M&A Activity • Mar 28, 2024
M&A Activity
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Essential information pursuant to Article 122 of Legislative Decree dated February 24, 1998, no. 58 ("CFA") and Article 130 of the Regulation adopted by CONSOB with resolution date May 14, 1999, no. 11971 ("Issuers' Regulation") concerning the framework agreement entered into on 10 February 2024 by Diego Della Valle, Andrea Della Valle, DI.VI. Finanziaria di Diego Della Valle & C. S.r.l., Diego Della Valle & C. S.r.l., on the one hand, and Crown Bidco S.r.l., on the other hand
The essential information herein are an update as of 28 March 2024 of the text published on 15 February 2024 following LC Vista SCSp's adherence to the framework agreement and the contribution of no. 2,657,630 shares of Tod's S.p.A. into Crown Bidco S.r.l.
Please note that additions in the text are indicated in bold underlined, while deleted parts are indicated in strikethrough.
Pursuant to Article 122 CFA and Article 130 of Issuers' Regulation, the following is hereby disclosed.
On 10 February 2024 (the "Relevant Date"):
(A) Diego Della Valle, Andrea Della Valle, DI.VI. Finanziaria di Diego Della Valle & C. S.r.l. ("DIVI") and Diego Della Valle & C. S.r.l. ("DDV & C." and, together with DIVI, Diego Della Valle and Andrea Della Valle, jointly, the "Majority Shareholders"), on the one hand, and Crown Bidco S.r.l. ("BidCo" and, together with the Majority Shareholders, the "Parties") (company whose share capital is wholly owned by LC Vista SCSp, special limited partnership (société en commandite spéciale) ("LC Fund"), managed by an affiliate of LC10 International AIV, L.P. – a fund managed or advised by affiliates of L Catterton Management Limited – ("L Catterton")) and of which L Catterton is, on the date of this essential information, sole limited partner, on the other hand, entered into a framework agreement (the "Framework Agreement") containing provisions which are relevant under Article 122, paragraphs 1 and 5, letter b), c) and d)-bis, of CFA, relating to Tod's S.p.A. ("Tod's" or the "Issuer" or the "Company"), which concerns this essential information.
In particular, the Framework Agreement regulates:
providing for: (a) representation of BidCo in the Issuer's board of directors; (b) further governance and exit rights of the parties; and (c) certain limitations to the transfer of Shares (the "Shareholders' Agreement");
On 26 March 2024, LC Fund contributed into BidCo the above no. 2,657,630 shares of Tod's directly held by LC Fund, representing 8.031% of Tod's share capital and 4.603% of the voting rights exercisable at Tod's shareholders' meetings.
On 28 March 2024, LC Fund adhered to the Framework Agreement by a letter of adherence (the "Letter of Adherence") pursuant to which, effective as of the same date, it assumed all of the rights and obligations under the Framework Agreement upon LC Fund itself and directly assumed all of the obligations assumed by BidCo to cause LC Fund to carry out certain activities.
The shareholders' covenants contained in the Framework Agreement are relevant under Article 122, paragraphs 1 and 5 letter b), c) and d)-bis, CFA.
The Framework Agreement covers the ordinary shares issued by Tod's S.p.A., a joint-stock company under Italian law, with registered office in Sant'Elpidio a Mare (FM), Via Filippo Della Valle, no. 1, tax code, VAT number and registration number with the Register of Companies of Fermo 01113570442, with share capital equal to Euro 66,187,078.00, fully subscribed and paid-up, divided into 33,093,539 Shares, without the
indication of par value and with regular dividend entitlement. The number of voting rights that can be exercised at the Issuer's shareholders' meetings – as a result of the double voting, pursuant to Article 127 quinquies CFA, provided for by Article 7 of Tod's by-laws (the "Double Voting") – amounts to no. 57,740,201 as of the date of this essential information. The Shares are admitted to trading on Euronext Milan, a regulated market organized and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A.
Below are the parties to the Framework Agreement:
Pursuant to the Framework Agreement, BidCo undertook vis-à-vis the Majority Shareholders to cause LC Fund HoldCo to adhere to the Framework Agreement following the acquisition of the entire corporate capital of BidCo. As indicated in the previous paragraph 1, on 28 March 2024, LC Fund adhered to the Framework Agreement by the Letter of Adherence pursuant to which, effective as of the same date, it assumed all of the rights and obligations under the Framework Agreement upon LC Fund itself and directly assumed all of the obligations assumed by BidCo to cause LC Fund to carry out certain activities.
The Framework Agreement covers the Shares indicated in the following table, representing all the Shares owned by the Parties on the Relevant Date and on the date of this essential information.
| Parties to the Framework Agreement |
Shares held by the Parties | Shares covered by the Framework Agreement |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % share capital | Voting rights | % voting rights | Number | Voting rights | |
| Andrea Della Valle(1) | 268,716 | 0.81% | 537,432 | 0.93% | 268,716 | 537,432 |
| Diego Della Valle(1) | 252,000 | 0.76% | 504,000 | 0.87% | 252,000 | 504,000 |
| DDV & C.(1) | 4,166,139 | 12.59% | 8,332,278 | 14.43% | 4,166,139 | 8,332,278 |
| DIVI(1) | 16,643,057 | 50.29% | 33,286,114 | 57.65% | 16,643,057 | 33,286,114 |
| BidCo | 2,787,098 | 8.422 | 2,787,098 | 4.82 | 2,787,098 | 2,787,098 |
| LC Fund | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 24,117,010 | 72.87% | 45,446,922 | 78.70% | 24,117,010 | 45,446,922 |
| 21,329,912 | 64.45% | 42,659,824 | 73.88% | 21,329,912 | 42,659,824 |
(1) On the Relevant Date and on the date of this essential information, the Double Voting has accrued with respect to all Shares owned by Andrea Della Valle, Diego Della Valle, DDV & C. and DIVI.
BidCo undertook vis-à-vis the Majority Shareholders to:
Andrea Della Valle, Diego Della Valle and DIVI assumed the following undertakings vis-à-vis BidCo, from the Relevant Date and until completion of the OFFER (including any sell-out and/or squeeze-out procedures):
(i) not to tender their Shares, in whole or in part, to the Offer; and
(ii) not to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, the Shares held by them, in whole or in part, and not to create liens or grant any rights to third parties over the latter.
DDV & C. assumed the following undertakings vis-à-vis BidCo:
Each Party undertook vis-à-vis the others:
The Majority Shareholders further undertook vis-à-vis BidCo, starting from the Relevant Date until completion of the Offer (including any sell-out and/or squeeze-out procedures), not to:
shareholders' meeting convened to resolve upon the approval of the financial statements as of 31 December 2023
DIVI undertook vis-à-vis BidCo to submit to the Company's shareholders' meeting convened to resolve upon the approval of the financial statements as at 31 December 2023 and the appointment of the new board of directors:
The Majority Shareholders have, likewise, undertook vis-à-vis BidCo to vote in favor of the proposals referred to under point (i) above and the slate referred to under point (ii) above.
BidCo vis-à-vis towards the Majority Shareholders to use its best efforts so that the 3 directors designated by BidCo and included in the slate submitted by DIVI will resign from office in the event that the Offer is not completed.
The Majority Shareholders undertook vis-à-vis BidCo not to propose, and not to vote in favor of, any distribution, or payment, of dividends or reserves until 31 December 2024 (included).
In the event that the Offer is completed, but the conditions for the Delisting have not been met, the Parties undertook to exercise their rights as shareholders of the Issuer (including by voting in favor of the relevant resolution in the shareholders' meeting of the Issuer) and use their reasonable commercial best efforts to merge the Issuer into BidCo (the "Merger"), as well as to use their reasonable commercial best efforts so that – subject to the approval of the relevant Merger documents by the Issuer's board of directors – the Company's shareholders' meeting will be called to approve the Merger by: (x) by 30 June 2024, if the completion of the Offer (including any sell-out and/or squeeze-out procedures) occurred by 31 May 2024, or (y) by the date to be agreed upon by the Parties (and, in any event, within 18 months from completion of the Offer (including any sell-out and/or squeeze-out procedures)), if the latter occurred after 31 May 2024.
In the event that BidCo (jointly with the persons acting in concert) comes to hold - including as a result of purchases made outside the Offer - a stake representing more than 90% of the Issuer's share capital and/or in any other case the Delisting is achieved without execution of the Merger, the Parties undertook to exercise, upon BidCo's request, their rights as shareholders of the Company (including, voting in favor of the relevant resolution at the Issuer's shareholders' meeting) and use their reasonable commercial best efforts to merge by incorporation BidCo into the Company, within the time frame to be agreed upon by the Parties.
BidCo undertook to cause LC Fund HoldCo to purchase all of the Issuer's Shares - or, in the event of completion of the Merger, all shares of BidCo - with respect to which the shareholders of the Company (other than the Majority Shareholders and Minority Shareholder) were to exercise the withdrawal right to which they would be entitled as a result of the Merger and/or the amendments to the by-laws approved to reflect in the by-laws of the Company or BidCo (as the case may be) the contents of the Shareholders' Agreement and offered to the shareholders pro rata to their holdings pursuant to Article 2437-quater of the Italian Civil Code.
DIVI, BidCo and LC Fund HoldCo shall enter into, on the Delisting date, the Shareholders' Agreement, in the form enclosed to the Framework Agreement, as supplemented pursuant to the Minority Shareholder Undertaking.
Pursuant to the Minority Shareholder Undertaking, it is envisaged that, on the Delisting date, Minority Shareholder will enter into the Shareholders' Agreement, as amended to take into account the stake of Minority Shareholder.
In the event that the Delisting is achieved other than as a result of the Merger, as soon as practicable following the Delisting, and unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, the Parties undertook to: (i) vote in favor of amending the Company's by-laws so that to reflect, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the provisions of the Shareholders' Agreement; and (ii) cause a new board of directors of the Company to be appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Shareholders' Agreement and the new by-laws.
If, on the other hand, the Delisting is achieved as a result of the Merger, (i) the amendments necessary to reflect, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the provisions of the Shareholders' Agreement will be made to the by-laws of the company resulting from the Merger (i.e., BidCo) and which will be enclosed to the relevant merger plan; and (ii) LC Fund HoldCo will vote – in the context of BidCo's shareholders' meeting convened to resolve upon the Merger - in favor of: (a) the amendment of the by-laws referred to in point (i) above; and (b) the appointment of a new board of directors of BidCo, as of the effective date of the Merger, in accordance with the provisions of the Shareholders' Agreement and the new by-laws.
Subject to completion of the Offer and until the date until the date on which the Shareholders' Agreement will enter into force (i.e., upon Delisting), the following provisions regarding the composition and appointment of the Company's board of directors and board of statutory auditors will apply.
The Company's board of directors will be composed of 9 directors, including:
To such purpose, if it is necessary to appoint a new board of directors of the Company upon termination, for any reason whatsoever, of the Company's board to be appointed pursuant to paragraph 5.4 of this essential information:
In the event that a director of the Company appointed upon designation of DIVI or BidCo ceases from office earlier, for any reason whatsoever, DIVI and BidCo shall cause the directors designated by them respectively to: (i) appoint by co-optation - pursuant to Article 2386 of the Civil Code as well as in accordance with the by-laws, applicable law and the Corporate Governance Code - as a new director the candidate to be designated by the shareholder who had designated the director ceased from office; and (ii) submit to the first useful shareholders' meeting the confirmation of the director co-opted pursuant to point (i) above. In addition, the Parties undertook to vote at the shareholders' meeting in favor of the proposals under point (ii) above.
The Company's board of statutory auditors will be composed of 3 standing auditors and 2 alternate auditors, including:
To such effect, should it be necessary to appoint a new board of statutory auditors of the Company following termination, for any reason whatsoever, of the Company's board of statutory auditors in office as of the Relevant Date and as of the date of this essential information:
In the event that a statutory auditor of the Company appointed upon designation of DIVI or BidCo terminates from his or her office earlier for any reason, DIVI and BidCo – at the Company's shareholders' meeting convened to integrate the board of statutory auditors – will vote in favor of the appointment as a new statutory auditor of the candidate who will be designated by the shareholder who had designated the ceased statutory auditor, in accordance with the by-laws, applicable law, and the Corporate Governance Code.
The Framework Agreement is effective as of the Relevant Date and will automatically cease to be effective if, by 31 December 2024, the Offer is not completed.
The provisions of the Framework Agreement do not affect the control of Tod's, which is exercised by Diego Della Valle, owning, directly and indirectly (through DDV & C. and DIVI) as of the Relevant Date and as of the date of this essential information, no. 21,061,196 Shares (representing 63.64% of the share capital), granting no. 42,122,392 voting rights as a result of the Double Voting, representing 72.95% of the voting rights exercisable at Tod's shareholders' meetings.
A copy of the Framework Agreement has been filed on 15 February 2024 the date hereof with the Companies' Register of Fermo.
The essential information regarding the provisions contained in the Framework Agreement will be published, pursuant to Article 130 of the Issuers' Regulation, on Tod's website (www.todsgroup.com) on the date hereof.
15 February 28 March 2024
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