Initial Escrow Amount; Issuance of Escrow Receipts The Escrow Agent hereby directs the Underwriters to, and the Underwriters hereby acknowledge that on the date hereof they shall, irrevocably deliver to the Depositary on behalf of the Escrow Agent, an amount in U.S. dollars ("Dollars") and immediately available funds equal to $56,000,000 for deposit on behalf of the Escrow Agent with the Depositary in accordance with Section 2.1 of the Deposit Agreement. The Underwriters hereby instruct the Escrow Agent, upon receipt of such sum from the Underwriters, to confirm such receipt by executing (by manual or facsimile signature) and delivering to the Pass Through Trustee an Escrow Receipt in the form of Exhibit A hereto (an "Escrow Receipt"), (a) to be affixed by the Pass Through Trustee to each Certificate and (b) to evidence the same percentage interest ("Escrow Interest") in the Account Amounts (as defined below) as the Fractional Undivided Interest in the Pass Through Trust evidenced by the Certificate to which it is to be affixed. The Escrow Agent shall provide to the Pass Through Trustee for attachment to each Certificate newly issued under and in accordance with the Pass Through Trust Agreement an executed Escrow Receipt as the Pass Through Trustee may from time to time request of the Escrow Agent. Each Escrow Receipt shall be registered by the Escrow Agent in a register (the "Register") maintained by the Escrow Agent in the same name and same manner as the Certificate to which it is attached and may not thereafter be detached from such Certificate to which it is to be affixed prior to the distribution of the Final Withdrawal (the "Final Distribution"). After the Final Distribution, no additional Escrow Receipts shall be issued and the Pass Through Trustee shall request the return to the Escrow Agent for cancellation of all outstanding Escrow Receipts.
Release from Escrow (1) The Shareholder irrevocably directs the Escrow Agent to retain the Shares until the Shares are released from escrow pursuant to subsection (2) or surrendered for cancellation pursuant to section 8.
(2) The Escrow Agent shall not release the Shares from escrow unless the Escrow Agent has received a letter from the Superintendent or the Exchange consenting to the release.
(3) The approval of the Superintendent or the Exchange to a release from escrow of any of the Shares shall terminate this agreement only in respect of the Shares so released.
Release of Escrow Funds The Escrow Funds shall be paid by the Escrow Agent in accordance with the following:
(a) In the event that the Company advises the Escrow Agent in writing that the Offering has been terminated (the “Termination Notice”), the Escrow Agent shall promptly return the funds paid by each Investor to such Investor without interest or offset.
(b) At each Closing, the Company and the Placement Agent shall provide the Escrow Agent with written instructions regarding the disbursement of the Escrow Funds in accordance with Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof and signed by the Company and the Placement Agent (the “Disbursement Instructions”).
(c) If by 5:00 P.M. Eastern time on the Final Termination Date, the Escrow Agent has not received written Disbursement Instructions from the Company and Placement Agent regarding the disbursement of the Escrow Funds in the Escrow Account, if any, then the Escrow Agent shall promptly return such Escrow Funds, if any, to the Investors without interest or offset. The Escrow Funds returned to the Investors shall be free and clear of any and all claims of the Escrow Agent.
(d) The Escrow Agent shall not be required to pay any uncollected funds or any funds that are not available for withdrawal.
(e) The Placement Agent or the Company will provide the Escrow Agent with the payment instructions for each Investor, to whom the funds should be returned in accordance with this section.
(f) In the event that Escrow Agent makes any payment to any other party pursuant to this Escrow Agreement and for any reason such payment (or any portion thereof) is required to be returned to the Escrow Account or another party or is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside and/or required to be repaid to a receiver, trustee or other party under any bankruptcy or insolvency law, other federal or state law, common law or equitable doctrine, then the recipient party shall repay to the Escrow Agent upon written request the amount so paid to it.
(g) The Escrow Agent shall, in its sole discretion, comply with judgments or orders issued or process entered by any court with respect to the Escrow Amount, including without limitation any attachment, levy or garnishment, without any obligation to determine such court's jurisdiction in the matter and in accordance with its normal business practices. If the Escrow Agent complies with any such judgment, order or process, then it shall not be liable to any of the Parties or any other person by reason of such compliance, regardless of the final disposition of any such judgment, order or process.
(h) Each Party understands and agrees that Escrow Agent shall have no obligation or duty to act upon a written direction delivered to Escrow Agent for the disbursement of all or part of the Escrow Amount under this Agreement (a “Written Direction”) if such Written Direction is not
(i) in writing,
(ii) signed by representatives of both Parties listed in Schedule II to this Agreement, in each case, each such individual an “Authorized Representative” of such Party), and
(iii) delivered to, and able to be authenticated by, Escrow Agent in accordance with Section 1.4 below.
(i) Upon request by any Party, the Escrow Agent set up each Party with on-line access to the account(s) established pursuant to this Agreement, which each Party can use to view and verify transaction on such account(s).
(j) A Party may specify in a Written Direction whether such Escrow Amount shall be disbursed by way of wire transfer or check. If the written notice for the disbursement of funds does not so specify the disbursement means, Escrow Agent may disburse the Escrow Amount by wire transfer.
Post-Closing Purchase Price Adjustment 1.9.1 Within ninety (90) days following the Closing Date, Seller shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and deliver to Purchaser a statement (the “Closing Net Working Capital Statement”) which shall set forth the Net Working Capital of the Newsprint Business and of Apache as of the Closing Time (which shall be set forth separately for each of the Newsprint Business and Apache, but as aggregated shall be referred to as the “Closing Net Working Capital”) and shall be prepared in accordance with Seller’s past accounting methods, policies, practices and procedures and in the same manner, with consistent classification and estimation methodology, as the Financial Statements were prepared, except that the Excluded Assets and the Newsprint Retained Obligations shall be excluded. The Closing Net Working Capital Statement may not be amended by Seller after it is delivered to Purchaser.
1.9.2 Purchaser shall, within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the Closing Net Working Capital Statement to it, complete its review of the Closing Net Working Capital reflected on the Closing Net Working Capital Statement. If Purchaser wishes to dispute the Closing Net Working Capital, Purchaser shall notify Seller in writing in reasonable detail of such disagreement and any reason therefore (“Purchaser’s Objection”), setting forth a specific description of the basis of Purchaser’s Objection and the adjustments to the Closing Net Working Capital that Purchaser believes should be made, on or before the last day of such thirty (30) day period, which Purchaser’s Objection may not be amended by Purchaser after it is delivered to Seller (except to withdraw any such Purchaser’s Objection). Any items on the Closing Net Working Capital Statements not disputed in Purchaser’s Objection shall be irrevocably deemed to be accepted by Purchaser. Seller shall then have thirty (30) days to review and respond to Purchaser’s Objection. If Seller and Purchaser are unable to resolve all of their disagreements with respect to the determination of the foregoing items within thirty (30) days following Seller’s receipt of Purchaser’s Objection (the “Negotiation Period”), they shall refer their remaining differences to a mutually agreeable independent accounting firm of national recognition (other than an independent accounting firm utilized by any of Seller, Apache or Purchaser or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing within the past three (3) years) acceptable to both Seller and Purchaser or if Seller and Purchaser are unable to agree as to such third party accounting firm within ten (10) days after the conclusion of the Negotiation Period, either Seller or Purchaser may request that the Chairman of the American Arbitration Association (or the nominated representative of the Chairman) appoint a third party accounting firm meeting the aforementioned requirements to resolve the dispute (the accounting firm selected being referred to as the “CPA Firm”), who shall determine, only with respect to the remaining differences so submitted, whether and to what extent, if any, the Closing Net Working Capital requires adjustment. The procedure and schedule under which any dispute shall be submitted to the CPA Firm shall be as follows:
(a) Within ten (10) days after the later of (i) the end of the Negotiation Period and (ii) the selection of the CPA Firm, Purchaser shall submit any unresolved elements of the Purchaser’s Objection to the CPA Firm in writing (with a copy to Seller), supported by any documents and/or affidavits upon which it relies. Failure to timely do so shall constitute a withdrawal by Purchaser of the Purchaser’s Objection with respect to any unresolved element to which such failure relates.
(b) Within fifteen (15) days following Purchaser’s submission of the unresolved elements of the Purchaser’s Objection as specified in sub-clause (a) above, Seller shall submit its response to the CPA Firm in writing (with a copy to Purchaser), supported by any documents and/or affidavits upon which it relies. Failure to timely do so shall constitute an acceptance by Seller with respect to any unresolved elements to which such failure relates.
(c) The CPA Firm shall deliver its written determination to Purchaser and Seller no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the remaining differences underlying Purchaser’s Objection are referred to the CPA Firm, or such longer period of time as the CPA Firm determines is necessary.
Closing Escrow The Closing shall take place by means of a so called “New York style” escrow (the “Closing Escrow”), and, at or prior to the Closing, the Parties shall enter into a closing escrow agreement with the Escrow Agent with respect to the Closing Escrow in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Seller, Purchaser and the Escrow Agent (the “Closing Escrow Agreement”) pursuant to which (i) the Purchase Price to be paid by Purchaser pursuant to Section 3.3 shall be deposited with Escrow Agent, (ii) all of the documents required to be delivered by Seller and Purchaser at Closing pursuant to this Agreement shall be deposited with Escrow Agent, and (iii) at Closing, the Purchase Price (as adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1) and the Xxxxxxx Money shall be disbursed to Seller and the documents deposited into the Closing Escrow shall be delivered to Seller and Purchaser (as the case may be) pursuant to the Closing Escrow Agreement.
Purchase Price Adjustment (a) Within 90 days following the Closing, the Buyer shall prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and delivered, to the Seller a statement (the “Closing Schedule”) setting forth:
(i) the Buyer’s determination of the actual amounts of (A) the Adjustment Amount, including the Final Adjustment Amount Overage or the Final Adjustment Amount Underage (the “Final Adjustment Amount”), and (B) the Seller Indebtedness Amount, in each case as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on the Closing Date without taking into account any of the transactions to be completed on the Closing Date in accordance with the terms of this Agreement;
(ii) a calculation of any adjustments to the Closing Payment based on such calculations (the adjusted Closing Payment as a result of such calculation being the “Final Closing Payment”); and
(iii) a calculation of the accounts receivable contained in the Preliminary Adjustment Amount that were not collected by Buyer within the thirty (30) days immediately following the Closing and the accounts receivable existing at the Closing but not taken into account in calculating the Adjustment Amount (the “Excluded AR”).
(b) Within fifteen (15) days after delivery of the Closing Schedule, the Seller may deliver a notice to Buyer either: (i) concurring with the Closing Schedule (a “Notice of Concurrence”); or (ii) disagreeing therewith (a “Notice of Disagreement”). If the Seller delivers a Notice of Disagreement, then it shall be accompanied by the Seller’s proposed revisions to the Closing Schedule. If the Seller fails to deliver any notice within such 15-day period, the Seller shall be deemed to have delivered a Notice of Concurrence.
(c) If a Notice of Concurrence is delivered or deemed delivered, and if the Final Closing Payment is less than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall be entitled to payment out of the Royalty Consideration in the full amount of such shortfall. If a Notice of Concurrence is delivered or deemed delivered, and the Final Closing Payment is greater than the Closing Payment, Buyer shall pay to the Seller the full amount of such excess (with such payment being in shares of Buyer Common Stock priced at $1.50 per share) within thirty (30) days of the delivery of the Notice of Concurrence.
(d) If a Notice of Disagreement is delivered, then the Seller and the Buyer shall, during the 15-day period following such delivery (the “Negotiation Period”), use commercially reasonable efforts to agree on the Final Adjustment Amount. If, during such period, the Seller and the Buyer are unable to reach agreement, they promptly shall engage a nationally recognized certified public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to each such party (the “Independent Auditor”) to resolve the disagreement, and any such resolution shall be final, conclusive and binding upon the parties hereto, absent fraud or manifest error. To the extent the Final Closing Payment as determined by the Independent Auditor is less than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall be entitled to payment out of the Royalty Consideration in the full amount of such shortfall. To the extent the Final Closing Payment as determined by the Independent Auditor is more than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller the full amount of such excess (with such payment being in shares of Buyer Common Stock priced at $1.50 per share) within thirty (30) days of such resolution.
(e) Each of the Seller and the Buyer shall pay fifty percent (50%) of the fees and expenses of the Independent Auditor.
Post-Closing Adjustment (a) Within forty-five (45) days after the Closing Date, Seller shall prepare and deliver to Purchaser (i) an unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries dated as of the close of business on the Closing Date (the "Closing Balance Sheet") showing the Net Worth of the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries at the Closing Date (the "Preliminary Net Worth Amount") and (ii) a schedule (the "Closing Debt Schedule") of the amount of Long Term Debt at the Closing Date (the "Preliminary Debt Amount"). The Closing Balance Sheet shall be prepared in accordance with the definitions and procedures set forth on the Post-Closing Adjustment Schedule. In connection with the preparation of the Closing Balance Sheet and the Closing Debt Schedule, Purchaser shall give, and shall cause the Acquired Company and its representatives to give, to Seller and its representatives full access at all reasonable times to the books, records and other materials of the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries and the personnel of, and work papers prepared by or for Purchaser, the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries or their respective accountants, including, without limitation, to such historical financial information relating to the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries as Seller may reasonably request in order to permit the timely preparation and delivery of the Closing Balance Sheet and the Closing Debt Schedule in accordance with this Section 1.05(a).
(b) Upon receipt of the Closing Balance Sheet and the Closing Debt Schedule, Purchaser shall have thirty (30) days (the "Review Period") to review such Closing Balance Sheet and the Closing Debt Schedule and related computations of the Net Worth of the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries and the Closing Debt on the Closing Date. If Purchaser has accepted such Closing Balance Sheet Closing Debt Schedule in writing or has not given written notice to Seller setting forth in reasonable detail any objection of Purchaser to such Closing Balance Sheet or Closing Debt Schedule(a "Statement of Objections") prior to the expiration of the Review Period, then such Closing Balance Sheet and Closing Debt Schedule shall be final and binding upon the parties, and the Preliminary Net Worth Amount shall be deemed the Net Worth amount of the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date (the "Final Net Worth Amount") and the Preliminary Debt Amount shall be deemed to be the amount of Long Term Debt as of the Closing Date (the "Final Debt Amount"). In addition, to the extent any portion of the Closing Balance Sheet or of the calculation of the Preliminary Net Worth Amount, of the Closing Debt Schedule or of the calculation of the Preliminary Debt Amount shall not be expressly objected to in the Statement of Objections, such matters shall be deemed to have been accepted and approved by Purchaser and shall be final and binding upon the parties for purposes hereof. In the event that Purchaser delivers a Statement of Objections during the Review Period, Purchaser and Seller shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to agree on the amount of Net Worth of the Acquired Company and the Subsidiaries on the Closing Date within thirty (30) days following the receipt by Seller of the Statement of Objections. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement as to such amounts within such thirty (30) day period, then the matter shall be submitted to Deloitte & Touche LLP, or such other accountant as shall be mutually agreed between the parties hereto (such accountant, the "Settlement Accountant"), who shall determine the matters still in dispute and adjust the Closing Balance Sheet to reflect such determination and establish the Final Net Worth Amount and adjust the Closing Debt Schedule and establish the Final Debt Amount. If issues in dispute are submitted to the Settlement Accountant for resolution, each party will furnish to the Settlement Accountant such work papers and other documents and information relating to the disputed issues as the Settlement Accountant may request, and will be afforded the opportunity to present to the Settlement Accountant any material relating to the resolution of the disputed items and to discuss the resolution of the disputed items with the Settlement Accountant; provided, that no party shall have any ex parte discussions with the Settlement Accountant (other than after reasonable notice to the other party and such party's refusal or failure to participate). The Settlement Accountant will be instructed in performing the review that Purchaser and Seller will each be provided with copies of any and all correspondence and drafts distributed to any party, and Purchaser and Seller will be granted access to information contained in the documents made available to the Settlement Accountant by the other party. The Settlement Accountant shall determine only those matters in dispute (and based solely on the materials and other information presented by Seller and Purchaser and not by independent investigation). The Settlement Accountant shall make its determination within thirty (30) days (or as soon as practicable thereafter if the Settlement Accountant notifies the parties that it requires additional time to make such determination) following the submission of the matter to the Settlement Accountant for resolution, and such determination shall be final and binding upon Purchaser and Seller. Purchaser and Seller will each bear fifty percent (50%) of the fees, charges and expenses of the Settlement Accountant.
(c) In the event that the Final Net Worth Amount is greater than the Target Net Worth Amount, such excess is referred to herein as the "Excess Net Worth Amount".
(d) In the event that the Final Net Worth Amount is less than the Target Net Worth Amount, such deficiency is referred to herein as the "Net Worth Deficiency".
Release of Escrow Subject to the provisions of Section 4.2, the Escrow Agent shall release the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents as follows:
(a) On the Closing Date, the Escrow Agent will simultaneously release the Company Documents to the Subscriber and release the Subscriber Documents to the Company except that the Due Diligence Fee will be released to the Due Diligence Fee Recipient and the Legal Fees will be released to the Subscriber’s attorneys.
(b) All funds to be delivered to the Company shall be delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to the wire instructions to be provided in writing by the Company to the Escrow Agent.
(c) Notwithstanding the above, upon receipt by the Escrow Agent of joint written instructions ("Joint Instructions") signed by the Company and the Subscriber, it shall deliver the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents in accordance with the terms of the Joint Instructions.
(d) Notwithstanding the above, upon receipt by the Escrow Agent of a final and non-appealable judgment, order, decree or award of a court of competent jurisdiction (a "Court Order"), the Escrow Agent shall deliver the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents in accordance with the Court Order. Any Court Order shall be accompanied by an opinion of counsel for the party presenting the Court Order to the Escrow Agent (which opinion shall be satisfactory to the Escrow Agent) to the effect that the court issuing the Court Order has competent jurisdiction and that the Court Order is final and non-appealable.
Estimated Closing Statement (i) No later than three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to Acquiror (A) a statement (the “Estimated Closing Statement”) setting forth the Company’s good faith estimates of (1) the Estimated Net Working Capital (as well as the resulting Estimated Net Working Capital Surplus (if any) or Estimated Net Working Capital Shortfall (if any)), (2) the Estimated Transaction Expenses, (3) the Estimated Closing Cash and (4) the Estimated Closing Debt, and (B) a schedule which shall include (1) the Estimated Total Stock Purchase Consideration, (2) wire instructions for the payments to be made to NewCo at the Closing pursuant to Section 2.3(b), (3) each Seller’s Pro Rata Percentage and the portion of the Estimated Total Stock Purchase Consideration attributable to each Seller; and (4) wire instructions for the payments of Debt, and the Estimated Transaction Expenses, including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Transaction Bonuses, to be made to the applicable payees thereof pursuant to Section 2.3(b) (such schedule delivered pursuant to this clause (B), the “Payment Schedule”). The Estimated Closing Statement shall be prepared by the Company in accordance with the Agreed Principles.
(ii) The Company shall consider in good faith any reasonable comments or objections to any amounts set forth on the Estimated Closing Statement notified to it by Acquiror prior to the Closing and if, prior to the Closing, the Company and Acquiror agree to make any modification to the Estimated Closing Statement, then the Estimated Closing Statement as so modified shall be deemed to be the Estimated Closing Statement; provided, that the failure of the Company and Acquiror to reach such mutual agreement will not give any party the right to terminate this Agreement or otherwise delay or fail to close the Stock Purchase or the other transactions contemplated hereunder.
(iii) Acquiror shall be entitled to rely on the accuracy of the Estimated Closing Statement and the Payment Schedule in all respects in making any payments pursuant to this Agreement, and all obligations to make such payments shall be deemed fulfilled to the extent such payments are made in accordance with this Agreement, the Payment Schedule, and the Estimated Closing Statement, including the Earn-Out Payment. None of Acquiror or any of its Affiliates (including, after the Closing, the Company) or the Seller Representative shall have any liability or obligation to any Person, including the Sellers and the Seller Guarantors, for any Damages arising from or relating to any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the calculations of the portion of any amounts payable to any Seller or any other Person or any other errors, omissions or inaccuracy in the information set forth on the Estimated Closing Statement or the Payment Schedule.
Additional Escrow Amounts On the date of any Purchase Withdrawal, the Pass Through Trustee may re-deposit with the Depositary some or all of the amounts so withdrawn in accordance with Section 2.4 of the Deposit Agreement.
