Glass, Lewis & Co. Recommends SandRidge Energy Stockholders Replace a Majority of the Board

- Highlights Poor Financial Performance, Excessive Compensation and
Dismal Governance -
- Echoes ISS′s Recommendation that SandRidge Stockholders Vote the GREEN
Consent Card in Support of TPG-Axon′s Proposals -
- TPG-Axon Requests Stockholders Return Their GREEN
Consent Cards to Elect Its Full Slate of Nominees -
TPG-Axon, beneficial owner of seven percent of the outstanding shares of
SandRidge Energy, Inc. (NYSE: SD) (the 'Company?), today announced that
Glass, Lewis & Co. (Glass Lewis), a leading independent proxy voting and
corporate governance advisory firm, has recommended SandRidge
stockholders vote the GREEN consent
card in support of TPG-Axon′s proposals.
Specifically, Glass Lewis recommends SandRidge′s bylaws be amended to
destagger the Board, that six incumbent directors be removed, including
SandRidge Chief Executive Officer Tom Ward, and that independent
director nominees Stephen C. Beasley, Edward W. Moneypenny, Dinakar
Singh, Alan J. Weber, Dan A. Westbrook and Peter H. Rothschild be
elected to the Board. Glass Lewis also recommends stockholders NOT
VOTE the white consent card provided by SandRidge.
TPG-Axon recommends stockholders vote its full slate of independent
directors including Mr. Beasley, Mr. Moneypenny, Mr. Singh, Mr. Weber,
Mr. Westbrook, Mr. Rothschild and Fredric G. Reynolds. TPG-Axon requests
that stockholders return their signed and dated GREEN
consent cards promptly, to ensure that their consent cards are received
by SandRidge prior to March 15, 2013, the deadline for submitting
consents.
In its recommendation, Glass Lewis noted the following:
- 'We agree with TPG-Axon that independent shareholders would
strongly benefit from fresh, external perspectives and a substantial
overhaul of board level oversight.? - '?we find an equally dismal corporate governance landscape marred
by regressive practices, poorly-implemented compensation policies and
a general lack of substantive oversight.? - 'As a rule, we are reticent to recommend the removal of incumbent
board members, or in favor of dissident nominees, unless one of the
following two things has occurred: (i) there are serious problems at
the company and the newly proposed nominees have a clear and realistic
plan to solve these problems; or (ii) the current board has undertaken
an action clearly contrary to the interests of shareholders (or failed
to undertake an action clearly to the benefit of shareholders).? - 'We agree with the Dissident that there is sufficient cause to
doubt the board's assessment of certain related party transactions,
particularly those related to CEO Tom Ward?We believe it is entirely
reasonable for independent shareholders to question how the continued
involvement of a conflicted CEO could possibly benefit SandRidge over
any term??
In reaching its conclusion, Glass Lewis stated:
- 'Taken collectively, we find the foregoing issues strongly
indicative of a board sorely unprepared to create or protect
shareholder value, or, indeed, effectively oversee a CEO that has, by
virtually any meaningful standard, steered SandRidge toward peer-worst
performance since the Company's initial public offering. In lieu of
offering owners any value-additive rebuttal to these concerns, it
appears the board has opted to double down on its poor pattern of
practice by adopting a shareholder rights plan and clumsily wielding
the threat of violated debt covenants and potential executive
severance payments as a cudgel to maintain the status quo.?
'We are pleased that a second highly-respected, independent proxy
advisory firm has agreed with our view that SandRidge is in critical
need of change, and that the current Board must be removed for this
change to take place,? said TPG-Axon. 'We strongly believe the incumbent
directors′ lack of strategic oversight and financial discipline,
combined with their poor governance practices has caused the market to
lose faith in the Company, causing massive leakage of value for
stockholders. Because of this we believe it is imperative that
stockholders follow Glass Lewis and ISS′s, two of the largest proxy
advisory firms, recommendations and vote the GREEN
consent card in favor of our proposals to facilitate meaningful change.?
For information on TPG-Axon′s proposals and on the process for voting
shares in favor of those proposals, go to www.Shareholdersforsandridge.com.
About TPG-Axon Capital
TPG-Axon Capital is a leading global investment firm. Through offices in
New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, TPG-Axon invests across global
markets and asset classes.
TPG-AXON MANAGEMENT LP, TPG-AXON PARTNERS GP, L.P., TPG-AXON GP, LLC,
TPG-AXON PARTNERS, LP, TPG-AXON INTERNATIONAL, L.P., TPG-AXON
INTERNATIONAL GP, LLC, DINAKAR SINGH LLC AND DINAKAR SINGH
(COLLECTIVELY, 'TPG-AXON?) HAS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION (THE 'SEC?) A DEFINITIVE CONSENT STATEMENT AND ACCOMPANYING
CONSENT CARD TO BE USED TO SOLICIT WRITTEN CONSENTS FROM THE
STOCKHOLDERS OF SANDRIDGE ENERGY, INC. IN CONNECTION WITH TPG-AXON'S
INTENT TO TAKE CORPORATE ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT. ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF
SANDRIDGE ENERGY, INC. ARE ADVISED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE CONSENT
STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SOLICITATION OF WRITTEN
CONSENTS BY TPG-AXON, STEPHEN C. BEASLEY, EDWARD W. MONEYPENNY, FREDRIC
G. REYNOLDS, PETER H. ROTHSCHILD, ALAN J. WEBER AND DAN A. WESTBROOK
(COLLECTIVELY, THE 'PARTICIPANTS') FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS OF SANDRIDGE
ENERGY, INC. BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PARTICIPANTS. THE DEFINITIVE
CONSENT STATEMENT AND FORM OF WRITTEN CONSENT HAVE BEEN FURNISHED TO
SOME OR ALL OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF SANDRIDGE ENERGY, INC. AND ARE, ALONG
WITH OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEB
SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV.
IN ADDITION, TPG-AXON WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE DEFINITIVE CONSENT
STATEMENT AND ACCOMPANYING CONSENT CARD WITHOUT CHARGE UPON REQUEST.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS AND A DESCRIPTION OF THEIR DIRECT OR
INDIRECT INTERESTS BY SECURITY HOLDINGS IS CONTAINED IN THE DEFINITIVE
CONSENT STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14A FILED BY TPG-AXON WITH THE SEC ON
JANUARY 18, 2013. THIS DOCUMENT CAN BE OBTAINED FREE OF CHARGE FROM THE
SOURCES INDICATED ABOVE.
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
Dan Burch or Larry Dennedy, 212-929-5500
or
TPG-Axon:
Anton
Nicholas, 203-682-8245
Anton.Nicholas@icrinc.com
or
Phil
Denning, 203-682-8246
Phil.Denning@icrinc.com
or
Jason
Chudoba, 646-277-1249
Jason.Chudoba@icrinc.com