Press Releases 2019

2. Summary of the Business Integration

(1) Method of Business Integration

In the Definitive Integration Agreement, SoftBank, NAVER, ZHD, and LINE agreed broadly on the following method of Business Integration. Please also refer to “Attachment 1 Schematic Diagram of the Business Integration” for the method of Business Integration.

  1. SoftBank and NAVER or its wholly owned subsidiary (a Japanese entity) (NAVER and such wholly owned subsidiary, the “NAVER Offerors”) will implement the Joint Tender Offer for the purpose of taking LINE private.
  2. In the event that, following the completion of the Joint Tender Offer, a portion of the Target Shares (defined in the Press Release for the Tender Offer) have not been tendered and acquired, SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors will implement squeeze-out procedures (with the intended result that post-squeeze out, SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors shall be the only shareholders of LINE) using a reverse share split or other methods permitted by law to take LINE private (hereinafter, the “Squeeze-out”, and together with the Joint Tender Offer, hereinafter, the “Transaction to Take LINE Private”), and deliver consideration for the Squeeze-out in the same amount as the tender offer price to LINE shareholders in the Joint Tender Offer.
  3. LINE will make a tender offer for ZHD shares (hereinafter, the “Tender Offer for ZHD Shares”)*1 for the purpose of acquiring all of ZHD shares (hereinafter, the “Shares to be Tendered”) held by Shiodome Z Holdings Corporation (hereinafter “Shiodome Z Holdings”), which is a consolidated subsidiary of SoftBank*2.
  4. Prior to the settlement of the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares, LINE will issue a corporate bond with SoftBank as the underwriter for the underwriting amount equivalent to the aggregate amount of the purchase price for the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares in order to secure the purchase funds for Tender Offer for ZHD Shares (hereinafter, the “Bond Issuance”).
  5. After completion of the settlement for the Tender Offer for ZHD shares, an absorption-type merger (hereinafter, the “Merger”) will be conducted between Shiodome Z Holdings as the company ceasing to exist in the Merger and LINE as the surviving company. Assuming the total number of issued and outstanding LINE Shares and shares of ZHD are those of September 30, 2019 (excluding treasury shares), 180,882,293 new LINE Shares will be issued in consideration of the Merger*3, all of which will be allocated to SoftBank, which is the parent of Shiodome Z Holdings.
  6. By the day before the date of commencement of settlement for the Tender Offer for ZHD shares, SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors will undertake a shareholding adjustment transaction in order to make the ratio of voting rights in LINE held by SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors 50:50 immediately after the Merger becomes effective, which transaction shall take the form of a transfer of a portion of LINE Shares held by SoftBank from SoftBank to the NAVER Offerors (hereinafter, the “JV Conversion Transaction”). Through the Merger and the JV Conversion Transaction, LINE will become a consolidated subsidiary of SoftBank.
  7. At the same time as the Merger becomes effective, LINE will contribute all of its business (except for its shares in ZHD and the status, rights, and obligations in connection with the contracts entered into by LINE with respect to the Business Integration and any other rights and obligations specified in the absorption-type demerger agreement) to a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary (hereinafter, the “LINE Successor”) in an absorption-type demerger (hereinafter, the “Corporate Demerger”).
  8. After the Corporate Demerger becomes effective, a share exchange will be conducted with ZHD shares as consideration whereby ZHD becomes the wholly owning parent company and the LINE Successor becomes the wholly owned subsidiary company (hereinafter, the “Share Exchange”).

The Business Integration is subject to receipt of required competition law and foreign exchange law and other clearances and permits required by applicable law and regulation in each country as well as the satisfaction of the other preconditions specified in the Definitive Integration Agreement.

[Notes]
  1. *1
    As disclosed in the announcement dated November 18, 2019, by SoftBank titled “Announcement of Transfer of Shares of Z Holdings Corporation through Secondary Distribution to Shiodome Z Holdings Co., Ltd.”, in connection with the Business Integration, SoftBank transferred its shares in ZHD to its wholly owned consolidated subsidiary Shiodome Z Holdings, with an execution date of December 18, 2019.
  2. *2
    Because the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares is scheduled to be conducted approximately nine months after today and will be conducted in accordance with an agreement between SoftBank and NAVER to transfer the Shares to be Tendered from Shiodome Z Holdings to LINE, the method and terms of the transfer of the Shares to be Tendered from Shiodome Z Holdings to LINE may change to the extent permitted by applicable law and regulation. In addition, the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares will not be conducted, directly or indirectly, in the United States, and will not be extended to, or for the benefit of, shareholders in the United States, who are definitively excluded from the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares.
  3. *3
    However, based on the result of the Squeeze-out or if there is any other reason that requires reasonable adjustment, SoftBank and NAVER intend to make appropriate adjustments according to such result or reason through a separate agreement.

(2) Business Integration Schedule

Signing of the Integration MOU November 18, 2019
Signing of the Definitive Integration Agreement (Signed Today) December 23, 2019
Signing of the Absorption-Type Demerger Agreement for the Corporate Demerger (Planned) January 2020
Signing of the Share Exchange Agreement for the Share Exchange (Planned) January 2020
Shareholder Meeting for the Approval of the Share Exchange Agreement for the Share Exchange (Planned)*1 March 2020
Commencement of the Joint Tender Offer (Planned) May–June 2020
Commencement of the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares (Planned) September 2020
Shareholder Meeting for the Approval of the Absorption-Type Merger Agreement for the Merger (Planned)*1*2 September 2020
Shareholder Meeting for the Approval of the Absorption-Type Demerger Agreement for the Corporate Demerger (Planned) *1*2 September 2020
Effective Date of the Merger (Planned) October 2020
Effective Date of the Corporate Demerger (Planned) October 2020
Effective Date of the Share Exchange (Planned) October 2020
[Notes]
  1. *1
    The “Shareholder Meeting for the Approval of the Share Exchange Agreement for the Share Exchange (Planned)” means a shareholder meeting to be held by ZHD, the “Shareholder Meeting for the Approval of the Absorption-Type Merger Agreement for the Merger (Planned)” means shareholder meetings to be held by LINE and Shiodome Z Holdings, and the “Shareholder Meeting for the Approval of the Absorption-Type Demerger Agreement for the Corporate Demerger (Planned)” mean a shareholder meeting to be held by LINE.
  2. *2
    A shareholder meeting held by LINE for approving the absorption-type merger agreement for the Merger and a shareholder meeting held by LINE for approving the absorption-type demerger agreement for the Corporate Demerger will each be held after the completion of the Squeeze-out when SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors are the only shareholders of LINE.

(3) Making LINE a subsidiary of SoftBank

SoftBank plans to acquire LINE Shares by conducting the Transaction to Take LINE Private, including the Joint Tender Offer and the Merger as a part of a series of the transactions to realize the Business Integration, and LINE will become a subsidiary of SoftBank upon completion of the Transaction to Take LINE Private and effectiveness of the Merger and through the organization and operational structure of LINE based on the Joint Venture Agreement. In parallel with the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares and the Merger, SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors will undertake the JV Conversion Transaction in order to make the ratio of voting rights in LINE held by SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors 50:50 immediately after the Merger becomes effective. Please refer to “(2) Details of the Joint Venture Agreement” in “4. Outline of the Business Alliance with Capital Alliance by ZHD and LINE” for details of the contents of the Joint Venture Agreement.

  1. Reasons for acquisition of shares
    The Transaction to Take LINE Private, including the Joint Tender Offer, the Merger and the JV Conversion Transaction, will be conducted as a series of steps in the transactions to realize the Business Integration. Please refer to “1. Purpose and Significance of the Business Integration” for the purpose of the Business Integration.
  2. Method of acquisition of shares
    SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors will conduct the Transaction to Take LINE Private, including the Joint Tender Offer to acquire LINE Shares for the purpose of taking LINE private. The number of shares to be purchased in the Joint Tender Offer is 83,606,486 shares, and SoftBank is expected to purchase the number of shares corresponding to 50% of the number of shares for each type of shares, etc. tendered in the Joint Tender Offer and the NAVER Offerors are expected to purchase the number of shares corresponding to the remaining 50%. If not all of the Target Shares are acquired in the Joint Tender Offer, SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors are expected to acquire LINE Shares in the Squeeze-Out. Please refer to the Press Release for the Tender Offer for details of the Joint Tender Offer and the Squeeze-out.
    After completion of the settlement for the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares, assuming the total number of issued and outstanding LINE Shares and shares of ZHD are those of September 30, 2019 (excluding treasury shares), 180,882,293 new LINE Shares will be issued in consideration of the Merger*, all of which will be allocated to SoftBank, which is the parent of Shiodome Z Holdings.
    [Note]
    1. *
      However, based on the result of the Squeeze-out or if there is any other reason that requires reasonable adjustment, SoftBank and NAVER intend to make appropriate adjustments according to such result or reason through a separate agreement.

    In the JV Conversion Transaction, SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors will transfer the LINE shares from SoftBank to NAVER so that LINE voting rights held by SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors will be 50:50 immediately after the Merger becomes effective.
  3. Outline of subsidiary subject to change
    Please refer to “(1) Parties involved in making LINE a subsidiary of SoftBank” in “5. Outline of the Parties” below for an overview of the subsidiaries subject to change.
  4. Outline of the counterparty to share acquisition
    Please refer to the Press Release for the Tender Offer for details of the Transaction to Take LINE Private, including the Joint Tender Offer.
    For an overview of LINE, which will be the surviving company of the Merger, please refer to “(1) Parties involved in making LINE a subsidiary of SoftBank” in “5. Outline of the Parties” below.
  5. Number of shares to be acquired, acquisition price, and the status of shareholding before and after acquisition
    ①Number of shares held before change Zero.
    ②Number of shares to be acquired Number corresponding to 50% of the total number of issued and outstanding LINE Shares (excluding treasury shares) immediately after the completion of the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares*
    ③Acquisition price Please refer to the Press Release for the Tender Offer for terms and conditions of the Transaction to Take LINE Private, including the acquisition price for the Joint Tender Offer.
    Please refer to “(4) The Merger” in “2. Overview of the Business Integration” for details on the Merger.
    ④Number of shares held after acquisition Number corresponding to 50% of the total number of issued and outstanding LINE Shares (excluding treasury shares) immediately after the completion of the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares (Holding ratio 50.0%)*
    [Note]
    1. *
      The specific number of shares to be acquired may vary depending on the results of the Joint Tender Offer and the Squeeze-out and will be announced as soon as they are finalized.
  6. Change schedule
    We are aiming to commence the Transaction to Take LINE Private, including the Joint Tender Offer, from May to June 2020. The detailed schedule for the Joint Tender Offer will be announced as soon as it is finalized. Please refer to the Press Release for the Tender Offer for details of the Transaction to Take LINE Private, including the Joint Tender Offer.
    The effective date of the Merger will be the same day as the settlement start date of the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares. The detailed schedule for the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares will be announced as soon as it is finalized. For other details of the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares, please refer to “Hikoukaikago no tousha ni yoru Z Hourudingusu Kabushiki Gaisha (Shouken Koudo: 4689) kabushiki ni taisuru koukai kaitsuke no kaishi yotei ni kansuru oshirase” (非公開化後の当社によるZホールディングス株式会社(証券コード:4689)株式に対する公開買付けの開始予定に関するお知らせ) announced by LINE today.
    The JV Conversion Transaction is expected to be concluded by one day prior to the settlement start date of the Tender Offer for ZHD Shares.

(4) The Merger

  1. Purpose of the Merger
    As one step in a series of transactions to realize the Business Integration, LINE Shares will be allocated and issued to SoftBank as consideration for the Merger in order to make LINE a consolidated subsidiary of SoftBank and a joint venture company in which SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors will hold 50:50 voting rights.
  2. Overview of the Merger
    1. a)
      Schedule of the Merger
      Please refer to “(2) Business Integration Schedule” in “2. Summary of the Business Integration” above for the Merger schedule.
    2. b)
      Method of the Merger
      It will be an absorption-type merger with Shiodome Z Holdings as the company that will cease to exist and LINE as the surviving company in the Merger.
    3. c)
      Details of allotment pertaining to the Merger
      Upon the Merger, LINE will issue 180,882,293 new common shares* in consideration of the Merger, all of which will be allocated and issued to SoftBank.
      [Note]
      1. *
        However, based on the result of the Squeeze-out or if there is any other reason that requires reasonable adjustment, SoftBank and NAVER intend to make appropriate adjustments according to such result or reason through a separate agreement.
    4. d)
      Treatment of share options and convertible bonds in connection with the Merger
      Not applicable.
  3. Outline of the parties to the Merger and the surviving company after the Merger
    Please refer to “(2) Parties to the Merger” in “5. Outline of the Parties.”

(5) The Corporate Demerger

  1. Method of the Corporate Demerger
    Absorption-type demerger with the demerger of LINE into the LINE Successor.
  2. Allocation related to the Corporate Demerger
    LINE will not be given shares or other properties for the Corporate Demerger.
  3. Treatment of share options and convertible bonds in connection with the Corporate Demerger
    The LINE Successor does not plan to issue any share options or convertible bonds prior to the time when the Corporate Demerger becomes effective.
  4. Capital that will increase/decrease in connection with the Corporate Demerger
    The capital of LINE will not increase or decrease in connection with the Corporate Demerger.
  5. Rights and obligations succeeded to by the LINE Successor
    All rights and obligations of LINE in connection with its business (except for its shares in ZHD and the status, rights, and obligations in connection with the contracts entered into by LINE with respect to the Business Integration and any other rights and obligations specified in the absorption-type demerger agreement) will be succeeded to by the LINE Successor.
    The succession of obligations shall be based on the method of assumption of obligations without any liabilities remaining with LINE.
  6. Expectation of fulfilling financial obligations
    The obligations of the LINE Successor before and after the Corporate Demerger are expected to be able to be fulfilled.

(6) The Share Exchange

  1. Purpose of the Share Exchange
    The Share Exchange will be conducted as one step in the series of the transactions to realize the Business Integration. Please refer to “1. Purpose and Significance of the Business Integration” for the purpose of the Business Integration.
  2. Overview of the Share Exchange
    1. a)
      Schedule of the Share Exchange
      Please refer to “(2) Business Integration Schedule” in “2. Summary of the Business Integration” above for the schedule of the Share Exchange.
    2. b)
      Method of the Share Exchange
      The Share Exchange will result in ZHD becoming the wholly owning parent company and the LINE Successor becoming the wholly owned subsidiary company.
    3. c)
      Allotment for the Share Exchange
      1. (ⅰ)
        The Exchange Ratio (allotted ratio of ZHD Shares to be exchanged for one share of the LINE Successor)
      ZHD
      (Share Exchange wholly owning parent company)
      LINE Successor
      (Share Exchange wholly owned subsidiary company)
      Exchange Ratio 1 11.75
      [Notes]
      1. *1
        The allotted ratio is calculated on the assumption that the total number of issued and outstanding shares (excluding treasury shares) of the LINE Successor immediately before the Share Exchange becomes effective will be the same as the total number of issued and outstanding LINE Shares (excluding treasury shares) as of September 30, 2019, which is 240,960,343 shares.
      2. *2
        Based on the Exchange Ratio, the number of ZHD shares to be delivered through the Share Exchange will be 2,831,284,030 shares. (The number of ZHD treasury shares to be included in the quantity of ZHD shares to be delivered through the Share Exchange is yet to be finalized.) In addition, 11.75 shares of ZHD for each share of the LINE Successor will be allocated and delivered to LINE, the wholly owned parent company of the LINE Successor.
    4. d)
      The Treatment of share options and convertible bonds in connection with the Share Exchange
      The LINE Successor does not plan to issue any share options or convertible bonds prior to the time when the Share Exchange becomes effective.
      For the basis of the share exchange ratio for the Share Exchange, please refer to “Attachment 2 ‘Announcement Regarding Definitive Agreement on Business Integration' Announced Today by ZHD and LINE”. In addition, the basis of the exchange ratio for the Share Exchange has not been materially changed from the basis described in the press release of November 18, 2019 titled “Entry into a Memorandum of Understanding Regarding the Business Integration' that was announced by ZHD and LINE.
  3. Outline of the parties in the Share Exchange and the wholly owning parent company after the Share Exchange
    Please refer to “(3) Parties to the Share Exchange” in “5. Outline of the Parties.”

3. Outline of the Joint Tender Offer

Please refer to the Press Release for the Tender Offer for details of the Joint Tender Offer.

4. Outline of the business alliance with capital alliance by ZHD and LINE

(1) Details of the business alliance with capital alliance by ZHD and LINE

The Business Integration will be conducted as a business alliance with capital alliance on an equal basis by ZHD and LINE with the aim of forming a business group that can overcome fierce domestic and global competition through the ZHD Group and the LINE Group bringing together their business resources, and through the Combined Company group following the Business Integration pursuing synergies in their respective business areas as well as implementing business investment targeting growth in the areas of AI, commerce, Fintech, advertising, and O2O and other new business areas. For details of the business alliance involving the capital alliance between ZHD and LINE, including the details of the capital alliance agreement signed by ZHD and LINE today (hereinafter, the “Capital Alliance Agreement”), please refer to “Attachment 2 ‘Announcement Regarding Definitive Agreement on Business Integration' Announced Today by ZHD and LINE”.

(2) Details of the Joint Venture Agreement

SoftBank and NAVER have entered into the Joint Venture Agreement today with respect to the Business Integration, and have broadly agreed on the organization and operation of LINE (hereinafter, the “JV”), which will be a joint venture company, whose only shareholders will be SoftBank and the NAVER Offerors, for the purpose of holding ZHD shares as outlined below.

  1. Organizational design
    The JV shall be a company with a board of directors.
  2. Directors
    There will be five (5) directors for the JV, of which three (3) will be appointed by SoftBank and the remaining two (2) will be appointed by NAVER. There shall be two (2) representative directors for the JV, of which SoftBank and NAVER will each appoint one (1). Immediately after the Business Integration, the board of directors of the JV will be composed of Ken Miyauchi and Kazuhiko Fujihara, each appointed by SoftBank, Hae Jin Lee and In Joon Hwang, each appointed by NAVER, and one more person to be separately appointed by SoftBank. Of these directors, Ken Miyauchi will assume the position of Representative Director and President of the JV and Hae Jin Lee will assume the position of Representative Director and Chairperson of the Board of the JV.
  3. Statutory auditor
    The JV will have 2 statutory auditors, with SoftBank and NAVER each appointing one.
  4. Agreement on consolidation of the JV
    NAVER agrees that SoftBank will consolidate the JV, subject to SoftBank's voting rights in the JV being 50% or more (on a fully diluted basis).
  5. Agreement regarding the exercise of the right held by the JV to appoint ZHD directors based on the Capital Alliance Agreement
    SoftBank and NAVER will each appoint 3 of the 6 ZHD internal directors that the JV has the right to appoint under the Capital Alliance Agreement.
  6. Agreement regarding matters requiring consent of the JV as stipulated in the Capital Alliance Agreement
    In the event that ZHD intends to act on any of the following matters, the JV shall require prior written consent from SoftBank and NAVER before granting consent under the Capital Alliance Agreement.
    • Changes to the articles of incorporation of ZHD (excluding minor changes);
    • Any action of ZHD involving an issuance of new shares, share options, or convertible bonds (including disposal of treasury shares or treasury share options) or granting or issuance of rights to convert to or acquire ZHD shares which renders the voting rights of the JV in ZHD to be 50% or less on a fully diluted basis; and
    • Transfers, assignments, successions, provisions of collateral or any other disposals (hereinafter, the “Transfer, Etc.”) of shares or other assets or businesses owned by ZHD or its consolidated subsidiaries that account for more than one-fifth of ZHD's consolidated book value assets (excluding transfer of shares of listed companies held by ZHD or its consolidated subsidiaries) to a third party outside the ZHD Group.
  7. Handling of the JV shares
    Except as otherwise provided for in the Joint Venture Agreement, neither SoftBank nor NAVER may undertake any Transfer, Etc. of the JV shares it holds without prior written consent of the other party.

Attachment 1 Schematic Diagram of the Business Integration