JOINT SETTLEMENT RECOMMENDATION 2. Staff conducted an investigation of the Respondent’s activities. The investigation disclosed that the Respondent had engaged in activity for which the Respondent could be penalized on the exercise of the discretion of the Hearing Panel pursuant to s. 24.1 of By-law No. 1.
3. Staff and the Respondent recommend settlement of the matters disclosed by the investigation in accordance with the terms and conditions set out below. The Respondent agrees to the settlement on the basis of the facts set out in Part IV herein and consents to the making of an Order in the form attached as Schedule “A”.
4. Staff and the Respondent agree that the terms of this Settlement Agreement, including the attached Schedule “A”, will be released to the public only if and when the Settlement Agreement is accepted by the Hearing Panel.
Company Board Recommendation (a) Subject to the terms of Section 6.3(b) and Section 6.3(c), the Company Board shall recommend that the holders of Company Shares accept the Offer, tender their Company Shares to Acquisition Sub pursuant to the Offer and, if required by the applicable provisions of Delaware Law, adopt this Agreement (the “Company Board Recommendation”).
(b) Neither the Company Board nor any committee thereof shall (i) fail to make the Company Board Recommendation to the holders of the Company Shares, (ii) withhold, withdraw, amend or modify in a manner adverse to Parent, or publicly propose to withhold, withdraw, amend or modify in a manner adverse to Parent, the Company Board Recommendation, (iii) adopt, approve, recommend, endorse or otherwise declare advisable the adoption of any Acquisition Proposal (it being understood that, only with respect to a tender offer or exchange offer, taking a neutral position or no position (other than in a communication made in compliance with Rule 14d-9(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act) with respect to any Acquisition Proposal shall be considered a breach of this clause (iii)), or (iv) resolve, agree or publicly propose to take any such actions (each such foregoing action or failure to act in clauses (i) through (iv) being referred to herein as an “Company Board Recommendation Change”). Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, if, at any time prior to the Appointment Time, the Company Board receives a Superior Proposal or there occurs an Intervening Event, the Company Board may effect a Company Board Recommendation Change provided that (i) the Company Board determines in good faith (after consultation with outside legal counsel) that the failure to effect a Company Board Recommendation Change would reasonably be expected to be a breach of its fiduciary duties to the Company Stockholders under applicable Delaware Law, and in the case of a Superior Proposal, the Company Board approves or recommends such Superior Proposal; (ii) the Company has notified Parent in writing that it intends to effect a Company Board Recommendation Change, describing in reasonable detail the reasons, including the material terms and conditions of any such Superior Proposal and a copy of the final form of any related agreements or a description in reasonable detail of such Intervening Event, as the case may be, for such Company Board Recommendation Change (a “Recommendation Change Notice”) (it being understood that the Recommendation Change Notice shall not constitute a Company Board Recommendation Change for purposes of this Agreement); (iii) if requested by Parent, the Company shall have made its Representatives available to discuss and negotiate in good faith with Parent’s Representatives any proposed modifications to the terms and conditions of this Agreement during the three (3) Business Day period following delivery by the Company to Parent of such Recommendation Change Notice; and (iv) if Parent shall have delivered to the Company a written proposal capable of being accepted by the Company to alter the terms or conditions of this Agreement during such three (3) Business Day period, the Company Board shall have determined in good faith (after consultation with outside legal counsel), after considering the terms of such proposal by Parent, that a Company Board Recommendation Change is still necessary in light of such Superior Proposal or Intervening Event in order to comply with its fiduciary duties to the Company Stockholders under applicable Delaware Law. Any material amendment or modification to any Superior Proposal will be deemed to be a new Superior Proposal for purposes of this Section 6.3. The Company shall keep confidential any proposals made by Parent to revise the terms of this Agreement, other than in the event of any amendment to this Agreement and to the extent required to be disclosed in any Company SEC Reports.
(c) Nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit the Company Board from (i) taking and disclosing to the Company Stockholders a position contemplated by Rule 14e-2(a) under the Exchange Act or complying with the provisions of Rule 14d-9 promulgated under the Exchange Act, and (ii) making any disclosure to the Company Stockholders that the Company Board determines in good faith (after consultation with its outside legal counsel) that the failure to make such disclosure would reasonably be expected to be a breach of its fiduciary duties to the Company Stockholders under applicable Delaware Law; provided, however, that in no event shall this Section 6.3(c) affect the obligations of the Company set forth in Sections 6.2 and 6.3; and provided, further, that any such disclosure will be deemed to be a Company Board Recommendation Change unless the Board of Directors publicly reaffirms the Company Board Recommendation within five Business Days of such disclosure.
Change of Recommendation Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, at any time prior to obtaining the Company Stockholder Approval, the Company’s Board of Directors may, if it concludes in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisors and outside legal advisors) that the failure to take such action would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law, make an Adverse Recommendation Change; provided that prior to any such Adverse Recommendation Change, (A) the Company shall have given Parent and Merger Sub prompt written notice advising them of (x) the decision of the Company’s Board of Directors to take such action and the reasons therefor and (y) in the event the decision relates to an Alternative Transaction Proposal, a summary of the material terms and conditions of the Alternative Transaction Proposal and other information requested to be provided with respect thereto pursuant to this Section 5.4, including the information required to be provided pursuant to Section 5.4(b) and (c), (B) the Company shall have given Parent and Merger Sub three (3) Business Days (the “Notice Period”) after delivery of each such notice to propose revisions to the terms of this Agreement (or make another proposal) and, during the Notice Period, the Company shall, and shall direct its financial advisors and outside legal advisors to, negotiate with Parent in good faith (to the extent Parent desires to negotiate) to make such adjustments in the terms and conditions of this Agreement so that, if applicable, such Alternative Transaction Proposal ceases to constitute (in the judgment of the Company’s Board of Directors, after consultation with its financial advisors and outside legal advisors), a Superior Proposal or, if the Adverse Recommendation Change does not involve an Alternative Transaction Proposal, to make such adjustments in the terms and conditions of this Agreement so that such Adverse Recommendation Change is otherwise not necessary, and (C) the Company’s Board of Directors shall have determined in good faith, after considering the results of such negotiations and giving effect to the proposals made by Parent and Merger Sub, if any, that such Alternative Transaction Proposal, if applicable, continues to constitute a Superior Proposal or that such Adverse Recommendation Change is otherwise still required; provided further that, (1) if during the Notice Period described in clause (B) of this paragraph any revisions are made to the Superior Proposal, if applicable, and the Company’s Board of Directors in its good faith judgment determines (after consultation with its financial advisors and outside legal advisors) that such revisions are material (it being understood that any change in the purchase price or form of consideration in such Superior Proposal shall be deemed a material revision), the Company shall deliver a new written notice to Parent and shall comply with the requirements of this Section 5.4(d) with respect to such new written notice except that the new Notice Period shall be two (2) Business Days instead of three (3) Business Days and (2) in the event the Company’s Board of Directors does not make the determination referred to in clause (C) of this paragraph but thereafter determines to make an Adverse Recommendation Change pursuant to this Section 5.4(d), the procedures referred to in clauses (A), (B) and (C) above shall apply anew and shall also apply to any subsequent withdrawal, amendment or change.
Board Recommendation The Acquiror Company Board, by unanimous written consent, has determined that this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are advisable and in the best interests of the Acquiror Company’s stockholders and has duly authorized this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Authority Relative to this Agreement; Recommendation The Company has all necessary corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly authorized by the Board and no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Company are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby except, if required by law, the approval and adoption of this Agreement and the Merger by the holders of the outstanding Shares. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid, legal and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally, and except as the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by the application of general principles of equity (regardless of whether such equitable principle is applied in a proceeding at law or in equity). The Board has duly and validly approved, and taken all corporate actions required to be taken by the Board (including but not limited to all actions the Board reasonably believes to be required to render the provisions of Title 3, Subtitles 2, 6 and 7 of the MGCL, "Special Voting Requirements" and "Voting Rights of Certain Control Shares", respectively, inapplicable to Parent and Acquisition) for the consummation of, the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Offer and the acquisition of the Shares pursuant thereto, the Preferred Stock Issuance and the Merger.
Joint Press Release If requested by a party, the parties shall issue a joint press release announcing the execution of this Agreement in substantially the form(s) mutually agreed upon by the parties.
Disclosure Updates Promptly and in no event later than 5 Business Days after obtaining knowledge thereof, notify Agent if any written information, exhibit, or report furnished to the Lender Group contained, at the time it was furnished, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading in light of the circumstances in which made. The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, any notification pursuant to the foregoing provision will not cure or remedy the effect of the prior untrue statement of a material fact or omission of any material fact nor shall any such notification have the effect of amending or modifying this Agreement or any of the Schedules hereto.
Investment Representation Statement Unless the rights under this Warrant are exercised pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act that includes the Shares with respect to which the Warrant was exercised, it shall be a condition to any exercise of the rights under this Warrant that the Holder shall have confirmed to the satisfaction of the Company in writing, substantially in the form of Exhibit A-1, that the Shares so purchased are being acquired solely for the Holder’s own account and not as a nominee for any other party, for investment and not with a view toward distribution or resale and that the Holder shall have confirmed such other matters related thereto as may be reasonably requested by the Company.
No Change in Recommendation or Alternative Acquisition Agreement The board of directors of the Company and each committee of the board of directors shall not:
(i) (A) withhold, withdraw, qualify or modify (or publicly propose or resolve to withhold, withdraw, qualify or modify), in a manner adverse to Parent, the Company Recommendation (B) fail to include the Company Recommendation in the Proxy Statement, (C) approve, recommend or otherwise declare advisable or propose or resolve to approve, recommend or otherwise declare advisable (publicly or otherwise), any Acquisition Proposal, or (D) fail to publicly reaffirm the Company Recommendation within ten business days after Parent so requests in writing (provided, that Parent shall be entitled to make such a written request for reaffirmation only once for each Acquisition Proposal and once for each material amendment to such Acquisition Proposal) (any action described in clauses (A) and (D) a “Change of Recommendation”); or
(ii) Except as expressly permitted by, and after compliance with this Section 6.2(d), cause or permit the Company to enter into any Alternative Acquisition Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, prior to the time, but not after, the Company Requisite Vote is obtained, the board of directors of the Company (x) may make a Change of Recommendation and in connection therewith, approve, recommend or otherwise declare advisable, and enter into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement in connection with a Superior Proposal made after the date of this Agreement (if such Superior Proposal did not result from a material breach of Section 6.2(a) and such Superior Proposal is not withdrawn) or (y) may make a Change of Recommendation as a result of the occurrence of an Intervening Event, if, the board of directors of the Company determines in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel, that failure to do so would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with the directors’ fiduciary duties under applicable Law; provided, however, that the board of directors of the Company shall not (i) in the case of clause (x) make a Change of Recommendation with respect to a Superior Proposal and authorize the Company to enter into any Alterative Acquisition Agreement or (ii) in the case of clause (y) make a Change of Recommendation unless:
(i) the Company has notified Parent in writing that it intends to effect a Change of Recommendation, describing in reasonable detail the reasons for such Change of Recommendation (a “Recommendation Change Notice”) (it being agreed that the Recommendation Change Notice and any amendment or update to such notice and the determination to so deliver such notice, or update or amend public disclosures with respect thereto shall not constitute a Change of Recommendation for purposes of this Agreement), and if such proposed Change of Recommendation relates to an Acquisition Proposal, has provided copies of the most current version of all documents relating to such Acquisition Proposal, and if such proposed Change of Recommendation relates to an Intervening Event, such Recommendation Change Notice specifies the facts and circumstances of such Intervening Event; and
(ii) (x) if requested by Parent, the Company shall have made its Representatives available to discuss and negotiate in good faith with Parent and its Representatives any proposed modifications to the terms and conditions of this Agreement during the three business days following the date on which the Recommendation Change Notice is delivered to Parent and (y) if Parent shall have delivered to the Company a written, binding and irrevocable offer to alter the terms or conditions of this Agreement during such three business day period, the board of directors of the Company shall have determined in good faith after consultation with its financial advisors and outside legal counsel, after considering the terms of such offer by Parent, that the failure to effect a Change of Recommendation would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law, and that in the case of a Change of Recommendation with respect to an Acquisition Proposal, such Acquisition Proposal would continue to constitute a Superior Proposal if the changes offered by Parent were given effect, and that in the case of an Intervening Event, the board of directors of the Company still intends to effect a Change of Recommendation if the changes offered by Parent were given effect; provided that in the event the Acquisition Proposal is thereafter modified by the party making such Acquisition Proposal, the Company shall notify Parent in writing of such modified Acquisition Proposal and shall again comply with the requirements of this clause (ii).
Removal from any Boards and Positions Upon Executive’s termination of employment for any reason under this Agreement, Executive shall be deemed to resign (i) if a member, from the Board and the board of directors of any Affiliate and any other board to which Executive has been appointed or nominated by or on behalf of the Company or an Affiliate, (ii) from each position with the Company and any Affiliate, including as an officer of the Company or an Affiliate and (iii) as a fiduciary of any employee benefit plan of the Company and any Affiliate.
