According to an SEC filing made by Motorola today (seen after the break), Motorola was able to get $3 billion more out of Google before they were acquired for $12 billion — even without any other bidders present. But it isn’t that simple.
Today’s report contradicts August’s, saying Andy Rubin actually assisted in the acquisition when he reached out to Motorola first. It was previously stated that Rubin has no knowledge of the acquisition until the buyout was close to being announced. Rubin and company reached out to Motorola to buy patents, after losing the Nortel deal according to the filing.
The story continues as follows: Motorola’s Sanjay Jha told Google that Motorola wouldn’t only sell patents, rather the whole Motorola Mobility sector. Motorola than rejected two of Google’s offers which were $30 and $37 a share respectively, until both companies finally settled on a final price of $40 per share. Google, it appears, was in a hurry to get the deal done and bid pretty close to Motorola was after in order to avoid going to a long, drawn out auction process.
SEC filing after the break:
In early July 2011, Andrew Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google, contacted Dr. Jha, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Motorola Mobility, to request a meeting to discuss the purchase by some of Google’s competitors of the patent portfolio of Nortel Networks Corporation and its subsidiaries (which we refer to in this proxy statement as “Nortel”) in an auction conducted by Nortel in June 2011, and the possible impact of and potential responses to the purchase.
After this initial contact, at meetings throughout early to mid-July 2011, senior management of Motorola Mobility and Google (Dr. Jha; Scott Offer, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Motorola Mobility; Larry Page, Chief Executive Officer of Google; Nikesh Arora, Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Google; Mr. Rubin; and Kent Walker, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Google) discussed the strategic direction of Motorola Mobility’s Mobile Devices and Home product businesses and the opportunities and challenges faced by those businesses.
The parties also discussed the impact of the Nortel auction, intellectual property litigation and the potential impact of such litigation on the Android ecosystem, Motorola Mobility’s patent portfolio and potential strategic options relating to the Motorola Mobility patent portfolio and Motorola Mobility, including the potential sale of Motorola Mobility to Google.
At a July 6, 2011 meeting that occurred during this period, Dr. Jha and Mr. Arora discussed the protection of the Android ecosystem and, in the context of this discussion, Dr. Jha indicated to Mr. Arora that it could be problematic for Motorola Mobility to continue as a stand-alone entity if it sold a large portion of its patent portfolio.
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Subsequently, on July 20 and July 21, 2011, Carl Icahn (who, together with his affiliates, was then the beneficial owner of approximately 11% of the then-outstanding Motorola Mobility common stock) and Daniel A. Ninivaggi, a director of Motorola Mobility designated by Mr. Icahn pursuant to that certain letter agreement, dated November 30, 2010, among Motorola Mobility, Mr. Icahn and certain of his affiliates, contacted Dr. Jha to express their view that Motorola Mobility should explore alternatives for the Motorola Mobility patent portfolio.
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On July 28, 2011, Dr. Jha, Mr. Arora and David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer of Google, met (with Mr. Drummond participating by phone) to discuss Google’s interest in Motorola Mobility, including its mobile devices and home businesses, the significant economic terms of a potential acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google on a preliminary basis and a process relating to the negotiation of the terms of a potential acquisition that would be both confidential and expedited. The Google representatives indicated that they were preliminarily considering a per share purchase price range in the high $20s or low $30s.
On August 1, 2011, Google sent a letter to the Motorola Mobility Board of Directors proposing an acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google for $30.00 in cash per share of Motorola Mobility common stock….On the same day, Motorola Mobility engaged Qatalyst Partners and Centerview as its financial advisors.
On August 2, 2011, the Motorola Mobility Board of Directors met telephonically, with representatives of Qatalyst Partners and Wachtell Lipton, to discuss Google’s August 1 letter. In light of the fact that management and Motorola Mobility’s financial advisors were still in the process of evaluating Google’s proposal, as well as other strategic alternatives that could hypothetically be pursued by Motorola Mobility, including the prospect of settling some or all of the intellectual property litigation, the Motorola Mobility Board of Directors made a decision to defer a definitive response to Google and instructed Qatalyst Partners to convey that decision to Google.
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From August 2 through August 5, 2011, Dr. Jha and representatives of Qatalyst Partners engaged in various conversations with Mr. Drummond and Mr. Arora concerning Google’s proposal during which Mr. Drummond indicated that Google was willing to improve the terms of its proposal but reiterated that Google’s proposal must be kept confidential and that a response must be received quickly.
On August 5, 2011, the Motorola Mobility Board of Directors met telephonically, including representatives of its financial and legal advisors, to discuss a response to Google. After consideration of a number of factors, including the then current status of the intellectual property litigation and the prospects of settling some or all of the intellectual property litigation, Google’s willingness to negotiate improved terms and concerns regarding the risks of an unauthorized public disclosure of the Google proposal, the Motorola Mobility Board of Directors instructed Qatalyst Partners and management to reject Google’s proposed $30.00 per share purchase price and determine whether Google would increase its proposed purchase price.
After the meeting, a representative from Qatalyst Partners contacted Mr. Drummond to reject the $30.00 per share offer and suggested that Google increase its proposed price to $43.50 per share.
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On August 9, 2011, Mr. Arora telephoned Dr. Jha to increase Google’s proposed purchase price to $37.00 per share.
Dr. Jha responded to Mr. Arora that he would be prepared to recommend that the Motorola Mobility Board of Directors consider accepting a proposed price of $40.50 or higher.
…on August 9, 2011, Google sent a letter to Dr. Jha increasing its proposed purchase price to $40.00 per share. The letter proposed that the parties immediately commence due diligence relating to the proposed merger and negotiation of a definitive merger agreement and be in a position to announce the execution of the merger agreement by August 14, 2011. The letter concluded by requesting a response by the close of business on August 10, 2011.
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At the meeting, the Board also considered, with advice from Motorola Mobility’s advisors, whether to solicit proposals from other potential buyers. Following this discussion, and taking into account advice from Motorola Mobility’s advisors, the Board determined, for the reasons set forth below under “—Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Motorola Mobility Board of Directors—Value Presented and Deal Terms”, that it was preferable to negotiate on a confidential basis with a single potential acquiror, rather than to conduct a private or public “auction” of Motorola Mobility.
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