:TOP STORY
BOL Releases Acquisition Details
In a move aimed at settling several shareholder lawsuits that arose in conjunction with its deal to be acquired by equity firm Warburg Pincus, Bausch & Lomb (NYSE: BOL) this week revealed more details on the planning for that acquisition, according to Vision Monday. A shareholder vote on the transaction is scheduled for Sept. 21. In a supplemental proxy statement filed with the SEC, BOL said the information it contains was made public as part of the company?s settlement in four separate suits. The lawsuits charge that BOL's Board of Directors failed in its duty by recommending Warburg Pincus?s $65-per-share offer for the company rather than a later, $75 offer from Advanced Medical Optics (NYSE: EYE) that was subsequently withdrawn. According to the SEC filing, BOL "vigorously" denies all liability in the matter, but is settling the suits to avoid delaying the acquisition's closing as well as to minimize its legal costs. Information in the supplemental proxy describes the relationship between BOL chairman Ron Zarrella and Warburg Pincus: Zarrella and Warburg Pincus co-president Joseph Landy serve together on the board of Avaya, a New Jersey-based telecommunications firm, while Zarrella and Warburg Pincus managing director, W. Bowman Cutter, are both trustees of the Committee for Economic Development, a public-policy group. According to the filing, Zarrella and Landy first discussed a possible acquisition by Warburg Pincus or another investment firm in mid-2006, at Landy?s instigation. The filing also reiterated that BOL's board "believed that the sale of the company [to Warburg Pincus] at $65 per share was more favorable to shareholders than the other strategic alternatives available to the company and its shareholders." BOL's board has unanimously recommended that shareholders approve the Warburg Pincus offer. Aside from the additional information now being made public, the plaintiffs in the lawsuits are likely to also seek expenses and attorneys' fees from BOL, according to the supplementary proxy.

:FINANCIAL NOTES
The Cooper Companies (NYSE: COO) fiscal third quarter revenue was $252 million, 12 percent above third quarter 2006, and earnings per share were 18 cents.

IRIDEX Corporation (NASDAQ: IRIX) raised $5 million in gross proceeds via a private placement conducted with BlueLine Partners which closed on Aug. 31. Net proceeds after transaction expenses were approximately $4.9 million. The company said the equity financing will help resolve the short-term liquidity challenges created by its January 2007 acquisition of the aesthetics assets of Laserscope. Also, IRIDEX plans to complete the integration of the manufacturing of the acquired Laserscope aesthetics products into its Mountain View facility during the fourth quarter of 2007.


:CONFERENCE CALLS
Advanced Medical Optics (NYSE: EYE) will present at noon ET Sept. 27 at the UBS 2007 Global Life Sciences Conference. Access is at www.amo-inc.com.

The Cooper Companies (NYSE: COO) will be present a 10:30 a.m. ET Sept. 11 at the Bear Stearns 20th Annual Healthcare Conference in New York City. Access is at www.coopercos.com.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will present at 4:30 p.m. ET Sept. 11 at the Bear Stearns 20th Annual Healthcare Conference. Access is at www.investor.jnj.com.

NovaMed (NASDAQ: NOVA) will be present at 4 p.m. ET Sept. 11 at the Bear Stearns 20th Annual Healthcare Conference. Access is at www.novamed.com.