Arcus ASA: Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting

NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD VIOLATE APPLICABLE LAWS OR RULES OR WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS TO BE COMPLETED OR REGISTERED OR REQUIRE ANY MEASURE TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER FINNISH LAW. SEE “IMPORTANT INFORMATION” BELOW.

Reference is made to the announcement by Arcus ASA (the "Company") on 29 September 2020 regarding the proposed merger with Altia Plc (the "Merger") and the merger plan attached thereto (the "Merger Plan"). An extraordinary general meeting for consideration of the Merger will be held on 12 November 2020 at 13:00 hours (CET) at the Company's offices at Destilleriveien 11, Hagan.

Attached are the notice for the extraordinary general meeting (the "EGM"), the report on the Merger from the Board of Directors and the independent expert statement regarding the Merger Plan. These documents are also available at the Company's website, https://www.arcus.no/investor/arcus-altia-merger, together with the Merger Plan published on 29 September 2020.

Internal reorganisation

It is proposed that the EGM also considers the internal reorganisation of the Arcus group as announced on 29 September 2020 (the "Reorganisation"). Attached are the demerger plan and tripartite merger plan with appendices to be considered by the EGM as further described in the attached notice. These documents are also made available at the Company's website, www.arcus.no/investor.   

For questions, please contact Per Bjørkum, Group Director Communications and IR.

Mobile.: +47 92255777, email: per.bjorkum@arcus.no

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The securities referred to in this release have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or the securities laws of any state of the United States (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States absent registration, except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and in compliance with any applicable state and other securities laws of the United States. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the shares in the United States. Any offer or sale of new Altia shares made in the United States in connection with the merger may be made pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act provided by Rule 802 thereunder.

Altia is a Finnish company and Arcus is a Norwegian company. The transaction, including the information distributed in connection with the merger and the related shareholder votes, is subject to disclosure, timing and procedural requirements of a non-U.S. country, which are different from those of the United States. The financial information included or referred to in this release has been prepared in accordance with IFRS, which may not be comparable to the accounting standards, financial statements or financial information of U.S. companies or applicable in the United States.

It may be difficult for U.S. shareholders of Arcus to enforce their rights and any claim they may have arising under U.S. federal or state securities laws, since Altia and Arcus are not located in the United States, and all or some of their officers and directors are residents of non-U.S. jurisdictions. It may be difficult to compel a foreign company and its affiliates to subject themselves to a U.S. court’s judgment. U.S. shareholders of Arcus may not be able to sue Altia or Arcus or their respective officers and directors in a non-U.S. court for violations of U.S. laws, including federal securities laws, or at the least it may prove to be difficult to evidence such claims. Further, it may be difficult to compel Altia or Arcus and their affiliates to subject themselves to the jurisdiction of a U.S. court. In addition, there is substantial doubt as to the enforceability in a foreign country in original actions, or in actions for the enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts, based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws.