STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT AMONG ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., (AS THE SELLER) AND SOLON AG für Solartechnik AND I-SOL VENTURES GMBH (AS THE BUYERS) March 25, 2006
EXHIBIT
10.1
EXECUTION
VERSION
AMONG
ADVANCED
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.,
(AS
THE SELLER)
AND
SOLON
AG für Solartechnik AND I-SOL VENTURES GMBH
(AS
THE BUYERS)
March
25, 2006
Page
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(a)
Defined Terms
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2.
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(b)
Purchase Price
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(c)
The Closing
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(b)
Capitalization
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(c)
Noncontravention
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(d)
Brokers’ Fees
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(e)
Title to Assets
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(f)
Subsidiaries
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(i)
Legal Compliance
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(j)
Tax Matters
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(k)
Real Property
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(m)
Tangible Assets
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(n)
Contracts
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(o)
Insurance
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(u)
No Guaranties
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(v)
Inventory
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(w)
Receivables
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(x)
Records
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(z)
Disclosure
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(a)
General
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(d)
Full Access
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(e) Brockton Payable |
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(a)
General
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(i)
Exclusive Remedy
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(d)
Indemnification
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(c)
Entire Agreement
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(f)
Headings
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(g)
Notices
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(h)
Governing Law
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(j)
Severability
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(k)
Expenses
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Appendix
A - Definitions
Exhibit
A
- Funds Flow Memorandum
Exhibit
B
- Form of Opinion of General Counsel to AET
Exhibit
C
- Form of Opinion of Buyer’s Counsel
Exhibit
D
- Form of Lease Agreement
Exhibit
E
- Form of Transition Services Agreement
Exhibit
F
- Form of Option Agreement
Annex
I
Exceptions
to the Seller’s Representations and Warranties Concerning
the Transaction
Annex
II Exceptions
to the Buyer’s Representations and Warranties Concerning
the Transaction
Disclosure
Schedule Exceptions
to Representations and Warranties Concerning
the Company and Its Subsidiaries
STOCK
PURCHASE AGREEMENT, dated as of March 25, 2006, by and among ADVANCED ENERGY
TECHNOLOGIES, INC., an Arizona corporation (the “Seller)
and
SOLON
AG
für
Solartechnik,
a
German corporation
(Aktiengesellschaft)
(“Solon”)
and
I-SOL VENTURES GmbH (Gesellschaft
mit beschränkter
Haftung)
(“I-Sol,” and together with Solon, the “Buyers”
and
each a “Buyer”).
The
Buyer and the Seller are referred to collectively herein as the “Parties”.
BACKGROUND
The
Seller, together with Rentech, Inc., a Colorado corporation (“Rentech”),
collectively own all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of GLOBAL
SOLAR
ENERGY, INC., an Arizona corporation (the “Company”),
engaged in the business of manufacturing flexible photovoltaic products using
a
thin-film Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide semiconductor on a stainless steel
or
other flexible substrate (the “Business”).
The
Buyers desire to purchase, and the Seller desires to sell, all of the issued
and
outstanding capital stock of the Company in return for cash and other
consideration on the terms set forth herein.
AGREEMENT
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises herein
made,
and in consideration of the representations, warranties, and covenants herein
contained, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as
follows:
1. Definitions
and Related Matters
(a) Defined
Terms. Capitalized
terms used, but not otherwise defined, herein have the meanings ascribed to
such
terms in Appendix
A
hereto.
(b) Other
Definitional
and Interpretive
Matters. Unless
otherwise expressly provided, for purposes of this Agreement, the following
rules of interpretation apply:
(i) 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 will be excluded. If the last
day
of such period is a non-Business Day, the period in question will end on the
next succeeding Business Day.
(ii) Dollars.
Any
reference in this Agreement to “dollars” or “$” means U.S. dollars.
(iii) Exhibits
and Schedules.
Unless
otherwise expressly indicated, any reference in this Agreement to an “Exhibit”
or a “Schedule” refers to an Exhibit or Schedule to this Agreement. The
Exhibits, Schedules Appendices and Annexes to this Agreement are hereby
incorporated and made a part hereof as if set forth in full herein
and
are
an integral part of this Agreement. Any capitalized terms used in any Schedule
or Exhibit but not otherwise defined therein are defined as set forth in this
Agreement.
(iv) Gender
and Number.
Any
reference in this Agreement to gender includes all genders, and the meaning
of
defined terms applies to both the singular and the plural of those
terms.
(v) Headings.
The
provision of a Table of Contents, the division of this Agreement into Sections
and other subdivisions, and the insertion of headings are for convenience of
reference only and do not affect, and will not be utilized in construing or
interpreting, this Agreement. All references in this Agreement to any “Section”
are to the corresponding Section of this Agreement unless otherwise
specified.
(vi) “Herein”.
The
words such as “herein,”
“hereinafter,”
“hereof,”
and
“hereunder”
refer
to this Agreement (including the Schedules, Exhibits, Appendices and Annexes
to
this Agreement) as a whole and not merely to a subdivision in which such words
appear unless the context otherwise requires.
(vii) “Including”.
The
word “including”
or
any
variation thereof means “including,
without limitation”
and
does not limit any general statement that it follows to the specific or similar
items or matters immediately following it.
(viii) Joint
Negotiation and Preparation of Agreement.
The
Parties 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 will be construed as jointly drafted by the Parties
hereto and no presumption or burden of proof favoring or disfavoring any Party
will exist or arise by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this
Agreement.
2. Purchase
and
Sale of the Company Shares.
(a) Basic
Transaction. On
and
subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Buyers shall purchase
from the Seller, and the Seller shall sell to the Buyers, all of the issued
and
outstanding Company Shares for the consideration specified below in this Section
2. As between the Buyers, I-Sol shall acquire 24,464,857 Company Shares
constituting 81% of the total Company Shares and shall pay $12,960,000
constituting 81% of the total Cash Purchase Price and Solon shall acquire
5,738,670 Company Shares constituting 19% of the total Company Shares and shall
pay $3,040,000 constituting 19% of the total Cash Purchase Price. To the extent
any employee or other person owns options or other rights to purchase Company
Shares, the Seller shall cause such employee or other person to (i) exercise
the
option or other rights and participate in the sale of the Company Shares as
a
Seller under this Agreement or (ii) release all rights under the option or
other
rights to purchase. As a result, at the conclusion of the transaction
contemplated by this Agreement, only the Buyers and the Seller (to the extent
of
the Option Purchase Price) will own Company Shares or options or other rights
to
purchase any Company Shares.
(b) Purchase
Price.
The
Buyers shall pay to the Seller in the aggregate at the Closing (i) Sixteen
Million Dollars ($16,000,000), by delivery of cash payable by wire transfer
or
delivery of other immediately available funds in accordance with the funds
flow
memorandum attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Cash
Purchase Price”)
plus
(ii) options to purchase shares of the Company upon specified liquidity events,
as set forth in the Option Agreement (the “Option
Agreement”)
in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit
F
(the
“Option
Purchase Price”
and,
with the Cash Purchase Price, the “Purchase
Price”).
(c) The
Closing.
The
closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Closing”)
shall
take place at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxx & Priest LLP, in New York, New
York, commencing at 10:00 a.m. local time on the second Business Day following
the satisfaction or waiver of all conditions to the obligations of the Parties
to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby (other than conditions with
respect to actions the respective Parties will take at the Closing itself)
or
such other date as the Buyers and the Seller may mutually determine (the
“Closing
Date”).
(d) Deliveries
at
the Closing.
At
the
Closing, (i) the Seller shall deliver to the Buyers the various certificates,
instruments, and documents referred to in Section 7(a) below, (ii) the Buyers
shall deliver to the Seller the various certificates, instruments, and documents
referred to in Section 7(b) below, (iii) the Seller shall deliver to the Buyers
stock certificates representing all of the Company Shares held by the
Seller,
endorsed in blank or accompanied by duly executed assignment documents
evidencing the transfer of all of the Company Shares to Buyers free and clear
of
all Security Interests, and (iv) the Buyers shall deliver to the Seller the
consideration specified in Section 2(b) above.
3. Representations
and
Warranties Concerning the
Transaction.
(a) Representations
and
Warranties of the
Seller.
The
Seller represents and warrants to the Buyers that the statements contained
in
this Section 3(a) are correct and complete as of the date of this Agreement
and
will be correct and complete as of the Closing Date (as though made then and
as
though the Closing Date were substituted for the date of this Agreement
throughout this Section 3(a)) with respect to itself, except as set forth in
Annex I attached hereto.
(i) Authorization
of Transaction.
The
Seller has full power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and
to
perform its respective obligations hereunder. The Seller has taken all actions
required to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement, and its
consummation, and has duly executed and delivered this Agreement. This Agreement
constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of the Seller, enforceable
in accordance with its terms and conditions, except as such enforceability
may
be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, or other similar
laws affecting or relating to enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or
general principles of equity. Except as set forth in Annex I attached hereto,
Seller need not give any notice to, make any filing with, or obtain any
authorization, consent, or approval of any Governmental Authority in order
to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(ii) Noncontravention.
Neither
the execution and the delivery of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby, will (A) violate any applicable Law or Order
of any Governmental Authority or the Constituent Instruments of Seller or (B)
except as set forth in Annex I attached hereto, conflict with, result in a
breach of, constitute a default under, result in the acceleration of, create
in
any party the right to accelerate, terminate, modify, or cancel, or require
any
notice under any of the terms, conditions, or provisions of any note, bond,
mortgage, indenture, agreement, lease, or other instrument or obligation to
which Seller or any of its Affiliates is a party or by which Seller or any
of
its Affiliates may be bound, except for such defaults (or rights of termination,
cancellation, or acceleration) as to which requisite waivers or consents have
been, or will prior to the Closing be, obtained or which if not obtained or
made
would not, individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (C) require
any declaration, filing, or registration with, or notice to, or authorization,
consent, or approval of any Governmental Authority, other than (i) as specified
in Annex I, (ii) such declarations, filings, registrations, notices,
authorizations, consents, or approvals which, if not obtained or made, would
not, individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or (iii) any
requirements which become applicable to the Seller
as a
result of the specific regulatory status any Buyer (or any of their respective
Affiliates) or as a result of any other facts that specifically relate to any
business or activities in which any Buyer (or any of its respective Affiliates)
is or proposes to be engaged.
(iii) Brokers’
Fees.
Seller
does not have any Liability or obligation to pay any fees or commissions to
any
broker, finder, or agent with respect to the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement for which any Buyer could become liable or obligated.
(iv) Company
Shares.
As of
the date hereof, the Seller holds of record and owns beneficially the number
of
Company Shares set forth next to its name in Section 4(b) of the Disclosure
Schedule, free and clear of all Security Interests, except as set forth in
Annex
I attached hereto. Immediately after the Closing the Buyers will own the Company
Shares free and clear of all Security Interests (other than Security Interests
created as a result of action taken by the Buyers). Seller is not a party to
any
option, warrant, purchase right, or other contract or commitment that could
require the Seller to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any of the Company
Shares (other than this Agreement). Seller is not a party to any voting trust,
proxy, or other agreement or understanding with respect to the voting of the
Company Shares.
(v) Absence
of Claims.
Neither
Seller nor Rentech, at the time of Closing or completion of the payments
described in the Funds Flow Memorandum, will not have any claim, demand or
cause
of action against the Company, or any of its subsidiaries and each of their
past
and current officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives. Seller
knows of no fact, event or circumstance which could reasonably be expected
to
result in any such claim.
(vi) Option
Purchase Price and Securities Matters.
The
Seller acknowledges and agrees that (i) the Seller is familiar with the Business
of the Company as a result of its ownership of the Company Shares, (ii) the
Seller has had reasonable time and opportunity to ask questions and receive
answers from officers of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of
the
Option Purchase Price and to obtain any additional information regarding the
Company that was necessary for Seller to make an informed investment decision
regarding the Option Purchase Price, (iii) the Seller will acquire the Option
Purchase Price for investment purposes for the Seller’s own account without any
view to the distribution thereof except in accordance with the Securities Act
and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and all applicable state
securities or “blue sky” laws, (iv) such Option Purchase Price must be held
indefinitely unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act and
applicable state securities and “blue sky” laws or unless an exemption from such
registration is available; (v) the issuance of the Option Purchase Price to
the
Seller pursuant to this Agreement will not be registered under the Securities
Act on the grounds that the offering and sale thereof contemplated by this
Agreement will be exempt from registration pursuant to Regulation D promulgated
pursuant to the Securities Act, and that Buyers’ reliance upon such exemption is
predicated in part upon the representations and warranties of the Seller set
forth herein, (vi) the Seller represents that the Seller has the requisite
knowledge, experience and sophistication in financial and business matters
such
that the Seller is capable of fully and completely evaluating the merits and
risks inherent in the acquisition of the Option Purchase Price and is able
to
bear the economic risk of such investment,
and
(vii) the
Seller is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of
Regulation D of the Securities Act, and (viii)
the
Seller’s
domicile is at the address given
below for notices to Seller.
(vii) Stop
Transfer Instructions.
The
Seller further acknowledges and agrees that “stop transfer” instructions shall
be placed against the options and shares comprising the Option Purchase Price
on
the transfer books of the Company’s stock transfer agent unless and until such
time as such shares become eligible for resale following registration of such
shares in accordance with all applicable law or the availability of an exemption
from such registration.
The
Seller acknowledges and agrees that the certificates evidencing the Option
Purchase Price shall bear a legend substantially as follows:
THE
SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS AGREEMENT AND ISSUABLE UPON THE EXERCISE OF
THE
OPTION EVIDENCED HEREBY (COLLECTIVELY, THE “SECURITIES”) HAVE NOT BEEN
REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE
STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED
OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION
FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT AND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THEREUNDER AND
AN
OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT
REQUIRED AND IN THE
ABSENCE
OF REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE
SECURITIES LAWS WITH AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY REGARDING
COMPLIANCE WITH AND THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY SUCH STATE SECURITIES
LAWS.
(b) Representations
and
Warranties of the
Buyers.
The
Buyers, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to the Seller that the
statements contained in this Section 3(b) are correct and complete as of the
date of this Agreement and will be correct and complete as of the Closing Date
(as though made then and as though the Closing Date were substituted for the
date of this Agreement throughout this Section 3(b)), except as set forth in
Annex II attached hereto.
(i) Organization
of the Buyers.
Solon
is a German Aktiengesellschaft
duly
organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of Germany.
I-SOL
is
a German Gesellschaft
mit beschränkter
Haftung
duly
organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of
Germany.
(ii) Authorization
of Transaction.
Each
Buyer has full power and authority (including full corporate power and
authority) to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder. This Agreement constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation
of each Buyer, enforceable in accordance with its terms and conditions, except
as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
moratorium, or other similar laws affecting or relating to enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally or general principles of equity. No Buyer need give
any notice to, make any filing with, or obtain any authorization, consent,
or
approval of any Governmental Authority in order to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(iii) Noncontravention.
Neither
the execution and the delivery of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby, will (A) violate any applicable Law or Order
of any Governmental Authority or the Constituent Instruments of any Buyer,
(B)
conflict with, result in a breach of, constitute a default under, result in
the
acceleration of, create in any party the right to accelerate, terminate, modify,
or cancel, or require any notice under any of the terms, conditions, or
provisions of any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, agreement, lease, or other
instrument or obligation to which any Buyer or any of its respective Affiliates
is a party or by which any Buyer or any of it respective Affiliates may be
bound, except for such defaults (or rights of termination, cancellation, or
acceleration) as to which requisite waivers or consents have been, or will
prior
to the Closing be, obtained or which if not obtained or made would not,
individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay the consummation
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (C) require any
declaration, filing, or registration with, or notice to, or authorization,
consent, or approval of any Governmental Authority, other than (i) as specified
in Annex II, or (ii) such declarations, filings, registrations, notices,
authorizations, consents, or approvals which, if not obtained or made, would
not, individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(iv) Brokers’
Fees.
No
Buyer has any Liability or obligation to pay any fees or commissions to any
broker, finder, or agent with respect to the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement for which Seller could become liable or obligated.
4. Representations
and
Warranties Concerning the
Company and its Subsidiaries.
The
Seller represents and warrants to the Buyers that the statements contained
in
this Section 4 are correct and complete as of the date of this Agreement and
will be correct and complete as of the Closing Date (as though made then and
as
though the Closing Date were substituted for the date of this Agreement
throughout this Section 4), except as set forth in the disclosure schedule
attached hereto (the “Disclosure
Schedule”).
The
Disclosure Schedule will be arranged in paragraphs corresponding to the lettered
and numbered paragraphs contained in this Section 4.
(a) Organization,
Qualification, and Corporate
Power.
Each
of
the Company and its Subsidiaries is a corporation duly organized, validly
existing, and in good standing under the jurisdiction of its incorporation.
Except as set forth in Section 4(a) of the Disclosure Schedule, each of the
Company and its Subsidiaries is duly authorized to conduct Business and is
in
good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction where such qualification
is
required. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has the full corporate power
and authority necessary to carry on the Businesses in which it is engaged and
to
own and use the properties owned and used by it.
(b) Capitalization.
The
entire authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 40,000,000 Company
Shares, of which 30,203,527 Company Shares are issued and outstanding. All
of
the issued and outstanding Company Shares have been duly authorized, are validly
issued, fully paid, and nonassessable, and are held of record, as of the date
hereof, by the Seller and Rentech as set forth in Section 4(b) of the Disclosure
Schedule. Except as specified in Section 4(b) of the Disclosure Schedule, there
are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants, preemptive rights, purchase
rights, subscription rights, conversion rights, exchange rights, or other
contracts or commitments that could require the Company to issue, sell, or
otherwise cause to become outstanding any of its capital stock. There are no
outstanding or authorized stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit
participation, or similar rights with respect to the Company. Except as
specified in Section 4(b) of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no voting
trusts, proxies, or other agreements or understandings with respect to the
voting of the capital stock of the Company.
(c) Noncontravention.
Neither
the execution and the delivery of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby, will (A) violate any applicable Law or Order
of any Governmental Authority or the Constituent Instruments of the Company
or
any of its Subsidiaries, (B) conflict with, result in a breach of, constitute
a
default under, result in the acceleration of, create in any party the right
to
accelerate, terminate, modify, or cancel, or require any notice under any of
the
terms, conditions, or provisions of any note, bond, mortgage, indenture,
agreement, lease, or other instrument or obligation to which the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries may be bound, except for such defaults (or rights of termination,
cancellation, or acceleration) as to which requisite waivers or consents have
been, or will prior to the Closing be, obtained or which if not obtained or
made
would not, individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or have a
Material
Adverse
Effect on the Company, or (C) require any declaration, filing, or registration
with, or notice to, or authorization, consent, or approval of any Governmental
Authority, other than (i) as specified in Section 4(c) of the Disclosure
Schedule, (ii) such declarations, filings, registrations, notices,
authorizations, consents, or approvals which, if not obtained or made, would
not, individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or have a
Material Adverse Effect on the Company, or (iii) any requirements which become
applicable to the Company or its Subsidiaries as a result of the specific
regulatory status of any Buyer (or any of its respective Affiliates) or as
a
result of any other facts that specifically relate to any business or activities
in which any Buyer (or any of its respective Affiliates) is or proposes to
be
engaged. In addition, specifically with respect to the Technology Development
Agreement No. MDA972-95-3-00036 concerning the "Development of Flexible Thin
Film Copper Indium diSelenide Photovoltaics" between Flexible Thin-Film CIS
Photovoltaics Vapor Manufacturing Consortium and the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency ("DARPA"), effective May 30, 1995, as amended (the “VPM
Agreement”), the sale of the Shares by the Seller to the Buyers pursuant to the
terms of this Agreement will not create any claim against Company arising under
the VPM Agreement, including but not limited to any claim for a return of funds
advanced by DARPA to the Company or Consortium.
(d) Brokers’
Fees.
Except
as
specified in Section 4(d) of the Disclosure Schedule, none of the Company and
its Subsidiaries has any Liability or obligation to pay any fees or commissions
to any broker, finder, or agent with respect to the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement.
(e) Title
to
Assets.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries have good title to, or a valid leasehold interest
in, the properties and assets used by them, located on their respective
premises, or shown on the Most Recent Balance Sheet or acquired after the date
thereof, free and clear of all Security Interests, except for those Security
Interests set forth in Section 4(e) of the Disclosure Schedule.
(f)
Subsidiaries.
The
Company has no Subsidiaries other than XXXX, all of the issued and outstanding
shares of capital stock of which are held beneficially and of record by the
Company, free and clear of any Security Interest, except as set forth in Section
4(f) of the Disclosure Schedule. All of the issued and outstanding shares of
capital stock of XXXX have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully
paid, and nonassessable. Except for XXXX, none of the Company and its
Subsidiaries controls directly or indirectly or has any direct or indirect
equity participation in any corporation, partnership, trust, or other business
association.
(g) Financial
Statements.
The
Seller has delivered to the Buyers the following financial statements
(collectively the “Financial
Statements”):
(i)
audited consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, changes in
stockholders’ equity, and cash flow as of and for the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2004 (the “Most
Recent Audited Fiscal Year End”)
for
the Company, (ii) unaudited consolidated balance sheet and statements of income,
changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flow as of and for the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2005 (the “Most
Recent Fiscal Year End”);
and
(iii) unaudited consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, changes
in
stockholders’ equity, and cash flow (the “Most
Recent Financial Statements”)
as of
and for the one month ended January 31, 2006 (the “Most
Recent Fiscal
Month
End”)
for
the Company. The Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP
and
present fairly in all material respects the financial condition of the Company
and its Subsidiaries as of such dates and the results of operations of the
Company and its Subsidiaries for such periods.
(h) No
Undisclosed
Liabilities and No Material
Adverse Effect.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries had material debts, obligations or
Liabilities except as disclosed in the Financial Statements. Except as set
forth
in Section 4(h) of the Disclosure Schedule, since the Most Recent Fiscal Month
End, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred additional material
debts, obligations or Liabilities. Since the Most Recent Fiscal Month End,
no
change or event has occurred which, either individually or in the aggregate
has
resulted in a Material Adverse Effect.
(i) Legal
Compliance.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries are in material compliance with all applicable
Laws
and Orders.
(i) Each
of
the Company and its Subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with
all
Laws and Orders applicable to its Business, properties, or operations as
presently conducted;
(ii) Each
of
the Company and its Subsidiaries have secured and are in compliance with all
material licenses and permits required for its Business, properties, and
operations as presently conducted;
(iii) Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has offered, paid, or agreed to pay
money or anything of value for the purpose of or with the intent of obtaining
or
maintaining Business for the Company or a Subsidiary, or otherwise benefiting
the Company or a Subsidiary, in violation of any Law (including Section 30A(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended); and
(iv) The
ownership and present use of the Company's and each Subsidiary's properties,
and
the conduct of its Business, will not (with or without the giving of notice
or
the passage of time or both) conflict with or result in a default under (A)
the
Company's certificate of incorporation or bylaws; or (B) any material Contract
or Law to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which it is
affected.
(j) Tax
Matters.
(i) The
Company and its Subsidiaries have paid, or will pay before their due date,
all
material Taxes due on or before the Closing and have reserved, or will reserve
before the Closing, amounts necessary to pay material Taxes due after the
Closing in respect of periods ending on or before the Closing.
(ii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries have timely filed, or will timely file, all tax
returns required in connection with any material Taxes. All such returns are
accurate and comply with applicable Law.
(iii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries have made all material deposits required by Law
and
(1) have not been delinquent in the payment of any material Tax or (2) have
paid
any penalty associated with a delinquency.
(iv) The
Company and its Subsidiaries are not currently the subject of any Tax
audit.
(k) Real
Property.
(i) Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns any real property.
(ii) Section
4(k)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule lists all real property leased or subleased
to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Seller has delivered to the
Buyers correct and complete copies of the leases and subleases listed in Section
4(k)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule (as amended to date). To the Knowledge
of
the Company, each lease and sublease listed in Section (k)(ii) of the Disclosure
Schedule is legal, valid, binding, enforceable, and in full force and effect,
except where the illegality, invalidity, nonbinding nature, unenforceability,
or
ineffectiveness would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(iii) The
real
properties are suitable for the purposes used, and are adequate for the current
operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries. The Company does not Know,
or
have reason to Know, of any pending or threatened condemnation affecting the
properties.
(l) Intellectual
Property.
(i) The
Company and its Subsidiaries own or have the right to use pursuant to license,
sublicense, agreement, or permission all Intellectual Property necessary for
the
operation of the Business as presently conducted, except where the failure
to so
own or have the right to use such Intellectual Property would not have a
Material Adverse Effect. Except as specified in Section 4(l)(i) of the
Disclosure Schedule, the Company and its Subsidiaries possess all right, title
and interest in and to each item of owned Intellectual Property, free and clear
of any Security Interest or other restriction or claim.
(ii) Section
4(l)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule identifies each patent or registration
which
has been issued to the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to any of its
Intellectual Property, identifies each pending patent application or application
for registration which the Company or any Subsidiary has made with respect
to
any of its Intellectual Property. Section 4(l)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule
also identifies each registered or unregistered trade name, service xxxx or
trademark used by the Company or any Subsidiary in connection with the Business.
(iii) Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary has interfered with, infringed upon,
misappropriated, or otherwise come into conflict with any
Intellectual
Property
rights of third parties, and except as specified in Section 4(l)(iii) of the
Disclosure Schedule, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary have ever received
any charge, complaint, claim, demand, or notice alleging any such interference,
infringement, misappropriation, or violation. Except as set forth in Section
4(l)(iii) of the Disclosure Schedule, no third party has interfered with,
infringed upon, misappropriated, or otherwise come into conflict with any
Intellectual Property rights of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(m) Tangible
Assets.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries have good title to, or a valid leasehold interest
in, the material tangible assets they use regularly in the conduct of their
Business. The tangible assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries are in good
operating condition and repair, are suitable for the purposes used, and are
adequate for the current operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries.
Together with inventory and supplies, the tangible assets constitute all of
the
properties and assets used or held for use in connection with, necessary for
the
conduct of, or otherwise material to, the Business.
(n) Contracts.
Except
for contracts, agreements, leases, commitments, understandings, or instruments
which (i) are listed in Section 4(n) of the Disclosure Schedule (the
“Material
Contracts”),
or
(ii) have been entered into in the ordinary course of Business and do not
individually involve annual payment obligations in excess of $25,000, neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement,
lease, commitment, understanding, or instrument. Except as disclosed in Section
4(n) of the Disclosure Schedule, each Material Contract constitutes a valid
and
binding obligation of the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge, constitutes a
valid and binding obligation of the other parties thereto and is in full force
and effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in breach or
default (nor has any event occurred which, with notice or the passage of time,
or both, would constitute such a breach or default) under, and has not received
written notice that it is in breach or default under, any Material Contract,
except for such breaches or defaults as to which requisite waivers or consents
have been obtained. Except as set forth in Section 4(n) of the Disclosure
Schedule, to the Company’s Knowledge, no other party to any Material Contract is
in breach or default (nor has any event occurred which, with notice or the
passage of time, or both, would constitute such a breach or default) under
any
Material Contract.
(o) Insurance.
Except
as
set forth in Section 4(o) of the Disclosure Schedule, since the Most Recent
Fiscal Month End, the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ material assets have been
continuously insured with financially sound insurers in such amounts and against
such risks and losses as are customary in the industry in which the Company
and
its Subsidiaries are engaged, and neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries has received any written notice of cancellation or termination
with
respect to any material insurance policy providing coverage in respect of the
material assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries. All material insurance
policies of the Company and its Subsidiaries are in full force and effect and
are listed in Section 4(o) of the Disclosure Schedule.
(p) Litigation
and
Bankruptcy Proceedings.
(i) Except
as
set forth in Section 4(p) of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no material
Claims relating to the Company or its Subsidiaries, which are
pending
or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in Section 4(p) of the Disclosure Schedule,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any outstanding
Orders.
(ii) Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary is involved in any Claim by or against it (a)
under the Bankruptcy Code, (b) under any other insolvency or debtors' relief
act, or (c) for the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, assignee,
sequestrator or other similar official
(q) Employees
and
Employment Matters.
(i) Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to or bound by any collective
bargaining agreement, nor has any of them experienced any strikes, grievances,
claims of unfair labor practices, or other collective bargaining disputes.
The
Company does not have any Knowledge of any organizational effort presently
being
made or threatened by or on behalf of any labor union with respect to employees
of any of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(ii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all Laws applicable to
their
respective employees respecting employment and employment practices, terms
and
conditions of employment, and wages and hours, except where the failure to
so
comply would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(iii) Section
4(q) of the Disclosure Schedule lists (1) all material employment contracts
and
employment plans to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which
any of them is bound or which relate to the operation of the Business, and
(2)
the names and current annual rates of compensation of all personnel (including
employees and independent contractors) whose 2005 compensation was, or whose
2006 compensation is expected to be, $100,000 or more.
(r) Employee
Benefits.
(i) Section
4(r) of the Disclosure Schedule lists each Employee Benefit Plan that any of
the
Company and its Subsidiaries maintains or to which any of the Company and its
Subsidiaries contributes.
(A) To
the
Knowledge of the Company, each such Employee Benefit Plan (and each related
trust, insurance contract, or fund) has been maintained, funded and administered
in accordance with the terms of such Employee Benefit Plan and complies in
form
and in operation in all respects with the applicable requirements of ERISA
and
the Code, except where the failure to comply would not have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(B) All
contributions (including all employer contributions and employee salary
reduction contributions) which are due have been made to each such Employee
Benefit Plan which is an Employee Pension Benefit Plan. All
premiums
or other payments which are due have been paid with respect to each such
Employee Benefit Plan which is an Employee Welfare Benefit Plan.
(C) Each
such
Employee Benefit Plan which is intended to meet the requirements of a “qualified
plan” under Code Section 401(a) has received a determination letter from the
Internal Revenue Service to the effect that it meets the requirements of Code
Section 401(a).
(D) As
of the
last day of the most recent prior plan year, the market value of assets under
each such Employee Benefit Plan which is an Employee Pension Benefit Plan (other
than any Multiemployer Plan) equaled or exceeded the present value of
liabilities thereunder (determined in accordance with then current funding
assumptions).
(s) Environmental,
Health, and Safety
Matters.
(i) The
Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with Environmental, Health,
and
Safety Requirements, except for such noncompliance as would not have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(ii) Except
as
set forth in Section 4(s) of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company and its
Subsidiaries have not received any written notice, report or other information
regarding any actual or alleged material violation of Environmental, Health,
and
Safety Requirements, or any material liabilities or potential material
liabilities (whether accrued, absolute, contingent, unliquidated or otherwise),
including any investigatory, remedial or corrective obligations, relating to
the
Company or its Subsidiaries or their facilities arising under Environmental,
Health, and Safety Requirements.
(iii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries have secured all material permits required under
Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements for the operation of the Business
(and such Permits are listed in Section 4(s) of the Disclosure Schedule), except
where the failure to obtain any such permit would not have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(iv) The
Company does not Know, or have reason to Know, of any material pending or
threatened Claim against Company or a Subsidiary with respect to Environmental,
Health, and Safety Requirements.
(v) The
Company does not Know, or have reason to Know, of any act attributable to the
Company or any Subsidiary that could give rise to material liability under
CERCLA or any other Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements. Neither
the
Company nor any Subsidiary has submitted notice pursuant to Section 103 of
CERCLA with respect to any property owned, leased, or operated by the Company
or
any Subsidiary.
(vi) To
their
Knowledge, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary owns or operates an
underground storage tank except for tanks in material compliance with
Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.
(vii) The
Company does not Know, or have reason to Know, of any materials that have been
released, discharged, deposited, emitted, leaked, spilled, poured, emptied,
injected, dumped or disposed of on, in, or under any property owned, leased,
or
operated by the Company or any Subsidiary in a manner that materially violates
any applicable Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.
(t) Warranty,
Product Liability, and Product
Recalls.
Section
4(t) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth the product return policies (the
“Return
Policies”)
of,
and all Warranties (as hereinafter defined) given or made by, the Company or
its
Subsidiaries. “Warranties”
shall
mean all service, repair, replacement and other obligations based upon or
arising out of express and implied warranties made or deemed made in connection
with the sale of goods or the performance of services by the Company or its
Subsidiaries. The Company and its Subsidiaries have not extended or granted
any
return rights or given or made any Warranties with respect to any products
sold
or services performed, other than Warranties and per the Return Policies. To
the
Company’s Knowledge, except as set forth in Section 4(t) of the Disclosure
Schedule, none of the customers of the Company or its Subsidiaries has claimed
that the Company’s products are defective. Except as set forth in Section 4(t)
of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company does not have any Knowledge of any
products which have been shipped in a condition that such products might
reasonably be expected to be returned by the customer, or of any intention
on
the part of any customer to return any of the products, except returns by
customers in the ordinary course of Business and consistent with the Return
Policies and which, in any event, are not expected to be material in amount.
The
Company does not have any Knowledge of any fact or of the occurrence of any
event forming the basis of any present or future claim against the Company
or
any Subsidiary, whether or not fully covered by insurance, for liability on
account of negligence or product liability or on account of any Warranties
which
would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect on
the
Company or the Business.
The
Company has set aside adequate reserves in the Financial Statements for Warranty
claims and product returns under the Return Policy. The Company, the
Subsidiaries, and their predecessors have not within the past 5 years: been
subject to any Claim or Order that required, or sought to require, that they
recall any products designed, manufactured, assembled, shipped, sold,
distributed, installed, repaired or maintained by any of them. The Company
does
not Know, or have reason to Know, of any voluntary recall undertaken to avoid
a
Claim or Order or of any pending or threatened Claim or Order that would require
such a recall.
(u) No
Guaranties.
Neither
The Company nor any Subsidiary has guaranteed the obligations or liabilities
of
any Person, except for obligations of the Company and its
Subsidiaries.
(v) Inventory.
Except
as
set forth in Section 4(v) of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company's and each
Subsidiary's inventory are of a quality usable, and, with respect to finished
goods, saleable, in the ordinary course of Business, except for obsolete items
and items of below-standard quality, all of which shall have been written off
or
written down to net realizable value prior to the Closing.
(w) Receivables.
All
receivables reflected in the Financial Statements, and all receivables which
have arisen since the Most Recent Fiscal Month End, arose from transactions
in
the ordinary course of Business. Except as set forth in Section 4(w) of the
Disclosure Schedule, the Company and its Subsidiaries expect such receivables
to
be (or to have been) fully collected when due, except to the extent of the
normal allowance for doubtful accounts as reflected on the Financial
Statements.
(x) Records.
The
books
of account, minute books, stock certificate books, and stock transfer ledgers
("Books") of the Company and each Subsidiary are complete and correct in all
material respects. The Company Knows of no material transactions involving
the
Business of the Company, or its Subsidiaries, which properly should have been,
but are not, set forth in the Books.
(y) Absence
of
Changes or Events.
Since
the
Most Recent Fiscal Month End, the Company and its Subsidiaries have conducted
Business only in the ordinary course. Since the Most Recent Fiscal Month End,
neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has taken, or entered into any agreement
or made any commitment to take, any of the following actions:
(i) Incurred
any obligation or Liability, except Liabilities (1) for trade or business
obligations incurred in the ordinary course of Business or (2) which do not
have
a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) Paid
any
obligation or Liability other than current Liabilities (1) shown on the
Financial Statements or (2) incurred since the Most Recent Fiscal Month End
in
the ordinary course of Business.
(iii) Declared
or paid dividends or other distributions to its shareholders or purchased,
retired or redeemed, or obligated itself to purchase, retire or redeem, any
of
its capital stock, except in connection with the transactions contemplated
hereby.
(iv) Issued
or
sold any shares of, or options or other rights to purchase, its capital stock
or
other securities other than option exercises or other share issuances in
furtherance of Section 2(a) hereof.
(v) Acquired
any capital stock of, interest in, or other securities of any Person, or
otherwise made any loan or advance to or investment in any Person.
(vi) Subjected
any assets to any Security Interest.
(vii) Sold
or
otherwise disposed of any assets, except in the ordinary course of
Business.
(viii) Cancelled,
compromised, waived, or released any material debt, claim, or right, except
in
the ordinary course of Business.
(ix) Received
or given notice of termination of any Contract whose termination has had, or
may
have, a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) To
its
Knowledge, experienced any labor union organizing activity, had any actual
or
threatened employee strikes, work stoppages, slow-downs, or lock-outs, or had
any material change in the terms of agreements with its employees, agents,
customers or suppliers.
(xi) Except
as
set forth in Section 4(y)(xi) of the Disclosure Schedule, made or agreed to
make
any change in the compensation payable to any director, officer, or employee,
except for normal periodic bonus accruals and normal periodic increases in
regular compensation.
(xii) Except
as
set forth in Section 4(y)(xii) of the Disclosure Schedule, acquired any capital
assets which cost in excess of an aggregate of $50,000.
(xiii) Instituted,
settled or agreed to settle any material Proceeding.
(xiv) Suffered
any change, event, condition, damage, destruction, or loss having a Material
Adverse Effect.
(z) Disclosure.
No
representation or warranty relating to the Company in this Agreement and no
certificate or other instrument furnished by or on behalf of Seller or the
Company to Buyers (i) contains or will contain any untrue statement of a
material fact; or (ii) omits or will omit to state any material fact required
to
make the statements made in this Agreement and such certificates, taken as
a
whole, not misleading.
5. Pre
Closing
Covenants.
The
Parties agree as follows with respect to the period between the execution of
this Agreement and the Closing.
(a) General.
Each
of
the Parties will use commercially reasonable efforts to take reasonable action
and to do those things that are necessary, proper, or advisable in order to
consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
(including satisfaction, but not waiver, of the closing conditions set forth
in
Section 7 below).
(b) Notices
and
Consents.
The
Seller will cause each of the Company and its Subsidiaries to give any notices
to third parties, and will cause each of the Company and its Subsidiaries to
use
commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any third party consents, that the
Buyers may reasonably request in connection with the matters referred to in
Section 4(c) above. Each of the Parties will (and the Seller will cause each
of
the Company and its Subsidiaries to) give any notices to, make any filings
with,
and use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any authorizations, consents,
and approvals of Governmental Authorities in connection with the matters
referred to in Sections 3(a)(ii), 3(b)(iii) and 4(c) above.
(c) Operation
of
Business.
The
Seller will not cause or permit any of the Company and its Subsidiaries to
engage in any practice, take any action, or enter into any transaction outside
the ordinary course of Business and the Seller will continue to fund the
reasonable working capital needs of the Company and its Subsidiaries consistent
with past practices through the Closing Date.
(d) Full
Access.
The
Seller will permit, and the Seller will cause each of the Company and its
Subsidiaries to permit, representatives of the Buyers to have reasonable access
at all reasonable times, to all premises, properties, accountants, suppliers,
and other third parties whose consent is required in order to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby, Books, records (including Tax records),
contracts, and documents of or pertaining to each of the Company and its
Subsidiaries.
(e) Brockton
Payable.
The
Buyers shall lend to the Company, on an interest-free basis, up to $1,000,000.00
(the “Brockton Loan”), which shall be used solely to fund the payment
obligations of the Company to suppliers who are providing goods or services
under that City of Brockton Solar Brightfield contract. Buyers will advance
amounts under the Brockton Loan within 10 days after request from the Company
indicating that the payment obligations are due. If this Agreement is terminated
and the transaction is not consummated, then Seller shall cause the Company
promptly (and in any event within 10 days after termination) to repay the
Brockton Loan and will advance to Company any amounts necessary to do so. Upon
Closing, Buyers will release Seller from any obligation relating to the Brockton
Loan.
6. Post
Closing
Covenants.
The
Parties agree as follows with respect to the period following the Closing.
(a) General.
In
case
at any time after the Closing any further action is necessary or desirable
to
carry out the purposes of this Agreement, each of the Parties will take such
further commercially reasonable action (including the execution and delivery
of
such further instruments and documents) as any other Party may reasonably
request, all at the sole cost and expense of the requesting Party.
(b) Litigation
Support.
In
the
event and for so long as any Party actively is contesting or defending against
any Claim in connection with (i) any transaction contemplated under this
Agreement or (ii) any fact, situation, circumstance, status, condition,
activity, practice, plan, occurrence, event, incident, action, failure to act,
or transaction on or prior to the Closing Date involving any of the Company
and
its Subsidiaries, each of the other Parties will cooperate with it and its
counsel in the contest or defense, make available their personnel, and provide
such testimony and access to their books and records as shall be reasonably
necessary in connection with the contest or defense, all at the sole cost and
expense of the contesting or defending Party.
(c) Release
of
Seller Debt. To
the
extent the Company owes any debt or obligation to Seller at or prior to the
Closing and such debt or obligation is not satisfied by the payments described
in the Funds Flow Memorandum, the Seller shall (i) release the Company from
all
Liability relating to such debt or obligation and (ii) reimburse the Company
for
any Tax payable by the Company arising from the release of such debt or
obligation.
7. Conditions
to
Obligation to
Close.
(a) Conditions
to
Obligation of the
Buyers.
The
obligation of the Buyers to consummate the transactions to be performed by
them
in connection with the Closing is subject to satisfaction of the following
conditions:
(i) the
representations and warranties set forth in Section 3(a) and Section 4 above
shall be true and correct in all material respects at and as of the Closing
Date;
(ii) the
Seller shall have performed and complied with all of their covenants hereunder
in all material respects through the Closing;
(iii) there
shall not be any Order in effect preventing consummation of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(iv) the
Seller shall have delivered to the Buyers a certificate to the effect that
each
of the conditions specified above in Section 7(a)(i) through (iii) is satisfied
in all respects;
(v) the
Company, and its Subsidiaries shall have received all authorizations, consents,
and approvals of the Governmental Authorities referred to in Section 3(a)(ii),
Section 3(b)(iii), and Section 4(c) above; and
(vi) the
Buyers shall have received from the counsel to AET an opinion, substantially
in
form and substance as set forth in Exhibit B attached hereto, addressed to
the
Buyers, and dated as of the Closing Date;
(vii) The
Company and Millennium Energy Holdings, Inc. shall have entered into a lease
agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit D attached hereto;
(viii) AET
and
the Company shall have entered into a transition services agreement in
substantially the form of Exhibit E attached hereto;
(ix) The
Seller shall have paid or otherwise satisfied (A) accrued property taxes at
0000
X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000 through March 31, 2006, and (B) amounts
payable by the Company to Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx as a 2005 performance bonus (it being
understood that all other accrued liabilities of the Company as of the Closing
Date shall remain liabilities of the Company and the Seller shall not be
responsible therefor);
(x) The
Company shall have cash in the amount of at least $200,000;
(xi) The
Company shall have obtained suitable replacement insurance policies that replace
those insurance policies of the Company that will be terminated as of the
Closing;
(xii) The
Company shall have provided any notice to DARPA or taken any other action
required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, in
accordance with any applicable provisions under the VPM Agreement;
and
(xiii) The
Seller shall have acquired from Rentech all of the Company Shares indicated
in
Section 4(b) of the Disclosure Schedule as being owned of record by Rentech
as
of the date hereof.
The
Buyers may waive any condition specified in this Section 7(a) if they execute
a
written instrument so stating at or prior to the Closing.
(b) Conditions
to
Obligation of the
Seller.
The
obligation of the Seller to consummate the transactions to be performed by
them
in connection with the Closing is subject to satisfaction of the following
conditions:
(i) the
representations and warranties set forth in Section 3(b) above shall be true
and
correct in all material respects at and as of the Closing Date;
(ii) the
Buyers shall have performed and complied with all of their covenants hereunder
in all material respects through the Closing;
(iii) there
shall not be any Order in effect preventing consummation of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(iv) the
Buyers shall have delivered to the Seller a certificate to the effect that
each
of the conditions specified above in Section 7(b)(i) through (iii) is satisfied
in all respects;
(v) the
Company and its Subsidiaries shall have received all authorizations, consents,
and approvals of the Governmental Authorities referred to in Section 3(a)(ii),
Section 3(b)(iii), and Section 4(c) above;
(vi) the
Seller shall have received from counsel to the Buyers an opinion substantially
in form and substance as set forth in Exhibit C attached hereto, addressed
to
the Seller, and dated as of the Closing Date;
(vii) The
Company shall have obtained suitable replacement insurance policies that replace
those insurance policies of the Company that will be terminated as of the
Closing;
(viii) The
Company and Millennium Energy Holdings, Inc. shall have entered into an a lease
agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit D attached hereto;
(ix) All
inter-company receivables shall have been released and otherwise written off
by
the Company; and
(x) The
Seller
shall have acquired from Rentech all of the Company Shares indicated in Section
4(b) of the Disclosure Schedule as being owned of record by Rentech as of the
date hereof.
The
Seller may waive any condition specified in this Section 7(b) if they execute
a
written instrument so stating at or prior to the Closing.
8. Remedies
for
Breaches of This Agreement.
(a) Survival
of
Representations and Warranties.
All
of
the representations and warranties of the Seller contained in Section 4 (other
than the representations and warranties contained in Section 4(b), the last
sentence of Section 4(c) relating to the VPM Agreement, 4(g), 4(j), 4(r) and
4(s)) above shall survive the Closing hereunder and continue in full force
and
effect for a period of one year thereafter. The representations and warranties
of the Parties contained in Sections 3(a), 3(b), 4(b), the last sentence of
Section 4(c) relating to the VPM Agreement, 4(j), 4(r) and 4(s) shall survive
the Closing and continue in full force and effect forever thereafter (subject
to
any applicable statutes of limitations) and the representations and warranties
of the Parties contained in Section 4(g) shall survive the Closing and continue
in full force and effect for a period of eighteen months thereafter.
(b) Indemnification
Provisions
for Benefit of the
Buyers. Subject
to Section 8(a) and Section 8(e) hereof, from and after the Closing, the Seller
shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Buyers from and against any
and
all Adverse Consequences, asserted against or suffered by the Buyers relating
to, resulting from, or arising out of (i) any breach by the Seller of any
covenant or agreement of the Seller contained in this Agreement, or (ii) any
breach by the Seller of the representations and warranties of the Seller
contained in this Agreement.
(c) Indemnification
Provisions
for Benefit of the
Seller.
Subject
to Section 8(a) and Section 8(e), from and after the Closing, the Buyers will,
jointly and severally, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Seller from
and
against any and all Adverse Consequences asserted against or suffered by Seller
relating to, resulting from, or arising out of (i) any breach by any of the
Buyers of any covenant or agreement of the Buyers contained in this Agreement,
(ii) any breach by any of the Buyers of the representations and warranties
of
the Buyers contained in this Agreement, (iii) any amounts due by the Seller
or
any of its Affiliates under any of the bonds listed in Section 8(c) of the
Disclosure Schedule, or (iv) any and all Liabilities and obligations associated
with the ownership and operation of the Business from and after the
Closing.
(d) Matters
Involving
Third Parties.
(i) If
any
third party shall notify any Party (the “Indemnified
Party”)
with
respect to any matter (a “Third
Party Claim”)
which
may give rise to a claim for indemnification against any other Party (the
“Indemnifying
Party”)
under
this Section 8, then the Indemnified Party shall promptly notify each
Indemnifying Party thereof in writing; provided,
however,
that no
delay on the part of the Indemnified Party in notifying any Indemnifying Party
shall relieve the Indemnifying Party from any obligation hereunder unless (and
then solely to the extent) the Indemnifying Party thereby is prejudiced.
(ii) Any
Indemnifying Party will have the right to defend the Indemnified Party against
the Third Party Claim with counsel of its choice reasonably satisfactory to
the
Indemnified Party so long as (A) the Indemnifying Party notifies the
Indemnified
Party in writing within 10 days after the Indemnified Party has given notice
of
the Third Party Claim that the Indemnifying Party will indemnify the Indemnified
Party from and against the entirety of any Adverse Consequences the Indemnified
Party may suffer resulting from, arising out of, relating to, in the nature
of,
or caused by the Third Party Claim, (B) the Indemnifying Party provides the
Indemnified Party with evidence reasonably acceptable to the Indemnified Party
that the Indemnifying Party will have the financial resources to defend against
the Third Party Claim and fulfill its indemnification obligations hereunder,
(C)
the Third Party Claim involves only money damages and does not seek an
injunction or other equitable relief, (D) settlement of, or an adverse judgment
with respect to, the Third Party Claim is not, in the good faith judgment of
the
Indemnified Party, likely to establish a precedential custom or practice adverse
to the continuing business interests of the Indemnified Party, and (E) the
Indemnifying Party conducts the defense of the Third Party Claim actively and
diligently.
(iii) So
long
as the Indemnifying Party is conducting the defense of the Third Party Claim
in
accordance with Section 8(d)(ii) above, (A) the Indemnified Party may retain
separate co counsel at its sole cost and expense and participate in the defense
of the Third Party Claim, (B) the Indemnified Party will not consent to the
entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement with respect to the Third
Party Claim without the prior written consent of the Indemnifying Party (not
to
be withheld unreasonably), and (C) the Indemnifying Party will not consent
to
the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement with respect to the
Third
Party Claim without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party (not
to
be withheld unreasonably).
(iv) In
the
event any of the conditions in Section 8(d)(ii) above is or becomes unsatisfied,
however, (A) the Indemnified Party may defend against, and consent to the entry
of any judgment or enter into any settlement with respect to, the Third Party
Claim in any manner it reasonably may deem appropriate (and the Indemnified
Party need not consult with, or obtain any consent from, any Indemnifying Party
in connection therewith), (B) the Indemnifying Parties will reimburse the
Indemnified Party promptly and periodically for the costs of defending against
the Third Party Claim (including attorneys’ fees and expenses), and (C) the
Indemnifying Parties will remain responsible for any Adverse Consequences the
Indemnified Party may suffer resulting from, arising out of, relating to, in
the
nature of, or caused by the Third Party Claim to the fullest extent provided
in
this Section 8.
(e) Limitation
on
Indemnification.
(i) A
Party
may assert a claim for indemnification under Section 8(b) or 8(c), as the case
may be, only to the extent the Indemnified Party gives notice of such claim
to
the Indemnifying Party prior to the expiration of the applicable time period
set
forth in Section 8(a). Any claim for indemnification not made in accordance
with
Section 8(d) by a Party on or prior to the applicable date set forth in Section
8(a), and the other Party’s indemnification obligations with respect thereto,
will be irrevocably and unconditionally released and waived.
(ii) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Section 8: (i) Seller will not have any
indemnification obligations for Adverse Consequences under Section 8(b) (i)
unless and until Adverse Consequences exceed One Hundred Seventy Five Thousand
Dollars ($175,000), and then only to the extent of such excess; and (ii) in
no
event will the aggregate indemnification to be paid by the Seller under Section
8(b) exceed Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000). Notwithstanding the foregoing,
(x) the limitations set forth in Sections 8(e) will not apply to claims asserted
by the Buyers for breaches of Section 3(a), 4(b), or the last sentence of
Section 4(c) relating to the VPM Agreement, and (y) the aggregate
indemnification to be paid by the Seller under Section 8(b) with respect to
breaches of Sections 3(a), 4(b), or the last sentence of Section 4(c) relating
to the VPM Agreement will not exceed the Purchase Price.
(iii) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Section 8, the aggregate indemnification to be
paid
by the Buyers under Section 8(e) with respect to breaches of Section 3(b) will
not exceed the Purchase Price.
(iv) No
representation or warranty of either Party contained herein will be deemed
untrue or incorrect, and such Party will not be deemed to have breached a
representation, warranty, or covenant as a consequence of the existence of
any
fact, circumstance, action, or event that is permitted to be taken by such
Party
under the terms of this Agreement, or that is disclosed in this Agreement,
any
Schedule, or Exhibit hereto, or any certificate or other instrument delivered
in
accordance with the terms hereof.
(v) Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, except for the
representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, neither Seller
nor
any other Person is making any other express or implied representation or
warranty with respect to the Seller, the Company and its Subsidiaries, the
Business, or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and the Seller
disclaims any other representations or warranties, oral or written, whether
made
by the Seller or its Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, or
representatives, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS. Any claims any Buyer may have for breach of
representation or warranty must be based solely on the representations and
warranties of the Seller set forth in this Agreement. In furtherance of the
foregoing, except for the representations and warranties contained in this
Agreement, each Buyer acknowledges and agrees that none of the Seller, any
of
its Affiliates or any other Person will have or be subject to any liability
to
the Buyers or any other Person for, and the Seller hereby disclaims all
liability and responsibility for, any representation, warranty, projection,
forecast, statement, or information made, communicated, or furnished (orally
or
in writing) to the Buyers or any of the Buyers’ representatives, including any
confidential memoranda distributed on behalf of the Seller relating to the
Company and its Subsidiaries, the Business, or the transactions contemplated
hereby or other publications or data room information provided to the Buyers
or
the Buyers’ representatives, or any other document or information in any form
provided to the Buyers or the Buyers’ representatives in connection with the
sale of the Company
Shares
and the transactions contemplated hereby (including any opinion, information,
projection, or advice that may have been or may be provided to the Buyers or
the
Buyers’ representatives by any of the Seller’s representatives). EACH BUYER
HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT, EXCEPT FOR THE WARRANTIES EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN
SECTION 3(a) AND SECTION 4, THE COMPANY SHARES ARE BEING PURCHASED ON AN “AS IS,
WHERE IS” BASIS, WITH ALL FAULTS.
(f) Applicability
of
Section 8.
For
the
avoidance of doubt, the Seller and the Buyers agree that the remedies and
obligations under this Section 8 apply only following the Closing, and that
prior to the Closing or in the event that this Agreement is terminated the
Parties’ remedies will be determined by applicable Law and the provisions of
Section 10.
(g) Tax
Treatment
of Indemnity Payments.
The
Seller and the Buyers agree to treat any indemnity payment made pursuant to
this
Section 8 as an adjustment to the Purchase Price for federal, state, and local
income Tax purposes.
(h) No
Consequential
Damages.
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary elsewhere in this Agreement or provided for under
any
applicable Law, no Party will, in any event, be liable to the other Party,
either in contract or in tort, for any consequential, incidental, indirect,
special, or punitive damages of the other Party, including loss of future
revenue, income, or profits, diminution of value, or loss of business reputation
or opportunity, relating to the breach or alleged breach hereof or otherwise,
whether or not the possibility of such damages has been disclosed to the other
Party in advance or could have been reasonably foreseen by such other Party.
The
exclusion of consequential, incidental, indirect, special, and punitive damages
as set forth in the preceding sentence does not apply to any such damages sought
by third parties against the Buyers or the Seller, as the case may be, in
connection with Losses that may be indemnified pursuant to this Section
8.
(i) Exclusive
Remedy.
The
Seller and the Buyers acknowledge and agree that, from and after the Closing,
the sole and exclusive remedy for any breach or inaccuracy, or alleged breach
or
inaccuracy, of any representation or warranty in this Agreement or any covenant
or agreement to be performed hereunder on or prior to the Closing Date, will
be
indemnification in accordance with this Section 8 and the remedies provided
for
in Section 10(c). In furtherance of the foregoing, the Seller and the Buyers
hereby waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, any and all
other rights, claims, and causes of action (including rights of contributions,
if any) that may be based upon, arise out of, or relate to this Agreement,
or
the negotiation, execution, or performance of this Agreement (including any
tort
or breach of contract claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of,
or
related to any representation or warranty made in or in connection with this
Agreement or as an inducement to enter into this Agreement), known or unknown,
foreseen or unforeseen, which exist or may arise in the future, that it may
have
against the other arising under or based upon any Law (including any such Law
under or relating to environmental matters), common law, or
otherwise.
9. Tax
Matters.
(a) Tax-Sharing
Agreements. Any
tax-sharing agreement between the Seller and any of the Company and its
Subsidiaries is terminated as of the Closing Date and shall have no further
effect for any taxable year (whether the current year, a future year, or a
past
year).
(b) Responsibility
for
Filing Tax
Returns.
The
Seller shall include the income of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including
any deferred items triggered into income by Regulations §1.1502-13 and any
excess loss account taken into income under Regulations §1.1502-19) on Seller’s
consolidated federal Income Tax Return for all periods ending on or before
the
Closing Date (including any short periods ending on the Closing Date) and pay
any Taxes attributable to such income. For all taxable periods ending on or
before the Closing Date (including any short periods ending on the Closing
Date), Seller shall cause the Company and its Subsidiaries to join in Seller’s
combined or consolidated Tax Returns and to file separate company Tax Returns
in
any jurisdictions requiring separate reporting. All such Tax Returns shall
be
prepared and filed in a manner consistent with prior practice, except as
required by a change in applicable law. The Buyers shall cause the Company
and
its Subsidiaries to furnish information to the Seller as reasonably requested
by
the Seller in accordance with past custom and practice. The Company and its
Subsidiaries and the Buyers shall cooperate with Seller as to any elections
to
be made on any Tax Returns of the Company and its Subsidiaries for periods
ending on or before the Closing Date. The Buyers shall cause the Company and
its
Subsidiaries to file Tax Returns or shall include the Company and its
Subsidiaries in its combined or consolidated Tax Returns, for all periods other
than periods ending on or before the Closing Date.
(c) Post-Closing
Elections.
At
the
Seller’s request, the Buyers shall cause any of the Company and its Subsidiaries
to make and/or join with the Seller in making any election if the making of
such
election does not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Buyers (or any of the
Company and its Subsidiaries) for any period other than periods ending on or
before the Closing Date.
(d) Indemnification.
The
Buyers agree to, jointly and severally, indemnify the Seller for any additional
tax owed by the Seller (including tax owed by the Seller due to this
indemnification payment) resulting from any transaction engaged in by the
Company or its Subsidiaries not in the ordinary course of Business occurring
on
the Closing Date and after the Closing. The Buyers also agree to, jointly and
severally, indemnify the Seller for any transfer, documentary, sales, use,
stamp, registration or other such Taxes, or any conveyance fees, recording
charges and other fees and charges (including any penalties and interest)
incurred by the Seller in connection with the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement. Notwithstanding the forgoing, this
indemnification obligation shall not apply to any tax owed by Seller as a result
of the exercise of its option pursuant to the Option Agreement.
(e) Post-Closing
Transactions not in Ordinary
Course.
Buyer
agrees to report any transactions not in the ordinary course of Business
occurring on the Closing Date and after the Closing on Buyer's federal Income
Tax Return to the extent permitted by Reg. §1.1502-76(b)(1)(ii)(B).
10. Termination.
(a) Ability
to
Terminate.
(i) This
Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date by mutual
written consent of the Seller and the Buyers.
(ii) This
Agreement may be terminated by the Seller or the Buyers if the Closing has
not
occurred on or before four months following the date of this Agreement (the
“Termination Date”); provided that the right to terminate this Agreement under
this Section 10(a)(ii) will not be available to a Party whose failure to fulfill
any obligation under this Agreement has been the cause of, or resulted in,
the
failure of the Closing to occur on or before the Termination Date.
(iii) This
Agreement may be terminated by either the Seller or the Buyers if one or more
courts of competent jurisdiction in the United States, any foreign court with
jurisdiction over a party, or any State has issued an Order permanently
restraining, enjoining, or otherwise prohibiting the Closing, and such Order
has
become final and nonappealable.
(iv) This
Agreement may be terminated by the Buyers if there has been a breach by the
Seller of any representation, warranty, or covenant made by it in this Agreement
which has prevented the satisfaction of any condition to the obligations of
the
Buyers to effect the Closing and such breach has not been cured by the Seller
or
waived by the Buyers within 20 Business Days after all other conditions to
Closing have been satisfied or are capable of being satisfied.
(v) This
Agreement may be terminated by the Seller if there has been a breach by the
Buyers of any representation, warranty, or covenant made by it in this Agreement
which has prevented the satisfaction of any condition to the obligations of
the
Seller to effect the Closing and such breach has not been cured by the Buyers
or
waived by the Seller within 20 Business Days after all other conditions to
Closing have been satisfied or are capable of being satisfied.
(b) Procedure
and
Effect of Termination.
In
the
event of termination of this Agreement by either or both of the Parties pursuant
to this Section 10, written notice thereof will forthwith be given by the
terminating Party to the other Party and this Agreement will terminate and
the
transactions contemplated hereby will be abandoned, without further action
by
either Party, whereupon the Liabilities of the Parties hereunder will terminate,
except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement (including Section
10(c)).
(c) Remedies
upon
Termination.
If
this
Agreement is terminated as provided herein:
(i) Except
as
otherwise provided in this Section 10, such termination will be the sole remedy
of the Parties with respect to breaches of any representation, warranty, or
covenant contained in this Agreement and neither Party nor any of its trustees,
directors, officers, employees or Affiliates, as the case may be, will have
any
Liability or further obligation to the other Party or any of its trustees,
directors, officers, employees or Affiliates, as the case may be, pursuant
to
this Agreement.
(ii) Notwithstanding
Section 10(c)(i), the obligations of the Parties under Sections 8, 10 and 11
will survive termination of this Agreement.
(iii) The
Buyers will pay to the Seller a fee equal to five percent (5%) of the Cash
Purchase Price if the Seller terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section
10(a)(v).
(iv) The
Seller will pay to the Buyers a fee equal to five percent (5%) of the Cash
Purchase Price if the Buyers terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section
10(a)(iv).
(d) Liquidated
Damages.
In
view
of the difficulty of determining the amount of damages which may result from
a
termination under the circumstances set forth in Section 10(a)(iv) or 10(a)(v),
and the failure of the Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement, the Buyers and the Seller have mutually agreed that the payment
set forth in Section 10(c)(iii) and 10(c)(iv) will be made to the Seller or
the
Buyers, as the case may be, as liquidated damages, and not as a penalty. In
the
event of any such termination, the Parties have agreed that the payment set
forth in Section 10(c)(iii) and Section 10(c)(iv) will be the sole and exclusive
remedy for monetary damages of the Seller or the Buyers, as the case may be.
ACCORDINGLY, THE PARTIES HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT (i) THE EXTENT OF DAMAGES
CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THIS TRANSACTION TO BE CONSUMMATED WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE
OR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN, (ii) THE AMOUNT OF THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES
PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION 10(c)(iii) AND SECTION 10(c)(iv) IS A FAIR AND
REASONABLE ESTIMATE OF SUCH DAMAGES UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND (iii) RECEIPT
OF SUCH LIQUIDATED DAMAGES BY THE SELLERS OR THE BUYERS, AS THE CASE MAY BE,
DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A PENALTY. THE PARTIES HEREBY FOREVER WAIVE AND AGREE TO
FOREGO TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW ANY AND ALL RIGHTS
THEY HAVE OR IN THE FUTURE MAY HAVE TO ASSERT ANY CLAIM DISPUTING OR OTHERWISE
OBJECTING TO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOREGOING PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION 10. Any
payment under Sections 10(c)(iii) or Section 10(c)(iv) will be made by wire
transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account in the United States
of America if paid to Seller, or to a bank account in Germany if paid to the
Buyers, designated in writing by the Party entitled to receive such payment
not
later than three Business Days following the date such Party delivers notice
of
such account designation to the Party responsible to make such
payment.
11. Miscellaneous.
(a) Press
Releases
and Public Announcements.
No
Party
shall issue any press release or make any public announcement relating to the
subject matter of this Agreement without the prior written approval of the
Buyers and the Seller (which approval, with respect to public announcements
to
be made after the Closing, shall not be unreasonably withheld); provided,
however,
that
any Party may make any public disclosure it believes in good faith is required
by applicable law or any listing or trading agreement concerning its publicly
traded securities (in which case the disclosing Party will use commercially
reasonable efforts to advise the other Parties prior to making the disclosure).
(b) No
Third-Party
Beneficiaries.
This
Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any Person other than
the
Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
(c) Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement (including the documents referred to herein) constitutes the entire
agreement among the Parties and supersedes any prior understandings, agreements,
or representations by or among the Parties, written or oral, to the extent
they
are related in any way to the subject matter hereof.
(d) Succession
and
Assignment.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties named
herein and their respective successors and permitted assigns. No Party may
assign either this Agreement or any of his or its rights, interests, or
obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the Buyers and
the
Seller.
(e) Counterparts;
Facsimile Execution.
This
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall
be
deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same
instrument. Facsimile execution of this Agreement shall be valid and binding
for
all purposes.
(f)
Headings.
The
section headings contained in this Agreement are inserted for convenience only
and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
(g) Notices.
All
notices, requests, demands, claims, and other communications hereunder will
be
in writing. Any notice, request, demand, claim, or other communication hereunder
shall be deemed duly given if (and then two Business Days after) it is sent
by
registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, and
addressed to the intended recipient as set forth below:
If
to
the Seller:
ADVANCED
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
c/o
Millennium Energy Holdings, Inc.
Xxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000
Fax:
(000) 000-0000 (fax)
Attention:
Xxxx X. Xxxxx, General Counsel
Copy
to:
Xxxxxx
Xxxx & Priest LLP
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
XX 00000
Fax:
000-000-0000
Attention:
Xxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
If
to
the Buyers:
Solon
AG
für Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx.
00
X
- 00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Fax
+49 /
30 / 000 00 000
Attn.
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, CFO
I-Sol
Venture GmbH
Xx
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 00
X
- 00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Fax
+49 /
30 / 00 00 00 00
Attn
Xxxx-Xxxxxx Xxxx, Managing Director
Copy
to:
Steptoe
& Xxxxxxx LLP
Xxxxxxx
Center
000
Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
0000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
Attention:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx, Esq.
Any
Party
may send any notice, request, demand, claim, or other communication hereunder
to
the intended recipient at the address set forth above using any other means
(including personal delivery, expedited courier, messenger service, telecopy,
telex, ordinary mail, or electronic mail), but no such notice, request, demand,
claim, or other communication shall be deemed to have been duly given unless
and
until it actually is received by the intended recipient. Any Party may change
the address to which notices, requests, demands, claims, and other
communications hereunder are to be delivered by giving the other Parties notice
in the manner herein set forth.
(h) Governing
Law.
This
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the domestic
laws of the State of Arizona without giving effect to any choice or conflict
of
law provision or rule (whether of the State of Arizona any other jurisdiction)
that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than
the
State of Arizona.
(i) Amendments
and
Waivers.
No
amendment of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless the same
shall be in writing and signed by the Buyers and the Seller. No waiver by any
Party of any default, misrepresentation, or breach of warranty or covenant
hereunder, whether intentional or not, shall be deemed to extend to any prior
or
subsequent default, misrepresentation, or breach of warranty or covenant
hereunder or affect in any way any rights arising by virtue of any prior or
subsequent such occurrence.
(j) Severability.
Any
term
or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation
in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the
remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of
the
offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction.
(k) Expenses.
Each
of
the Parties, the Company, and its Subsidiaries will bear his or its own costs
and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) incurred in connection with
this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
(l) Specific
Performance.
Each
of
the Parties acknowledges and agrees that the other Parties would be damaged
irreparably in the event any of the provisions of this Agreement are not
performed in accordance with their specific terms or otherwise are breached.
Accordingly, each of the Parties agrees that the other Parties shall be entitled
to seek an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of the provisions
of
this Agreement and to enforce specifically this Agreement and the terms and
provisions hereof in any action instituted in any court of the United States
or
any state thereof having jurisdiction over the Parties and the matter in
addition to any other remedy to which they may be entitled, at law or in equity.
(m) Submission
to
Jurisdiction.
Each
of
the Parties submits to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting
in
Arizona, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this
Agreement and agrees that all claims in respect of the action or proceeding
may
be heard and determined only in such court. Each of the Parties waives any
defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding
so
brought and waives any bond, surety, or other security that might be required
of
any other Party with respect thereto. Any Party may make service on any other
Party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the Party to be served
at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in Section
11(h) above. Each Party agrees that a final judgment in any action or proceeding
so brought shall be conclusive and may be enforced by suit on the judgment
or in
any other manner provided by law or at equity.
*****
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Agreement on as of the
date first above written.
BUYERS: | ||
SOLON AG für Solartechnik | ||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
|
|
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Chief Financial Officer
|
||
By:
|
/s/
Xx. Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
Name:
Xx. Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Chief Technical Officer
|
||
I-SOL VENTURES GmbH | ||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
|
|
Name:
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
|
||
Title:
Managing Director/ Geschäftsführer
|
||
SELLER: | ||
ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | ||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxx
|
|
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Vice President
|
APPENDIX
A
DEFINITIONS
As
used
herein, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth
below:
“Adverse
Consequences”
means
all actions, suits, proceedings, hearings, investigations, charges, complaints,
claims, demands, injunctions, judgments, orders, decrees, rulings, damages,
dues, penalties, fines, costs, amounts paid in settlement, Liabilities,
obligations, Taxes, liens, losses, lost value, expenses, and fees, including
court costs and attorneys’ fees and expenses.
“Affiliate”
has
the
meaning set forth in Rule 12b-2 of the regulations promulgated under the
Securities Exchange Act.
“Business”
has
the
meaning set forth in the recitals above.
“Business
Day”
means
any day other than Saturday, Sunday or any other day which is a legal holiday
on
which banking institutions in Tucson, Arizona or New York, New York or Berlin,
Germany, are authorized by law to close.
“Buyer(s)”
has
the
meaning set forth in the preface above.
“Claim”
means
any and all administrative, regulatory or judicial actions or causes of action,
suits, petitions, proceedings (including arbitration proceedings),
investigations, hearings, demands, demand letters, claims or notice of
noncompliance or violation delivered by any Governmental Authority or other
Person.
“Closing”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 2(c) above.
“Closing
Date”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 2(c) above.
“Code”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Company”
has
the
meaning set forth in the recitals above.
“Company
Share”
means
any share of the Common Stock, $0.001 par value, of the Company.
“Constituent
Instruments”
means
the certificate of incorporation, articles of formation, bylaws, operating
agreement, memorandum and articles of association, limited partnership
agreement, limited liability company operating agreement, or other similar
formative and organizational documents of any Person.
“DARPA”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 4(c) above.
“Disclosure
Schedule”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 4 above.
“Employee
Benefit Plan”
means
any (a) Employee Pension Benefit Plan (including any Multiemployer Plan), (b)
Employee Welfare Benefit Plan, (c) employee stock option or other equity
compensation plan, or (d) other fringe benefit plan or program whether written
or oral.
“Employee
Pension Benefit Plan”
has
the
meaning set forth in ERISA §3(2).
“Employee
Welfare Benefit Plan”
has
the
meaning set forth in ERISA §3(1).
“Environmental,
Health, and Safety Requirements”
shall
mean all federal, state and local statutes, regulations, ordinances and other
provisions having the force or effect of law, all judicial and administrative
orders and determinations, all contractual obligations and all common law
concerning public health and safety, worker health and safety, and pollution
or
protection of the environment, including without limitation all those relating
to the presence, use, production, generation, handling, transportation,
treatment, storage, disposal, distribution, labeling, testing, processing,
discharge, release, threatened release, control, or cleanup of any hazardous
materials, substances or wastes, chemical substances or mixtures, pesticides,
pollutants, contaminants, toxic chemicals, petroleum products or byproducts,
asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, noise or radiation, each as amended and
as
now or hereafter in effect.
“ERISA”
means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Financial
Statements”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 4(g) above.
“GAAP”
means
United States generally accepted accounting principles as in effect at the
date
of the relevant financial statements.
“XXXX”
means
GES Shared Services, Inc., an Arizona corporation.
“Governmental
Authority”
means
any federal, state, municipal, foreign or other governmental department,
commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, or any court of the United
States of America or Germany, or any political subdivision thereof, or of any
other country.
"Income
Tax"
means
any federal, state, local, or foreign income tax measured by or imposed on
net
income, including any interest, penalty, or addition thereto, whether disputed
or not.
"Income
Tax Return"
means
any return, declaration, report, claim for refund, or information return or
statement relating to Income Taxes, including any schedule or attachment
thereto.
“Indemnified
Party”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 8(d)(i) above.
“Indemnifying
Party”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 8(d)(i) above.
“Intellectual
Property”
means
(a) all inventions (whether patentable or unpatentable and whether or not
reduced to practice), all improvements thereto, and all patents, patent
applications, and patent disclosures, together with all reissuances,
continuations, continuations in
part,
revisions, extensions, and reexaminations thereof, (b) all trademarks, service
marks, trade dress, logos, trade names, and corporate names, together with
all
translations, adaptations, derivations, and combinations thereof and including
all goodwill associated therewith, and all applications, registrations, and
renewals in connection therewith, (c) all copyrightable works, all copyrights,
and all applications, registrations, and renewals in connection therewith,
(d)
all mask works and all applications, registrations, and renewals in connection
therewith, (e) all trade secrets and confidential business information
(including ideas, research and development, know how, formulas, compositions,
manufacturing and production processes and techniques, technical data, designs,
drawings, diagrams, specifications, customer and supplier lists, catalogs,
pricing and cost information, and business and marketing plans and proposals),
(f) all computer software (including data and related documentation) (whether
purchased or internally developed), (g) all information systems and management
procedures, (h) all other proprietary rights, and (i) all copies and tangible
embodiments thereof (in whatever form or medium).
“Knowledge”
means
the actual knowledge of the following officers of the Company: President, Chief
Financial Officer, Vice President, Technology, Controller, Vice President,
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary or other officers performing similar
functions for the Company.
“Law”
means
any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, codes and similar acts or
promulgations of any Governmental Authority.
“Liability”
means
any liability (whether known or unknown, whether asserted or unasserted, whether
absolute or contingent, whether accrued or unaccrued, whether liquidated or
unliquidated, and whether due or to become due), including any liability for
Taxes.
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
a
material adverse effect on the Business, assets, properties, results of
operations, or financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken
as
a whole) other than an effect (i) resulting from an Excluded Matter, or
(ii) cured (including by payment of money or credit to the Purchase Price)
before the Closing Date. “Excluded
Matter”
means
any one or more of the following: (A) any change in the international,
national, regional, or local markets or industries in which the Business
operates or of which the Business is a part, (B) any Law or Order (other
than a Law adopted or an Order issued specifically with respect to the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement), (C) any change in accounting
standards, principles, or interpretations, (D) any change in international,
national, regional, or local economic, regulatory, or political conditions,
including prevailing interest rates, (E) weather conditions or customer use
patterns, (F) any change in the market price of commodities or publicly
traded securities, (G) any matter disclosed in this Agreement, or any Schedule
or Exhibit hereto, or any other certificate or instrument delivered to the
Buyers under or in accordance herewith, or (H) any action permitted under this
Agreement.
“Most
Recent Balance Sheet”
means
the balance sheet contained within the Most Recent Financial Statements.
“Most
Recent Financial Statements”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 4(g) above.
“Most
Recent Fiscal Month End”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 4(g) above.
“Most
Recent Fiscal Year End”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 4(g) above.
“Multiemployer
Plan”
has
the
meaning set forth in ERISA §3(37).
“Option
Agreement”
means
and agreement between the has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)
above.
“Option
Purchase Price”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 2(b) above.
“Order”
means
any order, judgment, writ, injunction, decree, directive or award of a court,
administrative judge, or other Governmental Authority acting in an adjudicative
or regulatory capacity, or of an arbitrator with applicable jurisdiction over
the subject matter.
“Parties”
has
the
meaning set forth in the preface above.
“Person”
means
an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an
association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated
organization, or a governmental entity (or any department, agency, or political
subdivision thereof).
“Purchase
Price”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 2(b) above.
“Rentech”
has
the
meaning set forth in the preface above.
“Securities
Act”
means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Securities
Exchange Act”
means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Security
Interest”
means
any adverse claim, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, option, restriction
on
transfer, easement, right of way, matter of survey, charge, or other security
interest, excluding, with respect to any Company Shares and any other
securities, restrictions under applicable federal and state securities laws.
“Seller”
has
the
meaning set forth in the preface above.
“Subsidiary”
means
any corporation with respect to which a specified Person (or a Subsidiary
thereof) owns a majority of the common stock or has the power to vote or direct
the voting of sufficient securities to elect a majority of the directors.
“Tax”
or
“Taxes”
means
any federal, state, local, or foreign income, gross receipts, license, payroll,
employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, windfall profits,
environmental (including taxes under Code §59A), customs duties, capital stock,
franchise, profits, withholding, social security (or similar), unemployment,
disability, real property, personal property, sales, use, transfer,
registration, value added, alternative or add-on minimum, estimated, or other
tax of any kind whatsoever, including any interest, penalty, or addition
thereto, whether disputed or not.
“Tax
Return”
means
any return, declaration, report, claim for refund, or information return or
statement relating to Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto,
and
including any amendment thereof.
“Termination
Date”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 10(a)(ii).
“Third
Party Claim”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 8(d)(i) above.
EXHIBIT
F
THE
SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS AGREEMENT AND ISSUABLE UPON THE EXERCISE OF
THE
OPTION EVIDENCED HEREBY (COLLECTIVELY, THE “SECURITIES”) HAVE NOT BEEN
REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE
STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED
OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION
FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT AND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THEREUNDER AND
AN
OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT
REQUIRED AND IN THE ABSENCE OF REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION
UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS WITH AN OPINION OF COUNSEL
SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH AND THE AVAILABILITY
OF
ANY SUCH STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
OPTION
AGREEMENT
OPTION
AGREEMENT, dated as of _____________, 2006 (this “Agreement”),
by
and among ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., an Arizona corporation (the
“Optionee”),
SOLON
AG
für
Solartechnik,
a
German corporation
(Aktiengesellschaft)
and
I-SOL VENTURES GmbH (Gesellschaft
mit beschränkter
Haftung)
(collectively, “Solon”),
and
GLOBAL SOLAR ENERGY, INC., an Arizona corporation (the “Company”).
BACKGROUND
The
Optionee and Solon are parties to a Stock Purchase Agreement, dated March 25,
2006 (the “Stock
Purchase Agreement”),
pursuant to which the Optionee is selling all of the issued and outstanding
capital stock of the Company to Solon.
It
is a
condition to the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Stock Purchase
Agreement that the Company and the Optionee enter into this Agreement, pursuant
to which the Company is granting the Optionee an option, exercisable upon the
occurrence of specified events, to acquire, at par value, a number of shares
of
the Company’s Common Stock that will be equal to 5% of the issued and
outstanding Common Stock of the Company determined on a Fully-Diluted Issuance
Basis (as defined below) after giving effect to the issuance of the Option
Shares (as defined below) but not to any securities issuable in connection
with
a Trigger Event (as defined below).
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, mutual covenants herein set forth
and other good and valuable consideration, subject to the terms and conditions
herein, the Company and the Optionee hereby agree as follows:
1. Grant
of Option.
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions herein, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee
an
option (the “Option”)
to
purchase a number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Option
Shares”)
that
upon exercise of the Option will be equal to 5% of the issued and outstanding
Common Stock of the Company, determined on a Fully-Diluted Basis after giving
effect to the issuance of the Option Shares but not giving effect to the
issuance of any securities issuable in connection with a Trigger Event (so
that
the percentage will be computed immediately before any issuance of shares in
connection with the Trigger Event and the exercise will entitle the holder
of
the Option Shares to participate pro-rata with the other holders of company
shares in the Trigger Event) at an exercise price (the “Exercise
Price”)
of
$0.001 per
share
(or
such lesser amount as may hereafter be the par value of the Company). The
Optionee, on any exercise of the Option, must exercise the Option for all of
the
Option Shares; a partial exercise is not permitted. For purposes of this
Agreement, “Fully-Diluted
Basis”
means
the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock outstanding assuming, for
such purpose, the exercise, exchange, or conversion into Common Stock of the
Company of all options, warrants and other securities of the Company that are
exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, Common Stock at the time
of the exercise of the Option.
(b) The
number of Option Shares issuable upon exercise of the Option is subject to
adjustment as follows.
(i) If
the
Sales Price (as defined below) is less than Six Hundred Million Dollars
($600,000,000), then for each $1 of consideration that the Sales Price is less
than $600,000,000, the Optionee shall be entitled to an additional number of
Option Shares equal to 0.00000001% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock
of
the Company following the issuance of the Option Shares and on a Fully-Diluted
Basis. For example, if the Sales Price is $150,000,000, then the Optionee would
be entitled to an additional 4.5% and the total number of Option Shares would
be
equal to 9.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company
following the issuance of the Option Shares and on a Fully-Diluted Basis.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the aggregate number of shares issuable upon
the
exercise of this Option as adjusted by this Section 1(b)(i) (but not Section
1(b)(ii)) shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock of
the
Company determined on a Fully-Diluted Basis after giving effect to the issuance
of the Option Shares but not giving effect to the issuance of any securities
issuable in connection with a Trigger Event. For purposes of this Agreement,
“Sales
Price”
means
the value of the aggregate gross amount of consideration receivable by the
Company and/or the stockholders of the Company in connection with a Trigger
Event; provided, however, that if the Trigger Event is any of the events
described in Section 2(b) (iv) through (and including) (vii) hereof, then the
Sales Price shall be the fair market value of 100% of the equity interests
in
the Company. If consideration other than cash is received in connection with
a
Trigger Event or if the Trigger Event is any of the events described in Section
2(b) (iv) through (and including) (vii) hereof, then the Company and the
Optionee shall mutually agree upon the Sales Price. If the Company and the
Optionee cannot reach agreement as to the Sales Price within fifteen days after
the Optionee receives a Trigger Notice, the parties shall forthwith refer the
dispute to a nationally recognized investment banking or valuation firm mutually
agreeable to the Optionee and the Company for resolution, with the understanding
that such firm shall resolve all disputed items within twenty days after such
disputed items are referred to it. If the parties are unable to agree on the
choice of investment banking or valuation firm, they shall select a nationally
recognized investment banking or valuation firm by lot (after excluding firms
that have been used in the past three years by either party and any firms that
have agreed to render future services for either party). Each of the Optionee,
on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, shall bear one-half of
the
costs of such firm. The decision of the investment banking or valuation firm
with respect to all disputed matters relating to the Sales Price shall be deemed
final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the parties. In no case shall
the
Sales Price be determined with regard to restrictions other than restrictions
which, by their terms, will never lapse.
(ii) If
the
Trigger Event is an initial public offering as described in Section 2(b)(v)
hereof and securities representing more than 25% of the number of shares of
the
Company’s Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the offering (the
“Threshold
Amount”)
are
issued in the initial public offering, then the Optionee shall receive, without
any additional payment therefor (other than the Exercise Price for the
additional shares acquired
under
this Section 1(b)(ii)) an additional number of shares upon exercise of the
Option equal to the Applicable Percentage of the Excess Amount. For purposes
of
this Agreement, “Applicable
Percentage”
means
the percentage the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock that may be
acquired by the Optionee upon exercise of the Option as specified in Section
1(a), and as adjusted by the adjustment provided for in Section 1(b)(i); and
“Excess
Amount”
means
the number of securities issued in the initial public offering that is in excess
of the Threshold Amount.
2. Exercise
of the Option.
(a) The
Optionee may exercise the Option at any time during the thirty (30) day period
following receipt by the Optionee of notice (“Trigger
Notice”)
of a
proposed Trigger Event. The Company (or Solon with respect to a Trigger Event
described in 2(b)(iv) below) shall deliver a written Trigger Notice to the
Optionee at least forty-five (45) days prior to a proposed Trigger Event and
will use reasonable efforts to give such notice ninety (90) days prior to the
proposed Trigger Event. The Trigger Notice shall contain all material
information known to the Company regarding the Trigger Event, including a
description of the Trigger Event, the valuation of the Company for purposes
of
the Trigger Event, and a detailed description of how such valuation was
determined. Upon request of the Optionee, the Company (or Solon, as applicable)
shall promptly deliver to the Optionee such additional information regarding
the
Trigger Event as is reasonably available and requested by the
Optionee.
(b) For
purposes of this Agreement, a “Trigger
Event”
is
any
of the following:
(i) a
sale,
lease, exchange or other transfer of all or substantially all of the assets
of
the Company,
(ii) a
merger
of the Company with or into any other entity or other similar transaction (other
than a reincorporation transaction or other transaction involving only transfers
of ownership among affiliated entities for business planning, tax, or other
similar purposes) in which outstanding shares of the capital stock of the
Company are exchanged for securities or other consideration and where the
holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (determined
immediately prior to such transaction) cease to hold a majority of the voting
securities of the surviving entity,
(iii) a
transaction in which the Company is the surviving entity but the shares of
the
Company’s capital stock outstanding immediately prior to the transaction are
changed or converted by virtue of the transaction into other property, whether
in the form of securities, cash, a combination thereof or otherwise and where
the holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (determined
immediately prior to such transaction) cease to hold a majority of the voting
securities of the surviving entity;
(iv) any
sale
or other transfer or disposition of securities of the Company held by Solon
(other than sales or other transfers or dispositions to affiliates of Solon
whose security holdings shall be aggregated with Solon’s for purposes of this
Agreement) that results in Solon holding less than a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Company or any issuance by the Company of securities
to
a third party unaffiliated with Solon that results in Solon holding less than
a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company;
(v) an
initial public offering of any of the Company’s equity securities or any other
transaction that results in the Company becoming obligated to file reports
pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the “Exchange
Act”);
(vi) the
seventh anniversary of the date hereof; or
(vii) the
date
that the board of directors of the Company declares a dividend in cash or
in
kind on the Common Stock of the Company that, together with each prior dividend
made on or after
the
date hereof, provides the holders thereof with cash or property having a
value
of at least $3,000,000 in aggregate.
(c) The
Option shall expire upon the first to occur of (i) the consummation of any
Trigger Event described in Section 2(b)(i) through (v) hereof in respect of
which notice was duly provided to the Optionee in accordance with the terms
hereof, (ii) the exercise by Optionee of the option in accordance with the
terms
hereof, or (ii) the tenth anniversary of the date hereof.
(d) The
Company shall not effect a Trigger Event that involves receipt by the
stockholders of the Company of cash, securities or other property in connection
with the Trigger Event, nor enter into any definitive agreement relating to
such
a Trigger Event, unless the Company has made appropriate accommodation such
that
the Optionee shall be permitted to exercise the Option and similarly receive
cash, securities or other property on the same basis as other stockholders
of
the Company.
3. Rights
of Optionee.
The
Optionee shall not have any rights to dividends or any other rights of a
stockholder with respect to any Option Shares until such Option Shares shall
have been issued to Optionee (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the
transfer books of the Company) upon purchase of such Option Shares upon exercise
of the Option.
4. Exercise
Procedure.
(a) Procedure.
(i) The
Optionee may exercise the Option, in whole but not in part, at any time
following receipt of a Trigger Notice, by delivering to the Company a written
notice duly signed by the Optionee indicating that the Optionee is exercising
the Option accompanied by payment in an amount equal to the full purchase price
for the Option Shares.
(ii) Following
receipt by the Company of such notice of exercise and full payment of the
Exercise Price, the Company shall issue, as soon as practicable, a stock
certificate for the Option Shares in the name as designated by the Optionee
and
deliver the certificate to the Optionee.
(b) Legend.
If the
Option Shares are not then covered by a registration statement, each certificate
for the Option Shares shall bear a legend that is substantially similar to
the
following:
“THESE
SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED. SUCH SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR
HYPOTHECATED
4
UNLESS
THE REGISTRATION PROVISIONS OF SAID ACT HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH OR UNLESS
THE
COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF ITS COUNSEL THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS
NOT
REQUIRED.”
5. Registration
Rights.
(a) Demand
Registration.
At any
time after the earliest of (i) an initial public offering of any of the
Company’s equity securities in which the Optionee was not offered the
opportunity to include the Option Shares in the registration or (ii) any other
transaction that results in the Company becoming obligated to file reports
pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, but not within six months
after any registration statement covering a public offering of securities of
the
Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”)
shall
have become effective, the Optionee may request the Company to register under
the Securities Act all or any portion of the Option Shares held by the Optionee.
The Company shall not be obligated to file more than one registration statement
under this Section 5(a). If the Optionee so elects, the offering of the Option
Shares pursuant to such registration shall be in the form of an underwritten
offering, with the Optionee to select one or more nationally recognized firms
of
investment bankers reasonably acceptable to the Company to act as the lead
managing underwriter or underwriters in connection with such offering and any
additional investment bankers and managers to be used in connection with the
offering, which shall also be reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company
will be obligated to proceed with the registration if it relates to Option
Shares having an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least $20,000,000
or, if it relates to all of the Option Shares then outstanding or eligible
for
exercise under this Agreement, $5,000,000. The Company may delay the
registration if it gives notice that it reasonably expects to engage in a
registration of its securities under the Securities Act within 6 months after
Optionee’s demand.
(b) S-3
Registration.
Anything contained in Section 5(a) to the contrary notwithstanding, at such
time
as the Company shall have qualified for the use of Form S-3 promulgated under
the Securities Act or any successor form thereto, the Optionee shall have the
right to request in writing up to three registrations on Form S-3 or any such
successor forms of Option Shares, which request or requests shall (i) specify
the number of Option Shares intended to be sold or disposed of, (ii) state
the
intended method of disposition of such Option Shares, and (iii) relate to Option
Shares having an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least $10,000,000.
A
requested registration on Form S-3 or any such successor forms in compliance
with this Section 5(b) shall not count as a demand registration pursuant to
Section 5(a), but shall otherwise be treated as a registration initiated
pursuant to and shall, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Section
5(b), be subject to Section 5(a).
(c) Piggyback
Registration.
If at
any time after the date hereof, the Company shall determine to register for
its
own account or the account of others under the Securities Act (including
pursuant a demand for registration of any stockholder of the Company) any of
its
equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 or their then equivalents
relating to shares of Common Stock to be issued solely in connection with any
acquisition of any entity or business or shares of Common Stock issuable in
connection with stock option or other employee benefit plans, it shall send
to
the Optionee written notice of such determination and, if within fifteen (15)
days after receipt of such notice, the Optionee shall so request in writing,
the
Company shall use its best efforts to include in such registration statement
all
or any part of the Option Shares, except that if; in connection with a public
offering of the Company the managing underwriter shall impose a limitation
on
the number of shares of such Common Stock which may
be
included in the registration statement because, in its judgment, such limitation
is necessary to effect an orderly public distribution, then the Company shall
be
obligated to include in such registration statement only such limited portion
of
the Option Shares with respect to which such holder has requested inclusion
hereunder.
(d) Company
Obligations.
(i) In
the
event of a registration pursuant to these provisions, the Company shall use
reasonable efforts to cause the Option Shares so registered to be registered
or
qualified for sale under
the
securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Optionee may reasonably
request; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify
to
do business by reason of this section in any state in which it is not otherwise
required to qualify to do business.
(ii) The
Company shall use reasonable efforts to keep effective any registration or
qualification contemplated by this section and shall from time to time amend
or
supplement each applicable registration statement, preliminary prospectus,
final
prospectus, application, document and communication for such period of time
as
shall reasonably be required to permit the Optionee to complete the offer and
sale of the Option Shares covered thereby.
(iii) In
the
event of a registration pursuant to the provisions of this section, the Company
shall furnish to the Optionee such reasonable number of copies of the
registration statement and of each amendment and supplement thereto (in each
case, including all exhibits), of each prospectus contained in such registration
statement and each supplement or amendment thereto (including each preliminary
prospectus), all of which shall conform to the requirements of the Securities
Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and such other documents, as
the
Optionee may reasonably request to facilitate the disposition of the Option
Shares included in such registration.
(iv) The
Company shall notify the Optionee promptly when such registration statement
has
become effective or a supplement to any prospectus forming a part of such
registration statement has been filed.
(v) The
Company shall advise the Optionee promptly after it shall receive notice or
obtain knowledge of the issuance of any stop order by the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“Commission”)
suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement, or the initiation
or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and promptly use reasonable
efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal
if
such stop order should be issued.
(vi) The
Company shall promptly notify the Optionee at any time when a prospectus
relating to a registration under this Section is required to be delivered under
the Securities Act of the happening of any event known to the Company as a
result of which the prospectus included in such registration statement, as
then
in effect, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then
existing, and at the reasonable request of the Optionee prepare and furnish
to
it such number of copies of a supplement to or an amendment of such prospectus
as may be necessary so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such
Option Shares or securities, such prospectus shall not include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in
the
light of the
circumstances
under which they were made. The Optionee shall suspend all sales of the Option
Shares upon receipt of such notice from the Company and shall not re-commence
sales until Optionee receives copies of any necessary amendment or supplement
to
such prospectus. The Company will use reasonable efforts to deliver the
amendment or supplement to the Optionee within 30 days of the date of such
notice from the Company.
(vii) If
requested by the underwriter for any underwritten offering of Option Shares,
the
Company and the Optionee will enter into an underwriting agreement with such
underwriter for such offering, which shall be reasonably satisfactory in
substance and form to the Company, the Company’s counsel and the Optionee’s
counsel, and the underwriter, and such agreement shall contain such
representations and warranties by the Company and the Optionee and such other
terms and provisions as are customarily contained in an underwriting agreement
with respect to secondary distributions
solely by selling stockholders, including, without limitation, indemnities
substantially to the effect and to the extent provided below.
(e) Expenses.
In the
case of each registration effected under this Section, the Company shall bear
all reasonable costs and expenses of each such registration on behalf of the
selling holders of Option Shares, including, but not limited to, the Company’s
printing, legal and accounting fees and expenses, SEC and NASD filing fees
and
“Blue Sky” fees; provided, however,
that
the Company shall have no obligation to pay or otherwise bear any portion of
the
underwriters’ commissions or discounts attributable to the Option Shares being
offered and sold by the holders of the Option Shares, or the fees and expenses
of counsel for the selling holders of Option Shares in connection with the
registration of the Option Shares.
(f) Indemnification.
(i) Subject
to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Optionee, its employees, agents, and counsel, and each person,
if
any, who controls any such person within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act from and against any and
all
loss, liability, charge, claim, damage, and expense whatsoever (which shall
include, for all purposes of this Section 5(f), but not be limited to,
attorneys’ fees and any and all reasonable expenses whatsoever incurred in
investigating, preparing, or defending against any litigation, commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement
of any claim or litigation) as and when incurred, arising out of, based upon,
or
in connection with (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a
material fact contained (A) in any registration statement, preliminary
prospectus, or final prospectus (as from time to time amended and supplemented)
or any amendment or supplement thereto, relating to the sale of any of the
Option Shares or (B) in any application or other document or communication
(in
this Section 5(f) collectively called an “application”)
executed by or on behalf of the Company or based upon written information
furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction in order
to
register or qualify any of the Option Shares under the securities or blue sky
laws thereof or filed with the Commission or any securities exchange; or any
omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, unless
(x) such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity
with
written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Optionee
expressly for inclusion in any registration statement, preliminary prospectus,
or final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any
application, as the case may be, or (y) such loss, liability, charge, claim,
damage or expense arises out of the Optionee’s failure to comply with the terms
and provisions of this Agreement, or (ii) any breach of any representation,
warranty, covenant, or agreement of the Company contained in this Agreement.
The
foregoing agreement
to
indemnify shall be in addition to any liability the Company may otherwise have,
including liabilities arising under this Agreement.
If
any
action is brought against the Optionee or any of its employees, agents, or
counsel, or any controlling persons of such person (an “indemnified
party”)
in
respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to
the
foregoing paragraph, such indemnified party or parties shall promptly notify
the
Company in writing of the institution of such action (but the failure so
to
notify shall not relieve the Company from any liability other than pursuant
to
this Section 5) and the Company shall promptly assume the defense of such
action, including the employment of counsel provided that the indemnified
party
shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case,
but
the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such
indemnified party or parties unless the employment of such counsel shall
have
been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense
of such
action or the Company shall not have promptly employed counsel reasonably
satisfactory to such indemnified party or parties to have charge of the defense
of such action or such indemnified party
or
parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be one or more legal
defenses available to it or them or to other indemnified parties which are
different from or additional to those available to the Company, in any of
which
events such fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company and the Company
shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of
the
indemnified party or parties. Anything in this Section 5 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any
such
claim or action effected without its written consent, which shall not be
unreasonably withheld. The Company shall not, without the prior written consent
of each indemnified party that is not released as described in this sentence
(which consent will not be unreasonably withheld), settle or compromise any
action, or permit a default or consent to the entry of judgment in or otherwise
seek to terminate any pending or threatened action, in respect of which
indemnity may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is
a
party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent, or termination
includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability
in respect of such action. The Company agrees promptly to notify the Optionee
of
the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or
any of
its officers or directors in connection with the sale of any Option Shares
or
any preliminary prospectus, prospectus, registration statement, or amendment
or
supplement thereto, or any application relating to any sale of any Option
Shares.
(ii) The
Optionee agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each director of
the
Company, each officer of the Company who shall have signed any registration
statement covering Option Shares held by the Optionee, each other person, if
any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities
Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, and its or their respective counsel,
to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Optionee
in Section 5(f)(i) but only with respect to statements or omissions, if any,
made in any registration statement, preliminary prospectus, or final prospectus
(as from time to time amended and supplemented) or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or in any application, in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Optionee, expressly
for inclusion in any such registration statement, preliminary prospectus, or
final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any application,
as the case may be. If any action shall be brought against the Company or any
other person so indemnified based on any such registration statement,
preliminary prospectus, or final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or in any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought
against the Optionee pursuant to this Section 5(f)(ii), the Optionee shall
have
the rights and duties given to the
Company,
and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights
and
duties given to the indemnified parties, by the provisions of Section 5(f)(i).
(iii) To
provide for just and equitable contribution, if (i) an indemnified party
makes a
claim for indemnification pursuant to Section 5(f)(i) or 5(f)(ii) (subject
to
the limitations thereof) but it is found in a final judicial determination,
not
subject to further appeal, that such indemnification may not be enforced
in such
case, even though this Agreement expressly provides for indemnification in
such
case, or (ii) any indemnified or indemnifying party seeks contribution under
the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, then the Company (including
for
this purpose any contribution made by or on behalf of any director of the
Company, any officer of the Company who signed any such registration statement,
any controlling person of the Company, and its or their respective counsel)
as
one entity, and the Optionee (including for this purpose any contribution
by or
on behalf of an indemnified party) as a second entity, shall contribute to
the
losses, liabilities, claims, damages, and expenses whatsoever to which any
of
them may be subject, on the basis of relevant equitable considerations such
as
the relative fault of the Company and the Optionee in connection with the
facts
which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages, and expenses.
The
relative fault, in the case of an untrue statement, alleged untrue statement,
omission, or alleged omission shall be determined by, among other things,
whether such statement, alleged statement, omission or alleged omission relates
to information supplied by the Company or by the Optionee, and the parties’
relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct
or
prevent such statement, alleged statement, omission, or alleged omission.
The
Company
and the Optionee agree that it would be unjust and inequitable if the respective
obligations of the Company and the Optionee for contribution were determined
by
pro rata or per capita allocation of the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims,
damages, and expenses (even if the Optionee and the other indemnified parties
were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of
allocation that does not reflect the equitable considerations referred to
in
this Section 5(f)(iii). No person guilty of a fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled
to
contribution from any person who is not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 5(f)(iii) each person, if
any,
who controls the Optionee within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities
Act
or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act and each employee, agent, and counsel
of
the Optionee or control person shall have the same rights to contribution
as
Optionee and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning
of
Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, each
officer of the Company who shall have signed any such registration statement,
each director of the Company, and its or their respective counsel shall have
the
same rights to contribution as the Company, subject to each case to the
provisions of this Section 5(f)(iii). Anything in this Section 5(f)(iii)
to the
contrary notwithstanding, no party shall be liable for contribution with
respect
to the settlement of any claim or action effected without its written consent.
This Section 5(f)(iii) is intended to supersede any right to contribution
under
the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise.
(g) As
used
in this Section 5, the term “Optionee” shall include any person to whom the
Optionee has transferred Option Shares or the Option. In addition, the rights
afforded to the Optionee in this Section 5 shall cease upon the consummation
of
any sale pursuant to a registration statement or Rule 144 under the Securities
Act or once such shares become eligible for resale pursuant to Rule
144(k).
6. Notices.
Each
notice relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered in person
or
by facsimile or certified mail to the addresses of the respective parties hereto
as
specified on the signature page hereto, or to such other
address as either party hereto may hereinafter duly give to the other.
7. Binding.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto,
and their successors, assigns.
8. Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with
respect to the matters herein, and cannot be amended, modified or terminated
except by an agreement in writing executed by the parties hereto.
9. Governing
Law.
This
Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws
of the
State of Arizona without regard to the conflicts of law principles
thereof.
10
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
date
first set forth above.
GLOBAL
SOLAR ENERGY, INC.
By:_________________________
Name:
Title:
Address:_____________________
____________________________
|
SOLON
AG
für Solartechnik
By:_________________________
Name:
Title:
Address:_____________________
____________________________
|
ADVANCED
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
By:_________________________
Name:
Title:
Address:_____________________
____________________________
|
I-SOL
VENTURES GmbH
By:_________________________
Name:
Title:
Address:_____________________
____________________________
|