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
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
/ / Definitive proxy statement Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
/ / Definitive additional materials
/x/ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12
GREAT WESTERN FINANCIAL CORPORATION
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
H. F. AHMANSON & COMPANY
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement)
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:
(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:
<PAGE>
H. F. AHMANSON & COMPANY HOME SAVINGS OF AMERICA NEWS
SAVINGS OF AMERICA
4900 Rivergrade Road, Irwindale, California 91706 * (818) 814-7922
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS:
- --------------------- Media: Mary Trigg
(818) 814-7922
Investor: Steve Swartz
(818) 814-7986
AHMANSON COMMENCES PROXY SOLICITATION OF
GREAT WESTERN STOCKHOLDERS
-- Sets Forth Simple Path for Maximum Stockholder Value --
IRWINDALE, CA, May 15, 1997 -- H. F. Ahmanson & Company (NYSE:AHM) today
announced that it has commenced a proxy solicitation of Great Western Financial
Corporation (NYSE:GWF) stockholders to elect three directors to the Great
Western board who are committed to the maximization of stockholder value.
The election of the directors is one of three key steps that would enable
Great Western stockholders to choose between the Ahmanson and Washington Mutual
proposed merger offers on their merits. The other two key steps are voting
against the Great Western-Washington Mutual proposed merger and tendering shares
of Great Western into Ahmanson's exchange offer in the coming weeks.
Ahmanson stated, "The Ahmanson exchange offer has a higher market value,
carries less risk, and creates a more efficient financial institution with a far
stronger market position than the Great Western-Washington Mutual proposal.
Unfortunately for Great Western stockholders, the Great Western Board has gone
to extraordinary lengths to block their fundamental right to choose our superior
offer by refusing even to talk with us. Instead the board is pursuing a
systematic program of legal and regulatory delay and public attack against
Ahmanson. By following the simple path we have outlined today, Great Western
stockholders can re-establish the principles of sound corporate governance. We
believe their Board will not be able to ignore this clear message and will be
compelled by its fiduciary duty to remove all obstacles that impede the
maximization of stockholder value, including Great Western's 'poison pill.' "
Ahmanson also stated that the Delaware Chancery Court has set a May 30th
hearing date for Ahmanson's motion for an injunction that would postpone the
special meeting of Great Western stockholders to vote on the proposed merger
between Great Western and Washington Mutual until six weeks after the June 13th
vote to elect Great Western directors is certified.
The Great Western Board has eleven seats, and four directors will be
elected at the June 13 annual meeting. The three nominees proposed by Ahmanson
are: Wolfgang Schoellkopf, 64, the retired vice chairman and chief financial
officer of First Fidelity Bancorp; Lawrence A. Del Santo, 63, the retired
chairman and chief executive officer of The Vons Companies, Inc.; and Robert T.
Gelber, 61, a former partner of the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
In addition, Ahmanson announced that it is soliciting proxies in support
of five By-law Amendments, which are intended to promote and protect the
maximization of Great Western stockholder value.
Copies of the proxy solicitation materials are available from Ahmanson's
proxy solicitor, MacKenzie Partners Inc., by calling (800) 322-2855.
H. F. Ahmanson & Company, with more than $48 billion, is the parent
company of Home Savings of America, one of the nation's largest full-service
consumer banks.
SHARES OF GREAT WESTERN FINANCIAL CORPORATION ("GWF") COMMON STOCK
HELD BY H. F. AHMANSON & COMPANY ("AHMANSON"), ITS DIRECTORS AND
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CERTAIN EMPLOYEES, OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF
AHMANSON AND CERTAIN OTHER PERSONS WHO MAY SOLICIT PROXIES OR
CONSENTS, AND CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN ANY OF THEM AND GWF
Ahmanson and certain other persons named below may solicit proxies (a) to elect
three nominees and one or more alternate nominees (the "Nominees") as directors
of GWF at the annual meeting of stockholders of GWF to be held on a date to be
announced (the "Annual Meeting") and (b) in favor of the adoption at the Annual
Meeting of a non-binding stockholder resolution and seven proposals to amend the
By-laws of GWF. Ahmanson and certain other persons named below are also
soliciting consents from stockholders of GWF to approve proposals, without a
stockholders' meeting, to adopt non-binding resolutions of stockholders and
amendments to the By-laws of GWF. The participants in this solicitation may
include Ahmanson; the directors of Ahmanson (Byron Allumbaugh, Harold A. Black,
Richard M. Bressler, David R. Carpenter, Phillip D. Matthews, Richard L. Nolan,
Delia M. Reyes, Charles R. Rinehart, Frank M. Sanchez, Elizabeth A. Sanders,
Arthur W. Schmutz, William D. Schulte, and Bruce G. Willison); the following
executive officers and employees of Ahmanson or its subsidiaries: Kevin M.
Twomey (Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer),
Madeleine A. Kleiner (Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative
Officer and General Counsel), Anne-Drue M. Anderson (Executive Vice President
and Treasurer), Tim S. Glassett (First Vice President and Assistant General
Counsel), Linda McCall (Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Taxes),
Stephen A. Swartz (Senior Vice President and Director of Investor Relations),
Barbara Timmer (Senior Vice President and Director of Government and Legislative
Affairs), Mary A. Trigg (Senior Vice President and Director of Public
Relations), Eric Warmstein (Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate
Development), Samantha Davies (Vice President of Public Relations), Adrian
Rodriguez (Vice President of Public Relations), and Peter Bennett (Assistant
Vice President of Public Relations); and the following Nominees: Lawrence A.
Del Santo, Robert T. Gelber, Wolfgang Schoellkopf, Hugh M. Grant and John E.
Merow.
As of May 14, 1997, Ahmanson is the beneficial owner of 3,560,500 shares of GWF
Common Stock. Other than Mr. Gelber, who owns 332 shares of GWF Common Stock,
none of the Nominees is the beneficial owner of any GWF Common Stock.
Other than set forth herein, as of May 14, 1997, neither Ahmanson nor any of its
directors, executive officers or other representatives or employees of Ahmanson,
any Nominees or other persons known to Ahmanson, who may solicit proxies has any
security holdings in GWF. Ahmanson disclaims beneficial ownership of any
securities of GWF held by any pension plan or other employee benefit plan of
Ahmanson or by any affiliate of Ahmanson. Ahmanson further disclaims beneficial
ownership of any securities of GWF held by Ahmanson or any of its subsidiaries
for the benefit of third parties or in customer or fiduciary accounts in the
ordinary course of business.
Although Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation ("CSFB") and Montgomery
Securities ("Montgomery"), financial advisors to Ahmanson, do not admit that
they or any of their directors, officers, employees or affiliates are a
"participant," as defined in Schedule 14A promulgated under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or that such
Schedule 14A requires the disclosure of certain information concerning CSFB or
Montgomery, CSFB and Montgomery may assist Ahmanson in such a solicitation.
Each of CSFB and Montgomery engages in a full range of investment banking,
securities trading, market-making and brokerage services for institutional and
individual clients. In the normal course of their respective businesses, each
of CSFB and Montgomery may trade securities of GWF for their own account and the
account of their customers and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or
short position in such securities. As of May 12, 1997, CSFB held a net long
position of 10,324 shares of GWF common stock and Montgomery held no shares of
GWF common stock.
Except as disclosed above, to the knowledge of Ahmanson, none of Ahmanson, the
directors or executive officers of Ahmanson, the employees or other
representatives of Ahmanson who may participate in this solicitation or the
Nominees named above has any interest, direct or indirect, by security holdings
or otherwise, in GWF.
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