An integrated nickel-mining public company (“Falconbridge”), entered into merger agreements with a more junior public company (“Diamond Fields”) which, through a 75%-owned subsidiary, held a valuable deposit at Voisey’s Bay in Newfoundland. The merger agreements provided for the immediate payment by Diamond Fields of a “Commitment Fee” of $28.2 million, and for the payment of a break fee of $73.3 million (calculated to bring the total of the two fees (the “Fees”) to 2.5% of the transaction value) on the completion by Diamond Fields of any competing offer. This occurred – the offer of another public company (“Inco” – the 25% minority shareholder) was accepted by the Diamond Fields shareholders, thereby triggering the payment by Diamond Fields of the break fee.
The break fee did not qualify as proceeds of disposition of a Falconbridge right to merge, as she did not consider there to be such a right: Diamond Fields could not promise the acceptance by its shareholders of the Falconbridge offer nor could it fetter the fiduciary obligations of its board – there was no capital gain.