Company: STAA
Filing Date: 2025-09-16
Form Type: DEFM14A
Source: 0001193125-25-204396
Chunk: 17

Company: STAAR SURGICAL CO
Filing Date: 2025-09-16
Form: DEFM14A
Chunk 17
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and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, are advisable, fair to and in the best interests of STAAR and its stockholders, approved, adopted and declared advisable the execution and delivery of, and entry into, the Merger
Agreement, and directed that the Merger Agreement be submitted to the STAAR stockholders for adoption at the Special Meeting. In its determinations and in reaching its recommendations, the Board held numerous meetings, consulted with STAAR senior
management and its outside legal and financial advisors, and considered a number of factors and a substantial amount of information. For a description of the factors considered by the Board in reaching this decision, including potentially negative
factors against which the anticipated benefits of the Merger were weighed, and additional information on the recommendations of the Board, see the section of this proxy statement titled “Proposal 1: Adoption of the Merger Agreement—Recommendation of the Board and Reasons for the Merger—Reasons for the Merger.”

The Board unanimously recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the Merger Proposal and (2) “FOR” the Compensation Proposal.

Opinion of STAAR’s Financial Advisor

STAAR retained Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“Citi”) as its financial advisor in connection with a possible transaction involving
Alcon. In connection with Citi’s engagement, STAAR requested that Citi evaluate the fairness, from a financial point of view, to the holders of STAAR common stock of the Merger Consideration pursuant to the Merger Agreement. On August 4,
2025, at a meeting of the Board held to evaluate the Merger and at which the Merger Agreement was approved, Citi rendered to the Board an oral opinion, confirmed by delivery of a written opinion, dated August 4, 2025, to the effect that, as of
that date and based on and subject to various assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations and qualifications on the review undertaken by Citi as set forth in its written opinion, the Merger Consideration to be received
by the holders of STAAR common stock in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement was fair, from a financial point of view, to such holders.

The full text of Citi’s written opinion, dated August 4, 2025, to the Board, which sets forth, among other things, the assumptions
made, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations and qualifications on the review undertaken by Citi in rendering its