Whether or not the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement are consummated and except as otherwise provided in the Framework Agreement, each party will bear its own expenses in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement.
Each party will afford to the other party and its financial advisors, accountants, counsel and other representatives prior to the completion of the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement reasonable access during normal business hours, upon reasonable notice, to all of their respective properties, books, records and personnel to obtain all information concerning the business, including the status of product development efforts, properties, results of operations and personnel, as each party may reasonably request. NRDC Acquisition and NRDC Capital Management will maintain in confidence any non-public information received from the other party, and use such non-public information only for purposes of consummating the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement, subject to customary exceptions.
The Framework Agreement may be a mended by the parties thereto at any time by execution of an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the parties. NRDC Acquisition would file a Current Report on Form 8-K and issue a press release to disclose any amendment to the Framework Agreement entered into by the parties. If such amendment is material to investors, a supplement to the proxy statement to solicit proxies from NRDC Acquisition’s stockholders and warrantholders to vote on the proposals described herein would also be sent to holders of IPO Shares as promptly as practicable.
The parties have agreed that until closing or termination of the Framework Agreement, the parties will:
A copy of the Framework Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.4 and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the Framework Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Framework Agreement.
In connection with the proposed transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement, NRDC Acquisition is proposing an amendment to the Warrant Agreement, dated as of October 17, 2007, between NRDC Acquisition Corp. and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, which governs its outstanding warrants by entering into a Supplement & Amendment to Warrant Agreement, by NRDC Acquisition Corp. and Continental
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, to provide that (i) the exercise price of its warrants will be increased to $12.00 per share, (ii) the expiration date of the warrants will be extended from October 17, 2011 to October 23, 2014, (iii) a warrantholder’s ability to exercise its warrants will be limited to ensure that such holder’s Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership, each as defined in NRDC Acquisition’s certificate of incorporation (as proposed to be amended), does not exceed the restrictions contained in the certificate of incorporation limiting the ownership of shares of NRDC Acquisition’s common stock, (iv) the price at which NRDC Acquisition’s common stock must trade before NRDC Acquisition is able to redeem the warrants it issued in its IPO will be increased from $14.25 to $18.75 and (v) the price at which NRDC Acquisition’s common stock must trade before NRDC Acquisition is able to redeem the warrants it issued to NRDC Capital Management prior to its IPO will be increased from $14.25 to (x) $22.00, as long as the warrants are held by NRDC Capital Management or its members, members of its members’ immediate families or their controlled affiliates, or (y) $18.75. Assuming approval by the holders of NRDC Acquisition’s warrants, the amendments will be effective immediately upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement. Approval of the warrant amendments is a condition to consummating the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement.
A copy of the form of the amendment to the Warrant Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.5 and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the form of the amendment to the Warrant Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the form of the amendment to the Warrant Agreement.
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
In connection with the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement, NRDC Acquisition is proposing that its stockholders vote to adopt the proposed 2009 equity incentive plan (the “2009 Equity Incentive Plan”), to be effective upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement. The 2009 Equity Incentive Plan will provide for grants of restricted common stock and other equity-based awards from time to time up to an aggregate of 7.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock at the time of the award, subject to a ceiling of 4,000,000 shares available for issuance under the 2009 Equity Incentive Plan. The 2009 Equity Incentive Plan will provide NRDC Acquisition with a means of securing and retaining key employees and others of outstanding ability and to motivate such individuals to exert their best efforts on NRDC Acquisition’s behalf.
Forward-looking statements
This report and the exhibits hereto include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. NRDC Acquisition’s actual results may differ from its expectations, estimates and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, NRDC Acquisition’s expectations with respect to future performance, anticipated financial impacts of the proposed transactions, certificate of incorporation and warrant amendments and related transactions; approval of the proposed certificate of incorporation and warrant amendments and related transactions by stockholders and warrantholders, as applicable; the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the proposed transactions, certificate of incorporation and warrant amendments and related transactions; and the timing of the completion of the proposed transactions, certificate of incorporation and warrant amendments and related transactions.
These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside NRDC Acquisition’s control and difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Our ability to identify and acquire retail real estate and real estate-related debt investments that meet our investment standards and the time period required for us to acquire our initial portfolio of our target assets;
• The level of rental revenue and net interest income we achieve from our target assets;
• The market value of our assets and the supply of, and demand for, retail real estate and real estate-related debt investments in which we invest;
• The length of the current economic downturn;
• The conditions in the local markets in which we will operate, as well as changes in national economic and market conditions;
• Consumer spending and confidence trends;
• Our ability to enter into new leases or to renew leases with existing tenants at the properties we acquire at favorable rates;
• Our ability to anticipate changes in consumer buying practices and the space needs of tenants;
• The competitive landscape impacting the properties we acquire and their tenants;
• Our relationships with our tenants and their financial condition;
• Our use of debt as part of our financing strategy and our ability to make payments or to comply with any covenants under any borrowings or other debt facilities we obtain;
• The level of our operating expenses, including amounts we are required to pay to our management team and to engage third party property managers;
• Changes in interest rates that could impact the market price of our common stock and the cost of our borrowings; and
• Legislative and regulatory changes (including changes to laws governing the taxation of REITs).
Other factors include the possibility that the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement do not close, including due to the failure to receive required stockholder and warrantholder approvals, or the failure of other closing conditions.
NRDC Acquisition cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in NRDC Acquisition’s most recent filings with the SEC and in the definitive proxy statement to be used in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement, as described below. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning NRDC Acquisition, the Framework Agreement, the related transactions or other matters and attributable to NRDC Acquisition or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. NRDC Acquisition cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. NRDC Acquisition does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Additional Information
NRDC Acquisition intends to file a preliminary proxy statement with the SEC in connection with the proposed transactions, certificate of incorporation amendments and the warrant amendments and to mail a definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents to NRDC Acquisition’s stockholders and warrantholders. NRDC Acquisition’s stockholders and warrantholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement, and amendments thereto, and the definitive proxy statement in connection with solicitation of proxies for the special meetings of NRDC Acquisition’s stockholders and warrantholders to be held to
approve the transactions, certificate of incorporation amendments and the warrant amendments because this proxy statement will contain important information about NRDC Acquisition and the proposed transactions. Such persons can also read NRDC Acquisition’s final prospectus from its initial public offering dated October 23, 2007, its annual report on form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, which was filed with the SEC on March 13, 2009, as amended (“Annual Report”) and other reports as filed with the SEC, for a description of the security holdings of NRDC Acquisition’s officers and directors and their affiliates and their other respective interests in the successful consummation of the proposed transactions. The definitive proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders and warrantholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed transactions, certificate of incorporation amendments and the warrant amendments and related transactions. Stockholders and warrantholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the preliminary and definitive proxy statements, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: NRDC Acquisition Corp., 3 Manhattanville Road, Purchase, NY 10577, Attention: Joseph Roos, telephone (914) 272-8066.
Participation in Solicitation
NRDC Acquisition, and its respective directors, executive officers, affiliates and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies for the special meetings of NRDC Acquisition’s stockholders and NRDC Acquisition’s warrantholders to approve the proposed transaction. A list of the names of those directors and officers and descriptions of their interests in NRDC Acquisition is contained in NRDC Acquisition’s Annual Report. NRDC Acquisition’s stockholders and warrantholders may also obtain additional information about the interests of its directors and officers in the transactions by reading the preliminary proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed by NRDC Acquisition with the SEC when they become available.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
NRDC ACQUISITION CORP.
Dated: August 10, 2009 | By: | /s/ Richard A. Baker |
| Richard A. Baker |
| Chief Executive Officer |
| | |
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. | | Description |
| | |
Exhibit 10.1 | | Form of Initial Charter Amendment. |
Exhibit 10.2 | | Form of Second Charter Amendment. |
Exhibit 10.3 | | Form of Third Charter Amendment. |
Exhibit 10.4 | | Framework Agreement, dated as of August 7, 2009, by and between NRDC Acquisition Corp. and NRDC Capital Management, LLC. |
Exhibit 10.5 | | Form of Amendment to Warrant Agreement. |
Exhibit 99.1 | | Press release of NRDC Acquisition date August 10, 2009. |