[The following post is contributed by Yogesh Chande, Associate Partner, Economic Laws Practice. Views are personal] The Supreme Court passed an order setting aside the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) decision [and order of SEBI] on payment of “non-compete” fee under the erstwhile SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 1997 (SEBI Takeover Regulations) Background...
Supreme Court on the Sanctity of a Takeover Offer
Background and Facts Last month, the Supreme Court had the occasion in SEBI v. Akshya Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. to consider the narrow question of the whether “an open offer voluntarily made through a Public Announcement for purchase of shares of the target company can be permitted to be withdrawn at a time when the voluntary open offer has become uneconomical to be performed”, which it answered...
Buybacks and open offer – recent decision of SAT
Recently, on 21st November 2011, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) held that the increase in percentage holding of a person consequent to buyback of shares does not amount to acquisition and thus cannot result in an open offer. This is, in my view, a correct legal interpretation of the law (as also argued by me in an earlier post here). But SEBI had, in practice, taken a view that such...
Buyback and Takeover Regulations – Yet another development
See my earlier post on a recent decision of SEBI on whether increase in percentage holding consequent to buyback of shares would amount to “acquisition” under the Takeover Regulations. If that and earlier posts are reviewed, one would note that SEBI has taken a fairly consistent stand that such increase does amount to acquisition. Now, in a recent order granting exemption under the...
Buyback, increase in shareholding and open offer requirement
Yesterday’s decision of SEBI revives the discussion on whether an increase in shareholding on account of a buyback could result in an open offer. The issue can be explained mathematically as follows. A company, has, say, Rs. 100 of share capital. It carries out a buyback of Rs. 20 shares in which some shareholders do not participate fully. Since the share capital reduces to Rs. 80, the...
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