
In this Section: Tech Stocks Tech Briefs Personal Technology Tech Extra Watching the Web Company Profiles Tech Timeline Issue Briefings Table of Contents Related Sites: Barron's Online SmartMoney Interactive Careers.wsj.com Business Directory Publications Library wsj.com Radio Hear top news of the hour with RealPlayer 5.0 Search/Archives: Search Briefing Books Quotes Past Editions Journal Links Special Reports Resources: Help New Features Your Account Contact Us Glossary Advertising: Advertisers E-Mart | June 21, 2001 REPRINT Computer Associates Will Face Proxy Fight Led by Former Owner of Sterling Software By JERRY GUIDERA Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL A group of Texas investors plans to launch a proxy fight to gain control of software maker Computer Associates International Inc on Thursday. The Dallas group, Ranger Governance Ltd., is led by Sam Wyly, who sold his company, Sterling Software, to Computer Associates for $3.9 billion in March 2000. He holds a $55 million stake in the Islandia, N.Y., company -- which he called "insignificant" -- as a result of that sale. Mr. Wyly said Computer Associates' "pervasive culture of fear and intimidation" has "abused and alienated customers, employees and shareholders." He will try to persuade Computer Associates shareholders to approve his slate of candidates to the eight-member board at the company's Aug. 29 annual meeting. A Computer Associates spokesman said: "We remain committed to enhancing value for all of our shareholders. The strategy that we have in place, including the product focus areas and the new business model, will yield substantial dividends for our shareholders, customer and employees. We are confident that we have the support of our principal shareholders." In fact, "in a recent letter to Mr. Wyly in response to his proposal, our largest shareholder reaffirmed his confidence in the current management team of CA," the spokesman said, referring to Walter Haefner, whose company is Computer Associates' largest shareholder with a 21% stake. Computer Associates insiders also are big shareholders. Mr. Wyly confirmed he wrote a letter to Mr. Haefner, with whom he has a personal relationship, and says Mr. Haefner wrote back acknowledging he had confidence in management. Mr. Wyly said Mr. Haefner also thanked him for "his special interest" in the company. "We have visited with a short list of institutions that have asignificant stock and who care about the governance, and the opinion is overwhelming that these folks should go," Mr. Wyly said in an interview.
One piece of armor is missing from Computer Associates' takeover defenses that could help Mr. Wyly. The company's full board is up for re-election this summer, meaning that at one annual meeting the entire board could be ousted and replaced. Many companies have toughened their defenses so that only one-third of their directors are up for reelection at one time.
Computer Associates, which sells computer-management software to large and midsize businesses, has suffered amid the broader technology slowdown. In addition, the company last fall adopted a difficult new accounting and business plan that has puzzled many on Wall Street and led some to question its accounting practices. Analysts didn't dismiss Mr. Wyly's chances of launching a successful proxy battle. "Some of the people that have been buying the stock lately would probably be open to something like this," said John McPeake, an analyst with New York brokerage house Prudential Securities Inc.
Steven Lipin contributed to this article.
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