plainsite - wordpress.com › 2019 › 10 › tesla... · 2019-11-01 · confidential page 2 1...
TRANSCRIPT
PlainSite
Legal Document
®
A joint project of Think Computer Corporation and Think Computer Foundation.Cover art © 2015 Think Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.Learn more at http://www.plainsite.org.
Delaware Court of ChanceryCase No. 12711-VCSIn Re Tesla Motors, Inc. Stockholder Litigation
Document 328, Attachment 1
View Document
View Docket
EXHIBIT 2
.
CONFIDENTIAL
1 IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF2 DELAWARE3 ----------------------------)4 IN RE TESLA MOTORS, INC., )Consolidated5 STOCKHOLDER LITIGATION )C.A. No. 12711-VCS6 ----------------------------)78910 CONFIDENTIAL1112 The confidential videotaped13 deposition of GREGORY BILICIC, taken in the14 above-entitled cause, before ANDREA L. KIM, a15 Certified Shorthand Reporter of said state, at16 300 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois, on17 the 30th day of May, A.D. 2019, at 8:14 a.m.1819202122232425
Page 1
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 2
1 PRESENT:23 PRICKETT, JONES & ELLIOTT,4 (1310 King Street,5 Wilmington, Delaware 198016 302-888-6542), by:7 MR. SAMUEL CLOSIC,8 [email protected],9 MR. KEVIN H. DAVENPORT,
10 [email protected],11 appeared on behalf of the Plaintiffs;1213 CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE LLP,14 (825 Eighth Avenue,15 New York, New York 10019-747516 212-474-1906), by:17 MS. CLAIRE BOTNICK,18 [email protected],19 appeared on behalf of the Director20 Defendants;2122232425
Page 3
1 PRESENT: (Continued)23 KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP,4 (601 Lexington Avenue,5 New York, New York 100226 212-446-4802), by:7 MR. YOSEF J. RIEMER, P.C.,8 [email protected],9 MS. VERA C. ESSES,
10 [email protected],11 appeared on behalf of Lazard Freres &12 Co., LLC, and the witness.1314 VIDEOTAPED BY:15 MS. BARBARA PATEL.1617 REPORTED BY: ANDREA L. KIM, C.S.R.18 CERTIFICATE NO. 84-3722.19202122232425
Page 4
1 I N D E X23 WITNESS: PAGE:4 GREGORY BILICIC5 EXAM by MR. CLOSIC................. 96 EXAM by MR. RIEMER................. 7978 *****9 I N D E X
10 EXHIBIT NUMBER MARKED11 Exhibit No. 1 Document bearing Bates Number 1212 LAZ_TES00000060 through LAZ_TES00000071......13 Exhibit No. 2 Document bearing Bates Number 1514 LAZ_TES00057666..............................15 Exhibit No. 3 Document bearing Bates Number 1716 LAZ_TES00047962 through LAZ_TES00047963 .....17 Exhibit No. 4 Document bearing Bates Number 1918 LAZ_TES00045396 through LAZ_TES00045397 .....19 Exhibit No. 5 Document bearing Bates Number 2020 LAZ_TES00087048 through LAZ_TES00087053 .....21 Exhibit No. 6 Document bearing Bates Number 2322 TESLA00001855 through TESLA00001857 .........23 Exhibit No. 7 Document bearing Bates Number 2624 TESLA00001858 through TESLA00001861 .........25
Page 5
1 I N D E X
2 EXHIBIT NUMBER MARKED
3 Exhibit No. 8 Document bearing Bates Number 31
4 LAZ_TES00087106 through LAZ_TES00087120 .....
5 Exhibit No. 9 Document bearing Bates Number 33
6 LAZ_TES00086512 .............................
7 Exhibit No. 10 Document bearing Bates 36
8 Number LAZ_TES00085033 through
9 LAZ_TES00085040 .............................
10 Exhibit No. 11 Document bearing Bates 39
11 Number TESLA00001878 through TESLA00001879 ..
12 Exhibit No. 12 Document bearing Bates 41
13 Number TESLA00001882 through TESLA00001885 ..
14 Exhibit No. 13 Document bearing Bates 43
15 Number TESLA00001886 through TESLA00001887 ..
16 Exhibit No. 14 Document bearing Bates 47
17 Number TESLA00001888 through TESLA00001890 ..
18 Exhibit No. 15 Document bearing Bates 49
19 Number TESLA00001897 through TESLA00001899 ..
20 Exhibit No. 16 Document bearing Bates 53
21 Number LAZ_TES00086460 ......................
22 Exhibit No. 17 Document bearing Bates 60
23 Number LAZ_TES00067124 through
24 LAZ_TES00067240..............................
25
2 (Pages 2 - 5)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 6
1 I N D E X2 EXHIBIT NUMBER MARKED3 Exhibit No. 18 Document bearing Bates 674 Number LAZ_TES00087062 through5 LAZ_TES00087068 .............................6 Exhibit No. 19 Document bearing no Bates 757 Number.......................................89
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 7
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 8
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 9
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
3 (Pages 6 - 9)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 10
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 11
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 12
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 13
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
4 (Pages 10 - 13)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 14
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 15
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 16
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 17
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
5 (Pages 14 - 17)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 18
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 19
1 again this is speculation, but it might have2 been Wachtell also because Wachtell was3 representing Tesla, and my recollection is that4 is one of the ways that they came to contact us5 was as a result of Wachtell.6 MR. CLOSIC: This will be 4.7 (WHEREUPON, a certain document8 was marked Bilicic Deposition9 Exhibit No. 4, for
10 identification, as of 5/30/19.)11 BY MR. CLOSIC:12 Q. Mr. Bilicic, we have placed in13 front of you Exhibit 4 which is Bates stamped14 LAZ_TES 45396.15 A. Okay.16 Q. So on June 25th, 2016 you17 reported to the Lazard team that SolarCity had18 hired Lazard as a financial advisor in19 connection with Tesla's proposal to acquire20 SolarCity, correct?21 A. Correct.22 Q. And in discussing this with23 your team, you said -- and this is in the --24 almost at the top of the email: "This is a25 much better place for us to be. We do not want
Page 20
1 to be on the other side here."2 And that's a reference to3 advising SolarCity instead of Tesla, correct?4 A. That's correct.5 Q. And you continue to tell your6 team: "The advice that Evercore gave to the7 other side was embarrassing."8 That refers to advice that9 Evercore gave to Tesla, correct?
10 A. Correct.11 Q. What was that advice?12 A. It's the advice to pursue the13 acquisition of SolarCity.14 Q. Why was -- what was15 embarrassing about that advice?16 A. I thought it was not great17 advice because of my judgment that the18 industrial logic of combining a car company19 with a solar manufacturing company and solar20 company didn't make sense.21 (WHEREUPON, a certain document22 was marked Bilicic Deposition23 Exhibit No. 5, for24 identification, as of 5/30/19.)25
Page 21
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
6 (Pages 18 - 21)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 22
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 23
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 24
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 25
1 points that was made by the management was that2 the introduction of the Tesla proposal3 precluded their access to the capital markets4 because of the presence of material on public5 information, but I would read this to mean, you6 know, a negative consequence -- the way it's7 written that it would have a negative8 consequence on liquidity, but I can make the9 argument that it would also have freed the
10 company to figure out a rationale to -- or11 figure out a way to go access the capital12 markets in a way they couldn't because of the13 pendency of the transaction, and that was14 flowing through the considerations.15 I would say I de-emphasized16 that as a real factor related to the liquidity17 of the company though. I think the company had18 a liquidity problem that had almost nothing to19 do with the presence of the Tesla proposal. Do20 you follow what --21 Q. I do. I do. We may get into22 the specifics of that and have you explain it23 more.24 A. When I asked did you follow,25 did you understand it was more was I making any
7 (Pages 22 - 25)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 26
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 27
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 28
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 29
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
8 (Pages 26 - 29)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 30
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 31
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 32
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 33
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
9 (Pages 30 - 33)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 34
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 35
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 36
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 37
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
10 (Pages 34 - 37)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 38
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 39
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 40
1 meetings -- meeting minutes from the July 20,2 2016 special committee meeting, correct?3 A. Yes.4 Q. And at that meeting Lazard5 advised the committee that it would be6 challenging to complete a PIPE transaction on7 terms that would be acceptable to the company,8 right?9 A. That's correct, and the way
10 the minutes are written I would say at this11 point not only that acceptable, but maybe not12 even actionable.13 Q. What do you mean by14 non-actionable?15 A. Right, the money wasn't there.16 You know, the feedback from the market when we17 talked to people is that they didn't think this18 business was financeable.19 Q. Back to those conversations20 you were just discussing, were you given any21 reasons as to why the SolarCity business was22 not financeable?23 A. People were worried about --24 the language used by some of the people25 approached concerns about solvency, viability,
Page 41
1 and liquidity of the company and financing into2 a business that was not going to be viable for3 the long term.4 Q. When you say solvency, are you5 referring to a bankruptcy risk?6 A. I am referring to it in more7 of a layman's sense, not a technical legal8 sense, but embedded in that would be a concern9 about viability.
10 (WHEREUPON, a certain document11 was marked Bilicic Deposition12 Exhibit No. 12, for13 identification, as of 5/30/19.)14 BY MR. CLOSIC:15 Q. Mr. Bilicic, this is Exhibit16 12 for us today. It's TESLA 1882. The17 paragraph I am going to ask you about -- of18 course, take your time to read the document --19 is in this Lazard Update that starts on page 1.20 A. Okay.21 Q. Okay. I want to ask you about22 a sentence that's on page 2. It's about23 halfway through that first big paragraph. It24 starts on the left-hand side "Mr. Bilicic noted25 his view."
11 (Pages 38 - 41)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 42
1 A. Yep.2 Q. "Mr. Bilicic noted his view3 that in his judgment the Company's current4 liquidity situation was such that it warranted5 prompt action in the Company's current6 circumstances."7 What was the situation at the8 company that --9 A. So the company had a liquidity
10 problem based on our analysis which had a risk11 of producing a covenant problem, but more12 generally had the risk of damaging the overall13 business, and the other concern we had here was14 that the overall atmosphere of the company was15 such that -- and, you know, the quality of the16 data, the quality of the thinking was such that17 we were concerned about the company on a18 stand-alone basis going forward.19 Q. What do you mean by quality of20 the data?21 A. Just the -- when we started22 working on this assignment, one of the first23 things we asked for was what's the cash24 position of the company, what's the liquidity25 position of the company, give us a liquidity
Page 43
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 44
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 45
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
12 (Pages 42 - 45)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 46
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 47
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 48
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 49
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
13 (Pages 46 - 49)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 50
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 51
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 52
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 53
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
14 (Pages 50 - 53)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 54
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 55
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 56
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 57
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
15 (Pages 54 - 57)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 58
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 59
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 60
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 61
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
16 (Pages 58 - 61)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 62
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 63
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 64
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 65
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
17 (Pages 62 - 65)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 66
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 67
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 68
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 69
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
18 (Pages 66 - 69)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 70
1 June 20 was a little bit under $22. So I am2 assuming that's correct.3 Q. If SolarCity announced that4 Tesla would not buy the company, the megawatt5 guidance was going to be reduced, and SolarCity6 had to sell stock to avoid breaching its7 liquidity covenant in the revolver, was Lazard8 expected the stock would trade below $22 which9 is why these lower base case figures were used,
10 correct?11 MR. RIEMER: Objection, form.12 BY THE WITNESS:13 A. We thought that -- we didn't14 know where it was going to trade. I don't know15 where the stock was trading when we did this16 presentation. It is somewhere in these17 materials or some other materials. We would18 have expected that a mix of the withdrawal of19 the Tesla offer, having to disclose the20 liquidity challenges of the company, the market21 being aware that we were having challenges22 accessing the capital markets, the discussion23 about degradation of megawatt guidance, all of24 that would contribute to a negative bias in the25 stock, so downward pressure, and that be
Page 71
1 exacerbated by having to go out and sell equity2 in the middle of that. So we were concerned3 about all of that.4 BY MR. CLOSIC:5 Q. And that's why this analysis6 uses prices between $15 and $22 per share,7 right?8 MR. RIEMER: Objection to form.9 BY THE WITNESS:
10 A. It was we were trying to do a11 realistic presentation of where the stock would12 trade. We just didn't know where it was going13 to trade, and so that's the answer.14 BY MR. CLOSIC:15 Q. So page 2 of the presentation16 there's a box that says Revised Investment17 Thesis, and then it's connected to eight other18 boxes, and those are the steps that Lazard was19 recommending SolarCity take if it was going to20 do a stand-alone equity offering, correct?21 A. Not quite. I mean, what we22 were doing here was focusing on an illustrative23 stand-alone investment thesis for the company24 that would give the marketplace confidence25 about viability and long-term economic
Page 72
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 73
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
19 (Pages 70 - 73)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 74
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 75
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 76
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 77
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
20 (Pages 74 - 77)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 78
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 79
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 80
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 81
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
21 (Pages 78 - 81)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 82
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 83
123456789
10111213141516171819202122232425
Page 84
123456789
101112131415161718192021
22
2324
25
22 (Pages 82 - 84)
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 1
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 2
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 3
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 4
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 5
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 6
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 7
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 8
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 9
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 10
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 11
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 12
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 13
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 14
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 15
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 16
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 17
Veritext Legal Solutions212-267-6868 www.veritext.com 516-608-2400
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
DELAWARE RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
Part V. Depositions and Discovery
Title V, Rule 30
(e) Submission to witness; changes; signing. When
the testimony is fully transcribed, the deposition
shall be submitted to the witness for examination
and shall be read to the witness, unless such
examination and reading are waived by the witness
and by the parties. Any changes in form or
substance which the witness desires to make shall
be entered upon the deposition by the officer with
a statement of the reasons given by the witness for
making them. The deposition shall then be signed by
the witness, unless the parties by stipulation
waive the signing or the witness is ill or cannot
be found or refuses to sign. If the deposition is
not signed by the witness within 30 days after the
date when the reporter notifies the witness and
counsel by mail of the availability for examination
by the witness, the officer shall sign it and state
on the record the fact of the waiver or of the
illness or absence of the witness or the fact of
the refusal to sign together with the reason, if
any, given therefor; and the deposition may then be
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
used as fully as though signed, unless on a motion
to suppress under Rule 32(d) the Court holds that
the reasons given for the refusal to sign require
rejection of the deposition in whole or in part.
DISCLAIMER: THE FOREGOING CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES
ARE PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
THE ABOVE RULES ARE CURRENT AS OF APRIL 1,
2019. PLEASE REFER TO THE APPLICABLE STATE RULES
OF CIVIL PROCEDURE FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.
VERITEXT LEGAL SOLUTIONS
COMPANY CERTIFICATE AND DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
Veritext Legal Solutions represents that the
foregoing transcript is a true, correct and complete
transcript of the colloquies, questions and answers
as submitted by the court reporter. Veritext Legal
Solutions further represents that the attached
exhibits, if any, are true, correct and complete
documents as submitted by the court reporter and/or
attorneys in relation to this deposition and that
the documents were processed in accordance with
our litigation support and production standards.
Veritext Legal Solutions is committed to maintaining
the confidentiality of client and witness information,
in accordance with the regulations promulgated under
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA), as amended with respect to protected
health information and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as
amended, with respect to Personally Identifiable
Information (PII). Physical transcripts and exhibits
are managed under strict facility and personnel access
controls. Electronic files of documents are stored
in encrypted form and are transmitted in an encrypted
fashion to authenticated parties who are permitted to
access the material. Our data is hosted in a Tier 4
SSAE 16 certified facility.
Veritext Legal Solutions complies with all federal and
State regulations with respect to the provision of
court reporting services, and maintains its neutrality
and independence regardless of relationship or the
financial outcome of any litigation. Veritext requires
adherence to the foregoing professional and ethical
standards from all of its subcontractors in their
independent contractor agreements.
Inquiries about Veritext Legal Solutions'
confidentiality and security policies and practices
should be directed to Veritext's Client Services
Associates indicated on the cover of this document or
at www.veritext.com.