International Multifoods Corpsaid it filed a suit charging Bregman Partners and its
affiliates unlawfully planned to acquire control of the
company.
    In a suit filed in U.S. District Court, International
Multifoods said Bregman Partners and its affiliates, who
reportedly hold 7.4 pct of the company's shares, tried to
induce Multifood's management to join them in an effort to take
the company private and give controlling interest to Bregman
Partners. Bregman Partners include the interests of the
Belzberg families of Canada.
    The complaint also discloses that on each occasion,
Multifoods management rejected the group's overtures.
    Multifoods is asking Bregman's group to divest its shares
in open market sales in a manner not to further disrupt the
market place, according to the suit. The suit seeks
compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be
determined.
    In addition, Multifoods is seeking to stop Bregman Partners
from acquiring any more stock, or voting the shares it
reportedly owns, the suit said.
    According to Multifoods, the actions proposed by Bregman
Partners would prevent shareholders from realizing the full
benefits of the company's restructuring.
    In the past three years, Multifoods has substantially
altered its domestic business mix by divesting its U.S.
consumere foods operations and emphasizing growth in selected
segments of the U.S. foodservice industry.
 Reuter
