Texasgulf, Inc. v. Canada Development Corporation

366 F. Supp. 374
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedSeptember 5, 1973
DocketCiv. A. 73-H-1056
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 366 F. Supp. 374 (Texasgulf, Inc. v. Canada Development Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Texasgulf, Inc. v. Canada Development Corporation, 366 F. Supp. 374 (S.D. Tex. 1973).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

SEALS, District Judge.

The attempted acquisition of Texas-gulf, Inc. by the Canada Development Corporation, through the use of a public tender offer, came as a complete surprise and shock to the target company, according to the secure and well entrenched management of Texasgulf. Although the acquiring company, the Canada Development Corporation (CDC), did, and understandably so, plan and execute in secret and in haste their tender offer, it is somewhat surprising that Texasgulf was so surprised. Especially is this true when the evidence in the case indicates that the bulk of the income and sales of Texasgulf come from Canada predominantly and, also, because of the increasing use of the tender offer as a modern means of corporate acquisition. 1

The notice of the tender offer given to the management of Texasgulf by CDC late in the afternoon of July 24, 1973, was in the words of Texasgulf’s lead trial attorney, William C. Harvin, Esq., a Pearl Harbor like attack with the avowed purpose of stunning Texasgulf and overwhelming them. But, Texas-gulf, the target company, was not so surprised, stunned dr overwhelmed as to cause the management to hesitate or falter. The Board of Directors of Texas-gulf began to convene on the next day *380 and during July 25 and 26, 1973, rejected any negotiated truce or peace and placed its whole defense and counterattack in the hands of their attorney and a fellow Board member, Thomas M. Phillips, Esq., of the law firm of Baker & Botts of Houston, Texas, who had been representing Texasgulf for over a quarter of a century. In his closing argument to the Court, Phillips expressed in poignant words, which the Court feels represents the sentiments of Texasgulf’s management, “ . . . and so it must be obvious to Your Honor, that much of my career and much of my personal life has been identified with Texasgulf. 2

*383 The Texasgulf management immediately marshalled their forces for the impending struggle. The first skirmishes were fought in press releases appealing to the good sense of the common shareholder, along with the filing of this lawsuit in Houston, Texas, the issuing of a Temporary Restraining Order by this Court, and the use of expedited discovery by both parties. .

The first engagement, the face to face confrontation in the courtroom, has now been concluded. It is fair to say at this stage that before a final victory is secured there will be other battles. To better understand this struggle for the control of Texasgulf, one must look to the events leading up to this lawsuit.

Simply stated, this suit arises out of a cash tender offer 3 made by Defendant CDC to purchase 10,000,000 of the approximately 30,385,000 outstanding shares of Plaintiff Texasgulf’s common stock. The Plaintiff, Texasgulf, is a Texas corporation whose stock is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and listed on the New York, Toronto, Boston, Cincinnati, Detroit, Midwest and Pacific Coast Stock Exchanges. It is a multinational, natural resource company which as indicated by Article II of the company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation engages in the production and marketing of metals, potash, sulphur, fertilizers, oil and gas, forest products and various other materials. Among the countries where Texasgulf has substantial assets and operations are the United States, Canada, Australia and Mexico. Texasgulf’s assets exceed $700,000,000; its sales exceed $300,000,000 annually, and it has more than 80,000 shareholders.

CDC is a corporation incorporated by an Act of Parliament of Canada in 1971 4 and at the present all of its outstanding common shares are beneficially owned by the Government of Canada. It is the intention of the Act of the Canadian Parliament and of the Directors of CDC that up to 90% of the voting shares of CDC ultimately be held by Canadian citizens and residents. 5 The principal objects of CDC, as evidenced by the statute creating it, are:

“A) To assist in the creation or development of businesses, resources, properties and industries of Canada;
B) To expand, widen and develop opportunities for Canadians toxparticipate in the economic development of Canada through the application of their skills and capital;
C) To invest in the shares of securities of any corporation owning property or carrying on business related to the economic interests of Canada; and
*384 D) To invest in ventures or enterprises, including the acquisition of property likely to benefit Canada;

The statute further states that these objects “shall be carried out in anticipation of profit and in the best interests of the shareholders as a whole.”

The final events of the attempted acquisition of Texasgulf by CDC occurred in a brief period of time beginning on Monday, July 23, 1973 when the Executive Committee of the CDC, meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada determined to recommend to the Board of Directors of CDC the tender offer plan to acquire shares of Texasgulf. Mr. Gene M. Woodfin of Loeb, Rhoades & Co., the dealer-manager for the offer, notified his office to prepare the necessary papers. He also called the office of Mr. Claude 0. Stephens, Chairman of the Board of Texasgulf, to request an appointment for the next day, July 24, 1973, and was told by Stephens’ office that Stephens would be able to see him at 4:00 P.M. on that day.

On the next morning, the Board of Directors «of CDC met in Fredericton, New Brunswick and approved the tender offer. Woodfin and the executives of CDC flew immediately to New York. There they were met at the airport by representatives from Loeb, Rhoades & Co. with the tender offer documents. These were immediately executed and the representatives flew on to Washington to make the necessary filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

That same day, July 24, 1973, at approximately 4:40 P.M., Eastern Daylight Time, CDC filed with the SEC a Schedule 13D statement in compliance with Section 14(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78n(d), 6 de *385 scribing its tender offer to acquire 10,000,000 shares of Texasgulf common stock at a price of $29.00 (U.S.) per share, and at approximately 5:30 P.M. (EDT) issued a press release for publication on July 25 announcing the tender offer. The President of CDC, Mr. H. Anthony Hampson, the Chairman of the Board of CDC, Mr. Marshal A. Crowe, and Mr. Gene M. Woodfin, in person, advised the President of Texasgulf, Dr. Charles F. Fogarty, and Mr. Charles O. Stephens of CDC’s decision to make the tender offer at the previously arranged meeting in Stephens’ office at approximately 4:05 P.M. (EDT) on July 24, 1973.

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Bluebook (online)
366 F. Supp. 374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texasgulf-inc-v-canada-development-corporation-txsd-1973.