Conduct of Business by Parent (a) From and after the date hereof and prior to the earlier of the Effective Time and the Termination Date, and except (i) as may be required by applicable Law, (ii) as may be consented to in writing by the Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), (iii) as may be contemplated or required by this Agreement or (iv) as set forth in Section 5.2 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, Parent covenants and agrees with the Company that the business of Parent and its Subsidiaries shall be conducted in, and such entities shall not take any action except in, the ordinary course of business, and Parent and its Subsidiaries shall use their reasonable best efforts to (A) keep available the services of current officers, key employees and consultants of Parent and each of its Subsidiaries, (B) preserve Parent’s business organization intact and maintain its existing relations and goodwill with customers, suppliers, distributors, creditors and lessors, (C) maintain insurance policies or replacement or revised policies in such amounts and against such risks and losses of Parent and its Subsidiaries as are currently in effect and (D) comply in all material respects with all applicable Laws; provided, however, that no action by Parent or its Subsidiaries with respect to matters specifically addressed by any provision of Section 5.2(b) shall be deemed a breach of this sentence unless such action would constitute a breach of such other provision.
Conduct of Business by Company 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, Company and each of its subsidiaries shall, except to the extent that Parent shall otherwise consent in writing, carry on its business in the usual, regular and ordinary course, in substantially the same manner as heretofore conducted and in compliance in all material respects 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, licensors, licensees, and others with which it has business dealings. In addition, during that period Company will promptly notify Parent of any material event involving its business or operations consistent with the agreements contained herein. In addition, except as permitted by the terms of this Agreement, and except as contemplated by this Agreement or provided in Part 4.1 of the Company Disclosure Letter, without the prior written consent of 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, Company shall not do any of the following and shall not permit its subsidiaries to do any of the following:
Conduct Pending the Closing Acquirer, Target and the Shareholder covenant that between the date of this Agreement and the Closing as to each of them:
Conduct of Parent From the date hereof until the Effective Time, Parent and its Subsidiaries shall conduct their business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice and shall use their reasonable best efforts to preserve intact their business organizations and relationships with third parties. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except with the prior written consent of the Company or as contemplated by this Agreement, from the date hereof until the Effective Time Parent shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to:
Conduct of the Business (a) Except as (i) set forth in Section 5.2(a) of the Sellers’ Disclosure Schedule or (ii) as is necessary and commercially reasonable in response to a Contagion Event or Contagion Event Measures, subject to Sellers providing Purchaser with advance notice and obtaining Purchaser’s prior written consent in respect of any such action (unless it is not reasonably practicable under the circumstances to provide such prior notice and obtain prior consent, in which case Sellers shall provide notice to Purchaser as soon as reasonably practicable), from the date hereof until the earlier of the Closing Date or the termination of this Agreement, the Sellers shall cause the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries to (1) carry on their businesses in the ordinary course of business in all material respects; (2) use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve their present business organizations and relationships; and (3) use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve the rights, franchises, goodwill and relations of their customers, clients and others with whom business relationships exist; provided, that this Section 5.2(a) shall not apply to the Excluded Assets and Liabilities. (b) Except as set forth in Section 5.2(b) of the Sellers’ Disclosure Schedule or to the extent required to effect the Excluded Assets and Liabilities Transfer, from the date hereof until the earlier of the Closing Date or the termination of this Agreement, except as (A) otherwise expressly required by this Agreement, (B) consented to in writing in advance by Purchaser (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed), or (C) required by applicable Law, Sellers shall cause the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries not to: (i) amend the Bank’s or any Transferred Subsidiaries’ Constituent Documents or permit any waiver or grant any consent under their respective Constituent Documents; (ii) (A) merge or consolidate with any other Person, (B) acquire (including by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets) any interest in any other Person or any division thereof or any assets, securities or property, other than (x) acquisitions of securities under the Bank’s or an applicable Transferred Subsidiary’s investment portfolio consistent with the Bank’s or an applicable Transferred Subsidiary’s investment policy in effect as of the date hereof, (y) as may be deemed necessary or advisable by it in the exercise of its rights in connection with an Extension of Credit, or (z) acquisitions in the ordinary course of business, or (C) adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, recapitalization, restructuring or other reorganization; -55- purchases of federal funds, borrowings from any Federal Home Loan Bank, sales of certificates of deposit, issuances of commercial papers, entry into repurchase agreements and satisfaction of legal requirements in the exercise of trust powers, in each case, on terms and in amounts consistent with past practice) or (y) for any Excluded Assets and Liabilities, (A) subject any material asset of the Bank or of any Transferred Subsidiary to a Lien or permit, allow or suffer to exist any Lien in respect thereof, other than Permitted Liens; or (B) incur any liability for borrowed money (or guarantee any indebtedness for borrowed money), issue any debt securities, assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise as an accommodation become responsible for the obligations of any other Person (other than a Transferred Subsidiary); (viii) dispose of any material assets (without limiting Section 5.2(b)(xii), other than Intellectual Property) to any person other than a Transferred Subsidiary, including existing branches of the Bank, except in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to Contracts in force as of the date of this Agreement; (ix) other than as required by the terms of any Benefit Plan existing as of the date hereof, (A) increase the compensation or benefits of any Business Employee, other than the payment of incentive compensation for completed performance periods based upon corporate performance, the performance of such employee and, if applicable, such employee’s business, in each case determined in accordance with the terms of the applicable Benefit Plan and in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (B) enter into any change-in-control, retention, employment, severance, termination or other similar agreement or arrangement with any Business Employee, or increase or commit to increase the change-in-control, severance or termination pay or benefits payable to any Business Employee, (C) pay or award, or commit to pay or award, any bonuses or incentive compensation to any Business Employee other than incentive compensation payments contemplated by clause (A) above, (D) enter into, establish, adopt, terminate or amend any Benefit Plan or any plan, program, arrangement, practice or agreement that would be a Benefit Plan if it were in existence on the date hereof, except for de minimis administrative amendments that would not increase the benefits provided thereunder or the cost thereof to the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries, (E) take any action to amend or waive any performance or vesting criteria or accelerate vesting, exercisability or funding under any Benefit Plan, with respect to any Business Employee, (F) hire any Business Employee, other than as permitted under Section 5.10(e), (G) terminate the employment of any Business Employee with the title of Managing Director or above, other than for cause or pay any severance, termination pay or benefits to any employee without obtaining an effective comprehensive general release of claims against the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries, (H) transfer the employment of any Business Employee to Sellers or any of their Affiliates (other than the Bank or any Transferred Subsidiary), or transfer the employment of any employee, officer, director, or natural person independent contractor of Sellers or any of their Affiliates (other than the Bank or any Transferred Subsidiary) to the Bank or its Affiliates (other than as permitted under Section 5.10(e)), (I) grant to any Business Employee any right to reimbursement, indemnification, or payment for any Taxes incurred under Section 409A or 4999 of the Code, or (J) recognize any union, labor organization or
Conduct of Business by Parent Pending the Merger Parent and Acquisition Sub covenant and agree with the Company that between the date hereof and the Effective Time or the date, if any, on which this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8.1, Parent and Acquisition Sub:
Outside Activities of Limited Partners Subject to any agreements entered into by a Limited Partner or its Affiliates with the General Partner, Partnership or a Subsidiary, any Limited Partner and any officer, director, employee, agent, trustee, Affiliate or stockholder of any Limited Partner shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage in business activities in addition to those relating to the Partnership, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the Partnership or that are enhanced by the activities of the Partnership. Neither the Partnership nor any Partners shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any business ventures of any Limited Partner or Assignee. Subject to such agreements, none of the Limited Partners nor any other Person shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement or the partnership relationship established hereby in any business ventures of any other Person, other than the Limited Partners benefiting from the business conducted by the General Partner, and such Person shall have no obligation pursuant to this Agreement to offer any interest in any such business ventures to the Partnership, any Limited Partner or any such other Person, even if such opportunity is of a character which, if presented to the Partnership, any Limited Partner or such other Person, could be taken by such Person.
Conduct of Business by the Company During the period from the date of this Agreement to the earlier to occur of (i) the date of the termination of this Agreement and (ii) the Effective Time, except as set forth in this Section 4.01(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter or as consented to in writing by Parent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) or as otherwise permitted, contemplated or required by this Agreement or required by Law, the Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, carry on its business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice and in compliance with all material Laws and all material authorizations from Governmental Entities prior to the Closing and, to the extent consistent therewith, use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve intact its current business organization and goodwill, preserve its assets and properties in good repair and condition, maintain capital expenditure levels consistent with past practices, keep available the services of its current officers, employees and consultants and preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers, licensors, licensees, distributors, and others having significant business dealings with it. In addition to and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, during the period from the date of this Agreement to the earlier to occur of (i) the date of the termination of this Agreement and (ii) the Effective Time, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.01(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter or as otherwise permitted, contemplated or required by this Agreement or required by Law, the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, without Parent’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed):
Disclosure by Operation of Law If either party is requested to disclose all or any part of any Confidential Information under a subpoena, or inquiry issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a judicial or administrative agency or legislative body or committee, such party shall (i) to the extent permitted by law, promptly notify the other party of the existence, terms and circumstances surrounding such request; (ii) consult with the other party on the advisability of taking legally available steps to resist or narrow such request and cooperate with such Party on any steps it considers advisable; and (iii) if disclosure of the Confidential Information is required or deemed advisable, exercise commercially reasonable efforts to obtain an order, stipulation or other reliable assurance that confidential treatment shall be accorded to such portion of the Confidential Information to be disclosed. Each party shall reimburse the other party for reasonable legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with such party’s effort to comply with this section.
Conduct Pending the Merger SECTION 2.1. Conduct of the Company's Business Prior to the Effective Time. Except as expressly provided in this Plan, during the period from the date of this Plan to the Effective Time, the Company shall, and shall cause each of its subsidiaries to, (i) conduct its business in the usual, regular and ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (ii) use its best efforts to maintain and preserve intact its business organization, properties, leases, employees and advantageous business relationships and retain the services of its officers and key employees, (iii) use its best efforts to consummate the Agreement of Merger and Reorganization, dated as of July 21, 1998, by and between the Company, CBE, Inc., and F & M Merger Corporation, as amended on November 30, 1998 (the "CBE Merger Agreement"), (iv) take no action which would adversely affect or delay the ability of the Company, Parent or any subsidiary thereof to obtain any necessary approvals, consents or waivers of any governmental authority required for the transactions contemplated hereby or to perform its covenants and agreements on a timely basis under this Plan and (v) take no action that is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined in Section 9.1 hereof) on the Company.
