Japanese company planning poison pill wins key court victory

The Tokyo District Court rejected a request for an interim injunction from Asia Development Capital (ADC), saying the investment firm's purchases of shares in Japan's biggest manufacturer of printing presses for newspapers could be seen as potentially coercive.

It noted that ADC had quickly built up its 40% stake despite warnings from Tokyo Kikai and has not presented the company with a new management plan.

The court also said that actions taken to exclude ADC from a vote by Tokyo Kikai shareholders on whether to adopt the poison pill were "not unreasonable", as the vote was designed to allow other shareholders to judge whether the acquisition would hurt their interests or not.

ADC, a Tokyo-listed firm led by Malaysian businessman Anselm Wong, lambasted the ruling, saying it will immediately appeal to the Tokyo High Court.

The ruling "does harm to the transparency of the Japanese securities market, undermines the capital markets' principle of one share, one vote and damages trust in our legal system," ADC said in a statement.

Tokyo Kikai said in a statement that the poison pill was legal and appropriate.

The battle highlights both a rise in hostile takeovers in Japan over the past few years as well as what experts have called failings in the country's takeover rules, noting they leave small cap firms particularly vulnerable to aggressive stake-building from unwelcome investors.

ADC built up most of its 40% stake in a matter of weeks earlier this year. A holding of more than 33% in Japan gives the stakeholder veto rights over important board decisions and sometimes de facto control.

Tokyo Kikai is seeking to issue new shares to dilute that stake and at an extraordinary general meeting last week where ADC was prevented from voting, Tokyo Kikai shareholders voted in favour of the poison pill.