Warns That Blackwells Will Seek to Recover All Improper Expenditures by Mr. Bennett and the Board
Invites Shareholders to Visit www.NoMoreMonty.com for More Information on Blackwells’ Campaign
NEW YORK, May 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blackwells Capital LLC (“Blackwells”), a shareholder of Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. (“Braemar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BHR), today released a presentation entitled “The Buffoonery of Monty Bennett”, which may be found at https://nomoremonty.com/letters-presentations/.
Jason Aintabi, Chief Investment Officer of Blackwells, said:
“Last week, Mr. Bennett expanded his comically inept smear campaign (“#ExpelBlackwells”) designed to keep independent directors out of Braemar’s boardroom. Following Blackwells’ report that Mr. Bennett’s social media account had a mere four followers, it would appear that Mr. Bennett scrambled to direct the purchase of over 3,000 fake followers for his account.
Blackwells will fight to ensure that all monies, great and small, that are spent to satisfy Mr. Bennett’s buffoonery are recovered and returned to shareholders. We continue to pursue the termination of Braemar and Mr. Bennett’s shady Advisory Agreement for cause, and will hold the Company’s board accountable for abetting what we believe is one of the most grotesque examples of corporate piracy in the public markets today.”
Mr. Aintabi continued:
“Independent directors must be installed on the Braemar board, and a thorough examination of the Company’s external Advisory Agreement must be expediently pursued. We remind the current directors again, that enabling Mr. Bennett’s buffoonery creates a substantial risk of liability, litigation, and reputational harm for each of them. Until the job is done, we will continue with our refrain: No More Monty.”
Blackwells encourages all shareholders to review Blackwells’ materials, the details of its engagement with the Company, information about Blackwells’ nominees, and other important information at www.NoMoreMonty.com.
Shareholders are also invited to follow Blackwells’ campaign on X at @nomoremonty and Instagram at @no_more_monty.
About Blackwells Capital
Blackwells is a multi-strategy investment manager with a public markets focus on currencies, equities, credit and commodities. When necessary, we engage with public boards to drive value for all stakeholders. Our private equity portfolio includes investments in space, clean energy, infrastructure, real estate and technology. Further information is available at www.blackwellscap.com.
Contacts
Stockholders
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
Toll Free: +1 (800) 322-2885
proxy@mackenziepartners.com
Media
Gagnier Communications
Dan Gagnier & Riyaz Lalani
646-569-5897
blackwells@gagnierfc.com
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Blackwells, Blackwells Onshore I LLC, Jason Aintabi, Michael Cricenti, Jennifer M. Hill, Betsy L. McCoy and Steven J. Pully (collectively, the “Participants”) are participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. (the “Company”) for the Company’s 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. On April 3, 2024, the Participants filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) their definitive proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card in connection with their solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company.
ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE ADVISED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, THE ACCOMPANYING WHITE UNIVERSAL PROXY CARD AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY THE PARTICIPANTS, AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR DIRECT OR INDIRECT INTERESTS IN THE COMPANY, BY SECURITY HOLDINGS OR OTHERWISE.
The definitive proxy statement and an accompanying WHITE universal proxy card will be furnished to some or all of the Company’s stockholders and are, along with other relevant documents, available at no charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov/. In addition, the Participants will provide copies of the definitive proxy statement without charge, upon request. Requests for copies should be directed to Blackwells.
The Company’s board of directors has purported to reject as invalid our nominations to elect each of Blackwells’ nominees and determined that our notice is purportedly non-compliant with the Company’s Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended (the “Bylaws”) and defective. On March 24, 2024, the Company brought suit against each of the Participants, Blackwells Holding Co. LLC, Vandewater Capital Holdings, LLC, Blackwells Asset Management LLC and BW Coinvest Management I LLC in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (the “District Court”), seeking injunctive relief against solicitation of proxies by Blackwells and a declaratory judgment that Blackwells’ nomination is invalid due to Blackwells’ alleged violations of the Bylaws, and, as a result, Blackwells’ slate of purported nominees is invalid and ineligible to stand for election by the Company’s stockholders. Ultimately, Blackwells believes the Company’s claims have no merit. On April 11, 2024, Blackwells filed a Complaint in the District Court against the Company and the Company’s directors. Blackwells alleges, among other things, that the Company improperly rejected Blackwells’ nomination notice, breached the Bylaws, and violated Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by issuing false and misleading statements and failing to disclose The Dallas Express as a proxy participant. The action filed by the Company on March 24, 2024 and the action filed by Blackwells on April 11, 2024 have been consolidated (the “Consolidated Litigation”). The Consolidated Litigation is currently stayed. The outcome of the Consolidated Litigation and any related litigation may affect our ability to deliver proxies submitted to us on the WHITE universal proxy card.
