SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT
THIS SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT
(the “Agreement”) is made
and entered into on April 2, 2009 by and among Kraft Elektronikai Zrt, a
Hungarian corporation (the “Company”), and the
shareholders of the Company (each a “Shareholder” and
collectively the “Shareholders”) who
are listed (together with their Affiliates) on Schedule A attached
hereto, and any other person(s) or entity(ies) who may hereafter become a party
to this Agreement. The Company and the Shareholders are hereinafter
sometimes collectively referred to as the “Parties.”
RECITALS:
WHEREAS, the Shareholders are
the owners of 100% of the common shares and equity of the Company (the “Share Capital”), as
set forth on Schedule
B; and
WHEREAS, the Company and the
Shareholders wish to enter into this Agreement to document their agreement and
understanding regarding certain restrictions and controls on the Company and the
Share Capital; and
WHEREAS, except with respect
to the Restated Stock Exchange Agreement and any document executed pursuant
thereto, this Agreement and the terms and covenants contained herein shall
supersede and take precedence over similar terms and covenants set forth in any
and all other agreements between the Company and its Shareholders, including,
without limitation, any stock purchase agreement or founders stock purchase
agreement (collectively, the “Prior
Agreements”).
NOW THEREFORE, in
consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual covenants and agreements
contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be
legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1 - CERTAIN
DEFINITIONS
Section
1.1 Capitalized terms
not otherwise defined in this Section 1.1 or elsewhere in this Agreement shall
have such definition as set forth in the Restated Stock Exchange
Agreement. In addition, as used in this Agreement the following terms
shall have the following respective meanings:
(a) “Affiliate” means,
with (a) with respect to Solar Thin, a corporation or other entity controlled by
Solar Thin through the direct or indirect ownership of a majority of the voting
stock, and (b) with respect to any one or more of New Palace, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx or
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx or their Permitted Transferees, (i) any corporation or other
entity that any of them control jointly or separately through the direct or
indirect ownership of a majority of the voting stock or through any written
agreement, (ii) the spouses, brother, sister or children of such Persons or
(iii) trusts set up solely for the benefit of such Persons or their spouses,
brothers, sisters and/or children.
(b) “Company Liquidity
Event” shall mean any one of the following events:
(i) a
Change of Control of the Buyer, for consideration payable in whole or in
substantial part in cash, or
(ii) an
initial public offering of the share capital of the Buyer, or
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(iii) the
merger of the Buyer with or into an inactive corporation that is publicly traded
on a United States or European securities exchange (a “Shell Corporation”)
or the exchange of 100% of the share capital of the Buyer for a controlling
interest in a Shell Corporation, in either case, coupled with a simultaneous
cash financing of not less than United States Five Million Dollars (USD
$5,000,000), or
(iv) the
distribution or dividend of 100% of the share capital of the Buyer owned by the
Parent to the stockholders of the Parent, as a result of which the Buyer shall
become a corporation that is publicly traded on a United States securities
exchange, coupled with a simultaneous cash financing for the Buyer of not less
than United States Five Million Dollars (USD $5,000,000).
(c) "Connected Person"
means any company controlled by or affiliated with Solar Thin Films, Inc.
("STF") the parent of the Company and any Person employed by STF or any company
controlled by or affiliated with STF.
(d) “Articles of
Incorporation”
means the articles of incorporation or memorandum of association representing
the formation documents of the Company.
(e) "Excess Cash" means,
at the end of any financial year of the Company and its Subsidiaries, the
aggregate amount of cash and marketable securities that are retained by the
Company and its Subsidiaries which is in excess
of the aggregate amount of funds required for all operating expenses, business
expansion and working capital needs of the Company and its Subsidiaries for the
next succeeding financial year, including, without limitation, the purchase or
lease of capital equipment, research and development, hiring of personnel, and
any and all other related expenditures that are anticipated in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company to be required by the Company and its
Subsidiaries.
(f) “Gross Profit Margin”
means the net selling price of the applicable PV Equipment, less “cost
of good sold,” as that term is defined under United States generally accepted
accounting principles (“US
GAAP”).
(g) “New Palace” means New
Palace Investments Ltd., a Cypress corporation wholly-owned by Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx.
(h) “Offerees” means each
of (i) the Company, (ii) each of the Shareholders, excluding any Shareholder who
has caused or initiated the event that results in the offer of the Shares to the
Offerees hereunder (the “Shareholder
Offerees”) and (iii) any other person, firm or corporation designated by
the Company or the Shareholder Offerees who is acceptable to all other
Shareholder Offerees (a “Designated
Person”).
(i) “Permitted Transfer”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(c) of
this Agreement..
(j) “PV” means
photovoltaic.
(k) “PV Equipment” means
the machinery, equipment, software and computer hardware required to be
installed at a PV Facility to enable a Person to manufacture and produce PV
Modules.
(l) “PV Facility” means a
turn-key manufacturing facility including PV Equipment, converters, land and
building to enable a Person to produce PV Modules.
(m) “PV Modules” means PV
solar panels or modules capable of producing solar power that are comprised of
PV cells made from amorphous silicon (“aSi”)
or utilizing a-Si technologies.
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(n) “Qualified Appraisers”
means any recognized investment bank or business appraisal company selected by
the Board of Directors of the Company who has not previously rendered financial
or business appraisal services to Solar Thin or who is otherwise acceptable to
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx.
(o) “Restated Stock Exchange
Agreement” means that certain Amended and Restated Stock Exchange
Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2009, by and among the Company, Solar Thin
Films, Inc., BudaSolar Technologies Co., Ltd., New Palace, Ltd., Krafcsik
Xxxxxxx Holding Ltd., Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx.
(p) “Shares” means and
includes all shares of Share Capital now owned or hereafter acquired by any
Shareholder. For purposes of this Agreement, all of the Shares of
Share Capital that a Shareholder has a right to acquire from the Company upon
conversion, exercise or exchange of any of the securities of the Company then
owned by such Shareholder shall be deemed Shares then owned by such Shareholder;
provided,
however, that for purposes of this Agreement any “Buyer Preference
Shares” that may be issued pursuant to Section 2.2 of the
Restated Stock Exchange Agreement shall not be deemed to be Shares of Share
Capital.
(q) “Share Capital” means
and includes all issued and outstanding common shares and equity of the Company
and all other securities of the Company which may be issued in exchange for or
in respect of shares of Share Capital (whether by way of stock split, stock
dividend, combination, reclassification, reorganization, or otherwise) ; provided,
however, that for purposes of this Agreement any “Buyer Preference
Shares” that may be issued pursuant to Section 2.2 of the
Restated Stock Exchange Agreement shall not be deemed to be Shares of Share
Capital..
(r)
“Solar Thin”
means Solar Thin Films, Inc., a Delaware corporation and one of the
Shareholders.
(s) "Triggering Date”
shall mean (i) for Section 2.2(a), the date of the selling Shareholder’s death;
(ii) for Section 2.3, the date of the occurrence of an event of insolvency; and
(iii) for Section 2.4, the date that the Offer (as defined in Section 2.4(a)) is
delivered to the Offerees.
ARTICLE 2
- TRANSFERS
Section
2.1 General
Restriction Against Transfer; Permitted Transfers.
(a) Each
Shareholder covenants and agrees that, except as specifically set forth in this
Article 2 and subject at all times to Section 2.1(b) below, neither such
Shareholder nor such Shareholder’s heirs, executors, legal representatives or
successors or assigns shall sell, donate, assign as collateral, pledge,
hypothecate, mortgage, encumber, allow to be encumbered, transfer or otherwise
dispose of in any manner whatsoever (each, a “Transfer”) any
Shares.
(b) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary, express or implied, contained in this Article 2,
except for (i) a “Permitted Transfer” (as hereinafter defined), (ii) a Transfer
contemplated by Section 2.2 or Section 2.3 below, or (iii) a Company Liquidity
Event, no Shareholder shall directly or indirectly effect or seek to effect any
Transfer or his or its Shares or enter into any agreement or other commitment to
Transfer his or its Shares at any time on or before April 2,
2014. The provisions of the foregoing sentence may be amended or
revoked only by unanimous agreement of all of the Shareholders. Any attempt to
Transfer or to agree to Transfer any Shares in contravention of the provisions
of this Agreement shall be void and shall have no effect. Compliance
with the provisions of this Agreement shall be a condition precedent to the
recording or documentation of any Transfer of any Shares in the books and
records of the Company.
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(c) Notwithstanding
any of the restrictions on Transfer of the Shares contained in this Agreement,
Transfers of any Shares of the Shareholders to any Affiliate, shall be permitted
(each a “Permitted
Transfer”); provided, however,
that (i) any Shares so Transferred shall continue to be subject to the
restrictions of this Agreement, (ii) such Transfer does not violate any of the
provisions of this Agreement, (iii) no Shareholder shall effect or permit any
Transfer of his or its Shares to Zoltan Kiss or any Affiliate of Zoltan Kiss,
and (iv) such Transfer shall not be effective until the transferee executes and
delivers an agreement in the form supplied by the Company whereby such
transferee agrees to become a party to this Agreement and to be bound by each of
the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
(d) Each
Shareholder hereby agrees that, during the period of duration specified by the
Company and any underwriter, investment banker or nominated advisor of Share
Capital or other securities of the Company following the effective date of a
registration statement of the Company filed under the United Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the listing of any Share Capital of the Company on any
European Union securities exchange, if any, such Shareholder shall not, to the
extent requested by the Company and such underwriter, investment banker or
nominated advisor, Transfer any securities of the Company held by it at any time
during a period of up to twelve (12) months following the effective date of such
registration statement or listing of Share Capital on any European Union
securities exchange (as the case may be). In order to enforce the
foregoing covenant, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with
respect to the Shares of each such Shareholder until the end of such
period.
Section
2.2 Effect of
Death.
(a) Upon
the death of a Shareholder, that Shareholder’s legal inheritor may, but shall
not be required to, at any time following forty-five (45) days after his or its
legal appointment, offer to sell to the Offerees, and the Offerees may, but
shall not be required to, purchase all or any portion of such
Shares.
(b) Any
proposed sale or sale under this Section 2.2 shall be made in accordance with
Section 2.5, Section 2.6, Section 2.7 and Section 2.8.
Section
2.3 Sale Upon
Insolvency. Each
Shareholder agrees that upon the occurrence of any of the following events,
unless excluded by law: (i) a Shareholder’s adjudication as a
bankrupt; (ii) institution by or against a Shareholder of a petition for
arrangement or any other type of insolvency proceeding under any bankruptcy law
or otherwise; (iii) a Shareholder’s making of a general assignment for the
benefit of such Shareholder’s creditors, (iv) the appointment of a receiver or
trustee in bankruptcy of such Shareholder for any of a Shareholder’s assets; or
(v) the taking, making or institution of any like or similar act or proceeding
involving a Shareholder, provided that such event, adjudication, institution,
making, appointment or similar act or proceeding is not cured or rescinded
within ninety (90) days (the “Cure Period”), then,
at the end of the Cure Period, such Shareholder or such Shareholder’s successor
or successors in interest shall offer to sell to the Offerees, and the Offerees
may, but shall not be required to, purchase all, but not less than all, of such
Shareholder’s Shares and such sale shall be made in accordance with Section 2.5,
Section 2.6, Section 2.7 and Section 2.8.
Section
2.4 Right of
First Refusal.
(a) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, if at any time on or after April 2, 2014
any Shareholder desires to sell for cash or cash equivalents all or any portion
of his its Shares pursuant to a bona fide offer from a third party who is not an
Affiliate (for the purposes of this Section 2.4, the “Proposed
Transferee”), such selling Shareholder shall submit a written offer (the
“Offer”) to
sell such Shares (the “Offered Shares”) to
the Company and the Shareholder Offerees on terms and conditions, including
price, not less favorable to the Company and the Shareholder Offerees than those
on which the selling Shareholder proposes to sell such Offered Shares to the
Proposed Transferee. The Offer shall disclose the identity of the
Proposed Transferee, the Offered Shares proposed to be sold, the total number of
Shares owned by the selling Shareholder, the terms and conditions, including
price, of the proposed sale, and any other material facts relating to the
proposed sale. The Company may appoint a third party or a Shareholder
to exercise the right to purchase the Offered Shares by delivering written
notice to the selling Shareholder.
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(b) The
Company or the Shareholder Offerees may purchase some but not all of the Offered
Shares unless the Proposed Transferee advises that he or it would not purchase
less than all of the Offered Shares, in which event the Company and the
Shareholder Offerees may only purchase all of the Offered Shares. Any
sale proposed or made under this Section 2.4 shall be made in accordance with
Section 2.5, Section 2.6 and Section 2.8.
(c) The
Shareholders’ right of refusal provided in this Section 2.4 shall not apply with
respect to:
(i) the
occurrence of any Company Liquidity Event, or
(ii) any
redemption of Shares or Transfer of Shares by a Shareholder in a transaction
approved by the unanimous vote or consent of all of the Shareholders of the
Company;
(iii) any
Permitted Transfer.
Section
2.5 Option
Period; Effecting Election.
(a) Option Period. For each
proposed purchase of Shares by the Offerees made pursuant to Section 2.2,
Section 2.3 or Section 2.4, the Company and/or a Designated Person shall have
the first option to purchase all or any portion of such Shares. The
Company and/or such Designated Person shall have one hundred and eighty (180)
days (the “Company
Option Period”) from the effective Triggering Date to consummate such a
sale. If the Company and/or the Designated Person does not consummate
any such sale within the Company Option Period, the Shareholder Offerees shall
then have an additional ninety (90) days, beginning on the day following the
expiration of the Company Option Period (the “Shareholder Offerees’ Option
Period”) during which they may consummate the purchase of the applicable
Shares. The Company Option Period and the Shareholder Offerees’
Option Period are collectively referred to herein as the “Option
Periods.” If any such Share purchase is not consummated either
by the Company, the Designated Person or the Shareholder Offerees within the
applicable Option Period, the Shares may be sold to a third party or otherwise
transferred, as applicable, by the Shareholder or his legal representative, as
applicable. Any purchase made by the Company and the Shareholder
Offerees under this Agreement shall result in all of the applicable Shares being
purchased, but the Company, the Designated Person (if any) and the Shareholder
Offerees may divide the Shares purchased between themselves in any proportions
that they desire in their sole discretion; provided,
however, that each Shareholder Offeree shall have the right to purchase
at least that Shareholder Offeree’s pro rata share of the Shares available for
purchase by all of the Shareholder Offerees. This pro rata share
shall be calculated for each Shareholder Offeree based on each Shareholder
Offeree’s ownership of Shares (as a percentage of all of the Shares owned by all
of the Shareholder Offerees). If a Shareholder Offeree declines to
purchase his pro rata share, the other Shareholder Offerees may purchase any
such remaining Shares based on their pro rata share of these remaining Shares
(excluding any shares owned by the Shareholder Offeree who declined to purchase
his pro rata share in the initial Shareholder Offeree purchase).
(b) Effecting
Election. Election by the
Company, a Designated Person or the Shareholder Offerees to purchase Shares
offered for sale pursuant to this Agreement shall be effected by sending written
notice of such election to such offering Shareholder or such offering
Shareholder’s representative (as applicable) prior to the expiration of the
applicable Option Period.
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Section
2.6 Effect of
Failure to Elect to Purchase All Shares.
(a) If
the Offerees do not elect to purchase all of the Shares offered for sale by an
offering Shareholder (or its legal inheritor or representative) pursuant to
Section 2.2 or Section 2.3, all of the offering Shareholder’s Shares shall
continue to be owned by such Shareholder (or his legal representative, as
applicable). Such Shares may be transferred as contemplated by the
Shareholder (or legal representative), but such Shares will at all times
continue to be subject to the restrictions of this Agreement and no such
Transfer will be effective until each proposed transferee executes and delivers
a counterpart of this Agreement.
(b) If
the Offerees do not elect to purchase all of the Shares offered for sale by an
offering Shareholder pursuant to Section 2.4, all, but
not less than all, of the offering Shareholder’s Shares may be transferred to
the bona fide offeror pursuant to the terms of the bona fide offer within sixty
(60) days following the expiration of the Shareholder Offerees’ Option Period;
provided,
however, that any Shares so transferred shall continue to be subject to
the restrictions of this Agreement and such Transfer shall not be effective
until the transferee executes and delivers a counterpart of this
Agreement. If all of the offering Shareholder’s Shares are not
transferred within such 60-day period, such Shares shall again become subject to
the restrictions contained in this Agreement and shall not be transferred except
in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
Section
2.7 Purchase
Price. Except as
provided in Section
2.4 of this Agreement, the “Purchase Price” per
share of the Shares proposed for Transfer or Transferred shall be determined as
of the last equity offering of the Company and being equal to the price per
share pursuant to the last equity offering, provided such equity offering of the
Company was consummated within a six (6) month period of the proposed Transfer
and with parties who are not Affiliates of the Company or any Shareholder, or in
absence of an equity offering within the said six (6) month period, by the
written concurrence of a Qualified Appraiser. The Qualified Appraiser
shall be chosen within five (5) business days after the Triggering Date. The
Company shall pay the costs and expenses of the Qualified
Appraiser. The Qualified Appraiser shall develop a fair market value
determination of the Company’s value in accordance with generally accepted
appraisal standards, including, without limitation, consolidated historical
revenues and earnings (if any), firm and anticipated additional contracts and
orders, consolidated cash flow, Shareholders equity and comparable prices and
values for other businesses in the PV Equipment industry (the “Appraisal”). The
fair market value of the Company set forth in the Appraisal shall be the basis
for the final and binding Purchase Price for the Shares proposed for Transfer or
Transferred. The Qualified Appraiser must be firm or individual with
previous background and experience in the valuation and appraisal of
corporations, which are similar in size, industry and financial condition to the
Company. The Qualified Appraiser shall deliver a written report of
its Appraisal to all parties (which Appraisal shall include the Appraiser’s
determination of the Purchase Price, along with a sufficiently detailed
description of the methodologies, assumptions and procedures used) within sixty
(60) days after the designation of the Qualified Appraiser. However,
the Purchase Price to be determined under this Section 2.7 shall not be less
than the price offered on a firm basis for all of the Shares proposed to be
Transferred by a bona fide third party buyer who is not an Affiliate of the
Company or of any Shareholder.
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Section
2.8 Closing;
Payment.
(a) The
closing ("Closing") of any sale
of a Shareholder’s Shares to an Offeree pursuant to Section 2.2 or Section 2.3
shall take place at the office of the Company at any point prior to the
expiration of the applicable Option Period or in the event of a sale under
Section 2.4, on the sixtieth (60th)
business day following the date the Offer was made. The certificate
or certificates representing the Shares to be purchased by the Offerees,
properly endorsed for transfer or with an executed stock power attached, shall
be delivered at the Closing free and clear of all liens, security interests,
pledges, charges or other encumbrances of any nature whatsoever, except for the
rights of the Offerees set forth in this Agreement, against the payment of the
purchase price therefore, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties of the Purchase
and accepted by the other Shareholders and the company in written form.
..
(b) The
Purchase Price for any purchase of Shares by the Company under this Agreement
shall be made exclusively in cash, unless otherwise agreed to by the Shareholder
or his legal inheritor.
(c) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Section 2.8, if an Offeree is purchasing the Shares
pursuant to Section 2.4 and is paying the purchase price set forth in the bona
fide offer, the purchase price shall be paid in accordance with the terms and
conditions contained in the bona fide offer.
Section
2.9 Failure
to Deliver Shares. If a Shareholder
(for the purposes of this Section 2.9, an “Obligated
Shareholder”) becomes obligated to sell any Shares to any Offeree
hereunder, as determined by a final nonappealable order from a court of
competent jurisdiction, and fails to deliver such Shares in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement, the Offeree may, at its option, in addition to all
other remedies it may have, send to the Obligated Shareholder the Purchase Price
for such Shares. Upon receipt of a final nonappealable order from a
court of competent jurisdiction, the Company, upon written notice to the
Obligated Shareholder shall (i) cancel on its books the certificate or
certificates representing the Shares to be sold and (ii) shall issue, in lieu
thereof; in the name of the Offeree, a new certificate or certificates
representing such Shares, and all of the Obligated Shareholder’s rights in and
to such Shares shall immediately terminate.
Section
2.10 Tag-Along
Rights.
(a) If
at any time after April 2, 2014, any of the Shareholders, whether alone or
together by agreement, contract or understanding (for the purposes of this
Section 2.10, each a “Selling Party”)
wishes to sell any Shares owned by it in a single transaction or series of
related transactions equaling forty-nine percent (49%) or more of all of the
Share Capital of the Company then issued and outstanding (on a fully-diluted
basis counting all issued options, warrants and convertible securities) to any
third party (other than to a permitted transferee of such Selling Party in
connection with a Permitted Transfer or any other Shareholder (see Section
2.12)) (for the purposes of this Section 2.10, the “Purchaser”), and the
Selling Party has complied with all of the other requirements of this Agreement,
the Selling Party shall cause a written notice of the offer by the Purchaser to
purchase such Shares (a “Tag-Along Notice”) to
be delivered to each of the other Shareholders (each a “Tag-Along
Shareholder”), setting forth the price per Share to be paid by the
Purchaser, the identity of the Purchaser and the other principal terms and
conditions of the Purchaser’s offer to purchase such Shares, and each
Shareholder shall have the right to offer for sale to the Purchaser, as a
condition of such sale by the Selling Party, the same proportion of the Shares
then held by such Shareholder as the proposed sale represents with respect to
the total number of Shares that the Selling Party owns or has the right to
acquire pursuant to outstanding options, warrants or convertible securities, at
the same price per Share and on the same terms and conditions as involved in
such sale by the Selling Party. Each Shareholder shall notify the
Selling Party of its intention to sell its Shares pursuant to this Section 2.10
as soon as practicable after receipt of the Tag-Along Notice, but in no event
later than thirty (30) days after receipt thereof.
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(b) In
the event that any Shareholder elects to sell its pro rata portion to the
Purchaser, the Tag-Along Shareholders shall not be obligated to execute and
deliver any document which (A) requires such Tag-Along Shareholder to make
representations or warrants regarding any aspect whatsoever of the business or
prospects of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, (B) would subject such
Tag-Along Shareholder to restrictive covenants, or (C) requires such Tag-Along
Shareholder to be obligated for any indemnification or other obligations other
than (so long as the Selling Party(s) do at least the same) (1) the obligation
to join on a pro-rata basis (but not on a joint and several basis), based on its
respective share of the aggregate proceeds paid by the Purchaser (but only up to
the amount of net proceeds actually received by such Tag-Along Shareholder in
the sale), in any indemnification that the Selling Party(s) have agreed to, and
(2) any such obligations that relate specifically to a particular Shareholder
such as indemnification with respect to representations and warranties given by
a Shareholder regarding such Shareholder’s title to and ownership of
Shares.
(c) The
Selling Party and each other Shareholder intending to sell Shares hereunder
shall sell to the Purchaser all, or at the option of the Purchaser, any part of
the Shares proposed to be sold by them at not less than the price per Share and
upon other terms and conditions, if any, not more favorable to the Purchaser
than those set forth in the Tag-Along Notice; provided, however,
that any purchase of less than all of such Shares by the Purchaser shall be made
from the Selling Party and each other Shareholder intending to sell Shares
hereunder pro rata based upon the number of Shares then held by the Selling
Party and each such other Shareholder electing to sell to the Purchaser
(calculated on a fully diluted basis).
ARTICLE 3
- CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND AGREEMENTS
Section
3.1 Major
Decisions, Competing Business Ventures and Affiliated Sales.
(a) Actions of the Board of
Directors and Shareholders; Major Decisions.The business of the Company
and its Subsidiaries shall be conducted and managed in the following
manner:
(i) Except
for Major Decisions (as hereinafter defined) and the provisions of Section
3.1(a)(ii) below, the operation of the business of the Company and its
Subsidiaries shall be managed by the Board of Directors of the Company who shall
act in accordance with the Rules on Procedures of the Board of Directors annexed
hereto as Schedule
C (the “Rules
of Procedure”).
(ii) The
hiring or removal of any “Executive Officer” (as defined) shall be determined by
a majority of the members of the Board of Directors at any regular or special
meeting of the Board of Directors called in person or by telephonic conference
call in accordance with the Rules of Procedure. As in this Agreement,
the term “Executive
Officer” shall mean and include the Chief Executive Officer, the
President, the Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the
Company and its Subsidiaries.
(iii) The
events listed on Schedule A hereto are
deemed to be “Major
Decisions” for the Company. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or the
Rules of Procedure, except as otherwise prohibited by applicable law, for so
long as this Agreement shall remain in force and effect:
(A) if
such Major Decision which, under the laws of Hungary, is an action that requires
the approval, consent or action by the Board of Directors of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company, the unanimous
affirmative vote, consent or approval of all of persons designated by each of
Solar Thin and New Palace Investments Ltd. to serve as the members of such
Boards of Directors shall be required to approve, adopt or ratify such Major
Decision, and
(B) if
such Major Decision which, under the laws of Hungary, is an action that requires
the approval, consent or action by the Shareholders of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company, the unanimous
affirmative vote, consent or approval of each of Solar Thin and New Palace
Investments Ltd. or their designees who are listed on Schedule B hereto
shall be required to approve, adopt or ratify such Major
Decision. The only Shareholders empowered to vote on Major Decisions
are Solar Thin and New Palace Investments Ltd. or their designees who are listed
on Schedule B
hereto.
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(iv) In
connection with a Major Decision, in the event that a member of the Board of
Directors or either of Solar Thin or New Palace or their designees who are
listed on Schedule
B hereto fail or refuse to affirmatively vote or consent in connection
with any one or more Major Decisions at any regular or special meeting of the
Board of Directors or Shareholders scheduled to be held not earlier than ten
(10) business days (as recognized in Hungary) after the date written or
electronic mail notice of such meeting of the Board of Directors or Shareholders
is given as per Schedule B hereto to
all directors and each of Solar Thin and New Palace, then such Shareholder shall
be deemed not to
have accepted and to have voted against implementation of such Major
Decision.
(v) Each
of Solar Thin and New Palace has the right at any time by written notice to the
other Shareholder, to (A) remove or replace its representative listed on Schedule B to vote on
Major Decisions pursuant to prior written notification to the Company and to the
other Shareholders, or (B) to change the addresses for notices set forth on
Schedule
A.
(vi) In
case the right to accept such purchase order was not delegated to the Chief
Executive Officer, the acceptance of purchase orders for PV Equipment shall
constitute a Major Decision of the Board, and shall be implemented pursuant to
the procedures for accepting such purchase orders are set forth in paragraph 7
of the Rules of Procedure, including completing the Factory Sale Form
constituting Exhibit
2 to this Agreement (the “Factory Sale
Form”). Except only for purchase orders of a size or
commitment by the Company that constitute a Major Decision of the Board, the
Chief Executive Officer is expressly authorized to negotiate, accept and execute
all other purchase orders.
(b) Competing Business Ventures
by Solar Thin
Films. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Restated Stock
Exchange Agreement or in the respective employment agreements dated of even date
herewith between the Company and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx (the “Executive Employment
Agreements”), in the event that Solar Thin shall, at any time
or from time to time, seek to acquire or establish, directly, through any
Subsidiary (other than the Company) or in connection with joint ventures with
Persons who are not Affiliates of Solar Thin, one or more PV Facilities to
manufacture PV Equipment that produce PV Modules (a “Competing Business
Venture”), Solar Thin shall first comply with the following
procedures:
(i) Solar
Thin shall present full details of the business opportunity relating to the
Competing Business Venture to the board of directors of the
Company;
(ii) if
and to the extent that capital or other funding for the business opportunity
relating to the Competing Business Venture shall be required, if available in
the Company, the Company shall provide such capital or funding; and
(iii) if
the Company is unable provide such capital or funding, the same shall be
provided by the Shareholders in proportion to their individual ownership of the
Shares.
Subject
to the foregoing procedures, if New Palace, acting through Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx in
accordance with Schedule B hereto,
shall determine, pursuant to a Major Decision, that the Company shall not
proceed with or invest in such Competing Business Venture, then and in such
event, Solar Thin may engage in such Competing Business Venture directly itself,
through any Subsidiary (other than the Company) or in connection with joint
ventures with Persons who are not Affiliates of Solar Thin; provided,
that:
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(A) the
Company and the Person established to engage in such Competing Business Venture
shall enter into a non-exclusive technology transfer and license agreement with
the Company pursuant to which the Company will provide certain mutually agreed
upon technology, personnel expertise, know-how, installation, start-up services
and other intellectual property to such Person, all upon such arms length terms
and conditions as shall be comparable to any similar arrangement entered into
with any Person who is not Affiliated with Solar Thin; and
(B) if
such Competing Business Venture shall consist of a joint venture or similar
arrangement with any Person who is not an Affiliate of Solar Thin or its
Subsidiaries:
(1) at
or immediately following the closing of such Competing Business Venture, Solar
Thin shall assign directly to Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx or New Palace,
a percentage of the 100% of the equity or earnings and profits of the joint
venture or other entity established to engage in such Competing Business Venture
that is owned or made available to Solar Thin (the “Available Solar Thin
Equity”) which shall be equal to the same percentage by which the Share
Capital of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx or New Palace then owned in the
Company bears to 100% of the outstanding Share Capital of the Company (the
“Minority
Shareholders’ Equity”); and
(2) The
Minority Shareholders Equity in any Competing Business Venture shall be
convertible at any time, at the option of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx or
New Palace (as applicable) shares of common stock of Solar Thin at a conversion
price equal to 100% of the average of the closing prices of Solar Thin’s common
stock for the 20 trading days immediately prior to the date notice of conversion
is given.
For the
avoidance of doubt, if (i) the Available Solar Thin Equity in such Competing
Business Venture shall be 40% of 100% of the equity or earnings and profits of
the joint venture or other entity established to engage in such Competing
Business Venture, and (ii) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx or New Palace then
own 49% of the Share Capital of the Company, then and in such event, the
Minority Shareholders’ Equity in such Competing Business Venture shall be 19.6%
of 100% of the equity or earnings and profits of the joint venture or other
entity established to engage in such Competing Business Venture.
(c) Competing Business Ventures
by Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx or New Palace. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Restated Stock
Exchange Agreement or in the Executive Employment Agreements, during the term of
this Agreement and for so long as Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx are
employed on a full-time basis as senior executive officers of the Company and
its Subsidiaries under the Executive Employment Agreements or
otherwise:
(i) In
the event that Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx propose that the Company or
its Subsidiaries enter into any one or more agreement to furnish PV Equipment
with a customer that would obligate either the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company or Solar Thin to directly or indirectly “buy-back,” repurchase, or
otherwise act as a distributor or manufacturer’s representative to sell and
market for resale any portion of the PV Modules produced by such customer using
the PV Equipment being sold to such customer, such agreement or arrangement (a
“PV Module
Distribution Arrangement”) is a Major Decision. In the event that Solar
Thin or its representatives on the Board of Directors do not agree to directly
or otherwise permit the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company to enter into
such PV Module Distribution Arrangement, then the Parties shall mutually
undertake to find a third Person who is not an Affiliate to assume all or part
of the financial obligations in connection with such PV Module Distribution
Arrangement, form an entity and enter into a joint venture or related
partnership or profit sharing arrangement with such Person (the “Module Distribution Joint
Venture”). In such event, as between Solar Thin, on one hand,
and New Palace and its Affiliates, on the other hand, the equity in any such
Module Distribution Joint Venture shall be in the same proportion as the Parties
then ownership of the Shares in the Company at such time such Module
Distribution Joint Venture shall be entered into. If, for any reason, Solar Thin
elects not to participate in such Module Distribution Joint Venture, then, and
only
in such event, New Palace and/or Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx may
directly participate in such Module Distribution Joint Venture; provided, that
such participation shall not interfere in any material respect with their duties
and obligations to the Company under this Agreement and the Executive Employment
Agreements.
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(ii) In
addition to their rights described in Section 3.1(c)(i) above, New Palace,
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx or Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx shall also be entitled to make “passive”
investments in any Person who is not an Affiliate and who manufactures PV
Modules, so long as such Person is not engaged in any business which is in
direct competition with the business then being conducted by the Company, its
Subsidiaries or Solar Thin; provided,
however, that (A) Solar Thin shall first be offered an opportunity to
participate in such investment (to the extent of its percentage ownership of the
share capital of the Company at the time of the investment in the equity that is
made available to all Parties hereto or their Affiliates), and (B) neither
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx nor Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx shall render any employment, consulting or
other services to such Person or its subsidiaries.
(d) Affiliated Equipment
Purchasers. In
the event that Solar Thin or any Subsidiary or Affiliate of Solar Thin (other
than the Company or its Subsidiaries) in which Solar Thin or such Subsidiary or
Affiliate shall own not less than thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%)
of the equity or earnings and profits, shall engage in the sale of PV Modules,
such Person(s) (an “Affiliated Equipment
Purchaser”) shall use the Company as its preferred vendor and supplier,
and offer the Company an opportunity to quote and bid upon purchase orders and
contracts for all PV Equipment to be purchased by such Affiliated Equipment
Purchaser. In such connection, if the Company (i) offers terms and
conditions for the sale of such quantities or lines of PV Equipment that are, in
the aggregate, as favorable as those proposed by any competitor to the Company
for the same type and quantity or lines of PV Equipment, and (ii) in the
reasonable good faith judgment of such Affiliated Equipment Purchaser, the
Company then has the physical and financial resources to meet the proposed
delivery schedule(s), then Solar Thin shall cause (if an owner of more than 50%
of such Affiliated Equipment Purchaser), or shall use its best efforts (if an
owner of less than 50% of such Affiliated Equipment Purchaser) to cause, such
purchase order and contract to be awarded to the Company. In
connection with the above, such Affiliated Equipment Purchaser shall have the
right to purchase PV Equipment from the Company at the lower of
either (A) the price bid by the Company in accordance with clause (i) above, and
accepted by the Affiliated Equipment Purchase in accordance with clause (ii)
above, or (B) at a price equal to 80% of the Gross Profit Margin that is then
being received by the Company for sales of similar quantities of PV Equipment to
Persons who are not Affiliates (“Comparable Sales”);
provided, that such Gross Profit Margin shall not be less than the sum of (x)
cost of goods sold (as determined in accordance with US GAAP), plus (y)
25%. In addition, unless otherwise agreed as a Major Decision, not
more than thirty percent (30%) of the Company’s annual production of PV
Equipment will be delivered to such Affiliated Equipment Purchasers at the
prices and terms and conditions set forth herein.
(e) Other Solar Thin
Activities. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Restated Stock
Exchange Agreement, the Rules of Procedure or the Executive Employment
Agreements, , the Company and the Shareholders acknowledge and agree that the
term “Competing Business Venture” shall not include, and the provisions of this
Section 3.1 shall not be applicable, to any transaction or business activity of
Solar Thin (directly or through any Subsidiary of Solar Thin (other than the
Company and its Subsidiary) or in connection with any joint venture with a third
person, firm or corporation) that shall involve the manufacture and production
of PV modules or panels or PV equipment used to produce any PV modules or
panels, utilizing PV cells produced with or technologies involving any substance
other than
a-Si. Accordingly, Solar Thin shall have the absolute right at any
time, or from time to time, to engage, either directly or through any Subsidiary
or Affiliate other than the Company or its Subsidiaries) or in connection with
any acquisition, joint venture or related arrangement with any other person,
firm or corporation in any business activity, including, without limitation, (i)
the manufacture and production of PV modules or panels using crystalline cells
or technologies, copper indium gallium diselenide (“CIGS”) cells or
technologies, or any other production methods, exclusive of a-Si, (ii) other
than PV Equipment to produce PV Modules using a-Si cells or technology, the
manufacture and production of PV equipment to manufacture and produce PV modules
or panels using crystalline cells or technologies, CIGS cells technologies, or
any other production methods, or (iii) the establishment of power plants or
related power facilities to provide PV power using equipment and/or PV modules
or panels incorporating any cells or technologies, other than a-Si; in each
case, without being obligated to first offer such business opportunity to the
Company or to any other Shareholder.
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Section
3.2 Board of
Directors and Voting.
(a) The
number of members of the Board of Directors of the Company shall initially be
four (4) persons. Except for a Major Decision, to pass a Board
resolution, the approval, consent or ratification of such resolution by a
majority of the members of the Board of Directors shall be required to pass such
resolution.
(b) For
a period equal to the greater of (i) the duration of their employment as senior
executive officers of the Company, or (ii) their direct or indirect ownership
(through New Palace Investments Ltd. or otherwise) of not less than 25% of the
share capital of the Company (in case any Shares owned by Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx or any Affiliate or family member of such Persons, such Shares
shall be deemed as owned by New Palace Investments Ltd.), Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx shall be entitled to serve as directors of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (as defined in the Restated Stock Exchange Agreement) following the
Closing Date of the transactions under the Restated Stock Exchange Agreement
unless New Palace Investment Ltd in it’s own discretion decides to nominate a
new Board Member to replace one or both of them.
(c) For
so long as it shall own a majority of the issued and outstanding Shares of the
Company, Solar Thin shall be entitled to designate the two (2) members of the
Board of Directors of the Company and its Subsidiaries following the Closing
Date of the transactions under the Restated Stock Exchange
Agreement. The initial directors designated by Solar Thin shall be
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx (who shall serve as Chairman of the Board) and Xxxxx X.
Xxxxx. Solar Thin, by action of their board of directors, may at any
time or from time to time replace one or more of the initial two directors
designated by Solar Thin upon ten (10) days prior notice to the Shareholders and
the Company.
(d) The
Parties hereto acknowledge that a four (4) person Board of Directors is not in
their best interests or the interests of the Company. Accordingly,
the Shareholders shall, in good faith, immediately seek and within ninety (90)
days following the date of this Agreement undertake to designate a fifth (5th) person
to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and its
Subsidiaries. Such fifth director shall not be an Affiliate of any of
the Shareholders or their Affiliates and shall be a person who is independent
and familiar with the a-Si PV Module and PV Equipment business (the “Independent
Director”). The Independent Director shall serve at the
pleasure of the Shareholders. The selection of the initial
Independent Director, his or her removal, and any successor(s) to such person
shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, be deemed to be a Major
Decision.
(e) All
members of the Board of Directors of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall
continue to serve in such capacities until the earlier of their resignation or
removal or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, as
the case may be. In the event of the death or inability of either
Krafcsik or Xxxxxxx to serve as members of the Board of Directors of the Company
and Subsidiaries, the remaining member of them may designate the second director
who shall serve for the period as set forth above.
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Section
3.3 Executive
Officers; Authority and Goals of Executive Officers.
(a) Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx shall be appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology
Officer of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx shall be
appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the Company and its Subsidiaries, until
the earlier of their resignation or removal or until their respective successors
are duly elected and qualified, as the case may be. The Parties expressly set
forth that the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Technology Officer shall be
removed only for good cause, such as their non-performance. Solar Thin shall
appoint a qualified accountant reasonably acceptable to the Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Operating Officer, to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the
Company and its Subsidiaries.
(b) As
set forth in the Rules of Procedure (including the requirement that the actual
consolidated revenues and net profits before interest and taxes (“EBIT”) of the Company
and its Subsidiaries as at the end of each financial year, commencing with the
financial year ending December 31, 2009, are at least 75% of the projected
annual consolidated revenues and EBIT of the Company and its Subsidiaries set
forth on the annual “Operating Budget”
referred to in Section
3.9 below), except for Major Decisions, the Board of Directors of the
Company and its Subsidiaries shall expressly delegate and grant to each of the
Executive Officers the absolute right and authority to manage the day-to-day
operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and make all decisions binding
upon the Company and its Subsidiaries, other than Major Decisions.
(c) As
set forth in the Rules of Procedures the Board of Directors may, by majority
vote, elect to remove any Executive Officer for good reasons such as
non-satisfactory performance, and may appoint any successor to such Executive
Officer who has been removed from office; provided,
however, that in no event shall any successor to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company and its Subsidiaries be a then existing officer or an
otherwise related person of Solar Thin, unless such person is approved as a
Major Decision.
(d)
Notwithstanding Section 3.3(c) above,
in the event that either (i) Solar Thin seeks to remove an Executive Officer for
good reasons, including non-satisfactory performance, and the representatives of
New Palace Investments Ltd. on the Board of Directors refuse to agree to remove
such Executive Officer, or (ii) the Shareholders or Board of Directors fail to
appoint as a Major Decision a new Executive Officer to fill such vacancy with
within sixty (60) calendar days following the remove of the former Executive
Officer, then a “Deadlock” shall be
deemed to exist. In such event, either Solar Thin or New Palace
Investments Ltd. may issue a notification of a Deadlock, and within fourteen
(14) calendar days following such notice, the Shareholders shall arrange a
meeting of Shareholders and shall use all reasonable endeavours to resolve the
matter. In the event the Parties are not able to resolve the situation by Major
Decision such decision shall be made as a simple majority decision.
Section
3.4 Related
Party
Transactions. The
Company shall not enter into, amend, modify or supplement, or permit any
Subsidiary to enter into, amend, modify or supplement, any agreement,
transaction, commitment or arrangement with any of the Shareholders, or other
Affiliate of a Shareholder or with any individual
related by blood, marriage or adoption to any such Person, except on terms that
are fair and reasonable to the Company and its Subsidiaries and at prevailing
market rates.
Section
3.5 Cash
Distribution Policy. Unless
otherwise agreed by the Shareholders as a Major Decision, the Company shall
distribute to Shareholders not later than 90 days after the end of each
financial year any Excess Cash.
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Section
3.6 Working
Capital Funding Policy.
(a) In
the event and to the extent that the Company and/or its wholly owned Subsidiary
BudaSolar Technologies Ltd. requires working capital in addition to the
$2,000,000 provided by Solar Thin under the Restated Stock Exchange Agreement,
Solar Thin shall undertake in good faith (but shall not be legally obligated) to
furnish such additional working capital, either directly as a loan from Solar
Thin to the Company or through a financing arranged by Solar Thin directly for
the Company. In such case, the terms and conditions of such
additional funding made or arranged by Solar Thin, shall be deemed to be a loan
with interest calculated at a rate per annum equal to the greater of (a) 8% or
(b) the actual annual interest rate being charged to Solar Thin or its Affiliate
by any unaffiliated Person lending such amount of money to Solar Thin or its
Affiliate (other than the Company) that Solar Thin or such Affiliate then lends
to the Company or its Subsidiaries. All other terms and conditions of
such working capital loan (including repayment terms) shall be approved as a
Major Decision by the Shareholders and shall be subject to the provisions of
Section 3.1 of
this Agreement.
(b) The
provisions of Section
3.6(a) shall not be applicable to a Competing Business Venture which
shall be governed by the provisions of Section 3.1(b) of
this Agreement.
Section
3.7 Company
Liquidity
Event. In
the event and at such time as (a) the consolidated revenues of the Company and
its Subsidiaries shall equal or exceed United States Twenty-Five Million Dollars
(USD $25,000,000) for any four (4) consecutive calendar quarters of three months
each; and (b)
the firm contracted-for backlog of orders of Products as at the end of such four
(4) consecutive calendar quarters shall equal or exceed two hundred percent
(200%) of such consolidated revenues, then and in such event the Company
Shareholders shall undertake to consummate a Company Liquidity
Event. The method of consummating such Company Liquidation Event and
the terms and conditions of any such Company Liquidation Event shall constitute
a Major Decision.
Section
3.8 Service
Agreement. The
Shareholders agree that each year, commencing with the year ending December 31,
2009, Solar Thin shall provide certain services to the Company and its
Subsidiaries, including services of Solar Thin executive officers not otherwise
employed by other Subsidiaries of Solar Thin, legal, accounting, public and
investor relations and related matters. The Company shall pay for
such services based upon the terms and conditions of a services agreement
between Solar Thin and the Company in the form of Exhibit 1
annexed hereto and made a part hereof (the “Service
Agreement”).
Section
3.9 Operating
Budget.. As
at the date of this Agreement, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx have furnished
to the Board of Directors of the Company a written operating budget and forecast
(the “Operating
Budget”) which sets forth the projected consolidated (i) sales revenues,
(ii) EBIT, (iii) capital expenditures, and (iv) cash working capital
requirements of the Company and its Subsidiary for the financial year ending
December 31, 2009. In addition, not later than November 30th of each
financial year, commencing with the financial year ending December 31, 2009,
such Executive Officers shall furnish to the Company an Operating Budget for the
next immediately succeeding financial year (each, a “Budget Year”), which
shall contain the same information set forth in the 2009 Operating
Budget. The 2009 Operating Budget has been approved by the Parties
and is annexed hereto as Schedule D. Approval of the Operating Budget
for each succeeding financial year shall be a Major Decision of the Board of
Directors. The Operating Budget shall also contain a summary rolling
forecast of estimated sales and capital expenditures for the next financial year
following each relevant Budget Year. In the event that the Board of
Directors is unable to agree upon the Operating Budget for any financial year,
then the Company shall conduct its business on the basis of the Operating Budget
for the previous financial year.
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ARTICLE 4
- GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section
4.1 Notices. Except
as expressly set forth to the contrary in this Agreement, all notices, requests,
or consents provided for or permitted to be given under this Agreement must be
in writing and delivered to the addresses set forth on Schedule B hereto by
(a) personal delivery, or (b) a nationally recognized overnight courier delivery
service (such as Federal Express, UPS, DHL, or USPS Express Mail) and a notice,
request, or consent given under this Agreement is effective on receipt by the
Person to receive it. All notices, requests, and consents to be sent
to the Company or a Shareholder must be sent to or made at the appropriate
address as Set forth on Schedule B, or to
such other address as is specified by written notice to all parties
hereto. Whenever any notice is required to be given by law or this
Agreement, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice,
whether before or after the time stated therein, will be deemed equivalent to
the giving of such notice.
Section
4.2 Entire
Agreement. This
Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the Company and the
Shareholders relating to the matters contained herein and supersedes all prior
similar contracts or agreements with respect to the Company or the Shares,
whether oral or written, other than the provisions of the Securities Exchange
Agreement, the Company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation or any documents
executed pursuant thereto.
Section
4.3 Effect of
Waiver or Consent. A
waiver or consent, express or implied, of any breach or default by any person in
the performance of its obligations with respect to the Company is not a consent
or waiver of any other breach or default in the performance by that person of
the same or any other obligations of that person with respect to the
Company. Failure on the part of a person to complain of any act or
omission of any person or to declare any person in breach or default with
respect to the Company, irrespective of how long that failure continues, does
not constitute a waiver by that person of its rights with respect to that
default.
Section
4.4 Amendment
or Modification. This
Agreement may be amended or modified from time to time only by the written
consent of the Company and by a writing signed by the Company and all of the
Shareholders.
Section
4.5 Binding
Effect. Subject
to the restrictions on Transfer set forth Article 2, this Agreement is binding
on and inures to the benefit of the Shareholders and their respective heirs,
legal representatives, successors, and assigns.
Section
4.6 Governing
Law. Arbitration; Jurisdiction. (a) This
Agreement and the legal relations among the parties hereto shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without
giving effect to any principles of conflicts of laws. Any provision
of this Agreement prohibited by the laws of the State of New York shall be
ineffective to the extent of such prohibition without invalidating the remaining
provisions of this Agreement.
(b) All
disputes, claims or controversies arising out of or relating to this Agreement,
or any agreement executed and delivered pursuant hereto, or the negotiation,
breach, validity or performance hereof, or the transactions contemplated hereby
which cannot be resolved by good faith negotiations, shall be exclusively
submitted to final and binding arbitration in London England before a panel of
three arbitrators appointed by the International Chamber of Commerce; provided, that if any Party
has no adequate remedy at law he or it may seek emergency injunctive relief or
specific performance before any court of competent jurisdiction in Hungary or
the United States. The decision and award of the arbitrators shall be
enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction in the United States and
Hungary.
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(c) Subject
to the availability of the arbitration panel, the arbitration shall commence
within ninety (90) days of the date on which a written demand for arbitration is
filed by any Party hereto. In connection with the arbitration
proceeding, the arbitrators shall have the power to order the production of
documents by each Party and any third-Party witnesses. In connection
with any arbitration, each Party shall provide to the other, no later than seven
(7) business days before the date of the arbitration, the identity of all
persons that may testify at the arbitration and a copy of all documents that may
be introduced at the arbitration or considered or used by a Party’s witness or
expert. The arbitrators’ decision and award shall be made and
delivered within ninety (90) days of the commencement of the
arbitration. The arbitrators’ decision shall set forth a reasoned
basis for any award of damages or finding of liability. The
arbitrators shall not have power to award damages in excess of actual
compensatory damages and shall not multiply actual damages or award punitive
damages or any other damages that are specifically excluded under this
Agreement, and each Party hereby irrevocably waives any claim to such
damages.
(d) The
Parties covenant and agree that they will participate in the arbitration in good
faith and that they will, except as provided below, (A) bear their own
attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses in connection with the arbitration, and
(B) share equally in the fees and expenses of the arbitration, including
forum fees, the fees of the arbitrators and the cost of the official transcript
of the proceedings. The arbitrators may in their discretion assess
costs and expenses (including the reasonable legal fees and expenses of the
prevailing Party) against any Party to the proceeding. Any Party
unsuccessfully refusing to comply with an order of the arbitrators shall be
liable for costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by the other
Party in enforcing the award. This Section 4.6 applies equally to
requests for temporary, preliminary or permanent injunctive relief, except that
in the case of temporary or preliminary injunctive relief any Party may proceed
in court without prior arbitration for the purpose of avoiding immediate and
irreparable harm or to enforce its rights under any non-competition
covenants.
Section
4.7 Further
Assurances. In
connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, each
Shareholder will execute and deliver any additional documents and instruments
and perform any additional acts necessary or appropriate to effectuate and
perform the provisions of this Agreement and those transactions.
Section
4.8 Offset. Whenever
the Company is to pay any sum to any Shareholder, any amounts that that
Shareholder owes to the Company shall be offset against and deducted from that
sum before payment.
Section
4.9 Severability. Should
any part of this Agreement be rendered or declared invalid, illegal or
unenforceable in part of in whole, such invalidation of such part or portion of
this Agreement should not invalidate the remaining provisions thereof, and they
shall remain in full force and effect. This regulation is respectively
applicable to any gap in the regulation of this Agreement arising during the
interpretation or fulfilment thereof. It is further agreed that if part of the
Agreement is determined invalid, either party may open negotiations solely with
respect to a substitute for such Article, Section, or portion.
Section
4.10 Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts with the same effect as if
all signing parties had signed the same document. All counterparts
when signed and assembled together will constitute a single, fully-executed
instrument.
Section
4.11 Incorporation
of Recitals and Schedules. All
of the Recitals stated at the beginning of this Agreement and all of the
Schedules attached hereto are hereby incorporated by reference into and made a
part of this Agreement.
Section
4.12 Acknowledgments
By Shareholders and the Company. By
executing this Agreement, each Shareholder and the Company acknowledges and
agrees that it (i) has actual notice of all of the provisions of this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the restrictions on the transfer of Shares, (ii)
has received copies of and has read and reviewed the Company’s Articles of
Incorporation, Bylaws and Rules of Procedure, and (iii) each of Solar Thin and
the other Shareholders has been represented and advised by independent and
individual legal counsel prior to executing this Agreement. Each
Shareholder hereby agrees that this Agreement constitutes adequate notice of all
such provisions, and each Shareholder hereby waives any requirement that any
further notice as required by any provision of Hungarian law or otherwise should
be given.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
undersigned parties have executed this Shareholders’ Agreement effective as of
the date first set forth above.
STF
TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
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By:
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/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
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Name:
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
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Title:
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SHAREHOLDERS:
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|
By
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/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
|
|
Title: Chairman
of the Board
|
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New
Palace INVESTMENTS LTD.
|
|
By:
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/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
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Name:
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
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Title:
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President
and Managing Director
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/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
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XXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
|
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/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
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XXXXXX
XXXXXXX
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- 18
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SCHEDULE
A
to
Shareholders Agreement
MAJOR
DECISIONS PERTAINING TO THE COMPANY AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
1.
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Any
amendment to this Agreement;
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2.
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Any
amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or bylaws, or any of
the Rules of Procedure;
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3.
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The
merger, consolidation or combination of the Company with or into with any
other corporation or entity;
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4.
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Any
change the fundamental nature of the Company’s
Business;
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5.
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The
admission of new Shareholders in the Company or the issuance of any
capital stock or other equity securities of the Company or any Subsidiary,
or the execution of any agreement to grant, any options, convertibility
rights, other rights, warrants, calls or agreements relating to equity
securities of the Company or any
Subsidiary;
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6.
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The
appointment of any Executive
Officer.
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7.
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The
selection of any Independent Director or any successor Independent
Director.
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8.
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The
creation, incurrence, assumption, guarantee or otherwise becoming liable
or obligated with respect to any indebtedness in excess of Euro Two
Hundred and Fifty Thousand (€250,000), or the making of any loan or
advance to, or any investment in, any Person, except in each case in the
ordinary course of business;
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9.
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Any
agreement to consummate the sale, transfer, lease, mortgage, encumber or
other dispose of any of the assets of the Company or its Buda Solar
subsidiary having a value in excess of Euro Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand
(€250,000);
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10.
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The
final terms and conditions of any additional funding contemplated by Section 3.6 of
this Agreement.
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11.
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Except
as contemplated by Article 3, entering into any agreement commercial or
financial with any Affiliate or Connected Person (including Solar Thin or
its Affiliates) which involves an amount in excess of Euro Two Hundred and
Fifty Thousand (€250,000).
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12.
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Except
as contemplated by Article 3, entering into any service agreement with any
Affiliate or Connected Person which involves an amount in excess of Euro
Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand
(€250,000).
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13.
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Change
of the statutory auditors.
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14.
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Approval,
adoption or change of annual Operating Budgets and approval of unbudgeted
capital or other expenditures in excess of Euro Two Hundred and Fifty
Thousand (€250,000).
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15.
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Changes
in the Corporate Services Agreement (Exhibit
1);
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16.
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The
acquisition by the Company of the business, or a majority of the
securities or assets of any person, firm or
corporation;
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17.
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The
purchase any securities of any person, firm or corporation in excess of
Euro Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (€250,000), except of EURO denominated
money market instruments issued by single A rated
issuers.
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18.
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Borrowing
any sum exceeding Euro Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand
(€250,000).
|
19
19.
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Acceptance
of a single purchase order for PV Equipment, PV Facilities or PV Modules
(or in a series of related purchase orders) involving in excess of Euros
One Million ((€1,000,000), unless accepted pursuant to procedures outlined
in Section 7 of Schedule
C to this Shareholders
Agreement.
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20.
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Any
single commercial agreement or commitment (or in a series of related
transactions) in excess of Euro Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand
(€250,000).
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21.
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Initiating
or settlement out of court of any litigation involving an amount in excess
of Euro Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand
(€250,000).
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22.
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Declaring
a dividend, paying any interest and making any other distribution of
Excess Cash.
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23.
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Commencing
or consummation of a Company Liquidation
Event.
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24.
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Any
decision with respect to the liquidation or winding up of the Company or
any Subsidiary of the Company;
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25.
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Entering
into any agreement other than on an arm’s length
basis.
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SCHEDULE
B
To
Shareholders Agreement
LIST
OF SHAREHOLDERS AND AFFILIATES
Name of Shareholder
|
Address
|
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00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
000-(000) 000-0000
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||
New Palace Investments Ltd.
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Crystal Offices, Kranbis Building
00X Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
0000 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx
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Name of Shareholder
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Number of Shares of
Share Capital of STF
Technologies, Inc.
|
Percentage
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||||||
510 | 51 | % | ||||||
New Palace Investments Ltd.
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490 | 49 | % | |||||
Total
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1,000 | 100 | % |
Name of Shareholders of
New Palace Investments Ltd.
|
Number of Shares of
Share Capital of New Palace
Investments Ltd.
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Percentage
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||||||
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
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750 | 75 | % | |||||
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
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250 | 25 | % | |||||
Total
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1,000 | 100 | % |
Party
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Name of Representative
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Delivery of Notices
|
||
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Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxx, or in his absence or inability to serve, any other Person
designated by the Board of Directors of Solar Thin Films,
Inc.
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
00
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxxx, XX 00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Email:
xxx00@xxxxxxxxx.xxx
Copy
to:
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxx, Esq.
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx LLP
0000
Xxxxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Email:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
|
||
New
Palace Investments Ltd
|
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx or in his absence or inability to serve, any other Person
designated by New Palace Investments Ltd.
|
|
H-1121 Xxxxxxx-Xxxxx
út
29-33.
X-0000
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx
xxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xx
|
Schedule
C
to
Shareholders Agreement
RULES
OF PROCEDURES of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS
All
terms, as defined in this Schedule C shall have the same meaning as is set forth
in the Shareholders Agreement to which this Schedule C forms a
part.
The
purpose of the present Rules of Procedures of the Board of Directors is to
determine the basic principles of the establishment, operation, powers and
procedures of the Board of Directors of the Company and its
Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Rules of Procedure
set forth in this Schedule C are subject at all times to the terms and
conditions of the Shareholders Agreement, including Article 3
thereof. Any inconsistency between any of the Rules of Procedure set
forth below and the terms and conditions of the Shareholders Agreement, shall,
for all purposes, be construed and interpreted in accordance with the terms and
conditions of Article 3 of the Shareholders Agreement; which provisions shall
govern the conduct of the Shareholders, the Board of Directors of the Company
and its Subsidiaries and the Company.
Subject
at all times to the provisions of Article 3 of the Shareholders Agreement, the
Board of Directors shall in accordance with the provisions of the legislation on
business entities, the Statutes of the Company and the present Rules of
Procedures, in conjunction with the provisions of the Organisational and
Operational Rules.
1.
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
1.1. The
Board of Directors shall be the managing body of the Company. As
provided in Section 3.1 of the Shareholders Agreement, the Board of Directors
shall delegate specific authority to the Executive Officers to manage the
day-to-day business and affairs of the Company and its Subsidiaries as to all
matters, other than Major Decisions.
1.2 Should
any one or more members of the Board of Directors be replaced or new members
added to it, the obligations of the new members shall be defined by these Rules
of Procedure and the terms and conditions set forth in the Shareholders’
Agreement.
1.3 Should
the number of the members of the Board of Directors be less than four (4) as a
result of the death, disability, resignation or other termination of a member of
the Board of Directors or the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall resign,
die, become disabled or otherwise be terminated, such vacancy (a) if one or more
persons designated by New Palace, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx or Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, be filled
solely by another designee of New Palace or its shareholders, (b) if one or more
persons designated by Solar Thin, be filled solely by Solar Thin or its
successor-in-interest, and (c) if one or more Independent Director, shall be
filled by a Major Decision of the Shareholders.
1.4 Upon
the initiative of a member of the Board of Directors concerned to this end, the
Board of Directors shall be obliged to take measures for convening the Annual
Meeting of the Shareholders of the Company upon 30 days prior written notice to
all Shareholders. The Annual Meeting of the Shareholders shall be held between
March and April of each year at a time and location determined by the Chairman
of the Board.
1.5 Should
the Chairman be absent, another Member of the Board of Directors designated by
him may act as his deputy, but only with regard to the Chairman’s tasks relating
to the operation of the Board of Directors.
2. THE
OPERATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2.1. The
Board of Directors shall act as a body.
2.2 The
Chairman or any other member of the Board of Directors seeking to convene any
regular or special or extraordinary meeting of the Board of Directors shall
furnish to all other directors a written agenda of such meeting, including
therein a summary of any item submitted in writing by any member of the Board of
Directors to be discussed and considered. As regards items on the
agenda of the meeting, the director convening such meeting shall prepare a
written submission which he shall send to a other members of the Board of
Directors at least five (5) business days preceding the meeting.
2.3. Regular
meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held not less than four times each
calendar year, upon not less than 14 days prior written notice of the regular
meeting. An agenda referred to in Section 2.2 above shall be
submitted to all directors, which agenda may be modified or supplemented by any
other director not less than three (3) business days prior to the date scheduled
for the regular meeting.
2.4 Special
or extraordinary meetings of the Board of Directors may be convened by any one
or more directors upon not less than five (5) business days prior written notice
to all members of the Board of Directors, together with a proposed agenda for
the special or extraordinary meeting.
2.5 Notice
of and the agenda for all regular and special or extraordinary meetings of the
Board of Directors shall be submitted to all of the directors by regular mail,
facsimile transmission or electronic mail. Notice shall be deemed to
be given five (5) Business Days after it is placed in the mail, postage prepaid,
or upon receipt of facsimile transmission or electronic mail.
2.6 Meetings
of the board of directors shall be held in person at the registered office of
the Company, in the absence of a decision of a Solar Thin and a majority of the
other members of the Board of Directors providing for another location within or
without Hungary. In addition, at the request of any one or more
directors seeking to convene a meeting, any regular or special or extraordinary
meeting of the Board of Directors may be held by telephonic conference call;
provided, that the director convening such telephonic meeting shall provide all
members of the Board of Directors with a conference call-in number and access
code. At every phone conference call meeting of the Board of
Directors every party shall be able to hear the voices of the other members
simultaneously, through the same phone line, and is able to react immediately
which is also heard by the other members or via e-mail. The Chairman of the
Board of Directors shall take minutes on the phone conference call and send it
via e-mail to the Members who shall confirm their approval via e-mail; and the
Chairman shall record the e-mail meeting on a computerised medium and take
minutes regarding it as well. Members of the Board of Directors hereby represent
that they shall have available the equipment capable of holding a meeting of the
Board of Directors via electronic means, including a phone system allowing a
conference call and a computer system capable of sending and receiving e-mail
without limitation The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall authenticate the
minutes of the phone conference and the e-mails and store it at the registered
office of the Company.
2.7 Regular
meetings of the Board of Directors shall be convened by the
Chairman.
2.8 The
Board of Directors may elect without a meeting, if the decision taken in this
way is drawn up in writing and signed by every member. A decision taken in this
way is valid upon being signed by the last member of the Board of
Directors.
2.8. The
meeting of the Board of Directors shall be conducted by the Chairman or, in his
absence, the member convening the meeting.
2.9 The
Board of Directors shall have a quorum if a majority of the members of the Board
of Directors are present at the meeting. Members of the Board of Directors shall
have equal voting rights at the meeting of the Board of Directors.
2.10 Except
for Major Decisions (which shall require the unanimous approval or consent of
the representatives of New Palace and Solar Thin on the Board of Directors),
actions of the Board of Directors shall be by a majority of those directors
present at any meeting in which a quorum is present. As provided in, and subject
to the limitations and conditions set forth in the Shareholder Agreement, other
than Major Decisions, actions and authority that might otherwise available to
the Board of Directors shall be delegated to the Executive
Officers.
2.11 Abstention
from voting shall not constitute objection in itself; objection shall be
expressly stated and recorded in the minutes.
2.12.
The meeting of the Board of Directors shall be recorded in minutes.
2.13 The
minutes of all regular and special or extraordinary meetings of the Board of
Directors shall contain:
(a) the venue
and date of the meeting,
(b) the names
of all participants, including board members and any invited
guests,
(c) comments
upon and decisions with respect to each item on the agenda,
(d) any
objections against decisions.
2.14 Except
for a meeting held via electronic communications means, the minutes shall be
signed by the Chairman of the meeting and a member of the Board of Directors and
the keeper of the minutes. The minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors
shall be sent to all members of the Board of Directors, without regard to their
being actually present at the meeting, within 15 days following the
meeting.
2.15. The
Board of Directors may determine the persons participating at the meeting with
discussion rights as guests.
2.16 The
Auditor of the Company, an employee of the Company or another person (expert)
may be invited for the meeting of the Board of Directors or the discussion of an
item on the agenda when necessary (or in cases determined by law).
2.17 Should
the Board of Directors meet in
camera, only members of the Board of Directors may be present at such
meeting. For a meeting in camera, the minutes drawn
up on its course may contain only the decision, the names of the participants,
eventual minority opinions or objections, the venue and date of the meeting and
its being held in
camera. For a meeting in camera, the minutes shall
be kept by a member of the Board of Directors and signed by every member
present.
2.18. Except
as may be required by the applicable securities and other laws of the United
States or Hungary, members of the Board of Directors shall treat the
communications of the meeting of the Board of Directors and every data and
information communicated to them during the exercising of their Member of the
Board of Directors tasks as regards the Company as business secret.
2.19.
Costs and expenses relating to the attendance at and operation of the Board of
Directors shall be borne by the Company.
3. MANAGEMENT
TASKS
3.1.
Subject at all time to the provisions of the Shareholders Agreement, (a) the
Board of Directors shall have the widest powers of management of the Company,
and (b) the Board of Directors shall have the authority to decide on all matters
which are not delegated to Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx and/or Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, as the
Executive Officers of the Company, or reserved to the Shareholders at the
General Meeting or other bodies of the Company;
3.2 The
Board of Directors may, by majority vote, elect to remove any one or more
Executive Officer for good reasons such as non-satisfactory performance, and may
appoint any successor to such Executive Officer who has been removed from
office; provided,
however, that in no event shall any successor to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company and its Subsidiaries be a then existing officer of Solar
Thin, unless such person is approved as a Major
Decision. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Chief Financial Officer
shall be a person appointed by or otherwise acceptable to Solar
Thin.
3.3 The
Parties consider the achievement of the consolidated revenues and Earnings
before Interest and Tax (“EBIT”) as set forth in any Operating Budget to be the
key criteria for measuring the performance of executive management. Therefore, a
failure to achieve as at the end of any two consecutive Budget Years commencing
with the financial years ending December 31, 2009 and 2010 of at least seventy
percent (75%) of the consolidated sales revenues and EBIT set forth in such
Operating Budget shall be good reasons to remove an Executive Officer by the
Board of directors. However, the Parties acknowledge that the performance of
Executive Management may be dependent, in part, on the availability of the
necessary working capital requirements of the Company and its Subsidiaries set
forth in such Operating Budget an element which the Board of directors shall
within reason take into account when deciding on the removal of either or both
of the Executive Officers for non satisfactory performance. For avoidance of
doubt, the removal of an Executive Officer for non satisfactory performance is
not to be considered an extraordinary termination as defined the respective
employment agreements.
3.4 Pursuant
to the Shareholders Agreement, except for transactions, agreement, contracts or
expenditures constituting Major Decisions, the Board of Directors hereby
delegate the authority, management and representation of the Company to the
Executive Officers, acting individually or jointly. For this purpose, the Board
of Directors may adopt internal regulations governing its organization,
management and generally matters within its competence. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Board of Directors hereby
specifically delegates its remits, powers and decision making rights to the
Executive Officers with respect of the following matters:
(a.) exercising
the employer’s rights over the employees of the Company (except the appointment
of the Executive Officers), including but not limited to: - recruiting junior
officers and staff and fixing their terms of employment excluding any
bonus, profit sharing and pension schemes, - dismissing junior officers and
staff and to settle indemnities or severance pay not exceeding the legal
minimum;
(b) negotiating
and concluding any specific business transaction that was previously approved in
the Operating Budget or otherwise approved as a Major Decision by the Board of
Directors;
(c) entering
into any business transactions and concluding any contracts (including but not
limited to the acceptance of purchase orders for PV Equipment, PV Facilities or
PV Modules) which do not constitute Major Decisions.
(d) the
purchase, sale, lease or charge of any equipment which do not constitute Major
Decisions;
(e) provided
that the same do not involve contracts or transactions constituting Major
Decisions, amending or modifying any agreement or changing delivery or
production schedules;
(f) supervision
of all research, development and technology matters involving the Company and
its Subsidiaries; and
(e) negotiating
and concluding all other business transactions and contracts that do not fall
within the definition of Major Decisions.
3.5 All
decisions of the Executive Officers shall be recorded in writing and duly signed
by the Chief Executive Officer or other Executive Officer designated by him so
to do. Upon request copies of these decisions and minutes shall be provided to
the members of the Board of Directors
3.6 The
Chief Executive Officer may at any time delegate his above rights to the Chief
Operating Officer of the Company. The Chief Executive Officer may also delegate
certain his powers, authorities and responsibilities to other Executive Officers
subject to specific approval of the Board of Directors.
3.7 The
Chief Financial Officer of the Company shall supervise and be responsible for
all accounting, bookkeeping, record keeping, preparation of financial statements
and financial information concerning the Company and its Subsidiaries, and
dealing with the independent auditors for the Company. Upon the
request of any member of the Board of Directors, the Chief Financial Officers
shall render such accounting or financial reports directly to the Board of
Directors as any board member may request. In addition, in connection
with the preparation of its quarterly consolidated financial statements and
annual audited consolidated financial statements, the Chief Financial Officer
shall provide to Solar Thin or its outside auditors such accounting,
bookkeeping, financial statements and financial information as may be
requested. The Chief Financial Officer shall report to the Chief
Executive Officer.
3.8 Cheques
and other payments of €250,000 or less may be signed by the Chief Executive
Officer or Chief Operating Officer individually. Cheques and other
payments in excess of €250,000 shall require the dual signatures of (a) either
the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Operating Officer, and (b) the Chief
Financial Officer.
4.
REPRESENTATION
OF THE COMPANY; SIGNING OF DOCUMENTS
4.1 Members of the
Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and employees granted
representation right by the General Meeting of the Company shall be entitled to
represent the Company.
4.2 Documents and
agreements binding upon the Company (a) that come within the definition of a
Major Decision, shall be signed for by a representative of both Solar Thin and a
representative of New Palace on the Board of Directors, and (b) that do not come
within the definition of a Major Decision, shall be signed by either of the
Executive Officers duly authorised thereto; by writing their own names under the
pre-written, pre-stamped or pre-printed short or full name of the Company in
accordance with the signature specimen.
5. CHAIRMAN
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
5.1.
The powers of the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall include:
(a) the preparation, convening and conducting of the meetings of the
Board of Directors,
(b) the order of the items to be voted upon and the statement of its
results.
5.2.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall provide for ensuring the property
environment and conditions of the meeting of the Board of Directors. For the
presentation of a given item on the agenda of the meeting, the Chairman of the
Board of Directors may designate any other member of the Board of Directors to
serve as Chairman of a meeting of the Board of Directors.
6 MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD
6.1.
Requirements regarding conflicts of interest and exclusion against members of
the Board of Directors shall be governed by the provisions of the Shareholders
Agreement and the Hungarian Company Act.
6.2 The
Board of Directors may remove any one or more of the Executive Officers (a) for
good reasons as a result of non-satisfactory performance (as provided in Section
6.3 below), or (b) “for cause” (as that term is defined in the employment
agreements between the Company and each of the Executive Officers), and may
appoint any successor to such Executive Officer who has been removed from
office; provided,
however, that in no event shall any successor to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company and its Subsidiaries be a then existing officer of Solar
Thin, unless such person is approved as a Major
Decision. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Chief Financial Officer
shall be a person appointed by or otherwise acceptable to Solar
Thin.
6.3
The Parties consider the achievement of the consolidated revenues and Earnings
before Interest and Tax (EBIT) as set forth in any Operating Budget to be the
key criteria for measuring the performance of executive management. Therefore, a
failure to achieve as at the end of any two consecutive Budget Years commencing
with the financial years ending December 31, 2009 and 2010 of at least seventy
percent (75%) of the consolidated sales revenues and EBIT set forth in such
Operating Budget shall be good reasons to remove an Executive Officer by the
Board of directors. The performance of Executive Management may be dependent, in
part, on the availability of the necessary working capital requirements of the
Company and its Subsidiaries set forth in such Operating Budget an element which
the Board of directors shall within reason take into account when deciding on
the removal of an Executive Officer for non satisfactory performance. For
avoidance of doubt a removal of an Executive Officer for non satisfactory
performance is not to be considered an extraordinary termination as defined the
respective employment agreements.
6.4.
The member of the Board of Directors that has a conflict of interest shall
immediately inform the other members of the Board of Directors regarding the
existence of such conflict of interest.
7.
PROCEDURE FOR
APPROVING EQUIPMENT ORDERS AND FACTORY SALES.
7.1 The
board of directors herewith resolves to approve following operating procedures
for the acceptance of purchase orders requiring a Major Decision, whether for
sales of individual pieces of PV Equipment (“Equipment Orders”) or
sales of a complete factory (“Factory Sales”):
(a) Following
initial negotiations with a potential client the Chief Executive Officer or the
Chief Operating Officer as the case may be shall submit to all members of the
board an application for an approval in principle as set forth in the Exhibit(s)
attached hereto, providing background about the buyer and listing key terms and
conditions of the sale.
(b) The
application shall be submitted and considered by the Board of
Directors. Either an in-person or (if representatives of Solar Thin
or the Company Shareholders are not in the same geographic area at such time) a
telephonic meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held within five (5)
Business days of submission of the Application to discuss the application in
detail and the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Operating Officer will answer
all questions posed by any director in connection therewith. The
Board of Directors shall undertake good faith to come to a decision with respect
to such Equipment Order or Factory Sale at such in-person or telephonic board
meeting, and approval or rejection of such proposed Equipment Order or Factory
Sale shall be made by electronic mail. The parties acknowledge that
electronic approval or rejection by Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx shall be deemed validly
given in electronically transmitted form by either Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx or Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxx in the name of Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx. Pursuant to the Shareholders
Agreement acceptance of a purchase order is a Major Decision and therefore a
unanimous approval by all members is required.
(c) Upon
approval in principal of the Board the CEO has full authority to finalize
negotiations and accept the purchase order provided the terms and conditions as
approved in principle are not materially varied (+/-five percent).
(d) In
the case certain terms and conditions are changed in a material manner the CEO
shall submit the restated terms and conditions to all members of the board for a
decision which shall be reviewed and approved or rejected in accordance with the
procedures set forth in Section 7.1(b) above.
(e) Having
completed the sale the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Operating Officer as
the case may be shall submit the purchase contract with comments to the members
of the board for ratification which will be resolved on the occasion of the next
board meeting.
7.2 Further,
the Board of Directors herewith resolves to reconvene as soon as is practical to
consider revision of the above operating procedures as follows:
(a) Management
will prepare and present to the Board a proposed purchase order form including
terms and conditions for Equipment Sales, a proposed contract for Factory Sales,
and associated price schedule for same.
(b) Upon
reasonable notice the Board will convene to review and approve the above, which
shall then become the Standard Terms and Conditions for Sales (“Standard
Terms”), and will grant the Chief Executive Officer full authority to negotiate
purchase orders and contracts - provided the terms and conditions as approved in
principle are not materially varied (+/-five percent).
(c) The
process for approval will then be modified from above such that applications
will only be submitted to the Board for prior approval in the event that the
terms and conditions are materially varied, in this case the
Board shall respond within 5 Business Days.
8.
RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Members
of the Board of Directors shall act in a fiduciary capacity to the Company and
its Subsidiaries, and with the due care usually expected from persons in such
positions. For damages caused by breaching their obligations to the Company,
they shall be responsible according to the general rules of the civil
law. The Company shall, to the extent available and a reasonable
cost, obtain directors and officers’ liability insurance and shall indemnify the
directors to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of Hungary.
9.
OPERATING
GUIDELINES
9.1. On
or before the Effective Date of the Employment Agreement, and thereafter on or
before January 1st in each
year (commencing 2010), the Executive shall submit an annual budget and business
plan for research, sales, marketing, product development and strategy, and
operations, including product fulfilment (the “Budget and Plan”) to the Board
of Directors of the Company for approval. If approved (or modified by the Board
of Directors), the Executive shall have the authority to operate and make
expenditures within such approved Budget and Plan. As part of the
Budget and Plan, the Executive shall submit to the Chief Executive Officer of
Solar Thin and the Board of Directors of the Company proposed pricing and sales
terms for all PV Equipment to be sold and marketed by the
Company. Any deviation from such approved Budget and Plan shall
require the approval of the Board of Directors of the Company, as a “Major
Decision” (as that term is defined in the Shareholders Agreement).
9.2. The
Executive will have authority to negotiate PV Equipment sales within the
parameters of all such pricing and sales terms and to execute contracts and
purchase orders with respect thereto on behalf of the Company and BudaSolar;
provided,
that the final terms and conditions of all PV Equipment sales contracts and
other purchase orders shall be reviewed and approved in advance of signing by
the Executive by the Board of Directors of the Company.
9.3. The
finance and accounting group of the Company will report to the Chief Financial
Officer of Solar Thin Films, Inc. Responsibility for auditing, reporting and
compliance will reside with the Chief Financial Officer of Solar Thin Films,
Inc., and the Controller or other senior financial officer of the Company will
have a reporting relationship to the Chief Financial Officer of Solar Thin
Films, Inc. With respect to the day-to-day accounting and finance
functions such as purchasing, receiving, cash management, cost accounting, the
Controller or other senior financial officer of the Company will report through
the Executive or such other senior officer of the Company as designated by the
Executive.
EXHIBIT
1
Corporate
Services Agreement
SOLAR
THIN FILMS, INC.
00
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
April __,
2009
Kraft
Elektronika Srt and
Buda
Solar Limited
H-1021
Budapest, Kuruclesiu 40
Hungary
Attn: Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx,
Chief Executive Officer
Gentlemen:
This
letter will serve to set forth the terms of the corporate advisory services to
be rendered by Solar Thin Films Inc. (“Solar Thin”) to Kraft
Elektronika Srt (“Kraft”) and its
wholly-owned subsidiary Buda Solar Limited (“Buda Solar” and collectively, with
Kraft, the “Corporations”). Solar
Thin and the Corporations are sometimes collectively referred to as the “Parties.”
•
1. Services.
The
services to be rendered to the Corporations by Solar Thin (the “Services”) will
include, but are not limited to:
•
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(a)
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Advisory
services, including those relating to the preparation of the Corporations’
annual audit in compliance with United States and European Union generally
accepted accounting principles and regulations promulgated under the
United States securities laws;
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(b)
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The
promotion and marketing of the Corporations’ business in the United States
in in the global capital markets;
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(c)
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Advisory
services relating to media communications including promoting the
Corporations’ products through the United States and international
media with the general goal of raising market worldwide awareness of the
products sold by the Corporations;
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(d)
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Marketing
advisory services including specific advice and support towards the
penetration of the North American market for the Corporations’
products;
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(e)
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Representation
on the board of directors of the
Corporations;
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(f)
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Provision
of business, legal, and financial advice and services in connection with
potential acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic alliances for
the sale of lines of photovoltaic solar module equipment as well as solar
power projects; and
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(g)
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Provisions
of advisory services in connection with the raising of debt and equity
capital;
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(h)
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Provision
of legal and related professional services relative to United States
securities laws (which shall be invoiced directly to the Corporations or
reimbursed to Solar Thin at its
cost).
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2. Term. This
Agreement shall commence as of April 1, 2009 and shall continue in force and
effect until December 31, 2014 (the “Expiration Date”);
provided, that the Board of Directors of the Corporations may, by a “Major
Decision” (as that term is defined in the Shareholders Agreement, dated of even
date herewith), extend the Expiration Date on a year-to-year basis following
December 31, 2014.
3. Compensation.
In consideration for the Services, Solar Thin will charge the Corporations an
annual fee of $450,000 per year, payable quarterly as follows: $ 100,000 in each
of the first three quarters and then $ 150,000 in the last quarter or
in such other periodic installments or payment arrangements as the Board of
Directors of the Corporations by a Major Decision shall determine.
4. Audit Fees
Reimbursement. The
Corporations shall reimburse Solar Thin or pay directly (a) up to $50,000 per
year toward the cost of the annual audit of the financial statements of the
Corporations, (b) up to $25,000 per year toward the cost of the annual audit of
the financial statements of Solar Thin Power, Inc., and (c) up to $50,000 per
year toward the cost of the annual audit of the financial statements of Algatec
Solar Ag, as, if and when such corporation is acquired by Solar Thin; provided
that such allocation of audit costs shall be reviewed annual after December 31,
2010 based on the relative revenues generated by the Corporations, on one hand,
and Solar Thin Power, Inc., on the other hand.
5. Other Professional
Fees. Except
as provided in Section 1(h) and Section 4 above, all legal and accounting fees
and expenses relating to the businesses of the Corporations shall be borne
solely by the Corporations, and all legal and accounting fees and expenses
relating to the business of Solar Thin and any direct or indirect subsidiary of
Solar Thin, other than
the Corporations, shall be borne by the corporation or other entity for which
such professional services are provided.
6. Miscellaneous.
(a) This
Agreement may be amended or modified from time to time only by the written
consent of the Company and by a writing signed by the Corporations and all of
the Shareholders.
(b) This
Agreement is binding on and inures to the benefit of the Parties hereto and
their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors, and
assigns.
(c) This
Agreement and the legal relations among the parties hereto shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, United
States of Amercia, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of
laws. Any provision of this Agreement prohibited by the laws of the
State of New York shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition without
invalidating the remaining provisions of this Agreement. All
disputes, claims or controversies arising out of or relating to this Agreement,
or any agreement executed and delivered pursuant hereto, or the negotiation,
breach, validity or performance hereof, or the transactions contemplated hereby
which cannot be resolved by good faith negotiations, shall be exclusively
submitted to final and binding arbitration in London England before a panel of
three arbitrators appointed by the International Chamber of Commerce; provided, that if any Party
has no adequate remedy at law he or it may seek emergency injunctive relief or
specific performance before any court of competent jurisdiction in Hungary or
the United States. The decision and award of the arbitrators shall be
enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction in the United States and
Hungary. Subject to the availability of the arbitration panel, the arbitration
shall commence within ninety (90) days of the date on which a written demand for
arbitration is filed by any Party hereto. In connection with the
arbitration proceeding, the arbitrators shall have the power to order the
production of documents by each Party and any third-Party
witnesses. In connection with any arbitration, each Party shall
provide to the other, no later than seven (7) business days before the date of
the arbitration, the identity of all persons that may testify at the arbitration
and a copy of all documents that may be introduced at the arbitration or
considered or used by a Party’s witness or expert. The arbitrators’
decision and award shall be made and delivered within ninety (90) days of the
commencement of the arbitration. The arbitrators’ decision shall set
forth a reasoned basis for any award of damages or finding of
liability. The arbitrators shall not have power to award damages in
excess of actual compensatory damages and shall not multiply actual damages or
award punitive damages or any other damages that are specifically excluded under
this Agreement, and each Party hereby irrevocably waives any claim to such
damages. The Parties covenant and agree that they will participate in the
arbitration in good faith and that they will, except as provided below,
(a) bear their own attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses in connection with
the arbitration, and (b) share equally in the fees and expenses of the
arbitration, including forum fees, the fees of the arbitrators and the cost of
the official transcript of the proceedings. The arbitrators may in
their discretion assess costs and expenses (including the reasonable legal fees
and expenses of the prevailing Party) against any Party to the
proceeding. Any Party unsuccessfully refusing to comply with an order
of the arbitrators shall be liable for costs and expenses, including attorneys’
fees, incurred by the other Party in enforcing the award. This
Section 4.6 applies equally to requests for temporary, preliminary or permanent
injunctive relief, except that in the case of temporary or preliminary
injunctive relief any Party may proceed in court without prior arbitration for
the purpose of avoiding immediate and irreparable harm or to enforce its rights
under any non-competition covenants.
(d) This
Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts with the same effect as if
all signing parties had signed the same document. All counterparts
when signed and assembled together will constitute a single, fully-executed
instrument.
If the above accurately reflects the
substance of our mutual agreement and understanding, please so indicate by
executing a copy of this agreement in the space provided below.
Very
truly yours,
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SOLAR
THIN FILMS, INC.
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By:
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Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
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Title:
Chairman of the Board
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Accepted
and Agreed To:
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KRAFT
ELEKTRONIKA SRT
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By:
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx,
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Chief
Executive Officer
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BUDA
SOLAR LIMITED
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By
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx,
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Chief
Executive Officer
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EXHIBIT
2
FACTORY
SALE SUBMISSION FOR APPROVAL
TO:
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Board
of Directors
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FROM:
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, CEO
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DATE:
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RE:
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Purchase
Order #
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BUYER:
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TYPE
OF SALE:
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Factory
Sale or Equipment Sale
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FACTORY
SCALE:
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Number
of lines:
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Brief
Description with emphasis on any deviations from standard, if
any
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PRICE:
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EXPECTED
MARGIN:
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DELIVERY
SCHEDULE:
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MILESTONES:
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Brief
Description of milestones including deviations from standard, if
any
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PAYMENT
TERMS (Specifying payments linked to milestones):
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INCLUDES
MODULE BUY-BACK?
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Yes
or No, If Yes requires proper STF authorization for module
buyback.
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INCLUDES
EQUITY INVESTMENT?
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Yes
or No, If Yes requires Majority Decision for Kraft to make an equity
investment
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FUNDING:
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COMMENTS:
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DECISION:
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BY:
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