UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  May 23, 2008

 

LOUISIANA-PACIFIC CORPORATION
(Exact Name Of Registrant As Specified In Charter)

 

 

414 Union Street, Suite 2000, Nashville, TN 37219
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (615) 986-5600

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

Item 1.01.      Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On May 23, 2008, the board of directors of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (the “Company”) declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock of the Company, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Shares”).  The dividend is payable on June 6, 2008 (the “Record Date”) to the stockholders of record on that date.  Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), at a price of $100.00 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment.  The definitive terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of May 23, 2008 (the “Rights Agreement”), between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

 

The Rights will replace preferred share purchase rights which are currently attached to Common Shares (the “Old Rights”), which will expire on June 6, 2008.  The Old Rights were issued pursuant to a Rights Agreement, dated as of May 26, 1998, as amended, between the Company and the Rights Agent.  Subsequent to June 6, 2008, the Old Rights will be of no further force or effect.

 

Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) have acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such time as any person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being the “Distribution Date”), the Rights will be evidenced, (i) with respect to any of the Common Share certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share certificate, and (ii) with respect to any uncertificated Common Share outstanding as of the Record Date, by registration of the Common Shares in the Company’s share register in the names of the holders thereof.

 

The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date), the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares.  Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date), new Common Share certificates, if any, issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference.  Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate, and the registration of transfer of ownership of any uncertificated Common Share outstanding as of the Record Date will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such Common Shares.  As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

 

The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date.  The Rights will expire on June 6, 2018 (the “Final Expiration Date”), unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company, in each case, as described below.  The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Shares; (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than the then-current market price of the Preferred Shares; or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness, assets, cash or stock (excluding regular periodic cash dividends paid out of earnings or retained earnings or dividends payable in Preferred Shares) or of subscription rights, options or warrants (other than those referred to above.

 

1

 

The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or a stock dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.

 

Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be redeemable.  Each Preferred Share will be entitled to a minimum preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1.00 per share but will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend declared per Common Share.  In the event of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred Shares will be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $100.00 per share but will be entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times the payment made per Common Share.  Each Preferred Share will have 100 votes, voting together with the Common Shares.  Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received per Common Share.  These rights are protected by customary anti-dilution provisions.

 

Because of the nature of the Preferred Shares’ dividend, liquidation and voting rights, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the value of one Common Share.

 

In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company which at the time of such transaction will have a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.  In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise that number of Common Shares having a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.

 

At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which will have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share, or one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (or of a share of a class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).

 

With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price.  No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts) and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made.

 

At any time prior to the later of the Share Acquisition Date and the Distribution Date, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights, in whole but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the “Redemption Price”).  The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time on such basis with such conditions as the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may establish.  Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price, without interest thereon.

 

The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights or Common Shares.

 

Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.

 

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The Rights Agreement and the Company’s press release relating to certain of the matters discussed above are filed as Exhibits 4.1 and 99.1, respectively, to this report and are incorporated herein by reference.  This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement.  A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company.

 

Item 3.03.      Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.

 

The disclosures set forth in Item 1.01 of this report are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01.      Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)           Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.		Description
4.1		Rights Agreement, dated as of May 23, 2008, between Louisiana-Pacific Corporation and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent, including the form of Right Certificate as Exhibit A and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares as Exhibit B.
99.1		Press Release, dated May 23, 2008.

 

3

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

	LOUISIANA-PACIFIC CORPORATION
By:		/s/ RICHARD W. FROST
		Richard W. Frost
		Chief Executive Officer

 

Date:  May 23, 2008

 

 

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit No.		Description of Exhibit
4.1		Rights Agreement, dated as of May 23, 2008, between Louisiana-Pacific Corporation and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent, including the form of Right Certificate as Exhibit A and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares as Exhibit B.
99.1		Press Release, dated May 23, 2008.