Further to the joint announcement by Ortho and Quidel Corporation
(“
Quidel”) on December 23, 2021 of the signing of
a definitive business combination agreement, Ortho announces that,
as a preliminary procedural step in the process of implementing the
combination, Ortho has scheduled a hearing of the High Court of
Justice of England and Wales (the “
UK Court”) to
seek the UK Court’s consent and directions to convene a meeting of
Ortho shareholders as part of the scheme of arrangement of Ortho
proposed to be made pursuant to Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006
(the “
UK Scheme”) for the purpose of implementing
the business combination (the “
UK Scheme Directions
Hearing”).
Under the provisions of Part 26 of the Company
Act 2006, a scheme of arrangement must be agreed by a majority in
number (the "numerosity" majority), representing at least 75 per
cent. in value (the "value" majority), of each class of scheme
shareholders present and voting either in person or by proxy,
together as a class at the relevant class meeting ordered to be
summoned by the Court for the purposes of considering the
scheme.
At the UK Scheme Directions Hearing, Ortho will
seek the UK Court’s confirmation that, for the purposes of voting
at the UK Court meeting of Ortho shareholders to be held in respect
of the UK Scheme, Cede & Co and GTU Ops Inc. (each a
“Depositary Nominee”) are treated
as a single class of Ortho shareholders (the Depositary Nominees
currently being Ortho’s only registered shareholders, who hold
shares as nominee for Depositary Trust Company and Computershare
Limited respectively). Ortho shall also seek the UK Court’s
directions to confirm that on the application of the numerosity
requirement, as each Depositary Nominee is required to cast votes
on the UK Scheme to reflect the instructions of underlying
beneficial holders of Ortho shares, each Depositary Nominee shall
be treated as a registered shareholder voting in accordance with
how a majority of the shares it is validly instructed by underlying
beneficial shareholders to vote are cast.
The UK Scheme Directions Hearing is expected to
take place on February 15, 2022. It is a matter for the UK Court as
to whether the hearing is in person, virtual only using Microsoft
Teams (or such other videoconferencing software as the UK Court
decides) or hybrid. The time of the hearing will be set out on HM
Courts & Tribunals Service’s website at
www.justice.gov.uk/courts/court-lists. Ortho shareholders who wish
to attend the UK Scheme Directions Hearing, or wish to instruct
counsel to attend the UK Scheme Directions Hearing and to make
representations to the UK Court on his or her behalf, should
confirm their intention to attend by email to
chanceryjudgeslisting@justice.gov.uk (with a copy to
IR@orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com) specifying their name and email
address, and if applicable, the name and email address of their
counsel. Any requisite videoconferencing link will be provided to
such parties directly by the UK Court.
You should note that this announcement has been
prepared in accordance with the procedure and guidance laid down by
the UK Court in Practice Statement (Companies: Schemes Of
Arrangement Under Part 26 And Part 26A Of The Companies Act 2006)
issued on 26 June 2020 but this announcement is not soliciting a
vote in respect of any meeting of Ortho shareholders, which shall
be held to seek the approval of Ortho shareholders to the UK Scheme
and for which specific instructions on voting and proxy voting
materials will be set forth in the definitive joint proxy
statement/prospectus to be issued by Quidel and Ortho relating to
the proposed business combination (the “Joint
Proxy Statement”) to be mailed to Ortho
shareholders of record in due course. Beneficial holders of Ortho
shares will also receive instructions on how to provide voting
instructions or obtain a legal proxy from their broker, bank, trust
or other nominee,
Further details of the implementation process,
including further detail of the expected timetable and the action
to be taken by Ortho shareholders will be included in the Joint
Proxy Statement which is expected to be published by Ortho and
Quidel during the first quarter of 2022.
Capitalised terms used but not defined in this
announcement have the meaning given in the joint announcement of
the Ortho and Quidel on December 23, 2021:
https://ir.orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com/news-releases/news-release-details/quidel-corporation-signs-definitive-agreement-acquire-ortho.
NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION
The information in this communication is for
informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase,
nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any
securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any
jurisdiction pursuant to or in connection with the proposed
transactions or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or
transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of
applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by
means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance
with applicable law.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION The documents filed with the UK Court in
connection with the UK Scheme Directions Hearing will be made
available on Ortho’s website at
https://ir.orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com as soon as practicable
after each document is filed at the UK Court in connection with the
UK Scheme Directions Hearing. If any shareholders have any
questions relating to UK Scheme Directions Hearing they are
encouraged to make contact by emailing
IR@orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com.
In connection with the proposed business
combination transaction among Quidel, Ortho and Coronado Topco,
Inc. (“Topco”), Topco will file a registration
statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “Commission”) that will contain a joint proxy
statement/prospectus and other relevant documents concerning the
proposed transaction, including, notices of the general meeting and
court meeting to be held in respect of the UK Scheme and other
relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. These
documents will also be made available on Ortho’s website.
YOU ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
(INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) WHEN IT BECOMES
AVAILABLE AND THE OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE
COMMISSION OR POSTED OR MADE AVAILABLE TO ORTHO SHAREHOLDERS
BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT QUIDEL, ORTHO
AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The joint proxy
statement/prospectus will be mailed to Ortho’s shareholders when
available. You will also be able to obtain the joint proxy
statement/prospectus (when it becomes available) and the other
documents filed with the Commission free of charge at the
Commission’s website, www.sec.gov. In addition, you may obtain free
copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus (when it becomes
available) and the other documents filed by Quidel and Ortho with
the Commission by requesting them in writing from Quidel
Corporation, 9975 Summers Ridge Road, San Diego, CA 92121,
Attention: Investor Relations, or by telephone at 858-646-8023, or
from Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Holdings plc, 1001 Route 202,
Raritan, New Jersey 08869, Attention: Investor Relations, or by
directing a written request to SVC Ortho-SVC@SARDVERB.com.
Quidel and Ortho and their respective directors
and executive officers may be deemed under the rules of the
Commission to be participants in the solicitation of proxies.
Information about Quidel’s directors and executive officers and
their ownership of Quidel’s common stock is set forth in Quidel’s
proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Commission on April
15, 2021. Information about Ortho’s directors and executive
officers and their ownership of Ortho’s ordinary shares is set
forth in Ortho’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Commission on March 19, 2021. These documents may be obtained free
of charge from the sources indicated above. Information regarding
the identity of the potential participants, and their direct or
indirect interests in the transaction, by security holdings or
otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy
statement/prospectus and other relevant materials when they are
filed with the Commission.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This announcement contains “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements and other
forward-looking statements in this press release by words such as
“may”, “will”, “would”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, or similar
words, expressions or the negative of such terms or other
comparable terminology. These statements include, but are not
limited to, the benefits of the business combination transaction
involving Quidel, Ortho and Topco, including the combined company’s
future financial and operating results, plans, objectives,
expectations and intentions and other statements that are not
historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current
beliefs and expectations of Ortho’s management and are subject to
significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from
those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause
actual results to differ from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements: failure to complete the proposed
transaction on the proposed terms or on the anticipated timeline,
or at all, including risks and uncertainties related to securing
the necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals, the sanction of
the UK Court and satisfaction of other closing conditions to
consummate the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event,
change or other circumstance that could give rise to the
termination of the definitive transaction agreement relating to the
proposed transaction; the challenges and costs of closing,
integrating, restructuring and achieving anticipated synergies; the
ability to retain key employees; and other economic, business,
competitive, and/or regulatory factors affecting the businesses of
Quidel and Ortho generally. Additional risks and factors are
identified under “Risk Factors” in Quidel and Ortho’s periodic
reports and registration statements filed with the Commission, and
will be identified under “Risk Factors” in the joint proxy
statement/prospectus when it is filed with the Commission.
You should not rely upon forward-looking
statements as predictions of future events because these statements
are based on assumptions that may not come true and are speculative
by their nature. Ortho does not undertake an obligation to update
any of the forward-looking information included in this press
release, whether as a result of new information, future events,
changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by law.
The UK City Code on Takeovers and
Mergers
The UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers does
not apply to the proposed business combination.
Investor Contact:
IR@orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com
Media Contact:
media@orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com
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