Conduct of Business by the Company Pending the Merger (a) The Company agrees that, between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement, except as (1) expressly contemplated by any other provision of this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement, (2) as set forth in Section 6.01 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and (3) as required by applicable Law (including COVID-19 Measures or as may be requested or compelled by any Governmental Authority), unless BCAC shall otherwise consent in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed):
(i) the Company shall conduct its business in the ordinary course of business; and
(ii) the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to preserve substantially intact the current business organization of the Company, to keep available the services of the current officers, key employees and consultants of the Company and to preserve the current relationships of the Company with customers, suppliers and other persons with which the Company has significant business relations.
(b) By way of amplification and not limitation, except as (1) expressly contemplated by any other provision of this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement, (2) as set forth in Section 6.01 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and (3) as required by applicable Law (including COVID-19 Measures or as may be requested or compelled by any Governmental Authority), the Company shall not, between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, do any of the following without the prior written consent of BCAC (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed):
(i) amend or otherwise change its certificate of incorporation or bylaws;
(ii) issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, grant or encumber, or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, disposition, grant or encumbrance of, (A) any shares of any class of capital stock of the Company, or any options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of such capital stock, or any other ownership interest (including, without limitation, any phantom interest), of the Company, provided that (x) the exercise, conversion or settlement of any Company Preferred Stock, Company Options or Company Warrants or (y) grants of Company Options that would be permitted by Section 6.01(b)(vii) shall not require the consent of BCAC; or (B) any material assets of the Company;
(iii) declare, set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, with respect to any of its capital stock;
(iv) reclassify, combine, split, subdivide or redeem, or purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of its capital stock, other than redemptions of equity securities from former employees upon the terms set forth in the underlying agreements governing such equity securities;
(v) (A) acquire (including, without limitation, by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets or any other business combination) any person, corporation, partnership, other business organization or any division thereof in an amount in excess of $300,000; or (B) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money in excess of $300,000 or issue any debt securities or assume, guarantee or endorse, or otherwise become responsible for, the obligations of any person, or make any loans or advances, or intentionally grant any security interest in any of its assets, in each case, except in the ordinary course of business;
(vi) enter into or adopt a plan or agreement of reorganization, merger or consolidation or adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation or dissolution;
(vii) (A) except in the ordinary course of business or as would not create a material liability on the Company, enter into any new, or materially amend any existing employment or severance or termination agreement with any director or executive officer of the Company, or (B) make any change to employee compensation, incentives or benefits after the filing of the Registration Statement that would reasonably be expected to require an amendment to the Registration Statement under applicable Law;
(viii) take any action where such action could reasonably be expected to prevent or impede the Transactions from qualifying for the Intended Tax Treatment;
(ix) enter into any contract or agreement with any union, works council or labor organization covering the Company’s employees;
(x) materially amend accounting policies or procedures, other than reasonable and usual amendments in the ordinary course of business or as required by GAAP;
(xi) make, change or revoke any Tax election, amend any Tax Return or settle or compromise any material United States federal, state, local or non-United States income Tax liability or consent to any extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any claim or assessment for any amount of Tax relating to the Company;
(xii) materially amend, or modify or consent to the termination (excluding any expiration in accordance with its terms) of any Material Contract or amend, waive, modify or consent to the termination (excluding any expiration in accordance with its terms) of the Company’s material rights thereunder, in each case in a manner that is materially adverse to the Company, except in the ordinary course of business;
(xiii) acquire or lease, or agree to acquire or lease, any real property;
(xiv) intentionally permit any material item of Company IP to lapse or to be abandoned, invalidated, dedicated to the public, or disclaimed, or otherwise become unenforceable or fail to perform or make any applicable filings, recordings or other similar actions or filings, or fail to pay all required fees and taxes required or advisable to maintain and protect its interest in each and every material item of Company IP;
(xv) initiate, settle or compromise any Actions;
(xvi) enter into any Contract, understanding or commitment that contains any restrictive covenant or otherwise restrains, restricts, limits or impedes the ability of the Company to compete with or conduct any business in any geographic area or solicit the employment of any Persons; or
(xvii) enter into any formal or informal agreement or otherwise make a binding commitment to do any of the foregoing.
Outside Businesses Subject to the provisions of Section 6.3, any Covered Person, the Sponsor, the Delaware Trustee and the Property Trustee may engage in or possess an interest in other business ventures of any nature or description, independently or with others, similar or dissimilar to the activities of the Trust, and the Trust and the Holders of Securities shall have no rights by virtue of this Trust Agreement in and to such independent ventures or the income or profits derived therefrom, and the pursuit of any such venture, even if competitive with the activities of the Trust, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper. No Covered Person, the Sponsor, the Delaware Trustee or the Property Trustee shall be obligated to present any particular investment or other opportunity to the Trust even if such opportunity is of a character that, if presented to the Trust, could be taken by the Trust, and any Covered Person, the Sponsor, the Delaware Trustee and the Property Trustee shall have the right to take for its own account (individually or as a partner or fiduciary) or to recommend to others any such particular investment or other opportunity. Any Covered Person, the Delaware Trustee and the Property Trustee may engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with the Sponsor or any Affiliate of the Sponsor, or may act as depositary for, trustee or agent for, or act on any committee or body of holders of, securities or other obligations of the Sponsor or its Affiliates.
