Thomas G. McCoy v. Alden Industries, Inc.

469 S.W.3d 716, 2015 WL 4268363
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided July 10, 2015·No. NO. 02-12-00200-CV·Published·Cited by 10 cases

Opinions

OPINION

BILL MEIER, JUSTICE

I. Introduction

Parties that engage in complex business transactions sometimes later dispute whether or not an agreement exists. Depending on the issues raised, the conflict can involve questions of law, see McCalla v. Baker’s Campground, Inc., 416 S.W.Sd 416, 418 (Tex.2013); questions of fact, see Foreca, S.A. v. GRD Dev. Co., 758 S.W.2d 744, 745-46 (Tex.1988); or both, see Val-ores Cotporativos, S.A. de C.V. v. McLane Co., 945 S.W.2d 160, 165-67 (Tex.App.— San Antonio 1997, writ denied). This case falls into the third category.

Appellant Thomas G. McCoy sued Ap-pellee Alden Industries, Inc. for breaching two agreements that he claims the parties made as part of a comprehensive agreement involving a partial stock redemption and recapitalization transaction — (i) an insurance-funded stock redemption agreement and (ii) a compensation-package agreement. Both sides moved for summary judgment; the trial court granted Alden’s motion but denied McCoy’s. McCoy appeals. Because neither side was entitled to summary judgment, we will affirm in part and reverse and remand in part.1

II. Background

Alden is a Fort Worth-based holding company with four subsidiaries — two that manufacture commercial or industrial water heaters, boilers, or burners and two that market the products. The following individuals who are associated with Alden are relevant to this appeal: McCoy, Craig Adams, Stephen Youts, and Timothy Mac-Kenzie. McCoy’s association with Alden and its affiliates has endured for nearly a quarter century, and by mid-2008, he was Alden’s chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Adams worked his way up through the business to become Alden’s president in 2004, and in July 2008, he replaced McCoy as chief executive officer and was elected to Alden’s board as vice chairman. Youts has been a member of Alden’s board of directors since 1997 and MacKenzie has served two stints on Alden’s board — one from 1997 to 2004 and another from 2008 to the present.

In 1997, Alden’s management shareholders acquired a majority control of the company from a private equity group. After the transaction, McCoy’s ownership interest in Alden increased from approximately 6% to 52%. By early 2008, McCoy owned a controlling interest in Alden of almost 60% of its outstanding stock.

In late 2007, McCoy decided to retire, so he began considering options to sell his interest in Alden. McCoy, Adams, and Youts met with several investment banking firms, but Adams, who was concerned about the future of Alden and its employees under the ownership of a third party, suggested to McCoy that he wanted to explore whether McCoy’s shares could be redeemed internally. Shortly thereafter, McCoy informed Adams that he and Youts had formulated such a transaction — a re[720]*720capitalization whereby Alden would redeem a portion of McCoy’s shares, thus allowing Alden to remain a management-owned entity. McCoy agreed to pursue the proposed transaction, and the parties moved forward with the details and the documents.

In an effort to inform Alden’s management shareholders about the proposed transaction — so that they could authorize the voting of their shares — Youts prepared a document that summarized the terms (the “summary sheet”). The final version of the summary sheet, dated May 31, 2008, and titled “Alden Industries, Inc. Stock Repurchase and Recapitalization June 6, 2008,” contains sections explaining the “Purpose” of the transaction, how it will be financed, who will purchase warrants, what changes will be made to the voting trust and the board’s membership, and, among other things, the insurance-funded redemption of McCoy’s and Adams’s shares upon their death. Titled, “Stock Buy-back Insurance,” that section states,

The Company will have life insurance on McCoy and Adams to fund the repurchase (at a total cost equal to the dollar amount of the respective coverage) of all shares of either party (including all shares held by family interests, if any) in the event of death. Amounts— McCoy $30.0 million, Adams $22.0 million.

A cover letter was attached to the summary sheet. Dated June 2, 2008, and signed by McCoy, the letter was circulated to the shareholders and detailed the proposed recapitalization transaction:

Alden is proposing to enter into a transaction with me personally (not as Trustee) whereby I will sell 1,402 shares of my stock to Alden for $35 million ($25 million in cash and a $10 million note). As the result of the transaction, the majority stock position I personally own in Alden (2342 shares — approximately 60% of Alden) will be reduced to a minority position of 940 shares. To finance the purchase of 1,402 shares of my stock, Alden will enter into a recapitalization transaction with a new senior lender, First American Bank, and with a new mezzanine lender, Merit Mezzanine Fund. Merit will also purchase a warrant entitling them to purchase shares equivalent to approximately 13% of the common stock of Alden. As part of the recapitalization, I will loan Alden $10 million of the funds being raised to finance the purchase of my stock. I will also purchase a warrant entitling me to purchase shares equivalent to approximately 6 2/3% of the common stock of Alden....
At the conclusion of the proposed transaction, I will own approximately 36.5% of Alden on a fully diluted basis, including my remaining shares of approximately 30% and my warrant equivalent to approximately 6 2/3%.
These documents lead to the conclusion that the going concern fair value of Alden and its subsidiaries (without debt) is approximately $75,000,000. I am being paid a negotiated purchase price for my stock that reflects the sum of the fair value of the stock I am selling plus a substantial premium which I required in order for me to be willing to relinquish my control of Alden and become a minority shareholder.
Your stock will be in a new voting trust (the “2008 Voting Trust”), and Craig Adams will be the Trustee of the 2008 Voting Trust. Craig will also become the Chief Executive Officer of Alden, and he will be elected to Alden’s board of directors. I will continue in my role as Chairman of Alden (as an execu[721]*721tive Chairman in a nonmanagement capacity).
In order to authorize Alden to enter into the transaction, there will be a shareholder meeting for such approval. As Trustee of the 1997 Voting Trust, I have authority to vote all of the shares held in trust. However, because I am a party to the proposed transaction, I am committed to voting your shares which are held in the 1997 Voting Trust as you direct, and I intend to abstain from voting my .shares.
Alden’s board of directors will accept the action of the shareholders with respect to the proposed transaction and, assuming the transaction is approved by-a majority of the shares other than McCoy, will pass resolutions formally authorizing the appropriate officers to execute all necessary transaction documents.

Adams discussed the proposed transaction with each of the shareholders, who all voted in favor of it.2

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Thomas G. McCoy v. Alden Industries, Inc., 469 S.W.3d 716, 2015 WL 4268363 (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

469 S.W.3d 716 (Thomas G. McCoy v. Alden Industries, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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