SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE OF CLAIMS
SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT AND RELEASE OF CLAIMS
This
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE OF CLAIMS (the “Agreement”)
is
entered into by and between Oblio Telecom, Inc. (“Oblio”)
and
Sprint Communications Company, L.P. (“Sprint”)
(collectively, the “Parties”).
RECITALS:
The
following introductory provisions are true and correct and form the basis
of
this Agreement:
A.
Oblio
is engaged in the creation, marketing, and distribution of prepaid telephone
products for the wireline and wireless markets, and other related activities.
Sprint is engaged in the business of providing local voice and long distance
telephone services.
B.
In
October 2005, Oblio approached Sprint and proposed the development of a
relationship whereby Sprint and Oblio would work together to market and sell
pre-paid long distance calling cards.
C.
On
November 17, 2005, after significant negotiations, the Parties entered into
a
contract entitled “Sprint
Prepaid PIN Distribution Agreement”
(the
“Distribution
Contract”).
Pursuant to the Distribution Contract, Sprint would sell to Oblio prepaid
PINs
placed on calling cards that would allow the end user to place telephone
calls
on Sprint’s
long
distance network. Oblio would in turn sell the prepaid calling cards to its
distributors, independent representatives and retail customers.
D.
In
February 2007, the Parties entered into a second contract titled Sprint
Wholesale Prepaid PINs Agreement (the “Wholesale
Agreement”)
which
was intended to supersede the Distribution Agreement. Pursuant to the Wholesale
Agreement, Sprint would continue to sell to Oblio PINs placed on calling
cards
that would allow the end user to place long distance telephone calls on
Sprint’s
network. Oblio would then sell the prepaid calling cards to its distributors,
independent representatives, and retail customers.
E.
In
March, 2007, the Parties entered into a Settlement and Release Agreement
regarding certain funds paid into the Universal Service Fund (“USF”)
by
Sprint between January 2006 and December 2006 (the “USF
Settlement Agreement”).
Sprint
paid Oblio $1,908,889.00 in or about March, 2007 pursuant to the USF Settlement
Agreement. The amount that remains due to Oblio under the USF Settlement
Agreement has not been calculated to date.
F.
In
April 2007, Sprint proposed increases in prepaid calling card rates to Oblio.
Oblio contends that the proposed new rates are a breach of the Wholesale
Agreement and were not contemplated by the Parties at the time the Wholesale
Agreement was entered into. Sprint denies all aspects of Oblio’s
claims.
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G.
On May
11, 2007, Oblio filed a lawsuit against Sprint styled Oblio Telecom, Inc.
v.
Sprint Communications Company, L.P. in the United States District Court for
the
Northern District of Texas (the “Lawsuit”).
Sprint
expressly denies all claims made by Oblio in the Lawsuit.
H.
The
Parties agree that Oblio currently owes an outstanding balance to Sprint
in the
amount of $15,201,711.23 for prepaid PINs purchased by Oblio under the Wholesale
Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “Oblio
Debt”).
I.
Oblio
contends that it is entitled to credits against the Oblio Debt for:
(1)
any USF charges embedded in the amounts charged by Sprint to Oblio in 2007
calculated
in the same manner as provided in the USF Settlement Agreement (the “2007
USF
Claim”);
and
(2)
the
unused portion of a one-half percent (0.50%) marketing allowance under the
Distribution Agreement and Wholesale Agreement to compensate for expenses
relating to Oblio’s
marketing of Sprint products (the “Marketing
Expense Claim”).
Sprint
denies these contentions.
J.
The
Parties now desire to fully and finally settle, upon the terms set forth
herein,
all pending or current disputes and controversies between them arising out
of
all dealings prior to the date of this Agreement, and including without
limitation the Lawsuit, in order to avoid the cost, inconvenience and
uncertainty of litigation.
NOW
THEREFORE, Oblio
and
Sprint, upon the terms and for the consideration set forth herein and other
good
and valuable consideration, the receipt and legal sufficiency of which is
hereby
acknowledged, contract and agree as follows:
1.
PAYMENT
OF THE OBLIO DEBT
(a)
Cash
Payment.
Oblio
agrees to pay Sprint $4,500,000.00 in cash as follows: (i) Oblio will pay
Sprint
$500,000.00 on or before May 31, 2007; (ii) Oblio will pay Sprint an additional
$750,000.00 on the last business day of each month from June 2007 until August,
2007; and (iii) Oblio will pay Sprint the remaining $1,750,000.00, less the
amount of the USF Settlement Credit as provided in Paragraph 1(d) below,
on or
before September 30, 2007. Payment shall be made by wire transfer to the
account
of Sprint Communications Company, L.P. at 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, XX-0XXXX,
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx 00000.
(b)
Product Return.
The
Parties agree that the wholesale value of the unused prepaid calling cards
bearing an active Sprint PIN provided by Sprint under the Wholesale Agreement
is
$4,587,500.00 as of May 22, 2007. Oblio currently has in its possession unused
prepaid calling cards bearing an active
Sprint PIN that have a total wholesale value of $587,500.00, which were obtained
by Oblio pursuant to the Wholesale Agreement (the “Oblio
Cards”).
Within
thirty (30) days of the Effective Date of this Agreement, Oblio will return
the
Oblio Cards to Sprint for deactivation in exchange for a $587,500.00 credit
towards the remaining Oblio Debt.
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Oblio
agrees to use its best efforts to recover the remaining unused prepaid calling
cards bearing an active Sprint PIN that have been obtained by Oblio pursuant
to
the Wholesale Agreement and sold to its vendors (the “Vendor
Cards”),
and to
return all such recovered Vendor Cards to Sprint for deactivation. Sprint
agrees
to credit the Oblio Debt for 115% of the wholesale value of each Vendor Card
returned to Sprint within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date of this
Agreement (the “Vendor
Card Credits”).
Sprint
agrees to cooperate with Oblio and to provide reasonable assistance in
Oblio’s
efforts
to recover Vendor Cards. Within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date of
this
Agreement, Oblio and Sprint shall use their best efforts to agree on the
method
and details for the redirection of unused Sprint PINs to the Starttalk, Inc.
(“Starttalk”)
network. In the event that the Parties mutually agree to such redirection,
the
wholesale value of the amount of the unused Sprint PINs that are redirected
to
Starttalk’s
network
shall be credited on a dollar-for-dollar basis (the “Unused
Value Credits”).
Oblio
agrees to pay Sprint an additional $4,000,000.00 of the remaining Oblio Debt
by
Vendor Card Credits, Unused Value Credits, or cash, on or before September
30,
2007. To the extent that the Unused Value Credits and the Vendor Card Credits
exceed $4,000,000.00, any excess shall be applied to Oblio’s
September 30, 2007 payment obligation in Paragraph 1(a)(iii) above. Within
two
(2) days of the Effective Date of this Agreement, Sprint shall provide Oblio
with an updated and detailed report listing all active and unused and partially
unused Sprint PINs provided to Oblio.
(c)
Execution of New International Wholesale Agreement.
Contemporaneous
with the execution of this Agreement, Starttalk will execute a standard
wholesale wireline agreement with a take-or-pay, 12-month minimum commitment
of
$50,000,000.00 for termination of long distance traffic over the Sprint network,
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.
(d)
USF
Settlement Agreement Credit
On
or
before September 1, 2007, Sprint will determine the additional amount due
to
Oblio under the USF Settlement Agreement for 2006, and will notify Oblio
of that
determination. Sprint will thereafter credit that amount towards the cash
payment due to Sprint under Paragraph 1(a) of this Agreement, provided that
Oblio has timely made all payments required by Paragraph 1(a) due prior to
September 1, 2007 (the “USF
Settlement Credit”).
Accordingly, if Oblio timely makes the payments required by Paragraph 1(a)(i)
and (ii) of this Agreement as required by those paragraphs, Oblio may reduce
the
$1,750,000.00 payment due on September 30, 2007 pursuant to Paragraph 1(a)(iii)
of this Agreement by the USF Settlement Credit, without prejudice to
Oblio’s
right
to challenge Sprint’s
determination as to the amount of such credit.
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(e)
Debt
Forgiveness.
Except
for the Oblio payment obligations identified in Paragraphs 1(a) -
1(c)
above, Sprint forgives the remaining Oblio Debt immediately upon execution
of
this Agreement.
2.
CONTINUING
OBLIGATIONS
(a)
Sprint agrees that it will continue to honor all prepaid calling cards
bearing
Sprint
PINs activated prior to 1:00 pm (CST) Thursday, April 19, 2007 under the
Wholesale Agreement, except the Oblio Cards and the Vendor Cards returned
by
Oblio to Sprint for credit and deactivation. Oblio shall not deactivate any
Sprint PINs without Sprint’s
consent.
(b)
The
Parties agree that the indemnification provisions of Paragraph 9 and the
confidentiality provisions of Paragraph 11 of the Wholesale Agreement shall
survive this Agreement and remain effective for matters arising from or related
to the Parties’
performance under the Wholesale Agreement.
(c)
Except as provided in this Agreement, the Parties shall have no further
obligations under the Wholesale Agreement.
(d)
The
Parties agree that the USF Settlement Agreement shall survive and remain
effective notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement.
3. MUTUAL
RELEASE OF ALL CLAIMS
(a)
Except as provided in this Agreement, Oblio, on behalf of itself, and
its past,
present and future affiliates, representatives, agents and assigns, hereby
fully, finally and completely releases, and forever discharges and acquits
Sprint and its past, present, and future successors, affiliates,
representatives, executors, administrators, officers, directors, shareholders,
partners, servants, attorneys, employees, agents, purchasers, assigns and
insurers, of and from any and all past, present or potential rights, demands,
claims, obligations, actions, causes of action, suits and controversies,
demands, damages and expenses, in contract or in tort, at law or in equity,
known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, including all claims, asserted
or
unasserted, that Oblio has or may have against Sprint for negligence; gross
negligence; negligence per se; recklessness; wanton disregard;
misrepresentation; fraud; violation of any federal, state, or local statute
or
law; violation of any common law; out of pocket expenses; past and future
loss
of earnings or earning capacity; attorney’s
fees;
exemplary damages; breach of contract; breach of the duty of good faith
and fair
dealing; breach of warranty; breach of expressed contract; breach of implied
contract; intentional and/or negligent misrepresentations; violation of
the
Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act; violation of the Texas Insurance Code;
violation of the Federal Communications Act; violation of any other federal,
state, or local statute or law; and all other claims relating to the pending
or
current disputes and controversies between the parties arising from the
Wholesale Agreement or the Distribution Agreement, including without limitation
all claims alleged, or that could have been alleged, in the
Lawsuit.
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(b)
Except as provided in this Agreement, Sprint, on behalf of itself, and its
past,
present and future affiliates, representatives, agents and assigns, hereby
fully, finally and completely releases, and forever discharges and acquits
Oblio
and its past, present, and future successors, affiliates, representatives,
executors, administrators, officers, directors, shareholders, partners,
servants, attorneys, employees, agents, purchasers, assigns and insurers,
of and
from any and all past, present or potential rights, demands, claims,
obligations, actions, causes of action, suits and controversies, demands,
damages and expenses, in contract or in tort, at law or in equity, known
or
unknown, suspected or unsuspected, including all claims, asserted or unasserted,
that Sprint has or may have against Oblio for negligence; gross negligence;
negligence per se; recklessness; wanton disregard; misrepresentation; fraud;
violation of any federal, state, or local statute or law; violation of any
common law; out of pocket expenses; past and future loss of earnings or earning
capacity; attorneys fees; exemplary damages; breach of contract; breach of
the
duty of good faith and fair dealing; breach of warranty; breach of expressed
contract; breach of implied contract; intentional and/or negligent
misrepresentations; violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act;
violation of the Texas Insurance Code; violation of the Federal Communications
Act; violation of any other federal, state, or local statute or law; and
all
other claims arising out of or related to the Wholesale Agreement or the
Distribution Agreement and/or any and all prior dealings between the Parties
as
of the Effective Date hereof, of any type or character.
4.
DISMISSAL
OF THE LAWSUIT
Immediately
upon execution of the Agreement, Oblio will take any and all actions to cause
the Lawsuit to be dismissed with prejudice. Oblio agrees to file appropriate
dismissal papers within five (5) days of the effective date of the Agreement.
5.
SOLE
OWNERS OF CLAIMS
The
Parties represent and warrant that they are the only persons who are entitled
to
any recovery for any cause whatsoever for damages, expenses, or losses incurred
as a result of the circumstances that are the basis of this Agreement.
The
Parties represent and warrant that they have not assigned or transferred
all or
part of the claims, demands, actions, or causes of action arising from or
in any
way relating to the circumstances and conditions that are the basis of this
action, to any person, firm, or corporation.
The
Parties represent and warrant that they are the full and sole owners of the
claims, demands, actions, or causes of action arising from or in any way
relating to the circumstances and conditions that are the basis of this
Agreement.
6. TERMS
The
Parties agree that the releases and agreements set forth herein are good,
valuable and valid consideration for this Agreement, failure of which shall
constitute a breach of this Agreement for which damages and specific performance
may be sought. Time is of the essence.
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7.
NO
ADMISSIONS
It
is
expressly understood and agreed that the Parties have entered into this
Agreement to settle the disputes and controversies referenced herein and
the
Parties do not admit liability of any type for any claim asserted or which
could
have been asserted, but instead each deny any and all liability on each and
every claim which has been or which could have been asserted. The purpose
of
this Agreement is to avoid the risks, costs, and burdens of further litigation
and is an alternative means of resolving the differences between the Parties.
To
that end, this Agreement shall not be admissible in any judicial, administrative
or other proceeding or cause of action as an admission of liability by the
Parties hereto.
8.
ENTIRE
AGREEMENT
(a)
This Agreement contains the entire agreement among the Parties
relating to
the
pending or current disputes and controversies between the parties arising
from
the Wholesale Agreement. This Agreement supersedes any and all other
negotiations, representations, understandings and agreements relating
to those
disputes and controversies, including without limitation the Wholesale
Agreement. All prior and contemporaneous negotiations, understandings
and
agreements between the Parties relating to those disputes and controversies
are
deemed abandoned and waived to the extent that they are not stated in
this
Agreement. Except for the specific obligations identified in, or arising
out, of
this Agreement, the Parties shall have no further responsibilities or
obligations under the Wholesale Agreement. However, nothing in this Agreement
(including but not limited to this Paragraph 8 and Paragraph 3 above)
shall be
deemed a waiver, cancellation, or release of either Party’s
rights
and obligations under the USF Settlement Agreement, Oblio’s
2007
USF Claim, or Oblio’s
Marketing Expense Claim, all such rights being expressly
reserved.
(b)
This
Agreement may be amended only by a written agreement signed by each party,
and a
breach of this Agreement may be waived only by a written waiver signed by
the
party granting the waiver. The waiver of any breach of this Agreement shall
not
operate or be construed as a waiver of any other similar, prior or subsequent
breach of this Agreement.
9.
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
As
a
material inducement to enter into this Agreement, each party represents and
warrants that at the signing of this Agreement and delivery of any documents
hereunder:
(a)
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it
has been fully informed of the terms and conditions of this Agreement
and
has done all investigation deemed necessary prior to
execution;
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(b)
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no
threat, promise or representation of any kind has been made to
it by any
other party hereto or anyone acting on behalf of any party hereto,
except
as is expressly stated in this Agreement;
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(c)
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it
has been represented by counsel of its choosing in connection with
the
negotiations and execution of the Agreement;
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(d)
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each
party has the sole right and exclusive authority to execute this
Agreement
on its behalf and receive the monies and credits set forth
herein;
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(e)
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the
person executing this Agreement on behalf of each party is fully
competent
and authorized to execute this Agreement on behalf of the party,
and
his/her signature set forth on this Agreement is genuine and binding;
and
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(f)
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this
Agreement and all other documents delivered in connection with
this
Agreement have been or will be duly executed and delivered by such
party
and are valid and binding agreements and are enforceable in accordance
with their terms.
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10.
ATTORNEYS’
FEES AND COSTS
With
respect to the drafting of this Agreement, all attorneys’
fees and
costs will be borne by the party incurring same. However, to the extent that
either party files a lawsuit to enforce or interpret the provisions of this
Agreement, the prevailing party in that lawsuit shall be entitled to recover
its
attorneys’
fees and
costs.
11.
BINDING
EFFECT
The
terms
hereof are contractual and not merely recitals. All agreements, representations,
covenants, terms and conditions of this Agreement shall survive its execution
and be fully binding upon the Parties, and their respective heirs, personal
representatives, successors and assigns.
12.
SEVERABILITY
In
the
event that any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement
shall,
for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect,
such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any of the
remaining provisions, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid,
illegal, or unenforceable provision had never been contained
herein.
13.
COUNTERPARTS
This
Agreement may be executed for all purposes in any number of identical
counterparts, and each party may execute any such counterpart, each of which
shall be deemed an original for all purposes. A photocopy or facsimile copy
of
this Agreement, and any signature to this Agreement, shall be deemed to be
as
effective as the original for all purposes.
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14.
GOVERNING
LAW AND FORUM SELECTION
This
Agreement shall in all respects be governed by, construed and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the State of Kansas without regard to any choice
of
law principles. Any proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement
shall
be filed in a Kansas state or federal court. The Parties irrevocably submit
to
the exclusive jurisdiction of the Kansas state and federal courts in any
such
proceeding, agree that the Kansas state and federal courts have personal
jurisdiction over the Parties and subject matter jurisdiction over any
proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement, agree that any such
proceeding shall be heard and determined only in a Kansas state or federal
court, and agree not to bring any such proceeding in any other jurisdiction.
The
Parties agree that a copy of this Paragraph 13 may be filed in any court
as
written evidence of the knowing, voluntary, and bargained-for agreement to
irrevocably waive any objections to venue, convenience, or forum in any
jurisdiction other than Kansas.
15.
HEADINGS
The
paragraph headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference
only and shall not control or affect the meaning, intention, construction
or
effect of the Agreement.
16.
EFFECTIVE
DATE
The
Effective Date of this Agreement shall be the date on which the last party
signs
it.
17.
NO
PARENT COMPANY GUARANTY
Sprint
understands that Oblio is a wholly owned subsidiary of Titan Global Holdings,
Inc. (“Titan”).
Sprint
acknowledges and understands that Titan has not guaranteed Oblio’s
obligations under this Agreement, and Sprint agrees to only look to Oblio
to
fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.
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REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
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THIS
AGREEMENT IS SEEN, AGREED TO, AND EXECUTED BY:
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OBLIO
TELECOM, INC.
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By: | ||
Title: | ||
Date:
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SPRINT
COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, L.P.
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By: | ||
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx III
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Title: |
Vice
President International and
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Wholesale
Markets
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Date: | ||
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EXHIBIT
A
SPRINT/OBLIO
WHOLESALE MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT
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