Attachment ex parte

ex parte

Ex PARTE PRESENTATION NOTIFICATION LETTER submitted by Inmarsat

ex parte

2004-06-21

This document pretains to SAT-MSC-20040210-00027 for Miscellaneous on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATMSC2004021000027_382134

                                                               Washington, O.C. 20004-1304
                                                               Tel: (202) 637-2200 Fax: (202) 637-2201
                                                               wwW.Iw.com

                                                               FIRM I AFFILIATE OFFICES
                                                               Boston
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                                                               Hamburg          Paris
June 3,2004                                                    Hong Kong        San Diego
                                                               London           San Francisco
                                                               Los Angeles      Silicon Valley
                                             -.                Milan            Singapore
Marlene H. Dortch                                              Moscow           Tokyo
Secretary                                                                       Washmgton,&ejj&          3
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554


       Re:       Notice of Ex Parte Presentation                                   ‘I 2 x 4
                                                                                        t G

                 File No. SAT-MSC-200402 10-00027
                                                                                              ,ji
                                                                           , ,,    1          !I,


        Yesterday, Alan Auckenthaler, General Counsel of Inmarsat Ventures Limited
(“Inmarsat”), and John Janka and Alex Hoehn-Saric of Latham & Watkins met with Neil Dellar,
Dan Harrold, and David Horowitz of the Office of General Counsel and Stephen Duall, Karl
Kensinger, and Cassandra Thomas of the International Bureau. The enclosed presentation, chart
describing the structure of the Inmarsat transaction, and Inmarsat’s positions of record formed
the basis for the discussion. In addition, Inmarsat discussed the Scheme qfArvungement recently
submitted into the record, the obligations under U.K. takeover laws regarding Inmarsat’s
consideration of the transaction, and the timing of various aspects of the transaction. Finally,
Inmarsat explained that the Commission has the flexibility to interpret the requirements of
Section 62 1( 5 ) of the ORBIT Act based both on the statutory provision allowing Inmarsat to be
either a “national corporation or similar accepted commercial structure” and the discretion
granted to the Commission under the “consistent with” standard in the Act.

       If you have any questions, please contact me.


                                            Sincerely yours,




Enclosures (2)

cc:    Neil Dellar
       Stephen Duall
       Dan Harrold
                                                                             -------------


          Marlene H. Dortch
      '   June 3,2004
          Page 2

L AT H A M& W AT K I N S LLP

                    David Horowitz
                    Karl Kensinger
                    Cassandra Thomas


                                                                                      June 2,2004
I




                           Inmarsat Has Complied witb tbe ORBIT Act
    *:*   U.S.Interests Are at Stake
          >   U.S. Investment
              0   Lockheed (through Comsat) owns approximately 14% of Inmarsat
              0   U.S. investors account for over 40% of the capital in the Apax Partners and
                  Pennira funds that control Inmarsat
          P U.S. Services
              0   U.S. industry relies on Inmarsat as a competitive MSS alternative
              0   Federal, state and local government users need continued access to current and
                  next-generation Inmarsat spacecraft
                      Current federal government users include the Department of Defense, U.S.
                      Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and law enforcement
                      agencies
                      The Department of Defense has indicated its interest in and intent to use
                      Inmarsat’s next-generation BGAN service
                  Next-generation Inmarsat spacecraft will offer a new class of mobile
                  broadband services to consumers in underserved parts of the U.S.
      *3 Inmarsat’s Initial Public Offering and Simatory Ownership Dilution
          P Prior to the fall of 2003, Inmarsat had prepared five times for a public equity
              offering, incumng expenses of over $1 0 million
              0   Each time, weak financial markets foiled Inmarsat’s efforts
          >   In late 2003, Inmarsat faced:
              0   a continued weak equity market with no sure prospect for improvement
              0   former Signatories seeking to divest their ownership interests
              0   a takeover proposal it was obligated to consider under the UK Takeover Code
          >   The Board determined that the proposal made by Apax Partners and Permira was
              in the best interests of the company and its owners
              0   former Signatory ownership would be diluted by more than 50%
              0   positive control and majority ownership interests would be acquired by h n d s
                  controlled by new, non-Signatory entities
              0   management would obtain a vested interest in the company through its own
                  ownership interest
              0   Inmarsat would become a public company, subject to national securities
                  regulation through the issuance of publicly traded debt securities
          9 The takeover was structured as a leveraged buy out, reliant on money to be raised
              through the issuance of public debt securities

      File No. SAT-MSC-20040210-00027                                      Inmarsat Ventures Limited


                                                                                   June 2,2004


         0   the takeover and resulting dilution would not have occurred but for the
             subsequently planned initial public offering of debt
         0   "Series A" debt securities were sold and listed for trading on the Luxembourg
             Stock Exchange
         0   after completion of a forthcoming SEC registration, the Series A securities
             will be exchanged for "Series B" securities, which will be freely and publicly
             tradeable in the U.S.
*:   lnmarsat Has Satisfied the Purposes of ORBIT Act
     >   Through an initial public offering, lnmarsat has substantially diluted the aggregate
         ownership interests of former Signatories
         0   As a result of its initial public offering, 57% of the ownership of Inmarsat

             .
             resides with non-Signatory, non-governmental entities
                 This is over two times the level of dilution recognized as "substantial" in

             .   the New Skies decision
                 70 of 85 former Signatories have fully redeemed their ownership interest
                 in the company


             .   3 former Signatories hold a residual interest of only one share
             m




             .   Foreign government ownership has been substantially reduced
                 Only 12 of 85 former Signatories hold an interest similar to what they held
                 before
         0   lnmarsat has financed this dilution through an initial public offering
             9   lnmarsat has listed its Series A debt securities on the Luxembourg Stock

             .   Exchange, where they are freely and publicly tradeable
                 The expert U.S. agency on securities matters recognizes lnmarsat's
                 forthcoming A/B exchange as an "initial public offering" in the U.S.
                 +   The Ah3 exchange of debt securities to be registered at the SEC is an
                     Exxon Capital transaction that the SEC deems an initial public offering
                     After the A03 exchange, the "Series B" securities will be fi-eely and
                     publicly tradeable in the U.S.
         0   The initial public offering of debt and the buyout of the equity ownership
             interests of the former Signatories are part of the same transaction and cannot
             be examined independently
     >   lnmarsat has securities listed for trading on a major stock exchange with
         transparent and effective securities regulation
         0   The listing of debt securities on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange has
             subjected Inmarsat to the transparent and effective security regulations of both
             that exchange and the European Union

                                               2

File No. SAT-MSC-20040210-00027                                        lnmarsat Ventures Limited


.
                                                                                            June 2,2004


                     lnmarsat-smm will subject to regulation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange
                     Commission as well
    *:*     lnmarsat Has Complied with the Initial Public Offeriw Requirement of the
            ORBIT Act
            P The plain language of the Act provides for apublic offering of securities, which
                 allows an offering of either debt or equity securities
                 0   This general language amends the Satellite Act of 1962 (the predecessor of the
                     ORBIT Act), where Congress specifically required Comsat to issue voting
                     stock to the American public
            P As an initial step to funding the buyout of Signatories, Inmarsat issued debt
              securities that are listed for public trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange
            P Next, lnmarsat is effectuating an Exxon Capital AA3 exchange of debt securities
              in a U.S. “initial public offering” as recognized by the U.S. Securities and
                 Exchange Commission
     *:*     Inmarsat’s Listing of Debt Securities Is “Consistent With” the ORBIT Act
             P Inmarsat is subject to the transparent and effective securities regulations of
               Luxembourg and the EU, as a result of the listing of its debt securities for public
                 trading in Europe
             >   lnmarsat will be subject to U.S. federal securities regulations at the conclusion of
                 the A/l3 exchange public offering
             P The ORBIT Act provides the Commission with flexibility to find Inmarsat’s
               listing of debt “consistent with” the Act
                 0   Congress granted the Commission this discretion so that the purpose of the
                     Act would not be frustrated by an overly technical application of the statute
                          The goal of the Act is to promote a fully competitive global market for
                          satellite communications services by fully privatizing Inmarsat
                          The Administration and two key Senators have recognized that Inmarsat
                          has satisfied the purpose of the ORBIT Act
                     Exercise of this discretion is warranted here
                      u   The overarching goal of the ORBIT Act has been met
                      u   No stated purpose of the Act would be advanced by requiring a separate
                          listing of some type of Inmarsat equity securities
                              The level of U.S. federal securities regulation or securities regulation
                              in Luxembourg or the EU would not be any more effective
                              No greater dilution would occur
                              Control over the company would not change
                              No increase in competition in the satellite communications services
                              market would result
                                                       3

          File No. SAT-MSC-200402 10-00027                                       lnmarsat Ventures Limited


                                                                                            June 2,2004

            Sources and Uses of Capital from Inmarsat Acquisition and Recapitalization




                                                                                           Existing debt securities
Acquisition of                                                                             to be exchanged for
former Inmarsat                                                 lnmarsat Group             substantially identical
share capital                                                                              notes afkr closing of
from all                                                       Holdings Limited            SEC-registered A/B
shareholders                                                                               exchange off-
$1,505 million
                                                                        I




Certain intercompany transfers/allocations, subsidiaries and use of cash to
cover transaction costs not depicted for clarity of presentation.




debt securities beyond that needed to repay bridge loan were used to repay
$95M of the shareholder funding loan, and retire 595M of subordinated




   File No. SAT-MSC-200402 10-00027                                               Inmarsat Ventures Limited



Document Created: 2004-06-21 16:36:33
Document Modified: 2004-06-21 16:36:33

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