STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT BY AND AMONG ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS COMPANY, VIASYSTEMS GROUP, INC., WIRE HARNESS HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND WIRE HARNESS INDUSTRIES, INC. Dated as of March 21, 2006
EXHIBIT
2.1
BY
AND
AMONG
ELECTRICAL
COMPONENTS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS COMPANY,
VIASYSTEMS
GROUP, INC.,
WIRE
HARNESS HOLDING COMPANY, INC.
AND
WIRE
HARNESS INDUSTRIES, INC.
Dated
as
of March 21, 2006
Page
|
||
Article
I -
|
DEFINITIONS;
INTERPRETIVE MATTERS
|
1
|
1.1
|
Certain
Definitions
|
1
|
1.2
|
Terms
Defined Elsewhere in this Agreement
|
7
|
1.3
|
Other
Definitional and Interpretive Matters
|
9
|
1.4
|
Construction
|
10
|
Article
II -
|
SALE
AND PURCHASE OF SHARES
|
10
|
2.1
|
Sale
and Purchase of Shares
|
10
|
Article
III -
|
CONSIDERATION
|
10
|
3.1
|
Consideration
|
10
|
Article
IV -
|
CLOSING
AND TERMINATION
|
15
|
4.1
|
Closing
Date
|
15
|
4.2
|
Closing
Deliveries
|
15
|
4.3
|
Termination
of Agreement
|
16
|
4.4
|
Procedure
Upon Termination
|
17
|
4.5
|
Effect
of Termination
|
17
|
Article
V -
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER AND PARENT
|
17
|
5.1
|
Organization
and Good Standing
|
17
|
5.2
|
Authorization
of Agreement
|
17
|
5.3
|
Conflicts;
Consents of Third Parties
|
18
|
5.4
|
Ownership
and Transfer of Shares
|
18
|
5.5
|
Financial
Advisors
|
18
|
Article
VI -
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES RELATING TO THE COMPANY AND THE
SUBSIDIARIES
|
19
|
6.1
|
Organization
and Good Standing; Authorization
|
19
|
6.2
|
Conflicts;
Consents of Third Parties
|
20
|
6.3
|
Capitalization
|
20
|
6.4
|
Subsidiaries
|
21
|
6.5
|
Financial
Statements
|
22
|
6.6
|
No
Undisclosed Liabilities
|
23
|
6.7
|
Absence
of Certain Developments
|
23
|
6.8
|
Taxes
|
25
|
6.9
|
Real
Property
|
26
|
6.10
|
Tangible
Personal Property
|
27
|
6.11
|
Intellectual
Property
|
27
|
6.12
|
Material
Contracts
|
28
|
6.13
|
Employee
Benefits Plans
|
30
|
6.14
|
Labor
|
32
|
6.15
|
Litigation
|
33
|
6.16
|
Compliance
with Laws; Permits
|
33
|
6.17
|
Environmental
Matters
|
33
|
6.18
|
Financial
Advisors
|
34
|
6.19
|
Related
Party Transactions
|
34
|
6.20
|
Insurance
|
35
|
6.21
|
Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act
|
35
|
6.22
|
Customers
|
35
|
6.23
|
Suppliers
|
36
|
6.24
|
Product
Recalls
|
36
|
6.25
|
Sufficiency
of Assets
|
36
|
6.26
|
No
Other Representations or Warranties; Schedules
|
36
|
Article
VII -
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF PURCHASER
|
37
|
7.1
|
Organization
and Good Standing
|
37
|
7.2
|
Authorization
of Agreement
|
37
|
7.3
|
Conflicts;
Consents of Third Parties
|
37
|
7.4
|
Litigation
|
38
|
7.5
|
Investment
Intention
|
38
|
7.6
|
Financial
Advisors
|
38
|
7.7
|
Financing
|
38
|
7.8
|
Solvency
|
39
|
7.9
|
No
Knowledge of Breach
|
39
|
Article
VIII -
|
COVENANTS
|
39
|
8.1
|
Access
to Information; Financing Cooperation
|
39
|
8.2
|
Conduct
of the Business Pending the Closing
|
41
|
8.3
|
Consents
|
43
|
8.4
|
Regulatory
Approvals
|
43
|
8.5
|
Further
Assurances
|
45
|
8.6
|
Confidentiality
|
45
|
8.7
|
Indemnification,
Exculpation and Insurance
|
46
|
8.8
|
Preservation
of Records
|
47
|
8.9
|
Publicity
|
47
|
8.10
|
Employee
Benefits
|
47
|
8.11
|
Transition
Services
|
49
|
8.12
|
Tax
Matters
|
50
|
8.13
|
338(h)(10)
Election
|
55
|
8.14
|
Financing
|
56
|
8.15
|
Restructuring
Transactions
|
57
|
8.16
|
Use
of Name
|
57
|
8.17
|
Termination
of Intercompany Obligations
|
57
|
8.18
|
Non-Competition
|
58
|
8.19
|
Non-Solicitation
|
59
|
8.20
|
Release
of Obligations Under Certain Contracts and Guarantees
|
59
|
8.21
|
Insurance
|
60
|
8.22
|
No
Solicitation or Negotiation
|
61
|
8.23
|
Certain
Notices
|
61
|
8.24
|
Successors
|
62
|
8.25
|
Credit
Agreement and Indenture Releases
|
62
|
8.26
|
Application
of Purchase Price
|
63
|
8.27
|
Cooperation
with Respect to Permits
|
63
|
8.28
|
Reimbursement
of Capital Expenditures and Diligence Costs
|
63
|
Article
IX -
|
CONDITIONS
TO CLOSING
|
64
|
9.1
|
Conditions
Precedent to Obligations of Purchaser
|
64
|
9.2
|
Conditions
Precedent to Obligations of Seller
|
65
|
9.3
|
Frustration
of Closing Conditions
|
66
|
Article
X -
|
INDEMNIFICATION
|
66
|
10.1
|
Indemnification
|
66
|
10.2
|
Limitations
on Indemnification for Breaches of Representations and
Warranties
|
67
|
10.3
|
Indemnification
Procedures
|
68
|
10.4
|
Sole
Remedy
|
70
|
10.5
|
Limitation
on Losses
|
70
|
10.6
|
Adjustments
for Insurance and Tax Benefits
|
71
|
10.7
|
Tax
Treatment of Indemnity Payments
|
71
|
Article
XI -
|
MISCELLANEOUS
|
71
|
11.1
|
Survival
of Representations, Warranties and Covenants
|
71
|
11.2
|
Expenses
|
72
|
11.3
|
Submission
to Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process
|
72
|
11.4
|
Entire
Agreement; Amendments and Waivers
|
72
|
11.5
|
Governing
Law
|
72
|
11.6
|
Notices
|
73
|
11.7
|
Severability
|
74
|
11.8
|
Binding
Effect; Assignment
|
74
|
11.9
|
Counterparts
|
74
|
11.10
|
Guarantee
|
74
|
11.11
|
Non-Recourse
|
74
|
11.12
|
Further
Assurances
|
75
|
Seller
Schedules
Schedule
1.1
|
Seller
Knowledge
|
Schedule
3.1(b)
|
Working
Capital Calculation Accounting Principles and
Methodologies
|
Schedule
5.3(a)
|
Seller
and Parent Conflicts
|
Schedule
5.3(b)
|
Seller
and Parent Consents
|
Schedule
5.4
|
Liens
on Shares
|
Schedule
5.5
|
Financial
Advisors
|
Schedule
6.1(a)
|
Jurisdictions
|
Schedule
6.2(a)
|
Company
and Subsidiaries Conflicts
|
Schedule
6.2(b)
|
Company
and Subsidiaries Consents
|
Schedule
6.4(a)
|
Subsidiaries
|
Schedule
6.5(a)(i)
|
Audited
Financial Statements
|
Schedule
6.5(a)(ii)
|
Unaudited
Financial Statement Assumptions and Methodologies
|
Schedule
6.5(a)(iii)
|
Unaudited
Financial Statements
|
Schedule
6.5(e)
|
Inventories
|
Schedule
6.6
|
Undisclosed
Liabilities
|
Schedule
6.7
|
Absence
of Certain Developments
|
Schedule
6.9(a)
|
Owned
Real Property
|
Schedule
6.9(b)
|
Leased
Real Property
|
Schedule
6.10
|
Tangible
Personal Property
|
Schedule
6.11(a)
|
Intellectual
Property
|
Schedule
6.12(a)
|
Material
Contracts
|
Schedule
6.13(a)
|
Employee
Benefit Plans
|
Schedule
6.13(c)
|
Benefit
Plan Contributions
|
Schedule
6.13(e)
|
Employee
Benefit Payments
|
Schedule
6.13(i)
|
Medical
Benefits
|
Schedule
6.13(j)
|
Foreign
Benefit Plans
|
Schedule
6.14(c)
|
Facility
Closing
|
Schedule
6.17
|
Environmental
Matters
|
Schedule
6.18
|
Financial
Advisors
|
Schedule
6.19(a)
|
Related
Party Borrowings
|
Schedule
6.19(b)
|
Related
Party Interests
|
Schedule
6.20
|
Insurance
|
Schedule
6.22
|
Customers
|
Schedule
6.23
|
Suppliers
|
Schedule
6.24
|
Product
Recalls
|
Schedule
8.2
|
Conduct
of the Business
|
Schedule
8.10(b)
|
Transaction
Bonuses
|
Schedule
8.10(c)
|
Assumption
of Plans
|
Schedule
8.11
|
Transition
Services
|
Schedule
8.13(d)
|
Preliminary
Allocation Statement
|
Schedule
8.15
|
Restructuring
Transactions
|
Schedule
8.17
|
Intercompany
Balances
|
Schedule
8.20(a)
|
Release
of Obligations Under Certain Contracts
|
Schedule
8.20(b)
|
Release
of Obligations Under Certain Guarantees
|
Schedule
8.28(b)
|
Reimbursement
Obligations
|
Schedule
9.1(g)(i)
|
Approvals
of Contracts
|
Schedule
9.1(g)(ii)
|
Approvals
of any Governmental Body
|
Schedule
9.1(i)
|
Form
of Legal Opinion
|
Purchaser
Schedules
Schedule
7.6
|
Purchaser
Financial Advisors
|
Exhibits
Exhibit
A
- Form of Employment Agreement
This
STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT, dated as of March 21, 2006 (this “Agreement”),
is
entered into by and among Electrical Components International Holdings Company,
a Delaware corporation (“Purchaser”),
Viasystems Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”),
Wire
Harness Holding Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation and an indirect
wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Seller”),
and
Wire Harness Industries, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly-owned
subsidiary of Seller (the “Company”).
W
I T N E
S S E T H:
WHEREAS,
Seller owns directly 1,000 shares (the “Shares”)
of
common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common
Stock”),
of
the Company, which constitute all of the issued and outstanding shares of
capital stock of the Company, and Parent owns indirectly all of the issued
and
outstanding shares of capital stock of Seller;
WHEREAS,
Seller desires to sell to Purchaser, and Purchaser desires to purchase from
Seller, the Shares for the purchase price and upon the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth;
WHEREAS,
Parent desires that the aforesaid sale be consummated on the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement, and in connection therewith Parent
acknowledges that its non-competition covenant to Purchaser, as provided for
in
Section 8.18,
is an
essential element of the aforesaid sale and but for the agreement of Parent
to
comply with such covenant Purchaser would not have entered into this Agreement;
and
WHEREAS,
as a material inducement to Purchaser to enter into this Agreement, Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx shall enter into an Employment Agreement in the form attached as
Exhibit
A
hereto,
such agreement to be effective immediately prior to the Closing.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and
agreements hereinafter contained, the parties hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE
I
-
DEFINITIONS;
INTERPRETIVE MATTERS
1.1 Certain
Definitions.
For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings
specified in this Section
1.1:
“Affiliate”
means,
with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under
common control with, such Person, and the term “control” (including the terms
“controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, directly
or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management
and policies of such Person, whether through ownership of voting securities,
by
Contract or otherwise; provided,
however, that
for
purposes of Article
VI,
an
“Affiliate” of Seller shall include each of (i) Parent and each direct and
indirect subsidiary of Parent and (ii) each officer and director of Parent
and
each direct and indirect subsidiary of Parent.
“Antitrust
Laws”
means,
collectively, the Xxxxxxx Act, as amended, the Xxxxxxx Act, as amended, the
Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended, and any other United States federal
or
state or foreign statutes, rules, regulations, orders, decrees, administrative
or judicial doctrines or other Laws that are designed to prohibit, restrict
or
regulate actions having the purpose or effect of monopolization or restraint
of
trade.
“Business
Day”
means
any day of the year on which national banking institutions in New York, New
York
and San Francisco, California are open to the public for conducting business
and
are not required or authorized by Law to close.
“China
Facility”
means
the wire harness facility located within the Viasystems campus in
Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China.
“Code”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Company
Group”
means
any “affiliated group” (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard
to the limitations contained in Section 1504(b) of the Code) that, at any time
before the Closing Date, includes or has included the Company or any Subsidiary
or any predecessor of or successor to the Company or any Subsidiary (or another
such predecessor or successor), or any other group of corporations that, at
any
time on or before the Closing Date, files or has filed Tax Returns on a
combined, consolidated or unitary basis with the Company or any Subsidiary
or
any predecessor of or successor to the Company or any Subsidiary (or another
such predecessor or successor).
“Company
IP”
means
all Registered IP and all other Intellectual Property owned or purported to
be
owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company and the
Subsidiaries.
“Continuing
Employees”
means
those employees of the Company and the Subsidiaries who continue their
employment with the Company or a Subsidiary following the Closing
Date.
“Contract”
means
any written or oral contract, subcontract, lease, mortgage, indenture, note,
bond, option, license, sublicense, or other agreement.
“Credit
Agreement”
means
that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2003, among Parent,
Viasystems, the several banks and other financial institutions party thereto,
and JPMorgan Chase Bank, as Administrative Agent, as amended by the First
Amendment, dated as of March 19, 2003, the Second Amendment, dated as of
December 3, 2003 the Third Amendment, dated as of October 7, 2004, the
Fourth Amendment, dated as of March 18, 2005, and the Fifth Amendment, dated
as
of April 22, 2005.
“Environmental
Law”
means
any applicable foreign, federal, state or local statute, regulation, ordinance,
rule of common law or other legal requirement currently in effect relating
to
(i) the protection of human health, safety as it relates to environmental
protection, the environment, natural resources and wildlife, or (ii) the
management, manufacture, possession, presence, use, generation, transportation,
treatment, storage, disposal, Release, threatened Release, abatement, removal,
remediation or handling of any Hazardous Material, including without limitation,
the Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq., the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251, et seq., including the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. § 9601
et seq.),
the
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. App. § 1801
et seq.),
the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq.),
the
Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.),
the
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.)
the
Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.),
and
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. § 136
et seq.),
as
each has been amended and the regulations promulgated pursuant
thereto.
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States as of the date
of
determination.
“Governmental
Body”
means
any government or governmental or regulatory or administrative body thereof,
or
political subdivision thereof, whether national, federal, state, provincial,
municipal, local, foreign or multinational, or any agency, instrumentality,
commission or authority thereof, or any court, tribunal or arbitrator (public
or
private), or any other body exercising, or entitled to exercise, any
administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory or taxing
authority or power of any nature.
“Hazardous
Material”
means
any substance which is (i) defined as a hazardous substance, hazardous material,
hazardous waste, pollutant or contaminant under any Environmental Laws, (ii)
a
petroleum hydrocarbon, including crude oil or any fraction thereof, (iii)
classified under any Environmental Law as hazardous, toxic, corrosive,
flammable, explosive, infectious, radioactive or carcinogenic, or (iv) contains
asbestos or PCBs.
“HSR
Act”
means
the Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Indenture”
means
that certain Indenture, dated as of December 17, 2003, among Viasystems,
the Guarantors party thereto, and The Bank of New York, as Trustee, as amended
by two supplemental indentures, each dated December 31, 2004.
“Intellectual
Property”
means
all worldwide intellectual property rights, including, without limitation,
the
following: (i) all patents and applications therefor, including
continuations, divisionals, continuations-in-part, or reissues of patent
applications and patents issuing thereon (collectively, “Patents”);
(ii) all trademarks, service marks, trade names, service names, brand
names, trade dress rights, logos, Internet domain names and corporate names,
together with the goodwill associated with any of the foregoing, and all
applications, registrations and renewals thereof, (collectively, “Marks”);
(iii) copyrights and registrations and applications therefor, works of
authorship and mask work rights (collectively, “Copyrights”);
(iv)
trade secrets and confidential information; and (v) all Software and
Technology.
“IRS”
means
the Internal Revenue Service.
“Knowledge
of Seller”
means
the actual knowledge of the Persons set forth on Schedule
1.1.
“Law”
means
any law, statute, code, ordinance, rule, regulation, Order or other legally
binding requirement of any Governmental Body.
“Legal
Proceeding”
means
any judicial, administrative or arbitral actions, claims, suits, arbitrations,
investigations or proceedings (public or private) by or before a Governmental
Body.
“Lien”
means
any lien, encumbrance, pledge, mortgage, deed of trust, security interest,
claim, lease, charge, option, right of first refusal, easement, right of way,
servitude or transfer restriction.
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
any event, circumstance, change, effect or occurrence that, individually or
together with any other event, circumstance, change, effect or occurrence,
is or
would reasonably be expected to be (i) materially adverse to the business,
assets, liabilities, properties, results of operations or condition (financial
or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (which
for
the purposes hereof includes the Wire Harness Business), or (ii) materially
adverse to the ability of Parent, Seller, the Company or the Subsidiaries,
to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and by the
Transaction Documents to which Seller, Parent, the Company or the Subsidiaries
are a party, other than any event, circumstance, change, effect or occurrence
resulting from an Excluded Matter. “Excluded
Matter”
means
any one or more of the following: (i) any change in the United States or foreign
economies or securities or financial markets in general, provided it does not
have a materially disproportionate effect on the Company and the Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole; (ii) any change that generally affects any industry in which
the Company and the Subsidiaries operate, provided it does not have a materially
disproportionate effect on the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken a whole;
(iii) any action taken by Purchaser or its Affiliates with respect to the
transactions contemplated hereby or with respect to the Company and the
Subsidiaries; (iv) any changes in applicable accounting rules; (v) the failure
of the Company and the Subsidiaries to meet any of their internal projections
in
and of itself (but not excluding any event, circumstance, change, effect or
occurrence that gave rise to, contributed to or caused such failure to meet
any
such projections); or (vi) the public announcement of this Agreement or the
pendency of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
“Order”
means
any order, injunction, judgment, decree, ruling, writ, assessment or arbitration
award of a Governmental Body.
“Ordinary
Course of Business”
means
the ordinary and usual course of the Wire Harness Business, consistent with
past
practices (including with respect to quantity and frequency).
“Permits”
means
any approvals, authorizations, consents, licenses, permits or certificates
of a
Governmental Body.
“Permitted
Exceptions”
means
(i) all defects, exceptions, restrictions, easements, rights of way and
encumbrances disclosed in policies of, or commitments for, title insurance
and/or plats or surveys which have been made available to Purchaser;
(ii) statutory liens for current Taxes, assessments or other governmental
charges not yet delinquent or the amount or validity of which is being contested
in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided an appropriate reserve is
established therefor on the Financial Statements or the Closing Date Statement;
(iii) landlords’, mechanics’, carriers’, workers’, repairers’ and similar
Liens arising by operation of law and/or incurred in the Ordinary Course of
Business; (iv) zoning, entitlement and other land use and environmental
regulations by any Governmental Body; (v) title of a lessor under a capital
or
operating lease; and (vi) such other imperfections in title, charges, easements,
restrictions and encumbrances which would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to materially detract from the value, or materially
impair the use, of such property as it presently used.
“Person”
means
any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, joint venture, association,
joint-stock company, limited liability company, limited liability partnership,
labor union, trust, unincorporated organization, Governmental Body or other
entity.
“Rebate”
includes all rebates granted or accrued or committed to be granted or accrued
by
the Company or any Subsidiary to or for the benefit of any customer of the
Company or any Subsidiary, including any amounts prepaid, paid or credited,
or
committed to be prepaid, paid or credited, including in connection with any
volume discount, price protection, price reduction avoidance, prepaid price
reduction, contract extension or similar arrangement.
“Release”
means
any release, spill, emission, leaking, pumping, pouring, escaping, dumping,
injection, deposit, disposal, discharge, dispersal, or leaching into the
environment, including, without limitation, the disposal of barrels, containers
or other receptacles.
“Remedial
Action”
means
all actions required by Environmental Laws to clean up, remove, treat or address
any Hazardous Material in the environment at levels exceeding those allowed
by
applicable Environmental Laws, including pre-remedial studies and investigations
or post-remedial monitoring and care.
“Restructuring”
means
each of the transactions contemplated by Schedule
8.15.
“Software”
means
any and all (i) computer programs, including any and all software
implementations of algorithms, models and methodologies, whether in source
code
or object code, (ii) databases and compilations, including any and all data
and collections of data, whether machine readable or otherwise,
(iii) descriptions, flow-charts and other work product used to design,
plan, organize and develop any of the foregoing, screens, user interfaces,
report formats, firmware, development tools, templates, menus, buttons and
icons
and (iv) all documentation including user manuals and other training
documentation related to any of the foregoing.
“Subsidiaries”
means
the entities set forth on Schedule
6.4(a).
“Target
Working Capital Amount”
means
Thirty-One Million Dollars ($31,000,000).
“Taxes”
means
(i) all federal, state, local or foreign taxes, charges, fees, imposts, levies
or other assessments, including, without limitation, all net income, gross
receipts, capital, sales, use, ad valorem, value added, transfer, franchise,
profits, inventory, capital stock, license, withholding, payroll, employment,
social security, unemployment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, property
and estimated taxes, customs duties, fees, assessments and charges of any kind
whatsoever, (ii) all interest, penalties, fines, additions to tax or additional
amounts imposed by any taxing authority in connection with any item described
in
clause (i) and (iii) any and all Taxes imposed on any member of a consolidated,
combined or unitary group of which the Company or any Subsidiary (or any
predecessor thereof) is or was a member on or prior to the Closing Date, by
reason of the liability of the Company or any Subsidiary (or any predecessor
thereof), pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6(a) (or any
predecessor or successor thereof or any analogous or similar provision under
state, local or foreign Law).
“Tax
Laws”
means
all Laws relating to Taxes.
“Tax
Reserve”
means
the aggregate amount of any reserve or accrual for Taxes taken into account
in
the determination of Closing Date Working Capital.
“Tax
Return”
means
all returns, declarations, reports, estimates, information returns and
statements required to be filed in respect of any Taxes.
“Tax
Threshold”
means
$25,000.
“Technology”
means,
collectively, all designs, formulae, algorithms, procedures, methods,
techniques, ideas, know-how, research and development, technical data, programs,
subroutines, tools, materials, specifications, processes, inventions (whether
patentable or unpatentable and whether or not reduced to practice), apparatus,
creations, improvements, works of authorship and other similar materials, and
all recordings, graphs, drawings, reports, analyses, and other writings, and
other tangible embodiments of the foregoing, in any form whether or not
specifically listed herein, and all related technology.
“Transaction
Documents”
means
each agreement, document, instrument or certificate contemplated by this
Agreement or to be executed by any party to this Agreement in connection with
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
“Viasystems”
means
Viasystems, Inc., a Delaware corporation and direct wholly-owned subsidiary
of
Parent.
“Wire
Harness Business”
means
the business currently conducted by Parent and its subsidiaries in the
manufacture, assembly and marketing of wire harness and cable assembly
components, and the provision of white goods assembly services, at their
operations located at Mishawaka, Indiana, El Paso, Texas, Xxxxxx and Chihuahua,
Mexico, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong and at Parent’s
corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.
1.2 Terms
Defined Elsewhere in this Agreement.
For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have meanings set forth in
the
sections indicated:
TERM
|
SECTION
|
2005
FINANCIALS
|
SECTION
8.1(C)
|
ACTUAL
CAPEX AMOUNT
|
8.28(A)
|
AGREEMENT
|
PREAMBLE
|
AUDITED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
6.5(A)
|
BALANCE
SHEET
|
6.5(A)
|
BALANCE
SHEET DATE
|
6.5(A)
|
CAP
|
10.2(A)(II)
|
CAPEX
TARGET AMOUNT
|
8.28(A)
|
CLOSING
|
4.1
|
CLOSING
DATE
|
4.1
|
CLOSING
DATE ALLOCATION STATEMENT
|
8.13(D)
|
CLOSING
DATE STATEMENT
|
3.1(B)(II)
|
CLOSING
DATE WORKING CAPITAL
|
3.1(B)(II)
|
CLOSING
NET AMOUNT
|
3.1(B)(V)
|
COLLAR
AMOUNT
|
3.1(B)(I)
|
COMMITMENT
LETTER
|
7.7
|
COMMON
STOCK
|
RECITALS
|
COMPANY
|
PREAMBLE
|
CONFIDENTIALITY
AGREEMENT
|
8.6
|
COPYRIGHTS
|
1.1
(IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEFINITION)
|
CREDIT
AGREEMENT RELEASE DOCUMENTS
|
8.25(A)
|
DEDUCTIBLE
|
10.2(A)(I)
|
EMPLOYEE
BENEFIT PLAN
|
6.13(A)
|
EMPLOYEE
PENSION PLAN
|
6.13(B)
|
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERMITS
|
6.17(A)
|
EQUITY
COMMITMENTS
|
7.7
|
ERISA
|
6.13(A)
|
ERISA
AFFILIATE
|
6.13(H)
|
ESTIMATED
PURCHASE PRICE
|
3.1(B)(I)
|
ESTIMATED
STATEMENT
|
3.1(B)(I)
|
ESTIMATED
WORKING CAPITAL
|
3.1(B)(I)(A)
|
EXCLUDED
CLAIM
|
10.3(D)
|
EXCLUDED
MATTER
|
1.1
(IN MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT DEFINITION)
|
EXPENSES
|
10.1(A)
|
FINAL
DETERMINATION
|
10.3(C)
|
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
|
6.5(A)
|
FINANCING
|
7.7
|
FOREIGN
BENEFIT PLAN
|
6.13(J)
|
INDEMNITEES
|
8.7(A)
|
INDENTURE
RELEASE DOCUMENTS
|
8.25(B)
|
INDEPENDENT
ACCOUNTING FIRM
|
3.1(B)(III)(B)
|
LOSSES
|
10.1(A)
|
MARKS
|
1.1
(IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEFINITION)
|
MATERIAL
CONTRACTS
|
6.12(A)
|
NONCOMPETITION
PERIOD
|
8.18(A)
|
NEGATIVE
CLOSING ADJUSTMENT AMOUNT
|
3.1(B)(V)
|
NEGATIVE
ESTIMATE ADJUSTMENT AMOUNT
|
3.1(B)(I)
|
OUTSIDE
DATE
|
4.3(A)
|
OWNED
PROPERTY(IES)
|
6.9(A)
|
PARENT
|
PREAMBLE
|
PARENT
PLANS
|
8.10(C)
|
PATENTS
|
1.1
(IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEFINITION)
|
POSITIVE
CLOSING ADJUSTMENT AMOUNT
|
3.1(B)(V)
|
POSITIVE
ESTIMATE ADJUSTMENT AMOUNT
|
3.1(B)(I)
|
POST-CLOSING
TAXABLE PERIOD
|
8.12(B)(II)
|
PRE-CLOSING
TAXABLE PERIOD
|
8.12(B)(II)
|
PRELIMINARY
ALLOCATION STATEMENT
|
8.13(D)
|
PRELIMINARY
PURCHASE PRICE
|
3.1(A)
|
PURCHASE
PRICE
|
3.1(B)(VI)
|
PURCHASER
|
PREAMBLE
|
PURCHASER
INDEMNIFIED PARTIES
|
10.1(A)
|
PURCHASER
PLANS
|
8.10(A)
|
REAL
PROPERTY LEASE(S)
|
6.9(B)
|
REGISTERED
IP
|
6.11(A)
|
REIMBURSEMENT
PERIOD
|
8.28(A)
|
REPRESENTATIVES
|
6.26
|
SECTION
338(H)(10) ELECTION
|
8.13(A)
|
SECURITIES
ACT
|
7.5
|
SELLER
|
PREAMBLE
|
SELLER
INDEMNIFIED PARTIES
|
10.1(B)
|
SELLER
MARKS
|
8.16
|
SEPARATE
PRE-CLOSING TAX RETURNS
|
8.12(B)(II)
|
SERVICES
|
8.11(C)
|
SHARES
|
RECITALS
|
STRADDLE
PERIOD
|
8.12(B)(IV)
|
SURVIVAL
PERIOD
|
11.1
|
TAX
AUTHORITY
|
8.12(D)(I)
|
THIRD
PARTY CLAIM
|
10.3(B)
|
TRANSFER
TAX
|
8.12(F)
|
TRANSFER
TAX PARTY
|
8.12(F)
|
UNAUDITED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
6.5(A)
|
WARN
ACT
|
6.14(C)
|
WORKING
CAPITAL
|
3.1(B)(I)(A)
|
1.3 Other
Definitional and Interpretive Matters.
Unless
otherwise expressly provided, for purposes of this Agreement, the following
rules of interpretation shall apply:
(a) Calculation
of Time Period.
When
calculating the period of time before which, within which or following which
any
act is to be done or step taken pursuant to this Agreement, the date that is
the
reference date in calculating such period shall be excluded. If the last day
of
such period is a non-Business Day, the period in question shall end on the
next
succeeding Business Day.
(b) Dollars.
Any
reference in this Agreement to $ shall mean U.S. dollars, and any amounts
denominated in U.S. dollars shall mean the amount set forth or the equivalent
of
such amount in any other currency or currencies.
(c) Headings.
The
headings contained in this Agreement are for purposes of convenience only and
will not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Unless
otherwise expressly indicated, any reference in this Agreement (including any
Schedule hereto) to an “Article,” “Section,” “subsection,” “paragraph” or
“subparagraph” followed by a number or letter or combination of the two will be
a reference to the particular Article, Section, subsection, paragraph or
subparagraph of this Agreement bearing such number, letter or combination
thereof.
(d) Hereof
and Herein.
The
terms “hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder” and comparable terms refer, unless
otherwise expressly indicated, to this Agreement as a whole and not to any
particular Article, Section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph or other
subdivision hereof or any Schedule, Exhibit or other attachment
hereto.
(e) Including.
The
terms “include,” “includes” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by the
words “without limitation.”
(f) Gender
and Number.
Whenever the context so requires, the singular number will include the plural
and the plural will include the singular, and the gender of any pronoun will
include the other gender or neuter, as applicable.
(g) Statutes
and Regulations.
Any
reference in this Agreement to a particular statute, regulation or code
(including any specific provision thereof) includes all regulations and rules
thereunder, all amendments thereto in force from time to time (including
amendments to provision references) and every applicable Law in effect that
supplements, replaces or supersedes such statute, regulation or
code.
1.4 Construction.
The
parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of
this
Agreement and, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation
arises, this Agreement shall be construed as jointly drafted by the parties
hereto and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring
any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this
Agreement.
ARTICLE
II -
SALE
AND
PURCHASE OF SHARES
2.1 Sale
and Purchase of Shares.
Upon
the terms and subject to the conditions contained herein, at the Closing, Seller
agrees to sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Purchaser, and Purchaser
agrees to purchase from Seller, the Shares.
ARTICLE
III -
CONSIDERATION
3.1 Consideration.
(a) Preliminary
Purchase Price.
The
preliminary purchase price for the Shares and the covenant not to compete
contained in Section
8.18
(Non-Competition) shall be an amount of cash equal to Three Hundred Twenty
Million Dollars ($320,000,000.00) (the “Preliminary
Purchase Price”).
The
Preliminary Purchase Price shall be allocated in accordance with Section
8.13.
On the
Closing Date, Purchaser shall pay the Preliminary Purchase Price, as adjusted
pursuant to Section
3.1(b)(i),
to
Seller, which shall be paid by wire transfer of immediately available United
States funds into an account or accounts designated by Seller not less than
three (3) days prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Adjustment
of Preliminary Purchase Price.
The
Preliminary Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided in this
Section
3.1(b).
(i) Determination
of Estimated Purchase Price.
As of
the close of business on the fifth (5th) Business Day immediately preceding
the
Closing Date, Seller will deliver to Purchaser a statement (the “Estimated
Statement”)
setting forth:
(A) Seller’s
reasonable good faith estimate of (1) the current assets of the Company and
the Subsidiaries, including cash and cash equivalents, minus (2) the
current liabilities of the Company, in each case, (x) calculated as of the
Closing Date and after giving effect to the Restructuring and reflecting an
accrual for bonuses payable to Continuing Employees for the allocable portion
of
2006 fiscal year under Parent’s Annual Incentive Compensation Plan and the
Senior Executive MBO Plan and
(y)
prepared in accordance with the accounting principles and methodologies employed
by Seller in preparing the Balance Sheet and those set forth on Schedule
3.1(b)
consistently applied (such amount generally, “Working
Capital,”
and
such amount estimated as of the Closing Date, the “Estimated
Working Capital”);
provided
that
solely for the purpose of calculating the Estimated Working Capital, cash and
cash equivalents shall be reflected as $1,000,000, irrespective of the actual
Closing Date estimate thereof; and
(B) the
calculation of the Estimated Purchase Price (as defined below).
The
Estimated Statement shall be signed by Seller’s Chief Financial Officer and
accompanied by reasonable supporting documentation. Purchaser shall have the
right to review the Estimated Statement and such supporting documentation or
data of Seller and the Company as Purchaser may reasonably request. In the
event
that Purchaser does not agree with Seller’s estimate, Seller and Purchaser shall
negotiate in good faith to mutually agree on an acceptable estimate of the
Estimated Working Capital, and Seller shall consider in good faith any proposed
comments or changes that Purchaser may reasonably suggest; provided,
however,
that
Seller’s failure to include in the Estimated Statement any changes proposed by
Purchaser, or the acceptance by Purchaser of the Estimated Statement, shall
not
limit or otherwise affect Purchaser’s remedies under this Agreement, including
Purchaser’s right to include such changes or other changes in the Closing Date
Statement, or constitute an acknowledgment by Purchaser of the accuracy of
the
Estimated Statement.
“Estimated
Purchase Price”
means
the sum of (x) the Preliminary Purchase Price and (y) the Estimated Working
Capital minus
the
Target Working Capital Amount; provided,
however,
if:
(1) the
Estimated Purchase Price results in an increase in the Preliminary Purchase
Price by more than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) (the “Collar
Amount”),
the
Preliminary Purchase Price shall be adjusted upward only by the amount by which
the amount of such increase exceeds the Collar Amount (such amount, a
“Positive
Estimate Adjustment Amount”);
(2) the
Estimated Purchase Price does not result in an increase or decrease in the
Preliminary Purchase Price by more than the Collar Amount, the Estimated
Purchase Price shall be equal to the Preliminary Purchase Price; or
(3) the
Estimated Purchase Price results in a decrease in the Preliminary Purchase
Price
by more than the Collar Amount, the Preliminary Purchase Price shall be adjusted
downward by the amount of such decrease exceeds the Collar Amount (such amount,
a “Negative
Estimate Adjustment Amount”).
(ii) Closing
Date Statement.
No
later than sixty (60) calendar days after the Closing Date, Purchaser shall
prepare and deliver to Seller a statement of the actual Working Capital as
of
the Closing Date (such amount, the “Closing
Date Working Capital”
and
such statement, the “Closing
Date Statement”),
which
Closing Date Statement shall be prepared in accordance with the accounting
principles and methodologies employed by Seller in preparing the Balance Sheet
and those set forth on Schedule
3.1(b)
consistently applied. The Closing Date Statement shall be signed by Purchaser’s
Chief Financial Officer and accompanied by reasonable supporting documentation.
Seller shall and shall cause its accountants to cooperate with Purchaser and
its
accountants to the extent required to enable Purchaser to prepare the Closing
Date Statement in accordance with this Agreement.
(iii) Disputes.
(A) Subject
to clause (B) of this Section
3.1(b)(iii),
the
Closing Date Statement delivered by Purchaser to Seller shall be deemed to
be
and shall be final, binding and conclusive on the parties hereto.
(B) Seller
may dispute any amounts reflected on the Closing Date Statement, but only on
the
basis that the amounts reflected on the Closing Date Statement were not arrived
at in accordance with the accounting principles and methodologies employed
by
Seller in preparing the Balance Sheet and those set forth on Schedule
3.1(b)
consistently applied; provided,
however,
that
Seller shall be deemed to have agreed to each item or amount set forth in the
Closing Date Statement (and waived any right to dispute the same) unless Seller
has notified Purchaser in writing of each disputed item, specifying the amount
thereof in dispute and setting forth, in reasonable detail, the basis for such
dispute, within thirty (30) calendar days after Purchaser’s delivery of the
Closing Date Statement to Seller. In the event of such a dispute, Seller and
Purchaser shall attempt to reconcile their differences, and any resolution
by
them as to any disputed amounts shall be final, binding and conclusive on the
parties hereto; provided that, such amounts shall not be less than the amounts
shown in Purchaser’s calculation delivered pursuant to Section
3.1(b)(ii)
nor more
than the amounts shown in Seller’s calculation delivered pursuant to this
Section
3.1(b)(iii)(B).
If
Seller and Purchaser are unable to reach a resolution with such effect within
thirty (30) calendar days after receipt by Purchaser of Seller’s written notice
of dispute, Seller and Purchaser shall submit the items remaining in dispute
for
resolution to an independent accounting firm of international reputation
mutually acceptable to Purchaser and Seller (such other accounting firm being
referred to herein as the “Independent
Accounting Firm”),
which
shall, within forty five (45) calendar days after such submission, determine
and
report to Purchaser and Seller upon such remaining disputed items, and such
report shall be final, binding and conclusive on the parties hereto. The fees
and disbursements of the Independent Accounting Firm shall be allocated between
Seller and Purchaser in the same proportion that the aggregate amount of such
remaining disputed items so submitted to the Independent Accounting Firm that
is
unsuccessfully disputed by each such party (as finally determined by the
Independent Accounting Firm) bears to the total amount of such remaining
disputed items so submitted.
(C) In
acting
under this Agreement, Purchaser’s accountants, Seller’s accountants and the
Independent Accounting Firm shall be entitled to the privileges and immunities
of arbitrators.
(iv) Final
Closing Date Statement.
The
Closing Date Statement shall be deemed final for the purposes of this
Section
3.1(b)
upon the
earliest of (A) the failure of Seller to notify Purchaser of a dispute
within thirty (30) calendar days of Purchaser’s delivery of the Closing Date
Statement to Seller, (B) the resolution of all disputes, pursuant to
Section
3.1(b)(iii)(B),
by
Purchaser and Seller and (C) the resolution of all disputes, pursuant to
Section
3.1(b)(iii)(B),
by the
Independent Accounting Firm.
(v) Purchase
Price Adjustment.
Within
three (3) Business Days after the Closing Date Statement being deemed final,
the
Estimated Purchase Price shall be increased or decreased, if at all, as
follows:
(A) if
the
Preliminary Purchase Price was increased by a Positive Estimate Adjustment
Amount and (1) the Closing Net Amount (as defined below) results in a Positive
Closing Adjustment Amount (as defined below), then the Estimated Purchase Price
shall be increased or decreased by the difference between the Positive Estimate
Adjustment Amount and the Positive Closing Adjustment Amount, (2) the Closing
Net Amount results in no adjustment, then the Estimated Purchase Price shall
be
decreased by the Positive Estimate Adjustment Amount or (3) the Closing Net
Amount results in a Negative Closing Adjustment Amount, the Estimated Purchase
Price shall be decreased by the sum of (a) the Positive Estimate Adjustment
Amount and (b) the Negative Closing Adjustment Amount (expressed as positive
number);
(B) if
the
Preliminary Purchase Price was not increased by a Positive Estimate Adjustment
Amount or decreased by a Negative Estimate Adjustment Amount and (1) the Closing
Net Amount results in a Positive Closing Adjustment Amount, then the Estimated
Purchase Price shall be increased by such Positive Closing Adjustment Amount,
(2) the Closing Net Amount results in no adjustment, then the Estimated Purchase
Price shall not be adjusted or (3) the Closing Net Amount results in a Negative
Closing Adjustment Amount, the Estimated Purchase Price shall be decreased
by
such Negative Closing Adjustment Amount; or
(C) if
the
Preliminary Purchase Price was decreased by a Negative Estimate Adjustment
Amount and (1) the Closing Net Amount results in a Positive Closing Adjustment
Amount, the Estimated Purchase Price shall be increased by the sum of (a) such
Positive Closing Adjustment Amount and (b) the Negative Estimate Adjustment
Amount (expressed as positive number), (2) the Closing Net Amount results in
no
adjustment, then the Estimated Purchase Price shall be increased by the Negative
Estimate Adjustment Amount or (3) the Closing Net Amount results in a Negative
Closing Adjustment Amount, then the Estimated Purchase Price shall be increased
or decreased by the difference between the Negative Estimate Adjustment Amount
and the Negative Closing Adjustment Amount.
“Closing
Net Amount”
means
the net amount of the difference between the Closing Date Working Capital
reflected in the Closing Date Statement and the Target Working Capital Amount.
The amount, if any, by which the Closing Net Amount (if positive) exceeds the
Collar Amount is referred to herein as the “Positive
Closing Adjustment Amount”
and
the
amount, if any, by which the Closing Net Amount (if negative, expressed as
a
positive number) exceeds the Collar Amount is referred to herein as the
“Negative
Closing Adjustment Amount.”
The
Closing Net Amount will be deemed to result in “no adjustment” if the Closing
Net Amount (expressed as a positive number) is less than the Collar
Amount.
(vi) Payment.
If the
amount of any adjustment pursuant to clause (v) above results in an increase
in
the Estimated Purchase Price, then Purchaser shall, within three (3) Business
Days after the Closing Date Statement being deemed final, pay to Seller the
amount of such increase by wire transfer of immediately available funds to
the
account specified by Seller. If the amount of any adjustment pursuant to clause
(v) above results in a decrease in the Estimated Purchase Price, then Seller
shall, within three (3) Business Days after the Closing Date Statement being
deemed final, pay to Purchaser the amount of such decrease by wire transfer
of
immediately available funds to the account specified by Purchaser. Any payment
amount shall bear interest thereon from the Closing Date to the date of payment
at the rate equal to one percent (1%) above the prime rate of JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A. on the Closing Date. For the avoidance of doubt, application of
the
foregoing adjustments is intended to put each party in the economic position
it
would have been in if the Estimated Purchase Price (taking into account the
Collar Amount and all cash and cash equivalents) had exactly equaled the Closing
Date Working Capital. The Preliminary Purchase Price as so adjusted by this
Section
3.1(b),
is
referred to herein as the “Purchase
Price.”
ARTICLE
IV -
CLOSING
AND TERMINATION
4.1 Closing
Date.
Subject
to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Sections
9.1
and
9.2
hereof
(or the waiver thereof by the party entitled to waive that condition), the
closing of the sale and purchase of the Shares provided for in Section
2.1
hereof
(the “Closing”)
shall
take place at the offices of Weil, Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP located at 000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000 (or at such other place as the
parties may designate in writing) at 10:00 a.m. (Dallas, Texas time) on (i)
May
1, 2006, if each condition to the Closing set forth in Article
IX
is
satisfied on or prior to such date (other than conditions that by their nature
are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver
of
such conditions) or (ii) May 31, 2006, if each condition to the Closing set
forth in Article
IX
is
satisfied after May 1, 2006 and on or prior to May 31, 2006 (other than
conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject
to the satisfaction or waiver of such conditions), unless, in each case, another
time or date, or both are agreed to in writing by the parties hereto. The date
on which the Closing shall be held is referred to in this Agreement as the
“Closing
Date”;
provided,
however,
that if
the Closing is held on May 1, 2006, for purposes of Section
3.1(b)
the
Closing Date shall be deemed to be April 30, 2006.
4.2 Closing
Deliveries.
At the
Closing:
(a) Seller
and, where applicable, Parent or the Company shall deliver or cause to be
delivered to Purchaser:
(i) a
receipt
for the Estimated Purchase Price;
(ii) evidence
reasonably satisfactory to Purchaser of the completion of each of the
transactions set forth on Schedule
8.15;
(iii) a
stock
certificate representing the Shares, duly endorsed in blank or accompanied
by
stock transfer powers duly executed in blank, with all required stock transfer
tax stamps affixed thereto;
(iv) a
certificate executed by a duly authorized officer of Seller, Parent and the
Company, certifying as to the matters set forth in Sections
9.1(a)
and
(b);
and
(v) a
statement from Seller certifying that it is not a foreign person within the
meaning of Section 1445 of the Code.
(b) Purchaser
shall deliver or cause to be delivered to Seller:
(i) a
certificate executed by a duly authorized officer of Purchaser, certifying
as to
the matters set forth in Sections
9.2(a)
and
(b);
and
(ii) evidence
of the wire transfer of the Estimated Purchase Price pursuant to Section
3.1(a).
(c) All
deliveries at the Closing as provided for in this Section 4.2
shall be
deemed to be made and effected simultaneously and all such deliveries shall
be
deemed to be in escrow until all such deliveries have been made and
effected.
4.3 Termination
of Agreement.
This
Agreement may be terminated prior to the Closing as follows:
(a) at
the
election of Seller or Purchaser on or after June 1, 2006, if the Closing shall
not have occurred by the close of business on such date; provided,
however,
that
the terminating party is not in material default of any of its obligations
hereunder, and provided,
further,
that
such date shall be automatically extended for 60 days if only the conditions
to
Closing set forth in Sections
9.1(d)
and
9.2(d)
remain
unsatisfied or unwaived at June 1, 2006;
(b) by
mutual
written consent of Seller and Purchaser;
(c) by
Seller
or Purchaser if there shall have been enacted, issued, promulgated or enforced
any Law that makes the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby
illegal, or if there shall be in effect a final nonappealable Order of a
Governmental Body of competent jurisdiction permanently restraining, enjoining
or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby; it being agreed that the parties hereto shall promptly appeal any
adverse determination which is not nonappealable (and pursue such appeal with
reasonable diligence);
(d) by
Seller
if there shall have been a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant
or
agreement of Purchaser set forth in this Agreement, which breach would give
rise
to a failure of a condition set forth in Sections
9.2(a)
or
(b),
and
such breach shall not have been cured within thirty (30) days following receipt
by Purchaser of written notice of such breach from Seller;
(e) by
Purchaser if there shall have been a breach of any representation, warranty,
covenant or agreement of Parent or Seller set forth in this Agreement, which
breach would give rise to a failure of a condition set forth in Sections
9.1(a)
or
(b),
and
such breach shall not have been cured within thirty (30) days following receipt
by Seller of written notice of such breach from Purchaser;
(f) by
Purchaser if Seller fails to deliver the 2005 Financials in accordance with
Section
8.1(c)
on or
prior to April 1, 2006; or
(g) by
Purchaser if the condition specified in Section
9.1(l)
shall
not have been satisfied.
4.4 Procedure
Upon Termination.
In the
event of termination and abandonment by Purchaser or Seller, or both, pursuant
to Section
4.3,
written
notice thereof shall forthwith be given to the other party or parties,
specifying the provision of Section
4.3
pursuant
to which such termination is made, and this Agreement shall terminate, and
the
purchase of the Shares hereunder and the other transactions contemplated hereby
shall be abandoned, without further action by Purchaser or Seller.
4.5 Effect
of Termination.
In the
event that this Agreement is validly terminated in accordance with Section
4.3,
then
each of the parties shall be relieved of its duties and obligations arising
under this Agreement after the date of such termination and such termination
shall be without liability to Purchaser, Parent, Seller, the Company or any
Subsidiary, provided
that no
such termination shall relieve any party hereto from liability for any willful
breach of this Agreement and, provided,
further,
that
the obligations of the parties set forth in Article
XI
hereof
shall survive any such termination and shall be enforceable
hereunder.
ARTICLE
V
-
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER AND PARENT
Each
of
Seller and Parent hereby represents and warrants to Purchaser that the
statements contained in this Article
V
are true
and correct on the date of this Agreement and will be true and correct on the
Closing Date (after giving effect to the Restructuring) as though made as of
the
Closing Date (after giving effect to the Restructuring):
5.1 Organization
and Good Standing.
Each of
Seller and Parent is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under
the
laws of the State of Delaware and has all requisite corporate power and
authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business
as now conducted. Each of Parent and Seller is duly qualified or authorized
to
do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws
of
each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property and each other
jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or the ownership of its
properties requires such qualification or authorization, except where the
failure to be so qualified, authorized or in good standing would not have a
Material Adverse Effect.
5.2 Authorization
of Agreement.
Each of
Seller and Parent has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which Seller or Parent
is
a party in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Transaction
Documents to which Seller or Parent is a party and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all
requisite corporate action on the part of Seller and Parent. This Agreement
has
been, and each of the Transaction Documents to which Seller or Parent is a
party
will be at or prior to the Closing, duly and validly executed and delivered
by
Seller and Parent, and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery
by the other parties hereto and thereto) this Agreement constitutes, and each
Transaction Document to which Seller or Parent is a party, when so executed
and
delivered, will constitute, the legal, valid and binding obligations of Seller
and Parent, enforceable against each of them in accordance with its terms,
subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and
similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, and subject, as
to enforceability, to general principles of equity, including principles of
commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether
enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
5.3 Conflicts;
Consents of Third Parties.
(a) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
5.3(a),
none of
the execution and delivery by Seller or Parent of this Agreement or the
Transaction Documents to which Seller or Parent is a party, the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or compliance by Seller or
Parent with any of the provisions hereof or thereof will conflict with, or
result in any violation of or default (with or without notice or lapse of time,
or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination or cancellation under,
any provision of (i) the constituent documents of Seller or Parent;
(ii) any Contract or Permit to which Seller or Parent is a party or by
which any of their respective properties or assets are bound; (iii) any Order
of
any Governmental Body applicable to Seller or Parent or by which any of their
respective properties or assets are bound; or (iv) any applicable Law, other
than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), such conflicts, violations,
defaults, terminations or cancellations that would not reasonably be expected
to
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
5.3(b),
no
consent, waiver, approval, Order, Permit or authorization of, or declaration
or
filing with, or notification to, any Person or Governmental Body is required
on
the part of Seller or Parent in connection with the execution and delivery
of
this Agreement or the Transaction Documents to which Seller or Parent is a
party
or the compliance by Seller or Parent with any of the provisions hereof or
thereof, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby,
except for (i) compliance with the applicable requirements of the HSR Act and
(ii) such consents, waivers, approvals, Orders, Permits, authorizations,
declarations, filings or notifications, the failure of which to obtain or make
would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.4 Ownership
and Transfer of Shares.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
5.4,
Seller
is the record and beneficial owner of the Shares, free and clear of any and
all
Liens. Seller has the power and authority to sell, transfer, assign and deliver
such Shares as provided in this Agreement, and such delivery will convey to
Purchaser good and marketable title to such Shares, free and clear of any and
all Liens. Seller is not a party to any voting trust or other Contract with
respect to the voting, redemption, sale, transfer or other disposition of the
Shares, and has not granted any proxy, in whole or in part, with respect to
the
Shares.
5.5 Financial
Advisors.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
5.5,
no
Person has acted, directly or indirectly, as a broker, finder or financial
advisor for Seller or Parent in connection with the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement and no Person is entitled to any fee or commission or like
payment from Purchaser in respect thereof.
ARTICLE
VI -
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES RELATING TO THE COMPANY AND THE SUBSIDIARIES
Parent,
Seller and the Company hereby represent and warrant to Purchaser that the
statements contained in this Article
VI
are true
and correct on the date of this Agreement and will be true and correct on the
Closing Date (after giving effect to the Restructuring) as though made as of
the
Closing Date (after giving effect to the Restructuring):
6.1 Organization
and Good Standing; Authorization.
(a) The
Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws
of
the State of Delaware and has all requisite corporate power and authority to
own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now
conducted. The Company is duly qualified or authorized to do business as a
foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each of the
jurisdictions identified on Schedule
6.1(a),
which
are the only jurisdictions in which the Company owns or leases real property
or
in which the conduct of its business or the ownership of its properties requires
such qualification or authorization, except where the failure to be so
qualified, authorized or in good standing would not reasonably be expected
to
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Each
of
the Company and the Subsidiaries have all requisite power and authority to
execute and deliver this Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which
the Company or any such Subsidiary is a party in connection with
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution
and
delivery of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which the Company
or
any such Subsidiary is a party and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all requisite
corporate action on the part of the Company and such Subsidiary. This Agreement
has been, and each of the Transaction Documents to which the Company or any
such
Subsidiary is a party will be at or prior to the Closing, duly and validly
executed and delivered by the Company and such Subsidiary, and (assuming the
due
authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto and thereto)
this Agreement constitutes, and each Transaction Document to which the Company
or such Subsidiary is a party, when so executed and delivered, will constitute,
the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company and such Subsidiary,
enforceable against each of them in accordance with its terms, subject to
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws
affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, and subject, as to
enforceability, to general principles of equity, including principles of
commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether
enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
6.2 Conflicts;
Consents of Third Parties.
(a) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.2(a),
none of
the execution and delivery by the Company or the Subsidiaries of this Agreement
or the Transaction Documents to which the Company or any such Subsidiary is
a
party, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby,
or
compliance by the Company or such Subsidiary with any of the provisions hereof
or thereof will conflict with, or result in any violation of or default (with
or
without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of
termination or cancellation under, any provision of (i) the constituent
documents of the Company or such Subsidiary; (ii) any Contract or Permit to
which the Company or such Subsidiary is a party or by which any of their
respective properties or assets are bound; (iii) any Order of any Governmental
Body applicable to the Company or such Subsidiary or by which any of their
respective properties or assets are bound; or (iv) any applicable Law, other
than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), such conflicts, violations,
defaults, terminations or cancellations that would not reasonably be expected
to
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.2(b),
no
consent, waiver, approval, Order, Permit or authorization of, or declaration
or
filing with, or notification to, any Person or Governmental Body is required
on
the part of the Company or the Subsidiaries in connection with the execution
and
delivery of this Agreement or the Transaction Documents to which the Company
or
any such Subsidiary is a party or the compliance by the Company or such
Subsidiary with any of the provisions hereof or thereof, or the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, except for (i) compliance
with
the applicable requirements of the HSR Act and (ii) such consents, waivers,
approvals, Orders, Permits, authorizations, declarations, filings or
notifications, the failure of which to obtain or make would not reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.3 Capitalization.
(a) The
authorized capital stock of the Company consists of the Shares of Common Stock.
There is no other capital stock or equity securities of the Company authorized
for issuance. The Shares constitute all of the issued and outstanding Common
Stock and no shares of Common Stock are held by the Company as treasury stock.
All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock were duly authorized
for issuance and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and are
not
subject to, nor were they issued in violation of, preemptive
rights.
(b) There
is
no existing option, warrant, call, right, phantom stock right, stock
appreciation right, or Contract of any character to which the Company is a
party
requiring, and there are no securities of the Company outstanding which upon
conversion, exercise or exchange would require, the issuance or transfer of
any
shares of capital stock or other equity securities of the Company or other
securities convertible into exercisable or exchangeable for or evidencing the
right to subscribe for or purchase shares of capital stock or other equity
securities of the Company, nor are there any equity equivalent interests or
other similar rights in the ownership or earnings of the Company. The Company
is
not a party to any voting trust or other Contract with respect to the voting
of
the Shares, or any other agreement relating to the issuance, redemption,
registration, sale, transfer or other disposition of the Shares.
6.4 Subsidiaries.
(a) Schedule
6.4(a)
hereto
sets forth the name of each Subsidiary and, with respect to each Subsidiary,
the
jurisdiction in which it is incorporated or organized, the number of shares
of
its authorized capital stock or aggregate equivalent equity interests, the
number and class of shares or other equity interests thereof duly issued and
outstanding, the names of all stockholders or other equity owners and the number
of shares of stock owned by each stockholder or the amount of equity owned
by
each equity owner. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock
or
equity interests of each Subsidiary were duly authorized for issuance and are
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to, nor were
they issued in violation of, preemptive rights, and all such shares or other
equity interests represented as being owned (directly or indirectly) by the
Company or a Subsidiary are owned by it free and clear of any and all Liens
except as set forth on Schedule 6.4(a)
hereto.
There is no existing option, warrant, call, right, phantom stock right, stock
appreciation right or Contract of any character to which any Subsidiary or
the
Company is a party requiring, and there are no securities of any Subsidiary
outstanding which upon conversion, exercise or exchange would require, the
issuance or transfer of any shares of capital stock or other equity securities
of such Subsidiary or other securities convertible into, exercisable or
exchangeable for or evidencing the right to subscribe for or purchase shares
of
capital stock or other equity securities of such Subsidiary, nor are there
any
equity equivalent interests or other similar rights in the ownership or earnings
of any Subsidiary.
(b) Each
Subsidiary is a duly organized and validly existing corporation or other entity
in good standing or its equivalent under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization and is duly qualified or authorized to do business and is in good
standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction listed on Schedule 6.4(a),
which
are the only jurisdictions in which the conduct of its business or the ownership
of its assets requires such qualification or authorization. Each Subsidiary
has
all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its
properties and carry on its business as presently conducted. No Subsidiary
or
stockholder thereof is a party to any voting trust or other Contract with
respect to the voting of the shares of capital stock or other equity interests
of such Subsidiary, or any other agreement relating to the issuance, redemption,
registration, sale, transfer or other disposition of any capital stock or other
equity interests of such Subsidiary.
(c) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.4(a),
neither
the Company nor the Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, owns any voting
securities or other voting equity interests in any entity.
6.5 Financial
Statements.
(a) Seller
has delivered to Purchaser copies of (i) the audited balance sheets of the
Wire Harness Business as of December 31, 2003 and 2004 and the related
audited statements of income and of cash flows of the Wire Harness Business
for
the years ended December 31, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and (ii) the unaudited balance
sheet of the Wire Harness Business as of December 31, 2005 and the related
statement of income of the Wire Harness Business for the twelve month period
then ended (such audited statements, including the related notes and schedules
thereto, are referred to herein as the “Audited
Financial Statements,”
and
such unaudited statements, the “Unaudited
Financial Statements,”
and,
together with the Audited Financial Statements, the “Financial
Statements”).
Except as set forth in the notes thereto or Schedule
6.5(a)(i),
each of
the Audited Financial Statements has been prepared in accordance with GAAP
consistently applied and presents fairly in all material respects the financial
position, results of operations and cash flows of the Wire Harness Business
as
at the dates and for the periods indicated therein. The Unaudited Financial
Statements have
been
prepared on a stand-alone basis consistent with the assumptions and
methodologies set forth on Schedule
6.5(a)(ii)
and,
except as set forth on Schedule
6.5(a)(iii),
present
fairly in all material respects the financial position and results of operations
as of the date and for the period indicated therein.
For
the
purposes hereof, the unaudited balance sheet of the Wire Harness Business as
at
December 31, 2005 (a copy of which is attached to Schedule
6.5(a)(iii))
is
referred to as the “Balance
Sheet”
and
December 31, 2005 is referred to as the “Balance
Sheet Date.”
(b) The
books
of account of the Wire Harness Business, and the minute books, stock record
books and other records of the Company and the Subsidiaries, all of which have
been made available to Purchaser, are in all material respects complete and
correct and have been maintained in accordance with sound business practices.
The minute books of the Company and the Subsidiaries contain accurate and
complete records of all meetings held of, and corporate action taken by, the
stockholders, the boards of directors and any committees of the boards of
directors of the Company and the Subsidiaries, and no meeting of any of the
stockholders, board of directors or committee has been held for which minutes
have not been prepared and are not contained in such minute books. At the
Closing, all of such books and records will be in the possession of the Company
and the Subsidiaries.
(c) Parent
and Seller have established and maintain, adhere to and enforce a system of
internal accounting controls with respect to the Wire Harness Business which
are
in all material respects effective in providing assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements
(including the Financial Statements) in accordance with GAAP and Schedule
6.5(a)(ii),
including policies and procedures that (i) require the maintenance of
records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions
and dispositions of the assets of the Wire Harness Business, (ii) provide
assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation
of
financial statements in accordance with GAAP and Schedule
6.5(a)(ii),
and
that receipts and expenditures of the Wire Harness Business are being made
only
in accordance with appropriate authorizations of management and
(iii) provide assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the assets of the Wire Harness
Business.
(d) Seller
has made available to Purchaser a list of all accounts receivable of the Wire
Harness Business as of December 31, 2005, together with a range of days elapsed
since invoice. Except to the extent, if any, reserved for on the Financial
Statements, all accounts receivable of the Wire Harness Business reflected
on
the Financial Statements arose from, and all accounts receivable of the Company
and the Subsidiaries existing on the Closing Date will have arisen from, the
sale of inventory or services rendered in the Ordinary Course of Business to
Persons not Affiliated with Parent, Seller, the Company or the Subsidiaries.
All
such
accounts receivable are carried on the Financial Statements at values, net
of
allowance for doubtful accounts, determined in accordance with GAAP consistently
applied, or for receivables arising subsequent to the Balance Sheet
Date,
as
reflected on the books and records of the Company (which are prepared in
accordance with GAAP consistently applied and the reserve practices and
methodology used in preparation of the Balance Sheet), and none of such accounts
receivable is, or at the Closing Date will be, subject to any counterclaim
or
set-off, except for counterclaims or set-offs in the Ordinary Course of
Business.
(e) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.5(e),
the
inventories of the Wire Harness Business are or as of the Closing Date will
be
in the physical possession of the Company or the Subsidiaries. All inventories
are carried on the Balance Sheet at the lower of cost or market (on a FIFO
basis) in accordance with GAAP.
(f) The
Balance Sheet reflects all Rebates granted or accrued or committed to be granted
or accrued by the Company or any Subsidiary prior to the Balance Sheet Date,
and
the Company and the Subsidiaries have not granted or accrued or committed to
grant or accrue any Rebates since the Balance Sheet Date except in the Ordinary
Course of Business and in an amount that would result in a decrease of no more
than 5% in annual revenue attributable to any such customer on an individual
basis.
6.6 No
Undisclosed Liabilities.
The
Company and the Subsidiaries have no liabilities of any kind that would have
been required to be reflected, reserved against or otherwise described on the
Balance Sheet or in the notes thereto in accordance with GAAP and were not
so
reflected, reserved against or described, other than liabilities (i) incurred
in
the Ordinary Course of Business after the Balance Sheet Date and prior to the
date hereof, none of which are material to the Company and the Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, (ii) which have arisen since the date hereof and do not
arise from a violation of Section
8.2,
or
(iii) which are disclosed on Schedule
6.6.
6.7 Absence
of Certain Developments.
Except
as contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 6.7,
since
the Balance Sheet Date (i) the Company and the Subsidiaries have conducted
their
businesses only in the Ordinary Course of Business and (ii) there has not been
any event, change, occurrence or circumstance that has had or would reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the generality
of the foregoing, except as set forth on Schedule
6.7,
since
the Balance Sheet Date:
(a) other
than in the Ordinary Course of Business, the Company and the Subsidiaries have
not increased in any manner the benefits, compensation, bonus or bonus
opportunity of any employee, officer, director, consultant or other service
provider of or to, as the case may be, the Company or the
Subsidiaries;
(b) the
Company and the Subsidiaries have not entered into, established, amended or
terminated any employment, consulting, retention, change in control, bonus,
incentive compensation, profit sharing, deferred compensation, severance,
non-competition or similar agreement, or any other plan, agreement, program,
policy or arrangement that would constitute an Employee Benefit Plan, to which
the Company or the Subsidiaries would be a party or otherwise have any
liability, except, in each case, as required by applicable Law;
(c) the
Company and the Subsidiaries have not entered into or agreed to enter into
any
merger or consolidation with any corporation or other entity, or acquired the
securities of any other Person;
(d) other
than daily cash sweeps effected in the Ordinary Course of Business, there has
not been any declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other
distribution in respect of any equity interest of the Company or the
Subsidiaries or any repurchase, redemption or other acquisition by the Company
or any Subsidiary of any outstanding equity interest or other securities of,
or
other ownership interest in, the Company or the Subsidiaries;
(e) the
Company and the Subsidiaries have not (A) mortgaged, pledged or subjected to
any
Lien (other than Permitted Exceptions) any of their assets, nor has any such
asset been seized or attached, or (B) acquired any material assets or sold,
assigned, transferred, conveyed, leased or otherwise disposed of any assets
of
the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except in the case of clause
(B) for such assets acquired, sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed, leased
or
otherwise disposed of in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(f) the
Company and the Subsidiaries have not canceled or compromised any debt or claim
or amended, canceled, terminated, relinquished, waived or released any Material
Contract or right except in the Ordinary Course of Business and which, in the
aggregate, would not be material to the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken
as a
whole;
(g) Seller
has not sold, transferred or encumbered any Shares, and the Company and the
Subsidiaries have not sold any shares of capital stock or other equity
securities of any Subsidiary;
(h) the
Company and the Subsidiaries have not effected any reclassification,
recapitalization or like change in the capitalization of the Company and the
Subsidiaries;
(i) neither
the Company nor the Subsidiaries have amended their respective constituent
documents; and
(j) the
Company and the Subsidiaries have not agreed, committed, arranged or entered
into any understanding to do anything set forth in this Section
6.7.
6.8 Taxes.
(a) The
Company and the Subsidiaries have timely filed all income and other material
Tax
Returns and reports required to be filed by them, and all material Taxes and
estimated payments of Tax required to be paid by them have either been paid
by
them or are reflected in accordance with GAAP as a reserve for Taxes on the
most
recent Financial Statements, and all such returns and reports are correct and
complete in all material respects, or requests for extensions to file such
returns or reports have been timely filed, granted and have not expired. The
Financial Statements reflect an adequate reserve for all Taxes relating to
the
Company and the Subsidiaries for all taxable periods and portions thereof
through the date of such Financial Statements. All assessments for Taxes due
with respect to any concluded litigation have been fully paid or have been
adequately reserved on the Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP. All
material Taxes which the Company or any Subsidiary are required by Law to
withhold or to collect for payment have been duly withheld and collected, and
have been paid or accrued or reserved on the Financial Statements. Since January
1, 2001, none of the Company nor any Subsidiary has been a member of any Company
Group other than each Company Group of which it is a member as of the date
hereof. Since January 1, 2001, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any
liability for Taxes of another Person under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6
(or any comparable provision of state, local or foreign Law). No deficiencies
for any Taxes have been proposed, asserted or assessed, in each case in writing,
against the Company or the Subsidiaries that are still pending. No requests
for
waivers of the time to assess any such Taxes have been made that are still
pending. To the Knowledge of Seller, no income Tax Return or other material
Tax
Return of the Company or the Subsidiaries is under current examination by the
IRS or by any other taxing authority.
(b) None
of
the Company or the Subsidiaries are liable for the Taxes of any other Person
as
a result of any indemnification provision or other contractual obligation.
No
consent to the application of Section 341(f)(2) of the Code (or any similar
state or local law provision) has been made or filed by or with respect to
the
Company or any Subsidiary. No power of attorney granted by or with respect
to
the Company or any Subsidiary relating to Taxes is currently is force. No
closing agreement pursuant to Section 7121 of the Code or similar provision
of
any state, local or foreign law has been entered into by or with respect to
the
Company or any Subsidiary which could reasonably be expected to have an effect
on the Company’s or Subsidiary’s liability for or reporting of Taxes in any
period ending after the Closing Date. Since the date of the Balance Sheet,
neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has prepared or filed any income or
other
material Tax Return inconsistent with past practice or, on any such Tax Return,
taken any position, made any election, or adopted any method that is
inconsistent with positions taken, elections made or methods used in preparing
or filing similar Tax Returns in prior periods (including, without limitation,
positions, elections or methods which would have the effect of deferring income
to periods after the Closing Date or accelerating deductions to periods on
or
prior to the Closing Date) unless required by Law which could reasonably be
expected to have an effect on the Company’s or Subsidiary’s liability for or
reporting of Taxes in any period ending after the Closing Date. None of the
assets or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary is an asset or property
that is or will be required to be treated as being (A) owned by any Person
(other than such Company or Subsidiary) pursuant to the provisions of Section
168(f)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended and in effect
immediately before the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, or (B) tax
exempt use property within the meaning of Section 168(h)(1) of the Code. Company
is a member of a “selling consolidated group” within the meaning of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.338(h)(10)-1(b)(2), and the Shares meet the requirements
of
Code Section 1504(a)(2) with respect to the Company.
6.9 Real
Property.
(a) Schedule
6.9(a)
sets
forth a true and complete list of all real property and interest in real
property owned in fee by the Company and the Subsidiaries (individually, an
“Owned
Property”
and
collectively, the “Owned
Properties”).
The
Company or the Subsidiaries, as applicable, have good and marketable fee title
to all Owned Properties, free and clear of all Liens of any nature whatsoever
except (i) Liens set forth on Schedule
6.9(a)
and (ii)
Permitted Exceptions. Seller has made available to Purchaser copies of all
deeds, title reports and policies and surveys for the Owned Properties in the
possession of the Company or the Subsidiaries.
(b) Schedule
6.9(b)
sets
forth a true and complete list of all leases of real property by the Company
and
the Subsidiaries (individually, a “Real
Property Lease”
and
collectively, the “Real
Property Leases”).
The
Real Property Leases, together with the Owned Properties and the leases and
occupancy arrangements to be entered into pursuant to Section
8.15,
constitute all material interests in real property currently used or currently
held for use in connection with the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries
as currently conducted. There does not exist any actual or, to the Knowledge
of
Seller, threatened or contemplated condemnation or eminent domain proceedings
that affect the Real Property Leases or any part thereof, and Seller has not
received any written notice of the intention of any Governmental Body or other
Person to take or use all or any part thereof. Each of the Owned Properties
and
real property subject to any Real Property Lease, and all buildings, fixtures
and improvements thereon, are adequate in all material respects for their
intended use in the operation of the Wire Harness Business as currently
conducted.
(c) The
zoning and land use regulation of each parcel of Owned Property and Real
Property Lease permits the presently existing improvements located thereon
and
the continuation of the business presently being conducted on such parcel.
There
is no pending or, to the Knowledge of the Seller, contemplated rezoning of
any
Owned Property or Real Property Lease. Each Owned Property and Real Property
Lease is in compliance with applicable state law and local subdivision
ordinances.
(d) There
are
no contracts or options to sell the Owned Property or any portion of the Owned
Property which are presently in effect. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries have entered into any leases with respect to the Owned Property
or
subleases of the Real Property Leases.
6.10 Tangible
Personal Property.
Except
as set forth on Schedule 6.10,
the
Company or the Subsidiaries, as applicable, have good and marketable title
to
each of the items of tangible personal property reflected in the Balance Sheet
(except as sold or disposed of subsequent to the date thereof in the Ordinary
Course of Business consistent with past practice), free and clear of any and
all
Liens other than the Permitted Exceptions. All of such tangible personal
property is usable in the Ordinary Course of Business and is suitable for the
uses for which they are used to carry on the Wire Harness Business as now
conducted.
6.11 Intellectual
Property.
(a) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.11(a),
the
Company or one of the Subsidiaries owns, or has a valid exclusive license to
use, all Company IP, free of all Liens (except for Permitted Exceptions). The
Company or the Subsidiaries own or have valid licenses to use all Intellectual
Property necessary for the conduct of the Wire Harness Business as currently
conducted. Schedule
6.11(a)
sets
forth a list (as of the date of this Agreement) of all U.S. and foreign Patents,
Marks and Copyrights registered by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary
with any Governmental Body, including Internet domain name registrars
(“Registered
IP”).
Except as set forth on Schedule
6.11(a),
all
Registered IP are subsisting and valid, and all necessary registration,
maintenance and other filing fees due through the date hereof in connection
with
Registered IP have been timely paid and all necessary documents in connection
with Registered IP have been timely filed with the relevant authorities in
the
U.S. or foreign jurisdictions, as the case may be, for the purposes of
maintaining Registered IP.
(b) The
Intellectual Property used by the Company and the Subsidiaries is not the
subject of any challenge received by the Company or the Subsidiaries in writing.
Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries have received any written notice of
any
default or any event that with notice or lapse of time, or both, would
constitute a default under any Intellectual Property license to which the
Company or the Subsidiaries are a party or by which any of them are
bound.
(c) To
the
Knowledge of Seller, the current business practices of the Company and the
Subsidiaries and the use of the Intellectual Property used in the operation
of
the Wire Harness Business as currently conducted do not infringe, violate or
constitute an unauthorized use or misappropriation of any Intellectual Property
right of any Person and none of the Seller, the Company or any Subsidiary has
received written notice of any claim by any Person alleging any of the
foregoing.
(d) None
of
the Seller, the Company or any Subsidiary has brought in the four (4) years
prior to the date hereof any actions or lawsuits alleging infringement or
misappropriation of any of the Company IP, and, to the Knowledge of the Seller,
no Person is infringing or misappropriating any of the Company IP.
(e) No
present or former employee of Seller, the Company or the Subsidiaries has any
right, title, or interest, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in
any
Intellectual Property owned or used by the Company or the
Subsidiaries.
(f) Each
of
the Company and the Subsidiaries has taken all reasonable steps to protect
the
Company’s rights in confidential information and trade secrets used in the Wire
Harness Business of the Company and the Subsidiaries as currently
conducted.
6.12 Material
Contracts.
(a) Schedule
6.12(a)
sets
forth all of the following Contracts to which the Company or the Subsidiaries
are a party or by which any of them are bound (collectively, the “Material
Contracts”):
(i) Contracts
with Seller or any Affiliate of Seller (other than the Company or the
Subsidiaries);
(ii) Contracts
for the sale or other disposition of any of the assets of the Company or the
Subsidiaries other than the sale of inventory in the Ordinary Course of
Business, for consideration in excess of $250,000;
(iii) Contracts
relating to the acquisition by the Company or the Subsidiaries of any operating
business or the capital stock of any other Person, in each case for
consideration in excess of $250,000;
(iv) Contracts
containing covenants of the Company or the Subsidiaries not to compete in any
line of business or with any Person, or from soliciting customers or employees,
in any geographical area;
(v) Contracts
relating to joint ventures, strategic alliances, comarketing, copromotion,
copackaging, joint development or similar arrangements with any other
Person;
(vi) Contracts
relating to the borrowing of money, or the making of any loans;
(vii) Contracts
containing “most-favored nation,” price protection or similar
provisions;
(viii) Contracts
granting exclusive rights in Company IP to any other Person;
(ix) indemnification,
employment or other Contracts with any director or officer of the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries which involve the payment of aggregate yearly compensation
or other consideration in excess of $170,000;
(x) Contracts
containing restrictions with respect to payment of dividends or any other
distribution in respect of the capital stock or other equity interests of the
Company or any Subsidiary;
(xi) Contracts
granting or evidencing a Lien on any assets of the Company or any Subsidiary,
other than a Permitted Exception;
(xii) management,
consulting or other advisory services Contracts involving fees in excess of
$150,000 per annum;
(xiii) Contracts
pertaining to any transaction or incentive bonus, “stay-put” or other similar
compensatory payments to be made to Continuing Employees on or after the Closing
Date as a result of the execution of this Agreement or the consummation of
the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Transaction Documents to
which Seller or Parent, or the Company and any Subsidiary, is a
party;
(xiv) Contracts
relating to the purchase of goods, materials or supplies involving anticipated
annual payments, in the case of Contracts with suppliers, in excess of $250,000,
or, with anticipated annual receipts, in the case of Contracts with customers,
in excess of $250,000 and in either case that are not terminable by the Company
or the Subsidiaries, as applicable, without penalty or acceleration on notice
of
ninety (90) days or less (in each case, other than with respect to purchase
orders for the purchase of inventory or sales of any goods or services in the
Ordinary Course of Business);
(xv) any
other
Contracts which involve the expenditure of more than $250,000 in the aggregate
or require performance by any party more than one (1) year from the date hereof
that, in either case, are not terminable by the Company or the Subsidiaries,
as
applicable, without penalty on notice of ninety (90) days or less;
(xvi) Contracts
evidencing indemnities, liabilities, obligations and guarantees by the Company
or any of the Subsidiaries for the benefit of Seller or Parent or any Affiliate
of Seller or Parent (other than the Company or the Subsidiaries);
(xvii) Contracts
evidencing a letter of credit under any indebtedness of Seller or Parent or
their Affiliates for the benefit of the Wire Harness Business; and
(xviii) each
commitment or agreement to enter into any of the foregoing.
(b) Each
of
the Material Contracts and Real Property Leases is valid, binding and in full
force and effect and is enforceable in accordance with its terms by the Company
and the Subsidiaries party thereto, subject to applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’
rights and remedies generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general
principles of equity, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good
faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a
proceeding at law or in equity). Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries
is in default in any material respect under any Material Contract or Real
Property Lease, nor, to the Knowledge of Seller, does any condition exist that,
with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default in any material
respect thereunder by the Company or the Subsidiaries party thereto, nor has
the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries received any written notice of default under
any Material Contract or Real Property Lease. To the Knowledge of Seller, no
other party to any Material Contract or Real Property Lease is in default in
any
material respect thereunder, nor, to the Knowledge of Seller, does any condition
exist that with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default
in
any material respect by any such other party thereunder.
6.13 Employee
Benefits Plans.
(a) Schedule
6.13(a)
lists
each “employee benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”))
and
any other material employee benefit, bonus or other incentive compensation,
stock option or other equity-based award, deferred compensation, profit-sharing,
retirement or supplemental unemployment benefit, vacation or severance plan,
policy or agreement maintained or contributed to by the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries, or with respect to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries
has or may have any liability (contingent or otherwise) (each plan, policy
or
agreement required to be so listed, an “Employee
Benefit Plan”).
Seller has made available to Purchaser correct and complete copies of (i) each
Employee Benefit Plan (or, in the case of any such Employee Benefit Plan that
is
unwritten, descriptions thereof), (ii) the most recent annual reports on
Form 5500 (including all schedules and attachments thereto) required to be
filed
with the IRS with respect to each Employee Benefit Plan (if any such report
was
required), (iii) the most recent summary plan description for each Employee
Benefit Plan for which such summary plan description is required (including
any
summaries of material modifications thereto), (iv) each trust agreement and
insurance or group annuity contract relating to any Employee Benefit Plan,
(v)
the most recent annual actuarial valuations, if any, for each Employee Benefit
Plan, and (vi) the most recent IRS determination letter, if any, for each
Employee Benefit Plan. Each Employee Benefit Plan has been administered in
all
material respects in accordance with its terms. The Company, the Subsidiaries
and all of the Employee Benefit Plans are in compliance with the applicable
provisions of ERISA, the Code and all other applicable Laws, except for any
noncompliance that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) All
Employee Benefit Plans that are “employee pension plans” (as defined in Section
3(3) of ERISA) that are intended to be tax qualified under Section 401(a) of
the
Code (each, an “Employee
Pension Plan”)
are so
qualified, and no event has occurred since the date of the most recent
determination letter or application therefor relating to any such Employee
Pension Plan that would adversely affect the qualification of such Employee
Pension Plan. Seller has made available to Purchaser a correct and complete
copy
of the most recent determination letter received with respect to each Employee
Pension Plan.
(c) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.13(c),
all
contributions, premiums and benefit payments under or in connection with the
Employee Benefit Plans that are required to have been made as of the Balance
Sheet Date in accordance with the terms of the Employee Benefit Plans have
been
timely made or have been reflected on the Balance Sheet to the extent required
in accordance with GAAP. No Employee Pension Plan has an “accumulated funding
deficiency” (as such term is defined in Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of
the Code), whether or not waived.
(d) There
is
no contract, plan or arrangement covering any employee or former employee of
the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries that, individually or collectively, would
give rise to an excess parachute payment as a result of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement that would not be deductible by the Company
or
such Subsidiary by reason of Section 280G of the Code.
(e) Except
as
otherwise contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth in Schedule
6.13(e),
the
execution of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement (alone or together with any other event which,
standing alone, would not by itself trigger such entitlement or acceleration)
will not (1) entitle any Person to any payment, forgiveness of indebtedness,
vesting, distribution, or increase in benefits under or with respect to any
Employee Benefit Plan, (2) otherwise trigger any acceleration of vesting or
payment of benefits under or with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan, or
(3)
trigger any obligation to fund any Employee Benefit Plan.
(f) The
Company has made available to Purchaser a complete and accurate list of the
titles and current annual salary rates of, and all bonuses paid or payable
within the past twelve (12) months to, all present officers and senior
management employees whose annual (or annualized) rate of compensation (base
salary and target bonus) exceeds $100,000.
(g) No
material action, suit or claim is pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller,
threatened against or with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan or the assets
or
any fiduciary thereof (in that Person’s capacity as a fiduciary of such Employee
Benefit Plan). There are no material audits or proceedings pending or threatened
in writing by the IRS, Department of Labor, or other Governmental Body with
respect to any Employee Benefit Plan.
(h) No
plan
currently or in the past six years maintained, sponsored, contributed to or
required to be contributed to by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any
of
their respective current or former ERISA Affiliates is or was (1) a
“multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA, (2) a plan described
in Section 413 of the Code, (3) a plan subject to Title IV of ERISA, (4) a
plan
subject to the minimum funding standards of Section 412 of the Code or Section
302 of ERISA, or (5) a plan maintained in connection with any trust described
in
Section 501(c)(9) of the Code. The term “ERISA
Affiliate”
means
any Person that, together with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would
be
deemed a “single employer” within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o)
of the Code.
(i) Except
as
set forth in Schedule
6.13(i),
no
Employee Benefit Plan provides death or medical benefits, whether or not
insured, with respect to any former or current employee, or any spouse or
dependent of any such employee, beyond the employee’s retirement or other
termination of employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries other than
coverage mandated by Part 6 of Title I of ERISA or Section 4980B of the
Code.
(j) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.13(j),
each
Employee Benefit Plan that is maintained outside the jurisdiction of the United
States, or covers any employee residing or working outside the United States
(any such Employee Benefit Plan, a “Foreign
Benefit Plan”)
and
that is required to be funded is funded in accordance with applicable Law.
Each
Foreign Benefit Plan is funded in accordance with all applicable
Laws.
6.14 Labor.
(a) Neither
the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is a party (or successor) to any
collective bargaining agreements and there are no labor unions or other
organizations representing any employee of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries. There are no labor unions or other organizations which have filed
a petition with the National Labor Relations Board or any other Governmental
Body seeking certification as the collective bargaining representative of any
employee of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, and to the Knowledge of
Seller no labor union or organization is engaged in any organizing activity
with
respect to any employee of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries. In the three
(3) years prior to the Closing Date there has not been, there is not presently
pending or existing, and, to the Knowledge of Seller, there is not threatened,
(i) any strike, lockout, slowdown, picketing, or work stoppage with respect
to
the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or (ii) any unfair
labor
practice charge against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries.
(b) The
Company and each of the Subsidiaries has complied in all material respects
with
all statutes, laws, ordinances, rules or regulations, or any orders, rulings,
decrees, judgments or arbitration awards of any court, arbitrator or any
government agency relating to employment, equal opportunity, nondiscrimination,
immigration, wages, hours, benefits, collective bargaining, the payment of
social security and similar taxes, income tax withholding, occupational safety
and health, and/or privacy rights of employees.
(c) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.14(c),
in the
six (6) months prior to the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any of the
Subsidiaries has effectuated (i) a “plant closing” as defined in the Worker
Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 2101 et
seq.
(the
“WARN
Act”)
(or
any similar state, local or foreign law) affecting any site of employment or
one
or more facilities or operating units within any site of employment or facility
of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or (ii) a “mass layoff” as defined in
the WARN Act (or any similar state, local or foreign law) affecting any site
of
employment or facility of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, and which
liability therefor remains unsatisfied.
6.15 Litigation.
There
are no material Legal Proceedings pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller,
threatened against, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the Wire Harness
Business, or challenging the validity of this Agreement or any of the
transactions contemplated hereby or by any of the Transaction Documents to
which
Seller, Parent, the Company or any Subsidiary is a party. Neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective properties is or are
subject to any Order, except for those that would not reasonably be expected
to
interfere in any material respect with the conduct of the Wire Harness Business
as currently conducted. To the Knowledge of Seller, there are no formal or
informal governmental inquiries or investigations or internal investigations
or
material whistle-blower complaints pending or threatened, relating to, affecting
or involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
6.16 Compliance
with Laws; Permits.
(a) The
Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with all Laws of any Governmental
Body applicable to its business or operations, except where the failure to
be in
compliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries have received any written notice of
or
been charged with the material violation of any Laws.
(b) The
Company and the Subsidiaries currently have all Permits, and have made all
registrations or filings with or notices to any Governmental Body, which are
required for the operation of the Wire Harness Business as presently conducted,
except where the absence of which would not reasonably be expected to materially
interfere with or limit the operation of the Wire Harness Business as presently
conducted. Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries are in default or violation
(and no event has occurred which, with notice or the lapse of time or both,
would constitute a default or violation) of any term, condition or provision
of
any Permit to which it is a party, except where such default or violation would
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No proceeding
to
modify, suspend, revoke, withdraw, terminate or otherwise limit any such Permit
is pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened. No action by any
Governmental Body has been taken or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened,
in
connection with the expiration, continuance or renewal of any such
Permit.
6.17 Environmental
Matters.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
6.17,
(a) The
operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are in material compliance with
all applicable Environmental Laws, which material compliance includes obtaining,
maintaining and complying with any material Permits required under all
applicable Environmental Laws necessary to operate their business (“Environmental
Permits”);
(b) None
of
the Company or the Subsidiaries is the subject of any outstanding Order of
any
Governmental Body respecting (i) Environmental Laws, (ii) Remedial
Action or (iii) any Release or threatened Release of a Hazardous
Material;
(c) None
of
the Company or the Subsidiaries is subject to any pending, or to the Knowledge
of Seller, threatened claim alleging that the Company or the Subsidiaries may
be
in violation of any Environmental Law or any Environmental Permit or may have
any liability under any Environmental Law or with respect to Hazardous
Materials, which, if adversely decided, could reasonably be expected to result
in the Company or Subsidiaries incurring material liabilities under
Environmental Laws or with respect to Hazardous Materials;
(d) There
are
no pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened investigations of the
business of the Company or the Subsidiaries or any Owned Properties or Real
Property Leases of the Company or the Subsidiaries under Environmental Laws
or
with respect to Hazardous Materials, which would reasonably be expected to
result in the Company or the Subsidiaries incurring any material liability
pursuant to any Environmental Laws or pursuant to any Real Property
Lease;
(e) To
the
Knowledge of Seller, there are no current facts, circumstances or conditions
arising out of or relating to the operations or ownership of the Company and
the
Subsidiaries, or of real property currently or, to the Knowledge of Seller,
previously owned or leased by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including
the Release of Hazardous Materials, that would reasonably be expected to result
in material liabilities under Environmental Laws or pursuant to any Real
Property Lease;
(f) Neither
the Company or the Subsidiaries is undertaking or, to the Knowledge of Seller,
under any obligation to conduct any Remedial Action at any Owned or Leased
Properties as a result of a Release of Hazardous Materials;
(g) To
the
Knowledge of Seller, the Company and the Subsidiaries have not received any
notice of potential liability associated with the off-site disposal or treatment
of Hazardous Materials; and
(h) The
Company has made available to Purchaser copies of all material environmental
assessments, investigations or other reports (including Phase I and Phase II
reports) relating to the Company and the Subsidiaries that are in the
possession, custody or control of Seller.
6.18 Financial
Advisors.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
6.18,
no
Person has acted, directly or indirectly, as a broker, finder or financial
advisor for the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by
this
Agreement and no Person is entitled to any fee or commission or like payment
from Purchaser in respect thereof.
6.19 Related
Party Transactions.
(a) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.19(a),
neither
Seller nor any of its Affiliates have borrowed any moneys from or have
outstanding any indebtedness or other similar obligations to the Company or
the
Subsidiaries.
(b) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.19(b)
or as
contemplated by this Agreement, none of Seller or any Affiliate of Seller (i)
owns any material direct or indirect interest of any kind in (other than passive
investments in mutual funds or other institutional investment vehicles), or
controls, or is a director or officer of, or has the right to participate
materially in the profits of (other than passive investments in mutual funds
or
other institutional investment vehicles), any Person that is or has since
January 31, 2003 been (A) a supplier, customer, landlord, tenant, creditor
or debtor of the Company or the Subsidiaries or the Wire Harness Business or
(B) engaged in a business related to the business of the Company or the
Subsidiaries or the Wire Harness Business, or (ii) is a participant in any
transaction to which the Company or the Subsidiaries are a party or is a party
to any Contract with the Company or the Subsidiaries or the Wire Harness
Business.
6.20 Insurance.
Schedule
6.20
sets
forth a summary of each material insurance policy and fidelity bond (including
premiums, deductibles and coverage amounts) relating to the Wire Harness
Business. All such insurance policies and fidelity bonds are in full force
and
effect, except where the failure to be in full force and effect would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Knowledge
of
Seller, none of Parent, Viasystems, Seller, the Company and the Subsidiaries
has
received any written notice of cancellation or modification in coverage amounts
of any such insurance policies or fidelity bonds. All premiums due and payable
under all such insurance policies and fidelity bonds have been paid (or if
installment payments are due, will be paid if incurred prior to the Closing
Date) and the Company and the Subsidiaries are otherwise in material compliance
with the terms of such insurance policies and fidelity bonds (or other policies
and bonds providing substantially similar insurance coverage). There is no
material claim by the Company or the Subsidiaries pending under any of such
insurance policies or fidelity bonds, and no incident has occurred since the
Balance Sheet Date that could give rise to a material claim under any of such
insurance policies or fidelity bonds. The Company and the Subsidiaries have
complied with all requirements arising by Law or pursuant to contract to
purchase insurance, and have provided evidence of such insurance as required
by
any such Law or contract.
6.21 Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act.
Neither
the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries (including any of their officers,
directors, agents, employees or other Person associated with or acting on their
behalf) has, directly or indirectly, taken any action which would cause it
to be
in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any
rules or regulations thereunder, used any corporate funds for unlawful
contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to
political activity, made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government
officials or employees or made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment,
kickback or other similar unlawful payment.
6.22 Customers.
Schedule
6.22
sets
forth the names of all the customers of the Company and the Subsidiaries that
purchased goods or services from the Company or the Subsidiaries with an
aggregate annualized purchase price of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) or
more
during the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 2004 or the twelve (12) months
ended December 31, 2005, and the amount for which each such customer or its
sub-assembler was invoiced during such periods. Except as disclosed in
Schedule
6.22
neither
Seller, the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice that any
significant customer of the Company or the Subsidiaries has ceased, or will
cease, to use the goods or services of the Company or the Subsidiaries, or
has
substantially reduced, or will substantially reduce, the use of such goods
or
services at any time
6.23 Suppliers.
Schedule
6.23
sets
forth the names of all the suppliers from which the Company and the Subsidiaries
ordered raw materials, supplies, merchandise and other goods for the Company
and
the Subsidiaries with an aggregate annualized purchase price of One Million
Dollars ($1,000,000) or more during the twelve (12) months ended December 31,
2004 or the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 2005, and the amount paid
to
each such supplier by the Company or such Subsidiary during such periods. Except
as disclosed in Schedule
6.23,
neither
Seller, the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice that any such
supplier will not sell raw materials, supplies, merchandise and other goods
to
the Company or the Subsidiaries at any time after the Closing Date on terms
and
conditions substantially similar to those used in its current sales to the
Company and the Subsidiaries, subject only to general and customary price
increases.
6.24 Product
Recalls.
As of
the date hereof, except as set forth on Schedule
6.24,
there
are no pending, on-going or, to Seller’s Knowledge, contemplated recalls of any
products sold by the Company or the Subsidiaries.
6.25 Sufficiency
of Assets.
After
giving effect to the Restructuring and the services and occupancy rights to
be
provided under the transition services contemplated by Schedule
8.11,
the
Company will own, lease or have the legal right to use all the properties and
assets, including the Intellectual Property, real property and the personal
property, used in or relating to the conduct of the Wire Harness Business as
presently conducted and, with respect to Contract rights, will be a party to
and
enjoy the right to the benefits of all Contracts used in or relating to the
conduct of the Wire Harness Business as presently conducted.
6.26 No
Other Representations or Warranties; Schedules.
Except
for the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement and the
certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement (as qualified by the Schedules
hereto), neither Seller, Parent nor any other Person makes any other express
or
implied representation or warranty with respect to Seller, Parent, the Company,
the Subsidiaries or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and Seller
disclaims any other representations or warranties, whether made by Seller,
Parent, the Company, the Subsidiaries, any of their respective Affiliates,
or
any of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, consultants
or
representatives (collectively, “Representatives”).
Except
for the representations and warranties contained in this
Agreement (inclusive of the Schedules hereto) and the certificates delivered
pursuant to this Agreement (as qualified by the Schedules hereto),
each of
Seller and Parent hereby disclaims all liability and responsibility for any
representation, warranty, projection, forecast, statement, or information made,
communicated, or furnished (orally or in writing) to Purchaser or its Affiliates
or representatives (including any opinion, information, projection, or advice
that may have been or may be provided to Purchaser by any Representative of
Seller, Parent, the Company, the Subsidiaries or any of their respective
Affiliates).
ARTICLE
VII -
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF PURCHASER
Purchaser
hereby represents and warrants to Seller that:
7.1 Organization
and Good Standing.
Purchaser is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of the State of Delaware and has all requisite corporate power
and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its
business as now conducted.
7.2 Authorization
of Agreement.
Purchaser has full corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this
Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which Purchaser is a party
in
connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.
The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents
to
which Purchaser is a party and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action
on the part of Purchaser. This Agreement has been, and each of the Transaction
Documents to which Purchaser is a party will be at or prior to the Closing,
duly
and validly executed and delivered by Purchaser and (assuming the due
authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto and thereto)
this Agreement constitutes, and each Transaction Document to which Purchaser
is
a party, when so executed and delivered, will constitute, the legal, valid
and
binding obligation of Purchaser, enforceable against Purchaser in accordance
with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally,
and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity, including
principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless
of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in
equity).
7.3 Conflicts;
Consents of Third Parties.
(a) None
of
the execution and delivery by Purchaser of this Agreement or the Transaction
Documents to which Purchaser is a party, the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby, or compliance by Purchaser with any of the
provisions hereof or thereof will conflict with, or result in any violation
of
or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give
rise to a right of termination or cancellation under, any provision of
(i) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other comparable
organizational documents of Purchaser; (ii) any Contract or Permit to which
Purchaser is a party or by which any of the properties or assets of Purchaser
are bound; (iii) any Order of any Governmental Body applicable to Purchaser
or
by which any of the properties or assets of Purchaser are bound; or (iv) any
applicable Law, other than, in each case, such conflicts, violations, defaults,
terminations or cancellations that would not have a material adverse effect
on
Purchaser’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or
thereby.
(b) No
consent, waiver, approval, Order, Permit or authorization of, or declaration
or
filing with, or notification to, any Person or Governmental Body is required
on
the part of Purchaser in connection with the execution and delivery of this
Agreement or the Transaction Documents to which Purchaser is a party or the
compliance by Purchaser with any of the provisions hereof or thereof, or the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, except for
(A)
compliance with the applicable requirements of the HSR Act and (B) such
consents, waivers, approvals, Orders, Permits, authorizations, declarations,
filings or notifications, the failure of which would not have a material adverse
effect on Purchaser’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby
or thereby.
7.4 Litigation.
There
are no Legal Proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of Purchaser, threatened
that are reasonably likely to prohibit or restrain the ability of Purchaser
to
enter into this Agreement or consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby.
7.5 Investment
Intention.
Purchaser is acquiring the Shares for its own account, for investment purposes
only and not with a view to the distribution (as such term is used in Section
2(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”)
thereof. Purchaser understands that the Shares have not been registered under
the Securities Act and cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under
the
Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. Purchaser
qualifies as an “accredited investor,” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a)
promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act. Purchaser is capable of evaluating
the risks and merits of acquiring the Shares and can afford to bear the economic
risk of its purchase of such Shares.
7.6 Financial
Advisors.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
7.6,
no
Person has acted, directly or indirectly, as a broker, finder or financial
advisor for Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement and no Person is entitled to any fee or commission or like payment
in
respect thereof.
7.7 Financing.
Purchaser has provided to Seller true and correct copies of (i) a commitment
letter, dated March 21, 2006, executed and delivered by UBS Loan Finance LLC
and
UBS Securities LLC (such commitment letter or letters, together with any
amendments or supplements thereto or replacements thereof obtained by Purchaser
from time to time, the “Commitment
Letter”)
with
respect to all debt financing required for consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby (the “Financing”)
and
(ii) an equity commitment letter, dated March 21, 2006, executed by Francisco
Partners, L.P. with respect to the equity investment to be made in Purchaser
in
order to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby (the “Equity
Commitment”).
The
amount of the Financing, together with the amount of the Equity Commitment,
provides sufficient funds for Purchaser to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and to pay any expenses incurred by Purchaser
in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Purchaser has appointed an independent auditor as required by the Commitment
Letter.
7.8 Solvency.
(a) Immediately
after giving effect to the acquisition of the Shares and the consummation of
the
other transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without
limitation, any debt and equity financings being entered into in connection
therewith):
(i) the
fair
saleable value (determined on a going concern basis) of the assets of each
of
Purchaser, the Company and the Subsidiaries shall be greater than the total
amount of their respective liabilities (including all liabilities, whether
or
not reflected in a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP, and whether
direct or indirect, fixed or contingent, secured or unsecured, disputed or
undisputed);
(ii) Purchaser,
the Company and the Subsidiaries shall each be able to pay their debts and
obligations in the Ordinary Course of Business as they become due;
and
(iii) Purchaser,
the Company and the Subsidiaries shall each have adequate capital to carry
on
their businesses and all businesses in which they are about to
engage.
(b) In
completing the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, Purchaser does
not
intend to hinder, delay or defraud any present or future creditors of Purchaser,
the Company or the Subsidiaries.
7.9 No
Knowledge of Breach.
As of
the date hereof, Purchaser is not aware of any facts, events or circumstances
that would cause any of the representations or warranties of the Company set
forth in Article
VI
hereof
to be untrue or incorrect in any material respect.
ARTICLE
VIII -
COVENANTS
8.1 Access
to Information; Financing Cooperation.
(a) Prior
to
the Closing Date, Purchaser shall be entitled, through its Representatives
(including, without limitation, its legal advisors and accountants), to make
such investigation of the properties, business and operations of the Company
and
the Subsidiaries and such examination of the books and records of each of them
as it reasonably requests and to make extracts and copies of such books and
records. Any such investigation and examination shall be conducted during
regular business hours and under reasonable circumstances and shall be subject
to restrictions under applicable Law. Parent, Seller and the Company shall
cause
the Representatives (including, without limitation, its legal advisors and
accountants) of the Company and the Subsidiaries to cooperate with Purchaser
and
Purchaser’s Representatives in connection with such investigation and
examination; provided,
however,
that
Purchaser shall schedule any site visits and employee interviews in advance
and
at such times as Purchaser and Seller agree. In connection with such
investigation and examination, Purchaser and its Representatives shall cooperate
with Seller and its Representatives and shall use their commercially reasonable
efforts to minimize any disruption to the business of the Company and the
Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, prior
to the Closing, without the prior written consent of Seller, which consent,
in
the case of clause (i), may not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, (i)
Purchaser shall not contact any suppliers to, or customers of, the Company
or
the Subsidiaries, and (ii) Purchaser shall have no right to perform invasive
or
subsurface investigations of the properties or facilities of the Company or
the
Subsidiaries.
(b) Parent,
Seller and the Company shall, and shall cause the Company and the Subsidiaries
and its and their respective Representatives to, provide on a timely basis
all
such assistance and cooperation as Purchaser may reasonably request in
connection with the arrangement of the Financing (provided,
that
such requested assistance and cooperation does not unreasonably interfere with
the ongoing operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries), including
(i) making senior management of the Company reasonably available for
customary lender meetings and “roadshow” presentations and cooperating with
prospective lenders in performing their due diligence, (ii) cooperating in
the preparation of any offering memorandum or similar document,
(iii) furnishing Purchaser and its financing sources with financial and
other pertinent information regarding the Company and the Subsidiaries as may
be
reasonably requested by Purchaser, including financial statements and financial
data, (iv) providing access to the Owned Properties and properties subject
to Real Property Leases for Phase I environmental inspections, and
(v) providing and executing documents as may be reasonably requested by
Purchaser; provided,
that
none of the Company or any Subsidiary shall be required to pay any commitment
or
other similar fee or incur any other liability in connection with the Financing
prior to the Closing.
(c) Seller
shall deliver to Purchaser as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event
not later than April 1, 2006, the audited balance sheets of the Wire Harness
Business as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 and the related audited statements
of
income and of cash flows of the Wire Harness Business for the years ended
December 2003, 2004 and 2005 (the “2005
Financials”),
prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied and in a manner consistent
with the Audited Financial Statements, and accompanied by an opinion of
Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP in a form consistent with the opinion of such firm
accompanying the Audited Financial Statements and containing no exceptions
or
qualifications. The 2005 Financials shall be consistent in all material respects
with the draft 2005 Financials previously provided to Purchaser.
8.2 Conduct
of the Business Pending the Closing.
(a) Prior
to
the Closing, except (i) as set forth on Schedule
8.2,
(ii) as
required by applicable Law, (iii) as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement
or
(iv) with the prior written consent of Purchaser (which consent shall not
be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), Parent, Seller and the
Company shall:
(i) cause
the
Company and the Subsidiaries to conduct their business only in the Ordinary
Course of Business;
(ii) use
its
commercially reasonable efforts to (A) preserve the present business operations,
organization and goodwill of the Company and the Subsidiaries and (B) preserve
the present relationships with customers and suppliers of the Company and the
Subsidiaries;
(iii) confer
on
a regular basis with one or more designated representatives of Purchaser to
report material operational matters and to report the general status of ongoing
operations;
(iv) cause
the
Company and the Subsidiaries to conduct their working capital and cash
management practices, the collection of accounts receivable, the payment of
accounts payable (including the writing and mailing of checks with respect
thereto) and the maintenance of inventories in the Ordinary Course of Business;
and
(v) cause
the
Company and the Subsidiaries to pay, prior to the Closing Date, all Rebates
due
and payable on or prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Except
(i) as set forth on Schedule 8.2,
(ii) as
required by applicable Law, (iii) as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement
or
(iv) with the prior written consent of Purchaser, Seller and the Company shall
not, and shall cause the Company and the Subsidiaries not to:
(i) declare,
pay or set aside any dividend or make any distribution (whether in cash, stock
or property or any combination thereof) with respect to, or repurchase, redeem
or otherwise acquire, any outstanding equity interests or other securities
of
the Company or the Subsidiaries; provided,
that
Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that Parent and its Affiliates (other than
the
Company and the Subsidiaries) shall be permitted to continue daily cash sweeps
effected in the Ordinary Course of Business to the extent that such sweeps
do
not prevent the satisfaction of the condition set forth in Section
9.1(k);
(ii) transfer,
issue, sell or dispose of any equity interests of the Company or the
Subsidiaries or grant options, warrants, calls or other rights to purchase
or
otherwise acquire equity interests or other securities of the Company or the
Subsidiaries;
(iii) effect
any recapitalization, reclassification or like change in the capitalization
of
the Company or the Subsidiaries;
(iv) amend
the
organizational documents of the Company or the Subsidiaries;
(v) (A)
increase the annual level of compensation payable or to become payable by the
Company or the Subsidiaries to any of their respective directors, executive
officers or employees, (B) grant any bonus, benefit or other direct or indirect
compensation to any director, executive officer or employee, (C) increase the
coverage or benefits available under any (or create any new) severance pay,
termination pay, vacation pay, company awards, salary continuation for
disability, sick leave, deferred compensation, bonus or other incentive
compensation, insurance, pension or other employee benefit plan or arrangement
made to, for, or with any of the directors, executive officers or employees
of
the Company or the Subsidiaries or otherwise modify or amend or terminate any
such plan or arrangement or (D) enter into any employment, deferred
compensation, severance, consulting, non-competition or similar agreement (or
amend any such agreement) to which the Company or the Subsidiaries are a party
and involving a director, executive officer or employee of the Company or the
Subsidiaries, except, in each case, as required by applicable Law from time
to
time in effect or by the terms of any Employee Benefit Plans or Employee Pension
Plans or with respect to employees who are not directors or executive officers
or senior management, in the Ordinary Course of Business consistent with past
practice;
(vi) subject
to any Lien any of the properties or assets (whether tangible or intangible,
and
including the Owned Properties and the properties subject to a Real Property
Lease) of the Company or the Subsidiaries, except for Permitted
Exceptions;
(vii) sell,
lease, license, transfer or otherwise dispose of any properties or assets which,
individually, has a book value in excess of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000),
or
will result in receipt of gross proceeds in excess of One Million Dollars
($1,000,000), except for sales or other dispositions of inventory and obsolete
assets in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(viii) make
any
material change in any method of accounting or accounting practice, other than
in accordance with GAAP or as required by applicable Law;
(ix) cancel,
amend or allow to terminate any insurance policy currently maintained by the
Company or any Subsidiary, except to the extent that any of Parent’s insurance
policies expire by their terms and are renewed or replaced with an insurance
policy with substantially similar terms;
(x) other
than intercompany debt, incur any indebtedness for borrowed money, guarantee
any
such indebtedness of another Person or issue any debt securities or grant
options, warrants, calls or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any
debt securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries;
(xi) cancel
or
compromise any material debt or claim or waive or release any material right
of
the Company and the Subsidiaries;
(xii) enter
into any labor or collective bargaining agreement of the Company or the
Subsidiaries or, through negotiations or otherwise, make any commitment or
incur
any liability to any labor organizations;
(xiii) permit
the Company or the Subsidiaries to enter into or agree to enter into any merger
or consolidation with any corporation or other entity, or acquire the securities
or assets of any other Person;
(xiv) permit
the Company or the Subsidiaries to enter into, amend, terminate or modify any
Material Contract;
(xv) propose
or consent to any change to the pricing of any products sold by the Company
or
any of the Subsidiaries, or offer any discounts or Rebates to any customers
of
the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except any such changes that would
result in a decrease of no more than 5% of the annual revenue attributable
to
any such customer on an individual basis;
(xvi) (A)
make,
amend or change any material Tax election; (B) make a request for a tax ruling
or enter into a closing agreement; (C) settle or compromise any material Tax
liability or material Tax claims; or (D) surrender any right to claim a material
amount of refund of any Taxes; or
(xvii) enter
into any Contract or letter of intent to do anything prohibited by this
Section
8.2.
8.3 Consents.
Purchaser and Seller shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to obtain
at the earliest practicable date all consents and approvals required to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without
limitation, the consents and approvals referred to in Sections
5.3(b),
6.2(a),
6.2(b)
and
7.3(b)
hereof;
provided,
however,
that no
party shall be obligated to pay any consideration to any third party from whom
consent or approval is requested except with respect to the Credit Agreement
Release Documents or as provided in the relevant Contract.
8.4 Regulatory
Approvals.
(a) Each
of
Purchaser and Seller shall (a) make or cause to be made all filings required
of
each of them or any of their respective Affiliates under the HSR Act or other
Antitrust Laws with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby as promptly
as practicable, (b) comply at the earliest practicable date with any request
under the HSR Act or other Antitrust Laws for additional information, documents,
or other materials received by each of them or any of their respective
Affiliates from the Federal Trade Commission, the Antitrust Division or any
other Governmental Body in respect of such filings or such transactions and
(c) cooperate with each other in connection with any such filing
(including, to the extent permitted by applicable law, providing copies of
all
such documents to the non-filing parties prior to filing and considering all
reasonable additions, deletions or changes suggested in connection therewith)
and in connection with resolving any investigation or other inquiry of any
of
the Federal Trade Commission, the Antitrust Division or other Governmental
Body
under the HSR Act or any other Antitrust Laws with respect to any such filing
or
any such transaction. Each such party shall use its commercially reasonable
efforts to furnish to each other party all information required for any
application or other filing to be made pursuant to any applicable Law in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each such
party
shall promptly inform the other parties hereto of any oral communication with,
and provide copies of written communications with, any Governmental Body
regarding any such filings or any such transaction. No party hereto shall
independently participate in any formal meeting with any Governmental Body
in
respect of any such filings, investigation or other inquiry without giving
the
other parties hereto prior notice of the meeting and, to the extent permitted
by
such Governmental Body, the opportunity to attend and/or participate. Subject
to
applicable Law, the parties hereto will consult and cooperate with one another
in connection with any analyses, appearances, presentations, memoranda, briefs,
arguments, opinions and proposals made or submitted by or on behalf of any
party
hereto relating to proceedings under the HSR Act or other Antitrust Laws. Any
party may, as it deems advisable and necessary, reasonably designate any
competitively sensitive material provided to the other parties under this
Section
8.4
as
“outside counsel only.” Such materials and the information contained therein
shall be given only to the outside legal counsel of the recipient and will
not
be disclosed by such outside counsel to employees, officers or directors of
the
recipient, unless express written permission is obtained in advance from the
source of the materials. All HSR Act and similar foreign filing fees shall
be
borne equally by Purchaser and Seller.
(b) Each
of
Purchaser and Seller shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to resolve
such objections, if any, as may be asserted by any Governmental Body with
respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement under the HSR Act
or
other Antitrust Laws. In connection therewith, if any Legal Proceeding is
instituted (or threatened to be instituted) challenging any transaction
contemplated by this Agreement as in violation of any Antitrust Law, each of
Purchaser and Seller shall cooperate and use its commercially reasonable efforts
to contest and resist any such Legal Proceeding, and to have vacated, lifted,
reversed, or overturned any decree, judgment, injunction or other order whether
temporary, preliminary or permanent, that is in effect and that prohibits,
prevents, or restricts consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, including by pursuing all available avenues of administrative and
judicial appeal and all available legislative action, unless, by mutual
agreement, Purchaser and Seller decide that litigation is not in their
respective best interests. Each of Purchaser and Seller shall use its
commercially reasonable efforts to take such action as may be required to cause
the expiration of the notice periods under the HSR Act or other Antitrust Laws
with respect to such transactions as promptly as possible after the execution
of
this Agreement; provided,
however,
that
neither Purchaser nor Seller shall be required to (i) hold separate (by trust
or
otherwise) or divest any of their respective businesses or assets, (ii) agree
to
any limitation on the operation or conduct of their respective businesses or
(iii) waive any of the conditions set forth in Article
IX
of this
Agreement.
8.5 Further
Assurances.
Subject
to the terms of this Agreement, each of Purchaser and Seller shall use its
commercially reasonable efforts to (i) take all actions necessary or appropriate
to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (ii) cause
the
fulfillment at the earliest practicable date of all of the conditions to their
respective obligations to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
8.6 Confidentiality.
(a) Purchaser
acknowledges that the information provided to it in connection with this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby is subject to the terms
of
the confidentiality agreement between Purchaser and Parent, dated July 13,
2005
(the “Confidentiality
Agreement”),
the
terms of which are incorporated herein by reference; provided,
that
Purchaser and its Representatives shall be permitted to disclose information
as
necessary and consistent with customary practices in connection with the
Financing. Effective upon, and only upon, the consummation of the Closing,
the
Confidentiality Agreement shall terminate.
(b) Parent
and Seller recognize that by reason of their ownership of the Company and the
Wire Harness Business, they and their respective subsidiaries have acquired
confidential information and trade secrets concerning the Company and the Wire
Harness Business the use or disclosure of which could cause Purchaser or its
subsidiaries substantial loss and damages that could not be readily calculated
and for which no remedy at law would be adequate. Accordingly, Parent and Seller
covenant and agree with Purchaser that neither Parent nor Seller nor any of
their respective subsidiaries will at any time, except in performance of their
respective obligations to Purchaser or with the prior written consent of
Purchaser, directly or indirectly, disclose any proprietary, secret or
confidential information relating to the Company and the Wire Harness Business
that any such Person may learn or has learned by reason of its ownership of
the
Company and the Wire Harness Business, unless (i) such information becomes
known to the public generally through no fault of Parent, Seller or any of
their
respective subsidiaries, (ii) disclosure is required by applicable Law, or
(iii) such information was not previously known to Parent, Seller or any of
their respective subsidiaries but becomes rightfully known to Parent, Seller
or
such subsidiary after Closing, without restriction, from a source (other than
Purchaser and its subsidiaries) not related to Seller’s prior ownership of the
Company and the Wire Harness Business and without any breach of duty to
Purchaser or its subsidiaries. The parties hereto agree that the covenant
contained in this Section
8.6(b)
imposes
a reasonable restraint on Parent and Seller and their respective subsidiaries
and employees.
8.7 Indemnification,
Exculpation and Insurance.
(a) From
and
after the Closing Date, Purchaser shall, and shall cause the Company and the
Subsidiaries to, indemnify, defend and hold harmless, to the fullest extent
permitted under applicable Law, the individuals who on or prior to the Closing
Date were directors, officers or employees of the Company or the Subsidiaries
(collectively, the “Indemnitees”)
with
respect to all acts or omissions by them in their capacities as such or taken
at
the request of the Company or the Subsidiaries at any time prior to the Closing
Date. Purchaser agrees that all rights of the Indemnitees to indemnification
and
exculpation from liabilities for acts or omissions by them in their capacities
as such or taken at the request of the Company or the Subsidiaries occurring
at
or prior to the Closing Date as provided in the constituent documents of the
Company or the Subsidiaries as now in effect and any indemnification agreements
or arrangements of any of them shall survive the Closing Date and shall continue
in full force and effect in accordance with their terms. Such rights shall
not
be amended or otherwise modified in any manner that would adversely affect
the
rights of the Indemnitees, unless such modification is required by Law. In
addition, Purchaser shall pay any expenses of any Indemnitee incurred in
investigating or defending any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit,
or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitrative, or
investigative, any appeal in such an action, suit, or proceeding, and any
inquiry or investigation that could lead to such an action, suit, or proceeding,
relating to acts or omissions by such Indemnitee in his or her capacity as
an
officer or director of the Company or the Subsidiaries or taken at the request
of any of them, as applicable, at any time prior to the Closing Date, and all
other expenses of any Indemnitee under this Section
8.7,
as
incurred to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law; provided,
that
the individual to whom expenses are advanced provides an undertaking to repay
such advances to the extent required by applicable Law. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the foregoing rights shall not apply to the extent any Indemnitee
is
the beneficiary of any insurance policy with respect to such matters or is
subject to indemnification pursuant to the constituent documents of Parent
or
Seller or any agreement between any Indemnitee and Parent or
Seller.
(b) The
provisions of this Section
8.7:
(i) are
intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each Indemnitee,
his or her heirs and his or her representatives; and (ii) are in addition to,
and not in substitution for, any other rights to indemnification or contribution
that any such person may have by Contract or otherwise.
(c) In
the
event that Purchaser, the Company, the Subsidiaries or any of their respective
successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person
and
is not the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation
or merger or (ii) transfers or conveys all or substantially all of its
properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper
provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Purchaser, the
Company or the Subsidiaries, as applicable, shall assume all of the obligations
thereof set forth in this Section 8.7.
(d) The
obligations of Purchaser under this Section
8.7
shall
not be terminated or modified in such a manner as to adversely affect any
Indemnitee to whom this Section
8.7
applies
without the consent of the affected Indemnitee (it being expressly agreed that
the Indemnitees to whom this Section
8.7
applies
shall be third party beneficiaries of this Section
8.7).
8.8 Preservation
of Records.
Parent,
Seller and Purchaser agree that each of them shall preserve and keep the records
held by them relating to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries for
a
period of seven (7) years from the Closing Date and shall make such records
and
personnel available to the other as may be reasonably required by such party
in
connection with, among other things, any insurance claims by or Legal
Proceedings against or governmental investigations of Seller or Purchaser or
any
of their Affiliates or in order to enable Seller or Purchaser to comply with
their respective obligations under this Agreement and each other agreement,
document or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby; provided,
however,
that
nothing herein shall be deemed to alter Section
8.12(c),
which
shall govern the preservation of records with regard to Taxes. In the event
Seller or Purchaser wishes to destroy such records after that time, such party
shall first give ninety (90) days prior written notice to the other party and
such other party shall have the right at its option and expense, upon prior
written notice given to such party within that ninety (90) day period, to take
possession of the records within one hundred eighty (180) days after the date
of
such notice.
8.9 Publicity.
(a) Parent,
Seller, the Company and Purchaser shall not, and Seller shall cause the Company
and the Subsidiaries not to, issue any press release or public announcement
concerning this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby without
obtaining the prior written approval of the other party hereto, which approval
will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, unless, in the judgment of Seller
or Purchaser, disclosure is otherwise required by applicable Law; provided,
that,
to the extent required by applicable Law, the party intending to make such
release shall use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with applicable
Law to consult with the other party with respect to the text
thereof.
(b) Each
of
Seller and Purchaser agree that the terms of this Agreement shall not be
disclosed or otherwise made available to the public and that copies of this
Agreement shall not be publicly filed or otherwise made available to the public,
except where such disclosure, availability or filing is required by applicable
Law and only to the extent required by such Law.
8.10 Employee
Benefits.
(a) For
purposes of eligibility and vesting (but not benefit accrual) under the employee
benefit plans of Purchaser providing benefits to Continuing Employees (the
“Purchaser
Plans”),
Purchaser shall credit each Continuing Employee with his or her years of service
with the Company or the Subsidiaries, as applicable, and any predecessor
entities, to the same extent as such Continuing Employee was entitled
immediately prior to the Closing to credit for such service under any similar
Employee Benefit Plan. The Purchaser Plans shall not deny Continuing Employees
coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions and shall credit such
Continuing Employees for any deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses paid in
the
year of initial participation in the Purchaser Plans.
(b) Parent
acknowledges and agrees that (i) it shall be responsible for and shall pay
(or shall cause Viasystems to pay) at the Closing all transaction bonuses that
become payable to employees of the Company and the Subsidiaries in connection
with the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, including without
limitation, in the amounts and to the individuals set forth on Schedule 8.10(b)
and
(ii) it shall continue to be responsible for any and all obligations
existing as of the Closing Date to provide retiree health, life insurance and
other welfare benefits to any former employees of the Company or any Subsidiary
and their dependents. Parent shall have paid all bonuses payable to the
Continuing Employees in respect of fiscal 2005 under the terms of Parent’s
Annual Incentive Compensation Plan and Senior Executive MBO Plan on or prior
to
Closing. Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that it shall (x) be responsible
for and shall pay bonuses payable to Continuing Employees for the 2006 fiscal
year under Parent’s Annual Incentive Compensation Plan and the Senior Executive
MBO Plan, to the extent such bonuses are reflected in Closing Date Working
Capital, and (y) agrees that it shall indemnify and hold harmless Parent
and its Affiliates (other than the Company and the Subsidiaries) for any Losses
resulting from claims with respect to such bonuses by any Continuing Employee
to
the extent such bonuses are reflected in Closing Date Working
Capital.
(c) Except
as
required by applicable Law, as of the Closing Date the Continuing Employees
shall cease to accrue further benefits under the employee benefit plans and
arrangements maintained by Parent, Seller and their respective Affiliates other
than the Company or any Subsidiary (the “Parent
Plans”);
provided,
however,
that
Parent shall take such actions as may be necessary to, effective immediately
prior to the Closing Date, cause (i) all Continuing Employees who are employed
in the United States to be fully vested in any unvested portion of their account
balances under the Viasystems Retirement Savings Plan. From and after the
Closing Date, Parent will retain all obligations and liabilities under the
Parent Plans, and neither Purchaser nor any of its Affiliates will have any
obligation or liability with respect thereto, except that Purchaser shall assume
as of the Closing Date the Parent Plans set forth on Schedule 8.10(c).
Except
as expressly set forth on such schedule, Purchaser will not assume sponsorship
or any liability with respect to any of the Parent Plans or any part thereof,
and no Parent Plan and no assets of any Parent Plan will be transferred to
Purchaser or any of its Affiliates or to any plan of Purchaser or any of its
Affiliates. On the Closing Date, Continuing Employees with account balances
in
Parent’s 401(k) Plan shall be entitled to receive a lump sum distribution of
such vested balances and, if requested by any such employee, Purchaser’s or the
Company’s 401(k) plan shall accept a direct rollover contribution of such
account balances pursuant to Code Section 401(a)(31).
(d) Prior
to
the Closing, Parent shall, and shall cause the Company and the Subsidiaries
to,
establish stand-alone welfare plans for the domestic employees of the Company
and the Subsidiaries. Such welfare plans shall be in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to Purchaser.
8.11 Transition
Services.
Promptly after the date hereof, the parties shall negotiate a master transition
services agreement (which may, to the extent required by Law or more convenient
for administrative purposes have appended thereto separate agreements for a
particular jurisdiction consistent with this Section
8.11).
The
principles governing such transition services agreement shall be as
follows:
(a) Parent
and it subsidiaries (other than the Company and the Subsidiaries) shall provide
to Purchaser those services listed on Schedule
8.11
hereto
or otherwise provided to the Company and/or its Subsidiaries on or prior to
the
date hereof or otherwise reasonably requested by Purchaser in order to allow
for
the operation of the Company and its Subsidiaries in the Ordinary Course of
Business;
(b) Purchaser,
the Company and the Subsidiaries shall provide to Parent and its subsidiaries
(other than the Company and the Subsidiaries) those services listed on
Schedule
8.11
hereto
or otherwise provided to the Seller and/or its subsidiaries on or prior to
the
date hereof or otherwise reasonably requested by Parent in order to allow for
the operation of Parent and it subsidiaries (other than the Company and the
Subsidiaries) in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(c) All
services referred to in clause (a) and (b) are referred to as the “Services.”
All
Services to be provided by a party shall be provided at its direct unburdened
costs and not in excess of per hour or per unit costs previously charged or
on a
pass-through basis with no xxxx-up (in the case of third party providers),
it
being understood for certain services a flat fee per period, usage or other
fee
may be appropriate;
(d) Services
shall be made available for a minimum of six (6) months, with the ability of
a
party to extend such Service for a period not to exceed twelve (12) months
from
Closing. The general principle will be for each party to migrate away from
utilizing a particular Service as soon as reasonably practicable and
commercially reasonable;
(e) The
receiving party shall be permitted to terminate any one or more of the Services
upon thirty (30) days prior notice of its intention to terminate such Services,
and such termination of such Services shall not in and of itself, terminate
the
master transition services agreement;
(f) The
provider of Services may terminate the master transition services agreement
with
respect to any one or more of the Services by written notice to the recipient
in
the event that (i) the recipient shall have failed to perform, in all material
respects, any of its material obligations under such agreement relating to
the
Services, (ii) the provider has notified the recipient in writing of such
failure and (iii) such failure shall have continued for a period of thirty
(30)
days after receipt of by recipient of notice of such failure. Generally invoices
shall be issued monthly and be due and payable within thirty (30) days after
receipt thereof; and
(g) Any
dispute arising under the master transition services agreement will be resolved
by arbitration on an expedited basis and the obligations of the parties
thereunder will not terminate prior to issuance of a final ruling in such
arbitration.
8.12 Tax
Matters.
(a) Tax
Indemnity
Parent
and Seller shall be jointly and severally liable for and pay, and shall
indemnify Purchaser (and the Company and each Subsidiary) against (A) all Taxes
imposed on the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any
Subsidiary may otherwise be liable, as a result of having been a member of
a
Company Group for any period prior to or including the Closing Date (including,
without limitation, Taxes for which the Company or any Subsidiary may be liable
pursuant to Treas. Reg. § 1.1502-6 or similar provisions of state, local or
foreign law as a result of having been a member of a Company Group for any
period prior to or including the Closing Date), (B) all other Taxes imposed
on
the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary may
otherwise be liable, for any taxable period ending on or before the Closing
Date, it being understood for the avoidance of doubt that such Taxes for a
taxable period ending on or before the Closing Date shall include Tax for any
such period resulting from the Section 338(h)(10) Election to be made with
respect to the sale of the Shares pursuant hereto, (C) all Taxes imposed on
the
Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary may
otherwise be liable, for the portion of any Straddle Period ending at the close
of the business on the Closing Date (to the extent of Seller’s responsibility
therefor under Section
8.12(b)(iv),
and (D)
Losses arising as a result of any breach of a representation or warranty of
Parent or Seller under Section
6.8(b);
provided,
however,
that
Parent and Seller’s liability and indemnity obligation in respect of any Tax
described in clauses (A), (B), (C) and (D) of this Section
8.12(a)
shall be
limited to the amount of such Taxes, in the aggregate, in excess of the Tax
Reserve.
(b) Filing
of Tax Returns; Payment of Taxes.
(i) Pre-Closing
Tax Returns Required to Be Filed On or Prior to the Closing Date.
Seller
shall file, or cause to be filed, all Tax Returns of, or which include, the
Company and the Subsidiaries and which are required to be filed (taking into
account any extensions of time) on or prior to the Closing Date and such Tax
Returns shall be prepared in a manner consistent with past practice unless
otherwise required by applicable Tax Laws, and pay, or cause the Company or
the
Subsidiaries, as the case may be, to pay, any and all Taxes shown due on such
Tax Returns.
(ii) Pre-Closing
Tax Returns Required to Be Filed After the Closing Date.
Seller
shall prepare, in a manner consistent with prior practice unless otherwise
required by applicable Tax Laws, all foreign, state and local Tax Returns
required to be filed by the Company and the Subsidiaries on a separate return
basis after the Closing Date (“Separate
Pre-Closing Tax Returns”)
with
respect to taxable periods (excluding partial taxable periods) that, to the
extent they relate to the Company and the Subsidiaries, end on or before the
Closing Date (the “Pre-Closing
Taxable Period”).
In
the case of any such Separate Pre-Closing Tax Return that would reasonably
be
expected to have an adverse effect greater than or equal to the Tax Threshold
on
any of the Company or the Subsidiaries for a taxable period after the Closing
Date (the “Post-Closing
Taxable Period”),
Purchaser shall have the right to review and approve such return and agree
to
the computation of such Taxes (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld
or delayed) and no such Tax Return may be amended (including any amendment
or
settlement required as a result of or in connection with examination
adjustments) by Purchaser, the Company, the Subsidiaries, or Seller without
the
prior written consent of Seller and Purchaser. Each Separate Pre-Closing Tax
Return shall be filed timely by the Company or the Subsidiaries, and the Company
or the Subsidiaries shall pay the Tax shown due thereon. On or prior to the
due
date for payment of Taxes with respect to any such Separate Pre-Closing Tax
Return, or, in the event of a dispute, upon resolution thereof, Seller shall
pay
to the Company or the Subsidiaries the amount of such Tax shown due, but only
to
the extent in excess of the amount accrued for such Tax in the Tax
Reserve.
(iii) Tax
Returns for Post-Closing Taxable Periods (other than Straddle
Periods).
Purchaser shall prepare and file, or cause to be prepared and filed, all Tax
Returns of or which include the Company or the Subsidiaries and which are
required to be filed after the Closing Date with respect to a Post-Closing
Taxable Period, but excluding any Straddle Period, and shall pay or cause to
be
paid the amount of Tax shown due with respect to any such Tax
Return.
(iv) Tax
Returns Required to be Filed After the Closing Date for Straddle
Periods.
Seller
and Purchaser shall, unless prohibited by applicable Tax Law, take or cause
to
be taken all action necessary or appropriate to close the taxable period of
the
Company and the Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date. None of Seller, Purchaser,
the Company or the Subsidiaries shall take any position inconsistent with the
preceding sentence on any Tax Return. In any case in which applicable Law does
not permit the Company or the Subsidiaries to close its taxable year on the
Closing Date or in any case in which a Tax is assessed with respect to a taxable
period that, to the extent it relates to the Company or the Subsidiaries,
includes, but does not begin or end on, the Closing Date (the “Straddle
Period”),
then
Taxes, if any, of the Company or its Subsidiary, as the case may be,
attributable to such Straddle Period shall be allocated (A) to Seller for the
period up to and including the Closing Date, but only to the extent in excess
of
the amount accrued for such Taxes in the Tax Reserve, and (B) the remainder
to
Purchaser. Any allocation of income, deductions, credits (including Taxes paid,
on an estimated basis or otherwise) or carry-forwards required to determine
any
Taxes attributable to any Straddle Period shall be made by means of a closing
of
the books and records of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the Closing
Date; provided,
however,
that
exemptions, charges, allowances or deductions calculated on an annual basis
(including depreciation and amortization deductions) and any credits (excluding
Taxes paid on an estimated basis or otherwise) arising during the Straddle
Period shall be allocated between the period ending on the Closing Date and
the
period after the Closing Date in proportion to the number of days in each such
period.
In
addition, Purchaser shall prepare and file, or cause to be prepared and filed,
all Tax Returns of or which include the Company or the Subsidiaries for all
Straddle Periods, and in each such case shall pay any and all Taxes due with
respect to such Tax Returns. To the extent any Taxes shown due on such Tax
Returns are allocable to and payable by Seller under the preceding paragraph,
such Tax Returns shall be prepared in a manner consistent with prior practice
unless otherwise required by applicable Tax Laws, Seller shall have the right
to
review and approve such Tax Returns and agree to the computation of Taxes
allocable to Seller (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed), Purchaser shall not file any such Tax Return without Seller’s written
consent (which consent may not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and
Purchaser shall not amend any such Tax Return (including any amendment or
settlement required as a result of or in connection with examination
adjustments) without the prior written consent of Seller (which consent may
not
be unreasonably withheld or delayed). On or prior to the due date for payment
of
Taxes with respect to any such Tax Returns, or, in the event of a dispute,
which
shall be settled in accordance with Section
8.12(g)
hereof,
upon a final resolution thereof, Seller shall pay to the Company or the
Subsidiaries the amount of Taxes shown due on such Tax Return allocable to
and
otherwise payable by Seller under the preceding paragraph.
(c) Cooperation
with Respect to Tax Returns.
Purchaser and Seller agree to furnish or cause to be furnished to each other,
and each at its own expense, as promptly as practicable, such information
(including access to books and records) and assistance, including making
employees available on a mutually convenient basis to provide additional
information and explanations of any material provided, relating to the Company
or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be, as is reasonably necessary for the
filing of any Tax Return, for the preparation for any audit, and for the
prosecution or defense of any claim, suit or proceeding relating to any
adjustment or proposed adjustment with respect to Taxes. Purchaser, the Company
or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be, shall retain in its possession, and
shall provide Seller reasonable access to (including the right to make copies
of), such supporting books and records and any other materials that Seller
may
specify with respect to Tax matters relating to any Pre-Closing Taxable Period
or any Straddle Period until the relevant statute of limitations (or extension
thereof) has expired. In the event Purchaser, the Company or the Subsidiaries,
as the case may be, wishes to destroy such records after that time, Purchaser
shall (and Purchaser shall cause the Company or the Subsidiaries to) first
give
ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to Seller and Seller shall have the right
at its option and expense, upon prior written notice given to Purchaser within
such ninety (90) day period, to take possession of the records within one
hundred and eighty (180) days after the date such notice is given to
Purchaser.
(d) Tax
Authority.
(i) If
any
Governmental Body or any quasi-governmental or private body having jurisdiction
over the assessment, determination, collection or imposition of any Tax
(“Tax
Authority”)
asserts a claim, makes an assessment or otherwise disputes or affects the Tax
reporting position of any of the Company or the Subsidiaries for a Pre-Closing
Taxable Period or a Straddle Period or otherwise with respect to any Taxes
for
which Seller may be responsible hereunder, Purchaser shall, promptly upon
receipt by Purchaser or any of its Affiliates (including the Company and the
Subsidiaries) of notice thereof, notify Seller thereof.
(ii) In
the
case of any Tax audit or administrative or court proceeding relating to a
Pre-Closing Taxable Period of the Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case
may
be, Seller shall have the sole right to represent the interests of the Company
and the Subsidiaries, and to employ counsel of Seller’s choice at Seller’s
expense to carry out such representation, and the Company and the Subsidiaries
shall (and Purchaser shall cause the Company and the Subsidiaries to) execute
and deliver to Seller any power of attorney or other document reasonably
requested by Seller in connection with the representation by Seller of the
interests of the Company or the Subsidiaries in any proceeding described in
this
Section
8.12(d)(ii)
for
which Seller would be responsible; provided, that Seller shall not enter into
any settlement, closing agreement, or compromise of any dispute, which would
reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect greater than or equal to the
Tax Threshold on the Company or the Subsidiaries for a Post-Closing Taxable
Period, without Purchaser’s approval (which shall not be unreasonably delayed or
withheld).
(iii) Purchaser
shall have the right to represent the interests of the Company and the
Subsidiaries in any Tax audit or administrative or court proceeding relating
exclusively to a Post-Closing Taxable Period (excluding any Straddle Period)
of
the Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be; provided, that Purchaser
shall not enter into any settlement, closing agreement, or compromise of any
dispute, which would reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect greater
than or equal to the Tax Threshold on Seller or any of the Company or the
Subsidiaries for a Pre-Closing Taxable Period or a Straddle Period, without
Seller’s approval (which shall not be unreasonably delayed or
withheld).
(iv) In
the
case of any Tax audit or administrative or court proceeding relating to a
Straddle Period of the Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be, Seller
and Purchaser shall jointly represent the interests of the Company and the
Subsidiaries; provided, however, that neither party can enter into a settlement,
resolution, or closing or other agreement with respect thereto (including any
waiver or extension of a statute of limitations) without the other party’s
consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or
delayed.
(e) Amended
Returns; Refund Claims.
(i) Seller
shall have the sole right to prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed
any amended Tax Return or claim for refund with respect to Taxes of the Company
or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be, for any Pre-Closing Taxable Period,
and
Purchaser shall, and shall cause the Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case
may be, to execute such documents (including a power of attorney) and take
such
actions in connection with such filing as Seller shall reasonably request;
provided, however, that Purchaser shall have the right to review and approve
any
such amended Tax Return or claim for refund (which approval may not be
unreasonably withheld or delayed) if such amended Tax Return or claim for refund
would reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect greater than or equal
to
the Tax Threshold on any of the Company or the Subsidiaries for a Post-Closing
Taxable Period.
(ii) Seller
and Purchaser shall have joint rights to prepare and file or cause to be
prepared and filed any amended Tax Return or claim for refund with respect
to
Taxes of the Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be, for a Straddle
Period; provided, however, that neither party shall file or cause to be filed
such amended Tax Return or claim for refund without the other party’s consent,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or
delayed.
(iii) To
the
extent any determination of Tax liability of the Company or the Subsidiaries,
as
the case may be, whether as the result of an audit or examination, a claim
for
refund, the filing of an amended Tax Return or otherwise, results in any refund
(except for any refund attributable to a carry-back permitted under Section
8.12(e)(iv)
hereof,
which refunds shall be for the account of and payable to Purchaser) of Taxes
paid (or a credit against Taxes payable) (A) attributable to any
Pre-Closing Taxable Period, (B) attributable to the portion of a Straddle Period
ending on the Closing Date (determined using the principles of Section
8.12(b)(iv))
or (C)
which are otherwise the responsibility or allocable to Seller hereunder,
Purchaser shall pay (or cause to be paid) any such refund (or the amount of
such
credit), and the interest actually received thereon, to Seller promptly upon
(but not later than ten (10) days after) receipt (or, in the cause of a credit,
realization) thereof. To the extent any determination of Tax liability of the
Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be, as the result of an audit
or
examination, results in additional Taxes due (A) attributable to any Pre-Closing
Taxable Period, (B) attributable to the portion of a Straddle Period ending
on
the Closing Date (determined using the principles of Section 8.12(b)(iv))
or (C)
which are otherwise the responsibility or allocable to Seller hereunder, Seller
shall pay any such deficiency to Purchaser, but only to the extent in excess
of
the amount accrued in the Tax Reserve, and reduced by any Tax benefit actually
(and not potentially) realized by Purchaser or any of the Company or the
Subsidiaries in respect of any adjustment made pursuant to such audit or
examination.
(iv) In
respect of the U.S. consolidated federal income tax return filed by the group
in
which Seller is a member, Purchaser shall cause the Company and the Subsidiaries
to forgo any carry-back to a Pre-Closing Taxable Period of any item of deduction
or credit incurred by the Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be,
after
the Closing Date. In respect of any other Tax Return, the carry-back to a
Pre-Closing Taxable Period of any item of deduction or credit incurred by the
Company or the Subsidiaries, as the case may be, after the Closing Date shall
be
subject to the prior written consent of Seller, which consent may not be
unreasonably withheld.
(f) Transfer
Taxes.
Purchaser, on the one hand, and Seller and its Affiliates, on the other hand,
shall share equally all sales, use, stamp, documentary, real property transfer,
real property gains, registration, value added filing, recording, transfer
or
other similar fees or Taxes or governmental charges, if any (“Transfer
Tax”).
The
party responsible under the applicable Transfer Tax Law for paying a Transfer
Tax (the “Transfer
Tax Party”)
shall
make due and timely payment of the Transfer Tax to the applicable Tax Authority,
provided that the other party pays the Transfer Tax Party, no later than two
Business Days prior to the date such Transfer Tax is due, such other party’s 50%
share of such Transfer Tax. The Transfer Tax Party will provide the other party
a true copy of each such Tax Return as filed and evidence of the timely filing
thereof.
(g) Dispute
Procedures.
Any
dispute as to any matter covered by this Section 8.12
shall be
resolved by a mutually acceptable independent nationally recognized accounting
firm. The parties will instruct the accounting firm to reach its conclusion
regarding any such dispute within twenty (20) days after its appointment. The
report of the accounting firm shall be final, conclusive and binding on the
parties. The fees and expenses of such accounting firm shall be borne equally
by
the parties hereto.
8.13 338(h)(10)
Election.
(a) Seller
shall join with Purchaser in making an election under Section 338(h)(10) of
the
Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and any corresponding
or similar elections under state, local or foreign Tax Law (collectively, the
“Section 338(h)(10)
Election”)
with
respect to the purchase and sale of stock of the Company and the
Subsidiaries.
(b) Purchaser
shall be responsible, at its sole cost and expense, for the preparation and
filing of all forms and documents required to effectuate the
Section 338(h)(10) Election. In addition to the Internal Revenue Service
Form 8023, Seller shall execute (or cause to be executed) and deliver to
Purchaser such additional documents or forms as are reasonably requested to
complete properly the Section 338(h)(10) Election at least thirty (30) days
prior to the date such Section 338(h)(10) Election is required to be filed.
All
forms will be agreed to by the parties prior to the filing thereof.
(c) Purchaser
and Seller shall file all Tax Returns and statements, forms and schedules in
connection therewith in a manner consistent with the Section 338(h)(10)
Election and shall take no position contrary thereto unless required to do
so by
applicable Tax Laws.
(d) Schedule
8.13(d),
in
accordance with Section 338 of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated
thereunder, sets forth a preliminary allocation of the Purchase Price and any
other items that are treated as additional Purchase Price for Tax purposes
among
the different items of assets of the Company and the Subsidiaries (the
“Preliminary
Allocation Statement”).
Promptly following the Closing, Seller and Purchaser agree to adjust the
Preliminary Allocation Statement in accordance with the principles set forth
on
Schedule 8.13(d)
as may
be necessary as a result of the determination of Closing Date Working Capital
(the “Closing
Date Allocation Statement”).
Seller shall, and Purchaser shall cause the Company and the Subsidiaries to,
allocate such Purchase Price in accordance with the Closing Date Allocation
Statement in reporting the deemed asset sales as a result of the Section
338(h)(10) Election, and all Tax Returns and reports filed by Seller, the
Company and the Subsidiaries shall be prepared consistently with such Closing
Date Allocation Statement.
8.14 Financing.
(a) Purchaser
shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and effectuate the
Financing contemplated by the Commitment Letter on the terms set forth therein.
Purchaser agrees to notify Seller as soon as reasonably practicable if, at
any
time prior to the Closing Date, (i) the Commitment Letter shall expire or
be terminated for any reason, (ii) any financing source that is a party to
the
Commitment Letter notifies Purchaser that such source no longer intends to
provide financing to Purchaser or (iii) for any reason Purchaser no longer
believes in good faith that it will be able to obtain any of the Financing
substantially on the terms described in the Commitment Letter. Purchaser shall
not, nor shall it permit any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates to, without
the
prior written consent of Seller, take any action or enter into any transaction,
including, without limitation, any merger, acquisition, joint venture,
disposition, lease, contract or debt or equity financing that would reasonably
be expected to impair, delay or prevent the Financing contemplated by the
Commitment Letter. Purchaser shall not amend or alter, or agree to amend or
alter, the Commitment Letter in any manner that would impair, delay or prevent
the purchase of the Shares without the prior written consent of
Seller.
(b) If
the
Commitment Letter shall expire or terminate for any reason, Purchaser shall
use
its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, and will provide Seller with
a
copy of, a new financing commitment that provides for at least the same amount
of financing as the Commitment Letter as originally issued, funding conditions
no less favorable than those included in the Commitment Letter as originally
issued and other terms and conditions the aggregate effect of which is not
materially adverse to Purchaser in comparison with those contained in the
Commitment Letter as originally issued, which extension or new commitment shall
include a termination date not earlier than the Outside Date. Any new financing
commitment shall be made by some or all of the lenders that are parties to
the
Commitment Letter as originally issued or another bona fide lender or lenders
acceptable to Seller. Purchaser shall accept any such commitment letter if
the
funding conditions and other terms and conditions contained therein are not
materially adverse to Purchaser in comparison with those contained in the
Commitment Letter as originally issued.
8.15 Restructuring
Transactions.
Prior
to the Closing, Parent, Seller, the Company and the Subsidiaries shall have
completed each of the restructuring transactions set forth on Schedule
8.15.
Any
costs and expenses incurred by the Company or the Subsidiaries in connection
with effecting the Restructuring, including any such amounts which are payable
to consultants, attorneys, accountants or other Representatives retained by
the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries (or any of their respective Affiliates)
or to
any filing service or Governmental Body in connection with the Restructuring,
shall be paid by Seller. Prior to the Closing, Parent shall additionally cause
all capital stock of Electro Componentes de Mexico, S.A. and Wirekraft
Industries de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. held by Wirekraft Industries LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, to
be
transferred and conveyed to the Company.
8.16 Use
of
Name.
Purchaser agrees that it shall cause the Company and the Subsidiaries to
(i) as soon as practicable after the Closing Date and in any event within
ninety (90) days following the Closing Date, cease to make any use of the name
“Viasystems” or any other service marks, domain names, trademarks, trade names,
identifying symbols, logos, emblems, signs or insignia related thereto or
containing or comprising the foregoing, including any name or xxxx confusingly
similar thereto (collectively, the “Seller
Marks”),
(ii)
immediately after the Closing, cease to hold itself out as having any
affiliation with any Parent or any of its Affiliates (other than the Company
or
the Subsidiaries) and (iii) effective as of the Closing, in the case of any
Company or any Subsidiary whose name includes the name “Viasystems”, change its
corporate name to a name that does not include the name “Viasystems” and make
any necessary legal filings with the appropriate Governmental Body to effect
such change. In furtherance thereof, as promptly as practicable but in no event
later than ninety (90) days following the Closing Date, Purchaser shall cause
the Company and the Subsidiaries to remove, strike over or otherwise obliterate
all Seller Marks from all materials owned by the Company or any Subsidiary,
including, without limitation, any vehicles, business cards, schedules,
stationery, packaging materials, displays, signs, promotional materials,
manuals, forms, computer software and other materials. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Company and the Subsidiaries shall be entitled to use and sell
in
the Ordinary Course of Business all inventory, packaging materials, product
literature, brochures and promotional materials existing on the Closing Date
until all such inventory, packaging materials, product literature, brochures
and
promotional materials are used, sold or otherwise disposed of. Parent agrees
that it shall, and shall cause its subsidiaries (not including the Company
or
any Subsidiary) to, as soon as practicable after the Closing Date and in any
event within ninety (90) days following the Closing Date, remove the names
of
the Company and all Subsidiaries and all references to the Wire Harness Business
from Parent’s and its subsidiaries’ websites and other corporate
materials.
8.17 Termination
of Intercompany Obligations.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
8.17,
on or
prior to the Closing Date, Parent shall cause to be terminated and cancelled
all
intercompany accounts payable (i) from Parent or its subsidiaries (other than
the Company and the Subsidiaries) to the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii)
from the Company and the Subsidiaries to Parent and its subsidiaries (other
than
the Company and the Subsidiaries). Except as expressly set forth in this
Agreement, on or prior to the Closing Date, Parent shall cause to be terminated
and cancelled all indemnity obligations from the Company or any Subsidiary
to
Parent or its subsidiaries (other than the Company and the
Subsidiaries).
8.18 Non-Competition.
(a) In
consideration of Purchaser entering into this Agreement and in order that
Purchaser may enjoy the full benefit of the Wire Harness Business, for a period
of three (3) years from and after the Closing Date (the “Noncompetition
Period”),
neither Parent nor any of its subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly,
whether as principal, agent, partner, officer, director, stockholder, employee,
consultant or otherwise, alone or in association with any other Person, own,
manage, operate, control, participate in, invest in (other than an investment
that results in such Person owning less than 2% of the outstanding voting stock
of a publicly traded company), or carry on a business which, directly or
indirectly, is in competition with the Company or its Subsidiaries in the
(i) provision of white goods assembly services (excluding metal
fabrication), (ii) manufacture, assembly and marketing of wire harnesses or
cable for sale as a stand alone product offering, or (iii) manufacture, assembly
and marketing of cable assemblies for sale as a stand alone product offering,
provided that the foregoing shall not limit or restrict the right of Parent
and
its subsidiaries to (w) manufacture, assemble and market printed circuit boards
and printed circuit board assemblies, (x) manufacture, assemble and market
wire
harnesses (including sub-components) for use in electro-mechanical manufacturing
solution assembly services provided by the Parent or its subsidiaries, (y)
manufacture, assemble and market cable assemblies for use in electro-mechanical
manufacturing solution assembly services provided by the Parent or its
subsidiaries or (z) manufacture, assemble and market cable assemblies for sale
as a stand-alone product offering, provided that such products shall only be
manufactured and assembled at Parent’s Qingdao, China manufacturing facility,
the aggregate net revenues from such product sales shall not exceed $12,000,000
per year, and the products shall only be sold to customers in the telecom,
computer/data, medical and industrial instrumentation industries, and shall
in
no event be sold to customers in any other industries, including the white
goods, automotive, aerospace, or defense industries.
(b) Parent
acknowledges and agrees that the remedy at law for any breach, or threatened
breach, of any of the provisions of this Section
8.18
will be
inadequate and, accordingly, Parent covenants and agrees that Purchaser shall,
in addition to any other rights and remedies which Purchaser may have at Law,
be
entitled to equitable relief, including injunctive relief, and to the remedy
of
specific performance with respect to any breach or threatened breach of such
covenant, as may be available from any court of competent jurisdiction. In
addition, Parent and Purchaser agree that the terms of the covenant in this
Section
8.18
are fair
and reasonable in light of Purchaser’s plans for the Wire Harness Business and
are necessary to accomplish the full transfer of the goodwill and other
intangible assets contemplated hereby. In the event that any of the covenants
contained in this Section
8.18
shall be
determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable for any
reason whatsoever, then any such provision or provisions shall not be deemed
void, and the parties hereto agree that said limits may be modified by the
court
and that said covenant contained in this Section
8.18
shall be
amended in accordance with said modification, it being specifically agreed
by
the parties that it is their continuing desire that this covenant be enforced
to
the full extent of its terms and conditions or if a court finds the scope of
the
covenant unenforceable, the court should redefine the covenant so as to comply
with applicable Law.
8.19 Non-Solicitation.
(a) For
two
(2) years after the Closing Date, Parent shall not, and shall cause its
subsidiaries (other than the Company and the Subsidiaries) not to, whether
for
their own account or for the account of any Person, solicit, offer employment
to
or hire any individual that is employed by the Company or the Subsidiaries
on
the Closing Date; provided,
however,
that
Parent and its subsidiaries (other than the Company or the Subsidiaries) shall
not be prohibited from initiating searches for employees through the use of
general advertisement or through the engagement of firms to conduct searches
that are not targeted or focused on the Company and the
Subsidiaries.
(b) For
two
(2) years after the Closing Date, Purchaser shall not, and shall cause its
Affiliates (including the Company and the Subsidiaries) not to, whether for
their own account or for the account of any individual, solicit, offer
employment to or hire any individual that is employed by Parent or its
subsidiaries (other than the Company and the Subsidiaries) on the Closing Date;
provided,
however,
that
Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Company and the Subsidiaries) shall
not be prohibited from initiating searches for employees through the use of
general advertisement or through the engagement of firms to conduct searches
that are not targeted or focused on Parent or its subsidiaries (other than
the
Company and the Subsidiaries).
8.20 Release
of Obligations Under Certain Contracts and Guarantees.
(a) Purchaser
shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, as soon as practicable,
from the counterparty or counterparties to the Contracts set forth on
Schedule
8.20(a),
the
release (by novation or otherwise) of Parent and its Affiliates (other than
the
Company and the Subsidiaries), as applicable, from any liability or obligation
under any such Contract; provided,
however,
that
neither Purchaser nor any other Person shall be obligated to pay any
consideration to any third party from whom any such release is
requested.
(b) Purchaser
shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, as promptly as
practicable, from the beneficiary or beneficiaries of the guarantees set forth
on Schedule
8.20(b),
the
release of Parent and its Affiliates (other than the Company and the
Subsidiaries), as applicable, from any liability or obligation under any such
guarantee; provided,
however,
that
neither Purchaser nor any other Person shall be obligated to pay any
consideration to any third party from whom any such release is
requested.
(c) From
and
after the Closing, Purchaser shall indemnify and hold harmless Parent and its
Affiliates (other than the Company or the Subsidiaries) for any Losses in
respect of any claims arising out of or relating to the failure to obtain the
release of any of the Contracts described in paragraphs (a) and (b)
above.
8.21 Insurance.
(a) Without
limiting Purchaser’s rights under Article
X,
except
as provided in Section 8.21(b),
Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that, upon Closing, all insurance coverage
provided in relation to the Companies and the Subsidiaries pursuant to policies,
risk funding programs or arrangements maintained by Parent or its Affiliates
(other than the Company or the Subsidiaries) (whether such policies are
maintained in whole or in part with third party insurers or with Parent or
its
Affiliates (other than the Company or the Subsidiaries) and including any
captive policies or fronting arrangements) shall cease and no further coverage
shall be available to the Company or the Subsidiaries as an Affiliate under
any
such policies or programs that are “claims made” based policies but (subject to
the terms of any relevant policy, program or arrangement) without prejudice
to
any accrued claims which the Company or the Subsidiaries or Parent or an
Affiliate (in the latter case in relation to the Company or the Subsidiaries)
may have at or prior to the Closing. The Company and the Subsidiaries shall
retain the benefit of “occurrence” based policies, programs and arrangements in
relation to events occurring prior to Closing in respect of all claims for
which
they may have coverage thereunder; it being understood and agreed that the
retention by the Company and the Subsidiaries of the benefit of such
“occurrence” based policies of insurance shall, to the extent such coverage also
exists with respect to Parent or any of its current or former Affiliates (other
than the Company or the Subsidiaries), be without prejudice to the rights of
Parent or such other current or former Affiliates (other than the Company or
the
Subsidiaries) to continue to retain the benefit of such “occurrence” based
policies of insurance at and after the Closing Date as such policies, programs
and arrangements were in effect on the date prior to the Closing
Date.
(b) Purchaser
and Parent agree that any claims made under the insurance policies referred
to
in Section
8.21(a)
in
respect of the Company or the Subsidiaries and as to which coverage remains
available after Closing shall be administered and collected by Parent (or by
a
claims handler appointed by Parent) on behalf of Purchaser, the Company and
the
Subsidiaries. Purchaser shall cooperate fully with Parent to enable Parent
to
comply with the requirements of the relevant insurer, and Purchaser shall
provide such information and assistance as Parent may reasonably request in
connection with any such claim. Any monies received by Parent as a result of
such claims shall be paid over to Purchaser, net of all reasonable costs and
expenses of recovery (including, without limitation, all reasonable handling
and
collection charges by any claims handler appointed by Parent). Any claims made
under the insurance policies referred to in Section 8.21(a)
in
respect of the Company or the Subsidiaries relating to incidents arising before
the Closing Date shall be notified to the relevant insurer before the Closing
Date.
(c) Without
limiting Purchaser’s rights under Article
X,
in
respect of all claims under the insurance policies referred to in Section
8.21(a)
notified
to insurers at the Closing Date and all claims subsequently brought under such
insurance policies and relating to the Company and the Subsidiaries, Purchaser
acknowledges that it shall be responsible for the deductible on each relevant
insurance policy to the extent the deductible for any such claims are payable
after the Closing Date and will not be entitled to seek reimbursement of such
deductible from Parent. Purchaser shall reimburse Parent within twenty (20)
Business Days after receipt of the invoice for any deductible paid by Parent
(including evidence of such payment) after the Closing Date with respect to
claims made under the insurance policies referred to in Section
8.21(a)
to the
extent such deductible has been paid by Parent or any Affiliate or, if Purchaser
is invoiced directly by the insurance company for such deductible amount, it
shall pay or cause such invoice to be paid within twenty (20) Business
Days.
8.22 No
Solicitation or Negotiation.
Parent,
Seller and the Company agree that between the date of this Agreement and the
earlier of (i) the Closing and (ii) the termination of this Agreement,
neither Parent, Seller, nor the Company, nor any of their respective Affiliates
or Representatives will (a) solicit, initiate, encourage or accept any other
proposals or offers from any Person (other than Purchaser) (i) relating to
any acquisition or purchase of all or any portion of the Company or the Wire
Harness Business, (ii) to enter into any business combination or other
extraordinary business transaction, except as would not have a Material Adverse
Effect or as would not materially impair or delay the ability of Parent, Seller
and the Company to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement,
or
(iii) release any Person from, or waive any provision of, any
confidentiality agreement that relates to the Company or the Wire Harness
Business, or (b) participate in any discussions, conversations,
negotiations or other communications regarding, or furnish to any other Person
(other than Purchaser) any information with respect to, or otherwise cooperate
in any way, assist or participate in, facilitate or encourage any effort or
attempt by any other Person to seek to do any of the foregoing. Parent, Seller
and the Company immediately shall cease and cause to be terminated all existing
discussions, conversations, negotiations and other communications with any
Persons conducted heretofore with respect to any of the foregoing. Parent,
Seller and the Company shall notify Purchaser promptly if any such proposal
or
offer, or any inquiry or other contact with any Person with respect thereto,
is
made and shall, in any such notice to Purchaser, indicate in reasonable detail
the identity of the Person making such proposal, offer, inquiry or contact
and
the principal terms and conditions of such proposal, offer, inquiry or other
contact.
8.23 Certain
Notices.
(a) From
time
to time commencing on the date of this Agreement and until the earlier of the
Closing or the termination of this Agreement, Purchaser shall deliver to Parent
written notice of any material breach of any representation, warranty, covenant
or agreement of Purchaser set forth in this Agreement.
(b) From
time
to time commencing on the date of this Agreement and until the earlier of the
Closing or the termination of this Agreement, Parent shall deliver to Purchaser
written notice of any material breach of any representation, warranty, covenant
or agreement of Parent, Seller, the Company or the Subsidiaries set forth in
this Agreement.
8.24 Successors.
In the
event that Parent or Seller (or any of their respective successors or assigns)
shall (i) transfer all or substantially all of its properties and assets to
any other Person or (ii) adopt a plan of dissolution or liquidation, then
in each case proper provision shall be made so that the continuing or surviving
corporation or entity (or its successors or assigns, if applicable), or
transferee of such assets, or such liquidating trust or other agent, as the
case
may be, shall expressly assume all of Parent’s or Seller’s obligations under
this Agreement, including Parent’s and Seller’s obligations pursuant to
Article X
and
Section
8.12
hereof,
which continue in effect after the consummation of such transaction. Prior
to
any such transaction, Parent and Seller shall notify Purchaser of any
transaction that would trigger the terms of this Section 8.24
and the
terms thereof, including the identity of the continuing or surviving corporation
or entity, transferee, liquidating trust or other agent, as the case may
be.
8.25 Credit
Agreement and Indenture Releases.
(a) Parent,
Seller, the Company and the Subsidiaries shall obtain the consent of the
administrative agent and the requisite lenders under the Credit Agreement to
the
execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Transaction Documents to which
Seller, Parent or the Company is a party, the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby, and the compliance by Seller, Parent, the
Company and the Subsidiaries with the provisions hereof and thereof, and the
release, effective upon the Closing, of (i) all Liens on the capital stock
and
assets of the Company and the Subsidiaries, and (ii) the Company and the
Subsidiaries as guarantors under the Credit Agreement, in each case, to permit
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement
(collectively, the “Credit
Agreement Release Documents”).
Each
of the Credit Agreement Release Documents will be, at Closing, valid, binding
and in full force and effect and enforceable in accordance with its terms by
the
Company and the Subsidiaries, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and
remedies generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles
of
equity, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair
dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law
or
in equity).
(b) Parent,
Seller, the Company and the Subsidiaries shall (i) provide the Trustee under
the
Indenture with an officers’ certificate and opinion of counsel to the effect
that the sale of the Shares and the consummation of the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which Seller
or
Parent is a party will be in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture
and
(ii) obtain from the Trustee a release, effective upon the Closing, of the
Company and the Subsidiaries as guarantors under the Indenture, in each case,
to
permit the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement
(collectively, the “Indenture
Release Documents”).
Each
of the Indenture Release Documents will be, at Closing, valid, binding and
in
full force and effect and enforceable in accordance with its terms by the
Company and the Subsidiaries, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and
remedies generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles
of
equity, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair
dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law
or
in equity).
8.26 Application
of Purchase Price.
From
and after the Closing, Parent and Seller shall apply the Purchase Price in
accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement, the Credit Agreement Release
Documents, the Indenture and the Indenture Release Documents, and shall not
take
any action that could result in Purchaser, the Company, the Subsidiaries or
any
of their respective Affiliates having any liability as a successor or guarantor
under the Credit Agreement or the Indenture.
8.27 Cooperation
with Respect to Permits.
From
time to time commencing on the date of this Agreement and until the earlier
of
the Closing or the termination of this Agreement, Seller shall (i) identify
all
material Environmental Permits held by the Company or any Subsidiary and (ii)
if
necessary, assist Purchaser with any transfer or change in control requirements
that apply to such Environmental Permits.
8.28 Reimbursement
of Capital Expenditures and Diligence Costs.
(a) For
the
purposes of this Section
8.28,
“Capex
Target Amount”
means
an amount equal to the sum of (i) One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00)
plus
(ii) the
product of (1) Thirteen Million Five Hundred Fifty-Seven Thousand Dollars
($13,557,000.00) and (2) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of
days elapsed during the period from and including January 1, 2006 and to but
excluding the Closing Date (the “Reimbursement
Period”)
and
the denominator of which is 365. Seller shall prepare and deliver to Purchaser
a
statement setting forth its calculation of the actual capital expenditures
made
during the Reimbursement Period (the “Actual
Capex Amount”)
not
more than fifteen (15) Business Days after the Closing Date. Purchaser agrees
to
cause the Company and the Subsidiaries to make available to Seller personnel
and
records of the Company and the Subsidiaries necessary to calculate such amount.
Subject to the resolution of any dispute with respect to the Actual Capex Amount
in accordance with the next sentence, if the Actual Capex Amount is (x) greater
than the Capex Target Amount, Purchaser shall pay to Seller such excess, (y)
less than the Capex Target Amount, Seller shall pay to Purchaser such shortfall,
in each case, to the other party by wire transfer of immediately available
funds
to an account designated by such other party not more than five (5) Business
Days after the later of Purchaser’s receipt of Seller’s calculation of the
Actual Capex Amount or the resolution of any dispute. Any dispute regarding
the
calculation of the Actual Capex Amount will be resolved in accordance with
the
procedures set forth in Section
3.1(b)(iii).
(b) Purchaser
agrees to reimburse Seller following the Closing for all reasonable and
documented fees and expenses incurred in connection with the matters set forth
on Schedule
8.28(b)
not more
than five (5) Business Days after receipt of written notice of the amount of
such fees and expenses (together with supporting documentation) from Seller.
Seller shall not enter into a binding agreement with respect to any matter
disclosed on Schedule
8.28(b)
and will
not incur expenses in respect thereof in excess of $75,000, without the prior
written consent of Purchaser.
ARTICLE
IX -
CONDITIONS
TO CLOSING
9.1 Conditions
Precedent to Obligations of Purchaser.
The
obligation of Purchaser to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement is subject to the fulfillment, on or prior to the Closing Date, of
each of the following conditions (any or all of which may be waived by Purchaser
in whole or in part to the extent permitted by applicable Law):
(a) the
representations and warranties of Seller, Parent and the Company set forth
in
this Agreement shall be true and correct as of the date of this Agreement and
as
of the Closing Date with the same effect as though made as of the Closing Date
(except that the accuracy of representations and warranties that by their terms
speak as of a specified date will be determined as of such date); provided,
however,
that in
the event of a breach of a representation or warranty, the condition set forth
in this Section
9.1(a)
shall be
deemed satisfied unless the effect of all such breaches of representations
and
warranties taken together have resulted in, or would reasonably be expected
to
result in, a Material Adverse Effect;
(b) Seller,
Parent and the Company shall have performed and complied in all material
respects with all obligations and agreements required by this Agreement to
be
performed or complied with by them on or prior to the Closing Date;
(c) there
shall not be in effect any Order by a Governmental Body of competent
jurisdiction restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated hereby;
(d) the
waiting period applicable to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
under the HSR Act or any other applicable Antitrust Law shall have expired
or
early termination shall have been granted;
(e) Purchaser
shall have received the proceeds of the Financing or the alternative financing
contemplated by Section
8.14;
(f) since
the
date hereof, there shall not have occurred or be continuing a Material Adverse
Effect;
(g) Seller
shall have delivered to Purchaser (i) all necessary consents, modifications,
waivers and approvals of parties to any Contract set forth on Schedule
9.1(g)(i)
and (ii)
all necessary approvals by or registrations with any Governmental Body set
forth
on Schedule
9.1(g)(ii);
(h) Seller,
the Company and Parent shall have executed and delivered to Purchaser
the
instruments described in Section 4.2(a);
(i) Purchaser
shall have received a legal opinion from legal counsel to Parent and Seller
substantially in the form attached to Schedule
9.1(i);
(j) each
of
the Credit Agreement Release Documents and the Indenture Release Documents
shall
be in full force and effect immediately prior to the Closing;
(k) Purchaser
shall have received a certificate signed by the Chief Financial Officer of
Parent setting forth that the Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ unrestricted cash
and cash equivalents (including money market accounts, money market funds,
money
market instruments and demand deposits) as of the Closing (determined in
accordance with GAAP as employed by Seller in preparing the Balance Sheet)
are
not less that One Million Dollars ($1,000,000);
(l) The
2005
Financials shall show earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization (EBITDA) for the Wire Harness Business for the twelve month period
ending December 31, 2005, of at least Forty Three Million Seven Hundred Fifty
Thousand Dollars ($43,750,000);
(m) each
of
the restructuring transactions set forth on Schedule
8.15
shall
have been completed in accordance with the terms of this Agreement;
and
(n) The
Employment Agreement with Xxxxx Xxxxxxx shall be in effect immediately prior
to
the Closing.
9.2 Conditions
Precedent to Obligations of Seller.
The
obligations of Seller to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement are subject to the fulfillment, prior to or on the Closing Date,
of
each of the following conditions (any or all of which may be waived by Seller
in
whole or in part to the extent permitted by applicable Law):
(a) the
representations and warranties of Purchaser set forth in this Agreement shall
be
true and correct as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date
with the same effect as though made as of the Closing Date (except that the
accuracy of representations and warranties that by their terms speak as of
a
specified date will be determined as of such date); provided,
however,
that in
the event of a breach of a representation or warranty, the condition set forth
in this Section
9.2(a)
shall be
deemed satisfied unless the effect of all such breaches of representations
and
warranties taken together have resulted in, or would reasonably be expected
to
result in, a material adverse effect on Purchaser’s ability to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby;
(b) Purchaser
shall have performed and complied in all material respects with all obligations
and covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by
Purchaser on or prior to the Closing Date;
(c) there
shall not be in effect any Order by a Governmental Body of competent
jurisdiction restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated hereby;
(d) (i)
the
waiting period applicable to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
under the HSR Act or any other applicable Antitrust Law shall have expired
or
early termination shall have been granted and (ii) the consents listed on
Schedules
5.3(b)
and
6.2(b)
shall
have been obtained; and
(e) Purchaser
shall have executed and delivered to Seller the instruments described in
Section 4.2(b).
9.3 Frustration
of Closing Conditions.
None of
Purchaser or Seller may rely on the failure of any condition set forth in
Sections
9.1
or
9.2,
as the
case may be, if such failure was caused by such party’s failure to comply with
any provision of this Agreement.
ARTICLE
X
-
INDEMNIFICATION
10.1 Indemnification.
(a) Following
the Closing, subject to the provisions of this Article
X
and
Section
11.1,
Parent
and Seller hereby jointly and severally agree to indemnify and hold the
Purchaser, the Company, the Subsidiaries and their respective directors,
officers, employees, Affiliates, agents, successors and assigns (collectively,
the “Purchaser
Indemnified Parties”)
harmless from and against any and all notices, actions, suits, proceedings,
claims, demands, assessments, judgments, costs, penalties and expenses,
including attorneys’ and other professionals’ fees and disbursements
(collectively, “Expenses”)
incident to any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, damages, costs and
expenses with respect to which indemnification is provided hereunder
(collectively, with any Expenses, “Losses”),
based
upon, attributable to or resulting from:
(i) the
failure of any representation or warranty of Seller or Parent set forth in
Articles V
or
VI
hereof,
or any representation or warranty contained in any certificate delivered by
or
on behalf of Seller or Parent pursuant to this Agreement, to be true and correct
in all respects as of the date made; provided,
however,
that
the indemnification contained in this Article
X
shall
not apply to the failure of any representation or warranty with respect to
Taxes
(including any representations or warranties set forth in Section
6.8),
which
matters shall be dealt with solely in Section
8.12;
(ii) from
the
breach of any covenant or other agreement on the part of Seller or Parent under
this Agreement;
(iii) any
liabilities or obligations arising (A) from the operations of any businesses
of
the Parent or Seller or their respective subsidiaries other than the Wire
Harness Business or (B) as a result of Parent’s direct or indirect ownership or
control of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case, excluding any
liabilities or obligations described in clauses (i), (ii), (iv), (v), (vi)
and
(vii);
(iv) any
liabilities or obligations arising from, and expenses associated with, the
restructuring transactions set forth on Schedule
8.15
retained
by Seller or Parent or any Affiliate of Seller or Parent (other than the Company
or the Subsidiaries), or associated with the sale of the real property located
at 00000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx pursuant to an agreement dated January
31, 2006 by and between the Company and Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx;
(v) any
suit
or claim of violation brought against Purchaser under the WARN Act and other
similar applicable Laws for any actions taken by the Company or any Subsidiary
prior to the Closing Date with regard to any site of employment, facility,
operating unit or employee affected by this Agreement, including (without
limitation) any claim or liability arising from or related to the closing of
the
wire harness facility located in Mishawaka, Indiana;
(vi) any
liabilities related to, or obligations arising from, the operation of the China
Facility, except to the extent that such liability arises from Purchaser’s or
the Company’s or the Subsidiaries’ use or operation of the China Facility after
the Closing Date;
(vii)
any
liability specified in the Schedules hereto as being retained by Parent or
one
or more of its Affiliates; and
(vii) the
application of Section 280G of the Code to the transactions contemplated
hereby.
(b) Following
the Closing, subject to the provisions of this Article
X
and
Section
11.1,
Purchaser hereby agrees to indemnify and hold Seller, Parent and their
respective Affiliates, agents, successors and assigns (collectively, the
“Seller
Indemnified Parties”)
harmless from and against any and all Losses based upon, attributable to or
resulting from:
(i) the
failure of any representation or warranty of the Purchaser set forth in
Article
VII
hereof,
or any representation or warranty contained in any certificate delivered by
or
on behalf of the Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement, to be true and correct
as
of the date made;
(ii) the
breach of any covenant or other agreement on the part of the Purchaser under
this Agreement; and
(iii) any
liabilities or obligations arising from the restructuring transactions set
forth
on Schedule
8.15
obtained
by the Company or the Subsidiaries.
10.2 Limitations
on Indemnification for Breaches of Representations and
Warranties.
(a) An
indemnifying party shall not have any liability under Section
10.1(a)(i)
or
Section
10.1(b)(i)
hereof:
(i) unless
and until the total amount of Losses to the indemnified parties finally
determined to arise thereunder based upon, attributable to or resulting from
the
breach of all representations and warranties, exceeds, in the aggregate Four
Million Dollars ($4,000,000.00) (the “Deductible”),
and
then only as to the amount of such Losses in excess of the Deductible;
provided,
however,
that
the Deductible and the Cap specified in subsection (ii) below shall not apply
to
breaches of Sections 5.1 (Organization
and Good Standing),
5.2
(Authorization
of Agreement),
5.4
(Ownership
and Transfer of Shares),
6.1
(Organization
and Good Standing; Authorization),
6.3
(Capitalization),
6.4(a)
(Subsidiaries),
6.18
(Financial
Advisors),
6.25
(Sufficiency
of Assets),
7.1
(Organization
and Good Standing),
7.2
(Authorization
of Agreement)
or 7.6
(Financial
Advisors);
and
(ii) for
any
Losses for which the indemnifying parties have liability under Section
10.2(a)(i)
in
excess of Thirty Two Million Dollars
($32,000,000.00)
(the “Cap”)
once
the total amount of Losses to the indemnified parties finally determined to
arise thereunder based upon, attributable to or resulting from the breach of
all
representations and warranties exceeds the Cap.
(b) No
representation or warranty of Seller or Parent contained herein shall be deemed
untrue or incorrect, and Seller and Parent shall not be deemed to have breached
a representation or warranty as a consequence of the existence of any fact,
circumstance or event that is disclosed in response to another representation
or
warranty contained in this Agreement to the extent that the applicability
thereof is reasonably apparent.
(c) Purchaser
shall not make any claim for indemnification under this Article
X
in
respect of any matter that is taken into account in the calculation of Closing
Date Working Capital pursuant to Section
3.1.
(d) Materiality
qualifications shall be given effect for purposes of determining the failure
of
any representations or warranties to be actionable under Section
10.1(a)(i)
or
Section
10.1(b)(i),
but
shall be disregarded for purposes of calculating Losses under this Article
X.
(e) No
indemnifying party or any of its Affiliates shall have any right of contribution
from any indemnified party or any of its Affiliates with respect to any Losses
claimed by an indemnified party.
10.3 Indemnification
Procedures.
(a) A
claim
for indemnification for any matter not involving a Third Party Claim may be
asserted by notice to the party from whom indemnification is sought. The failure
of any party entitled to indemnification hereunder to give reasonably prompt
notice thereof shall not release, waive or otherwise affect the indemnifying
party’s obligations with respect thereto except to the extent that the
indemnifying party can demonstrate actual loss and prejudice as a result of
such
failure.
(b) In
the
event that any Legal Proceedings shall be instituted or that any claim or demand
shall be asserted by any third Person (other than such Legal Proceedings, claim
or demand with respect to Taxes, which shall be governed by the provisions
of
Section
8.12)
(a
“Third
Party Claim”)
in
respect of which payment may be sought under Section
10.1
hereof
(regardless of the Deductible or the Cap referred to above), the indemnified
party shall reasonably and promptly cause written notice of the assertion of
any
Third Party Claim of which it has knowledge which is covered by this indemnity
to be forwarded to the indemnifying party. The failure of the indemnified party
to give reasonably prompt notice of any Third Party Claim shall not release,
waive or otherwise affect the indemnifying party’s obligations with respect
thereto except to the extent that the indemnifying party can demonstrate actual
loss and prejudice as a result of such failure. The indemnifying party shall
have the right, at its sole option and expense, to be represented by counsel
of
its choice, which must be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party,
and
to defend against, negotiate, settle or otherwise deal with any Third Party
Claim which relates to any Losses indemnified against hereunder. If the
indemnifying party elects to defend against, negotiate, settle or otherwise
deal
with any Third Party Claim which relates to any Losses indemnified against
hereunder, it shall within thirty (30) days after its receipt of notice of
a
Third Party Claim from the indemnified party (or sooner, if the nature of the
Third Party Claim so requires) notify the indemnified party of its intent to
do
so. If the indemnifying party elects not to defend against, negotiate, settle
or
otherwise deal with any Third Party Claim which relates to any Losses
indemnified against hereunder, the indemnified party may defend against,
negotiate or otherwise deal with such Third Party Claim; provided,
however,
that
the indemnified party shall not be permitted to settle such Third Party Claim
without the prior written consent of the indemnifying party (which shall not
be
unreasonably withheld). If the indemnified party defends any Third Party Claim,
then the indemnifying party shall reimburse the indemnified party for the
reasonable and documented Expenses of defending such Third Party Claim upon
submission of periodic bills. If the indemnifying party shall assume the defense
of any Third Party Claim, the indemnified party may participate, at his or
its
own expense, in the defense of such Third Party Claim; provided,
however,
that
such indemnified party shall be entitled to participate in any such defense
with
separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party if (i) so requested
by
the indemnifying party to participate or (ii) in the reasonable opinion of
counsel to the indemnified party, a conflict or potential conflict exists
between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party that would make such
separate representation advisable; and provided,
further,
that
the indemnifying party shall not be required to pay for more than one such
counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any Third Party Claim.
The parties hereto agree to cooperate fully with each other in connection with
the defense, negotiation or settlement of any such Third Party
Claim.
(c) After
any
final judgment or award shall have been rendered by a court, arbitration board
or administrative agency of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of the
time in which to appeal therefrom, or a settlement shall have been consummated,
or the indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall have arrived at a
mutually binding agreement with respect to a Third Party Claim hereunder (any
such final judgment, settlement or agreement, a “Final
Determination”),
the
indemnified party shall forward to the indemnifying party notice of any sums
due
and owing by the indemnifying party pursuant to this Agreement with respect
to
such matter.
(d) (i)Notwithstanding
paragraphs (b) and (c) above, if a Third Party Claim involves a claim (A)
seeking injunctive relief with respect to the operation of the business of
the
Company and its Subsidiaries, (B) seeking to impose criminal (other than
misdemeanors) fines, penalties or sanctions or (C) by a current material
customer of the Company and the Subsidiaries (each such Third Party Claim,
an
“Excluded
Claim”),
then
the indemnified party shall, upon written notice to the indemnifying party
at
the time notice of such Excluded Claim is first given to the indemnifying party,
have the right to elect to either (x) assume the defense of such Excluded Claim,
in which case, such Excluded Claim shall be subject to clause (ii) below, or
(y)
submit such Excluded Claim to the indemnifying party pursuant to paragraph
(b)
above, in which case the procedures in paragraph (b) above shall apply to such
Excluded Claim.
(ii)
If
an indemnified party elects to assume the defense of an Excluded Claim, such
indemnified party shall, at its own expense, be permitted to defend against,
negotiate, settle or otherwise deal with such Excluded Claim and shall not
be
obligated to seek the indemnifying party’s consent to any settlement. The
indemnifying party shall be permitted, at its own expense, to participate in
the
defense of such Excluded Claim. Upon a Final Determination, the indemnified
party shall be permitted to proceed directly against the indemnifying party
for
the amount of Losses incurred by reason of such Excluded Claim pursuant to
paragraph (a) above; provided,
however,
that it
is acknowledged and agreed by the parties hereto that the issue of the
indemnifying party’s liability for such Excluded Claim and the amount of any
applicable Losses shall be addressed de
novo
and the
indemnifying party shall not be prejudiced by any Final Determination with
respect to such Excluded Claim.
10.4 Sole
Remedy.
The
parties hereto agree that their respective remedies under Article
X
of this
Agreement are their exclusive remedies under this Agreement from and after
the
Closing Date, including without limitation, any matter based on the inaccuracy,
untruth, incompleteness or breach of any representation or warranty of any
party
hereto contained herein or based on the failure of any covenant, agreement
or
undertaking herein, and the parties hereto hereby waive any claims with respect
to any other right of contribution or indemnity available against any
indemnifying party hereunder in such capacity on the basis of common law,
statute or otherwise beyond the express terms of this Agreement; provided,
however,
that
this exclusive remedy for damages does not preclude a party from bringing an
action for fraud. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section
10.4
shall
not operate to interfere with or impede the operation of the provisions of
(i)
Section
8.12
providing for the resolution of certain disputes with respect to Tax matters
and
indemnification for any such matters, (ii) Section
8.18
with
respect to Parent’s or Purchaser’s right to seek equitable remedies (including
specific performance or injunctive relief) or (iii) the Contracts to be entered
into at Closing set forth on Schedule
8.15.
10.5 Limitation
on Losses.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the liability for
indemnification of any indemnifying party under this Agreement shall not exceed
the actual damages of the party entitled to indemnification and shall not
otherwise include incidental, consequential, indirect, special, punitive,
exemplary or other similar damages, other than compensatory
damages.
10.6 Adjustments
for Insurance and Tax Benefits.
Any
indemnification payable in accordance with this Article
X
shall be
net of any (i) amounts actually recovered (after deducting related costs and
expenses) by the indemnified party for the Losses for which such indemnification
payment is made under any insurance policy, warranty or indemnity from any
Person other than a party hereto and (ii) Tax benefits actually (and not
potentially) realized by the indemnified party in respect of any Losses for
which such indemnification payment is made.
10.7 Tax
Treatment of Indemnity Payments.
Seller
and Purchaser agree to treat any indemnity payment made pursuant to this
Article
X
as an
adjustment to the Purchase Price for federal, state, local and foreign income
Tax purposes.
ARTICLE
XI -
MISCELLANEOUS
11.1 Survival
of Representations, Warranties and Covenants.
The
representations, warranties and pre-closing covenants of the parties made herein
or in any other document or agreement delivered pursuant to this Agreement
shall
survive and remain in full force and effect for a period of fifteen (15) months
after the Closing Date, notwithstanding any investigation of any time made
by or
on behalf of Purchaser; provided,
however,
that
(a) the representations and warranties of Parent and Seller contained in
Sections 5.1 (Organization
and Good Standing; Authorization),
5.2
(Authorization
of Agreement),
5.4
(Ownership
and Transfer of Shares),
6.1
(Organization
and Good Standing),
6.3
(Capitalization),
6.18
(Financial
Advisors),
7.1
(Organization
and Good Standing),
7.2
(Authorization
of Agreement)
and 7.6
(Financial
Advisors)
shall
survive indefinitely, (b) the representations and warranties of Parent and
Seller contained in Section 6.8(a) (Taxes)
shall
terminate on the Closing Date and the representations and warranties in Section
6.8(b) (Taxes) shall survive and remain in effect until ninety (90) days after
the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations or statutory Tax
assessment period (including all periods of extension, whether automatic or
permissive), and (c) the representations and warranties specified in Section
6.17 (Environmental
Matters)
shall
survive and remain in full force and effect for a period of thirty (30) months
after the Closing Date (the applicable period, the “Survival
Period”),
and
there shall be no liability in respect thereof to any party hereto or their
Affiliates in respect thereof after the expiration of the Survival Period,
whether such liability has accrued prior to or after the Closing Date except
as
to any matters with respect to which a bona fide written claim shall have been
made within the Survival Period, in which event survival shall continue (but
only with respect to, and to the extent of, such claim) until such claim shall
have been finally resolved. All covenants and agreements, which, by their terms,
contemplate performance after the Closing Date, shall survive in accordance
with
their terms.
11.2 Expenses.
Except
as otherwise provided in this Agreement, Purchaser shall bear its expenses
and
Parent and Seller shall bear their expenses and the expenses of the Company
and
the Subsidiary, incurred in connection with the negotiation and execution of
this Agreement and each other agreement, document and instrument contemplated
by
this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby
and
thereby.
11.3 Submission
to Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.
(a) Any
litigation against any party hereto, including any to enforce any judgment
entered by any court in respect of any thereof may be brought in any federal
or
state court of competent jurisdiction located in State of New York, and the
parties hereto hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of any
federal or state court located within New York, New York, over
any
such action. The parties hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable Law, any objection which they may now or hereafter
have
to the laying of venue of any such action brought in such court or any defense
of inconvenient forum for the maintenance of such action. Each of the parties
hereto agrees that a judgment in any such action may be enforced in other
jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by
Law.
(b) Each
of
the parties hereto hereby consents to process being served by any party to
this
Agreement in any suit, action or proceeding by delivery of a copy thereof in
accordance with the provisions of Section
11.6.
11.4 Entire
Agreement; Amendments and Waivers.
This
Agreement (including the schedules and exhibits hereto) and the Confidentiality
Agreement represent the entire understanding and agreement between the parties
hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement can be amended,
supplemented or changed, and any provision hereof can be waived, only by written
instrument making specific reference to this Agreement signed by the party
against whom enforcement of any such amendment, supplement, modification or
waiver is sought. No action or nonaction taken pursuant to this Agreement,
including without limitation, any investigation by or on behalf of any party,
shall be deemed to constitute a waiver by the party taking such action or
nonaction of compliance with any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement
contained herein. The waiver by any party hereto of a breach of any provision
of
this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a further or continuing
waiver of such breach or as a waiver of any other or subsequent breach. No
failure on the part of any party to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any
right, power or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall
any single or partial exercise of such right, power or remedy by such party
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right, power or remedy.
11.5 Governing
Law.
This
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of
the
State of New York applicable to contracts made and performed in such
state.
11.6 Notices.
All
notices and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and
shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally by hand (with written
confirmation of receipt), (ii) when sent by facsimile (with written confirmation
of transmission) or (iii) one Business Day following the day sent by overnight
courier (with written confirmation of receipt), in each case at the following
addresses and facsimile numbers (or to such other address or facsimile number
as
a party may have specified by notice given to the other party pursuant to this
provision):
If
to Parent, Seller or the Company, to:
Viasystems
Group, Inc.
000
Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xx.
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
||
Attention:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
|
||
With
a copy to:
Weil,
Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx,
Xxxxx 00000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
Attention: R.
Xxxxx Xxxxx
If
to Purchaser, to:
Electrical
Components International Holdings Company
c/o
Francisco Partners, L.P.
0000
Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx
Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
||
Attention:
|
Xxxxx
X. xxxXxx
|
|
Xxx
Xxxxxxxxx
|
||
With
a copy to:
O’Melveny
& Xxxxx LLP
Embarcadero
Center West
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
0000
Xxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
||
Attention:
|
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
|
|
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
11.7 Severability.
If any
term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal, or incapable
of
being enforced by any law or public policy, all other terms or provisions of
this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as
the
economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not
affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination
that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal, or incapable of being
enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this
Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as
possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated
hereby are consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent
possible.
11.8 Binding
Effect; Assignment.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and
their respective successors and permitted assigns. Nothing in this Agreement
shall create or be deemed to create any third party beneficiary rights in any
Person not a party to this Agreement except as contemplated by Section
8.7.
No
assignment of this Agreement or of any rights or obligations hereunder may
be
made by Seller or Purchaser, directly or indirectly (by operation of law or
otherwise), without the prior written consent of the other party hereto and
any
attempted assignment without the required consents shall be void. No assignment
of any obligations hereunder shall relieve the parties hereto of any such
obligations; provided,
however,
that
Purchaser may assign its rights and interests without Parent’s, Seller’s or the
Company’s consent (i) to any of its Affiliates or (ii) for collateral
security purposes, to any lender providing the Financing to Purchaser or any
of
its Affiliates; provided,
further,
however,
in each
case of clauses (i) and (ii), any such assignment shall not relieve Purchaser
of
its obligations hereunder.
11.9 Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will be
deemed to be an original copy of this Agreement and all of which, when taken
together, will be deemed to constitute one and the same agreement.
11.10 Guarantee.
Parent
hereby unconditionally, irrevocably and absolutely guarantees to Purchaser
the
due and punctual performance and discharge of all of Seller’s and the Company’s
pre-closing obligations under this Agreement existing on the date hereof or
hereafter of any kind or nature whatsoever, including, without limitation,
the
due and punctual payment of any amount that Seller is or may become obligated
to
pay pursuant to this Agreement. The guarantee under this Section
11.10
is a
guarantee of timely payment and performance and not merely of
collection.
11.11 Non-Recourse.
No
past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, member,
partner, stockholder or subsidiary of Parent (other than Seller, the Company
and
the Subsidiaries) or Seller (other than Parent, the Company and the
Subsidiaries) shall have any liability for any obligations or liabilities of
Parent, Seller or the Company under this Agreement of or for any claim based
upon, in respect of, or by reason of, the transactions contemplated
hereby.
11.12 Further
Assurances.
Each
party covenants that at any time, and from time to time, after the Closing
Date,
it will execute such additional instruments and take such actions as may be
reasonably requested by the other parties to confirm or perfect or otherwise
to
carry out the intent and purposes of this Agreement.
[Remainder
Of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed as of the date first written above.
ELECTRICAL
COMPONENTS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS COMPANY
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx xxxXxx | |
Name:
Xxxxx xxxXxx
|
||
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
||
WIRE
HARNESS HOLDING COMPANY, INC.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
Name:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
|
||
VIASYSTEMS
GROUP, INC.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
Name:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
|
||
WIRE
HARNESS INDUSTRIES, INC.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
Name:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
|