Contractor Hearing Board 1. If there is evidence that the Contractor may be subject to debarment, the Department will notify the Contractor in writing of the evidence which is the basis for the proposed debarment and will advise the Contractor of the scheduled date for a debarment hearing before the Contractor Hearing Board.
2. The Contractor Hearing Board will conduct a hearing where evidence on the proposed debarment is presented. The Contractor and/or the Contractor’s representative shall be given an opportunity to submit evidence at that hearing. After the hearing, the Contractor Hearing Board shall prepare a tentative proposed decision, which shall contain a recommendation regarding whether the Contractor should be debarred, and, if so, the appropriate length of time of the debarment. The Contractor and the Department shall be provided an opportunity to object to the tentative proposed decision prior to its presentation to the Board of Supervisors.
3. After consideration of any objections, or if no objections are submitted, a record of the hearing, the proposed decision, and any other recommendation of the Contractor Hearing Board shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors shall have the right to modify, deny, or adopt the proposed decision and recommendation of the Contractor Hearing Board.
4. If a Contractor has been debarred for a period longer than five (5) years, that Contractor may after the debarment has been in effect for at least five (5) years, submit a written request for review of the debarment determination to reduce the period of debarment or terminate the debarment. The County may, in its discretion, reduce the period of debarment or terminate the debarment if it finds that the Contractor has adequately demonstrated one or more of the following: (1) elimination of the grounds for which the debarment was imposed; (2) a bona fide change in ownership or management; (3) material evidence discovered after debarment was imposed; or (4) any other reason that is in the best interests of the County.
5. The Contractor Hearing Board will consider a request for review of a debarment determination only where (1) the Contractor has been debarred for a period longer than five (5) years; (2) the debarment has been in effect for at least five (5) years; and (3) the request is in writing, states one or more of the grounds for reduction of the debarment period or termination of the debarment, and includes supporting documentation. Upon receiving an appropriate request, the Contractor Hearing Board will provide notice of the hearing on the request. At the hearing, the Contractor Hearing Board shall conduct a hearing where evidence on the proposed reduction of debarment period or termination of debarment is presented. This hearing shall be conducted and the request for review decided by the Contractor Hearing Board pursuant to the same procedures as for a debarment hearing.
6. The Contractor Hearing Board’s proposed decision shall contain a recommendation on the request to reduce the period of debarment or terminate the debarment. The Contractor Hearing Board shall present its proposed decision and recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors shall have the right to modify, deny, or adopt the proposed decision and recommendation of the Contractor Hearing Board.
Bankruptcy Court Approval (a) The Debtors shall file the Bid Procedures Motion with the Bankruptcy Court no later than two (2) Business Days after the commencement of the Chapter 11 Cases (the “Petition Date”).
(b) The Parties shall use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to have (i) the Bankruptcy Court enter the Bid Procedures Order as promptly as practicable after the filing of the Bid Procedures Motion and (ii) the Bankruptcy Court enter the Sale Order as promptly as practicable after the completion of the Auction but, in any event, in each case in compliance with the Milestones. Debtors and Buyer shall cooperate in good faith to obtain the Bankruptcy Court’s entry of the Bid Procedures Order, the Sale Order, and any other Order reasonably necessary in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including furnishing affidavits, nonconfidential financial information, or other documents or information for filing with the Bankruptcy Court and making such advisors of Debtors and Buyer and their respective Affiliates available to testify before the Bankruptcy Court for the purposes of, among other things, providing adequate assurances of performance by Buyer as required under Section 365 of the Bankruptcy Code, and demonstrating that Buyer is a “good faith” purchaser under Section 363(m) of the Bankruptcy Code. Buyer agrees that it will promptly take such actions as are reasonably requested by Seller to assist in obtaining entry of the Bid Procedures Order, the Sale Order, and any other Order reasonably necessary, consistent with the above.
(c) The Debtors shall give notice under the Bankruptcy Code and the Bankruptcy Rules of the request for the relief specified in the Bid Procedures and Sale Motion to all Persons entitled to such notice, including all Persons that have asserted Encumbrances on the Purchased Assets and all non-debtor parties to the Assumed Contracts, and other appropriate notice as required by the Bankruptcy Rules and the local rules of the Bankruptcy Court, including such additional notice as the Bankruptcy Court shall direct or as Buyer may reasonably request, and provide appropriate opportunity for hearing, to all parties entitled thereto, of all motions, orders, hearings or other proceedings in the Bankruptcy Court relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Debtors shall be responsible for making all appropriate filings relating to this Agreement with the Bankruptcy Court, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to submit such filings to Buyer no less than two Business Days prior to their filing with the Bankruptcy Court for Buyer’s prior review and comment, which comments the Debtors shall consider and attempt to incorporate in good faith, in consultation with Buyer.
(d) In the event the entry of the Bid Procedures Order, the Sale Order or any other Orders of the Bankruptcy Court relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be appealed by any Person (or if any petition for certiorari or motion for reconsideration, amendment, clarification, modification, vacation, stay, rehearing or reargument shall be filed with respect to the Bid Procedures Order, the Sale Order or other such Order), Debtors shall use commercially reasonable efforts to defend such appeal.
(e) The Debtors and Buyer acknowledge that this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby are subject to (i) entry of, as applicable, the Bid Procedures Order and the Sale Order and (ii) the consideration by the Debtors and Seller of higher or better competing bids (whether through any and all types of consideration, including, without limitation, cash, assumed liabilities or credit bid) in respect of a sale, reorganization, or other disposition of the Debtors or Seller, the Business or the Purchased Assets. In the event of any discrepancy between this Agreement and the Bid Procedures Order and the Sale Order, the Bid Procedures Order and the Sale Order shall govern; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 7.08(e) shall limit the rights of Buyer hereunder in the event that any Bid Procedures Order or any Sale Order does not comply with the terms of this Agreement.
(f) During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the earlier of (i) the date of entry of the Bid Procedures Order or (ii) the date this Agreement is terminated as provided in Article 10, Seller will not, nor will it permit any of its Affiliates or anyone acting on behalf of any of them to, solicit, negotiate or enter into any discussions or negotiations with any Person (other than Buyer or its representatives) in connection with any Alternative Transaction; provided that Seller shall be permitted to furnish or cause to be furnished to any Person any information concerning the Purchased Assets or the Business. Seller shall, immediately upon the execution of this Agreement, cease any and all ongoing discussions with any other potential purchaser of all or any portion of the Purchased Assets and/or the Business and shall cause its representatives and Affiliates and their respective representatives to do the same. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, from the date of entry of the Bid Procedures Order and until the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, Buyer agrees and acknowledges that Seller, Debtors and their Affiliates, including through their representatives, are and may continue soliciting and/or responding to inquiries, proposals or offers from third parties in connection with any Alternative Transaction, including, without limitation, inquiries, proposals or offers related to the Purchased Assets, and may facilitate (and perform any and all other acts related thereto), including, without limitation, furnishing any information (subject to entering into a customary confidentiality agreement) with respect to, any effort or attempt by any Person to seek to do any of the foregoing in connection with an Alternative Transaction. Seller shall promptly notify Buyer of receipt by Debtors or any of their representatives of any such inquiries, proposals or offers; provided that, as to any inquiries, proposals or offers received prior to entry of the Bid Procedures Order, Seller shall provide Buyer with a copy of any such inquiries, proposals or offers within two (2) Business Days of receipt by the Debtors or their representatives.
(g) The Sale Order shall, among other things, (i) approve, pursuant to sections 105, 363, and 365 of the Bankruptcy Code, (A) the execution, delivery and performance by Seller of this Agreement, (B) the sale of the Purchased Assets to Buyer on the terms set forth herein and free and clear of all Encumbrances (other than Encumbrances included in the Assumed Liabilities and Permitted Encumbrances), and (C) the performance by Debtors of their respective obligations under this Agreement; (ii) authorize and empower Seller to assume and assign to Buyer the Assumed Contracts; (iii) find that Buyer is a “good faith” buyer within the meaning of section 363(m) of the Bankruptcy Code, find that Buyer is not a successor to any Seller, and grant Buyer the protections of section 363(m) of the Bankruptcy Code; (iv) find that Buyer shall have no Liability or responsibility for any Liability or other obligation of Seller arising under or related to the Purchased Assets other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement, including successor or vicarious Liabilities of any kind or character, including any theory of antitrust, successor, or transferee Liability, labor law, de facto merger, or substantial continuity; (v) find that Buyer has provided adequate assurance (as that term is used in section 365 of the Bankruptcy Code) of future performance in connection with the assumption of the Assumed Contracts; and (vi) find that Buyer shall have no Liability for any Excluded Liability.
(h) Debtors shall comply with the Milestones.
(i) If an Auction is conducted, and Buyer is not the Successful Bidder at the Auction but is the next highest bidder after the Successful Bidder at the Auction, Buyer shall serve as a Backup Bidder and keep its bid to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement (as the same may be improved upon in the Auction) open and irrevocable, notwithstanding any right of Buyer to otherwise terminate this Agreement pursuant to Article 10 hereof, until the earlier of (i) the Backup Bid Expiration Date (as defined in the Bid Procedures) or (ii) the first Business Day after the closing of a transaction with a Successful Bidder for the Purchased Assets that is not Buyer; provided, however, that if prior to the Backup Bid Expiration Date, a Successful Bidder for the Purchased Assets that is not Buyer fails to consummate its transaction as a result of a breach or failure to perform on the part of such Successful Bidder, or because a condition in such Successful Bidder’s purchase agreement cannot otherwise be met, and the purchase agreement with such Successful Bidder is terminated, Buyer (as the Backup Bidder) will be deemed to have the new prevailing bid, and Seller will be authorized, without further order of the Bankruptcy Court, to, and Buyer (as the Backup Bidder) shall, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement by the later of (x) ten (10) days of becoming the Successful Bidder and (ii) the Backup Bid Expiration Date, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement (as the same may be improved upon in the Auction).
