UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13D
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 6)
BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC. (BRKS)
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock
(Title of Class of Securities)
114340102
(CUSIP Number)
David Nierenberg
The D3 Family Funds
19605 NE 8th Street
Camas, WA 98607
(360) 604-8600
With a copy to:
Henry Lesser, Esq.
DLA Piper US LLP
2000 University Avenue
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 833-2000
(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)
January 29, 2007
(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)
If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D and is filing this
schedule because of ss.ss. 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the
following box |_|.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSON
The D3 Family Fund, L.P.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) |X|
(b) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 SOURCE OF FUNDS*
WC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Washington
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE VOTING POWER
849,215 Common shares (1.1%)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 8 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 0
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------------
EACH 9 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON 849,215
WITH -----------------------------------------------------------------
10 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
For the reporting person listed on this page, 849,215; for all
reporting persons as a group, 4,847,458 shares (6.4%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
6.4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSON
The DIII Offshore Fund, L.P.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) |X|
(b) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 SOURCE OF FUNDS*
WC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Bahamas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE VOTING POWER
1,106,718 common shares (1.5%)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 8 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 0
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------------
EACH 9 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON 1,106,718
WITH -----------------------------------------------------------------
10 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
For the reporting person listed on this page, 1,106,718; for all
reporting persons as a group, 4,847,458 shares (6.4%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
6.4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSON
The D3 Family Bulldog Fund, L.P.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) |X|
(b) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 SOURCE OF FUNDS*
WC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Washington
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE VOTING POWER
2,891,525 common shares (3.8%)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 8 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 0
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------------
EACH 9 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON 2,891,525
WITH -----------------------------------------------------------------
10 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
For the reporting person listed on this page, 2,891,525; for all
reporting persons as a group, 4,847,458 shares (6.4%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
6.4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSON
Nierenberg Investment Management Company, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) |X|
(b) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 SOURCE OF FUNDS*
WC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Washington
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE VOTING POWER
0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 8 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 4,847,458 shares (6.4%)
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------------
EACH 9 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON 0
WITH -----------------------------------------------------------------
10 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
4,847,458 shares
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
For the reporting person listed on this page, 4,847,458; for all
reporting persons as a group, 4,847,458 shares (6.4%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
6.4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSON
Nierenberg Investment Management Offshore, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) |X|
(b) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 SOURCE OF FUNDS*
WC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e) |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Bahamas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE VOTING POWER
0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 8 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 1,106,718 common shares (1.5%)
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------------
EACH 9 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON 0
WITH -----------------------------------------------------------------
10 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
1,106,718 common shares
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
For the reporting person listed on this page, 1,106,718; for all
reporting persons as a group, 4,847,458 shares (6.4%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* |_|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
6.4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
6
This Amendment No. 6 to Schedule 13D (this "Amendment") amends the
below-indicated items from the Schedule 13D previously filed by or on behalf of
the undersigned parties (the "Reporting Persons"), as previously amended (the
"Schedule 13D"), by supplementing such Items with the information below:
Item 4. Purpose of Transaction
Recently Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis (GL)
recommended that clients withhold their votes from several incumbent Brooks
Automation (BRKS) directors. We strongly disagree with ISS and GL and have voted
all of our shares enthusiastically to re-elect the entire BRKS director slate.
We believe that the Board of Directors of BRKS has improved dramatically the
quality of its corporate governance in the past year. First, the Board announced
that former Chairman and CEO Robert Therrien would not be re-nominated for
another term on the Board. Second, when the Wall Street Journal broke the story
last March about the appearance of back-dated stock option grants made to Mr.
Therrien, the Board immediately appointed a special committee of newer,
independent directors to examine the matter and empowered the special committee
to engage independent legal and accounting counsel. Later, after several months
of intensive examination of the Therrien and other suspect stock option grants,
the two board members who had been the Board's compensation committee at the
time the Therrien grants were made resigned from the Board of Directors. Now
BRKS' Board has a capable new Chair; the former Lead Director is no longer on
the Board; and BRKS' compensation committee and its nominating and governance
committee also have new Chairs. The company is publicly committed to cooperating
fully with federal examinations of past option practices and to never repeating
the unfortunate practices of the past. Fundamentally, we believe that BRKS has a
strong balance sheet, a sensible corporate strategy, and excellent management to
execute the strategy.
None of the directors opposed by ISS and GL served on the BRKS Board when the
problematic stock options were granted to the former Chairman and CEO. In fact,
directors Robert Lepofsky and Mark Wrighton did not join BRKS' Board until the
company acquired Helix Technology late in 2005. Director Krishna Palepu joined
the Board at about the same time precisely to improve the quality of its
governance.
In conclusion, we have voted enthusiastically to re-elect all eight incumbent
BRKS directors. We believe that the formulaic approach taken by ISS and GL
would, if followed in this case, cause shareholders to withhold votes from
directors who have been doing difficult work exceptionally well. We believe that
doing the right thing should be rewarded, not punished.
By reporting the information contained in this Amendment, the Reporting Persons
do not intend to solicit, nor are they soliciting, proxies or consents from, nor
seeking or requesting any other action by, any of the other stockholders of
BRKS. The Reporting Persons are reporting their own voting intentions and the
reasons therefor.
The previous statements by the Reporting Persons regarding their investment in
BRKS represent solely their own analyses and judgments, based on
publicly-available information and their own
7
internal evaluation thereof. Those statements are not intended, and should not
be relied on, as investment advice to any other investor or prospective
investor. To the extent those statements reflect assessments of possible future
developments, those assessments are inherently subject to the uncertainties
associated with all assessments of future events; actual developments may
materially differ as a result of circumstances affecting BRKS and/or extrinsic
factors such as developments in the company's industry and the economic
environment. The Reporting Persons reserve the right to change their internal
evaluation of this investment in the future, as well as to increase or decrease
their investment depending on their evaluation, without further amending the
Schedule 13D except as required by applicable rules.
Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer.
(a, b) The Reporting Persons, in the aggregate, beneficially own 4,847,458
Shares, constituting approximately 6.4% of the outstanding Shares.
(c) During the past sixty (60) days, the following purchases of Shares
were made by D3 Family Funds in open market transactions:
Fund Trade Date Shares Bought Price
---- ---------- ------------- -----
DIII Offshore Fund LP 1/18/2007 147,000 14.00
D3 Family Bulldog Fund LP 1/18/2007 3,000 13.97
In addition, on January 3, 2007, an aggregate of 203,280 Shares were distributed
in kind, on a pro rate basis, to the general partners in the DIII Offshore Fund,
LP.
Item 7. Material to be filed as Exhibits
Exhibit 1 to this Amendment is the joint filing agreement pursuant to
which all of the filing persons have authorized the filing of this Amendment as
a group.
8
SIGNATURE
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, each of the
undersigned certifies that the information set forth in the Statement is true,
complete and correct.
D3 Family Fund, L.P. and D3 Bulldog
Fund, L.P
By: Nierenberg Investment Management
Company, Inc.
Its: General Partner
January 29, 2007 By: /s/ David Nierenberg
-----------------------------------
David Nierenberg, President
DIII Offshore Fund, L.P.
By: Nierenberg Investment Management
Offshore, Inc.
Its: General Partner
January 29, 2007 By: /s/ David Nierenberg
-----------------------------------
David Nierenberg, President
Nierenberg Investment Management
Company, Inc.
January 29, 2007 By: /s/ David Nierenberg
-----------------------------------
David Nierenberg, President
Nierenberg Investment Management
Offshore, Inc.
January 29, 2007 By: /s/ David Nierenberg
------------------------------------
David Nierenberg, President
9