As previously disclosed, on February 3, 2021, GW Pharmaceuticals plc, a public limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (“GW”), entered into a transaction agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”) with Jazz Pharmaceuticals Public Limited Company, an Irish public limited company (“Jazz”), and Jazz Pharmaceuticals UK Holdings Limited, a private limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales and a wholly owned subsidiary of Jazz (“Bidco”), pursuant to which, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Bidco will acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of GW pursuant to a scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the United Kingdom Companies Act 2006 (such acquisition, the “Transaction”). On March 15, 2021, GW filed a definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Transaction (the “Proxy Statement”).
Since the initial filing of the Proxy Statement, twelve complaints have been filed in federal courts in California, New York and Pennsylvania and a state court in New York by purported GW shareholders against GW and the members of the GW board of directors in connection with the Transaction: Farrell v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02344 (filed March 17, 2021) (S.D.N.Y.), Hinton v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02379 (filed March 18, 2021) (S.D.N.Y.), Brady v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02382 (filed March 18, 2021) (S.D.N.Y.), Warren v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02536 (filed March 24, 2021) (S.D.N.Y.), Goodman v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-01574 (filed March 25, 2021) (E.D.N.Y.), Kent v. GW Pharmaceuticals, plc, et al., Case No. 3:21-cv-00530-MMA-AHG (filed March 26, 2021) (S.D. Cal.), Coffman v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 3:21-cv-00537-BEN-RBB (filed March 26, 2021) (S.D. Ca.), Shubitowski v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02668 (filed March 29, 2021) (S.D.N.Y.), Hurlbut v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-01500 (filed March 30, 2021) (E.D. Pa.), Olesky v. GW Pharmaceuticals, plc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02741 (filed March 31, 2021) (S.D.N.Y) Ochoa v. GW Pharmaceuticals plc, et al., (3:21-cv-00580-BAS-BLM) (filed April 2, 2021) (S.D. Ca.) (collectively, the “Federal Shareholder Litigation”); and Levy v. Guy, et al., Case No. 603237/2021 (filed March 17, 2021) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Nassau Cty.) (the “State Court Litigation” and, collectively with the Federal Shareholder Litigation, the “Transaction Litigation”). Each of the complaints in the Federal Shareholder Litigation includes allegations that, among other things, the Proxy Statement omitted certain material information in connection with the Transaction in violation of Sections 14(a) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 14a-9 promulgated under the Exchange Act, and one of those complaints also purports to allege claims that the members of the GW board of directors breached fiduciary duties in connection with the Transaction. The State Court Litigation purports to allege misrepresentation claims under New York common law relating to the Proxy Statement. The plaintiffs in the Transaction Litigation seek various remedies, including injunctive relief to prevent the consummation of the Transaction unless certain allegedly material information is disclosed or, in the alternative, rescission or damages and an award of attorneys’ fees and expenses.
GW believes that the claims asserted in the Transaction Litigation are without merit and no additional disclosures are required under applicable law. However, in order to avoid the risk of the Transaction Litigation delaying or adversely affecting the Transaction and to minimize the costs, risks and uncertainties inherent in litigation, and without admitting any liability or wrongdoing, GW has determined to voluntarily make the following supplemental disclosures to the Proxy Statement, as described in this Current Report on Form 8-K. Nothing in this Current Report on Form 8-K shall be deemed an admission of the legal necessity or materiality under applicable laws of any of the disclosures set forth herein. To the contrary, GW specifically denies all allegations in the Transaction Litigation that any additional disclosure was or is required.
These supplemental disclosures will not affect the transaction deliverables to be paid to shareholders of GW in connection with the Transaction or the timing of the Court Meeting and the General Meeting of the shareholders of GW scheduled for April 23, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. (London time) and 2:15 p.m. (London time), respectively, at Kingsgate House, Newbury Road, Andover SP10 4DU, United Kingdom. The GW board of directors continues to unanimously recommend that you vote “FOR” the resolutions to be proposed at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting described in the Proxy Statement.