CORRESP Filing
PENN Entertainment, Inc.
Date: May 2, 2025 · CIK: 0000921738 · Accession: 0001104659-25-044124
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 000-24206
Referenced dates: April 28, 2025
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CORRESP
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MARTIN LIPTON
HERBERT M. WACHTELL
EDWARD D. HERLIHY
DANIEL A. NEFF
STEVEN A. ROSENBLUM
SCOTT K. CHARLES
JODI J. SCHWARTZ
ADAM O. EMMERICH
RALPH M. LEVENE
ROBIN PANOVKA
DAVID A. KATZ
ILENE KNABLE GOTTS
ANDREW J. NUSSBAUM
RACHELLE SILVERBERG
STEVEN A. COHEN
DEBORAH L. PAUL
DAVID C. KARP
RICHARD K. KIM
JOSHUA R. CAMMAKER
MARK GORDON
JEANNEMARIE O'BRIEN
STEPHEN R. DiPRIMA
NICHOLAS G. DEMMO
IGOR KIRMAN
JONATHAN M. MOSES
T. EIKO STANGE
WILLIAM SAVITT
GREGORY E. OSTLING
DAVID B. ANDERS
ADAM J. SHAPIRO
NELSON O. FITTS
JOSHUA M. HOLMES
DAMIAN G. DIDDEN
IAN BOCZKO
MATTHEW M. GUEST
DAVID E. KAHAN
DAVID K. LAM
BENJAMIN M. ROTH
JOSHUA A. FELTMAN
ELAINE P. GOLIN
EMIL A. KLEINHAUS
KARESSA L. CAIN
51 WEST
52 ND STREET
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10019-6150
TELEPHONE: (212) 403-1000
FACSIMILE: (212)
403-2000
RONALD C. CHEN
BRADLEY R. WILSON
GRAHAM W. MELI
GREGORY E. PESSIN
CARRIE M. REILLY
MARK F. VEBLEN
SARAH K. EDDY
VICTOR GOLDFELD
RANDALL W. JACKSON
BRANDON C. PRICE
KEVIN S. SCHWARTZ
MICHAEL S. BENN
ALISON Z. PREISS
TIJANA J. DVORNIC
JENNA E. LEVINE
RYAN A. McLEOD
ANITHA REDDY
JOHN L. ROBINSON
STEVEN WINTER
EMILY D. JOHNSON
JACOB A. KLING
RAAJ S. NARAYAN
VIKTOR SAPEZHNIKOV
MICHAEL J. SCHOBEL
ELINA TETELBAUM
ERICA E. AHO
LAUREN M. KOFKE
ZACHARY S. PODOLSKY
RACHEL B. REISBERG
MARK A. STAGLIANO
CYNTHIA FERNANDEZ LUMERMANN
CHRISTINA C. MA
NOAH B. YAVITZ
BENJAMIN S. ARFA
NATHANIEL D. CULLERTON
ERIC M. FEINSTEIN
ADAM L. GOODMAN
STEVEN R. GREEN
MENG LU
GEORGE A. KATZ (1965 – 1989)
JAMES H. FOGELSON (1967 – 1991)
LEONARD M. ROSEN (1965 – 2014)
OF COUNSEL
DAVID M. ADLERSTEIN
ANDREW R. BROWNSTEIN
WAYNE M. CARLIN
BEN M. GERMANA
SELWYN B. GOLDBERG
PETER C. HEIN
JB KELLY
JOSEPH D. LARSON
RICHARD G. MASON
PHILIP MINDLIN
THEODORE N. MIRVIS
DAVID S. NEILL
TREVOR S. NORWITZ
ERIC S. ROBINSON
ERIC M. ROSOF
JOHN F. SAVARESE
MICHAEL J. SEGAL
WON S. SHIN
DAVID M. SILK
ELLIOTT V. STEIN
LEO E. STRINE, JR.*
PAUL VIZCARRONDO, JR.
JEFFREY M. WINTNER
AMY R. WOLF
MARC WOLINSKY
* ADMITTED IN DELAWARE
COUNSEL
SUMITA AHUJA
HEATHER D. CASTEEL
FRANCO CASTELLI
ANDREW J.H. CHEUNG
PAMELA EHRENKRANZ
ALINE R. FLODR
KATHRYN GETTLES-ATWA
LEDINA GOCAJ
ADAM M. GOGOLAK
ANGELA K. HERRING
MICHAEL W. HOLT
DONGHWA KIM
MARK A. KOENIG
J. AUSTIN LYONS
ALEXANDER S. MACKLER
ALICIA C. McCARTHY
JUSTIN R. ORR
NEIL M. SNYDER
JEFFREY A. WATIKER
May 2, 2025
VIA EDGAR
Division of Corporation Finance
Office of Mergers & Acquisitions
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20549
Attention:
Blake Grady
Re:
PENN Entertainment, Inc.
DEF 14A filed April 28, 2025
File No. 000-24206
Dear Mr. Grady:
On behalf of our client, PENN Entertainment, Inc.
(" PENN " or the " Company "), we are providing PENN's responses to the comments of the Staff
(the " Staff ") of the Division of Corporation Finance, Office of Mergers & Acquisitions, of the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (the " SEC "), set forth in its letter, dated May 1, 2025, with respect to the above-referenced
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A (the " PENN Proxy Statement ").
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
May 2, 2025
Page 2
For your convenience, the text of the Staff's
comments is set forth below in bold, followed in each case by PENN's response.
1.
We note that your proxy statement was filed under EDGAR tag
"DEF 14A," as opposed to EDGAR tag "PREC14A," the latter of which is used for contested solicitations.
Please provide a detailed legal analysis supporting your determination that your solicitation does not constitute a contested
solicitation.
Response :
Summary
We respectfully submit to the Staff that PENN's solicitation
of proxies in connection with its 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the " 2025 Annual Meeting ") does not constitute
a contested solicitation because, as described in greater detail below, (i) PENN's Board of Directors (the " Board "),
pursuant to its clear authority under Pennsylvania corporate law and PENN's organizational documents, has determined that there
will only be two director seats available for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting, (ii) both PENN and HG Vora (as defined below), as set
forth in their respective recent public filings, intend to solicit proxies in favor of the same two candidates-Johnny Hartnett and
Carlos Ruisanchez-for election to those two available seats and (iii) HG Vora has publicly stated that it does not make any recommendation
with respect to any other proposal included in the PENN Proxy Statement.
Factual Background
The Board is a classified board which, prior to April 25, 2025, had
nine directors consisting of three directors in each of Class I, Class II and Class III serving three year terms. The three directors
in Class II-Ronald J. Naples, Barbara Shattuck Kohn and Saul Reibstein-had terms of office expiring at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
On April 25, 2025, Mr. Naples resigned from the Board effective immediately.
In connection with Mr. Naples' resignation, acting pursuant to its authority under Section 4.03(a) of the Fifth Amended and Restated
Bylaws of PENN (the " PENN Bylaws ") and Section 1723(a) of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law, the Board decreased
the size of the Board from nine to eight members and decreased the number of Class II directors from three to two. Also on April 25, 2025,
Ms. Kohn and Mr. Reibstein notified the Board of their respective decisions not to stand for reelection to the Board at the 2025 Annual
Meeting, resulting in two (and only two) Class II Board seats becoming available for other candidates to be nominated and elected thereto.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
May 2, 2025
Page 3
On the morning of April 28, 2025, PENN filed the PENN Proxy Statement
setting forth, among other things, the Board's unanimous nomination and recommendation that PENN shareholders vote in favor of Messrs.
Hartnett and Ruisanchez for the two director seats available for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
Later on April 28, 2025, HG Vora Capital Management, LLC (" HG
Vora Capital "), HG Vora Special Opportunities Master Fund, Ltd. (" Master Fund "), Downriver Series LP –
Segregated Portfolio C (" Downriver ") and Parag Vora (collectively with HG Vora Capital, Master Fund and Downriver,
" HG Vora ") filed a preliminary proxy statement (the " HG Vora Proxy Statement "). The HG Vora Proxy
Statement stated that "If there are two Class II director seats up for election, then the enclosed GOLD universal proxy card will
only be voted in accordance with your instructions with respect to Messrs. Hartnett and Ruisanchez and will not be voted with respect
to William Clifford. If there are three Class II director seats up for election, the enclosed GOLD universal proxy card will be voted
in accordance with your instruction with respect to Messrs. Hartnett, Ruisanchez and Clifford." 1
The HG Vora Proxy Statement also provided that HG Vora makes no recommendation with respect to any other proposal included in the PENN
Proxy Statement. 2
Under Pennsylvania Law, the Size of PENN's Board Is Set Solely
by PENN's Board
PENN is a Pennsylvania corporation. The Pennsylvania Business
Corporation Law provides that "The number of directors shall be fixed by, or in the manner provided in, the bylaws. If not so
fixed, the number of directors shall be the same as that stated in the articles or three if no number is so stated." 3
The Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of PENN (the " PENN Articles ") provide that "the
number of Directors of the Corporation shall be fixed from time to time by or pursuant to the Bylaws of the Corporation" 4
and the PENN Bylaws provide that "the number of directors of the Corporation constituting the whole board and the number of
directors constituting each class of directors as provided by Section 4.03(d) [Classified Board of Directors] shall be fixed (and
may be changed from time to time) solely by resolution of the board of directors " (emphasis added). 5
Pursuant to the Board's actions on April 25, 2025, the Board is comprised of eight members and there are two Class II director
seats up for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
1
See page 21 of the HG Vora Proxy Statement.
2
See page 24 of the HG Vora Proxy Statement.
3
15 PA Cons Stat § 1723(a) (2024).
4
Article Ninth, Section 6(a) of the PENN Articles. The PENN Articles were filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed
by PENN on June 21, 2021.
5
Section 4.03(a) of the PENN Bylaws. The Penn Bylaws were filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by PENN on November
12, 2024.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
May 2, 2025
Page 4
PENN Is Not Required to File a Preliminary Proxy Statement Unless
There Is a "Solicitation in Opposition"
Rule 14a-6(a) 6
of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the " Exchange Act ") provides that a registrant shall not file a preliminary
proxy statement with the SEC if the solicitation relates to an annual meeting and only to, among other things, the election of directors,
the election, approval or ratification of accountant(s), a security holder proposal included pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act,
the approval or ratification of a plan as defined in paragraph (a)(6)(ii) of Item 402 of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act and/or a shareholder
advisory vote on executive compensation. 7
The PENN Proxy Statement satisfied such requirements. 8
Rule 14a-6(a) further provides that this exclusion from filing a preliminary
proxy statement "does not apply if the registrant comments upon or refers to a solicitation in opposition in connection with the
meeting in its proxy material." 9 Note
3 to Rule 14a-6(a) clarifies that for these purposes a "solicitation in opposition" includes: "(a) Any solicitation
opposing a proposal supported by the registrant; (b) any solicitation supporting a proposal that the registrant does not expressly support,
other than a security holder proposal included in the registrant's proxy material pursuant to § 240.14a-8; and (c) any solicitation
subject to § 240.14a-19." 10
The HG Vora Proxy Statement provides no recommendation with respect
to any proposal other than the election of the Class II directors; accordingly, clauses (a) and (b) of Note 3 to Rule 14a(6)(a) are not
applicable to the PENN Proxy Statement. With respect to clause (c) (relating to solicitations subject to Rule 14a-19 of the Exchange Act 11 ),
we note that both PENN and HG Vora are soliciting proxies in support of the same two individuals for the only two Class II director seats
up for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting-Johnny Hartnett and Carlos Ruisanchez, and neither PENN nor HG Vora is soliciting proxies
in opposition to any other candidate or proposal set forth in either the PENN Proxy Statement or the HG Vora Proxy Statement.
The HG Vora Proxy Statement purports to additionally solicit votes
in favor of Mr. Clifford, but only if there are three Class II director seats up for election: HG Vora states clearly that the gold proxy
card will not be voted with respect to the Mr. Clifford if (as the Board has determined is the case) there are only two Class II
director seats up for election. Therefore, PENN has determined that Rule 14a-19 no longer applies to its solicitation, and there is no
"solicitation in opposition" to PENN's proposal to elect Messrs. Hartnett and Ruisanchez or any other proposal set forth
in the PENN Proxy Statement.
6
17 CFR § 240.14a-6(a).
7
17 CFR § 240.14a-6(a).
8
The PENN Proxy Statement has five proposals: (i) the election of the two Class II directors; (ii) the ratification of appointment of PENN's
independent registered public accounting firm, (iii) an advisory vote to approve the compensation of Named Executive Officers, (iv) approval
of the second amendment to PENN's 2022 Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan and (v) approval, on an advisory basis, of a shareholder
proposal regarding the commissioning of a report on the effects of a company-wide non-smoking policy.
9
17 CFR § 240.14a-6(a).
10
Id.
11
17 CFR § 240.14a-19.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
May 2, 2025
Page 5
Applicable Staff Guidance
We note that the Staff has provided guidance on analogous circumstances
involving a potential dispute under state law between a registrant and a dissident shareholder with respect to director nominations. Question
139.05 of the Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations for the Proxy Rules and Schedule 14A/14C (the " C&DI ") provides
guidance in a circumstance where (i) a registrant determines that a dissident shareholder's director nominations do not comply with
its advance notice bylaw requirements, (ii) the registrant accordingly excludes the dissident shareholder's nominees from its proxy
card and (iii) the dissident shareholder then initiates litigation challenging the registrant's determination regarding the validity
of the director nominations.
The C&DI confirms that, in such circumstances, a registrant may
proceed with its solicitation utilizing a non-universal proxy card provided that the registrant discloses in its proxy statement its determination
that the dissident shareholder's director nominations are invalid, a brief description of the basis for that determination, the
fact that the dissident shareholder initiated litigation challenging the determination, and the potential implications (including any
risks to the registrant or its shareholders) if the dissident shareholder's nominations are ultimately deemed to be valid. The C&DI
also states that, in the event the dissident shareholder ultimately prevails in such litigation, registrants should discard previously
issued proxy cards that excluded the dissident candidate and ensure shareholders have sufficient time to receive and cast their votes
on revised universal proxy cards.
The circumstances here are analogous to those described in the C&DI
since, in both cases, the registrant has determined under applicable state law that a dissident's nominee cannot be elected to the
Board regardless of whether any shareholders purport to vote in favor of such individual. Although no litigation has to PENN's knowledge
been initiated as of the submission time of this letter, a letter dated April 28, 2025 from HG Vora's outside counsel to PENN's
outside counsel alleges, among other things, that the Board violated its fiduciary duties under Pennsylvania law by reducing the size
of the Board and the number of Class II directors and that PENN violated the federal securities laws and universal proxy rules by omitting
the name of a validly nominated candidate, Mr. Clifford.
While PENN believes that these assertions are baseless, the Company
will of course comply with the C&DI in all respects in the event litigation is initiated.
2.
Please revise to disclose who recommended Mr. Hartnett and
Mr. Ruisanchez to the Board. See Item 407(c)(2)(vii) of Regulation S-K.
Response :
Concurrently with the submission of this letter, PENN has filed Definitive
Additional Materials on Schedule 14A disclosing that HG Vora recommended Messrs. Hartnett and Ruisanchez to the Board.
* * * * * *
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
May 2, 2025
Page 6
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate
to contact me at (212) 403-1057 or ZSPodolsky@wlrk.com or my partner Daniel A. Neff at (212) 403-1218 or DANeff@wlrk.com.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ Zachary S. Podolsky
Zachary S. Podolsky
cc:
Chris Rogers, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and
Legal Officer and Secretary, PENN Entertainment, Inc.
Daniel A. Neff, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz