FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF MEGA-C POWER CORPORATION
FIRST
AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT
FOR
THE BENEFIT OF THE SHAREHOLDERS
OF
MEGA-C POWER CORPORATION
THIS
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT FOR
THE BENEFIT OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF
MEGA-C POWER CORPORATION is made,
entered into and effective as of the 26th day of February 2005
between:
XXXXX
X. XXXXXX, an
individual resident of the State of Florida who has an office in Dunedin Florida
and is acting in her capacity as trustee of the Trust for the Benefit of the
Shareholders of Mega-C Power Corporation (the “Trustee”)
AND
AXION
POWER INTERNATIONAL, INC., a
Delaware corporation formerly known as Tamboril Cigar Company, which has an
office in Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx and is acting in its capacity as grantor of
the Trust for the Benefit of the Shareholders of Mega-C Power Corporation (the
“Grantor”)
WITNESSES
THAT:
WHEREAS the
“Trust
for the Benefit of the Shareholders of Mega-C Power
Corporation” was
established on December 31, 2003 pursuant to an agreement between Tamboril Cigar
Company and Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx that constituted an essential element of a business
combination between Tamboril Cigar Company and Axion Power Corporation;
and
WHEREAS Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxx assumed the rights, powers and responsibilities of trustee and accepted
an appointment as successor trustee on March 24, 2004; and
WHEREAS the
Grantor and two of its affiliates instituted an involuntary bankruptcy
reorganization of Mega-C Power Corporation on April 6, 2004 by filing an
involuntary Chapter 11 petition against that company in the U.S. Bankruptcy
Court for the District of Nevada; and
WHEREAS the
Trustee devoted several months to a careful, detailed and diligent analysis of
Mega-C’s corporate records, including its stock issuance and transfer records,
and has concluded based on that review that those records are inadequate,
inaccurate and unreliable; and
WHEREAS the
Trustee sought the advice of counsel respecting the statutory requirements for a
Nevada corporation to validly issue shares and ultimately concluded that a
substantial number of shares allegedly issued by Mega-C were not issued in
transactions that complied with the fundamental requirements of applicable law;
and
WHEREAS the
Grantor and the Trustee have concluded that certain terms, provisions,
requirements and procedures in the Original Trust Agreement are unclear, could
conflict with comparable provisions of the Bankruptcy Act or could otherwise
impede the efficient administration of Mega-C’s Chapter 11 Case;
and
WHEREAS the
Original Trust Agreement expressly provides that it may be amended at any time
for the purpose of modifying the terms, conditions and provisions thereof or
incorporating additional terms, conditions and provisions that are not
inconsistent with the intent of the parties and requested by the Grantor or the
Trustee; and
WHEREAS the
Grantor and the Trustee have agreed to amend and restate the Trust Agreement for
the purpose of clarifying the respective rights of Mega-C’s Creditors and
shareholders, clarifying potential ambiguities, minimizing the potential
conflicts with the Bankruptcy Act and providing more formal and comprehensive
mechanisms for the resolution of potential disputes;
NOW
THEREFORE in
consideration of the mutual obligations and agreements herein set forth, the
parties agree to amend and restate the Original Trust Agreement in its entirety
as follows.
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ARTICLE
1 - INTERPRETATION
Section
1.1 Definitions In this
Amendment, unless there is something in the subject matter or context
inconsistent therewith, the following terms have the meanings ascribed to
them:
(a) |
“Amendment”
means this First Amended and Restated Trust Agreement for the Benefit of
the Shareholders of Mega-C Power Corporation dated February 16,
2005. |
(b) |
“Axion
Shares” means (i) the 7,327,500 shares of the Grantor’s common stock that
were held by the Trust on the date of this Amendment, and (ii) the 500,000
additional shares of the Grantor’s common stock that will be delivered to
the Trust as provided for in this Amendment. |
(c) |
“Applicable
Laws” means any statute of the United States, Canada, the State of Nevada
or the Province of Ontario, together with any rules and regulations made
thereunder and the orders or rulings of any securities commission,
regulatory authority, agency or court applicable to the affairs of Mega-C
or the sale and disposition of the Axion Shares. |
(d) |
“Bankruptcy
Court” means the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of
Nevada,
which shall if required be the principal forum for the resolution of
issues relating to the
due authorization, validity and fully paid and nonassessable status of
Mega-C Shares; the identities, ownership interests and amount paid by
Mega-C Shareholders in connection with the purchase of Mega-C Shares; and
the rights of any person to claim the legal status of a Mega-C
Shareholder. |
(e) |
“Bankruptcy
Trustee” means the independent trustee who has been or will be appointed
by the Bankruptcy Court to manage Mega-C and its affairs during the
Chapter 11 Case. |
(f) |
“Beneficiary”
means a Mega-C Shareholder who is specifically identified in a final order
of either the Bankruptcy Court or the Nevada Court, but only to the extent
that such final order specifies the identity, interest and consideration
paid by the Beneficiary in connection with his acquisition of Mega-C
Shares. |
(g) |
“Chapter
11 Case” means the involuntary Chapter 11 reorganization of Mega-C Power
Corporation (Case No. BK-N-04-50962) that is presently pending before the
Bankruptcy Court. |
(h) |
“Creditor”
means any person who has loaned money or extended credit to Mega-C or to
whom a debt is owed by Mega-C, provided that for purposes of this
Amendment the term shall also include all holders of claims for
administrative and operating expenses incurred by Mega-C after the
commencement of the Chapter 11 Case and all persons other than the Trust
who have loaned money or extended credit to Mega-C for the purpose of
paying such administrative and operating
expenses. |
(i) |
“Florida
Court” means the Circuit
Court of Pinellas County, Florida, which shall be the sole forum for the
resolution of disputes arising under the law of trusts and the
interpretation of this Amendment. |
(j) |
“Grantor”
means Axion Power International, Inc., a Delaware corporation formerly
known as Tamboril Cigar Company, and its directors, officers, affiliates,
successors and assigns. |
(k) |
“Mega-C”
means Mega-C Power Corporation, a Nevada
corporation. |
(l) |
“Mega-C
Share” means a duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable share of the no par value common stock of
Mega-C. |
(m) |
“Mega-C
Shareholder” means any person who holds a stock certificates issued by
Mega-C and may be entitled to classification as a Beneficiary of the Trust
if either the Bankruptcy Court or the Nevada Court determines that the
shares represented by his certificates are duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable Mega-C
Shares. |
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12
(n) |
“Nevada
Court” means the District Court of the State in the county
where Mega-C’s
registered office in the State of Nevada is located, which is
an appropriate forum for the resolution of any disputes that are
not
fully and finally adjudicated by the Bankruptcy Court and
relate to
the
due authorization, validity and fully paid and non-assessable status of
Mega-C Shares; the identities, ownership interests and amount paid by
Mega-C Shareholders in connection with their purchase of Mega-C Shares;
and the rights of any person to claim the legal status of a Mega-C
Shareholder. |
(o) |
“Original
Trust Agreement” means the agreement dated December 31, 2003 between the
Grantor and Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx styled “Trust Agreement for the Benefit of the
Shareholders of Mega-C Power Corporation,” as amended by an agreement
dated March 24, 2004 between Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx and the
Grantor and styled “Succession Agreement Pursuant to the Provisions of the
Trust Agreement for the Benefit of the Shareholders of Mega-C Power
Corporation.” |
(p) |
“Trust”
means the Trust for the Benefit of the Shareholders of Mega-C Power
Corporation, which was established on December 31, 2003 and shall
hereafter be subject to the terms, conditions and provisions of this
Amendment. |
(q) |
“Trustee”
means Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, an individual resident of Dunedin, Florida and her
successors or assigns under the terms of this
Amendment. |
Section
1.2 Article and Section Headings Article
and section headings are included for convenience only and are not a part of
this Amendment.
Section
1.3 Gender and Number Words
importing the singular shall include the plural and vice versa, and words
importing gender shall include the masculine, feminine and neuter
genders.
Section
1.4 Entire Agreement This
Amendment constitutes the entire agreement among the parties respecting the
operation of the Trust and the disposition of any Axion Shares or other property
now held or hereafter acquired by the Trust. This Amendment supersedes the
Original Trust Agreement and all prior understandings, negotiations and
discussions between any of the parties with respect to the subject matter
hereof, whether oral or written.
ARTICLE
2 - ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST
Section
2.1 Establishment of Trust The
Grantor established the Trust on December 31, 2003. In connection with the
establishment of the Trust, the Grantor delivered certificates for 117,239,736
duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of Tamboril
Cigar Company common stock to the Trustee. While these shares constituted the
entire Trust corpus, the Grantor reserved the right to augment the Trust corpus
from time to time. As a result of a 1 share for 16 reverse stock split and a
name change that were approved by the Grantor’s stockholders on June 4, 2004,
the Trust is now the record holder of 7,327,500 duly authorized, validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable Axion Shares.
Section
2.2 Appointment of Trustee The
Trustee was appointed on March 24, 2004, presently holds certificates for
7,327,500 Axion Shares and has agreed to act as Trustee pursuant to the terms of
this Amendment. The Trustee shall be obligated only for the performance of such
duties as are specifically set forth in this Amendment and may rely on and shall
be protected in acting or refraining from acting on any instrument believed by
her to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or
parties, their officers, representatives or agents. The Trustee shall not be
liable for any action taken or omitted by her in good faith and believed by her
to be authorized hereby, nor for action taken or omitted by her in accordance
with the advice of her counsel.
Section
2.3 Office; Administrative Situs The
office and administration situs of the Trust shall be the office of the Trustee
in Dunedin Florida, or such other location as the Trustee and the Grantor may
jointly designate in writing.
Section
2.4 Purpose of Trust The
purpose of the Trust is to preserve the potential equitable interests of the
Mega-C Shareholders in a lead-acid-carbon battery technology that was licensed
to Mega-C in 2001 and thereafter purchased
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by the
Grantor, while insulating the Grantor from the potential litigation risks
associated with the prior business of Mega-C and the alleged unlawful activities
of certain directors, officers and stockholders of Mega-C.
ARTICLE
3 - TERM OF TRUST
Section
3.1 Term The
Trust was established by the Grantor on December 31, 2003 and shall continue to
exist as a separate legal entity until all Axion Shares held by the Trust have
been:
(a) |
Sold
by the Trustee in accordance with this Amendment;
|
(b) |
Distributed
to Mega-C Shareholders in accordance with this
Amendment; |
(c) |
Deposited
into the registry of a court in accordance with this Amendment;
or |
(d) |
Surrendered
to the Grantor in accordance with this Amendment. |
When all
of the Axion Shares have been sold, distributed, deposited into the registry of
a court, or surrendered to the Grantor in accordance with this Amendment, the
Trust shall terminate forthwith.
ARTICLE
4 -TRUST CORPUS AND IDENTIFICATION OF BENEFICIARIES
Section
4.1 Initial Contribution of Axion Shares The
7,327,500 Axion Shares held by the Trust represented the Grantor’s best estimate
of the number of Axion Shares that would be required to create a corpus
consisting of one Axion Share for every two duly authorized, validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable Mega-C Shares outstanding.
Section
4.2 Augmentation of Trust Corpus Within 30
days after the execution of this Amendment, the Grantor shall deliver
certificates for 500,000 additional Axion Shares and $100,000 in cash to the
Trustee for the purpose of augmenting the Trust corpus and offsetting the
administrative and operating costs, including legal fees, that have been and
will be incurred by the Trust, Mega-C and the Bankruptcy Trustee in connection
with the Chapter 11 Case and the Trustee compensation provisions of this
Amendment. The Grantor is not required to further augment the Trust corpus at
any time or to contribute additional Axion Shares, money or property to the
Trust for any purpose.
Section
4.3 Priority for Creditor Claims The
interests of the Beneficiaries shall in all events be subordinate to and subject
to reduction for (1) all administrative and operating costs incurred by the
Trust, including legal fees; (2) all administrative and operating costs incurred
by Mega-C or the Bankruptcy Trustee after the commencement of the Chapter 11
Case, including legal fees, regardless of whether the associated claims are
allowed by the Bankruptcy Court in connection with the Chapter 11 Case; and (3)
all other allowed claims of Mega-C’s Creditors who are entitled to priority over
shareholders under applicable law. Subject to Bankruptcy Court supervision, the
Trustee is authorized and directed to sell Axion Shares from time to time and to
use the sale proceeds to pay the administrative and operating costs of the
Trust, the administrative and operating costs of Mega-C and allowed Creditors’
claims before any residual Axion Shares are allocated among, distributed to or
sold for the benefit of Beneficiaries.
Section
4.4 Trustee to Request Shareholders List Since
Mega-C’s records are unreliable, a number of stock issuance transactions do not
appear to have been conducted in compliance with Nevada law and there are
conflicting claims with respect to the ownership of other shares, the Grantor
and Trustee hereby agree that all decisions respecting (1) the number of shares
outstanding, (2) the identities of the owners of those shares; and (3) the
number of shares held by each shareholder should properly be made by the
Bankruptcy Court as an integral element of the Chapter 11 Case. Therefore the
Trustee shall, at the earliest practicable date, ask the Bankruptcy Trustee to
prepare a list of all owners of duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable Mega-C Shares that includes.
(a) |
The
identity of each person who has established to the satisfaction of the
Bankruptcy Trustee that he is the sole lawful owner of duly authorized,
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable Mega-C
Shares; |
(b) |
The
number of Mega-C Shares owned by each person identified in the
shareholders list; and |
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(c) |
The
average price per share paid by each person identified in the shareholders
list. |
To
facilitate the efficient administration of the Chapter 11 Case, the Bankruptcy
Trustee may elect to prepare one or more partial shareholder lists that identify
Mega-C Shareholders who have submitted claims that are not subject to further
investigation or dispute resolution procedures, provided that no Mega-C
shareholder may be identified in such a partial shareholder list until all of
his ownership claims with respect to Mega-C Shares have been resolved to the
satisfaction of the Bankruptcy Trustee.
Section
4.5 Trustee to Petition for Shareholder Certification Each time
the Bankruptcy Trustee prepares either a complete or partial list of persons who
should properly be classified as the sole lawful owners of duly authorized,
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable Mega-C Shares, the Trustee shall
petition the Bankruptcy Court for an order certifying the shareholder list
prepared by the Bankruptcy Trustee. If the Bankruptcy Court grants a final order
that certifies the identities, ownership interests and amounts paid by the
Mega-C Shareholders identified in any list prepared by the Bankruptcy Trustee,
that order shall constitute a final judicial determination that the persons
identified in the list are entitled to claim Beneficiary status under the
Trust.
Section
4.6 Failure to Obtain Bankruptcy Court Certification If the
Chapter 11 Case is dismissed, the Bankruptcy Trustee fails or refuses to prepare
the requested shareholder lists, or the Bankruptcy Court fails or refuses to
grant an order certifying the shareholder lists prepared by the Bankruptcy
Trustee, the Trustee is authorized and directed to prepare a preliminary
shareholder list based on information contained in the proofs of claim submitted
in connection with the Chapter 11 Case. In connection therewith, the Trustee is
authorized to confer with the Bankruptcy Trustee and to request any and all
additional information and documentation she deems reasonably necessary to make
her preliminary decisions. Upon completion of the preliminary shareholders list,
the Trustee shall seek a declaratory judgment from the Nevada Court that
specifies the identities, ownership interests and consideration paid by the
Mega-C Shareholders. If the Nevada Court grants a final order that certifies the
identities, ownership interests and amounts paid by the Mega-C Shareholders
identified in the shareholders list prepared by the Trustee, that order shall
constitute a final judicial determination that the persons identified in the
list are entitled to claim Beneficiary status under the Trust.
Section
4.7 Surrender of Axion Shares by Trustee If the
final court approved shareholders lists required by Section 4.5 or Section 4.6
show that fewer than 14,655,000 Mega-C Shares are duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid, non-assessable and outstanding, the Trustee shall divide the
total number of shares specified on the court approved shareholders lists by two
and then add 500,000 to determine the number of Axion Shares that will
constitute the entire corpus of the Trust. If the number of Axion Shares
delivered to the Trust exceeds the number so calculated, the Trustee shall
promptly return any additional Axion Shares to the Grantor for cancellation,
together with an appropriate certificate that waives all rights of the Trust and
all Beneficiaries with respect to the surrendered Axion Shares.
Section
4.8 Limitation of Beneficial Ownership Rights A person
who claims to be a Mega-C shareholder shall not have any interest in either the
Trust or the Axion Shares until the Bankruptcy Court or the District Court has
issued an order pursuant to Section 4.5 or 4.6 that specifically identifies him
as a Mega-C shareholder; any excess Axion Shares have been surrendered to the
Grantor for cancellation pursuant to Section 4.7; and all administrative costs
and claims of Mega-C’s Creditors have been paid or otherwise provided for. When
all of the conditions specified in Sections 4.1 through 4.7 have been satisfied,
the Trustee shall calculate the relative ownership interests of the
Beneficiaries in Mega-C and use those ownership percentages to calculate the
number of Axion Shares that are properly allocable to each Beneficiary under the
Trust.
Section
4.9 Request for Interim Distribution When the
requirements of Sections 4.5 or 4.6 are satisfied, the Trustee may petition the
Bankruptcy Court for an interim order authorizing partial distributions of Axion
Shares to persons who will be classified as Category-I Beneficiaries under this
Amendment, provided that no interim distributions shall be made in the absence
of a finding by the Bankruptcy Court that the Axion Shares to be retained by the
Trust after the interim distribution constitute adequate security for Creditors
claims and the unresolved claims of other potential Mega-C
shareholders.
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ARTICLE
5 - CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO DISTRIBUTION OR SALE
Section
5.1 Conditions Precedent to Distribution or Sale The
Grantor hereby waives the benefit of the conditions precedent specified in
Section 5.1 of the Original Trust Agreement.
Section
5.2 Prior Registration of Certain Shares The
Grantor has previously received an order of effectiveness with respect to a
registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 for the 7,327,500 Axion
Shares held by the Trust on the date of this Amendment. The Grantor shall use
all reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the referenced
registration statement for a period of at least 24 months from the date of this
Amendment so as to permit the unrestricted sale or distribution of Axion Shares
in the manner contemplated by the Original Trust Agreement and this Amendment.
If the Grantor is required to file a post-effective amendment to the
registration statement at any time, it shall promptly notify the Trustee of the
filing of such post-effective amendment and during the period between the filing
date and the receipt of an order of effectiveness with respect to the
post-effective amendment, the Trustee shall not conduct any sales, transfers or
other distributions of the Axion Shares.
Section
5.3 Demand Registration Right If the
calculations required in Article 4 do not result in the surrender of at least
500,000 Axion Shares to the Grantor for cancellation, then the Trustee shall
have the right to demand that the Grantor file an additional registration
statement for any and all Axion Shares that are retained by the Trust but not
currently registered under the Securities Act of 1933. In connection with any
demand registration pursuant to this Section 5.3, the Grantor shall use all
reasonable efforts to cause the registration statement to become effective as
promptly as practicable; and use all reasonable efforts to maintain the
effectiveness of the registration statement for a period of not less than 24
months from the date of this Amendment so as to permit the unrestricted sale or
distribution of Axion Shares in the manner contemplated by this
Amendment.
ARTICLE
6 - COMMUNICATIONS AND DISCLOSURE
The
Grantor and the Trustee hereby acknowledge that the filing of the Chapter 11
Case, the mailing of disclosure information to Mega-C’s Creditors and
shareholders in connection with the Chapter 11 Case, the proof of claim
procedures implemented in connection with the Chapter 11 Case and the timetables
established by the Bankruptcy Court in connection with the Chapter 11 Case have
supplanted and taken priority over the provisions Sections 6.1 through 6.6 of
the Original Trust Agreement. They further acknowledge that the requirements of
Section 4.4 and Section 4.5 of this Amendment relating to a final judicial
determination of the identities, interests and consideration paid by
Beneficiaries will supplant and take priority over the provisions Section 6.7 of
the Original Trust Agreement. Accordingly, Article 6 of the Original Trust
Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety.
ARTICLE
7 - CLASSIFICATION OF BENEFICIARIES
Section
7.1 Classification of Beneficiaries Prior to
any distribution, sale or other disposition of Axion Shares to or for the
benefit of Beneficiaries, and based solely on the final shareholders list
required by Sections 4.4 or 4.5, the Trustee shall classify each Beneficiary
into one of the following categories:
(a) |
A
Mega-C Shareholder who purchased Mega-C shares for an average price of
more than $1 per share that was paid in money, property or services
actually performed and reasonably valued, shall be classified as a
Category-I Beneficiary; |
(b) |
A
Mega-C Shareholder who did not purchase Mega-C shares for value, or who
purchased Mega-C shares for an average price of less than $1 per share
shall be classified as a Category-II Beneficiary;
and |
(c) |
A
Mega-C Shareholder who has allegedly violated any applicable laws relating
to the offer, sale or trading of securities shall be classified as a
Category-III Beneficiary unless: |
(i) |
There
has been an unambiguous judicial or administrative determination that the
conduct attributed to him did not occur or was not a violation of
applicable law; or |
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(ii)
|
He
enters into a written agreement with the Trustee that specifically
provides that a portion of the Mega-C Shares held by him shall be treated
as having been surrendered in favor of the Category I and Category II
Beneficiaries. |
When a
Category-III Beneficiary has satisfied the requirements of either of the
foregoing sub-paragraphs, he shall promptly be reclassified as a Category-II
Beneficiary with respect to all duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable Mega-C Shares owned by him. Category-III Beneficiaries shall not
under any circumstances be reclassified as Category I
Beneficiaries.
Section
7.2 Officers and Directors of Grantor
Notwithstanding the general classification structure set forth in Section 7.1,
for the purpose of avoiding potential transaction reporting and “short-swing
profit” issues under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, any officer, director
or holder of more than 10% of the issued and outstanding stock of the Grantor
who is also a Beneficiary shall be presumptively classified as a Category-I
Beneficiary.
Section
7.3 Small Beneficiaries To
facilitate the effective administration of the Trust, the Trustee may adopt and
implement reasonable procedures that will permit the reclassification of
Category-II Beneficiaries as Category-I Beneficiaries; but only if the
procedures so adopted are limited to persons who own 2,500 or fewer Mega-C
Shares; and in connection with each reclassification the Trustee receives such
written representations, warranties and other assurances as the Trustee may in
her reasonable discretion deem appropriate under the circumstances.
Section
7.4 Review of Classification Decisions Any
Beneficiary that disagrees with the Trustee’s decision to classify him as a
Category-II or Category-III Beneficiary shall be entitled to request a review of
the Trustee’s classification decision by a review panel of not less than three
(3) disinterested persons who have been selected by Trustee. Any Beneficiary who
requests a review of the Trustee’s decision, however, shall be required to pay a
reasonable fee to compensate the panel members for their services in connection
with the requested review. In connection with any such review, the review panel
shall have the power to consider any additional evidence or countervailing
arguments that a Beneficiary cares to submit. The review panel shall issue a
written decision with respect to each review within 60 days of the date of the
original request. All decisions of the review panel shall be final and binding
on the Beneficiary, the Trust and the Trustee.
ARTICLE
8 - DISTRIBUTIONS TO BENEFICIARIES
Section
8.1 In-kind Distributions to Category-I Beneficiaries Unless
otherwise prohibited by applicable law, all distributions to Category-1
Beneficiaries shall be in-kind distributions of Axion Shares; provided that if
the calculations required by this Amendment would result in the issuance of a
fractional Axion Share to any Category-I Beneficiary, then that Beneficiary
shall instead be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the fair market
value of any fractional share. In connection with each in-kind distribution of
Axion Shares, the Trustee shall deliver a stock certificate for Axion Shares
that has been registered in the name of the Category-I Beneficiary, together
with a copy of the prospectus included in the registration statements specified
in Section 5.2 or 5.3. When a Category-1 Beneficiary has received certificates
for all of the Axion Shares he is entitled to receive under the terms of this
Amendment together with payment for any fractional shares, all further rights
and privileges of such Category-I Beneficiary shall terminate
forthwith.
Section
8.2 Resale of Axion Shares for Category-II Beneficiaries The
Trustee shall not distribute Axion Shares to the Category-II Beneficiaries.
Instead all Axion Shares that the Trustee holds for the benefit of Category-II
Beneficiaries shall be deposited into one or more segregated brokerage accounts
established by the for the sole benefit of the Trust and the Beneficiaries. In
connection with the deposit of Axion Shares in such accounts, the Trustee shall
develop a reasonable plan for the complete liquidation of all deposited Axion
Shares within a period of not more than twenty-four (24) months. Category-II
Beneficiaries shall have no right to vote, consent to or otherwise approve or
disapprove the Trustee’s plan to liquidate the Axion Shares held for the benefit
of the Category-II Beneficiaries and their sole interest in any accounts
established by the Trustee shall be the right to receive their proportional
share of any proceeds received from the sale of the Axion Shares.
Section
8.3 Restrictions on Trustee’s Resale Transactions All
resale transactions effected by the Trustee for the benefit of the Category-II
Beneficiaries shall be based on written instructions from the Trustee, provided
that the
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Trustee
shall have the power, in her sole discretion, to modify or amend her
instructions from time to time in light of prevailing market conditions. The
Trustee is expressly authorized, in the exercise of her reasonable judgment, to
sell Axion Shares in underwritten transactions; in market transactions; in
privately negotiated transactions; through the writing of options; in block sale
transactions; through broker-dealers, which may act as agents or principals;
directly to one or more purchasers; through agents; or in any combination of the
above or by any other legally available means, provided that all transactions
effected by the Trustee shall be made with due regard for market conditions and
the interests of the Category-II Beneficiaries as a group.
Section
8.4 Trustee’s Fees for Resale of Axion Shares In
connection with the services provided by the Trustee in connection with the
resale of Axion Shares for the benefit of the Category-II Beneficiaries, the
Trustee shall be entitled to receive an administrative fee equal to 2% of the
net sales proceeds (after brokerage commissions and other direct expenses) to
compensate the Trustee for the work involved in planning and effecting resale
transactions, collecting and accounting for sale proceeds, allocating the sale
proceeds among the Category-II Beneficiaries and distributing the sale proceeds
to the persons entitled thereto. All such fees shall be separately stated on the
Trustee’s periodic distribution reports to the Category-II Beneficiaries and
withheld from the amounts that would otherwise be payable to the Category-II
Beneficiaries.
Section
8.5 Cash Distributions to Category II Beneficiaries From time
to time, but not less often than once per calendar quarter, the Trustee shall
distribute all cash proceeds derived from the sale of Axion Shares to the
Category-II Beneficiaries who are entitled thereto. All distributions to the
Category-II Beneficiaries shall be made in proportion to their respective
interests in the Axion Shares then on deposit in the Trustee’s brokerage
accounts. When all of the Axion Shares held for the benefit of the Category-II
Beneficiaries have been sold and the Trustee has distributed the sales proceeds
in accordance with this Amendment, all rights and privileges of the Category-II
Beneficiaries shall terminate forthwith.
Section
8.6 No Distributions to Category-III Beneficiaries The
Trustee shall not distribute Axion Shares or make cash distributions from the
sale of Axion Shares to any Category-III Beneficiary. Instead all Axion Shares
that are held in Trust for the benefit of Category-III Beneficiary shall be
retained by the Trustee pending the execution of an agreement of the type
specified in Section 7.1(c)(ii) of this Amendment. The following special
provisions shall apply to all Axion Shares that are held for the benefit of
Category-III Beneficiaries who have not entered into a Section 7.1(c)(ii)
agreement before the commencement of sales on behalf of the Category-II
Beneficiaries:
(a) |
If
the Trustee holds Axion Shares for the benefit of a Category-III
Beneficiary who enters into a Section 7.1(c)(ii) agreement after the
commencement of sales on behalf of the Category-II Beneficiaries but prior
to the expiration of 12 months from the commencement of such sales, the
Trustee shall forthwith deposit all remaining Axion Shares held for the
benefit of the Category-III Beneficiary in the Trustee’s brokerage account
and thereafter treat the Category-III Beneficiary as a Category-II
Beneficiary. |
(b) |
No
Category-III Beneficiary shall derive an economic benefit from his failure
or refusal to enter into a Section 7.1(c)(ii) agreement before the
commencement of sales on behalf of the Category-II Beneficiaries. In the
event that the average price received by the Trustee with respect to sales
of Axion Shares on behalf of a Category-III Beneficiary exceeds the
average price received by the Trustee with respect to all sales of Axion
Shares on behalf of Category-II Beneficiaries, then any excess proceeds
shall forthwith be donated to the American Red Cross in the name of the
Category-III Beneficiary. |
(c) |
If
the Trustee holds Axion Shares for the benefit of a Category-III
Beneficiary who fails or refuses to enter into a Section 7.1(c)(ii)
agreement within 12 months after the commencement of sales on behalf of
the Category-II Beneficiaries, the Trustee shall forthwith contribute all
Axion Shares held for the benefit of that Category-III Beneficiary to the
American Red Cross in the name of the Category-III
Beneficiary. |
ARTICLE
9 - POWERS OF THE TRUSTEE
Section
9.1 Trustee’s General Powers The
Trustee shall have the all of the rights and powers generally accorded to
trustees under the laws of the State of Florida, provided that without limiting
the generality of the foregoing the Trustee shall have the express
power:
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(a) |
To
hold the Axion Shares so long as she deems
proper; |
(b) |
To
sell Axion Shares for the purpose of paying the ordinary and necessary
administrative and operating expenses of the Trust, including fees owed to
the Trustee, staff salaries, office and administrative overhead, travel
expenses, legal fees and expenses, accounting and auditing fees, brokerage
fees and all other normal business expenses reasonably and necessarily
incurred in connection with the administration and operation of the
Trust; |
(c) |
To
sell Axion Shares for the purpose of paying the ordinary and necessary
administrative and operating expenses incurred by Mega-C during the
pendancy of the Chapter 11 Case, including fees owed to the Bankruptcy
Trustee, staff salaries, office and administrative overhead, travel
expenses, legal fees and expenses, accounting and auditing fees, brokerage
fees and all other normal business expenses reasonably and necessarily
incurred in connection with the administration and operation of
Mega-C; |
(d) |
To
borrow money in such reasonable amounts as may be necessary, desirable or
convenient to facilitate the efficient administration of the Trust
pursuant to the provisions of this Amendment and in connection therewith
to draw, make, execute and issue promissory notes and other instruments
and evidences of indebtedness; to secure the payment of the sums so
borrowed; and to mortgage, pledge, transfer or assign in trust all or any
part of the Axion Shares in support of such
borrowings. |
(e) |
To
make distributions of the Axion Shares to Category-I
Beneficiaries; |
(f) |
To
sell Axion Shares for the benefit of Category-II Beneficiaries at such
times, in such manner and with due regard for prevailing market conditions
as in her discretion and judgment may be deemed for the best interest of
the Category-II Beneficiaries as a group; |
(g) |
To
distribute all cash proceeds from the sale of Axion Shares to the
Category-II Beneficiaries in proportion to their respective interests in
the Trust; |
(h) |
To
compromise, settle, arbitrate, or defend any claim or demand in favor of
or against the Trust; and |
(i) |
To
act through an agent or attorney-in-fact, by and under power of attorney
duly executed by the Trustee, in carrying out any of the authorized powers
and duties. |
The
Trustee may freely exercise any of the powers granted by this Amendment in any
matters concerning the Trust, after forming a judgment based upon all the
circumstances of any particular situation as to the wisest and best course to
pursue in the interest of the Trust and the Beneficiaries, without the necessity
of obtaining the consent or permission of the Grantor, any Beneficiary, any
other interested person, or the consent or approval of any court. The powers
granted to the Trustee may be exercised in whole or in part, from time to time,
and shall be deemed to be supplementary to and not in derogation of the general
powers of trustees under Florida law, and shall include all powers necessary to
carry them into effect.
Section
9.2 Trustee’s Power to Vote Axion Shares The
Trustee shall not exercise or authorize the Trust to exercise any rights it may
have to authorize or otherwise consent to the taking of any corporate action by
Axion without a meeting of Axion’s stockholders. In connection with every
corporate action that permits or requires Axion’s stockholders to vote or
otherwise grant their consent, the Trustee shall cause the Trust to vote all
shares held it proportionally with the votes cast by the other Axion
stockholders.
Section
9.3 Limitations on Trustee’s Powers
Notwithstanding any provision of this Amendment to the contrary, no powers
enumerated or accorded to trustees generally pursuant to applicable law shall be
construed to enable the Grantor, or the Trustee or either of them, or any other
person, to sell, purchase, exchange, or otherwise deal with or dispose of all or
any parts of the corpus of the Trust for less than an adequate consideration in
money or monies worth, or to enable the Grantor to borrow all or any part of the
corpus of the Trust, directly or indirectly.
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Section
9.4 Trustee’s Authority and Third Parties No
person purchasing any of Axion Shares, or in any manner dealing with the Trust
or the Trustee, shall be required to inquire into the authority of the Trustee
to enter into any transaction, or to account for the application of any money
paid to the Trustee.
Section
9.5 Accounting by the Trustee The
Trustee shall, within 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter (beginning
with the first quarter during which the Trustee sells Axion Shares for any
purpose) render an unaudited quarterly accounting to the Beneficiaries. In
addition to the unaudited quarterly accounting, the Trustee shall within 90 days
after the end of each fiscal year (beginning with the first quarter during which
the Trustee sells Axion Shares for any purpose) render an audited annual report
to the Beneficiaries, and the opinion of the independent auditor included in
such report shall be final, binding, and conclusive upon all
Beneficiaries.
Section
9.6 Resignation of Trustee The
Trustee may resign at any time by giving the Grantor at least ten (10) days
written notice of its resignation, and upon the effective date of such
resignation, the Axion Shares then deposited in the Trust shall be delivered to
a successor Trustee who has been selected and appointed in accordance with
Section 9.7, whereupon all the Trustee’s obligations hereunder shall cease and
terminate. The Trustee’s sole responsibility until such termination shall be to
maintain the Axion Shares in safe custody and to deliver the same to a successor
Trustee who has been selected and appointed in accordance with Section
9.7.
Section
9.7 Appointment of Successor Trustee The
Trustee shall have the power, in consultation with the Grantor’s board of
directors, to appoint a successor Trustee. If the Trustee shall resign without
having appointed a successor Trustee, the Grantor’s board of directors shall
have the power appoint a successor trustee selected by the Grantor’s board of
directors in the exercise of its reasonable discretion.
Section
9.8 Bond and Exculpation of Trustee The
Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or other security. The Trustee
shall not be liable for any mistake or error of judgment in the administration
of the Trust, except for gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. So long
as she exercises her powers in good faith and performs her duties as provided
herein, the Trustee shall have no liability for loss arising from any cause,
including, but not limited to: (a) any act, failure or neglect of any
employees,
agents or correspondents
selected by the Trustee; (b) any diminution in the value of Axion Shares, (c)
any delay, error, omission or default connected with the sale or distribution of
Axion Shares; (d) any delay, error, omission or default connected with the
remittance of funds; (e) any delay, error, omission or default of any mail,
telegraph, cable or wireless agency or operator; or (f) any acts or edicts of
any government or governmental agency or other group or entity exercising
governmental powers.
Section
9.9 Indemnification of Trustee The
Trust shall
indemnify the Trustee and her employees,
agents and affiliates (each of whom is referred to as “Indemnified Party”) from
and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including all
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any Indemnified Party in
connection with the preparation for or defense of any threatened or pending
claim, action or proceeding, whether or not resulting in any liability)
(“Damages”), to which an Indemnified Party, in connection with the
negotiation and execution of this Amendment, the performance of the duties of
the Trustee as specified herein or the exercise or failure to exercise any or
all the powers of the Trustee as specified herein, may
become subject under any applicable law or otherwise; provided, that
the
Trust will not
be liable to an Indemnified Party to the extent that any Damages are found in a
final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to have
resulted from the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the
Indemnified Party. In connection with the preparation for or defense of any
threatened or pending claim, action or proceeding for which indemnification is
provided under the terms of this Amendment, the Indemnified Party shall have the
right to retain counsel at the Trust’s expense to represent the Indemnified
Party. The Trustee is expressly authorized to sell Axion Shares for the purpose
of defending any such claim or action and all costs thereof shall be accounted
for in the same manner as other normal operating expenses of the
Trust.
Section
9.10 Choice of Law and Jurisdiction for Corporate Matters All
issues respecting the due authorization, validity and fully paid and
nonassessable status of Mega-C Shares, or the rights of any person to claim the
legal status of a Mega-C Shareholder, shall be controlled, construed and
enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada. The sole judicial
forum for the resolution of actions to determine corporate law issues shall be
the Bankruptcy Court; provided that if the Bankruptcy Court abstains from
exercising jurisdiction with respect to any such matter, then the issue shall be
submitted to and decided by the Nevada Court.
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Section
9.11 Choice of Law and Jurisdiction for Trust Matters All
issues respecting the interpretation of this Amendment and the powers, duties
rights and responsibilities of the Trust, the Grantor, the Trustee and the
Beneficiaries shall be controlled, construed and enforced in accordance with the
laws of the State of Florida, without giving effect to conflict of laws
principles thereof. The sole judicial forum for the resolution of actions to
determine issues arising under the law of trusts shall be the Florida
Court.
Section
9.12 Adverse Claims If an
adverse claim or demand is presented to the Trustee, the Trustee may refuse to
comply with the claim or demand during the continuance of the dispute
occasioning the claim or demand, and may refrain from delivering Axion Shares to
any person. In such an event, the Trustee may also elect to file an
interpleader, declaratory judgment action or other legal action, seeking a
determination of the rights of the parties, in either the Nevada Court or the
Florida Court as appropriate in the circumstances, and deliver the disputed
Axion Shares to the registry of such court. By doing so, the Trustee shall not
become liable to the Grantor or any Beneficiary, and the indemnity provided
above shall apply. No person other than the Grantor, a Beneficiary, or a
successor in interest to the Grantor or a Beneficiary shall have any right or
cause of action under this Amendment.
Section
9.13 Resolution of Disputes Among the Parties If a
controversy arises between the Grantor, the Trustee or any Mega-C Shareholder
with respect to this Amendment or a Mega-C Shareholder’s right to receive Axion
Shares or the cash proceeds from the sale of Axion Shares, Trustee shall have
the right at her option, to take such actions as she may deem appropriate,
including without limitation, referring the controversy to the Bankruptcy Court
for resolution, submitting the controversy to binding arbitration in Pinellas
County, Florida for resolution under the rules of the American Arbitration
Association or filing of any other legal action. In connection with any such
legal proceedings, the party against whom the award is rendered shall pay all
costs and expenses of the legal proceeding, unless the award shall specifically
allocate costs in a different manner because it is not entirely in favor of
either party. Notwithstanding any other provision of this agreement, the Trustee
shall not be required to make any distributions to any Beneficiary who has
commenced, or threatened to commence a legal proceeding against the Grantor, the
Trust, the Trustee or any other Beneficiary and may withhold all distributions
to such parties pending the final resolution of the dispute and the settlement
of all expense awards.
ARTICLE
10 - AMENDMENTS
Subject
to the consent of the Trustee which will not be unreasonably withheld, this
Amendment may be amended at any time and from time to time for the purpose of
modifying the terms, conditions and provisions of this Amendment or
incorporating additional terms, conditions and provisions that are not
inconsistent with the intent of the parties and requested by the Grantor, the
Trustee, the Ontario Securities Commission or the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, no
amendment of this Amendment shall be made to the extent that compliance
therewith would, in any manner, reduce, diminish or qualify the rights,
privileges and preferences of the Category-I or Category-II Mega-C Shareholders
or the Trustee.
ARTICLE
11 - TRUSTEE’S COMPENSATION
During
the period between the date of this Amendment and the completion of the
shareholder classification process described in Article 7, the Trustee shall
receive a fixed salary of $20,000 per month. Thereafter, the Trustee’s sole
compensation for services rendered will be the variable administrative fee set
forth in Section 8.4. In addition to the specified compensation, the Trustee
shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis for all ordinary, reasonable and
necessary expenses of the Trust, including legal fees and a reasonable allowance
for the use of the Trustee’s office. All payments to the Trustee will be treated
as an operating expense of the Trust and paid from the available assets of the
Trust, including proceeds from the sale of Axion Shares.
ARTICLE
12 - IRREVOCABILITY
The Trust
shall be irrevocable, and the Grantor expressly waives all rights and powers,
whether alone or in conjunction with others, and regardless of when or from what
source it may have acquired such rights or powers, to revoke, or terminate the
Trust. By execution of this instrument the Grantor relinquishes absolutely and
forever all of
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its right
and power to control the distribution, sale or other disposition of the Axion
Shares, and all its right and power, whether alone or in conjunction with
others, to designate the persons who shall be entitled to share in any future
distributions from the Trust.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF the
Grantor and the Trustee have executed this First Amended and Restated Trust
Agreement for the Benefit of the Shareholders of Mega-C Power Corporation on the
day and year above first written.
GRANTOR
- AXION POWER INTERNATIONAL, INC
/s/
Xxxxxxx Mazzacato /s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Mazzacato, Chief Executive Officer |
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Chief Financial Officer |
TRUSTEE
- XXXXX X. XXXXXX
/s/
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
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