EXHIBIT 16
VOTING AGREEMENT
This Voting Agreement (this "Agreement") has been made as of November
1, 1998 (the "date hereof") by The ServiceMaster Company ("ServiceMaster") and
other party who has executed this Agreement (herein called the "Stockholder").
RECITALS
A. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement,
ServiceMaster, SVM Acquisition Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
ServiceMaster ("Merger Subsidiary"), and LandCare USA, Inc. ("LandCare") are
entering into a Plan of Reorganization and Agreement and Plan of Merger of even
date herewith (which as constituted from time to time is herein called the
"Merger Agreement") which provides, among other things, that Merger Subsidiary
be merged into LandCare and that upon such Merger, LandCare will become a
wholly-owned subsidiary of ServiceMaster. The Merger Agreement also provides
that upon consummation of the Merger, each share of LandCare's Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to consummation of the Merger will be converted
into a fraction of a share of Common Stock issuable by ServiceMaster the term
"Merger" whenever it is used in this Agreement means the merger of the Merger
Subsidiary into LandCare.
B. The Stockholder is the record and beneficial owner of the number of
shares of LandCare common stock set forth adjacent to the Stockholder's
signature to this Agreement. The term "Stockholder's LandCare Shares" means the
shares of Common Stock listed adjacent to the Stockholder's signature and any
other LandCare shares the Stockholder may acquire after the date hereof.
C. The Stockholder has entered into this Agreement to induce
ServiceMaster to enter into the Merger Agreement.
THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Agreement to Vote Shares.
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(a) The Stockholder confirms that the Stockholder desires that
the Merger occur and has concluded that it is in the best interests of LandCare
and such Stockholder that LandCare's Board approve the Merger Agreement and that
LandCare sign the Merger Agreement and that it is better for LandCare to make
the commitments required by the Merger Agreement than to take the risk that by
seeking a higher offer for LandCare, the opportunity for acquisition by
ServiceMaster may be lost.
(b) At every meeting of the Stockholders of LandCare called
with respect to any of the following, and at every adjournment thereof, and on
every action or approval by written consent of the Stockholders of LandCare with
respect to any of the following, the Stockholder irrevocably agrees to vote the
Stockholder's LandCare Shares: (i) in favor of the adoption of the
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Merger Agreement and approval of the Merger and any matter that could reasonably
be expected to facilitate consummation of the Merger (the "Merger Proposal");
and (ii) against approval of any proposal made in opposition to or competition
with consummation of the Merger and against any merger, consolidation, sale of
assets, reorganization or recapitalization with any party other than with
ServiceMaster and its affiliates and against any reorganization,
recapitalization, liquidation or winding up of LandCare (each of the things
cited in this clause (ii) is hereinafter referred to as an ("Opposing
Proposal").
(c) The voting commitments 'in this Section 1 and in Section 2
and the authorization in Section 3 shall end when and if (but not before) the
Merger Agreement shall be terminated in accordance with its terms.
2. No Support for Opposing Proposals.
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(a) The Stockholder shall not invite or seek any Opposing
Proposal, support (or suggest that anyone else should support) any Opposing
Proposal that may be made, or ask LandCare's Board to consider, support or seek
any Opposing Proposal, or otherwise take any action designed to make any
Opposing Proposal more likely.
(b) The Stockholder shall not meet or otherwise communicate
with any person that makes or is considering making an Opposing Proposal or any
representative of a person after becoming aware that the person has made or is
considering making a Opposing Proposal. The Stockholder shall promptly advise
ServiceMaster of each contact the Stockholder or any of the Stockholder's
representatives may receive from any person relating to any Opposing Proposal or
otherwise indicating that any person may wish to precipitate or engage in any
transaction arising out of any Opposing Proposal and will provide ServiceMaster
with all information ServiceMaster requests available to the Stockholder
regarding any Opposing Proposal or possible Opposing Proposal.
(c) The Stockholder will not make any claim or join in any
litigation alleging that LandCare's Board is required to consider, endorse or
support any Opposing Proposal or to invite or seek any Opposing Proposal.
(d) The Stockholder shall not take any other action that is
reasonably likely to make consummation of the Merger less likely or to impair
ServiceMaster's ability to exercise any of the rights granted by this Agreement
or the value of any such exercise.
3. Authorization to Execute Ballot. The Stockholder hereby
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irrevocably authorizes ServiceMaster to execute as attorney in fact for the
Stockholder any ballot or consent form ServiceMaster shall reasonably deem
appropriate to accomplish the votes and consents required by this Agreement.
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4. Transfer Restrictions.
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(a) Until and unless the Merger Agreement has been terminated
(i) none of the Stockholder's LandCare Shares shall be tendered in response to
any tender offer, (ii) no interest in any of the Stockholder's LandCare Shares
shall be sold or otherwise transferred, (iii) the Stockholder ill not take any
other action which would impair Stockholder's ability to vote any of
Stockholder's LandCare Shares in the manner required by this Agreement and (iv)
the Stockholder's commitments in Sections 1 though 3 shall be irrevocable.
(b) The Stockholder hereby agrees that Stockholder's LandCare
Shares shall be legended to reflect the restrictions set forth herein in form
reasonably satisfactory to ServiceMaster. Upon execution of this Agreement, the
Stockholder shall deliver its LandCare Shares to LandCare for placement of the
restrictive legend and the shares shall be promptly returned to the Stockholder
thereafter.
5. Representations and Warranties of the Stockholder.
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(a) The Stockholder warrants to ServiceMaster that: (i) the
Stockholder is duly organized and in good standing under the laws of the state
its organization and has the requisite power to enter into and perform this
Agreement, (ii) this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary action
on the part of the Stockholder, has been duly executed by the Stockholder and
constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Stockholder,
enforceable against the Stockholder in accordance with its terms-,
(b) The Stockholder is not subject to or obligated under any
provision of (i) its organizational documents (if the Stockholder is not a
natural person), (ii) any contract, License, franchise or permit, or (iii) any
order, Judgment or decree which would be breached or violated by the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Stockholder.
(c) No authorization, consent or approval of, or any filing
with, any public body, court or authority is necessary for consummation by the
Stockholder of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) The Stockholder's LandCare Shares listed adjacent to the
Stockholder's signature to this Agreement constitute all of LandCare Common
Stock over which the Stockholder possesses beneficial ownership or voting power
on the date of this Agreement . The Stockholder has absolute ownership of the
Stockholder's LandCare Shares free of any adverse interest and has necessary and
sufficient night and authority to make the commitments with respect to the
Stockholder's LandCare Shares contained in this Agreement.
(e) The Stockholder is an accredited investor as defined in
the Rule 501 issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and is an affiliate of LandCare. The
Stockholder is able to assess the risks and benefits of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement. The Stockholder understands that ServiceMaster
and LandCare are each willing to respond to any questions or supply any
information the Stockholder shall desire
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in order to assess the risks and benefits of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement and hereby confirms that there are no questions that the
Stockholder desires to ask or information the Stockholder desires to obtain that
has not been answered or supplied prior to the Stockholder's execution of this
Agreement.
6. Further Assurances. The Stockholder will, upon the request of
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ServiceMaster, execute and deliver such documents and take such action
reasonably deemed by ServiceMaster to be necessary or desirable to more
effectively complete and evidence the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
7. Expenses. All costs and expenses incurred in connection with this
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Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party
incurring such expenses.
8. Amendment; Assignment. This Agreement may not be modified, amended,
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altered or supplemented except by a writing signed by ServiceMaster and the
Stockholder. Neither the Stockholder nor ServiceMaster may assign any of its
rights or obligations under this Agreement without the written consent of the
other.
9. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other
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communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given in person, by
telegram or facsimile (receipt verified), or sent by registered or certified
mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), and shall be deemed to have
been duly given if so given, to the respective parties as follows:
If to ServiceMaster: The ServiceMaster Company
Xxx XxxxxxxXxxxxx Xxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
With a copy to: Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx
000 X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
If to any Stockholder: To the address set forth adjacent to the
Stockholder's Signature
or to such other address as any party may have furnished to the other in
writing, except that changes of address shall only be effective upon receipt.
10. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
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counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but each of which
together shall constitute one and the same document.
11. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
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accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without giving
effect to the principles of conflicts
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of laws thereof The Stockholder hereby submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction
of the Federal and state courts located in Delaware in connection with any
dispute related to this Agreement or any of the matters contemplated hereby.
12. Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the
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benefit of and be enforced by the successors and permitted assigns of the
parties hereto. Nothing expressed or referred to in this Agreement is intended
or shall be construed to give any person other than the parties to this
Agreement, or their respective successors and permitted assigns any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any
provision contained herein. Each of the parties to this Agreement will be
entitled to enforce its rights under this Agreement specifically, to recover
damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to
exercise all other rights to which it may be entitled. The Stockholder agrees
that money damages are not an adequate remedy for breach of the Stockholder's
voting agreements in this Agreement or Stockholder's other agreements herein and
that ServiceMaster may in its sole discretion apply to any court of law or
equity of competent jurisdiction for specific performance and/or injunctive
relief in order to require any vote required by the terms of this Agreement or
to enforce or prevent any violations of the provisions of this Agreement.
13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, those documents expressly
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referred to herein and other documents executed by the parties in respect to the
matters herein embody the complete between the parties in respect to the matter
herein and supersede and preempt any prior understandings, agreements or
representatives by or among the parties, written or oral, which may have related
to the subject matter hereof in any way.
14. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of
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this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void
or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and
restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall
in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
15. Miscellaneous. The headings contained in this Agreement are for
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reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement. References to Sections, subsections and
clauses refer to Sections, subsections and clauses of this Agreement unless
otherwise stated.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year
first above written.
SERVICEMASTER COMPANY
By /s/ X.X. Xxxxxxxx
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Name: X.X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
STOCKHOLDER:
INFOSCOPE PARTNERS
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxx
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Name: Xxxx X. Xxxx
Title: President and CEO
Address: 0000 Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Number of Stockholder's LandCare Shares:
80,000
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