Item 8.01. Other Events.
As previously disclosed, on August 14, 2018, Energen Corporation (“Energen”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Diamondback Energy, Inc. (“Diamondback”) and Sidewinder Merger Sub Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Diamondback (“Merger Sub”), providing for the merger of Merger Sub with and into Energen, with Energen surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Diamondback (the “Merger”). On October 25, 2018, Energen and Diamondback filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a definitive joint proxy statement, which also constitutes a prospectus of Diamondback, for the solicitation of proxies in connection with special meetings of Energen’s shareholders and Diamondback’s stockholders, each to be held on November 27, 2018, for purposes of voting, among other things, on matters necessary to complete the Merger (the “Proxy Statement”).
Supplemental Disclosures in Connection with Stockholder Litigation in Connection with the Merger
In connection with the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, a purported class action lawsuit (the plaintiff in such complaint, the “Gross Plaintiff”) and an individual lawsuit (the plaintiff in such complaint, the “Stein Plaintiff”) have been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Both complaints, captioned Gross v. Energen Corporation, et al., CaseNo. 2:18-cv-01711-RDP (filed October 17, 2018) andStein v.Energen Corporation, et al., Case2:18-cv-01746-JHE (filed October 22, 2018), assert claims against Energen and its directors. In general, the complaints allege that the defendants violated Sections 14(a) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act because the preliminary registration statement onForm S-4, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the FormS-4, filed with the SEC (the “Registration Statement”) allegedly misrepresents or omits material information. The complaints seek, among other things, injunctive relief preventing the consummation of the Merger until additional disclosures are made, and damages.
On October 26, 2018, a purported shareholder derivative and class action complaint, captioned Rosenblatt v. Cohen, et al., CaseNo. 01-CV-2018-904321.00, was filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (the plaintiff in such complaint, the “Rosenblatt Plaintiff”) against Energen, Energen’s directors, Diamondback and Merger Sub in connection with the Merger. The complaint alleges state law breach of fiduciary duty claims against the Energen directors for, among other things, an allegedly inadequate price and alleged failure to disclose material information in the Registration Statement. The complaint also alleges that Diamondback aided and abetted the Energen directors’ alleged breaches of fiduciary duty. The complaint seeks, among other things, injunctive relief preventing the consummation of the Merger, and damages.
On November 15, 2018, Energen, Energen’s directors, Diamondback and Merger Sub reached an agreement to resolve the three lawsuits described above (the “Actions”). In connection with the resolution of the Actions and in order to alleviate the costs, risks and uncertainties inherent in litigation and provide additional information to investors, Energen and Diamondback have determined to voluntarily supplement the Proxy Statement with various disclosures. These disclosures are provided in this Current Report on Form8-K. Nothing in this Current Report on Form8-K will be deemed an admission of the legal necessity or materiality under applicable laws of any of the disclosures set forth herein. To the contrary, Energen, Energen’s directors, Diamondback and Merger Sub believe that all of the claims alleged in the Actions are without merit and specifically deny all allegations in the foregoing complaints, including, without limitation, that any additional disclosure was or is required. As part of this resolution, the Actions will be dismissed with prejudice as to the named plaintiffs and without prejudice as to all others. It is possible that additional, similar complaints may be filed. If this occurs, Energen and Diamondback do not intend to announce the filing of each additional, similar complaint or any amended complaint unless it contains materially new or different allegations.
SUPPLEMENT TO JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
Diamondback and Energen are supplementing the Proxy Statement with certain additional information set forth below. These disclosures should be read in connection with the Proxy Statement, which should be read in its entirety. Defined terms used but not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the Proxy Statement. Without agreeing in any way that the disclosures below are material or otherwise required by law, Energen and Diamondback make the following amended and supplemental disclosures: