SCHEDULE 14A (RULE 14A-101) INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (AMENDMENT NO. ) Filed by the Registrant / / Filed by a Party other than the Registrant /X/ Check the appropriate box: / / Preliminary Proxy Statement / / Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) / / Definitive Proxy Statement /X/ Definitive Additional Materials / / Soliciting Material Under Rule 14a-12 WHITEHALL JEWELLERS, INC. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) NEWCASTLE PARTNERS, L.P. NEWCASTLE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. NEWCASTLE CAPITAL GROUP, L.L.C. JWL ACQUISITION CORP. MARK E. SCHWARZ STEVEN J. PULLY JOHN P. MURRAY MARK A. FORMAN CLINTON J. COLEMAN - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Name of Persons(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant) Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): /X/ No fee required. / / Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5) Total fee paid: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- / / Fee paid previously with preliminary materials: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- / / Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the form or schedule and the date of its filing. (1) Amount previously paid: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) Filing Party: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) Date Filed: Newcastle Partners, L.P. ("Newcastle"), together with the other participants named herein, is filing materials contained in this Schedule 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in connection with the definitive filing with the SEC of a proxy statement and accompanying proxy card to be used to solicit votes against proposals of Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. (the "Company") relating to a pending financing transaction between the Company and investment funds managed by Prentice Capital Management, L.P. and Holtzman Opportunity Fund, L.P. and for the election of its slate of director nominees at a special meeting of stockholders scheduled for January 25, 2006. Item 1: On January 24, 2006, Newcastle issued the following press release: PRESS RELEASE CONTACTS: Daniel H. Burch (212)-929-5748 Jeanne M. Carr (212)-929-5916 MacKenzie Partners, Inc. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: - --------------------- NEWCASTLE PARTNERS SUBMITS REVISED MERGER DOCUMENTS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH WHITEHALL NEWCASTLE BELIEVES ALL ISSUES RAISED BY WHITEHALL HAVE BEEN SATISFIED DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24, 2006 -- Newcastle Partners, L.P. announced today that it had delivered to Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. (Pink Sheets: JWLR.PK), revised merger documents that it believes satisfies all conditions raised by Whitehall. Newcastle expressed its hope that the Whitehall Board will determine today that its $1.50 per share offer is superior to the Prentice financing transaction and that it will be able to complete its purchase of Whitehall in a two-step tender offer. Following the determination by the Whitehall Board that the Newcastle transaction is superior, Prentice would have up to 10 days to match the Newcastle offer and, if it fails to do so, the Whitehall Board would then have the opportunity to execute the Newcastle $1.50 merger agreement papers. Newcastle continues to believe its $1.50 per share cash tender offer and proposed merger agreement at the same price is clearly superior to the Prentice financing proposal which offers no payments of any kind to the Whitehall shareholders. Mark Schwarz, managing partner of Newcastle stated, "It's important that stockholders vote against the inferior Prentice transaction and the related reverse split proposals on Newcastle's GREEN proxy card today. Stockholders can vote by internet or telephone at any time prior to midnight tonight. We urge stockholders to protect their investment in Whitehall by voting the GREEN proxy card today." Stockholders who need assistance in voting their shares or changing their prior vote for the inferior Prentice financing should contact MacKenzie Partners at (800) 322-2885 or by email at proxy@mackenziepartners.com. Stockholders are reminded that both of the leading proxy advisory services, ISS and Glass Lewis, have recommended that stockholders vote against the Prentice financing proposals. The solicitation and the offer to buy Whitehall Jewellers, Inc.'s common stock is only made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and related materials that Newcastle Partners, L.P. and JWL Acquisition Corp. filed on December 5, 2005, as amended December 22, 2005, January 4, 2006, January 5, 2006 and January 9, 2006. Stockholders should read the Offer to Purchase and related materials carefully because they contain important information, including the terms and conditions of the offer. Stockholders can obtain the Offer to Purchase and related materials free at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, from MacKenzie Partners, the Information Agent for the offer, or from Newcastle Partners, L.P. CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS Newcastle Partners, L.P. ("Newcastle"), together with the other Participants (as defined below), has made a definitive filing with the SEC of a proxy statement (the "Definitive Proxy Statement") and accompanying proxy card to be used to solicit votes against proposals of Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. (the "Company") relating to a pending financing transaction between the Company and investment funds managed by Prentice Capital Management, L.P. and Holtzman Opportunity Fund, L.P. and for the election of its slate of director nominees at a special meeting of stockholders scheduled for January 25, 2006 (the "Special Meeting"). NEWCASTLE ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS RELATING TO THE SPECIAL MEETING AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PROXY MATERIALS, WITHOUT CHARGE, UPON REQUEST. REQUESTS FOR COPIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS' PROXY SOLICITOR, MACKENZIE PARTNERS, INC., AT ITS TOLL-FREE NUMBER: (800) 322-2885 OR BY E-MAIL AT: PROXY@MACKENZIEPARTNERS.COM. THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROXY SOLICITATION ARE NEWCASTLE PARTNERS, L.P., NEWCASTLE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P., NEWCASTLE CAPITAL GROUP, L.L.C, JWL ACQUISITION CORP., MARK E. SCHWARZ, STEVEN J. PULLY, JOHN P. MURRAY, MARK A. FORMAN AND CLINTON J. COLEMAN (THE "PARTICIPANTS"). INFORMATION REGARDING THE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR DIRECT OR INDIRECT INTERESTS IS AVAILABLE IN THE SCHEDULE 13D JOINTLY FILED WITH THE SEC ON APRIL 19, 2005, AS SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED ON JULY 7, 2005, OCTOBER 27, 2005, NOVEMBER 30, 2005, DECEMBER 5, 2005, DECEMBER 14, 2005, DECEMBER 29, 2005, JANUARY 5, 2006, JANUARY 9, 2006, JANUARY 13, 2006 AND JANUARY 18, 2006 AND THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT. Item 2: On January 24, 2006, Newcastle issued the following press release: PRESS RELEASE CONTACTS: Daniel H. Burch (212)-929-5748 Jeanne M. Carr (212)-929-5916 MacKenzie Partners, Inc. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: - --------------------- NEWCASTLE PARTNERS IS PLEASED THAT WHITEHALL JEWELLERS HAS ANNOUNCED ITS SUPPORT FOR NEWCASTLE TRANSACTION NEWCASTLE OFFER OF $1.50 PER SHARE IS DEEMED SUPERIOR TO PRENTICE FINANCING BY WHITEHALL BOARD DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24, 2006 -- Newcastle Partners, L.P. announced today that the Board of Directors of Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. (Pink Sheets: JWLR.PK) has deemed its offer of $1.50 per share for Whitehall's common stock to be superior to the Prentice financing proposals and that the Board has withdrawn its support and recommendation for the Prentice transaction. Speaking on behalf of Newcastle, managing partner Mark Schwarz, stated, "We are pleased that the Whitehall Board has come to the conclusion that our offer of $1.50 per share is superior to the Prentice Financing transaction. We look forward to working together with the Board and management towards consummating our transaction as quickly as possible. We are also looking forward to working with Whitehall's other partners and constituencies, including its vendors and lenders as well as Whitehall's dedicated employees and customers. Whitehall is an important company with a rich heritage and valuable brand equity. We are very excited to have reached this milestone and look forward to Whitehall's success in the future." The solicitation and the offer to buy Whitehall Jewellers, Inc.'s common stock is only made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and related materials that Newcastle Partners, L.P. and JWL Acquisition Corp. filed on December 5, 2005, as amended December 22, 2005, January 4, 2006, January 5, 2006 and January 9, 2006. Stockholders should read the Offer to Purchase and related materials carefully because they contain important information, including the terms and conditions of the offer. Stockholders can obtain the Offer to Purchase and related materials free at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, from MacKenzie Partners, the Information Agent for the offer, or from Newcastle Partners, L.P. CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS Newcastle Partners, L.P. ("Newcastle"), together with the other Participants (as defined below), has made a definitive filing with the SEC of a proxy statement (the "Definitive Proxy Statement") and accompanying proxy card to be used to solicit votes against proposals of Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. (the "Company") relating to a pending financing transaction between the Company and investment funds managed by Prentice Capital Management, L.P. and Holtzman Opportunity Fund, L.P. and for the election of its slate of director nominees at a special meeting of stockholders scheduled for January 25, 2006 (the "Special Meeting"). NEWCASTLE ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS RELATING TO THE SPECIAL MEETING AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PROXY MATERIALS, WITHOUT CHARGE, UPON REQUEST. REQUESTS FOR COPIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS' PROXY SOLICITOR, MACKENZIE PARTNERS, INC., AT ITS TOLL-FREE NUMBER: (800) 322-2885 OR BY E-MAIL AT: PROXY@MACKENZIEPARTNERS.COM. THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROXY SOLICITATION ARE NEWCASTLE PARTNERS, L.P., NEWCASTLE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P., NEWCASTLE CAPITAL GROUP, L.L.C, JWL ACQUISITION CORP., MARK E. SCHWARZ, STEVEN J. PULLY, JOHN P. MURRAY, MARK A. FORMAN AND CLINTON J. COLEMAN (THE "PARTICIPANTS"). INFORMATION REGARDING THE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR DIRECT OR INDIRECT INTERESTS IS AVAILABLE IN THE SCHEDULE 13D JOINTLY FILED WITH THE SEC ON APRIL 19, 2005, AS SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED ON JULY 7, 2005, OCTOBER 27, 2005, NOVEMBER 30, 2005, DECEMBER 5, 2005, DECEMBER 14, 2005, DECEMBER 29, 2005, JANUARY 5, 2006, JANUARY 9, 2006, JANUARY 13, 2006 AND JANUARY 18, 2006 AND THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT.
- Company Dashboard
- Filings
-
DFAN14A Filing
Newcastle Partners L P DFAN14AAdditional proxy materials by non-management
Filed: 24 Jan 06, 12:00am