Shareholders Agreement
Exhibit 9
This Shareholders Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of May 23, 2016, is between the undersigned shareholder (“Shareholder”) of Mines Management, Inc., an Idaho corporation (the “Company”), and Hecla Mining Company, a Delaware corporation (“Parent”).
WHEREAS, concurrently with or following the execution of this Agreement, the Company, Parent and HL Idaho Corp., an Idaho corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”), have entered, or will enter, into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), providing for, among other things, the merger (the “Merger”) of Merger Sub into the Company pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement;
WHEREAS, as a condition to its willingness to enter into the Merger Agreement, Parent has required that Shareholder execute and deliver this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, in order to induce Parent to enter into the Merger Agreement, Shareholder is willing to make certain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements with respect to the shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (“Company Stock”) beneficially owned by Shareholder and set forth below Shareholder’s signature on the signature page hereto (the “Shares”).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt, sufficiency and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the Merger Agreement.
2. Representations of Shareholder. Shareholder represents and warrants to Parent that:
(a) (i) Shareholder owns beneficially (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), all of the Shares free and clear of all Liens, and (ii) except pursuant hereto, there are no options, warrants, preferred shares or other rights, agreements, arrangements or commitments of any character to which Shareholder is a party relating to the pledge, disposition or voting of any of the Shares, and there are no voting trusts or voting agreements with respect to the Shares.
(b) Shareholder does not beneficially own any shares of Company Stock other than (i) the Shares and (ii) any options, warrants, preferred shares or other rights to acquire any additional shares of Company Stock or any security exercisable for or convertible into shares of Company Stock, set forth on the signature page of this Agreement (collectively, “Derivative Securities”).
(c) Shareholder has full power and authority and legal capacity to enter into, execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform fully Shareholder’s obligations hereunder (including the proxy described in Section 3(b) below)). This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by Shareholder and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Shareholder, enforceable against Shareholder in accordance with its terms.
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(d) None of the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Shareholder, the consummation by Shareholder of the transactions contemplated hereby, or compliance by Shareholder with any of the provisions hereof will conflict with or result in a breach, or constitute a default (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) under any provision, of any trust agreement, loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, instrument or Law applicable to Shareholder or to Shareholder’s property or assets.
(e) No consent, approval or authorization of, or designation, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Entity or other Person on the part of Shareholder is required in connection with the valid execution and delivery of this Agreement. No consent of Shareholder’s spouse is necessary under any “community property” or other Laws in order for Shareholder to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.
3. Agreement to Vote Shares; Irrevocable Proxy.
(a) Shareholder agrees during the term of this Agreement to vote the Shares, and to cause any holder of record of Shares to vote: (i) in favor of the Merger and the Merger Agreement, at every meeting of the shareholders of the Company at which such matters are considered and at every adjournment or postponement thereof; (ii) against (1) any Takeover Proposal, (2) any action, proposal, transaction or agreement which could reasonably be expected to result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of the Company under the Merger Agreement or of Shareholder under this Agreement and (3) any action, proposal, transaction or agreement that could reasonably be expected to impede, interfere with, delay, discourage, adversely affect or inhibit the timely consummation of the Merger or the fulfillment of Parent’s, the Company’s or Merger Sub’s conditions under the Merger Agreement or change in any manner the voting rights of any class of shares of the Company (including any amendments to the Charter Documents of the Company).
(b) Shareholder hereby appoints Parent and any designee of Parent, and each of them individually, its proxies and attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to vote during the term of this Agreement with respect to the Shares in accordance with Section 3(a). This proxy and power of attorney is given to secure the performance of the duties of Shareholder under this Agreement. Shareholder shall take such further action or execute such other instruments as may be necessary to effectuate the intent of this proxy. This proxy and power of attorney granted by Shareholder shall be irrevocable during the term of this Agreement, shall be deemed to be coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable proxy and shall revoke any and all prior proxies granted by Shareholder with respect to the Shares. The power of attorney granted by Shareholder herein is a durable power of attorney and shall survive the dissolution, bankruptcy, death or incapacity of Shareholder. The proxy and power of attorney granted hereunder shall terminate upon the termination of this Agreement.
4. No Voting Trusts or Other Arrangement. Shareholder agrees that Shareholder will not, and will not permit any entity under Shareholder’s control to, deposit any of the Shares in a voting trust, grant any proxies with respect to the Shares or subject any of the Shares to any arrangement with respect to the voting of the Shares other than agreements entered into with Parent.
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5. Transfer and Encumbrance. Shareholder agrees that during the term of this Agreement, Shareholder will not, directly or indirectly, transfer, sell, offer, exchange, assign, pledge or otherwise dispose of or encumber (“Transfer”) any of the Shares or enter into any Contract, option or other agreement with respect to, or consent to, a Transfer of, any of the Shares or Shareholder’s voting or economic interest therein. Any attempted Transfer of Shares or any interest therein in violation of this Section 5 shall be null and void. This Section 5 shall not prohibit a Transfer of the Shares by Shareholder to any member of Shareholder’s immediate family, or to a trust for the benefit of Shareholder or any member of Shareholder’s immediate family, or upon the death of Shareholder; provided, that a Transfer referred to in this sentence shall be permitted only if, as a precondition to such Transfer, the transferee agrees in a writing, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to Parent, to be bound by all of the terms of this Agreement.
6. [RESERVED]
7. Termination. This Agreement shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of (a) the Effective Time and (b) the date on which the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms.
8. No Agreement as Director or Officer. Shareholder makes no agreement or understanding in this Agreement in Shareholder’s capacity as a director or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (if Shareholder holds such office), and nothing in this Agreement: (a) will limit or affect any actions or omissions taken by Shareholder in Shareholder’s capacity as such a director or officer, including in exercising rights under the Merger Agreement, and no such actions or omissions shall be deemed a breach of this Agreement or (b) will be construed to prohibit, limit or restrict Shareholder from exercising Shareholder’s fiduciary duties as an officer or director to the Company or its Shareholders.
9. Specific Performance. Each party hereto acknowledges that it will be impossible to measure in money the damage to the other party if a party hereto fails to comply with any of the obligations imposed by this Agreement, that every such obligation is material and that, in the event of any such failure, the other party will not have an adequate remedy at law or damages. Accordingly, each party hereto agrees that injunctive relief or other equitable remedy, in addition to remedies at law or damages, is the appropriate remedy for any such failure and will not oppose the seeking of such relief on the basis that the other party has an adequate remedy at law. Each party hereto agrees that it will not seek, and agrees to waive any requirement for, the securing or posting of a bond in connection with the other party’s seeking or obtaining such equitable relief.
10. Entire Agreement. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements, written or oral, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or supplemented, and no provisions hereof may be modified or waived, except by an instrument in writing signed by both of the parties hereto. No waiver of any provisions hereof by either party shall be deemed a waiver of any other provisions hereof by such party, nor shall any such waiver be deemed a continuing waiver of any provision hereof by such party.
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11. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (a) when delivered by hand (with written confirmation of receipt), (b) when received by the addressee if sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (receipt requested), (c) on the date sent by facsimile or e-mail of a PDF document (with confirmation of transmission) if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and on the next Business Day if sent after normal business hours of the recipient, or (d) on the third day after the date mailed, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. Such communications must be sent to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 11):
If to Parent or Merger Sub, addressed to it at:
Hecla Mining Company
0000 X. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx x’Xxxxx, Xxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxx-xxxxxx.xxx
with a mandated copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
K&L Gates LLP
00 Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: J. Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Email: xxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
If to Shareholder, to the address or facsimile number set forth for Shareholder on the signature page hereof.
12. Miscellaneous.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal Laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of Laws of any jurisdiction other than those of the State of Delaware.
(b) Each of the parties hereto irrevocably agrees that any legal action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect of this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder, brought by the other party hereto or its successors or assigns shall be brought and determined exclusively in the district court of the State of Idaho, or in the event (but only in the event) that such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction over such action or proceeding, in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the State of Idaho. Each of the parties
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hereto agrees that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided in Section 11 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Laws, will be valid and sufficient service thereof. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably submits with regard to any such action or proceeding for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, to the personal jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts and agrees that it will not bring any action relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any court or tribunal other than the aforesaid courts. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, counterclaim or otherwise, in any action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect of this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder (i) any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of the above named courts for any reason other than the failure to serve process in accordance with this Section 12(b), (ii) any claim that it or its property is exempt or immune from jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process commenced in such courts (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution of judgment, execution of judgment or otherwise) and (iii) to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable Law, any claim that (x) the suit, action or proceeding in such court is brought in an inconvenient forum, (y) the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper or (z) this Agreement, or the subject matter hereof, may not be enforced in or by such courts.
(c) EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES AND, THEREFORE, EACH SUCH PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LEGAL ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (A) NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER IN THE EVENT OF A LEGAL ACTION, (B) SUCH PARTY HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WAIVER, (C) SUCH PARTY MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY AND (D) SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 12(C).
(d) If any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible.
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(e) This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(f) Each party hereto shall execute and deliver such additional documents as may be necessary or desirable to effect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(g) All Section headings herein are for convenience of reference only and are not part of this Agreement, and no construction or reference shall be derived therefrom.
(h) The obligations of Shareholder set forth in this Agreement shall not be effective or binding upon Shareholder until after such time as the Merger Agreement is executed and delivered by the Company, Parent and Merger Sub, and the parties agree that there is not and has not been any other agreement, arrangement or understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the matters set forth herein.
(i) Neither party to this Agreement may assign any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party hereto, except that Parent may assign, in its sole discretion, all or any of its rights, interests and obligations hereunder to any of its Affiliates. Any assignment contrary to the provisions of this Section 12(i) shall be null and void.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first written above.
| HECLA MINING COMPANY | ||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |
| Name: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |
| Title: | Vice President & General Counsel | |
| /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | ||
| Number of Shares of Company Stock Beneficially Owned as of the Date of this Agreement: 44,210
Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned as of the Date of this Agreement: 185,000
Street Address: 0000 X. Xxxxxxx Xx. City/State/Zip Code: Xxxxxx, XX 00000 Fax: | ||
[Signature Page to Shareholders Agreement]
