Litigation Related to the Merger
As previously disclosed, on June 23, 2019, Del Friscos Restaurant Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (DFRG or the
Company) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement), by and among the Company, Harlan Parent, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Parent), and Harlan Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware
corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger Sub), pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company (the Merger), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Parent.
On July 23, 2019, the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) a preliminary proxy
statement (the Proxy Statement) related to a special meeting of the Companys stockholders to be held for the purpose of, among other things, voting on the Merger.
In connection with the Merger, after the Proxy Statement was filed, a putative class action complaint was filed in the District Court of
Dallas County, Texas, captioned
Benjamin Palestino v. DFRG, Inc., et al.
, Case No.
DC-19-10726
(the Complaint). The Complaint was filed by a purported
Company stockholder and is pending in the District Court of Dallas County, Texas against the Company and the members of its Board of Directors. The Complaint alleges generally that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties, including their
duties of loyalty, good faith, candor, and due care, by, among other things, failing to obtain adequate, fair or maximum value for Company stockholders in connection with the proposed Merger.
The Complaint seeks, among other things, for the court to (i) declare that the action is properly maintainable as a class action, certify
plaintiff as class representative and certify his counsel as class counsel, (ii) declare that the Merger Agreement was entered into in breach of the fiduciary duties of the members of the Companys Board of Directors and is therefore unlawful
and unenforceable, and rescind and invalidate the Merger Agreement and any other agreements that defendants entered into in connection with, or in furtherance of, the Merger, (iii) preliminarily and permanently enjoin defendants from consummating
the Merger, (iv) direct the defendants to exercise their fiduciary duties to obtain a transaction that is in the best interests of the Companys shareholders, (v) impose a constructive trust, in favor of the plaintiff and the class,
upon any benefits improperly received by the defendants as a result of their alleged wrongful conduct, and (vi) award costs and disbursements of this action (including attorneys and experts fees). Although the Complaint requests
injunctive relief, the plaintiff has not filed a motion to enjoin the Merger at this time. Additional similar lawsuits may be filed in the future. Each of the defendants believes that the plaintiffs allegations in the Complaint lack merit and
intend to vigorously defend against the Complaint and any subsequently filed similar actions. If additional similar complaints are filed, absent new or different allegations that are material, the Company will not necessarily disclose such
additional filings. The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Complaint which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In
connection with the proposed Merger, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and furnished to its stockholders a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, as well as other relevant documents
concerning the proposed Merger. Promptly after filing its definitive proxy statement with the SEC, the Company mailed the definitive proxy statement and a proxy card to each Company stockholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the
proposed Merger. The proxy statement contains important information about the proposed Merger and related matters. STOCKHOLDERS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO)
AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE MERGER THAT THE COMPANY WILL FILE WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, THE MERGER AND THE OTHER TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED
BY THE MERGER AGREEMENT THAT HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY SECURITIES SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING VOTING. This communication is not a substitute for the proxy statement or for any other document that the Company may file with the
SEC and send to its stockholders in connection with the proposed Merger. The proposed Merger will be submitted to Company stockholders for their consideration.
Stockholders and securityholders of the Company will be able to obtain the proxy statement, as well as other filings containing information about the Company
and the proposed Merger, without charge, at the SECs website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement (when available) and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein can also be obtained, without charge,
by contacting the Company Investor Relations at investorrelations@dfrg.com or
(203) 682-8253, or
by going to the Company Investor Relations page on its website at https://investor.dfrg.com.