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.
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.
