24.03.2008 13:00:00
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Icahn Group is Commencing Litigation Today against Motorola in Delaware Chancery Court
Carl Icahn and his affiliates ("Icahn”)
today released the attached letter to stockholders of Motorola, Inc.
(NYSE MOT), urging stockholders to elect Frank Biondi, Jr., William R.
Hambrecht, Lionel C. Kimerling and Keith Meister as directors of
Motorola at the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders of Motorola.
In addition, today Icahn is filing a lawsuit in the Court of Chancery of
the State of Delaware seeking a court order requiring Motorola to make
certain materials demanded by Icahn from Motorola available for
inspection.
Mr. Icahn stated: "Over the past 12 months the
statements and predictions of Motorola’s
management and the Board about Mobile Devices business have too often
proven to be wrong. We want to ascertain what the Board could have done
in the exercise of its fiduciary duty to assure Motorola stockholders
that Motorola’s statements and predictions
were not incorrect and would not provide Motorola stockholders with an
inaccurate perspective on the prospects for the Mobile Devices business.”
Mr. Icahn further stated: "We demanded these
materials for the purposes of enabling us to investigate whether and to
what extent the Board of Directors of Motorola failed in their duties as
directors in supervising management and setting policy and direction of
Motorola. We intend to share with Motorola’s
stockholders information obtained pursuant to the request as part of our
proxy battle with Motorola. Motorola has responded that they will not
comply with our demand.”
The materials that Icahn is seeking include, among other items:
any board and committee minutes and documents relating to (i) the
service and selection of Motorola’s senior
officers; (ii) the prospects or strategy of Motorola’s
Mobile Devices business; and (iii) the realignment of its business
regarding Mobile Devices, including the potential spinoff of the
Mobile Devices business
documents, if any, provided to Motorola’s
Board of Directors regarding matters disclosed in certain of Motorola’s
press releases and conference calls concerning the performance of
Motorola, particularly those that contemplated improvements or changes
in the Mobile Device business that have not materialized
documents, if any, showing the use of Motorola’s
aircraft and other property by members of senior management, the board
of directors and their families, including the use of the aircraft for
personal reasons - - including all records regarding reimbursements to
Motorola
The Icahn proxy statement with accompanying Gold proxy card will be
mailed to Motorola stockholders shortly. Stockholders are urged to vote
for Frank Biondi, Jr., William R. Hambrecht, Lionel C. Kimerling and
Keith Meister as directors of Motorola at the 2008 annual meeting of
stockholders of Motorola.
SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER
DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY CARL C. ICAHN, FRANK
BIONDI, JR., WILLIAM R. HAMBRECHT, LIONEL C. KIMERLING, KEITH MEISTER,
ICAHN PARTNERS LP, ICAHN PARTNERS MASTER FUND LP, ICAHN PARTNERS MASTER
FUND II LP, ICAHN PARTNERS MASTER FUND III LP, HIGH RIVER LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP, BARBERRY CORP., ICAHN ENTERPRISES G.P. INC., ICAHN
ENTERPRISES HOLDINGS L.P., IPH GP LLC, ICAHN CAPITAL L.P., ICAHN ONSHORE
LP, ICAHN OFFSHORE LP, BECKTON CORP., AND CERTAIN OF THEIR RESPECTIVE
AFFILIATES FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS OF MOTOROLA, INC. FOR USE AT ITS ANNUAL
MEETING, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROXY SOLICITATION. A
DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND A FORM OF PROXY WILL BE MAILED TO
STOCKHOLDERS OF MOTOROLA, INC., WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STOCKHOLDERS OF
MOTOROLA, INC. FROM THE PARTICIPANTS AT NO CHARGE AND WILL ALSO BE
AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE AT THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION’S
WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV.
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROXY SOLICITATION IS
CONTAINED IN SCHEDULE 14A THAT IS BEING FILED BY MR. ICAHN AND CERTAIN
OF HIS AFFILIATES WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MARCH
24, 2008, WHICH DOCUMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE AT THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION’S WEBSITE
AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. Carl C. Icahn 767 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10153
Dear Fellow Stockholder,
As we all are painfully aware, over the past 18 months, the market value
of Motorola has dropped by over $37 billion. More than $17 per share of
Stockholder capital has vanished under the "guidance”
and "leadership”
of the current Board.
Results in Motorola’s Mobile Devices business
have gone from bad to worse ---- all under the "stewardship”
of the Board and management that assured us during last year’s
proxy contest that they had a plan to right the ship, a "drumbeat”
of new products that would address the needs and desires of the
worldwide markets, a software and silicon strategy that would drive
sales and margins, and a management team that was up to the task.….
2008 was supposed to be a successful and profitable year in Mobile
Devices with the potential to achieve 10% operating margins in the near
future. Instead, the results are a Stockholders’
nightmare.
Last year I argued that Motorola needed true Stockholder representation
on the Board; unfortunately, we lost that battle in a close election.
Motorola’s Board and management made enough
empty promises to convince Stockholders to give them another chance to
get it right. They didn’t. What we got
instead was a year of revolving-door executives, a leadership vacuum,
and accelerating deterioration at Motorola’s
Mobile Devices unit.
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT – VOTE FOR OUR
NOMINEES
We now have the opportunity to elect four strong individuals with
superlative credentials to the Motorola Board. Three of these
individuals, Frank Biondi, Jr., William R. Hambrecht and Lionel C.
Kimerling, are independent of Icahn. In my opinion they would not only
bring substantial intelligence and experience to the Board but would
broaden its perspective and provide voices to challenge the chaotic
status quo at Motorola. But most importantly, as I said last year, I am
convinced that Motorola must
have a large Stockholder on the Board. Icahn entities currently own
approximately 145 million Motorola shares. Keith Meister is a top member
of the Icahn team and a principal in our funds, which manage over $8
billion of assets. He has been the Chief Executive Officer/Principal
Executive Officer of Icahn Enterprises L.P. since 2003, the stock of
which has increased from $8 to $80 per share during his tenure. He will
have 145 million reasons to advance all Stockholders’
interests. However, the Motorola Board, the members of which in the
aggregate own less than 1.5 million Motorola shares (excluding option
shares), - has found that Mr. Meister is not "qualified.”
It should be noted that the nominating committee never even deigned to
give Mr. Meister an interview, even though accepting Mr. Meister might
avert a distracting proxy fight – just
another example of the Board’s insular ways
and flawed judgment. One must wonder what it takes to be board "qualified”
at Motorola. Is it the ability to lose $37 Billion? And what "qualified”
Greg Brown to be the CEO? He certainly – as
far as I can ascertain – has no in-depth
experience or knowledge concerning the Mobile Devices business, which
was and is by far the major problem for Motorola. Hopefully, our
litigation with Motorola will soon reveal just how hard our "blue-ribbon
board” tried to find an alternative to the "qualified”
Mr. Brown.
I am convinced that Stockholders need to elect ALL of our candidates to
send a message to Motorola’s management and
remaining directors that the "status quo”
at Motorola and inside its boardroom is no longer acceptable. It is
essential to the future of Motorola that its directors realize that the
BOARD, especially at this precarious time, is NOT A COUNTRY
CLUB OR A FRATERNITY, and that truly "qualified”
people whose interests are truly aligned with Stockholders, are needed
on the Board in order to save Motorola. I urge all Stockholders to
exercise their voting franchise AND ELECT ALL FOUR OF OUR NOMINEES.
As you may know, the Board has finally announced that it is "studying”
a restructuring at Motorola, including a possible spin off of Mobile
Devices----a position that we have supported for months (in fact, in an
interesting " coincidence”
this announcement by Motorola came the day before we were required to
submit the names of potential nominees under the Motorola bylaws).
However, it has been almost two months and Stockholders, customers,
employees and vendors are still waiting for Motorola’s
"august” Board to
make a decision. Meanwhile, the Mobile Devices business is melting and
the Board is still "studying”.
Now is the time for action, not more indecision. It is therefore
especially vital that we have the right people on the Board to drive,
guide and monitor this restructuring and spin off process through to
completion. This will provide Stockholders the best opportunity to get
it right.
SPIN-OFF MOBILE DEVICES WITH A NEW STRONG CEO AND RESTORE THIS ICONIC
BRAND
We believe that Motorola’s Board and its
ever-shifting management team have proven themselves unable to fix
Motorola. Their oft repeated and ultimately empty promises of better
times ahead (see Motorola’s Record of
Failed Leadership below) leave us doubting that they either have, or
ever had, any real handle on what Motorola is doing and where it is
heading. MOTOROLA’S STOCK PRICE OVER THE LAST
YEAR TELLS THE STORY BETTER THAN ANY WORDS CAN.
We are convinced that two things are necessary to restore value to
Motorola Stockholders:
Spin-off the Mobile Device
operations to Stockholders as a wholly separate company with a new CEO.
The Mobile Devices industry is driven by unceasing innovation and
creativity, neither of which can exist in an organization subject to
constant turmoil. Mobile Devices needs a new CEO and new management
team free from the inept current leadership of Motorola. I believe
that no new "top-notch”
Mobile Devices management team will be willing to report to or be
involved in any way with the current Motorola management or Board. A
separate Mobile Devices company would have the independence and
flexibility that, in our opinion, are required to succeed and achieve
the potential of its iconic brand. Today, Motorola’s
stock price reflects no value for the Mobile Device’s
business. We believe that outside Motorola, with a new management team
and renewed vigor, its value to both Stockholders and the market will
become apparent.
Give Stockholders a strong and
capable voice in the Boardroom. I believe Stockholders
should not be forced to tolerate the erosion of the value of their
investment brought about by the lack of judgment and oversight of the
current Board. When you consider the statements and assurances that
management and the Board are sure to make in this proxy contest
remember the statements and assurances given last year. A strong
mandate from Stockholders electing all of our four nominees is, in my
opinion, absolutely necessary to save this once great American
company. Do not allow the past to repeat itself –
elect all four Icahn nominees with a clear mandate for change.
Empty Promises Motorola's Record of Failed Leadership
Consider the following statements made by Motorola’s
management and Board over the past 18 months:
October 17, 2006 - "With our new
portfolio of mobile devices shipping in volume this quarter…we
look forward to continued successes in the months and year ahead.” Motorola shares closed at $24.85. January 19, 2007 - "I am confident
that we remain well positioned for continued growth and success.” … "we will
continue to execute on our focused, strategic plan to create value for
our shareholders.” Motorola shares closed at $19.27. March 21, 2007 - "the actions that we
outlined in January were not progressing fast enough, if at all.” Motorola shares closed at $18.74. April 18, 2007 - "This is a great
business with a substantially growing market that requires a high degree
of R&D investment, supply chain excellence, a cost structure that
requires maniacal focus and flawless execution. We know how to do this
and have done it for almost three years.” Motorola shares closed at $18.22. May 3, 2007 - Your Board and management are also committed to
restoring the profitability of our Mobile Devices business, and are
executing a comprehensive plan for doing so. Mobile Devices is a great
business in a growing market, and your Board and management have a
strong plan for its success. Our plan draws our many years of
unprecedented success in this challenging market, as well as the
expertise of our newly strengthened management team. Together, we are
taking aggressive actions to improve the performance of our Mobile
Devices business.” Motorola’s shares closed at $17.73. July 19, 2007 - "In Mobile Devices we
did not achieve the level of sales and unit shipments that we had
expected, primarily in Asia and the Middle East and Africa. Europe, as
we have been saying all year, continues to be a challenge” Motorola shares closed at $18.22. September 7, 2007 - Mobile devices, as far as we're concerned, is
a double digit operating earnings business. We've been there, we know
how to do it, and we will do it again.” Motorola’s shares closed at $17.13. October 25, 2007 - "with …
the initiatives we are taking in Mobile Devices we will further improve
our performance and create long-term shareholder value.” Motorola’s shares closed at $19.30. January 23, 2008 - "We are …
working to get Mobile Devices back on track.” Motorola’s shares closed at $10.01.
As of the date of this letter, Motorola stock is trading at $9.25.
Mobile Devices has run through four unit heads. Its market share has
been almost halved since the fourth quarter of 2006. Sales have
plummeted. Operating income has fallen from $2.7 billion in 2006 to a
loss of $700 million in 2007 and increased losses are projected in the
first quarter of 2008. Meanwhile, Motorola’s
corporate leadership has been in constant turmoil. Motorola has had two
CEO's and three CFO's in little over a year.
The board of a public company is there to oversee management and help
guide the company, not man the turnstiles of the executive suite. A board’s
purpose is to provide stability and direction. A significant Stockholder
presence on Motorola’s Board might have
helped avoid the staggering failure of leadership at Motorola.
Stockholders have suffered and Motorola has been damaged. We are
convinced that your vote for our nominees can help prevent further harm. Consider the backgrounds of our highly qualified nominees: Frank Biondi, Jr.
Mr. Frank Biondi, Jr. is well recognized as a senior executive with
substantial experience, including nearly a decade as President and Chief
Executive Officer of Viacom, Inc. Mr. Biondi is a director of Amgen
Inc., Cablevision Systems Corp., Hasbro, Inc., The Bank of New York
Company, Inc. and Seagate Technology.
William R. Hambrecht
Mr. William R. Hambrecht is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of WR Hambrecht & Co., which was instrumental in persuading
Google to use an Internet-based auction for their initial public
offering. He also co-founded Hambrecht & Quist, an internationally
recognized leader as an investment banker to high technology entities,
with early involvement in companies such as Apple Computer, Genentech
and Adobe Systems. Hambrecht & Quist was sold to the Chase Manhattan
Bank in 1999.
Lionel C. Kimerling
Lionel C. Kimerling is the Thomas Lord Professor of Materials Science
and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 1993,
Mr. Kimerling has been Director of the MIT Materials Processing Center
where he conducts an active research program in the structure,
properties and processing of semiconductor materials, and since 1997 he
has been Director of the MIT Microphotonics Center. Prior to joining the
MIT faculty, he was Head of the Materials Physics Research Department at
AT&T Bell Laboratories from 1981 to 1990.
Keith Meister
Keith Meister has been the Chief Executive Officer/Principal Executive
Officer of Icahn Enterprises L.P. since 2003, the stock of which has
increased from $8 to $80 per share during his tenure. Mr. Meister also
serves as a Managing Director and senior member of the investment team
of the Icahn investment funds which manage over $8 billion of assets. He
also serves on the boards of directors of XO Holdings, Inc., WCI
Communities, Inc., and Federal-Mogul Corporation.
We urge you to support the election of ALL FOUR OF OUR NOMINEES. Help us
bring significant and, we believe, sorely needed Stockholder
representation, to the Motorola Board.
Sincerely,
Carl C. Icahn
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