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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 7, 2009
Registration No. 333-
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
EVERCORE PARTNERS INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 6282 | 20-478747 | ||
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
55 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10055 Telephone: (212) 857-3100
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
Adam B. Frankel, Esq.
General Counsel
Evercore Partners Inc.
55 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10055 Telephone: (212) 857-3100
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
Copy to:
Joshua Ford Bonnie, Esq.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017-3954
Telephone: (212) 455-2000
Facsimile: (212) 455-2502
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
(Check one):
| Large accelerated filer ¨ | Accelerated filer x | Non-accelerated filer ¨ | Smaller reporting company ¨ |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| Title of each class of securities to be registered | Amount to be registered |
Proposed maximum per share(1) |
Proposed Maximum Price(1) |
Amount of Registration Fee | |||||||||||||||
| Class A common stock, par value $.01 per share |
22,000,000 shares | $ | 18.02 | $ | 396,440,000 | $ | 22,121.35 | ||||||||||||
| (1) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and based on the average high and low prices per share of Class A common stock on May 4, 2009 as reported on the New York Stock Exchange. |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 7, 2009
22,000,000 Shares
EVERCORE PARTNERS INC.
Class A Common Stock
Evercore Partners Inc. may offer from time to time up to 11,000,000 shares of Class A common stock. The selling stockholders may offer from time to time up to 11,000,000 shares of Class A common stock.
This prospectus describes the general manner in which the shares of Class A common stock may be offered and sold by Evercore Partners Inc. and the selling stockholders. If necessary, the specific manner in which shares of Class A common stock may be offered and sold will be described in a supplement to this prospectus.
The shares of Class A common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EVR”. On May 6, 2009, the last reported sale price of the shares of Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $19.00 per share.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Item 1A of each subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (which documents are incorporated by reference herein), as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto before making a decision to invest in our securities. See “Incorporation by Reference” and “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission or other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2009
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You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. Neither we nor the selling stockholders are making an offer to sell or seeking an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of those documents. You should read all information supplementing this prospectus.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission using a “shelf” registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time up to an aggregate of 11,000,000 shares of Class A common stock. In addition, certain selling stockholders may offer from time to time up to an aggregate of 11,000,000 shares of Class A common stock.
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Evercore is one of the leading investment banking boutiques in the world based on the dollar volume of announced worldwide merger and acquisition transactions on which we have advised since 2003. When we use the term “investment banking boutique,” we mean an investment banking firm that directly or through its affiliates does not underwrite public offerings of securities or engage in commercial banking activities. We provide advisory services to prominent multinational corporations on significant mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings and other strategic corporate transactions. Evercore also includes an Investment Management business through which we manage private equity funds and institutional assets for sophisticated institutional investors and provide wealth management services for high net-worth individuals. We serve a diverse set of clients around the world from our offices in New York, Boston, San Francisco, London, Mexico City and Monterrey.
Evercore Partners Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on July 21, 2005. Our principal executive offices are located at 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055, and our telephone number is (212) 857-3100.
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This prospectus contains or incorporates by reference forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, our operations and financial performance. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “outlook”, “believes”, “expects”, “potential”, “continues”, “may”, “should”, “seeks”, “approximately”, “predicts”, “intends”, “plans”, “estimates”, “anticipates” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties.
Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in Evercore’s business. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Item 1A of each subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (which documents are incorporated by reference herein), as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can management assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
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Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from Evercore Partners Inc.’s sale of shares of Class A common stock pursuant to this prospectus from time to time to purchase shares of Class A common stock and/or Evercore LP partnership units. Pending specific application of the net proceeds, we intend to invest them in short-term marketable securities.
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of any shares of Class A common stock offered by the selling stockholders.
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The following description of our capital stock is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, the forms or copies of which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and by applicable law. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $.01 per share, 1,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $.01 per share and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Unless our board of directors determines otherwise, we will issue all shares of our capital stock in uncertificated form.
Common Stock
Class A common stock
Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.
Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any restrictions on the payment of dividends imposed by the terms of any outstanding preferred stock.
Upon our dissolution or liquidation or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, after payment in full of all amounts required to be paid to creditors and to the holders of preferred stock having liquidation preferences, if any, the holders of our Class A common stock will be entitled to receive pro rata our remaining assets available for distribution.
Holders of our Class A common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights.
Subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Evercore LP partnership agreement, holders of fully vested partnership units in Evercore LP (other than Evercore Partners Inc.) may exchange these partnership units for shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to customary conversion rate adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications.
Class B common stock
Each holder of Class B common Stock shall be entitled, without regard to the number of shares of Class B common stock held by such holder, to one vote for each partnership unit in Evercore LP held by such holder. Accordingly, the limited partners of Evercore LP collectively have a number of votes in Evercore Partners Inc. that is equal to the aggregate number of vested and unvested partnership units that they hold.
Holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Holders of our Class B common stock do not have any right to receive dividends or to receive a distribution upon a liquidation or winding up of Evercore Partners Inc.
Preferred Stock
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to establish one or more series of preferred stock (including convertible preferred stock). Unless required by law or by any stock exchange, the authorized
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shares of preferred stock will be available for issuance without further action by you. Our board of directors is able to determine, with respect to any series of preferred stock, the terms and rights of that series, including:
| • | the designation of the series; |
| • | the number of shares of the series, which our board may, except where otherwise provided in the preferred stock designation, increase or decrease, but not below the number of shares then outstanding; |
| • | whether dividends, if any, will be cumulative or non-cumulative and the dividend rate of the series; |
| • | the dates at which dividends, if any, will be payable; |
| • | the redemption rights and price or prices, if any, for shares of the series; |
| • | the terms and amounts of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series; |
| • | the amounts payable on shares of the series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the affairs of our company; |
| • | whether the shares of the series will be convertible into shares of any other class or series, or any other security, of our company or any other entity, and, if so, the specification of the other class or series or other security, the conversion price or prices or rate or rates, any rate adjustments, the date or dates as of which the shares will be convertible and all other terms and conditions upon which the conversion may be made; |
| • | restrictions on the issuance of shares of the same series or of any other class or series; and |
| • | the voting rights, if any, of the holders of the series. |
We could issue a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede or discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority, of you might believe to be in your best interests or in which you might receive a premium for your Class A common stock over the market price of the Class A common stock.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock
Delaware law does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, which would apply so long as the Class A common stock remains listed on the New York Stock Exchange, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or then outstanding number of shares of Class A common stock (assuming, in this latter case, the exchange of outstanding Evercore LP partnership units not held by Evercore Partners Inc.). These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital or to facilitate acquisitions.
One of the effects of the existence of unissued and unreserved common stock or preferred stock may be to enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, and thereby protect the continuity of our management and possibly deprive the stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares at prices higher than prevailing market prices.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Delaware Law
We are a Delaware corporation subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Section 203 provides that, subject to certain exceptions specified in the law, a Delaware corporation shall not engage in certain “business combinations” with any “interested stockholder” for a three-year period after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder unless:
| • | prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; |
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| • | upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or |
| • | at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with that person’s affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years did own, 15% or more of our voting stock.
Under certain circumstances, Section 203 makes it more difficult for a person who would be an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period. The provisions of Section 203 may encourage companies interested in acquiring our company to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A common stock is The Bank of New York.
Listing
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EVR”.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME AND ESTATE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF CLASS A COMMON STOCK
The following is a summary of certain material United States federal income and estate tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Class A common stock as of the date hereof. Except where noted, this summary deals only with Class A common stock that is held as a capital asset by a non-U.S. holder.
A “non-U.S. holder” means a person (other than a partnership) that is not for United States federal income tax purposes any of the following:
| • | an individual citizen or resident of the United States; |
| • | a corporation (or any other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| • | an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| • | a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
This summary is based upon provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and regulations, rulings and judicial decisions as of the date hereof. Those authorities may be changed, perhaps retroactively, so as to result in United States federal income and estate tax consequences different from those summarized below. This summary does not address all aspects of United States federal income and estate taxes and does not deal with foreign, state, local or other tax considerations that may be relevant to non-U.S. holders in light of their personal circumstances. In addition, it does not represent a detailed description of the United States federal income tax consequences applicable to you if you are subject to special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws (including if you are a United States expatriate, “controlled foreign corporation”, “passive foreign investment company”, a partnership or other pass-through entity for United States Federal Income tax purposes). We cannot assure you that a change in law will not alter significantly the tax considerations that we describe in this summary.
If a partnership holds our Class A common stock, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our Class A common stock, you should consult your tax advisors.
If you are considering the purchase of our Class A common stock, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the particular United States federal income and estate tax consequences to you of the ownership of the Class A common stock, as well as the consequences to you arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
Dividends
Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock generally will be subject to withholding of United States federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. However, dividends that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. holder within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a United States permanent establishment) are not subject to the withholding tax, provided certain certification and disclosure requirements are satisfied. Instead, such dividends are subject to United States federal income tax on a net income basis in the same manner as if the non-U.S. holder were a United States person as defined under the
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Code, unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. Any such effectively connected dividends received by a foreign corporation may be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.
A non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock who wishes to claim the benefit of an income tax treaty or claim exemption from withholding because the income is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States will be required to (a) complete Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form), for treaty benefits, or W-8ECI (or other applicable form), for effectively connected income, respectively, or (b) if our Class A common stock is held through certain foreign intermediaries, satisfy the relevant certification requirements of applicable United States Treasury regulations. Special certification and other requirements apply to certain non-U.S. holders that are pass-through entities rather than corporations or individuals.
A non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock eligible for a reduced rate of United States withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service.
Gain on Disposition of Class A Common Stock
Any gain realized on the disposition of our Class A common stock generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:
| • | the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder); |
| • | the non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other conditions are met; or |
| • | we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for United States federal income tax purposes. |
An individual non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point immediately above will be subject to tax on the net gain derived from the sale at regular graduated United States federal income tax rates. An individual non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point immediately above will be subject to a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the sale, which may be offset by United States source capital losses, even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States. If a non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation falls under the first bullet point immediately above, it will be subject to tax on its net gain in the same manner as if it were a United States person as defined under the Code and, in addition, may be subject to the branch profits tax equal to 30% of its effectively connected earnings and profits or at such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.
We believe we are not and do not anticipate becoming a “United States real property holding corporation” for United States federal income tax purposes.
Federal Estate Tax
Common stock held by an individual non-U.S. holder at the time of death will be included in such holder’s gross estate for United States federal estate tax purposes, unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We must report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each non-U.S. holder the amount of dividends paid to such holder and the tax withheld with respect to such dividends, regardless of whether
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withholding was required. Copies of the information returns reporting such dividends and withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty.
A non-U.S. holder will be subject to backup withholding for dividends paid to such holder unless such holder certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a United States person as defined under the Code), or such holder otherwise establishes an exemption.
Information reporting and, depending on the circumstances, backup withholding will apply to the proceeds of a sale of our Class A common stock within the United States or conducted through certain United States-related financial intermediaries, unless the beneficial owner certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the beneficial owner is a United States person as defined under the Code) or such owner otherwise establishes an exemption.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a non-U.S. holder’s United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
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The selling stockholders are current and former employees of Evercore, including members of our senior management, and their personal planning vehicles.
The shares of Class A common stock to be sold by the selling stockholders hereunder (1) have previously been acquired by such selling stockholders under our equity compensation plans and/or (2) have previously been or will be acquired by such selling stockholders upon exchange of Evercore LP partnership units that have previously been received by them as part of the reorganization we effected in 2006 prior to the initial public offering of the Class A common stock and/or (3) have previously been acquired by such selling stockholders as part of the consideration for our acquisition of Braveheart Financial Services Limited (subsequently renamed Evercore Partners Limited). If required, these selling stockholders will be named in a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, in a supplement to this prospectus or in a periodic or current report that we file with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “Incorporation by Reference” and “Where You Can Find More Information.”
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Evercore Partners Inc. and the selling stockholders, and their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest, may from time to time offer and sell, separately or together, some or all of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus. Registration of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus does not mean, however, that those shares of Class A common stock necessarily will be offered or sold.
The shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus may be sold from time to time, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to market prices, at a fixed price or prices subject to change or at negotiated prices, by a variety of methods including the following:
| • | on the New York Stock Exchange (including through at the market offerings); |
| • | in the over-the-counter market; |
| • | in privately negotiated transactions; |
| • | through broker/dealers, who may act as agents or principals; |
| • | through one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or best-efforts basis; |
| • | in a block trade in which a broker/dealer will attempt to sell a block of shares of Class A common stock as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| • | through put or call option transactions relating to the shares of Class A common stock; |
| • | directly to one or more purchasers; |
| • | through agents; or |
| • | in any combination of the above. |
In effecting sales, brokers or dealers engaged by us or the selling stockholders may arrange for other brokers or dealers to participate. Broker/dealer transactions may include:
| • | purchases of the shares of Class A common stock by a broker/dealer as principal and resales of the shares of Class A common stock by the broker/dealer for its account pursuant to this prospectus; |
| • | ordinary brokerage transactions; or |
| • | transactions in which the broker/dealer solicits purchasers on a best efforts basis. |
Neither we nor the selling stockholders have entered into any agreements, understandings or arrangements with any underwriters or broker/dealers regarding the sale of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus. At any time a particular offer of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus is made, a revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, if required, will set forth the aggregate amount of shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any underwriters, dealers, brokers or agents. In addition, to the extent required, any discounts, commissions, concessions and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation, as well as any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers, will be set forth in such revised prospectus supplement. Any such required prospectus supplement, and, if necessary, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, will be filed with the SEC to reflect the disclosure of additional information with respect to the distribution of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus.
We or the selling stockholders may also authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by certain types of institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the revised prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a
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specified date in the future. The conditions to these contracts and the commission that we or the selling stockholders must pay for solicitation of these contracts will be described in a revised prospectus or prospectus supplement.
In connection with the sale of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus through underwriters, underwriters may receive compensation in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may also receive commissions from purchasers of shares of Class A common stock for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent.
Any underwriters, broker/dealers or agents participating in the distribution of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by any of those underwriters, broker/dealers or agents may be deemed to be underwriting commissions under the Securities Act.
We estimate that the total expenses in connection with the offer and sale of shares of Class A common stock pursuant to this prospectus, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $377,121.35, including fees of our counsel and accountants, fees payable to the SEC and listing fees.
Evercore Partners Inc. and the selling stockholders may agree to indemnify underwriters, broker/dealers or agents against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may also agree to contribute to payments which the underwriters, broker/dealers or agents may be required to make.
Certain of the underwriters, broker/dealers or agents who may become involved in the sale of the shares of Class A common stock may engage in transactions with and perform other services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they receive customary compensation.
Some of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus may be sold by selling stockholders in private transactions or under Rule 144 under the Securities Act rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
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The validity of the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York, New York. An investment vehicle composed of certain partners of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, members of their families, related parties and others own an interest representing less than 1% of the capital commitments of investment funds managed by Evercore.
The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from Evercore Partners Inc. and subsidiaries’ (the “Company”) Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 7, 2009 and the effectiveness of Company’s internal control over financial reporting, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such reports (1) express an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and include an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s retrospective adoption of SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements – an amendment of ARB No. 51”, effective January 1, 2009, the formation of the Company, and the Company becoming subject to U.S. corporate federal income taxes that it accounts for in accordance with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes”, and (2) expresses an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
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The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document. Any information referred to in this way is considered part of this prospectus from the date we file that document. Any reports filed by us with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement and any reports filed by us with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and before the date that the offerings of the shares of Class A common stock by means of this prospectus are terminated will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the following documents or information filed with the SEC:
| (1) | Annual Report on Form 10–K for the year ended December 31, 2008, filed on March 13, 2009 (File No. 001–32975); |
| (2) | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, filed May 6, 2009 (File No. 001–32975); |
| (3) | Current Report on Form 8–K, dated February 6, 2009, filed on February 6, 2009 (File No. 001–32975); |
| (4) | Current Report on Form 8–K, dated March 27, 2009, filed on March 27, 2009 (File No. 001–32975); |
| (5) | Current Report on Form 8–K, dated May 7, 2009, filed on May 7, 2009 (File No. 001–32975); |
| (6) | The description of shares of Class A common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8–A, dated August 7, 2006 (File No. 001–32975), of Evercore Partners Inc., filed with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| (7) | All documents filed by Evercore Partners Inc. under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement and after the date of this prospectus and before the termination of the offerings to which this prospectus relates. |
We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon his or her written or oral request, a copy of any or all documents referred to above which have been or may be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, excluding exhibits to those documents unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents. You can request those documents from Evercore Partners Inc., at 55 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10055. You also may contact us at (212) 857-3100 or visit our website at http://www.evercore.com for copies of those documents. Our website and the information contained on our website are not a part of this prospectus, and you should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to purchase the shares offered hereby.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC relating to the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus. This prospectus, filed as part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules, portions of which have been omitted as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about us and our Class A common stock, we refer you to the registration statement and to its exhibits. Statements in this prospectus about the contents of any contract, agreement or other document are not necessarily complete and, in each instance, we refer you to the copy of such contract, agreement or document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, with each such statement being qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. Anyone may inspect the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules without charge at the public reference facilities the SEC maintains at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain copies of all or any part of these materials from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC.
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You may obtain further information about the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You may also inspect these reports and other information without charge at a website maintained by the SEC. The address of this site is http://www.sec.gov.
We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act, and we are required to file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may inspect and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at the address noted above. You also are able to obtain copies of this material from the Public Reference Room of the SEC as described above, or inspect them without charge at the SEC’s website. Our filings with the SEC are also available to the public through the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005. We make available free of charge on the Investor Relations section of our website (http://ir.evercore.com) our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed or furnished with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. We intend to make available to our stockholders annual reports containing consolidated financial statements audited by an independent registered public accounting firm.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following is an itemization of all fees and expenses incurred or expected to be incurred by the registrant in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions. All but the SEC registration fee and New York Stock Exchange listing fee are estimates and remain subject to future contingencies.
| Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee |
$ | 22,121.35 | |
| Printing expenses |
$ | 50,000 | |
| Legal fees and expenses |
$ | 250,000 | |
| Accounting fees and expenses |
$ | 40,000 | |
| NYSE listing fees |
$ | 5,000 | |
| Miscellaneous |
$ | 10,000 | |
| Total | $377,121.35 | ||
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, in summary, that directors and officers of Delaware corporations are entitled, under certain circumstances, to be indemnified against all expenses and liabilities (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by them as a result of suits brought against them in their capacity as a director or officer, if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, if they had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful; provided that no indemnification may be made against expenses in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which they shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, they are fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the court shall deem proper. Any such indemnification may be made by us only as authorized in each specific case upon a determination by the stockholders, disinterested directors or independent legal counsel that indemnification is proper because the indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct.
Our certificate of incorporation and by-laws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law and that no director shall be liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for any breach of fiduciary duty, except to the extent provided by applicable law.
We currently maintain liability insurance for our directors and officers. Such insurance is available to our directors and officers in accordance with its terms.
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Item 16. Exhibits.
Following is a complete list of exhibits filed as part of this Registration Statement, which are incorporated herein.
| Exhibit No. |
Description of Exhibit | |
| 1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 3.1 | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant(1) | |
| 3.2 | Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant(2) | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP regarding the legality of the securities being registered. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP. | |
| 23.2 | Consent of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on the signature page to the Registration Statement) | |
| * | To be filed by amendment or by a Current Report on Form 8-K pursuant to Item 601(b) of Regulation S-K if the securities are sold through one or more underwriters. |
| (1) | Incorporated by Reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-134087), as amended, originally filed with the SEC on May 12, 2006. |
| (2) | Incorporated by Reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-32975), filed with the SEC on February 6, 2009. |
Item 17. Undertakings.
| A. | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made of the securities registered hereby, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement; |
| (i) | to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”); |
| (ii) | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement; and |
| (iii) | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement; |
provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this Registration Statement.
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| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered hereby which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| (4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
| If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B: |
| A. | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in this Registration Statement; and |
| B. | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in this Registration Statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of this Registration Statement relating to the securities in this Registration Statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of this Registration Statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of this Registration Statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in this Registration Statement or prospectus that was part of this Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: |
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
| i. | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| ii. | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| iii. | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| iv. | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
B. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report
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pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in New York, New York, on May 7, 2009.
| EVERCORE PARTNERS INC. | ||
| By: | /S/ ROGER C. ALTMAN | |
| Name: Title: |
Roger C. Altman Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned directors and officers of the Registrant, a Delaware corporation, which is filing a Registration Statement on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549 under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 hereby constitute and appoint Roger C. Altman, Robert B. Walsh and Adam B. Frankel, and each of them (with full power to act alone), the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign such registration statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to the registration statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed on May 7, 2009 by the following persons in the capacities indicated.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /S/ ROGER C. ALTMAN Roger C. Altman |
Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
May 7, 2009 | ||
| /S/ PEDRO ASPE Pedro Aspe |
Co-Chairman | May 7, 2009 | ||
|
Francois De St. Phalle |
Director | |||
| /S/ GAIL BLOCK HARRIS Gail Block Harris |
Director | May 7, 2009 | ||
| /S/ CURT HESSLER Curt Hessler |
Director | May 7, 2009 | ||
| /S/ ANTHONY N. PRITZKER Anthony N. Pritzker |
Director | May 7, 2009 | ||
| /S/ ROBERT B. WALSH Robert B. Walsh |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
May 7, 2009 | ||
| /S/ PAUL PENSA Paul Pensa |
Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) |
May 7, 2009 | ||
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