Introductory Note.
As previously reported, on December 14, 2021, on the terms set forth in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated September 15, 2021, by and between Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (formerly Canadian Pacific Railway Limited and referred to herein as “CPKC”), Cygnus Merger Sub 1 Corporation, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of CPKC (“Surviving Merger Sub”), Cygnus Merger Sub 2 Corporation, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Surviving Merger Sub (“First Merger Sub” and, together with Surviving Merger Sub, the “Merger Subs”) and Kansas City Southern (“legacy Kansas City Southern”): (1) First Merger Sub merged with and into legacy Kansas City Southern (the “First Merger”) with legacy Kansas City Southern surviving the First Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Surviving Merger Sub, and (2) immediately following the effective time of the First Merger (the “Effective Time”), legacy Kansas City Southern merged with and into Surviving Merger Sub (the “Second Merger,” and, together with the First Merger, the “Mergers”) with Surviving Merger Sub surviving the Second Merger as a direct wholly owned subsidiary of CPKC (“Second Surviving Corporation”). Upon the effective time of the Second Merger, Second Surviving Corporation was renamed “Kansas City Southern” and, as the successor company of legacy Kansas City Southern, continued to own the assets of legacy Kansas City Southern prior to the Effective Time (“Kansas City Southern”). Following the consummation of the Mergers, CPKC caused the contribution, directly and indirectly, of all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Kansas City Southern to Cygnus Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of CPKC (“Merger Holdco”), immediately following which Merger Holdco deposited all of the stock of Kansas City Southern (the “Trust Stock”) into an independent, irrevocable voting trust (the “Voting Trust”) subject to the terms and conditions of a voting trust agreement (the “Voting Trust Agreement”), by and among CPKC, Merger Holdco and David L. Starling, and an assumption of voting trust agreement, by and among CPKC, Merger Holdco and Ronald L. Batory (the “Trustee”) pending receipt of an approval or exemption decision by the Surface Transportation Board (the “STB”) for the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 11323 et seq. (“STB Approval”).
As previously reported, on March 15, 2023, CPKC received STB Approval, subject to certain conditions, and announced on March 17, 2023, its acceptance of STB Approval and intent to obtain control of Kansas City Southern on April 14, 2023. Subsequently, on April 14, 2023 (the “Control Date”), the Voting Trust was terminated and CPKC thereby obtained control of Kansas City Southern (the “Control Acquisition”).
Item 5.01 | Changes in Control of Registrant. |
Upon the occurrence of the Control Acquisition on the Control Date, a change in control of Kansas City Southern occurred and CPKC obtained control of Kansas City Southern.
The information set forth in the Introductory Note of this report is incorporated in this Item 5.01 by reference.
On April 19, 2023, CPKC and its subsidiary, Canadian Pacific Railway Company, a Canadian corporation (“CPRC”) completed (i) offers to exchange (the “Exchange Offers”) any and all of seven series of notes issued by Kansas City Southern (the “Old Notes”) for seven series of notes with the same principal and maturity dates issued by CPRC and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured basis by CPKC and cash; and (ii) the related solicitation of consents (the “Consent Solicitations”) from the holders of the Old Notes for the adoption of certain amendments (the “Amendments”) to the Indenture, dated December 9, 2015 (the “KCS Base Indenture”), by and among Kansas City Southern, the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “KCS Trustee”), and the supplemental indentures governing the Old Notes (collectively, with the KCS Base Indenture, the “Old Notes Indentures”).
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