Introduction
We were formed on April 27, 2006 as a blank check company for the purpose of acquiring, through a merger, stock exchange, asset acquisition,
reorganization or similar business combination, one or more operating businesses.
On August 30, 2006, we consummated our initial
public offering of 37,500,000 units, each consisting of one share of common stock and one warrant exercisable for an additional share of common stock, and received proceeds of approximately $279,000,000, net of underwriting discounts and commissions
of approximately $21,000,000 (including approximately $6,000,000 of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions placed in a trust account pending completion of a business combination). In addition, on September 22, 2006 the underwriters for
our initial public offering exercised their over-allotment option, which closed on September 27, 2006, generating proceeds of approximately $18,867,000, net of underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $1,420,000 (including
approximately $400,000 of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions placed in a trust account pending completion of a business combination). On August 30, 2006, we also consummated a private placement of warrants, which we refer to as the
sponsor warrants, to Marathon Investors, LLC, an entity owned and controlled by our chief executive officer for an aggregate purchase price of $5.5 million.
Approximately $308.8 million of the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent sale of the sponsor warrants (including deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million) was
placed in a trust account subsequent to completion of our initial public offering. Our initial business combination must be with a target business or businesses with a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time
of such business combination (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million payable upon consummation of a business combination to the underwriters for our initial public offering).
Our efforts in identifying a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry. Instead, we intend to focus on industries and
target businesses that may provide significant opportunities for growth.
Business Strategy
We have identified the following criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will use these
criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities. However, we may decide to enter into a business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines.
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Established companies with positive cash flow.
We will seek to acquire established companies with sound historical financial performance. We will
typically focus on companies with a history of profitability on an operating cash flow basis and that generate a minimum annual EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Expenses) of $50 million to $250 million. We do not
intend to acquire start-up companies, companies with speculative business plans or companies that are excessively leveraged.
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Strong competitive position in industry.
We will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of target businesses relative to their competitors. The
factors we will consider include product quality, customer loyalty, cost impediments associated with customers switching to competitors, patent protection, brand positioning and capitalization. We will seek to acquire businesses that have developed
leading positions within their respective markets, are well positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities and operate businesses or in industries with significant barriers to entry. We will seek to acquire businesses
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that demonstrate advantages when compared to their competitors, which may help to protect their market position and profitability.
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Experienced management team.
We will seek to acquire businesses that have experienced management teams with a proven track record for delivering
top line growth and bottom line profits through strategic business management and effective team building.
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Diversified customer and supplier base.
We will seek to acquire businesses that have a diversified customer and supplier base. Companies with a
diversified customer and supplier base are generally better able to endure economic downturns, industry consolidation, changing business preferences and other factors that may negatively impact their customers, suppliers and competitors.
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Competitive Advantages
We believe that we have the following competitive advantages over other entities with business objectives similar to ours:
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Management Expertise.
Mr. Gross, our chairman and chief executive officer, has extensive
experience in identifying, negotiating and structuring acquisitions of, and investments in, businesses. He has over 20 years of experience in the private equity, distressed debt and mezzanine lending businesses and has been involved in
originating, structuring, negotiating, consummating and managing private equity, distressed debt and mezzanine lending transactions. He is a founder and a former senior partner of Apollo Management, L.P., a leading private equity firm. Since its
inception through June 30
th
, 2006, Apollo Management, L.P. has invested more than $13 billion in over 150 companies in the United States and
Western Europe. During his tenure at Apollo Management, L.P., Mr. Gross was a member of the investment committee that was responsible for overseeing such investments.
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Prior to joining our company, Mr. Gross was the president, executive officer and chairman of
Apollo Investment Corporation, a publicly traded business development company that he founded. Apollo Investment Corporation invests primarily in middle-market companies in the form of mezzanine and senior secured loans as well as by making direct
equity investments in such companies. Under his management, Apollo Investment Corporation raised approximately $930 million in gross proceeds in an initial public offering in April 2004 and invested approximately $2 billion in over 60 companies in
conjunction with 50 different private equity sponsors through June 30
th
, 2006.
Mr. Gross was also the managing partner of Apollo Distressed Investment Fund, L.P., an investment fund he founded in 2003 to invest principally in
debt and other securities of leveraged companies. Since July 2006, Mr. Gross has been co-chairman of the investment committee of Magnetar Financial LLC, an investment manager that invests primarily in equity and debt securities in the public
market, and a senior partner in Magnetar Capital Partners LP, the holding company for Magnetar Financial LLC. In such capacities, Mr. Gross heads Magnetar Financial LLCs credit and private investment business, which focuses primarily on
debt securities. In addition, Since March 2007, Mr. Gross has served as the chairman, chief executive officer and managing member of Solar Capital, LLC, a newly organized externally managed finance company focusing on debt and equity
investments in leveraged companies, including middle-market companies. He also currently serves on the boards of directors of two public companies, and in the past has served on the boards of directors of more than 20 public and private companies.
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Established deal sourcing network.
Mr. Gross has developed an extensive network of private equity sponsor relationships over the last
20 years. Such relationships are an outgrowth of Mr. Gross many years of private equity investing, demonstrated ability to provide customized financing solutions in a responsive and efficient manner to private equity sponsors in
connection with their proposed investments and reputation within the private equity sponsor community. In addition, as described above, Mr. Gross is affiliated with Magnetar Financial LLC, whose investment professionals have numerous contacts
within the investment, commercial banking, private equity and investment
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management communities. We believe that Mr. Gross personal relationships with private equity sponsors and his roles with both Magnetar Financial
LLC and Solar Capital LLC, as well as his relationships with public and private companies, investment bankers, attorneys and accountants, will provide us with significant business acquisition opportunities.
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Disciplined Acquisition Approach.
Mr. Gross will use the same disciplined approach in acquiring target businesses on our behalf as he used
in connection with his private equity investing. Accordingly, we will seek to reduce the risks posed by the acquisition of a target business by:
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focusing on companies with leading market positions and strong cash flow;
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engaging in extensive due diligence from the perspective of a long-term investor; and
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investing at low price to cash flow multiples.
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Effecting a Business Combination
General
We intend to utilize the cash proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement of sponsor warrants, our capital stock, debt or
a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in a business combination. While substantially all of the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement of sponsor warrants are allocated to completing a
business combination, the proceeds are not otherwise designated for more specific purposes, other than as discussed below. If we engage in a business combination with a target business using our capital stock and/or debt financing as the
consideration to fund the combination, proceeds from our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement of sponsor warrants will then be used to undertake additional acquisitions or to fund the operations of the target business on a
post-combination basis. We may engage in a business combination with a company that does not require significant additional capital but is seeking a public trading market for its shares, and which wants to merge with an already public company to
avoid the uncertainties associated with undertaking its own public offering. These uncertainties include time delays, compliance and governance issues, significant expense, a possible loss of voting control, and the risk that market conditions will
not be favorable for an initial public offering at the time the offering is ready to be sold. We may seek to effect a business combination with more than one target business, although our limited resources may serve as a practical limitation on our
ability to do so.
Prior to completion of a business combination, we will seek to have all vendors, prospective target businesses or other
entities, which we refer to as potential contracted parties or a potential contracted party, that we engage execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account established
in connection with our initial public offering for the benefit of our public stockholders. In the event that a potential contracted party were to refuse to execute such a waiver, we will execute an agreement with that entity only if our management
first determines that we would be unable to obtain, on a reasonable basis, substantially similar services or opportunities from another entity willing to execute such a waiver. Examples of instances where we may engage a third party that refused to
execute a waiver would be the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or a situation in which management
does not believe it would be able to find a provider of required services willing to provide the waiver. If a potential contracted party refuses to execute such a waiver, then Mr. Gross will be personally liable to cover the potential claims
made by such party for services rendered and goods sold, in each case to us, but only if, and to the extent, that the claims would otherwise reduce the trust account proceeds payable to our public stockholders in the event of a liquidation. However,
if a potential contracted party executes a waiver, then Mr. Gross will have no personal liability as to any claimed amounts owed to a contracted party.
Subject to the requirement that a target business or businesses have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately
$6.4 million) at the time of our initial business combination, we have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying
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and selecting one or more prospective target businesses. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we
may combine, we cannot assure you that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce
the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
Sources of target businesses
We anticipate that target businesses may be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated parties such as investment banking firms, venture capital
funds, private equity funds, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and similar sources. We may also identify a target business through managements contacts within the private equity industry. While Mr. Gross is not committed to
spending full-time on our business and our directors have no commitment to spend any time in identifying or performing due diligence on potential target businesses, our management team believes that the relationships they have developed over their
careers in the private equity industry may generate a number of potential target businesses that will warrant further investigation.
We
may pay fees or compensation to third parties for their efforts in introducing us to potential target businesses. Such payments are typically, although not always, calculated as a percentage of the dollar value of the transaction. We have not
anticipated use of a particular percentage fee, but instead will seek to negotiate the smallest reasonable percentage fee consistent with the attractiveness of the opportunity and the alternatives, if any, that are then available to us. We may make
such payments to entities we engage for this purpose or entities that approach us on an unsolicited basis. Payment of finders fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction and certainly would be tied to a completed transaction in the
case of an unsolicited proposal. Although it is possible that we may pay finders fees in the case of an uncompleted transaction, we consider this possibility to be extremely remote. In no event will we pay any member of our management team any
finders fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the consummation of a business combination. In addition, members of our management team will not receive any finders fee, consulting fees or any similar
fees from any person or entity in connection with any business combination involving us other than any compensation or fees that may be received for any services provided following such business combination.
Selection of a target business and structuring of a business combination
Subject to the requirement that our initial business combination must be with a target business with a fair market value that is at least 80% of the
balance in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million) at the time of such business combination, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting
a prospective target business.
In evaluating a prospective target business, our management will primarily consider the criteria and
guidelines set forth above under the caption BusinessBusiness Strategy. In addition, our management will consider, among other factors, the following:
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financial condition and results of operations;
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brand recognition and potential;
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experience and skill of management and availability of additional personnel;
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stage of development of the business and its products or services
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existing distribution arrangements and the potential for expansion;
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degree of current or potential market acceptance of the products or services;
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proprietary aspects of products and the extent of intellectual property or other protection for products or formulas;
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impact of regulation on the business;
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seasonal sales fluctuations and the ability to offset these fluctuations through other business combinations, introduction of new products, or product line
extensions; and
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costs associated with effecting the business combination.
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These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular business combination will be based, to the extent relevant, on the above factors as well as other considerations
deemed relevant by our management to our business objective. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and
employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as review of financial and other information which will be made available to us.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete the business combination, and the costs associated with this
process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which a business combination is not ultimately completed will result in
our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination. We will not pay any finders or consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or
in connection with a business combination.
Fair market value of target business or businesses
The initial target business or businesses with which we combine must have a collective fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust
account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million) at the time of such business combination. Notwithstanding such fact, we may seek to consummate a business combination with an initial target business
or businesses with a collective fair market value in excess of 80% of the balance in the trust account. However, we would likely need to obtain additional financing to consummate such a business combination and have not taken any steps to obtain any
such financing.
In contrast to many other companies with business plans similar to ours that must combine with one or more target
businesses that have a fair market value equal to 80% or more of the acquirors net assets, we will not combine with a target business or businesses unless the fair market value of such entity or entities meets a minimum valuation threshold of
80% of the amount in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million). We have used this criterion to provide investors and our management team with greater certainty as to the fair market
value that a target business or businesses must have in order to qualify for a business combination with us. The determination of net assets requires an acquiror to have deducted all liabilities from total assets to arrive at the balance of net
assets. Given the on-going nature of legal, accounting, stockholder meeting and other expenses that will be incurred immediately before and at the time of a business combination, the balance of an acquirors total liabilities may be difficult
to ascertain at a particular point in time with a high degree of certainty. Accordingly, we have determined to use the valuation threshold of 80% of the amount in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of
approximately $6.4 million) for the fair market value of the target business or businesses with which we combine so that our management team will have greater certainty when selecting, and our investors will have greater certainty when voting to
approve or disapprove a proposed combination with, a target business or businesses that will meet the minimum valuation criterion for our initial business combination.
The fair market value of a target business or businesses will be determined by our board of directors based upon standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as actual and potential sales, the values
of comparable businesses, earnings and cash flow, and book value. If our board is not able to independently
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determine that the target business has a sufficient fair market value to meet the threshold criterion, we will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated,
independent investment banking firm which is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. with respect to the satisfaction of such criterion. We expect that any such opinion would be included in our proxy soliciting materials
furnished to our stockholders in connection with a business combination, and that such independent investment banking firm will be a consenting expert. We will not be required to obtain an opinion from an investment banking firm as to the fair
market value of the business if our board of directors independently determines that the target business or businesses has sufficient fair market value to meet the threshold criterion.
Lack of business diversification
While we may seek to effect business combinations with more than one target business, our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses whose collective fair market value is at least equal to 80% of the balance in
the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million) at the time of such business combination, as discussed above. Consequently, we expect to complete only a single business combination,
although this may entail a simultaneous combination with several operating businesses at the same time. At the time of our initial business combination, we may not be able to acquire more than one target business because of various factors,
including complex accounting or financial reporting issues. For example, we may need to present pro forma financial statements reflecting the operations of several target businesses as if they had been combined historically.
A simultaneous combination with several target businesses also presents logistical issues such as the need to coordinate the timing of negotiations,
proxy statement disclosure and closings. In addition, if conditions to closings with respect to one or more of the target businesses are not satisfied, the fair market value of the business could fall below the required fair market value threshold
of 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million).
Accordingly, while it is possible that we may attempt to effect our initial business combination with more than one target business, we are more likely to choose a single target business if all other factors appear equal. This means that
for an indefinite period of time, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or
several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By consummating a business combination with only a single entity, our lack of
diversification may:
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subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in
which we operate after a business combination, and
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cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.
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If we complete a business combination structured as a merger in which the consideration is our stock, we would have a significant amount of cash
available to make add-on acquisitions following our initial business combination.
Limited ability to evaluate the target
business management
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating
the desirability of effecting a business combination with that business, we cannot assure you that our assessment of the target business management will prove to be correct. In addition, we cannot assure you that the future management will
have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with
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any certainty. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following a business combination, it is
unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to a business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations
of the particular target business.
Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the
incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent
management.
Opportunity for stockholder approval of business combination
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will submit the transaction to our stockholders for approval, even if the nature of the
acquisition is such as would not ordinarily require stockholder approval under applicable state law. If a majority of the shares of common stock voted by the public stockholders are not voted in favor of a proposed initial business combination, we
may continue to seek other target businesses with which to effect our initial business combination that meet our acquisition criteria until the expiration of 24 months from consummation of our initial public offering. In connection with seeking
stockholder approval of a business combination, we will furnish our stockholders with proxy solicitation materials prepared in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), which, among other
matters, will include a description of the operations of the target business and audited historical financial statements of the target business based on United States generally accepted accounting principles.
In connection with the vote required for any business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote their respective shares of common stock
acquired by them prior to our initial public offering in accordance with the majority of the shares of common stock voted by the public stockholders. Our initial stockholders and Marathon Investors, LLC have also agreed that they will vote any
shares they purchase in the open market in or after this offering in favor of a business combination. As a result, if our initial stockholders and Marathon Investors, LLC acquire shares in or after this offering, they must vote those shares in favor
of the proposed initial business combination with respect to those shares, and will therefore not be eligible to exercise conversion rights for those shares if our initial business combination is approved by a majority of our public stockholders. We
will proceed with the business combination only if a majority of the shares of common stock voted by the public stockholders are voted in favor of the business combination and public stockholders owning less than 20% of the shares sold in this
offering exercise their conversion rights. Voting against the business combination alone will not result in conversion of a stockholders shares into a
pro rata
share of the trust account. To do so, a stockholder must have also exercised
the conversion rights described below.
Conversion rights
At the time we seek stockholder approval of any business combination, we will offer each public stockholder the right to have such stockholders
shares of common stock converted to cash if the stockholder votes against the business combination and the business combination is approved and completed. The actual per-share conversion price, which we refer to as the Conversion Price,
will be equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, before payment of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and including accrued interest, net of any income taxes on such interest, which will be paid from the trust
account, and net of interest income of up to $3.9 million previously released to us to fund our working capital requirements (subject to the tax holdback) (calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the proposed business
combination), divided by the number of shares sold in our initial public offering. The Conversion Price, based upon the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private place of the sponsor warrants placed in the trust account,
without taking into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent to our initial public offering, would be less than the per-unit offering price of $8.00 in our initial public offering.
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In connection with the vote required for any business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed
to vote their respective shares of common stock acquired by them prior to our initial public offering in accordance with the majority of the shares of common stock voted by the public stockholders. Our initial stockholders and Marathon Investors,
LLC have also agreed that they will vote any shares they purchase in the open market in or after our initial public offering in favor of a business combination. As a result, our initial stockholders and Marathon Investors, LLC will not be able to
exercise conversion rights with respect to shares acquired by them before, in or after our initial public offering.
An eligible
stockholder may request conversion at any time after the mailing to our stockholders of the proxy statement and prior to the vote taken with respect to a proposed business combination at a meeting held for that purpose, but the request will not be
granted unless the stockholder votes against the business combination and the business combination is approved and completed. If a stockholder votes against the business combination but fails to properly exercise its conversion rights, such
stockholder will not have its shares of common stock converted to its
pro rata
distribution of the trust account. Any request for conversion, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date of the meeting. It is anticipated that the
funds to be distributed to stockholders entitled to convert their shares who elect conversion will be distributed promptly after completion of a business combination. Public stockholders who convert their stock into their share of the trust account
will still have the right to exercise the warrants that they received as part of the units. We will not complete our proposed initial business combination if public stockholders owning 20% or more of the shares sold in our initial public offering
exercise their conversion rights.
If the initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then public
stockholders voting against our initial business combination will not be entitled to convert their shares of common stock into a
pro rata
share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account. Such public stockholders would only
be entitled to their
pro rata
share of the aggregate amount on deposit in the trust account in the event that such stockholders elect to vote against a subsequent business combination which is approved by stockholders and completed, or in
connection with our dissolution and liquidation.
As the Conversion Price, based upon the proceeds of our initial public offering and the
concurrent private place of the sponsor warrants placed in the trust account, without taking into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent to our initial public offering, would be lower than the $8.00 per unit offering price in our
initial public offering, and it may be less than the market price of the common stock on the date of conversion, there may be a disincentive on the part of public stockholders to exercise their conversion rights.
Liquidation if no business combination
If we do not complete a business combination within 18 months (or 24 months if we enter into a letter of intent or definitive agreement to complete a business combination) after the consummation of our initial public offering, we will be
dissolved and will distribute to all of our public stockholders, in proportion to their respective equity interests, an aggregate sum equal to the amount in the trust account, inclusive of any interest and net of any income taxes due on such
interest that will be paid from the trust account and interest income on the trust account balance released to us to fund working capital requirements including the costs of our dissolution and liquidation (subject to the tax holdback), plus any
remaining assets.
If we were unable to conclude an initial business combination and expended all of the net proceeds of our initial public
offering and the concurrent private placement of sponsor warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, the per-share liquidation price, based upon the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private place of
the sponsor warrants placed in the trust account, without taking into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent to our initial public offering, which we refer to as the Liquidation Price, would be less than the per-unit
offering price of $8.00 in our initial public offering. The Liquidation Price includes approximately $6.4 million in deferred underwriting discounts and commissions that would also be distributable to our public stockholders.
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The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors
which could be prior to the claims of our public stockholders. Mr. Gross has agreed that, if we liquidate prior to the consummation of a business combination, he will be personally liable for ensuring that the proceeds in the trust account are
not reduced by the claims of various vendors that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us, or claims of other parties with which we have contracted, including the claims of any prospective target with
which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement with respect to a failed business combination with such prospective target. Mr. Gross will have such obligations only if such vendor or
contracted party does not execute a waiver of its rights, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the trust account, but only to the extent any claims made against the trust account and the payment of such debts or obligations actually reduces
the amount in the trust account. However, we cannot assure you that Mr. Gross will be able to satisfy those obligations. Mr. Gross is not personally liable to pay any of our debts and obligations except as provided above. Accordingly, we
cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual Liquidation Price will not be less than the Liquidation Price based upon the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private place of the sponsor warrants placed in the
trust account, without taking into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent to our initial public offering. If such funds are insufficient to cover the costs of our dissolution and liquidation, Mr. Gross has agreed to indemnify
us for our out-of-pocket costs associated with such dissolution and liquidation, excluding any special, indirect or consequential costs, such as litigation, pertaining to such dissolution and liquidation.
In accordance of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, if we have entered into either a letter of intent, an agreement in principle or a
definitive agreement to complete a business combination prior to the expiration of 18 months after the consummation of our initial public offering, then we make take up to an additional six months to complete a business combination. On
February 20, 2008, we announced that we had met the criteria under our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation permitting us to extend the period in which we are able to complete a business combination until the expiration of the
24-month period from the consummation of our initial public offering, or August 30, 2008. If we are unable to complete a business combination by August 30, 2008, we will take all necessary actions to dissolve and liquidate as expeditiously
as possibly. As required under Delaware law, we will seek stockholder approval for such plan of dissolution and liquidation. The initial stockholders have agreed to vote in favor of such dissolution and liquidation in these circumstances. Upon the
approval by our stockholders of our plan of dissolution and liquidation, we will liquidate our assets, including the trust account, and after reserving amounts from the interest earned on the trust account available to us as working capital
requirements to cover the costs of dissolution and liquidation, distribute those assets solely to our public stockholders. Agreements with the initial stockholders do not permit them to participate in any liquidation distribution occurring upon our
failure to consummate a business combination with respect to those shares of common stock acquired by them before our initial public offering. They will participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to any shares of common stock acquired
in connection with or following our initial public offering. There will be no distribution from our trust account with respect to our warrants, and all rights with respect to our warrants will effectively cease upon our liquidation. Upon notice from
us, the trustee of the trust account will commence liquidating the investments constituting the trust account and will turn over the proceeds to our transfer agent for distribution to our public stockholders.
Under Delaware law, creditors of a corporation have a superior right to stockholders in the distribution of assets upon dissolution. Consequently, if the
trust account is dissolved and paid out prior to all creditors being paid on their claims, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution.
Sections 280 and Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law set forth two procedures that a dissolved corporation may follow when
winding up its affairs. We cannot predict at this time which procedure we would comply with in the event of liquidation. If we elect to comply with Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, we would obtain greater certainty as to
potential claims, and we, or a successor entity to us, may reject, in whole or in part, claims that are made. In addition, should we choose to comply with Section 280, a creditor who receives actual notice of our dissolution, as required by
Section 280, would be barred
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from receiving payment if the claimant failed to present the claim in accordance with the required timeframes. Specifically, if we comply with certain
procedures intended to ensure that we make reasonable provision for all claims against us, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against us and a 90-day period during which we may reject any claims
brought, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholders pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder
would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. If we elect to comply with the procedures set forth at Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, stockholders will not know at the time of dissolution the scope of
potential claims against us. Our stockholders could therefore potentially be liable for claims to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such
dissolution.
We expect that all costs associated with implementing our plan of dissolution and liquidation as well as payments to any
creditors will be funded from the interest on the trust account available to us as working capital. If such funds are insufficient to cover the costs of our dissolution and liquidation, Mr. Gross has agreed to indemnify us for our out-of-pocket
costs associated with such dissolution and liquidation, excluding any special, indirect or consequential costs, such as litigation, pertaining to such dissolution and liquidation. We estimate that our total costs and expenses for implementing and
completing our stockholder-approved plan of dissolution and liquidation will be in the range of $50,000 to $75,000. This amount includes all costs and expenses relating to filing of our dissolution in the State of Delaware, the winding up of our
company and the costs of a proxy statement and meeting relating to the approval by our stockholders of our plan of dissolution and liquidation.
Our public stockholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of our liquidation or if the stockholders seek to convert their respective shares into cash upon a business combination which the
stockholder voted against and which is actually completed by us. In no other circumstances shall a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Prior to our completing an initial business combination or liquidating,
we are permitted only to have released from the trust account interest income of up to $3.9 million to fund our working capital requirements, subject to the tax holdback.
Pursuant to Delaware General Corporation Law Sections 280 and 281, upon our dissolution we will be required to pay or make reasonable provision to pay all of our claims and obligations, including all contingent,
conditional, or unmatured claims. These amounts must be paid or provided for before we make any distributions to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, from the interest on the trust account available to us for working
capital, we cannot assure you those funds will be sufficient to cover such claims and obligations. Although we will seek to have all vendors, prospective target businesses or other entities we engage execute agreements with us waiving any right,
title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements, or if executed, that such waivers will be enforceable or otherwise prevent potential contracted parties
from making claims against the trust account. Nor is there any guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not
seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Accordingly, the proceeds held in trust could be subject to claims which could take priority over the claims of our public stockholders and, as a result, the actual Liquidation Price could be
less than the Liquidation Price based upon the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private place of the sponsor warrants placed in the trust account, without taking into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent
to our initial public offering, due to claims of such creditors. If we are unable to complete a business combination and are forced to liquidate, Mr. Gross will be personally liable for ensuring that the proceeds in the trust account are not
reduced by the claims of any third party if such third party does not execute a waiver of its rights, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the trust account, but only to the extent any claims made against the trust account and the payment
of such debts or obligations actually reduces the amount in the trust account. However, we cannot assure you that Mr. Gross will be able to satisfy those obligations.
Furthermore, creditors may seek to interfere with the distribution of the trust account pursuant to federal or state creditor and bankruptcy laws, which
could delay the actual distribution of such funds or reduce the amount
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ultimately available for distribution to our public stockholders. If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed
against us which is not dismissed, the funds held in our trust account will be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our
stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account we cannot assure you we will be able to return to our public stockholders the liquidation amounts due them. Accordingly, the actual per share amount distributed from the
trust account to our public stockholders could be significantly less than Liquidation Price based upon the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private place of the sponsor warrants placed in the trust account, without taking
into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent to our initial public offering. Any claims by creditors could cause additional delays in the distribution of trust funds to the public stockholders beyond the time periods required to
comply with Delaware General Corporation Law procedures and federal securities laws and regulations.
Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation
Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation sets forth certain requirements and restrictions
relating to this offering that apply to us until the consummation of a business combination. Specifically, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides, among other things, that:
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we establish and maintain an Audit Committee composed of at least three (3) independent directors;
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we establish and maintain a trust account, which trust account was initially funded with approximately $308.8 million, consisting of substantially all of the net
proceeds from our initial public offering and the exercise of the over-allotment, and the concurrent sale of sponsor warrants and approximately $6.4 million in deferred underwriting discounts and commissions;
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prior to the consummation of a business combination, we shall submit such business combination to our stockholders for approval;
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we may consummate the business combination, if approved, only if public stockholders owning less than 20% of the shares sold in this offering exercise their
conversion rights;
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if a business combination is approved and consummated, public stockholders who voted against the business combination may exercise their conversion rights and
receive their
pro rata
share of the trust account;
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if a business combination is not consummated or a letter of intent, an agreement in principle or a definitive agreement is not signed within the time periods
specified in this prospectus, then we will take all necessary actions to dissolve and liquidate as expeditiously as possible;
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we may not consummate any other merger, acquisition, asset purchase, reorganization or similar transaction other than the business combination;
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our Audit Committee shall monitor compliance on a quarterly basis with the terms of our initial public offering and, if any noncompliance is identified, the Audit
Committee is charged with the responsibility to take immediately all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise cause compliance with the terms of this offering; and
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the Audit Committee shall review and approve all expense reimbursements made to members of our management team and any expense reimbursements payable to members of
our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our board of directors, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval.
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The above-referenced requirements and restrictions included in our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation may only be amended prior to consummation of a business combination upon the unanimous written
consent of our stockholders. In light of the requirement that we obtain the unanimous approval of our stockholders, we do not anticipate any changes to such requirements and restrictions prior to our consummation of a business combination, if any.
However, the enforceability of unanimous consent provisions under Delaware
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law may not be free from doubt. A court in equity could possibly conclude that the unanimous consent requirement constitutes a practical prohibition on
amendment in violation of the stockholders statutory rights to amend the corporate charter. In that case, an amendment could potentially reduce or eliminate the protection the above-referenced requirements and restrictions afford to our
stockholders, without a unanimous consent being required. However, we view all of the foregoing provisions, including the requirement that public stockholders owning less than 20% of the shares sold in this offering exercise their conversion rights
in order for us to consummate our initial business combination, as obligations to our stockholders, and neither we nor our board of directors will propose any amendment to these provisions or support, endorse or recommend any proposal that
stockholders amend any of these provisions at any time prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for a business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business
objective similar to ours including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience
identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be
limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore:
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our obligation to seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination or obtain necessary financial information may delay the completion of a transaction;
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our obligation to convert into cash up to 19.99% of our shares of common stock held by our public stockholders who vote against the business combination and
exercise their conversion rights may reduce the resources available to us for a business combination;
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our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses; and
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the requirement to acquire an operating business that has a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the trust account at the time of the
acquisition (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million) could require us to acquire the assets of several operating businesses at the same time, all of which sales would be contingent on the closings of
the other sales, which could make it more difficult to consummate the business combination.
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Any of these factors may
place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination.
Administrative Services Agreement
We have agreed to pay Marathon Management, LLC, an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Gross, a total of $7,500 per month for office space,
administrative services and secretarial support. Mr. Gross is our chairman and chief executive officer. This arrangement was agreed to by us and Marathon Management, LLC for our benefit and is not intended to provide Mr. Gross compensation
in lieu of a salary or other remuneration because it is anticipated that the expenses to be paid by Marathon Management, LLC will approximate the monthly reimbursement. We believe that such fees are at least as favorable as we could have obtained
from an unaffiliated person. Upon completion of a business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
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Facilities
We currently maintain our executive offices at, 500 Park Avenue, 5
th
Floor, New York, New York. The cost for this space is included in the $7,500 per-month fee described above that Marathon Management, LLC charges us for
general and administrative services. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services in the New York City metropolitan area that the fee charged by Marathon Management, LLC is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an
unaffiliated person. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have one officer. This individual is not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our business and intends to devote only as much
time as he deems necessary to our business. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We have registered our units, common stock and warrants under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, and have reporting obligations thereunder, including the requirement that we file annual and quarterly reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In accordance with the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, this annual report contains financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accounting firm.
We will not acquire a target business if we cannot obtain audited financial statements based on United States generally accepted accounting principles for such target business. We will provide these financial
statements in the proxy solicitation materials sent to stockholders for the purpose of seeking stockholder approval of our initial business combination. Our management believes that the need for target businesses to have, or be able to obtain,
audited financial statements may limit the pool of potential target businesses available for acquisition.
We are currently required to
comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. However, a target company with which we may seek a business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their
internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SECs Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. You may
obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file
electronically with the SEC at
http://www.sec.gov.
We may not be able to
consummate a business combination by August 30, 2008, in which case, we would be forced to liquidate.
We must complete a business
combination with a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance of the trust account at the time of the business combination (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million) within 24 monthsif we
enter into a definitive agreement or letter of intent to consummate a business combinationafter the consummation of our initial public offering. If we fail to consummate a business combination within the required time frame, we will be forced
to liquidate our assets. We may not be able to find suitable target businesses within the required time frame. In addition, our negotiating position and our ability to conduct adequate due diligence on any potential target may be reduced as we
approach the deadline for the consummation of a business combination. Accordingly, our auditors have included an explanatory paragraph in their report related to the uncertainty of the Companys ability to continue as a going concern.
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We are a newly formed, development stage company with a limited operating history and no revenues from operations, and
you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a recently formed development stage
company with limited operating results. Because we lack an established operating history, you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing a business combination with one or more target businesses.
We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target businesses concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete a business combination. We will not generate any revenues from operations until after completing
a business combination. If we expend all of the funds not held in trust and interest income earned of up to $3.9 million on the balance of the trust account that has been released to us to fund our working capital requirements (subject to the tax
holdback) in seeking a business combination but fail to complete such a combination, we will never generate any operating revenues. In addition, given the uncertainty regarding our ability to consummate a business combination within 24 months after
consummation of our initial public offering, or August 30, 2008, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue operations as a going concern.
If we liquidate before concluding a business combination, our public stockholders will receive less than $8.00 per share on distribution of trust account funds and our warrants will expire worthless.
If we are unable to complete a business combination and must liquidate our assets, the Liquidation Price will be less than $8.00 because of the expenses
of our initial public offering, our general and administrative expenses and the planned costs of seeking a business combination. Furthermore, our outstanding warrants are not entitled to participate in a liquidating distribution and the warrants
will therefore expire worthless if we liquidate before completing a business combination.
You will not receive protections normally afforded to
investors in blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of our initial public offering are designated for completing a business
combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed a blank check company under the United States securities laws. However, because on consummation of our initial public offering we had net tangible assets
in excess of $5,000,000 and filed a Form 8-K with the SEC that included an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from SEC rules such as Rule 419 that are designed to protect investors in blank check companies. Accordingly, our
stockholders will not receive the benefits or protections of that rule. Among other things, this means our units are immediately tradable and we have a longer period of time to complete a business combination in some circumstances than do companies
subject to Rule 419. Moreover, Rule 419 would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless, and only after, the funds held in the trust account were released to us in connection with our consummation of
a business combination.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in trust could be reduced and the Liquidation Price received by you
could be reduced.
Our placing of funds in trust may not protect those funds from third party claims against us. Pursuant to Delaware
General Corporation Law Sections 280 and 281, upon our dissolution we will be required to pay or make reasonable provision to pay all of our claims and obligations, including all contingent, conditional, or unmatured claims. These amounts must be
paid or provided for before we make any distributions to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, from the interest on the trust account available to us for working capital, we cannot assure you those funds will be sufficient
to cover such claims and obligations. Although we will seek to have all vendors, prospective target businesses or other entities we engage execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in
the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements, or if executed, that such waivers will be
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enforceable or otherwise prevent potential contracted parties from making claims against the trust account. Nor is there any guarantee that such entities
will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Accordingly, the proceeds held in
trust could be subject to claims which could take priority over the claims of our public stockholders and, as a result, the actual Liquidation Price could be less than the Liquidation Price based upon the proceeds of our initial public offering and
the concurrent private place of the sponsor warrants placed in the trust account, without taking into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent to our initial public offering, due to claims of such creditors. If we are unable to
complete a business combination and are forced to liquidate, Mr. Gross will be personally liable for ensuring that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced by the claims of any third party if such third party does not execute a waiver
of its rights, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the trust account, but only to the extent any claims made against the trust account and the payment of such debts or obligations actually reduces the amount in the trust account. However,
we cannot assure you that Mr. Gross will be able to satisfy those obligations. Based on the information in his director and officer questionnaire provided to us in connection with our initial public offering as well as the representations as to
his accredited investor status (as such term is defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act), we currently believe that Mr. Gross is of substantial means and capable of funding his indemnity obligations, even though we have not asked him
to reserve for such an eventuality. However, we cannot assure you Mr. Gross will be able to satisfy those obligations. We believe the likelihood of Mr. Gross having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we intend to have all
vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claims of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.
We expect that all costs associated with implementing our plan of dissolution and liquidation as well as payments to any creditors will be funded from
the interest on the trust account available to us as working capital. If such funds are insufficient to cover the costs of our dissolution and liquidation, Mr. Gross has agreed to indemnify us for our out-of-pocket costs associated with such
dissolution and liquidation, excluding any special, indirect or consequential costs, such as litigation, pertaining to such dissolution and liquidation. We estimate that our total costs and expenses for implementing and completing our
stockholder-approved plan of dissolution and liquidation will be in the range of $50,000 to $75,000. This amount includes all costs and expenses relating to filing of our dissolution in the State of Delaware, the winding up of our company and the
costs of a proxy statement and meeting relating to the approval by our stockholders of our plan of dissolution and liquidation.
Furthermore, creditors may seek to interfere with the distribution of the trust account pursuant to federal or state creditor and bankruptcy laws, which could delay the actual distribution of such funds or reduce the amount ultimately
available for distribution to our public stockholders. If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, the funds held in our trust account will be subject to applicable
bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account we cannot assure you we will be
able to return to our public stockholders the liquidation amounts due them. Accordingly, the actual per share amount distributed from the trust account to our public stockholders could be significantly less than expected Liquidation Price, without
taking into account interest earned on the trust account subsequent to our initial public offering (net of taxes payable on interest income on the funds in the trust account and interest income of up to $3.9 million on the trust account balance
previously released to us to fund our working capital requirements, including the costs of our dissolution and liquidation). Any claims by creditors could cause additional delays in the distribution of trust funds to the public stockholders beyond
the time periods required to comply with Delaware General Corporation Law procedures and federal securities laws and regulations.
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If we seek to effect a business combination with an entity that is directly or indirectly affiliated with members of
our management team, conflicts of interest could arise.
Members of our management team either currently have or may in the future have
affiliations with companies that we may seek to acquire. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that a business combination with an affiliated entity is fair to our stockholders from a financial point
of view, potential conflicts of interest may still exist, and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would have been absent any conflicts of interest.
If we issue capital stock or convertible debt securities to complete a business combination, your equity interest in us could be reduced or there may be a change in
control of our company.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 249,000,000 shares of common stock, par
value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of December 31, 2007, there were 154,053,300 authorized but unissued shares of our common stock available for issuance (after appropriate
reservation for the issuance of shares upon full exercise of our outstanding warrants, including the sponsor warrants) and all of the 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock available for issuance. We have no current commitments to issue any additional
securities. We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of our common stock or may issue preferred stock, or a combination of both, including through convertible debt securities, to complete a business combination. Our issuance of
additional shares of common stock or any preferred stock:
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may significantly reduce your equity interest in us;
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will likely cause a change in control if a substantial number of our shares of common stock are issued, which may among other things limit our ability to use any
net operating loss carry forwards we have, and result in the resignation or agreed-upon removal of our management team; and
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may adversely affect the then-prevailing market price for our common stock.
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The value of your investment in us may decline if any of these events occur.
Stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution.
If we do not complete a business combination within 24 months after the consummation of our initial public offering, we will dissolve and distribute to
our public stockholders an amount equal to the amount in the trust account, including (i) all accrued interest, net of income taxes payable on such interest and interest of up to $3.9 million on the trust account balance previously released to
us to fund our working capital requirements, including the costs of our dissolution and liquidation, and (ii) all deferred underwriting discounts and commissions plus any remaining assets. Under Delaware law, creditors of a corporation have a
superior right to stockholders in the
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distribution of assets upon dissolution. Consequently, if the trust account is dissolved and paid out prior to all creditors being paid on their claims,
stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution.
Sections 280 and Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law set forth two procedures that a dissolved corporation may follow when winding up its affairs. We cannot predict at this time which procedure we would comply with
in the event of liquidation. If we elect to comply with Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, we would obtain greater certainty as to potential claims, and we, or a successor entity to us, may reject, in whole or in part, claims
that are made. In addition, should we choose to comply with Section 280, a creditor who receives actual notice of our dissolution, as required by Section 280, would be barred from receiving payment if the claimant failed to present the
claim in accordance with the required timeframes. Specifically, if we comply with certain procedures intended to ensure that we make reasonable provision for all claims against us, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims
can be brought against us and a 90-day period during which we may reject any claims brought, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholders pro rata share of the claim or
the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. If we elect to comply with the procedures set forth at Section 281(b) of the Delaware General
Corporation Law, stockholders will not know at the time of dissolution the scope of potential claims against us. Our stockholders could therefore potentially be liable for claims to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution and
any liability of our stockholders will extend beyond the third anniversary of such dissolution.
Under Delaware law, our dissolution requires the
approval of the holders of a majority of our outstanding stock, without which we will not be able to dissolve and liquidate, and distribute our assets to our public stockholders.
We will promptly adopt a plan of dissolution and liquidation and initiate procedures for our dissolution and liquidation if we do not effect a business
combination within 24 months after consummation of our initial public offering. However, pursuant to Delaware law, our dissolution requires the affirmative vote of stockholders owning a majority of our then outstanding common stock. Soliciting the
vote of our stockholders will require the preparation of preliminary and definitive proxy statements, which will need to be filed with the SEC and could be subject to its review. This process could take a substantial amount of time ranging from 40
days to several months.
As a result, the distribution of our assets to the public stockholders could be subject to a considerable delay.
Furthermore, we may need to postpone the stockholders meeting, resolicit our stockholders, or amend our plan of dissolution and liquidation to obtain the required stockholder approval, all of which would further delay the distribution of our
assets and result in increased costs. If we are not able to obtain approval from a majority of our stockholders, we will not be able to dissolve and liquidate and we will not be able to distribute funds from our trust account to holders of our
common stock sold in our initial public offering, and these funds will not be available for any other corporate purpose. In the event we seek stockholder approval for a plan of dissolution and liquidation and do not obtain such approval, we will
nonetheless continue to pursue stockholder approval for our dissolution. However, we cannot assure you that our stockholders will approve our dissolution in a timely manner or will ever approve our dissolution. As a result, we cannot provide
investors with assurances of a specific timeframe for the dissolution and distribution.
If we acquire a company by issuing debt securities, our
post-combination operating results may decline due to increased interest expense or our liquidity may be adversely affected by an acceleration of our indebtedness.
We may elect to enter into a business combination that requires us to issue debt securities as part of the purchase price for a target business. If we issue debt securities, such issuances may result in:
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default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating cash flow after a business combination were insufficient to pay our debt obligations;
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acceleration, even if we are then current in our debt service obligations, if the debt securities have covenants that require us to meet certain financial ratios or
maintain designated reserves, and such covenants are breached without waiver or renegotiation;
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a required immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security was payable on demand; and
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our inability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, if the debt securities contain covenants restricting our ability to obtain additional financing.
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Our initial stockholders currently control us and may influence certain actions requiring a stockholder vote.
The holders of shares of our common stock issued prior to the consummation of our initial public offering, whom we refer to as our initial stockholders,
own approximately 19% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Our initial stockholders and Marathon Investors, LLC have agreed that any common stock they acquire in or after our initial public offering will be voted in favor of a
business combination that is presented to our public stockholders. Accordingly, shares of common stock acquired by the initial stockholders and Marathon Investors, LLC in or after our initial public offering will not have the same voting or
conversion rights as our public stockholders with respect to a potential business combination, and will not be eligible to exercise conversion rights for those shares if a business combination is approved by a majority of our public stockholders.
Because an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Gross holds warrants to purchase 5,500,000 shares of our common stock, the exercise of
those warrants may increase Mr. Gross ability to control us. This increase could allow Mr. Gross, along with the other initial stockholders, to further influence the outcome of matters requiring stockholder approval, including the
election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions after completion of our initial business combination.
Our board
of directors is divided into three classes, each of which generally serves for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. It is unlikely that there will be an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new
directors prior to the consummation of a business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office at least until the consummation of a business combination. If there is an annual meeting of stockholders, only a
minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders will have considerable influence on the outcome of that election. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the
consummation of a business combination. In addition, our initial stockholders and their affiliates are not prohibited from purchasing our common stock in the aftermarket. If they do so, our initial stockholders will have a greater influence on the
vote taken in connection with a business combination.
Our long-term success is dependent upon yet to be identified members of our management team.
Our ability to successfully effect a business combination is totally dependent upon the efforts of our management team. The future role of
our management team in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although it is possible that some members of our management team will remain associated in various capacities with the target business following a business
combination, it is likely that the management team of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place given that it is likely that they will have greater knowledge, experience and expertise than our management in the
industry in which the target business operates as well as in managing the target business. Thus, even though our management team may continue to be associated with us in various capacities after a business combination, it is likely that we will be
dependent upon a yet to be identified management team for our long-term success.
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We will have only limited ability to evaluate the management of the target business.
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business in connection with evaluating the desirability of effecting a
business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of management will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a public company and the securities laws, which could increase the time and
resources we must expend to assist them in becoming familiar with the complex disclosure and financial reporting requirements imposed on U.S. public companies. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues
that may adversely affect our operations.
We will likely seek a business combination with one or more privately-held companies, which may present
certain challenges to us, including the lack of available information about these companies.
In accordance with our acquisition
strategy, we will likely seek a business combination with one or more privately-held companies. Generally, very little public information exists about these companies, and we are required to rely on the ability of our management team to obtain
adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, then we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose money on
our investments.
Members of our management team are and may in the future become affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to
those intended to be conducted by us, and may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and business opportunities.
Members
of our management team are and may in the future become affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us. As a result, members of our management team may become aware of business opportunities
that may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are or may be affiliated. Due to these existing and future affiliations, members of our management team may have fiduciary obligations to present potential
business opportunities to those entities prior to presenting them to us which could cause additional conflicts of interest. Accordingly, members of our management team may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular
business opportunity should be presented.
For example, Mr. Gross, our chairman and chief executive officer, serves as co-chairman of
the investment committee of Magnetar Financial LLC, an investment manager, and a senior partner in Magnetar Capital Partners LP, the holding company for Magnetar Financial LLC. In such capacities, Mr. Gross heads Magnetar Financial LLCs
credit and private investment business, which focuses primarily on debt securities. Marathon Acquisition Corp. Holdings LLC, an entity owned and controlled by Magnetar Financial LLC, will hold an economic interest in any distributions Mr. Gross
may receive as a result of his ownership of Marathon Founders, LLC and Marathon Investors, LLC. In addition, Mr. Gross serves as the chairman, chief executive officer and managing member of Solar Capital LLC, a newly organized externally
managed finance company focusing on debt and equity investments in leveraged companies, including middle-market companies. As a result, Mr. Gross will face conflicts in the allocation of acquisition opportunities between us and both Magnetar
Financial LLC and Solar Capital LLC. Although Mr. Gross will endeavor to allocate acquisition opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain acquisition
opportunities that Mr. Gross determines to offer to either Magnetar Financial LLC or Solar Capital LLC. However, Mr. Gross expects his activities for these entities will primarily include evaluating debt and minority equity investments, as
opposed to evaluating the type of business combination for which we were formed. Moreover, members of our management team are not obligated to expend a specific number of hours per week or month on our affairs. We cannot assure you that these
conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
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Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not consummated, which could materially adversely
affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business.
It is anticipated that the investigation of each
specific target business and the negotiation, drafting, and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents, and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, and
others. If a decision is made not to complete a specific business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, even if an agreement is reached relating to a specific
target business, we may fail to consummate the transaction for any number of reasons including those beyond our control such as that more than 19.99% of our public shareholders vote against the transaction and opt to convert their stock into a
pro rata
share of the trust account even if a majority of our shareholders approve the transaction. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate
and acquire or merge with another business.
Because the shares of common stock owned by our initial stockholders before our initial public offering are
prohibited from participating in liquidation distributions by us, Messrs. Gross, Aron, Simon and Sheft may have a conflict of interest in deciding if a particular target business is a good candidate for a business combination.
Our initial stockholders have waived their right to receive distributions with respect to the shares of common stock purchased by them before our initial
public offering if we liquidate because we fail to complete a business combination. Additionally, an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Gross has purchased warrants which will entitle it to purchase 5,500,000 shares of our common stock. The
shares of common stock and warrants owned by such entity will be worthless if we do not consummate a business combination, and the $5.5 million purchase price of the sponsor warrants will be added to the proceeds of our initial public offering and
held in the trust account, and will be part of any liquidating distribution. The personal and financial interests of Messrs. Gross, Aron, Simon and Sheft may influence their identification and selection of a target business, and may affect how or
when we complete a business combination. The exercise of discretion by Messrs. Gross, Aron, Simon and Sheft in identifying and selecting one or more suitable target businesses may result in a conflict of interest when they decide if the terms,
conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our stockholders best interest.
Unless we complete a business
combination, members of our management team will not receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses they incur if such expenses exceed the amount not in the trust account and interest income of up to $3.9 million on the trust account balance
that has been released to us to fund our working capital requirements. Therefore, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for a business combination and in the public stockholders
best interest.
Members of our management team will not receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them to the
extent that such expenses exceed the amount not in the trust account and interest income of up to $3.9 million on the trust account balance that has been released to us to fund our working capital requirements, unless the business combination is
consummated. Members of our management team may, as part of any such combination, negotiate the repayment of some or all of any such expenses. If the target business owners do not agree to such repayment, this could cause our management team
to view such potential business combination unfavorably, thereby resulting in a conflict of interest. The financial interests of members of our management team could influence their motivation in selecting a target business and thus, there may be a
conflict of interest when determining whether a particular business combination is in the stockholders best interest.
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We will probably complete only one business combination with the proceeds of our initial public offering and the
private placement of the sponsor warrants, meaning our operations will depend on a single business that is likely to operate in a non-diverse industry or segment of an industry.
The net proceeds from our initial public offering, exercise of the over-allotment, and the private placement of the sponsor warrants provided us with
approximately $302.4 million that we may use to complete a business combination, excluding any interest earned on the proceeds held in the trust account subsequent to completion of our initial public offering. Our initial business combination must
be with a target business or businesses with a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time of such business combination (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million).
We may not be able to acquire more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present
operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. Additionally, we may encounter numerous logistical issues if we pursue multiple target businesses, including the difficulty
of coordinating the timing of negotiations, proxy statement disclosure and closings. We may also be exposed to the risk that our inability to satisfy conditions to closing with one or more target businesses would reduce the fair market value of the
remaining target businesses in the combination below the required threshold of 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million). Due to these added risks, we are more
likely to choose a single target business with which to pursue a business combination than multiple target businesses. Unless we combine with a target business in a transaction in which the purchase price consists substantially of common stock
and/or preferred stock, it is likely we will complete only our initial business combination with the proceeds of our initial public offering and the private placement of the sponsor warrants. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may depend
solely on the performance of a single business. If this occurs, our operations will be highly concentrated and we will be exposed to higher risk than other entities that have the resources to complete several business combinations, or that operate
in, diversified industries or industry segments.
If we do not conduct an adequate due diligence investigation of a target business with which we
combine, we may be required to subsequently take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring, and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our stock price, which
could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
In order to meet our disclosure and financial reporting obligations under the
federal securities laws, and in order to develop and seek to execute strategic plans for how we can increase the revenues and/or profitability of a target business, realize operating synergies or capitalize on market opportunities, we must conduct a
due diligence investigation of one or more target businesses. Intensive due diligence is time consuming and expensive due to the operations, accounting, finance and legal professionals who must be involved in the due diligence process. Even if we
conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will surface all material issues that may be present inside a particular target business, or that factors outside of the target
business and outside of our control will not later arise. If our diligence fails to identify issues specific to a target business, industry or the environment in which the target business operates, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off
assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of
this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our common stock. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt
held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing.
Because of our limited resources and the significant
competition for business combination opportunities, we may not be able to consummate an attractive business combination.
We will
encounter intense competition from entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, as well as operating businesses
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seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and completing business
combinations. A number of these competitors possess greater technical, financial, human and other resources than we do. Our limited financial resources may have a negative effect on our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target
businesses. Further, because we must obtain stockholder approval of a business combination, this may delay the consummation of a transaction, while our obligation to convert into cash the shares of common stock held by public stockholders who elect
conversion may reduce the financial resources available for a business combination. Our outstanding warrants and the future dilution they potentially represent may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. In addition, if our initial
business combination entails a simultaneous purchase of several operating businesses owned by different sellers, we may be unable to coordinate a simultaneous closing of the purchases. This may result in a target business seeking a different buyer
and our being unable to meet the threshold requirement that the target business has, or target businesses collectively have, a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and
commissions of approximately $6.4 million) at the time of such combination.
Any of these factors may place us at a competitive
disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully compete for an attractive business combination. Additionally, because of these factors, we cannot assure you that we will be
able to effectuate a business combination within the required time periods. If we are unable to find a suitable target business within such time periods, we will be forced to liquidate.
We will depend on the limited funds available outside of the trust account and a portion of the interest earned on the trust account balance to fund our search for a target business or businesses and to complete
our initial business combination.
We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to
provide us with the working capital we will need to identify one or more target businesses and to complete our initial business combination. While we are entitled to have released to us for such purposes interest income of up to a maximum of $3.9
million (subject to the tax holdback), a substantial decline in interest rates may result in our having insufficient funds available with which to structure, negotiate or close an initial business combination. In such event, we would need to borrow
funds from our management team to operate or may be forced to liquidate. However, neither our management team nor any other party is required to provide any financing to us under any circumstances.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing if necessary to complete a business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could
compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
We believe that the net proceeds of our initial public offering
and the private placement of sponsor warrants are sufficient to allow us to consummate a business combination. However, because we have no oral or written agreements or letters of intent to engage in a business combination with any entity, we cannot
assure you that we will be able to complete a business combination or that we will have sufficient capital with which to complete a combination with a particular target business. If the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the private
placement of the sponsor warrants are not sufficient to facilitate a particular business combination because:
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of the size of the target business;
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of the depletion of offering proceeds not in trust or available to us from interest earned on the trust account balance that is expended in search of a target
business; or
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we must convert into cash a significant number of shares of common stock owned by stockholders who elect to exercise their conversion rights and we had anticipated
using such cash to consummate the business combination,
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we will be required to seek additional financing. We cannot assure you that such financing would be available on
acceptable terms, if at all. If additional financing is unavailable to consummate a particular business combination, we would be compelled to restructure or abandon the combination and seek an alternative target business. Such restructuring could
include, among other things, a reduction in the cash purchase price for the target business, the issuance or additional issuance of shares of our capital stock to the stockholders of the target business, or the stockholders of the target business
allowing us to pay some of the purchase price for the target business in the form of a promissory note. Even if we do not need additional financing to consummate a business combination, we may require such financing to operate or grow the target
business. If we fail to secure such financing, this failure could have a material adverse effect on the operations or growth of the target business. Neither our management team nor any other party is required to provide any financing to us in
connection with, or following, a business combination.
Our outstanding warrants may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and make it
more difficult to effect a business combination.
The units sold in our initial public offering include warrants to purchase 40,035,850
shares of common stock. We also sold warrants to an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Gross to purchase 5,500,000 shares of our common stock. If we issue common stock to conclude a business combination, the potential issuance of additional
shares of common stock on exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to some target businesses. This is because exercise of the warrants will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of our common
stock and reduce the value of the shares issued to complete the business combination. Our warrants may make it more difficult to complete a business combination or increase the purchase price sought by one or more target businesses. Additionally,
the sale or possibility of sale of the shares underlying the warrants could have an adverse effect on the market price for our common stock or our units, or on our ability to obtain other financing. If and to the extent these warrants are exercised,
you may experience dilution to your holdings.
An effective registration statement or a current prospectus may not be in place when an investor desires
to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise his, her or its warrants.
No warrants will be
exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue shares of common stock unless, at the time a holder seeks to exercise, we have registered with the SEC the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a prospectus relating to
the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is current. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current prospectus relating to common stock issuable upon
exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. Additionally, we have no obligation to settle the warrants for cash in the absence of an effective registration statement or
under any other circumstances. The warrants may be deprived of any value, the market for the warrants may be limited and the holders of warrants may not be able to exercise their warrants if the common stock is not registered with the SEC or if the
prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants is not current. Consequently, the warrants may expire unexercised or unredeemed.
Sponsor warrants have a superior exercise right to warrants received in our initial public offering.
The sponsor warrants
issued to Marathon Investors, LLC, an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Gross, upon the consummation of our initial public offering may be exercised pursuant to an exemption to the requirement that the securities underlying such warrants be
registered pursuant to an effective registration statement. Therefore, the sponsor warrants may be exercised whether or not a current registration statement is in place. The warrants issued in our initial public offering were not issued under this
exemption, therefore they may only be exercised if a current registration statement is in place. The Company is required only to use its best efforts to maintain a current registration statement; therefore, the warrants issued in our initial public
offering may expire worthless.
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We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise while a prospectus is not current, thereby making your
warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their
expiration, at a price of $.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of the common stock equals or exceeds $11.50 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third business day prior to proper
notice of such redemption. Such redemption can and may occur while a prospectus is not current and therefore the warrants are not exercisable. If this occurs, your warrants would be worthless.
The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholders and Marathon Investors, LLC may make it more difficult to complete a business combination, and the future
exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our initial stockholders can demand that we
register the resale of their shares of common stock at any time after one year from the date we complete a business combination. In addition, an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Gross can demand that we register the sponsor warrants and the
underlying shares of common stock that it will hold at any time after such warrants become exercisable by their terms. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. If our initial stockholders and the entity owned and controlled by
Mr. Gross exercise their registration rights in full, there will then be an additional 9,375,000 shares of common stock and 5,500,000 shares of common stock issued on exercise of the sponsor warrants, respectively, that are eligible for trading
in the public market. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the registration
rights may make a business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the stockholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the
negative impact on the market price of our common stock that is expected when the securities owned by initial stockholders and Marathon Investors, LLC are registered.
If we are deemed to be an investment company, we must meet burdensome compliance requirements and restrictions on our activities may increase the difficulty of completing a business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the nature of our investments and the issuance of our securities
may be subject to various restrictions. These restrictions may make it difficult for us to complete a business combination. In addition, we may be subject to burdensome compliance requirements and may have to:
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register as an investment company;
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adopt a specific form of corporate structure; and
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report, maintain records and adhere to voting, proxy, disclosure and other requirements.
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We do not believe that our planned principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act of 1940. In this regard, our agreement with the
trustee states that proceeds in the trust account will only be invested in government securities (as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) and one or more money market funds, selected by us, which invest principally
in either short-term securities issued or guaranteed by the United States having a rating in the highest investment category granted thereby by a recognized credit rating agency at the time of acquisition or tax exempt municipal bonds issued by
governmental entities located within the United States and otherwise meeting the conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940. This investment restriction is intended to facilitate our not being considered an
investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. If we are deemed to be subject to that act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would increase our operating expenses and could make a business combination more difficult
to complete.
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The loss of Mr. Gross could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon Mr. Gross. We believe that our success depends on his continued service to us, at least until we have consummated
a business combination, and, therefore, we have obtained key man life insurance on Mr. Gross in the amount of $10 million concurrently with the completion of our initial public offering. We cannot assure you that he will remain with us for the
immediate or foreseeable future. We do not have an employment agreement with him. The unexpected loss of his services could have a detrimental effect on us.
The American Stock Exchange may delist our securities which could limit investors ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
Our securities are listed on the American Stock Exchange; however, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on the American
Stock Exchange. Additionally, in connection with our business combination, it is likely that the American Stock Exchange may require us to file a new initial listing application and meet its initial listing requirements as opposed to its more
lenient continued listing requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If the American Stock Exchange delists our securities from trading, we could face significant consequences including:
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a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
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reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;
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a determination that our common stock is a penny stock which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and
possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our common stock;
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limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
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a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
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Since we may acquire a target business that is located outside the United States, we may encounter risks specific to one or more countries in which we ultimately
operate.
As described above, we may acquire a business or businesses located outside the United States. If we acquire a company that
has operations outside the United States, we will be exposed to risks that could negatively impact our future results of operations following a business combination. The additional risks we may be exposed to in these cases include but are not
limited to:
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tariffs and trade barriers;
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regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
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tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the U.S.;
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cultural and language differences;
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foreign exchange controls;
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crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars; and
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deterioration of political relations with the United States.
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Foreign currency fluctuations could adversely affect our business and financial results.
A target business with which we
combine may do business and generate sales within other countries. Foreign currency fluctuations may affect the costs that we incur in such international operations. It is also possible that some or all of our operating expenses may be incurred in
non-U.S. dollar currencies. The
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appreciation of non-U.S. dollar currencies in those countries where we have operations against the U.S. dollar would increase our costs and could harm our
results of operations and financial condition.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements prepared in
accordance with and reconciled to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, we will not be able to complete a business combination with some prospective target businesses unless their financial statements are first reconciled to U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles.
The federal securities laws require that a business combination meeting certain financial significance
tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports and proxy materials submitted to stockholders. Because our initial business combination must be with a target business that has a fair market value of at
least 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $6.4 million) at the time of our initial business combination, we will be required to provide historical and/or pro forma
financial information to our stockholders when seeking approval of a business combination with one or more target businesses. These financial statements must be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles, or GAAP, and the historical financial statements must be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. If a proposed target business, including one located outside of
the U.S., does not have financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with, or that can be reconciled to, U.S. GAAP and audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB, we will not be able to acquire that proposed target business.
These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses with which we may combine.