Reebok Acquires The Hockey Company Holdings

On June 17, 2004, Reebok International Ltd. announced its successful acquisition of the Hockey Company Holdings Inc. (THCH) by way of takeover bid in a deal valued at approximately $435 million, including assumed debt. THCH is the world’s largest marketer and manufacturer of hockey equipment and apparel, as well as National Hockey League authentic and replica jerseys. The all cash offer was made for $21.25 per share and was unanimously supported by the Board of Directors of THCH. In addition, three of THCH’s principal shareholders, WS Acquisition LLC (an affiliate of Wellspring Capital Management LLC), the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States (Equitable) and Phoenix Life Insurance Co. (Phoenix), entered into a lock-up agreement with Reebok.

Reebok was represented in-house by David Pace, general counsel, and John Livingston, senior counsel; and assisted by Ogilvy Renault in Canada, with a team that included Steve Malas, Renaud Coulombe, Stephen Kelly and Dustin Isaacs (corporate and securities), Jules Charette and John Leopardi (tax), Louis Dubé and Annie Gauthier (intellectual property), Denis Gascon and Michaël Hassan (competition), Michel Carle (labour and employment) and Jean Piette and Louis-Paul Cullen (environment); and by Ropes & Gray in the US, with a team that included Keith Higgins, Jane Goldstein, Christopher Douglass and R. Peter Bogue (corporate and securities), Amanda Holt (tax), Philip Smith (debt), Cary Armistead (antitrust) and Coke Cherney (environment).

The Hockey Company was represented by McCarthy Tétrault in Canada, with a team that included Terry Fontana, Benjamin Silver, Arman Kuyumjian and Alison Breen (corporate and securities), Claude Desaulniers and Ylang Ha (tax), Lonnie Brodkin-Schneider and Daniel Artola (intellectual property), Anne-Marie Sheahan (environment) and Yves Comtois (competition); and by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in the US, with a team that included David Pollak, John Whitehead, David Sirigano, Jodi Lashin and Finnbarr Murphy (corporate and securities), Ken Kail and Chris Harvey (tax) and Jessica Cohen (intellectual property).

Equitable and Phoenix were represented by Stikeman Elliott, with a team that included Kenneth Ottenbreit and Marie-Josée Henri (corporate and securities).