Proposed DGCL Amendments to Section 251(h) Tender Offers, Corporate Actions | Practical Law

Proposed DGCL Amendments to Section 251(h) Tender Offers, Corporate Actions | Practical Law

The Delaware State Bar Association's Corporate Council will meet to decide whether to approve amendments to the DGCL, including amendments to Section 251(h).

Proposed DGCL Amendments to Section 251(h) Tender Offers, Corporate Actions

Practical Law Legal Update 1-565-5705 (Approx. 4 pages)

Proposed DGCL Amendments to Section 251(h) Tender Offers, Corporate Actions

by Practical Law Corporate & Securities
Published on 18 Apr 2014Delaware
The Delaware State Bar Association's Corporate Council will meet to decide whether to approve amendments to the DGCL, including amendments to Section 251(h).
The Delaware Corporation Law Section has received legislation proposing to amend the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL). If approved by the Delaware legislature, most of the amendments would become effective on August 1, 2014.

Section 251(h) Mergers

The proposed amendments to Section 251(h) would:
  • Eliminate Section 4, which precludes the use of Section 251(h) if an "interested stockholder" is a party to the merger agreement.
  • Clarify that a merger agreement may permit or require the merger to be effected under Section 251(h), meaning that the parties to the agreement may decide to effect the merger under a different statutory provision.
  • Clarify that the merger agreement must state that the merger will be effected as soon as practicable after the offer if it is effected under Section 251(h).
  • Clarify that shares of stock tendered into an offer referred to in Section 251(h) are not counted for purposes of Section 251(h) unless irrevocably accepted for exchange and received by the depositary before the expiration of the offer.
These amendments, if adopted, would be effective for merger agreements entered into on or after August 1, 2014.

Escrowing Director and Stockholder Consents

The proposed amendments would:
  • Amend Section 141(f) to clarify that a person may execute a consent to board action, and place it in escrow, to become effective at a later time, even if the person is not a director at the time the consent is executed as long as the escrow period does not exceed 60 days. The consent will be deemed to have been given when effective as long as the person is then a director and has not revoked the consent before the effective time.
  • Amend Section 228(c) to clarify that a person may execute a stockholder consent, and place it in escrow, to become effective at a later time, no later than 60 days after the instruction is given. If evidence of the instruction is given to the corporation, the later effective time will be the date of signature.
These amendments, if adopted, would be effective on August 1, 2014.

Incorporator Unavailability

The proposed amendments would:
  • Amend Section 103(a)(1) to remove any limitation on the reason for the incorporator's unavailability.
  • Add new Section 108(d) to provide a means for the incorporator's actions required by Section 108 to be taken in the event the incorporator is unavailable to act.
These amendments, if adopted, would be effective on August 1, 2014.

Voting Trusts

The proposed amendments would also amend Sections 218(a) and (b) to permit a voting trust agreement, or any amendment to the agreement, to be delivered to the principal place of business of the corporation instead of its registered office.
These amendments, if adopted, would be effective on August 1, 2014.

Amendments to Certificate of Incorporation

The proposed amendments to Section 242 would:
  • Authorize corporations to, without stockholder approval, file certificates of amendment that either change the corporate name or delete historical provisions relating to the corporation's incorporator, initial board of directors or initial subscribers for shares and provisions relating to previously effected changes to stock.
  • Eliminate the requirement that a notice of a meeting about an amendment contain a copy of the notice itself or a brief summary if the notice constitutes a notice of internet availability of proxy materials under the Exchange Act.
These amendments, if adopted, would be effective on August 1, 2014.
For the full text of the amendments, see Proposed DGCL Amendments.