JANA Partners Files Lawsuit to Stop Freshpet Board’s Highly Entrenching Actions Intended to Disenfranchise Shareholders and Manipulate Shareholder Vote
JANA Partners, which owns 9.5% of Freshpet, has filed a complaint against Freshpet and its Board of Directors, alleging breaches of fiduciary duties. JANA is seeking a declaratory judgment and an order to return the number of directors up for election at the 2023 Annual Meeting to four instead of three.
Positive
JANA Partners, a major shareholder of Freshpet, has filed a complaint against the company and its Board of Directors, which could potentially lead to changes in the Board's composition. This could bring fresh perspectives and potentially improve corporate governance. Investors may see this as a positive development, as it could lead to increased shareholder value.
Negative
The legal proceedings initiated by JANA Partners against Freshpet and its Board of Directors could create uncertainty and disrupt the company's operations. This could negatively impact investor confidence and potentially lead to a decline in the stock price.
06/01/2023 - 01:18 PM
Believes Reduction in Number of Directors up for Election at 2023 Annual Meeting is a Clear Violation of Delaware Law and Constitutes Breach of Fiduciary Duties
Seeks Expedited Proceedings in Delaware Chancery Court
NEW YORK --(BUSINESS WIRE)--
JANA Partners (“JANA”), which along with its affiliates and partners owns 9.5% of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) (“Freshpet” or the “Company”), today filed a complaint in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the “Court”) against Freshpet and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”). The complaint seeks a declaratory judgment and a determination that the Board’s recent actions to entrench itself, and refusal to reverse them, constitute breaches of fiduciary duties; and an order requiring that the number of directors up for election at the Company’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Meeting”) be returned to its original size, such that four director seats, rather than three, stand for election at the Meeting.
JANA filed the complaint in response to the highly entrenching actions Freshpet took on May 17, 2023, which included changing the size and composition of its Board such that the number of directors up for election at the Meeting was reduced from four to three, and unexpectedly accelerating the date of the Meeting—in the midst of settlement discussions with JANA regarding Board composition, conflicts and governance issues—from its usual mid-Fall meeting date to July 25, 2023.
JANA’s filing contends that the Board’s extraordinary actions, taken well after JANA publicly disclosed its interest in obtaining representation on Freshpet’s Board, constitute a breach of the Board’s fiduciary duties, and that JANA should have the opportunity to nominate four Class III directors at the Meeting.
JANA has also filed a motion to expedite these proceedings to resolve this critical issue ahead of the recently-advanced deadline to nominate directors for consideration at the Meeting. The Board’s decision to accelerate the date of the 2023 Annual Meeting, announced on May 17, 2023, required that stockholders submit any director nominations within just nine days of the announcement, a clear entrenchment tactic by the Board to avoid accountability to Freshpet’s shareholders.
Barry Rosenstein, Managing Partner at JANA, commented, “The Freshpet Board’s recent entrenchment actions constitute a clear breach of its fiduciary duties, leaving us with no choice but to seek expedited relief in Delaware Court so that a truly fair and democratic election of directors is allowed to proceed. In our view, the Board's blatant misuse of corporate machinery obstructs the legitimate efforts of shareholders to exercise their rights and cannot stand. Further, we believe the Board has repeatedly failed to properly supervise management as performance worsened, liquidity deteriorated and shareholder value plummeted—while allowing more than half of Freshpet’s independent directors to pursue outside interests with corporate resources and key members of leadership. It is clear now, more than ever, that change is desperately needed at the Board level.”
On May 24, 2023, JANA announced that it will be nominating four highly qualified candidates to Freshpet’s Board at the Company’s 2023 Annual Meeting, scheduled for July 25, 2023.
Shareholders with questions can contact JANA’s proxy solicitor, Innisfree M&A Incorporated, at (212) 750-5833.
About JANA Partners
JANA Partners was founded in 2001 by Barry Rosenstein. JANA invests in undervalued public companies and engages with management teams and boards to unlock value for shareholders.
Important Information
JANA Partners LLC, JANA Partners Management, LP, JANA Strategic Investments Benchmark Master Fund, L.P., and Barry Rosenstein (“collectively JANA”), and Scott Ostfeld, Diane Dietz, James Lillie, Timothy R. McLevish, Kurt T. Schmidt, Dwyane Wade, Carsten Charles (CC) Sabathia, Jr. and Ginger Gorden (collectively, and together with JANA, the “Participants”) intend to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a definitive proxy statement and accompanying form of GREEN proxy to be used in connection with the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Freshpet, Inc. (“Freshpet” or the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s 2023 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2023 Annual Meeting”). All stockholders of the Company are advised to read the definitive proxy statement and other documents related to the solicitation of proxies, each in connection with the 2023 Annual Meeting, by the Participants when they become available, as they will contain important information, including additional information related to the Participants. The definitive proxy statement and an accompanying GREEN proxy card will be furnished to some or all of the Company’s stockholders and will be, along with other relevant documents, available at no charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov .
Information about the Participants and a description of their direct or indirect interests by security holdings will be contained in an exhibit to the Schedule 14A filed by the Participants with the SEC on June 1, 2023. This document is available free of charge from the source indicated above.
Disclaimer
This material does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in any state to any person. In addition, the discussions and opinions in this press release and the material contained herein are for general information only, and are not intended to provide investment advice. All statements contained in this press release that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are “forward-looking statements,” which are not guarantees of future performance or results, and the words “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “potential,” “could,” “opportunity,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. The projected results and statements contained in this press release and the material contained herein that are not historical facts are based on current expectations, speak only as of the date of this press release and involve risks that may cause the actual results to be materially different. Certain information included in this material is based on data obtained from sources considered to be reliable. No representation is made with respect to the accuracy or completeness of such data, and any analyses provided to assist the recipient of this material in evaluating the matters described herein may be based on subjective assessments and assumptions and may use one among alternative methodologies that produce different results. Accordingly, any analyses should also not be viewed as factual and also should not be relied upon as an accurate prediction of future results. All figures are unaudited estimates and subject to revision without notice. JANA disclaims any obligation to update the information herein and reserves the right to change any of its opinions expressed herein at any time as it deems appropriate. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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Source: JANA Partners
What is the complaint filed by JANA Partners against Freshpet and its Board of Directors?
JANA Partners has filed a complaint alleging breaches of fiduciary duties by Freshpet and its Board of Directors. They are seeking a declaratory judgment and an order to return the number of directors up for election at the 2023 Annual Meeting to four instead of three.
What could be the potential impact of this complaint on Freshpet's Board composition?
If JANA Partners is successful in its complaint, it could lead to changes in Freshpet's Board composition. This could bring fresh perspectives and potentially improve corporate governance.
How might investors perceive the complaint filed by JANA Partners?
Investors may view the complaint filed by JANA Partners as a positive development, as it could lead to increased shareholder value. However, the legal proceedings could also create uncertainty and negatively impact investor confidence.
What action has JANA Partners taken in response to Freshpet's actions?
JANA Partners has announced that it will be nominating four highly qualified candidates to Freshpet's Board at the 2023 Annual Meeting.
How can shareholders with questions contact JANA Partners?
Shareholders with questions can contact JANA's proxy solicitor, Innisfree M&A Incorporated, at (212) 750-5833.
