SEC Company Response from Feldman Mall Properties, Inc. (CIK 0001299901) — Nov 23, 2004
Feldman Mall Properties, Inc. (CIK 0001299901)
Date: Nov. 23, 2004 · CIK: 0001299901 · Accession: 0001125282-04-005905
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 333-118246
Referenced dates: November 8, 2004
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CORRESP
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Prepared and filed by St Ives Burrups
VIA EDGAR AND FACSIMILE
November 12, 2004
United States Securities and
Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Attention: Elaine Wolff, Special
Counsel
Re:
Feldman Mall Properties, Inc.
Registration No. 333-118246
Dear Ms. Wolff:
On behalf
of our client, Feldman Mall Properties, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and in accordance with
our telephone conversation of today, we wish to supplement our response dated
November 9, 2004 to the first comment of the staff of the Division of Corporation
Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Staff’”),
received by letter dated November 8, 2004, with respect to Amendment No. 2
to the registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) on Form
S-11 (Registration No. 333-118246) filed by the Company on October 22, 2004.
By way of background, the contribution agreements
executed by Mr. Erhart for the issuance of OP units in the private
placement conducted by the Company’s operating partnership was
executed prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement
on August
13, 2004. The Staff has consistently taken the position that an otherwise
valid private placement made in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or Rule 506 of
Regulation D is not integrated with a subsequent offering of the same
or similar securities under Rule 152 if the purchaser has completed
its investment decision with regard to the private placement before
the subsequent registered public offering is commenced. The Staff has
further taken the position that a purchaser has completed its investment
decision with regard to a private placement when the purchaser’s obligation
to purchase the securities is set forth in a binding investment agreement.
In addition, the Staff has also taken the view that the registered
public offering is commenced upon the initial filing of the registration
statement for that offering.
As we discussed in our November 9, 2004
letter, although the actual number of OP units to be issued to Mr.
Erhart were not finally determined at the time of the initial filing
of the Registration Statement, he agreed to accept his proportionate
share of the equity securities of the Company that the Company does
not sell to the public in the Company’s initial public offering.
In agreeing to this arrangement, he was given an estimate of the number
of OP units that he would receive in the offering. In
fact, he understood that he would be receiving approximately $2.4 million
of OP units based on his allocated proportionate share. Although there
was some uncertainty about the actual number of OP units he would receive,
he became comfortable with this uncertainty based on his understanding
that his interests were aligned with those of the other contributors,
two of whom are members of the Company’s board of directors and
will be directly involved in the final negotiations
United States Securities and
Exchange Commission
Attention: Elaine Wolff, Special Counsel
November 12, 2004
with the underwriters to determine the mid-point
of the initial public offering price range, which will drive the number of
equity securities to be allocated to the contributors as a group. He knew
that if the market conditions at the time of the establishment of the range
permitted a higher than anticipated valuation of the Company, he would end
up with a more valuable stake in the operating partnership. Or, if the valuation
turned out to be lower, he would end up with a less valuable stake in the
operating partnership.
Mr. Erhart’s contribution agreement
is different from other contribution agreements that we have seen in which
an investor is
given the right to decide not to proceed with an offering if the value of the
securities offered turns out to be lower than anticipated. In those situations,
it would be fair to conclude that the investor is not sufficiently bound for
Rule 152 purposes. However, this is not circumstances confronting Mr. Erhart.
His contribution agreement is unconditional with regard to the value of the
securities to be issued to him and he is bound to close his OP unit transaction
regardless of what the valuation ultimately turns out to be.
In our conversation today, the Staff reiterated
its long held view that in order for a purchaser in a private placement
by an issuer to be deemed have completed its investment decision prior
to the initial filing of a related registration statement of that issuer,
the definitive agreement executed prior to the initial filing must be
(i) complete and encompass all material terms and (ii) subject only to
conditions outside of the contributor’s control. We believe that all
terms relating to Mr. Erhart’s contribution (both material and immaterial)
were set forth in his contribution agreement. The fact that the number
of OP units to be issued to him were subject to possible fluctuation
does not mean that all material terms were not included. All terms were
included, particularly the one in which he affirmatively agreed to accept,
without the need for his further consent, some range of OP units in connection
with his contribution.
In our conversation today, the Staff also
indicated that it would see no issue if the number of OP units to be
issued to Mr. Erhart were fixed prior to the initial filing of the registration
statement, even if their value were subject to possible fluctuation.
We agree with this conclusion, but note that such a transaction is not
at all different from the situation involving Mr. Erhart’s contribution.
Consider the investor in a predecessor company that will be acquired
by a new company in connection with the new company’s initial public
offering. If that investor agrees to receive a fixed number of shares
in the new company (regardless of the initial public offering price)
in exchange for his interest in the predecessor company prior to the
initial filing of a registration statement, that investor is subject
to uncertainty relating to the value of the securities to be issued
to him when the private placement is later completed around the time
of the closing of the public offering. That investor, like Mr. Erhart,
may be given an estimate of the value of the securities to be issued
to him in the transaction based on information available prior to the
time of the initial filing. Yet if that estimate turns out to have been
an overstatement of value, the investor is still required to close the
contribution transaction and proceed with the closing of the private
placement. The offering involving that investor will clearly fit within
the confines of Rule 152 even though in committing to the transaction
the investor is not certain of the value of the securities that will
be issued to him in the offering.
The situation involving Mr. Erhart is exactly
the same. Upon execution of his contribution agreement, he knew that
he would be receiving some estimated number of OP units upon closing
of
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United States Securities and
Exchange Commission
Attention: Elaine Wolff, Special Counsel
November 12, 2004
the Company’s initial public offering. What mattered
to him is not an arbitrary number of such OP units, but what they might be
worth upon closing of the initial public offering. Like the investor who
agrees to receive a fixed number of shares in an exchange offer without any
control over what those shares will be worth when the exchange offer closes,
Mr. Erhart is in exactly the same position. He knows he will be receiving
OP units, but is not sure of their actual value until the initial public
offering closes. We believe that the offering involving Mr. Erhart is subject
to the same uncertainties as those confronting the investor who signs on
to a fixed exchange ratio exchange offer. Both transactions are every bit
as binding on the contributor and both transactions can clearly be structured
to fit within the confines of Rule 152.
There can be no doubt
that Rule 152 is available in the transaction involving Mr. Erhart. He was
legally bound prior
to the initial filing of the Company’s registration statement and all
material terms of his contribution were clearly and unambiguously set forth
in his contribution
agreement. The closing of his contribution is not subject to any conditions
within his control.We also note that Clifford Chance US LLP will be delivering
its legal opinion on this matter in connection with the closing of the Company’s
offering.
With regard to the Macy’s Position analysis
for Mr. Erhart, we note the following:
(i) Mr. Erhart is a highly sophisticated accredited
investor who will be part of senior management of the Company upon completion
of the initial public offering;
(ii) pursuant to an employment agreement executed
prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement, Mr. Erhart agreed
to become the Company’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel upon
completion of the initial public offering;
(iii) he will be one of the four most senior
executives of the Company and will be directly involved in policy making
for the Company;
(iv) he is now the principal outside legal counsel
for the Company’s predecessor and is intimately familiar with all aspects
of its business and transactions;
(v) he personally represented the Company in
the purchase and financing of all of its existing properties; and
(vi) he actively participated, prior to the
initial filing of the Registration Statement, in the development of the
terms and structure of the offering of OP units, including (A) participating
in more than a dozen meetings or telephone calls in which the OP unit transaction
was discussed and structured; (B) directly negotiating the terms of agreements
used in the OP unit transaction, (C) drafting some of those agreements,
including the partnership agreement of the operating partnership, (D) dealing
with lender consent issues arising out of the OP unit transaction and (E)
counseling the Company and its predecessor on these and other issues relating
to the OP unit transaction in his role as principal outside legal counsel
to the Company’s predecessor.
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United States Securities and
Exchange Commission
Attention: Elaine Wolff, Special Counsel
November 12, 2004
It is clear from the above, that
Mr. Erhart does not need the protections afforded the by the registration
provisions of the
federal securities laws and the Macy’s Position should be extended to him for
policy reasons.
We have been advised by the Company and
the underwriters that they plan to commence the marketing phase of
the Company’s initial public offering this week. We would thus greatly
appreciate resolving this matter sometime during the day on Monday,
November 15, 2004. Questions in connection with this letter should
be directed to the undersigned at 212-878-8527.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and attention
to this matter.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Jay L. Bernstein
Jay L. Bernstein, Esq.
cc:
Jeffrey A. Shady, Esq.
Larry Feldman
Jim Bourg
Tom Wirth
Alexander G. Simpson, Esq.
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