As filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(7)
Registration Statement No. 333-174866
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated June 13, 2011)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered(1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit(2) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(2) |
Amount of Registration Fee(2) |
||||||||||||
Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share |
129,909 | $ | 52.965 | $ | 6,880,630.19 | $ | 886.23 |
(1) | This Registration Statement registers 10,702 shares of Class A common stock of Evercore Partners Inc. issuable upon exchange of an equivalent number of partnership units of Evercore LP. |
(2) | Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(r) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and based upon the average of the high and low sales price of a share of the Registrants common stock, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on May 20, 2014. |
Prospectus Supplement to Prospectus dated June 13, 2011.
129,909 Shares
Evercore Partners Inc.
Class A Common Stock
This prospectus supplement relates to resales of shares of Class A common stock by one or more stockholders who acquired shares of our Class A common stock in a private transaction in connection with the acquisition by us of additional interests in Evercore Wealth Management, LLC.
The selling stockholders, or their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest, may offer the shares through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices.
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of these shares by the selling stockholders.
The shares of Class A common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EVR.
Investing in our securities involves risk. See Risk Factors on page S-3.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission or other regulatory body has approved or disproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Prospectus Supplement dated May 22, 2014.
Prospectus Supplement
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Prospectus
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You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related free writing prospectus that we authorize to be distributed to you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. Neither we nor the selling stockholders are making an offer to sell or seeking an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus or in any related free writing prospectus that we authorize to be distributed to you is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates of those documents.
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes certain matters relating to us and the specific terms of this offering of Class A common stock, and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, gives more general information, some of which may not apply to the Class A common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. To the extent the information contained in this prospectus supplement differs or varies from the information contained in the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on the information contained in this prospectus supplement. If the information contained in this prospectus supplement differs or varies from the information contained in a document we have incorporated by reference, you should rely on the information in the more recent document.
In this prospectus supplement, references to Evercore, the Company, we, us and our refer to Evercore Partners Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to (1) Evercore Partners Inc. refer solely to Evercore Partners Inc., and not to any of its consolidated subsidiaries and (2) Evercore LP refer solely to Evercore LP, a Delaware limited partnership, and not to any of its consolidated subsidiaries.
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Evercore is one of the leading independent investment banking advisory firms in the world based on the dollar volume of announced worldwide merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions on which we have advised since 2000. When we use the term independent investment banking advisory firm, we mean an investment banking firm that directly, or through its affiliates, does not engage in commercial banking or significant proprietary trading activities. We were founded on the belief that there is an opportunity within the investment banking industry for a firm free of the potential conflicts of interest created within large, multi-product financial institutions. We also believed that the broad set of relationships of an independent advisory business would provide the foundation for a differentiated investment management platform. We believe that maintaining standards of excellence and integrity in our core businesses demands a spirit of cooperation and hands-on participation more commonly found in smaller organizations. Since our inception, we have set out to buildin the employees we choose and in the projects we undertakean organization dedicated to the highest caliber of professionalism and integrity.
We operate globally through two business segments:
| Investment Banking; and |
| Investment Management. |
Our Investment Banking segment includes our Advisory services, through which we provide advice to clients on significant mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic corporate transactions, with a particular focus on advising prominent multinational corporations and substantial private equity firms on large, complex transactions. We also provide restructuring advice to companies in financial transition, as well as to creditors, shareholders and potential acquirers. In addition, we provide our clients with capital markets advice relating to both debt and equity securities, underwrite securities offerings and raise funds for financial sponsors. Our Investment Banking segment also includes our Institutional Equities services through which we offer equity research and agency-only equity securities trading for institutional investors.
Our Investment Management segment focuses on Institutional Asset Management, through which we manage financial assets for sophisticated institutional investors and provide independent fiduciary services to corporate employee benefit plans; Wealth Management, through which we provide wealth management services for high net-worth individuals; and Private Equity, through which we manage private equity funds. Each of these businesses is led by senior investment professionals with extensive experience in their respective fields.
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This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain or incorporate by reference forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, our operations and financial performance. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as outlook, believes, expects, potential, continues, may, should, seeks, approximately, predicts, intends, plans, estimates, anticipates or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties.
Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and, based on various underlying assumptions and expectations, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in Evercores business. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and in our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (which are incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus), as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can management assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
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We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and in each subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (which are incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus), as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before making a decision to invest in our securities.
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The following table sets forth, for each selling stockholder, the name, the number of shares of Class A common stock beneficially owned as of May 21, 2014, the number of shares of Class A common stock being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the number of shares of Class A common stock that will be beneficially owned immediately after the offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement. Each selling stockholder beneficially owns before the offering and will beneficially own after the offering less than 1% of the Class A common stock.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC.
Shares Beneficially Owned | ||||||||||||
Name of Selling Stockholder |
Shares Offered |
Prior to this Offering |
After this Offering |
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John Apruzzese |
11,362 | 5,000 | 16,362 | |||||||||
Timothy Barrett |
1,127 | | 1,127 | |||||||||
Bruce Elwell |
7,574 | 1,500 | 9,074 | |||||||||
Tim Evnin |
11,581 | | 11,581 | |||||||||
Karen Francois |
972 | 536 | 1,508 | |||||||||
Gary Gildersleeve |
7,574 | | 7,574 | |||||||||
James Holihan |
7,574 | 529 | 8,103 | |||||||||
Jeffrey S. Maurer* |
10,702 | 2,908 | 13,610 | |||||||||
Keith B. McWilliams |
15,736 | | 15,736 | |||||||||
Judith Moses |
1,262 | | 1,262 | |||||||||
Michael OBrien |
3,220 | | 3,220 | |||||||||
Frances Ann Panetta |
7,574 | 300 | 7,874 | |||||||||
John Rendinaro |
2,524 | 1,000 | 3,524 | |||||||||
Charles Ryan |
11,362 | 800 | 12,162 | |||||||||
Iain Silverthorne |
5,837 | | 5,837 | |||||||||
Jay Springer |
10,702 | | 10,702 | |||||||||
William Vaughn |
2,524 | | 2,524 | |||||||||
Christopher Zander |
10,702 | | 10,702 |
* | Includes shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exchange of outstanding Evercore LP partnership units. |
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Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A common stock is Computershare Shareowner Services LLC.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME AND ESTATE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF CLASS A COMMON STOCK
The following is a summary of certain material United States federal income and estate tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Class A common stock as of the date hereof. Except where noted, this summary deals only with Class A common stock that is held as a capital asset by a non-U.S. holder.
A non-U.S. holder means a person (other than a partnership) that is not for United States federal income tax purposes any of the following:
| an individual citizen or resident of the United States; |
| a corporation (or any other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
This summary is based upon provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and regulations, rulings and judicial decisions as of the date hereof. Those authorities may be changed, perhaps retroactively, so as to result in United States federal income and estate tax consequences different from those summarized below. This summary does not address all aspects of United States federal income and estate taxes and does not deal with foreign, state, local or other tax considerations that may be relevant to non-U.S. holders in light of their personal circumstances. In addition, it does not represent a detailed description of the United States federal income tax consequences applicable to you if you are subject to special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws (including if you are a United States expatriate, controlled foreign corporation, passive foreign investment company, or a partnership or other pass-through entity for United States federal income tax purposes). We cannot assure you that a change in law will not alter significantly the tax considerations that we describe in this summary.
If a partnership holds our Class A common stock, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our Class A common stock, you should consult your tax advisors.
If you are considering the purchase of our Class A common stock, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the particular United States federal income and estate tax consequences to you of the ownership of the Class A common stock, as well as the consequences to you arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
Dividends
Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock generally will be subject to withholding of United States federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. However, dividends that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. holder within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a United States permanent establishment) are not subject to the withholding tax, provided certain certification and disclosure requirements are satisfied. Instead, such dividends are subject to United States federal income tax on a net income basis in the same manner as if the non-U.S. holder were a United States person as defined under the
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Code, unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. Any such effectively connected dividends received by a foreign corporation may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.
A non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock who wishes to claim the benefit of an income tax treaty or claim exemption from withholding because the income is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States will be required to (a) complete Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form), for treaty benefits, or W-8ECI (or other applicable form), for effectively connected income, respectively, or (b) if our Class A common stock is held through certain foreign intermediaries, satisfy the relevant certification requirements of applicable United States Treasury regulations. Special certification and other requirements apply to certain non-U.S. holders that are pass-through entities rather than corporations or individuals.
A non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock eligible for a reduced rate of United States withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service.
Gain on Disposition of Class A Common Stock
Any gain realized on the disposition of our Class A common stock generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:
| the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder); |
| the non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other conditions are met; or |
| we are or have been a United States real property holding corporation for United States federal income tax purposes. |
An individual non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point immediately above will be subject to tax on the net gain derived from the sale at regular graduated United States federal income tax rates. An individual non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point immediately above will be subject to a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the sale, which may be offset by United States source capital losses, even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States. If a non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation falls under the first bullet point immediately above, it will be subject to tax on its net gain in the same manner as if it were a United States person as defined under the Code and, in addition, may be subject to the branch profits tax equal to 30% of its effectively connected earnings and profits or at such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.
We believe we are not and do not anticipate becoming a United States real property holding corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.
Federal Estate Tax
Common stock held by an individual non-U.S. holder at the time of death will be included in such holders gross estate for United States federal estate tax purposes, unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise.
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We must report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each non-U.S. holder the amount of dividends paid to such holder and the tax withheld with respect to such dividends, regardless of whether withholding was required. Copies of the information returns reporting such dividends and withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non- U.S. holder resides under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty.
A non-U.S. holder will be subject to backup withholding for dividends paid to such holder unless such holder certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a United States person as defined under the Code), or such holder otherwise establishes an exemption.
Information reporting and, depending on the circumstances, backup withholding will apply to the proceeds of a sale of our Class A common stock within the United States or conducted through certain United States-related financial intermediaries, unless the beneficial owner certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the beneficial owner is a United States person as defined under the Code) or such owner otherwise establishes an exemption.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a non-U.S. holders United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
Additional Withholding Requirements
The relevant withholding agent may be required to withhold 30% of any dividends paid after June 30, 2014 and the proceeds of a sale of our common stock occurring after December 31, 2016, in each case paid to (i) a foreign financial institution unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity that is the beneficial owner of the payment unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial United States owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements.
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EVERCORE PARTNERS INC.
Class A Common Stock
Evercore Partners Inc. and/or the selling stockholders may offer from time to time shares of our Class A common stock.
This prospectus describes the general manner in which the shares of Class A common stock may be offered and sold by Evercore Partners Inc. and the selling stockholders. If necessary, the specific manner in which shares of Class A common stock may be offered and sold will be described in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement may also add, supplement or change the information contained in this prospectus.
The shares of Class A common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EVR.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in each subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (which documents are incorporated by reference herein), as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto before making a decision to invest in our securities. See Incorporation by Reference and Where You Can Find More Information in this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission or other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is June 13, 2011
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You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. Neither we nor the selling stockholders are making an offer to sell or seeking an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of those documents. You should read all information supplementing this prospectus.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission using a shelf registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we and/or the selling stockholders may offer from time to time shares of Class A common stock.
In this prospectus, references to Evercore, the Company, we, us and our refer to Evercore Partners Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to (1) Evercore Partners Inc. refer solely to Evercore Partners Inc., and not to any of its consolidated subsidiaries and (2) Evercore LP refer solely to Evercore LP, a Delaware limited partnership, and not to any of its consolidated subsidiaries.
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Evercore is one of the leading independent investment banking advisory firms in the world based on the dollar volume of announced worldwide merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions on which we have advised since 2000. When we use the term independent investment banking advisory firm, we mean an investment banking firm that directly or through its affiliates does not engage in commercial banking or proprietary trading activities. We were founded on the belief that there was an opportunity within the investment banking industry for a firm free of the potential conflicts of interest created within large, multi-product financial institutions. We also believed that the broad set of relationships of an independent advisory business would provide the foundation for a differentiated investment management platform. We believe maintaining standards of excellence and integrity in our core businesses demands a spirit of cooperation and hands-on participation more commonly found in smaller organizations. Since our inception, we have set out to buildin the employees we choose and in the projects we undertakean organization dedicated to the highest caliber of professionalism and integrity.
We operate around the world from our offices in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, London, Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico and Hong Kong and, through our affiliate G5 Holdings S.A., in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil, through two business segments: Investment Banking; and Investment Management.
Evercore Partners Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on July 21, 2005. Our principal executive offices are located at 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055, and our telephone number is (212) 857-3100.
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This prospectus contains or incorporates by reference forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, our operations and financial performance. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as outlook, believes, expects, potential, continues, may, should, seeks, approximately, predicts, intends, plans, estimates, anticipates or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties.
Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in Evercores business. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in each subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (which documents are incorporated by reference herein), as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can management assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
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In the case of our sale of Class A common stock, we will specify the use of proceeds in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of any shares of Class A common stock offered by the selling stockholders.
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The following description of our capital stock is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, the forms or copies of which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and by applicable law. See Where You Can Find More Information.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $.01 per share, 1,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $.01 per share and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Unless our board of directors determines otherwise, we will issue all shares of our capital stock in uncertificated form.
Common Stock
Class A common stock
Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.
Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any restrictions on the payment of dividends imposed by the terms of any outstanding preferred stock.
Upon our dissolution or liquidation or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, after payment in full of all amounts required to be paid to creditors and to the holders of preferred stock having liquidation preferences, if any, the holders of our Class A common stock will be entitled to receive pro rata our remaining assets available for distribution.
Holders of our Class A common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights.
Subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Evercore LP partnership agreement, holders of fully vested partnership units in Evercore LP (other than Evercore Partners Inc.) may exchange these partnership units for shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to customary conversion rate adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications.
Class B common stock
Each holder of Class B common Stock shall be entitled, without regard to the number of shares of Class B common stock held by such holder, to one vote for each partnership unit in Evercore LP held by such holder. Accordingly, the limited partners of Evercore LP collectively have a number of votes in Evercore Partners Inc. that is equal to the aggregate number of vested and unvested partnership units that they hold.
Holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Holders of our Class B common stock do not have any right to receive dividends or to receive a distribution upon a liquidation or winding up of Evercore Partners Inc.
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Preferred Stock
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to establish one or more series of preferred stock (including convertible preferred stock). Unless required by law or by any stock exchange, the authorized shares of preferred stock will be available for issuance without further action by you. Our board of directors is able to determine, with respect to any series of preferred stock, the terms and rights of that series, including:
| the designation of the series; |
| the number of shares of the series, which our board may, except where otherwise provided in the preferred stock designation, increase or decrease, but not below the number of shares then outstanding; |
| whether dividends, if any, will be cumulative or non-cumulative and the dividend rate of the series; |
| the dates at which dividends, if any, will be payable; |
| the redemption rights and price or prices, if any, for shares of the series; |
| the terms and amounts of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series; |
| the amounts payable on shares of the series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the affairs of our company; |
| whether the shares of the series will be convertible into shares of any other class or series, or any other security, of our company or any other entity, and, if so, the specification of the other class or series or other security, the conversion price or prices or rate or rates, any rate adjustments, the date or dates as of which the shares will be convertible and all other terms and conditions upon which the conversion may be made; |
| restrictions on the issuance of shares of the same series or of any other class or series; and |
| the voting rights, if any, of the holders of the series. |
We could issue a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede or discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority, of you might believe to be in your best interests or in which you might receive a premium for your Class A common stock over the market price of the Class A common stock.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock
Delaware law does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, which would apply so long as the Class A common stock remains listed on the New York Stock Exchange, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or then outstanding number of shares of Class A common stock (assuming, in this latter case, the exchange of outstanding Evercore LP partnership units not held by Evercore Partners Inc.). These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital or to facilitate acquisitions.
One of the effects of the existence of unissued and unreserved common stock or preferred stock may be to enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, and thereby protect the continuity of our management and possibly deprive the stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares at prices higher than prevailing market prices.
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Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Delaware Law
We are a Delaware corporation subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Section 203 provides that, subject to certain exceptions specified in the law, a Delaware corporation shall not engage in certain business combinations with any interested stockholder for a three-year period after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder unless:
| prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; |
| upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or |
| at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an interested stockholder is a person who, together with that persons affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years did own, 15% or more of our voting stock.
Under certain circumstances, Section 203 makes it more difficult for a person who would be an interested stockholder to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period. The provisions of Section 203 may encourage companies interested in acquiring our company to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A common stock is The Bank of New York.
Listing
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EVR.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME AND ESTATE TAX
CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF CLASS A COMMON STOCK
The following is a summary of certain material United States federal income and estate tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Class A common stock as of the date hereof. Except where noted, this summary deals only with Class A common stock that is held as a capital asset by a non-U.S. holder.
A non-U.S. holder means a person (other than a partnership) that is not for United States federal income tax purposes any of the following:
| an individual citizen or resident of the United States; |
| a corporation (or any other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
This summary is based upon provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and regulations, rulings and judicial decisions as of the date hereof. Those authorities may be changed, perhaps retroactively, so as to result in United States federal income and estate tax consequences different from those summarized below. This summary does not address all aspects of United States federal income and estate taxes and does not deal with foreign, state, local or other tax considerations that may be relevant to non-U.S. holders in light of their personal circumstances. In addition, it does not represent a detailed description of the United States federal income tax consequences applicable to you if you are subject to special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws (including if you are a United States expatriate, controlled foreign corporation, passive foreign investment company, or a partnership or other pass-through entity for United States federal income tax purposes). We cannot assure you that a change in law will not alter significantly the tax considerations that we describe in this summary.
If a partnership holds our Class A common stock, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our Class A common stock, you should consult your tax advisors.
If you are considering the purchase of our Class A common stock, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the particular United States federal income and estate tax consequences to you of the ownership of the Class A common stock, as well as the consequences to you arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
Dividends
Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock generally will be subject to withholding of United States federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. However, dividends that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. holder within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a United States permanent establishment) are not subject to the withholding tax, provided certain certification and
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disclosure requirements are satisfied. Instead, such dividends are subject to United States federal income tax on a net income basis in the same manner as if the non-U.S. holder were a United States person as defined under the Code, unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. Any such effectively connected dividends received by a foreign corporation may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.
A non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock who wishes to claim the benefit of an income tax treaty or claim exemption from withholding because the income is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States will be required to (a) complete Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form), for treaty benefits, or W-8ECI (or other applicable form), for effectively connected income, respectively, or (b) if our Class A common stock is held through certain foreign intermediaries, satisfy the relevant certification requirements of applicable United States Treasury regulations. Special certification and other requirements apply to certain non-U.S. holders that are pass-through entities rather than corporations or individuals.
A non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock eligible for a reduced rate of United States withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service.
Gain on Disposition of Class A Common Stock
Any gain realized on the disposition of our Class A common stock generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:
| the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder); |
| the non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other conditions are met; or |
| we are or have been a United States real property holding corporation for United States federal income tax purposes. |
An individual non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point immediately above will be subject to tax on the net gain derived from the sale at regular graduated United States federal income tax rates. An individual non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point immediately above will be subject to a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the sale, which may be offset by United States source capital losses, even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States. If a non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation falls under the first bullet point immediately above, it will be subject to tax on its net gain in the same manner as if it were a United States person as defined under the Code and, in addition, may be subject to the branch profits tax equal to 30% of its effectively connected earnings and profits or at such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.
We believe we are not and do not anticipate becoming a United States real property holding corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.
Federal Estate Tax
Common stock held by an individual non-U.S. holder at the time of death will be included in such holders gross estate for United States federal estate tax purposes, unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise.
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We must report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each non-U.S. holder the amount of dividends paid to such holder and the tax withheld with respect to such dividends, regardless of whether withholding was required. Copies of the information returns reporting such dividends and withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty.
A non-U.S. holder will be subject to backup withholding for dividends paid to such holder unless such holder certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a United States person as defined under the Code), or such holder otherwise establishes an exemption.
Information reporting and, depending on the circumstances, backup withholding will apply to the proceeds of a sale of our Class A common stock within the United States or conducted through certain United States-related financial intermediaries, unless the beneficial owner certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the beneficial owner is a United States person as defined under the Code) or such owner otherwise establishes an exemption.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a non-U.S. holders United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
Additional Withholding Requirements
The relevant withholding agent may be required to withhold 30% of any dividends and the proceeds of a sale of our common stock paid after December 31, 2012 to (i) a foreign financial institution unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity that is the beneficial owner of the payment unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial United States owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements.
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Evercore Partners Inc. and/or the selling stockholders, and their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest, may from time to time offer and sell, separately or together, shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus. Registration of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus does not mean, however, that those shares of Class A common stock necessarily will be offered or sold.
The shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus may be sold from time to time, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to market prices, at a fixed price or prices subject to change or at negotiated prices, by a variety of methods including the following:
| on the New York Stock Exchange (including through at the market offerings); |
| in the over-the-counter market; |
| in privately negotiated transactions; |
| through broker/dealers, who may act as agents or principals; |
| through one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or best-efforts basis; |
| in a block trade in which a broker/dealer will attempt to sell a block of shares of Class A common stock as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| through put or call option transactions relating to the shares of Class A common stock; |
| directly to one or more purchasers; |
| through agents; or |
| in any combination of the above. |
In effecting sales, brokers or dealers engaged by us and/or the selling stockholders may arrange for other brokers or dealers to participate. Broker/dealer transactions may include:
| purchases of the shares of Class A common stock by a broker/dealer as principal and resales of the shares of Class A common stock by the broker/dealer for its account pursuant to this prospectus; |
| ordinary brokerage transactions; or |
| transactions in which the broker/dealer solicits purchasers on a best efforts basis. |
At any time a particular offer of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus is made, a revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, if required, will set forth the aggregate amount of shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any underwriters, dealers, brokers or agents. In addition, to the extent required, any discounts, commissions, concessions and other items constituting underwriters or agents compensation, as well as any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers, will be set forth in such revised prospectus supplement. Any such required prospectus supplement, and, if necessary, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, will be filed with the SEC to reflect the disclosure of additional information with respect to the distribution of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus.
We and/or the selling stockholders may also authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by certain types of institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the revised prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The conditions to these contracts and the commission that we or the selling stockholders must pay for solicitation of these contracts will be described in a revised prospectus or prospectus
supplement.
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In connection with the sale of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus through underwriters, underwriters may receive compensation in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may also receive commissions from purchasers of shares of Class A common stock for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent.
Any underwriters, broker/dealers or agents participating in the distribution of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by any of those underwriters, broker/dealers or agents may be deemed to be underwriting commissions under the Securities Act.
Evercore Partners Inc. and/or the selling stockholders may agree to indemnify underwriters, broker/dealers or agents against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may also agree to contribute to payments which the underwriters, broker/dealers or agents may be required to make.
Certain of the underwriters, broker/dealers or agents who may become involved in the sale of the shares of Class A common stock may engage in transactions with and perform other services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they receive customary compensation.
Some of the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus may be sold by selling stockholders in private transactions or under Rule 144 under the Securities Act rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
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The validity of the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York, New York. Richard I. Beattie, a partner of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, is a director of Evercore Partners Inc. An investment vehicle composed of certain partners of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, members of their families, related parties and others owns an interest representing less than 1% of the capital commitments of investment funds managed by Evercore.
The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from Evercore Partners Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports which are incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
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The SECs rules allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document. Any information referred to in this way is considered part of this prospectus from the date we file that document. Any reports filed by us with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and before the date that the offerings of the shares of Class A common stock by means of this prospectus are terminated will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the following documents or information filed with the SEC:
(1) | Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed on March 9, 2011 (File No. 00132975); |
(2) | Those portions of our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 26, 2011 (File No. 001-32975) that are incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010; |
(3) | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, filed April 29, 2011 (File No. 00132975); |
(4) | A Current Report on Form 8-K, filed January 4, 2011 and two Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed June 9, 2011 (File No. 00132975); |
(5) | The description of shares of Class A common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, dated August 7, 2006 (File No. 00132975), of Evercore Partners Inc., filed with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
(6) | All documents filed, but not furnished, by Evercore Partners Inc. under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and before the termination of the offerings to which this prospectus relates. |
We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon his or her written or oral request, a copy of any or all documents referred to above which have been or may be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, excluding exhibits to those documents unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents. You can request those documents from Evercore Partners Inc., at 55 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10055. You also may contact us at (212) 857-3100 or visit our website at http://www.evercore.com for copies of those documents. Our website and the information contained on our website are not a part of this prospectus, and you should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to purchase the shares offered hereby.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC relating to the shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus. This prospectus, filed as part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules, portions of which have been omitted as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about us and our Class A common stock, we refer you to the registration statement and to its exhibits. Statements in this prospectus about the contents of any contract, agreement or other document are not necessarily complete and, in each instance, we refer you to the copy of such contract, agreement or document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, with each such statement being qualified in all respects by reference to the document to
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which it refers. Anyone may inspect the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules without charge at the public reference facilities the SEC maintains at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain copies of all or any part of these materials from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC. You may obtain further information about the operation of the SECs Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You may also inspect these reports and other information without charge at a website maintained by the SEC. The address of this site is http://www.sec.gov.
We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act, and we are required to file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may inspect and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at the address noted above. You also are able to obtain copies of this material from the Public Reference Room of the SEC as described above, or inspect them without charge at the SECs website. Our filings with the SEC are also available to the public through the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005. We make available free of charge on the Investor Relations section of our website (http://ir.evercore.com) our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed or furnished with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. We intend to make available to our stockholders annual reports containing consolidated financial statements audited by an independent registered public accounting firm.
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