Absence of Certain Business Practices Neither the Seller, nor any Affiliate of the Seller, nor to the knowledge of the Seller, any agent or employee of the Seller, any other Person acting on behalf of or associated with the Seller, or any individual related to any of the foregoing Persons, acting alone or together, has: (a) received, directly or indirectly, any rebates, payments, commissions, promotional allowances or any other economic benefits, regardless of their nature or type, from any customer, supplier, trading company, shipping company, governmental employee or other Person with whom the Seller has done business directly or indirectly; or (b) directly or indirectly, given or agreed to give any gift or similar benefit to any customer, supplier, trading company, shipping company, governmental employee or other Person who is or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Seller (or assist the Seller in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) which (i) may subject the Seller to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding, (ii) if not given in the past, may have had an adverse effect on the Seller or (iii) if not continued in the future, may adversely affect the assets, business, operations or prospects of the Seller or subject the Seller to suit or penalty in any private or governmental litigation or proceeding.
Certain Business Practices Neither Company nor any Company Subsidiary nor any directors, officers, agents or employees of Company or any Company Subsidiary (in their capacities as such) has (i) used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity or (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns or violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
Absence of Certain Commercial Practices Except as described on Schedule 4.27, neither the Company nor any Seller has made any payment (directly or by secret commissions, discounts, compensation or other payments) or given any gifts to another business concern, to an agent or employee of another business concern or of any governmental entity (domestic or foreign) or to a political party or candidate for political office (domestic or foreign), to obtain or retain business for the Company or to receive favorable or preferential treatment, except for gifts and entertainment given to representatives of customers or potential customers of sufficiently limited value and in a form (other than cash) that would not be construed as a bribe or payoff.
Business Practices Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, the Company has not, at any time, directly or indirectly, made any contributions or payment, or provided any compensation or benefit of any kind, to any municipal, county, state, federal or foreign governmental officer or official, or any other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, or any candidate for political office. The Company's books, accounts and records (including, without limitation, customer files, product packaging and invoices) accurately describe and reflect, in all material respects, the nature and amount of the Company's products, purchases, sales and other transactions. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company has not engaged, directly or indirectly, in: (a) the practice known as "double-invoicing" or the use or issuance of pro-forma or dummy invoices; or (b) the incorrect or misleading labeling, marketing or sale of refurbished goods as new goods.
Absence of Certain Developments Except as contemplated by this Agreement and as contemplated by the Commission Documents, since February 28, 2002, through the date immediately preceding each Closing Date, the Company has not (a) issued any stock, options, bonds or other corporate securities other than as reflected in Section 6.2 hereof, (b) borrowed any amount or incurred or became subject to any Liabilities (absolute, accrued or contingent), other than current Liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business and Liabilities under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business, (c) discharged or satisfied any material Lien or adverse claim or paid any obligation or Liability (absolute, accrued or contingent), other than current Liabilities shown on the Balance Sheet and current Liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business, (d) declared or made any payment or distribution of cash or other property to the stockholders of the Company or purchased or redeemed any securities of the Company, (e) mortgaged, pledged or subjected to any material Lien or adverse claim any of its properties or assets, except for Liens for taxes not yet due and payable or otherwise in the ordinary course of business, (f) sold, assigned or transferred any of its assets, tangible or intangible, except in the ordinary course of business or in an amount less than $250,000, (g) suffered any extraordinary losses or waived any rights of material value other than in the ordinary course of business, (h) made any capital expenditures or commitments therefore other than in the ordinary course of business or in an amount less than $250,000, (i) entered into any other transaction other than in the ordinary course of business in an amount less than $250,000 or entered into any material transaction, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, (j) made any charitable contributions or pledges, (k) suffered any damages, destruction or casualty loss, whether or not covered by insurance, affecting any of the properties or assets of the Company or any other properties or assets of the Company which could, individually or in the aggregate, have or result in a Material Adverse Effect, (l) made any material change in the nature or operations of the business of the Company, (m) participated in any transaction that would have a Material Adverse Effect or otherwise acted outside the ordinary course of business, (n) the Company has not increased the compensation of any of its officers or the rate of pay of any of its employees, except as part of regular compensation increases in the ordinary course of business, (o) entered into any agreement or commitment to do any of the foregoing.
Ethical Business Practices Each Party represents and warrants to the other Party that neither it nor its Affiliates will make any payment, either directly or indirectly, of money or other assets, including the compensation such Party derives from this Agreement (collectively a “Payment”), to government or political party officials, officials of International Public Organizations, candidates for public office, or representatives of other businesses or persons acting on behalf of any of the foregoing (collectively “Officials”) where such Payment would constitute violation of any law, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, 15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1, et seq. In addition, regardless of legality, neither it nor its Affiliates will make any Payment either directly or indirectly to Officials if such Payment is for the purpose of improperly influencing decisions or actions with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. All activities will be conducted in compliance with the U.S. False Claims Act and the U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute.
Absence of Certain Changes Since the date of the Company’s most recent audited financial statements contained in a Form 10-K, there has been no material adverse change and no material adverse development in the business, assets, liabilities, properties, operations (including results thereof), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Since the date of the Company’s most recent audited financial statements contained in a Form 10-K, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) declared or paid any dividends, (ii) sold any assets, individually or in the aggregate, outside of the ordinary course of business or (iii) made any capital expenditures, individually or in the aggregate, outside of the ordinary course of business. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any steps to seek protection pursuant to any law or statute relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation or winding up, nor does the Company or any Subsidiary have any knowledge or reason to believe that any of their respective creditors intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy proceedings or any actual knowledge of any fact which would reasonably lead a creditor to do so. The Company and its Subsidiaries, individually and on a consolidated basis, are not as of the date hereof, and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby to occur at the Closing, will not be Insolvent (as defined below). For purposes of this Section 3(l), “Insolvent” means, (i) with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, (A) the present fair saleable value of the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ assets is less than the amount required to pay the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ total Indebtedness (as defined below), (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries are unable to pay their debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured or (C) the Company and its Subsidiaries intend to incur or believe that they will incur debts that would be beyond their ability to pay as such debts mature; and (ii) with respect to the Company and each Subsidiary, individually, (A) the present fair saleable value of the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s (as the case may be) assets is less than the amount required to pay its respective total Indebtedness, (B) the Company or such Subsidiary (as the case may be) is unable to pay its respective debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured or (C) the Company or such Subsidiary (as the case may be) intends to incur or believes that it will incur debts that would be beyond its respective ability to pay as such debts mature. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has engaged in any business or in any transaction, and is not about to engage in any business or in any transaction, for which the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s remaining assets constitute unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the business in which it is engaged as such business is now conducted and is proposed to be conducted.
Absence of Certain Agreements Neither Parent nor any of its Affiliates has entered into any contract, arrangement or understanding (in each case, whether oral or written), or authorized, committed or agreed to enter into any contract, arrangement or understanding (in each case, whether oral or written), pursuant to which: (a) any stockholder of the Company would be entitled to receive consideration of a different amount or nature than the Merger Consideration or pursuant to which any stockholder of the Company (i) agrees to vote to adopt this Agreement or the Merger or (ii) agrees to vote against any Superior Proposal or (b) any Third Party has agreed to provide, directly or indirectly, equity capital to Parent or the Company to finance in whole or in part the Merger.
Absence of Certain Relationships No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers or stockholders of the Company, on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which is not so described. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any subsidiary, extended credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any executive officer of the Company or the Operating Partnership, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company or the Operating Partnership.
Absence of Certain Changes and Events Except as set forth in Part 3.16 of the Disclosure Letter, since the date of the Balance Sheet, the Company has conducted its business only in the Ordinary Course of Business and there has not been any:
