Employees and Employee Benefit Plans (a) Section 4.17 of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a correct and complete list identifying each material “employee benefit plan,” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, each material employment contract, material severance contract or plan and each other material plan or agreement providing for compensation, bonuses, profit-sharing, equity compensation or other forms of incentive or deferred compensation, insurance (including any self-insured arrangements), health or medical benefits, post-employment or retirement benefits (including compensation, pension, health, medical or life insurance benefits) which is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate and covers any current or former employee, director or other independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or with respect to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has any liability, other than a Multiemployer Plan or a Company International Plan. As soon as reasonably practicable after the date hereof, but in no event more than 60 days after the date hereof, copies of such plans and any material Company International Plan and Multiemployer Plan (and, if applicable, related trust or funding agreements or insurance policies) and all amendments thereto and written interpretations thereof will be furnished to Parent together with the most recent annual report (Form 5500 including, if applicable, Schedule B thereto) and tax return (Form 990) prepared in connection with any such plan or trust and the most recent Internal Revenue Service determination letter for any such plan, to the extent applicable. Such plans (disregarding all materiality qualifiers in this Section 4.17(a)), including Company International Plans but not any Multiemployer Plan, are referred to collectively herein as the “Company Plans.”
(b) No Company Plan (for the avoidance of doubt, other than any Multiemployer Plan) that is subject to Title IV of ERISA (each, a “Title IV Plan”) has any unfunded liabilities as of the date of this Agreement. The aggregate underfunded or unfunded, as applicable, liability for all Company Plans that are “excess benefit plans” (as defined in Section 3(36) of ERISA) or that provide deferred compensation (including, for this purpose, any analogous Company International Plans), computed using the actuarial assumptions used for the purposes of determining any liability under such Company Plan for purposes of the Company SEC Documents, is not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred any liability on account of a “complete withdrawal” or a “partial withdrawal” (within the meaning of Sections 4203 and 4205 of ERISA, respectively) from any “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA (a “Multiemployer Plan”) and, to the Company’s knowledge, no circumstances exist that would reasonably be expected to give rise to any such withdrawal (including as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement). Neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has received notice of any Multiemployer Plan’s (i) failure to satisfy the minimum funding requirements of Section 412 of the Code or application for or receipt of a waiver of such minimum funding requirements, (ii) “endangered status” or “critical status” (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Code) or (iii) insolvency, “reorganization” (within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA) or proposed or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened termination. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, all contributions, surcharges and premium payments owed by the Company and its ERISA Affiliates with respect to each Multiemployer Plan have been paid when due.
(d) Each Company Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter. Each Company Plan (for the avoidance of doubt, other than a Multiemployer Plan) has been established and operated in compliance with its terms and with all Applicable Laws, including ERISA and the Code, except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Except as disclosed in Section 4.17(e) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not (either alone or together with any other event) entitle any employee, director or other independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to severance pay or accelerate the time of payment or vesting or trigger any payment or funding (through a grantor trust or otherwise) of material compensation or benefits under, increase the amount payable or trigger any other material obligation pursuant to, any Company Plan. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any obligation to gross-up, indemnify or otherwise reimburse any current or former employee, director or other independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for any Tax incurred by such individual, including under Section 409A or 4999 of the Code.
(f) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any liability in respect of post-retirement health, medical or life insurance benefits for retired, former or current employees, directors or other independent contractors of the Company or its Subsidiaries except as required to avoid excise tax under Section 4980B of the Code.
(g) There has been no amendment to, written interpretation or announcement (whether or not written) by the Company or any of its Affiliates relating to, or change in participation or coverage under, a Company Plan which would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(h) There is no action, suit, investigation, audit or proceeding pending against or involving or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or involving, any Company Plan before any Governmental Authority, except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(i) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, each Company Plan that covers former or current employees, directors or other independent contractors of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries who are located primarily outside of the United States (a “Company International Plan”) (i) if intended to qualify for special tax treatment, meets all the requirements for such treatment, and (ii) if required, to any extent, to be funded, book-reserved or secured by an insurance policy, is fully funded, book-reserved or secured by an insurance policy, as applicable, based on reasonable actuarial assumptions in accordance with applicable accounting principles. From and after the Effective Time, Parent and its Subsidiaries will receive the full benefit of any funds, accruals and reserves under the Company International Plans.
(j) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, no Person has been treated as an independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for tax purposes, or for purposes of exclusion from any Company Plan, who should have been treated as an employee for such purposes.
(k) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has breached or otherwise failed to comply with the provisions of any Collective Bargaining Agreement and there are no grievances or arbitrations outstanding thereunder, and (ii) there are no formal organizational campaigns, corporate campaigns, petitions, demands for recognition via card-check or, to the knowledge of the Company, other unionization activities seeking recognition of a bargaining unit at the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, there are no unfair labor practice charges, grievances, pending arbitrations or other complaints or union representation questions before the National Labor Relations Board or other labor board of Governmental Authority that would reasonably be expected to affect the employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(l) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, there are no current or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened strikes, slowdowns or work stoppages, and no such strike, slowdown or work stoppage has occurred within the three years preceding the date hereof.
Employees and Compensation (A) Shown on Schedule 6.15(A) is a list of the name of each employee, sales agent or other Person, separately identified as to part-time or full-time, who is currently employed in the Business by Seller, together with each Person’s job classification, date of hire, and current rate of compensation (or method for computing same). All employees of Seller are “at will” employees whose employment may be terminated by Seller at any time, with or without notice or cause.
(B) Schedule 6.15(B) hereto lists all compensation and benefit plans, contracts and arrangements maintained, sponsored or participated in by Seller or any of its Affiliates in connection with the Business and in effect as of the date hereof including, without limitation, all pension (including all such employee pension benefit plans as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), profit-sharing, savings and thrift, fringe benefit, bonus, incentive or deferred compensation, severance pay and medical and life insurance plans and employee welfare plans as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA that are sponsored by Seller or any of its Affiliates and in which any employees of Seller participate (collectively, “Employee Benefit Plans”).
(C) As to Employee Benefit Plans sponsored by Seller or its Affiliates that are “employee pension benefit plans” as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA, such plans sponsored by Seller or its Affiliates are tax qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, are not currently under examination by, nor are any matters pending before, the Internal Revenue Service, the Employee Benefits Security Administration or any quasi-government agency, are not subject to any claim, suit or arbitration (other than routine claims for benefits), are not subject to the minimum funding standards of Code Section 412, are in compliance with and have been administered in accordance with their terms and in compliance with all applicable requirements of law, including, but not limited to, the Code and ERISA, and there have been no prohibited transactions as defined in Code Section 4975 or ERISA Section 406 with respect to such plans that could subject Seller or its Affiliates to a tax or penalty under Code Section 4975 or ERISA Section 502(i).
(D) Neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates has incurred any Liability under Title IV of ERISA that has or could, after the Effective Date, become a Lien upon any of the Purchased Assets pursuant to ERISA Section 4068.
(E) Neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates is or has ever been required to contribute to any “multiemployer plan,” as such term is defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, in which any employees of Seller in connection with the Business participate.
(F) Except as set forth in Schedule 6.15(F), no Employee Benefit Plan provides medical, surgical, hospitalization, death or similar benefits (whether or not insured) for employees for period extending beyond their retirement or other termination of service, other than (i) coverage mandated by applicable law, or (ii) death benefits under any pension plan.
(G) For the purposes of this Section 6.15, Seller shall include all trades or business under common control with Seller as provided in the regulations under Code Section 414(c).
No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of the Company, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Indenture or the Notes or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting any Note, each Holder waives and releases all such liability. Such waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Notes.
Consultants and Employees Bound Recipient agrees to disclose the Confidential Information to any agents, affiliates, directors, officers or any other employees (collectively, the “Employees”) solely on a need-to-know basis and represents that such Employees have signed appropriate non-disclosure agreements or taken appropriate measures imposing on such Employees a duty to third parties (1) to hold any third party proprietary information received by such Employees in the strictest confidence, (2) not to disclose such third party Confidential Information to any other third party, and (3) not to use such Confidential Information for the benefit of anyone other than to whom it belongs, without the prior express written authorization of the Company.
Employees and Employee Benefits (a) Prior to the Closing Date, Buyer shall determine in its sole discretion which Business Employees, if any, to offer employment, and shall set initial terms and conditions of employment for any such employees to whom it offers employment, including wages, benefits, job duties and responsibilities, and work assignments. Only Business Employees who are offered and accept such offers of employment, and actually commence employment with Buyer based upon the initial terms and conditions set by Buyer, shall become “Buyer Employees” after the Closing Date. Seller shall make available for interviews the Business Employees if so requested by Buyer to facilitate Buyer’s right to offer employment to such employees in its sole discretion pursuant to this Section 6.03(a). Buyer shall be responsible for any liability, obligation or commitment arising out of or relating to the (i) employment (including the application for or termination of employment) of any Buyer Employee by Buyer arising after the Closing Date pursuant to the terms and conditions of employment set by Buyer, and (ii) the provision of services by any other Person to Buyer after the Closing Date.
(b) Seller shall terminate, or shall cause to be terminated, on or prior to the Closing Date the employment and service of all Business Employees (which shall include releasing such Business Employees from any obligations to Seller or its Affiliates following the Closing Date incurred or that arose in connection with such employment or service, including confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements) who are offered and accept offers of employment with Buyer pursuant to this Section 6.03. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) Buyer shall not be obligated to provide any severance, separation pay, final wage payments, or other payment or benefits to any Business Employee on account of any termination of such Business Employee’s employment on or before the Closing Date, and (ii) Seller acknowledges and agrees that any and all liabilities, obligations or commitments of Seller to pay any employee or former employee of Seller (including the Buyer Employees) for any salary, bonus, commission, vacation pay, severance, separation, key employee retention payments, or other compensation earned or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date, shall be an Excluded Liability and be borne solely by Seller.
(c) Seller shall have full responsibility under the WARN Act or any other labor or employment Law relating to any obligation, act, or omission of Seller prior to or on the Closing Date with respect to the Business Employees including, without limitation, any Liabilities that result from the Business Employees’ separation of employment from Seller or Business Employees not becoming Buyer Employees.
(d) With respect to any employee benefit plan maintained by Buyer or an Affiliate of Buyer for the benefit of any Buyer Employee (collectively, “Buyer Benefit Plans”), effective as of the Closing, Buyer shall, or shall cause its Affiliate to, recognize, to the extent permitted under applicable Law, all service of the Buyer Employees with Seller, as if such service were with Buyer, for purposes of any applicable Buyer Benefit Plan; provided, however, such service shall not be recognized to the extent that (x) such recognition would result in a duplication of benefits or (y) such service was not recognized under the corresponding Benefit Plan. Further, with respect to each Buyer Benefit Plan, in which any Buyer Employee will be eligible to participate effective as of the Closing, Buyer shall, or shall cause its applicable Affiliate(s) to, (i) waive, to the extent permitted under applicable Law, all pre-existing conditions, exclusions and waiting periods with respect to participation and coverage requirements applicable to such Buyer Employee under any such Buyer Benefit Plan in which such Buyer Employee may be eligible to participate on or after the Closing, except to the extent such pre-existing conditions, exclusions or waiting periods would apply under the analogous Benefit Plan; and (ii) to the extent permitted under applicable Law, provide each such Buyer Employee with credit for any payments made under any cost-sharing provisions prior to the Closing (to the same extent such credit was given under the analogous Benefit Plan prior to the Closing) in satisfying any applicable cost-sharing provisions in any Buyer Benefit Plan in which such Buyer Employee may be eligible to participate on or after the Closing.
(e) Effective as of the Closing Date, the Buyer Employees shall cease active participation in the Benefit Plans. Seller shall remain liable for all eligible claims for benefits under the Benefit Plans that are incurred by the Business Employees on or prior to the Closing Date. For purposes of this Agreement, the following claims shall be deemed to be incurred as follows: (i) life, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term disability, and workers’ compensation insurance benefits, on the event giving rise to such benefits; (ii) medical, vision, dental, and prescription drug benefits, on the date the applicable services, materials or supplies were provided; and (iii) long-term disability benefits, on the eligibility date determined by the long-term disability insurance carrier for the plan in which the applicable Business Employee participates.
(f) Buyer and Seller intend that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement should not constitute a separation, termination or severance of employment of any Business Employee who accepts an employment offer by Buyer that is consistent with the requirements of Section 6.03(b), including for purposes of any Benefit Plan that provides for separation, termination or severance benefits (if any). Each Buyer Employee shall resign from Seller and accept employment with Buyer at the same time resulting in no period of unemployment. Buyer shall be liable and hold Seller harmless for any claims relating to the employment of any Buyer Employee only to the extent such claims relate to activity occurring after the Closing Date.
(g) This Section 6.03 shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each of the parties to this Agreement, and nothing in this Section 6.03, express or implied, shall confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Section 6.03. Nothing contained herein, express or implied, shall be construed to establish, amend or modify any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the terms set forth in this Section 6.03 shall not create any right in any Business Employee, Buyer Employee or any other Person to any continued employment with Buyer or any of its Affiliates or compensation or benefits of any nature or kind whatsoever.
(h) Seller shall follow the “standard procedure” for preparing and filing Internal Revenue Service Forms W-2 (Wage and Tax Statements), as described in Revenue Procedure 2004-53 for Buyer Employees. Under this procedure, (i) Seller shall provide all required Forms W-2 to (x) all Buyer Employees reflecting wages paid and Taxes withheld by Seller in respect of such Buyer Employees’ employment with Seller through the Closing Date, and (y) all other employees and former employees of Seller who are not Buyer Employees reflecting all wages paid and taxes withheld by Seller, and (ii) Buyer (or one of its Affiliates) shall provide all required Forms W-2 to all Buyer Employees reflecting all wages paid and taxes withheld by Buyer (or one of its Affiliates) after the Closing Date.
No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Shareholders No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator or shareholder of the Company, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Indenture or the Notes or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting any Note, each Holder waives and releases all such liability. Such waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Notes.
Indemnification of Employees and Agents The Company may indemnify and advance expenses to any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Company or, while an employee or agent of the Company, is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, manager, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise, nonprofit entity or other entity of any type, including service with respect to any employee benefit plan, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such Proceeding. The ultimate determination of entitlement to indemnification of persons who are non-officer employees or agents shall be made in such manner as is determined by the Member in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Company shall not be required to indemnify a person described therein in connection with a Proceeding initiated by or on behalf of such person if the Proceeding was not authorized in advance by the Member.
Employees; Benefit Plans (a) During the period commencing at the Effective Time and ending on the date which is FIVE (“5”) months from the Effective Time (or if earlier, the date of the employee's termination of employment with Parent and its Subsidiaries), Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, to provide the employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries who remain employed immediately after the Effective Time (collectively, the "Company Continuing Employees") with base salary, target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation), and employee benefits that are, in the aggregate, no less favorable than the base salary, target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation), and employee benefits provided by the Company and its Subsidiaries on the date of this Agreement.
(b) With respect to any "employee benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, excluding both any retiree healthcare plans or programs maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries and any equity compensation arrangements maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (collectively, "Parent Benefit Plans") in which any Company Continuing Employees will participate effective as of the Effective Time, Parent shall, or shall cause the Surviving Corporation to, recognize all service of the Company Continuing Employees with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as the case may be as if such service were with Parent, for vesting and eligibility purposes (but not for (i) purposes of early retirement subsidies under any Parent Benefit Plan that is a defined benefit pension plan or (ii) benefit accrual purposes, except for vacation, if applicable) in any Parent Benefit Plan in which such Company Continuing Employees may be eligible to participate after the Effective Time; (iii) Continuing Company shall honor all consulting or advisory agreement previously entered into, or employment pending equity awards stock options or warrants to purchase equity based upon performance. provided, that such service shall not be recognized to the extent that (A) such recognition would result in a duplication of benefits or (B) such service was not recognized under the corresponding Company Employee Plan.
(c) This Section 5.07 shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each of the parties to this Agreement, and nothing in this Section 5.07, express or implied, shall confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Section 5.07. Nothing contained herein, express or implied (i) shall be construed to establish, amend or modify any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement or (ii) shall alter or limit the ability of the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any of their respective Affiliates to amend, modify or terminate any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement at any time assumed, established, sponsored or maintained by any of them. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the terms set forth in this Section 5.07 shall not create any right in any Company Employee or any other Person to any continued employment with the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any of their respective Subsidiaries or compensation or benefits of any nature or kind whatsoever.
(d) With respect to matters described in this Section 5.07, the Company will not send any written notices or other written communication materials to Company Employees without the prior written consent of Parent.
Employees and Labor Matters (a) No Acquired Company has or has ever had any employees.
(b) Except as set forth on Schedule 4.18(b):
(i) the Unionized Employees are in bargaining units covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreements set forth on Schedule 4.18(b)(i);
(ii) no Available Non-Unionized Employees are represented by a union or other collective bargaining entity;
(iii) there is no labor strike, dispute (other than routine non-material grievances), slowdown, stoppage or lockout actually pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing against any Acquired Company or its predecessor Affiliate, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in Material Adverse Effect;
(iv) none of Sellers, their Affiliates or any Acquired Company is a party to or bound by any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with any labor organization, works council or employer organization applicable to Available Non-Unionized Employees;
(v) no labor union has been certified by a relevant labor relations authority as bargaining agent for any of the Available Non-Unionized Employees and, except for the Unionized Employees, no union organizing or decertification activities are underway or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing with respect to any Available Non-Unionized Employees;
(vi) none of Sellers, their Affiliates or any Acquired Company has experienced any material work stoppage with respect to the conduct of the Business of the Project Companies (other than with respect to the operation of the Coal Participant Projects) or the Retail Company or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, the operation of the Coal Participant Projects during the last two (2) years;
(vii) there is no unfair labor practice Claim pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing before a relevant labor relations authority against any of Sellers or their respective Affiliates with respect to the conduct of the Business of the Project Companies (other than with respect to the operation of the Coal Participant Projects) or the Retail Company or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, the operation of the Coal Participant Projects, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(viii) there are no grievances pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, there is no conduct that could reasonably be expected to lead to a grievance under any Collective Bargaining Agreement applicable to the Unionized Employees, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(ix) during the last two (2) years, no Seller or its Affiliate has effectuated any plant closing or mass layoff of employees that could implicate any applicable Law requiring notice of plant closings or layoffs, including the WARN Act, with respect to the conduct of the Business of the Project Companies (other than with respect to the operation of the Coal Participant Projects) or the Retail Company or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, the operation of the Coal Participant Projects;
(x) any notice of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement that was required by a Seller, an Affiliate of any Seller or an Acquired Company pursuant to any applicable Law or Collective Bargaining Agreement has been given;
(xi) Sellers and their respective Affiliates employing the Business Employees are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws relating to employment of the Business Employees, including all such applicable Laws relating to wages, hours, collective bargaining, terms and conditions of employment, termination of employment, employment discrimination, immigration, disability, civil rights and pay equity, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(xii) there is no arbitration proceeding pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing, arising out of or under any Collective Bargaining Agreement applicable to the Unionized Employees, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and
(xiii) to Sellers’ Knowledge, there are no pending written requests for any material changes to any Collective Bargaining Agreement applicable to the Unionized Employees.
All Employees to be Members All employees of the Employer, as a condition of continuing employment, shall become and remain members in good standing of the Union, according to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Union. All future employees of the Employer shall, as a condition of continued employment, become and remain members in good standing in the Union from the date of hire.
