UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 15, 2016
SANDISK CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware |
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000-26734 |
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77-0191793 |
(State or other jurisdiction |
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(Commission |
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(IRS Employer |
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951 SanDisk Drive, Milpitas, California |
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95035 |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
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(Zip Code) |
(408) 801-1000
(Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Not applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
x Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
SanDisk Corporation (the Company) held a Special Meeting of Stockholders on March 15, 2016 (the Special Meeting) to consider certain proposals related to the Companys previously announced acquisition by Western Digital Corporation (Western Digital). As of February 3, 2016, the record date for the Special Meeting, there were 201,014,443 shares of SanDisk common stock outstanding, each entitled to one vote per share. At the Special Meeting, a total of 156,001,719 shares of SanDisk common stock, representing 77.6% of SanDisks common stock, were present in person or represented by proxy, constituting a quorum to conduct business.
All of the Companys proposals were approved by the requisite vote of the Companys stockholders. The final results for each of the matters submitted to the Companys stockholders at the Special Meeting are set forth below. The proposals are described in detail in the Companys definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 5, 2016.
Proposal No. 1 To approve the adoption of the Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time, the Merger Agreement), dated as of October 21, 2015, by and among Western Digital, Schrader Acquisition Corporation (Merger Sub) and the Company, the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation of such merger (such merger, the Merger) and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the Merger Proposal).
For |
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152,899,154 |
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Against |
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1,924,343 |
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Abstain |
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1,178,222 |
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Proposal No. 2 To adjourn the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes to approve the Merger Proposal.
For |
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143,928,290 |
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Against |
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10,953,309 |
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Abstain |
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1,120,120 |
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Proposal No. 3 To approve, by non-binding, advisory vote, compensation that will or may be paid or become payable by the Company to its named executive officers in connection with the Merger.
For |
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147,770,170 |
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Against |
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6,547,553 |
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Abstain |
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1,683,996 |
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No other matters were submitted for stockholder action at the Special Meeting.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
The Company issued a press release on March 15, 2016 announcing the results of the Special Meeting as well as the results of Western Digitals Special Meeting of Stockholders held on March 15, 2016, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements included or incorporated by reference in this document, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on SanDisks current expectations, estimates and projections about the proposed merger, its business and industry, managements beliefs, and certain assumptions made by SanDisk and Western Digital, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as anticipates, expects, intends, plans, predicts, believes, seeks, estimates, may, will, should, would, could, potential, continue, ongoing, similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, references to the anticipated benefits of the proposed merger and the expected date of closing of the merger with Western Digitals wholly-owned subsidiary, Schrader Acquisition Corporation. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.
Important risk factors that may cause such a difference in connection with the proposed merger include, but are not limited to, the following factors: (1) the failure to satisfy conditions to completion of the merger, including the receipt of all regulatory approvals related to the merger; (2) uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the merger and the ability of each party to consummate the merger; (3) risks that the proposed merger disrupts the current plans and operations of Western Digital or SanDisk; (4) the ability of Western Digital and SanDisk to retain and hire key personnel; (5) competitive responses to the proposed merger; (6) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the merger; (7) the outcome of any legal proceedings that could be instituted against Western Digital, SanDisk or their respective directors related to the merger agreement; (8) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the merger; (9) the inability to obtain, or delays in obtaining, cost savings and synergies from the merger; (10) delays, challenges and expenses associated with integrating the combined companies existing businesses and the indebtedness planned to be incurred in connection with the merger; and (11) legislative, regulatory and economic developments. These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed merger, are more fully discussed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus that is included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with the proposed merger. The forward-looking statements in this document speak only as of the date of the particular statement. Neither SanDisk nor Western Digital undertakes any obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement to reflect future events or circumstances.
In addition, actual results are subject to other risks and uncertainties that relate more broadly to SanDisks overall business, including those more fully described in SanDisks filings with the SEC including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2016, and its quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q for fiscal year 2015, and Western Digitals overall business and financial condition, including those more fully described in Western Digitals filings with the SEC including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2015 and its quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q for the current fiscal year.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. Western Digital filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 which includes a joint proxy statement/prospectus of SanDisk and Western Digital. The Registration Statement on Form S-4 was declared effective on February 5, 2016. Each of SanDisk and Western Digital are providing the joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective stockholders. SanDisk and Western Digital also plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed merger. This document is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document which SanDisk or Western Digital may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF SANDISK AND WESTERN DIGITAL ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. You may obtain copies of all documents filed with the SEC regarding this merger, free of charge, at the SECs website (www.sec.gov). In addition, copies of the documents filed with the SEC by SanDisk will be available free of charge on SanDisks website at http://www.sandisk.com. Copies of the documents
filed with the SEC by Western Digital will be available free of charge on Western Digitals website at http://www.westerndigital.com.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit |
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Description |
99.1 |
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Press release of SanDisk Corporation dated March 15, 2016 |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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SanDisk Corporation | |
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Date: March 15, 2016 |
By: |
/s/ Judy Bruner |
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Judy Bruner |
Exhibit 99.1
NEWS RELEASE
SanDisk Corporation
951 SanDisk Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035-7932
Phone: 408-801-1000
SANDISK STOCKHOLDERS APPROVE MERGER WITH WESTERN DIGITAL CORPORATION
MILPITAS, Calif. March 15, 2016 SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) announced that at the Special Stockholder Meeting held today, the companys stockholders approved the merger proposal with Western Digital Corporation with 98% of the votes cast in favor of the merger. In addition, as reported in a separate press release issued today by Western Digital, the Western Digital stockholders have approved the proposal to issue additional shares of Western Digital common stock (the NASDAQ Stock Issuance Proposal) in order to complete the proposed acquisition of SanDisk Corporation.
We are pleased with our stockholders strong support of the merger proposal, reflecting the excellent value to be provided to SanDisk stockholders, said Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief executive officer of SanDisk. The combination of SanDisk with Western Digital will enable the combined company to offer the broadest portfolio of industry-leading, innovative storage solutions to customers across a wide range of markets and applications.
In addition to approving Proposal No. 1 to adopt the agreement and plan of merger, SanDisk stockholders also approved Proposal No. 2 related to meeting adjournment and Proposal No. 3, the advisory vote on executive compensation.
The transaction has received regulatory approvals in the U.S., EU, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Turkey and South Africa. The transaction remains subject to other closing conditions per the merger agreement, including regulatory approval in China. SanDisk continues to expect the companys merger with Western Digital to close in the second calendar quarter of 2016.
ABOUT SANDISK
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 27 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisks quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the worlds largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smartphones, tablets and PCs. SanDisks consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.
© 2016 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All statements included or incorporated by reference in this document, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on SanDisks current expectations, estimates and projections about the proposed merger, its business and industry, managements beliefs, and certain assumptions made by SanDisk and Western Digital, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as anticipates, expects, intends, plans, predicts, believes, seeks, estimates, may, will, should, would, could, potential, continue, ongoing, similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, references to the anticipated benefits of the proposed merger and the expected date of closing of the merger with Western Digitals wholly-owned subsidiary, Schrader Acquisition Corporation. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.
Important risk factors that may cause such a difference in connection with the proposed merger include, but are not limited to, the following factors: (1) the failure to satisfy conditions to completion of the merger, including the receipt of all regulatory approvals related to the merger; (2) uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the merger and the ability of each party to consummate the merger; (3) risks that the proposed merger disrupts the current plans and operations of Western Digital or SanDisk; (4) the ability of Western Digital and SanDisk to retain and hire key personnel; (5) competitive responses to the proposed merger; (6) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the merger; (7) the outcome of any legal proceedings that could be instituted against Western Digital, SanDisk or their respective directors related to the merger agreement; (8) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the merger; (9) the inability to obtain, or delays in obtaining, cost savings and synergies from the merger; (10) delays, challenges and expenses associated with integrating the combined companies existing businesses and the indebtedness planned to be incurred in connection with the merger; and (11) legislative, regulatory and economic developments. These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed merger, are more fully discussed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus that is included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with the proposed merger. The forward-looking
statements in this document speak only as of the date of the particular statement. Neither SanDisk nor Western Digital undertakes any obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement to reflect future events or circumstances.
In addition, actual results are subject to other risks and uncertainties that relate more broadly to SanDisks overall business, including those more fully described in SanDisks filings with the SEC including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2016, and its quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q for fiscal year 2015, and Western Digitals overall business and financial condition, including those more fully described in Western Digitals filings with the SEC including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2015 and its quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q for the current fiscal year.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. Western Digital filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 which includes a joint proxy statement/prospectus of SanDisk and Western Digital. The Registration Statement on Form S-4 was declared effective on February 5, 2016. Each of SanDisk and Western Digital are providing the joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective stockholders. SanDisk and Western Digital also plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed merger. This document is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document which SanDisk or Western Digital may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF SANDISK AND WESTERN DIGITAL ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. You may obtain copies of all documents filed with the SEC regarding this merger, free of charge, at the SECs website (www.sec.gov). In addition, copies of the documents filed with the SEC by SanDisk will be available free of charge on SanDisks website at http://www.sandisk.com. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Western Digital will be available free of charge on Western Digitals website at http://www.westerndigital.com.
Investor Contacts:
Jay Iyer, 408-801-2067
jay.iyer@sandisk.com
Brendan Lahiff, 408-801-1732
brendan.lahiff@sandisk.com
Media Contact:
Carol Kurimsky, 408-801-1390
carol.kurimsky@sandisk.com
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