QUALIFIED TO DO BUSINESS Contractor represents and warrants that Contractor is (a) in good standing; (b) qualified to do business in the State of Washington; and (c) registered with the Washington State Department of Revenue and the Washington Secretary of State.
Qualification to do Business Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation, limited liability company or partnership (as the case may be) and is in good standing or similar concept in every jurisdiction in which the character of the properties owned or leased by it or the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
Authorized to do Business To the extent required under applicable law, as of the Cut-off Date or as of the date that such entity held the Mortgage Note, each holder of the Mortgage Note was authorized to transact and do business in the jurisdiction in which each related Mortgaged Property is located, or the failure to be so authorized does not materially and adversely affect the enforceability of such Mortgage Loan by the Trust.
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.
Lines of Business Enter into any business, either directly or through any Subsidiary, except for those businesses in which the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are engaged on the date of this Agreement or that are reasonably related thereto.
Operation of Business (a) Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or consented to by the Buyer in writing (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), during the period from the date of this Agreement to the Closing or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article XI hereof (the “Pre-Closing Period”), the Company shall, and shall cause each Consolidated Subsidiary to, conduct its operations only in the Ordinary Course of Business and in compliance with all applicable Laws and, to the extent consistent therewith, use its Reasonable Best Efforts to preserve intact its current business organization, keep available the services of its current officers and employees and preserve its relationships with customers, vendors and independent contractors and consultants. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, during the Pre-Closing Period the Company shall not, and shall cause each Consolidated Subsidiary not to, without the written consent of the Buyer (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed):
(i) issue or sell any stock or other securities of the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary or any options, warrants or rights to acquire any such stock or other securities;
(ii) split, combine or reclassify any shares of its capital stock; or declare, set aside or pay any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or property or any combination thereof) in respect of its capital stock;
(iii) create, incur or assume any Indebtedness in excess of $*** per occurrence or $*** in the aggregate, except accounts payable arising in the Ordinary Course of Business; assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise become liable or responsible (whether directly, contingently or otherwise) for the obligations of any other Person; or make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(iv) except as required to comply with applicable Law or agreements, plans or arrangements existing on the date of this Agreement and listed in the Disclosure Schedule (A) take any action with respect to, adopt, enter into, terminate or amend any Employee Benefit Plan or any collective bargaining agreement (other than matters with respect to lxxxxxxxx unions in Canada, following consultation with Buyer) (B) increase the compensation or benefits of, or pay or promise any bonus to, any director or officer, or materially modify their terms of employment or engagement, (C) amend or accelerate the payment, right to payment or vesting of any compensation or benefits, including any outstanding equity compensation, except in the Ordinary Course of Business, (D) hire any new officers or (except in the Ordinary Course of Business) any new employees, (E) grant any awards under any bonus, incentive, performance or other compensation plan or arrangement or benefit plan, including the grant of performance units or the removal of existing restrictions in any benefit plans or agreements or awards made thereunder, or (F) take any action to fund or in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under any employee plan, agreement, contract or arrangement or benefit plan; *** Represents material omitted per the registrant's Confidential Treatment Request and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 24b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(v) acquire, sell, lease, license or dispose of any material assets or property (including any shares or other equity interests in or securities of any Consolidated Subsidiary or any other corporation, partnership, association or other business organization or division thereof), other than (A) acquisition of capital assets permitted by subsection (xii) below, and (B) sales of obsolete or worn-out inventory or assets in the Ordinary Course of Business and having a fair market value of not more than $*** in the aggregate;
(vi) mortgage or pledge any of its property or assets or subject any such property or assets to any Lien (other than Permitted Encumbrances);
(vii) amend its charter, bylaws, certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement or other organizational documents;
(viii) change the flag or registry of a Vessel;
(ix) change its accounting methods, principles or practices, except insofar as may be required by a generally applicable change in GAAP;
(x) make or change any Tax election, change an annual accounting period, file any amended Tax Return, enter into any closing agreement, waive or extend any statute of limitation with respect to Taxes, settle or compromise any Tax Liability, claim or assessment, surrender any right to claim a refund of Taxes or take any other similar action relating to the filing of any Tax Return or the payment of any Tax;
(xi) enter into, amend, terminate, take or omit to take any action that would constitute a violation of or default under, or waive any rights under, any contract or agreement of a nature required to be listed in Section 5.17 of the Disclosure Schedule, except in the Ordinary Course of Business, provided, for avoidance of doubt, amendments, modifications and termination of ocean service contracts with customers shall be deemed to be in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(xii) make or commit to make any capital expenditures in an aggregate amount exceeding by more than *** the year-to-date budgeted expenditures set forth on Schedule 6.3(a)(xii);
(xiii) institute or settle any material Legal Proceeding, except in the Ordinary Course of Business, provided for avoidance of doubt, settlements of cargo damage and loss claims by customers and claims of salvors or declaration and settlement of any general average shall be deemed in the Ordinary Course of Business; or
(xiv) agree in writing or otherwise to take any of the foregoing actions. *** Represents material omitted per the registrant's Confidential Treatment Request and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 24b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, certain business conducted by the Company and Consolidated Subsidiaries may be in competition with business conducted by one or more subsidiaries of Buyer (such businesses referred to herein as the “Competing Trades”). Nothing in this Agreement is intended to restrict the Company, the Consolidated Subsidiaries or the Buyer and its subsidiaries from continuing to engage in business in competition with each other.
Transmission of business Where a business is transmitted from one employer to another, as set out in clause 4.4 - Redundancy, the period of continuous service that the employee had with the transmittor or any prior transmittor is deemed to be service with the transmittee and taken into account when calculating notice of termination. However, an employee shall not be entitled to notice of termination or payment in lieu of notice for any period of continuous service in respect of which notice has already been given or paid for.
Assets Necessary to Business The Purchased Assets include all property and assets (except for the Excluded Assets), tangible and intangible, and all leases, licenses and other agreements, which are necessary to permit Buyer to carry on, or currently used or held for use in, the business of the Restaurant as presently conducted and as conducted immediately prior to the Closing Date.
Maintenance of Existence; Conduct of Business Except as permitted by Section 11.3, the Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary of the Borrower to, preserve and maintain (a) its corporate existence and (b) all of its leases, privileges, Permits, franchises, qualifications and rights that are necessary in the ordinary conduct of its business. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary of the Borrower to, conduct its business in an orderly and efficient manner in accordance with good business practices.
Interim Conduct of Business (a) Except (i) as contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) as set forth in Section 6.1(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, at all times during the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and continuing until the earlier to occur of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article X and the Effective Time, unless Parent otherwise provides its prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), the Company shall and shall cause its Subsidiaries to (A) carry on its business and conduct its operations in the usual, regular and ordinary course in substantially the same manner as heretofore conducted, and (B) use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with past practices and policies, to (I) keep available the services of the current officers, key employees and consultants of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries, (II) preserve the current relationships of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries with customers, suppliers and other Persons whom the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has significant business relations, (III) maintain all of its material operating assets in their current condition (normal wear and tear excepted) and (IV) maintain and preserve its business organization and its material rights and franchises.
(b) Except (i) as contemplated or permitted by this Agreement or (ii) as set forth in Section 6.1(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter, at all times during the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and continuing until the earlier to occur of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article X and the Effective Time, unless Parent otherwise provides its prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), the Company shall not do any of the following and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to do any of the following:
(i) amend its certificate of incorporation or bylaws or comparable organizational documents or create any new Subsidiaries;
(ii) issue, sell, deliver or agree or commit to issue, sell or deliver (whether through the issuance or granting of options, warrants, commitments, subscriptions, rights to purchase or otherwise) any Company Securities or any Subsidiary Securities, except for (A) the issuance, delivery and sale of shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to Company Options, Company RSUs or Company Restricted Stock Awards which are outstanding as of the date hereof upon the exercise or vesting thereof, as applicable, or pursuant to the Company ESPP in compliance with this Agreement or (B) grants to newly hired employees or directors of (x) Company RSUs and (y) Company Options, in each case, issued in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, in accordance with the limitations specified on Section 6.1(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter and with respect to Company Options, with a per share exercise price that is no less than the then-current market price of a share of Company Common Stock;
(iii) directly or indirectly acquire, repurchase or redeem any Company Securities or Subsidiary Securities, except in connection with (A) Company RSUs in the ordinary course of business, (B) dissolution or reorganization of a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (C) Tax withholdings and exercise price settlements upon the exercise of Company Options or vesting of Company RSUs or Company Restricted Stock Awards or (D) the forfeiture to or repurchase by the Company of Company Common Stock in connection with the termination of service of a holder of a Company Restricted Stock Award;
(iv) (A) split, combine, subdivide or reclassify any shares of capital stock, or (B) declare, set aside or pay any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, shares or property or any combination thereof) in respect of any shares of capital stock, or make any other actual, constructive or deemed distribution in respect of the shares of capital stock, except for cash dividends made by any direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or one of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries;
(v) propose or adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(vi) (A) redeem, repurchase, prepay, defease, cancel, incur, create, assume or otherwise acquire or modify in any material respect any long-term or short-term debt for borrowed monies or issue or sell any debt securities or calls, options, warrants or other rights to acquire any debt securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or enter into any agreement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing, except for (1) debt incurred in the ordinary course of business under letters of credit, lines of credit or other credit facilities or arrangements in effect on the date hereof, and (2) loans or advances between the Company and any direct or indirect Subsidiaries, or between any direct or indirect Subsidiaries of the Company, (B) assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise become liable or responsible (whether directly, contingently or otherwise) for the obligations of any other Person, except with respect to obligations of direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Company, (C) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to or investments in any other Person (other than the Company or any direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiaries), except for travel advances and business expenses in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice to employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (D) mortgage or pledge any of the Assets, or create or suffer to exist any Lien thereupon (other than Permitted Liens), except pursuant to the terms of any letters of credit, lines of credit or other credit facilities or arrangements in effect on the date hereof;
(vii) except as may be required by applicable Law or the terms of any Employee Plan as in effect on the date hereof or as contemplated by this Agreement, (A) enter into, adopt, amend (including acceleration of vesting), modify or terminate any bonus, profit sharing, incentive, compensation, severance, retention, termination, option, appreciation right, performance unit, stock equivalent, share purchase agreement, pension, retirement, deferred compensation, employment, severance, change in control, pension, retirement, collective bargaining or other employee benefit agreement, trust, plan, fund or other arrangement for the compensation, benefit or welfare of any director, officer or employee in any manner, (B) increase the compensation payable or to become payable of any director, officer or employee, pay or agree to pay any special bonus or special remuneration to any director, officer or employee, or pay or agree to pay any benefit not required by any plan or arrangement as in effect as of the date hereof, except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice with respect to any employee who is not a director or executive officer, except in any such case (1) in connection with the hiring of new employees who are not directors or executive officers in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, and (2) in connection with the promotion of employees who are not directors or executive officers (and who will not be directors or executive officers after such promotion) in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (C) grant or pay any severance or termination pay to (or amend any such existing arrangement with) any current or former director, officer, employee or independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice with respect to any independent contractor or employee who is not a director or executive officer or (D) increase benefits payable under any existing severance or termination pay policies or employment agreements.
(viii) settle any pending or threatened Legal Proceeding, except for the settlement of any Legal Proceeding (A) for solely money damages not in excess of $250,000.00 individually or $500,000.00 in the aggregate and (B) as would not be reasonably likely to have any adverse impact on any other Legal Proceedings;
(ix) except as may be required as a result of a change in applicable Law or in GAAP, make any material change in any of the accounting methods, principles or practices used by it or change an annual accounting period;
(x) (A) make or change any material Tax election, (B) settle or compromise any material federal, state, local or foreign income Tax liability, (C) consent to any extension or waiver of any limitation period with respect to any claim or assessment for material Taxes, (D) change any annual Tax accounting period or method of Tax accounting, (E) file any materially amended Tax Return, (F) enter into any closing agreement with respect to any Tax or (G) surrender any right to claim a material Tax refund;
(xi) other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (A) acquire (by merger, consolidation or acquisition of stock or assets) any other Person or any material equity interest therein or (B) dispose of any properties or assets of the Company or its Subsidiaries, which are material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; or
(xii) make any capital expenditures other than capital expenditures provided for in the capital budget provided to Parent prior to the date of this Agreement and set forth on Section 6.1(b)(xii) of the Company Disclosure Letter;
(xiii) make any changes or modifications to any investment or risk management policy or other similar policies (including with respect to hedging) or any cash management policy;
(xiv) permit any insurance policy naming the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as a beneficiary or a loss payable payee to lapse, be canceled or expire unless a new policy with substantially identical coverage is in effect as of the date of lapse, cancellation or expiration;
(xv) other than in the ordinary course of business, enter into, amend in any material respect, terminate or fail to renew any Material Contract, or any other Contract that would have been a Material Contract had it not been amended, terminated or non-renewed prior to the date of this Agreement; or
(xvi) enter into a Contract to or otherwise authorize, commit, resolve, propose or agree to take any of the actions prohibited by this Section 6.1(b). Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended to give Parent, directly or indirectly, the right to control or direct the business or operations of the Company or its Subsidiaries at any time prior to the Appointment Time.
