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Merger
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
Merger

NOTE 2. MERGER

 

On August 22, 2018, our Company entered into the Merger Agreement with The Hartford whereby, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, our Company will merge with an existing subsidiary of The Hartford, with our Company surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hartford. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, holders of the Company’s common shares will be entitled to receive consideration of $70.00 in cash per common share (the “Merger Consideration”). The Merger Agreement provides for the automatic extension of the outside date from May 1, 2019 to July 1, 2019 to allow the parties additional time to satisfy a mutual condition to closing relating to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals. As of May 1, 2019, the completion of the Merger remained subject to the approval of the New York State Department of Financial Services (the “NYDFS”) and the automatic extension has been triggered. The Company and The Hartford continue to pursue a timely approval of the change in control application with the NYDFS in order to complete the Merger as promptly as possible.

The Merger Agreement contains various covenants of our Company and The Hartford. These covenants include interim operating covenants that, subject to certain exceptions, (i) require the Company to (1) conduct its business in all material respects in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (2) use reasonable best efforts to preserve substantially intact, consistent with past practice, the Company’s business organization and (3) preserve, consistent with past practice, existing relations and goodwill with customers, producers, reinsurance providers, governmental authorities and other persons with whom the Company or its subsidiaries have significant business relationships, and (ii) restrict the Company’s ability to take certain actions prior to the effective time of the Merger without The Hartford’s consent (such consent, in certain cases, not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), which include, subject to certain exceptions, issuing additional common shares, incurring additional indebtedness, selling or purchasing material assets, making unbudgeted capital expenditures, making loans or investments (or disposing of investments) not permitted by the Company’s investment guidelines, increasing compensation other than in ordinary course, making material changes to accounting, underwriting, or reserving practices, making material tax elections, settling material litigation, or entering into, modifying or terminating material contracts.