Delaware Court of Chancery Grants Expedition and Discovery in Hearing on Company's Last-Minute Expansion of Board
This is the Second Time the Board's Actions Have Presented a "Colorable Claim" Under Delaware Law
Crown Castle's Board of Directors Have Shown
Blatant and Cynical Disregard for Shareholders and the
Actions Highlight Years of Governance and Strategic Blunders That Have Cost Shareholders Tens of Billions of Dollars in Value
Court of Chancery Grants Discovery to Boots Capital Management to Investigate Whether Crown Castle Had "Legitimate Corporate Purpose" to Expand Board from 12 to 13 Seats
Court of Chancery to Hold Hearing in Early May to Assess Potential Shareholder Remedies, Including Potential Delay of Annual Meeting to Permit Adding 5th Nominee to Boots Capital Management 4-Person Slate
Court of Chancery Had Requested on
Boots Capital Remains Supportive of Appointment of New CEO
Seeks Normal Course Resignation of One Director Upon
In a hearing yesterday, Vice Chancellor
There is threat of irreparable harm in changing the rules in the midst of a proxy contest, Vice
The Court granted expedited discovery and a preliminary injunction hearing to be scheduled in early May, at which point the Court will assess Boots Capital's preliminary injunction motion, which will seek potential remedies including a potential delay of the
Vice
Boots Capital believes the Board willfully ignored the directives of the Court, which resulted in its latest challenge.
Boots Capital supports the appointment of
Crown Castle continues to pay
"The misguided corporate governance at the Crown Castle Board of Directors is on naked display for shareholders to see," said
"We call on shareholders to urgently tell the Board that its actions are unacceptable. It is time for change so value creation can begin in earnest."
On
Heyman Enerio Gattuso & Hirzel LLP, Woolery & Co. PLLC, and Equity Litigation Group LLP are serving as legal advisors to
The case number is 2024-0176-JTL.
INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACTS
Investors:
Morrow Sodali LLC
By Phone: 1-800-662-5200 or 203-658-9400
By Email: [email protected]
Media:
Gasthalter & Co.
By Phone: 212-257-4170
By Email: [email protected]
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information herein contains "forward-looking statements." Specific forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and include, without limitation, words such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "targets," "forecasts," "seeks," "could," "should" or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. Similarly, statements that describe the Participants' (as defined below) objectives, plans or goals are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions. There can be no assurance that any idea or assumption herein is, or will be proven, correct. If one or more of the risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions of Boots Capital (as defined below) or any of the other Participants in the proxy solicitation described herein prove to be incorrect, the actual results may vary materially from outcomes indicated by these statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Boots Capital or the other Participants that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated will ever be achieved. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and actual results may vary materially from what is expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by applicable law, neither Boots Capital nor any Participant will undertake and specifically declines any obligation to disclose the results of any revisions that may be made to any projected results or forward-looking statements herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such projected results or statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.
Certain statements and information included herein have been sourced from third parties. Boots Capital and the other Participants do not make any representations regarding the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of such third party statements or information. Except as may be expressly set forth herein, permission to cite such statements or information has neither been sought nor obtained from such third parties. Any such statements or information should not be viewed as an indication of support from such third parties for the views expressed herein.
CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PARTICIPANTS
Boots Capital and the other Participants (as defined below) have filed a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying GOLD universal proxy card (the "Proxy Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") to be used to solicit proxies for, among other matters, the election of its slate of director nominees at the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders (the "2024 Annual Meeting") of Crown Castle Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Crown Castle" or the "Corporation"). Promptly after filing its definitive proxy statement with the SEC, Boots Capital will forward the definitive proxy statement and accompanying GOLD universal proxy card to each stockholder entitled to vote at the 2024 Annual Meeting.
The participants in the proxy solicitation are currently anticipated to be Boots Parallel 1, LP, Boots, LP (and together with Boots Parallel 1, LP, the "Boots Funds"), Boots Capital Management, LLC ("Boots Capital"), Boots GP, LLC ("Boots GP"), 4M Management Partners, LLC ("4M Management Partners"), 4M Investments, LLC ("4M Investments"), WRCB, L.P. ("WRCB"), Theodore B. Miller, Jr. and Tripp H. Rice (collectively, the "Boots Parties"); and Charles Campbell Green III and David P. Wheeler (together with
Boots GP, as the general partner of each of the Boots Funds, and 4M Management Partners, as the investment advisor of each of the Boots Funds, may each be deemed to beneficially own interests in an aggregate of 784,009 shares of the Corporation's common stock, $0.01 par value (the "Common Stock") held in the Boots Funds (including 182,997 shares of Common Stock and interests in 601,012 shares of Common Stock underlying over-the-counter share option contracts). WRCB beneficially owns interests in 135 shares of Common Stock underlying a call option.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
BOOTS CAPITAL STRONGLY ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF CROWN CASTLE TO READ THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT, ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO SUCH PROXY STATEMENT, THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS FILED BY BOOTS CAPITAL AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, WHEN FILED, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE ON THE SEC WEBSITE, FREE OF CHARGE, OR BY DIRECTING A REQUEST TO THE PARTICIPANTS' PROXY SOLICITOR, MORROW SODALI LLC, 430 PARK AVE., 14TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022 (STOCKHOLDERS CAN CALL TOLL-FREE: (800) 662-5200).
1 See Transcript of Oral Argument at 91:15-24, 92:1, Delaware Action (
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SOURCE Boots Capital Management, LLC
