COMMITMENT AGREEMENT by and among SOLUTIA, INC. and THE INVESTORS SET FORTH HEREIN Dated as of October 15, 2007
Exhibit 10(ZZ)
Execution Copy
COMMITMENT
AGREEMENT
by and among
SOLUTIA, INC.
and
THE INVESTORS SET FORTH HEREIN
Dated as of October 15, 2007
by and among
SOLUTIA, INC.
and
THE INVESTORS SET FORTH HEREIN
Dated as of October 15, 2007
Table of
Contents
Page | ||||||
Section 1.
|
The Rights Offering | 1 | ||||
(a)
|
Rights Offering Procedures; Amended Plan | 1 | ||||
(b)
|
Rights Exercise Period; Expiration Time | 2 | ||||
(c)
|
Over-Allotment Right | 2 | ||||
(d)
|
Issuance of Shares | 2 | ||||
(e)
|
Commitment Notice; Satisfaction Notice; Payment Notice | 2 | ||||
Section 2.
|
The Backstop Commitment | 2 | ||||
(a)
|
Backstop Commitment | 2 | ||||
(b)
|
Direct Purchase Right | 3 | ||||
(c)
|
Backstop Fee | 3 | ||||
(d)
|
Transaction Fees and Expenses | 4 | ||||
(e)
|
Delivery of Investor Shares | 5 | ||||
(f)
|
Taxes | 5 | ||||
(g)
|
Document Delivery | 5 | ||||
(h)
|
Investor Affiliates | 5 | ||||
Section 3.
|
Representations and Warranties of the Company | 5 | ||||
(a)
|
Incorporation and Qualification | 5 | ||||
(b)
|
Corporate Power and Authority | 5 | ||||
(c)
|
Execution and Delivery; Enforceability | 6 | ||||
(d)
|
Authorized Capital Stock | 6 | ||||
(e)
|
Issuance | 6 | ||||
(f)
|
No Conflict | 7 | ||||
(g)
|
Consents and Approvals | 7 | ||||
(h)
|
Arm’s Length | 7 | ||||
(i)
|
Financial Statements | 8 | ||||
(j)
|
Disclosure Statement and Exchange Act Documents | 8 | ||||
(k)
|
Preliminary Prospectus | 8 | ||||
(l)
|
Registration Statement and Xxxxxxxxxx | 0 | ||||
(x)
|
Xxxxxxx xx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | 0 | ||||
(x)
|
Descriptions of the Transaction Documents | 9 | ||||
(o)
|
No Violation or Default | 9 | ||||
(p)
|
Legal Proceedings | 10 | ||||
(q)
|
Independent Accountants | 10 | ||||
(r)
|
Title to Intellectual Property | 10 | ||||
(s)
|
No Undisclosed Relationships | 10 | ||||
(t)
|
Investment Company Act | 10 | ||||
(u)
|
Licenses and Permits | 10 | ||||
(v)
|
Compliance With Environmental Laws | 11 | ||||
(w)
|
Compliance With ERISA | 11 | ||||
(x)
|
Accounting Controls | 11 | ||||
(y)
|
Insurance | 11 | ||||
(z)
|
No Unlawful Payments | 11 | ||||
(aa)
|
No Restrictions on Subsidiaries | 11 |
i
Page | ||||||
(bb)
|
No Broker’s Fees | 12 | ||||
(cc)
|
No Registration Rights | 12 | ||||
(dd)
|
No Stabilization | 12 | ||||
(ee)
|
Margin Rules | 12 | ||||
(ff)
|
Forward-Looking Statements | 12 | ||||
(gg)
|
Statistical and Market Data | 12 | ||||
Section 4.
|
Representations and Warranties of the Investors | 12 | ||||
(a)
|
Organization | 12 | ||||
(b)
|
Power and Authority | 12 | ||||
(c)
|
Execution and Delivery | 12 | ||||
(d)
|
Securities Laws Compliance | 13 | ||||
(e)
|
Accredited Investor | 13 | ||||
(f)
|
Resale | 13 | ||||
(g)
|
Information | 13 | ||||
(h)
|
No Broker’s Fees | 13 | ||||
(i)
|
No Conflict | 13 | ||||
(j)
|
Consents and Approvals | 13 | ||||
(k)
|
Arm’s Length | 14 | ||||
(l)
|
Legal Proceedings | 14 | ||||
(m)
|
Sufficiency of Funds | 14 | ||||
Section 5.
|
Additional Covenants of the Company | 14 | ||||
(a)
|
Agreement Motion and Agreement Order | 14 | ||||
(b)
|
Amended Plan and Disclosure Statement | 14 | ||||
(c)
|
Rights Offering | 15 | ||||
(d)
|
Listing | 15 | ||||
(e)
|
Notification | 15 | ||||
(f)
|
Unsubscribed Shares | 15 | ||||
(g)
|
Stock Splits, Dividends, etc | 15 | ||||
(h)
|
HSR | 15 | ||||
(i)
|
Effectiveness of the Registration Statement | 15 | ||||
(j)
|
Clear Market | 16 | ||||
(k)
|
No Stabilization | 16 | ||||
(l)
|
Reports | 16 | ||||
(m)
|
Registration Rights Agreement | 16 | ||||
(n)
|
Access and Information | 16 | ||||
(o)
|
Non-Solicitation | 17 | ||||
(p)
|
Opinion of Counsel For The Company | 17 | ||||
Section 6.
|
Additional Covenants of the Investors | 17 | ||||
(a)
|
Information | 17 | ||||
(b)
|
XXX Xxx | 00 | ||||
(x)
|
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx | 00 | ||||
(x)
|
Inconsistent Transaction | 17 | ||||
Section 7.
|
Conditions to the Obligations of the Parties | 18 | ||||
(a)
|
Conditions to the Obligations of the Investors | 18 |
ii
Page | ||||||
(i)
|
Agreement Order | 18 | ||||
(ii)
|
Material Adverse Effect | 18 | ||||
(iii)
|
Inconsistent Transaction | 18 | ||||
(iv)
|
Confirmation Order | 18 | ||||
(v)
|
Amended Plan and Confirmation Order | 18 | ||||
(vi)
|
Conditions to Confirmation | 18 | ||||
(vii)
|
Rights Offering | 18 | ||||
(viii)
|
Commitment Notice | 18 | ||||
(ix)
|
Valid Issuance | 18 | ||||
(x)
|
No Restraint | 19 | ||||
(xi)
|
HSR Act | 19 | ||||
(xii)
|
Consents and Approvals | 19 | ||||
(xiii)
|
Enforceability | 19 | ||||
(xiv)
|
NYSE/Nasdaq | 19 | ||||
(xv)
|
Comfort Letters | 19 | ||||
(xvi)
|
Execution of Documents | 19 | ||||
(xvii)
|
No Legal Impediment to Issuance | 19 | ||||
(xviii)
|
Good Standing | 19 | ||||
(xix)
|
Representations and Warranties and Covenants | 19 | ||||
(xx)
|
Officer’s Certificate | 19 | ||||
(xxi)
|
Bankruptcy Court Approval | 20 | ||||
(xxii)
|
Exit Facility | 20 | ||||
(xxiii)
|
Financial Projections | 20 | ||||
(xxiv)
|
Extension Fees | 20 | ||||
(b)
|
Conditions to the Obligations of the Company | 20 | ||||
(i)
|
Aggregate Purchase Price | 20 | ||||
(ii)
|
Agreement Order | 20 | ||||
(iii)
|
Confirmation Order | 20 | ||||
(iv)
|
Amended Plan and Confirmation Order | 20 | ||||
(v)
|
Conditions to Confirmation | 21 | ||||
(vi)
|
Rights Offering | 21 | ||||
(vii)
|
No Restraint | 21 | ||||
(viii)
|
HSR Act | 21 | ||||
(ix)
|
Enforceability | 21 | ||||
(x)
|
Representations and Warranties and Covenants | 21 | ||||
Section 8.
|
Indemnification | 21 | ||||
(a)
|
Indemnification Generally | 21 | ||||
(b)
|
Certain Procedures | 22 | ||||
(c)
|
Limitations | 23 | ||||
Section 9.
|
Survival of Representations and Warranties, Etc | 23 | ||||
Section 10.
|
Termination | 23 | ||||
(a)
|
Termination by Investors | 23 | ||||
(b)
|
Effect of Termination | 24 | ||||
Section 11.
|
Notices | 24 |
iii
Page | ||||||
Section 12.
|
Assignment; Third Party Beneficiaries | 24 | ||||
Section 13.
|
Prior Negotiations; Entire Agreement | 25 | ||||
Section 14.
|
GOVERNING LAW; VENUE | 25 | ||||
Section 15.
|
Counterparts | 25 | ||||
Section 16.
|
Waivers and Amendments | 25 | ||||
Section 17.
|
Headings | 25 | ||||
Section 18.
|
Specific Performance | 25 | ||||
Section 19.
|
Voting Restriction | 25 | ||||
Schedule I
|
Index of Defined Terms | |||||
Exhibit A
|
Rights Offering Procedures | |||||
Exhibit B
|
Settlement Term Sheet | |||||
Exhibit C
|
Registration Rights Agreement Terms | |||||
Exhibit D
|
Exit Facility Terms |
iv
This Commitment Agreement (this “Agreement”),
dated as of October 15, 2007, is made by and among,
(i) Solutia Inc., a Delaware corporation (as a
debtor-in-possession
and a reorganized debtor, as applicable, the
“Company”) and (ii) Highland Crusader
Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation, Xxxxxxxx
Fund Management, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability
company, Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx
Incorporated, a Delaware corporation, GMAM Investment Funds
Trust II, a trust organized under the laws of New
Hampshire, ReCap International (Master) Ltd., a company
organized under the laws of the British Virgin Islands,
Institutional Benchmarks Series (Master Feeder) Ltd., a Bermuda
segregated accounts company, solely with respect to the Muscida
series, Southpaw Asset Management LP, a Delaware limited
partnership and UBS Securities LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company (the entities referred to in this clause (ii),
collectively, the “Investors”). Each
capitalized term used herein but not defined herein shall have
the meaning given to it in the Fourth Amended Plan of
Reorganization (the “Existing Plan”) of the
Company and the other debtors therein submitted to the United
States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York
(the “Bankruptcy Court”) on July 9, 2007.
WHEREAS, the Company proposes to conduct a rights offering (the
“Rights Offering”) whereby each Eligible Holder
(including any Equity Holder who has purchased General Unsecured
Claims of less than $100,000 from General Unsecured Creditors
pursuant to such Equity Holder’s election) of a Noteholder
Claim or a General Unsecured Claim (each an “Eligible
Holder”), pursuant to the Rights Offering Procedures
filed with the Bankruptcy Court in connection with the
Disclosure Statement relating to the Amended Plan (as defined
herein) and attached hereto as Exhibit A (the
“Rights Offering Procedures”) shall be offered
the right (each, a “Right”) to purchase, on a
pro rata basis, based upon the amount of their respective
pre-petition claims, up to 15,936,703 shares (each a
“Share”) of New Common Stock at a purchase
price of $13.33 per Share (the “Purchase
Price”); provided, that the number of Shares
available for purchase pursuant to the Rights will be increased
by the number of Direct Purchase Shares (as defined below) that
the Investors do not purchase pursuant to the Direct Purchase
Right (as defined below);
WHEREAS, each holder of Rights who exercises in full its Rights
will be entitled, on a pro rata basis, to subscribe for
additional Shares at a price per share equal to the Purchase
Price, to the extent that other holders of Rights do not
exercise all of their respective Rights; and
WHEREAS, in order to facilitate the Rights Offering, pursuant to
this Agreement, and subject to the terms, conditions and
limitations set forth herein, the Investors have agreed to
purchase, and the Company agrees to sell, for a price per share
equal to the Purchase Price, a number of Shares equal to
(i) the number of shares of New Common Stock offered
pursuant to the Rights Offering and the Direct Purchase Right
and not validly subscribed for and purchased pursuant to the
Rights Offering Procedures (such Shares in the aggregate, the
“Unsubscribed Shares”) and (ii) at the
option of each Investor, the Direct Purchase Shares.
In consideration of the foregoing, and the representations,
warranties and covenants set forth herein, and other good and
valuable consideration, the Company and the Investors agree as
follows:
Section 1. The
Rights Offering.
(a) Rights Offering Procedures; Amended
Plan. The Company will conduct the Rights
Offering pursuant to the Rights Offering Procedures, as such may
be amended from time to time provided that any such amendment is
reasonably satisfactory to the Investors, and an amended plan of
reorganization (the “Amended Plan”) which shall
be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Investors and include only those revisions, modifications and
amendments to the Existing Plan as necessary to incorporate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other
proposed transactions described in the term sheet attached
hereto as Exhibit B (the “Settlement Term
Sheet”) and such other revisions, modifications and
amendments that the Company deems necessary or appropriate and
that shall not (i) materially adversely affect the
obligations or rights of the Investors hereunder,
(ii) cause any representation or warranty contained herein
to be incorrect in any material respect or (iii) be
inconsistent with the terms of the Settlement Term Sheet. To the
extent that the Investors object to any amendments or
modifications to the Rights Offering Procedures or the Amended
Plan, then they shall provide the Company and the
Creditors’ Committee with written notice of such
objections with two (2) Business Days after the filing of
such amended or modified Rights Offering or Amended Plan, which
shall be delivered by the Company to the Investors by email
promptly upon filing.
(b) Rights Exercise Period; Expiration
Time. In connection with the Amended Plan,
the Company shall issue Rights to purchase up to
15,936,703 Shares in the aggregate, subject to increase by
the number of Direct Purchase Shares not purchased by the
Investors pursuant to the Direct Purchase Right. The Rights
Offering shall be conducted in accordance with the terms of the
Rights Offering Procedures. The Rights may be exercised during a
period (the “Rights Exercise Period”)
commencing on the date that the Rights Exercise Forms (as
defined in the Rights Offering Procedures) are mailed to the
Eligible Holders and ending on the deadline specified in the
Rights Offering Procedures (the “Expiration
Time”). In accordance with the Rights Offering
Procedures, after the Expiration Time, the Company shall deliver
to each Eligible Holder a notice (a “Purchase
Notice”) setting forth the number of shares of New
Common Stock such Eligible Holder is entitled to purchase, such
Holders’ Total Exercise Price (as defined in the Rights
Offering Procedures) and instructions for payment of the Total
Exercise Price. Eligible Holders who receive the Purchase Notice
shall be required to pay their Total Exercise Price on or prior
to the deadline for payment set forth in the Purchase Notice
(the “Payment Date”), which amount shall be
held in escrow by the Company until the Effective Date.
(c) Over-Allotment Right. Each
Eligible Holder who exercises in full its Rights will have the
right (an “Over-Allotment Right”) to subscribe
for additional Shares at a price per share equal to the Purchase
Price pursuant to the instructions set forth in the Rights
Offering Procedures to the extent that other Eligible Holders
elect not to exercise all of their respective Rights in full. If
the number of Shares remaining after the exercise of all Rights
is not sufficient to satisfy all requests for Shares under the
Over-Allotment Rights, the Eligible Holders who exercised their
Over-Allotment Rights will be allocated such remaining Shares on
a pro rata basis as set forth in the Rights Offering Procedures.
(d) Issuance of Shares. Upon the
effective date of the Amended Plan (the “Effective
Date”), the Company will issue the Shares to the
Eligible Holders with respect to which Rights and Over-Allotment
Rights were validly exercised by such holder. If the exercise of
a Right or Over-Allotment Right would result in the issuance of
a fractional share of New Common Stock, then the number of
shares of New Common Stock to be issued in respect of such Right
will be rounded down to the next whole share.
(e) Commitment Notice; Satisfaction Notice; Payment
Notice. The Company will give the Investors
by electronic facsimile transmission the certification by an
officer of the Company conforming to the requirements specified
herein for such certification of either (i) the number of
Unsubscribed Shares and the aggregate purchase price therefor (a
“Commitment Notice”) or (ii) in the
absence of any Unsubscribed Shares, the fact that there are no
Unsubscribed Shares and that the Backstop Commitment (as defined
in Section 2) is terminated (a “Satisfaction
Notice”) as soon as practicable and, in any event,
within 3 Business Days after the Payment Date (the date of
transmission of confirmation of a Commitment Notice or a
Satisfaction Notice, the “Determination Date”).
If the number of Unsubscribed Shares specified in the Commitment
Notice increases following the Payment Date as a result of
non-payment on the Payment Date by an Eligible Holder that
exercised Rights or Over-Allotment Rights, as promptly as
practicable following the Payment Date and in any event within 7
Business Days following the Payment Date, the Company give the
Investors by electronic facsimile transmission a revised
Commitment Notice specifying the correct number of Unsubscribed
Shares and the aggregate Purchaser Price therefor.
Section 2. The
Backstop Commitment.
(a) Backstop Commitment. On the
basis of the representations and warranties contained herein,
but subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7:
(i) Backstop Commitment; Commitment
Percentage. Each Investor agrees, severally
and not jointly, to subscribe for and purchase on the Effective
Date, and the Company agrees to sell and issue, at a price per
share equal to the Purchase Price, a number of Shares equal to
the product of (i) such Investor’s Commitment
Percentage (as defined below) and (ii) all Unsubscribed
Shares (the “Backstop Commitment”). For
purposes of this Agreement, an Investor’s
“Commitment Percentage” shall mean the
2
percentage next to such Investor’s name set forth on
Schedule II which percentage represents such
Investor’s purchase obligations hereunder, subject to any
adjustment pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii) below.
(ii) Default Purchase Right. If
and to the extent that any one Investor or multiple Investors do
not fully and timely satisfy its or their obligations in respect
of the Backstop Commitment as required under Section
(2)(a)(i) (an “Investor Default”, and each
such Investor, a “Defaulting Investor”), then
each of the remaining Investors (the “Non-Defaulting
Investors”) shall have the right (the “Default
Purchase Right”), but not the obligation, to purchase
at a price per share equal to the Purchase Price, up to a number
of Shares equal to the product of (A) the quotient
determined by dividing the Commitment Percentage of such Non-
Defaulting Investor by the aggregate Commitment Percentage owned
by all Non-Defaulting Investors electing to exercise their
Default Purchase Right and (B) the number of Shares not
purchased by all Defaulting Investors (“Default
Shares”). As soon as practicable after an Investor
Default, the Company will send a notice to each Non-Defaulting
Investor, specifying the number of Shares subject to the Default
Purchase Right. Each Non-Defaulting Investor will have 2
Business Days from receipt of such notice to elect to exercise
the Default Purchase Right by notifying the Company in writing
of its election and specifying the maximum number of Default
Shares (up to the 100% of the Default Shares) that it is
electing to purchase. If any Non-Defaulting Investor wishes to
purchase less than all the Default Shares such Non-Defaulting
Investor is entitled to purchase in accordance with the
preceding sentence, the Default Shares shall be allocated among
the Non-Defaulting Investors who wish to purchase such available
Default Shares on a pro rata basis according to each
Non-Defaulting Investor’s Commitment Percentage. If any
Non-Defaulting Investors exercise the Default Right, the
Commitment Percentage for the Defaulting Investor shall be
reduced by the portion of the Backstop Commitment that such
Defaulting Investor has failed to fully satisfy and the
Commitment Percentage for the Non-Defaulting Investors
participating in the Default Right shall be adjusted accordingly
to reflect their respective portion of the Default Shares.
(b) Direct Purchase Right. Each
Investor shall have the right (the “Direct Purchase
Right”), but not the obligation, to subscribe for and
purchase on the Effective Date, and the Company agrees to issue
and sell on the Effective Date, a number of Shares equal to up
to the product of (A) the quotient determined by dividing
the Commitment Percentage of each such Investor exercising its
Direct Purchase Right by the aggregate Commitment Percentage
owned by all Investors electing to exercise their Direct
Purchase Right and (B) 2,812,359 shares of New Common
Stock, at a price per share equal to the Purchase Price (the
shares subscribed for by the Investors, (the “Direct
Purchase Shares”). Each Investor may elect to exercise
its Direct Purchase Right by notifying the Company in writing of
its election on or prior to the 4th Business Day after the
Expiration Time and specifying the maximum number of Direct
Purchase Shares (up to 100% of the Direct Purchase Shares) that
it is electing to purchase. If any Investor wishes to purchase
less than all the Direct Purchase Shares such Investor is
entitled to purchase in accordance with the preceding sentence,
the Direct Purchase Shares shall be allocated among the
Investors who wish to purchase such available Direct Purchase
Shares on a pro rata basis according to each Investor’s
Commitment Percentage. In the event that any Investors do not
exercise the Direct Purchase Right, the number of Shares subject
to purchase pursuant to exercise of Rights
and/or
Over-Allotment Rights in the Rights Offering shall be increased
by the number of Direct Purchase Shares not purchased by the
Investors. The Unsubscribed Shares and the Direct Purchase
Shares are herein collectively referred to as the
“Investor Shares.”
(c) Backstop Fee. On the basis of
the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject
to the entry of an order of the Bankruptcy Court approving this
Agreement and the exhibits attached hereto, the payment of the
fees and expenses provided for herein, and the release and
exculpation of the Investors, their affiliates, representatives
and advisors from any liability for participation in the
transactions contemplated hereby, by the Registration Rights
Agreement and the Amended Plan to the fullest extent permitted
under applicable law (the “Agreement Order”),
the Company shall pay to the Investors, and each Investor shall
have earned as of the date of the payment, a backstop fee (the
“Backstop Fee”) to compensate the Investors for
the risk of their undertaking herein. The Backstop Fee shall be
paid in U.S. dollars, by wire transfer of federal (same
day) funds to the accounts specified by the Investors to the
Company at least 24 hours in advance as follows:
(1) $4,375,000 shall be paid, on the first Business Day
following the date of the entry of the
3
Agreement Order by the Bankruptcy Court, and (2) $1,875,000
shall be paid on the date that the Company enters into a
definitive agreement for Exit Financing on terms consistent with
or more favorable than the terms set forth on
Exhibit D hereto (the “Exit Financing
Condition”) in the event that such date occurs prior to
December 31, 2007. As provided in Section 10(a)(ii)
hereto, in the event that the Company satisfies the Exit
Financing Condition, each Investor shall have the right to
terminate its Commitment unless the Effective Date has occurred
prior to February 28, 2008. As provided in
Section 10(a)(iii) hereto, if the Company fails to satisfy
the Exit Financing Condition, prior to 3:00 p.m. on
December 31, 2007, each Investor shall have the right to
terminate its Commitment unless the Company pays the Extension
Fee, in which case (i) the Exit Financing Condition shall
be waived by each Investor and (ii) each Investor shall
have the right to terminate its Commitment unless the Effective
Date has occurred prior to March 31, 2008. It is understood
that in the event the Agreement Order is appealed, and the
highest court to which the Agreement Order was appealed issues a
final order vacating or reversing in whole or in part the
Agreement Order and further orders disgorgement of all or a
portion of the Backstop Fee, each of the Investors shall
promptly return to the Company its share (based on its
Commitment Percentage) of the portion of the Backstop Fee
required to be so disgorged. The Backstop Fee shall be allocated
among the Investors in the same proportion as their respective
Commitment Percentages. If the Investors receive the Backstop
Fee, the Investors shall waive any rights to receive punitive
damages in connection with this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby. If any Investor votes against confirmation
of the Amended Plan in respect of such Investor’s
Noteholder Claims and at the time of such vote this Agreement
has not been terminated pursuant to Section 10, such
Investor shall promptly after submitting its ballot to the
Company, return the portion of the Backstop Fee, and any
Extension Fee (as defined below), paid to such Investor. Except
as set forth herein, the Backstop Fee and any Extension Fee will
be nonrefundable when paid. Each Investor who is entitled to
cast a ballot on the Amended Plan shall provide copies of such
ballots to the Company and the Committee within 5 days
after the Voting Deadline.
(d) Transaction Fees and Expenses.
(i) Transaction Expenses. Upon the
entry of the Agreement Order, the Company will reimburse or pay,
as the case may be, the fees and out-of-pocket expenses
reasonably incurred by the Investors with respect to the
negotiation, documentation and execution of the transactions
contemplated hereby and the enforcement, attempted enforcement
or preservation of any rights or remedies contemplated
hereunder, including the filing fee, if any, required by the HSR
Act (as defined in Section 5) and expenses related
thereto and all Bankruptcy Court and other judicial and
regulatory proceedings related to such transactions, and
including all reasonable fees and expenses of
Stroock & Stroock & Xxxxx LLP, counsel to
the Investors, and separate counsel to each Investor that is a
broker-dealer or affiliate thereof (collectively, the
“Broker/Dealer Counsel”), together with the
reasonable fees and expenses of any other professionals to be
retained by the Investors with the prior approval of the Company
(which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) in
connection with the transactions contemplated by herein
(collectively, “Transaction Expenses”), within
10 days of presentation of an invoice approved by the
Investors, without Bankruptcy Court review or further Bankruptcy
Court order, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby
are consummated; provided, that (1) the aggregate
amount of such Transaction Expenses payable to Broker/Dealer
Counsel shall not exceed $300,000 and (2) the aggregate
amount of such Transaction Expenses payable to
Stroock & Stroock & Xxxxx LLP
(“Stroock”) by the Company shall not exceed
$1 million unless there are Proceedings (as defined below)
in which case such Transaction Expenses relating to such
Proceedings payable to Stroock (the “Litigation
Expenses”) shall be governed by Section 2(d)(ii).
The Company acknowledges and agrees that Xxxxxx and Xxxxx, LLP,
counsel to Highland Capital Management, L.P. and its affiliates,
is also to be paid Transaction Expenses, and that such
Transaction Expenses payable to Xxxxxx and Xxxxx shall be fully
paid and are governed by the provisions for payment of Xxxxxx
and Xxxxx’x fees in the Settlement Term Sheet and are not
included in the calculation of any payments made on behalf of
the other Investors hereunder. These obligations are in addition
to, and do not limit, the Company’s obligations under
Section 8.
(ii) Litigation Expenses. The
Company will provide payment within 10 days of presentation
of an invoice of any Litigation Expenses; provided, that
the aggregate amount of Litigation Expenses payable to Stroock
shall not exceed $1 million exclusive of any Transaction
Expenses otherwise payable to Stroock pursuant to
Section 2(d)(i). In the event that Stroock is paid
Litigation Expenses and a final nonappealable
4
order shall have been entered by the court having jurisdiction
over the Proceedings that the Investors involved in such
Proceedings are not the prevailing party with respect to the
Proceedings (taking into account all claims and recoveries
related to the Proceedings), then the Investors involved in the
Proceedings shall promptly following such judgment cause to be
returned to the Company an amount equal to all Litigation
Expenses paid to Stroock. In the event that the Investors are
the prevailing party with respect to certain issues in the
Proceedings and not others, the court having jurisdiction over
the Proceedings shall apportion the Litigation Expenses
applicable to the various issues and will direct repayment of
such fees as are apportioned to the issues on which the
Investors are not the prevailing party and will order that the
Litigation Expenses paid to the Investors with respect to the
issues on which they are the prevailing party are not subject to
disgorgement.
(e) Delivery of Investor
Shares. Delivery of the Investor Shares, if
any, will be made by the Company to the account of the Investors
(or to such other accounts as the Investors may designate) in
book entry form at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the
Effective Date against payment of the aggregate purchase price
for the Shares by wire transfer of federal (same day) funds to
the account specified by the Company to the Investors at least
24 hours in advance.
(f) Taxes. All Investor Shares, if
any, will be delivered with any and all issue, stamp, transfer
or similar taxes or duties payable in connection with such
delivery duly paid by the Company to the extent required under
the Confirmation Order or applicable law.
(g) Document Delivery. The
documents to be delivered on the Effective Date by or on behalf
of the parties hereto and the Unsubscribed Shares will be
delivered at the offices of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP,
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx
00000-0000.
(h) Investor
Affiliates. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in this Agreement, the Investors, in their sole
discretion, may designate that some or all of the Investor
Shares be issued in the name of, and delivered to, one or more
of their Affiliates or to any other Person.
Section 3. Representations
and Warranties of the Company. The Company
represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Investors as
set forth below. Each representation, warranty and agreement is
made as of the date hereof and as of the Effective Date.
(a) Incorporation and
Qualification. The Company and each of its
Subsidiaries is a legal entity duly organized, validly existing
and in good standing under the laws of their respective
jurisdictions of organization, with the requisite power and
authority to own its properties and conduct its business as
currently conducted, and is duly qualified as a foreign
corporation for the transaction of business and is in good
standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it
owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to
require such qualification, except to the extent the failure to
be so organized, validly existing, qualified or in good standing
has not had or would not reasonably be expected to have, a
Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement, a
“Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any
circumstance, change in or effect on the Company and the
Company’s Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that individually
or in the aggregate with all other circumstances, changes in or
effects on the Company and the Company’s Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, is or is reasonably likely to be materially
adverse to the business, operations, assets or liabilities
(including without limitation contingent liabilities), results
of operations or the conditions (financial or otherwise) of the
Company and the Company’s Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
provided, however, that none of the following
shall be deemed, either alone or in combination, to constitute a
Material Adverse Effect: (i) changes in any statute, rule
or regulation after the date hereof, (ii) changes generally
affecting the industries in which the Company and its
Subsidiaries operate, (iii) changes in laws, GAAP or
accounting principles, and (iv) changes after the date
hereof resulting from the announcement or the existence of, or
compliance with, this Agreement or the Settlement Term Sheet, or
the announcement of the Rights Offering, the Amended Plan or any
of the other transactions contemplated hereby or thereby;
provided, further, that any circumstance, change
or effect described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or
(iv) shall not, either alone or in combination, constitute
a “Material Adverse Effect” only if the impact of such
circumstance, change or effect on the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, is not materially
disproportionate as compared to its impact on other participants
in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries
operate.
5
(b) Corporate Power and Authority.
(i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and
authority to enter into, execute and deliver this Agreement and,
subject to entry of the Agreement Order and the Confirmation
Order (together, the “Court Orders”) and the
expiration, or waiver by the Bankruptcy Court, of the
10-day
period set forth in Rules 6004(g) and 3020(e) of the
Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the “Bankruptcy
Rules”) respectively, to perform its obligations
hereunder, including the issuance of the Rights and Shares. The
Company has taken all necessary corporate action required for
the due authorization, execution, delivery and performance by it
of this Agreement, including the issuance of the Rights and
Shares, other than board of directors’ approval of, or
other board action to be taken with respect to, the documents to
implement the Rights Offering.
(ii) When executed and delivered, the Company will have the
requisite corporate power and authority to enter into, execute
and deliver the Registration Rights Agreement (as defined in
Section 5(m) hereof) and all necessary corporate
action required for the due authorization, execution, delivery
and, subject to entry of the Court Orders and the expiration, or
waiver by the Bankruptcy Court, of the
10-day
period set forth in Bankruptcy Rules 6004(g) and 3020(e),
respectively, performance of the Registration Rights Agreement
will have been taken by the Company by the Effective Date.
(iii) The Company will have the requisite corporate power
and authority to execute the Amended Plan and to file the
Amended Plan with the Bankruptcy Court and, subject to entry of
the Confirmation Order and the expiration, or waiver by the
Bankruptcy Court, of the
10-day
period set forth in Bankruptcy Rule 3020(e), to perform its
obligations thereunder, and will have taken all necessary
corporate actions required for the due authorization, execution,
delivery and performance by it of the Amended Plan by the
Effective Date.
(c) Execution and Delivery;
Enforceability.
(i) This Agreement has been and the Registration Rights
Agreement will be duly and validly executed and delivered by the
Company, and, upon the entry of the Agreement Order and the
expiration, or waiver by the Bankruptcy Court, of the
10-day
period set forth in Bankruptcy Rule 6004(g), and assuming
this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement will
constitute valid and binding agreements of the other parties
hereto and thereto, each such document will constitute the valid
and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the
Company in accordance with their respective terms.
(ii) The Amended Plan will be duly and validly filed with
the Bankruptcy Court by the Company and, upon the entry of the
Confirmation Order and the expiration, or waiver by the
Bankruptcy Court, of the
10-day
period set forth in Bankruptcy Rule 3020(e), will
constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.
(d) Authorized Capital Stock. On
the Effective Date, the authorized capital stock of the Company
will consist of 500,000,000 shares of New Common Stock, par
value $0.01 per share and 100,000,000 shares of preferred
stock, par value $0.01 per share and the issued and outstanding
capital stock of the Company will consist of
59,750,000 shares of New Common Stock. Except as will be
provided by the Amended Plan, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise bound by or subject to
any outstanding option, warrant, call, subscription or other
right (including any preemptive right), agreement or commitment
which (w) obligates the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
to issue, deliver, sell or transfer or repurchase, redeem or
otherwise acquire, or cause to be issued, delivered, sold or
transferred or repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired, any
shares of the capital stock of, or other equity or voting
interests in, the Company or any security convertible or
exercisable for or exchangeable into any capital stock of, or
other equity or voting interest in the Company,
(x) obligates the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to
issue, grant, extend or enter into any such option, warrant,
call, right, security, commitment, contract, arrangement or
undertaking, (y) restricts the transfer of any shares of
capital stock of the Company or (z) relates to the voting
of any shares of capital stock of the Company.
(e) Issuance. Subject to the
approval of this Agreement by the Bankruptcy Court, the
distribution of the Rights and issuance of the Shares, including
the Investor Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the
Investors hereunder, have been duly and validly authorized and,
when the Shares are issued and delivered against payment
therefor in the Rights Offering or to the Investors hereunder,
will be duly and validly issued,
6
fully paid and non-assessable, and free and clear of all taxes,
liens, pre-emptive rights, rights of first refusal, subscription
and similar rights.
(f) No Conflict. Subject to the
entry of the Court Orders and the expiration, or waiver by the
Bankruptcy Court, of the
10-day
period set forth in Bankruptcy Rules 6004(g) and 3020(e),
as applicable, the distribution of the Rights, the sale,
issuance and delivery of the Shares upon exercise of the Rights
and the consummation of the Rights Offering by the Company, the
sale, issuance and delivery of the Investor Shares and the
execution and delivery (or, with respect to the Amended Plan,
the filing) by the Company of this Agreement and the Amended
Plan and compliance by the Company with all of the provisions
hereof and thereof and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein and therein (including compliance by the
Investors with their obligations hereunder and thereunder)
(i) will not conflict with or result in a breach or
violation of, any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
default under (with or without notice or lapse of time, or
both), or result in the acceleration of, or the creation of any
lien under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property
or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject,
(ii) will not result in any violation of the provisions of
the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company
included in the Amended Plan and as applicable to the Company
from and after the Effective Date and (iii) will not result
in any material violation of, or any termination or material
impairment of any rights under, any statute or any license,
authorization, injunction, judgment, order, decree, rule or
regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any
of their properties, except in any such case described in
subclause (i) or (iii) as will not have or would not
reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(g) Consents and Approvals. No
consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
qualification of or with any court or governmental agency or
body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their properties is required for the
distribution of the Rights, the sale, issuance and delivery of
the Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to Investors hereunder
and the consummation of the Rights Offering by the Company and
the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement, the
Registration Rights Agreement or the Amended Plan or the
performance of and compliance by the Company with all of the
provisions hereof and thereof and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated herein and therein, except
(i) the entry of the Court Orders and the expiration, or
waiver by the Bankruptcy Court, of the
10-day
period set forth in Bankruptcy Rules 6004(g) and 3020(e),
as applicable, (ii) the registration under the Securities
Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “Commission”)
thereunder (the “Securities Act”) of resales of
the Investor Shares, (iii) filings with respect to and the
expiration or termination of the waiting period under the
Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx
Antitrust Act (the “HSR Act”) relating to the
placement of Shares with the Investors, (iv) the filing
with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware of the
Certificate of Incorporation to be applicable to the Company
from and after the Effective Date and (v) such consents,
approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as
may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
connection with the purchase of the Shares by the Investors or
(vi) such consents, approvals, authorizations,
registrations or qualifications the absence of which will not
have or would not reasonably be expected to have, individually
or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(h) Arm’s Length. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that the Investors are acting solely in
the capacity of arm’s length contractual counterparties to
the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby
(including in connection with determining the terms of the
offering) and not as financial advisors or fiduciaries to, or
agents of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, the
Investors are not advising the Company or any other person as to
any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in
any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own
advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for
making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the
transactions contemplated hereby, and the Investors shall have
no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect
thereto. Any review by the Investors of the Company, the
transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to
such
7
transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the
Investors and shall not be on behalf of the Company.
(i) Financial Statements. The
financial statements and the related notes thereto of the
Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries included or
incorporated by reference in the disclosure statement relating
to the Amended Plan (the disclosure statement, as it may be so
filed, revised, modified, supplemented or amended from time to
time, the “Disclosure Statement”), the
documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
the rules and regulation of the Commission thereunder (the
“Exchange Act”) with the Commission since
December 31, 2004 (the “Exchange Act
Documents”), and to be included or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement (as defined in
Section 5(i)) and the Prospectus, comply or will
comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements
of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Bankruptcy Code,
as applicable, and present fairly or will present fairly in all
material respects the financial position of the Company and its
Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their
operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods
specified; such financial statements have been prepared in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied
on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby
(except as disclosed in the Exchange Act Documents), and the
supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in
the Disclosure Statement and the Exchange Act Documents, and to
be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, present fairly or will present
fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the
other financial information included or incorporated by
reference in the Disclosure Statement and the Exchange Act
Documents, and to be included or incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, has been derived
or will be derived from the accounting records of the Company
and its Subsidiaries and presents fairly or will present fairly
the information shown thereby; and the pro forma financial
information and the related notes thereto included or
incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Statement and the
Exchange Act Documents, and to be included in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, has been prepared or will be
prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the
assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are
reasonable and are set forth in the Disclosure Statement and the
Exchange Act Documents and will be set forth in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus when they become effective.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Investors acknowledge that
the financial position of the Company reflected in the financial
information included or incorporated by reference in the
Disclosure Statement and the Exchange Act Documents, to be
included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, does not reflect implementation of
“fresh start” accounting pursuant to Statement of
Position
90-7,
“Financial Reporting by Entities in Reorganization Under
the Bankruptcy Code” by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants.
(j) Disclosure Statement and Exchange Act
Documents. The Disclosure Statement, when it
was filed with the Bankruptcy Court, and the Exchange Act
Documents filed prior to the date of this Agreement, when they
became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case
may be, or, if amended prior to the date hereof, when they were
so amended, conformed in all material respects, in the case of
the Disclosure Statement, to the Bankruptcy Code, and in the
case of the Exchange Act Documents, to the requirements of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of
such Disclosure Statement or Exchange Act Documents contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents
so filed and incorporated by reference in the Disclosure
Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, or any future
amendments thereto, when such documents become effective or are
filed with the Bankruptcy Court or the Commission, as the case
may be, will conform in all material respects to, in the case of
the Disclosure Statement, the requirements of the Bankruptcy
Code, and in the case of documents filed under the Exchange Act,
the requirements of the Exchange Act, as applicable, and will
not contain any 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, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(k) Preliminary Prospectus. Each
Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, will
comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and will
not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
8
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light
of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty
with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information relating to the
Investors furnished to the Company in writing by the Investors
expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus. For purposes of
this Agreement, the term “Preliminary
Prospectus” shall mean each prospectus included in such
registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before it
becomes effective, any prospectus filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the
prospectus included in the Registration Statement, at the time
of their respective effectiveness that omits Rule 430A
Information, and the term “Prospectus” means
the prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of the
Shares.
(l) Registration Statement and
Prospectus. As of the effective date of the
Registration Statement (as defined in Section 5(i)),
the Registration Statement will comply in all material respects
with the Securities Act, and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein not misleading; and as of the applicable
filing date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement
thereto and as of the Effective Date, the Prospectus will not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty
with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information relating to the
Investors furnished to the Company in writing by the Investors
expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.
(m) Absence of Certain
Changes. Since March 6, 2007, other than
as disclosed in the Exchange Act Documents or the Disclosure
Statement, and except for the transactions contemplated hereby
or by the Settlement Term Sheet:
(i) no event, fact or circumstance has occurred which has
or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect;
(ii) there has not been any material change in the capital
stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind
declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on
any class of capital stock;
(iii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to
the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred
any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is
material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a
whole; and
(iv) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
sustained any material loss or interference with its business
from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not
covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute
or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or
governmental or regulatory authority,
(n) Descriptions of the Transaction
Documents. The statements in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus insofar as they purport to
constitute summaries of each of this Agreement, the Registration
Rights Agreement, the Amended Plan, the Agreement Order and the
Confirmation Order (collectively, the “Transaction
Documents”), will constitute accurate statements in all
material respects.
(o) No Violation or Default. The
Company is in compliance with its charter and bylaws and each
Subsidiary of the Company is in compliance in all material
respects with its charter and bylaws or similar organizational
documents. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is:
(i) except as a result of the Chapter 11 Proceedings
(as defined below), in default, and no event has occurred that,
with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a
default, in the due performance or observance of any term,
covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed
of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to
which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is subject; or (ii) in violation of any law or
statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court
or arbitrator or
9
governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of
clauses (i) and (ii) above, for any such default or
violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have
a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement,
“Chapter 11 Proceedings” shall mean the
chapter 11 cases jointly administered as Case
No. 03-17949
(PCB) in the Bankruptcy Court, In re Solutia Inc., et al.,
Debtors.
(p) Legal Proceedings. Except as
described in the Disclosure Statement or the Exchange Act
Documents, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory
investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may be a party or
to which any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate,
if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the ability of
the Company to perform its obligations under the Transaction
Documents; no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings
are threatened or, to the best knowledge of the Company,
contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or
threatened by others; and as of the date hereof, (i) there
are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory
actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the
Exchange Act to be described in the Exchange Act Documents that
are not so described and (ii) there are no statutes,
regulations or contracts or other documents that are required
under the Exchange Act to be filed as exhibits to the Exchange
Act Documents or described in the Exchange Act Documents that
are not so filed or described.
(q) Independent
Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP
(the “Independent Accountants”), who have
certified certain financial statements of the Company and its
Subsidiaries are independent public accountants with respect to
the Company and its Subsidiaries as required by the Securities
Act.
(r) Title to Intellectual
Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries
own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents,
patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names,
trademark registrations, service xxxx registrations, copyrights,
licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other
unpatented
and/or
unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective
businesses, except where the failure to own or possess any such
rights would not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect; and, except as would not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect, the conduct of their
respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect
with any such rights of others, and the Company and its
Subsidiaries have not received any notice of any material claim
of infringement or conflict with any such material rights of
others.
(s) No Undisclosed
Relationships. No relationship, direct or
indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers,
stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Exchange
Act to be described in the Exchange Act Documents and that are
not described, except for the relationships contemplated by this
Agreement, the Settlement Term Sheet and the Amended Plan.
(t) Investment Company Act. As of
the date hereof, the Company is not and, after giving effect to
the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the
proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be
required to register as an “investment company” or an
entity “controlled” by an “investment
company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder.
(u) Licenses and Permits. The
Company and its Subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates,
permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all
declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state,
local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are
necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective
properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as
described in the Disclosure Statement and the Exchange Act
Documents, except where the failure to possess or make the same
would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect; and, except as described in the Disclosure
Statement and the Exchange Act Documents and except as would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received
notice of any revocation or modification of any such license,
certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to
believe that any such license, certificate, permit or
authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.
10
(v) Compliance With Environmental
Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries
(i) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal,
state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and
orders relating to the protection of human health and safety,
the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes,
pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental
Laws”); (ii) have received and are in compliance
with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them
under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective
businesses; and (iii) have not received notice of any
actual or potential liability for the investigation or
remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic
substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except, in the
case of each of the clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), as would
not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(w) Compliance With ERISA. Each
employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3)
of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained,
administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its
affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and
its affiliates has been maintained in compliance with its terms
and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules
and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”), except where the failure to comply
with such applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations
would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect, no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of
Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has
occurred with respect to any such plan excluding transactions
effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption,
except such transactions that would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and for each such
plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of
the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated
funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the
Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair
market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for
these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the
present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined
using reasonable actuarial assumptions.
(x) Accounting Controls. The
Company and its Subsidiaries maintain systems of internal
accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance
that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorizations;
(ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset
accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management’s general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for
assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable
intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences.
(y) Insurance. The Company and its
Subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective
properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including
business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts
and insures against such losses and risks as are customary for
companies whose businesses are similar to the Company and its
Subsidiaries; and, as of the date hereof, neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) received notice from
any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements
or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in
order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to
believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance
coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar
coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be
necessary to continue its business.
(z) No Unlawful Payments. Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) used any
corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift,
entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political
activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment
to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from
corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any
provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or
(iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment,
kickback or other unlawful payment, in each case (other than
clause (iii)) as would reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(aa) No Restrictions on
Subsidiaries. Except as (i) described in
the Disclosure Statement, (ii) otherwise set forth in the
record of the Chapter 11 Proceedings or (iii) as
provided in (A) that certain Financing Agreement, dated as
of January 16, 2004, as amended on March 1, 2004,
July 20, 2004, June 1, 2005, March 14, 2006 and
January 25, 2007, among the Company and Solutia Business
Enterprises, as borrowers, all of the Debtors, as guarantors,
Citicorp USA Inc., as administrative, collateral and
documentation agent, and
11
Citibank, N.A., as Issuer and the lenders party thereto,
(B) the Exit Facility, (C) that certain
(Euro)200,000,000 Facility Agreement, amended and restated as of
September, 2006, between Solutia Europe S.A./N.V., Solutia
Services International S.C.A./Comm. V.A., the guarantors listed
therein, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, as mandated lead
arranger, the financial institutions listed therein, as the
original lenders, KBC Bank N.V. as agent for the finance parties
and Citibank N.A. as security agent for the secured parties and
(D) that certain $225,000,000 Syndication and Amendment and
Restatement Agreement dated May 23, 2007 for Flexsys
Holding B.V., arranged by KBC Bank N.V. and Citigroup Global
Markets Limited with KBC Bank N.V. acting as Agent, and subject
to the Bankruptcy Code, no Subsidiary of the Company is
currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any
agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is
subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making
any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock,
from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such
Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such
Subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any
other Subsidiary of the Company.
(bb) No Broker’s
Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or
understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that
would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or the Investors for a brokerage commission,
finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement
(cc) No Registration
Rights. Except as will be expressly provided
in the Registration Rights Agreement or the Disclosure
Statement, no person has the right to require the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under
the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration
Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the
Rights and the Shares.
(dd) No Stabilization. The Company
has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or
that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any
stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(ee) Margin Rules. Neither the
issuance, sale and delivery of the Rights or the Shares nor the
application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as to be
described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will
violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board
of Governors
(ff) Forward-Looking
Statements. No forward-looking statement
(within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the case
of the Disclosure Statement and the Exchange Act Documents, has
been made or reaffirmed, and in the case of the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, will be made or reaffirmed,
without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in
good faith.
(gg) Statistical and Market
Data. Nothing has come to the attention of
the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the
statistical and market-related data to be included in the
Disclosure Statement, Registration Statement and the Prospectus
is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and
accurate in all material respects.
Section 4. Representations
and Warranties of the Investors. Each of the
Investors, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants
to, and agrees with, the Company as set forth below. Each
representation, warranty and agreement is made as of the date
hereof and as of the Effective Date.
(a) Organization. It has been duly
organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the jurisdiction of its organization.
(b) Power and Authority. It has
the requisite corporate, limited liability company or similar
power and authority to enter into, execute and deliver this
Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder and has taken
all necessary action required for the due authorization,
execution, delivery and performance by it of this Agreement.
(c) Execution and Delivery. This
Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by it
and constitutes its valid and binding obligation, enforceable
against it in accordance with its terms.
12
(d) Securities Laws
Compliance. The Investor Shares will not be
offered for sale, sold or otherwise transferred by it except
pursuant to a registration statement or in a transaction exempt
from or not subject to registration under the Securities Act and
any applicable state securities laws. Each Investor understands
that (i) the Investor Shares are being offered and sold to
such Investor in reliance upon specific exemptions from the
registration requirements of the U.S. federal and state
securities laws and that the Company is relying upon the truth
and accuracy of, and such Investor’s compliance with, the
representations, warranties and covenants of such Investor set
forth herein in order to determine the availability of such
exemptions and the eligibility of such Investor to acquire its
Shares and (ii) the Investor Shares to be purchased by it
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement have not been registered
under the Securities Act or any state securities law, and except
as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company
shall not be required to effect any registration under any
U.S. federal or state securities law.
(e) Accredited Investor. It has
such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters
that they are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of
their investment in the Investor Shares being acquired
hereunder. It is an “accredited investor” within the
meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act. It
understands and is able to bear any economic risks associated
with such investment (including, without limitation, the
necessity of holding the Shares for an indefinite period of
time).
(f) Resale. The Investor Shares
are being acquired under this Agreement by the Investor in good
faith solely for its own account and will not be offered for
sale, sold or otherwise transferred by the Investor except
pursuant to a registration statement or in a transaction exempt
from or not subject to registration under the Securities Act and
any applicable state securities laws.
(g) Information. It acknowledges
that it has been afforded the opportunity to ask questions and
receive answers concerning the Company and its Subsidiaries and
their respective financial conditions, results of operations,
business properties, management and prospects and to obtain
additional information that it has requested to verify the
accuracy of the information contained herein. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, nothing contained herein will operate to modify
or limit in any respect the representations and warranties of
the Company or to relieve it from any obligations to the
Investors for breach thereof or the making of misleading
statements or the omission of material facts in connection with
the transactions contemplated herein.
(h) No Broker’s Fees. It is
not a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any
person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a
valid claim against it for a brokerage commission, finder’s
fee or like payment in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) (i) No Conflict. The
execution and delivery by the Investor of this Agreement and
compliance by the Investor with all of the provisions hereof and
the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein
(i) will not conflict with or result in a breach or
violation of, any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
default under (with or without notice or lapse of time, or
both), or result in the acceleration of, or the creation of any
lien under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Investor
is a party or by which the Investor is bound or to which any of
the property or assets of the Investor is subject,
(ii) will not result in any violation of the provisions of
the certificate of incorporation or bylaws or similar governance
documents of the Investor and (iii) will not result in any
material violation of, or any termination or material impairment
of any rights under, any statute or any license, authorization,
injunction, judgment, order, decree, rule or regulation of any
court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over
the Investor or any of its properties, except in any such case
described in subclause (i) or (iii) as will not have
or would not reasonably be expected to prohibit, materially
delay or materially and adversely impact the Investor’s
performance of its obligations under this Agreement.
(j) Consents and Approvals. No
consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
qualification of or with any court or governmental agency or
body having jurisdiction over the Investor or any of its
properties is required for the purchase of the Investor Shares,
the execution and delivery by the Investor of this Agreement or
the Registration Rights Agreement and the performance of and
compliance by the Investor with all of the provisions hereof and
thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated
herein and therein, except (i) the registration under the
Securities Act of resales of the Investor Shares,
(ii) filings with respect to and the expiration or
termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act relating to
the placement
13
of Shares with the Investors, (iii) such consents,
approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as
may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
connection with the purchase of the Shares by the Investors or
(iv) such consents, approvals, authorizations,
registrations or qualifications the absence of which will not
have or would not reasonably be expected to prohibit, materially
delay or materially and adversely impact the Investor’s
performance of its obligations under this Agreement.
(k) Arm’s Length. The
Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Company is acting
solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual
counterparty to the Investor with respect to the transactions
contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining
the terms of the offering). Additionally, the Investor is not
relying on the Company for any legal, tax, investment,
accounting or regulatory advice in any jurisdiction, except as
specifically set forth in this Agreement. The Investor shall
consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall
be responsible for making its own independent investigation and
appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the
Company shall have no responsibility or liability to the
Investor with respect thereto.
(l) Legal Proceedings. There are
no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions,
suits or proceedings pending to which the Investor is a party or
to which any property of the Investor is the subject that,
individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the
Investor, would reasonably be expected to prohibit, materially
delay or materially and adversely impact the Investor’s
performance of its obligations under this Agreement; no such
investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or,
to the best knowledge of the Investor, contemplated by any
governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others.
(m) Sufficiency of Funds. On the
Effective Date, each Investor will have available funds
sufficient to pay the aggregate purchase price for its share of
the Backstop Commitment, as adjusted pursuant to
Sections 2(a)(ii) (to the extent applicable).
Section 5. Additional
Covenants of the Company. The Company agrees
with the Investors:
(a) Agreement Motion and Agreement
Order. To file a motion and supporting papers
(the “Agreement Motion”) (including an order in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to each of the
Investors and providing that the schedules and exhibits be
redacted as the Investors reasonably determine to be necessary
and appropriate including, without limitation, the names of the
Backstop Purchasers and the Commitment Percentages of each)
seeking the entry of the Agreement Order. The Agreement Motion
shall be filed within 10 Business Days following the signing of
this Agreement. The Company agrees that it shall use its
reasonable best efforts, subject to any applicable fiduciary
duties, to (i) obtain a waiver of Bankruptcy
Rule 6004(g) and request that the Agreement Order be
effective immediately upon its entry by the Bankruptcy Court,
which Agreement Order shall not be revised, modified, or amended
by the Confirmation Order for the Amended Plan or any other
further order of this Bankruptcy Court, (ii) fully support
the Agreement Motion, and any application seeking Bankruptcy
Court approval and authorization to pay the fees and expenses
hereunder as an administrative expense of the estate, including,
but not limited to, filing supporting affidavits on behalf of
the Company
and/or its
financial advisor and providing the testimony of the affiants if
needed, and (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to obtain
approval of the Agreement Order as soon as practicable following
the filing of the motion therefor.
(b) Amended Plan and Disclosure
Statement. To file the Amended Plan and
Disclosure Statement in a form that is reasonably satisfactory
to each of the Investors, and that is consistent in all material
respects with the Settlement Term Sheet, and to use its
reasonable best efforts to obtain the entry of the Confirmation
Order by the Bankruptcy Court. The Company will authorize,
execute, file with the Bankruptcy Court and seek confirmation
of, an Amended Plan that (i) is consistent in all respects
with this Agreement, (ii) provides for the release and
exculpation of the Investors, their affiliates, representatives
and advisors to the fullest extent permitted under applicable
law (provided, that such release and exculpation shall not
prohibit or impede the Company’s ability to assert defenses
or counterclaims in connection with or relating to this
Agreement), and (iii) has conditions to confirmation and
the effective date of the Amended Plan (and to what extent any
such conditions can be waived and by whom) that are reasonably
consistent with this Agreement. The Company will provide to the
Investors and their counsel a copy of the Amended Plan and the
Disclosure Statement by email and a reasonable opportunity to
review
14
and comment on such documents. In addition, the Company will
provide to the Investors and their counsel a copy of the
Confirmation Order and a reasonable opportunity to review and
comment on such order prior to such order being filed with the
Bankruptcy Court.
(c) Rights Offering. To effectuate
the Rights Offering as provided herein and to use reasonable
best efforts to seek entry of an order of the Bankruptcy Court,
prior to the commencement of the Rights Offering, authorizing
the Company to conduct the Rights Offering pursuant to the terms
of the Rights Offering Procedures.
(d) Listing. To use reasonable
best efforts to list and maintain the listing of the New Common
Stock (and any applicable associated share purchase rights) on
the NYSE or Nasdaq Global Select Market.
(e) Notification. To notify, or to
cause Financial Balloting Group, LLC, the Subscription Agent for
the Rights Offering (the “Subscription Agent”)
to notify the Investors, (i) on each Friday during the
Rights Exercise Period and, to the extent reasonably requested
by the Investors, on each Business Day during the 5 Business
Days prior to the Expiration Time (and any extensions thereto),
of the aggregate number of Rights known by the Company or the
Subscription Agent to have been exercised pursuant to the Rights
Offering as of the close of business on the preceding Business
Day or the most recent practicable time before such request, as
the case may be and (ii) as soon as practicable after the
Expiration Time, and in no event later than 1 Business Day
following the day of the Expiration Time, the aggregate number
of Rights exercised pursuant to the Rights Offering.
(f) Unsubscribed Shares. To
determine the number of Unsubscribed Shares, if any, in good
faith, to provide a Commitment Notice or a Satisfaction Notice
that accurately reflects the number of Unsubscribed Shares as so
determined and to provide to the Investors a certification by
the Subscription Agent of the Unsubscribed Shares or, if such
certification is not available, such written backup to the
determination of the Unsubscribed Shares as Investors may
reasonably request.
(g) Stock Splits, Dividends,
etc. In the event of any stock split, stock
dividend, stock combination or similar transaction affecting the
number of issued and outstanding shares of New Common Stock, the
Purchase Price and the number of Unsubscribed Shares to be
purchased hereunder will be proportionally adjusted to reflect
the increase or decrease in the number of issued and outstanding
shares of New Common Stock.
(h) HSR. To use its reasonable
best efforts to promptly prepare and file all necessary
documentation and to effect all applications that are necessary
or advisable under the HSR Act so that the applicable waiting
period shall have expired or been terminated thereunder with
respect to the purchase of Shares hereunder, and not to take any
action that is intended or reasonably likely to materially
impede or delay the ability of the parties to obtain any
necessary approvals required for the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement.
(i) Effectiveness of the Registration
Statement. To use its reasonable best efforts
to prepare and file, on or prior to the first Business Day
following the date of the entry of the Agreement Order by the
Bankruptcy Court and in any event no later than
November 20, 2007, in cooperation with the Investors, a
shelf registration statement on the appropriate form (the
“Registration Statement”) covering resales of
New Common Stock held by the Investors, and provide the
Investors with a reasonable opportunity to review and propose
changes to the Registration Statement before the filing with the
Commission; to advise the Investors, promptly after it receives
notice thereof, of the time when the Registration Statement has
been filed or has become effective or any prospectus or
prospectus supplement has been filed and to furnish the
Investors with copies thereof; to advise the Investors promptly
after it receives notice thereof of any comments or inquiries by
the Commission (and to furnish the Investors with copies of any
correspondence related thereto), of the issuance by the
Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any prospectus, of the initiation or
threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any
request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of
the Registration Statement or prospectus or for additional
information; and to use reasonable best efforts to
15
have the Registration Statement effective on or prior to the
Effective Date. The foregoing provisions shall be set forth in
the Registration Rights Agreement.
(j) Clear Market. For a period of
180 days after the Effective Date (the “Restricted
Period”), the Company will not (i) offer, pledge,
announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any
option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or
otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any
shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for capital
stock of the Company or (ii) enter into any swap or other
agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the
economic consequences of ownership of the capital stock of the
Company, whether any such transaction described in
clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery
of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in
cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the
Investors, except for (A) Rights and New Common Stock
issuable upon exercise of Rights, (B) shares of New Common
Stock issued upon the exercise of any stock options outstanding
as of the Effective Date, (C) the issuance of New Common
Stock and other equity interests as set forth in the Settlement
Term Sheet and pursuant to the Amended Plan, (D) the grant
or issuance of any shares of New Common Stock or other equity
securities of the Company or any other securities convertible
into or exchangeable for shares of New Common Stock or other
equity securities of the Company, including options and warrants
in respect of shares of New Common Stock and restricted shares
of New Common Stock, in any case, not to exceed, together with
any shares of new Common Stock issued pursuant to
Section 5(j)(E), 5% of the outstanding New Common
Stock and (E) the issuance in the aggregate, together with
any shares of new Common Stock issued pursuant to
Section 5(j)(D), of up to 5% of the outstanding New
Common Stock as of the Effective Date. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the
Restricted Period, the Company issues an earnings release or
material news or a material event relating to the Company
occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the Restricted
Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings
results during the
16-day
period beginning on the last day of the Restricted Period, the
restrictions imposed by this Agreement (subject to the
exceptions set forth in clauses (A) through (E) of the
preceding sentence) shall continue to apply until the expiration
of the
18-day
period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the
occurrence of the material news or material event.
(k) No Stabilization. The Company
will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or
that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any
stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(l) Reports. So long as the
Investors hold Shares, the Company will furnish to the
Investors, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports
or other communications (financial or other) furnished to
holders of the Rights or the Shares, as the case may be, and
copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or
filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange to
the extent not then available on either the Company’s own
website or the website of the Commission.
(m) Registration Rights
Agreement. The Company and the Investors
shall use their respective reasonable best efforts to negotiate
and execute, as soon as practicable after the date hereof, a
registration rights agreement in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to such parties and which shall include the terms
set forth in Exhibit C hereto (the
“Registration Rights Agreement”). Within five
(5) Business Days after execution of the Registration
Rights Agreement by the Company and each of the Investors, the
Company shall file with the Bankruptcy Court a motion (attaching
thereto a copy of the Registration Rights Agreement) seeking
Bankruptcy Court approval of the Registration Rights Agreement
as promptly as practicable thereafter, it being understood and
agreed that the Company may satisfy its obligations under this
sentence by seeking Bankruptcy Court approval of the
Registration Rights Agreement as part of the process and at the
hearing to confirm the Amended Plan (the “Confirmation
Hearing”).
(n) Access and Information. From
the date hereof until the Effective Date, subject to any
applicable laws, provided that the Investor has executed a
confidentiality agreement mutually agreeable to the Company and
the Investor, the Company shall at the Investor’s expense,
(i) afford any Investor and its representatives access,
during regular business hours, upon reasonable advance notice
and in a manner as
16
would not be unreasonably disruptive to the business or
operations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, to the
assets, books and records of the Company and its Subsidiaries,
(ii) furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Investor any
financial and operating data and other information that is
available with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries as
the Investor from time to time reasonably requests and
(iii) instruct the employees and the Company’s legal
and financial advisors to cooperate with the Investor in its
investigation of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(o) Non-Solicitation. The Company
will not, and will not cause or permit any officer, director,
employee or affiliate of the Company to, and will not cause or
authorize any advisor or other agent or representative of the
Company to, and the Creditors’ Committee and any agent or
representative, including its professional advisors will not,
directly or indirectly, (i) solicit, encourage or initiate
any inquiries, discussions, proposals or offers regarding,
(ii) continue, propose or enter into negotiations or
discussions with respect to, or (iii) enter into any
agreement, letter of intent, memorandum of understanding,
agreement in principle, commitment or other understanding
providing for, any Inconsistent Transaction, and will not
respond to any proposal, offer or inquiry made by any person
concerning any Inconsistent Transaction (including persons with
whom the Company may have had discussions prior to the date
hereof), except to advise such person that the Investors have
been granted an exclusive right to negotiate concerning the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company and the
Creditors’ Committee and any agent or representative,
including its professional its advisors further agree to advise
the Investors promptly, but in no event more than 48 hours
upon receiving any inquiry from any such person (including the
identity of any such person, the terms of any proposal and any
other relevant information that the Investors reasonably may
request), and to supply Investors with a copy of any written
offer, proposal or other indication of interest received from
any such person. The term “Inconsistent Transaction”
means any transaction inconsistent with the Amended Plan or this
Agreement, including on terms identical with this Agreement with
parties other than those to this Agreement.
(p) Opinion of Counsel For The
Company. Once the Registration Statement has
been declared effective, the Company shall cause
Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, to
furnish to the Investors, their written (i) opinion that
the Registration Statement has been declared effective and
complies as to form in all material respects (other than with
respect to financial statements and other financial information)
and (ii) negative assurance statement customarily received
by underwriters in underwritten offerings relating to the
Registration Statement and Prospectus, in each case which
opinion and negative assurance letter shall state that it is
being delivered at the request of the Company and solely in
order to assist the Investors in establishing a “due
diligence” defense.
Section 6. Additional
Covenants of the Investors. Each Investor
agrees, severally and not jointly, with the Company:
(a) Information. To provide the
Company with such information as the Company reasonably requests
regarding the Investors for inclusion in the Registration
Statement and the Disclosure Statement.
(b) HSR Act. To use reasonable
best efforts to promptly prepare and file all necessary
documentation and to effect all applications that are necessary
or advisable under the HSR Act so that the applicable waiting
period shall have expired or been terminated thereunder with
respect to the purchase of Shares hereunder, and not to take any
action that is intended or reasonably likely to materially
impede or delay the ability of the parties to obtain any
necessary approvals required for the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event
shall this Section 6(b) obligate any Investor to
dispose or hold separate any of its assets.
(c) Agreement Order. To use
reasonable efforts to facilitate the entry of the Agreement
Order.
(d) Inconsistent Transaction. To
not file any pleading or take any other action in the Bankruptcy
Court with respect to this Agreement, the Amended Plan, the
Disclosure Statement or the Confirmation Order of the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby
that is inconsistent in any material respect with this Agreement
or the Company’s efforts to obtain the entry of court
orders consistent with this Agreement.
17
Section 7. Conditions
to the Obligations of the Parties.
(a) Conditions to the Obligations of the
Investors. The obligation of each of the
Investors to purchase the Investor Shares pursuant to the
Backstop Commitment on the Effective Date are subject to the
following conditions:
(i) Agreement Order. The Agreement
Order shall have been entered by the Bankruptcy Court in the
form reasonably satisfactory to each of the Company and the
Investors, and the Agreement Order shall have become a Final
Order.
(ii) Material Adverse
Effect. Since the date hereof, there shall
not have occurred any changes or events that, individually or in
the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(iii) Inconsistent
Transaction. The Company shall not have made
a public announcement, entered into an agreement, or filed any
pleading or document with the Bankruptcy Court, evidencing its
intention to support, or otherwise supported, any Inconsistent
Transaction.
(iv) Confirmation Order. The
Confirmation Order shall have been entered by the Bankruptcy
Court and such order shall be in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Investors and shall be non-appealable, shall
not have been appealed within 10 days of entry or, if such
order is appealed, shall not have been stayed pending appeal,
and there shall not have been entered by any court of competent
jurisdiction any reversal, modification or vacatur, in whole or
in part, of the Confirmation Order
(v) Amended Plan and Confirmation
Order. The Amended Plan, as approved, and the
Confirmation Order, as entered, in each case by the Bankruptcy
Court shall be consistent with the requirements for the Amended
Plan and the Confirmation Order set forth in Section 5(b)
of this Agreement. Any amendment, modification or change to the
Amended Plan or the Confirmation Order after the date of their
initial filing with the Bankruptcy Court shall (A) be
consistent in all material respects with the Settlement Term
Sheet, (B) be consistent in all respects with this
Agreement, (C) provide for the release and exculpation of
the Investors, their affiliates, representatives and advisors as
provided herein and (D) to the extent any amendment,
modification or change adversely impacts the Investors,
otherwise be in a form that is reasonably satisfactory to each
of the Investors. The Company agrees to provide the Investors by
email (i) a draft of any proposed amendment, modification
or change to the Amended Plan or the Confirmation Order at least
three (3) Business Days prior to it being filed with the
Bankruptcy Court and (ii) a copy of such amendment,
modification or change to the Amended Plan or the Confirmation
Order promptly after it is filed with the Bankruptcy Court. The
Investors hereby agree to provide the Company and the
Creditors’ Committee with written notice of any term of the
Amended Plan or the Confirmation Order that does not comply with
the foregoing conditions (A) through (D) within two
(2) Business Days of receipt of such amendment,
modification or change to the Amended Plan or the Confirmation
Order being delivered to the Investors pursuant to
clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.
(vi) Conditions to
Confirmation. The conditions to confirmation
and the conditions to the effective date of the Amended Plan
shall have been satisfied or waived, with the consent of the
Investors (with such consent not to be unreasonably withheld),
by the Company in accordance with the Amended Plan.
(vii) Rights Offering. The Company
shall have commenced the Rights Offering, the Rights Offering
shall have been conducted in accordance with the Rights Offering
Procedures and in all material respects in accordance with this
Agreement and the Expiration Time shall have occurred.
(viii) Commitment Notice. The
Investors shall have received a Commitment Notice in accordance
with Section 1(e) from the Company, dated as of the
Determination Date, certifying as to the number of Unsubscribed
Shares to be purchased pursuant to the Backstop Commitment.
(ix) Valid Issuance. The New
Common Stock shall be, upon payment of the aggregate purchase
price as provided herein, validly issued, fully paid,
non-assessable and free and clear of all taxes, liens,
pre-emptive rights, rights of first refusal, subscription and
similar rights.
18
(x) No Restraint. No judgment,
injunction, decree or other legal restraint shall prohibit the
consummation of the Amended Plan, the Rights Offering or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(xi) HSR Act. If the purchase of
Shares by the Investors pursuant to this Agreement is subject to
the terms of the HSR Act, the applicable waiting period shall
have expired or been terminated thereunder with respect to such
purchase.
(xii) Consents and Approvals. All
other governmental and third party notifications, filings,
consents, waivers and approvals required for the consummation of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Settlement
Term Sheet and the Amended Plan shall have been made or received
and shall remain in full force and effect.
(xiii) Enforceability. This
Agreement shall be valid and enforceable against the Company and
the Company shall not be in breach of this Agreement in any
material respect.
(xiv) NYSE/Nasdaq. The New Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights shall be approved for
trading on the NYSE or Nasdaq Global Select Market, subject to
official notice of issuance.
(xv) Comfort Letters. On the
Effective Date, the Independent Accountants shall have furnished
to the Investors, at the request of the Company, letters, dated
the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the
Investors, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Investors, containing statements and information of the type
customarily included in accountants’ “comfort
letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial
statements and certain financial information contained or
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Effective
Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than 3
Business Days prior to such Effective Date.
(xvi) Execution of Documents. All
documents set forth on Schedule 7(a) shall have been
executed in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Company and the Investors.
(xvii) No Legal Impediment to
Issuance. No action shall have been taken and
no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted,
adopted or issued in each by any federal, state or foreign
governmental or regulatory authority that, as of the Effective
Date, prohibits the issuance or sale of the Rights or the
Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or
foreign court shall have been issued that, as of the Effective
Date, prohibits the issuance or sale of the Rights or the Shares.
(xviii) Good Standing. The
Investors shall have received on and as of the Effective Date
satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and
its Significant Subsidiaries (as such term is defined in
Article 1,
Rule 1-02
of
Regulation S-X
promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act) in their respective
jurisdictions of organization, in each case in writing or any
standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate
governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(xix) Representations and Warranties and
Covenants. The representations and warranties
of the Company in this Agreement that are not qualified as to
materiality or Material Adverse Effect shall be true and correct
in all material respects and the representations and warranties
that are qualified as to materiality or Material Adverse Effect
shall be true and correct, in each case, at and as of the
Effective Date as if made at and as of the Effective Date
(except for representations and warranties made as of a
specified date, which shall be true and correct only as of the
specified date) and the Company shall have complied in all
material respects with all covenants in this Agreement and the
Registration Rights Agreement applicable to it.
(xx) Officer’s
Certificate. The Investors shall have
received on and as of the Effective Date a certificate of the
chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the
Company (i) confirming that the Company has satisfied all
conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at
or prior to such Effective Date and (ii) to the effect set
forth in Section 7(a)(xx) above.
19
(xxi) Bankruptcy Court
Approval. The Registration Rights Agreement
shall have been approved by the Bankruptcy Court and shall have
been executed by the parties thereto in substantially the same
form as the form thereof filed with the Bankruptcy Court.
(xxii) Exit Facility. The Company
shall have obtained secured and unsecured or other exit
financing upon terms and conditions consistent with, or more
favorable than, the terms set forth on Exhibit D hereto
(the “Exit Facility”) and which shall be
consummated on or prior to the Effective Date. In addition, the
material terms of the Exit Facility, other than those set forth
on Exhibit D, shall be such that the Investors providing a
majority of the Backstop Commitment do not have a reasonable
basis for believing that such terms negatively and materially
impact the commitment of the Investors provided for in this
Agreement, by among other things, negatively and materially
impacting the operating or financial performance of Reorganized
Solutia. The Company will promptly provide copies of all term
sheets, drafts and final execution copies of the documentation
for the Exit Facility (the “Exit Facility
Documentation”) to counsel for the Investors and, in
the event that counsel to the Investors does not notify the
Company that any material provision contained in the Exit
Facility Documentation, other than those terms set forth on
Exhibit D, is not reasonably satisfactory to a majority of
the Investors within five (5) business days from the
receipt thereof, such Exit Facility Documentation shall be
deemed to be reasonably satisfactory to the Investors. For
purposes of clarity, any change to any subsequent version of
Exit Facility Documentation that impacts provisions contained in
earlier versions of the Exit Facility Documentation shall renew
the opportunity for counsel to the Investors to provide notice
to the Company of such provision being not reasonably
satisfactory to each Investor.
(xxiii) Financial Projections. The
financial projections of the Company set forth in the Disclosure
Statement shall be consistent in all material respects with the
financial projections provided to the ratings agencies on
September 17, 2007, as updated by materials provided to the
Investors on September 26, 2007.
(xxiv) Extension Fees. If required
by Section 10(a)(iii), the Investors shall have
received payment of any Extension Fees; the Extension Fees, if
any, shall not have been required to be repaid, by the
Bankruptcy Court or otherwise, to the Company.
(b) Conditions to the Obligations of the
Company. The obligation of the Company to
issue and sell the Investor Shares to the Investors on the
Effective Date are subject to the following conditions:
(i) Aggregate Purchase Price. The
Investors shall have delivered to the Company, as the total
aggregate purchase price for the Investor Shares, an amount of
readily available (same day) funds denominated in United States
Dollars equal to the product obtained by multiplying
(A) the Purchase Price (as it may be adjusted in accordance
with the terms hereof) and (B) the number of Investor
Shares (as it may be adjusted in accordance with the terms
hereof).
(ii) Agreement Order. The
Agreement Order shall have been entered by the Bankruptcy Court
in the form reasonably satisfactory to each of the Company and
the Investors, and the Agreement Order shall have become a Final
Order.
(iii) Confirmation Order. The
Confirmation Order shall have been entered by the Bankruptcy
Court and such order shall be non-appealable, shall not have
been appealed within 10 days of entry or, if such order is
appealed, shall not have been stayed pending appeal, and there
shall not have been entered by any court of competent
jurisdiction any reversal, modification or vacatur, in whole or
in part, of the Confirmation Order.
(iv) Amended Plan and Confirmation
Order. The Amended Plan, as approved, and the
Confirmation Order as entered, by the Bankruptcy Court, and all
amendments, modifications or changes thereto shall (A) be
consistent in all respects with this Agreement, (B) provide
for the release and exculpation of the Investors, their
affiliates, representatives and advisors as provided herein and
(C) otherwise consistent in all material respects with the
Settlement Term Sheet.
20
(v) Conditions to
Confirmation. The conditions to confirmation
and the conditions to the Effective Date of the Amended Plan
shall have been satisfied or waived, with the consent of the
Investors, by the Company in accordance with the Amended Plan.
(vi) Rights Offering. The Rights
Offering shall have been conducted in accordance with the Rights
Offering Procedures and in all material respects in accordance
with this Agreement and the Expiration Time shall have occurred.
(vii) No Restraint. No judgment,
injunction, decree or other legal restraint shall prohibit the
consummation of the Amended Plan, the Rights Offering or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(viii) HSR Act. If the purchase of
Shares by the Investors pursuant to this Agreement is subject to
the terms of the HSR Act, the applicable waiting period shall
have expired or been terminated thereunder with respect to such
purchase.
(ix) Enforceability. This
Agreement shall be valid and enforceable against each Investor
and no Investor shall be in breach of this Agreement in any
material respect, except to the extent that Non-Defaulting
Investors purchase any Default Shares as a result of any breach
by a Defaulting Investor pursuant to
Sections 2(a)(ii).
(x) Representations and Warranties and
Covenants. The representations and warranties
of each Investor in this Agreement that are not qualified as to
materiality or material adverse effect on the Investor’s
performance of its obligations hereunder or similar
qualifications shall be true and correct in all material
respects, and the representations and warranties that are
qualified as to materiality or material adverse effect on the
Investor’s performance of its obligations hereunder or
similar qualifications shall be true and correct, in each case,
at and as of the Effective Date as if made at and as of the
Effective Date (except for representations and warranties made
as of a specified date, which shall be true and correct only as
of the specified date) and each Investor shall have complied in
all material respects with all covenants in this Agreement
applicable to it, except, in each case, to the extent that
Non-Defaulting Investors or purchase any Default Shares as a
result of any breach of representations, warranties or covenants
by a Defaulting Investor pursuant to
Sections 2(a)(ii).
Section 8. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification
Generally. Subject to the approval of this
Agreement by the Bankruptcy Court, whether or not the Rights
Offering is consummated or this Agreement or the Backstop
Commitment is terminated, the Company (in such capacity, the
“Indemnifying Party”) shall indemnify and hold
harmless the Investors and their respective officers, directors,
employees, agents, controlling persons and affiliates (each an
“Indemnified Person”) from and against any and
all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and reasonable
expenses, joint or several, to which any such Indemnified Person
may become subject arising out of or in connection with any
claim, challenge, litigation, investigation or proceeding with
respect to the Rights Offering, the Backstop Commitment, the
Transaction Documents, the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus or the transactions contemplated thereby, including
without limitation, payment of the Backstop Fee or the Extension
Fees, if any, distribution of Rights, purchase and sale of
Shares in the Rights Offering and purchase and sale of Shares
pursuant to the Backstop Commitment or the Registration Rights
Agreement, or any breach of the Company of this Agreement or the
Registration Rights Agreement, regardless of whether any of such
Indemnified Persons is a party thereto, and to reimburse such
Indemnified Persons for any reasonable legal or other reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses as they are incurred in connection with
investigating, responding to or defending any of the foregoing,
provided that the foregoing indemnification will not, as to any
Indemnified Person, apply to losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or expenses to the extent that they are finally
judicially determined to have resulted from (i) any breach
of this Agreement by such Indemnified Person, (ii) bad
faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of
such Indemnified Person or (iii) statements or omissions in
the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto made in reliance upon or in conformity with
information relating to the Investors furnished to the Company
in writing by or on behalf of the Investors expressly for use in
the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement
21
thereto. If for any reason the foregoing indemnification is
unavailable to any Indemnified Person or insufficient to hold it
harmless, then the Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the
amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of
such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative
benefits received by the Indemnifying Party on the one hand and
such Indemnified Person on the other hand but also the relative
fault of the Indemnifying Party, on the one hand, and such
Indemnified Person, on the other hand, as well as any relevant
equitable considerations. It is hereby agreed that the relative
benefits to the Indemnifying Party on the one hand and all
Indemnified Persons on the other hand shall be deemed to be in
the same proportion as (i) the total value received or
proposed to be received by the Company pursuant to the sale of
Shares contemplated by this Agreement bears to (ii) the
Backstop Fee and Extension Fees paid or proposed to be paid to
the Investors. The Indemnifying Party also agrees that no
Indemnified Person shall have any liability based on their
exclusive or contributory negligence or otherwise to the
Indemnifying Party, any person asserting claims on behalf of or
in right of any of the Indemnifying Party, or any other person
in connection with or as a result of the Rights Offering, the
Backstop Commitment, the Transaction Documents, the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or the transactions contemplated
thereby, except as to any Indemnified Person to the extent that
any losses, claims, damages, liability or expenses incurred by
the Company are finally judicially determined to have resulted
from ( i) bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct
of such Indemnified Person in performing the services that are
the subject of this Agreement or the Registration Rights
Agreement or (ii) statements or omissions in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto made in reliance upon or in conformity with
information relating to the Investors furnished to the Company
in writing by or on behalf of the Investors expressly for use in
the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto; provided, however, that in no
event shall an Indemnified Person or such other parties have any
liability for any indirect, consequential or punitive damages in
connection with or as a result of any of their activities
related to the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each of
the parties hereto may enforce the terms of this Agreement and
may seek indirect, consequential and other damages as a result
of any breach of the terms hereof. The indemnity, reimbursement
and contribution obligations of the Indemnifying Party under
this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability
that the Indemnifying Party may otherwise have to an Indemnified
Person and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any
successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the
Indemnifying Party and any Indemnified Person.
(b) Certain Procedures. Promptly
after receipt by an Indemnified Person of notice of the
commencement of any claim, litigation, investigation or
proceeding relating to the Transaction Documents, the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any of the
transactions contemplated thereby
(“Proceedings”), such Indemnified Person will,
if a claim is to be made hereunder against the Indemnifying
Party in respect thereof, promptly (and in any event within 10
Business Days) notify the Indemnifying Party in writing of the
commencement thereof; provided that (i) the omission so to
notify the Indemnifying Party will not relieve it from any
liability that it may have hereunder except to the extent it has
been materially prejudiced by such failure and (ii) the
omission so to notify the Indemnifying Party will not relieve it
from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person
otherwise than on account of this Section 8. In
case any such Proceedings are brought against any Indemnified
Person and it notifies the Indemnifying Party of the
commencement thereof, the Indemnifying Party will be entitled to
participate therein, and, to the extent that it may elect by
written notice delivered to such Indemnified Person, to assume
the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to
such Indemnified Person, provided that if the defendants in any
such Proceedings include both such Indemnified Person and the
Indemnifying Party and such Indemnified Person shall have
reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available
to it that are different from or additional to those available
to the Indemnifying Party, such Indemnified Person shall have
the right to select separate counsel to assert such legal
defenses and to otherwise participate (but not control) in the
defense of such Proceedings on behalf of such Indemnified
Person. Upon receipt of notice from the Indemnifying Party to
such Indemnified Person of its election so to assume the defense
of such Proceedings and approval by such Indemnified Person of
counsel, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable to such
Indemnified Person for expenses incurred by such Indemnified
Person in connection with the defense thereof (other than
reasonable costs of investigation) unless (i) such
Indemnified Person shall have employed separate counsel in
connection with the assertion of legal defenses in accordance
with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being
understood, however,
22
that the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for the expenses
of more than one separate counsel, approved by Investors,
representing the Indemnified Persons who are parties to such
Proceedings), (ii) the Indemnifying Party shall not have
employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified
Person to represent such Indemnified Person within a reasonable
time after notice of commencement of the Proceedings or
(iii) the Indemnifying Party shall have authorized in
writing the employment of counsel for such Indemnified Person.
(c) Limitations. The Indemnifying
Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceedings
effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld). If any settlement of any Proceeding is
consummated with the written consent of the Indemnifying Party
or if there is a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such
Proceedings, the Indemnifying Party agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless each Indemnified Person from and against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses by reason of
such settlement or judgment in accordance with, and subject to
the limitations of, the provisions of this
Section 8. Notwithstanding anything in this
Section 8 to the contrary, if at any time an
Indemnified Person shall have requested the Indemnifying Party
to reimburse such Indemnified Person for legal or other expenses
in connection with investigating, responding to or defending any
Proceedings as contemplated by this Section 8, the
Indemnifying Party shall be liable for any settlement of any
Proceedings effected without its written consent if
(i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days
after receipt by the Indemnifying Party of such request for
reimbursement and (ii) the Indemnifying Party shall not
have reimbursed such Indemnified Person in accordance with such
request prior to the date of such settlement. The Indemnifying
Party shall not, without the prior written consent of an
Indemnified Person (which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld), effect any settlement of any pending or threatened
Proceedings in respect of which indemnity has been sought
hereunder by such Indemnified Person unless (a) such
settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified
Person in form and substance satisfactory to such Indemnified
Person from all liability on the claims that are the subject
matter of such Proceedings and (b) does not include any
statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a
failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
Section 9. Survival
of Representations and Warranties,
Etc. Notwithstanding any investigation at any
time made by or on behalf of any party hereto, all
representations and warranties made in this Agreement shall
survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
Effective Date, except that the representations and warranties
made in Sections 3(f) through (s), and (u)
through (gg) shall only survive for a period of 2 years
after the Effective Date.
Section 10. Termination.
(a) Termination by Investors. Each
of the Investors may terminate this Agreement as to itself:
(i) upon (A) any material breach by the Company of any
of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements
contained in this Agreement, including Section 3 and
Section 7, (B) the failure of any of the
conditions set forth in this Agreement, or (C) any of the
conditions set forth in this Agreement becoming incapable of
fulfillment (other than through the failure of the Investors to
comply with their obligations), in the case of (A), (B) or
(C), that is not curable or, if curable, is not cured within
15 days after written notice of such breach or failure is
given to the Company by any Investor; provided, that the
right to terminate this Agreement under this
Section 10(a)(i) shall not be available to any
Investor whose breach is the cause of the failure of the
condition in Section 7 to be satisfied.
(ii) if the Exit Financing Condition has been satisfied and
the Effective Date has not occurred, on or after
February 28, 2007.
(iii) if the Exit Financing Condition has not been
satisfied and the Effective Date has not occurred, on or after
February 28, 2007, on or after 3:01 p.m. New York
City time on December 31, 2007 if the Effective Date has
not occurred prior to that time; provided that if the Company
has paid to the Investors by wire transfer of immediately
available funds not later than 3:00 p.m. New York City
time on December 31, 2007, a fee in the amount of
$3,125,000 (the “Extension Fee”), which shall
be earned by each Investor upon payment, then the Investors may
not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 10(a)(iii) until March 31, 2008.
23
(b) Effect of Termination. Upon
termination under this Section 10, all rights and
obligations of the parties under this Agreement shall terminate
without any liability of any party to any other party except
that (i) nothing contained herein shall release any party
hereto from liability from any breach and (y) the covenants
and agreements made by the parties herein under
Section 2(d) Sections 8, 9 and
11 through 19 shall survive indefinitely in
accordance with their terms.
Section 11. Notices. All
notices and other communications in connection with this
Agreement will be in writing and will be deemed given (and will
be deemed to have been duly given upon receipt) if delivered
personally, sent via electronic facsimile (with confirmation),
mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt
requested) or delivered by an express courier (with
confirmation) to the parties at the following addresses (or at
such other address for a party as will be specified by like
notice):
(a) If to the Investors, to the addresses set forth below
each Investor’s signature on the signature pages hereto.
with copies to:
Stroock & Stroock & Xxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Fax: (000) 000-0000
000 Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Fax: (000) 000-0000
and to:
Xxxxxx and Xxxxx, LLP
000 Xxxx Xx., Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Fax: (000) 000-0000
000 Xxxx Xx., Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Fax: (000) 000-0000
(b) If to the Company, to:
Solutia Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
P.O. Box 66760
St Louis, Missouri
Attention: General Counsel
Fax: (000) 000-0000
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
P.O. Box 66760
St Louis, Missouri
Attention: General Counsel
Fax: (000) 000-0000
with a copy to:
Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP 000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000 Attention: |
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx Fax: (000) 000-0000 |
Section 12. Assignment;
Third Party Beneficiaries. Neither this
Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations under
this Agreement will be assigned by any of the parties (whether
by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written
consent of the other party. Notwithstanding the previous
sentence, this Agreement, or the Investors’ obligations
hereunder, may be assigned, delegated or transferred, in whole
or in part, by the Investors to any Affiliate (as defined in
Rule 12b-2
under the Exchange Act) of the Investors over which the
Investors or any of their Affiliates exercise investment
authority, including, without limitation, with respect to voting
and dispositive rights; provided, that any such assignee assumes
the obligations of the Investors hereunder and agree in writing
to be bound by the terms of this Agreement in the same manner as
the Investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other
provisions herein, no such assignment will relieve
24
the Investors of their obligations hereunder if such assignee
fails to perform such obligations. Except as provided in
Section 8 with respect to the Indemnified Parties,
this Agreement (including the documents and instruments referred
to in this Agreement) is not intended to and does not confer
upon any person other than the parties hereto any rights or
remedies under this Agreement.
Section 13. Prior
Negotiations; Entire Agreement. This
Agreement (including the agreements attached as exhibits to and
the documents and instruments referred to in this Agreement)
constitutes the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes
all prior agreements, arrangements or understandings, whether
written or oral, between the parties with respect to the subject
matter of this Agreement, except that the parties hereto
acknowledge that any confidentiality agreements heretofore
executed among the parties will continue in full force and
effect.
Section 14. GOVERNING
LAW; VENUE. THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE GOVERNED
AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE
OF NEW YORK. THE INVESTORS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE
JURISDICTION OF, AND VENUE IN, THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY
COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AND WAIVES ANY
OBJECTION BASED ON FORUM NON CONVENIENS.
Section 15. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of
which will be considered one and the same agreement and will
become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of
the parties and delivered to the other party (including via
facsimile or other electronic transmission), it being understood
that each party need not sign the same counterpart.
Section 16. Waivers
and Amendments. This Agreement may be
amended, modified, superseded, cancelled, renewed or extended,
and the terms and conditions of this Agreement may be waived,
only by a written instrument signed by the Company and those
Investors providing two-thirds of the Backstop Commitment, and,
to the extent required, the approval of the Bankruptcy Court;
provided, however, that no such amendment,
modification, supersession, cancellation, renewal, extension or
waiver shall materially alter the rights or obligations of any
Investor without such Investor’s individual prior written
consent; provided, further, that the amendment,
modification, supersession, cancellation, renewal extension or
waiver of any of the following provisions shall require the
express written consent of each Investor: the definition of
“Material Adverse Effect”, Section 2,
Section 5(m), Section 7(a)(ii),
Section 7(a)(iv), Section 7(a)(v),
Section 7(a)(xxii), Section 10 and
Section 16 Notwithstanding the foregoing,
(i) no amendment, modification, supersession, cancellation,
renewal extension or waiver of any provision shall adversely
affect any Investor, or such Investor’s broker-dealer
affiliates, in connection with such Investor’s or
affiliate’s activities as a broker-dealer, in such
Investor’s sole discretion, without such Investor’s
consent. and (ii) any amendment waiver of
Section 19 with respect to any Investor and its
affiliates shall not require the consent of any other Investor.
No delay on the part of any party in exercising any right, power
or privilege pursuant to this Agreement will operate as a waiver
thereof, nor will any waiver on the part of any party of any
right, power or privilege pursuant to this Agreement, nor will
any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege
pursuant to this Agreement, preclude any other or further
exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or
privilege pursuant to this Agreement. The rights and remedies
provided pursuant to this Agreement are cumulative and are not
exclusive of any rights or remedies which any party otherwise
may have at law or in equity.
Section 17. Headings. The
headings in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and
will not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement.
Section 18. Specific
Performance. The parties acknowledge and
agree that any breach of the terms of this Agreement would give
rise to irreparable harm for which money damages would not be an
adequate remedy, and, accordingly, the parties agree that, in
addition to any other remedies, each will be entitled to enforce
the terms of this Agreement by a decree of specific performance
without the necessity of proving the inadequacy of money damages
as a remedy and without the necessity of posting bond.
Section 19. Voting
Restriction. Subject to the last sentence of
this Section 19, the shares of New Common Stock acquired by
the Investors hereunder, as well as any other shares of New
Common Stock
25
received by the Investors and their respective affiliates under
or in connection with the Amended Plan and any shares of such
stock that may be acquired by the Investors and their respective
affiliates during the Restriction Period, as defined below,
shall not be entitled to vote for the election of directors of
the Company at any time during the Restriction Period while held
by or for the benefit of any of the Investors or their
respective affiliates. This restriction shall apply to the
Investors, together with their respective affiliates, on a
several and not joint basis, and shall terminate at 12:01 am on
the day following the last day of the Restriction Period. This
restriction shall not apply to any share of New Common Stock
after sale or other transfer of such share by the Investors or
their affiliates to a party not affiliated with any Investor or
affiliate. For purposes of this provision, the
“Restriction Period” shall begin on the
Effective Date and shall terminate on the date that is eight
months and one day after the Effective Date. Notwithstanding
anything contained herein to the contrary, (i) none of the
provisions of this Section 19 shall apply to any
shares of New Common Stock acquired or received by Highland
Capital Management, L.P. or its affiliates, (ii) the
provisions of this Section 19 shall apply to shares
of New Common Stock acquired or received by UBS Securities LLC
or its affiliates only to the extent they are held as part of
proprietary trading or investment for the account of UBS
Securities LLC or an affiliate, excluding any claims or
interests in respect of which UBS Securities LLC or an affiliate
exercises voting authority due to a financing, custodial,
advisory or fiduciary relationship and (iii) the provisions
of this Section 19 shall apply to shares of New
Common Stock acquired or received by Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce,
Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated or its affiliates only to
the extent they are held as part of proprietary trading or
investment for the account of Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce,
Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated or an affiliate, excluding
any claims or interests in respect of which Xxxxxxx Lynch,
Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated or an affiliate
exercises voting authority due to a financing, custodial,
advisory or fiduciary relationship.
[Signature
Page Follows]
26
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the date first written above.
By: |
/s/ Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: | President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board |
Agreed and Accepted:
OFFICIAL COMMITTEE OF UNSECURED
CREDITORS OF SOLUTIA INC., ET AL
By: |
|
Name:
Title: |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the date first written above.
By: |
|
Name:
Title: |
Agreed and Accepted:
OFFICIAL COMMITTEE OF UNSECURED
CREDITORS OF SOLUTIA INC., ET AL
By: |
/s/ Xxxxx
Xxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxx
Title: |
Partner, Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP, Counsel to
the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Solutia Inc. et al |
INVESTORS
HIGHLAND CRUSADER HOLDING CORPORATION
By: |
/s/ Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Title: | Secretary |
Address:
Two Galleria Tower
00000 Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx, XX
00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
[Signature Page of Commitment Agreement]
XXXXXXXX FUND MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.*
By: |
/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Member
Address:
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
* As Investment Manager,
On behalf of Xxxxxxxx Master Fund, Ltd. and Xxxxxxxx Capital Partners (QP), L.P.
On behalf of Xxxxxxxx Master Fund, Ltd. and Xxxxxxxx Capital Partners (QP), L.P.
[Signature Page of Equity Commitment Agreement]
XXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX, XXXXXX &
XXXXX INCORPORATED
By: |
/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Title: Director
Address:
4 World Financial Center
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxx/Xxx Xxxxx
Fax: (000) 000-0000
[Signature Page of Commitment Agreement]
GMAM INVESTMENT FUNDS TRUST II By: Xxxxxx Capital
Management, Inc., its agent
By: |
/s/ Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: |
General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer |
RECAP INTERNATIONAL (MASTER) LTD. By: Xxxxxx Capital
Management, Inc., its agent
By: |
/s/ Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: |
General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer |
INSTITUTIONAL BENCHMARK SERIES
(MASTER FEEDER) LTD., a segregated
accounts company, solely with respect to the
Muscida series.
By: Xxxxxx Capital Management, Inc., its agent
(MASTER FEEDER) LTD., a segregated
accounts company, solely with respect to the
Muscida series.
By: Xxxxxx Capital Management, Inc., its agent
By: |
/s/ Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: |
General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer |
Address (for the above three entities):
c/x Xxxxxx
Capital Management, Inc.
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: General Counsel
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
[Signature Page of Equity Commitment Agreement]
SOUTHPAW ASSET MANAGEMENT*
By: |
/s/ Xxxxx
Xxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxx
Title: |
Managing Member of General Partner-Southpaw Holdings LLC |
Address:
Southpaw Asset Management LP
0 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
[Signature Page of Equity Commitment Agreement]
UBS SECURITIES LLC
By: |
/s/ Xxxx
Xxxx
|
Name: Xxxx Xxxx
Title: | Managing Director |
By: |
/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Title: | Director |
Address:
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
W/Copy To:
Fixed Income Legal
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
[Signature Page of Commitment Agreement]
Schedule I
Index of
Defined Terms
Term
|
Section
|
|||
Agreement
|
Preamble | |||
Agreement Motion
|
Section 5(a) | |||
Agreement Order
|
Section 2(c) | |||
Amended Plan
|
Section 1(a) | |||
Backstop Commitment
|
Section 2(a)(i) | |||
Backstop Fee
|
Section 2(c) | |||
Bankruptcy Court
|
Preamble | |||
Bankruptcy Rules
|
Section 3(b)(i) | |||
Chapter 11 Proceedings
|
Section 3(o) | |||
Code
|
Section 3(w) | |||
Commission
|
Section 3(g) | |||
Commitment Notice
|
Section 1(e) | |||
Commitment Percentage
|
Section 2(a)(i) | |||
Company
|
Preamble | |||
Confirmation Hearing
|
Section 2(c) | |||
Court Orders
|
Section 3(b)(i) | |||
Defaulting Investor
|
Section 2(a)(i) | |||
Default Purchase Right
|
Section 2(a)(ii) | |||
Default Shares
|
Section 2(a)(ii) | |||
Determination Date
|
Section 1(e) | |||
Direct Purchase Right
|
Section 2(b) | |||
Direct Purchase Shares
|
Section 2(b) | |||
Disclosure Statement
|
Section 3(j) | |||
Effective Date
|
Section 1(d) | |||
Eligible Holder
|
Recitals | |||
Environmental Laws
|
Section 3(v) | |||
ERISA
|
Section 3(w) | |||
Exchange Act
|
Section 3(i) | |||
Exchange Act Documents
|
Section 3(i) | |||
Existing Plan
|
Preamble | |||
Exit Extension Fee
|
Section 10(a)(ii) | |||
Exit Facility
|
Section 7(a)(xxiii) | |||
Exit Financing Condition
|
Section 2(c) | |||
Expiration Time
|
Section 1(b) | |||
Extension Fee
|
Section 10(a)(iii) | |||
HSR Act
|
Section 3(g) | |||
Inconsistent Transaction
|
Section 5(o) | |||
Indemnified Person
|
Section 8(a) | |||
Indemnifying Party
|
Section 8(a) | |||
Independent Accountants
|
Section 3(q) | |||
Investor Agreement
|
Section 2(a)(i) | |||
Investor Default
|
Section 2(a)(ii) | |||
Investor Shares
|
Section 2(b) |
Term
|
Section
|
|||
Investors
|
Preamble | |||
Material Adverse Effect
|
Section 3(a) | |||
Non-Defaulting Investors
|
Section 2(a)(ii) | |||
Over-Allotment Right
|
Section 1(c) | |||
Payment Date
|
Section 1(b) | |||
Preliminary Prospectus
|
Section 3(k) | |||
Proceedings
|
Section 8(b) | |||
Prospectus
|
Section 3(k) | |||
Purchase Price
|
Recitals | |||
Registration Rights Agreement
|
Section 5(m) | |||
Registration Statement
|
Section 5(i) | |||
Restricted Period
|
Section 5(j) | |||
Right
|
Recitals | |||
Rights Exercise Period
|
Section 1(b) | |||
Rights Offering
|
Recitals | |||
Rights Offering Procedures
|
Recitals | |||
Satisfaction Notice
|
Section 1(e) | |||
Securities Act
|
Section 3(g) | |||
Settlement Term Sheet
|
Section 1(a) | |||
Share
|
Recitals | |||
Subscription Agent
|
Section 5(e) | |||
Transaction Documents
|
Section 3(n) | |||
Transaction Expenses
|
Section 2(d) | |||
Unsubscribed Shares
|
Recitals |
Schedule II
Commitment
Percentages
Exhibit A
Rights
Offering Procedures
RIGHTS
OFFERING PROCEDURES
1. | Introduction |
Each
Holder1
of a General Unsecured Claim, whose General Unsecured Claim has
been allowed for voting purposes, or a Noteholder Claim (an
“Eligible Holder”) has the right, but not the
obligation, to purchase New Common Stock (the “Rights
Offering”) pursuant to the rights offering subscription
exercise form (the “Rights Exercise Form”),
which will be sent to each Eligible Holder contemporaneously
with the Disclosure Statement. The Rights Exercise Form will
indicate the price per share of New Common Stock (the
“Rights Exercise Price”) payable in connection
with such an exercise. Any reference to an Eligible
Holder’s Rights Exercise Price shall mean the Rights
Exercise Price multiplied by the number of shares of New Common
Stock such Eligible Holder elected and duly purchased in
accordance with and subject to these Rights Offering Procedures.
For purposes of these Rights Offering Procedures, an Eligible
Claim Transfer Shareholder who purchases one or more Allowed
General Unsecured Claims in accordance with the Claim Transfer
Procedures and validly exercises Rights with respect thereto
shall be deemed to be an Eligible Holder.
Each Eligible Holder shall have the right to purchase up to its
New Common Stock Pro Rata Share (as defined below) of the New
Common Stock that is subject to the Rights Offering, not
including the Backstop Reserve (the “Initial
Rights”). “New Common Stock Pro Rata Share”
means the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of such
holder’s Rights Participation Claim Amount (as defined
below) to the aggregate amount of all Rights Participation Claim
Amounts available to Eligible Holders as of the Record Date. In
addition, the Rights Exercise Form will provide that Eligible
Holders that have exercised their full pro rata share of Initial
Rights may indicate the amount of additional Rights (the
“Additional Rights”) that they would like to
exercise in the event that the Rights Offering is
under-subscribed (an “Under-Subscription”) as
of the deadline for returning Rights Exercise forms (the
“Rights Offering Deadline”). No Eligible Holder will
be granted or allowed to exercise any fractional Rights.
In the event of an Under-Subscription, Eligible Holders that
elected to exercise Additional Rights will be entitled to
purchase a number of additional shares of New Common Stock in an
amount equal to the number of Additional Rights elected on each
Eligible Holder’s Rights Exercise Form; provided,
however, that in the event that Eligible Holders, in the
aggregate, attempt to exercise more Additional Rights than are
available for all Eligible Holders electing to exercise
Additional Rights, Eligible Holders will only be able to
exercise their pro rata share of Additional Rights (as
determined by the Rights Participation Claim Amounts of all such
Eligible Holders). The Initial Rights and Additional Rights are
collectively referred to herein as the “Rights.”
The Rights Offering will be backstopped by the Backstop Group in
exchange for a $6.25 million fee and the right to subscribe
for, and acquire, up to 15% of the New Common Stock being issued
pursuant to the Rights Offering (the “Direct Purchase
Option”).
Each Right can be exercised for one share of New Common Stock.
An aggregate of 15,936,703 shares of New Common Stock will
be available upon the exercise of Initial Rights; provided,
however, that the number of shares available for the exercise of
Additional Rights may be increased by up to
2,812,359 shares if the Backstop Parties do not exercise
the Direct Purchase Option.
“Claim Transfer Shareholder Claim” means the
General Unsecured Claims that an Eligible Claim Transfer
Shareholder acquired by exercising its rights pursuant to the
Claim Transfer Procedures.
“Disclosure Statement” means that certain
Disclosure Statement, approved by the United States Bankruptcy
Court for the Southern District of New York (the
“Bankruptcy Court”) on October [ ],
2007.
“Subscription Agent” means Financial Balloting
Group LLC, in its capacity as such.
1 All
capitalized terms used, but not defined herein, shall have the
meanings ascribed to them in the Amended Plan.
“Rights Participation Claim Amount” means,
(a) in the case of a Noteholder Claim, the principal amount
adjusted for unaccrued interest of such Noteholder Claim as of
the Record Date; and (b) in the case of any General
Unsecured Claim other than a Noteholder Claim, the amount of
such Claim listed on the Rights Exercise Form, which shall
reflect the amount of such General Unsecured Claim that is
allowed for voting purposes, or such other amount as may be
adjudicated in an order of the Bankruptcy Court at least
five (5) days prior to the Voting Deadline.
Notwithstanding anything contained in the Plan to the contrary,
under no circumstances shall any Holder of a General Unsecured
Claim that is not entitled to vote on the Plan pursuant to the
Disclosure Statement Order have any Rights Participation Claim
Amount with respect to such General Unsecured Claim.
Before exercising any Rights, Eligible Holders should read
the Disclosure Statement, including the section entitled,
“Risks Related to the Debtors’ Business and
Industry” and the valuation of the Reorganized Debtors
contained therein.
2. | Commencement/Expiration of the Rights Offering |
The Rights Offering shall commence on the day upon which the
Rights Exercise Forms are mailed to Eligible Holders (the
“Commencement Date”). The Rights Offering shall
expire on the Rights Offering Deadline. Each Eligible Holder
intending to participate in the Rights Offering must
affirmatively make a
non-binding
election to exercise its Rights on or prior to the Rights
Offering Deadline in accordance with the provisions of
Section 3 below.
As promptly as practicable, and in any event not later than
[twenty-five (25)] Days, following the Voting Deadline, Solutia
shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to each Eligible Holder
that has sought to exercise Rights or their bank, broker, agent
or other nominee a written statement specifying the Rights,
including the Additional Rights, each Eligible Holder may
purchase.
3. | Exercise of Rights |
Exercise
of Initial Rights
Each Eligible Holder may designate on its Rights Exercise Form
whether it wishes to exercise its Initial Rights and such
designation shall be non-binding.
Each Eligible Holder is entitled to participate in the Rights
Offering solely to the extent of its Rights Participation Claim
Amount, together with any Additional Rights to the extent
available in the event of an Under-Subscription, provide,
however, that an Eligible Holder may only elect to subscribe
for Additional Rights if they elect to fully subscribe to their
Initial Rights.
Each Eligible Holder may exercise all or any portion of such
holder’s Rights pursuant to the procedures outlined below,
as appropriate.
Exercise
of Additional Rights
Any Eligible Holder that exercises all of its Initial Rights may
indicate on its Rights Exercise Form how many additional shares
of New Common Stock such Eligible Holder wishes to purchase
through the exercise of Additional Rights.
Exercise
by Holders of General Unsecured Claims
To exercise the Rights, each Eligible Holder (excluding Eligible
Holders that hold Noteholder Claims or Claim Transfer
Shareholder Claims) must deliver a duly completed Rights
Exercise Form so that such form is actually received by the
Subscription Agent on or before the Rights Offering Deadline.
If, on or prior to the Rights Offering Deadline, the
Subscription Agent for any reason does not receive from an
Eligible Holder or its intermediary a duly completed Rights
Exercise Form, such Eligible Holder shall be deemed to have
relinquished and waived its Rights.
2
To facilitate the exercise of the Rights, on the Commencement
Date, the Debtors will mail or cause to be mailed a Rights
Exercise Form to each Eligible Holder or its intermediary as of
the Record Date, together with instructions for the proper
completion, due execution and timely delivery of the Rights
Exercise Form to the Subscription Agent.
Exercise
by Holders of Noteholder Claims
For an Eligible Holder of a Noteholder Claim to exercise its
Rights, such holder must provide its instruction to its bank,
broker, or other nominee or to its agent. The bank, broker, or
other nominee or agent, in turn, must then convey the
instruction to the Subscription Agent on or before the Rights
Offering Deadline. For purposes of this Rights Offering,
Wilmington Trust Company, in its capacity as Indenture
Trustee, shall not constitute a Nominee and shall have no
responsibility with respect to sending any Rights Offering
information or collecting any Rights Offering Forms.
To facilitate the exercise of the Rights for Holders of
Noteholder Claims, on the Commencement Date, the Debtors will
deliver Rights Exercise Forms to the record holders of such
Claims, including, without limitation, brokers, banks, dealers,
or other agents or nominees (the “Subscription
Nominees”). Each Subscription Nominee will be entitled
to receive sufficient copies of the Rights Exercise Form and
Disclosure Statement for distribution to the beneficial owners
of the Noteholder Claims for whom such Subscription Nominee
holds such Noteholder Claims. The Subscription Nominees may use
the Rights Exercise Form provided or such other form as they may
customarily use for the purpose of obtaining instructions with
respect to a rights offering.
Exercise
by Holders of Claim Transfer Shareholder Claims
To facilitate the exercise of the Rights for Holders of Claim
Transfer Shareholder Claims, the Debtors will include the Claim
Transfer Procedures and Equity Claim Purchase Election Form with
the Disclosure Statement, which is being provided to all Holders
of Solutia Stock eligible to vote as of the Voting Record Date
(see Exhibit [ ] to the Disclosure
Statement).
Payment
for Rights
As soon as practicable after the Registration Statement filed
with the SEC on
Form S-1
is declared “effective” by the SEC, Solutia shall
deliver to each Eligible Holder that has indicated an interest
to exercise its Initial Rights (and Additional Rights, if
applicable) a notice setting forth the number of shares of New
Common Stock such Eligible Holder is entitled to purchase, such
Holder’s Total Exercise Price and instructions for payment
of such Holder’s Exercise Price.
If, on or prior to the payment deadline set forth in such
instructions, which deadline shall be approximately ten days
after the notices described above are distributed, the
Subscription Agent for any reason does not receive on behalf of
the Eligible Holder immediately available funds by wire transfer
or bank cashier’s check in an amount equal to the Total
Exercise Price for such Eligible Holder’s Rights, such
Eligible Holder shall be deemed to have relinquished and waived
its Rights.
Subsequent
determination of Rights Participation Claim Amount
If, after the Record Date but at least five (5) days prior
to the Voting Deadline, a Holder of a General Unsecured Claim
becomes entitled to Initial Rights, or a different amount of
Initial Rights than initially granted, as a result of a
Bankruptcy Court order estimating, allowing, disallowing or
reclassifying such Claim, such Eligible Holder shall be
permitted to participate in the Rights Offering with respect to
such new Rights Participation Claim Amount.
Disputes,
Waivers, and Extensions
Any and all disputes concerning the timeliness, viability, form
and eligibility of any exercise of Rights shall be addressed in
good faith by the Debtors in consultation with the
Creditors’ Committee, and the Equity
3
Committee with respect to Rights exercised by Eligible Claim
Transfer Shareholders, and subject to a final determination by
the Bankruptcy Court, the determinations of which shall be final
and binding. The Debtors, in consultation with the
Creditors’ Committee and subject to Bankruptcy Court
approval, may seek to waive any defect or irregularity, or
permit a defect or irregularity to be corrected, within such
times as they may determine in good faith to be appropriate, or
reject the purported exercise of any Rights. Subscription
instructions shall be deemed not to have been properly completed
until all irregularities have been waived or cured within such
time as the Debtors determine in their discretion reasonably
exercised in good faith. The Debtors reserve the right, but are
under no obligation, to give notice to any Eligible Holder
regarding any defect or irregularity in connection with any
purported exercise of Rights by such Eligible Holder and the
Debtors may, but are under no obligation, to permit such defect
or irregularity to be cured within such time as they may
determine in good faith, in consultation with the
Creditors’ Committee, the Equity Committee with regard to
Rights exercised by Eligible Claim Transfer Shareholders, and
subject to Bankruptcy Court approval, to be appropriate;
provided, however, that none of the Debtors, the
Subscription Agent, the Creditors’ Committee, or the Equity
Committee shall incur any liability for failure to give such
notification.
The Debtors, with the approval of the Bankruptcy Court and
Creditors’ Committee, and following advance written notice
to the Noteholders’ Committee, may extend the duration of
the Rights Offering or adopt additional detailed procedures to
more efficiently administer the distribution and exercise of the
Rights.
Funds
The payments made in accordance with the Rights Offering (the
“Rights Offering Funds”) shall be deposited
when made and held by the Subscription Agent in escrow pending
the Effective Date in an account or accounts (a) which
shall be separate and apart from the Subscription Agent’s
general operating funds and any other funds subject to any lien
or any cash collateral arrangements and (b) which
segregated account or accounts will be maintained for the
purpose of holding the money for administration of the Rights
Offering and the Equity Purchase Offering until the Effective
Date. The Subscription Agent shall not use the Rights Offering
Funds for any purpose other than to release the funds as
directed by the Debtors on the Effective Date and shall not
encumber or permit the Rights Offering Funds to be encumbered by
any lien or similar encumbrance.
Waiver
Each Holder that participates in the Rights Offering shall be
deemed by virtue of such participation, to have waived and
released, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law,
all rights, claims or causes of action against the Debtors, the
Reorganized Debtors, the Creditors’ Committee and the
Subscription Agent arising out of or related to the receipt,
delivery, disbursements, calculations, transmission or
segregation of cash, Rights and shares of New Common Stock in
connection with the Rights Offering.
4. | Transfer Restriction; Revocation |
Pursuant to the Plan, and subject to the Claim Transfer
Procedures, the Rights are not transferable independently of the
underlying General Unsecured Claims or Noteholder Claims from
which such Rights arise. Except with regard to Rights acquired
pursuant to the Claims Transfer Procedures, Rights may only be
exercised by or through the Eligible Holder entitled to exercise
such Rights on the Record Date. Any such independent transfer or
attempted transfer of the Rights, aside from a transfer pursuant
to the Claim Transfer Procedures, will be null and void and the
Debtors will not treat any purported transferee as the holder of
any Rights. Once the Eligible Holder of a General Unsecured
Claim, Noteholder Claim, or Claim Transfer Shareholder Claim has
properly exercised its Rights and paid its Total Exercise Price,
such exercise will not be permitted to be revoked by such
Eligible Holder.
5. | Subsequent Adjustments |
If, as of the Rights Offering Deadline, as a result of
allowances of General Unsecured Claims or Noteholder Claims or
other actions following the Record Date, more than all of the
New Common Stock
4
subject to the Rights Offering has been subscribed for (other
than as a result of the exercise of Additional Rights in the
event of an Under-Subscription), each properly exercising holder
of a General Unsecured Claim, Noteholder Claim, or Claim
Transfer Shareholder Claim shall have the Rights which it may
exercise reduced on a pro rata basis. The difference between the
price actually paid by such exercising holder and the Rights
Exercise Price that such holder is required to pay after giving
effect to the reduction, if any, shall be refunded, without
interest, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective
Date. Any adjustment to Rights shall first be made to the
Additional Rights, if any.
6. | Inquiries And Transmittal Of Documents; Subscription Agent |
The exercise instructions contained in the Rights Exercise Form
should be carefully read and strictly followed.
Questions relating to the Rights Offering should be directed to
the Subscription Agent at the following phone number:
Financial Balloting Group LLC
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
The risk of non-delivery of all documents and payments is on the
Eligible Holders electing to exercise their Rights, not the
Debtors or the Subscription Agent.
7. | Rights Offering Conditioned Upon Confirmation of The Plan; Reservation of Rights |
All exercises of Rights are subject to and conditioned upon the
confirmation of the Plan and the occurrence of the Effective
Date of the Plan. Notwithstanding anything contained herein, the
Disclosure Statement or the Plan to the contrary, the Debtors
and the Reorganized Debtors reserve the right, in consultation
with the Creditors’ Committee and the Equity Committee, to
modify these Rights Offering Procedures in order to comply with
applicable law.
5
Exhibit B
Settlement
Term Sheet
Exhibit C
Registration
Rights Agreement Terms
Exhibit D
Exit Facility Terms