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Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
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Agreement and Plan of Merger |
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On May 29, 2006, the Board of Directors of Engelhard Corporation (the “Company”) approved |
an Agreement and Plan of Merger among BASF Aktiengesellschaft (“BASF”), Iron Acquisition |
Corporation (“Merger Sub”) and the Company (the “MergerAgreement”). On May 30, 2006, the |
Company and the other parties thereto executed the Merger Agreement. A copy of the Merger |
Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference. |
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The Merger Agreement contains a limited set of representations and warranties relating to the |
Company and the transactions contemplated thereby, including corporate power and authority, |
non-contravention and receipt of all necessary consents, and also contains customary covenants |
relating to the Company’s conduct of business prior to the closing of BASF’s tender offer. In |
addition, the Merger Agreement provides fewer and more narrow conditions to closing than had |
been the case with BASF’s offer absent the Merger Agreement. Pursuant to the Merger |
Agreement, following the consummation of the BASF offer, Merger Sub will merge with and |
into the Company and the Company will become a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF. The |
foregoing description of the Merger Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the |
Merger Agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and is incorporated herein by |
reference. |
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On May 29,2006, the Board took action, as permitted by the Rights Agreement, dated as of |
October 1, 1998 between the Company and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as Rights |
Agent (the “Rights Agreement”), (incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed with the SEC on |
October 29, 1998) to make the provisions of the Rights Agreement, which otherwise could be |
triggered by BASF’s offer, inapplicable to the Merger Agreement and the transactions |
contemplated thereby, including the BASF offer and the subsequent merger of Merger Sub with |
and into the Company pursuant to which the Company would become a wholly owned subsidiary |
of BASF. An amendment to the Rights Agreement has been approved and executed by the |
Company. |
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On May 30, 2006, the Company issued a press release entitled “Engelhard enters into |
defnitive merger agreement with BASF; Board recommends $39 per share offer; will withdraw |
self-tender offer.” A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated |
herein by reference. |
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Item 8.01 Other Events. |
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On May 30, 2006, in connection with and as contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the |
Company filed Amendment No. 4 to the Schedule TO, filed on May 5, 2006, terminating and |
withdrawing the Company’s offer to purchase up to 26,000,000 Shares and the associated Rights |
at a price of $45.00 per Share. The Amendment to the Schedule TO is incorporated herein by |
reference. |
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(d) Exhibits |