Tax Matters Section 8.12
Other Tax Matters (i) No deficiency with respect to a material amount of Taxes has been proposed, asserted or assessed against the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries and remains unpaid, except for such deficiencies that are being contested, or that will be contested, in each case, in good faith, and, in each case, for which adequate reserves have been established on the books and records of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is currently the subject of an audit or other examination relating to the payment of material Taxes of the Company or such Company Subsidiary by a Taxing Authority of any nation, state or locality nor has the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries received any written notices from any Taxing Authority that such an audit or examination is pending, or that the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries was required to file any Tax Return that was not filed.
(ii) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is presently contesting any material Tax liability of the Company or any Company Subsidiary before any court, tribunal or agency.
(iii) All material Taxes that the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries is (or was) required by Applicable Law to withhold or collect in connection with amounts paid or owing to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, stockholder, member or other third party have been duly withheld or collected, and have been paid over to the proper authorities to the extent due and payable.
(iv) The Company and each of the Company Subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with all information reporting (and related withholding) and record retention requirements.
(v) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has waived any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes nor agreed to any extension of time with respect to a Tax assessment or deficiency.
(vi) There are no liens for material Taxes (except Taxes not yet due and payable) on any of the assets of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries.
(vii) None of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries is a party to or bound by any closing agreement, private letter rulings, technical advance memoranda, offer in compromise, or any other agreement with any Taxing Authority, in each case that could have a materially adverse effect after the Closing Date.
(viii) Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries is a party to or is bound by any Tax sharing, allocation or indemnification agreement or arrangement (other than such an agreement or arrangement exclusively between or among the Company and the Company Subsidiaries).
(ix) Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has been, within the past two years or otherwise as part of a “plan (or series of related transactions)” within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code of which the Merger is also a part, a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” (within the meaning of Section 355(a)(1)(A) of the Code) in a distribution of stock intended to qualify for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Code.
(x) Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has participated in a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2) or any other transaction requiring disclosure under analogous provisions of state, local or foreign Tax law.
(xi) Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries will be required to include any material item of income in, or to exclude any material item of deduction from, taxable income in any taxable period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any closing agreement, installment sale or open transaction on or prior to the Closing Date, any accounting method change or agreement with any Taxing Authority, any prepaid amount received on or prior to the Closing Date, any election pursuant to Section 108(i) of the Code (or any corresponding provision of state, local or foreign Tax law) made with respect to any taxable period ending on or prior to the Closing Date, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any intercompany transaction or excess loss account described in Section 1502 of the Code (or any corresponding provision of state, local or foreign Tax law).
No Disagreements with Accountants and Lawyers There are no disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by the Company to arise, between the Company and the accountants and lawyers formerly or presently employed by the Company and the Company is current with respect to any fees owed to its accountants and lawyers which could affect the Company’s ability to perform any of its obligations under any of the Transaction Documents.
Limitations of Liability of Trustees and Shareholders of the Company The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the Trustees of FAS and signed by an authorized officer of FAS, acting as such, and neither such authorization by such Trustees nor such execution and delivery by such officer shall be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, and the obligations of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the Trustees or Shareholders of FAS, but bind only the property of FAS, as provided in FAS’s Declaration of Trust.
Limitations of Liability of the Board and Shareholders of the Investment Company The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the Board of the Investment Company and signed by an authorized officer of the Investment Company, acting as such, and neither such authorization by the Board nor such execution and delivery by such officer shall be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, and the obligations of this Agreement are not binding upon any member of the Board or Shareholders of the Investment Company, but bind only the property of the Fund, or Class, as provided in the Declaration of Trust.
Books and Records Accounting Tax Matters Describes general and administrative items and procedural aspects of handling certain of those items.
Certain Obligations Respecting Subsidiaries Except as permitted by Section 9.05 hereof, the Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, take such action from time to time as shall be necessary to ensure that the Borrower and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries at all times own (subject only to the Lien of the Security Documents and Liens permitted by Section 9.06) at least the same percentage of the issued and outstanding shares of each class of stock of each of such Restricted Subsidiaries the stock of which is subject to the Lien of the Security Documents as is owned on the date of this Agreement or, in the case of New Wholly Owned Subsidiaries which are Restricted Subsidiaries created or acquired after the date of this Agreement (other than any Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of such Persons), the stock of which are required to be subject to the Lien of the Security Documents, 100% of each class of stock of each of such Subsidiaries (each of the Subsidiaries referred to above being herein called, a “Pledged Subsidiary”). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and except as permitted by Section 9.05, none of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any shares of stock in any Pledged Subsidiary owned by it, nor permit any Pledged Subsidiary to issue any shares of stock of any class whatsoever to any Person (other than to the Borrower or another Obligor). In the event that any such additional shares of stock are issued by any Pledged Subsidiary, the respective Obligor agrees forthwith to deliver to the Administrative Agent pursuant to the Security Documents the certificates evidencing such shares of stock, accompanied by undated stock powers executed in blank and shall take such other action as the Administrative Agent shall request to perfect the security interest created therein pursuant to the Security Documents. Except as expressly permitted by this Agreement, the Borrower shall not and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to enter into any indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement (other than this Agreement and the other Loan Documents) that, directly or indirectly, prohibits or restrains, or has the effect of prohibiting or restraining, or imposes conditions upon the incurrence or payment of Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, or the declaration or payment of dividends to the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
Obligations of Merger Subsidiary Parent shall take all action necessary to cause Merger Subsidiary to perform its obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Merger on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
Employee Matters (a) Parent hereby acknowledges that a “change of control” (or similar phrase) within the meaning of the Employee Plans, as applicable, will occur as of the Appointment Time or Effective Time, as applicable.
(b) Except as provided in Section 7.2(b), from and after the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall (and Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation to) honor all Employee Plans and compensation arrangements in accordance with their terms as in effect immediately prior to the Appointment Time, provided that nothing in this sentence shall prohibit the Surviving Corporation from amending or terminating, or from causing the Surviving Corporation to amend or terminate, any such Benefit Plans, arrangements or agreements in accordance with their terms or if otherwise required by applicable Law. As of the Effective Time, Parent shall or shall cause the Surviving Corporation to assume the Employee Plans set forth in Section 7.2(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter.
(c) The Company shall take (or cause to be taken) all action necessary or appropriate to terminate, effective no later than the day immediately preceding the Appointment Time, any Employee Plan that contains a cash or deferred arrangement intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code (the “401(k) Plans”), unless Parent, in its sole and absolute discretion, agrees to sponsor and maintain any such 401(k) Plan by providing the Company with written notice of such election (an “Election Notice”) at least three days before the Appointment Time. Unless Parent timely provides an Election Notice to the Company, the Company shall deliver to Parent, prior to the Appointment Time, evidence that the Company’s board of directors has validly adopted resolutions to terminate the 401(k) Plans (the form and substance of which resolutions shall be subject to review and approval of Parent), effective no later than the date immediately preceding the Appointment Time. Parent shall cause a plan intended to qualify under Section 401(k) of the Code (the “Parent 401(k) Plan”) to accept rollovers (including rollover loans) from any 401(k) plan of the Company.
(d) For a period of one year following the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall (and Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation to) provide (i) at least the same level of base salary or base wages to each Continuing Employee as the base salary or base wages provided to each such Continuing Employee immediately prior to the Effective Time, and (ii) benefits and severance payments (other than equity based benefits, change in control benefits and individual employment agreements) to each Continuing Employee employed in the United States that, taken as a whole, are substantially similar in the aggregate to the benefits and severance payments (other than equity based benefits, change in control benefits and individual employment agreements) provided to similarly situated employees of Parent and its Subsidiaries. Parent agrees that it shall cause the Surviving Corporation to pay an annual cash bonus to each participant in an annual cash bonus plan of the Company as of the Effective Time (excluding, for avoidance of doubt, sales and commission plans) equal to the amount determined by (i) determining the annual cash bonus that would have been paid to such participant based on deemed performance for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011 using the rate of accrual for purposes of the Company’s financial statements as of immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and (ii) multiplying the number determined pursuant to clause (i) by 0.8356 (i.e., 305/365), with the resulting amount reduced by any portion of such annual bonus previously paid to the participant. Such bonus will be paid in February 2011 subject to the participant’s continued employment through January 31, 2011.
(e) To the extent that an Employee Plan or employee benefit plan of Parent is made available to any Continuing Employee on or following the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall (and Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation to) cause to be granted to such Continuing Employee credit for all service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (and their predecessors) prior to the Effective Time for purposes of eligibility to participate, vesting and entitlement to benefits where length of service is relevant (including, but not limited to, for purposes of vacation, sick and paid time off accrual and severance pay entitlement); provided, however, that such service need not be credited (i) to the extent that it would result in duplication of coverage or benefits or (ii) under any new plan or arrangement to the extent that such plan or arrangement does not provide prior service credit to employees generally. In addition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, at the Effective Time: (i) each Continuing Employee shall be immediately eligible to participate, without any waiting time, in any and all employee benefit plans sponsored by the Surviving Corporation and its Subsidiaries (other than the Employee Plans) (such plans, collectively, the “New Plans”) to the extent coverage under any such New Plan replaces coverage under a comparable Employee Plan in which such Continuing Employee participates immediately before the Appointment Time (such plans, collectively, the “Old Plans”); and (ii) for purposes of each New Plan providing medical, dental, pharmaceutical, vision and/or disability benefits to any Continuing Employee, the Surviving Corporation shall cause all waiting periods, pre-existing condition exclusions, evidence of insurability requirements and actively-at-work or similar requirements of such New Plan to be waived for such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents, and the Surviving Corporation shall cause any eligible expenses incurred by such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents during the portion of the plan year of the Old Plan ending on the date such employee’s participation in the corresponding New Plan begins to be given full credit under such New Plan for purposes of satisfying all deductible, coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents for the applicable plan year as if such amounts had been paid in accordance with such New Plan, and (iii) the Surviving Corporation shall credit the accounts of such Continuing Employees under any New Plan which is a flexible spending plan with any unused balance in the account of such Continuing Employee under the applicable Employee Plan. Any vacation or paid time off accrued but unused by a Continuing Employee as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be credited to such Continuing Employee following the Effective Time, and shall not be subject to accrual limits or other forfeiture and shall not limit future accruals.
(f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, no provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to (i) guarantee employment for any period of time for, or preclude the ability of Parent or the Surviving Corporation to terminate, any Continuing Employee for any reason, or (ii) subject to the limitations and requirements specifically set forth in this Section 7.2, require Parent or the Surviving Corporation to continue any Employee Plan or prevent the amendment, modification or termination thereof after the Effective Time.
(g) This Section 7.2 shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each of the parties to this Agreement, and nothing in this Section 7.2, expressed or implied, is intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Section 7.2. Without limiting the foregoing, no provision of this Section 7.2 will create any third party beneficiary rights in any current or former employee, director or consultant of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of continued employment (or resumed employment) or any other matter.
(h) Effective as of immediately prior to, and contingent upon, the Appointment Time, the Company shall cause to be amended each outstanding Company RSU, Company Option and Company Restricted Stock Award to provide that, if upon or within twelve (12) months following the Appointment Time, the employment or service of the holder of any such Company RSU, Company Option and/or Company Restricted Stock Award is terminated by the Company or the Parent (or any employing parent or subsidiary thereof) by reason of elimination of the holder’s position due to redundancy or integration of Parent and Company business units (but, for avoidance of doubt, excluding terminations for death, “Disability,” “Serious Misconduct,” or “Poor Performance,” (as such terms are defined in Section 7.2(h) of the Company Disclosure Letter), then one hundred percent (100%) of the then unvested shares subject to such Company RSU, Company Option and/or Company Restricted Stock Award shall become immediately vested and, if applicable, exercisable.
Certain Obligations Respecting Subsidiaries Further Assurances (a) Such Obligor will take such action, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to take such action, from time to time as shall be necessary to ensure that all Domestic Subsidiaries are “Subsidiary Guarantors” hereunder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that any Obligor or any of its Domestic Subsidiaries shall form or acquire any new Subsidiary, such Obligor will (or will cause such Subsidiary to) no later than within 60 days of such formation or acquisition:
(i) cause such new Domestic Subsidiary to become a “Subsidiary Guarantor” hereunder pursuant to a Guarantee Assumption Agreement;
(ii) take such action or cause such Domestic Subsidiary to take such action (including joining the Security Agreement, delivering such shares of stock together with undated transfer powers executed in blank) as shall be necessary to create and perfect valid and enforceable first priority (subject to Permitted Priority Liens) Liens on substantially all of the personal property of such new Domestic Subsidiary as collateral security for the obligations of such new Domestic Subsidiary hereunder;
(iii) to the extent that the parent of such Subsidiary is not a party to the Security Agreement or has not otherwise pledged Equity Interests in its Subsidiaries in accordance with the terms of the Security Agreement and this Agreement, cause the parent of such Subsidiary to execute and deliver a pledge agreement in favor of the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, in respect of all outstanding issued shares of such Subsidiary if it is a Domestic Subsidiary or 65% of the issued shares of such Subsidiary if it is a Foreign Subsidiary, to the extent not prohibited or otherwise restricted by applicable law;
(iv) with respect to any Subsidiary, deliver such proof of corporate action, incumbency of officers, opinions of counsel and other documents as is consistent with those delivered by each Obligor pursuant to Section 6.01 or as the Lender shall have requested; and
(v) shall cause each new Subsidiary to become party to the Intercompany Subordination Agreement.
(b) Such Obligor will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, take such action from time to time as shall reasonably be requested by the Lender to effectuate the purposes and objectives of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Obligor will, and will cause each Person that is required to be a Subsidiary Guarantor to, take such action from time to time (including executing and delivering such assignments, security agreements, control agreements and other instruments) as shall be reasonably requested by the Collateral Agent to create, in favor of the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, perfected security interests and Liens in substantially all of the personal property of such Obligor and its Subsidiaries as collateral security for the Obligations; provided that any such security interest or Lien shall be subject to the relevant requirements of the Security Documents.
