-----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, FWvMknGuXTT/SW4JI5thhEZ800rcgsG+Q4uqFM1nyq/qdTXcf+V7U6d8AGUUAT86 cLDVSW7/VJHyXeBjtX/0uQ== 0000950123-99-005701.txt : 19990617 0000950123-99-005701.hdr.sgml : 19990617 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950123-99-005701 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: PX14A6G PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 4 FILED AS OF DATE: 19990616 SUBJECT COMPANY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: MYLAN LABORATORIES INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000069499 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS [2834] IRS NUMBER: 251211621 STATE OF INCORPORATION: PA FISCAL YEAR END: 0331 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: PX14A6G SEC ACT: SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-09114 FILM NUMBER: 99647270 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 130 SEVENTH ST STREET 2: 1030 CENTURY BLDG CITY: PITTSBURGH STATE: PA ZIP: 15222 BUSINESS PHONE: 4122320100 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1030 CENTURY BUILDING STREET 2: 130 SEVENTH STREET CITY: PITTSBURGH STATE: PA ZIP: 15222 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: FRM CORP DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19711003 FILED BY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: COLLEGE RETIREMENT EQUITIES FUND CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000777535 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN SIC - 0000 [0000] IRS NUMBER: 136022042 STATE OF INCORPORATION: NY FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: PX14A6G BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 730 THIRD AVE CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10017 BUSINESS PHONE: 2129164905 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 730 THIRD AVE CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10017 PX14A6G 1 NOTICE OF EXEMPT SOLICITATION 1 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. 20449 Notice of Exempt Solicitation submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-6(g) 1. Name of Registrant: Mylan Laboratories Inc. 2. Name of person relying on exemption: College Retirement Equities Fund 3. Address of person relying on the exemption: 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 4. Written materials. The following materials are attached: Exhibit 1: Letter from Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association - College Retirement Equities Fund to the shareholders of Mylan Laboratories Exhibit 2: Resolution, and supporting statement, to be proposed by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association - College Retirement Equities Fund at the annual meeting of Mylan Laboratories Exhibit 3: Article published on Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association - College Retirement Equities Fund's web site EX-99.1 2 LETTER FROM TEACHERS INSURANCE AND ANNUITY ASSOC. 1 Ex 99.1 LETTER Exhibit 1 TEACHERS INSURANCE AND ANNUITY ASSOCIATION COLLEGE RETIREMENT EQUITIES FUND PETER C. CLAPMAN Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel, Investments 730 Third Avenue/New York, NY 10017-3206 212 490-9000 June 15, 1999 Dear Fellow Mylan Laboratories Shareholder: TIAA-CREF is a long-time holder of significant equity in Mylan Laboratories. At Mylan's July 23 annual meeting, we intend to propose a resolution (set forth in Mylan's proxy statement) that requests the Board of Directors to redeem the company's "dead hand" poison pill unless shareholders vote otherwise. We are asking for your support of our proposal. A poison pill (or "shareholder rights plan") is a powerful takeover defense that, if triggered by an unsolicited bid for the company, would substantially dilute the would-be acquiror's holdings. In our view, companies should seek shareholder approval for such plans, since they can affect the value of the stock. Mylan's board did not do this, imposing the pill unilaterally. But the main concern we are raising with our shareholder resolution is that MYLAN'S POISON PILL INCLUDES A DEAD HAND (OR "CONTINUING DIRECTOR") PROVISION, NOT FOUND IN MOST POISON PILLS, THAT IS PARTICULARLY OBJECTIONABLE. MYLAN'S DEAD HAND PILL DISENFRANCHISES SHAREHOLDERS Mylan's dead hand poison pill can be redeemed only with the consent of Mylan's CURRENT directors (or future directors approved by them). Therefore, if Mylan's directors were to reject an attractive third-party acquisition offer that shareholders favored, the shareholders would have no ability to replace Mylan's directors with directors who would have the power to redeem the pill and allow shareholders to accept that offer. We cannot accept the premise that only Mylan's current directors (and their nominees) - and not other directors elected by you and other shareholders - can accept or reject an acquisition bid for the company. We believe that MYLAN'S DIRECTORS HAVE APPROPRIATED TO THEMSELVES A POWER CONTRARY TO INTERESTS OF THE SHAREHOLDERS, THE OWNERS OF THE COMPANY. It is noteworthy that dead hand pills have been declared illegal in Delaware, the state in which the majority of U.S. public companies are incorporated. Mylan is incorporated in Pennsylvania, where it is a matter of company discretion. Our resolution is directed to how that discretion is exercised. MYLAN'S BOARD LACKS AN INDEPENDENT MAJORITY We are particularly concerned about Mylan's poison pill because, unlike most major U.S. companies, Mylan lacks a board with a majority of independent directors. Three of the seven Mylan directors are employees. A fourth director just stepped down as an executive, and a fifth is a member of a law firm that provides legal services to the company. STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD BE CONCERNED THAT A BOARD LACKING INDEPENDENCE, SUCH AS THIS ONE, MAY USE A DEAD HAND POISON PILL TO ENTRENCH ITSELF AND MANAGEMENT, TO THE DETRIMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS. MYLAN'S ARGUMENTS MISS THE POINT In its proxy statement, Mylan Laboratories argues against the TIAA-CREF resolution in part by presenting the logic behind poison pills in general. This misses the point. Our resolution is focused on 2 a particular feature of Mylan's pill - the dead hand provision - that is not included in the poison pills adopted by most other companies. Mylan says the dead hand provision does not limit the right of shareholders, including any potential acquiror, to elect directors, but merely requires that any transaction be approved by directors not affiliated with the acquiror. Again, this attempts to obscure the point. Our concern is about the possibility of entrenchment by the board and management should the company receive an unsolicited takeover bid. The only practical way a potential acquiror could gain control of sufficient voting power to replace the board - and thereby redeem the pill in the face of opposition by current directors - is by soliciting and winning our votes. THE DEAD HAND IGNORES THE WILL OF THE SHAREHOLDERS BY SUBVERTING THE VOTING PROCESS. A potential acquiror acting alone or through voting agreements cannot replace the current board unless Mylan's other shareholders approve the election of new directors. Shareholders are entitled to freely elect directors who are able to make the critical decisions on the future of the company. This is how corporate governance is supposed to work. OTHER COMPANIES HAVE REMOVED DEAD HAND PROVISIONS TIAA-CREF, the world's largest pension fund and a significant investor in virtually all major U.S. companies, has asked a number of other companies to drop their dead hand provisions. Most of the companies receiving our resolution have voluntarily amended their pills to remove the dead hand provisions. We are so concerned about Mylan's dead hand pill that we are bringing this very important issue to our fellow shareholders. We would be happy to discuss this matter with you in more detail. Please contact Ken Bertsch of TIAA-CREF at (212) 916-4972 with any questions you might have. Sincerely, Peter C. Clapman - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE VOTE "FOR" THE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL ON MYLAN'S PROXY CARD TIAA-CREF is requesting that you cast your votes FOR the shareholder proposal on the proxy card sent out by Mylan Laboratories. Please note that if you leave the proxy card blank and return it, the company will count your votes against our proposal. TIAA-CREF, which will not be sending out a separate proxy card, is taking no public position on any other item being considered at the annual meeting. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EX-99.2 3 RESOLUTION AND SUPPORTING STATEMENT 1 EX 99.2 RESOLUTIONS Exhibit 2 TIAA-CREF'S SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL AND SUPPORTING STATEMENT TIAA-CREF is making the following proposal at Mylan's July 23 annual meeting: Proposal WHEREAS, the Company's Board of Directors, without shareholder approval, has adopted a plan, commonly known as a "poison pill", with a "dead hand" provision which permits only the board members that adopted the poison pill to redeem the pill; WHEREAS, this type of poison pill, unlike most poison pills, not only allows the current Board to effectively thwart acquisition offers which may be favored by a majority of shareholders, but also denies shareholders the right to replace this Board with new directors empowered to redeem the poison pill, permitting such offers to go forward; WHEREAS, a "dead hand" poison pill has a coercive effect on the shareholders' basic right to freely elect a new Board and also takes away normal decision-making authority in this important area from a newly elected Board; WHEREAS, such a "dead hand" poison pill interferes with good corporate governance and can reduce the value of the company's shares to the detriment of shareholders; RESOLVED, that the shareholders request that the Board of Directors; Redeem the "dead hand" poison pill, unless approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of shares of the Company entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders held as soon as practicable. Supporting Statement By adopting the poison pill without shareholder approval, the current Board unilaterally deprived shareholders of the traditional right to sell their shares to potential bidders. By adding the "dead hand" feature, this Board also denies appropriate decision making authority to a new Board, elected by shareholders, to decide what is in the best interests of shareholders on this important subject. Traditional poison pills have been defended with the argument that directors can generally be trusted to act in the shareholders' interest, and if they do not, they can be replaced by the shareholders with other directors. Adoption of "dead hand" poison pills, however, is different. The purpose is "entrenchment," by coercing shareholders into voting for incumbent directors to preserve the possibility of redemption of the pill. Their intended effect is to preclude proxy contests for corporate control, which are an appropriate means to challenge incumbent management. We believe that the right of shareholders freely to elect a board of directors with full power to represent the shareholders' interests is the foundation-stone of good corporate governance. Yet this Board has unilaterally deprived shareholders of their only real protection against a board that acts against their interests -- the ability to freely elect a board of their choosing with full powers to represent them in all respects. In our view, this Board by its actions has violated its fiduciary responsibility to shareholders. By supporting this resolution, shareholders can protect the value of their investment by sending a message to the Company that we value our right to elect a Board that is prepared and able to represent shareholder interests on all proper matters; and that we will not support unilateral actions by the Board that restrict our ability to meaningfully exercise our voting rights. EX-99.3 4 ARTICLE 1 EX-99.3 ARTICLE Exhibit 3 TIAA-CREF URGES MYLAN LAB. SHAREHOLDERS TO HELP REMOVE POISON PILL TIAA-CREF announced today that it has written a letter to fellow shareholders of Mylan Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: MYL), urging them to support TIAA-CREF's shareholder proposal requesting the Mylan board to redeem or put to shareholder vote the company's "dead hand" poison pill defense. TIAA-CREF is a long-time shareholder of Mylan Laboratories. Dead hand poison pills are a takeover defense that can prevent an acquisition of a company even if a majority of shareholders favor it. In contrast to typical poison pills, which can be removed by newly-appointed directors, dead hand poison pills can only be removed by directors in place before a proxy fight, or by their hand-picked successors. So, even if an existing board was replaced with directors favoring an acquisition, it couldn't go through. Poison pills have been declared illegal in Delaware, the state in which the majority of U.S. public companies are incorporated. Mylan is incorporated in Pennsylvania, where the adoption of dead hand poison pills is a matter of company discretion. TIAA-CREF says it is particularly concerned about the dead hand feature of Mylan's poison pill given that the company's board lacks an independent majority. "Stockholders should be concerned that a board lacking independence, such as this one, may use a dead hand poison pill to entrench itself and management, to the detriment of shareholders," said Peter C. Clapman, TIAA-CREF's Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel, Investments, in the letter to Mylan shareholders. Three current Mylan executives serve on the seven member board, along with a recently retired Mylan executive. Another director is a member of a law firm that provides legal services to Mylan. Earlier this year, TIAA-CREF resolutions opposing dead hand poison pills won strong support from shareholders of The Lubrizol Corporation (NYSE: LZ) and Bergen Brunswig Corporation (NYSE:BBC). The resolutions were supported by holders of 68 percent of the shares voted at Lubrizol and 74 percent at Bergen. A number of other companies have eliminated the dead hand provisions of their poison pills at the request of TIAA-CREF. Mylan shareholders can contact Ken Bertsch, TIAA-CREF's director of corporate governance, at (212) 916-4972, with any questions. -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----