Rowan Companies plc (NYSE:RDC) Files An 8-K Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

Amendment to Transaction Agreement

As previously reported, Rowan Companies plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales (the “Company” or “Rowan”), is pursuing a transaction to effect a “merger-of-equals” with Ensco plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales (“Ensco”). to the Transaction Agreement, dated October 7, 2018, by and between the Company and Ensco (the “Transaction Agreement”) and by means of a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement (the “Scheme”) under Part 26 of the U.K. Companies Act 2006, each of the issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares of the Company (each, a “Rowan Ordinary Share”) will be exchanged (the “Transaction”) to the Scheme for a fixed number of Class A ordinary shares of Ensco each with a nominal value of $0.10 per share (the “New Ensco Shares”).

On January 28, 2019, the Company and Ensco entered into a Deed of Amendment No. 1 to the Transaction Agreement (the “Amendment”) to amend the Transaction Agreement. The Amendment increases the number of New Ensco Shares holders of Rowan Ordinary Shares will receive for each Rowan Ordinary Share from 2.215 to 2.750.

Other than as expressly modified to the Amendment, the Transaction Agreement, which was previously filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by the Company on October 8, 2018, remains in full force and effect as originally executed on October 7, 2018. The foregoing description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Amendment attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On January 29, 2019, the Company issued a press release (the “Press Release”) announcing the execution of the Amendment. A copy of the Press Release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated into this Item 7.01 by reference.

In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information set forth in this Item 7.01 and the attached Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)Exhibits

* * *

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this document regarding the proposed transaction between Ensco plc (“Ensco”) and Rowan, including benefits, expected synergies and other expense savings and operational and administrative efficiencies, opportunities, timing, expense and effects of the transaction, financial performance, accretion to cash flows, revenue growth, credit ratings or other attributes of Ensco plc following the completion of the transaction and other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)). Forward-looking statements include words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “will” and words and phrases of similar import. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, actions by regulatory authorities, rating agencies or other third parties, actions by the respective companies’ security holders, costs and difficulties related to integration of Ensco and Rowan, delays, costs and difficulties related to the transaction, market conditions, and Ensco’s financial results and performance following the completion of the transaction, satisfaction of closing conditions, ability to repay debt and timing thereof, availability and terms of any financing and other factors detailed in the risk factors section and elsewhere in Ensco’s and Rowan’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and their respective other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize (or the other consequences of such a development worsen), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. All information in this document is as of today. Except as required by law, both Ensco and Rowan disclaim any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, Ensco and Rowan have filed a joint proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC. Ensco and Rowan intend that the proposed transaction will be implemented by means of a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement between Rowan and Rowan’s shareholders under the UK Companies Act 2006, as amended, in which case the issuance of Ensco’s ordinary shares in the proposed transaction would not be expected to require registration under the Securities Act, to an exemption provided by Section 3(a)(10) under the Securities Act. In the event that Ensco determines, with Rowan’s consent, to structure the transaction as an offer or otherwise in a manner that is not exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, Ensco will file a registration statement with the SEC containing a prospectus with respect to Ensco’s ordinary shares that would be issued in the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF ENSCO AND ROWAN ARE ADVISED TO CAREFULLY READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT (WHICH INCLUDES AN EXPLANATORY STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF ANY SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT OF ROWAN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE UK COMPANIES ACT 2006) AND ANY REGISTRATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION, THE PARTIES TO THE TRANSACTION AND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSACTION. A definitive joint proxy statement has been and any registration statement/prospectus, as applicable, will be sent to security holders of Ensco and Rowan in connection with the Ensco and Rowan shareholder meetings. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the joint proxy statement (when available), any registration statement/prospectus, and other relevant documents filed by Ensco and Rowan with the SEC from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Security holders and other interested parties will also be able to obtain, without charge, a copy of the joint proxy statement, any registration statement/prospectus, and other relevant documents (when available) by directing a request by mail or telephone to either Investor Relations, Ensco plc, 5847 San Felipe, Suite 3300, Houston, Texas 77057, telephone 713-789-1400, or Investor Relations, Rowan Companies plc, 2800 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 5450, Houston, Texas 77056, telephone 713-621-7800. Copies of the documents filed by Ensco with the SEC will be available free of charge on Ensco’s website at www.enscoplc.com under the tab “Investors.” Copies of the documents filed by Rowan with the SEC will be available free of charge on Rowan’s website at www.rowan.com/investor-relations.

Participants in Proxy Solicitation

Ensco and Rowan and their respective directors, executive officers and certain other members of management may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from their respective security holders with respect to the transaction. Information about these persons is set forth in the joint proxy statement filed by Ensco and Rowan with the SEC on December 11, 2018, respectively, and subsequent statements of changes in beneficial ownership on file with the SEC. Security holders and investors may obtain additional information regarding the interests of such persons, which may be different than those of the respective companies’ security holders generally, by reading the joint proxy statement, any registration statement and other relevant documents regarding the transaction, which will be filed with the SEC.

No Offer or Solicitation

This document is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction to the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. Subject to certain exceptions to be approved by the relevant regulators or certain facts to be ascertained, the public offer will not be made directly or indirectly, in or into any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction, or by use of the mails or by any means or instrumentality (including without limitation, facsimile transmission, telephone and the internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or any facility of a national securities exchange, of any such jurisdiction.

Service of Process

Ensco and Rowan are incorporated under the laws of England and Wales. In addition, some of their respective officers and directors reside outside the United States, and some or all of their respective assets are or may be located in jurisdictions outside the United States. Therefore, investors may have difficulty effecting service of process within the United States upon those persons or recovering against Ensco, Rowan or their respective officers or directors on judgments of United States courts, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the United States federal securities laws. It may not be possible to sue Ensco, Rowan or their respective officers or directors in a non-U.S. court for violations of the U.S. securities laws.

Contact

Rowan Companies plc

Son Vann

Vice President Corporate Development

713-960-7655

OR

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer

Katcher Andrew Siegel / Dan Moore

212-355-4449

ROWAN COMPANIES PLC Exhibit
EX-2.1 2 tv511833_ex2-1.htm EXHIBIT 2.1   Exhibit 2.1   DEED OF AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO TRANSACTION AGREEMENT   THIS DEED OF AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO TRANSACTION AGREEMENT,…
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About Rowan Companies plc (NYSE:RDC)

Rowan Companies plc is a provider of offshore contract drilling services to the international oil and gas industry. The Company operates through two segments: deepwater and jack-ups. Its deepwater segment consists of drillship operations. Its fleet consists of approximately 30 mobile offshore drilling units, including self-elevating jack-up rigs and ultra-deepwater drillships. Its drilling fleet consists of approximately four ultra-deepwater drillships; 20 high-specification cantilever jack-up rigs, including three N-Class rigs, four EXL class rigs, three 240C class rigs, four enhanced Super Gorilla class rigs, one Gorilla class rig, and four Tarzan Class rigs, and eight cantilever jack-up rigs, including two Gorilla class rigs and six 116-C class rigs. The Company’s fleet operates across the world, including the United States Gulf of Mexico, the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea, the Middle East and Trinidad.