Coopers encourages vote

The head of Coopers Brewery is confident that company shareholders will have their say, regardless of legal action taken by hostile bidder Lion Nathan to prevent them from meeting next month.

"At some stage, the shareholders will be allowed to vote on the issue of whether they want to remove the Lion Nathan pre-emptive articles or whether they want them retained," Tim Cooper said yesterday.

Lion Nathan is considering legal action to try to prevent the October 20 vote. In order for Lion Nathan's pre-emptive rights to be removed, at least 75 per cent of Coopers' shareholders must support it.

Lion Nathan, Australia's second-largest brewer, recently launched the A$352 million ($390 million) takeover for Coopers, a largely family-owned brewery.