distracting to the Company, its business and management’s execution of its growth strategy. Concurrently, from early May to mid-June 2023, Mr. Unkuri engaged with representatives of Party A to gauge Party A’s interest in the Company.
Between early May and mid-June 2023, J.P. Morgan, on behalf of the Company, held such initial discussions and shared introductory materials about the Company based on publicly available information with Parent, Party B and Party C.
On May 10, 2023, Messrs. Unkuri and Hindar met with other members of the Board to determine whether the Company should pursue entering into non-disclosure agreements with the four identified strategic bidders and arrange initial management presentations. Provided that initial feedback from such bidders indicated strong potential interest in the Company, the group confirmed that the Company should pursue such agreements and presentations.
By early to mid-June 2023, J.P. Morgan reported to Mr. Unkuri that all four of the potential strategic bidders provided feedback that after their own internal discussions they were interested in learning more about the Company. Based on the directors’ May 10 discussion and such feedback, the Company then decided to move forward with further engagement with these potential bidders and provide them with limited access to management and limited confidential information about the Company.
On June 7, 2023, the Company directed Baker & McKenzie LLP and Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyrå KB, the Company’s outside counsel (collectively, “Baker McKenzie”), to prepare a draft non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”) to facilitate further engagement with potential bidders, beginning with Party B, which was scheduled to and did have the first of the management sessions described below on June 15, 2023.
Additionally, on June 12, 2023, at the Company’s direction, J.P. Morgan reached out to a fifth strategic bidder, which in this Schedule 14D-9 is referred to as “Party D,” to assess its potential interest in the Company. Shortly thereafter, however, on June 16, 2023, Party D notified J.P. Morgan, that after internal discussion, due to concerns about a potential lack of strategic fit, Party D was not interested in pursuing a transaction with the Company.
On June 20, 2023, the Board held an in-person meeting in which members of management participated. At the meeting, Chief Executive Officer Jon Heimer provided the Board an update on Party B’s June 15 management session.
On July 25, 2023, Mr. Hindar spoke with Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE, Sweden Bankfilial (“Goldman Sachs”) about the Company’s interactions with potential strategic bidders and Goldman Sachs’ potential engagement as a financial advisor to the Company. On July 30, 2023, the Company directed Goldman Sachs to work with J.P. Morgan as co-advisor in connection with the confidential sale process.
Ultimately, from early June through late July 2023, J.P. Morgan, and from late July through late August 2023, J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, at the Company’s direction, were in contact with seven strategic bidders about their potential interest in acquiring the Company, with the Company, informed by J.P. Morgan’s and Goldman Sachs’ market and industry expertise and introductory discussions, determining that the contacted group of seven bidders would be most likely to execute and consummate a transaction, if at all, that would maximize shareholder value while balancing the risk that contacting additional parties could result in leaks that would be disruptive and distracting to the Company, its business and management’s execution of its growth strategy. Six of these seven potential strategic bidders entered into NDAs with the Company in this period, including Parent on June 25, 2023; Party A on June 28, 2023; an affiliate of Party B on June 13, 2023; Party C on July 12, 2023; and, following the August 5, 2023, Board meeting described below, the strategic bidders which in this Schedule 14D-9 are referred to as “Party E,” on August 11, 2023, and “Party F,” on August 22, 2023. All six received confidential information regarding the Company and its business. As noted above, Party D had declined to receive confidential information and otherwise participate in a sale process.
After the execution of the NDAs and through early September, Company management, together with representatives of J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, held management sessions with five of the six bidders that signed NDAs in order to provide certain confidential information and a detailed overview of the Company, which bidder group consisted of Parent, Party A, Party B, Party E and Party F. The remaining