-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, EzA08xbh6szbpAVMdLQl1AwJFBjyqewB4RO1A9mWS3/ougH2/9XekdyA93wX5kuh pGAzRk95/HTj2v5q0qGcPQ== 0000950110-96-000374.txt : 19960411 0000950110-96-000374.hdr.sgml : 19960411 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950110-96-000374 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: DFAN14A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 19960410 SROS: NYSE SUBJECT COMPANY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: RJR NABISCO HOLDINGS CORP CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000847903 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: COOKIES & CRACKERS [2052] IRS NUMBER: 133490602 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: DFAN14A SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-10215 FILM NUMBER: 96545962 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1301 AVE OF THE AMERICAS CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10019-6013 BUSINESS PHONE: 2122585600 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1301 AVE OF THE AMERICAS CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10019-6013 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: RJR HOLDINGS CORP DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19891116 FILED BY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: BROOKE GROUP LTD CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000059440 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: CIGARETTES [2111] IRS NUMBER: 510255124 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: DFAN14A BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 100 S E SECOND ST CITY: MIAMI STATE: FL ZIP: 33131 BUSINESS PHONE: 3055798000 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: LIGGETT GROUP INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19900815 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: LIGGETT & MYERS INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19760602 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: LIGGETT & MYERS TOBACCO CO DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19690528 DFAN14A 1 PRESS RELEASE =============================================================================== SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION CONSENT STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Filed by registrant / / Filed by a party other than the registrant /x/ / / Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only Check the appropriate box: (as permitted by / / Preliminary consent statement Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) / / Definitive consent statement /X/ Definitive additional materials / / Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12 RJR NABISCO HOLDINGS CORP. ---------------------------------------------- (Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) BROOKE GROUP LTD. ------------------------------------------ (Name of Person(s) Filing Consent Statement) --------------- Payment of filing fee (Check the appropriate box): / / $125 per Exchange Act Rule 0-11(c)(1)(ii), 14a-6(i)(1), or 14a-6(j)(2). / / $500 per each party to the controversy pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 14a-6(i)(3). / / Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11. (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11: (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: (5) Total fee paid: /x/ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. --------------- / / Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the form or schedule and the date of its filing. (1) Amount previously paid: ____________ (2) Form, schedule or registration statement no.: _____________ (3) Filing party: ____________________ (4) Date filed: _________________ =============================================================================== NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - --------------------- Contact: George Sard/Anna Cordasco/Paul Caminiti Sard Verbinnen & Co 212/687-8080 BROOKE SENDS LETTER TO RJR NABISCO SHAREHOLDERS; REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO A NABISCO SPINOFF ------------------------------------------- MIAMI, FL, APRIL 10, 1996-- Brooke Group Ltd., (NYSE: BGL) announced today that its nominees to the RJR Nabisco (NYSE: RN) Board of Directors have sent a letter to RJR Nabisco shareholders reaffirming the nominees' commitment to an immediate spinoff of the Nabisco (NYSE: NA) food business to RJR Nabisco shareholders. Brooke has nominated a slate of directors to replace the incumbent RJR Nabisco Board at the Company's Annual Meeting on April 17, 1996. The full text of the letter follows: To the Stockholders of RJR Nabisco: RJR Nabisco is again trying to confuse its stockholders. Selectively quoting from portions of deposition testimony given ten or more weeks ago by certain of Brooke Group's director nominees, RJR Nabisco has been telling stockholders that Brooke Group's nominees are not committed to spinning off Nabisco and may not authorize the spinoff if elected. There is no merit and no substance to these assertions. Just what kind of game is RJR Nabisco playing? The depositions were taken in January 1996, as part of RJR Nabisco's failed lawsuit to prevent Brooke Group from conducting its consent solicitation. There was no proxy contest at the time; the decision to run a slate of directors had not been made, and would not be made until the results of the consent solicitation vote and RJR Nabisco's response thereto were known. Prior to the depositions, Steve Goldstone had misled us, as he had you, by comments on November 20, 1995, in which he indicated that the incumbent board's opposition to an immediate spinoff was based upon facts not known to Brooke Group's nominees or the public. When the chief legal officer of RJR Nabisco (Mr. Goldstone was RJR Nabisco's General Counsel at the time) makes that kind of remark, you can't just ignore it; you can't simply assume the statement is untrue. It wasn't until February 14, 1996, that Brooke Group's attorneys defending RJR Nabisco's lawsuit -- who had to obtain a court order to get Mr. Goldstone to appear -- had the opportunity to question Mr. Goldstone under oath about his earlier comments. Mr. Goldstone then admitted that there was no secret information; that all of the facts were known to the public; that no facts material to the decision of whether or not to effect an immediate spinoff were withheld from the public. RJR Nabisco was playing lawyers' games at the depositions, and it is playing those games with the stockholders today. For the benefit of all stockholders, the declaration of the Nabisco spinoff must constitute valid corporate action. A director nominee who commits irrevocably to take an action without knowing the facts can be challenged. At the time RJR Nabisco took our depositions, it had pointedly told us that we did not have all the facts necessary to make a spinoff decision. Much as we favored an immediate spinoff, we would not give self-serving testimony that might be used later to undermine the validity of our actions as directors when implementing the immediate spinoff. RJR Nabisco has taken conduct by Brooke Group's nominees which was conceived to safeguard the interests of stockholders, by avoiding potential challenges to the spinoff, and has tried to twist it into "evidence" that Brooke Group's nominees will not implement the spinoff. -more- You should not be misled. Brooke Group's nominees are committed to an immediate spinoff. Our proxy statement was prepared weeks after the depositions to which RJR Nabisco refers, and after Mr. Goldstone's deposition revealed the truth about what was known to the public. In that proxy statement, which we approved for dissemination in March 1996, we said unambiguously that Brooke Group's nominees are committed to effecting an immediate spinoff and, upon election, will take all steps required to effect an immediate spinoff. That is our pledge to you. Sincerely, /s/ ARNOLD I. BURNS /s/ BENNET S. LEBOW - -------------------------- -------------------------------- Arnold I. Burns Bennett S. LeBow /s/ ROUBEN V. CHAKALIAN /s/ BARRY W. RIDINGS - -------------------------- -------------------------------- Rouben V. Chakalian Barry W. Ridings /s/ ROBERT L. FROME /s/ WILLIAM H. STARBUCK - -------------------------- -------------------------------- Robert L. Frome William H. Starbuck /s/ DALE M. HANSON /s/ PETER STRAUSS - -------------------------- -------------------------------- Dale M. Hanson Peter Strauss /s/ RICHARD J. LAMPEN /s/ FREDERICK W. ZUCKERMAN - -------------------------- -------------------------------- Richard J. Lampen Frederick W. Zuckerman Brooke Group controls Liggett Group, tabacco and real estate operations in the former Soviet Union and has substantial equity in New Valley Corporation. # # # -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----