Irving Bank Corp. v. Bank of New York Co., Inc.

692 F. Supp. 163, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4948, 1988 WL 78695
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 2, 1988
Docket88 Civ. 3542 (CSH)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 692 F. Supp. 163 (Irving Bank Corp. v. Bank of New York Co., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Irving Bank Corp. v. Bank of New York Co., Inc., 692 F. Supp. 163, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4948, 1988 WL 78695 (S.D.N.Y. 1988).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

HAIGHT, District Judge:

Plaintiff Irving Bank Corporation (“Irving”) is presently involved in a prolonged, much-publicized, adverse relationship with Defendant The Bank of New York Company, Inc. (“BNY”). That relationship arises out of BNY’s effort, resisted by Irving’s board to take Irving over. Irving commenced this action under the federal securities laws to compel BNY to make additional disclosures to Irving shareholders. Irving seeks preliminary injunctive relief toward that end. For the reasons which follow, I conclude that this Court, sitting in equity, should make an order at this time; and that Irving is entitled to some measure of relief.

Irving’s motion came before the undersigned in Part I, during the temporary absence of Judge Lowe, to whom the case is assigned. The exigencies of the case and the press of other matters preclude a scholarly disquisition. The parties have filed able briefs. The controlling principles of law are familiar. In what follows, expedience necessarily takes precedence over art.

BACKGROUND

In 1987 BNY determined to acquire Irving if it could. The Irving board rebuffed BNY’s initial overtures. On September 25, 1987, BNY announced that it intended to acquire all outstanding shares of Irving’s common stock in a tender offer and second-step merger. In October BNY applied to the Federal Reserve Board and to the New York State Banking Board for approval to acquire “up to” 100% of Irving’s shares. Irving participated in the proceedings before these agencies. Both agencies granted approvals to BNY in February, 1988. Irving appealed from the Federal Reserve’s order of approval. The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit affirmed the Board’s order. Irving Bank Corp. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 845 F.2d 1035 (D.C.Cir.1988).

The Board’s order conditioned approval on the acquisition’s consummation within 90 days. The Board issued its approval order on February 25, 1988; in consequence, the 90-day period was scheduled to expire on May 25. In its order the Board noted that it would not follow “its normal procedure” if BNY sought an extension; and added that the Board would not expect to grant more than one extension.

Following the grant of regulatory approvals, BNY commenced its tender offer on March 18, 1988. The offer is described in a prospectus of that date, whose sufficiency under presently existing circumstances fuels this federal securities law controversy.

In its March 18, 1988 prospectus, BNY offered to acquire all Irving’s common shares by exchanging 1.575 BNY shares and $15 in cash for each Irving share. BNY conditioned its exchange obligation upon, inter alia, the tender of at least two-thirds of Irving’s shares; BNY’s determination that Section 912 of the New York Business Corporation Law would not prohibit the prompt consummation of a merger between Irving and a subsidiary of BNY; and the redemption or invalidation of Irving common stock purchase rights issued pursuant to a “Rights Agreement” dated October 9, 1987.

These last two conditions require some explanation. Section 912 of the New York Business Corporation Law (“BCL”), known in the vernacular as “anti-takeover” legislation, precludes a shareholder who acquires more than 20% of a corporation’s stock without board of directors approval from effecting a subsequent merger for a minimum of five years. As for the Irving rights agreement, it was enacted by the *166 Irving board on October 9, 1987, after the board rejected BNY’s original offer. This is a “poison pill” that allows Irving’s shareholders to acquire $400 worth of stock for only $200 in any newly merged company when the acquiring company gains more than 20% of Irving’s stock.

Of these particular conditions, BNY said in its prospectus that it “does not presently intend to waive” them although it “reserves the right to do so.”

BNY’s exchange offer was originally scheduled to expire at midnight New York City time on April 15, 1988. BNY subsequently extended the expiration date of the offer from time to time. When Irving commenced this litigation, under circumstances described below, BNY’s revised exchange offer was scheduled to expire at midnight on May 24.

BNY also commenced efforts to take control of Irving’s board by a proxy solicitation in advance of the 1988 Irving annual meeting, originally scheduled for April 21, 1988. On April 18, the Irving Board announced that it had approved a partial offer for 51% of Irving’s shares made by Banca Commerciale Italiana (“BCI”), an Italian entity whose application for regulatory approval of the transaction is pending. The Irving annual meeting was adjourned, on the agreement of Irving and BNY, to May 6. On May 6, at least as certified by independent supervisors, Irving won the proxy fight. The incumbent board won reelection, defeating BNY’s slate of candidates. BNY challenges the validity of the election and expresses an intent to challenge it in state court. However, the issues before me do not require further detailed comment on the subject.

On May 17 BNY took the step which leads directly to this litigation. It announced publicly that it was waiving the Section 912 condition and the Rights Agreement condition and extended its offer until midnight, May 24. That is to say, if BNY obtained a tender of at least two-thirds of the Irving shares, it was prepared to accept a five-year hiatus between the time of acquisition and a complete merger between BNY and Irving. BNY was also prepared to accept the dilution of Irving shares contemplated by the initial poison pill.

Also on May 17, BNY advised that if by 5:00 p.m. on May 20, a Friday, Irving would redeem the poison pill and waive the applicability of Section 912 to BNY’s offer, BNY would increase the stock consideration in its offer to 1.675 shares of BNY stock.

On Thursday, May 19, the Irving board met and rejected BNY’s proposal. In the Irving board’s perception, by that action it “honored the mandate of the shareholders who had reelected the directors to continue to conduct the auction process” pitting BNY against BCI as rival bidders. Oral argument, May 23, 1988 hearing at Tr. 23.

It may be observed at this point that BNY does not accept Irving’s characterization that a fair “auction” is taking place. Rather, BNY contends that Irving is preventing an auction in the true sense, in order to prefer a BCI bid less favorable to Irving shareholders, but having the advantage to present Irving directors of retaining them in office. Apart from observing that what is happening here does not particularly resemble auction acquisitions at Sotheby’s or Christie’s, I say nothing about these irreconcilable and volubly expressed perceptions. They do not bear directly upon the federal disclosure issues before me.

The Irving Board took one other step on May 19. It amended the Irving poison pill. Under that amendment, known as the “flip-in” amendment, any acquisition of 20% or more of Irving’s shares, even in a tender offer for all shares, entitles the holders of rights, other than the 20% or greater holder, to buy $400 of shares for $200.

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Bluebook (online)
692 F. Supp. 163, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4948, 1988 WL 78695, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/irving-bank-corp-v-bank-of-new-york-co-inc-nysd-1988.