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petitioner.
CONTENTS
FINDINGS OF FACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A. Times Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
B. Changes in the Legal Publishing Landscape . . . . . . 6
OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
FINDINGS OF FACT
Background
A. Times Mirror
entity, and Reed Elsevier NV, a Dutch entity. Times Mirror held
publishing company.
National Affairs.
itself of Bender.
The law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (GD&C) acted as
presentation:
1. Hold
2. Divest
3. Swap
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expressed the desire of Reed and Times Mirror that Wolters Kluwer
and Reed would jointly investigate and prepare a bid for Bender
and/or Mosby.
Mirror’s strategic business plan for 1998 through 2000 and the
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Alternative Structures
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Planning Issues
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CAPITALIZATION
Introduction
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• Dividends
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statements:
# Structuring Goals
Bender.
following:
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made the following statement regarding the offer price and form
Times Mirror also informed prospective bidders that any bids for
Bender that did not incorporate the use of the CJV structure
did.
which the acquiror would acquire the target (with dollar amounts
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on transfers:
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manner:
LLC agreement:
manner:
acquisition:
accepted the use of the CJV structure for the Bender transaction.
Times Mirror also informed Reed that Reed would have to respond
accepted the use of the CJV structure for its purchase of Bender.
The April Bender update also included a section entitled “New Tax
resolutions, the board accepted Reed’s offer for Bender and Times
ARTICLE 2
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
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ARTICLE 3
DIRECTORS
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Acquisition Corp. The Agreement and Plan of Merger set forth the
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Bender transaction.
$1.4 billion “tax-free” purchase of Bender and (2) that the sale
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Consolidation
from his position as the authorized person of LBI. LBI did not
FINANCE REPORT
INTRODUCTION
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CAPITALIZATION AND
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Introduction
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($ Millions)
Total: $2,065
($ Millions)
Estimated Cash
Transaction Short-Term
Fees and Debt
Funds Location Gross Funds Expenses Reduction Net Funds
Total: $1,704
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
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7. Purposes.
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9. Management.
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10. Officers.
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15. Distributions.
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19. Resignation.
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21. Dissolution.
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29. Amendments.
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for MB Parent was filed with the Secretary of State of the State
ARTICLE V
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(d) Dividends.
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(g) Redemption.
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ARTICLE VI
preceding excerpt.)
provisions:
ARTICLE V
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(g) Redemption.
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(g) Redemption.
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ARTICLE X
ARTICLE XI
CERTAIN WAIVERS
account).
REUS and REBV owned all of the issued and outstanding common
MergerSub.
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voting power of MB Parent and had the power to elect four of the
Parent.
been completed, MergerSub merged with and into Bender under the
and with the same voting power, rights, and qualifications as the
Common stock
Shares owned -- -- 1,000
Percentage of class -- -- 100%
Percentage of vote -- -- 20%
interests in Bender:
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Common stock
Shares owned 792 198 --
Percentage of class 80% 20% --
Percentage of vote 16% 4% --
that time, Lexis informed Mellon Trust and Bank of America that
Times Mirror had replaced Lexis as manager of LBI and that they
accounts.
D. Closing
on that date.
From the time that the Bender transaction closed to the time
On July 31, 1998, the law firm of Richards, Layton & Finger
statements:
Introduction
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Background
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$ Millions
¹ At cost
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* * * * * * *
$ Millions
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
Investment Plans
Publishing (an LLC created for the Mosby transaction), the board
approved resolutions with respect to the use of the LLC and Eagle
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debt securities.
13.3 million shares of Times Mirror for between $750 million and
Resources-Background
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$ Millions
¹ At cost
($ Millions)
1999 2000 2001 3-year Total
Cash From Operations $383 $401 $434 $1,218
Capital Expenditures (201) (131) (120) (452)
Acquisitions, Net (300) (300) (300) (900)
Dividends (80) (83) (89) (252)
Annual Surplus/(deficit) ($198) ($113) ($75) ($386)
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Conclusion
statements:
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5. Declaration of Dividends.
; and further
pay the dividends that had been declared on its common stock and
REUS and REBV. MB Parent neither declared nor made any other
TMCT II, LLC, an entity formed for the purpose of retiring stock
1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, for 1998. Times Mirror
Form 1120.
Form 1120 for 1998 was Schedule L, Balance Sheet per Books, on
MB Parent did not report a value for its common stock on this
period ended June 30, 1998 (August 13, 1998, Form 10-Q).
General
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Exchange Act of 1934, which reported the events of July 31, 1998,
Form 8-K). Included in the August 17, 1998, Form 8-K was an
* * * * * * *
following statements:
proceeds from (1) the Bender transaction, (2) the sale of Times
transaction.
following statements:
OVERVIEW
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Discontinued Operations
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Share Purchases
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Acquisitions
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Dispositions
Note 4–-Reorganization
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statements:
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
GENERAL
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activity.
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Overview
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1999 Recapitalization
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Dispositions
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respectively.
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IRS Determinations
transaction:
under the following headings: “A. TMD CASHED OUT ITS INVESTMENT
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IN MB”, “B. TMD FAILED TO EXCHANGE ITS MB COMMON STOCK FOR STOCK
elaborated:
July 31, 1998, rather than the $52,964,160 amount that had been
than $1.1 billion and less than 80 percent of the $1.375 billion
paid by Reed.
Reed.
OPINION
Section 354(a) states the general rule that “No gain or loss
section 354 (or section 355) (i.e., boot) is received; the gain
which the merged corporation (MergerSub) merges with and into the
requirement means that the MB Parent common stock must have had a
triangular merger.
* * * * * * *
conclude that Times Mirror’s control over the cash in the LLC was
“separate asset”.
368(a)(1)(B) argument.
endorsed by GD&C and E&Y because that was the only way they could
following:
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Consolidation
* * * * * * *
was to itself. The LLC agreement dated July 28, 1998, contained
9. Management.
* * * * * * *
asserts:
* * * * * * *
shareholders indicated that the cash in the LLC would not be used
for working capital but would be used for repurchase of stock and
1998, as follows:
Bender were controlled by Times Mirror and were being used for
funds was the most important asset received. From the standpoint
1998.
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the structure was ultimately unwound, TMD would own MB Parent and
Times Mirror, was not common stock in MB Parent but was control
confirms respondent’s argument that common stock was not the only
consideration for the transfer and that the common stock, viewed
alone, did not have the value necessary for the transaction to
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Revenue Code.
agreed that the MB Parent common stock was worth $1.375 billion.
109 T.C. 133, 177-191 (1997), affd. 165 F.3d 822 (11th Cir.
1999).
conclusion that the management authority over the cash in the LLC
had far more value to Times Mirror than the MB Parent common
stock and the management authority over the LLC were inseparable,
which we conclude establishes that common stock was not the sole
that the fair market value of the MB Parent common stock ranged
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$337 million.
stock uncoupled from the management rights over the LLC. Zame
acknowledged that his computed value was not the same as fair
$1.1 billion and less than 80 percent of the $1.375 billion paid
by Reed.
Pertinent Precedents
progeny of Gregory.
provisions but held that “the tax consequences must turn upon the
Pinellas Ice & Cold Storage Co. v. Commissioner, 287 U.S. 462
90 T.C. 171 (1988), affd. without published opinion 886 F.2d 1318
case is more like West Coast Mktg. Corp. than like Esmark, Inc.
stock was the consideration being exchanged for the Bender stock.
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which were accepted by Reed when Reed concluded that it could not
opinion on other issues 142 F.3d 442 (9th Cir. 1998). In the
as discussed above, that the MB Parent common stock did not have
reliance on Frank Lyon Co. v. United States, 435 U.S. 561, 573
sale for use in its strategic plans, used the proceeds of sale in
the SEC that it had full rights to the proceeds of sale. None of
seller from the buyer, the Bender transaction does not qualify as
stock lacked control over any assets, its value was negligible in
Evidentiary Matters
sustained.
show that such representations were made, and we need not draw
Principles.
An appropriate order
will be issued.