Article: Steel Partners Blank-Check Firm Buys Wash. Bank

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A blank-check company controlled by hedge fund manager Warren Lichtenstein will acquire Frontier Financial Corp., a troubled Washington state bank with $4 billion in assets.

The deal is the latest in a recent series of financial services takeovers by so-called special purpose acquisition vehicles, listed companies that raise capital with the sole purpose of pursuing takeovers.

SP Acquisition Holdings Inc., announcing the deal on Friday [July 31], said it would swap 0.053 share and 0.053 warrant with an exercise price of $11.50 a share for each Frontier common share. SPAH has about $429 million in assets.

Stockholders of the Everett, Wash., bank will receive 2.5 ...

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