
At and for the | |
|
|
Months Ended | |
|
Year Ended | |
|
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
December 31, 2005 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(US$)(1) | |
|
() | |
|
(US$)(1) | |
|
() | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in millions, except per share data) | |
IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement of Income Data in accordance with IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Combined pro forma operating revenues
|
|
|
1,239.0 |
|
|
|
969.6 |
|
|
|
1,763.4 |
|
|
|
1,489.1 |
|
Combined pro forma gross profit
|
|
|
361.0 |
|
|
|
282.5 |
|
|
|
346.0 |
|
|
|
292.2 |
|
Combined pro forma operating income (loss)
|
|
|
239.2 |
|
|
|
187.1 |
|
|
|
148.9 |
|
|
|
125.7 |
|
Combined pro forma net income attributable to shareholders
|
|
|
81.3 |
|
|
|
63.5 |
|
|
|
(38.6 |
) |
|
|
(32.6 |
) |
Earnings per share basic
|
|
|
3.08 |
|
|
|
2.41 |
|
|
|
(1.81 |
) |
|
|
(1.53 |
) |
Earnings per share diluted
|
|
|
3.03 |
|
|
|
2.37 |
|
|
|
(1.81 |
) |
|
|
(1.53 |
) |
Balance sheet Data in accordance with IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
5,503.5 |
|
|
|
4,306.7 |
|
|
|
5,125.9 |
|
|
|
4,328.6 |
|
Shareholders equity attributable to
shareholders
|
|
|
2,526.2 |
|
|
|
1,976.8 |
|
|
|
2,325.7 |
|
|
|
1,963.9 |
|
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities
|
|
|
407.9 |
|
|
|
319.2 |
|
|
|
138.1 |
|
|
|
116.6 |
|
Current portion of long-term debt
|
|
|
46.1 |
|
|
|
36.1 |
|
|
|
183.9 |
|
|
|
155.3 |
|
Bonds and Notes issued and long-term debt
|
|
|
1,990.9 |
|
|
|
1,558.0 |
|
|
|
1,773.2 |
|
|
|
1,497.4 |
|
U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement of Income Data in accordance with
U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Combined pro forma operating revenues
|
|
|
1,245.4 |
|
|
|
974.6 |
|
|
|
1,746.0 |
|
|
|
1,474.4 |
|
Combined pro forma gross profit
|
|
|
366.9 |
|
|
|
287.1 |
|
|
|
341.4 |
|
|
|
288.3 |
|
Combined pro forma operating income (loss)
|
|
|
229.8 |
|
|
|
179.8 |
|
|
|
125.3 |
|
|
|
105.8 |
|
Combined pro forma net income attributable to shareholders
|
|
|
34.9 |
|
|
|
27.2 |
|
|
|
(17.8 |
) |
|
|
(15.0 |
) |
Earnings per share basic
|
|
|
1.32 |
|
|
|
1.03 |
|
|
|
(0.83 |
) |
|
|
(0.70 |
) |
Earnings per share diluted
|
|
|
1.30 |
|
|
|
1.02 |
|
|
|
(0.83 |
) |
|
|
(0.70 |
) |
Balance sheet Data in accordance with
U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
5,536.6 |
|
|
|
4,332.5 |
|
|
|
5,158.5 |
|
|
|
4,356.1 |
|
Shareholders equity attributable to
shareholders
|
|
|
2,476.8 |
|
|
|
1,938.2 |
|
|
|
2,320.6 |
|
|
|
1,959.7 |
|
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities
|
|
|
407.9 |
|
|
|
319.2 |
|
|
|
138.1 |
|
|
|
116.6 |
|
Current portion of long-term debt
|
|
|
50.0 |
|
|
|
39.1 |
|
|
|
190.3 |
|
|
|
160.7 |
|
Bonds and Notes issued and long-term debt
|
|
|
2,019.1 |
|
|
|
1,580.0 |
|
|
|
1,798.6 |
|
|
|
1,518.8 |
|
Note:
|
|
(1) |
The period-end rate is the noon buying rate on the last business
day of the applicable period. |
18
UNAUDITED COMPARATIVE PER SHARE DATA
The following table summarizes unaudited per share data for CGG
and Veritas on a historical basis, on an equivalent pro forma
combined basis for Veritas and on a pro forma combined basis for
the combined company. It has been assumed for purposes of the
pro forma financial information provided below that the merger
was completed on January 1, 2005 for statement of income
purposes, and on December 31, 2005 for balance sheet
purposes. The following information should be read in
conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements
of CGG and Veritas as of and for the years ended
December 31, 2005 and July 31, 2006, respectively, and
the unaudited consolidated financial statements of CGG for the
six months ended June 30, 2006, each of which is
incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus,
and with the information under Unaudited Pro Forma
Condensed Combined Financial Information and related notes
included elsewhere in this proxy statement/ prospectus. The pro
forma information presented below is for illustrative purposes
only and is not necessarily indicative of the operating results
or financial position that would have been achieved if the
merger had been completed as of the beginning of the period
presented, nor is it necessarily indicative of the future
operating results or financial position of the combined company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CGG and | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Veritas | |
|
Veritas Pro | |
|
CGG and | |
|
Veritas | |
|
|
CGG | |
|
CGG | |
|
Historical | |
|
Forma | |
|
Veritas Pro | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
Historical | |
|
Historical | |
|
U.S. | |
|
Equivalents | |
|
Forma | |
|
U.S. | |
|
|
IFRS | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
GAAP(2)(5) | |
|
U.S. GAAP(4) | |
|
IFRS(3) | |
|
GAAP(3) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in euros) | |
|
|
For the six months ended June 30, 2006 (per share) |
Income (loss) from continuing operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
4.37 |
|
|
|
2.47 |
|
|
|
0.86 |
|
|
|
0.46 |
|
|
|
2.41 |
|
|
|
1.03 |
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
4.28 |
|
|
|
2.42 |
|
|
|
0.78 |
|
|
|
0.46 |
|
|
|
2.37 |
|
|
|
1.02 |
|
Dividends declared
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book value at period end(1)
|
|
|
46.61 |
|
|
|
44.12 |
|
|
|
15.59 |
|
|
|
33.00 |
|
|
|
74.81 |
|
|
|
73.35 |
|
|
|
|
For the year ended December 31, 2005 (per share) |
Income (loss) from continuing operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
(0.64) |
|
|
|
0.69 |
|
|
|
2.45 |
|
|
|
(0.32 |
) |
|
|
(1.53) |
|
|
|
(0.70) |
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
(0.64) |
|
|
|
0.67 |
|
|
|
2.31 |
|
|
|
(0.32 |
) |
|
|
(1.53) |
|
|
|
(0.70) |
|
Dividends declared
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book value at period end(1)
|
|
|
57.74 |
|
|
|
57.0 |
|
|
|
14.89 |
|
|
|
41.4 |
|
|
|
92.20 |
|
|
|
92.00 |
|
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
Book value per share is calculated by dividing
shareholders equity by the weighted average number of
shares outstanding over the period. |
|
(2) |
Translated at the noon buying rate on June 30, 2006 of
$1.2779 per
1.00. |
|
(3) |
The pro forma combined income (loss) from continuing operations
per share is calculated by dividing the pro forma income (loss)
from continuing operations before non-recurring items by the pro
forma weighted average number of shares outstanding over the
period. |
|
(4) |
Veritas equivalent pro forma combined per share amounts are
calculated by multiplying the pro forma combined per share
amounts by an assumed exchange ratio of 2.25, the number of CGG
ADSs that would be exchanged for each share of Veritas common
stock pursuant to the merger, based on the price per CGG ADS of
$33.33, which was the closing price on August 29, 2006, and
dividing the result by five, the number of CGG ADSs per CGG
ordinary share. |
|
(5) |
Periods used for Veritas historical information consist of the
six months ended July 31, 2006 and the twelve months ended
January 31, 2006. |
19
COMPARATIVE CGG AND VERITAS MARKET PRICE DATA AND DIVIDEND
INFORMATION
CGG ordinary shares are listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris
SA under the symbol GLE and CGG ADSs are currently
listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol GGY and
will be listed under the trading symbol CGV after
the effective time of the merger. Shares of Veritas common stock
are listed on the NYSE under the symbol VTS. The
following table presents closing prices for CGG ADSs and Veritas
common stock on September 1, 2006, the last trading day
before the public announcement of the execution of the merger
agreement by CGG and Veritas, and November 29, 2006, the
latest practicable trading day before the date of this proxy
statement/ prospectus. For illustrative purposes, the following
table also provides Veritas equivalent per share information on
those dates, as determined by multiplying the closing prices of
CGG ADSs on those dates by 2.2522 and 2.1502, each representing
the number of CGG ADSs that Veritas stockholders electing to
receive CGG ADSs would receive pursuant to the merger for each
share of Veritas common stock, based on (1) a hypothetical
average CGG ADS value of $33.27, which was the closing price of
CGG ADSs on September 1, 2006, and (2) a hypothetical
average CGG ADS value of $36.63 based on the volume-weighted
average of the trading sale prices per CGG ADS during the 20
consecutive trading days ending on November 29, 2006,
respectively, and assuming no adjustment for oversubscriptions.
The merger consideration will be based on a formula designed to
substantially equalize the value of the consideration to be
received for each share of Veritas common stock, at the time the
calculation is made, regardless of whether you elect to receive
cash, CGG ADSs or a combination of cash and CGG ADSs, or make no
election. See The Merger Agreement Merger
Consideration beginning on page 92 of this proxy
statement/prospectus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Veritas | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equivalent | |
|
|
|
|
Veritas | |
|
Per Share | |
|
|
CGG ADSs | |
|
Common Stock | |
|
Common Stock | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
September 1, 2006
|
|
$ |
33.27 |
|
|
$ |
62.18 |
|
|
$ |
74.93 |
|
November 29, 2006
|
|
$ |
40.22 |
|
|
$ |
78.61 |
|
|
$ |
78.76 |
|
The table below sets forth, for the calendar quarters indicated,
the high and low sale prices per CGG ADS and per share of
Veritas common stock on the NYSE. No dividends have been
declared on CGG ADSs and on Veritas common stock for the
calendar quarters indicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Veritas Common | |
|
|
CGG ADSs | |
|
Stock | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Calendar Year |
|
High | |
|
Low | |
|
High | |
|
Low | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
10.10 |
|
|
$ |
7.85 |
|
|
$ |
20.70 |
|
|
$ |
10.60 |
|
Second Quarter
|
|
|
12.41 |
|
|
|
8.80 |
|
|
|
23.15 |
|
|
|
17.85 |
|
Third Quarter
|
|
|
13.82 |
|
|
|
9.40 |
|
|
|
24.68 |
|
|
|
19.88 |
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
|
14.03 |
|
|
|
11.38 |
|
|
|
23.64 |
|
|
|
19.89 |
|
2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
18.96 |
|
|
$ |
13.35 |
|
|
$ |
29.96 |
|
|
$ |
20.26 |
|
Second Quarter
|
|
|
17.91 |
|
|
|
15.10 |
|
|
|
31.51 |
|
|
|
24.44 |
|
Third Quarter
|
|
|
20.90 |
|
|
|
16.52 |
|
|
|
37.05 |
|
|
|
27.75 |
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
|
21.05 |
|
|
|
16.57 |
|
|
|
39.00 |
|
|
|
29.48 |
|
2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
29.24 |
|
|
$ |
18.60 |
|
|
$ |
46.26 |
|
|
|
38.07 |
|
Second Quarter
|
|
|
40.50 |
|
|
|
28.35 |
|
|
|
53.90 |
|
|
|
43.81 |
|
Third Quarter
|
|
|
35.65 |
|
|
|
29.25 |
|
|
|
70.07 |
|
|
|
49.39 |
|
CGG and Veritas urge you to obtain current market quotations for
CGG ADSs and Veritas common stock before making any decision
regarding the merger.
20
CAPITALIZATION AND INDEBTEDNESS
The tables contained in this section are provided in accordance
with French law and regulations applicable to prospectuses
relating to the offering of securities. Since these tables are
being made available in the French prospectus (note
dopération) relating to the CGG ordinary shares
to be issued in connection with the merger, a translation of
these tables is included in this proxy statement/ prospectus.
The tables were prepared solely to comply with French
regulations in connection with the information to be contained
in prospectuses.
The following tables set forth the unaudited consolidated
capitalization and indebtedness of CGG, as derived from
CGGs unaudited consolidated financial statements as of
September 30, 2006 and June 30, 2006 under IFRS, which
are incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/
prospectus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CGG September 30, | |
|
CGG | |
|
|
2006 | |
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
|
(IFRS) | |
|
(IFRS) | |
|
|
(unaudited) | |
|
(unaudited) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in millions) | |
|
(in millions) | |
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt
|
|
|
54.9 |
|
|
|
35.7 |
|
|
guaranteed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
secured
|
|
|
30.7 |
|
|
|
31.0 |
|
|
unguaranteed / unsecured
|
|
|
24.2 |
|
|
|
4.7 |
|
Bonds and other long-term debt
|
|
|
386.8 |
|
|
|
393.3 |
|
|
guaranteed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
secured
|
|
|
124.1 |
|
|
|
134.7 |
|
|
unguaranteed / unsecured
|
|
|
262.7 |
|
|
|
258.6 |
|
Financial debt, gross (A)
|
|
|
441.7 |
|
|
|
429.0 |
|
|
guaranteed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
secured
|
|
|
154.8 |
|
|
|
165.7 |
|
|
unguaranteed / unsecured
|
|
|
286.9 |
|
|
|
263.3 |
|
Shareholders equity (B)
|
|
|
850.5 |
|
|
|
802.6 |
|
Common stock
|
|
|
35.0 |
|
|
|
35.0 |
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
|
|
390.7 |
|
|
|
389.5 |
|
Accumulated earnings
|
|
|
317.3 |
|
|
|
314.7 |
|
Treasury stock
|
|
|
2.6 |
|
|
|
2.4 |
|
Net income (loss) for the period attributable
to the Group
|
|
|
119.8 |
|
|
|
75.3 |
|
Income and expense recognized directly in equity
|
|
|
3.6 |
|
|
|
6.4 |
|
Cumulative translation adjustment
|
|
|
(18.5 |
) |
|
|
(20.7 |
) |
TOTAL (A) + (B)
|
|
|
1,292.2 |
|
|
|
1,231.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CGG September 30, | |
|
CGG | |
|
|
2006 | |
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
|
(IFRS) | |
|
(IFRS) | |
|
|
(unaudited) | |
|
(unaudited) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in millions) | |
|
(in millions) | |
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities (A)
|
|
|
168.7 |
|
|
|
206.4 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
80.1 |
|
|
|
119.6 |
|
Marketable securities
|
|
|
88.6 |
|
|
|
86.8 |
|
Current portion of financial debt (B)
|
|
|
(54.9 |
) |
|
|
(38.3 |
) |
Bank loans current portion
|
|
|
(37.5 |
) |
|
|
(25.9 |
) |
Capital leases current portion
|
|
|
(9.2 |
) |
|
|
(9.7 |
) |
Bonds current portion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accrued interest
|
|
|
(8.2 |
) |
|
|
(2.7 |
) |
Financial debt (C)
|
|
|
(386.8 |
) |
|
|
(393.3 |
) |
Bank loans long-term portion
|
|
|
(81.9 |
) |
|
|
(80.5 |
) |
Capital leases long-term portion
|
|
|
(49.8 |
) |
|
|
(58.5 |
) |
Bonds long-term portion
|
|
|
(255.1 |
) |
|
|
(254.3 |
) |
TOTAL (A) + (B) + (C)
|
|
|
(273.0 |
) |
|
|
(225.2 |
) |
21
The following tables set forth the unaudited consolidated
capitalization and indebtedness of Veritas, as derived from
Veritas consolidated annual financial statements as of
July 31, 2006 under U.S. GAAP, which are incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement/prospectus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Veritas July 31, 2006 | |
|
|
(US GAAP) (unaudited) | |
|
|
| |
|
|
(in millions of dollars) | |
Financial debt, gross (A)
|
|
|
155.0 |
|
Financial debt current portion
|
|
|
155.0 |
|
|
guaranteed
|
|
|
|
|
|
secured
|
|
|
|
|
|
unguaranteed / unsecured
|
|
|
155.0 |
|
Financial debt long-term portion
|
|
|
|
|
|
- guaranteed
|
|
|
|
|
|
- secured
|
|
|
|
|
|
- unguaranteed / unsecured
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders equity (B)
|
|
|
710.5 |
|
Common stock
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
|
|
492.4 |
|
Accumulated earnings
|
|
|
228.3 |
|
Treasury stock
|
|
|
(23.0 |
) |
Minimum pension liability
|
|
|
(9.4 |
) |
Cumulative translation adjustment
|
|
|
21.8 |
|
TOTAL (A) + (B)
|
|
|
865.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Veritas July 31, 2006 | |
|
|
(US GAAP) (unaudited) | |
|
|
| |
|
|
(in millions of dollars) | |
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities (A))
|
|
|
401.9 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
401.9 |
|
Marketable securities
|
|
|
|
|
Financial debt, gross (B)
|
|
|
(155.0 |
) |
TOTAL (A) + (B)
|
|
|
246.9 |
|
Statement on Net Working Capital
Under French laws and regulations applicable to the offering of
securities, CGG is required to make certain certifications with
respect to its net working capital. Because such certifications
are being made available in the French prospectus (note
dopération) relating to the CGG ordinary shares
to be issued in connection with the merger, an English
translation of such certifications is included in this proxy
statement/prospectus.
CGG certifies that, in its view, the CGG consolidated net
working capital is sufficient to meet its current obligations
for the 12-month period as of the date of the French prospectus.
CGG also certifies that, in its view, the consolidated net
working capital of the combined company after the completion of
the merger is sufficient to meet its current obligations for the
12-month period as of the date of the French prospectus.
22
EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION
The following table shows, for the periods indicated,
information concerning the exchange rate between the
U.S. dollar and the euro. This information is provided
solely for your information, and CGG and Veritas do not
represent that euros could be converted into U.S. dollars
at these rates or at any other rate. These rates are not the
rates used by CGG in the preparation of its consolidated
financial statements incorporated by reference into this proxy
statement/ prospectus.
The data provided in the following table is expressed in
U.S. dollars per euro and is based on noon buying rates
published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for the euro.
On September 1, 2006, the last trading day before the
public disclosure of the execution of the merger agreement by
CGG and Veritas, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar
and the euro expressed in U.S. dollars per euro was
1.00 = $1.2833.
On November 29, 2006, the most recent practicable day prior
to the date of this proxy statement/ prospectus, the exchange
rate was
1.00 = $1.3146.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period-End | |
|
Average | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rate(1) | |
|
Rate(2) | |
|
High | |
|
Low | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Recent Monthly Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
November 2006 (through November 29, 2006)
|
|
$ |
1.3146 |
|
|
$ |
1.2869 |
|
|
$ |
1.3162 |
|
|
$ |
1.2705 |
|
October 2006
|
|
|
1.2773 |
|
|
|
1.2617 |
|
|
|
1.2773 |
|
|
|
1.2502 |
|
September 2006
|
|
|
1.2687 |
|
|
|
1.2722 |
|
|
|
1.2833 |
|
|
|
1.2648 |
|
August 2006
|
|
|
1.2793 |
|
|
|
1.2810 |
|
|
|
1.2914 |
|
|
|
1.2735 |
|
July 2006
|
|
|
1.2764 |
|
|
|
1.2681 |
|
|
|
1.2822 |
|
|
|
1.2529 |
|
June 2006
|
|
|
1.2779 |
|
|
|
1.2661 |
|
|
|
1.2953 |
|
|
|
1.2522 |
|
May 2006
|
|
|
1.2833 |
|
|
|
1.2767 |
|
|
|
1.2888 |
|
|
|
1.2607 |
|
Interim Period Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six months ended June 30, 2006
|
|
|
1.2779 |
|
|
|
1.2399 |
|
|
|
1.2953 |
|
|
|
1.1860 |
|
Annual Data (Year Ended December 31,)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
1.1842 |
|
|
|
1.2400 |
|
|
|
1.3476 |
|
|
|
1.1667 |
|
2004
|
|
|
1.3538 |
|
|
|
1.2478 |
|
|
|
1.3625 |
|
|
|
1.1801 |
|
2003
|
|
|
1.2597 |
|
|
|
1.1411 |
|
|
|
1.2597 |
|
|
|
1.0361 |
|
2002
|
|
|
1.0485 |
|
|
|
0.9495 |
|
|
|
1.0485 |
|
|
|
0.8594 |
|
2001
|
|
|
0.8901 |
|
|
|
0.8909 |
|
|
|
0.9535 |
|
|
|
0.8370 |
|
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
The period-end rate is the noon buying rate on the last business
day of the applicable period. |
|
(2) |
The average rate for each monthly period was calculated by
taking the simple average of the daily noon buying rates, as
published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The average
rate for each interim period and annual period was calculated by
taking the simple average of the noon buying rates on the last
business day of each month during the relevant period. |
23
RISK FACTORS
In addition to the other information included or incorporated
by reference in this proxy statement/ prospectus, including the
matters addressed under Cautionary Statement Concerning
Forward-Looking Statements, you should carefully consider
the following risks before deciding whether to vote for adoption
of the merger agreement. In addition, you should read and
consider the risks associated with the businesses of each of CGG
and Veritas in deciding whether to vote to adopt the merger
agreement because these risks will relate to CGG-Veritas after
the merger. Certain of these risks can be found in CGGs
2005 Form 20-F,
which is incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/
prospectus, and in Veritas 2006
Form 10-K, which
is incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/
prospectus. You should also consider the other information in
this proxy statement/ prospectus and the other documents
incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus.
See Additional Information Where You Can Find
More Information.
Risk Factors Relating to the Merger
|
|
|
Because the market price of CGG ADSs will fluctuate,
Veritas stockholders cannot be sure of the value of the merger
consideration they will receive. |
Upon the effective time of the merger, each share of Veritas
common stock will be converted into the right to receive merger
consideration consisting of CGG ADSs or cash pursuant to the
terms of the merger agreement, meaning that each Veritas
stockholder may elect to receive his or her merger consideration
entirely in cash, entirely in CGG ADSs, or a combination of cash
and CGG ADSs, subject to the proration procedures described
herein and in the merger agreement. The value of the merger
consideration to be received by Veritas stockholders will be
based in part on the average of the per share closing sales
price of CGG ADSs on the NYSE during the 20 consecutive trading
day valuation period ending on the third calendar day prior to
the effective time of the merger. This average price may vary
from the market price of CGG ADSs on the date the merger was
announced, on the date that this proxy statement/ prospectus is
mailed to Veritas stockholders, on the date of closing, on the
date you make an election with respect to the merger
consideration or on the date of the special meeting of Veritas
stockholders.
Because CGG is issuing a fixed number of CGG ADSs and a fixed
amount of cash as part of the merger consideration (in each case
subject to upward adjustment in the event that any shares of
Veritas common stock are issued in accordance with the merger
agreement pursuant to the exercise of Veritas outstanding stock
options or conversion of Veritas convertible bonds or
otherwise), and because the provisions of the merger agreement
operate to substantially equalize the value of the consideration
to be received for each share of Veritas common stock at the
time the calculation is made, any change in the price of CGG
ADSs prior to the effective time of the merger will affect the
value of the merger consideration that you will be entitled to
receive upon the effective time of the merger, regardless of
whether you elect to receive cash, CGG ADSs or a combination of
cash and CGG ADSs, or do not make an election.
Changes in the price of CGG ADSs may result from a variety of
factors, including:
|
|
|
|
|
market reaction to the announcement of the merger and market
assessment of its likelihood to be consummated; |
|
|
|
changes in oil and natural gas prices; |
|
|
|
changes in the respective businesses, operations and prospects
of CGG and Veritas, including CGGs and Veritas
ability to meet earnings estimates; |
|
|
|
governmental or litigation developments or regulatory
considerations affecting CGG or Veritas or the industry
generally; and |
|
|
|
general business, market or economic conditions. |
Many of these factors are beyond the control of CGG and Veritas.
24
|
|
|
Veritas stockholders may receive a form or combination of
consideration different from what they elect. |
While each Veritas stockholder may elect to receive all cash,
all CGG ADSs or a combination of cash and CGG ADSs pursuant to
the merger, the pools of cash and CGG ADSs available for all
Veritas stockholders will be fixed amounts (in each case subject
to upward adjustment in the event that any shares of Veritas
common stock are issued in accordance with the merger agreement
pursuant to the exercise of Veritas outstanding stock options or
conversion of Veritas convertible bonds or otherwise).
Accordingly, depending on the elections made by other Veritas
stockholders and the average of the per share closing sales
price of CGG ADSs on the NYSE during the 20 consecutive trading
day valuation period ending on the third calendar day prior to
the effective time of the merger, you may receive a proportion
of cash and/or CGG ADSs that is different from what you elected.
If a Veritas stockholder does not submit a properly completed
and signed election form to the exchange agent by the election
deadline of 5:00 p.m. New York City time on
January 10, 2007, then such stockholder will have no
control over the type of merger consideration such stockholder
may receive, and, consequently, may receive only cash, only CGG
ADSs, or a combination of cash and CGG ADSs pursuant to the
merger.
|
|
|
If you tender shares of Veritas common stock to make an
election, you will not be able to sell those shares unless you
revoke your election prior to the election deadline. |
If you want to make an election with respect to the type of
merger consideration you receive, you must deliver your stock
certificates (or follow the procedures for guaranteed delivery)
and a properly completed and signed election form to the
exchange agent no later than the election deadline of
5:00 p.m. New York City time on January 10, 2007. You
will not be able to sell any shares of Veritas common stock that
you have delivered until you receive cash or CGG ADSs pursuant
to the merger unless you revoke your election before the
deadline by providing written notice to the exchange agent. In
the time between delivery of your shares of Veritas common stock
and the closing of the merger, the market price of Veritas
common stock or CGG ADSs may decrease, and you might otherwise
want to sell your shares of Veritas common stock to gain access
to cash, make other investments, or reduce the potential for a
decrease in the value of your investment.
|
|
|
Necessary consents and approvals from government entities
may delay or prevent the closing of the merger or have a
material adverse effect on CGG-Veritas. |
The merger is conditioned upon, among other things, the
effectiveness of the
Form F-4
registration statement, of which this proxy statement/
prospectus constitutes a part, and of the
Form F-6
registration statement, and the approval (visa) of the
note dinformation by the AMF, relating to the
CGG ordinary shares underlying the CGG ADSs to be issued in
connection with the merger. As a result, stockholders face the
risk that, if the effectiveness and approval are not obtained,
the closing of the merger would be delayed for a significant
period of time or the merger would not be completed.
Although the merger is deemed authorized by the Norwegian
antitrust authority, the HSR waiting period for the merger has
terminated and the CFIUS has concluded action having found no
national security issues sufficient to warrant further
investigation, CGG and Veritas have each submitted filings to
the Brazilian and UK antitrust authorities that remain
outstanding. CGG and Veritas have also answered questions posed
by the Australian antitrust authority. While the approval of
these authorities is not required to complete the merger, the
authorities may prohibit the integration of CGG and Veritas
between the effective time of the merger and the date of receipt
of these approvals and as part of the approvals may impose
remedies that could materially adversely affect the business or
financial condition of the combined company. Governmental
authorities may require divestitures relating to operations or
assets of CGG-Veritas, or commitments from CGG-Veritas that may
have a negative impact on the businesses and operations of the
combined company, or may reduce the anticipated benefits of the
merger. See The Merger Agreement Conditions to
the Consummation of the Merger Antitrust
Approvals.
25
|
|
|
Any delay in completing the merger may substantially
reduce the benefits expected to be obtained from the
merger. |
In addition to obtaining the required regulatory clearances and
approvals, the merger is subject to a number of other conditions
beyond the control of Veritas and CGG that may prevent, delay or
otherwise materially adversely affect its completion. See
The Merger Agreement Conditions to Completion
of the Merger. CGG and Veritas cannot predict whether and
when these other conditions will be satisfied. Further, the
requirements for obtaining the required clearances and approvals
could delay the effective time of the merger for a significant
period of time or prevent it from occurring. Any delay in
completing the merger may materially adversely affect the
synergies and other benefits that CGG and Veritas expect to
achieve if the merger and the integration of their respective
businesses is completed within the expected timeframe.
|
|
|
CGG and Veritas will incur substantial transaction and
merger-related costs in connection with the merger. |
CGG and Veritas expect to incur a number of non-recurring
transaction fees and other costs associated with completing the
merger, combining the operations of the two companies and
achieving desired synergies. These fees and costs will be
substantial. Additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in
the integration of the businesses of CGG and Veritas. Although
CGG and Veritas expect that the elimination of duplicative
costs, as well as the realization of other efficiencies related
to the integration of their businesses will offset the
incremental transaction and merger-related costs over time, this
net benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all.
|
|
|
The businesses and technologies of CGG and Veritas, as
well as other businesses or technologies that the combined
company may acquire, may be difficult to integrate, disrupt the
combined companys business, dilute shareholder value or
divert management attention. |
Risks the combined company could face with respect to the
combination between CGG and Veritas, as well as other recent and
future acquisitions include:
|
|
|
|
|
difficulties in the integration of the operations, technologies,
products and personnel of the acquired company; |
|
|
|
diversion of managements attention away from other
business concerns; and |
|
|
|
the assumption of any undisclosed or other potential liabilities
of the acquired company. |
In addition to the proposed merger with Veritas, CGG has
undertaken several recent acquisitions, including the purchase
of several manufacturers of seismic products in 2004 that
expanded Sercels product line, the acquisition of
Exploration Resources ASA, a Norwegian company, in
September 2005 and the acquisition by Sercel of Vibration
Technologies Limited, a Scottish company, on September 28,
2006. The risks associated with acquisitions could have a
material adverse effect upon the combined companys
business, financial condition and results of operations.
|
|
|
The pendency of the merger could materially adversely
affect the future business and operations of Veritas or
CGG. |
In connection with the pending merger, some customers and
strategic partners of each of Veritas and CGG may delay or defer
decisions relating to their ongoing and future relationships
with Veritas or CGG, which could negatively affect revenues,
earnings and cash flows of Veritas or CGG, as well as the market
prices of shares of Veritas common stock or CGG ADSs, regardless
of whether the merger is completed.
26
|
|
|
Directors and executive officers of Veritas may have
potential conflicts of interest in recommending that you vote to
adopt the merger agreement. |
Executive officers of Veritas negotiated the terms of the merger
agreement and the Veritas board of directors unanimously
approved the merger agreement and unanimously recommends that
you vote in favor of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement.
These directors and executive officers may have interests in the
merger that are different from, or in addition to or in conflict
with, yours. You should take into account such interests when
you consider the Veritas board of directors recommendation
that you vote for adoption of the merger agreement.
These interests include:
|
|
|
|
|
the continued employment of certain executive officers of
Veritas by CGG-Veritas; |
|
|
|
the continued positions of certain directors of Veritas as
directors of CGG-Veritas; |
|
|
|
employment agreements with certain executive officers of
Veritas, which may require lump sum payments within two years
after a change of control of Veritas; |
|
|
|
the accelerated vesting of, and payment in the merger with
respect to, certain restricted stock units and stock options and
lapse of restrictions on restricted shares for certain directors
and executive officers; and |
|
|
|
the indemnification of former Veritas directors and officers by
the combined company described under The
Merger Interests of the Directors and Executive
Officers of Veritas in the Merger Indemnification
and Insurance. |
As a result of these interests, these directors and executive
officers may be more likely to support and to vote to adopt the
merger agreement than if they did not have these interests. For
a discussion of the interests of directors and executive
officers in the merger, see The Merger
Interests of the Directors and Executive Officers of Veritas in
the Merger.
|
|
|
In certain circumstances, the merger agreement requires
payment of a termination fee of $85 million by Veritas to
CGG and, under certain circumstances, Veritas must allow CGG
three business days to match any alternative acquisition
proposal prior to any change in the Veritas boards
recommendation. These terms could affect the decisions of a
third party proposing an alternative transaction to the
merger. |
Under the merger agreement, Veritas may be required to pay to
CGG a termination fee of $85 million if the merger
agreement is terminated under certain circumstances. Should the
merger agreement be terminated in circumstances under which such
a termination fee is payable, the payment of this fee could have
material and adverse consequences to Veritas financial
condition and operations after such time. Additionally, under
the merger agreement, in the event of a superior acquisition
proposal being made to Veritas by another party, Veritas must
allow CGG a three business day period to make a revised proposal
in response to the superior acquisition proposal, prior to which
the Veritas board of directors may not change its recommendation
with respect to the merger agreement. Even if the Veritas board
of directors changes its recommendation of the merger, Veritas
is required under the merger agreement to submit the merger
agreement to its stockholders for adoption unless CGG decides to
terminate the merger agreement. These terms could affect the
structure, pricing and terms proposed by other parties seeking
to acquire or merge with Veritas, and could make it more
difficult for another party to make a superior acquisition
proposal for Veritas. For a description of the termination
rights of each party and the termination fee payable by Veritas
under the merger agreement, see The Merger
Agreement Termination of the Merger Agreement.
27
Risk Factors Relating to CGG-Veritas Following the Merger
|
|
|
The combined company may fail to realize the anticipated
synergies and other benefits expected from the merger, which may
materially adversely affect the value of CGG ordinary shares and
CGG ADSs after the effective time of the merger. |
The merger involves the integration of CGG and Veritas, two
companies that have previously operated independently and as
competitors. CGG and Veritas entered into the merger agreement
with the expectation that, among other things, the merger would
enable the combined company to achieve expected cost synergies
from having one rather than two public companies as well as the
redeployment of support resources towards operations and
premises rationalization.
Delays encountered by the combined company in the transition
process could have a material adverse effect on the revenues,
expenses, operating results and financial condition of the
combined company. Although CGG and Veritas expect to realize
significant benefits from the merger, there can be no assurance
that CGG-Veritas will actually achieve these anticipated
benefits.
The value of the CGG ordinary shares and the CGG ADSs following
the effective time of the merger may be affected by the ability
of the combined company to achieve the benefits expected to
result from the effective time of the merger. Achieving the
benefits of the merger will depend in part upon meeting the
challenges inherent in the successful combination and
integration of global business enterprises of the size and scope
of CGG and Veritas and the possible resulting diversion of
management attention for an extended period of time. There can
be no assurance that the combined company will meet these
challenges and that such diversion will not negatively affect
the operations of the combined company following the merger.
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Uncertainties associated with the merger may cause a loss
of employees and may otherwise materially adversely affect the
future business and operations of CGG-Veritas. |
CGG-Veritas future results of operations will depend in
part upon its ability to retain existing highly skilled and
qualified employees of CGG and Veritas and to attract new
employees. A number of CGGs and Veritas employees
are highly skilled scientists and highly trained technicians,
and failure by the combined company to continue to attract and
retain such individuals could materially adversely affect its
ability to compete in the geophysical services industry. In
addition, current and prospective employees of CGG and Veritas
may experience uncertainty about their post-merger roles with
CGG-Veritas following the effective time of the merger. This
uncertainty may materially adversely affect the ability of each
of CGG and Veritas to attract and retain key management, sales,
marketing, technical and other personnel. In addition, key
employees may depart because of issues relating to the
uncertainty and difficulty of integration or a desire not to
remain with CGG-Veritas following the merger. Accordingly, no
assurance can be given that CGG-Veritas will be able to attract
or retain key employees of CGG and Veritas to the same extent
that CGG and Veritas have been able to attract or retain their
own employees in the past.
CGG and Veritas compete with other seismic products and services
companies and, to a lesser extent, companies in the oil industry
for skilled geophysical and seismic personnel, particularly in
times, such as the present, when demand for seismic services is
relatively high. A limited number of such skilled personnel is
available, and demand from other companies may limit the
combined companys ability to fill its human resources
needs. Any inability of CGG-Veritas following the effective time
of the merger to hire, train and retain a sufficient number of
qualified employees could impair its ability to manage and
maintain its business and to develop and protect its know-how.
In addition, CGG-Veritas success will depend to a
significant extent upon the abilities and efforts of members of
its senior management, the loss of whom could materially
adversely affect its business.
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The trading price of CGG ADSs may be affected by factors
different from those affecting the price of shares of Veritas
common stock. |
At the effective time of the merger, holders of shares of
Veritas common stock may become holders of CGG ADSs. The results
of operations of the combined company, as well as the trading
price of CGG ADSs after the effective time of the merger, may be
affected by factors different from those currently affecting
Veritas results of operations and the trading price of
shares of Veritas common stock. For a discussion of the
businesses of CGG and Veritas and of certain factors to consider
in connection with those businesses, see the documents
incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/ prospectus
and referred to under Additional Information
Where You Can Find More Information.
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Because some existing holders of CGG ordinary shares are
entitled to two votes for every share they hold, the percentage
of the voting rights of the combined company that you will own
immediately after the effective time of the merger will be less
than the percentage of the outstanding share capital of the
combined company that you will own. |
Under CGGs articles of association and bylaws
(statuts), holders of CGG ordinary shares who have held
their shares in the same registered name for at least two
consecutive years have the right to two votes for every share so
held. In general, the CGG ordinary shares underlying CGG ADSs
will be held in bearer form unless the holder thereof notifies
the depositary in writing that the CGG ordinary shares should be
held in registered form. As a result, new holders of CGG
ordinary shares (including CGG ordinary shares represented by
CGG ADSs), including former holders of shares of Veritas common
stock who receive CGG ADSs pursuant to the merger, will qualify
to obtain double-voting rights only after holding those CGG ADSs
in the same registered name for two years after giving such
notice. As of September 30, 2006, 1,412,798 CGG ordinary
shares carried double-voting rights, representing approximately
8% of CGGs outstanding share capital and approximately 15%
of CGGs voting rights. If the merger is consummated,
immediately after the effective time of the merger, former
holders of shares of Veritas common stock are expected to own
approximately 36% of the combined companys outstanding
share capital and approximately 35% of the combined
companys voting rights (based on the outstanding shares of
Veritas common stock on July 31, 2006 and the maximum
number of additional shares of Veritas common stock that may be
issued in accordance with the merger agreement pursuant to the
exercise of outstanding Veritas stock options or the conversion
of the Veritas convertible bonds or otherwise). Therefore,
because some existing holders of CGG ordinary shares currently
have double voting rights and you will not be eligible for
double voting rights under CGGs articles of association
until a later time (if at all), the percentage of the combined
companys voting rights that you will have immediately
after the effective time of the merger will be less than the
percentage of the combined companys outstanding share
capital that you own immediately after the effective time of the
merger.
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CGG is a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations of the SEC and, thus, is exempt from
certain rules and requirements under the Exchange Act and is
permitted to file less information with the SEC than a company
incorporated in the United States or a non-foreign private
issuer. |
As a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, CGG is
exempt from certain rules and requirements under the Exchange
Act, including the proxy rules, which impose certain disclosure
and procedural requirements for proxy solicitations. Moreover,
CGG is not required to file periodic reports and financial
statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as
U.S. companies with securities registered under the
Exchange Act; is not required to file financial statements
prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP (although it is
required to reconcile its financial statements to
U.S. GAAP); and is not required to comply with
Regulation FD, which imposes certain restrictions on the
selective disclosure of material information. In addition,
CGGs officers, directors and principal shareholders are
exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit
recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and
the rules under the Exchange Act with respect to their purchases
and sales of CGG ordinary shares. Accordingly, although the
covenants contained in CGGs senior notes require CGG to
furnish to the SEC a greater
29
level of financial and non-financial information than the
Exchange Act requires of foreign private issuers for so long as
such senior notes remain outstanding, after the effective time
of the merger, if you continue to hold CGG ADSs and for so long
as the combined company remains a foreign private issuer, you
may receive less information about the combined company than you
currently receive about Veritas, and be afforded less protection
under the U.S. federal securities laws than you are
currently afforded. See Questions and Answers About the
Merger and the Veritas Special Stockholders Meeting
What are the implications of CGG being a foreign private
issuer?. If the combined company loses its status as a
foreign private issuer, it will no longer be exempt from such
rules and, among other things, will be required to file periodic
reports and financial statements as if it were a company
incorporated in the United States. The costs incurred in
fulfilling these additional regulatory requirements could be
substantial.
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The combined companys results of operations may be
significantly affected by currency fluctuations. |
The combined company will derive a substantial amount of its
revenues from sales internationally, subjecting it to risks
relating to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The
combined companys revenues and expenses will be
denominated in currencies including the euro, the
U.S. dollar and, to a significantly lesser extent, other
non-euro Western European currencies, principally the British
pound and the Norwegian kroner. Historically, a significant
portion of CGGs revenues that were invoiced in euros
related to contracts that were effectively priced in
U.S. dollars, as the U.S. dollar often serves as the
reference currency when bidding for contracts to provide
geophysical services. CGGs exposure to fluctuations in the
euro/ U.S. dollar exchange rate has increased considerably
over the last few years due to increased sales outside of Europe.
Fluctuations in the exchange rate of the euro against such other
currencies, particularly the U.S. dollar, can be expected
in future periods to have a significant effect upon the combined
companys results of operations, which will be reported in
euros. Since the combined company will participate in
competitive bids for data acquisition contracts that are
denominated in U.S. dollars, a depreciation of the
U.S. dollar against the euro harms its competitive position
against companies whose costs and expenses are denominated in
U.S. dollars. For financial reporting purposes, such
depreciation will negatively affect the combined companys
reported results of operations since
U.S. dollar-denominated earnings that are converted to
euros are stated at a decreased value. While CGG has in the past
attempted to reduce the risks associated with such exchange rate
fluctuations through its hedging policy, neither CGG nor Veritas
can assure you that the combined company will be effective or
that fluctuations in the values of the currencies in which it
operates will not materially adversely affect its future results
of operations.
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CGG and Veritas have had losses in the past and cannot
assure that the combined company will be profitable in the
future. |
CGG recorded net losses in 2004 and 2005 (attributable to
shareholders) of
6.4 million
and
7.8 million,
respectively, although excluding the accounting impact under
IFRS of its 7.75% subordinated convertible bonds due 2012
denominated in U.S. dollars, its net income would have been
positive. Veritas recorded a net loss of $59.1 million in
its fiscal year 2003. Neither CGG nor Veritas can assure you
that the combined company will be profitable in the future.
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The combined company will be subject to risks related to
its international operations that could harm its business and
results of operations. |
With operations worldwide, and with a majority of its revenues
likely to be derived outside of the United States and Western
Europe, including in emerging markets, CGG-Veritas
business and results of operations will be subject to various
risks inherent in international operations. These risks include:
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instability of foreign economies and governments; |
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risks of war, terrorism, civil disturbance, seizure,
renegotiation or nullification of existing contracts; and |
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foreign exchange restrictions, sanctions and other laws and
policies affecting taxation, trade and investment. |
The combined company will be exposed to these risks in all of
its foreign operations to some degree, and its exposure could be
material to its financial condition and results of operations in
emerging markets where the political and legal environment is
less stable.
While the combined company expects to carry insurance against
political risks associated with such operations in amounts they
consider appropriate in accordance with industry practices,
neither CGG nor Veritas can assure you that the combined company
will not be subject to material adverse developments with
respect to its international operations or that its coverage
will be adequate to cover it for any losses arising from such
risks.
Revenue generating activities in certain foreign countries may
require prior United States government approval in the form of
an export license and may otherwise be subject to tariffs and
import/export restrictions. These laws can change over time and
may result in limitations on the combined companys ability
to compete globally. In addition,
non-U.S. persons
employed by the combined companys separately incorporated
non-U.S. entities
will conduct business in some foreign jurisdictions that have
been subject to U.S. trade embargoes and sanctions by the
U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control. CGG and Veritas have
typically generated revenue in these countries through the
performance of data processing, reservoir consulting services
and the sale of software licenses and software maintenance. CGG
and Veritas have relations with customers in these countries
which are current and ongoing. CGG and Veritas do, and the
combined company will, have procedures in place to conduct these
operations in compliance with applicable U.S. laws.
However, failure to comply with U.S. laws on foreign
operations could result in material fines and penalties, damage
to the combined companys reputation, and a reduction in
the value of CGG ordinary shares and CGG ADSs. In addition, the
combined companys activities in these countries could
reduce demand for its securities among certain investors.
CGG, Veritas and certain of their respective subsidiaries and
affiliated entities also conduct business in countries which
experience government corruption and in countries subject to
U.S. government sanctions. They are committed, and they
expect the combined company to be committed, to doing business
in accordance with all applicable laws and their codes of
ethics, but there is a risk that the combined company, its
subsidiaries or affiliated entities or its respective officers,
directors, employees and agents may take action in violation of
applicable laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of
1977 or laws administered by the U.S. Office of Foreign
Assets Control. Any such violations could result in substantial
civil and/or criminal penalties and might materially adversely
affect the combined companys business and results of
operations or financial condition.
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CGG-Veritas will invest significant amounts of money in
acquiring and processing seismic data for multi-client surveys
and for its data library without knowing precisely how much of
the data it will be able to sell or when and at what price it
will be able to sell the data. |
CGG-Veritas will invest significant amounts of money in
acquiring and processing seismic data that it will own. By
making such investments, the combined company exposes itself to
risks that:
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may not fully recover the costs of acquiring and processing the
data through future sales. The amounts of these data sales are
uncertain and depend on a variety of factors, many of which are
beyond its control. In addition, the timing of these sales is
unpredictable and sales can vary greatly from period to period.
Technological or regulatory changes or other developments could
also materially adversely affect the value of the data; |
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value of its multi-client data could be significantly adversely
affected if any material adverse change occurred in the general
prospects for oil and gas exploration, development and
production activities in the areas where it acquires
multi-client data; and |
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reduction in the market value of such data will require the
combined company to write down its recorded value, which could
have a significant material adverse effect on its results of
operations. |
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For example, in its fiscal years 2003 and 2002, Veritas incurred
$4.9 million and $55.3 million, respectively, in
impairment charges related to surveys which generated relatively
low levels of sales in its multi-client library. These surveys
were found to be impaired for various reasons, including slow
acreage turnover in the case of U.S. land surveys, a border
dispute in the case of a Shetland-Faroes survey and excessive
acquisition cost in the case of a Gulf of Mexico survey. In
addition, a decision by the Norwegian government on
March 31, 2006 not to award exploration-production licenses
in the area where one of CGGs surveys is located (Moere)
changed CGGs previous estimate of future sales, and caused
this
4.6 million
survey to be fully depreciated at March 31, 2006.
Additionally, each of the individual surveys of CGG-Veritas will
have a minimum book life based on its location, so particular
surveys may be subject to significant amortization even though
sales of licenses associated with that survey are weak or
non-existent, thus reducing profits of the combined company.
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CGG-Veritas working capital needs are difficult to
forecast and may vary significantly, which could result in
additional financing requirements that it may not be able to
meet on satisfactory terms, or at all. |
It will be difficult for the combined company to predict with
certainty its working capital needs. This difficulty is due
primarily to working capital requirements related to the marine
seismic acquisition business and related to the development and
introduction of new lines of geophysical equipment products. For
example, under specific circumstances, the combined company may
extend the length of payment terms it grants to customers or
increase its inventories substantially. The combined company may
therefore be subject to significant and rapid increases in its
working capital needs that it may have difficulty financing on
satisfactory terms, or at all, due to limitations in its debt
agreements.
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Technological changes and new products and services are
frequently introduced in the market, and the combined
companys technology could be rendered obsolete by these
introductions or it may not be able to develop and produce new
and enhanced products on a cost-effective and timely
basis. |
Technology changes rapidly in the seismic industry, and new and
enhanced products are frequently introduced in the market for
CGGs and Veritas products and services, particularly
in CGGs equipment manufacturing and data processing and
geosciences sectors. The combined companys success will
depend to a significant extent upon its ability to develop and
produce new and enhanced products and services on a
cost-effective and timely basis in accordance with industry
demands. While the combined company will commit substantial
resources to research and development, neither CGG nor Veritas
can assure you that the combined company will not encounter
resource constraints or technical or other difficulties that
could delay the introduction of new and enhanced products and
services in the future. In addition, the continuing development
of new products inherently carries the risk of obsolescence with
respect to the combined companys older products. Neither
CGG nor Veritas can assure you that new and enhanced products
and services, if introduced, will gain market acceptance or will
not be materially adversely affected by technological changes or
product or service introductions by one of the combined
companys competitors.
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The combined company will depend on proprietary technology
and will be exposed to risks associated with the
misappropriation or infringement of that technology. |
The results of operations of CGG-Veritas will depend in part
upon its proprietary technology. The combined company will rely
on a combination of patents, trademarks and trade secret laws to
establish and protect its proprietary technology. CGG currently
holds or has applied for 118 patents and Veritas currently holds
or has applied for 15 patents in various countries for products
and processes. These patents last between four and twenty years,
depending on the date of filing and the protection accorded by
each country. In addition, the combined company will enter into
confidentiality and license agreements with its employees,
customers and potential customers and limit access to and
distribution of its technology. However, neither CGG nor Veritas
can assure you that actions the combined company takes to
protect its proprietary rights will be adequate to protect this
technology or to deter the misappropriation or independent
third-party development of its technology. Although neither CGG
nor Veritas has been
32
involved in any material litigation regarding its intellectual
property rights or the possible infringement of intellectual
property rights of others, it cannot assure you that such
litigation will not be brought in the future. In addition, the
laws of certain foreign countries do not protect proprietary
rights to the same extent as either the laws of France or the
laws of the United States, which may limit the combined
companys ability to pursue third parties that
misappropriate its proprietary technology.
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The combined company will rely on significant customers,
so the loss of a single customer or a few customers could have a
material adverse effect on its operating revenues and
business. |
A relatively small number of clients will account for a
significant percentage of the combined companys revenues.
The loss of a significant amount of the business of any of these
clients could have a material adverse effect on the combined
companys operating revenues and business.
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The nature of the combined companys business will
subject it to significant ongoing operating risks for which it
may not have adequate insurance or for which it may not be able
to procure adequate insurance on economical terms, if at
all. |
The combined companys seismic data acquisition activities,
particularly in deepwater marine areas, are often conducted
under harsh weather and other hazardous conditions. These
operations are subject to risks of loss to property and injury
to personnel from fires, accidental explosions, ice floes and
high seas. These types of events could result in loss from
business interruption, delay, equipment destruction or
liability. CGG and Veritas expect that the combined company will
carry insurance against the destruction of or damage to its
seismic equipment and against business interruption for its data
processing activities in amounts it considers appropriate in
accordance with industry practice. However, neither CGG nor
Veritas can assure you that CGG-Veritas insurance coverage
will be adequate in all circumstances or against all hazards, or
that the combined company will be able to maintain adequate
insurance coverage in the future at commercially reasonable
rates or on acceptable terms.
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Compliance with internal controls procedures and
evaluations and attestation requirements will require
significant efforts and resources and may result in the
identification of significant deficiencies or material
weaknesses of CGG. |
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,
CGG will be required, for 2006, as a foreign private issuer, to
perform an evaluation of its internal controls over financial
reporting and have its independent auditors publicly disclose
their conclusions regarding such evaluation. CGG began in 2006
to establish procedures in order to comply with Section 404
in the timeframe permitted under the regulations of the SEC,
although as of the date of this proxy statement/ prospectus, CGG
has not yet finalized these procedures. CGG and Veritas expect
that establishing procedures and ensuring compliance with these
requirements will be a substantial and time-consuming process.
If CGG fails to complete these procedures and the required
evaluation in a timely manner, or if its independent auditors
cannot attest to its evaluation in a timely manner, it could be
subject to regulatory review and penalties that may result in a
loss of public confidence in its internal controls. In addition,
CGG may uncover significant deficiencies or material weaknesses
in its internal controls. Measures taken by it to remedy these
issues may require significant efforts, dedicated time and
expenses, as well as the commitment of significant managerial
resources. Each of these circumstances may have a material
adverse effect on the combined companys business, ability
to raise financing for its business, financial condition and
results of operations or the market price of the CGG ADSs.
Risks Related to the Industry
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The combined company will depend on capital expenditures
by the oil and gas industry, and reductions in such expenditures
in the future may have a material adverse effect on its
business. |
Demand for the products and services of CGG and Veritas has
historically been dependent upon the level of capital
expenditures by oil and gas companies for exploration,
production and development
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activities. These expenditures are significantly influenced by
oil and gas prices and by expectations regarding future oil and
gas prices. Oil and gas prices may fluctuate based on relatively
minor changes in the supply of and demand for oil and gas,
expectations regarding future supply of and demand for oil and
gas and certain other factors beyond the combined companys
control. Lower or volatile oil and gas prices tend to limit the
demand for seismic services and products.
Factors affecting the prices of oil and gas include:
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demand for oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids; |
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worldwide political, military and economic conditions, including
political developments in the Middle East, economic growth
levels and the ability of OPEC to set and maintain production
levels and prices for oil; |
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levels of oil and gas production; |
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the price and availability of alternative fuels; |
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policies of governments regarding the exploration for and
production and development of oil and gas reserves in their
territories; and |
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global weather conditions. |
Although oil and gas prices are currently at or near historical
highs, which generally increases demand for seismic products and
services, the markets for oil and gas historically have been
volatile and are likely to continue to be so in the future.
CGG and Veritas believe that global geopolitical uncertainty or
uncertainty in the Middle Eastern producing regions (where both
CGG and Veritas are particularly active) could lead oil
companies to suddenly delay or cancel current geophysical
projects. Any events that affect worldwide oil and gas supply,
demand or prices or that generate uncertainty in the market
could reduce exploration and development activities and
materially adversely affect the operations of the combined
company. Neither CGG nor Veritas can assure you as to future oil
and gas prices or the resulting level of industry spending for
exploration, production and development activities.
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The combined company will be subject to intense
competition, which could limit its ability to maintain or
increase its market share or to maintain its prices at
profitable levels. |
Most of CGGs and Veritas contracts are, and most of
the combined companys contracts will be, obtained through
a competitive bidding process, which is standard for the seismic
services industry in which they operate. Competitive factors in
recent years have included price, crew availability,
technological expertise and reputation for quality, safety and
dependability. While no single company will compete with the
combined company in all of its segments, CGG-Veritas will be
subject to intense competition in each of its segments. The
combined company will compete with large, international
companies as well as smaller, local companies. In addition, it
will compete with major service providers and
government-sponsored enterprises and affiliates. Some of the
combined companys competitors will operate more data
acquisition crews than it does and have substantially greater
financial and other resources. These and other competitors may
be better positioned to withstand and adjust more quickly to
volatile market conditions, such as fluctuations in oil and gas
prices and production levels, as well as changes in government
regulations. In addition, if geophysical service competitors
increase their capacity in the future (or do not reduce capacity
if demand decreases), the excess supply in the seismic services
market could apply downward pressure on prices.
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CGG-Veritas will have high levels of fixed costs that will
be incurred regardless of its level of business activity. |
The business of the combined company will have high fixed costs.
As a result, downtime or low productivity due to reduced demand,
weather interruptions, equipment failures or other causes could
result
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in significant operating losses. Low utilization rates may
hamper its ability to recover the cost of necessary capital
investments.
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The land and marine seismic acquisition revenues of
CGG-Veritas may vary significantly during the year. |
The combined companys land and marine seismic acquisition
revenues will be partially seasonal in nature. The offshore data
acquisition business is, by its nature, exposed to unproductive
interim periods due to necessary repairs or transit time from
one operational zone to another during which revenue is usually
not recognized. Other factors that cause variations from quarter
to quarter include the effects of weather conditions in a given
operating area, the internal budgeting process of some important
clients relative to their exploration expenses, the timing of
the receipt and commencement of contracts for data acquisition,
the timing of offshore lease sales and the effect of such timing
on the demand for geophysical activities and the timing of sales
of licenses to geophysical data in its multi-client data
library, which may be significant and which are not typically
made in a linear or consistent pattern. Together with the
combined companys high fixed costs, these revenue
fluctuations could produce unexpected material adverse effects
on the results of operations in any fiscal period.
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The combined companys business will be subject to
governmental regulation, which may materially adversely affect
its future operations. |
The combined companys operations will be subject to a
variety of federal, provincial, state, foreign and local laws
and regulations, including environmental laws. The combined
company will need to invest financial and managerial resources
to comply with these laws and related permit requirements.
Failure to timely obtain the required permits may result in crew
downtime and operating losses. Because laws and regulations
change frequently, CGG and Veritas cannot predict the impact of
government regulations on the future operations of the combined
company. The adoption of laws and regulations that have the
effect of curtailing exploration by oil and gas companies could
also materially adversely affect the operations of the combined
company by reducing the demand for its geophysical products and
services.
Risks Related to the Combined Companys Indebtedness
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CGG-Veritas substantial debt after the effective
time of the merger could materially adversely affect its
financial health and prevent it from fulfilling its
obligations. |
CGG-Veritas will have a significant amount of debt after the
effective time of the merger. As of June 30, 2006, on a pro
forma basis to reflect the merger and CGGs borrowing under
the bridge loan facility to finance the cash component of the
merger consideration and assuming the bridge loan facility is
fully drawn, the combined companys total financial debt,
total assets and shareholders equity would have been
1,611 million,
4,307 million
and
1,977 million,
respectively, under IFRS. CGG may also enter into arrangements
to borrow the cash amounts that CGG-Veritas will be required to
pay to holders of Veritas convertible bonds who convert after
the merger, which cash amounts CGG estimates could be as much as
$165 million (depending on the extent to which the merger
consideration that a holder of Veritas no election shares would
receive consists of cash assuming a hypothetical average CGG ADS
value of $33.33, which was the closing price of CGG ADSs on
August 29, 2006). The maximum cash amount will increase as
the average CGG ADS value increases.
CGG-Veritas substantial debt could have important
consequences. In particular, it could:
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increase its vulnerability to general adverse economic and
industry conditions; |
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require it to dedicate a substantial portion of its cash flow
from operations to payments on its indebtedness, thereby
reducing the availability of its cash flow to fund working
capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate
purposes; |
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limit its flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes
in its businesses and the industries in which it will operate; |
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place it at a competitive disadvantage compared to its
competitors that have less debt; and |
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limit, along with the financial and other restrictive covenants
of its indebtedness, among other things, its ability to borrow
additional funds. |
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CGGs and Veritas debt agreements contain
restrictive covenants that may limit the ability of
CGG-Veritas to respond
to changes in market conditions or pursue business
opportunities. |
The indentures governing CGGs senior notes and
Veritas convertible notes and the agreements governing
both companies syndicated credit facilities (including the
$1.6 billion bridge loan facility expected to finance the
cash component of the merger consideration) contain restrictive
covenants that will limit the combined companys ability
and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to, among other
things:
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incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred
shares; |
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pay dividends or make other distributions; |
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purchase equity interests or redeem subordinated indebtedness
early; |
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create or incur certain liens; |
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enter into transactions with affiliates; |
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issue or sell capital stock of subsidiaries; |
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engage in sale-and-leaseback transactions; and |
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sell assets or merge or consolidate with another company. |
Complying with the restrictions contained in some of these
covenants will require the combined company to meet certain
ratios and tests, notably with respect to consolidated interest
coverage, total assets, net debt, equity and net income. The
requirement that CGG-Veritas comply with these provisions may
materially adversely affect its ability to react to changes in
market conditions, take advantage of business opportunities it
believes to be desirable, obtain future financing, fund needed
capital expenditures, finance its equipment purchases, increase
research and development expenditures, or withstand a continuing
or future downturn in its business.
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If CGG-Veritas is unable to comply with the restrictions
and covenants in the indentures and debt agreements governing
CGGs and Veritas notes and other debt, there could
be a default under the terms of these indentures and agreements,
which could result in an acceleration of payment of funds that
CGG and Veritas have borrowed. |
If CGG-Veritas is unable to comply with the restrictions and
covenants in the indentures governing CGGs and
Veritas notes or in current or future debt agreements,
there could be a default under the terms of these indentures and
agreements. CGG-Veritas ability to comply with these
restrictions and covenants, including meeting financial ratios
and tests, may be affected by events beyond its control. As a
result, CGG-Veritas cannot assure you that CGG-Veritas will be
able to comply with these restrictions and covenants or meet
these tests. In the event of a default under these agreements,
lenders could terminate their commitments to lend or accelerate
the loans and declare all amounts borrowed due and payable.
Borrowings under other debt instruments that contain
cross-acceleration or cross-default provisions may also be
accelerated and become due and payable. If any of these events
occur, the assets of CGG-Veritas might not be sufficient to
repay in full all of its outstanding indebtedness and
CGG-Veritas may be unable to find alternative financing. Even if
CGG-Veritas could obtain alternative financing, it might not be
on terms that are favorable or acceptable.
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If CGG is unable to draw funds under its bridge loan
facility, it will have to seek other financing to complete the
merger, which financing may not be available or may be on less
favorable terms. |
CGG has entered into a senior secured bridge loan facility with
Credit Suisse International, as sole and exclusive lead arranger
and sole and exclusive bookrunner, of up to $1.6 billion to
be made available to CGG and/or one or more of its subsidiaries
reasonably acceptable to Credit Suisse International for
purposes of, among other things, financing the cash portion of
the merger consideration. See CGG Recent
Developments Bridge Loan Facility.
CGGs ability to draw on the bridge loan facility is
subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. Although CGG
expects that it will be able to draw on the bridge loan
facility, in the event CGG is unable to do so, CGG will be
forced to seek substitute financing to raise the necessary funds
to pay the cash portion of the merger consideration. Such
substitute financing may be unavailable or may be on terms that
are less favorable to CGG than under the bridge loan facility.
Under the merger agreement, CGGs obligation to consummate
the merger is not conditioned upon receipt or availability of
financing.
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CGG-Veritas must repay its borrowings under the bridge
loan facility within 18 to 24 months after the effective
time of the merger, and replacement financing may not be
available or may be on unfavorable terms to CGG-Veritas. |
CGGs senior secured bridge loan facility of up to
$1.6 billion for the purpose of, among other things,
financing the cash portion of the merger consideration, must be
repaid in full by CGG-Veritas in a single payment 18 months
from the initial funding date, subject to a six-month extension
at the sole option of a majority of lenders under the bridge
loan facility. CGG currently intends to refinance amounts drawn
under the bridge loan facility with borrowings by CGG-Veritas
under new credit facilities and the proceeds of other debt.
However, neither CGG nor Veritas can assure you that CGG-Veritas
will be able to borrow amounts sufficient to refinance the
bridge loan facility or repay the bridge loan facility when it
becomes due. If CGG-Veritas is unable to refinance its
borrowings under the bridge loan facility, it may have to
restructure its indebtedness, sell assets, reduce or delay
capital investments or raise additional capital. CGG-Veritas may
also issue equity, which could be dilutive to CGG-Veritas
shareholders. Neither CGG nor Veritas can assure you that any
debt restructuring would be possible, that any assets could be
sold or, if sold, the timing of the sales and the amount of
proceeds realized from those sales, or that alternative
financing could be obtained. Even if alternative financing is
available to CGG-Veritas, it may be on terms that are not
favorable to CGG-Veritas and/or its shareholders and may be less
favorable than under the bridge loan facility.
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Rating agencies could downgrade their corporate or debt
ratings for CGG or Veritas before the effective time of the
merger or CGG-Veritas after the effective time of the merger.
Such downgrades could have a material adverse effect on the cost
of financing. |
Some rating agencies that provide corporate ratings on CGG or
Veritas or provide ratings on their debts may downgrade their
corporate or debt ratings with respect to one company or both
companies in light of the pending merger and the financing
thereof. In addition, some rating agencies may give a lower
corporate or debt rating to CGG-Veritas after the effective time
of the merger than to either CGG or Veritas before the merger. A
downgrade could materially adversely affect the ability of
CGG-Veritas to finance their operations, including increasing
the cost of obtaining financing under existing or future
facilities or debt securities.
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CGG-Veritas and its subsidiaries may incur substantially
more debt. |
CGG-Veritas and its subsidiaries may incur substantial
additional debt (including secured debt) in the future. As of
September 30, 2006, CGG had no outstanding borrowings under
its U.S. $60 million syndicated credit facility (which
has since been permanently reduced to U.S. $20 million
and which is expected to be terminated before the effective time
of the merger), and had availability under all other credit
facilities totaling
10.9 million.
As of July 31, 2006, Veritas had no borrowing and
$3.8 million of outstanding letters of credit under its
revolving credit facility, leaving $81.2 million available
under its
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revolving credit facility. In addition, CGG will borrow
approximately $1.6 billion under its bridge loan facility
to finance the cash component of the merger consideration and
expects to increase the amount of availability under its
revolving credit facility. CGG may also enter into arrangements
to borrow the cash amounts that CGG-Veritas will be required to
pay to holders of Veritas convertible bonds who convert after
the merger, which cash amounts CGG estimates could be as much as
$165 million (depending on the extent to which the merger
consideration that a holder of Veritas no election shares would
receive consists of cash assuming a hypothetical average CGG ADS
value of $33.33, which was the closing price of CGG ADSs on
August 29, 2006). The maximum cash amount will increase as
the average CGG ADS value increases. If new debt is added to the
current debt levels of CGG, Veritas and their respective
subsidiaries, the related risks for the combined company could
intensify.
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To service its indebtedness, the combined company will
require a significant amount of cash, and its ability to
generate cash will depend on many factors beyond its
control. |
CGG-Veritas ability to make payments on and to refinance
its indebtedness, and to fund planned capital expenditures will
partly depend on its ability to generate cash in the future.
This ability is, to a certain extent, subject to general
economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and
other factors that are beyond its control.
Neither CGG nor Veritas can assure you that the combined company
will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, that it will
realize operating improvements on schedule or that future
borrowings will be available to it in an amount sufficient to
enable it to service and repay its indebtedness or to fund its
other liquidity needs. If it is unable to satisfy its debt
obligations, it may have to undertake alternative financing
plans, such as refinancing or restructuring its indebtedness,
selling assets, reducing or delaying capital investments or
seeking to raise additional capital. Neither CGG nor Veritas can
assure you that any refinancing or debt restructuring would be
possible, that any assets could be sold or that, if sold, the
timing of the sales and the amount of proceeds realized from
those sales, or that additional financing could be obtained on
acceptable terms.
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CGG-Veritas results of operation could be materially
adversely affected by changes in interest rates. |
The combined companys sources of liquidity include credit
facilities and debt securities which are or may be subject to
variable interest rates. In particular, CGGs
$1.6 billion bridge loan facility to finance the cash
component of the merger consideration charges interest based on
U.S. dollar LIBOR. As a result, the combined companys
interest expenses could increase significantly if short-term
interest rates increase.
38
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This proxy statement/ prospectus, including information included
or incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/
prospectus, may contain certain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, the words
expects, anticipates,
targets, goals, projects,
intends, plans, believes,
seeks, estimates, variations of such
words and similar expressions identify forward-looking
statements and any statements regarding the benefits of the
merger, or CGGs or Veritas future financial
condition, results of operations and business are also
forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of
the preceding sentence, certain statements contained in the
sections The Merger Background of the
Merger, The Merger Recommendation of the
Veritas Board of Directors and Its Reasons for the Merger
and The Merger CGGs Reasons for the
Merger constitute forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and
uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking
statements include, among others, the following factors:
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the ability to consummate the merger; |
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the ability to draw on the bridge loan facility; |
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the ability to finance operations on acceptable terms; |
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difficulties and delays in obtaining regulatory approvals for
the merger; |
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difficulties and delays in achieving synergies and cost savings; |
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potential difficulties in meeting conditions set forth in the
merger agreement; |
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changes in international economic and political conditions, and
in particular in oil and gas prices; |
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exposure to the credit risk of customers; |
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the social, political and economic risks of the global
operations of CGG and Veritas; |
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the costs and risks associated with pension and post-retirement
benefit obligations; |
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the complexity of products sold; |
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changes to existing regulations or technical standards; |
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existing and future litigation; |
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difficulties and costs in protecting intellectual property
rights and exposure to infringement claims by others; and |
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compliance with environmental, health and safety laws. |
Any forward-looking statements in this proxy statement/
prospectus are not guarantees of future performance, and actual
results, developments and business decisions may differ from
those contemplated by those forward-looking statements, possibly
materially. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, CGG
and Veritas disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking
statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the
statements in this section. See also Additional
Information Where You Can Find More
Information.
39
CGG RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
CGG Ardiseis
On March 27, 2006, CGG signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with Industrialization & Energy Services Company
(TAQA), its long-term Saudi Arabian partner in Argas (Arabian
Geophysical and Surveying Company), which is 51% owned by TAQA
and 49% by CGG. Following this agreement, on June 24, 2006,
TAQA acquired 49% of the capital of CGG Ardiseis, a newly formed
CGG subsidiary dedicated to land and shallow water seismic data
acquisition in the Middle East, and CGG retained a 51% interest.
CGG Ardiseis, whose headquarters are located in Dubai, provides
its clients with the complete range of CGG land and shallow
water seismic acquisition services, focusing on Eye-D, the
latest CGG technology for full 3D seismic imaging. As part of
the agreement, CGG Ardiseis activities in the Gulf Cooperation
Council countries are exclusively operated by Argas.
CGG Third Quarter Financial Results
On November 15, 2006, CGG issued a press release reporting
its financial results for the three months and nine months ended
September 30, 2006, a copy of which was furnished to the
SEC on Form 6-K on
the same day and is incorporated by reference in this proxy
statement/ prospectus.
Backlog
CGGs backlog at November 1, 2006 was
U.S.$1,101 million compared to U.S.$756 million at
November 1, 2005.
Bridge Loan Facility
On November 22, 2006, CGG entered into a senior secured
bridge loan facility with Credit Suisse International, as sole
and exclusive lead arranger and sole and exclusive bookrunner,
of up to $1.6 billion to be made available to CGG for the
purposes of:
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financing the cash component of the merger consideration, |
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repaying certain existing debt of Veritas, and |
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paying the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the
foregoing. |
The bridge loan facility may be drawn only in a single borrowing
on the date of the merger and is payable in full by CGG-Veritas
in a single payment 18 months from the initial funding
date, subject to a six-month extension at the sole option of a
majority of the lenders under the bridge loan facility. The
commitment of Credit Suisse International will be held open
until the earlier of the termination of the merger agreement,
the consummation of the merger, or 5:00 p.m., London time,
on April 15, 2007.
The bridge loan facility is guaranteed by all subsidiaries of
CGG that have guaranteed CGGs senior notes, Volnay
Acquisition Co. I, Volnay Acquisition Co. II and any
future guarantors of CGGs senior notes or future
refinancing facilities. CGG will pledge first-priority security
in the shares of Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition
Co. II, as well as material first-tier subsidiaries of
Veritas, provided that no more than 66% of the voting equity
interest of
non-U.S. subsidiaries
of Veritas will be required to be pledged as security to the
extent that the pledge of any greater percentage would result in
adverse tax consequences.
Borrowings under the bridge loan facility bear interest at the
rate of LIBOR plus (i) the base margin (described below)
during the first nine months after the funding of the bridge
loan facility, (ii) the base margin plus 1.00% during the
first three-month period thereafter and (iii) the base
margin plus 2.00% during the remaining period (if any) to the
maturity date. The base margin is based on the ratings of the
bridge loan facility, or if the bridge loan facility is not
rated, upon the ratings of CGGs senior notes, with a range
from 3.75% to 5.50%.
CGG-Veritas is required to repay the principal upon a change of
control of CGG or the sale of substantially all of the business
of CGG and its subsidiaries (including, after the effective time
of the
40
merger, Veritas and its subsidiaries), and, subject to certain
exceptions, with proceeds from disposals, debt issuances and
insurance proceeds.
CGG-Veritas is required to adhere to certain financial
covenants, including:
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minimum operating results before interest and depreciation
(ORBDA) to total net interest costs; |
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maximum total net debt to ORBDA; and |
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minimum ORBDA minus capital expenditure to total net interest
costs. |
CGG-Veritas is subject to affirmative and negative covenants
that affect its ability, among other things, to borrow money,
incur liens, dispose of assets and make acquisitions. Events of
default under the bridge loan facility include, among other
things, payment and covenant breaches, insolvency of CGG-Veritas
or its subsidiaries and any material adverse change.
Drawing under the bridge loan facility is conditioned upon,
among other things:
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consummation of the merger substantially simultaneously with the
closing of the bridge loan facility in accordance with
applicable law and on the terms described in the merger
agreement, with no material term or condition of the merger
agreement having been waived or amended in any respect that is
adverse to the interests of the lenders under the bridge loan
facility without the consent of Credit Suisse International; |
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there not having occurred any event, change or condition since
July 31, 2005 that, individually or in the aggregate, has
had, or could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse
effect on Veritas and its subsidiaries; |
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the provision of certain of CGGs and Veritas audited
and unaudited consolidated financial statements; and |
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the execution and/or delivery of definitive financing
documentation. |
If any of these conditions is not met and is not waived by
Credit Suisse International, CGG will be unable to draw funds
under the bridge loan agreement and will have to seek other
financing to complete the merger. See Risk
Factors Risks Related to the Combined Companys
Indebtedness. Any such other financing could be on terms
that are less favorable to CGG.
CGG intends to replace or refinance the bridge loan facility
with between $800 million and $1 billion of financing
pursuant to senior secured credit facilities and to refinance
any remaining portion of the bridge loan facility with the
proceeds of other debt. No commitment letters have been executed
with respect to any replacement or refinancing of the bridge
loan facility. No assurances can be given as to whether
CGG-Veritas will be able to replace or refinance the bridge loan
facility or as to what the terms of any such refinancing or
replacement might be.
CGG may also enter into arrangements to borrow the cash amounts
that CGG-Veritas will be required to pay to holders of Veritas
convertible bonds who convert after the merger, which cash
amounts CGG estimates could be as much as $165 million
(depending on the extent to which the merger consideration that
a holder of Veritas no election shares would receive consists of
cash assuming a hypothetical average CGG ADS value of $33.33,
which was the closing price of CGG ADSs on August 29,
2006). The maximum cash amount will increase as the average CGG
ADS value increases.
CGGs existing $60 million (currently amortized to
$20 million) syndicated revolving credit facility
terminates on March 12, 2007 and is expected to be
terminated before the effective time of the merger, if earlier.
41
THE VERITAS SPECIAL MEETING
Date, Time, Place and Purpose of the Veritas Special
Meeting
The special meeting of Veritas stockholders will be held on
January 9, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., Houston time, at the
offices of Veritas DGC, Inc., 10300 Town Park Drive,
Houston, Texas 77072. The purpose of the Veritas special
meeting is:
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to consider and vote on the proposal to adopt the merger
agreement; and |
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to transact any other business as may properly come before the
Veritas special meeting or any adjournment or postponement of
the Veritas special meeting. |
The Veritas board of directors unanimously recommends that you
vote FOR the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. For
the reasons for this recommendation, see The
Merger Recommendation of the Veritas Board of
Directors and Its Reasons for the Merger.
Who Can Vote at the Veritas Special Meeting
Only holders of record of Veritas common stock at the close of
business on November 18, 2006, the record date, are
entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Veritas special
meeting. As of that date, there were 36,193,953 shares of
Veritas common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the
Veritas special meeting, held by approximately
732 stockholders of record. Each share of Veritas common
stock is entitled to one vote at the Veritas special meeting.
Vote Required for Approval; Quorum
The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares
of Veritas common stock entitled to vote at the special meeting
outstanding as of the record date, voting as single class,
either in person or by proxy, is necessary for the adoption of
the merger agreement.
The holders of a majority of the total number of outstanding
shares of Veritas common stock entitled to vote as of the record
date, represented either in person or by proxy, will constitute
a quorum at the Veritas special meeting for the conduct of
business.
Adjournments
If no quorum of Veritas stockholders is present in person or by
proxy at the Veritas special meeting, the Veritas special
meeting may be adjourned from time to time until a quorum is
present or represented. In addition, adjournments of the Veritas
special meeting may be made for the purpose of soliciting
additional proxies in favor of the proposal. However, no proxy
that is voted against a proposal described in this proxy
statement/ prospectus will be voted in favor of adjournment of
the Veritas special meeting for the purpose of soliciting
additional proxies.
Manner of Voting
If you are a Veritas stockholder, you may submit your vote for
or against the proposal submitted at the Veritas special meeting
in person or by proxy. You may be able to submit a proxy in the
following ways:
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Internet. You may submit a proxy over the Internet by
going to the website listed on your proxy card. Once at the
website, follow the instructions to submit a proxy. |
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Telephone. You may submit a proxy using the toll-free
number listed on your proxy card.
Easy-to-follow voice
prompts will help you and confirm that your submission
instructions have been followed. |
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Mail. You may submit a proxy by signing, dating and
returning your proxy card in the pre-addressed postage-paid
envelope provided. |
Please refer to your proxy card or the information forwarded by
your bank, broker or other nominee to see which options are
available to you.
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The Internet and telephone proxy submission procedures are
designed to authenticate stockholders and to allow you to
confirm that your instructions have been properly recorded.
The method by which you submit a proxy will in no way limit your
right to vote at the Veritas special meeting if you later decide
to attend the meeting in person. If your shares of Veritas
common stock are held in the name of a bank, broker or other
nominee, you must obtain a proxy, executed in your favor, from
the holder of record, to be able to vote at the Veritas special
meeting.
All shares of Veritas common stock entitled to vote and
represented by properly completed proxies received prior to the
Veritas special meeting, and not revoked, will be voted at the
Veritas special meeting as instructed on the proxies. If you
do not indicate how your shares of Veritas common stock should
be voted on a matter, the shares of Veritas common stock
represented by your properly completed proxy will be voted as
the Veritas board of directors recommends and therefore, FOR the
adoption of the merger agreement.
Revoking a Proxy
You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised by
timely delivering a properly executed, later-dated proxy
(including over the Internet or telephone) or by voting by
ballot at the Veritas special meeting. Simply attending the
Veritas special meeting without voting will not revoke your
proxy.
Shares Held in Street Name
If your shares of Veritas common stock are held in an account at
a bank, broker or other nominee and you wish to vote, you must
return your voting instructions to the bank, broker or other
nominee.
If you own shares of Veritas common stock through a bank, broker
or other nominee and attend the Veritas special meeting, you
should bring a letter from your bank, broker or other nominee
identifying you as the beneficial owner of such shares of
Veritas common stock and authorizing you to vote.
Your broker will NOT vote your shares of Veritas common stock
held in street name unless you instruct your broker
how to vote. Such failure to vote will have the same effect as a
vote AGAINST adoption of the merger agreement. You should
therefore provide your bank, broker or other nominee with
instructions as to how to vote your shares of Veritas common
stock.
Tabulation of the Votes
Veritas has appointed Mellon Investor Services LLC to serve as
the Inspector of Election for the Veritas special meeting.
Mellon Investor Services will independently tabulate affirmative
and negative votes and abstentions.
Solicitation
Veritas will pay the cost of soliciting proxies.
Directors, officers and employees of Veritas and CGG may solicit
proxies on behalf of Veritas in person or by telephone,
facsimile or other means. Veritas has engaged Mellon Investor
Services to assist it in the distribution and solicitation of
proxies. Veritas has agreed to pay Mellon Investor Services a
fee of $7,500 plus payment of certain fees and expenses for its
services as information agent and a fee of $11,500 plus payment
of certain fees and expenses for its services to solicit proxies.
In accordance with the regulations of the SEC and the NYSE,
Veritas also will reimburse brokerage firms and other
custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their expenses incurred
in sending proxies and proxy materials to beneficial owners of
shares of Veritas common stock.
43
THE MERGER
The following is a description of the material aspects of the
merger. While CGG and Veritas believe that the following
description covers the material terms of the merger, the
description may not contain all of the information that is
important to you. CGG and Veritas encourage you to carefully
read this entire proxy statement/ prospectus, including the
merger agreement attached to this proxy statement/ prospectus as
Annex A and incorporated by reference herein, for a more
complete understanding of the merger.
General
Each of the CGG and Veritas board of directors has unanimously
approved the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated
by the merger agreement. In the merger, Volnay Acquisition Co. I
will merge with and into Veritas, with Veritas surviving the
merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG, immediately followed
by Veritas merging with and into Volnay Acquisition Co. II,
with Volnay Acquisition Co. II surviving the merger and
continuing its corporate existence as a wholly-owned subsidiary
of CGG. The combined company will be renamed
CGG-Veritas immediately after the effective time of
the merger. Veritas stockholders will receive the merger
consideration described below under The Merger
Agreement Merger Consideration.
Background of the Merger
CGG and Veritas have in the past expressed their views that the
seismic industry should consolidate and that the benefits of
such consolidation would include synergies for the consolidating
entities and strengthening of the seismic industry. During the
past two years, Veritas has periodically received informal
inquiries from other companies in the seismic industry,
including CGG, and has made informal inquiries of other
companies in the seismic industry, including CGG, concerning
possible consolidation opportunities. In addition, each of CGG
and Veritas from time to time has evaluated and sought potential
consolidating transactions that would further their respective
strategic objectives. In November 2001, Veritas and Petroleum
Geo-Services ASA (referred to as PGS) entered into an agreement
to merge with each other, but the merger was abandoned in July
2002. In September 2004, CGG offered to purchase PGS
seismic business, which offer was rejected by PGS board of
directors. CGG acquired Exploration Resources ASA, a Norwegian
provider of marine seismic acquisition services in a series of
transactions in September and October 2005. In April 2006,
Schlumberger acquired the remaining 30% joint venture interest
held by Baker Hughes Incorporated in WesternGeco for
$2.4 billion, making Schlumberger Limited the sole owner of
the worlds largest seismic services company. Against this
industry backdrop, the boards of directors of CGG and Veritas
continually reviewed their respective companies results of
operations and competitive positions in the industry, as well as
their strategic alternatives.
On April 26, 2006, Robert Brunck, the chairman and chief
executive officer of CGG, telephoned Thierry Pilenko, the
chairman and chief executive officer of Veritas, and scheduled
for May 10, 2006 a video conference between them to discuss
the merits of a possible transaction between the two companies.
CGG retained Credit Suisse and Rothschild to act as its
financial advisors and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
LLP, which is referred to as Skadden, and Willkie Farr and
Gallagher LLP, which is referred to as Willkie, and Linklaters,
to act as its legal advisors in connection with these
discussions.
As part of its regular review of strategic alternatives, the CGG
strategic planning committee, with audit committee members in
attendance, met on May 10, 2006 in advance of the video
conference with Veritas to discuss a possible transaction
between CGG and Veritas. At that meeting, the committee
determined that it believed such a transaction could be
strategically favorable for a number of reasons, including
complementary business strengths between the organizations,
global reach, economies of scale and management and employee
compatibility.
On May 10, 2006 Messrs. Brunck and Pilenko held a
video conference that included Thierry Le Roux, group president
and chief financial officer of CGG, and Mark E. Baldwin,
executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer
of Veritas, as participants. Veritas indicated that it planned
to conduct an internal strategic analysis, including the
potential benefits of a transaction with CGG or other seismic
44
services providers, during the next two to three weeks. During
the succeeding weeks, members of Veritas senior management
conducted this analysis. On May 30, 2006, Mr. Baldwin
informed Mr. Le Roux that completion of this internal
strategic analysis had been postponed to June 9, 2006.
On June 1, 2006, Veritas issued a press release announcing
that it had entered into a letter of intent with Matco Capital
Ltd, referred to as Matco, to sell its land seismic acquisition
business.
On June 13, 2006, Mr. Brunck met with Mr. Pilenko
in Vienna, Austria during an industry convention (EAGE) to
explain CGGs views regarding the need for and the benefits
of industry consolidation and the merits of a transaction
involving CGG and Veritas. Mr. Pilenko told Mr. Brunck
that he intended to present to the Veritas board of directors as
soon as possible managements analysis of Veritas
strategic alternatives as well as the rationale for Veritas
remaining as an independent company.
On June 16, 2006, the Veritas board of directors met and
discussed recent developments within the seismic industry,
including Schlumbergers acquisition of the minority
interest in WesternGeco and PGS announcement of the
de-merger of its production business. The Veritas board of
directors discussed managements strategic analysis of
potential consolidation transactions with various industry
participants as well as the future prospects of Veritas if it
remained as an independent company. Based on this discussion,
the Veritas board of directors determined that it believed the
prospects of Veritas were better as an independent company than
if it entered into a strategic transaction with another industry
participant. As a result, the Veritas board of directors
instructed management not to pursue informal discussions about a
potential transaction at that time. Mr. Pilenko called
Mr. Brunck on June 17, 2006 to inform him of this
decision and indicated that he expected that Veritas would take
the same approach with anyone contacting Veritas with respect to
a similar transaction. Mr. Pilenko also called the chief
executive officer of one other company that is a participant in
the seismic industry, which is referred to herein as Company A,
to convey the same message to him. Mr. Pilenko had recently
had periodic informal discussions with the chief executive
officer of Company A concerning consolidation opportunities in
the industry.
On June 26, 2006, the CGG strategic planning committee,
with audit committee members in attendance, met by telephone.
CGGs financial advisors also participated on the call. The
committee further discussed the strategic rationale for a
CGG-Veritas transaction and potential transaction
considerations. CGG determined to send an unsolicited friendly
proposal to the Veritas board of directors. On June 27,
2006, at the direction of CGG, a representative of Credit Suisse
contacted James Gibbs, the lead director of the Veritas board of
directors. Mr. Gibbs, when contacted, indicated that it was
the duty of the Veritas board of directors to consider any
proposal that might create value for shareholders and any
proposal made would, therefore, be considered by the board of
directors.
The CGG strategic planning committee, with audit committee
members in attendance, met again on July 6, 2006 to discuss
the contemplated transaction and reviewed a draft of the
proposal to be sent to Veritas.
On July 12, 2006, the CGG board of directors, together with
CGGs management, financial advisors and legal advisor,
Willkie, met to discuss the terms and characteristics of an
acquisition of Veritas, including Veritas business
operations, the strategic rationale for the contemplated
transaction and the expected synergies that might be realized in
a transaction. At this meeting, the CGG board of directors
authorized Mr. Brunck to further pursue the potential
acquisition proposal with Veritas in accordance with the terms
presented to the board and as outlined in CGGs proposal
letter. The CGG board also instructed that Mr. Brunck keep
the CGG strategic planning and audit committees regularly
informed of the evolution of the discussions with Veritas and
that definitive terms for the transaction would have to be
approved by the CGG board.
Later that day, Mr. Brunck faxed the proposal letter
addressed to Mr. Pilenko and to Larry L. Worden,
Veritas vice president, general counsel and secretary.
This letter presented CGGs non-binding proposal to offer
1.25 CGG ADSs and $22 in cash in exchange for each outstanding
share of Veritas common stock, indicating a per share value of
$65, representing a 32% premium over the one-month average
closing price of Veritas common stock as of July 11,
2006. Under the proposal, CGG ADSs and
45
cash would make up approximately 66% and 34% of total
consideration, respectively, with an aggregate Veritas equity
value of $2.8 billion based on the closing price of CGG
ADSs on July 11, 2006 and assuming 43.2 million fully
diluted shares of Veritas common stock outstanding. The letter
also noted that Credit Suisse was prepared to provide a
financing commitment so that the transaction would not be
subject to a financing contingency, that the combined company
would be expected to include substantial Veritas representation
on the board and that Veritas management would be expected to
play an important role in the combined organization.
On July 13, 2006, Veritas contacted Vinson &
Elkins L.L.P., its regular corporate counsel, which is
referred to as Vinson & Elkins, and requested that
Vinson & Elkins act as its legal advisors in connection
with the proposal received from CGG and any related matters.
On July 14, 2006, the Veritas board of directors met to
discuss the proposal received from CGG. The board of directors
authorized management to engage an investment banking firm to
serve as Veritas financial advisor in connection with the
proposal and the potential transaction with CGG. The board of
directors also requested management to make a recommendation to
the board of directors as to the names of a limited number of
other participants in the seismic industry which might be
interested in and capable of entering into a similar transaction
with Veritas.
On July 16, 2006, Veritas engaged Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
which is referred to as Goldman Sachs, as its financial advisor
with respect to the proposal received from CGG and any related
matters.
On July 21, 2006, the Veritas board of directors met again
to discuss matters related to a possible transaction with CGG.
At this meeting of the board of directors, representatives of
Goldman Sachs made a presentation regarding other potential
participants in the seismic industry which would likely be
interested in and capable of making a competing proposal. The
Veritas board of directors then authorized management to inform
CGG that the board of directors was undertaking a careful review
of its proposal and to contact Company A and another
participant in the seismic industry, which is referred to as
Company B, to gauge both companies interest in making
a competing proposal.
That same day, Mr. Pilenko contacted the chief executive
officers of Company A and Company B, as instructed, to
gauge those companies interest in entering into
discussions with Veritas that might lead to a transaction with
Veritas. Neither chief executive officer was informed that
Veritas had received a proposal from CGG or the terms of that
proposal. On July 25, 2006, the chief executive officer of
Company A called Mr. Pilenko and expressed an interest in
entering discussions with Veritas and, on July 26, 2006,
the chief executive officer of Company B responded
similarly.
Mr. Pilenko had a number of conversations with the chief
executive officer of Company A regarding the content and
timing of discussions between Veritas and such company, and he
and Mr. Pilenko agreed tentatively to hold initial
discussions in Houston the week of August 14 at which each
companys management would make a presentation regarding
their respective businesses.
On July 27, 2006, Mr. Worden distributed a form of
confidentiality agreement to representatives of each of CGG and
Company A. Mr. Pilenko contacted the chief executive
officer of Company B by email on the same day inquiring as
to whom the form of confidentiality should be sent.
On July 28, 2006, the Veritas board of directors met and
agreed that Veritas should enter into a confidentiality
agreement with CGG and begin discussions regarding a potential
transaction with CGG in order to better understand the potential
benefits and risks of the proposal, but rejected the inclusion
of any exclusivity provision in the confidentiality agreement.
The Veritas board of directors also authorized management to
enter into similar confidentiality agreements with each of
Company A and Company B.
On July 31, 2006, Messrs. Brunck, Pilenko,
Le Roux, Baldwin and
Stéphane-Paul
Frydman, CGG group controller, treasurer and deputy chief
financial officer, spoke by telephone to discuss timing for
negotiation of CGGs proposed transaction and the details
of a confidentiality agreement proposed to be entered into
between CGG and Veritas. Mr. Pilenko stated that the board
of directors of Veritas was giving serious consideration to
CGGs offer. Mr. Pilenko suggested that CGG and
Veritas enter into a
46
confidentiality agreement but indicated that the Veritas board
of directors was unwilling to grant exclusivity to CGG until
such time as the Veritas board of directors decided to proceed
with attempting to negotiate a transaction. The companies agreed
that their respective financial advisors would discuss a
potential transaction and that both management teams would meet
in Houston the following week. Mr. Pilenko also indicated
that the Veritas board of directors planned to meet during the
week of August 20, 2006 to discuss the proposal and to
receive advice from its financial and legal advisors.
Also on July 31, 2006, the chief executive officer of
Company B called Mr. Pilenko and informed him that,
after further consideration, Company B would not
participate in discussions with Veritas or make a proposal.
On August 1, 2006, Mr. Le Roux sent Mr. Pilenko a
draft timetable for negotiation, signing and announcement of the
CGG proposed transaction.
On August 3, 2006, CGG and Veritas entered into a
confidentiality agreement and began to conduct detailed due
diligence. On the same day, Veritas also entered into a similar
agreement with Company A.
During the first week of August 2006, Mr. Pilenko and
Mr. Brunck spoke periodically to discuss possible
transaction structures, the exchange ratio and key governance
and employee matters presented by CGGs proposed
transaction. Certain of these discussions took place through
CGGs and Veritas respective financial advisors.
On August 8, 2006, Mr. Brunck met with
Mr. Pilenko in Houston to discuss social and organizational
matters related to the proposed transaction, including the
possible composition of the combined companys board of
directors and the general transaction process.
On August 9, 2006, Messrs. Brunck and Le Roux,
together with Christophe Pettenati-Auzière, president, CGG
Geophysical Services and Mr. Frydman met in Houston with
members of Veritas management, including
Messrs. Pilenko, Baldwin, Worden, Timothy L. Wells,
president and chief operating officer, and Hovey Cox, vice
president marketing. At this meeting, the members of
Veritas management made a presentation regarding the
Veritas group and the members of CGGs management made a
presentation regarding the CGG group and discussed key aspects
of CGGs proposal, including the strategic rationale,
potential synergies and proposed consideration. Also present at
this meeting were representatives of the respective financial
advisors of CGG and Veritas. That same day, Mr. Le Roux met
with Mr. Pilenko to discuss further the social and
organizational matters and timing of the proposed transaction.
At these meetings, Veritas management, including
Mr. Pilenko, informed CGG that CGG should revise its offer,
which it regarded as serious but not compelling.
Mr. Le Roux indicated to Mr. Pilenko that such a
revised offer would probably be forthcoming on or around
August 21, 2006.
On August 11, 2006, CGG, through its legal advisor Skadden,
delivered a draft merger agreement to Veritas, through its legal
advisor Vinson & Elkins, for review and negotiation. From
August 11, 2006 through September 4, 2006, personnel
from CGG, and its legal advisors, Skadden, Willkie and
Linklaters, on the one hand, and Veritas and Vinson &
Elkins, on the other hand, continued to review, revise and
negotiate the draft merger agreement. The respective financial
advisors of CGG and Veritas also participated in these
negotiations. Over this same period, due diligence discussions
were held among representatives of CGG and, including
discussions regarding the accounting impact of the transaction
on the combined entity, including, among other topics, the
potential effects of accretion or dilution on various financial
measures.
On August 14, 2006, members of Veritas management,
including Messrs. Pilenko, Baldwin, Worden, and Wells, met
in Houston with members of management of Company A to
provide a management presentation to the chief executive officer
and management team of Company A and discussed with that company
and its financial advisors the general terms of and rationale
for a possible combination. Later that evening, Mr. Pilenko
had dinner with the chief executive officer of Company A and
discussed with him a number of items, including synergies,
structuring of the transaction and of a combined company and
next steps to be taken in the process.
47
On August 16, Mr. Pilenko called Mr. Brunck to
inform him that Veritas had solicited a proposal from a third
party after Veritas had received CGGs offer on
July 12, 2006 and that Veritas expected to receive such a
proposal at any time. On that same day, Mr. Pilenko called
the chief executive officer of the Company A and reminded him
that the process was competitive and that Veritas needed to
receive any proposal that Company A wished to make as soon as
possible.
On August 17, 2006, Mr. Brunck sent a letter to
Mr. Pilenko acknowledging that CGG had been informed that
Veritas was expecting to receive a proposal from another party
and announcing that, as a result, CGG was preparing an improved
proposal to be delivered to Veritas in the near future. The same
day, Mr. Pilenko called Mr. Brunck to discuss various
matters related to a potential transaction, including the
exchange of due diligence information between CGG and Veritas,
antitrust procedures, purchase accounting, the composition of
the combined companys board of directors, and the timing
and process for entering into and closing the proposed
transaction. During that conversation, Mr. Pilenko also
stated that the Veritas board of directors would meet on
August 28, 2006 to consider the possibility of selling the
company, which decision would depend on such matters as,
principally, the best interests of the shareholders of Veritas,
which would focus on value, the acquisition price and identity
of the acquirer. Mr. Pilenko also stated that he believed
if the Veritas board of directors authorized moving forward, it
would want to move quickly.
On August 22, 2006, CGGs strategic planning
committee, with audit committee members and CGGs
management and financial advisors also in attendance, met and
were updated by Mr. Brunck on the status of CGGs
discussions with Veritas and reviewed, with the assistance of
CGGs financial advisors, the potential financial impact of
the proposed transaction on CGG. At this meeting, a revised
offer price was reconsidered in light of the additional
information provided by Veritas under the confidentiality
agreement, the negotiation process and the potential financial
impact of the proposed transaction on CGG. Mr. Brunck
informed the strategic planning committee that he believed that
an agreement could be reached within a $72 to $75 per share
range. On such basis, it was then decided to start at the lower
end of the range and propose a revised non-binding offer,
subject to final approval of the CGG board of directors, of 1.30
CGG ADSs and $28 in cash for each outstanding share of Veritas
common stock, providing an indicative per share value of $72 for
outstanding Veritas shares based on the closing price of CGG
ADSs on August 21, 2006, representing a 30% premium over
the one month average closing price of Veritas common
stock as of August 21, 2006, with CGG ADSs and cash making
up approximately 61% and 39% of the total consideration,
respectively, for an aggregate value of approximately
$3.0 billion, and assuming 41.5 million fully diluted
shares of Veritas common stock outstanding. The revised
non-binding offer would also retain the mechanism of the
original draft merger agreement permitting Veritas shareholders
to elect to receive cash or stock, subject to proration, and
reiterate the points from CGGs prior offer letter
regarding the financing commitment and board representation and
management participation of Veritas in the combined company.
Later that day, Mr. Brunck faxed to Mr. Worden a
revised offer addressed to Mr. Pilenko and containing the
terms of such proposal.
On August 24, 2006, Company As chief executive
officer contacted Mr. Pilenko by telephone and informed him
that at the management presentation and discussions to be held
the following day in Houston, Company A intended to present an
offer under the terms of which it would propose to purchase all
of the outstanding shares of Veritas. The offer discussed on the
telephone was for an indicative price per Veritas share that was
less than the offer by CGG, but represented consideration
consisting of one-half cash and one-half Company A stock.
On August 25, members of management of Company A made a
presentation in Houston to members of Veritas management,
including Messrs. Pilenko, Baldwin, Worden, and Wells,
describing the business of that company and the possible
synergies which could be realized by a business combination of
Company A and Veritas. Subsequent to the meeting, the chief
executive officer of Company A delivered to Mr. Pilenko an
offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of Veritas on
the terms discussed the previous day. Mr. Pilenko informed
the chief executive officer of Company A (without mentioning the
terms of the CGG offer or the fact that CGG had made an offer)
that the offer appeared to be inferior
48
from a financial point of view to an offer Veritas currently had
in hand. Mr. Pilenko also informed the chief executive
officer of Company A that his companys offer needed
to be improved if it wished to continue discussions with Veritas.
On August 28, 2006, before the meeting of the Veritas board
of directors, CGG sent to Veritas the commitment letter executed
by Credit Suisse for the provision of a $1.2 billion
financing for CGGs proposed transaction.
On August 28, the Veritas board of directors met and
discussed with Veritas management and its financial and
legal advisors the terms of the offers received from CGG and
Company A and the relative merits of each offer. At the
conclusion of the meeting, the board instructed management to
contact both CGG and Company A and ask them for improved offers.
In the case of the CGG offer, the board was interested not only
in increasing the aggregate value of the consideration, but also
in increasing the relative percentage of cash consideration
compared to stock consideration.
On August 29, 2006, Mr. Brunck and Mr. Pilenko
discussed the outcome of the Veritas board meeting of
August 28, 2006. Mr. Pilenko indicated that the
Veritas board of directors had determined that it would enter
into a transaction if the offer was compelling. Mr. Pilenko
indicated that, based on all of the terms and conditions of the
offers and the potential benefits and risks of transactions with
the different parties, CGGs offer and the Company A
offer that Veritas board of directors had received were
competitive with one another and that Company As
offer had a significantly stronger cash component.
Mr. Pilenko noted that he was nevertheless authorized to
grant CGG a period of exclusive negotiations if CGG could revise
its offer to $76 per Veritas share and 50% cash.
Mr. Pilenko stated that if the CGG offer was improved and
exclusivity granted, Veritas was prepared to work with CGG to
seek to negotiate and execute an agreement and announce the
transaction the following week.
Also on August 29, 2006, following a further informal
discussion between Messrs. Brunck and Pilenko,
Mr. Pilenko stated his belief that CGG would be able to
secure exclusive negotiations with an offer of $75 per share, of
which $37 per share would be paid in cash. Mr. Brunck
stated that he would respond to Mr. Pilenko by
August 30, 2006.
On August 30, 2006, CGGs strategic planning
committee, with members of the audit committee and CGGs
management and financial advisors in attendance, met and
received from Mr. Brunck an update on the status of his
discussions with Veritas. Mr. Brunck informed them that CGG
intended to submit a revised non-binding offer on the terms
discussed between Messrs. Brunck and Pilenko on
August 29, 2006. Mr. Brunck delivered to Veritas a
revised offer letter on August 30, 2006. Under the terms of
that revised offer, CGG offered to pay 1.14 CGG ADSs and $37 in
cash for each outstanding share of Veritas common stock, a per
share indicative value of $75 per Veritas share based on the
closing price of $33.33 per CGG ADS on August 29, 2006,
representing a 35% premium over the one month average closing
price of Veritas common stock as of August 29, 2006,
and with ADSs and cash making up approximately 51% and 49% of
the total merger consideration, respectively, for an aggregate
value of $3.12 billion, assuming 41.6 million fully
diluted outstanding shares of Veritas common stock. The revised
offer letter also noted that CGG would retain the mechanism in
the draft agreement which would permit Veritas shareholders to
elect to receive cash or stock, subject to proration. CGG
reiterated the points from its prior offer letters regarding the
financing commitment and board representation and management
participation of Veritas in the combined company. In addition,
CGG provided an updated commitment letter executed by Credit
Suisse for the provision of a $1.6 billion financing.
Finally, CGG stated that it wished to be in a position to
announce a transaction by September 6, 2006, prior to the
reporting of CGGs half-year results.
Also, on August 30, 2006, Mr. Pilenko again spoke to
the chief executive officer of Company A shortly before the
board of directors of Company A was to meet to consider
increasing its offer. Mr. Pilenko indicated to him that in
order to receive continued consideration, Veritas needed Company
As best offer. Later the same day, Company A submitted to
Veritas an improved offer. The offer had an indicative value per
Veritas share that was less than the CGG offer.
49
After receipt of the improved offer letter from CGG, Veritas
agreed to enter into exclusive negotiations with CGG and, on
August 30, 2006, Veritas and CGG executed an exclusivity
agreement granting CGG a period of exclusive negotiations with
Veritas until September 8, 2006. Mr. Pilenko and
Mr. Brunck spoke by telephone that day to discuss the
management of the combined company and other corporate culture
and workforce integration issues.
On August 30, 2006, Mr. Pilenko called the chief
executive officer of Company A and informed him that
Veritas had agreed to enter into exclusive negotiations with
another party until September 8, 2006.
From August 31, 2006 through September 3, 2006,
representatives of CGG, including Messrs. Frydman and Le
Roux and Beatrice Place-Faget, Vice President Corporate Legal
Affairs of CGG, together with CGGs legal and financial
advisors, met to negotiate the merger agreement with
representatives of Veritas, including Messrs. Pilenko and
Baldwin, as well as with representatives of Goldman Sachs and
Vinson & Elkins. Over the same period, Messrs. Brunck
and Pilenko were in regular contact.
On September 1, 2006, as part of the ongoing due diligence
effort, CGG and Veritas conducted additional financial due
diligence through a meeting in Houston that was attended by
Mr. Frydman, other members of the accounting and
consolidation department of CGG, Mr. Baldwin, members of
the accounting and tax department of Veritas, as well as
representatives of the financial advisors of Veritas and CGG.
Members of the accounting and consolidation department of CGG
participated in the meeting by conference call. A representative
of PricewaterhouseCoopers, independent accountants of Veritas,
and a representative of Ernst & Young, independent
accountants of CGG, were present by telephone during this
meeting.
On September 4, the strategic planning committee of CGG,
with audit committee members in attendance, met to discuss the
organization of the combined company and its governance.
On September 4, 2006, the CGG board of directors held a
meeting, together with CGGs management and legal and
financial advisors, to review the proposed merger and the terms
of the merger agreement. At this meeting, Credit Suisse reviewed
with the CGG board of directors Credit Suisses financial
analyses regarding the aggregate consideration to be paid by CGG
in the merger and rendered to the CGG board an oral opinion,
which opinion was confirmed by delivery of a written opinion
dated September 4, 2006, to the effect that, as of that
date and based on and subject to the matters described in its
opinion, the aggregate consideration was fair, from a financial
point of view, to CGG. Rothschild also reviewed with the
Rothschilds financial analyses and rendered its oral
opinion to the CGG board, which opinion was confirmed by
delivery of a written opinion dated September 4, 2006 to
the effect that, as of that date and subject to the matters
described in its opinion, the amount of the aggregate
consideration to be paid by CGG in the merger was fair, from a
financial point of view, to CGG. At the conclusion of the
meeting, the CGG board of directors unanimously approved the
merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement and recommended approval of the share issuance by its
shareholders.
On September 4, 2006, the board of directors of Veritas
held a meeting to review the terms of the merger agreement.
During this meeting, representatives of Veritas management
reviewed for the Veritas board of directors their due diligence
and views on the transaction and representatives of Vinson &
Elkins reviewed again for the board of directors the terms and
conditions of the merger agreement. Also during the meeting,
representatives of Goldman Sachs presented their financial
analyses regarding the contemplated transaction. Goldman Sachs
then delivered to the Veritas board of directors its oral
opinion, subsequently confirmed by delivery of a written opinion
dated September 4, 2006 to the effect that, as of that date
and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth therein,
the per share ADS consideration and the per share cash
consideration to be received by the holders of the shares of
Veritas common stock, taken in the aggregate, pursuant to the
merger agreement, was fair from a financial point of view to
such holders (See The Merger Opinion of
Veritas Financial Advisor). Following deliberations,
the Veritas board of directors resolved unanimously that the
contemplated merger represented a transaction that was
50
in the best interests of Veritas stockholders and approved
the merger agreement and resolved unanimously to recommend that
Veritas stockholders vote in favor of adoption of the
merger agreement.
At the same meeting on September 4, 2006, the Veritas board
of directors voted to terminate further discussions and the
letter of intent with Matco Capital regarding the sale of
possible sale of Veritas land seismic acquisition business.
The merger agreement was executed by officers of CGG and Veritas
on September 4, 2006.
On September 5, 2006, before the opening of business in
Paris, CGG and Veritas issued a joint press release announcing
that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement and
setting forth the principal terms thereof. On the same day,
Veritas announced that it terminated discussions with Matco for
the sale of its land seismic acquisition business.
Recommendation of the Veritas Board of Directors and Its
Reasons for the Merger
By unanimous vote, the Veritas board of directors, at a meeting
held on September 4, 2006, determined that the execution
and delivery of the merger agreement was advisable and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement were in the
best interest of the Veritas stockholders and approved and
adopted the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated
thereby, including the merger. The Veritas board of directors
unanimously recommends that the Veritas stockholders vote for
the proposal to adopt the merger agreement at the Veritas
special meeting.
In reaching this decision, the Veritas board of directors
consulted with Veritas management and its financial and
legal advisors and considered a variety of factors, including
the material factors described below. In light of the number and
wide variety of factors considered in connection with its
evaluation of the transaction, the Veritas board of directors
did not consider it practicable to, and did not attempt to,
quantify or otherwise assign relative weights to the specific
factors that it considered in reaching its determination. The
Veritas board of directors viewed its position as being based on
all of the information available and the factors presented to
and considered by it. In addition, individual directors may have
given different weight to different factors. This explanation of
Veritas reasons for the proposed merger and all other
information presented in this section is forward-looking in
nature and, therefore, should be read in light of the factors
discussed under Cautionary Statement Concerning
Forward-Looking Statements.
The Veritas board of directors considered a number of financial
factors pertaining to the merger as generally supporting its
decision to enter into the merger agreement, including the
following:
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the financial terms of the transaction, including: |
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an implied purchase price per share of Veritas common stock of
$74.93 per share based on the closing price of CGGs
ADSs on August 29, 2006, which represented an implied
premium of 34.7% over Veritas
30-day average closing
price of $56.69 for the period ended August 29, 2006; |
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the ability of the Veritas stockholders to elect to receive cash
or ADS consideration, subject to proration, thereby giving the
stockholders of Veritas the opportunity to choose between
participation in the combined company or liquidity; and |
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the significant cash portion of the merger consideration that
helps protect against significant diminution in the value of the
transaction as a result of any diminution in the value of CGG
ADSs between signing and closing; |
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the expected pre-tax synergies that could result from the merger; |
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that following discussions with other potential acquirors, the
offer made by CGG was determined to be the highest and best
acquisition proposal; and |
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the financial analysis and opinion of Goldman Sachs,
Veritas financial advisor, that, as of September 4,
2006, and based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions
set forth in its opinion, the per share ADS consideration and
the per share cash consideration to be received by holders of
Veritas common stock, taken in the aggregate, pursuant to the
merger agreement was fair from a financial point of view to such
holders. |
The Veritas board of directors also considered a number of
factors pertaining to the strategic rationale for the merger as
generally supporting its decision to enter into the merger
agreement, including the following:
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its expectation that the combined company would be a leading
provider of seismic technologies and services, with: |
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complementary, recent vintage, well-positioned seismic data
libraries; |
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a large marine seismic fleet with a balanced distribution of
fully owned and chartered vessels; |
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strong local relationships in differentiated land seismic
markets; |
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some of the best personnel in the seismic industry; and |
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a deep and broad range of expertise and technology in the
processing and imaging sector; |
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that the combined company is expected to be the largest
pure-play seismic company in the world; and |
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its expectation that the larger size of the combined company
would enable it to: |
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take advantage of economies of scale and worldwide capacity as
well as greater financial strengths; |
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benefit from a larger customer base and increased geographic
presence; |
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offer a broad variety of technology and services solutions to
its customers; and |
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offer customers greater breadth of staff expertise. |
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Other Transaction Considerations |
The Veritas board of directors also considered a number of
additional factors as generally supporting its decision to enter
into the merger agreement, including the following:
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the terms of the merger agreement and the structure of the
transaction, including the conditions to each companys
obligations to complete the merger; |
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the absence of any financing condition and the fact that CGG has
represented in the merger agreement that it will have sufficient
funds available (through existing sources of financing and the
signed commitment letter from Credit Suisse International) to
consummate the merger and the other transactions contemplated by
the merger agreement; |
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the ability of Veritas and CGG to complete the merger, including
their ability to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals and
their obligations to attempt to obtain those approvals; |
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the information governing CGGs and Veritas
respective businesses and financial results, including the
results of Veritas due diligence investigation of CGG; |
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the fact that the merger agreement imposes limitations on the
ability of CGG to solicit offers for the acquisition of CGG as
well as the possibility that CGG could be required to pay a
termination fee of $85.0 million in certain circumstances; |
52
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that the terms of the merger agreement, including the
termination fee, would not preclude a proposal for an
alternative transaction involving Veritas; |
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the ability under the merger agreement of Veritas under certain
circumstances to provide non-public information to, and engage
in discussions with, third parties that propose an alternative
transaction; and |
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the terms of the merger agreement permit the board of directors
of Veritas to change or withdraw its recommendation of the
merger to Veritas stockholders if, among other reasons,
the board of directors determines in good faith that an
unsolicited offer is an acquisition proposal that is superior
for Veritas stockholders from a financial point of view. |
The Veritas board of directors also identified and considered a
number of uncertainties, risks and other potentially negative
factors, including the following:
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the significant risks and expenses inherent in combining and
successfully integrating two companies, especially since the
businesses currently reside in different national jurisdictions; |
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the size of the premium represented by the merger consideration
relative to the pre-announcement value of Veritas common
stock might be reduced or eliminated by a decline in value of
CGGs ADSs through the time the merger is consummated; |
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the potential downward pressure on the value of the Veritas
common stock prior to the consummation of the merger and on the
value of the CGG ADSs after consummation of the merger due to
U.S. shareholders selling their shares because they are either
prohibited from or otherwise desire not to hold securities of a
foreign issuer; |
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as of June 30, 2006, on a pro forma basis to reflect the
merger and CGGs borrowings under the bridge loan facility
to finance the cash component of the merger consideration and
assuming the bridge loan facility is fully drawn, the combined
companys total financial debt, total assets and
stockholders equity would have been
1,611 million,
4,307 million
and
1,977 million,
respectively, under IFRS. |
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stockholders of Veritas who receive stock pursuant to the merger
would receive ADSs issued by a foreign company instead of common
stock of a domestic company; |
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because some existing holders of CGG ordinary shares may be
entitled to two votes for every share they hold if they held
such shares for at least two years, the percentage of the voting
rights of Veritas stockholders in the combined company following
the merger could be less than the percentage of the outstanding
share capital of the combined company received by Veritas
stockholders pursuant to the merger; |
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the risk that the expected synergies and other benefits of the
merger might not be fully achieved or may not be achieved within
the timeframes expected; |
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the possibility that regulatory or governmental authorities
might seek to impose conditions on or otherwise prevent or delay
the merger (and that the merger ultimately may not be completed
as a result of material burdensome conditions imposed by
regulatory authorities or otherwise); |
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certain of Veritas directors and officers may have
interests in the merger as individuals that are in addition to,
or that may be different from, the interests of the Veritas
stockholders (see Interests of the Directors
and Executive Officers of Veritas in the Merger); |
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the terms of the merger agreement that create a strong
commitment on the part of Veritas to complete the merger; |
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the limitations on Veritas ability to solicit other offers
as well as the possibility that it could be required to pay an
$85.0 million termination fee in certain circumstances; |
53
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the fees and expenses associated with completing the merger; |
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the risk that either the Veritas stockholders or the CGG
shareholders may fail to approve the merger; |
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the possibility that Veritas would be required to pay to CGG a
$20.0 million fee as a reasonable estimate of CGGs
expenses if the Veritas stockholders do not approve the merger; |
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the risk that the merger may not be completed and the possible
adverse implications for investor relations, management
credibility and employee morale under such circumstances; |
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the risk that a significant number of Veritas stockholders that
receive CGG ADSs as merger consideration may cease to hold such
CGG ADSs for so long as the combined company remains a foreign
private issuer or a company whose executive offices are not in
the United States and that is not incorporated in the United
States; |
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the fact that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the
cash portion of the merger consideration would be taxable to
Veritas stockholders; |
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the risk that the merger might not be completed, the potential
impact of the restrictions under the merger agreement on
Veritas ability to take certain actions during the period
prior to the closing of the merger (which may delay or prevent
Veritas from undertaking business opportunities that may arise
pending completion of the merger), the potential for diversion
of management and employee attention and for increased employee
attrition during that period and the potential effect of these
on Veritas business and relations with customers and
service providers; and |
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the risks of the type and nature described above under
Risk Factors. |
The Veritas board of directors weighed the potential benefits,
advantages and opportunities of a merger and the risks of not
pursuing a transaction with CGG against the risks and challenges
inherent in the proposed merger. The Veritas board of directors
realized that there can be no assurance about future results,
including results expected or considered in the factors listed
above. However, the Veritas board of directors concluded that
the potential benefits outweighed the risks of consummating the
merger with CGG.
After taking into account these and other factors, the Veritas
board of directors unanimously determined that the merger
agreement was advisable and the transactions contemplated by the
merger agreement were in the best interest of the Veritas
stockholders, approved the merger with CGG and the other
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, and approved
and adopted the merger agreement.
CGGs Reasons for the Merger
By unanimous vote at a meeting held on September 4, 2006,
the CGG board of directors determined that the merger agreement
and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement were
advisable and in the best interests of the CGG shareholders and
approved and adopted the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated thereby, including the merger.
In reaching its conclusion to approve the merger and the merger
agreement and recommend that CGG shareholders vote for
approval of the issuance of CGG ordinary shares underlying the
CGG ADSs in connection with the merger, the issuance of CGG ADSs
for delivery upon exercise of outstanding Veritas stock options,
convertible debt and equity-based awards and the election of up
to five Veritas directors, including Thierry Pilenko, currently
chairman and CEO of Veritas, to the board of directors of the
combined company (effective as of, and conditioned on, the
occurrence of the effective time of the merger), all as required
pursuant to the merger agreement, the CGG board of directors
considered a number of factors:
54
The CGG board of directors considered a number of factors
pertaining to the strategic rationale for the merger as
generally supporting its decision to enter into the merger
agreement, including the following:
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the combination of CGG and Veritas will take place in a strong
business environment. Decreasing reserves of oil and gas
companies have been coupled with growing energy consumption
sustained by long-term demand, particularly in China and India.
This environment has created a need to accelerate the pace of
exploration in new areas, to revisit existing exploration areas
with new technologies and to optimize reservoir management to
maximize recovery rates. Seismic technology plays a key role in
this process and CGG-Veritas, with its combined technology and
worldwide geographic fit, is expected to be well positioned to
compete to lead and meet the industrys needs; |
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the combination of CGG and Veritas will create a strong global
pure-play seismic company, offering a broad range of seismic
services, and, through Sercel, geophysical equipment to the
industry across all markets. The business, geographic and client
complementarities of CGG and Veritas are expected to respond to
the growing demand for seismic imaging and reservoir solutions.
CGG-Veritas is expected to be well positioned to provide an
improved technological advanced product offering in seismic
services as most oil and gas companies attempt to replace
diminishing reserves in a more complex exploration environment,
to strengthen long-term relationships with a broad range of
clients and to improve financial performance through business
cycles; |
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the combination of CGG and Veritas will bring together two
companies with strong technological foundations in the
geophysical services and equipment market. Both CGG and Veritas
have a long tradition in providing seismic services both onshore
and offshore. In particular, Veritas strong offshore
positions will effectively complete the repositioning to
offshore that CGG has been implementing during the last few
years. Both companies already use a broad range of Sercel
technologies for their data acquisition activities, thereby
providing a homogeneous equipment base for the combined
CGG-Veritas. In
addition, Veritas strong focus on North America fits well
with CGGs international presence. Combining the two
customer bases is expected to provide a good balance between
national oil companies (a strong position of CGG), major oil and
gas operators (a strong position of both CGG and Veritas) and
U.S.-based operators,
both majors and independent (a strong position of Veritas). The
combined technology and know-how of the two companies will
strengthen research and development capabilities to best serve
the CGG-Veritas client base with a broader range of technologies
that CGG-Veritas will be able to deliver more rapidly to the
market; |
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the addition of Veritas fleet of seven vessels will create
a combined seismic services business operating the worlds
leading seismic fleet of 20 vessels, including 14 high
capacity 3D vessels. Capacity in the combined fleet is well
balanced between large (more than 10 streamers), medium (six to
eight streamers) and smaller sizes, with all vessels equipped
with Sercels solid or fluid streamers. The combined fleet
will provide highly flexible fleet management potential with a
balanced distribution of fully owned, chartered, new built and
significantly depreciated capacity. Additionally, most of the
vessels in the combined fleet have been recently equipped with
relatively new technology which will provide
CGG-Veritas with a
fleet that can be managed without significant investments in the
near term; |
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multi-client services will benefit from two complementary,
recent vintage, well-positioned seismic data libraries. For
example, offshore, the Veritas library will bring to CGG
complementary data in the Gulf of Mexico, with Veritas data
library being positioned in the Western and Central Gulf while
CGGs data library is in the Central and Eastern Gulf. Data
merging from the CGG and Veritas libraries will provide
potential for cross imaging enhancement and value creation.
Onshore, Veritas land library offers additional potential
in North America. All these benefits take place in a market
where a global library portfolio is increasingly attractive to
clients; |
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|
CGGs and Veritas respective offerings for land
acquisition services represent strong geographical and
technological complementarities for high-end positioning and
further development of local |
55
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partnerships. Veritas strong presence in the western
hemisphere, in particular North America, complements CGGs
main geographic footprint in the eastern hemisphere and its
strong focus on the Middle East. In addition, CGGs and
Veritas technological complementarities will enhance
CGG-Veritas land offering, ranging from exploration
seismic to field seismic monitoring; |
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CGGs and Veritas respective positions in data
processing and imaging as well as the skills and reputation of
their experts and geoscientists, will allow CGG-Veritas to
create the industry reference in this segment, with particular
strengths in advanced technologies such as depth imaging, 4D
processing and reservoir characterization as well as a close
link with clients through dedicated centers; |
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the merger will not affect Sercels open technology
approach. Sercel will pursue its strategy of maintaining leading
edge technology, offering new generations of differentiating
products and focusing on key markets; and |
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with a combined workforce of approximately 7,000 staff operating
worldwide, including Sercel,
CGG-Veritas will,
through continued innovation, be an industry leader in seismic
technology, services and equipment with a broad base of
customers including independent, international and national oil
companies. |
The CGG board of directors also considered a number of financial
factors pertaining to the merger as generally supporting its
decision to enter into the merger agreement, including the
following:
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the merger is expected to result in pre-tax cost and expense
savings of approximately $65 million per year. Two-thirds
of the estimated synergies are anticipated to be achieved within
the first year following the merger, with the full synergies
expected the year after. CGG expects the synergies to arise from
various areas, such as having one public company (CGG-Veritas)
instead of two once Veritas common stock is deregistered with
the SEC and delisted from the NYSE, the redeployment of support
resources towards operations, the rationalization of premises,
better utilization of vessels with less transit time between
regions and additional revenue potential through the combined
multi-client libraries. Implementation costs are estimated at
approximately $20 million in non-recurring expenses
(approximately 30% of cost synergies), with 80% occurring in the
first year following the merger and 20% in the second year; |
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|
in light of perspectives in the seismic market that lead
CGG-Veritas to anticipate strong cash flow in the medium-term,
CGG believes that it is appropriate and consistent with both the
optimization of shareholder value and the maintenance of a
strong balance sheet structure to leverage the acquisition with
up to $1.5 billion of additional debt; and |
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|
the merger is expected to have a positive impact on 2008
earnings per share of CGG-Veritas, and a broadly neutral impact
on 2007 cash earnings per share of CGG-Veritas (cash earnings
meaning earnings adjusted to exclude, with related tax impact,
all merger integration costs, additional depreciation and
amortization of assets resulting from the proration of the
purchase price, and other non-recurring items as described in
the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
and related notes included elsewhere in this proxy statement/
prospectus). |
|
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Other Transaction Considerations |
The CGG board of directors also considered a number of
additional factors as generally supporting its decision to enter
into the merger agreement, including the following:
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|
the information concerning CGGs and Veritas
respective businesses and financial results, including the
results of CGGs due diligence investigation of Veritas; |
|
|
|
CGGs managements assessment that it can, working
with Veritas managers and employees, effectively and efficiently
integrate the Veritas businesses with the corresponding CGG
businesses; |
56
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|
the fact that the board of directors of CGG-Veritas will include
representation of former CGG and Veritas stockholders including
Thierry Pilenko, currently chairman and CEO of Veritas, who will
be proposed for appointment as one of the combined
companys new directors; |
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|
the fact that the executive offices of CGG-Veritas will be
located in France; |
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|
the fact that CGG employees will have the opportunity to work
across a larger company and benefit from the better competitive
position of the combined company; |
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the separate opinions of CGGs financial advisors, Credit
Suisse and Rothschild, to the CGG board of directors as to the
fairness, from a financial point of view and as of the date of
such opinions, to CGG of the aggregate consideration to be paid
by CGG in the merger, as more fully described below under
Opinions of CGGs Financial Advisors and
attached as Annex C and D, respectively; |
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the terms of the merger agreement that create a strong
commitment on the part of Veritas to complete the
merger; and |
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the fact that CGG can terminate the merger agreement in the
event of antitrust or other governmental proceedings to require
CGG and/or Veritas to materially divest or limit their
respective operations. |
The CGG board of directors also identified and considered a
number of uncertainties, risks and other potentially negative
factors, including the following:
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the risks of integrating the operations of two businesses the
size of Veritas and CGG, including the risks that integration
costs may be greater, and synergy benefits lower, than
anticipated by CGGs or Veritas management; |
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|
the risk that the value of CGG-Veritas ordinary shares and
CGG-Veritas ADSs following completion of the merger may be
adversely affected if CGG-Veritas fails to realize the
anticipated cost savings, revenue enhancements and other
benefits expected from the merger, or if there are delays in the
integration process; |
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the risk that the current strong seismic cycle might be shorter
than currently anticipated by the overall industry; |
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the risk that regulatory agencies may not approve the merger or
may impose terms and conditions on their approvals that
adversely affect the future financial results of CGG-Veritas; |
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the terms of the merger agreement that create a strong
commitment on the part of CGG to complete the merger; |
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the fact that CGGs obligation to consummate the merger is
not conditioned upon the receipt of financing; |
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the risk that the merger might not be completed and the possible
adverse implications for investor relations, management
credibility and employee morale under such
circumstances; and |
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the risks of the type and nature described above under
Risk Factors. |
The CGG board of directors recognized that there can be no
assurance about future results, including results expected or
considered in the factors listed above. The CGG board of
directors concluded, however, that the potential advantages of
the merger outweighed its risks.
The foregoing discussion of the information and factors
considered by the CGG board of directors is not exhaustive, but
includes the material factors considered by it. The CGG board of
directors did not quantify or assign relative weights to the
specific factors considered in reaching the determination to
recommend that CGG shareholders vote for approval of the
issuance of CGG ordinary shares and CGG
57
ADSs required to be issued pursuant to the merger agreement. In
addition, individual directors may have given different weights
to different factors. This explanation of CGGs reasons for
the proposed merger and all other information presented in this
section is forward-looking in nature and, therefore should be
read in light of the factors discussed under Cautionary
Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements.
After careful consideration, the CGG board of directors
unanimously resolved that the merger and the other transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement, including the issuance of
CGG ordinary shares and CGG ADSs, are advisable and approved the
merger agreement.
Financial Analysis of the Merger Consideration
Under applicable French law and regulations, the French
prospectus (note dopération) relating to the
CGG ordinary shares to be issued in connection with the merger
must include an assessment of the exchange ratio by the CGG
board of directors using a multi-criteria financial analysis.
Since this financial analysis has been made available in the
French prospectus, a translation of the financial analysis is
included in this proxy statement/prospectus. The financial
analysis was performed solely to comply with French regulations
in connection with the preparation of the French prospectus
relating to the CGG ordinary shares to be issued in connection
with the merger.
The following is a translation from the French of the original
disclosure regarding the financial analysis of the exchange
ratio by the CGG board of directors as set forth in the French
prospectus relating to the CGG ordinary shares to be issued in
connection with the merger. Certain terminology has been
conformed to the defined terms used in this proxy
statement/prospectus and certain typographical conventions have
been conformed to United States usage.
Terms of the Transaction Proposed to Veritas
Stockholders
The value of the merger consideration that CGG is offering
Veritas stockholders for each share of Veritas common stock will
be equal to $37.00 plus approximately $1.14 per $1.00 of average
CGG ADS value (see The Merger Agreement Merger
Consideration for a description of average CGG ADS value).
Veritas stockholders may elect to receive the merger
consideration either in cash, in CGG ADSs or in a combination of
cash and CGG ADSs. Regardless of the elections of Veritas
shareholders, the aggregate consideration paid by CGG for the
acquisition of all of Veritas share capital at the closing
date (including shares of Veritas common stock that may be
issued before the closing date pursuant to the exercise of
outstanding Veritas stock options or the conversion of
Veritas convertible senior bonds or otherwise) will not
exceed $1.6 billion in cash and 49.8 million newly
issued CGG ADSs.
Assuming a hypothetical average CGG ADS value of $33.33, which
was the closing price of CGG ADSs on August 29, 2006 (the
last NYSE trading day before the merger was submitted to the
Veritas board of directors), the merger consideration would be
equal to $75.00 per share of Veritas common stock
(1.14 multiplied by $33.33, plus $37.00), representing a
33.5% premium over the closing price of Veritas common
stock on August 29, 2006 of $56.16. On that same date, the
implied exchange ratio of the merger was 2.2501 CGG ADSs
per share of Veritas common stock ($75.00 divided by $33.33).
The financial analysis of the merger presented in this section
was prepared by reference to the merger consideration, defined
as $1.14 per $1.00 of average CGG ADS value plus US$37.00 in
cash for each share of Veritas common stock.
58
Financial Analysis of the Merger Consideration: Evaluation
Criteria
The valuation methods used in the multi-criteria analysis of the
terms of the merger are based on the analyses usually applied in
connection with similar transactions, namely:
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share price; |
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trading multiples for comparable listed companies; |
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multiples in comparable transactions; and |
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discounted future cash flows. |
The forecasted financial results of Veritas were derived from
internal projections of Veritas management for the fiscal year
2006 (ended July 31) and projections of CGG management for the
fiscal year 2007 and thereafter.
CGG ordinary shares are listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris
under the symbol GLE and trade in ADS form on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GGY. Shares
of Veritas common stock are listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol VTS. CGG and Veritas
regularly publish their financial results on a quarterly basis.
The two companies shares benefit from wide coverage by
equity research analysts following the seismic sector. CGG and
Veritas shares are also characterized by a sufficiently large
daily trading volume on their respective stock exchanges for the
corresponding market prices to be considered relevant.
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Financial Analysis of the Merger Consideration |
The table below presents the premium offered by CGG per share of
Veritas common stock based on (i) the merger consideration,
calculated on the basis of the closing price of CGG ADSs on
September 1, 2006 (the last NYSE trading day before the
announcement of the merger on September 5, 2006) and
August 29, 2006 (the last NYSE trading day before the
merger was submitted to the Veritas board of directors) and the
volume-weighted average CGG ADS price over several different
reference periods ended August 29, 2006 and (ii) the
closing price of shares of Veritas common stock on the same
dates and for the same periods.
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Implied | |
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|
Veritas | |
|
Merger | |
|
Implied | |
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|
CGG ADS | |
|
Share | |
|
Consideration | |
|
Exchange | |
|
Premium/ | |
|
|
Price | |
|
Price | |
|
Value | |
|
Ratio | |
|
(Discount) | |
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| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(US$) | |
|
(US$) | |
|
(US$) | |
|
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|
September 1, 2006(1)
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|
33.27 |
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|
|
62.18 |
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|
|
74.93 |
|
|
|
2.2521 |
|
|
|
20.5% |
|
August 29, 2006
|
|
|
33.33 |
|
|
|
56.16 |
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|
|
75.00 |
|
|
|
2.2501 |
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|
|
33.5% |
|
1-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
34.10 |
|
|
|
55.73 |
|
|
|
75.88 |
|
|
|
2.2249 |
|
|
|
36.1% |
|
2-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
33.58 |
|
|
|
53.83 |
|
|
|
75.28 |
|
|
|
2.2420 |
|
|
|
39.8% |
|
3-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
34.30 |
|
|
|
50.97 |
|
|
|
76.10 |
|
|
|
2.2188 |
|
|
|
49.3% |
|
6-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
33.34 |
|
|
|
49.33 |
|
|
|
75.00 |
|
|
|
2.2499 |
|
|
|
52.1% |
|
9-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
30.71 |
|
|
|
46.62 |
|
|
|
72.01 |
|
|
|
2.3449 |
|
|
|
54.5% |
|
12-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
26.28 |
|
|
|
44.05 |
|
|
|
66.96 |
|
|
|
2.5478 |
|
|
|
52.0% |
|
12-month high(3)
|
|
|
40.50 |
|
|
|
57.27 |
|
|
|
83.17 |
|
|
|
2.0536 |
|
|
|
45.2% |
|
12-month low(3)
|
|
|
16.57 |
|
|
|
29.48 |
|
|
|
55.89 |
|
|
|
3.3730 |
|
|
|
89.6% |
|
Source: Datastream
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
Closing price on the last NYSE trading day before the
announcement of the merger. |
59
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(2) |
Volume-weighted average over the period. |
|
(3) |
Period ended August 29, 2006. |
Considering the strong increase in the average share prices of
companies in the seismic sector during the period prior to the
announcement of the merger (for example, the S&P 500 Oil
& Gas Equipment & Services index increased by almost 35%
during the 12 months ended August 29, 2006), share
prices in more recent periods were given greater importance. On
the basis of closing prices for CGG ADSs and Veritas shares on
August 29, 2006, the volume-weighted average monthly prices
ended that date, and the prices available for the two companies
preceding the announcement of the merger (September 1,
2006), the merger consideration represents a premium between of
between 20.5% and 36.1%.
|
|
|
Comparable Listed Companies |
This analysis consists of determining the premium offered by CGG
per share of Veritas common stock based on (i) the merger
consideration, calculated using the closing price of CGG ADSs on
August 29, 2006 and on the last NYSE trading day preceding
the announcement of the merger (September 1, 2006) and the
volume-weighted average CGG ADS price in the month ended
August 29, 2006 and (ii) the value of a share of
Veritas common stock implied by applying valuation multiples
from a sample of comparable listed companies to the forecasted
financial results of Veritas.
The sample of comparable listed companies used is Petroleum
Geo-Services, TGS Nopec and Input/ Output.
The multiple of enterprise value over EBITDA net of multi-client
library amortization (referred to hereafter as net EBITDA and
defined as consolidated operating income before amortization of
goodwill and exceptional items plus net depreciation and
amortization of tangible assets excluding multi-client library
amortization) was employed as it allows one to take into
account, inter alia, the impact of different multi-client
investment policies adopted by each company. Revenue multiples
were not used because they do not take into account the
different profitability levels of the companies considered. Net
income multiples were also excluded because differing financial
structures, interest charges and tax rates among the different
companies in the sample did not allow for a direct comparison.
Given the date in 2006 when the merger was announced
(September 5, 2006) and the fact that listed companies are
valued by the market primarily on the basis of their expected
future performance, multiples of 2007 estimated results were
emphasized.
To calculate valuation trading multiples, the enterprise value
was defined as market capitalization on the last NYSE trading
day before the announcement of the merger plus net financial
debt plus minority interests (at book value).
For the selected comparable listed companies, the net EBITDA
forecasts, reflecting the consensus of financial analysts, were
determined from (i) analysts estimates as available
from the I/B/E/S database and/or (ii) where the estimates
from I/B/E/S were incomplete, the research reports for each
company available before the announcement of the merger (using,
for each analyst, the most recent published research report
containing a sufficient level of detail).
The average multiple of enterprise value over estimated 2007 net
EBITDA of 8.4 times was calculated on the basis of comparable
companies share closing prices on August 29, 2006.
The value per share of Veritas common stock of $60.41 obtained
by applying that multiple to the estimated 2007 financial
results of Veritas is compared to the merger consideration in
the table below.
60
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merger | |
|
|
|
|
CGG ADS | |
|
Consideration | |
|
Premium/ | |
|
|
Price | |
|
Value | |
|
(Discount) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(US$) | |
|
(US$) | |
|
|
September 1, 2006(1)
|
|
|
33.27 |
|
|
|
74.93 |
|
|
|
24.0% |
|
August 9, 2006
|
|
|
33.33 |
|
|
|
75.00 |
|
|
|
24.2% |
|
1-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
34.10 |
|
|
|
75.88 |
|
|
|
25.6% |
|
Source: Datastream
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
Closing price on the last NYSE trading day before the
announcement of the merger. |
|
(2) |
Volume-weighted average over the period. |
|
(3) |
Period ended August 29, 2006. |
Based on the volume-weighted average price for CGG ADSs for the
month before the announcement of the merger, the merger
consideration implies a premium of between 24.0% and 25.6%
relative to the value per share of Veritas common stock implied
by the application of the average multiple of enterprise value
over estimated 2007 net EBITDA of comparable companies.
This analysis consists of determining the premium offered by CGG
per share of Veritas common stock based on (i) the merger
consideration, calculated on the basis of the closing price for
CGG ADSs on August 29, 2006 and on the last NYSE trading
day before the announcement of the merger (September 1,
2006) and the volume-weighted average CGG ADS price in the month
ended August 29, 2006 and (ii) the value of the
Veritas ordinary share implied by applying the valuation
multiples from a sample of comparable transactions in the
seismic sector and more generally in the oil services sector to
Veritas historical financial results.
The table below presents the sample of selected comparable
transactions.
|
|
|
|
|
Date of Announcement |
|
Acquiror |
|
Target |
|
|
|
|
|
April 20, 2006
|
|
Schlumberger Ltd. |
|
Western Geco |
November 15, 2004
|
|
Sìem Offshore Inc. |
|
Subsea 7, Inc. |
August 12, 2004
|
|
National-Oilwell, Inc. |
|
Varco International, Inc. |
February 20, 2002
|
|
BJ Services Company |
|
DSCA, Inc. |
July 1, 2001
|
|
Technip SA |
|
Coflexip SA |
As with the analysis of comparable listed companies, the
multiple of historical enterprise value over net EBITDA was used.
The table below presents the premium based on (i) the
merger consideration, calculated on the basis of the closing
price for CGG ADSs price on September 1, 2006 and
August 29, 2006 and the volume-weighted average CGG ADS
price in the month ended August 29, 2006, and (ii) the
value of a share of Veritas common stock of $71.78 implied by
applying the average multiple of enterprise value over net
EBITDA of 15.3 times to the financial results of Veritas for
2006 (year ended July 31).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merger | |
|
|
|
|
CGG ADS | |
|
Consideration | |
|
Premium/ | |
|
|
Price | |
|
Value | |
|
(Discount) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(US$) | |
|
(US$) | |
|
|
September 1, 2006(1)
|
|
|
33.27 |
|
|
|
74.93 |
|
|
|
4.4% |
|
August 9, 2006
|
|
|
33.33 |
|
|
|
75.00 |
|
|
|
4.5% |
|
1-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
34.10 |
|
|
|
75.88 |
|
|
|
5.7% |
|
61
Source: Datastream
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
Closing price on the last NYSE trading day before the
announcement of the merger. |
|
(2) |
Volume-weighted average over the period. |
|
(3) |
Period ended August 29, 2006. |
Based on the volume-weighted CGG ADS price in the month before
the announcement of the merger, the merger consideration implies
a premium of between 4.4% and 5.7% compared to the value per
share of Veritas common stock implied by applying the average
multiple of comparable transactions to the net EBITDA of Veritas
for the year ended July 31, 2006.
|
|
|
Discounted Future Cash Flows |
This analysis consists of determining the premium offered by CGG
per share of Veritas common stock based on (i) the merger
consideration, calculated on the basis of the closing price for
CGG ADSs on September 1, 2006 and August 29, 2006 and
on the volume-weighted average CGG ADS price in the month ended
August 29, 2006 and (ii) the value of each share of
Veritas common stock implied by discounting future Veritas cash
flows.
Free future cash flows after taxes were estimated through 2011
as being equal to EBITDA, net of multi-client library
amortization, after taking into account tax on operating income,
variations in working capital requirements, industrial
investments and investments in multi-client surveys. The
terminal value after 2011 was calculated by applying to the
estimated free cash flow in 2011 a constant growth-rate range of
3.0% to 4.0% for the two companies and a discount rate for both
companies ranging from 9.0% to 10.0%.
This analysis was conducted both before and after taking into
account cost savings and operational synergies anticipated by
CGG management in connection with the proposed merger. Pre-tax
synergies are estimated by CGG at $43 million in 2007 and
$65 million from 2008, with exceptional implementation
costs of $16 million in 2007 and $4 million in 2008.
Before taking into account expected synergies, this method
produces a range of values per Veritas ordinary share of $59.97
to $77.73. After taking into account expected synergies, this
method produces a range of values per Veritas ordinary share of
$68.24 to $87.03.
The table below presents the premium based on (i) the
merger consideration, calculated on the basis of the closing
price for CGG ADSs on September 1, 2006 and on
August 29, 2006 and the volume-weighted averaged CGG ADS
price in the month ended August 29, 2006, and (ii) the
range of values of a share of Veritas common stock implied by
the discounting of future free cash flows before and after
taking synergies into account.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merger | |
|
Premium/(Discount) | |
|
|
CGG ADS | |
|
Consideration | |
|
| |
|
|
Price | |
|
Value | |
|
Before Synergies | |
|
After Synergies | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(US$) | |
|
(US$) | |
|
|
|
|
September 1, 2006(1)
|
|
|
33.27 |
|
|
|
74.93 |
|
|
|
(3.6)% - 24.9% |
|
|
|
(13.9)% - 9.8% |
|
August 29, 2006
|
|
|
33.33 |
|
|
|
75.00 |
|
|
|
(3.5)% - 25.1% |
|
|
|
(13.8)% - 9.9% |
|
1-month average(2)(3)
|
|
|
34.10 |
|
|
|
75.88 |
|
|
|
(2.4)% - 26.5% |
|
|
|
(12.8)% - 11.2% |
|
Source: Datastream
Notes:
|
|
(1) |
Closing price on the last NYSE trading day before the
announcement of the merger. |
|
(2) |
Volume-weighted average over the period. |
|
(3) |
Period ended August 29, 2006. |
62
On the basis of the CGG ADS price during the month before the
announcement of the merger, the merger consideration implies a
premium (discount) of between (3.6%) and 26.5% with respect
to the value per share of Veritas common stock implied by the
discounting of future free cash flows before taking into account
synergies and a premium (discount) of between (13.9%) and
11.2% after taking into account synergies.
|
|
|
Summary of Financial Analysis of the Offer |
The table below presents a summary of the different methods
employed.
|
|
|
|
|
Method |
|
Premium/(Discount) | |
|
|
| |
Share prices
|
|
|
20.5% - 36.1% |
|
September 1, 2006(1)
|
|
|
20.5% |
|
August 29, 2006
|
|
|
33.5% |
|
1-month average as of August 29, 2006
|
|
|
36.1% |
|
Comparable listed companies
|
|
|
24.0% - 25.6% |
|
Comparable transactions
|
|
|
4.4% - 5.7% |
|
Discounted free future cash flows before taking synergies into
account
|
|
|
(3.6)% - 26.5% |
|
Discounted free future cash flows after taking synergies into
account
|
|
|
(13.9)% - 11.2% |
|
Note:
|
|
(1) |
Closing price on the last NYSE trading day before the
announcement of the merger. |
|
|
|
Criteria not Taken into Consideration |
The following methods were not considered relevant in evaluating
the terms of the merger:
|
|
|
|
|
Book value of net assets; |
|
|
|
Adjusted net assets; and |
|
|
|
Analysts target price. |
Book value of net assets. This method was not applied
because the value of seismic companies is not necessarily
reflected in the historical value of their assets.
Adjusted net assets. This approach, which is typically
used to value holding companies with minority stakes in
diversified businesses, applies neither to CGG nor Veritas,
which are companies whose principal business is in the seismic
sector and the majority of whose primary subsidiaries are
wholly-owned.
Analysts target price. Because analysts
target prices rely on a multi-criteria approach, this method was
considered redundant with the multi-criteria approach used in
the financial analysis of the merger.
Opinion of Veritas Financial Advisor
Goldman Sachs rendered its opinion to the Veritas board of
directors that, as of September 4, 2006, and based upon and
subject to the factors and assumptions set forth therein, the
per share ADS consideration and the per share cash consideration
to be received by holders of the shares of Veritas common stock,
taken in the aggregate, pursuant to the merger agreement was
fair from a financial point of view to such holders.
The full text of the written opinion of Goldman Sachs, dated
September 4, 2006, which sets forth assumptions made,
procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the
review undertaken in connection with the opinion, is attached as
Annex B. Goldman Sachs advisory services and opinion
were provided for the information and assistance of the Veritas
board of directors in connection with its consideration of the
merger and such opinion does not constitute a recommendation as
to how any holder of shares of Veritas common stock should vote
or make any election with respect to such merger.
63
In connection with rendering the opinion described above and
performing its related financial analyses, Goldman Sachs
reviewed, among other things:
|
|
|
|
|
the merger agreement; |
|
|
|
annual reports to stockholders and annual reports on
Form 10-K of
Veritas for the five fiscal years ended July 31, 2005; |
|
|
|
annual reports to shareholders and annual reports on
Form 20-F of CGG
for the five years ended December 31, 2005; |
|
|
|
certain interim reports to stockholders and quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q of
Veritas; |
|
|
|
certain interim reports to shareholders of CGG; |
|
|
|
certain other communications from Veritas and CGG to their
respective shareholders; and |
|
|
|
certain internal financial analyses and forecasts for Veritas
prepared by its management and certain internal financial
analyses and forecasts for CGG prepared by its management, as
reviewed and approved by the management of Veritas for use by
Goldman Sachs in connection with its opinion, including certain
cost savings and operating synergies projected by the management
of CGG to result from the merger, as reviewed and approved by
the management of Veritas for use by Goldman Sachs in connection
with its opinion. |
Goldman Sachs also held discussions with members of the senior
management of Veritas regarding their assessment of the past and
current business operations, financial condition and future
prospects of Veritas and with members of the senior managements
of Veritas and CGG regarding their assessment of the strategic
rationale for, and the potential benefits of, the merger and the
past and current business operations, financial condition and
future prospects of CGG. In addition, Goldman Sachs reviewed the
reported price and trading activity for shares of Veritas common
stock and CGG ADSs, compared certain financial and stock market
information for Veritas and CGG with similar information for
certain other companies the securities of which are publicly
traded, reviewed the financial terms of certain recent business
combinations in the oil field services industry specifically and
in other industries generally and performed such other studies
and analyses, and considered such other factors, as Goldman
Sachs considered appropriate.
Goldman Sachs relied upon the accuracy and completeness of all
of the financial, legal, accounting, tax and other information
discussed with or reviewed by it and assumed such accuracy and
completeness for purposes of rendering the opinion described
above. In that regard, Goldman Sachs assumed that the forecasts,
including the synergies, prepared by the management of Veritas
and CGG, as the case may be, have been reasonably prepared on a
basis reflecting the best currently available estimates and
judgments of Veritas and CGG, as the case may be. In addition,
Goldman Sachs did not make an independent evaluation or
appraisal of the assets and liabilities (including any
contingent, derivative or off-balance-sheet assets and
liabilities) of Veritas or CGG or any of their respective
subsidiaries and Goldman Sachs has not been furnished with any
such evaluation or appraisal. Goldman Sachs also assumed that
all governmental, regulatory or other consents and approvals
necessary for the consummation of the merger will be obtained
without any adverse effect on Veritas or CGG or on the expected
benefits of the merger in any way meaningful to its analysis.
Goldman Sachs opinion does not address the underlying
business decision of Veritas to engage in the merger nor is
Goldman Sachs expressing any opinion as to the prices at which
CGG ADSs will trade at any time. Goldman Sachs opinion is
necessarily based on economic, monetary, market and other
conditions as in effect on, and the information made available
to Goldman Sachs as of, September 4, 2006.
The following is a summary of the material financial analyses
delivered by Goldman Sachs to the Veritas board of directors in
connection with rendering the opinion described above. The
following summary, however, does not purport to be a complete
description of the financial analyses performed by
64
Goldman Sachs, nor does the order of analyses described
represent relative importance or weight given to those analyses
by Goldman Sachs. Some of the summaries of the financial
analyses include information presented in tabular format. The
tables must be read together with the full text of each summary
and are alone not a complete description of Goldman Sachs
financial analyses. Except as otherwise noted, the following
quantitative information, to the extent that it is based on
market data, is based on market data as it existed on or before
September 4, 2006, and is not necessarily indicative of
current market conditions.
Selected Companies Analysis. Goldman Sachs reviewed and
compared certain financial information for Veritas to
corresponding financial information and public market multiples
for the following publicly traded corporations in the oil field
services industry:
|
|
|
|
|
CGG; |
|
|
|
Petroleum Geo-Services ASA; |
|
|
|
Schlumberger Limited; and |
|
|
|
TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA. |
Although none of the selected companies is directly comparable
to Veritas, the companies included were chosen because they are
publicly traded companies with operations that for purposes of
analysis may be considered similar to certain operations of
Veritas.
Goldman Sachs also calculated and compared various financial
multiples for Veritas based on financial data it obtained from
filings with the SEC, press releases, estimates provided by the
Institutional Brokerage Estimate System, or IBES, Veritas common
stock closing price on September 1, 2006, Veritas common
stock closing price on August 29, 2006 and the implied
$74.93 value per share of Veritas common stock to be paid in the
merger (calculated based on 1.14 multiplied by $33.27 (the
closing price of CGG ADSs on September 1, 2006) plus $37.00
in cash). Goldman Sachs also calculated and compared various
financial multiples for the selected companies based on
financial data it obtained from SEC filings, press releases,
IBES estimates and the selected companies common stock closing
prices on September 1, 2006.
With respect to Veritas and the selected companies, Goldman
Sachs calculated:
|
|
|
|
|
price as a multiple of estimated earnings per share, or EPS, for
2006 and 2007; |
|
|
|
price as a multiple of estimated cash flow per share for 2006
and 2007; and |
|
|
|
price as a multiple of estimated adjusted cash flow per share
for 2006 and 2007. |
The following table presents the results of this analysis:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selected Companies | |
|
Veritas | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
As of | |
|
As of | |
|
As of | |
|
At | |
Price as a Multiple of |
|
Range | |
|
Mean | |
|
Median | |
|
09/01(1) | |
|
08/29(1) | |
|
08/29-IBES(2) | |
|
$74.93(1) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
2006E EPS
|
|
|
13.5x- 21.4 |
x |
|
|
16.4 |
x |
|
|
15.4 |
x |
|
|
24.0 |
x |
|
|
21.7 |
x |
|
|
23.4 |
x |
|
|
29.0 |
x |
2007E EPS
|
|
|
9.0x-16.7 |
x |
|
|
12.8 |
x |
|
|
12.8 |
x |
|
|
23.5 |
x |
|
|
21.2 |
x |
|
|
19.7 |
x |
|
|
28.3 |
x |
2006E Cash Flow per Share
|
|
|
7.2x-14.7 |
x |
|
|
9.2 |
x |
|
|
7.4 |
x |
|
|
6.0 |
x |
|
|
5.4 |
x |
|
|
5.9 |
x |
|
|
7.2 |
x |
2007E Cash Flow per Share
|
|
|
5.8x-11.8 |
x |
|
|
7.6 |
x |
|
|
6.4 |
x |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
4.9 |
x |
|
|
N/A |
|
2006E Adjusted Cash Flow per Share(3)
|
|
|
9.2x-15.2 |
x |
|
|
11.8 |
x |
|
|
11.4 |
x |
|
|
16.0 |
x |
|
|
14.4 |
x |
|
|
15.3 |
x |
|
|
19.3 |
x |
2007E Adjusted Cash Flow per Share(3)
|
|
|
7.7x-12.0 |
x |
|
|
9.6 |
x |
|
|
9.4 |
x |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
13.4 |
x |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
(1) |
Multiples based on calendarized IBES estimates. |
|
(2) |
Multiples based on IBES fiscal year estimates. |
|
(3) |
Adjusted cash flow per share excludes add-back of amortization
of multi-client libraries. Multi-client amortization per Wall
Street Research. |
65
In addition, with respect to Veritas and the selected companies,
Goldman Sachs calculated:
|
|
|
|
|
enterprise value, which is the market value of common equity
(based on fully diluted shares outstanding) plus the book value
of debt, plus preferred interest, plus minority interest, less
cash, as a multiple of estimated earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, for 2006 and
2007; and |
|
|
|
enterprise value as a multiple of estimated adjusted EBITDA for
2006 and 2007. |
The following table presents the results of this analysis:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selected Companies | |
|
Veritas | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
As of | |
|
As of | |
|
As of | |
|
At | |
Enterprise Value as a Multiple of: |
|
Range |
|
Mean | |
|
Median | |
|
09/01(1) | |
|
08/29(1) | |
|
08/29-IBES(2) | |
|
$74.93(1) | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
2006E EBITDA
|
|
5.7x-11.8x |
|
|
7.4 |
x |
|
|
6.1 |
x |
|
|
5.2 |
x |
|
|
4.6 |
x |
|
|
5.1 |
x |
|
|
6.4x |
|
2007E EBITDA
|
|
4.6x- 9.6x |
|
|
6.2 |
x |
|
|
5.4 |
x |
|
|
4.7 |
x |
|
|
4.2 |
x |
|
|
4.0 |
x |
|
|
5.8x |
|
2006E Adjusted EBITDA(3)
|
|
7.5x-12.1x |
|
|
8.9 |
x |
|
|
7.9 |
x |
|
|
10.7 |
x |
|
|
9.4 |
x |
|
|
10.6 |
x |
|
|
13.2x |
|
2007E Adjusted EBITDA(3)
|
|
5.6x- 9.8x |
|
|
7.4 |
x |
|
|
7.1 |
x |
|
|
10.4 |
x |
|
|
9.2 |
x |
|
|
8.2 |
x |
|
|
12.9x |
|
|
|
(1) |
Multiples based on calendarized IBES estimates. |
|
(2) |
Multiples based on IBES fiscal year estimates. |
|
(3) |
Adjusted EBITDA excludes add-back of amortization of
multi-client libraries. Multi-client amortization per Wall
Street Research. |
Discounted Future Share Price Analysis. Goldman Sachs
performed illustrative analyses of the present value of the
future stock price of Veritas using financial forecasts prepared
by the management of Veritas. Goldman Sachs first calculated
implied per share future values for shares of Veritas common
stock for the mid-year of each fiscal year 2008 and 2009 by
applying price to forward adjusted cash flow per share multiples
ranging from 12.4x to 14.4x to estimates prepared by
Veritas management of fiscal years 2008-2009 adjusted cash
flow per share. Goldman Sachs then calculated the present values
of the implied per share future values for Veritas common stock
by discounting the implied per share future values from
January 31, 2008, and January 31, 2009, to
September 1, 2006, using discount rates ranging from 10.0%
to 12.0%. This analysis resulted in a range of implied present
values of $58.58 to $71.04 per share of Veritas common
stock. Goldman Sachs conducted this same analysis based on
estimates prepared by Veritas management of fiscal years
2008-2009 adjusted EBITDA by applying price to forward adjusted
EBITDA multiples ranging from 7.2x to 9.2x to estimates prepared
by Veritas management of fiscal years 2008-2009 adjusted
EBITDA. This analysis resulted in a range of implied present
values of $51.65 to $68.65 per share of Veritas common
stock.
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis. Goldman Sachs performed an
illustrative discounted cash flow analysis on Veritas using
Veritas management forecasts. Goldman Sachs calculated
illustrative terminal value indications per share of Veritas
common stock using illustrative terminal value indications at
the end of fiscal year 2009 based on last twelve-month multiples
ranging from 8.0x estimated 2009 adjusted EBITDA to 10.0x
estimated 2009 adjusted EBITDA. These illustrative terminal
value indications and cash flows were then discounted to
calculate illustrative indications of present values using
discount rates ranging from 10.0% to 12.0%. The following table
presents the results of this analysis:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Illustrative Per Share | |
|
|
Value Indications | |
|
|
| |
Veritas
|
|
|
$58.50 - $73.21 |
|
In addition, Goldman Sachs calculated illustrative terminal
value indications per share of Veritas common stock using
illustrative forward terminal value indications at the end of
fiscal year 2008 based on multiples ranging from 7.0x estimated
2009 adjusted EBITDA to 9.0x estimated 2009 adjusted EBITDA.
These illustrative terminal value indications and cash flows
were then discounted to calculate illustrative
66
indications of present values using discount rates ranging from
10.0% to 12.0%. The following table presents the results of this
analysis:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Illustrative Per Share | |
|
|
Value Indications | |
|
|
| |
Veritas
|
|
|
$53.89 - $68.75 |
|
Premium Analysis. Goldman Sachs reviewed the historical
trading prices and volumes for the shares of Veritas common
stock for the three-year period ended September 1, 2006. In
addition, Goldman Sachs analyzed the implied $74.93 value per
share of Veritas common stock to be paid in the merger
(calculated based on 1.14 multiplied by $33.27 (the closing
price of CGG ADSs on September 1, 2006) plus $37.00 in
cash) in relation to various spot and average trading prices for
Veritas common stock.
This analysis indicated that the implied price per share of
Veritas common stock to be paid to Veritas stockholders pursuant
to the merger represented:
|
|
|
|
|
a premium of 20.5% based on the closing price on
September 1, 2006 of $62.18 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 33.4% based on the closing price on August 29,
2006 of $56.16 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 20.5% based on the latest fifty-two-week high
market closing price as of September 1, 2006 of
$62.18 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 154.2% based on the latest fifty-two-week low
market closing price as of September 1, 2006 of
$29.48 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 28.4% based on the latest one-week average market
price as of September 1, 2006 of $58.37 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 33.2% based on the latest one-month average market
price as of September 1, 2006 of $56.25 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 42.9% based on the latest three-month average
market price as of September 1, 2006 of $52.45 per
share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 51.1% based on the latest six-month average market
price as of September 1, 2006 of $49.58 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 73.5% based on the latest one-year average market
price as of September 1, 2006 of $43.18 per share; |
|
|
|
a premium of 167.5% based on the latest three-year average
market price as of September 1, 2006 of $28.01 per
share; and |
|
|
|
a premium of 20.5% based on the all time high closing price of
$62.18 per share on September 1, 2006. |
Pro Forma Merger Analysis. Goldman Sachs prepared
illustrative pro forma analyses of the potential financial
impact of the merger using estimates for Veritas prepared by
Veritas management, and estimates for CGG and synergies
estimates prepared by CGGs management, as reviewed and
approved by the management of Veritas for use by Goldman Sachs.
Goldman Sachs compared the projected 2007 EPS of CGG, on a
stand-alone basis, to the projected 2007 EPS of CGG, on a GAAP
and cash basis, following the merger. Cash EPS ignores the
effect of any incremental depreciation and amortization as a
result of the merger due to asset write-ups. Based on such
analyses, the impact of the proposed merger to CGG, on a
stand-alone basis, would be dilutive to the projected 2007 EPS
on a GAAP basis and approximately neutral to projected 2007 EPS
on a cash basis. Goldman Sachs also compared the 2007 projected
cash flow per CGG ordinary share, on a stand-alone basis, to the
projected 2007 cash flow per CGG ordinary share following the
merger. Based on such analyses, the proposed merger would be
accretive to the projected 2007 cash flow per CGG ordinary
share, on a stand-alone basis.
67
The preparation of a fairness opinion is a complex process and
is not necessarily susceptible to partial analysis or summary
description. Selecting portions of the analyses or of the
summary set forth above, without considering the analyses as a
whole, could create an incomplete view of the processes
underlying Goldman Sachs opinion. In arriving at its
fairness determination, Goldman Sachs considered the results of
all of its analyses and did not attribute any particular weight
to any factor or analysis considered by it. Rather, Goldman
Sachs made its determination as to fairness on the basis of its
experience and professional judgment after considering the
results of all of its analyses. No company or transaction used
in the above analyses as a comparison is directly comparable to
Veritas or CGG or the contemplated merger.
Goldman Sachs prepared these analyses for purposes of Goldman
Sachs providing its opinion to the Veritas board of
directors as to the fairness from a financial point of view to
the holders of Veritas common stock, taken in the aggregate, of
the per share ADS consideration and the per share cash
consideration. These analyses do not purport to be appraisals
nor do they necessarily reflect the prices at which businesses
or securities actually may be sold. Analyses based upon
forecasts of future results are not necessarily indicative of
actual future results, which may be significantly more or less
favorable than suggested by these analyses. Because these
analyses are inherently subject to uncertainty, being based upon
numerous factors or events beyond the control of the parties or
their respective advisors, none of Veritas, CGG, Goldman Sachs
or any other person assumes responsibility if future results are
materially different from those forecasts.
The merger consideration was determined through
arms-length negotiations between Veritas and CGG and was
approved by the Veritas board of directors. Goldman Sachs
provided advice to Veritas during these negotiations. Goldman
Sachs did not, however, recommend any specific amount of
consideration to Veritas or its board of directors or that any
specific amount of consideration constituted the only
appropriate consideration for the merger.
As described above, Goldman Sachs opinion to the Veritas
board of directors was one of many factors taken into
consideration by the Veritas board of directors in making its
determination to approve the merger agreement. The foregoing
summary does not purport to be a complete description of the
analyses performed by Goldman Sachs in connection with the
fairness opinion and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to the written opinion of Goldman Sachs attached as Annex B.
Goldman Sachs and its affiliates, as part of their investment
banking business, are continually engaged in performing
financial analyses with respect to businesses and their
securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions,
negotiated underwritings, competitive biddings, secondary
distributions of listed and unlisted securities, private
placements and other transactions as well as for estate,
corporate and other purposes. Goldman Sachs has acted as
financial advisor to Veritas in connection with, and has
participated in certain of the negotiations leading to, the
merger contemplated by the merger agreement. Goldman Sachs also
may provide investment banking services to Veritas and CGG in
the future. In connection with the above-described investment
banking services Goldman Sachs may receive compensation.
Goldman Sachs is a full-service securities firm engaged, either
directly or through its affiliates, in securities trading,
investment management, financial planning and benefits
counseling, risk management, hedging, financing and brokerage
activities for both companies and individuals. In the ordinary
course of these activities, Goldman Sachs and its affiliates may
provide such service to Veritas, CGG and their respective
affiliates, actively trade the debt and equity securities of
Veritas and CGG (or related derivative securities) for their own
account and for the accounts of their customers and at any time
hold long and short positions of such securities.
The Veritas board of directors selected Goldman Sachs as its
financial advisor because it is an internationally recognized
investment banking firm that has substantial experience in
transactions similar to the merger. Pursuant to a letter
agreement, dated July 16, 2006, Veritas engaged Goldman
Sachs to act as its financial advisor in connection with the
contemplated merger. Pursuant to the terms of this engagement
letter, Veritas has agreed to pay Goldman Sachs a transaction
fee that is contingent upon consummation of the merger and will
be calculated based upon the final value of the merger
consideration per share of Veritas common stock, subject to a
minimum fee that will be paid only if the merger is consummated.
68
Veritas estimates that the aggregate amount of the transaction
fee would be approximately $26.0 million based upon the
closing price of CGG ADSs as of November 20, 2006. In
addition, Veritas has agreed to reimburse Goldman Sachs for its
expenses and to indemnify Goldman Sachs against certain
liabilities arising out of its engagement.
Opinions of CGGs Financial Advisors
CGG retained Credit Suisse to act as CGGs financial
advisor in connection with the merger. In connection with Credit
Suisses engagement, CGG requested that Credit Suisse
evaluate the fairness, from a financial point of view, to CGG of
the aggregate consideration to be paid by CGG in the merger. On
September 4, 2006, the CGG board of directors met to review
the proposed merger and the terms of the merger agreement.
During this meeting, Credit Suisse reviewed with the board
certain financial analyses as described below and rendered its
oral opinion to the CGG board, which opinion was confirmed by
delivery of a written opinion dated September 4, 2006 to
the effect that, as of that date and based on and subject to the
matters described in its opinion, the aggregate consideration to
be paid by CGG in the merger was fair, from a financial point of
view, to CGG.
The full text of Credit Suisses written opinion, dated
September 4, 2006, to the CGG board of directors, which
sets forth, among other things, the procedures followed,
assumptions made, matters considered and limitations on the
scope of the review undertaken by Credit Suisse in rendering its
opinion, is attached as Annex C and is incorporated into
this proxy statement/ prospectus by reference in its entirety.
You are encouraged to read this opinion carefully in its
entirety. Credit Suisses opinion was provided to the CGG
board of directors for its information in connection with its
evaluation of the aggregate consideration payable by CGG in the
merger and relates only to the fairness of the aggregate
consideration from a financial point of view to CGG, does not
address any other aspect of the proposed merger and does not
constitute a recommendation to any securityholder as to how such
securityholder should vote or act on any matter relating to the
merger. The summary of Credit Suisses opinion in this
proxy statement/ prospectus is qualified in its entirety by
reference to the full text of the opinion.
In arriving at its opinion, Credit Suisse reviewed a draft dated
September 4, 2006 of the merger agreement and certain
publicly available business and financial information relating
to CGG and Veritas. Credit Suisse also reviewed certain other
information relating to CGG and Veritas, including financial
forecasts and estimates relating to CGG and Veritas, provided to
or discussed with Credit Suisse by CGG and Veritas and met with
the managements of CGG and Veritas to discuss the business and
prospects of CGG and Veritas, respectively. Credit Suisse also
considered certain financial and stock market data of CGG and
Veritas and compared that data with similar data for other
publicly held companies in businesses Credit Suisse deemed
similar to those of CGG and Veritas and considered, to the
extent publicly available, the financial terms of certain other
business combinations and other transactions which have been
effected or announced. Credit Suisse also considered such other
information, financial studies, analyses and investigations and
financial, economic and market criteria which it deemed relevant.
In connection with its review, Credit Suisse did not assume any
responsibility for independent verification of any of the
foregoing information and relied on such information being
complete and accurate in all material respects. The financial
forecasts relating to Veritas which Credit Suisse was provided
were prepared by the management of Veritas (and adjusted by the
management of CGG) through calendar year 2007 and were prepared
by the management of CGG for calendar years 2008 through 2011.
With respect to the financial forecasts and estimates for CGG
and Veritas that Credit Suisse reviewed, Credit Suisse was
advised, and assumed, that such forecasts and estimates for CGG
were reasonably prepared on bases reflecting the best currently
available estimates and judgments of the management of CGG as to
the future financial performance of CGG and that such forecasts
(including adjustments to such forecasts) and estimates for
Veritas were reasonably prepared on bases reflecting the best
currently available estimates and judgments of the managements
of CGG and Veritas, as the case may be, as to the future
financial performance of Veritas and the other matters covered
by such forecasts
69
and estimates. With respect to the estimates provided to Credit
Suisse by the management of CGG as to the cost savings and
synergies anticipated to result from the merger, Credit Suisse
was advised by the management of CGG, and assumed, that such
estimates were reasonably prepared on bases reflecting the best
currently available estimates and judgments of the management of
CGG. Credit Suisse assumed, with CGGs consent, that the
financial results (including potential cost savings and
synergies) reflected in the forecasts and estimates that Credit
Suisse reviewed would be realized in the amounts and at the
times indicated in all respects material to Credit Suisses
analyses. Credit Suisse also assumed, with CGGs consent,
that the total number of shares of Veritas common stock
outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the
merger of Volnay Acquisition Co. I with Veritas would not vary
materially from the estimate provided by Veritas to CGG.
Credit Suisse assumed, with CGGs consent, that the merger
would qualify for federal income tax purposes as a
reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended. Credit Suisse also assumed, with
CGGs consent, that, in the course of obtaining any
regulatory or third party consents, approvals or agreements in
connection with the merger, no delay, limitation, restriction or
condition would be imposed that would have an adverse effect on
CGG, Veritas or the contemplated benefits of the merger, that
the merger would be consummated in accordance with the terms of
the merger agreement, without waiver, modification or amendment
of any material term, condition or agreement of the merger
agreement and that Veritas would not effect any other material
disposition or acquisition transactions. Representatives of CGG
advised Credit Suisse, and Credit Suisse further assumed that
the merger agreement, when executed, would conform to the draft
reviewed by Credit Suisse in all respects material to its
analyses.
In addition, Credit Suisse was not requested to, and did not,
make an independent evaluation or appraisal of the assets or
liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of CGG or Veritas, nor was
Credit Suisse furnished with any such evaluations or appraisals.
Credit Suisses opinion addressed only the fairness, from a
financial point of view and as of the date of the opinion, to
CGG of the aggregate consideration to be paid by CGG in the
merger and did not address any other aspect or implication of
the merger or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding
entered into in connection with the merger or otherwise. Credit
Suisses opinion was necessarily based upon information
made available to it as of the date of the opinion and
financial, economic, market and other conditions as they existed
and could be evaluated on the date of the opinion. Credit
Suisses opinion also was based on certain assumptions as
to industry cycles for oil and gas service businesses, which are
subject to significant volatility and which, if different than
as assumed, could have a material impact on Credit Suisses
analyses. Credit Suisse did not express any opinion as to what
the value of CGG ADSs or the underlying CGG ordinary shares
represented by CGG ADSs would be when issued to the holders of
shares of Veritas common stock or the prices at which CGG ADSs
or CGG ordinary shares would trade at any time. Credit
Suisses opinion did not address the relative merits of the
merger as compared to alternative transactions or strategies
that might be available to CGG, nor does it address the
underlying business decision of CGG to proceed with the merger.
Except as described above, CGG imposed no other limitations on
Credit Suisse with respect to the investigations made or
procedures followed in rendering the opinion.
In preparing its opinion, Credit Suisse performed a variety of
financial and comparative analyses, including those described
below. The summary of Credit Suisses analyses described
below is not a complete description of the analyses underlying
Credit Suisses opinion. The preparation of a fairness
opinion is a complex process involving various determinations as
to the most appropriate and relevant methods of financial
analysis and the application of those methods to the particular
circumstances and, therefore, a fairness opinion is not readily
susceptible to partial analysis or summary description. Credit
Suisse arrived at its ultimate opinion based on the results of
all analyses undertaken by it and assessed as a whole and did
not draw, in isolation, conclusions from or with regard to any
one factor or method of analysis. Accordingly, Credit Suisse
believes that its analyses must be considered as a whole and
that selecting portions of its analyses and factors or focusing
on information presented in tabular format, without considering
all analyses and factors or the narrative description of the
analyses, could create a misleading or incomplete view of the
processes underlying its analyses and opinion.
70
In its analyses, Credit Suisse considered industry performance,
general business, economic, market and financial conditions and
other matters, many of which are beyond the control of CGG and
Veritas. No company, transaction or business used in Credit
Suisses analyses as a comparison is identical to CGG or
Veritas or the proposed merger, and an evaluation of the results
of those analyses is not entirely mathematical. Rather, the
analyses involve complex considerations and judgments concerning
financial and operating characteristics and other factors that
could affect the acquisition, public trading or other values of
the companies, business segments or transactions analyzed. The
estimates contained in Credit Suisses analyses and the
ranges of valuations resulting from any particular analysis are
not necessarily indicative of actual values or predictive of
future results or values, which may be significantly more or
less favorable than those suggested by the analyses. In
addition, analyses relating to the value of businesses or
securities do not purport to be appraisals or to reflect the
prices at which businesses or securities actually may be sold.
Accordingly, the estimates used in, and the results derived
from, Credit Suisses analyses are inherently subject to
substantial uncertainty.
Credit Suisse was not requested to, and it did not, recommend
the specific consideration payable in the proposed merger, which
consideration was determined between CGG and Veritas, and the
decision to enter into the merger was solely that of the CGG
board of directors. Credit Suisses opinion and financial
analyses were only one of many factors considered by the CGG
board of directors in its evaluation of the proposed merger and
should not be viewed as determinative of the views of the CGG
board of directors or CGGs management with respect to the
merger or the aggregate consideration. Credit Suisses
opinion and financial analyses were not prepared for the
purposes of, or with a view toward compliance with,
Article 262-1 of
the General Regulations of the AMF and its
Instruction No. 2006-08
dated July 25, 2006 on independent expertise. Credit Suisse
assumes no responsibility for the description of its opinion or
analyses or any other references to Credit Suisse or such
opinion or analyses in the Lehman Brothers report attached
hereto as Annex E.
The following is a summary of the material financial analyses
reviewed with the CGG board of directors in connection with
Credit Suisses opinion dated September 4, 2006.
The financial analyses summarized below include information
presented in tabular format. In order to fully understand Credit
Suisses financial analyses, the tables must be read
together with the text of each summary. The tables alone do not
constitute a complete description of the financial analyses.
Considering the data in the tables below without considering the
full narrative description of the financial analyses, including
the methodologies and assumptions underlying the analyses, could
create a misleading or incomplete view of Credit Suisses
financial analyses. For purposes of this summary of Credit
Suisses analyses, the term implied per share value
of the aggregate consideration payable in the merger
refers to the estimated per share value of the aggregate
consideration to be paid by CGG in the merger of $74.93 based on
the per share closing price of CGG ADSs on September 1,
2006 of $33.27 and the estimate provided by Veritas to CGG of
the total number of shares of Veritas common stock outstanding
immediately prior to the effective time of the merger of Volnay
Acquisition Co. I with Veritas.
|
|
|
Veritas Financial Analyses |
|
|
|
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis. |
Credit Suisse performed a discounted cash flow analysis of
Veritas to calculate the estimated present value of the
unlevered, after-tax free cash flows, calculated as earnings
before interest, deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization
(including multi-client amortization, referred to as MCA) and
after taking into account changes in working capital and capital
expenditures, that Veritas could generate from August 1,
2006 through fiscal year 2011, both before and after giving
effect to potential cost savings and synergies anticipated by
CGGs management to result from the proposed merger.
Estimated fiscal years 2006 and 2007 financial data of Veritas
were based on internal estimates of Veritas management as
adjusted by CGGs management, and estimated financial data
of Veritas for fiscal years 2008 through 2011 were based on
estimates of CGGs management. Credit Suisse calculated
terminal values of Veritas by applying to Veritas fiscal
year 2011 estimated unlevered, after-tax free cash flow a range
of perpetuity growth rates of 3.0% to 4.0%. The present value of
the cash flows and terminal values were calculated
71
using discount rates ranging from 9.0% to 10.0%. This analysis
indicated the following implied per share equity reference
ranges for Veritas both before and after giving effect to
potential cost savings and synergies resulting from the merger,
as compared to the implied per share value of the aggregate
consideration payable in the merger:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied Per Share Equity Reference Ranges for Veritas |
|
|
|
|
Implied Per Share Value of the Aggregate |
Without Cost Savings |
|
With Cost Saving |
|
Consideration Payable |
and Synergies |
|
and Synergies |
|
in the Merger |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$59.67 - $77.39 |
|
|
|
$68.00 - $86.74 |
|
|
|
$74.93 |
|
|
|
|
Selected Public Company Analysis. |
Credit Suisse reviewed financial and stock market information of
Veritas, CGG and the following three selected publicly traded
companies in the oil and gas services industry:
|
|
|
|
|
Petroleum Geo-Services ASA |
|
|
|
Input/ Output, Inc. |
|
|
|
TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA |
Credit Suisse reviewed, among other things, enterprise values of
the selected companies as a multiple of calendar years 2006 and
2007 estimated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization, referred to as EBITDA, after MCA. Credit Suisse
also reviewed market values of the selected companies as
multiples of calendar years 2006 and 2007 estimated net income
and estimated after-tax cash flow, calculated as earnings before
deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization (including MCA).
Credit Suisse then applied a range of selected multiples of such
financial data derived from the selected companies to
corresponding financial data of Veritas. All multiples were
based on closing stock prices on September 1, 2006.
Estimated financial data of the selected companies were based on
publicly available research analysts estimates. Estimated
financial data of Veritas were based on internal estimates of
Veritas management as adjusted by CGGs management.
This analysis indicated the following implied per share equity
reference range for Veritas, as compared to the implied per
share value of the aggregate consideration payable in the merger:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied Per Share Equity |
|
Implied Per Share Value of the Aggregate |
Reference Range for Veritas |
|
Consideration Payable in the Merger |
|
|
|
|
$52.92 - $64.33 |
|
|
|
$74.93 |
|
|
|
|
Selected Transactions Analysis. |
Credit Suisse reviewed the transaction values of the following
11 selected transactions in the oil and gas services industry:
|
|
|
Acquiror |
|
Target |
|
|
|
Schlumberger N.V.
|
|
Baker Hughes Incorporated (WesternGeco) |
SEACOR Holdings Inc.
|
|
Seabulk International, Inc. |
National-Oilwell, Inc.
|
|
Varco International, Inc. |
BJ Services Company
|
|
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation/OSCA, Inc. |
Veritas
|
|
Petroleum Geo-Services ASA |
Technip SA
|
|
Coflexip SA |
Tuboscope Inc.
|
|
Varco International, Inc. |
Schlumberger N.V.
|
|
Camco International, Inc. |
Baker Hughes Incorporated
|
|
Western Atlas Inc. |
EVI, Inc.
|
|
Weatherford Enterra, Inc. |
Halliburton Company
|
|
Dresser Industries, Inc. |
72
Credit Suisse reviewed, among other things, transaction values
of the selected transactions as a multiple of latest
12 months EBITDA. Credit Suisse then applied a range of
selected latest 12 months EBITDA multiples derived from the
selected transactions to Veritas fiscal year ended
July 31, 2006 estimated EBITDA after MCA. Financial data of
the selected transactions were based on publicly available
information at the time of announcement of the relevant
transactions. Estimated financial data of Veritas were based on
internal estimates of Veritas management. This analysis
indicated the following implied per share equity reference range
for Veritas, as compared to the implied per share value of the
aggregate consideration payable in the merger:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied Per Share Equity |
|
Implied Per Share Value of the Aggregate |
Reference Range for Veritas |
|
Consideration Payable in the Merger |
|
|
|
$ |
57.49 - $68.90 |
|
|
$ |
74.93 |
|
|
|
|
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis. |
Credit Suisse performed a discounted cash flow analysis of CGG
to calculate the estimated present value of the standalone
unlevered, after-tax free cash flows that CGG could generate
from July 1, 2006 through fiscal year 2011 based on
internal estimates of CGGs management. Credit Suisse
calculated terminal values of CGG by applying to CGGs
fiscal year 2011 estimated unlevered, after-tax free cash flow a
range of perpetuity growth rates of 3.5% to 4.5%. The present
value of the cash flows and terminal values were calculated
using discount rates ranging from 10.0% to 11.0%. This analysis
indicated the following implied per share reference range for
CGG ADSs, as compared to the per share closing price of CGG ADSs
on September 1, 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied Per Share Reference |
|
Per Share Closing Price of CGG |
Range for CGG ADSs |
|
ADSs on September 1, 2006 |
|
|
|
$ |
32.96 - $44.19 |
|
|
$ |
33.27 |
|
|
|
|
Selected Public Company Analysis. |
Credit Suisse reviewed financial and stock market information of
CGG, Veritas and the selected publicly traded companies in the
oil and gas services industry referred to above under the
heading Veritas Financial Analyses Selected
Public Company Analysis. Credit Suisse reviewed, among
other things, enterprise values of the selected companies as a
multiple of calendar years 2006 and 2007 estimated EBITDA after
MCA. Credit Suisse also reviewed market values of the selected
companies as multiples of calendar years 2006 and 2007 estimated
net income and estimated after-tax cash flow. Credit Suisse then
applied a range of selected multiples of such financial data
derived from the selected companies to corresponding financial
data of CGG. All multiples were based on closing stock prices on
September 1, 2006. Estimated financial data of the selected
companies were based on publicly available research
analysts estimates. Estimated financial data of CGG were
based on internal estimates of CGGs management. This
analysis indicated the following implied per share reference
range for CGG ADSs, as compared to the per share closing price
of CGG ADSs on September 1, 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied Per Share Reference |
|
Per Share Closing Price of CGG |
Range for CGG ADSs |
|
ADSs on September 1, 2006 |
|
|
|
$ |
32.10 - $38.75 |
|
|
$ |
33.27 |
|
|
|
|
Selected Transactions Analysis. |
Credit Suisse reviewed the transaction values of the selected
transactions in the oil and gas services industry referred to
above under the heading Veritas Financial
Analyses Selected Transaction Analysis. Credit
Suisse reviewed, among other things, transaction values of the
selected transactions as a multiple of latest 12 months
EBITDA. Credit Suisse then applied a range of selected latest
12 months EBITDA multiples derived from the selected
transactions to CGGs latest 12 months ended
June 30, 2006 estimated EBITDA after MCA. Financial data of
the selected transactions were based on publicly
73
available information at the time of announcement of the
relevant transactions. Estimated financial data of CGG were
based on internal estimates of CGGs management. This
analysis indicated the following implied per share reference
range for CGG ADSs, as compared to the per share closing price
of CGG ADSs on September 1, 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied Per Share Reference |
|
Per Share Closing Price of CGG |
Range for CGG ADSs |
|
ADSs on September 1, 2006 |
|
|
|
$ |
42.63 - $54.27 |
|
|
$ |
33.27 |
|
CGG selected Credit Suisse based on Credit Suisses
qualifications, experience and reputation, and its familiarity
with CGG and its business. Credit Suisse is an internationally
recognized investment banking firm and is regularly engaged in
the valuation of businesses and securities in connection with
mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, negotiated
underwritings, competitive biddings, secondary distributions of
listed and unlisted securities, private placements and
valuations for corporate and other purposes.
From time to time, Credit Suisse and its affiliates in the past
have provided, currently are providing and in the future may
provide investment banking and other financial services to CGG
unrelated to the proposed merger, for which Credit Suisse and
its affiliates have received, and would expect to receive,
compensation. In addition, Credit Suisse and certain of its
affiliates will be participating in the financing for the
merger, for which Credit Suisse and such affiliates will receive
compensation. See CGG Recent Developments
Bridge Loan Facility. Credit Suisse is a full service
securities firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage
activities as well as providing investment banking and other
financial services. In the ordinary course of business, Credit
Suisse and its affiliates may acquire, hold or sell, for its and
its affiliates own accounts and the accounts of customers,
equity, debt and other securities and financial instruments
(including bank loans and other obligations) of CGG and Veritas,
as well as provide investment banking and other financial
services to such companies.
CGG has agreed to pay Credit Suisse for its financial advisory
services in connection with the merger an aggregate fee
currently estimated to be $11.0 million, a significant
portion of which is contingent upon the consummation of the
merger. A portion of such fee became payable upon delivery of
Credit Suisses opinion. In addition, CGG has agreed to
reimburse Credit Suisse for its reasonable expenses, including
fees and expenses of legal counsel and any other advisor
retained by Credit Suisse, and to indemnify Credit Suisse and
related parties against certain liabilities and other items,
including liabilities under the federal securities laws, arising
out of its engagement.
|
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|
Opinion of Rothschild Inc. |
CGG retained Rothschild to serve as financial advisor to CGG in
connection with the merger. In connection with this engagement,
the CGG board of directors requested that Rothschild evaluate
the fairness to CGG, from a financial point of view, of the
amount of the total consideration to be delivered by CGG in
respect of all outstanding common stock of Veritas, pursuant to
the merger agreement. For purposes of its opinion, Rothschild
assumed that total consideration equating to $74.93 per
share will be delivered by CGG in respect of Veritas common
stock (the Consideration) pursuant to the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth in the merger agreement. On
September 4, 2006, Rothschild orally expressed to the CGG
board of directors its opinion, confirmed by delivery of a
written opinion to the CGG board of directors, dated as of
September 4, 2006, to the effect that, based upon the
assumptions made and matters considered and in reliance thereon,
as of the date of such opinion, the amount of the consideration
to be delivered by CGG in respect of each share of Veritas
common stock pursuant to the merger was fair to CGG from a
financial point of view.
The full text of Rothschilds written opinion dated
September 4, 2006, which describes the assumptions made,
procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the
review undertaken, is attached to this proxy statement/
prospectus as Annex D and the summary of Rothschilds
opinion set forth in this proxy statement/ prospectus is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such
74
opinion. We encourage stockholders to read this opinion
carefully and in its entirety. Rothschilds opinion was
provided for the information of the CGG board of directors in
connection with its evaluation of the merger, did not constitute
a recommendation to the CGG board of directors to approve the
merger, and does not constitute a recommendation to any
stockholder as to how such stockholder should vote with respect
to the merger or any other matter. Rothschilds opinion
does not address, and Rothschild expressed no view as to, the
merits of the underlying decision by CGG to engage in the merger
or any aspect of the merger other than the amount of the
Consideration.
In arriving at its opinion, Rothschild, among other things:
|
|
|
|
|
reviewed the financial terms and conditions of the draft of the
merger agreement dated September 3, 2006; |
|
|
|
reviewed certain publicly available business and financial
information relating to CGG and Veritas that Rothschild deemed
to be relevant; |
|
|
|
reviewed certain unaudited financial statements relating to each
of CGG and Veritas and certain other financial and operating
data, including financial forecasts, concerning their respective
businesses provided to or discussed with Rothschild by
management; |
|
|
|
held discussions with management of each of CGG and Veritas
regarding the past and current operations and financial
condition and prospects of the respective companies; |
|
|
|
reviewed the reported price and trading activity for the shares
of Veritas common stock; |
|
|
|
compared certain financial performance information for each of
CGG and Veritas with similar information for certain publicly
traded companies that Rothschild deemed to be relevant; |
|
|
|
reviewed, to the extent publicly available, the financial terms
of certain transactions that Rothschild deemed to be
relevant; and |
|
|
|
considered such other factors and information as Rothschild
deemed appropriate. |
In the course of its analysis and in rendering its opinion,
Rothschild did not assume any obligation independently to verify
any of the financial or other information utilized or considered
by Rothschild in formulating its opinion and relied on such
information, including all information that was provided to
Rothschild by CGG or Veritas, being accurate and complete in all
material respects. Rothschild did not make any review of and did
not seek or obtain advice of legal counsel regarding legal
matters relating to CGG and Veritas, and understood that CGG has
relied and will rely only on the advice of its legal counsel as
to such matters. With respect to the financial forecasts for CGG
and Veritas provided to or otherwise discussed with Rothschild,
including the expected cost savings and other potential
synergies projected to result from the merger and the amount,
timing and achievability thereof, Rothschild was advised, and
assumed, that these forecasts and information, including as to
such expected cost savings and other potential synergies, were
reasonably prepared on bases reflecting the best available
estimates and judgments of the management of CGG or Veritas as
to the future financial performance of the respective companies
and the other matters covered thereby. Rothschild also assumed
that such expected cost savings and other potential synergies
projected by CGG management to result from the merger will be
realized as so projected and Rothschild expressed no view as to
the reasonableness of these forecasts and projections or the
assumptions on which they are based.
Rothschild assumed that there had not occurred any material
change in the assets, financial condition, results of
operations, business or prospects of CGG or Veritas since the
respective dates of the most recent financial statements or
other financial and business information relating to CGG and
Veritas that were made available to Rothschild. Rothschild
further assumed, in all respects material to Rothschilds
analysis, that the representations and warranties of the parties
contained in the merger agreement are true and correct, that
each of the parties to the merger agreement will perform all of
the covenants and agreements to be performed by it under the
merger agreement, and that the merger would be consummated in
all material respects in accordance with the terms and
conditions described in the merger agreement
75
(including without limitation qualification as a reorganization
within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code) without any waiver or modification thereof.
Rothschild also assumed that the material governmental,
regulatory or other consents and approvals required in
connection with the consummation of the merger would be obtained
without any effect adverse on CGG or Veritas on the expected
benefits of the merger in any way meaningful to
Rothschilds analysis.
Rothschild did not assume responsibility for making an
independent evaluation, appraisal or physical inspection of any
of the assets or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of CGG or
Veritas, nor was Rothschild provided with the results of any
such evaluation, appraisal or inspection. Rothschild assumed
that the final merger agreement would be the same as the
September 3, 2006 draft of the merger agreement that was
reviewed by Rothschild in rendering its opinion.
Rothschilds opinion was necessarily based on economic,
monetary and market and other conditions as in effect on, and
the information made available to Rothschild as of, the date of
its opinion. Accordingly, although developments subsequent to
the date of Rothschilds opinion may affect its opinion,
Rothschild has not assumed any obligation to update, revise or
reaffirm its opinion.
The type and amount of consideration payable pursuant to the
merger agreement was determined through negotiation between CGG
and Veritas and the decision to approve the merger was solely
that of CGG and its board of directors. While Rothschild
provided advice to CGG during its negotiations with Veritas,
Rothschild did not, however, recommend to CGG or the CGG board
of directors any specific amount of consideration to be paid in
the merger. In addition, Rothschild expressed no opinion as to
the price at which CGG ordinary shares or CGG ADSs may trade at
any time. Rothschilds opinion to the CGG board, and the
financial analyses performed in that connection, were not
prepared for purposes of
Article 262-1 of
the General Regulations of the AMF and its Instruction no.
2006-08 dated
July 25, 2006 on independent expertise or with a view to
compliance with such regulations or the requirements of any
other regulatory authority. Rothschild assumes no responsibility
for any description of, or reference to, Rothschild, its opinion
or its financial analyses included in the Lehman Brothers report
attached hereto as Annex E.
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Summary of Rothschilds Financial Analyses |
The following is a summary of the material financial analyses
reviewed by Rothschild with the CGG board of directors in
connection with the rendering of its opinion. The summary of
these analyses is not a comprehensive description of all
analyses and factors considered by Rothschild. Certain of the
information in this section is presented in tabular form. In
order to understand the financial analyses performed by
Rothschild, these tables must be read together with the text of
each summary. Considering any portion of such analyses and of
the factors considered, without considering all analyses and
factors, could create a misleading or incomplete view of the
process underlying Rothschilds opinions.
Rothschild performed a variety of financial and comparative
analyses for purposes of rendering its opinion and no one method
of analysis should be regarded as critical to the overall
conclusion reached by Rothschild. Each method of analysis has
inherent strengths and weaknesses, and the nature of the
available information may further affect the value of any
particular analysis. The preparation of an opinion such as this
is a complex process and is not necessarily susceptible to
partial analysis or summary description. The conclusion reached
by Rothschild is based on all analyses and factors taken as a
whole and also on application of Rothschilds experience
and judgment, and such conclusion may involve significant
elements of subjective judgment and qualitative analysis.
Rothschild believes that selecting any portion of its analyses,
without considering all of them, would create an incomplete view
of the process underlying its analyses and opinion. In its
analyses, Rothschild considered industry performance, general
business, economic, market and financial conditions and other
matters existing as of the date of its opinion, many of which
are beyond the control of CGG, Veritas and Rothschild. No
company, transaction or business referred to in those analyses
for comparative purposes is identical to CGG or Veritas or the
proposed merger, and an evaluation of those analyses is not
entirely mathematical. Rather, the analyses involve complex
considerations and judgments concerning financial and operating
characteristics and other
76
factors that could affect the acquisition, public trading or
other values of the companies, business segments or transactions
analyzed.
Rothschild prepared these analyses for purposes of Rothschild
providing its opinion to the CGG board of directors as to the
fairness to CGG from a financial point of view of the amount of
the consideration to be paid by CGG in the merger. The estimates
contained in Rothschilds analyses and the valuation ranges
resulting from any particular analysis are not necessarily
indicative of actual values or predictive of future results or
values, which may be significantly more or less favorable than
those suggested by its analyses. In addition, analyses relating
to the value of businesses or securities do not purport to be
appraisals or to reflect the prices at which businesses or
securities actually may be sold. Accordingly, Rothschilds
analyses and estimates are inherently subject to substantial
uncertainty and Rothschild does not assume responsibility if
future results are materially different from those reflected in
any analysis.
Rothschilds opinion and analyses were only one of many
factors considered by the CGG board of directors in its
evaluation of the merger and should not be viewed as
determinative of the views of the CGG board of directors or
management with respect to the merger.
|
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|
Comparable Companies Analysis |
Using information obtained by Rothschild from public filings,
estimates of the Institutional Brokers Estimate System (IBES),
Datastream and brokers reports, Rothschild compared certain
financial measures and metrics of Veritas to those of the
following publicly traded companies that generally have certain
similar operating and financial characteristics to Veritas. The
financial measures and metrics included Enterprise Value
(EV) as a multiple of earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), EBITDA after
Multi-Client Amortization (MCA), and earnings before interest
and taxes (EBIT), as estimated by Veritas and CGG management for
calendar year 2006 and projected by CGG management for calendar
year 2007. The companies (the Selected Companies),
considered comparable in certain respects, consisted of:
|
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|
Petroleum Geo-Services ASA |
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|
TGS NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA |
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|
Seitel |
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|
Fugro |
This analysis indicated a reference range of implied values per
share as summarized below and as compared to the assumed total
consideration equating to $74.93 per share. The following
analysis does not include a control premium.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reference Range of | |
|
Assumed Total Consideration | |
|
|
Implied Values per Share | |
|
per Share in Merger | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
EV/ EBITDA
|
|
|
$49.44 to $68.83 (excluding Fugro |
) |
|
$ |
74.93 |
|
EV/ EBITDA after MCA
|
|
|
$43.43 to $66.06 |
|
|
$ |
74.93 |
|
EV/ EBIT
|
|
|
$40.60 to $72.83 |
|
|
$ |
74.93 |
|
EBITDA after MCA takes into account amortization of the large
capital expenditures incurred to build the multi-client library
and realize revenues and operating profits.
Rothschild selected the Selected Companies because they have
certain similar operating and financial characteristics to
Veritas. However, because of the inherent differences between
the business, operations and prospects of Veritas and the
business, operations and prospects of the Selected Companies, no
company is directly comparable to Veritas. As a result, these
analyses are not purely mathematical, but also take into account
differences in financial and operating characteristics of the
subject companies and other factors that could affect the ratios
that were considered by Rothschild for the Selected Companies as
77
compared to those for Veritas. Rothschild noted, among other
things, that current trading prices for companies such as the
Selected Companies do not intrinsically include a control
premium.
|
|
|
Selected Precedent Transactions Analysis |
Using information obtained by Rothschild from public filings,
press releases and third party research reports, Rothschild
reviewed and compared the multiple of EV to LTM EBITDA after MCA
agreed to be paid in nine acquisition transactions involving
companies that Rothschild, based on its experience with merger
and acquisition transactions, deemed relevant to arriving at its
opinion. LTM refers to the last twelve-month period for which
financial data for the company at issue has been reported.
Rothschild reviewed the following transactions:
|
|
|
|
|
Date Announced |
|
Acquiror |
|
Target |
|
|
|
|
|
April 20, 2006
|
|
Schlumberger Ltd. |
|
WesternGeco |
March 16, 2005
|
|
SEACOR Holdings Inc. |
|
Seabulk International, Inc. |
August 29, 2005
|
|
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique |
|
Exploration Resources ASA |
November 15, 2004
|
|
Siem Offshore Inc. |
|
Subsea 7 Inc. |
September 1, 2004
|
|
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique |
|
Petroleum Geo-Services (Seismic Business) |
August 12, 2004
|
|
National-Oilwell, Inc. |
|
Varco International, Inc. |
February 20, 2002
|
|
BJ Services Company |
|
OSCA Inc. |
November 26, 2001
|
|
Veritas DGC Inc. |
|
Petroleum Geo-Services ASA |
July 1, 2001
|
|
Technip SA |
|
Coflexip SA |
This analysis, based on multiples for selected transactions,
indicated a reference range of implied values per share of
$56.00 to $79.09 per share.
EV/ LTM EBITDA after MCA data takes into account amortization of
the large capital expenditures incurred to build the
Multi-Client library and realize revenues and operating profits.
Rothschild selected the precedent transactions on the basis of
various factors, including size and similarity of the line of
business of the relevant entities. However, no precedent
transaction is identical to the merger. As a result, these
analyses are not purely mathematical, but also take into account
differences in financial and operating characteristics of the
subject companies and other factors that could affect the
transactions referred to as precedent. Rothschild noted, among
other things, that precedent transactions typically include
control premiums paid by the acquiror.
|
|
|
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis |
As part of its analysis, and in order to refer to an estimated
implied present value reference range for Veritas common stock,
Rothschild also prepared discounted cash flow analyses for
Veritas of unlevered, after-tax free cash flows based on
CGGs management projections for the period from
September 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006 and for
the calendar years ended December 31, 2007 through
December 31, 2010. These management projections were
discounted using discount rates ranging from 10.0% to 12.0%,
based on estimates related to the weighted average costs of
capital for companies in businesses similar to Veritas and CGG.
The analysis also used assumed terminal values which were
calculated as terminal multiples ranging from 10.0x Veritas
estimated EBITDA after MCA to 12.0x Veritas estimated EBITDA
after MCA.
Based on the projections and assumptions set forth above, the
discounted cash flow analysis of Veritas yielded an implied
valuation range for shares of Veritas common stock of $59.42 to
$72.20 per share. With the inclusion of expected cost
savings and other potential synergies projected by CGG
management to result from the merger, as well as
managements estimates of the implementation costs to
realize such cost savings and other potential synergies and
preliminary estimates of the transaction costs to consummate the
78
merger, the valuation yielded an implied valuation reference
range for shares of Veritas common stock of $70.99 to
$86.76 per share.
Under the terms of Rothschilds engagement by CGG, CGG
agreed to pay Rothschild a fee upon delivery of its opinion, as
well as certain additional fees for its services, in an
aggregate amount currently estimated at $11 million, a
significant portion of which is contingent upon consummation of
the merger. CGG has also agreed to reimburse Rothschild for
reasonable expenses incurred by Rothschild in performing its
services, including fees and expenses of its legal counsel, and
to indemnify Rothschild and related persons against liabilities,
including liabilities under the federal securities laws, arising
out of its engagement.
CGG selected Rothschild as financial advisor to CGG based on
Rothschilds qualifications, experience and reputation and
its familiarity with CGG and its business. Rothschild is an
internationally recognized investment banking firm and is
regularly engaged in the valuation of businesses and securities
in connection with mergers and acquisitions, restructurings,
private placements and other matters.
Rothschild or its affiliates have in the past performed certain
investment banking services for CGG and received customary fees
for such services. In the ordinary course of business,
Rothschild or its affiliates may trade the securities of CGG
and/or Veritas for its own and their own accounts or for the
accounts of customers and may at any time hold a long or short
position in such securities.
Report of Lehman Brothers
Given the significant nature of the proposed merger, on
September 18, 2006, the AMF requested that the CGG board of
directors obtain an independent financial assessment of the
fairness to CGG, from a financial point of view, of the
consideration to be paid by CGG upon consummation of the
proposed merger. Therefore, the CGG board of directors engaged
Lehman Brothers, effective October 10, 2006 as an
independent financial expert within the meaning of the rules of
the AMF to deliver the report as requested by the AMF. Lehman
Brothers does not admit to being an independent expert under any
rules or regulations applying to the merger, the French
prospectus (note dopération) or this proxy
statement/prospectus (other than the applicable rules of the
AMF) or subject to rules applicable to experts in other contexts.
Lehman Brothers is an internationally recognized investment
banking firm and, as part of its investment banking activities,
is regularly engaged in the valuation of businesses and their
securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions,
negotiated underwritings, competitive bids, secondary
distributions of listed and unlisted securities, private
placements and valuations for corporate and other purposes. The
CGG board of directors selected Lehman Brothers because of its
expertise, reputation and familiarity with the oil services
industry and because its investment banking professionals have
substantial experience in transactions comparable to the merger.
As compensation for Lehman Brothers delivery of its
report, CGG has agreed to pay Lehman Brothers
300,000
(approximately $394,380) upon the delivery of the report. In
addition, CGG has agreed to reimburse Lehman Brothers for
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in preparing the
report and to indemnify Lehman Brothers for certain liabilities
that may arise out of its engagement by CGG and the rendering of
the report. These amounts are payable without regard to whether
the proposed merger is consummated.
Lehman Brothers was engaged by the CGG board of directors after
it and the Veritas board of directors had approved the merger
agreement and the agreement had been executed by both companies.
Therefore, neither the CGG nor the Veritas board of directors
considered Lehman Brothers report when making its decision
to enter into the merger agreement.
In the ordinary course of its business, Lehman Brothers and its
affiliates may actively trade in the debt or equity securities
of CGG and Veritas for their own accounts and for the accounts
of their
79
customers and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or short
position in such securities. In addition, in the last two years,
an affiliate of Lehman Brothers holding convertible bonds issued
by CGG participated in the negotiation of a debt restructuring
in its capacity as a convertible bond holder, and an affiliate
of Lehman Brothers acted as sole bookrunner in a sale by a CGG
investor of its CGG shares.
On November 9, 2006, Lehman Brothers delivered its report
to the CGG board of directors that, based on public and other
information made available to Lehman Brothers by CGG, various
assumptions made by CGG (in particular, assumptions made
concerning the level of synergies expected to result from the
consummation of the proposed merger) and the features of the
merger described in Lehman Brothers written report, the
value as of November 9, 2006 of the consideration to be
paid by CGG upon the consummation of the proposed merger was
fair to CGG from a financial point of view. Lehman
Brothers report, dated November 9, 2006, was
delivered in French and is governed by French law.
An English translation from the original French text of Lehman
Brothers report, as set forth in the French prospectus, is
attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex E. The
translation is included in this proxy statement/prospectus
because the report is available in the French prospectus
relating to the merger of CGG and Veritas and the shares to be
issued in the merger.
The English translation of the report attached to this proxy
statement/prospectus is provided for informational purposes only
and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the original
French-language report filed with the AMF. Lehman Brothers
disclaims any responsibility for any errors or omissions in the
translation.
You are encouraged to read the English translation of Lehman
Brothers report in its entirety for a description of the
procedures followed, assumptions made, matters considered and
limitations to the review undertaken. Lehman Brothers
report is directed to the CGG board of directors and does not
constitute a recommendation to any shareholder as to how such
shareholder should vote with respect to the merger.
Interests of the Directors and Executive Officers of Veritas
in the Merger
In considering the recommendation of the Veritas board of
directors with respect to the merger agreement, you should be
aware that some of Veritas directors and executive
officers have interests in the merger and have arrangements that
may be different from, or in addition to, those of the Veritas
stockholders generally. These interests and arrangements may be
deemed to create potential conflicts of interest. The Veritas
board of directors was aware of these interests and considered
them, among other matters, in making its recommendation.
Up to five members of the Veritas board of directors may be
appointed to the board of directors of the combined company. In
particular, Thierry Pilenko, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Veritas, will be proposed for appointment as one of
the combined companys new directors.
Veritas has employment agreements with each of
Messrs. Thierry Pilenko, Timothy L. Wells, Mark E. Baldwin,
Dennis S. Baldwin, Vincent M. Thielen and Larry L. Worden. In
the event of a termination without cause by Veritas or by the
executive officer for good reason (as defined in the
agreement) within two years (three years, in the case of
Mr. Pilenko) after a change of control of Veritas (or
before a change in control in Veritas but following commencement
of discussions with a third person that ultimately results in
such a change in control), each executive officer is entitled to
a lump sum payment under his employment agreement equal to the
following number times the sum of his annual base salary and
annual bonus (measured at the highest of the employees
current target bonus, the average of his bonuses over the
preceding three-year period or his most recent bonus for the
preceding fiscal year): Messrs. Pilenko, Wells and M.
Baldwin three; and Messrs. Thielen, D Baldwin,
and Worden two. In
80
addition, all options to purchase Veritas common stock granted
to such executive officers will immediately become exercisable
and all restrictions on restricted shares of Veritas granted to
such executive officers will immediately lapse, except
restricted shares granted pursuant to the 2006 Long Term
Incentive Plan, as described below. Further, if immediately
prior to the date of termination the executive officer was
covered under Veritas group health coverage, Veritas will
also provide to the executive (and his spouse and eligible
dependents, if then enrolled), the right to continued
participation at active employee rates in Veritas group
health plans (or a cash payment in lieu thereof) for
18 months following such termination. Veritas has also
agreed to provide a gross up payment to each such executive
officer to make the executive officer whole as to the effect of
any excise taxes that may be triggered with respect to payments
of benefits that are contingent on a change in control of
Veritas. The consummation of the merger will constitute a change
in control under these employment agreements.
Messrs. Pilenko, Wells, M. Baldwin, D. Baldwin, Thielen and
Worden would be entitled to receive aggregate severance payments
of approximately $12.8 million if the change in control
provisions were triggered and their employment is terminated
without cause by Veritas or by the executive officers for good
reason, including gross up amounts.
|
|
|
Continuing Employment with CGG |
Certain of Veritas current executive officers will be
offered continued employment with the combined company after the
effective time of the merger. In particular, CGG and Veritas
have announced that Timothy L. Wells will serve as President of
Western Hemisphere Geophysical Services.
Veritas non-employee directors, executive officers and
other key employees participate in Veritas stock option
plans under which stock options have been granted. Immediately
prior to the effective time of merger, each stock option granted
by Veritas to purchase shares of Veritas common stock pursuant
to any stock option plan (other than the Veritas 1992 Employee
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan) that is outstanding and
unexercised immediately prior to the effective time of the
merger, whether or not vested, will be cancelled and converted
into the right to receive, for each share of Veritas common
stock subject to such stock option immediately prior to such
cancellation and conversion, an amount in cash equal to the
excess, if any, of the per share cash consideration (as defined
in the merger agreement) over the exercise price per share under
such stock option immediately prior to such cancellation and
conversion (less any applicable withholding taxes). Each option
to purchase shares of Veritas common stock pursuant to the
Veritas 1992 Employee Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan which is
outstanding and unexercised as of the effective time of the
merger, whether or not vested, will be cancelled and no
consideration will be paid in connection with such cancellation.
Options that are currently outstanding and unexercised under
that plan, however, may be exercised in accordance with their
terms prior to the effective time of the merger.
81
The following table sets forth, as of November 15, 2006,
the number of shares subject to vested or unvested stock options
held by Veritas directors and executive officers and the
estimated value of such shares based on the closing price of
Veritas of $77.44 per share on November 24, 2006:
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated Value | |
|
|
|
|
Options | |
|
Options Vested as | |
|
Options Unvested as | |
|
Received for Options | |
Name |
|
Title |
|
Outstanding | |
|
of 10/31/2006 | |
|
of 10/31/2006 | |
|
Upon Merger | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Loren K. Carroll
|
|
Director |
|
|
21,000 |
|
|
|
21,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
$ |
1,307,550 |
|
Clayton P. Cormier
|
|
Director |
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
753,213 |
|
James R. Gibbs
|
|
Director |
|
|
36,250 |
|
|
|
36,250 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
2,002,488 |
|
Jan Rask
|
|
Director |
|
|
37,500 |
|
|
|
37,500 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
2,162,366 |
|
Yoram Shoham
|
|
Director |
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
11,000 |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
780,600 |
|
David F. Work
|
|
Director |
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
13,500 |
|
|
|
2,500 |
|
|
|
853,206 |
|
Terence K. Young
|
|
Director |
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
11,000 |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
785,700 |
|
Thierry Pilenko
|
|
Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
157,500 |
|
|
|
92,500 |
|
|
|
65,000 |
|
|
|
9,093,450 |
|
Timothy L. Wells
|
|
President and Chief Operating Officer |
|
|
72,505 |
|
|
|
52,996 |
|
|
|
19,509 |
|
|
|
3,941,207 |
|
Mark E. Baldwin
|
|
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
|
|
15,000 |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
682,500 |
|
Dennis S. Baldwin
|
|
Vice President, Corporate Controller |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
1,666 |
|
|
|
3,334 |
|
|
|
227,500 |
|
Larry L. Worden
|
|
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary |
|
|
33,282 |
|
|
|
25,348 |
|
|
|
7,934 |
|
|
|
1,841,762 |
|
Vincent M. Thielen
|
|
Vice President, Business Development |
|
|
20,291 |
|
|
|
13,857 |
|
|
|
6,434 |
|
|
|
1,153,857 |
|
Pursuant to their terms, all shares of restricted Veritas common
stock held by Veritas directors and executive officers
that are outstanding but unvested prior to the effective time of
the merger, except restricted shares granted under Veritas
long-term incentive plan for fiscal year 2006, referred to
herein as the LTIP (described below), will become fully vested.
Pursuant to the merger, these shares will be treated in the same
manner as other shares of Veritas common stock.
82
The following table sets forth, as of November 15, 2006,
the number of shares of restricted Veritas common stock held by
Veritas directors and executive officers and the estimated
value of such shares based on the closing price of Veritas
common stock of $77.44 per share on November 24, 2006:
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares of | |
|
Estimated Value of | |
Name |
|
Title |
|
Restricted Stock Held | |
|
Restricted Shares | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Thierry Pilenko
|
|
Director, Chairman and CEO |
|
|
16,953 |
|
|
$ |
1,312,840 |
|
Timothy L. Wells
|
|
President and Chief Operating Officer |
|
|
11,041 |
|
|
|
855,015 |
|
Mark E. Baldwin
|
|
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
|
|
10,947 |
|
|
|
847,736 |
|
Larry L. Worden
|
|
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary |
|
|
3,278 |
|
|
|
253,848 |
|
Dennis S. Baldwin
|
|
Vice President, Controller |
|
|
3,927 |
|
|
|
304,107 |
|
Vincent M. Thielen
|
|
Vice President, Business Development |
|
|
2,260 |
|
|
|
175,014 |
|
Under the LTIP, certain stock options and shares of restricted
stock were granted to 18 officers and senior managers of
Veritas. The stock options granted under the LTIP will become
fully vested and cashed out in connection with the merger, as
described on page 102. The restricted shares will fully
vest on July 31, 2008, assuming the holder continues his
employment or service relationship with CGG-Veritas through that
date. If the holder of restricted shares dies or is terminated
after the effective time of the merger but before July 31,
2008 for reasons other than cause or if he resigns for good
reason, as defined in his restricted stock award agreement, his
restricted shares will immediately vest. If the holder is
terminated or resigns prior to July 31, 2008 for any other
reason, he will forfeit his restricted shares to CGG-Veritas
without receiving consideration.
One of Veritas non-employee directors, James R. Gibbs,
currently holds 2,000 Veritas deferred share units that are
fully vested. Each such deferred share unit converts into one
share of Veritas common stock upon the earlier of the
directors termination as a Veritas director or the
occurrence of a change in control of Veritas.
Pursuant to the merger, these deferred share units will be
issued to Mr. Gibbs in CGG ADSs based on the same
conversion ratio as is used to convert shares of Veritas common
stock to CGG ADSs.
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Deferred Compensation Plans |
Veritas maintains various deferred compensation plans, through
which its executive officers and certain employees defer the
receipt of compensation and receive contributions from Veritas,
including a 401(k) plan, a Canadian registered retirement
savings plan and, as discussed below, a non-qualified deferred
compensation plan maintained for a select group of management
and highly compensated employees. None of these plans provide
for enhancement or acceleration of benefits upon a change in
control of Veritas. The merger agreement provides that CGG may
make such amendments, if any, to the deferred compensation plans
as may reasonably be required by law or be advisable in order to
minimize liability for any additional taxes that might be
imposed under Section 409A of the Code in the absence of
such an amendment.
Veritas maintains a non-qualified deferred compensation plan
through which its executive officers and certain highly
compensated employees may defer not less than 1% nor more than
50% of their base compensation and/or not less than 1% up to
100% of incentive bonus or commissions. Under the terms of the
plan, Veritas may match contributions made by participants in
the plan but to date has not done so. Amounts deferred by
participants are fully vested and are held in trust by a third
party trustee to be
83
invested as participants direct; however, Veritas is the sole
owner of the trust. While plan participants have contractual
claims against Veritas for the payment of plan benefits, they
have no specific interest in any assets held by the trust. It is
currently Veritas intent to terminate the plan effective
immediately prior to the merger and cause the third-party
trustee to distribute all funds owed to participants in
accordance with the terms of the plan and applicable law.
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Indemnification and Insurance |
The merger agreement provides that, for a period of six years
following the effective time of the merger, CGG-Veritas and
Volnay Acquisition Co. II shall, jointly and severally,
indemnify, defend and hold harmless the present and former
officers, directors, employees and agents of Veritas in such
capacities to the fullest extent that Veritas would have been
required to do so in accordance with the provisions of each
indemnification or similar agreement or arrangement with
Veritas. CGG and Volnay Acquisition Co. II agree that all
rights to exculpation, advancement of expenses and
indemnification for acts or omissions occurring prior to the
merger now existing in favor of the current and former officers
and directors of Veritas as provided in the certificate of
incorporation, bylaws or any material contract of Veritas, will
survive the merger and continue in full force and effect in
accordance with their terms.
The merger agreement further provides that, for a period of six
years following the merger, CGG and the combined company shall
take all necessary actions to ensure that CGGs
directors and officers liability insurance continues
to cover each officer and director of Veritas, in each case so
long as they remain employed or retained by CGG as an officer or
director. CGG will also maintain a tail directors and
officers liability insurance from an insurance carrier
with the same or better credit rating as Veritas current
insurance carrier, with a claims period of six years from the
merger, with respect to the directors and officers of Veritas
who are currently covered by Veritas existing
directors and officers liability insurance with
respect to claims arising from facts or events that occurred
before the merger, in an amount and scope and on terms and
conditions no less favorable to such directors and officers than
those in effect at the signing of the merger agreement. However,
CGG-Veritas will not be obligated to make annual premium
payments for this insurance to the extent that the premiums
exceed 200% of the per annum rate of premium currently paid by
Veritas for such insurance on the date of the merger agreement
per policy year of coverage. In the event that the aggregate
premium for such insurance exceeds such maximum amount,
CGG-Veritas shall purchase as much coverage per policy year as
reasonably obtainable for such maximum amount.
Conditions to the Consummation of the Merger
United States. The merger is subject to the expiration or
termination of the applicable waiting period under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. Under
the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, the merger may not be consummated
until notifications have been given and certain information has
been furnished to the Antitrust Division of the Department of
Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the
applicable waiting period has expired or been terminated.
CGG and Veritas filed on September 25, 2006 the requisite
Pre-Merger Notification and Report Forms under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act with the Antitrust Division and the FTC.
The Antitrust Division terminated the waiting period on
October 25, 2006.
Brazil. CGG and Veritas each conduct business in Brazil.
Law n°8.884, of June 11, 1994, in force under the
Brazilian System for the Defense of Competition, requires
notification to and approval by the Brazilian Administrative
Council for Economic Defense (CADE) of mergers and
acquisitions involving parties with combined market share on a
relevant market in Brazil exceeding specified thresholds. CGG
and Veritas each submitted filings with the CADE on September
26, 2006.
Norway. CGG and Veritas each conduct business in Norway.
The Norwegian merger control legislation in Chapter 4 of
the Norwegian Competition Act of March 5, 2004 N°12
and in the
84
Regulation Notification of Concentration of April 28,
2004 requires notification to and prior approval by the
Norwegian Competition Authority (NCA) of mergers and
acquisitions involving parties with aggregate revenues in Norway
exceeding certain thresholds. As a result, CGG and Veritas each
submitted filings with the NCA. The NCA has not requested the
submission of a complete notification within the standardized
notification review period. As a result, the merger is deemed
authorized.
Other Jurisdictions. The merger may also require
notification to, and filings with, certain authorities in other
jurisdictions where CGG and Veritas currently operate. CGG and
Veritas will make any required filings, and if deemed in
CGGs and Veritas interests, any voluntary filings,
with the appropriate governmental authorities as promptly as
practicable.
As CGG and Veritas each conduct business in the United Kingdom,
they made a voluntary filing (by way of informal submission),
with the UK merger authority on November 6, 2006. In
addition, CGG and Veritas made a voluntary filing with the
Australian Foreign Investment Review Board on October 25,
2006, which was cleared on November 22, 2006. The companies
also replied on November 22, 2006 to a request for
information from the Australian Competition Authority.
There can be no assurance that the merger will not be challenged
on antitrust or competition grounds or, if a challenge is made,
what the outcome would be. The Antitrust Division, the FTC, any
U.S. state and other applicable regulatory bodies may
challenge the merger on antitrust or competition grounds at any
time, including after the expiration or termination of the
Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period or other applicable process, as
they may deem necessary or desirable or in the public interest.
Accordingly, at any time before or after the completion of the
merger, any such party could take action under the antitrust
laws, including, without limitation, by seeking to enjoin the
effective time of the merger or permitting completion subject to
regulatory concessions or conditions. Private parties may also
seek to take legal action under antitrust laws under certain
circumstances.
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Other Regulatory Procedures |
The merger may be subject to certain regulatory requirements of
other municipal, state, federal and foreign governmental
agencies and authorities, including those relating to the offer
and sale of securities. CGG and Veritas are currently working to
evaluate and comply in all material respects with these
requirements, as appropriate, and do not currently anticipate
that they will hinder, delay or restrict completion of the
merger.
It is possible that one or more of the regulatory approvals
required to complete the merger will not be obtained on a timely
basis or at all. In addition, it is possible that any of the
governmental entities with which filings are made may seek
regulatory concessions as conditions for granting approval of
the merger. Under the merger agreement, CGG and Veritas have
each agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to complete the
merger, including to gain clearance from antitrust and
competition authorities and obtain other required approvals. For
this purpose, each of CGG and Veritas has agreed to commit to
certain divestitures or restrictions, if necessary, that after
the effective time of the merger would limit the combined
companys freedom of action with respect to, or its ability
to retain, one or more of its businesses, product lines or
assets. See The Merger Agreement
Covenants.
Although CGG and Veritas do not expect regulatory authorities to
raise any significant objections to the merger, they cannot be
certain that they will obtain all required regulatory approvals
or that these approvals will not contain terms, conditions or
restrictions that would be detrimental to the combined company
after the effective time of the merger. CGG and Veritas have not
yet obtained any of the governmental or regulatory approvals
required to complete the merger.
Pursuant to the Exon-Florio Amendment to the Defense Production
Act of 1950, 50 U.S.C. App.§2170, as amended, on
October 16, 2006, CGG and Veritas filed jointly a voluntary
notification with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the
United States (the CFIUS) regarding the merger and its
85
implications for the U.S. operations of CGG and Veritas. On
November 16, 2006, the CFIUS issued a letter stating that
it had concluded its action, having found no national security
issues sufficient to warrant further investigation.
Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following is a general discussion of certain material
U.S. federal income tax consequences of the merger that may
be relevant to you if you hold shares of Veritas common stock as
a capital asset and are:
|
|
|
|
|
an individual citizen or resident of the United States; |
|
|
|
a corporation or other entity taxable as a corporation created
in or organized under the laws of the United States or any
political subdivision thereof; |
|
|
|
an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal
income tax without regard to its source; or |
|
|
|
a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise
primary supervision over its administration and one or more
U.S. persons have the authority to control all of the
substantial decisions of such trust. |
This discussion is addressed only to Veritas stockholders who
exchange shares of Veritas common stock for either CGG ADSs,
cash or a combination of both in the merger. Holders of Veritas
warrants or convertible debt obligations should consult their
tax advisors as to the tax consequences to them of the merger.
This discussion is not intended to be a complete analysis and
does not address all potential tax consequences that may be
relevant to you. Moreover, this discussion does not apply to you
if you are subject to special treatment under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including, without limitation,
because you are:
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|
|
a foreign person or entity; |
|
|
|
a tax-exempt organization, financial institution, mutual fund,
dealer or broker in securities or insurance company; |
|
|
|
a trader who elects to mark its securities to market for
U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
|
|
|
a person who holds shares of Veritas common stock as part of an
integrated investment such as a straddle, hedge, constructive
sale, conversion transaction or other risk reduction transaction; |
|
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|
a person who holds shares of Veritas common stock in an
individual retirement or other tax-deferred account; |
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|
a person whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; |
|
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|
an individual who received shares of Veritas common stock, or
who acquires CGG ADSs or CGG ordinary shares, pursuant to the
exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation
or in connection with the performance of services; |
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|
a partnership or other flow-through entity (including an
S corporation or a limited liability company treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and
persons who hold an interest in such entities; or |
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|
a person subject to the alternative minimum tax. |
In addition, this discussion does not address the tax
consequences to you if you will become a five-percent
transferee shareholder of CGG within the meaning of the
applicable Treasury Regulations under Section 367 of the
Internal Revenue Code. In general, a five-percent transferee
shareholder is a person who holds shares of Veritas common stock
and will own directly, indirectly or constructively through
attribution rules, at least five percent of either the total
voting power or total value of CGG ordinary
86
shares immediately after the merger. If you believe you could
become a five-percent transferee shareholder of CGG, you should
consult your tax advisor about the special rules and
time-sensitive tax procedures, including the requirement to file
a gain recognition agreement, that might apply regarding your
ability to obtain non-recognition treatment in the merger. The
tax opinion to be provided by Vinson & Elkins or the
ruling requested of the IRS (the receipt of which by Veritas is
a condition to the obligation of Veritas to consummate the
merger, as discussed below) will assume that any shareholder who
is a five-percent transferee shareholder with
respect to CGG within the meaning of the applicable Treasury
Regulations under Section 367 of the Internal Revenue Code
will in timely and proper manner file the gain recognition
agreement described in such Treasury Regulations.
If a partnership, or other entity or arrangement treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, exchanges
its shares of Veritas common stock in the merger, the tax
treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend upon the
status of that partner and the activities of the partnership.
Partners in a partnership that intends to exchange its shares of
Veritas common stock in the merger should consult their tax
advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax
consequences applicable to them.
This discussion also does not address the tax consequences of
the merger under foreign, state, local or other tax laws. The
following discussion is based on existing U.S. federal
income tax law, including the provisions of the Internal Revenue
Code, the Treasury Regulations thereunder, IRS rulings, judicial
decisions and other administrative pronouncements, all as in
effect on the date of this proxy statement/ prospectus. Neither
CGG nor Veritas can provide any assurance that future
legislative, administrative or judicial changes or
interpretations will not affect the accuracy of the statements
or conclusions set forth below. Any future change in the
U.S. federal income tax law or interpretation thereof could
apply retroactively and could affect the accuracy of the
following discussion. In addition, neither CGG nor Veritas can
assure you that the IRS will agree with the conclusions
expressed herein.
You are strongly urged to consult your tax advisor as to the
U.S. federal income tax consequences of the merger,
including the income tax consequences arising from your own
facts and circumstances, and as to any estate, gift, state,
local or
non-U.S. tax
consequences, including French tax consequences, arising out of
the merger and the ownership and disposition of CGG ADSs and/or
CGG ordinary shares.
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Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the
Merger |
The obligation of Veritas and CGG to consummate the merger is
conditioned upon the receipt of tax opinions, reasonably
satisfactory in form and in substance, dated the effective time
of the merger, from Vinson & Elkins and Skadden,
respectively, that the merger will be treated for
U.S. federal income tax purposes as a
reorganization qualifying under the provisions of
Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Under Section 367(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, a
transaction qualifying as a tax-free reorganization pursuant to
Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code in which a U.S.
person exchanges stock of a U.S. corporation for stock of
foreign corporation will nevertheless be fully taxable to such
U.S. person unless the transaction qualifies for an
exception. The obligation of Veritas to consummate the merger is
conditioned upon the receipt by Veritas of a tax opinion from
Vinson & Elkins or of a ruling from the IRS, for which
Veritas filed a formal request on October 6, 2006, that the
transfer of shares of Veritas common stock to CGG by Veritas
shareholders pursuant to the merger will not be subject to
Section 367(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The tax opinions described above will be based on certain facts,
representations, covenants and assumptions, including
representations of CGG and Veritas, and that the parties will
comply with certain reporting obligations under the Internal
Revenue Code. This discussion and the tax opinions are not
binding on the IRS or any court and do not preclude the IRS or a
court from reaching a contrary conclusion. Therefore, while CGG
and Veritas believe that the merger will be treated as a
tax-free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code, no assurance can be provided that the IRS
will agree with this conclusion. Moreover, there can be no
assurance that Veritas will obtain the ruling from the IRS or
the opinion from Vinson & Elkins described above, to
the effect that the merger
87
will not be subject to Section 367(a)(1) of the Internal
Revenue Code. Veritas expects to receive a response from the IRS
to the ruling request before the election deadline on
January 10, 2007 and will publicize the response in a press
release.
The following discussion regarding the U.S. federal income
tax consequences of the merger assumes that the merger will be
consummated as described in the merger agreement and this proxy
statement/prospectus and that, following the effective time of
the merger, CGG will cause Volnay Acquisition Co. II to comply
with certain reporting requirements set forth in Treasury
Regulations under Section 367 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Assuming further that the merger is treated as a reorganization
under Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and that
your transfer of shares of Veritas common stock to CGG pursuant
to the merger will not be subject to Section 367(a)(1) of
the Internal Revenue Code, the following tax consequences will
result:
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|
If you exchange all of your shares of Veritas common stock
solely for shares of CGG ADSs in the merger, you will not
recognize any gain or loss (except with respect to cash received
in lieu of a fractional share of a CGG ADS, as discussed below). |
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|
|
If you exchange your shares of Veritas common stock solely for
cash in the merger, you generally will recognize capital gain or
loss equal to the difference between the amount of cash received
and your tax basis in the shares of Veritas common stock. If,
however, you own, or are treated as owning, CGG ADSs after the
merger, the amount of cash you receive might be treated as a
dividend (discussed below). |
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|
|
If you exchange your shares of Veritas common stock for a
combination of CGG ADSs and cash, you generally will recognize
capital gain (but not loss) in the merger. Any such gain
recognized will equal the lesser of (1) the excess, if any,
of (a) the sum of the amount of cash (excluding any cash
received instead of a fractional share) and the fair market
value of the CGG ADSs you receive in the merger over
(b) your adjusted tax basis in the shares of Veritas common
stock you exchanged and (2) the amount of cash you receive
in the merger (excluding cash received instead of a fractional
share, as discussed below). For this purpose, you must calculate
gain or loss separately for each identifiable block (that is,
stock acquired at the same time for the same price) of shares of
Veritas common stock you exchange. |
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|
|
The aggregate tax basis of any CGG ADSs you receive in exchange
for your shares of Veritas common stock in the merger (before
reduction for the basis in any fractional share of CGG ADSs for
which you receive cash) will be the same as the aggregate tax
basis of your shares of Veritas common stock, decreased by the
amount of cash you receive in the merger (excluding any cash
received in lieu of a fractional share) and increased by the
amount of gain or dividend income you recognize in the merger
(excluding any gain recognized as a result of cash received in
lieu of a fractional share). |
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|
The holding period of any CGG ADSs you receive in the merger
generally will include the holding period of the shares of
Veritas common stock you exchanged for such CGG ADSs. |
|
|
|
If you have differing bases or holding periods in respect to
your shares of shares of Veritas common stock, you should
consult your tax advisor prior to the exchange with regard to
identifying the bases or holding periods of the particular CGG
ADSs received in the merger. |
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Because CGG will not issue any fractional CGG ADSs in the
merger, if you exchange shares of Veritas common stock in the
merger and would otherwise have received a fraction of a CGG
ADS, you will receive cash. Any cash you receive in lieu of a
fractional CGG ADS should be treated as received in exchange of
that interest for cash. The amount of any capital gain or loss
attributable to the deemed sale will be equal to the amount of
cash received with respect to the fractional interest less the
ratable portion of the tax basis of the shares of Veritas common
stock surrendered that is allocated to the fractional interest. |
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If you are an individual, any gain you recognize generally will
be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a maximum 15% rate
if your holding period in the shares of Veritas common stock is
more than one year on the date of completion of the merger. The
deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. |
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If, after the merger, you own, or are treated as owning, CGG
ADSs, it is possible that your gain recognized in the merger
will be treated as a dividend rather than as capital gain. In
general, the treatment of such gain will depend upon whether and
to what extent the exchange reduces your deemed percentage stock
ownership of CGG, which is determined by treating you as if you
first exchanged all of your shares of Veritas common stock
solely for CGG ADSs and then CGG immediately redeemed a portion
of the CGG ADSs in exchange for the cash you actually receive.
Gain recognized in the deemed redemption generally will be
treated as capital gain if the deemed redemption is
(1) substantially disproportionate with respect
to you (that is, in general, if your deemed percentage stock
ownership in CGG was reduced in the deemed redemption by at
least 20%) or (2) not essentially equivalent to a
dividend, which requires a meaningful
reduction in your deemed stock ownership of CGG. In
applying the above tests, you will, under the constructive
ownership rules, be deemed to own not only stock that you
actually own, but also stock that is owned by certain related
persons and entities or that you or such persons or entities
have the right to acquire pursuant to an option. The IRS has
ruled that a stockholder in a publicly held corporation whose
relative stock interest is minimal and who exercises no control
with respect to corporate affairs is generally considered to
have a meaningful reduction if that stockholder has
any reduction in its percentage stock ownership under the above
analysis. Thus, any stockholder in this situation generally
should recognize capital gain. These rules are complex and
dependent upon the specific factual circumstances particular to
each holder. You should consult your tax advisor as to the
application of these rules to your particular facts. |
If the IRS were successfully to challenge the qualification of
the merger as a reorganization, you would generally be required
to recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between your
adjusted tax basis in the shares of Veritas common stock you
surrender in the merger and an amount equal to any cash received
plus the fair market value, as of the effective time of the
merger, of any CGG ADSs received or to be received in the
merger. Generally, in such event, your tax basis in the CGG ADSs
you received in the merger would equal their fair market value
as of the date of the merger, and your holding period for the
CGG ADSs would begin on the day after the merger.
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U.S. Information Reporting and Backup
Withholding |
If you receive CGG ADSs in the merger, you will be required
(i) to file a statement with your U.S. federal income
tax return providing a complete statement of all facts pertinent
to the non-recognition of gain or loss upon your exchange of
shares of Veritas common stock, including the tax basis in the
shares of Veritas common stock that you surrendered and the fair
market value of the CGG ADSs and any cash you received in the
merger and (ii) to retain permanent records of these facts
relating to the merger. Additionally, you may be subject to a
backup withholding tax at the rate of 28% with respect to any
cash received in the merger in lieu of fractional CGG ADSs,
unless you (1) are a corporation or come within certain
other exempt categories or (2) provide a correct taxpayer
identification number and otherwise comply with applicable
requirements of the backup withholding rules. To prevent backup
withholding on payments made to you pursuant to the merger, you
must provide the exchange agent with your correct taxpayer
identification number by completing an IRS
Form W-9 or a
substitute
Form W-9. If you
do not provide your correct taxpayer identification number, you
may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS in addition to
backup withholding. Any amounts withheld under these rules may
be credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability
if you file proper documentation with the IRS.
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Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of
Holding CGG ADSs |
CGGs 2005
Form 20-F, which
is incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/
prospectus, contains a description of certain U.S. federal
income tax consequences related to holding CGG ADSs,
89
including the treatment of dividends paid with respect to CGG
ADSs. The description contained in CGGs 2005
Form 20-F,
however, is only a summary and does not purport to be a complete
analysis of all potential tax effects resulting from the
ownership of CGG ADSs (including, for example, tax consequences
for holders who are subject to special treatment under
U.S. federal income tax law).
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Certain French Income Tax Consequences of the
Merger |
If you are not a resident of France, you will not be subject to
French tax on the exchange of your shares of Veritas common
stock for CGG ADSs in the merger, provided that you do not have
a permanent establishment or a fixed base in France to which
your shares of Veritas common stock may be attributed. If you
are a resident of France or if you hold your stock through a
permanent establishment or fixed base in France, you should
consult your tax advisor.
The material French tax consequences relating to the ownership
of CGG ADSs are summarized in CGGs 2005
Form 20-F, which
is incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/
prospectus.
Accounting Treatment
Due to the listing of CGGs securities on the Euronext
Paris SA and in accordance with EC
Regulation No. 1606/2002 of July 19, 2002, the
2005 annual consolidated financial statements of CGG and its
subsidiaries were prepared in accordance with IFRS. In
accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, CGG
reconciles the financial statements it files with the SEC to
U.S. GAAP.
CGG intends to account for the merger as a business combination
applying the purchase method of accounting as defined by IFRS 3,
Business combinations, or IFRS 3. In accordance with this
method, the acquirer purchases net assets and recognizes at fair
value the assets acquired and liabilities and contingent
liabilities assumed, including those not previously recognized
by the acquired entity. The measurement of the acquirers
assets and liabilities is not affected by the transaction.
Because the purchase method views a business combination from
the acquirers perspective, it assumes that one of the
parties to the transaction can be identified as the acquirer.
Based on the analysis of all factors set forth in IFRS 3,
paragraphs 19 to 21, including the relative ownership
of CGG shareholders and Veritas stockholders in the combined
company upon completion of the merger, the relative fair value
of CGG and Veritas and the issuance by CGG of CGG ADSs and
underlying ordinary shares in connection with the merger,
CGGs management has concluded that, under IFRS, CGG will
be considered the acquirer and Veritas the acquiree. Concerning
the accounting treatment under U.S. GAAP, CGGs
management has carefully considered all of the factors in
paragraph 17 of FASB Statement No. 141, Business
Combinations, or SFAS 141, including the relative
ownership of CGG shareholders and Veritas stockholders in the
combined company upon completion of the merger, the fact that
the combined company will be incorporated in France with its
executive offices in Paris, and the composition of the combined
companys board of directors, and has concluded that, under
U.S. GAAP, the merger will also be treated as an
acquisition of Veritas by CGG. See Note 6 to the unaudited
pro forma condensed combined financial information of CGG and
Veritas included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.
As defined by IFRS 3, the cost of the business combination
will be measured as the aggregate of: (i) the cash paid by
CGG, (ii) the market value at the effective time of the
merger of CGG ADSs issued to holders of Veritas common stock,
(iii) any cash consideration paid to the Veritas
stockholders and (iv) any costs directly attributable to
the business combination.
Under U.S. GAAP, as defined by EITF Issue No. 99-12,
Determination of the Measurement Date for the Market Price of
Acquirer Securities Issued in a Purchase Business
Combination, the purchase price will be based on
(i) the market price of CGGs ADSs over a reasonable
period of time before and after the terms of the business
combination were agreed to and announced (September 5,
2006), (ii) any cash consideration paid to the Veritas
stockholders and (iii) any costs directly attributable to
the business combination.
90
The excess of the cost of the business combination over
CGGs interest in the net fair value of Veritas
identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities will
be accounted for as goodwill.
In applying this method, the measurement of Veritas
acquired assets and liabilities assumed could differ materially
from their carrying value in Veritas books.
When it reconciles its financial statements to U.S. GAAP,
CGG will also account for the merger using the purchase method
of accounting for combinations as defined by SFAS 141.
Under both IFRS and U.S. GAAP, Veritas will be fully
consolidated by CGG.
Listing of CGG Ordinary Shares and ADSs
CGG will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the CGG ADSs
to be issued in connection with the merger (and underlying CGG
ordinary shares) to be approved for listing on the NYSE upon the
completion of the merger. Approval of the listing on the NYSE of
the CGG ADSs to be issued pursuant to the merger is a condition
to each partys obligation to complete the merger.
Delisting and Deregistration of Veritas Common Stock
If the merger is completed, Veritas common stock and the
preferred stock rights associated with the common stock will be
delisted from the NYSE and deregistered under the Exchange Act.
Restrictions on Sales of CGG ADSs Received in the Merger
The CGG ADSs to be issued in connection with the merger will be
registered under the Securities Act and will be freely
transferable, except for CGG ADSs issued to any person who is
deemed to be an affiliate of Veritas under the
Securities Act at the time of the Veritas special meeting.
Persons who may be deemed to be affiliates of
Veritas prior to the merger include individuals or entities that
control, are controlled by, or are under common control with,
Veritas prior to the merger, and may include officers and
directors, as well as significant stockholders of Veritas prior
to the merger. Affiliates of Veritas prior to the merger may not
sell any of the CGG ADSs received by them in connection with the
merger except pursuant to:
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an effective registration statement under the Securities Act
covering the resale of those shares; |
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an exemption under paragraph (d) of Rule 145
under the Securities Act; or |
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any other applicable exemption under the Securities Act. |
Veritas has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to cause
each person identified as an affiliate of Veritas at the time of
the Veritas special meeting to deliver, on or prior to the
effective time of the merger, a letter agreement providing,
among other things, that such person agrees not to transfer any
CGG ADSs received pursuant to the merger in violation of the
Securities Act. Persons identified as affiliates will be unable
to exchange their Veritas common stock for the merger
consideration until they execute such letter agreement.
91
THE MERGER AGREEMENT
The following summary describes selected material provisions
of the merger agreement, which is attached as Annex A to
this proxy statement/ prospectus and is incorporated by
reference herein. This summary may not contain all of the
information about the merger agreement that is important to you.
You are encouraged to carefully read the merger agreement in its
entirety.
The merger agreement has been included to provide you with
information regarding its terms. It is not intended to provide
any other factual information about CGG or Veritas. Such
information can be found elsewhere in this proxy statement/
prospectus and in the public filings that CGG and Veritas make
with the SEC, which are available without charge through the
SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
The representations and warranties described below and
included in the merger agreement were made by each of CGG and
Veritas to the other. These representations and warranties were
made as of specific dates and are subject to important
exceptions and limitations, including a contractual standard of
materiality different from that generally applicable under
federal securities laws. In addition, the representations and
warranties may have been included in the merger agreement for
the purpose of allocating risk between CGG and Veritas, rather
than to establish matters as facts. The merger agreement is
described in this proxy statement/ prospectus and attached as
Annex A hereto only to provide you with information
regarding its terms and conditions, and not to provide any other
factual information regarding CGG, Veritas or their respective
businesses. Accordingly, you should not rely on the
representations and warranties in the merger agreement as
characterizations of the actual state of facts about CGG or
Veritas, and you should read the information provided elsewhere
in this proxy statement/ prospectus and in the documents
incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus
for information regarding CGG and Veritas and their respective
businesses. See Additional Information Where
You Can Find More Information.
Structure of the Merger
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions of the
merger agreement, at the effective time, Volnay Acquisition
Co. I, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG, will merge with
and into Veritas, and immediately thereafter, Veritas will, in a
second merger, merge with and into Volnay Acquisition
Co. II, another wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG, with Volnay
Acquisition Co. II continuing its corporate existence and
surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG.
Effective Time of the Merger
The closing of the merger and the other transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement will occur no later than
the second business day after all of the conditions to the
completion of the merger contained in the merger agreement have
been satisfied or waived, or at such other time as CGG and
Veritas may agree. Contemporaneously with, or as soon as
practicable after the closing, the appropriate parties will file
a certificate of merger with the Secretary of State of the State
of Delaware. The merger will become effective upon the filing of
the certificate of merger or at such other time as CGG and
Veritas agree in writing and specify in the certificate of
merger.
Merger Consideration
The merger agreement provides that at the effective time of the
merger each share of Veritas common stock issued and outstanding
immediately prior to the effective time will be converted into
the right to receive either a number of CGG ADSs or an amount of
cash as described below.
Veritas stockholders will have the right to elect to receive
either cash or CGG ADSs with respect to each share of Veritas
common stock they hold, meaning that each Veritas stockholder
may elect to receive his or her merger consideration entirely in
cash, entirely in CGG ADSs or in a combination of cash and
92
CGG ADSs, subject in each case to the proration procedures
described below. See Conversion of Shares;
Exchange of Certificates; Elections as to Form of Consideration;
Proration Election Procedure and
Proration. The number of CGG ADSs to be
received for each share of Veritas common stock being converted
into CGG ADSs are referred herein to as the per share ADS
consideration, and the amount of cash to be received for
each share of Veritas common stock being converted into cash are
referred to herein as the per share cash
consideration.
Based on the number of shares of Veritas common stock
outstanding on July 31, 2006, CGG would issue approximately
41 million ADSs and pay approximately $1.33 billion in
cash pursuant to the merger. Those amounts will be adjusted
upwards depending on the actual number of shares of Veritas
common stock outstanding at the effective time of the merger,
which will increase if Veritas issues any shares in accordance
with the terms of the merger agreement, such as through the
issuance of stock options or conversion of the Veritas
convertible bonds. Based on the outstanding shares of Veritas
common stock on July 31, 2006 and the maximum number of
additional shares of Veritas common stock that may be issued in
accordance with the merger agreement pursuant to the exercise of
outstanding Veritas stock options or the conversion of the
Veritas convertible bonds or otherwise, the aggregate number of
ADSs that CGG would issue pursuant to the merger is
approximately 49.8 million and the aggregate amount that
CGG would pay in cash is approximately $1.61 billion.
Holders of Veritas convertible bonds who do not convert prior to
the election deadline will be entitled to receive upon
conversion the merger consideration that a holder of no election
shares would receive pursuant to the merger. See
Conversion of Shares; Exchange of
Certificates; Elections as to Form of Consideration; and
Proration Election Procedure. If such
consideration consists entirely of CGG ADSs, CGG will be
required to issue, upon conversion of Veritas convertible
bonds, up to 10.0 million more CGG ADSs than if the
convertible bondholders had converted prior to the merger date
(although the cash portion of the maximum merger consideration
set out above would be correspondingly reduced). If such
consideration consists entirely of cash, CGG will be required to
pay, upon conversion of Veritas convertible bonds, up to
$165 million more cash than if the convertible bondholders
had converted prior to the merger date (although the ADS portion
of the maximum merger consideration set out above would be
correspondingly reduced).
The amount of the per share ADS consideration or per share cash
consideration that will be paid to Veritas stockholders for each
share of Veritas common stock cannot be determined until the
effective time of the merger because, as detailed below, the per
share ADS consideration and per share cash consideration are
calculated based on the market price for the CGG ADSs over a
trading period that ends three calendar days before the
effective time of the merger. CGG will issue a press release
that discloses the amount of the per share ADS consideration and
the amount of the per share cash consideration once such amounts
are known.
Subject to the proration procedures described below, the per
share cash consideration that will be paid for each share of
Veritas common stock in respect of which a cash election is made
will be the amount calculated by dividing the aggregate
consideration by the total common stock
amount. The discussion also includes references to that
amount as the per share consideration.
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The aggregate consideration is the dollar amount of
the sum of: |
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the product of (1) the aggregate number of CGG ADSs that
CGG will issue pursuant to the merger (which is generally the
product of 2.2501 and 50.664% of the total common stock
amount) and (2) the average CGG ADS value
(referred to in the merger agreement as the final parent
depository share price), and |
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the aggregate amount of cash CGG will pay pursuant to the merger
(which is generally the product of (1) 49.336% of the total
common stock amount and (2) $75.00). This aggregate amount
of cash is referred to as the total cash amount. |
93
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The average CGG ADS value is the average of the per
share closing prices of CGG ADSs on the NYSE as reported in
The Wall Street Journal during the 20 consecutive trading
day period during which the CGG ADSs are traded on the NYSE
ending on the third calendar day immediately prior to the
effective time of the merger (or, if such calendar day is not a
trading day, ending on the trading day immediately preceding
such calendar day). This 20 consecutive trading day period is
referred to as the valuation period. |
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The total common stock amount is the total number of
shares of Veritas common stock outstanding immediately prior to
the effective time of the merger; provided that, for purposes of
determining the aggregate consideration, the total common stock
amount will not exceed the sum of 35,985,254 (the number of
shares of Veritas common stock outstanding on July 31,
2006, a cut-off date used in the merger agreement for purposes
of this determination) and the number of shares of Veritas
common stock permitted to be issued by Veritas prior to the
merger under the terms of the merger agreement, including
through the issuance of stock options or through the conversion
of the Veritas convertible bonds. |
Subject to the proration procedure described below, the per
share ADS consideration to be paid for each share of Veritas
common stock in respect of which an ADS election is made will be
the number of CGG ADSs equal to the exchange ratio,
which is the number obtained by dividing the per share
consideration by the average CGG ADS value.
The formula described above is designed to substantially
equalize the value of the consideration to be received for each
share of Veritas common stock pursuant to the merger at the time
the calculation is made regardless of whether a Veritas
stockholder elects to receive cash, CGG ADSs or a combination of
cash and CGG ADSs. CGG and Veritas deemed this equalization
mechanism to be desirable because the value of the CGG ADSs will
fluctuate between September 4, 2006, the date the parties
entered into the merger agreement and the effective time of the
merger. The value of the merger consideration to be received
with respect to each share of Veritas common stock will be equal
to $37.00 plus approximately $1.14 per $1.00 of average CGG
ADS value. However, because the value of the CGG ADSs will
continue to fluctuate between the time the per share
consideration is calculated and the time that the merger
consideration is received by Veritas stockholders, the value of
the per share ADS consideration actually received by a Veritas
stockholder may differ from the value of the per share ADS
consideration at the time of the calculation.
The formula is also designed to fix the amount of cash and the
number of CGG ADSs to be paid and issued, respectively, pursuant
to the merger (in each case subject to upward adjustment in the
event that any shares of Veritas common stock are issued in
accordance with the merger agreement pursuant to the exercise of
outstanding Veritas stock options or conversion of Veritas
convertible bonds or otherwise). Because the amount of cash and
the number of CGG ADSs to be paid and issued, respectively,
pursuant to the merger are fixed, the percentage of shares of
Veritas common stock that will be exchanged for CGG ADSs and the
percentage that will be exchanged for cash will depend upon the
average CGG ADS value. The higher the average CGG ADS value, the
greater the percentage of shares of Veritas common stock that
will be exchanged for CGG ADSs and the lower the average CGG ADS
value, the greater the percentage of shares of Veritas common
stock that will be exchanged for cash.
For example, if the average CGG ADS value is $30.00, a Veritas
stockholder receiving CGG ADSs in exchange for shares of Veritas
common stock would receive 2.373 CGG ADSs per share of Veritas
common stock, having a value of approximately $71.20 per
share based on such average CGG ADS value, and a Veritas
stockholder receiving cash in exchange for shares of Veritas
common stock would receive $71.20 in cash per share of Veritas
common stock, subject in each case to the proration procedures
described below. Based on an average CGG ADS value of $30.00,
approximately 48.03% of the outstanding shares of Veritas common
stock would be exchanged for CGG ADSs, and approximately 51.97%
would be exchanged for cash.
94
The greater the average CGG ADS value, the lesser the number of
shares of Veritas common stock that will be exchanged for cash
and the greater the number of shares that will be exchanged for
CGG ADSs. For example, if the average CGG ADS value is $35.00,
then approximately 48.12% of the outstanding shares of Veritas
common stock would be exchanged for cash, and approximately
51.88% would be exchanged for CGG ADSs. If the average CGG ADS
value is $35.00, a Veritas stockholder receiving CGG ADSs would
receive 2.1972 CGG ADSs per share of Veritas common stock having
a value of approximately $76.90 per share based on such
average CGG ADS value, and a Veritas stockholder receiving cash
would receive $76.90 in cash per share of Veritas common stock,
subject in each case to the proration procedures described below.
Conversely, the lower the average CGG ADS value, the greater the
number of shares of Veritas common stock that will be exchanged
for cash and the lesser the number of shares that will be
exchanged for CGG ADSs. For example, if the average CGG ADS
value is $25.00, then approximately 56.49% of the outstanding
shares of Veritas common stock would be exchanged for cash, and
approximately 43.51% would be exchanged for CGG ADSs. If the
average CGG ADS value is $25.00, a Veritas stockholder receiving
CGG ADSs would receive 2.6201 CGG ADSs per share of Veritas
common stock having a value, based on such average CGG ADS
value, of $65.50 per share (assuming the market price of
the CGG ADSs remained constant from the end of the valuation
period through the effective time of the merger), and a Veritas
stockholder receiving cash would receive $65.50 in cash per
share of Veritas common stock, subject in each case to the
proration procedures described below.
95
The following table sets forth, based on various hypothetical
average CGG ADS values, the per share cash consideration and the
per share ADS consideration, as well as the value of such per
share ADS consideration based on the hypothetical average CGG
ADS values. The table also shows the percentage of outstanding
shares of Veritas common stock that would be converted into CGG
ADSs and cash based on such average CGG ADS value. The table is
based on the assumption that no Veritas stock options have been
exercised and no Veritas convertible bonds have been converted
following the date of this proxy statement/ prospectus and prior
to the effective time of the merger, that no additional shares
of Veritas common stock are otherwise issued following the date
of this proxy statement/ prospectus and that the number of
exchangeable shares of Veritas common stock is 35,985,254 (the
number of shares of Veritas common stock outstanding on
July 31, 2006). To the extent that the number of shares of
Veritas common stock outstanding increases in accordance with
the merger agreement (whether as a result of the exercise of
outstanding Veritas stock options or conversion of Veritas
convertible bonds or otherwise), the number of shares of Veritas
common stock exchanged for merger consideration will increase
and the aggregate transaction value will increase, but there
will be no change in the per share ADS consideration or per
share cash consideration. Each additional share of Veritas
common stock will increase the aggregate transaction value by
approximately 1.14 CGG ADSs and $37.00 in cash.
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Approximate Percentage | |
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Value of per Share | |
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of Merger Consideration | |
Average CGG | |
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Per Share Cash | |
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Per Share ADS | |
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ADS | |
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ADS Value | |
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Consideration | |
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Consideration | |
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Consideration(1) | |
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In ADSs | |
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In Cash | |
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$ |
30.00 |
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$ |
71.20 |
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2.3734 |
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$ |
71.20 |
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48.03% |
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51.97% |
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$ |
30.50 |
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$ |
71.77 |
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2.3532 |
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$ |
71.77 |
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48.44% |
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51.56% |
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$ |
31.00 |
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$ |
72.34 |
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2.3336 |
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$ |
72.34 |
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48.85% |
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51.15% |
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$ |
31.50 |
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$ |
72.91 |
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2.3147 |
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$ |
72.91 |
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49.25% |
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50.75% |
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$ |
32.00 |
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$ |
73.48 |
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2.2963 |
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$ |
73.48 |
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49.64% |
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50.36% |
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$ |
32.50 |
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$ |
74.05 |
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2.2785 |
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$ |
74.05 |
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50.03% |
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49.97% |
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$ |
33.00 |
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$ |
74.62 |
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2.2613 |
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$ |
74.62 |
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50.41% |
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49.59% |
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$ |
33.50 |
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$ |
75.19 |
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2.2445 |
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$ |
75.19 |
|
|
|
50.79% |
|
|
|
49.21% |
|
$ |
34.00 |
|
|
$ |
75.76 |
|
|
|
2.2283 |
|
|
$ |
75.76 |
|
|
|
51.16% |
|
|
|
48.84% |
|
$ |
34.50 |
|
|
$ |
76.33 |
|
|
|
2.2125 |
|
|
$ |
76.33 |
|
|
|
51.52% |
|
|
|
48.48% |
|
$ |
35.00 |
|
|
$ |
76.90 |
|
|
|
2.1972 |
|
|
$ |
76.90 |
|
|
|
51.88% |
|
|
|
48.12% |
|
$ |
35.50 |
|
|
$ |
77.47 |
|
|
|
2.1823 |
|
|
$ |
77.47 |
|
|
|
52.24% |
|
|
|
47.76% |
|
$ |
36.00 |
|
|
$ |
78.04 |
|
|
|
2.1678 |
|
|
$ |
78.04 |
|
|
|
52.59% |
|
|
|
47.41% |
|
$ |
36.50 |
|
|
$ |
78.61 |
|
|
|
2.1537 |
|
|
$ |
78.61 |
|
|
|
52.93% |
|
|
|
47.07% |
|
$ |
37.00 |
|
|
$ |
79.18 |
|
|
|
2.1400 |
|
|
$ |
79.18 |
|
|
|
53.27% |
|
|
|
46.73% |
|
$ |
37.50 |
|
|
$ |
79.75 |
|
|
|
2.1267 |
|
|
$ |
79.75 |
|
|
|
53.60% |
|
|
|
46.40% |
|
$ |
38.00 |
|
|
$ |
80.32 |
|
|
|
2.1137 |
|
|
$ |
80.32 |
|
|
|
53.93% |
|
|
|
46.07% |
|
$ |
38.50 |
|
|
$ |
80.89 |
|
|
|
2.1011 |
|
|
$ |
80.89 |
|
|
|
54.26% |
|
|
|
45.74% |
|
$ |
39.00 |
|
|
$ |
81.46 |
|
|
|
2.0888 |
|
|
$ |
81.46 |
|
|
|
54.58% |
|
|
|
45.42% |
|
$ |
39.50 |
|
|
$ |
82.03 |
|
|
|
2.0767 |
|
|
$ |
82.03 |
|
|
|
54.89% |
|
|
|
45.11% |
|
$ |
40.00 |
|
|
$ |
82.60 |
|
|
|
2.0650 |
|
|
$ |
82.60 |
|
|
|
55.20% |
|
|
|
44.80% |
|
$ |
41.00 |
|
|
$ |
83.74 |
|
|
|
2.0425 |
|
|
$ |
83.74 |
|
|
|
55.81% |
|
|
|
44.19% |
|
$ |
41.50 |
|
|
$ |
84.31 |
|
|
|
2.0316 |
|
|
$ |
84.31 |
|
|
|
56.11% |
|
|
|
43.89% |
|
$ |
42.00 |
|
|
$ |
84.88 |
|
|
|
2.0210 |
|
|
$ |
84.88 |
|
|
|
56.41% |
|
|
|
43.59% |
|
$ |
42.50 |
|
|
$ |
85.45 |
|
|
|
2.0106 |
|
|
$ |
85.45 |
|
|
|
56.70% |
|
|
|
43.30% |
|
$ |
43.00 |
|
|
$ |
86.02 |
|
|
|
2.0005 |
|
|
$ |
86.02 |
|
|
|
56.99% |
|
|
|
43.01% |
|
$ |
43.50 |
|
|
$ |
86.59 |
|
|
|
1.9906 |
|
|
$ |
86.59 |
|
|
|
57.27% |
|
|
|
42.73% |
|
$ |
44.00 |
|
|
$ |
87.16 |
|
|
|
1.9809 |
|
|
$ |
87.16 |
|
|
|
57.55% |
|
|
|
42.45% |
|
$ |
44.50 |
|
|
$ |
87.73 |
|
|
|
1.9715 |
|
|
$ |
87.73 |
|
|
|
57.82% |
|
|
|
42.18% |
|
$ |
45.00 |
|
|
$ |
88.30 |
|
|
|
1.9623 |
|
|
$ |
88.30 |
|
|
|
58.10% |
|
|
|
41.90% |
|
|
|
(1) |
Based on the hypothetical average CGG ADS values. |
96
The actual value of the cash consideration or number of CGG ADSs
that you will receive for each share of Veritas common stock you
hold may differ from the hypothetical amounts shown in this
example because the actual amounts can only be determined after
the effective time of the merger based on a formula set forth in
the merger agreement and described in this proxy statement/
prospectus. CGG will issue a press release that discloses the
amount of the per share ADS consideration and the amount of the
per share cash consideration once such amounts are known. See
Risk Factors Because the market price of CGG
ADSs will fluctuate, Veritas stockholders cannot be sure of the
value of the merger consideration they will receive.
No assurance can be given that the current fair market value of
CGG ADSs will be equivalent to the fair market value of CGG ADSs
on the date that the merger consideration is received by a
Veritas stockholder or at any other time. The actual fair market
value of the CGG ADSs received by Veritas stockholders depends
upon the fair market value of CGG ADSs upon receipt, which may
be higher or lower than the average CGG ADS value or the market
price of CGG ADSs on the date the merger was announced, on the
date that this proxy statement/ prospectus is mailed to
Veritas stockholders, on the date a Veritas stockholder
makes an election with respect to the merger consideration, or
on the date of the special meeting of Veritas stockholders.
If, between the date of the merger agreement and the effective
time of the merger, the CGG ADSs are changed into a different
number or class of shares by reason of reclassification,
split-up, combination, exchange of shares or similar
readjustment, or a stock dividend is declared with a record date
within that period, appropriate adjustments will be made to the
per share cash consideration and the per share ADS consideration.
No fractional CGG ADSs will be issued to any holder of Veritas
common stock in connection with the merger. For each fractional
ADS that would otherwise be issued, CGG will pay cash in an
amount equal to the fraction multiplied by the average of the
closing sale prices of CGG ADSs on the NYSE as reported by
The Wall Street Journal for the five trading days
immediately preceding the date on which the merger occurs. No
interest will be paid or accrued on cash payable in lieu of
fractional CGG ADSs.
In the event any holder of Veritas common stock is required to
receive cash (other than cash in lieu of fractional CGG ADSs) as
consideration in the merger, the shares of Veritas common stock
outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the
merger and held by a holder who has not voted in favor of, or
consented in writing to, the adoption of the merger agreement
and who has delivered a written demand for appraisal of such
shares in accordance with Section 262 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware will not be converted
into the right to receive the merger consideration, but such
holder will be entitled to seek an appraisal of such shares
under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware,
unless and until the dissenting holder fails to perfect or
effectively withdraws or otherwise loses his or her right to
appraisal and payment under the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware. If, after the effective time of the merger, a
dissenting stockholder fails to perfect or effectively withdraws
or loses his or her right to appraisal, his or her shares of
Veritas common stock will be treated as if they had been
converted as of the effective time of the merger into the right
to receive the merger consideration without interest or
dividends thereon. A copy of Section 262 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which sets forth the
appraisal rights, is attached hereto as Annex F.
Conversion of Shares; Exchange of Certificates; Elections as
to Form of Consideration; Proration
The conversion of shares of Veritas common stock into the right
to receive the merger consideration will occur automatically at
the effective time of the merger. As soon as reasonably
practicable after the effective time of the merger, The Bank of
New York, as exchange agent, will exchange certificates formerly
representing shares of Veritas common stock for merger
consideration to be received in the merger pursuant to the
merger agreement.
97
Prior to the effective time of the merger, CGG will deposit with
The Bank of New York (the depositary for CGG ADSs and the
exchange agent in connection with the merger) the number of CGG
ordinary shares equal to one-fifth of the aggregate number of
CGG ADSs to be issued as merger consideration, and sufficient
cash for the benefit of holders of shares of Veritas common
stock to be converted into the merger consideration.
Soon after the effective time of the merger, the exchange agent
will send a letter of transmittal to each person who was a
Veritas stockholder at the effective time of the merger who has
not previously and properly surrendered certificates
representing shares of Veritas common stock to the exchange
agent in connection with an election as described below. This
mailing will contain instructions on how to surrender
certificates formerly representing shares of Veritas common
stock (if these certificates have not already been surrendered)
in exchange for the merger consideration the holder is entitled
to receive under the merger agreement.
If certificates formerly representing shares of Veritas common
stock are presented for transfer after the effective time of the
merger, they will be exchanged for the merger consideration into
which the shares of Veritas common stock formerly represented by
that certificate shall have been converted.
|
|
|
Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Veritas Common
Stock |
After the effective time of the merger, holders of shares of
Veritas common stock will be entitled to dividends and other
distributions payable with a record date after the effective
time of the merger with respect to the number of CGG ADSs (or
the underlying CGG ordinary shares) to which they are entitled
upon exchange of their shares of Veritas common stock, without
interest, but they will not be paid any dividends or other
distributions on such CGG ADSs (or the underlying CGG ordinary
shares) until they surrender their shares of Veritas common
stock to the exchange agent in accordance with the exchange
agents instructions. After the effective time of the
merger, there will be no transfers on the stock transfer books
of Veritas of any shares of Veritas common stock.
Fractional CGG ADSs will not be delivered pursuant to the
merger. Instead, each holder of shares of Veritas common stock
who would otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional CGG ADS
pursuant to the merger will be entitled to receive a cash
payment, in lieu thereof, in an amount equal to the product of
(1) the average of the closing sale prices of CGG ADSs on
the NYSE as reported by The Wall Street Journal for the
five trading days immediately preceding the effective time of
the merger and (2) the fraction of a CGG ADS which such
holder would otherwise be entitled to receive.
|
|
|
Termination of Exchange Fund |
Any portion of the merger consideration, or dividends payable
pursuant to the merger agreement, made available to the exchange
agent that remains unclaimed by holders of shares of Veritas
common stock for nine months after the effective time of the
merger will be returned to CGG. Thereafter, a holder of Veritas
common stock must look only to CGG for payment of the merger
consideration to which the holder is entitled under the terms of
the merger agreement. Any amounts remaining unclaimed by holders
of shares of Veritas common stock three years after the
effective time of the merger (or such earlier date immediately
prior to such time as such amounts would otherwise escheat to or
become the property of any governmental authority) will become
the property of CGG free and clear of any liens.
If a certificate formerly representing shares of Veritas common
stock has been lost, stolen or destroyed, the exchange agent
will issue the consideration properly payable under the merger
agreement
98
upon receipt of appropriate evidence as to that loss, theft or
destruction, appropriate evidence as to the ownership of that
certificate by the claimant, and appropriate and customary
indemnification.
Each of CGG, the combined corporation and the exchange agent
will be entitled to deduct and withhold from the merger
consideration payable to any Veritas stockholder the amounts it
is required to deduct and withhold under the Internal Revenue
Code or any state, local or foreign tax law. Withheld amounts
will be treated for all purposes of the merger as having been
paid to the Veritas stockholders from whom they were withheld.
|
|
|
Adjustments to Prevent Dilution |
The merger consideration will be adjusted to provide holders of
shares of Veritas common stock the same economic effect
contemplated by the merger agreement if at any time between the
signing and closing of the merger, there is any change in the
outstanding shares of capital stock of Veritas or CGG, by reason
of any reclassification, recapitalization, stock split or
combination, exchange or readjustment, or stock dividend with a
record date during such period. CGG may not take any action
prior to the effective time of the merger that would cause each
CGG ADS to represent more or less than one-fifth of one CGG
ordinary share.
Subject to the proration mechanism described below, each Veritas
stockholder may elect to receive cash or CGG ADSs with respect
to each of his or her shares of Veritas common stock.
Cash Election Shares. Stockholders who elect to receive
cash for some or all of their shares of Veritas common stock
will receive the per share cash consideration in respect of that
portion of such holders shares of Veritas common stock
equal to such holders cash election, subject to the
proration mechanism described below. In this discussion, the
shares of Veritas common stock for which cash elections have
been made are referred to as cash election shares.
ADS Election Shares. Stockholders who elect to receive
CGG ADSs for some or all of their shares of Veritas common stock
will receive the per share ADS consideration in respect of that
portion of such holders shares of Veritas common stock
equal to such holders ADS election, subject to the
proration mechanism described below. In this discussion, the
shares for which ADS elections have been made are referred to as
ADS election shares.
No Election Shares. Veritas stockholders who do not make
a valid election will be deemed to have made no
election with respect to those shares of Veritas common
stock. Veritas stockholders who are deemed to have made no
election with respect to some or all of their shares will
receive the per share ADS consideration unless there is an
oversubscription of the ADS consideration, in which case they
may receive the per share cash consideration for some or all of
those shares of Veritas common stock. In this discussion, the
shares of Veritas common stock with respect to which
stockholders have made no election are referred to as no
election shares. See Proration
beginning on page 101 of this proxy statement/ prospectus.
For example, assuming a Veritas stockholder holds
100 shares of Veritas common stock (and that the average
CGG ADS value is $32.50), if such stockholder made:
|
|
|
|
|
a cash election with respect to all the shares he or she would
receive approximately $7,405 in cash; |
|
|
|
an ADS election with respect to all the shares he or she would
receive 227 CGG ADSs (and cash in lieu of 0.85 of a fractional
CGG ADS); and |
|
|
|
a cash election with respect to some of the shares and an ADS
election with respect to some of the shares, he or she would
receive approximately $74.05 for each cash election share and
2.2785 CGG ADSs for each ADS election share. Assuming 50 cash
election shares and 50 ADS election shares, |
99
|
|
|
|
|
the Veritas stockholder would receive approximately $3,702.50 in
cash, 113 CGG ADSs and cash in lieu of 0.925 of a fractional CGG
ADS. |
The actual proration of cash and ADSs would be subject in each
case to the proration procedures described under the heading
Proration beginning on page 101 of
this proxy statement/ prospectus.
A fixed number of CGG ADSs will be issued and a fixed amount
of cash will be paid pursuant to the merger. Accordingly, there
is no assurance that a holder of shares of Veritas common stock
will receive the form of consideration that the holder elects
with respect to any or all shares of Veritas common stock held
by that holder. If the elections result in an oversubscription
with respect to shares of Veritas common stock that would
otherwise receive either the per share ADS consideration or the
per share cash consideration, the procedures for allocating CGG
ADSs and cash described below under
Proration will be followed by the
exchange agent. See Risk Factors
Veritas stockholders may receive a form or combination of
consideration different from what they elect.
Election Form. Each Veritas stockholder received an
election form and other appropriate and customary transmittal
materials. Each election form allows the holder to specify that
the holder (1) elects to receive the per share ADS
consideration for all of such holders Veritas shares,
(2) elects to receive the per share cash consideration for
all of such holders Veritas shares or (3) elects to
receive a combination of per share ADS consideration and per
share cash consideration. CGG will also make available forms of
election to persons who become holders of shares of Veritas
common stock subsequent to the record date for the Veritas
special meeting up until the close of business on the business
day prior to the election deadline. To receive an election form,
please contact the information agent, Mellon Investor Services,
at (866) 293-6622 or call collect (201) 680-6590.
Holders of shares of Veritas common stock who wish to elect the
type of merger consideration they will receive pursuant to the
merger should carefully review and follow the instructions set
forth in the election form. Shares of Veritas common stock as to
which the holder has not made a valid election prior to the
election deadline, which is 5:00 p.m., New York City time,
on January 10, 2007, will be deemed no election shares.
To make an election, a holder of shares of Veritas common
stock must submit a properly completed election form and stock
certificates so that it is actually received by the exchange
agent at or prior to the election deadline in accordance with
the instructions on the election form. An election form will be
properly completed only if accompanied by certificates
representing all shares of Veritas common stock covered by the
election form (or a properly completed notice of guaranteed
delivery) in lieu of stock certificates. If a Veritas
stockholder cannot deliver his or her stock certificates to the
exchange agent by the election deadline, a stockholder may
deliver a notice of guaranteed delivery promising to deliver his
or her stock certificates, as described in the election form, so
long as (1) the guarantee of delivery is from a firm which
is a member of the NYSE or another registered national
securities exchange or a commercial bank or trust company having
an office in the United States and (2) the actual stock
certificates are in fact delivered to the exchange agent by the
time set forth in the guarantee of delivery. If you own shares
of Veritas common stock in street name by your
broker or other nominee and you wish to make an election, you
should seek instructions from the broker or other nominee
holding your shares of Veritas common stock concerning how to
make your election.
An election may be revoked or changed by the person submitting
the election form prior to the election deadline. In the event
of a revocation of an election, the exchange agent will, upon
receiving a written request from the holder of shares of Veritas
common stock making a revocation, return the certificates of
Veritas common stock submitted by that holder, and that holder
will be deemed to have made no election. The exchange agent will
have reasonable discretion to determine whether any election,
revocation or change has been properly or timely made and to
disregard immaterial defects in the election forms, and any good
faith decisions of the exchange agent regarding these matters
will be binding and conclusive. Neither CGG nor the exchange
agent will be under any obligation to notify any person of any
defects in an election form. If you instructed a broker to
submit an election for your shares, you must follow your
brokers directions for changing those instructions.
100
Shares of Veritas common stock as to which the holder has not
made a valid election prior to the election deadline, including
as a result of revocation, will be deemed no election shares. If
it is determined that any purported cash election or ADS
election was not properly made, the purported election will be
deemed to be of no force or effect and the holder making the
purported election will be deemed not to have made an election
for these purposes, unless a proper election is subsequently
made on a timely basis.
A fixed total number of CGG ADSs will be issued and a fixed
total amount of cash will be paid pursuant to the merger, in
each case subject to upward adjustment in the event that any
shares of Veritas common stock are issued in accordance with the
merger agreement pursuant to outstanding Veritas stock options,
Veritas convertible bonds or otherwise. If the elections of all
of the Veritas stockholders result in an oversubscription of the
pool of cash or CGG ADSs, the pool of cash or CGG ADSs will not
be increased. Rather, the exchange agent will allocate between
cash and CGG ADSs in the manner described below. Accordingly,
there is no assurance that you will receive the form or
combination of consideration that you elect with respect to all
of the shares of Veritas common stock you hold. See Risk
Factors Veritas stockholders may receive a form or
combination of consideration different from what they
elect.
Oversubscription of the Cash Consideration. If the
aggregate cash amount that would be paid upon the conversion in
the merger of the cash election shares is more than the total
cash amount, then:
|
|
|
|
|
all ADS election shares and no election shares will be converted
into the right to receive the per share ADS consideration; |
|
|
|
the exchange agent will then select from among the cash election
shares, by a pro rata selection process, a sufficient number of
cash election shares and switch them to ADS election shares such
that the aggregate cash amount that will be paid pursuant to the
merger equals as closely as practicable the total cash amount; |
|
|
|
all cash election shares selected by the exchange agent through
the pro rata selection process described above will be converted
into the right to receive the per share ADS
consideration; and |
|
|
|
the cash election shares that have not been selected by the
exchange agent to be converted into the per share ADS
consideration will be converted into the right to receive the
per share cash consideration. |
Oversubscription of the ADS Consideration. If the
aggregate cash amount that would be paid upon the conversion in
the merger of the cash election shares is less than the total
cash amount, then:
|
|
|
|
|
all cash election shares will be converted into the right to
receive the per share cash consideration; |
|
|
|
the exchange agent will then select from among the no election
shares and then, if necessary, from among the ADS election
shares, in each case by a pro rata selection process, a
sufficient number of ADS election shares and switch them to cash
election shares such that the aggregate cash amount that will be
paid pursuant to the merger equals as closely as practicable the
total cash amount; |
|
|
|
all no election and ADS election shares selected by the exchange
agent through the pro rata selection process described above
will be converted into the right to receive the per share cash
consideration; and |
|
|
|
the ADS election shares and any no election shares that have not
been selected by the exchange agent to be converted into the per
share cash consideration will be converted into the right to
receive the per share ADS consideration. |
CGG will cause the exchange agent to carry out the proration
described above based on calculations prepared by CGG within
five business days after the election deadline, unless the
merger has not been completed, in which case the proration will
be completed as soon as practicable after the effective time of
the merger. The exchange agent will use an equitable pro rata
allocation process to be mutually determined by Veritas and CGG.
101
Because the United States federal income tax consequences of
receiving cash or CGG ADSs, or both cash and CGG ADSs, will
differ, Veritas stockholders are urged to read carefully the
information set forth under the heading
Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax
Consequences and to consult their tax advisors for a full
understanding of the mergers tax consequences to them. In
addition, because the ADS consideration can fluctuate in value
from the determination made during the valuation period, the
economic value per share received by Veritas stockholders who
receive the ADS consideration may, as the date of receipt by
them, be more or less than the amount of cash consideration per
share received by Veritas stockholders who receive cash
consideration.
|
|
|
Dividends and Distributions |
Until you surrender your Veritas stock certificates for
exchange, any dividends or other distributions declared after
the effective time with respect to CGG ADSs into which any of
your shares of Veritas common stock may have been converted will
accrue, but will not be paid. When you surrender your
certificates, CGG will pay any unpaid dividends or other
distributions, without interest.
|
|
|
Treatment of Stock Options |
Veritas and CGG intend to amend the merger agreement to provide
that all stock options to acquire shares of Veritas common stock
under the Veritas stock option plans, (including Veritas
1992 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan, 2001 Key Employee
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan and Share Incentive Plan) that
are outstanding and unexercised prior to the effective time of
the merger, whether or not vested, will be canceled and
converted into the right to receive the following consideration.
Holders of Veritas unexercised, outstanding stock options will
be entitled to receive, for each share of Veritas common stock
subject to a stock option immediately prior to the cancellation
and conversion, an amount in cash equal to the excess, if any,
of the per share cash consideration over the exercise price per
share under the stock option immediately prior to the
cancellation and conversion, less applicable taxes. CGG will pay
to Veritas the aggregate amount required to be paid to Veritas
stock option holders pursuant to these provisions on or promptly
after the effective time of the merger time and will cause
Veritas to pay to Veritas stock option holders, by a wire
transfer of immediately available funds, the amounts to which
they are entitled. Each option to purchase shares of Veritas
common stock pursuant to the Veritas 1992 Employee Non-Qualified
Stock Option Plan which is outstanding and unexercised as of the
effective time of the merger, whether or not vested, will be
cancelled and no consideration will be paid in connection with
such cancellation. Options that are currently outstanding and
unexercised under that plan, however, may be exercised in
accordance with their terms prior to the effective time of the
merger.
All Veritas stock option plans and any other plan providing for
the issuance, transfer or grant of any capital stock of Veritas
will terminate as of the effective time of the merger.
A holder of Veritas stock options who wishes to have the right
to elect whether and to what extent he wishes to receive cash or
shares of CGG ADSs in the merger may, if permitted by the terms
of the relevant stock option plan, exercise his or her stock
options, to the extent then vested and exercisable, in
accordance with the relevant plan sufficiently in advance of the
election deadline and return a properly completed election form
prior to the election deadline of 5:00 p.m. New York time
on January 10, 2007 with respect to the shares of Veritas
common stock issued on exercise. As to any outstanding unvested
options, which are not exercisable in this manner (except
outstanding options under the Veritas 1992 Employee
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan), the cancellation and cash
payment described above will apply.
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Treatment of Convertible Bonds |
Pursuant to the merger agreement and Section 10.11 of the
indenture, dated as of March 3, 2004 by and between Veritas
and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, governing
the Veritas convertible bonds, the outstanding Veritas
convertible bonds will, following the merger and the execution
of a supplemental indenture, remain outstanding and be entitled
to receive upon conversion the merger
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consideration that a holder of no election shares would receive,
which will not be determinable until after the election
deadline. In such case, the conversion of the bonds will be
deemed to take place solely into shares of Veritas common stock,
without any cash repayment of the principal.
A holder of the convertible bonds who converts into shares of
Veritas common stock pursuant to Section 10.01 of the
indenture prior to the election deadline may elect to receive
cash or ADSs or a combination of cash and ADSs in the same
manner as other Veritas stockholders, subject to the election
procedures and proration mechanisms described in this proxy
statement/ prospectus. A holder of shares of Veritas convertible
bonds that wishes to have the right to make an election should
tender his convertible bonds for conversion sufficiently in
advance of the election deadline and return a properly completed
election form prior to the election deadline of 5:00 p.m.
New York time on January 10, 2007, with respect to the
shares of Veritas common stock issued on conversion.
A holder of Veritas convertible bonds who wishes to receive
Veritas shares before the election deadline must tender his
convertible bonds for conversion no later than December 21,
2006. Under section 10.02(b) of the indenture governing the
convertible bonds (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the current
report on Form 8-K
filed by Veritas with the SEC on March 3, 2004), holders of
convertible bonds do not become record holders of Veritas stock
until, at the earliest, the determination date. Under
section 10.14 of the indenture, the determination date is
defined as the 10th trading day on the NYSE beginning on the
second trading day on the NYSE following the day the relevant
convertible bonds are tendered for conversion. If a bondholder
tenders his convertible bonds for conversion on
December 21, 2006, the ten trading day period will begin on
December 26, 2006 and will end on January 9, 2006.
Corporate Governance Matters
CGG will take all necessary corporate action to increase the
size of the CGG board of directors by up to five members and to
appoint Veritas directors immediately following the effective
time of the merger to fill the vacancies on the CGG board of
directors created by such increase. CGG, through the CGG board
of directors and subject to the CGG boards fiduciary
duties to the shareholders of CGG, will take all necessary
action to recommend that Veritas directors be elected to the CGG
board of directors in the circular of CGG relating to the first
annual meeting of the shareholders of CGG following the closing
of the merger.
At the meeting of CGG shareholders for the purpose of obtaining
approval to the issuance of CGG ordinary shares underlying the
CGG ADSs to be issued pursuant to the merger agreement, CGG will
nominate up to five Veritas directors (including Thierry
Pilenko, chairman and CEO of Veritas) to the board of directors
of the combined company effective as of, and conditioned upon,
the occurrence of the effective time of the merger. Each
nominee, if elected, will serve for a term of six years.
Following the effective time of the merger, the newly elected
directors will serve on the board of directors of the combined
company together with the current members of the CGG board of
directors.
Representations and Warranties
The merger agreement contains representations and warranties
made by each of the parties regarding aspects of their
respective businesses, financial condition and structure, as
well as other facts pertinent to the merger. Each of Veritas, on
the one hand, and CGG, Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay
Acquisition Co. II, on the other hand, has made
representations and warranties to the other in the merger
agreement with respect to some or all of the following subject
matters:
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corporate existence, good standing and qualification to conduct
business; |
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capitalization, including ownership of subsidiary capital stock
and the absence of restrictions or encumbrances with respect to
capital stock of any subsidiary; |
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corporate power and authorization to enter into and carry out
the obligations of the merger agreement and the enforceability
of the merger agreement; |
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absence of any conflict or violation of organizational
documents, third party agreements or law or regulation as a
result of entering into and carrying out the obligations of the
merger agreement; |
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governmental, third party and regulatory approvals or consents
required to complete the merger; |
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filings and reports with the SEC and financial information; |
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absence of certain changes, events or circumstances; |
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absence of undisclosed liabilities; |
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accuracy of the information supplied for inclusion in this proxy
statement/ prospectus; |
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employee benefit plans and ERISA; |
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litigation, government orders, judgments and decrees; |
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compliance with laws; |
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intellectual property; |
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material contracts; |
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tax matters; |
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property and operating equipment; |
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transactions with affiliates; |
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derivative and hedging transactions; |
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disclosure controls and procedures; |
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investment company status; |
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OFAC; |
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recommendations of merger by boards of directors; |
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required vote by stockholders; |
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fees payable to brokers in connection with the merger; and |
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no other representations or warranties. |
Veritas has made additional representations and warranties to
CGG in the merger agreement with respect to the following
subject matters:
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environmental matters; |
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insurance; |
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labor and employment matters; |
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the merger will not result in the grant of any rights to any
person under Veritas rights agreement; and |
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opinion of financial advisor. |
CGG has made additional representations and warranties to
Veritas in the merger agreement with respect to the following
matters:
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a commitment letter for financing will be obtained; |
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ownership of company common stock; and |
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takeover statutes. |
Certain representations and warranties of CGG and Veritas are
qualified as to materiality or as to material adverse
effect, which when used with respect to CGG and Veritas
means, as the case may be, a material adverse effect on the
business, results of operations or condition (financial or
other) of such party and its subsidiaries taken as a whole,
except to the extent arising or resulting from or caused by, any
of the following, which will be excluded from consideration:
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any change in laws of general applicability or interpretations
these laws by courts or governmental entities; |
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changes attributable to or resulting from changes in general
industry conditions or general economic conditions, except to
the extent that any of these changes affects CGG or Veritas to a
greater extent than other companies that are similarly situated
in the industry; |
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changes and effects attributable to the announcement or pendency
of the merger agreement or the transactions contemplated, by the
merger agreement; |
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the failure of such party to meet internal or analysts
expectations or projections; and |
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compliance by CGG and Veritas with the terms of the merger
agreement or the merger or the other transactions contemplated
by the merger agreement. |
Conditions to the Completion of the Merger
The completion of the merger is subject to various conditions.
While it is anticipated that all of these conditions will be
satisfied, there can be no assurance as to whether or when all
of the conditions will be satisfied or, where permissible,
waived.
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Conditions to Each Partys Obligations |
Each partys obligation to complete the merger is subject
to the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions:
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adoption by Veritas stockholders of the merger agreement; |
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approval by CGG shareholders of the issuance of CGG ordinary
shares pursuant to the merger, and the election of the Veritas
directors to the board of directors of CGG; |
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absence of any statute, rule, order, decree or regulation, and
of any action taken by any court or other governmental entity
which temporarily, preliminarily or permanently restrains,
precludes, enjoins or otherwise prohibits the consummation of
the merger or makes the merger illegal; |
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the waiting period (and any extension thereof) applicable to the
consummation of the merger under the HSR Act will have expired
or been terminated (which occurred on October 25, 2006); |
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all required approvals by the European Commission applicable to
the merger under applicable competition laws, including the EC
Merger Regulation, will have been obtained or any applicable
waiting period thereunder will have been terminated or will have
expired (although CGG and Veritas do not expect any such
approvals by the European Commission will be required); |
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the receipt of all consents, authorizations, waiting periods and
approvals of all governmental entities in certain jurisdictions
required to be obtained prior to consummation of the merger; |
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effectiveness of the F-4 registration statement, of which this
proxy statement/ prospectus constitutes a part, and of the F-6
registration statement, and absence of any stop order or
proceedings for such purpose pending before or threatened by the
SEC, and the approval (visa) of the note
dinformation by the AMF relating to the CGG
ordinary shares to be issued at the effective time of the
merger; and |
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CGG ADSs (and, if required, the underlying shares of CGG
ordinary shares) issuable to the stockholders of Veritas
pursuant to the merger and to the holders of the Veritas
convertible debt will have been authorized for listing on the
NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance, and the AMF and
the Euronext Paris SA will have approved the listing of CGG
ordinary shares to be issued at the effective time of the merger. |
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Additional Conditions to Veritas Obligations |
The obligation of Veritas to complete the merger is subject to
the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions:
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accuracy of CGGs, Volnay Acquisition Co. Is and
Volnay Acquisition Co. IIs representations and
warranties contained in the merger agreement both at and as of
the date of the merger agreement and at and as of the closing
date of the merger, as if made at and as of the closing date of
the merger (except to the extent expressly made as of an earlier
date, in which case as of such date), except where, in the case
of all representations and warranties, the failure to be accurate |
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individually or in the aggregate has not had, and would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in, a material adverse
effect on CGG other than CGGs representations and
warranties related to its capitalization, corporate power and
authority, and the validity of the merger agreement, which must
be accurate at and as of the closing date in all respects; |
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the performance in all material respects by CGG, Volnay
Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II of their
respective obligations contained in the merger agreement; |
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absence of any suit, action or proceeding by any court or other
governmental entity seeking to restrain, preclude, enjoin or
prohibit the merger or any of the other transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement; |
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the receipt by Veritas of an opinion of its counsel, dated as of
the closing date of the merger, to the effect that the merger
will be treated as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code and that each transfer of Veritas
common stock to CGG will not be subject to
Section 367(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code; and |
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CGG will have deposited in the exchange fund cash and CGG ADSs
in an amount sufficient to permit payment of the aggregate
merger consideration. |
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Additional Conditions to CGGs, Volnay Acquisition
Co. Is and Volnay Acquisition Co. IIs
Obligations |
The obligations of CGG, Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay
Acquisition Co. II to complete the merger are subject to
the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions:
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accuracy of Veritas representations and warranties
contained in the merger agreement both at and as of the date of
the merger agreement and at and as of the closing date of the
merger, as if made at and as of the closing date of the merger
(except to the extent expressly made as of an earlier date, in
which case as of such date), except where, in the case of all
representations and warranties, the failure to be accurate
individually or in the aggregate has not had, and would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in, a material adverse
effect on Veritas other than Veritas representations and
warranties related to its capitalization, corporate power and
authority, and the validity of the merger agreement, which must
be accurate at and as of the closing date in all respects; |
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the performance in all material respects by Veritas of its
obligations contained in the merger agreement; |
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absence of any suit, action or proceeding by any court or other
governmental entity seeking to (1) restrain, preclude,
enjoin or prohibit the merger or any of the other transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement, or (2) prohibit or
limit in any respect the ownership or operation of any of the
parties to the merger agreement or any of their respective
affiliates of any portion of the business or assets of Veritas
and its subsidiaries, or to require any person to dispose of or
hold separate any portion of the business or assets of Veritas
and its subsidiaries, as a result of the merger or any of the
other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, in any
case which would constitute a burdensome condition; |
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the receipt by CGG of an opinion of its counsel, dated the
closing date of the merger, to the effect that the merger will
be treated as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code; |
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each of the competition and governmental approvals in certain
jurisdictions has been obtained without the imposition of any
burdensome conditions or restrictions; and |
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at or prior to the effective time of the merger, the CFIUS will
have notified CGG in writing that it has determined not to
investigate the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement (which occurred on November 16, 2006). |
Conduct of Business Pending the Merger
Veritas has agreed that it will, and will cause its subsidiaries
to, during the period from the date of the merger agreement
until the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, on
which the merger
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agreement is terminated, except as expressly contemplated or
permitted by the merger agreement, required by applicable law,
or agreed to in writing by CGG:
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conduct the business of Veritas and its subsidiaries only in the
ordinary course substantially consistent with past practice; |
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use its reasonable best efforts to preserve intact its business
organization and goodwill and the business organization and
goodwill of its subsidiaries; and |
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use its reasonable best efforts to keep available the services
of its current officers and key employees and preserve and
maintain existing relations with key customers, suppliers,
officers, employees and creditors. |
Veritas has also agreed that it will not, and will not permit
any of its subsidiaries to, during the period from the date of
the merger agreement until the effective time of the merger or
the date, if any, on which the merger agreement is terminated,
except as expressly contemplated or permitted by the merger
agreement, required by applicable law, or agreed to in writing
by CGG:
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enter into any new line of business, incur or commit to any
capital expenditures, or any obligations or liabilities in
connection with any capital expenditures other than capital
expenditures and obligations or liabilities incurred or
committed to in an amount not greater in the aggregate than, and
during the same time period set forth in, Veritas current
capital budget reviewed by the board of directors of Veritas
which has been furnished to CGG, other than capital expenditures
to repair lost or damaged property or equipment in the ordinary
course of business substantially consistent with past practice
(though Veritas may prepare and provide to CGG a revised capital
budget that the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to
approve if the closing has not occurred by January 15,
2007); |
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amend its certificate of incorporation or bylaws or similar
organizational documents; |
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declare, set aside or pay any dividend or other distribution,
whether payable in cash, stock or any other property or right,
with respect to its capital stock; |
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except that Veritas may permit any direct or indirect
wholly-owned subsidiary to do any of the following: |
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issue its common stock pursuant to the Veritas convertible debt,
stock options, employee stock purchase plan, deferred share
units or LTIP plan; |
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issue capital stock or other equity interests to Veritas or any
other wholly-owned subsidiary of Veritas; |
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issue LTIP shares pursuant to LTIP awards made prior to the date
of the merger agreement; |
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issuances pursuant to the Veritas rights agreement; and |
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if the merger has not been consummated on or prior to
December 31, 2006, Veritas may grant options to employees
in such amounts, and on such terms and conditions, as shall be
reasonably acceptable to CGG; |
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redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire any of its own capital
stock, unless such repurchases, redemptions or acquisitions are
required under the terms of its capital stock, other outstanding
securities, its benefit plans or employment agreements; |
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except for normal increases in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice (or, with respect to employees, in
connection with promotions on a basis consistent with past
practice), grant any increase in the compensation or benefits
payable or to become payable by Veritas or any of its |
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subsidiaries to any former or current director, officer or
employee of Veritas or any of its subsidiaries: |
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except as required to comply with applicable law or any
agreement in existence on the date of the merger agreement or as
provided in the merger agreement, adopt, enter into, amend or
otherwise increase, or accelerate the payment or vesting of the
amounts, benefits or rights payable or accrued or to become
payable or accrued under, any Veritas benefit plan (other than
amendments to minimize liability for any additional taxes that
may be imposed under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue
Code in the absence of such amendment and other than entry into
employment agreements with new hires in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice); |
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enter into employment agreements or, except in accordance with
existing contracts or agreements, grant any severance or
termination pay to any officer, director or employee of Veritas
or any of its subsidiaries (other than grants to new hires in
the ordinary course consistent with past practice); |
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change its methods of accounting in effect as of July 31,
2005, except in accordance with changes in U.S. GAAP as
concurred to by Veritas independent auditors or as disclosed in
the specified Veritas SEC disclosure; |
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acquire any business organization, division or business by
merger, consolidation, purchase of an equity interest or assets,
or by any other manner, or acquire any assets (other than in the
ordinary course of business substantially consistent with past
practice); |
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sell, lease, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of, or
agree to sell, lease, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose
of, any material assets except for (1) the licensing of
data or commercial software in the ordinary course of business
substantially consistent with past practice, (2) any sale,
lease or disposition pursuant to agreements existing on the date
of the merger agreement and entered into in the ordinary course
of business or disclosed in Veritas disclosure letter,
(3) sales of surplus or obsolete equipment in the ordinary
course of business substantially consistent with past practice
or (4) any sale, lease or disposition in an arms length
transaction, for not materially less than fair market value and
not in excess of $1.0 million individually or
$25.0 million in the aggregate; |
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mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, grant any security interest in,
or otherwise subject any of its assets to any liens, subject to
limited exceptions; |
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pay, discharge or satisfy any material claims (including claims
of stockholders), liabilities or obligations (absolute, accrued,
asserted or unasserted, contingent or otherwise) where such
payment, discharge or satisfaction would require any material
payment except for the payment, discharge or satisfaction of
liabilities or obligations in accordance with the terms of
agreements in effect on the date of the merger agreement or
entered into after the date of the merger agreement in the
ordinary course of business substantially consistent with past
practice, and except for any payments, discharges or settlements
relating to any litigation that do not exceed $1.0 million
individually or $10.0 million in the aggregate; |
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engage in any transaction with (except pursuant to agreements in
effect at the time of the merger agreement), or enter into any
agreement, arrangement, or understanding with, directly or
indirectly, any of Veritas affiliates (not including any
employees of Veritas or any of its subsidiaries, other than the
directors and executive officers thereof); |
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change any tax method of accounting, make or change any material
tax election, amend any tax return in any material respect or
settle or compromise any material tax liability, other than as
required by law or in the ordinary course of business
substantially consistent with past practice; |
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take any action that would reasonably be expected to result in
(1) any of the conditions to the merger not being satisfied
or (2) a material adverse effect on Veritas; |
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adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial liquidation,
dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring,
recapitalization or other reorganization of Veritas or any of
its subsidiaries (other than the merger) or any agreement
relating to an acquisition proposal (except certain
confidentiality agreements); |
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incur or assume any long-term debt or incur or assume any
short-term indebtedness, except for short-term indebtedness in
the ordinary course of business substantially consistent with
past practice and in no event exceeding $10.0 million in
the aggregate; |
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modify the terms of any material indebtedness or other liability
to increase Veritas obligations with respect to such
indebtedness; |
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assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise become liable or
responsible (whether directly, contingently or otherwise) for
the obligations of any other person (other than a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Veritas), except in the ordinary course of
business substantially consistent with past practice and in no
event exceeding $10.0 million in the aggregate; |
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make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or
investments in, any other person (other than to wholly-owned
subsidiaries of Veritas, or by wholly-owned subsidiaries to
Veritas, or customary loans or advances to employees in
accordance with past practice and short-term investments of cash
substantially consistent with past cash management practices; |
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enter into any material commitment or transaction, except in the
ordinary course of business substantially consistent with past
practice and in no event exceeding $5.0 million in the
aggregate; |
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enter into any agreement, understanding or commitment that
materially limits Veritas, the combined companys or
any of each of Veritas or the combined companys
subsidiaries ability to compete in or conduct any business
or line of business, including geographic limitations on
Veritas or any of its subsidiaries activities; |
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terminate any material contract to which it is a party or waive
or assign any of its rights or claims in a manner that is
materially adverse to Veritas, except in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice; |
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enter into any material joint venture, partnership or other
similar arrangement or materially amend or modify in an adverse
manner the terms of (or waive any material rights under) any
existing material joint venture, partnership or other similar
arrangement (other than any such action between its wholly-owned
subsidiaries); or |
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enter into an agreement, contract, commitment or arrangement to
take any of the prohibited actions described above. |
CGG has agreed that it will, and will cause its subsidiaries to,
conduct the business of CGG and its subsidiaries only in the
ordinary course substantially consistent with past practices;
provided, however, that the foregoing will not be deemed
(1) to prohibit CGG or any of its subsidiaries from
engaging in any acquisition or divestiture transaction that
would not reasonably be expected to materially impair, delay or
prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the
merger agreement or (2) to prohibit CGG from taking any
action in response to an unsolicited proposal to acquire
directly or indirectly all or any substantial portion of the
assets or equity of CGG or any of its subsidiaries.
CGG has also agreed that it will not, during the period from the
date of the merger agreement until the effective time of the
merger or the date, if any, on which the merger agreement is
terminated, except
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as expressly contemplated or permitted by the merger agreement,
required by applicable law, or agreed to in writing by Veritas:
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declare, set aside or pay any extraordinary, special or other
dividend or distribution, whether payable in cash, stock or any
other property or right, with respect to its capital stock or
other equity interests (except for wholly-owned subsidiaries of
CGG); |
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issue, grant, sell, transfer or distribute to any employee of
CGG or any of its subsidiaries any options, warrants, calls,
commitments or rights of any kind to acquire any CGG ordinary
shares, other than in the ordinary course of business
substantially consistent with past practices; |
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redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire directly or indirectly any
of CGGs capital stock, except for repurchases, redemptions
or acquisitions (1) required by the terms of CGGs
capital stock or any securities outstanding on the date of the
merger agreement, (2) contemplated by any CGG plan existing on
the date of the merger agreement or (3) pursuant to
arrangements described in CGGs disclosure letter; |
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change its methods of accounting in effect at December 31,
2005, except in accordance with changes in IFRS or applicable
law as concurred to by CGGs independent auditors; |
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amend its articles of association or by-laws in a manner that
adversely affects the terms of the CGG ordinary shares; |
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adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial liquidation or
dissolution; |
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take any action that would reasonably be expected to result in
(1) any of the conditions to the merger not being satisfied
or (2) a material adverse effect on CGG; |
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make any material change to any tax method of accounting, make
or change any material tax election, amend any material return
or settle or compromise any material tax liability, except where
such action would not have a material effect on the tax position
of CGG and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and |
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enter into an agreement, contract, commitment or arrangement to
do any of the foregoing. |
Covenants
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Access to Information and Properties |
During the period prior to the effective time of the merger,
upon reasonable notice and subject to applicable laws relating
to the exchange of information, CGG and Veritas and their
respective subsidiaries will afford to the authorized
representatives of the other party reasonable access, during
normal business hours, to all of their properties, offices,
contracts, books, commitments, records, data and personnel.
During this period, each party will make available to the other
parties all information concerning its business, properties and
personnel as the other parties may reasonably request. No party
or any of its subsidiaries will be required to provide access to
or to disclose information if such access or disclosure would
violate or prejudice the rights of its customers, jeopardize any
attorney-client privilege or contravene any law or binding
agreement entered into prior to the date of the merger
agreement. CGG and Veritas will make appropriate substitute
disclosure arrangements under circumstances in which the
restrictions of the preceding sentence apply.
From the date of the merger agreement until the effective time
of the merger, CGG and its authorized representatives, including
engineers, advisors and consultants, lenders and financing
sources, may enter all or any portion of Veritas real
property in order to investigate and assess the environmental
condition of the real property, or the assets or the businesses
of Veritas or any of its subsidiaries. The
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investigation may include a Phase I environmental site
assessment, or similar or related non-invasive investigation.
Veritas and its subsidiaries will:
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cooperate with CGG in conducting any such investigation; |
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allow CGG reasonable access to Veritas and its
subsidiaries respective businesses, real property and
assets; |
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grant full permission to conduct any such investigation; |
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provide to CGG all plans, soil or surface or ground water tests
or reports, any environmental investigation results, reports or
assessments previously or contemporaneously conducted or
prepared by or on behalf of Veritas, its subsidiaries, or any of
their predecessors, that are in the possession of Veritas or any
of its subsidiaries or are reasonably available to them from any
agent, consultant, contractor or other third party service
provider; and |
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provide all information relating to environmental matters
regarding Veritas and its subsidiaries respective
businesses, real property and assets that are in their
possession of or reasonably available to them. |
Veritas will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause each
owner of Veritas vessels subject to Veritas charter
to allow CGG to inspect the vessels at any reasonable time and
at CGGs expense, provided that such inspection will be
conducted in a manner that does not unreasonably interfere with
the operation of the vessels. Any such inspection may include
the opening up of the machinery and equipment. Veritas will
advise CGG upon request of the location and whereabouts of each
vessel to facilitate such an inspection.
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Further Action; Reasonable Best Efforts |
Each of the parties to the merger agreement will use its
reasonable best efforts to take all actions necessary, proper or
advisable to consummate the transactions contemplated by the
merger agreement, including using reasonable best efforts to
satisfy the conditions precedent to the obligations of any of
the parties to obtain all necessary authorizations, consents and
approvals, and to effect all necessary registrations and
filings, and to obtain financing for the merger.
Each of the parties to the merger agreement will furnish to the
other parties such necessary information and reasonable
assistance as such other parties may reasonably request and
provide the other parties with copies of all filings made by
such party with any governmental entity (except for filings
available publicly on the SECs EDGAR system) or any other
information supplied by such party to a governmental entity in
connection with the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated thereby; however, neither party is obligated to
share any document submitted to a governmental entity that
reflects the negotiations between the parties or the valuation
of some or all of any partys business.
Each of CGG, Volnay Acquisition Co. I, Volnay Acquisition
Co. II and Veritas will use their respective reasonable
best efforts and will cooperate with the other parties to
resolve any objections that may be asserted with respect to the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement under the
laws, rules, guidelines or regulations of any governmental
entity. Veritas and CGG will file notification and report forms
under the HSR Act with the FTC and the Antitrust Division of the
Department of Justice, or Antitrust Division, and file any
voluntary filings or other notifications required to be filed
under the Exon-Florio Amendment with the CFIUS, and in each case
will use reasonable best efforts to respond as promptly as
practicable to all inquiries received from the FTC, the
Antitrust Division or the CFIUS for additional information or
documentation.
If at any time after the effective time of the merger, any
further action is necessary or desirable to carry out the
purposes of the merger agreement, the proper officers and/or
directors of the combined corporation will take all such
necessary action.
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All of the parties to the merger agreement will use reasonable
best efforts to prevent the entry of, and to cause to be
discharged or vacated, any order or injunction of a governmental
entity precluding, restraining, enjoining or prohibiting
consummation of the merger.
None of CGG, Volnay Acquisition Co. I or Volnay Acquisition
Co. II will be required to accept, as a condition to
obtaining any required approval or resolving any objection of
any governmental entity, any requirement to divest or hold
separate or in trust (or the imposition of any other condition
or restriction with respect to) any assets or operations of CGG,
Volnay Acquisition Co. I or Volnay Acquisition Co. II or
any of their respective affiliates or any of the respective
businesses of CGG or any of its subsidiaries, including assets
or intellectual property rights of Veritas, in each case, which
constitutes a burdensome condition, meaning any
requirement, condition or restriction that, individually or in
the aggregate with all other requirements, conditions and
restrictions, is reasonably likely to (1) be materially
burdensome to CGG, (2) be materially burdensome to Veritas,
(3) materially diminish the value of CGGs business or
(4) materially diminish the value of Veritas business.
Veritas and CGG will cooperate with one another (1) in
connection with the preparation of this proxy statement/
prospectus, the related registration statement and the necessary
CGG corporate documents, (2) in determining whether any
action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental
entity is required, or any consents, approvals or waivers are
required to be obtained from the parties to any material
contracts, in connection with the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and
(3) in seeking any such actions, consents, approvals or
waivers or making any such filings, furnishing information
required in connection therewith or with this proxy statement/
prospectus and the related registration statement and the
necessary CGG corporate documents and seeking timely to obtain
any such actions, consents, approvals or waivers. Veritas may
make such reasonable payments and agree to such reasonable
modifications or amendments in order to obtain such consents,
approvals or waivers that are required to be from the parties to
any material contracts in connection with the consummation of
the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Each of
Veritas and CGG shall use reasonable best efforts to have this
proxy statement/ prospectus declared effective by the SEC as
promptly as practicable. Veritas and CGG will provide the other
party copies of any written comments and advise the other party
of any oral comments with respect to this proxy statement/
prospectus and the necessary CGG corporate documents received by
any governmental entity. The parties shall cooperate and provide
the other with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on
any amendment or supplement to this proxy statement/ prospectus
and the necessary CGG corporate documents prior to filing such
documents with any governmental entity, and will provide each
other with a copy of all such filings made with such entity.
If at any time prior to the effective time of the merger, any
event or circumstance relating to Veritas, CGG, Volnay
Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II or any of
their respective affiliates, officers or directors, is
discovered by such parties that should be set forth in an
amendment or supplement to this proxy statement/ prospectus,
such party will promptly inform the other parties thereof in
writing. No filing of, or amendment or supplement to, this proxy
statement/ prospectus and the necessary CGG corporate documents
will be made by Veritas or CGG without the consent of the other
party. CGG and Veritas have further agreed to use their
reasonable best efforts to have such documents declared
effective as promptly as practicable.
Veritas, acting through the Veritas board of directors, will, on
a date mutually agreed between Veritas and CGG, which date shall
be as soon as practicable and in no event later than
45 days following the date upon which this proxy statement/
prospectus becomes effective and the French note
dinformation is approved by the AMF, take all
action necessary, in accordance with its certificate of
incorporation and bylaws and with applicable law, to duly call,
give notice of, convene and hold a meeting of Veritas
stockholders for the purpose of considering and taking action
upon this merger agreement. Subject to certain exceptions, the
Veritas board of directors will (1) recommend adoption of
the merger agreement
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and (2) use its reasonable best efforts to solicit and
obtain such adoption. Even if the Veritas board of directors
withdraws, amends or modifies its recommendation, the merger
agreement will be submitted to Veritas stockholders at a special
meeting for the purpose of adopting the merger agreement.
CGG, acting through the CGG board of directors, will, on a date
mutually agreed between Veritas and CGG, which date shall be as
soon as practicable and in no event later than 45 days
following the date upon which this proxy statement/ prospectus
becomes effective and the French note
dinformation is approved by the AMF, take all
action necessary, in accordance with its articles of association
and by-laws and with applicable law, to promptly convene and
hold an extraordinary meeting of its shareholders. Subject to
certain exceptions, the CGG board of directors will
(1) recommend approval of the issuance of the CGG ordinary
shares underlying the CGG ADSs and (2) use its reasonable
best efforts to solicit and obtain such approval. In connection
with such meeting, CGG will use its reasonable best efforts to
obtain the approval of CGG shareholders to issue the CGG
ordinary shares underlying the CGG ADSs and will otherwise
comply with all legal requirements applicable to such meeting.
Even if the CGG board of directors withdraws, amends or modifies
its recommendation, the merger agreement will be submitted to
CGG shareholders at an extraordinary meeting for the purpose of
approving the issuance of the CGG ordinary shares underlying the
CGG ADSs.
Notwithstanding the obligations of the respective boards of
directors of the parties described in the preceding paragraph,
the board of directors of either party will be permitted to not
recommend or to withdraw or modify in a manner adverse to the
other party its recommendation that its stockholders vote in
favor of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement,
or recommend any superior proposal but only if all of the
conditions described in No Solicitation of
Alternative Transactions are satisfied.
The merger agreement requires each of Veritas and CGG board of
directors to use its reasonable efforts to obtain the approval
of its stockholders in connection with the merger (subject to
the ability of its board of directors to withdraw or modify its
recommendation as described above) and to comply with all
applicable legal requirements with respect to its
stockholders meeting. Regardless of whether its board of
directors has effected a change in recommendation, each party
will submit the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement for approval by their respective stockholders.
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Notification of Certain Matters |
Each of Veritas, on the one hand, and CGG, Volnay Acquisition
Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II, on the other hand,
will give prompt notice to the other of any fact, event or
circumstance known to such party that is reasonably likely,
individually or taken together with all other facts, events and
circumstances known to such party, to result in a material
adverse effect on such party.
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Directors and Officers Insurance and
Indemnification |
The merger agreement provides that, for a period of six years
following the merger, CGG and the combined company shall,
jointly and severally, indemnify, defend and hold harmless the
present and former officers, directors, employees and agents of
Veritas in such capacities to the fullest extent that Veritas
would have been required to do so in accordance with the
provisions of each indemnification or similar agreement or
arrangement with Veritas. CGG and the combined company agree
that all rights to exculpation, advancement of expenses and
indemnification for acts or omissions occurring prior to the
effective time of the merger now existing in favor of the
current and former officers and directors of Veritas as provided
in the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or any material
contract of Veritas, will survive the merger and continue in
full force and effect in accordance with their terms.
The merger agreement further provides that, for a period of six
years following the merger, CGG and the combined company shall
take all necessary actions to ensure that CGGs
directors and officers liability insurance continues
to cover each officer and director of Veritas, in each case so
long as they remain employed or retained by CGG or the combined
company as an officer or director. CGG will also maintain a tail
directors and officers liability insurance from an
insurance carrier with the same or better credit rating as
Veritas current insurance carrier, with a claims period of
six years from the effective time
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of the merger, with respect to the directors and officers of
Veritas and its subsidiaries who are currently covered by
Veritas existing directors and officers
liability insurance with respect to claims arising from facts or
events that occurred before the effective time of the merger, in
an amount and scope and on terms and conditions no less
favorable to such directors and officers than those in effect at
the signing of the merger agreement. However,
CGG-Veritas will not be
obligated to make annual premium payments for this insurance to
the extent that the premiums exceed 200% of the per annum rate
of premium currently paid by Veritas for such insurance on the
date of the merger agreement per policy year of coverage. In the
event that the aggregate premium for such insurance exceeds such
maximum amount,
CGG-Veritas shall
purchase as much coverage per policy year as reasonably
obtainable for such maximum amount.
None of the Veritas, CGG, Volnay Acquisition Co. I or
Volnay Acquisition Co. II, nor any of their respective
affiliates, will issue or cause the publication of any press
release or other announcement with respect to the merger, the
merger agreement or the other transactions contemplated by the
merger agreement without the prior consultation of the other
party, except as may be required by law or by any listing
agreement with, or regulation of, any U.S. or foreign
securities exchange or regulatory authority if all reasonable
best efforts have been made to consult with the other party. In
addition, Veritas will to the extent reasonably practicable
consult with CGG regarding the form and content of any public
disclosure of any material developments or matters involving
Veritas, including earnings releases, reasonably in advance of
publication or release.
CGG will use reasonable best efforts to obtain and effectuate
the financing of the merger. CGG will use reasonable best effort
to keep Veritas reasonably informed with respect to all material
developments concerning the financing of the merger contemplated
by the commitment letter. Without the prior written consent of
Veritas, CGG will not amend or alter, or agree to amend or
alter, the commitment letter in any manner that would reasonably
be expected to impair, delay or prevent the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. CGG will use
commercially reasonable efforts to enforce its rights under the
commitment letter.
Veritas and its subsidiaries and their respective officers and
employees will use reasonable best efforts to cause their
advisors and accountants to provide reasonable and customary
cooperation with CGG and its affiliates in connection with the
arrangement of the financing of the merger that CGG deems
necessary in its reasonable discretion to fund the merger,
including participation in meetings, due diligence sessions,
road shows, rating agency presentations, the preparation of
offering memoranda, private placement memoranda, prospectuses,
rating agency presentations, other marketing material and
similar documents, obtaining comfort letters from Veritas
accountants and obtaining legal opinions from Veritas
outside counsel.
In conjunction with the obtaining of any such financing, Veritas
agrees, at the reasonable request of CGG, to call for prepayment
or redemption, or to prepay or redeem, or to attempt to
renegotiate the terms of its then existing indebtedness for
borrowed money, subject to certain limitations.
Neither Veritas nor any of its subsidiaries will be required to
pay any commitment or other similar fee or incur any other
liability or obligation in connection with the financing of the
merger prior to the effective time of the merger. CGG will
indemnify and hold harmless Veritas and its respective officers,
directors and other representatives from and against any and all
losses or damages suffered or incurred by them in connection
with the arrangement of the financing of the merger and any
information (other than information relating to the Veritas
provided by Veritas to CGG for use in any information memoranda
or marketing materials) utilized in connection with the
financing of the merger.
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CGG has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to
(1) cause the CGG ADSs (and, if required, the underlying
CGG ordinary shares) to be issued pursuant to the merger to be
listed on the NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance and
(2) obtain the approval (visa) of the AMF on the
prospectus relating to CGG ordinary shares and the approval of
Euronext Paris SA to the listing of CGG ordinary shares, in each
case to be issued at the effective time of the merger (so that
the listing of CGG ordinary shares takes place at the effective
time of the merger, or as soon as practicable thereafter) as
part of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement,
subject to official notice of issuance.
The merger agreement provides that during the period from the
closing date of the merger to the first anniversary thereof, CGG
will, and will cause its affiliates to, continue to provide to
each person who is employed by Veritas or any of its
subsidiaries immediately prior to the effective time of the
merger, the compensation (including cash compensation and
incentive and bonus opportunities, but excluding equity-based
compensation) as in effect immediately prior to the effective
time the merger and benefits (including but not limited to
employee welfare benefit plans and vacation, paid time-off and
severance) and similar plans as such compensation arrangements
and plans were in effect immediately prior to the effective time
of the merger. However, CGG-Veritas may change any benefit plan
during the one year period after the effective date of the
merger if the benefits under the plan after the change are at
least as valuable as the benefits under the plan prior to the
change. With respect to Veritas or its affiliates
employees in the U.S., CGG has also agreed to maintain the
Veritas severance policy for the first 12 months following
the closing date of the merger and severance benefits will be
triggered if the combined company terminates such an
employees employment other than for cause or CGG fails to
honor the employee compensation and benefits covenants described
above, in either case within 12 months of the merger date.
Severance benefits for
non-U.S. employees
will be determined under applicable laws. CGG has also agreed to
waive pre-existing conditions, exclusions, waiting periods and
certain other requirements, provide credit for co-payments and
deductibles paid for the plan year in which the merger occurs
and generally recognize prior service and accruals (other than
defined benefit pension plan accruals) with Veritas prior to the
effective time of the merger for purposes of CGG employee
benefit plans.
CGG will take all necessary corporate action to increase the
size of the CGG board of directors by up to five members and to
appoint certain Veritas directors to fill the vacancies on the
Veritas board of directors created by such increase after the
effective time of the merger. CGG, through the CGG board of
directors and subject to fiduciary duties to CGG shareholders,
will take all necessary action to recommend that such Veritas
directors be elected to the CGG board of directors in the
circular of CGG relating to the first annual meeting of the
shareholders of CGG following the closing of the merger.
Veritas board will take such action as is necessary to terminate
the Veritas rights agreement and the Veritas preferred stock
purchase rights immediately prior to the effective time of the
merger and to render the Veritas preferred stock purchase rights
inapplicable to the merger and the other transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement.
The merger agreement is intended to constitute a plan of
reorganization within the meaning of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.368-2(g). Each of Veritas and CGG
have agreed that they will use their reasonable best efforts to
cause the merger to qualify as a reorganization within the
meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and
have further agreed that they will not take, or fail to
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take, any action that would reasonably be expected to cause the
merger to fail to qualify as a reorganization within the meaning
of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code or cause
stockholders of Veritas to recognize gain pursuant to
Section 367(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.
In connection with the merger, CGG will file all required
information with its tax returns and maintain all records
required for tax purposes. CGG and Veritas will cooperate in the
preparation, execution and filing of all tax returns and related
documents.
Prior to the effective time of the merger, Veritas will execute
and deliver to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, a
supplemental indenture pursuant to and in accordance with the
terms of Sections 5.01 and 10.11 of the indenture, dated
March 3, 2004, related to the convertible bonds.
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Veritas Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP) |
The merger agreement provides that the offering
period (as defined in the ESPP) that began on
August 31, 2006 under the ESPP would continue through the
date on which it was expected to expire in accordance with the
terms of the ESPP in effect on the date of the merger agreement
(i.e., the last trading day on or before October 31, 2006).
Under the merger agreement, (1) no person was permitted to
elect to increase his or her payroll deductions or other
contributions to purchase shares of Veritas common stock for
such offering period after the date of the merger agreement; and
(2) Veritas agreed not to commence any new offering periods
under the ESPP on or after the date of the merger agreement.
Prior to the effective time of the merger, Veritas will take any
and all actions necessary to cause the ESPP to be terminated
effective as of the last day of the offering period that was
underway as of the date of the merger agreement.
Prior to the closing date of the merger, CGG and Veritas, and
their respective boards of directors, will use their reasonable
best efforts to take all actions to cause any dispositions of
shares of Veritas common stock (including derivative securities
with respect to shares of Veritas common stock) or acquisitions
of CGG ordinary shares (including derivative securities with
respect to CGG ordinary shares) resulting from the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement by each individual who is
subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of
the Exchange Act to be exempt from Section 16(b) of the
Exchange Act under
Rule 16b-3
promulgated under the Exchange Act in accordance with the terms
and conditions set forth in that certain No-Action Letter, dated
January 12, 1999, issued by the SEC to Skadden, Arps,
Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
Prior to the date of the Veritas special meeting, Veritas will
deliver to CGG a list of names and addresses of those persons
who are, in the opinion of Veritas, as of the time of the
Veritas special meeting, affiliates of Veritas
within the meaning of Rule 145 under the Securities Act.
Veritas will provide to CGG such information and documents as
CGG will reasonably request for purposes of reviewing such list.
There will be added to such list the names and addresses of any
other person subsequently identified by either CGG or Veritas as
a person who may be deemed to be such an affiliate of Veritas.
Veritas will exercise its commercially reasonable efforts to
deliver to CGG, prior to the date of the Veritas special
meeting, from each affiliate of Veritas identified in the
foregoing list, a letter dated as of the closing date of the
merger an affiliates letter. CGG will not be
required to maintain the effectiveness of the
Form F-4 or any
other registration statement under the Securities Act for the
purposes of resale of CGG ADSs (or CGG ordinary shares
underlying such CGG ADSs) by such affiliates received pursuant
to the merger and CGG may direct the exchange agent not to issue
certificates representing CGG ADSs (or CGG ordinary shares
underlying such CGG ADSs) received by any such affiliate until
CGG has received from such person an affiliates letter. CGG may
issue certificates representing CGG ADSs (or
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CGG ordinary shares underlying such CGG ADSs) received by such
affiliates bearing a customary legend regarding applicable
Securities Act restrictions and the merger agreement.
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Volnay Acquisition Co. I and II |
Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II
were formed solely for the purpose of effecting the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement, and Volnay Acquisition Co.
I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II will not (and CGG will not
permit Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition
Co. II to) conduct any business or acquire any assets
(other than as contemplated by the merger agreement) prior to
the effective time of the merger.
No Solicitation of Alternative Transactions
The merger agreement provides, subject to limited exceptions
described below, that each of Veritas and CGG will not, and will
cause its subsidiaries and representatives not to:
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directly or indirectly initiate, solicit or knowingly encourage
or facilitate (including by way of furnishing non-public
information) any inquiries regarding or the making of any
proposal that constitutes, or may reasonably be expected to lead
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participate or engage in any discussions or negotiations with,
or disclose any non-public information relating to itself or any
of its subsidiaries, or afford access to its properties, books
or records to any person that has made or that it knows or has
reason to believe is contemplating making an acquisition
proposal; or |
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accept an acquisition proposal or enter into any agreement
(other than a confidentiality agreement in certain circumstances
that contains specified terms) that (1) provides for,
constitutes or relates to any acquisition proposal or
(2) requires or causes either Veritas or CGG to
respectively abandon, terminate or fail to consummate the merger
or the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. |
The merger agreement permits Veritas and CGG to take and
disclose to their respective stockholders a position with
respect to an acquisition proposal from a third party to the
extent required under applicable federal securities laws or
other applicable law. If either Veritas or CGG receives a
written acquisition proposal at any time prior to obtaining, in
the case of Veritas, the required Veritas stockholder vote
adopting the merger agreement, or in the case of CGG, the CGG
shareholder vote approving the issuance of CGG ordinary shares
pursuant to the merger, then that party and its respective board
of directors may participate and engage in negotiations with,
furnish non-public information to, and afford access to its
properties, books or records to, the third party making the
acquisition proposal if:
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the acquisition proposal was not solicited, initiated, knowingly
encouraged or facilitated by that party, its subsidiaries, or
any of its officers or directors, investment bankers, attorneys,
accountants, financial advisors, agents or other representatives
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the board of directors of the party that received the
acquisition proposal determines in good faith, after
consultation with its financial advisors, that such acquisition
proposal constitutes or is reasonably likely to result in a
superior proposal (as defined below); |
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the board of directors of the party that received the
acquisition proposal determines in good faith, after
consultation with its outside legal counsel, that the failure to
participate in such negotiations or discussions or to furnish
such information or data to such third party would be reasonably
expected to be inconsistent with the fiduciary duties under
applicable law of such partys board of directors; and |
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the person making the acquisition proposal has entered into a
confidentiality agreement on specified terms with the party that
received the acquisition proposal. |
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Veritas Ability to Make an Adverse Recommendation
Change in Response to a Superior Proposal |
At any time prior to obtaining the required Veritas stockholder
vote adopting the merger agreement, and subject to Veritas
compliance at all times with the non-solicitation provisions
described above, and with its obligation to submit the merger
agreement to the Veritas stockholders for adoption at the
special meeting, the board of directors of Veritas may make an
adverse recommendation change (as defined below) in response to
a superior proposal if:
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three business days before making such adverse recommendation
change, Veritas provides written notice to CGG (a notice
of superior proposal) that: |
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advises CGG that the board of directors of Veritas or any of its
committees has received a superior proposal with respect to
Veritas, |
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specifies the material terms and conditions of the superior
proposal, and |
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identifies the person or group making such superior
proposal; and |
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in the event that CGG proposes any alternative transaction
during such three business day period, the board of directors of
Veritas determines in good faith, (1) after consultation
with its financial advisors and outside legal counsel, that such
alternative transaction is not at least as favorable to Veritas
and its stockholders from a financial point of view as the
superior proposal, taking into account all financial, legal and
regulatory terms and conditions of the alternative transaction
proposed by CGG and (2) after consultation with its outside
legal counsel, that its failure to make an adverse
recommendation change would be reasonably expected to be
inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law. |
Veritas has also agreed to:
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advise CGG in writing of the receipt of any acquisition proposal
or any request for information received from any person that has
made or that Veritas reasonably believes may be contemplating an
acquisition proposal, or any inquiry, discussions or
negotiations with respect to any acquisition proposal, the
material terms and conditions of any request, acquisition
proposal, inquiry, discussions or negotiations, and the identity
of the person or group making any request or acquisition
proposal or with whom any discussions or negotiations are taking
place; |
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provide CGG any non-public information concerning Veritas
provided to any other person or group in connection with any
acquisition proposal that was not previously provided to CGG and
copies of any written materials received from that person or
group; |
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keep CGG fully informed of the status of any acquisition
proposals (including any material changes to any terms and
conditions); and |
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not release any third party from, or waive any provisions of,
any confidentiality or standstill agreement to which Veritas is
a party. |
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Veritas Ability to Make an Adverse Recommendation
Change other than in Response to a Superior Proposal |
At any time prior to obtaining the required Veritas stockholder
vote adopting the merger agreement, and subject to Veritas
compliance at all times with the non-solicitation provisions
described above, and with its obligations to submit the merger
agreement to the Veritas stockholders for adoption at the
special meeting, the board of directors of Veritas may make an
adverse recommendation change if the board of directors of
Veritas:
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provides written notice to CGG (a notice of change)
that: |
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advises CGG that the board of directors of Veritas is
contemplating making an adverse recommendation change, and |
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specifies the material facts and information constituting the
basis for such contemplated determination; and |
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determines in good faith: |
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after consultation with its outside legal counsel, that the
failure to make an adverse recommendation change would be
reasonably expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties
to the stockholders of Veritas, and |
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that the reasons for making the adverse recommendation change
are independent of any pending acquisition proposal; |
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provided, however, that: |
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the board of directors of Veritas may not make such an adverse
recommendation change until the third business day after receipt
by CGG of a notice of change, and |
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during the three business day period, Veritas will, at the
request of CGG, negotiate in good faith with respect to any
changes to the merger agreement which would allow the board of
directors of Veritas to not make the adverse recommendation
change consistent with its fiduciary duties. |
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CGGs Ability to Make an Adverse Recommendation
Change in Response to a Superior Proposal |
At any time prior to obtaining the required CGG shareholder vote
approving the issuance of CGG ordinary shares pursuant to the
merger, and subject to CGGs compliance at all times with
the non-solicitation provisions described above, and with its
obligations to submit the issuance of CGG ordinary shares
pursuant to the merger to the CGG shareholders for approval at
the special meeting, the board of directors of CGG may make an
adverse recommendation change in response to a superior proposal
if:
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three business days before making such adverse recommendation
change, CGG provides a notice of superior proposal to Veritas
that: |
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advises Veritas that the board of directors of CGG or any of its
committees has received a superior proposal with respect to CGG, |
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specifies the material terms and conditions of the superior
proposal, and |
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identifies the person or group making such superior
proposal; and |
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in the event that Veritas proposes any alternative transaction,
during such three business day period, the board of directors of
CGG determines in good faith, (1) after consultation with
its financial advisors and outside legal counsel, that such
alternative transaction is not at least as favorable to CGG and
its shareholders from a financial point of view as the superior
proposal, taking into account all financial, legal and
regulatory terms and conditions of the alternative transaction
proposed by Veritas and (2) after consultation with its
outside legal counsel, that its failure to make an adverse
recommendation change would be reasonably expected to be
inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law. |
CGG has also agreed to:
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advise Veritas in writing of the receipt of any acquisition
proposal or any request for information received from any person
that has made or that Veritas reasonably believes may be
contemplating an acquisition proposal, or any inquiry,
discussions or negotiations with respect to any acquisition
proposal, the material terms and conditions of any request,
acquisition proposal, inquiry, discussions or negotiations, and
the identity of the person or group making any request or
acquisition proposal or with whom any discussions or
negotiations are taking place; |
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provide Veritas any non-public information concerning CGG
provided to any other person or group in connection with any
acquisition proposal that was not previously provided to Veritas
and copies of any written materials received from that person or
group; |
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keep Veritas fully informed of the status of any acquisition
proposals (including any material changes to any terms and
conditions); and |
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not release any third party from, or waive any provisions of,
any confidentiality or standstill agreement to which CGG is a
party. |
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CGGs Ability to Make an Adverse Recommendation
Change Other Than in Response to a Superior Proposal |
At any time prior to obtaining the required CGG shareholder vote
approving the issuance of CGG ordinary shares pursuant to the
merger, and subject to CGGs compliance at all times with
the non-solicitation provisions described above, and with its
obligation to submit the issuance of CGG ordinary shares
pursuant to the merger to the CGG shareholders for approval at
the special meeting, the board of directors of CGG may make an
adverse recommendation change if the board of directors of CGG:
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provides a notice of change to Veritas that: |
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advises Veritas that the board of directors of CGG is
contemplating making an adverse recommendation change, and |
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specifies the material facts and information constituting the
basis for such contemplated determination; and |
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determines in good faith: |
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after consultation with its outside legal counsel that the
failure to make an adverse recommendation change would be
reasonably expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties
to the shareholders of CGG, and |
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that the reasons for making the adverse recommendation change
are independent of any pending acquisition proposal; |
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provided, however, that: |
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the board of directors of CGG may not make such an adverse
recommendation change until the third business day after receipt
of a notice of change by Veritas, and |
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during the three business day period, CGG will, at the request
of Veritas, negotiate in good faith with respect to any changes
to the merger agreement which would allow the board of directors
of CGG to not make the adverse recommendation change consistent
with its fiduciary duties. |
Acquisition Proposal. For purposes of this proxy
statement/ prospectus, the term acquisition proposal
means, with respect to Veritas or CGG, any bona fide proposal
for the:
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direct or indirect acquisition or purchase of a business or
assets that generates or constitutes 15% or more of the net
revenues, net income or the assets (based on fair market value)
of such party and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; |
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direct or indirect acquisition or purchase of 15% or more of any
class of equity securities or capital stock of such party or any
of its subsidiaries whose business generates or constitutes 15%
or more of the net revenues, net income or assets of such party
and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; or |
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merger, consolidation, restructuring, transfer of assets or
other business combination, sale of shares of capital stock,
tender offer, exchange offer, recapitalization, stock repurchase
program or other similar transaction that if consummated would
result in any person beneficially owning 15% or more of any
class of equity securities of such party or any of its
subsidiaries whose business generates or constitutes 15% or more
of the net revenues, net income or assets of such party and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement. |
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Superior Proposal. For purposes of this proxy statement/
prospectus, the term superior proposal, with respect
to Veritas or CGG, means:
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any bona fide written acquisition proposal that was not
initiated, solicited, facilitated or knowingly encouraged by
such party or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective
representatives, made by a third party to purchase all of the
outstanding equity securities or capital stock of such party or
all of the businesses and assets of such party and its
subsidiaries pursuant to a tender offer, exchange offer, merger
or asset purchase; and |
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the terms of the offer are superior to such party and its
stockholders (in their capacity as stockholders) from a
financial point of view as compared to the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement and to any alternative
transaction or changes to the terms of the merger agreement
proposed by any other party to the merger agreement as
determined in good faith by a majority of the board of directors
of such party (after the board of directors of such party
consults with its financial advisors and takes into account all
financial, legal and regulatory matters, including the terms and
conditions of the acquisition proposal and the merger agreement,
including any changes to the terms of the merger agreement
offered by any other party to the merger agreement in response
to the superior proposal, as well as any conditions to and
expected timing of consummation, and any risks of
non-consummation, of the acquisition proposal). |
Adverse Recommendation Change. For purposes of this proxy
statement/ prospectus, the term adverse recommendation
change means, with respect to Veritas or CGG, a direct or
indirect action or public proposal made by its board of
directors or a committee of its board of directors to:
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withdraw (or amend or modify in a manner adverse to the other
party) its approval, recommendation or declaration of
advisability of the merger agreement, the merger or the other
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement; or |
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recommend, adopt or approve any acquisition proposal. |
Termination of the Merger Agreement
The merger agreement may be terminated by written notice at any
time prior to the effective time of the merger in any of the
following ways:
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by mutual written consent of CGG and Veritas; |
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by either CGG or Veritas: |
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if the merger is not completed on or before April 15, 2007,
unless the failure of the party seeking to terminate the merger
agreement to fulfill any material obligation under the merger
agreement has been the cause of, or resulted in the failure of
the merger to have been completed on or before this date, |
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if any court or other governmental entity having jurisdiction
over any party to the merger agreement will have issued a
statute, rule, order, decree or regulation or taken any other
action (which CGG and Veritas will use their reasonable best
efforts to lift), in each case permanently restraining,
enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the
merger or making the merger illegal and such statute, rule,
order, decree, regulation or other action has become final and
nonappealable, provided that the right to terminate the merger
agreement pursuant to this provision may not be exercised by a
party whose failure to fulfill any material obligations under
the merger agreement has been the cause of or resulted in such
action or who is then in material breach of its obligation to
use reasonable best efforts to complete the merger, |
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if the Veritas stockholders fail to adopt the merger agreement
by the requisite vote. This right to terminate is not available
to Veritas if it has (i) breached any of its obligations
relating to non-solicitation of alternative transactions
described above and an acquisition proposal with respect to |
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Veritas has been publicly proposed or any person has announced
its intention to make an acquisition proposal or such intention
has otherwise become known generally to Veritas
stockholders or (ii) breached any of its obligations
relating to completing this proxy statement/ prospectus and
convening a Veritas stockholders meeting as described
above under Further Action; Reasonable Best
Efforts |
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if there has been a breach of or failure to perform in any
material respect any of the representations, warranties,
covenants or agreements set forth in the merger agreement on the
part of Veritas on the one hand, or CGG, Volnay I or
Volnay II, on the other hand, which would give rise to the
failure of the condition to closing related to accuracy of the
representations and warranties and performance of the covenants
in the merger agreement and which is incapable of being cured or
has not been cured within 45 days following receipt by the
breaching party of written notice of such breach from the
terminating party, or |
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if the CGG shareholders fail to approve the issuance of CGG
shares pursuant to the merger, provided that this right to
terminate is not available to CGG if it has (i) breached
any of its obligations relating to non-solicitation of
alternative transactions described above and an acquisition
proposal with respect to CGG has been publicly proposed or any
person has announced its intention to make an acquisition
proposal or such intention has otherwise become known generally
to CGGs shareholders or (ii) breached any of its
obligations relating to completing this proxy statement/
prospectus and convening a shareholders meeting described
above under Further Action; Reasonable Best
Efforts; |
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by CGG if, prior to obtaining the required vote of the Veritas
stockholders adopting the merger agreement: |
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Veritas or its board of directors has entered into an agreement
with respect to an acquisition proposal (other than a
permissible confidentiality agreement) or approved or
recommended, or, in the case of a committee, proposed to the
Veritas board of directors to approve or recommend, an
acquisition proposal (as defined above under
No Solicitation of Alternative
Transactions), |
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Veritas or its board of directors or any committee thereof has
resolved to do any of the foregoing, or |
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an adverse recommendation change has occurred with respect to
Veritas (whether or not in response to a superior proposal) or
the Veritas board of directors or any committee thereof has
resolved to make such an adverse recommendation change; |
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by CGG, upon written notice to Veritas, if CGG takes any action
to defeat or otherwise seek to forestall an unsolicited hostile
acquisition proposal to acquire not less than 40% of CGG, which
action would result in a breach or violation of any of
CGGs material obligations under the merger agreement and
any of the conditions to the merger not being satisfied, except
that CGG will not be permitted to terminate the merger agreement
if, prior to the time such unsolicited hostile acquisition
proposal was made, CGG was in breach of any of its obligations
relating to non-solicitation of alternative transactions under
the merger agreement; or |
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by Veritas if, prior to obtaining the required vote of the CGG
shareholders approving the issuance of the CGG shares pursuant
to the merger: |
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CGG or its board of directors has entered into an agreement with
respect to an acquisition proposal (other than a permissible
confidentiality agreement) or, approved or recommended, or, in
the case of a committee, proposed to the CGG board of directors
to approve or recommend, an acquisition proposal, |
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CGG or its board of directors or any of its committees has
resolved to do any of the foregoing, or |
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an adverse recommendation change has occurred with respect to
CGG (whether or not in response to a superior proposal) or the
CGG board of directors or any committee thereof has resolved to
make such an adverse recommendation change. |
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Termination Fees and Expenses |
Except for the termination fees set forth in the merger
agreement and as described below, all costs and expenses
incurred in connection with the merger agreement and the
transactions contemplated thereby will be paid by the party
incurring such costs or expenses.
Veritas must pay CGG a termination fee of $85 million if:
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the merger agreement is terminated by CGG due to Veritas
entering into an agreement with respect to any acquisition
proposal (other than certain confidentiality agreements) or an
adverse recommendation change by Veritas; or |
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the merger agreement is terminated by either CGG or Veritas for
failure to close the merger on or before April 15, 2007 or
because the Veritas stockholders failed to adopt the merger
agreement by the required vote, and |
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an acquisition proposal with respect to Veritas has been
publicly proposed by any person (other than by CGG or any of its
respective affiliates) or any person publicly has announced its
intention (whether or not conditional) to make such acquisition
proposal or such intention has otherwise become known to
Veritas stockholders generally, and |
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within 12 months after termination of the merger agreement,
Veritas or any of its subsidiaries enters into any definitive
agreement providing for an acquisition proposal. |
Veritas must pay an expense payment of $20.0 million to CGG
if Veritas stockholders fail to adopt the merger agreement by
the requisite vote.
CGG must pay Veritas a termination fee of $85 million if:
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the merger agreement is terminated by Veritas due to CGG
entering into an agreement with respect to any acquisition
proposal (other than certain confidentiality agreements) or an
adverse recommendation change by CGG; |
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the merger agreement is terminated by either CGG or Veritas for
failure to close the merger on or before April 15, 2007 or
because the CGG shareholders failed to approve the issuance of
the CGG ordinary shares underlying the CGG ADSs, and |
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an acquisition proposal with respect to CGG has been publicly
proposed by any person (other than by Veritas or any of its
respective affiliates) or any person publicly has announced its
intention (whether or not conditional) to make such acquisition
proposal or such intention has otherwise become known to
CGGs shareholders generally, and |
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within 12 months after termination of the merger agreement,
CGG or any of its subsidiaries enters into any definitive
agreement providing for an acquisition proposal; or |
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CGG takes any action to defeat or otherwise seek to forestall an
unsolicited hostile acquisition proposal with respect to CGG,
which would result in a breach or violation of any of CGGs
material obligations under the merger agreement and any of the
conditions to the merger not being satisfied and thereafter CGG
or Veritas terminates the merger agreement, then, upon such
termination by CGG or Veritas, as Veritas sole and
exclusive remedy, CGG will pay to Veritas $85 million as
liquidated damages, and no other fees, expenses or damages will
be payable by CGG in respect thereof. |
CGG must pay an expense payment of $20.0 million to Veritas
if CGG shareholders fail to approve the issuance of CGG shares
pursuant to the merger.
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For purposes of this subsection Termination
Fees and Expenses, the term acquisition
proposal shall have the meaning assigned to such term
under No Solicitation of Alternative
Transactions above, except that all references to
15% therein are deemed to be references to
40% for the purposes of this subsection.
In the event of the termination of the merger agreement as
described above, written notice must be given by the terminating
party to the other parties specifying the provision of the
merger agreement pursuant to which such termination is made, and
except as described in this paragraph, the merger agreement will
become null and void after the expiration of any applicable
period following such notice. In the event of the termination of
the merger agreement, there will be no liability on the part of
CGG, Volnay Acquisition Co. I or Volnay Acquisition Co. II,
on the one hand or Veritas on the other, except as described
above under Termination Fees and
Expenses above and except with respect to the requirement
to comply with the confidentiality agreement; provided that no
party will be relieved from any liability with respect to any
willful breach of any obligation under the merger agreement.
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APPRAISAL RIGHTS
In the event the holders of shares of Veritas common stock are
required to receive cash (other than cash in lieu of fractional
CGG ADSs) as consideration pursuant to the merger, holders of
shares of Veritas common stock who do not vote in favor of the
adoption of the merger agreement and who properly demand
appraisal of their shares will be entitled to appraisal rights
in connection with the merger under Section 262 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. In the event
the holders of shares of Veritas common stock are not required
to receive any portion of the merger consideration in cash
(other than cash in lieu of fractional CGG ADSs), they will not
be entitled to assert appraisal rights under Section 262.
The following discussion is not a complete statement of the law
pertaining to appraisal rights under the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware and is qualified in its entirety by the
full text of Section 262 which is attached to this proxy
statement/ prospectus as Annex F. The following summary
does not constitute any legal or other advice nor does it
constitute a recommendation that stockholders exercise their
appraisal rights, if any, under Section 262. All references
in Section 262 and in this summary to a
stockholder are to the record holder of the shares
of common stock of Veritas as to which appraisal rights are
asserted. A person having a beneficial interest in shares of
common stock of Veritas held of record in the name of another
person, such as a broker, fiduciary, depositary or other
nominee, must act promptly to cause the record holder to follow
the steps summarized below properly and in a timely manner to
perfect appraisal rights, if available.
In the event the holders of shares of Veritas common stock are
required to receive cash in exchange for their shares pursuant
to the merger, under Section 262, holders shares of common
stock of Veritas who do not vote in favor of the adoption of the
merger agreement and who otherwise follow the procedures set
forth in Section 262 will be entitled to have their shares
appraised by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive
payment in cash of the fair value of the shares,
exclusive of any element of value arising from the
accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with a
fair rate of interest, if any, as determined by the court.
Under Section 262, where a merger agreement is to be
submitted for adoption at a meeting of stockholders, the
corporation, not less than 20 days prior to the meeting,
must notify each of its stockholders entitled to appraisal
rights that appraisal rights are available and include in the
notice a copy of Section 262. To the extent appraisal
rights are available in connection with the merger, this proxy
statement/ prospectus shall constitute the notice, and the full
text of Section 262 is attached to this proxy statement as
Annex F. In the event appraisal rights are available in
connection with the merger, any holder of common stock of
Veritas who wishes to exercise appraisal rights, or who wishes
to preserve such holders right to do so, should review the
following discussion and Annex F carefully because failure
to timely and properly comply with the procedures specified will
result in the loss of appraisal rights. Moreover, because of the
complexity of the procedures for exercising the right to seek
appraisal of shares of common stock, Veritas believes that if a
stockholder considers exercising such rights, such stockholder
should seek the advice of legal counsel.
Filing Written Demand
Any holder of common stock of Veritas wishing to exercise
appraisal rights must deliver to Veritas, before the vote on the
adoption of the merger agreement at the special meeting at which
the proposal to adopt the merger agreement will be submitted to
the stockholders, a written demand for the appraisal of the
stockholders shares, and that stockholder must not vote in
favor of the adoption of the merger agreement. A holder of
shares of common stock of Veritas wishing to exercise appraisal
rights must hold of record the shares on the date the written
demand for appraisal is made and must continue to hold the
shares of record through the effective time of the merger, since
appraisal rights will be lost if the shares are transferred
prior to the effective time of the merger. The holder must not
vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement. A proxy
that is submitted and does not contain voting instructions will,
unless revoked, be voted in favor of the adoption of the merger
agreement, and it will constitute a waiver of the
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stockholders right of appraisal and will nullify any
previously delivered written demand for appraisal. Therefore, a
stockholder who submits a proxy and who wishes to exercise
appraisal rights must submit a proxy containing instructions to
vote against the adoption of the merger agreement or abstain
from voting on the adoption of the merger agreement. Neither
voting against the adoption of the merger agreement, nor
abstaining from voting or failing to vote on the proposal to
adopt the merger agreement will in and of itself constitute a
written demand for appraisal satisfying the requirements of
Section 262. The written demand for appraisal must be in
addition to and separate from any proxy or vote on the adoption
of the merger agreement. The demand must reasonably inform
Veritas of the identity of the holder as well as the intention
of the holder to demand an appraisal of the fair
value of the shares held by the holder. A
stockholders failure to make the written demand prior to
the taking of the vote on the adoption of the merger agreement
at the special meeting of Veritas stockholders will constitute a
waiver of appraisal rights.
If appraisal rights are available in connection with the merger,
only a holder of record of shares of Veritas common stock is
entitled to assert appraisal rights for the shares registered in
that holders name. A demand for appraisal in respect of
shares of common stock of Veritas should be executed by or on
behalf of the holder of record, fully and correctly, as the
holders name appears on the holders stock
certificates, should specify the holders name and mailing
address and the number of shares registered in the holders
name and must state that the person intends thereby to demand
appraisal of the holders shares in connection with the
merger. If the shares are owned of record in a fiduciary
capacity, such as by a trustee, guardian or custodian, execution
of the demand should be made in that capacity, and if the shares
are owned of record by more than one person, as in a joint
tenancy and tenancy in common, the demand should be executed by
or on behalf of all joint owners. An authorized agent, including
an agent for two or more joint owners, may execute a demand for
appraisal on behalf of a holder or record; however, the agent
must identify the record owner or owners and expressly disclose
that, in executing the demand, the agent is acting as agent for
the record owner or owners. If the shares are held in
street name by a broker, bank or nominee, the
broker, bank or nominee may exercise appraisal rights with
respect to the shares held for one or more beneficial owners
while not exercising the rights with respect to the shares held
for other beneficial owners; in such case, however, the written
demand should set forth the number of shares as to which
appraisal is sought and where no number of shares is expressly
mentioned the demand will be presumed to cover all shares of
common stock of Veritas held in the name of the record owner.
Stockholders who hold their shares in brokerage accounts or
other nominee forms and who wish to exercise appraisal rights
are urged to consult with their brokers to determine the
appropriate procedures for the making of a demand for appraisal
by such a nominee.
All written demands for appraisal pursuant to Section 262
should be sent or delivered to Veritas at 10300 Town Park
Drive, Houston, Texas 77072, Attention: Corporate Secretary.
Any holder of common stock of Veritas may withdraw his, her or
its demand for appraisal and accept the consideration offered
pursuant to the merger agreement by delivering to Veritas, as
the surviving corporation, a written withdrawal of the demand
for appraisal. However, any such attempt to withdraw the demand
made more than 60 days after the effective date of the
merger will require written approval of the surviving
corporation. No appraisal proceeding in the Delaware Court of
Chancery will be dismissed without the approval of the Delaware
Court of Chancery, and such approval may be conditioned upon
such terms as the Court deems just. If the surviving corporation
does not approve a request to withdraw a demand for appraisal
when that approval is required, or if the Delaware Court of
Chancery does not approve the dismissal of an appraisal
proceeding, the stockholder will be entitled to receive only the
appraised value determined in any such appraisal proceeding,
which value could be less than, equal to or more than the
consideration being offered pursuant to the merger agreement.
Notice by the Surviving Corporation
If appraisal rights are available in connection with the merger,
within ten days after the effective time of the merger, the
surviving corporation must notify each holder of common stock of
Veritas who has made a written demand for appraisal pursuant to
Section 262, and who has not voted in favor of the adoption
of the merger agreement, that the merger has become effective.
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Filing a Petition for Appraisal
Within 120 days after the effective time of the merger, but
not thereafter, the surviving corporation or any holder of
common stock of Veritas who has so complied with
Section 262 and is entitled to appraisal rights under
Section 262 may file a petition in the Delaware Court of
Chancery demanding a determination of the fair value of the
shares held by all dissenting holders. The surviving corporation
is under no obligation to and has no present intention to file a
petition and holders should not assume that the surviving
corporation will file a petition. Accordingly, it is the
obligation of the holders of common stock of Veritas to initiate
all necessary action to perfect their appraisal rights in
respect of shares of common stock of Veritas within the time
prescribed in Section 262.
Within 120 days after the effective time of the merger, any
holder of common stock of Veritas who has complied with the
requirements for exercise of appraisal rights will be entitled,
upon written request, to receive from the surviving corporation
a statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares not
voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement and with
respect to which demands for appraisal have been received and
the aggregate number of holders of such shares. The statement
must be mailed within ten days after a written request therefor
has been received by the surviving corporation or within ten
days after the expiration of the period for delivery of demands
for appraisal, whichever is later.
If a petition for an appraisal is timely filed by a holder of
shares of common stock of Veritas and a copy thereof is served
upon the surviving corporation, the surviving corporation will
then be obligated within 20 days to file with the Delaware
Register in Chancery a duly verified list containing the names
and addresses of all stockholders who have demanded an appraisal
of their shares and with whom agreements as to the value of
their shares have not been reached. After notice to the
stockholders as required by the court, the Delaware Court of
Chancery is empowered to conduct a hearing on the petition to
determine those stockholders who have complied with
Section 262 and who have become entitled to appraisal
rights thereunder. The Delaware Court of Chancery may require
the stockholders who demanded payment for their shares to submit
their stock certificates to the Register in Chancery for
notation thereon of the pendency of the appraisal proceeding;
and if any stockholder fails to comply with the direction, the
Court of Chancery may dismiss the proceedings as to the
stockholder.
Determination of Fair Value
After determining the holders of common stock of Veritas
entitled to appraisal, the Delaware Court of Chancery will
appraise the fair value of their shares, exclusive
of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or
expectation of the merger, together with a fair rate of
interest, if any, to be paid upon the amount determined to be
the fair value. In determining fair value and, if applicable, a
fair rate of interest, the Court of Chancery of Delaware will
take into account all relevant factors. In Weinberger v.
UOP, Inc., the Supreme Court of Delaware discussed the
factors that could be considered in determining fair value in an
appraisal proceeding, stating that proof of value by any
techniques or methods that are generally considered acceptable
in the financial community and otherwise admissible in
court should be considered, and that fair price
obviously requires consideration of all relevant factors
involving the value of a company. The Delaware Supreme
Court stated that, in making this determination of fair value,
the court must consider market value, asset value, dividends,
earnings prospects, the nature of the enterprise and any other
facts that could be ascertained as of the date of the merger
that throw any light on future prospects of the merged
corporation. Section 262 provides that fair value is to be
exclusive of any element of value arising from the
accomplishment or expectation of the merger. In
Cede & Co. v. Technicolor, Inc., the Delaware
Supreme Court stated that such exclusion is a narrow
exclusion [that] does not encompass known elements of
value, but which rather applies only to the speculative
elements of value arising from such accomplishment or
expectation. In Weinberger, the Supreme Court of Delaware also
stated that elements of future value, including the nature
of the enterprise, which are known or susceptible of proof as of
the date of the merger and not the product of speculation, may
be considered.
Stockholders considering seeking appraisal should be aware that
the fair value of their shares as so determined could be more
than, the same as or less than the consideration they would
receive pursuant to
127
the merger if they did not seek appraisal of their shares and
that an investment banking opinion as to the fairness from a
financial point of view of the consideration payable in a merger
is not an opinion as to fair value under Section 262.
Although Veritas believes that the merger consideration is fair,
no representation is made as to the outcome of the appraisal of
fair value as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery, and
stockholders should recognize that such an appraisal could
result in a determination of a value higher or lower than, or
the same as, the merger consideration. Neither Veritas nor CGG
anticipate offering more than the applicable merger
consideration to any stockholder of Veritas exercising appraisal
rights, and reserve the right to assert, in any appraisal
proceeding, that for purposes of Section 262, the
fair value of a share of common stock of Veritas is
less than the applicable merger consideration, and that the
methods which are generally considered acceptable in the
financial community and otherwise admissible in court should be
considered in the appraisal proceedings. In addition, Delaware
courts have decided that the statutory appraisal remedy,
depending on factual circumstances, may or may not be a
dissenters exclusive remedy. The Delaware Court of
Chancery will also determine the amount of interest, if any, to
be paid upon the amounts to be received by persons whose shares
of common stock of Veritas have been appraised. If a petition
for appraisal is not timely filed, then the right to an
appraisal will cease. The costs of the action (which do not
include attorneys fees or the fees and expenses of experts) may
be determined by the Court and taxed upon the parties as the
Court deems equitable under the circumstances. The Court may
also order that all or a portion of the expenses incurred by a
stockholder in connection with an appraisal, including, without
limitation, reasonable attorneys fees and the fees and
expenses of experts utilized in the appraisal proceeding, be
charged pro rata against the value of all the shares entitled to
be appraised.
If any stockholder who demands appraisal of shares of common
stock of Veritas under Section 262 fails to perfect, or
successfully withdraws or loses, such holders right to
appraisal, the stockholders shares of common stock of
Veritas will be deemed to have been converted at the effective
time of the merger into the right to receive the merger
consideration applicable to no election shares. A stockholder
will fail to perfect, or effectively lose or withdraw, the
holders right to appraisal if no petition for appraisal is
filed within 120 days after the effective time of the
merger or if the stockholder delivers to the surviving
corporation a written withdrawal of the holders demand for
appraisal and an acceptance of the merger consideration in
accordance with Section 262.
From and after the effective time of the merger, no dissenting
stockholder shall have any rights of a stockholder of Veritas
with respect to that holders shares for any purpose,
except to receive payment of fair value and to receive payment
of dividends or other distributions on the holders shares
of common stock of Veritas, if any, payable to stockholders of
Veritas of record as of a time prior to the effective time of
the merger; provided, however, that if a dissenting
stockholder delivers to the surviving company a written
withdrawal of the demand for an appraisal within 60 days
after the effective time of the merger or subsequently with the
written approval of the surviving company, then the right of
that dissenting stockholder to an appraisal will cease and the
dissenting stockholder will be entitled to receive only the
merger consideration. Once a petition for appraisal is filed
with the Delaware court, the appraisal proceeding may not be
dismissed as to any stockholder of Veritas without the approval
of the court.
Failure to comply strictly with all of the procedures set forth
in Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law will
result in the loss of a stockholders statutory appraisal
rights. Consequently, any stockholder wishing to exercise
appraisal rights is urged to consult legal counsel before
attempting to exercise those rights.
128
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance
sheets and unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of
income are presented in millions of euros and reflect the
combination of CGG and Veritas using the purchase method under
IFRS and U.S. GAAP at and for the twelve-month period ended
December 31, 2005 and at and for the six-month period ended
June 30, 2006. The differences between IFRS and US GAAP are
described in Note 2.
The pro forma adjustments are based upon available information
and certain assumptions that CGG believes to be reasonable,
including the assumptions that pursuant to the merger agreement:
|
|
|
|
|
based on the closing price of CGG ADSs on August 29, 2006,
each outstanding share of Veritas common stock will be converted
into the right to receive either (i) 2.25 CGG ADSs (with
respect to 50.664% of Veritas total common stock) or
(ii) U.S.$75.00 in cash (with respect to 49.336% of
Veritas total common stock); |
|
|
|
the cash consideration to be paid by CGG will be financed by a
U.S.$1.6 billion bridge credit facility which will be drawn
in an amount of U.S.$1.5 billion at the effective time of
the merger, which facility is fully committed by a bank at an
interest rate of LIBOR plus 3.75% and with corresponding
borrowing fees of 1.25% and an
18-month maturity; |
|
|
|
each employee option to purchase shares of Veritas common stock
pursuant to any stock option plan, program or arrangement of
Veritas outstanding at the time of the merger, whether or not
vested, will be cancelled and converted into the right to
receive, for each share of Veritas common stock subject to such
option, an amount in cash equal to the excess, if any of
U.S.$75.00 over the exercise price per share under such option
(less any applicable withholding taxes); and |
|
|
|
Veritas floating rate convertible bonds due 2024 are assumed to
be converted at the merger date and the corresponding new
outstanding shares of Veritas issued pursuant to the conversion
will be included in the shares of common stock of Veritas
subject to the merger. |
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not
indicative of the income (loss) from operating activities or the
financial condition of the combined company that would have been
achieved had the merger been completed during the periods
presented, nor are the unaudited pro forma condensed combined
financial information indicative of the future operating results
or financial position of CGG-Veritas. The unaudited pro forma
condensed combined financial information does not reflect any
cost savings or other synergies that may result from the merger.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
does not reflect any special items such as payments pursuant to
contractual
change-of-control
provisions or restructuring and integration costs that may be
incurred as a result of the merger. In addition, the financial
effects of any actions described in the sections entitled
The Merger CGGs Reasons for the
Merger and The Merger Recommendation of
the Veritas Board of Directors and Its Reasons for the
Merger, such as synergies or the effect of asset
dispositions, if any, that may be required by regulatory
authorities, cannot currently be determined and therefore are
not reflected in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined
financial information.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
has been derived from and should be read in conjunction with the
respective consolidated financial statements of CGG at and for
the year ended December 31, 2005 and at and for the
six-month period ended June 30, 2006 and the consolidated
financial statements of Veritas at and for the year ended
July 31,2006, and the consolidated financial statements of
Veritas as of and for the six-months periods ended
January 31, 2005 and 2006, each of which is incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
is based on preliminary estimates and assumptions, which CGG
believes to be reasonable. In the unaudited pro forma condensed
combined financial information, the cash to be paid and CGG ADSs
to be issued as merger consideration for Veritas shares of
common stock have been allocated to the Veritas assets and
liabilities based upon preliminary estimates by the management
of CGG of their respective fair values at the date of the
merger. Any difference between the consideration paid and the
fair value of the Veritas assets and liabilities has been
recorded as goodwill. Definitive allocations will be performed
after the effective time of the merger. Accordingly, the
purchase price allocation pro forma adjustments are preliminary
and have been made solely for the purpose of preparing the
unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information and
are subject to revision based on the final determination of fair
value after the effective time of the merger.
129
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
BALANCE SHEET
AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical CGG | |
|
|
|
|
|
Combined Pro Forma | |
|
|
IFRS at | |
|
Historical Veritas | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Balance Sheet at | |
|
|
December 31, | |
|
U.S. GAAP at | |
|
Adjustments at | |
|
December 31, 2005 | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
January 31, 2006 | |
|
December 31, 2005 | |
|
IFRS | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros except per share data) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
112.4 |
|
|
|
223.4 |
|
|
|
(219.2 |
) |
|
|
116.6 |
|
Current assets, net
|
|
|
492.1 |
|
|
|
217.9 |
|
|
|
(18.4 |
) |
|
|
691.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
604.5 |
|
|
|
441.3 |
|
|
|
(237.6 |
) |
|
|
808.2 |
|
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
136.3 |
|
|
|
248.1 |
|
|
|
232.7 |
|
|
|
617.1 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
252.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,894.6 |
|
|
|
2,147.5 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
571.4 |
|
|
|
172.0 |
|
|
|
12.4 |
|
|
|
755.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
960.6 |
|
|
|
420.1 |
|
|
|
2,139.7 |
|
|
|
3,520.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
1,565.1 |
|
|
|
861.4 |
|
|
|
1,902.1 |
|
|
|
4,328.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Bank overdrafts
|
|
|
9.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.3 |
|
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
157.9 |
|
|
|
132.0 |
|
|
|
(134.6 |
) |
|
|
155.3 |
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
338.0 |
|
|
|
139.9 |
|
|
|
(9.8 |
) |
|
|
468.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
505.2 |
|
|
|
271.9 |
|
|
|
(144.4 |
) |
|
|
632.7 |
|
Financial debt
|
|
|
242.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,255.0 |
|
|
|
1,497.4 |
|
Derivative on convertible bonds
|
|
|
11.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11.3 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
96.0 |
|
|
|
34.6 |
|
|
|
81.0 |
|
|
|
211.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
349.7 |
|
|
|
34.6 |
|
|
|
1,336.0 |
|
|
|
1,720.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
698.5 |
|
|
|
554.9 |
|
|
|
710.5 |
|
|
|
1,963.9 |
|
Minority interests
|
|
|
11.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shareholders equity and minority interests
|
|
|
710.2 |
|
|
|
554.9 |
|
|
|
710.5 |
|
|
|
1,975.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
1,565.1 |
|
|
|
861.4 |
|
|
|
1,902.1 |
|
|
|
4,328.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
130
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
BALANCE SHEET AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Adjustments to | |
|
|
|
|
Consistency | |
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Other | |
|
Balance Sheet at | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
December 31, 2005 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Note 2 | |
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2.5 |
|
|
|
(219.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(219.2 |
) |
Current assets, net
|
|
|
2.3, 2.4, 2.6 |
|
|
|
(10.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
(18.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(219.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
(237.6 |
) |
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
2.3, 2.8 |
|
|
|
9.8 |
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
222.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
232.7 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
1,894.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,894.6 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
2.3, 2.4, 2.6 |
|
|
|
(7.0 |
) |
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
19.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,136.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,139.7 |
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(7.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,917.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
1,902.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
2.3 |
|
|
|
(3.2 |
) |
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
(131.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(134.6 |
) |
Current liabilities
|
|
|
2.3, 2.6 |
|
|
|
(1.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
(9.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(131.9 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
(144.4 |
) |
Financial debt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2.3 |
|
|
|
1,255.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,255.0 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
2.3, 2.5, 2.8 |
|
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
78.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
81.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,333.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,336.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
715.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
710.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(7.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,917.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
1,902.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
131
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
STATEMENT OF INCOME FOR THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER IFRS
|
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|
|
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|
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|
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Historical | |
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Exploration | |
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Resources and | |
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Historical | |
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Historical | |
|
Related Pro | |
|
Veritas | |
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CGG | |
|
Forma | |
|
12 Months | |
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12 Months | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ended | |
|
Pro Forma | |
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Combined Pro Forma | |
|
|
Ended | |
|
8 Months | |
|
January | |
|
Adjustments Veritas | |
|
Income Statement | |
|
|
December | |
|
Ended August | |
|
31, 2006 | |
|
12 Months Ended | |
|
12 Months Ended | |
|
|
31, 2005 | |
|
31, 2005 | |
|
U.S. | |
|
December 31, 2005 | |
|
December 31, 2005 | |
|
|
IFRS | |
|
IFRS | |
|
GAAP | |
|
IFRS | |
|
IFRS | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros except per share data) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
869.9 |
|
|
|
68.7 |
|
|
|
579.6 |
|
|
|
(29.1 |
) |
|
|
1,489.1 |
|
Other income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
1.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
871.8 |
|
|
|
68.7 |
|
|
|
579.6 |
|
|
|
(29.1 |
) |
|
|
1,491.0 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(670.0 |
) |
|
|
(69.7 |
) |
|
|
(453.2 |
) |
|
|
(5.9 |
) |
|
|
(1,198.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
201.8 |
|
|
|
(1.0 |
) |
|
|
126.4 |
|
|
|
(35.0 |
) |
|
|
292.2 |
|
Research and development expenses net
|
|
|
(31.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(16.5 |
) |
|
|
5.0 |
|
|
|
(42.6 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(91.2 |
) |
|
|
(5.8 |
) |
|
|
(30.0 |
) |
|
|
(2.4 |
) |
|
|
(129.4 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses) net
|
|
|
(4.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.9 |
|
|
|
5.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
75.1 |
|
|
|
(6.8 |
) |
|
|
79.9 |
|
|
|
(22.5 |
) |
|
|
125.7 |
|
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
(56.8 |
) |
|
|
(11.3 |
) |
|
|
12.8 |
|
|
|
(127.1 |
) |
|
|
(182.4 |
) |
Variance on derivative of convertible bonds
|
|
|
(11.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(11.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income
taxes
|
|
|
6.8 |
|
|
|
(18.1 |
) |
|
|
92.7 |
|
|
|
(149.6 |
) |
|
|
(68.2 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
(26.6 |
) |
|
|
3.9 |
|
|
|
(6.1 |
) |
|
|
52.4 |
|
|
|
23.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income (loss) of consolidated companies
|
|
|
(19.8 |
) |
|
|
(14.2 |
) |
|
|
86.6 |
|
|
|
(97.2 |
) |
|
|
(44.6 |
) |
Equity in income of affiliates
|
|
|
13.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
(6.8 |
) |
|
|
(14.2 |
) |
|
|
86.6 |
|
|
|
(97.2 |
) |
|
|
(31.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
shareholders
|
|
|
(7.8 |
) |
|
|
(14.2 |
) |
|
|
86.6 |
|
|
|
(97.2 |
) |
|
|
(32.6 |
) |
minority interests
|
|
|
1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.0 |
|
Weighted average number of outstanding shares
|
|
|
12,095,925 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
21,300,019 |
|
Weighted average number of potential shares
|
|
|
12,095,925 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
21,300,019 |
|
Earnings per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
basic
|
|
|
(0.64 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1.53 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
diluted
|
|
|
(0.64 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1.53 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
132
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
STATEMENT OF INCOME FOR THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments to | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
Income Statement | |
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
12 Months Ended | |
|
|
|
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Other | |
|
December 31, 2005 | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
Under IFRS | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
IFRS | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Note 2 | |
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
2.6 |
|
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
2.7 |
|
|
|
(2.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(29.8 |
) |
|
|
(29.1 |
) |
Other income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(29.8 |
) |
|
|
(29.1 |
) |
Cost of operations
|
|
|
2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 |
|
|
|
7.1 |
|
|
|
3.3.1, 3.3.4 |
|
|
|
(32.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
19.0 |
|
|
|
(5.9 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(34.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10.8 |
) |
|
|
(35.0 |
) |
Research and development expenses net
|
|
|
2.8 |
|
|
|
5.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.0 |
|
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3.1, 3.3.4 |
|
|
|
(2.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.4 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses) net
|
|
|
2.2, 2.6 |
|
|
|
9.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(36.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10.8 |
) |
|
|
(22.5 |
) |
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
(9.6 |
) |
|
|
3.3.2, 3.3.3 |
|
|
|
(117.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(127.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income
taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(154.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10.8 |
) |
|
|
(149.6 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5.4 |
) |
|
|
3.3.5 |
|
|
|
54.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.8 |
|
|
|
52.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(100.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(7.0 |
) |
|
|
(97.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
133
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
BALANCE SHEET
AT JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical CGG | |
|
Historical Veritas | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Combined Pro Forma | |
|
|
IFRS at June 30, | |
|
U.S. GAAP at | |
|
Adjustments at | |
|
Balance Sheet at | |
|
|
2006 | |
|
July 31, 2006 | |
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
June 30, 2006 IFRS | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
206.4 |
|
|
|
316.1 |
|
|
|
(203.3 |
) |
|
|
319.2 |
|
Current assets, net
|
|
|
531.6 |
|
|
|
200.0 |
|
|
|
(10.9 |
) |
|
|
720.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
738.0 |
|
|
|
516.1 |
|
|
|
(214.2 |
) |
|
|
1,039.9 |
|
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
122.2 |
|
|
|
233.3 |
|
|
|
212.7 |
|
|
|
568.2 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
238.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,714.9 |
|
|
|
1,953.4 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
574.9 |
|
|
|
161.5 |
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
|
|
745.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
935.6 |
|
|
|
394.8 |
|
|
|
1,936.4 |
|
|
|
3,266.8 |
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
1,673.6 |
|
|
|
910.9 |
|
|
|
1,722.2 |
|
|
|
4,306.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Bank overdrafts
|
|
|
17.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17.2 |
|
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
38.3 |
|
|
|
122.7 |
|
|
|
(124.9 |
) |
|
|
36.1 |
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
311.8 |
|
|
|
202.1 |
|
|
|
(6.4 |
) |
|
|
507.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
367.3 |
|
|
|
324.8 |
|
|
|
(131.3 |
) |
|
|
560.8 |
|
Financial debt
|
|
|
393.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,164.6 |
|
|
|
1,558.0 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
87.4 |
|
|
|
27.2 |
|
|
|
73.6 |
|
|
|
188.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
480.8 |
|
|
|
27.2 |
|
|
|
1,238.2 |
|
|
|
1,746.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
802.6 |
|
|
|
558.9 |
|
|
|
615.3 |
|
|
|
1,976.8 |
|
Minority interests
|
|
|
22.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shareholders equity and minority interests
|
|
|
825.5 |
|
|
|
558.9 |
|
|
|
615.3 |
|
|
|
1,999.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
1,673.6 |
|
|
|
910.9 |
|
|
|
1,722.2 |
|
|
|
4,306.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
134
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
BALANCE SHEET AT JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Adjustments to | |
|
|
|
|
Consistency | |
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Other | |
|
Balance Sheet | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
at June 30, 2006 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Note 2 | |
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2.5 |
|
|
|
(203.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(203.3 |
) |
Current assets, net
|
|
|
2.3, 2.4, 2.6 |
|
|
|
(8.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
(10.9 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(203.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
(214.2 |
) |
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
2.3, 2.8 |
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
206.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
212.7 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
1,714.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,714.9 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
2.3, 2.4, 2.6 |
|
|
|
(9.3 |
) |
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
18.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,939.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,936.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(12.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,736.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
1,722.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
2.3 |
|
|
|
(3.0 |
) |
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
(121.9 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(124.9 |
) |
Current liabilities
|
|
|
2.3, 2.6 |
|
|
|
(4.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
(6.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(7.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(122.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
(131.3 |
) |
Financial debt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2.3 |
|
|
|
1,164.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,164.6 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
2.3, 2.5, 2.8 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
73.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
73.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,237.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,238.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
620.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
615.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(12.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,736.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
1,722.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
135
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
STATEMENT OF
INCOME FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2006
UNDER IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Veritas | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 Months | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Combined Pro | |
|
|
Historical CGG | |
|
Ended | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Forma Statement of | |
|
|
6 months ended | |
|
July 31, 2006 | |
|
6 Months Ended | |
|
Income Ended | |
|
|
June 30, 2006 IFRS | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
June 30, 2006 IFRS | |
|
June 30, 2006 IFRS | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros except per share data) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
634.5 |
|
|
|
339.1 |
|
|
|
(4.0 |
) |
|
|
969.6 |
|
Other income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
635.4 |
|
|
|
339.1 |
|
|
|
(4.0 |
) |
|
|
970.5 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(420.4 |
) |
|
|
(260.5 |
) |
|
|
(7.1 |
) |
|
|
(688.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
215.0 |
|
|
|
78.6 |
|
|
|
(11.1 |
) |
|
|
282.5 |
|
Research and development expenses net
|
|
|
(18.4 |
) |
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
|
|
3.0 |
|
|
|
(25.4 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(60.3 |
) |
|
|
(18.6 |
) |
|
|
(0.7 |
) |
|
|
(79.6 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses) net
|
|
|
9.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
9.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
146.1 |
|
|
|
50.0 |
|
|
|
(9.0 |
) |
|
|
187.1 |
|
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
(19.7 |
) |
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
(58.7 |
) |
|
|
(76.2 |
) |
Derivative of convertible bonds and related costs
|
|
|
(23.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(23.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income
taxes
|
|
|
103.4 |
|
|
|
52.2 |
|
|
|
(67.7 |
) |
|
|
87.9 |
|
Income taxes
|
|
|
(33.0 |
) |
|
|
(20.0 |
) |
|
|
23.7 |
|
|
|
(29.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income (loss) of consolidated companies
|
|
|
70.4 |
|
|
|
32.2 |
|
|
|
(44.0 |
) |
|
|
58.6 |
|
Equity in income of affiliates
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
76.2 |
|
|
|
32.2 |
|
|
|
(44.0 |
) |
|
|
64.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
shareholders
|
|
|
75.3 |
|
|
|
32.2 |
|
|
|
(44.0 |
) |
|
|
63.5 |
|
minority interests
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
Weighted average number of outstanding shares
|
|
|
17,219,465 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
26,423,559 |
|
Weighted average number of potential shares
|
|
|
17,583,926 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
26,788,020 |
|
Earnings per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
basic
|
|
|
4.37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.41 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
diluted
|
|
|
4.28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
136
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED STATEMENT OF INCOME FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD
ENDED JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to Statement | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
of Income | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
6 Months | |
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Ended | |
|
|
|
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Other | |
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
Under IFRS | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
IFRS | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Note 2 | |
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
2.6 |
|
|
|
2.7 |
|
|
|
2.7 |
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(6.5 |
) |
|
|
(4.0 |
) |
Other income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total income from ordinary activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(6.5 |
) |
|
|
(4.0 |
) |
Cost of operations
|
|
|
2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 |
|
|
|
4.8 |
|
|
|
3.3.1, 3.3.4 |
|
|
|
(15.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.9 |
|
|
|
(7.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(16.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(11.1 |
) |
Research and development expenses net
|
|
|
2.8 |
|
|
|
3.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.0 |
|
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3.1, 3.3.4 |
|
|
|
(0.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.7 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses) net
|
|
|
2.6 |
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(16.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(9.0 |
) |
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3.2, 3.3.3 |
|
|
|
(58.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(58.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income
taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(75.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(67.7 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3.6 |
) |
|
|
3.3.5 |
|
|
|
26.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
23.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(49.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1.7 |
) |
|
|
(44.0 |
) |
Attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
shareholders
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(49.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1.7 |
) |
|
|
(44.0 |
) |
minority interests
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
137
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
BALANCE SHEET AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Combined | |
|
|
Historical | |
|
Historical | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
CGG | |
|
Veritas | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Balance Sheet at | |
|
|
U.S. GAAP at | |
|
U.S. GAAP at | |
|
Adjustments at | |
|
December 31, | |
|
|
December 31, | |
|
January 31, | |
|
December 31, | |
|
2005 | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2006 | |
|
2005 | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
112.4 |
|
|
|
223.4 |
|
|
|
(219.2 |
) |
|
|
116.6 |
|
Current assets, net
|
|
|
496.1 |
|
|
|
217.9 |
|
|
|
8.5 |
|
|
|
722.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
608.5 |
|
|
|
441.3 |
|
|
|
(210.7 |
) |
|
|
839.1 |
|
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
107.0 |
|
|
|
248.1 |
|
|
|
223.0 |
|
|
|
578.1 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
255.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,889.1 |
|
|
|
2,144.5 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
602.9 |
|
|
|
172.0 |
|
|
|
19.5 |
|
|
|
794.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
965.3 |
|
|
|
420.1 |
|
|
|
2,131.6 |
|
|
|
3,517.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
1,573.8 |
|
|
|
861.4 |
|
|
|
1,920.9 |
|
|
|
4,356.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Bank overdrafts
|
|
|
9.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.3 |
|
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
160.1 |
|
|
|
132.0 |
|
|
|
(131.4 |
) |
|
|
160.7 |
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
340.5 |
|
|
|
139.9 |
|
|
|
(8.5 |
) |
|
|
471.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
509.9 |
|
|
|
271.9 |
|
|
|
(139.9 |
) |
|
|
641.9 |
|
Financial debt
|
|
|
247.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,271.5 |
|
|
|
1,518.8 |
|
Derivative on convertible bonds
|
|
|
11.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11.3 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
104.1 |
|
|
|
34.6 |
|
|
|
74.0 |
|
|
|
212.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
362.7 |
|
|
|
34.6 |
|
|
|
1,345.5 |
|
|
|
1,742.8 |
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
689.5 |
|
|
|
554.9 |
|
|
|
715.3 |
|
|
|
1,959.7 |
|
Minority interests
|
|
|
11.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
1,573.8 |
|
|
|
861.4 |
|
|
|
1,920.9 |
|
|
|
4,356.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
138
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
BALANCE SHEET AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER
U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments to | |
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
Balance Sheet | |
|
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
at | |
|
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Other | |
|
December 31, | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
2005 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
3.2.5 |
|
|
|
(219.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(219.2 |
) |
Current assets, net
|
|
|
3.2.3 |
|
|
|
16.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
8.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(202.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
(210.7 |
) |
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
223.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
223.0 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
1,889.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,889.1 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
19.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,131.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,131.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,929.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
1,920.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
(131.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(131.4 |
) |
Current liabilities
|
|
|
3.2 |
|
|
|
(0.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
(8.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(131.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
(139.9 |
) |
Financial debt
|
|
|
3.2.3 |
|
|
|
1,271.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,271.5 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
74.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
74.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,345.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,345.5 |
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
715.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
715.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,929.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1 |
) |
|
|
1,920.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
139
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
STATEMENT OF INCOME FOR THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exploration | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources and | |
|
|
|
|
|
Combined | |
|
|
|
|
Related Pro | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
Historical | |
|
Forma | |
|
Historical | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Income | |
|
|
CGG | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Veritas | |
|
Veritas | |
|
Statement | |
|
|
12 Months | |
|
8 Months | |
|
12 Months | |
|
12 Months | |
|
12 Months | |
|
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
|
December | |
|
August 31, | |
|
January 31, | |
|
December 31, | |
|
December 31, | |
|
|
31, 2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2006 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros except per share data) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
860.8 |
|
|
|
63.8 |
|
|
|
579.6 |
|
|
|
(29.8 |
) |
|
|
1,474.4 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(665.4 |
) |
|
|
(68.8 |
) |
|
|
(453.2 |
) |
|
|
1.3 |
|
|
|
(1,186.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
195.4 |
|
|
|
(5.0 |
) |
|
|
126.4 |
|
|
|
(28.5 |
) |
|
|
288.3 |
|
Research and development
expenses net
|
|
|
(39.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(16.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(55.8 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(92.7 |
) |
|
|
(8.4 |
) |
|
|
(30.0 |
) |
|
|
(3.7 |
) |
|
|
(134.8 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses) net
|
|
|
(1.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.6 |
|
|
|
8.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
61.9 |
|
|
|
(13.4 |
) |
|
|
79.9 |
|
|
|
(22.6 |
) |
|
|
105.8 |
|
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
(31.9 |
) |
|
|
(4.6 |
) |
|
|
12.8 |
|
|
|
(127.1 |
) |
|
|
(150.8 |
) |
Variance on derivative of convertible bonds
|
|
|
(11.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(11.5 |
) |
Equity in income of affiliates
|
|
|
13.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income taxes
and minority interests
|
|
|
31.5 |
|
|
|
(18.0 |
) |
|
|
92.7 |
|
|
|
(149.7 |
) |
|
|
(43.5 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
(22.2 |
) |
|
|
5.2 |
|
|
|
(6.1 |
) |
|
|
52.4 |
|
|
|
29.3 |
|
Minority interests
|
|
|
(1.0 |
) |
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
8.3 |
|
|
|
(12.6 |
) |
|
|
86.6 |
|
|
|
(97.3 |
) |
|
|
(15.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of outstanding shares
|
|
|
12,095,925 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
21,300,019 |
|
Weighted average number of potential shares
|
|
|
12,357,779 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
21,561,873 |
|
Earnings per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
basic
|
|
|
0.69 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.70 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
diluted
|
|
|
0.67 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.70 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
140
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED STATEMENT OF INCOME FOR THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD
ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005 UNDER U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to Income | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement | |
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 Months | |
|
|
|
|
Consistency | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
Ended | |
|
|
|
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
December 31, | |
|
|
|
|
Under | |
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Other | |
|
2005 | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Note 2 | |
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(29.8 |
) |
|
|
(29.8 |
) |
Cost of operations
|
|
|
2.1 |
|
|
|
12.8 |
|
|
|
3.3.1 |
|
|
|
(30.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
19.0 |
|
|
|
1.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(30.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10.8 |
) |
|
|
(28.5 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3.1 |
|
|
|
(3.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3.7 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses) net
|
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
9.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(34.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10.8 |
) |
|
|
(22.6 |
) |
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
(9.6 |
) |
|
|
3.3.2, 3.3.3 |
|
|
|
(117.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(127.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income taxes
and minority interests
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(151.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10.8 |
) |
|
|
(149.7 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4.5 |
) |
|
|
3.3.5 |
|
|
|
53.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.8 |
|
|
|
52.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(98.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(7.0 |
) |
|
|
(97.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
141
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
BALANCE SHEET AT JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Combined | |
|
|
Historical CGG | |
|
Historical Veritas | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Pro Forma Balance | |
|
|
U.S. GAAP at | |
|
U.S. GAAP at | |
|
Adjustments at | |
|
Sheet at June 30, | |
|
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
July 31, 2006 | |
|
June 30, 2006 Notes | |
|
2006 U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
206.4 |
|
|
|
316.1 |
|
|
|
(203.3 |
) |
|
|
319.2 |
|
Current assets, net
|
|
|
531.6 |
|
|
|
200.0 |
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
|
744.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
738.0 |
|
|
|
516.1 |
|
|
|
(190.1 |
) |
|
|
1,064.0 |
|
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
90.7 |
|
|
|
233.3 |
|
|
|
206.9 |
|
|
|
530.9 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
251.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,709.2 |
|
|
|
1,961.0 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
597.2 |
|
|
|
161.5 |
|
|
|
18.1 |
|
|
|
776.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
939.7 |
|
|
|
394.8 |
|
|
|
1,934.1 |
|
|
|
3,268.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
1,677.7 |
|
|
|
910.9 |
|
|
|
1,743.9 |
|
|
|
4,332.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Bank overdrafts
|
|
|
17.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17.2 |
|
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
38.3 |
|
|
|
122.7 |
|
|
|
(121.9 |
) |
|
|
39.1 |
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
339.8 |
|
|
|
202.1 |
|
|
|
(2.3 |
) |
|
|
539.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
395.3 |
|
|
|
324.8 |
|
|
|
(124.2 |
) |
|
|
595.9 |
|
Financial debt
|
|
|
400.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,179.9 |
|
|
|
1,580.0 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
99.7 |
|
|
|
27.2 |
|
|
|
68.6 |
|
|
|
195.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
499.8 |
|
|
|
27.2 |
|
|
|
1,248.5 |
|
|
|
1,775.5 |
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
759.7 |
|
|
|
558.9 |
|
|
|
619.6 |
|
|
|
1,938.2 |
|
Minority interests
|
|
|
22.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
1,677.7 |
|
|
|
910.9 |
|
|
|
1,743.9 |
|
|
|
4,332.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
142
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED BALANCE SHEET AT JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER
U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments to | |
|
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma Other | |
|
Balance Sheet | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
at June 30, 2006 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
ASSETS |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
3.2.5 |
|
|
|
(203.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(203.3 |
) |
Current assets, net
|
|
|
3.2.3 |
|
|
|
15.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(188.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
(190.1 |
) |
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
206.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
206.9 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
1,709.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,709.1 |
|
Other non-current assets, net
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
18.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,934.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,934.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,746.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
1,743.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
Current portion of financial debt
|
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
(121.9 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(121.9 |
) |
Current liabilities
|
|
|
3.2 |
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
(2.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(122.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
(124.2 |
) |
Financial debt
|
|
|
3.2.3 |
|
|
|
1,179.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,179.9 |
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
|
|
68.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
68.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,248.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,248.5 |
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
619.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
619.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,746.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
1,743.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
143
CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED
STATEMENT OF INCOME FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30,
2006 UNDER U.S. GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Combined | |
|
|
Historical CGG | |
|
Historical Veritas | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
6 Months Ended | |
|
6 Months Ended | |
|
6 Months Ended | |
|
Statement of Income | |
|
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
July 31, 2006 | |
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
Ended June 30, | |
|
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
2006 U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Note 1 | |
|
Note 1 | |
|
Notes 2, 3 and 4 | |
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros except per share data) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
642.0 |
|
|
|
339.1 |
|
|
|
(6.5 |
) |
|
|
974.6 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(420.9 |
) |
|
|
(260.5 |
) |
|
|
(6.1 |
) |
|
|
(687.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
221.1 |
|
|
|
78.6 |
|
|
|
(12.6 |
) |
|
|
287.1 |
|
Research and development expenses net
|
|
|
(23.7 |
) |
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(33.7 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(60.6 |
) |
|
|
(18.6 |
) |
|
|
(1.8 |
) |
|
|
(81.0 |
) |
Other revenues (expenses) net
|
|
|
7.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
144.2 |
|
|
|
50.0 |
|
|
|
(14.4 |
) |
|
|
179.8 |
|
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
(53.7 |
) |
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
(58.8 |
) |
|
|
(110.3 |
) |
Derivative of convertible bonds and related costs
|
|
|
(23.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(23.0 |
) |
Equity in income of affiliates
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income taxes
and minority interests
|
|
|
73.3 |
|
|
|
52.2 |
|
|
|
(73.2 |
) |
|
|
52.3 |
|
Income taxes
|
|
|
(29.8 |
) |
|
|
(20.0 |
) |
|
|
25.7 |
|
|
|
(24.1 |
) |
Minority interests
|
|
|
(0.9 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.9 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
42.6 |
|
|
|
32.2 |
|
|
|
(47.5 |
) |
|
|
27.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of outstanding shares
|
|
|
17,219,465 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
26,423,559 |
|
Weighted average number of potential shares
|
|
|
17,583,926 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,204,094 |
|
|
|
26,788,020 |
|
Earnings per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
basic
|
|
|
2.47 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.03 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
diluted
|
|
|
2.42 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.02 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
144
PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED STATEMENT OF INCOME UNDER U.S. GAAP FOR THE
SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to Statement | |
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
of Income | |
|
|
|
|
Consistency | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
|
|
|
6 Months | |
|
|
|
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
Ended | |
|
|
|
|
Under | |
|
|
|
Allocation | |
|
|
|
Other | |
|
June 30, 2006 | |
|
|
Ref. | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Ref. | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Note 2 | |
|
|
|
Note 3 | |
|
|
|
Note 4 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(6.5 |
) |
|
|
(6.5 |
) |
Cost of operations
|
|
|
2.1 |
|
|
|
5.6 |
|
|
|
3.3.1 |
|
|
|
(15.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.9 |
|
|
|
(6.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(15.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(12.6 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3.1 |
|
|
|
(1.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(17.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(14.4 |
) |
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3.2, 3.3.3 |
|
|
|
(58.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(58.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income taxes
and minority interests
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(76.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(73.2 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.0 |
) |
|
|
3.3.5 |
|
|
|
26.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
25.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(49.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1.7 |
) |
|
|
(47.5 |
) |
145
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND U.S. GAAP
Note 1 Description of transaction and basis
of presentation
|
|
|
Description of transaction |
The merger is described in the section entitled The
Merger contained elsewhere in this proxy statement/
prospectus.
Pro forma adjustments related to the unaudited pro forma
condensed combined statement of income are computed assuming the
merger was completed on the first day of the earliest fiscal
year presented (that is, January 1, 2005 for each of the
unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of income
presented).
Pro forma adjustments related to the unaudited pro forma
condensed combined balance sheet are computed assuming the
merger was completed at the balance sheet date (that is
December 31, 2005 for the unaudited pro forma condensed
combined balance sheet presented at December 31, 2005, and
June 30, 2006 for the unaudited pro forma condensed
combined balance sheet presented at June 30, 2006).
All pro forma adjustments are directly attributable to the
merger, except for the adjustments related to Exploration
Resources, and can be estimated reliably. The unaudited pro
forma condensed combined financial information does not reflect
any costs savings that may be realizable from the elimination of
certain expenses or from synergies.
There are certain differences in the way in which CGG and
Veritas present items on their respective statements of income
under U.S. GAAP. As a result certain items reported under
Other income (expenses) in Veritas statement
of income have been reclassified in the IFRS and the US GAAP
unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information to
comply with CGGs accounting presentation.
Balances and transactions between CGG and Veritas at and for the
periods presented were eliminated as intercompany transactions,
assuming the merger was completed from January 1, 2005.
The CGG ADS price used to compute the estimated fair value of
the CGG ADSs to be issued in the merger is based on the average
closing price of a CGG ADS for the period beginning two days
before and ending two days after the date the merger was
officially announced (September 5, 2006). However, the
actual measurement date for the value of CGG ADSs under IFRS
will occur at the effective time of the merger. For each U.S$1.0
increase or decrease in the price of an CGG ADS, the value of
the CGG ADSs to be issued in the merger, computed pursuant to
the terms of the merger agreement would increase or decrease by
approximately U.S$46 million, with a corresponding increase
or decrease to goodwill.
|
|
|
Historical financial statements and currency
translation |
CGGs historical financial statements at and for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2005 are presented in euros and are
derived from CGGs audited consolidated financial statement
included in CGGS 2005 20-F, which is incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus.
CGGs historical financial statements at and for the six
months period ended June 30, 2006 are presented in euros
and are derived from CGGs unaudited consolidated financial
statement included in CGGS
6-K, furnished to the
SEC on September 5, 2006, which is incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus.
Veritas historical financial statements at and for the twelve
months period ended January 31, 2006 are presented in
U.S. dollars and are derived from Veritas audited
financial statements included in
146
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
Veritas 10-K at
July 31, 2006, filed with the SEC on October 4, 2006,
and from Veritas unaudited financial statements at and for the
six months period ended January 31, 2006.
All data related to Veritas historical balance sheet at
January 31, 2006 and the pro forma adjustments to the
balance sheet at December 31, 2005 are translated into
euros at CGGs closing rate at December 31, 2005 of
1.00 =
U.S.$1.1797.
All data related to Veritas historical statement of income for
the twelve months period ended January 31, 2006 and the pro
forma adjustments to the statement of income for the twelve
months period ended December 31, 2005 are translated into
euros at CGGs average rate for this period of
1.00 =
U.S.$1.2418.
147
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
Combined Historical Veritas U.S. GAAP Statement of
Income for the twelve months period ended January 31,
2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical | |
|
Historical | |
|
Historical | |
|
|
|
Historical | |
|
|
Veritas | |
|
Veritas | |
|
Veritas | |
|
|
|
Veritas | |
|
|
12 Months | |
|
6 Months | |
|
6 Months | |
|
Historical Veritas | |
|
12 Months | |
|
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
12 Months Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
|
July 31, | |
|
January 31, | |
|
January 31, | |
|
January 31, | |
|
January 31, | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2006 | |
|
2006 | |
|
2006 | |
|
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(In millions of | |
|
(In millions of | |
|
(In millions of | |
|
(In millions of | |
|
(in millions of | |
|
|
U.S. dollars) | |
|
U.S. dollars) | |
|
U.S. dollars) | |
|
U.S. dollars) | |
|
euros) | |
|
|
(A) | |
|
(B) | |
|
(C) | |
|
(A) - (B) + (C) | |
|
(unaudited) | |
|
|
|
|
(unaudited) | |
|
(unaudited) | |
|
(unaudited) | |
|
|
Operating revenues
|
|
|
634.0 |
|
|
|
321.8 |
|
|
|
407.5 |
|
|
|
719.7 |
|
|
|
579.6 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(519.0 |
) |
|
|
(260.9 |
) |
|
|
(304.6 |
) |
|
|
(562.7 |
) |
|
|
(453.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
115.0 |
|
|
|
60.9 |
|
|
|
102.9 |
|
|
|
157.0 |
|
|
|
126.4 |
|
Research and development expenses net
|
|
|
(18.9 |
) |
|
|
(9.1 |
) |
|
|
(10.7 |
) |
|
|
(20.5 |
) |
|
|
(16.5 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(31.9 |
) |
|
|
(15.0 |
) |
|
|
(20.4 |
) |
|
|
(37.3 |
) |
|
|
(30.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
64.2 |
|
|
|
36.8 |
|
|
|
71.8 |
|
|
|
99.2 |
|
|
|
79.9 |
|
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
12.0 |
|
|
|
(0.1 |
) |
|
|
3.8 |
|
|
|
15.9 |
|
|
|
12.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income of consolidated companies before income taxes and
minority interests
|
|
|
76.2 |
|
|
|
36.7 |
|
|
|
75.6 |
|
|
|
115.1 |
|
|
|
92.7 |
|
Income taxes
|
|
|
6.8 |
|
|
|
(18.4 |
) |
|
|
(32.8 |
) |
|
|
(7.6 |
) |
|
|
(6.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
|
83.0 |
|
|
|
18.3 |
|
|
|
42.8 |
|
|
|
107.5 |
|
|
|
86.6 |
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
83.0 |
|
|
|
18.3 |
|
|
|
42.8 |
|
|
|
107.5 |
|
|
|
86.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of outstanding shares (in thousands)
|
|
|
33,843 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
34,393 |
|
Weighted average number of potential shares (in thousands)
|
|
|
35,054 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,442 |
|
Earning per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
basic
|
|
|
2.45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.52 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
diluted
|
|
|
2.37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.38 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The purpose of this schedule is to reflect Veritas
statement of income for the twelve month period ended
January 31, 2006. The schedule is not intended to be a U.S.
GAAP presentation of Veritas results and is presented to
reflect twelve months of results for purposes of comparison with
CGGs calendar year presentation.
Certain items included in Veritas annual statements of
income for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2006 are derived
from annual calculations including net pension and
post-retirement benefit obligations,
148
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
employee incentive awards and income taxes, among other items.
This schedule does not consider the impact of how these items
would have been different had the fiscal year ended on
December 31, 2005.
Veritas historical financial statements at and for the six
months period ended July 31, 2006 are presented in
U.S. dollars and are derived from Veritas audited
financial statements included in Veritas annual report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended July 31, 2006, which is incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus, as shown in the
table below.
All data related to Veritas historical balance sheet at
July 31, 2006 and the pro forma adjustments to the balance
sheet at June 30, 2006 are translated into euros at
CGGs closing rate at June 30, 2006 of
1.00 =
U.S.$1.2713.
All data related to Veritas historical statement of income for
the six months period ended July 31, 2006 and the pro forma
adjustments to the statement of income for the six months period
ended June 30, 2006 are translated into euros at CGGs
average rate for this period of
1.00 =
U.S.$1.2230.
Combined Historical Veritas U.S. GAAP Statement of
Income for the six months period ended July 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical | |
|
Historical | |
|
Historical | |
|
Historical | |
|
|
Veritas | |
|
Veritas | |
|
Veritas | |
|
Veritas | |
|
|
12 Months | |
|
6 Months | |
|
6 Months | |
|
6 Months | |
|
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
Ended | |
|
|
July 31, | |
|
January 31, | |
|
July 31, | |
|
July 31, | |
|
|
2006 | |
|
2006 | |
|
2006 | |
|
2006 | |
|
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in millions of | |
|
(in millions of | |
|
(in millions of | |
|
(in millions of | |
|
|
U.S. dollars) | |
|
U.S. dollars) | |
|
U.S. dollars) | |
|
euros) | |
|
|
(A) | |
|
(B) | |
|
(A) - (B) | |
|
(unaudited) | |
|
|
|
|
(unaudited) | |
|
(unaudited) | |
|
|
Operating revenues
|
|
|
822.2 |
|
|
|
407.5 |
|
|
|
414.7 |
|
|
|
339.1 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(623.2 |
) |
|
|
(304.6 |
) |
|
|
(318.6 |
) |
|
|
(260.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
199.0 |
|
|
|
102.9 |
|
|
|
96.1 |
|
|
|
78.6 |
|
Research and development expenses net
|
|
|
(22.9 |
) |
|
|
(10.7 |
) |
|
|
(12.2 |
) |
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(43.2 |
) |
|
|
(20.4 |
) |
|
|
(22.8 |
) |
|
|
(18.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
132.9 |
|
|
|
71.8 |
|
|
|
61.1 |
|
|
|
50.0 |
|
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
6.5 |
|
|
|
3.8 |
|
|
|
2.7 |
|
|
|
2.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income taxes
and minority interests
|
|
|
139.4 |
|
|
|
75.6 |
|
|
|
63.8 |
|
|
|
52.2 |
|
Income taxes
|
|
|
(57.2 |
) |
|
|
(32.8 |
) |
|
|
(24.4 |
) |
|
|
(20.0 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
|
82.2 |
|
|
|
42.8 |
|
|
|
39.4 |
|
|
|
32.2 |
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
82.2 |
|
|
|
42.8 |
|
|
|
39.4 |
|
|
|
32.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of outstanding shares (in thousands)
|
|
|
35,260 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
35,673 |
|
Weighted average number of potential shares (in thousands)
|
|
|
39,623 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39,607 |
|
Earning per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
basic
|
|
|
2.33 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.90 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
diluted
|
|
|
2.08 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.81 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
149
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
At September 1, 2005, Exploration Resources was
consolidated into CGGs consolidated financial statements
ended December 31, 2005, as described in CGGs 2005
20-F.
The pro forma income statement for the eight months ended
August 31, 2005 of Exploration Resources has been derived
from the U.S. GAAP income statement of Exploration
Resources for the eight months ended August 31, 2005 and
from the related pro forma adjustments, included in CGGs
registration statement on
Form F-4 filed
with the SEC on June 1, 2006.
The U.S. GAAP income statement of Exploration Resources for
the eight months ended August 31, 2005 and the related pro
forma adjustments have been translated at an average exchange
rate of NOK 8.0839 per euro.
Combined Historical Exploration Resources U.S. GAAP
Statement of Income and related Pro forma Adjustments for the
eight months period ended August 31, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exploration | |
|
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
Other | |
|
Resources and | |
|
|
Historical | |
|
Accounting | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
Related | |
|
|
Exploration | |
|
Exploration | |
|
Exploration | |
|
Pro forma | |
|
|
Resources | |
|
Resources | |
|
Resources | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
8 Months | |
|
8 Months | |
|
8 Months | |
|
8 Months | |
|
|
ended | |
|
ended | |
|
ended | |
|
ended | |
|
|
August 31, | |
|
August 31, | |
|
August 31, | |
|
August 31, | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
66.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2.5 |
) |
|
|
63.8 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(58.7 |
) |
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
|
|
(0.1 |
) |
|
|
(68.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
7.6 |
|
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(5.0 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(8.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8.4 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
(0.8 |
) |
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(13.4 |
) |
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
1.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5.7 |
) |
|
|
(4.6 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income taxes
and minority interests
|
|
|
0.3 |
|
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
|
|
(8.3 |
) |
|
|
(18.0 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
(1.2 |
) |
|
|
2.8 |
|
|
|
3.6 |
|
|
|
5.2 |
|
Minority interests
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.4 |
) |
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
|
|
(7.2 |
) |
|
|
(5.1 |
) |
|
|
(12.6 |
) |
150
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
The pro forma income statement for the eight months ended
August 31, 2005 of Exploration Resources has been derived
from the IFRS income statement of Exploration Resources for the
nine months ended September 30, 2005, adjusted by the month
of September 2005 already consolidated in CGGs
consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2005 and
from the related pro forma adjustments, as described in
CGGs
Form 6-K report
submitted to the SEC on November 18, 2005. The IFRS income
statement of Exploration Resources for the eight months ended
August 31, 2005 and the related pro forma adjustments have
been translated at an average exchange rate of NOK
8.0839 per euro.
Combined Historical Exploration Resources IFRS Statement of
Income and related Pro forma Adjustments for the eight months
period ended August 31, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historical | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exploration | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources | |
|
|
|
|
Purchase | |
|
|
|
and Related | |
|
|
Historical | |
|
Accounting | |
|
|
|
Pro Forma | |
|
|
Exploration | |
|
Exploration | |
|
Other Pro | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
|
Resources | |
|
Resources | |
|
Forma | |
|
8 Months | |
|
|
9 Months | |
|
8 Months | |
|
Adjustments | |
|
ended | |
|
|
IFRS ended | |
|
IFRS ended | |
|
Exploration | |
|
August 31, | |
|
|
September 30, | |
|
September 30, | |
|
Resources (a) | |
|
2005 | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2005 | |
|
IFRS | |
|
IFRS | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
(Unaudited) | |
|
|
(In millions of euros) | |
Operating revenues
|
|
|
78.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(9.9 |
) |
|
|
68.7 |
|
Cost of operations
|
|
|
(67.4 |
) |
|
|
(9.4 |
) |
|
|
7.1 |
|
|
|
(69.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
11.2 |
|
|
|
(9.4 |
) |
|
|
(2.8 |
) |
|
|
(1.0 |
) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(6.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.5 |
|
|
|
(5.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
4.9 |
|
|
|
(9.4 |
) |
|
|
(2.3 |
) |
|
|
(6.8 |
) |
Interest, other financial income and expense, net, exchange
gains and losses, net and others
|
|
|
(2.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(9.2 |
) |
|
|
(11.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) of consolidated companies before income
taxes
|
|
|
2.8 |
|
|
|
(9.4 |
) |
|
|
(11.5 |
) |
|
|
(18.1 |
) |
Income taxes
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
2.6 |
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
3.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
3.2 |
|
|
|
(6.8 |
) |
|
|
(10.6 |
) |
|
|
(14.2 |
) |
attributable to shareholders
|
|
|
3.8 |
|
|
|
(7.5 |
) |
|
|
(10.5 |
) |
|
|
(14.2 |
) |
attributable to minority interests
|
|
|
(0.6 |
) |
|
|
0.7 |
|
|
|
(0.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a) |
Adjustments include the deduction of the income statement for
the month of September 2005 for Exploration Resources. |
|
|
Note 2 |
Adjustments to Veritas historical financial statements to
ensure consistency of accounting principles with CGGs
historical financial statements under IFRS and U.S. GAAP |
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
under IFRS and U.S. GAAP includes adjustments to
Veritas historical financial statements for the following
differences between the accounting principles applied under IFRS
and U.S. GAAP in CGGs financial statements and the
accounting principles applied under U.S. GAAP in
Veritas financial statements.
The deferred tax effect of these adjustments was computed at an
estimated tax rate of 35%.
151
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
|
|
|
2.1. Adjustment on
multi-client surveys amortization of Veritas |
CGG amortizes multi-client surveys over the period during which
the data is expected to be marketed using a pro-rata method
based on recognized revenues as a percentage of total estimated
sales (such estimation relies on the historical sales track
record). In this respect, CGG uses three different sets of
parameters depending on the area or type of surveys considered:
|
|
|
|
|
Gulf of Mexico surveys are amortized on the basis of 66.6% of
revenues. Starting at the time of data delivery, a minimum
straight-line depreciation scheme is applied on a three-year
period, should total accumulated depreciation from the 66.6% of
revenues amortization method below this minimum level; |
|
|
|
Rest of the world surveys: same as above except depreciation is
83.3% of revenues and straight-line depreciation is over a
five-year period from data delivery; and |
|
|
|
Long-term strategic 2D surveys are amortized on the basis of
revenues according to the above area split and straight-line
depreciation on a seven-year period from data delivery. |
Veritas amortizes multi-client sales based upon the greater of
the percentage of total costs to total estimated sales for the
first five years multiplied by actual sales (sales forecast
method) or five years straight-line amortization from the date
of survey completion.
If Veritas had applied the same estimate of economic life as CGG
for the minimum straight-line depreciation for its surveys in
Gulf of Mexico and for its 2D surveys, multi-clients surveys
would have supported a higher amortization before
January 31, 2005, and a lower amortization after
January 31, 2005. The amortization expense on multi-client
surveys would have been
32.5 million
(U.S.$40.3 million) instead of
45.3 million
(U.S.$56.3 million) for the twelve month period ended
January 31, 2006 and
16.9 million
(U.S.$20.7 million) instead of
22.5 million
(U.S.$27.5 million) for the six months period ended
July 31, 2006. The amortization expense of multi-clients
surveys was thus adjusted by
12.8 million
(U.S.$16.0 million) for the twelve months period ended
January 31, 2006 and
5.6 million
(U.S.$6.8 million) for the six months period ended
July 31, 2006 in Cost of operations in the IFRS
and U.S. GAAP condensed combined income statement.
|
|
|
2.2 Reclassification of
specific items in the statement of income of Veritas |
Certain items reported under Other income (expenses)
in Veritas statement of income, corresponding to a gain on
the involuntary conversion of assets amounting to
9.6 million
(U.S.$11.9 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005 have been reclassified in the IFRS and US
GAAP unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of income
to comply with CGGs accounting presentation.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information
under IFRS also includes adjustments to Veritas historical
financial statements for the following differences between the
accounting principles applied under IFRS in CGGs financial
statements and the accounting principles applied under
U.S. GAAP in Veritas financial statements.
2.3 Reclassification
of specific items in the balance sheet of Veritas (IFRS)
Under IFRS, software is presented as an intangible asset in the
balance sheet. Software presented in non-current assets in
Veritas historical balance sheet has been reclassified to
intangible assets in the IFRS pro-forma condensed, combined and
unaudited balance sheet for
4.6 million
(U.S.$5.4 million) at December 31, 2005 and for
2.9 million
(U.S.$3.7 million) at June 30, 2006.
152
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
Under IFRS, deferred tax is presented as a non-current item in
the balance sheet. Deferred tax assets presented in current
assets in Veritas historical balance sheet have been
reclassified to non-current assets in the IFRS pro forma
condensed, combined and unaudited balance sheet for
9.2 million
(U.S.$10.8 million) at December 31, 2005 and for
6.5 million
(U.S.$8.2 million) at June 30, 2006. Deferred tax
liabilities presented in current liabilities in Veritas
historical balance sheet have been reclassified to non-current
liabilities in the IFRS pro forma condensed, combined and
unaudited balance sheet for
4.5 million
(U.S.$5.3 million) at December 31, 2005 and for
4.2 million
(U.S.$5.3 million) at June 30, 2006.
Under IFRS, debt issuing costs are presented as a reduction of
financial debt in the balance sheet. Debt issuance costs
presented in current assets in Veritas historical balance sheet
have been reclassified as a reduction of the current portion of
financial debt in the IFRS pro forma condensed, combined and
unaudited balance sheet for
1.0 million
(U.S.$1.2 million) and debt issuing costs presented in
non-current assets in Veritas historical balance sheet have been
reclassified as a reduction of the current portion of financial
debt in the IFRS pro forma condensed, combined and unaudited
balance sheet for
2.2 million
(U.S.$2.6 million) at December 31, 2005. Debt issuing
costs presented in current assets in Veritas historical balance
sheet have been reclassified as a reduction of the current
portion of financial debt in the IFRS pro forma condensed,
combined and unaudited balance sheet for
1.1 million
(U.S.$1.4 million) and debt issuing costs presented in
non-current assets in Veritas historical balance sheet have been
reclassified as a reduction of the current portion of financial
debt in the IFRS pro forma condensed, combined and unaudited
balance sheet for
1.9 million
(U.S.$2.4 million) at June 30, 2006.
|
|
|
2.4 Cancellation of deferred
charges in Veritas financial statements (IFRS) |
Deferred charges are not allowed under IFRS. Variance on
deferred charges included in Veritas balance sheets is
recognized in the income statement as expense for
2.8 million
(U.S.$3.5 million) for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2005 as income and for
1.6 million
(U.S.$1.9 million) for the six months ended June 30,
2006. As of December 31, 2005 and June 30, 2006,
deferred charges were
9.6 million
(U.S.$11.3 million) and
7.2 million
(U.S.$9.4 million), respectively.
|
|
|
2.5 Veritas actuarial
gain and losses recorded directly in equity (IFRS) |
CGG opted under IFRS for recognition of actuarial gains and
losses directly in equity. Veritas cumulative actuarial
gains and losses on the UK pension plan are recognized directly
in equity for U.S.$9 million at January 31, 2006 and
July 31, 2006 and the corresponding amortization is
cancelled in the pro forma income statement for
0.5 million
(U.S.$0.6 million) for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2005 and for
0.2 million
(U.S.$0.3 million) for the six months ended June 30,
2006.
|
|
|
2.6 Application of
proportional method to two Veritas subsidiaries
(IFRS) |
Under IFRS, subsidiaries on which the parent company exercises a
joint control are recorded using the proportional method in the
consolidated financial statements. CGGs preliminary
assessment of the control of two Veritas subsidiaries is
that these subsidiaries are jointly controlled by Veritas and
CGG has therefore consolidated those subsidiaries into the IFRS
pro forma information using the proportional method. They were
accounted for under the equity method under US GAAP. The effect
of accounting for those entities using the proportional method
under IFRS is an increase of
3.1 million
(U.S.$3.9 million) on Operating revenues and an
increase of
3.4 million
(U.S.$4.2 million) on Cost of sales for the
twelve months period ending December 31, 2005 and an
increase of
2.8 million
(U.S.$3.4 million) on Operating revenues and an
increase of
2.5 million
(U.S.$3.1 million) on Cost of sales for the six
months period ending June 30, 2006 in the pro forma
condensed, combined and unaudited income statement.
153
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
|
|
|
2.7 Cancellation of deferred
revenues in Veritas financial statements (IFRS) |
Under U.S. GAAP, revenues that are not fixed and
determinable are not recognized in the income statement but
deferred. Under IFRS, revenues that can be estimated reliably
can be recognized as items in the income statement. The variance
of deferred revenues that can be reliably estimable included in
Veritas balance sheets is recognized as revenues in the
pro forma income statement for a negative impact of
2.4 million
(U.S. $3.0 million) for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2005 and for a negative impact of
0.2 million
(U.S. $0.3 million) for the six months ended June 30,
2006. As of December 31, 2005 and June 30, 2006,
deferred revenues were
7.3 million
(U.S.$8.6 million) and
6.5 million
(U.S.$8.3 million), respectively.
|
|
|
2.8 Capitalization of
development costs (IFRS) |
Based on a preliminary estimate of CGGs management, some
development costs were capitalized, amounting to
5.0 million
(U.S. $6.2 million) for the twelve months period ending
December 31, 2005 and
3.0 million
(U.S. $3.7 million) for the six months period ending
June 30, 2005.
Note 3 Pro forma adjustments on Purchase
Price Computation and Purchase Price Allocation
|
|
|
3.1 Purchase Price
Computation and Purchase Price Allocation |
|
|
|
3.1.1 Purchase Price
Computation |
The preliminary estimate of the computation of the purchase
price under IFRS and U.S. GAAP is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Veritas common stock outstanding at July 31, 2006
|
|
|
35,985,254 |
|
Number of shares of Veritas common stock to be issued upon the
conversion of Veritas outstanding Convertible Senior Notes
due 2024(1)
|
|
|
4,383,604 |
|
Number of shares of Veritas common stock reserved for the
issuance upon the conversion of Deferred Shares Units
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total number of shares of Veritas common stock at
July 31, 2006
|
|
|
40,370,858 |
|
Ratio to be applied for shares of Veritas common stock to be
exchanged for CGG ADSs
|
|
|
50.664 |
% |
Shares of Veritas common stock to be exchanged for CGG ADSs at
July 31, 2006
|
|
|
20,453,491 |
|
Exchange ratio per Veritas share
|
|
|
2.25 CGG ADSs |
|
|
|
|
|
Total number of CGG ADSs to be issued
|
|
|
46,020,356 |
|
Multiplied by CGGs average ADS price (in
U.S. dollars) for the period beginning two days before and
ending two days after the September 5, 2006 (the date the
merger was announced), as an estimate of the ADS price at the
effective date of the merger
|
|
U.S.$ |
32.44 |
|
|
|
|
|
154
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
in millions | |
|
|
(except share data) | |
|
|
| |
|
|
U.S.$ | |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Fair value of CGG ADSs issued (A)
|
|
|
1,493 |
|
|
|
1,174 |
|
Total number of Veritas common stock at July 31, 2006
|
|
|
40,370,858 |
|
|
|
|
|
Ratio to be applied for shares of Veritas common stock to be
exchanged for cash
|
|
|
49.336 |
% |
|
|
|
|
Shares of Veritas common stock to be exchanged for cash at
July 31, 2006
|
|
|
19,917,366 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cash paid per Veritas share
|
|
|
75 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fair value of compensation paid (B)
(in millions of U.S. dollars) |
|
|
1,494 |
|
|
|
1,175 |
|
Total consideration given in exchange for Veritas shares(A)+(B)
|
|
|
2,987 |
|
|
|
2,349 |
|
Cash paid in exchange for Veritas outstanding stock options
|
|
|
65 |
|
|
|
51 |
|
Estimated transaction costs(2)
|
|
|
25 |
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated purchase price
|
|
|
3,077 |
|
|
|
2,419 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Convertible Senior Notes due 2024 |
At July 31, 2006, Veritas notes payable consisted of
U.S.$155.0 million of Convertible Senior Notes due 2024,
corresponding to 155,000 notes with U.S.$1,000 nominal value.
The Convertible Senior Notes bear interest at a per annum rate
which equals the three-month LIBOR rate, adjusted quarterly,
minus a spread of 0.75%. The interest rate of the notes, from
June 15, 2006 through September 14, 2006, was 4.58%,
based on a LIBOR rate of 5.33%. For fiscal 2006, the weighted
average interest rate on the notes was 3.66%. The notes will
mature on March 15, 2024 and may not be redeemed by Veritas
prior to March 20, 2009. Holders of the notes may require
Veritas to repurchase some, or all, of the notes on
March 15, 2009, 2014 and 2019. They could also require
repurchase upon a change of control (as defined in the indenture
under which the Convertible Senior Notes were issued).
Under certain circumstances and at the option of the holder, the
Convertible Senior Notes are convertible prior to the maturity
date into cash and shares of Veritas common stock. These
circumstances include:
|
|
|
1. the closing sale price of Veritas common stock is over
120% of the conversion price, which is currently U.S.$24.03
(with 120% being U.S.$28.84) for 20 trading days in the period
of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of
the fiscal quarter preceding the quarter in which the conversion
occurs; |
|
|
2. if Veritas calls the notes for redemption (which may
occur at any time after March 20, 2009) and the redemption
has not occurred; |
|
|
3. the occurrence of a five consecutive trading day period
in which the trading price of the notes was less than 95% of the
closing sale price of Veritas common stock on such day
multiplied by the conversion ratio; or |
|
|
4. the occurrence of specified corporate transactions. |
Should any of these circumstances occur, the Convertible Senior
Notes would be convertible at the then current stock price times
the conversion ratio of 41.6146. This amount would be payable in
cash equal to the principal amount of the notes, the par value
adjusted for dividends or other equity
155
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
transactions, and the additional amount payable in shares of
Veritas common stock. This settlement method is prescribed in
the indenture and is not at the discretion of any party.
Since the beginning of the second fiscal quarter of 2006, the
Convertible Senior Notes are convertible as the stock price
remained greater than 120% of the Conversion Price for at least
20 trading days in the period of 30 consecutive trading days
ending on October 31, 2005. As a consequence, noteholders
have the conversion privilege to convert their convertible notes
at any time prior to the merger so long as the Veritas stock
price remained greater than 120% of the Conversion Price for at
least 20 trading days.
Any convertible notes that are not converted prior to the
effective time of the merger or put to the surviving company by
the noteholder for repurchase upon a change of control will
remain outstanding prior to the merger. In this case, the
convertible notes indenture provides that the holder of each
convertible note then outstanding shall have the right to
convert such convertible note into the kind and amount of cash
or securities receivable upon such merger by a holder of the
number of shares of Veritas common stock deliverable upon
conversion of such convertible note solely into Veritas common
stock at the then applicable conversion price immediately prior
to such merger. As a consequence, the outstanding convertible
bonds will be convertible after the merger into the merger
consideration that a non-electing holder Veritas common stock
would receive, which may be cash, CGG ADSs or a combination of
cash and CGG ADSs.
CGG has assumed for pro forma purposes that all convertible
notes would be converted into shares of Veritas common stock at
the effective date of the merger. If all noteholders exercise
their right to convert when the Veritas stock price is U.S.$75,
then the amount payable by Veritas on conversion is U.S.$155
million
(131.4 million
at December 31, 2005 and
121.9 million
at June 30, 2006) in cash plus the issuance of 4,383,604
shares of Veritas common stock. The 4,383,604 shares of Veritas
common stock are included in the purchase price computation and
the repayment of the principal amount of the notes is included
in the pro forma adjustments on the balance sheet.
|
|
(2) |
Direct transaction costs |
CGGs estimated direct transaction costs amount to
U.S.$25 million
(19 million)
under IFRS and U.S. GAAP before tax. Veritas costs are
expensed as incurred. The estimated cost of issuing CGG ADSs has
not been taken into account.
156
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
|
|
|
3.1.2 Purchase Price
Allocation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of July 31, 2006 | |
|
|
| |
|
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
U.S. GAAP | |
|
IFRS | |
|
IFRS | |
|
|
($) | |
|
() | |
|
($) | |
|
() | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in millions) | |
Net book value of net assets acquired at July 31, 2006
|
|
|
711 |
|
|
|
559 |
|
|
|
709 |
|
|
|
557 |
|
Allocation of purchase price:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquired technologies and in-process research and
development(1)
|
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
31 |
|
Acquired customer relationship(2)
|
|
|
90 |
|
|
|
71 |
|
|
|
90 |
|
|
|
71 |
|
Reassessment of multi-client library(3)
|
|
|
74 |
|
|
|
58 |
|
|
|
74 |
|
|
|
58 |
|
Reassessment of property, plant &
equipment(4)
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
20 |
|
Favorable contracts(5)
|
|
|
60 |
|
|
|
47 |
|
|
|
60 |
|
|
|
47 |
|
Deferred taxes on the above adjustments(6)
|
|
|
(96 |
) |
|
|
(76 |
) |
|
|
(101 |
) |
|
|
(79 |
) |
Goodwill (residual balance not allocated)
|
|
|
2,173 |
|
|
|
1,709 |
|
|
|
2,180 |
|
|
|
1,714 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated purchase price
|
|
|
3,077 |
|
|
|
2,419 |
|
|
|
3,077 |
|
|
|
2,419 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Acquired technologies (useful life of 5 years) and
in-process research and development |
The fair value of Veritas technologies and in-process
research and development is based upon the preliminary estimates
of CGG management. The fair values of Veritas technologies
and identifiable intangible assets are based on global estimated
discounted net cash flows and are classified as intangible
assets in the balance sheet. In-process research and development
is preliminary estimated to be U.S.$16 million and would be
immediately expensed at the date of acquisition but not for pro
forma purposes. This charge has been excluded from the pro forma
adjustments as it is of a non-recurring nature.
|
|
(2) |
Acquired customer relationship (useful life of
20 years) |
The fair value of Veritas customer relationship is based
on preliminary estimated Veritas excess earnings,
excluding any potential synergy with CGG. Customer relationships
are classified as intangible assets in the balance sheet.
|
|
(3) |
Reassessment of multi-client library (maximum useful life of
5 years) |
The fair value of Veritas multi-client library is based
upon the preliminary estimates of CGG management. The estimated
fair value of Veritas multi-client library was determined
utilizing a discounted cashflow method, and is classified as
intangible assets in the balance sheet.
|
|
(4) |
Reassessment of property, plant & equipment |
The fair value of Veritas property, plant and equipment is
based upon the preliminary estimates of CGG management. The fair
value of Veritas property, plant and equipment is based on
estimate market value of seismic equipment.
|
|
(5) |
Favorable contracts (weighted average remaining life of
6 years) |
The fair value of Veritas favorable contracts correspond
to the difference on economic conditions between Veritas
existing vessels charters conditions and general market
conditions of vessels charters at the date of acquisition.
Favorable contracts are classified as intangible assets in the
balance sheet.
157
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
|
|
(6) |
Deferred taxes on the above adjustments |
Deferred tax on the above adjustments have been computed at a
U.S. tax rate of 35%. In the definitive purchase price
allocation and through the detailed analysis of each asset
according to the location of such asset, the deferred tax asset
will be computed for each asset at the related tax rate of the
country in which it is located, that might be different from
that of United States.
Under IFRS, the acquired in-process R&D identified in the
business combination has been recognized in the balance sheet as
an intangible asset with the related deferred tax liability
whereas, under U.S. GAAP, it was expensed at the date of
acquisition on a gross basis in accordance with EITF 96-7
Accounting for Deferred Taxes on In-Process Research and
Development Activities acquired in a Purchase Business
Combination.
In connection with the purchase price allocation, under
U.S. GAAP, deferred revenues that represent a legal
performance obligation should be valued at their fair value. CGG
management has estimated that the carrying amount of deferred
revenues is at fair value.
|
|
(8) |
Pre-acquisition contingencies |
There are no significant contingent liabilities, therefore none
has been taken into account in the preliminary purchase price
allocation.
|
|
|
3.2 Pro
forma adjustments on the unaudited pro forma combined balance
sheet under IFRS and U.S. GAAP |
|
|
|
3.2.1 Allocation of purchase
price |
The allocation of the estimated purchase price has been adjusted
to reflect the difference between the estimated U.S. GAAP
book value and the fair value of Veritas net assets, and also
the accrual of estimated direct transaction costs of U.S.$25
million
(21 million
at December 31, 2005 and
20 million
at June 30, 2006) million before tax.
To account for differences between the U.S. GAAP book value
and the fair value of Veritas net assets, U.S. GAAP pro forma
adjustments have been made to record:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At June 30, | |
|
|
At December 31, 2005 | |
|
2006 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in U.S.$ millions) | |
|
(in millions) | |
|
(in millions) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Identifiable intangible assets
|
|
|
263 |
|
|
|
222.9 |
|
|
|
206.9 |
|
Identifiable tangible assets
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
22.0 |
|
|
|
20.4 |
|
Additional goodwill
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
at December 31, 2005
|
|
|
2,229 |
|
|
|
1,889.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
at June 30, 2006
|
|
|
2,173 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,709.2 |
|
Deferred taxes on the above adjustments
|
|
|
95 |
|
|
|
80.9 |
|
|
|
75.0 |
|
158
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
To account for differences between the IFRS book value and the
fair value of Veritas net assets, adjustments have been made to
record:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At June 30, | |
|
|
At December 31, 2005 | |
|
2006 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in U.S.$ millions) | |
|
(in millions) | |
|
(in millions) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Identifiable intangible assets
|
|
|
263 |
|
|
|
222.9 |
|
|
|
206.9 |
|
Identifiable tangible assets
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
22.0 |
|
|
|
20.4 |
|
Additional goodwill
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
at December 31, 2005
|
|
|
2,235 |
|
|
|
1,894.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
at June 30, 2006
|
|
|
2,180 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,714.9 |
|
Deferred taxes on the above adjustments
|
|
|
101 |
|
|
|
85.7 |
|
|
|
79.5 |
|
|
|
|
3.2.2 Adjustments to
shareholders equity |
Adjustments have been made to adjust the IFRS and U.S. GAAP
shareholders equity for the following purposes:
|
|
|
|
|
to remove the historical balance of Veritas for an amount of
U.S.$655 million
(554.8 million)
at December 31, 2005 and of U.S.$711 million
(558.9 million)
at June 30, 2006; |
|
|
|
to cancel deferred revenues that do not correspond to a
performance obligation for an amount of U.S.$9 million
before tax and U.S$5 million
(4.7 million
at December 31, 2006 and
4.2 million
at June 30, 2006); and |
|
|
|
to record the amounts related to the issuance of CGGs ADSs
in the merger for an amount of U.S.$1,493 million
(1,265.4 million
at December 31, 2005 and
1,174.2 million
at June 30, 2006). |
In addition, adjustments have been made to adjust IFRS
shareholders equity to cancel the minimum liability
component on the UK pension plan recorded in U.S. GAAP
Veritas financial statements.
|
|
|
3.2.3 Financing of the
acquisition |
A U.S.$1,600 million bridge loan facility, with an
18-months maturity,
would be drawn by $1,500 million for the financing of the
part of the acquisition price to be paid in cash, with an
interest rate based on LIBOR plus a 3.75 additional margin. The
issuance cost related to this facility have been estimated at
U.S.$19.5 million.
|
|
|
3.2.4 Share-based payment
adjustments |
As indicated in the merger agreement, each option granted by
Veritas, which is outstanding and unexercised immediately prior
to the merger effective date, whether vested or not vested,
shall be cancelled and converted into the right to receive an
amount in cash equal to the excess, if any, of the cash paid in
exchange for shares of Veritas common stock (i.e. U.S.$75.0)
over the exercise price per share. The corresponding payment
amounts to an estimated U.S.$65 million and contributes to
the purchase price.
159
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
|
|
|
3.2.5 Net
effect of pro forma adjustment on cash |
The net effect of pro forma adjustments on cash is:
|
|
|
Cash-out for purchase price as disclosed in 3.1.1
|
|
|
Compensation paid for Veritas shares
|
|
(U.S.$1,494.0 million) |
Cash paid in exchange for Veritas outstanding stock options
|
|
(U.S.$65.0 million) |
Estimated transaction costs
|
|
(U.S.$25.0 million) |
Cash-out for reimbursement of Convertible Notes due 2024 as
disclosed in 3.1.1(1)
|
|
(U.S.$155.0 million) |
Cash-in for financing of the acquisition as disclosed in 3.2.3
|
|
|
Amount drawn on the U.S.$1,600 million bridge facility
|
|
U.S.$1,500.0 million |
Less issuance costs paid on the bridge loan facility
|
|
(U.S.$19.5 million) |
|
|
|
Total net effect of pro forma adjustments on cash
|
|
(U.S.$258.5 million) |
The net effect on pro forma adjustments on cash is a cash-out of
U.S.$258.5 million that corresponds to a cash-out of
219.1 million
on the pro forma condensed, combined and unaudited balance sheet
at December 31, 2005 for both U.S. GAAP and IFRS and a
cash-out of
203.3 million
in the pro forma condensed, combined and unaudited balance sheet
at June 30, 2006 for both U.S. GAAP and IFRS.
|
|
|
3.3 Pro
forma adjustments on the unaudited pro forma combined statement
of income under IFRS and U.S. GAAP |
|
|
|
3.3.1 Amortization of tangible
and intangible assets at fair value |
An adjustment has been made under U.S. GAAP to record the
amortization expense related to the fair value of identifiable
fixed assets from the purchase price for approximately
30.5 million
(U.S.$38 million) as cost of operations (for technologies,
multi-client surveys and property, plant and equipment) and
3.7 million
(U.S.$4.5 million) as selling expenses (for customer
relationships) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005, and for approximately
15.5 million
(U.S.$19 million) as cost of operations (for technologies,
multi-client surveys and property, plant and equipment) and
1.9 million
(U.S.$2.3 million) as selling expenses (for customer
relationships) for the six months period ended June 30,
2006, in the U.S. GAAP pro forma condensed combined and
unaudited income statement.
An adjustment has been made under IFRS to record the
amortization expense related to the fair value of identifiable
fixed assets from the purchase price for approximately
33.2 million
(U.S.$41.2 million) as cost of operations (for
technologies, multi-client surveys and property, plant and
equipment) and
3.6 million
(U.S.$4.5 million) as selling expenses (for customer
relationships) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005, and for approximately
16.8 million
(U.S.$20.6 million) as cost of operations
(for technologies, multi-client surveys and property, plant
and equipment) and
1.9 million
(U.S.$2.3 million) as selling expenses (for customer
relationships) for the six months period ended June 30,
2006 in the pro forma condensed, combined and unaudited income
statement.
|
|
|
3.3.2 Interests
costs and amortization of issuance costs related to the
financing of the acquisition |
Based on an estimated LIBOR+3.75% corresponding to a 9.1%
interest rate at the date of the commitment on financing for
both periods, an adjustment has been recognized for an estimated
interest cost of approximately
110.3 million
(U.S.$137.1 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005, and for approximately
56 million
(U.S.$68.6 million) for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006, has been recorded in the respective
statements of income as Interests expense. Had the
interest rate been higher by 1/8%, the interest cost would have
been increased by
1.5 million
(U.S.$1.9 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005 and
0.8 million
160
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
(U.S.$0.9 million) for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006. The effect on net income would have been a
reduction of net income by
1.0 million
(U.S.$1.2 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005 and
0.5 million
(U.S.$0.6 million) for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006.
Had the interest rate been lower by 1/8%, the interest cost
would have been decreased by
1.5 million
(U.S.$1.9 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005 and
0.8 million
(U.S.$0.9 million) for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006. The effect on net income would have been an
increase of net income by
1.0 million
(U.S.$1.2 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005 and
0.5 million
(U.S.$0.6 million) for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006.
Additionally, based on issuing fees estimated to
U.S.$19.5 million for the bridge loan to be issued, an
estimated amortization expense of approximately
10.5 million
(U.S.$13 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005, and for approximately
5.4 million
(U.S.$6.5 million) for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006, has been recorded in the respective
statements of income as Interests expenses. The
bridge loan would be refinanced by long-term debt to be issued
when the merger would be effective. The corresponding issuing
fees will then be amortized over the new maturity of this
long-term debt, but for pro forma purposes, the new maturity can
not be determined at the date of preparing the unaudited
consolidated pro forma financial information.
|
|
|
3.3.3 Interests costs on
convertible bonds |
As CGG has assumed that the convertible bonds were converted
prior to the merger, CGG has cancelled the related interests
expense of approximately
3.4 million
(U.S.$4.2 million) for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005, and for approximately
2.6 million
(U.S.$3.2 million) for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006, in the pro forma adjustments.
|
|
|
3.3.4 Share-based payment
adjustments |
As indicated in the merger agreement, each employee option
granted by Veritas, which is outstanding and unexercised
immediately prior to the merger effective date, whether vested
or not vested, shall be cancelled and converted into the right
to receive an amount in cash equal to the excess, if any, of the
cash paid in exchange for Veritas share (i.e. U.S.$75.0) over
the exercise price per share. The corresponding payment amounts
to an estimated U.S.$65 million and contributes to the
purchase price.
As a consequence all Veritas stock-options are assumed to be
cancelled at the merger effective date. For IFRS pro forma
purposes only, the related compensation costs booked in Veritas
historical financial statements have been removed in the pro
forma unaudited condensed combined statements of income, for
1.2 million
(U.S.$1.5 million) in cost of sales and for
1.3 million
(U.S.$1.6 million) in general and administrative expenses
for the twelve months period ended December 31, 2005 and
for
1.1 million
(U.S.$1.3 million) in cost of sales and for
1.2 million
(U.S.$1.5 million) in general and administrative expenses.
|
|
|
3.3.5 Deferred taxes effect |
The effect on deferred taxes of the IFRS pro forma adjustments,
computed at the U.S. tax rate of 35% for both periods, is a
net decrease of
54.0 million
(U.S.$67.0 million) of the Income tax expense
for the twelve months period ended December 31, 2005 and a
net decrease of
26.4 million
(U.S.$32.3 million) of the Income tax expense
for the six months period ended June 30, 2006 in the
respective pro forma condensed combined statements of income
under IFRS.
The effect on deferred taxes of the U.S. GAAP pro forma
adjustments, computed at the U.S. tax rate of 35% for both
periods, is a net decrease of
53.1 million
(U.S.$65.9 million) of the Income tax
161
NOTES TO CGG AND VERITAS UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED
COMBINED
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT DECEMBER 31, 2005 AND AT
JUNE 30, 2006 UNDER IFRS AND
U.S. GAAP (Continued)
expense for the twelve months period ended
December 31, 2005 and a net decrease of
26.6 million
(U.S.$32.6 million) of the Income tax expense
for the six months period ended June 30, 2006 in the
respective pro forma condensed combined statements of income
under U.S. GAAP.
Note 4 Other Pro forma adjustments
Other pro forma adjustments correspond mainly to elimination of
intercompany transactions between CGG and Veritas assuming the
merger would have been effective at January 1, 2005 for the
twelve months period ended December 31, 2005, and at
January 1, 2006 for the six months period ended
June 30, 2006, in the pro forma adjustments.
162
CONTRACTS BETWEEN CGG AND VERITAS PRIOR TO THE MERGER
From time to time in the ordinary course of business, CGG or its
subsidiaries enter into contracts with Veritas or its
subsidiaries. These contracts include purchases of seismic
equipment from CGGs subsidiary, Sercel, contracts for the
acquisition of offline seismic data, seismic data processing
software agreements, license agreements, non-disclosure
agreements, cooperation agreements and other commercial
agreements. Many of these contracts have been substantially
performed, but have confidentiality, indemnity or other
continuing obligations.
In addition, CGG has entered into the merger agreement with
Veritas and customary confidentiality agreements executed in
connection with the parties negotiation of the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.
CGG intends to offer certain of Veritas current executive
officers continued employment with the combined company after
the effective time of the merger. See The
Merger Interests of the Directors and Executive
Officers of Veritas in the Merger Continuing
Employment with CGG.
163
DESCRIPTION OF THE CGG AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
The Bank of New York, as depositary, will register and deliver
CGG American Depositary Shares, also referred to as ADSs. Each
ADS represents one-fifth of one ordinary share (or a right to
receive one-fifth of one ordinary share) deposited with the
principal Paris office of Crédit Agricole Indosuez, BNP
Paribas, Banque Worms, Société Générale or
Credit Lyonnais, as custodian for the depositary. Each ADS will
also represent any other securities, cash or other property
which may be held by the depositary. The depositarys
corporate trust office at which the ADSs will be administered is
located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286. The
Bank of New Yorks principal executive office is located at
One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286.
You may hold ADSs either (A) directly (i) by having an
American Depositary Receipt, also referred to as an ADR, which
is a certificate evidencing a specific number of ADSs,
registered in your name, or (ii) by having ADSs registered
in your name in the Direct Registration System, or
(B) indirectly by holding a security entitlement in ADSs
through your broker or other financial institution. If you hold
ADSs directly, you are an ADS registered holder. This
description assumes you are an ADS registered holder. If you
hold the ADSs indirectly, you must rely on the procedures of
your broker or other financial institution to assert the rights
of ADS registered holders described in this section. You should
consult with your broker or financial institution to find out
what those procedures are.
The Direct Registration System, or DRS, is a system administered
by DTC pursuant to which the depositary may register the
ownership of uncertificated ADSs, which ownership shall be
evidenced by periodic statements sent by the depositary to the
registered holders of uncertificated ADSs.
As an ADS holder, CGG will not treat you as one of its
shareholders and you will not have any shareholder rights
provided by French law. The depositary will be the holder of the
shares underlying your ADSs. As a registered holder of ADSs, you
will have ADS registered holder rights. A deposit agreement
among CGG, the depositary and you, as an ADS registered holder,
and all other persons indirectly holding ADSs sets out an ADS
registered holders rights as well as the rights and
obligations of the depositary. New York law governs the
deposit agreement and the ADSs.
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the
deposit agreement. For more complete information, you should
read the entire deposit agreement and the form of ADR.
Directions on how to obtain copies of those documents are
provided in the section Additional Information
Where You Can Find More Information beginning on
page 190 of this proxy statement/ prospectus.
Dividends and Other Distributions
|
|
|
How will you receive dividends and other distributions on
the shares? |
The depositary has agreed to pay to registered ADS holders the
cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian
receives on shares or other deposited securities, after
deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these
distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares
your ADSs represent.
|
|
|
|
|
Cash. The depositary will convert any cash dividend or
other cash distribution CGG pays on the ADSs into
U.S. dollars, if it can do so on a reasonable basis and can
transfer the U.S. dollars to the United States. If that is
not possible or if any government approval is needed and cannot
be obtained, the deposit agreement allows the depositary to
distribute the foreign currency only to those ADS registered
holders to whom it is possible to do so. It will hold the
foreign currency it cannot convert for the account of the ADS
registered holders who have not been paid. It will not invest
the foreign currency and it will not be liable for any interest. |
|
|
|
Before making a distribution, any withholding taxes, or other
governmental charges that must be paid will be deducted. See
The Merger Certain Material U.S. Federal
Income Tax Consequences beginning on page 86 of this
proxy statement/ prospectus. It will distribute only whole
U.S. dollars and cents and will round fractional cents to
the nearest whole cent. If the |
164
|
|
|
|
|
exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary
cannot convert the foreign currency, you may lose some or all of
the value of the distribution. |
|
|
|
Shares. The depositary may distribute additional ADSs
representing any shares CGG distributes as a dividend or free
distribution. The depositary will only distribute whole ADSs. It
will sell ADSs which would require it to deliver a fractional
ADS and distribute the net proceeds in the same way as it does
with cash. If the depositary does not distribute additional
ADSs, the outstanding ADSs will also represent the new ADSs. The
depositary may sell a portion of the distributed ADSs sufficient
to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that
distribution. |
|
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Rights to purchase additional ADSs. If CGG offers holders
of its securities any rights to subscribe for additional shares
or any other rights, the depositary may make these rights
available to ADS registered holders. If the depositary decides
it is not legal and practical to make the rights available but
that it is practical to sell the rights, the depositary will use
reasonable efforts to sell the rights and distribute the
proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. The depositary
will allow rights that are not distributed or sold to lapse.
In that case, an ADS holder will receive no value for
them. |
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If the depositary makes rights available to ADS registered
holders, it will exercise the rights and purchase the shares on
your behalf. The depositary will then deposit the shares and
deliver ADSs to the persons entitled to them. It will only
exercise rights if you pay it the exercise price and any other
charges the rights require you to pay. |
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U.S. securities laws may restrict transfers and
cancellation of the ADSs represented by shares purchased upon
exercise of rights. For example, you may not be able to trade
these ADSs freely in the United States. In this case, the
depositary may deliver restricted ADSs that have the same terms
as the ADSs described in this section except for changes needed
to put the necessary restrictions in place. |
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Other Distributions. The depositary will send to ADS
registered holders anything else CGG distributes on deposited
securities by any means it thinks is legal, fair and practical.
If it cannot make the distribution in that way, the depositary
has a choice. It may decide to sell what CGG distributed and
distribute the net proceeds, in the same way as it does with
cash. Or, it may decide to hold what CGG distributed, in which
case ADSs will also represent the newly distributed property.
However, the depositary is not required to distribute any
securities (other than ADSs) to ADS registered holders unless it
receives satisfactory evidence from CGG that it is legal to make
that distribution. The depositary may sell a portion of the
distributed securities or property sufficient to pay its fees
and expenses in connection with that distribution. |
The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is
unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any
ADS registered holders. CGG has no obligation to register ADSs,
shares, rights or other securities under the Securities Act. CGG
also has no obligation to take any other action to permit the
distribution of ADSs, shares, rights or anything else to ADS
holders. This means that you may not receive the
distributions CGG makes on its shares or any value for them if
it is illegal or impractical for CGG to make them available to
you.
Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation
The depositary will deliver ADSs if you or your broker deposit
shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the
custodian. Deposited shares may be in either bearer or
registered form. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of
any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer
taxes or fees, the depositary will register the appropriate
number of ADSs in the names you request and will deliver the
ADSs to or upon the order of the person or persons that made the
deposit.
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How can ADS holders withdraw the deposited
securities? |
You may surrender your ADSs at the depositarys corporate
trust office. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and any
taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or
fees, the depositary will deliver the shares and any other
deposited securities underlying the ADSs to the ADS registered
holder or a person the ADS registered holder designates at the
office of the custodian. Or, at your request, risk and expense,
the depositary will deliver the deposited securities at its
corporate trust office, if feasible.
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How do ADS holders interchange between certificated ADSs
and uncertificated ADSs? |
If you hold your ADSs as a certificated ADR, you may surrender
your ADR to the depositary for the purpose of exchanging your
ADR for uncertificated ADSs. The depositary will cancel that ADR
and will send to the ADS registered holder a statement
confirming that the ADS registered holder is the registered
holder of uncertificated ADSs. Alternatively, upon receipt by
the depositary of a proper instruction from a registered holder
of uncertificated ADSs requesting the exchange of uncertificated
ADSs for certificated ADSs, the depositary will execute and
deliver to the ADS registered holder a certificate evidencing
those ADSs.
Voting Rights
ADS registered holders may instruct the depositary to vote the
number of deposited shares their ADSs represent. The depositary
will notify ADS registered holders of shareholders
meetings and arrange to deliver CGGs voting materials to
them if CGG asks it to. Those materials will describe the
matters to be voted on and explain how ADS registered holders
may instruct the depositary how to vote. For instructions to be
valid, they must reach the depositary by a date set by the
depositary.
If you do not provide valid instructions to the depositary, you
will not be able to exercise your right to vote unless you
withdraw the shares. However, you may not know about the meeting
enough in advance to withdraw the shares.
The depositary will try, subject to the laws of French and
CGGs articles of association or similar documents, to vote
or to have its agents vote the shares or other deposited
securities as instructed by ADS registered holders. The
depositary will only vote or attempt to vote as instructed.
Shares that have been held under the deposit agreement for at
least two years are entitled to double voting rights under
CGGs statuts. The depositary will try, subject to the laws
of France and CGGs articles of association or similar
documents, to exercise double voting rights in accordance with
instructions from ADS registered holders that requested that
shares underlying their ADSs be held by the depositary in
registered form and have held their ADSs for at least two years.
CGG cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials
in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote
your shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not
responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for
the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that
you may not be able to exercise your right to vote and there may
be nothing you can do if your shares are not voted as you
requested.
In order to give you a reasonable opportunity to instruct the
depositary as to the exercise of voting rights relating to
deposited securities, if CGG requests the depositary to act, CGG
agrees to give the depositary notice of any such meeting and
details concerning the matters to be voted upon at least
45 days in advance of the meeting date.
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Fees and Expenses
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Persons Depositing or |
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Withdrawing Shares Must Pay: |
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For: |
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$5.00 (or less) per 100 ADSs (or portion of 100 ADSs) |
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Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting from
a distribution of shares or rights or other property |
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Cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal,
including if the deposit agreement terminates |
$.02 (or less) per ADS
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Any cash distribution to ADS registered holders |
A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities
distributed to you had been shares and the shares had been
deposited for issuance of ADSs |
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Distribution of securities distributed to holders of
deposited securities which are distributed by the depositary to
ADS registered holders |
Registration or transfer fees |
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Transfer and registration of shares on CGGs
share register to or from the name of the depositary or its
agent when you deposit or withdraw shares |
Expenses of the depositary |
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Cable, telex and facsimile transmissions (when
expressly provided in the deposit agreement) |
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Converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars |
Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the
custodian have to pay on any ADS or share underlying an ADS, for
example, stock transfer taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes |
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As necessary |
Payment of Taxes
You will be responsible for any taxes or other governmental
charges payable on your ADSs or on the deposited securities
represented by any of your ADSs. The depositary may refuse to
register any transfer of your ADSs or allow you to withdraw the
deposited securities represented by your ADSs until such taxes
or other charges are paid. It may apply payments owed to you or
sell deposited securities represented by your ADSs to pay any
taxes owed and you will remain liable for any deficiency. If the
depositary sells deposited securities, it will, if appropriate,
reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to ADS
registered holders any proceeds, or send to ADS registered
holders any property, remaining after it has paid the taxes.
The depositary will use reasonable efforts to follow procedures
established by the French Treasury to enable eligible
U.S. holders of ADSs to qualify for a reduced withholding
tax rate, if available at the time dividends are paid, or to
recover any excess French taxes that were initially deducted
from distributions.
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Reclassifications, Recapitalizations and Mergers
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If CGG: |
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Then: |
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Changes the nominal or par value of CGG ordinary
shares;
Reclassifies, splits up or consolidates any of the
deposited securities;
Distributes securities on the shares that are not
distributed to you; or
Recapitalizes, reorganizes, merges, liquidates,
sells all or substantially all of its assets, or takes any
similar action. |
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The cash, shares or other securities received by the depositary
will become deposited securities. Each ADS will automatically
represent its equal share of the new deposited securities.
The depositary may, and will if CGG asks it to, distribute some
or all of the cash, shares or other securities it received. It
may also deliver new ADRs or ask you to surrender your
outstanding ADRs in exchange for new ADRs identifying the new
deposited securities. |
Amendment and Termination
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How may the deposit agreement be amended? |
CGG may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement
and the ADRs without your consent for any reason. If an
amendment adds or increases fees or charges, except for taxes
and other governmental charges or expenses of the depositary for
registration fees, facsimile costs, delivery charges or similar
items, or prejudices a substantial right of ADS holders, it will
not become effective for outstanding ADSs until 30 days
after the depositary notifies ADS registered holders of the
amendment. At the time an amendment becomes effective, you
are considered, by continuing to hold your ADSs, to agree to the
amendment and to be bound by the ADRs and the deposit agreement
as amended.
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How may the deposit agreement be terminated? |
The depositary will terminate the deposit agreement at
CGGs direction by mailing notice of termination to the ADS
registered holders then outstanding at least 90 days prior
to the date fixed in such notice for such termination. The
depositary may also terminate the deposit agreement by mailing
notice of termination to CGG and the ADS registered holders at
least 30 days prior to the date fixed for termination if
60 days have passed since the depositary told CGG it wants
to resign but a successor depositary has not been appointed and
accepted its appointment.
After termination, the depositary and its agents will do the
following under the deposit agreement but nothing else: collect
distributions on the deposited securities, sell rights and other
property, and deliver shares and other deposited securities upon
cancellation of ADSs. One year or more after termination, the
depositary may sell any remaining deposited securities by public
or private sale. After that, the depositary will hold the money
it received on the sale, as well as any other cash it is holding
under the deposit agreement for the pro rata benefit of the ADS
registered holders that have not surrendered their ADSs. It will
not invest the money and has no liability for interest. The
depositarys only obligations will be to account for the
money and other cash. After termination CGGs only
obligations will be to indemnify the depositary and to pay fees
and expenses of the depositary that CGG agreed to pay.
Limits on CGGs Obligations and the Obligations of the
Depositary; Limits on Liability to Holders of ADSs
The deposit agreement expressly limits CGGs obligations
and the obligations of the depositary. It also limits CGGs
liability and the liability of the depositary. CGG and the
depositary:
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are only obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in
the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith; |
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are not liable if CGG or it is prevented or delayed by law or
circumstances beyond CGGs control from performing
CGGs or its obligations under the deposit agreement; |
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are not liable if CGG or it exercises discretion permitted under
the deposit agreement; |
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have no obligation to become involved in a lawsuit or other
proceeding related to the ADSs or the deposit agreement on your
behalf or on behalf of any other person; and |
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may rely upon any documents CGG or it believes in good faith to
be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper
person. |
In the deposit agreement, CGG and the depositary agree to
indemnify each other under certain circumstances.
Requirements for Depositary Actions
Before the depositary will deliver or register a transfer of an
ADS, make a distribution on an ADS, or permit withdrawal of
shares, the depositary may require:
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payment of stock transfer or other taxes or other governmental
charges and transfer or registration fees charged by third
parties for the transfer of any shares or other deposited
securities; |
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satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any
signature or other information it deems necessary; and |
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compliance with regulations it may establish, from time to time,
consistent with the deposit agreement, including presentation of
transfer documents. |
The depositary may refuse to deliver ADSs or register transfers
of ADSs generally when the transfer books of the depositary or
CGGs transfer books are closed or at any time if the
depositary or CGG thinks it advisable to do so.
Your Right to Receive the CGG Ordinary Shares Underlying your
ADSs
ADS registered holders have the right to cancel their ADSs and
withdraw the underlying shares at any time except:
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When temporary delays arise because: (i) the depositary has
closed its transfer books or CGG has closed its transfer books;
(ii) the transfer of shares is blocked to permit voting at
a shareholders meeting; or (iii) CGG is paying a
dividend on CGGs shares. |
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When you owe money to pay fees, taxes and similar charges. |
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When it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals in order to comply
with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADSs or
to the withdrawal of shares or other deposited securities. |
This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other
provision of the deposit agreement.
Pre-release of ADSs
The deposit agreement permits the depositary to deliver ADSs
before deposit of the underlying shares. This is called a
pre-release of the ADSs. The depositary may also deliver shares
upon cancellation of pre-released ADSs (even if the ADSs are
canceled before the pre-release transaction has been closed
out). A pre-release is closed out as soon as the underlying
shares are delivered to the depositary. The depositary may
receive ADSs instead of shares to close out a pre-release. The
depositary may pre-release ADSs only under the following
conditions: (1) before or at the time of the pre-release,
the person to whom the pre-release is being made represents to
the depositary in writing that it or its customer owns the
shares or ADSs to be deposited; (2) the pre-release is
fully collateralized with cash or other collateral that the
depositary considers appropriate; and (3) the depositary
must be able to close out the pre-release on not more than five
business days notice. In addition, the depositary will
limit the number of ADSs that may
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be outstanding at any time as a result of pre-release, although
the depositary may disregard the limit from time to time, if it
thinks it is appropriate to do so.
Direct Registration System
In the deposit agreement, all parties to the deposit agreement
acknowledge that the DRS and Profile Modification System, or
Profile, will apply to uncertificated ADSs upon acceptance
thereof to DRS by the Depository Trust Company. DRS is the
system administered by DTC pursuant to which the depositary may
register the ownership of uncertificated ADSs, which ownership
shall be evidenced by periodic statements sent by the depositary
to the registered holders of uncertificated ADSs. Profile is a
required feature of DRS which allows a DTC participant, claiming
to act on behalf of a registered holder of ADSs, to direct the
depositary to register a transfer of those ADSs to DTC or its
nominee and to deliver those ADSs to the DTC account of that DTC
participant without receipt by the depositary of prior
authorization from the ADS registered holder to register that
transfer.
In connection with and in accordance with the arrangements and
procedures relating to DRS/ Profile, the parties to the deposit
agreement understand that the depositary will not verify,
determine or otherwise ascertain that the DTC participant which
is claiming to be acting on behalf of an ADS registered holder
in requesting registration of transfer and delivery described in
the paragraph above has the actual authority to act on behalf of
the ADS registered holder (notwithstanding any requirements
under the Uniform Commercial Code). In the deposit agreement,
the parties agree that the depositarys reliance on and
compliance with instructions received by the depositary through
the DRS/ Profile System and in accordance with the deposit
agreement, shall not constitute negligence or bad faith on the
part of the depositary.
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COMPARISON OF RIGHTS OF VERITAS STOCKHOLDERS AND CGG
SHAREHOLDERS
The rights of Veritas stockholders are governed by the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the
provisions of Veritas certificate of incorporation and
bylaws. The rights of CGG shareholders are governed by the
French Commercial Code and by the provisions of CGGs
articles of association and bylaws (statuts). An English
translation of CGGs articles of association and bylaws is
attached as an exhibit to CGGs 2005 20-F, which is
incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus.
The following is a summary of the material differences between
the rights of Veritas stockholders and CGG shareholders. These
differences arise from differences between the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the French
Commercial Code and between Veritas certificate of
incorporation and bylaws and CGGs articles of association
and bylaws (statuts). For more complete information, you should
read Veritas certificate of incorporation and bylaws and
the English translation of CGGs articles of association
and bylaws, as amended, as well as the relevant provisions of
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the
French Commercial Code.
Veritas certificate of incorporation and bylaws and
CGGs articles of association and bylaws may be obtained
without charge by following the instructions in the section
entitled Additional Information Where You Can
Find More Information.
Size and Qualification of the Board of Directors;
Committees
Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the
certificate of incorporation or bylaws of a corporation may
specify the number of directors. Veritas certificate of
incorporation and bylaws provide that the number of directors
shall be fixed by resolution adopted by a majority of the entire
board of directors, but the number of directors shall be no less
than three and no more than ten. As of the date of this proxy
statement/ prospectus, Veritas has eight directors.
Veritas bylaws provide that the directors shall be elected
at an annual meeting of the holders of the voting stock of
Veritas. The Veritas board of directors is not classified, and
directors hold office for one-year terms.
The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides
that directors must be natural persons. Neither the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware nor Veritas
certificate of incorporation or bylaws requires board members to
have any specific qualifications.
Veritas board of directors has four committees: a
nominating and corporate governance committee, an innovation and
technology committee, a compensation committee and an audit
committee.
The organizational documents of CGG provide that the board of
directors must have no less than six and no more than 15
members, each of whom shall be elected by the shareholders at an
ordinary shareholders meeting. This number can be increased in
case of a merger.
CGGs articles of association and bylaws provide that a
director must own at least one ordinary share of CGG and that
directors be elected for a six-year term. The CGG board of
directors internal regulations recommend that each director own
at least 50 shares. In addition, in the absence of a
specific provision on age limit applicable to directors, the
French commercial code shall apply which states that no more
than one-third of the directors may be more than 70 years
old. If the number of directors over 70 years old should
exceed one-third of the number of directors on the board of
directors, the oldest director(s) shall automatically be deemed
to have retired at the ordinary shareholders meeting called to
approve the financial statements for the fiscal year in which
the proportion of directors over 70 years old was exceeded,
unless the permitted proportion was re-established in the
interim. CGGs articles of association and bylaws provide
that the age limit applicable to the chairman of the board of
directors and to the chief executive officer shall be
65 years. However, the board of directors may further
extend their mandate one or more times for a total period not to
exceed three years.
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The French Commercial Code provides that directors can be
individuals or entities, including corporations. If an entity is
a director, it must appoint an individual to act as its
permanent representative.
CGGs articles of association and bylaws provide that the
board of directors can create committees in charge of studying
certain issues the board has to resolve. The composition and
missions of these committees shall be decided by the board of
directors. The CGG board of directors has three committees: a
strategic planning committee, an audit committee and an
appointment-remuneration committee.
Removal of Directors and Vacancies
Pursuant to Veritas certificate of incorporation and
bylaws, any director may be removed with or without cause by the
affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the
shares entitled to vote in the election of directors.
Under Veritas certificate of incorporation and bylaws,
newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the
number of directors and any vacancies, however created, shall be
filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining
directors then in office, even though less than a quorum, and
not by the stockholders.
Each of the directors elected at the CGG shareholders meeting
shall be elected for a term of six years. Under CGGs
articles of association and bylaws, at least a majority vote of
the board of directors present or represented is required to
remove the chairman or chief executive officer and to decide any
replacement.
In addition, any vacancy on the board of directors following the
death or resignation of one or more directors, shall be
temporarily filled by the appointment of a replacement director
by the CGG board of directors, such appointment being subject to
approval at the next shareholders meeting. The appointment of a
replacement director in the event of a vacancy by reason of
death or resignation requires the affirmative vote of at least
the majority of the directors present or represented.
A member of the CGG board of directors, including the chief
executive officer and the chairman of the board of directors,
may be removed prior to the expiration of such directors
term by a majority vote of CGGs shareholders. Under the
French Commercial Code and current case law, removal of a member
of the board of directors will not subject a company to
liability unless the removed director shows that the removal was
done in an injurious or vexatious manner.
A director appointed to replace another director will hold
office only for the remainder of his predecessors term.
Duties of the Board of Directors and Liability of
Directors
The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides
that the board of directors of a Delaware corporation has
ultimate responsibility for managing the corporations
business and affairs. In discharging this function, directors of
Delaware corporations owe fiduciary duties of care and loyalty
to the corporations for which they serve as directors. Directors
of Delaware corporations also owe fiduciary duties of care and
loyalty to stockholders. Delaware courts have held that
directors of a Delaware corporation are required to exercise
informed business judgment in the performance of their duties.
Informed business judgment means that the directors have
informed themselves of all material information reasonably
available to them.
A director of a Delaware corporation, in the performance of his
or her duties, is fully protected in relying, in good faith,
upon the records of the corporation and upon such information,
opinions, reports or
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statements presented to the corporation by any of the
corporations officers or employees, or committees of the
board of directors, or by any other person as to matters the
director reasonably believes are within such other persons
professional or expert competence and who has been selected with
reasonable care by or on behalf of the corporation.
The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware does not
contain any statutory provision permitting the board of
directors, committees of the board or individual directors, when
discharging the duties of their respective positions, to
consider the interests of any constituencies other than the
corporation or its stockholders. In addition, the duty of the
board of directors, committees of the board and individual
directors of a Delaware corporation may be enforced directly by
the corporation or may be enforced by a stockholder, as such, by
a derivative action or may, in certain circumstances, be
enforced directly by a stockholder or by any other person or
group.
Veritas certificate of incorporation limits the liability
of directors to the fullest extent permitted by the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Thus, a Veritas
director is not personally liable to the corporation or its
stockholders for monetary damages resulting from a breach of a
fiduciary duty, except for liability (i) for any breach of
the directors duty of loyalty to the corporation or its
stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith
or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation
of law, (iii) under section 174 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or (iv) for any
transaction from which the director derived an improper personal
benefit.
CGG directors may be held civilly liable, either individually or
jointly, as applicable, to the company or to third parties for
breaches of statutory or regulatory provisions applicable to
public limited companies, for violations of CGGs
organizational documents and for mismanagement. Mismanagement is
broadly defined as any act, intentional or unintentional,
contrary to the interest of the company. If mismanagement
results in a companys bankruptcy, the directors, in their
individual capacities, may be liable for part or all of the
excess of the liabilities of the company over its assets, or may
be subject to bankruptcy proceedings.
Directors are generally jointly and severally liable for
misconduct arising from the board acting collectively, and
individually liable for misconduct that can be specifically
attributed to them. In particular, all of a companys
directors will be jointly and severally liable for actions taken
by the companys board of directors unless individual
directors can prove that they were against the action, made
their opposition known and such opposition was recorded in the
minutes, and that they took all steps available to them to
prevent the action from being taken. Third parties, including a
companys shareholders, bringing suit against one or more
directors, must prove that they have suffered a loss, either
personally or through the company, and that the directors
action caused such loss.
Directors can incur criminal liability for violating certain
provisions of the French Commercial Code and other laws and
regulations, including employment and securities laws, as well
as regulations specific to a companys business. In
particular, the French Commercial Code provides that a
companys directors can be fined and/or sentenced to prison
if they, in bad faith and for their own direct or indirect
benefit, use the companys assets or credit for purposes
which they know are not to the companys benefit.
The French Commercial Code prohibits a company from providing in
its organizational documents any clause the effect of which
would be to make the exercise of any action for liability
against the directors subject to prior notice or to the consent
of the general meeting, or to waive the right to any such action
in advance. In addition, no decision of the general meeting
shall have the effect of extinguishing an action for liability
against the directors or managing director for a tort or a
negligent act committed in the performance of their duties.
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Transactions With Interested Parties
The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware generally
provides that transactions involving a Delaware corporation and
an interested director or officer of that corporation are not
void or voidable solely for this reason if:
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the material facts as to the directors or officers
relationship or interest are disclosed and a majority of
disinterested directors authorizes the transaction; |
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the material facts are disclosed as to the directors or
officers relationship or interest and the transaction is
specifically approved in good faith by the stockholders; or |
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the transaction is fair to the corporation at the time that it
is authorized by the board of directors, a committee of the
board of directors or the stockholders. |
As a U.S. public company, however, Veritas is prohibited
from directly or indirectly extending or maintaining credit, or
arranging for the extension of credit or renewing any extension
of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any
directors or executive officers under U.S. federal
securities laws.
Under the French Commercial Code, any transaction directly or
indirectly between a company and a member of its board of
directors and/or its chief executive officer or any deputy
executive officers (or any entity in which any of these persons
is at the same time an owner, partner with unlimited liability,
chief executive officer, member of the supervisory board or an
executive officer) or one of its shareholders holding more than
10% of the total voting rights (or, if such shareholder is a
legal entity, the entitys parent), if any, that cannot be
reasonably considered to be in the ordinary course of business
of the company and is not at arms length, is subject to
the prior consent of the board of directors. Any such
transaction entered into without the prior consent of the board
of directors can be nullified if it causes prejudice to the
company, unless it is subsequently approved at the next
shareholders meeting upon presentation of a report of the
statutory auditors explaining the reasons why the prior consent
of the board has not been properly sought or given. The
statutory auditors must be informed of the transaction within
one month following its conclusion and must prepare a report to
be submitted to shareholders for approval at their next meeting.
In the event that the transaction is not ratified by the
shareholders, it will remain enforceable by third parties
against the company, but the company may in turn hold the
interested member of the board of directors, the concerned
executive officer, and, in some circumstances, the other members
of the board of directors, liable for any damages it may suffer
as a result. In addition, the transaction may be canceled if it
is fraudulent. Moreover, certain transactions between a company
and a member of its board of directors who is a natural person
and/or its chief executive officer or any deputy executive
officers, if any, are disallowed by the French Commercial Code.
The French Commercial Code enjoins corporations from granting
any loan, overdraft, caution or aval
(guarantees) to any individual member of the board of
directors or their dependents. Any such transaction must be
nullified. In addition, as a company with securities registered
under the Exchange Act, CGG is prohibited from directly or
indirectly extending or maintaining credit, or arranging for the
extension of credit or renewing any extension of credit, in the
form of a personal loan to or for any directors or executive
officers under U.S. federal securities laws.
Indemnification
Veritas certificate of incorporation and bylaws require
indemnification of its past and present directors, officers,
employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, a corporation
may indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent involved
in a third-party action or
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agreeing at the request of the corporation to serve, serving or
formerly serving as an officer, director, employee or agent of
the corporation, against expenses, judgments, fines and
settlement amounts paid in the third-party action, if the
director, officer, employee or agent acted in good faith and
reasonably believed that his actions were in, or not opposed to,
the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any
criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his
conduct was unlawful. In addition, a corporation may indemnify
any director, officer, employee or agent involved in a
derivative action brought by or on behalf of the corporation
against expenses incurred in the derivative action, if the
director, officer, employee or agent acted in good faith and
reasonably believed that his actions were in, or not opposed to,
the best interests of the corporation. However, no
indemnification for expenses in derivative actions is permitted
where the person has been adjudged liable to the corporation,
unless, and only to the extent a proper court finds him entitled
to indemnification. If a present or former director or officer
of a corporation has been successful in defending a third-party
or derivative action, indemnification for expenses incurred is
mandatory under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware.
The statutory provisions for indemnification are nonexclusive
with respect to any other rights, such as contractual rights, to
which a person seeking indemnification may be entitled.
Furthermore, under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, a corporation may advance expenses incurred by
officers, directors, employees and agents in defending any
action upon, in the case of directors and officers, receipt of
an undertaking by the person to repay the amount advanced if it
is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to
indemnification.
The merger agreement provides that, for a period of six years
following the merger, CGG and the combined company shall,
jointly and severally, indemnify, defend and hold harmless the
present and former officers, directors, employees and agents of
Veritas in such capacities to the fullest extent that Veritas
would have been required to do so in accordance with the
provisions of each indemnification or similar agreement or
arrangement with Veritas. CGG and the combined company agree
that all rights to exculpation, advancement of expenses and
indemnification for acts or omissions occurring prior to the
merger now existing in favor of the current and former officers
and directors of Veritas as provided in the certificate of
incorporation, bylaws or any material contract of Veritas, will
survive the merger and continue in full force and effect in
accordance with their terms.
Under French law, sociétés anonymes, such as
CGG, may generally indemnify, contract for and maintain
liability insurance against civil liabilities incurred by any of
their directors and officers involved in a third-party action,
provided that they acted in good faith and within their
capacities as directors or officers of the company. Criminal
liabilities cannot be indemnified under French law, whether
directly by the company or through liability insurance.
Sociétés anonymes are generally allowed to
advance expenses incurred by their officers and directors in
defending any civil or criminal action. They may also indemnify
those directors and officers for their expenses, provided that
they acted in good faith and in their capacities as directors or
officers of the company.
Stockholders Meetings, Voting and Quorum
The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and
Veritas bylaws provide for annual and special meetings.
Veritas is required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders on
a date set by resolution of the board of directors. A special
meeting may be held for any purpose or purposes, such as the
approval and adoption of a merger, charter amendment, sale of
substantially all of the assets of the company or any other
matter requiring stockholder approval. The business transacted
at any special meeting of stockholders is limited to the
purposes stated in the notice of special meeting.
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Pursuant to Veritas bylaws, a special meeting for any
purpose or purposes may be called at any time by a majority of
the entire board of directors. Written notice of each meeting of
the stockholders must be given either personally or by mail not
less than 10 days or more than 60 days before the date
of such meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote
at such meeting and must state the date, time and place of the
meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or
purposes for which the meeting is called. However, meetings may
be held without notice if all stockholders entitled to vote are
present (except when a stockholder attends a meeting for the
express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting,
to the transaction of any business on the ground that the
meeting has not been not lawfully called or convened), or if
notice is waived by those not present.
Under Veritas certificate of incorporation, holders of
Veritas common stock have one vote with respect to each share of
Veritas common stock held by them upon all proposals presented
to the stockholders on which the holders of common stock are
entitled to vote. There are currently no issued or outstanding
shares of Veritas preferred stock, although Veritas
certificate of incorporation contains a provision authorizing
the issuance of 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
Each share of preferred stock shall entitle the holder thereof
to the voting rights, preferences as to dividends, liquidation,
conversion, and other rights of such preferred stock as
determined by resolution of the board of directors.
Veritas bylaws provide that, except as otherwise provided
by applicable law or by Veritas certificate of
incorporation, the holders of a majority of the voting power of
all outstanding shares of the corporation entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors, represented in person or
by proxy, without regard to class or series, shall constitute a
quorum at a stockholders meeting.
French companies may hold either ordinary or extraordinary
general meetings of shareholders. Ordinary meetings are required
for matters that are not specifically reserved by law to
extraordinary general meetings. These matters include the
election, replacement and removal of the members of the board of
directors, the appointment of statutory auditors, the approval
of annual accounts, the declaration of dividends or the
authorization for dividends to be paid in shares and the
issuance of bonds. Extraordinary general meetings are required
to approve, among other things, amendments to a companys
articles of association and bylaws (including change of the
corporate purpose), modifications to shareholders rights,
mergers and spin-offs, increases or decreases in share capital
(including a waiver of preferential subscription rights), the
change of nationality of the company (subject to conditions as
described in the French Commercial Code), the extension or
reduction of the duration of the company, the creation of a new
class of shares, the authorization of the issuance of securities
convertible or exchangeable into shares and of debt securities,
the transformation of the company into another legal form and
the voluntary liquidation of the company before the end of its
statutory term.
The CGG board of directors is required to convene an annual
general meeting of shareholders for approval of the annual
financial statements. This meeting must be held within six
months from the end of CGGs fiscal year, unless the chief
judge of the Paris Commercial Court (Président du
Tribunal de Commerce de Paris) orders an extension of this
six-month period pursuant to a request. CGG may convene other
ordinary and extraordinary meetings at any time during the year.
Meetings of shareholders may be convened by CGGs board of
directors or, in the circumstances prescribed by law, if the
board of directors fails to convene such a meeting, by its
statutory auditors or by a court-appointed agent. A shareholder
or shareholders holding at least 5% of CGGs capital stock,
or any interested party in case of emergency, may request that
the court appoint an agent to convene the shareholders meeting.
French law requires that a preliminary notice (avis de
reunion) of the general shareholders meeting of a company
that is listed on a French stock exchange be published in the
official French journal of mandatory legal notices (Bulletin
dannonces légales obligatoires, which is referred
to as the BALO), at least 30 days prior to the meeting. A
copy of the preliminary notice is usually first sent to the AMF
with an indication of the date on which it is to be published.
The preliminary notice must state the details of
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the company and information about the voting process and include
the agenda of the meeting as well as a draft of the resolutions
that will be submitted to a shareholders vote.
At least 15 days before the date set for the general
meeting on first call, a second notice of the general
shareholders meeting (avis de convocation)must be
published in the BALO, as well as with another French journal of
legal notices in the area in which the company is registered,
usually after having first being sent to the AMF. This notice
period is reduced to six days in case of a second call (i.e.,
where the quorum required on the first call was not met). If all
the shares of the company are registered shares, there is no
need to publish the second notice in any journal but merely to
send notice by mail to each shareholder with the same
15-day notice. In
addition to those publications, individual letters must also be
sent by mail at least 15 days before the meeting to all
holders of registered shares who have held their shares for more
than one month prior to the date of notice. The notice must
include the details of the company, as well as a description of
the type, agenda, place, date and time of the meeting and other
information about the voting process. It also includes a draft
of the resolutions that will be submitted to a
shareholders vote to the extent that the resolutions have
changed since the original notice. With the sole exception of
removal and replacement of directors (which may be discussed at
any meeting), any matter which does not appear on the agenda may
not be discussed at the meeting.
There is no requirement that a shareholder own a minimum number
of shares in order to be able to attend or be represented at a
general shareholders meeting. In order to participate in any
general meeting, a holder of registered shares must have paid up
its shares and have its shares registered in his name or in the
name of the accredited financial intermediary referred to in
article L. 228-1 of the French Commercial Code in a shareholder
account maintained by the company or on behalf of it by an
accredited financial institution at least five days prior to the
meeting. Similarly, a holder of bearer shares must obtain from
the accredited financial intermediary (intermédiaire
financier habilité) with whom such holder has deposited
its shares a certificate indicating the number of bearer shares
the holder owns and stating that these shares are blocked in the
account held by the intermediary in the holders name until
the date of the meeting (certificate
dimmobilisation). This certificate must be deposited
at the place specified in the notice of the meeting at least
five days before the meeting convenes.
Under French law, ordinary general shareholders meetings and
extraordinary general shareholders meetings called to decide a
share capital increase by capitalization of reserves, profits or
share premium, generally require the presence, in person or
voting by mail or by proxy, of shareholders holding outstanding
shares representing in the aggregate at least 20% of the voting
rights. A quorum of at least 25% of the outstanding shares
entitled to vote is required for all other extraordinary general
meetings. If a quorum is not reached, the meeting must be
adjourned. No quorum is required when an ordinary general
meeting is reconvened, but only questions that were on the
agenda of the adjourned meeting may be considered. A quorum of
at least 20% of the shares entitled to vote is required when an
extraordinary shareholders meeting is reconvened, except where
the reconvened meeting is considering a share capital increase
by capitalization of reserves, profits or share premium, in
which case no quorum is required. If no quorum is reached at a
reconvened extraordinary shareholders meeting requiring a 20%
quorum, then the meeting may be adjourned to a date within a
period not to exceed two months.
One voting right is attached to each CGG ordinary share
(including each CGG ordinary shares underlying five CGG ADSs) at
all shareholders meetings. However, CGGs articles of
association provide that, as from May 22, 1997, each share
that is fully paid and has been held in registered form by the
same shareholder for a period of at least two consecutive years
will entitle such shareholder to two votes. In the event of
capital increases effected by a free attribution of shares, as a
result of the incorporation of reserves, retained earnings or
issuance premiums, the shares attributed by reason of and
proportionately to the ownership of shares holding double voting
rights are immediately granted double voting rights as if they
themselves had fulfilled the requirements therefore. Double
voting rights are cancelled for any share that is converted into
a bearer share or whose ownership is transferred.
Under CGGs ADS deposit agreement, the CGG ordinary shares
underlying CGG ADSs will be held in bearer form unless the
holder thereof notifies the depositary in writing that the
ordinary shares should
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be held in registered form. As a result, new holders of CGG
ordinary shares (including CGG ordinary shares represented by
CGG ADSs), including former holders of Veritas common stock who
receive CGG ADSs pursuant to the merger, will qualify to obtain
double-voting rights only after holding those CGG ADSs in the
same registered name for two years after giving such notice.
Stockholder Proposals
Veritas bylaws establish procedures that must be followed
for a stockholder to submit a proposal to be voted on by the
stockholders of Veritas at its annual meeting of stockholders
and a substantially similar procedure to be followed for the
nomination and election of directors. No business may be
proposed by a stockholder at the annual meeting of stockholders
without giving written notice to the secretary of Veritas
between 90 and 120 days prior to the scheduled date of the
meeting.
In the event, however, that the annual meeting is advanced more
than 30 days prior to or delayed by more than 30 days
after the first anniversary of the record date for the preceding
years annual meeting, a stockholders notice shall be
considered timely if it is delivered to the secretary of Veritas
not later than the close of business on the later of the
90th day prior to the scheduled date of the meeting or the
10th calendar day following the day on which public
announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the
corporation.
In the event, however, that the number of directors to be
elected is increased and there is no public announcement by
Veritas naming all of the nominees for director or specifying
the size of the increased board of directors at least 100
calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the record date
for the preceding years annual meeting, a
stockholders notice shall be considered timely with
respect to nominees for any new positions created by such
increase if it is delivered to the secretary of Veritas not
later than the close of business on the 10th calendar day
following the day on which such public announcement is first
made by the corporation.
No nomination may be proposed by a stockholder at a special
meeting of stockholders held for the purpose of electing
directors without giving written notice not earlier than the
90th calendar day prior to such special meeting and not
later than the close of business on the later of the
70th calendar day prior to such special meeting or the
10th calendar day following the date on which public
announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting
and of the nominees proposed by the board of directors to be
elected at such meeting.
To properly bring business before the annual meeting of Veritas
stockholders, a stockholders notice must set forth:
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a brief description of the business desired to be brought before
the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at
the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of
such stockholder, along with a representation that such
stockholder will appear at such meeting in person or by proxy to
present the proposal; |
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the name and record address of such stockholder; and |
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the class or series and number of shares of Veritas capital
stock that are owned beneficially or of record of such
stockholder. |
In addition, stockholders notices relating to director
nominations must be accompanied by a written consent of each
proposed nominee being named as a nominee and to serve as a
director, if elected, and must include all information relating
to the nominee that is required to be disclosed in proxy
solicitations for director elections pursuant to Section 14
of the Exchange Act.
In addition, pursuant to
Rule 14a-8 under
the Exchange Act, a stockholder may have his proposal disclosed
in a companys proxy materials and presented to
stockholders for a vote, provided that the
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stockholder follows the procedures set forth in
Rule 14a-8 and
provided, further, that the proposal is not substantively
excludable under the SECs stockholder proposal rules.
Under the French Commercial Code, shareholders can nominate
individuals for election to a companys board of directors
at an ordinary general shareholders meeting if the election of
directors is part of the agenda for the shareholders meeting.
However, shareholders cannot elect a new director at an ordinary
general shareholders meeting if the agenda for the meeting does
not include the election of directors, unless such nomination is
necessary to fill a vacancy due to the previous removal of a
director. In addition, in case of a merger or a spin-off, the
nomination of new directors may be decided by the extraordinary
general shareholders meeting voting on the transaction. In
either case, the nomination must contain the name, age,
professional references and professional activity of the nominee
for the past five years (including at foreign companies), if
any, the occupation within the company, as well as the number of
the companys shares owned by such candidate, if any. This
information must be made available to shareholders by the
companys board of directors no less than 15 days
before the meeting in case of an annual ordinary general
shareholders meeting. In addition, any holder of registered
shares may ask the company, from the date of the notice until
the fifth day before the meeting inclusive, to send him this
information at his own expenses. If the agenda of a shareholders
meeting includes the election of members of the board of
directors, any shareholder is entitled to be a candidate for
election to the board at that shareholders meeting, even though
such shareholder has not complied with established nomination
procedures. Such a candidate may be asked to provide the same
information as described above during the meeting.
Under the French Commercial Code and given the amount of
CGGs share capital, (i) shareholders representing,
individually or collectively, a specified percentage (comprised
between 0.5% and 4% of a companys capital stock)
determined on the basis of a formula related to capitalization,
and (ii) a duly authorized association of shareholders who
have held their shares in registered form for at least two years
and holding, in the aggregate, at least 1% of the voting rights
of the company, may request that a resolution, which they
propose for adoption at a shareholders meeting, be included in
the agenda. This request must be made within 10 days of the
publication of the initial notice of the shareholders meeting in
the BALO and may specify the reasons for the resolution.
Properly submitted requests will be considered at the meeting.
The French Commercial Code requires a companys board of
directors to respond at the meeting to any questions submitted
in writing by any shareholder and relating to any document made
available by the board of directors on the management and the
business of the company.
As a foreign private issuer, the requirements set forth in
Rule 14a-8 of the
Exchange Act requiring the inclusion of certain shareholder
proposals in a companys proxy materials do not apply to
CGG.
Approval of Extraordinary Actions
Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware,
fundamental corporate transactions (such as mergers, sales of
all or substantially all of the corporations assets,
dissolutions and amendments to the certificate of incorporation)
as well as certain other actions, require the approval of the
holders of not less than a majority of the outstanding shares
entitled to vote.
Veritas bylaws may be amended by either its stockholders
or its board of directors.
Under the French Commercial Code, decisions taken by an
extraordinary general shareholders meeting (except if the
meeting decides upon any capital increase by capitalization of
reserves, profits or share premium) require the approval of at
least two-thirds of the votes cast.
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An extraordinary general shareholders meeting deciding upon any
capital increase by capitalization of reserves, profits or share
premium requires a 50% majority of the votes cast.
A unanimous vote, however, is required to increase the
liabilities of the shareholders.
Furthermore, the transformation of a société
anonyme into another type of legal entity requires,
depending on the type of entity into which the company seeks to
transform, a unanimous vote, a three-fourths majority vote or a
two-thirds majority vote of the votes cast.
Abstention from voting by the shareholders present, represented
by proxy or voting by mail is computed as a vote against the
resolutions submitted to a vote.
Certain Rights of Preferred Stockholders
Veritas certificate of incorporation provides for the
issuance of shares of preferred stock. However, no shares of
preferred stock have been issued or are outstanding. If issued,
the preferred stock would have such preferences, privileges and
relative rights as stated in the resolution or resolutions of
the board of directors of Veritas providing for such issuance of
preferred stock.
None of the CGG ordinary shares are entitled to any preferential
distribution.
Stockholder Action By Written Consent
Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and
the Veritas certificate of incorporation, any action required or
permitted to be taken by the stockholders of Veritas may be
taken without prior notice and an actual meeting if a consent in
writing setting forth the action so taken shall be signed by the
holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum
number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take
such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote
thereon were present and voted.
The French Commercial Code does not allow shareholders of a
société anonyme to act by written consent.
Disclosures of Interests
Under federal securities laws, stockholders of Veritas reaching
certain stock ownership levels must disclose that fact and,
under certain circumstances, provide extensive background
information in filings with the SEC.
Under federal securities laws, every officer or director of
Veritas, as well as every person owning more than 10% of any
class of Veritas securities registered under the Exchange
Act, must file with the SEC and the NYSE, an initial report of
its holdings of all of such securities, and a further report
after there has been any change in such holdings.
In addition, Veritas must furnish the following information with
respect to any person, including any group, who is known to the
company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class
of its voting securities: (1) title of class; (2) the
name and address of the beneficial owner; (3) amount and
nature of beneficial ownership; and (4) percent of class
owned.
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Under federal securities laws, Veritas has a duty to describe
any arrangements known to it, including any pledge by any person
of its securities, the operation of which may at a subsequent
date result in a change in control of the company.
Under French law, any individual or entity, acting alone or in
concert with others, who becomes the owner of more than 5%, 10%,
15%, 20%, 25%,
331/3%,
50%,
662/3%,
90% or 95% of CGGs outstanding share capital or voting
rights (including through CGG ADSs), or whose holdings
subsequently fall below any of these thresholds, must notify
both CGG and the AMF of the number of shares and CGG ADSs that
it holds and of the voting rights attached thereto within five
trading days from the date the relevant threshold was crossed.
Furthermore, CGGs articles of association and bylaws
provide that any individual or legal entity which at any time
comes to hold a number of shares representing 1% or any multiple
thereof of the total number of shares or voting rights of the
company, or comes to cross any further 1% threshold, or whose
holding falls below these thresholds, must, within five trading
days from the date it crossed a threshold, notify CGG of the
total number of shares that it owns.
Failure to provide timely written notice to CGG under the
provisions of the articles of association may, upon petition
(registered in the minutes of the general shareholders meeting)
of one or more shareholders representing 1% or more of
CGGs share capital, result in the loss of the voting
rights attached to the shares in excess of the relevant
threshold from that meeting and for any further meeting that
would be held within the two years following the date of
compliance of the notification requirements.
French corporate law and the regulations of the AMF impose
additional reporting requirements on any person or persons
acting alone or in concert who acquire more than 10% or 20% of
CGGs share capital or voting rights. Any purchaser
exceeding these thresholds must file a statement with CGG and
the AMF. The notice must specify the acquirers intentions
for the twelve-month period following the acquisition of its 10%
or 20% stake, including whether or not it intends to
(a) increase its stake, (b) acquire a controlling
interest in CGG or (c) seek the election of nominees to
CGGs board of directors, and whether it is acting alone or
in concert with other shareholders. The statement must be filed
within 10 trading days from the date either of these thresholds
was crossed. The statement is published by the AMF. The acquirer
must also publish a press release stating its intentions in a
financial newspaper of national circulation in France. Similar
reporting requirements must be complied with if the
purchasers intentions have changed due to subsequent
events.
Under French law and the regulations of the AMF, any person or
persons, acting alone or in concert, who enter into an agreement
containing stipulations granting preferential treatment with
respect to the sale of shares, voting rights, or otherwise, for
shares representing 0.5% or more of CGGs share capital or
voting rights, must file such stipulations with the AMF within
five trading days from the date of the agreement.
Moreover, under French law and the regulations of the AMF, and
subject to limited exemptions provided for therein, any person
or persons, acting alone or in concert, who acquires shares
representing more than one-third of CGGs share capital or
voting rights must initiate a public tender offer for the
balance of CGGs share capital and all other outstanding
securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for
CGGs share capital or voting rights.
If a shareholder (including a holder of CGG ADSs) fails to
comply with these notification requirements, the shareholder
will be deprived of voting rights attached to the shares it
holds in excess of the relevant threshold. The shareholder will
be deprived of its voting rights at all shareholders meetings
held until the end of a two-year period following the date on
which the shareholder has complied with the notification
requirements. Furthermore, any shareholder who fails to comply
with these requirements, including the notification requirements
of CGGs organizational documents, may have all or part of
its voting rights (and not only with respect to the shares in
excess of the relevant threshold) suspended for up
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to five years by court decree at the request of CGGs
chairman, any of CGGs shareholders or the AMF. Such
shareholder may also be subject to criminal liability.
In order to allow shareholders to give appropriate notice in
accordance with French law and the articles of association and
bylaws of the company, CGG is required to publish in the BALO,
no later than 15 calendar days from its annual ordinary
shareholders meeting, information with respect to the total
number of voting rights available as of the date of such
meeting. In addition, CGG shall disclose the proration of
available shares and voting rights on a monthly basis if those
shares and voting rights have varied since their last
disclosure. The means of such disclosure will be specified in
the revised stock exchange general regulation which is expected
to be enacted in the near future. The Exchange Act beneficial
ownership requirements applicable to Veritas shareholders also
apply to holders of CGG ordinary shares and ADSs.
In addition, the U.S. federal securities law requirements
with respect to information about a beneficial owner of more
than 5% of any class of voting securities also apply to CGG as a
company with equity securities registered under the Exchange Act.
Payment of Dividends
Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware,
dividends may be declared by the board of directors of a
corporation. The General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware generally permits dividends to be paid out of any
surplus, defined as the excess of the net assets of the
corporation over the amount determined to be the capital of the
corporation by the board of directors, which cannot be less than
the aggregate par value of all issued shares of capital stock.
The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware also
permits a dividend to be paid out of the net profits of the
current or the preceding fiscal year, or both, unless net assets
are less than the capital represented by any outstanding
preferred shares. Dividends are paid to the holder of record on
the record date of the dividend. Veritas has not paid any
dividends on its common stock during the two most recent fiscal
years and has no current plans to pay any dividends on its
common stock.
CGG does not currently pay dividends on its ordinary shares.
Under French law, the board of directors is entitled to propose
the distribution of dividends at the ordinary shareholders
meeting. The holders of a majority of the voting rights present
or represented at the meeting must then approve the
distribution. The aggregate amount of dividends a company is
entitled to distribute for a certain fiscal year may not exceed
the amount of distributable amounts (sommes
distribuables) for that year. In any fiscal year, the
companys distributable amounts will equal the sum of the
following:
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the companys profits for the fiscal year, less |
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the companys losses for the fiscal year, less |
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any required contribution to the companys legal reserve
fund under French law, plus |
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any additional profits that the company reported but did not
distribute in its prior fiscal years, less |
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any loss carryforward from prior fiscal years, plus |
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any reserves available for distribution. |
Except in case of a decrease in the share capital, no
distribution may be made to shareholders if, before such
distribution or as a result of such distribution, the
shareholders equity has fallen or would fall below the
amount of the share capital increased by those reserves that may
not be distributed according to applicable legal provisions or
the companys organizational documents. The methods of
payment of dividends are determined by the shareholders at their
general meeting.
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If the company has made a profit since the end of the preceding
fiscal year, as shown on an interim balance sheet certified by
the companys statutory auditors, the board of directors is
entitled, subject to the provisions of the French Commercial
Code and other regulations, to distribute interim dividends
prior to the approval of the annual accounts by the
shareholders. The amount of these interim dividends may not
exceed the amount of the distributable profit
(bénéfice distribuable) resulting from the
following formula:
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the profit of the company for the fiscal year, less |
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the aggregate amount of losses the company may have incurred
prior to the last fiscal year, less |
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any required contribution to the companys legal reserve
fund under French law, plus |
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any additional profits the company reported but did not
distribute during the last fiscal year. |
Pursuant to French case law, except otherwise stated in the
articles of association of the company (which is not the case
for CGG) or in the decision of the shareholders to issue new
shares, the shareholders at the date of the general shareholders
meeting deciding upon the payment of dividends are entitled to
the integrality of the allocated dividend, whatever the date on
which the shares were issued.
Preferential Subscription Rights
Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware,
stockholders have no pre-emptive rights to subscribe for
additional issues of stock or for any security convertible into
such stock unless, and except to the extent that, such rights
are expressly provided for in the certificate of incorporation.
The Veritas certificate of incorporation does not provide for
pre-emptive rights.
Under the French Commercial Code, if a corporation issues shares
or other securities that carry a right, directly or indirectly,
to purchase equity securities issued by the corporation for
cash, current shareholders have preferential rights to purchase
those securities on a pro rata basis. Those rights entitle the
individual or entity that holds them to subscribe in an offering
of any securities that may increase the companys share
capital for consideration consisting of a cash payment or a
set-off of cash debts. Preferential subscription rights are
transferable during the subscription period relating to a
particular offering. The rights are listed on Euronext Paris for
the same period.
Preferential subscription rights with respect to any particular
offering can be waived, totally or partly, upon the affirmative
vote of two-thirds of the shareholders present or represented at
an extraordinary shareholders meeting. French law requires a
companys board of directors and independent auditors to
present reports that specifically address any proposal to waive
preferential subscription rights. In the event of a waiver, the
offering must be completed within the period prescribed by the
law and by the decision of the shareholders meeting (up to
18 months). The shareholders may also decide at an
extraordinary general meeting to give the existing shareholders
a non-transferable priority right to subscribe for the new
securities during a limited period of time (at least three
trading days). Stockholders may also waive their own
preferential subscription rights with respect to any particular
offering.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware imposes, with some exceptions, a three-year ban on
certain transactions and business combinations between a
corporation (or its majority-owned subsidiaries) and a holder of
15% or more of the corporations outstanding voting stock,
together with affiliates or associates thereof.
183
The three-year ban does not apply if:
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prior to the time that the 15% stockholder becomes such, either
(1) the proposed business combination or (2) the
transaction by which the 15% stockholder became a 15%
stockholder is approved by the board of directors of the
corporation; |
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if, upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the
stockholder becoming a 15% stockholder of the corporation, the
15% stockholder owns at least 85% of the outstanding voting
stock of the corporation, without regard to those shares owned
by the corporations directors who are also officers or by
certain employee stock plans; or |
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if the transaction or business combination is approved by the
board of directors of the corporation and, at an annual or
special meeting, by the holders of at least
662/3%
of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation not owned by
the 15% stockholder. |
A corporation may elect not to be governed by Section 203
of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Neither
Veritas certificate of incorporation nor its bylaws
contain this election. Therefore, Veritas is governed by
Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware.
Under applicable French stock exchange regulations, when an
individual or legal entity, acting alone or in concert, comes to
hold, directly or indirectly, more than one-third of the shares
or voting rights of a listed company, such person or legal
entity is required to inform immediately the AMF thereof and
make a tender offer for all the capital stock of the company and
for all other securities convertible into, or exchangeable or
otherwise exercisable for, the capital stock or voting rights of
the company. The offer must be on terms and conditions that are
acceptable to the AMF and must remain open for 25 trading days.
The same provisions apply to:
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any individual or legal entity acting alone or in concert that
holds directly or indirectly between one-third and one-half of
the shares or voting rights of a company and has increased its
interest in the capital or voting rights of such company by more
than 2% within less than 12 consecutive months; |
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any individual or legal entity acting alone or in concert that,
as a result of a merger or asset contribution, comes to hold
more than one-third of a companys shares or voting rights,
where such shares represent an essential part of the assets of
the entity absorbed or contributed; or |
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any company holding more than one-third of the share capital or
voting rights of a listed company, where such interest
constitutes an essential part of the companys assets and
(i) a third party acquires control (as defined
under the law applicable to such company) of the company; or
(ii) a group of persons acting in concert acquires control
of the company, unless one or more of those persons already
exercised control over the company and remain predominant, and
as long as the balance of respective interests is not altered
significantly. |
French stock exchange general regulations provide that the AMF
may grant certain exemptions to the obligation to make a
mandatory offer.
Under French stock exchange general regulation, a shareholder
who comes to hold, alone or in concert, at least 95% of the
voting rights of a listed company may initiate a withdrawal
offer (offre publique de retrait) to acquire the shares
of the remaining shareholders and, subject to the
initiators decision at the time of the offer launch, the
withdrawal offer may be followed by a mandatory squeeze-out
(retrait obligatoire) of the remaining minority
shareholders. The majority shareholder may also reserve its
right to initiate a squeeze-out until the withdrawal offer has
been completed. In the event that a majority shareholder or
group of shareholders holds 95% of a companys voting
rights, any minority holder of voting equity securities is
entitled to solicit the AMF to request that the majority
shareholder or group of
184
shareholders file a withdrawal offer to acquire the minority
shares. Under the French Monetary and Financial Code, the
consideration paid to minority shareholders in a squeeze-out
cannot be inferior to the consideration paid in the preceding
withdrawal offer (and may be required to be higher if any event
that would have an impact on the value of the companys
securities occurs after the withdrawal offer has been declared
receivable by the AMF). Also, it must be appraised by an
independent expert selected with the prior approval of the AMF.
French law and CGGs articles of association and bylaws
also require notification if a shareholders ownership of
shares exceeds certain thresholds and provide the loss of voting
rights in the event that such timely notice is not provided. See
above under Disclosures of Interests.
On March 31, 2006, new legislation relating to tender
offers took effect in France allowing companies to issue
warrants that are convertible into shares at a discounted price
in response to the receipt of a takeover proposal from certain
potential acquirers. Such warrants may be allocated for free to
all the shareholders of the issuing company, the status of
shareholder being assessed anytime until the date of expiry of
the public offer period. Approval by holders of a majority of a
companys outstanding shares is required for adoption of
the resolution concerning the issuance of the warrants and the
conditions for their use, including the maximum amount of the
share capital increase that could result from the warrants being
exercised and the maximum number of warrants to be issued. The
general shareholders meeting can also delegate the decision of
issuing such warrants and/or only the determination of the terms
and conditions of their issue to the board of directors.
Stockholder Suits
Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, a
stockholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the
corporation to enforce the rights of the corporation. A person
may institute and maintain a derivative suit only if he was a
stockholder at the time of the transaction which is the subject
of the suit or his stock was transferred to him, her or it by
operation of law. Additionally, under Delaware case law, the
plaintiff generally must be a stockholder not only at the time
of the transaction which is the subject of the suit, but also
through the duration of the derivative suit. The General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware also requires that the
derivative plaintiff make a demand on the directors of the
corporation to assert the corporate claim before the suit may be
prosecuted by the derivative plaintiff, unless the demand would
be futile.
The French Commercial Code allows the legal representatives of a
company, or a shareholder or shareholders, irrespective of the
percentage of share capital he owns, or a group of shareholders
owning a specified percentage of the share capital who
unanimously designate one or more among them, or a duly
authorized association of shareholders complying with certain
conditions, to represent them, to initiate a derivative lawsuit
(action sociale) against one or more directors. The
purpose of such lawsuit is to recover the damages that the
company incurred as a result of the directors actions.
Inspection of Books and Records
Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware,
every stockholder, upon proper written demand stating the
purpose, may inspect (and make copies and extracts from) the
corporate books and records as long as the inspection is for a
proper purpose and during normal business hours. A
proper purpose is any purpose reasonably related to
the interest of the inspecting person as a stockholder.
185
Under the French Commercial Code, shareholders or their proxies
may examine a number of corporate records pertaining to the last
three fiscal years, including:
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inventory lists; |
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annual financial statements; |
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consolidated financial statements, if any; |
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reports of the board of directors and the statutory auditors; |
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proposed resolutions; |
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information regarding candidates for the board of directors; |
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the total overall compensation paid to the corporations 10
highest-paid employees; |
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the total amount of charitable deductions made by the
corporation, certified by the statutory auditors; |
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minutes of shareholders meetings; |
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attendance sheets of shareholders meetings; |
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a list of transactions with related parties; |
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report on employment-related matters (bilan
social); and |
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a list of the corporations directors and statutory
auditors. |
Shareholders may consult the documents listed above at any time
at the companys registered office. Shareholders are also
entitled to make one copy of the documents available for
examination with the exception of inventory lists.
Shareholders have special inspection rights before a
shareholders meeting. They can request additional information,
including:
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the agenda for the meeting; |
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a table showing the results of operations for the last five
years; |
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summary of the companys financial situation over the last
fiscal year; |
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the proposed resolutions to be presented at the meeting; |
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a proxy card and a form for voting by mail; and |
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a form for requesting documents at later meetings. |
Between the date of publication of the meeting notice and the
date of the meeting shareholders or their proxies may inspect,
at the companys registered office, any of the above
documents, as well as a list of the companys shareholders,
which must be finalized by the company 16 calendar days before
the meeting.
Reporting Requirements
As a U.S. large accelerated filer, Veritas must file with
the SEC, among other reports and notices:
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an annual report on
Form 10-K within
75 days after the end of each fiscal year; |
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quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q within
40 days after the end of each of the first three quarters
of the fiscal year; and |
186
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current reports on
Form 8-K upon the
occurrence of specified corporate events. |
In addition to the foregoing, federal securities laws require
Veritas to mail the following documents to its stockholders in
advance of each annual meeting:
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an annual report containing audited financial
statements; and |
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a proxy statement that complies with the requirements of the
Exchange Act. |
As a French société anonyme, CGG is required to
file the following documents with the Paris Commercial Court
within one month from the annual ordinary shareholders meeting:
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annual financial statements; |
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management report; |
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report of the statutory auditors on the annual financial
statements; |
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the proposed allocation of the results submitted to the
shareholders; and |
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the resolution on the allocation of the companys results
approved by the shareholders. |
As a French société anonyme and the parent
company of a group, CGG is required to file the following
documents with the Paris Commercial Court within one month from
its annual ordinary shareholders meeting:
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consolidated financial statements; |
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group management report; and |
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report of the statutory auditors on the consolidated financial
statements. |
As a company listed on a regulated market, CGG is also required
to:
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attach to its annual financial statements an inventory of the
securities listed in the corporate portfolio as of the close of
the fiscal year and a table relating to the proposed allocation
of the results to be voted by the general shareholders meeting; |
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publish annually in the BALO, within four months from the end of
the fiscal year and at least 15 days prior to the annual
ordinary shareholders meeting, the following documents: |
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annual financial statements; |
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the proposed allocation of results; and |
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consolidated financial statements, if available; |
with a clear statement, on the face thereof, that those
documents have not been reviewed by the companys statutory
auditors.
Other information relating to the entities within the
consolidation perimeter of the company may not be required if
they are available at the companys registered office.
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publish, within 45 days from the annual ordinary
shareholders meeting, a separate BALO entry of the following
documents: |
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approved annual financial statements; |
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the decision of the allocation of the result; and |
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consolidated accounts reviewed by the statutory auditors. |
Other information relating to the entities within the
consolidation perimeter of the company may not be required if
they are available at the companys registered office.
187
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Publish in the BALO, within four months from the end of the
first six months of each fiscal year, a table of activity and
results relating to that period and a report on the period
activity (along with the certification of the statutory auditors
that those documents were made with good faith); and |
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Publish in the BALO, within 45 days from the end of each
quarter, a breakdown per branch of activity of its quarterly
turnover and, if applicable, its turnover for previous quarters,
a comparison of those figures with the figures of the previous
fiscal year, as well a consolidated statement of its net
turnover. |
For so long as CGG is a foreign private issuer in the United
States, it is required to file with the SEC an annual report on
Form 20-F within
six months after the end of each fiscal year. Furthermore, CGG
must furnish reports on
Form 6-K with
respect to any material information which is required to be
publicly disclosed in France or filed with Euronext Paris SA, or
regarding information distributed or required to be distributed
by CGG to its shareholders.
188
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Stockholder Proposals
The 2007 annual meeting of Veritas stockholders will not be held
if the merger is completed. Therefore, Veritas reserves the
right to postpone or cancel its 2007 annual meeting. If the 2007
annual meeting is held, Veritas stockholders may submit
proposals on matters appropriate for stockholder action at
meetings of Veritas stockholders in accordance with
Rule 14a-8 under
the Exchange Act. If a Veritas stockholder wants Veritas to
include such a proposal in its proxy statement for presentation
at its 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, the proposal must
have been received by Veritas Corporate Secretary, at
10300 Town Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77072, Attention:
Corporate Secretary, a reasonable time before Veritas begins to
print and mail its proxy statement for presentation at its 2007
annual meeting, and all applicable requirements of
Rule 14a-8 must be
satisfied. If the stockholder submitting the proposal is not the
holder of record, the stockholder will need to submit to Veritas
proof of ownership for at least one year. This can generally be
obtained from the broker or other nominee holding the shares.
A stockholder will also be able to nominate directors or have
other business brought before the 2007 annual meeting, if such
meeting is held, by submitting the nomination or proposal to
Veritas not later than the close of business on the later of
(i) the ninetieth day prior to the 2007 annual meeting or
(2) the tenth day following the day on which public
announcement of the date of the 2007 annual meeting is first
made accordance with Section 2.12 of Veritas bylaws.
The nomination or proposal must be delivered to Veritas
Corporate Secretary, 10300 Town Park Drive, Houston, Texas
77072, Attention: Corporate Secretary, and meet all the
requirements of Veritas bylaws.
Legal Matters
The legality of the CGG ordinary shares offered by this proxy
statement/ prospectus will be passed upon for CGG by
Ms. Béatrice Place-Faget, vice president, corporate
legal affairs of CGG. Ms. Place-Faget is regularly employed
by CGG and holds options to purchase CGG ordinary shares and
holds an unvested interest in CGG ordinary shares under
CGGs free allocation of shares employee program.
Experts
The consolidated financial statements of CGG as of and for the
years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005 incorporated into
this proxy statement/ prospectus by reference to CGGs 2005
20-F have been audited by Barbier Frinault & Autres
Ernst & Young and Mazars & Guérard,
independent registered public accounting firms, as set forth in
their reports thereon incorporated by reference herein. Such
consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by
reference in reliance upon their reports given on the authority
of these firms as experts in accounting and auditing.
The consolidated financial statements of Exploration Resources
ASA as of and for the year ended December 31, 2004
incorporated into this proxy statement/ prospectus by reference
to CGGs 2005 20-F have been audited by Ernst &
Young AS, independent registered public accounting firm, as set
forth in their report thereon incorporated by reference herein.
Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein
in reliance upon their report given on the authority of said
firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of Arabian Geophysical and Surveying
Company (Argas) for the year ended December 31, 2005
incorporated into this proxy statement/ prospectus by reference
to CGGs 2005 20-F have been audited by Ernst &
Young, independent registered public accounting firm, as set
forth in their report thereon incorporated by reference herein.
Such financial statements are incorporated herein by reference
in reliance upon their report given on the authority of said
firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements and managements assessment of the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting
(which is included in Managements Report on Internal
Control over Financial
189
Reporting) incorporated in this proxy statement/ prospectus by
reference to the Veritas DGC Inc. Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended July 31, 2006 have been so incorporated in
reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, given on the
authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
Where You Can Find More Information
CGG and Veritas file reports and other information with the SEC.
You may read and copy these reports, statements or other
information filed by either CGG or Veritas at the SECs
Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330 for
further information on the Public Reference Room. The SEC
filings of CGG and Veritas are also available to the public from
commercial document retrieval services and at the website
maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
CGG has filed a registration statement on
Form F-4 to
register with the SEC the CGG ordinary shares underlying the CGG
ADSs to be issued to Veritas stockholders pursuant to the
merger. This proxy statement/ prospectus forms a part of that
registration statement and constitutes a prospectus of CGG, in
addition to being a proxy statement of Veritas for its special
meeting. The registration statement, including the attached
annexes, exhibits and schedules, contains additional relevant
information about CGG and Veritas. As allowed by SEC rules, this
proxy statement/ prospectus does not contain all the information
you can find in the registration statement or the exhibits to
the registration statement.
The SEC allows CGG and Veritas to incorporate by
reference information into this proxy statement/
prospectus. This means that CGG and Veritas can disclose
important information to you by referring you to another
document filed separately with the SEC. The information
incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this
proxy statement/ prospectus, except for any information that is
superseded by information that is included directly in this
proxy statement/ prospectus or incorporated by reference
subsequent to the date of this proxy statement/ prospectus.
190
This proxy statement/ prospectus incorporates by reference the
documents listed below that CGG and Veritas have previously
filed with or furnished to the SEC. They contain important
information about CGG and Veritas and the financial condition of
each company.
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CGG SEC Filings (File No. 001-14622)
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Period and/or Date Filed or Date Furnished |
Annual Report on Form 20-F
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Fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, filed on May 9,
2006 |
Reports on Form 6-K
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Furnished on September 5, 2006, September 6, 2006,
September 22, 2006, September 28, 2006 and
November 15, 2006 |
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The financial statements of Exploration Resources as of and for
the six months ended June 30, 2005 and the year ended
December 31, 2004 in CGGs prospectus filed pursuant
to Rule 424(b) (File No. 333-134649) |
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Filed on July 3, 2006 |
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Veritas SEC Filings (File No. 001-7427)
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Period and/or Date Filed |
Annual Report on Form 10-K
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Fiscal year ended July 31, 2006, filed on October 4,
2006, as amended by an Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, filed
on November 28, 2006 |
Current Reports on Form 8-K
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Filed on: September 5, 2006, October 4, 2006 and
November 20, 2006 (which excludes current reports reporting
information under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K and
related exhibits, which are not deemed filed for
purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise
subject to the liabilities of that section) |
In addition, CGG and Veritas incorporate by reference additional
documents that they may file or furnish with the SEC pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
between the date of this proxy statement/ prospectus and the
date of the Veritas special meeting. These documents include
periodic reports, such as annual reports on
Form 20-F or on
Form 10-K,
quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q and
current reports on
Form 6-K or
Form 8-K.
CGG and Veritas also incorporate by reference the merger
agreement attached to this proxy statement/ prospectus as
Annex A.
CGG has supplied all information contained in or incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus relating to CGG,
Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co II., and
Veritas has supplied all information contained in this proxy
statement/ prospectus relating to Veritas.
Documents incorporated by reference are available to you without
charge upon your written or oral request, excluding any exhibits
to those documents, unless the exhibit is specifically
incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this proxy statement/
prospectus. You can obtain any of these documents by requesting
them in writing or by telephone from the appropriate company at:
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CGG
Tour Maine-Montparnasse
33, avenue du Maine
BP 191
75755 Paris Cedex 15 |
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Veritas
10300 Town Park Drive
Houston, Texas 77072 |
+33 64 47 45 00
Attention: Investor Relations |
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(832) 351-8300
Attention: Investor Relations |
In order for you to receive timely delivery of the documents
in advance of the Veritas special meeting, CGG or Veritas, as
applicable, should receive your request by no later than
December 29, 2006.
191
You also may obtain these documents at the Securities and
Exchange Commissions website, www.sec.gov, and you may
obtain certain of these documents at CGGs website,
www.cgg.com, by selecting Investors and
then selecting Financial Reports, and at
Veritas website, www.vertiasdgc.com, by
selecting Investors, then selecting
Financials and then selecting SEC
Filings. Information contained on the CGG and Veritas
websites is expressly not incorporated by reference into this
proxy statement/ prospectus.
CGG and Veritas are not incorporating the contents of the
websites of the SEC, CGG, Veritas or any other person into this
document. CGG and Veritas are providing only the information
about how you can obtain certain documents that are incorporated
by reference into this proxy statement/ prospectus at these
websites for your convenience.
CGG and Veritas have not authorized anyone to give any
information or make any representation about the merger or their
companies that is different from, or in addition to, that
contained in this proxy statement/ prospectus or in any of the
materials that are incorporated into this proxy statement/
prospectus. Therefore, if anyone does give you information of
this sort, you should not rely on it. If you are in a
jurisdiction where offers to exchange or sell, or solicitations
of offers to exchange or purchase, the securities offered by
this proxy statement/ prospectus or the solicitation of proxies
is unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to
direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in
this proxy statement/ prospectus does not extend to you. The
information contained in this proxy statement/ prospectus is
accurate only as of the date of this document unless the
information specifically indicates that another date applies.
192
ANNEX A
Execution
Version
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
by and among
COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE DE GÉOPHYSIQUE
VOLNAY ACQUISITION CO. I
VOLNAY ACQUISITION CO. II
and
VERITAS DGC INC.
dated as of
September 4, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I THE MERGERS
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A-2 |
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Section 1.1
The Mergers
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A-2 |
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Section 1.2
Effective Times
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A-2 |
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Section 1.3
Closing
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A-2 |
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Section 1.4
Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws
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A-3 |
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Section 1.5 Directors
and Officers of the Surviving Corporation and Certain
Subsidiaries
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A-3 |
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Section 1.6
Conversion of Capital Stock
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A-3 |
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Section 1.7
Election Procedures
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A-5 |
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Section 1.8
Stock Options
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A-7 |
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Section 1.9
Dissenting Shares
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A-8 |
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ARTICLE II EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES |
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A-8 |
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Section 2.1
Exchange of Certificates
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A-8 |
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Section 2.2
Stock Transfer Books
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A-11 |
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ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY |
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A-11 |
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Section 3.1
Organization
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A-12 |
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Section 3.2
Capitalization
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A-12 |
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Section 3.3
Authorization; Validity of Agreement
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A-14 |
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Section 3.4 No
Violations; Consents and Approvals
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A-14 |
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Section 3.5
SEC Reports and Financial Statements
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A-15 |
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Section 3.6
Absence of Certain Changes
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A-17 |
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Section 3.7
Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities
|
|
|
A-17 |
|
|
Section 3.8
Disclosure Documents
|
|
|
A-18 |
|
|
Section 3.9
Employee Benefit Plans; ERISA
|
|
|
A-18 |
|
|
Section 3.10
Litigation; Compliance with Law
|
|
|
A-21 |
|
|
Section 3.11
Intellectual Property
|
|
|
A-22 |
|
|
Section 3.12
Material Contracts
|
|
|
A-23 |
|
|
Section 3.13
Taxes
|
|
|
A-24 |
|
|
Section 3.14
Environmental Matters
|
|
|
A-26 |
|
|
Section 3.15
Company Assets; Company Vessels
|
|
|
A-26 |
|
|
Section 3.16
Insurance
|
|
|
A-27 |
|
|
Section 3.17
Labor Matters
|
|
|
A-27 |
|
|
Section 3.18
Affiliate Transactions
|
|
|
A-28 |
|
|
Section 3.19
Derivative Transactions and Hedging
|
|
|
A-28 |
|
|
Section 3.20
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
|
|
|
A-28 |
|
|
Section 3.21
Investment Company
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
|
Section 3.22
OFAC
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
|
Section 3.23
Rights Agreement
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
|
Section 3.24
Required Vote by Company Stockholders
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
|
Section 3.25
Recommendation of Company Board of Directors; Opinion of
Financial Advisor
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
|
Section 3.26
Brokers
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
|
Section 3.27
No Other Representations or Warranties
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
A-i
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page | |
|
|
| |
ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT, MERGER
SUB I AND MERGER SUB II |
|
|
A-30 |
|
|
Section 4.1
Organization
|
|
|
A-30 |
|
|
Section 4.2
Capitalization
|
|
|
A-30 |
|
|
Section 4.3
Authorization; Validity of Agreement
|
|
|
A-31 |
|
|
Section 4.4 No
Violations; Consents and Approvals
|
|
|
A-32 |
|
|
Section 4.5
SEC Reports and Financial Statements
|
|
|
A-32 |
|
|
Section 4.6
Absence of Certain Changes
|
|
|
A-33 |
|
|
Section 4.7
Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities
|
|
|
A-34 |
|
|
Section 4.8
Disclosure Documents
|
|
|
A-34 |
|
|
Section 4.9
Employee Benefit Plans; ERISA
|
|
|
A-34 |
|
|
Section 4.10
Litigation; Compliance with Law
|
|
|
A-35 |
|
|
Section 4.11
Intellectual Property
|
|
|
A-36 |
|
|
Section 4.12
Material Contracts
|
|
|
A-37 |
|
|
Section 4.13
Taxes
|
|
|
A-38 |
|
|
Section 4.14
Parent Assets
|
|
|
A-39 |
|
|
Section 4.15
Financing
|
|
|
A-39 |
|
|
Section 4.16
Affiliate Transactions
|
|
|
A-39 |
|
|
Section 4.17
Derivative Transactions and Hedging
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.18
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.19
Investment Company
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.20
OFAC
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.21
Recommendation of Parent Board of Directors
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.22
Required Vote by Parent Shareholders
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.23
Brokers
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.24
Ownership of Company Common Stock
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
|
Section 4.25
Takeover Statutes
|
|
|
A-41 |
|
|
Section 4.26
No Other Representations or Warranties
|
|
|
A-41 |
|
|
ARTICLE V COVENANTS |
|
|
A-41 |
|
|
Section 5.1
Interim Operations of the Company
|
|
|
A-41 |
|
|
Section 5.2
Interim Operations of Parent
|
|
|
A-45 |
|
|
Section 5.3
Acquisition Proposals
|
|
|
A-46 |
|
|
Section 5.4
Access to Information and Properties
|
|
|
A-51 |
|
|
Section 5.5
Further Action; Reasonable Best Efforts
|
|
|
A-52 |
|
|
Section 5.6
Disclosure Documents; Stockholders Meetings
|
|
|
A-53 |
|
|
Section 5.7
Notification of Certain Matters
|
|
|
A-56 |
|
|
Section 5.8 Directors
and Officers Insurance and Indemnification
|
|
|
A-56 |
|
|
Section 5.9
Publicity
|
|
|
A-57 |
|
|
Section 5.10
Financing
|
|
|
A-57 |
|
|
Section 5.11
Stock Exchange Listing
|
|
|
A-58 |
|
|
Section 5.12
Employee Benefits
|
|
|
A-58 |
|
|
Section 5.13
Appointment of Directors
|
|
|
A-59 |
|
|
Section 5.14
Rights Agreement
|
|
|
A-59 |
|
|
Section 5.15
Certain Tax Matters
|
|
|
A-59 |
|
A-ii
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page | |
|
|
| |
|
Section 5.16
Supplemental Indenture
|
|
|
A-60 |
|
|
Section 5.17
ESPP
|
|
|
A-60 |
|
|
Section 5.18
Investigation by Parties; No Other Representations or Warranties
|
|
|
A-61 |
|
|
Section 5.19
Section 16 Matters
|
|
|
A-61 |
|
|
Section 5.20
Affiliates Letter
|
|
|
A-62 |
|
|
Section 5.21
Merger Subs
|
|
|
A-62 |
|
|
ARTICLE VI CONDITIONS |
|
|
A-62 |
|
|
Section 6.1
Conditions to Each Partys Obligation To Effect the Mergers
|
|
|
A-62 |
|
|
Section 6.2
Conditions to the Obligation of the Company to Effect the Mergers
|
|
|
A-63 |
|
|
Section 6.3
Conditions to Obligations of Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger
Sub II to Effect the Mergers
|
|
|
A-64 |
|
|
ARTICLE VII TERMINATION |
|
|
A-65 |
|
|
Section 7.1
Termination
|
|
|
A-65 |
|
|
Section 7.2
Effect of Termination
|
|
|
A-67 |
|
|
ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS |
|
|
A-67 |
|
|
Section 8.1
Fees and Expenses
|
|
|
A-67 |
|
|
Section 8.2
Amendment; Waiver
|
|
|
A-68 |
|
|
Section 8.3
Survival
|
|
|
A-69 |
|
|
Section 8.4
Notices
|
|
|
A-69 |
|
|
Section 8.5
Rules of Construction and Interpretation; Definitions
|
|
|
A-70 |
|
|
Section 8.6
Headings; Schedules
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
|
Section 8.7
Counterparts
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
|
Section 8.8
Entire Agreement
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
|
Section 8.9
Severability
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
|
Section 8.10
Governing Law
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
|
Section 8.11
Assignment
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
|
Section 8.12
Parties in Interest
|
|
|
A-75 |
|
|
Section 8.13
Specific Performance
|
|
|
A-75 |
|
|
Section 8.14
Jurisdiction
|
|
|
A-75 |
|
|
Section 8.15
Effectiveness
|
|
|
A-75 |
|
A-iii
TABLE OF DEFINED TERMS
|
|
|
|
|
Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
Acquisition Agreement
|
|
|
A-47 |
|
Acquisition Proposal
|
|
|
A-50 |
|
Advisers Act
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
affiliates
|
|
|
A-43 |
|
Affiliates Letter
|
|
|
A-62 |
|
Aggregate Consideration
|
|
|
A-3 |
|
Amendment No. 2
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
AMF
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Antitrust Division
|
|
|
A-52 |
|
Applicable Jurisdiction
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
beneficial ownership
|
|
|
A-69 |
|
Book-Entry Shares
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Burdensome Condition
|
|
|
A-52 |
|
Business Day
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
Capital Budget
|
|
|
A-41 |
|
Cash Designated Shares
|
|
|
A-7 |
|
Cash Election Shares
|
|
|
A-5 |
|
Certificate
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Certificates of Merger
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
CFIUS
|
|
|
A-65 |
|
Claim
|
|
|
A-56 |
|
Cleanup
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
Closing
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Closing Date
|
|
|
A-3 |
|
Code
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
Commitment Letter
|
|
|
A-39 |
|
Company
|
|
|
A-1 |
|
Company Adverse Recommendation Change
|
|
|
A-46 |
|
Company Assets
|
|
|
A-26 |
|
Company Balance Sheet
|
|
|
A-16 |
|
Company Board
|
|
|
A-14 |
|
Company Charter
|
|
|
A-27 |
|
Company Common Stock
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Company Convertible Debt
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Company Directors
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
Company Disclosure Letter
|
|
|
A-11 |
|
Company IP Rights
|
|
|
A-23 |
|
Company Material Contract
|
|
|
A-24 |
|
Company Notice
|
|
|
A-47 |
|
Company Notice of Change
|
|
|
A-48 |
|
Company Option
|
|
|
A-7 |
|
Company Option Plans
|
|
|
A-7 |
|
Company Permits
|
|
|
A-22 |
|
Company Plans
|
|
|
A-18 |
|
Company Preferred Stock
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Company Required Vote
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
A-iv
|
|
|
|
|
Company Rights
|
|
|
A-13 |
|
Company Rights Agreement
|
|
|
A-13 |
|
Company SEC Documents
|
|
|
A-16 |
|
Company Series A Preferred Stock
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Company Special Meeting
|
|
|
A-54 |
|
Company Stock Plans
|
|
|
A-7 |
|
Company Summary Plan Description
|
|
|
A-19 |
|
Company Vessels
|
|
|
A-27 |
|
Competition Laws
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
Confidentiality Agreement
|
|
|
A-51 |
|
Continuing Employees
|
|
|
A-58 |
|
Cut-off Time
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Deemed Stock Amount
|
|
|
A-3 |
|
Deferred Share Units
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Delayed Forms
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Depositary
|
|
|
A-8 |
|
Derivative Transaction
|
|
|
A-71 |
|
DGCL
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Dissenting Share
|
|
|
A-8 |
|
EC Merger Regulation
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Election Deadline
|
|
|
A-6 |
|
Election Form
|
|
|
A-5 |
|
Election Form Record Date
|
|
|
A-5 |
|
Employment Agreement
|
|
|
A-20 |
|
Employment and Withholding Taxes
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
Environmental Claim
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
Environmental Laws
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
ERISA
|
|
|
A-18 |
|
ERISA Affiliate
|
|
|
A-18 |
|
ESPP
|
|
|
A-13 |
|
ESPP Options
|
|
|
A-13 |
|
ESPP Shares
|
|
|
A-13 |
|
Exchange Act
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Exchange Agent
|
|
|
A-8 |
|
Exchange Fund
|
|
|
A-9 |
|
Exchange Ratio
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Exon-Florio Act
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Exon-Florio Amendment
|
|
|
A-65 |
|
Financing
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
First Merger
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Foreign Plan
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
Form F-4
|
|
|
A-34 |
|
Form F-6
|
|
|
A-34 |
|
FTC
|
|
|
A-52 |
|
Governmental Entity
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Hazardous Material
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
HSR Act
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
IFRS
|
|
|
A-33 |
|
Indemnified Parties
|
|
|
A-56 |
|
A-v
|
|
|
|
|
Intellectual Property
|
|
|
A-22 |
|
Investment Company Act
|
|
|
A-29 |
|
IRS Ruling
|
|
|
A-59 |
|
knowledge
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
Laws
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Leased Real Property
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
Leases
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
Liens
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
Litigation
|
|
|
A-72 |
|
LTIP Plans
|
|
|
A-13 |
|
LTIP Shares
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Mailing Date
|
|
|
A-5 |
|
Material Adverse Effect
|
|
|
A-63 |
|
Merger Consideration
|
|
|
A-3 |
|
Merger I Certificate of Merger
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Merger I Effective Time
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Merger I Surviving Corporation
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Merger II Certificate of Merger
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Merger II Effective Time
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Merger Sub I
|
|
|
A-1 |
|
Merger Sub II
|
|
|
A-1 |
|
Mergers
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
No Election Shares
|
|
|
A-5 |
|
NYSE
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Owned Real Property
|
|
|
A-73 |
|
Parent
|
|
|
A-1 |
|
Parent Adverse Recommendation Change
|
|
|
A-49 |
|
Parent Assets
|
|
|
A-39 |
|
Parent Balance Sheet
|
|
|
A-33 |
|
Parent Balance Sheet Date
|
|
|
A-33 |
|
Parent Board
|
|
|
A-40 |
|
Parent Depositary Share
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Parent Disclosure Letter
|
|
|
A-30 |
|
Parent Investigation
|
|
|
A-51 |
|
Parent IP Rights
|
|
|
A-36 |
|
Parent Material Contract
|
|
|
A-37 |
|
Parent Necessary Corporate Documents
|
|
|
A-55 |
|
Parent Notice
|
|
|
A-49 |
|
Parent Notice of Change
|
|
|
A-50 |
|
Parent Options
|
|
|
A-30 |
|
Parent Ordinary Share
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Parent Ordinary Shares
|
|
|
A-30 |
|
Parent Permits
|
|
|
A-36 |
|
Parent Plans
|
|
|
A-34 |
|
Parent SEC Documents
|
|
|
A-32 |
|
Parent Shareholder Approval
|
|
|
A-31 |
|
Parent Shareholders Meeting
|
|
|
A-55 |
|
Per Share Cash Consideration
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Per Share Consideration
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
A-vi
|
|
|
|
|
Per Share Stock Consideration
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Permitted Liens
|
|
|
A-73 |
|
Person
|
|
|
A-73 |
|
Proxy Statement
|
|
|
A-18 |
|
Qualifying Amendment
|
|
|
A-54 |
|
Real Property
|
|
|
A-73 |
|
Registered Company IP
|
|
|
A-23 |
|
Registered Parent IP
|
|
|
A-37 |
|
Release
|
|
|
A-73 |
|
Representatives
|
|
|
A-46 |
|
Return
|
|
|
A-73 |
|
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
|
|
|
A-16 |
|
SEC
|
|
|
A-15 |
|
Second Merger
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Secretary of State
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Securities Act
|
|
|
A-16 |
|
Severance Benefits
|
|
|
A-59 |
|
Severance Policy
|
|
|
A-59 |
|
Significant Subsidiary
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
Skadden Arps
|
|
|
A-65 |
|
Specified Company SEC Documents
|
|
|
A-12 |
|
Specified Parent SEC Documents
|
|
|
A-30 |
|
Stock Designated Shares
|
|
|
A-6 |
|
Stock Election Shares
|
|
|
A-5 |
|
Subsidiary
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
Superior Proposal
|
|
|
A-50 |
|
Surviving Corporation
|
|
|
A-2 |
|
Tax
|
|
|
A-74 |
|
Termination Date
|
|
|
A-65 |
|
Termination Fee
|
|
|
A-67 |
|
Total Cash Amount
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Total Common Stock Amount
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Total Stock Amount
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
Total Stock Consideration
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
US Continuing Employee
|
|
|
A-59 |
|
US GAAP
|
|
|
A-16 |
|
Valuation Period
|
|
|
A-4 |
|
VES Class A Shares
|
|
|
A-3 |
|
VES Shares
|
|
|
A-3 |
|
A-vii
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of September 4,
2006, by and among Veritas DGC Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
Company), Compagnie Générale de
Géophysique, a société anonyme organized under
the laws of the Republic of France (Parent), Volnay
Acquisition Co. I, a Delaware corporation to be formed as a
wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger Sub I),
and Volnay Acquisition Co. II, a Delaware corporation to be
formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger
Sub II).
WHEREAS, the respective Boards of Directors of Parent and the
Company have each approved a transaction pursuant to which
(i) Merger Sub I will merge with and into the Company, with
the Company continuing as the surviving corporation,
(ii) immediately thereafter, the Company will merge with
and into Merger Sub II, with Merger Sub II continuing as
the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of
Parent, and (iii) Parent will pay aggregate consideration
equal to 1.14 Parent Depositary Shares (as defined herein) and
U.S. $37.00 cash per outstanding share of Company Common
Stock (as defined below) at the Merger I Effective Time (as
defined below); and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Parent has determined that
the Mergers are in furtherance of and consistent with
Parents business strategies and is in the best interest of
Parents shareholders, and has determined to recommend the
matters constituting the Parent Shareholder Approval to the
shareholders of Parent; and
WHEREAS, Parent has approved and adopted this Agreement and the
Mergers and desires to form each of Merger Sub I and Merger
Sub II to effectuate the Mergers; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has determined
that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are in the
best interest of the Companys stockholders, and has
determined to recommend the adoption of this Agreement, on the
terms and subject to the conditions provided for in this
Agreement, to the stockholders of the Company; and
WHEREAS, for United States federal income tax purposes, it is
intended that the Mergers qualify (i) as a reorganization
under the provisions of Section 368(a) of the Code and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) for
an exception to the general rule of Section 367(a)(1) of
the Code, and that this Agreement be, and is hereby adopted as,
a plan of reorganization for purposes of Section 368 of the
Code.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the
respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements
set forth herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:
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ARTICLE I
THE MERGERS
Section 1.1 The
Mergers.
(a) First Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the
conditions of this Agreement and in accordance with the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL),
at the Merger I Effective Time, Merger Sub I shall be merged
with and into the Company (the First Merger). At the
Merger I Effective Time, the separate existence of Merger Sub I
shall cease and the Company shall continue its existence under
the DGCL as the surviving corporation (sometimes hereinafter
referred to as the Merger I Surviving Corporation).
The First Merger shall have the effects as provided in this
Agreement and in the applicable provisions of the DGCL. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the First Merger,
all the rights, privileges, immunities, powers and franchises of
the Company and Merger Sub I shall vest in the Merger I
Surviving Corporation and all the obligations, duties, debts and
liabilities of the Company and Merger Sub I shall be the
obligations, duties, debts and liabilities of the Merger I
Surviving Corporation.
(b) Second Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the
conditions of this Agreement and in accordance with the DGCL,
immediately after the First Merger and at the Merger II
Effective Time, the Merger I Surviving Corporation shall be
merged with and into Merger Sub II (the Second
Merger and, together with the First Merger, the
Mergers). At the Merger II Effective Time, the
separate existence of the Merger I Surviving Corporation shall
cease and Merger Sub II shall continue its existence under
the DGCL as the surviving corporation (sometimes hereinafter
referred to as the Surviving Corporation). The
Second Merger shall have the effects as provided in this
Agreement and in the applicable provisions of the DGCL. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the Second
Merger, all the rights, privileges, immunities, powers and
franchises of the Merger I Surviving Corporation and Merger
Sub II shall vest in the Surviving Corporation and all the
obligations, duties, debts and liabilities of the Merger I
Surviving Corporation and Merger Sub II shall be the
obligations, duties, debts and liabilities of the Surviving
Corporation.
Section 1.2 Effective
Times. (a) Upon the terms and subject to the
provisions of this Agreement, at or as promptly as practicable
following the Closing, Parent, Merger Sub I and the Company will
cause an appropriate Certificate of Merger (the Merger I
Certificate of Merger) to be executed and filed with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the Secretary
of State) in such form and executed as provided in the
DGCL. The First Merger shall become effective on the date and at
the time when the Merger I Certificate of Merger has been duly
filed with the Secretary of State or, subject to the DGCL, such
later time as is agreed upon by the parties and specified in the
Merger I Certificate of Merger, and such time is hereinafter
referred to as the Merger I Effective Time.
(b) Upon the terms and subject to the provisions of this
Agreement, at or as promptly as practicable following the
Closing and immediately after the Merger I Effective Time,
Parent, Merger Sub II and the Merger I Surviving
Corporation will cause an appropriate Certificate of Merger (the
Merger II Certificate of Merger and, together
with the Merger I Certificate of Merger, the Certificates
of Merger) to be executed and filed with the Secretary of
State of the State of Delaware (the Secretary of
State) in such form and executed as provided in the DGCL.
The Second Merger shall become effective on the date and at the
time when the Merger II Certificate of Merger has been duly
filed with the Secretary of State or, subject to the DGCL, such
later time as is agreed upon by the parties and specified in the
Merger II Certificate of Merger, which in any event shall
be as promptly as practicable after the Merger I Effective Time,
and such time is hereinafter referred to as the
Merger II Effective Time.
Section 1.3 Closing.
Unless this Agreement shall have been terminated and the
transactions contemplated herein abandoned pursuant to
Section 7.1 and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of
the conditions set forth in Article VI, the closing of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the
Closing) will take place at 4:00 p.m., Houston
time, on a date to be specified by the parties, which shall be
no later than the second Business Day after satisfaction or
waiver (by the party entitled to waive the
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condition) of all of the conditions set forth in Article VI
hereof (except for those conditions that by their nature cannot
be satisfied until the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction
or waiver of such conditions) (the Closing Date), at
the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
LLP, 1000 Louisiana, Suite 6800, Houston, Texas 77002,
unless another time, date and/or place is agreed to in writing
by the parties hereto.
Section 1.4 Certificate
of Incorporation; Bylaws. Pursuant to the First Merger,
(a) the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as in
effect immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time, shall
be the Certificate of Incorporation of the Merger I Surviving
Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as provided
therein or by applicable Law, and (b) the Bylaws of the
Company, as in effect immediately prior to the Merger I
Effective Time, shall be the Bylaws of the Merger I Surviving
Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as provided
therein or by applicable Law. Pursuant to the Second Merger,
(a) the Certificate of Incorporation of Merger Sub II,
as in effect immediately prior to the Merger II Effective
Time, shall be the Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving
Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as provided
therein or by applicable Law, and (b) the Bylaws of Merger
Sub II, as in effect immediately prior to the
Merger II Effective Time, shall be the Bylaws of the
Surviving Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as
provided therein or by applicable Law.
Section 1.5 Directors
and Officers of the Surviving Corporation and Certain
Subsidiaries.
(a) The directors of the Merger Sub I immediately prior to
the Merger I Effective Time shall, from and after the Merger I
Effective Time, be the directors of the Merger I Surviving
Corporation until their successors shall have been duly elected
or appointed and qualified or until their earlier death,
resignation or removal in accordance with the Merger I Surviving
Corporations Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. The
directors of Merger Sub II immediately prior to the
Merger II Effective Time shall, from and after the
Merger II Effective Time, be the directors of the Surviving
Corporation until their successors shall have been duly elected
or appointed and qualified or until their earlier death,
resignation or removal in accordance with the Surviving
Corporations Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.
(b) The officers of Merger Sub I immediately prior to the
Merger I Effective Time shall, from and after the Merger I
Effective Time, be the initial officers of the Merger I
Surviving Corporation and shall hold office until their
respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or their
earlier death, resignation or removal. The officers of Merger
Sub II immediately prior to the Merger II Effective
Time shall, from and after the Merger II Effective Time, be
the initial officers of the Surviving Corporation and shall hold
office until their respective successors are duly elected and
qualified, or their earlier death, resignation or removal.
Section 1.6 Conversion
of Capital Stock.
(a) At the Merger I Effective Time, subject to the other
provisions of this Article I and Section 2.1, each
share of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately
prior to the Merger I Effective Time (other than shares of
Company Common Stock held directly or indirectly by Parent or
the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries and except
for any Dissenting Shares) shall, by virtue of this Agreement
and without any action on the part of the holder thereof, be
converted into and exchangeable for the right to receive, at the
election of the holder thereof as provided in and subject to the
provisions of Section 1.7, either (i) the Per Share
Stock Consideration or (ii) the Per Share Cash
Consideration (the Per Share Cash Consideration together with
the Per Share Stock Consideration, the Merger
Consideration).
For purposes of this Agreement:
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Aggregate Consideration shall mean the sum of
(x) the Total Stock Consideration and (y) the Total
Cash Amount. |
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Deemed Stock Amount shall mean the Total
Common Stock Amount; provided, however, that
regardless of the actual number of shares of Company Common
Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Merger I Effective
Time, in no event shall the Deemed Stock Amount exceed the sum of |
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(i) 35,985,254, (ii) the aggregate number of shares of
Company Common Stock, if any, issued by the Company after the
Cut-off Time and prior to the date of this Agreement upon the
exercise of the Company Options (outstanding as of the Cut-off
Time and disclosed in Section 3.2(a) of the Company
Disclosure Letter) in accordance with the terms of such Company
Options and (iii) the aggregate number of shares of Company
Common Stock, if any, issued by the Company after the date of
this Agreement and prior to the Merger I Effective Time in
accordance with Section 5.1(d). |
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Exchange Ratio shall mean the quotient,
rounded to the nearest ten-thousandth, obtained by dividing the
Per Share Consideration by the Final Parent Depositary Share
Price. |
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Final Parent Depositary Share Price shall
mean the average of the per share closing sale prices of Parent
Depositary Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the
NYSE), as reported in The Wall Street
Journal, for the Valuation Period. |
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Parent Depositary Share means an American
Depositary Share of Parent representing one-fifth (0.20) of a
Parent Ordinary Share. |
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Parent Ordinary Share means an ordinary
share, nominal
value 2.00 per
share, of Parent. |
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Per Share Cash Consideration shall mean cash
in an amount of U.S. dollars equal to the value of the Per
Share Consideration. |
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Per Share Consideration shall mean the
quotient, rounded to the nearest ten-thousandth, obtained by
dividing the Aggregate Consideration by the Total Common Stock
Amount. |
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Per Share Stock Consideration shall mean a
number of Parent Depositary Shares (which need not be a whole
number) equal to the Exchange Ratio. |
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Total Cash Amount shall mean (x) the
product obtained by multiplying (1) U.S. $75.00 by
(2) 49.336% of the Deemed Stock Amount, minus (y) any
cash distributions made by the Company (I) after the date
of this Agreement or (II) with a record date after the date
of this Agreement and on or before the Merger I Effective Time,
subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 1.6(d). |
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Total Common Stock Amount shall mean the
total number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time. |
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Total Stock Amount shall mean the product
obtained by multiplying (x) 2.2501 by (y) 50.664% of
the Deemed Stock Amount, subject to adjustment pursuant to
Section 1.6(d). |
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Total Stock Consideration shall mean the
product obtained by multiplying (x) the Total Stock Amount
by (y) the Final Parent Depositary Share Price. |
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Valuation Period shall mean the twenty
consecutive trading days during which the Parent Depositary
Shares are traded on the NYSE ending on the third calendar day
immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time, or if such
calendar day is not a trading day, then ending on the trading
day immediately preceding such calendar day. |
(b) All of the shares of Company Common Stock converted
into the right to receive the Merger Consideration pursuant to
this Article I shall no longer be outstanding and shall
automatically be cancelled and shall cease to exist, and each
holder of (x) a certificate (each a
Certificate) previously representing any such shares
of Company Common Stock or (y) non-certificated shares of
Company Common Stock represented by book-entry (Book-Entry
Shares) shall thereafter cease to have any rights with
respect to such securities, except the right to receive
(i) the Merger Consideration, (ii) any dividends and
other distributions in accordance with Section 2.1(c)
hereof, and (iii) any cash to be paid in lieu of any
fractional Parent Depositary Shares in accordance with
Section 2.1(e) hereof.
(c) All Parent Depositary Shares issued as provided in this
Section 1.6 shall be of the same class and shall have the
same terms as the currently outstanding Parent Depositary
Shares. The Parent Ordinary Shares underlying the Parent
Depositary Shares that are issued in connection with the First
Merger shall be of the same class and shall have the same terms
as the currently outstanding Parent Ordinary Shares
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with all rights attached or accrued to them to any distribution
occurring after the Closing Date (including without limitation,
interim dividends or distributions out of retained earnings or
issuance or merger premium). Parent or the Company shall,
following the Closing, except as provided in
Section 2.1(b), pay all stamp duties, if any, imposed in
connection with the issuance or creation of the Parent
Depositary Shares (and the underlying Parent Ordinary Shares) in
connection with the First Merger.
(d) If at any time during the period between the date of
this Agreement and the Merger I Effective Time, any change in
the outstanding shares of capital stock of Parent or the Company
shall occur by reason of any reclassification, recapitalization,
stock split or combination, exchange or readjustment of shares,
or any stock dividend thereon with a record date during such
period, appropriate adjustments shall be made to the Per Share
Cash Consideration and the Per Share Stock Consideration.
Nothing in this Section 1.6(d) shall be construed to permit
either party to take any action that is otherwise prohibited or
restricted by any other provision of this Agreement. Prior to
the Merger I Effective Time, Parent shall not take any action,
including amending the deposit agreement between Parent and
Depositary that would cause each Parent Depositary Share to
represent more or less than one-fifth (0.20) of a Parent
Ordinary Share.
(e) At the Merger I Effective Time, all shares of Company
Common Stock that are owned directly or indirectly by Parent or
the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries shall be
cancelled and shall cease to exist and no stock or depositary
shares of Parent, cash or other consideration shall be delivered
in exchange therefor; provided, however, that, for
the avoidance of doubt, this Section 1.6(e) shall not apply
to shares of Company Common Stock held by or on behalf of the
ESPP, as to which Section 1.6(a) shall apply.
(f) Each issued and outstanding share of common stock, par
value U.S. $0.01 per share, of Merger Sub I issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time
shall be converted into and become one fully paid and
nonassessable share of common stock, par value
U.S. $0.01 per share, of the Merger I Surviving
Corporation.
(g) At the Merger II Effective Time, all outstanding
shares of the Merger I Surviving Corporation shall be cancelled
and shall cease to exist and no stock or depositary shares of
Parent, cash or other consideration shall be issued or delivered
in exchange therefore.
(h) The calculations required by Section 1.6(a) shall
be prepared by Parent promptly after the Closing.
Section 1.7 Election
Procedures.
(a) An election form and other appropriate and customary
transmittal materials (which shall specify that delivery shall
be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates
theretofore representing shares of Company Common Stock shall
pass, only upon proper delivery of such Certificates to the
Exchange Agent) in such form as Parent shall specify and as
shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company (the
Election Form) and pursuant to which each holder of
record of shares of Company Common Stock as of the close of
business on the Election Form Record Date may make an
election pursuant to this Section 1.7 shall be mailed
together with the Proxy Statement or at such other time as the
Company and Parent may agree (the Mailing Date) to
each holder of record of Company Common Stock as of the close of
business on the record date for notice of the Company Special
Meeting (the Election Form Record Date).
(b) Each Election Form shall permit the holder (or the
beneficial owner through appropriate and customary documentation
and instructions), other than any holder of Dissenting Shares,
to specify (i) the number of shares of such holders
Company Common Stock with respect to which such holder elects to
receive the Per Share Stock Consideration (Stock Election
Shares), (ii) the number of shares of such
holders Company Common Stock with respect to which such
holder elects to receive the Per Share Cash Consideration
(Cash Election Shares), or (iii) that such
holder makes no election with respect to such holders
Company Common Stock (No Election Shares). Any
Company Common Stock with respect to which the Exchange Agent
has not received an effective, properly completed Election Form
on or before
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5:00 p.m., New York time, on the 33rd day following
the Mailing Date (or such other time and date as the Company and
Parent shall agree) (the Election Deadline) (other
than any shares of Company Common Stock that constitute
Dissenting Shares as of such time) shall also be deemed to be
No Election Shares.
(c) Parent shall make available one or more Election Forms
as may reasonably be requested from time to time by all Persons
who become holders (or beneficial owners) of Company Common
Stock between the Election Form Record Date and the close
of business on the Business Day prior to the Election Deadline,
and the Company shall provide to the Exchange Agent all
information reasonably necessary for it to perform as specified
herein.
(d) Any such election shall have been properly made only if
the Exchange Agent shall have actually received a properly
completed Election Form by the Election Deadline. With respect
to shares of Company Common Stock represented by a Certificate,
an Election Form shall be deemed properly completed only if
accompanied by one or more Certificates (or customary affidavits
and indemnification regarding the loss or destruction of such
Certificates or the guaranteed delivery of such Certificates)
representing all certificated shares of Company Common Stock
covered by such Election Form, together with duly executed
transmittal materials included in the Election Form. Any
Election Form may be revoked or changed by the Person submitting
such Election Form prior to the Election Deadline. In the event
an Election Form is revoked prior to the Election Deadline, the
shares of Company Common Stock represented by such Election Form
shall become No Election Shares and Parent shall cause the
Certificates, if any, representing Company Common Stock to be
promptly returned without charge to the Person submitting the
Election Form upon written request to that effect from the
holder who submitted the Election Form, except to the extent (if
any) a subsequent election is properly made with respect to any
or all of the applicable shares of Company Common Stock. Subject
to the terms of this Agreement and of the Election Form, the
Exchange Agent shall have reasonable discretion to determine
whether any election, revocation or change has been properly or
timely made and to disregard immaterial defects in the Election
Forms, and any good faith decisions of the Exchange Agent
regarding such matters shall be binding and conclusive. None of
Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II or the Exchange
Agent shall be under any obligation to notify any Person of any
defect in an Election Form.
(e) Within five Business Days after the Election Deadline,
unless the Merger I Effective Time has not yet occurred, in
which case as soon after the Merger I Effective Time as
practicable (and in no event more than five Business Days after
the Merger I Effective Time), Parent shall cause the Exchange
Agent to effect the allocation among the holders of Company
Common Stock of rights to receive Parent Depositary Shares or
cash pursuant to the First Merger in accordance with the
Election Forms as follows:
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(i) Cash Election Shares More Than Total Cash
Amount. If the aggregate cash amount that would be paid
upon the conversion of the Cash Election Shares pursuant to the
First Merger is greater than the Total Cash Amount, then: |
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(1) all Stock Election Shares and No Election Shares shall
be converted into the right to receive the Per Share Stock
Consideration, |
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(2) the Exchange Agent shall then select from among the
Cash Election Shares, by a pro rata selection process, a
sufficient number of shares (Stock Designated
Shares) such that the aggregate cash amount that will be
paid pursuant to the First Merger equals as closely as
practicable the Total Cash Amount, and all Stock Designated
Shares shall be converted into the right to receive the Per
Share Stock Consideration, and |
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(3) the Cash Election Shares that are not Stock Designated
Shares will be converted into the right to receive the Per Share
Cash Consideration. |
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(ii) Cash Election Shares Less Than Total Cash
Amount. If the aggregate cash amount that would be paid
upon conversion of the Cash Election Shares pursuant to the
First Merger is less than the Total Cash Amount, then: |
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(1) all Cash Election Shares shall be converted into the
right to receive the Per Share Cash Consideration, |
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(2) the Exchange Agent shall then select first from among
the No Election Shares and then (if necessary) from among the
Stock Election Shares, in each case by a pro rata selection
process, a sufficient number of shares (Cash Designated
Shares) such that the aggregate cash amount that will be
paid pursuant to the First Merger equals as closely as
practicable the Total Cash Amount, and all Cash Designated
Shares shall be converted into the right to receive the Per
Share Cash Consideration, and |
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(3) the Stock Election Shares and the No Election shares
that are not Cash Designated Shares shall be converted into the
right to receive the Per Share Stock Consideration. |
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(iii) Cash Election Shares Equal to Total Cash
Amount. If the aggregate cash amount that would be paid
upon conversion of the Cash Election Shares pursuant to the
First Merger is equal to the Total Cash Amount, then
subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above shall not apply
and all Cash Election Shares shall be converted into the right
to receive the Per Share Cash Consideration and all Stock
Election Shares and No Election Shares shall be converted into
the right to receive the Per Share Stock Consideration. |
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, for
purposes of determining the allocations set forth in this
Section 1.7(e), Parent shall have the right, but not the
obligation, to require that any shares of Company Common Stock
that constitute Dissenting Shares as of the Election Deadline be
treated as Cash Election Shares, although no such shares shall
be subject to any of the pro rata selection processes
contemplated by this Section 1.7(e).
(f) The pro rata selection process to be used by the
Exchange Agent shall consist of such equitable pro ration
processes as shall be mutually determined by Parent and the
Company.
Section 1.8 Stock
Options.
(a) Immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time, each
option granted by the Company to purchase shares of Company
Common Stock (each a Company Option) pursuant to any
stock option plan, program or arrangement of the Company,
including, without limitation, the Companys 1992 Employee
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, 1992 Non-Employee Director
Stock Option Plan, 2001 Key Employee Nonqualified Stock Option
Plan, and the Share Incentive Plan (collectively the
Company Option Plans), which is outstanding and
unexercised immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time,
whether or not vested, shall be cancelled and converted into the
right to receive, for each share of Company Common Stock subject
to such option immediately prior to such cancellation and
conversion, an amount in cash equal to the excess, if any, of
the Per Share Cash Consideration over the exercise price per
share under such option immediately prior to such cancellation
and conversion (less any applicable withholding Taxes). On the
date of or promptly following the Merger I Effective Time,
Parent shall wire transfer to the Company such aggregate amount
as is required to be paid pursuant to this Section 1.8 and
shall cause the Company to pay on the Closing Date to the
holders of the Company Options by wire transfer of immediately
available funds the amounts such holders are entitled to receive
hereunder.
(b) All Company Option Plans shall terminate as of the
Merger I Effective Time and the provisions in any Company Option
Plan and the Companys 2001 Key Employee Restricted Stock
Plan (with the Company Option Plans, the Company Stock
Plans) or any other plan providing for the issuance,
transfer or grant of any capital stock of the Company or any
interest in respect of any capital stock of the Company shall be
terminated as of the Merger I Effective Time, and the Company
shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that following
the Merger I Effective Time no holder of a Company Option or any
participant in any Company Stock Plan or any other plan shall
have any right thereunder to acquire any
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capital stock of the Company or the Surviving Corporation or any
interest in respect of any capital stock of the Company or the
Surviving Corporation.
(c) Prior to the Merger I Effective Time, the Board of
Directors of the Company (or the appropriate committee thereof)
shall take all actions and make all determinations necessary, in
each case under the terms of the Company Option Plans, to effect
the provisions of this Section 1.8.
Section 1.9 Dissenting
Shares. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to
the contrary, in the event appraisal rights are available under
the DGCL, with respect to each share of Company Common Stock as
to which the holder thereof has properly demanded appraisal of
such shares pursuant to, and who has otherwise complied with the
provisions of Section 262 of the DGCL as to appraisal
rights (each, a Dissenting Share), if any, such
Dissenting Shares shall not be converted into the right to
receive the Merger Consideration payable pursuant to
Section 1.6(a) but instead at the Merger I Effective Time
shall become the right to receive payment, solely from the
Surviving Corporation, of the fair value of the Dissenting
Shares to the extent permitted by and in accordance with the
provisions of Section 262 of the DGCL; provided,
however, that (i) if any holder of Dissenting
Shares, under the circumstances permitted by and in accordance
with the DGCL, affirmatively withdraws his demand for appraisal
of such Dissenting Shares, (ii) if any holder of Dissenting
Shares fails to establish his entitlement to appraisal rights as
provided in the DGCL or (iii) if any holder of Dissenting
Shares takes or fails to take any action the consequence of
which is that such holder is not entitled to payment for his
shares under the DGCL, such holder or holders (as the case may
be) shall forfeit the right to appraisal of such Dissenting
Shares and such shares of Company Common Stock shall thereupon
cease to constitute Dissenting Shares and if such forfeiture
shall occur following the Election Deadline, each such
Dissenting Share shall thereafter be deemed to have been
converted into and to have become, as of the Merger I Effective
Time, the right to receive, without interest thereon, the Merger
Consideration into which No Election Shares shall have been
converted pursuant to Section 1.7(e), subject to the last
sentence of Section 1.7(e). The Company shall give Parent
prompt notice of any demands received by the Company for
appraisal of shares of Company Common Stock, and Parent shall
have the right to participate in and direct all negotiations and
proceedings with respect to such demands. The Company shall not
settle, make any payments with respect to, or offer to settle,
any claim with respect to Dissenting Shares without the prior
written consent of Parent.
ARTICLE II
EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES
Section 2.1 Exchange
of Certificates.
(a) Exchange Agent. Prior to the Merger I Effective
Time, Parent shall deposit, or shall cause to be deposited,
(i) with The Bank of New York, as depositary for the Parent
Depositary Shares, or any successor depositary thereto (the
Depositary), a number of Parent Ordinary Shares
equal to one-fifth of the aggregate number of Parent Depositary
Shares to be issued as Merger Consideration, and (ii) with
the Companys transfer agent or a bank or trust company
designated by Parent and reasonably satisfactory to the Company
(the Exchange Agent), for the benefit of the holders
of shares of Company Common Stock, for exchange in accordance
with this Article II, through the Exchange Agent,
sufficient cash and the receipts representing such aggregate
number of Parent Depositary Shares to make pursuant to this
Article II all deliveries of cash and Parent Depositary
Shares as required by Article I. Parent agrees to make
available to the Exchange Agent, from time to time as needed,
cash sufficient to pay any dividends and other distributions
pursuant to Section 2.1(c) and to make payments in lieu of
fractional shares pursuant to Section 2.1(e). The Exchange
Agent shall, pursuant to irrevocable instructions, deliver the
Merger Consideration contemplated to be paid for shares of
Company Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement out of the
Exchange Fund. Except as contemplated by Sections 2.1(c)
and 2.1(e) hereof, the Exchange Fund shall not be used for any
other purpose. Any cash and receipts representing Parent
Depositary Shares deposited with the Exchange Agent (including
as payment for fractional shares in accordance with
Section 2.1(e) and any dividends or other distributions in
accordance with Sec-
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tion 2.1(c)) shall hereinafter be referred to as the
Exchange Fund. The cash portion of the Exchange Fund
shall be invested in short-term obligations of the United States
of America with maturities of no more than 30 days or
guaranteed by the United States of America and backed by the
full faith and credit of the United States of America or in
commercial paper obligations rated A-1 or P-1 or better by
Moodys Investors Service, Inc. or Standard &
Poors Corporation, respectively. If for any reason
(including losses) the Exchange Fund is inadequate to pay the
amounts to which holders of shares of Company Common Stock shall
be entitled under Section 1.6, Parent shall take all steps
necessary promptly to, or to enable or cause the Surviving
Corporation promptly to, deposit (i) with the Depositary an
additional number of Parent Ordinary Shares equal to one-fifth
of the aggregate number of additional Parent Depositary Shares
necessary and (ii) with the Exchange Agent in trust
additional cash and additional receipts representing Parent
Depositary Shares, in each case sufficient to make all payments
required under this Agreement, and Parent and the Surviving
Corporation shall in any event be liable for payment thereof.
The Surviving Corporation shall pay all charges and expenses,
including those of the Depositary and the Exchange Agent, in
connection with the exchange of shares for the Merger
Consideration. Subject to Section 2.1(f), any interest or
other income resulting from investment of the cash portion of
the Exchange Fund shall become part of the Exchange Fund.
(b) Exchange Procedures. As soon as practicable,
after the Merger I Effective Time, Parent shall instruct and
cause the Exchange Agent to mail to each record holder, as of
the Merger I Effective Time, of (i) an outstanding
Certificate that immediately prior to the Merger I Effective
Time represented shares of Company Common Stock or
(ii) Book-Entry Shares (x) a letter of transmittal
(which shall specify that delivery shall be effected, and risk
of loss and title to the Certificates shall pass, only upon
proper delivery of the Certificates to the Exchange Agent or in
the case of Book-Entry Shares, upon adherence to the procedures
set forth in the letter of transmittal, and shall be in
customary form and agreed to by Parent and the Company prior to
the Merger I Effective Time) and (y) instructions for use
in effecting the surrender of the Certificates or Book-Entry
Shares in exchange for the Merger Consideration payable in
respect of the shares of Company Common Stock represented by
such Certificates or Book-Entry Shares. Upon surrender of a
Certificate or Book-Entry Shares for cancellation to the
Exchange Agent together with such letter of transmittal,
properly completed and duly executed, and such other documents
as may be required pursuant to such instructions, the holder of
such Certificate or Book-Entry Shares shall be entitled to
receive in exchange therefor (A) one or more Parent
Depositary Shares (which shall be in uncertificated book-entry
form unless a physical certificate is requested) representing,
in the aggregate, the whole number of Parent Depositary Shares
that such holder has the right to receive pursuant to
Section 1.6 (after taking into account all shares of
Company Common Stock then held by such holder) and (B) a
check in the amount equal to the aggregate amount of cash that
such holder has the right to receive pursuant to
Section 1.6 and this Article II, including cash
payable in lieu of any fractional Parent Depositary Shares
pursuant to Section 2.1(e) and dividends and other
distributions pursuant to Section 2.1(c). No interest shall
be paid or accrued on any Merger Consideration, cash in lieu of
fractional shares or on any unpaid dividends and distributions
payable to holders of Certificates or Book-Entry Shares. In the
event of a transfer of ownership of shares of Company Common
Stock which is not registered in the transfer records of the
Company, the Merger Consideration payable in respect of such
shares of Company Common Stock may be paid to a transferee if
the Certificate representing such shares of Company Common Stock
is presented to the Exchange Agent, accompanied by all documents
required to evidence and effect such transfer and the Person
requesting such exchange shall pay to the Exchange Agent in
advance any transfer or other Taxes required by reason of the
delivery of the Merger Consideration in any name other than that
of the registered holder of the Certificate surrendered, or
shall establish to the satisfaction of the Exchange Agent that
such Taxes have been paid or are not payable. Until surrendered
as contemplated by this Section 2.1, each Certificate or
Book-Entry Share shall be deemed at any time after the Merger I
Effective Time to represent only the right to receive upon such
surrender the Merger Consideration payable in respect of the
shares of Company Common Stock represented by such Certificate
or Book-Entry Share, cash in lieu of any fractional Parent
Depositary Shares to which such holder is entitled pursuant to
Section 2.1(e) and any dividends or other distributions to
which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(c).
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(c) Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Parent
Depositary Shares. No dividends or other distributions
declared or made with respect to Parent Depositary Shares (or
the underlying Parent Ordinary Shares) with a record date after
the Merger I Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any
unsurrendered Certificate or Book-Entry Share with respect to
the Parent Depositary Shares that such holder would be entitled
to receive upon surrender of such Certificate or Book-Entry
Share and no cash payment in lieu of fractional Parent
Depositary Shares shall be paid to any such holder until such
holder shall surrender such Certificate or Book-Entry Share in
accordance with this Section 2.1. Subject to applicable
law, following surrender of any such Certificate or Book-Entry
Share, there shall be paid to such holder of Parent Depositary
Shares issuable in exchange therefor, without interest,
(a) promptly after the time of such surrender, the amount
of any cash due pursuant to Section 1.6 and cash payable in
lieu of fractional Parent Depositary Shares to which such holder
is entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(e) and the amount of
dividends or other distributions with a record date after the
Merger I Effective Time theretofore paid with respect to the
Parent Ordinary Shares and payable with respect to such Parent
Depositary Shares, and (b) at the appropriate payment date,
the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record
date after the Merger I Effective Time but prior to such
surrender and a payment date subsequent to such surrender
payable with respect to such Parent Depositary Shares. For
purposes of dividends or other distributions in respect of
Parent Depositary Shares, all Parent Depositary Shares to be
issued pursuant to the First Merger (excluding Parent Depositary
Shares issuable upon exercise of options which are issued
pursuant to Section 1.8 unless such options are actually
exercised prior to the Merger I Effective Time, or upon
conversion of the Company Convertible Debt) shall be entitled to
dividends pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence as if
such Parent Depositary Shares were issued and outstanding as of
the Merger I Effective Time.
(d) Further Rights in Company Common Stock. The
Merger Consideration issued upon conversion of a share of
Company Common Stock in accordance with the terms hereof
(including any cash paid pursuant to Section 2.1(c) or
Section 2.1(e)) shall be deemed to have been issued in full
satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such share of Company
Common Stock.
(e) Fractional Shares. No certificates or scrip or
Parent Depositary Shares representing fractional Parent
Depositary Shares or book-entry credit of the same shall be
issued upon the surrender for exchange of Certificates or
Book-Entry Shares, and such fractional share interests will not
entitle the owner thereof to vote or to have any rights as a
holder of any Parent Depositary Shares.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, each
holder of shares of Company Common Stock exchanged pursuant to
the First Merger who would otherwise have been entitled to
receive a fraction of a Parent Depositary Share (after taking
into account all Certificates or Book-Entry Shares delivered by
such holder) shall receive, in lieu thereof, cash (without
interest) in an amount equal to the product of (i) the
average of the closing sale prices of Parent Depositary Shares
on the NYSE as reported by The Wall Street Journal for
the five trading days immediately preceding the date on which
the Merger I Effective Time shall occur and (ii) the
fraction of a Parent Depositary Share which such holder would
otherwise be entitled to receive pursuant to Section 1.6
hereof. As promptly as practicable after the determination of
the amount of cash, if any, to be paid to holders of fractional
interests, the Exchange Agent shall so notify Parent, and Parent
shall, or shall cause the Surviving Corporation to, deposit such
amount with the Exchange Agent and shall cause the Exchange
Agent to forward payments to such holders of fractional
interests subject to and in accordance with the terms hereof.
The parties acknowledge that payment of cash consideration in
lieu of issuing fractional Parent Depositary Shares was not
separately bargained for consideration but merely represents a
mechanical rounding off for purposes of simplifying the
corporate and accounting problems that would otherwise be caused
by the issuance of fractional Parent Depositary Shares.
(f) Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion of the
Exchange Fund which remains undistributed to the holders of
Company Common Stock for nine months after the Merger I
Effective Time occurs shall be delivered to Parent upon demand
and, from and after such delivery to Parent, any former holders
of Company Common Stock (other than Dissenting Shares) who have
not theretofore complied with this Article II shall
thereafter look only to Parent for the Merger Consideration
payable in respect of such
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shares of Company Common Stock, any cash in lieu of fractional
Parent Depositary Shares to which they are entitled pursuant to
Section 2.1(e) and any dividends or other distributions
with respect to Parent Depositary Shares to which they are
entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(c), in each case, without
any interest thereon. Any amounts remaining unclaimed by holders
of shares of Company Common Stock three years after the Merger I
Effective Time (or such earlier date immediately prior to such
time as such amounts would otherwise escheat to or become the
property of any governmental entity) shall, to the extent
permitted by applicable law, become the property of Parent free
and clear of any Liens (as defined in Section 8.5(e)),
claims or interest of any Person previously entitled thereto.
(g) No Liability. Neither Parent nor the Surviving
Corporation shall be liable to any holder of shares of Company
Common Stock for any such shares of Parent Depositary Shares (or
dividends or distributions with respect thereto) or cash from
the Exchange Fund delivered to a public official pursuant to any
abandoned property, escheat or similar Law.
(h) Lost Certificates. If any Certificate shall have
been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit
of that fact by the Person claiming such Certificate to be lost,
stolen or destroyed and, if required by Parent, the posting by
such Person of a bond, in such reasonable amount as Parent may
direct, as indemnity against any claim that may be made against
it with respect to such Certificate, the Exchange Agent shall
pay in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate
the Merger Consideration payable in respect of the shares of
Company Common Stock represented by such Certificate, any cash
in lieu of fractional Parent Depositary Shares to which the
holders thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(e) and
any dividends or other distributions to which the holders
thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(c), in each
case, without any interest thereon.
(i) Withholding. Each of Parent, the Surviving
Corporation and the Exchange Agent shall be entitled to deduct
and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable pursuant
to this Agreement to any holder of Company Common Stock such
amounts as Parent, the Surviving Corporation or the Exchange
Agent is required to deduct and withhold under the Code or any
provision of state, local, or foreign Tax Law, with respect to
the making of such payment. To the extent that amounts are so
withheld by Parent, the Surviving Corporation or the Exchange
Agent, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes
of this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of Company
Common Stock in respect of whom such deduction and withholding
was made by Parent, the Surviving Corporation or the Exchange
Agent, as the case may be.
(j) Affiliate Shares. Notwithstanding anything
herein to the contrary, Certificates surrendered for exchange by
any affiliate of the Company (as determined pursuant
to Section 5.20) shall not be exchanged until Parent has
received a written agreement from such Person as provided in
Section 5.20 hereof.
Section 2.2 Stock
Transfer Books. At the close of business on the date on
which the Merger I Effective Time occurs, the stock transfer
books of the Company shall be closed and thereafter there shall
be no further registration of transfers of shares of Company
Common Stock theretofore outstanding on the records of the
Company. From and after the close of business on the date on
which the Merger I Effective Time occurs, any Certificates or
Book-Entry Shares presented to the Exchange Agent, Parent or the
Surviving Corporation for any reason shall be converted into the
Merger Consideration payable in respect of the shares of Company
Common Stock represented by such Certificates, any cash in lieu
of fractional Parent Depositary Shares to which the holders
thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(e) and any
dividends or other distributions to which the holders thereof
are entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(c), without any
interest thereon.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
Except as set forth in (i) the disclosure letter delivered
by the Company to Parent at or prior to the execution and
delivery of this Agreement (the Company Disclosure
Letter) (each section of which
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qualifies the correspondingly numbered representation, warranty
or covenant to the extent specified therein and such other
representations, warranties or covenants to the extent a matter
in such section is disclosed in such a way as to make its
relevance to such other representation, warranty or covenant
reasonably apparent) or (ii) the Company SEC Documents
filed with the SEC between July 31, 2005 and the date of
this Agreement, but excluding any risk factor disclosure
contained in any such Company SEC Report under the heading
Risk Factors or Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements or similar heading and
excluding information set forth in any exhibit thereto (the
Specified Company SEC Disclosure), to the extent
that it is reasonably apparent that the disclosure in the
Specified Company SEC Disclosure is responsive to the matters
set forth in this Article III, the Company represents and
warrants to Parent as follows:
Section 3.1 Organization.
(a) Each of the Company and each of its Significant
Subsidiaries is a corporation or other entity duly organized,
validly existing, and in good standing (to the extent such
concept exists in such jurisdiction) under the Laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, and has all
requisite corporate or other power and authority to own, lease,
use and operate its properties and to carry on its business as
it is now being conducted.
(b) Each of the Company and each of its Significant
Subsidiaries is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is
in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification or licensing is required, except where the failure
to be so qualified or licensed individually or in the aggregate
has not had, and would not be reasonably likely to have or
result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
(c) The Company has previously made available to Parent a
complete and correct copy of each of its certificate of
incorporation and bylaws, in each case as amended (if so
amended) to the date of this Agreement, and has made available
the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational
documents of each of its Significant Subsidiaries, in each case
as amended (if so amended) to the date of this Agreement.
Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is
in violation of its certificate of incorporation, bylaws or
similar governing documents.
(d) Section 3.1(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter
sets forth a true and correct list of all of the Significant
Subsidiaries of the Company and their respective jurisdictions
of incorporation or organization. The respective certificates or
articles of incorporation and bylaws or other organizational
documents of the Significant Subsidiaries of the Company do not
contain any provision limiting or otherwise restricting the
ability of the Company to control its Significant Subsidiaries
in any material respect.
Section 3.2 Capitalization.
(a) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of
78,500,000 shares of common stock of the Company, par value
$.01 per share (the Company Common Stock), of
which two shares are designated special voting shares, and
1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value
$.01 per share (the Company Preferred Stock),
of which 400,000 shares are designated Preferred
Stock Junior Participating Series A (the
Company Series A Preferred Stock). As of the
close of business on July 31, 2006 (the
Cut-off
Time), (i) 35,985,254 shares of Company Common
Stock were issued and outstanding,
(ii) 1,349,592 shares of Company Common Stock are held
in the treasury of the Company, (iii) there are no special
voting shares issued and outstanding or held in treasury,
(iv) there are no shares of Company Preferred Stock issued
and outstanding or held in treasury,
(v) 6,450,263 shares of Company Common Stock are
reserved for issuance upon the conversion of the Companys
outstanding Convertible Senior Notes due 2024 (the Company
Convertible Debt), (vi) 1,178,473 shares of
Company Common Stock are reserved for issuance upon the exercise
of outstanding Company Options, (vii) 2,000 shares of
Company Common Stock are reserved for issuance upon conversion
of Deferred Share Units (Deferred Share Units),
(viii) that number of shares of Company Common Stock
(LTIP Shares) determined by dividing
(A) $4,584,030 by (B) the closing price for one share
of Company Common Stock on the NYSE at the close of trading on
the first trading day after the Companys earnings release
for its fiscal year ended July 31, 2006, are reserved for
issuance under the Companys long-term equity-based
incentive plans (the
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LTIP Plans), and (ix) that number of shares of
Company Common Stock (ESPP Shares) that are reserved
for issuance under the Company Employee Stock Purchase Plan
(ESPP and the options granted under the ESPP, the
ESPP Options) determined by dividing (A) the
total amount invested by participants in the ESPP during the
fiscal quarter ending October 31, 2006, by (B) 85% of
the lower of the closing price on the last reported trade on the
NYSE on August 1, 2006 and October 31, 2006 (or, if
the Closing shall occur prior to such date, the last Business
Day prior to the Closing Date). On May 16, 2006, each
outstanding Veritas Energy Services exchangeable share
(collectively, the VES Shares) and each outstanding
Veritas Energy Services Class A exchangeable share,
Series 1 (collectively, the VES Class A
Shares) was exchanged for one share of Company Common
Stock, and there are no outstanding VES Shares or VES
Class A Shares. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries has any remaining liability or obligation with
respect to any VES Shares or VES Class A Shares, other than
the administrative obligation to issue shares of Company Common
Stock (which shares of Company Common Stock are reflected as
issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement) upon
the exchange of those VES Shares and VES Class A Shares
that have yet to be tendered for exchange. From the Cut-off Time
to the date of this Agreement, no additional shares of Company
Common Stock have been issued (other than pursuant to Company
Options, Deferred Share Units and ESPP Options which were
outstanding as of the Cut-off Time and are disclosed in
Section 3.2(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter or the
conversion of any Company Convertible Debt outstanding as of the
Cut-off Time), no additional Company Options, Deferred Share
Units, LTIP Shares or ESPP Options have been issued or granted,
and there has been no increase in the number of shares of
Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Company
Options, Deferred Share Units, LTIP Shares or ESPP Options from
those issuable under such Company Options, Deferred Share Units,
LTIP Shares or ESPP Options, respectively, as of the Cut-off
Time. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries directly
or indirectly owns any shares of Company Common Stock other than
1,349,592 shares of Company Common Stock held in treasury
as of the date of this Agreement. No bonds, debentures, notes or
other indebtedness having the right to vote (or, except for the
Company Convertible Debt, convertible into or exchangeable for
securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which
stockholders of the Company may vote are issued or outstanding.
All issued and outstanding shares of the Companys capital
stock are, and all shares that may be issued or granted pursuant
to the exercise of Company Options or ESPP Options, the
conversion of Deferred Share Units, the issuance of LTIP Shares
or the conversion of Company Convertible Debt will be, when
issued or granted in accordance with the respective terms
thereof, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable and free of preemptive rights, with no personal
liability attaching to the ownership thereof. Except for
(i) the Company Options, Deferred Share Units, ESPP
Options, LTIP Shares, Company Convertible Debt and the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock purchase
rights (the Company Rights) issued pursuant to the
Rights Agreement, dated as of May 15, 1997, between the
Company and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as amended
(the Company Rights Agreement), and (ii) the
VES Shares and VES Class A Shares that have not yet been
tendered for exchange, there are no outstanding or authorized
(x) options, warrants, preemptive rights, subscriptions,
calls or other rights, convertible securities, agreements,
claims or commitments of any character obligating the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries to issue, transfer or sell any shares of
capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or securities convertible into or exchangeable
for such shares or equity interests, (y) contractual
obligations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to
repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any capital stock of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any such securities or
agreements listed in clause (x) of this sentence, or
(z) voting trusts or similar agreements to which the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party with respect to
the voting of the capital stock of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries. Section 3.2(a) of the Company Disclosure
Letter sets forth the following information with respect to each
Company Stock Options outstanding as of the Cut-off Time:
(i) the name of the holder and (ii) the number of
shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise thereof.
Immediately after the consummation of the First Merger, there
will not be any outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants,
calls, preemptive rights, subscriptions, or other rights,
convertible or exchangeable securities, agreements, claims or
commitments of any character by which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries will be bound calling for the purchase or issuance
of any shares of the
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capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or
securities convertible into or exchangeable for such shares or
any other such securities or agreements.
(b) (i) All of the issued and outstanding shares of
capital stock (or equivalent equity interests of entities other
than corporations) of each of the Companys Subsidiaries
are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company free and clear
of any Liens, other than statutory Liens for Taxes not yet due
and payable and such restrictions as may exist under applicable
Law, and all such shares or other ownership interests have been
duly authorized, validly issued and are fully paid and
non-assessable and free of preemptive rights, with no personal
liability attaching to the ownership thereof, and
(ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns
any shares of capital stock or other securities of, or interest
in, any other Person, except for the securities of the
Subsidiaries of the Company, or is obligated to make any capital
contribution to or other investment in any other Person.
(c) No indebtedness of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries contains any restriction (other than customary
notice provisions) upon (i) the prepayment of any
indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
(ii) the incurrence of indebtedness by the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries, or (iii) the ability of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries to grant any Lien on the properties or
assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
Section 3.3 Authorization;
Validity of Agreement.
(a) The Company has the requisite corporate power and
authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, subject,
(i) with respect to the consummation of the First Merger,
to adoption of this Agreement by the stockholders of the Company
in accordance with the DGCL and the certificate of incorporation
and bylaws of the Company and (ii) with respect to the
consummation of the Second Merger, to approval of this Agreement
and the Second Merger by the board of directors of Merger I
Surviving Corporation and the adoption of this Agreement by
Parent as the sole stockholder of Merger I Surviving Corporation
in accordance with the DGCL and the certificate of incorporation
and bylaws of Merger I Surviving Corporation. The execution,
delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and
the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated
hereby have been duly authorized by the Board of Directors of
the Company (the Company Board). The Company Board
has directed that this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby be submitted to the Companys
stockholders for adoption at a meeting of such stockholders and,
except for the adoption of this Agreement by the holders of a
majority of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, no
other corporate proceedings on the part of the Company are
necessary to authorize the execution, delivery and performance
of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly
and validly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming
due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by
Parent, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the
Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
terms, except as such enforcement may be subject to or limited
by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium
or other Laws, now or hereafter in effect, affecting
creditors rights generally and (ii) the effect of
general principles of equity (regardless of whether
enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in
equity).
(b) The restrictions contained in Section 203 of the
DGCL do not apply to the First Merger. To the knowledge of the
Company, no moratorium, control share,
fair price or other antitakeover laws are applicable
to the First Merger or any of the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 3.4 No
Violations; Consents and Approvals.
(a) Neither the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement by the Company nor the consummation by the Company of
either of the Mergers or any other transactions contemplated
hereby will (i) violate any provision of the certificate of
incorporation or the bylaws of the Company, or the certificate
of incorporation, bylaws or similar governing documents of any
of the Companys Significant Subsidiaries,
(ii) violate, conflict with, result in a breach of any
provision of or the loss of any benefit under, constitute a
default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time, or
both, would constitute a
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default) under, result in the termination of or a right of
termination, cancellation, modification or amendment under,
accelerate the performance required by, or result in the
creation of any Lien upon any of the respective properties or
assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under, or
result in the acceleration or trigger of any payment, time of
payment, vesting or increase in the amount of any compensation
or benefit payable pursuant to, any of the terms, conditions or
provisions of any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, guarantee,
other evidence of indebtedness, lease, license, contract,
collective bargaining agreement, agreement or other instrument
or obligation to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is
a party or by which any of them or any of their respective
assets or properties may be bound, or (iii) assuming the
consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations,
filings or permits referred to in Section 3.4(b) are duly
and timely obtained or made and the adoption of this Agreement
by the stockholders of the Company has been obtained, conflict
with or violate any federal, state, provincial, local or foreign
order, writ, injunction, judgment, settlement, award, decree,
statute, law, rule or regulation (collectively,
Laws) applicable to the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets;
except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), for such
conflicts, violations, breaches, defaults, losses, obligations,
payments, rights (if exercised) or Liens which individually or
in the aggregate have not had, and would not be reasonably
likely to have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the
Company.
(b) No material filing or registration with, declaration or
notification to, or order, authorization, consent or approval
of, any federal, state, provincial, local or foreign court,
arbitral, legislative, administrative, executive or regulatory
authority or agency (a Governmental Entity) or any
other Person is required to be obtained or made by the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company or the
consummation by the Company of either of the Mergers or any
other transactions contemplated hereby, except for
(i) compliance with any applicable requirements of the
Exchange Act, (ii) compliance with any applicable
requirements of the Securities Act, (iii) compliance with
any applicable state securities or blue sky or
takeover Laws, (iv) compliance with any applicable
requirements under Canadian provincial securities Laws,
(v) the adoption of this Agreement by the Company Required
Vote, (vi) such filings, authorizations or approvals, or
expiration or termination of applicable waiting periods, as may
be required under (A) the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the
rules and regulations thereunder (the HSR Act) or
(B) any other Competition Laws, rules or regulations,
(vii) the filing of the Certificates of Merger with the
Secretary of State, (viii) compliance with any applicable
requirements of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004
of the Council of the European Union (the EC Merger
Regulation), (ix) compliance with French securities
regulatory requirements, including the Autorité des
Marchés Financiers (the AMF)
(x) compliance with any applicable requirements of the
Exon-Florio Amendment to the Defense Protection Act of 1998 (the
Exon-Florio Act), (xi) compliance with any
applicable requirements under stock exchange rules and
(xii) any such filing, registration, declaration,
notification, order, authorization, consent or approval that the
failure to obtain or make individually or in the aggregate would
not be reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse
Effect on the Company.
Section 3.5 SEC
Reports and Financial Statements.
(a) Except for its annual report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended July 31, 2004, its quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q for the
periods ending October 31, 2004, January 31, 2005 and
April 30, 2005 (the Delayed Forms), each of
which reports has now been filed, the Company has timely filed
with (i) the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
SEC) and (ii) any Canadian regulatory authority
all forms and documents required to be filed by it since
January 1, 2003 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the Exchange Act), or other Canadian
Law, including (A) its Annual Reports on
Form 10-K for the
years ended July 31, 2003 and July 31, 2005,
respectively, (B) its Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q for the
periods ended October 31, 2005, January 31, 2006 and
April 30, 2006, (C) all proxy statements relating to
meetings of stockholders of the Company since January 1,
2003 (in the form mailed to stockholders), and (D) all
other forms, reports and registration statements required to be
filed by the Company with the SEC and any Canadian regulatory
authority since January 1, 2003. The documents
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described in clauses (A)-(D) above and the Delayed Forms,
in each case as amended (whether filed on or prior to the date
of this Agreement), are referred to in this Agreement
collectively as the Company SEC Documents. As of
their respective dates or, if amended prior to the date of this
Agreement, as of the date of such amendment with respect to
those disclosures that are amended, the Company SEC Documents,
including the financial statements and schedules provided
therein or incorporated by reference therein, (x) did not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and
(y) complied in all material respects with the applicable
requirements of the Exchange Act and the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the Securities Act), the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) and other
applicable Laws, as the case may be, and the applicable rules
and regulations of the SEC and other foreign regulatory
authorities thereunder.
(b) The July 31, 2005 consolidated balance sheet of
the Company (the Company Balance Sheet) and the
related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive
income (loss), changes in stockholders equity and cash
flows (including, in each case, the related notes, where
applicable), as reported in the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended July 31, 2005 filed with the SEC under
the Exchange Act, and the unaudited consolidated balance sheet
of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including the related
notes, where applicable) as of April 30, 2006 and the
related (i) unaudited consolidated statements of operations
and comprehensive income for the three and nine-month periods
then ended and (ii) unaudited consolidated statement of
cash flows for the nine-month period then ended (in each case
including the related notes, where applicable), as reported in
the Companys Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the
period ended April 30, 2006 filed with the SEC under the
Exchange Act, fairly present, and the financial statements to be
filed by the Company with the SEC after the date of this
Agreement will fairly present (subject, in the case of unaudited
statements, to recurring audit adjustments normal in nature and
amount), in all material respects, the consolidated financial
position and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows
and changes in stockholders equity of the Company and its
Subsidiaries as of the respective dates or for the respective
fiscal periods therein set forth; each of such statements
(including the related notes, where applicable) complies, and
the financial statements to be filed by the Company with the SEC
after the date of this Agreement will comply, with applicable
accounting requirements and with the published rules and
regulations of the SEC with respect thereto; and each of such
statements (including the related notes, where applicable) has
been, and the financial statements to be filed by the Company
with the SEC after the date of this Agreement will be, prepared
in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting
principles (US GAAP) consistently applied during the
periods involved, except as indicated in the notes thereto or,
in the case of unaudited statements, as permitted by
Rule 10-01 of
Regulation S-X of
the SEC. The books and records of the Company and its
Subsidiaries have been, and are being, maintained in accordance
with US GAAP and any other applicable legal and accounting
requirements and reflect only actual transactions.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is an independent public accounting
firm with respect to the Company and has not resigned or been
dismissed as independent public accountants of the Company.
(c) Since February 1, 2005, (A) except with
respect to the ESPP Options, the exercise price of each Company
Option has been no less than the Fair Market Value (as defined
under the terms of the respective LTIP Plan under which such
Company Option was granted) of a share of Company Common Stock
as determined on the date of grant of such Company Option, and
(B) all grants of Company Options were validly issued and
properly approved by the Company Board (or a duly authorized
committee or subcommittee thereof) in material compliance with
applicable Law and recorded in the Companys financial
statements referred to in Section 3.5(b) in accordance with
US GAAP, and no such grants involved any back
dating, forward dating or similar practices
with respect to the effective date of grant, except as,
individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect
on the Company.
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Section 3.6 Absence
of Certain Changes.
(a) Since July 31, 2005, (i) the Company and its
Subsidiaries have conducted their respective business only in
the ordinary course consistent with past practice in all
material respects, and (ii) there has not occurred or
continued to exist any event, change, occurrence, effect, fact,
circumstance or condition which, individually or in the
aggregate, has had, or is reasonably likely to have or result
in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
(b) Since April 30, 2006 to the date of this
Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
(i) except as required pursuant to the terms of the Company
Plans as in effect on April 30, 2006 or as required to
comply with applicable Law, (A) increased or agreed to
increase the wages, salaries, compensation, pension, or other
fringe benefits or perquisites payable to any officer, employee
or director from the amount thereof in effect as of
April 30, 2006 other than in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practices, (B) granted any
severance or termination pay or entered into any contract to
make or grant any severance or termination pay (other than in
the ordinary course of business substantially consistent with
past practices or pursuant to pre-existing plans or
arrangements), (C) entered into or made any loans to any of
its officers, directors or employees or made any change in its
borrowing or lending arrangements for or on behalf of any of
such Persons whether pursuant to an employee benefit plan or
otherwise (except for loans pursuant to the terms of the
Companys or its affiliates retirement plans and
routine travel advances), or (D) adopted or amended any new
or existing Company Plan, (ii) declared, set aside or paid
any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or
property) with respect to any of the Companys capital
stock, (iii) effected or authorized any split, combination
or reclassification of any of the Companys capital stock
or any issuance thereof or issued any other securities in
respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for shares of the
Companys capital stock, except for issuances of Company
Common Stock (1) upon the exercise of Company Options or
ESPP Options in accordance with their terms at the time of
exercise, (2) in connection with the conversion of VES
Shares in accordance with their terms at the time of exercise
and in connection with the mandatory exchange of VES Shares on
or about May 16, 2006, (3) in connection with
recruitment activities in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice, (4) upon the conversion of
any of the Company Convertible Debt in accordance with its terms
at the time of conversion, or (5) pursuant to the terms of
the LTIP Plan, (iv) changed in any material respect, or has
knowledge of any reason that would have required or would
require changing in any material respect, any accounting methods
(or underlying assumptions), principles or practices of the
Company or its Subsidiaries, including any material reserving,
renewal or residual method, practice or policy, except as
required by US GAAP or by applicable Law, (v) except for
the election made to re-patriate U.S. $55 million to
the U.S. pursuant to §965(b)(4) of the Code, made any
material Tax election or settled or compromised any material
income Tax liability, (vi) made any material change in the
policies and procedures of the Company or its Subsidiaries in
connection with trading activities, (vii) sold, leased,
exchanged, transferred or otherwise disposed of any material
Company Asset other than in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practices, (viii) revalued, or has
knowledge of any reason that would have required or would
require revaluing, any of the Company Assets in any material
respect, including writing down the value of any of the Company
Assets or writing off notes or accounts receivable, in each case
in any material respect and other than in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practices, or (ix) made any
agreement or commitment (contingent or otherwise) to do any of
the foregoing.
Section 3.7 Absence
of Undisclosed Liabilities.
Since July 31, 2005, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries has incurred any liabilities or obligations
(accrued, contingent or otherwise), except for
(i) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business
that individually or in the aggregate have not had, and would
not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a Material
Adverse Effect on the Company, (ii) liabilities in respect
of Litigation (which are the subject of Section 3.10), and
(iii) liabilities under Environmental Laws (which are the
subject of Section 3.14). Neither the Company nor any of
its Subsidiaries is in default in respect of the terms and
conditions of any indebtedness or other agreement which
individually or in the aggregate has had, or would be reasonably
likely to have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the
Company.
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Section 3.8 Disclosure
Documents.
(a) None of the information supplied or to be supplied by
the Company for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the
Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC in connection with the
First Merger (the Proxy Statement) or any amendment
or supplement thereto will, at the date on which the Proxy
Statement or any such amendment or supplement thereto is first
mailed to the stockholders of the Company or at the time such
stockholders vote on the adoption of this Agreement, contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading. The Proxy Statement in the form mailed to the
stockholders of the Company will comply as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.
(b) None of the information supplied or to be supplied by
or on behalf of the Company for inclusion or incorporation by
reference in the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents or in the
Form F-4 or any
amendment or supplement thereto will, at the date on which the
Parent Necessary Corporate Documents or any such supplement or
amendment thereto is delivered or put at the disposal of the
shareholders of Parent or at the time such shareholders vote on
the matters constituting the Parent Shareholder Approval or at
the time the
Form F-4 or any
such amendment or supplement becomes effective under the
Securities Act, as the case may be, contain any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.
(c) None of the information supplied or to be supplied by
the Company for inclusion or incorporation by reference in any
document provided to a lender or potential lender in connection
with the Financing (or any amendment or supplement to such a
document), will, at the date on which the Financing is
consummated, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they are made, not misleading.
Section 3.9 Employee
Benefit Plans; ERISA.
(a) Section 3.9 of the Company Disclosure Letter
contains a complete and correct list of each bonus, deferred
compensation, incentive compensation, stock purchase, stock
option, stock appreciation right or other equity-based
incentive, severance, termination, change in control, retention,
employment, hospitalization or other medical, life or other
insurance, disability, other welfare, supplemental unemployment
benefits, profit-sharing, pension, or retirement plan, program,
agreement or arrangement, and each other employee compensation
or benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement, sponsored,
maintained or contributed to by the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or by any trade or business, whether or not
incorporated that, together with the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, would be deemed a single employer
within the meaning of section 4001(b) of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(ERISA and each such entity, an ERISA
Affiliate), or to which the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate of the Company is party at
any time since September 1, 2000, whether written or oral,
for the benefit of any current or former employee, officer or
director of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA
Affiliate of the Company and regardless of where in the world
the plan is established (the Company Plans).
(b) With respect to each Company Plan, the Company has
heretofore delivered to Parent complete and correct copies of
each of the following documents (including all amendments to
such documents), as applicable:
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(i) the Company Plan or a written description of any
Company Plan not in writing; |
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(ii) the most recent annual report and accounts or Internal
Revenue Service Form 5500 Series with respect to each
Company Plan for the last three Company Plan years ending prior
to the date of this Agreement for which such a report was filed,
including all related reports required therewith; |
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(iii) the most recent Summary Plan Description of the
Company (the Company Summary Plan Description),
together with all Summaries of Material Modification issued with
respect to such Company Summary Plan Description with respect
thereto, and where there is no Summary Plan Description, all
written communications with members of the Company Plan which
are of current effect and which summarize the benefits provided
in such Company Plan (other than
day-to-day
communications with individual Plan members); |
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(iv) if the Company Plan or any obligations thereunder are
funded through a trust or any other funding vehicle, the trust
or other funding agreement and the latest financial statements
thereof (including the accounts for the Company Plan), any
actuarial valuation or other actuarial report in relation to the
Company Plan prepared or received within the last six Company
Plan years ending prior to the date of this Agreement (and
whether prepared for the Company or for the trustees or managers
of the relevant Company Plan), and details of any agreement
(whether made in writing or otherwise and whether or not legally
binding) for the funding of such a plan; |
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(v) all contracts relating to the Company Plan with respect
to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate may have any
material liability, including insurance contracts, investment
management agreements, subscription and participation agreements
and record keeping agreements; |
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(vi) the most recent determination letter received from the
Internal Revenue Service with respect to each Company Plan
intended to qualify under section 401(a) of the Code and in
relation to any Company Plan established in the United Kingdom,
evidence of its status as a registered scheme together with
confirmation as to whether or not it is contracted out of the
Second State pension; and |
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(vii) all reports, statements, annual information returns,
investment information summaries or other returns, filings and
material communications between the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate of the Company or, if in the Companys
possession, the trustees of any Company Plan with any
governmental agency with respect to such Company Plan since
September 1, 2003. |
(c) No Company Plan in effect as of the date hereof is
subject to Title IV or section 302 of ERISA. No
liability under Title IV or section 302 of ERISA has
been incurred by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of the
Company that has not been satisfied in full, and no condition
exists that presents a material risk to the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate of the Company of incurring any such liability.
Insofar as the representation made in this Section 3.9(c)
applies to sections 4064, 4069 or 4204 of Title IV of
ERISA, it is made with respect to any employee benefit plan,
program, agreement or arrangement subject to Title IV of
ERISA to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of the Company
made, or was required to make, contributions during the six-year
period ending on the Closing Date.
(d) None of the Company, any ERISA Affiliate of the
Company, any of the Company Plans, or any trust created
thereunder, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any trustee or
administrator thereof has engaged in a transaction or has taken
or failed to take any action in connection with which the
Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate would be
reasonably likely to be subject to a material civil penalty
assessed pursuant to Section 409 or 502(i) of ERISA or a
material tax imposed on the Company or the Company Plan pursuant
to Section 4975(a) or (b) or 4976 of the Code or any
legislation applicable to the Company Plan in the jurisdiction
where the Company Plan and/ or its members are resident.
(e) All contributions and/or premiums required to be made
or paid with respect to any Company Plan on or prior to the
Closing Date have been timely made or paid or are reflected on
the Company Balance Sheet. Since January 1, 2006, there has
been no amendment to, written interpretation of or announcement
(whether or not written) by Company or any ERISA Affiliate of
the Company or the trustees of any Company Plan relating to, or
change in employee participation or coverage under, any Company
Plan that would increase materially the expense of maintaining
such Company Plan above the level or expense incurred in respect
thereof for the most recent fiscal year ended prior to the date
hereof.
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(f) Each of the Company Plans has been operated and
administered in all material respects in accordance with its
terms, all employee plan summaries and booklets and applicable
Laws, including ERISA and the Code and any applicable
requirements prohibiting discrimination on grounds of age, sex
or otherwise.
(g) Each of the Company Plans that is in effect on the date
hereof that is intended to be qualified within the
meaning of Section 401(a) of the Code (A) satisfies in
form the requirements of such section except to the extent
amendments are not required by law to be made until a date after
the Closing Date, (B) has received a favorable
determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service regarding
such qualified status as to all requirements preceding the
enactment of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation
Act of 2002, and (C) has not, since receipt of the most
recent favorable determination letter, been amended or operated
in a way that would adversely affect its qualified status. As to
any Company Plan intended to be qualified under section 401
of the Code, there has been no termination or partial
termination of the Plan within the meaning of
Section 411(d)(3) of the Code. Each trust funding a Company
Plan, which trust is intended to be exempt from federal income
taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(9) of the Code,
satisfies the requirements of such section and has received a
favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service
regarding such exempt status and has not, since receipt of the
most recent favorable determination letter, been amended or
operated in a way which would adversely affect such exempt
status.
(h) Assuming for this purpose that each individual who is a
party to an Employment Agreement (as defined below) with the
Company or one of its Subsidiaries and whose employment is based
in the United States were to become entitled to the total
payments and benefits (including without limitation severance
payments and benefits and vesting of equity) to which such
individual would be entitled in connection with a change in
control of the Company, the amount of such payments and benefits
which would be nondeductible by reason of Section 280G of
the Code will not exceed an aggregate of $30.0 million. For
purposes of this Section 3.9(h), Employment
Agreement shall mean a written agreement specifying terms
and conditions of employment and related compensation and, for
the avoidance of doubt, shall not include any written agreement
that provides only nondisclosure provisions, commission
arrangements or bonus arrangements or any award agreement
granted pursuant to any Company Stock Plan (as defined in
Section 1.8(a)).
(i) Except with respect to lifetime health and dental
benefits, which the Company has by contract agreed to provide to
David B. Robson and his wife, no Company Plan provides death,
medical, hospitalization or similar benefits (whether or not
insured), with respect to current or former employees of the
Company, its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate of the Company
after retirement or other termination of service, other than
(i) coverage mandated by applicable Laws, (ii) death
benefits under any employee pension plan, as that
term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA or
(iii) benefits, the full direct cost of which is borne by
the current or former employee (or beneficiary thereof).
(j) Except with respect to (i) those employment
agreements disclosed in Section 3.9 of the Company
Disclosure Letter, (ii) accelerated vesting of Company
Options and accelerated lapse of restrictions on restricted
Company Common Stock pursuant to grants of Company Options and
previously issued grants of restricted Company Common Stock,
(iii) accelerated conversion of Deferred Share Units,
(iv) accelerated vesting of incentive awards under the
Company Plans, and (v) lump-sum payments required under the
Companys Deferred Compensation Plan and related trust, the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
will not, either alone or in combination with any other event,
(i) entitle any current or former employee, officer or
director of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA
Affiliate of the Company to severance pay, unemployment
compensation or any other similar termination payment, or
(ii) accelerate the time of payment or vesting, or increase
the amount of or otherwise enhance any benefit due any such
employee, officer or director.
(k) Except with respect to any actions or omissions that
would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect on the Company, (1) there has been no material
failure of a Company Plan that is a group health plan (as
defined in section 5000(b)(1) of the Code) to meet the
requirements of
A-20
section 4980B(f) of the Code with respect to a qualified
beneficiary (as defined in section 4980B(g) of the Code),
(2) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has contributed
to a nonconforming group health plan (as defined in
section 5000(c) of the Code), (3) no ERISA Affiliate
of the Company or any Subsidiary has incurred a tax under
section 5000(a) of the Code which is or could become a
liability of the Company or a Subsidiary, and (4) there has
been no material failure on the part of the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate of the Company to comply with the Health Insurance
Portability Accountability Act of 1996, as amended.
(l) There are no pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened or anticipated claims by or on behalf of any
Company Plan, by any employee or beneficiary under any such
Company Plan or otherwise involving any such Company Plan (other
than routine claims for benefits).
(m) All material obligations of the Company and any of its
Subsidiaries required to be performed in connection with the
Company Plans and funding media established therefor have been
performed.
(n) None of the Company Plans require or permit a
retroactive increase in premiums or payments, or require
additional payments or premiums on the termination of any
Company Plan or insurance contract in respect thereof.
(o) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
currently sponsors, maintains, contributes to or has any
liability under, nor has ever sponsored, maintained, contributed
to or incurred any liability in Canada under a registered
pension plan, retirement compensation
arrangement or a deferred profit sharing plan,
each as defined under the Income Tax Act (Canada), a
pension plan as defined under any Canadian
applicable pension benefits standards legislation, or any other
plan organized and administered to provide pensions for Canadian
employees, officers or directors, other than a Group RRSP as
described in Section 3.9 of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
(p) The representations and warranties of the Company in
this Section 3.9 shall specifically, but not by way of
limitation, apply to Foreign Plans that are Company Plans, as
applicable.
(q) The contribution and benefit liabilities of the Company
and its Subsidiaries respecting each Company Plan that is a
Foreign Plan are fully funded based upon applicable accounting
valuation and actuarial methodology contained in the most recent
accounting, valuation or actuarial report respecting the Foreign
Plan.
Section 3.10 Litigation;
Compliance with Law.
(a) Except for such Litigation that individually or in the
aggregate has not had, and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company,
(A) there is no Litigation pending or, to the knowledge of
the Company, threatened in writing against, relating to or
naming as a party thereto the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, any of their respective properties or assets or
any of the Companys officers or directors (in their
capacities as such), (B) there is no agreement, order,
judgment, decree, injunction or award of any Governmental Entity
against and/or binding upon the Company, any of its Subsidiaries
or any of the Companys officers or directors (in their
capacities as such), and (C) there is no Litigation that
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has pending against other
parties, where such Litigation is intended to enforce or
preserve material rights of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries.
(b) Except as individually or in the aggregate has not had,
and would not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a
Material Adverse Effect on the Company, each of the Company and
its Subsidiaries has complied, and is in compliance, with all
Laws and Company Permits which affect the respective businesses
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the Real Property
and/or the Company Assets, including the Company Vessels, and
the Company and its Subsidiaries have not been and are not in
violation of any such Law or Company Permit; nor has any notice,
charge, claim or action been received by the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or been filed, commenced, or to the knowledge
of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries alleging any violation of the
A-21
foregoing, except for such violations or allegations of
violations as individually or in the aggregate have not had, and
would not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a Material
Adverse Effect on the Company.
(c) Without limiting the generality of clause (b)
above and mindful of the principles of the United States Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act and other similar applicable foreign laws,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor, in any
such case, any of their respective Representatives has
(i) made, offered or authorized any payment or given or
offered anything of value directly or indirectly (including
through a friend or family member with personal relationships
with government officials) to an official of any government for
the purpose of influencing an act or decision in his official
capacity or inducing him to use his influence with that
government with respect to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act or other similar applicable foreign laws,
(ii) made, offered or authorized any payment to any
Governmental Entity, political party or political candidate for
the purpose of influencing any official act or decision, or
inducing such Person to use any influence with that government
with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in
violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or
other similar applicable foreign laws or (iii) taken any
action that would be reasonably likely to subject the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries to any material liability or penalty
under any and all Laws of any Governmental Entity.
(d) The Company and its Subsidiaries hold all licenses,
permits, certifications, variances, consents, authorizations,
waivers, grants, franchises, concessions, exemptions, orders,
registrations and approvals of Governmental Entities or other
Persons necessary for the ownership, leasing, operation,
occupancy and use of the Real Property, the Company Assets,
including the Company Vessels, and the conduct of their
respective businesses as currently conducted (Company
Permits), except where the failure to hold such Company
Permits individually or in the aggregate has not had, and would
not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a Material
Adverse Effect on the Company. Neither the Company nor any of
its Subsidiaries has received notice that any Company Permit
will be terminated or modified or cannot be renewed in the
ordinary course of business, and the Company has no knowledge of
any reasonable basis for any such termination, modification or
nonrenewal, in each case except for such terminations,
modifications or nonrenewals that individually or in the
aggregate have not had, and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company. The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the
consummation of the Mergers or any other transactions
contemplated hereby do not and will not violate any Company
Permit, or result in any termination, modification or nonrenewal
thereof, except in each case for such violations, terminations,
modifications or nonrenewals that individually or in the
aggregate have not had, and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
(e) This Section 3.10 does not relate to matters with
respect to (i) Company Plans, ERISA and other employee
benefit matters (which are the subject of Section 3.9),
(ii) Tax Laws and other Tax matters (which are the subject
of Section 3.13), (iii) Environmental Laws and other
environmental matters (which are the subject of
Section 3.14), and (iv) labor matters (which are the
subject of Section 3.17).
Section 3.11 Intellectual
Property.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Intellectual Property means any and all
(i) trademarks, service marks, brand names, Internet domain
names, logos, symbols, trade dress, trade names, and other
indicia of source of origin, all applications and registrations
for the foregoing, and all goodwill associated therewith and
symbolized thereby, including all renewals of the same;
(ii) inventions and discoveries, whether patentable or not,
and all patents, registrations, invention disclosures and
applications therefor, including divisions, continuations,
continuations-in-part
and renewal applications, and including renewals, extensions and
reissues; and (iii) copyrights in and to published and
unpublished works of authorship, whether copyrightable or not
(including software), and registrations and applications
therefor, and all renewals, extensions, restorations and
reversions thereof; and in each of cases (i) to
(iii) inclusive, whether registered, unregistered or
capable of registration.
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(b) Except as set forth in Section 3.11(b) of the
Company Disclosure Letter or as individually or in the aggregate
would not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a Material
Adverse Effect on the Company:
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(i) the Company, or one of its Subsidiaries, is the sole
and exclusive owner of, or possesses adequate licenses or other
rights to use, all Intellectual Property used in the present
conduct of the businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries,
(Company IP Rights) free and clear of all security
interests (except Permitted Liens) including but not limited to
liens, charges, mortgages, title retention agreements or title
defects; |
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(ii) to the Companys knowledge, no consent,
co-existence or settlement agreements, judgments, or court
orders limit or restrict the Companys or any of its
Subsidiarys ownership rights in and to any Intellectual
Property owned by them; |
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(iii) the conduct of the business of the Company and its
Subsidiaries as presently conducted does not, to the knowledge
of the Company, infringe or misappropriate any third
Persons Intellectual Property; or |
|
|
(iv) to the knowledge of the Company, no third Person is
infringing or misappropriating any Intellectual Property, owned
by the Company or its Subsidiaries, and to the knowledge of the
Company there is no litigation pending or threatened in writing
by or against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to
the knowledge of the Company, has the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries received any written charge, claim, complaint,
demand, letter or notice, that asserts a claim (a) alleging
that any or all of the Company IP Rights infringe or
misappropriate any third partys Intellectual Property, or
(b) challenging the ownership, use, validity, or
enforceability of any Company IP Right. |
(c) All Intellectual Property owned by the Company or its
Subsidiaries that is the subject of an application for
registration or a registration (Registered Company
IP) is to the knowledge of the Company, in force, and all
application, renewal and maintenance fees in relation to all
Registered Company IP have been paid to date, except for any
Registered Company IP that the Company has abandoned, not
renewed or allowed to expire.
(d) Except for such matters as individually or in the
aggregate have not had and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in a Material Adverse Effect on the Company, to
the Companys knowledge (i) there does not exist, nor
has the Company or any of its Subsidiaries received written
notice of, any breach of or violation or default under, any of
the terms, conditions or provisions of any material contracts
related to Company IP Rights, and (ii) neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries has received written notice of the
desire of the other party or parties to any such material
contracts relating to Company IP Rights to exercise any rights
such party or parties have to cancel, terminate or repudiate
such material contract relating to Company IP Rights or exercise
remedies thereunder.
Section 3.12 Material
Contracts.
(a) Except for such agreements or arrangements that are
included as an exhibit to the Company SEC Documents, as of the
date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is a party to or bound by any contract,
arrangement, commitment or understanding (whether written or
oral) (i) which is an employment agreement between the
Company, on the one hand, and its officers and key employees, on
the other hand, (ii) which, upon the consummation of the
Mergers or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement,
will (either alone or upon the occurrence of any additional acts
or events, including the passage of time) result in any payment
or benefit (whether of severance pay or otherwise) becoming due,
or the acceleration or vesting of any right to any payment or
benefits, from Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II,
the Company or the Surviving Corporation or any of their
respective Subsidiaries to any officer, director, consultant or
employee of any of the foregoing, (iii) which is a material
contract (as defined in Item 601(b)(10)(i) or
601(b)(10)(ii) of
Regulation S-K of
the SEC) to be performed after the date of this Agreement,
(iv) which expressly limits the ability of the Company or
any Subsidiary of the Company, or would limit the ability of the
Surviving Corporation (or
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any of its Affiliates) after the Merger I Effective Time, to
compete in or conduct any line of business or compete with any
Person or in any geographic area or during any period of time,
in each case, if such limitation is or is reasonably likely to
be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole, or, following the Merger I Effective Time, to the
Surviving Corporation and its Affiliates, taken as a whole,
(v) which is a material joint venture agreement, joint
operating agreement, partnership agreement or other similar
contract or agreement involving a sharing of profits and
expenses with one or more third Persons, (vi) the benefits
of which will be increased, or the vesting of the benefits of
which will be accelerated, by the occurrence of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or the value of any
of the benefits of which will be calculated on the basis of any
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including
any stock option plan, stock appreciation rights plan,
restricted stock plan or stock purchase plan) or
(vii) which is a shareholder rights agreement or which
otherwise provides for the issuance of any securities in respect
of this Agreement or the Mergers. Each contract, arrangement,
commitment or understanding of the type described in this
Section 3.12(a), whether or not included as an exhibit to
the Company SEC Documents, is referred to herein as a
Company Material Contract, and for purposes of
Section 5.1(r) and the bringdown of Section 3.12(b)
pursuant to Section 6.3(a), Company Material
Contract shall include any such contract arrangement,
commitment or understanding that is entered into after the date
of this Agreement. The Company has previously made available to
Parent true, complete and correct copies of each Company
Material Contract that is not included as an exhibit to the
Company SEC Documents. For the avoidance of doubt, each of the
Company Charters constitutes a Company Material Contract.
(b) Each Company Material Contract is valid and binding and
in full force and effect and the Company and each of its
Subsidiaries have performed all obligations required to be
performed by them to date under each Company Material Contract,
except where such failure to be valid and binding or in full
force and effect or such failure to perform individually or in
the aggregate has not had and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
Except for such matters as individually or in the aggregate have
not had and would not be reasonably likely to have or result in
a Material Adverse Effect on the Company, to the Companys
knowledge (i) there does not exist, nor has the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries received written notice of, any breach
of or violation or default under, any of the terms, conditions
or provisions of any Company Material Contract and
(ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
received written notice of the desire of the other party or
parties to any such Company Material Contract to exercise any
rights such party has to cancel, terminate or repudiate such
Company Material Contract or exercise remedies thereunder. Each
Company Material Contract is enforceable by the Company or a
Subsidiary of the Company in accordance with its terms, except
as such enforcement may be subject to or limited by
(x) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
other Laws, now or hereafter in effect, affecting
creditors rights generally and (y) the effect of
general principles of equity (regardless of whether
enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in
equity) or except where such unenforceability individually or in
the aggregate has not had, and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
Section 3.13 Taxes.
(a) (i) All material Returns required to be filed by
or with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries have been
filed in accordance with all applicable Laws and all such
returns are true, correct and complete in all material respects,
(ii) the Company and its Subsidiaries have timely paid all
material Taxes due or claimed to be due, except for those Taxes
being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves
have been established in the financial statements of the
Company, (iii) all material Employment and Withholding
Taxes and any other material amounts required to be withheld
with respect to Taxes have been withheld and either duly and
timely paid to the proper governmental authority or properly set
aside in accounts for such purpose in accordance with applicable
Laws and all material sales or transfer Taxes required to be
collected by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries have been
duly and timely collected, or caused to be collected, and either
duly and timely remitted to the proper Governmental Entity or
properly set aside in accounts for such purpose in accordance
with applicable Laws, (iv) the charges, accruals and
reserves for Taxes with respect to the Company and its
Subsidiaries
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reflected in the Company Balance Sheet are adequate under US
GAAP to cover Tax liabilities accruing through the date thereof,
(v) no deficiencies for any material Taxes have been
asserted or assessed, or, to the knowledge of the Company,
proposed, against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that
have not been paid in full, except for those Taxes being
contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have
been established in the financial statements of the Company, and
(vi) there is no action, suit, proceeding, investigation,
audit or claim underway, pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened or scheduled to commence, against or with
respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of
any material Tax.
(b) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
been included in any consolidated,
unitary or combined Return (other than
Returns which include only the Company and any Subsidiaries of
the Company) provided for under the Laws of the United States,
any foreign jurisdiction or any state or locality or could be
liable for the Taxes of any other Person as a successor or
transferee.
(c) The Company is not a United States real property
holding corporation as defined in Section 897 of the
Code.
(d) There are no Tax sharing, allocation, indemnification
or similar agreements in effect as between the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or any predecessor or affiliate of any of them
and any other party under which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries could be liable for any Taxes of any party other
than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.
(e) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have,
as of the Closing Date, entered into an agreement or waiver
extending any statute of limitations relating to the payment or
collection of material Taxes or the time with respect to the
filing of any Return relating to any material Taxes.
(f) There are no Liens for material Taxes on any asset of
the Company or its Subsidiaries, except for Permitted Liens.
(g) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has disclosed
on its Returns all positions taken therein that could give rise
to a substantial understatement of Tax within the meaning of
Section 6662 of the Code.
(h) Neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries is the subject
of or bound by any private letter ruling, technical advice
memorandum, closing agreement or similar ruling, memorandum or
agreement with any taxing authority with respect to any material
Taxes.
(i) Neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries has entered
into, has any liability in respect of, or has any filing
obligations with respect to, any transaction that constitutes a
reportable transaction, as defined in
Section 1.6011-4(b)(1) of the Treasury Regulations.
(j) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will be
required to include any material item of income in, or exclude
any material item of deduction from, taxable income for any
taxable period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing
Date as a result of any (i) change in method of accounting
for a taxable period ending on or prior to the Closing Date
under Section 481(c) of the Code (or any corresponding or
similar provision of state, local or foreign tax law) or
(ii) closing agreement as described in
Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar
provision of state, local or foreign tax law) executed on or
prior to the Closing Date.
(k) Since January 1, 2000, neither the Company nor any
of its Subsidiaries has undergone an ownership
change as defined pursuant to Section 382(g) of the
Code.
(l) None of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been
a distributing corporation or a controlled corporation for
purposes of Section 355 of the Code.
(m) The Company has made available to Parent correct and
complete copies of (i) all U.S. federal Tax Returns
and material Canadian federal Tax Returns of the Company and its
Subsidiaries relating to taxable periods ending on or after
July 31, 2003, filed through the date hereof and
(ii) any audit report
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within the last three years relating to any material Taxes due
from or with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(n) Since July 31, 2005, the Company has not engaged
in any hedging transactions.
Section 3.14 Environmental
Matters.
(a) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in
compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws (which
compliance includes the possession by the Company of all permits
and other authorizations of Governmental Entities required under
applicable Environmental Laws for the Companys operations
as conducted as of the date of this Agreement or the
Companys assets as deployed as of the date of this
Agreement, and compliance with the terms and conditions
thereof), except where failure to be in compliance, individually
or in the aggregate, would not be reasonably likely to have or
result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
(b) There is no Environmental Claim pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, against
any Person whose liability for any Environmental Claim the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries has or may have retained or
assumed either contractually or by operation of Law, except for
any such Environmental Claims which, individually or in the
aggregate, would not be reasonably likely to have or result in,
a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
(c) To the knowledge of the Company, there are no past or
present actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events
or incidents, including the Release or presence of any Hazardous
Material, which would be reasonably likely to form the basis of
any Environmental Claim against the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, against any
Person whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries has or may have retained or assumed
either contractually or by operation of law which, individually
or in the aggregate, would not be reasonably likely to have or
result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
(d) There is no Cleanup of Hazardous Materials being
conducted or planned at any property currently or, to the
knowledge of the Company, formerly owned or operated by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for such Cleanups
which, individually or in the aggregate, would not be reasonably
likely to have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the
Company.
(e) No Company Vessel has been involved in any Release or
threatened Release of a Hazardous Material, except for such
Releases which individually or in the aggregate would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect
on the Company.
Section 3.15 Company
Assets; Company Vessels.
(a) Except as individually or in the aggregate would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect
on the Company, the Company and its Subsidiaries own, or
otherwise have sufficient and legally enforceable rights to use,
all of their respective tangible properties and assets (real,
personal or mixed) (the Company Assets) that they
purport to own. Except as individually or in the aggregate would
not be reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse
Effect on the Company, the Company and its Subsidiaries have
valid title to, or in the case of leased property have valid
leasehold interests in, all such Company Assets, including all
such Company Assets reflected in the Company Balance Sheet or
acquired since the date thereof (except as may have been
disposed of since April 30, 2006 or may be disposed of
after the date of this Agreement in accordance with this
Agreement in either case in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice), in each case free and clear of
any Liens, except Permitted Liens. The Company Assets and the
Company IP Rights constitute all of the assets and rights used
to operate the businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries in
substantially the same manner that the Company and its
Subsidiaries have been operating their respective businesses
prior to the Closing, and all material operating equipment of
the Company and its Subsidiaries is, in the aggregate, in a
state of repair so as to be adequate in all material respects
for reasonably prudent operations in the areas in which they are
operated.
A-26
(b) Except for the vessels described in
Section 3.15(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter (the
Company Vessels), there are no other vessels owned
or chartered by Company or any of its Subsidiaries that are used
to conduct seismic operations. Except for the rights of the
owner or its lenders specified in each Company Charter and for
the rights of lessors of equipment leased to the Company or its
Subsidiaries, no Person has any rights to, or interest in, any
of the agreements pursuant to which the Company or one of its
Subsidiaries charters any Company Vessel (each, a Company
Charter) or the Company Vessels created by, through or
under the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. All operating
expenses owed by the Company with respect to each Company Vessel
have been timely and fully paid. To the knowledge of the
Company, there are no circumstances which give, or which, with
notice or lapse of time, or both, would give, the owners of the
Company Vessels the right to withdraw any of the Company Vessels
from the Companys or any of its Subsidiarys service
prior to the end of the applicable primary or option terms
specified in the Company Charter. There are no material amounts
or obligations being contested under any Company Charter, and
there are no material unresolved disputes under any Company
Charter.
(c) Each Company Vessel has all equipment required to
conduct 2-D or
3-D marine seismic
surveys, as applicable, and is seaworthy.
(d) Section 3.15(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter
accurately describes in all material respects the main technical
characteristics of each of the Company Vessels identified
therein.
Section 3.16 Insurance.
Section 3.16 of the Company Disclosure Letter contains a
complete and correct list of all material insurance policies
maintained by or on behalf of any of the Company and its
Subsidiaries as of the date of this Agreement. Such policies
are, and at the Closing policies or replacement policies having
substantially similar coverages will be, in full force and
effect, and all premiums due thereon have been or will be paid.
The Company and its Subsidiaries have complied in all material
respects with the terms and provisions of such policies.
Section 3.17 Labor
Matters.
(a) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is a party to or bound by a collective bargaining
agreement, labor agreement, work rules or practices, or any
other labor-related agreements or arrangements with any labor
union, or labor organization and no such agreement is currently
being negotiated; (ii) no employees of the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries are represented by any labor organization
with respect to their employment with the Company or its
Subsidiaries; (iii) no representation election petition or
application for certification has been filed by, or on behalf
of, any employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and
there is no such petition or application pending with the
National Labor Relations Board, any applicable Canadian labour
relations board or any Governmental Entity; (iv) to the
knowledge of the Company, no labor union is currently engaged in
or threatening organizational efforts with respect to any
employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and
(v) since January 1, 2003, no labor dispute, strike,
slowdown, picketing, work stoppage, lockout or other collective
labor action against or affecting the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries has occurred or is in progress or, to the knowledge
of the Company, has been threatened against the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries.
(b) Except as individually or in the aggregate would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect
on the Company, to the knowledge of the Company, each of the
Company and its Subsidiaries: (i) is in compliance with all
applicable Laws respecting employment and employment practices,
terms and conditions of employment, immigration, wages and
hours, employment standards, workers compensations and
labor relations, and is not engaged in any unfair labor
practices; (ii) has withheld all amounts required by Law or
by agreement to be withheld from the wages, salaries and other
payments to employees; and (iii) is not liable for any
arrears of wages or any Taxes or any penalty for failure to
comply with any of the foregoing.
A-27
(c) (i) Except as individually or in the aggregate
would not be reasonably likely to have or result in a Material
Adverse Effect on the Company, there are no actions, suits,
claims, labor disputes, grievances or controversies, pending, or
to the knowledge of the Company, threatened involving the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any of their respective
employees or former employees; and (ii) there are no
complaints, charges, lawsuits, arbitrations or other proceedings
pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by or on
behalf of any present or former employee of the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries alleging any claim for damages, including
material breach of any express or implied contract of
employment, wrongful termination, infliction of emotional
distress or material violation of any federal, state, provincial
or local statutes or regulations concerning terms and conditions
of employment, including wages and hours, employee safety,
termination of employment or workplace discrimination and
harassment.
(d) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are and have
been in compliance with all notice and other requirements under
the Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and
any similar foreign, state or local law relating to plant
closings and layoffs.
(e) Section 3.17(e) of the Company Disclosure Letter
contains a complete and correct list of the names of all
directors and officers of the Company as of the date of this
Agreement, together with such Persons position or
function, annual base salary or wages.
Section 3.18 Affiliate
Transactions. There are no material agreements,
contracts, transfers of assets or liabilities or other
commitments or transactions (other than Company Plans described
in Section 3.9 of the Company Disclosure Letter), whether
or not entered into in the ordinary course of business, to or by
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand,
and any of their respective affiliates (other than the Company
or any of its direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiaries) on
the other hand, are or have been a party or otherwise bound or
affected, and that (a) are currently pending, in effect or
have been in effect at any time since July 31, 2005 or
(b) involve continuing liabilities and obligations that,
individually or in the aggregate, have been, are or will be
material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
Section 3.19 Derivative
Transactions and Hedging.
Section 3.19 of the Company Disclosure Letter contains a
complete and correct list of all Derivative Transactions
(including each outstanding commodity or financial hedging
position) entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or for the account of any of its customers as of the date of
this Agreement. All such Derivative Transactions were, and any
Derivative Transactions entered into after the date of this
Agreement will be, entered into in accordance with applicable
Laws, and in accordance with the investment, securities,
commodities, risk management and other policies, practices and
procedures employed by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and
were, and will be, entered into with counterparties believed at
the time, and except as set forth in Section 3.19 of the
Company Disclosure Letter, still believes to be financially
responsible and able to understand (either alone or in
consultation with their advisers) and to bear the risks of such
Derivative Transactions. The Company and each of its
Subsidiaries have, and will have, duly performed all of their
respective obligations under the Derivative Transactions to the
extent that such obligations to perform have accrued, and, to
the knowledge of the Company, there are and will be no breaches,
violations, collateral deficiencies, requests for collateral or
demands for payment, or defaults or allegations or assertions of
such by any party thereunder.
Section 3.20 Disclosure
Controls and Procedures.
The Company has established and maintains disclosure
controls and procedures (as defined in
Rules 13a-14(c)
and 15d-14(c) of the
Exchange Act) that are reasonably designed to ensure that all
material information (both financial and non-financial) required
to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or
submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the
rules and forms of the SEC and that all such information is
accumulated and communicated to the Companys management as
appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required
under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports. Except
A-28
as set forth in the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended July 31, 2004, neither the Company nor
its independent auditors have identified any significant
deficiencies or material weaknesses in the
Companys or any of its Subsidiaries internal
controls as contemplated under Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Section 3.21 Investment
Company. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
is an investment company, a company
controlled by an investment company, or
an investment adviser within the meaning of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment
Company Act), or the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as
amended (the Advisers Act).
Section 3.22 OFAC.
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their
respective directors, officers, employees or affiliates, to the
Companys knowledge, is a Person with whom transactions are
currently prohibited under any U.S. sanctions administered
by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the
U.S. Department of Treasury or equivalent European Union
measure.
Section 3.23 Rights
Agreement. The Company has taken all action so that the
entering into of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not
result in the grant of any rights to any person under the
Company Rights Agreement or enable or require the Company Rights
to be exercised, distributed or triggered.
Section 3.24 Required
Vote by Company Stockholders. The affirmative vote of
the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Company
Common Stock entitled to vote thereon (the Company
Required Vote) is the only vote of the holders of any
class of capital stock of the Company required by the DGCL or
the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the Company to
adopt this Agreement.
Section 3.25 Recommendation
of Company Board of Directors; Opinion of Financial
Advisor.
(a) The Company Board, at a meeting duly called and held,
adopted resolutions (i) determining that this Agreement and
the transactions contemplated hereby are advisable and in the
best interests of the stockholders of the Company,
(ii) approving this Agreement and transactions contemplated
hereby, (iii) recommending adoption of this Agreement by
the stockholders of the Company and (iv) directing that the
adoption of this Agreement be submitted to the stockholders of
the Company for consideration in accordance with this Agreement,
which resolutions, as of the date of this Agreement, have not
been subsequently rescinded, modified or withdrawn.
(b) The Company has received an opinion of Goldman,
Sachs & Co., to the effect that, as of the date of this
Agreement, the Per Share Stock Consideration and the Per Share
Cash Consideration to be received by the holders of shares of
Company Common Stock (other than Parent, the Company or any of
their Subsidiaries), in the aggregate, in the First Merger is
fair, from a financial point of view, to such holders. A true,
complete and correct copy of such opinion has been, or will
promptly be, delivered to Parent.
Section 3.26 Brokers.
Except for Goldman, Sachs & Co., no broker, finder or
investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finders or
other fee or commission in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement based upon arrangements made by
or on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The
Company is solely responsible for the fees and expenses of
Goldman, Sachs & Co. as and to the extent set forth in
the engagement letter dated July 16, 2006. The Company has
previously delivered to Parent a true, complete and correct copy
of such engagement letter.
Section 3.27 No
Other Representations or Warranties.
Except for the representations and warranties contained in this
Article III, neither the Company nor any other Person makes
any other express or implied representation or warranty on
behalf of the Company or any of its affiliates in connection
with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
A-29
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT,
MERGER SUB I AND MERGER SUB II
Except as set forth in (i) the disclosure letter delivered
by Parent to the Company at or prior to the execution and
delivery of this Agreement (the Parent Disclosure
Letter) (each section of which qualifies the
correspondingly numbered representation, warranty or covenant to
the extent specified therein and such other representations,
warranties or covenants to the extent a matter in such section
is disclosed in such a way as to make its relevance to such
other representation, warranty or covenant reasonably apparent)
or (ii) the Parent SEC Documents filed with the SEC between
December 31, 2005 and the date of this Agreement, but
excluding any risk factor disclosure contained in any such
Parent SEC Report under the heading and excluding information
set forth in any exhibit thereto Risk Factors or
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements or similar heading (the Specified Parent
SEC Disclosure), to the extent that it is reasonably
apparent that the disclosure in the Specified Parent SEC
Disclosure is responsive to the matters set forth in this
Article IV, Parent, and, upon execution and delivery of
this Agreement, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II, jointly and
severally represent and warrant to the Company as follows:
Section 4.1 Organization.
Each of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II and
Parents Significant Subsidiaries is a corporation or other
entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (to
the extent such concept exists in such jurisdiction) under the
Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization,
and has all requisite corporate or other power and authority to
own, lease, use and operate its properties and to carry on its
business as it is now being conducted. Each of Parent, Merger
Sub I and Merger Sub II and each of Parents
Significant Subsidiaries is duly qualified or licensed to do
business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction (to the
extent such concepts exist in such jurisdictions) where the
character of the property owned, operated or leased by it or the
nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing
necessary, except for those jurisdictions where the failure to
be so qualified or licensed or to be in good standing would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect
on Parent. Since the date of its incorporation, neither Merger
Sub I nor Merger Sub II has engaged in any activities other
than in connection with or as contemplated by this Agreement and
each of Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II do not have any
Subsidiaries. Parent has previously made available to the
Company a complete and correct copy of its articles of
association and by-laws as in effect on the date of this
Agreement. None of Parent, Merger Sub I, or Merger
Sub II is in violation of its articles of association,
certificate of incorporation, by-laws or other organizational
documents. Section 4.1 of the Parent Disclosure Letter sets
forth a true and correct list of all of the Significant
Subsidiaries of Parent and their respective jurisdictions of
incorporation or organization. The respective certificates or
articles of incorporation and bylaws or other organizational
documents of the Significant Subsidiaries of Parent do not
contain any provision limiting or otherwise restricting the
ability of Parent to control its Significant Subsidiaries in any
material respect.
Section 4.2 Capitalization.
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, the authorized
capital stock of Parent consists of (x) 17,485,446 ordinary
shares, par
value 2.00 per
share (the Parent Ordinary Shares), which were
issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2006 and
(y) 6,815 Parent Ordinary Shares which were issued upon the
exercise of Parent Options (as defined below) during the period
beginning July 1, 2006 and ending on the date of this
Agreement. As of the date of this Agreement, (i) there are
4,339,285 Parent Depository Shares representing an aggregate of
867,857 Parent Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding,
(ii) unexercised options to acquire 757,911 Parent Ordinary
Shares (Parent Options) have been granted to
officers and employees of Parent and (iii) Parent has
committed to issue up to 53,200 Parent Ordinary Shares to
certain employees, subject to the satisfaction of certain
conditions. No bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness
having the right to vote (or convertible into or exchangeable
for securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which
stockholders of Parent may vote are issued or outstanding. All
issued and outstanding shares of Parents capital stock
are, and all shares that may be issued or granted
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pursuant to the exercise of Parent Stock Options will be, when
issued or granted in accordance with the respective terms
thereof, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable and free of preemptive rights, with no personal
liability attaching to the ownership thereof. As of the date of
this Agreement, there are no outstanding or authorized
(x) options, warrants, preemptive rights, subscriptions,
calls or other rights, convertible securities, agreements,
claims or commitments of any character obligating Parent or any
of its Subsidiaries to issue, transfer or sell any shares of
capital stock or other equity interest in Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries or securities convertible into or exchangeable for
such shares or equity interests, (y) contractual
obligations of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase,
redeem or otherwise acquire any capital stock of Parent or any
of its Subsidiaries or any such securities or agreements listed
in clause (x) of this sentence, or (z) voting
trusts or similar agreements to which Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party with respect to the voting of the
capital stock of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. The Parent
Depositary Shares and the underlying Parent Ordinary Shares
issued pursuant to the First Merger, when issued in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly authorized,
validly issued and fully paid (and, with respect to the Parent
Depositary Shares nonassessable), and not subject to preemptive
rights.
(b) All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital
stock (or equivalent equity interests of entities other than
corporations) of each of Parents Subsidiaries are owned,
directly or indirectly, by Parent free and clear of any Liens,
other than statutory Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable and
such restrictions as may exist under applicable Law, and all
such shares or other ownership interests have been duly
authorized, validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable
and free of preemptive rights, with no personal liability
attaching to the ownership thereof. Upon formation, all of the
issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each of Merger
Sub I and Merger Sub II will be owned, directly or
indirectly, by Parent.
Section 4.3 Authorization;
Validity of Agreement. Parent has, and upon formation
each of Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II will have, the
requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby, subject, with respect to the consummation of the First
Merger, to the receipt of the Parent Shareholder Approval. The
execution, delivery and performance by Parent of this Agreement
and the consummation by Parent of the transactions contemplated
hereby have been, and upon execution and delivery of this
Agreement by Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II, the execution,
delivery and performance by each of Merger Sub I and Merger
Sub II will have been, duly authorized by all necessary
corporate or other action, except for the affirmative vote of
the holders representing more than 50% (in the case of
clause (iii) below) or two-thirds (in the case of
clauses (i) and (ii) below), as applicable, of the
voting rights attached to Parent Ordinary Shares cast at Parent
Shareholders Meeting, authorizing and approving:
(i) the issuance of Parent Ordinary Shares in connection
with the First Merger pursuant to L225-148 of the French
Commercial Code, (ii) the issuance of Parent Ordinary
Shares in respect of the Parent Depositary Shares to be
delivered upon the conversion of the Company Convertible Debt
and (iii) the election of the members of the Board of
Directors contemplated by Section 5.13 (collectively, the
Parent Shareholder Approval). Upon receipt of the
Parent Shareholder Approval, no other corporate or other
proceedings on the part of either Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II will be necessary to authorize the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement by any of Parent,
Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly
and validly executed and delivered by Parent, and, upon the
execution and delivery by each of Merger Sub I and Merger
Sub II, will have been duly and validly executed and
delivered by each of Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II, and,
assuming that this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding
agreement of the Company, constitutes (or, with respect to
Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II, upon execution and delivery
will constitute) a valid and binding agreement of each of
Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II enforceable against
such party in accordance with its terms, except as such
enforcement may be subject to or limited by (i) bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other Laws, now or
hereafter in effect, affecting creditors rights generally
and (ii) the effect of general principles of equity
(regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a
proceeding at law or in equity).
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Section 4.4 No
Violations; Consents and Approvals.
(a) Neither the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement by Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, nor the
consummation by Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II of
either of the Mergers or any other transactions contemplated
hereby will (i) violate any provision of the certificate of
incorporation, articles of association or the bylaws of Parent,
Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, as applicable, or the
certificate of incorporation, articles of association, bylaws or
similar governing documents, as applicable, of any of
Parents, Merger Sub Is or Merger Sub IIs
Significant Subsidiaries, (ii) violate, conflict with,
result in a breach of any provision of or the loss of any
benefit under, constitute a default (or an event which, with
notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default)
under, result in the termination of or a right of termination,
cancellation, modification or amendment under, accelerate the
performance required by, or result in the creation of any Lien
upon any of the respective properties or assets of Parent,
Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, or any of Parents
other Subsidiaries, under, or result in the acceleration or
trigger of any payment, time of payment, vesting or increase in
the amount of any compensation or benefit payable pursuant to,
any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any note, bond,
mortgage, indenture, guarantee, other evidence of indebtedness,
lease, license, contract, collective bargaining agreement,
agreement or other instrument or obligation to which Parent,
Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, or any of Parents
other Subsidiaries, is a party or by which any of them or any of
their respective assets or properties may be bound, or
(iii) assuming the consents, approvals, orders,
authorizations, registrations, filings or permits referred to in
Section 4.4(b) are duly and timely obtained or made and the
Parent Shareholder Approval has been obtained, conflict with or
violate any Laws applicable to Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II, or any of Parents other Subsidiaries, or any
of their respective properties or assets; except in the case of
clauses (ii) and (iii), for such conflicts, violations,
breaches, defaults, losses, obligations, payments, rights (if
exercised) or Liens which individually or in the aggregate have
not had, and would not be reasonably likely to have or result
in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II.
(b) No material filing or registration with, declaration or
notification to, or order, authorization, consent or approval
of, any Governmental Entity or any other Person is required to
be obtained or made by Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II, or any of Parents other Subsidiaries, in
connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement by Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, or the
consummation by Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II of
either of the Mergers or any other transactions contemplated
hereby, except for (i) compliance with any applicable
requirements of the Exchange Act, (ii) compliance with any
applicable requirements of the Securities Act,
(iii) compliance with any applicable state securities or
blue sky or takeover Laws, (iv) compliance with
any applicable requirements of Canadian provincial securities
Laws, (v) the Parent Shareholder Approval, (vi) such
filings, authorizations, approvals or expiration or termination
of applicable waiting periods as may be required under
(A) the HSR Act or (B) any other Competition Laws,
rules or regulations, (vii) the filing of each of the
Certificates of Merger with the Secretary of State,
(viii) compliance with any applicable EC Merger
Regulations, (ix) compliance with French securities
regulatory requirements, including the requirements of the AMF,
(x) compliance with any applicable requirements of the
Exon-Florio Act, (xi) compliance with any applicable
requirements under stock exchange rules, and (xii) any such
filing, registration, declaration, notification, order,
authorization, consent or approval that the failure to obtain or
make individually or in the aggregate would not be reasonably
likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect on Parent.
Section 4.5 SEC
Reports and Financial Statements.
(a) Parent has timely filed with (i) the SEC and
(ii) the AMF all forms and documents required to be filed
by it since January 1, 2003 under the Exchange Act,
including its Annual Reports on
Form 20-F for the
years ended December 31, 2003, December 31, 2004 (as
amended by Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on
October 31, 2005 (Amendment No. 2) and
December 31, 2005, respectively (Parent SEC
Documents), or pursuant to French Law. As of their
respective dates or, if amended prior to the date of this
Agreement, as of the date of such amendment with respect to
those disclosures that are amended, the Parent SEC Documents,
including the financial statements and schedules provided
therein or incorporated
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by reference therein, (A) did not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading and (B) complied in all
material respects with the applicable requirements of the
Exchange Act, the Securities Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and
other applicable Laws as the case may be, and the applicable
rules and regulations of the SEC and other foreign regulatory
authorities thereunder.
(b) (i) The audited consolidated financial statements
of Parent (including any related notes and schedules) included
in its annual reports on
Form 20-F for
Parents fiscal years ended December 31, 2003 and 2004
fairly present in all material respects, in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles in France applied on a
consistent basis (except as may be indicated in the notes
thereto), the consolidated financial position of Parent and its
consolidated Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and their
consolidated results of operations and changes in financial
position for the periods then ended, and such audited
consolidated financial statements (in Amendment No. 2 with
respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004) are
reconciled to US GAAP as required by and in accordance with the
requirements of the Exchange Act and (ii) the audited
consolidated financial statements of Parent (including any
related notes and schedules) included in its annual reports on
Form 20-F for
Parents fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 fairly
present in all material respects, in conformity with
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
applied on a consistent basis (except as may be indicated in the
notes thereto), the consolidated financial position of Parent
and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and
their consolidated results of operations and changes in
financial position for the period then ended, and such audited
consolidated financial statements are reconciled to US GAAP as
required by and in accordance with the requirements of the
Exchange Act. For purposes of this Agreement, the Parent
Balance Sheet means the consolidated balance sheet of
Parent as of December 31, 2005 set forth in Parents
annual report on
Form 20-F for
Parents fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, and
Parent Balance Sheet Date means December 31,
2005.
Section 4.6 Absence
of Certain Changes.
(a) Since December 31, 2005, (i) Parent and its
Subsidiaries have conducted their respective business only in
the ordinary course consistent with past practice in all
material respects, and (ii) there has not occurred or
continued to exist any event, occurrence, effect, fact,
circumstance or condition which, individually or in the
aggregate, has had, or is reasonably likely to have or result
in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent.
(b) Since March 31, 2006 to the date of this
Agreement, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has
(i) declared, set aside or paid any dividend or other
distribution (whether in cash, stock or property) with respect
to any of Parents capital stock, (ii) effected or
authorized any split, combination or reclassification of any of
Parents capital stock or any issuance thereof or issued
any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in
substitution for shares of Parents capital stock, except
for issuances of Parent Common Stock upon the exercise of Parent
Options, in each case in accordance with their terms at the time
of exercise or upon conversion of the remainder of Parents
7.75% subordinated convertible bonds due 2012, as disclosed
in Parents report on
Form 6-K submitted
to the SEC on May 15, 2006, (iii) changed in any
material respect, or has knowledge of any reason that would have
required or would require changing in any material respect, any
accounting methods (or underlying assumptions), principles or
practices of Parent or its Subsidiaries, including any material
reserving, renewal or residual method, practice or policy,
except as required by IFRS or by applicable Law, (iv) made
any material Tax election or settled or compromised any material
income Tax liability, (v) made any material change in the
policies and procedures of Parent or its Subsidiaries in
connection with trading activities, (vi) revalued, or has
knowledge of any reason that would have required or would
require revaluing, any of Parent Assets in any material respect,
including writing down the value of any of Parent Assets or
writing off notes or accounts receivable other than in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, or
(vii) made any agreement or commitment (contingent or
otherwise) to do any of the foregoing.
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Section 4.7 Absence
of Undisclosed Liabilities. Since the date of Parent
Balance Sheet, none of Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II, nor any of Parents other Subsidiaries, has
incurred any liabilities or obligations (accrued, contingent or
otherwise), except for (i) liabilities incurred in the
ordinary course of business that individually or in the
aggregate have not had, and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent, and
(ii) liabilities in respect of Litigation (which are the
subject of Section of 4.10(a)). None of Parent, Merger Sub I or
Merger Sub II, nor any of Parents other Subsidiaries,
is in default in respect of the terms and conditions of any
indebtedness or other agreement which individually or in the
aggregate has had, or would be reasonably likely to have or
result in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent.
Section 4.8 Disclosure
Documents.
(a) Subject to the last sentence of Section 4.8(b),
the Registration Statement on
Form F-4 of Parent
(the
Form F-4)
and the Registration Statement on
Form F-6 of Parent
(the
Form F-6)
to be filed under the Securities Act relating to the issuance of
the Parent Depositary Shares pursuant to the First Merger and
the issuance of Parent Ordinary Shares underlying such Parent
Depositary Shares that may be required to be filed with the SEC,
and any amendments or supplements thereto, will, when filed,
subject to the last sentence of Section 4.8(b), comply as
to form in all material respects with the applicable
requirements of the Exchange Act and the Securities Act. The
Parent Necessary Corporate Documents to be delivered to, or put
at the disposal of, Parents shareholders in connection
with obtaining the Parent Shareholder Approval at the Parent
Shareholders Meeting will, when provided to Parents
shareholders, subject to the last sentence of
Section 4.8(b), comply as to form and substance in all
material respects with the applicable requirements of French
securities regulations.
(b) None of the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents or any
amendment or supplement thereto, will, at the date on which the
Parent Necessary Corporate Documents or any amendment or
supplement thereto is delivered or put at the disposal of the
shareholders of Parent or at the time such shareholders vote on
the matters constituting the Parent Shareholder Approval,
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are
made, not misleading. Neither the Form F-4, the
Form F-6 nor any
amendment or supplement thereto will at the time it becomes
effective under the Securities Act or at the time of the Parent
Shareholders Meeting contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no representation or
warranty is made by Parent in this Section 4.8 with respect
to statements made or incorporated by reference therein based on
information supplied by the Company for inclusion or
incorporation by reference in the Parent Necessary Corporate
Documents, the Form F 4 or the
Form F-6.
(c) None of the information supplied or to be supplied by
or on behalf of Parent for inclusion or incorporation by
reference in the Proxy Statement or any amendment or supplement
thereto will, at the date on which the Proxy Statement or any
amendment or supplement thereto is first mailed to stockholders
of the Company or at the time such stockholders vote on the
adoption of this Agreement, contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Section 4.9 Employee
Benefit Plans; ERISA.
(a) None of the bonus, deferred compensation, incentive
compensation, stock purchase, stock option, stock appreciation
right or other equity-based incentive, severance, termination,
change in control, retention, employment, hospitalization or
other medical, life or other insurance, disability, other
welfare, supplemental unemployment benefits, profit-sharing,
pension, or retirement plan, program, agreement or arrangement,
and each other employee compensation or benefit plan, program,
agreement or arrangement, ever sponsored, maintained or
contributed to by Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA
Affiliate of Parent, or to which Parent, any of its Subsidiaries
or any ERISA Affiliate of Parent is party, whether written or
oral, for the benefit of any current or former employee, officer
or director of Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA
Affiliate of Parent (the Parent Plans in effect as
of the date of this
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Agreement) is subject to Title IV or section 302 of
ERISA. No liability under Title IV or section 302 of
ERISA has been incurred by Parent or any ERISA Affiliate of
Parent that has not been satisfied in full, and no condition
exists that presents a material risk to Parent or any ERISA
Affiliate of Parent of incurring any such liability, other than
liability for premiums due the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation (which premiums have been paid when due). Insofar as
the representation made in this Section 4.9(a) applies to
sections 4064, 4069 or 4204 of Title IV of ERISA, it is
made with respect to any employee benefit plan, program,
agreement or arrangement subject to Title IV of ERISA to
which Parent or any ERISA Affiliate of Parent made, or was
required to make, contributions during the five-year period
ending on the last day of the most recent plan year ended prior
to the Closing Date.
(b) None of Parent, any ERISA Affiliate of Parent, any of
the Parent Plans, any trust created thereunder, nor any trustee
or administrator thereof has engaged in a transaction or has
taken or failed to take any action in connection with which
Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate of Parent
could be subject to a civil penalty assessed pursuant to
Section 409 or 502(i) of ERISA or a tax imposed pursuant to
Section 4975(a) or (b), 4976 or 4980B of the Code.
(c) Each of the Parent Plans has been operated and
administered in all material respects in accordance with its
terms, all employee plan summaries and booklets and applicable
Laws, including ERISA and the Code.
(d) Each of the Parent Plans that is intended to be
qualified within the meaning of Section 401(a)
of the Code is so qualified and the trusts maintained thereunder
are exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of the Code,
and Parent (or the relevant Subsidiary) has received a currently
effective determination letter from the IRS stating that it is
so qualified, and no event has occurred which would affect such
qualified status. Any fund established under a Parent Plan that
is intended to satisfy the requirements of
Section 501(c)(9) of the Code has so satisfied such
requirements.
(e) There has been no material failure of a Parent Plan
that is a group health plan (as defined in
section 5000(b)(1) of the Code) to meet the requirements of
section 4980B(f) of the Code with respect to a qualified
beneficiary (as defined in section 4980B(g) of the Code).
Neither Parent nor any Subsidiary has contributed to a
nonconforming group health plan (as defined in
section 5000(c) of the Code) and no ERISA Affiliate of
Parent or any Subsidiary has incurred a tax under
section 5000(a) of the Code which is or could become a
liability of Parent or a Subsidiary. There has been no material
failure on the part of Parent or any ERISA Affiliate of Parent
to comply with the Health Insurance Portability Accountability
Act of 1996, as amended.
(f) There are no pending or, to the knowledge of Parent,
threatened or anticipated claims by or on behalf of any Parent
Plan, by any employee or beneficiary under any such Parent Plan
or otherwise involving any such Parent Plan (other than routine
claims for benefits).
Section 4.10 Litigation;
Compliance with Law.
(a) Except for such Litigation that individually or in the
aggregate has not had, and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent,
(A) there is no Litigation pending or, to the knowledge of
Parent, threatened in writing against, relating to or naming as
a party thereto Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, or
any of Parents other Subsidiaries, any of their respective
properties or assets or any of Parents officers or
directors (in their capacities as such), (B) there is no
agreement, order, judgment, decree, injunction or award of any
Governmental Entity against and/or binding upon Parent, any of
its Subsidiaries or any of Parents officers or directors
(in their capacities as such) and (C) there is no
Litigation that Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, or
any of Parents other Subsidiaries, has pending against
other parties, where such Litigation is intended to enforce or
preserve material rights of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
(b) Except as individually or in the aggregate has not had,
and would not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a
Material Adverse Effect on Parent, each of Parent and its
Subsidiaries has complied, and is in compliance with all Laws
and Parent Permits which affect the respective businesses of
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, the Real Property and/or
Parent Assets, and Parent and its Subsidiaries have not
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been and are not in violation of any such Law or Permit; nor has
any notice, charge, claim or action been received by Parent or
any of its Subsidiaries or been filed, commenced, or to the
knowledge of Parent, threatened against Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries alleging any violation of the foregoing, except for
such violations or allegations of violations as individually or
in the aggregate have not had, and would not be reasonably
likely to have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent.
(c) Without limiting the generality of clause (b)
above and mindful of the principles of the United States
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other similar applicable
foreign laws, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor,
in any such case, any of their respective Representatives has
(i) made, offered or authorized any payment or given or
offered anything of value directly or indirectly (including
through a friend or family member with personal relationships
with government officials) to an official of any government for
the purpose of influencing an act or decision in his official
capacity or inducing him to use his influence with that
government with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries in
violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or
other similar applicable foreign laws, (ii) made, offered
or authorized any payment to any Governmental Entity, political
party or political candidate for the purpose of influencing any
official act or decision, or inducing such Person to use any
influence with that government with respect to Parent or any of
its Subsidiaries in violation of the United States Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act or other similar applicable foreign laws
or (iii) taken any action that would be reasonably likely
to subject Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to any material
liability or penalty under any and all Laws of any Governmental
Entity.
(d) Parent and its Subsidiaries hold all licenses, permits,
certifications, variances, consents, authorizations, waivers,
grants, franchises, concessions, exemptions, orders,
registrations and approvals of Governmental Entities or other
Persons necessary for the ownership, leasing, operation,
occupancy and use of the Real Property, Parent Assets and the
conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted
(Parent Permits), except where the failure to hold
such Parent Permits individually or in the aggregate has not
had, and would not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a
Material Adverse Effect on Parent. Neither Parent nor any of its
Subsidiaries has received notice that any Parent Permit will be
terminated or modified or cannot be renewed in the ordinary
course of business, and Parent has no knowledge of any
reasonable basis for any such termination, modification or
nonrenewal. The execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement and the consummation of the Mergers or any other
transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not violate any
Parent Permit, or result in any termination, modification or
nonrenewal thereof, except in each case for such violations,
terminations, modifications or nonrenewals that individually or
in the aggregate have not had, and would not be reasonably
likely to have or result in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent.
(e) This Section 4.10 does not relate to matters with
respect to (i) Parent Plans, ERISA and other employee
benefit matters (which are the subject of Section 4.9), or
(ii) Tax Laws and other Tax matters (which are the subject
of Section 4.13).
Section 4.11 Intellectual
Property.
(a) Except as set forth in Section 4.11(a) of the
Parent Disclosure Letter or as individually or in the aggregate
would not be reasonably likely to have or result in, a Material
Adverse Effect on Parent:
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(i) Parent, or one of its Subsidiaries, is the sole and
exclusive owner of, or possesses adequate licenses or other
rights to use all Intellectual Property used in the present
conduct of the businesses of Parent and its Subsidiaries,
(Parent IP Rights) free and clear of all security
interests (except Permitted Liens) including but not limited to
liens, charges, mortgages, title retention agreements or title
defects; |
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(ii) to Parents knowledge, no consent, co-existence
or settlement agreements, judgments, or court orders limit or
restrict Parents or any of its Subsidiarys ownership
rights in and to any Intellectual Property owned by them; |
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(iii) the conduct of the business of Parent and its
Subsidiaries as presently conducted does not, to the knowledge
of Parent, infringe or misappropriate any third Persons
Intellectual Property; or |
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(iv) to the knowledge of Parent, no third Person is
infringing or misappropriating any Intellectual Property, owned
by Parent or its Subsidiaries, and to the knowledge of Parent
there is no litigation pending or threatened in writing by or
against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge
of Parent, has Parent or any of its Subsidiaries received any
written charge, claim, complaint, demand, letter or notice, that
asserts a claim (a) alleging that any or all of Parent IP
Rights infringe or misappropriate any third partys
Intellectual Property, or (b) challenging the ownership,
use, validity, or enforceability of any Parent IP Right. |
(b) All Intellectual Property owned by Parent or its
Subsidiaries that is the subject of an application for
registration or a registration (Registered Parent
IP) is to the knowledge of Parent, in force, and all
application, renewal and maintenance fees in relation to all
Registered Parent IP have been paid to date, except for any
Registered Parent IP that Parent has abandoned, not renewed or
allowed to expire.
(c) Except for such matters as individually or in the
aggregate have not had and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in a Material Adverse Effect on Parent, to
Parents knowledge (i) there does not exist, nor has
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries received written notice of,
any breach of or violation or default under, any of the terms,
conditions or provisions of any material contracts related to
Parent IP Rights, and (ii) neither Parent nor any of its
Subsidiaries has received written notice of the desire of the
other party or parties to any such material contracts relating
to Parent IP Rights to exercise any rights such party or parties
have to cancel, terminate or repudiate such material contract
relating to Parent IP Rights or exercise remedies thereunder.
Section 4.12 Material
Contracts.
(a) Except for such agreements or arrangements that are
included as an exhibit to the Parent SEC Documents, as of the
date hereof, none of Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II,
nor any of Parents other Subsidiaries, is a party to or
bound by any contract, arrangement, commitment or understanding
(whether written or oral) (i) which is a material contract
(as defined in Item 19 of
Form 20-F under
the Securities Act) to be performed after the date of this
Agreement, (ii) which expressly limits the ability of
Parent or any Subsidiary Parent to compete in or conduct any
line of business or compete with any Person or in any geographic
area or during any period of time, in each case, if such
limitation is or is reasonably likely to be material to Parent
and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (iii) which is a
material joint venture agreement, joint operating agreement,
partnership agreement or other similar contract or agreement
involving a sharing of profits and expenses with one or more
third Persons, or (iv) which is a shareholder rights
agreement or which otherwise provides for the issuance of any
securities in respect of this Agreement or the Mergers. Each
contract, arrangement, commitment or understanding of the type
described in this Section 4.12(a), whether or not set forth
in Section 4.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter, is
referred to herein as a Parent Material Contract.
Parent has previously made available to the Company true,
complete and correct copies of each Parent Material Contract
that is not included as an exhibit to the Parent SEC Documents.
(b) Each Parent Material Contract is valid and binding and
in full force and effect and Parent and each of its Subsidiaries
have performed all obligations required to be performed by them
to date under each Parent Material Contract, except where such
failure to be valid and binding or in full force and effect or
such failure to perform individually or in the aggregate has not
had and would not be reasonably likely to have or result in a
Material Adverse Effect on Parent. Except for such matters as
individually or in the aggregate have not had and would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect
on Parent, to Parents knowledge (i) there does not
exist, nor has Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II or any
of Parents other Subsidiaries received written notice of,
any breach of or violation or default under, any of the terms,
conditions or provisions of any Parent Material Contract and
(ii) none of Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II or
any of Parents other Subsidiaries has received written
notice of the desire of the other party or parties to any such
Parent Material Contract to exercise any rights such party has
to cancel, terminate or repudiate such Parent Material Contract
or exercise remedies thereunder. Each Parent Material Contract
is enforceable by Parent or a Subsidiary of Parent in accordance
with its terms, except as such enforcement may be subject to or
limited by (x) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
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moratorium or other Laws, now or hereafter in effect, affecting
creditors rights generally and (y) the effect of
general principles of equity (regardless of whether
enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in
equity) or except where such unenforceability individually or in
the aggregate has not had and would not be reasonably likely to
have or result in a Material Adverse Effect on Parent.
Section 4.13 Taxes.
(a) (i) All material Returns required to be filed by
or with respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries have been filed
in accordance with all applicable Laws and all such returns are
true, correct and complete in all material respects,
(ii) Parent and its Subsidiaries have timely paid all
material Taxes due or claimed to be due, except for those Taxes
being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves
have been established in the financial statements of Parent,
(iii) all material Employment and Withholding Taxes and any
other material amounts required to be withheld with respect to
Taxes have been withheld and either duly and timely paid to the
proper governmental authority or properly set aside in accounts
for such purpose in accordance with applicable Laws and all
material sales or transfer Taxes required to be collected by
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries have been duly and timely
collected, or caused to be collected, and either duly and timely
remitted to the proper Governmental Entity or properly set aside
in accounts for such purpose in accordance with applicable Laws,
(iv) the charges, accruals and reserves for Taxes with
respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries reflected in Parent
Balance Sheet are adequate under IFRS to cover Tax liabilities
accruing through the date thereof, (v) no deficiencies for
any Taxes have been asserted or assessed, or, to the knowledge
of Parent, proposed, against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
that have not been paid in full, except for those Taxes being
contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have
been established in the financial statements of Parent, and
(vi) there is no action, suit, proceeding, investigation,
audit or claim underway, pending or, to the knowledge of Parent,
threatened or scheduled to commence, against or with respect to
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of any material Tax.
(b) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has been
included in any consolidated, unitary or
combined Return (other than Returns which include
only Parent and any Subsidiaries of Parent) provided for under
the Laws of the United States, any foreign jurisdiction or any
state or locality or could be liable for the Taxes of any other
Person as a successor or transferee.
(c) There are no Tax sharing, allocation, indemnification
or similar agreements in effect as between Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries or any predecessor or affiliate of any of them and
any other party under which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
could be liable for any Taxes of any party other than Parent or
any Subsidiary of Parent.
(d) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries have, as of
the Closing Date, entered into an agreement or waiver extending
any statute of limitations relating to the payment or collection
of material Taxes or the time with respect to the filing of any
Return relating to any material Taxes.
(e) There are no Liens for material Taxes on any asset of
Parent or its Subsidiaries, except for Permitted Liens.
(f) Each of Parent and its Subsidiaries has disclosed on
its Returns all positions taken therein that could give rise to
a substantial understatement of Tax within the meaning of
Section 6662 of the Code.
(g) Neither Parent nor its Subsidiaries is the subject of
or bound by any private letter ruling, technical advice
memorandum, closing agreement or similar ruling, memorandum or
agreement with any taxing authority with respect to material
Taxes.
(h) Neither Parent nor its Subsidiaries has entered into,
has any liability in respect of, or has any filing obligations
with respect to, any transaction that constitutes a
reportable transaction, as defined in
Section 1.6011-4(b)(1) of the Treasury Regulations.
(i) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries will be
required to include any item of income in, or exclude any
material item of deduction from, taxable income for any taxable
period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a
result of any (i) change in method of accounting for a
taxable period
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ending on or prior to the Closing Date under Section 481(c)
of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state,
local or foreign tax law) or (ii) closing
agreement as described in Section 7121 of the Code
(or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or
foreign tax law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date.
(j) Since January 1, 2000, neither Parent nor any of
its Subsidiaries has undergone an ownership change
as defined pursuant to Section 382(g) of the Code.
(k) None of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has been a
distributing corporation or a controlled corporation for
purposes of Section 355 of the Code.
(l) For the last 36 months, Parent has been
continuously engaged in an active trade or business outside the
United States, within the meaning of §1.367(a)-2T(b)(2) and
(3) and Parent has no plan or intention to dispose of or
discontinue such active trade or business.
Section 4.14 Parent
Assets.
Except as individually or in the aggregate would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect
on Parent, Parent and its Subsidiaries own, or otherwise have
sufficient and legally enforceable rights to use, all of their
respective tangible properties and assets (real, personal or
mixed) (the Parent Assets) that they purport to own.
Except as individually or in the aggregate would not be
reasonably likely to have or result in a Material Adverse Effect
on Parent, Parent and its Subsidiaries have valid title to, or
in the case of leased property have valid leasehold interests
in, all such Parent Assets, including all such Parent Assets
reflected in Parent Balance Sheet or acquired since the date
thereof (except as may have been disposed of since
December 31, 2005 or may be disposed of after the date of
this Agreement in accordance with this Agreement in either case
in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice), in each case free and clear of any Liens, except
Permitted Liens. All material operating equipment of Parent and
its Subsidiaries is, in the aggregate, in a state of repair so
as to be adequate in all material respects for reasonably
prudent operations in the areas in which they are operated.
Section 4.15 Financing.
Parent has received a commitment letter (including the term
sheet referenced therein, but excluding the fee letter
referenced therein) from Credit Suisse International (the
Commitment Letter) whereby such financial
institution has committed, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth therein, to provide, debt financing that,
when combined with Parents other sources of financing
(including cash on hand), is sufficient to fund the Total Cash
Amount and the expenses of Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger
Sub II in connection with the Mergers. Parent has delivered
to the Company a true, complete and correct copy of the letter
referred to in this Section 4.15 as in effect on the date
hereof (including any amendments in effect through the date of
this Agreement). The Commitment Letter is in full force and
effect. The obligations of the financing sources to fund the
commitments under the Commitment Letter are not subject to any
conditions other than as set forth in the Commitment Letter. As
of the date of this Agreement, no event has occurred that (with
or without notice, lapse of time, or both) would constitute a
breach or default under the Commitment Letter by Parent. As of
the date of this Agreement, Parent has no knowledge of any facts
or circumstances that are reasonably likely to result in
(i) any of the conditions set forth in the Commitment
Letter not being satisfied or (ii) the funding contemplated
in the Commitment Letter not being made available to Parent on a
timely basis in order to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 4.16 Affiliate
Transactions. Section 4.16 of the Parent Disclosure
Letter contains a complete and correct list of all material
agreements, contracts, transfers of assets or liabilities or
other commitments or transactions, whether or not entered into
in the ordinary course of business, to or by which Parent or any
of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any of their
respective affiliates (other than Parent or any of its direct or
indirect wholly owned Subsidiaries) on the other hand, are or
have been a party or otherwise bound or affected, and that
(a) are currently pending, in effect or have been in effect
at any time since December 31, 2005 or (b) involve
continuing liabilities and obligations that, individually or in
the aggregate, have been, are or will be material to Parent and
its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
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Section 4.17 Derivative
Transactions and Hedging. Section 4.17 of the
Parent Disclosure Letter contains a complete and correct list of
all Derivative Transactions (including each outstanding
commodity or financial hedging position) entered into by Parent
or any of its Subsidiaries or for the account of any of its
customers as of the date of this Agreement. All such Derivative
Transactions were, and any Derivative Transactions entered into
after the date of this Agreement will be, entered into in
accordance with applicable Laws, and in accordance with the
investment, securities, commodities, risk management and other
policies, practices and procedures employed by Parent and its
Subsidiaries, and were, and will be, entered into with
counterparties believed at the time, and except as set forth in
Section 4.17 of the Parent Disclosure Letter, still
believes to be financially responsible and able to understand
(either alone or in consultation with their advisers) and to
bear the risks of such Derivative Transactions. Parent and each
of its Subsidiaries have, and will have, duly performed all of
their respective obligations under the Derivative Transactions
to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued,
and, to the knowledge of Parent, there are and will be no
breaches, violations, collateral deficiencies, requests for
collateral or demands for payment, or defaults or allegations or
assertions of such by any party thereunder.
Section 4.18 Disclosure
Controls and Procedures. Parent has established and
maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in
Rules 13a-14(c)
and 15d-14(c) of the
Exchange Act) that are reasonably designed to ensure that all
material information (both financial and non-financial) required
to be disclosed by Parent in the reports that it files or
submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the
rules and forms of the SEC and that all such information is
accumulated and communicated to Parents management as
appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Parent required under the
Exchange Act with respect to such reports. Except as set forth
in Section 4.18 of the Parent Disclosure Letter and subject
to the compliance dates for foreign private issuers
as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, neither
Parent nor its independent auditors have identified any
significant deficiencies or material
weaknesses in Parents or any of its
Subsidiaries internal controls as contemplated under
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Section 4.19 Investment
Company. Parent is not an investment
company, a company controlled by an
investment company, or an investment
adviser within the meaning of the Investment Company Act
or the Investment Advisers Act.
Section 4.20 OFAC.
Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their
respective directors, officers, employees or affiliates, to
Parents knowledge, is a Person with whom transactions are
currently prohibited under any U.S. sanctions administered
by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the
U.S. Department of Treasury or equivalent European Union
measure.
Section 4.21 Recommendation
of Parent Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of
Parent (the Parent Board), at a meeting duly called
and held, (a) determined that this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby are advisable and are fair to,
and in the best interests of, the shareholders of Parent,
(b) approved this Agreement and transactions contemplated
hereby, and (c) resolved to recommend approval of the
matters constituting the Parent Shareholder Approval.
Section 4.22 Required
Vote by Parent Shareholders. The Parent Shareholder
Approval is the only vote of the holders of any class or series
of Parents capital stock necessary under applicable law to
approve and adopt the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
Section 4.23 Brokers.
Except for Credit Suisse and Rothschild, no broker, finder or
investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finders or
other fee or commission in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement based upon arrangements made by
or on behalf of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. Parent is
solely responsible for the fees and expenses of Credit Suisse
Securities (USA) LLC and Rothschild as and to the extent
set forth in their respective engagement letters.
Section 4.23 of the Parent Disclosure Letter accurately
describes the fees payable under such engagement letter.
Section 4.24 Ownership
of Company Common Stock. None of Parent, Merger Sub I or
Merger Sub II is an interested stockholder
(within the meaning of Section 203 of the DGCL) with
respect to
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the Company and has not, within the last three years, been an
interested stockholder with respect to the Company.
Section 4.25 Takeover
Statutes. The Parent Board has taken the necessary
action, if any, to make inapplicable to this Agreement, the
Mergers and the other transactions contemplated hereby any
applicable antitakeover or similar statute or regulation under
French Law or any other applicable antitakeover Law.
Section 4.26 No
Other Representations or Warranties. Except for the
representations and warranties contained in this
Article IV, neither Parent nor any other Person makes any
other express or implied representation or warranty on behalf of
Parent or any of its affiliates in connection with this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
ARTICLE V
COVENANTS
Section 5.1 Interim
Operations of the Company.
The Company covenants and agrees as to itself and its
Subsidiaries that during the period from the date of this
Agreement until the Merger I Effective Time or the date, if any,
on which this Agreement is earlier terminated pursuant to
Section 7.1, except as (w) set forth in
Section 5.1 of the Company Disclosure Letter,
(x) expressly contemplated or permitted by this Agreement,
(y) required by applicable Law, or (z) consented to in
writing by Parent after the date of this Agreement and prior to
the Merger I Effective Time (which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned):
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(a) the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall
be conducted only in the ordinary course substantially
consistent with past practices, and the Company shall use
reasonable best efforts to preserve intact its business
organization and goodwill and the business organization and
goodwill of its Subsidiaries and to keep available the services
of their current officers and key employees and preserve and
maintain existing relations with key customers, suppliers,
officers, employees and creditors; |
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(b) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, (i) enter into any new line of business,
or (ii) incur or commit to any capital expenditures, or any
obligations or liabilities in connection with any capital
expenditures other than capital expenditures and obligations or
liabilities incurred or committed to in an amount not greater in
the aggregate than, and during the same time period set forth
in, the Companys current capital budget reviewed by the
Company Board in August 2006, the amount of which has been
furnished to Parent prior to the date of this Agreement (the
Capital Budget), and excluding capital expenditures
to repair lost or damaged property or equipment in the ordinary
course of business substantially consistent with past practice;
provided, however, if the Closing Date has not
occurred on or prior to January 15, 2006 but is reasonably
expected to occur within the succeeding 60 days, then the
Company shall prepare and provide to Parent a revised capital
budget for the remainder of the Companys fiscal year which
describes and reprioritizes the capital expenditures and
commitments intended to be made in the remainder of the fiscal
year based on the then current facts and circumstances for the
Company and the potential impact on the combined company. The
Company and Parent agree to work in good faith to reasonably
agree on the revised plan taking into account what is prudent
and appropriate for the business of the Company; and if Parent
objects to the aggregate amount of such spending the Company
will endeavor to revise the plan in accordance with the
reasonable objections from Parent except (i) to the extent
that the Company Board determines in good faith that to make
such revisions would be reasonably likely to adversely effect
the Companys competitive position, future operating
results, the safety of its employees or its compliance with Law,
(ii) to the extent the proposed spending or commitments are
consistent with past practice and prudent operation of the
business of the Company or (iii) where permitting Parent to
participate in the spending decision would violate or prejudice
the rights of its customers or contravene any Law or binding
agreement entered into prior to the date of this Agreement. If a
revised plan is agreed among the Company and Parent, the Company |
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shall not spend or make commitments for capital spending in
excess of the amounts set forth in the revised plan, subject to
the right to make emergency expenditures and commitments to the
extent that unforeseen circumstances require it; |
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(c) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, amend its certificate of incorporation or
bylaws or similar organizational documents; |
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(d) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries (other than direct or indirect wholly owned
Subsidiaries) to, declare, set aside or pay any dividend or
other distribution, whether payable in cash, stock or any other
property or right, with respect to its capital stock or other
equity interests; and the Company shall not, nor shall it permit
any of its Subsidiaries to (i) adjust, split, combine or
reclassify any capital stock or other equity interests or issue,
grant, sell, transfer, pledge, dispose of or encumber any
additional shares of, or securities convertible into or
exchangeable for, or options, warrants, calls, commitments or
rights of any kind to acquire, any shares of capital stock of
any class or of any other such securities or agreements of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than issuances
(A) of shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to the
Convertible Company Debt, the Company Options, the ESPP Options,
Deferred Share Units and awards under the LTIP Plan, in each
case outstanding on the date of this Agreement or, with respect
to Company Options, issued in accordance with the proviso to
this clause (i), (B) by a wholly owned Subsidiary of
the Company of such Subsidiarys capital stock or other
equity interests to the Company or any other wholly owned
Subsidiary of the Company, (C) of the LTIP Shares pursuant
to LTIP awards made prior to the date of this Agreement in
accordance with the terms in effect on the date of this
Agreement, or (D) pursuant to the Company Rights or the
Company Rights Agreement in effect on the date of this
Agreement, provided that if the First Merger shall not have been
consummated on or prior to December 31, 2006, the parties
recognize that the Company may need to grant Company Options to
employees in such amounts, and on such terms and conditions, as
shall be reasonably acceptable to Parent, or (ii) redeem,
purchase or otherwise acquire directly or indirectly any of its
capital stock or any other securities or agreements of the type
described in clause (i) of this Section 5.1(d), except
as (1) required by the terms of any capital stock of, or
other equity interests in, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries outstanding on the date of this Agreement and
described in Section 5.1(d)(ii)(1) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, (2) contemplated by any Company Plan
existing on the date of this Agreement and described in
Section 5.1(d)(ii)(2) of the Company Disclosure Letter or
(3) contemplated by any employment agreement of the Company
existing on the date of this Agreement and described in
Section 5.1(d)(ii)(3) of the Company Disclosure Letter; |
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(e) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, (i) except for normal increases in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice (or,
with respect to employees, in connection with promotions on a
basis consistent with past practice), grant any increase in the
compensation or benefits payable or to become payable by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any former or current
director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, (ii) except as required to comply with
applicable Law or any agreement in existence on the date of this
Agreement or as expressly provided in this Agreement, adopt,
enter into, amend or otherwise increase, or accelerate the
payment or vesting of the amounts, benefits or rights payable or
accrued or to become payable or accrued under any bonus,
incentive compensation, deferred compensation, severance,
termination, change in control, retention, hospitalization or
other medical, life, disability, insurance or other welfare,
profit sharing, stock option, stock appreciation right,
restricted stock or other equity based, pension, retirement or
other employee compensation or benefit plan, program agreement
or arrangement except such amendments, if any, as may reasonably
be required by Law or be advisable in order to minimize
liability for any additional Taxes that might be imposed under
Section 409A of the Code in the absence of such an
amendment; provided, however, that the cost
associated with such amendment is reasonably acceptable to
Parent or (iii) enter into or amend any employment
agreement or, except in accordance with existing contracts or
agreements, grant any severance or termination pay to any
officer, director or employee of the Company or any of |
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its Subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and
(iii), for employment agreements or arrangements with new hires
in the ordinary course of business substantially consistent with
past practice; |
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(f) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, change its methods of accounting in effect at
July 31, 2005, except changes in accordance with US GAAP as
concurred to by the Companys independent auditors or as
disclosed in the Specified Company SEC Disclosure; |
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(g) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, acquire by merging or consolidating with, by
purchasing an equity interest in or a portion of the assets of,
or by any other manner, any Person or other business
organization, division or business of such Person or other than
in the ordinary course of business substantially consistent with
past practices any material assets; provided,
however, that the foregoing shall not be deemed to
prohibit a merger involving only one of the Companys
wholly owned Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and another of the
Companys wholly owned Subsidiaries on the other hand or
the acquisition of assets to the extent permitted by
Section 5.1(b); |
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(h) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, sell, lease, exchange, transfer or otherwise
dispose of, or agree to sell, lease, exchange, transfer or
otherwise dispose of, any of the Company Assets, except for
(A) the licensing of data or commercial software in the
ordinary course of business substantially consistent with past
practice, (B) any sale, lease or disposition pursuant to
agreements existing on the date of this Agreement and entered
into in the ordinary course of business or disclosed in
Section 5.1(h) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
(C) sales of surplus or obsolete equipment in the ordinary
course of business substantially consistent with past practice
or (D) any sale, lease or disposition in an arms length
transaction, for not materially less than fair market value and
not in excess of $1.0 million individually or
$25.0 million in the aggregate; |
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(i) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, grant any
security interest in, or otherwise subject to any other Lien
other than Permitted Liens, any of the Company Assets; |
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(j) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, (i) except as set forth in
clause (ii) below, pay, discharge or satisfy any material
claims (including claims of stockholders), liabilities or
obligations (absolute, accrued, asserted or unasserted,
contingent or otherwise) where such payment, discharge or
satisfaction would require any material payment except for the
payment, discharge or satisfaction of liabilities or obligations
in accordance with the terms of the Company Material Contracts
as in effect on the date of this Agreement or entered into after
the date of this Agreement in the ordinary course of business
substantially consistent with past practice and not in violation
of this Agreement, in each case to which the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries is a party, or (ii) compromise, settle,
grant any waiver or release relating to any Litigation, other
than settlements or compromises of litigation where the amount
paid or to be paid does not exceed $1.0 million for any
individual claim or series of related claims, or
$10.0 million in the aggregate for all claims; |
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(k) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, engage in any transaction with (except pursuant
to agreements in effect at the time of this Agreement insofar as
such agreements are disclosed in Section 3.18 of the
Company Disclosure Letter), or enter into any agreement,
arrangement, or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any
of the Companys affiliates; provided, that for the
avoidance of doubt, for purposes of this clause (k), the
term affiliates shall not include any employees of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than the directors
and executive officers thereof and employees who share the same
household with such directors and executive officers; |
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(l) other than as required by Law, the Company shall not,
nor shall it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, change any Tax
method of accounting, make or change any material Tax election, |
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amend any material Return or settle or compromise any material
Tax liability other than in the ordinary course of business
substantially consistent with past practice; |
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(m) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, take any action that would reasonably be
expected to result in (i) any of the conditions to the
Mergers set forth in Article VI not being satisfied, or
(ii) a Material Adverse Effect on the Company; |
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(n) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, adopt or enter into a plan of complete or
partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation,
restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the First Merger)
or any agreement relating to an Acquisition Proposal, except for
Acceptable Confidentiality Agreements and except as permitted in
Section 5.1(g); |
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(o) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, (i) incur or assume any long-term debt, or
except in the ordinary course of business substantially
consistent with past practice and in no event exceeding
$10.0 million in the aggregate, incur or assume any
short-term indebtedness, (ii) modify any material
indebtedness or other liability to increase the Companys
(or any of its Subsidiaries) obligations with respect
thereto, (iii) assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise
become liable or responsible (whether directly, contingently or
otherwise) for the obligations of any other Person (other than a
wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company), except in the ordinary
course of business and substantially consistent with past
practice and in no event exceeding $10 million in the
aggregate, (iv) make any loans, advances or capital
contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (other
than to wholly owned Subsidiaries of the Company, or by such
Subsidiaries to the Company, or customary loans or advances to
employees substantially consistent with past practice or
short-term investments of cash in the ordinary course of
business in accordance with the Companys cash management
procedures), or (v) enter into any material commitment or
transaction, except in the ordinary course of business and
substantially consistent with past practice and in no event
exceeding $5 million in the aggregate; provided,
however, that the restrictions in this
Section 5.1(o) shall not prohibit the incurrence of any
long-term debt or short-term indebtedness or other liability or
obligation by the Company that is owed to any wholly owned
Subsidiary of the Company or by any Subsidiary of the Company
that is owed to the Company or another wholly owned Subsidiary
of the Company; provided further, however,
that the limitations in this Section 5.1(o) shall not apply
to (w) letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of
business by the Companys lenders in favor of any customer
of the Company or its Subsidiaries in connection with any
services to be performed by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, (x) surety or performance bonds issued at the
request of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries issued by
third Persons in favor of any customer of the Company or its
Subsidiaries in connection with any services to be performed by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (y) guarantees by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not secured
by cash deposit, of the obligations described in
clause (x) above and (z) capital expenditures
permitted by Section 5.1(b); |
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(p) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, enter into any agreement, understanding or
commitment that expressly limits the ability of the Company or
any Subsidiary of the Company, or would limit the ability of the
Surviving Corporation or any Affiliate of the Surviving
Corporation after the Merger II Effective Time, to compete
in or conduct any line of business or compete with any Person or
in any geographic area or during any period of time, in each
case, if such limitation is or is reasonably likely to be
material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
or, following the Merger II Effective Time, to the
Surviving Corporation and its Affiliates, taken as a whole; |
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(q) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, enter into any material joint venture,
partnership or other similar arrangement or materially amend or
modify in an adverse manner the terms of (or waive any material
rights under) any existing material joint venture, partnership
or other similar arrangement (other than any such action between
its wholly owned Subsidiaries); |
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(r) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, terminate any Company Material Contract to
which it is a party or waive or assign any of its rights or
claims under any Company Material Contract in a manner that is
materially adverse to the Company or, except in the ordinary
course of business substantially consistent with past practice,
modify or amend in any material respect any Company Material
Contract; and |
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(s) the Company shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, enter into an agreement, contract, commitment
or arrangement to do any of the foregoing. |
Section 5.2 Interim
Operations of Parent.
Parent covenants and agrees that during the period from the date
of this Agreement until the Merger I Effective Time or the date,
if any, on which this Agreement is earlier terminated pursuant
to Section 7.1, except as (x) expressly contemplated
or permitted by this Agreement, (y) required by applicable
Law, or (z) consented to in writing by the Company after
the date of this Agreement and prior to the Merger I Effective
Time (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed
or conditioned):
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(a) the business of Parent and its Subsidiaries shall be
conducted only in the ordinary course substantially consistent
with past practices; provided, however, that the
foregoing shall not be deemed (i) to prohibit Parent or any
of its Subsidiaries from engaging in any acquisition or
divestiture transaction that would not reasonably be expected to
materially impair, delay or prevent the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) to
prohibit Parent from taking any action in response to an
unsolicited proposal to acquire directly or indirectly all or
any substantial portion of the assets or equity of Parent or any
of its Subsidiaries; |
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(b) Parent shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary of
Parent that is not wholly owned by Parent to, declare, set aside
or pay any extraordinary, special or other dividend or
distribution, whether payable in cash, stock or any other
property or right, with respect to its capital stock or other
equity interests; |
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(c) Parent shall not issue, grant, sell, transfer or
distribute to any employee of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
any options, warrants, calls, commitments or rights of any kind
to acquire any Parent Ordinary Shares, other than in the
ordinary course of business substantially consistent with past
practices; |
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(d) Parent will not, and will not permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire directly
or indirectly any of Parents capital stock, except for
repurchases, redemptions or acquisitions (i) required by
the terms of Parents capital stock or any securities
outstanding on the date of this Agreement,
(ii) contemplated by any Parent Plan existing on the date
of this Agreement or (iii) pursuant to arrangements
described in Section 5.2 of the Parent Disclosure Letter; |
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(e) Parent shall not change its methods of accounting in
effect at December 31, 2005, except in accordance with
changes in IFRS or applicable Law as concurred to by
Parents independent auditors; |
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(f) Parent shall not amend its articles of association or
by-laws in a manner that adversely affects the terms of the
Parent Ordinary Shares; |
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(g) Parent shall not adopt or enter into a plan of complete
or partial liquidation or dissolution; |
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(h) Parent shall not take any action that would reasonably
be expected to result in (i) any of the conditions to the
Mergers set forth in Article VI not being satisfied or
(ii) a Material Adverse Effect on Parent; |
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(i) Parent shall not, nor shall it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, make any material change to any Tax method of
accounting, make or change any material Tax election, amend any
material Return or settle or compromise any material Tax
liability, except where such action would not have a material
effect on the Tax position of Parent and its Subsidiaries taken
as a whole; and |
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(j) Parent shall not enter into an agreement, contract,
commitment or arrangement to do any of the foregoing. |
Section 5.3 Acquisition
Proposals.
(a) The Company agrees that, except as expressly
contemplated by this Agreement, neither it nor any of its
Subsidiaries shall, and the Company shall, and shall cause its
Subsidiaries to, cause their respective officers, directors,
investment bankers, attorneys, accountants, financial advisors,
agents and other representatives (collectively,
Representatives) not to (i) directly or
indirectly initiate, solicit or knowingly encourage or
facilitate (including by way of furnishing non-public
information) any inquiries regarding or the making or submission
of any proposal that constitutes, or may reasonably be expected
to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company,
(ii) participate or engage in discussions or negotiations
with, or disclose any non-public information relating to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or afford access to the
properties, books or records of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to any Person that has made an Acquisition Proposal
with respect to the Company or to any Person that the Company,
any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective
Representatives knows or has reason to believe is contemplating
making an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company, or
(iii) accept an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the
Company or enter into any agreement, including any letter of
intent or agreement in principle (other than an Acceptable
Confidentiality Agreement in circumstances contemplated in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 5.3(a)),
(x) providing for, constituting or relating to an
Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company or
(y) that would require, or would have the effect of
causing, the Company to abandon, terminate or fail to consummate
the First Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. Any violation of the foregoing restrictions by any of
the Companys Subsidiaries or by any Representative of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not such
Representative is so authorized, shall be deemed to be a breach
of this Agreement by the Company. Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary in this Agreement, the Company and the Company
Board may take any actions described in clause (ii) of this
Section 5.3(a) with respect to a third party at any time
prior to obtaining the Company Required Vote if, prior to such
vote, (x) the Company receives a written Acquisition
Proposal with respect to the Company from such third party (and
such Acquisition Proposal was not initiated, solicited,
knowingly encouraged or facilitated by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their respective Representatives after
the date of this Agreement), (y) the Company Board
determines in good faith (after consultation with its financial
advisors) that such proposal constitutes or is reasonably likely
to result in a Superior Proposal with respect to the Company,
and (z) the Company Board determines in good faith, after
consultation with its outside counsel, that the failure to
participate in such negotiations or discussions or to furnish
such information or data to such third party would be reasonably
expected to be inconsistent with the Company Boards
fiduciary duties under applicable Law, provided that
(I) the Company shall not deliver any information to such
third party without entering into an Acceptable Confidentiality
Agreement and (II) actions taken pursuant to this sentence
shall not constitute a violation of clause (i) of this
Section 5.3(a). Nothing contained in this Section 5.3
shall prohibit the Company or the Company Board from taking and
disclosing to the Companys stockholders a position with
respect to an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company
pursuant to
Rule 14d-9 and
14e-2(a) promulgated
under the Exchange Act or from making any similar disclosure, in
either case to the extent required by applicable Law.
(b) Neither the Company Board nor any committee thereof
shall directly or indirectly (i) (A) withdraw (or
amend or modify in a manner adverse to Parent, Merger Sub I or
Merger Sub II), or publicly propose to withdraw (or amend
or modify in a manner adverse to Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II), the approval, recommendation or declaration of
advisability by the Company Board or any such committee thereof
of this Agreement, the First Merger or the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or (B) recommend, adopt or
approve, or propose publicly to recommend, adopt or approve, any
Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company (any action
described in this clause (i) being referred to as a
Company Adverse Recommendation Change) or
(ii) approve or recommend, or publicly propose to approve
or recommend (unless, in each case, in conjunction with a
Company Adverse Recommendation Change permitted under this
Section 5.3(b)), or allow the Company or any of its
A-46
Subsidiaries to execute or enter into, any agreement, including
any letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in
principle, merger agreement, acquisition agreement, option
agreement, joint venture agreement, partnership agreement or
other similar agreement, arrangement or understanding,
(A) constituting or related to, or that is intended to or
could reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition
Proposal with respect to the Company (other than an Acceptable
Confidentiality Agreement permitted pursuant to
Section 5.3(a)) (each an Acquisition Agreement)
or (B) requiring it to abandon, terminate or fail to
consummate the First Merger or any other transaction
contemplated by this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, at any time prior to obtaining the
Company Required Vote, and subject to the Companys
compliance at all times with the provisions of this
Section 5.3 and Section 5.6, in response to a Superior
Proposal with respect to the Company, the Company Board or any
committee thereof may make a Company Adverse Recommendation
Change; provided, however, that the Company shall
not be entitled to exercise its right to make a Company Adverse
Recommendation Change in response to a Superior Proposal with
respect to the Company (X) until three Business Days after
the Company provides written notice to Parent (a Company
Notice) advising Parent that the Company Board or a
committee thereof has received a Superior Proposal with respect
to the Company, specifying the material terms and conditions of
such Superior Proposal and identifying the Person or group
making such Superior Proposal and (Y) if during such three
Business Day period, Parent proposes any alternative transaction
(including any modifications to the terms of this Agreement),
unless the Company Board determines in good faith (1) after
consultation with its financial advisors and outside legal
counsel, and taking into account all financial, legal, and
regulatory terms and conditions of such alternative transaction
proposal) that such alternative transaction proposal is not at
least as favorable to the Company and its stockholders from a
financial point of view as the Superior Proposal and
(2) after consultation with its outside counsel that its
failure to do so would be reasonably expected to be inconsistent
with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law to the
stockholders of the Company (it being understood that any
material change in the financial or other material terms of a
Superior Proposal with respect to the Company after the Company
Notice shall require a new Company Notice and a new three
Business Day period under this Section 5.3(b)).
(c) The Company agrees that in addition to the obligations
of the Company set forth in paragraphs (a) and
(b) of this Section 5.3, as promptly as practicable
after receipt thereof (but in no event more than 24 hours
after the Companys receipt thereof), the Company shall
advise Parent in writing of any request for information from a
Person that has made, or the Company reasonably believes may be
contemplating, an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the
Company or any Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company
received from any Person, or any inquiry made or discussions or
negotiations sought to be initiated or continued with respect to
any Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company, and the
material terms and conditions of such request, Acquisition
Proposal, inquiry, discussions or negotiations, and the Company
shall promptly provide to Parent copies of any written materials
received by the Company in connection with any of the foregoing,
and the identity of the Person or group making any such request,
Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company or inquiry or
with whom any discussions or negotiations are taking place. The
Company agrees that it shall provide to Parent any non-public
information concerning the Company or its Subsidiaries provided
to any other Person or group in connection with any Acquisition
Proposal with respect to the Company which was not previously
provided to Parent as promptly as practicable after it provides
such information to such other Person. The Company shall keep
Parent fully informed of the status of any Acquisition Proposals
with respect to the Company (including the identity of the
parties and price involved and any material changes to any terms
and conditions thereof). The Company agrees not to release any
third party from, or waive any provisions of, any
confidentiality agreement related to any potential Acquisition
Proposal or any standstill agreement, in each case in favor of
the Company.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, at any time prior to obtaining the Company Required
Vote, and subject to the Companys compliance at all times
with the provisions of this Section 5.3 and
Section 5.6, the Company Board may make a Company Adverse
Recommendation Change described in clause (A) of the
definition thereof if the Company Board (i) determines in
good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel,
that the failure to make such Company Adverse
A-47
Recommendation Change would be reasonably expected to be
inconsistent with its fiduciary duties to the stockholders of
the Company, (ii) determines in good faith that the reasons
for making such Company Adverse Recommendation Change are
independent of any pending Acquisition Proposal with respect to
the Company and (iii) provides written notice to Parent (a
Company Notice of Change) advising Parent that the
Company Board is contemplating making a Company Adverse
Recommendation Change and specifying the material facts and
information constituting the basis for such contemplated
determination; provided, however, that
(x) the Company Board may not make such a Company Adverse
Recommendation Change until the third Business Day after receipt
by Parent of the Company Notice of Change and (y) during
such three Business Day period, at the request of Parent, the
Company shall negotiate in good faith with respect to any
changes or modifications to this Agreement which would allow the
Company Board not to make such Company Adverse Recommendation
Change consistent with its fiduciary duties.
(e) Parent agrees that, except as expressly contemplated by
this Agreement, neither it nor any of its Subsidiaries shall,
and Parent shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, cause
their respective Representatives not to (i) directly or
indirectly initiate, solicit or knowingly encourage or
facilitate (including by way of furnishing non-public
information) any inquiries regarding or the making or submission
of any proposal that constitutes, or may reasonably be expected
to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent,
(ii) participate or engage in discussions or negotiations
with, or disclose any non-public information relating to Parent
or any of its Subsidiaries or afford access to the properties,
books or records of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to any
Person that has made an Acquisition Proposal with respect to
Parent or to any Person that Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or
any of their respective Representatives knows or has reason to
believe is contemplating making an Acquisition Proposal with
respect to Parent, or (iii) accept an Acquisition Proposal
with respect to Parent or enter into any agreement, including
any letter of intent or agreement in principle (other than an
Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement in circumstances
contemplated in the penultimate sentence of this
Section 5.3(e)), (x) providing for, constituting or
relating to an Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent or
(y) that would require, or would have the effect of
causing, Parent to abandon, terminate or fail to consummate the
First Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. Any violation of the foregoing restrictions by any of
Parents Subsidiaries or by any Representative of Parent or
any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not such Representative is
so authorized, shall be deemed to be a breach of this Agreement
by Parent. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, Parent and Parent Board may take any actions
described in clause (ii) of this Section 5.3(e) with
respect to a third party at any time prior to obtaining the
Parent Shareholder Approval if, prior to such approval,
(x) Parent receives a written Acquisition Proposal with
respect to Parent from such third party (and such Acquisition
Proposal was not initiated, solicited, knowingly encouraged or
facilitated by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
respective Representatives after the date of this Agreement),
(y) the Parent Board determines in good faith (after
consultation with its financial advisors) that such proposal
constitutes or is reasonably likely to result in a Superior
Proposal with respect to Parent, and (z) the Parent Board
determines in good faith, after consultation with its outside
counsel, that the failure to participate in such negotiations or
discussions or to furnish such information or data to such third
party would be reasonably expected to be inconsistent with the
Parent Boards fiduciary duties under applicable Law,
provided that (I) Parent shall not deliver any information
to such third party without entering into an Acceptable
Confidentiality Agreement and (II) actions taken pursuant
to this sentence shall not constitute a violation of
clause (i) of this Section 5.3(e). Nothing contained
in this Section 5.3 shall prohibit Parent or the Parent
Board from taking and disclosing to Parents shareholders a
position with respect to an Acquisition Proposal with respect to
Parent pursuant to
Rule 14d-9 and
14e-2(a) promulgated
under the Exchange Act or from making any similar disclosure, in
either case to the extent required by applicable Law.
(f) Neither the Parent Board nor any committee thereof
shall directly or indirectly (i) (A) withdraw (or
amend or modify in a manner adverse to the Company), or publicly
propose to withdraw (or amend or modify in a manner adverse to
the Company), the approval, recommendation or declaration of
advisability by the Parent Board or any such committee thereof
of this Agreement, the First Merger or the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or (B) recommend, adopt or
approve, or propose publicly to
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recommend, adopt or approve, any Acquisition Proposal with
respect to Parent (any action described in this clause (i)
being referred to as a Parent Adverse Recommendation
Change) or (ii) approve or recommend, or publicly
propose to approve or recommend (in each such case unless in
connection with a Parent Adverse Recommendation Change permitted
under this Section 5.3(f)), or allow Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries to execute or enter into, any Acquisition Agreement
with respect to Parent (other than an Acceptable Confidentiality
Agreement permitted pursuant to Section 5.3(e)) or
(B) requiring it to abandon, terminate or fail to
consummate the First Merger or any other transaction
contemplated by this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, at any time prior to obtaining Parent
Required Vote, and subject to Parents compliance at all
times with the provisions of this Section 5.3 and
Section 5.6, in response to a Superior Proposal with
respect to Parent, the Parent Board or any committee thereof may
make a Parent Adverse Recommendation Change; provided,
however, that Parent shall not be entitled to exercise
its right to make a Parent Adverse Recommendation Change in
response to a Superior Proposal with respect to Parent
(X) until three Business Days after Parent provides written
notice to the Company (a Parent Notice) advising the
Company that the Parent Board or a committee thereof has
received a Superior Proposal with respect to Parent, specifying
the material terms and conditions of such Superior Proposal and
identifying the Person or group making such Superior Proposal
and (Y) if during such three Business Day period, the
Company proposes any alternative transaction (including any
modifications to the terms of this Agreement), unless the Parent
Board determines in good faith (1) after consultation with
its financial advisors and outside legal counsel, and taking
into account all financial, legal, and regulatory terms and
conditions of such alternative transaction proposal) that such
alternative transaction proposal is not at least as favorable to
Parent and its shareholders from a financial point of view as
the Superior Proposal and (2) after consultation with its
outside counsel that its failure to do so would be reasonably
expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under
applicable Law to the shareholders of Parent (it being
understood that any material change in the financial or other
material terms of a Superior Proposal with respect to Parent
after the Parent Notice shall require a new Parent Notice and a
new three Business Day period under this Section 5.3(f)).
(g) Parent agrees that in addition to the obligations of
Parent set forth in paragraphs (e) and (f) of
this Section 5.3, as promptly as practicable after receipt
thereof (but in no event more than 24 hours after
Parents receipt thereof), Parent shall advise the Company
in writing of any request for information from a Person that has
made, or Parent reasonably believes may be contemplating, an
Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent or any Acquisition
Proposal with respect to Parent received from any Person, or any
inquiry made or discussions or negotiations sought to be
initiated or continued with respect to any Acquisition Proposal
with respect to Parent, and the material terms and conditions of
such request, Acquisition Proposal, inquiry, discussions or
negotiations, and Parent shall promptly provide to the Company
copies of any written materials received by Parent in connection
with any of the foregoing, and the identity of the Person or
group making any such request, Acquisition Proposal or inquiry
or with whom any discussions or negotiations are taking place.
Parent agrees that it shall provide to the Company any
non-public information concerning Parent or its Subsidiaries
provided to any other Person or group in connection with any
Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent which was not
previously provided to the Company as promptly as practicable
after it provides such information to such other Person. Parent
shall keep the Company fully informed of the status of any
Acquisition Proposals with respect to Parent (including the
identity of the parties and price involved and any material
changes to any terms and conditions thereof). Parent agrees not
to release any third party from, or waive any provisions of, any
confidentiality agreement related to any potential Acquisition
Proposal or any standstill agreement, in each case in favor of
Parent.
(h) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, at any time prior to obtaining the Parent Shareholder
Approval, and subject to Parents compliance at all times
with the provisions of this Section 5.3 and
Section 5.6, the Parent Board may make a Parent Adverse
Recommendation Change described in clause (A) of the
definition thereof if the Parent Board (i) determines in
good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel,
that the failure to make such Parent Adverse Recommendation
Change would be reasonably expected to be inconsistent with its
fiduciary duties to the shareholders of Parent,
(ii) determines in good faith that the reasons for making
such Parent Adverse Recommendation
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Change are independent of any pending Acquisition Proposal with
respect to Parent and (iii) provides written notice to the
Company (a Parent Notice of Change) advising the
Company that the Parent Board is contemplating making a Parent
Adverse Recommendation Change and specifying the material facts
and information constituting the basis for such contemplated
determination; provided, however, that
(x) the Parent Board may not make such a Parent Adverse
Recommendation Change until the third Business Day after receipt
by the Company of the Parent Notice of Change and
(y) during such three Business Day period, at the request
of the Company, Parent shall negotiate in good faith with
respect to any changes or modifications to this Agreement which
would allow the Parent Board not to make such Parent Adverse
Recommendation Change consistent with its fiduciary duties.
(i) For purposes of this Agreement, Acquisition
Proposal shall mean, with respect to the Company or
Parent, as the case may be, any bona fide proposal, whether or
not in writing (other than by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
with respect to the Company, or by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, with respect to Parent), for the (i) direct
or indirect acquisition or purchase of a business or assets that
generates or constitutes 15% or more of the net revenues, net
income or the assets (based on the fair market value thereof) of
such party and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (including
capital stock of or ownership interest in any Subsidiary),
(ii) direct or indirect acquisition or purchase of 15% or
more of any class of equity securities or capital stock of such
party or any of its Subsidiaries whose business generates or
constitutes 15% or more of the net revenues, net income or
assets (based on the fair market value thereof) of such party
and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) merger,
consolidation, restructuring, transfer of assets or other
business combination, sale of shares of capital stock, tender
offer, exchange offer, recapitalization, stock repurchase
program or other similar transaction that if consummated would
result in any Person or Persons beneficially owning 15% or more
of any class of equity securities of such party or any of its
Subsidiaries whose business generates or constitutes 15% or more
of the net revenues, net income or assets (based on the fair
market value thereof) of such party and its Subsidiaries, taken
as a whole, other than the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. The term Superior Proposal shall mean,
with respect to the Company or Parent, as the case may be, any
bona fide written Acquisition Proposal with respect to such
party that was not initiated, solicited, facilitated or
knowingly encouraged by such party or any of its Subsidiaries or
any of their respective Representatives, made by a third party
to purchase all of the outstanding equity securities or capital
stock of such party or all of the businesses and assets of such
party and its Subsidiaries pursuant to a tender offer, exchange
offer, merger or asset purchase (x) on terms which a
majority of the Board of Directors of such party determines in
good faith (after consultation with its financial advisors, and
taking into account all financial, legal and regulatory matters,
including the terms and conditions of the Acquisition Proposal
and this Agreement (including any changes to the terms of this
Agreement offered by the other party in response to such
Superior Proposal), including any conditions to and expected
timing of consummation, and any risks of non-consummation, of
such Acquisition Proposal) to be superior to such party and its
stockholders (in their capacity as stockholders) from a
financial point of view as compared to the transactions
contemplated hereby and to any alternative transaction or
changes to the terms of this Agreement proposed by the other
party hereto pursuant to this Section 5.3 and
(y) which is likely to be consummated on its terms.
(j) For the avoidance of doubt, any factually accurate and
complete public statement by a party hereto that does nothing
more than disclose the receipt of an Acquisition Proposal with
respect to such party that was not initiated, solicited or
knowingly facilitated or encouraged after the date of this
Agreement by such party or any of its Subsidiaries or any of
their respective Representatives, and the terms thereof, shall
not be deemed to be a recommendation of such Acquisition
Proposal or the withdrawal, amendment or modification of the
recommendation of the Board of Directors (or any committee
thereof) in favor of this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby.
(k) Immediately after the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, each party hereto shall, and shall cause its
Subsidiaries and their respective Representatives to, cease and
terminate any existing activities, discussions or negotiations
with any Person conducted heretofore with respect to any
possible Acquisition Proposal with respect to such party. Each
party agrees that it shall (i) take the necessary steps to
promptly inform its Representatives involved in the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement of the
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obligations undertaken in this Section 5.3 and
(ii) request each Person who has heretofore executed a
confidentiality agreement in connection with such Persons
consideration of any Acquisition Proposal with respect to such
party or any similar transaction to return or destroy (which
destruction shall be certified in writing by an executive
officer of such Person) all confidential information heretofore
furnished to such Person by or on its behalf.
Section 5.4 Access
to Information and Properties.
(a) Upon reasonable notice and subject to applicable Laws
relating to the exchange of information, each of the Company and
Parent shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to,
afford to the authorized representatives of the other party,
including officers, employees, accountants, counsel, financial
advisors and other representatives of the other party,
reasonable access, during normal business hours during the
period prior to the Merger I Effective Time, to all of its
properties, offices, contracts, books, commitments, records,
data and books and personnel and, during such period, it shall,
and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, make available to
the other parties all information concerning its business,
properties and personnel as the other parties may reasonably
request. No party or any of its Subsidiaries shall be required
to provide access to or to disclose information where such
access or disclosure would violate or prejudice the rights of
its customers, jeopardize any attorney-client privilege or
contravene any Law or binding agreement entered into prior to
the date of this Agreement. The Company and Parent will make
appropriate substitute disclosure arrangements under
circumstances in which the restrictions of the preceding
sentence apply.
(b) From the date of this Agreement until the Merger I
Effective Time, Parent and its authorized representatives,
including engineers, advisors and consultants, lenders and
financing sources, may enter into and upon all or any portion of
the Real Property in order to investigate and assess, as Parent
reasonably deems necessary or appropriate, the environmental
condition of the Real Property, the Company Assets or the
businesses of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (the
Parent Investigation). The Parent Investigation may
include a Phase I environmental site assessment, or similar
or related non-invasive investigation. The Company shall, and
shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (i) cooperate with
Parent in conducting any such Parent Investigation,
(ii) allow Parent reasonable access to the Companys
and its Subsidiaries respective businesses, the Real
Property and the Company Assets, and grant with full permission
to conduct any such Parent Investigation, and (iii) provide
to Parent all plans, soil or surface or ground water tests or
reports, any environmental investigation results, reports or
assessments previously or contemporaneously conducted or
prepared by or on behalf of the Company, its Subsidiaries, or
any of their predecessors, that are in the possession of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or are reasonably available
to the Company or any Subsidiary from any agent, consultant,
contractor or other third party service provider, and all
information relating to environmental matters regarding the
Companys and its Subsidiaries respective businesses,
the Real Property and the Company Assets that is in the
possession of, or reasonably available to, the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries.
(c) The Company shall, or shall use commercially reasonable
efforts to cause each owner of a Company Vessel subject to a
Company Charter (by exercising its inspection rights under the
applicable Company Charter) to allow Parent at Parents
sole cost, risk and expense, to inspect the Company Vessels at
any reasonable time, provided that such inspection shall be
conducted in a manner that does not unreasonably interfere with
the operation of the Company Vessels. Any such inspection may
include (to the extent permitted under the applicable Company
Charter) the opening up of the machinery and equipment. The
Company shall advise Parent upon request of the location and
whereabouts of each Company Vessel to facilitate such an
inspection.
(d) Parent and the Company will hold any information
obtained or contemplated under Sections 5.4(a),
(b) and/or (c) above in accordance with the provisions
of the confidentiality agreement between the Company and Parent,
dated as of August 3, 2006 (the Confidentiality
Agreement).
(e) No investigation by Parent or the Company or their
respective Representatives made pursuant to this
Section 5.4 shall affect the representations, warranties,
covenants or agreements of the other set forth in this Agreement.
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Section 5.5 Further
Action; Reasonable Best Efforts.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein
provided, each of the parties hereto agrees to use its
reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all
action and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary,
proper or advisable under applicable Laws or otherwise to
consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, including using reasonable best efforts to
satisfy the conditions precedent to the obligations of any of
the parties hereto, to obtain all necessary authorizations,
consents and approvals, and to effect all necessary
registrations and filings, and to obtain the Financing. Each of
the parties hereto will furnish to the other parties such
necessary information and reasonable assistance as such other
parties may reasonably request in connection with the foregoing
and, subject to applicable Laws and any applicable privilege
relating to the exchange of information, will provide the other
parties with copies of all filings made by such party with any
Governmental Entity (except for filings available publicly on
the SECs EDGAR system) or any other information supplied
by such party to a Governmental Entity in connection with this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby;
provided that neither party is obligated to share any
document submitted to a Governmental Entity that reflects the
negotiations between the parties or the valuation of some or all
of any partys business.
(b) Each of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II
and the Company shall use their respective reasonable best
efforts and shall cooperate with the other parties to resolve
such objections, if any, as may be asserted with respect to the
transactions contemplated hereby under the laws, rules,
guidelines or regulations of any Governmental Entity. Without
limiting the foregoing, the Company and Parent shall, as soon as
practicable, file Notification and Report Forms under the HSR
Act with the Federal Trade Commission (the FTC) and
the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (the
Antitrust Division) and file any voluntary filings
or other notifications required to be filed under (i) the
EC Merger Regulation with the European Commission and
(ii) the Exon-Florio Amendment with CFIUS, and in each case
shall use reasonable best efforts to respond as promptly as
practicable to all inquiries received from the FTC, the
Antitrust Division, the European Commission or CFIUS for
additional information or documentation. Each party acknowledges
that its goal is to file the Notification and Report Forms
within 15 Business Days after the date of this Agreement and to
file the notifications to be filed under the Exon-Florio
Amendment within 20 Business Days after the date of this
Agreement, and that if it does not file such forms within such
period, its senior executives shall discuss the reasons for the
failure to meet such goal with the senior executives from the
other party.
(c) In case at any time after the Merger I Effective Time
any further action is necessary or desirable to carry out the
purposes of this Agreement, the proper officers and/or directors
of the Surviving Corporation shall take or cause to be taken all
such necessary action.
(d) Each of the parties hereto shall use reasonable best
efforts to prevent the entry of, and to cause to be discharged
or vacated, any order or injunction of a Governmental Entity
precluding, restraining, enjoining or prohibiting consummation
of the Mergers.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
Section 5.5, none of Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II shall be required to accept, as a condition to
obtaining any required approval or resolving any objection of
any Governmental Entity, any requirement to divest or hold
separate or in trust (or the imposition of any other condition
or restriction with respect to) any assets or operations of
Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II or any of their
respective affiliates or any of the respective businesses of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including the Company Assets
or the Company IP Rights, in each case, which constitutes a
Burdensome Condition. Burdensome Condition means any
requirement, condition or restriction that, individually or in
the aggregate with all other requirements, conditions and
restrictions, is reasonably likely to (i) be materially
burdensome to Parent, (ii) be materially burdensome to the
Company, (iii) materially diminish the value of
Parents business or (iv) materially diminish the
value of the Companys business.
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Section 5.6 Disclosure
Documents; Stockholders Meetings.
(a) The Company and Parent shall cooperate with one another
(i) in connection with the preparation of the Proxy
Statement, the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 and the
Form F-6,
(ii) in determining whether any action by or in respect of,
or filing with, any Governmental Entity is required, or any
consents, approvals or waivers are required to be obtained from
parties to any material contracts, in connection with the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
and (iii) in seeking any such actions, consents, approvals
or waivers or making any such filings, furnishing information
required in connection therewith or with the Proxy Statement,
the Form F-4 and
the Form F-6 and
seeking timely to obtain any such actions, consents, approvals
or waivers. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the
Company may, subject to obtaining the consent of Parent (which
consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or
conditioned), make such reasonable payments and agree to such
reasonable modifications or amendments in order to obtain such
consents, approvals or waivers that are required to be from
parties to any material contracts in connection with the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
The Proxy Statement will be included as part of the
Form F-4. Parent
shall file the
Form F-4 with the
SEC and the note dinformation with the AMF as
promptly as reasonably practicable after the date of this
Agreement. Each party acknowledges that the parties mutual
goal is to file the
Form F-4 with the
SEC and the note dinformation with the AMF
within 45 days after the date of this Agreement, and that
if such documents are not so filed within such period, its
senior executives shall discuss the reasons for the failure to
meet such goal with the senior executives from the other party.
Each of the Company and Parent shall use reasonable best efforts
to have the Proxy Statement cleared by the SEC and the
Form F-4 and
Form F-6 declared
effective by the SEC as promptly as practicable and to keep the
Form F-4 and
Form F-6 effective
as long as is necessary to consummate the Mergers and the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company and
Parent shall, as promptly as practicable after receipt thereof,
provide the other party copies of any written comments and
advise the other party of any oral comments with respect to the
Proxy Statement, the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 and the
Form F-6 received
by any Governmental Entity. Parent shall use reasonable best
efforts to obtain, prior to the effective date of the
Form F-4, all
necessary state securities law or blue sky permits
or approvals required to carry out the transactions contemplated
hereby. The parties shall cooperate and provide the other with a
reasonable opportunity to review and comment on any amendment or
supplement to the Proxy Statement, the Parent Necessary
Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 or the
Form F-6 prior to
filing such documents with any Governmental Entity, and will
provide each other with a copy of all such filings made with any
Governmental Entity. Parent shall pay all expenses incident to
the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 and the
Form F-6 and state
law approvals (including all SEC and other filing fees and all
printing and mailing expenses associated with the Parent
Necessary Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 and the
Form F-6) and the
Company shall pay all expenses incident to the Proxy Statement
(including all printing and mailing expenses). If required by
applicable Law, the Company shall cause the Proxy Statement, and
any amendment or supplement thereto, to be filed with the
applicable Canadian Governmental Entities concurrently with the
mailing of such document to stockholders of the Company. Parent
will advise the Company, promptly after it receives notice
thereof, of the time when the
Form F-4 has been
declared effective or any supplement or amendment has been
filed, the issuance of any stop order, the suspension of the
qualification of the Parent Depositary Shares (or the underlying
Parent Ordinary Shares) issuable in connection with the First
Merger for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, and each of
Parent and the Company shall notify the other promptly of any
request by any Governmental Entity for amendment of the Proxy
Statement, the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 or the
Form F-6 or
comments thereon and responses thereto and requests by any
Governmental Entity for additional information.
(b) If at any time prior to the Merger I Effective Time,
any event or circumstance relating to the Company, Parent,
Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II or any of their respective
affiliates, or its or their respective officers or directors,
should be discovered by the Company, Parent, Merger Sub I or
Merger Sub II that should be set forth in an amendment to
the Form F-4 or a
supplement to the Proxy Statement, the Company, Parent, Merger
Sub I or Merger Sub II shall promptly inform the other
parties
A-53
hereto thereof in writing. No filing of, or amendment or
supplement to, the Proxy Statement, the Parent Necessary
Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 or the
Form F-6 shall be
made by Parent or the Company without the consent of the other
party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed
or conditioned; provided, however, that the
Company, in connection with a Company Change in Recommendation
permitted under Section 5.3, and Parent, in connection with
a Parent Change in Recommendation permitted under
Section 5.3, may amend or supplement the Proxy Statement,
the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 or the
Form F-6
(including by incorporation by reference) pursuant to a
Qualifying Amendment to effect such a change, and in such event,
the right of approval set forth in this Section 5.6(b)
shall apply only with respect to information relating to the
other party or its business, financial condition or results of
operations, and shall be subject to the right of each party to
have its board of directors deliberations and conclusions
be accurately described. A Qualifying Amendment
means an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement, the
Parent Necessary Corporate Documents, the
Form F-4 or the
Form F-6 to the
extent it contains (i) a Company Change in Recommendation
or a Parent Change in Recommendation (as the case may be),
(ii) a statement of the reasons of the Company Board or the
Board of Directors of Parent (as the case may be) for making
such a Company Change in Recommendation or a Parent Change in
Recommendation (as the case may be) and (iii) additional
information reasonably related to the foregoing, the disclosure
of which is required by Law . All documents that the Company or
Parent is responsible for filing with the SEC or the AMF in
connection with the transactions contemplated herein will comply
as to form in all material respects with applicable requirements
of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder,
the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and
other applicable Law.
(c) The Company, acting through the Company Board, shall
take, in accordance with its certificate of incorporation and
bylaws and with applicable Law, all action necessary (including
the mailing of the Proxy Statement to the stockholders of the
Company) to duly call, give notice of, convene and hold a
meeting of its stockholders only for the purpose of considering
and taking action upon this Agreement and electing directors if
such meeting is held in conjunction with the Companys
regular annual meeting (such meeting, including any postponement
or adjournment thereof, the Company Special
Meeting), on a date mutually agreed between the Company
and Parent, which date shall be as soon as practicable and in no
event later than 45 days following the date upon which the
Form F-4 becomes
effective and the French note dinformation is
approved by the AMF. Except as otherwise provided in
Section 5.3, the Company Board shall (i) recommend
adoption of this Agreement and include in the Proxy Statement
such recommendation and (ii) use its reasonable best
efforts to solicit and obtain such adoption. Notwithstanding any
withdrawal, amendment or modification by the Company Board or
any committee thereof of its recommendation of this Agreement in
accordance with Section 5.3 or the commencement, public
proposal, public disclosure or communication to the Company of
any Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company, or any
other fact or circumstance, this Agreement shall be submitted to
the stockholders of the Company at the Company Special Meeting
for the purpose of adopting this Agreement. At any such Company
Special Meeting following any such withdrawal, amendment or
modification of the Company Boards recommendation of this
Agreement, the Company may submit this Agreement to its
stockholders without a recommendation or with a negative
recommendation (although the approval of this Agreement by the
Company Board may not be rescinded or amended), in which event
the Company Board may communicate the basis for its lack of a
recommendation or negative recommendation to its stockholders in
the Proxy Statement or an appropriate amendment or supplement
thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in
this Agreement, the Company may adjourn or postpone the Company
Special Meeting to the extent necessary to ensure that any
required supplement or amendment to the Proxy Statement is
provided to the Companys stockholders or, if as of the
time for which the Company Special Meeting is originally
scheduled (as set forth in the Proxy Statement) there are
insufficient shares of Company Common Stock represented (either
in person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to
conduct business at such meeting; provided that no
adjournment or postponement may be to a date on or after three
Business Days prior to the Termination Date.
(d) Parent, acting through its Board of Directors, shall
take, in accordance with its articles of association and by-laws
and with applicable Law, all action necessary to promptly
convene and hold an
A-54
extraordinary meeting of its shareholders (such meeting,
including any postponement or adjournment thereof, the
Parent Shareholders Meeting) on a date
mutually agreed upon between the Company and Parent, which date
shall be as soon as practicable and in no event later than
45 days following the date upon which the
Form F-4 becomes
effective and the French note dinformation is
approved by the AMF for the sole purpose of approving the
matters constituting the Parent Shareholder Approval, and shall
use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Parent
Shareholders Meeting to be held on the same day as the
Company Special Meeting. The resolutions proposed at the Parent
Shareholders Meeting, together with all other corporate
documents provided by applicable Law (including expert reports,
if required) (the Parent Necessary Corporate
Documents), shall be sufficient for the valid approval of
the issuance of the Parent Ordinary Shares in accordance with
this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided in
Section 5.3, the Parent Board shall (i) recommend
approval of the matters constituting the Parent Shareholder
Approval and include in the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents
such recommendation and (ii) use its reasonable efforts to
solicit and obtain such approval. In connection with the Parent
Shareholders Meeting, Parent will use its reasonable best
efforts, subject to the immediately preceding sentence, to
obtain the Parent Shareholder Approval and will otherwise comply
with all legal requirements applicable to the Parent
Shareholders Meeting. Parent shall promptly take any
action required to be taken under foreign or state securities or
blue sky laws in connection with the issuance of Parent
Depositary Shares (and the underlying Parent Ordinary Shares) in
connection with the First Merger. Notwithstanding any
withdrawal, amendment or modification by the Board of Directors
of Parent of its recommendation of the Parent Shareholder
Approval in accordance with Section 5.3 or the
commencement, public proposal, public disclosure or
communication to Parent of any Acquisition Proposal with respect
to Parent, or any other fact or circumstance, this Agreement
shall be submitted to the shareholders of Parent at the Parent
Shareholders Meeting for the purpose of approving the
matters constituting the Parent Shareholder Approval. At any
such Parent Shareholders Meeting following any such
withdrawal, amendment or modification of the recommendation of
Parents Board of Directors, Parent may submit matters
constituting the Parent Shareholder Approval to its shareholders
without a recommendation or with a negative recommendation
(although the approval of the matters constituting the Parent
Shareholder Approval by the Board of Directors of Parent may not
be rescinded or amended), in which event the Board of Directors
of Parent may communicate the basis for its lack of a
recommendation or negative recommendation to its shareholders in
the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents or an appropriate
amendment or supplement thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in this Agreement, Parent may adjourn or
postpone the Parent Shareholders Meeting to the extent
necessary to ensure that any required supplement or amendment to
the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents is provided to
Parents shareholders or, if as of the time for which the
Parent Shareholders Meeting is originally scheduled (as
set forth in the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents) there are
insufficient Parent Ordinary Shares represented (either in
person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct
business at such meeting; provided that no adjournment or
postponement may be to a date on or after three Business Days
prior to the Termination Date.
(e) The information supplied by the Company, Parent, Merger
Sub I and Merger Sub II or any of their respective
affiliates for inclusion in the
Form F-4 shall
not, at the time the
Form F-4 is
declared effective, contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not
misleading. The information supplied by the Company, Parent,
Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II or any of their respective
affiliates for inclusion in the Proxy Statement shall not, at
the date the Proxy Statement (or any supplement thereto) is
first mailed to the stockholders of the Company, at the time of
the Company Special Meeting, at the time of the Parent
Stockholders Meeting or at the Merger I Effective Time,
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. The
information supplied by the Company, Parent, Merger Sub I and
Merger Sub II or any of their respective affiliates for
inclusion in the Parent Necessary Corporate Documents shall not,
at the date the note dinformation is approved
by the AMF or at the time the Parent Necessary Corporate
Documents are delivered or put at the disposal of the
shareholders of Parent, contain any untrue statement of a
material
A-55
fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading. If at any time prior to the Merger I Effective Time,
any event or circumstance relating to the Company, Parent,
Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II or any of their respective
affiliates, or its or their respective officers or directors,
should be discovered by the Company, Parent, Merger Sub I or
Merger Sub II that should be set forth in an amendment to
the Form F-4 or a
supplement to the Proxy Statement or the note
dinformation, the Company, Parent, Merger Sub I or
Merger Sub II shall promptly inform the other parties
hereto thereof in writing.
(f) Promptly following the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, Parent, as the owner of all of the outstanding shares
of capital stock of each of Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II,
will adopt this Agreement in its capacity as sole stockholder of
each of Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II. Promptly following
the Merger I Effective Time, Parent, as the owner of all of the
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Merger I Surviving
Corporation, will adopt this Agreement in its capacity as sole
stockholder of Merger I Surviving Corporation.
Section 5.7 Notification
of Certain Matters. Each of the Company, on one hand,
and Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II, on the other
hand, shall give prompt notice to the other of any fact, event
or circumstance known to such party that is reasonably likely,
individually or taken together with all other facts, events and
circumstances known to such party, to result in a Material
Adverse Effect on such party.
Section 5.8 Directors
and Officers Insurance and Indemnification.
(a) After the Merger I Effective Time, Parent and the
Surviving Corporation shall, jointly and severally,
(i) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the present and
former officers, directors, employees and agents of the Company
and any of its Subsidiaries in such capacities
(Indemnified Parties) to the fullest extent that the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries would have been required to
do so in accordance with the provisions of each indemnification
or similar agreement or arrangement between the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries and any Indemnified Party (but in no event
shall such indemnification be required to the extent prohibited
by applicable Law), in each case against any losses, damages,
fines, penalties, expenses (including attorneys fees and
expenses) or liabilities resulting from any claim, liability,
loss, damage, cost or expense, asserted against, or incurred by,
an Indemnified Party that is based on the fact that such
Indemnified Party is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or a fiduciary
under any Company Plans and arising out of actions or omissions
or alleged actions or omissions in their capacity as a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or a fiduciary under any Company Plan occurring at
or prior to the Merger I Effective Time (and Parent and the
Surviving Corporation shall, jointly and severally, pay expenses
in advance of the final disposition of any such Claim to each
Indemnified Party to the fullest extent permitted under
applicable Law) and (ii) take all necessary actions to
ensure that Parents directors and officers
liability insurance continues to cover each officer and director
of the Company, in each case so long as they remain employed or
retained by Parent or any affiliate of Parent (including the
Surviving Corporation) as an officer or director and, to the
extent Parents current directors and officers
liability insurance policy covers consultants, as a consultant,
on terms that are no less favorable than those enjoyed by
Parents other directors and officers. Parent and the
Surviving Corporation agree that all rights to exculpation,
advancement of expenses and indemnification for acts or
omissions occurring prior to the Merger I Effective Time now
existing in favor of the current and former officers and
directors of the Company as provided in the certificate of
incorporation or bylaws of the Company or any Company Material
Contract, in each case in effect as of the date hereof, shall
survive the Mergers and shall continue in full force and effect
in accordance with their terms and without amendment thereof.
(b) Parents and the Surviving Corporations
obligations under this Section 5.8 shall continue in full
force and effect for a period of six years from the Merger I
Effective Time; provided, however, that all rights
to indemnification in respect of any claim, action, suit,
proceeding or investigation (Claim) asserted or made
within such period shall continue until the final disposition of
such Claim. In the event
A-56
that Parent or any of its successors or assigns consolidates
with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the
continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such
consolidation or merger or transfers all or substantially all of
its properties and assets to any Person, then, in each case,
proper provisions shall be made so that the successors and
assigns of Parent shall assume the obligations set forth in this
Section 5.8. The provisions of this Section 5.8 are
intended for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, the
respective Indemnified Parties and their heirs and
representatives.
(c) Prior to the Closing, the Company shall purchase and
fully prepay, and after the Merger I Effective Time Parent shall
maintain, tail directors and officers liability
insurance from an insurance carrier with the same or better
credit rating as the Companys current insurance carrier
covering, with a claims period of six years from the Merger I
Effective Time, with respect to the directors and officers of
the Company and its Subsidiaries who are currently covered by
the Companys existing directors and officers
liability insurance with respect to claims arising from facts or
events that occurred before the Merger I Effective Time, in an
amount and scope and on terms and conditions no less favorable
to such directors and officers than those in effect on the date
of this Agreement; provided, however, that the
aggregate premium for such insurance shall not exceed 200% of
the per annum rate of premium currently paid by the Company and
its Subsidiaries for such insurance on the date of this
Agreement per policy year of coverage. In the event that the
aggregate premium for such insurance exceeds such maximum
amount, Parent shall purchase as much coverage per policy year
as reasonably obtainable for such maximum amount.
Section 5.9 Publicity.
None of the Company, Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II,
nor any of their respective affiliates, shall issue or cause the
publication of any press release or other announcement with
respect to the Mergers, this Agreement or the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement without the prior consultation of
the other party, except as may be required by Law or by any
listing agreement with, or regulation of, any U.S. or
foreign securities exchange or regulatory authority if all
reasonable best efforts have been made to consult with the other
party. In addition, the Company shall to the extent reasonably
practicable consult with Parent regarding the form and content
of any public disclosure of any material developments or matters
involving the Company, including earnings releases, reasonably
in advance of publication or release.
Section 5.10 Financing.
(a) Parent shall use reasonable best efforts to obtain and
effectuate the Financing. Parent shall use reasonable best
efforts to keep the Company reasonably informed with respect to
all material developments concerning the Financing contemplated
by the Commitment Letter. Without the prior written consent of
the Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld,
conditioned or delayed), Parent shall not amend or alter, or
agree to amend or alter, the Commitment Letter in any manner
that would reasonably be expected to impair, delay or prevent
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. Parent shall use commercially reasonable efforts to
enforce its rights under the Commitment Letter.
(b) The Company shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries and
its and their respective officers, employees, and shall use its
reasonable best efforts to cause its advisors and accountants
to, provide reasonable and customary cooperation with Parent and
its affiliates in connection with the arrangement of the
Financing and any other financing that Parent, in its reasonable
discretion, deems necessary to fund the transaction, including
participation in meetings, due diligence sessions, road shows,
rating agency presentations, the preparation of offering
memoranda, private placement memoranda, prospectuses, rating
agency presentations, other marketing material and similar
documents, obtaining comfort letters from the Companys
accountants (which comfort letters shall be customary in
form, scope and substance), and obtaining legal opinions from
the Companys outside counsel (which legal opinions shall
be customary in form, scope and substance), as may be reasonably
requested by Parent. In conjunction with the obtaining of any
such financing, the Company agrees, at the reasonable request of
Parent, to call for prepayment or redemption, or to prepay or
redeem, or to attempt to renegotiate the terms of, any then
existing indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be
obligated to make or cause to become effective such prepayment
or redemption or call for prepayment or redemption or
renegotiated terms (nor shall the Company be required to incur
any liability in respect of
A-57
any such prepayment or redemption or call therefor or
renegotiation thereof) prior to the Merger I Effective Time.
Parent shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its
Subsidiaries and their respective officers, directors and other
representatives from and against any and all losses or damages
suffered or incurred by them (including any expenses incurred)
in connection with any such call for prepayment or redemption,
or prepayment or redemption or renegotiation done by the Company
at the request of Parent.
(c) Nothing contained in this Section 5.10 shall
require the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to pay any
commitment or other similar fee or incur any other liability or
obligation in connection with the Financing prior to the Merger
I Effective Time. Parent shall indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective officers,
directors and other representatives for and against any and all
losses or damages suffered or incurred by them (including any
expenses incurred) in connection with the arrangement of the
Financing and any information (other than information relating
to the Company or its Subsidiaries provided by the Company to
Parent for use in any information memoranda or marketing
materials) utilized in connection therewith or in connection
with the actions taken pursuant to this Section 5.10.
Section 5.11 Stock
Exchange Listing. Parent shall use its reasonable best
efforts to (a) cause the Parent Depositary Shares (and, if
required, the underlying Parent Ordinary Shares) to be issued in
connection with the First Merger to be listed on the NYSE,
subject to official notice of issuance and (b) obtain the
approval (visa) of the AMF on the prospectus relating to
the Parent Ordinary Shares and the approval of Euronext Paris SA
to the listing of the Parent Ordinary Shares, in each case to be
issued at the Merger I Effective Time (so that the listing of
the Parent Ordinary Shares takes place at the Merger I Effective
Time, or as soon as practicable thereafter) as part of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, subject to official
notice of issuance.
Section 5.12 Employee
Benefits. (a) Subject to Sections 1.8 and
5.17, during the period from the Closing Date until the first
anniversary thereof, Parent shall, or shall cause its affiliates
to, continue, for each Person who is employed by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Merger I
Effective Time (the Continuing Employees), the
compensation (including but not limited to cash compensation and
incentive and bonus opportunities, but excluding equity-based
compensation), benefits (including but not limited to employee
welfare benefit plans and vacation, paid time-off and severance)
and similar plans as such compensation arrangements and plans
were in effect immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time;
provided, however, that the Parent may amend,
supplement or replace any such plan, policy or program if, in
the good faith judgment of management of Parent, any such
amendment, supplement or replacement will provide the Continuing
Employees covered thereby with benefits under such plan, policy
or program, as amended, supplemented or replaced, that are in
the aggregate at least as valuable as the benefits to be
received under such plan, policy or program, as applicable, as
in effect immediately prior to any such amendment, supplement or
replacement.
(b) The service of each Continuing Employee with the
Company or its Subsidiaries (or any predecessor employer) prior
to the Merger I Effective Time shall be treated as service with
Parent and its affiliates for purposes of each Parent Plan
(including but not limited to employee welfare benefit plans and
vacation, paid time-off and severance plans or policies) in
which such Continuing Employee is eligible to participate after
the Merger I Effective Time, including for purposes of
eligibility, vesting and benefit levels and accruals (other than
defined benefit pension plan accruals).
(c) Following the Merger I Effective Time, for purposes of
each Parent Plan in which any Continuing Employee or his or her
eligible dependents is eligible to participate after the Merger
I Effective Time, Parent shall, or shall cause its affiliates
to, (i) waive any pre-existing condition, exclusion,
actively-at-work requirement or waiting period to the extent
such condition, exclusion, requirement or waiting period was
satisfied or waived under the comparable Company Plan as of the
Merger I Effective Time (or, if later, any applicable plan
transition date) and (ii) provide full credit for any
co-payments, deductibles or similar payments made or incurred
prior to the Merger I Effective Time for the plan year in which
the Merger I Effective Time (or such transition date) occurs.
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(d) In the event that on or within 12 months following
the Closing Date (i) the employment of a Continuing
Employee who is employed by the Company or an affiliate of the
Company in the United States (a US Continuing
Employee) is terminated by the Surviving Corporation,
Parent or an affiliate of either other than for Cause as defined
under the Severance Policy (as defined below) or under other
circumstances entitling the US Continuing Employee to severance
benefits under the terms of the Severance Policy, or
(ii) the Surviving Corporation, Parent or an affiliate of
either fails to provide a US Continuing Company Employee with at
least the same level of compensation and benefits as were in
effect immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time in
accordance with the requirements of Section 5.12(a), Parent
shall be responsible for and shall pay, or cause its affiliate
to pay, to such US Continuing Employee, in a lump sum payment,
the amount of severance benefits and COBRA reimbursement
payments (the Severance Benefits) that is determined
for such US Continuing Employee in accordance with the terms of
the Veritas DGC, Inc. Severance Policy (the Severance
Policy ), a copy of which is included in
Section 5.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter, not later
than thirty (30) days following the date of such US
Continuing Employees termination of employment or, if such
payment is required to be delayed by Section 409A, the date
that is six months following such US Continuing Employees
separation from service within the meaning of
Section 409A of the Code. The obligation to provide the
Severance Benefits shall be subject to the US Continuing
Employees executing a release of all claims against the
Company, the Surviving Corporation, Merger Sub I, Merger
Sub II and their respective affiliates, in a form
reasonably satisfactory to the Surviving Corporation. Severance
benefits for Continuing Employees who are not US Continuing
Employees shall be determined in accordance with applicable Law.
(e) Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as
requiring Parent or any of its Affiliates to employ any
Continuing Employee for any length of time following the Closing
Date. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, shall be
construed to prevent Parent or its affiliates from
(i) terminating, or modifying the terms of employment of,
any Continuing Employee following the Closing Date or
(ii) terminating or modifying to any extent any Company
Plan or any other employee benefit plan, program, agreement or
arrangement that Parent or its affiliates may establish or
maintain; provided, however, that to the extent
that, and for so long as, a Continuing Employee remains employed
by Parent or any of its affiliates during the twelve month
period following the Closing Date, the compensation and benefits
payable to such employee during such period shall be subject to
the provisions of this Section 5.12.
Section 5.13 Appointment
of Directors. Parent shall take all necessary corporate
action to increase the size of the Parent Board by up to five
members and to appoint the Company Directors immediately
following the Merger I Effective Time to fill the vacancies on
the Parent Board created by such increase. Parent, through the
Parent Board and subject to the Parent Boards fiduciary
duties to the shareholders of Parent, shall take all necessary
action to recommend that the Company Directors be elected to the
Parent Board in the circular of Parent relating to the first
annual meeting of the shareholders of Parent following the
Closing.
Section 5.14 Rights
Agreement. The Company Board shall take such action as
is necessary to terminate the Company Rights Agreement and the
Company Rights immediately prior to the Merger I Effective Time
and to render the Company Rights inapplicable to the Mergers and
the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 5.15 Certain
Tax Matters.
(a) This Agreement is intended to constitute a plan
of reorganization within the meaning of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.368-2(g).
(b) Parent and the Company shall each use its reasonable
best efforts to cause the Mergers to qualify as a
reorganization within the meaning of
Section 368(a) of the Code and to obtain the Tax opinions
set forth in Sections 6.2(d) and 6.3(d) and to obtain a
ruling from the Internal Revenue Service under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.367(a)-3(c)(9) to the effect that
the Mergers will not be subject to Section 367(a)(1) of the
Code (the IRS Ruling).
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(c) Parent and the Company shall jointly cooperate in
connection with the Companys request for the IRS Ruling
and shall promptly provide all information in connection with
the IRS Ruling request. The preparation of the IRS Ruling
request, and any oral or written communication with the Internal
Revenue Service, shall be conducted jointly by the Company and
Parent.
(d) Neither Parent nor the Company will take or fail to
take (and, following the Mergers, Parent will cause the Company
not to take or fail to take) any action which action (or failure
to act) would reasonably be expected to (i) cause the
Mergers to fail to qualify as a reorganization within the
meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code or (ii) cause
the stockholders of the Company to recognize gain pursuant to
Section 367(a)(1) of the Code, other than any such
stockholder that would be a five-percent transferee
shareholder of Parent (within the meaning of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.367(a)-3(c)(5)(ii)) following the
Mergers that does not enter into a five-year gain recognition
agreement in the form provided in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(a)-8(b). With respect to the Mergers, Parent
will (and following the Mergers will cause the Company to) file
all required information with its Tax Returns and maintain all
records required for Tax purposes, including, without
limitation, the reporting requirements contained in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.367(a)-3(c)(6).
(e) Parent will make arrangements with each five-percent
transferee shareholder, as defined in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.367(a)-3(c)(5)(ii), if any, to
ensure that such shareholder will be informed of any disposition
of any property that would require the recognition of gain under
such Persons gain recognition agreement entered into under
Treasury Regulation Section 1.367(a).
(f) Officers of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger
Sub II and the Company shall execute and deliver to
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., tax counsel for the Company,
and Skadden Arps, tax counsel for Parent, certificates
substantially in the form agreed to by the parties and such law
firms at such time or times as may reasonably be requested by
such law firms, including contemporaneously with the execution
of this Agreement, at the time the
Form F-4 is
declared effective by the SEC and the Merger I Effective Time,
in connection with such tax counsels respective delivery
of opinions pursuant to Sections 6.2(d) and 6.3(d) hereof.
Each of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II and the
Company shall use its reasonable best efforts not to take or
cause to be taken any action that would cause to be untrue (or
fail to take or cause not to be taken any action which would
cause to be untrue) any of the certifications and
representations included in the certificates described in this
Section 5.15(f).
(g) The Company and Parent shall cooperate in the
preparation, execution and filing of all Tax Returns,
questionnaires, applications or other documents regarding any
real property transfer or gains, sales, use, transfer, value
added, stock transfer and stamp taxes, and transfer, recording,
registration and other fees and similar Taxes which become
payable in connection with the First Merger that are required or
permitted to be filed on or before the Merger I Effective Time.
Each of Merger Sub I and the Company shall pay, without
deduction from any amount payable to holders of Company Common
Stock and without reimbursement from the other party, any such
Taxes or fees imposed on it by any Governmental Entity (or for
which its stockholders are primarily liable), which becomes
payable in connection with the First Merger.
Section 5.16 Supplemental
Indenture. If the Company Convertible Debt is not
converted prior to the Merger I Effective Time, Parent shall
assume the Company Convertible Debt in accordance with its terms
at the Merger I Effective Time by executing a supplemental
indenture in accordance with the terms of the indenture, dated
March 3, 2004, between the Company and U.S. Bank
National Association, as trustee.
Section 5.17 ESPP.
Any Offering Period (as defined in the ESPP) that
began on or prior to the date hereof under the ESPP may continue
through the earlier of the date on which it is currently
expected to expire in accordance with the terms of the ESPP in
effect on the date hereof and the end of the last Business Day
before the Merger I Effective Time; provided, (a) no
person shall be allowed to elect to increase his or her payroll
deductions or other contributions to purchase Company Common
Stock for such Offering Period after the date hereof; and
(b) the Company shall not commence any new Offering Periods
under the ESPP on or after the date hereof. Prior to the Merger
I Effective Time, the
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Company shall take any and all actions necessary to cause the
ESPP to be terminated effective as of the earlier of the last
day of the Offering Period that is underway as of the date
hereof or the last Business Day prior to the Merger I Effective
Time.
Section 5.18 Investigation
by Parties; No Other Representations or Warranties.
(a) Each of Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II, on
the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, acknowledges
and agrees that it has made its own inquiry and investigation
into, and, based thereon, has formed an independent judgment
concerning, the other party hereto and their respective
Subsidiaries and their businesses and operations, and each of
Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II, on the one hand,
and the Company, on the other hand, has requested such documents
and information from the other party as each such party
considers material in determining whether to enter into this
Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated in
this Agreement. Each of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger
Sub II and the Company acknowledges and agrees that it has
had an opportunity to ask all questions of and receive answers
from the other parties hereto with respect to any matter such
party considers material in determining whether to enter into
this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated
in this Agreement. In connection with such investigation, each
of the parties hereto and their representatives have received
certain other estimates, projections and other forecasts for the
other parties hereto and certain estimates, plans and budget
information. Each of the parties hereto acknowledges and agrees
that there are uncertainties inherent in attempting to make such
projections, forecasts, estimates, plans and budgets; that such
parties are familiar with such uncertainties; that such parties
are taking full responsibility for making their own evaluation
of the adequacy and accuracy of all estimates, projections,
forecasts, plans and budgets so furnished to them or their
representatives; and that such parties will not (and will cause
all of their respective Subsidiaries or other affiliates or any
other Person acting on their behalf to not) assert any claim or
cause of action against the other parties hereto or any of their
direct or indirect partners, directors, officers, employees,
agents, stockholders, affiliates, consultants, counsel,
accountants, investment bankers or representatives with respect
thereto, or hold any such Person liable with respect thereto.
(b) Each of the parties hereto agree that, except for the
representations and warranties expressly set forth in
Articles III and IV of this Agreement, no party hereto has
made and shall not be deemed to have made any representation or
warranty of any kind. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, each of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II
and the Company agrees that none of the other parties hereto,
nor any of their respective affiliates or representatives, makes
or has made any representation or warranty with respect to:
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(i) any projections, forecasts or other estimates, plans or
budgets of future revenues, expenses or expenditures, future
results of operations (or any component thereof), future cash
flows (or any component thereof) or future financial condition
(or any component thereof) of such other party or any of its
Subsidiaries or the future business, operations or affairs of
such other party or any of its Subsidiaries heretofore or
hereafter delivered to or made available to the other parties
hereto or their respective representatives or affiliates; or |
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(ii) any other information, statement or documents
heretofore or hereafter delivered to or made available to the
other parties hereto or their respective representatives or
affiliates, except to the extent and as expressly covered by a
representation and warranty contained in Article III
or IV of this Agreement. |
Section 5.19 Section 16
Matters. Prior to the Closing Date, Parent and the
Company, and their respective Boards of Directors, shall use
their reasonable best efforts to take all actions to cause any
dispositions of Company Common Stock (including derivative
securities with respect to Company Common Stock) or acquisitions
of Parent Common Stock (including derivative securities with
respect to Parent Common Stock) resulting from the transactions
contemplated hereby by each individual who is subject to the
reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act
to be exempt from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act under
Rule 16b-3
promulgated under the Exchange Act in accordance
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with the terms and conditions set forth in that certain
No-Action Letter, dated January 12, 1999, issued by the SEC
to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
Section 5.20 Affiliates
Letter. Prior to the date of the Company Special
Meeting, the Company shall deliver to Parent a list of names and
addresses of those Persons who are, in the opinion of the
Company, as of the time of the Company Special Meeting,
affiliates of the Company within the meaning of
Rule 145 under the Securities Act. The Company shall
provide to Parent such information and documents as Parent shall
reasonably request for purposes of reviewing such list. There
shall be added to such list the names and addresses of any other
Person subsequently identified by either Parent or the Company
as a Person who may be deemed to be such an affiliate of the
Company; provided, however, that no such Person
identified by Parent shall be added to the list of affiliates of
the Company if Parent shall receive from the Company, on or
before the date of the Company Special Meeting, an opinion of
counsel reasonably satisfactory to Parent to the effect that
such Person is not such an affiliate. The Company shall exercise
its commercially reasonable efforts to deliver or cause to be
delivered to Parent, prior to the date of the Company Special
Meeting, from each affiliate of the Company identified in the
foregoing list (as the same may be supplemented as aforesaid), a
letter dated as of the Closing Date substantially in the form
attached as Exhibit A (the Affiliates Letter).
Parent shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of
the Form F-4 or
any other registration statement under the Securities Act for
the purposes of resale of Parent Depositary Shares (or the
Parent Ordinary Shares underlying such Parent Depositary Shares)
by such affiliates received pursuant to the First Merger and
Parent may direct the Exchange Agent not to issue certificates
representing Parent Depositary Shares (or the Parent Ordinary
Shares underlying such Parent Depositary Shares) received by any
such affiliate until Parent has received from such Person an
Affiliates Letter. Parent may issue certificates representing
Parent Depositary Shares (or the Parent Ordinary Shares
underlying such Parent Depositary Shares) received by such
affiliates bearing a customary legend regarding applicable
Securities Act restrictions and the provisions of this
Section 5.20.
Section 5.21 Merger
Subs.
(a) As soon as reasonably practicable after the date
hereof, Parent shall (i) cause to be formed and organized
Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II as wholly owned subsidiaries
of Parent incorporated under the laws of Delaware and
(ii) cause each of Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II to
become a party to this Agreement which shall be done by each of
Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II executing and delivering a
copy of this Agreement to each of the Company and Parent and
(iii) cause each of Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II to
take all necessary action to complete the transactions
contemplated hereby subject to the terms and conditions hereof.
(b) Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II are being formed
solely for the purpose of effecting the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, and Merger Sub I and Merger
Sub II shall not (and Parent shall not permit Merger Sub I
and Merger Sub II to) conduct any business or acquire any
assets (other than as contemplated by this Agreement) prior to
the Merger II Effective Time.
ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS
Section 6.1 Conditions
to Each Partys Obligation To Effect the Mergers.
The respective obligation of each party to effect the Mergers
shall be subject to the satisfaction on or prior to the Closing
Date of each of the following conditions (any or all of which
may be waived by the parties hereto in writing, in whole or in
part, to the extent permitted by applicable Law):
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(a) (i) This Agreement shall have been adopted by the
Required Company Vote in accordance with the DGCL and
(ii) the Parent Shareholder Approval shall have been
obtained in accordance with applicable French Law; |
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(b) No statute, rule, order, decree or regulation shall
have been enacted or promulgated, and no action shall have been
taken, by any Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction which |
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temporarily, preliminarily or permanently restrains, precludes,
enjoins or otherwise prohibits the consummation of either Merger
or makes consummation of either Merger illegal; |
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(c) (i) The waiting period (and any extension thereof)
applicable to the consummation of the Mergers under the HSR Act
shall have expired or been terminated and (ii) all required
approvals by the European Commission applicable to the Mergers
under applicable Competition Laws, including the EC Merger
Regulation, shall have been obtained or any applicable waiting
period thereunder shall have been terminated or shall have
expired; |
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(d) Other than filing the Certificates of Merger in
accordance with the DGCL and excluding those specified in
foregoing paragraph (c), all authorizations, consents,
waiting periods and approvals of all Governmental Entities in
the Applicable Jurisdictions required to be obtained under
applicable Law prior to consummation of the Mergers shall have
been obtained or satisfied; |
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(e) The
Form F-4 and
Form F-6 shall
have been declared effective, and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the
Form F-4 or
Form F-6 shall be
in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall be pending
before or threatened by the SEC; and the approval (visa) of
the note dinformation by the AMF relating to
the Parent Ordinary Shares to be issued at the Merger I
Effective Time as part of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement shall have been obtained; and |
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(f) The Parent Depositary Shares (and, if required, the
underlying shares of Parent Ordinary Shares) issuable to the
stockholders of the Company pursuant to the First Merger and to
the holders of the Company Convertible Debt shall have been
authorized for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice
of issuance, and the AMF and the Euronext Paris SA shall have
approved the listing of the Parent Ordinary Shares to be issued
at the Merger I Effective Time as part of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement. |
Section 6.2 Conditions
to the Obligation of the Company to Effect the Mergers.
The obligation of the Company to effect the Mergers is further
subject to the satisfaction on or prior to the Closing Date of
each of the following conditions (any or all of which may be
waived by the Company in writing, in whole or in part, to the
extent permitted by applicable Law):
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(a) (i) The representations and warranties of each of
Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II set forth in
Sections 4.2(a) and (b) and 4.3 shall be true and
correct both when made and at and as of the Closing Date, as if
made at and as of such time (except to the extent expressly made
as of an earlier date, in which case as of such date); and
(ii) the representations and warranties of each of Parent,
Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II set forth in this Agreement
(other than the representations and warranties set forth in
Sections 4.2(a) and (b) and 4.3) shall be true and
correct both when made and at and as of the Closing Date, as if
made at and as of such time (except to the extent expressly made
as of an earlier date, in which case as of such date), except
where the failure of such representations and warranties to be
so true and correct (without giving effect to any limitation as
to materiality or Material Adverse
Effect set forth therein) individually or in the aggregate
has not had, and would not be reasonably likely to have or
result in, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent. The Company
shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of Parent by
each of two senior executive officers of Parent to the foregoing
effect; |
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(b) Each of Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II
shall have performed or complied with in all material respects
each of its obligations under this Agreement required to be
performed or complied with by it on or prior to the Closing Date
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and the Company shall
have received a certificate signed on behalf of Parent by each
of two senior executive officers of Parent to the foregoing
effect; |
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(c) There shall not be pending any suit, action or
proceeding by any Governmental Entity seeking to restrain,
preclude, enjoin or prohibit the Mergers or any of the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement; |
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(d) The Company shall have received the opinion of
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel to the Company, in form
and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, dated the
Closing Date, rendered on the basis of facts, representations
and assumptions set forth in such opinion and the certificates
obtained from officers of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger
Sub II and the Company, all of which are consistent with
the state of facts existing as of the Merger I Effective Time,
to the effect that (i) the Mergers will qualify as a
reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the
Code and (ii) each transfer of Company Common Stock to
Parent pursuant to the First Merger and in accordance with
Treasury Regulation Section 1.367(a)-3(d) will not be
subject to Section 367(a)(1) of the Code or the Company has
received the IRS Ruling. In rendering the opinion described in
this Section 6.2(d), Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. shall
have received and may rely upon the certificates and
representations referred to in Section 5.15(f) hereof and
any rulings received by the parties from the IRS with respect to
the Mergers (and any representations of the Company, Parent,
Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II made in connection
therewith). The opinion may further assume that all applicable
reporting requirements have been satisfied and that any
five-percent transferee shareholder with respect to
Parent within the meaning of Treasure
Regulation 1.367(a)-3(c)(5)(ii) will in a timely and
effective manner file the agreement described in Treasure
Regulation 1.367(a)-3(c)(1)(iii)(B); and |
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(e) Parent shall have deposited or caused to be deposited
in the Exchange Fund cash and Parent Depositary Shares in an
amount sufficient to permit payment of the aggregate Merger
Consideration payable pursuant to Section 1.6. |
Section 6.3 Conditions
to Obligations of Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II to
Effect the Mergers.
The obligations of Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II
to effect the Mergers are further subject to the satisfaction on
or prior to the Closing Date of each of the following conditions
(any or all of which may be waived by Parent, Merger Sub I and
Merger Sub II in writing, in whole or in part, to the
extent permitted by applicable Law):
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(a) (i) The representations and warranties of the
Company set forth in Sections 3.2(a) and (b) and 3.3
shall be true and correct both when made and at and as of the
Closing Date, as if made at and as of such time (except to the
extent expressly made as of an earlier date, in which case as of
such date); provided that for purposes of this
clause (i), the representations and warranties of the
Company set forth in Section 3.2(a) shall not be deemed
untrue and incorrect due to the failure, if any, of the Company
to disclose the existence as of the Cut-off Time of up to
3,000 shares in the aggregate of any combination of Company
Common Stock and/or options or rights to acquire shares of
Company Common Stock, and (ii) the representations and
warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement (other
than the representations and warranties set forth in
Sections 3.2(a) and (b) and 3.3) shall be true and
correct both when made and at and as of the Closing Date, as if
made at and as of such time (except to the extent expressly made
as of an earlier date, in which case as of such date), except
where the failure of such representations and warranties to be
so true and correct (without giving effect to any limitation as
to materiality or Material Adverse
Effect set forth therein) individually or in the aggregate
has not had, and would not be reasonably likely to have or
result in, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company. Parent
shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of the
Company by each of two senior executive officers of the Company
to the foregoing effect; |
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(b) The Company shall have performed or complied with in
all material respects each of its obligations under this
Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it at or
prior to the Closing Date pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement, and Parent shall have received a certificate signed
on behalf of the Company by each of two senior executive
officers of the Company to the foregoing effect; |
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(c) There shall not be pending any suit, action or
proceeding by any Governmental Entity seeking to
(i) prohibit or limit in any respect the ownership or
operation by the Company, Parent, |
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Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II or any of their respective
affiliates of any portion of the business or assets of the
Company and its Subsidiaries or to require any such Person to
dispose of or hold separate any portion of the business or
assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries as a result of the
Mergers or any of the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, in any such case which would constitute a Burdensome
Condition, or (ii) restrain, preclude, enjoin or prohibit
the Mergers or any of the other transactions contemplated by
this Agreement; |
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(d) Parent shall have received the opinion of Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Skadden
Arps), counsel to Parent, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to Parent, dated the Closing Date, rendered on the
basis of facts, representations and assumptions set forth in
such opinion and the certificates obtained from officers of
Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger Sub II and the Company,
all of which are consistent with the state of facts existing as
of the Merger I Effective Time, to the effect that the Mergers
will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of
Section 368(a) of the Code. In rendering the opinion
described in this Section 6.3(d), Skadden Arps shall have
received and may rely upon the certificates and representations
referred to in Section 5.15(f) hereof; |
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(e) Each of the approvals described in Section 6.1(c)
and (d) shall have been obtained without the imposition of
any condition or restriction which constitutes a Burdensome
Condition; and |
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(f) At or prior to the Merger I Effective Time, the
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
(CFIUS) shall have notified Parent in writing that
it has determined not to investigate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement (including the Mergers) pursuant
to the powers vested in it by Section 5021 of the Omnibus
Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, which amended
Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950
(Exon-Florio Amendment) or, in the event that CFIUS
has undertaken such an investigation, CFIUS has terminated such
investigation or the President of the United States has
determined not to take any action or, in the event that CFIUS or
the President of the United States has requested Parent to
modify the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
(including the Mergers) or otherwise enter into any other
commitment to protect the National Security of the United
States, as determined by the Exon Florio Amendment, such
modification or commitment would not reasonably be expected to
constitute a Burdensome Condition. |
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
Section 7.1 Termination.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement
may be terminated and the Mergers may be abandoned at any time
prior to the Merger I Effective Time (notwithstanding any
adoption of this Agreement by the stockholders of the Company or
any approval of the matters constituting the Parent Shareholder
Approval by the shareholders of Parent):
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(a) By the mutual consent of Parent and the Company in a
written instrument; |
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(b) By either the Company or Parent upon written notice to
the other, if: |
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(i) the Mergers shall not have been consummated on or
before April 15, 2007 (the Termination Date);
provided, however that the right to terminate this
Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.1(b)(i) shall not be
available to a party whose failure to fulfill any material
obligation under this Agreement has been the cause of, or
resulted in, the failure of the Mergers to have been consummated
on or before such date; |
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(ii) any Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over any
party hereto shall have issued a statute, rule, order, decree or
regulation or taken any other action, in each case permanently
restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting consummation of
either Merger or making consummation of either Merger illegal
and such statute, rule, order, decree, regulation or other |
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action shall have become final and nonappealable;
provided, however, that the right to terminate
pursuant to this Section 7.1(b)(ii) shall not be available
to any party whose failure to fulfill any material obligation
under this Agreement has been the cause of or resulted in such
action or who is then in material breach of Section 5.5
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(iii) the stockholders of the Company fail to adopt this
Agreement by the Company Required Vote at the Company Special
Meeting; provided that the Company shall not be entitled
to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 7.1(b)(iii) if it has (x) breached any of its
obligations under Section 5.3 and an Acquisition Proposal
with respect to the Company has been publicly proposed by any
Person (other than Parent or any of its affiliates) or any
Person publicly has announced its intention (whether or not
conditional) to make an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the
Company or an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company
or such intention has otherwise become known to the
Companys stockholders generally (other than as a result of
disclosure by Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
respective Representatives) or (y) breached any of its
obligations under Section 5.6(c); or |
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(iv) the Parent Shareholder Approval shall not have been
obtained in accordance with applicable French Law at the Parent
Shareholders Meeting; provided that Parent shall
not be entitled to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 7.1(b)(iv) if it has (x) breached any of its
obligations under Section 5.3 and an Acquisition Proposal
with respect to Parent has been publicly proposed by any Person
(other than the Company or any of its affiliates) or any Person
publicly has announced its intention (whether or not
conditional) to make an Acquisition Proposal with respect to
Parent or an Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent or such
intention has otherwise become known to Parents
stockholders generally (other than as a result of disclosure by
the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective
Representatives) or (y) breached any of its obligations
under Section 5.6(d); |
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(c) by the Company, if Parent shall have breached or failed
to perform in any material respect any of its representations,
warranties, covenants or other agreements contained in this
Agreement, which breach or failure to perform (i) would
give rise to the failure of a condition set forth in
Section 6.2(a) or (b), and (ii) is incapable of being
cured by Parent or is not cured by Parent within 45 days
following receipt of written notice from the Company of such
breach or failure to perform; |
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(d) by Parent, if the Company shall have breached or failed
to perform in any material respect any of its representations,
warranties, covenants or other agreements contained in this
Agreement, which breach or failure to perform (i) would
give rise to the failure of a condition set forth in
Section 6.3(a) or (b), and (ii) is incapable of being
cured by the Company or is not cured by the Company within
45 days following receipt of written notice from Parent of
such breach or failure to perform; |
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(e) By Parent, (i) if the Company, or the Company
Board or any committee thereof, as the case may be, shall have
entered into any agreement with respect to any Acquisition
Proposal with respect to the Company other than the Mergers or
an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement as permitted by
Section 5.3, or (ii) if a Company Adverse
Recommendation Change shall have occurred or the Company Board
or any committee thereof shall have resolved to make a Company
Adverse Recommendation Change; |
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(f) By the Company, (i) if Parent, or the Parent Board
or any committee thereof, as the case may be, shall have entered
into any agreement with respect to any Acquisition Proposal with
respect to Parent other than the Mergers or an Acceptable
Confidentiality Agreement as permitted by Section 5.3, or
(ii) if a Parent Change in Recommendation shall have
occurred or the Board of Directors of Parent or any committee
thereof shall have resolved to make a Parent Change in
Recommendation; and |
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(g) by Parent, upon written notice to the Company, if
Parent takes any action to defeat or otherwise seek to forestall
an unsolicited hostile Acquisition Proposal with respect to
Parent (other |
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than any action permitted to be taken under Section 5.3),
which action (x) is in breach or violation of any of
Parents material obligations under this Agreement and
(y) results in any of the conditions to the Mergers set
forth in Section 6.1 not being satisfied; provided
that (i) for purposes of this clause (g), the term
Acquisition Proposal shall have the meaning assigned
to such term in Section 5.3(i), except that all references
to 15% therein shall be deemed to be references to
40%, (ii) Parent shall not be permitted to
terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.1(g)
if, prior to the time such unsolicited hostile Acquisition
Proposal with respect to Parent was made, Parent was in breach
of any of its obligations under Section 5.3, and
(iii) simultaneously with its termination pursuant to this
Section 7.1(g), Parent shall pay to the Company the
Termination Fee provided under Section 8.1(g). |
Section 7.2 Effect
of Termination. In the event of the termination of this
Agreement as provided in Section 7.1, written notice
thereof shall forthwith be given by the terminating party to the
other parties specifying the provision of this Agreement
pursuant to which such termination is made, and except with
respect to this Section 7.2, Article VIII and
Section 5.4(d), this Agreement shall forthwith become null
and void after the expiration of any applicable period following
such notice. In the event of such termination, there shall be no
liability on the part of Parent, Merger Sub I, Merger
Sub II or the Company, except as set forth in
Section 8.1 of this Agreement and except with respect to
the requirement to comply with the Confidentiality Agreement;
provided that nothing herein shall relieve any party from
any liability (including, in the case of the Company, damages
based on the value of the consideration that would have
otherwise been payable to the stockholders of the Company) with
respect to any willful breach of any obligation under this
Agreement.
ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 8.1 Fees
and Expenses.
(a) Whether or not the Mergers are consummated, all costs
and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party
incurring such costs or expenses, except as provided in
Sections 2.1, 5.4, 5.6 and 5.8 and in this
Article VIII.
(b) If this Agreement is terminated by Parent pursuant to
Section 7.1(e), then the Company shall pay to Parent a
termination fee in the amount of U.S. $85.0 million
(the Termination Fee).
(c) If this Agreement is terminated by the Company pursuant
to Section 7.1(f), then Parent shall pay to the Company the
Termination Fee.
(d) (i) if this Agreement is terminated by either
party pursuant to Section 7.1(b)(iii), then the Company
shall pay to Parent an amount of U.S. $20.0 million as
a reasonable estimate of Parents expenses, and
(ii) if this Agreement is terminated by either party
pursuant to Section 7.1(b)(iv), then Parent shall pay to
the Company an amount of U.S. $20.0 million as a
reasonable estimate of the Companys expenses.
(e) In the event that (i) (x) an Acquisition
Proposal with respect to the Company has been publicly proposed
by any Person (other than Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger
Sub II, or any of their respective affiliates) or any
Person publicly has announced its intention (whether or not
conditional) to make an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the
Company or an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company
or such intention has otherwise become known to the
Companys stockholders generally (other than as a result of
disclosure by the Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any of
their respective Representatives) and (y) thereafter this
Agreement is terminated by either the Company or Parent pursuant
to Section 7.1(b)(i) or 7.1(b)(iii), and (ii) within
12 months after the termination of this Agreement, the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries enters into any definitive
agreement providing for an Acquisition Proposal with respect to
the Company, or an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the
Company is consummated, the Company shall pay Parent the
Termination Fee upon the first to occur of the events
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described in this clause (ii) (less the amount of any
payment previously made by the Company pursuant to
Section 8.1(d)(i)).
(f) In the event that (i)(x) an Acquisition Proposal with
respect to Parent has been publicly proposed by any Person
(other than the Company or any of its affiliates) or any Person
publicly has announced its intention (whether or not
conditional) to make an Acquisition Proposal with respect to
Parent or an Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent or such
intention has otherwise become known to Parents
stockholders generally (other than as a result of disclosure by
the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective
Representatives) and (y) thereafter this Agreement is
terminated by either the Company or Parent pursuant to
Section 7.1(b)(i) or 7.1(b)(iv), and (ii) within
12 months after the termination of this Agreement, Parent
or any of its Subsidiaries enters into any definitive agreement
providing for an Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent, or
an Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent is consummated,
Parent shall pay the Company the Termination Fee upon the first
to occur of the events described in this clause (ii) (less
the amount of any payment previously made by Parent pursuant to
Section 8.1(d)(ii)).
(g) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, in the event that (A) Parent takes any action to
defeat or otherwise seek to forestall an unsolicited hostile
Acquisition Proposal with respect to Parent (other than any
action permitted to be taken under Section 5.3), which
action (x) is in breach or violation of any of
Parents material obligations under this Agreement and
(y) results in any of the conditions to the Mergers set
forth in Section 6.1 not being satisfied and thereafter the
Company terminates the Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1(c)
in respect of such action, or (B) Parent terminates the
Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1(g), then, upon such
termination by the Company or Parent, as the Companys sole
and exclusive remedy, Parent shall pay to the Company the
Termination Fee as liquidated damages, and for the avoidance of
doubt, no other fees, expenses or damages shall be payable by
Parent in respect thereof; provided, however, that
such Termination Fee is not intended and shall not be an
admission or acknowledgement that such amount is equal to the
damages sustained by the Company as a result of any intentional
breach of this Agreement by Parent that is not described in this
Section 8.1(g).
(h) Any payment required pursuant to Section 8.1(b),
(c), (d) or (g) shall be made within one Business Day
after termination of this Agreement by wire transfer of
immediately available funds to an account designated by the
party entitled to such payment. Any payment of the Termination
Fee pursuant to Section 8.1(e) or (f) shall be made
prior to the first to occur of the execution of a definitive
agreement providing for an Acquisition Proposal or the
consummation of an Acquisition Proposal. Each party acknowledges
that the agreements contained in this Section 8.1 are an
integral part of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, and that, without these agreements, the other party
would not enter into this Agreement; accordingly, if either
party fails promptly to pay or cause to be paid the amounts due
from it pursuant to this Section 8.1, and, in order to
obtain such payment, the other party commences a suit that
results in a judgment for the amounts set forth in this
Section 8.1, the defaulting party shall pay to the other
party its reasonable costs and expenses (including
attorneys fees and expenses) in connection with such suit
and any appeal relating thereto, together with interest on the
amounts set forth in this Section 8.1 from the date payment
was due at the prime rate of Citibank, N.A. in effect on the
date such payment was required to be made.
(i) For purposes of Sections 8.1(e), 8.1(f) and
8.1(g), the term Acquisition Proposal shall have the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.3(j), except
that all references to 15% therein shall be deemed
to be references to 40%.
(j) This Section 8.1 shall survive any termination of
this Agreement. In no event shall either party be entitled to
receive under this Article VIII more than an aggregate
amount equal to the Termination Fee.
Section 8.2 Amendment;
Waiver.
(a) This Agreement may be amended by the parties to this
Agreement, by action taken or authorized by their respective
boards of directors, at any time before or after approval by the
stockholders of the Company of the matters presented in
connection with the First Merger, but after any such approval no
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amendment shall be made without the approval of the stockholders
of the Company if such amendment alters or changes (i) the
Merger Consideration, (ii) any term of the articles of
association or by-laws of Parent or (iii) any terms or
conditions of this Agreement if such alteration or change would
adversely affect the holders of any shares of capital stock of
the Company. This Agreement may not be amended except by an
instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the parties
hereto.
(b) At any time prior to the Merger I Effective Time, the
parties to this Agreement may (i) extend the time for the
performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other
parties hereto, (ii) waive in whole or in part any
inaccuracies in the representations and warranties of the other
parties contained herein or in any document, certificate or
writing delivered pursuant hereto by the other party or
(iii) waive in whole or in part compliance with any of the
agreements or conditions of the other parties hereto contained
herein. Any agreement on the part of any party to any such
extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in an
instrument in writing signed on behalf of such party. Any such
waiver shall constitute a waiver only with respect to the
specific matter described in such writing and shall in no way
impair the rights of the party granting such waiver in any other
respect or at any other time. Neither the waiver by any of the
parties hereto of a breach of or a default under any of the
provisions of this Agreement, nor the failure by any of the
parties, on one or more occasions, to enforce any of the
provisions of this Agreement or to exercise any right or
privilege hereunder, shall be construed as a waiver of any other
breach or default of a similar nature, or as a waiver of any of
such provisions, rights or privileges hereunder. The rights and
remedies herein provided are cumulative and none is exclusive of
any other, or of any rights or remedies that any party may
otherwise have at Law or in equity.
Section 8.3 Survival.
The representations and warranties contained in this Agreement
or in any certificates or other documents delivered prior to or
as of the Merger I Effective Time shall survive until (but not
beyond) the Merger I Effective Time. The covenants and
agreements of the parties hereto (including the Surviving
Corporation after the Mergers) shall survive the Merger I
Effective Time without limitation (except for those which, by
their terms, contemplate a shorter survival period).
Section 8.4 Notices.
All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in
writing and shall be deemed given upon
(a) transmitters confirmation of a receipt of a
facsimile transmission, (b) confirmed delivery by a
standard overnight carrier or when delivered by hand,
(c) the expiration of five Business Days after the day when
mailed in the United States by certified or registered mail,
postage prepaid, or (d) delivery in Person, addressed at
the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as
shall be specified by like notice):
(a) if to the Company, to:
Veritas DGC Inc.
10300 Town Park Drive
Houston, Texas 77072
Telephone: 832-351-8300
Facsimile: 832-351-8701
Attention: Thierry Pilenko
with a copy to (which copy shall not constitute notice):
Veritas DGC Inc.
10300 Town Park Drive
Houston, Texas 77072
Telephone: 832-351-8300
Facsimile: 832-351-8792
Attention: Larry Worden
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and
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2300
Houston, Texas 77002-6760
Telephone: 713-758-2222
Facsimile: 713-758-2346
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Attention: |
Jeffery B. Floyd |
W. Matthew Strock
and
(b) if to Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, to:
CGG
Tour Maine Montparnasse
33 avenue du Maine
75755 Paris cedex 15
France
Facsimile: 33 1 64 47 34 29
Attention: Thierry Le Roux
with a copy to (which copy shall not constitute notice):
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Four Times Square
New York, NY 10036
Telephone: 212-735-3000
Facsimile: 212-735-2000
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Attention: |
Peter Allan Atkins |
Frank Ed Bayouth II
Section 8.5 Rules
of Construction and Interpretation; Definitions.
(a) When a reference is made in this Agreement to Articles
or Sections, such reference shall be to an Article or a Section
of this Agreement unless otherwise indicated. Whenever the words
include, includes or
including are used in this Agreement they shall be
deemed to be followed by the words without
limitation. The phrase made available when
used in this Agreement shall mean that the information referred
to has been made available to the party to whom such information
is to be made available. The word affiliates when
used in this Agreement shall have the meaning ascribed to it in
Rule 12b-2 under
the Exchange Act. The phrase beneficial ownership
and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall
have the meaning ascribed to it in
Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act. The phrase the date of this
Agreement, date hereof and terms of similar
import, unless the context otherwise requires, shall be deemed
to refer to September 4, 2006. All terms defined in this
Agreement shall have the defined meanings when used in any
certificate or other document made or delivered pursuant thereto
unless otherwise defined therein. The definitions contained in
this Agreement are applicable to the singular as well as the
plural forms of such terms and to the masculine as well as to
the feminine and neuter genders of such term. Any statute
defined or referred to herein means such statute as from time to
time amended, modified or supplemented, including by succession
of comparable successor statutes and references to all
attachments thereto and instruments incorporated therein.
References to a Person are also to its permitted successors and
assigns.
(b) Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it has
been represented by counsel of its choice throughout all
negotiations that have preceded the execution of this Agreement
and that it has executed the same with the advice of said
counsel. Each party and its counsel cooperated in the drafting
and preparation of this Agreement and the documents referred to
herein, and any and all drafts relating thereto exchanged
between the parties shall be deemed the work product of the
parties and may not be construed against any party by reason of
its preparation. Accordingly, any rule of Law or any legal
decision that
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would require interpretation of any ambiguities in this
Agreement against any party that drafted it is of no application
and is hereby expressly waived.
(c) The inclusion of any information in the Company
Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter shall not be
deemed an admission or acknowledgment, in and of itself and
solely by virtue of the inclusion of such information in the
Company Disclosure Letter or Parent Disclosure Letter, as
applicable, that such information is required to be listed in
the Company Disclosure Letter or Parent Disclosure Letter, as
applicable, or that such items are material to the Company or
Parent, as the case may be. The headings, if any, of the
individual sections of each of the Parent Disclosure Letter and
Company Disclosure Letter are inserted for convenience only and
shall not be deemed to constitute a part thereof or a part of
this Agreement.
(d) The specification of any dollar amount in the
representations and warranties or otherwise in this Agreement or
in the Company Disclosure Letter or Parent Disclosure Letter is
not intended and shall not be deemed to be an admission or
acknowledgment of the materiality of such amounts or items, nor
shall the same be used in any dispute or controversy between the
parties to determine whether any obligation, item or matter
(whether or not described herein or included in any schedule) is
or is not material for purposes of this Agreement.
(e) The following terms have the following definitions:
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(i) Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement
means a confidentiality agreement on terms no less favorable to
the Company or Parent, as the case may be, than the
Confidentiality Agreement. |
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(ii) Applicable Jurisdiction means any
jurisdiction (i) where either party or any of its
Subsidiaries has any significant assets or conducts any
significant business or (ii) where consummation of either
of the Mergers without first obtaining or satisfying any
authorization, consent, waiting period or approval of any
Governmental Entity in such jurisdiction which is required to be
obtained under applicable Law prior to consummation of such
Merger would constitute a criminal offense; |
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(iii) Business Day means any day other
than Saturday and Sunday and any day on which banks are not
required or authorized to close in the State of Delaware or New
York. |
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(iv) Cleanup means all actions required
to: (i) clean up, remove, treat or remediate Hazardous
Materials in the indoor or outdoor environment;
(ii) prevent the Release of Hazardous Materials so that
they do not migrate, endanger or threaten to endanger public
health or welfare or the indoor or outdoor environment;
(iii) perform pre-remedial studies and investigations and
post-remedial monitoring and care; or (iv) respond to any
government requests for information or documents in any way
relating to cleanup, removal, treatment or remediation or
potential cleanup, removal, treatment or remediation of
Hazardous Materials in the indoor or outdoor environment. |
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(v) Code means the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended. |
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(vi) Company Directors means up to five
individuals currently serving on the Company Board who shall be
designated by Parent with the concurrence of the Company, such
concurrence not to be unreasonably withheld, to become members
of the Parent Board as of the Merger I Effective Time pursuant
to Section 5.13. |
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(vii) Competition Laws means Laws that
are designed or intended to prohibit, restrict or regulate
actions having the purpose or effect of monopolization,
lessening of competition or restraint of trade and includes the
HSR Act and the Competition Act (Canada). |
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(viii) Derivative Transaction means any
swap transaction, option, warrant, forward purchase or sale
transaction, futures transaction, cap transaction, floor
transaction or collar transaction relating to one or more
currencies, commodities, bonds, equity securities, loans,
interest rates, catastrophe events, weather-related events,
credit-related events or conditions or any indexes, or any other
similar transaction (including any option with respect to any of
these transactions) or combination of any of |
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these transactions, including collateralized mortgage
obligations or other similar instruments or any debt or equity
instruments evidencing or embedding any such types of
transactions, and any related credit support, collateral or
other similar arrangements related to such transactions. |
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(ix) Employment and Withholding Taxes
means any federal, state, provincial, local, foreign or other
employment, unemployment, insurance, social security,
disability, workers compensation, payroll, health care or
other similar Tax and all Taxes required to be withheld by or on
behalf of each of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries in
connection with amounts paid or owing to any employee,
independent contractor, creditor or other party, in each case,
on or in respect of the business or assets thereof. |
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(x) Environmental Claim means any claim,
demand, suit, action, cause of action, proceeding, investigation
or written notice to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by
any Person or entity alleging any potential liability (including
potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs,
governmental response costs, natural resource damages, personal
injuries, or penalties) arising out of, based on, or resulting
from (i) the presence, or Release into the environment, of
any Hazardous Material at any location for which the Company or
its Subsidiaries may bear responsibility or liability, or
(ii) circumstances forming the basis of any violation, or
alleged violation, of any applicable Environmental Law. |
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(xi) Environmental Laws means all Laws,
including common law, relating to pollution, Cleanup,
restoration or protection of the environment (including ambient
air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface
strata and natural resources) or to the protection of flora or
fauna or their habitat or to human or public health, including
Laws relating to emissions, discharges, Releases or threatened
Releases of Hazardous Materials, or otherwise relating to the
treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous
Materials, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act. |
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(xii) Financing means debt financing in
the amounts set forth in the Commitment Letter and on terms not
less favorable to the borrower than those set forth in the
Commitment Letter. |
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(xiii) Foreign Plan means, with respect
to any Person, each benefit plan, arrangement or agreement that
is a governmental or nongovernmental and/or industrial or
non-industrial retirement, welfare or other benefit plan,
program, agreement or arrangement respecting the operations of
such Person outside of the United States for the benefit of any
current or former employee, officer or director of such Person
or any of its Subsidiaries. |
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(xiv) Hazardous Material means
(i) chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic and
hazardous substances, and oil and petroleum products,
(ii) any substance that is or contains asbestos, urea
formaldehyde foam insulation, polychlorinated biphenyls,
petroleum or petroleum-derived substances or wastes, radon gas
or related materials, lead or lead-based paint or materials,
(iii) any substance that requires investigation, removal or
remediation under any Environmental Law, or is defined, listed,
regulated or identified as hazardous, toxic or otherwise
actionable or dangerous under any Environmental Laws, or
(iv) any substance that is toxic, explosive, corrosive,
flammable, infectious, radioactive, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or
otherwise hazardous. |
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(xv) knowledge means, with respect to
the Company, the actual knowledge of the individuals listed in
Section 8.5(e) of the Company Disclosure Letter and, with
respect to Parent, the actual knowledge of the individuals
listed in Section 8.5(e) of the Parent Disclosure Letter. |
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(xvi) Leased Real Property means all
interests in real property pursuant to the Leases. |
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(xvii) Leases means the real property
leases, subleases, licenses and use or occupancy agreements
pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the
lessee, sublessee, licensee, user, operator or occupant of real
property, or interests therein. |
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(xviii) Liens means any mortgage,
pledge, deed of trust, hypothecation, right of others, claim,
security interest, encumbrance, burden, title defect, title
retention agreement, lease, sublease, license, occupancy
agreement, easement, covenant, condition, encroachment, voting
trust agreement, interest, option, right of first offer,
negotiation or refusal, proxy, lien, charge or other
restrictions or limitations of any nature whatsoever. |
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(xix) Litigation means any action,
claim, suit, proceeding, citation, summons, subpoena, inquiry or
investigation of any nature, civil, criminal or regulatory, in
law or in equity, by or before any Governmental Entity or
arbitrator (including workers compensation claims). |
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(xx) Material Adverse Effect means, with
respect to Parent or the Company, as the case may be, a material
adverse effect on (i) the business, results of operations
or condition (financial or other) of such party and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except to the extent arising or
resulting from or caused by, any of the following, which shall
be excluded from consideration (A) any change in Laws of
general applicability or interpretations thereof by courts or
Governmental Entities, (B) changes attributable to or
resulting from changes in general industry conditions or general
economic conditions, except to the extent any such change
affects such party to a greater extent than other companies that
are similarly situated in such partys industry generally,
(C) changes and effects attributable to the announcement or
pendency of this Agreement or the Mergers or the other
transactions contemplated hereby, (D) the failure of such
party to meet internal or analysts expectations or
projections (it being understood, however, that the underlying
circumstances giving rise to such failure may be taken into
account unless otherwise excluded pursuant to this paragraph),
and (E) compliance by such party with the terms of this
Agreement or the Mergers or the other transactions contemplated
herein; provided that the exception contained in this
subsection (E) shall not apply to Sections 3.4 or
4.4, or (ii) the ability of such party and its Subsidiaries
to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. |
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(xxi) Owned Real Property means the real
property, and interests in real property, owned by the Company
and its Subsidiaries. |
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(xxii) Permitted Liens means
(i) Liens reserved against or identified in the Company
Balance Sheet or the Parent Balance Sheet, as the case may be,
to the extent so reserved or reflected or described in the notes
thereto, (ii) Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable,
(iii) Liens existing pursuant to credit facilities of the
Company and its Subsidiaries or the Parent and its Subsidiaries,
as the case may be and in each case in effect as of the date of
this Agreement and (iv) those Liens that, individually or
in the aggregate with all other Permitted Liens, do not, and are
not reasonably likely to, materially interfere with the use or
value of the properties or assets of the Company and its
Subsidiaries or Parent and its Subsidiaries, as the case may be
and in each case taken as a whole as currently used, or
otherwise individually or in the aggregate have or result in a
Material Adverse Effect on the Company or Parent, as the case
may be. |
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(xxiii) Person means any natural person,
firm, individual, partnership, joint venture, business trust,
trust, association, corporation, company, limited liability
company, unincorporated entity or Governmental Entity. |
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(xxiv) Real Property means the Owned
Real Property and the Leased Real Property. |
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(xxv) Release means any releasing,
disposing, discharging, injecting, spilling, leaking, pumping,
dumping, emitting, escaping, emptying, dispersal, leaching,
migration, transporting or placing of Hazardous Materials,
including into or upon, any land, soil, surface water, ground
water or air, or otherwise entering into the environment. |
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(xxvi) Return means any return,
estimated tax return, report, declaration, form, claim for
refund or information statement relating to Taxes, including any
schedule or attachment thereto, and including any amendment
thereof. |
A-73
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(xxvii) Significant Subsidiary means
(i) with respect to any Person (including the Company), any
other Person that is a significant subsidiary as such term is
defined in Rule 1-02(w) of
Regulation S-X of
the SEC and (ii) with respect to the Company, any
Subsidiary that holds or has any rights with respect to any
assets which are critical to the business of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. |
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(xxviii) Subsidiary means with respect
to any Person, any other Person of which (i) such Person is
directly or indirectly the controlling general partner or
(ii) 50% or more of the securities or other interests
having by their terms ordinary voting power for the election of
directors or others performing similar functions are directly or
indirectly owned by such Person. |
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(xxix) Tax means any federal, state,
provincial, local, foreign or other tax, import, duty or other
governmental charge or assessment or deficiencies thereof,
including income, alternative, minimum, accumulated earnings,
personal holding company, franchise, capital stock, net worth,
capital, profits, windfall profits, gross receipts, value added,
sales, use, excise, custom duties, transfer, conveyance,
mortgage, registration, stamp, documentary, recording, premium,
severance, environmental, real and personal property, ad
valorem, intangibles, rent, occupancy, license, occupational,
employment, unemployment insurance, social security, disability,
workers compensation, payroll, health care, withholding,
estimated or other similar tax and including all interest and
penalties thereon and additions to tax. |
Section 8.6 Headings;
Schedules. The headings contained in this Agreement are
for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the
meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Disclosure of any
matter pursuant to any Section of the Company Disclosure Letter
or the Parent Disclosure Letter shall not be deemed to be an
admission or representation as to the materiality of the item so
disclosed.
Section 8.7 Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each
of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall be
considered one and the same agreement.
Section 8.8 Entire
Agreement. This Agreement and the Confidentiality
Agreement constitute the entire agreement, and supersede all
prior agreements and understandings (written and oral), among
the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.
Section 8.9 Severability.
If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this
Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against its
regulatory policy, the remainder of the terms, provisions,
covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired
or invalidated. Upon such determination that any term,
provision, covenant or restriction is invalid, void,
unenforceable, overly broad or against public policy by any
court of competent jurisdiction, the parties intend that such
court modify such provision to the extent necessary so as to
render it valid, effective, enforceable, reasonable and not
overly broad and such term, provision, covenant or restriction
shall be deemed modified to the extent necessary to provide the
intended benefits to modify this Agreement so as to effect the
original intent of the parties, as evidenced by this Agreement,
as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order
that the transactions as originally contemplated hereby are
fulfilled to the fullest extent possible.
Section 8.10 Governing
Law. This Agreement shall be governed, construed and
enforced in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware
without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law
thereof.
Section 8.11 Assignment.
Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or
obligations hereunder shall be assigned by any of the parties
hereto (whether by operation of Law or otherwise) without the
prior written consent of the other parties; provided that
each of Parent, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II may assign
this Agreement to any of its Subsidiaries, or to any lender to
each of Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, or any
Subsidiary or affiliate thereof as security for obligations to
such lender, and provided, further, that no assignment to any
such lender shall in any way affect Parents, Merger Sub
Is or Merger Sub IIs obligations or liabilities
under this Agreement.
A-74
Section 8.12 Parties
in Interest. This Agreement shall be binding upon and
inure solely to the benefit of each party to this Agreement and
their permitted assignees, and (other than Sections 5.8,
5.10 and 8.11) nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is
intended to or shall confer upon any other Person any rights,
benefits or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason
of this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, no direct or
indirect holder of any equity interests or securities of any
party to this Agreement (whether such holder is a limited or
general partner, member, stockholder or otherwise), nor any
affiliate of any party to this Agreement, nor any director,
officer, employee, representative, agent or other controlling
Person of each of the parties to this Agreement and their
respective affiliates shall have any liability or obligation
arising under this Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby.
Section 8.13 Specific
Performance. The parties to this Agreement agree that
irreparable damage would occur in the event that any provision
of this Agreement was not performed in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement and that the parties shall be entitled to
specific performance of the terms of this Agreement in addition
to any other remedy at Law or equity; provided,
however, that the Company shall have no rights under this
Section 8.13 with respect to any action taken by Parent in
response to an unsolicited Acquisition Proposal with respect to
Parent. The parties further agree to waive any requirement for
the securing or posting of any bond in connection with the
obtaining of any such equitable relief and that this
Section 8.13 is without prejudice to any other rights that
the parties hereto may have for any failure to perform this
Agreement.
Section 8.14 Jurisdiction.
Each of the parties hereto agrees that any claim, suit, action
or proceeding seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on
any matter arising out of, under or in connection with, this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be heard
and determined in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware
(and each agrees that no such claim, suit, action or proceeding
relating to this Agreement shall be brought by it or any of its
affiliates except in such court), and the parties hereto hereby
irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the exclusive
jurisdiction of such court in any such claim, suit, action or
proceeding and irrevocably and unconditionally waive the defense
of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any such claim,
suit, action or proceeding. Each of the parties hereto further
agree that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law,
service of any process, summons, notice or document in any such
claim, suit, action or proceeding may be served on any party
anywhere in the world, whether within or without the
jurisdiction of any such court. Without limiting the foregoing,
each party agrees that service of process on such party as
provided in Section 8.4 shall be deemed effective service
of process on such party. The parties hereto hereby agree that a
final, non-appealable judgment in any such claim, suit, action
or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other
jurisdictions in the world by suit on the judgment or in any
other manner provided by applicable Law.
Section 8.15 Effectiveness.
This Agreement shall become effective upon execution and
delivery by each of Parent and the Company.
* * * * * *
A-75
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Parent and the Company have caused this
Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto
duly authorized as of the date first written above.
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Title: |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
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Title: |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
A-76
ANNEX B
Opinion of Goldman, Sachs & Co.
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
September 4, 2006
Board of Directors
Veritas DGC Inc.
10300 Town Park
Houston, TX 77072
Gentlemen:
You have requested our opinion as to the fairness from a
financial point of view to the holders of the outstanding shares
of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the
Shares), of Veritas DGC Inc. (the
Company) of the Per Share Stock Consideration (as
defined below) and the Per Share Cash Consideration (as defined
below) to be received by such holders, taken in the aggregate,
pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
September 4, 2006 (the Agreement), by and among
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique
(CGG), Volnay Acquisition Co. I, a wholly owned
subsidiary of CGG (Merger Sub I), Volnay Acquisition
Co. II, a wholly owned subsidiary of CGG (Merger Sub
II), and the Company. Pursuant to the Agreement, Merger
Sub I will be merged with and into the Company (the First
Merger) and each outstanding Share (other than Shares
owned by CGG or the Company or any of their respective
subsidiaries) will be converted, at the election of the holder
thereof, into (i) that number of American Depository Shares
(the CGG ADSs), each representing one fifth of an
ordinary share, nominal value
2.00 per share,
of CGG, equal to the quotient, rounded to the nearest
ten-thousandth, obtained by dividing the Per Share Consideration
(as defined in the Agreement), by the average of the per share
closing sale prices of CGG ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange
during the Valuation Period (as defined in the Agreement), as
more fully set forth in the Agreement (the Per Share Stock
Consideration) or (ii) an amount of U.S. dollars
equal to the Per Share Consideration (the Per Share Cash
Consideration), subject to certain procedures and
limitations contained in the Agreement, as to which procedures
and limitations we are expressing no opinion. Pursuant to the
Agreement, immediately after the First Merger, the Company will
be merged with and into Merger Sub II.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and its affiliates, as part of their
investment banking business, are continually engaged in
performing financial analyses with respect to businesses and
their securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions,
negotiated underwritings, competitive biddings, secondary
distributions of listed and unlisted securities, private
placements and other transactions as well as for estate,
corporate and other purposes. We have acted as financial advisor
to the Company in connection with, and have participated in
certain of the negotiations leading to, the transaction
contemplated by the Agreement (the Transaction). We
expect to receive fees for our services in connection with the
Transaction, all of which are contingent upon consummation of
the Transaction, and the Company has agreed to reimburse our
expenses and indemnify us against certain liabilities arising
out of our engagement. We also may provide investment banking
services to the Company and CGG in the future. In connection
with the above-described investment banking services we may
receive compensation.
B-1
Board of Directors
Veritas DGC Inc.
September 4, 2006
Page Two
Goldman, Sachs & Co. is a full service securities firm
engaged, either directly or through its affiliates, in
securities trading, investment management, financial planning
and benefits counseling, risk management, hedging, financing and
brokerage activities for both companies and individuals. In the
ordinary course of these activities, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
and its affiliates may provide such services to the Company, CGG
and their respective affiliates, actively trade the debt and
equity securities (or related derivative securities) of the
Company and CGG for their own account and for the accounts of
their customers and hold long and short positions of such
securities.
In connection with this opinion, we have reviewed, among other
things, the Agreement; annual reports to stockholders and Annual
Reports on
Form 10-K of the
Company for the five fiscal years ended July 31, 2005;
annual reports to stockholders and annual reports on
Form 20-F of CGG
for the five years ended December 31, 2005; certain interim
reports to stockholders and Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q of the
Company; certain interim reports to stockholders of CGG; certain
other communications from the Company and CGG to their
respective stockholders; and certain internal financial analyses
and forecasts for the Company prepared by its management and
certain internal financial analyses and forecasts for CGG
prepared by its management, as reviewed and approved for use by
Goldman, Sachs & Co. in connection with this opinion by the
management of the Company (collectively, the
Forecasts), including certain cost savings and
operating synergies projected by the management of CGG to result
from the Transaction, as reviewed and approved for use by
Goldman, Sachs & Co. in connection with this opinion by the
management of the Company (the Synergies). We also
have held discussions with members of the senior management of
the Company regarding their assessment of the past and current
business operations, financial condition and future prospects of
the Company and with members of the senior managements of the
Company and CGG regarding their assessment of the strategic
rationale for, and the potential benefits of, the Transaction
and the past and current business operations, financial
condition and future prospects of CGG. In addition, we have
reviewed the reported price and trading activity for the Shares
and the CGG ADSs, compared certain financial and stock market
information for the Company and CGG with similar information for
certain other companies the securities of which are publicly
traded, reviewed the financial terms of certain recent business
combinations in the oilfield services industry specifically and
in other industries generally and performed such other studies
and analyses, and considered such other factors, as we
considered appropriate.
We have relied upon the accuracy and completeness of all of the
financial, accounting, legal, tax and other information
discussed with or reviewed by us and have assumed such accuracy
and completeness for purposes of rendering this opinion. In that
regard, we have assumed with your consent that the Forecasts,
including the Synergies, prepared by the management of the
Company and CGG, as the case may be, have been reasonably
prepared on a basis reflecting the best currently available
estimates and judgments of the Company and CGG, as the case may
be. In addition, we have not made an independent evaluation or
appraisal of the assets and liabilities (including any
contingent, derivative or off-balance-sheet assets and
liabilities) of the Company or CGG or any of their respective
subsidiaries and we have not been furnished with any such
evaluation or appraisal. We also have assumed that all
governmental, regulatory or other consents and approvals
necessary for the consummation of the Transaction will be
obtained without any adverse effect on the Company or CGG or on
the expected benefits of the Transaction in any way meaningful
to our analysis.
Our opinion does not address the underlying business decision of
the Company to engage in the Transaction nor are we expressing
any opinion as to the prices at which CGG ADSs will trade at any
time. Our opinion is necessarily based on economic, monetary,
market and other conditions as in effect on, and the information
made available to us as of, the date hereof. Our advisory
services and the opinion expressed herein are provided for the
information and assistance of the Board of Directors of the
Company in connection with its consideration of the Transaction
and such opinion does not constitute a
B-2
Board of Directors
Veritas DGC Inc.
September 4, 2006
Page Three
recommendation as to how any holder of Shares should vote or
make any election with respect to such Transaction.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that,
as of the date hereof, the Per Share Stock Consideration and the
Per Share Cash Consideration to be received by holders of
Shares, taken in the aggregate, pursuant to the Agreement is
fair from a financial point of view to such holders.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co.
(GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.)
B-3
ANNEX C
Opinion of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
[LETTERHEAD OF CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC]
September 4, 2006
Board of Directors
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique
Tour Maine Montparnasse
33 avenue du Maine
75755 Paris cedex 15
France
Members of the Board:
You have asked us to advise you with respect to the fairness,
from a financial point of view, to Compagnie Générale
de Géophysique (CGG) of the Aggregate
Consideration (as defined below) to be paid by CGG pursuant to
the terms of an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger
Agreement) to be entered into among CGG, Volnay
Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II, each to be
formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of CGG (respectively,
Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II),
and Veritas DGC Inc. (Veritas). The Merger Agreement
provides for, among other things, the merger of Merger Sub I
with and into Veritas (the First Merger) pursuant to
which Veritas will be the surviving entity and all outstanding
shares of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of
Veritas (Veritas Common Stock) will be converted
(subject to certain election and proration procedures and
limitations set forth in the Merger Agreement, as to which we
express no opinion) into the right to receive in the aggregate
(a) a total number of American Depositary Shares of CGG
(CGG ADSs), each representing one-fifth of an
ordinary share, nominal value EUR2.00 per share, of CGG
(CGG Ordinary Shares), equal to the product of
2.2501 multiplied by 50.664% of the total number of shares of
Veritas Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the
effective time of the First Merger (such total number of CGG
ADSs, the Stock Consideration) plus (b) a total
cash amount equal to the product of $75.00 multiplied by 49.336%
of the total number of shares of Veritas Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First
Merger (such total cash amount, the Cash
Consideration and, together with the Stock Consideration,
the Aggregate Consideration), subject to adjustment
as set forth in the Merger Agreement. The Merger Agreement also
provides that (i) immediately following the First Merger,
Veritas will merge with and into Merger Sub II pursuant to
which Merger Sub II will be the surviving entity (the
Second Merger and, together with the First Merger,
the Mergers) and (ii) the Aggregate
Consideration will be reduced by the amount of any cash
distributions made by Veritas after the date of the Merger
Agreement.
In arriving at our opinion, we have reviewed a draft dated
September 4, 2006 of the Merger Agreement and certain
publicly available business and financial information relating
to CGG and Veritas. We also have reviewed certain other
information relating to CGG and Veritas, including financial
forecasts and estimates relating to CGG and Veritas, provided to
or discussed with us by CGG and Veritas, and have met with the
managements of CGG and Veritas to discuss the business and
prospects of CGG and Veritas, respectively. We also have
considered certain financial and stock market data of CGG and
Veritas, and we have compared that data with similar data for
other publicly held companies in businesses we deemed similar to
those of CGG and Veritas, and we have considered, to the extent
publicly available, the financial terms of certain other
business combinations and other transactions which have been
effected or announced. We also considered such other
information, financial studies, analyses and investigations and
financial, economic and market criteria which we deemed relevant.
In connection with our review, we have not assumed any
responsibility for independent verification of any of the
foregoing information and have relied on such information being
complete and accurate in all
C-1
Board of Directors
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique
September 4, 2006
Page 2
material respects. As you are aware, the financial forecasts
relating to Veritas which we were provided were prepared by the
management of Veritas (and adjusted by the management of CGG)
through calendar year 2007 and were prepared by the management
of CGG for calendar years 2008 through 2011. With respect to the
financial forecasts and estimates for CGG and Veritas that we
have reviewed, we have been advised, and we have assumed, that
such forecasts and estimates for CGG have been reasonably
prepared on bases reflecting the best currently available
estimates and judgments of the management of CGG as to the
future financial performance of CGG and that such forecasts
(including adjustments thereto) and estimates for Veritas have
been reasonably prepared on bases reflecting the best currently
available estimates and judgments of the managements of CGG and
Veritas, as the case may be, as to the future financial
performance of Veritas and the other matters covered thereby.
With respect to the estimates provided to us by the management
of CGG with respect to the cost savings and synergies
anticipated to result from the Mergers, we have been advised by
the management of CGG, and we have assumed, that such estimates
have been reasonably prepared on bases reflecting the best
currently available estimates and judgments of the management of
CGG as to such cost savings and synergies. We have assumed, with
your consent, that the financial results (including potential
cost savings and synergies) reflected in the forecasts and
estimates that we have reviewed will be realized in the amounts
and at the times indicated thereby in all respects material to
our analyses. We also have assumed, with your consent, that the
total number of shares of Veritas Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will
not vary materially from the estimate thereof provided by
Veritas to CGG.
We have assumed, with your consent, that the Mergers will each
qualify for federal income tax purposes as a reorganization
under Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended. We also have assumed, with your consent, that, in
the course of obtaining any regulatory or third party consents,
approvals or agreements in connection with the Mergers, no
delay, limitation, restriction or condition will be imposed that
would have an adverse effect on CGG, Veritas or the contemplated
benefits of the Mergers, that the Mergers will be consummated in
accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement without
waiver, modification or amendment of any material term,
condition or agreement thereof and that Veritas will not effect
any other material disposition or acquisition transactions.
Representatives of CGG have advised us, and we further have
assumed, that the Merger Agreement, when executed, will conform
to the draft reviewed by us in all respects material to our
analyses. In addition, we have not been requested to make, and
have not made, an independent evaluation or appraisal of the
assets or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of CGG or
Veritas, nor have we been furnished with any such evaluations or
appraisals. Our opinion addresses only the fairness, from a
financial point of view and as of the date hereof, to CGG of the
Aggregate Consideration and does not address any other aspect or
implication of the Mergers or any other agreement, arrangement
or understanding entered into in connection with the Mergers or
otherwise. Our opinion is necessarily based upon information
made available to us as of the date hereof and financial,
economic, market and other conditions as they exist and can be
evaluated on the date hereof. Our opinion also is based on
certain assumptions as to industry cycles for oil and gas
service businesses, which are subject to significant volatility
and which, if different than as assumed, could have a material
impact on our analyses. We are not expressing any opinion as to
what the value of CGG ADSs or the underlying CGG Ordinary Shares
represented thereby actually will be when issued to the holders
of Veritas Common Stock pursuant to the First Merger or the
prices at which CGG ADSs or CGG Ordinary Shares will trade at
any time. Our opinion does not address the relative merits of
the Mergers as compared to alternative transactions or
strategies that might be available to CGG, nor does it address
the underlying business decision of CGG to proceed with the
Mergers.
We have acted as financial advisor to CGG in connection with the
Mergers and will receive a fee for our services, a significant
portion of which is contingent upon the consummation of the
Mergers. We will also receive a fee for rendering this opinion.
In addition, CGG has agreed to indemnify us for certain
C-2
Board of Directors
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique
September 4, 2006
Page 3
liabilities and other items arising out of our engagement. From
time to time, we and our affiliates in the past have provided,
currently are providing and in the future may provide investment
banking and other financial services to CGG unrelated to the
proposed Mergers, for which we and our affiliates have received,
and would expect to receive, compensation. In addition, we and
certain of our affiliates will be participating in the financing
for the Mergers, for which we and such affiliates will receive
compensation. We are a full service securities firm engaged in
securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing
investment banking and other financial services. In the ordinary
course of business, we and our affiliates may acquire, hold or
sell, for our and our affiliates own accounts and the
accounts of customers, equity, debt and other securities and
financial instruments (including bank loans and other
obligations) of CGG and Veritas, as well as provide investment
banking and other financial services to such companies.
It is understood that this letter is for the information of the
Board of Directors of CGG in connection with its evaluation of
the Mergers and does not constitute a recommendation to any
security holder as to how such security holder should vote or
act on any matter relating to the Mergers.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that,
as of the date hereof, the Aggregate Consideration to be paid by
CGG in the Mergers is fair to CGG from a financial point of view.
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Very truly yours, |
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CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC |
C-3
ANNEX D
Opinion of Rothschild, Inc.
September 4, 2006
CONFIDENTIAL
Board of Directors
Compagnie Générale de Géophysique
1, rue Léon Migaux
91341 Massy Cedex
France
Members of the Board of Directors:
You have requested our opinion as to the fairness from a
financial point of view, to Compagnie Générale de
Géophysique (CGG), of the amount of the
total consideration to be delivered by CGG in respect of all
outstanding Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the
Company Common Stock), of Veritas DGC Inc.
(Veritas or the Company)
(the Transaction), pursuant to the Agreement
and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 4, 2006 (the
Merger Agreement), among Veritas, CGG, and
Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II,
each a wholly owned subsidiary of CGG. The Merger Agreement
provides, among other things, for the merger of Volnay
Acquisition Co. I with and into the Company and the conversion
of Company Common Stock into the right to receive the
consideration provided for therein. The Transaction is being
effected pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth in the Merger Agreement. For purposes of this letter and
the opinion set forth herein, we have assumed that total
consideration equating to $74.93 per share will be
delivered by CGG in respect of the Company Common Stock pursuant
to the Transaction (the Consideration).
Except as defined herein, all capitalized terms used herein that
have not been defined have the respective meanings ascribed to
such terms in the Merger Agreement.
In arriving at our opinion, we have, among other things,
(i) reviewed the financial terms and conditions of the
draft of the Merger Agreement dated September 3, 2006;
(ii) reviewed certain publicly available business and
financial information relating to CGG and Veritas that we deemed
to be relevant; (iii) reviewed certain unaudited financial
statements relating to each of CGG and Veritas and certain other
financial and operating data, including financial forecasts,
concerning their respective businesses provided to or discussed
with us by management; (iv) held discussions with
management of each of CGG and Veritas regarding the past and
current operations and financial condition and prospects of the
respective companies; (v) reviewed the reported price and
trading activity for the Company Common Stock;
(vi) compared certain financial performance information for
each of CGG and Veritas with similar information for certain
publicly traded companies that we deemed to be relevant;
(vii) reviewed, to the extent publicly available, the
financial terms of certain transactions that we deemed to be
relevant; and (viii) considered such other factors and
information as we deemed appropriate.
In the course of our analysis and in rendering our opinion, we
have relied upon the accuracy and completeness of the foregoing
information and have not assumed any obligation to independently
verify any information utilized or considered by us in
formulating our opinion, and we have relied on such information
being accurate and complete in all material respects. We have
not made any review of or
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1251 Avenue of the Americas |
Telephone 212-403-3500 |
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New York, NY 10020 |
Facsimile 212-403-3501 |
www.rothschild.com
D-1
sought or obtained advice of legal counsel regarding legal
matters relating to CGG and Veritas, and we understand that you
have relied and will rely only on the advice of your legal
counsel as to such matters. We have assumed that the financial
information for CGG and Veritas that has been provided to us is
accurate and complete in all material respects. With respect to
the financial forecasts for CGG and Veritas provided to or
otherwise discussed with us (including the expected cost savings
and other potential synergies projected to result from the
Transaction and the amount, timing and achievability thereof),
we have been advised, and have assumed, that such forecasts and
information (including as to such expected cost savings and
other potential synergies) have been reasonably prepared on
bases reflecting the best available estimates and judgments of
management as to the future financial performance of the
respective companies and the other matters covered thereby. We
have also assumed that such expected cost savings and other
potential synergies projected by CGG management to result from
the Transaction will be realized as so projected. We express no
view as to the reasonableness of such forecasts and projections
or the assumptions on which they are based. We have assumed that
there has not occurred any material change in the assets,
financial condition, results of operations, business or
prospects of CGG or Veritas since the respective dates of the
most recent financial statements and other financial and
business information relating to the respective companies made
available to us. We have assumed that, in all respects material
to our analysis, the representations and warranties contained in
the Merger Agreement are true and correct, each of the parties
to the Merger Agreement will perform all of the covenants and
agreements to be performed by it under the Merger Agreement and
the Transaction will be consummated in accordance with the terms
and conditions described in the Merger Agreement without any
waiver or modification thereof. We have assumed that the
material governmental regulatory or other approvals and consents
required in connection with the consummation of the Transaction
will be obtained without any effect adverse to any party to the
Merger Agreement on the expected benefits of the Transaction in
any way meaningful to our analysis. We have not assumed
responsibility for making an independent evaluation, appraisal
or physical inspection of any of the assets or liabilities
(contingent or otherwise) of CGG or Veritas, nor have we been
furnished with the results of any such evaluation, appraisal or
inspection. We have assumed that the final Merger Agreement will
be the same as the September 3, 2006 draft of the Merger
Agreement reviewed by us.
Our opinion is based on economic, monetary, market and other
conditions as in effect on, and the information made available
to us as of, the date hereof. Accordingly, although subsequent
developments may affect this opinion, we have not assumed any
obligation to update, revise or reaffirm this opinion.
We are serving as financial advisor to you in connection with
the Transaction and are entitled to certain fees upon delivery
of this opinion, as well as certain additional fees for our
services, substantially all of which additional fees are
contingent upon consummation of the Transaction. In the past, we
or our affiliates have performed certain investment banking
services for CGG and have received customary fees for such
services. In the ordinary course of business, we and our
affiliates may trade the securities of CGG and/or Veritas for
our own and/or their own accounts or for the accounts of
customers and may at any time hold a long or short position in
such securities.
This opinion is for the information of the Board of Directors of
CGG in connection with its evaluation of the Transaction, and
does not constitute a recommendation to the Board of Directors
to approve the proposed Transaction or a recommendation to any
shareholder as to how such shareholder should vote with respect
to the Transaction or any other matter. This opinion is limited
to the fairness from a financial point of view, to CGG, of the
amount of the Consideration to be delivered by CGG pursuant to
the Transaction, and we express no opinion as to the merits of
the underlying decision by CGG to engage in the Transaction or
as to any aspect of the Transaction other than the amount of the
Consideration. We are also not expressing any opinion as to the
prices at which CGG Ordinary Shares or American Depositary
Shares may trade at any time.
D-2
This opinion may not be disclosed, quoted or referred to (in
whole or in part), in any manner, or used for any purpose except
as expressly set forth above, without our prior written
approval; provided, however, that to the extent required by
applicable law this opinion may be reproduced in its entirety in
any disclosure document or proxy statement that CGG must file
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or French
securities regulatory authorities.
Based upon the foregoing and other factors we deem relevant and
in reliance thereon, it is our opinion that, as of the date
hereof, the amount of the Consideration to be delivered by CGG
pursuant to the Transaction is fair to CGG from a financial
point of view.
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Very truly yours, |
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ROTHSCHILD INC. |
D-3
ANNEX E
Independent Expertise Report Regarding the Proposed
Acquisition of
Veritas DGC Inc. by Compagnie Générale de
Géophysique
November 9, 2006
To the board of directors of Compagnie Générale de
Géophysique
In the context of the proposed acquisition of Veritas DGC Inc.
(Veritas) by Compagnie Générale de
Géophysique (CGG), whereby each outstanding
share of Veritas common stock will be converted into the right
to receive a number of CGG American Depositary Shares (ADSs)
and/or an amount of cash (the Merger), Lehman
Brothers Europe Limited (Lehman Brothers,
we or us) has been retained as an
expert indépendant (independent expert) within the
meaning of the General Regulations (Réglement
général) of the French Autorité des
marchés financiers (the AMF) by the CGG
board of directors to assess the fairness to CGG, from a
financial point of view, of the consideration to be paid by CGG
in the Merger, in accordance with the provisions of
Article 261-3 of the General Regulations (Réglement
général) of the AMF. We do not admit to being an
independent expert under any rules or regulations applying to
the Merger, the note dopération (French
prospectus) or the Registration Statement (as defined herein)
(other than the applicable rules of the AMF) or subject to rules
applicable to experts in other contexts.
Lehman Brothers was engaged by the CGG board of directors at the
request of the AMF, after the CGG board of directors and the
Veritas board of directors had approved the agreement and plan
of merger, and such agreement was executed by both companies as
of September 4, 2006 (the Merger Agreement).
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the value of the Merger
consideration (the Consideration) to be paid for
each share of Veritas common stock will be equal to $37.00 paid
in cash plus approximately 1.14 CGG ADS. Based on CGG ADS
price on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) as
of November 8, 2006 of $36.34, the Consideration was equal
to $78.43.
Preliminary Notice
We have performed our review and analyses in accordance with
Article 262-1 of the General Regulations of the AMF and its
Instruction n° 2006-08 dated July 25, 2006 on
independent expertise (completed by recommendations of the AMF
dated September 28, 2006). Our due diligence is described
in Section 7 below.
Lehman Brothers services in relation to the expert report
described herein were provided for the information of the CGG
board of directors in connection with the Merger. This report
may not be used, disclosed publicly (other than in the note
dopération to be prepared and published by CGG in
connection with the Merger and in the proxy statement/
prospectus contained in an Amendment to the Registration
Statement on
Form F-4 filed
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on
October 16, 2006 in connection with the Merger), quoted or
referred to, made available or relied upon by any third party
without our prior written consent. Lehman Brothers report
is not intended to be and does not constitute a recommendation
to any stockholder of CGG or Veritas as to how such stockholder
should vote in connection with the Merger. Lehman Brothers was
not requested to opine as to, and this report does not address,
CGGs or Veritas underlying business decision to
proceed with or effect the Merger. Lehman Brothers is not
qualified to express any view on any strategic, technological,
legal, accounting or tax matters, for which CGG must rely on its
other advisers.
E-1
In arriving at its conclusions in Sections 8.1.3, 8.2.3 and
10 hereunder, Lehman Brothers assumed and relied upon the
accuracy and completeness of the financial and other information
used by it without assuming any responsibility for independent
verification of such information and further relied upon the
assurances of management of CGG that they were not aware of any
facts or circumstances that would make such information
inaccurate or misleading. In addition, CGG has represented to
Lehman Brothers that it has provided Lehman Brothers with
all information that is or could be relevant for the purposes of
the conduct of its engagement as an independent expert in
relation to the Merger. With respect to financial projections
prepared by CGG management (in relation to both CGG and
Veritas), upon advice of CGG, Lehman Brothers assumed that
these financial projections were reasonably prepared on a basis
reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments
of the management of CGG, as to the future financial performance
of CGG and Veritas and that CGG and Veritas will perform
substantially in accordance with these financial projections.
Upon the advice of CGG, Lehman Brothers also assumed that the
estimated cost savings and operating and revenue synergies will
be realized substantially in accordance with CGGs
expectations.
In arriving at its conclusions in Sections 8.1.3, 8.2.3 and
10 hereunder, Lehman Brothers did not conduct a physical
inspection of the properties and facilities of CGG and Veritas
and did not make or obtain any evaluations or appraisals of the
assets or liabilities of CGG and Veritas. Lehman Brothers
conclusions were necessarily based upon market, economic and
other conditions as they existed on, and could be evaluated as
of, November 9, 2006. Changes subsequent to the date hereof
may affect our conclusions and we do not assume any obligation
to update, review, revise or reaffirm them. Lehman Brothers has
assumed that the Merger will be carried out pursuant to the
terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement and that
all authorizations necessary to carry out the Merger will be
obtained.
Lehman Brothers has expressed no opinion as to the prices at
which shares of CGG common stock or ADSs, or Veritas common
stock will trade at any time following the announcement or the
consummation of the Merger or in the event that the Merger is
not completed. As a result, other factors after the date hereof
may affect the value of the businesses of CGG and Veritas,
including but not limited to: (i) changes in prevailing
interest rates and other factors which generally influence the
price of securities, (ii) adverse changes in the capital
markets, (iii) the occurrence of adverse changes in the
financial condition, business, assets, results of operations or
prospects of CGG or Veritas, (iv) any necessary actions by
or restrictions of state or any governmental agencies or
regulatory authorities, and (v) the timely execution of all
necessary agreements to complete the Merger on terms and
conditions that are acceptable to all parties having an interest
therein. No opinion is expressed as to whether any alternative
transaction might be more beneficial to CGG. Although Lehman
Brothers has evaluated the fairness, from a financial point of
view, to CGG of the Consideration to be paid by CGG in the
Merger, Lehman Brothers was not requested to, and did not,
recommend the Consideration to be paid in the Merger, which was
determined through negotiations between CGG and Veritas.
For purposes of rendering its conclusions in
Sections 8.1.3, 8.2.3 and 10 hereunder, Lehman Brothers
performed certain financial, comparative and other analyses.
Lehman Brothers did not ascribe a specific range of value to
Veritas, but rather made its determination as to the fairness,
from a financial point of view, to CGG of the Consideration to
be paid by CGG on the basis of financial, comparative and other
analyses. The preparation of this report involves various
determinations as to the most appropriate and relevant methods
of financial and comparative analysis and the application of
those methods to the particular circumstances. Interested
persons are recommended to read the Lehman Brothers report in
its entirety. In arriving at its conclusions, Lehman Brothers
did not attribute any particular weight to any analysis or
factor considered by it, but rather made qualitative judgments
as to the significance and relevance of each analysis and
factor. Accordingly, Lehman Brothers believes that its analyses
must be considered as a whole and that considering any portion
of such analyses and factors, without considering all analyses
and factors as a whole, could create a misleading or incomplete
view of the process underlying its work. In particular, certain
financial analyses presented herein include information
presented in tabular format. In order to fully understand the
analyses used by Lehman Brothers, the tables must be read
E-2
together with the text of each section. The tables alone do not
constitute a complete description of such analyses.
In its analyses, Lehman Brothers made numerous assumptions with
respect to industry performance, general business and economic
conditions and other matters, many of which are beyond the
control of CGG and Veritas. Any estimates contained in Lehman
Brothers analyses are not necessarily indicative of actual
values or predictive of future results or values, which may be
significantly more or less favorable than as set forth in these
analyses. In addition, analyses relating to the value of
businesses do not purport to be appraisals or to reflect the
prices at which businesses actually may be sold or to reflect
the prices at which CGG common stock or ADSs might trade
following the consummation of the Merger.
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1.1. Companies Involved in
the Merger |
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1.1.1. Compagnie
Générale de Géophysique |
CGG is a leading manufacturer of geophysical equipment and an
international provider of geophysical services. Founded in
France in 1931, it sells its geophysical equipment primarily to
other geophysical service companies and provides geophysical
services principally to oil and gas companies that use seismic
imaging to help explore for, develop and manage oil and gas
reserves by (i) identifying new areas where subsurface
conditions are favorable for the accumulation of oil and gas;
(ii) determining the size and structure of previously
identified oil and gas fields and (iii) optimizing
development and production of oil and gas reserves (reservoir
management).
CGG ADSs are traded on the NYSE under the trading symbol
GGY. Each CGG ADS represents one-fifth of one CGG
ordinary share. CGG ordinary shares are traded on Eurolist by
Euronext Paris under the trading symbol GLE.
CGGs principal executive offices are located at Tour
Maine-Montparnasse, 33, avenue du Maine, BP 191, 75755
Paris, Cedex 15, France.
Veritas is a leading provider of integrated geophysical
information services to the petroleum industry worldwide. Its
customers include major national and independent oil and gas
companies that utilize geophysical technologies to:
(i) identify new areas where subsurface conditions are
favorable for the production of hydrocarbons,
(ii) determine the size and structure of previously
identified oil and gas fields, and (iii) optimize
development and production of hydrocarbon reserves. Veritas and
its predecessors have been in operation for more than
36 years.
Veritas common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol
VTS.
Veritas principal executive offices are located at 10300
Town Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77072, USA.
Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay Acquisition Co. II, are
each wholly-owned subsidiaries of CGG organized under the laws
of the State of Delaware. Volnay Acquisition Co. I and Volnay
Acquisition Co. II were formed on September 5, 2006
solely for the purpose of effecting the Merger.
On September 4, 2006, CGG and Veritas agreed to combine
their businesses pursuant to the Merger Agreement. Under the
terms of the Merger Agreement, Volnay Acquisition Co. I will
merge with and into Veritas, with Veritas surviving this merger
as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGG, immediately followed by
Veritas merging with and into Volnay Acquisition Co. II,
with Volnay Acquisition Co. II surviving this
E-3
merger and continuing its corporate existence as a wholly-owned
subsidiary of CGG. The combined company will be renamed
CGG-Veritas immediately after the effective time of
the Merger.
The Merger Agreement provides that at the effective time of the
Merger, each outstanding share of Veritas common stock will be
converted into the right to receive either a number of CGG ADSs
or an amount of cash, subject to election and proration
procedures. The actual amount of cash and/or number of
CGG ADSs that a Veritas shareholder is entitled to receive
for each share of Veritas common stock cannot be determined
until the effective time of the Merger. Those amounts will be
determined based on the formula set forth in the Merger
Agreement. The formula is designed to substantially equalize the
value of the consideration to be received for each share of
Veritas common stock, at the time the calculation is made,
regardless of whether each shareholder of Veritas elects to
receive cash, CGG ADSs or a combination of cash and CGG ADSs, or
makes no election. CGG and Veritas deemed this equalization
mechanism to be desirable because the value of the CGG ADSs will
fluctuate between September 4, 2006 (the date the Merger
Agreement was entered into) and the effective time of the
Merger. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, the value
of the Consideration to be received with respect to each share
of Veritas common stock will be equal to $37.00 paid in cash
plus approximately 1.14 CGG ADS. Based on the CGG ADS price on
the NYSE as of November 8, 2006 of $36.34, the
Consideration was equal to $78.43.
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2. |
Overview of Lehman Brothers |
Lehman Brothers Europe Limited is an indirect 100%-owned
European subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Founded in
1850, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. maintains leadership
positions in equity and fixed income sales, trading and
research, investment banking, private investment management,
asset management and private equity. The firm is headquartered
in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Tokyo, and
operates in a network of offices around the world. For the
fiscal year ended November 30, 2005, Lehman Brothers
Holdings Inc. had total revenues of $14.6 billion.
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has approximately 23,000 employees
in 47 offices located in 20 countries.
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has been present in France since
1957, where it has established a leading franchise.
The CGG board of directors selected Lehman Brothers because of
its expertise, reputation and familiarity with the oil services
industry, and because its investment banking professionals have
substantial experience in transactions comparable to the Merger.
Additional information is available on the Lehman Brothers
website at www.lehman.com.
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3. |
Independent Expertise Assignments Carried Out by Lehman
Brothers as per Title VI of Book II of the AMF General
Regulations Over the Past 12 months |
None.
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4. |
Statement of Independence |
This statement is made pursuant to Article 261-4 of the
General Regulations of the AMF in connection with the provision
of our expert report as to the fairness to CGG, from a financial
point of view, of the Consideration to be paid by CGG under the
Merger in the capacity of an independent expert pursuant to
Article 261-3 of the General Regulations of the AMF.
E-4
Lehman Brothers has not acted as a financial advisor to CGG in
connection with the Merger and will receive a fee from CGG (as
detailed in Section 6 herein) for the provision of this
expert report irrespective of whether or not the Merger is
effected. In addition, CGG has agreed to indemnify us for
certain liabilities that may arise out of our engagement by CGG
and the rendering of such report.
In the ordinary course of our business, we and our affiliates
may actively trade in the debt and equity securities of CGG and
Veritas, for our own account and for the accounts of customers
and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or short position
in such securities.
An affiliate of Lehman Brothers holding convertible bonds issued
by CGG participated in the negotiation of a recent debt
restructuring by CGG, in its capacity as convertible bondholder.
In addition, in the last two years, an affiliate of Lehman
Brothers acted as sole bookrunner in a sale by a CGG investor of
its CGG shares.
In this context, Lehman Brothers considers that it is
independent vis-à-vis CGG and Veritas within the meaning of
Article 261-4 II of the General Regulations of the AMF.
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5. |
Membership to an Association of Independent Experts
Recognized by the AMF |
Lehman Brothers is not a member of any professional association
of independent experts recognized by the AMF, according to
Article 263-1 of
its General Regulations. However, Lehman Brothers applies a
strict internal regulation aimed at protecting its independence,
avoiding conflict of interest situations and controlling, for
each assignment, the quality of the work carried out and of the
reports issued. In this particular case, these procedures
include the review by a Fairness Opinion Committee, composed of
senior members of Lehman Brothers management in New York
and London as well as internal counsel, of the work carried out
in preparing this report.
Lehman Brothers fee for the completion of its assignment
amounts to
300,000 plus
taxes and reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses.
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7. |
Overview of Diligences |
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Review of the assignment |
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Identification of risks associated with the assignment |
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Collection of financial data and other relevant information |
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Meeting with CGG management and their financial advisors, Credit
Suisse and Rothschild |
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Review of research reports on the companies, their trading
comparables and the industry |
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Legal review (the Merger Agreement and attached disclosure
letters, the Registration Statement on
Form F-4 filed
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on
October 16, 2006 (the Registration Statement),
and the draft note dopération) |
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Share price analysis |
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Review of precedent transactions involving the share capital of
the companies |
E-5
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Comparable company analysis |
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Precedent transaction analysis |
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Discounted cash flow analysis (business plan, free cash flows,
discount rate, sensitivities) |
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Drafting of the valuation report |
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Review of working documents and expert report by Lehman
Brothers Fairness Opinion Committee |
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Presentation of our conclusions to the CGG board of directors |
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Kick-off meeting: October 10, 2006 |
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Review of CGG and Veritas business plans: October 20, 2006 |
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Meeting with Credit Suisse, financial advisor to CGG, to perform
a critical analysis of their valuation: October 27, 2006 |
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Meeting with Rothschild, financial advisor to CGG, to perform a
critical analysis of their valuation: October 31, 2006 |
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Presentation to Lehman Brothers Fairness Opinion
Committee: November 7, 2006 |
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Presentation of our conclusions to the CGG board of directors:
November 9, 2006 |
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7.3. List of
Interviewees |
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Thierry Le Roux, Group President and Chief Financial Officer |
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Stéphane-Paul Frydman, Controller, Treasurer and deputy
Chief Financial Officer |
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Béatrice Place-Faget, Vice President, Corporate Legal
Affairs |
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Representatives from Credit Suisse and Rothschild, financial
advisors to CGG |
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7.4. Sources of
Information |
Material information received from CGG and its financial
advisors:
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CGG 2006E-2011E business plan prepared by CGG management |
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Veritas 2006E-2011E business plan prepared by CGG management |
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Certain historical accounting and legal information on Veritas
received by CGG during its due diligence |
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Legal documentation (the Merger Agreement and attached
disclosure letters, the Registration Statement, and the draft
note dopération) |
E-6
Public information:
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Historical financial information on CGG and Veritas available on
the websites of the AMF and SEC as of November 8, 2006 |
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Research reports and information on precedent transactions
available on the websites of Thomson One Banker, Factiva,
Mergermarket and the websites of the relevant companies as of
November 8, 2006 |
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Market data for the calculation of the discount rate (including
beta, risk-free rate, risk premium): Barra for historical betas,
Bloomberg for risk-free rate and Lehman Brothers Equity Strategy
for the risk premium |
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7.5. Lehman Brothers
Team |
The Lehman Brothers team was led by Jérôme Calvet,
Managing Director, and Guillaume dHauteville, Managing
Director, assisted by:
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Two senior bankers with a banking experience of between eight
and twelve years, combining both valuation expertise and oil and
gas services industry knowledge |
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Four junior bankers with a banking experience of between one and
seven years |
An independent review has been performed by Lehman
Brothers Fairness Opinion Committee.
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8. |
Valuation of CGG and Veritas |
Pursuant to Article 2 of the AMF Instruction n°2006-08
dated July 25, 2006 on independent expertise, we have
performed valuation analyses of both Veritas and CGG, as part of
the Consideration will be in the form of CGG ADSs.
Both CGG and Veritas have been valued on the basis of a
multi-criteria analysis in order to assess their standalone and
intrinsic value.
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8.1.1. Rejected Valuation Methods |
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8.1.1.1. Book Value of Shareholders
Equity |
We believe this method is not relevant because the book value of
shareholders equity is a pure accounting metric, and
therefore not an accurate indicator of the value of a company
with sizeable intangible assets which are difficult to value.
For indicative purposes, the book value of shareholders
equity was
802.6 million
as of June 30, 2006, or
45.9 per
ordinary share, equivalent to approximately $11.8 per ADS.
We believe this method is not relevant because, although mostly
applicable to specific sectors (such as financial institutions
and real estate companies) and groups which should be analyzed
asset by asset and not at a consolidated level (holding
companies), it does not take into consideration the future
operating and financial performance of a company as a going
concern.
E-7
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8.1.1.3. Target Prices of Research
Analysts |
We believe this method is not relevant because target prices
represent a mid-to-long
term objective (in general between six months and one year) and
do not reflect the fair value assessed by research analysts at
the date when their reports are released. For indicative
purposes, the average of target prices set by a benchmark of
eight research analysts who have published on CGG since
September 1, 2006 is
169 per
ordinary share, or approximately $43 per ADS.
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8.1.1.4. Dividend Discount Model |
The dividend discount model determines the equity value by
calculating the present value of future dividends assuming a
discount rate equal to the rate of return required by
shareholders. We believe this method is not applicable to CGG
because CGG has not paid any dividend over the past three years.
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8.1.1.5. Precedent Transactions Involving the
Share Capital of the Company |
This method values a company by reference to recent significant
transactions involving its share capital.
On March 15, 2005, Beacon Group, at that time the largest
shareholder of CGG, sold all the shares it held in CGG for a
total amount of
112 million,
or 63 per
share. This transaction took place in a business, market and
industrial environment largely different from the current
environment (see Section 8.1.2.1). As a consequence, we
believe it does not represent a relevant benchmark for our
analysis.
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8.1.1.6. Precedent Transaction Analysis |
This method consists of analyzing multiples paid during
precedent comparable transactions in a similar industry. We
believe this method is not relevant to value an acquirer
(i.e., CGG in the context of the Merger), because these
implied multiples include a control premium.
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8.1.2. Selected Valuation Methods |
CGG ordinary shares have been traded on Eurolist by Euronext
Paris since 1981. CGG ADSs have been traded on the NYSE since
1997. Each CGG ADS represents one-fifth of one CGG ordinary
share. CGGs free float represents more than 90% of the
share capital of CGG and has been traded more than 2.5 times
over the past 12 months: the liquidity of the stock is
strong; hence, the share price is a relevant valuation metric.
E-8
We have reviewed the trading performance of CGGs ordinary
shares and ADSs over the past five years. As indicated below,
both securities are currently trading close to their historical
highs over the period.
5-year trading performance of CGGs ordinary shares and
ADSs
Source: FactSet.
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Weighted |
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Premium/ |
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Premium/ |
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Average |
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Discount |
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Weighted |
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Discount |
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Price of |
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Implied by |
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Average |
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Implied by |
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CGG Ordinary |
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Last Closing |
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Price of |
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Last Closing |
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Shares(1) |
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Price (%)(2) |
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CGG ADSs(1) |
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Price (%)(2) |
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Last closing price as of November 8, 2006
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143.10 |
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$ |
36.34 |
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1-month average
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129.38 |
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10.6 |
% |
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$ |
31.72 |
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14.6 |
% |
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3-month average
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125.10 |
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14.4 |
% |
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$ |
31.29 |
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16.1 |
% |
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6-month average
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128.33 |
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11.5 |
% |
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$ |
32.32 |
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12.5 |
% |
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12-month average
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116.27 |
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23.1 |
% |
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$ |
28.28 |
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28.5 |
% |
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52-week high
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158.20 |
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(9.5 |
)% |
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$ |
40.50 |
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(10.3 |
)% |
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52-week low
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65.43 |
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118.7 |
% |
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$ |
16.70 |
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117.6 |
% |
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6-month high
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158.20 |
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(9.5 |
)% |
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$ |
40.50 |
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(10.3 |
)% |
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6-month low
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111.90 |
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27.9 |
% |
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$ |
28.65 |
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26.8 |
% |
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(1) |
Based on CGG ordinary shares price on Euronext of
143.10 and CGG
ADSs price on the NYSE of $36.34 as of November 8, 2006 |
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(2) |
Averages weighted by volumes traded. |
Source: FactSet.
E-9
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8.1.2.2. Comparable Company Analysis |
This method consists of valuing a company by applying trading
multiples of selected comparable listed companies to relevant
financial data.
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Selection of Comparable Companies |
The relevance of this method depends on the existence of a
benchmark of comparable companies in terms of business (products
and services, clients, geographic coverage), size (revenue or
market capitalization), growth expectations, profitability,
capital intensity and financing structure.
The geophysical services and seismic surveys market gathers all
the companies focused in geophysical data collection, processing
and interpretation, in 2D, 3D and 4D (time being the fourth
parameter). Geophysical data (seismic or other) are then used
for the preparation of computer-aided subsurface transversal
cross sections and maps. After having been analyzed and
interpreted by geophysicists, these graphic representations are
used to determine if the subsurface is likely to conceal new oil
and gas deposits, to assess the presence of hydrocarbon deposits
that can be exploited and to control and optimize production.
The seismic surveys market includes two main activities:
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Geophysical service supply, which includes seismic data
collection and processing, mainly in land and marine areas.
Seismic companies can provide seismic data to their clients
(mainly oil and gas companies) according to two work modes, and
so two commercial approaches: |
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The first approach consists of working exclusively for a single
client (exclusive contract). |
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The second approach is to operate on a non-exclusive
basis, also known as multi-client. In this case, the
provider of geophysical services (the contractor) offers
multi-client surveys which allow adjacent holders of exploration
licenses to jointly participate in a survey encompassing a
larger area, thus decreasing the survey cost per client. These
surveys remain the property of the contractor who usually tries
to anticipate the future needs of oil and gas companies in order
to sell the data collected to the maximum possible number of
clients. In this case, the contractor offers a users
license for the data. |
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Seismic equipment manufacturing and selling, particularly
geophysical equipment used to acquire land and marine seismic
data (i.e., land and marine reservoir recording devices). |
The geophysical services and seismic surveys market, though
global, is medium-sized (about $8 billion), and includes
only a few players. CGG is the only company to focus exclusively
on this market and to provide both services and products. Its
main competitors are companies listed on the NYSE, where CGG
shares are also traded, as indicated previously, in ADS form:
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Petroleum Geo-Services (Norway) (PGS): PGS is
one of the global leaders in geophysics, an activity on which
the group has re-focused since early 2006, following the sale of
its oil production business. With a fleet of 12 seismic vessels,
PGS is a major player in land seismic acquisition in
North America. |
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TGS-NOPEC (Norway) (TGS-NOPEC): TGS-NOPEC is
focused on providing multi-client geoscience data in North
America. The company does not own a seismic fleet (all vessels
are chartered) but provides a global coverage and is present
both in land and marine activities. |
E-10
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Input/ Output (United States) (Input/
Output): Input/ Output does not own any vessels, but
develops its own technology of data collection and treatment (GX
Technology and Concept Systems) and is present mainly in
America, in both land and marine activities. |
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Fugro (Netherlands) (Fugro): Fugro is focused
on seismic data collection and processing for the oil and gas
industry, but also for the mining industry and the construction
industry, especially for big infrastructure projects. Fugro
collects data both in land and marine areas, as well as from the
air, and develops part of its own technology internally. The
company owns a fleet of 6 seismic vessels and 40 helicopters or
planes designed for imaging collection. |
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Financial Data and Trading Multiples |
The comparable company analysis of the geophysical services and
seismic surveys market is generally based on the analysis of the
multiples of revenue, EBITDA, EBITDA adjusted for multi-client
amortization (EBITDA adjusted for MCA), EBIT and net
income.
The two trading multiples selected for the valuation of CGG are:
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EBITDA adjusted for MCA multiple: Given the different size or
lack of multi-client library business in each company included
in our comparable company sample, EBITDA needs to be adjusted
for the true cost of these libraries. Seismic companies
capitalize their multi-client library at acquisition and write
down subsequently over different periods of time. In effect,
this cost is excluded from EBITDA calculation, hence overstating
EBITDA. Thus, the multiple of EBITDA after MCA is one way of
adjusting for comparability across the peer group of comparable
companies. Its deficiency is due to duration of amortization
period, because amortization expense is booked after the initial
cash cost has been incurred, but for CGG and Veritas yearly
amortization expenses have been relatively consistent with the
level of multi-client capital expenditures. |
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Price to earnings ratio, which is considered as a growth
indicator and as a value of that growth by the market. |
It should be noted that these two trading multiples are the ones
most frequently selected by research analysts covering the
sector.
The revenue multiples have not been selected, due to
(i) the margin differential between the companies included
in the sample, and (ii) their limited relevance compared to
other valuation metrics reflecting the profitability of the
companies.
The EBIT multiples have been rejected due to accounting
discrepancies between the comparable companies with respect to
accounting methods for depreciation of industrial capital
expenditures.
We have applied the following methodology to all selected
comparable companies:
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For each selected comparable company, the EBITDA adjusted for
MCA multiples correspond to the ratio of (i) the enterprise
value (sum of the market capitalization based on the
November 8, 2006 closing share price adjusted for the
impact of securities giving access to the capital, of the last
available net debt and of the last available book value of
minority interests less the last available book value of
investment in associates) to (ii) the EBITDA estimates
adjusted for MCA from a selection of analyst reports for
calendar years 2006 and 2007. |
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For each selected comparable company, the price to earnings
ratio corresponds to the ratio of (i) the market
capitalization based on the November 8, 2006 closing share
price adjusted for the impact of securities giving access to the
capital to (ii) the net income estimates from a selection
of analyst reports for calendar years 2006 and 2007. |
E-11
The EBITDA adjusted for MCA multiples and price to earning
ratios of comparable companies are presented in the table
hereunder:
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Trading Multiples of Selected Comparable Companies | |
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Market | |
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EV/ EBITDA | |
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Price to | |
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Capitalisation as | |
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Enterprise | |
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After MCA | |
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Earnings Ratio | |
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of November 8, 2006 | |
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Value | |
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($m) | |
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($m) | |
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2006E | |
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2007E | |
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2006E | |
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2007E | |
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PGS
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3,690 |
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4,137 |
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8.5 |
x |
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6.5 |
x |
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14.8 |
x |
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10.7x |
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TGS NOPEC
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1,975 |
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1,831 |
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8.7 |
x |
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7.1 |
x |
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14.1 |
x |
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11.2x |
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Input/ Output
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991 |
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1,056 |
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n.a. |
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n.a. |
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39.8 |
x |
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24.5x |
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Fugro
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3,254 |
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3,703 |
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10.2 |
x |
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8.9 |
x |
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18.2 |
x |
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15.5x |
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Average
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9.1 |
x |
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7.5 |
x |
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21.7 |
x |
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15.5x |
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Median
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8.7 |
x |
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7.1 |
x |
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16.5 |
x |
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13.4x |
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The enterprise value of CGG is derived from the application of
EBITDA adjusted for MCA multiples to the relevant financial data
from the CGG business plan.
Based on the EBITDA adjusted for MCA multiples, the equity value
of CGG is equal to the enterprise value as set above minus the
net debt and the book value of minority interests as of
June 30, 2006 plus the book value of investment in
associates as of June 30, 2006.
The equity value of CGG is also derived from the application of
price to earnings ratios to the relevant financial data of the
CGG business plan.
The value per CGG share is obtained by dividing the equity value
by the diluted number of share of the company.
The diluted number of shares is equal to the sum of the number
of outstanding shares as of June 30, 2006 and of the number
of shares resulting from the exercise of outstanding
in-the-money options
post application of the treasury method of accounting. The
treasury method of accounting assumes that holders of stock
options exercise all their
in-the-money options,
and that the company uses the proceeds of this exercise to buy
back and cancel its own shares.
On the basis of this analysis, and considering one ordinary
share is equivalent to five ADSs and a
$/ exchange
rate of 1.28 as of November 8, 2006, the implied value of a
CGG ADS is equal to between $28.46 and $46.34.
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8.1.2.3. Discounted Cash Flow Analysis |
The discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis aims to
determine the intrinsic economic value of a company based on the
net present value of the unlevered free cash flows which are
generated by the companys operations. The equity value is
calculated by deducting the net financial debt and the book
value of minority interests from that net present value.
In order to perform a DCF analysis of CGG, we used the business
plan prepared by CGG management. The business plan covers the
period of 2006 through 2011, or six fiscal years. It was
initially
E-12
approved by the CGG board of directors in May 2006 for the
period of 2006 through 2008. It was then revised in August 2006
to take into account the performance of the company during the
first half of 2006 and to include forecasts for the period of
2009 through 2011.
The business plan is based on the following underlying
assumptions (please note that Offshore and Processing divisions
include the impact of the full-year consolidation of Exploration
Resources in 2006):
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Strong growth between 2006 and 2008, moderate growth from 2009
onwards |
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Improvement of the operating margin in 2006, followed by a
slight decrease and a stabilization afterwards |
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Strong growth of contract revenue in 2006 and 2007, which then
remain stable from 2008 onwards |
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Growth in multi-client revenue in 2006, which then remain stable
in absolute terms until 2011 |
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Strong improvement of the operating margin in 2006, which then
stabilizes |
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Strong revenue growth in 2006 and 2007, followed by softening of
the trend over the business plan period |
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Operating margin improves over the period under review |
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Strong growth in 2006, moderate growth from 2007 onwards |
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Improvement of the operating margin in 2006, which then
stabilizes |
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Stable industrial capital expenditures over the business plan
period and slight increase in multi-client library investments |
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Improved working capital terms in 2006, and sustainability of
2006 levels over the business plan period |
We tested the reliability of the business plan as follows:
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Meeting with CGGs Chief Financial Officer and deputy Chief
Financial Officer who discussed the revenue growth and margin
rates of each business segment, as well as the main underlying
assumptions regarding capital expenditures and changes in
working capital |
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Comparing the business plan provided and estimates from equity
research for revenue, EBITDA adjusted for MCA and net income
forecasts |
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Analyzing the historical growth in capital expenditures in
exploration and production by the oil and gas sector |
E-13
The discount rate is equal to the weighted average cost of
capital (WACC), which results from the weighted
average of the cost of equity and the cost of debt.
The cost of equity can be defined as the rate of return required
by shareholders, i.e., the rate of return required by
investors for equity investments in assets with a similar risk
profile to CGGs.
CGGs retained cost of equity is 11.4%, estimated on the
basis of the following assumptions. In particular, we have
selected U.S. statistics for the risk-free rate and the
risk premium as (i) a high proportion of CGG operations are
based in America (34% of 2005 revenues), and (ii) our
analyses value $-denominated ADS listed on the NYSE.
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Risk free rate: 4.6% Source: 10 year
U.S. Treasury bonds as of November 8, 2006 |
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Market risk premium: 4.9% Source: Lehman Brothers
Equity Strategy |
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Levered beta: 1.37 |
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Unlevered beta of 1.18 corresponding to average of selected
comparable companies, to which a premium has been applied to
account for higher historical volatility of the CGG stock as
compared to peers |
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Target debt to market capitalization ratio of 25%, based on
ratios of selected comparable companies |
Cost of debt before tax has been estimated at 6.5%, which is in
line with the average cost of debt before tax of several listed
comparable oilfield services companies that have similar size
and capital structure. Post-tax cost of debt (assuming a 35% tax
rate) is 4.2%.
Based on a net debt to market capitalization ratio of 25%, the
discount factor amounts to 9.95%, and we have selected a range
between 9.5% and 10.5% for the benefit of our sensitivity
analysis.
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Terminal Value and Perpetuity Growth Rate |
Terminal value, which corresponds to the stream of unlevered
free cash flows beyond the period forecasted in the business
plan, was calculated on the basis of the Gordon-Shapiro formula.
The Gordon-Shapiro formula calculates the enterprise value of a
company as the discounted sum of the future available unlevered
free cash flows, assuming these unlevered free cash flows grow
at the same rate every year (the perpetuity growth rate).
Consequently, the terminal value is equal to the ratio between
the unlevered free cash flows in 2012 and the difference between
the discount rate and the perpetuity growth rate.
We have considered a perpetual growth rate range of between 3.0%
and 4.0%.
We discounted the stream of unlevered free cash flows as of
June 30, 2006. The sum of the discounted unlevered free
cash flows and the discounted terminal value represents the
enterprise value of CGG.
The discounted terminal value represents more than two thirds of
the enterprise value. It should be noted that the weight of the
terminal value, which depends to a large extent on the financial
assumptions used, is relatively high in an uncertain economic
environment arising by the end of the business plan.
E-14
The equity value of CGG is equal to the enterprise value as set
out above minus the net financial debt and the book value of
minority interests as of June 30, 2006 plus the book value
of investment in associates as of June 30, 2006.
The diluted number of shares is obtained on the basis of the
calculation detailed above in Section 8.1.2.2.
Assuming a discount rate between 9.5% and 10.5%, a growth into
perpetuity equal to between 3.0% and 4.0%, a
$/ exchange rate
of 1.28 as of November 8, 2006 and considering that one
ordinary share is equivalent to five ADSs, the implied value of
a CGG ADS is equal to between $33.78 and $45.47.
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Perpetual Growth Rate | |
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3.0 % | |
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3.5 % | |
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4.0 % | |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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9.5 |
% |
|
$ |
39.52 |
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$ |
42.25 |
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$ |
45.47 |
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WACC
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10.0 |
% |
|
$ |
36.44 |
|
|
$ |
38.73 |
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$ |
41.41 |
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|
10.5 |
% |
|
$ |
33.78 |
|
|
$ |
35.72 |
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|
$ |
37.97 |
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|
8.1.3. Conclusion on CGG valuation |
The trading price of the CGG ADSs of $36.34 as of
November 8, 2006 is broadly in line with the value ranges
resulting from the valuation methods we deemed relevant.
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Premium/ | |
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Discount Implied | |
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by Last Closing | |
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ADS Price of | |
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$36,34(1) | |
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Low | |
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High | |
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Low | |
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High | |
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| |
Share price over the last 6 months
|
|
$ |
28.65 |
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|
$ |
40.50 |
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|
26.8 |
% |
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(10.3 |
)% |
Comparable company analysis
|
|
$ |
28.46 |
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|
$ |
46.34 |
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|
27.7 |
% |
|
|
(21.6 |
)% |
DCF
|
|
$ |
33.78 |
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|
$ |
45.47 |
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|
7.6 |
% |
|
|
(20.1 |
)% |
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(1) |
Price of the CGG ADSs on the NYSE as of November 8, 2006. |
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|
8.2. Valuation of Veritas |
Given that Veritas did not provide to CGG an internal business
plan during the due diligence process, the Veritas business plan
was developed by CGG management in August 2006 in light of
various discussions it had with Veritas management. This
business plan covers the period of 2006 through 2011, or six
fiscal years. As Veritas fiscal year ends on July 31,
we updated the business plan to take into account the financial
statements for fiscal year 2006, which were made publicly
available after the business plan had been developed. However,
we did not amend the business plan for the years 2007 to 2011 as
CGG management judged that the differences between the data
initially included in the business plan for 2006 and the
published 2006 results would not significantly impact the
forecasts for these years.
E-15
|
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|
8.2.1. Rejected Valuation Methods |
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8.2.1.1. Book Value of Shareholders
Equity |
We believe this method is not relevant for the reasons detailed
in Section 8.1.1.1. For indicative purposes, the book value
of shareholders equity was $710.5 million as of
July 31, 2006, or $19.8 per share.
We believe this method is not relevant for the reasons detailed
in Section 8.1.1.2.
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8.2.1.3. Target Prices of Research
Analysts |
We believe this method is not relevant for the reasons detailed
in Section 8.1.1.3., and because the value of target prices
for Veritas has been impacted by the announcement of the Merger.
For indicative purposes, the average of target prices set by a
benchmark of five research analysts who have published between
July 1, 2006 and September 1, 2006 is $58.4 per
Veritas share.
|
|
|
8.2.1.4. Dividend Discount
Model |
We believe this method is not relevant for the reasons detailed
in Section 8.1.1.4, as Veritas has not paid any dividend to
its shareholders over the past three years.
|
|
|
8.2.1.5. Precedent
Transactions Involving the Share Capital of the Company |
We did not select this method as a relevant benchmark given that
no specific transaction has recently occurred involving the
share capital of Veritas.
We believe this method is not relevant because the current
Veritas share price has been impacted by the announcement of the
Merger. We believe the impact of the announcement has been to
increase the price of Veritas stock to take account of synergies
which may result from the Merger. Consequently, the post-Merger
announcement price of Veritas stock does not reflect the
stand-alone value of Veritas.
|
|
|
8.2.2. Selected Valuation
Methods |
|
|
|
8.2.2.1. Comparable Company
Analysis |
This method has been described in Section 8.1.2.2. We have
selected the same sample of comparable companies and analyzed
the same multiples, i.e., the EBITDA adjusted for MCA
multiple and the price to earnings ratio.
|
|
|
Calculation of the Diluted Number of Shares |
We have analyzed the dilutive effect of the exercise of stock
options and equity grants as follows: the diluted number of
Veritas shares is equal to the sum of (i) the number of
outstanding shares as of July 31, 2006, (ii) the
number of shares issuable upon the conversion of Veritas
2024 convertible bonds less the redemption amount of
$155 million to be paid in cash, (iii) the number of
shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding
in-the-money options
after the application of the treasury method of
E-16
accounting, (iv) shares issuable upon the satisfaction of
performance share agreements, and (v) shares issuable upon
conversion of Deferred Share Units.
The enterprise value of Veritas is derived from the application
of EBITDA adjusted for MCA multiples to the relevant financial
data from the Veritas business plan.
Based on the EBITDA adjusted for MCA multiples, the equity value
of Veritas is equal to the enterprise value as set forth above
minus the net debt and the book value of minority interests as
of July 31, 2006
The equity value of Veritas is also derived from the application
of price to earnings ratios to the relevant financial data of
the Veritas business plan.
The value per Veritas share is obtained by dividing the equity
value by the diluted number of Veritas shares.
On the basis of this analysis, the implied value per Veritas
share is equal to between $42.63 and $61.22.
|
|
|
8.2.2.2. Precedent
Transaction Analysis |
The comparable transaction analysis consists of the review of
valuation multiples observed in similar transactions that
happened in the same industry including control premiums. This
approach is limited by the difficulty in finding complete and
exhaustive information that allow a precise valuation for a
given company.
The selected sample of transactions, as detailed below, includes
majority transactions that occurred within the geophysical
services and seismic surveys market. The transaction multiples
have been determined with the implicit enterprise value derived
from the acquisition price, and the last twelve-month financial
statements as reported prior to the transaction date.
E-17
The following table lists the precedent transactions used.
EBITDA adjusted for multi-client amortization multiple valuation
is the method used here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Multiples of Precedent Transactions | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Enterprise Value/ Last | |
|
|
|
|
Enterprise Value | |
|
12-Month EBITDA | |
Date |
|
Acquiror |
|
Target |
|
($m) | |
|
After MCA | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
4/20/2006
|
|
Schlumberger |
|
WesternGeco |
|
|
8,019 |
|
|
|
14.6x |
|
2/13/2006
|
|
Arcapita |
|
Roxar |
|
|
200 |
|
|
|
13.9x |
|
8/29/2005
|
|
CGG |
|
Exploration Resources |
|
|
442 |
|
|
|
15.3x |
|
9/1/2004
|
|
CGG(1) |
|
PGS Geophysical Business |
|
|
900 |
|
|
|
15.9x |
|
8/12/2004
|
|
National Oilwell |
|
Varco International |
|
|
2,820 |
|
|
|
12.4x |
|
2/20/2002
|
|
BJ Services |
|
OSCA |
|
|
458 |
|
|
|
17.0x |
|
11/26/2001
|
|
Veritas DGC(1) |
|
PGS |
|
|
2,979 |
|
|
|
12.5x |
|
3/22/2000
|
|
Tuboscope |
|
Varco International |
|
|
738 |
|
|
|
8.4x |
|
5/10/1998
|
|
Baker Hughes |
|
Western Atlas |
|
|
6,144 |
|
|
|
9.7x |
|
3/4/1998
|
|
EVI |
|
Weatherford Enterra |
|
|
2,791 |
|
|
|
8.7x |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average |
|
|
|
12.4x |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Median |
|
|
|
12.5x |
|
|
|
(1) |
Transactions not completed. |
The multiple range that we have selected is 11.0x to 15.0x: this
includes the spread of most of the transactions in the above
table and its mid-point is slightly above the average of the
sample to reflect the higher weighting of recent transactions in
the range.
On the basis of this analysis, the implied value of the Veritas
share is equal to between $54.25 and $70.57. It should be
reminded that these values take into account a premium including
part of the synergies expected by the acquirer.
|
|
|
8.2.2.3. Discounted Cash Flow
Analysis |
This method is described in Section 8.1.2.3
In order to perform a discounted cash flow analysis of Veritas,
we used the business plan prepared by CGG management
The business plan is based on the following underlying
assumptions:
|
|
|
|
|
Stable revenue in 2007, followed by a slight revenue growth from
2007 onwards |
|
|
|
Improvement of the gross margin in the short term, stabilization
thereafter |
E-18
|
|
|
|
|
Strong revenue growth in 2007, stabilization thereafter and then
slight decrease by the end of the business plan period |
|
|
|
Slight improvement of the gross margin in 2007, stable thereafter |
|
|
|
|
|
Stable revenue over the business plan period |
|
|
|
Constant gross margin over the business plan period |
|
|
|
|
|
Strong revenue growth in 2007 and 2008, stabilization from 2009
onwards |
|
|
|
Improvement of the gross margin in the short term, stabilization
thereafter |
|
|
|
|
|
Multi-client amortization: Constant as a percentage of
multi-client revenue over the business plan period |
|
|
|
R & D and SG&A: Constant as a percentage of revenue
over the business plan period |
|
|
|
Strong increase in industrial capital expenditure in 2007 to
finance an additional seismic vessel to be delivered in Q1 2007,
then in line with historical levels |
|
|
|
Multi-client library investments in line with historical levels |
|
|
|
Slight improvement of working capital management over the
business plan period |
We tested the reliability of the business plan as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
Meeting with CGGs Chief Financial Officer and deputy Chief
Financial Officer who discussed the revenue growth and margin
rates of each business segment of Veritas, as well as the main
underlying assumptions regarding capital expenditures and
changes in working capital |
|
|
|
Comparison between the business plan provided and estimates from
research analysts for revenue, EBITDA adjusted for MCA and net
income forecasts |
|
|
|
Analysis of the historical growth in capital expenditures in
exploration and production by the oil and gas sector |
Veritas retained cost of equity is 11.1%, estimated on the
basis of the following assumptions:
|
|
|
|
|
Risk free rate: 4.6% Source: 10 year
U.S. Treasury bonds as of November 8, 2006 |
|
|
|
Market risk premium: 4.9% Source: Lehman Brothers
Equity Strategy |
|
|
|
Levered beta: 1.31 |
|
|
|
|
|
Unlevered beta of 1.13 corresponding to average of selected
comparable companies |
E-19
|
|
|
|
|
Target debt to market capitalization ratio of 25%, based on
ratios of selected comparable companies |
Cost of debt before tax has been estimated at 6.5%, which is in
line with the average cost of debt before tax of several listed
comparable oilfield services companies which have similar size
and capital structure. Post-tax cost of debt (assuming a 35% tax
rate) is 4.2%.
Based on a net debt to market capitalization ratio of 25%, the
discount factor amounts to 9.69%, and we have selected a range
equal to between 9.0% and 10.0% for the benefit of our
sensitivity analysis.
|
|
|
Terminal Value and Perpetuity Growth Rate |
We have calculated the terminal value as per the methodology
detailed in Section 8.1.2.3.
We have considered a perpetuity growth rate range of between
3.0% and 4.0%.
We discounted the stream of unlevered free cash flow as of
July 31, 2006.
The discounted terminal value represents more than two-thirds of
the enterprise value. It should be noted that the weight of the
terminal value, which depends to a large extent on the financial
assumptions selected, is relatively high in an uncertain
economic environment arising by the end of the business plan.
The equity value of the Veritas shares is equal to the
enterprise value as set above minus the net debt and the book
value of minority interests as of July 31, 2006.
The diluted number of shares is obtained on the basis of the
calculation detailed above in 8.2.2.1.
Assuming a discount rate equal to between 9.0% and 10.0% and a
growth into perpetuity equal to between 3.0% and 4.0%, the
implied value of the Veritas shares is equal to between $59.72
and $77.51.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Perpetual Growth Rate | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
3.0 % | |
|
3.5 % | |
|
4.0 % | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
9.0 |
% |
|
$ |
68.14 |
|
|
$ |
72.40 |
|
|
$ |
77.51 |
|
WACC
|
|
|
9.5 |
% |
|
$ |
63.61 |
|
|
$ |
67.15 |
|
|
$ |
71.33 |
|
|
|
|
10.0 |
% |
|
$ |
59.72 |
|
|
$ |
62.70 |
|
|
$ |
66.18 |
|
|
|
|
Synergies Expected from the Merger |
The DCF value of Veritas post-synergies has been calculated as
the sum of the DCF value of Veritas pre-synergies and the DCF
value of the synergies.
The Merger is expected to result in revenue enhancement and cost
savings, with an estimated total pre-tax operating impact of
approximately $65 million per year.
CGG expects the synergies to arise from various areas, such as:
|
|
|
|
|
Having one public company (CGG-Veritas) instead of two once
Veritas common stock is deregistered with the SEC and delisted
from the NYSE |
|
|
|
The redeployment of support resources towards operations |
E-20
|
|
|
|
|
The rationalization of operating facilities |
|
|
|
A better utilization of vessels with less transit time between
regions |
|
|
|
Additional revenue potential through the combined multi-client
libraries |
Two-thirds of the estimated synergies are anticipated to be
achieved within the first year following completion of the
Merger, with the full synergies expected during the following
year.
Implementation costs are estimated at approximately
$20 million in non-recurring expenses (approximately 30% of
cost synergies), with 80% occurring during the first year
following completion of the Merger and 20% during the second
year.
The synergies have been valued as the sum of (i) the
present value of after-tax synergies net of implementation costs
during the two years following completion of the Merger, the
discount rate being that of Veritas, and of (ii) the
present value of the after-tax synergies from the third year
following completion of the Merger, applying the Gordon-Shapiro
formula (assuming a discount rate equal to Veritas and no
growth into perpetuity).
Assuming a discount rate equal to between 9.0% and 10.0%, the
implied value of synergies is equal to between $366 million
and $412 million, or between $8.45 and $9.51 per
Veritas share.
|
|
|
8.2.3. Conclusion on Veritas
Valuation |
The Consideration implies the following premium and discount on
our valuation ranges resulting from the valuation methods we
deemed relevant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Premium/Discount | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Implied by | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consideration of | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$78.43(1) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Low | |
|
High | |
|
Low | |
|
High | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Comparable company analysis
|
|
$ |
42.63 |
|
|
$ |
61.22 |
|
|
|
84.0 |
% |
|
|
28.1 |
% |
Precedent transaction analysis
|
|
$ |
54.25 |
|
|
$ |
70.57 |
|
|
|
44.6 |
% |
|
|
11.1 |
% |
DCF without synergies
|
|
$ |
59.72 |
|
|
$ |
77.51 |
|
|
|
31.3 |
% |
|
|
1.2 |
% |
DCF with synergies
|
|
$ |
68.17 |
|
|
$ |
87.02 |
|
|
|
15.0 |
% |
|
|
(9.9 |
)% |
|
|
(1) |
Consideration based on $37.00 plus 1.14 CGG ADS at $36.34 as of
November 8, 2006. |
|
|
9. |
Review of Valuation Analyses Performed by CGGs
Financial Advisors |
Credit Suisse and Rothschild, financial advisors to CGG, have
performed valuation analyses of CGG and Veritas, which are
presented in the Registration Statement.
|
|
|
9.1. Review of Valuation
Analyses of CGG |
Only Credit Suisse has performed a valuation analysis of CGG.
Valuation methods not selected:
|
|
|
|
|
Book value of shareholders equity |
|
|
|
Net asset value |
E-21
|
|
|
|
|
Target prices of research analysts |
|
|
|
Dividend discount model |
|
|
|
Precedent transactions involving the share capital of the company |
|
|
|
Share price |
Selected valuation methods:
|
|
|
|
|
Comparable company analysis |
|
|
|
Precedent transaction analysis |
|
|
|
Discounted cash flow analysis |
|
|
|
9.1.1. Valuation Methods not
Selected by Credit Suisse |
Unlike Credit Suisse, we considered the reference to the share
price of CGG as a relevant valuation parameter as (i) the
Consideration of the Merger will be partly in the form of CGG
ADS and (ii) the stock price represents an objective
valuation of CGG by the market.
|
|
|
9.1.2. Valuation Methods
Selected by Credit Suisse |
|
|
|
9.1.2.1. Comparable Company
Analysis |
Credit Suisse selected a sample of 3 comparable companies,
namely PGS, Input/ Output and
TGS-NOPEC.
For this exercise, Credit Suisse decided to consider the
following trading multiples as relevant: EBITDA adjusted for
MCA, price to earnings and price to cash flow per share. The
calendar years considered for this analysis were 2006 and 2007.
On the basis on this analysis, the implied value per CGG ADS is
equal to between $32.10 and $38.75.
|
|
|
Differences of Assessment |
The differences of assessment between Credit Suisse and Lehman
Brothers lead to a mid-range value gap of $1.98 per CGG ADS
between the analysis of Credit Suisse and ours. These
differences can be accounted for by (i) the selection of
the sample of comparable companies, (ii) the financial
metrics selected, (iii) the reference date, and
(iv) the range of multiples selected.
We have selected Fugro in our sample for the following reasons:
|
|
|
|
|
Fugro is a diversified group, present in both the geophysical
services and seismic surveys markets, and on other oil services
markets (drilling for hydrocarbons exploration, engineering as
well as consultancy). However, its seismic business represents
an important part of its revenues (50% in 2005). |
|
|
|
Fugros main clients are oil and gas companies, as are CGG
and Veritas clients |
|
|
|
Fugros market capitalization is of a similar size to that
of CGG and Veritas |
E-22
We have selected the EV/ EBITDA after MCA multiples as well as
the price to earnings ratios.
We derived the comparable company multiples based on a closing
stock price as of November 8, 2006, while Credit Suisse
used September 1, 2006 as the reference date. It should be
noted that the financial estimates for the calendar years 2006
and 2007 which we selected, are based on a selection of research
estimates published after the Merger was announced, while
research estimates used by Credit Suisse were published before
the Merger announcement.
|
|
|
9.1.2.2. Precedent
Transaction Analysis |
While Credit Suisse selected this method, we believe it is not
relevant for the reasons detailed in Section 8.1.1.6.
|
|
|
9.1.2.3. Discounted Cash Flow
Analysis |
For the DCF, Credit Suisse selected:
|
|
|
|
|
Unlevered free cash flows derived from the CGG business plan |
|
|
|
A discount rate equal to between 10.0% and 11.0% |
|
|
|
A perpetuity growth rate equal to between 3.5% and 4.5% |
Based on these assumptions, the implied value of the CGG ADS is
equal to between $32.96 and $44.19.
|
|
|
Differences of Assessment |
Differences of assessment between Credit Suisse and Lehman
Brothers lead to a mid-range value gap of $1.05 per CGG ADS
between the analysis of Credit Suisse and our analysis.
These main differences result from:
|
|
|
|
|
Different assumptions for the discount rate (mid-range of 10.5%
for Credit Suisse compared to 10.0% in our analysis) |
|
|
|
Different assumptions for the perpetuity growth rate (mid-range
of 4.0% for Credit Suisse compared to 3.5% in our analysis) |
|
|
|
9.2. Review of Valuation
Analyses of Veritas |
Both of Credit Suisse and Rothschild have performed a valuation
analysis of Veritas.
Valuation methods not selected:
|
|
|
|
|
Book value of shareholders equity |
|
|
|
Net asset value |
|
|
|
Target prices of research analysts |
|
|
|
Dividend discount model |
E-23
|
|
|
|
|
Precedent transactions involving the share capital of the company |
|
|
|
Share price |
Selected valuation methods:
|
|
|
|
|
Comparable company analysis |
|
|
|
Precedent transaction analysis |
|
|
|
Discounted cash flow analysis |
|
|
|
9.2.1. Valuation Methods not
Selected by Credit Suisse and Rothschild |
We do not have any differences of opinion regarding the
valuation methods not selected by Credit Suisse and Rothschild
as discussed under Section 9.2 above.
|
|
|
9.2.2. Valuation Methods
Selected by Credit Suisse and Rothschild |
|
|
|
9.2.2.1. Comparable Company
Analysis |
Credit Suisse selected the same sample of comparable companies
as for the CGG comparable company analysis, namely PGS, Input/
Output and TGS-NOPEC.
On the basis on this analysis, the implied value per Veritas
share is equal to between $52.92 and $64.33.
Rothschild selected a peer group including four companies: PGS,
TGS-NOPEC, Seitel and Fugro.
For this exercise, Rothschild decided to consider the following
trading multiples as relevant: EV/EBITDA, EBITDA adjusted for
MCA and EBIT. The years considered for this analysis were 2006
and 2007.
On the basis on this analysis, the implied value per Veritas
share is equal to between $40.60 and $72.83.
|
|
|
Differences of Assessment |
The differences of opinion between CGGs financial advisors
and Lehman Brothers leads to a mid-range value gap of:
|
|
|
|
|
$6.70 per Veritas share between the analysis of Credit
Suisse and our analysis |
|
|
|
$4.79 per Veritas share between the analysis of Rothschild
and our analysis |
These differences result from differences in (i) the
selection of the sample of comparable companies, (ii) the
financial metrics selected, (iii) the reference date and
(iv) the range of multiples selected.
Unlike Credit Suisse but like Rothschild, we decided to include
Fugro among the sample of comparable companies for the reasons
explained previously.
E-24
However, unlike Rothschild, we decided not to include Seitel in
our sample of comparable companies since:
|
|
|
|
|
Seitel is significantly smaller than Veritas |
|
|
|
Seitels shares are traded OTC in the United States, hence
the market capitalization does not constitute in our opinion a
relevant reference metric |
|
|
|
only a limited number of research analysts follow the stock, the
available financial forecasts do not allow us to compute a
relevant consensus |
We have selected the EV/ EBITDA after MCA multiples as well as
the price to earnings ratios.
We derived the comparable company multiples based on closing
stock price as of November 8, 2006, while CGGs
financial advisors used September 1, 2006 as the reference
date. It should also be noted that:
|
|
|
|
|
The financial estimates for the calendar years 2006 and 2007 we
selected are based on a selection of analysts estimates
published after the Merger was announced, while research
estimates used by CGGs financial advisors were published
before the Merger announcement. |
|
|
|
Veritas financial statements for the fiscal year ending
July 31, 2006 are included in our analysis of calendar year
2006 multiples. CGGs financial advisors did not have
access to such financial information at the time of their
analysis. However, this difference does not significantly impact
the values obtained. |
|
|
|
9.2.2.2. Precedent
Transaction Analysis |
Credit Suisse selected 11 precedent comparable transactions in
the oilfield services sector and selected EV/ EBITDA adjusted
for MCA as the only relevant multiple.
On that basis, the implied value per Veritas share is equal to
between $57.49 and $68.90.
Rothschild selected nine precedent comparable transactions in
the oilfield services sector and selected EV/ EBITDA adjusted
for MCA as the only relevant multiple.
On that basis the implied value per Veritas share is equal to
between $56.00 and $79.90.
|
|
|
Differences of Assessment |
Differences of assessment between CGGs financial advisors
and Lehman Brothers lead to a mid-range value gap of:
|
|
|
|
|
$0.79 per Veritas share between the analysis of Credit
Suisse and our analysis |
|
|
|
$5.14 per Veritas share between the analysis of Rothschild
and our analysis |
These differences can be accounted for by the selection of
precedent transactions and the range of multiples selected.
However, there is no difference as per the relevant multiple
selected, which is the EV/EBITDA adjusted for MCA in all cases.
E-25
Compared to Credit Suisses selection of precedent
transactions, we did not select the transactions listed below,
mainly because of the lack of comparability between each of the
target companies and Veritas:
|
|
|
|
|
Seabulk Internationals acquisition by Seacor (March 2005),
Seabulk principal business being the services and assistance of
maritime transport for petroleum and chemical products |
|
|
|
Coflexips acquisition by Technip (July 2001),
Coflexips main activity being the provision of products
and solutions for the installation of subsea oil and gas fields |
|
|
|
Camco Internationals acquisition by Schlumberger (June
1998), Camco International being specialized in activities
relating to exploration/drilling of oil and gas |
|
|
|
Dresser Industries acquisition by Halliburton Company
(February 1998), Dressers main activity being the
provision of products and services related to drilling |
Compared to Credit Suisse, we selected the following additional
precedent transactions:
|
|
|
|
|
Roxars acquisition by Arcapita (February 2006): Although
smaller, this transaction is recent and therefore captures
valuation levels related to the current phase of the cycle. In
addition, Roxar is active in segments close to Veritas and
targets the same type of clients |
|
|
|
Exploration Resources acquisition by CGG (August 2005):
Although smaller, this transaction involves two players of the
seismic industry |
|
|
|
CGGs tentative acquisition of the seismic activities of
PGS (September 2004): Although not completed, this transaction
offers an indication of value level between two players of the
seismic industry |
Compared to Rothschilds selection of precedent
transactions, we did not select the transactions below mainly
because of the lack of comparability between each of the target
companies and Veritas:
|
|
|
|
|
Seabulk Internationals acquisition by Seacor (March 2005)
(see above) |
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Subsea 7s acquisition by Siem Offshore (November 2004),
Subsea 7 being specialized in the installation of subsea
equipments in deep water. |
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Coflexips acquisition by Technip (July 2001) (see
above) |
Compared to Rothschild, we selected the following additional
precedent transactions:
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Roxars acquisition by Arcapita (February 2006) (see
above) |
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Varco Internationals acquisition by Tuboscope (May 2000):
Since we selected as comparable transaction the acquisition of
Varco International in 2004, we decided to also select this
preceding transaction |
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Western Altlas acquisition by Baker Hugues (May 1998), the
target being one of the main players of the seismic industry |
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Weatherford Enterras acquisition by EVI (May 1998),
Weatherford Enterra being active in markets offering
similarities with the seismic industry |
E-26
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9.2.2.4. Discounted Cash Flow
Analysis |
For the DCF, Credit Suisse selected:
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Unlevered free cash flows derived from the Veritas business plan |
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A discount rate equal to between 9.0% and 10.0% |
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A perpetuity growth rate equal to between 3.0% and 4.0% |
Based on these assumptions, the implied value of the Veritas
share is equal to between $59.67 and $77.39 before synergies,
and between $68.00 and $86.74 after synergies.
For the DCF, Rothschild has:
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Selected the unlevered free cash flows derived from the Veritas
business plan |
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Selected a discount rate equal to between 10.0% and 12.0% |
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Calculated a terminal value based on an EBITDA adjusted for MCA
multiple equal to between 10.0x and 12.0x, a range based on the
analysis of precedent comparable transactions as well as
comparable traded companies |
Based on these results, the implied value of the Veritas share
is equal to between $59.42 and $72.20 before synergies, and
between $70.99 and $86.76 after synergies.
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Differences of Assessment |
Differences of assessment between CGGs financial advisors
and Lehman Brothers lead to a mid-range value gap of:
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$0.08 per Veritas share between the analysis of Credit
Suisse and our analysis before synergies, and $0.23 per
Veritas share after synergies. |
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$2.80 per Veritas share between the analysis of Rothschild
and our analysis before synergies, and $1.28 per Veritas
share after synergies. |
These differences mainly result from:
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The different assumptions on the discount period: Rothschild has
calendarized and discounted the unlevered free cash flows up to
December 31, 2010 and has determined the terminal value at
this date, while Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers have used the
unlevered free cash flows on a fiscal year basis up to
July 31, 2011 and have determined the terminal value at
this date |
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The mid range assumption on the discount factor (11.0% for
Rothschild compared to 9.5% for Credit Suisse and Lehman
Brothers) |
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The methodologies and the assumptions selected for the
calculation of the terminal value: Rothschild determined the
terminal value based on a EBITDA adjusted for MCA multiple and
selected as its main assumption a multiple of 11,0x |
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The difference between the normative tax rate used by Credit
Suisse on one hand, and Rothschild and Lehman Brothers on the
other hand |
E-27
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10. |
Conclusion on the Fairness, from a Financial Standpoint, of
the Consideration to be Paid by CGG in the Merger |
We understand that, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the
Consideration to be received with respect to each share of
Veritas common stock will be equal to $37.00 paid in cash, plus
approximately 1.14 CGG ADS.
Our valuation analyses of CGG show that the CGG ADS price as of
November 8, 2006, which equals $36.34, corresponds to a
reasonable valuation of the company.
We observe that, based the on CGG ADS price on the NYSE as of
November 8, 2006 of $36.34, the Consideration was equal to
$78.43.
Analyses carried out on Veritas show that the Consideration is
superior to valuation levels achieved through the use of
analogous methodologies (which do not take into account
synergies expected from the Merger). However, the Consideration
is within the valuation range resulting from the application of
the discounted cash flow analysis after taking into account
expected synergies, the level of which we understand from CGG to
have been an important factor for the launch of the Merger
process.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, in particular the
preliminary notice to this report, we are of the opinion that,
as of the date hereof, the Consideration to be paid by CGG in
the Merger is fair, from a financial point of view, to CGG.
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Lehman Brothers Europe Limited |
Paris,
November 9, 2006
E-28
ANNEX F
Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware
(a) Any stockholder of a corporation of this State who
holds shares of stock on the date of the making of a demand
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section with
respect to such shares, who continuously holds such shares
through the effective date of the merger or consolidation, who
has otherwise complied with subsection (d) of this
section and who has neither voted in favor of the merger or
consolidation nor consented thereto in writing pursuant to
§ 228 of this title shall be entitled to an appraisal
by the Court of Chancery of the fair value of the
stockholders shares of stock under the circumstances
described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.
As used in this section, the word stockholder means
a holder of record of stock in a stock corporation and also a
member of record of a nonstock corporation; the words
stock and share mean and include what is
ordinarily meant by those words and also membership or
membership interest of a member of a nonstock corporation; and
the words depository receipt mean a receipt or other
instrument issued by a depository representing an interest in
one or more shares, or fractions thereof, solely of stock of a
corporation, which stock is deposited with the depository.
(b) Appraisal rights shall be available for the shares of
any class or series of stock of a constituent corporation in a
merger or consolidation to be effected pursuant to
§ 251 (other than a merger effected pursuant to
§ 251(g) of this title), § 252,
§ 254, § 257, § 258,
§ 263 or § 264 of this title:
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(1) Provided, however, that no appraisal rights under this
section shall be available for the shares of any class or series
of stock, which stock, or depository receipts in respect
thereof, at the record date fixed to determine the stockholders
entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the meeting of
stockholders to act upon the agreement of merger or
consolidation, were either (i) listed on a national
securities exchange or designated as a national market system
security on an interdealer quotation system by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or (ii) held of
record by more than 2,000 holders; and further provided that no
appraisal rights shall be available for any shares of stock of
the constituent corporation surviving a merger if the merger did
not require for its approval the vote of the stockholders of the
surviving corporation as provided in subsection (f) of
§ 251 of this title. |
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(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this
subsection, appraisal rights under this section shall be
available for the shares of any class or series of stock of a
constituent corporation if the holders thereof are required by
the terms of an agreement of merger or consolidation pursuant to
§ § 251, 252, 254, 257, 258, 263 and 264 of
this title to accept for such stock anything except: |
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a. Shares of stock of the corporation surviving or
resulting from such merger or consolidation, or depository
receipts in respect thereof; |
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b. Shares of stock of any other corporation, or depository
receipts in respect thereof, which shares of stock (or
depository receipts in respect thereof) or depository receipts
at the effective date of the merger or consolidation will be
either listed on a national securities exchange or designated as
a national market system security on an interdealer quotation
system by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
or held of record by more than 2,000 holders; |
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c. Cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional
depository receipts described in the foregoing subparagraphs a.
and b. of this paragraph; or |
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d. Any combination of the shares of stock, depository
receipts and cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional
depository receipts described in the foregoing subparagraphs a.,
b. and c. of this paragraph. |
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(3) In the event all of the stock of a subsidiary Delaware
corporation party to a merger effected under § 253 of
this title is not owned by the parent corporation immediately
prior to the merger, appraisal rights shall be available for the
shares of the subsidiary Delaware corporation. |
F-1
(c) Any corporation may provide in its certificate of
incorporation that appraisal rights under this section shall be
available for the shares of any class or series of its stock as
a result of an amendment to its certificate of incorporation,
any merger or consolidation in which the corporation is a
constituent corporation or the sale of all or substantially all
of the assets of the corporation. If the certificate of
incorporation contains such a provision, the procedures of this
section, including those set forth in subsections (d) and
(e) of this section, shall apply as nearly as is
practicable.
(d) Appraisal rights shall be perfected as follows:
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(1) If a proposed merger or consolidation for which
appraisal rights are provided under this section is to be
submitted for approval at a meeting of stockholders, the
corporation, not less than 20 days prior to the meeting,
shall notify each of its stockholders who was such on the record
date for such meeting with respect to shares for which appraisal
rights are available pursuant to subsection (b) or
(c) hereof that appraisal rights are available for any or
all of the shares of the constituent corporations, and shall
include in such notice a copy of this section. Each stockholder
electing to demand the appraisal of such stockholders
shares shall deliver to the corporation, before the taking of
the vote on the merger or consolidation, a written demand for
appraisal of such stockholders shares. Such demand will be
sufficient if it reasonably informs the corporation of the
identity of the stockholder and that the stockholder intends
thereby to demand the appraisal of such stockholders
shares. A proxy or vote against the merger or consolidation
shall not constitute such a demand. A stockholder electing to
take such action must do so by a separate written demand as
herein provided. Within 10 days after the effective date of
such merger or consolidation, the surviving or resulting
corporation shall notify each stockholder of each constituent
corporation who has complied with this subsection and has not
voted in favor of or consented to the merger or consolidation of
the date that the merger or consolidation has become
effective; or |
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(2) If the merger or consolidation was approved pursuant to
§ 228 or § 253 of this title, then either a
constituent corporation before the effective date of the merger
or consolidation or the surviving or resulting corporation
within 10 days thereafter shall notify each of the holders
of any class or series of stock of such constituent corporation
who are entitled to appraisal rights of the approval of the
merger or consolidation and that appraisal rights are available
for any or all shares of such class or series of stock of such
constituent corporation, and shall include in such notice a copy
of this section. Such notice may, and, if given on or after the
effective date of the merger or consolidation, shall, also
notify such stockholders of the effective date of the merger or
consolidation. Any stockholder entitled to appraisal rights may,
within 20 days after the date of mailing of such notice,
demand in writing from the surviving or resulting corporation
the appraisal of such holders shares. Such demand will be
sufficient if it reasonably informs the corporation of the
identity of the stockholder and that the stockholder intends
thereby to demand the appraisal of such holders shares. If
such notice did not notify stockholders of the effective date of
the merger or consolidation, either (i) each such
constituent corporation shall send a second notice before the
effective date of the merger or consolidation notifying each of
the holders of any class or series of stock of such constituent
corporation that are entitled to appraisal rights of the
effective date of the merger or consolidation or (ii) the
surviving or resulting corporation shall send such a second
notice to all such holders on or within 10 days after such
effective date; provided, however, that if such second notice is
sent more than 20 days following the sending of the first
notice, such second notice need only be sent to each stockholder
who is entitled to appraisal rights and who has demanded
appraisal of such holders shares in accordance with this
subsection. An affidavit of the secretary or assistant secretary
or of the transfer agent of the corporation that is required to
give either notice that such notice has been given shall, in the
absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated
therein. For purposes of determining the stockholders entitled
to receive either notice, each constituent corporation may fix,
in advance, a record date that shall be not more than
10 days prior to the date the notice is given, provided,
that if the notice is given on or after the effective date of
the merger or consolidation, the record date shall be such
effective date. If no record date is fixed and the notice is
given prior to the |
F-2
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effective date, the record date shall be the close of business
on the day next preceding the day on which the notice is given. |
(e) Within 120 days after the effective date of the
merger or consolidation, the surviving or resulting corporation
or any stockholder who has complied with subsections
(a) and (d) hereof and who is otherwise entitled to
appraisal rights, may file a petition in the Court of Chancery
demanding a determination of the value of the stock of all such
stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time within
60 days after the effective date of the merger or
consolidation, any stockholder shall have the right to withdraw
such stockholders demand for appraisal and to accept the
terms offered upon the merger or consolidation. Within
120 days after the effective date of the merger or
consolidation, any stockholder who has complied with the
requirements of subsections (a) and (d) hereof, upon
written request, shall be entitled to receive from the
corporation surviving the merger or resulting from the
consolidation a statement setting forth the aggregate number of
shares not voted in favor of the merger or consolidation and
with respect to which demands for appraisal have been received
and the aggregate number of holders of such shares. Such written
statement shall be mailed to the stockholder within 10 days
after such stockholders written request for such a
statement is received by the surviving or resulting corporation
or within 10 days after expiration of the period for
delivery of demands for appraisal under
subsection (d) hereof, whichever is later.
(f) Upon the filing of any such petition by a stockholder,
service of a copy thereof shall be made upon the surviving or
resulting corporation, which shall within 20 days after
such service file in the office of the Register in Chancery in
which the petition was filed a duly verified list containing the
names and addresses of all stockholders who have demanded
payment for their shares and with whom agreements as to the
value of their shares have not been reached by the surviving or
resulting corporation. If the petition shall be filed by the
surviving or resulting corporation, the petition shall be
accompanied by such a duly verified list. The Register in
Chancery, if so ordered by the Court, shall give notice of the
time and place fixed for the hearing of such petition by
registered or certified mail to the surviving or resulting
corporation and to the stockholders shown on the list at the
addresses therein stated. Such notice shall also be given by 1
or more publications at least 1 week before the day of the
hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation published in the
City of Wilmington, Delaware or such publication as the Court
deems advisable. The forms of the notices by mail and by
publication shall be approved by the Court, and the costs
thereof shall be borne by the surviving or resulting corporation.
(g) At the hearing on such petition, the Court shall
determine the stockholders who have complied with this section
and who have become entitled to appraisal rights. The Court may
require the stockholders who have demanded an appraisal for
their shares and who hold stock represented by certificates to
submit their certificates of stock to the Register in Chancery
for notation thereon of the pendency of the appraisal
proceedings; and if any stockholder fails to comply with such
direction, the Court may dismiss the proceedings as to such
stockholder.
(h) After determining the stockholders entitled to an
appraisal, the Court shall appraise the shares, determining
their fair value exclusive of any element of value arising from
the accomplishment or expectation of the merger or
consolidation, together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to
be paid upon the amount determined to be the fair value. In
determining such fair value, the Court shall take into account
all relevant factors. In determining the fair rate of interest,
the Court may consider all relevant factors, including the rate
of interest which the surviving or resulting corporation would
have had to pay to borrow money during the pendency of the
proceeding. Upon application by the surviving or resulting
corporation or by any stockholder entitled to participate in the
appraisal proceeding, the Court may, in its discretion, permit
discovery or other pretrial proceedings and may proceed to trial
upon the appraisal prior to the final determination of the
stockholder entitled to an appraisal. Any stockholder whose name
appears on the list filed by the surviving or resulting
corporation pursuant to subsection (f) of this section
and who has submitted such stockholders certificates of
stock to the Register in Chancery, if such is required, may
participate fully in all proceedings until it is finally
determined that such stockholder is not entitled to appraisal
rights under this section.
F-3
(i) The Court shall direct the payment of the fair value of
the shares, together with interest, if any, by the surviving or
resulting corporation to the stockholders entitled thereto.
Interest may be simple or compound, as the Court may direct.
Payment shall be so made to each such stockholder, in the case
of holders of uncertificated stock forthwith, and the case of
holders of shares represented by certificates upon the surrender
to the corporation of the certificates representing such stock.
The Courts decree may be enforced as other decrees in the
Court of Chancery may be enforced, whether such surviving or
resulting corporation be a corporation of this State or of any
state.
(j) The costs of the proceeding may be determined by the
Court and taxed upon the parties as the Court deems equitable in
the circumstances. Upon application of a stockholder, the Court
may order all or a portion of the expenses incurred by any
stockholder in connection with the appraisal proceeding,
including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys fees
and the fees and expenses of experts, to be charged pro rata
against the value of all the shares entitled to an appraisal.
(k) From and after the effective date of the merger or
consolidation, no stockholder who has demanded appraisal rights
as provided in subsection (d) of this section shall be
entitled to vote such stock for any purpose or to receive
payment of dividends or other distributions on the stock (except
dividends or other distributions payable to stockholders of
record at a date which is prior to the effective date of the
merger or consolidation); provided, however, that if no petition
for an appraisal shall be filed within the time provided in
subsection (e) of this section, or if such stockholder
shall deliver to the surviving or resulting corporation a
written withdrawal of such stockholders demand for an
appraisal and an acceptance of the merger or consolidation,
either within 60 days after the effective date of the
merger or consolidation as provided in
subsection (e) of this section or thereafter with the
written approval of the corporation, then the right of such
stockholder to an appraisal shall cease. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, no appraisal proceeding in the Court of Chancery
shall be dismissed as to any stockholder without the approval of
the Court, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms
as the Court deems just.
(l) The shares of the surviving or resulting corporation to
which the shares of such objecting stockholders would have been
converted had they assented to the merger or consolidation shall
have the status of authorized and unissued shares of the
surviving or resulting corporation.
F-4