Mich. Admin. Code R. 451.4.2 - Merger and acquisition broker exemption

Rule 4.2.

(1) The following definitions apply for purposes of this rule:

(a) "Control" means the power to directly or indirectly direct the management or policies of a company, whether through ownership of securities, by contract, or otherwise. There is a presumption of control for a person who meets any of the following:

(i) Is a director, general partner, member, or manager of a limited liability company, or officer exercising executive responsibility, or has similar status or functions.

(ii) Has the right to vote 20% or more of a class of voting securities or the power to sell or direct the sale of 20% or more of a class of voting securities.

(iii) In the case of a partnership or limited liability company, has the right upon dissolution to receive, or has contributed, 20% or more of the capital.

(b) "Eligible privately held company" means a company meeting both of the following conditions:

(i) The company does not have any class of securities registered or required to be registered with the SEC pursuant to section 12 of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78l; or, with respect to which the company files, or is required to file, periodic information, documents, and reports pursuant to section 15(d) of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78o(d).

(ii) In the fiscal year ending immediately before the fiscal year in which the services of the merger and acquisition broker are initially engaged with respect to the securities transaction, the company meets either or both of the following conditions:

(A) The earnings of the company before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization are less than $25,000,000.00.

(B) The gross revenues of the company are less than $250,000,000.00.

(c) "Merger and acquisition broker" means a broker and a person associated with a broker engaged in the business of effecting securities transactions solely in connection with the transfer of ownership of an eligible privately held company, regardless of whether the broker acts on behalf of a seller or buyer, through the purchase, sale, exchange, issuance, repurchase or redemption of, or, a business combination involving securities or assets of the eligible privately held company if both of the following are true:

(i) If the merger and acquisition broker reasonably believes that upon consummation of the transaction, all persons acquiring securities or assets of the eligible privately held company, acting alone or in concert, will control and be active in the management of the eligible privately held company or the business conducted with the assets of the eligible privately held company.

(ii) If a person is offered securities in exchange for securities or assets of the eligible privately held company, then before becoming legally bound to consummate the transaction, the person will receive or have reasonable access to the most recent fiscal year-end financial statements of the issuer of the securities as customarily prepared by its management in the normal course of operations and, if the financial statements of the issuer are audited, reviewed, or compiled, any related statement by the independent accountant; a balance sheet dated not more than 120 days before the date of the exchange offer; and, information pertaining to the management, business, results of operations for the period covered by the foregoing financial statements, and any material loss contingencies of the issuer.

(d) "Public shell company" is a company that at the time of a transaction with an eligible privately held company meets all of the following:

(i) Has any class of securities registered or required to be registered with the SEC pursuant to section 12 of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78l; or, with respect to which the company files or is required to file periodic information, documents, and reports pursuant to section 15(d) of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78o(d).

(ii) Has no or nominal operations.

(iii) Has no or nominal assets; assets consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents; or, assets consisting of any amount of cash and cash equivalents and nominal other assets.

(2) A merger and acquisition broker is exempt from registration as a broker-dealer pursuant to section 401 of the act, MCL 451.2401, except as provided in subrules (3) and (4) of this rule.

(3) A merger and acquisition broker is not exempt from registration pursuant to this rule if the merger and acquisition broker does any of the following:

(a) Directly or indirectly, in connection with the transfer of ownership of an eligible privately held company, receives, holds, transmits, or has custody of the funds or securities to be exchanged by the parties to the transaction.

(b) Engages on behalf of an issuer in a public offering of any class of securities that is registered or required to be registered with the SEC pursuant to section 12 of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78l; or, with respect to which the issuer files or is required to file periodic information, documents, and reports pursuant to section 15(d) of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78o(d).

(c) Engages on behalf of any party in a transaction involving a public shell company.

(4) A merger and acquisition broker is not exempt from registration pursuant to this paragraph if the merger and acquisition broker is subject to any of the following:

(a) Suspension or revocation of registration pursuant to section 15(b)(4) of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78o(b)(4).

(b) A statutory disqualification described in section 3(a)(39) of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(39).

(c) A disqualification as described in SEC rule 506(d) of SEC regulation D, 17 C.F.R. § 230.506(d).

(d) A final order described in paragraph (4)(H) of section 15(b) of the securities exchange act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78o(b)(4)(H).

(5) Nothing in this rule shall be construed to limit the authority of the administrator to exempt a person or class of persons from the provisions of the act or rules or orders promulgated pursuant to the act.

(6) On the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this rule, and every 5 years after that date, each dollar amount in subrule (1)(b)(ii) may be adjusted pursuant to all of the following:

(a) Dividing the annual value of the Detroit consumer price index for the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the adjustment is being made by the annual value of such index for the calendar year ending December 31, 2012. As used in this subrule, "Detroit consumer price index" means the most comprehensive index of consumer prices available for the Detroit area by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.

(b) Multiplying such dollar amount by the quotient obtained pursuant to subdivision (a) of this subrule.

(c) Each dollar amount determined pursuant to this subrule shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $100,000.00.

Notes

Mich. Admin. Code R. 451.4.2

2019 MR 1, Eff. 7/3/2019