<PAGE>
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333-71811
[Ovation Logo]
400 South Highway 169, Suite 750
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426
March 24, 1999
MERGER PROPOSED
Dear fellow stockholder,
Your board of directors has approved a merger agreement that would result
in Ovation being acquired by McLeodUSA Incorporated, a communications company
based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Your board of directors is furnishing this
prospectus and proxy statement to you to solicit your proxy to vote for approval
of the merger at a special meeting of stockholders to be held on March 31, 1999.
Unless you exercise appraisal rights under Delaware law, if the merger is
completed as proposed you will receive cash for each share of Ovation preferred
stock you own, and you may elect to receive cash or shares of McLeodUSA's Class
A common stock for each share of Ovation common stock you own. The actual
amount you will receive will be determined immediately prior to completion of
the merger in accordance with formulas specified in the merger agreement and
described in the attached materials. There is no established public trading
market for Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock. McLeodUSA Class A
common stock is quoted on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "MCLD." The
closing price for McLeodUSA Class A common stock reported on The Nasdaq Stock
Market on March 22, 1999, was $41.0625 per share.
This prospectus and proxy statement relates to the offering by McLeodUSA of
up to 5,750,000 shares of its Class A common stock to Ovation stockholders in
the merger. It contains important information concerning McLeodUSA, Ovation,
the terms of the merger and the conditions which must be satisfied before the
merger can occur. YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE RISK FACTORS RELATING TO
THE MERGER AND MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK THAT ARE DESCRIBED STARTING ON
PAGE 13.
. THE MERGER CANNOT OCCUR UNLESS THE HOLDERS OF A MAJORITY OF THE VOTING
POWER OF THE OVATION COMMON STOCK AND OVATION PREFERRED STOCK, VOTING
TOGETHER AS A CLASS, VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE MERGER AT THE SPECIAL
MEETING. STOCKHOLDERS OF OVATION HOLDING APPROXIMATELY 94% OF THE
AGGREGATE VOTING POWER OF THE OVATION COMMON STOCK AND OVATION
PREFERRED STOCK HAVE AGREED TO VOTE ALL OF THEIR SHARES IN FAVOR OF
APPROVAL OF THE MERGER. CONSEQUENTLY, APPROVAL OF THE MERGER IS
ASSURED.
. IF THE MERGER OCCURS AND YOU HAVE NOT PERFECTED YOUR APPRAISAL RIGHTS
UNDER DELAWARE LAW, YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO REIMBURSE MCLEODUSA AND
SEVERAL OTHER PERSONS IF THEY EXPERIENCE LOSSES DUE TO THE BREACH OF
ANY OF OVATION'S REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES OR AGREEMENTS IN THE
MERGER AGREEMENT.
Sincerely,
/s/ Timothy T. Devine
Timothy T. Devine
President and Chief Executive Officer
YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE
FOR APPROVAL OF THE MERGER.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES
REGULATOR HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE
ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION
TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENT DATED MARCH 24, 1999
FIRST MAILED OR DELIVERED TO STOCKHOLDERS ON OR ABOUT MARCH 24, 1999
<PAGE>
[LOGO OF OVATION]
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
Minneapolis, Minnesota
March 24, 1999
TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of stockholders of Ovation
Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, will be held on March 31, 1999, at
10:00 a.m., local time, at 400 South Highway 169, Suite 750, Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55426, for the following purposes:
1. To consider and vote on a proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger,
dated as of January 7, 1999, by and among McLeodUSA Incorporated, a Delaware
corporation, Bravo Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a
wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA, Ovation and M/C Investors L.L.C.,
Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership, Timothy T. Devine,
Kenneth A. Kirley, Nicholas Lenoci, Jr., Charles M. Osborne and Scott A.
Rediger, each a stockholder of Ovation, as a result of which, among other
things, Ovation will become a wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA, and to
approve the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement, as more fully described in the prospectus and proxy statement;
and
2. To transact such other business as may properly be brought before the special
meeting.
Only holders of record of Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock at the
close of business on March 8, 1999 are entitled to notice of, and will be
entitled to vote at, the special meeting and any adjournments or postponements
of the special meeting. A list of stockholders entitled to receive notice of
and vote at the special meeting will be available for examination by Ovation
stockholders at the office of Kenneth A. Kirley, General Counsel of Ovation,
located at 400 South Highway 169, Suite 750, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426,
during ordinary business hours for the 10-day period before the special
meeting.
STOCKHOLDERS OF OVATION HOLDING APPROXIMATELY 94% OF THE AGGREGATE VOTING POWER
ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE OVATION COMMON STOCK AND OVATION PREFERRED STOCK HAVE AGREED
TO VOTE ALL OF THEIR SHARES IN FAVOR OF THE ADOPTION OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND
APPROVAL OF THE MERGER. CONSEQUENTLY, APPROVAL OF THE MERGER IS ASSURED.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
/s/ Timothy T. Devine
Timothy T. Devine
President and
Chief Executive Officer
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL MEETING IN PERSON, PLEASE
COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE. IF YOU ATTEND THE SPECIAL MEETING, YOU MAY VOTE IN PERSON, EVEN IF
YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY RETURNED YOUR PROXY CARD.
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
----
<S> <C>
SUMMARY........................................................... 1
RISK FACTORS...................................................... 13
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT...................................... 20
THE SPECIAL MEETING............................................... 21
Date, Time and Place; Matters to Be Considered.............. 21
Proxies..................................................... 21
Solicitation of Proxies..................................... 21
Record Date and Voting Rights............................... 22
Recommendation of Ovation's Board of Directors.............. 22
THE MERGER........................................................ 23
General..................................................... 23
Background of the Merger.................................... 23
Recommendation of Ovation's Board of Directors
and Reasons for the Merger................................. 24
Interests of Ovation Management in the Merger............... 25
Accounting Treatment........................................ 27
Listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market.......................... 28
Governmental and Regulatory Approvals....................... 28
Federal Income Tax Consequences............................. 28
Restrictions on Resales by Affiliates....................... 30
Appraisal Rights of Dissenting Stockholders................. 31
TERMS OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS............ 35
General..................................................... 35
Structure of the Merger..................................... 35
Management After the Merger................................. 35
Conversion of Ovation Preferred Stock and Ovation
Common Stock; Treatment of Options......................... 36
Election Procedures; Adjustments............................ 37
Exchange of Certificates.................................... 40
Effective Time.............................................. 41
Representations and Warranties.............................. 41
Business of Ovation Pending the Merger; Other Agreements.... 44
No Solicitation by Ovation and the Principal Company
Stockholders............................................... 47
Additional Agreements of McLeodUSA.......................... 48
Indemnification............................................. 49
Director's and Officers' Insurance and Indemnification...... 50
Conditions to Consummation of the Merger.................... 50
Termination of the Merger Agreement......................... 54
General Exclusion for Industry-Specific Events.............. 56
Waiver and Amendment of the Merger Agreement................ 56
Expenses.................................................... 57
Voting Agreements........................................... 57
Ovation Stockholders' Agreement............................. 58
INFORMATION ABOUT McLEODUSA AND MERGER SUB........................ 60
INFORMATION ABOUT OVATION......................................... 69
OVATION MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.............................. 83
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
OF OVATION....................................................... 88
OVATION EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.................................... 92
McLEODUSA CAPITAL STOCK AND COMPARISON OF STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS...... 93
OTHER MATTERS.....................................................104
Legal Matters...............................................104
Experts.....................................................104
Other Matters...............................................104
Where You Can Find More Information.........................104
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.....................................F-1
</TABLE>
APPENDICES
Appendix A - Agreement and Plan
of Merger...................................................A-1
Appendix B - Section 262 of The
Delaware General Corporation
Law.........................................................B-1
-i-
<PAGE>
SUMMARY
This document is a prospectus of McLeodUSA and a proxy statement of
Ovation. This summary highlights selected information from the prospectus and
proxy statement. It does not contain all of the information that is important to
you. You should carefully read the entire prospectus and proxy statement and the
other documents to which this document refers you to fully understand the
merger. See "Where You Can Find More Information" on page 105.
MCLEODUSA INCORPORATED
McLeodUSA Technology Park
6400 C Street SW, P.O. Box 3177
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-3177
(319) 364-0000
McLeodUSA provides communications services to business and residential customers
in the Midwestern and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. We offer
local, long distance, Internet access, data, voice mail and paging services,
from a single company on a single bill. We believe we are the first company in
most of our markets to offer one-stop shopping for communications services
tailored to customers' specific needs. As of December 31, 1998, we served over
397,600 local lines in 269 cities and towns.
In addition to our core business of providing local, long distance and related
communications services in competition with the existing local telephone
companies, we also derive revenue from:
. sale of advertising space in telephone directories
. traditional local telephone company services in east central Illinois
and southeast South Dakota
. communications facilities and services dedicated for a particular
customer's use
. communications network maintenance services
. telephone equipment sales, leasing, service and installation
. video services
. telemarketing services
. computer networking services
. other communications services, including cellular, operator, payphone,
mobile radio and paging services
In most of our markets, we compete with the existing local phone company by
leasing its lines and switches. We provide long distance services by using our
own communications network facilities and leasing capacity from long distance
and local communications providers. We are constructing fiber optic
communications networks in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri,
Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming to carry additional
communications traffic on our own network.
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
400 South Highway 169, Suite 750
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426
(612) 252-5700
Ovation provides communications services to business customers primarily in
larger metropolitan areas in Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin and in small to
mid-sized cites in Michigan. Either directly or through subsidiaries we provide
the following services:
. local and network access
. local and long distance telephone
. voice mail, teleconferencing and calling card
. Internet access
We are a Delaware corporation originally organized in March 1997 under the name
OCI Communications, Inc. In May 1998 we changed our name to Ovation
Communications, Inc.
SPECIAL MEETING OF OVATION STOCKHOLDERS (PAGE 21)
The special meeting will be held on March 31, 1999 at 10:00 a.m. at 400 South
Highway 169, Suite 750, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426. At the special meeting,
you will be asked to vote to adopt the merger agreement and to approve the
merger and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.
You can vote, or submit a proxy to vote, at the special meeting if you were a
record
1
<PAGE>
holder of Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock at the close of
business on March 8, 1999. You can vote your shares by attending the meeting and
voting in person or you can mark the enclosed proxy card with your vote, sign it
and mail it in the enclosed return envelope. You can revoke your proxy at any
time before it is exercised.
VOTE REQUIRED (PAGE 22)
A majority of the voting power attributable to the outstanding shares of Ovation
common stock and Ovation preferred stock, voting together as a class, must vote
in favor of adoption of the merger agreement before the merger can occur. There
were 23,971,756 shares of Ovation common stock and 240,000 shares of Ovation
preferred stock outstanding as of March 8, 1999. Each holder of Ovation common
stock is entitled to one vote per share and each holder of Ovation preferred
stock is entitled to 50 votes per share with respect to all matters on which a
vote is to be taken at the special meeting.
Stockholders owning 22,478,894 shares of Ovation common stock and 234,000 shares
of Ovation preferred stock, representing approximately 94% of the voting power
attributable to the shares eligible to vote at the special meeting, have entered
into agreements with McLeodUSA to vote their shares in favor of the merger
agreement and against any competing transaction. CONSEQUENTLY, ADOPTION OF THE
MERGER AGREEMENT AND APPROVAL OF THE MERGER IS ASSURED.
THE MERGER (PAGE 23)
The merger agreement provides that McLeodUSA will acquire Ovation by merger,
with Ovation becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA. McLeodUSA and
Ovation hope to complete the merger during the first quarter of 1999.
The merger agreement is included as Appendix A to this prospectus and proxy
statement. It is the legal document that governs the merger.
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE IN THE MERGER (PAGE 36)
If the merger is completed as proposed, unless you exercise appraisal rights
under Delaware law, you will receive $100 plus accrued and unpaid dividends for
each share of Ovation preferred stock that you own and you may elect to receive
either cash or shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock for each share of
Ovation common stock that you own.
The charts on the next two pages provide more information about your election
options and what you will receive in the merger if you own Ovation common
stock.
2
<PAGE>
YOUR CHOICES IF YOU OWN OVATION COMMON STOCK
--------------------------------------------
IF YOU ELECT YOU WILL RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING FOR EACH
TO RECEIVE: SHARE OF OVATION COMMON STOCK THAT YOU OWN:
Cash $289 million
Minus subordinated debt owed by Ovation
Minus the total amount paid for Ovation preferred stock
Minus Ovation's costs of the merger
Divided by the total number of shares of Ovation common
stock
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE MERGER HAD OCCURRED ON MARCH 9, 1999, YOU
WOULD HAVE RECEIVED $10.39 FOR EACH SHARE OF OVATION COMMON
STOCK YOU OWN, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FOLLOWING
CALCULATION.
CALCULATION AT MARCH 9, 1999:
----------------------------------------------------------------
$289,000,000 -- $8,936,435 -- $25,948,652 -- $5,000,000
-------------------------------------------------------
= $10.39
23,971,756
----------------------------------------------------------------
MCLEODUSA CLASS A
COMMON STOCK $289 million
Minus subordinated debt owed by Ovation
Minus the total amount paid for Ovation preferred stock
Minus Ovation's costs of the merger
Divided by $29
Divided by the total number of shares of Ovation common
stock
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE MERGER HAD OCCURRED ON MARCH 9, 1999, YOU
WOULD HAVE RECEIVED 0.3584 OF A SHARE OF MCLEODUSA CLASS A
COMMON STOCK FOR EACH SHARE OF OVATION COMMON STOCK YOU OWN,
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FOLLOWING CALCULATION:
CALCULATION AT MARCH 9, 1999:
---------------------------------------------------------------
$289,000,000 -- $8,936,435 -- $25,948,652 -- $5,000,000
-------------------------------------------------------
$29
= 0.3584
-------------------------------------------------------
23,971,756
----------------------------------------------------------------
FOR PURPOSES OF THE ABOVE CALCULATIONS, OVATION'S COSTS OF THE MERGER ARE
ESTIMATED AT $5,000,000. THE AMOUNT OF CASH OR MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK
YOU ACTUALLY RECEIVE WILL DEPEND ON OVATION'S ACTUAL MERGER COSTS AS WELL AS THE
ACCRUED INTEREST DUE ON OVATION'S PREFERRED STOCK, THE AMOUNT OF OVATION'S
SUBORDINATED DEBT AND THE NUMBER OF OVATION SHARES OUTSTANDING ON THE DAY BEFORE
THE MERGER.
3
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IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN MAKING YOUR CHOICE
----------------------------------------------
IN MAKING YOUR ELECTION TO RECEIVE CASH OR SHARES OF MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON
STOCK IN THE MERGER, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE MARKET VALUE OF THE MCLEODUSA CLASS
A COMMON STOCK YOU WOULD RECEIVE FOR EACH SHARE OF YOUR OVATION COMMON STOCK.
THIS MARKET VALUE MAY BE LESS THAN, EQUAL TO, OR GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT OF CASH
THAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE IF YOU MAKE A CASH ELECTION BECAUSE THE FORMULA FOR STOCK
ELECTIONS USES A FIXED VALUE OF $29.00 PER SHARE OF MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON
STOCK WHILE THE ACTUAL MARKET PRICE OF MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK
FLUCTUATES.
The following table demonstrates the effects of fluctuations in market price on
the value of the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock you would receive. To
illustrate this effect, the table uses three examples of actual closing prices
for McLeodUSA Class A common stock and two assumed closing prices of $29.00 and
$20.00 per share. The table is calculated as if the merger had occurred on
March 9, 1999 and shows (1) the estimated value at each of these closing prices
of the McLeodUSA Class A common stock you would receive for each share of
Ovation common stock if you made a stock election and (2) the amount of cash you
would receive for each share of Ovation common stock if you made a cash
election.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
VALUE OF MCLEODUSA
MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK AMOUNT OF CASH
CLASS A YOU WOULD RECEIVE YOU WOULD RECEIVE
COMMON STOCK PER SHARE OF OVATION PER SHARE OF OVATION
DATE CLOSING PRICE COMMON STOCK COMMON STOCK
---- ------------- ------------ ------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
December 15, 1998 $ 24.75 $ 8.87 $10.39
January 6, 1999 $33.125 $11.87 $10.39
March 9, 1999 $41.375 $14.83 $10.39
Assumption 1 $ 29.00 $10.39 $10.39
Assumption 2 $ 20.00 $ 7.17 $10.39
</TABLE>
4
<PAGE>
ELECTION PROCEDURES; ADJUSTMENTS (PAGE 37)
If you own shares of Ovation common stock, you will receive a form of election
allowing you to elect to receive cash or shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock for your shares of Ovation common stock.
IN ORDER FOR YOUR ELECTION TO BE VALID, MCLEODUSA MUST RECEIVE YOUR COMPLETED
FORM OF ELECTION AT LEAST THREE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE DATE THE MERGER IS
SCHEDULED TO OCCUR. IF YOU DO NOT PROPERLY COMPLETE AND RETURN THE FORM OF
ELECTION BY THAT TIME, YOU WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE ELECTED TO RECEIVE MCLEODUSA
CLASS A COMMON STOCK FOR ALL OF YOUR OVATION COMMON STOCK.
If you elect to receive cash in the merger, your election may be adjusted in
order to meet requirements for the merger to be considered a tax-free
reorganization for United States federal income taxes. If an adjustment is
necessary, you may instead receive a combination of cash and shares of McLeodUSA
Class A common stock. This will occur only if the value of the McLeodUSA Class
A common stock to be issued in the merger is less than half of the total value
of the consideration to be paid to the Ovation stockholders.
If you receive shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in the merger, whether
due to your stock election or an adjustment to your cash election, you will not
receive fractional shares. Instead, you will receive the cash equivalent of any
fractional share based on the market value of McLeodUSA Class A common stock at
the time of the merger.
EXCHANGE OF STOCK CERTIFICATES (PAGE 40)
Before the merger occurs, you will receive a letter of transmittal that will
provide instructions on the procedure for exchanging your stock
certificates.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR STOCK CERTIFICATES AT THIS TIME.
APPRAISAL RIGHTS OF DISSENTING STOCKHOLDERS (PAGE 31)
IF YOU OBJECT TO THE MERGER, DELAWARE LAW PERMITS YOU TO SEEK RELIEF AS A
DISSENTING STOCKHOLDER AND HAVE THE FAIR VALUE OF YOUR SHARES OF OVATION COMMON
STOCK AND OVATION PREFERRED STOCK DETERMINED BY A COURT AND PAID TO YOU IN
CASH.
If you are an Ovation stockholder and wish to dissent, you must deliver to
Ovation, prior to the vote on the merger at the special meeting, a written
demand for appraisal of your shares. You also must not vote in favor of the
merger.
If you own shares of Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock that are
held in the name of another person, such as a broker, bank or nominee, and you
wish to seek appraisal, you should instruct that person to follow the appraisal
procedures of Delaware law. The relevant provisions of Delaware law are
technical and complex. If you wish to exercise your rights to obtain appraisal
of the fair value of your shares, you may wish to consult with legal counsel,
since the failure to comply strictly with these provisions may result in waiver
or forfeiture of your appraisal rights.
A copy of the relevant section of Delaware law governing this process is
attached as Appendix B to this prospectus and proxy statement.
WHAT IS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE MERGER (PAGE 50)
Several conditions must be satisfied before the merger will be completed. These
include:
. adoption of the merger agreement and approval of the merger by the
Ovation stockholders
. receipt of all required consents and approvals by the FCC
. receipt by Ovation of an opinion of its tax counsel that for U.S.
federal income tax purposes, the merger is not taxable to Ovation or
the Ovation stockholders
. receipt by McLeodUSA of an opinion of its tax counsel that for U.S.
federal income tax purposes, the merger is not taxable to McLeodUSA or
Bravo Acquisition Corporation
5
<PAGE>
. other customary contractual conditions set forth in the merger
agreement
If the law permits, McLeodUSA or Ovation may each waive conditions for the
benefit of their company and stockholders and complete the merger even though
one or more of these conditions hasn't been met. We cannot assure you that the
conditions will be satisfied or waived or that the merger will occur.
INDEMNIFICATION (PAGE 49)
If you own Ovation common stock and you do not perfect your appraisal rights
under Delaware law, you will be deemed to have agreed personally to indemnify
McLeodUSA, the surviving corporation of the merger and their officers, directors
and significant stockholders against losses due to Ovation's breach of its
representations, warranties or agreements in the merger agreement. This means
that after the merger, McLeodUSA or any of these other parties could require you
to pay them for any harm they suffer as a result of Ovation's failure to perform
its agreements or misrepresentation of its condition.
CONSEQUENTLY, IF OVATION BREACHES THE MERGER AGREEMENT, YOU COULD BE REQUIRED TO
RETURN TO MCLEODUSA SOME OR ALL OF THE CASH AND/OR MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON
STOCK YOU RECEIVE IN THE MERGER.
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES (PAGE 28)
If you exchange shares of Ovation common stock for shares of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock in the merger, Ovation expects that you will not recognize gain or
loss on the exchange for United States federal income tax purposes, except to
the extent you receive cash in lieu of fractional shares. However, if you own
shares of Ovation preferred stock or if you elect to receive cash for your
shares of Ovation common stock you will recognize a gain or a loss.
DETERMINING THE ACTUAL TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE MERGER TO YOU CAN BE COMPLICATED.
THEY WILL DEPEND ON YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION AND ON VARIABLES NOT WITHIN THE
CONTROL OF OVATION OR MCLEODUSA. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX ADVISOR FOR A
FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MERGER'S TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU.
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT (PAGE 27)
McLeodUSA and Ovation expect to account for the merger using the purchase method
of accounting.
GOVERNMENTAL AND REGULATORY APPROVALS (PAGE 28)
Before the merger can occur, U.S. antitrust authorities must approve the merger
or the applicable premerger waiting period must expire. In addition, state and
other regulatory authorities will also need to approve or be notified of the
merger. Ovation and McLeodUSA have filed all of the required applications or
notices with these regulatory authorities. While neither Ovation nor McLeodUSA
knows of any reason why we would not be able to obtain the necessary approvals
in a timely manner, we cannot be certain when or if we will receive them.
INTERESTS OF OVATION'S DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS IN THE MERGER (PAGE 25)
Some of Ovation's directors and officers have interests in the merger that are
different from, or in addition to, their interests as Ovation stockholders.
These interests exist because of employment and other agreements that the
directors and officers have with Ovation and rights that they have under benefit
and compensation plans. Some of Ovation's officers and directors also have
entered into or may enter into employment or advisory arrangements, or other
agreements or arrangements, with McLeodUSA after the merger. The merger
agreement requires McLeodUSA to indemnify directors and officers of Ovation for
events occurring before the merger, including events that are related to the
merger agreement.
TERMINATION OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT; EXPENSES (PAGE 54)
McLeodUSA and Ovation may mutually agree at any time to terminate the merger
agreement without completing the merger, even if the
6
<PAGE>
Ovation stockholders have approved it. Also, either of us may decide, without
the consent of the other, to terminate the merger agreement, subject to a
variety of conditions, if:
. the other party breaches the merger agreement
. any court or governmental entity issues a final order or judgment
preventing completion of the merger
. Ovation stockholders do not approve the merger
. the merger has not been completed by the earlier of May 1, 1999 or the
first business day following the tenth day after the satisfaction or
waiver of the mutual conditions to the merger
. the real property owned by Ovation contains or is subject to a risk of
contamination from hazardous materials
. the other party does not deliver certificates and waivers of claims
required by the merger agreement
Regardless of whether the merger is completed, each of us will pay our own fees
and expenses.
REASONS FOR THE MERGER AND RECOMMENDATION OF OVATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS (PAGE
24)
Ovation's board of directors considered a variety of factors in making its
decision to approve the merger agreement and to recommend to you that you vote
your shares for adoption of the merger agreement. These factors included:
. the business and financial condition of Ovation and McLeodUSA
. the business advantages of a combination
. the alternatives to the merger
. the historical valuations of Ovation preferred stock and Ovation
common stock and the value offered by the merger
. the opportunity of Ovation stockholders to participate in the
potential future value of McLeodUSA
After considering these and other factors, Ovation's board of directors
concluded that the merger is fair to and in the best interests of Ovation and
you, and unanimously recommends that you vote "FOR" the proposal to adopt the
merger agreement.
DIFFERENCES IN THE RIGHTS OF STOCKHOLDERS (PAGE 101)
If you own Ovation common stock and elect to receive McLeodUSA Class A common
stock, you would become a stockholder of McLeodUSA upon completion of the
merger. Your rights would then be governed by Delaware law and by McLeodUSA's
certificate of incorporation and bylaws, rather than Ovation's certificate of
incorporation and bylaws. Your rights as a stockholder of McLeodUSA would
differ from your rights as a stockholder of Ovation.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
ACQUISITION OF TALKING DIRECTORIES, INC. AND INFO AMERICA PHONE BOOKS,
INC.
On February 10, 1999, McLeodUSA acquired Talking Directories, Inc. for
approximately 2.6 million shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock. In a related
and concurrent transaction, on February 10, 1999, McLeodUSA acquired Info
America Phone Books, Inc. for approximately 1.2 million shares of McLeodUSA
Class A common stock. McLeodUSA also paid approximately $27 million of the
outstanding obligations of Talking Directories and Info America at the time of
the transactions.
Talking Directories and Info America are related companies that together
publish and distribute proprietary "white page" and "yellow page" telephone
directories primarily in Michigan and northwestern Ohio. In 1998, Talking
Directories and Info America collectively published and distributed
approximately 2.6 million copies of 19 telephone directories
RECENT FINANCINGS
On February 22, 1999, McLeodUSA completed a private offering of $500
million aggregate principal amount of its 8 1/8% senior notes due February 15,
2009, yielding net proceeds of approximately $487.8 million.
__________
For additional information regarding these transactions, see "Information
About McLeodUSA and Merger Sub--Recent Developments."
7
<PAGE>
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF MCLEODUSA
The information in the following unaudited table is based on historical
financial information included in McLeodUSA's prior SEC filings, including
McLeodUSA's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
1998, a copy of which accompanies this prospectus and proxy statement. The
following summary financial information should be read in connection with this
historical financial information including the notes which accompany such
financial information. This historical financial information is considered a
part of this document. See "Where You Can Find More Information" on page 105.
McLeodUSA's audited historical financial statements as of December 31, 1998 and
1997, and for each of the three years ended December 31, 1998 were audited by
Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public accountants.
The information in the following table reflects financial information for
the following companies McLeodUSA has acquired:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Acquired Company Date Acquired
---------------- -------------
<S> <C>
MWR Telecom, Inc. April 28, 1995
Ruffalo, Cody & Associates, Inc. July 15, 1996
Telecom*USA Publishing Group, Inc. September 20, 1996
Consolidated Communications, Inc. September 24, 1997
</TABLE>
The operations statement data and other financial data in the table include the
operations of these companies beginning on the dates they were acquired. The
balance sheet data in the table include the financial position of these
companies at the end of the periods presented, beginning with the period in
which they were acquired. These acquisitions affect the comparability of the
financial data for the periods presented.
The pro forma information presented in the operations statement data and
other financial data in the table reflects the operations of Ovation as if the
merger had occurred at the beginning of the periods presented and the pro forma
information in the balance sheet data in the table includes Ovation's financial
position as of the dates presented.
The information in the table also reflects the following debt securities
that McLeodUSA has issued:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Description of Debt Securities Principal Amount at Maturity Date Issued
------------------------------ ---------------------------- ------------
<S> <C> <C>
10 1/2% senior discount notes due March 1, 2007 $500 million March 4, 1997
9 1/4% senior notes due July 15, 2007 $225 million July 21, 1997
8 3/8% senior notes due March 15, 2008 $300 million March 10, 1998
9 1/2% senior notes due November 1, 2008 $300 million October 30, 1998
8 1/8% senior notes due February 15, 2009 $500 million February 22, 1999
</TABLE>
The operations statement data and other financial data in the table reflect the
issuance of the 10 1/2% senior discount notes, the 9 1/4% senior notes, the
8 3/8% senior notes and the 9 1/2% senior notes beginning on the dates the notes
were issued. The balance sheet data in the table include the effects of these
issuances at the end of the periods presented, beginning with the period in
which they occurred. The pro forma information presented in the operations
statement data and other financial data in the table includes the effects of the
issuance of the 8 3/8% senior notes, the 9 1/2% senior notes and the 8 1/8%
senior notes as if they had occurred at the beginning of 1998 and the pro forma
information presented in the balance sheet data in the table includes the
effects of the issuance of the 8 1/8% senior notes as if it had occurred at the
end of 1998.
(table begins on the next page)
8
<PAGE>
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF MCLEODUSA
(In thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
----------------------------------------------------------------------
PRO FORMA
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998
--------- -------- --------- --------- ---------- ----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
OPERATIONS STATEMENT
DATA:
Revenue............................... $ 8,014 $ 28,998 $ 81,323 $267,886 $ 604,146 $ 625,181
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------- ---------
Operating expenses:
Cost of service..................... 6,212 19,667 52,624 151,190 323,208 329,527
Selling, general and
administrative.................... 12,373 18,054 46,044 148,158 260,931 274,420
Depreciation and
amortization...................... 772 1,835 8,485 33,275 89,107 109,875
Other............................... -- -- 2,380 4,632 5,575 5,575
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------- ---------
Total operating expenses........... 19,357 39,556 109,533 337,255 678,821 719,397
Operating loss........................ (11,343) (10,558) (28,210) (69,369) (74,675) (94,216)
Interest Income (expense),
net................................. (73) (771) 5,369 (11,967) (52,234) (85,898)
Other income.......................... -- -- 495 1,426 1,997 1,997
Income taxes.......................... -- -- -- -- -- --
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------- ---------
Net loss.............................. $(11,416) $(11,329) $(22,346) $(79,910) $(124,912) $(178,117)
======== ======== ======== ======== ========= =========
Loss per common share................. $ (.53) $ (.40) $ (.55) $ (1.45) $ (1.99) $ (2.62)
======== ======== ======== ======== ========= =========
Weighted average common shares
outstanding......................... 21,464 28,004 40,506 54,974 62,807 67,910
======== ======== ======== ======== ========= =========
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
----------------------------------------------------------------------
PRO FORMA
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998
-------- --------- --------- ----------- ----------- ----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Current assets........................ $ 4,862 $ 8,507 $224,401 $ 517,869 $ 793,192 $1,159,702
Working capital (deficit)............. $ 1,659 $(1,208) $185,968 $ 378,617 $ 613,236 $ 947,536
Property and equipment, net........... $ 4,716 $16,119 $ 92,123 $ 373,804 $ 629,746 $ 706,406
Total assets.......................... $10,687 $28,986 $452,994 $1,345,652 $1,925,197 $2,721,383
Long-term debt........................ $ 3,500 $ 3,600 $ 2,573 $ 613,384 $1,245,170 $1,836,876
Stockholders' equity.................. $ 3,291 $14,958 $403,429 $ 559,379 $ 462,806 $ 635,076
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
----------------------------------------------------------------------
PRO FORMA
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998
--------- --------- ---------- ---------- -------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
OTHER FINANCIAL DATA:
Capital expenditures, including
business acquisitions.................. $ 3,393 $14,697 $173,782 $601,137 $339,660 $739,497
EBITDA(1).............................. $(10,571) $(8,723) $(17,345) $(31,462) $ 20,007 $ 21,234
</TABLE>
_________________
(1) EBITDA consists of operating loss before depreciation, amortization and
other nonrecurring operating expenses. McLeodUSA has included EBITDA data
because it is a measure commonly used in the industry. EBITDA is not a
measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting
principles and should not be considered an alternative to net income as a
measure of performance or to cash flows as a measure of liquidity.
9
<PAGE>
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF OVATION
(In thousands, except per share data)
The information in the following table is based on Ovation's financial
statements presented later in this prospectus and proxy statement, including
Ovation's financial statements for the period from March 27, 1997 (date of
inception) to December 31, 1997 and for the year ended December 31, 1998, which
were audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent certified public accountants.
The following summary financial information should be read in connection with
these financial statements including the notes which accompany them.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PERIOD FROM
MARCH 27, 1997 (DATE
OF INCEPTION) THROUGH YEAR ENDED
DECEMBER 31 DECEMBER 31,
1997 1998
---------------------- ------------
<S> <C> <C>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenue............................ $ 40 $21,035
------- -------
Operating expenses:
Cost of service.................. 61 6,319
Selling, general and
administrative.................. 1,278 13,489
Depreciation and amortization.... -- 5,383
Other............................ -- --
------- -------
Total operating expenses......... 1,339 25,191
------- -------
Operating loss..................... (1,299) (4,156)
Interest income (expense), net..... (1) (1,608)
Other income....................... -- --
Income taxes....................... -- --
------- -------
Net loss........................... $(1,300) $(5,746)
------- -------
Less preferred stock dividends..... (240) (1,237)
------- -------
Net loss per share applicable
to common stockholders.......... (1,540) (7,001)
======= =======
Loss per common share.............. $ (.15) $ (.35)
======= =======
Weighted average common
shares outstanding.............. 10,008 20,269
======= =======
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
---------------------------
1997 1998
------- --------
<S> <C> <C>
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Current Assets............... $ 887 $ 19,710
Working capital (deficit).... (1,753) (2,500)
Property and equipment, net.. 15,927 76,660
Total Assets................. 17,203 156,155
Long-Term Debt............... 9,309 91,706
Stockholders' Equity......... 5,253 42,239
</TABLE>
10
<PAGE>
COMPARATIVE PER SHARE DATA
The following table summarizes per share information for McLeodUSA and
Ovation on a historical, pro forma combined, and equivalent pro forma basis.
The earnings per share were calculated using income (loss) from continuing
operations. The pro forma earnings per share amounts do not include any
adjustments to reflect potential expense reductions or revenue enhancements that
may result from the merger or the effect of repurchases of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock, Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock subsequent to the
stated periods. The pro forma data also do not reflect McLeodUSA's recently
completed acquisitions described in "Recent Developments" on page 62. The pro
forma data do not necessarily indicate the results of future operations or the
actual results that would have occurred had the merger occurred at the beginning
of the periods presented. The pro forma financial data have been included in
accordance with the rules of the SEC and are provided for comparative purposes
only.
The McLeodUSA pro forma earnings per share data for the year ended December
31, 1998 include the operations of Ovation for the year ended December 31, 1998
and adjustments attributable to McLeodUSA's issuance of 8 3/8% senior notes, 9
1/2% senior notes and 8 1/8% senior notes as if each had occurred on January 1,
1998. The McLeodUSA "book value per share at period end" data give effect to the
merger and the issuance of the 8 1/8% senior notes as if they had occurred at
the end of the period.
The Ovation "equivalent pro forma" amounts are calculated by multiplying
the unaudited pro forma combined per share amounts by 0.3584, which represents
the number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock that Ovation stockholders
who elect to receive McLeodUSA Class A common stock in the merger would have
received in exchange for each share of Ovation common stock if the merger had
been completed on March 9, 1999.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
AS OF OR FOR THE
YEAR ENDED
DECEMBER 31 1998
----------------
(UNAUDITED)
<S> <C>
MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK
Income from Continuing Operations
Basic earnings per share
Historical............................................... $(1.99)
Pro forma for the merger................................. (2.62)
Diluted earnings per share
Historical............................................... (1.99)
Pro forma for the merger................................. (2.62)
Book value per share at period end
Historical............................................... 7.27
Pro forma for the merger................................. 9.23
OVATION COMMON STOCK
Income from Continuing Operations
Basic earnings per share
Historical............................................... $(.35)
Pro forma for the merger................................. (.94)
Diluted earnings per share
Historical............................................... (.35)
Pro forma for the merger................................. (.94)
Book value per share at period end
Historical(1)............................................ 1.76
Pro forma for the merger................................. 3.31
</TABLE>
____________
(1) Calculated by dividing stockholders' equity by the actual number of shares
of Ovation common stock outstanding at the end of the periods presented.
There were 23,971,756 shares of Ovation common stock outstanding as of
December 31, 1998.
DIVIDENDS. McLeodUSA has never declared or paid a cash dividend with respect to
its common stock and Ovation has never declared or paid a cash dividend with
respect to the Ovation common stock or the Ovation preferred stock.
11
<PAGE>
COMPARATIVE MARKET DATA
MCLEODUSA. McLeodUSA Class A common stock is, and the shares of McLeodUSA Class
A common stock offered to Ovation stockholders are expected to be, listed on The
Nasdaq Stock Market and traded under the symbol "MCLD." McLeodUSA Class A
common stock has been quoted on The Nasdaq Stock Market since McLeodUSA's
initial public offering on June 11, 1996. Before June 11, 1996, no established
public trading market for McLeodUSA Class A common stock existed. The following
table sets forth for the periods indicated the high and low sales price per
share of McLeodUSA Class A common stock as reported by The Nasdaq Stock
Market.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
High LOW
------- -------
<S> <C> <C>
1996
Second Quarter (from June 11, 1996)..... $ 26.75 $ 22.25
Third Quarter........................... 39.50 23.50
Fourth Quarter.......................... 34.50 25.00
1997
First Quarter........................... $ 28.75 $17.375
Second Quarter.......................... 34.25 16.375
Third Quarter........................... 40.00 28.625
Fourth Quarter.......................... 41.75 32.00
1998
First Quarter........................... $46.375 $ 30.50
Second Quarter.......................... 48.312 38.00
Third Quarter........................... 40.125 21.375
Fourth Quarter.......................... 38.50 15.25
1999
First Quarter (through March 22, 1999).. $ 42.25 $30.375
</TABLE>
On January 6, 1999, the last full trading day before the public
announcement of the proposed merger, the closing price of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock was $33.125 per share. On March 22, 1999, the closing price
reported for McLeodUSA Class A common stock was $41.0625 per share.
As of March 22, 1999, there were 826 holders of record of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock.
OVATION. There is no established public trading market for Ovation common stock
or Ovation preferred stock.
12
<PAGE>
RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider the following risk factors relating to the merger
and to ownership of McLeodUSA Class A common stock before you decide whether to
adopt the merger agreement and approve the merger. You should also consider the
other information in this prospectus and proxy statement (including the matters
addressed in "Information in this Document" on page 20) and additional
information in the accompanying copy of McLeodUSA's annual report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998 and in the other documents
considered a part of this prospectus and proxy statement. See "Where You Can
Find More Information" on page 105.
THE VALUE OF THE MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK YOU MAY RECEIVE IN THE MERGER
WILL DEPEND ON ITS MARKET PRICE AT THE TIME OF THE MERGER.
If the market price of McLeodUSA Class A common stock drops, the value of
the McLeodUSA Class A common stock you may receive in the merger will also drop
since the formula for converting Ovation common stock into McLeodUSA Class A
common stock uses a fixed value of $29.00 per share of McLeodUSA common stock.
See "Terms of the Merger Agreement and Related Transactions--Election
Procedures; Adjustments."
FLUCTUATIONS IN THE MARKET PRICE OF THE MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK MAY MAKE
IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR MCLEODUSA TO RAISE CAPITAL.
The market price of McLeodUSA Class A common stock is extremely volatile
and has fluctuated over a wide range. These fluctuations may impair McLeodUSA's
ability to raise capital by offering equity securities. The market price may
continue to fluctuate significantly in response to various factors,
including:
. market conditions in the industry
. announcements and actions by competitors
. low trading volume
. quarterly variations in operating results or growth rates
. changes in estimates by securities analysts
. regulatory and judicial actions
. general economic conditions
See "Comparative Market Data" on page 12.
MCLEODUSA MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE OVATION INTO ITS OPERATIONS,
WHICH COULD SLOW ITS GROWTH.
The integration of Ovation into McLeodUSA's operations involves a number of
risks, including:
. difficulty integrating Ovation's operations and personnel
. diversion of management attention
. potential disruption of ongoing business
. inability to retain key personnel
. inability successfully to incorporate Ovation's assets and rights
into McLeodUSA's service offerings
. inability to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and
policies
. impairment of relationships with employees, customers or vendors
Failure to overcome these risks or any other problems encountered in
connection with the merger or other similar transactions could slow McLeodUSA's
growth or lower the quality of its services, which could reduce customer
demand.
13
<PAGE>
CONTINUED RAPID GROWTH OF MCLEODUSA'S NETWORK, SERVICES AND SUBSCRIBERS COULD BE
SLOWED IF MCLEODUSA CANNOT MANAGE THIS GROWTH
McLeodUSA has rapidly expanded and developed its network, services and
subscribers. This has placed and will continue to place significant demands on
its management, operational and financial systems and procedures and controls.
McLeodUSA may not be able to manage its anticipated growth effectively, which
would harm its business, results of operations and financial condition. Further
expansion and development will depend on a number of factors, including:
. cooperation of the existing local telephone companies
. regulatory and governmental developments
. changes in the competitive climate in which McLeodUSA operates
. development of customer billing, order processing and network
management systems
. availability of financing
. technological developments
. availability of rights-of-way, building access and antenna sites
. existence of strategic alliances or relationships
. emergence of future opportunities
McLeodUSA will need to continue to improve its operational and financial
systems and its procedures and controls as it grows. McLeodUSA must also
develop, train and manage its employees.
MCLEODUSA EXPECTS TO INCUR SIGNIFICANT LOSSES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
YEARS.
If McLeodUSA does not become profitable in the future, the value of its
shares may fall and it could have difficulty obtaining funds to continue its
operations. McLeodUSA has incurred net losses every year since it began
operations. Since January 1, 1995, McLeodUSA's net losses have been as
follows:
Net Losses
----------
Period Amount
------ ------
1995 $ 11.3 million
1996 $ 22.3 million
1997 $ 79.9 million
1998 $124.9 million
McLeodUSA expects to incur significant operating losses during the next several
years while it develops its businesses, expands its fiber optic communications
network and develops wireless services.
FAILURE TO RAISE NECESSARY CAPITAL COULD RESTRICT MCLEODUSA'S ABILITY TO DEVELOP
ITS NETWORK AND SERVICES AND ENGAGE IN STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS.
McLeodUSA needs significant capital to continue to expand its operations,
facilities, network and services. McLeodUSA cannot assure you that its capital
resources will permit it to fund its planned network deployment and operations
or achieve operating profitability. Failure to generate or raise sufficient
funds may require McLeodUSA to delay or abandon some of its expansion plans or
expenditures, which could harm its business and competitive position.
As of December 31, 1998, based on its business plan, capital requirements
and growth projections as of that date, McLeodUSA estimated that it would
require approximately $1.4 billion through 2001 to fund its planned capital
expenditures and operating expenses. McLeodUSA's estimated aggregate capital
requirements include the projected costs of:
. building its fiber optic communications network, including intra-
city fiber optic networks
. expanding operations in existing and new markets
. developing a wireless system
. funding general corporate expenses
. completing recent acquisitions, including the merger
. constructing, acquiring, developing or improving
telecommunications assets
14
<PAGE>
McLeodUSA's estimate of future capital requirements is a "forward-looking
statement" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The actual amount and timing of
McLeodUSA's future capital requirements may differ substantially from its
estimate due to factors such as:
. strategic acquisition costs and effects of acquisitions on its
business plan, capital requirements and growth projections
. unforeseen delays
. cost overruns
. engineering design changes
. changes in demand for its services
. regulatory, technological or competitive developments
. new opportunities
McLeodUSA also expects to evaluate potential acquisitions, joint ventures
and strategic alliances on an ongoing basis. McLeodUSA may require additional
financing if it pursues any of these opportunities. McLeodUSA may meet any
additional capital needs by issuing additional debt or equity securities or
borrowing funds from one or more lenders. McLeodUSA cannot assure you that it
will have timely access to additional financing sources on acceptable terms. If
it does not, McLeodUSA may not be able to expand its markets, operations,
facilities, network and services through acquisitions as it intends. See
"Information About McLeodUSA and Merger Sub."
MCLEODUSA'S HIGH LEVEL OF DEBT COULD LIMIT ITS FLEXIBILITY IN RESPONDING TO
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS AND PUT IT AT A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE.
McLeodUSA has substantial debt, which could adversely affect it in a number
of ways, including:
. limiting its ability to obtain necessary financing in the future
. limiting its flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in its
business
. requiring it to use a substantial portion of its cash flow from
operations to pay debt rather than for other purposes, such as
working capital or capital expenditures
. making it more highly leveraged than some of its competitors,
which may place it at a competitive disadvantage
. making it more vulnerable to a downturn in its business
As of December 31, 1998, McLeodUSA had $1.2 billion of long-term debt and
$462.8 million of stockholders' equity. McLeodUSA incurred an additional
$500 million of long-term debt on February 22, 1999. As a result, McLeodUSA
expects its fixed charges to exceed its earnings for the foreseeable future.
COVENANTS IN DEBT INSTRUMENTS RESTRICT MCLEODUSA'S CAPACITY TO BORROW AND
INVEST, WHICH COULD IMPAIR ITS ABILITY TO EXPAND OR FINANCE ITS OPERATIONS.
The indentures governing the terms of McLeodUSA's long-term debt impose
operating and financial restrictions that limit McLeodUSA's discretion on some
business matters, which could make it more difficult for McLeodUSA to expand,
finance its operations or engage in other business activities that may be in its
interest. These restrictions limit or prohibit McLeodUSA's ability to:
. incur additional debt
. pay dividends or make other distributions
. make investments or other restricted payments
. enter into sale and leaseback transactions
. pledge or mortgage assets
. enter into transactions with related persons
. sell assets
. consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of its assets
15
<PAGE>
If McLeodUSA fails to comply with these restrictions, all of McLeodUSA's long-
term debt could become immediately due and payable.
MCLEODUSA IS PROHIBITED FROM PAYING DIVIDENDS.
McLeodUSA does not anticipate paying any dividends for the foreseeable
future. The indentures governing McLeodUSA's debt prohibit McLeodUSA from paying
cash dividends. You should therefore not expect to receive dividends on shares
of McLeodUSA Class A common stock you may receive in the merger.
MCLEODUSA'S DEPENDENCE ON REGIONAL BELL OPERATING COMPANIES TO PROVIDE MOST OF
ITS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES COULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR MCLEODUSA TO OFFER ITS
SERVICES AT A PROFIT.
McLeodUSA depends on the regional Bell operating companies to provide most
of its core local and some of its long distance services. Today, without using
the communications facilities of these companies, McLeodUSA could not provide
bundled local and long distance services to most of its customers. Because of
this dependence, McLeodUSA's communications services are highly susceptible to
changes in the conditions for access to these facilities and McLeodUSA may
therefore have difficulty offering its services at profitable and competitive
rates.
U S WEST Communications, Inc., Ameritech Corporation and Southwestern Bell
Telephone Company are McLeodUSA's primary suppliers of local lines to its
customers and communications services that allow it to transfer and connect
calls. Their communications facilities allow McLeodUSA to provide (1) local
service, (2) long distance service and (3) private lines dedicated to its
customers' use. If these or other companies deny or limit McLeodUSA's access to
their communications network elements or wholesale services, McLeodUSA may not
be able to offer profitable communications services.
McLeodUSA's plans to provide local service using its own communications
network equipment also depend on the regional Bell operating companies. In
order to interconnect its network equipment and other communications facilities
to network elements controlled by the regional Bell operating companies,
McLeodUSA must first negotiate and enter into interconnection agreements with
them. Interconnection obligations imposed on the regional Bell operating
companies by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 have been and continue to be
subject to a variety of legal proceedings, which could affect McLeodUSA's
ability to obtain interconnection agreements on acceptable terms. McLeodUSA
cannot assure you that it will succeed in obtaining interconnection agreements
on terms that would permit it to offer local services using its own
communications network facilities at profitable and competitive rates.
ACTIONS BY U S WEST MAY MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR MCLEODUSA TO OFFER ITS
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
U S WEST has introduced several measures that may make it more difficult
for McLeodUSA to offer its communications services. For example, in February
1996, U S WEST filed tariffs and other notices with the public utility
commissions in its fourteen-state service region to limit future Centrex access
to its switches. Centrex access allows McLeodUSA to aggregate lines, have
control over several characteristics of those lines and provide a set of
standard features on those lines. McLeodUSA uses U S WEST's Centrex services to
provide most of its local communications services in U S WEST's service
territories.
In January 1997, U S WEST also proposed interconnection surcharges in
several of the states in its service region, which would increase McLeodUSA's
costs of providing communications services in those states.
McLeodUSA has challenged or is challenging these actions by U S WEST before
the FCC or applicable state public utility commissions. McLeodUSA cannot assure
you it will succeed in its challenges to these or other actions by U S WEST that
would prevent or deter McLeodUSA from using U S WEST's Centrex service or
communications network elements. If U S WEST successfully withdraws or limits
McLeodUSA's access to Centrex services in any jurisdiction, McLeodUSA may not be
able to offer communications services in that jurisdiction, which could harm its
business.
16
<PAGE>
McLeodUSA anticipates that U S WEST will also pursue legislation in states
within McLeodUSA's target market area to reduce state regulatory oversight over
its rates and operations. If adopted, these initiatives could make it more
difficult for McLeodUSA to challenge U S WEST's actions in the future.
COMPETITION IN THE COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES INDUSTRY COULD CAUSE MCLEODUSA TO
LOSE CUSTOMERS AND REVENUE AND COULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR MCLEODUSA TO
ENTER NEW MARKETS.
McLeodUSA faces intense competition in all of its markets. This competition
could result in loss of customers and lower revenue for McLeodUSA. It could also
make it more difficult for McLeodUSA to enter new markets. Existing local
telephone companies, including U S WEST, Ameritech, Southwestern Bell and GTE,
currently dominate their local telecommunications markets. Three major
competitors, AT&T, MCI WorldCom and Sprint, dominate the long distance market.
Hundreds of other companies also compete in the long distance marketplace. AT&T,
MCI WorldCom and Sprint also offer local telecommunications services in many
locations.
McLeodUSA's local and long distance services also compete with the services
of other communications services companies competing with the existing local
telephone companies in some markets.
Other competitors may include cable television companies, providers of
communications network facilities dedicated to particular customers, microwave
and satellite carriers, wireless telecommunications providers, private networks
owned by large end-users, and telecommunications management companies.
These and other firms may enter the markets where McLeodUSA focuses its
sales efforts. Many of McLeodUSA's existing and potential competitors have
financial and other resources far greater than those of McLeodUSA. In addition,
the trend toward mergers and strategic alliances in the communications industry
may strengthen some of McLeodUSA's competitors and could put McLeodUSA at a
significant competitive disadvantage.
MCLEODUSA MAY NOT SUCCEED IN DEVELOPING OR MAKING A PROFIT FROM WIRELESS
SERVICES.
McLeodUSA's proposal to offer wireless services involves a high degree of
risk and will impose significant demands on McLeodUSA's management and financial
resources. Developing wireless services may require McLeodUSA to, among other
things, spend substantial time and money to acquire, build and test a wireless
infrastructure and enter into roaming arrangements with wireless operators in
other markets. McLeodUSA may not succeed in developing wireless services. Even
if McLeodUSA spends substantial amounts to develop wireless services, McLeodUSA
may not make a profit from wireless operations.
McLeodUSA's ability to successfully offer wireless services will also
depend on a number of factors beyond McLeodUSA's control, including:
. changes in communications service rates charged by other
companies
. changes in the supply and demand for wireless services due to
competition with other wireline and wireless operators in the
same geographic area
. changes in the federal, state or local regulatory requirements
affecting the operation of wireless systems
. changes in wireless technologies that could render obsolete the
technology and equipment McLeodUSA chooses for its wireless
services
COMPETITION IN THE WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY COULD MAKE IT HARDER
FOR MCLEODUSA SUCCESSFULLY TO OFFER WIRELESS SERVICES.
The wireless telecommunications industry is experiencing increasing
competition and significant technological change. This will make it harder for
McLeodUSA to gain a share of the wireless communications market. McLeodUSA
expects up to eight wireless competitors in each of its target wireless markets.
McLeodUSA
17
<PAGE>
could face additional competition from mobile satellite services.
Many of McLeodUSA's potential wireless competitors have financial and other
resources far greater than those of McLeodUSA and have more experience testing
new or improved products and services. In addition, several wireless
competitors operate or plan to operate, wireless telecommunications systems that
encompass most of the United States, which could give them a significant
competitive advantage, particularly if McLeodUSA only offers regional wireless
services.
THE SUCCESS OF MCLEODUSA'S COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES WILL DEPEND ON ITS ABILITY TO
KEEP PACE WITH RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES IN ITS INDUSTRY.
Communications technology is changing rapidly. These changes influence the
demand for McLeodUSA's services. McLeodUSA needs to be able to anticipate these
changes and to develop new and enhanced products and services quickly enough for
the changing market. This will determine whether McLeodUSA can continue to
increase its revenues and number of subscribers and be competitive.
THE LOSS OF KEY PERSONNEL COULD WEAKEN MCLEODUSA'S TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL
EXPERTISE, DELAY ITS INTRODUCTION OF NEW SERVICES OR ENTRY INTO NEW MARKETS AND
LOWER THE QUALITY OF ITS SERVICE.
McLeodUSA may not be able to attract, develop, motivate and retain
experienced and innovative personnel. There is intense competition for qualified
personnel in McLeodUSA's business. The loss of the services of key personnel, or
the inability to attract additional qualified personnel, could cause McLeodUSA
to make less successful strategic decisions, which could hinder the introduction
of new services or the entry into new markets. McLeodUSA could also be less
prepared for technological or marketing problems, which could reduce its ability
to serve its customers and lower the quality of its services. As a result,
McLeodUSA's financial condition could worsen.
McLeodUSA's future success depends on the continued employment of its
senior management team, particularly Clark E. McLeod, McLeodUSA's Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer, and Stephen C. Gray, McLeodUSA's President and Chief
Operating Officer. McLeodUSA does not have term employment agreements with these
employees.
FAILURE TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN NECESSARY PERMITS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY COULD DELAY
INSTALLATION OF MCLEODUSA'S NETWORKS AND INTERFERE WITH ITS OPERATIONS.
To obtain access to rights-of-way needed to install its fiber optic cable,
McLeodUSA must reach agreements with state highway authorities, local
governments, transit authorities, local telephone companies, other utilities,
railroads, long distance carriers and other parties. The failure to obtain or
maintain any rights-of-way could delay McLeodUSA's planned network expansion,
interfere with its operations and harm its business. For example, if McLeodUSA
loses access to a right-of-way, it may need to spend significant sums to remove
and relocate its facilities.
GOVERNMENT REGULATION MAY INCREASE MCLEODUSA'S COST OF PROVIDING SERVICES, SLOW
ITS EXPANSION INTO NEW MARKETS AND SUBJECT ITS SERVICES TO ADDITIONAL
COMPETITIVE PRESSURES.
McLeodUSA's facilities and services are subject to federal, state and local
regulation. The time and expense of complying with these regulations could slow
down McLeodUSA's expansion into new markets, increase its costs of providing
services and subject them to additional competitive pressures. One of the
primary purposes of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was to open the local
telephone services market to competition. While this has presented McLeodUSA
with opportunities to enter local telephone markets, it also provides important
benefits to the existing local telephone companies, such as the ability, under
specified conditions, to provide out-of-region long distance service to
customers in their respective regions. In addition, McLeodUSA needs to obtain
and maintain licenses, permits and other regulatory approvals in connection with
some of its services. Any of the following could harm McLeodUSA's
business:
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. failure to maintain proper federal and state tariffs
. failure to maintain proper state certifications
. failure to comply with federal, state or local laws and
regulations
. failure to obtain and maintain required licenses and permits
. burdensome license or permit requirements to operate in public
rights-of-way
. burdensome or adverse regulatory requirements
MCLEODUSA'S MANAGEMENT AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS CAN CONTROL MCLEODUSA AND MAY
HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS THAN THOSE OF OTHER STOCKHOLDERS.
As of December 31, 1998, Alliant Energy Investments Inc., MHC Investment
Company, Richard A. Lumpkin and various trusts for the benefit of his family,
Clark and Mary McLeod, and McLeodUSA's directors and executive officers
beneficially owned approximately 59.4% of the outstanding McLeodUSA Class A
common stock. These stockholders can collectively control management policy and
all corporate actions requiring a stockholder vote, including election of the
board of directors. Conflicts of interest may arise between the interests of
these stockholders and other stockholders of McLeodUSA. For example, the fact
that these stockholders hold so much McLeodUSA Class A common stock could make
it more difficult for a third party to acquire McLeodUSA. You should expect
these stockholders to resolve any conflicts in their favor.
COMPUTER SYSTEMS MAY MALFUNCTION AND INTERRUPT MCLEODUSA'S SERVICES IF MCLEODUSA
AND ITS SUPPLIERS DO NOT ATTAIN YEAR 2000 READINESS.
McLeodUSA and its major suppliers of communications services and network
elements rely greatly on computer systems and other technological devices.
These may not be capable of recognizing January 1, 2000 or subsequent dates.
This problem could cause any or all of McLeodUSA's systems or services to
malfunction or fail.
McLeodUSA is reviewing its computer systems and programs and other
technological devices to determine which are not capable of recognizing the Year
2000 and to verify system readiness for the millennium date. The review covers
all of McLeodUSA's operations and is centrally managed. This review may not be
sufficient, however, to prevent interruptions to McLeodUSA's systems and
services.
Some of McLeodUSA's critical operations and services depend on other
companies. For example, McLeodUSA depends on the existing local telephone
companies, primarily the regional Bell operating companies, to provide most of
its local and some of its long distance services. To the extent U S WEST,
Ameritech or Southwestern Bell fail to address Year 2000 issues which might
interfere with their ability to fulfill their obligations to McLeodUSA, it could
interfere with McLeodUSA's operations. If McLeodUSA, its major vendors, its
material service providers or its customers fail to address Year 2000 issues in
a timely manner, McLeodUSA's business, results of operations and financial
condition could be significantly harmed.
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INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT
WE ARE DELIVERING WITH THIS PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENT A COPY OF
MCLEODUSA'S ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR ITS FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
1998, FILED WITH THE SEC ON MARCH 24, 1999. THE FORM 10-K CONTAINS IMPORTANT
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT MCLEODUSA THAT IS CONSIDERED A PART OF,
BUT NOT INCLUDED DIRECTLY IN, THIS PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENT. IMPORTANT
INFORMATION IN OTHER DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO UNDER THE HEADING "WHERE YOU CAN FIND
MORE INFORMATION" IS ALSO CONSIDERED A PART OF, BUT NOT INCLUDED DIRECTLY IN,
THIS PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENT. YOU MAY OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION WITHOUT
CHARGE UPON WRITTEN OR ORAL REQUEST TO MCLEODUSA INCORPORATED, MCLEODUSA
TECHNOLOGY PARK, 6400 C STREET SW, P.O. BOX 3177, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA 52406-3177,
ATTN: GENERAL COUNSEL, TELEPHONE (319) 364-0000. TO OBTAIN TIMELY DELIVERY,
YOU MUST REQUEST SUCH INFORMATION NO LATER THAN MARCH 26, 1999.
Some of the statements contained in or considered a part of this prospectus
and proxy statement discuss future expectations, contain projections of results
of operations or financial condition or state other forward-looking information.
Those statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those
contemplated by the statements. The "forward-looking" information is based on
various factors and was derived using numerous assumptions. In some cases, you
can identify these so-called forward-looking statements by words like "may,"
"will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates,"
"predicts," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of those words and other
comparable words. You should be aware that those statements only reflect our
predictions. Actual events or results may differ substantially. Important
factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different from the
forward-looking statements are disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and
throughout this prospectus and proxy statement.
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THE SPECIAL MEETING
This prospectus and proxy statement is first being mailed or delivered by
Ovation to its stockholders on or about March 24, 1999, and is accompanied by
the notice of the special meeting and a form of proxy for use at the special
meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.
DATE, TIME AND PLACE; MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED
The special meeting is scheduled to be held on March 31, 1999, at 10:00
a.m. local time, at 400 South Highway 169, Suite 750, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55426. At the special meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on (1) a
proposal to adopt the merger agreement and approve the merger and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, and (2) such other matters as
may properly be submitted to a vote at the special meeting. Under the merger
agreement, Ovation would be merged with and into Bravo Acquisition Corporation
and become a wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA.
PROXIES
The accompanying form of proxy is for your use to allow you to vote at the
special meeting if you cannot or do not wish to attend and vote in person. You
may revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised, by submitting to the
Corporate Secretary of Ovation written notice of revocation or a properly
executed proxy with a later date, or by attending the special meeting and voting
in person. Written notices of revocation and other communications with respect
to the revocation of proxies should be addressed to Ovation Communications,
Inc., 400 South Highway 169, Suite 750, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426,
Attention: Corporate Secretary. All shares represented by valid proxies
received and not revoked before they are exercised will be voted in the manner
specified in such proxies. If no specification is made, such shares will be
voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement and approval of the
merger and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.
Ovation's board of directors is not currently aware of any other matters
which will come before the special meeting. If any other matter should be
presented at the special meeting for action, the persons named in the
accompanying proxy card will vote the proxy in their own discretion.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR STOCK CERTIFICATES WITH YOUR PROXY CARD.
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
Ovation will bear the entire cost of soliciting proxies from you, including
the printing costs of this prospectus and proxy statement and related materials.
In addition to soliciting proxies by mail, Ovation will request banks, brokers
and other record holders to send proxies and proxy material to the beneficial
owners of Ovation securities and secure their voting instructions. Ovation will
reimburse such record holders for their reasonable expenses in so doing.
Ovation intends to use several of its officers and regular employees, who will
not be specially compensated, to solicit proxies from stockholders, either
personally or by telephone, telegram, facsimile or electronic or United States
mail.
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RECORD DATE AND VOTING RIGHTS
Ovation's board of directors has selected the close of business on March 8,
1999 as the record date for the special meeting. Under the Delaware General
Corporation Law and Ovation's bylaws, only holders of record of shares of
Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock on the record date will be
entitled to notice of and to vote at the special meeting. 23,971,756 shares of
Ovation common stock and 240,000 shares of Ovation preferred stock are entitled
to vote at the special meeting. On the record date, there were 26 record
holders of Ovation common stock and 3 record holders of Ovation preferred
stock.
Each share of Ovation common stock entitles its holder to one vote and each
share of Ovation preferred stock entitles its holder to 50 votes. The
affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power attributable to the
outstanding shares of Ovation common stock and Ovation preferred stock, voting
together as a class, is required to adopt the merger agreement and approve the
related transactions.
Shares of Ovation common stock and Ovation preferred stock present in
person at the special meeting but not voting, and shares of Ovation common stock
and Ovation preferred stock for which Ovation has received proxies but with
respect to which holders of such shares have abstained, will be counted as
present at the special meeting for purposes of determining the presence of a
quorum for transacting business. Brokers who hold shares of Ovation common
stock or Ovation preferred stock in nominee or street name for customers who are
the beneficial owners of such shares are prohibited from giving a proxy to vote
shares held for such customers with respect to the matters to be voted upon at
the special meeting without specific instructions from such customers. Shares
represented by proxies returned by a broker holding such shares in street name
will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists, even if
such shares are not voted in matters where discretionary voting by the broker is
not allowed.
Several directors, executive officers and stockholders of Ovation have
entered into voting agreements with McLeodUSA by which such persons have agreed
to vote their shares in favor of the merger agreement and against any competing
transaction. The 22,478,894 shares of Ovation common stock and 234,000 shares
of Ovation preferred stock subject to these agreements represent approximately
94% of the voting power attributable to the shares entitled to vote at the
special meeting. Consequently, adoption of the merger agreement and approval of
the merger is assured.
For additional information about beneficial ownership of Ovation common
stock and Ovation preferred stock by stockholders owning more than 5% of the
Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock and by directors and executive
officers of Ovation, see "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management of Ovation."
RECOMMENDATION OF OVATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ovation's board of directors has determined that the merger is fair to and
in the best interests of Ovation and you, and, therefore, has approved the
merger agreement. OVATION'S BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR
ADOPTION OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT. See "The Merger--Recommendation of Ovation's
Board of Directors and Reasons for the Merger."
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THE MERGER
GENERAL
The boards of directors of McLeodUSA, Ovation and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation have each unanimously approved the merger agreement, which provides
for the merger of Ovation with and into Bravo Acquisition Corporation, with
Bravo Acquisition Corporation as the surviving corporation of the merger. In
the merger, each share of Ovation preferred stock that you own would be
converted into the right to receive an amount of cash, and each share of Ovation
common stock that you own would be converted, at your election, into the right
to receive an amount of cash or shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock
determined immediately prior to consummation of the merger in accordance with
formulas specified in the merger agreement, as described under "Terms of the
Merger Agreement and Related Transactions--Conversion of Ovation Preferred Stock
and Ovation Common Stock; Treatment of Options." Fractional shares of McLeodUSA
Class A common stock will not be issued in the merger, and Ovation stockholders
otherwise entitled to a fractional share would be paid in cash for such
fractional share, in the manner described under "Terms of the Merger Agreement
and Related Transactions--Exchange of Certificates."
BACKGROUND OF THE MERGER
On May 7, 1998, Steve Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer of
McLeodUSA and John Wray, Vice President for Corporate Development of McLeodUSA,
telephoned Paul Thibeau, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Ovation to
initiate discussions between the two companies, potentially leading to a
mutually beneficial business combination.
On June 17, 1998, David Boatner, Group Vice President at McLeodUSA, met
with Tim Devine, Chief Executive Officer of Ovation and expressed continued
interest in developing a relationship between the two companies. A meeting was
scheduled for July 7, 1998.
On June 24, 1998, Ken Kirley, Ovation's General Counsel, forwarded a
nondisclosure agreement to Mr. Boatner. On June 29, 1998, the parties entered
into a nondisclosure agreement.
The July 7, 1998 meeting was subsequently rescheduled to August 13, 1998
when Messrs. Gray, Boatner and Wray met with Mr. Devine, Scott Rediger, Senior
Vice President of Business Development of Ovation and Nick Lenoci, Ovation's
Chief Operating Officer, at the McLeodUSA headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to
discuss the respective companies' history and business plans.
From August 13, 1998 through October 13, 1998, numerous discussions were
held between Messrs. Gray and Devine.
On October 13, 1998, Messrs. Gray, Boatner and Wray traveled to Ovation's
headquarters located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, toured the facilities and each
of the parties agreed that it was desirable to pursue further discussions
concerning a possible business relationship. Such discussions were primarily
held between Messrs. Gray and Devine via the telephone over the next two weeks.
On October 26, 1998, Mr. Wray requested certain financial information
concerning Ovation from Mr. Devine. Such information was delivered to Mr. Wray
the following month. Throughout this time, telephone conversations between
Messrs. Gray and Devine continued.
On December 17, 1998, Clark McLeod, McLeodUSA's Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, Mr. Gray, J. Lyle Patrick, Group Vice President and Chief
Financial and Accounting Officer for
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McLeodUSA, Mr. Wray and Tracy Millard, Director of Corporate Development for
McLeodUSA, traveled to Chicago, Illinois to tour Ovation's Chicago facilities
and meet with Messrs. Devine, Rediger and Charles Osborne, Ovation's Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer. Ovation's principal stockholder,
Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership, was represented by Jim
Wade, General Partner, and Peter Claudy, Partner. Extensive discussions took
place at this meeting and negotiations to combine the two companies commenced.
On December 22 and 23, 1998, conference calls between Ovation,
Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership and McLeodUSA were held to
discuss the specific issues related to the proposed merger transaction. On
December 23, 1998 the two parties reached agreement on the substantive points of
the transaction contingent on negotiating an acceptable definitive merger
agreement, stockholders' agreement and obtaining board of director approval. It
was determined that all parties would work toward execution of a definitive
merger agreement by January 7, 1999.
Significant negotiations and discussions ensued between Ovation and
McLeodUSA and their respective legal counsel on the terms of the proposed merger
agreement.
On December 29, 1998 and December 30, 1998 various McLeodUSA
representatives met with members of the Ovation management team in Minneapolis,
Minnesota to review Ovation and its operations.
Extensive negotiations continued between the parties concerning the terms
of a possible business combination between Ovation and McLeodUSA.
On January 7, 1999, the parties resolved all terms of the merger agreement
and a stockholders' agreement and the merger agreement was executed by all
parties.
After the merger agreement was signed on January 7, 1999, McLeodUSA and
Ovation each issued a press release announcing the execution of the merger
agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.
RECOMMENDATION OF OVATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND REASONS FOR THE MERGER
OVATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS BELIEVES THAT THE MERGER IS FAIR TO, AND IN
THE BEST INTERESTS OF, OVATION AND THE OVATION STOCKHOLDERS. ACCORDINGLY,
OVATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND
UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT OVATION STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE
MERGER AGREEMENT AND THE APPROVAL OF THE MERGER AND THE TRANSACTIONS
CONTEMPLATED BY THE MERGER AGREEMENT.
In making its decision to approve the merger agreement and to recommend to
the holders of Ovation common stock and Ovation preferred stock that they vote
their shares in favor of adoption of the merger agreement, Ovation's board of
directors considered a number of factors, including, among others, the following
material considerations:
. the directors' familiarity with and review of the business, financial
condition and result of operations of Ovation, Ovation's competitive
position in its business, and other financial information and general
economic conditions
. the advantages of a strategic combination with McLeodUSA in enhancing
Ovation's product and service offerings, growth prospects and
competitive position
. the possible alternatives to the merger including, among others,
continuing to operate Ovation as an independent entity and the
associated risks
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. the historical valuations of Ovation preferred stock and Ovation
common stock relative to the value represented by the consideration to
be received in the merger
. the anticipated costs associated with pursuing other strategic
alternatives
. the directors' belief that the consideration payable in the merger
represented the highest value per share that could be negotiated with
McLeodUSA
. the timing of the transaction and premiums currently reported to be
obtained in comparable transactions
. that shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock are traded on The Nasdaq
Stock Market while there is no established market for shares of
Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock
. the proposed structure of the transaction, including its tax-free
nature
. the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, including, among
others, the right of Ovation's board of directors in certain
circumstances to terminate the merger agreement, and the financial
consequences of such termination
. the financial condition of McLeodUSA
Ovation's board of directors also recognized that holders of Ovation common
stock will be entitled to receive shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in
the merger, and that this would allow such holders the opportunity to
participate in the benefits, if any, of increases in the value of McLeodUSA's
business and properties following the merger. Accordingly, Ovation's board of
directors gave consideration to McLeodUSA's future prospects, as well as its
historical results of operations.
Ovation's board of directors did not assign relative weights to the
foregoing factors or determine that any factor was of specific importance
relative to any other factor. Rather, Ovation's board of directors viewed its
position and recommendation as being based on the totality of the information
presented to it and considered by it.
INTERESTS OF OVATION MANAGEMENT IN THE MERGER
Several members of Ovation's management and Ovation's board of directors
may be deemed to have interests in the merger that are in addition to their
interests as Ovation stockholders generally. Ovation's board of directors was
aware of these interests and considered them, among other matters, in approving
the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby.
EMPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS. It is expected that McLeodUSA would enter into an
agreement to employ Timothy T. Devine, President, Chief Executive Officer and a
Director of Ovation, on an at will basis beginning at the effective time of the
merger. It is expected that Mr. Devine would receive a base salary of $180,000
and would be entitled to earn an annual bonus of up to approximately $90,000
based on the financial performance of McLeodUSA.
In addition, it is expected that Mr. Devine would receive options to
purchase 150,000 shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock that would vest at a
rate of 25% per year over a period of four years, and that Mr. Devine would
enter into a confidentiality, nonsolicitation and noncompetition agreement with
McLeodUSA by which he would agree not to compete with McLeodUSA in areas where
it provides telecommunications services for a period of two years after his
employment ends. In the event Mr. Devine's employment ended sooner than two
years after the effective time of the
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merger as the result of a termination for cause or a voluntary resignation, his
options would cease to vest and the Mr. Devine's agreement not to compete with
McLeodUSA would remain in effect. In the event his employment ended sooner than
two years as the result of a mutual agreement or the unilateral decision or
action of McLeodUSA, he would receive a severance payment equal to one year of
compensation, his agreement not to compete with McLeodUSA would remain in effect
and the vesting of options would continue during the period of his
noncompetition obligation.
It is expected that Mr. Devine would also sign an agreement not to sell
the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock he receives in the merger for a
period of two years after the effective time of the merger.
Finally, it is expected that McLeodUSA would enter into a change-of-
control agreement with Mr. Devine which would provide generally that if,
following a change of control of McLeodUSA, his employment is terminated other
than for cause, death, disability or retirement, or if he resigns following a
material reduction in duties or compensation, he would be entitled to (1) a
payment equal to two years of compensation, (2) acceleration of the vesting of
all of his outstanding options to purchase McLeodUSA Class A common stock, and
(3) continuation of the employer-paid portion of health insurance for two years
or the statutory allowable period, if he elects to continue coverage.
It is expected that McLeodUSA also would enter into agreements to employ
Nicholas Lenoci, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of Ovation, Charles M. Osborne,
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Ovation, Scott A. Rediger, Senior Vice
President of Business Development of Ovation, and Paul N. Thibeau, Vice
President--Sales and Marketing of Ovation, on an at will basis following the
effective time of the merger. It is expected that Messrs. Lenoci, Osborne,
Rediger and Thibeau would receive starting bonuses in amounts not yet
determined, base compensation of $135,000, $135,000, $135,000 and $115,000,
respectively, and annual bonuses of up to approximately $65,000, $65,000,
$65,000 and $40,000, respectively, based on the financial performance of
McLeodUSA. In addition, it is expected that Mr. Rediger would receive options
to purchase 100,000 shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock, Messrs. Lenoci and
Osborne would each receive options to purchase 70,000 shares of McLeodUSA Class
A common stock, and Mr. Thibeau would receive options to purchase 40,000 shares
of McLeodUSA Class A common stock. Such options would vest at a rate of 25% per
year over a period of four years. It is expected that McLeodUSA also would
enter into an agreement to employ Kenneth A. Kirley, General Counsel of Ovation,
on terms similar to those described above, at a base and bonus compensation yet
to be determined.
It is expected that each of these individuals would also sign
confidentiality, nonsolicitation and noncompetition agreements with McLeodUSA
similar to the confidentiality, nonsolicitation and noncompetition agreement
expected to be executed by Mr. Devine, except the term of the obligation not to
compete with McLeodUSA and the basis for calculating severance compensation
would be one year.
It is expected that Messrs. Lenoci, Osborne and Rediger would also sign
an agreement not to sell the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock they
receive in the merger for a period of one year after the effective time of the
merger.
The exercise price for all of the options described above would be
established in accordance with McLeodUSA's 1996 employee stock option plan as
the higher of the fair market value of the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock on the trading day immediately preceding the grant date or the average
trading value of such stock during the thirty trading days immediately preceding
the grant date. All options would be subject to the terms of McLeodUSA's 1996
employee stock option plan.
STOCK-BASED RIGHTS. Messrs. Devine, Rediger, Kirley, Thibeau, Lenoci and
Osborne currently own 1,555,315 shares, 614,544 shares, 248,000 shares, 148,800
shares, 383,000 shares and 325,000 shares of Ovation common stock, respectively.
Each of these individuals' shares of Ovation common stock would be converted in
the merger, at their election, into either an amount of cash or a
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number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock as determined by the merger
agreement. Messrs. Devine, Rediger, Lenoci, Osborne and Kirley have each elected
to receive McLeodUSA Class A common stock in exchange for their shares of
Ovation common stock. If the merger had occurred on March 9, 1999, the number of
shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock that by Messrs. Devine, Rediger,
Lenoci, Osborne and Kirley would receive in the merger is 557,342 shares,
220,220 shares, 137,247 shares, 116,463 shares and 88,870 shares, respectively.
If Mr. Thibeau elects to receive shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in
exchange for his Ovation common stock, he would receive 53,322 shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock in accordance with the merger agreement,
calculated as if the merger had occurred on March 9, 1999.
In accordance with a stockholders' agreement dated January 7, 1999 among
M/C Investors L.L.C., Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership
(together, "M/C") and Ovation, Ovation must reserve for issuance 1,341,095
shares of Ovation common stock. This agreement grants Timothy T. Devine and
Scott A. Rediger the option, upon a sale of Ovation, to purchase (pro rata based
on their relative ownership of Ovation common stock at the time of the sale of
Ovation) any such shares that are neither outstanding nor subject to any options
or rights held by existing or former employees of Ovation. Under this
agreement, Timothy T. Devine and Scott A. Rediger will have the right to
purchase approximately 79,889 and 31,566 shares of Ovation common stock,
respectively, at the time of the merger for a price of $.40 per share.
INDEMNIFICATION; DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS INSURANCE. McLeodUSA has agreed
that for the period from the effective time of the merger until at least six
years after the effective time, (1) it will cause the surviving corporation of
the merger to maintain Ovation's current directors' and officers' insurance and
indemnification policy and related arrangements, or an equivalent policy and
related arrangements, for all present and former directors and officers of
Ovation, covering claims made and insurable events occurring prior to or within
six years after the effective time of the merger, provided that the surviving
corporation of the merger will not be required to maintain such policy except to
the extent that the aggregate annual cost of maintaining such policy is not in
excess of 200% of the current annual cost, in which case the surviving
corporation of the merger will maintain such policies up to an annual cost of
200% of the current annual cost; and (2) it will cause the surviving corporation
of the merger to maintain indemnification provisions, including, without
limitation, provisions for expense advances, for present and former officers and
directors in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the surviving
corporation of the merger to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law.
McLeodUSA has also agreed to, or to cause the surviving corporation of
the merger to, indemnify and hold harmless, from and after the effective time of
the merger, to the full extent that the surviving corporation of the merger or
McLeodUSA would be permitted by applicable law, each present or former officer
or director of Ovation against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs,
expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any
claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation to which such person is, or is
threatened to be made, a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was
a director, officer, employee or agent of Ovation, or is or was serving at the
request of Ovation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity, except that
neither Ovation nor McLeodUSA or the surviving corporation of the merger will be
liable for any settlement effected without its prior written consent, which
consent may not be unreasonably withheld.
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT
The merger is expected to be accounted for using the purchase method of
accounting. McLeodUSA will be deemed the acquiror for financial reporting
purposes. Under the purchase method of accounting, the purchase price in the
merger is allocated among Ovation assets acquired and Ovation liabilities
assumed to the extent of their fair market value, with any excess purchase price
being allocated to goodwill. Due to the expected significant amount of goodwill
to be acquired
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in the merger, the purchase method of accounting and the related amortization of
goodwill may have a material effect on McLeodUSA's financial statements.
LISTING ON THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET
McLeodUSA has agreed to cause the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock
issued in the merger to be approved for listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market.
GOVERNMENTAL AND REGULATORY APPROVALS
Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended
(the "HSR Act"), the merger may not be consummated until notifications have been
given and certain information has been furnished to the Federal Trade Commission
and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (the "Antitrust
Division") and specified waiting period requirements have been satisfied.
McLeodUSA and Ovation filed premerger notification and report forms with the FTC
and the Antitrust Division on February 10 and 11, 1999, respectively, and were
granted early termination of the waiting period by the FTC on March 11, 1999.
At any time before or after the effective time of the merger, however, the
Antitrust Division, the FTC or a private person or entity could seek under
antitrust laws, among other things, to enjoin the merger or to cause McLeodUSA
to divest itself, in whole or in part, of the surviving corporation of the
merger or of certain businesses conducted by the surviving corporation of the
merger. There can be no assurance that a challenge to the merger will not be
made or that, if such a challenge is made, McLeodUSA will prevail. The
obligations of McLeodUSA and Ovation to consummate the merger are subject to the
condition that the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act will have expired
without action by the Antitrust Division or the FTC to prevent consummation of
the merger. See "Terms of the Merger Agreement and Related Transactions--
Conditions to Consummation of the Merger" and "Terms of the Merger Agreement and
Related Transactions--Termination of the Merger Agreement; Effects of
Termination."
In connection with the merger, McLeodUSA will be required to submit
regulatory notices and may be required to take further actions before one or
more federal or state regulatory agencies. In some instances, these regulatory
notices and/or actions are required to be filed or taken in advance of the
effective time of the merger. In addition, while not required, McLeodUSA
intends to provide courtesy notices prior to the effective time of the merger to
a number of government entities that have issued licenses, certifications and
similar telecommunications regulatory approvals to McLeodUSA and its
subsidiaries. McLeodUSA and Ovation believe that any material regulatory
approvals will be obtained in the normal course; however, there can be no
assurance that all such approvals will be obtained by the effective time of the
merger. McLeodUSA and Ovation are aware of no other governmental or regulatory
approvals required for consummation of the merger, other than compliance with
applicable federal and state communications and securities laws.
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following discussion is a summary of the material United States federal
income tax consequences of the merger to a stockholder of Ovation holding shares
of Ovation common stock or Ovation preferred stock as a capital asset within the
meaning of Section 1221 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code"), at the effective time of the merger.
This discussion does not address all aspects of federal taxation that may
be relevant to particular stockholders of Ovation in light of their personal
circumstances or to stockholders of Ovation subject to special treatment under
the Code, including, without limitation, banks, tax-exempt organizations,
insurance companies, dealers in securities or foreign currencies, stockholders
who received their Ovation stock through the exercise of employee stock options
or otherwise as compensation, stockholders who are not U.S. persons and
stockholders who hold
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Ovation stock as part of a hedge, straddle or conversion transaction. In
addition, the discussion does not address any state, local or foreign tax
consequences of the merger.
Finally, the tax consequences to holders of stock options or restricted
stock are not discussed. The discussion is based on the Code, the United States
Department of Treasury regulations and administrative rulings and court
decisions as of the date of this prospectus and proxy statement, all of which
are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effects, and which are subject
to differing interpretations. No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS
concerning the tax consequences of the merger. Ovation stockholders are urged
to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the merger to
them, including the effects of United States federal, state, local, foreign and
other tax laws.
Tax Opinions. Edwards & Angell, LLP, counsel to Ovation, has delivered to
Ovation an opinion, dated February 4, 1999, to the effect that, for United
States federal income tax purposes and subject to the assumptions, limitations,
qualifications and other considerations described below under "--Federal Income
Tax Consequences--Considerations with Respect to Opinions," the merger will
constitute a reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes within the
meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, and McLeodUSA, Bravo Acquisition
Corporation and Ovation will each be a party to such reorganization within the
meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code.
The obligations of McLeodUSA and Ovation to consummate the merger are
conditioned upon the receipt of legal opinions from their respective counsels
concerning the federal income tax treatment of the merger.
Tax Consequences of the Merger. In accordance with Edwards & Angell, LLP's
tax opinion regarding the treatment of the merger as a reorganization within the
meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, subject to the assumptions, limitations,
qualifications and other considerations described below under "--Federal Income
Tax Consequences--Considerations with Respect to Opinions," in the opinion of
Edwards & Angell, LLP:
(1) no gain or loss will be recognized by an Ovation stockholder as a
result of the receipt solely of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in
exchange for such stockholder's Ovation common stock, except to the extent
of any cash received in lieu of fractional shares;
(2) an Ovation stockholder who receives cash as consideration for such
stockholder's Ovation common stock, whether in whole or in part, will
recognize gain equal to the lesser of (a) the difference between (i) the
fair market value of the McLeodUSA Class A common stock and the amount of
cash received in the merger and (ii) the stockholder's tax basis in the
Ovation common stock exchanged (assuming the Ovation common stock was held
by such stockholder as a capital asset) or (b) the amount of cash received
for the Ovation common stock;
(3) an Ovation stockholder who receives cash in lieu of a fractional
share of McLeodUSA Class A common stock will be treated as if such
stockholder received such fractional share and then sold such share back to
McLeodUSA. Such stockholder will recognize gain or loss on the sale of the
fractional share equal to the difference between (a) the amount of cash
received for such fractional share and (b) the stockholder's tax basis in
such fractional share;
(4) an Ovation stockholder's tax basis in the McLeodUSA Class A common
stock received in the merger in respect of Ovation common stock will
initially be (a) equal to such stockholder's tax basis in the Ovation
common stock immediately prior to the merger, (b) increased by the amount
of gain recognized
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<PAGE>
in the merger under paragraph (2) above, (c) reduced by the amount of cash
received for the Ovation common stock in accordance with paragraph (2)
above and (d) reduced by the amount of basis allocable to the fractional
share (as described in paragraph (3) above);
(5) an Ovation stockholder's holding period for McLeodUSA Class A
common stock received pin accordance with the merger will include the
holding period of the Ovation common stock for which it was exchanged,
assuming such Ovation common stock was held as a capital asset; and
(6) an Ovation stockholder who receives cash as consideration for such
stockholder's Ovation preferred stock will recognize gain or loss measured
by the difference between the amount of cash received in the merger and the
stockholder's tax basis in the Ovation preferred stock surrendered,
assuming the Ovation preferred stock was held by such stockholder as a
capital asset.
Considerations with Respect to Opinions. The tax opinions of Edwards &
Angell, LLP and Hogan & Hartson L.L.P. and the foregoing summary of the U.S.
federal income tax consequences of the merger are and will be subject to
assumptions, limitations and qualifications and are based on current law and,
among other things, representations of Ovation and McLeodUSA, including
representations made by the respective managements of Ovation and McLeodUSA.
You should refer to the full text of Edwards & Angell, LLP's tax opinion, a copy
of which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which
this prospectus and proxy statement forms a part, for a complete description of
the assumptions made and matters considered in connection with such tax opinion.
Opinions of counsel are not binding on the IRS and do not preclude the IRS from
adopting a contrary position. In addition, if any of such representations or
assumptions are inconsistent with the actual facts, the U.S. federal income tax
consequences of the merger could be adversely affected.
ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE STRONGLY URGED TO CONSULT WITH YOUR TAX ADVISORS WITH
RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR UNITED STATES FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL OR FOREIGN INCOME
TAX OR OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE MERGER TO YOU.
RESTRICTIONS ON RESALES BY AFFILIATES
The McLeodUSA Class A common stock to be issued to Ovation stockholders in
the merger will be freely transferable under the Securities Act of 1933, except
for shares issued to any person who may be deemed to be an "affiliate" of
Ovation within the meaning of Rule 145 under the Securities Act or who will
become an "affiliate" of McLeodUSA within the meaning of Rule 144 under the
Securities Act after the merger. Shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock
received by persons who are deemed to be Ovation affiliates or who become
McLeodUSA affiliates may be resold by such persons only in transactions
permitted by the limited resale provisions of Rule 145 or as otherwise permitted
under the Securities Act. Persons who may be deemed to be affiliates of Ovation
generally include individuals or entities that, directly or indirectly through
one or more intermediaries, control, are controlled by or are under common
control with Ovation and may include officers, directors and principal
stockholders of Ovation. All Ovation stockholders who may be deemed to be
affiliates of Ovation will be so advised prior to the effective time of the
merger.
It is a condition to the consummation of the merger that McLeodUSA receive
an affiliate agreement from each affiliate of Ovation prior to the effective
time of the merger by which each such Ovation affiliate will undertake not to
make any sale of McLeodUSA Class A common stock received upon consummation of
the merger in violation of the Securities Act or the rules and
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regulations promulgated thereunder. Generally, this will require that such sales
be made in accordance with Rule 145 under the Securities Act, which in turn
requires that, for specified periods, such sales be made in compliance with the
volume limitations, manner of sale provisions and current information
requirements of Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
The certificates evidencing McLeodUSA Class A common stock issued to
Ovation affiliates in the merger will bear a legend summarizing the foregoing
restrictions until a sale, transfer or other disposition of such McLeodUSA Class
A common stock has been registered under the Securities Act or is made in
compliance with Rule 145 under the Securities Act.
Persons who are not affiliates of Ovation may generally sell their
McLeodUSA Class A common stock without restrictions and without the necessity to
deliver this prospectus and proxy statement.
APPRAISAL RIGHTS OF DISSENTING STOCKHOLDERS
If you are an Ovation stockholder who does not vote in favor of the merger
agreement and who properly demands appraisal of your shares of Ovation common
stock or Ovation preferred stock, you will be entitled to appraisal rights in
connection with the merger under Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law.
The following discussion only applies to Ovation stockholders who wish to
dissent from the merger. Only a holder of record of Ovation shares may exercise
appraisal rights.
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS NOT A COMPLETE STATEMENT OF THE LAW PERTAINING
TO APPRAISAL RIGHTS UNDER THE DELAWARE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW AND IS QUALIFIED
IN ITS ENTIRETY BY THE FULL TEXT OF SECTION 262 WHICH IS ATTACHED AS APPENDIX B
TO THIS PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENT. ALL REFERENCES IN SECTION 262 AND IN
THIS SUMMARY TO A STOCKHOLDER ARE TO THE RECORD HOLDER OF THE SHARES AS TO WHICH
APPRAISAL RIGHTS ARE ASSERTED. A PERSON HAVING A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN SHARES
HELD OF RECORD IN THE NAME OF ANOTHER PERSON, SUCH AS A BROKER OR NOMINEE, MUST
ACT PROMPTLY TO CAUSE THE RECORD HOLDER TO FOLLOW THE STEPS SUMMARIZED BELOW IN
A PROPER AND TIMELY MANNER TO PERFECT APPRAISAL RIGHTS.
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, if you follow the procedures
set forth in Section 262, you will be entitled to have your Ovation shares
appraised by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive payment of the fair
value of your shares, exclusive of any element of value arising from the
accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with a fair rate of
interest, as determined by the Court. The merger agreement provides that, to
the extent permissible under the Delaware General Corporation Law, no such
consideration will be paid until you have surrendered certificates for such
shares to the exchange agent in the merger.
Under Section 262, where a merger is to be submitted for approval at a
meeting of stockholders, as in the case of the special meeting, the corporation,
not less than 20 days prior to the meeting, must notify each of its stockholders
entitled to appraisal rights that appraisal rights are available and include in
the notice a copy of Section 262. This prospectus and proxy statement will
constitute such notice to the stockholders, and the applicable statutory
provisions are attached as Appendix B to this prospectus and proxy statement.
If you wish to exercise appraisal rights or to preserve your right to do so, you
should review the following discussion and Appendix B carefully. If you fail to
timely and properly comply with the procedures specified, you will lose your
appraisal rights.
If you wish to exercise appraisal rights, you must:
(1) deliver to Ovation, before the vote on the merger at the special
meeting, a written demand for appraisal
(2) not vote in favor of the merger
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(3) continuously hold of record your shares from the date of
delivering a demand for appraisal through the effective time of
the merger
To not vote in favor of the merger, you can either (a) vote "no" in person
or by proxy, (b) fail to vote or (c) abstain from voting. However, if you vote
in favor of the merger agreement, by proxy or in person, or return a signed
proxy that does not contain voting instructions and do not revoke it, you will
waive your right of appraisal and nullify any previously filed written demand
for appraisal. A vote against the merger, in person or by proxy, will not in
and of itself constitute a written demand for appraisal satisfying the
requirements of Section 262. If you fail to comply with any of these conditions
and the merger becomes effective, you will lose your appraisal rights and
receive instead the merger consideration you are entitled to in accordance with
the merger agreement.
Only a holder of record of Ovation shares may assert appraisal rights for
the shares registered in his name. A demand for appraisal should be executed by
or on behalf of the holder of record, fully and correctly, as the holder of
record's name appears on his stock certificates. It must also state that the
holder of record intends to demand appraisal of his shares in connection with
the merger. If the shares are owned of record in a fiduciary capacity, such as
by a trustee, guardian or custodian, execution of the demand should be made in
that capacity. If the shares are owned of record by more than one person, as in
a joint tenancy and tenancy in common, the demand should be executed by or on
behalf of all joint owners. An authorized agent, including two or more joint
owners, may execute a demand for appraisal on behalf of a holder of record.
However, the agent must identify the record owner or owners and expressly
disclose the fact that, in executing the demand, the agent is agent for such
owner or owners.
A record holder such as a broker who holds shares as nominee for several
beneficial owners may exercise appraisal rights with respect to the shares held
for one or more beneficial owners without exercising appraisal rights with
respect to the shares held for other beneficial owners. If you hold your shares
in brokerage accounts or other nominee forms and wish to exercise appraisal
rights, you should consult your broker to determine the appropriate procedures
for making a demand for appraisal.
ALL WRITTEN DEMANDS FOR APPRAISAL UNDER SECTION 262 SHOULD BE SENT OR
DELIVERED TO OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC., 400 SOUTH HIGHWAY 169, SUITE 750,
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55426, ATTENTION: CORPORATE SECRETARY.
Within 10 days after the effective time of the merger, the surviving
corporation of the merger must notify each holder of shares who has complied
with Section 262 and has not voted in favor of or consented to the merger of the
date that the merger has become effective. At any time within 60 days after the
effective time of the merger, you have the right to withdraw your demand for
appraisal and to accept the consideration offered in the merger. Within 120
days after the effective time of the merger, but not after that time, the
surviving corporation of the merger or any holder of shares who is entitled to
appraisal rights may file a petition in the Delaware Court of Chancery demanding
a determination of the fair value of the dissenting shares. The surviving
corporation of the merger is under no obligation to file this petition and
McLeodUSA has no present intention to cause the surviving corporation of the
merger to do so. Accordingly, it is the obligation of the holders of shares to
initiate all necessary action to perfect appraisal rights within the time
prescribed in Section 262.
Within 120 days after the effective time of the merger, if you have
complied with the requirements for exercise of appraisal rights, you will be
entitled, upon written request, to receive from the surviving corporation of the
merger a statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares not voted in
favor of the merger as to which demands for appraisal have been received and the
aggregate number of holders of those shares. The surviving corporation of the
merger must mail this statement to you within 10 days after it receives a
written request from you or within 10 days after the expiration of the period
for delivery of demands for appraisal, whichever is later.
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If a petition for an appraisal is timely filed by a holder of shares and a
copy is served upon the surviving corporation of the merger, the surviving
corporation of the merger will then be obligated within 20 days to file with the
Delaware Register in Chancery a duly verified list containing the names and
addresses of all holders of shares who have demanded an appraisal of their
shares and with whom agreements as to the value of their shares have not been
reached. After notice to these stockholders as required by the Court, the
Delaware Court of Chancery may conduct a hearing on this petition to determine
those holders of shares who have complied with Section 262 and who have become
entitled to appraisal rights. The Delaware Court of Chancery may require the
holders of shares who demanded appraisal to submit their stock certificates to
the Register in Chancery for notation of the pendency of the appraisal
proceeding. If you fail to comply with this direction, the Court of Chancery
may dismiss the proceedings as to you.
After determining the holders of shares entitled to appraisal, the Delaware
Court of Chancery will appraise the fair value of their shares, exclusive of any
element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger,
together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid upon the amount
determined to be the fair value. YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE FAIR VALUE OF
YOUR SHARES AS DETERMINED BY SECTION 262 COULD BE MORE THAN, THE SAME AS OR LESS
THAN THE CONSIDERATION YOU WOULD RECEIVE IN THE MERGER IF YOU DID NOT SEEK
APPRAISAL OF YOUR SHARES.
Section 262 provides that fair value is to be "exclusive of any element of
value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger." The
Delaware Supreme Court has stated, in Cede & Co. v. Technicolor, Inc., 684 A.2d
289, 299 (Del. 1996), that this "narrow exclusion does not encompass known
elements of value, including those which exist on the date of the merger because
of a majority acquiror's interim acquisition in a two-step cash-out
transaction." In Weinberger v. Uop, Inc., 457 A.2d 701 (Del. 1983), the
Delaware Supreme Court held that "elements of future value, including the nature
of the enterprise, which are known or susceptible of proof as of the date of the
merger and not the product of speculation, may be considered." The Delaware
Supreme Court has stated that "proof of value by any techniques or methods which
are generally considered acceptable in the financial community and otherwise
admissible in court" should be considered in the appraisal proceedings.
In addition, Delaware courts have decided that the statutory appraisal
remedy, depending on factual circumstances, may or may not be a dissenter's
exclusive remedy. The Court of Chancery will also determine the amount of
interest, if any, to be paid upon the amounts to be received by persons whose
shares have been appraised. The costs of the action may be determined by the
Court and taxed upon the parties as the Court deems equitable. The Court may
also order that all or a portion of the expenses incurred by any stockholder in
connection with an appraisal, including, without limitation, reasonable
attorneys' fees and the fees and expenses of experts utilized in the appraisal
proceeding, be charged pro rata against the value of all the shares entitled to
be appraised.
If you have duly demanded an appraisal in compliance with Section 262, you
will not, after the effective time of the merger, be entitled to vote your
shares for any purpose or be entitled to the payment of dividends or other
distributions on those shares, except dividends or other distributions payable
to holders of record of shares as of a date prior to the effective time of the
merger.
If you demand appraisal of your shares under Section 262 but fail to
perfect, or effectively withdraw or lose, your right to appraisal, your shares
will be converted into the right to receive the merger consideration you are
entitled to under the merger agreement, without interest. You will fail to
perfect, or effectively lose or withdraw, your right to appraisal if no petition
for appraisal is filed within 120 days after the effective time of the merger,
or if you deliver to Ovation or the surviving corporation of the merger a
written withdrawal of your demand for appraisal and an acceptance of the merger.
However, any attempt to withdraw made more than 60 days after the effective time
of the merger will require the written approval of the surviving corporation of
the merger and, once a petition for appraisal is filed, the appraisal proceeding
may not be dismissed as to
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any holder absent court approval. It is not necessary that each holder of shares
properly demanding appraisal file a petition for appraisal in the Delaware Court
of Chancery. Rather, a single valid petition suffices for the petitioning and
non-petitioning holders of shares who have properly demanded appraisal.
IF YOU FAIL TO FOLLOW THE STEPS REQUIRED BY SECTION 262 OF THE DELAWARE
GENERAL CORPORATION LAW FOR PERFECTING APPRAISAL RIGHTS, YOU MAY LOSE THESE
RIGHTS. IN THAT CASE, YOU WILL RECEIVE THE MERGER CONSIDERATION YOU ARE ENTITLED
TO IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MERGER AGREEMENT.
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TERMS OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
The following summary of the material terms and provisions of the merger
agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the merger agreement.
The merger agreement is attached as Appendix A to this prospectus and proxy
statement and is considered a part of this document.
GENERAL
The merger agreement provides that Ovation will be merged with and into
Bravo Acquisition Corporation at the effective time of the merger. Following
the merger, Ovation will become a wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA.
Ovation's board of directors has unanimously approved the merger agreement and
the merger. At the effective time of the merger, each outstanding share of
Ovation preferred stock will be converted into the right to receive cash and
each outstanding share of Ovation common stock will be converted, at the
election of the holder thereof, into the right to receive cash, subject to
adjustments, or McLeodUSA Class A common stock, all as more fully described
below.
This section of the prospectus and proxy statement describes aspects of the
merger, including the material provisions of the merger agreement.
STRUCTURE OF THE MERGER
Subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement and in
accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law, at the effective time of
the merger Ovation will merge with and into Bravo Acquisition Corporation.
Bravo Acquisition Corporation will continue its corporate existence under the
laws of the State of Delaware under the name "Ovation Communications, Inc." At
the effective time of the merger, the separate corporate existence of Ovation
will terminate. The certificate of incorporation of Bravo Acquisition
Corporation will become the certificate of incorporation of the surviving
corporation of the merger, except that Article 1 will be amended to change Bravo
Acquisition Corporation's name to "Ovation Communications, Inc." The bylaws of
Bravo Acquisition Corporation will become the bylaws of the surviving
corporation of the merger.
MANAGEMENT AFTER THE MERGER
As discussed in "The Merger--Interests of Ovation Management in the Merger"
on page 25, it is expected that at the effective time of the merger, McLeodUSA
would enter into employment arrangements with Messrs. Devine, Lenoci, Osborne,
Rediger, Kirley and Thibeau. Mr. Devine would become an officer of McLeodUSA
after the merger. The following sets forth biographical information concerning
Mr. Devine:
Mr. Devine (age 39) founded Ovation in March 1997 and has been its
President, Chief Executive Officer and a director since that date. Mr. Devine
has nearly two decades of telecommunications industry experience including his
work with MFS Communications Company, Inc., a competitive local exchange carrier
that is now a part of MCI WorldCom, Sprint, and Contel Corporation's local
telephone group. Before founding Ovation, Mr. Devine was Assistant Vice
President of External and Regulatory Affairs for MFS's southern region from
October 1996 to January 1997. From September 1995 to October 1996, he was
Senior Director of External and Regulatory Affairs for MFS's southern region.
From August 1994 to September 1995, Mr. Devine was Director of External and
Regulatory Affairs for MFS's northeast region. From December 1993 to August
1994, Mr. Devine served as Director of Business Planning for MFS. While at MFS,
Mr. Devine developed the industry's first local broadband LAN Internet-working
services and competitive local dial-tone services. In addition, Mr. Devine
managed over 100 of MFS's collocation
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sites with local exchange carriers beginning in 1989 and negotiated the
industry's first two interconnection agreements in January and April of 1995.
Mr. Devine also negotiated interconnection agreements with NYNEX in New York and
Massachusetts; Southern New England Telephone in Connecticut; Rochester
Telephone in New York; Bell South in Florida and Georgia; Sprint/United in
Florida; Southwestern Bell in Missouri and Texas; and GTE in Florida, Texas and
Virginia. Mr. Devine also testified for MFS as an expert witness in over 20
local exchange service proceedings at the public utilities commissions of New
York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia, Florida and Texas.
Mr. Devine has a Master of Arts degree in Telecommunications Policy from
George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political
Science from Arizona State University.
CONVERSION OF OVATION PREFERRED STOCK AND OVATION
COMMON STOCK; TREATMENT OF OPTIONS
At the effective time of the merger, (1) each issued and outstanding share
of Ovation preferred stock, other than shares held in the treasury of Ovation,
held by McLeodUSA or held by any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
McLeodUSA or Ovation, will be converted into the right to receive in cash,
without interest, the liquidation preference of the Ovation preferred stock,
equal to $100 plus accrued and unpaid dividends on the Ovation preferred stock
as of the effective time of the merger, and (2) each issued and outstanding
share of Ovation common stock, other than shares held in the treasury of
Ovation, held by McLeodUSA or held by any direct or indirect wholly owned
subsidiary of McLeodUSA or Ovation, will be converted into the right to receive,
at the election of the holder thereof and subject to adjustment as described in
"--Election Procedures; Adjustments" below, either:
(a) an amount of cash, without interest, equal to the quotient (the
"Common Stock Cash Amount") of:
(i) $289 million minus the amount required to payoff the subordinated
-----
debt owed by Ovation to M/C ($8,936,435 as of March 9, 1999),
minus the amount to be paid on conversion of the Ovation
-----
preferred stock ($25,948,652 as of March 9, 1999), minus the
-----
costs incurred by Ovation in connection with the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement (estimated at $5,000,000 as
of March 9, 1999)
divided by:
----------
(ii) the number of shares of Ovation common stock validly issued and
outstanding and fully paid and nonassessable at the close of
business on the last business day before the day on which the
merger occurs (23,971,756 as of March 9, 1999); or
(b) a number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock equal to the
quotient (the "Common Stock Exchange Ratio") of:
(i) $289 million minus the amount required to pay off the
-----
subordinated debt owed by Ovation to M/C ($8,936,435 as of March
9, 1999), minus the amount to be paid on conversion of the
-----
Ovation preferred stock ($25,948,652 as of March 9, 1999), minus
-----
the costs incurred by Ovation in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement (estimated at
$5,000,000 as of March 9, 1999)
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divided by:
----------
(ii) $29.00
divided by:
----------
(iii) the number of shares of Ovation common stock validly issued and
outstanding and fully paid and nonassessable at the close of
business on the last business day before the day on which the
merger occurs (23,971,756 as of March 9, 1999).
For example, if the merger had occurred on March 9, 1999 and you owned
1,000 shares of Ovation preferred stock and 10,000 shares of Ovation common
stock, after the merger you would receive (1) $100,000 plus accrued and unpaid
dividends on your Ovation preferred stock in exchange for your Ovation preferred
stock and (2) either $103,920.18 or 3,584 shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock, or a combination of cash and McLeodUSA Class A common stock, in exchange
for your Ovation common stock.
Each share of Ovation preferred stock and each share of Ovation common
stock held in the treasury of Ovation, held by McLeodUSA or held by any direct
or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA or of Ovation will be canceled
and extinguished at the effective time of the merger without the payment of any
consideration. Each share of common stock of Bravo Acquisition Corporation
issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger
will continue to be one share of common stock of the surviving corporation of
the merger, all of which will continue to be held by McLeodUSA.
If, prior to the effective time of the merger, the outstanding shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock are changed into or exchanged for a different
number of shares or a different class as a result of any stock dividend,
subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, split, combination or exchange
of shares, the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Common Stock Cash Amount will
be appropriately and correspondingly adjusted.
Each option to acquire Ovation common stock (collectively, the "Ovation
Stock Options") granted under Ovation's 1997 Stock Option Plan that is
outstanding and unexercised immediately prior to the effective time of the
merger will be assumed by McLeodUSA and at the effective time of the merger will
become or be replaced by an option to purchase McLeodUSA Class A common stock.
In each case, the number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock subject to
the new McLeodUSA option will be equal to the number of shares of Ovation common
stock subject to the Ovation Stock Option, assuming full vesting, multiplied by
the Common Stock Exchange Ratio (and rounding any fractional share up to the
nearest whole share) and the option price per share of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock will be equal to the aggregate exercise price for the shares of Ovation
common stock subject to the Ovation Stock Option divided by the number of shares
of McLeodUSA Class A common stock subject to the new McLeodUSA option. The
duration and other terms of each such McLeodUSA option, including the vesting
schedule, will be the same as the prior Ovation Stock Option.
ELECTION PROCEDURES; ADJUSTMENTS
Each record holder of shares of Ovation common stock immediately prior to
the effective time of the merger will be entitled to elect to receive either
cash or McLeodUSA Class A common stock for each such share of Ovation common
stock, subject to adjustment in certain cases as described below. All such
elections must be made on a form of election to be delivered to the holders of
record of the Ovation common stock as of March 8, 1999. Ovation stockholders
may obtain a copy
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of the form of election by requesting it in writing or by telephone from
McLeodUSA at the following address:
McLeodUSA Incorporated
McLeodUSA Technology Park
6400 C Street SW, P.O. Box 3177
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-3177
Attn: General Counsel
Telephone (319) 364-0000
To be effective, a form of election must be properly completed, signed and
delivered to McLeodUSA after the effectiveness of the registration statement of
which this prospectus and proxy statement forms a part, unless otherwise
permitted by SEC staff interpretations, and prior to the third business day
preceding the Scheduled Closing Date (as defined below) (the "Election
Deadline"). IF MCLEODUSA DOES NOT RECEIVE A PROPERLY COMPLETED AND SIGNED FORM
OF ELECTION FROM A HOLDER OF SHARES OF OVATION COMMON STOCK PRIOR TO THE
ELECTION DEADLINE, SUCH HOLDER WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE ELECTED TO RECEIVE
MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK FOR ALL SHARES OF OVATION COMMON STOCK OWNED BY
SUCH HOLDER. Holders of record of shares of Ovation common stock who hold such
shares as nominees, trustees or in other representative capacities may submit
multiple forms of election, provided such representative certifies that each
such form of election covers all the shares of Ovation common stock held by such
representative for a particular beneficial owner.
If any holder of shares of Ovation common stock who demands appraisal of
his shares fails to perfect, or effectively withdraws or loses, his right to
appraisal, as provided in the Delaware General Corporation Law, and does not
deliver to McLeodUSA a properly completed and signed form of election prior to
the Election Deadline, such holder will be deemed to have elected to receive
McLeodUSA Class A common stock for all shares of Ovation common stock owned by
such holder. See "The Merger--Appraisal Rights of Dissenting
Stockholders."
An election may be revoked or otherwise modified, but only by written
notice of revocation received by McLeodUSA prior to the Election Deadline.
IN MAKING YOUR ELECTION, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE MARKET VALUE OF THE
MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE IN THE MERGER FOR EACH SHARE
OF YOUR OVATION COMMON STOCK. THIS MARKET VALUE MAY BE LESS THAN, EQUAL TO, OR
GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT OF CASH THAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE IF YOU ELECT CASH BECAUSE
THE FORMULA FOR STOCK ELECTIONS USES A FIXED VALUE OF $29.00 PER SHARE OF
MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK WHILE THE ACTUAL MARKET PRICE OF MCLEODUSA CLASS
A COMMON STOCK FLUCTUATES. IN ADDITION, BECAUSE OF SUCH FLUCTUATIONS IN MARKET
PRICE, THE MARKET VALUE OF THE SHARES OF MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK YOU MAY
RECEIVE IN THE MERGER COULD INCREASE OR DECREASE AFTER THE MERGER.
To the extent that the value of the McLeodUSA Class A common stock portion
of the total merger consideration, based upon the closing price of the McLeodUSA
Class A common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market's National Market System on the
last trading day before the day on which the merger occurs (the "McLeodUSA
Common Stock Closing Price"), would be less than 50%, or such lesser percentage,
not below 40%, as Ovation may reasonably determine in connection with the
qualification of the merger as a tax-free reorganization, of the sum of:
. the aggregate value of the total merger consideration, with McLeodUSA
Class A common stock valued for this purpose at the McLeodUSA Common
Stock Closing Price,
plus
----
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<PAGE>
. any amounts paid directly or indirectly by Ovation or McLeodUSA to
purchase or redeem shares of Ovation's capital stock on or after
December 1, 1998,
plus
----
. the product of the number of shares of Ovation capital stock held by
stockholders exercising appraisal rights under Delaware law multiplied
by the Common Stock Cash Amount,
then:
. the McLeodUSA Class A common stock portion of the total merger
consideration will be increased by a number of shares of McLeodUSA
Class A common stock equal to the amount of such deficit in value
divided by the McLeodUSA Common Stock Closing Price and rounded to the
nearest whole share (the "Stock Adjustment Amount"),
. the aggregate Common Stock Cash Amount will be correspondingly reduced
by an amount equal to the product of the Stock Adjustment Amount
multiplied by the McLeodUSA Common Stock Closing Price (the "Cash
Adjustment Amount"), and
. each share of Ovation common stock that the holder thereof has elected
to convert into the right to receive cash in the merger (a "Cash
Election Share") will be converted into the right to receive (1) a
number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock equal to the Stock
Adjustment Amount divided by the total number of Cash Election Shares
and (2) an amount in cash equal to the Common Stock Cash Amount minus
the quotient of the Cash Adjustment Amount divided by the total number
of Cash Election Shares.
AS A RESULT OF THESE ADJUSTMENT PROVISIONS, A CASH ELECTION MAY NOT BE
HONORED WITH RESPECT TO ALL SHARES OF OVATION COMMON STOCK THAT YOU OWN.
ACCORDINGLY, YOU MAY NOT RECEIVE ANY OR ALL OF THE MERGER CONSIDERATION IN THE
FORM YOU REQUESTED.
The following table illustrates the effect of this adjustment procedure on
a stockholder who owns 1,000 shares of Ovation common stock and elects to
receive all cash in the merger. The table is calculated as if the merger had
occurred on March 9, 1999, but uses two hypothetical closing prices for
McLeodUSA Class A common stock on the day before the merger. The table assumes:
. Ovation stockholders will elect to convert 14,135,556 shares of
Ovation common stock into McLeodUSA Class A common stock in the
merger. This number is based on actual elections that McLeodUSA has
received to date
. Ovation stockholders holding the remaining 9,836,200 shares of Ovation
common stock will elect to receive cash for these shares
. neither Ovation nor McLeodUSA have paid any amounts to purchase or
redeem shares of Ovation's capital stock since December 1, 1998
. no Ovation stockholders will exercise appraisal rights
In the table below, total cash consideration before adjustment is calculated by
multiplying the assumed number of cash election shares (9,836,200) by the Common
Stock Cash Amount ($10.39) and adding the amount of cash to be paid to the
holders of Ovation preferred stock ($25,948,652). The value of the total stock
consideration before adjustment is calculated by multiplying the assumed number
of stock election share (14,135,556) by the hypothetical McLeodUSA Common Stock
Closing Price ($29.00 and $20.00). Based on an assumed McLeodUSA Common Stock
Closing Price of $20.00 per share, the value of the total stock consideration
before adjustment would be less then 50% of the value of the total merger
consideration. As a result, in order to satisfy the requirements for a tax-free
reorganization, the total merger consideration would need to be adjusted by
reducing the amount of cash to be paid by $13,421,380 and increasing the number
of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock to be issued by 671,069 shares.
Consequently, each Cash Election Share would be converted into $9.03 in cash and
0.0682 of a share of McLeodUSA Class A common stock instead of $10.39 in cash
and no shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock, as indicated in the table.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shares Of
Value Of Class A
Assumed Total Cash Total Stock Stock Portion Amount Of Amount Common
McLeodUSA Consideration Consideration Of Total Cash Of Cash Stock
Common Stock Before Before Merger Elected By Paid To Issued To
Closing Price Adjustment Adjustment Consideration Stockholder Stockholder Stockholder
- ------------- ---------- ---------- ------------- ----------- ----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
$29.00 $128,166,442 $146,919,315 53.4% $10,392 $10,392 None
$20.00 $128,166,442 $101,323,665 44.2% $10,392 $ 9,028 68
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
In addition, no fractional shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock will be
issued in the merger. If you elect to receive shares of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock, or if your election is adjusted so that you are required to
receive shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock, you will receive cash in lieu
of any fractional shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock. For each fractional
share that would otherwise be issued, you will receive cash in an amount equal
to such fractional share multiplied by the average closing price of McLeodUSA
Class A common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market for the 10 trading days
immediately preceding the day on which the merger occurs. No interest will be
paid or accrue on any cash in lieu of fractional shares payable to you.
39
<PAGE>
EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES
McLeodUSA has agreed to deposit with Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., or
another bank or trust company selected by McLeodUSA, as exchange agent in the
merger for the benefit of the holders of issued and outstanding shares of
Ovation preferred stock and Ovation common stock, certificates representing the
shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock and cash, including cash in lieu of any
fractional shares, to be issued or paid under the merger agreement.
At the earliest practicable date prior to the effective time of the merger,
McLeodUSA will mail a letter of transmittal to each holder of Ovation preferred
stock or Ovation common stock. The letter of transmittal will contain
instructions with respect to the surrender to the exchange agent of your
certificates. Stockholders entitled to receive cash in the merger will receive
such cash amount by check or, if requested, in immediately available funds by
wire transfer.
YOU SHOULD NOT RETURN YOUR STOCK CERTIFICATES WITH THE ENCLOSED PROXY NOR
SHOULD YOU FORWARD THEM TO THE EXCHANGE AGENT UNLESS AND UNTIL YOU RECEIVE THE
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, AT WHICH TIME YOU SHOULD FORWARD THEM ONLY IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS SPECIFIED THEREIN.
Until the certificates representing Ovation common stock to be converted
into McLeodUSA Class A common stock in the merger are surrendered for exchange
at or after the effective time of the merger, holders of such certificates will
accrue but will not be paid dividends or other distributions declared after the
effective time of the merger with respect to McLeodUSA Class A common stock into
which their Ovation common stock has been converted. When such certificates are
surrendered, any unpaid dividends or other distributions will be paid, without
interest. All stock certificates presented after the effective time of the
merger will be canceled and exchanged for the applicable amount of cash and/or
relevant certificate representing the applicable number of shares of McLeodUSA
Class A common stock.
Any shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock and cash that remain
undistributed by the exchange agent six months after the effective time of the
merger will be delivered to McLeodUSA upon demand. Certificates representing
Ovation preferred stock or Ovation common stock must thereafter be surrendered
for exchange to McLeodUSA. None of McLeodUSA, Bravo Acquisition Corporation,
Ovation, the surviving corporation of the merger or the exchange agent will be
liable for any shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock, dividends or
distributions on such stock, or cash delivered to a public official under any
abandoned property, escheat or similar laws.
If a certificate representing Ovation preferred stock or Ovation common
stock has been lost, stolen or destroyed, the exchange agent will issue the
consideration properly payable in accordance with the merger agreement upon the
making of an affidavit of such loss, theft or destruction by the claimant, and,
if required by McLeodUSA, the posting of a bond as indemnity against any claim
that may be made against McLeodUSA, the surviving corporation of the merger or
the exchange agent with respect to such certificate.
For a description of the McLeodUSA Class A common stock and a description
of the differences between the rights of the holders of Ovation common stock, on
the one hand, and holders of McLeodUSA Class A common stock, on the other, see
"McLeodUSA Capital Stock and Comparison of Stockholder Rights."
EFFECTIVE TIME
The merger will occur after the satisfaction or waiver of all of the
conditions precedent set forth in Article VII of the merger agreement. On the
day the merger occurs, McLeodUSA and Ovation will file articles of merger with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The effective time of the
merger will be the date and time of such filing. However, no later than the
first business
40
<PAGE>
day following the tenth day after the satisfaction or waiver of the mutual
conditions to the obligations of all parties to effect the merger contained in
Section 7.01 of the merger agreement, the parties will hold a scheduled closing
(the date of such scheduled closing being referred to herein as the "Scheduled
Closing Date"). If the merger is not consummated by the earlier of the Scheduled
Closing Date or May 1, 1999, the merger agreement may be terminated by either
McLeodUSA or Ovation, unless the failure to consummate the merger by such date
is due to the willful failure of the party seeking to terminate the merger
agreement to fulfill any of its obligations thereunder. See "--Conditions to
Consummation of the Merger." Ovation and McLeodUSA each anticipate that, if the
merger is approved at the special meeting, the merger will be consummated during
the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 1999. However, the consummation of the
merger could be delayed if there is a delay in obtaining governmental consents
required prior to consummation of the transactions contemplated in the merger
agreement. There can be no assurances as to if or when such governmental
consents will be obtained or that the merger will be consummated.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The merger agreement contains various representations of M/C, Timothy T.
Devine, Kenneth A. Kirley, Nicholas Lenoci, Jr., Charles M. Osborne and Scott A.
Rediger, each a stockholder of Ovation (collectively, the "Principal Company
Stockholders"), Ovation, McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation.
Representations and Warranties of Ovation. The merger agreement contains
representations and warranties of Ovation as to, among other things:
. the corporate organization and existence of Ovation and its
subsidiaries, including that each is duly organized, validly existing
and in good standing with the corporate power and authority to own,
operate and lease its properties and to carry on its business as
currently conducted
. ownership by Ovation of all outstanding shares of capital stock of its
subsidiaries
. the certificate or articles of incorporation and bylaws or other
organizational documents of Ovation and its subsidiaries
. the capitalization of Ovation, including the number of shares of
capital stock authorized, the number of shares and rights to acquire
shares outstanding and the number of shares reserved for issuance
. the corporate power and authority of Ovation to execute and deliver
the merger agreement and related documents and to consummate the
transactions contemplated thereby
. the compliance of the merger agreement and related documents with (1)
Ovation's certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the certificate
or articles of incorporation and bylaws of Ovation's subsidiaries, (2)
applicable laws, and (3) certain material agreements of Ovation and
its subsidiaries, including the absence of events of default or
acceleration thereunder
. the required governmental and third-party consents
. the possession and validity of all required licenses, timely filing of
required regulatory reports and compliance with applicable laws by
Ovation and its subsidiaries
. Ovation's financial statements, including that the information in such
financial statements is a fair presentation of the financial condition
and results of operations of Ovation and its subsidiaries and is in
compliance with GAAP
. the absence of material undisclosed liabilities
. the absence of certain changes in Ovation's business since December
31, 1997
41
<PAGE>
. the absence of material legal proceedings, injunctions and disputes
. the validity of and absence of defaults under, certain debt
instruments, leases and other agreements of Ovation and its
subsidiaries
. compliance with laws relating to employees or the workplace, and the
absence of material disputes with employees
. Ovation's employee benefit plans and related matters, including that
such plans have been operated and administered in accordance with
applicable law
. the filing and accuracy of Ovation's tax returns
. significant customers of Ovation and its subsidiaries
. the absence of certain business practices of Ovation and its
subsidiaries
. insurance
. the absence of certain potential conflicts of interests with
employees, directors, officers and significant stockholders
. the collectability of accounts receivable of Ovation and its
subsidiaries
. the ownership and condition of the real property owned by Ovation or
any of its subsidiaries
. complete and correct books and records
. the title to and condition of material assets owned by Ovation and its
subsidiaries
. the absence of intellectual property infringement or contests
. the adoption by Ovation's board of directors of a resolution approving
the merger agreement and the merger and recommending adoption of the
merger agreement and approval of the merger by the stockholders of
Ovation
. the vote required to approve the merger
. Ovation's and its subsidiaries' banks and powers of attorney
. the absence of brokers
. compliance with environmental laws and the absence of environmental
liabilities
. the absence of material misstatements or omissions in the information
furnished by Ovation
. compensation and benefits of all directors and officers of Ovation and
its subsidiaries
. true and complete copies of all documents
. the condition and operation of Ovation's telecommunications system
. the qualification of the merger as a reorganization under Section
368(a) or Section 368(a)(2)(D) of the Code
. the exemption of the merger from Section 203 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law
. Ovation's Year 2000 risk management plans and condition
. the intention of the executive officers, directors and certain
stockholders of Ovation to enter into affiliate agreements
McLeodUSA and other indemnified persons may make a claim for
indemnification for breach of any of the foregoing representations and
warranties until the end of the eighteenth month after the effective time of the
merger, except that claims pertaining to pension and benefit plans, taxes and
environmental matters may be brought until the expiration of the applicable
statute of limitations for such matters. See "--Indemnification."
42
<PAGE>
The merger agreement permits Ovation to update, correct or otherwise modify
its representations up to 10 days prior to the day the merger occurs to reflect
changes or corrections so long as the changes or corrections do not disclose any
information that would have a material adverse effect on Ovation.
Representations and Warranties of the Principal Company Stockholders. The
merger agreement contains representations and warranties of each of the
Principal Company Stockholders as to, among other things:
. the corporate, partnership or limited liability company power and
authority (if an entity) or legal capacity, power and authority (if an
individual) of such Principal Company Stockholder to execute and
deliver the merger agreement and related documents and to consummate
the transactions contemplated thereby
. the due execution and delivery of the merger agreement by such
Principal Company Stockholder and the enforceability of the merger
agreement against such Principal Company Stockholder
. such Principal Company Stockholder's ownership of Ovation preferred
stock and Ovation common stock
McLeodUSA and other indemnified persons may make a claim for
indemnification for breach of any of the foregoing representations and
warranties until the end of the eighteenth month after the effective time of the
merger. See "--Indemnification."
Representations and Warranties of McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation. The merger agreement contains representations and warranties of
McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation as to, among other things
. the corporate organization and existence of McLeodUSA, Bravo
Acquisition Corporation and McLeodUSA's significant subsidiaries,
including that each is duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing with the corporate power and authority to own, operate and
lease its properties and to carry on its business as currently
conducted
. McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the
certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Bravo Acquisition
Corporation
. the corporate power and authority of McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation to execute and deliver the merger agreement and related
documents and to consummate the transactions contemplated thereby
. the compliance of the merger agreement and related documents with (1)
McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the
certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Bravo Acquisition
Corporation, (2) applicable laws, and (3) certain material agreements
of McLeodUSA, Bravo Acquisition Corporation and McLeodUSA's
significant subsidiaries, including the absence of events of default
or acceleration thereunder
. the required governmental and third-party consents
. the absence of prior activities of Bravo Acquisition Corporation
. the absence of brokers, other than Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
. McLeodUSA's financial statements and filings with the SEC, including
that such information is a fair representation of the financial
condition and results of operations of McLeodUSA and its consolidated
subsidiaries and is in compliance with GAAP
. the authorization and approval for listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market
of the McLeodUSA Class A common stock to be issued in the merger
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<PAGE>
. the capitalization of McLeodUSA, including the number of shares of
capital stock authorized, the number of shares and the right to
acquire shares outstanding and the numbers of shares reserved for
issuance
. the qualification of the merger as a reorganization under Section
368(a) or Section 368(a)(2)(D) of the Code
. the absence of any fact that could be expected to delay obtaining
required governmental consents
. the absence of material misstatements or omissions in the information
furnished by McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation
The foregoing representations and warranties will survive until the end of
the eighteenth month after the effective time of the merger, provided that after
the effective time of the merger, the maximum liability of McLeodUSA for any
breach of representation, warranty, covenant or agreement will be limited to $37
million.
BUSINESS OF OVATION PENDING THE MERGER; OTHER AGREEMENTS
Under the merger agreement, Ovation has agreed to, and to cause each of its
subsidiaries to, (1) conduct its business in the ordinary course consistent with
past practice or as contemplated by its 1999 capital budget or expansion plans,
and (2) use reasonable efforts to maintain and preserve intact its business
organization, assets and business relationships and retain the services of its
officers and employees. In addition, Ovation has agreed that, except as
expressly contemplated by the merger agreement, specified in a schedule thereto,
or contemplated by Ovation's 1999 capital budget or expansion plans, without
McLeodUSA's prior consent, it will not, and will cause each of its subsidiaries
not to, among other things:
. (1) increase in any manner the compensation or fringe benefits of, or
pay any bonus to, any director, officer or employee, except for
increases or bonuses in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice to employees who are not directors or officers, (2)
grant any severance or termination pay (except for normal severance
practices or existing agreements in effect on the date of the merger
agreement) to, or enter into any severance agreement with, any
director, officer or employee, or enter into any employment agreement
with any director, officer or employee, (3) establish, adopt, enter
into or amend any benefit plan or arrangement, except as may be
required to comply with applicable law, (4) pay any benefit not
provided for under any benefit plan or arrangement, (5) grant any
awards under any bonus, incentive, performance or other compensation
plan or arrangement or benefit plan or arrangement (including the
grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock-based or
stock-related awards, performance units or restricted stock, or the
removal of existing restrictions in any benefit plan or arrangement or
agreement or awards made thereunder), except for grants in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or as
required under existing agreements, or (6) take any action to fund or
in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under
any agreement, except as required under existing agreements
. declare, set aside or pay any dividend on, or make any other
distribution in respect of, outstanding shares of capital stock other
than capital stock repurchased from departing employees in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice
. (1) redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of capital stock
of Ovation or any of its subsidiaries or any securities or obligations
convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of capital stock of
Ovation or any of its subsidiaries, or any options, warrants or
conversion or other rights to acquire any shares of capital stock of
Ovation or any of its
44
<PAGE>
subsidiaries or any such securities or obligations, or any other
securities thereof, other than redemptions and purchases from
departing employees in the ordinary course of business consistent with
past practice, (2) effect any reorganization or recapitalization, or
(3) split, combine or reclassify any of its capital stock or issue or
authorize or propose the issuance of any other securities in respect
of, in lieu of, or in substitution for, shares of its capital stock
. except upon the exercise of Ovation Stock Options in accordance with
their terms, issue, deliver, award, grant or sell, or authorize the
issuance, delivery, award, grant or sale (including the grant of any
limitations in voting rights or other encumbrances) of, any shares of
any class of its capital stock, including shares held in treasury, any
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any
such shares, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire, any such
shares, or amend or otherwise modify the terms of any such rights,
warrants or options the effect of which will be to make such terms
more favorable to the holders thereof
. except as contemplated by existing agreements, acquire or agree to
acquire, by merging or consolidating with, by purchasing an equity
interest in or a portion of the assets of, or by any other manner, any
business or any corporation, partnership, association or other
business organization or division thereof, or otherwise acquire or
agree to acquire any assets of any other person, other than the
purchase of assets from suppliers or vendors in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice
. sell, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise subject
to any encumbrance or dispose of, or agree to sell, lease, exchange,
mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise subject to any encumbrance or
dispose of, any of its assets, except for sales, dispositions or
transfers in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice
. adopt any amendments to its articles or certificate of incorporation,
bylaws or other comparable charter or organizational documents
. make or rescind any express or deemed election relating to taxes,
settle or compromise any claim, action, suit, litigation, proceeding,
arbitration, investigation, audit or controversy relating to taxes, or
change any of its methods of reporting income or deductions for
federal income tax purposes from those employed in the preparation of
the federal income tax returns for the taxable year ended December 31,
1997, except in either case as may be required by law, the IRS or GAAP
. make or agree to make any new capital expenditure or expenditures
which are not included in Ovation's 1999 capital budget
. (1) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such
indebtedness of another person, issue or sell any debt securities or
warrants or other rights to acquire any debt securities of Ovation or
any of its subsidiaries, guarantee any debt securities of another
person, enter into any keep well or other agreement to maintain any
financial statement condition of another person, or enter into any
agreement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing, except
for borrowings incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice, or (2) make any loans, advances or capital
contributions to, or investments in, any other person other than
intra-group loans, advances, capital contributions or investments
between or among Ovation and any of its wholly owned subsidiaries
other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice
. except for costs incurred by Ovation in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, but only to the
extent such costs are deducted in calculating the cash and shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock to be paid or issued in the merger,
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pay, discharge, settle or satisfy any claims, liabilities or
obligations other than the payment, discharge or satisfaction, in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or in
accordance with their terms, of liabilities reflected or reserved
against in, or contemplated by, Ovation's most recent financial
statements or incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice, or waive any material benefits of, or agree to
modify in any material respect, any confidentiality, standstill or
similar agreements to which Ovation or any of its subsidiaries is a
party
. except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, waive, release or assign any rights or claims, or modify,
amend or terminate any agreement to which Ovation or any of its
subsidiaries is a party
. make any change in any method of accounting or accounting practice or
policy other than those required by GAAP or a governmental entity
. take any action or fail to take any action that would have a material
adverse effect on Ovation prior to or after the effective time of the
merger or a material adverse effect on McLeodUSA after the effective
time of the merger, or that would adversely affect the ability of
Ovation or any of its subsidiaries prior to the effective time of the
merger, or McLeodUSA or any of its subsidiaries after the effective
time of the merger, to obtain consents of third parties or approvals
of governmental entities required to consummate the transactions
contemplated in the merger agreement
. authorize, or commit or agree to do any of the foregoing
Ovation has also agreed:
. promptly to take all action necessary in accordance with the Delaware
General Corporation Law and Ovation's certificate of incorporation and
bylaws to solicit from the stockholders of Ovation proxies or consents
to adopt the merger agreement and approve the merger
. to mail this prospectus and proxy statement to its stockholders
promptly after the registration statement of which this prospectus and
proxy statement forms a part becomes effective, and to comply with the
proxy solicitation rules and regulations under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 in connection with the solicitation of proxies from such
persons
. to give, and to cause each of its subsidiaries to give, McLeodUSA
access to all of its properties, agreements, books, records and
personnel
. to furnish McLeodUSA with monthly unaudited consolidated financial
statements and other information concerning its business, operations,
prospects, conditions, assets, liabilities and personnel
. Ovation and McLeodUSA have further agreed:
. not to, and not to permit any of their subsidiaries to, take any
action that could result in any of their respective representations
and warranties becoming untrue or any of the conditions to the merger
not being satisfied
. to use their reasonable best efforts promptly to make all filings
under applicable laws and to obtain all material authorizations,
permits, consents and approvals of all third parties and governmental
entities necessary or advisable to consummate the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement
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. to use their reasonable best efforts to take all necessary, proper or
appropriate actions to consummate the transactions contemplated by the
merger agreement
NO SOLICITATION BY OVATION AND THE PRINCIPAL COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS
Ovation has agreed to, and to cause its directors, officers, employees,
representatives, agents and subsidiaries and their respective directors,
officers, employees, representatives and agents to, and the Principal Company
Stockholders have agreed to, and to cause their respective representatives and
agents to, immediately cease as of the date of the merger agreement any
discussions or negotiations with any person with respect to a Competing
Transaction (as defined below). Ovation and the Principal Company Stockholders
have agreed not to, and Ovation has agreed to cause its subsidiaries not to,
initiate, solicit or encourage (including by way of furnishing information or
assistance), or take any other action to facilitate, any inquiries or the making
of any proposal that constitutes, or may reasonably be expected to lead to, any
Competing Transaction, or enter into discussions or furnish any information or
negotiate with any person or otherwise cooperate in any way in furtherance of
such inquiries or to obtain a Competing Transaction, or agree to or endorse any
Competing Transaction, or authorize any of its directors, officers, employees,
agents or representatives to take any such action. Ovation and the Principal
Company Stockholders have agreed:
. promptly to notify McLeodUSA if any inquiries or proposals that
constitute, or may reasonably be expected to lead to, a Competing
Transaction are received by Ovation, any of its subsidiaries, or the
applicable Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may be, or any
of its or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents,
investment bankers, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants or
other representatives
. promptly to inform McLeodUSA as to the material terms of such inquiry
or proposal and, if in writing, promptly to deliver or cause to be
delivered to McLeodUSA a copy of such inquiry or proposal
. to keep McLeodUSA informed, on a current basis, of the nature of any
such inquiries and the status and terms of any such proposals.
Ovation and the Principal Company Stockholders have also agreed that
neither Ovation's board of directors nor any committee thereof nor any Principal
Company Stockholder will:
. withdraw or modify, or propose to withdraw or modify, in a manner
adverse to McLeodUSA or Bravo Acquisition Corporation, the approval or
recommendation by Ovation's board of directors or any such committee
or Principal Company Stockholder of the merger agreement or the merger
. approve or recommend, or propose to approve or recommend, any
Competing Transaction
. enter into any agreement with respect to any Competing Transaction
For purposes of the merger agreement, "Competing Transaction" means any of
the following involving Ovation or its subsidiaries, other than the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement:
. any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, or
other similar transaction
. any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other
disposition of 10% or more of the assets of Ovation and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or issuance of 10% or more of the
outstanding voting securities of Ovation or any of its subsidiaries in
a single transaction or series of transactions
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. any tender offer or exchange offer for 10% or more of the outstanding
shares of capital stock of Ovation or any of its subsidiaries or the
filing of a registration statement under the Securities Act in
connection therewith
. any solicitation of proxies in opposition to approval by the
stockholders of Ovation of the merger
. any person will have acquired beneficial ownership or the right to
acquire beneficial ownership of, or any group (as such term is defined
under Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act) will have been
formed after the date of the merger agreement which beneficially owns
or has the right to acquire beneficial ownership of, 10% or more of
the then outstanding shares of capital stock of Ovation or any of its
subsidiaries
. any agreement or public announcement by Ovation or any other person of
a proposal, plan or intention to do any of the foregoing.
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS OF MCLEODUSA
McLeodUSA has agreed to infuse Ovation, concurrently with the completion of
the merger, with a sufficient amount of cash and otherwise cause Ovation and its
subsidiaries to pay and satisfy in full all of their indebtedness for borrowed
money owed to (1) AT&T Commercial Finance Corporation ($96.0 million as of March
9, 1999) and (2) M/C ($8,936,435 as of March 9, 1999). McLeodUSA has also
agreed to:
. include the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock issuable upon
exercise of the Ovation Stock Options assumed or converted in the
merger on McLeodUSA's registration statement on Form S-8 relating to
McLeodUSA's 1996 Employee Stock Option Plan or to file a registration
statement on Form S-8 or another appropriate form, effective as of the
effective time of the merger, registering such shares
. use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such
registration statement or registration statements for so long as such
stock options remain outstanding
. administer such stock options in a manner that complies with Rule 16b-
3 under the Securities Exchange Act with respect to those individuals
who will be subject to the reporting requirements under Section 16 of
the Securities Exchange Act after the merger.
Concurrently with the execution of the merger agreement, McLeodUSA and
Ovation entered into a revolving credit agreement by which McLeodUSA agreed to
lend to Ovation up to $20 million on a senior subordinated unsecured basis. In
connection with the revolving credit agreement, McLeodUSA agreed to enter into a
subordination agreement with Ovation and AT&T Finance. Under the subordination
agreement, McLeodUSA will agree to subordinate the revolving credit agreement to
the prior payment in full of all of Ovation's obligations owing to AT&T Finance.
McLeodUSA's obligation to execute the subordination agreement is subject to and
conditioned upon McLeodUSA's receipt of a subordination agreement executed by
Ovation and M/C by which Ovation and M/C subordinate all indebtedness of Ovation
owed to M/C to the prior payment in full of all of Ovation's obligations owing
to McLeodUSA to the same extent that McLeodUSA subordinates its obligations to
AT&T Finance.
INDEMNIFICATION
If the merger agreement is approved, all holders of Ovation common stock,
by their receipt of cash and/or shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in the
merger, will be deemed to have agreed severally to indemnify McLeodUSA, the
surviving corporation of the merger and certain
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persons related to McLeodUSA or the surviving corporation of the merger
(collectively, the "Indemnified Persons") for any and all losses, costs,
damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and
expenses) ("Damages") actually suffered and arising out of the breach of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements given or made by Ovation.
The maximum liability of the holders of Ovation common stock for such
indemnification will be limited to $37 million, except to the extent any claim
for indemnification is based on common law fraud, and the obligation of holders
of Ovation common stock to indemnify the Indemnified Persons will apply only to
Damages to the extent they exceed $1,750,000 in the aggregate. Furthermore,
each holder of Ovation common stock will be liable only for a fraction of such
Damages, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Ovation common stock
(computed on a fully diluted basis after giving pro forma effect to the exercise
of all options, warrants and rights to acquire Ovation common stock) held by
such stockholder immediately prior to the effective time of the merger and the
denominator of which is equal to the aggregate number of shares of Ovation
common stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger
(computed on a fully diluted basis and after giving pro forma effect to the
exercise of all options, warrants and rights to acquire Ovation common
stock).
In addition to the foregoing indemnification, each Principal Company
Stockholder has agreed severally to indemnify the Indemnified Persons for
Damages actually suffered and arising out of the breach of the representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements given or made by such Principal Company
Stockholder on its own behalf and only with respect to itself or the merger
agreement. Such indemnification, if provided with respect to a representation
or warranty, will apply to all such Damages without regard to amount and without
limitation on the maximum liability for indemnification. No Principal Company
Stockholder will have any liability for any breach of representation, warranty
or covenant by any other Principal Company Stockholder.
Any payment to be made to an Indemnified Person by a holder of Ovation
common stock or a Principal Company Stockholder as a result of these
indemnification obligations may be made in cash or, in whole or in part, in
McLeodUSA Class A common stock having a value per share equal to the average of
the daily closing price, on The Nasdaq Stock Market's National Market System as
reported by Bloomberg, L.P., for the 10 trading days immediately preceding the
date of such payment.
The Principal Company Stockholders have entered into a cross
indemnification agreement dated as of January 7, 1999 by which each Principal
Company Stockholder has agreed to indemnify and hold harmless each of the other
Principal Company Stockholders for their pro rata portion of Damages and other
amounts for which each other Principal Company Stockholder becomes liable under
the merger agreement.
DIRECTOR'S AND OFFICERS' INSURANCE AND INDEMNIFICATION
McLeodUSA has agreed that for the period from the effective time of the
merger until at least six years after the effective time of the merger, (1) it
will cause the surviving corporation of the merger to maintain Ovation's current
directors' and officers' insurance and indemnification policy and related
arrangements, or an equivalent policy and related arrangements, for all present
and former directors and officers of Ovation, covering claims made and insurable
events occurring prior to or within six years after the effective time of the
merger, provided that the surviving corporation of the merger will not be
required to maintain such policy except to the extent that the aggregate annual
cost of maintaining such policy is not in excess of 200% of the current annual
cost, in which case the surviving corporation of the merger will maintain such
policies up to an annual cost of 200% of the current annual cost; and (2) it
will cause the surviving corporation of the merger to maintain indemnification
provisions, including, without limitation, provisions for expense advances, for
present and former officers and directors in the certificate of incorporation
and bylaws of the
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surviving corporation of the merger to the fullest extent permitted by the
Delaware General Corporation Law.
McLeodUSA has also agreed to, or to cause the surviving corporation of the
merger to, indemnify and hold harmless, from and after the effective time of the
merger, to the full extent that the surviving corporation of the merger or
McLeodUSA would be permitted by applicable law, each present or former officer
or director of Ovation against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs,
expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts
paid in settlement in connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or
investigation to which such person is, or is threatened to be made, a party by
reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of Ovation, or is or was serving at the request of Ovation as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust or other entity, except that neither McLeodUSA nor the surviving
corporation of the merger will be liable for any settlement effected without its
prior written consent, which consent may not be unreasonably withheld.
CONDITIONS TO CONSUMMATION OF THE MERGER
Conditions to Each Party's Obligation to Effect the Merger. Each party's
obligation to effect the merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver, where
permissible, of the following conditions at or prior to the effective time of
the merger:
(1) the merger agreement and the merger will have been adopted and
approved by the requisite vote of the stockholders of Ovation;
(2) no governmental entity or court will have enacted, issued,
promulgated, enforced or entered any statute, rule, regulation, executive
order, decree, judgment, injunction or other order which is in effect and
prevents or prohibits consummation of the merger, provided that the failure
to obtain a required consent or approval of a governmental entity, other
than those specified in paragraphs (3) and (4) below, will not form the
basis for an assertion that this condition is not satisfied;
(3) the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act will have expired
or been terminated;
(4) all consents, waivers, approvals and authorizations required to
be obtained, and all filings or notices required to be made, by McLeodUSA
or Ovation prior to consummation of the transactions contemplated in the
merger agreement, other than the filing of the articles of merger in
accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law, will have been
obtained from and made with the FCC and each of the public utility
commissions of the states of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and
Wisconsin;
(5) other than:
(a) 23,971,756 shares of Ovation common stock, which number of
shares may be increased between the date of the merger
agreement and the effective time of the merger in connection
with the exercise of Ovation Stock Options described in
clause (c) below in accordance with their terms,
(b) 240,000 shares of Ovation preferred stock, and
(c) Ovation Stock Options exercisable for 828,095 shares of
Ovation common stock, which number of shares may be
decreased between the date of the merger agreement and the
effective time of the merger
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in connection with the exercise of Ovation Stock Options in
accordance with their terms,
there will be no other outstanding securities of Ovation convertible into
or exchangeable for Ovation common stock or any other equity securities of
Ovation and no outstanding options, rights (preemptive or otherwise), or
warrants to purchase or to subscribe for any shares of such stock or other
equity securities of Ovation;
(6) the registration statement of which this prospectus and proxy
statement forms a part will have become effective and no stop order
suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and no proceedings for
that purpose will have been initiated or threatened by the SEC;
(7) McLeodUSA will have received all federal or state securities
permits and other authorizations necessary to issue McLeodUSA Class A
common stock in the merger; and
(8) McLeodUSA will have received from Ovation cold comfort letters of
Ernst & Young LLP dated the date on which the registration statement of
which this prospectus and proxy statement forms a part becomes effective
and the effective time of the merger, respectively, reasonably customary in
scope and substance for letters delivered by independent public accountants
in connection with similar transactions.
Conditions to the Obligation of McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation
to Effect the Merger. The obligation of McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation to effect the merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver, where
permissible, of the following conditions at or prior to the effective time of
the merger:
(1) the representations and warranties of Ovation and the Principal
Company Stockholders will be true and correct as of the date of the merger
agreement and will be true and correct in all material respects (except
that where any statement in a representation expressly includes a standard
of materiality, such statement will be true and correct in all respects
giving effect to such standard) as of the effective time of the merger as
though made as of the effective time of the merger, except in a
representation or warranty that does not expressly include a standard of a
material adverse effect, any untrue or incorrect statements therein that,
considered in the aggregate, do not indicate that Ovation has suffered a
material adverse effect, and McLeodUSA will have received a certificate of
the chief executive officer or chief financial officer of Ovation to that
effect;
(2) any revised versions of the disclosures by Ovation delivered to
McLeodUSA will not disclose any material adverse effect as compared with
the comparable disclosures as of the date of the merger agreement;
(3) Ovation and the Principal Company Stockholders will have
performed or complied in all respects with all agreements required to be
performed or complied with by them under the merger agreement at or prior
to the effective time of the merger except for such noncompliance that does
not have a material adverse effect on Ovation, and McLeodUSA will have
received a certificate of each Principal Company Stockholder and the chief
executive officer or chief financial officer of Ovation (as to Ovation) to
that effect;
(4) McLeodUSA will have received an opinion of Edwards & Angell, LLP
which is reasonable and customary for similar transactions;
(5) there will not be pending any enforcement action or similar
proceeding by any governmental entity that is likely to place limitations
on the ownership of shares of Ovation preferred stock or Ovation common
stock (or shares of common stock of the surviving
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corporation of the merger) by McLeodUSA or Bravo Acquisition Corporation
such that consummation of the merger would violate any provisions of
McLeodUSA's indentures relating to its outstanding public indebtedness, and
there will not be pending any enforcement action or similar proceeding by
any state or federal governmental entity that is likely to have a material
adverse effect on Ovation or, if such action arises in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, a material adverse
effect on McLeodUSA;
(6) since December 31, 1997, Ovation will not have suffered a
material adverse effect, or any development that, insofar as reasonably can
be foreseen, is reasonably likely to result in any material adverse effect,
not disclosed by Ovation in the disclosure schedules to the merger
agreement;
(7) McLeodUSA will have received the opinion of Hogan & Hartson
L.L.P. to the effect that the merger will not result in taxation to
McLeodUSA or Bravo Acquisition Corporation under the Code;
(8) any environmental reports prepared at the request of McLeodUSA
will indicate that the real property owned by Ovation does not contain any
hazardous materials and is not subject to any risk of contamination from
any off-site hazardous materials, except to the extent that the presence of
any such hazardous materials or the risk of such contamination would not
have a material adverse effect on Ovation or McLeodUSA and except that this
condition will be deemed waived by McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation (a) if phase I environmental reports have not been prepared
within 15 days following the date of the merger agreement and the phase II
environmental reports, if requested by McLeodUSA, have not been prepared
within 35 days following the date of the merger agreement, or (b) if
McLeodUSA does not notify Ovation of identified environmental problems in
accordance with the merger agreement;
(9) Ovation will have delivered to McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation a certificate signed by a duly authorized officer stating that
(a) to its knowledge, except as specified in such certificate in reasonable
detail, Ovation is aware of no breach of any representation, warranty or
covenant by McLeodUSA or Bravo Acquisition Corporation that could be
reasonably expected to result in a claim for indemnification and (b)
Ovation and the Principal Company Stockholders irrevocably waive any and
all rights to indemnification against McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation to the extent any Damages arising from the matters described in
such certificate or any other matters of which Ovation then has knowledge
exceed $5 million in the aggregate; and
(10) McLeodUSA will have received a signed affiliate agreement from
each affiliate of Ovation (under Rule 145 of the Securities Act).
Conditions to the Obligation of Ovation to Effect the Merger. The
obligation of Ovation to effect the merger is subject to the satisfaction or
waiver, where permissible, of the following conditions at or prior to the
effective time of the merger:
(1) the representations and warranties of McLeodUSA and Bravo
Acquisition Corporation will be true and correct as of the date of the
merger agreement and will be true and correct in all material respects
(except that where any statement in a representation expressly includes a
standard of materiality, such statement will be true and correct in all
respects giving effect to such standard) as of the effective time of the
merger as though made as of the effective time of the merger, except in a
representation or warranty that does not expressly include a standard of
material adverse effect, any untrue or incorrect statements therein that,
considered in the aggregate, do not indicate that McLeodUSA has suffered a
material adverse effect, and Ovation will have received a certificate of
the chief executive officer or chief financial officer of McLeodUSA to that
effect;
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(2) McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation will have performed
or complied in all respects with all agreements required to be performed or
complied with by them under the merger agreement on or prior to the
effective time of the merger except for such noncompliance that does not
have a material adverse effect on McLeodUSA, and Ovation will have received
a certificate of the chief executive officer or chief financial officer of
McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation to that effect;
(3) Ovation will have received an opinion of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
which is reasonable and customary for similar transactions;
(4) Ovation will have received the opinion of Edwards & Angell, LLP
to the effect that the merger will not result in taxation to Ovation or the
stockholders of Ovation under the Code;
(5) since December 31, 1997, McLeodUSA will not have suffered a
material adverse effect (or any development that, insofar as reasonably can
be foreseen, is reasonably likely to result in any material adverse effect)
not disclosed by Acquiror in the disclosure schedules to the merger
agreement;
(6) McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation will have delivered
to Ovation a certificate signed by a duly authorized officer stating that
(a) to their knowledge, except as specified in such certificate in
reasonable detail, McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation are aware of
no breach of any representation, warranty or covenant by Ovation or any
Principal Company Stockholder that could be reasonably expected to result
in a claim for indemnification and (b) McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation irrevocably waive any and all rights to indemnification against
the stockholders of Ovation to the extent any Damages arising from the
matters described in such certificate or any other matters of which
McLeodUSA or Bravo Acquisition Corporation then has knowledge exceed $5
million in the aggregate; and
(7) there will not be pending any enforcement action or similar
proceeding by any governmental entity that is likely to place limitations
on the ownership of shares of Ovation preferred stock or Ovation common
stock (or shares of common stock of the surviving corporation of the
merger) by McLeodUSA or Bravo Acquisition Corporation such that
consummation of the merger would violate any provisions of McLeodUSA's
indentures relating to its outstanding public indebtedness, and there will
not be pending any enforcement action or similar proceeding by any state or
federal governmental entity that is likely to have a material adverse
effect on McLeodUSA or, if such action arises in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, a material adverse
effect on Ovation.
TERMINATION OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT
The merger agreement may be terminated at any time (except where otherwise
indicated) prior to the effective time of the merger, whether before or after
approval by the stockholders of Ovation:
(1) by mutual written consent of Ovation and McLeodUSA;
(2) by McLeodUSA, if there has been a breach by Ovation of any of its
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in the
merger agreement, or any such representation and warranty will have become
untrue, in any such case such that the conditions to completion of the
merger will not be satisfied and such breach or condition
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has not been cured such that those conditions will be satisfied within 20
business days following receipt by Ovation of written notice of such
breach;
(3) by Ovation, if there has been a breach by McLeodUSA or Bravo
Acquisition Corporation of any of its representations, warranties,
covenants or agreements contained in the merger agreement, or any such
representation and warranty will have become untrue, in any such case such
that the conditions to completion of the merger will not be satisfied and
such breach or condition has not been cured such that those conditions will
be satisfied within 20 business days following receipt by McLeodUSA of
written notice of such breach;
(4) by either McLeodUSA or Ovation if any decree, permanent
injunction, judgment, order or other action by any court of competent
jurisdiction or any other federal or state (but not county or municipal)
governmental entity preventing or prohibiting consummation of the merger
will have become final and non-appealable;
(5) by either McLeodUSA or Ovation if the adoption of the merger
agreement will fail to receive the requisite vote by the stockholders of
Ovation;
(6) by either McLeodUSA or Ovation if the merger will not have been
consummated by the earlier to occur of the Scheduled Closing Date or May 1,
1999, except that this right to terminate the merger agreement will not be
available to any party whose willful failure to fulfill any obligation
under the merger agreement has been the cause of, or resulted in, the
failure of the effective time of the merger to occur on or before such
date;
(7) by either Ovation or McLeodUSA upon written notice to the other
party if (a) McLeodUSA causes a phase I environmental report with respect
to any parcel of real property owned by Ovation to be prepared within 15
days following the date of the merger agreement and causes any phase II
environmental reports on such real property to be prepared within 35 days
following the date of the merger agreement, (b) McLeodUSA reasonably
concludes that the real property owned by Ovation contains hazardous
materials or is subject to a risk of contamination from off site hazardous
materials that, in either case, would be reasonably expected to have a
material adverse effect on Ovation, and (c) McLeodUSA notifies Ovation of
such conclusion in writing within two business days following the
completion of such environmental reports; provided that this termination
right will be deemed waived by McLeodUSA if stockholders of Ovation
representing at least 85% of the Merger Consideration agree in writing to
indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnified Persons from and against any
and all Damages actually suffered and arising out of the existence of any
hazardous materials on such real property or the contamination of such real
property from any off-site hazardous materials (without regard to any
deductibles or caps on liability);
(8) by McLeodUSA, upon written notice to Ovation, if it does not
receive the certificate containing the information specified in clause (a)
of paragraph (9) under the caption "--Conditions to Consummation of the
Merger--Conditions to the Obligation of McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation to Effect the Merger;"
(9) by Ovation, upon written notice to McLeodUSA, if it does not
receive the certificate containing the information specified in clause (a)
of paragraph (6) under the caption "--Conditions to Consummation of the
Merger--Conditions to the Obligation of Ovation to Effect the Merger;"
(10) by McLeodUSA, upon written notice to Ovation, if it does not
receive the certificate containing the waiver specified in clause (b) of
paragraph (9) under the caption "--Conditions to Consummation of the
Merger--Conditions to the Obligation of McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation to Effect the Merger;" or
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(11) by Ovation, upon written notice to McLeodUSA, if it does not
receive the certificate containing the waiver specified in clause (b) of
paragraph (6) under the caption "--Conditions to Consummation of the
Merger--Conditions to the Obligation of Ovation to Effect the Merger."
In the event of termination of the merger agreement, the merger agreement
will become void and there will be no liability or obligation on the part of
McLeodUSA, Bravo Acquisition Corporation or Ovation or any of their respective
directors or officers, except that:
. each party will be liable for its breach of the merger agreement,
. each party will be obligated to pay its own expenses incurred in
connection with the merger agreement, and
. each of Ovation, on the one hand, and McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation, on the other hand, will have the right to seek specific
performance of the obligations under the merger agreement,
and provided that if the merger agreement is terminated as a result of:
. the provision described in paragraph (7) above, then Ovation will have
no liability to McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation for breach
of its representation and warranty regarding environmental matters
. the provision described in paragraph (8) or paragraph (9) above, then
neither Ovation, on the one hand, nor McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition
Corporation, on the other hand, will have any liability under the
merger agreement
. the provision described in paragraph (10) or paragraph (11) above,
then neither Ovation, on the one hand, nor McLeodUSA and Bravo
Acquisition Corporation, on the other hand, will be entitled to any
recovery for such liability in excess of $750,000.
GENERAL EXCLUSION FOR INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC EVENTS
Exclusion for Ovation. The merger agreement provides that in no event will
it constitute a breach of any representation, warranty or covenant of Ovation,
or a failure of any condition to McLeodUSA's or Bravo Acquisition Corporation's
obligations if any fact, matter or thing referred to in the merger agreement
changes or results in the failure of any condition to McLeodUSA's or Bravo
Acquisition Corporation's obligations to the extent that such change or failure
of condition results from:
. changes that are applicable to the competitive local exchange carrier
industry generally in the states in which Ovation or its subsidiaries
operate, including, without limitation, changes in federal or state
law.
. any act or omission following the date of the merger agreement on the
part of any incumbent local exchange carrier with which Ovation or any
of its subsidiaries has an agreement, against or affecting Ovation or
its subsidiaries, whether (1) in connection with an effective or
anticipated change in law, such as the cessation of reciprocal
compensation payments, (2) as a result of the transactions
contemplated in the merger agreement or (3) otherwise, provided that
Ovation or the subsidiaries are otherwise materially in compliance
with their agreement with such incumbent local exchange carrier.
Exclusion for McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation. The merger
agreement provides that in no event will it constitute a breach of any
representation, warranty or covenant of
55
<PAGE>
McLeodUSA or Bravo Acquisition Corporation, or a failure of any condition to
Ovation's obligations if any fact, matter or thing referred to in the merger
agreement changes or results in the failure of any condition to Ovation's
obligations to the extent that such change or failure of condition results from:
. changes that are applicable to the telecommunications or directory
publishing industries generally, including, without limitation,
changes in federal or state law,
. any act or omission following the date of the merger agreement on the
part of any incumbent local exchange carrier with which McLeodUSA or
any of its subsidiaries has an agreement, against or affecting
McLeodUSA or its subsidiaries, whether (1) in connection with an
effective or anticipated change in law (such as the cessation of
reciprocal compensation payments), (2) as a result of the transactions
contemplated in the merger agreement or (3) otherwise, provided that
McLeodUSA or its subsidiaries are otherwise materially in compliance
with their agreement with such incumbent local exchange carrier, or
. any decrease in the trading price of McLeodUSA Class A common stock on
The Nasdaq Stock Market's National Market System as reported by Nasdaq
WAIVER AND AMENDMENT OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT
Waiver. At any time prior to the effective time of the merger, the parties
to the merger agreement may agree to:
. extend the time for the performance of any obligation or other act
required to be performed under the merger agreement
. waive any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties contained
in the merger agreement or in any document delivered pursuant thereto
. waive compliance with any of the agreements or conditions contained in
the merger agreement.
Amendment. The merger agreement may be amended by the parties thereto at
any time prior to the effective time of the merger, subject to applicable law.
EXPENSES
The merger agreement provides that each party will pay its own costs and
expenses incurred in connection with the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated thereby.
VOTING AGREEMENTS
Several directors, executive officers and stockholders of Ovation have
entered into voting agreements with McLeodUSA and Bravo Acquisition Corporation.
Under the terms of these voting agreements, until the date on which the merger
is consummated or the merger agreement is terminated in accordance with its
terms, each such person has agreed, among other things:
. to cast all votes attributable to the capital stock of Ovation
beneficially owned by such person at any annual or special meeting of
stockholders of Ovation in favor of the approval and adoption of the
merger agreement and approval of the merger, and against any Competing
Transaction
56
<PAGE>
. to grant to the persons designated by Ovation's board of directors as
attorneys-in-fact or proxies with respect to such meeting, a specific
written proxy to vote all capital stock of Ovation which such person
is entitled to vote in favor of the approval and adoption of the
merger agreement and approval of the merger, and against any Competing
Transaction
. not to sell, transfer, pledge, encumber, assign or otherwise dispose
of, or enter into any contract, option or other arrangement or
understanding with respect to the sale, transfer, pledge, encumbrance,
assignment or other disposition of, any shares of capital stock of
Ovation except for existing pledges disclosed in the disclosures of
Ovation delivered to McLeodUSA or to the extent such transfer is
otherwise approved in advance in writing by McLeodUSA and Bravo
Acquisition Corporation
. not to grant any proxies, deposit any shares of capital stock of
Ovation into a voting trust or enter into a voting agreement with
respect to any such shares except for existing proxies in connection
with pledges and voting agreements disclosed in the disclosures of
Ovation delivered to McLeodUSA
. not to take any action which would have the effect of preventing or
inhibiting such person from performing his obligations under the
voting agreement
By entering into these voting agreements, the holders of approximately 94%
of the voting power attributable to the shares of Ovation common stock and
Ovation preferred stock entitled to vote at the special meeting have agreed to
vote in favor of the merger agreement.
OVATION STOCKHOLDERS' AGREEMENT
M/C has entered into a stockholders' agreement (the "Ovation Stockholders'
Agreement") with McLeodUSA, Alliant Energy, Clark E. and Mary E. McLeod, and
Richard A. and Gail G. Lumpkin and several other parties related to the
Lumpkins, with respect to the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock that M/C
will receive in the merger.
The Ovation Stockholders' Agreement provides that:
. until December 31, 2001, M/C will not sell or otherwise dispose of any
equity securities of McLeodUSA or any other securities convertible
into or exercisable for such equity securities, beneficially owned by
M/C as a result of the merger without receiving the prior written
consent of McLeodUSA's board of directors, except for transfers
specifically permitted by the Ovation Stockholders' Agreement
. McLeodUSA's board of directors will determine on a quarterly basis
starting with the quarter ending December 31, 1999 and ending on
December 31, 2001, the aggregate number, if any, of shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock, not to exceed in the aggregate 50,000
shares per quarter, that M/C may sell or otherwise dispose of during
designated trading periods following the release of McLeodUSA's
quarterly or annual financial results
. McLeodUSA's board of directors will determine on an annual basis for
each of the years ending December 31, 2000 and December 31, 2001, the
aggregate number, if any, of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock,
not to exceed in the aggregate on an annual basis a number of shares
equal to 15% of the total number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock beneficially owned by M/C as of the completion of the merger, to
be registered by McLeodUSA under the Securities Act for sale or other
disposition by M/C
57
<PAGE>
. in any underwritten offering of shares of Class A common stock by
McLeodUSA, other than an offering on a registration statement on Form
S-4 or Form S-8 or any successor forms thereto or other form which
would not permit the inclusion of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock owned by M/C, during the period starting on January 1, 2000 and
ending on December 31, 2001, McLeodUSA will give written notice of
such offering to M/C and will undertake to register a number of shares
of McLeodUSA Class A common stock owned by M/C, if any, determined by
McLeodUSA's board of directors
. McLeodUSA may subsequently determine not to register any shares owned
by M/C under the Securities Act and may either not file a registration
statement or otherwise withdraw or abandon a registration statement
previously filed
The Ovation Stockholders' Agreement also contains various provisions
intended to insure that M/C is generally treated on a similar basis to the other
parties to the agreement in connection with any sale or other disposition of
securities of McLeodUSA permitted by McLeodUSA with respect to any of these
other parties or any registration rights granted by McLeodUSA to any of these
other parties under the November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement (as defined below)
for the period starting on January 1, 2000 and ending on December 31, 2001.
Similar protective rights are also granted in the Ovation Stockholders'
Agreement to each of these other parties with respect to any sale or other
disposition or registration of securities owned by M/C permitted by McLeodUSA
under the Ovation Stockholders' Agreement. In addition, during the year ending
December 31, 1999, to the extent McLeodUSA participates in a strategic
transaction with an outside investor by which such investor acquires securities
of McLeodUSA at a premium to the then average trading price of McLeodUSA's
securities, and after McLeodUSA has been paid or otherwise received its
consideration or proceeds from such transaction as determined by McLeodUSA, the
parties to the Ovation Stockholders' Agreement may be entitled to participate in
such transaction on a pro rata basis as determined by McLeodUSA's board of
directors.
Under the Ovation Stockholders' Agreement, each party has agreed, for so
long as such party owns at least 2.5 million shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock, in the case of M/C, or 4.0 million shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock, in the case of the other parties, to (1) establish the size of
McLeodUSA's board of directors at up to 11 directors, (2) cause to be elected to
McLeodUSA's board of directors one director designated by M/C, for so long as
M/C owns at least 2.5 million shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock and (3)
cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board the directors designated by the other
parties as set forth in the agreement.
The Ovation Stockholders' Agreement terminates on the earlier to occur of
the termination of the merger agreement in accordance with its terms and
December 31, 2001. In addition, if (1) during each of the years ending December
31, 2000 and December 31, 2001, McLeodUSA has not provided M/C a reasonable
opportunity to sell or otherwise dispose of in a registered offering under the
Securities Act an aggregate number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock
equal to not less than 15% of the total number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock beneficially owned by M/C as of the effective time of the merger or
(2) after January 1, 2000, the November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement has been
terminated by all parties thereto, then M/C may terminate the Ovation
Stockholders' Agreement by providing written notice of termination to all other
parties (x) in the case of clause (1) above, no later than 30 days following the
end of such year and (y) in the case of clause (2) above, at any time after
January 1, 2000. Lastly, the Ovation Stockholders' Agreement will be terminated
with respect to all parties other than McLeodUSA and M/C at such time as the
November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement will have terminated.
See "McLeodUSA Capital Stock and Comparison of Stockholder Rights--Investor
Agreement and Stockholders' Agreements" for a description of the November 1998
Stockholders' Agreement and other stockholder and investor agreements to which
McLeodUSA and other stockholders of McLeodUSA are a party.
58
<PAGE>
INFORMATION ABOUT MCLEODUSA AND MERGER SUB
GENERAL
McLeodUSA. McLeodUSA provides communications services to business and
residential customers in the Midwestern and Rocky Mountain regions of the United
States. McLeodUSA's integrated communications services include local, long
distance, Internet access, data, voice mail and paging, all from a single
company on a single bill. McLeodUSA believes it is the first communications
provider in most of its markets to offer one-stop shopping for communications
services tailored to customers' specific needs.
McLeodUSA's approach makes it easier for both its business and its
residential customers to satisfy their communications needs. It also allows
businesses to receive customized services, such as competitive long distance
pricing and enhanced calling features, that might not otherwise be directly
available on a cost-effective basis. As of December 31, 1998, McLeodUSA served
over 397,600 local lines in 269 cities and towns.
In addition to McLeodUSA's core business of providing competitive local,
long distance and related communications services, it also derives revenue from:
. the sale of advertising space in telephone directories
. traditional local telephone company services in east central Illinois
and southeast South Dakota
. special access, private line and data services
. communications network maintenance services
. telephone equipment sales, leasing, service and installation
. video services
. telemarketing services
. computer networking services
. other communications services, including cellular, operator, payphone,
mobile radio and paging services
In most of its markets, McLeodUSA competes with the incumbent local phone
company by leasing its lines and switches. In other markets, primarily in east
central Illinois and southeast South Dakota, McLeodUSA operates its own lines
and switches. McLeodUSA provides long distance services by using its own
communications network facilities and leasing capacity from long distance and
local communications providers. McLeodUSA is constructing fiber optic
communications networks in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri,
Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming to carry additional
communications traffic on its own network.
McLeodUSA wants to be the leading and most admired provider of integrated
communications services in its markets. To achieve this goal, McLeodUSA
is:
. aggressively capturing customer share and generating revenue using
leased communications network capacity
. concurrently building its own communications network
. migrating customers to its own communications network to provide
enhanced services and reduce operating costs
59
<PAGE>
The principal elements of McLeodUSA's business strategy are to:
Provide integrated communications services. McLeodUSA believes it can
rapidly penetrate its target markets and build customer loyalty by
providing an integrated product offering to business and residential
customers.
Build customer share through branding. McLeodUSA believes it will create
and strengthen brand awareness in its target markets by branding its
communications services with the trade name McLeodUSA in combination with
the distinctive black-and-yellow motif of its telephone directories.
Provide outstanding customer service. McLeodUSA customer service
representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer
customer calls. McLeodUSA's customer-focused software and systems allow
its representatives immediate access to its customer and network data,
enabling a rapid and effective response to customer requests.
Emphasize small and medium sized businesses. McLeodUSA primarily targets
small and medium sized businesses because it believes it can rapidly
capture customer share by providing face-to-face business sales and strong
service support to these customers.
Expand its fiber optic communications network. McLeodUSA is building a
state-of-the-art fiber optic communications network to deliver multiple
services and reduce operating costs.
Expand intra-city fiber optic communications network. Within selected
cities, McLeodUSA plans to extend its network directly to its customers'
locations. This will allow McLeodUSA to provide expanded services and
reduce the expense of leasing communications facilities from the local
exchange carrier.
Explore acquisitions and strategic alliances. McLeodUSA plans to pursue
acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances to expand or
complement its business.
Leverage proven management team. McLeodUSA's executive management team
consists of veteran telecommunications managers who successfully
implemented similar customer-focused telecommunications strategies in the
past.
______________
As of December 31, 1998, McLeodUSA estimated, based on its business plan,
capital requirements and growth projections as of that date, that it would
require $1.4 billion through 2001. McLeodUSA's estimated aggregate capital
requirements include the projected cost of:
. building its fiber optic communications network, including intra-city
fiber optic communications networks
. expanding operations in existing and new markets
. developing wireless services
. funding general corporate purposes
. completing recent acquisitions, including the merger
. constructing, acquiring, developing or improving telecommunications
assets
In addition to the transaction described in this prospectus and proxy
statement, McLeodUSA has acquired Talking Directories and Info America. The
estimated costs and incremental capital needs associated with these acquisitions
are included in McLeodUSA's estimated aggregate capital requirements.
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<PAGE>
McLeodUSA expects to use the following to address its capital needs:
. approximately $487.8 million in net proceeds from the issuance of
McLeodUSA's 8 1/8% senior notes on February 22, 1999
. approximately $591.7 million of cash and investments on hand at
December 31, 1998
. additional issuances of debt or equity securities
. projected operating cash flow
The actual amount and timing of McLeodUSA's future capital requirements is
subject to risks and uncertainties and may differ materially from its estimates.
Accordingly, McLeodUSA may need additional capital to continue to expand its
markets, operations, facilities, network and services. See "Risk Factors--
Failure to Raise Necessary Capital Could Restrict McLeodUSA's Ability to Develop
its Network and Services and Engage in Strategic Acquisitions."
_________________
McLeodUSA's principal executive offices are located at McLeodUSA Technology
Park, 6400 C Street SW, P.O. Box 3177, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-3177, and its
phone number is (319) 364-0000.
Bravo Acquisition Corporation. Bravo Acquisition Corporation is a Delaware
corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA. McLeodUSA formed Bravo
Acquisition Corporation in December 1998 to facilitate the merger. Bravo
Acquisition Corporation has not transacted any business other than that incident
to its formation and the completion of the merger.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A detailed description of McLeodUSA's business, executive compensation,
various benefit plans, including stock option plans, voting securities and the
principal holders thereof, certain relationships and related transactions,
financial statements and other matters related to McLeodUSA is set forth in
McLeodUSA's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998
delivered with this prospectus and proxy statement, and in other documents
considered a part of, but not included in, this prospectus and proxy statement.
Stockholders desiring copies of such documents may contact McLeodUSA at its
address or telephone number indicated under "Where You Can Find More
Information."
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Acquisition of Talking Directories and Info America. On February 10, 1999,
McLeodUSA acquired Talking Directories for 2.6 million shares of McLeodUSA Class
A common stock. In a related and concurrent transaction, on February 10, 1999,
McLeodUSA acquired Info America for 1.2 million shares of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock. McLeodUSA also paid approximately $27 million of the outstanding
obligations of Talking Directories and Info America at the time of the
transactions.
Talking Directories and Info America are related companies, headquartered
in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that together publish and distribute proprietary
"white page" and "yellow page" telephone directories primarily in Michigan and
northwestern Ohio. In 1998, Talking Directories and Info America collectively
published and distributed approximately 2.6 million copies of 19 telephone
directories. As of December 31, 1998, Talking Directories had 257 employees and
Info America had no employees.
McLeodUSA has obtained this information regarding Talking Directories and
Info America from each of these companies, respectively. Although McLeodUSA
believes such
61
<PAGE>
information is reliable, none of it has been independently verified. The
financial information about each of these companies is unaudited.
Recent Financing. On February 22, 1999, McLeodUSA completed a private offering
of $500 million aggregate principal amount of its 8 1/8% senior notes due
February
15, 2009 in which it received net proceeds of approximately $487.8 million.
Interest on the 8 1/8% senior notes accrues at the rate of 8 1/8% per annum and
is
payable in cash semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each
year, commencing August 15, 1999. The 8 1/8% senior notes are redeemable at
McLeodUSA's option, in whole or in part, at any time on or after February 15,
2004 at 104.063% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest,
declining to 100.000% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid
interest, on or after February 15, 2007. In the event of specified equity
investments in McLeodUSA by specified strategic investors on or before February
15, 2002, McLeodUSA will have the right, at its option, to use all or a portion
of the net proceeds from such sale to redeem up to 33 1/3% of the original
principal amount of the 8 1/8% senior notes at a redemption price equal to
108.125% of the principal amount of the 8 1/8% senior notes plus accrued and
unpaid interest thereon, if any, provided that at least 66 2/3% of the original
principal amount of the 8 1/8% senior notes would remain outstanding immediately
after giving effect to such redemption. In addition, in the event of a change of
control of McLeodUSA, each holder of 8 1/8% senior notes will have the right to
require McLeodUSA to repurchase all or any part of such holder's 8 1/8% senior
notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the 8 1/8%
senior notes tendered by such holder plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.
The 8 1/8% senior notes will mature on February 15, 2009.
62
<PAGE>
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF MCLEODUSA
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
(UNAUDITED)
The information in the following unaudited table is based on historical
financial information included in McLeodUSA's prior SEC filings, including
McLeodUSA's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
1998, a copy of which accompanies this prospectus and proxy statement. The
following financial information should be read in connection with this
historical financial information including the notes which accompany such
financial information. This historical financial information is considered a
part of this document. See "Where You Can Find More Information" on page 105.
McLeodUSA's audited historical financial statements as of December 31, 1998 and
1997, and for each of the three years ended December 31, 1998 were audited by
Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public accountants.
The information in the following table reflects financial information for
the following companies McLeodUSA has acquired:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Acquired Company Date Acquired
---------------- -------------
<S> <C>
MWR Telecom, Inc. April 28, 1995
Ruffalo, Cody & Associates, Inc. July 15, 1996
Telecom*USA Publishing Group, Inc. September 20, 1996
Consolidated Communications, Inc. September 24, 1997
</TABLE>
The operations statement data and other financial data in the table include the
operations of these companies beginning on the dates they were acquired. The
balance sheet data in the table include the financial position of these
companies at the end of the periods presented, beginning with the period in
which they were acquired. These acquisitions affect the comparability of the
financial data for the periods presented.
The pro forma information presented in the operations statement data and
other financial data in the table reflects the operations of Ovation as if the
merger had occurred at the beginning of the periods presented and the pro forma
information in the balance sheet data in the table includes Ovation's financial
position as of the dates presented.
The information in the table also reflects the following debt securities
that McLeodUSA has issued:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Description of Debt Securities Principal Amount at Maturity Date Issued
------------------------------ ---------------------------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
10 1/2% senior discount notes due March 1, 2007 $500 million March 4, 1997
9 1/4% senior notes due July 15, 2007 $225 million July 21, 1997
8 3/8% senior notes due March 15, 2008 $300 million March 10, 1998
9 1/2% senior notes due November 1, 2008 $300 million October 30, 1998
8 1/8% senior notes due February 15, 2009 $500 million February 22, 1999
</TABLE>
The operations statement data and other financial data in the table reflect the
issuance of the 10 1/2% senior discount notes, the 9 1/4% senior notes, the
8 3/8% senior notes and the 9 1/2% senior notes beginning on the dates the notes
were issued. The balance sheet data in the table include the effects of these
issuances at the end of the periods presented, beginning with the period in
which they occurred. The pro forma information presented in the operations
statement data and other financial data in the table includes the effects of the
issuance of the 8 1/8% senior notes, the 9 1/2% senior notes and the 8 3/8%
senior notes as if they had occurred at the beginning of 1998 and the pro forma
information presented in the balance sheet data in the table includes the
effects of the issuance of the 8 1/8% senior notes as if it had occurred at the
end of 1998.
(table begins on the next page)
63
<PAGE>
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF MCLEODUSA
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
(UNAUDITED)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pro Forma
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Operations Statement
Data:
Revenue............................... $ 8,014 $ 28,998 $ 81,323 $267,886 $ 604,146 $ 625,181
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------- ---------
Operating expenses:
Cost of service.................... 6,212 19,667 52,624 151,190 323,208 329,527
Selling, general and
administrative................... 12,373 18,054 46,044 148,158 260,931 274,420
Depreciation and
amortization..................... 772 1,835 8,485 33,275 89,107 109,875
Other.............................. -- -- 2,380 4,632 5,575 5,575
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------- ---------
Total operating expenses.......... 19,357 39,556 109,533 337,255 678,821 719,397
Operating loss........................ (11,343) (10,558) (28,210) (69,369) (74,675) (94,216)
Interest Income (expense),
net................................ (73) (771) 5,369 (11,967) (52,234) (85,898)
Other income.......................... -- -- 495 1,426 1,997 1,997
Income taxes.......................... -- -- -- -- -- --
-------- -------- -------- --------- --------- ---------
Net loss.............................. $(11,416) $(11,329) $(22,346) $(79,910) $(124,912) $(178,117)
======== ======== ======== ======== ========= =========
Loss per common share................. $ (.53) $ (.40) $ (.55) $ (1.45) $ (1.99) $ (2.62)
======== ======== ======== ======== ========= =========
Weighted average common shares
outstanding........................ 21,464 28,004 40,506 54,974 62,807 67,910
======== ======== ======== ======== ========= =========
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pro Forma
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998
-------- -------- -------- ---------- ---------- ----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Balance Sheet Data:
Current assets........................ $ 4,862 $ 8,507 $224,401 $ 517,869 $ 793,192 $1,159,702
Working capital (deficit)............. $ 1,659 $ (1,208) $185,968 $ 378,617 $ 613,236 $ 947,536
Property and equipment, net........... $ 4,716 $ 16,119 $ 92,123 $ 373,804 $ 629,746 $ 706,406
Total assets.......................... $ 10,687 $ 28,986 $452,994 $1,345,652 $1,925,197 $2,721,383
Long-term debt........................ $ 3,500 $ 3,600 $ 2,573 $ 613,384 $1,245,170 $1,836,876
Stockholders' equity.................. $ 3,291 $ 14,958 $403,429 $ 559,379 $ 462,806 $ 635,076
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PRO FORMA
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Other Financial Data:
Capital expenditures, including
business acquisitions................ $ 3,393 $ 14,697 $173,782 $601,137 $339,660 $739,497
EBITDA(1).............................. $(10,571) $ (8,723) $(17,345) $(31,462) $ 20,007 $ 21,234
</TABLE>
_________________
(1) EBITDA consists of operating loss before depreciation, amortization and
other nonrecurring operating expenses. McLeodUSA has included EBITDA data
because it is a measure commonly used in the industry. EBITDA is not a
measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting
principles and should not be considered an alternative to net income as a
measure of performance or to cash flows as a measure of liquidity.
64
<PAGE>
PRO FORMA FINANCIAL DATA
The following unaudited pro forma financial information has been prepared
to give effect to:
. the merger
. the issuance of the 8 3/8% senior notes in March 1998
. the issuance of the 9 1/2% senior notes in October 1998
. the issuance of the 8 1/8% senior notes in February 1999
The Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet assumes that
the merger and the issuance of the 8 1/8% senior notes were consummated on
December 31, 1998. The Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Consolidated Statements of
Operations reflects the merger using the purchase method of accounting, and
assumes that the merger and the issuance of the 8 3/8% senior notes, the 9 1/2%
senior notes and the 8 1/8% senior notes were consummated at the beginning of
1998. The unaudited pro forma financial information is derived from and should
be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements of McLeodUSA
and the related notes thereto included in the accompanying copy of McLeodUSA's
annual report of Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998. The pro
forma adjustments are based upon available information and assumptions that
management believes to be reasonable. Depreciation and amortization were
adjusted to include amortization of intangibles to be acquired in the merger.
The acquired intangibles will be amortized over periods ranging from 3 to 30
years. For purposes of this pro forma presentation, the issuance of the 8 3/8%
senior notes, the 9 1/2% senior notes and the 8 1/8% senior notes are
collectively referred to as the "Notes Offerings." Recently completed
acquisitions described in "Recent Developments" on page 62 are not reflected in
this Pro Forma Financial Data.
The adjustments for the merger reflect the preliminary allocation of the
net purchase price of Ovation to the assets of Ovation that are to be acquired,
including intangible assets, and record the payment of $141 million in cash and
the issuance of 5,103,448 shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock valued at
$33.76 per share. The value of $33.76 per share represents the average closing
price of McLeodUSA Class A common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market for the
eleven trading days beginning five days prior to the date the merger agreement
was announced, January 7, 1999, and ending five days after such announcement.
The actual amount of cash paid and McLeodUSA Class A common stock issued may
vary depending on the elections of the holders of Ovation common stock to
receive either cash or McLeodUSA Class A common stock in exchange for their
shares as described in "Terms of the Merger Agreement and Related Transactions--
Conversion of Ovation Preferred Stock and Ovation Common Stock; Treatment of
Options." For purposes of allocating the net purchase price among the various
assets to be acquired, McLeodUSA has tentatively considered the carrying value
of the acquired assets to approximate their fair value, with all of the excess
of the net purchase price being attributed to intangible assets. McLeodUSA
intends to more fully evaluate the acquired assets following consummation of the
merger and, as a result, the allocation of the net purchase price among the
acquired tangible and intangible assets may change. The adjustments include the
elimination of the Ovation equity components, including common stock, treasury
stock, other capital and retained deficit.
The unaudited pro forma financial information is provided for informational
purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the operating results that
would have occurred had the merger been consummated at the beginning of 1998,
nor is it necessarily indicative of future operating results or financial
position.
65
<PAGE>
MCLEODUSA INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(IN THOUSANDS)
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1998
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PRO ADJUSTMENTS PRO FORMA
ADJUSTMENTS FORMA FOR THE 8 1/8% FOR THE 8 1/8%
FOR THE FOR THE SENIOR NOTES SENIOR NOTES
MCLEODUSA OVATION MERGER MERGER OFFERING OFFERING
--------- ------- ------ ------ -------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents................ $ 455,067 $ 1,310 $(141,000) $ 315,377 $487,800 $ 803,177
Other current assets..................... 338,125 18,400 -- 356,525 -- 356,525
---------- -------- --------- ---------- -------- ----------
Total Current Assets.................... 793,192 19,710 (141,000) 671,902 487,800 1,159,702
Property and Equipment................... 629,746 76,660 -- 706,406 -- 706,406
Intangible assets........................ 402,018 58,881 281,031 741,930 -- 741,930
Other assets............................. 100,241 904 -- 101,145 12,200 113,346
---------- -------- --------- ---------- -------- ----------
Total Assets............................ $1,925,197 $156,155 $ 140,031 $2,221,383 $500,000 $2,721,383
========== ======== ========= ========== ======== ==========
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY
Current Liabilities...................... $ 179,956 $ 22,210 $ 10,000 $ 212,166 $ -- $ 212,166
Long-term debt, less current
liabilities............................ 1,245,170 91,706 -- 1,336,876 500,000 1,836,876
Other long-term liabilities.............. 37,265 -- -- 37,265 -- 37,265
---------- -------- --------- ---------- -------- ----------
Total Liabilities....................... 1,462,391 113,916 10,000 1,586,307 500,000 2,086,307
---------- -------- --------- ---------- -------- ----------
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Preferred stock......................... -- 2 (2) -- -- --
Common stock............................ 637 240 (189) 688 -- 688
Additional paid-in capital.............. 716,475 49,487 122,732 888,694 -- 888,694
Deferred compensation................... -- (425) 425 -- -- --
Retained earnings (deficit)............. (252,647) (7,065) 7,065 (252,647) -- (252,647)
Accumulated other comprehensive
income................................. (1,659) -- -- (1,659) -- (1,659)
---------- -------- --------- ---------- -------- ----------
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY............ 462,806 42,239 130,031 635,076 -- 635,076
---------- -------- --------- ---------- -------- ----------
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY................ $1,925,197 $156,155 $ 140,031 $2,221,383 $500,000 $2,721,383
========== ======== ========= ========== ======== ==========
</TABLE>
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MCLEODUSA INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE INFORMATION)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1998
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADJUSTMENTS PRO FORMA
FOR THE FOR THE ADJUSTMENTS
NOTES NOTES FOR THE
MCLEODUSA OFFERINGS OFFERINGS OVATION MERGER TOTAL
--------- --------- -------- ------ -----
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Operations Statement Data:
Revenue........................................ $ 604,146 $ -- $ 604,146 $ 21,035 $ -- $ 625,181
--------- ----------- --------- -------- -------- ---------
Operating expenses:
Cost of service............................... 323,208 -- 323,208 6,319 -- 329,527
Selling, general and administrative........... 260,931 -- 260,931 13,489 -- 274,420
Depreciation and amortization................. 89,107 -- 89,107 5,383 15,385 109,875
Other......................................... 5,575 -- 5,575 -- -- 5,575
--------- ----------- --------- -------- -------- ---------
Total operating expenses..................... 678,821 -- 678,821 25,191 15,385 719,397
--------- ----------- --------- -------- -------- ---------
Operating loss................................ (74,675) -- (74,675) ( 4,156) (15,385) (94,216)
Interest expense, net......................... (52,234) (32,056) (84,290) ( 1,608) -- (85,898)
Other non-operating income.................... 1,997 -- 1,997 -- -- 1,997
Income taxes.................................. -- -- -- -- -- --
--------- ----------- --------- -------- -------- ---------
Net loss...................................... $(124,912) $(32,056) $(156,968) $ (5,764) $(15.385) $(178,117)
========= =========== ========= ======== ======== =========
Loss per common share......................... $ (1.99) $ (2.50) $ (2.62)
========= ========= =========
Weighted average common
shares outstanding........................... 62,807 62,807 67,910
========= ========= =========
OTHER FINANCIAL DATA:
EBITDA(1)...................................... $ 20,007 $ -- $ 20,007 $ 1,227 $ -- $ 21,234
</TABLE>
_______________
(1) EBITDA consists of operating loss before depreciation, amortization and
other nonrecurring operating expenses. McLeodUSA has included EBITDA data
because it is a measure commonly used in the industry. EBITDA is not a
measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting
principles and should not be considered an alternative to net income as a
measure of performance or to cash flows as a measure of liquidity.
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<PAGE>
INFORMATION ABOUT OVATION
OVATION OVERVIEW
Ovation is a Delaware corporation organized in the first quarter of 1997
under its prior name of OCI Communications, Inc. The mailing address of
Ovation's principal executive office is 400 South Highway 169, Suite 750,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426, and the phone number is (612) 252-5700.
Ovation is a privately owned competitive local exchange carrier which owns
the majority of its information transmission network. Ovation is pursuing a
strategy whereby Ovation owns and operates its own switches and fiber optic
communications network. In addition, Ovation has established agreements to
maintain its equipment at multiple incumbent local exchange carrier central
offices. Ovation currently owns and operates fiber optic communications
networks in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area and in
Michigan. Ovation completed the construction of telecommunications networks in
Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin in January 1999 and expects to expand
its Michigan service into Detroit by March 1999.
Ovation targets business customers located in Midwestern cities with
populations greater than one million. Ovation offers basic dial-tone, local and
long distance telephone service, and other communications services, including
Centrex-based services, private line/special access service, and data
transmission services. Ovation also offers voice mail, teleconferencing,
calling card services and other consumer and business services. In addition,
Ovation provides services to companies providing services over the Internet.
On October 1, 1998, Ovation acquired BRE Communications, L.L.C. d/b/a Phone
Michigan and increased its existing credit facility with AT&T Finance to $95
million to fund the purchase and expansion into other markets. Phone Michigan
is a competitive local exchange carrier which targets small to medium-sized
business customers as well as residential customers in smaller cities with
populations of 100,000 to 250,000 throughout Michigan. Phone Michigan currently
provides local, long distance and other services to customers in Flint, Saginaw,
Bay City, and Midland, Michigan.
OVATION HISTORY
Ovation began construction of a 66-mile fiber optic communications network
in downtown Minneapolis and southwest suburbs in 1997. To support the capital
expenditures required for the construction of the network, AT&T Finance agreed
to lend Ovation $24 million under a senior secured facility. By late December
1997, Ovation had begun to offer local telephone service. Ovation has continued
its expansion in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, with approximately
14,013 local lines in operation as of December 31, 1998.
After making its initial installations in Minnesota, Ovation began
expanding into Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. In addition,
Ovation plans to use the newly acquired Phone Michigan operations as a platform
for expanding into Detroit. Ovation plans to provide dial-tone service in
Milwaukee and Chicago during the first quarter of 1999 and in Detroit during the
second quarter of 1999.
PHONE MICHIGAN
Phone Michigan is a competitive local exchange carrier formed in November
1996. Like Ovation, Phone Michigan has deployed its own fiber optic
communications network. Phone Michigan funded part of the construction of its
network by selling a portion of its communications network to various school
districts in Michigan and keeping the unused portion of the network for its own
use. Phone Michigan is able to use the unsold, unleased portion of the fiber to
pursue its strategy.
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BUSINESS STRATEGY
Ovation's goal is to offer local dial tone and long distance services for
businesses and residences located in Midwestern cities. Ovation's primary
target markets are areas that are not heavily penetrated by other competitive
local exchange carriers. Because Ovation owns its fiber optic communications
network, it is able to lease transmission capacity to other carriers, providing
Ovation with additional revenue.
Ovation's strategy includes building and owning a complete network in each
of its markets. Although this strategy requires significantly higher capital
expenditures on the front-end, over time Ovation believes that its strategy
generates higher gross margins than can be obtained through reselling of other
local exchange carriers' services or from owning switches and leasing
transmission capacity. Also, Ovation has greater flexibility from an
operational perspective because, by owning a complete fiber optic communications
network, Ovation is not as susceptible to changes in purchased transmission
costs.
Ovation's strategy is to build fiber networks near business corridors, and
to lease transmission capacity to other central offices to increase its overall
market. While leasing the network is more costly than using Ovation's own
transmission capabilities, it provides Ovation with the ability to access a
larger portion of local business without having to construct additional
transmission capacity. In addition, Ovation will build directly to a customer's
building in situations that meet minimum profitability criteria. The following
table provides data on the number of Ovation's current and planned location-
sharing sites in its target markets:
OPERATIONAL LOCATION-SHARING SITES
MARKET End of 1998 End of 1999
------ ----------- -----------
(PROJECTED)
Minnesota 12 27
Illinois 16 45
Wisconsin 1 13
Michigan 7 58
----------- -----------
TOTALS 36 143
SERVICES
Ovation currently offers local and long-distance service. While the
majority of Ovation's service is to business customers, Ovation currently offers
residential service through Phone Michigan. Ovation also plans to offer data
and video services based on market demand.
LOCAL PHONE SERVICES
In addition to standard local business and residential phone service,
Ovation offers many customized local line features.
Ovation also offers a variety of specific local products, including
business lines, Centrex service, analog and digital shared communication paths,
data transmission and special access and private line services. These services
are explained in greater detail below.
. Business Line. Business line is a calling service that provides a
business access line to a telephone network. Basic business line
service is offered for a flat monthly charge or for a lower monthly
rate plus usage charges. A local directory listing is provided as part
of the business package, and long distance service is provided at an
additional charge.
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. Centrex Service. Centrex service includes features similar to those
of a large company that maintains its own electronic transmission
devices, except the equipment is located at Ovation's central office
and not at the premises of the customer. Like a large company with
such capabilities, Centrex allows business customers to make intra-
office calls by way of four-digit extensions and direct dial calls
within a given phone system as well as identifying inbound calls.
. Trunking Services. There are two types of trunking services: analog
and digital. Trunking services enable businesses to realize cost
savings over individual line if they have their own device to complete
telephone transmission.
. ISDN. Integrated Services Digital Network is an internationally
agreed upon standard which, through special equipment, allows two-way,
simultaneous voice and data transmission in digital formats over the
same transmission line. This service targets sophisticated business
customers who need to carry out functions such as videoconferencing.
. Special Access and Private Line. Ovation offers special access and
private line services. Special access services are switchless services
that were traditionally offered by competitive access providers.
Ovation's special access services allow its business customers to
bypass the need for other telephone companies' services by providing
special access to their long distance carrier of choice. Ovation
creates private line services when Ovation links two locations of the
same business together. In essence, Ovation provides its largest
business customers with a private pipe connecting the customer's
sites.
LONG DISTANCE PHONE SERVICE
Ovation offers long distance service on a resale basis and related
services. Ovation buys wholesale long distance minutes from several carriers,
including Frontier and Wiltel. Ovation then sells the long distance service
under plans with pricing generally lower than what the larger long distance
carriers charge.
LOCATION-SHARING SERVICE
Ovation offers a variety of services that permit customers to interface
their network equipment with Ovation's network equipment.
Ovation is continually evaluating new products. Some potential new
products include the simultaneous transmission of voice, data and multimedia
applications and Internet related telephone services. Ovation anticipates
implementing these services, which include placing long distance calls through
the Internet, by the end of 1999.
CUSTOMERS
Ovation sells its telecommunications service to all segments of the
telephone services market, including business, residential and data service
customers. The following table shows Ovation's estimated sources of revenue for
1998:
ESTIMATED PERCENT OF
SOURCE OF REVENUE TOTAL REVENUE
----------------- -------------
Terminations 60
Residential 18
Business 16
Miscellaneous 6
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NETWORK
In each of its markets, Ovation establishes fiber optic communications
networks and digital switches. In addition, Ovation is often approached by
equipment manufacturers as a test site, allowing Ovation to use their new
products and upgrades in return for Ovation's testing them.
SALES AND MARKETING
Ovation concentrates on building its fiber optic communications network
near large corporate users, but also focuses on building directly into many
local exchange carrier central offices. Once Ovation has built networks into
these central offices, Ovation can offer local lines to customers currently
served out of that central office. Although Ovation has not historically
focused on residential services, Ovation believes that construction of
transmission capacity between the central offices makes offering residential
service financially viable.
Sales. The typical Ovation sales force is divided into four groups to best
serve these customer segments: general business, major/national business,
companies providing services over the Internet and agent accounts.
. General Business Accounts
Ovation typically employs one general business manager for every 10
general business account executives. These managers direct the general
business sales force. The sales force is comprised of between 10 to 20
general business sales representatives who sell to small-end
businesses (24 business lines or less). These representatives
concentrate on customers that typically receive no special attention
from the incumbent local exchange carrier and are price conscious.
. Major/National Accounts
Depending on market size, Ovation will usually have one business
manager for its major/national account sales representatives. The
sales force is comprised of between 5 to 10 representatives. These
sales representatives sell to customers who have 24 business lines or
more. They develop customized packages which may include private line,
special access, local and long distance service.
Ovation's major/national customers range from a regional subsidiary of
a national organization to a Fortune 100 company.
. Accounts for Companies Providing Services Over the Internet.
Ovation is a beneficiary of the growing demand from companies
providing services over the Internet. These companies traditionally
have put a great constraint on transmission capabilities because the
incumbent local exchange carriers were not built on 1:1 shared
communication path for traditional voice calls.
Because of the number of companies providing services over the
Internet, Ovation uses one account executive per market to sell to
these accounts.
. Agent Accounts
Ovation generally uses agency arrangements with entities that own
phone or telephone equipment vendor companies or market other types of
telecommunications services. Although sales are done by an agent,
Ovation bills the customer.
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<PAGE>
Sales Force Compensation. Ovation compensates its sales force on a per
line basis, with managers of different types of accounts operating under
different sales expectations.
Pricing. When Ovation begins service in a new market, it generally offers
several incentive pricing plans including the following:
. up to 10% off other carriers' services
. free installation of service on existing service
. up to three months of free service for extended-term contracts
. incentives to locate their equipment at Ovation's central office
Advertising. In July 1998, Ovation launched a new marketing campaign to
make potential customers aware that Ovation has the capacity to serve over 80%
of the business lines in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Ovation
advertises via magazines, billboards and radio.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Ovation tries to make full customer service available as close to the
customer as possible and provides local personnel in each of its markets with
sales staff, billing analysts, operations technicians and engineers and single
point-of-contact provisioning coordinators available for customer support.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS
Ovation believes that the successful competitive local telephone companies
of the future will have automated information systems allowing them to process
orders cost-effectively from sale through installation and billing, manage
trouble reports, and manage network infrastructure. To this end, Ovation plans
to build an information technology infrastructure utilizing the most advanced
systems available in the industry and building interfaces between these systems.
As part of the implementation of this plan, Ovation intends on providing all of
its employees, regardless of location, with access to Ovation processes and
procedures as well as the actual systems.
Ovation has entered into contracts with vendors in order
management/provisioning, billing, and network management. Ovation is currently
implementing these systems and designing systems to ensure maximum
efficiencies.
Ovation also believes that customers, employees and vendors want access
to data utilizing the Internet and plans to incorporate this capability into its
information technology infrastructure.
Operational Support Solution. Ovation has recently agreed to purchase an
operating support system from MetaSolv Software, Inc.
The software consists of a set of integrated modules, as follows:
. Order Management. This subsystem allows Ovation to create and manage
multiple orders within both Ovation and other service providers, such
as incumbent local exchange carriers. The software prompts the user to
enter the appropriate data and automatically creates the appropriate
service request(s).
. Service Provisioning. The service provisioning subsystem enables
Ovation to meet a customer's request as initiated by the order
management subsystem. Service provisioning provides an engineer with
the tools to design a system delivering service for
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a specified customer. In addition, the system automatically generates
additional service requests that may be necessary to complete a
customer's request.
. Network Design. This subsystem tracks the installation and
configuration of the equipment that forms Ovation's hardware platform.
As a result, the network design module is able to provide both an
accurate and real-time equipment inventory and the equipment's
capacity. In addition, this subsystem gives the user the ability to
design networks prior to committing to equipment purchases or network
configurations.
. Customer Care. Individuals working with a customer are able to see
the services provided to the customer and technical details such as
installed circuits, design details and pertinent trouble history for
that customer which help customer service representatives see the big
picture from a customer's point-of-view.
. Trouble Management. The trouble management subsystem captures and
manages quality control, including the origination of trouble
recognition and the monitoring of system alarms. The subsystem is able
to create a solution to ensure work is completed.
. Work Management. The work management subsystem provides the
capability to manage the flow of work and information. The subsystem
generates work flow plans which detail how each task is assigned, what
the dependencies between tasks are and when the tasks are expected to
be completed.
. Data Management. This subsystem allows all groups within an
organization to view the same information. In addition, this subsystem
also stores reference data about the organization and its
structure.
Ovation expects that the software will be fully operational in Chicago and
Milwaukee during the first quarter of 1999 and in Michigan and Minneapolis by
the end of 1999.
COMPETITION
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has increased competition in the local
telecommunications business. As a result, Ovation competes against many other
local telephone companies.
Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers. Incumbent local exchange carriers are
generally Ovation's most formidable competitors due to their large size, market
presence and access to capital resources. Ovation competes with the incumbent
local exchange carriers in its markets for local exchange services on the basis
of:
. product offerings
. reliability
. state-of-the-art technology
. price
. route diversity
. ease of ordering
. customer service.
However, the incumbent local exchange carriers have long-standing
relationships with their customers and provide those customers with various
transmission and switching services that Ovation, in many cases, does not
currently offer. Ovation has sought, and will continue to seek, to achieve
parity with the incumbent local exchange carriers in order to be able to provide
a full range of local telecommunications services.
Competitive Local Exchange Carriers. Ovation also compete against other
competitive local exchange carriers. The following is a list of some
competitive local exchange carriers.
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. Allegiance
. NEXTLINK
. Teligent (wireless)
. Winstar (wireless)
. Focal
. Teleport (AT&T)
. MFS (MCI WorldCom)
. ICG
. Intermedia
. KMC
. MGC
. US Exchange
MCI WorldCom and AT&T have also emerged as competitors in the local
telephone service market as a result of MCI WorldCom's acquisition of MFS,
Brooks Fiber and MCI Metro and AT&T's acquisition of Teleport Communications
Group.
Other Competitors. Ovation also faces, and expects to continue to face,
competition from other potential competitors in several of the markets in which
Ovation offers its services. In addition to the incumbent local exchange
carriers, potential competitors capable of offering switched local and long
distance services include long distance carriers such as AT&T, MCI WorldCom and
Sprint, cable television companies such as TeleCommunications, Inc. and Time
Warner, Inc., electric utilities, microwave carriers, wireless telephone system
operators and private networks built by large end users.
In some cases, cable television companies are upgrading their
communications networks with fiber optics and installing facilities to provide
fully interactive transmission of voice, video and data communications. In
addition, under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, electric utilities may
install telephone transmission equipment and may facilitate provision of
telecommunications services by electric utilities over those networks if granted
regulatory authority to do so. Cellular and PCS providers may also be a source
of competitive local telephone service.
Ovation also competes with equipment vendors and installers, and
telecommunications management companies, with respect to portions of its
business.
A continuing trend towards business combinations and alliances in the
telecommunications industry may create significant new competitors to Ovation.
In addition, many of Ovation's existing and potential competitors have
financial, personnel and other resources, including name recognition,
significantly greater than those of Ovation.
Ovation also competes with long distance carriers in the provision of long
distance services. Although the long distance market is dominated by three
major competitors, AT&T, MCI WorldCom and Sprint, hundreds of other companies
also compete in the long distance marketplace.
REGULATION
Ovation's services are subject to varying degrees of federal, state and
local regulation. The FCC exercises jurisdiction over telecommunications
carriers which provide, originate or terminate local, intrastate, interstate or
international communications. In addition, state regulatory commissions retain
jurisdiction over carriers which originate or terminate intrastate
communications and local governments typically impose franchise or licensing
requirements on competitive local exchange carriers.
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FEDERAL REGULATION
Ovation is regulated at the federal level as a non-dominant common carrier
subject to minimal regulation under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934.
The Communications Act of 1934 was substantially amended by the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 which was signed into law by President Clinton on
February 8, 1996. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 removes several state and
local entry barriers including the following:
. requires incumbent local exchange carriers to provide interconnections
to their facilities
. allows end-users to choose their own switched service providers
. requires access to rights-of-way
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is also designed to enhance the
competitive position of the competitive local exchange carriers and increase
local competition by newer competitors such as long distance carriers, cable
television and public utility companies.
Specifically, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires all
telecommunications carriers, including local telephone companies, to permit
resale of their services. It also mandates that local carriers provide dialing
parity, number portability and nondiscriminatory access to telephone numbers,
operator services, directory assistance and directory listings and it
establishes reciprocal compensation arrangements for the transport and
termination of telecommunications traffic between a competitive local exchange
carriers and an incumbent local exchange carrier. Under the Telecommunications
Act of 1996, incumbent local exchange carriers are also required to provide
nondiscriminatory access to network elements, to offer their local telephone
services for resale at wholesale rates, and to facilitate location-sharing of
equipment necessary for competitors to interconnect with or access the network
elements.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 also supplanted most of the restrictions
that resulted from the divestiture of the regional Bell operating companies from
AT&T in 1984. As a result of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, regional Bell
operating companies must satisfy, among other things, a 14-point checklist of
competitive requirements before they can provide long distance services.
Interconnection Decision. On August 8, 1996, the FCC released the First
Report and Order and Second Report and Order and Memorandum (the
"Interconnection Decision") regarding local exchange competition. The
Interconnection Decision established a framework of minimum national rules
enabling state Public Service Commissions and allowed the FCC to begin
implementing many of the local competition provisions of the Telecommunications
Act of 1996.
On July 18, 1997, the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated portions
of the Interconnection Decision, deciding that the FCC overstepped its
boundaries by establishing rules to govern, among other things, the prices that
the incumbent local exchange carriers may charge for interconnection.
In a companion hearing, the court ruled that the term "interconnection," as
used in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, relates to physical access, and does
not include transmission and routing services as well.
On October 14, 1997, the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a
decision clarifying that the incumbent local exchange carriers are not obligated
to offer bundled elements. In January 1999, the United States Supreme Court
reversed major portions of the decision of the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals
and remanded the case for further proceedings.
Transmission. On August 10, 1998, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
issued a ruling in favor of competitive local exchange carriers which requires
incumbent local exchange carriers to sell
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"shared transport" to competitive local exchange carriers. The ruling reaffirms
that incumbent local exchange carriers must make their transport networks
available to competitive local exchange carriers. The incumbent local exchange
carriers have filed a petition for rehearing of that decision before the Eighth
Circuit.
Southwestern Bell Decision. On December 31, 1997, the U.S. District Court
for the Northern District of Texas issued the Southwestern Bell Decision,
finding that sections of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 are
unconstitutional. These sections impose restrictions on the lines of business
in which the regional Bell operating companies may engage, including
establishing the conditions the regional Bell operating companies must satisfy
before they may provide long distance telecommunications services.
Under the Southwestern Bell Decision, the regional Bell operating companies
would be able to provide long distance telecommunications services immediately
without satisfying the 14 conditions imposed by the Telecommunications Act. The
Southwestern Bell Decision was stayed pending its review by the U.S. Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals. The Fifth Circuit subsequently reversed the District
Court decision. The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Southwestern Bell's petition
for certiorari in the case.
Other Regulation. In general, the FCC has a policy of encouraging the
entry of new competitors, such as Ovation, in the telecommunications industry
and preventing anti-competitive practices. Therefore, the FCC has established
different levels of regulation for dominant carriers and non-dominant carriers.
For domestic common carrier telecommunications regulation, the FCC currently
considers large incumbent local exchange carriers such as GTE as dominant
carriers, and competitive local exchange carriers such as Ovation as non-
dominant carriers. As a non-dominant carrier, Ovation is subject to relatively
minimal FCC regulation.
Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier Price Cap Reform. In 1991, the FCC
replaced traditional rate of return regulation for large incumbent local
exchange carriers with price cap regulation. Under price caps, incumbent local
exchange carriers can charge prices for some services only within established
parameters. On September 14, 1995, the FCC proposed a three-stage plan that
would substantially reduce incumbent local exchange carriers' price cap
regulation as local markets become increasingly competitive and ultimately would
result in granting incumbent local exchange carriers non-dominant status.
The FCC released an order on December 24, 1996, which adopted several of
these proposals, including the elimination of the lower service band index
limits on price reductions within the access service category. The FCC's
December 1996 order also eased the requirements necessary for the introduction
of new services. On May 7, 1997, the FCC took further action in its CC Docket
No. 94-1 updating and reforming its price cap plan for incumbent local exchange
carriers. The changes require price cap incumbent local exchange carriers to
reduce their price cap indices by 6.5% annually, less an adjustment for
inflation. The FCC also eliminated rules that require incumbent local exchange
carriers earning more than the specified rates of return to share portions of
the excess with their access customers during the next year in the form of lower
access rates. These actions could have a significant effect on the interstate
access prices charged by the incumbent local exchange carriers with which
Ovation competes. Review of these FCC decisions is currently pending before the
U.S. Court of Appeals.
Access Charges. The FCC has granted incumbent local exchange carriers
significant flexibility in pricing the interstate special and local service on a
specific central office by central office basis. Under this pricing scheme,
incumbent local exchange carriers may establish pricing zones based on access
traffic density and charge different prices for each zone.
On May 16, 1997, the FCC took action in its CC Docket No. 96-262 to reform
the current interstate access charge system. These new FCC rules are designed
to reform the existing rate structure by moving access charges to more cost-
based rate levels and structures. Over the course of
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several years, Ovation expects that these changes will reduce access charges and
will shift charges currently based on minutes to flat-rate, monthly per line
charges. As a result, the total amount of access charges paid by long distance
carriers to access providers in the United States may decrease. The FCC also
announced that it intends in the future to issue a Report and Order providing
detailed rules for implementing a market-based approach to further access charge
reform. That process will give incumbent local telephone companies progressively
greater flexibility in setting rates as competition develops, gradually
replacing regulation with competition as the primary means of setting prices.
The FCC also adopted a safeguard to bring access rates to competitive levels in
the absence of competition.
This series of decisions is likely to have a significant effect on the
operations, expenses, pricing and revenue of Ovation. On June 18, 1997, the FCC
denied petitions filed by several incumbent local exchange carriers asking the
FCC to stay the effectiveness of its access charge reform decision. The access
charge order was affirmed by the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on August
19, 1998. On October 6, 1998, the FCC issued a Public Notice asking parties to
refresh the record on access charge reform. It specifically requested comment
on pricing flexibility proposals submitted by two incumbent local exchange
carriers and on changing the 6.5% X-factor adjustment for price cap indices.
Universal Service Reform. On May 8, 1997, the FCC issued an order to
implement the provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 relating to the
preservation and advancement of universal telephone service. The Universal
Service order provides that everyone must be granted quality service, affordable
rates, access to advanced services, access in rural and high-cost areas,
equitable and nondiscriminatory contributions, specific and predictable support
mechanisms and access to advanced telecommunications services for schools,
health care providers and libraries. The order provided that universal service
rules should not unfairly advantage or disadvantage one provider or technology
over another. All telecommunications carriers providing interstate
telecommunications services, including Ovation, must contribute to the universal
service support fund. Several parties have appealed the May 8th order and the
outcome is still pending.
STATE REGULATION
Ovation believes that most, if not all, states in which it proposes to
operate will require a certification or other authorization to offer intrastate
services. These certifications generally require proof that the carrier has
adequate financial, managerial and technical resources to offer the proposed
services. Ovation will also be subject to tariff filing requirements.
In addition to obtaining state certifications, Ovation must negotiate terms
of interconnection with the incumbent local exchange carrier before it can begin
providing switched services. Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, if
Ovation and the negotiating incumbent local exchange carrier are unable to reach
an agreement 135 days after submitting a request for interconnection to the
incumbent local exchange carrier, the negotiations may be submitted to
arbitration under the supervision of the state public utility commission.
Minnesota. The Minnesota Arbitration Order, filed on January 3, 1997,
clearly defined the competitive parameters as to how new entrants and incumbent
local exchange carriers will operate together.
Illinois. The Illinois legislature enacted the two following laws,
effective January 1, 1998: the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee Act and Right of
Condemnation.
The Infrastructure Maintenance Fee Act eliminated any existing franchise
requirements for telephone companies. In exchange, the Infrastructure
Maintenance Fee Act allowed the state and municipal government to charge an
infrastructure fee of 2% of gross revenue or 1% of gross revenue if the served
population is 500,000 or less. This municipal fee is the only charge that a
city can levy against a telephone company in connection with the placement and
operation of a telecommunications network, including the use of public rights-
of-way.
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Under the Right of Condemnation, a telephone company may enter and damage
private property to build its facility provided that it pays for the damage. In
addition, this law provides that a telephone company can place its facilities
along any highway, street, alley or public right-of-way dedicated or commonly
used for utility purposes.
Wisconsin. The Wisconsin legislature is considering enacting a
comprehensive statute like those already adopted in Illinois and Minnesota
regarding the use of public rights-of-way by telecommunications providers.
Currently, Wisconsin law allows municipalities to impose reasonable regulations
on telecommunications providers in connection with the construction and
placement of facilities within the public right-of-way. Ovation, therefore, has
entered into separate agreements with each of the Wisconsin municipalities whose
public rights-of-way they intend to use.
On February 25, 1998, the State of Wisconsin granted Ovation's subsidiary,
Ovation Communications of Wisconsin, Inc., certification as a competitive local
exchange carrier and alternative telecommunications utility.
Michigan. Michigan's constitution currently provides that no public
utility has the right to use the highways, streets, or other public places
without the consent of the local government. The next section of the
constitution provides that no franchise or license will be granted by any city
for a period longer than 30 years. The Michigan Telecommunications Act requires
local governments to grant permits for access to use rights of way to provide
telecommunications services but the local government retains the right to review
that access so as to protect the welfare of the public. Section 253 of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 allows the FCC to preempt enforcement of state or
local actions that hinder competition but the FCC has historically been cautious
in using this power. It is more difficult for a competitive local exchange
carrier to enter the market in Michigan than in Chicago and Minnesota, but Phone
Michigan has already obtained the necessary interconnection agreements.
REGULATORY STATUS OF RECIPROCAL COMPENSATION
Current legislation requires incumbent local exchange carriers to pay
competitive local telephone companies reciprocal compensation for all local
calls that originate from an incumbent local exchange carrier customer and
terminate at a competitive local exchange carrier customer. At issue has been
reciprocal compensation payable when an incumbent local exchange carrier
customer makes use of a company providing services over the Internet that has
located its equipment at a competitive local exchange carrier's facility.
Incumbent local exchange carriers have argued that such calls do not constitute
a local call since the call is likely to terminate at Internet web sites in
other states or countries and, as such, incumbent local exchange carriers feel
they should not have to pay reciprocal compensation for these calls. However,
twenty-four states have ruled that such calls are indeed local calls and
therefore are subject to reciprocal compensation provisions in local network
interconnection agreements.
On November 2, 1998, the FCC ruled that dedicated services provided through
a single dedicated channel between an individual subscriber and a single pre-
designated location, should be regulated as interstate services. However, the
FCC noted that its ruling does not affect current reciprocal compensation
agreements between local telephone companies. In addition, the FCC decision
does not directly affect dial-up calls to companies that provide services over
the Internet, which, according to the FCC, should continue to be treated as
local calls where dictated in local interconnection agreements.
Ovation believes that the determination as to whether or not dial-up calls
to companies providing Internet services are local calls will ultimately be
determined by a Supreme Court decision and expects an intermediate decision by
the FCC in the near future. Such a decision could potentially reduce or
eliminate Ovation's reciprocal compensation-based revenues from companies
providing Internet services.
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EMPLOYEES
As of December 31, 1998, Ovation had 378 employees, all of whom were full-
time employees and none of whom was subject to any collective bargaining
agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER MATTERS
The EPA and other agencies regulate a number of chemicals and substances
that may be present in facilities used in the provision of telecommunications
services. These include preservatives which may be present in wood poles,
asbestos which may be present in underground duct systems and lead which may be
present in cable sheathing. Components of Ovation's network may include one or
more of these chemicals or substances. Ovation believes that in their present
uses, none of its facilities poses any significant environmental or health risk
from EPA regulated substances. If EPA regulation of any such substance is
increased, or if any facilities are disturbed or modified in such a way as to
require removal of the substance, special handling, storage and disposal may be
required for any such facilities removed from use.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
On January 4, 1999, the Company issued options to purchase 388,750 shares
of Ovation common stock at $8 per share to its employees and employees of its
subsidiaries.
PROPERTIES
The tangible assets of Ovation include a substantial investment in
telecommunications and cable equipment. The net book value of Ovation's fixed
assets was approximately $76.7 million as of December 31, 1998. No single
property represents 10% or more of Ovation's total assets.
The principal properties of Ovation do not lend themselves to simple
description by character and location. Ovation's investment in property, plant
and equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 1998 and pro forma to
include the properties of Phone Michigan at December 31, 1997:
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
(IN THOUSANDS)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DEC. 31, 1998 DEC. 31, 1997
------------- -------------
<S> <C> <C>
Net Fixed Assets:
Telecommunication Plants $63,437,638 $21,613,756
Other Equipment $ 4,736,093 $ 1,147,456
Land and Buildings $ 1,378,569 $ 794,860
Construction in Progress $ 7,107,975 $ 1,947,874
----------- -----------
TOTALS $76,660,275 $25,503,946
</TABLE>
Telecommunications plants consist of switching equipment, transmission
equipment and related facilities, above and below ground cable, conduit and
wiring. Other equipment consists of public telephone instruments and telephone
equipment used or leased by Ovation in its operations, poles, furniture, office
equipment, vehicles and other work equipment. Land and buildings consist of
land owned and improvements, principally central office buildings. Other
property consists primarily of plant under construction, capital leases and
leasehold improvements.
Ovation's rights-of-way for its telecommunications transmissions systems
are typically held under leases, easements, licenses or governmental permits.
All other major equipment and physical
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facilities are owned and operated, constructed and maintained using rights-of-
way, easements, permits, licenses or consents on or across properties owned by
others.
Ovation owns or leases, in its operating territories, telephone property
which includes: telephone transmission network and distribution network
facilities; point-to-point distribution capacity; central office; connecting
lines between customers' premises and the central offices; and customer premise
equipment.
The fiber optic communications backbone and distribution network and
connecting lines include above and below cable, conduit, and poles and wires.
These facilities are located on public streets and highways or on privately
owned land. Ovation has permission to use these lands under consent or lease,
permit, easement, or other agreements. The central office equipment includes
electronic switches and peripheral equipment.
With the exception of Ovation's South Linden Road location in Flint,
Michigan, Ovation and its subsidiaries lease facilities for their administrative
and sales offices, network nodes and warehouse space. The various leases expire
in years ranging from 1999 to 2008. Most have renewal options. Additional
office space and equipment rooms will be leased as Ovation's operations and
networks are expanded and as new networks are constructed.
Ovation currently leases all of these properties with the exception of
Ovation's South Linden Road location in Flint, Michigan. The following chart
summarizes Ovation's facilities:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Square
FACILITY DESCRIPTION Feet
-------- ----------- ---
<S> <C> <C>
Minnesota
Suite 900-Minneapolis Operations 15,931
Interchange South-Minneapolis Corporate and Executive Offices 14,245
Suite LL-5-Minneapolis Storage 3,909
Suite 1036-Minneapolis Sales and Operations 2,582
Suite 1050-Minneapolis Network Management Center 2,984
ILLINOIS
427 South LaSalle-Chicago Chicago Region Operations Offices 22,000
WISCONSIN
731 North Jackson St.-Milwaukee Wisconsin Region Operations Offices 18,500
MICHIGAN
4074 S. Linden Rd. Michigan Region Operations Offices 12,900
Oak Creek Office Park Call Center 7,178
Miler Road Office Sales & Customer Service 8,743
Saginaw Office Sales Office 2,300
Farmington Hills Switch Office Sales Office & Future Operations Site 18,000
</TABLE>
All properties owned by Ovation are subject to claims for loans obtained in
the ordinary course of business. Ovation does not ordinarily acquire or hold as
investments real estate, interests in real estate, real estate mortgages or
securities of companies primarily engaged in real estate activities.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Ovation and its subsidiaries are parties, as plaintiff or defendant, to a
number of legal proceedings. These proceedings are considered to be routine
litigation incidental to Ovation's business and none is considered to be a
material pending legal proceeding.
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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF OVATION
(In thousands, except per share data)
The information in the following table is based on Ovation's financial
statements presented later in this prospectus and proxy statement, including
Ovation's financial statements for the period from March 27, 1997 (date of
inception) to December 31, 1997 and for the year ended December 31, 1998, which
were audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent certified public accountants.
The following summary financial information should be read in connection with
these financial statements including the notes which accompany them.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PERIOD FROM
MARCH 27, 1997 (DATE
OF INCEPTION) THROUGH YEAR ENDED
DECEMBER 31, DECEMBER 31,
1997 1998
--------------------- -------------
<S> <C> <C>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenue...................................... $ 40 $ 21,035
---------- ----------
Operating expenses:
Cost of service............................ 61 6,319
Selling, general and administrative........ 1,278 13,489
Depreciation and amortization.............. -- 5,383
Other...................................... -- --
---------- ----------
Total operating expenses................... 1,339 25,191
---------- ----------
Operating loss............................... (1,299) (4,156)
Interest income (expense), net............... (1) (1,608)
Other income................................. -- --
Income taxes................................. -- --
---------- ----------
Net loss..................................... $ (1,300) $ (5,746)
---------- ----------
Less preferred stock dividends............... (240) (1,237)
---------- ----------
Net loss per share applicable
to common stockholders..................... (1,540) (7,001)
========== ==========
Loss per common share........................ $ (.15) $ (.35)
========== ==========
Weighted average common
shares outstanding........................... 10,008 20,269
========== ==========
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
---------------------------
1997 1998
---------- ----------
<S> <C> <C>
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Current Assets............... $ 887 $ 19,710
Working capital (deficit).... (1,753) (2,500)
Property and equipment, net.. 15,927 76,660
Total Assets................. 17,203 156,155
Long-Term Debt............... 9,309 91,706
Stockholders' Equity......... 5,253 42,239
</TABLE>
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OVATION MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
OVERVIEW
Ovation provides telecommunications services through its own facilities and
those of other carriers. Ovation was incorporated in Delaware on March 27, 1997
as OCI Communications, Inc. Ovation changed its name to Ovation Communications,
Inc. in May 1998.
Ovation completed the construction of a 66 mile telephone transmission
network in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area in December 1997. In
December 1997 Ovation began marketing local telephone services, intrastate long
distance services, and high-capacity communications facilities and services
dedicated to a particular customer's use. Ovation was in its development stage
until the end of 1997.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
December 31, 1997 Compared to December 31, 1998
Cash and cash equivalents increased from $663,277 at December 31, 1997 to
$1,309,889 at December 31, 1998, an increase of $646,612. The increase was
associated with the increase in sales in 1998.
Other current assets consisted mostly of net accounts receivable. The
other current assets increased from $224,023 at December 31, 1997 to $18,399,657
at December 31, 1998, an increase of $18,174,905. This increase was primarily
due to the growth in Revenue from terminating access charges collected from U S
WEST, and other local and long distance telephone companies. This increase also
included the addition of $1,067,194 of inventory, or work-in-process, under BRE
Communications, L.L.C.
Net fixed assets increased from $15,927,354 at December 31, 1997 to
$76,660,275 at December 31, 1998, a net increase of $60,732,921. This increase
represents additional telecommunications assets that were constructed by Ovation
throughout 1998 as well as telecommunications assets that were added as a result
of the BRE Communications, L.L.C. acquisition. Ovation currently plans to make
substantial additional investments in new telecommunications facilities and
accordingly expects net fixed assets to significantly increase in future years
as these facilities are constructed.
Net intangible assets increased from $388,142 at December 31, 1997 to
$59,785,260 at December 30, 1998, a net increase of $59,397,118. The increase
is related to an increase in goodwill and other intangibles, net of accumulated
amortization, of $59,375,757.
Current liabilities increased from $2,640,371 at December 31, 1997 to
$22,210,185 at December 31, 1998, a net increase of $19,569,814. The increase
is primarily related to an increase in trade payables and accrued liabilities
for Ovation. This increase also included the addition of $22,154 for the
current portion of long-term debt.
Long-term debt increased from $9,309,276 at December 31, 1997 to
$91,705,858 at December 31, 1998, an increase of $82,396,582. This increase is
primarily the result of advances made under a $95,000,000 credit agreement with
AT&T Finance. The advances were used to fund Ovation's 1998 construction
projects, the acquisition of BRE Communications, L.L.C. and for operating
expenses.
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Total shareholders' equity increased from $5,253,149 at December 31, 1997
to $42,239,038 at December 31, 1998, an increase of $36,985,889. This increase
was caused by additional equity raised by Ovation from the sale of additional
common and preferred stock to Ovation's existing stockholders and from the
issuance of stock in connection with the acquisition of BRE Communications,
L.L.C. offset by Ovation's net loss in fiscal year 1998 of $5,764,265.
JANUARY 1, 1998 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1998
The results discussed below include the operations of Ovation between
January 1, 1998 and December 31, 1998 as well as the operations of BRE
Communications, L.L.C. from October 1, 1998, the date it was acquired by
Ovation, through December 31, 1998. Amounts are not comparable to those for the
year ended December 31, 1997 because of the significant growth of Ovation during
1998 compared to the year of its inception and the October 1998 acquisition of
BRE Communications, L.L.C. Total operating revenues were $21,035,180, of which
$7,882,904 was generated by BRE Communications, L.L.C. from the date it was
acquired. Cost of service for this period was $6,319,255, or 30% of total
operating revenues, reflecting expenses associated with Ovation's operations.
Selling, general and administrative expenses during the fiscal year were
$18,871,583, or 90% of total operating revenues, reflecting the large start-up
and operating expenses incurred by Ovation. Depreciation and amortization
expense for this period was $5,382,972, or 26% of total operating revenues.
Selling, general and administrative expenses also included $2,531,881 of non-
cash compensation expense associated with the increase in value of Ovation's
common stock under the variable stock plan.
Interest expense for the year ending December 31, 1998 was equal to
$1,732,307. The majority of this expense was due to the advances of long-term
debt under the AT&T Finance credit agreement, incurred to fund capital
expenditures and operating expenses.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Ovation believes that it has adequate resources available to finance its
current operating requirements. Ovation maintains a $95 million development
line of credit with AT&T Finance, $11.3 million of which was available as of
December 31, 1998. In addition, Ovation has agreed in principle with several
financial institutions to obtain a $190 million credit facility.
Ovation's 1999 expansion plans will require it to substantially expand its
employee base, resulting in additional employee expenses which will likely cause
Ovation to experience negative monthly operating cash flows until its new
development projects are completed and new subscribers are added throughout 1999
and beyond. In addition, Ovation currently anticipates investing between $55 and
$60 million in new capital expenditures in 1999 in connection with its new
development projects. Ovation currently plans to fund these requirements with
the additional long-term debt discussed above.
Ovation's long-term lender is AT&T Finance, which provided the funds for
Ovation's 1997 and 1998 construction projects. As of December 31, 1998, AT&T
Finance and several other larger financial institutions had agreed in principle
to provide Ovation with a restructured long-term financing facilities in the
aggregate amount of $190 million.
YEAR 2000 READINESS DISCLOSURE
An Introduction to the Year 2000 Problem
Ovation is highly dependent upon advanced computer systems and specialized
software for the conduct of its business. These systems include switching and
network operations, billing and customer care, accounting and reporting and
Internet operating systems, as well as a wide assortment of personal computer
productivity software. Ovation's switching, network and major information
technologies have already been tested and accepted as Year 2000 ready. Upgrades
are
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already in process for some of Ovation's peripheral systems. In early 1999,
Ovation plans to perform readiness testing for the Year 2000 and the leap year.
By testing its switching, network and major information technologies,
Ovation is addressing an issue that is facing all users of automated information
systems. The issue is that many computer systems that process date sensitive
information based on two digits representing the year of the event may recognize
a date using "00" as the year 1900 rather than the Year 2000. The inability to
correctly recognize "00" as the Year 2000 could affect a wide variety of
automated information systems, such as mainframe applications, invoicing and
receivables tracking systems, event scheduling systems, personal computers and
telecommunication systems, in the form of software failure, errors or
miscalculations.
The discussion below describes Ovation's efforts to address this problem.
This Year 2000 readiness disclosure is based upon and partially repeats
information provided by Ovation's outside consultants, vendors and others
regarding the Year 2000 readiness of Ovation and its customers, vendors and
other parties. Although Ovation believes this information to be accurate, it has
not in each case independently verified such information.
This Year 2000 readiness disclosure is a "forward-looking statement" within
the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Costs, results, performance and effects of Year 2000
activities described in those forward-looking statements may differ materially
from actual costs, results, performance and effects in the future due to the
interrelationship and interdependence of Ovation's computer systems and those of
its vendors, material service providers, customers and other third parties.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the following forward-
looking statements. Furthermore, Ovation undertakes no obligation to update,
amend or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
YEAR 2000 READINESS PROGRAM
It is difficult to predict with certainty what will happen to Ovation's
operations when the Year 2000 date is triggered. Ovation has tested its
switching network and major information technologies. Given the complexity of
the specialized software used by Ovation, there can be no assurance that
unanticipated operating problems will not occur in Ovation's systems. Further,
like all telecommunications companies, Ovation relies on the continuing
operations of other telecommunications companies to provide worldwide
communications services. Ovation must be concerned not only with its own
internal systems, but also with the inter-related systems of many other
companies over which it exercises no control. Given these circumstances, Ovation
believes that it is likely that some of its services will be adversely affected
by this problem, although the extent and impact of these service disruptions are
virtually impossible to estimate at this time.
Ovation is reviewing its information technology and non-information
technology computer systems to determine which are not capable of recognizing
the Year 2000 and to verify system readiness for the millennium date. The
review covers all material operations and is centrally managed. In reviewing
the Year 2000 issue, Ovation management has initiated the following steps:
1. increasing employee awareness and communication of Year 2000 issues
2 inventorying hardware, software and data interfaces and confirming
Year 2000 readiness of key vendors
3. identifying mission-critical components for internal systems, vendor
relations and other third parties
4. estimating costs for Year 2000 remediation
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5. estimating Year 2000 completion dates
6. correcting/remediating any Year 2000 identified problems
7. replacing systems or components that cannot be made Year 2000 ready
8. testing and verifying systems
9. implementing the Year 2000 remediation plan
Ovation is in the initial stages of performing these Year 2000 procedures
required to complete the remaining steps and has begun to develop contingency
plans to handle its most reasonably likely worst case Year 2000 scenarios.
A component of assessing Ovation's Year 2000 readiness includes an
assessment and survey of Year 2000 readiness of key business partners because
Ovation's network relies significantly on the provisioning and switching
capabilities of the other competitive local exchange carriers in those markets
in which Ovation provides services. Ovation has not received certification from
these carriers indicating that they are Year 2000 ready, but has been notified
that some of the carriers have initiated programs to mitigate their Year 2000
issues in 1999. However, there can be no assurance that the systems of the
carriers will become Year 2000 compliant before January 1, 2000.
YEAR 2000 READINESS COSTS
To date, Ovation's primary costs for its Year 2000 compliance program are
employee costs associated with Ovation's internal management information systems
employees and other personnel, which Ovation expenses as part of its General and
Administrative Expense. Such costs to date have not been material. Ovation
currently estimates that most of the total cost to make Ovation's internal
systems Year 2000 ready will be expensed by Ovation as the costs are incurred.
The estimated cost of Ovation's Year 2000 readiness program is $47,500.
CONTINGENCY PLANS
Ovation believes that the design of its network and support systems could
provide Ovation with several operating contingencies in the event material
external systems fail. Ovation's major network operating facilities and systems
are backed up with auxiliary power generators that Ovation believes are capable
of operating all equipment and systems for indeterminate periods should power
supplies fail. Some ancillary systems are backed up by emergency battery
systems. In addition, Ovation is currently developing contingency plans to
address other problem areas. Because of the inability of Ovation's contingency
plans to eliminate the negative impact that disruptions in other carriers'
services would create, there can be no assurance that Ovation will not
experience disruptions in its services.
Ovation believes that with modifications to existing software and
conversions to new software, the Year 2000 issue will not pose material,
unremediable operational problems for its internal systems. However, given the
current uncertainty about the possible extent of the Year 2000 problem, Ovation
cannot provide assurance that these efforts will be successful or that the
remediation costs will not be materially different from Ovation's current
estimates. At worst case, failure by Ovation or by its interconnected service
providers or software vendors to remediate Year 2000 readiness issues could
result in the disruption of Ovation's operations, possibly affecting operation
of the network and Ovation's ability to bill or collect revenues. A prolonged
network outage could have a material adverse effect on Ovation's results of
operations, cash flows, and could possibly affect its ability to service its
indebtedness.
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RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
In June 1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard No. 131, "Disclosures about Segments of an
Enterprise and Related Information". This pronouncement, effective for calendar
year 1998 financial statements, requires reporting segment information
consistent with the way executive management of an entity disaggregates its
operations internally to assess performance and make decisions regarding
resource allocations. Among information to be disclosed, this pronouncement
requires an entity to report a measure of segment profit or loss, specific
revenue and expense items and segment assets. This pronouncement also requires
reconciliations of total segment revenues, total segment profit or loss and
total segment assets to the corresponding amounts shown in the entity's
consolidated financial statements. Ovation expects that the adoption of this
pronouncement will require Ovation to discontinue reporting segments currently
disclosed in its annual consolidated financial statements due to the increasing
convergence of its computer, telephone and cable television businesses.
In June 1998, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard No. 133, "Accounting for Derivative Instruments
and Hedging Activities." This pronouncement establishes accounting and
reporting standards requiring that every derivative instrument (including
derivative instruments embedded in other contracts) be recorded in the balance
sheet as either an asset or liability measured at its fair value. This
pronouncement requires that changes in the derivative's fair value be recognized
currently in earnings unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met. Special
accounting for qualifying hedges allows a derivative's gains and losses to
offset related results on the hedged item in the income statement, and requires
that a company must formally document, designate, and assess the effectiveness
of transactions that receive hedge accounting.
This pronouncement is effective for fiscal years beginning after June 15,
1999. A company may also implement this pronouncement as of the beginning of
any fiscal quarter after issuance (fiscal quarters beginning June 16, 1998 and
thereafter). This pronouncement cannot be applied retroactively. This
pronouncement must be applied to (a) derivative instruments, and (b) derivative
instruments embedded in hybrid contracts that were issued, acquired, or
substantively modified after December 31, 1997 (and, at Ovation's election,
before January 1, 1998).
Ovation does not expect the impact of the adoption of this pronouncement to
be material to Ovation's results of operations as Ovation does not currently
hold any derivative instruments or engage in hedging activities.
No other recently issued accounting pronouncements are expected to have a
significant effect on future financial statements.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT OF OVATION
Holders of record of Ovation common stock and Ovation preferred stock at
the close of business on March 8, 1999 are entitled to notice of and to vote at
the special meeting and any adjournment of that meeting. As of March 8, 1999,
there were 23,971,756 shares of Ovation common stock issued and outstanding and
240,000 shares of Ovation preferred stock issued and outstanding. Each share of
Ovation common stock is entitled to one vote on each matter submitted for
stockholder action. Each share of Ovation preferred stock is entitled to 50
votes on each matter submitted for stockholder action.
For purposes of calculating beneficial ownership, the numbers of shares
stated in the following tables are based on information furnished by each person
listed and include shares personally owned of record by that person and shares
that, under applicable regulations, are considered to be otherwise beneficially
owned by that person. Under these regulations, a beneficial owner of a security
includes any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract,
arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise has or shares voting power
or dispositive power with respect to the security. Voting power includes the
power to vote or to direct the voting of the security. Dispositive power
includes the power to dispose or to direct the disposition of the security. A
person will be considered the beneficial owner of a security if the person is
legally entitled to share voting or dispositive power by reason of joint
ownership, trust or other contract or property right, or if the securities are
held by spouses and children over whom the person may have influence by reason
of relationship. A person also will be considered the beneficial owner of a
security if the person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership of the
security within 60 days.
The beneficial ownership of McLeodUSA Class A common stock to be received
in the merger reflected in the following tables has been calculated as if the
merger had been consummated on March 9, 1999 and is based on the form of
consideration elected by the persons listed prior to the date of this prospectus
and proxy statement. Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership and
M/C Investors L.L.C. have elected to receive a combination of cash and shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock in exchange for their Ovation common stock.
Based on this election, and calculated as if the merger had been consummated on
March 9, 1999, Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership and M/C
Investors L.L.C. would receive $82,600,269 and $4,103,699, respectively, for
their Ovation common stock in addition to the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock indicated. Messrs. Devine, Lenoci, Osborne, Rediger and Kirley have each
elected to receive shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in exchange for
their Ovation common stock. The following tables assume Mr. Biasetti elects to
receive shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in exchange for his Ovation
common stock. See "The Merger--Interests of Ovation Management in the Merger"
on page 25.
87
<PAGE>
The following table sets forth information concerning the number of shares
of Ovation common stock held by each stockholder who is known to Ovation's
management to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the
outstanding Ovation common stock as of March 8, 1999, and the number of shares
of McLeodUSA Class A common stock that such stockholders would beneficially own
immediately following the merger, based on assumptions set forth above. The
percentages reflected in the column "Percent of Class" in this table were
computed based on a total of 23,971,756 shares of Ovation common stock
outstanding as of March 8, 1999 plus, where applicable, options to purchase
shares of Ovation common stock that are currently exercisable or that may be
exercised within 60 days.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF
MCLEODUSA CLASS A
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK TO BE
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OVATION COMMON PERCENT RECEIVED IN CONNECTION
BENEFICIAL OWNER OF COMMON STOCK STOCK OF CLASS WITH THE MERGER
- -------------------------------- ----------------------- --------- -----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Media/Communications Partners III
Limited Partnership (1)............................. 18,437,017 76.9% 3,758,539
75 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
Timothy T. Devine (2)............................... 1,635,204 6.8% 585,854
6231 Hummingbird Road
Excelsior, MN 55331
</TABLE>
__________________
Footnotes begin on page 91.
The following table sets forth information concerning the number of shares
of Ovation preferred stock held by each stockholder who is known to Ovation's
management to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the
outstanding Ovation preferred stock as of March 8, 1999. The Ovation preferred
stock will be converted into the right to receive cash in the merger. The
percentage reflected in the column "Percent of Class" was computed based on a
total of 240,000 shares of Ovation preferred stock outstanding as of March 8,
1999.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF
BENEFICIAL OWNER OF PREFERRED STOCK OVATION PREFERRED STOCK PERCENT OF CLASS
----------------------------------- ----------------------- ----------------
<S> <C> <C>
Media/Communications Partners III
Limited Partnership (3).......................... 222,300 92.6%
75 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
</TABLE>
________________
Footnotes begin on page 91.
88
<PAGE>
The following table sets forth information concerning the number of shares
of Ovation common stock held as of March 8, 1999 by each of Ovation's directors
and executive officers and all of Ovation's directors and executive officers as
a group, and the number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock that such
persons would beneficially own immediately following the merger, based on
assumptions set forth above. The percentages reflected in the column "Percent
of Class" in this table were computed with reference to a total of 23,971,756
shares of Ovation common stock outstanding as of March 8, 1999 plus, where
applicable, options to purchase shares of Ovation common stock that are
currently exercisable or that may be exercised within 60 days.
Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership of Ovation Common Stock
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
BENEFICIAL
OWNERSHIP OF
SHARED MCLEODUSA CLASS
SOLE VOTING VOTING AND TOTAL PERCENT OF A COMMON STOCK
NAME OF DISPOSITIVE AND DISPOSITIVE BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP TO BE RECEIVED IN
BENEFICIAL OWNER POWER POWER POWER CLASS THE MERGER
---------------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Timothy T. Devine (2)................. 1,635,204 -- 1,635,204 6.8% 585,854
Nicholas Lenoci, Jr. (4).............. 383,000 -- 383,000 1.6 136,951
Charles Osborne (5)................... 325,000 -- 325,000 1.4 116,211
Jonethan D. Biasetti (6).............. 198,400 -- 198,400 * 70,943
Peter H. O. Claudy (7)................ -- 19,353,035 19,353,035 80.7 3,945,268
James F. Wade (8)..................... -- 19,353,035 19,353,035 80.7 3,945,268
Scott A. Rediger (9).................. 646,110 -- 646,110 2.7 231,486
Kenneth A. Kirley (10)................ 248,000 -- 248,000 1.0 88,678
All directors and executive officers
as a group (8 persons) (11)........... 3,435,714 19,353,035 22,788,749 94.6% 5,175,391
</TABLE>
________________
* Indicates less than 1%.
The following table sets forth information concerning the number of shares
of Ovation preferred stock held as of March 8, 1999 by each of Ovation's
directors and executive officers and all of Ovation's directors and executive
officers as a group. The Ovation preferred stock will be converted into the
right to receive cash in the merger. The percentages reflected in the column
"Percent of Ownership Class" were computed based on a total of 240,000 shares of
Ovation preferred stock outstanding as of March 8, 1999.
AMOUNT AND NATURE OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF OVATION PREFERRED STOCK
---------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME OF SOLE VOTING AND SHARED VOTING AND TOTAL BENEFICIAL PERCENT OF
BENEFICIAL OWNER DISPOSITIVE POWER DISPOSITIVE POWER POWER OWNERSHIP CLASS
---------------- ---------------- ----------------- ----- ---------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Timothy T. Devine (2)................. -- -- -- --
Nicholas Lenoci, Jr. (4).............. -- -- -- --
Charles Osborne (5)................... -- -- -- --
Jonethan D. Biasetti (6).............. -- -- -- --
Peter H. O. Claudy (12)............... -- 234,000 234,000 97.5%
James F. Wade (13).................... -- 234,000 234,000 97.5%
Scott A. Rediger (9).................. -- -- -- --
Kenneth A. Kirley (10)................ -- -- -- --
All directors and executive officers
as a group (8 persons)(11)............ -- 234,000 234,000 97.5%
</TABLE>
(1) Does not include the 916,018 shares of Ovation common stock owned by M/C
Investors L.L.C.
(2) Mr. Devine is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of
Ovation. Includes 79,889 shares of Ovation common stock that Mr. Devine
will have the option to purchase at the time of the merger for a price of
$.40 per share in accordance with a stockholders' agreement dated January 7,
1999.
(3) Does not include 11,700 shares of Ovation preferred stock held by M/C
Investors L.L.C.
(4) Mr. Lenoci is the Chief Operating Officer of Ovation.
(5) Mr. Osborne is the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Ovation.
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<PAGE>
(6) Mr. Biasetti is the Vice President--Finance of Ovation. As of the date of
this prospectus and proxy statement, Mr. Biasetti had not elected whether
to receive cash or shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock in the merger
in exchange for his shares of Ovation common stock.
(7) Peter H. O. Claudy is a Director of Ovation. Includes 18,437,017 shares of
Ovation common stock owned by Media/Communications Partners III Limited
Partnership over which Mr. Claudy exercises shared voting and dispositive
power and 916,018 shares of Ovation common stock owned by M/C Investors
L.L.C. over which Mr. Claudy exercises shared voting and dispositive power.
Mr. Claudy disclaims beneficial ownership over all of these shares.
(8) James F. Wade is a Director of Ovation. Includes 18,437,017 shares of
Ovation common stock owned by Media/Communications Partners III Limited
Partnership over which Mr. Wade exercises shared voting and dispositive
power and 916,018 shares of Ovation common stock owned by M/C Investors
L.L.C. over which Mr. Wade exercises shared voting and dispositive power.
Mr. Wade disclaims beneficial ownership over all of these shares.
(9) Mr. Rediger is the Senior Vice President--Business Development of Ovation.
Includes 31,566 shares of Ovation common stock that Mr. Rediger will have
the option to purchase at the time of the merger for a price of $.40 per
share in accordance with a stockholders' agreement dated January 7,
1999.
(10) Mr. Kirley is the Vice President--General Counsel of Ovation.
(11) Peter H. O. Claudy and James F. Wade exercise shared voting and dispositive
power over identical shares of Ovation common stock and Ovation preferred
stock owned by Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership and
M/C Investors L.L.C.
(12) Peter H. O. Claudy is a Director of Ovation. Includes 222,300 shares of
Ovation preferred stock owned by Media/Communications Partners III Limited
Partnership over which Mr. Claudy exercises shared voting and dispositive
power and 11,700 shares of Ovation preferred stock owned by M/C Investors
L.L.C. over which Mr. Claudy exercises shared voting and dispositive power.
Mr. Claudy disclaims beneficial ownership over all of these shares.
(13) James F. Wade is a Director of Ovation. Includes 222,300 shares of Ovation
preferred stock owned by Media/Communications Partners III Limited
Partnership over which Mr. Wade exercises shared voting and dispositive
power and 11,700 shares of Ovation preferred stock owned by M/C Investors
L.L.C. over which Mr. Wade exercises shared voting and dispositive power.
Mr. Wade disclaims beneficial ownership over all of these shares.
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<PAGE>
OVATION EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table shows information concerning the compensation paid to
Mr. Devine for services rendered to Ovation during the years ended December 31,
1998 and 1997.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NUMBER OF
SECURITIES
NAME AND ANNUAL COMPENSATION UNDERLYING ALL OTHER
-------------------
PRINCIPAL POSITION YEAR SALARY OPTIONS (1) COMPENSATION
- ------------------ ---- ------ ----------- ------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Timothy T. Devine 1998 $127,000 -- $558 (2)
President and Chief
Executive Officer 1997 $127,000 -- $419 (3)
</TABLE>
(1) In accordance with a stockholders' agreement dated January 7, 1999 among
Ovation and M/C, Ovation must reserve for issuance 1,341,095 shares of
Ovation common stock. This agreement grants Mr. Devine the option, upon a
sale of Ovation, to purchase (pro rata based on his relative ownership of
Ovation common stock at the time of the sale of Ovation) any such shares
that are neither outstanding nor subject to any options or rights held by
existing or former employees of Ovation. In accordance with this agreement,
Mr. Devine will have the option to purchase 79,889 shares of Ovation common
stock at the time of the merger for a price of $.40 per share. The value of
this option, based on the book value of Ovation common stock as of December
31, 1998, is $38,347. Mr. Devine holds no other options to purchase shares
of Ovation capital stock.
(2) Represents $126 and $432 in premiums paid by Ovation for life insurance and
long-term disability insurance, respectively, for Mr. Devine.
(3) Represents $95 and $324 in premiums paid by Ovation for life insurance and
long-term disability insurance, respectively, for Mr. Devine.
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<PAGE>
MCLEODUSA CAPITAL STOCK AND COMPARISON OF STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS
If the merger is completed, shares of Ovation common stock may be converted
into shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock. As a result, Ovation
stockholders, whose rights are currently governed by the Delaware General
Corporation Law, Ovation's certificate of incorporation and bylaws, may become
McLeodUSA stockholders, whose rights are governed by the Delaware General
Corporation Law, McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation and bylaws.
The following is a description of the capital stock of McLeodUSA, including
the McLeodUSA Class A common stock to be issued in the merger, and a summary of
the material differences between the rights of Ovation stockholders and
McLeodUSA stockholders. These differences arise from the differences between
McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation and bylaws relative to Ovation's
certificate of incorporation and bylaws. Although it is impractical to compare
all of the aspects in which the companies' governing instruments differ with
respect to stockholders' rights, the following discussion summarizes the
significant differences between them.
DESCRIPTION OF MCLEODUSA CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary description of the capital stock of McLeodUSA is
based on the provisions of McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation and bylaws
and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law. For
information on how to obtain copies of McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation
and bylaws, see "Where You Can Find More Information."
AUTHORIZED AND OUTSTANDING CAPITAL STOCK OF MCLEODUSA
Under McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation, McLeodUSA has authority to
issue 274,000,000 shares of capital stock, consisting of 250,000,000 shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock, 22,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par
value $.01 per share, and 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $.01
per share. As of March 22, 1999, 68,630,796 shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock, no shares of McLeodUSA Class B common stock and no shares of McLeodUSA
preferred stock were issued and outstanding.
The rights of the holders of McLeodUSA Class A common stock and McLeodUSA
Class B common stock discussed below are subject to such rights as McLeodUSA's
board of directors may hereafter confer on holders of McLeodUSA preferred stock
that may be issued in the future. Such rights may adversely affect the rights
of holders of McLeodUSA Class A common stock or McLeodUSA Class B common stock,
or both.
MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK
Voting Rights. Each holder of McLeodUSA Class A common stock is entitled to
attend all special and annual meetings of the stockholders of McLeodUSA and,
together with the holders of shares of McLeodUSA Class B common stock and the
holders of all other classes of stock entitled to attend and vote at such
meetings, to vote upon any matter, including, without limitation, the election
of directors, properly considered and acted upon by the stockholders of
McLeodUSA. Holders of McLeodUSA Class A common stock are entitled to one vote
per share.
Liquidation Rights. In the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up
of McLeodUSA, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock, the holders of McLeodUSA Class B common stock and holders of any
class or series of stock entitled to participate with the McLeodUSA Class A and
Class B common stock, will become entitled to participate
92
<PAGE>
in the distribution of any assets of McLeodUSA remaining after McLeodUSA has
paid, or provided for payment of, all debts and liabilities of McLeodUSA and
after McLeodUSA has paid, or set aside for payment, to the holders of any class
of stock having preference over the McLeodUSA Class A common stock in the event
of dissolution, liquidation or winding up the full preferential amounts, if any,
to which they are entitled.
Dividends. Dividends may be paid on the McLeodUSA Class A common stock, the
McLeodUSA Class B common stock and on any class or series of stock entitled to
participate with the McLeodUSA Class A and Class B common stock when and as
declared by McLeodUSA's board of directors.
No Preemptive or Conversion Rights. The holders of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock have no preemptive or subscription rights to purchase additional
securities issued by McLeodUSA nor any rights to convert their McLeodUSA Class A
common stock into other securities of McLeodUSA or to have their shares redeemed
by McLeodUSA.
MCLEODUSA CLASS B COMMON STOCK
Voting Rights. Each holder of McLeodUSA Class B common stock is entitled to
attend all special and annual meetings of the stockholders of McLeodUSA and,
together with the holders of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock and the
holders of all other classes of stock entitled to attend and vote at such
meetings, to vote upon any matter or thing, including, without limitation, the
election of directors, properly considered and acted upon by the stockholders of
McLeodUSA. Holders of McLeodUSA Class B common stock are entitled to .40 vote
per share.
Liquidation Rights. In the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up
of McLeodUSA, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of McLeodUSA Class B
common stock, the holders of McLeodUSA Class A common stock and the holders of
any class or series of stock entitled to participate with the McLeodUSA Class B
and Class A common stock, will become entitled to participate in the
distribution of any assets of McLeodUSA remaining after McLeodUSA has paid, or
provided for payment of, all debts and liabilities of McLeodUSA and after
McLeodUSA has paid, or set aside for payment, to the holders of any class of
stock having preference over the McLeodUSA Class B common stock in the event of
dissolution, liquidation or winding up the full preferential amounts, if any, to
which they are entitled.
Dividends. Dividends may be paid on the McLeodUSA Class B common stock, the
McLeodUSA Class A common stock and on any class or series of stock entitled to
participate with the McLeodUSA Class B and Class A common stock when and as
declared by McLeodUSA's board of directors.
Conversion into McLeodUSA Class A Common Stock; No Other Preemptive or
Conversion Rights. The shares of McLeodUSA Class B common stock may be converted
at any time at the option of the holder into fully paid and nonassessable shares
of McLeodUSA Class A common stock at the rate of one share of McLeodUSA Class A
common stock for each share of McLeodUSA Class B common stock, as adjusted for
any stock split. Except for this conversion right, the holders of McLeodUSA
Class B common stock have no preemptive or subscription rights to purchase
additional securities issued by McLeodUSA nor any rights to convert their
McLeodUSA Class B common stock into other securities of McLeodUSA or to have
their shares redeemed by McLeodUSA.
MCLEODUSA PREFERRED STOCK
McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation authorizes McLeodUSA's board of
directors, from time to time and without further stockholder action, to provide
for the issuance of up to 2,000,000 shares of McLeodUSA preferred stock, in one
or more series, and to fix the relative rights and preferences of the shares,
including voting powers, dividend rights, liquidation preferences, redemption
rights and conversion privileges. As of the date hereof, McLeodUSA's board of
directors
93
<PAGE>
has not provided for the issuance of any series of such McLeodUSA preferred
stock and there are no agreements or understandings for the issuance of any such
McLeodUSA preferred stock. Because of its broad discretion with respect to the
creation and issuance of McLeodUSA preferred stock without stockholder approval,
McLeodUSA's board of directors could adversely affect the voting power of the
holders of McLeodUSA Class A common stock and, by issuing shares of McLeodUSA
preferred stock with preferential voting, conversion and/or redemption rights,
could discourage any attempt to obtain control of McLeodUSA.
INVESTOR AGREEMENT AND STOCKHOLDERS' AGREEMENTS
McLeodUSA has entered into an agreement (as amended, the ``Investor
Agreement'') with Alliant Energy, MHC and Clark E. and Mary E. McLeod and
several other stockholders. The Investor Agreement provides that each of Alliant
Energy, MHC and Clark and Mary McLeod, for so long as each owns at least 10% of
the outstanding capital stock of McLeodUSA, will vote such party's shares and
take all action within its power to:
. establish the size of McLeodUSA's board of directors at nine
directors
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors one director
designated by Alliant Energy for so long as Alliant Energy owns at
least 10% of the outstanding capital stock of McLeodUSA
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors one director
designated by MHC for so long as MHC owns at least 10% of the
outstanding capital stock of McLeodUSA
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors three directors
who are executive officers of McLeodUSA designated by Clark E. McLeod
for so long as Clark E. and Mary E. McLeod collectively own at least
10% of the outstanding capital stock of McLeodUSA
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors four independent
directors nominated by McLeodUSA's board of directors
On June 14, 1997, several shareholders of Consolidated Communications,
Inc., McLeodUSA, Alliant Energy, MHC and Clark and Mary McLeod entered into a
stockholders' agreement (as amended, the "June 1997 Stockholders' Agreement"),
which became effective on September 24, 1997. Under the June 1997 Stockholders'
Agreement, which amends and restates the Investor Agreement among the parties
thereto, each party agreed, for so long as such party owns at least 10% of the
outstanding McLeodUSA Class A common stock, for a period of three years after
September 24, 1997, to vote such party's shares and take all action within its
power to:
. establish the size of McLeodUSA's board of directors at up to 11
directors
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors one director
designated by Alliant Energy for so long as Alliant Energy owns at
least 10% of the outstanding McLeodUSA Class A common stock
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors one director
designated by MHC for so long as MHC owns at least 10% of the
outstanding McLeodUSA Class A common stock
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors three directors
who are executive officers of McLeodUSA designated by Clark E. McLeod
for so long as Clark E. and Mary E. McLeod collectively own at least
10% of the McLeodUSA Class A common stock
. cause Richard A. Lumpkin to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of
directors for so long as the former shareholders of Consolidated
Communications who are a party to the June 1997 Stockholders'
Agreement collectively own at least 10% of the McLeodUSA Class A
common stock
94
<PAGE>
. cause to be elected to McLeodUSA's board of directors four non-
employee directors nominated by McLeodUSA's board of directors
The June 1997 Stockholders' Agreement also provides, among other things,
that:
. for a period ending in June 1999, and subject to exceptions, each of
Alliant Energy and MHC will refrain from acquiring, or agreeing or
seeking to acquire, beneficial ownership of any securities issued by
McLeodUSA
. until September 24, 1998, and subject to exceptions, no party will
sell or otherwise dispose of any equity securities of McLeodUSA
without the consent of McLeodUSA's board of directors
. if McLeodUSA grants any party the opportunity to register equity
securities of McLeodUSA under the Securities Act, McLeodUSA will grant
all other parties the same opportunity to register their pro rata
portion of McLeodUSA equity securities owned by them
The other operative provisions of the Investor Agreement remain unchanged in the
June 1997 Stockholders' Agreement.
On November 18, 1998, McLeodUSA entered into a stockholders' agreement (the
"November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement") with Alliant Energy, Clark E. and Mary
E. McLeod, and Richard A. and Gail G. Lumpkin and several other parties related
to the Lumpkins, but not including MHC, which was a party to prior
agreements.
The November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement provides, among other things,
that:
. until December 31, 2001, the parties will not sell or otherwise
dispose of any equity securities of McLeodUSA, or any other securities
convertible into or exercisable for such equity securities,
beneficially owned by them without receiving the prior written consent
of McLeodUSA's board of directors, except for transfers specifically
permitted by the November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement
. McLeodUSA's board of directors will determine on a quarterly basis
starting with the quarter ending December 31, 1998 and ending on
December 31, 2001, the aggregate number, if any, of shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock, not to exceed in the aggregate 150,000
shares per quarter, that the parties may sell or otherwise dispose of
during designated trading periods following the release of McLeodUSA's
quarterly or annual financial results
. to the extent McLeodUSA's board of directors grants registration
rights to a party to the agreement in connection with a sale or other
disposition of securities of McLeodUSA by such party, it will grant
similar registration rights to the other parties
. McLeodUSA's board of directors will determine on an annual basis
commencing with the year ending December 31, 1999 and ending on
December 31, 2001 (each such year, an "Annual Period"), the aggregate
number, if any, of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock, not to
exceed in the aggregate on an annual basis a number of shares equal to
15% of the total number of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock
beneficially owned by the parties as of December 31, 1998 (the
"Registrable Amount"), to be registered by McLeodUSA under the
Securities Act, for sale or other disposition by the parties
. in any underwritten offering of shares of Class A common stock by
McLeodUSA, other than an offering on a registration statement on Form
S-4 or Form S-8 or any successor forms thereto or other form which
would not permit the inclusion of shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock owned by the parties, McLeodUSA will give
95
<PAGE>
written notice of such offering to the parties and will undertake to
register the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock of such parties
up to the Registrable Amount, if any, as determined by McLeodUSA's
board of directors
. McLeodUSA may subsequently determine not to register any shares of the
parties under the Securities Act and may either not file a
registration statement or otherwise withdraw or abandon a registration
statement previously filed
The November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement terminates on December 31, 2001.
In addition, if during any Annual Period McLeodUSA has not provided a party a
reasonable opportunity to register shares of Class A common stock under the
Securities Act, or to sell or otherwise dispose of by other provisions of the
November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement, an aggregate number of shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock equal to not less than 15% of the total number of
shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock beneficially owned by such party as of
December 31, 1998, then such party may terminate the November 1998 Stockholders'
Agreement as it applies to such party within 10 business days following the end
of any such Annual Period.
The November 1998 Stockholders' Agreement also contains provisions relating
to the designation and election of directors to McLeodUSA's board of directors
which provisions take effect on the terms and under the circumstances specified
in the agreement.
On January 7, 1999, M/C entered into a stockholders' agreement (as
previously defined, the "Ovation Stockholders' Agreement") with McLeodUSA,
Alliant Energy, Clark E. and Mary E. McLeod, and Richard A. and Gail G. Lumpkin
and several other parties related to the Lumpkins by which, among other things,
M/C agreed through December 31, 2001 to restrictions on its ability to transfer
the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock that it will receive in the merger.
For a description of the Ovation Stockholders' Agreement, see "Terms of the
Merger Agreement and Related Transactions--Ovation Stockholders'
Agreement."
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION
Limitations of Director Liability. Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware
General Corporation Law authorizes corporations to limit or eliminate the
personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for
monetary damages for breach of directors' fiduciary duty of care. Although
Section 102(b)(7) does not change directors' duty of care, it enables
corporations to limit available relief to equitable remedies such as injunction
or rescission. McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation limits the liability of
directors to McLeodUSA or its stockholders to the full extent permitted by
Section 102(b)(7). Specifically, directors of McLeodUSA are not personally
liable for monetary damages to McLeodUSA or its stockholders for breach of the
director's fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:
. any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to McLeodUSA or its
stockholders
. acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law
. unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or
redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law
. any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal
benefit
Indemnification. To the maximum extent permitted by law, McLeodUSA's
bylaws provide for mandatory indemnification of directors and officers of
McLeodUSA against any expense, liability or loss to which they may become
subject, or which they may incur as a result of being or having been a director
or officer of McLeodUSA. In addition, McLeodUSA must advance or reimburse
directors and officers for expenses incurred by them in connection with
indemnifiable claims.
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<PAGE>
McLeodUSA also maintains directors' and officers' liability insurance.
CERTAIN CHARTER AND STATUTORY PROVISIONS
Classified Board. McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation provides for
the division of McLeodUSA's board of directors into three classes of directors,
serving staggered three-year terms. McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation
further provides that the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the
shares entitled to vote thereon and the approval of a majority of the entire
McLeodUSA board of directors are necessary for the alteration, amendment or
repeal of certain sections of McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation relating
to the election and classification of McLeodUSA's board of directors, limitation
of director liability, indemnification and the vote requirements for such
amendments to McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation. These provisions may
have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or
management of McLeodUSA.
Certain Statutory Provisions. McLeodUSA is subject to the provisions of
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, this statute
prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation such as McLeodUSA from engaging
in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three
years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested
stockholder, unless
. prior to such date, the corporation's board of directors approved
either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in
the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder,
. upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in such person
becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned
at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the
time the transaction commenced, excluding, for purposes of determining
the number of shares outstanding, shares owned by certain directors or
certain employee stock plans, or
. on or after the date the stockholder became an interested stockholder,
the business combination is approved by the corporation's board of
directors and authorized by the affirmative vote, and not by written
consent, of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock of the
corporation excluding that stock owned by the interested stockholder.
A "business combination" includes a merger, asset sale or other transaction
resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An "interested
stockholder" is a person, other than the corporation and any direct or indirect
wholly owned subsidiary of the corporation, who together with affiliates and
associates, owns or, as an affiliate or associate, within three years prior, did
own 15% or more of the corporation's outstanding voting stock.
Section 203 expressly exempts from the requirements described above any
business combination by a corporation with an interested stockholder who became
an interested stockholder at a time when the section did not apply to the
corporation. As permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, McLeodUSA's
original certificate of incorporation provided that it would not be governed by
Section 203. Several stockholders, including Clark E. and Mary E. McLeod,
Alliant Energy and MHC, became interested stockholders within the meaning of
Section 203 while that certificate of incorporation was in effect. Accordingly,
future transactions between McLeodUSA and any of these stockholders will not be
subject to the requirements of Section 203.
McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation empowers McLeodUSA's board of
directors to redeem any of McLeodUSA's outstanding capital stock at a price
determined by McLeodUSA's board of directors, which price will be at least equal
to the lesser of
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<PAGE>
(1) fair market value, as determined in accordance with McLeodUSA's
certificate of incorporation, or
(2) in the case of a "Disqualified Holder," such holder's purchase price,
if the stock was purchased within one year of such redemption,
to the extent necessary to prevent the loss or secure the reinstatement of any
license, operating authority or franchise from any governmental agency. A
"Disqualified Holder" is any holder of shares of stock of McLeodUSA whose
holding of such stock may result in the loss of, or failure to secure the
reinstatement of, any license or franchise from any governmental agency held by
McLeodUSA or any of its subsidiaries to conduct any portion of the business of
McLeodUSA or any of its subsidiaries. Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996,
non-U.S. citizens or their representatives, foreign governments or their
representatives, or corporations organized under the laws of a foreign country
may not own, in the aggregate, more than 20% of a common carrier licensee or
more than 25% of the parent of a common carrier licensee if the FCC determines
that the public interest would be served by prohibiting such ownership.
Additionally, the FCC's rules may under some conditions limit the size of
investments by foreign telecommunications carriers in U.S. international
carriers.
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
The transfer agent and registrar for the McLeodUSA Class A common stock is
Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A.
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COMPARISON OF MCLEODUSA CLASS A COMMON STOCK AND OVATION COMMON STOCK
The rights of Ovation stockholders are currently governed by the Delaware
General Corporation Law, Ovation's certificate of incorporation and Ovation's
bylaws. In accordance with the merger agreement, at the effective time of the
merger each issued and outstanding share of Ovation common stock may be
converted, at the election of the holder, into the right to receive shares of
McLeodUSA Class A common stock based on a formula specified in the merger
agreement. Accordingly, upon consummation of the merger, the rights of Ovation
stockholders who become stockholders of McLeodUSA will be governed by the
Delaware General Corporation Law and McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation
and bylaws. The following are summaries of the material differences between the
rights of ovation stockholders and the rights of McLeodUSA stockholders. For
additional information, see "Where You Can Find More Information."
AUTHORIZED CAPITAL
Ovation. As of January 31, 1999, the authorized capital stock of Ovation
consisted of (1) 30,000,000 shares of Ovation common stock, of which (a)
23,971,756 shares were issued and outstanding, (b) no shares were held in the
Treasury of Ovation, and (c) 828,095 shares were reserved for issuance upon the
exercise of outstanding options to purchase shares of Ovation common stock; and
(2) 6,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $.01 par value per share, of which (a)
500,000 were designated "Series A Preferred Stock," of which (i) 240,000 shares
were issued and outstanding, (ii) no shares were held in the Treasury of
Ovation, and (iii) no shares were reserved for any purpose; (b) 5,000 shares
were designated "Series B Preferred Stock," of which (i) no shares were issued
and outstanding, (ii) no shares were held in the treasury of Ovation, and (iii)
no shares were reserved for any purpose; and (c) 5,495,000 shares were
designated "preferred stock," of which none have ever been issued.
McLeodUSA. As of MARCH 22, 1999, the authorized capital stock of McLeodUSA
consisted of (1) 250,000,000 shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock, of which
68,630,796 shares were issued and outstanding; (2) 22,000,000 shares of
McLeodUSA Class B Common stock, of which no shares were issued and outstanding;
and (3) 2,000,000 shares of McLeodUSA preferred stock, of which no shares were
issued and outstanding.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ovation. Under Ovation's bylaws, the number of directors of Ovation will
be not less than the minimum number allowed under the laws of the State of
Delaware and not more than 11, and will be determined from time to time by
resolution adopted by Ovation's board of directors. The current number of
Ovation directors is three. Ovation's directors are elected for one-year terms
by a plurality vote at the annual stockholders meeting by the holders of shares
present at the meeting or represented by proxy and entitled to vote in the
election. A quorum at any meeting of Ovation's board of directors consists of a
majority of the total number of directors, and a majority of the directors
present at any meeting at which a quorum is present is required to approve
Ovation board of directors action.
McLeodUSA. Under McLeodUSA'S certificate of incorporation and bylaws, the
number of McLeodUSA directors will be between three and 15. The current number
of McLeodUSA directors is nine. McLeodUSA's bylaws provide that the election
and term of the McLeodUSA directors is determined by McLeodUSA's certificate of
incorporation. McLeodUSA's board of directors is divided into three classes as
nearly equal in number as possible, and the McLeodUSA directors are elected for
three-year terms by a plurality of the voting rights represented by the shares
present in person or represented by proxy at the annual stockholders meeting and
entitled to vote in the election. A quorum at any meeting of McLeodUSA's board
of directors consists of a majority of the total number
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<PAGE>
of directors, and a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a
quorum is present is required to approve mcleodusa board of directors
action.
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ovation. Under Ovation's bylaws, Ovation's board of directors may appoint
one or more committees. Ovation's bylaws provide that Ovation's board of
directors may appoint an executive committee composed of two or more members of
Ovation's board of directors, including the President or Chairman of Ovation,
appointed by Ovation's board of directors by resolution adopted by a majority of
the entire Ovation board. Ovation's bylaws provide that Ovation's board of
directors may appoint other committees, by resolution adopted by a majority of
the entire Ovation board, to exercise the authority delegated to them.
McLeodUSA. Under McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation, McLeodUSA's
board of directors may designate one or more committees, which must consist of
McLeodUSA directors. McLeodUSA's board of directors currently has an audit
committee and a compensation committee.
NEWLY CREATED DIRECTORSHIPS AND VACANCIES
Ovation. Under Ovation's bylaws, newly created directorships resulting
from an increase in the number of directors and vacancies resulting from death,
resignation, removal, disqualification or any other cause will be filled by a
majority of the votes of directors then in office, whether or not a quorum, or
by the ovation stockholders.
McLeodUSA. Under McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation, vacancies and
newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number
of McLeodUSA directors elected by all of the holders of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock and McLeodUSA Class B common stock may be filled by a majority of the
McLeodUSA directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole
remaining director. When the number of directors is changed, any newly created
or eliminated directorship will be apportioned among the classes of directors so
as to make all classes as nearly equal in number as possible. A decrease in the
number of directors may not shorten the term of the incumbent director.
REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS
Ovation. Under Ovation's bylaws, directors may be removed at any time,
with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to
vote on the election of directors.
McLeodUSA. Neither McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation nor its bylaws
includes a provision setting forth the procedure for the removal of directors.
under the Delaware General Corporation Law, any director or the entire board of
directors of a corporation with a classified board, such as McLeodUSA, may be
removed by the holders of a majority of shares then entitled to vote at an
election of directors, but only for cause.
OFFICERS
Ovation. Under ovation's bylaws, Ovation's principal officers consist of a
President, one or more Vice Presidents, a Treasurer and a Secretary. Ovation's
board of directors appoints all such principal officers at its first meeting
after the annual meeting of stockholders. Ovation's board of directors, or any
principal officer to whom Ovation's board of directors has delegated such power,
may appoint such other officers as they deem necessary, including a Chairman, a
Chief Financial Officer, a Corporate Counsel, a Controller, one or more
Assistant
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<PAGE>
Controllers, one or more Assistant Treasurers and one or more Assistant
Secretaries. The Chairman, if any, must be chosen from among the directors.
Ovation's board of directors may remove any officer with or without cause, by
the vote of a majority of the entire Ovation board of directors or, except for
any officer appointed by ovation's board of directors, by any committee of
officers upon whom the power of removal may be conferred by Ovation's board of
directors.
McLeodUSA. Under McLeodUSA's bylaws, McLeodUSA's officers consist of a
President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and other officers and assistant
officers as may be elected or appointed by McLeodUSA's board of directors.
McLeodUSA's board of directors may remove any officer, with or without cause, by
the affirmative vote of a majority of McLeodUSA's board of directors.
SPECIAL MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
Ovation. Under Ovation's bylaws, a special meeting of Ovation's
stockholders may be called at any time by the President or Chairman or by order
of Ovation's board of directors, and must be called by the Secretary upon the
request in writing of Ovation stockholders holding of record a majority of the
outstanding shares of Ovation entitled to vote at such meeting.
McLeodUSA. Under McLeodUSA's bylaws, a special meeting of McLeodUSA's
stockholders may be called by the board of directors, the Chairperson, the Chief
Executive Officer or the President.
QUORUM AT STOCKHOLDER MEETINGS
Ovation. Under Ovation's bylaws, the holders of record of a majority of
stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or
represented by proxy, constitute a quorum at each stockholder meeting. In the
absence of a quorum, a majority in interest of the stockholders entitled to vote
thereat, present in person or represented by proxy or, in the absence of all
such stockholders, any officer entitled to preside at, or act as secretary of,
such meeting may adjourn the meeting until a quorum is present.
McLeodUSA. Under McLeodUSA's bylaws, the holders of a majority of the
voting rights represented by the shares issued and outstanding and entitled to
vote at the meeting, and who are present in person or represented by proxy, will
constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of
business. Where a separate vote by a class or classes is required, a majority
of the outstanding shares of such class or classes, present in person or
represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum entitled to take action with
respect to that vote on that matter. The holders of a majority of the voting
rights represented by the shares represented at a meeting, whether or not a
quorum is present, may adjourn such meeting from time to time.
STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless a corporation's
certificate of incorporation provides otherwise, any action required or
permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be
taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if written
consents are signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the
minimum number of votes that would be necessary to take such action at a meeting
at which all shares entitled to vote were present and voted. Neither Ovation's
certificate of incorporation nor McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation
addresses this matter.
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ADVANCE NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER-PROPOSED BUSINESS AT ANNUAL MEETINGS
Neither McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation or bylaws, nor Ovation's
certificate of incorporation or bylaws, includes a provision which requires that
advance notice be given to McLeodUSA or Ovation of stockholder-proposed business
to be conducted at annual meetings.
AMENDMENT OF GOVERNING DOCUMENTS
Ovation. Ovation may amend, alter, change or repeal any provision of
Ovation's certificate of incorporation as permitted by the Delaware General
Corporation Law. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, an amendment to a
corporation's certificate of incorporation requires the recommendation of a
corporation's board of directors, the approval of a majority of all shares
entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, and the approval of
a majority of the outstanding stock of each class entitled to vote separately
thereon unless a higher vote is required in the corporation's certificate of
incorporation. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Ovation
stockholders have the power to adopt, amend or repeal Ovation's bylaws or to
adopt new bylaws.
McLeodUSA. McLeodUSA may amend or repeal any provision of its certificate
of incorporation as permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law and
McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation, except as noted below. Under the
Delaware General Corporation Law, an amendment to a corporation's certificate of
incorporation requires the recommendation of a corporation's board of directors,
the approval of a majority of all shares entitled to vote thereon, voting
together as a single class, and the approval of a majority of the outstanding
stock of each class entitled to vote separately thereon unless a higher vote is
required in the corporation's certificate of incorporation. Under McLeodUSA's
certificate of incorporation, the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the
voting rights represented by the shares entitled to vote thereon and the
affirmative vote of a majority of the entire McLeodUSA board of directors is
required to amend, alter or repeal Sections 5.1 (election of directors) and 5.3
(limitation of liability), Article 6 (indemnification), and Article 8 (amendment
of certificate of incorporation) of McLeodUSA's certificate of
incorporation.
Under McLeodUSA's certificate of incorporation, McLeodUSA's board of
directors has the power to adopt, alter, amend and repeal McLeodUSA's bylaws in
accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law. Under the Delaware
General Corporation Law, the stockholders also have the power to amend or repeal
McLeodUSA's bylaws or to adopt new bylaws.
BUSINESS COMBINATION WITH AN INTERESTED STOCKHOLDER
Ovation and McLeodUSA are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law as generally described above under "--
Description of McLeodUSA Capital Stock--Certain Charter and Statutory
Provisions."
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OTHER MATTERS
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the McLeodUSA Class A common stock offered hereby and
certain federal income tax consequences in connection with the merger will be
passed upon by Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., Washington, D.C.
The federal income tax consequences described in this prospectus and proxy
statement are the subject of an opinion issued by Edwards & Angell, LLP, Boston,
Massachusetts.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements and schedule of McLeodUSA and
subsidiaries as of December 31, 1998 and 1997, and for each of the three years
ended December 31, 1998 included in the accompanying copy of McLeodUSA's annual
report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998 have been
audited by Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public accountants, as indicated in
their reports with respect thereto, and are included with and considered a part
of this registration statement in reliance upon the authority of said firm as
experts in giving said reports.
The consolidated financial statements of Ovation as of December 31, 1998
and 1997 and for the period from March 27, 1997 (date of inception) to December
31, 1997 and the year ended December 31, 1998 included in this prospectus and
proxy statement and in the registration statement of which this prospectus and
proxy statement forms a part, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP,
independent auditors, as set forth in their report, appearing elsewhere herein
and in the registration statement of which this prospectus and proxy statement
forms a part, and are included in reliance upon such report given upon the
authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
OTHER MATTERS
As of the date of this prospectus and proxy statement, Ovation's board of
directors knows of no matter that will be presented for consideration at the
special meeting other than as described in this prospectus and proxy statement.
If any other matters come before the special meeting or any adjournments or
postponements thereof and are voted upon, the enclosed proxies will confer
discretionary authority on the individuals named as proxies therein to vote the
shares represented by such proxies as to any such matters. The individuals
named as proxies intend to vote or not to vote in accordance with the
recommendation of the management of Ovation.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
McLeodUSA has filed the registration statement of which this prospectus and
proxy statement forms a part. The registration statement registers the
distribution to Ovation stockholders of the shares of McLeodUSA Class A common
stock to be issued in connection with the merger. The registration statement,
including the attached exhibits and schedules, contain additional relevant
information about McLeodUSA Class A common stock. The rules and regulations of
the SEC allow us to omit certain information included in the registration
statement from this prospectus and proxy statement.
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In addition, McLeodUSA files reports, proxy statements and other
information with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act. You may read and
copy any of this information at the following locations of the SEC:
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
Public Reference Room New York Regional Office Chicago Regional Office
450 Fifth Street, N.W. 7 World Trade Center Citicorp Center
Room 1024 Suite 1300 500 West Madison Street
Washington, D.C. 20549 New York, New York 10048 Suite 1400
Chicago, Illinois 60661-2511
</TABLE>
You may obtain information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference
Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
The SEC also maintains an Internet web site that contains reports, proxy
statements and other information regarding issuers, like McLeodUSA, that file
electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is http://www.sec.gov.
The SEC file number for McLeodUSA's documents filed under the Securities
Exchange Act is 0-20763.
The SEC allows McLeodUSA to disclose important information to you by
referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. This
information is considered to be a part of this prospectus and proxy statement,
except for any such information that is superseded by information included
directly in this document.
The documents listed below that McLeodUSA has previously filed or will
file with the SEC are considered to be a part of this prospectus and proxy
statement. They contain important information about McLeodUSA and its financial
condition.
. McLeodUSA's Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended
December 31, 1998, filed on March 24, 1999
. All documents filed with the SEC by McLeodUSA under Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act after the date of
this prospectus and proxy statement and prior to the date of the
special meeting are considered to be a part of this prospectus and
proxy statement, effective the date such documents are filed
. The description of McLeodUSA Class A common stock set forth in
McLeodUSA's registration statement filed under Section 12 of the
Securities Exchange Act on Form 8-A on May 24, 1996, including any
amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating
such description
In the event of conflicting information in these documents, the information
in the latest filed document should be considered correct.
A copy of McLeodUSA's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1998 accompanies this prospectus and proxy statement. You can
obtain any of the other documents listed above from the SEC, through the SEC's
web site at the address described above, or from McLeodUSA, by requesting them
in writing or by telephone at the following address:
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<PAGE>
McLeodUSA Incorporated
McLeodUSA Technology Park
6400 C Street SW, P.O. Box 3177
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-3177
Attn: General Counsel
Telephone (319) 364-0000
These documents are available from McLeodUSA without charge, excluding any
exhibits to them unless the exhibit is specifically listed as an exhibit to the
registration statement of which this prospectus and proxy statement forms a
part. If you would like to request documents, please do so by March 26, 1999 to
receive them before the special meeting. If you request any documents from
McLeodUSA, McLeodUSA will mail them to you by first class mail, or another
equally prompt means, within two business days after McLeodUSA receives your
request.
This document is a prospectus of McLeodUSA and a proxy statement of
Ovation. McLeodUSA has supplied all information contained in, or considered a
part of, this prospectus and proxy statement relating to McLeodUSA, and Ovation
has supplied all such information relating to Ovation.
Neither McLeodUSA nor Ovation has authorized anyone to give any information
or make any representation about the merger or McLeodUSA or Ovation that is
different from, or in addition to, that contained in this prospectus and proxy
statement or in any of the materials that McLeodUSA has incorporated into this
document. Therefore, if anyone does give you information of this sort, you
should not rely on it. The information contained in this document speaks only
as of the date of this document unless the information specifically indicates
that another date applies.
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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Report of Independent Auditors F-2
Balance Sheets................................. F-3
Statements of Operations....................... F-5
Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity.. F-6
Statements of Cash Flows....................... F-7
Notes to Financial Statements.................. F-9
</TABLE>
F-1
<PAGE>
Report of Independent Auditors
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Ovation Communications, Inc.
We have audited the balance sheets of Ovation Communications, Inc. as of
December 31, 1998 and 1997, and the related statements of operations, changes in
stockholders' equity and cash flows for the period from March 27, 1997 (date of
inception) through December 31, 1997 and the year ended December 31, 1998. These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial position of Ovation Communications, Inc. at
December 31, 1998 and 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for the period from March 27, 1997 (date of inception) through December 31, 1997
and the year ended December 31, 1998, in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
February 26, 1999
F-2
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
BALANCE SHEETS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31
1998 1997
----------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,309,889 $ 663,277
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $5,213,464 in 1998
and $-0- in 1997 16,815,427 39,972
Inventory 1,067,194 --
Prepaid expenses and other assets 517,036 184,051
----------------------------------------
Total current assets 19,709,546 887,300
Property and equipment:
Land 200,000 --
Communications network 66,821,655 14,349,994
Office and computer equipment 4,021,980 239,487
Construction in progress 7,107,975 1,191,121
Furniture and fixtures 1,477,773 117,637
Buildings and improvements 1,374,969 54,954
----------------------------------------
81,004,352 15,953,193
Less accumulated depreciation 4,344,077 25,839
----------------------------------------
Net property and equipment 76,660,275 15,927,354
Intangibles:
Goodwill 59,540,897 --
Debt issuance costs 409,503 392,752
Other intangibles 904,204 --
----------------------------------------
60,854,604 392,752
Less accumulated amortization 1,069,344 4,610
----------------------------------------
Net intangible assets 59,785,260 388,142
----------------------------------------
Total assets $156,155,081 $17,202,796
========================================
</TABLE>
F-3
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31
1998 1997
-----------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 10,390,935 $ 2,357,263
Accrued expenses 9,770,581 192,132
Accrued interest 2,026,515 90,976
Current portion of long-term debt 22,154 --
-----------------------------------------
Total current liabilities 22,210,185 2,640,371
Long-term debt 91,705,858 9,309,276
Stockholders' equity:
Series A Preferred Stock, $.01 par value:
Authorized shares -- 500,000 in 1998 and
120,000 in 1997
Issued and outstanding shares -- 239,993 in 1998
and 65,000 in 1997 2,400 650
Series B Preferred Stock, $.01 par value:
Authorized shares -- 5,000 in 1998 and -0- in 1997
Issued and outstanding shares -- -0- in 1998 and 1997
Preferred Stock, $.01 par value:
Authorized shares -- 5,495,000 in 1998 and 4,880,000 in 1997 -- --
Issued and outstanding shares -- -0- in 1998
and 1997 -- --
Common Stock, $.01 par value:
Authorized shares -- 30,000,000 in 1998 and 20,000,000 in 1997
Issued and outstanding shares -- 23,971,756 in 1998 and
10,526,316 in 1997
239,718 105,263
Additional paid-in capital 49,486,940 6,447,719
Deferred compensation (425,272) --
Accumulated deficit (7,064,748) (1,300,483)
-----------------------------------------
Total stockholders' equity 42,239,038 5,253,149
-----------------------------------------
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $156,155,081 $17,202,796
=========================================
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes.
F-4
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PERIOD FROM
MARCH 27, 1997 (DATE
YEAR ENDED OF INCEPTION) THROUGH
DECEMBER 31, DECEMBER 31,
1998 1997
-----------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Net sales $21,035,180 $ 39,972
Cost of sales 6,319,255 60,675
-----------------------------------------------
14,715,925 (20,703)
Operating expenses:
General and administrative 9,334,179 773,732
Sales and marketing 9,537,404 504,892
----------------------------------------------
Operating loss (4,155,658) (1,299,327)
Other income (expense):
Interest expense (1,732,307) (39,586)
Interest income 123,700 38,430
----------------------------------------------
Net loss (5,764,265) (1,300,483)
Less Preferred Stock dividends (1,236,936) (239,506)
----------------------------------------------
Net loss applicable to common stockholders $(7,001,201) $(1,539,989)
==============================================
Net loss per share applicable to common
stockholders -- basic and diluted $ (.35) $ (.15)
=============================================
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding -- basic
and diluted 20,268,539 10,007,879
=============================================
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes.
F-5
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SERIES A SERIES B
PREFERRED STOCK PREFERRED STOCK PREFERRED STOCK COMMON STOCK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHARES AMOUNT SHARES AMOUNT SHARES AMOUNT SHARES AMOUNT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Issuance of Common Stock for
$.01 per share in March 1997 to
founders -- $ -- -- $ -- -- $ -- 2,500,000 $ 25,000
Sale of stock to a venture fund
in March 1997 through October
1997:
Common Stock -- $.01 per share -- -- -- -- -- -- 7,500,000 75,000
Series A Preferred Stock
$100 per share 65,000 650 -- -- -- -- -- --
Common Stock issued in
connection with AT&T credit
agreement valued at $.10
per share -- -- -- -- -- -- 526,316 5,263
Net loss for the period -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at December 31, 1997 65,000 650 -- -- -- -- 10,526,316 105,263
Issuance of Common Stock for
$.50 per share in July 1998
through September 1998 to
various key employees -- -- -- -- -- -- 708,000 7,080
Issuance of Common Stock for
$.40 per share in September
1998 to founders -- -- -- -- -- -- 533,059 5,331
Sale of stock to a venture fund
in February 1998 through
October 1998:
Common Stock $.40 per share -- -- -- -- -- -- 7,040,967 70,410
Series A Preferred Stock $100
per share 54,993 550 -- -- -- -- -- --
Series A Preferred Stock
$76.53 per share 120,000 1,200 -- -- -- -- -- --
Issuance of stock in connection
with Phone Michigan acquisition
in October 1998:
Series B Preferred Stock
$1,000 per share -- -- 5,000 50 -- -- -- --
Common Stock - $4.40 per share -- -- -- -- -- -- 5,163,414 51,634
Compensation expense associated
with the increase in value in
the Company's variable
stock plan -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Redemption of Series B Preferred
Stock in December for $1,000
per share -- -- (5,000) (50) -- -- -- --
Net loss for the period -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at December 31, 1998 239,993 $2,400 -- $ -- -- $ -- 23,971,756 $239,718
=================================================================================================
<CAPTION>
ADDITIONAL
PAID-IN DEFERRED ACCUMULATED
CAPITAL COMPENSATION DEFICIT TOTAL
------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Issuance of Common Stock for
$.01 per share in March 1997 to
founders $ (24,750) $ -- $ -- $ 250
Sale of stock to a venture fund
in March 1997 through October
1997:
Common Stock -- $.01 per share (74,250) -- -- 750
Series A Preferred Stock
$100 per share 6,499,350 -- -- 6,500,000
Common Stock issued in
connection with AT&T credit
agreement valued at $.10
per share 47,369 -- -- 52,632
Net loss for the period -- -- (1,300,483) (1,300,483)
------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at December 31, 1997 6,447,719 -- (1,300,483) 5,253,149
Issuance of Common Stock for
$.50 per share in July 1998
through September 1998 to
various key employees 346,920 (354,000) -- --
Issuance of Common Stock for
$.40 per share in September
1998 to founders 207,893 (127,935) -- 85,289
Sale of stock to a venture fund
in February 1998 through
October 1998:
Common Stock $.40 per share 2,745,977 -- -- 2,816,387
Series A Preferred Stock $100
per share 5,498,700 -- -- 5,499,250
Series A Preferred Stock
$76.53 per share 9,182,413 -- -- 9,183,613
Issuance of stock in connection
with Phone Michigan acquisition
in October 1998:
Series B Preferred Stock
$1,000 per share 4,999,950 -- -- 5,000,000
Common Stock - $4.40 per share 22,667,389 -- 22,719,023
Compensation expense associated
with the increase in value in
the Company's variable
stock plan 2,389,929 56,663 -- 2,446,592
Redemption of Series B Preferred
Stock in December for $1,000
per share (4,999,950) -- -- (5,000,000)
Net loss for the period -- -- (5,764,265) (5,764,265)
------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at December 31, 1998 $49,486,940 $(425,272) $(7,064,748) $42,239,038
============================================================
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes.
F-6
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PERIOD FROM
YEAR ENDED MARCH 27, 1997 (DATE
DECEMBER 31, OF INCEPTION) THROUGH
DECEMBER 31,
1998 1997
---------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net loss $ (5,764,265) $ (1,300,483)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by
operating activities:
Depreciation 4,318,238 25,839
Amortization 1,064,734 4,610
Value of stock issued in lieu of interest -- 47,369
Compensation expense associated with the increase in value
in the Company's variable stock plan 2,531,881 --
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable (8,336,356) (39,972)
Inventory (306,188) --
Prepaid expenses and other assets (219,430) (184,051)
Accounts payable 1,931,835 2,357,263
Accrued expenses 4,135,852 192,132
Accrued interest 944,352 90,976
---------------------------------------------
Net cash provided by operating activities 300,653 1,193,683
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchase of property and equipment (44,594,332) (15,953,193)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired (31,972,425) --
Cash paid for other intangibles (482,174) --
---------------------------------------------
Net cash used in investing activities (77,048,931) (15,953,193)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 64,975,661 9,309,276
Net proceeds from sale of Preferred Stock Series A 14,682,863 6,500,000
Redemption of Preferred Stock Series B (5,000,000) --
Payment of debt issuance costs (80,021) (392,752)
Net proceeds from the sale of Common Stock 2,816,387 6,263
---------------------------------------------
Net cash provided by financing activities 77,394,890 15,422,787
---------------------------------------------
Increase in cash and cash equivalents 646,612 663,277
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 663,277 --
---------------------------------------------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 1,309,889 $ 663,277
=============================================
</TABLE>
F-7
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PERIOD FROM
MARCH 27, 1997
(DATE OF INCEPTION)
YEAR ENDED THROUGH
DECEMBER 31, DECEMBER 31,
1998 1997
--------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE OF NON-CASH FINANCING
Accrual of Preferred Stock Series A dividends $ 1,236,940 $239,506
Value of Common Stock in connection with Phone Michigan
transaction 22,719,023 --
Increase in long-term debt in connection with Phone Michigan
acquisition 917,479 --
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes.
F-8
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
1. BUSINESS REVIEW
Ovation Communications, Inc. (the Company), which ceased being a development
stage company in the first quarter of 1998, provides telecommunications services
through the use of company-owned facilities and those of other carriers. The
Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware on March 27, 1997 as OCI
Communications, Inc. The Company changed its name to Ovation Communications,
Inc. in May 1998.
The Company completed the construction of a 66-mile fiber optic SONET ring
communications network in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area in
December 1997. In 1998, the Company was constructing a fiber optic SONET ring
communications network in the Chicago and greater Milwaukee area and also
acquired Phone Michigan (see Note 8), which expanded its operations to Illinois,
Wisconsin and Michigan.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a remaining maturity of
three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of money
market funds and are carried at cost, which approximates market.
INVENTORY
Inventory, which consists of the in-process construction of system networks in
school districts, is valued at the lower of cost or market.
REVENUE RECOGNITION
The Company records revenues for telecommunications sales at the time of
customer usage. The Company recognizes the revenue earned from its contracts to
install fiber networks utilizing the completed contract method. Down payments
received, if any, related to these contracts are recognized as deferred revenue
until the completion of the installation of the fiber network, at which time the
Company recognizes the related revenue.
FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT
Furniture and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided on a
straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Buildings 40 years
Communications network and equipment 5 to 25 years
Furniture and fixtures 5 to 7 years
Office and computer equipment 3 years
</TABLE>
Leasehold improvements are amortized over the related lease term or estimated
useful life, whichever is shorter.
F-9
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Replacements and betterments
are capitalized. The cost and related allowances of assets sold or retired are
removed from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in
results of operations.
The Company constructs certain of its own transmission systems and related
facilities. All internal costs directly related to the construction of such
facilities, including interest and salaries of certain employees, are
capitalized. Such costs amounted to $1,965,149 and $396,200 ($1,128,940 and
$56,000 in interest) in 1998 and 1997, respectively.
INCOME TAXES
Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method. Deferred income taxes
are provided for temporary differences between the financial reporting and the
tax bases of assets and liabilities.
USE OF ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes.
Although estimates are considered to be fairly stated at the time the estimates
are made, actual results could differ from those estimates.
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
The Company follows Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, Accounting for
Stock Issued to Employees ("APB 25"), and related interpretations in accounting
for its stock and stock option plans. Under APB 25, when the exercise price of
the employee stock and stock options equals the market price of the underlying
stock on the date of grant, no compensation expense is recognized.
The Company provides the disclosure-only provision of Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
("Statement 123"). Accordingly, the Company has made pro forma disclosure of
what net loss and loss per share would have been had the provisions of Statement
123 been applied to the Company's stock options.
IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS
The Company will record impairment losses on long-lived assets used in
operations when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash
flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets'
carrying amount
PER SHARE DATA
Earnings per share are calculated under FASB Statement 128. Basic earnings per
share are based on the weighted average shares outstanding and exclude any
dilutive effects of options, warrants and
F-10
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
convertible securities. Diluted earnings per share for the Company are the same
as basic earnings per share because the effect of options and warrants is anti-
dilutive.
In November 1997, the Board of Directors approved a 100-for-1 stock split for
common stock. All share, per share and weighted average information has been
restated to reflect the split
INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Intangibles consist of debt issuance costs and certain one-time connection
charges related to the network. The debt issuance costs were incurred in
connection with the issuance of the long-term debt during 1997. These costs are
being amortized over the term of the facility on a straight-line basis. The
connection charges are being amortized over a period of 60 months. The total
amortization expense for these assets was $990,233 and $4,610 at December 31,
1998 and 1997, respectively.
The Company reviews the recorded amount of intangibles for impairment whenever
events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of this
asset may not be recoverable. If this review indicates that the carrying amount
of the asset may not be recoverable, the carrying value of the asset will be
reduced to fair value.
GOODWILL
Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair value of net assets
acquired and is amortized on a straight-line basis over 15 years.
RECLASSIFICATION
Certain 1997 balances have been reclassified to conform to 1998
presentation.
3. LEASES
The Company leases its facilities under noncancelable operating leases, which
expire throughout 2008. Rent expense related to the operating leases was
approximately $716,900 and $105,400 for the years ended December 31, 1998 and
1997, respectively. Future minimum lease commitments under operating leases as
of December 31, 1998 are as follows:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
1999 $1,122,018
2000 1,173,704
2001 1,129,083
2002 1,169,066
2003 946,922
Thereafter 3,807,375
--------------
$9,348,168
==============
</TABLE>
F-11
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
4. SALE OF COMMON STOCK TO FOUNDERS AND MANAGEMENT
During 1998 and 1997, the Company issued 1,241,059 and 2,500,000 shares of
Restricted Common Stock, respectively, to various members of executive
management at prices ranging from $.01 to $.50 per share. The shares vest based
on either the passage of time or on meeting performance objectives over three-
to four-year periods from the date of issuance. In the event of a sale of the
Company at a time when the employee is employed by the Company, the employee
will be deemed to have fully vested into those shares which had not previously
vested. At any time following the termination of employment of a management
stockholder for any reason, other than by death or disability, the Company will
have the right to purchase the securities held by the management stockholder for
a price equal to the fair market value of the securities being purchased. The
Company also has the right to repurchase 900,000 shares of the Restricted Common
Stock sold to the President of the Company at the same price paid at original
issuance, for the purpose of distributing such shares via an employee stock
option plan or otherwise to employees. Throughout 1997, 488,124 shares were
redistributed to employees of the Company under this provision.
In 1997, 516,466 of the restricted shares issued vested. The remaining
restricted shares issued to these key employees through December 31, 1998 vest
as follows based on the assumption that the Company meets the performance
objectives established:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
1998 767,436
1999 839,757
2000 839,757
2001 696,393
2002 81,250
---------
3,224,593
=========
</TABLE>
The compensation expense associated with the vested stock in 1997 did not have a
material impact on the financial statements of the Company. During 1998, the
Company recorded compensation expense associated with the vesting of restricted
shares of $2,531,881, of which $2,446,592 related to meeting performance
objectives for the period.
5. SALE OF COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK
In March 1997, the Company entered into an agreement with an investor, to issue
and sell up to 120,000 shares of the Company's Series A preferred stock, at a
price of $100 per share and an aggregate of 7,500,000 shares of the Company's
$.01 par value per share common stock. The proceeds from the sale of these
securities are to be used to fund capital expenditures and working capital
required to construct and operate a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC)
network in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area. In March 1997 the
Company issued the 7,500,000 shares of common stock at $.01 per share. The
Company also has the right to repurchase 250,000 shares of the common stock at
the same price paid at original issuance, for the purpose of distributing such
shares via an employee stock option plan or otherwise to employees.
In March through October 1997, the Company issued 65,000 of the 120,000 shares
of Series A preferred stock at $100 per share, from which the Company received
net proceeds of $6,500,000. The Series A preferred stock has certain voting and
registration rights and has preference over common stock upon liquidation.
F-12
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
5. SALE OF COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK (CONTINUED)
In November 1997, the Company also issued 526,316 shares of common stock to AT&T
Commercial Finance Corporation ("AT&T") at $.01 per share as inducement for AT&T
to enter into a long-term credit agreement. For further discussion of this
credit agreement, see Note 6. These shares constituted 5% of the fully diluted
common stock outstanding at the date of the issuance. AT&T has the preemptive
right to purchase a pro rata portion of any additional equity securities
(including any warrants, options or other rights to purchase equity securities
and any convertible securities) that the Company will desire to issue or sell in
order to maintain 5% of the fully diluted common stock outstanding. This
preemptive right does not apply in certain circumstances, such as employee
related stock transactions in which the total number of common shares
outstanding does not change, an IPO, or stock issued to unaffiliated parties in
connection with a merger or consolidation.
In February through July 1998, the Company issued 54,993 of the 120,000 shares
of the Series A preferred stock under the March 1997 agreement at a price of
$100 per share.
In June 1998, the Company entered into the second part of an agreement with an
investor, to issue and sell up to an additional 120,000 shares of the Company's
Series A preferred stock, of which 15,600 and 104,400 shares were issued on
September 18, 1998 and October 1, 1998, respectively, at a price of $76.53 per
share (liquidation value of $100 per share) and an aggregate of 7,040,967 shares
of the Company's common stock, at a price of $.40 per share.
In connection with the Phone Michigan acquisition, the Company issued 5,163,414
shares of Common Stock at a price of $4.40 per share and 5,000 shares of Series
B Preferred Stock at $1,000 per share. The Series B Preferred Stock was
repurchased in December 1998 with proceeds from the Company's line of credit
(see Note 8).
The holders of the Preferred Stock are entitled to a cumulative cash dividend of
10% per annum. Undeclared cumulative dividends in arrears of $1,476,446 and
$239,507 existed at December 31, 1998 and 1997, respectively.
The Company has reserved an aggregate of 297,705 shares of Common Stock for
future issuance. Subsequent to year-end, options to purchase 192,250 shares of
Common Stock have been granted.
F-13
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
6. NOTES PAYABLE
Long-term debt consists of the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1998 1997
-----------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Line-of-credit agreement for $95,000,000 with AT&T with an
interest rate at 4 3/4% over the commercial paper rate (10.20% at
December 31, 1998) that accrues and is payable on a quarterly
basis; due in 16 consecutive quarterly installments beginning in
January 2001; due January 2005 $83,689,675 $9,309,276
Senior subordinated notes of $7,500,000 with an interest rate of
10% per annum; principal and interest are due October 2005 7,500,000 --
Note payable for $572,800 with an interest rate of 9.0%, interest
is paid monthly; due in 58 monthly payments of $5,810; due
December 2001 538,337 --
-----------------------------------------
91,728,012 9,309,276
Less current portion 22,154 --
$91,705,858 $9,309,276
=========================================
</TABLE>
In November 1997, the Company entered into a credit agreement with AT&T. On
October 1, 1998, the Company amended the credit agreement. Under the amended
agreement, the line of credit was increased to $95,000,000. This amendment was
made for the purpose of financing additional working capital needs and the
acquisition of Phone Michigan (see Note 8). This financing arrangement is
subject to certain financial and non-financial covenants.
Virtually all of the Company's assets are pledged as collateral under the above
credit agreement. As discussed previously in Note 5, the Company issued 526,316
shares of Common Stock at $.01 per share in connection with this agreement. The
shares were deemed to have a value of $.10 per share or $52,632. Additional
interest expense in the amount of $47,369 has been recorded as a discount
against the note and will be amortized over the life of the notes.
Aggregate maturities of long-term debt are as follows:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
1999 $ 22,154
2000 24,232
2001 17,060,440
2002 18,342,489
2003 20,308,951
Thereafter 35,969,746
-----------
$91,728,012
===========
</TABLE>
F-14
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMEMTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
7. INCOME TAXES
For the years ended December 31, 1998 and 1997, the Company had net operating
losses of $1,364,930 and $1,514,000, respectively, for a total net operating
loss carryforward of $2,878,930 for tax purposes at December 31, 1998. These net
operating loss carryforwards expire in various years through 2018.
Deferred income taxes reflect the net effects of temporary differences between
the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes
and the amounts used for income tax purposes. A valuation allowance has been
recognized to fully offset the net deferred tax assets. Significant components
of the Company's deferred tax liabilities and assets as of December 31, 1998 and
1997 are as follows:
COMPONENTS OF DEFERRED TAX ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1998 1997
-----------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Deferred tax liabilities:
Tax over book depreciation $ 1,396,000 $ --
-----------------------------------------
Total deferred tax liabilities 1,396,000 --
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards 1,165,000 606,000
Compensation accrual 990,100 --
Other, net 78,500 --
Allowance for bad debts 2,109,800 --
Total deferred tax assets 4,343,400 606,000
-----------------------------------------
Net deferred tax assets 2,947,400 606,000
Valuation allowance (2,947,400) (606,000)
-----------------------------------------
Net deferred tax asset (liability) $ -- $ --
=========================================
</TABLE>
8. PHONE MICHIGAN ACQUISITION
On August 7, 1998, the Company entered into an agreement with BRE
Communications, L.L.C. ("BRE") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding
ownership interests of BRE for cash and stock, which closed on October 1, 1998.
The Company paid approximately $55,000,000 ($26,363,499 in cash, 5,000 shares of
its Series B Preferred Stock (valued at $1,000 per share) and 5,163,413 shares
of its Common Stock (valued at $4.40 per share)) in exchange for the acquisition
which was accounted for as a purchase. Management of the Company believes that
the carrying value of BRE's assets and liabilities at the acquisition date
approximated their fair value because of the newness of those assets (BRE's date
of inception was November 27, 1996). BRE's deficiency in net assets at the
acquisition date increased the goodwill amount $4,294,287.
F-15
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
8. PHONE MICHIGAN ACQUISITION (CONTINUED)
Pro forma consolidated results of operations as if BRE had been acquired at the
beginning of 1997 are:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1998 1997
----------------------------------------
(Unaudited)
<S> <C> <C>
Revenues $33,944 $ 3,963
Net loss (6,011) (7,827)
Net loss per share $ (.36) $ (.52)
</TABLE>
The pro forma results are not necessarily indicative of what actually would have
occurred if the acquisition had been in effect for the entire period presented.
9. STOCK OPTIONS
The Company has a stock option plan to provide incentives to employees,
directors and consultants. The options can either be incentive stock options
(ISO) or nonstatutory stock options (NSO). Options granted under the plan are at
prices not less than fair market value on the date of the grant. The plan
authorizes the issuance of options to officers, other key employees, directors
and advisors. The following table summarizes activity under the plan:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SHARES WEIGHTED AVERAGE
AVAILABLE PLAN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING EXERCISE PRICE
------------------------------
FOR GRANT NSO ISO PER SHARE
--------------- ------------------------------ -------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Balance at December 31, 1997 -- -- -- $ --
Shares reserved 550,000 -- -- --
Granted (335,390) 335,390 -- .50
Exercised -- -- -- --
--------------- ------------------------------
Balance at December 31, 1998 214,610 335,390 -- $ .50
=============== ==============================
</TABLE>
The weighted average fair value of options granted during 1998 was $.20 per
share. Options issued during 1998, which remain outstanding at December 31,
1998, have a weighted average exercise price of $.50 per share and a weighted
average remaining contractual life of 10 years.
Options outstanding under the plan expire at various dates through September
2008. The number of options exercisable at December 31, 1998 was 83,848.
The Company has elected to follow Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25,
Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees ("APB 25") and related Interpretations
in accounting for its employee stock options because, as discussed below, the
alternative fair value accounting provided for under FASB Statement No. 123,
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation ("Statement 123"), requires use of
option valuation models that were not developed for use in valuing employee
stock options.
F-16
<PAGE>
OVATION COMMUNIATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1998
Pro forma information regarding net loss and loss per share is required by
Statement 123, and has been determined as if the Company had accounted for its
employee stock options under the fair value method of Statement 123. The fair
value of these options was estimated at the date of grant using the minimum
value option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions for
1998: risk-free interest rates at 5%; dividend yield of 0%; and a weighted
average expected life of the option of 10 years.
For purposes of pro forma disclosures, the estimated fair value of the option is
amortized to expense over the options' vesting period. The Company's pro forma
information is as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1998
--------------------
<S> <C>
Net loss applicable to common stockholders as reported $(7,001,201)
Pro forma basic and diluted net loss applicable to common stockholders (7,008,191)
Pro forma basic and diluted net loss per common share $ (.35)
</TABLE>
10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On January 7, 1999, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger
with McLeodUSA Incorporated (McLeodUSA), pursuant to which the Company will be
merged with and into a wholly owned subsidiary of McLeodUSA. All preferred stock
will be exchanged for cash. All common stock of the Company and each right to
receive shares of the Company's common stock will be exchanged for the right to
receive cash or shares of McLeodUSA Class A common stock at the election of the
holder.
F-17
<PAGE>
APPENDIX A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
by and among
MCLEODUSA INCORPORATED,
BRAVO ACQUISITION CORPORATION,
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
and
Certain of the Stockholders of
OVATION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
----------------
Dated as of January 7, 1999
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-1
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
----
<S> <C>
ARTICLE I THE MERGER....................................................... 1
Section 1.01. The Merger................................................. 1
Section 1.02. Effective Time............................................. 2
Section 1.03. Effect of the Merger....................................... 2
Section 1.04. Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws....................... 2
Section 1.05. Directors and Officers..................................... 2
ARTICLE II CONVERSION OF SECURITIES; EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES.............. 2
Section 2.01. Conversion of Securities................................... 2
Section 2.02. Exchange of Certificates................................... 4
Section 2.03. Stock Transfer Books....................................... 6
Section 2.04. Stock Options.............................................. 6
Section 2.05. Closing.................................................... 7
Section 2.06. Dissenting Stockholders.................................... 7
ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.................. 8
Section 3.01. Organization and Standing.................................. 8
Section 3.02. Subsidiaries............................................... 8
Section 3.03. Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.................... 9
Section 3.04. Capitalization............................................. 9
Section 3.05. Authority; Binding Obligation.............................. 9
Section 3.06. No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents................. 10
Section 3.07. Licenses; Compliance....................................... 11
Section 3.08. Financial Statements....................................... 12
Section 3.09. Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities......................... 13
Section 3.10. Absence of Certain Changes or Events....................... 13
Section 3.11. Litigation; Disputes....................................... 14
Section 3.12. Debt Instruments........................................... 14
Section 3.13. Real Property Leases....................................... 14
Section 3.14. Other Agreements; No Default............................... 15
Section 3.15. Labor Relations............................................ 16
Section 3.16. Pension and Benefit Plans.................................. 17
Section 3.17. Taxes and Tax Matters...................................... 19
Section 3.18. Customers.................................................. 20
Section 3.19. Certain Business Practices................................. 20
Section 3.20. Insurance.................................................. 21
Section 3.21. Potential Conflicts of Interest............................ 21
Section 3.22. Receivables................................................ 22
Section 3.23. Real Property.............................................. 22
Section 3.24. Books and Records.......................................... 22
Section 3.25. Assets..................................................... 23
Section 3.26. No Infringement or Contest................................. 23
Section 3.27. Intentionally Deleted...................................... 24
Section 3.28. Board Recommendation....................................... 24
Section 3.29. Vote Required.............................................. 24
Section 3.30. Banks; Attorneys-in-fact................................... 24
Section 3.31. Intentionally Deleted...................................... 24
Section 3.32. Brokers.................................................... 24
Section 3.33. Environmental Matters...................................... 24
Section 3.34. Disclosure................................................. 25
Section 3.35. Directors, Officers and Affiliates......................... 26
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Section 3.36. Copies of Documents...................................... 26
Section 3.37. Condition and Operation of the System.................... 26
Section 3.38. Reorganization........................................... 27
Section 3.39. State Takeover Statutes; Certain Charter Provisions...... 27
Section 3.40. Year 2000 Review......................................... 28
Section 3.41. Affiliate Agreements..................................... 28
ARTICLE IIIA REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PRINCIPAL COMPANY
STOCKHOLDERS............................................................ 28
Section 3A.01. Principal Company Stockholders That Are Entities........ 28
Section 3A.02. Principal Company Stockholders That Are Individuals..... 29
ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF ACQUIROR AND ACQUIROR SUB... 29
Section 4.01. Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries............. 30
Section 4.02. Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.................. 30
Section 4.03. Authority; Binding Obligation............................ 30
Section 4.04. No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents............... 30
Section 4.05. No Prior Activities of Acquiror Sub...................... 31
Section 4.06. Brokers.................................................. 31
Section 4.07. SEC Documents............................................ 31
Section 4.08. Acquiror Common Stock.................................... 32
Section 4.09. Capitalization........................................... 32
Section 4.10. Reorganization........................................... 33
Section 4.11. Compliance............................................... 33
Section 4.12. Disclosure............................................... 33
ARTICLE V COVENANTS RELATING TO CONDUCT OF BUSINESS...................... 34
Section 5.01. Conduct of Business of the Company....................... 34
Section 5.02. Other Actions............................................ 36
Section 5.03. Certain Tax Matters...................................... 36
Section 5.04. Access and Information................................... 36
Section 5.05. No Solicitation.......................................... 37
ARTICLE VI ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS......................................... 38
Section 6.01. Registration Statement; Proxy Statement.................. 38
Section 6.02. Stockholder Approval..................................... 39
Section 6.03. Appropriate Action; Consents; Filings.................... 39
Section 6.04. Amendment to Stockholders' Agreement..................... 40
Section 6.05. Update Disclosure; Breaches.............................. 40
Section 6.06. Public Announcements..................................... 41
Section 6.07. Registration of Company Options.......................... 41
Section 6.08. Unaudited Financial Information.......................... 41
Section 6.09. Environmental Matters.................................... 42
Section 6.10. Post-Signing SEC Documents............................... 42
Section 6.11. Indemnification.......................................... 42
Section 6.12. Procedures; Conditions of Indemnification................ 43
Section 6.13. Affiliates; Tax Treatment................................ 44
Section 6.14. Tax Returns.............................................. 45
Section 6.15. Reorganization........................................... 45
Section 6.16. Directors' and Officers' Insurance; Indemnification...... 45
Section 6.17. Obligations of Acquiror Sub.............................. 46
Section 6.18. Loan Agreement........................................... 46
Section 6.19 Letters of Accountants................................... 46
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ARTICLE VII CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.......................................... 47
Section 7.01. Conditions to Obligations of Each Party Under This Merger
Agreement.............................................................. 47
Section 7.02. Additional Conditions to Obligations of Acquiror and
Acquiror Sub........................................................... 48
Section 7.03. Additional Conditions to Obligations of the Company....... 49
ARTICLE VIII TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER............................ 51
Section 8.01. Termination............................................... 51
Section 8.02. Effect of Termination..................................... 52
Section 8.03. Expenses.................................................. 52
Section 8.04. Amendment................................................. 52
Section 8.05. Extension; Waiver......................................... 52
ARTICLE IX GENERAL PROVISIONS............................................. 53
Section 9.01. Survival of Representations and Warranties................ 53
Section 9.02. Notices................................................... 53
Section 9.03. Headings.................................................. 54
Section 9.04. Severability.............................................. 54
Section 9.05. Entire Agreement.......................................... 54
Section 9.06. Assignment................................................ 55
Section 9.07. Parties in Interest....................................... 55
Section 9.08. Mutual Drafting........................................... 55
Section 9.09. Specific Performance...................................... 55
Section 9.10. Governing Law............................................. 55
Section 9.11. Counterparts.............................................. 55
Section 9.12. Confidentiality........................................... 55
Section 9.13. General Exclusion......................................... 56
ARTICLE X DEFINITIONS..................................................... 56
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT A FORM OF AFFILIATE AGREEMENT.....................................
EXHIBIT B FORM OF REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT AND PROMISSORY NOTE..........
EXHIBIT C FORM OF TAX OPINION TO BE RENDERED BY COUNSEL TO ACQUIROR.......
EXHIBIT D FORM OF ACQUIROR TAX CERTIFICATE................................
EXHIBIT E FORM OF COMPANY TAX CERTIFICATE.................................
EXHIBIT F FORM OF TAX OPINION TO BE RENDERED BY COUNSEL TO THE COMPANY....
EXHIBIT G FORM OF ACQUIROR TAX CERTIFICATE................................
EXHIBIT H FORM OF COMPANY TAX CERTIFICATE.................................
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AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of January 7, 1999 (this "Merger
Agreement"), among McLeodUSA Incorporated, a Delaware corporation
("Acquiror"), Bravo Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("Acquiror
Sub") and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Acquiror, Ovation
Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and those
stockholders of the Company named on the signature pages hereof (the
"Principal Company Stockholders");
WHEREAS, the Company, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this
Merger Agreement and in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware ("Delaware Law"), will merge with and into Acquiror Sub (the
"Merger");
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has (i) determined that the
Merger is advisable and fair to the holders of Company Capital Stock (as
defined in Section 3.04) and is in the best interests of such stockholders and
(ii) approved and adopted this Merger Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby and recommended approval and adoption of this Merger
Agreement by the stockholders of the Company (the "Company Stockholders");
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Acquiror has determined that the Merger
is advisable and in the best interests of Acquiror and its stockholders and
the Boards of Directors of Acquiror and Acquiror Sub and the sole stockholder
of Acquiror Sub have approved and adopted this Merger Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby;
WHEREAS, for federal income tax purposes, it is intended that the Merger
shall qualify as a tax-free reorganization under the provisions of Section
368(a) and Section 368(a)(2)(D) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the "Code"); and
WHEREAS, in order to induce Acquiror and Acquiror Sub to enter into this
Merger Agreement, concurrently herewith (i) M/C Investors, L.L.C.,
Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership, Timothy T. Devine,
Kenneth A. Kirley, Nicholas Lenoci, Jr., Charles M. Osborne and Scott A.
Rediger are entering into voting agreements pursuant to which, among other
things, each such stockholder agrees to vote in favor of this Merger Agreement
and the Merger and against any Competing Transaction (as defined in Section
5.05(a)), (ii) M/C Investors, L.L.C. and Media/Communications Partners III
Limited Partnership are entering into a stockholders' agreement with Acquiror,
Clark E. and Mary E. McLeod, Richard Lumpkin and IES Investments Inc. (the
"Stockholders' Agreement") and (iii) Acquiror is agreeing to lend to the
Company up to $20,000,000 on a senior subordinated unsecured basis as provided
in Section 6.18 (the "Acquiror Loan");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the respective
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth in this Merger
Agreement, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree
as follows.
ARTICLE I
THE MERGER
Section 1.01. The Merger.
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Merger
Agreement, and in accordance with Delaware Law, at the Effective Time (as
defined in Section 1.02) the Company shall be merged with and into Acquiror
Sub. As a result of the Merger, the separate corporate existence of the
Company shall cease and Acquiror Sub shall continue as the surviving
corporation of the Merger (the "Surviving Corporation").
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Section 1.02. Effective Time.
Subject to the provisions of Section 2.05, as promptly as practicable after
the satisfaction or, if permissible, waiver of the conditions set forth in
Article VII, the parties hereto shall cause the Merger to be consummated by
filing this Merger Agreement, articles of merger or other appropriate
documents (in any such case, the "Articles of Merger") with the Secretary of
State of the State of Delaware, in such form as required by, and executed in
accordance with the relevant provisions of, Delaware Law (the date and time of
such filing being the "Effective Time"). The day on which the Effective Time
shall occur shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Closing Date."
Section 1.03. Effect of the Merger.
At the Effective Time, the effect of the Merger shall be as provided in the
applicable provisions of Delaware Law. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Effective Time, all the property,
rights, privileges, powers and franchises of the Company and Acquiror Sub
shall vest in the Surviving Corporation, and all debts, liabilities and duties
of the Company and Acquiror Sub shall become the debts, liabilities and duties
of the Surviving Corporation.
Section 1.04. Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws.
(a) Unless otherwise determined by Acquiror prior to the Effective Time, at
the Effective Time the certificate of incorporation of Acquiror Sub shall
continue unchanged and shall be the certificate of incorporation of the
Surviving Corporation, until thereafter amended as provided by Law (as defined
in Article X) and such certificate of incorporation, except that Article I of
Acquiror Sub's certificate of incorporation shall be amended at the Effective
Time to read as follows: "The name of the corporation is Ovation
Communications, Inc."
(b) Unless otherwise determined by Acquiror prior to the Effective Time, at
the Effective Time the bylaws of Acquiror Sub shall continue unchanged and
shall be the bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter amended as
provided by Law, the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation
and such bylaws.
Section 1.05. Directors and Officers.
The directors of Acquiror Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time shall
be the initial directors of the Surviving Corporation, each to hold office in
accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation, and the officers of Acquiror Sub immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall be the initial officers of the Surviving Corporation, in
each case until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed and
qualified.
ARTICLE II
CONVERSION OF SECURITIES; EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES
Section 2.01. Conversion of Securities.
At the Effective Time, as provided in this Merger Agreement, by virtue of
the Merger and without any action on the part of Acquiror Sub, the Company or
the Company Stockholders:
(a) Conversion.
(i) Company Common Stock. Subject to the provisions of this Section
2.01, each share of common stock, $.01 par value per share, of the
Company ("Company Common Stock") issued and outstanding immediately
prior to the Effective Time (other than any shares of Company Common
Stock to be canceled pursuant to Section 2.01(c) or any Company
Dissenting Shares (as defined in Article X)), shall be converted,
subject to Section 2.01(a)(iv)
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and Section 2.02(e), into the right to receive, at the election of the
holder thereof, either (A) the Common Stock Cash Amount (as defined in
Article X), or (B) one share of Class A common stock, par value $.01
per share, of Acquiror ("Acquiror Common Stock") multiplied by the
Common Stock Exchange Ratio (as defined in Article X). Each record
holder of shares of Company Common Stock immediately prior to the
Effective Time will be entitled to elect to receive either cash
pursuant to the Common Stock Cash Amount (such election being referred
to herein as a "Cash Election" and such shares being referred to herein
as "Cash Election Shares") or Acquiror Common Stock pursuant to the
Common Stock Exchange Ratio for each such share of Company Common
Stock. All such elections must be made on a form designated for that
purpose by Acquiror (a "Form of Election") that must be delivered to
Acquiror after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (as
defined in Section 6.01(a)), unless otherwise permitted by Law, and
prior to the third (3rd) business day preceding the Scheduled Closing
Date. If Acquiror does not receive a Form of Election from a holder of
shares of Company Common Stock prior to the third (3rd) business day
preceding the Scheduled Closing Date, then such holder shall be deemed
to have elected to receive Acquiror Common Stock for all shares of
Company Common Stock owned by such holder. Holders of record of shares
of Company Common Stock who hold such shares as nominees, trustees or
in other representative capacities (a "Representative") may submit
multiple Forms of Election, provided such Representative certifies that
each such Form of Election covers all the shares of Company Common
Stock held by such Representative for a particular beneficial owner.
All such shares of Company Common Stock shall no longer be
outstanding and shall automatically be canceled and retired and shall
cease to exist, and each certificate previously representing any such
shares shall thereafter represent the right to receive the Acquiror
Common Stock and/or cash into which such shares were converted in the
Merger. No fractional share of Acquiror Common Stock shall be issued,
and, in lieu thereof, a cash payment shall be made pursuant to Section
2.02(e) hereof.
(ii) Company Preferred Stock. Each share of Series A Preferred Stock,
$.01 par value per share, of the Company ("Company Series A Preferred
Stock") issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time
(other than any shares of Company Series A Preferred Stock to be
canceled pursuant to Section 2.01(c) or any Company Dissenting Shares),
shall be converted into the right to receive its Preferred Liquidation
Preference (as defined in Article X) in cash, without interest (the
"Preferred Stock Cash Amount").
All such shares of Company Series A Preferred Stock shall no longer
be outstanding and shall automatically be canceled and retired and
shall cease to exist, and each certificate previously representing any
such shares shall thereafter represent the right to receive the
Preferred Stock Cash Amount into which such shares were converted in
the Merger.
(iii) Merger Consideration. If between the date of this Merger
Agreement and the Effective Time the outstanding shares of Acquiror
Common Stock or Company Common Stock shall have been changed into a
different number of shares or a different class, by reason of any stock
dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, split,
combination or exchange of shares, the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and
the Common Stock Cash Amount shall be appropriately and correspondingly
adjusted to reflect such stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification,
recapitalization, split, combination or exchange of shares.
(iv) Adjustment for Changes in Value. To the extent that the value of
the Acquiror Common Stock forming part of the Merger Consideration (as
defined in Article X) as of the Effective Time, based upon the closing
price of the Acquiror Common Stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market's
National Market System on the last trading day immediately prior to the
Closing Date (as defined in Section 2.05) (the "Acquiror Common Stock
Closing Price"), would be less than 50% (or such lesser percentage, not
below 40%, as the Company may
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reasonably determine in connection with the qualification of the Merger
as a tax-free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code) of the
sum of (A) the aggregate value of the Merger Consideration (with
Acquiror Common Stock being valued for this purpose at the Acquiror
Common Stock Closing Price), (B) any amounts paid directly or
indirectly by the Company or Acquiror to purchase or redeem shares of
the Company's capital stock on or after December 1, 1998 and (C) an
amount equal to the number of Company Dissenting Shares multiplied by
the Common Stock Cash Amount, then (A) the Acquiror Common Stock
portion of the Merger Consideration shall be increased by a number of
shares of Acquiror Common Stock equal to the amount of such deficit in
value divided by the Acquiror Common Stock Closing Price (rounded to
the nearest whole share) (the "Stock Adjustment Amount"), (B) the
aggregate Common Stock Cash Amount shall be correspondingly reduced by
an amount equal to the product of the Stock Adjustment Amount
multiplied by the Acquiror Common Stock Closing Price (the "Cash
Adjustment Amount"), and (C) each Cash Election Share shall be
converted, subject to Section 2.02(e), into the right to receive (1) a
number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock equal to the Stock Adjustment
Amount divided by the Cash Election Shares and (2) an amount in cash
equal to the Common Stock Cash Amount minus the quotient of the Cash
Adjustment Amount divided by the Cash Election Shares.
(b) Cancellation and Retirement of Company Capital Stock. All such shares
of Company Capital Stock referred to in Section 2.01(a) (other than any
shares of Company Capital Stock to be canceled pursuant to Section 2.01(c))
shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be canceled and
retired and shall cease to exist, and each certificate previously
representing any such shares shall thereafter represent the right to
receive the Merger Consideration as described in Section 2.01(a). The
holders of certificates which prior to the Effective Time represented
shares of Company Capital Stock shall cease to have any rights with respect
thereto except as otherwise provided herein or by Law.
(c) Cancellation of Treasury Stock. Any shares of Company Capital Stock
held in the treasury of the Company and any shares of Company Capital Stock
owned by Acquiror or any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
Acquiror or of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be
canceled and extinguished without any conversion thereof and no payment
shall be made with respect thereto.
(d) Acquiror Sub Common Stock. Each share of common stock, par value
$0.01 per share, of Acquiror Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior
to the Effective Time shall continue to be one issued and outstanding share
of common stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Surviving Corporation,
and all of which shall continue to be held by Acquiror.
Section 2.02. Exchange of Certificates.
(a) Exchange Agent. Prior to the Effective Time, Acquiror shall deposit, or
shall cause to be deposited, with Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., or another
bank or trust company designated by Acquiror (the "Exchange Agent"), for the
benefit of the holders of Company Capital Stock for exchange through the
Exchange Agent in accordance with this Article II as of the Effective Time,
(i) certificates representing the whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock
issuable to such holders pursuant to Section 2.01, (ii) cash in an amount
sufficient to permit payment of the cash payable pursuant to Section 2.01 and
(iii) cash in an amount sufficient to permit payment of the cash payable in
lieu of fractional shares pursuant to Section 2.02(e) (such certificates for
shares of Acquiror Common Stock, together with any dividends or distributions
with respect thereto, and such amounts of cash, being hereafter referred to as
the "Exchange Fund"). Acquiror shall irrevocably instruct the Exchange Agent,
at the Effective Time, to deliver the shares of Acquiror Common Stock to be
issued and to deliver by check or, if requested, in immediately available
funds the amount of cash to be paid to the holders of Company Capital Stock
pursuant to Section 2.01 out of the Exchange Fund pursuant to the procedures
set forth in Section 2.02(b) beginning immediately after the Effective Time.
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(b) Exchange Procedures. At the earliest practicable date prior to the
Effective Time, Acquiror shall mail or shall cause to be delivered to each
holder of record of a certificate or certificates of Company Capital Stock
which immediately prior to the Effective Time represented outstanding shares
of Company Capital Stock (the "Certificates") (i) a letter of transmittal
(which shall specify that delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and
title to the Certificates shall pass, only upon proper delivery of the
Certificates to the Exchange Agent and shall be in customary form) and (ii)
instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates in
exchange for cash or certificates representing shares of Acquiror Common
Stock. Upon surrender of a Certificate for cancellation to the Exchange Agent,
together with such letter of transmittal, duly executed, and such other
customary documents as may be required pursuant to such instructions, the
holder of such Certificate shall be entitled to receive in exchange therefor,
and Acquiror shall thereupon cause the Exchange Agent to deliver to the holder
of such Certificate, (i) the amount of cash, by check or, if requested, in
immediately available funds, which such holder has the right to receive in
accordance with Section 2.01, (ii) a certificate representing that number of
whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock which such holder has the right to
receive in accordance with Section 2.01 together with any dividends or other
distributions to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 2.02(c) and
(iii) cash in lieu of fractional shares of Acquiror Capital Stock to which
such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 2.02(e). The Certificates so
surrendered shall forthwith be canceled. In the event of a transfer of
ownership of shares of Company Capital Stock which is not registered in the
transfer records of the Company, the proper number of shares of Acquiror
Common Stock may be issued and/or the proper amount of cash may be paid
pursuant hereto to a transferee if the Certificates representing such shares
of Company Capital Stock, properly endorsed or otherwise in proper form for
transfer, are presented to the Exchange Agent, accompanied by all documents
required to evidence and effect such transfer and by evidence that any
applicable stock transfer taxes have been paid. Until surrendered as
contemplated by this Section 2.02, each Certificate shall be deemed at any
time after the Effective Time to represent only the right to receive upon such
surrender the Merger Consideration issuable in exchange therefor, together
with any dividends or other distributions to which such holder is entitled
pursuant to Section 2.02(c). No interest will be paid or will accrue on any
cash payable pursuant to Sections 2.01(a), 2.02(c) or 2.02(e).
(c) Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Shares of Acquiror Common
Stock. No dividends or other distributions declared or made after the
Effective Time with respect to Acquiror Common Stock with a record date after
the Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered
Certificate with respect to the whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock
represented thereby until the holder of such Certificate shall surrender such
Certificate. Subject to the effect of escheat, tax or other applicable Laws,
following surrender of any such Certificate, there shall be paid to the record
holder of the certificates representing whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock
issued in exchange therefor, without interest, (i) promptly, the amount of any
cash payable with respect to (A) the shares of Company Common Stock formerly
represented by such Certificate, and (B) a fractional share of Acquiror Common
Stock to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 2.02(e), and the
amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the
Effective Time theretofore paid with respect to such whole shares of Acquiror
Common Stock, and (ii) at the appropriate payment date, the amount of
dividends or other distributions, with a record date after the Effective Time
but prior to surrender and a payment date occurring after surrender, payable
with respect to such whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock.
(d) No Further Rights in Company Capital Stock. All shares of Acquiror
Common Stock issued or cash paid upon conversion of the shares of Company
Capital Stock in accordance with the terms hereof (including any cash paid
pursuant to Sections 2.01(a), 2.02(c) or 2.02(e)) shall be deemed to have been
issued and paid in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such shares
of Company Capital Stock.
(e) No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Acquiror Common Stock
shall be issued upon surrender for exchange of the Certificates, and any such
fractional share interests will not entitle the
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owner thereof to vote or to any rights of a stockholder of Acquiror, but in
lieu thereof each holder of shares of Company Common Stock who would otherwise
be entitled to receive a fraction of a share of Acquiror Common Stock, after
aggregating all Certificates delivered by such holder, and rounding down to
the nearest whole share, shall receive an amount in cash equal to the average,
during the ten (10) trading days immediately prior to the Effective Time, of
the daily closing prices for Acquiror Common Stock on The Nasdaq Stock
Market's National Market System as reported by Nasdaq (the "Average Trading
Price") multiplied by the fraction of a share of Acquiror Common Stock to
which such holder would otherwise be entitled. Such payment in lieu of
fractional shares shall be administered by the Exchange Agent pursuant to the
procedures set forth in Section 2.02(b).
(f) Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion of the Exchange Fund which
remains undistributed to the holders of Company Capital Stock for six (6)
months after the Effective Time shall be delivered to Acquiror, upon demand.
Any holders of Company Capital Stock who have not theretofore complied with
this Article II shall thereafter look only to Acquiror for the cash and shares
of Acquiror Common Stock to which they are entitled pursuant to Section 2.01,
any dividends or other distributions with respect to Acquiror Common Stock to
which they are entitled pursuant to Section 2.02(c) and any cash in lieu of
fractional shares of Acquiror Common Stock to which they are entitled pursuant
to Section 2.02(e).
(g) No Liability. None of Acquiror, Acquiror Sub, the Company, the Surviving
Corporation or the Exchange Agent shall be liable to any Person (as defined in
Article X) for any shares of Acquiror Common Stock (or dividends or
distributions with respect thereto) or cash delivered to a public official
pursuant to any abandoned property, escheat or similar Laws.
(h) Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. In the event any certificate
evidencing shares of Company Capital Stock shall have been lost, stolen or
destroyed, the Exchange Agent shall issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or
destroyed certificate, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the
holder thereof, such shares of Acquiror Common Stock and cash, if any, as may
be required pursuant to this Article II; provided, however, that Acquiror may,
in its reasonable discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance
thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate to
deliver a bond in such sum as it may reasonably direct as indemnity against
any claim that may be made against Acquiror, the Surviving Corporation, or the
Exchange Agent with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost,
stolen or destroyed.
Section 2.03. Stock Transfer Books.
At the Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the Company shall be
closed and there shall be no further registration of transfers of shares of
Company Capital Stock thereafter on the records of the Company. From and after
the Effective Time, the holders of certificates representing shares of Company
Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease
to have any rights with respect to such shares of Company Capital Stock except
as otherwise provided herein or by Law. On or after the Effective Time, any
Certificates presented to the Exchange Agent or Acquiror for any reason shall
be converted into cash and/or shares of Acquiror Common Stock issuable in
exchange therefor pursuant to Section 2.01(a), any dividends or other
distributions to which the holders thereof are entitled pursuant to Section
2.02(c) and any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Acquiror Common Stock to
which the holders thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.02(e).
Section 2.04. Stock Options.
Prior to the Effective Time, the Company and Acquiror shall take such action
as may be necessary or appropriate for Acquiror, at its option, to assume or
to issue a substitute option with respect to each outstanding unexpired and
unexercised option to purchase shares of Company Common Stock (collectively,
the "Company Stock Options") under the Company's 1997 Stock Option Plan (the
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"Company Stock Plan") so that at the Effective Time each Company Stock Option
will become or be replaced by an option to purchase a number of whole shares
of Acquiror Common Stock (an "Acquiror Option") equal to the product of the
Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the number of shares of Company Common Stock
subject to such Company Stock Options (assuming full vesting) under the
Company Stock Option (and rounding any fractional share up to the nearest
whole share), at a price per share equal to the aggregate exercise price for
the shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Stock Option
divided by the number of whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock deemed to be
purchasable pursuant to such Company Stock Option. Each substituted Acquiror
Option shall otherwise be subject to the same terms and conditions as apply to
the related Company Stock Option. The date of grant of each substituted
Acquiror Option for purposes of such terms and conditions shall be deemed to
be the date on which the corresponding Company Stock Option was granted. As to
each assumed Company Stock Option, at the Effective Time (i) all references to
the Company in the stock option agreements with respect to the Company Stock
Options being assumed shall be deemed to refer to Acquiror; (ii) Acquiror
shall assume all of the Company's obligations with respect to the related
Company Stock Option; and (iii) Acquiror shall issue to each holder of a
Company Stock Option a document evidencing the foregoing assumption by
Acquiror. Nothing in this Section 2.04 shall affect the schedule of vesting
with respect to the Company Stock Options in accordance with the terms of the
Company Stock Plan. It is the purpose and intention of the parties that,
subject to applicable Law, the assumption of such Company Stock Options or the
substitution of Acquiror Options for Company Stock Options shall meet the
requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code and that each assumed Company Stock
Option or the substituted Acquiror Option shall qualify immediately after the
Effective Time as incentive stock options as defined in Section 422 of the
Code to the extent that the related Company Stock Option so qualified
immediately before the Effective Time and the foregoing provisions of this
Section 2.04 shall be interpreted to further such purpose and intention. The
Company represents and warrants that the assumption of Company Stock Options
or substitution of Acquiror Options therefor, as contemplated by this Section
2.04, may be effected pursuant to the terms of the Company Stock Options and
the Company Stock Plan without the consent of any holder of a Company Stock
Option and without liability to any such holder. Acquiror represents and
warrants that it has the full power and authority to assume the Company Stock
Options or to substitute Acquiror Options therefor.
Section 2.05. Closing.
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Merger Agreement, the closing of
the Merger (the "Closing") will take place after the satisfaction of the
latest to occur or, if permissible, waiver of the conditions set forth in
Article VII hereof. The scheduled closing date will take place as soon as
practicable (but, in any event, no later than the first business day following
the tenth (10th) day) after the satisfaction of the latest to occur or, if
permissible, waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 7.01 hereof (the
"Scheduled Closing Date"), at the offices of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., Columbia
Square, 555 13th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004, unless another date or
place is agreed to in writing by the parties hereto.
Section 2.06. Dissenting Stockholders.
Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at and after the Effective Time,
any holder of shares of Company Capital Stock who complies with Section 262 of
Delaware Law (a "Company Dissenting Stockholder") shall be entitled to obtain
payment from the Surviving Corporation of the fair value of such Company
Dissenting Stockholder's shares of Company Capital Stock as determined
pursuant to Section 262 of Delaware Law; provided, however, that, to the
extent permissible under Delaware Law, no such payment shall be made unless
and until such Company Dissenting Stockholder has surrendered to the Exchange
Agent the Certificate representing the shares of Company Capital Stock for
which payment is being made. The Company shall give Acquiror prompt notice of
any demands for appraisal or withdrawals of demands for appraisal received by
the Company and any other documents
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obtained by the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 262 of Delaware
Law, and, except with the prior written consent of Acquiror, which shall not
be unreasonably withheld, shall not settle or offer to settle any such
demands.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
Except as specifically set forth in the Disclosure Schedule delivered by the
Company to Acquiror prior to the execution and delivery of this Merger
Agreement (the "Company Disclosure Schedule") (the contents of which Company
Disclosure Schedule may be updated, corrected or otherwise modified by the
Company up to ten (10) days prior to the Closing Date in accordance with
Section 6.05(b) hereof) (with (i) a disclosure with respect to a Section of
this Merger Agreement to require a specific reference in the Company
Disclosure Schedule to the Section of this Merger Agreement to which each such
disclosure applies, (ii) no disclosure to be deemed to apply with respect to
any Section to which it does not expressly refer and (iii) the Company having
the right to cross-reference the sections of the Company Disclosure Schedule
as appropriate with respect to disclosures that are reasonably related), the
Company hereby represents and warrants (which representation and warranty
shall be deemed to include the disclosures with respect thereto so specified
in the Company Disclosure Schedule) to, and agrees with, Acquiror and Acquiror
Sub as follows, in each case as of the date of this Merger Agreement, unless
otherwise specifically set forth herein or in the Company Disclosure Schedule:
Section 3.01. Organization and Standing.
The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing under Delaware Law, and has the full and unrestricted corporate power
and authority to own, operate and lease its Assets (as defined in Article X),
to carry on its business as currently conducted, to execute and deliver this
Merger Agreement and to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby. The
Company is duly qualified to conduct business as a foreign corporation and is
in good standing in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin and in each
jurisdiction where the nature of its business or the ownership or leasing of
its properties makes such qualification necessary other than where the failure
to be so qualified would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect (as
defined in Article X).
Section 3.02. Subsidiaries.
Except as set forth in Section 3.02 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the
Company has no Subsidiaries (as defined in Article X) and neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary has any equity investment or other interest in, nor has the
Company or any Subsidiary made advances or loans to (other than intra-company
transactions between or among the Company and any Subsidiary and other than
for customary credit extended to customers of the Company in the Ordinary
Course of Business (as defined in Article X) and reflected in the Financial
Statements (as defined in Section 3.08)), any Person. Section 3.02 of the
Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth (a) the authorized capital stock or
other equity interests of each Subsidiary and the percentage of the
outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary owned
by the Company. All of such shares of capital stock or other equity interests
of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued and are
outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable and except as set forth in Section
3.02 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, are owned by the Company free and
clear of all Encumbrances (as defined in Article X) other than Encumbrances
arising under applicable securities Laws. Each Subsidiary is duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of its state or
jurisdiction of organization (as listed in Section 3.02 of the Company
Disclosure Schedule), and has the requisite corporate or limited liability
company power and authority to own, operate and lease its Assets and to carry
on its business as currently conducted. Each Subsidiary is duly qualified to
conduct business as a foreign Person and is in good standing in each
jurisdiction where the nature of its business or the ownership or leasing of
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its properties makes such qualification necessary, other than where the
failure to be so qualified would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.03. Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.
The Company has furnished to Acquiror a true and complete copy of (i) the
certificate of incorporation and (ii) the organizational documents of the
Company and each Subsidiary, as in effect on the date hereof, certified as of
a recent date by the Company's corporate secretary, and a true and complete
copy of the Company's bylaws and the bylaws or other governing agreements of
each Subsidiary, as currently in effect, certified by the Company's corporate
secretary.
Section 3.04. Capitalization.
The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of (a) 30,000,000
shares of Company Common Stock, of which: (i) 23,971,756 shares are issued and
outstanding, all of which are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable; (ii) no shares are held in the treasury of the Company; and
(iii) 806,845 shares are reserved for issuance pursuant to Company Stock
Options (including 127,705 shares to be issued pursuant to Section 4.2 of the
Ovation Stockholders' Agreement); (b) 6,000,000 shares of Company preferred
stock, $.01 par value per share ("Company Preferred Stock"), of which (A)
500,000 are designated "Series A Preferred Stock", of which: (i) 240,000
shares are issued and outstanding, all of which are duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable; and (ii) no shares are held in the
treasury of the Company; (B) 5,000 are designated "Series B Preferred Stock",
of which: (i) no shares are issued and outstanding; and (ii) no shares are
held in the treasury of the Company; and (C) 5,495,000 are designated
"Preferred Stock," of which none have ever been issued. The Company Common
Stock and Company Preferred Stock are referred to collectively in this Merger
Agreement as the "Company Capital Stock." Section 3.04 of the Company
Disclosure Schedule sets forth the names and addresses of all holders of
record of the Company Common Stock and the Company Preferred Stock. Except as
described in this Section 3.04 or in Section 3.04 of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, no other shares of Company Capital Stock have been reserved for any
purpose. Except as set forth in clause (a)(iii) above or in Section 3.04 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no outstanding securities
convertible into or exchangeable for Company Common Stock, any other
securities of the Company, or any capital stock or other securities of any of
the Subsidiaries and no outstanding options, rights (preemptive or otherwise),
or warrants to purchase or to subscribe for any shares of such stock or other
securities of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in
Section 3.04 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no outstanding
Agreements (as defined in Article X) affecting or relating to the voting,
issuance, purchase, redemption, registration, repurchase or transfer of
Company Common Stock, any other securities of the Company, or any capital
stock or other securities of any Subsidiary, except as contemplated hereunder.
Each of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and of capital stock
of, or other equity interests in, the Subsidiaries was issued in compliance
with all applicable federal and state Laws concerning the issuance of
securities. There are no obligations, contingent or otherwise, of the Company
or any Subsidiary to provide funds to, make any investment (in the form of a
loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in, or provide any guarantee with
respect to, any Person other than the Company or its wholly owned
Subsidiaries. There are no Agreements pursuant to which any Person (other than
the Company or its wholly owned Subsidiaries) is or may be entitled to receive
any of the revenues or earnings, or any payment based thereon or calculated in
accordance therewith, of the Company or any Subsidiary.
Section 3.05. Authority; Binding Obligation.
The execution and delivery by the Company of this Merger Agreement, the
execution and delivery by the Company and the Subsidiaries of all other
agreements, documents, certificates or other instruments contemplated hereby,
and the consummation by the Company and the Subsidiaries of the
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transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, have been duly authorized by all
necessary corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of
the Company or the Subsidiaries are necessary to authorize this Merger
Agreement and the other agreements, documents, certificates or other
instruments contemplated hereby, or to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby, other than the approval and adoption of this
Merger Agreement by the holders of a majority of the voting power attributable
to the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company Series A
Preferred Stock, voting together as a class, in accordance with Delaware Law
and the Company's certificate of incorporation and bylaws. This Merger
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes
a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be subject to the
effects of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance,
reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws affecting creditors' rights
generally and subject to the effects of general equitable principles (whether
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); provided, however, that the
Merger will not become effective until Articles of Merger reflecting the
Merger are filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware.
Section 3.06. No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents.
(a) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company and the
Subsidiaries of this Merger Agreement and all other agreements, documents,
certificates or other instruments contemplated hereby, the fulfillment of and
compliance with the respective terms and provisions hereof and thereof, and
the consummation by the Company and the Subsidiaries of the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby, do not and will not: (i) conflict with, or
violate any provision of, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the
Company or the certificate or articles of incorporation or bylaws of any
Subsidiary; (ii) subject to (A) obtaining the requisite approval and adoption
of this Merger Agreement by the holders of a majority of the voting power
attributable to the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company
Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a class, in accordance with
Delaware Law and the Company's certificate of incorporation and bylaws and (B)
obtaining the consents, approvals, authorizations and permits of, and making
filings with or notifications to, the applicable Governmental Entity pursuant
to the applicable requirements, if any, of the Securities Act (as defined in
Article X), the Exchange Act (as defined in Article X), Blue Sky Laws (as
defined in Article X), the HSR Act (as defined in Article X), the
Communications Act (as defined in Article X), the Federal Aviation Act (as
defined in Article X), applicable state utility Laws, applicable municipal
franchise Laws and the filing and recordation of the Articles of Merger as
required by Delaware Law, conflict with or violate any Law applicable to the
Company or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Assets; (iii) subject to
obtaining the consents and approvals set forth in Section 3.06(b) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, conflict with, result in any breach of, or
constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both
would become a default) under any Agreement to which the Company or any
Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary, or any of
their respective Assets, may be bound; or (iv) except as disclosed in Section
3.06(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, result in or require the creation
or imposition of, or result in the acceleration of, any indebtedness or any
Encumbrance of any nature upon, or with respect to, the Company or any
Subsidiary or any of the Assets now owned or hereafter acquired by the Company
or any Subsidiary; except for any such conflict or violation described in
clause (ii), any such conflict, breach or default described in clause (iii),
or any such creation, imposition or acceleration described in clause (iv) that
would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect and that would not prevent
the Company from consummating the Merger on a timely basis.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 3.06(b) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule and non-material Agreements allowing the installation, maintenance or
operation of the Company's or its Subsidiaries' fiber optic network on, over,
under or across a specific parcel of real property, the execution, delivery
and performance by the Company and the Subsidiaries of this Merger Agreement
and all other
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<PAGE>
agreements, documents, certificates or other instruments contemplated hereby,
the fulfillment of and compliance with the respective terms and provisions
hereof and thereof, and the consummation by the Company and the Subsidiaries
of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, do not and will not: (i)
require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or filing with or
notification to, any Person not party to this Merger Agreement, except (A) the
approval and adoption of this Merger Agreement by the holders of a majority of
the voting power attributable to the outstanding shares of Company Common
Stock and Company Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a class, in
accordance with Delaware Law and the Company's certificate of incorporation
and bylaws, (B) pursuant to the applicable requirements, if any, of the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act, Blue Sky Laws, the HSR Act, the
Communications Act, the Federal Aviation Act, applicable state utility Laws
and applicable municipal franchise Laws and Laws of other Governmental
Entities, (C) the filing and recordation of the Articles of Merger as required
by Delaware Law, and (D) where the failure to obtain any consent, approval,
authorization or permit or to make any filing or notification otherwise
required to be disclosed hereunder would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect; or (ii) result in or give rise to any penalty, forfeiture, Agreement
termination, right of termination, amendment or cancellation, or restriction
on business operations of Acquiror, the Company, the Surviving Corporation or
any Subsidiary that would have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Furthermore,
there is no Agreement when considered on its face when standing alone where
the failure to obtain consent to the transactions contemplated by this Merger
Agreement would cause the Company to be unable to conduct its business.
Section 3.07. Licenses; Compliance.
(a) Each of the Company and each Subsidiary is in possession of all Licenses
(as defined in Article X) necessary for the Company or any Subsidiary to own,
lease and operate its Assets or to carry on its business as it is now being
conducted (the "Company Licenses"), except where the failure to possess any
such Company License would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. All
Company Licenses that are FCC (as defined in Article X), FAA (as defined in
Article X) or state utilities Licenses or municipal franchises, and all other
Company Licenses the loss of which would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect, are listed and described in Section 3.07(a) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule. All Company Licenses are valid and in full force and effect through
the respective dates indicated in such Company Licenses, except for any such
invalidity or failure to be in full force and effect that would not have a
Company Material Adverse Effect, and no suspension, cancellation, complaint,
proceeding, order or investigation of or with respect to any Company License
(or operations thereunder) the loss of which would not have a Company Material
Adverse Effect is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any
Subsidiary, threatened. The Company has indicated in Section 3.07 of the
Company Disclosure Schedule those Company Licenses which expire within 12
months from the date of this Merger Agreement. Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary is in violation of or default under any Company License, except for
any such violation or default that would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect. Except as set forth in Section 3.07(a) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, since January 1, 1997, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has
received written or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, oral
notice from any Governmental Entity or any other Person of any allegation of
any such violation or default under a Company License.
(b) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation of or default
under, nor has it breached, (i) any term or provision of its certificate or
articles of incorporation or bylaws or (ii) any Agreement or restriction to
which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any
Subsidiary, or any of their respective Assets, is bound or affected, except
for any such violation, default or breach described in clause (ii) that would
not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Subsidiaries
have complied and are in full compliance with all Laws, except where the
failure so to comply would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(c) All returns, reports, statements and other Documents required to be
filed by the Company or any Subsidiary with any Governmental Entity have been
filed and complied with and are true, correct
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<PAGE>
and complete in all material respects (and any related fees required to be
paid have been paid in full except where the failure to so file or to so pay
such fees would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect). To the knowledge
of the Company and the Subsidiaries, all material records of every type and
nature relating to the Company Licenses or the business, operations or Assets
of the Company or any Subsidiary have been maintained in all material respects
in accordance with good business practices and the rules of any Governmental
Entity and are maintained at the Company or the appropriate Subsidiary.
(d) Except as provided in Section 3.07(a) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any interest in any
License (including both any Company License and any License held by third
parties in which the Company or any Subsidiary has an interest) the loss of
which would have a Company Material Adverse Effect and that is subject to
restrictions on assignment or transfer based on the circumstances under which
the License was granted (such as eligibility or auction rules), the status of
construction and operation (such as rules restricting resale for a certain
period after construction), or any other restrictions other than an ordinary
course requirement for prior approval of transactions such as the Merger
contemplated herein.
(e) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is aware of any fact or
circumstance related to them that would reasonably be expected to cause the
filing of any objection to any application for any Governmental consent
required hereunder, lead to any delay in processing such application, or
require any waiver of any Governmental rule, policy or other applicable Law.
Section 3.08. Financial Statements.
(a) The Company has prepared an audited consolidated balance sheet of the
Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the fiscal year ended December
31, 1997 (the "Audited Balance Sheet") and the related audited consolidated
statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and
the Subsidiaries for such fiscal year (the Audited Balance Sheet and such
audited consolidated statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows
are hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Audited Statements"), in each
case, audited by Ernst & Young L.L.P. in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards and accompanied by the related report of Ernst & Young
L.L.P. A true and complete copy of the Audited Statements has been delivered
to Acquiror and is attached as an exhibit to, and constitutes an integral part
of, the Company Disclosure Schedule. The Company has also prepared unaudited
consolidated balance sheets of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the last
day of each month ending after January 1, 1998 and prior to December 1, 1998
(including the unaudited consolidated balance sheets to be furnished to
Acquiror pursuant to Section 6.08, the "Unaudited Balance Sheets") and the
unaudited consolidated statements of income of the Company and the
Subsidiaries for the one-month periods then ended (the Unaudited Balance
Sheets and such statements of income, including the unaudited consolidated
statements of income to be furnished to Acquiror pursuant to Section 6.08, are
hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Unaudited Statements" and,
together with the Audited Statements, as the "Financial Statements").
(b) The Financial Statements, including, without limitation, the notes
thereto, (i) are complete and correct in all material respects, (ii) have been
prepared in accordance with the books and records of the Company and the
Subsidiaries, and (iii) present fairly the consolidated financial position of
the Company and the Subsidiaries and their consolidated results of operations
and cash flows as of and for the respective dates and time periods in
accordance with GAAP applied on a basis consistent with prior accounting
periods, except as noted thereon and subject to, in the case of the Unaudited
Statements, the absence of footnotes and a statement of cash flows and normal
and recurring year-end adjustments which were not or are not expected to be
material in amount, other than as a result of the recording of the acquisition
of BRE Communications, L.L.C. All changes in accounting methods (for financial
accounting purposes) made, agreed to, requested or required with respect to
the Company or any of the Subsidiaries since January 1, 1998 are reflected in
the Financial Statements.
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Section 3.09. Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities.
There are no material liabilities or obligations (whether absolute or
contingent, matured or unmatured, known or unknown) of the Company or any
Subsidiary, including but not limited to liabilities for Taxes (as defined in
Article X), of a nature required by GAAP to be reflected, or reserved against,
in the Financial Statements and that are not so reflected, or reserved
against, in the Financial Statements, except for those that may have been
incurred after November 30, 1998 in the Ordinary Course of Business and that
are not material in amount either individually or collectively. Except as
described in Section 3.09 of the Company Disclosure Schedule or reflected in
the Financial Statements, since December 31, 1997, neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has incurred any liabilities or obligations (whether absolute or
contingent, matured or unmatured, known or unknown) other than in the Ordinary
Course of Business (as defined in Article X).
Section 3.10. Absence of Certain Changes or Events.
Other than as set forth in Section 3.10 to the Company Disclosure Schedule
from December 31, 1997 through the date of this Merger Agreement, there has
been no material adverse change, and no change except in the Ordinary Course
of Business, in the business, operations, prospects, condition (financial or
otherwise), Assets or liabilities of the Company or any Subsidiary. Except as
disclosed pursuant to other provisions of this Merger Agreement or described
in the Company Disclosure Schedule, since November 30, 1998, the Company and
the Subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses substantially in
the manner theretofore conducted and only in the Ordinary Course of Business,
and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has (a) incurred any material
damage, destruction or loss not covered by insurance with respect to any
Assets of the Company or of any such Subsidiary; (b) issued any capital stock
or other equity securities or granted any options, warrants or other rights
calling for the issuance thereof; (c) issued any bonds or other long-term debt
instruments, granted any options, warrants or other rights calling for the
issuance thereof, or borrowed any funds; (d) incurred, or become subject to,
any material obligation or liability (whether absolute or contingent, matured
or unmatured, known or unknown), except current liabilities incurred in the
Ordinary Course of Business; (e) discharged or satisfied any Encumbrance or
paid any material obligation or liability (whether absolute or contingent,
matured or unmatured, known or unknown) other than current liabilities shown
in the Unaudited Balance Sheets and current liabilities incurred since
December 31, 1997 in the Ordinary Course of Business; (f) declared or made
payment of, or set aside for payment, any dividends or distributions of any
Assets, or purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired any of its capital stock,
any securities convertible into capital stock, or any other securities; (g)
mortgaged, pledged or subjected to any Encumbrance (other than a Permitted
Encumbrance) any of its Assets; (h) sold, exchanged, transferred or otherwise
disposed of any of its Assets, or canceled any debts or claims, except in each
case in the Ordinary Course of Business; (i) written down the value of any
Assets or written off as uncollectable any debt, notes or accounts receivable,
except to the extent previously reserved against in the Financial Statements
and not material in amount, and except for write-downs and write-offs in the
Ordinary Course of Business, none of which, individually or in the aggregate,
are material; (j) entered into any transactions other than in the Ordinary
Course of Business; (k) increased the rate of compensation payable, or to
become payable, by it to any of its officers, employees, agents or independent
contractors over the rate being paid to them on November 30, 1998, except for
any increase in the rate of compensation payable, or to become payable in
connection with normal employee salary and performance reviews or otherwise in
the Ordinary Course of Business; (l) made or permitted any amendment or
termination of any material Agreement to which it is a party other than in the
Ordinary Course of Business; (m) through negotiation or otherwise made any
commitment or incurred any liability to any labor organization; (n) made any
accrual or arrangement for or payment of bonuses or special compensation of
any kind to any director, officer or employee, except for any accrual or
arrangement for or payment of bonuses or special compensation in connection
with normal employee salary and performance reviews or otherwise in the
Ordinary Course of Business; (o) directly or indirectly paid any severance or
termination pay in excess of two
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months' salary to any officer or employee with an annual salary in excess of
$70,000; (p) made capital expenditures, or entered into commitments therefor,
not provided for in the Company's capital budget for 1998 (a copy of which has
been furnished by the Company to Acquiror) or, if applicable, the Company's
capital budget for 1999 (a copy of which has been furnished by the Company to
Acquiror), except for capital expenditures permitted by Section 5.01; (q) made
any change in any method of accounting or accounting practice except as
required by GAAP and except as specified in the Financial Statements; (r)
entered into any transaction of the type described in Section 3.19; (s) made
any charitable contributions or pledges exceeding $10,000 individually or
$100,000 in the aggregate; or (t) made any Agreement to do any of the
foregoing.
Section 3.11. Litigation; Disputes.
(a) Except as disclosed in Section 3.11(a) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, there are no actions, suits, claims, arbitrations, proceedings or
investigations pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary,
threatened against, affecting or involving the Company or any Subsidiary or
their respective businesses or Assets, or the transactions contemplated by
this Merger Agreement, at law or in equity, or before or by any court,
arbitrator or Governmental Entity, domestic or foreign that would have a
Company Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is (i)
operating under or subject to any order (except for orders that Persons
similarly situated, engaged in similar businesses and owning similar Assets
are operating under or subject to), award, writ, injunction, decree or
judgment of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Entity, or (ii) in default
with respect to any order, award, writ, injunction, decree or judgment of any
court, arbitrator or Governmental Entity.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 3.11(b) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is currently involved in, or
to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, reasonably anticipates any
dispute with, any of its current or former employees, agents, brokers,
distributors, vendors, customers, business consultants, franchisees,
franchisors, representatives or independent contractors (or any current or
former employees of any of the foregoing Persons) affecting the business or
Assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, except for any such disputes that, if
resolved adversely to the Company or any Subsidiary, would not have a Company
Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.12. Debt Instruments.
Section 3.12 of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists all mortgages,
indentures, notes, guarantees and other Agreements for or relating to borrowed
money (including, without limitation, conditional sales agreements and capital
leases) to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or which have been
assumed by the Company or any Subsidiary or to which any Assets of the Company
or any Subsidiary are subject that evidences an indebtedness in excess of
$100,000. Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries is in default under any of
such mortgages, indentures, notes, guarantees and other Agreements, and there
has not occurred any event which (whether with or without notice, lapse of
time or the happening or occurrence of any other event) would constitute such
a default, except for any such default that would not have a Company Material
Adverse Effect.
Section 3.13. Real Property Leases.
Section 3.13 of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists all real property
leases with a term in excess of two (2) years or requiring payments in excess
of $100,000 in the aggregate over its term under which the Company or any
Subsidiary is the lessee or lessor. The Company and the Subsidiaries are the
owners and holders of all the leasehold estates purported to be granted to
them by the leases listed in Section 3.13 of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
Each such lease is in full force and effect and constitutes a legal, valid and
binding obligation of, and to the Company's knowledge, is legally
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enforceable in all material respects against, the respective parties thereto
and grants the leasehold estate it purports to grant free and clear of all
Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. The Company and the
Subsidiaries have in all respects performed all material obligations
thereunder required to be performed by any of them to date. To the knowledge
of the Company and the Subsidiaries, no party is in default in any material
respect under any of the foregoing, and there has not occurred any event which
(whether with or without notice, lapse of time or the happening or occurrence
of any other event) would constitute such a material default.
Section 3.14. Other Agreements; No Default.
(a) Except non-material Agreements allowing the installation, maintenance or
operation of the Company's or its Subsidiaries' fiber optic network on, over,
under or across a specific parcel of real property, Sections 3.04, 3.13 and
3.14(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule list each Agreement (other than
Agreements solely between the Company and its wholly owned Subsidiaries) to
which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any
Subsidiary, or any of their respective Assets, is bound, and which is:
(i) an Agreement with a term in excess of two (2) years or requiring
payments in excess of $100,000 in any twelve (12) month period or $100,000
in the aggregate over its term for the employment of any director, officer,
employee, consultant or independent contractor, or providing for severance
payments to any such director, officer, employee, consultant or independent
contractor;
(ii) a license Agreement or distributor, dealer, sales representative,
sales agency, advertising, property management or brokerage Agreement
involving an annual payment in excess of $100,000;
(iii) an Agreement with any labor organization or other collective
bargaining unit;
(iv) an Agreement for the future purchase of materials, supplies,
services, merchandise or equipment involving payments of more than $100,000
over its remaining term (including, without limitation, periods covered by
any option to renew by any party);
(v) an Agreement for the purchase, sale or lease of any Asset with a
purchase or sale price or aggregate rental payment in excess of $100,000;
(vi) a profit-sharing, bonus, incentive compensation, deferred
compensation, stock option, severance pay, stock purchase, employee
benefit, insurance, hospitalization, pension, retirement or other similar
plan or Agreement;
(vii) an Agreement for the sale of any of its Assets or services or the
grant of any preferential rights to purchase any of its Assets, services or
rights, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(viii) an Agreement that contains any provisions requiring the Company or
any Subsidiary to indemnify any other party;
(ix) a joint venture Agreement or other Agreement involving the sharing
of revenues or profits;
(x) an Agreement with an Affiliate (as defined in Article X) of the
Company or any Subsidiary;
(xi) an Agreement (including, without limitation, an Agreement not to
compete and an exclusivity Agreement) that reasonably could be interpreted
to impose any restriction on the business or operations of the Company or
any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Affiliates, prior to the
Effective Time, or on the business or operations of Acquiror or any of its
Affiliates after the Effective Time;
(xii) an Agreement material to the Company and its Subsidiaries not
otherwise described in this Section 3.14(a) which by its terms does not
terminate or is not terminable by the Company or by a Subsidiary within
thirty (30) days or upon thirty (30) days' (or less) notice;
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(xiii) an Agreement with any Governmental Entity the loss or cancellation
of which would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect;
(xiv) an Agreement with any of the twenty (20) largest customers of the
Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (based on amounts billed),
for each of (A) the year ended December 31, 1997 and (B) the period from
January 1, 1998 through the date of this Merger Agreement;
(xv) a material Agreement to provide any customer with free service or
service at rates departing from the standard rate schedules of the System
(as defined in Article X);
(xvi) an Agreement with any incumbent local exchange carrier involving an
aggregate payment in excess of $100,000; or
(xvii) any other Agreement (A) that is material to the Company and the
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or the conduct of their businesses or
operations, or (B) the absence of which would have a Company Material
Adverse Effect,
(the foregoing Agreements referred to herein as the "Company Contracts"). The
Company has furnished Acquiror with access to true and complete copies of each
Company Contract (including any amendments thereto).
(b) Each Company Contract is in full force and effect and constitutes a
legal, valid and binding obligation of, and, to the Company's knowledge, is
legally enforceable in all material respects against the respective parties
thereto. All necessary approvals of any Governmental Entity with respect
thereto have been obtained (except where the failure so to obtain any such
approval would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect), all material
filings or registrations therefor have been made, and there are no outstanding
material disputes thereunder and, to the knowledge of the Company or any
Subsidiary, no threatened cancellation or termination thereof. The Company and
the Subsidiaries have performed all material obligations thereunder required
to be performed by any of them to date. To the knowledge of the Company and
the Subsidiaries, no party is in default in any material respect under any of
the Company Contracts, and there has not occurred any event which (whether
with or without notice, lapse of time or the happening or occurrence of any
other event) would constitute such a material default. No Agreement has been
canceled or otherwise terminated within the twelve (12) months prior to the
date of this Merger Agreement that would have been a "Company Contract" had
such Agreement not been canceled or terminated and the cancellation or
termination of which has had or is reasonably likely to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect. Except as specifically described in Section 3.14(a)
of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there has been no material written or oral
modification or amendment to any Company Contract and, to the Company's
knowledge, there are no reasonably expected changes to any Company Contract.
Section 3.15. Labor Relations.
There are no collective bargaining or other labor union Agreements to which
the Company or any Subsidiary is a party. There are no strikes, work
stoppages, union organization efforts or other controversies (other than
grievance proceedings) pending, to the Company's knowledge, threatened or
reasonably anticipated between the Company or any Subsidiary and (a) any
current or former employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary (other than
disputes with sales employees not in excess of $3,000 in the aggregate per
such employee) or (b) any union or other collective bargaining unit
representing such employees. The Company and the Subsidiaries have complied
and are in compliance with all Laws relating to employment or the workplace,
including, without limitation, Laws relating to wages, hours, collective
bargaining, safety and health, work authorization, equal employment
opportunity, immigration, withholding, unemployment compensation, worker's
compensation, employee privacy and right to know, except where the failure so
to comply would have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in
Section 3.15(b) of the Company Disclosure
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Schedule, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has been notified by any
Governmental Agency or counsel to any claimant of any unresolved violation or
alleged violation of any Law relating to equal employment opportunity, civil
or human rights, or employment discrimination generally. Except as set forth
in Section 3.15(c) to the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no collective
bargaining Agreements, employment Agreements between the Company or any
Subsidiary and any of their respective employees, or professional service
Agreements not terminable at will relating to the businesses and Assets of the
Company or of any Subsidiary. Except as set forth in Section 3.15(d) to the
Company Disclosure Schedule, the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby will not cause Acquiror, the Surviving Corporation, the Company or any
Subsidiary to incur or suffer any liability relating to, or obligation to pay,
severance, termination or other payments to any Person under any Agreement.
Section 3.16. Pension and Benefit Plans.
(a) Except as set forth in Section 3.16(a) to the Company Disclosure
Schedule, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) maintains or during the
past six (6) years has maintained any Plan (as defined in Article X) or Other
Arrangement (as defined in Article X), (ii) is or during the past six (6)
years has been a party to any Plan or Other Arrangement, or (iii) has
obligations under any Plan or Other Arrangement.
(b) The Company has furnished to Acquiror true and complete copies of each
of the following Documents: (i) the Documents setting forth the terms of each
Plan; (ii) all related trust Agreements or annuity Agreements (and any other
funding Document) for each Plan; (iii) for the three (3) most recent plan
years, all annual reports (Form 5500 series) on each Plan that have been filed
with any Governmental Entity; (iv) the current summary plan description and
subsequent summaries of material modifications for each Title I Plan (as
defined in Article X); (v) all DOL (as defined in Article X) opinions on any
Plan; (vi) all correspondence with the PBGC (as defined in Article X) on any
Plan exchanged during the past three (3) years; (vii) all IRS (as defined in
Article X) rulings, opinions or technical advice relating to any Plan and the
current IRS determination letter issued with respect to each Qualified Plan
(as defined in Article X); and (viii) all current Agreements with service
providers or fiduciaries for providing services on behalf of any Plan. For
each Other Arrangement, the Company has furnished to Acquiror true and
complete copies of each policy, Agreement or other Document setting forth or
explaining the current terms of the Other Arrangement, all related trust
Agreements or other funding Documents (including, without limitation,
insurance contracts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, etc.),
all significant employee communications, all correspondence with or other
submissions to any Governmental Entity, and all current Agreements with
service providers or fiduciaries for providing services on behalf of any Other
Arrangement.
(c) No Plan is a Multiemployer Plan (as defined in Article X).
(d) No Plan is an ESOP (as defined in Article X).
(e) No Plan is a Minimum-Funding Plan (as defined in Article X).
(f) Section 3.16(g) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth the
contributions that (i) the Company or any Subsidiary has promised or is
otherwise obligated to make under each Individual Account Plan that is a
Statutory-Waiver Plan (as defined in Article X) and (ii) are unpaid as of the
date of this Merger Agreement.
(g) The Company and the Subsidiaries have made all contributions and other
payments required by and due under the terms of each Plan and Other
Arrangement or have accrued such payments and contributions on the Company's
Financial Statements as of December 31, 1998. Neither the Company nor any of
its Subsidiaries has taken any action (other than actions required by Law)
relating to any
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Plan or Other Arrangement that will materially increase Acquiror's, the
Surviving Corporation's, the Company's or any Subsidiary's obligation under
any Plan or Other Arrangement above the level of expense incurred for the year
ended December 31, 1997.
(h) Section 3.16(i) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a list of
all Qualified Plans (as defined in Article X). All Qualified Plans and any
related trust Agreements or annuity Agreements (or any other funding Document)
comply and have complied with ERISA, the Code (including, without limitation,
the requirements for Tax qualification described in Section 401 thereof), and
all other Laws, except where the failure so to comply would not have a Company
Material Adverse Effect. The trusts established under such Plans are exempt
from federal income taxes under Section 501(a) of the Code. The Company and
the Subsidiaries have received determination letters issued by the IRS with
respect to each Qualified Plan, and the Company has furnished to Acquiror true
and complete copies of all such determination letters and all correspondence
relating to the applications therefor. All statements made by or on behalf of
the Company or any Subsidiary to the IRS in connection with applications for
determinations with respect to each Qualified Plan were true and complete in
all material respects when made and continue to be true and complete in all
material respects. To the knowledge of the Company and the Subsidiaries,
nothing has occurred since the date of the most recent applicable
determination letter that would adversely affect the tax-qualified status of
any Qualified Plan.
(i) To their knowledge, the Company and the Subsidiaries have complied in
all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Code, ERISA, the
National Labor Relations Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the
Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and all other Laws pertaining to the Plans,
Other Arrangements and other employee or employment related benefits, and all
premiums and assessments relating to all Plans or Other Arrangements. There
are no investigations by any Governmental Entity, termination proceedings or
other claims (except claims for benefits payable in the normal operation of
the Plans and Other Arrangements), suits or proceedings pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, threatened or anticipated, against or involving any
Plan or Other Arrangement or asserting any rights or claims to benefits under
any Plan or Other Arrangement that would reasonably be expected to give rise
to any material liability on the part of the Company or the Subsidiaries.
Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any pending claims or lawsuits
before any court, arbiter or Governmental Entity arising under any Law
governing any Plan (except claims for benefits payable in the normal operation
of the Plan and Other Arrangements), and to the knowledge of the Company and
the Subsidiaries there exist no facts that would reasonably be likely to give
rise to such a claim.
(j) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor any of the Plans has engaged
in violation of Section 406(a) or 406(b) of ERISA for which no exemption
exists under Section 408 of ERISA and all "prohibited transactions" (as such
term is defined in Section 4975(c)(1) of the Code), for which no exemption
exists under Section 4975(c)(2) or 4975(d) of the Code which would result in a
material liability to the Company and the Subsidiaries. The Company has
furnished to Acquiror true and complete copies of each request for a
prohibited transaction exemption and each exemption obtained in response to
such request. All such requests were true and complete when made and continue
to be true and complete.
(k) Except as set forth in Section 3.16(n) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, no Plan or Other Arrangement, individually or collectively, provides
for any payment by the Company or any Subsidiary to any employee or
independent contractor that is not deductible under Section 162(a)(1) or 404
of the Code or that is an "excess parachute payment" pursuant to Section 280G
of the Code.
(l) No Plan is a "qualified foreign plan" (as such term is defined in
Section 404A(e) of the Code), and no Plan is subject to the Laws of any
jurisdiction other than the United States of America or one of its political
subdivisions.
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(m) No Plan is a funded Welfare Plan (as defined in Article X) that provide
benefits to current or former employees of the Company or any Subsidiary, or
to their beneficiaries.
(n) No Plan provides or promises post-retirement medical, life insurance or
other benefits now or in the future to current, former or retired employees of
the Company or any Subsidiary except as required by applicable federal and
state continuation law, and (ii) identifies the method of funding (including,
without limitation, any individual accounting) for all such benefits.
(o) All Welfare Plans and the related trusts that are subject to Section
4980B(f) of the Code and Sections 601 through 607 of ERISA comply in all
material respects with and have been administered in material compliance with
the health care continuation-coverage requirements under Section 4980B(f) of
the Code, Sections 601 through 607 of ERISA, and all proposed or final
regulations under Section 162 of the Code explaining those requirements.
(p) The Company and the Subsidiaries have (i) filed or caused to be filed
all returns and reports on the Plans that they are required to file, and (ii)
paid or made adequate provision for all fees, interest, penalties, assessments
or deficiencies that have become due pursuant to those returns or reports or
pursuant to any assessment or adjustment that has been made relating to those
returns or reports. All other fees, interest, penalties and assessments that
are due and payable by or for the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to
any Plan have been timely reported, fully paid and discharged. There are no
unpaid fees, penalties, interest or assessments due from the Company or any
Subsidiary or from any other Person that are or could become an Encumbrance on
any Asset of the Company or any Subsidiary or could otherwise have a Company
Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Subsidiaries have collected or
withheld all amounts that are required to be collected or withheld by them to
discharge their obligations with respect to each Plan, and all of those
amounts have been paid to the appropriate Governmental Entity or set aside in
appropriate accounts for future payment when due.
Section 3.17. Taxes and Tax Matters.
(a) The Company and the Subsidiaries have (or, in the case of Company Tax
Returns (as defined in Article X) becoming due after the date hereof and
before the Effective Time, will have prior to the Effective Time) duly filed
all Company Tax Returns required to be filed by the Company and the
Subsidiaries at or before the Effective Time with respect to all applicable
material Taxes. No material penalties or other charges are or will become due
with respect to any such Company Tax Returns as the result of the late filing
thereof. All such Company Tax Returns are (or, in the case of returns becoming
due after the date hereof and before the Effective Time, will be) true and
complete in all material respects. The Company and the Subsidiaries: (i) have
paid all Taxes due in connection with any such Company Tax Returns; or (ii)
have established (or, in the case of amounts becoming due after the date
hereof, prior to the Effective Time will have paid or established) in the
Financial Statements adequate reserves (in conformity with GAAP consistently
applied) for the payment of such Taxes. The amounts set up as reserves for
Taxes in the Financial Statements are sufficient for the payment of all unpaid
Taxes, whether or not such Taxes are disputed or are yet due and payable, for
or with respect to the applicable period, and for which the Company or any
Subsidiary may be liable in its own right (including, without limitation, by
reason of being a member of the same affiliated group) or as a transferee of
the Assets of, or successor to, any Person.
(b) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, either in its own right
(including, without limitation, by reason of being a member of the same
affiliated group) or as a transferee, has or at the Effective Time will have
any liability for Taxes payable for or with respect to any periods prior to
and including the Effective Time in excess of the amounts actually paid prior
to the Effective Time or reserved for in the Financial Statements, except for
any Taxes due in connection with the Merger or incurred in the Ordinary Course
of Business subsequent to the date of the latest Financial Statement.
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(c) Except as set forth in Section 3.17(c) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, there is no action, suit, proceeding, audit, investigation or claim
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened in
respect of any Taxes for which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become
liable, nor has any deficiency or claim for any such Taxes been proposed,
asserted or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
Except as set forth in Section 3.17(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule,
neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has consented to any waivers or
extensions of any statute of limitations with respect to any taxable year of
the Company or any Subsidiary. Except as set forth in Section 3.17(c) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, there is no Agreement, waiver or consent
providing for an extension of time with respect to the assessment or
collection of any Taxes against the Company or any Subsidiary, and no power of
attorney granted by the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to any Tax
matters is currently in force.
(d) The Company has made available to Acquiror true and complete copies of
all Company Tax Returns and all material written communications with any
Governmental Entity relating to any such Company Tax Returns or to any
deficiency or claim proposed or asserted, irrespective of the outcome of such
matter, but only to the extent such items relate to Tax years (i) which are
subject to an audit, investigation, examination or other proceeding, or (ii)
with respect to which the statute of limitations has not expired.
(e) Except as set forth in Section 3.17(e) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is or has ever been a
partner in a partnership or an owner of an interest in an entity treated as a
partnership for federal income Tax purposes; (ii) has executed or filed with
the IRS any consent to have the provisions of Section 341(f) of the Code apply
to it; (iii) is subject to Section 999 of the Code; (iv) is a passive foreign
investment company as defined in Section 1296(a) of the Code; or (v) is a
party to an Agreement relating to the sharing, allocation or payment of, or
indemnity for, Taxes (other than an Agreement the only parties to which are
the Company and the Subsidiaries).
(f) The Company has complied in all material respects with all rules and
regulations relating to the withholding of Taxes.
Section 3.18. Customers.
To the knowledge of the Company and the Subsidiaries, the relationships of
the Company and the Subsidiaries with their customers are generally good
commercial working relationships. Except as set forth in Section 3.18 of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, during the twelve (12) months prior to the date
of this Merger Agreement, no customer of the Company or any Subsidiary which
accounted for in excess of $120,000 of the revenues of the Company and the
Subsidiaries during such twelve (12) months has canceled or otherwise
terminated its relationship with the Company or any Subsidiary and except to
the extent of events described in Section 9.13(a).
Section 3.19. Certain Business Practices.
Neither the Company, the Subsidiaries nor any of their officers, directors
or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any of their employees
or agents (or stockholders, distributors, representatives or other persons
acting on the express, implied or apparent authority of the Company or of any
Subsidiary) have paid, given or received or have offered or promised to pay,
give or receive, any bribe or other unlawful payment of money or other thing
of value, any unlawful discount, or any other unlawful inducement, to or from
any Person or Governmental Entity in the United States or elsewhere in
connection with or in furtherance of the business of the Company or any
Subsidiary (including, without limitation, any offer, payment or promise to
pay money or other thing of value (a) to any foreign official or political
party (or official thereof) for the purposes of influencing any act, decision
or omission in order to assist the Company or any Subsidiary in obtaining
business for or with,
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or directing business to, any Person, or (b) to any Person, while knowing that
all or a portion of such money or other thing of value will be offered, given
or promised to any such official or party for such purposes). The business of
the Company and the Subsidiaries is not in any manner dependent upon the
making or receipt of such payments, discounts or other inducements.
Section 3.20. Insurance.
Section 3.20 of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists and briefly describes
all policies of title, Asset, fire, hazard, casualty, liability, life,
worker's compensation and other forms of insurance of any kind owned or held
by the Company or any Subsidiary. All such policies: (a) are with insurance
companies reasonably believed by the Company to be financially sound and
reputable; (b) are in full force and effect; (c) are sufficient for compliance
by the Company and by each Subsidiary with all requirements of Law and of all
Agreements to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party; (d) are valid
and outstanding policies enforceable against the insurer; (e) insure against
risks of the kind customarily insured against and in amounts customarily
carried by companies similarly situated and by companies engaged in similar
businesses and owning similar Assets; and (f) provide that they have the
policy expiration dates as set forth in Section 3.20 of the Company Disclosure
Schedule.
Section 3.21. Potential Conflicts of Interest.
Except as set forth in Section 3.21 of the Company Disclosure Schedule,
neither any present or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary,
former director, officer, employee with a salary in excess of $60,000, or
stockholder of the Company or any Subsidiary who beneficially owns more than
5% of the capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary, nor any Affiliate of
such director, officer, employee or stockholder:
(a) owns, directly or indirectly, any interest in (except for holdings in
securities that are listed on a national securities exchange, quoted on a
national automated quotation system or regularly traded in the over-the-
counter market, where such holdings are not in excess of two percent (2%)
of the outstanding class of such securities and are held solely for
investment purposes), or is a stockholder, partner, other holder of equity
interests, director, officer, employee, consultant or agent of, any Person
that is a lessor, lessee or customer of, or supplier of goods or services
to, the Company or any Subsidiary, except where the value to such
individual of any such arrangement with the Company or any Subsidiary has
been less than $60,000 in the last twelve (12) months;
(b) owns, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, any Assets with a
fair market value of $60,000 or more which the Company or any Subsidiary
currently uses in its business;
(c) has any cause of action or other suit, action or claim whatsoever
against, or owes any amount to, the Company or any Subsidiary, except for
claims arising in the Ordinary Course of Business from any such Person's
service to the Company or any Subsidiary as a director, officer or
employee;
(d) has sold or leased to, or purchased or leased from, the Company or
any Subsidiary any Assets for consideration in excess of $60,000 in the
aggregate since the inception of the Company;
(e) is a party to any Agreement pursuant to which the Company or any
Subsidiary provides office space to any such Person, or provides services
of any nature to any such Person, other than in the Ordinary Course of
Business in connection with the employment of such Person by the Company or
any Subsidiary; or
(f) has, since the inception of the Company, engaged in any other
material transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary involving in excess
of $60,000, other than (i) in the Ordinary Course of Business in connection
with the employment of such Person by the Company or any Subsidiary, (ii)
dividends, distributions and stock issuances to all common and preferred
stockholders (as applicable) on a pro rata basis and (iii) as set forth in
Section 3.04 of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
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Section 3.22. Receivables.
The accounts receivable of the Company and the Subsidiaries shown on the
Audited Balance Sheet and the Unaudited Balance Sheets, or thereafter acquired
by any of them, have been collected or are collectible in amounts not less
than the amounts thereof carried on the books of the Company and the
Subsidiaries, without right of recourse, defense, deduction, counterclaim,
offset or setoff on the part of the obligor, and can reasonably be expected to
be collected within ninety (90) days of the date incurred, except to the
extent of the allowance for doubtful accounts shown on such Audited Balance
Sheet and Unaudited Balance Sheets and except to the extent of events
described in Section 9.13(a).
Section 3.23. Real Property.
(a) Section 3.23(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists all the Real
Property (as defined in Article X), specifying the owner of each parcel
thereof, and all such Real Property is suitable and adequate for the uses for
which it is currently being used.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 3.23(b) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, the Company and the Subsidiaries are the sole owners of good, valid,
fee simple, marketable and insurable (at standard rates) title to the Real
Property respectively owned by them, including, without limitation, all
buildings, structures, fixtures and improvements thereon and all equipment,
machinery and personal property therein, in each case free and clear of all
Encumbrances, except for Permitted Encumbrances.
(c) All material buildings, structures, fixtures and other improvements on
the Real Property are in reasonable repair, free of known defects and are fit
for the uses to which they are currently devoted. All such buildings,
structures, fixtures and improvements on the Real Property conform to all
Laws, except for any such non-conformance that would not have a Company
Material Adverse Effect. The buildings, structures, fixtures and improvements
on each parcel of the Real Property lie entirely within the boundaries of such
parcel of the Real Property, and no structures of any kind encroach on the
Real Property, except as may be disclosed on an accurate ALTA Land Title
Survey, and except where the failure of any such buildings, structures,
fixtures and improvements on each parcel of Real Property to lie entirely
within the boundaries of such parcel of the Real Property or the encroachment
of any such structure on the Real Property would not have a Company Material
Adverse Effect.
(d) To the knowledge of the Company and the Subsidiaries, none of the Real
Property is subject to any Agreement or other restriction of any nature
whatsoever (recorded or unrecorded), other than Permitted Encumbrances,
preventing or limiting the Company's or any Subsidiary's right to convey or to
use it.
(e) No portion of the Real Property or any material building, structure,
fixture or improvement thereon is the subject of, or affected by, any
condemnation, eminent domain or inverse condemnation proceeding currently
instituted or pending, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any
knowledge that any of the foregoing are, or will be, the subject of, or
affected by, any such proceeding.
(f) The Real Property has reasonable access to adequate electric, gas,
water, sewer and telephone lines, all of which are adequate for the uses to
which the Real Property is currently devoted.
Section 3.24. Books and Records.
The books of account, stock records, minute books and other corporate and
financial records of the Company are complete and correct in all material
respects and have been maintained in accordance with reasonable business
practices for companies similar to the Company, and the matters contained
therein are appropriately and accurately reflected in all material respects in
the Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP.
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Section 3.25. Assets.
Except as set forth in Section 3.25 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the
Company and the Subsidiaries have good, valid and marketable title to all
material Assets respectively owned by them, including, without limitation, all
material Assets reflected in the Audited Balance Sheet and in the Unaudited
Balance Sheets and all material Assets purchased by the Company or by any
Subsidiary since December 31, 1997 (except for Assets reflected in such
Audited Balance Sheet and Unaudited Balance Sheets or acquired since December
31, 1997 which have been sold or otherwise disposed of in the Ordinary Course
of Business), free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted
Encumbrances. All personal property of the Company and the Subsidiaries is in
good operating condition and repair and is suitable and adequate for the uses
for which it is intended or is being used. All Inventory (as defined in
Article X) of the Company and the Subsidiaries (i) consists of items which are
good and merchantable and of a quality and quantity presently usable and
salable in the Ordinary Course of Business and (ii) have been reflected in the
Financial Statements at the lower of cost or market, in accordance with GAAP,
and include no obsolete or discontinued items, except to the extent reserved
against in the Financial Statements.
Section 3.26. No Infringement or Contest.
(a) Section 3.26(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies and
describes each item of Intellectual Property (as defined in Article X) (i)
owned by the Company or a Subsidiary, (ii) owned by any third party and used
by the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to license, sublicense or other
Agreement, or (iii) otherwise used by the Company or any Subsidiary and not
otherwise generally used by Persons similarly situated (including, in each
case, specification of whether each such item is owned, licensed or used by
the Company or any Subsidiary) in the case of each of the foregoing clauses
(i), (ii) or (iii), the absence of which would have a Company Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) With respect to each item of Intellectual Property listed in Section
3.26(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule that is owned by the Company or any
Subsidiary, such Intellectual Property can be used by the Company and the
Subsidiaries in their respective businesses as presently conducted by them,
free and clear of any material restrictions, Encumbrances (other than
Permitted Encumbrances) and royalties on such use, and the Company and the
Subsidiaries have the right to bring action for infringement of such
Intellectual Property. With respect to the Intellectual Property listed in
Section 3.26(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule that is used by the Company
or a Subsidiary pursuant to license, sublicense or other Agreement, such
Intellectual Property has been licensed on an arm's-length basis and can be
used by the Company and the Subsidiaries in their respective businesses as
currently conducted by them in accordance with the terms and conditions of
such licenses, sublicenses or other Agreements. With respect to each item of
Intellectual Property listed in Section 3.26(a) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule that is otherwise used by the Company or any Subsidiary, such
Intellectual Property can be used by the Company and the Subsidiaries in their
respective businesses as presently conducted by them, free and clear of any
material restrictions, Encumbrances (other than Permitted Encumbrances) and
royalties on such use. Each item of Intellectual Property owned or used by the
Company or any Subsidiary immediately prior to the Closing will be owned or
available for use by the Company or such Subsidiary on identical terms and
conditions identified in all material respects immediately after the Closing.
(c) As used in the businesses of the Company and the Subsidiaries as
conducted in the past and as currently conducted, to the knowledge of the
Company, none of the Intellectual Property listed in Section 3.26(a) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule has at any time infringed or misappropriated or
otherwise violated, or is likely to infringe, misappropriate or violate, any
Intellectual Property of any other Person, nor is the Company or any
Subsidiary otherwise in the conduct of their respective businesses infringing
upon, or alleged to be infringing upon, any Intellectual Property of any other
Person. There are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any
Subsidiary, threatened
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claims against the Company or any Subsidiary alleging that the conduct of the
Company's or any Subsidiary's business infringes or conflicts with any
Intellectual Property rights of others. To the knowledge of the Company or any
Subsidiary, there is no Intellectual Property of another Person which
infringes, misappropriates or violates any of the Intellectual Property listed
in Section 3.26(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
(d) The Company and the Subsidiaries own or have the right to use pursuant
to a valid license, sublicense or other Agreement all Intellectual Property
that is material in the operation of the businesses of the Company and the
Subsidiaries as currently conducted and as currently proposed to be conducted.
Section 3.27. Intentionally Deleted.
Section 3.28. Board Recommendation.
The Board of Directors of the Company has adopted, in compliance with
Delaware Law, a resolution approving and adopting this Merger Agreement and
the transactions contemplated hereby and recommending approval and adoption of
this Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company
Stockholders.
Section 3.29. Vote Required.
The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power
attributable to the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company
Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a class, is the only vote of the
holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Company necessary to
approve the transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement.
Section 3.30. Banks; Attorneys-in-fact.
Section 3.30 of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete list
showing the name of each bank or other financial institution in which the
Company or any Subsidiary has accounts (including a description of the names
of all Persons authorized to draw thereon or to have access thereto). Such
list also shows the name of each Person holding a power of attorney from the
Company or any Subsidiary and a brief description thereof.
Section 3.31. Intentionally Deleted.
Section 3.32. Brokers.
No broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage,
finder's or other fee or commission in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Merger Agreement based upon arrangements made by or on
behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective Affiliates.
Section 3.33. Environmental Matters.
(a) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries have complied and are in
compliance with, and the Real Property and any real property that is leased by
the Company or any Subsidiary and all improvements thereon are in compliance
with, all Environmental Laws (as defined in Article X), except where the
failure so to comply would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(b) To the knowledge of the Company and the Subsidiaries, neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has any liability under any Environmental Law, nor
is the Company or any Subsidiary
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responsible for any liability of any other Person under any Environmental Law.
Except as set forth in Section 3.33(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule,
there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary,
threatened actions, suits, claims, legal proceedings or other proceedings
based on, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, has received any formal
or informal notice of any complaint, order, directive, citation, notice of
responsibility, notice of potential responsibility, or information request
from any Governmental Entity or any other Person since January 1, 1993 (or
prior thereto with respect to any such complaint, order, directive, citation,
notice of responsibility, notice of potential responsibility, or information
request which has not been finally resolved) or knows any fact(s) which might
reasonably be expected to form the basis for any such actions or notices
arising out of or attributable to: (i) the current or past presence at any
part of the Real Property or any real property that is leased by the Company
or any Subsidiary of Hazardous Materials (as defined in Article X) or any
substances that pose a hazard to human health or an impediment to working
conditions; (ii) the current or past release or threatened release into the
environment from the Real Property or any real property that is leased by the
Company or any Subsidiary (including, without limitation, into any storm
drain, sewer, septic system or publicly owned treatment works) of any
Hazardous Materials or any substances that pose a hazard to human health or an
impediment to working conditions; (iii) the off-site disposal of Hazardous
Materials originating on or from the Real Property or any real property that
is leased by the Company or any Subsidiary or the businesses or Assets of the
Company or any Subsidiary; (iv) any facility operations, procedures or designs
of the Company or any Subsidiary which do not conform to requirements of the
Environmental Laws; or (v) any violation of Environmental Laws at any part of
the Real Property or any real property that is leased by the Company or any
Subsidiary or otherwise arising from the Company's or any Subsidiary's
activities (or the activities of the Company's or any Subsidiary's
predecessors in title) involving Hazardous Materials.
(c) The Company and the Subsidiaries have been duly issued, and currently
have and will maintain through the Effective Time, all Licenses required under
any Environmental Law. A true and complete list of all such Licenses the
absence of which would have a Company Material Adverse Effect is set out in
Section 3.33(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. All Licenses listed in
Section 3.33(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule are valid and in full force
and effect. Except in accordance with such Licenses, as described in Section
3.33(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule or as otherwise permitted by Law,
there has been no Hazardous Discharge (as defined in Article X) or discharge
of any other material regulated by such Licenses. Except as disclosed in
Section 3.33(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, to the knowledge of the
Company and the Subsidiaries no such Licenses are non-transferable or which
require consent, notification or other action to remain in full force and
effect following consummation of the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated hereby.
(d) Except as set forth in Section 3.33(d) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, neither the Real Property nor any real property that is leased by
the Company or any Subsidiary contains any underground improvements, including
but not limited to treatment or storage tanks, or underground piping
associated with such tanks, used currently or in the past for the storage,
throughput or other management of Hazardous Materials, and no portion of the
Real Property or any real property that is leased by the Company or any
Subsidiary is or has been used as a dump or landfill or consists of or
contains filled in land or wetlands.
Section 3.34. Disclosure.
(a) None of the information supplied by the Company expressly for inclusion
(and so included or relied on for information included) in (i) the
Registration Statement (as defined in Section 6.01(a)) and (ii) the Proxy
Statement (as defined in Section 6.01(a)), at the respective times that (w)
the Registration Statement is filed with the SEC, (x) the Registration
Statement becomes effective, (y) the Proxy Statement is mailed, and (z) any
meeting of stockholders (and any adjournment thereof) is held to consider, or
written consents are effective with respect to approval of, the transactions
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contemplated by this Merger Agreement, shall contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are
made, not misleading.
(b) No representation or warranty contained in this Merger Agreement or the
Company Disclosure Schedule (giving full effect to the concepts and
qualifications of materiality and knowledge contained therein and not with the
intention or effect of eliminating or limiting such concepts and
qualifications in any way), and no other agreements, documents, certificates,
instruments or other information furnished or to be furnished, or made
available or to be made available to Acquiror by the Company pursuant to this
Merger Agreement or otherwise in connection herewith or with the transactions
contemplated hereby, contains or will contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omits or will omit to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements contained therein, in light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading; provided however, that this
representation shall not apply to the matters specifically covered by any
other representation or warranty in this Merger Agreement, it being the intent
of the parties that this sentence not be applied so as to broaden the scope of
those representations and warranties. As of the date of this Merger Agreement,
the Company believes that the Company has a reasonable likelihood of attaining
the results of its business plan as set forth in the Confidential Information
Memorandum (relating to certain senior credit facilities) dated December 1998,
as furnished to Acquiror, based upon the assumptions used in the preparation
of such business plan (which assumptions the Company believes to be
reasonable).
Section 3.35. Directors, Officers and Affiliates.
Section 3.35 of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists all current directors
and officers of the Company and the Subsidiaries, showing each such person's
name, positions, and annual remuneration, bonuses and fringe benefits paid by
the Company or any Subsidiary for the current fiscal year and the most
recently completed fiscal year.
Section 3.36. Copies of Documents.
True and complete copies of all agreements, documents, certificates or other
instruments listed in the Company Disclosure Schedule have been made available
to Acquiror prior to the execution of this Merger Agreement.
Section 3.37. Condition and Operation of the System.
(a) Section 3.37(a)(1) of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a
description of the size and capacity of the System (as defined in Article X)
(including, as of December 31, 1998, the percentage of the System capacity
that was activated and in operation and the percentage of the System capacity
that was unactivated and in reserve). The system coverage map which
constitutes an integral part of the Company Disclosure Schedule has previously
been made available to Acquiror. The System and all major component parts
(including but not limited to transmission towers, microwave facilities, fiber
optic cables and switches) are in compliance in all material respects with all
applicable build-out requirements, are in good operating condition and repair
ordinary wear and tear excepted, and are suitable, adequate and fit for the
uses for which they are intended and are being used, as the case may be. Since
January 1, 1998, there have been no material complaints with respect to the
Company's or any Subsidiary's performance under Agreements with customers that
have not been substantially corrected, and there have been no material System
outages. The System and the Assets of the Company and the Subsidiaries meet
the technical standards, if any, of the FCC and the FAA and the technical
specifications of the Company Licenses, and do not violate any applicable
Laws, engineering standards or building, fire, zoning, health and safety or
other Laws in any material respect.
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(b) Section 3.37(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth:
(i) information with respect to System services offered and rates charged
for initiation and provision of System services that is complete and
accurate in all material respects;
(ii) the rate of customer churn for each of (A) the year ended December
31, 1997 and (B) the period from January 1, 1998 through November 30, 1998;
(iii) the amount of fraud loss for each of (A) the year ended December
31, 1997 to the extent such amount exceeded $100,000 and (B) the period
from January 1, 1998 through November 30, 1998 to the extent such amount
exceeded $100,000;
(iv) a list of all independent marketing or selling agents for each month
during the period from January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998,
indicating the volume of sales generated by such agents;
(v) any complaints received by the Company or any Subsidiary regarding
"slamming" or "cramming" (as such term are understood in the telephone
industry) by the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective
employees, resellers, agents or representatives;
(vi) a list and description of all material easements for the
installation, use and repair of fiber optic cable used by the System;
(vii) a list of all FCC Licenses held by the Company or any Subsidiary;
(viii) all material filings by the Company or any Subsidiary with the FCC
since January 1, 1996; and
(ix) a list of any proceedings (other than proceedings of general
applicability) before the FCC, a state utility commission, or other
regulatory body that are reasonably likely to result in (A) adjustments in
and/or refunds of material amounts in the past charged to or paid to third
parties by the Company or any Subsidiary, or (B) adjustments in amounts
otherwise in the future to be charged to or paid to third parties by the
Company or any Subsidiary, in each case including but not limited to
amounts related to universal service, access charges, service rates charged
to customers, franchise fees, or any other revenues or expenses subject to
regulatory oversight.
(c) To the knowledge of the Company, the easements required to be disclosed
pursuant to Section 3.37(b)(vi) above (i) are valid, binding, enforceable and
sufficient for the purposes for which they are used as of the date hereof and
(ii) will be valid, binding, enforceable and sufficient for the such purposes
immediately following the Effective Time without the consent or approval of
any Person.
Section 3.38. Reorganization.
To the knowledge of the Company, neither it nor any of the Subsidiaries has
taken any action or failed to take any action that would jeopardize the
qualification of the Merger as a reorganization within the meaning of Section
368(a) or Section 368(a)(2)(D) of the Code.
Section 3.39. State Takeover Statutes; Certain Charter Provisions.
The Board of Directors of the Company has, to the extent such statutes are
applicable, taken all action (including appropriate approvals of the Board of
Directors of the Company) necessary to exempt the Company, the Subsidiaries
and affiliates, the Merger, this Merger Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby from Section 203 of Delaware Law. To the
knowledge of the Company, no other state takeover statutes or charter or bylaw
provisions are applicable to the Merger or this Merger Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.
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Section 3.40. Year 2000 Review.
(a) The Company and the Subsidiaries will not, to the Company's knowledge,
be materially adversely affected by (i) any failure of the Company's and the
Subsidiaries' computer hardware, software, firmware or embedded chip
technology to be Year 2000 Compliant (as defined in Article X); or (ii) the
cost and/or disruption to normal activities caused by work to be carried out
to ensure such computer hardware, software or embedded chip technology is Year
2000 Compliant.
(b) The Company and the Subsidiaries are currently reviewing their
information technology ("IT") and non-IT computer systems and programs to
determine which are not capable of recognizing the Year 2000 and to verify
system readiness for the millennium date (the "Company Year 2000 Review"). The
Company Year 2000 Review covers all of the Company's and the Subsidiaries'
material operations and is centrally managed.
(c) All of the information related to the Company Year 2000 Review disclosed
in any of the Company's filings with any Governmental Entity was to the
Company's knowledge accurate and complete in all material respects as of the
date the filing was made with such Governmental Entity.
Section 3.41. Affiliate Agreements.
In accordance with Section 6.13, the executive officers, directors and
certain Company Stockholders specified in Section 3.41 of the Company
Disclosure Schedule ("Company Affiliates") have indicated to the Company that
they intend to execute and deliver to Acquiror affiliate agreements in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the "Affiliate
Agreements") and each such Affiliate Agreement, when so executed and
delivered, will, to the knowledge of the Company, constitute a legal, valid
and binding obligation of the respective Company Affiliate who is a party
thereto, enforceable against such Company Affiliate in accordance with its
terms. Except for the Principal Company Stockholders, John F. Wade and Peter
H. O. Claudy, there are no affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof as
that term is used in SEC Rule 145.
ARTICLE IIIA REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PRINCIPAL COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS
Section 3A.01. Principal Company Stockholders That Are Entities.
To induce Acquiror to enter into this Merger Agreement, each Principal
Company Stockholder that is an entity, severally and not jointly, represents
and warrants to Acquiror on its own behalf and only with respect to itself as
of the date hereof and as of the Effective Date that:
(a) The execution and delivery by such Principal Company Stockholder of
this Merger Agreement, the execution and delivery by such Principal Company
Stockholder of all other agreements, documents, certificates or other
instruments contemplated hereby, and the consummation by such Principal
Company Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership or
limited liability company action, and no other corporate, partnership or
limited liability company proceedings on the part of such Principal Company
Stockholder are necessary to authorize such Principal Company Stockholder
to execute this Merger Agreement and the other agreements, documents,
certificates or other instruments contemplated hereby, or to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, other than the approval and
adoption of this Merger Agreement by a majority of the voting power
attributable to the outstanding Company Common Stock and Company Series A
Preferred Stock, voting together as a class, in accordance with Delaware
Law and the Company's articles of incorporation and bylaws.
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(b) This Merger Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such
Principal Company Stockholder and constitutes a legal, valid and binding
obligation of such Principal Company Stockholder, enforceable in accordance
with its terms, except as such enforceability may be subject to the effects
of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance,
reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws affecting creditors' rights
generally and subject to the effects of general equitable principles
(whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(c) All of the shares of Company Capital Stock beneficially owned by such
Principal Company Stockholder are set forth on Section 3.04 of the Company
Disclosure Schedule, all of which shares are owned by such Principal
Company Stockholder free and clear of all Encumbrances other than
Encumbrances arising under applicable securities Laws and other than
Encumbrances that will be released at or prior to the Effective Time.
Section 3A.02. Principal Company Stockholders That Are Individuals.
To induce Acquiror to enter into this Merger Agreement, each Principal
Company Stockholder who is an individual, severally and not jointly,
represents and warrants to Acquiror on his own behalf and only with respect to
himself as of the date hereof and as of the Effective Date that:
(a) Such Principal Company Stockholder has the legal capacity and all
other necessary power and authority necessary to execute and deliver this
Merger Agreement, to execute and deliver all other agreements, documents,
certificates or other instruments contemplated hereby, and to consummate
the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.
(b) This Merger Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such
Principal Company Stockholder and constitutes a legal, valid and binding
obligation of such Principal Company Stockholder, enforceable in accordance
with its terms, except as such enforceability may be subject to the effects
of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance,
reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws affecting creditors' rights
generally and subject to the effects of general equitable principles
(whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(c) All of the shares of Company Capital Stock beneficially owned by such
Principal Company Stockholder are set forth on Section 3.04 of the Company
Disclosure Schedule, all of which shares are owned by such Principal
Company Stockholder free and clear of all Encumbrances other than
Encumbrances arising under applicable securities Laws and other than
Encumbrances that will be released at or prior to the Effective Time.
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
OF ACQUIROR AND ACQUIROR SUB
Except as specifically set forth in the Disclosure Schedule delivered by
Acquiror and Acquiror Sub to the Company prior to the execution and delivery
of this Merger Agreement (the "Acquiror Disclosure Schedule") (with (i) a
disclosure with respect to a Section of this Merger Agreement to require a
specific reference in the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule to the Section of this
Merger Agreement to which each such disclosure applies, (ii) no disclosure to
be deemed to apply with respect to any Section to which it does not expressly
refer and (iii) Acquiror and Acquiror Sub having the right to cross-reference
the sections of the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule as appropriate with respect
to disclosures that are reasonably related), Acquiror and Acquiror Sub hereby
jointly and severally represent and warrant (which representation and warranty
shall be deemed to include the disclosures with respect thereto so specified
in the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule) to, and agrees with, the Company as
follows, in each case as of the date of this Merger Agreement, unless
otherwise specifically set forth herein or in the Acquiror Disclosure
Schedule:
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Section 4.01. Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
Each of Acquiror, Acquiror Sub and Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries (as
defined in Article X) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or
organization, and has the full and unrestricted corporate power and authority
to own, operate and lease its Assets, and to carry on its business as
currently conducted. Each of Acquiror, Acquiror Sub and Acquiror's Significant
Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business as a foreign corporation
and is in good standing in the states, countries and territories in which the
nature of the business conducted by it or the character of the Assets owned,
leased or otherwise held by it makes such qualification necessary, except
where the absence of such qualification as a foreign corporation would not
have an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect (as defined in Article X).
Section 4.02. Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.
Acquiror has furnished to the Company a true and complete copy of the
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Acquiror and the
certificate of incorporation of Acquiror Sub, as currently in effect,
certified as of a recent date by the Secretary of State (or comparable
Governmental Entity) of their respective jurisdictions of incorporation, and a
true and complete copy of the Amended and Restated Bylaws of Acquiror and the
bylaws of Acquiror Sub, as currently in effect, certified by their respective
corporate secretaries. Such certified copies are attached as exhibits to, and
constitute an integral part of, the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule.
Section 4.03. Authority; Binding Obligation.
Each of Acquiror and Acquiror Sub has the full and unrestricted corporate
power and authority to execute and deliver this Merger Agreement and to carry
out the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery by
Acquiror and Acquiror Sub of this Merger Agreement and all other agreements,
documents, certificates or other instruments contemplated hereby, and the
consummation by Acquiror and Acquiror Sub of the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of Acquiror or Acquiror
Sub are necessary to authorize this Merger Agreement and the other agreements,
documents, certificates or other instruments contemplated hereby, or to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. This Merger
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Acquiror and Acquiror Sub
and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of Acquiror and Acquiror
Sub, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability
may be subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency
fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws affecting
creditors' rights generally and subject to the effect of general equitable
principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); provided,
however, that the Merger will not become effective until Articles of Merger
reflecting the Merger are filed with the office of the Secretary of State of
Delaware.
Section 4.04. No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents.
(a) The execution, delivery and performance by Acquiror and Acquiror Sub of
this Merger Agreement and all other agreements, documents, certificates or
other instruments contemplated hereby, the fulfillment of and compliance with
the respective terms and provisions hereof and thereof, and the consummation
by Acquiror and Acquiror Sub of the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby, do not and will not: (i) conflict with, or violate any provision of,
the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Amended and
Restated Bylaws of Acquiror, or the certificate or articles of incorporation
or bylaws of Acquiror Sub or any of Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries; or
(ii) subject to obtaining the consents, approvals, authorizations and permits
of, and making filings with or notifications to, the applicable Governmental
Entity pursuant to the applicable requirements, if any, of the Securities Act,
the Exchange Act, Blue Sky Laws, the HSR Act, the Communications Act, the
Federal Aviation Act, applicable state utility Laws and applicable municipal
franchise Laws, and the
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filing and recordation of the Articles of Merger as required by Delaware Law,
conflict with or violate any Law applicable to Acquiror, Acquiror Sub or any
of Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries, or any of their respective Assets;
(iii) conflict with, result in any breach of, constitute a default (or an
event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under
any Agreement to which Acquiror, Acquiror Sub or any of Acquiror's Significant
Subsidiaries is a party or by which Acquiror, Acquiror Sub or any of
Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries, or any of their respective Assets, may be
bound; or (iv) result in or require the creation or imposition of, or result
in the acceleration of, any indebtedness or any Encumbrance of any nature
upon, or with respect to, Acquiror, Acquiror Sub or any of Acquiror's
Significant Subsidiaries or any of the Assets of Acquiror, Acquiror Sub or any
of Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries; except for any such conflict or
violation described in clause (ii), any such conflict, breach or default
described in clause (iii), or any such creation, imposition or acceleration
described in clause (iv) that would not have an Acquiror Material Adverse
Effect and that would not prevent Acquiror or Acquiror Sub from consummating
the Merger on a timely basis.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 4.04(b) of the Acquiror Disclosure
Schedule, the execution, delivery and performance by Acquiror and Acquiror Sub
of this Merger Agreement and all other agreements, documents, certificates or
other instruments contemplated hereby, the fulfillment of and compliance with
the respective terms and provisions hereof and thereof, and the consummation
by Acquiror and Acquiror Sub of the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby, do not and will not: (i) require any consent, approval, authorization
or permit of, or filing with or notification to, any Person not party to this
Merger Agreement, except (A) pursuant to the applicable requirements, if any,
of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, Blue Sky Laws, the HSR Act, the
Communications Act, the Federal Aviation Act, applicable state utility Laws
and applicable municipal franchise Laws and Laws of other Governmental
Entities, (B) the filing and recordation of the Articles of Merger as required
by Delaware Law and (C) where the failure to obtain any consent, approval,
authorization or permit or to make any filing or notification otherwise
required to be disclosed hereunder would not have an Acquiror Material Adverse
Effect; or (ii) result in or give rise to any penalty, forfeiture, Agreement
termination, right of termination, amendment or cancellation, or restriction
on business operations of Acquiror, the Surviving Corporation or any of
Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries that would have an Acquiror Material
Adverse Effect.
Section 4.05. No Prior Activities of Acquiror Sub.
Acquiror Sub was formed solely for the purpose of engaging in the
transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement and has engaged in no other
business activities and has conducted its operations only as contemplated
hereby.
Section 4.06. Brokers.
No broker or finder or investment banker (other than Salomon Smith Barney
Inc., the fees of which shall be solely the responsibility of Acquiror) is
entitled to any brokerage, finder's or other fee or commission in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement based upon
arrangements made by or on behalf of Acquiror or any of its Affiliates.
Section 4.07. SEC Documents.
Acquiror has filed all required reports, schedules, forms, statements and
other documents with the SEC (as defined in Article X) since January 1, 1997
(including the Acquiror Post-Signing SEC Documents (as defined in Section
6.10), the "Acquiror SEC Documents"). As of their respective dates, the
Acquiror SEC Documents complied or, in the case of the Acquiror Post-Signing
SEC Documents, will comply as to form in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case
may be, and none of the Acquiror SEC Documents contained or, in the case of
the Acquiror Post-Signing SEC Documents, will contain, any untrue statement of
a
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material fact or omitted or, in the case of the Acquiror Post-Signing SEC
Documents, will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The consolidated
financial statements of Acquiror included in the Acquiror SEC Documents comply
or, in the case of the Acquiror Post-Signing SEC Documents, will comply as to
form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the
published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto, have been or,
in the case of the Acquiror Post-Signing SEC Documents, will have been
prepared in accordance with GAAP (except, in the case of unaudited statements,
for the lack of normal year-end adjustments, the absence of footnotes and as
permitted by Form 10-Q of the SEC) applied on a consistent basis during the
periods subject thereto (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto) and
fairly present the consolidated financial position of Acquiror and its
consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the consolidated results
of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case
of unaudited statements, to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of
footnotes). Except as disclosed in the Acquiror SEC Documents, as required by
GAAP or as required by any Governmental Entity, Acquiror has not, since
December 31, 1997, made any change in accounting practices or policies applied
in the preparation of financial statements.
Section 4.08. Acquiror Common Stock.
The Acquiror Common Stock to be issued and delivered to the Company
Stockholders pursuant to the Merger has been duly authorized and, when issued
in the Merger in accordance with this Merger Agreement, will be validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable and will have been approved for listing
subject to official notice of issuance by The Nasdaq Stock Market's National
Market System.
Section 4.09. Capitalization.
The authorized capital stock of Acquiror consists of (a) 250,000,000 shares
of Acquiror Common Stock, of which, as of January 5, 1999: (i) 63,545,925
shares were issued and outstanding, all of which were duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable; (ii) no shares were held in the treasury
of Acquiror; (iii) 12,278,323 shares were reserved for issuance pursuant to
outstanding options to purchase Acquiror Common Stock granted to employees and
certain other Persons; (iv) 245,536 shares were reserved for issuance pursuant
to a Stock Option Agreement dated August 21, 1998 between Acquiror and QST
Enterprises, Inc.; (v) 10,414 shares were reserved for issuance pursuant to a
Stock Option Agreement dated November 25, 1998 between Acquiror, Inlet, Inc.
and certain shareholders of Inlet, Inc.; (vi) 917,398 shares were reserved for
issuance pursuant to the McLeodUSA Incorporated Employee Stock Purchase Plan;
and (vii) 961,920 shares were reserved for issuance pursuant to the McLeodUSA
Incorporated 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan; (b) 22,000,000 shares of Class B
common stock, par value $.01 per share ("Acquiror Class B Common Stock"), of
which, as of January 5, 1999: (i) no shares were issued and outstanding; (ii)
no shares were held in the treasury of Acquiror; and (iii) 1,300,688 shares
were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding options to purchase
Acquiror Class B Common Stock granted to a significant stockholder of
Acquiror; and (c) 2,000,000 shares of serial preferred stock, par value $.01
per share, of which: (i) no shares are issued and outstanding; and (ii) no
shares are held in the treasury of Acquiror. Except for the options set forth
in clauses (a)(iii), (a)(iv), (a)(v), (a)(vi) and (b)(iii) above and as set
forth in Section 4.09(a) of the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule, as of January 5,
1999, there were no outstanding securities convertible into or exchangeable
for capital stock or any other securities of Acquiror, or any capital stock or
other securities of any of Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries and no
outstanding options, rights (preemptive or otherwise), or warrants to purchase
or to subscribe for any shares of such capital stock or other securities of
Acquiror or any of Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in
Section 4.09(b) of the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule and except for Agreements
relating to the options specified in clauses (a)(iii), (a)(iv), (a)(v),
(a)(vi) and (b)(iii) above, there are no outstanding Agreements to which
Acquiror or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party affecting or
relating to the voting, issuance, purchase, redemption, registration,
repurchase or transfer of capital stock or any other
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securities of Acquiror, or any capital stock or other securities of any of
Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries, except as contemplated hereunder. Each of
the outstanding shares of Acquiror Common Stock, and of capital stock of, or
other equity interests in, Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries was issued in
compliance with all applicable federal and state Laws concerning the issuance
of securities, and, except as set forth in Section 4.09(d) of the Acquiror
Disclosure Schedule, such shares or other equity interests owned by Acquiror
or any of its Significant Subsidiaries are owned free and clear of all
Encumbrances. There are no obligations, contingent or otherwise, of Acquiror
or any of its Significant Subsidiaries to provide funds to, make any
investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in, or
provide any guarantee with respect to, any of Acquiror's Significant
Subsidiaries or any other Person. Except as set forth in Section 4.09(e) of
the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule, there are no Agreements pursuant to which
any Person (other than Acquiror or Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries) is or
may be entitled to receive any of the revenues or earnings, or any payment
based thereon or calculated in accordance therewith, of Acquiror or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries. No vote of the stockholders of Acquiror is required
in connection with the consummation of the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated hereby. Acquiror is the legal and beneficial owner of all of
Acquiror Sub's outstanding capital stock.
Section 4.10. Reorganization.
To the knowledge of Acquiror, neither Acquiror, Acquiror Sub nor any of
Acquiror's Significant Subsidiaries has taken any action or failed to take any
action that would jeopardize the qualification of the Merger as a
reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) or Section 368(a)(2)(D) of
the Code.
Section 4.11. Compliance.
Neither Acquiror nor Acquiror Sub is aware of any fact or circumstance
related to them that could reasonably be expected to cause the filing of any
objection to any application for any Governmental consent required hereunder,
lead to any delay in processing such application, or require any waiver of any
Governmental rule, policy or other applicable Law.
Section 4.12. Disclosure.
(a) None of the information supplied by Acquiror or Acquiror Sub expressly
for inclusion (and so included or relied on for information included) in (i)
the Registration Statement and (ii) the Proxy Statement, at the respective
times that (w) the Registration Statement is filed with the SEC, (x) the
Registration Statement becomes effective, (y) the Proxy Statement is mailed,
and (z) any meeting of stockholders (and any adjournment thereof) is held to
consider, or written consents are effective with respect to approval of, the
transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement, shall contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they are made, not misleading.
(b) No representation or warranty contained in this Merger Agreement or the
Acquiror Disclosure Schedule (giving full effect to the concepts and
qualifications of materiality and knowledge contained therein and not with the
intention or effect of eliminating or limiting such concepts and
qualifications in any way), and no other agreements, documents, certificates,
instruments or other information furnished or to be furnished, or made
available or to be made available to the Company by Acquiror or Acquiror Sub
pursuant to this Merger Agreement or otherwise in connection herewith or with
the transactions contemplated hereby, contains or will contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omits or will omit to state any material fact
necessary in order to make the statements contained therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided however,
that this representation shall not apply to the matters specifically covered
by any other representation or warranty in this Merger Agreement, it being the
intent of the parties that this sentence not be applied so as to broaden the
scope of those representations and warranties.
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ARTICLE V
COVENANTS RELATING TO CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
Section 5.01. Conduct of Business of the Company.
The Company hereby covenants and agrees that, from the date of this Merger
Agreement until the Effective Time, the Company, unless otherwise expressly
contemplated by this Merger Agreement or consented to in writing by Acquiror,
will, and will cause the Subsidiaries to, carry on their respective businesses
only in the Ordinary Course of Business or as contemplated by the Company's
1999 capital budget, a copy of which was previously furnished to Acquiror or
in the Confidential Offering Memorandum (relating to certain senior credit
facilities) dated December 1998, use their respective reasonable best efforts
to preserve intact their business organizations and Assets, maintain their
rights and franchises, retain the services of their officers and employees and
maintain their relationships with customers, suppliers, licensors, licensees
and others having business dealings with them, and use their respective
reasonable best efforts to keep in full force and effect liability insurance
and bonds comparable in amount and scope of coverage to that currently
maintained. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as
otherwise consented to in writing by Acquiror or orally by Stephen C. Grey, J.
Lyle Patrick or John Wray or as otherwise expressly contemplated by this
Merger Agreement or as contemplated by the Company's 1999 capital budget, a
copy of which was previously furnished to Acquiror or in the Confidential
Offering Memorandum (relating to certain senior credit facilities) dated
December 1998, from the date of this Merger Agreement until the Effective Time
the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of the Subsidiaries to:
(a) (i) increase in any manner the compensation or fringe benefits of, or
pay any bonus to, any director, officer or employee, except for increases
or bonuses in the Ordinary Course of Business to employees who are not
directors or officers and except pursuant to existing arrangements
previously disclosed to or approved in writing by Acquiror; (ii) grant any
severance or termination pay (other than pursuant to the normal severance
practices or existing Agreements of the Company or any Subsidiary in effect
on the date of this Merger Agreement as described in Section 5.01(a)(ii) of
the Company Disclosure Schedule) to, or enter into any severance Agreement
with, any director, officer or employee, or enter into any employment
Agreement with any director, officer or employee; (iii) establish, adopt,
enter into or amend any Plan or Other Arrangement, except as may be
required to comply with applicable Law; (iv) pay any benefit not provided
for under any Plan or Other Arrangement; (v) grant any awards under any
bonus, incentive, performance or other compensation plan or arrangement or
Plan or Other Arrangement (including the grant of stock options, stock
appreciation rights, stock-based or stock-related awards, performance units
or restricted stock, or the removal of existing restrictions in any Plan or
Other Arrangement or Agreement or awards made thereunder), except for
grants in the Ordinary Course of Business or as required under the
Agreements set forth in Section 5.01(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, or (vi) take any action to fund or in any other way secure the
payment of compensation or benefits under any Agreement, except as required
under the Agreements set forth in Section 5.01(a)(ii) of the Company
Disclosure Schedule;
(b) declare, set aside or pay any dividend on, or make any other
distribution in respect of, outstanding shares of capital stock other than
capital stock repurchased from departing employees in the Ordinary Course
of Business;
(c) (i) redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of capital stock
of the Company or any Subsidiary or any securities or obligations
convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of capital stock of the
Company or any Subsidiary, or any options, warrants or conversion or other
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rights to acquire any shares of capital stock of the Company or any
Subsidiary or any such securities or obligations, or any other securities
thereof, other than redemption and purchases from departing employees in
the Ordinary Course of Business; (ii) effect any reorganization or
recapitalization; or (iii) split, combine or reclassify any of its capital
stock or issue or authorize or propose the issuance of any other securities
in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for, shares of its capital
stock;
(d) except upon the exercise of Company Stock Options in accordance with
their terms, issue, deliver, award, grant or sell, or authorize the
issuance, delivery, award, grant or sale (including the grant of any
limitations in voting rights or other Encumbrances) of, any shares of any
class of its capital stock (including shares held in treasury), any
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any such
shares, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire, any such shares, or
amend or otherwise modify the terms of any such rights, warrants or options
the effect of which shall be to make such terms more favorable to the
holders thereof;
(e) except as contemplated by Agreements which have been identified in
Section 3.14(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, acquire or agree to
acquire, by merging or consolidating with, by purchasing an equity interest
in or a portion of the Assets of, or by any other manner, any business or
any corporation, partnership, association or other business organization or
division thereof, or otherwise acquire or agree to acquire any Assets of
any other Person (other than the purchase of assets from suppliers or
vendors in the Ordinary Course of Business);
(f) sell, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise
subject to any Encumbrance or dispose of, or agree to sell, lease,
exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise subject to any
Encumbrance or dispose of, any of its Assets, except for sales,
dispositions or transfers in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(g) adopt any amendments to its articles or certificate of incorporation,
bylaws or other comparable charter or organizational documents;
(h) make or rescind any express or deemed election relating to Taxes,
settle or compromise any claim, action, suit, litigation, proceeding,
arbitration, investigation, audit or controversy relating to Taxes, or
change any of its methods of reporting income or deductions for federal
income tax purposes from those employed in the preparation of the federal
income tax returns for the taxable year ended December 31, 1997, except in
either case as may be required by Law, the IRS or GAAP;
(i) make or agree to make any new capital expenditures which are not
included in the Company's 1999 capital budget, a copy of which was
furnished to Acquiror, it being understood that the Company shall provide
prior notice to Acquiror of any expenditures which are individually in
excess of $1,000,000;
(j) (i) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such
indebtedness of another Person, issue or sell any debt securities or
warrants or other rights to acquire any debt securities of the Company or
any Subsidiary, guarantee any debt securities of another Person, enter into
any "keep well" or other Agreement to maintain any financial statement
condition of another Person or enter into any Agreement having the economic
effect of any of the foregoing, except for borrowings incurred in the
Ordinary Course of Business, or (ii) make any loans, advances or capital
contributions to, or investments in, any other Person other than intra-
group loans, advances, capital contributions or investments between or
among the Company and any of its wholly owned Subsidiaries other than in
the Ordinary Course of Business;
(k) except for costs incurred by the Company in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement but only to the extent
such costs are deducted pursuant to the calculation of Merger Consideration
in Article II hereof, pay, discharge, settle or satisfy
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any claims, liabilities or obligations (whether absolute or contingent,
matured or unmatured, known or unknown), other than the payment, discharge
or satisfaction, in the Ordinary Course of Business or in accordance with
their terms, of liabilities reflected or reserved against in, or
contemplated by, the most recent Financial Statement or incurred in the
Ordinary Course of Business, or waive any material benefits of, or agree to
modify in any material respect, any confidentiality, standstill or similar
Agreements to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party;
(l) except in the Ordinary Course of Business, waive, release or assign
any rights or claims, or modify, amend or terminate any Agreement to which
the Company or any Subsidiary is a party;
(m) make any change in any method of accounting or accounting practice or
policy other than those required by GAAP or a Governmental Entity;
(n) take any action or fail to take any action that would have a Company
Material Adverse Effect prior to or after the Effective Time or an Acquiror
Material Adverse Effect after the Effective Time, or that would adversely
affect the ability of the Company or any Subsidiary prior to the Effective
Time, or Acquiror or any of its subsidiaries after the Effective Time, to
obtain consents of third parties or approvals of Governmental Entities
required to consummate the transactions contemplated in this Merger
Agreement; or
(o) authorize, or commit or agree to do any of the foregoing.
Section 5.02. Other Actions.
The Company and Acquiror shall not, and shall not permit any of their
respective Affiliates to, take any action that would, or that could reasonably
be expected to, result in (a) any of the representations and warranties of
such party set forth in this Merger Agreement becoming untrue, or (b) any of
the conditions to the Merger set forth in Article VII not being satisfied.
Section 5.03. Certain Tax Matters.
From the date hereof until the Effective Time, the Company and the
Subsidiaries (a) will prepare and timely file with the relevant Taxing
authority all Company Tax Returns ("Post-Signing Returns") required to be
filed, which Post-Signing Returns shall be accurate in all material respects,
or permitted extensions with respect thereto, (b) will timely pay all Taxes
due and payable with respect to such Post-Signing Returns, (c) will pay or
otherwise make adequate provision for all Taxes payable by the Company and the
Subsidiaries for which no Post-Signing Return is due prior to the Effective
Time, and (d) will promptly notify Acquiror of any action, suit, proceeding,
claim or audit pending against or with respect to the Company or any
Subsidiary in respect of any Taxes.
Section 5.04. Access and Information.
For so long as this Merger Agreement is in effect, the Company shall, and
shall cause each Subsidiary to, (a) afford to Acquiror and its officers,
employees, accountants, consultants, legal counsel and other representatives
reasonable access during normal business hours, subject to reasonable advance
notice, to all of their respective properties, Agreements, books, records and
personnel and (b) furnish promptly to Acquiror (i) a copy of each agreement,
document, certificate or other instrument filed with, or received from any
Governmental Entity and (ii) all other information concerning their respective
businesses, operations, prospects, conditions (financial or otherwise),
Assets, liabilities and personnel as Acquiror may reasonably request.
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Section 5.05. No Solicitation.
(a) The Company shall, and shall cause its directors, officers, employees,
representatives, agents and Subsidiaries and their respective directors,
officers, employees, representatives and agents to, and the Principal Company
Stockholders shall, and shall cause their respective representatives and
agents to, immediately cease any discussions or negotiations with any Person
that may be ongoing with respect to a Competing Transaction (as defined in
this Section 5.05(a)). While this Merger Agreement is in effect, the Company
shall not, and shall cause the Subsidiaries not to, and the Principal Company
Stockholders shall not, initiate, solicit or encourage (including by way of
furnishing information or assistance), or take any other action to facilitate,
any inquiries or the making of any proposal that constitutes, or may
reasonably be expected to lead to, any Competing Transaction, or enter into
discussions or furnish any information or negotiate with any Person or
otherwise cooperate in any way in furtherance of such inquiries or to obtain a
Competing Transaction, or agree to or endorse any Competing Transaction, or
authorize any of the directors, officers, employees, agents or representatives
of the Company or any Subsidiary to take any such action, and the Company
shall, and shall cause the Subsidiaries to, direct and instruct and use its or
their reasonable best efforts to cause the directors, officers, employees,
agents and representatives of the Company and the Subsidiaries (including,
without limitation, any investment banker, financial advisor, attorney or
accountant retained by the Company or any Subsidiary) not to take any such
action, and the Company or the applicable Principal Company Stockholders shall
promptly notify Acquiror if any such inquiries or proposals are received by
the Company, any Subsidiary, or such Principal Company Stockholders or any of
its or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, investment
bankers, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants or other representatives,
and the Company or the applicable Principal Company Stockholders shall
promptly inform Acquiror as to the material terms of such inquiry or proposal
and, if in writing, promptly deliver or cause to be delivered to Acquiror a
copy of such inquiry or proposal, and the Company or the applicable Principal
Company Stockholders shall keep Acquiror informed, on a current basis, of the
nature of any such inquiries and the status and terms of any such proposals.
For purposes of this Merger Agreement, "Competing Transaction" shall mean any
of the following involving the Company or the Subsidiaries (other than the
transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement): (i) any merger,
consolidation, share exchange, business combination, or other similar
transaction; (ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or
other disposition of ten percent (10%) or more of the Assets of the Company
and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or issuance of ten percent (10%) or
more of the outstanding voting securities of the Company or any Subsidiary in
a single transaction or series of transactions; (iii) any tender offer or
exchange offer for ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding shares of
capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary or the filing of a registration
statement under the Securities Act in connection therewith; (iv) any
solicitation of proxies in opposition to approval by the Company Stockholders
of the Merger; (v) any Person shall have acquired beneficial ownership or the
right to acquire beneficial ownership of, or any "group" (as such term is
defined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) shall have been formed after
the date of this Merger Agreement which beneficially owns or has the right to
acquire beneficial ownership of, ten percent (10%) or more of the then
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary; or (vi)
any Agreement to, or public announcement by the Company or any other Person of
a proposal, plan or intention to, do any of the foregoing.
(b) Neither the Board of Directors of the Company nor any committee thereof
nor any Principal Company Stockholder shall (i) withdraw or modify, or propose
to withdraw or modify, in a manner adverse to Acquiror or Acquiror Sub, the
approval or recommendation by such Board of Directors or any such committee or
Principal Company Stockholder of this Merger Agreement or the Merger, (ii)
approve or recommend, or propose to approve or recommend, any Competing
Transaction or (iii) enter into any Agreement with respect to any Competing
Transaction.
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ARTICLE VI
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
Section 6.01. Registration Statement; Proxy Statement.
(a) As promptly as practicable after the execution of this Merger Agreement,
Acquiror shall prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement on Form
S-4 (such registration statement, together with the amendments thereto being
the "Registration Statement"), containing a proxy statement/prospectus, in
connection with the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of
Acquiror Common Stock issuable pursuant to Section 2.01, the vote or consent
of the Company Stockholders with respect to the Merger (such proxy
statement/prospectus, together with any amendments thereof or supplements
thereto, in each case in the form or forms delivered to the Company
Stockholders, being the "Proxy Statement") and the other transactions
contemplated by this Merger Agreement. Acquiror agrees to provide the Company
with an opportunity to review and comment on the Registration Statement and
the Proxy Statement before filing. Acquiror agrees promptly to provide the
Company with copies of all correspondence from and all responsive
correspondence to the SEC regarding the Registration Statement and Proxy
Statement. Acquiror agrees promptly to notify the Company of all stop orders
or threatened stop orders of which it becomes aware with respect to the
Registration Statement. Each of Acquiror and the Company will use all
reasonable best efforts to have or cause the Registration Statement to become
effective as promptly as practicable, and shall take any action required to be
taken under any applicable federal or state securities Laws in connection with
the issuance of shares of Acquiror Common Stock in the Merger. Each of
Acquiror and the Company shall furnish all information concerning it and the
holders of its capital stock as the other may reasonably request in connection
with such actions. As promptly as practicable after the Registration Statement
shall have become effective, the Company shall mail or otherwise deliver the
Proxy Statement to its stockholders, and the Company shall comply with the
proxy solicitation rules and regulations under the Exchange Act in connection
with the solicitation of such stockholders. The Proxy Statement shall include
the recommendation of the Company's Board of Directors to the Company
Stockholders to vote for or consent to the approval of this Merger Agreement
and the transactions contemplated hereby.
(b) The information supplied by the Company for inclusion in the
Registration Statement shall not, at the time the Registration Statement is
declared effective, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein not misleading. The information supplied by the
Company for inclusion in the Proxy Statement to be sent to the Company
Stockholders in connection with securing the vote or consent of the Company
Stockholders to consider the Merger shall not, at the date the Proxy Statement
(or any amendment thereof or supplement hereto) is first delivered to
stockholders, at the time the vote or consent is secured or at the Effective
Time, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are
made, not misleading. If at any time prior to the Effective Time any event or
circumstance relating to the Company or any of its affiliates, or its or their
respective officers or directors, should be discovered by the Company which
should be set forth in an amendment to the Registration Statement or a
supplement to the Proxy Statement, the Company shall promptly inform Acquiror.
All documents that the Company is responsible for filing with the SEC in
connection with the transactions contemplated herein will comply as to form
and substance in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the
Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and the Exchange Act
and the rules and regulations thereunder.
(c) The information supplied by Acquiror for inclusion in the Registration
Statement shall not, at the time the Registration Statement is declared
effective, contain any untrue statement of a material
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fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The
information supplied by Acquiror for inclusion in the Proxy Statement to be
sent to the Company Stockholders in connection with securing the vote or
consent shall not, at the date the Proxy Statement (or any amendment thereof
or supplement thereto) is first delivered to stockholders, at the time the
vote or consent is secured or at the Effective Time, contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. If at
any time prior to the Effective Time any event or circumstance relating to
Acquiror or any of its respective affiliates, or its or their respective
officers or directors, should be discovered by Acquiror which should be set
forth in an amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the
Proxy Statement, Acquiror shall promptly inform the Company. All documents
that Acquiror is responsible for filing with the SEC in connection with the
transactions contemplated herein will comply as to form and substance in all
material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and
the rules and regulations thereunder and the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
(d) The Company and Acquiror each hereby (i) consents to the use of its name
and, on behalf of its subsidiaries and affiliates, the names of such
subsidiaries and affiliates and to the inclusion of financial statements and
business information relating to such party and its subsidiaries and
affiliates (in each case, to the extent required by applicable securities
Laws) in any registration statement or proxy statement prepared by the Company
or Acquiror pursuant to this Merger Agreement; (ii) agrees to use its
reasonable best efforts to obtain the written consent of any Person retained
by it which may be required to be named (as an expert or otherwise) in such
registration statement or proxy statement; and (iii) agrees to cooperate, and
to use its reasonable best efforts to cause its subsidiaries and affiliates to
cooperate, with any legal counsel, investment banker, accountant or other
agent or representative retained by any of the parties specified in clause (i)
in connection with the preparation of any and all information required, as
determined after consultation with each party's counsel, to be disclosed by
applicable securities Laws in any such registration statement or proxy
statement.
Section 6.02. Stockholder Approval.
The Company shall promptly after the date of this Merger Agreement take all
action necessary in accordance with Delaware Law and its certificate of
incorporation and bylaws to secure the vote or consent of the Company
Stockholders required by Delaware Law to approve this Merger Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 6.03. Appropriate Action; Consents; Filings.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Merger
Agreement, the Company and Acquiror shall use their reasonable best efforts to
take, or cause to be taken, all appropriate action, and do, or cause to be
done, and to assist and cooperate with the other parties in doing all things
necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Law or otherwise to consummate
and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement as
promptly as practicable, including (i) executing and delivering any additional
instruments necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the transactions
contemplated by, and to carry out fully the purposes of, this Merger
Agreement, (ii) obtaining from any Governmental Entities any material Licenses
required to be obtained or made by Acquiror or the Company or any of their
subsidiaries in connection with the authorization, execution and delivery of
this Merger Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
herein, including, without limitation, the Merger, and (iii) making all
necessary filings, and thereafter making any other required submissions, with
respect to this Merger Agreement and the Merger required under (A) the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any other applicable federal or state
securities Laws, (B) the HSR Act and (C) any other applicable Law; provided
that Acquiror and the Company shall cooperate with each other in connection
with the
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making of all such filings, including providing copies of all such documents
to the non-filing party and its advisors prior to filing and discussing all
reasonable additions, deletions or changes suggested in connection therewith.
The Company and Acquiror shall furnish to each other all information required
for any application or other filing to be made pursuant to the rules and
regulations of any applicable Law in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Merger Agreement.
(b) (i) The Company and Acquiror shall give (or shall cause their respective
subsidiaries to give) any notices to third parties, and use, and cause their
respective subsidiaries to use, their reasonable best efforts to obtain any
third party consents, approvals or waivers (A) necessary, proper or advisable
to consummate the transactions contemplated in this Merger Agreement, (B)
disclosed or required to be disclosed in the Company Disclosure Schedule or
the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule, as the case may be, or (C) required to
prevent a Company Material Adverse Effect from occurring prior to or after the
Effective Time or an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect from occurring prior to
or after the Effective Time.
(ii) In the event that either the Company or Acquiror shall fail to
obtain any third party consent, approval or waiver described in subsection
(b)(i) above, such party shall use its reasonable best efforts, and shall
take any such actions reasonably requested by the other parties hereto, to
minimize any adverse effect upon the Company and Acquiror, their respective
subsidiaries, and their respective businesses resulting, or which could
reasonably be expected to result after the Effective Time, from the failure
to obtain such consent, approval or waiver.
(c) From the date of this Merger Agreement until the Effective Time, the
Company and Acquiror shall promptly notify each other in writing of any
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or Acquiror (or their respective
subsidiaries), threatened action, proceeding or investigation by any
Governmental Entity or any other Person (i) challenging or seeking damages in
connection with the Merger or the conversion of the Company Capital Stock into
the Merger Consideration pursuant to the Merger or (ii) seeking to restrain or
prohibit the consummation of the Merger or otherwise limit the right of
Acquiror or its subsidiaries to own or operate all or any portion of the
businesses or Assets of the Company or any Subsidiary. The Company and
Acquiror shall cooperate with each other in defending any such action,
proceeding or investigation, including seeking to have any stay or temporary
restraining order entered by any court or other Governmental Entity vacated or
reversed.
(d) Concurrently with the Closing, Acquiror shall infuse the Company with a
sufficient amount of cash necessary and otherwise cause the Company and the
Subsidiaries to pay and satisfy in full in cash by wire transfer of
immediately available funds all of the Company's and the Subsidiaries'
indebtedness for borrowed money to (i) AT&T Commercial Finance Corporation
("AT&T CFC") and (ii) Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership
and M/C Investors, L.L.C.
Section 6.04. Amendment to Stockholders' Agreement.
Acquiror shall use reasonable best efforts to amend the Stockholders'
Agreement promptly following the Closing to add those parties who are parties
to the Stockholders' Agreement, dated as of November 18, 1998, among such
Persons, IES Investments Inc., Acquiror, Clark E. McLeod, Mary E. McLeod and
Richard A. Lumpkin as parties to the Stockholders' Agreement for purposes of
Section 1 thereof and who are not parties to the Stockholders' Agreement.
Section 6.05. Update Disclosure; Breaches.
(a) From and after the date of this Merger Agreement until the Effective
Time, each party hereto shall promptly notify the other parties hereto by
written update to its Disclosure Schedule of (i) any representation or
warranty made by it in connection with this Merger Agreement becoming untrue
or inaccurate, (ii) the occurrence, or non-occurrence, of any event the
occurrence, or non-occurrence, of which would be likely to cause any condition
to the obligations of any party to effect the
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Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement not to
be satisfied, or (iii) the failure of the Company, Acquiror or Acquiror Sub,
as the case may be, to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or
agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it pursuant to this Merger
Agreement which would be likely to result in any condition to the obligations
of any party to effect the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by
this Merger Agreement not to be satisfied; provided, however, that subject to
Section 6.05(b), the delivery of any notice pursuant to this Section 6.05(a)
shall not cure any breach of any representation or warranty requiring
disclosure of such matter prior to the date of this Merger Agreement or
otherwise limit or affect the rights and remedies available hereunder to the
party receiving such notice.
(b) The Company shall be permitted to update, correct or otherwise modify
the contents of the Company Disclosure Schedule up to ten (10) days prior to
the Closing Date to reflect changes or corrections so long as the changes or
corrections do not disclose any information that would have a Company Material
Adverse Effect. The representations and warranties of the Company set forth in
Article III shall be deemed to include, retroactively to the date hereof, any
Company Disclosure Schedule updated or modified consistent with the
requirements of this Section 6.05(b).
Section 6.06. Public Announcements.
Acquiror, Acquiror Sub and the Company shall consult with each other before
issuing or making, and shall give each other the opportunity to review and
comment upon, any press release or other public statement with respect to the
Merger and the other transactions contemplated in this Merger Agreement, and
shall not issue any such press release or make any such public statement prior
to such consultation, except as may be required by Law or any listing
agreement with the NASD (as defined in Article X).
Section 6.07. Registration of Company Options.
Acquiror shall take all corporate action necessary to reserve for issuance a
sufficient number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock for delivery upon
exercise of the Company Stock Options assumed in accordance with Section 2.04.
Acquiror shall either (i) include such Company Stock Options on Acquiror's
registration statement or Form S-8 relating to Acquiror's 1996 Employee Stock
Option Plan or (ii) file a registration statement on Form S-8 (or any
successor form) or another appropriate form, effective as of the Effective
Time, with respect to shares of Acquiror Common Stock subject to such Company
Stock Options and shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the
effectiveness of such registration statement or registration statements (and
maintain the current status of the prospectus or prospectuses contained
therein) for so long as such Company Stock Options remain outstanding. With
respect to those individuals who subsequent to the Merger will be subject to
the reporting requirements under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, Acquiror
shall administer the Company Stock Options assumed pursuant to Section 2.04 in
a manner that complies with Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Section 6.08. Unaudited Financial Information.
The Company will cause to be prepared and will furnish to Acquiror as
promptly as possible an unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Company
and the Subsidiaries as of the last day of each month ending after November
30, 1998 and the related unaudited consolidated statements of income of the
Company and the Subsidiaries for the one-month period then ended. The Company
will ensure that such Unaudited Statements are complete and correct in all
material respects, have been prepared in accordance with the books and records
of the Company and the Subsidiaries, and present fairly the consolidated
financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries and their consolidated
results of operations and cash flows as of and for the respective dates and
time periods in accordance with GAAP applied on a basis consistent with prior
accounting periods, except as noted thereon and subject to the
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absence of footnotes and a statement of cash flows and normal and recurring
year-end adjustments which are not expected to be material in amount.
Section 6.09. Environmental Matters.
(a) The Company will promptly furnish to Acquiror written notice of any
Hazardous Discharge or of any actions or notices described in Section 3.33(b).
(b) The Company will permit Acquiror, in Acquiror's discretion and at
Acquiror's expense, to cause to be prepared a Phase I environmental report on
each parcel of the Real Property or any real property leased by the Company or
any Subsidiary (to the extent the Company or a Subsidiary has the right to
allow Acquiror to do the same) designated by Acquiror and, if recommended
under the Phase I environmental report and so requested by Acquiror, a Phase
II environmental report, in each case prepared by an environmental consultant
designated by Acquiror (the "Environmental Reports"). The Company shall
cooperate with, and provide such information or other assistance as may be
requested by, Acquiror or the environmental consultant designated by Acquiror
in connection with the preparation and completion of such Environmental
Reports. Acquiror shall cause all Environmental Reports (including drafts
thereof) to be provided to the Company promptly after their receipt by
Acquiror.
Section 6.10. Post-Signing SEC Documents.
Acquiror will file with the SEC all reports, schedules, forms, statements
and other documents required to be filed by it after the date of this Merger
Agreement but before the Effective Time (the "Acquiror Post-Signing SEC
Documents").
Section 6.11. Indemnification.
(a) After the Effective Time, subject to the terms and conditions set forth
in Sections 6.11 and 6.12, the Company Stockholders shall severally and not
jointly indemnify and hold harmless Acquiror, the Surviving Corporation and
their respective officers and directors, and each person, if any, who controls
or may control Acquiror or the Surviving Corporation within the meaning of the
Securities Act (all such persons hereinafter are referred to individually as
an "Indemnified Person" and collectively as "Indemnified Persons," but in no
event shall any stockholder of the Company be such an Indemnified Person),
from and against any and all losses, costs, damages, liabilities and expenses,
including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses, ("Damages") actually
suffered and arising out of the breach of the representations, warranties,
covenants and agreements given or made by the Company in this Merger
Agreement, in the Articles of Merger or in the Exhibits or Schedules hereto or
in any certificate or document delivered by or on behalf of the Company
pursuant hereto; provided however, that the maximum liability of the Company
Stockholders for indemnification under this Section 6.11 shall be limited to
$37,000,000; provided, further, that such limitation on the indemnification
obligations of the Company Stockholders shall not apply to any claim or claims
for indemnification to the extent such claim or claims are based on common law
fraud; provided, further, the Company Stockholders shall have no liability
under this Section 6.11(a) to the extent claims for Damages hereunder do not
exceed an aggregate of $1,750,000 and that if such Damages exceed an aggregate
of $1,750,000 then the indemnification provided for hereunder shall apply only
to Damages to the extent exceeding $1,750,000. It shall be a condition of the
right of each Indemnified Person to indemnification pursuant to this Section
6.11(a) that such Indemnified Person shall deliver to the Company Stockholder
from whom indemnification is sought a written claim for such indemnification,
setting forth in reasonable detail the basis therefor and setting forth the
amount of damages sought, on or prior to the date that the particular
representation, warranty, covenant or agreement for the breach of which the
indemnification is being sought, expires under the terms of this Merger
Agreement.
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(b) In addition to the indemnification provided by Company Stockholders as
set forth in Section 6.11(a), each Principal Company Stockholder shall
severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnified Persons
for Damages actually suffered and arising out of the breach of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements given or made by such
Principal Company Stockholder on its own behalf and only with respect to
itself or this Merger Agreement or in its Exhibits or Schedules thereto or in
any certificate or document delivered by or on behalf of such Principal
Company Stockholder pursuant hereto. No Principal Company Stockholder shall
have any liability for any breach of representation, warranty or covenant by
any other Principal Company Stockholder.
(c) Any payment to be made to an Indemnified Person by a Company Stockholder
or a Principal Company Stockholder under this Section 6.11 may be made in cash
or, in whole or in part, in Acquiror Common Stock having a value per share
equal to the average of the daily closing price, on The Nasdaq Stock Market's
National Market System as reported by Bloomberg, L.P., for the ten (10)
trading days immediately preceding the date of such payment.
(d) Except as set forth in Section 6.11(e), with respect to any Damages or
other amounts payable under this Merger Agreement, a Company Stockholder shall
be liable only for a fraction of such Damages or other amount, the numerator
of which is the number of shares of Company Common Stock (computed on a fully
diluted basis after giving pro forma effect to the exercise of all options,
warrants and rights to acquire Company Common Stock) held by such Company
Stockholder immediately prior to the Effective Time and the denominator of
which is equal to the aggregate number of shares of Company Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (computed on a fully
diluted basis and after giving pro forma effect to the exercise of all
options, warrants and rights to acquire Company Common Stock). After the
Effective Time, indemnification pursuant to this Section 6.11 shall be the
sole and exclusive remedy of Acquiror and the Surviving Corporation under or
in connection with this Merger Agreement or any of the transactions
contemplated herein.
(e) With respect to any Damages or other amounts payable under this Merger
Agreement by a Principal Company Stockholder under Section 6.11(b), the
indemnification provided with respect to a representation or warranty shall
apply to all Damages without regard to amount and there shall be no limitation
on the maximum liability for indemnification under Section 6.11(b).
Section 6.12. Procedures; Conditions of Indemnification.
With respect to any indemnification provided pursuant to this Merger
Agreement, the Indemnified Person agrees to give prompt written notice to the
Company Stockholder or Principal Company Stockholder, as the case may be, from
whom indemnification is sought of any claim or other assertion of liability by
third parties (hereinafter called collectively "Claims"), it being understood
that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the Indemnified Person's
right to indemnification and the indemnifying party's obligation to indemnify
as set forth in this Merger Agreement, unless the Company Stockholders' or
Principal Company Stockholders' rights with respect to such Claim are thereby
materially prejudiced.
The obligations and liabilities of the parties hereto with respect to their
respective indemnities pursuant to this Merger Agreement resulting from any
Claim shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
(a) The Company Stockholders or Principal Company Stockholders, as the
case may be, shall have the right to undertake, by counsel or other
representatives of their own choosing, the defense of such Claim.
(b) In the event that the Company Stockholders or Principal Company
Stockholders, as the case may be, shall elect not to undertake such
defense, or within a reasonable time after notice of
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any such Claim from the Indemnified Person shall fail to defend, the
Indemnified Person (upon further written notice to the Company Stockholders
or Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may be) shall have the right
to undertake the defense, compromise or settlement of such Claim, by
counsel or other representatives of its own choosing, on behalf of and for
the account and risk of the Company Stockholders or Principal Company
Stockholders, as the case may be (subject to the right of the Company
Stockholders or Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may be, to
assume defense of such Claim at any time prior to settlement, compromise or
final determination thereof); provided however, that no settlement or
compromise of such Claim shall be made without the written consent of the
Company Stockholders or Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may be,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
(c) Anything in this Section 6.12 to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) if
the Indemnified Person notifies the Company Stockholder or Principal
Company Stockholder, as the case may be, that the Indemnified Person has
concluded that a Claim may materially and adversely affect the Indemnified
Person other than as a result of money damages or other money payments, the
Indemnified Person shall have the right, at its own cost and expense, to
participate in the defense, compromise or settlement of the Claim, (ii) the
Company Stockholders or Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may be,
shall not, without the Indemnified Person's written consent, settle or
compromise any Claim or consent to entry of any judgment that does not
include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or the
plaintiff to the Indemnified Person of a release from all liability in
respect of such Claim, and (iii) in the event that the Company Stockholders
or Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may be, undertake defense of
any Claim, the Indemnified Person, by counsel or other representative of
its own choosing and at its sole cost and expense, shall have the right to
consult with the Company Stockholders or Principal Company Stockholders, as
the case may be, and their counsel or other representatives concerning such
Claim and the Company Stockholders or Principal Company Stockholders, as
the case may be, and the Indemnified Person and their respective counsel or
other representatives shall cooperate with respect to such Claim.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 6.12, the
Indemnified Person may at any time assume full control over the
responsibility for any Claim (other than a Claim against one or more
Company Stockholders or Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may
be), by written notice to the Company Stockholders or Principal Company
Stockholders, as the case may be, releasing the Company Stockholders or
Principal Company Stockholders, as the case may be, from any further
indemnity obligation pursuant to this Merger Agreement with respect to said
Claim.
(e) Any decision with respect to any matter under this Section 6.12
relating to indemnification by the Company Stockholders (including, without
limitation, the defense, prosecution, settlement or resolution of Claims)
shall be binding on all Company Stockholders if consented to by those
Company Stockholders who, immediately prior to the Effective Time, hold a
majority of the Company Common Stock held by all Company Stockholders.
Section 6.13. Affiliates; Tax Treatment.
Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall use its reasonable best
efforts to obtain Affiliate Agreements from each Person listed in Section 3.41
of the Company Disclosure Schedule and any Person who may be deemed to have
become an affiliate of the Company (under SEC Rule 145 of the Securities Act)
after the date of this Merger Agreement and on or prior to the Effective Time,
provided that the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain
Affiliate Agreements from each such Person as soon as practicable after the
date of this Merger Agreement or the date on which such Person attains such
status, as the case may be. Each party hereto shall use its reasonable best
efforts to cause the Merger to qualify, and shall not take any actions which
could prevent the Merger from qualifying, as a reorganization qualifying under
the provisions of Section 368(a) and Section 368(a)(2)(D) of the Code.
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Section 6.14. Tax Returns.
(a) To the extent permitted under applicable Tax Laws, the Merger shall be
reported as a "reorganization" within the meaning of Section 368(a) and
Section 368(a)(2)(D) of the Code in all federal, state and local Tax Returns
filed after the Effective Time. To the extent permitted under applicable Tax
Laws, no party to this Merger Agreement shall take any position inconsistent
with the foregoing on any Tax Return, in any audits or proceeding or
otherwise. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Merger Agreement, the
obligations set forth in this Section 6.14(a) shall survive the Effective Time
without limitation as to time or in any other respect.
(b) Acquiror and the Company each hereby represents and warrants to the
other that it is not aware of any applicable Tax Law that would require such
party to take any position inconsistent with the foregoing on any Tax Return.
Section 6.15. Reorganization.
During the period from the date of this Merger Agreement through the
Effective Time, unless Acquiror and the Company shall otherwise agree in
writing, Acquiror and the Company shall not, and shall cause their respective
subsidiaries not to, and the Principal Company Stockholders shall not,
knowingly take or fail to take any action which action or failure would
jeopardize the qualification of the Merger as a reorganization within the
meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.
Section 6.16. Directors' and Officers' Insurance; Indemnification.
Acquiror agrees that for the entire period from the Effective Time until at
least six (6) years after the Effective Time, (a) Acquiror will cause the
Surviving Corporation to maintain the Company's current directors' and
officers' insurance and indemnification policy and related arrangements, or an
equivalent policy and related arrangements, subject in either case to terms
and conditions no less advantageous to the present and former directors and
officers of the Company than those contained in the policy and arrangements in
effect on the date hereof, for all present and former directors and officers
of the Company, covering claims made and insurable events occurring prior to
or within six (6) years after the Effective Time (provided that the Surviving
Corporation will not be required to maintain such policy except to the extent
that the aggregate annual cost of maintaining such policy is not in excess of
two hundred percent (200%) of the current annual cost, in which case the
Surviving Corporation shall maintain such policies up to an annual cost of two
hundred percent (200%) of the current annual cost); and (b) Acquiror will
cause the Surviving Corporation to maintain indemnification provisions,
including, without limitation, provisions for expense advances, for present
and former officers and directors in the Surviving Corporation's certificate
of incorporation and bylaws to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware Law.
In the event of any threatened or actual claim, action, suit, proceeding or
investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative, including, without
limitation, any such claim, action, suit proceeding or investigation in which
any of the present or former officers or directors (the "Managers") of the
Company is, or is threatened to be, made a party by reason of the fact that
such Manager is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company,
or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other entity, whether before or after the Effective Time, the parties hereto
agree to cooperate and use their reasonable best efforts to defend against and
respond thereto. It is understood and agreed that the Company shall indemnify
and hold harmless, and after the Effective Time each of the Surviving
Corporation and Acquiror shall indemnify and hold harmless, as and to the full
extent that the Surviving Corporation would be permitted by applicable Law
(and as to matters arising from or relating to this Merger Agreement and the
possible change in control of the Company, to the full extent that Acquiror
would be permitted under applicable Law), each such Manager against any
losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs, expenses (including reasonable
attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in
connection with any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation; and
in the event of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or
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investigation (whether arising before or after the Effective Time), (i) the
Managers may retain counsel satisfactory to them, and the Company, or the
Surviving Corporation and Acquiror after the Effective Time, shall pay all
reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel for the Managers promptly as
statements therefor are received whether before or after final determination
of the matter, and (ii) the Company, or the Surviving Corporation and Acquiror
after the Effective Time, will use their respective reasonable best efforts to
assist in the vigorous defense of any such matter; provided that neither the
Company nor the Surviving Corporation or Acquiror shall be liable for any
settlement effected without its prior written consent (which consent shall not
be unreasonably withheld); and provided further that the Company's, the
Surviving Corporation's and Acquiror's obligations hereunder shall only be
reduced or relieved when and if a court of competent jurisdiction shall
ultimately determine, and such determination shall have become final and non-
appealable, that indemnification of such Manager in the manner contemplated is
prohibited by applicable Law.
Section 6.17. Obligations of Acquiror Sub.
Acquiror shall take all action necessary to cause Acquiror Sub to perform
its obligations under this Merger Agreement and to consummate the Merger on
the terms and conditions set forth in this Merger Agreement.
Section 6.18. Loan Agreement.
Concurrently with the execution of this Merger Agreement, the Company and
Acquiror shall enter into a Revolving Credit Agreement and Promissory Note in
the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the "Revolving Credit Agreement"),
pursuant to which the Acquiror shall make available to the Company a loan (the
"Credit Facility") on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
therein. In connection with the Revolving Credit Agreement, Acquiror shall,
within three (3) days of receiving executed signature pages by the Company and
AT&T Commercial Finance Corporation ("ATT CFC"), enter into a subordination
agreement with the Company and ATT CFC (the "Subordination Agreement")
substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A to the Revolving Credit
Agreement or in such other form as ATT CFC may reasonably request. Pursuant to
the Subordination Agreement, Acquiror shall subordinate the Credit Facility to
the prior payment in full of all of the Company's obligations owing to ATT
CFC. Acquiror's obligation to execute the Subordination Agreement is subject
to and conditioned upon Acquiror's receipt of a subordination agreement
executed by the Company, M/C Investors L.L.C. and Media/Communications
Partners III Limited Partnership (collectively "M/C") pursuant to which
subordination agreement the Company and M/C shall subordinate all indebtedness
of the Company to M/C, to the prior payment in full of all of the Company's
obligations owing to Acquiror to the same extent that the Acquiror
subordinates its obligations to ATT CFC.
Section 6.19 Letters of Accountants.
The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause to be delivered
to Acquiror "cold comfort" letters of Ernst & Young L.L.P. dated the date on
which the Registration Statement shall become effective and the Effective
Time, respectively, and addressed to Acquiror, reasonably customary in scope
and substance for letters delivered by independent public accountants in
connection with registration statements similar to the Registration Statement
and transactions such as those contemplated by this Merger Agreement.
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ARTICLE VII
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
Section 7.01. Conditions to Obligations of Each Party Under This Merger
Agreement.
The respective obligations of each party to effect the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated herein shall be subject to the satisfaction at or
prior to the Effective Time of the following conditions, any or all of which
may be waived by agreement of Acquiror and the Company, in whole or in part,
to the extent permitted by applicable Law:
(a) Stockholder Approval. This Merger Agreement and the Merger shall have
been approved and adopted by the requisite vote of the Company
Stockholders.
(b) No Order. No Governmental Entity or federal or state court of
competent jurisdiction shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or
entered any statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, judgment,
injunction or other order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent), in
any case which is in effect and which prevents or prohibits consummation of
the Merger; provided, however, that each of the parties shall use its
reasonable best efforts to cause any such decree, judgment, injunction or
other order to be vacated or lifted and provided further, that the failure
to obtain a required consent or approval of a Governmental Entity (other
than those specified in Section 7.01(c) and Section 7.01(d)) shall not form
the basis for an assertion that this condition is not satisfied.
(c) HSR Act. The applicable waiting period with respect to the Merger and
the other transactions contemplated hereby, together with any extensions
thereof, under the HSR Act shall have expired or been terminated.
(d) Certain Governmental Approvals. All consents, waivers, approvals and
authorizations required to be obtained, and all filings or notices required
to be made, by Acquiror or the Company prior to consummation of the
transactions contemplated in this Merger Agreement (other than the filing
of the Articles of Merger in accordance with Delaware Law) shall have been
obtained from and made with the FCC and each of the public utility
commissions of the states of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
(e) Company Securities. Other than (i) 23,971,756 shares of Company
Common Stock (which number of shares may be increased between the date of
the Merger Agreement and the Closing in connection with the exercise of
Company Stock Options described in clause (iii) below in accordance with
their terms), (ii) 240,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, and (iii)
Company Stock Options exercisable for 806,845 shares of Company Common
Stock (which number of Company Stock Options may be decreased between the
date of the Merger Agreement and the Closing in connection with the
exercise of Company Stock Options in accordance with their terms), there
shall be no other securities of the Company outstanding that are securities
convertible into or exchangeable for Company Common Stock or any other
equity securities of the Company and no outstanding options, rights
(preemptive or otherwise), or warrants to purchase or to subscribe for any
shares of such stock or other equity securities of the Company.
(f) Effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Registration
Statement shall have been declared effective by the SEC under the
Securities Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement shall have been issued by the SEC and no proceedings
for that purpose shall have been initiated or, to the knowledge of Acquiror
or the Company, threatened by the SEC. Acquiror shall have received all
other federal or state securities permits and other authorizations
necessary to issue Acquiror Common Stock in exchange for Company Common
Stock and to consummate the Merger.
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(g) Accountant Letters. Acquiror shall have received from the Company
"cold comfort" letters of Ernst & Young L.L.P. dated the date on which the
Registration Statement shall become effective and the Effective Time,
respectively, and addressed to Acquiror, reasonably customary in scope and
substance for letters delivered by independent public accountants in
connection with registration statements similar to the Registration
Statement and transactions such as those contemplated by this Merger
Agreement.
Section 7.02. Additional Conditions to Obligations of Acquiror and Acquiror
Sub.
The obligations of Acquiror and Acquiror Sub to effect the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated herein are also subject to the satisfaction at
or prior to the Effective Time of the following conditions, any or all of
which may be waived by Acquiror, in whole or in part, to the extent permitted
by applicable Law:
(a) Representations and Warranties. Each of the representations and
warranties of the Company and the Principal Company Stockholders contained
in this Merger Agreement shall be true and correct as of the date of this
Merger Agreement and shall be true and correct in all material respects
(except that where any statement in a representation or warranty expressly
includes a standard of materiality, such statement shall be true and
correct in all respects giving effect to such standard) as of the Effective
Time as though made as of the Effective Time, except that those
representations and warranties which address matters only as of a
particular date shall be true and correct in all material respects (except
that where any statement in a representation or warranty expressly includes
a standard of materiality, such statement shall be true and correct in all
respects giving effect to such standard) as of such date, and except (A)
for changes permitted by or consistent with this Merger Agreement, or (B)
in a representation and warranty that does not expressly include a standard
of a Company Material Adverse Effect, any untrue or incorrect statements
therein that, considered in the aggregate, do not indicate a Company
Material Adverse Effect. Acquiror shall have received a certificate of the
chief executive officer or chief financial officer of the Company to that
effect.
(b) Updated Company Disclosure Schedule. The revised versions of the
Company Disclosure Schedules delivered to Acquiror pursuant to Section
6.05(b) shall not disclose any Company Material Adverse Effect as compared
to such Sections of the Company Disclosure Schedule as of the date of this
Merger Agreement.
(c) Agreements and Covenants. The Company and the Principal Company
Stockholders shall have performed or complied in all respects with all
agreements and covenants required by this Merger Agreement to be performed
or complied with by them on or prior to the Effective Time except for such
noncompliance that does not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
Acquiror shall have received a certificate of each Principal Company
Stockholder and the chief executive officer or chief financial officer of
the Company (as to the Company) to that effect.
(d) Opinion of Counsel. Acquiror shall have received from Edwards &
Angell, LLP, counsel to the Company, an opinion dated the Closing Date,
which is reasonable and customary for transactions of the type contemplated
by this Merger Agreement.
(e) No Challenge. There shall not be pending any enforcement action or
similar proceeding by any Government Entity that is likely to place
limitations on the ownership of shares of Company Capital Stock (or shares
of common stock of the Surviving Corporation) by Acquiror or Acquiror Sub
such that consummation of the Merger would violate any provisions of
Acquiror's indentures relating to its outstanding public indebtedness.
There shall not be pending any enforcement action or similar proceeding by
any state or federal Governmental Entity that is likely to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect or, if such action arises in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby, an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect.
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(f) Company Material Adverse Effect. Since December 31, 1997, there shall
not have occurred a Company Material Adverse Effect (or any development
that, insofar as reasonably can be foreseen, is reasonably likely to result
in any Company Material Adverse Effect) not disclosed in the Company
Disclosure Schedule.
(g) Tax Opinion. Acquiror shall have received the opinion of Hogan &
Hartson L.L.P., counsel to Acquiror, in the form of Exhibit C, dated the
Closing Date, to the effect that the Merger will not result in taxation to
Acquiror or Acquiror Sub under the Code. In rendering such opinion, Hogan &
Hartson L.L.P. shall require delivery of and rely upon the representation
letters delivered by Acquiror, Acquiror Sub and the Company substantially
in the forms of Exhibit D and Exhibit E hereto.
(h) Environmental Matters. The Environmental Reports shall indicate that
the Real Property does not contain any Hazardous Materials and is not
subject to any risk of contamination from any off-site Hazardous Materials,
except to the extent that the presence of any such Hazardous Materials or
the risk of such contamination would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect or an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect. This Section 7.02(h) shall
be deemed waived by Acquiror and Acquiror Sub if Acquiror shall not have
caused the Phase I environmental reports to be prepared pursuant to Section
6.09(b) within fifteen (15) days following the date of this Merger
Agreement and the Phase II environmental reports, if requested by Acquiror,
to be prepared pursuant to Section 6.09(b) within thirty-five (35) days
following the date hereof, or if Acquiror shall have failed to give an
Environmental Problem Notice within the period provided in Section 8.01(e).
(i) Claims Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to Acquiror and
Acquiror Sub a certificate dated as of the Closing Date signed by a duly
authorized officer stating that (i) to its knowledge, except as specified
in such certificate in reasonable detail, the Company is aware of no breach
of any representation, warranty or covenant by Acquiror or Acquiror Sub
under this Merger Agreement or under any agreement or instrument executed
in connection herewith that could be reasonably expected to result in a
claim for indemnification under this Merger Agreement and (ii) the Company
and the Principal Company Stockholders irrevocably waive any and all rights
to indemnification against Acquiror and Acquiror Sub to the extent any
Damages arising from the matters described in such certificate or any other
matters of which the Company then has knowledge exceed $5,000,000 in the
aggregate.
(j) Affiliate Agreements. Acquiror shall have received, after the date of
this Merger Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date, a signed
Affiliate Agreement from each Person listed in Section 3.41 of the Company
Disclosure Schedule and any other Person who may be deemed to have become
an affiliate of the Company (under Rule 145 of the Securities Act).
Section 7.03. Additional Conditions to Obligations of the Company.
The obligations of the Company to effect the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated herein are also subject to the satisfaction at or
prior to the Effective Time of the following conditions, any or all of which
may be waived by the Company, in whole or in part, to the extent permitted by
applicable Law:
(a) Representations and Warranties. Each of the representations and
warranties of Acquiror and Acquiror Sub contained in this Merger Agreement
shall be true and correct as of the date of this Merger Agreement and shall
be true and correct in all material respects (except that where any
statement in a representation or warranty expressly includes a standard of
materiality, such statement shall be true and correct in all respects
giving effect to such standard) as of the Effective Time as though made as
of the Effective Time, except that those representations and warranties
which address matters only as of a particular date shall be true
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and correct in all material respects (except that where any statement in a
representation or warranty expressly includes a standard of materiality,
such statement shall be true and correct in all respects giving effect to
such standard) as of such date, and except (A) for changes permitted by or
consistent with this Merger Agreement or (B) in a representation and
warranty that does not expressly include a standard of an Acquiror Material
Adverse Effect, any untrue or incorrect statements therein that, considered
in the aggregate, do not indicate an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect. The
Company shall have received a certificate of the chief executive officer or
chief financial officer of Acquiror to that effect.
(b) Agreements and Covenants. Acquiror and Acquiror Sub shall have
performed or complied in all respects with all agreements and covenants
required by this Merger Agreement to be performed or complied with by them
on or prior to the Effective Time except for such noncompliance that does
not have an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect. The Company shall have
received a certificate of the chief executive officer or chief financial
officer of Acquiror and Acquiror Sub to that effect.
(c) Opinion of Counsel. The Company shall have received from Hogan &
Hartson L.L.P. an opinion dated the Closing Date, which is reasonable and
customary for transactions of the type contemplated by the Merger
Agreement.
(d) Intentionally Deleted.
(e) Tax Opinion. The Company shall have received the opinion of Edwards &
Angell, LLP, counsel to the Company, in the form of Exhibit F, dated the
Closing Date, to the effect that the Merger will not result in taxation to
the Company or the Company Stockholders under the Code. In rendering such
opinion, Edward & Angell, LLP may require delivery of and rely upon the
representation letters delivered by Acquiror, Acquiror Sub and the Company
substantially in the forms of Exhibit G and Exhibit H hereto.
(f) Acquiror Material Adverse Effect. Since December 31, 1997, there
shall not have occurred an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect (or any
development that, insofar as reasonably can be foreseen, is reasonably
likely to result in any Acquiror Material Adverse Effect) not disclosed in
the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule.
(g) Claims Certificate. Acquiror and Acquiror Sub shall have delivered to
the Company a certificate dated as of the Closing Date signed by a duly
authorized officer stating that (i) to their knowledge, except as specified
in such certificate in reasonable detail, Acquiror and Acquiror Sub are
aware of no breach of any representation, warranty or covenant by the
Company or any Principal Company Stockholder under this Merger Agreement or
under any agreement or instrument executed in connection herewith that
could be reasonably expected to result in a claim for indemnification under
this Merger Agreement and (ii) Acquiror and Acquiror Sub irrevocably waive
any and all rights to indemnification against the Principal Company
Stockholders and the Company Stockholders to the extent any Damages arising
from the matters described in such certificate or any other matters of
which Acquiror or Acquiror Sub then has knowledge exceed $5,000,000 in the
aggregate.
(h) No Challenge. There shall not be pending any enforcement action or
similar proceeding by any Government Entity that is likely to place
limitations on the ownership of shares of Company Capital Stock (or shares
of common stock of the Surviving Corporation) by Acquiror or Acquiror Sub
such that consummation of the Merger would violate any provisions of
Acquiror's indentures relating to its outstanding public indebtedness.
There shall not be pending any enforcement action or similar proceeding by
any state or federal Governmental Entity that is likely to have an Acquiror
Material Adverse Effect or, if such action arises in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby, a Company Material Adverse Effect.
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ARTICLE VIII
TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
Section 8.01. Termination.
This Merger Agreement may be terminated at any time (except where otherwise
indicated) prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after approval of
this Merger Agreement and the Merger by the Company Stockholders:
(a) by mutual written consent of Acquiror and the Company;
(b) (i) by Acquiror, if there has been a breach by the Company of any of
its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in this
Merger Agreement, or any such representation and warranty shall have become
untrue, in any such case such that Section 7.02(a), Section 7.02(b) or
Section 7.02(c) will not be satisfied and such breach or condition has not
been cured such that Section 7.02(a), Section 7.02(b), or Section 7.02(c),
as the case may be, will be satisfied within twenty (20) business days
following receipt by the Company of written notice of such breach
describing the extent and nature thereof in reasonable detail;
(ii) by the Company, if there has been a breach by Acquiror or Acquiror
Sub of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements
contained in this Merger Agreement, or any such representation and warranty
shall have become untrue, in any such case such that Section 7.03(a) or
Section 7.03(b) will not be satisfied and such breach or condition has not
been cured such that Section 7.03(a) or Section 7.03(b), as the case may
be, will be satisfied within twenty (20) business days following receipt by
Acquiror of written notice of such breach describing the extent and nature
thereof in reasonable detail;
(c) by either Acquiror or the Company if any decree, permanent
injunction, judgment, order or other action by any court of competent
jurisdiction or any other federal or state (but not county or municipal)
Governmental Entity preventing or prohibiting consummation of the Merger
shall have become final and non-appealable;
(d) by either Acquiror or the Company if this Merger Agreement shall fail
to receive the requisite vote for approval and adoption by the Company
Stockholders;
(e) by either Acquiror or the Company if the Merger shall not have been
consummated by the earlier to occur of the Scheduled Closing Date or May 1,
1999; provided however, that the right to terminate this Merger Agreement
under this Section 8.01(e) shall not be available to (i) Acquiror, where
Acquiror's willful failure to fulfill any obligation under this Merger
Agreement has been the cause of, or resulted in, the failure of the
Effective Time to occur on or before such date, or (ii) the Company, where
the Company's willful failure to fulfill any obligation under this Merger
Agreement has been the cause of, or resulted in, the failure of the
Effective Time to occur on or before such date;
(f) by either the Company or the Acquiror upon written notice to the
other party if (i) having performed the Phase I and Phase II Environmental
Reports contemplated in Section 6.09(b) within the time periods provided in
Section 7.02(h) and (ii) having reasonably concluded that the Real Property
does contain Hazardous Materials or is subject to a risk of contamination
from off site Hazardous Materials that, in either case, would be reasonably
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the Acquiror notifies
the Company of such conclusion specifying the basis therefor in reasonable
detail in writing (the "Environmental Problem Notice") within two (2)
business days following the completion of such Environmental Reports;
provided, however, that this Section 8.01(f) shall be deemed waived by
Acquiror if the Company Stockholders representing at least 85% of the
Merger Consideration agree in writing to indemnify and hold harmless the
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Indemnified Persons from and against any and all Damages actually suffered
and arising out of the existence of any Hazardous Materials on the Real
Property or the contamination of the Real Property from any off-site
Hazardous Materials (without regard to any deductibles or caps on liability
set forth in Section 6.11);
(g) by either Acquiror or the Company upon written notice to the other if
such party does not receive the certificate containing the information
specified in clause (i) of Section 7.02(i) or 7.03(g), respectively;
(h) by either Acquiror or the Company upon written notice to the other
party if such party does not receive the certificate containing the waiver
specified in clause (ii) of Sections 7.02(i) or 7.03(g), respectively.
Section 8.02. Effect of Termination.
In the event of termination of this Merger Agreement by either Acquiror or
the Company as provided in Section 8.01, this Merger Agreement shall forthwith
become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of
Acquiror, Acquiror Sub or the Company or any of their respective directors or
officers except (i) nothing herein shall relieve any party from liability for
any breach hereof, (ii) each party shall be entitled to any remedies at law or
in equity for such breach and (iii) Sections 8.02 and 8.03 and Article IX
shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this
Merger Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Merger Agreement is
terminated pursuant to (x) Section 8.01(f), then the Company shall have no
liability to Acquiror or Acquiror Sub for a breach of the representation and
warranty set forth in Section 3.33, (y) Section 8.01(g), then neither the
Company, on the one hand, nor Acquiror and Acquiror Sub, on the other hand,
shall have any liability under this Agreement or (z) Section 8.01(h), then
neither the Company, on the one hand, nor Acquiror and Acquiror Sub, on the
other hand, shall be entitled to any recovery for such liability in excess of
$750,000.
Section 8.03. Expenses.
Whether or not the Merger is consummated, all costs and expenses incurred in
connection with this Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby
shall be paid by the party incurring such expense.
Section 8.04. Amendment.
Subject to applicable Law, this Merger Agreement may be amended by the
parties hereto at any time prior to the Effective Time. This Merger Agreement
may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties
hereto.
Section 8.05. Extension; Waiver.
At any time prior to the Effective Time, the parties hereto may (a) extend
the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the
other parties hereto, (b) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and
warranties contained herein or in any agreements, documents, certificates or
other instruments delivered pursuant hereto and (c) waive compliance with any
of the agreements or conditions contained herein. Any such extension or waiver
shall be valid if set forth in an instrument in writing signed by the party or
parties to be bound thereby. The failure of any party to assert any of its
rights under this Merger Agreement or otherwise shall not constitute a waiver
of such rights.
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ARTICLE IX
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 9.01. Survival of Representations and Warranties.
The representations and warranties of the Company and the Principal Company
Stockholders contained in the Merger Agreement shall survive the Effective
Time for a period of eighteen (18) months; provided, however, that the
representations and warranties of the Company contained in Sections 3.16
(Pension and Benefits Plan), Section 3.17 (Taxes and Tax Matters), and Section
3.33 (Environmental Matters), shall survive until the expiration of the
applicable statute of limitations, it being understood that after the
Effective Time any claim for Damages resulting from a breach of any
representation and warranty of the Company shall be subject to the limitations
contained in Section 6.11 and Section 6.12. The representations and warranties
of Acquiror contained in the Merger Agreement shall survive the Effective Time
for a period of eighteen (18) months; it being understood that after the
Effective Time the maximum liability of Acquiror for any breach of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements given or made by
Acquiror in this Merger Agreement, in the Articles of Merger or in the
Exhibits or Schedules hereto or in any certificate or document delivered by or
on behalf of Acquiror pursuant hereto, shall be limited to an amount equal to
$37,000,000. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any
representation, warranty, covenant or agreement which is the subject of a
claim which is asserted in writing in compliance with Section 6.11(a) or
Section 6.11(b) prior to the expiration of the applicable period set forth
above shall survive with respect to such claim or dispute until the final
resolution thereof.
Section 9.02. Notices.
All notices and other communications given or made pursuant hereto shall be
in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made as of the date
delivered, mailed or transmitted if delivered personally, mailed by registered
or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) or sent by
overnight courier (providing proof of delivery) to the parties at the
following addresses or sent by electronic transmission to the following
telecopier numbers (or at such other address or telecopy number for a party as
shall be specified by like notice):
(a) If to Acquiror or Acquiror Sub:
McLeodUSA Incorporated
McLeodUSA Technology Park
6400 C Street SW
PO Box 3177
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-3177
Telecopier No.: (319) 298-7901
Attention: Randall Rings
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Columbia Square
555 Thirteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Telecopier No.: (202) 637-5910
Attention: Joseph G. Connolly, Jr.
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(b) If to the Company:
Ovation Communications, Inc.
400 South Highway 169
Suite 750
Minneapolis, MN 55426
Telecopier No.: (612) 252-5150
Attention: Timothy T. Devine
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Edwards & Angell, LLP
101 Federal Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Telecopier No.: (617) 439-4170
Attention: Stephen O. Meredith, Esq.
(c) If to any Principal Company Stockholder, to it at the address set
forth in the Company Disclosure Schedule.
With copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Edwards & Angell, LLP
101 Federal Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Telecopier No.: (617) 439-4170
Attention: Stephen O. Meredith, Esq.
(d) If to a Company Stockholder (other than the Principal Company
Stockholders whose notice shall be made pursuant to paragraph (c) above) to
it at the last known address on the Company's books and records.
Section 9.03. Headings.
The headings contained in this Merger Agreement are for reference purposes
only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Merger Agreement.
Section 9.04. Severability.
If any term or other provision of this Merger Agreement is invalid, illegal
or incapable of being enforced by any rule of Law or public policy, all other
conditions and provisions of this Merger Agreement shall nevertheless remain
in full force and effect so long as the economic or legal substance of the
transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially
adverse to any party. Upon such determination that any term or other provision
is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall
negotiate in good faith to modify this Merger Agreement so as to effect the
original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner
to the end that transactions contemplated hereby are fulfilled to the extent
possible.
Section 9.05. Entire Agreement.
This Merger Agreement (together with the Exhibits, Schedules, the Company
Disclosure Schedule and the Acquiror Disclosure Schedule and the other
documents delivered pursuant hereto) and the Confidentiality Agreement (as
defined in Article X) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and
supersede all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among
the parties, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof and,
except as otherwise expressly provided herein, are not intended to confer upon
any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder.
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Section 9.06. Assignment.
This Merger Agreement shall not be assigned by operation of Law or
otherwise.
Section 9.07. Parties in Interest.
This Merger Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit
of each party hereto, and nothing in this Merger Agreement, express or
implied, other than the right to receive the consideration payable in the
Merger pursuant to Article II, 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 Merger Agreement.
Section 9.08. Mutual Drafting.
Each party hereto has participated in the drafting of this Merger Agreement,
which each party acknowledges is the result of extensive negotiations between
the parties.
Section 9.09. Specific Performance.
In addition to any other remedies which any party may have at law or in
equity, (a) the Company hereby acknowledges that the Company Capital Stock and
the Company and the Subsidiaries are unique, and that the harm to Acquiror
resulting from breaches by the Company of its obligations cannot be adequately
compensated by damages and (b) Acquiror and Acquiror Sub hereby acknowledge
that the Acquiror Common Stock and Acquiror and Acquiror Sub are unique, and
that the harm to the Company resulting from breaches by the Acquiror or
Acquiror Sub of their respective obligations cannot be adequately compensated
by damages. Accordingly, (i) the Company agrees that Acquiror and Acquiror Sub
shall have the right to have all obligations, undertakings, agreements,
covenants and other provisions of this Merger Agreement specifically performed
by the Company and that Acquiror and Acquiror Sub shall have the right to
obtain an order or decree of such specific performance in any of the courts of
the United States of America or of any state or other political subdivision
thereof and (ii) Acquiror and Acquiror Sub agree that the Company shall have
the right to have all obligations, undertakings, agreements, covenants and
other provisions of this Merger Agreement specifically performed by Acquiror
and Acquiror Sub and that the Company shall have the right to obtain an order
or decree of such specific performance in any of the courts of the United
States of America or of any state or other political subdivision thereof.
Section 9.10. Governing Law.
This Merger Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, regardless of the Laws that might
otherwise govern under applicable principles of conflicts of law.
Section 9.11. Counterparts.
This Merger Agreement may be executed and delivered in one or more
counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts,
each of which when executed and delivered shall be deemed to be an original
but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
Section 9.12. Confidentiality.
All information delivered to or obtained by or on behalf of any party to
this Merger Agreement shall be held pursuant to the Confidentiality Agreement.
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Section 9.13. General Exclusion.
(a) Company Exclusion. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in
this Agreement, in no event shall it constitute a breach of any
representation, warranty or covenant of the Company set forth herein, or a
failure of any condition to Acquiror's or Acquiror Sub's obligations herein if
any fact, matter or thing referred to herein changes or results in the failure
of any condition to Acquiror's or Acquiror Sub's obligations to the extent
that such change or failure of condition results from (i) changes that are
applicable to the competitive local exchange carrier industry generally in the
states in which the Company or its Subsidiaries operate (including, without
limitation, changes in federal or state Law) or (ii) any act or omission
following the date of this Merger Agreement on the part of any incumbent local
exchange carrier with which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has an
Agreement, against or affecting the Company or its Subsidiaries, whether (aa)
in connection with an effective or anticipated change in Law (such as the
cessation of reciprocal compensation payments), (bb) as a result of the
transactions contemplated in this Merger Agreement or (cc) otherwise; provided
that the Company or the Subsidiaries are otherwise materially in compliance
with their Agreement with such incumbent local exchange carrier.
(b) Acquiror and Acquiror Sub Exclusion. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary set forth in this Agreement, in no event shall it constitute a breach
of any representation, warranty or covenant of Acquiror or Acquiror Sub set
forth herein, or a failure of any condition to the Company's obligations
herein if any fact, matter or thing referred to herein changes or results in
the failure of any condition to the Company's obligations to the extent that
such change or failure of condition results from (i) changes that are
applicable to the telecommunications or directory publishing industries
generally (including, without limitation, changes in federal or state Law),
(ii) any act or omission following the date of this Merger Agreement on the
part of any incumbent local exchange carrier with which Acquiror or any of its
subsidiaries has an Agreement, against or affecting Acquiror or its
subsidiaries, whether (aa) in connection with an effective or anticipated
change in Law (such as the cessation of reciprocal compensation payments),
(bb) as a result of the transactions contemplated in this Merger Agreement or
(cc) otherwise; provided that Acquiror or its subsidiaries are otherwise
materially in compliance with their Agreement with such incumbent local
exchange carrier, or (iii) any decrease in the trading price of the Acquiror
Common Stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market's National Market System as reported
by Nasdaq.
ARTICLE X
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Merger Agreement, the following terms, and the singular
and plural thereof, shall have the meanings set forth below:
"Acquiror" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
"Acquiror Common Stock" is defined in Section 2.01.
"Acquiror Common Stock Closing Price" is defined in Section 2.01(a)(iv).
"Acquiror Disclosure Schedule" is defined in Article IV.
"Acquiror Material Adverse Effect" means any event, change or effect that,
individually or when taken together with any and all other events, changes or
effects, is or is reasonably likely to be materially adverse to the business,
operations, condition (financial or otherwise), Assets or liabilities of
Acquiror and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided, however, the
parties expressly agree that an Acquiror Material Adverse Effect shall not
mean or be deemed to include any event, change or effect described in Section
9.13(b).
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"Acquiror Options" is defined in Section 2.04.
"Acquiror Post-Signing SEC Documents" is defined in Section 6.10.
"Acquiror SEC Documents" is defined in Section 4.07.
"Acquiror Sub" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
"Affiliate" means: (a) with respect to an individual, any member of such
individual's family; (b) with respect to an entity, any officer, director,
stockholder, partner or investor of or in such entity or of or in any
Affiliate of such entity; and (c) with respect to a Person, any Person which
directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is
Controlled by, or is under common Control with such person or entity.
"affiliate" means, with respect to any Person, a Person that directly or
indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is Controlled by, or
is under common Control with, such Person.
"Agreement" means any agreement between two or more Persons with respect to
their relative rights and/or obligations or with respect to a thing done or to
be done, including, without limitation, agreements denominated as contracts,
leases, promissory notes, covenants, easements, rights of way, covenants,
commitments, arrangements and understandings.
"Articles of Merger" is defined in Section 1.02.
"Assets" means assets of every kind and everything that is or may be
available for the payment of liabilities (whether inchoate, tangible or
intangible), including, without limitation, real and personal property.
"Audited Balance Sheet" is defined in Section 3.08(a).
"Audited Statements" is defined in Section 3.08(a)
"Average Trading Price" is defined in Section 2.02(e).
"beneficial owner" means, with respect to any shares of Company Common Stock
or Company Preferred Stock, a Person who shall be deemed to be the beneficial
owner of such shares (i) which such Person or any of its affiliates or
associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, (ii) which such Person
or any of its affiliates or associates (as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2
under the Exchange Act) has, directly or indirectly, (A) the right to acquire
(whether such right is exercisable immediately or subject only to the passage
of time), pursuant to any Agreement or upon the exercise of conversion rights,
exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise, or (B) the right to vote
pursuant to any Agreement, (iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Persons with whom such Person or any of its
affiliates or associates has any Agreement for the purpose of acquiring,
holding, voting or disposing of any such shares, or (iv) pursuant to Section
13(d) of the Exchange Act and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.
"business day" means a day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or any other day
on which commercial banks in the State of Minnesota and in the State of Iowa
are authorized or obligated to be closed.
"Blue Sky Laws" means state securities or blue sky laws and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
"Cash Election" is defined in Section 2.01(a)(i).
"Cash Election Shares" is defined in Section 2.01(a)(i).
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<PAGE>
"Certificates" is defined in Section 2.02(b).
"Claims" is defined in Section 6.12.
"Closing" is defined in Section 2.05.
"Closing Date" is defined in Section 1.02.
"Code" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
"Common Control Entity" means any trade or business under common control (as
such term is defined in Section 414(b) or 414(c) of the Code) with the Company
or any Subsidiary.
"Common Stock Cash Amount" means the result of:
(A) the total of $289 million minus (1) the amount to payoff the
subordinated debt owed by the Company to M/C Investors L.L.C. and
Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership (collectively,
"M/C"); and, minus (2) the amount paid in exchange for the conversion of
all of the Company Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to Section
2.01(a)(ii); and, minus (3) costs incurred by the Company in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement;
(B) divided by the number of shares of Company Common Stock validly
issued and outstanding and fully paid and nonassessable at the close of
business on the business day before the Closing Date.
"Common Stock Exchange Ratio" means the ratio with:
(A) the numerator being the result of (1) the total of $289 million minus
(a) the amount to payoff the subordinated debt owed by the Company to M/C
Investors L.L.C. and Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership
(collectively, "M/C"); and, minus (b) the amount paid in exchange for the
conversion all of the Company Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to Section
2.01(a)(ii); and, minus (c) costs incurred by the Company in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Merger Agreement; divided by (2)
$29.00; and,
(B) the denominator being the number of shares of Company Common Stock
validly issued and outstanding and fully paid and nonassessable at the
close of business on the business day before the Closing Date.
"Common Stock Merger Consideration" means the Common Stock Cash Amount
together with the Common Stock Exchange Ratio.
"Communications Act" means the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and
all Laws promulgated pursuant thereto or in connection therewith.
"Company" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
"Company Affiliates" is defined in Section 3.41.
"Company Capital Stock" is defined in Section 3.04.
"Company Common Stock" is defined in Section 2.01(a).
"Company Contracts" is defined in Section 3.14(a).
"Company Disclosure Schedule" is defined in Article III.
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<PAGE>
"Company Dissenting Shares" means shares of Company Capital Stock held by
any Company Stockholder who elects to exercise appraisal rights in compliance
with Delaware Law.
"Company Dissenting Stockholder" is defined in Section 2.06.
"Company Licenses" is defined in Section 3.07(a).
"Company Material Adverse Effect" means any event, change or effect that,
individually or when taken together with any and all other events, changes or
effects, is or is reasonably likely to be materially adverse to the business,
operations, condition (financial or otherwise), Assets or liabilities of the
Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided, however, the parties
expressly agree that a Company Material Adverse Effect shall not mean or be
deemed to include any event, change or effect described in Section 9.13(a).
"Company Series A Preferred Stock" is defined in Section 2.01.
"Company Stock Options" is defined in Section 2.04.
"Company Stockholders" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
"Company Tax Returns" means all Tax Returns required to be filed by the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries (without regard to extensions of time
permitted by law or otherwise).
"Company Year 2000 Review" is defined in Section 3.40(b).
"Competing Transaction" is defined in Section 5.05(a).
"Confidentiality Agreement" means the letter agreement, signed in December
1998, between Acquiror and the Company relating to the exchange of
confidential information.
"Control" (including the terms "Controlled by" and "under common Control
with") means, as used with respect to any Person, possession, directly or
indirectly or as a trustee or executor, of power to direct or cause the
direction of management or policies of such Person (whether through ownership
of voting securities, as trustee or executor, by Agreement or otherwise).
"Damages" is defined in Section 6.11.
"Defined Benefit Plan" means a Plan that is or was a "defined benefit plan"
as such term is defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA.
"Delaware Law" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
"DOL" means the United States Department of Labor and its successors.
"Effective Time" is defined in Section 1.02.
"Encumbrance" means any mortgage, lien, pledge, encumbrance, security
interest, deed of trust, option, encroachment, reservation, order, decree,
judgment, condition, restriction, charge, Agreement, claim or equity of any
kind.
"Environmental Laws" means any Laws (including, without limitation, the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act),
including any plans, other criteria, or guidelines promulgated pursuant to
such Laws, now or hereafter in effect relating to Hazardous Materials
generation, production, use, storage, treatment, transportation or disposal,
or noise control, or the protection of human health or the environment.
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<PAGE>
"Environmental Reports" is defined in Section 6.09(b).
"ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended, and all Laws promulgated pursuant thereto or in connection therewith.
"ESOP" means an "employee stock ownership plan" as such term is defined in
Section 407(d)(6) of ERISA or Section 4975(e)(7) of the Code.
" Exchange Agent" is defined in Section 2.02(a).
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
all Laws promulgated pursuant thereto or in connection therewith.
"Exchange Fund" is defined in Section 2.02(a).
"FAA" means the United States Federal Aviation Administration and its
successors.
"FCC" means the United States Federal Communications Commission and its
successors.
"Federal Aviation Act" means the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended,
and all Laws promulgated pursuant thereto or in connection therewith.
"Financial Statements" is defined in Section 3.08.
"Form of Election" is defined in Section 2.01(a)(i).
"GAAP" means United States generally accepted accounting principles.
"Governmental Entities" (including the term "Governmental") means any
governmental, quasi-governmental or regulatory authority, whether domestic or
foreign.
"group" is defined in Section 5.05(a).
"Hazardous Discharge" means any emission, spill, release or discharge
(whether on Real Property, on property adjacent to the Real Property, or at
any other location or disposal site) into or upon the air, soil or
improvements, surface water or groundwater, or the sewer, septic system, or
waste treatment, storage or disposal systems servicing the Real Property, in
each case of Hazardous Materials used, stored, generated, treated or disposed
of at the Real Property.
"Hazardous Materials" means any wastes, substances, radiation or materials
(whether solids, liquids or gases) that are regulated by a Governmental Entity
or defined or listed by a Governmental Entity as hazardous, toxic, pollutants
or contaminants, including, without limitation, substances defined as
"hazardous wastes," "hazardous substances," "toxic substances," "radioactive
materials," or other similar designations in, or otherwise subject to
regulation under, any Environmental Laws. "Hazardous Materials" includes
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, lead-based paints, and petroleum
and petroleum products (including, without limitation, crude oil or any
fraction thereof).
"HSR Act" means the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as
amended, and all Laws promulgated pursuant thereto or in connection therewith.
"Indemnified Persons" is defined in Section 6.11.
"Individual Account Plan" means a Plan that is or was an "individual account
plan" as such term is defined in Section 3(34) of ERISA.
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<PAGE>
"Intellectual Property" means (a) all inventions (whether patentable or
unpatentable and whether or not reduced to practice), all improvements
thereto, and all patents, patent applications, and patent disclosures,
together with all reissuances, continuations, continuations-in-part,
revisions, extensions, and reexaminations thereof, (b) all trademarks, service
marks, trade dress, logos, trade names, and corporate names, together with all
translations, adaptations, derivations, and combinations thereof and including
all goodwill associated therewith, and all applications, registrations, and
renewals in connection therewith, (c) all copyrightable works, all copyrights,
all rights to database information, and all applications, registrations, and
renewals in connection therewith, (d) all mask works and all applications,
registrations, and renewals in connection therewith, (e) all trade secrets and
confidential business information (including ideas, research and development,
know-how, formulas, compositions, manufacturing and production processes and
techniques, technical data, designs, drawings, specifications, customer and
supplier lists, pricing and cost information, and business and marketing plans
and proposals), (f) all computer software (including data and related
documentation), (g) all rights, including rights of privacy and publicity, to
use the names, likenesses and other personal characteristics of any
individual, (h) all other proprietary rights, and (i) all copies and tangible
embodiments thereof (in whatever form or medium) existing in any part of the
world.
"Inventory" means all new materials, work in progress and finished goods and
inventorable supplies.
"IRS" means the United States Internal Revenue Service and its successors.
"IT" is defined in Section 3.40(b).
"knowledge" will be deemed to be present with respect to the Company and the
Subsidiaries when the matter in question (i) is actually known to M/C
Investors L.L.C. or Media/Communications Partners III Limited Partnership or
(ii) was brought to the attention of or, if due diligence had been exercised
by the persons named in this clause (ii), would have been brought to the
attention of any of Timothy T. Devine, Kenneth A. Kirley, Nicholas Lenoci,
Jr., Charles M. Osborne, Scott A. Rediger or John Biasetti; "knowledge" will
be deemed to be present with respect to Acquiror when the matter in question
was brought to the attention of or, if due diligence had been exercised by the
persons named in this clause (ii), would have been brought to the attention
of, any of Stephen C. Gray, J. Lyle Patrick, John Wray, Randall Rings, Laura
J. Hahn or Joseph H. Ceryanec.
"Laws" means all foreign, federal, state and local statutes, laws,
ordinances, regulations, rules, resolutions, orders, tariffs, determinations,
writs, injunctions, awards (including, without limitation, awards of any
arbitrator), judgments and decrees applicable to the specified Person and to
the businesses and Assets thereof (including, without limitation, Laws
relating to securities registration and regulation; the sale, leasing,
ownership or management of real property; employment practices, terms and
conditions, and wages and hours; building standards, land use and zoning;
safety, health and fire prevention; and environmental protection, including
Environmental Laws).
"License" means any franchise, grant, authorization, license, tariff,
permit, easement, variance, exemption, consent, certificate, approval or order
of any Governmental Entity, except non-material Agreements allowing the
installation, maintenance or operation of the Company's or the Subsidiaries'
fiber optic network on, over, under or across a specific parcel of real
property.
"Managers" is defined in Section 6.15.
"Merger" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
"Merger Agreement" is defined in the Preamble to this Merger Agreement.
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<PAGE>
"Merger Consideration" means the aggregate Common Stock Merger Consideration
together with the aggregate Preferred Stock Cash Amount.
"Minimum-Funding Plan" means a Pension Plan that is subject to Title I,
Subtitle B, Part 3, of ERISA (concerning "funding").
"Multiemployer Plan" means a "multiemployer plan" as such term is defined in
Section 3(37) of ERISA.
"NASD" means the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
"Ordinary Course of Business" means ordinary course of business consistent
with past practices and reasonable business operations.
"Other Arrangement" means a benefit program or practice providing for
bonuses, incentive compensation, vacation pay, severance pay, insurance,
restricted stock, stock options, employee discounts, company cars, tuition
reimbursement or any other perquisite or benefit (including, without
limitation, any fringe benefit under Section 132 of the Code) to employees,
officers or independent contractors that is not a Plan.
"PBGC" means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or its successors.
"Pension Plan" means an "employee pension benefit plan" as such term is
defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA.
"Permitted Encumbrance" means (i) easements, rights of way, minor
irregularities of title, and liens for taxes not yet due and payable, (ii)
landlord, warehouse and materialmen's liens and (ii) other Encumbrances
similar to clauses (i) and (ii); provided, however, that any or all of the
foregoing do not materially affect the utility or value of the Assets or other
matters to which they relate.
"Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability
company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity, or
a Governmental Entity.
"Plan" means any plan, program or arrangement, whether or not written, that
is or was an "employee benefit plan" as such term is defined in Section 3(3)
of ERISA and (a) which was or is established or maintained by the Company or
any Subsidiary; (b) to which the Company or any Subsidiary contributed or was
obligated to contribute or to fund or provide benefits; or (c) which provides
or promises benefits to any person who performs or who has performed services
for the Company or any Subsidiary and because of those services is or has been
(i) a participant therein or (ii) entitled to benefits thereunder.
"Post-Signing Returns" is defined in Section 5.03.
"Preferred Liquidation Preference" means the amount to be paid upon
liquidation of the Series A Preferred Stock in accordance with the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation.
"Principal Company Stockholders" means the following stockholders of the
Company; M/C Investors L.L.C., Media/Communications Partners III Limited
Partnership, Timothy T. Devine, Kenneth A. Kirley, Nicholas Lenoci, Jr.,
Charles M. Osborne and Scott A. Rediger.
"Proxy Statement" is defined in Section 6.01(a).
"Qualified Plan" means a Pension Plan that satisfies, or is intended by the
Company to satisfy, the requirements for Tax qualification described in
Section 401 of the Code.
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<PAGE>
"Real Property" means the real property owned in fee by the Company or any
of the Subsidiaries as of December 31, 1996, and any additional real property
owned since that date, and, for purposes of Section 3.33, any real property
formerly owned by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except non-material
Agreements allowing the installation, maintenance or operation of the
Company's or the Subsidiaries' fiber optic network on, over, under or across a
specific parcel of real property.
"Registration Statement" is defined in Section 6.01(a).
"Representative" is defined in Section 2.01(a)(i).
"Scheduled Closing Date" is defined in Section 2.05.
"SEC" means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and its
successors.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all Laws
promulgated pursuant thereto or in connection therewith.
"Significant Subsidiary" means any subsidiary of Acquiror disclosed in its
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and any other subsidiary that would
constitute a "Significant Subsidiary" of Acquiror within the meaning of Rule
1-02 of Regulation S-X of the SEC.
"Statutory-Waiver Plan" means a Pension Plan that is not subject to Title I,
Subtitle B, Part 3, of ERISA (concerning "funding").
"Stock Adjustment Amount" is defined in Section 2.01(a)(iv).
"Stockholders' Agreement" is defined in the Preamble to the Agreement.
"Stock Option Exchange Ratio" is defined in Section 2.04.
"Subsidiary" means a corporation, partnership, joint venture or other entity
of which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, at least 50% of the
outstanding securities or other interests the holders of which are generally
entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing
body or otherwise exercise Control of such entity.
"Survey" means a current, as-built survey of each parcel of the Real
Property.
"System" means the telecommunication system described in the Confidential
Offering Memorandum (relating to certain senior credit facilities) dated
December 1998.
"Taxes" (including the terms "Tax" and "Taxing") means all federal, state,
local and foreign taxes (including, without limitation, income, profit,
franchise, sales, use, real property, personal property, ad valorem, excise,
employment, social security and wage withholding taxes) and installments of
estimated taxes, assessments, deficiencies, levies, imports, duties, license
fees, registration fees, withholdings, or other similar charges of every kind,
character or description imposed by any Governmental Entity, and any interest,
penalties or additions to tax imposed thereon or in connection therewith but
does not include municipal or county franchise fees or similar payments due or
payable in connection with the construction of the System.
"Tax Returns" means all federal, state, local, foreign and other applicable
returns, declarations, reports and information statements with respect to
Taxes required to be filed with the IRS or any other Governmental Entity or
Tax authority or agency, including, without limitation, consolidated, combined
and unitary tax returns.
"Title I Plan" means a Plan that is subject to Title I of ERISA.
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APPENDICES
<PAGE>
"Unaudited Balance Sheets" is defined in Section 3.08(a).
"Unaudited Financial Statements" is defined in Section 3.08(a).
"Welfare Plan" means an "employee welfare benefit plan" as such term is
defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA.
"Year 2000 Compliant" means that neither performance nor functionality is
affected by dates prior to, during or after the year 2000; in particular (i)
no value for current date will cause any interruption in operation; (ii) date-
based functionality must behave consistently for dates before, during and
after the year 2000; (iii) in all interfaces and data storage, the century in
any date is specified either explicitly or by unambiguous algorithms or
inferencing rules; and (iv) the year 2000 must be recognized as a leap year.
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APPENDICES
<PAGE>
In Witness Whereof, Acquiror, Acquiror Sub, the Company and each of the
Principal Company Stockholders have only executed and delivered or have caused
this Merger Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first
written above.
McleodUSA Incorporated
/s/ Stephen C. Gray
By: _________________________________
Name: Stephen C. Gray
Title: President
Bravo Acquisition Corporation
/s/ Stephen C. Gray
By: _________________________________
Name: Stephen C. Gray
Title: President
Ovation Communications, Inc.
/s/ Timothy T. Devine
By: _________________________________
Name: Timothy T. Devine
Title: President and CEO
M/C Investors L.L.C.
/s/ James F. Wade
By: _________________________________
Name: James F. Wade
Title:
A-69
APPENDICES
<PAGE>
Media/Communications Partners III Limited
Partnership
By: M/C III L.L.C., its General Partner
/s/ James F. Wade
_____________________________________
James F. Wade
Title:
/s/ Timothy T. Devine
_____________________________________
Timothy T. Devine
/s/ Kenneth A. Kirley
_____________________________________
Kenneth A. Kirley
/s/ Nicholas Lenoci, Jr.
_____________________________________
Nicholas Lenoci, Jr.
/s/ Charles M. Osborne
_____________________________________
Charles M. Osborne
/s/ Scott A. Rediger
_____________________________________
Scott A. Rediger
A-70
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<PAGE>
APPENDIX B
SECTION 262 OF THE DELAWARE
GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
262 APPRAISAL RIGHTS - (a) Any stockholder of a corporation of this State
who holds shares of stock on the date of the making of a demand pursuant to
subsection (d) of this section with respect to such shares, who continuously
holds such shares through the effective date of the merger or consolidation, who
has otherwise complied with subsection (d) of this section and who has neither
voted in favor of the merger or consolidation nor consented thereto in writing
pursuant to 228 of this title shall be entitled to an appraisal by the Court of
Chancery of the fair value of the stockholder's shares of stock under the
circumstances described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. As used in
this section, the word "stockholder" means a holder of record of stock in a
stock corporation and also a member of record of a nonstock corporation; the
words "stock" and "share" mean and include what is ordinarily meant by those
words and also membership or membership interest of a member of a nonstock
corporation; and the words "depository receipt" mean a receipt or other
instrument issued by a depository representing an interest in one or more
shares, or fractions thereof, solely of stock of a corporation, which stock is
deposited with the depository.
(b) Appraisal rights shall be available for the shares of any class or
series of stock of a constituent corporation in a merger or consolidation to be
effected pursuant to 251 (other than a merger effected pursuant to (S)251(g) of
this title), (S)252, (S)254, (S)257, (S)258, (S)263 or (S)264 of this title:
(1) Provided, however, that no appraisal rights under this section shall
be available for the shares of any class or series of stock, which stock, or
depository receipts in respect thereof, at the record date fixed to determine
the stockholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the meeting of
stockholders to act upon the agreement of merger or consolidation, were either
(i) listed on a national securities exchange or designated as a national market
system security on an interdealer quotation system by the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. or (ii) held of record by more than 2,000 holders;
and further provided that no appraisal rights shall be available for any shares
of stock of the constituent corporation surviving a merger if the merger did not
require for its approval the vote of the stockholders of the surviving
corporation as provided in subsection (f) of (S) 251 of this title.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, appraisal rights
under this section shall be available for the shares of any class or series of
stock of a constituent corporation if the holders thereof are required by the
terms of an agreement of merger or consolidation pursuant to (S)(S)251, 252,
254, 257, 258, 263 and 264 of this title to accept for such stock anything
except:
a. Shares of stock of the corporation surviving or resulting from such
merger or consolidation, or depository receipts in respect thereof;
b. Shares of stock of any other corporation, or depository receipts in
respect thereof, which shares of stock (or depository receipts in respect
thereof) or depository receipts at the effective date of the merger or
consolidation will be either listed on a national securities exchange or
designated as a national market system security on an interdealer quotation
system by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or held of record
by more than 2,000 holders;
c. Cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional depository receipts
described in the foregoing subparagraphs a. and b. of this paragraph; or
d. Any combination of the shares of stock, depository receipts and cash
in lieu of fractional shares or fractional depository receipts described in the
foregoing subparagraphs a., b. and c. of this paragraph.
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<PAGE>
(3) In the event all of the stock of a subsidiary Delaware corporation
party to a merger effected under (S)253 of this title is not owned by the parent
corporation immediately prior to the merger, appraisal rights shall be available
for the shares of the subsidiary Delaware corporation.
(c) Any corporation may provide in its certificate of incorporation that
appraisal rights under this section shall be available for the shares of any
class or series of its stock as a result of an amendment to its certificate of
incorporation, any merger or consolidation in which the corporation is a
constituent corporation or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of
the corporation. If the certificate of incorporation contains such a provision,
the procedures of this section, including those set forth in subsections (d) and
(e) of this section, shall apply as nearly as is practicable.
(d) Appraisal rights shall be perfected as follows:
(1) If a proposed merger or consolidation for which appraisal rights are
provided under this section is to be submitted for approval at a meeting of
stockholders, the corporation, not less than 20 days prior to the meeting, shall
notify each of its stockholders who was such on the record date for such meeting
with respect to shares for which appraisal rights are available pursuant to
subsections (b) or (c) hereof that appraisal rights are available for any or all
of the shares of the constituent corporations, and shall include in such notice
a copy of this section. Each stockholder electing to demand the appraisal of
such stockholder's shares shall deliver to the corporation, before the taking of
the vote on the merger or consolidation, a written demand for appraisal of such
stockholder's shares. Such demand will be sufficient if it reasonably informs
the corporation of the identity of the stockholder and that the stockholder
intends thereby to demand the appraisal of such stockholder's shares. A proxy or
vote against the merger or consolidation shall not constitute such a demand. A
stockholder electing to take such action must do so by a separate written demand
as herein provided. Within 10 days after the effective date of such merger or
consolidation, the surviving or resulting corporation shall notify each
stockholder of each constituent corporation who has complied with this
subsection and has not voted in favor of or consented to the merger or
consolidation of the date that the merger or consolidation has become effective;
or
(2) If the merger or consolidation was approved pursuant to (S)228 or (S)
253 of this title, each constituent corporation, either before the effective
date of the merger or consolidation or within ten days thereafter, shall notify
each of the holders of any class or series of stock of such constituent
corporation who are entitled to appraisal rights of the approval of the merger
or consolidation and that appraisal rights are available for any or all shares
of such class or series of stock of such constituent corporation, and shall
include in such notice a copy of this section; provided that, if the notice is
given on or after the effective date of the merger or consolidation, such notice
shall be given by the surviving or resulting corporation to all such holders of
any class or series of stock of a constituent corporation that are entitled to
appraisal rights. Such notice may, and, if given on or after the effective date
of the merger or consolidation, shall, also notify such stockholders of the
effective date of the merger or consolidation. Any stockholder entitled to
appraisal rights may, within 20 days after the date of mailing of such notice,
demand in writing from the surviving or resulting corporation the appraisal of
such holder's shares. Such demand will be sufficient if it reasonably informs
the corporation of the identity of the stockholder and that the stockholder
intends thereby to demand the appraisal of such holder's shares. If such notice
did not notify stockholders of the effective date of the merger or
consolidation, either (i) each such constituent corporation shall send a second
notice before the effective date of the merger or consolidation notifying each
of the holders of any class or series of stock of such constituent corporation
that are entitled to appraisal rights of the effective date of the merger or
consolidation or (ii) the surviving or resulting corporation shall send such a
second notice to all such holders on or within 10 days after such effective
date; provided, however, that if such second notice is sent more than 20 days
following the sending of the first notice, such second notice need only be sent
to each stockholder who is entitled to appraisal rights and who has
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demanded appraisal of such holder's shares in accordance with this subsection.
An affidavit of the secretary or assistant secretary or of the transfer agent of
the corporation that is required to give either notice that such notice has been
given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts
stated therein. For purposes of determining the stockholders entitled to receive
either notice, each constituent corporation may fix, in advance, a record date
that shall be not more than 10 days prior to the date the notice is given,
provided, that if the notice is given on or after the effective date of the
merger or consolidation, the record date shall be such effective date. If no
record date is fixed and the notice is given prior to the effective date, the
record date shall be the close of business on the day next preceding the day on
which the notice is given.
(e) Within 120 days after the effective date of the merger or
consolidation, the surviving or resulting corporation or any stockholder who has
complied with subsections (a) and (d) hereof and who is otherwise entitled to
appraisal rights, may file a petition in the Court of Chancery demanding a
determination of the value of the stock of all such stockholders.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time within 60 days after the effective
date of the merger or consolidation, any stockholder shall have the right to
withdraw such stockholder's demand for appraisal and to accept the terms offered
upon the merger or consolidation. Within 120 days after the effective date of
the merger or consolidation, any stockholder who has complied with the
requirements of subsections (a) and (d) hereof, upon written request, shall be
entitled to receive from the corporation surviving the merger or resulting from
the consolidation a statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares not
voted in favor of the merger or consolidation and with respect to which demands
for appraisal have been received and aggregate number of holders of such shares.
Such written statement shall be mailed to the stockholder within 10 days after
such stockholder's written request for such a statement is received by the
surviving or resulting corporation or within 10 days after expiration of the
period for delivery of demands for appraisal under subsection (d) hereof,
whichever is later.
(f) Upon the filing of any such petition by a stockholder, service of a
copy thereof shall be made upon the surviving or resulting corporation, which
shall within 20 days after such service file in the office of the Register in
Chancery in which the petition was filed a duly verified list containing the
names and addresses of all stockholders who have demanded payment for their
shares and with whom agreements as to the value of their shares have not been
reached by the surviving or resulting corporation. If the petition shall be
filed by the surviving or resulting corporation, the petition shall be
accompanied by such a duly verified list. The Register in Chancery, if so
ordered by the Court, shall give notice of the time and place fixed for the
hearing of such petition by registered or certified mail to the surviving or
resulting corporation and to the stockholders shown on the list at the addresses
therein stated. Such notice shall also be given by 1 or more publications at
least 1 week before the day of the hearing, in a newspaper of general
circulation published in the City of Wilmington, Delaware or such publication as
the Court deems advisable. The forms of the notices by mail and by publication
shall be approved by the Court, and the costs thereof shall be borne by the
surviving or resulting corporation.
(g) At the hearing on such petition, the Court shall determine the
stockholders who have complied with this section and who have become entitled to
appraisal rights. The Court may require the stockholders who have demanded an
appraisal for their shares and who hold stock represented by certificates to
submit their certificates of stock to the Register in Chancery for notation
thereon of the pendency of the appraisal proceedings; and if any stockholder
fails to comply with such direction, the Court may dismiss the proceedings as to
such stockholder.
(h) After determining the stockholders entitled to an appraisal, the Court
shall appraise the shares, determining their fair value exclusive of any element
of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger or
consolidation, together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid upon
the amount determined to be fair value. In determining such fair value, the
Court shall take into account all relevant factors. In determining the fair rate
of interest, the Court may consider all relevant factors, including the rate of
interest which the surviving or resulting corporation would have had to pay to
borrow money during the pendency of the proceeding. Upon application by the
surviving or resulting
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corporation or by any stockholder entitled to participate in the appraisal
proceeding, the Court may, in its discretion, permit discovery or other pretrial
proceedings and may proceed to trial upon the appraisal prior to the final
determination of the stockholder entitled to an appraisal. Any stockholder whose
name appears on the list filed by the surviving or resulting corporation
pursuant to subsection (f) of this section and who has submitted such
stockholder's certificates of stock to the Register in Chancery, if such is
required, may participate fully in all proceedings until it is finally
determined that such stockholder is not entitled to appraisal rights under this
section.
(i) The Court shall direct the payment of the fair value of the shares,
together with interest, if any, by the surviving or resulting corporation to the
stockholders entitled thereto. Interest may be simple or compound, as the Court
may direct. Payment shall be so made to each such stockholder, in the case of
holders of uncertificated stock forthwith, and the case of holders of shares
represented by certificates upon the surrender to the corporation of the
certificates representing such stock. The Court's decree may be enforced as
other decrees in the Court of Chancery may be enforced, whether such surviving
or resulting corporation be a corporation of this State or of any state.
(j) The costs of the proceeding may be determined by the Court and taxed
upon the parties as the Court deems equitable in the circumstances. Upon
application of a stockholder, the Court may order all or a portion of the
expenses incurred by any stockholder in connection with the appraisal
proceeding, including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and the
fees and expenses of experts, to be charged pro rata against the value of all
the shares entitled to an appraisal.
(k) From and after the effective date of the merger or consolidation, no
stockholder who has demanded appraisal rights as provided in subsection (d) of
this section shall be entitled to vote such stock for any purpose or to receive
payment of dividends or other distributions on the stock (except dividends or
other distributions payable to stockholders of record at a date which is prior
to the effective date of the merger or consolidation); provided, however, that
if no petition for an appraisal shall be filed within the time provided in
subsection (e) of this section, or if such stockholder shall deliver to the
surviving or resulting corporation a written withdrawal of such stockholder's
demand for an appraisal and an acceptance of the merger or consolidation, either
within 60 days after the effective date of the merger or consolidation as
provided in subsection (e) of this section or thereafter with the written
approval of the corporation, then the right of such stockholder to an appraisal
shall cease. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no appraisal proceeding in the Court
of Chancery shall be dismissed as to any stockholder without the approval of the
Court, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms as the Court deems
just.
(l) The shares of the surviving or resulting corporation to which the
shares of such objecting stockholders would have been converted had they
assented to the merger or consolidation shall have the status of authorized and
unissued shares of the surviving or resulting corporation.
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