FRONTIER CORP /NY/
8-K, 1999-05-18
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<PAGE>
 
================================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549-1004

                             ---------------------


                                   FORM 8-K

                             ---------------------

                                CURRENT REPORT


                    PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                                        


         DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED) MAY 16, 1999

                             ---------------------


                             FRONTIER CORPORATION
            (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)


                             ---------------------


<TABLE>
<S>                                          <C>                            <C>
          NEW YORK                                    1-4166                   16-0613330
(State or other jurisdiction of              (Commission File Number)       (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                                              Identification No.)
 
     180 SOUTH CLINTON AVENUE                                                   14646-0700
        ROCHESTER, NEW YORK                                                     (Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)
</TABLE>


       REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE (716) 777-1000

================================================================================
<PAGE>
 
ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS

     On May 16, 1999, Frontier Corporation, a New York corporation ("Frontier"),
Global Crossing Ltd., a Bermuda company ("Global Crossing"), and GCF Acquisition
Corp., a New York corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Crossing
("Merger Sub"), entered into a Consent and Amendment No.1 (the "Consent and
Amendment") to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated
as of March 16, 1999, among Global Crossing, Merger Sub and Frontier. A copy of
the Consent and Amendment is attached hereto as Exhibit 2 and is incorporated
herein by reference.

     A copy of Frontier's press release dated May 17, 1999 is attached as
Exhibit 99 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.


ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND EXHIBITS.

     (c)  Exhibits.

          2   Consent and Amendment No. 1, dated as of May 16, 1999, among
              Global Crossing Ltd., Frontier Corporation and GCF Acquisition
              Corp.
 
          99  Press Release of Frontier, dated May 17, 1999.
<PAGE>
 
                                                                               2

                                   SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                           Frontier Corporation



Dated:  May 18, 1999                       By:  /s/ Martin T. McCue
                                              -----------------------------
                                              Name:  Martin T. McCue
                                              Title: Senior Vice President and
                                              General Counsel
<PAGE>
 
                                                                               3

                                 EXHIBIT INDEX



       Exhibit No.                          Description
       -----------                          -----------

            2              Consent and Amendment No. 1, dated as of May 16,
                           1999, among Global Crossing Ltd., Frontier
                           Corporation and GCF Acquisition Corp.

            99             Press Release of Frontier, dated May 17, 1999.

<PAGE>
 
                                                                       EXHIBIT 2

                          CONSENT AND AMENDMENT NO. 1


          CONSENT AND AMENDMENT NO.1, dated as of May 16, 1999 (this "Consent
                                                                      -------
and Amendment"), among GLOBAL CROSSING LTD., a Bermuda company ("Global"), GCF
- -------------                                                    ------
ACQUISITION CORP., a New York corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of
Global ("Merger Sub"), and FRONTIER CORPORATION, a New York corporation
         ----------
("Frontier"), to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 16, 1999
  --------
(the "Original Agreement"), among Global, Merger Sub and Frontier. Capitalized
      ------------------
terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms
in the Original Agreement.

          WHEREAS, simultaneously with the execution hereof, Global is entering
into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Second Agreement"), dated as of the
                                           ----------------
date hereof, between Global and US West, Inc. ("US West"), pursuant to which
                                                -------
Global and US West intend to enter into a business combination the primary
economic terms of which are summarized on a term sheet attached hereto as
Schedule 1, a Tender Offer and Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof
(the "Tender Agreement"), between Global and US West, pursuant to which US West
      ----------------
will commence a tender offer for 9.5% of the shares of Global Common Stock at a
price of $62.75 per share and certain related agreements;

          WHEREAS, Global has requested that Frontier consent to Global's
entering into the Second Agreement and the Tender Agreement, and Frontier has
agreed to consent thereto upon the terms and subject to the conditions specified
in this Consent and Amendment;

          WHEREAS, in consideration for such consent, Frontier has requested and
Global has agreed to amend the Original Agreement on the terms provided herein;
and

          WHEREAS, the shareholders of Global who are party to the Voting
Agreement have reaffirmed the Voting Agreement in light of this Consent and
Amendment, which reaffirmation is attached hereto as Exhibit C.

          NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and other good and
valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereto agree as follows:

          1.   Consent.  Frontier hereby consents, pursuant to Sections 4.2(e),
               -------
4.2(g) and 4.2(k) and the first sentence of each of Sections 5.1(a) and 5.4 of
the Original Agreement, to the Second Agreement, on the terms contemplated by
the first recital hereof and reflected in the Second Agreement as it exists on
the date hereof in all material respects in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
A, and to the Tender Agreement, on the terms contemplated by and reflected in
the Tender Agreement as it exists on the date hereof in all material respects in
the form attached hereto as Exhibit B; provided that it is expressly understood
and agreed that Global is representing and covenanting hereby that (i) the
entering into of the Second Agreement and the Tender Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby (in each case, as the
Second Agreement and the Tender Agreement exist on the date hereof or as such
agreements may be amended, modified or waived after the date hereof) do not and
will not 
<PAGE>
 
                                                                               2

constitute a breach by Global of any provision of the Original Agreement,
including Section 4.2(h) (other than possibly Sections 4.2(e), 4.2(g) and 4.2(k)
and the first sentence of each of Sections 5.1(a) and 5.4), either before or
after this Consent and Amendment and regardless of the consent of Frontier
contained herein, (ii) Frontier's consent does not constitute a consent to or
waiver of any breach of any provision of the Original Agreement, including
Section 4.2(h), other than as set forth above with respect to Sections 4.2(e),
4.2(g) and 4.2(k) and the first sentence of each of Sections 5.1(a) and 5.4, it
being understood that Frontier's consent does not constitute a waiver or
amendment of the ongoing applicability of any such Sections, and (iii) the
record date for the shareholder vote required to be obtained by Global under the
terms of the Second Agreement, the record date for any election to be made by
shareholders under the Second Agreement and the shareholder meeting to be held
in connection therewith, shall each occur after the Effective Time.


          2.   Amendment to Section 1.8(a) of the Original Agreement. Section
               -----------------------------------------------------
1.8(a) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such Section in
its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

          (a)  At the Effective Time by virtue of the Merger and without any
     action on the part of the holder thereof, each share of Frontier Common
     Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other
     than shares of Frontier Common Stock owned or held directly or indirectly
     by Global or directly by Frontier, all of which shall be canceled as
     provided in Section 1.8(c)) shall, except as provided in Section 7.1(g), be
     converted into the right to receive that number of shares of Global Common
     Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio (as defined below) (the "MERGER
     CONSIDERATION"). "EXCHANGE RATIO" means the quotient (rounded to the
     nearest 1/10,000) determined by dividing $63.00 (or $62.00 in the event
     that no shares of Global Common Stock are purchased pursuant to the tender
     offer made under the terms of the Tender Agreement or any substitute or
     similar offer) (in either case, as increased by 7% per annum, compounded
     daily, from and after December 31, 1999 to and including the Effective
     Time) (such amount, including such increase, if any, the "SPECIFIED VALUE")
     by the Average Price as defined below. "AVERAGE PRICE" means the average
     (rounded to the nearest 1/10,000) of the volume weighted averages (rounded
     to the nearest 1/10,000) of the trading prices of Global Common Stock on
     the Nasdaq National Market ("NASDAQ"), as reported by Bloomberg Financial
     Markets (or such other source as the parties shall agree in writing), for
     the 15 trading days randomly selected by lot by Frontier and Global
     together from the 30 consecutive trading days ending on the trading day
     immediately preceding the date on which all the conditions to Closing
     (other than conditions that, by their terms, cannot be satisfied until the
     Closing Date so long as it is reasonably apparent that such conditions will
     be able to be satisfied on the Closing Date) set forth in Article VI shall
     have been satisfied or waived (the "DETERMINATION DATE"); PROVIDED, that
     the Exchange Ratio shall not be less than 1.1095 (or 1.0919 in the event
     that no shares of Global Common Stock are purchased pursuant to the tender
     offer made under the terms of the Tender Agreement or any substitute or
     similar offer), or, unless Global shall have exercised its rights to make
     a Global Adjustment Election or a Combination Election under Section
     7.1(g), greater than 1.8229 (or 1.7939 in the event that no shares of
     Global Common stock are purchased pursuant to the tender offer made
<PAGE>
 
                                                                               3

     under the terms of the Tender Agreement or any substitute or similar offer)
     (in the case of the 1.8229 or the 1.7939, as increased by 7% per annum,
     compounded daily, from and after December 31, 1999 to and including the
     Effective Time). If prior to the Effective Time, Global should split or
     combine the shares of Global Common Stock, or pay a stock dividend or other
     stock distribution in shares of Global Common Stock, or otherwise change
     the shares of Global Common Stock into any other securities, or make any
     other dividend or distribution on the shares of Global Common Stock, then
     the Exchange Ratio will be appropriately adjusted to reflect such split,
     combination, dividend or other distribution or change.

          3.   Amendment to Section 1.10(b) of the Original Agreement.  Section
               -------------------------------------------------------
1.10(b) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following
sentence at the end thereof:

     Alternatively, Global stockholders shall exchange all of their shares of
     Global capital stock for New Global capital stock pursuant to a Scheme of
     Arrangement in accordance with Bermuda law.

          4.   Amendment to Section 4.2 of the Original Agreement.  Section 4.2
               --------------------------------------------------
of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by inserting the words ", except as
otherwise provided herein" after the words "the Effective Time" and before the
words ", Global agrees" in the second line of the first paragraph thereof.

          5.   Amendment to Section 4.2(d) of the Original Agreement.  Section
               -----------------------------------------------------
4.2(d) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by inserting the following
words at the end thereof:

     ; provided that, subject to the prior written consent of Frontier (which
     consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), Global shall be
     permitted to change its jurisdiction of incorporation by (i) achieving a
     "discontinuance" under the laws of Bermuda and (ii) continuing in, and
     being subject to the laws of, any other jurisdiction

          6.   Amendment to Section 4.2(h) of the Original Agreement.  Section
               -----------------------------------------------------
4.2(h) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such Section in
its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

          (h)  TAX-FREE QUALIFICATION.  Each of Global and Merger Sub shall not,
     and shall not permit any of their Subsidiaries to, take any action, whether
     before or after the Effective Time, that could prevent or impede the Merger
     from qualifying as a reorganization under Section 368 of the Code,
     including any action taken in connection with structuring or consummating
     the transactions contemplated by the Second Agreement, the Tender Agreement
     and any other agreements related thereto either before or after the date
     hereof. Any payment of cash or other property to, or on behalf of, a
     shareholder of Global in the merger contemplated by the Second Agreement
     (including any payment in respect of dissenter's or appraisal rights but
     excluding any cash paid in lieu of fractional shares) shall be paid by
     Frontier.


<PAGE>
 
                                                                               4

          7.   Amendment to Section 5.2 of the Original Agreement.  Section 5.2
               --------------------------------------------------
of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by inserting the following sentence
at the end thereof:

     Global will cause at least two of the individuals designated by Frontier
     pursuant to this Section 5.2 to be included as Global's representatives on
     the board of directors of Parent (as defined in the Second Agreement)
     pursuant to the Second Agreement.

          8.   Amendment to Add a New Section 5.14 to the Original Agreement.
               -------------------------------------------------------------
The Original Agreement shall be amended by inserting the following new Section
5.14 immediately following Section 5.13 thereof:

          5.14  SECOND VOTING AGREEMENT.  Global represents that US West has
     entered into a voting agreement, dated as of May 16, 1999 (the "SECOND
     VOTING AGREEMENT"), with Global pursuant to which US West has agreed to
     vote any shares of Global owned by it in favor of the transactions
     contemplated by the Original Agreement and this Consent and Amendment and,
     other than in specified circumstances, not to sell shares of Global Common
     Stock owned by it prior to the consummation of the transactions
     contemplated in the Second Agreement. Global agrees to enforce such
     provisions of the Second Voting Agreement and that it will not waive any
     such provisions without the consent of Frontier.

          9.   Amendment to Section 7.1(b) of the Original Agreement.  Section
               -----------------------------------------------------
7.1(b) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by inserting the following
words at the end thereof "; PROVIDED, FURTHER, that if on the Termination Date
all of the conditions contained in Article VI have been satisfied or waived,
other than (i) conditions that, by their terms, cannot be satisfied until the
Closing Date so long as it is reasonably apparent that such conditions will be
able to be satisfied on the Closing Date and (ii) the condition specified in
Section 6.1(c), then Global shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement
under this Section 7.1(b)."

          10.  Amendment to Section 7.1(g) of the Original Agreement.  Section
               -----------------------------------------------------
7.1(g) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by:

          a. deleting all references therein to "$62.00" and inserting in lieu
     thereof the words "the Specified Value", and

          b. adding the following sentence immediately preceding the last
     sentence:

          Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary if the Second
          Agreement has not been terminated, Global shall not make the Cash Top-
          Up Election or the Combination Election without the consent of
          Frontier, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; PROVIDED
          that Frontier may withhold its consent in its sole discretion if the
          making of either such election would result in the conditions set
          forth in Section 6.2(c) or 6.3(c) of the Original Agreement from
          failing to be satisfied (including by reason of the consummation of
          the transactions contemplated by the Second Agreement and the Tender
          Agreement).
<PAGE>
 
                                                                               5

          11.  Amendment to Section 8.5(b) of the Original Agreement.  Section
               -----------------------------------------------------
8.5(b) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such section in
its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

          (b) This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the
     benefit of each party hereto, and nothing in this Agreement, express or
     implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any other Person any right,
     benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this
     Agreement other than Section 5.8 (which is intended to be for the benefit
     of the Persons covered thereby ("SECTION 5.8 PERSONS") and may be enforced
     directly or indirectly by, or by a representative of, such Persons against
     Global and its successors, assigns and parents) and other than Sections
     4.2(h) and 5.2 (which are intended to be for the benefit of Persons who,
     immediately prior to the Effective Time, were Frontier shareholders
     ("FORMER FRONTIER SHAREHOLDERS") and may be enforced directly or indirectly
     by, or by a representative of, a Former Frontier Shareholder following the
     Effective Time against Global and its successors, assigns and parents). It
     is the intent of this Agreement (a) to create a right to direct, indirect
     and representative action by Former Frontier Shareholders against Global
     and its successors, assigns and parents with respect to Sections 4.2(h) and
     5.2 and Section 5.8 Persons with respect to Section 5.8 and (b) that the
     Former Frontier Shareholders are third party beneficiaries with respect to
     Section 4.2(h) and 5.2 and Section 5.8 Persons are third party
     beneficiaries with respect to Section 5.8. Global agrees that its
     agreements contained in Section 8.9 of the Agreement shall also cover any
     legal action or proceeding by a Former Frontier Shareholder or a Section
     5.8 Person under this Section 8.5(b).
 
          12.  Authorization, Execution and Delivery; No Conflicts.  (a)  This
               ---------------------------------------------------
Consent and Amendment has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each
party hereto and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of each such party,
enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms, except as such
enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors generally, by
general equity principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) or by an implied covenant of
good faith and fair dealing.

          (b)  The execution and delivery of this Consent and Amendment does not
or will not, as the case may be, and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby will not, conflict with, or result in a Violation pursuant
to: (A) any provision of the constituent documents of each party hereto, or (B)
except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect on such party and, subject to
obtaining or making the consents, approvals orders, authorizations,
registrations, declarations and filings referred to in paragraph (c) below, any
loan or credit agreement, note, mortgage, bond, indenture, lease, benefit plan
or other agreement, obligation, instrument, permit, concession, franchise,
license, judgment, order, decree, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulation
applicable to such party or any Subsidiary of such party or their respective
properties or assets.

          (c)  No consent, approval, order or authorization of, or registration,
declaration or filing with, any  Governmental Entity is required by or with
respect to any party hereto or any Subsidiary of such party in connection with
the execution and delivery of this Consent and Amendment by such party or the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except 
<PAGE>
 
                                                                               6

for the Required Consents and such consents, approvals, orders, authorizations,
registrations, declarations and filings the failure of which to make or obtain
would not have a Material Adverse Effect on such party.

          13.  Effective Date; No Other Consents or Amendments.  Each of the
               -----------------------------------------------
parties hereto agrees that the consent under and amendments to the Original
Agreement contained herein shall be effective upon execution of this Consent and
Amendment by each party hereto. Except as expressly amended hereby, the
provisions of the Original Agreement are and shall remain in full force and
effect. This Consent and Amendment shall not be deemed to constitute a waiver
of, or consent to, or a modification or amendment of, any other provision of the
Original Agreement except as expressly provided herein or to prejudice any other
right or rights which any party may now have or may have in the future under or
in connection with the Original Agreement. This Consent and Amendment shall not
constitute an agreement or obligation of any party to consent to, waive, modify
or amend any other term, condition, subsection or section of the Original
Agreement.

          14.  Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed and construed in
               -------------                                                    
accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

          15.  Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more
               ------------                                                  
counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each
of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
<PAGE>
 
          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Global, Merger Sub and Frontier have caused this
Consent and Amendment to be executed as of the date first written above by their
respective officers thereunto duly authorized.


                                   GLOBAL CROSSING LTD.

                                   By:  /s/ Thomas J. Casey
                                      -------------------------------
                                      Name:  Thomas J. Casey
                                      Title: Vice Chairman


                                   GCF ACQUISITION CORP.

                                   By:  /s/ Thomas J. Casey
                                      -------------------------------
                                      Name:  Thomas J. Casey
                                      Title: Vice Chairman

 
                                   FRONTIER CORPORATION

                                   By:  /s/ Joseph P. Clayton
                                      -------------------------------
                                      Name:  Joseph P. Clayton
                                      Title: Chief Executive Officer

<PAGE>
 
                                                                      EXHIBIT 99


FRONTIER CONSENTS TO GLOBAL CROSSING-US WEST 
MERGER AGREEMENT AND US WEST TENDER OFFER

New Amendment Strengthens Shareholders' Position

______________________________________________________________________________


ROCHESTER, NY, May 17, 1999 -- Frontier Corporation (NYSE:FRO), one of the
country's leading providers of facilities-based integrated communications and
Internet services, today announced that it has consented to Global Crossing's
entry into a merger agreement with US West, and an agreement by which US West
will initiate a tender for 9.5% of Global Crossing shares.

"We are pleased that Frontier's Board of Directors has given its unanimous
consent for this initiative to proceed," said Joseph P. Clayton, Chief Executive
Officer of Frontier.  "We look forward to closing our agreement with Global
Crossing as planned, in the third quarter of this year, and to our future role
in providing unsurpassed data/Internet, local and global integrated
communications worldwide."

In consenting to this Global Crossing-US West agreement, Frontier and Global
Crossing approved certain changes to their own merger agreement that strengthens
the Frontier shareholders' position, including the following:

     -    An increase of $1.00, from $62 to $63, in the per share value for
          Frontier shareholders, if the average value of Global Crossing's
          shares during a pricing period prior to the closing is between $34.56
          and $56.78 per share, an increase in the minimum exchange ratio from
          1.0919 shares to 1.1095 shares and an increase in the maximum exchange
          ratio from 1.7939 shares to 1.8229 shares, so long as the US West
          tender for Global Crossing shares is consummated.

     -    A seven percent increase per year, compounded daily, in the new $63
          share value and the maximum exchange ratio if the Global Crossing -
          Frontier merger does not close by December 31, 1999.

"When the original Frontier-Global Crossing transaction was negotiated, our
overriding concern was to provide certainty of value to our shareholders.  We
are very pleased that we have not only retained our favorable collar mechanism
at an increased price, but have further increased the certainty of this
transaction and also obtained a seven percent per year increase in the merger
consideration if the merger does not close by December 31, 1999," said Rolla P.
Huff, President and Chief Operating Officer of Frontier.  "With Global Crossing,
we hope to contribute our highly pro-competitive culture to the benefit of the
broader organization."
<PAGE>
 
                                                                               2

About Frontier

Frontier Corporation is one of the leading providers of integrated
communications solutions - including Internet, IP and data applications, long
distance, local telephone and conferencing - to business customers nationwide.
The self-healing Frontier Optronics Network (SM) provides customers with faster
transmission speeds, greater bandwidth capacity and unrivaled reliability.  For
more information, visit the Frontier website at www.frontiercorp.com.
                                                -------------------- 

You can receive a faxed copy of any Frontier Corporation press release dating
back to May 1998, free of charge, 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-448-8533.  An
automated system will provide you with instructions.


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