HGGC Commences All Cash Tender Offer for All Outstanding Shares of RPX
May 21, 2018
Previously-Announced Offer Price of $10.50 Per Share in Cash
RPX Corporation (NASDAQ: RPXC) (“RPX”) and HGGC, LLC (“HGGC”) today announced that HGGC’s affiliate, Riptide Purchaser, Inc., has commenced the previously announced tender offer for all outstanding shares of RPX’s common stock at a purchase price of $10.50 per share, net to the seller in cash, subject to reduction for any applicable withholding taxes in respect thereof, without interest.
On April 30, 2018, RPX entered into a definitive merger agreement with HGGC affiliates Riptide Purchaser, Inc. and its parent company, Riptide Parent, LLC, which was announced by RPX and HGGC on May 1, 2018, pursuant to which the tender offer would be made.
Riptide Parent, LLC and Riptide Purchaser, Inc. are filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) today a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase and related letter of transmittal, setting forth in detail the terms and conditions of the tender offer. Additionally, RPX is filing with the SEC a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 setting forth in detail, among other things, the recommendation of RPX’s Board of Directors that RPX’s stockholders accept the tender offer and tender their shares in the tender offer.
RPX’s Board of Directors unanimously recommends that RPX stockholders tender their shares in the tender offer.
The completion of the tender offer is conditioned upon, among other things, satisfaction of a minimum tender condition, expiration or termination of any waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and the applicable antitrust laws of Germany and other customary closing conditions. The tender offer and withdrawal rights are scheduled to expire at one minute after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on June 18, 2018, unless extended or earlier terminated in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement.
Pursuant to the merger agreement, after completion of the tender offer and the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, Riptide Purchaser, Inc. will merge with and into RPX with RPX continuing as the surviving entity (the “Surviving Corporation”), under Section 251(h) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, without any further action by any other stockholder of RPX. All remaining outstanding shares of RPX’s common stock will generally be automatically cancelled and converted in the merger into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to the $10.50 offer price per share net to the seller, subject to reduction for any applicable withholding taxes in respect thereof, without interest.
Upon the completion of the transaction, RPX will become a privately held company.
About RPX
RPX (NASDAQ: RPXC) is the leading provider of patent risk and discovery management solutions. Since its founding in 2008, RPX has introduced efficiency to the patent market by providing a rational alternative to litigation. The San Francisco-based company’s pioneering approach combines principal capital, deep patent expertise, and client contributions to generate enhanced patent buying power. By acquiring patents and patent rights, RPX helps to mitigate and manage patent risk for its growing client network.
As of March 31, 2018, RPX had invested over $2.4 billion to acquire more than 26,000 US and international patent assets and rights on behalf approximately 320 clients in eight key sectors: automotive, consumer electronics and PCs, E-commerce and software, financial services, media content and distribution, mobile communications and devices, networking, and semiconductors.
RPX subsidiary Inventus is a leading international discovery management provider focused on reducing the costs and risks associated with the discovery process through the effective use of technology solutions. Inventus has been providing litigation support services to corporate legal departments, law firms and government agencies since 1991.
About HGGC
HGGC is a leading middle-market private equity firm with $4.3 billion in cumulative capital commitments. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., HGGC is distinguished by its “Advantaged Investing” approach that enables the firm to source and acquire scalable businesses at attractive multiples through partnerships with management teams, founders and sponsors who reinvest alongside HGGC, creating a strong alignment of interests. Over its history, HGGC has completed over 90 platform investments, add-on acquisitions, recapitalizations and liquidity events with an aggregate transaction value of more than $17 billion. More information is available at www.hggc.com.
Notice to Investors
This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of RPX’s common stock or any other securities.
The solicitation and the offer to purchase shares of RPX’s common stock described in this press release will be made only pursuant to the offer to purchase, letter of transmittal and related materials that HGGC has filed on Schedule TO with the SEC, in each case, as amended from time to time. In addition, RPX has filed or will file its recommendation of the tender offer on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC. Additionally, RPX and HGGC will file other relevant materials in connection with the proposed acquisition of RPX by HGGC pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF RPX ARE ADVISED TO READ THE SCHEDULE TO (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9, AS EACH MAY BE AMENDED OR SUPPLEMENTED FROM TIME TO TIME, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO TENDERING THEIR SHARES IN THE TENDER OFFER, BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES THERETO.
Investors and stockholders may obtain free copies of the Schedule TO and Schedule 14D‑9, as each may be amended or supplemented from time to time, and other documents filed by the parties (when available), at the SEC’s web site at https://www.sec.gov, and from the information agent named in the tender offer materials. Investors may also obtain, at no charge, any such documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by RPX under the investor relations section of RPX’s website at https://www.rpxcorp.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the statements made with respect to the tender offer and related transactions, including the benefits expected from the acquisition and the expected timing of the completion of the transaction. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “goal,” “can,” “seek,” “target” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements reflect current views concerning future events, including the planned completion of the tender offer and the merger, and are based on a number of assumptions that could ultimately prove inaccurate. As a general matter, forward-looking statements are those focused upon anticipated events or trends, expectations, and beliefs relating to matters that are not historical in nature. Such forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to RPX’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of RPX. Among others, the following factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: (i) uncertainties as to the timing of the tender offer and the merger; (ii) uncertainties as to how many RPX stockholders will tender their shares of RPX common stock in the tender offer; (iii) the possibility that competing offers will be made, (iv) the possibility that various closing conditions for the transaction may not be satisfied or waived; (v) the risk that the merger agreement may be terminated in circumstances requiring RPX to pay a termination fee; (vi) risks related to obtaining the requisite consents to the tender offer and the merger, including, without limitation, the risk that a regulatory approval that may be required for the proposed transaction, including under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act) and the German Act of Restraints of Competition 1957, as amended (GWB), is delayed, is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; (vii) the possibility that the transaction may not be timely completed, if at all; (viii) the risk that, prior to the completion of the transaction, if at all, RPX’s business and its relationships with employees, collaborators, vendors and other business partners could experience significant disruption due to transaction-related uncertainty; (ix) the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the tender offer or the merger may result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; and (x) the risks and uncertainties pertaining to RPX’s business, including those detailed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in RPX’s public periodic filings with the SEC, as well as the tender offer materials filed by Purchaser and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement filed by RPX in connection with the tender offer. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include those set forth in RPX’s SEC reports, including, without limitation, the risks described in RPX’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, as amended, and in RPX’s Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q for its fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2018, each of which is on file with the SEC, and in any subsequent periodic reports of RPX. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and RPX undertakes no obligation to revise or update this report to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.