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[2008] FCA 704
Federal Court of Australia
2008-05-08
Siopis J
Original judgment source is linked above.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA DISTRICT REGISTRY WAD 75 of 2008
IN THE MATTER OF URANIUM KING LIMITED (ABN 34 119 187 816) URANIUM KING LIMITED (ABN 34 119 187 816)
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT 1 This is an application brought under s 411 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act) for orders for the convening of meetings of the members of the plaintiff, Uranium King Limited (UKL), to consider and vote upon a proposed scheme of arrangement (the Scheme) between the plaintiff and its members. 2 The Scheme seeks to effect a merger between UKL and a company, Monaro Mining NL (Monaro). Pursuant to the Scheme, Monaro will acquire the shares held by the ordinary shareholders in UKL and Monaro will then issue five shares in the merged entity for each seven shares acquired from the members of UKL. This will mean that the existing UKL shareholders will, after the merger, hold about 61% of the issued capital of the merged company. UKL will then become a wholly owned subsidiary of Monaro. 3 Mr Pendlebury, counsel for the plaintiff, has filed detailed submissions. He has referred specifically to the observations by Santow J in Re NRMA Insurance Ltd (No 1) (2000) 33 ACSR 595 at 601 (NRMA) and by Barrett J in Re Hills Motorway Ltd (2002) 43 ACSR 101 at 103 as to the role of the Court at this hearing. 4 I accept that the role of the Court at this stage is to examine the proposed Scheme to ascertain whether there is any aspect of the Scheme which, so far as can be foreseen, would prevent the Court from making orders at the approval stage if the necessary majority of the votes is achieved. 5 Counsel for the plaintiff has also identified each of the issues referred to by Santow J in NRMA (at 601) as the "threshold requirements" and counsel has addressed each of those issues in his submissions. I accept counsel's submissions. I have, accordingly, come to the view that this is not an occasion where the Court would intervene to prevent the Scheme from going forward for consideration by the members. I will have the submissions of the plaintiff marked as an exhibit so they will be available to any member of the public who wishes to peruse the Court file. 6 There are some other matters which Mr Pendlebury has brought to my attention. 7 The first matter relates to the existence of a non‑encumbrances clause in the proposed Scheme. Counsel has foreshadowed that he will deal with that issue, as has been done in other cases, at the approval stage. 8 A second matter which was also brought to my attention, is the fact that there are some shareholders who are resident in the United States of America, who will be affected by the implementation of the Scheme. That raises issues with respect to s 3(a) of the Securities Act 1933 (United States and Federal) and the exemption which is available under that Act. The question has been dealt with by Jacobson J in the case of Solution 6 Holdings Limited [2004] FCA 1049. Counsel said that he will address this question further at the approval stage. 9 The third matter was the fact that there is in existence litigation in the United States of America which affects the plaintiff. That issue is referred to in the affidavit of Mr Malone, a director of UKL. He said that the board of Monaro has reserved its rights to regard the existence of that litigation as a matter which qualifies as a material adverse change. I am satisfied, however, that there is sufficient disclosure of that possible impediment to the scheme proceeding in the scheme documentation. Further, the Monaro board is obliged to make its decision on this question before the date of the meeting of members for the approval of the Scheme. 10 I will, therefore, make the orders in terms of the minute. I certify that the preceding ten (10) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of the Honourable Justice Siopis.
Associate: Dated: 19 May 2008 Counsel for the Plaintiff: Mr MG Pendlebury