425
Filed by The Toronto-Dominion Bank
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Commerce Bancorp, Inc.
Commission File No.: 1-12069
This filing, which includes an email sent to TD Bank Financial Group employees on October 30,
2007, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995 and comparable safe harbour provisions of applicable Canadian legislation,
including, but not limited to, statements relating to anticipated financial and operating results,
the companies plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, cost savings and other statements,
including words such as anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, intend, will,
should, may, and other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs
and expectations of our management and involve a number of significant risks and uncertainties.
Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking
statements. The following factors, among others, could cause or contribute to such material
differences: the ability to obtain the approval of the transaction by Commerce Bancorp, Inc.
stockholders; the ability to realize the expected synergies resulting for the transaction in the
amounts or in the timeframe anticipated; the ability to integrate Commerce Bancorp, Inc.s
businesses into those of TD Bank Financial Group in a timely and cost-efficient manner; and the
ability to obtain governmental approvals of the transaction or to satisfy other conditions to the
transaction on the proposed terms and timeframe. Additional factors that could cause TD Bank
Financial Groups and Commerce Bancorp, Inc.s results to differ materially from those described in
the forward-looking statements can be found in the 2006 Annual Report on Form 40-F for The
Toronto-Dominion Bank and the 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K of Commerce Bancorp, Inc. filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at the Securities and Exchange Commissions
Internet site (http://www.sec.gov).
The proposed merger transaction involving The Toronto-Dominion Bank and Commerce Bancorp, Inc.
will be submitted to Commerce Bancorps shareholders for their consideration. Shareholders are
encouraged to read the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction when it
becomes available because it will contain important information. Shareholders will be able to
obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing
information about The Toronto-Dominion Bank and Commerce Bancorp, Inc., without charge, at the
SECs Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and the filings
with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference in the proxy statement/prospectus can also be
obtained, when available, without charge, by directing a request to TD Bank Financial Group, 66
Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5K 1A2, Attention: Investor Relations, (416) 308-9030, or to
Commerce Bancorp, Inc., Shareholder Relations, 1701 Route 70 East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-5400,
(856) 751-9000.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, Commerce Bancorp, Inc., their respective directors and executive
officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in
respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding The Toronto-Dominion Banks directors
and executive officers is available in its Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended October
31, 2006, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2006, and its
notice of annual meeting and proxy circular for its most recent annual meeting, which was filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2007. Information regarding Commerce
Bancorp, Inc.s directors and executive officers is available in Commerce Bancorp, Inc.s proxy
statement for its most recent annual meeting, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on April 13, 2007. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy
solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or
otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be
filed with the SEC when they become available.
EMAIL SENT TO TD BANK FINANCIAL GROUP EMPLOYEES ON OCTOBER 30, 2007
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To:
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TDBFG AVPs and Above |
From:
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Ed Clark, President and CEO |
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Subject:
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Solidifying our North American Presence: An Integration Framework |
Please share with your teams.
Four weeks ago, we announced our intention to acquire Commerce Bancorp Inc.
This isnt a conventional acquisition of a bank and its assets. It is the acquisition of a
business model, built around service of the customer through delivering what Commerce calls a
Wow! experience, and focused on growth through rapid expansion of ideally located stores.
Commerce is a perfect fit and is consistent with our focus on being a leading, integrated North
American financial institution centred on the customer.
Together with TD Banknorths strong operational history in mergers, excellent asset gathering
skills, and focus on profitability, we have a potential combination that instantly makes us a top
three player in the Northeastern United States, and perhaps the most dynamic growth-oriented bank
in the U.S.
We have to deliver to our investors the economics we have promised in this transaction. This
requires us to keep growing revenue, realizing the expected cost synergies and finding ways to
improve the profitability of our strategies including better cross-selling of wealth management and
personal lending products. But most importantly in order to be successful, the integration must
capture the hearts and minds of all our employees and show them what is possible by bringing
together our capabilities and expertise. The integration must not only build on TD Banknorths
success as a leading commercial bank and preserve the Wow! culture and service model of Commerce,
but bring it to a new level and extend it across our whole system.
Integration Principles
How will we do this? Communication, communication, communication.
As with any integration, there is always uncertainty, speculation, and concern. To proactively
address those issues and to ensure that all of the integration planning remains focused on what we
can do for customers, we have established a set of principles that will guide us going forward
should we receive shareholder and regulatory approval.
We will:
- Protect or enhance the customer experience and expand our customer base
- Establish common leadership values and create a common culture built around the customer
- Treat employees fairly and with respect throughout the process
- Communicate major decisions to employees as soon as we can
- Leverage the best and the most cost-effective applications and
processes to meet the needs of the new, stronger combined entity
Integration Framework
We have established three key groups to ensure we become the North American powerhouse and achieve
our full potential:
Executive Decisioning Committee (EDC)
Chaired by Bharat Masrani, President and CEO of TD Banknorth, the EDC will be the key decision
making body responsible for all major integration decisions. Reporting to me, the EDC will enhance
the customer and employee retention experiences and will keep key stakeholders, including the Board
of Directors, informed of the integration
progress. In addition to Bharat, the EDC will include Dennis DiFlorio, Chairman, Commerce Bancorp;
Bob Falese, President and CEO, Commerce; and John Fridlington, Chief Lending Officer, TD Banknorth.
Integration Office (IO)
We will create an Integration Office, Chaired by Carol Mitchell, EVP and Chief Administrative
Officer, TD Banknorth, responsible for making integration recommendations to the EDC and for the
implementation of those recommendations once approved. The Integration Office will ensure that all
decisions are aligned with the integration principles, our business strategies, and our desire to
become a truly North American bank.
The Office will also establish high-level objectives for the various integration committees that
will be established as well as provide project management assistance for those committees. In
addition to Carol, members of the IO will include, John Davies, SVP Corporate Services TDBFG; Teri
Currie, EVP Human Resources TDBFG; Fred Graziano, President, Regional Banking, Commerce; Suzanne
Poole, EVP Retail Distribution, TD Banknorth; Linda Verba, EVP Retail Operations, Commerce; and
Steve Boyle, EVP and Chief Financial Officer, TD Banknorth.
Integration Committees
Reporting to the Integration Office, there will be a number of Business Integration Committees and
Operational/Support Integration Committees that will lead the development and execution of detailed
integration plans.
Membership for the committees will include representation from TDBFG, Commerce and TD Banknorth.
Further details will be communicated as the Integration Committees become firmly established.
Your role as leaders
Change can be exciting, unsettling, overwhelming and invigorating and sometimes all of those at
once. And while I recognize that your team members will have lots of questions many of which we
dont know the answer to yet my ask of you is straightforward: Support your employees as we move
through this integration together, and continue to deliver on the superior customer experience that
TDBFG, TD Banknorth and Commerce are all known for.
We are embarking on an exciting journey to create a North American powerhouse bank that will win
for our customers, colleagues and shareholders. I hope you share my excitement and enthusiasm for
what I believe to be the most transformative time in TDBFGs recent history.
Ed