Church’s Fried Chicken Inc. announced that its...

Church’s Fried Chicken Inc. announced that its board determined that A. Copeland Enterprises Inc.’s $8-a-share tender offer for Church’s common stock is inadequate and not in the best interests of the company or its stockholders. The board indicated that the San Antonio company might consider alternatives, such as a merger, leveraged buyout, recapitalization or restructuring, and said it has adopted a shareholder rights plan to protect stockholders from the Copeland offer. The firm is also seeking to enjoin Copeland and its subsidiaries from continuing the offer on the grounds that it violates both securities and antitrust laws.