As previously disclosed, on November 6, 2024, Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “
Company
”), Retail Opportunity Investments Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “
Partnership
”), Montana Purchaser LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“
Buyer 1
”), Mountain Purchaser LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“
Buyer 2
”), Big Sky Purchaser LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“
Buyer 3
” and, together with Buyer 1 and Buyer 2, collectively, “
Parent
”), Montana Merger Sub Inc., a Maryland corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“
Merger Sub I
”), and Montana Merger Sub II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merger Sub I (“
Merger Sub II
” and, together with Merger Sub I and Parent, the “
Parent Parties
”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “
Merger Agreement
”) pursuant to which, among other things, (i) Merger Sub II will merge with and into the Partnership, with the Partnership being the surviving limited partnership and a subsidiary of the Company (the “
Partnership Merger
”), and (ii) immediately following the consummation of the Partnership Merger, Merger Sub I will merge with and into the Company, with the Company surviving such merger as the surviving corporation and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the “
Company Merger
” and together with the Partnership Merger, the “
Mergers
”). Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions in the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Company Merger (the “
Company Merger Effective Time
”), each share of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Company (“
Company Common Stock
”) that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Company Merger Effective Time will be automatically cancelled and extinguished and automatically converted into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to $17.50 per share (the “
Common Stock Merger Consideration
”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, each share of Company Common Stock held immediately prior to the Company Merger Effective Time by the Company, the Partnership, and each of their respective subsidiaries, or by Parent, Merger Sub I or Merger Sub II, if any, will automatically be cancelled and retired without any conversion thereof and will cease to exist, and no payment will be made in respect thereof nor will any right inure or be made with respect thereto in connection with or as a consequence of the Company Merger.
Furthermore, purported stockholders of the Company have filed to date three complaints relating to the Mergers consisting of (i) a complaint, dated January 21, 2025, filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, captioned
Robert Garfield v. Richard Baker, et al.
, (ii) a complaint, dated January 22, 2025, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, captioned
John Burke v. Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., et al.
, and (iii) a complaint, dated January 23, 2025, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, captioned
James Jones v. Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., et al.
((i) through (iii) being collectively referred to as the “
Complaints
”). The plaintiffs allege, among other things, that in approving the Mergers, our directors breached their fiduciary duties under Maryland law, and that the Proxy Statement omitted material information concerning the Mergers rendering the Proxy Statement materially incomplete and misleading in violation of applicable laws. The Complaints seek, among other things, injunctive relief preventing the consummation of the Mergers, rescission of the Mergers if consummated or damages, and an award of plaintiffs’ expenses and attorneys’ fees. The Company believes that the Complaints lack merit and intends to vigorously defend against these actions.
The Company denies that it has violated any laws or breached any duties to the Company’s stockholders, denies all allegations in the Demand Letters and believes that no supplemental disclosure to the Proxy Statement was or is required under any applicable law, rule or regulation. However, solely to eliminate the burden and expense of actual and potential litigation, to moot certain of the claims made in the Demand Letters and the Complaints, to avoid nuisance and the potential delay or disruption to the Mergers, and to provide additional information to the