ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BENDIX CVS CANADA INC. AND BENDIX COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS LLC (As Guarantor of Bendix CVS Canada Inc.) AND SMARTIRE SYSTEMS INC. AND SMARTIRE TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SMARTIRE USA, INC. MADE AS OF DECEMBER 4, 2008
Exhibit 9.1
Asset Purchase Agreement filed December 11, 2008
BETWEEN
BENDIX
CVS CANADA INC.
AND
BENDIX
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS LLC
(As
Guarantor of Bendix CVS Canada Inc.)
AND
AND
SMARTIRE
TECHNOLOGIES INC.
AND
SMARTIRE
USA, INC.
MADE
AS OF
DECEMBER
4, 2008
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE
1 - INTERPRETATION
|
2
|
|
1.01
|
Definitions
|
2
|
1.02
|
Headings
|
8
|
1.03
|
Extended
Meanings
|
8
|
1.04
|
Statutory
References
|
8
|
1.05
|
Accounting
Principles
|
8
|
1.06
|
Currency
|
9
|
1.07
|
Control
|
9
|
1.08
|
Schedules
|
9
|
ARTICLE
2 - SALE, PURCHASE, AND LICENSE
|
11
|
|
2.01
|
Assets
to be Sold and Purchased
|
11
|
2.02
|
Purchase
Price
|
13
|
2.03
|
Earn
Out
|
14
|
2.04
|
Closing
Net Book Value
|
16
|
2.05
|
Payment
of Net Book Value Adjustment
|
17
|
2.06
|
Allocation
of Purchase Price
|
17
|
2.07
|
Elections
|
18
|
2.08
|
Assumption
of Obligations and Liabilities
|
18
|
2.09
|
Obligations
and Liabilities Not Assumed
|
18
|
2.1
|
Non-Assignable
Contracts and Commitments
|
19
|
2.11
|
Payment
of Purchase Price
|
19
|
2.12
|
Assets
to Be Licensed
|
19
|
2.13
|
Patent
Assignment
|
19
|
2.14
|
Guarantee
|
20
|
ARTICLE
3 - REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
|
20
|
|
3.01
|
Vendors'
Representations and Warranties
|
20
|
3.02
|
Purchaser's
Representations and Warranties
|
34
|
ARTICLE
4 - COVENANTS
|
34
|
|
4.01
|
Covenants
of the Vendors
|
34
|
4.02
|
Examination
of Records and Assets
|
37
|
4.03
|
Covenants
of the Purchaser
|
37
|
4.04
|
Employees
|
37
|
4.05
|
Cooperation
on Tax Matters
|
38
|
ARTICLE
5 - CONDITIONS AND TERMINATION
|
38
|
|
5.01
|
Conditions
for the Benefit of the Purchaser
|
38
|
5.02
|
Conditions
for the Benefit of the Vendors
|
40
|
5.03
|
Waiver
of Condition
|
41
|
5.04
|
Termination
|
41
|
5.05
|
Effect
of Termination
|
42
|
5.06
|
Break-Up
Fee
|
42
|
ARTICLE
6 - CLOSING ARRANGEMENTS
|
42
|
|
6.01
|
Closing
|
42
|
6.02
|
Deliveries
and Confidentiality
|
42
|
6.03
|
Risk
of Loss
|
43
|
ARTICLE
7 - INDEMNIFICATION
|
44
|
|
7.01
|
Survival
|
44
|
7.02
|
Indemnification
by the Vendors
|
44
|
7.03
|
Indemnification
by the Purchaser
|
45
|
7.04
|
Third
Party Indemnification
|
46
|
7.05
|
Adjustment
to Purchase Price
|
47
|
ARTICLE
8 - GENERAL
|
47
|
|
8.01
|
Further
Assurances
|
47
|
8.02
|
Time
of the Essence
|
47
|
8.03
|
Fees
and Commissions
|
47
|
8.04
|
Public
Announcements
|
47
|
8.05
|
Benefit
of the Agreement
|
48
|
8.06
|
Entire
Agreement
|
48
|
8.07
|
Amendments
and Waivers
|
48
|
8.08
|
Assignment
|
48
|
8.09
|
Notices
|
48
|
8.1
|
Remedies
Cumulative
|
50
|
8.11
|
No
Third Party Beneficiaries
|
50
|
8.12
|
Governing
Law
|
50
|
8.13
|
Attornment
|
50
|
8.14
|
Counterparts
|
51
|
8.15
|
Electronic
Execution
|
51
|
THIS
AGREEMENT is made as of December 4, 0000
XXXXXXX
XXXXXX CVS CANADA INC., a
corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario (the “Purchaser”)
- and -
BENDIX COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS
LLC, a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of Delaware
(“Purchaser’s
Guarantor”)
- and -
SMARTIRE SYSTEMS INC., a
corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia
(“SSI”)
- and -
SMARTIRE TECHNOLOGIES INC., a
corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia
(“STI”)
- and -
SMARTIRE USA, INC., a
corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (“SUI”)
(SSI, STI
and SUI are collectively referred to as the “Vendors” and any one of them
is referred to as a “Vendor”)
WHEREAS
the Vendors carry on the Purchased Business;
AND
WHEREAS the Vendors desire to sell and the Purchaser desires to purchase assets
of the Vendors pertaining to the Purchased Business upon and subject to the
terms and conditions set out in this Agreement;
NOW
THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and agreements herein contained,
the Parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1 -
INTERPRETATION
1.01
|
Definitions
|
In this
Agreement, unless something in the subject matter or context is inconsistent
therewith:
“Affiliate” means, with respect
to any person, any other person that controls or is controlled by or is under
common control with the referent person.
“Agreement” means this
agreement, including its recitals and schedules, as amended from time to
time.
“Allocation” has the meaning
set out in Section 2.06(1).
“Applicable Law”
means
(i) any
applicable domestic or foreign law including any statute, subordinate
legislation or treaty, and
(ii) any
applicable guideline, directive, rule, standard, requirement, policy, order,
judgment, injunction, award or decree of a Governmental Authority.
“Assets” means the assets and
undertaking referred to or described in Section 2.01.
“Assumed Liabilities” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.08.
“Balance Sheet” means the
balance sheet of the Vendor as at the Balance Sheet Date.
“Balance Sheet Date” means
July 31, 2007.
“Benefit Plans” has the meaning
set out in Section 3.01(9)(a).
“Break-Up Fee” has the meaning
set out in Section 5.06.
“Business Day” means a day
other than a Saturday, Sunday or statutory holiday in Vancouver, British
Columbia.
“Claim” means any actual or
threatened civil, criminal, administrative, regulatory, arbitral or
investigative inquiry, action, suit, investigation or proceeding and any claim
or demand resulting therefrom or any other claim or demand of whatever nature or
kind.
“Closing” means the closing of
the sale and purchase of the assets contemplated hereunder.
“Closing Date” means
December 11, 2008 or such other date as may be agreed to in writing by each
Vendor and the Purchaser.
“Closing Net Book Value” has
the meaning set out in Section 2.04(1).
“Closing Net Book Value
Statement” has the meaning set out in Section 2.04(1).
“Commercialized Products” means
all products, proprietary technologies, and intellectual property developed,
marketed, distributed, licensed, supported, maintained, or under development by
the Vendors prior to the Closing Date.
“Commercialized Software” means
all Software owned, marketed, licensed, supported, maintained, or under
development by the Vendors prior to the Closing Date.
“Commercial Vehicles” means (i)
vehicles with gross vehicle weight exceeding 19,500 pounds in North
America, and (ii) vehicles with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 6.0 metric
tons in Europe and 7.0 metric tons in all areas of the world other than Europe
and North America.
“Compensation Policies” has the
meaning set out in Section 3.01(9)(b).
“CRA” means the Canada Revenue
Agency.
“Defence Counsel” has the
meaning set out in Section 7.04.
“Defence Notice” has the
meaning set out in Section 7.04.
“Earn Out Amount” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.02(b).
“Earn Out Payment” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.03(1).
“Earn Out Period” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.02(b).
“Earn Out Statement” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.03(1).
“Environmental Law” means any
Applicable Law relating to the environment including those pertaining
to
(i) reporting,
licensing, permitting, investigating, remediating and cleaning up in connection
with any presence or Release, or the threat of the same, of Hazardous
Substances, and
(ii) the
manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal,
transport, handling and the like of Hazardous Substances, including those
pertaining to occupational health and safety.
“Escrow Agent” means Xxxxx
Xxxxxx LLP, the escrow agent set out in the Escrow Agreement.
“Escrow Agreement” means an
agreement to be dated as of the Closing Date, executed by the Purchaser, the
Vendors and the Escrow Agent in the form set out in Schedule 1.01A.
“Excluded Licensed IP” means
all Intellectual Property Rights not owned by any Vendor but licensed to such
Vendor or used in the Purchased Business prior to the Time of Closing but that
are expressly identified in Schedule 1.01B as being
“Excluded Licensed IP”.
“Final Net Book Value” means
the Closing Net Book Value
(i) as
shown in the Closing Net Book Value Statement delivered by the Purchaser to the
Vendors pursuant to Section 2.04(1), if no Notice
of Objection with respect thereto is timely delivered by the Vendors to the
Purchaser pursuant to Section 2.04(2),
or
(ii) if
a Notice of Objection is so delivered, (A) as agreed by the Purchaser and the
Vendors pursuant to Section 2.04(3) or (B) in the
absence of such agreement, as shown in the Independent Expert’s calculation
delivered pursuant to Section 2.04(3).
“Governmental Authority” means
any domestic or foreign legislative, executive, judicial or administrative body
or person having or purporting to have jurisdiction in the relevant
circumstances.
“Hazardous Substance” means any
substance or material that is prohibited, controlled or regulated by any
Governmental Authority pursuant to Environmental Laws, including pollutants,
contaminants, dangerous goods or substances, toxic or hazardous substances or
materials, wastes (including solid non-hazardous wastes and subject wastes),
petroleum and its derivatives and by-products and other hydrocarbons, all as
defined in or pursuant to any Environmental Law.
“Indemnitee” has the meaning
set out in Section 7.04.
“Indemnitor” has the meaning
set out in Section 7.04.
“Independent Expert” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.04(3).
“Intellectual Property Rights”
means any and all worldwide proprietary rights provided under (i) patent law,
(ii) copyright law, (iii) trade-xxxx law, (iv) design patent or industrial
design law, (v) semi-conductor chip or mask work law, or (vi) any other
applicable statutory provision or common law principle, including trade secret
law, that may provide a right in ideas, formulae, algorithms, concepts,
inventions, works, know-how, or any other information, or the expression or use
thereof, and including all past, present, and future causes of action, rights of
recovery, and claims for damage, accounting for profits, royalties, or other
relief relating, referring, or pertaining to any of the foregoing and including
the right to file applications for registration of, or for obtaining, any of the
foregoing anywhere in the world.
“Inventory” means all inventory
of the Purchased Business which is of merchantable quality and reasonably fit
for the purpose intended, including all finished goods, work in progress, raw
materials and spare parts.
“knowledge” means, with respect
to the Vendors, the knowledge of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxx and Xxxxx Xxx, after due inquiry.
“Leased Lands” means all leasehold
property and interests therein described in Schedule 1.01C, including all rights of way, licences or rights
of occupation, easements or other similar rights of the Purchased Business in
connection with such leasehold property.
“License to Vendor-Retained
Patents” means an agreement to be dated as of the Closing Date, executed
by the Purchaser and SSI in the form set out in Schedule 2.12.
“Licensed IP” has the meaning
set out in Section 2.01(l).
“Losses” means all damages,
fines, penalties, deficiencies, losses, recourse, liabilities (whether accrued,
actual, contingent, latent or otherwise), costs, fees and expenses (including
interest, court costs and reasonable fees and expenses of lawyers, accountants
and other experts and professionals).
“Material Adverse Effect”
means, when used in connection with the Purchased Business, any change, event,
violation, inaccuracy, circumstance or effect that is materially adverse to the
business, assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations or
prospects of the Purchased Business.
“MCI” has the meaning set out
in Section 4.01(1)(h).
“MCI Proceedings” has the
meaning set out in Section 4.01(1)(h).
“Net Book Value” at any time
means the sum of (i) all current assets, excluding cash and other excluded
assets listed in Schedule 2.01, plus
(ii) all depreciated property and equipment and (iii) all intangible
assets, less (iv) all current operating liabilities, in each case with
respect to the Purchased Business calculated in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, as modified by the
Statement of Accounting Principles.
“Net Book Value Difference”
means an amount equal to the difference between the Target Net Book Value and
the Final Net Book Value.
“Net TPM Product Sales” means
the gross selling price or license fee received by the Purchaser for the TPM
Products or from the Owned IP or Licensed IP, less: (i) rebates, credits and
refunds for returned or defective goods given, allowed or accrued by or on
behalf of the Purchaser other than to an Affiliate of the Purchaser; (ii)
outbound shipping, freight, handling, insurance and packaging costs paid,
allowed or accrued by or on behalf of the Purchaser other than to an Affiliate
of the Purchaser; and (iii) customs duties, sales taxes or other taxes
imposed upon with respect to such sales.
“Non-Transferring Employees”
has the meaning set out in Section 4.04(2)
“Notice of Objection” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.04(2).
“Notice of Patent Assignment”
means a document to be dated as of the Closing Date, executed by the Purchaser
and SSI in the form set out in Schedule 2.13.
“Open Source Materials” means
software or other material (i) that is distributed as “free software”, “open
source software” or under a similar licensing or distribution model (including
but not limited to the GNU General Public License (GPL), GNU Lesser General
Public License (LGPL), Mozilla Public License (MPL), BSD licenses, the Artistic
License, the Netscape Public License, the Sun Community Source License (SCSL),
the Sun Industry Standards License (SISL), and the Apache License), or (ii) that
require that software incorporated into, derived from or distributed with such
material be (A) disclosed or distributed in source code form, (B) licensed for
the purpose of making derivative works, or (C) redistributable at no
charge.
“Outbound Licenses” has the
meaning set out in Section 3.01(5)(f).
“Owned IP” has the meaning set
out in Section 2.01(k).
“Owned Software” means Software
owned by the Vendors.
“Party” means either the
Purchaser or any of the Vendors and “Parties” means the Purchaser
and the Vendors together.
“Permits” means all permits,
consents, waivers, licences, certificates, approvals, authorizations,
registrations, franchises, rights, privileges, quotas and exemptions, or any
item with a similar effect, issued or granted by any person.
“Personal Information” means
the classes of information regulated by Privacy Laws and collected, used,
disclosed, or retained by, or otherwise under the control of, the Vendors such
as an individual’s name, home address, age, gender, identification number,
income, family status, citizenship, credit information, personal references or
health records, including such information regarding the customers, suppliers,
employees and agents of the Purchased Business.
“Privacy Laws” means all
applicable federal, provincial, state, municipal or other laws governing the
collection, use, disclosure and retention of Personal Information, including the
Personal Information
Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) and the Personal Information Protection
Act (British Columbia).
“Privacy Policies” means all
privacy, data protection and similar policies adopted or used by the Vendors in
respect of Personal Information, including any complaints process.
“Proceeds” has the meaning set
out in Section 6.03(1)(a).
“Product Liability” means any
liability or obligations relating to personal injuries or property damages
resulting from or arising out of the use of any product or component
manufactured or sold by SSI or the Subsidiaries prior to the Closing
Date.
“Product Warranties “ means any
liability or obligations relating to any product warranty or return claims for
any product or component manufactured or sold by SSI or the Subsidiaries prior
to the Closing Date;
“Purchased Business” means the
vehicle mobile wireless monitoring business at present and heretofore carried on
by the Vendors, including the developments and commercialization of the
Commercialized Products.
“Purchase Price” has the
meaning set out in Section 2.02.
“Purchaser Indemnitees” has the
meaning set out in Section 7.02(1).
“Recalls Liability” means any
liability or obligations resulting from or arising out of any product or
component recalls with respect to any product or component manufactured or sold
by SSI or the Subsidiaries prior to the Closing Date.
“Registered IP” has the meaning
set out in Section 3.01(5)(b).
“Release” means any release or
discharge of any Hazardous Substance including any discharge, spray, injection,
inoculation, abandonment, deposit, spillage, leakage, seepage, pouring,
emission, emptying, throwing, dumping, placing, exhausting, escape, xxxxx,
migration, dispersal, dispensing or disposal.
“Review Period” has the meaning
set out in Section 2.04(2).
“Software” means any computer
program, operating system, applications system, firmware, or software, including
all object code, Source Code, program files, data files, computer related data,
field and data definitions and relationships, data definition specifications,
data models, program and system logic, interfaces, program modules, routines,
sub-routines, algorithms, program architecture, design concepts, system designs,
program structure, sequence and organization, screen displays and report
layouts, technical manuals, user manuals, and other documentation relating
thereto.
“Statement of Accounting
Principles” means the statement of accounting principles set out in
Schedule 1.01D.
“Subsidiaries” means SmarTire
Technologies Inc., SmarTire USA, Inc. and SmarTire Europe, Limited.
“Target Net Book Value” means
$2,046,494 which represents the Net Book Value set out in Schedule 1.01E.
“Tax Act” means the Income Tax Act
(Canada).
“Third Party Claim” means a
Claim made against any person entitled to indemnification under this Agreement
by any person who is not a Party to this Agreement.
“Third Party Proceeding” has
the meaning set out in Section 7.04.
“Third Party Programs” has the
meaning set out in Section 3.01(5)(p).
“Time of Closing” means 3:00
p.m. (Vancouver Time) on the Closing Date.
“TPM Products” means the stand
alone tire pressure monitoring products and components, being stand alone
receivers, sensors and external antennae, forming part of the Purchased Business
at the Time of Closing, but, for greater certainty, does not include any tire
pressure monitoring receiver or wireless gateway integrated into another unit or
system.
“Transferring Employees” has
the meaning set out in Section 4.04(1).
“Vendors Disclosure
Letter” means the disclosure
letter of the Vendors delivered in confidence simultaneously with the execution
of this Agreement.
“Vendor Indemnitees” has the
meaning set out in Section 7.03(1).
“Vendor-Retained Patents” means
U.S. Patent Nos. 5,231,872 and 5,335,540.
“YA Global” means YA Global
Investments, L.P. in its capacity as Collateral Agent for the secured parties
set forth in that certain Security Agreement dated as of January 23, 2007
granted by SSI to such secured parties, as the same is amended and in
effect.
1.02
|
Headings
|
The
division of this Agreement into Articles and Sections and the insertion of a
table of contents and headings are for convenience of reference only and do not
affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. The
terms “hereof”, “hereunder” and similar expressions refer to this Agreement and
not to any particular Article, Section or other portion
hereof. Unless something in the subject matter or context is
inconsistent therewith, references herein to Articles, Sections are to Articles
and Sections of this Agreement and references herein to Schedules are to
Schedules of the Vendors Disclosure Letter.
1.03
|
Extended
Meanings
|
In this
Agreement words importing the singular number include the plural and vice versa, words importing
any gender include all genders and words importing persons include individuals,
corporations, limited and unlimited liability companies, general and limited
partnerships, associations, trusts, unincorporated organizations, joint ventures
and Governmental Authorities. The term “including” means “including
without limiting the generality of the foregoing” and the term “third party”
means any person other than the Vendors and the Purchaser.
1.04
|
Statutory
References
|
In this
Agreement, unless something in the subject matter or context is inconsistent
therewith or unless otherwise herein provided, a reference to any statute is to
that statute as now enacted or as the same may from time to time be amended,
re-enacted or replaced and includes any regulations made
thereunder.
1.05
|
Accounting
Principles
|
Wherever
in this Agreement reference is made to a calculation to be made or an action to
be taken in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, such
reference will be deemed to be to the generally accepted accounting principles
from time to time approved by the United States Financial Accounting Standards
Board, or any successor body, applicable as at the date on which such
calculation or action is made or taken or required to be made or
taken.
1.06
|
Currency
|
All
references to currency herein are to lawful money of the United States of
America.
1.07
|
Control
|
(1) For the
purposes of this Agreement,
(a)
|
a
person controls a body corporate if securities of the body corporate to
which are attached more than 50% of the votes that may be cast to elect
directors of the body corporate are beneficially owned by the person and
the votes attached to those securities are sufficient, if exercised, to
elect a majority of the directors of the body
corporate;
|
(b)
|
a
person controls an unincorporated entity, other than a limited
partnership, if more than 50% of the ownership interests, however
designated, into which the entity is divided are beneficially owned by
that person and the person is able to direct the business and affairs of
the entity; and
|
(c)
|
the
general partner of a limited partnership controls the limited
partnership.
|
(2) A person
who controls an entity is deemed to control any entity that is controlled, or
deemed to be controlled, by the entity.
(3) A person
is deemed to control, within the meaning of Section 1.07(1)(a) or (b), an
entity if the aggregate of
(a)
|
any
securities of the entity that are beneficially owned by that person,
and
|
(b)
|
any
securities of the entity that are beneficially owned by any entity
controlled by that person
|
is such
that, if that person and all of the entities referred to in Section 1.07(3)(b) that beneficially own securities of the
entity were one person, that person would control the entity.
1.08
|
Schedules
|
The
following are the Schedules to be attached to the Vendors Disclosure
Letter:
Schedule 1.01A
|
-
|
Escrow
Agreement
|
Schedule 1.01B
|
-
|
Excluded
Licensed IP
|
Schedule 1.01C
|
-
|
Leased
Lands
|
Schedule 1.01D
|
-
|
Statement
of Accounting Principles
|
Schedule 1.01E
|
-
|
Target
Net Book Value
|
Schedule 2.01
|
-
|
Excluded
Assets
|
Schedule 2.01(i)
|
-
|
Contracts
and Commitments
|
Schedule 2.01(j)
|
-
|
Permits
|
Schedule 2.01(k)
|
-
|
Owned
IP
|
Schedule 2.01(l)
|
-
|
Licensed
IP
|
Schedule 2.06(1)
|
-
|
Allocation
|
Schedule 2.08
|
-
|
Assumed
Contracts
|
Schedule 2.12
|
-
|
License
to Vendor-Retained Patents
|
Schedule 2.13
|
-
|
Notice
of Patent Assignment
|
Schedule 3.01(1)(e)
|
-
|
Contractual
Consents
|
Schedule 3.01(1)(f)
|
-
|
Assets
and Liabilities of the Subsidiaries
|
Schedule 3.01(2)(b)
|
-
|
Consolidated
Financial Statements
|
Schedule 3.01(2)(d)
|
-
|
Material
Adverse Effect in respect of the Purchased Business
|
Schedule 3.01(3)(a)
|
-
|
Permitted
Encumbrances
|
Schedule 3.01(4)(a)
|
-
|
Contracts
and Commitments
|
Schedule 3.01(4)(d)
|
-
|
Real
Property Leases
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(a)
|
-
|
Registered
IP
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(f)
|
-
|
Outbound
Licenses
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(h)
|
-
|
Licensed
IP
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(j)
|
-
|
Licensed
IP Consents
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(n)
|
-
|
Infringement,
Misuse or Misappropriation of the Owned IP
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(p)
|
-
|
Third
Party Programs
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(q)
|
-
|
Open
Source Materials
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(t)
|
-
|
Agreements
between Vendors and Users of Commercialized Software
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(u)
|
-
|
Known
Problems or Defects in the Commercialized Software
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(v)
|
-
|
Current
State of the Commercialized Products
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(w)
|
-
|
Funding
for Development of Owned IP
|
Schedule 3.01(6)(a)
|
-
|
Standard
Conditions of Sale or Service
|
Schedule 3.01(6)(d)
|
-
|
Product
Recalls
|
Schedule 3.01(7)(a)
|
-
|
Management
Fees
|
Schedule 3.01(7)(b)
|
-
|
Employment
Contracts
|
Schedule 3.01(7)(d)
|
-
|
Consultants
|
Schedule 3.01(8)(e)
|
-
|
Privacy
Policies
|
Schedule 3.01(9)(a)
|
-
|
Benefit
Plans
|
Schedule 3.01(9)(b)
|
-
|
Compensation
Policies
|
Schedule 3.01(11)(b)
|
-
|
Environmental
Permits
|
Schedule 3.01(13)(a)
|
-
|
Claims
|
Schedule 3.01(13)(d)
|
-
|
Permits
|
Schedule 3.01(13)(e)
|
-
|
Insurance
Policies
|
Schedule 4.04(1)
|
-
|
Transferring
Employees
|
Schedule 5.01(e)
|
-
|
Acknowledgment
and Release
|
Schedule 5.01(i)
|
-
|
Assignment,
Assumption and Amendment of MCI Agreement
|
Schedule 5.01(m)
|
-
|
Contractual
Consents To Be Obtained
|
Schedule 5.01(p)
|
-
|
Non-Competition
Agreements between Each of the Vendors and Purchaser
|
Schedule 5.01(q)
|
-
|
Non-Competition
Agreements between the Purchaser and the Directors and Officers of Each of
the Vendors
|
Schedule 5.01(r)
|
-
|
Employee
Releases
|
Schedule 5.01(s)
|
-
|
Employees
with One-Year Retention Agreements with the Purchaser
|
Schedule 5.01(t)
|
-
|
Employee
with Six-Month Retention Agreements with the Purchaser
|
Schedule 5.01(u)
|
-
|
Vendor’s
Counsel’s Opinions
|
Schedule 5.01(y)
|
-
|
Voting
Agreements
|
The
information disclosed in any Schedule will be disclosure only against the
representation and warranty to which it expressly relates except to the extent
that its relevance to another representation and warranty is
manifest.
ARTICLE 2 – SALE, PURCHASE, AND
LICENSE
2.01
|
Assets to be Sold and
Purchased
|
Upon and
subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Vendors will sell to the
Purchaser and the Purchaser will purchase from the Vendors as a going concern,
as of and with effect from the opening of business on the Closing Date, all of
the right, title, benefit and interest of the Vendors in and to the undertaking
and all of the assets of the Purchased Business of every kind and description
and wheresoever situate, save and except those assets listed in Schedule 2.01 and excepting cash on hand at the Time of
Closing. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the assets
to be sold and purchased under this Agreement include:
(a)
|
the
Leased Lands;
|
(b)
|
all
plant, buildings, structures, erections, improvements, appurtenances and
fixtures situate on or forming part of the Leased
Lands;
|
(c)
|
all
fixed machinery and fixed equipment situate on or forming part of the
Leased Lands;
|
(d)
|
all
other machinery and equipment and all vehicles, tools, handling equipment,
furniture, furnishings, computer hardware and peripheral equipment,
supplies and accessories of the Purchased
Business;
|
(e)
|
all
leases of machinery and equipment in which any of the Vendors is a lessee
relating to the Purchased Business;
|
(f)
|
all
Inventory;
|
(g)
|
all
new and unused production, shipping and packaging supplies of the
Purchased Business;
|
(h)
|
all
the accounts receivable of the Purchased Business, including accounts
receivable of SmarTire Europe Ltd., which shall be assigned to SSI prior
to the Closing Date;
|
(i)
|
the
following contracts or commitments relating to the Purchased
Business:
|
(i)
|
all
unfilled orders received by any of the Vendors in connection with the
Purchased Business; and
|
(ii)
|
the
further contracts and commitments described in Schedule 2.01(i);
|
(j)
|
all
Permits required to carry on the Purchased Business in its usual and
ordinary course including the Permits listed or described in
Schedule 2.01(j);
|
(k)
|
all
Intellectual Property Rights owned by each Vendor and belonging to or
used in the Purchased Business other than the Vendor-Retained
Patents (the “Owned
IP”), including all Owned Software and the Intellectual Property
Rights listed in Schedule 2.01(k);
|
(l)
|
all
Intellectual Property Rights not owned by any Vendor but licensed to such
Vendor or used in the Purchased Business other than the Excluded Licensed
IP (the “Licensed
IP”), including the right to use the Intellectual Property Rights
listed in Schedule 2.01(l);
|
(m)
|
all,
engineering, production, assembly, design, installation, other technical
drawings and specifications, working notes and memos, studies, consultants
reports, technical data, samples, engineering prototypes, and all similar
property of any nature of the Vendors relating to the Purchased
Business;
|
(n)
|
the
goodwill of the Purchased Business,
including
|
(i)
|
the
exclusive right to the Purchaser to represent itself as carrying on the
Purchased Business in continuation of and in succession to the Vendors and
the right to use any words indicating that the Purchased Business is so
carried on, including the use if otherwise permitted by law of the
corporate name “SmarTire Systems Inc.”, the domain name “xxxxxxxx.xxx” and
the trade names “SmarTire”, “SmartWave” and “SmarTire Road Voice”,
and
|
(ii)
|
all
records of sales, customer lists and supplier lists of or used in
connection with the Purchased
Business;
|
(o)
|
all
pre-paid expenses and deposits relating to the Purchased Business
including all pre-paid taxes and water rates, all pre-paid purchases of
gas, oil and hydro, all pre-paid lease payments and all pre-paid employee
items referred to in Section 4.04(3);
|
(p)
|
all
plans and specifications in the Vendors’ possession or under its control
relating to the plant, buildings, structures, erections, improvements,
appurtenances and fixtures situate on or forming part of the Leased Lands
including all such electrical, mechanical and structural drawings related
thereto as are in the possession or under the control of the Vendors;
and
|
(q)
|
all
personnel records, inspection records and other records, books, documents
and data bases recorded or stored by means of any device, including in
electronic form, relating to the Purchased Business, the Assets and those
employees who are, pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, to be
employed by the Purchaser as are in the possession or under the control of
the Vendors.
|
2.02
|
Purchase
Price
|
The
purchase price payable to the Vendors for the Assets (such amount being
hereinafter referred to as the “Purchase Price”) will be the
aggregate of the following amounts, subject to adjustment as provided in
Sections 2.03 and 2.04:
(a)
|
$2,500,000
payable at the Closing Date;
|
(b)
|
the
following minimum earn-out
payments:
|
(i)
|
$250,000
payable by March 1, 2009; and
|
(ii)
|
$250,000
payable by March 1, 2010;
|
(c)
|
such
amounts, if any, equal to 10% of that portion of the Net TPM Product Sales
that exceeds $2,000,000 up to $10,000,000 and 15% of that portion of the
Net TPM Product Sales that exceeds $10,000,000 (together, the “Earn Out Amount”) for
each of the following periods (each, an “Earn Out
Period”):
|
(i)
|
the
period from the Closing Date to the first anniversary date of the Closing
Date;
|
(ii)
|
the
period from the day following the first anniversary date of the Closing
Date to the second anniversary date of the Closing
Date;
|
(iii)
|
the
period from the day following the second anniversary date of the Closing
Date to the third anniversary date of the Closing
Date;
|
(iv)
|
the
period from the day following the third anniversary date of the Closing
Date to the fourth anniversary date of the Closing
Date;
|
(v)
|
the
period from the day following the fourth anniversary date of the Closing
Date to the fifth anniversary date of the Closing
Date;
|
payable
within 45 Business Days after the end of each Earn Out Period, provided that no
such Earn Out Amount will be payable to the Vendors until:
(vi)
|
the
conditions set forth in the Escrow Agreement for the release to the
Vendors of the portion of the Purchase Price held by the Escrow Agent
shall have been satisfied; and
|
(vii)
|
The
Vendors hereby confirm to the Purchaser that the Vendors have collaterally
assigned, and granted a security interest in, the rights to all payments due the
Vendors hereunder, including the Earn Out Amount, to YA Global, subject to and
provided that such collateral assignment/security interest shall have no impact
on the Purchaser’s set-off rights set forth in Section 2.03(4).
2.03
|
Earn
Out
|
(1) On the
same date the Purchaser makes a payment (an “Earn Out Payment”) to the
Vendors of the respective Earn Out Amount, or within 45 Business Days after the
last day of the applicable Earn Out Period if the amount of such Earn Out
Payment is nil, the Purchaser will deliver to SSI a copy of the documentation on
which the Purchaser relied for purposes of calculating the amount of such Earn
Out Payment (each, an “Earn Out
Statement”), including any calculations decreasing the amounts payable
given the minimum earn-out payments previously paid under Section 2.02(b) and the Purchaser will permit the Vendors and
their advisors to examine backup material and ledgers used in preparing the Earn
Out Statements as may be reasonably requested by the Vendors. The
Purchaser will, upon written request of SSI, make such backup material and
ledgers available for audit to a national accounting firm chosen and compensated
by SSI provided that the Purchaser is only required to submit to one such audit
per applicable Earn Out Period.
(2) If SSI
gives written notice to the Purchaser that it disputes an Earn Out Statement
within 30 Business Days after the Earn Out Statement is delivered to SSI and SSI
and the Purchaser cannot reach agreement on the Earn Out Statement within 30
Business Days after such notice of dispute is given, the dispute will be
referred for determination by arbitration to a senior audit partner at the
Vancouver office of Deloitte & Touche LLP chosen by the managing
partner of such office. The determination by such arbitrator will be
made within 60 Business Days of such referral and will be final and binding on
both SSI and the Purchaser. The costs of the arbitrator will be borne
by the Parties in such proportion as decided by the arbitrator, with SSI’s
portion, if any, being deducted and paid out of the Earn Out
Amount.
(3) If the
Earn Out Payment as determined by SSI and the Purchaser or the arbitrator, as
the case may be, exceeds the Earn Out Payment as determined pursuant to the Earn
Out Statement, the Purchaser will pay the amount of the difference to SSI within
two Business Days after the determination and the Purchase Price will be
adjusted accordingly. If the Earn Out Payment as so determined is
less than the Earn Out Payment as determined pursuant to the Earn Out Statement,
SSI will pay the amount of the difference to the Purchaser within two Business
Days after the determination and the Purchase Price will be adjusted
accordingly.
(4) The
Purchaser shall be entitled to set-off against all or a portion of any amounts
payable to the Vendors under Sections 2.02(b)(ii)
and 2.02(c) any amounts payable by such Vendors to
the Purchaser hereunder or any liability of any Vendor to the Purchaser pursuant
to this Agreement, provided that the Purchaser shall not be entitled to set-off
an amount equal to the Net Book Value Difference against the amounts payable to
the Vendors under Section 2.02(b).
(5) For
greater certainty and notwithstanding any of the other provisions of this
Agreement, provided the Purchaser (either directly or through its Affiliates)
makes commercially reasonable efforts to sell the TPM Products that are used in
the Commercial Vehicle market during the Earn Out Period, the Purchaser may in
its sole discretion deal with the TPM Products and the Intellectual Property
Rights therein without any duty or obligation to account to the Vendors in
respect thereof except as otherwise provided in this Agreement,
including
(a)
|
incorporating
all or a portion of the TPM Products in a product or system manufactured
or sold by the Purchaser or an Affiliate of the
Purchaser;
|
(b)
|
decreasing
or discontinuing sales of the TPM Products to new or existing
customers;
|
(c)
|
discontinuing
the TPM Products, related product lines or support therefor;
or
|
(d)
|
granting
exclusive licenses to the TPM Products or otherwise transferring or
disposing the Intellectual Property Rights in or to the TPM Products,
provided that the fees generated from such licenses or transfers shall be
included in Net TPM Product Sales, and that the Purchaser shall not
transfer title to Intellectual Property Rights without either (i) prior
approval of YA Global, or (ii) obtaining the agreement of such transferee
that it will comply with the terms of this Agreement with respect to Earn
Out Payments.
|
2.04
|
Closing Net Book
Value
|
(1) Within 90
days after the Closing Date, the Purchaser will prepare, or cause to be
prepared, and deliver to the Vendors an unaudited statement (the “Closing Net Book Value
Statement”), which will set out the Purchaser’s calculation of Net Book
Value as of the Closing Date (“Closing Net Book
Value”). At the Purchaser’s option, the Purchaser may conduct
a physical inventory for purposes of preparing the Closing Net Book Value
Statement, and the Vendors and their representatives will have the right to
observe the taking of such physical inventory. The Closing Net Book
Value Statement will be prepared in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, consistently applied, as modified by the Statement of
Accounting Principles, and shall be adjusted to U.S. dollars using the same
exchange rate used in connection with calculating the Target Net Book
Value. The Vendors will assist the Purchaser, as and to the extent
requested by the Purchaser, in preparing such Closing Net Book Value
Statement.
(2) Upon
receipt from the Purchaser, the Vendors will have 30 days to review the Closing
Net Book Value Statement (the “Review Period”). If
the Vendors disagree with the Purchaser’s computation of Closing Net Book Value,
the Vendors may, on or prior to the last day of the Review Period, deliver a
notice to the Purchaser (the “Notice of Objection”), which
sets out their objections to the Purchaser’s calculation of Closing Net Book
Value; provided, that the Notice of Objection will include only objections based
on (a) non compliance with the standards set out in Section 2.04(1) for the preparation of the Closing Net Book
Value Statement and (b) mathematical errors in the computation of Closing Net
Book Value. Any Notice of Objection will specify those items or
amounts with which the Vendors disagree, together with a reasonable written
explanation of the reasons for disagreement with each such item or amount, and
will set out the Vendors’ calculation of Closing Net Book Value based on such
objections. To the extent not set out in the Notice of Objection, the
Vendors will be deemed to have agreed with the Purchaser’s calculation of all
other items and amounts contained in the Closing Net Book Value
Statement.
(3) Unless
the Vendors deliver the Notice of Objection to the Purchaser within the Review
Period, the Vendors will be deemed to have accepted the Purchaser’s calculation
of Closing Net Book Value and the Closing Net Book Value Statement will be
final, conclusive and binding. If the Vendors deliver the Notice of
Objection to the Purchaser within the Review Period, the Purchaser and the
Vendors will, during the 30 days following such delivery or any mutually agreed
extension thereof, use their commercially reasonable efforts to reach agreement
on the disputed items and amounts in order to determine the amount of Closing
Net Book Value. If, at the end of such period or any mutually agreed
extension thereof, the Purchaser and the Vendors cannot reach agreement on the
Closing Net Book Value, the dispute will be referred for determination by
arbitration to a senior audit partner at the Vancouver office of
Deloitte & Touche LLP (the “Independent Expert”) chosen by
the managing partner of such office. The Parties will instruct the
Independent Expert promptly to review this Section 2.04 and to determine solely with respect to the
disputed items and amounts so submitted whether and to what extent, if any, the
Closing Net Book Value set out in the Closing Net Book Value Statement requires
adjustment. The Independent Expert will base its determination solely
on written submissions by the Purchaser and the Vendors and not on an
independent review. The Purchaser and the Vendors will make available
to the Independent Expert all relevant books and records and other items
reasonably requested by the Independent Expert. The Parties will
request that the Independent Expert deliver to the Purchaser and the Vendors, as
promptly as practicable but in no event later than 45 days after its retention,
a report that sets out its resolution of the disputed items and amounts and its
calculation of Closing Net Book Value; provided, that in no event will Closing
Net Book Value as determined by the Independent Expert be less than the
Purchaser’s calculation of Closing Net Book Value set out in the Closing Net
Book Value Statement nor more than the Vendors’ calculation of Closing Net Book
Value set out in the Notice of Objection. The decision of the
Independent Expert will be final and binding on the Parties. The
costs and expenses of the Independent Expert will be allocated between the
Parties based upon the relative amount by which the determination of the Closing
Net Book Value of each of them differed from that determined by the Independent
Expert.
2.05
|
Payment of Net Book
Value Adjustment
|
(1) After the
Final Net Book Value has been finally determined pursuant to Section 2.04:
(a)
|
if
the Final Net Book Value is less than the Target Net Book Value, the
Purchaser will be entitled to set-off an amount equal to the Net Book
Value Difference against the amounts payable to the Vendors under Section
2.02(c);
or
|
(b)
|
if
the Final Net Book Value exceeds the Target Net Book Value, the Purchaser
will pay to the Vendors the amount, if any, equal to the Final Net Book
Value minus the Target Net Book Value in cash by wire transfer of
immediately available funds to an account designated by the Vendors within
three Business Days after such determination of the Final Net Book
Value.
|
(2) Any
payment made pursuant to this Section 2.05
will be deemed to be an adjustment to the Purchase Price.
(3) Interest
will accrue on the outstanding balances payable under Sections 2.05(1)(a) or 2.05(1)(b)
at a rate of 8% per annum from the date the Final Net Book Value has been
finally determined pursuant to Section 2.04
and, for certainty, if such amount is due to the Purchaser under Section 2.05(1)(a), the Purchaser will be entitled to include
such accrued interest in respect of any set-off against the amounts payable to
the Vendors under Section 2.02(c).
2.06
|
Allocation of Purchase
Price
|
(1) The
Purchase Price will be allocated among the Assets as set out on Schedule 2.06(1) (the “Allocation”).
(2) Each
Vendor and the Purchaser must complete all tax returns, designations and
elections in a manner consistent with the Allocation and otherwise follow the
Allocation for all tax purposes on and subsequent to the Closing Date and not
take any position inconsistent with the Allocation. If the Allocation
is disputed by any taxation or other Governmental Authority, the Party receiving
notice of such dispute will promptly notify the other Party and the Parties will
use reasonable commercial efforts to sustain the Allocation. The
Parties will share information and cooperate to the extent reasonably necessary
to permit the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to be properly, timely
and consistently reported.
2.07
|
Elections
|
(1) The
Vendors and the Purchaser will on or before the Time of Closing jointly execute
an election, in the prescribed form and containing the prescribed information,
to have subsection 167(1.1) of the Excise Tax Act (Canada) apply
to the sale and purchase of the Assets hereunder so that no tax is payable in
respect of such sale and purchase under Part IX of the Excise Tax Act
(Canada). The Purchaser will file such election with the Minister of
National Revenue within the time prescribed by the Excise Tax Act
(Canada).
(2) The
Vendors and the Purchaser will execute and file, on a timely basis and using the
prescribed form, a joint election under section 22 of the Tax Act as to the sale
of the accounts receivable of the Vendors to be purchased under this Agreement,
and prepare their respective tax returns in a manner consistent with such joint
election. For purposes of such joint election, the elected amount in
respect of the accounts receivable will be consistent with the
Allocation.
(3) The
Vendors and the Purchaser acknowledge that the Vendors are transferring Assets
to the Purchaser with a value equal to the amount set out in Section 2.02 in consideration for the Purchaser assuming
certain prepaid obligations of such Vendors to deliver goods or provide services
in the future. The Vendors and the Purchaser will execute and file,
on a timely basis and using any prescribed form, a joint election under
subsection 20(24) of the Tax Act as to such assumption hereunder, and
prepare their respective tax returns in a manner consistent with such joint
election.
2.08
|
Assumption of
Obligations and Liabilities
|
The
Purchaser will, from and after the Time of Closing (unless such other time is
provided below), assume, fulfil and perform the following obligations and
liabilities of the Vendors (collectively, the “Assumed
Liabilities”):
(a)
|
all
contracts and other commitments specifically described in Schedule 2.08;
|
(b)
|
all
obligations and liabilities in respect of all Transferring Employees
specifically described in Section 4.04(2)
following the close of business on the Closing Date;
and
|
(c)
|
all
current liabilities and obligations of the Vendors specified in Schedule
2.08.
|
2.09
|
Obligations and
Liabilities Not Assumed
|
Except
for the Assumed Liabilities, the Purchaser will not be liable or responsible
for, and the Purchaser will not be deemed by reason of the execution and
delivery of this Agreement or any agreement, instrument or documents delivered
pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or otherwise by reason of the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby to assume, any obligations
or liabilities (collectively, the “Excluded Liabilities”) of any
of the Vendors whatsoever, whether known or unknown, whether accrued, absolute,
fixed or contingent, whether liquidated or unliquidated, whether due or to
become due, or otherwise.
2.10
|
Non-Assignable
Contracts and Commitments
|
(1) Each
Vendor will use reasonable commercial efforts to obtain any third party consents
or waivers necessary to permit the assignment to, and assumption by, the
Purchaser of all the contracts and other commitments to be assigned to and
assumed by the Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.
(2) Nothing
in this Agreement will constitute an agreement to assign or an attempted
assignment of any contract or other commitment for which any requisite consent
or waiver to the assignment thereof has not been obtained. Subject to
the provisions of Section 5.01, to the extent
permitted by Applicable Law, if any requisite consent or waiver has not been
obtained on or prior to Closing, the applicable contract or other commitment
which was otherwise to be assigned to and assumed by the Purchaser as
contemplated herein will be held by such Vendors in trust for the benefit of the
Purchaser and the Purchaser will perform the obligations of such Vendors
thereunder and be entitled to receive all money becoming due and payable under
and other benefits derived from the contract or other commitment immediately
after receipt by such Vendors.
2.11
|
Payment of Purchase
Price
|
The
Purchase Price will be payable as follows:
(a)
|
$2,500,000
by the delivery to the Escrow Agent in trust subject to the terms of the
Escrow Agreement at the Time of Closing of a solicitors’ trust cheque,
certified cheque, bank draft or wire transfer payable at par in Vancouver
to or to the order of the Escrow Agent in
trust;
|
(b)
|
the
Earn Out Amounts by the delivery to SSI of a certified cheque, bank draft
or wire transfer payable at par in Vancouver to or to the order of SSI
representing each Earn Out Amount, if any, at the times set out in
Section 2.02(b) and otherwise in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement;
and
|
(c)
|
by
the Purchaser or the Vendors paying (or setting-off), as applicable, any
adjustment to the Purchase Price pursuant to Section 2.05.
|
2.12
|
Assets to Be
Licensed
|
On the
Closing, the Purchaser and SSI shall execute the License to Vendor-Retained
Patents and be subject to the terms and conditions therein.
2.13
|
Patent
Assignment
|
The
Purchaser and the Vendors agree that this Agreement constitutes, among other
things, the express assignment on the Closing of all patents and patent
applications in the Owned IP from SSI to the Purchaser. Pursuant to
Section 8.01 and with regard to the U.S. patents
and U.S. patent applications in the Owned IP, the Purchaser and SSI agree to
execute on the Closing the Notice of Patent Assignment, which will be filed by
the Purchaser with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Also
pursuant to Section 8.01, SSI and the Purchaser
agree to execute on and after the Closing any other documents that may need to
be filed with any other patent office to reflect the assignment of any non-U.S.
patents and patent applications from SSI to the Purchaser.
2.14
|
Guarantee
|
Purchaser’s
Guarantor hereby guarantees the performance of the obligations of the Purchaser
under this Agreement.
ARTICLE 3 - REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES
3.01
|
Vendors’
Representations and
Warranties
|
Each
Vendor jointly and severally represents and warrants to the Purchaser
that:
(1) Corporate
(a)
|
SSI
and STI are corporations duly incorporated, organized and subsisting under
the laws of the Province of British Columbia. SUI is a
corporation duly incorporated, organized and subsisting under the laws of
the State of Delaware. Each Vendor has the corporate power to
own its assets and to carry on its business and has made all necessary
filings under all Applicable Laws.
|
(b)
|
Assuming
that the sale of the Assets to the Purchaser is either ratified by a
special resolution of SSI or considered a sale that meets the requirements
of Section 301(3)(a) of the Business Corporations Act
(British Columbia), each Vendor has the power, authority and right
to enter into and deliver this Agreement and to transfer the legal and
beneficial title and ownership of the Assets to the Purchaser free and
clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances and any other rights of
others.
|
(c)
|
Assuming
that the sale of the Assets to the Purchaser is either ratified by a
special resolution of SSI or considered a sale that meets the requirements
of Section 301(3)(a) of the Business Corporations Act
(British Columbia), this Agreement constitutes a valid and legally
binding obligation of each Vendor, enforceable against such Vendor in
accordance with its terms subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization and other laws of general application limiting the
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and to the fact that specific
performance is an equitable remedy available only in the discretion of the
court.
|
(d)
|
There
is no contract, option or any other right of another binding upon or which
at any time in the future may become binding upon any Vendor to sell,
transfer, assign, pledge, charge, mortgage or in any other way dispose of
or encumber any of the Assets other than pursuant to the provisions of
this Agreement or pursuant to purchase orders accepted by such Vendor in
the usual and ordinary course of the Purchased
Business.
|
(e)
|
Neither
the entering into nor the delivery of this Agreement nor the completion of
the transactions contemplated hereby by any Vendor will result in the
violation of:
|
(i)
|
any
of the provisions of the constating or charter documents of such
Vendor;
|
(ii)
|
any
agreement or other instrument to which such Vendor is a party or by which
such Vendor is bound subject to obtaining the consents set out in
Schedule 3.01(1)(e);
or
|
(iii)
|
any
Applicable Law in respect of which such Vendor must
comply.
|
(f)
|
The
Vendors do not have any subsidiaries other than the Subsidiaries, and none
of the Subsidiaries has any assets or liabilities nor carries on any of
the Purchased Business except as set out in Schedule 3.01(1)(f), and SmarTire Europe, Limited has no
assets, rights, licenses or goodwill necessary to carry on any of the
Purchased Business.
|
(2) Financial
(a)
|
The
books and records of each Vendor relating to the Purchased Business are
true and correct and present fairly and disclose in all material respects
the financial position of the Purchased Business and all material
financial transactions of such Vendor relating to the Purchased Business
have been accurately recorded in such books and records and, to the extent
possible, such books and records have been prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles consistently
applied.
|
(b)
|
The
consolidated financial statements of Vendors, consisting of the
Balance Sheet and statements of income, retained earnings and cash flows
for the period ended on the Balance Sheet Date and such consolidated financial
statements for the preceding two fiscal years, together with the report of
the auditors thereon and the notes thereto for the two prior fiscal years,
copies of which are set out in Schedule 3.01(2)(b):
|
(i)
|
are
in accordance with the books and accounts of the Vendors as at the balance
sheet dates set out therein;
|
(ii)
|
are
true and correct and present fairly the financial position of the Vendors
as at the balance sheet dates set out therein and the results of
operations and cash flows of the Vendors for the periods covered thereby,
all in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied; and
|
(iii)
|
have
been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied.
|
(c)
|
Since
the Balance Sheet Date the Purchased Business has been carried on in its
usual and ordinary course and none of the Vendors have entered into any
transaction out of the usual and ordinary course of the Purchased
Business.
|
(d)
|
Since
the Balance Sheet Date except as set out in Schedule 3.01(2)(d), there has been no Material Adverse
Effect in respect of the Purchased
Business.
|
(e)
|
No
current or former director, officer, shareholder or employee of any Vendor
or any person not dealing at arm’s length within the meaning of the Tax
Act with any such person or with any Vendor is indebted to any of the
Vendors.
|
(3) Condition
of Assets
(a)
|
The
Vendors are the owners of the Assets with good and marketable title
thereto, free and clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances and any other
rights of others other than those set out in Schedule 3.01(3)(a).
|
(b)
|
The
accounts receivable of the Purchased Business are to the Vendors’
knowledge good accounts receivable collectible within 90 days and are not
subject to any defence, counterclaim or
set-off.
|
(c)
|
All
machinery and equipment owned or used by the Vendors in the Purchased
Business have been properly maintained and are in good working order for
the purposes of on-going operation, subject to ordinary wear and tear for
machinery and equipment of comparable
age.
|
(d)
|
All
of the Inventory is of in good and merchantable quality and is suitable
and usable for the purposes for which it is intended and is in a condition
such that it can be sold in the ordinary course of the Purchased Business
consistent with past practice. The level of Inventory is not in excess of
the normal operating requirements of the Purchased Business in the
ordinary course and consistent with past practices. The
Inventory does not include items that are obsolete, damaged or slow
moving, for which reserves have not been established in accordance with
generally accepted accounting practices, as reflected on the Balance
Sheet.
|
(4) Contracts
and Commitments
(a)
|
No
Vendor is a party to any contract or commitment relating to the Purchased
Business outside the usual and ordinary course of the Purchased Business
and is not a party to any contract or commitment relating to the Purchased
Business extending for a period of time longer than 12 months or involving
expenditures by the Vendors in the aggregate in excess of $10,000, except
such contracts or commitments as are listed in Schedule 3.01(4)(a).
|
(b)
|
No
Vendor is in default or breach of any contract or commitment and there
exists no condition, event or act that, with the giving of notice or lapse
of time or both, would constitute such a default or breach, and all such
contracts and commitments are in good standing and in full force and
effect without amendment thereto and the Vendors are entitled to all
benefits thereunder.
|
(c)
|
No
Vendor is a party to or bound by any guarantee, indemnification, surety or
similar obligation pertaining to the Purchased
Business.
|
(d)
|
Except
as set out in Schedule 3.01(4)(d), No
Vendor is a party to any lease or agreement in the nature of a lease for
real property, whether as lessor or lessee pertaining to the Purchased
Business.
|
(e)
|
No
Vendor has any agreements, options or commitments to acquire any
securities of any corporation or to acquire or lease any real property or
assets to be used in or in connection with the Purchased Business other
than, in the latter case, those assets that are to be used in the usual
and ordinary course of business of the Purchased
Business.
|
(f)
|
There
are no outstanding orders, notices or similar requirements relating to the
Purchased Business or to the Assets issued by any Governmental Authority
and there are no matters under discussion with any Governmental Authority
relating to orders, notices or similar
requirements.
|
(5) Intellectual
Property
(a)
|
The
Vendors own the entire right, title and interest in and to all of the
Owned IP.
|
(b)
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(a) contains (i) a complete and accurate
list and description of all patents and patent applications, registered
copyrights, registered or applied for trade-marks, and domain names that
are included in the Owned IP (the “Registered IP”), and
(ii) to the extent not listed in Schedule 3.01(5)(a), a description of all Owned IP,
including without limitation any unpatented inventions, trade secrets, and
trade names, that are material to the Purchased Business or the
commercialization of the Owned IP.
|
(c)
|
Schedule
3.01(5)(a) specifies, for each item of
Registered IP, the jurisdictions in which each application has been issued
or registered or in which an application for such issuance and
registration has been filed, including the respective registration or
application numbers and the names of all registered owners thereof, and,
in respect of all patents or filed patent applications that are included
in the Owned IP, the date the inventions that are the subject thereof were
first offered for commercial sale or first publicly
disclosed.
|
(d)
|
All
descriptions and information regarding the Intellectual Property Rights
included in Schedule 3.01(5)(a) are accurate
and complete and all applications were true and correct, and all
registrations for Registered IP are in good
standing.
|
(e)
|
The
Owned IP is valid and the rights of the Vendors in the Owned IP are
enforceable, to the best of Vendors’
knowledge.
|
(f)
|
The
Vendors have the exclusive and unfettered right to (i) use, commercialize,
dispose of, and otherwise deal with the Owned IP and all other rights in
the Commercialized Products, subject only to the rights the Vendors have
granted to others pursuant to the terms of the license agreements listed
in Schedule 3.01(5)(f) (the “Outbound Licenses”), and
(ii) prosecute, enforce, and defend all Owned
IP.
|
(g)
|
Other
than the Outbound Licenses, there are no, and have never been any,
distributors, sales agents, representatives, VARs, OEMs, resellers, or
other persons who have or had rights to market, sublicense, sell, or
support any Commercialized
Products.
|
(h)
|
All
of the Licensed IP is set out on Schedule 3.01(5)(h). The Vendors have the
exclusive right to use the Licensed IP except to the extent the rights are
identified in Schedule 3.01(5)(h) as
being non-exclusive.
|
(i)
|
Except
as set out in Schedule 3.01(5)(h), no Vendor
is a party to any contract or commitment to pay any royalty or other fee
to use the Licensed IP, the Owned IP, or the Commercialized
Products.
|
(j)
|
No
consents are required in order for the Licensed IP to be licensed or
sub-licensed to any third party except as set out in Schedule 3.01(5)(j).
|
(k)
|
The
Intellectual Property Rights listed on Schedules 3.01(5)(a) and 3.01(5)(h) include all of the Intellectual
Property Rights used in or required for the proper carrying on of the
Purchased Business.
|
(l)
|
Neither
the use, sale, or other commercialization of the Commercialized Products
nor the conduct of the Purchased Business infringes or otherwise violates
the Intellectual Property Rights or other rights of any other person, and
none of the Vendors has received or know of any notices, demands, or
statements (either written or oral) or any pending or threatened
proceeding, dispute, action, or other matter in respect of a claim that
(i) such Vendor is not the owner of the Owned IP, (ii) such Vendor does
not have the right to use and exploit Owned IP, or (iii) would otherwise
conflict with the representations and warranties in this
Agreement.
|
(m)
|
Neither
the Commercialized Products nor the Owned IP constitute a derivative work
of any works or other property of any third
party.
|
(n)
|
To
the knowledge of the Vendors, no infringement, misuse, or misappropriation
of the Owned IP has occurred or is occurring except as set out on Schedule
3.01(5)(n).
|
(o)
|
All
individuals who have materially contributed to any of the Owned IP were,
at the time they contributed to the Owned IP, either full-time employees
of the Vendors or were contractors who assigned their Intellectual
Property Rights in the Owned IP to the Vendors pursuant to written
agreements.
|
(p)
|
Except
for the third party Software (“Third Party Programs”)
listed in Schedule 3.01(5)(p), the
Commercialized Software neither contains nor embodies nor uses nor
requires any third party Software, including development tools and
utilities, and the Owned Software, together with the Third Party Programs,
contains all material necessary for the continued maintenance and
development of the Commercialized
Software.
|
(q)
|
Except
as listed in Schedule 3.01(5)(q), no
Vendor has (i) incorporated Open Source Materials into, or combined Open
Source Materials with, Owned IP or Licensed IP, (ii) distributed Open
Source Materials, or (iii) used Open Source Materials in the development
of Commercialized Products.
|
(r)
|
None
of the Open Source Materials listed on Schedule 3.01(5)(q) dynamically link to, are compiled
together with, or are otherwise used by or incorporated into Owned IP in a
manner that would require any portion of the Owned IP incorporated into,
derived from, or distributed with such material be (i) disclosed or
distributed in source code form, (ii) be licensed for the purpose of
making derivative works, or (iii) be redistributable at no
charge.
|
(s)
|
Copies
of all licence and maintenance agreements for the Third Party Programs
have been made available by each Vendor to the Purchaser, except in
respect of Third Party Programs that are shrink-wrapped Software and that
are purchased off-the-shelf by such Vendor in order to be passed through
to such Vendor’s customers.
|
(t)
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(t) lists all the other licences,
maintenance or support agreements, development contracts and all other
agreements (other than requests for proposals and proposals that are
referred to in such agreements) between the Vendors and users of the
Commercialized Software, copies of each of which have been made available
to the Purchaser.
|
(u)
|
Except
as listed in the materials referenced in Schedule 3.01(5)(u), there are no known problems or
defects in the Commercialized Software including bugs, logic errors or
failures of the Commercialized Software to operate as described in the
related documentation and, except for such disclosed problems or defects,
the Commercialized Software operates in accordance with its documentation
and specifications. The Commercialized Software does not
contain any undocumented code, disabling mechanism or protection feature
intentionally designed to prevent its use, including any clock, timer,
counter, computer virus, worm, software lock, drop dead device,
trojan-horse routine, trap door, time bomb or any other codes or
instructions that may be used to access, modify, replicate, distort,
delete, damage or disable Commercialized Software or data, other software,
operating systems, computers or equipment with which the Commercialized
Software interacts.
|
(v)
|
Schedule 3.01(5)(v) accurately describes the current
state of the Commercialized Products, together with all current
development plans for the Commercialized Products, including design
problems, remedial plans, requests for new features from customers and
enhancement plans.
|
(w)
|
Except
as disclosed in Schedule 3.01(5)(w), no (i)
government funding, (ii) facilities of a university, college, other
educational institution or research center, or (iii) funding from any
person (other than funds received in consideration for shares in the
capital of the Vendors) was used in the development of the Owned IP and no
current or former employee or consultant of the Vendors who was involved
in, or who contributed to, the creation or development of any of the Owned
IP has, to the knowledge of the Vendors, performed services for any
government, university, college, or other educational institution or
research center during a period of time during which such employee or
consultant was also performing services for the
Vendors.
|
(x)
|
All
permits, exemptions, or licenses required to import, use, and distribute
the Commercialized Products have been obtained for all countries to or in
which the Vendors currently sell or distribute the Commercialized
Products.
|
(y)
|
The
Vendors have maintained the confidentiality of all material portions of
the Owned IP that are not patented and not subject to copyright protection
and all persons having access to or knowledge of Owned IP of a
confidential nature or other material confidential information of the
Vendor have entered into appropriate non-disclosure agreements with the
Vendors.
|
(6) Commercialized
Products.
(a)
|
There
are no warranties (express or implied) outstanding with respect to any
Commercialized Products, or any services rendered, by the Vendors, beyond
that set forth in the standard conditions of sale or service, copies of
which are included as Schedule 3.01(6)(a).
|
(b)
|
Each
of the Commercialized Products or service rendered, has been manufactured,
sold, distributed, provided, shipped or licensed by the Vendors in
conformity with all applicable contractual commitments and
warranties. There are no material design, manufacturing or
other defects, latent or otherwise, with respect to any of the
Commercialized Products and such Commercialized Products are not hazardous
when used in accordance with their intended use. Each of the
Commercialized Product that has been manufactured, sold, distributed,
provided, shipped or licensed prior to the Time of Closing contains all
warnings required by Applicable Law and such warnings are in accordance
with reasonable industry practice.
|
(c)
|
There
are no reserves necessary or contained or to be contained in any of
financial statements of any of the Vendors for product design, warranty
claims or other damages in connection with any Commercialized Products
manufactured, sold, distributed, shipped or licensed, or service rendered,
by the Vendors.
|
(d)
|
Except
as listed in Schedule 3.01(6)(d), in the 7
years prior to the Closing Date, no Governmental Authority has mandated or
recommended a product recall or issued a directive for any of the
Commercialized Products nor has any Vendor voluntarily engaged in a
product recall because of design or manufacturing defects in the
Commercialized Products.
|
(7) Employees
(a)
|
No
Vendor is a party to or bound by any contract or commitment to pay any
management fee pertaining to the Purchased Business except as disclosed in
Schedule 3.01(7)(a).
|
(b)
|
No
Vendor has any written employment contract relating to the Purchased
Business with any person whomsoever except as disclosed in
Schedule 3.01(7)(b).
|
(c)
|
The
Vendors have provided to the Purchaser in
writing:
|
(i)
|
the
names of all employees of the Purchased
Business;
|
(ii)
|
their
position or title;
|
(iii)
|
their
status (e. g., full time, part time, temporary, casual, seasonal, co-op
student);
|
(iv)
|
their
total annual remuneration, including a breakdown of (A) salary and (B)
bonus or other incentive compensation, if
any;
|
(v)
|
other
terms and conditions of their employment (other than Benefit Plans and
Compensation Policies);
|
(vi)
|
their
age;
|
(vii)
|
their
total length of employment including any prior employment that would
affect calculation of years of service for any purpose, including
statutory entitlements, contractual entitlements (express or implied),
benefit entitlements or pension entitlements;
and
|
(viii)
|
whether
any employees are on any approved or statutory leave of absence and, if
so, the reason for such absence and the expected date of
return.
|
(d)
|
Schedule 3.01(7)(d) sets
out:
|
(i)
|
the
names of all consultants of the Purchased Business (excluding lawyers and
accountants) for which the Vendors
have:
|
(A)
|
written
agreements currently in force; and
|
(B)
|
oral
agreements of any material nature currently in
force;
|
(ii)
|
whether
the consultant is providing services pursuant to a written consulting
contract;
|
(iii)
|
the
term of any contract under Section 3.01(7)(d)(ii);
|
(iv)
|
notice,
if any, required by a Vendor to terminate the consulting relationship
without cause;
|
(v)
|
the
date the consultant first commenced providing services to the Purchased
Business;
|
(vi)
|
the
hourly fee of the consultant; and
|
(vii)
|
the
annual fees paid to the consultant for the preceding calendar
year.
|
(e)
|
No
Vendor is a party to or bound by any collective bargaining agreement
relating to the Purchased Business.
|
(f)
|
No
trade union, council of trade unions, employee bargaining agency or
affiliated bargaining agent:
|
(i)
|
holds
bargaining rights with respect to any employees of the Purchased Business
by way of certification, interim certification, voluntary recognition,
designation or successor rights;
|
(ii)
|
has
applied to be certified as the bargaining agent of any employees of the
Purchased Business; or
|
(iii)
|
has
applied to have any Vendor declared a related employer or successor
employer pursuant to applicable labour
legislation.
|
(g)
|
There
are no actual, threatened or pending organizing activities of any trade
union, council of trade unions, employee bargaining agency or affiliated
bargaining agent or any actual, threatened or pending unfair labour
practice complaints, strikes, work stoppages, picketing, lock-outs,
hand-xxxxxxxx, boycotts, slowdowns, arbitrations, grievances, complaints,
charges or similar labour related disputes or proceedings pertaining to
the Purchased Business, and there have not been any such activities or
disputes or proceedings within the last
year.
|
(h)
|
All
vacation pay for employees of the Purchased Business is properly reflected
and accrued in the books and accounts of the
Vendors.
|
(i)
|
Since
the Balance Sheet Date, except in the ordinary course of business or as
required by law, there have been no changes in the terms and conditions of
employment of any employees of the Purchased Business, including their
salaries, remuneration and any other payments to them, and there have been
no changes in any remuneration payable or benefits provided to any
officer, director, consultant, independent or dependent contractor or
agent of the Purchased Business, and No Vendor has agreed or otherwise
become committed to change any of the foregoing since that
date.
|
(j)
|
The
Vendors are employing all employees of the Purchased Business in
compliance with all applicable taxation, health, labour and employment
laws, rules, regulations, notices, and
orders.
|
(k)
|
The
Vendors are in compliance with applicable workers’ compensation and
occupational safety laws and regulations made pursuant thereto and there
are no outstanding Claims, charges, orders, assessments, levies or
penalties thereunder.
|
(8) Privacy
Laws
(a)
|
The
collection, use and retention of the Personal Information by the Vendors,
the disclosure or transfer of the Personal Information by the Vendors to
any third parties and transfer of the Personal Information by the Vendors
to the Purchaser as part of the Purchaser’s due diligence and as
contemplated by this Agreement or any ancillary agreement comply with all
Privacy Laws and is consistent with the Vendors’ own Privacy
Policies.
|
(b)
|
There
are no restrictions on the Vendors’ collection, use, disclosure and
retention of the Personal Information except as provided by Privacy Laws
and the Vendors’ own Privacy
Policies.
|
(c)
|
There
are no Claims pending, ongoing, or to the Vendors’ knowledge, threatened,
with respect to any Vendor’s collection, use, disclosure or retention of
the Personal Information.
|
(d)
|
No
decision, judgment or order, whether statutory or otherwise, is pending or
has been made, and no notice has been given pursuant to any Privacy Laws,
requiring a Vendor to take (or to refrain from taking) any action with
respect to the Personal
Information.
|
(e)
|
Set
out, described or cross-referenced in Schedule 3.01(8)(e) are the following in respect of the
Personal Information:
|
(i)
|
all
Privacy Policies;
|
(ii)
|
a
copy of all publications describing the Privacy Policies, including all
versions of the Privacy Policy appearing on the Vendors’ Web
sites;
|
(iii)
|
copies
of all privacy audits conducted by or on behalf of the Vendors;
and
|
(iv)
|
a
list of all jurisdictions in which the Vendors collect, store and use
Personal Information.
|
(9) Benefits
Plans
(a)
|
Schedule 3.01(9)(a) contains a list of every benefit
plan, program, agreement or arrangement (whether written or unwritten)
maintained, contributed to, or provided by a Vendor or any Affiliate or
subsidiary thereof, including the Subsidiaries, for the benefit of any of
its employees or former employees or dependent or independent contractors
of a Vendor employed or retained in connection with the Purchased Business
or their respective dependants or beneficiaries (the “Benefit Plans”)
including all bonus, deferred compensation, incentive compensation, share
purchase, share option, stock appreciation, phantom stock, savings, profit
sharing, severance or termination pay, health or other medical, life,
disability or other insurance (whether insured or self-insured),
supplementary unemployment benefit, pension, retirement and supplementary
retirement plans, programs, agreements and arrangements except for any
statutory plans to which the Vendors are obliged to contribute or comply
including the Canada/Québec Pension Plan, or plans administered pursuant
to applicable federal or provincial health, worker’s compensation and
employment insurance legislation.
|
(b)
|
Schedule 3.01(9)(b) contains a list of all compensation
policies and practices of the Vendors (“Compensation Policies”)
applicable to employees and dependent and independent contractors of the
Vendors.
|
(c)
|
Each
Vendor has delivered to the Purchaser true, complete and up-to-date copies
of all Benefit Plans and Compensation Policies and all amendments thereto
together with all summary descriptions of the Benefit Plans and
Compensation Policies provided to past or present participants therein,
the statement of investment policies for each plan, all funding agreements
and service provider contracts or other contracts in respect of the
Benefit Plan in respect of which such Vendor may have liability (including
insurance contracts, investment management agreements, subscription and
participation agreements and record keeping
agreements).
|
(d)
|
No
fact, condition or circumstance exists that would affect the information
contained in the documents provided pursuant to Section 3.01(9)(c) and, in particular, no promises or
commitments have been made by a Vendor to amend any Benefit Plan or
Compensation Policy.
|
(e)
|
None
of the Benefit Plans are required to be registered by Applicable Law
(including registration with any tax authorities where such registration
is required to qualify for tax exemption or other beneficial tax
status). All of the Benefit Plans have always been administered
in compliance with their terms and all Applicable
Law.
|
(f)
|
Neither
the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, nor the
consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, will result in any bonus, golden parachute, severance or other
payment or obligation to any current or former employee or director of the
Purchased Business (whether or not under any Benefit Plan), materially
increase the benefits payable or provided under any Benefit Plan, result
in any acceleration of the time of payment or vesting of any such benefit,
or increase or accelerate employer contributions
thereunder.
|
(10) Realty
(a)
|
No
Vendor owns or has owned any real
property.
|
(b)
|
The
operations of the Purchased Business from the Leased Lands are not subject
to any restriction or limitation other than those set out in the
applicable leases and Applicable Law and are not in contravention of any
Applicable Law.
|
(c)
|
No
Vendor has received notice of any assessment or any capital charges or
levies assessed or proposed to be assessed against any of the Assets by a
Governmental Authority or that any Governmental Authority intends to
require such Vendor to pay for any future roads, utilities or services
relating to the Leased Lands.
|
(d)
|
All
improvements (including all plant, buildings, structures, erections,
appurtenances and fixtures) situate on or forming part of the Leased Lands
were completed in a good and competent manner and in accordance with the
requirements of all applicable Governmental Authorities and all such
improvements are free of material
defect.
|
(e)
|
The
Leased Lands are serviced by all private and public utility services that
are necessary for the operations of the Purchased Business on the Leased
Lands.
|
(11) Environmental
(a)
|
The
Purchased Business, as carried on by each Vendor and its predecessors in
title, and the Assets are in compliance in all material respects with all
Environmental Laws and there are no facts known after due inquiry by a
Vendor that could give rise to a notice of non-compliance with any
Environmental Law.
|
(b)
|
Schedule 3.01(11)(b) contains a complete list of all
environmental Permits used in or required to carry on the Purchased
Business in its usual and ordinary course, such Permits are in full force
and effect and are transferable to the Purchaser on
Closing.
|
(c)
|
No
Vendor nor to the knowledge of such Vendor any of its predecessors in
title has used any of the facilities or Leased Lands pertaining to the
Purchased Business, or permitted them to be used, to generate,
manufacture, refine, treat, transport, store, handle, dispose, transfer,
produce or process Hazardous Substances except in compliance in all
material respects with all Environmental Laws. None of the
Leased Lands has been used for or been designated as a waste disposal
site.
|
(d)
|
To
the knowledge of the Vendors, there are no pending changes to
Environmental Laws that would render illegal, or materially restrict, the
operation of the Purchased Business in its usual and ordinary
course.
|
(e)
|
No
Vendor has been convicted of an offence or been subjected to any judgment,
injunction or other proceeding or been fined or otherwise sentenced for
non-compliance with any Environmental Laws, and it has not settled any
prosecution or other proceeding short of conviction in connection
therewith, in relation to the Purchased
Business.
|
(f)
|
No
Vendor nor to the knowledge of such Vendor any of its predecessors in
title has caused or permitted the Release of any Hazardous Substance at,
on or under the Leased Lands, or the Release of any Hazardous Substance
off-site of the Leased Lands in relation to the Purchased Business, except
in compliance in all material respects with Environmental
Laws.
|
(g)
|
There
are no conditions that directly or indirectly relate to environmental
matters or to the condition of the soil or the groundwater that would
adversely affect the Purchased Business in a material manner (whether at,
on or below the Leased Lands or any adjoining
properties).
|
(h)
|
No
Vendor nor to the knowledge of such Vendor any of its in title has
received written notice, or has knowledge after due inquiry of any facts
that could give rise to any notice, that such Vendor or its predecessors
are potentially responsible for any remedial action under any
Environmental Law in connection with the Purchased
Business.
|
(12) Taxes
(a)
|
The
Purchaser is acquiring the ownership, possession or use under this
Agreement of all or substantially all of the property that can reasonably
be regarded as being necessary for the Purchaser to be capable of carrying
on the Purchased Business as a business within the meaning of section 167
of the Excise Tax
Act.
|
(b)
|
There
are no liens for taxes upon the Assets, except for statutory liens for
current taxes not yet due.
|
(c)
|
SSI
is registered under Part IX of the Excise Tax Act (Canada)
with registration number
120809694RT0001.
|
(d)
|
Each
of SSI and STI is not a non-resident of Canada within the meaning of
section 116 of the Tax Act.
|
(13) General
(a)
|
There
are no Claims (whether or not purportedly on behalf of any Vendor) pending
or threatened against or affecting, or which could affect, the Purchased
Business, the Assets or the Vendors, except such Claims as are disclosed
in Schedule 3.01(13)(a).
|
(b)
|
No
Vendor is conducting the Purchased Business in any jurisdiction other than
the Province of British Columbia, other than sales made in other Canadian
provinces, the United States and the United
Kingdom.
|
(c)
|
Each
Vendors is conducting the Purchased Business in compliance with all
Applicable Laws of Canada and of the Province of British Columbia and all
municipalities thereof in which the Purchased Business is carried on, is
not in breach of any such Applicable Laws and is duly licensed, registered
or qualified in the Province of British Columbia and all municipalities
thereof in which such Vendor carries on the Purchased Business to enable
the Purchased Business to be carried on as now conducted and its assets to
be owned, leased and operated, and all such licences, registrations and
qualifications are valid and subsisting and in good standing and none of
the same contains any term, provision, condition or limitation that has or
may have a material adverse effect or that may be affected by the
completion of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
|
(d)
|
Schedule 3.01(13)(d) is a true and complete list of all
Permits necessary or required to enable the Purchased Business to be
carried on as now conducted and its assets to be owned, leased and
operated and, except as disclosed in Schedule 3.01(13)(d), all such Permits are transferable
by the Vendors to the Purchaser on the Closing
Date.
|
(e)
|
Schedule 3.01(13)(e) is a true and complete list of all
insurance policies maintained by the Vendors that also specifies the
insurer, the amount of the coverage, the type of insurance, the policy
number and any pending Claims
thereunder.
|
(f)
|
No
representation or warranty or other statement made by the Vendors in this
Agreement or otherwise furnished by or on behalf of such Vendor to the
Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement contains any untrue statement or omits to state a material fact
necessary to make any of them, in light of the circumstances in which it
was made, not misleading. The Vendors do not have knowledge of
any facts which reasonably should be known to them relating to the
Purchased Business which, if known by the Purchaser, might reasonably be
expected to deter the Purchaser from completing the transactions
contemplated in this Agreement.
|
3.02
|
Purchaser’s
Representations and
Warranties
|
The
Purchaser represents and warrants to the Vendors that:
(a)
|
The
Purchaser is a corporation duly incorporated, organized and subsisting
under the laws of the Province of
Ontario.
|
(b)
|
The
Purchaser has good and sufficient power, authority and right to enter into
and deliver this Agreement and to complete the transactions to be
completed by the Purchaser contemplated
hereunder.
|
(c)
|
This
Agreement constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the
Purchaser, enforceable against the Purchaser in accordance with its terms
subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other
laws of general application limiting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally and to the fact that specific performance is an equitable remedy
available only in the discretion of the
court.
|
(d)
|
Neither
the entering into nor the delivery of this Agreement nor the completion of
the transactions contemplated hereby by the Purchaser will result in a
violation of:
|
(i)
|
any
of the provisions of the constating documents or by-laws of the
Purchaser;
|
(ii)
|
any
agreement or other instrument to which the Purchaser is a party or by
which the Purchaser is bound; or
|
(iii)
|
any
Applicable Law in respect of which the Purchaser must
comply.
|
(e)
|
The
Purchaser is registered under Part IX of the Excise Tax Act (Canada)
with registration number 13603 9021 RT
0001.
|
ARTICLE 4 -
COVENANTS
4.01
|
Covenants of the
Vendors
|
(1) Except as
otherwise contemplated by this Agreement or consented to in writing by the
Purchaser, from the date of this Agreement until Closing, each Vendor
will:
(a)
|
carry
on the Purchased Business in the usual and ordinary course, consistent
with past practice;
|
(b)
|
use
all reasonable commercial efforts to preserve intact the Purchased
Business, organization and goodwill, to keep available the employees of
the Purchased Business as a group and to maintain satisfactory
relationships with suppliers, distributors, customers and others with whom
the Purchased Business has business
relationships;
|
(c)
|
use
all reasonable commercial efforts to cause its current insurance policies
with respect to the Purchased Business not to be cancelled or terminated
or any other coverage thereunder to lapse, unless simultaneously with such
terminations, cancellation or lapse, replacement policies underwritten by
insurance companies of nationally recognized standing providing coverage
equal to or greater than the coverage under the cancelled, terminated or
lapsed policies, and where possible, for substantially similar premiums,
are in full force and effect;
|
(d)
|
use
all reasonable commercial efforts to assist the Purchaser, as the
Purchaser may direct, with the Purchaser’s negotiations with Alpha
Equities Ltd. in respect of the assumption of the lease between Alpha
Equities Ltd. and SSI dated April 2008 (or the execution of a replacement
lease) for the leased premises at #150, 13151 Vanier Place, Richmond,
B.C.;
|
(e)
|
(f)
|
promptly
advise the Purchaser in writing of the occurrence of any Material Adverse
Effect in respect of the Purchased Business or of any facts that come to
their attention which would cause any of the Vendors’ representations and
warranties herein contained to be untrue in any
respect;
|
(g)
|
maintain
the books, records and accounts of the Purchased Business in the usual and
ordinary course, consistent with past practice and record all transactions
on a basis consistent with that practice;
and
|
(h)
|
use
all reasonable commercial efforts to obtain critical vendor status with
respect to the bankruptcy proceedings (the “MCI Proceedings”)
initiated by Motor Coach Industries International, Inc. (“MCI”) and to negotiate
and sign a favourable trade payables agreement with MCI or its duly
authorized representative or trustee in bankruptcy as requested by the
Purchaser, acting reasonably;
|
(i)
|
use
all reasonable commercial efforts to preserve the Vendor’s rights with
respect to the MCI Proceedings, including negotiating with MCI to have it
assume and assign any executory contracts with any of the Vendors, as
requested by the Purchaser, acting
reasonably;
|
(j)
|
provided
that the Purchaser is not in breach of this Agreement of any material
nature, not solicit, entertain or otherwise engage in or continue any
existing discussions or negotiations or accept any offers with respect to
the possible sale, directly or indirectly through merger or otherwise, of
the Assets, with or from any party other than the Purchaser, whether by
its directors or officers, debtholders or any of their respective
advisors, consultants or agents, and will promptly inform the Purchaser
after receipt of any inquiries or offers that such Vendor may receive
(other than in the ordinary course of business) from potential purchasers
for the Assets (such notice to include the names of the potential
purchasers and the terms of the offer);
and
|
(k)
|
subject
to the terms of this Agreement and in accordance with Applicable Law,
convene and hold a special meeting of the shareholders of SSI for the
purpose of passing special resolutions to approve the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the change of name of SSI as
contemplated in Section 4.01(3)(a) on or
before March 1, 2009, or such other date as may be agreed to by the
Purchaser and SSI, or if SSI is unable to obtain, after using its best
efforts to do so, such shareholder approval of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, SSI will use all reasonable commercial
efforts to obtain an order of the British Columbia Supreme Court declaring
that the disposition of SSI’s undertaking contemplated by this Agreement
is for valuable consideration to the Purchaser who is dealing with SSI in
good faith pursuant to Section 301(3)(a) of the Business Corporations
Act (British Columbia).
|
(2) Each
Vendor will ensure that the representations and warranties of such Vendor set
out in Section 3.01 over which such Vendor has
reasonable control are true and correct at the Time of Closing and that the
conditions of closing for the benefit of the Purchaser set out in
Section 5.01 over which such Vendor has
reasonable control have been performed or complied with by the Time of
Closing.
(3) As soon
as practicable after the Closing Date, each Vendor will file, and SSI will cause
SmarTire Europe, Limited to file:
(a)
|
articles
of amendment (or such corporate filings as may be required in the
applicable jurisdiction) to change its corporate name to one that does not
include any trade xxxx or trade name included in the Assets or is not
confusingly similar to such names or marks;
and
|
(b)
|
cancellations
with all applicable Governmental Authorities of the registrations of all
business names included in the
Assets.
|
(4) Collection of Accounts
Receivable. The Vendors shall forward promptly to the
Purchaser any monies, cheques or instruments received by the Vendors after the
Closing Date with respect to the accounts receivable of the Vendors to be
purchased under this Agreement and shall endorse any such cheques or instruments
for the benefit of the Purchaser and shall forthwith transfer or cause to be
transferred to the Purchaser any monies wired or otherwise deposited into any of
the Vendors’ accounts which relate to such accounts receivable. The
Vendors hereby grant to the Purchaser a power of attorney to endorse and cash
any cheques or instruments payable or endorsed to the Vendors or their order
which are received or obtained by the Purchaser and which relate to accounts
receivable purchased by the Purchaser from the Vendors. For greater
certainty, the Purchaser shall be permitted to set-off against any amounts
payable to the Vendors under Sections 2.02(b) and
2.02(c) any amount any of the Vendors are liable to
the Purchaser in this Section 4.01(4) which are not
promptly paid to the Purchaser when due, together with interest at a rate of 8%
per annum from the date the accounts receivable are paid to any
Vendor.
4.02
|
Examination of Records
and Assets
|
Each
Vendor will forthwith make available to the Purchaser and its authorized
representatives all books of account, data bases recorded or stored by means of
any device, including in electronic form, title documents, abstracts of title,
deeds, surveys, leases, certificates of trade marks and copyrights, contracts
and commitments in its possession or under its control relating to any of the
Assets or the Purchased Business. The Vendors will give the Purchaser
and its authorized representatives every reasonable opportunity to have access
to and to inspect the Assets. The Vendors will also permit the
inspection of the Assets prior to the Time of Closing by such federal,
provincial or municipal authorities as the Purchaser may require. The
exercise of any rights of access or inspection by or on behalf of the Purchaser
under this Section 4.02 will not affect or
mitigate the covenants, representations and warranties of the Vendors in this
Agreement which will continue in full force and effect.
4.03
|
Covenants of the
Purchaser
|
(1) The
Purchaser will ensure that the representations and warranties of the Purchaser
set out in Section 3.02 are true and correct
at the Time of Closing and that the conditions of closing for the benefit of the
Vendors set out in Section 5.02 over which the
Purchaser has reasonable control have been performed or complied with by the
Time of Closing.
(2) The
Purchaser (either directly or through its Affiliates) will make commercially
reasonable efforts to sell the TPM Products used in the Commercial Vehicle
market worldwide (other than to countries and places as prohibited or restricted
by Applicable Law) during the Earn Out Period.
4.04
|
Employees
|
(1) The
Purchaser will, effective the opening of business on the Closing Date, offer to
employ immediately after the Closing Date the employees who are employed by each
Vendor in the Purchased Business and whose names are listed on Schedule 4.04(1) (the “Transferring Employees”) on
substantially the same terms and conditions of employment as are in effect on
the date hereof. The Purchaser will credit each Transferring Employee
with the length of service that such employee had with the Vendors.
(2) The
Vendors will continue to be responsible for and will discharge all obligations
and liabilities for wages, accrued vacation pay, or other employee
benefits or Claims in respect of the Transferring Employees on the close of
business on the Closing Date; and the Vendors will continue to be responsible
for and will discharge all obligations and liabilities for wages, accrued
vacation pay, severance pay, termination pay, notice of termination of
employment or pay in lieu of such notice, damages for wrongful dismissal or
other employee benefits or Claims in respect of all other employees of the
Purchased Business (the “Non-Transferring
Employees”). The Purchaser assumes and will discharge all such
obligations and liabilities accruing after the close of business on the Closing
Date in respect of all Transferring Employees employed by the
Purchaser.
(3) All items
in respect of Transferring Employees that require adjustment including premiums
for unemployment insurance, Canada Pension Plan, employer health tax, applicable
statutory hospitalization insurance, workers’ compensation assessments, accrued
wages, salaries and commissions and employee benefit plan payments will be
appropriately adjusted to the close of business on the day immediately preceding
the Closing Date. To the extent that the Vendors make any payments to
the Purchaser on account of such adjustments, the Purchaser will indemnify and
save harmless the Vendors from and against all Losses in connection
therewith.
4.05
|
Cooperation on Tax
Matters
|
The
Vendors and the Purchaser will furnish or cause to be furnished to each other,
each at its own expense, as promptly as practicable, such information and
assistance, and provide additional information and explanations of any material
provided, relating to the Assets as is reasonably necessary for the filing of
any tax returns, for the preparation of any audit, and for the prosecution or
defence of any Claim relating to any adjustment or proposed adjustment with
respect to taxes.
ARTICLE 5 - CONDITIONS AND
TERMINATION
5.01
|
Conditions for the
Benefit of the Purchaser
|
The sale
by the Vendors and the purchase by the Purchaser of the Assets is subject to the
following conditions, which are for the exclusive benefit of the Purchaser and
which are to be performed or complied with at or prior to the Time of
Closing:
(a)
|
the
representations and warranties of the Vendors set forth in Section 3.01 will be true and correct at the Time of
Closing with the same force and effect as if made at and as of such
time;
|
(b)
|
the
Vendors will have performed or complied with all of the obligations and
covenants of this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the
Vendors at or prior to the Time of
Closing;
|
(c)
|
the
Purchaser will be furnished with such certificates or other instruments
(including instruments of conveyance with respect to the Assets) of the
Vendors or of officers of the Vendors as the Purchaser or the Purchaser’s
counsel may reasonably think necessary in order to establish that the
obligations and covenants contained in this Agreement to have been
performed or complied with by the Vendors at or prior to the Time of
Closing have been performed or complied with and that the representations
and warranties of the Vendors herein given are true and correct at the
Time of Closing;
|
(d)
|
the
board of directors of each Vendor will have authorized and approved this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein and such Vendor will
have delivered to the Purchaser certified copies of the resolutions
documenting same;
|
(e)
|
there
will have been obtained from all holders of secured indebtedness of each
Vendor written approvals or consents to the change of ownership of the
Assets contemplated hereby and full releases to any security they own over
the Assets, all in a form acceptable to the Purchaser, acting reasonably,
provided that with respect to the security interests held or controlled by
YA Global, this condition shall be satisfied if YA Global and the
applicable secured creditors shall have executed and delivered an
Acknowledgment and Release in the form set out in Schedule 5.01(e);
|
(f)
|
there
will have been obtained from all appropriate third parties such approvals
or consents as are required to permit the change of ownership of the
Assets contemplated hereby and to permit the Purchased Business to be
carried on by the Purchaser as now conducted, including from those parties
listed on Schedule 3.01(1)(e);
|
(g)
|
no
action or proceeding in Canada will be pending or threatened by any person
to enjoin, restrict or prohibit:
|
(i)
|
the
sale and purchase of the Assets contemplated hereby;
or
|
(ii)
|
the
right of the Purchaser to conduct the Purchased
Business;
|
(h)
|
other
than as disclosed in Schedule 3.01(5)(n), the
Vendors will not have received from a third party any notice, claim,
demand or an invitation to licence in respect of any infringement, misuse,
or misappropriation of the Owned
IP.
|
(i)
|
unless
prohibited by Applicable Law governing the MCI Proceedings, there will be
an assignment, assumption and amendment agreement entered into between the
Vendor, the Purchaser and MCI in substantially the form set out in
Schedule 5.01(i);
|
(j)
|
the
Purchaser will have secured an acceptable resolution, to the Purchaser’s
sole satisfaction, with Xxxx Corporation regarding the Marketing and
Distribution Agreement between Xxxx Corporation and the Vendors made and
entered into as of October 12,
2005.
|
(k)
|
no
Material Adverse Effect will have occurred in relation to the Purchased
Business from the date hereof to the Time of
Closing;
|
(l)
|
all
necessary steps and proceedings will have been taken to ensure that all
Registered IP is correctly and accurately registered in the name of
“SmarTire Systems Inc.” (and not, for greater certainty, any previous
names of the Vendor);
|
(m)
|
all
necessary steps and proceedings will have been taken to permit the Assets
to be duly and regularly transferred to and registered in the name of the
Purchaser including obtaining the consents to the assignments of the
contracts or other commitments referred to in Schedule 5.01(m);
|
(n)
|
the
Escrow Agreement will have been executed by each of the Vendors and the
Escrow Agent;
|
(o)
|
the
License to Vendor-Retained Patents and the Notice of Patent Assignment
will have been executed by the Purchaser and
SSI;
|
(p)
|
there
will be a non-competition agreement entered into between each of the
Vendors and the Purchaser in the form set out in Schedule 5.01(p);
|
(q)
|
there
will be a non-competition agreement entered into between the Purchaser and
each of the directors and officers of each Vendor in the form set out in
Schedule 5.01(q);
|
(r)
|
each
of the Transferring Employees of each Vendor will have entered into a
release in the form set out in Schedule 5.01(r);
|
(s)
|
each
of the employees listed on Schedule 5.01(s)
will have entered into a one-year retention agreement with the Purchaser
in a form acceptable to the
Purchaser;
|
(t)
|
the
employee listed on Schedule 5.01(t) will have
entered into a six-month retention agreement with the Purchaser in a form
acceptable to the Purchaser;
|
(u)
|
each
Vendor will have delivered to the Purchaser a favourable opinion of such
Vendor’s counsel in the form set out in Schedule 5.01(u);
|
(v)
|
the
Sourcing Confirmation Letter dated November 18, 2006 between Aston Xxxxxx
and SmarTire Europe Ltd. will have been assigned to the
Purchaser;
|
(w)
|
there
will be an assignment, assumption and amendment agreement entered into
between SSI, the Purchaser and Alpha Equities Ltd. in a form acceptable to
the Purchaser;
|
(x)
|
there
will be a transition services agreement entered into between the Vendors
and the Purchaser in a form acceptable to the Purchaser, acting
reasonably; and
|
(y)
|
shareholders
of the Vendors sufficient to pass the special resolutions contemplated in
Section 4.01(1)(h) will have entered
into voting agreements in the form set out in Schedule 5.01(y).
|
5.02
|
Conditions for the
Benefit of the Vendors
|
The sale
by the Vendors and the purchase by the Purchaser of the Assets is subject to the
following conditions, which are for the exclusive benefit of the Vendors and
which are to be performed or complied with at or prior to the Time of
Closing:
(a)
|
the
representations and warranties of the Purchaser set forth in
Section 3.02 will be true and correct at
the Time of Closing with the same force and effect as if made at and as of
such time;
|
(b)
|
the
Purchaser will have performed or complied with all of the obligations and
covenants of this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the
Purchaser at or prior to the Time of
Closing;
|
(c)
|
the
Vendors will be furnished with such certificates or other instruments of
the Purchaser or of officers of the Purchaser as the Vendors or the
Vendors’ counsel may reasonably think necessary in order to establish that
the obligations and covenants contained in this Agreement to have been
performed or complied with by the Purchaser at or prior to the Time of
Closing have been performed or complied with and that the representations
and warranties of the Purchaser herein given are true and correct at the
Time of Closing; and
|
(d)
|
the
Escrow Agreement will have been executed by each of the Purchaser and the
Escrow Agent and the $2,500,000 portion of the Purchase Price paid to the
Escrow Agent in good and collected
funds.
|
5.03
|
Waiver of
Condition
|
The
Purchaser, in the case of a condition set out in Section 5.01, and the Vendors, in the case of a condition set
out in Section 5.02, will have the exclusive
right to waive the performance or compliance of such condition in whole or in
part and on such terms as may be agreed upon without prejudice to any of its
rights in the event of non-performance of or non-compliance with any other
condition in whole or in part. Any such waiver will not constitute a
waiver of any other conditions in favour of the waiving Party.
5.04
|
Termination
|
This
Agreement may be terminated, by notice given prior to or at the completion of
the sale and purchase of the Assets herein contemplated:
(a)
|
by
the Vendors or the Purchaser if a material breach of any representation,
warranty, covenant, obligation or other provision of this Agreement has
been committed by the other Party and such breach has not been
waived;
|
(b)
|
by
the Purchaser if any condition in Section 5.01 has not been satisfied as of the Time of
Closing or if satisfaction of such a condition is or becomes impossible
(other than through the failure of the Purchaser to comply with its
obligations under this Agreement) and the Purchaser has not waived such
condition on or before the Closing
Date;
|
(c)
|
by
the Vendors if any condition in Section 5.02 has not been satisfied as of the Time of
Closing or if satisfaction of such a condition is or becomes impossible
(other than through the failure of the Vendors to comply with its
obligations under this Agreement) and such Vendor has not waived such
condition on or before the Closing
Date;
|
(d)
|
by
written agreement of the Purchaser and the
Vendors;
|
(e)
|
subject
to Section 5.06, by the Purchaser upon
written notice to each Vendor; or
|
(f)
|
by
the Vendors or the Purchaser if the completion of the sale of Assets
herein contemplated has not occurred (other than through the failure of
the Party seeking to terminate this Agreement to comply fully with its
obligations under this Agreement) on or before November 28, 2008 or
such later date as the Parties may agree
upon.
|
5.05
|
Effect of
Termination
|
Each
Party’s right of termination under Section 5.04 (but, for greater certainty, not pursuant to
Sections 5.04(a), (b),
(d) or (f)) is in
addition to any other rights it may have under this Agreement or otherwise, and
the exercise of a right of termination will not be an election of
remedies. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 5.04, all further obligations of the Parties under
this Agreement will terminate, except that the obligations in Sections 6.02(2) and 8.03 will
survive; provided, however, that if this Agreement is terminated by a Party
because of a material breach of a representation or warranty, covenant,
obligation or other provision of this Agreement by the other Party or because
one or more of the conditions to the terminating Party’s obligations under this
Agreement is not satisfied as a result of the other Party’s failure to comply
with its obligations under this Agreement, the terminating Party’s right to
pursue all legal remedies with respect to such breach will survive such
termination unimpaired.
5.06
|
Break-Up
Fee
|
If this
Agreement is terminated by the Purchaser pursuant to Section 5.04(e) and the Vendors are not in breach of any term
or condition of this Agreement and all of the conditions to closing set forth in
Section 5.01 have been satisfied, the Vendors
will be entitled to a break-up fee in the amount of $500,000 (the “Break-Up Fee”), which will be
paid to the Vendors by the Purchaser by certified cheque, bank draft or wire
transfer of immediately available funds within 5 Business Days from the date
that notice of termination was delivered. Without releasing or
modifying any liability or obligations of the Parties as may otherwise arise
hereunder, the Break-Up Fee will be paid to the Vendors as liquidated damages
and not as a penalty and will be the Vendors’ sole and exclusive remedy against
the Purchaser under this Agreement or otherwise as a direct result of such
termination. The Parties recognize that the estimation of damages to
the Vendors arising from such a termination of this Agreement would be difficult
to determine.
ARTICLE 6 - CLOSING
ARRANGEMENTS
6.01
|
Closing
|
The sale
and purchase of the Assets will be completed at the Time of Closing at the
offices of XxXxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, Suite 1300, 777 Dunsmuir Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia.
6.02
|
Deliveries and
Confidentiality
|
(1) At the
Time of Closing the Vendors will deliver to the Purchaser all of the documents
referred to in Section 5.01. The
Purchaser will preserve the documents so delivered for a period of six years
from the Closing Date, or for such other period as is required by any Applicable
Law, and will permit the Vendors and their authorized representatives reasonable
access thereto in connection with the affairs of the Vendors, but the Purchaser
will not be responsible or liable to the Vendors for or as a result of any loss
or destruction of or damage to any such documents.
(2) Both
prior to the Closing Date and, if the sale and purchase of the Assets hereunder
fails to occur for whatever reason, thereafter the Purchaser will not disclose
to anyone or use for its own or for any purpose other than the purpose
contemplated by this Agreement any confidential information concerning the
Vendors or the Purchased Business obtained by the Purchaser pursuant hereto,
will hold all such information in the strictest confidence and, if the sale and
purchase of the Assets hereunder fails to occur for whatever reason, will return
all documents, records and all other information or data relating to the Vendors
or to the Purchased Business which the Purchaser obtained pursuant to this
Agreement.
(3) From and
after the Closing Date the Vendors will not disclose to anyone or use for any
purpose any confidential information concerning the Purchased Business purchased
by the Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement and will hold all such information
in the strictest confidence.
6.03
|
Risk of
Loss
|
(1) Until the
Time of Closing the Assets will remain at the risk of the Vendors and the
Vendors will maintain the policies of insurance that are described in
Schedule 3.01(13)(e) in respect of loss or
damage to or any other casualty in respect of the Assets. In the
event of any loss, damage or Claim in respect of any risk for which insurance is
to be carried as aforesaid arising before the Time of Closing the Purchaser, as
an additional condition of closing, will be entitled to be satisfied that the
insurers have accepted the Claim of such Vendor for payment in accordance with
the terms of the policies. If material destruction or
damage occurs to the Assets on or before the Time of Closing or if any or all of
the Assets are appropriated, expropriated or seized by governmental or other
lawful authority on or before the Time of Closing, such Vendor will forthwith
give notice thereof to the Purchaser and the Purchaser will have the option,
exercisable by notice given within five Business Days of such Vendor giving the
notice of such destruction, damage, appropriation, expropriation or
seizure:
(a)
|
to
reduce the Purchase Price by an amount equal to the cost of repair and to
complete the purchase, provided the Vendors agree with the amount of
reduction, acting reasonably and that any proceeds of insurance or
condemnation awards or other compensation for such destruction, damage,
appropriation, expropriation or seizure shall be retained by the Vendors
and not sold to the Purchaser
hereunder;
|
(b)
|
to
complete the purchase without reduction of the Purchase Price, in which
event all proceeds of insurance or compensation for destruction or damage
or appropriation, expropriation or seizure will be payable to the
Purchaser and all Claims of the Vendors to any such amounts not paid by
the Closing Date will be assigned to the Purchaser;
or
|
(c)
|
to
terminate this Agreement and not complete the purchase if, in the opinion
of the Purchaser, such destruction, damage, appropriation, expropriation
or seizure is material and in such event the Vendors and the Purchaser
will be released from all obligations
hereunder.
|
(2) If any
Vendor gives notice pursuant to Section 6.03(1) within five Business Days prior to Closing
Date, the Closing Date will be postponed until five Business Days after the
giving of such notice by such Vendor.
(3) If the
Purchaser elects to reduce the Purchase Price pursuant to Section 6.03(1)(a), the Vendors and the Purchaser will at the
Time of Closing determine the amount of the reduction to the extent that it is
then determinable and will undertake to adjust such amount after the Closing
Date, if necessary.
ARTICLE 7 -
INDEMNIFICATION
7.01
|
Survival
|
All
covenants, representations and warranties of each Party contained in this
Agreement will survive the Closing and will continue in full force and effect,
subject to the provisions of this Article 7.
7.02
|
Indemnification by the
Vendors
|
(1) Subject
to the provisions of this Article 7, each
Vendor will indemnify and save harmless the Purchaser and the directors,
officers, employees and agents of the Purchaser (collectively, the “Purchaser Indemnitees”) from
and against all Claims asserted against and Losses incurred by any of them
directly or indirectly arising out of, resulting from or in connection
with:
(a)
|
any
inaccuracy or misrepresentation in any representation or warranty of the
Vendors in this Agreement;
|
(b)
|
any
breach of any covenant of the Vendors in this
Agreement;
|
(c)
|
the
special resolutions specified in Section 4.01(1)(k) not being
approved;
|
(d)
|
any
obligation or liability of the Vendors not assumed by the Purchaser as
contemplated in Section 2.09;
|
(e)
|
any
infringement, misuse, or misappropriation of the Owned IP disclosed on
Schedule 3.01(5)(n) or any claim that the
Owned IP infringes, misuses, or misappropriates the Intellectual Property
Rights of any third party, including any claims arising in respect U.S.
Patent Number 6,243,007 issued to XxXxxxxxxx et
al.;
|
(f)
|
any
Product Warranties;
|
(g)
|
any
Product Liability;
|
(h)
|
any
Recalls Liability;
|
(i)
|
any
Non-Transferring Employee;
|
(j)
|
the
matters described in Schedule 3.01(6)(d);
|
(k)
|
the
development contract with DSA listed on Schedule 3.01(5)(p);
and
|
(l)
|
the
factoring agreement dated on or about February 28, 2007 between SSI
and Interstate Capital Corporation.
|
(2) Notwithstanding
any of the other provisions of this Agreement, the Vendors will not be liable to
any Purchaser Indemnitee in respect of any Claim or Loss directly or indirectly
arising out of or resulting from any inaccuracy or misrepresentation in any
representation or warranty of the Vendors in this Agreement unless within 5
years after the Closing Date (i) notice of any Claim by the Purchaser against
the Vendors with respect thereto is given to the Vendors by the Purchaser, or
(ii) notice of any Claim by the Purchaser against any Vendor with respect
thereto is given to such Vendor by the Purchaser pursuant to Section 7.04, whether or not any Purchaser Indemnitee has
discovered or could have discovered such inaccuracy or misrepresentation before
such time but excluding any Claim or Loss arising out of or resulting from
either any inaccuracy or misrepresentation in Section 3.01(1) or any fraud by such Vendor whatsoever in
which case there will be no time limit for the Purchaser to make a Claim against
such Vendor with respect thereto.
7.03
|
Indemnification by the
Purchaser
|
(1) Subject
to the provisions of this Article 7, the
Purchaser will indemnify and save harmless each Vendor and the directors,
officers, employees and agents of the Vendors (collectively, the “Vendor Indemnitees”) from and
against all Claims asserted against and Losses incurred by any of them directly
or indirectly arising out of or resulting from:
(a)
|
any
inaccuracy or misrepresentation in any representation or warranty of the
Purchaser in this Agreement; and
|
(b)
|
any
breach of any covenant of the Purchaser in this
Agreement.
|
(2) Notwithstanding
any of the other provisions of this Agreement, the Purchaser will not be liable
to any Vendor Indemnitee in respect of any Claim or Loss directly or indirectly
arising out of or resulting from any inaccuracy or misrepresentation in any
representation or warranty of the Purchaser in this Agreement unless within 5
years after the Closing Date (i) notice of any Claim by such Vendor against the
Purchaser with respect thereto is given to the Purchaser by such Vendor, or (ii)
in the case of any Claim or Loss arising out of or resulting from a Third Party
Claim, notice of any Claim by such Vendor against the Purchaser with respect
thereto is given to the Purchaser by such Vendor pursuant to Section 7.04, whether or not any Vendor Indemnitee has
discovered or could have discovered such inaccuracy or misrepresentation before
such time but excluding any Claim or Loss arising out of or resulting from any
fraud by the Purchaser in which case there will be no time limit for such Vendor
to make a Claim against the Purchaser with respect thereto.
7.04
|
Third Party
Indemnification
|
(1) Promptly
after the assertion by any third party of any Third Party Claim (a “Third Party Proceeding”)
against any person entitled to indemnification under this Agreement (the “Indemnitee”) that results or
may result in the incurrence by such Indemnitee of any Claim or Loss for which
such Indemnitee would be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement,
such Indemnitee will promptly notify the Party from whom such indemnification is
or may be sought (the “Indemnitor”) of such Third
Party Proceeding. Such notice will also specify with reasonable
detail (to the extent the information is reasonably available) the factual basis
for the Third Party Proceeding, the amount of the Third Party Claim, or if such
amount is not then determinable, a reasonable estimate of the likely amount of
the Third Party Claim. The failure to promptly provide such notice
will not relieve the Indemnitor of any obligation to indemnify the Indemnitee,
except to the extent such failure prejudices the
Indemnitor. Thereupon, the Indemnitor will have the right, upon
written notice (the “Defence
Notice”) to the Indemnitee within 30 days after receipt by the Indemnitor
of notice of the Third Party Proceeding (or sooner if such Third Party
Proceeding so requires) to conduct, at its own expense, the defence against the
Third Party Proceeding in its own name or, if necessary, in the name of the
Indemnitee provided that: (a) the Indemnitor acknowledges and agrees in the
Defence Notice that as between the Indemnitor and the Indemnitee, it is liable
to pay for all Losses arising from or relating to such Third Party Proceeding
and (b) the Indemnitor provides to the Indemnitee adequate security (approved by
the Indemnitee acting reasonably) from time to time in respect of such
Losses. The Defence Notice will specify the counsel the Indemnitor
will appoint to defend such Third Party Proceeding (the “Defence Counsel”), and the
Indemnitee will have the right to approve the Defence Counsel, which approval
will not be unreasonably withheld. Any Indemnitee will have the right
to employ separate counsel in any Third Party Proceeding and/or to participate
in the defence thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel will not be
included as part of any Losses incurred by the Indemnitee unless (i) the
Indemnitor failed to give the Defence Notice, including the acknowledgement and
agreement to be set out therein within the prescribed period, (ii) such
Indemnitee has received an opinion of counsel, reasonably acceptable to the
Indemnitor, to the effect that the interests of the Indemnitee and the
Indemnitor with respect to the Third Party Proceeding are sufficiently adverse
to prohibit the representation by the same counsel of both Parties under
applicable ethical rules, or (iii) the employment of such counsel at the expense
of the Indemnitor has been specifically authorized by the
Indemnitor. The Party conducting the defence of any Third Party
Proceeding will keep the other Party apprised of all significant developments
and will not enter into any settlement, compromise or consent to judgment with
respect to such Third Party Proceeding unless the Indemnitor and the Indemnitee
consent, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld.
7.05
|
Adjustment to Purchase
Price
|
All
amounts payable by the Vendors to a Purchaser Indemnitee pursuant to Article 7 will be deemed to be a decrease to the
Purchase Price. All amounts payable by the Purchaser to a Vendor
Indemnitee pursuant to Article 7 will be
deemed to be an increase to the Purchase Price.
ARTICLE 8 -
GENERAL
8.01
|
Further
Assurances
|
Each of
the Vendors and the Purchaser will from time to time execute and deliver all
such further documents and instruments and do all acts and things as the other
Party may, either before or after the Closing Date, reasonably require to
effectively carry out or better evidence or perfect the full intent and meaning
of this Agreement.
8.02
|
Time of the
Essence
|
Time is
of the essence of this Agreement.
8.03
|
Fees and
Commissions
|
Each of
the Vendors and the Purchaser will pay its respective legal, accounting,
investment banking, brokerage, consulting and advisory costs and expenses
incurred in connection with the preparation, execution and delivery of this
Agreement and all documents and instruments executed pursuant to this Agreement
and any other costs and expenses whatsoever and howsoever incurred and will
indemnify and save harmless the other from and against any Claim for or Loss
resulting from any broker’s, finder’s or placement fee or commission alleged to
have been incurred as a result of any action by it in connection with the
transactions under this Agreement.
8.04
|
Public
Announcements
|
Except as
required by law or regulatory policy, no public announcement or press release
concerning the sale and purchase of the Assets may be made by the Vendors or the
Purchaser without the prior consent and joint approval of each Vendor and the
Purchaser, each acting reasonably. If any Party determines that it is
required by law or regulatory policy to make this Agreement, any document
contemplated herein or the terms of the transaction public or otherwise issue a
press release or make public disclosure with respect thereto, to the extent
permitted by Applicable Law it will, at a reasonable time before making any
public disclosure, consult with the other Party regarding such disclosure,
redact or seek such confidential treatment for such terms or portions of this
Agreement, any document contemplated herein or the transaction as may be
reasonably requested by the other Party and disclose only such information as is
legally compelled to be disclosed.
8.05
|
Benefit of the
Agreement
|
This
Agreement will enure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective heirs,
executors, administrators, other legal representatives, successors and permitted
assigns of the Parties.
8.06
|
Entire
Agreement
|
This
Agreement and the Vendors Disclosure Letter constitutes the entire agreement
between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and cancels and
supersedes any prior understandings and agreements between the Parties with
respect thereto, including the term sheet dated October 15, 2008, and the mutual
non-disclosure, non-circumvention and non-competition agreement between SSI and
Xxxxx-Bremse Systems für Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH dated January 12,
2007. There are no representations, warranties, terms, conditions,
undertakings or collateral agreements, express, implied or statutory, between
the Parties other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and the Vendors
Disclosure Letter.
8.07
|
Amendments and
Waivers
|
No
amendment to this Agreement will be valid or binding unless set forth in writing
and duly executed by both of the Parties. No waiver of any breach of
any provision of this Agreement will be effective or binding unless made in
writing and signed by the Party purporting to give the same and, unless
otherwise provided, will be limited to the specific breach waived.
8.08
|
Assignment
|
This
Agreement may not be assigned by any Vendor without the written consent of the
Purchaser but may be assigned in whole or in part by the Purchaser without the
consent of such Vendor to an Affiliate of the Purchaser provided that such
Affiliate enters into a written agreement with such Vendor to be bound by the
applicable provisions of this Agreement and provided that the Purchaser will
continue to be bound by all the obligations hereunder as if such assignment had
not occurred and perform such obligations to the extent that such Affiliate
fails to do so. Notwithstanding the above, the Vendors hereby confirm
to the Purchaser that the Vendors have collaterally assigned and granted a
security interest in their rights under this Agreement to YA
Global. In connection therewith the Vendors hereby direct that all
payments due to the Vendors hereunder (other than the $2,500,000 portion of the
Purchase Price being paid to the Escrow Agent pursuant to the Escrow Agreement)
will be made to YA Global (in accordance with YA Global’s written direction to
the Purchaser) to be applied in reduction of the Vendors’ obligations to YA
Global. It is acknowledged and agreed that the collateral
assignment/security interest granted to YA Global shall have no effect upon the
Purchaser’s set-off rights set forth or specified in Sections 2.02 and 2.03(4).
8.09
|
Notices
|
Any
demand, notice or other communication to be given in connection with this
Agreement must be given in writing and will be given by personal delivery, by
registered mail, by overnight courier service or by electronic means of
communication addressed to the recipient as follows:
To the
Vendors:
c/o
Riemer & Xxxxxxxxxx LLP
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx,
XX 00000
Direct
Fax: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxxx
with a
copy to
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx LLP
800 – 000
Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
X.X. X0X 0X0
Fax
No.: (000)
000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
To the
Purchaser and Purchaser’s Guarantor:
Bendix
Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
c/o 000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx,
Xxxx 00000
X.X.X.
Fax
No.: (000)
000-0000
Attention: General
Counsel
with a
copy to:
XxXxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx LLP
Suite
1300, 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx X0X0X0
Xxxxxx
Fax
No.: (000)
000-0000
Attention: Xxx
Xxxxxxx
or to
such other street address, individual or electronic communication number or
address as may be designated by notice given by either Party to the
other. Any demand, notice or other communication given by personal
delivery will be conclusively deemed to have been given on the day of actual
delivery thereof and, if given by registered mail, on the fourth Business Day
following the deposit thereof in the mail and, if given by overnight courier, on
the first Business Day following the delivery to the courier and, if given by
electronic communication, on the day of transmittal thereof if given during the
normal business hours of the recipient and on the Business Day during which such
normal business hours next occur if not given during such hours on any
day. If the Party giving any demand, notice or other communication
knows or ought reasonably to know of any difficulties with the postal system
that might affect the delivery of mail, any such demand, notice or other
communication may not be mailed but must be given by personal delivery or by
electronic communication.
8.10
|
Remedies
Cumulative
|
The right
and remedies of the Parties under this Agreement are cumulative and are in
addition to, and not in substitution for, any other rights and remedies
available at law or in equity or otherwise. No single or partial
exercise by a Party of any right or remedy precludes or otherwise affects the
exercise of any other right or remedy to which that Party may be
entitled.
8.11
|
No Third Party
Beneficiaries
|
Except as
provided in Sections 7.02, 7.03, 7.04 and 8.05, this Agreement is solely for the benefit
of
(a)
|
the
Vendors, and their heirs, executors, administrators, other legal
representatives, successors and permitted assigns, with respect to the
obligations of the Purchaser under this Agreement,
and
|
(b)
|
the
Purchaser, and its heirs, executors, administrators, other legal
representatives, successors and permitted assigns, with respect to the
obligations of the Vendors under this
Agreement
|
and this
Agreement will not be deemed to confer upon or give to any other person any
Claim or other right or remedy. The Vendors appoint the Purchaser as
the trustee for the Purchaser Indemnitees of the covenants of indemnification of
the Vendors with respect to such Purchaser Indemnitees as specified in this
Agreement and the Purchaser accepts such appointment. The Purchaser
appoints the Vendors as the trustee for the Vendor Indemnitees of the covenants
of indemnification of the Purchaser with respect to such Vendor Indemnitees
specified in this Agreement and the Vendors accept such
appointment.
8.12
|
Governing
Law
|
This
Agreement is governed by and will be construed in accordance with the laws of
the Province of British Columbia and the laws of Canada applicable
therein.
8.13
|
Attornment
|
For the
purpose of all legal proceedings this Agreement will be deemed to have been
performed in the Province of British Columbia and the courts of the Province of
British Columbia will have jurisdiction to entertain any action arising under
this Agreement. Each of the Vendors and the Purchaser attorns to the
jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of British Columbia.
8.14
|
Counterparts
|
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which will be
deemed to be an original and all of which taken together will be deemed to
constitute one and the same instrument.
8.15
|
Electronic
Execution
|
Delivery
of an executed signature page to this Agreement by any Party by electronic
transmission will be as effective as delivery of a manually executed copy of
this Agreement by such Party.
[Signature
Page Follows]
--
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF the Parties have executed this Agreement.
BENDIX
CVS CANADA INC.
|
||
Per:
|
/s/
Xxxxxx XxXxxxxx
|
|
BENDIX
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS LLC
|
||
Per:
|
/s/
Xxxxxx XxXxxxxx
|
|
Per:
|
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
Per:
|
||
SMARTIRE
TECHNOLOGIES INC.
|
||
Per:
|
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
Per:
|
||
SMARTIRE
USA, INC
|
||
Per:
|
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
Per:
|
||