Item 1.01.
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Entry Into a Material Definitive Agreement
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On March 5, 2018, XL Group Ltd (“
XL
”) entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger (the “
Merger Agreement
”) with AXA SA (“
AXA
”) and Camelot Holdings Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA (“
Merger Sub
”). The Merger Agreement provides that, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will merge with and into XL in accordance with the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda (the “
Merger
”), with XL surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA (such entity, the “
Surviving Company
”).
At the effective time of the Merger, each issued and outstanding common share, par value $0.01 per common share, of XL (each, a “
Company Share
”) (other than any Company Shares that is (i) owned by XL as treasury shares, by wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company or by AXA, Merger Sub or by wholly owned subsidiaries of AXA (with certain exceptions)), including each outstanding restricted Company Share (unless otherwise agreed between AXA and the holder of the award), will be automatically canceled and converted into the right to receive $57.60 in cash, without interest (the “
Merger Consideration
”).
At the effective time of the Merger, unless otherwise agreed between AXA and the holder of an equity award, each outstanding performance unit will be deemed to have achieved the target level of performance and each outstanding restricted share unit, restricted cash unit and performance unit award, each in respect of Company Shares, will vest in full and be canceled and converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration, without interest. At the effective time of the Merger, unless otherwise agreed between AXA and the holder of an equity award, each outstanding option to purchase a Company Share (a “
Company Stock Option
”), whether vested or unvested, will be canceled and converted into the right to receive a lump-sum amount in cash, without interest, equal to the product of the excess, if any, of (i) the Merger Consideration, over (ii) the per-share exercise price of such Company Stock Option. Payments will be made by the Surviving Company without interest as part of ordinary course payroll and will be subject to applicable tax withholding.
The Merger Agreement permits XL to pay out regular quarterly cash dividends not to exceed $0.22 per Company Share per quarter and permits (i) subsidiaries of XL to pay periodic cash dividends on preferred shares not to exceed amounts contemplated by the applicable bye-laws or resolutions approving such preferred shares and (ii) subsidiaries of XL to pay dividends to XL or any subsidiary of XL.
The Merger Agreement contains various customary representations and warranties from each of XL, AXA and Merger Sub. XL has also agreed to various customary covenants, including but not limited to conducting its business in the ordinary course and not engaging in certain types of transactions during the period between the execution of the Merger Agreement and the closing of the Merger. XL has also agreed not to discuss alternative acquisition proposals with, or solicit alternative acquisition proposals from, third parties, subject to exceptions that allow XL under certain circumstances to provide information to and participate in discussions with third parties with respect to unsolicited alternative acquisition proposals. The board of directors of XL (the “
Board of Directors
”) also has the ability to change its recommendation of the Merger in respect of an alternative acquisition proposal that constitutes a “Superior Proposal.” In addition, the Board of Directors may terminate the Merger Agreement in order to accept an alternative acquisition proposal that constitutes a “Superior Proposal,” subject to the Company paying a termination fee. In each such case, the Board of Directors must determine that the failure to do so would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law. XL is also permitted to waive any standstill provision to allow a third party to make an alternative acquisition proposal to the Board of Directors on a non-public basis if the Board of Directors determines that failure to do so would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.
The Merger Agreement also contains certain termination rights and provides that, upon termination of the Merger Agreement under specified circumstances, including, termination by AXA in the event of a change in the recommendation of the Board of Directors or termination by XL in order to enter into an alternative acquisition agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal, XL will pay AXA a termination fee of $499 million (or $249.5 million under certain limited circumstances).
Consummation of the Merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the Merger by XL’s shareholders. Further conditions include the expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and receipt of certain other regulatory approvals, including approval of Bermuda Monetary Authority, the U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, the Society of Lloyd’s, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, the Central Bank of Ireland and insurance regulators in New York, Delaware, Texas and Louisiana, and the absence of any law, injunction or order restraining the Merger. XL and AXA make customary covenants to use their respective reasonable best efforts (subject to certain limitations) to take all actions necessary to cause the conditions to closing to be satisfied in the most expeditious manner practicable.
The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
The representations, warranties and covenants of XL, AXA and Merger Sub contained in the Merger Agreement have been made solely for the benefit of the parties thereto. In addition, such representations, warranties and covenants (a) have been made only for purposes of the Merger Agreement, (b) have been qualified by (i) matters specifically disclosed in XL’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“
SEC
”) since January 1, 2017 and (ii) confidential disclosures made in the disclosure letters delivered in connection with the Merger Agreement, (c) are subject to materiality qualifications contained in the Merger Agreement which may differ from what may be viewed as material by investors, (d) were made only as of the date of the Merger Agreement or such other date as is specified in the Merger Agreement and (e) have been included in the Merger Agreement for the purpose of allocating risk between the contracting parties rather than establishing matters as fact. Accordingly, the Merger Agreement is included with this filing only to provide investors with information regarding the terms of the Merger Agreement, and not to provide investors with any other factual information regarding XL, AXA, Merger Sub or their respective businesses. Investors should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants or any descriptions thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of XL, AXA, Merger Sub or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in XL’s public disclosures.
Item 5.02.
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Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
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On February 28, 2018, XL announced that Greg Hendrick, age 52, currently President, Property & Casualty, has been named to the new role of President and Chief Operating Officer of XL, effective immediately. With more than twenty years of experience at XL, Mr. Hendrick has held a number of senior positions, including Chief Executive of Insurance Operations, Chief Executive of Reinsurance Operations, Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth, President and Chief Underwriting Officer for XL Re Ltd and Vice President of U.S. Property Underwriting for XL Mid Ocean Reinsurance Ltd. In connection with Mr. Hendrick’s change of role, his target long term incentive opportunity will increase from $2,980,000 to $4,000,000.
There are no family relationships between Mr. Hendrick and any of XL’s directors or executive officers or any person nominated or chosen to become a director or executive officer, and there are no transactions in which Mr. Hendrick has an interest requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. In addition, there are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Hendrick and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Hendrick was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of XL.
On March 5, 2018, XL and AXA issued a joint press release announcing the execution of the Merger Agreement. A copy of that press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1.