Introductory Note
As previously announced, on February 28, 2024, Sterling Check Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “Sterling”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with First Advantage Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“First Advantage”), and Starter Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of First Advantage (“Merger Sub”).
On October 31, 2024, First Advantage completed the acquisition (such acquisition, the “Transaction”) of Sterling. Pursuant to and subject to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into Sterling, with Sterling surviving the merger with Merger Sub and becoming an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of First Advantage.
The foregoing description of the Transaction and the Merger Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement, which is included as Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by the Company on March 1, 2024 and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 1.02. |
Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement. |
In connection with the consummation of the Transaction, on October 31, 2024, the Company repaid all outstanding term loans and other amounts under, and terminated, its Credit Agreement, dated as of November 29, 2022, by and among Sterling Infosystems, Inc., as borrower, Sterling Intermediate Corp. and the other guarantors party thereto, KeyBank National Association, as agent, and the lenders party thereto.
Item 2.01. |
Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets. |
The information set forth in the Introductory Note of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated herein by reference into this Item 2.01.
Each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Sterling (each, a share of “Sterling Common Stock”) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Transaction (the “Effective Time”), other than shares of Sterling Common Stock (i) owned or held in treasury by Sterling or owned by First Advantage or Merger Sub (which were cancelled), (ii) owned by stockholders who properly exercised and perfected appraisal rights under Delaware law or (iii) owned by any wholly-owned subsidiary of Sterling, was converted into the right to receive, at the election of the holder of such shares of Sterling Common Stock, and subject to proration in accordance with the Merger Agreement as described below, one of the following forms of consideration (or a combination thereof) (the “Merger Consideration”):
|
• |
|
$16.73 in cash, without interest (the “Cash Consideration”) per share of Sterling Common Stock; or |
|
• |
|
0.979 (the “Exchange Ratio”) of a share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of First Advantage (each, a share of “First Advantage Common Stock”) per share of Sterling Common Stock (the “Stock Consideration”). |
The Merger Consideration was subject to proration, such that the total number of shares of Sterling Common Stock and Company Common Stock Equivalents (as defined in the Merger Agreement) entitled to receive the Cash Consideration was equal to approximately 71% of the aggregate number of shares of Sterling Common Stock issued and outstanding and Company Common Stock Equivalents immediately prior to the Effective Time, and the total number of shares of Sterling Common Stock and Company Common Stock Equivalents entitled to receive the Stock Consideration was equal to approximately 29% of the aggregate number of shares of Sterling Common Stock issued and outstanding and Company Common Stock Equivalents immediately prior to the Effective Time. No fractional shares of First Advantage Common Stock were issued.
Based on the final results of the Merger Consideration election process:
|
• |
|
Holders of approximately 41.58% of the shares of Sterling Common Stock and Company Common Stock Equivalents eligible to make a Merger Consideration election elected to receive the Stock Consideration and, in accordance with the proration procedures set forth in the Merger Agreement, (i) approximately 65.71% of such shares shall receive the Stock Consideration and (ii) approximately 34.29% of such shares shall receive the Cash Consideration; and |
|
• |
|
Holders of approximately 58.42% of the shares of Sterling Common Stock and Company Common Stock Equivalents eligible to make a Merger Consideration election elected to receive the Cash Consideration or did not make a valid election or did not deliver a valid election form prior to the election deadline. Each such holder shall receive the Cash Consideration. |
A more detailed description of the Merger Consideration and the allocation and proration procedures applicable to elections is contained in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed by First Advantage with the SEC, and related information statement/prospectus, dated as of June 11, 2024, which are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.