EXHIBIT 99.1
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
HOUSTON DIVISION
| |
|
|
|
|
KENNETH H. KARSTEDT, Derivatively on
Behalf of NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD.,
Plaintiff,
vs.
EUGENE M. ISENBERG, et al.,
Defendants,
and
NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD., a Bermuda
corporation,
Nominal Defendant.
|
|
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
|
|
Civil Action No. 4:07-cv-00509
(Consolidated) |
NOTICE OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF DERIVATIVE ACTION, HEARING THEREON, AND RIGHT TO APPEAR
TO: ALL CURRENT RECORD HOLDERS AND BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF COMMON STOCK OF NABORS INDUSTRIES
LTD. (NABORS OR THE COMPANY) AS OF MARCH 6, 2008 (THE RECORD DATE) (CURRENT NABORS
SHAREHOLDERS).
PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY. THIS NOTICE RELATES TO A PROPOSED
SETTLEMENT AND DISMISSAL OF THE ABOVE-CAPTIONED SHAREHOLDERS DERIVATIVE ACTION (THE
ACTION) AND CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR RIGHTS. YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE
AFFECTED BY THESE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN THE ACTION. IF THE COURT APPROVES THE SETTLEMENT,
YOU WILL BE FOREVER BARRED FROM CONTESTING THE APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AND FROM
PURSUING THE RELEASED CLAIMS (AS DEFINED HEREIN).
IF YOU HOLD NABORS COMMON STOCK FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANOTHER, PLEASE PROMPTLY TRANSMIT THIS
DOCUMENT TO SUCH BENEFICIAL OWNER.
THE COURT HAS MADE NO FINDINGS OR DETERMINATIONS CONCERNING THE MERITS OF THE ACTION. THE
RECITATION OF THE BACKGROUND AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE SETTLEMENT CONTAINED HEREIN DOES NOT
CONSTITUTE THE FINDINGS OF THE COURT. IT IS BASED ON REPRESENTATIONS MADE TO THE COURT BY
COUNSEL FOR THE PARTIES.
Notice is hereby provided to you of the proposed settlement (the Settlement) in the Action.
This Notice is provided by Order of the United States District Court for the Southern District of
Texas, Houston Division (the Court). It is not an expression of any opinion by the Court. It is
to notify you of the terms of the proposed Settlement of the Action, and your rights related
thereto.
I. WHY
THE COMPANY HAS ISSUED THIS NOTICE
Your rights may be affected by the Settlement of the Action styled Karstedt, et al. v.
Isenberg, et al., Civil Action No. 4:07-CV-00509. Plaintiffs Kenneth Karstedt and Gail McKinney
(Plaintiffs), Defendants Eugene M. Isenberg, Anthony G. Petrello, Bruce P. Koch, Daniel
McLachlin, Martin J. Whitman, Hans W. Schmidt, Myron M. Sheinfeld, James L. Payne, Alexander M.
Knaster and Jack Wexler (Individual Defendants), and Nabors (Nabors and the Individual Defendants
collectively, Defendants; Plaintiffs, Individual Defendants and Nabors, collectively Parties)
have agreed upon terms to settle the Action and have signed a written Stipulation of Settlement
(Stipulation) setting forth those settlement terms.
On May 14, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., the Court will hold a hearing (the Final Hearing) in the
Action. The purpose of the Final Hearing is to determine: (i) whether the dismissal of the Action,
pursuant to the Stipulation, should be approved by the Court and a final judgment entered; (ii)
whether the Fee Award (as defined below) should be approved by the Court; and (iii) such other
matters as may be necessary or proper under the circumstances.
II.
SUMMARY OF THE ACTION
On February 6, 2007 and March 5, 2007, Plaintiffs Kenneth Karstedt and Gail McKinney filed,
respectively, Verified Shareholder Derivative Complaints against certain current and former
directors and officers of Nabors for allegedly granting backdated stock options. On March 20,
2007, the Court entered an order consolidating for all purposes the related actions and appointing
Co-Lead Plaintiffs and Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs. On June 28, 2007, Plaintiffs filed their
Consolidated Verified Shareholder Derivative Complaint (Consolidated Complaint). Generally,
Plaintiffs allege that the Individual Defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by
allegedly participating in the backdating of stock options and/or receiving backdated options,
unjustly enriched themselves, misused inside information to engage in stock transactions, wasted
corporate assets, mismanaged the corporation, and violated Sections 10(b), 14(a), and 20(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Rule 10b-5 by causing Nabors to issue false proxy statements and repurchase stock at inflated
prices.
Thereafter, counsel for Plaintiffs and Defendants (Parties) discussed the possible
resolution of the Action. Throughout the summer of 2007, the Parties engaged in extensive
arms-length negotiations and discussions with regard to the possible settlement of the Action. As
a result of these discussions, on August 29, 2007 and on multiple days thereafter, counsel for
Nabors and for Plaintiffs held formal mediation sessions before the Honorable Deborah Hankinson,
Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (Ret.). With the assistance of the mediator, and
outside of the mediation sessions, the Parties by and through their counsel, engaged in
extensive additional arms-length negotiations and in further good-faith discussions with regard to
the possible settlement of the Action. The Parties ultimately reached an agreement-in-principle to
settle the Action, subject to Court approval, on the terms set forth in the Stipulation.
All Parties and their counsel concur that the Settlement described herein is fair, reasonable,
adequate and in the best interest of Nabors and Current Nabors Shareholders.
III.
TERMS OF THE PROPOSED DERIVATIVE SETTLEMENT
The principal terms, conditions and other matters that are part of the Settlement, which is
subject to approval by the Court, are summarized below. This summary should be read in conjunction
with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the text of the Stipulation, which has been
filed with the Court.
To resolve the Action, and solely as a result of it, the Parties agreed as set forth in the
Stipulation as follows:
1. At the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Nabors Board of Directors (Board)
following issuance of an Order approving the Settlement of the Action, the Board shall adopt such
resolutions and amend such committee charters as necessary to incorporate the following provisions
into the Companys Corporate Governance Guidelines. Unless otherwise provided herein, these
provisions shall remain in effect for a period of three years; provided, however, that these
guidelines shall be of no further force or effect upon the occurrence of any of the following
events: (i) the primary trading market for the Companys common shares is no longer the New York
Stock Exchange or other United States stock exchange; (ii) there is a change in control of the
Company (as defined in the employment agreement for the Chief Executive Officer); or (iii) the
Company engages in a going private transaction or similar transaction in which a majority of the
shares of the Company outstanding on the date of this agreement are no longer outstanding.
BOARD COMPOSITION AND PRACTICES
Board Structure
(a) The Board shall maintain the position of Lead Director, with specific duties and
responsibilities, unless the Board appoints an independent Chairman of the Board, in which case the
Board will re-evaluate the need for a Lead Independent Director and disclose its conclusions about
the continuing need for such a role.
(b) Each current standing committee of the Board shall maintain its written charter, which
shall continue to be available to the public on the Companys website. The charter for each such
committee of the Board shall require that the Committee meet at least four times per year, except
for the Technology and Safety Committee, which shall meet at least twice a year. The Company shall
publish the intended dates of the regularly scheduled board meetings for the next fiscal year. If
extraordinary circumstances prevent any committee from meeting this requirement, that committee
shall meet as soon as practicable thereafter and the extraordinary circumstances shall be explained
in the Companys next proxy statement.
(c) The Board shall retain the existing provisions in the Companys Bye-Laws providing that
director nominees shall be elected by the affirmative vote of the majority of votes cast at an
annual meeting of shareholders. Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the shareholders of the
Company from approving amendments to the Bye-Laws to require greater than a majority vote.
Director Independence
(d) At least two-thirds of the members of the Board shall be independent directors, as
defined under applicable standards promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
New York Stock Exchange.
Director Education
(e) The Company shall make available on a regular basis to each member of the Board a schedule
of upcoming corporate governance and other director education programs
and shall encourage members of the Board to attend such programs at the Companys expense. On
at least a biennial basis, a presentation shall be made to the Board of Directors about recent
developments and best practices concerning corporate governance.
New Director and Process for Identifying Potential New Directors
(f) Within one year, the Company shall add one new director, who shall be independent under
applicable New York Stock Exchange and SEC requirements, and who shall be qualified and agree to
serve on the Audit Committee. In identifying, considering and appointing director candidates for
this directorship, the Governance and Nominating Committee or their designee(s) shall use the
following procedure:
(i) The Governance and Nominating Committee shall establish a set of criteria in conducting
the search for a new director described herein;
(ii) The Governance and Nominating Committee may authorize a nationally recognized search firm
experienced in director searches to propose qualified and experienced candidates to the Committee;
(iii) The Companys website will provide information regarding how any shareholder holding
more than five percent of the Companys common stock (qualified shareholder) may propose a
candidate, and the Secretary of the Company, after determining the proposal was made by a qualified
shareholder, shall promptly forward the name(s) of any such candidate(s) to the Governance and
Nominating Committee;
(iv) The Governance and Nominating Committee shall evaluate the candidates identified through
the processes described in this paragraph and recommend at least one candidate to the Board of
Directors;
(v) If the Board of Directors, in its business judgment, agrees that one or more of the
candidates presented to it by the Governance and Nominating Committee is
satisfactory, then the candidate may be elected to the Board of Directors pursuant to the
Companys Bye-Laws.
(g) The Company shall adopt a Charter for the Compensation Committee. The Compensation
Committee may review this policy from time-to-time and make such written amendments as it deems
appropriate in the best interests of the Company.
STOCK OPTION PLANS
(h) The Board shall adopt a resolution providing that the Company shall adopt a revised Stock
Option/Restricted Stock Award Policy. The Compensation Committee may review this policy from
time-to-time and make such written amendments as it deems appropriate in the best interests of the
Company.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
(i) At least annually, prior to the filing of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, the
Audit Committee shall meet with the Companys internal auditors and independent auditors to review
and discuss the Companys accounting for stock-based compensation.
2. The Stipulation also provides for the entry of judgment dismissing the Action against
Nabors and the Individual Defendants with prejudice and, as explained in more detail in the
Stipulation, barring and releasing certain known or unknown claims that have been or could have
been brought in any court by the Plaintiffs in the Action or by Nabors, or any of its shareholders,
against Nabors and the Individual Defendants relating to any of the claims or matters that were or
could have been alleged or asserted in any of the pleadings or papers filed in the Action or any
amendment thereof. The Stipulation further provides that the entry of judgment will bar and
release any known or unknown claims that have been or could have been brought in any court by the
Defendants against Plaintiffs or Plaintiffs Counsel related to any of the claims or matters that
were or could have been alleged or asserted in any of the pleadings or
papers filed in the Action or any amendment thereof or based upon or arising out of the
institution, prosecution, assertion, settlement, or resolution of the Action.
IV.
PLAINTIFFS ATTORNEYS FEES AND EXPENSES
Nabors, on behalf of all Defendants, has agreed, upon approval of the Court, that it will pay
or cause to be paid Plaintiffs Counsels fees and expenses up to the sum of $2,850,000 (Fee
Award), subject to Court approval. The Fee Award includes fees and expenses incurred by
Plaintiffs Counsel in connection with the prosecution and settlement of the Action. To date,
Plaintiffs Counsel have not received any payments for their efforts on behalf of Nabors
shareholders. The Fee Award will compensate Plaintiffs Counsel for the results achieved in the
Action, and the risks of undertaking the prosecution of the Action on a contingent basis. The
Settlement, however, is not in any way conditioned upon the Courts approval of the Fee Award.
V.
REASONS FOR THE SETTLEMENT
Counsel for the Parties believe that the Settlement is in the best interests of the Parties to
the Action, Nabors, and Current Nabors Shareholders.
A.
Why Did Plaintiffs Agree to Settle?
Plaintiffs Counsel conducted an extensive investigation relating to the claims and the
underlying events and transactions alleged in the Action. Among other things, this included the
production of non-public documents by the Defendants to Plaintiffs and the interview of certain
employees or agents of Nabors. Plaintiffs Counsel have analyzed the evidence adduced during their
investigation, and have researched the applicable law with respect to the claims of Plaintiffs,
Current Nabors Shareholders and Nabors against the Defendants and the potential defenses thereto.
Based upon their investigation as set forth above, Plaintiffs and their counsel have concluded
that the terms and conditions of the Stipulation are fair, reasonable and adequate to Plaintiffs,
Current Nabors Shareholders, and Nabors, and in their best interests, and have agreed
to settle the claims raised in the Action pursuant to the terms and provisions of the
Stipulation after considering, among other things: (a) the substantial benefits that Current Nabors
Shareholders and Nabors have received or will receive from the Settlement, (b) the attendant risks
of continued litigation of the Action, (c) actions taken by the Company and its Board of Directors
in response to alleged options dating issues at Nabors, and (d) the desirability of permitting the
Settlement to be consummated.
In particular, Plaintiffs and their counsel considered the significant litigation risk
inherent in this shareholder derivative Action. The law imposes significant burdens on plaintiffs
for pleading and proving a shareholder derivative claim. While Plaintiffs believe their claims are
meritorious, Plaintiffs acknowledge that there is a substantial risk that the Action may not
succeed in producing a recovery in light of the applicable legal standards and possible defenses.
Plaintiffs and their counsel believe that, under the circumstances, they have obtained the best
possible relief for Nabors and Current Nabors Shareholders.
B.
Why Did the Defendants Agree to Settle?
The Defendants have strenuously denied, and continue strenuously to deny each and every
allegation of liability made against them in the Action, and assert that they have meritorious
defenses to those claims and that judgment should be entered dismissing all claims against them
with prejudice. In addition, Nabors has maintained that this Action may not proceed as a matter of
applicable Bermuda law. The Defendants have thus entered into the Stipulation solely to avoid the
continuing additional expense, inconvenience, and distraction of this burdensome litigation and to
avoid the risks inherent in any lawsuit, and without admitting any wrongdoing or liability
whatsoever or conceding that these claims may be properly maintained in the United States.
VI.
FINAL HEARING
On May 14, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., the Court will hold the Final Hearing before the Honorable
David Hittner at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston
Division, United States Courthouse, 515 Rusk Avenue, Courtroom 8A, Houston, Texas 77002. At the
Final Hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate and
thus should be finally approved and whether the Action should be dismissed with prejudice pursuant
to the Stipulation. The Court also will rule upon the Fee Award.
VII.
RIGHT TO ATTEND FINAL HEARING
Any Current Nabors Shareholder may, but is not required to, appear in person at the Final
Hearing. If you want to be heard at the Final Hearing in opposition to the Settlement or the Fee
Award in the Action, then you must first comply with the procedures for objecting, which are set
forth below. The Court has the right to change the hearing dates or times without further notice.
Thus, if you are planning to attend the Final Hearing, you should confirm the date and time before
going to the Court. CURRENT NABORS SHAREHOLDERS WHO HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE SETTLEMENT DO NOT
NEED TO APPEAR AT THE FINAL HEARING OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION.
VIII.
RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT AND PROCEDURES FOR DOING SO
You have the right to object to any aspect of the Settlement. You must object in writing, and
you may request to be heard at the Final Hearing. If you choose to object, then you must follow
these procedures.
A.
You Must Make Detailed Objections in Writing
Any objections must be presented in writing and must contain the following information:
1.
Your name, legal address, and telephone number;
2.
Proof of being a Current Nabors Shareholder as of the Record Date;
3.
The date(s) you acquired your Nabors shares;
4.
A detailed statement of your specific position with respect to the matters to be heard at the
Final Hearing, including a statement of each objection being made;
5.
The grounds for each objection or the reasons for your desiring to appear and to be heard;
6.
Notice of whether you intend to appear at the Final Hearing (this is not required if you have
lodged your objection with the Court); and
7.
Copies of any papers you intend to submit to the Court, along with the names of any
witness(es) you intend to call to testify at the Final Hearing and the subject(s) of their
testimony.
The Court will not consider any objection that does not substantially comply with these
requirements.
B.
You Must Timely Deliver Written Objections to the Court, Plaintiffs
Counsel, and Defendants Counsel
YOUR WRITTEN OBJECTIONS MUST BE ON FILE WITH THE CLERK OF THE COURT NO LATER THAN APRIL 30,
2008. The Court Clerks address is:
U.S. District Clerk
Southern District of Texas, Houston Division
515 Rusk Avenue
Houston, TX 77002
YOU ALSO MUST DELIVER COPIES OF THE MATERIALS TO PLAINTIFFS COUNSEL AND COUNSEL FOR
DEFENDANTS SO THEY ARE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN APRIL 30, 2008. Counsels addresses are:
| |
|
|
Darren J. Robbins
Ellen Gusikoff Stewart
James I. Jaconette
Coughlin Stoia Geller
Rudman & Robbins LLP
655 West Broadway, Suite 1900
San Diego, CA 92101
|
|
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &
Rosati, P.C.
Douglas J. Clark
Jerome F. Birn, Jr.
Gregory L. Watts
650 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304 |
The Court will not consider any objection that is not timely filed with the Court or not timely
delivered to Plaintiffs Counsel and counsel for Defendants.
Any Person or entity who fails to object or otherwise request to be heard in the manner
prescribed above will be deemed to have waived the right to object to any aspect of the Settlement
or otherwise request to be heard (including the right to appeal) and will be forever barred from
raising such objection or request to be heard in this or any other action or proceeding.
IX.
HOW TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This Notice summarizes the Stipulation. It is not a complete statement of the events of the
Action or the Stipulation. Although the Parties believe that the descriptions about the Settlement
that are contained in this Notice are accurate in all material respects, in the event of any
inconsistencies between the descriptions in this Notice and the Stipulation, the Stipulation will
control.
You may inspect the Stipulation and other papers in the Action at the United States District
Clerks office at any time during regular business hours of each business day. The Clerks office
is located at 515 Rusk, Houston, Texas 77002. However, you must appear in person to inspect these
documents. The Clerks office will not mail copies to you.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL, WRITE, OR OTHERWISE DIRECT QUESTIONS TO EITHER THE COURT OR THE CLERKS
OFFICE. Any questions you have about matters in this Notice should be directed by telephone or in
writing to Plaintiffs Counsel, Darren J. Robbins, Ellen Gusikoff Stewart, and James J. Jaconette,
at the address set forth above.
| |
|
|
DATED March 13, 2008
|
|
BY ORDER OF THE COURT
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS |