formdefa14.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by
the Registrant x
Filed by
a Party other than the Registrant o
Check the
appropriate box:
o
|
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
o
|
Confidential, for Use of the
Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
|
o
|
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
x
|
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
o
|
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
|
ORTHOFIX
INTERNATIONAL N.V.
(Name of
Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of
Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
x
No fee required.
o
Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1)
and 0-11.
(1) Title
of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
(2) Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
(3) Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was determined):
(4) Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
(5) Total
fee paid:
o
Fee paid previously with preliminary
materials.
o
Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by
Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting
fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement
number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
(1) Amount
Previously Paid:
(2) Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
(3) Filing
Party:
(4) Date
Filed:
The
following presentation materials were used by the Company on March 16, 2009.
Investor
Presentation
March 16,
2009
Peer
Group
Our
appropriate peer group, based on:
• Revenue
• Market
Cap
• Product
segments
• Wright
Medical Group Inc. (Nasdaq:WMGI)
• Integra
Lifescience Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq:IART)
• Alphatec
Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATEC)
• Symmetry
Medical Inc. (NYSE:SMA)
• NuVasive
Inc. (Nasdaq:NUVA)
• ArthroCare
Corporation (Nasdaq:ARTC)
3
year weekly closing prices, as a %
3/13/2006
3/9/2009
When
trended against our peers…
6
month weekly closing prices, as a %
Q3
Earnings
11/6/2008
$10M Debt
Pmt
12/17/2008
MTF
accelerated
2/11/2009
MTF
Milestone Met
12/15/2008
When
trended against Nasdaq…
0
Daily
closing prices as a %
Since
our Q4 2008 Earnings Call (2/12/2008)
When
trended against our peers since our Q4 earnings and 2009 guidance
release
Ramius
continues to make false statements…
Jim
Gero Bio -
Slide 17 of Ramius presentation to RMG states as second bullet point
under
Gero "Chairman of Clearwire, Inc. - stock price has declined 88% since
the
IPO".
Fact
- Mr.
Gero hadn't been a chairman, a board member or member of management for
several
years prior to the Mar 2007 IPO;
Tom
Kester Bio - Slide
17 of Ramius presentation to RMG states as second bullet under
Kester
"He has no other public or private board experience."
Fact
- Mr.
Kester sits on the boards of two nonprofit corporations. Additionally,
Ramius
fails
to mention Mr. Kester’s vast experience with 28 years in public accounting
and
18
years as an audit partner with KPMG
Ramius
continues to make false statements (cont.)
Netherlands
Antilles law -
Ramius' letter and press release on March 9
(as
filed with the SEC) state that "The current [OFIX] Board
scheduled
the Special Meeting on a date that is as far out as
possible
under Netherlands Antilles law…"
Fact
-
Orthofix’s Netherlands Antilles legal counsel advised OFIX that
there
is no specific law governing the timing of SGM's and no
specific
requirements. OFIX could have scheduled the meeting far
later.
Ramius' statement falsely implies that the OFIX board
delayed
the special meeting.
Ramius
continues to make false statements (cont.)
PR
Firm -
Ramius' letter and press release on March 9 (as filed with
the
SEC) state that "...Orthofix ended a long-term relationship with a
well-regarded
financial public relations firm and decided instead to
engage
an extremely expensive public affairs firm…"
Fact
- This
statement is false as Orthofix did not have any relationship
with
any public relations firm (well-regarded or otherwise)
Corporate
overhead- For the
last 12 months these costs have
ballooned to over $20 million, excluding
on-time items. The
Board
must take prompt steps to reduce corporate overhead
expenses.
Fact- The
corporate costs in 2008 included $7.2 million of non-
recurring costs
primarily related to the exploration of a divestiture of our
fixation
assets. Without
these expenses, corporate costs increased just
8% versus the prior year. This
increase includes costs related to an
enhanced company-wide compliance
program. The
2009 budget
includes a 3% reduction in corporate overhead versus
2008.
Ramius
continues to make false statements (cont.)
Corporate
overhead-
Orthofix’s highly distributed infrastructure is
neither efficient or
cost-effective, and should be remedied immediately.
Fact-
Total
corporate level expenses have increased only 19%
between ’06 and budgeted
’09, versus a revenue increase of 48% over
the same period of time. Orthofix
regularly evaluates operational
efficiencies and talent needs. For
example, at Breg we opened a 2nd
facility
in Mexicali, Mexico, relocating select employees resulting in a
3%
improvement in cost of goods sold.
Ramius
continues to make false statements (cont.)
*Source: http://www.cushwake.com
Boston
office- "Board
approved move of corporate headquarters to the Prudential Tower in
Boston...Arguably
some of the most expensive real estate in Boston“
"Orthofix
is inefficient with a highly distributed corporate structure...Legal, Finance,
and Accounting
groups
in North Carolina until recently"
Ramius
continues to make false statements (cont.)
The
Fact- Boston
office is subleased at $27/sq ft which included furniture.
• According
to Cushman & Wakefield* (August, 2008) Boston commercial space increased to
over
$50/sq
ft. in 2008;
• The
finance and accounting functions were relocated to Boston in Q2 of 2008. Involved
were 2
position
relocations, 8 local hires, and 6 local employees who have been in Boston since
2006.
Trinity®
and Trinity® Evolution™ Facts
Fact: Trinity
was 9% of total Blackstone revenue prior to acquisition.
Product
was significantly supply constrained;
Fact: Orthofix
did complete due diligence prior to completing the
acquisition;
Fact: As a
result of Orthofix’s execution, 2008 total Trinity revenue was
$22.5m,
which was 20% of Blackstone’s total 2008 revenue;
Fact: FDA
approval is not required for Trinity Evolution which falls
under
FDA’s HCT/P regulatory process for human tissue.
Source: www.sec.gov
Ramius
Nominees
Peter
Feld has no
apparent healthcare
or
operating experience
• Was a
director of Sharper Image for
only 5
months just prior to its
bankruptcy.
• Joined
the board of CPI Corp., a
portrait
studio company, in 2008. In
November
2008, CPI Corp was in
danger
of being delisted by the NYSE
and was
required to submit a plan in
45 days
to prevent delisting.
Ramius
Nominees (cont.)
Steven
Lee
is the former CEO of Polymedica
• In 1998,
the federal government began investigating two Polymedica
subsidiaries.
• In 2001,
two “whistleblower” lawsuits were filed in federal courts claiming false claims
were
submitted
to Medicare resulting in over billing to federal healthcare
programs.
• In 2002,
Mr. Lee left PolyMedica after a Medicare fraud investigation was initiated by
the
U.S.
Department of Justice against the Company.
• In 2004,
the Company paid $35 million settlement to the U.S. Government to resolve the
civil
allegations
and administrative sanctions related to the alleged misconduct.
• Served on
the Board of Directors of ICN Pharmaceuticals (now called Valeant
Pharmaceuticals
International) from 2001 to 2004. As the result of an investigation by
the
Securities
and Exchange Commission, Valeant restated nearly a decade of financial
statements
as a result of inappropriate backdating of stock
options.
J.
Michael Egan
•
President and Chief Executive Officer, Steadman Hawkins Research
Foundation
•
Director, Venture Lending & Leasing IV Inc.
•
Director, Western Technology Investment
• Chairman
of the Board of Directors, iBalance Medical
• The
Deeming Board for the University of Colorado Leeds School of
Business
Charles
T. Orsatti
• Managing
Partner, Fairfield Capital Partners
•
Director, AngioDynamics, Inc.
•
Director, SRI Surgical Express
Orthofix
has offered to interview Mr. Egan and Mr. Orsatti. Ramius
has ignored our requests.
Ramius
Nominees (cont.)
Blackstone
Recovery
Monthly
US Revenue, Blackstone
MTF
announced
About
Orthofix
Orthofix
International, N.V., a global medical device company, offers a broad line of
minimally invasive surgical, and non-surgical, products for the spine,
orthopedic, and sports medicine market sectors that address the lifelong
bone-and-joint health needs of patients of all ages–helping them achieve a more
active and mobile lifestyle. Orthofix’s products are widely distributed around
the world to orthopedic surgeons and patients via Orthofix’s sales
representatives and its subsidiaries, including BREG, Inc. and Blackstone
Medical, Inc., and via partnerships with other leading orthopedic product
companies. In addition, Orthofix is collaborating in R&D partnerships with
leading medical institutions such as the Orthopedic Research and Education
Foundation, Rutgers University, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Texas Scottish
Rite Hospital for Children and National Osteoporosis Institute. For more
information about Orthofix, please visit www.orthofix.com.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
communication contains certain forward-looking statements under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements,
which may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the
projections, financial condition, results of operations and businesses of
Orthofix and its subsidiaries and are based on management's current expectations
and estimates and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated by the
forward-looking statements.
Factors
that could cause or contribute to such differences may include, but are not
limited to, risks relating to the expected sales of its products, including
recently launched products, unanticipated expenditures, changing relationships
with customers, suppliers and strategic partners, risks relating to the
protection of intellectual property, changes to the reimbursement policies of
third parties, changes to and interpretation of governmental regulation of
medical devices, the impact of competitive products, changes to the competitive
environment, the acceptance of new products in the market, conditions of the
orthopedic industry and the economy, corporate development and market
development activities, including acquisitions or divestitures, unexpected costs
or operating unit performance related to recent acquisitions and other factors
described in our annual report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed by
the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Important
Additional Information
Orthofix
International N.V. (“Orthofix”) has filed a definitive proxy statement, dated
February 26, 2009, with the SEC in connection with a special general meeting of
shareholders of Orthofix to be held on April 2, 2009 at which Ramius Capital and
certain of its affiliates propose to make changes to the composition of
Orthofix's board of directors. SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ORTHOFIX'S
DEFINITIVE PROXY MATERIALS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT SOLICITATION MATERIALS FILED
BY ORTHOFIX WITH THE SEC BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors
and shareholders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement and other
materials filed by Orthofix with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, at
Orthofix's website at www.orthofix.com, or by contacting Georgeson, 199 Water
Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10038 or by calling (212) 440-9800 (bankers and
brokers) or toll-free (800) 323-4133 (all others).
Orthofix
and its directors and certain executive officers are participants in the
solicitation of proxies in connection with the special general meeting of
shareholders. The names of such persons are: James F. Gero, Peter J. Hewett,
Jerry C. Benjamin, Charles W. Federico, Dr. Guy J. Jordan, Ph.D., Thomas J.
Kester, CPA, Alan W. Milinazzo, Maria Sainz, Dr. Walter P. von Wartburg, Kenneth
R. Weisshaar, Robert S. Vaters, Michael Simpson, Bradley R. Mason, Raymond C.
Kolls, J.D., and Michael M. Finegan. Information regarding such participants, as
well as each such person's respective interests in Orthofix (whether through
ownership of Orthofix securities or otherwise), is set forth in Orthofix's
definitive proxy statement dated February 26, 2009, which may be obtained free
of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, Orthofix's website at
www.orthofix.com, or by contacting Georgeson, 199 Water Street, 26th Floor, New
York, NY 10038 or by calling (212) 440-9800 (bankers and brokers) or toll-free
(800) 323-4133 (all others).