Walkers Acts for Integra Group in First Petition to Cayman Court for Fair Value Determination of Dissenting Investor's Shares

GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman, Aug. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm Walkers recently acted for Integra Group ("Integra") in what was the first instance of a petition to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands (the "Grand Court") for a determination of the fair value of a dissenting investor's shares, following the successful completion of a statutory merger. This is the first decision of its type under section 238 of the Cayman Islands Companies Law, which is akin to a valuation or appraisal action.

The Integra case was heard over five days before Justice Andrew Jones QC and his decision in these proceedings gives the first indication as to the manner in which the Grand Court will handle certain key issues arising in these complex scenarios. The Cayman Islands merger framework is widely used, and this decision sets an important precedent of significant interest to all parties involved in merger or buyout transactions.

Walkers initially advised Integra, a major oilfield services provider in the Russian market on the management buyout transaction which completed in February of 2014 and subsequently in relation to the challenge as to the merger price by a small group of related institutional shareholders. Whilst the right to seek a determination from the court as to fair value in these circumstances has been a feature of a number of North American jurisdictions for some time, with a variety of different approaches adopted, this exercise is entirely novel in the Cayman Islands.

In this case, the deal was approved by a majority of shareholders at an offer price of US$10 per share, itself a significant premium on the pre-offer share price, and was supported by a recommendation by an independent committee of executives and a fairness opinion from a major bank. However, faced with a claim that the offer price was nevertheless insufficient, the Court turned to a significant body of expert valuation evidence. The Court signalled that it will take a detailed and objective approach to valuation having regard to all of the available evidence in order to determine the fair value.

The approaches taken by the Delaware and Canadian courts were considered helpful in looking at the dissent process, but the judgment is clear that there is no "one size fits all" model, the appropriate valuation methodology being a matter which would vary on a case to case basis. This decision remains subject to appeal. The full briefing note can be found here.

CONTACT:

Robert Hazelton, Walkers 
+1 345 814 4519 
[email protected]

Ben Tanner, Weber Shandwick 
212-445-8245 
[email protected]

About Walkers

From offices in the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dubai, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jersey, London and Singapore, Walkers provides legal, corporate and fiduciary services to FORTUNE 100 and FTSE 100 global corporations, financial institutions, capital markets participants, investment fund managers and middle market companies.

Widely recognised as a leader in the offshore legal industry, Walkers' industry awards include "Offshore Law Firm of the Year" by Alpha Magazine, The Lawyer, PLC Which Lawyer? and Asian Legal Business. Walkers has also been honoured as the PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook Leading Cayman Islands Law Firm, Who's Who Legal Law Firm of the Year: Cayman Islands and has shared honours for "Offshore Legal Team of the Year" by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

For more information on the Walkers, visit us on the web at www.walkersglobal.com or contact us by e-mail at [email protected]. To contact Walkers by phone, call our Cayman Islands office at +1 345-949-0100.

SOURCE Walkers