Business Law- Chapter 38 Flashcards
Proxy
A written document signed by a shareholder that authorizes another person to vote the share holder’s shares.
Section 14(a)
A provision of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that gives the SEC the authority to regulate the solicitation of proxies.
Proxy Statement
A document that fully describes 1. the matter for which a proxy is being solicitied, 2. who is soliciting the proxy and 3. any other pertinent information.
Antifraud Provision
Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which prohibits misrepresentations or omissions of a material fact in the proxy materials.
Proxy Contest
A contest in which opposing factions of shareholders and managers solicit proxies from other shareholders; the side that receives the greatest number of votes wins the proxy contest.
Shareholder Resolution
A resolution that a shareholder who meets certain ownership requirements may submit to other shareholders for a vote. Many shareholder resolutions concern social issues.
Merger
A situation in which one corporation is absorbed into another corporation and ceases to exist.
Share Exchange
A situation in which one corporation acquires all the shares of another corporation, and both corporations retain their separate legal existence.
Short-Form Merger
A merger between a parent corporation that does not require the approval of the shareholders of either corporation or the approval of the board of directors of the subsidiary corporation.
Dissenting Shareholder Appraisal Rights
The rights of shareholders who object to a proposed merger, share exchange, or sale or lease of all or substantially all of the property of a corporation to have their shares valued by the court and receive cash payment of this value from the corporation.
Tender Offeror
The party that makes a tender offer.
Tender Offer
An offer that an acquirer makes directly to a target corporation’s shareholders in an effort to acquire the target corporation.
Target Corporation
The corporation that is proposed to be acquired in a tender offer situation.
Williams Act
An amendment to the Securities Exchange At of 1934 made in 1968 that specifically regulates tender offers.
Fair Price Rule
A rule that says any increase in prie paid for shares tendered must be offered to all shareholders, even those who have previously tendered their shares.
Pro Rata Rule
A rule that says shares must be purchased on a pro rata basis if too many shares are tendered.
Section 14(e)
A provision of the Williams Act that prohibits fraudulent, deceptive and manipulative practices in connection with a tender offer.
Crown Jewel
A valuable asset of a target corporation that the tender offeror particularly wants to acquire in a tender offer.
Greenmail
The purchase by a target corporation of its stock from an actual or perceived tender offeror at a premium.
Business Judgement Rule
A rule that protects the decisions of a board of directors that acts on an informed basis, in good faith, and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation and its shareholders.
Antitakeover Statutes
Statutes enacted by a state legislature that protect against the hostile takeover of corporations incorporated in or doing business in the state.