Operations Prior to the Closing Date (a) From the ------------------------------------ date hereof through the Closing Date, Parent shall cause the Companies to operate and carry on the Business in the ordinary course in accordance with past practice and in compliance with all applicable Requirements of Law, including Environmental Laws. Consistent with the foregoing, Parent shall cause each of the Companies to use its reasonable efforts consistent with good business practice to (i) maintain the business organization of the Companies intact, (ii) keep available the services of any key employees of the Companies and (iii) preserve the goodwill and beneficial relationships of the suppliers, contractors, licensors, employees, customers, distributors and others having business relations with the Companies.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 7.4(a), except as set forth in Schedule -------------- -------- 7.4, except as contemplated by this Agreement or except with the express written --- approval of Buyer (which, in the case of clauses (ii), (iii), (vi), (ix), (x) and (xviii), Buyer agrees shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), Parent shall cause each of the Companies not to:
(i) make any material change in the Business or its operations, except such changes as may be required to comply with any applicable Requirements of Law;
(ii) make any capital expenditure or enter into any contract or commitment therefor, other than in the ordinary course of the Business, which is in excess of $50,000;
(iii) other than in the ordinary course of the Business, enter into any contract, agreement, undertaking or commitment which would have been required to be set forth in Schedule 5.14(a) or 5.14(b) if in effect on the ---------------- ------- date hereof or amend any Business Agreement in any material respect;
(iv) enter into any contract that contains a "change of control" provision that would give the other party a right to terminate such contract upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or under which the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby would constitute a default;
(v) enter into any contract for the purchase of real property or exercise any option to extend a lease listed in Schedule 5.9; ------------
(vi) sell, lease (as lessor), transfer or otherwise dispose of (including any transfers to any of its Affiliates), or mortgage or pledge, or impose or suffer to be imposed any Encumbrance on, any of its properties, rights or assets, other than inventory and minor amounts of personal property sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice and other than Permitted Encumbrances;
(vii) cancel any debts owed to or claims held by it or pay, settle or discharge any claims/litigation, proceedings, actions or liabilities, other than in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice;
(viii) create, incur or assume, or agree to create, incur or assume, any Indebtedness for Borrowed Money (other than money borrowed or advances from any of its Affiliates in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice) or enter into, as lessee, any capitalized lease obligations (as defined in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 13);
(ix) accelerate or delay collection of any notes or accounts receivable in advance of or beyond their regular due dates or the dates when the same would have been collected in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice;
(x) delay or accelerate payment of any account payable or other liability beyond or in advance of its due date or the date when such liability would have been paid in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice;
(xi) make, or agree to make, any distribution of assets (other than cash) to Parent or any of its Affiliates;
(xii) institute any increase in any benefit provided, or loan or advance any money or property, to any present or former director, officer, consultant or employee of any of the Companies, other than in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice or as required by any Company Plan, Parent Plan or Requirements of Law;
(xiii) make any material change in the compensation of its employees, other than changes made in accordance with normal compensation practices of the Companies or pursuant to existing contractual commitments and consistent with past compensation practices, or grant any severance or termination pay to any of its employees or amend the form of retention and severance agreement contained in Schedule 7.4; ------------
(xiv) establish, adopt, enter into, amend or terminate any Company Plan, or any plan, agreement, program, policy, trust, fund or other arrangement that would be a Company Plan if it were in existence on the date hereof, other than in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice or as required by any Company Plan, Parent Plan or Requirement of Law;
(xv) make any material change in the accounting policies applied in the preparation of the Interim Financial Statements, unless such change is required by GAAP;
(xvi) make any change in its charter, by-laws or other organizational document or issue any capital stock (or securities exchangeable, convertible or exercisable for capital stock);
(xvii) split, combine or reclassify any shares of its capital stock or partnership or membership interests or declare, set aside or pay any dividends or make any other distributions (whether in cash, stock or other property) in respect of such shares or interests, except for cash dividends and distributions payable by a Conveyed Companies Subsidiary to any of the Companies, Parent or Affiliates of Parent;
(xviii) except as required by law, and except in cases where doing so would not have a material adverse consequence to Buyer Group Members with respect to taxable years or periods beginning after the Closing Date or, with respect to any Straddle Period, the portion of such Straddle Period beginning after the Closing Date, file any Tax Return in a manner inconsistent with past practice or take any position, make any election, or adopt any method that is inconsistent with positions taken, elections made or methods used in prior periods in filing Tax Returns (including any such position, election or method which would have the effect of deferring income to periods for which Buyer is liable or accelerating deductions to periods for which Parent is liable);
(xix) amend any Tax Returns or settle or compromise any proceeding relating to Tax liabilities of any Company, in either case if doing so would, or would reasonably be expected to, materially adversely affect any Buyer Group Member with respect to taxable years or periods beginning after the Closing Date or, with respect to any Straddle Period, the portion of such Straddle Period beginning after the Closing Date;
(xx) enter into or amend any aviation, manufacturing or transportation customer contract, other than new contracts with existing customers and amendments to existing contracts, in each case, where the terms of such new contract or amendment are not materially less favorable to the Companies than existing contracts with such customers;
(xxi) enter into any joint venture, partnership or similar arrangement or acquire or agree to acquire by merging or consolidating with, or by purchasing a substantial portion of the assets of, or by any other manner, any business or any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture association or other business organization or division thereof;
(xxii) merge or consolidate with or into any other Person or dissolve or liquidate; or
(xxiii) authorize, commit or agree, whether in writing or otherwise, to do any of the foregoing.
Trunk Group Connections and Ordering 5.2.1 For both One-Way and Two-Way Interconnection Trunks, if Onvoy wishes to use a technically feasible interface other than a DS1 or a DS3 facility at the POI, the Parties shall negotiate reasonable terms and conditions (including, without limitation, rates and implementation timeframes) for such arrangement; and, if the Parties cannot agree to such terms and conditions (including, without limitation, rates and implementation timeframes), either Party may utilize the Agreement’s dispute resolution procedures.
5.2.2 When One-Way or Two-Way Interconnection Trunks are provisioned using a DS3 interface facility, if Onvoy orders the multiplexed DS3 facilities to a Frontier Central Office that is not designated in the NECA 4 Tariff as the appropriate Intermediate Hub location (i.e., the Intermediate Hub location in the appropriate Tandem subtending area based on the LERG), and the provision of such facilities to the subject Central Office is technically feasible, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith reasonable terms and conditions (including, without limitation, rates and implementation timeframes) for such arrangement; and, if the Parties cannot agree to such terms and conditions (including, without limitation, rates and implementation timeframes), either Party may utilize the Agreement’s dispute resolution procedures.
5.2.3 Each Party will identify its Carrier Identification Code, a three or four digit numeric code obtained from Telcordia, to the other Party when ordering a trunk group.
5.2.4 For multi-frequency (MF) signaling each Party will out pulse ten (10) digits to the other Party, unless the Parties mutually agree otherwise.
5.2.5 Each Party will use commercially reasonable efforts to monitor trunk groups under its control and to augment those groups using generally accepted trunk- engineering standards so as to not exceed blocking objectives. Each Party agrees to use modular trunk-engineering techniques for trunks subject to this Attachment.
Reasonable Efforts/Cooperation Each of the Parties hereto will use its commercially reasonable efforts to promptly take, or cause to be taken, all actions and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws and regulations to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including adopting plans or plan amendments. Each of the Parties hereto shall cooperate fully on any issue relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement for which the other Party seeks a determination letter or private letter ruling from the IRS, an advisory opinion from the DOL or any other filing, consent or approval with respect to or by a Governmental Authority.
Regulatory Filings; Reasonable Efforts (a) As promptly as practicable after the date hereof, each of Parent, Sub and the Company shall make all filings, notices, petitions, statements, registrations, submissions of information, application or submission of other documents required under applicable Law by any Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction in connection with the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation: (i) Notification and Report Forms with the United States Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice as required by the HSR Act, (ii) filings required by the merger notification or control Laws of the foreign jurisdictions listed on Annex I-A, and (iii) any filings required under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any applicable state or securities or “blue sky” Laws and the securities Laws of any foreign country, or any other applicable Laws or rules and regulations of any Governmental Entity relating to the Offer and the Merger. Each of Parent and the Company will cause all documents that it is responsible for filing with any Governmental Entity under this Section 6.6 to comply in all material respects with all applicable Laws of any Governmental Entity.
(b) Each of Parent, Sub, and the Company shall promptly supply the other with any information which may be reasonably required in order to effectuate any filings or application pursuant to this Section 6.6.
(c) Each of Parent, Sub and the Company will notify the others promptly upon the receipt of: (i) any comments from any officials of any Governmental Entity in connection with any filings made pursuant hereto and (ii) any request by any officials of any Governmental Entity for amendments or supplements to any filings made pursuant to, or information provided to comply in all material respects with, any applicable Laws and rules and regulations of any Governmental Entity. Whenever any event occurs that is required to be set forth in an amendment or supplement to any filing made pursuant to Section 6.6(a), Parent, Sub or the Company, as the case may be, will promptly inform the others of such occurrence and cooperate in filing with the applicable Governmental Entity such amendment or supplement.
(d) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, each of the parties agrees to use 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 parties in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective, in the most expeditious manner practicable, the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, including complying in all material respects with all applicable Laws and with all rules and regulations of any Governmental Entity and using reasonable best efforts to accomplish the following: (i) the causing of all the conditions set forth in SECTION 7 and in Annex I hereto to be satisfied and to consummate and make effective the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) the obtaining of all reasonably requested actions or nonactions, waivers, consents, clearances, approvals, orders and authorizations from Governmental Entities and the making of all reasonably requested registrations, declarations and filings (including registrations, declarations and filings with Governmental Entities, if any), (iii) the obtaining of all reasonably requested consents, approvals or waivers from third parties, (iv) the defending of any suits, claims, actions, investigations or proceedings, whether judicial or administrative, challenging this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, including seeking to have any stay or temporary restraining order entered by any court or other Governmental Entity vacated or reversed, and (v) the execution or delivery of any additional instruments necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, and to carry out fully the purposes of, this Agreement. In connection with and without limiting the foregoing, the Company and its Board of Directors shall, if any state takeover statute or similar statute or regulation is or becomes applicable to the Offer, the Merger, this Agreement or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby, use all reasonable best efforts to ensure that the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby may be consummated as promptly as practicable on the terms contemplated by this Agreement and otherwise to minimize the effect of such statute or regulation on the Offer, the Merger, this Agreement and the other transactions contemplated hereby. The Company will use reasonable best efforts to obtain any consent, approval, or waiver with respect to the Material Contracts such that no party will have a reasonable basis to maintain that the representations and warranties in Section 3.11 and clause “(ii)” of Section 3.19 are not true and correct. Nothing in this Agreement shall require Parent, the Surviving Corporation or any other subsidiary of Parent to sell, hold separate, license or otherwise dispose of any assets or conduct their business in a specified manner, or agree or proffer to sell, hold separate, license or otherwise dispose of any assets or conduct their business in a specified manner, or permit or agree to the sale, holding separate, licensing or other disposition of, any assets of Parent, the Surviving Corporation or any other subsidiary of Parent or the Company, whether as a condition to obtaining any approval from, or to avoid potential litigation or administrative action by, a Governmental Entity or any other person or for any other reason.
Newco Prior to the Effective Time, Newco shall not conduct any business or make any investments other than as specifically contemplated by this Agreement and will not have any assets (other than the minimum amount of cash required to be paid to Newco for the valid issuance of its stock to the Parent).
Prior to the Closing the Buyer shall provide to Seller a list of those employees of the Company whose employment Buyer intends to terminate after the Closing (the "Identified Employees") and Seller shall cause the Company prior to the Closing to show on its Financial Statements and the Preliminary Closing Balance Sheet, a liability equal to the amount that the Identified Employees would be eligible to receive under Company's severance pay plan and any pay-in-lieu-of-vacation arrangement offered by the Company and all employment taxes thereon computed as if the Company had terminated such employees' employment at Closing. As to such Identified Employees, Seller shall have the sole option to determine if the Identified Employees shall continue to be employed by Seller or its Affiliates or be transferred to other divisions or facilities of the Seller or its Affiliates. Buyer shall use its commercially reasonable best efforts to retain as many of the Company employees as is feasible. Buyer shall treat all service completed by an employee with the Company or any Affiliate thereof, and any predecessor thereto, the same as service completed with Buyer for all purposes, including waiting periods relating to preexisting conditions under medical plans, vacations, severance pay, eligibility to participate in, vesting or payment of benefits under, and eligibility for early retirement or any subsidized benefit provided for under, any employee benefit plan (including, but not limited to, any "employee benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) maintained by Buyer on or after the Closing Date, except for purposes of computing benefits under the actual benefit formula in a defined benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA). Prior to the Closing, Seller shall furnish Buyer with a list of the length of service with the Company or its Affiliates, or any predecessor thereof, for each of the Employees. For purposes of computing deductible amounts (or like adjustments or limitations on coverage) under any employee welfare benefit plan (including, without limitation, any "employee welfare benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA), expenses and claims previously recognized for similar purposes under the applicable welfare benefit plan of the Company or any Affiliate shall be credited or recognized under the comparable plan maintained after the Closing Date by Buyer. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the Buyer shall not be required to permit the employees of the Company to participate in the Buyer's 401(k) plan prior to the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing after the Closing Date.
Operations Prior to Closing (a) Seller agrees to operate the Property between the Execution Date and the Closing Date in the same general manner as Seller has operated the Property during the immediately preceding six (6) month period, paying all costs and expenses as they come due, and in any event prior to Closing, and maintaining all insurance coverage currently in force.
(b) Seller shall comply with all of the obligations of landlord under the Leases and all other agreements and contractual arrangements affecting the Real Property by which Seller is bound or to which the Real Property, or any of them, are subject, and which will be binding upon Buyer or a lien upon such Real Property, after the Closing.
(c) Seller shall notify Buyer promptly of Seller's receipt of any notice from any party alleging that Seller is in default of its obligations under any of the Leases or any Permit or agreement affecting the Real Property, or any portion or portions thereof.
(d) No contract for or on behalf of or affecting the Real Property shall be negotiated or entered into which cannot be terminated by Seller upon the Closing without the payment of a specific charge, cost, penalty or premium for such termination.
(e) Except with the prior written consent of Buyer, which Buyer agrees it shall not unreasonably withhold, condition or delay, Seller shall not enter into any new leases for any portion of the Real Property. Any new lease shall be on Buyer's customary form (which may vary to reflect customary negotiated revisions thereto), or such other form which is reasonably acceptable to Buyer. Further, except with the prior written consent of Buyer, which Buyer agrees it shall not unreasonably withhold, condition or delay, or as set forth above, Seller shall not amend, extend (except where required under the terms of the Lease in question), terminate (except by reason of a tenant's default), accept surrender of, or permit any assignments or subleases of, any of the Leases (except as may be required under such Lease), nor accept any rental more than one (1) month in advance (exclusive of any security deposit).
(f) Seller shall not make or permit to be made any capital improvements or additions to the Real Property, or any portion thereof, without the prior written consent of Buyer, except those made by Seller pursuant to the express requirements of this Agreement, those made by tenants pursuant to the right to do so under their Leases, or by Seller if required by applicable law or ordinance, or as required under any Lease.
(g) Seller shall timely xxxx all tenants for all rent billable under Leases, and use commercially reasonable efforts to collect any rent in arrears.
(h) Seller shall notify Buyer of any tax assessment disputes (pending or threatened) prior to Closing, and from and after the Due Diligence Expiration Date, Seller not agree to any changes in the real estate tax assessment, nor settle, withdraw or otherwise compromise any pending claims with respect to tax assessments relating to the current or any subsequent year, without Buyer's prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned. If any proceedings shall result in any reduction of assessment and/or tax for the tax year in which the Closing occurs, it is agreed that the amount of tax savings or refund for such tax year, less the reasonable fees and disbursements in connection with such proceedings, shall be apportioned between the parties as of the date real estate taxes are apportioned under this Agreement. All refunds relating to any tax year prior to the Closing shall be the sole property of Seller, and all refunds relating to any year subsequent to the year in which Closing occurs shall be the sole property of Buyer. Each party agrees to promptly remit to the other any refund received by it which is the property of the other.
(i) Seller shall notify Buyer promptly of the occurrence of any of the following:
(i) Receipt of notice from any governmental or quasi-governmental agency or authority or insurance underwriter relating to the condition, use or occupancy of the Real Property, or any portion thereof;
(ii) Receipt of any notice of default from any tenant or from the holder of any lien or security interest in or encumbering the Real Property, or any portion thereof;
(iii) Notice of any actual or threatened litigation against Seller or affecting or relating to the Real Property, or any portion thereof which may materially and adversely affect the Real Property or Seller's ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and
(iv) Vacancy of any demised Property by a tenant, other than in accordance with a scheduled lease termination.
WSIB & LTD An Employee who is receiving benefits under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, or under an LTD plan, is not entitled to benefits under a school board’s sick leave and short-term disability plan for the same condition unless the employee is on a graduated return to work program then WSIB/LTD remains the first payor. For clarity, where an employee is receiving partial benefits under WSIB/LTD, they may be entitled to receive benefits under the sick leave plan, subject to the circumstances of the specific situation. During the interim period from the date of the injury/incident or illness to the date of the approval by the WSIB/LTD of the claim, the employee may access sick leave and short-term leave and disability coverage. A reconciliation of sick leave deductions made and payments provided, will be undertaken by the school board once the WSIB/LTD has adjudicated and approved the claim. In the event that the WSIB/LTD does not approve the claim, the school board shall deal with the absence consistent with the terms of the sick leave and short-term leave and disability plans.
Unbundled Copper Sub-Loop (UCSL) is a copper facility of any length provided from the cross-box in the field up to and including the end-user’s point of demarcation. If available, this facility will not have any intervening equipment such as load coils between the end-user and the cross-box.
Conduct Prior to the Effective Time 5.1 Conduct of Business by Company, Indirect Parent, Second Intermediary -------------------------------------------------------------------- Parent, First Intermediary Parent and Parent. During the period from the date -------------------------------------------- of this Agreement and continuing until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to its terms or the Effective Time, Indirect Parent, Second Intermediary Parent, First Intermediary Parent and Parent shall cause the Company to and the Company shall, except to the extent that Purchaser shall otherwise consent in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), carry on its business, in the usual, regular and ordinary course, in substantially the same manner as heretofore conducted and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, pay its debts and taxes when due subject to good faith disputes over such debts or taxes, pay or perform other material obligations when due, and use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with past practices and policies to (i) preserve intact its present business organization, (ii) keep available the services of its present officers and employees and (iii) preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors, licensors, licensees, and others with which it has significant business dealings. In addition, except as permitted by the terms of this Agreement, and the transactions contemplated hereby, without the prior written consent of Purchaser, during the period from the date of this Agreement and continuing until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to its terms or the Effective Time, neither Indirect Parent, Second Intermediary Parent, First Intermediary Parent nor Parent shall permit the Company to, and Company shall not do any of the following:
(a) With respect to Indirect Parent, Second Intermediary Parent, First Intermediary Parent or Parent, waive any stock repurchase rights, accelerate, amend or change the period of exercisability of options or restricted stock, or reprice options granted under any employee, consultant, director or other stock plans or authorize cash payments in exchange for any options granted under any of such plans to any employee, consultant or director of the Company, except as provided for under this Agreement or the attached exhibits;
(b) Grant any severance or termination pay to any officer or employee except pursuant to written agreements outstanding, or policies existing, on the date hereof and as previously disclosed in writing or made available to Purchaser, or adopt any new severance plan, or amend or modify or alter in any manner any severance plan, agreement or arrangement existing on the date hereof or hire any new employees or consultants;
(c) Transfer or license to any person or entity or otherwise extend, amend or modify any rights to the Company Intellectual Property, or enter into grants to transfer or license to any person future patent rights;
(d) Declare, set aside or pay any dividends on or make any other distributions (whether in cash, stock, equity securities or property) in respect of any capital stock or split, combine or reclassify any capital stock or issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for any capital stock;
(e) Purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of Company;
(f) Issue, deliver, sell, authorize, pledge or otherwise encumber or propose any of the foregoing with respect to any shares of capital stock, or enter into other agreements or commitments of any character obligating it to issue any such shares;
(g) Cause, permit or propose any amendments to the Company Charter Documents;
(h) Acquire or agree to acquire by merging or consolidating with, or by purchasing any equity interest in or a portion of the assets of, or by any other manner, any business or any corporation, partnership, association or other business organization or division thereof, or otherwise acquire or agree to enter into any joint ventures, strategic partnerships or alliances;
(i) Sell, lease, license, encumber or otherwise dispose of any properties or assets except sales of inventory in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(j) Incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such indebtedness of another person, issue or sell any debt securities or options, warrants, calls or other rights to acquire any debt securities of Company, enter into any "keep well" or other agreement to maintain any financial statement condition or enter into any arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing other than in connection with the financing of ordinary course trade payables by Indirect Parent, Second Intermediary Parent, First Intermediary Parent or Parent;
(k) Adopt or amend any material employee policy or arrangement, or enter into any employment contract or collective bargaining agreement (other than offer letters and letter agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice with employees who are terminable "at will"), pay any special bonus or special remuneration to any director or employee, or, except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, increase the salaries or wage rates or fringe benefits (including rights to severance or indemnification) of its directors, officers, employees or consultants;
(i) pay, discharge, settle or satisfy any claims, liabilities or obligations (absolute, accrued, asserted or unasserted, contingent or otherwise), or litigation (whether or not commenced prior to the date of this Agreement) other than the payment, discharge, settlement or satisfaction, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or in accordance with their terms, or liabilities recognized or disclosed in the most recent consolidated financial statements (or the notes thereto) of Company as provided to the Purchasers or incurred since the date of such financial statements, or (ii) waive the benefits of, agree to modify in any manner, terminate, release any person from or knowingly fail to enforce any confidentiality or similar agreement to which Company is a party or of which Company is a beneficiary;
(m) Make any individual or series of related payments outside of the ordinary course of business in excess of $10,000;
(n) Except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, modify, amend or terminate any Material Contract or agreement to which Company is a party or waive, delay the exercise of, release or assign any material rights or claims thereunder;
(o) Enter into, renew or materially modify any contracts, agreements, or obligations relating to the distribution, sale, license or marketing by third parties of Company's products or products licensed by Company other than renewals of existing nonexclusive contracts, agreements or obligations;
(p) Except as required by GAAP, revalue any of its assets or make any change in accounting methods, principles or practices;
(q) Incur or enter into any agreement, contract or commitment requiring Company to pay in excess of $10,000, excluding routine purchase orders consistent with past practices;
(r) Settle any material litigation;
(s) Make or change any election in respect of Taxes, adopt or change any accounting method in respect of Taxes, file any Tax Returns or any amendment to any Tax Return other than in a manner consistent with prior practices, enter into any closing agreement, settle any claim or assessment in respects of Taxes, or consent to any extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any claim or assessment in respect of Taxes;
(t) Agree in writing or otherwise to take any of the actions described in Section 5.1(a) through (s) above.
