Dow, Rohm and Haas CEOs possible witnesses at trial

Dow Chemical Company Chief Executive Officer Andrew Liveris delivers a speech at the Global Management Forum in Tokyo October 27, 2008.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The chief executives of Dow Chemical Co (DOW.N) and Rohm and Haas Co ROH.N are both listed as possible witnesses for next week's trial over Dow's attempts to delay or walk away from its more than $15 billion takeover of Rohm and Haas.

Dow CEO Andrew Liveris and Rohm and Haas CEO Raj Gupta are named in witness lists contained in a pre-trial stipulation filed with the Delaware Chancery Court on Tuesday.

Rohm and Haas sued Dow in January to try to force the company to close the takeover.

The executives were named as possible witnesses for their own companies. Still, both Dow and Rohm reserved the right to call witnesses listed by the other company.

Putting their names on the witness list means both executives could be called to testify at the trial. It does not mean that either Liveris or Gupta will be called.

Other names on Rohm and Haas' witness list includes the company's Chief Operating Officer Pierre Brondeau.

Dow's witness list includes several of its executives and board members, as well as Rohm and Haas director Sandra Moose.

Dow agreed to buy Rohm and Haas last July for $78 a share -- a 74 percent premium -- to broaden its product offerings in higher-margin markets such as paints, coatings and electronic materials.

But the company balked at closing after a key joint venture with Kuwait fell apart. Dow had intended to use proceeds from that transaction -- a $17.4 billion plastics joint venture -- to help fund the Rohm deal.

Delaware Chancellor William Chandler will hear the trial, which is scheduled to open on March 9.

(Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)