Disbursement of Escrow Funds (a) Subject to Section 3(b) and Section 10, NCPS shall promptly disburse in accordance with the Instruction Letter the liquidated value of the Escrow Funds from the Escrow Account to Issuer by wire transfer no later than one Business Day following receipt of the following documents:
(i) Minimum Offering Notice;
(ii) Subscription Accounting substantiating the fulfillment of the Minimum Offering;
(iii) Instruction Letter; and
(iv) such other certificates, notices or other documents as NCPS may reasonably require; provided that NCPS shall not be obligated to disburse the liquidated value of the Escrow Funds to Issuer if NCPS has reason to believe that (A) Cash Investment Instruments in full payment for that number of Securities equal to or greater than the Minimum Offering have not been received, deposited with and collected by NCPS, or (B) any of the information or the certifications, representations, warranties or opinions set forth in the Minimum Offering Notice, Subscription Accounting, Instruction Letter or other certificates, notices or other documents are incorrect or incomplete. After the initial disbursement of Escrow Funds to Issuer pursuant to this Section 4(a), NCPS shall promptly disburse any additional funds received with respect to the Securities to Issuer by wire transfer no later than one Business Day after NCPS receives from or on behalf of Issuer (1) Issuer’s request for closing via NCPS’s online portal and (2) Issuer’s written verification that the subscriptions therefor are in good order. Any ACH transaction must comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, codes and orders of applicable governmental, regulatory, judicial and law enforcement authorities and self-regulatory authorities (collectively, “Law”), including, without limitation, NACHA’s operating rules that apply to the ACH network as in effect from time to time. NCPS is not responsible for errors in the completion, accuracy or timeliness of any transfer properly initiated by NCPS in accordance with joint written instructions occasioned by the acts or omissions of any third party financial institution or a party to the transaction, or the insufficiency or lack of availability of funds on deposit in any account.
(b) No later than three Business Days after receipt from Subscriber of any required payment instructions and receipt by NCPS of written notice: (i) from Issuer Party that Issuer Party intends to reject a Subscriber’s subscription; (ii) from Issuer Party that there will be no closing of the sale of Securities to Subscribers; (iii) from any federal or state regulatory authority that any application by Issuer to conduct a banking business has been denied; or (iv) from the SEC or any other federal or state regulatory authority that a stop or similar order has been issued with respect to the Offering Document and has remained in effect for at least 20 days, NCPS shall pay to each Subscriber by the same method the amount of the Cash Investment received by NCPS from such Subscriber or promptly return to Subscriber such Subscriber’s Cash Investment Instrument; provided that amounts in excess of $25,000 will be returned via wire transfer upon confirmation by NCPS of Subscriber’s account information.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if NCPS shall not have received an Instruction Letter on or before the Expiration Date or the Termination Date (as defined below), subject to Section 5, NCPS shall, within three Business Days after such Expiration Date or Termination Date and receipt from Subscriber of any required payment instructions, and without any further instruction or direction from Issuer Party, pay to each Subscriber by the same method the amount of the Cash Investment received by NCPS from such Subscriber or promptly return to Subscriber such Subscriber’s Cash Investment Instrument; provided that amounts in excess of $25,000 will be returned via wire transfer upon confirmation by NCPS of Subscriber’s account information.
(d) Issuer Party shall, or cause Subscriber to, provide NCPS with information sufficient to effect such payment or return to Subscriber as outlined in this Section 4, including, without limitation, updated payment information in the event a payment or return to Subscriber for any reason cannot be made by the same method as received by NCPS.
Investment of Escrow Funds The Escrow Agent shall deposit the Escrow Funds in a non-interest bearing money market account. If Escrow Agent has not received a Joint Written Direction at any time that an investment decision must be made, Escrow Agent may retain the Escrow Fund, or such portion thereof, as to which no Joint Written Direction has been received, in a non-interest bearing money market account.
Investment of Escrow Fund During the term of this Escrow Agreement, the Escrow Fund shall be invested and reinvested by the Escrow Agent in the investment indicated on Schedule 1 or such other investments as shall be directed in writing by the Issuer and the Depositor and as shall be acceptable to the Escrow Agent. All investment orders involving U.S. Treasury obligations, commercial paper and other direct investments may be executed through broker-dealers selected by the Escrow Agent. Periodic statements will be provided to the Issuer and the Depositor reflecting transactions executed on behalf of the Escrow Fund. The Issuer and the Depositor, upon written request, will receive a statement of transaction details upon completion of any securities transaction in the Escrow Fund without any additional cost. The Escrow Agent shall have the right to liquidate any investments held in order to provide funds necessary to make required payments under this Escrow Agreement. The Escrow Agent shall have no liability for any loss sustained as a result of any investment in an investment indicated on Schedule 1 or any investment made pursuant to the instructions of the parties hereto or as a result of any liquidation of any investment prior to its maturity or for the failure of the parties to give the Escrow Agent instructions to invest or reinvest the Escrow Fund. The Escrow Agent may earn compensation in the form of short-term interest (“float”) on items like uncashed distribution checks (from the date issued until the date cashed), funds that the Escrow Agent is directed not to invest, deposits awaiting investment direction or received too late to be invested overnight in previously directed investments.
Disbursements of Escrow Funds a. In the event Escrow Agent does not receive written instructions from the Issuer to release funds from Escrow on or prior to the termination of the Escrow Period, Escrow Agent shall terminate Escrow and make a full and prompt return of funds so that refunds are made to each Subscriber in the exact amount received from said Subscriber, without deduction, penalty, or expense to Subscriber. In the event Escrow Agent receives cleared funds prior to the termination of the Escrow Period and Escrow Agent receives a written instruction from Issuer, Escrow Agent shall, pursuant to those instructions, distribute funds from such Escrow Amount pursuant to the instructions of Issuer. The Escrow Agent shall effect such transfer by the close of business on the date the Escrow Agent receives the written instruction from the Issuer; provided, however if the Escrow Agent receives the written instruction from the Issuer after 2 pm Eastern Time, then the Escrow Agent shall effect such transfer by the close of business the on the next succeeding business day. Issuer’s written instructions to Escrow Agent shall certify that all conditions set forth in the Offering Statement for release of funds have been met for a closing of the Offering and include a schedule of deductions from the Escrow Account for any funds for management and offering and selling expenses, including without limitation, any process fees incurred by the Escrow Agent, from the gross proceeds of the Escrow Account prior to remitting such funds, if and when due, to Issuer. Escrow Agent is hereby directed to remit such funds as directed by Issuer directly to the appropriate parties, if any, to which they are due. Net proceeds (meaning gross proceeds less amounts remitted pursuant to Issuer’s instructions certain parties), will then be remitted to Issuer as described above. No later than fifteen (15) business days after receipt by Escrow Agent of written notice (i) from Issuer that Issuer intends to reject a Subscriber’s subscription, (ii) from Issuer that there will be no closing of the sale of Securities to Subscribers, (iii) from any federal or state regulatory authority that any application by Issuer to conduct a banking business has been denied, or (iv) from the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal or state regulatory authority that a stop or similar order has been issued with respect to the Offering document and has remained in effect for at least twenty (20) days, Escrow Agent shall pay to the applicable Subscriber(s), by certified or bank check and by first-class mail, the amount (without any interest) of the Cash Investment paid by such Subscriber.
Deposit of Escrow Funds By its execution hereof, Recipient acknowledges that the deposit of the Escrow Funds into escrow with Escrow Agent does not confer any rights or claims to the Escrow Funds by Recipient unless all of the conditions in Section 2 above and the conditions as set forth in the Grant Agreement, have been satisfied.
Escrow Fund Prior to any amount being distributed to any Company Holder pursuant to Section 2.6, the Escrow Fund will be withheld from the Merger Consideration and deposited with the Escrow Agent. The Indemnity Portion of the Escrow Fund will be held for the purpose of securing the indemnification obligations of the Company set forth in this Agreement. The Adjustment Portion of the Escrow Fund will be held for the purpose of securing any obligation of the Company to make a payment to Purchaser pursuant to Section 2.13(d). The Escrow Fund will be withheld from the aggregate amount of Merger Consideration otherwise payable to each Company Holder pursuant to Section 2.6, with each Company Holder’s portion of the Escrow Fund equal to its Company Holder Percentage Interest. The Shareholders’ Agent Expense Portion of the Escrow Fund will be held for the purpose of funding any expenses of the Shareholders’ Agent arising in connection with the administration of the Shareholders’ Agent’s duties in this Agreement after the Effective Time. The Escrow Agreement will provide for (i) the release of the Adjustment Portion of the Escrow Fund remaining in the escrow account (in accordance with Company Holder Percentage Interests for any amounts payable to the Company Holders) within five (5) Business Days after the final determination of the Merger Consideration pursuant to Section 2.13(c) (but, for the avoidance of doubt, after any required payment to Purchaser pursuant to Section 2.13(d) has been made), (ii) the release, subject to a reserve in the aggregate amount of all pending claims, of the Indemnity Portion of the Escrow Fund remaining in the escrow account (in accordance with Company Holder Percentage Interests for any amounts payable to the Company Holders) within five (5) Business Days after the earlier of (A) the date Purchaser completes an audit of the Company for 2014 (such date to be confirmed in writing by Purchaser to the Shareholders’ Agent), or (B) April 1, 2015; and (iii) the release of the Shareholders’ Agent Expense Portion of the Escrow Fund upon receipt of written notice from the Shareholders’ Agent. Following payment of the last balance remaining in the Indemnity Portion of the Escrow Fund that was reserved for a claim made by any Indemnified Persons under Section 9 of this Agreement (or the definitive withdrawal or resolution of such claim), and after payment of any Shareholders’ Agent expenses from the Shareholders’ Agent Expense Portion of the Escrow Fund, Purchaser and the Shareholders’ Agent will direct the Escrow Agent to pay to the Company Holders (or with respect to the Company Holders that were holders of Vested Company Options that were cancelled under Section 2.6(c)(i), to the Surviving Corporation for payment to the Company Holders who are entitled to such Company Holders through the Surviving Corporation’s payroll) in accordance with their Company Holder Percentage Interests an aggregate amount that is equal to any remaining balance of the Escrow Fund.
Release of Escrow Funds The Escrow Funds shall be paid by the Escrow Agent in accordance with the following:
(a) In the event that the Company advises the Escrow Agent in writing that the Offering has been terminated (the “Termination Notice”), the Escrow Agent shall promptly return the funds paid by each Investor to such Investor without interest or offset.
(b) At each Closing, the Company and the Placement Agent shall provide the Escrow Agent with written instructions regarding the disbursement of the Escrow Funds in accordance with Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof and signed by the Company and the Placement Agent (the “Disbursement Instructions”).
(c) If by 5:00 P.M. Eastern time on the Final Termination Date, the Escrow Agent has not received written Disbursement Instructions from the Company and Placement Agent regarding the disbursement of the Escrow Funds in the Escrow Account, if any, then the Escrow Agent shall promptly return such Escrow Funds, if any, to the Investors without interest or offset. The Escrow Funds returned to the Investors shall be free and clear of any and all claims of the Escrow Agent.
(d) The Escrow Agent shall not be required to pay any uncollected funds or any funds that are not available for withdrawal.
(e) The Placement Agent or the Company will provide the Escrow Agent with the payment instructions for each Investor, to whom the funds should be returned in accordance with this section.
(f) In the event that Escrow Agent makes any payment to any other party pursuant to this Escrow Agreement and for any reason such payment (or any portion thereof) is required to be returned to the Escrow Account or another party or is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside and/or required to be repaid to a receiver, trustee or other party under any bankruptcy or insolvency law, other federal or state law, common law or equitable doctrine, then the recipient party shall repay to the Escrow Agent upon written request the amount so paid to it.
(g) The Escrow Agent shall, in its sole discretion, comply with judgments or orders issued or process entered by any court with respect to the Escrow Amount, including without limitation any attachment, levy or garnishment, without any obligation to determine such court's jurisdiction in the matter and in accordance with its normal business practices. If the Escrow Agent complies with any such judgment, order or process, then it shall not be liable to any of the Parties or any other person by reason of such compliance, regardless of the final disposition of any such judgment, order or process.
(h) Each Party understands and agrees that Escrow Agent shall have no obligation or duty to act upon a written direction delivered to Escrow Agent for the disbursement of all or part of the Escrow Amount under this Agreement (a “Written Direction”) if such Written Direction is not
(i) in writing,
(ii) signed by representatives of both Parties listed in Schedule II to this Agreement, in each case, each such individual an “Authorized Representative” of such Party), and
(iii) delivered to, and able to be authenticated by, Escrow Agent in accordance with Section 1.4 below.
(i) Upon request by any Party, the Escrow Agent set up each Party with on-line access to the account(s) established pursuant to this Agreement, which each Party can use to view and verify transaction on such account(s).
(j) A Party may specify in a Written Direction whether such Escrow Amount shall be disbursed by way of wire transfer or check. If the written notice for the disbursement of funds does not so specify the disbursement means, Escrow Agent may disburse the Escrow Amount by wire transfer.
Indemnity Escrow (i) At or prior to the Closing, Pubco, the Seller Representative and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (or such other escrow agent mutually acceptable to Purchaser and the Company), as escrow agent (the “Escrow Agent”), shall enter into an Escrow Agreement, effective as of the Effective Time, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Purchaser and the Company (the “Escrow Agreement”), pursuant to which Pubco shall cause to be delivered to the Escrow Agent a number of Class B Exchange Shares (each valued at the Redemption Price) equal to (x) fifteen percent (15%) of the estimated Exchange Consideration, divided by (y) the Redemption Price otherwise issuable to the Sellers at the Closing based on the Estimated Closing Statement (such Class B Exchange Shares, together with any equity securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such shares or into which such shares are exchanged or converted, in each case, as long as they remain in the Indemnity Escrow Account, the “Indemnity Escrow Shares”) to be held, along with any other dividends, distributions or other income on the Indemnity Escrow Shares, in each case, as long as they remain in the Indemnity Escrow Account (together with the Indemnity Escrow Shares, the “Indemnity Escrow Property”), in a segregated escrow account (the “Indemnity Escrow Account”) and disbursed in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement. The portion of the Class B Exchange Shares that shall be withheld at the Closing for deposit in the Indemnity Escrow Account, and any disbursement from the Indemnity Escrow Account to Pubco, shall be allocated between the Class B Sellers based on each such Seller’s relative Pro Rata Share (as between themselves). The Indemnity Escrow Shares shall serve as the sole and exclusive source of payment of the obligations of the Sellers under Section 2.5(d) and the obligations of the Indemnitors pursuant to Article IX (other than with respect to (A) Fraud Claims or (B) any indemnification claims for breach of any Company and Seller Fundamental Representations, for which the Main Seller shall be solely responsible). Unless otherwise required by Law, all distributions made from the Indemnity Escrow Account shall be treated by the Parties as an adjustment to the Exchange Consideration received by the Sellers pursuant to Article II hereof. Each Class B Seller shall be deemed to be the owner of such Seller’s relative Pro Rata Share (as between themselves) of the Indemnity Escrow Shares during the time such Indemnity Escrow Shares are held in the Indemnity Escrow Account, subject to the retention of any dividends, distributions and other earnings thereon in the Indemnity Escrow Account until disbursed therefrom in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement. Each Class B Seller shall have the right to vote such Seller’s relative Pro Rata Share (as between themselves) of the Indemnity Escrow Shares (together with any equity securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such shares or into which such shares are exchanged or converted) during the time held in the Indemnity Escrow Account as Indemnity Escrow Shares.
(ii) (A) Within three (3) Business Days after the twelve (12) month anniversary of the Closing Date (such anniversary, the “First Escrow Release Date”), the Purchaser Representative and Seller Representatives shall give joint written instruction to the Escrow Agent directing the release of the First Released Escrow Property (if any) to the Class B Sellers; (B) within three (3) Business Days after the twenty-four (24) month anniversary (such anniversary, the “Expiration Date”), the Purchaser Representative and Seller Representatives shall give joint written instruction to the Escrow Agent directing the release of all remaining Indemnity Escrow Property (if any) to the Class B Sellers; and (C) the Indemnity Escrow Property shall not be subject to any indemnification claim to the extent such claim is made after the Expiration Date; provided, however, with respect to any indemnification claim made in accordance with Article IX hereof on or prior to the Expiration Date that remains unresolved at the time and are still contested by an Indemnitee in good faith as of the Expiration Date (any such claim, a “Pending Claim”), an amount of the Indemnity Escrow Property with a value (with respect to the Indemnity Escrow Shares, calculated based on the Pubco Share Price as of the Expiration Date) equal to the aggregate amount of the Pending Claims set forth in the Claim Notice provided by the Purchaser Representative in accordance with Section 9.4 (as adjusted in accordance with Section 9.4(b)) shall remain in the Indemnity Escrow Account until such time as such Pending Claim shall have been finally resolved and paid pursuant to the provisions of Article IX. After the Expiration Date, to the extent that the value of the remaining Indemnity Escrow Property (with respect to the Indemnity Escrow Shares, calculated based on the Pubco Share Price) exceeds the aggregate amount of (a) resolved but unpaid claims in favor of an Indemnitee and (b) the Pending Claims set forth in the Claim Notice (as adjusted in accordance with Section 9.4(b)) submitted prior to the Expiration Date, an amount of Indemnity Escrow Property having a value (with respect to the Indemnity Escrow Shares, calculated based on the Pubco Share Price) equal to such excess shall be promptly (and no later than three (3) Business Days) disbursed by the Escrow Agent to the Class B Sellers (and Purchaser Representative and Seller Representatives shall promptly give joint written instructions to the Escrow Agent directing such release), with respect to each release of the Indemnity Escrow Property to the Class B Sellers, each such Seller shall receive such Seller’s relative Pro Rata Share (as between themselves) of such Indemnity Escrow Property. Promptly after the final resolution of all Pending Claims and payment of all indemnification obligations in connection therewith, the Escrow Agent shall transfer any Indemnity Escrow Property remaining in the Indemnity Escrow Account to the Class B Sellers with each such Seller receiving such Seller’s relative Pro Rata Share (as between themselves) of such Indemnity Escrow Property.
Deposit of Escrow Securities in Escrow (1) You are depositing the securities (escrow securities) listed opposite your name in Schedule “A” with the Escrow Agent to be held in escrow under this Agreement. You will immediately deliver or cause to be delivered to the Escrow Agent any share certificates or other evidence of these securities which you have or which you may later receive.
(2) If you receive any other securities (additional escrow securities):
(a) as a dividend or other distribution on escrow securities;
(b) on the exercise of a right of purchase, conversion or exchange attaching to escrow securities, including securities received on conversion of special warrants;
(c) on a subdivision, or compulsory or automatic conversion or exchange of escrow securities; or
(d) from a successor issuer in a business combination, if Part 6 of this Agreement applies, you will deposit them in escrow with the Escrow Agent. You will deliver or cause to be delivered to the Escrow Agent any share certificates or other evidence of those additional escrow securities. When this Agreement refers to escrow securities, it includes additional escrow securities.
(3) You will immediately deliver to the Escrow Agent any replacement share certificates or other evidence of additional escrow securities issued to you.
Investment of Escrowed Funds (a) Until released in accordance with this Agreement, the Escrowed Funds shall be kept segregated in the records of the Subscription Receipt Agent and shall be deposited in one or more segregated interest-bearing bank accounts to be maintained by the Subscription Receipt Agent in the name of the Subscription Receipt Agent at one or more Schedule I Canadian chartered banks, including the banks set forth in Section 7.2(c) (each such bank, an “Approved Bank”). Interest will be credited by the fifth Business Day of the following month.
(b) All amounts held by the Subscription Receipt Agent pursuant to this Agreement shall be held by the Subscription Receipt Agent for the benefit of the Subscription Receiptholders and the delivery of the Escrowed Proceeds to the Subscription Receipt Agent shall not give rise to a debtor-creditor or other similar relationship between the Subscription Receipt Agent and the Subscription Receiptholders. The amounts held by the Subscription Receipt Agent pursuant to this Agreement are the sole risk of the Subscription Receiptholders and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Subscription Receipt Agent shall have no responsibility or liability for any diminution of the Escrowed Funds which may result from any deposit made with an Approved Bank pursuant to this Section 7.2, including any losses resulting from a default by the Approved Bank or other credit losses (whether or not resulting from such a default) and any credit or other losses on any deposits liquidated or sold prior to maturity. The Company and the Lead Underwriter acknowledge and agree that the Subscription Receipt Agent acts prudently in depositing the Escrowed Proceeds at any Approved Bank, and that the Subscription Receipt Agent is not required to make any further inquiries in respect of any such bank.
(c) The Approved Banks include the Bank of Montreal and The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
