Purchase Price Allocation Not more than one hundred eighty (180) days after the Closing Date, Buyer will deliver to the Members a schedule allocating the Base Purchase Price (as adjusted pursuant to Section 2.3.2) as provided in this Section 2.6. As soon as practicable after payment of each of (a) the Final Working Capital Adjustment, (b) the Earnout Amount for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, (c) the Earnout Amount for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, and (d) the Earnout Amount for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, Buyer will deliver to the Members a schedule allocating each such payment in accordance with this Section 2.6. Buyer and the Members agree that the aggregate amount of (a) the Base Purchase Price (as adjusted pursuant to Section 2.3.2), plus (b) the Final Working Capital Adjustment, plus (c) any Earnout Amount received shall be allocated in the following amounts or consistent with the following methodology: (a) first, to the tangible assets of the Company, (b) second, an amount not to exceed Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($600,000) shall be allocated, solely for Tax purposes, to the non-compete described in Section 6.14, and (c) third, any remaining amount shall be allocated to goodwill and other intangible assets. Except as otherwise required by law or pursuant to a “determination” under Section 1313(a) of the Code, Buyer and the Members agree to act, and will act, and will cause their Affiliates to act, in accordance with such allocations for purposes of all income Taxes, and neither Buyer nor the Members will take any position inconsistent therewith in any Tax Return or similar filings (including IRS Form 8594), any refund claim, any litigation, or otherwise. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the allocation of the Purchase Price as set forth above shall not limit the amount of damages that Buyer may seek for any breach of the covenants contained in Article VI.
Purchase Price; Allocation of Purchase Price (a) The purchase price for the Purchased Assets (the “Purchase Price”) is equal to $675,000,000 in cash. The Purchase Price shall be paid as provided in Section 2.07 and shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.08. Seller shall be treated as receiving a portion of the Purchase Price as agent for any of its Affiliates actually selling, transferring or conveying the Purchased Assets, consistent with the allocation of the Purchase Price pursuant to the Allocation Statement, and Buyer’s payment of the Purchase Price to Seller shall constitute payment by Buyer to any of Seller’s Affiliates actually selling, transferring or conveying the Purchased Assets hereunder.
(b) Within 60 days after the Closing, Buyer shall deliver to Seller a statement (the “Allocation Statement”) allocating the Purchase Price (plus Assumed Liabilities and transaction costs, to the extent properly taken into account under Section 1060 of the Code) among the Purchased Assets in accordance with Section 1060 of the Code. If, within five Business Days after delivery of the Allocation Statement, Seller notifies Buyer in writing that Seller objects to the allocation set forth in the Allocation Statement, Buyer and Seller shall use commercially reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute within 20 days. In the event that Buyer and Seller are unable to resolve such dispute within 20 days, Buyer and Seller shall jointly retain KPMG LLP (the “Accounting Referee”) to resolve the disputed items in the manner described in Section 8.10.
(c) Each of Buyer and Seller shall (i) be bound by the Allocation Statement, as may be adjusted in accordance with Section 2.06(e), (ii) act in accordance with, and cause its Affiliates to act in accordance with, the Allocation Statement in the preparation, filing and audit of any Tax Return (including filing IRS Form 8594 with its federal Income Tax Return for the taxable year that includes the Closing) and (iii) take no position, and cause its Affiliates to take no position, inconsistent with the allocation reflected on the Allocation Statement on any Tax Return, in any Contest or otherwise, unless required by a Final Determination.
(d) In the event that the allocation reflected on the Allocation Statement is disputed by any Taxing Authority, the party receiving notice of the dispute shall promptly notify the other party hereto, and Buyer and Seller shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to defend such allocation in any Tax audit or similar proceeding.
(e) If an adjustment is made with respect to the Purchase Price pursuant to Section 2.08, the Allocation Statement shall be adjusted in accordance with Section 1060 of the Code and as mutually agreed by Buyer and Seller. In the event that an agreement is not reached within 20 days after the determination of the Final Closing Working Capital, any disputed items shall be resolved in the manner described in Section 8.10. Buyer and Seller shall file any additional information return required to be filed pursuant to Section 1060 of the Code and to treat the Allocation Statement as adjusted in the manner described in Section 2.06(c).
(f) Not later than 30 days prior to the filing of their respective Forms 8594 relating to this transaction, each party shall deliver to the other party a copy of its Form 8594.
Allocation Schedule Attached hereto as Exhibit J is an Allocation Schedule, prepared by the Company for illustrative purposes, setting forth: (i) the name of each Company Equity Interest holder; (ii) the number and type of Company Equity Interests held by each such Company Equity Interest holder; (iii) the Fully Diluted Number as of the Execution Date, and the portion thereof attributable to each Company Equity Interest holder; and (iv) the amount of Equity Consideration attributable to each such Company Equity Interest holder’s Company Equity Interests in accordance with the Company LLCA and this Agreement. No later than ten Business Days prior to the Closing, the Company shall deliver to the Buyer an updated Allocation Schedule, prepared in conformance with the principles set forth in Exhibit J, which shall be updated to reflect: (A) the JDA Share Adjustment Amount as of the Closing Date; (B) the Interim Company Financing Cash; (C) the calculation of the Equity Consideration; and (D) the Fully Diluted Number as of the Closing Date; and thereby set forth the final allocation of the Equity Consideration among the holders of Company Equity Interests as of the Effective Time in accordance with the Company LLCA and this Agreement. Following the delivery thereof, the Company will provide the Buyer and their accountants and other Representatives with a reasonable opportunity to review the Allocation Schedule. At least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date, the Buyer may notify the Company of any comments or questions with respect to the Allocation Schedule and the Company shall (x) consider in good faith such comments or questions and (y) prepare and deliver an updated Allocation Schedule to the Company prior to the Closing Date reflecting any agreed upon changes resulting from such comments or questions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Allocation Schedule ultimately delivered by the Company to the Buyer in accordance with this Agreement shall control. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Buyer Parties may rely upon the Allocation Schedule, and in no event will the Buyer or any of its Affiliates (including the Surviving Company) have any liability to any Company Unitholder or other Person with respect to the Allocation Schedule delivered pursuant to this Agreement or on account of shares issued in accordance with the terms hereof as set forth in the Allocation Schedule; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the amounts set forth on the Allocation Schedule result in, or require the Buyer to issue a number of XXXX Interests greater, in the aggregate, than the Equity Consideration.
Purchase Price Adjustments (a) Schedule 2.4 sets forth the Seller’s good faith estimate of the Net Working Capital (the “Estimated Net Working Capital”) as of September 30, 2013, together with a calculation of the Closing Purchase Price based on such estimate. The Estimated Net Working Capital shall be determined in accordance with Section 2.6 and the other terms of this Agreement.
(b) As promptly as possible, but in any event within forty five (45) days after the Closing Date, the Buyer will deliver to the Seller a balance sheet of the Company (the “Closing Balance Sheet”) and a statement showing the calculation of the Net Working Capital derived from the Closing Balance Sheet (together with the Closing Balance Sheet, the “Preliminary Closing Statement”), in each case as of the Reference Time. The Closing Balance Sheet shall be prepared, and the Net Working Capital and the Preliminary Closing Statement shall be determined, in accordance with Section 2.6 and the definitions and other terms set forth in this Agreement. The Preliminary Closing Statement shall contain line item detail comparable to the Balance Sheet with respect to the components of Net Working Capital of the Company as of the Reference Time. After delivery of the Preliminary Closing Statement, the Buyer shall give the Seller and its accountants and representatives reasonable access at reasonable times to review the Company’s books and records and work papers related to the preparation of the Preliminary Closing Statement subject to customary confidentiality restrictions. The Seller and its accountants and representatives may make inquiries of the Buyer and its accountants regarding questions concerning or disagreements with the Preliminary Closing Statement arising in the course of its review thereof, and the Buyer shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause any such accountants to cooperate with and respond to such inquiries. If the Seller has any objections to the Preliminary Closing Statement, the Seller shall deliver to the Buyer a statement setting forth its objections thereto (an “Objections Statement”). If an Objections Statement is not delivered by the Seller to the Buyer within twenty (20) days after delivery of the Preliminary Closing Statement, the Preliminary Closing Statement shall be final, binding and non-appealable by the Parties hereto. The Seller and the Buyer shall negotiate in good faith to resolve any such objections for fifteen (15) days after the delivery of the Objections Statement, but if they do not reach a final resolution, the Seller and the Buyer shall submit such dispute to PricewaterhouseCoopers, or if they are not independent pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission at the time, another nationally recognized independent accounting firm reasonably acceptable to the Buyer and the Seller (the “Dispute Resolution Firm”) within three (3) Business Days following the end of the fifteen (15)-day period from the date of the delivery of the Objections Statement. Any further submissions to the Dispute Resolution Firm must be written and delivered to each party to the dispute. The Dispute Resolution Firm shall consider work papers and other documents and information related to those items and amounts which are identified in the Objections Statement as being items which the Seller and the Buyer are unable to resolve. The Dispute Resolution Firm’s determination will be based on the definition of Net Working Capital and the other definitions and terms contained herein and shall be in amounts between the disputed amounts set forth in the Preliminary Closing Statement and the Objections Statement. The Seller and the Buyer shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Dispute Resolution Firm to resolve all disagreements as soon as practicable and in any event within thirty (30) days after the submission of any dispute. Further, the Dispute Resolution Firm’s determination shall be based solely on the presentations by the Buyer and the Seller which are in accordance with the terms and procedures set forth in this Agreement (i.e., not on the basis of an independent review). The resolution of the dispute by the Dispute Resolution Firm shall be, absent manifest error, final, binding and non-appealable on the Parties hereto. The costs and expenses of the Dispute Resolution Firm shall be allocated fifty percent (50%) to the Buyer and fifty percent (50%) to the Seller.
(c) If the Net Working Capital as finally determined pursuant to Section 2.4(b) above is greater than the Target Working Capital, the Buyer shall promptly pay to the Seller the amount of such excess in cash. If the Net Working Capital as finally determined pursuant to Section 2.4(b) above is less than the Target Working Capital (such amount, the “Working Capital Deficiency”), the Seller and the Buyer shall promptly cause an amount equal to the Working Capital Deficiency to be paid to the Buyer from the Working Capital Escrow Amount; provided, however, that if the Working Capital Deficiency is in excess of the Working Capital Escrow Amount (such excess amount, the “Working Capital Indemnity Amount”), then the Buyer may elect to seek indemnification for the Working Capital Indemnity Amount either (i) from the Indemnity Escrow Amount or (ii) directly from the Seller. The net adjustment amount payable to the Seller or the Buyer under this Section 2.4(c) (such amount, the “Net Adjustment Amount”) shall be paid in accordance with Section 2.5.
Post-Closing Purchase Price Adjustment 1.9.1 Within ninety (90) days following the Closing Date, Seller shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and deliver to Purchaser a statement (the “Closing Net Working Capital Statement”) which shall set forth the Net Working Capital of the Newsprint Business and of Apache as of the Closing Time (which shall be set forth separately for each of the Newsprint Business and Apache, but as aggregated shall be referred to as the “Closing Net Working Capital”) and shall be prepared in accordance with Seller’s past accounting methods, policies, practices and procedures and in the same manner, with consistent classification and estimation methodology, as the Financial Statements were prepared, except that the Excluded Assets and the Newsprint Retained Obligations shall be excluded. The Closing Net Working Capital Statement may not be amended by Seller after it is delivered to Purchaser.
1.9.2 Purchaser shall, within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the Closing Net Working Capital Statement to it, complete its review of the Closing Net Working Capital reflected on the Closing Net Working Capital Statement. If Purchaser wishes to dispute the Closing Net Working Capital, Purchaser shall notify Seller in writing in reasonable detail of such disagreement and any reason therefore (“Purchaser’s Objection”), setting forth a specific description of the basis of Purchaser’s Objection and the adjustments to the Closing Net Working Capital that Purchaser believes should be made, on or before the last day of such thirty (30) day period, which Purchaser’s Objection may not be amended by Purchaser after it is delivered to Seller (except to withdraw any such Purchaser’s Objection). Any items on the Closing Net Working Capital Statements not disputed in Purchaser’s Objection shall be irrevocably deemed to be accepted by Purchaser. Seller shall then have thirty (30) days to review and respond to Purchaser’s Objection. If Seller and Purchaser are unable to resolve all of their disagreements with respect to the determination of the foregoing items within thirty (30) days following Seller’s receipt of Purchaser’s Objection (the “Negotiation Period”), they shall refer their remaining differences to a mutually agreeable independent accounting firm of national recognition (other than an independent accounting firm utilized by any of Seller, Apache or Purchaser or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing within the past three (3) years) acceptable to both Seller and Purchaser or if Seller and Purchaser are unable to agree as to such third party accounting firm within ten (10) days after the conclusion of the Negotiation Period, either Seller or Purchaser may request that the Chairman of the American Arbitration Association (or the nominated representative of the Chairman) appoint a third party accounting firm meeting the aforementioned requirements to resolve the dispute (the accounting firm selected being referred to as the “CPA Firm”), who shall determine, only with respect to the remaining differences so submitted, whether and to what extent, if any, the Closing Net Working Capital requires adjustment. The procedure and schedule under which any dispute shall be submitted to the CPA Firm shall be as follows:
(a) Within ten (10) days after the later of (i) the end of the Negotiation Period and (ii) the selection of the CPA Firm, Purchaser shall submit any unresolved elements of the Purchaser’s Objection to the CPA Firm in writing (with a copy to Seller), supported by any documents and/or affidavits upon which it relies. Failure to timely do so shall constitute a withdrawal by Purchaser of the Purchaser’s Objection with respect to any unresolved element to which such failure relates.
(b) Within fifteen (15) days following Purchaser’s submission of the unresolved elements of the Purchaser’s Objection as specified in sub-clause (a) above, Seller shall submit its response to the CPA Firm in writing (with a copy to Purchaser), supported by any documents and/or affidavits upon which it relies. Failure to timely do so shall constitute an acceptance by Seller with respect to any unresolved elements to which such failure relates.
(c) The CPA Firm shall deliver its written determination to Purchaser and Seller no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the remaining differences underlying Purchaser’s Objection are referred to the CPA Firm, or such longer period of time as the CPA Firm determines is necessary.
Purchase Price Adjustment (a) Within 90 days following the Closing, the Buyer shall prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and delivered, to the Seller a statement (the “Closing Schedule”) setting forth:
(i) the Buyer’s determination of the actual amounts of (A) the Adjustment Amount, including the Final Adjustment Amount Overage or the Final Adjustment Amount Underage (the “Final Adjustment Amount”), and (B) the Seller Indebtedness Amount, in each case as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on the Closing Date without taking into account any of the transactions to be completed on the Closing Date in accordance with the terms of this Agreement;
(ii) a calculation of any adjustments to the Closing Payment based on such calculations (the adjusted Closing Payment as a result of such calculation being the “Final Closing Payment”); and
(iii) a calculation of the accounts receivable contained in the Preliminary Adjustment Amount that were not collected by Buyer within the thirty (30) days immediately following the Closing and the accounts receivable existing at the Closing but not taken into account in calculating the Adjustment Amount (the “Excluded AR”).
(b) Within fifteen (15) days after delivery of the Closing Schedule, the Seller may deliver a notice to Buyer either: (i) concurring with the Closing Schedule (a “Notice of Concurrence”); or (ii) disagreeing therewith (a “Notice of Disagreement”). If the Seller delivers a Notice of Disagreement, then it shall be accompanied by the Seller’s proposed revisions to the Closing Schedule. If the Seller fails to deliver any notice within such 15-day period, the Seller shall be deemed to have delivered a Notice of Concurrence.
(c) If a Notice of Concurrence is delivered or deemed delivered, and if the Final Closing Payment is less than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall be entitled to payment out of the Royalty Consideration in the full amount of such shortfall. If a Notice of Concurrence is delivered or deemed delivered, and the Final Closing Payment is greater than the Closing Payment, Buyer shall pay to the Seller the full amount of such excess (with such payment being in shares of Buyer Common Stock priced at $1.50 per share) within thirty (30) days of the delivery of the Notice of Concurrence.
(d) If a Notice of Disagreement is delivered, then the Seller and the Buyer shall, during the 15-day period following such delivery (the “Negotiation Period”), use commercially reasonable efforts to agree on the Final Adjustment Amount. If, during such period, the Seller and the Buyer are unable to reach agreement, they promptly shall engage a nationally recognized certified public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to each such party (the “Independent Auditor”) to resolve the disagreement, and any such resolution shall be final, conclusive and binding upon the parties hereto, absent fraud or manifest error. To the extent the Final Closing Payment as determined by the Independent Auditor is less than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall be entitled to payment out of the Royalty Consideration in the full amount of such shortfall. To the extent the Final Closing Payment as determined by the Independent Auditor is more than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller the full amount of such excess (with such payment being in shares of Buyer Common Stock priced at $1.50 per share) within thirty (30) days of such resolution.
(e) Each of the Seller and the Buyer shall pay fifty percent (50%) of the fees and expenses of the Independent Auditor.
Tax Allocation The Purchase Price shall be allocated in accordance with Section 1060 of the Code among the Timberlands, minerals, Timberlands Contracts, and the Personal Property using the methodology mutually approved by Seller and Purchaser in the manner set forth in this Section 37, provided that such allocation methodology shall incorporate, reflect and be consistent with (a) the allocation set forth in Section 2.1, (b) the Value Table (other than the per acre values set forth therein) and (c) Exhibit 48 (the “Allocation Framework”). No later than sixty (60) days after the Closing Date, Seller shall deliver to Purchaser an allocation of the Purchase Price among the Timberlands, minerals, Timberlands Contracts, and Personal Property, which allocation shall be reasonable, based on fair market values, consistent with the Code, shall incorporate, reflect and be consistent with the Allocation Framework and to the extent relating to the portion of the Purchase Price paid for the Timberlands, set forth an allocation between the Installment Sale Timberlands and the Non-Installment Sale Timberlands (the “Proposed Allocation”). No later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the Closing Date, Seller and Purchaser shall endeavor to agree on the Proposed Allocation. In the event that Seller and Purchaser have not so agreed by such date Purchaser and Seller shall negotiate in good faith to resolve the dispute. If Purchaser and Seller fail to agree on such allocation before the date that is one hundred fifty (150) days following the Closing Date, such allocation shall be determined, within a reasonable time and in a manner that incorporates, reflects and is consistent with the Allocation Framework, by an independent, nationally recognized firm of accountants mutually selected by the Parties. The allocation of the total consideration, as agreed upon by Purchaser and Seller or determined by a firm of accountants under this Section 37, (the “Final Allocation”) shall be final and binding upon the Parties. Each of Purchaser and Seller shall bear all fees and costs incurred by it in connection with the determination of the allocation of the total consideration, except that the Parties shall each pay fifty percent (50%) of the fees and expenses of such accounting firm. Except to the extent otherwise required by applicable law, (a) Seller and Purchaser agree to prepare and file an IRS Form 8594 for or such other form or statement as may be required by applicable law, rule or regulation, and any comparable state or local income Tax form, in a manner consistent with the Final Allocation, (b) Seller and Purchaser shall adhere to the Final Allocation for all Tax-related purposes including any federal, foreign, state, county or local income and franchise Tax Return filed by them after the Closing Date, including the determination by Seller of Taxable gain or loss on the sale and the determination by Purchaser of its Tax basis with respect to same, and (c) neither Purchaser nor Seller shall file any Tax Return or, in a judicial or administrative proceeding, assert or maintain any Tax reporting position that is inconsistent with this Agreement or the Final Allocation agreed to in accordance with this Agreement.
Tax Allocations Each item of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Company shall be allocated among the Members for U.S. federal, state and local income tax purposes in the same manner that each such item is allocated to the Member’s Capital Accounts pursuant to Section 3.2(d) or as otherwise provided herein, provided that the Board may adjust such allocations as long as such adjusted allocations have substantial economic effect or are in accordance with the interests of the Members in the Company, in each case within the meaning of the Code and the Treasury Regulations. Tax credits and tax credit recapture shall be allocated in accordance with the Members’ interests in the Company as provided in Treasury Regulations section 1.704-1(b)(4)(ii). Items of Company taxable income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to any property (other than cash) contributed to the capital of the Company or revalued shall, solely for tax purposes, be allocated among the Members, as determined by the Board in accordance with Section 704(c) of the Code, so as to take account of any variation between the adjusted basis of such property to the Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its fair market value at the time of contribution or revaluation, as the case may be. All of the Members agree that the Board is authorized to select the method or convention, or to treat an item as an extraordinary item, in relation to any variation of any Member’s interest in the Company described in section 1.706-4 of the Treasury Regulations in determining the Members’ distributive shares of Company items. All matters concerning allocations for U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. income tax purposes, including accounting procedures, not expressly provided for by the terms of this Agreement shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Each Class B Ordinary Share is intended to be treated as a profits interest for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and all of the Members agree to report consistently with, and to take any action requested by the Board to ensure, such treatment.
Allocation of the Purchase Price (a) Within ninety (90) days after the final determination of the Final Purchase Price pursuant to Section 2.5, the Sellers will provide the Buyer with a statement (or statements) (the “Asset Acquisition Statement”) with the Sellers’ proposed allocation of the Final Purchase Price (plus any other amounts, including Assumed Liabilities, to the extent properly taken into account as consideration for applicable Tax purposes) among the Transferred Assets and, if applicable, the Ancillary Agreements and any other rights transferred hereunder or thereunder in accordance with Section 1060 of the Code (and any other applicable state, local or non-U.S. Law). The Buyer may, within thirty (30) days after receiving such Asset Acquisition Statement, propose to the Sellers in writing any changes to such Asset Acquisition Statement that are consistent with applicable Law (the “Allocation Notice of Objection”), and if the Buyer does not deliver such a Notice of Objection within such period, the Buyer shall be deemed to have accepted such proposed Asset Acquisition Statement and it shall become final and binding on the Parties. If the Buyer delivers a Notice of Objection, then the Buyer and the Sellers will endeavor in good faith to resolve any differences with respect to the Asset Acquisition Statement within thirty (30) days after the Sellers’ receipt of the Notice of Objection. If the Buyer and the Sellers are unable to resolve such differences, the matters in dispute shall be resolved by the Accounting Firm, which determination by such Accounting Firm shall be consistent with this Agreement. The fees, costs and expenses of the Accounting Firm shall be borne by the Buyer and the Sellers in inverse proportion as they may prevail on matters resolved by the Accounting Firm, which proportionate allocations also shall be determined by the Accounting Firm at the time the determination of the Accounting Firm is rendered.
(b) The Buyer and the Sellers agree that they shall each (and shall cause their respective Affiliates to) file all Tax Returns (including amended returns and claims for refunds) and information reports in a manner consistent with the Asset Acquisition Statement (as finalized pursuant to Section 2.6(a))); provided that nothing contained in this Section 2.6(b) shall prevent any Party (or their Affiliates) from settling, or require any of them to litigate any challenge, proposed deficiency, adjustment or other similar proceeding by any Governmental Authority with respect to the Asset Acquisition Statement. Upon any adjustment to the Purchase Price in connection with an indemnification claim made pursuant to Article 13, the allocation described in the Asset Acquisition Statement (as finalized pursuant to Section 2.6(a)) shall be subject to adjustment in a manner consistent with Section 2.6(a).
Allocation of Purchase Price (i) The sum of the Purchase Price and the amount of the Assumed Liabilities (to the extent properly taken into account under the Code) shall be allocated among Sellers and (ii) the amount allocated to the Acquired Assets sold by each such Seller shall be further allocated among such Acquired Assets in accordance with Section 1060 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Allocation”). The Allocation shall be delivered by Buyer to Sellers within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the Closing. Sellers’ Representative, on behalf of Sellers, will have the right to raise reasonable objections to the Allocation within thirty (30) days after Buyer’s delivery thereof, in which event Buyer and Sellers’ Representative will negotiate in good faith to resolve such dispute. If Buyer and Sellers’ Representative cannot resolve such dispute within fifteen (15) Business Days after Sellers’ Representative notify Buyer of such objections, such dispute with respect to the Allocation shall be resolved promptly by the Neutral Accountant, the costs of which shall be shared in equal amounts by Buyer, on the one hand, and Sellers, on the other hand. The decision of the Neutral Accountant in respect of the Allocation shall be final and binding upon Buyer and Sellers. Buyer and Sellers shall file all Tax Returns (including, but not limited to, Internal Revenue Service Form 8594) consistent with the Allocation absent a change in Law; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall prevent Buyer or any Seller from settling any proposed deficiency or adjustment by any Tax Authority based upon or arising out of the Allocation, and neither Buyer nor any Seller shall be required to litigate before any court any proposed deficiency or adjustment by any Tax Authority challenging such Allocation. Buyer and any applicable Seller shall promptly notify and provide the other with reasonable assistance in the event of an examination, audit, or other proceeding relating to Taxes regarding the Allocation of the Purchase Price and the amount of the Assumed Liabilities pursuant to this Section 3.4. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the foregoing agreement shall survive the Closing Date without limitation.
