Interim Operations Except as (x) required by applicable Law, (y) expressly contemplated or required by this Agreement or (z) set forth in Section 6.1 of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company Parties covenant and agree that, from and after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Company Merger Effective Time, except with the prior written consent of Parent (which consent is not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), each of the Company Parties shall, and shall cause their Subsidiaries to, conduct their business in the ordinary course and shall, and shall cause their Subsidiaries to, use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to (1) preserve their business organizations intact and (2) maintain existing relations and goodwill with Governmental Entities and customers, suppliers, employees and business associates.
(a) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and in furtherance thereof, from and after the execution and delivery of this Agreement until the Company Merger Effective Time, except as (x) required by applicable Law, (y) expressly contemplated or required by this Agreement, or (z) as set forth in the relevant subsection of Section 6.1 of the Company Disclosure Letter (it being understood and hereby agreed that if any action is expressly permitted by any of the following subsections such action shall be expressly permitted under the first sentence of Section 6.1), except with the prior written consent of Parent (which consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), none of the Company Parties will and the Company Parties will not permit any of their Subsidiaries to:
(i) adopt any change in the Company's certificate of incorporation or bylaws or DPA's limited liability company agreement, or adopt any material change in the applicable governing instruments of any of their Subsidiaries;
(ii) merge or consolidate with any other Person or restructure, reorganize or completely or partially liquidate, except for (A) the Mergers or (B) any such transaction between wholly owned Subsidiaries of the Company Parties, or between any wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company Parties and the Company Parties, unless reasonably objected to by Parent following consultation;
(iii) acquire (by merger, consolidation, acquisition of stock or assets or otherwise) (x) any corporation, partnership or other business organization or (y) any assets from any other Person (excluding ordinary course purchases of goods, products and off-the-shelf Intellectual Property), except, following reasonable advanced consultation with Parent, where the consideration in such transaction is not in excess of $2,000,000 individually or $5,000,000 in the aggregate;
(iv) issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, grant, transfer, encumber, or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, disposition, grant, transfer, or encumbrance of, any shares of its capital stock or equity interests or the capital stock or equity interests of any of its Subsidiaries (other than (A) the issuance of Class A Shares upon the exercise of Company Options and settlement of Company RSAs and Director RSAs in accordance with the Stock Plan, in each case that are outstanding as of the date hereof or that are issued after the date hereof in compliance with this Agreement, (B) the issuance of Class A Shares pursuant to that certain Exchange Agreement dated as of October 3, 2007, as amended through the date hereof, by and among the Company Parties and certain unitholders of DPA (the “Exchange Agreement”), (C) between wholly owned Subsidiaries of the Company Parties or between a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company Parties and a Company Party), or securities convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for any shares of such capital stock, or any options, stock units, stock awards, warrants or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of such capital stock, equity interests, convertible or exchangeable securities;
(v) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to or investments in any Person (other than the Company Parties or any direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company Parties) other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice (including business expense advances to employees) in amounts not in excess of $750,000;
(vi) declare, set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, with respect to any of its capital stock or equity interests (except for (A) regular quarterly cash dividends at a rate not in excess of $0.09 per Class A Share and $0.09 per New Class A Unit, with record dates and payment dates consistent with the prior year, (B) tax distributions not in excess of those provided for pursuant to Section 4.4 of the limited liability company agreement of DPA or (C) dividends paid by any direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary to the Company Parties or to any other direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary) or enter into any agreement with respect to the voting of its capital stock;
(vii) reclassify, split, combine, subdivide or redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of its capital stock or equity interests or securities convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for any shares of its capital stock or equity interests (other than the acquisition in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice of any Class A Shares tendered by current or former Service Providers in connection with the cashless exercise of Company Options or in order to pay Taxes in connection with the exercise of Company Options or the vesting of Company RSAs and Director RSAs or in connection with any obligation under the Exchange Agreement);
(viii) incur any Indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee such Indebtedness of another Person (other than a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company Parties), or issue or sell any debt securities or warrants or other rights to acquire any debt security of the Company Parties or any of their Subsidiaries, in each case other than (A) in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice with a face value or principal amount not in excess of $2,500,000 in the aggregate, or (B) in the ordinary course under letters of credit, lines of credit or other credit facilities or arrangements in effect on the date hereof so long as the total Indebtedness incurred under all such letters of credit, lines of credit or credit facilities does not exceed $50,000,000 in the aggregate;
(ix) make or authorize any capital expenditures in excess of $500,000 individually or $1,500,000 in the aggregate, other than any capital expenditure (or series of related capital expenditures) consistent in all material respects with the 2013 capital expenditure budget of the Company Parties and their Subsidiaries in effect on the date of this Agreement (a copy of which has been previously provided to Parent);
(x) make any material changes with respect to any method of Tax or financial accounting policies or procedures, except as required by changes in GAAP or by a Governmental Entity;
(xi) compromise, settle or agree to settle any claims (A) involving amounts in excess of $250,000 individually or $1,000,000 in the aggregate, except to the extent reflected or reserved against in the Company's consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2012 included in the Company Reports in respect of the claim being settled or (B) that would impose any material non-monetary obligations on the Company Parties or their Subsidiaries or Affiliates that would continue after the Company Merger Effective Time;
(xii) make any material Tax election, file any material amended Tax Return, settle or compromise any material Tax liability, enter into any closing agreement with respect to any material Tax or surrender any right to claim a material Tax refund;
(xiii) transfer, sell, lease, license, mortgage, pledge, surrender, encumber, divest, cancel, abandon or allow to lapse or expire, xxxxx x Xxxx (other than a Permitted Lien) on or otherwise dispose of any assets, properties or rights of the Company Parties or their Subsidiaries, including capital stock of any of their Subsidiaries that are material to the Company Parties and their Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except (A) in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or (B) Liens granted in connection with any indebtedness permitted under this Section 6.1;
(xiv) except as required under applicable Law or the terms of any Benefit Plan in effect as of the date hereof (A) grant, provide or increase (or commit to grant, provide or increase) any severance or termination payments or benefits to any current or former Service Provider who is or was an executive officer, a director or other Service Provider earning annual compensation (base salary and incentive opportunities) in excess of $750,000 (any such Service Provider, a “Material Service Provider”), grant or provide for (or commit to grant or provide for) any severance or termination payments or benefits to any other current or former Service Provider other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or increase (or commit to increase) any severance or termination payments or benefits; (B) increase in any manner the compensation or benefits of any current or former Service Provider, except (x) for increases in base salary in the ordinary course where the aggregate increase does not exceed 4.5% percent of the aggregate annualized salaries in 2012 and (y) the payment of bonuses for the 2012 performance year in the ordinary course of business and, with respect to Material Service Providers consistent with past practice, and otherwise in the aggregate consistent with past practice, and not in excess of the amounts set forth in Section 6.1(a)(xiv) of the Company Disclosure Letter; (D) become a party to, establish, adopt, terminate, materially amend (or commit to become a party to, establish, adopt, terminate, or materially amend) any Benefit Plan or arrangement that would have been a Benefit Plan if in effect on the date hereof (other than routine changes to welfare plans) or accelerate the vesting of, or lapse of restrictions on, any compensation for the benefit of any current or former Material Service Provider; (E) cause the funding of any rabbi trust or similar arrangement or take any action to fund or in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under any Benefit Plan; or (F) terminate the employment or services of any Material Service Provider other than for cause, or hire any Person that would reasonably be expected to be a Material Service Provider;
(xv) abandon, convey title (in whole or in part), exclusively license or grant any right or other licenses to material Intellectual Property owned or exclusively licensed to the Company Parties or any of their Subsidiaries, or enter into licenses or agreements that impose material restrictions upon the Company Parties or any of their Subsidiaries with respect to its or their use of material Intellectual Property owned by any third party, in each case other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(A) except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (1) modify or amend, or voluntarily or prematurely terminate, any Material Contract (other than extensions at the end of term that do not materially modify or amend the terms of such Contract or modifications or amendments to reflect actual services performed), (2) enter into any successor agreement to an expiring Material Contract that materially modifies or amends the terms of such expiring Material Contract or (3) enter into any new agreement that would have been considered a Material Contract if it were entered into at or prior to the date hereof other than any such Contracts that may be cancelled, terminated or withdrawn without material liability to the Company Parties or their Subsidiaries upon notice of 90 days or less or (B) enter into any new agreement that would have been considered a Material Contract pursuant to clause (B), (I), (O) or (Q) of Section 5.1(q) if it were entered into at or prior to the date hereof;
(xvii) fail to maintain in full force and effect material insurance policies covering the Company Parties and their Subsidiaries and their respective properties, assets and businesses in a form and amount consistent with past practice; or
(xviii) agree, authorize or commit to do any of the foregoing.
(b) Each of the Buyer Parties agrees that, from and after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and until the Company Merger Effective Time, it shall not consummate or agree to consummate any purchase or other acquisition of any assets, licenses, operations, rights or businesses (other than as expressly contemplated by this Agreement) that, individually or in the aggregate with any other such purchase or acquisition, is reasonably likely to (i) prevent or materially delay from obtaining any consents, registrations, approvals, permits or authorizations required to be obtained from any Governmental Entity in connection with the consummation of the Mergers and the other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) result in the imposition of a condition or conditions on any such consents, registrations, approvals, permits or authorizations, or (iii) otherwise prevent or materially delay any party hereto from performing its obligations hereunder or consummating the Mergers and the other transactions contemplated hereby.
(c) Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to give any Buyer Party, directly or indirectly, the right to control or direct the Company Parties' or their Subsidiaries' operations prior to the Company Merger Effective Time, and nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to give the Company Parties or their Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, the right to control or direct the Buyer Parties' operations. Prior to the Company Merger Effective Time, each of the Buyer Parties and the Company Parties shall exercise, consistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, complete control and supervision over its and its Subsidiaries' respective operations.
(d) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties hereto, following the date hereof and prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make available to Parent:
(i) an estimate of the amounts potentially payable to each Service Provider under any Benefit Plan in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the adoption of this Agreement by holders of shares constituting the Company Requisite Vote or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (either alone or in conjunction with any other event, including as a result of a termination of employment or service), including the amount of any “excess parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code and any excise tax gross-up that could become payable under any Benefit Plans;
(ii) complete and correct copies of each Lease; and
(iii) true and complete current copies of all material Benefit Plans and, where applicable, (A) the most recently prepared actuarial report or financial statement with respect thereto, (B) the most recent summary plan description, and all material modifications thereto with respect thereto, (C) the most recent annual report (Form 5500 Series) and accompanying schedule with respect thereto, (D) the most recent determination letter with respect thereto, (E) copies of any material written correspondence with a Governmental Entity with respect thereto and (F) any related funding arrangements with respect thereto.
Conduct of Business by Parent (a) From and after the date hereof until the earlier of the Effective Time and the Termination Date, and except (i) as may be required by Law or the regulations or requirements of any stock exchange or regulatory organization applicable to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) as may be consented to in writing by the Partnership (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(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, Parent covenants and agrees that Parent shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, use reasonable best efforts to (x) conduct their businesses in the ordinary course, and (y) preserve substantially intact their present lines of business and preserve their relationships with significant customers and suppliers; 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 covenant unless such action would constitute a breach of such other provision.
(b) Parent agrees with the Partnership, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, that from the date hereof and prior to the earlier of the Effective Time and the Termination Date, except (w) as may be required by Law or the regulations or requirements of any stock exchange or regulatory organization applicable to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, (x) as may be consented to by the Partnership (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), (y) as may be contemplated or required by this Agreement or (z) as set forth in Section 5.2(b) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, Parent:
(i) shall not adopt any amendments to the Organizational Documents of Parent or Parent GP and shall not permit any of Parent’s Subsidiaries to adopt any material amendments to its Organizational Documents;
(ii) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, encumber, split, combine or reclassify or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, disposition, encumbrance, split, combination or reclassification of any of its Equity Interests, other than (1) issuances of Parent Common Units in respect of the vesting, exercise or settlement of any Parent equity awards outstanding on the date hereof or as may be granted after the date hereof as permitted under any Parent Equity Plan that is in the ordinary course of business consistent with Parent’s past practices, (2) for transactions among Parent and its wholly owned Subsidiaries or among Parent’s wholly owned Subsidiaries which remain Subsidiaries after the consummation of such transaction or (3) pledges or encumbrances due to Parent Permitted Liens;
(iii) except in the ordinary course of business, shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries that is not wholly owned by Parent or wholly owned Subsidiaries of any such Subsidiaries to, authorize or pay any dividends on or make any distribution with respect to its Equity Interests (whether in cash, assets, partnership units, stock or other securities of Parent or its Subsidiaries), except (1) dividends or distributions by any Subsidiaries only to Parent or any Subsidiary of Parent in the ordinary course of business, (2) dividends or distributions required under the applicable Organizational Documents of such Person, and (3) regular quarterly cash distributions with customary record and payment dates on the Parent Common Units of $0.625 per Parent Common Unit per quarter;
(iv) shall not, and shall not permit any of its material Subsidiaries to, adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization, other than any mergers, consolidations, restructurings or reorganizations solely among Parent and its wholly owned Subsidiaries or among Parent’s wholly owned Subsidiaries or in connection with an acquisition not prohibited by Section 5.2(b)(v);
(v) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, make, directly or indirectly, any acquisition by merging or otherwise purchasing any assets (including Equity Interests) or any business of any Person or make loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (other than any of Parent’s Subsidiaries), in each case in excess of $150.0 million in the aggregate or that would reasonably be expected to prevent, materially impede or materially delay the consummation of the LP Merger;
(vi) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease, license, transfer, exchange or swap, or otherwise dispose of any properties or non-cash assets with a value in excess of $150.0 million in the aggregate;
(vii) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, materially change financial accounting policies or procedures or any of its methods of reporting income, deductions or other material items for financial accounting purposes, except as required by GAAP, SEC rule or policy or Law;
(viii) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, incur, assume, guarantee or otherwise become liable for any indebtedness for borrowed money or any guarantee of such indebtedness for borrowed money, except for (1) any indebtedness for borrowed money so long as the Total Leverage Ratio (as defined in that certain Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 16, 2018, by and among Crestwood Midstream Partners LP, as borrower, the lenders party thereto, and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent, as in effect on the date hereof), is less than 3.75 to 1.00 and (2) any indebtedness incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(ix) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to (except in the ordinary course of business), (1) change its fiscal year or any material method of Tax accounting, (2) make, change or revoke any material Tax election, (3) enter into any closing agreement with respect to, or otherwise settle or compromise, any material liability for Taxes, (4) file any material amended Tax Return or (5) surrender a claim for a material refund of Taxes;
(x) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage in any activity or conduct its business in a manner that would cause less than 90% of the gross income of Parent for any calendar quarter since its formation and prior to the Effective Time to be treated as “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Code; and
(xi) shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, agree, in writing or otherwise, to take any of the foregoing actions that are prohibited pursuant to clauses (i) through (x) of this Section 5.2(b).
(xii) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5.2, from the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the Effective Time and the Termination Date, Parent and its Subsidiaries may take or refrain from taking any COVID-19 Action so long as (i) prior thereto, Parent consults with, and considers in good faith, the Partnership’s suggestions and/or feedback, or (ii) such COVID-19 Action would not reasonably be expected to materially impact Parent’s ability to operate in the ordinary course of business or materially delay or impede the consummation of the LP Merger.
