<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000934549-18-000030.txt : 20180809
<SEC-HEADER>0000934549-18-000030.hdr.sgml : 20180809
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20180426172716
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000934549-18-000030
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20180426

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			ACACIA RESEARCH CORP
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000934549
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	PATENT OWNERS & LESSORS [6794]
		IRS NUMBER:				954405754
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		520 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE
		STREET 2:		12TH FLOOR
		CITY:			NEWPORT BEACH
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			92660
		BUSINESS PHONE:		9494808300

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		520 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE
		STREET 2:		12TH FLOOR
		CITY:			NEWPORT BEACH
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			92660
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
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<div><a name="s86a1a1e717c74e5dac609524120099c8"></a></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:4px;text-align:left;text-indent:576px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">April 26, 2018</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:0px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:4px;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">VIA EDGAR AND EMAIL</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:0px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Office of Mergers &amp; Acquisitions</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">100 F Street, NE</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Washington, DC 20549</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;">Attention</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">:&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Christina Chalk, Esq., Senior Special Counsel</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Folake Ayoola, Esq., Special Counsel</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:84px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:48px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Re:</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Acacia Research Corp.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:84px;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">PRER14A filed April 19, 2018 </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:84px;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">File No. 001-37721</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:84px;text-indent:-36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:4px;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Dear Ms. Chalk and Ms. Ayoola:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:0px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">On behalf of our client, Acacia Research Corporation (the &#8220;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Company</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8221;), we are responding to the comments in respect of the Preliminary (Contested) Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed by the Company on April 19, 2018 (the &#8220;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Preliminary Proxy Statement</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8221;) provided by the staff (the &#8220;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Staff</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8221;) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Commission</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8221;) by letter to Robert B. Stewart, Jr., the President of the Company, dated April 24, 2018 (the &#8220;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Comment Letter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8221;).  Together with these responses, the Company is concurrently filing with the Commission its revised Preliminary (Contested) Proxy Statement via EDGAR.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">The Company&#8217;s responses to the Staff&#8217;s comments are indicated below, immediately following a restatement of each comment in bold, italicized type.  For ease of reference, the headings and numbered paragraphs below correspond to the headings and numbered comments in the Comment Letter.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;">Background of the Solicitation, page 7</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:0px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">1.</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Staff Comment</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">:  Please expand your disclosure to summarize any material developments that transpired in the year-long search process that culminated in the appointments of Messrs. Davis and Falzone. For instance, to the extent applicable, discuss whether an independent third party consultant firm was used and whether multiple nominees were presented to the board. </font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;">Company Response</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">:  The Company acknowledges the Staff&#8217;s comment and has expanded the disclosure on page 7 to provide the requested additional information.  In addition, in response to the Staff&#8217;s comment, we respectfully advise that we have been informed by the Company that the Company did not use an independent third party consultant firm in connection with the search process conducted by the Board, and that no director candidates other than Messrs. Davis and Falzone and the Sidus director nominees were presented to the Board.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">On behalf of the Company, we hereby confirm the Company&#8217;s and its management&#8217;s understanding that they are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of their disclosures, notwithstanding any review, comments, action or absence of action by the Staff.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">If you have any questions regarding the foregoing responses to the Staff&#8217;s comments or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (212) 801-2222.</font></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:336px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Sincerely,</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:336px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:336px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;">/s/ Dennis J. Block</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:336px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Dennis J. Block</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">cc:</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Robert B. Stewart, Jr., President, Acacia Research Corporation</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Dmitriy Tartakovskiy, Greenberg Traurig, LLP</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div>	</body>
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