Judge BLOCKS MESA from replacing Board

[General Lee]

Reuters
Judge blocks Mesa Air consent solicitation effort
Thursday December 18, 7:45 pm ET


NEW YORK, Dec 18 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction blocking Mesa Air Group Inc.'s (NasdaqNM:MESA - News) effort to replace Atlantic Coast Airlines' (NasdaqNM:ACAI - News) board as part of its unsolicited takeover attempt of the regional airline.
The injunction was handed down by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer, who determined Atlantic Air had raised enough antitrust concerns pertaining to Mesa's $495 million takeover bid that its lawsuit against the Phoenix-based airline should be allowed to continue, court documents showed.

Mesa Air filed a consent solicitation earlier this month seeking shareholder support to replace Atlantic Coast's board with its own nominees.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Patriot328]

HEY JOHNNY FLOORSTAIN

F
U
C
K
Y
O
U



sorry I just had to get that out... good to hear we have a stay of execution for a while.

 

[Rottweiller]

WAY TO GO!!

Hey JO don't you get it? No one wants anything to do with you so take youself and your bottom feeders back to PHX and stay there!

 

[Cappy]

I was trying to think of a professional and thoughtful way to tell the readers that I did not like JO nor his plan.

Looks like Patriot328 says it best. Please refer to him in the future for my feelings on the whole Mesa matter.

Thank You

Mike

 

[328dude]

Patriot: ROFLMAO


Congrats to all you ACA boys and girls. Glad someone else is starting to see the light.

A small victory in regards to what lies ahead, but nontheless, an important one.

Congrats again.

 

[Rottweiller]

UPDATE

UPDATE 1-Judge blocks Mesa Air consent solicitation effort
Thu December 18, 2003 08:18 PM ET

NEW YORK, Dec 18 (Reuters) - A U.S. District Court judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction blocking Mesa Air Group Inc.'s (MESA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) effort to replace Atlantic Coast Airlines' (ACAI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) board as part of its unsolicited takeover attempt of the regional airline.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Coast said the U.S. Justice Department has opened an antitrust probe into Mesa's $495 million takeover offer, joining a similar probe by District of Columbia antitrust officials.

A Mesa spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment.

But the two events represent a setback in the attempt by Phoenix-based Mesa to acquire Atlantic Coast, of Dulles, Virginia, and form a more powerful regional airline.

The injunction was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer, who determined Atlantic Air had raised enough antitrust concerns pertaining to Mesa's takeover bid that its lawsuit against Mesa should be allowed to continue, court documents showed.

Collyer, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said a deal struck last month between Mesa and UAL Corp.(UALAQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) , the parent company of United Airlines, was of particular concern.

Specifically, Collyer said the deal, which would permit Mesa to provide regional service for United Airlines should it acquire Atlantic Coast, might violate the Sherman Act because it potentially restrains Atlantic Air's ability to launch a low-cost competitor to United.

Earlier this month, Mesa Air filed a consent solicitation seeking shareholder support to replace Atlantic Coast's board with its own nominees.

Mesa Air Chairman and Chief Executive Jonathan Ornstein said on Thursday, speaking at the Wings Club before the decision was handed down, that should his airline lose its motion to dismiss the preliminary injunction request, it would have to evaluate whether to appeal or not.

The airline has promised to launch a hostile tender offer to acquire Atlantic Coast, but to date has not done so.

Mesa has offered to acquire Atlantic Coast for 0.9 of a share of its stock, valuing the airline at $10.91, based on closing prices on Thursday. Atlantic Coast has repeatedly rebuffed that offer.

On Thursday, Atlantic Coast's stock closed at $10.45, up 5 cents on Nasdaq. Mesa's stock ended at $12.12, up 16 cents, on Nasdaq.

 

[Beechnut]

RIGHT ON! F You MESA PUKES!!

S.

 

[inthepool]

WAY TO GO ACA! Tell Johnny O this is an emergency, he f*cked with the wrong people, and he should grab his ankles and kiss his a$$ goodbye!

 

[js31pilot]

I KNOW this can't be his endgame. He is a ......well I don't have to list all the adjectives........just look above and do a search. But one thing he is not though is stupid....he is the kind of guy who says look at this hand while he is stealing your grandmothers pocketbook with the other.........


There has GOT to be somthing else going on here......


BTW.......GOOD JOB ACA....keep it up

 

[treetopflyer]

yes, maybe his grandmother.

but he tried that trick on kerry skeen, my friend and ended up with a pistol stuck in his belly and some instructions to back the f-up.

later JO you pri-k

 

[FinalApproach]

AW&ST (12/15/03) article stated..

that on December 20 the federal court should decide whether to issue the injunction against further takeover attempts...

Those in favor of the injunction include the District of Columbia-Virgina Office of the Corporation Counsel, the district's antitrust enforcement office. In an amicus ("friend of the court) brief filed on Dec. 8, the office declared its support of the injunction. It cited that ACA's allegations, "raise serious questions into the lawfulness of Mesa's conduct and potential anticompetitive harm," and that the injunction would provide the district a reasonable period of time for its antitrust investigation into Mesa's alleged activity.


Great job ACA...the meglomaniac that JO is will certainly be getting the attention he craves alright...but this time he will be held accountable for his actions...in a court of law...its just a matter of time.

 

[inthepool]

Does anyone suppose it's possible for the upcoming lawsuit to uncover enough dirt on JO to bury him for the long term, or am I just wishfully thinking?

 

[belchfire]

Given the astronomical volume
of fecal matter in j lows background
I doubt that there is a hole large enough
to bury it and his ego in because the
Grand Canyon is protected by federal law.

I hope that some other laws will be able
to protect ACA!!!

 

[KingAirKiddo]

Sweet!

I was having a fairly mediocre day until I read this news. Take that, Johnny!!!

 

[Rottweiller]

Hey where are all those MESA guys saying how wonderful they, MESA and JO are??

I DON'T HEAR YOU!!!

 

[Jetscream32]

I will tell you how wonderful the people at MESA are, Rottweiller. JO is a douche bag and so are most of his management cronies. 89% of all mesa employees will tell you that. The other 11 percent, well they are called Freedom. I am sick and tired of everyone jumping on the bash wagon regarding the employees of Mesa. Each and every employee at MESA is great. We are some of the hardest working in the business. We have to be, our work rules suck. I stand behind every single line pilot/mechanic/flight attendant/ramper/gate agent Mesa has. If you have a problem with the employees fine, that's your opinion and just like a$$holes you have yours but that doesn't mean everyone wants to hear it. I do believe it was our greedy unscrupulous management that went after ACA, NOT THE EMPLOYEES. I know it makes people feel better to get on here and rant and rave about how much they hate Mesa. The company, yes, but when you start on the employees then you start to lose any credibility because you obviously don't know too many of us. Sorry about flying off but I have had just about enough of that crap.

P.S
Good Luck ACA, GO INDEPENDENCE!!!!!! Hope you can escape the clutches of JO unlike us at CCair/Westair/Florida Gulf/etcl.

 

[Beechnut]

I stand behind every single line pilot/mechanic/flight attendant/ramper/gate agent Mesa has.

Wasn't it one of your hard working mechanics the screwed up the tail in the 1900 and killed 2 of your hard working pilots?

Sounds like someone I can really get behind!

S.

 

[erjman]

FU

Hey FU Beechnut. Those were contract mechanics for some hick operation in WV. Plus not cool to bash about an incident where people died. Hope your tail falls off too!!

 

[C425Driver]

Beechnut,

Tasteless, truly tasteless.

I'm assuming from the aircraft that you've flown that you work for ACA. ACA is not without incident - I know, I was working the night N304UE made it's final flight.

Those who live in glass houses.....

C425Driver

 

[PadFull'oTrim]

Yeah you MESA guys sure work hard. Probably because you guys are pu$$ies and cant negotiate a fair and decent contract and just sign anything thats written on a napkin that comes your way. Thanks again for lowering the bar even more.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

 

[KingAirKiddo]

Can't we all just get along?

 

[Beechnut]

I am not an ACA guy and I stand by my comment.

S.