Other Regulatory Approvals All necessary approvals, authorizations and consents of any governmental or regulatory entity required to consummate the Merger shall have been obtained and remain in full force and effect, and all waiting periods relating to such approvals, authorizations and consents shall have expired or been terminated.
Approvals and Filings (a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, each of FSC and ABCB agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions and to do, or cause to be done, and to assist and cooperate with the other party in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable to fulfill all conditions applicable to such party and its respective Subsidiaries pursuant to this Agreement and the Bank Merger Agreement and to consummate and make effective, in the most expeditious manner practicable, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Bank Merger Agreement, including: (i) obtaining all Regulatory Approvals and all other necessary, proper or advisable actions or non-actions, waivers, consents, qualifications and approvals from Governmental Authorities and making all necessary, proper or advisable registrations, filings and notices and taking all steps as may be necessary to obtain an approval, waiver or exemption from any Governmental Authority; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be deemed to require ABCB, or require or permit FSC, to take any action, or commit to take any action, or agree to any condition or restriction, in connection with obtaining the permits, consents, approvals and authorizations of any Governmental Authority that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect (measured on a scale relative to FSC and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole) on the Surviving Corporation and its Subsidiaries, after giving effect to the Merger (a “Materially Burdensome Regulatory Condition”); (ii) obtaining all necessary, proper or advisable consents, qualifications, approvals, waivers or exemptions from nongovernmental Persons; and (iii) executing and delivering any additional documents or instruments necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the transactions contemplated by, and to fully carry out the purposes of, this Agreement or the Bank Merger Agreement.
(b) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, ABCB and FSC shall make any required filings of applications, filings and notices with the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC and the GDBF in connection with the Merger or the Bank Merger within forty-five (45) days after the date of this Agreement and shall each use, and shall cause their applicable Subsidiaries to use, reasonable best efforts to prepare and file any applications, notices and filings required in order to obtain the Regulatory Approvals as promptly as practicable after the date of this Agreement. ABCB and FSC shall each use, and shall each cause their applicable Subsidiaries to use, reasonable best efforts to obtain each such approval as promptly as reasonably practicable. The parties shall cooperate with each other in connection therewith (including the furnishing of any information and any reasonable undertaking or commitments that may be required to obtain the Regulatory Approvals). Each party will provide the other with copies of (i) any applications and all correspondence relating thereto prior to filing, other than material filed in connection therewith under a claim of confidentiality, and (ii) copies of correspondence from all Regulatory Agencies.
(c) Subject to Applicable Law (including Applicable Law relating to the exchange of information), the parties shall advise each other promptly after receiving any communication from any Governmental Authority whose consent or approval is required for consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or by the Bank Merger Agreement that causes such party to believe that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Regulatory Approvals or any other consent or approval required hereunder will not be obtained or that the receipt of any such approval will be materially delayed.
AUTHORITY APPROVALS Except as otherwise indicated elsewhere in this Agreement, wherever in this Agreement approvals are required to be given or received by Authority, it is understood that the CEO, or a designee of the CEO, is hereby empowered to act on behalf of Authority.
Consents, Approvals and Filings (a) Each of Seller and Buyer shall use, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to use, their respective reasonable best efforts, and shall cooperate, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to cooperate, fully with each other, in each case to (i) comply as promptly as practicable with all requirements of Governmental Entities applicable to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements and (ii) obtain as promptly as practicable all necessary permits, orders or other consents, approvals or authorizations of Governmental Entities in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements; provided, that each party shall be responsible for all fees and costs related to its own required filings with and approvals of other Governmental Entities. In connection with the foregoing, each of Seller and Buyer shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, make all legally required filings with, and requests for approval by, all applicable Governmental Entities (including insurance regulators) as promptly as practicable after the date hereof in order to facilitate prompt consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including filing the notification and report form required under the HSR Act within fifteen (15) Business Days after the date hereof, and to use reasonable best efforts to take all steps that are necessary, proper or advisable to avoid any Action by any Governmental Entity with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) In connection with the foregoing, each of Seller and Buyer shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, consent and commit to any condition, limitation or qualification imposed by any Governmental Entity on its grant of any such permit, order, consent, approval or authorization; provided, that notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary in this Agreement (including Section 5.3 and this Section 5.4) or any other Transaction Agreement, (i) neither Seller nor or any of its Affiliates shall be required to agree, consent or commit to any such conditions, limitations or qualifications in respect of Seller or any of its Affiliates, or any businesses, operations, assets or liabilities thereof, other than the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, (ii) none of Seller, Buyer or any of their respective Affiliates shall be required to consent to or comply with any such conditions, limitations or qualifications that (A) are not conditioned upon (and effective only after) the Closing, (B) individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company Business, taken as a whole, or (C) would impose any requirement on Buyer or any of its Affiliates relating to the contribution of capital, keep well or capital maintenance arrangements or maintaining certain risk based capital levels of the Insurance Companies, (iii) neither Buyer nor any of its Affiliates shall be required to agree, consent or commit to any such conditions, limitations or qualifications with respect to any of Buyer’s Affiliates (including, for these purposes, The Blackstone Group Inc. (“Blackstone”) and its Subsidiaries and any investment funds or investment vehicles affiliated with, or managed or advised by, Blackstone or any portfolio company (as such term is commonly understood in the private equity industry) or investment of Blackstone or of any such investment fund or investment vehicle), or any interest therein, other than, subject to the foregoing clause (C), with respect to the Company, the Company Subsidiaries and the Company Business, any such Person’s direct or indirect investment in or ownership of any interest in the foregoing, or this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby; provided, that prior to Buyer or its Affiliates agreeing to any condition, limitation or qualification required pursuant to this Section 5.4, Buyer shall be entitled to engage in good faith discussions with the applicable Governmental Entity to seek to resolve any requests or objections, so long as such discussions would not reasonably be expected to prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Outside Date. In no event shall the either party propose, negotiate, effect or agree to any action contemplated above without the prior written consent of the other party.
(c) Buyer and Seller shall cooperate and consult with each other in connection with the making of all filings, notifications, communications, submissions, and any other actions pursuant to this Section 5.4 in connection with all necessary permits, orders or other consents, approvals or authorizations of Governmental Entities in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and, to the extent not prohibited by Applicable Law, Buyer and Seller shall each keep the other apprised on a reasonably current basis of the status of in connection with all necessary permits, orders or other consents, approvals or authorizations of Governmental Entities in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including promptly furnishing the other with copies of substantive communications received by Buyer and Seller, as the case may be, or any of their respective Affiliates, from any Governmental Entity with respect to any such permits, orders or other consents, approvals or authorizations of Governmental Entities. Subject to Applicable Law relating to the exchange of information, Buyer and Seller shall permit counsel for the other party a reasonable opportunity to review in advance, and consider in good faith the views of the other party in connection with, any proposed notifications or filings and any written communications or submissions to any Governmental Entity in connection with all necessary permits, orders or other consents, approvals or authorizations of Governmental Entities in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided that Buyer and Seller may, as each deems advisable and necessary, redact such materials to remove sensitive information, or reasonably designate any sensitive material provided to the other party under this Agreement as “outside counsel only.”
(d) Prior to the Closing, except as otherwise agreed by the parties, the parties shall cooperate and use reasonable best efforts to make or obtain the approval, authorization, consent, license or permission of, or waiver or other action by, or notification to, any third party (other than a Governmental Entity or an Affiliate of Seller, the Company or Buyer) required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements; provided that no party shall be required to make any payment or incur any liability or offer or grant any accommodation (financial or otherwise) or commence or participate in any Action in order to obtain such third-party consents.
(e) Buyer shall not be required to (i) provide (A) nonpublic or other financial or sensitive personally identifiable information of the Equity Provider, its respective affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, managers or partners, or its or their control persons or direct or indirect equityholders and their respective directors, officers, employees, managers or partners (collectively with the Equity Provider, the “Equity Provider Related Persons”) or (B) any other nonpublic, proprietary or other confidential information of an Equity Provider Related Person that exceeds the scope of information that such Equity Provider Related Person has historically supplied in connection with a similar governmental filing or notification, or (ii) disclose the identities of direct or indirect shareholders, members or beneficiaries of the Equity Provider or its affiliates that beneficially own less than 10% of any such entity, in each of cases (i) or (ii), (x) unless the failure to provide or disclose such information would reasonably be expected to (1) impede the Closing or (2) prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Outside Date, in which case Buyer shall be required to provide or disclose such information and (y) except for National Association of Insurance Commissioners biographical information. Without limiting the foregoing, Buyer (A) shall be entitled to enter into good-faith discussions with the applicable Governmental Entity and use reasonable best efforts to seek to promptly resolve such requests prior to providing such information and (B) may provide any such sensitive or confidential information directly to the applicable Governmental Entity requesting such information without being provided to the Seller or the Company to the extent permitted by the applicable Governmental Entity. Without limiting the obligations of Buyer pursuant to this
Regulatory Filings (a) Each of Parent and Acquisition Sub (and their respective Affiliates, if applicable), on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, shall (x) file with the FTC and the Antitrust Division of the DOJ a Notification and Report Form relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby as required by the HSR Act as soon as reasonably practicable from the date following execution and delivery of this Agreement but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, and (y) file comparable pre-merger or post-merger notification filings, forms and submissions with any foreign Governmental Authority that is required by any other Antitrust Laws as soon as reasonably practicable from the date following execution and delivery of this Agreement but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. Each of Parent and the Company shall (i) cooperate and coordinate with the other in the making of such filings, (ii) supply the other with any information that may be required in order to make such filings, (iii) supply any additional information that reasonably may be required or requested by the FTC, the DOJ or the Governmental Authorities of any other jurisdiction in which any such filing is made under any other Antitrust Laws, and (iv) use reasonable best efforts to take all action necessary to cause the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the HSR Act or other Antitrust Laws as soon as practicable, and to obtain any required consents under any other Antitrust Laws applicable to the Offer and/or the Merger as soon as practicable, and to avoid any impediment to the consummation of the Offer or the Merger under any Antitrust Laws, including using reasonable best efforts to take all such action as reasonably may be necessary to resolve such objections, if any, as the FTC, the DOJ, or any other Governmental Authority or Person may assert under any applicable Antitrust Laws with respect to the Offer and/or the Merger.
(b) Each of Parent and Acquisition Sub (and their respective Affiliates, if applicable), on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, shall promptly inform the other of any communication from any Governmental Authority regarding any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with any filings or investigations with, by or before any Governmental Authority relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, including any proceedings initiated by a private party. If any party hereto or Affiliate thereof shall receive a request for additional information or documentary material from any Governmental Authority with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the HSR or any other Antitrust Laws with respect to which any such filings have been made, then such party shall use its reasonable best efforts to make, or cause to be made, as soon as reasonably practicable and after consultation with the other party, an appropriate response in compliance with such request. In connection with and without limiting the foregoing, to the extent reasonably practicable and unless prohibited by applicable Law or by the applicable Governmental Authority, the parties hereto agree to (i) give each other reasonable advance notice of all meetings with any Governmental Authority relating to the Offer or the Merger, (ii) give each other an opportunity to participate in each of such meetings, (iii) keep the other party reasonably apprised with respect to any oral communications with any Governmental Authority regarding the Offer or the Merger, (iv) cooperate in the filing of any analyses, presentations, memoranda, briefs, arguments, opinions or other written communications explaining or defending the Offer and the Merger, articulating any regulatory or competitive argument and/or responding to requests or objections made by any Governmental Authority, (v) provide each other with a reasonable advance opportunity to review and comment upon, and consider in good faith the views of the other with respect to, all written communications (including any analyses, presentations, memoranda, briefs, arguments and opinions) with a Governmental Authority regarding the Offer and the Merger, (vi) provide each other (or counsel of each party, as appropriate) with copies of all written communications to or from any Governmental Authority relating to the Offer or the Merger, and (vii) cooperate and provide each other with a reasonable opportunity to participate in, and consider in good faith the views of the other with respect to, all material deliberations with respect to all efforts to satisfy the conditions set forth in clauses (A) and (C)(1) of Annex A and Section 9.1(c). Any such disclosures, rights to participate or provisions of information by one party to the other may be made on a counsel-only basis to the extent required under applicable Law or as appropriate to protect confidential business information or the attorney client privilege or attorney work product.
(c) Each of Parent, Acquisition Sub and the Company shall cooperate with one another in good faith to (i) promptly determine whether any filings not contemplated by Section 8.2(a) are required to be or should be made, and whether any other consents, approvals, permits or authorizations not contemplated by Section 8.2(a) are required to be or should be obtained, from any Governmental Authority under any other applicable Law in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and (ii) promptly make any filings, furnish information required in connection therewith and seek to obtain timely any such consents, permits, authorizations, approvals or waivers that the parties determine are required to be or should be made or obtained in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, in connection with any filing or submission required or action to be taken by either Parent or the Company to consummate the Offer and the Merger, in no event shall Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates be obligated to propose or agree to accept any undertaking or condition, to enter into any consent decree, to make any divestiture or accept any operational restriction, or take or commit to take any action (i) the effectiveness or consummation of which is not conditional on the consummation of the Offer and the Merger or (ii) that individually or in the aggregate (x) is or would reasonably be expected to be materially adverse (with materiality, for purposes of this provision, being measured in relation to the size of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole) to (A) the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, either before or after giving effect to the Offer or the Merger, or (B) Parent’s ownership or operation of any material portion of the business or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (y) would reasonably be expected to deny Parent the material benefit of the bargains contemplated by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company shall agree, if requested by Parent in writing, to commit to take any of the forgoing actions with respect to the assets or business of the Company in furtherance of this Section 8.2; provided, however, that any such action may be conditioned upon the consummation of the Merger and other Transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
