Shareholder Westland Police & Fire Retirement System brought an action under Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporate Law to review the books and records of Axcelis Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of ion implantation and semi-conductor equipment. In 2008, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (SHI) made an unsolicited proposal to acquire Axcelis for $5.20 per share, later increasing the offer to $6.00 per share. The Axcelis board rejected both offers as inadequate, but agreed to meet with SHI to explore whether the parties could reach an agreement on a transaction. After the parties executed a confidentiality agreement and conducted diligence, SHI requested additional time to consider a further acquisition proposal. Axcelis rejected this request and SHI then put all discussions “on hold.” Axcelis’ share price declined significantly following the “on hold” development.
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