AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER among LIVEPERSON, INC., SOHO ACQUISITION CORP., PROFICIENT SYSTEMS, INC., and GREGG FREISHTAT, AS SHAREHOLDERS’ REPRESENTATIVE Dated as of June 22, 2006
among
LIVEPERSON,
INC.,
SOHO
ACQUISITION CORP.,
PROFICIENT
SYSTEMS, INC.,
and
XXXXX
XXXXXXXXX, AS SHAREHOLDERS’
REPRESENTATIVE
Dated
as of June 22, 2006
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Page
I.
DEFINITIONS
|
2
|
SECTION
1.01. Certain Defined Terms
|
2
|
SECTION
1.02. Construction
|
11
|
II.
THE MERGER; CONVERSION OF SECURITIES
|
12
|
SECTION
2.01. The Merger; Effective Time of the Merger
|
12
|
SECTION
2.02. Closing
|
12
|
SECTION
2.03. Effect of the Merger; Articles of Incorporation; Bylaws; Directors
and Officers of Surviving Corporation
|
12
|
SECTION
2.04. Merger Consideration; Conversion of Company Preferred Stock
and
Cancellation of Company Common Stock
|
13
|
SECTION
2.05. Exchange Procedures.
|
18
|
SECTION
2.06. Dissenters Rights
|
18
|
SECTION
2.07. Fractional Shares
|
18
|
SECTION
2.08. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates
|
18
|
SECTION
2.09. Withholding Rights
|
19
|
SECTION
2.10. Stock Transfer Books
|
19
|
SECTION
2.11. Certain Adjustments
|
19
|
SECTION
2.12. Indemnity Escrow Fund
|
19
|
SECTION
2.13. Balance Sheet Escrow Fund
|
20
|
SECTION
2.14. Other Provisions Relating to Parent Common Stock
|
22
|
SECTION
2.15. Shareholders’ Representative
|
22
|
III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES AS TO THE COMPANY
|
23
|
SECTION
3.01. Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries
|
23
|
SECTION
3.02. Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
|
24
|
SECTION
3.03. Capitalization
|
24
|
SECTION
3.04. Authority Relative to this Agreement
|
24
|
SECTION
3.05. No Conflicts; Required Filings and Consents
|
25
|
SECTION
3.06. Permits; Compliance with Laws
|
26
|
SECTION
3.07. Financial Statements
|
26
|
SECTION
3.08. Absence of Certain Changes or Events
|
27
|
SECTION
3.09. Employee Matters
|
27
|
SECTION
3.10. Contracts
|
32
|
SECTION
3.11. Litigation
|
33
|
SECTION
3.12. Environmental Matters
|
33
|
SECTION
3.13. Intellectual Property
|
33
|
SECTION
3.14. Taxes
|
37
|
SECTION
3.15. Insurance
|
38
|
SECTION
3.16. Properties
|
39
|
SECTION
3.17. Affiliates
|
39
|
SECTION
3.18. Brokers
|
40
|
SECTION
3.19. Certain Business Practices
|
40
|
SECTION
3.20. Accounts Receivable
|
40
|
SECTION
3.21. Customers and Suppliers
|
40
|
SECTION
3.22. Grants, Incentives and Subsidies
|
40
|
SECTION
3.23. Bank Accounts
|
40
|
SECTION
3.24. Books and Records
|
40
|
SECTION
3.25. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act
|
40
|
SECTION
3.26. Representations Complete
|
41
|
IV.
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]
|
41
|
V.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT
|
41
|
SECTION
5.01. Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries
|
41
|
SECTION
5.02. Capitalization
|
41
|
SECTION
5.03. Authority Relative to this Agreement
|
42
|
SECTION
5.04. No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents
|
42
|
SECTION
5.05. SEC Filings; Financial Statements
|
42
|
SECTION
5.06. Absence of Certain Changes or Events
|
43
|
SECTION
5.07. Brokers
|
43
|
SECTION
5.08. Certain Tax Representations and Warranties.
|
43
|
SECTION
5.09. Representations Complete
|
44
|
VI.
COVENANTS
|
44
|
SECTION
6.01. Conduct of Business by the Company Pending the
Closing
|
44
|
SECTION
6.02. Notices of Certain Events
|
46
|
SECTION
6.03. Access to Information; Confidentiality
|
46
|
SECTION
6.04. No Solicitation of Transactions
|
47
|
SECTION
6.05. Further Action; Consents; Filings
|
47
|
SECTION
6.06. Certain Tax Matters
|
48
|
SECTION
6.07. Public Announcements
|
50
|
SECTION
6.08. Trading Restriction Agreement Legend
|
50
|
SECTION
6.09. Certain Covenants of Parent
|
50
|
SECTION
6.10. Certain Covenants of Company
|
50
|
VII.
STOCK MATTERS
|
50
|
SECTION
7.01. Required Registration
|
50
|
SECTION
7.02. Registration Procedures
|
51
|
SECTION
7.03. Transfer of Shares
|
54
|
SECTION
7.04. Restricted Securities, Stock Certificate Legend
|
55
|
SECTION
7.05. Reservation of Stock; Certain Adjustments
|
55
|
SECTION
7.06. No Shareholder Rights
|
56
|
SECTION
7.07. Compliance with Law or Stock Exchange
|
56
|
SECTION
7.08. Limitation on Resale
|
56
|
VIII.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
|
56
|
SECTION
8.01. Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of Each
Party
|
56
|
SECTION
8.02. Conditions Precedent to the Obligation of the Parent
|
56
|
SECTION
8.03. Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of the Company and
the
Shareholders
|
59
|
IX.
INDEMNIFICATION
|
59
|
SECTION
9.01. Survival of Representations and Warranties
|
59
|
SECTION
9.02. Tax Indemnity
|
60
|
SECTION
9.03. General Indemnity
|
60
|
SECTION
9.04. Conditions of Indemnification
|
61
|
SECTION
9.05. Threshold for Damages
|
62
|
SECTION
9.06. Escrow Funds
|
62
|
SECTION
9.07. Escrow Period
|
63
|
SECTION
9.08. Claims upon Escrow
|
63
|
SECTION
9.09. Objections to Claims
|
63
|
SECTION
9.10. Resolution of Conflicts; Arbitration
|
63
|
X.
TERMINATION AND ABANDONMENT
|
64
|
SECTION
10.01. Termination
|
64
|
SECTION
10.02. Procedure and Effect of Termination
|
65
|
XI.
MISCELLANEOUS
|
65
|
SECTION
11.01. Expenses, Etc.
|
65
|
SECTION
11.02. Notices
|
66
|
SECTION
11.03. Waivers
|
66
|
SECTION
11.04. Amendments, Supplements, Etc.
|
67
|
SECTION
11.05. Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction
|
67
|
SECTION
11.06. Waiver of Jury Trial
|
67
|
SECTION
11.07. Headings; Interpretation
|
67
|
SECTION
11.08. Counterparts
|
68
|
SECTION
11.09. Entire Agreement
|
68
|
SECTION
11.10. Binding Effect; Benefits
|
68
|
SECTION
11.11. Assignability
|
68
|
SECTION
11.12. Severability
|
68
|
EXHIBITS
|
|
Exhibit
A
|
Form
of Escrow Agreement
|
Exhibit
B
|
Form
of Opinion of Counsel to the Company
|
Exhibit
C
|
Form
of Trading Restriction Agreement
|
Exhibit
D
|
Form
of UK Minority Shareholder Consent and Waiver
|
Exhibit
E
|
Form
of UK Exchange Agreement
|
SCHEDULES
|
|
Schedule
I
|
List
of Shareholders, including Address and Number of Shares
Owned
|
Schedule
II
|
Contractual
Severance Waiver Employees
|
Schedule
III
|
Significant
Shareholders
|
ANNEXES
|
|
Annex
I
|
Company
Existing Customers
|
Annex
II
|
Company
Pipeline Customers
|
Annex
III
|
Company
Business Development Customers
|
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER,
dated
as of June 22, 2006 (the “Agreement”),
among
LIVEPERSON, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”);
SOHO
ACQUISITION CORP., a Georgia corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent
(“Merger
Sub”);
PROFICIENT SYSTEMS, INC., a Georgia corporation (the “Company”);
and
XXXXX XXXXXXXXX (the “Shareholders’
Representative”)
as
agent and attorney-in-fact for each shareholder of the Company, a complete
list
of whom is listed in Schedule
I
hereto
(individually, a “Shareholder”
and
collectively, the “Shareholders”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS,
the boards of directors of each of Parent, the Company and Merger Sub believe
it
is advisable, fair to and in the best interests of their respective corporations
and their stockholders that the Company and Merger Sub combine into a single
corporation through the statutory merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company
(the “Merger”)
and,
in furtherance thereof, have approved the Merger, this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby and the board of directors of the Company
has
determined to recommend that its shareholders adopt this agreement;
WHEREAS,
pursuant to the Merger, the Company Preferred Stock (as defined below) shall
be
converted into the right to receive cash and/or Parent Common Stock (as defined
below) in the amounts, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
herein;
WHEREAS,
Parent, Merger Sub, the Company and the Shareholders’ Representative desire to
make certain representations and warranties and other agreements in connection
with the Merger;
WHEREAS,
as a condition and inducement to Parent and Merger Sub entering into this
Agreement, each Contractual Severance Waiver Employee (as identified on
Schedule
II
hereto),
concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, shall sign
an
agreement, contingent upon the Closing, by which such employee agrees to
unconditionally waive any rights to severance payments he or she may have
pursuant to employment arrangements with the Company; and
WHEREAS,
as a condition and inducement to Parent and Merger Sub entering into this
Agreement, certain shareholders of the Company listed on Schedule
III
hereto
(the “Significant
Shareholders”),
concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, are entering
into trading restriction agreements in favor of Parent in the form of
Exhibit
C
hereto
(the “Trading
Restriction Agreement”),
dated
as of the date of this Agreement.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, covenants and representations
set
forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as
follows:
I.
DEFINITIONS
SECTION
1.01. Certain
Defined Terms. Unless
the context otherwise requires, the following terms, when used in this
Agreement, shall have the respective meanings specified below (such meanings
to
be equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of the terms
defined):
“Accounting
Referee”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Accredited
Holders”
means
Shareholders who are Accredited Investors.
“Accredited
Investor”
has the
meaning set forth in Rule 501(a) promulgated under the Securities
Act.
“Affiliate”
means,
with respect to any Person, any other Person that controls, is controlled by
or
is under common control with the first Person.
“Aggregate
Merger Consideration”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(a).
“Agreement”
has the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Assets”
means
all the properties, assets and contract rights (including, without limitation,
cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, office
furniture and furnishings, trade names, trademarks and patents, contracts,
agreements, licenses and real estate) of the Company, whether tangible or
intangible, real, personal or mixed.
“Balance
Sheet Escrow Fund”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.13.
“Balance
Sheet Certificate”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.13(b).
“Benefit
Plan”
means
any “employee benefit plan” as defined in ERISA Section 3(3), whether or
not subject to ERISA, and any other employment, consulting, severance, change
in
control, salary continuation, bonus, incentive, savings, insurance, retention,
retirement, deferred compensation, vacation, sick leave, sick pay, health,
medical, vision, disability, life, welfare benefit, stock purchase, stock
option, equity, fringe benefit or other compensatory plans, policies, agreements
or arrangements (whether written or unwritten, insured or self-insured, or
domestic or foreign) sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the Company
or
any Company Subsidiary on behalf of any employee, officer, director, shareholder
or service provider of the Company or any Company Subsidiary (whether current,
former or retired) or their beneficiaries or with respect to which the Company
or any Company Subsidiary has or could reasonably be expected to have any
obligation or liability.
“Blocked
Period”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 7.02(c).
“Business”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a).
2
“Business
Day”
means a
day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banks located in New
York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.
“Cash
and Cash Equivalents”
means
the amount of cash and cash equivalents, as reported on the Company’s financial
statements.
“Cash
and Cash Equivalents Shortfall”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.13(a).
“Cash
Equivalent Amount”
means
the number of shares of Parent Common Stock that would have been received by
such Shareholder, multiplied by the Closing Price.
“Certificate
of Merger”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.01.
“Certificates”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.05.
“Closing”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.02.
“Closing
Date”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.02.
“Closing
Price”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.07.
“Code”
means
the
United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended to the date of this
Agreement.
“Company”
has the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Company
Business Development Customers”
means
those prospective customers of the Company listed on Annex
III
hereto,
who enter into agreements with Parent by or through business development
partners of the Company, if such customers become actual clients of Parent
on or
before January 1, 2007, provided,
however,
that
companies that are, as of the date of this Agreement or as of the Closing Date,
existing customers of Parent or pipeline customers of Parent shall not be
included as Company Business Development Customers, and provided,
further,
that if
the prospective customer of the Company enters into an agreement with Parent
other than through the efforts of the business development partner, then such
customer will not be deemed to be a Company Business Development
Customer.
“Company
Common Stock”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.03.
“Company
Disclosure Schedule”
means
the disclosure schedule delivered by the Company to the Parent prior to the
execution of this Agreement and forming a part hereof.
“Company
Existing Customers”
means
those current customers of the Company listed on Annex
I
hereto,
assuming that, in March 2007, such customers (i) have a contract with Parent,
Company or any of their respective Affiliates, and such contract has, or had
from inception, a term of one year or more, or (ii) have been a customer of
Parent, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates for a period of at
least one year prior to April 1, 2007, or (iii) were customers of the
Company as of the Closing, but the contract was terminated by the customer
following such date due to a breach of their contract by Parent or Company
following the Closing.
3
“Company
Financial Statements”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.07(a).
“Company
Intellectual Property”
means
all Intellectual Property owned by either the Company or the Company Subsidiary
or used or held for use in connection with the Business.
“Company
Licensed Intellectual Property”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.13(b).
“Company
Material Adverse Effect”
means
any change in or effect on (i) the business of the Company that, individually
or
in the aggregate (taking into account all other such changes or effects), is,
or
is reasonably likely to be, materially adverse to the business, assets,
liabilities, financial condition or results of operations of the Company, or
(ii) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement
and any other Transaction Document to which it is a party or to consummate
the
Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other
Transaction Document to which it is a party.
“Company
Options”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(f).
“Company
Option Plans”
means
the Proficient Systems, Inc. Stock Option Plan, the Proficient Systems, Inc.
Management Stock Incentive Plan and the Proficient Systems, Inc. Nonemployee
Director Stock Option Plan, each as in effect as of the date
hereof.
“Company
Permits”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.06.
“Company
Pipeline Customers”
means
those prospective customers of the Company listed on Annex
II
hereto,
if such customers become actual clients of Parent on or before January 1,
2007.
“Company
Preferred Stock”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.03.
“Company
Software Programs”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.13(g).
“Company
Subsidiary”
and
“Company
Subsidiaries”
have the
meaning set forth in Section 3.01(b).
“Company
Warrants”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(g).
“Company’s
Third Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation”
means
the articles of incorporation of the Company, as in effect at the time of the
Closing.
“Competing
Transaction”
means
any of the following involving the Company (other than the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement):
4
(i) any
merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination or other similar
transaction;
(ii) any
sale,
lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition of 20% or
more
of the Assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in a single
transaction or series of transactions;
(iii) any
Person having acquired beneficial ownership or the right to acquire beneficial
ownership of, or any “group” (as such term is defined under Section 13(d)
of the Exchange Act) having been formed that beneficially owns or has the right
to acquire beneficial ownership of, 20% or more of the outstanding voting
securities of the Company; or
(iv) any
public announcement of a proposal, plan or intention to do any of the foregoing
or any agreement to engage in any of the foregoing.
“Confidentiality
Agreement”
means
the confidentiality agreement dated May 2, 2006 between the Parent and the
Company.
“Contracts”
means,
with respect to any Person, all agreements, undertakings, contracts,
obligations, arrangements, promises, understandings and commitments (whether
written or oral and whether express or implied) to which such Person is a
party.
“Contractual
Severance Waiver Employee”
means
those employees of the Company listed on Schedule
II
hereto.
“Damages”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 9.03.
“Defaulting
Party”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 10.01(b).
“Dissenting
Shares”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.06.
“$”
means
United States Dollars.
“Earn-Out
Closing”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Earn-Out
Dispute Notice”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Earn-Out
Merger Consideration”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(a).
“Earn-Out
Notice”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Earn-Out
Payment”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Earn-Out
Payment Date”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Effective
Time”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.01.
5
“Environmental
Law”
means
any Law and any enforceable judicial or administrative interpretation thereof,
including any judicial or administrative order, consent decree or judgment,
relating to pollution or protection of the environment or natural resources,
including, without limitation, those relating to the use, handling,
transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge of Hazardous
Material, as in effect as of the date hereof.
“Environmental
Permit”
means
any permit, approval, identification number, license or other authorization
required under or issued pursuant to any applicable Environmental
Law.
“ERISA”
means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Escrow
Agent”
means
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
“Escrow
Agreement”
means
the Escrow Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
A
to be
entered into as of the Closing among the Parent, the Shareholders and the Escrow
Agent.
“Exchange
Act”
means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, together with the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Excluded
License”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.13(n).
“Expenses”
means,
with respect to any party hereto, all out-of-pocket expenses (including, without
limitation, all fees and expenses of counsel, accountants, investment bankers,
experts and consultants to a party hereto and its Affiliates) incurred by such
party or on its behalf in connection with or related to the authorization,
preparation, negotiation, execution and performance of its obligations pursuant
to this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by
this
Agreement, and all other matters related to the transactions contemplated
hereby.
“Foreign
Benefit Plan”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.09(s).
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as
in
effect as of the date hereof, and as consistently applied by Parent or the
Company, as appropriate in the circumstances.
“GBCC”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.01.
“Governmental
Entity”
means
any United States Federal, state or local or any foreign governmental,
regulatory or administrative authority, agency or commission or any court,
tribunal or arbitral body.
“Governmental
Order”
means
any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, stipulation, determination or
award entered by or with any Governmental Entity.
“Grants”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.22.
6
“Hazardous
Material”
means
(i) any petroleum, petroleum products, by-products or breakdown products,
radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials or polychlorinated
biphenyls or (ii) any chemical, material or substance defined or regulated
as
toxic or hazardous or as a pollutant or contaminant or waste under any
applicable Environmental Law.
“Indemnity
Escrow Fund”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.12.
“Indemnity
Escrow Period”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 9.07.
“Initial
Merger Consideration”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(a).
“Intellectual
Property”
means
any of the following, anywhere in the world: (a) trade
secrets, inventions, know-how and processes, (b) patents (including all
reissues, divisions, continuations and extensions thereof) and patent
applications, utility models and design rights (c) trademarks, trademark
registrations, trademark applications, service marks, service xxxx registrations
and service xxxx applications, (d) copyright registrations and copyright
applications, and (e) Internet domain names applications and reservations
therefor, uniform resource locators and the corresponding Internet sites; (f)
proprietary information not otherwise listed in (a) through (e) above,
including, without limitation, moral and economic rights of authors and
inventors (however denominated), confidential information, technical data,
statistical models, customer lists, corporate and business names, trade names,
trade dress, brand names, logos, know-how, show-how, formulae, methods (whether
or not patentable), invention disclosures, designs, processes, procedures,
technology, source codes, object codes, computer software programs, databases,
data collections and other proprietary information or material of any type,
and
all derivatives, improvements and refinements thereof, howsoever recorded,
or
unrecorded; (g) any good will associated with any of the foregoing; (h) all
copies and tangible embodiments thereof (in whatever form or medium), and
registrations, applications and renewals for any of the foregoing assets listed
above; and (i) all other tangible or intangible proprietary information or
materials that are material to the Company’s Business or are currently used in
the Company’s Business in any product, technology or process (1) currently being
or formerly manufactured, published or marketed by the Company or (2) previously
or currently under development for possible future manufacturing, publication,
marketing or other use by the Company.
“IRS”
means
the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“June
30, 2006 Balance Sheet”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.13(b).
“Knowledge”
and
words of similar import mean, with respect to the Company, the actual knowledge,
after due inquiry, of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx XxXxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, and, with respect to Parent, the actual knowledge, after due inquiry,
of
Xxxxxx XxXxxxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx.
“Law”
means
any Federal, state, foreign or local statute, law, ordinance, regulation, rule,
code, order, judgment, decree, other requirement or rule of law of the United
States or any other jurisdiction, and any other similar act or law.
7
“Liability”
means
any and all claims, debts, liabilities, obligations and commitments of whatever
nature, whether asserted or reasonably expected to be asserted, fixed, absolute
or contingent, matured or unmatured, accrued or unaccrued, liquidated or
unliquidated or due or to become due, and whenever or however arising (including
those arising out of any Contract or tort, whether based on negligence, strict
liability or otherwise) regardless of whether the same would be required by
GAAP
to be reflected as a liability in financial statements or disclosed in the
notes
thereto.
“License
Agreement”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.13(b).
“Lien”
means
any charge, claim, community property interest, condition, easement, covenant,
contract, commitment, warrant, demand, encumbrance, equitable interest, lien,
mortgage, option, purchase right, pledge, security interest, right of first
refusal, or other rights of third parties or restriction of any kind, including
without limitation any restriction on use, voting, transfer, receipt of income,
or exercise of any other attribute of ownership.
“Liquidation
Preference”
means
the amount that a holder of a share of capital stock of the Company would be
entitled to receive upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up under Article
IV, Section 2 of the Company’s Third Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation.
“Material
Contract”
and
“Material
Contracts”
have the
meaning set forth in Section 3.10.
“Merger”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.01.
“Merger
Sub”
has the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Net
Annualized Revenue”
shall
equal 12 times the Normalized March 2007 Revenue.
“Net
Assets”
means
total assets minus total liabilities, as calculated under GAAP, and calculated
in accordance with past practice.
“Net
Assets Shortfall”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.13(a).
“Non-Accredited
Shareholders”
means
those Shareholders that are not Accredited Holders.
“Non-Accredited
Shareholders’ Consideration”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(d).
“Normalized
March 2007 Revenue”
means
Normalized Monthly Revenue for March 2007.
“Normalized
Monthly Revenue”
for any
given month means (A) the monthly recurring revenue which Parent books as
revenue in that month, according to GAAP, generated from Company Existing
Customers, Company Business Development Customers and Company Pipeline Customers
(which explicitly excludes (X) any one-time or non-recurring revenues such
as
testing or training fees and (Y) any revenue booked by Parent from Company
Existing Customers, Company Business Development Customers or Company Pipeline
Customers that have indicated to Parent in writing that they intend to cancel
their contract and (Z) any revenue recognized by Parent in connection with
the
provision of professional services (unless such professional services fees
are
ongoing rather than one-time in nature)), plus (B) one-half of the monthly
recurring revenue which Parent books as revenue in that month, according to
GAAP, generated by Company Business Development Customers or Company Pipeline
Customers that are on a 90-day paid trial contract, plus (C) the monthly
recurring revenue which Parent books as revenue in that month, according to
GAAP, generated from the customer, if any, of Parent that is listed on Annex
II
next to the phrase “(the least of any of the four)” that generates the least
amount of revenue for Parent in that month, plus (D) the most recent full
month’s revenue of any Company Existing Customer that terminated their contract
following the Closing due to a material breach of their contract and where
such
contract termination was specifically due to such breach.
8
“Officer’s
Certificate”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 9.08.
“Organizational
Documents”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 3.02.
“Parent”
has the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Parent
Common Stock”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(a).
“Parent
Indemnified Group”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 9.02(a).
“Parent
Material Adverse Effect”
means
any change in or effect on the business of the Parent that, individually or
in
the aggregate (taking into account all other such changes or effects), is,
or is
reasonably likely to be, materially adverse to (i) the business, assets,
liabilities, financial condition or results of operations of the Parent, or
(ii)
the ability of the Parent to perform its obligations under this Agreement and
any other Transaction Document to which it is a party or to consummate the
Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other
Transaction Document to which it is a party.
“Parent
SEC Documents”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 5.05(a).
“Parent
Subsidiaries”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 5.01.
“Person”
means an
individual, corporation, partnership, private company, limited partnership,
limited liability company, limited liability partnership, syndicate, person
(including, without limitation, a “person” as defined in Section 13(d)(3)
of the Exchange Act), trust, association, entity or government or political
subdivision, agency or instrumentality of a government.
“Record
Date”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.10.
“Representatives”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 6.03.
9
“Re-Sale
Registration Statement”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 7.01.
“Review
Period”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Rule
144”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 7.01.
“Securities
Act”
means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“SEC”
means
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Senior
Secured Promissory Notes”
means
the Company’s Senior Secured Promissory Notes, dated December 30, 2005 and
February 3, 2006, in the aggregate principal amount of $2,500,000.
“Senior
Secured Promissory Notes Repayment Amount”
means
the number of shares of Parent Common Stock (valued at the Closing Price) equal
to the aggregate principal and accrued interest (determined as of August 31,
2006) under the Company’s Senior Secured Promissory Notes, in the aggregate
principal amount of $2,500,000.
“Senior
Unsecured Promissory Notes”
means
the Company’s outstanding Senior Unsecured Promissory Notes, to be issued
following the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, in an
aggregate principal amount not to exceed $500,000.
“Senior
Unsecured Promissory Notes Repayment Amount”
means an
amount not to exceed $600,000.
“Shareholder”
and
“Shareholders”
have the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Shareholders’
Representative”
has the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto and in Section 2.15(a).
“Shareholders’
Representative Certificate”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.05.
“Shares”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 7.01.
“Significant
Shareholders”
has the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Subsidiary”
means,
with respect to any Person, any corporation, private company, partnership,
limited partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership,
joint venture or other legal entity of which such Person (either alone or
through or together with any other subsidiary of such Person) owns, directly
or
indirectly, a majority of the stock or other equity interests.
“Supporting
Documentation”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
“Surviving
Corporation”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.03.
10
“Suspension
Event”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 7.02(d).
“Tax”
or
“Taxes”
means
(i) any and all taxes, fees, levies, duties, tariffs, imposts and other
charges of any kind (together with any and all interest, penalties, additions
to
tax and additional amounts imposed with respect thereto) imposed by any
Governmental Entity or taxing authority, including, without limitation, taxes
or
other charges on or with respect to income, franchise, windfall or other
profits, gross receipts, property, sales, use, capital stock, payroll,
employment, social security, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation or
net worth; taxes or other charges in the nature of excise, withholding, ad
valorem, stamp, transfer, value-added or gains taxes; license, registration
and
documentation fees; and customs duties, tariffs and similar charges; and any
obligation to report or pay other unclaimed or abandoned funds or property;
(ii) any liability for the payment of any amounts of the type described in
(i) as a result of being a member of an affiliated, combined, consolidated
or
unitary group for any taxable period; and (iii) any liability for the
payment of amounts of the type described in (i) or (ii) as a result of being
a
transferee of, or a successor in interest to, any Person or as a result of
an
express or implied obligation to indemnify any Person.
“Tax
Return”
means
any return, statement or form (including, without limitation, any estimated
tax
reports or return, withholding tax reports or return and information report
or
return) required to be filed with respect to any Taxes.
“Terminating
Company Breach”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 10.01(c).
“Terminating
Parent Breach”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 10.01(d).
“Threshold
Amount”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 9.05.
“Trading
Restriction Agreement”
has the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Transaction
Documents”
means,
collectively, this Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Trading Restriction
Agreements, the UK Minority Shareholder Consent and Waiver and the UK Exchange
Agreement.
“UK
Minority Shareholders”
means
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx and Xxxx Xxxxxxxx.
“Underpayment
Amount”
has the
meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b).
SECTION
1.02. Construction.
For the
purposes of this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or
unless the context otherwise requires: (a) words using the singular or
plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively, and
the
use of any gender herein shall be deemed to include the other genders;
(b) references herein to “Articles,” “Sections,” “subsections” and other
subdivisions, and to Exhibits, Schedules, Annexes and other attachments, without
reference to a document are to the specified Articles, Sections, subsections
and
other subdivisions of, and Exhibits, Schedules, Annexes and other attachments
to, this Agreement; (c) a reference to a subsection or other subdivision
without further reference to a Section is a reference to such subsection or
subdivision as contained in the same Section in which the reference appears;
(d) the words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder”, “hereby” and other words of
similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular
provision; (e) the words “include”, “includes” and “including” are deemed
to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”; and (f) all accounting
terms used and not defined herein have the respective meanings given to them
under GAAP.
11
II.
THE
MERGER; CONVERSION OF SECURITIES
SECTION
2.01. The
Merger; Effective Time of the Merger.
Subject
to the provisions of this Agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with and into
Company (the “Merger”).
At
the Closing (defined below), the Company and Merger Sub will cause a Certificate
of Merger (the “Certificate
of Merger”)
to be
completed, executed, acknowledged and filed with the Secretary of State of
the
State of Georgia as provided in Section 14-2-1105(b) and Section 14-2-1105.1
of
the Georgia Business Corporation Code, as amended (the “GBCC”).
The
Merger shall be effective at the time when the Certificate of Merger has been
duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Georgia or such other
time as shall be agreed upon by the parties hereto in writing and set forth
in
the Certificate of Merger in accordance with the GBCC (the “Effective
Time”).
Solely for purposes of clarification, Company and the Shareholders’
Representative acknowledge and agree that Parent will have no obligation to
make
any payment pursuant to this Agreement until the Merger has been confirmed
in
writing by the Secretary of State of the State of Georgia.
SECTION
2.02. Closing.
The
closing of the Merger (the “Closing”)
shall
take place as soon as practicable but no later than the third Business Day
after
satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VIII (the
“Closing
Date”),
at
the offices of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, XX, Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000, unless another date or place is agreed to in writing by the
parties hereto.
SECTION
2.03. Effect
of the Merger; Articles of Incorporation; Bylaws; Directors and Officers of
Surviving Corporation.
At
the
Effective Time, (i) the separate existence of Merger Sub shall cease and Merger
Sub shall be merged with and into Company and Company shall continue as the
surviving corporation and as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (subsequent
to
the Merger, Company is sometimes referred to herein as the “Surviving
Corporation”),
(ii)
the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of Merger Sub as in effect
immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the Articles of Incorporation
and the Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation, until thereafter amended as
provided by Law and such Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; provided, however,
that Article 1 of the Articles of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation
shall be amended to read as follows: “The name of the corporation is Proficient
Systems, Inc. (the “Corporation”).”;
(iii) the directors and officers of Merger Sub immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall be the directors and officers of the Surviving Corporation
in each case until their respective successors shall have been duly elected,
designated, or qualified or until their earlier death, resignation, or removal
in accordance with the Surviving Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws, and (iv) the Merger shall, from and after the Effective Time, have
all
the effects provided by the GBCC.
12
SECTION
2.04. Merger
Consideration; Conversion of Company Preferred Stock and Cancellation of Company
Common Stock
(a) Merger
Consideration.
Subject
to adjustment as set forth in Section 2.13(f) below, the aggregate consideration
to be paid by Parent and Merger Sub hereunder shall consist of (A) (i) that
number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Parent
(“Parent
Common Stock”)
to be
issued at the Closing, equal to 1,500,000 shares minus
(ii) a
number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the Senior Secured Promissory
Notes Repayment Amount divided by
the
Closing Price, minus
(iii) a
number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the Senior Unsecured Promissory
Note Repayment Amount divided by
the
Closing Price, minus
(iv)
that number of shares of Parent Common Stock that constitutes the Balance Sheet
Escrow Fund (as defined below), and minus
(v) that
number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the Non-Accredited
Shareholders’ Consideration (as defined below) divided by
the
Closing Price ((i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) are collectively referred to
herein as the “Initial
Merger Consideration”),
and
(B) up to 2,050,000 shares of Parent Common Stock to be paid at the Earn-Out
Closing (as defined below) in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.04(b)
below (the “Earn-Out
Merger Consideration”),
(C) 500,000 shares of Parent Common Stock which shall be deposited at the
Closing into the Indemnity Escrow Fund (as defined and more fully described
in
Section 2.12 below) and (D) the Non-Accredited Shareholders’ Consideration. The
Initial Merger Consideration, the Earn-Out Merger Consideration, the shares
held
in the Indemnity Escrow Fund, the Non-Accredited Shareholders’ Consideration (as
defined below) and any adjustment to the Initial Merger Consideration
necessitated by Section 2.13 (the Balance Sheet adjustment) shall collectively
be referred to as the “Aggregate
Merger Consideration”.
Each
share of Company Preferred Stock and Company Common Stock issued and outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding Dissenting Shares (as defined
below), treasury stock and those owned by any wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Company) and all rights in respect thereof shall automatically be canceled
and
retired and shall forthwith cease to exist, and each holder of a certificate
which immediately prior to the Effective Time represented any such shares of
Company Preferred Stock or Company Common Stock shall cease to have any rights
with respect thereto, except the right to receive a portion of the Aggregate
Merger Consideration as provided in Sections 2.04(d), 2.04(e), 2.04(f) and
2.04(g) below.
(b) Earn-Out
Merger Consideration.
(i) As
part
of the Aggregate Merger Consideration, the Shareholders may be entitled to
receive up to 2,050,000 shares of Parent Common Stock (the “Earn-Out
Payment”),
subject, however, to all of the terms and conditions of this Section 2.04(b).
Specifically, the Shareholders may be entitled to receive, at the Earn-Out
Closing (as defined below), (I) up to 2,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock,
based upon the following formula: (W) 0.93 shares of Parent Common Stock for
each $1.00 of Net Annualized Revenue (as more fully described below), less
(X)
2,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock, but (Y) in the event that the foregoing
calculation results in a negative number, no additional shares of Aggregate
Merger Consideration shall be payable as set forth in an Earn-Out Notice (as
more fully described below), and (Z) in the event that the foregoing calculation
results in a figure in excess of 2,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock, only
2,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock shall be payable under this section;
and
(II) an additional 50,000 shares of the Aggregate Merger Consideration shall
be
payable to the Shareholders in the event that Net Annualized Revenue equals
or
exceeds $4,500,000.
13
(ii) The
certificates for the Earn-Out Merger Consideration shall be delivered to the
Shareholders, c/o the Shareholders’ Representative, at a closing (the
“Earn-Out
Closing”)
to
occur on a date not later than May 15, 2007 (the “Earn-Out
Payment Date”),
subject to the provisions of Section 2.04(b)(vi) below. The amount of any
Earn-Out Payment calculated pursuant to this Section 2.04(b) shall be rounded
up
to the nearest whole share of Common Stock. The Earn-Out Payment shall be
subject to the provisions of Article VII hereunder. At Parent’s sole option, any
Earn-Out Payment may be made on a date prior to the Earn-Out Payment
Date.
(iii) On
or
before the Earn-Out Payment Date, Parent shall deliver to the Shareholders’
Representative a memorandum (the “Earn-Out
Notice”)
in
substantially the form attached as Section 2.04(d) hereto, specifying in
reasonable detail (i) the calculation of Net Annualized Revenue, and (ii) the
amount of the Earn-Out Payment, if any, due to the Shareholders.
(iv) During
a
period beginning on the Earn-Out Payment Date and ending two months thereafter
(the “Review
Period”),
the
Shareholders’ Representative shall have the right to request and promptly
receive all documentation and records used in, or that reasonably should have
been considered for use in, the preparation of any Earn-Out Notice, including,
but not limited to, copies of all contracts with Company Existing Customers,
Company Business Development Customers and Company Pipeline Customers and
related agreements, documentation and payments to Parent, Company or any of
their respective Affiliates (“Supporting
Documentation”).
(v) At
any
time during the Review Period, the Shareholders’ Representative shall have the
right to object in writing to any item (or any calculation thereof) on the
Earn-Out Notice (an “Earn-Out
Dispute Notice”).
If
the Shareholders’ Representative delivers an Earn-Out Dispute Notice to Parent,
the Shareholders’ Representative and Parent shall first endeavor to resolve the
dispute between themselves. If the Shareholders’ Representative and Parent are
unable to resolve the dispute within fifteen (15) Business Days of delivery
of
the Earn-Out Dispute Notice to Parent, the dispute shall be submitted to a
firm
of regionally or nationally recognized certified public accountants, or other
party acceptable to both parties (an “Accounting
Referee”).
If
the parties cannot agree upon the Accounting Referee within ten (10) calendar
days of the conclusion of the foregoing 15 Business Day period, each party
shall
have the right to petition courts within the State of New York, County of New
York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
to so appoint an Accounting Referee. The Accounting Referee shall use its best
efforts to resolve the dispute within thirty (30) calendar days of the date
such
matter was submitted to it. The fees and expenses of the Accounting Referee
shall be paid by the party against whom the Accounting Referee substantially
rules. In the event that the Accounting Referee determines that an Earn-Out
Payment was underpaid by Parent, Parent shall pay to the Shareholders, within
five (5) Business Days of receipt of written notice of such determination
from the Accounting Referee, the amount of such determined underpayment (the
“Underpayment
Amount”).
In
the event that the Accounting Referee determines that an Earn-Out Payment was
overpaid by Buyer, the Shareholders who receive Parent Common Stock shall refund
to Parent, within five (5) Business Days of receipt of written notice of such
determination from the Accounting Referee, an amount of cash equal to (x) the
number of shares subject to the overpayment of an Earn-Out Payment, multiplied
by (y) the Closing Price.
14
(vi) Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Shareholders’ Representative
delivers an Earn-Out Dispute Notice to Parent pursuant to the provisions of
Section 2.04(b)(v), then the Earn-Out Payment Date shall be postponed until
such
time as there is definitive resolution of such dispute.
(vii) Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, simultaneously with a change of
control of Parent or the Company after the Effective Time, the Shareholders
shall be paid in shares of Parent Common Stock as follows: if the Normalized
Monthly Revenue for the month immediately prior to the change of control of
Parent or the Company equals or exceeds $300,000, then, 2,000,000 shares of
Parent Common Stock shall be paid to the Shareholders contemporaneously with
the
closing of the transaction by which a change of control of Parent or the Company
occurs.
(c) Merger
Sub Common Stock.
At the
Effective Time and on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement,
each share of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Merger Sub issued
and
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, by virtue of the
Merger and without any action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub, or the Company,
be converted into one (1) validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share
of
common stock of the Surviving Corporation, with the same rights, powers and
privileges as the shares so converted and, immediately after the Effective
Time,
shall constitute the only outstanding shares of capital stock of the Surviving
Corporation. Each stock certificate of Merger Sub evidencing ownership of any
such shares shall remain outstanding and evidence ownership of shares of
Surviving Corporation Common Stock.
(d) Company
Preferred Stock.
(i) At
the
Effective Time and on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement,
(A) each share of Series C Preferred Stock of the Company issued and outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Dissenting Shares and shares
held by Non-Accredited Shareholders) shall, by virtue of the Merger and without
any action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub, or the Company, be converted
into
the right to receive a portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration having
a
value (assuming a value of the Parent Common Stock equal to the Closing Price)
equal to its applicable Liquidation Preference; (B) each share of Series B
Preferred Stock of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to
the
Effective Time (other than Dissenting Shares and shares held by Non-Accredited
Shareholders) shall, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the
part
of Parent, Merger Sub, or the Company, be converted into the right to receive
a
portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration having a value (assuming a value
of the Parent Common Stock equal to the Closing Price) equal to its applicable
Liquidation Preference (as set forth in the Company’s Third Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation); and (C) each share of Series A Preferred Stock
of
the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time
(other than Dissenting Shares and shares held by Non-Accredited Shareholders)
shall, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of Parent,
Merger Sub or the Company, be converted into the right to receive a portion
of
the Aggregate Merger Consideration having a value (assuming a value of the
Parent Common Stock equal to the Closing Price) equal to its applicable
Liquidation Preference (as set forth in the Company’s Third Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation).
15
(ii) (A)
At
the Effective Time and on the terms and subject to the conditions of this
Agreement, the Non-Accredited Shareholders shall receive their pro rata portion
of the Initial Merger Consideration, as more fully described in the following
sentence, to be paid in the Cash Equivalent Amount of the number of shares
of
Parent Common Stock such holders would have received if they were Accredited
Holders and (B) at the Earn-Out Payment Date and on the terms and subject to
the
conditions of this Agreement, the Non-Accredited Shareholders shall receive
their pro rata portion of the Earn-Out Payment, as more fully described in
the
following sentence, to be paid in the Cash Equivalent Amount of the number
of
shares of Parent Common Stock such holders would have received if they were
Accredited Holders (collectively, the “Non-Accredited
Shareholders’ Consideration”).
The
Non-Accredited Shareholders’ Consideration shall be allocated ratably among the
Non-Accredited Shareholders in accordance with the Liquidation Preference of
the
shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock of the Company
held by each Non-Accredited Shareholder immediately prior to the Effective
Time.
(e) Company
Common Stock.
At the
Effective Time and on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement,
each share of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior
to
the Effective Time (other than Dissenting Shares) shall, by virtue of the Merger
and without any action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub, or the Company, be
cancelled and shall be converted into the right to receive a portion of the
Aggregate Merger Consideration having a value (assuming a value of the Parent
Common Stock equal to the Closing Price) equal to its applicable Liquidation
Preference (as set forth in the Company’s Third Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation).
(f) Company
Options.
At
least 16 days prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall take, subject
to
and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable Company Stock
Option Plans and award agreements, all actions necessary to fully vest each
outstanding option to purchase shares of Company Common Stock under any Company
Stock Option Plan (the “Company
Options”),
and
provide appropriate notice to the holders of Company Options informing them
that
(i) all of their Company Options are fully vested, and (ii) their
Company Options will all terminate if not exercised within 15 days following
the
date of the notice. Upon termination of the Company Options in accordance with
the foregoing, the holders thereof shall cease to have any rights with respect
thereto and shall not be entitled to receive any portion of the Aggregate Merger
Consideration. The Company shall take all actions necessary to ensure that
there
are no outstanding options immediately prior to the Effective Time, including,
without limitation, obtaining waivers from holders of Company Options and from
holders of options granted by the Company outside of the Company Stock Option
Plans whose options do not include the notice provision described in this
Section 2.04(f). The provisions of this Section 2.04(f) shall be contingent
upon the consummation of the Merger and shall be null and void in the event
that
the Merger is not consummated.
16
(g) Company
Warrants.
At the
Effective Time, all warrants to purchase Company Capital Stock issued and
outstanding at such time (the “Company
Warrants”)
shall,
by
virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub,
or the Company, be cancelled and shall not be entitled to receive any amount
from the Aggregate Merger Consideration or otherwise.
(h) Treasury
Stock.
At the
Effective Time, each share of Company Preferred Stock and Company Common Stock
held by the Company in its treasury shall be cancelled and extinguished without
any conversion thereof.
(i) Company
Capitalization Schedules.
On the
Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to Parent and Merger Sub separate
schedules reflecting (i) a true and complete list of record holders of the
issued and outstanding Company Preferred Stock, (ii) a true and complete list
of
record holders of the issued and outstanding Company Common Stock (iii) a true
and complete list of record holders of the Company Options, and (iv) a true
and
complete list of record holders of the Company Warrants.
(j) Maximum
Consideration to be Paid.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in no
event shall Parent, Merger Sub or any Affiliate of Parent be required to pay
to
any and all holders of the capital stock and other equity interests (if any)
of
the Company, and all holders of all securities or other instruments that are
convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, capital stock or other
equity interests (if any) of the Company any amount in excess of an aggregate
of
(A) 4,050,000 less the number of shares of Parent Common Stock that would have
been paid to the Non-Accredited Shareholders were such Non-Accredited
Shareholders not paid the Cash Equivalent Amount of the Initial Merger
Consideration and the Cash Equivalent Amount of the Earn-Out Payment, and
(B) the Cash Equivalent Amount of the Initial Merger Consideration and the
Cash Equivalent Amount of the Earn-Out Payment to be paid to the Non-Accredited
Shareholders. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event
of
any breach of the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in
Section 3.03 of this Agreement, whether such breach is as a result of any
misstatement or omission in respect of the information set forth in Section 3.03
of the Company Disclosure Schedule or otherwise, the portion of the Aggregate
Merger Consideration to be paid to each such holder under this Agreement shall
be automatically equitably adjusted among the Shareholders to accurately reflect
the capitalization of the Company as of the Effective Time.
17
SECTION
2.05. Exchange
Procedures.
(a) As
soon
as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time (but in no event later than
5
days following the Effective Time), the Surviving Corporation shall cause Parent
to mail (i) to each holder of a certificate or certificates which immediately
prior to the Effective Time represented outstanding shares of Company Preferred
Stock (the “Certificates”)
(A) a
letter of transmittal, in customary form, which shall specify that delivery
shall be effective only upon delivery of the Certificates to Parent and that
risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall remain with the Shareholder
until such delivery, and (B) instructions for effecting the surrender of such
Certificates in exchange for a portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration.
Upon surrender of a Certificate and/or letter of transmittal (or other
documentation in compliance with Section 2.08 hereof), as applicable, to Parent
together, with respect to holders of Certificates, with such letter of
transmittal, duly executed and completed in accordance with the instructions
thereto, and such other documents as may reasonably be required by Parent,
the
shareholder delivering such documents shall be entitled to receive in exchange
therefor (A) its respective portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration,
less
the portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration allocable to such shareholder
that has been deposited in the Indemnity Escrow Fund pursuant to Section 2.12
and (B) cash in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock pursuant
to Section 2.07. No later than 5 Business Days prior to the Closing Date, Parent
shall deliver the form of letter of transmittal to the Company and the
Shareholders’ Representative and prior to the Closing shall make such changes to
the form as either shall reasonably request. The final form of letter of
transmittal shall be in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company and the
Shareholders’ Representative. If requested by the Shareholders’ Representative,
Parent shall promptly provide the Shareholders’ Representative with copies of
the executed letters of transmittal.
(b) One
Business Day prior to any time when Parent is obligated to deliver any portion
of the Aggregate Merger Consideration to the Shareholders (including, without
limitation, at the Closing, at the Earn-Out Payment Date, on the date on which
any remaining amounts in the Balance Sheet Escrow Fund are released and on
the
date on which any remaining amounts in the Indemnity Escrow Fund are released),
the Shareholders’ Representative shall deliver to Parent a notarized certificate
(the “Shareholders’
Representative Certificate”)
stating exactly how many shares of Parent Common Stock (in the case of
Accredited Holders) and exactly the Cash Equivalent Amount (in the case of
Non-Accredited Shareholders) for each Shareholder entitled to receive any
portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration on such date. Parent shall be
entitled to rely exclusively on the instructions contained in such Shareholders’
Representative Certificate, unless the aggregate number of Parent Common Shares
or the aggregate amount of the Cash Equivalent Amounts contained in such
Shareholders’ Representative Certificate differs from the aggregate number of
such shares or the aggregate amount of such payment, in which case Parent may
notify the Shareholders’ Representative that the aggregate amounts differ and
that the Shareholders’ Representative should revise the Shareholders’
Representative Certificate accordingly. As more fully described in Section
2.15,
Shareholders hereby covenant and agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless
the members of the Parent Indemnified Group from and against any Losses arising
out of any claim that Shareholders’ Representative failed to distribute to
Shareholders (or properly allocate among them) any payments received by
Shareholders’ Representative under the Transaction Documents (other than the
Trading Restriction Agreements and the Employment Offer Letters).
SECTION
2.06. Dissenters
Rights.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, any issued
and
outstanding shares of Company Preferred Stock or Company Common Stock held
by
persons who have exercised and perfected dissenters rights for such shares
of
Company Preferred Stock or Company Common Stock, as applicable, in accordance
with the GBCC (“Dissenting
Shares”)
and as
of the Effective Time have neither effectively withdrawn nor lost any right
to
such appraisal, shall not be converted into or represent a right to receive
the
Aggregate Merger Consideration payable under this Article II attributable to
such Dissenting Shares. Such shareholders shall be entitled to receive payment
of the appraised value of such shares of Company Preferred Stock or Company
Common Stock held by them in accordance with the GBCC, unless and until such
shareholders fail to perfect, effectively withdraw or otherwise lose their
appraisal rights under the GBCC. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any
dissenting shareholder shall effectively withdraw or lose (through failure
to
perfect or otherwise) the right to appraisal, then as of the Effective Time
or
the occurrence of such event, whichever occurs later, such Dissenting Shares
shall automatically be converted into and represent only the right to receive
the Aggregate Merger Consideration and any other amounts payable under this
Article II, without interest thereon, upon surrender of the Certificate or
Certificates representing such Dissenting Shares in accordance with Section
2.05. The Company shall provide Parent notice, promptly after the Company’s
receipt thereof, of any written demands for appraisal or payment of the fair
value of any shares of Company Preferred Stock or Company Common Stock, as
applicable, the withdrawal of such demands and any other related instruments
served pursuant to applicable Law.
SECTION
2.07. Fractional
Shares.
No
fractional shares of Parent Common Stock will be issued pursuant to this
Agreement, but in lieu thereof each holder of Company Preferred Stock who would
otherwise be entitled to a fractional share of Parent Common Stock hereunder
(after aggregating all fractional shares of Parent Common Stock to be received
by such holder) shall receive from Parent an amount of cash (rounded to the
nearest whole cent) equal to the product of (a) such fractional share multiplied
by (b) the Closing Price, less the amount of any withholding taxes which may
be
required thereon. The “Closing
Price”
shall
be equal to the average closing sale price on the Nasdaq Capital Market of
a
share of Parent Common Stock as reported in The
Wall Street Journal
or, if
not available, such other authoritative publication as may be reasonably
selected by the Parent, for the thirty calendar-day period ending on the trading
date three Business Days preceding the Closing Date.
SECTION
2.08. Lost,
Stolen or Destroyed Certificates.
If any
Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an
affidavit of that fact by the person claiming such Certificate to be lost,
stolen or destroyed and, if required by Parent, the posting by such person
of a
bond in such reasonable amount and for such reasonable period of time as Parent
may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against Parent or
the
Surviving Corporation with respect to such Certificate, Parent will deliver
in
exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate the portion of the
Aggregate Merger Consideration and any other amounts payable under this Article
II with respect to the Company Preferred Stock formerly represented
thereby.
18
SECTION
2.09. Withholding
Rights.
Each of
the Surviving Corporation and Parent shall be entitled, with respect to payments
made by each such entity, to deduct and withhold from the Aggregate Merger
Consideration and any other amounts otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement
such amounts as it is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making
of such payment under the Code, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder
or under any applicable Law. Upon delivery of the Aggregate Merger
Consideration, Parent shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative a
statement of all amounts so withheld. To the extent that amounts are so withheld
by the Surviving Corporation or Parent, as the case may be, such withheld
amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been
paid
to the shareholders or optionholders of the Company, as the case may be, in
respect to which such deduction and withholding was made by the Surviving
Corporation or Parent, as the case may be. Any amounts deducted and withheld
pursuant to this Section 2.09 shall be remitted to the appropriate Taxing
authority in accordance with applicable Law.
SECTION
2.10. Stock
Transfer Books.
The
stock
transfer books of the Company shall be closed on the day preceding the Closing
Date (the “Record
Date”)
and
there shall be no further registration of transfers of Company Preferred Stock
or Company Common Stock thereafter on the records of the Company. In the event
of a transfer of ownership of Company Preferred Stock prior to the Record Date
which is not registered in the transfer records of the Company, the Aggregate
Merger Consideration and any other amounts payable under this Article II shall
be payable to such transferee if the Certificate representing such shares of
Company Preferred Stock is presented to Parent, accompanied by all documents
required to evidence and effect such transfer, and the status of the transferee
as an Accredited Investor, in the sole and reasonable discretion of
Parent.
SECTION
2.11. Certain
Adjustments.
If
between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, or after the
Effective Time and on or before the Earn-Out Payment Date, the outstanding
shares of Parent Common Stock or Company Common Stock shall be changed into
a
different number of shares by reason of any reclassification, recapitalization,
split-up, combination or exchange of shares, or any dividend payable in stock
or
other securities shall be declared thereon with a record date within such
period, then, (i) on or prior to the Effective Time, the exchange ratio between
Company Preferred Stock and any shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued
hereunder or (ii) after the Effective Time, in accordance with any such
change, any shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued hereunder pursuant to
the
provisions of Section 2.04(a) shall, in either case, be adjusted accordingly
to
provide to Parent and/or to Company, as the case may be, the same economic
effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such reclassification,
recapitalization, split-up, combination, exchange, dividend or
increase.
SECTION
2.12. Indemnity
Escrow Fund.
A
portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration equal to 500,000 shares of Parent
Common Stock (the “Indemnity
Escrow Fund”),
shall
be deposited in an escrow account pursuant to the Escrow Agreement. The portion
of the Aggregate Merger Consideration that constitutes the Indemnity Escrow
Fund
shall be delivered to the Escrow Agent and not to the Shareholders. As more
fully described in the Escrow Agreement, the Indemnity Escrow Fund shall be
held
by the Escrow Agent under the Escrow Agreement pursuant to the terms set forth
therein and shall be available to compensate the Parent Indemnified Group
pursuant to the indemnification obligations of the Accredited
Holders.
19
SECTION
2.13. Balance
Sheet Escrow Fund
(a) A
portion
of the Aggregate Merger Consideration equal to the number of shares of Parent
Common Stock equal to (I) $340,000 divided by (II) the Closing Price (the
“Balance
Sheet Escrow Fund”)
shall
be deposited in an escrow account pursuant to the Escrow Agreement. The portion
of the Aggregate Merger Consideration that constitutes the Balance Sheet Escrow
Fund shall be delivered to the Escrow Agent and not to the Shareholders. As
more
fully described in this Section 2.13 and in the Escrow Agreement, the Balance
Sheet Escrow Fund shall be held by the Escrow Agent under the Escrow Agreement
pursuant to the terms set forth therein and shall be available to compensate
the
Parent (I) to the extent that the Net Assets as of the June 30, 2006 Balance
Sheet (as defined below) is less than $340,000 (the “Net
Assets Shortfall”)
or (B)
to the extent that Cash and Cash Equivalents as of the June 30, 2006 Balance
Sheet is less than $320,000 (the “Cash
and Cash Equivalents Shortfall”).
(b) As
soon
as practicable, and in any event within 30 days after June 30, 2006, Parent
shall cause the Company’s historical accounting firm (Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx) to
prepare and deliver to Parent and Shareholders’ Representative an audited
balance sheet of the Company as of June 30, 2006 (the “June
30, 2006 Balance Sheet”),
which
shall be prepared on a GAAP basis, consistent with the method used by the
Company in the preparation of its previous financial statements. In addition,
the Company’s historical accounting firm shall deliver a certificate (the
“Balance
Sheet Certificate”)
to
Parent and Shareholders’ Representative calculating (i) the amount of Net Assets
as of the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet Date and (ii) the amount of Cash and
Cash
Equivalents as of the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet Date.
(c) The
June
30, 2006 Balance Sheet shall be accompanied by the report of the Company’s
accounting firm thereon, which shall state that the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet
presents fairly in all material respects the financial condition of the Company
at the Closing Date in conformity with GAAP on a basis consistent with the
method used by the Company in the preparation of its previous financial
statements and that the amount of Net Assets and the amount of Cash and Cash
Equivalents stated in the Balance Sheet Certificate is accurate. Parent shall
provide such accounting firm such access during normal business hours to the
books and records of the Company as may reasonably be required for the
preparation and/or review of the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet. All fees, costs
and expenses of such accounting firm relating to the preparation of the June
30,
2006 Balance Sheet shall be borne by the Company. The Company shall cause such
accounting firm to make available to each of Shareholders’ Representative and
Parent or its respective accountants, upon either of their request, the work
papers of such accounting firm generated in connection with the preparation
or
review of the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet.
(d) After
receipt of the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet and the Balance Sheet Certificate,
each of Parent and Shareholders’ Representative shall have 30 days to review
them. After reviewing the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet and the Balance Sheet
Certificate, either of Parent or Shareholders’ Representative shall deliver
notice to the other specifying in reasonable detail all disputed items, if
any,
and the basis therefor. If either of them so notifies the other of any
objections to the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet or the Balance Sheet Certificate,
the parties shall, within 30 days following the date of such notice, attempt
to
resolve their differences and any written resolution by them as to any disputed
amount shall be final, binding, conclusive and nonappealable for all purposes
under this Agreement.
20
(e) If
at the
conclusion of such 30-day period, the parties have not reached an agreement
on
Parent’s objections, then all amounts and issues remaining in dispute may, at
the election of either party, be submitted by the Shareholders’ Representative
and Parent to the Accounting Referee. All fees and expenses relating to the
work, if any, to be performed by the Accounting Referee shall be borne equally
by the Company Preferred Shareholders and Parent. Except as provided in the
preceding sentence, all other costs and expenses incurred by the parties in
connection with resolving any dispute hereunder before the Accounting Referee
shall be borne by the party incurring such cost and expense. The Accounting
Referee shall act as an arbitrator to determine only those issues still in
dispute at the time of the election by either party to submit the objections
to
the Accounting Referee. The Accounting Referee’s determination shall be made
within 45 days after its engagement (which engagement shall be made no later
than five Business Days after the time of the election by either party to submit
the objections to the Accounting Referee), or as soon thereafter as possible,
shall be set forth in a written statement delivered to Parent and the
Shareholders’ Representative, and shall be final, binding, conclusive and
nonappealable for all purposes under this Agreement.
(f) If
(I)
the amount of Net Assets, either as set forth in the Balance Sheet Certificate,
or as determined by the Accounting Referee in the event that such matter is
submitted to the Accounting Referee, is less than $340,000, or (II) the amount
of Cash and Cash Equivalents, either as set forth in the Balance Sheet
Certificate, or as determined by the Accounting Referee in the event that such
matter is submitted to the Accounting Referee, is less than $320,000, then
the
amount of then the Initial Merger Consideration shall be adjusted to
the
greater of (X) or (Y) as
follows: (X) a portion of the shares of Parent Common Stock held in the Balance
Sheet Escrow Fund equal to (A) the Net Assets Shortfall, divided by (B) the
Closing Price, shall be remitted by the Escrow Agent back to Parent, or (Y)
a
portion of the shares of Parent Common Stock held in the Balance Sheet Escrow
Fund equal to (A) the Cash and Cash Equivalents Shortfall, divided by (B) the
Closing Price, shall be remitted by the Escrow Agent back to Parent. The balance
of the shares held in the Balance Sheet Escrow Fund, if any, shall be remitted
by the Escrow Agent to the Shareholders’ Representative for further distribution
to the Shareholders. The Escrow Agent shall remit such shares to Parent and/or
to the Shareholders’ Representative within five (5) Business Days of the receipt
of instructions to do so from Parent.
(g) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.13, to the extent Parent
reasonably determines in the exercise of its good faith judgment that the
Company has breached any of the covenants contained in Section 6.01 between
the
date of this Agreement and the Closing Date, and such breach has resulted in
a
reduction in the amount of Net Assets or in the amount of Cash and Cash
Equivalents following the June 30, 2006 Balance Sheet Date, then the amount
of
the Initial Merger Consideration shall be adjusted by applying the formula
set
forth in Section 2.13(f) above to the extent that such breach reduces the amount
of Net Assets or the amount of Cash and Cash Equivalents following the June
30,
2006 Balance Sheet Date. Any such adjustment pursuant to this Section 2.13(g)
shall be limited to and satisfied out of the shares of Parent Common Stock
to be
deposited into the Balance Sheet Escrow Account.
21
SECTION
2.14. Other
Provisions Relating to Parent Common Stock.
The
shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to the Significant Shareholders
pursuant to this Agreement are subject to the provisions of the Trading
Restriction Agreements being signed by each Significant
Shareholder.
SECTION
2.15. Shareholders’
Representative.
(a)
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx hereby is irrevocably constituted and appointed as the sole,
exclusive, true and lawful agent, representative and attorney-in-fact of all
Shareholders and each of them (“Shareholders’
Representative”)
with
respect to any and all matters relating to, arising out of, or in connection
with, the Transaction Documents (other than the Trading Restriction Agreements
and the Employment Offer Letters), including for purposes of taking any action
or omitting to take action on behalf of Shareholders thereunder. All actions,
notices, communications and determinations by or on behalf of Shareholders
under
such documents shall be given or made by Shareholders’ Representative and all
such actions, notices, communications and determinations by Shareholders’
Representative shall conclusively be deemed to have been authorized by, and
shall be binding upon, any of and all of the Shareholders.
(b) The
Shareholders’ Representative will not be liable to any Shareholder for any act
taken or omitted by it as permitted under this Agreement, except if such act
is
taken or omitted in bad faith or by willful misconduct. The Shareholders’
Representative will also be fully protected in relying upon any written notice,
demand, certificate or document that it in good faith believes to be genuine
(including facsimiles thereof). The Shareholders agree, severally but not
jointly, to indemnify the Shareholders’ Representative for, and to hold the
Shareholders’ Representative harmless against, any loss, liability or expense
incurred without willful misconduct or bad faith on the part of the
Shareholders’ Representative, arising out of or in connection with the
Shareholders’ Representative’s carrying out its duties as representative for the
Shareholders under this Agreement, including costs and expenses of successfully
defending the Shareholders’ Representative against any claim of liability with
respect thereto. The Shareholders’ Representative may consult with counsel of
its own choice and will have full and complete authorization and protection
for
any action taken and suffered by it in good faith and in accordance with the
opinion of such counsel.
(c) If
Shareholders’ Representative dies or becomes legally incapacitated, then those
other Shareholders holding a majority of the Shares as of the date hereof
promptly shall designate in writing to Parent a single individual to replace
the
deceased or legally incapacitated Shareholders’ Representative as the successor
Shareholders’ Representative hereunder. If at any time there shall not be a
Shareholders’ Representative or Shareholders so fail to designate a successor
Shareholders’ Representative, then Parent may have a court of competent
jurisdiction appoint a Shareholders’ Representative hereunder. If the
Shareholders’ Representative becomes unable or unwilling, for any reason, to
serve as representative for the Shareholders, such other Person or Persons
as
may be designated by Shareholders holding a majority of the voting interests
of
the Company Preferred Stock immediately prior to the Closing, shall succeed
the
Shareholders’ Representative as the representative of the Shareholders in all
matters under this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
hereby.
22
(d) Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, Shareholders’ Representative is
designated as the sole and exclusive agent, representative and attorney-in-fact
for Shareholders for all purposes related to this Agreement (including
(i) service of process upon Shareholders, (ii) executing and
delivering to Parent or any other Person on behalf of any of or all Shareholders
any and all instruments, certificates, documents and agreements with respect
to
the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (other than the
Trading Restriction Agreements and the Employment Offer Letters), and any other
instrument, certificate, document or agreement referred to in Section 8.02,
and (iii) receipt of all notices on behalf of Shareholders with respect to
any matter, suit, claim, action or proceeding arising with respect to the sale
of the Shares or any transaction contemplated by the Transaction Documents
(other than the Trading Restriction Agreements and the Employment Offer
Letters), including the defense, settlement or compromise of any claim, action
or proceeding pursuant to Article X), and Shareholders may act, with respect
to
all matters under the Transaction Documents (other than the Lock-up Agreements
and Employment Offer Letters), only through the Shareholders’ Representative.
Parent shall be entitled to rely on the authority of the Shareholders’
Representative as the agent, representative and attorney-in-fact of Shareholders
for all purposes under the Transaction Documents (other than the Trading
Restriction Agreements and the Employment Offer Letters) and shall have no
liability for any such reliance. None of Shareholders may revoke the authority
of Shareholders’ Representative. Each Shareholder hereby ratifies and confirms,
and hereby agrees to ratify and confirm, any action taken by Shareholders’
Representative in the exercise of the power-of-attorney granted to Shareholders’
Representative pursuant to this Section 2.15, which power-of-attorney,
being coupled with an interest, is irrevocable and shall survive the death,
incapacity or incompetence of such Shareholder. Any payment made to
Shareholders’ Representative pursuant to any of the Transaction Documents (other
than the Trading Restriction Agreements and the Employment Offer Letters) shall
be deemed to have been made to Shareholders. Promptly after receiving any such
payment, Shareholders’ Representative shall deliver to each Shareholder his, her
or its pro rata
portion
of such payment. Without limiting the foregoing, Shareholders hereby covenant
and agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the members of the Parent
Indemnified Group from and against any Losses arising out of any claim that
Shareholders’ Representative failed to distribute to Shareholders (or properly
allocate among them) any payments received by Shareholders’ Representative under
the Transaction Documents (other than the Trading Restriction Agreements and
the
Employment Offer Letters).
III.
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES AS TO
THE
COMPANY
Company
represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Sub, subject to the exceptions
specifically disclosed in writing in the Company Disclosure Schedule, and
further subject to any changes contemplated by or provided for in this Agreement
or any Transaction Document, all such exceptions to be referenced to a specific
representation set forth in this Article III, that:
SECTION
3.01. Organization
and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
(a) The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing
under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has the requisite
corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and
to
carry on its business as it is now being conducted (the “Business”).
The
Company is duly qualified or licensed to do business, and is in good standing,
in each jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned, leased or
operated by it or the nature of its business makes such qualification or
licensing necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified or licensed
and
in good standing that could not reasonably be expected to have, individually
or
in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.
23
(b) Except
for Proficient European Holdings Limited and Proficient Europe Limited (each,
a
“Company
Subsidiary”
and
collectively, the “Company
Subsidiaries”),
the
Company does not own an equity interest in any corporation, partnership or
joint
venture arrangement or other business entity.
SECTION
3.02. Articles
of Incorporation and Bylaws.
True,
complete and correct copies of the Company’s articles of incorporation and
bylaws and the Company Subsidiaries’ charter or memorandum and articles of
association or other organizational documents and bylaws, each as in effect
on
the date hereof (the “Organizational
Documents”),
are
included in Section 3.02 of the Company Disclosure Schedule. Such Organizational
Documents are in full force and effect. Neither the Company nor either of the
Company Subsidiaries is in violation of any of the provisions of its
Organizational Documents.
SECTION
3.03. Capitalization.
The
authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 20,100,000 shares of Common
Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Company
Common Stock”),
and
10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Company
Preferred Stock”),
of
which 230,395 shares of Company Common Stock, 1,589,639 shares of Series A
Preferred Stock and 992,485 shares of Series B Preferred Stock are currently
issued and outstanding. All of the currently issued and outstanding shares
of
Common Stock and Preferred Stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully
paid
and nonassessable. The aggregate liquidation preference of each class of Company
Preferred Stock is as set forth in Section 3.03 of the Company Disclosure
Schedule. In addition, the Company intends to issue 2,000 shares of Series
C
Preferred Stock immediately prior to the Closing. The Series A Preferred Stock,
Series B Preferred Stock and Series C Preferred Stock are collectively referred
to as Company Preferred Stock. Except as set forth in Section 3.03 of the
Company Disclosure Schedule and except for the Company Preferred Stock, the
Company Common Stock, the Company Options and the Company Warrants, there are
no
shares of capital stock or other equity securities of the Company outstanding.
Other than the Senior Secured Promissory Notes, the Company Options and the
Company Warrants, there are no options, warrants or other rights, agreements,
arrangements or commitments of any character to which the Company is a party
or
by which the Company is bound relating to the issued or unissued capital stock
of the Company or obligating the Company to issue or sell any shares of capital
stock of, or other equity interests in, the Company. Except as set forth in
Section 3.03 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no outstanding
contractual obligations of the Company to repurchase, redeem or otherwise
acquire any shares of Company Common Stock. There are no material outstanding
contractual obligations of the Company to provide funds to, or make any material
investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in, any
other Person. Each Shareholder is the lawful owner of record of the number
of
shares of Company Common Stock and/or Company Preferred Stock, as applicable,
set forth opposite the name of such Shareholder in Schedule
I
to this
Agreement.
SECTION
3.04. Authority
Relative to this Agreement.
The
Company has all necessary corporate power and authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, and all other instruments,
certificates and agreements delivered or required to be delivered pursuant
to
this Agreement to which the Company is a party, to perform its obligations
hereunder and thereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby
and thereby. The execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and
the
other Transaction Documents to which it is a party and the consummation by
the
Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly
and
validly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and, except as set forth
in Section 3.04 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no other corporate
proceedings on the part of the Company are necessary to authorize this Agreement
or such Transaction Documents or to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby. This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which
it is a party has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company.
This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party
constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable
against it in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that its
enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally or by general equitable principles.
24
SECTION
3.05. No
Conflicts; Required Filings and Consents.
(a) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents
to
which it is a party by the Company do not, and the performance by the Company
of
its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not, (i) conflict with or
violate any provision of the Organizational Documents of the Company,
(ii) conflict with or violate any Law applicable to the Company or by which
any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected or (iii) except
as set forth in Section 3.05(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, result
in
any breach of or constitute a default (or an event which with the giving of
notice or lapse of time or both could reasonably be expected to become a
default) under, or give to others any right of termination, amendment,
acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of a lien or other
encumbrance on any material property or asset of the Company pursuant to, any
material note, bond, mortgage, indenture, contract, agreement, lease, license,
permit, franchise or other instrument or obligation in each case, with respect
to clauses (ii) and (iii) of this Section 3.05(a), which will result in a
Company Material Adverse Effect.
(b) No
filing
or registration with, or notification to, and no permit, authorization, consent
or approval of, any Government Entity is necessary for the execution and
delivery of this Agreement by the Company or the consummation by the Company
of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except (i) such filings and
consents as may be required under any Environmental Law pertaining to any
notification, disclosure or required approval triggered by the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) such filings, registrations,
notifications, permits, authorizations, consents or approvals that result from
the specific legal or regulatory status of the Parent or as a result of any
other facts that specifically relate to the business or activities in which
the
Parent is engaged other than the business of the Company and (iii) such
other filings, registrations, notices, permits, authorizations, consents and
approvals that if not obtained, made or given would not, individually or in
the
aggregate, have a Company Material Adverse Effect or impair the Company’s
ability to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
25
(c) Except
as
set forth in Section 3.05(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no consent
of
any third party is required by reason of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
SECTION
3.06. Permits;
Compliance with Laws.
Except
as set forth in Section 3.06 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company
is
in possession of all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, establishment
registrations, product listings, permits, easements, variances, exceptions,
consents, certificates, identification and registration numbers, approvals
and
orders of any Governmental Entity necessary for the Company to own, lease and
operate its properties or to offer or perform its services or to develop,
produce, store, distribute and market its products or otherwise to carry on
its
business as it is now being conducted (collectively, the “Company
Permits”),
and,
as of the date of this Agreement, none of the Company Permits has been suspended
or cancelled nor is any such suspension or cancellation pending or, to the
Knowledge of the Company, threatened. The Company is not in conflict with,
or in
default or violation of, (i) any Law applicable to the Company or by which
any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected or (ii) any
Company Permits. Section 3.06 of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth,
as
of the date of this Agreement, all actions, proceedings or investigations
pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company
that
could reasonably be expected to result in the suspension or cancellation of
any
other Company Permit. Since January 1, 2006, the Company has not received from
any Governmental Entity any written notification with respect to possible
conflicts, defaults or violations of Laws. The transactions contemplated hereby
will not result in the suspension or cancellation of any Company
Permit.
SECTION
3.07. Financial
Statements.
(a)
Section 3.07 of the Company Disclosure Schedule includes copies of (i) the
audited balance sheet of the Company and the Business at December 31, 2005,
together with the related statement of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash
flows for the year ended December 31, 2005 and the notes thereto and
(ii) the unaudited interim balance sheet of the Company and the Business at
March 31, 2006, together with the related statement of operations,
shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the three months ended March 31,
2006 and the notes thereto along with a review report, reasonably satisfactory
in form and substance to the Parent, from the Company’s independent public
accountants pursuant to Statement of Accounting Standards No. 100 (the
“Company
Financial Statements”).
The
Company Financial Statements: (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP (except,
with respect to the unaudited balance sheet and income statement, for the
absence of notes thereto and for year-end adjustments) applied on a consistent
basis throughout the periods covered thereby; (ii) present fairly the financial
position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of such dates
and for the periods then ended; and (iii) are correct and complete in all
material respects, and can be reconciled with the books of account and records
of the Company. The Company maintains and will continue to maintain an adequate
system of internal controls established and administered in accordance with
GAAP.
(b) Except
as
and to the extent set forth or reserved against on the audited balance sheet
of
the Company at December 31, 2005, the Company does not have any liabilities
or
obligations of any nature (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise)
that would be required to be reflected on a balance sheet or in notes thereto
prepared in accordance with GAAP, except for immaterial liabilities or
obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice since December 31, 2005.
26
SECTION
3.08. Absence
of Certain Changes or Events.
Except
as set forth in Section 3.08 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, since
December 31, 2005, the Company has conducted its business only in the
ordinary course consistent with past practice and, since such date, there has
not been (i) any Company Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any event that
could reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the performance
of
the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby by the Company, (iii) any change by the
Company in its accounting methods, principles or practices, (iv) any
declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or distribution in respect
of the shares of Company Preferred Stock or Company Common Stock or any
redemption, purchase or other acquisition of any of the Company’s securities,
(v) any grant of equity awards or any increase in the compensation or
benefits payable or to become payable to any employees, officers, consultants
or
directors of the Company, or the establishment, amendment or termination of
any
Benefit Plan, (vi) any issuance or sale of any stock, notes, bonds or other
securities, or entering into any agreement with respect thereto, (vii) any
amendment to the Company’s Organizational Documents, (viii) other than in
the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, any (x) purchase,
sale, assignment or transfer of any material assets, (y) mortgage, pledge or
existence of any lien, encumbrance or charge on any material assets or
properties, tangible or intangible, except for liens for Taxes not yet
delinquent and such other liens, encumbrances or charges which do not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Company Material Adverse Effect, or
(z)
waiver of any rights of material value or cancellation or any material debts
or
claims, (ix) any incurrence of any damage, destruction or similar loss,
whether or not covered by insurance, materially affecting the Business or
properties of the Company, (x) any entering into any transaction of a
material nature other than in the ordinary course of business, consistent with
past practice, or (xi) any negotiation or agreement by the Company to do any
of
the things described in the preceding clauses (i) through (x).
SECTION
3.09. Employee
Matters.
(a)
Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to any Contract
regarding collective bargaining or other Contract with any labor or trade union
or collective bargaining group representing any employee of the Company or
any
Company Subsidiary, nor does any labor or trade union or collective bargaining
agent represent any employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary. No
Contract regarding collective bargaining has been requested by, or is under
discussion between management of the Company or any Company Subsidiary (or
any
management group or association of which the Company or any Company Subsidiary
is a member or otherwise a participant) and any group of employees of the
Company or any Company Subsidiary, nor are there any representation proceedings
or petitions seeking a representation proceeding presently pending against
the
Company or any Company Subsidiary, nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, are
there any other current activities to organize any employees of the Company
or
any Company Subsidiary into a collective bargaining unit. There are no unfair
labor practice charges or complaints pending or, to the Knowledge of the
Company, threatened against the Company or any Company Subsidiary. There
are
no controversies,
strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns, lockouts, arbitrations or other labor
disputes
pending
or threatened between the Company or any Company Subsidiary and any of their
respective employees. There are no pending or threatened complaints, charges
or
claims against the Company or any Company Subsidiary brought or filed with
any
Governmental Entity, arbitrator or court based on, arising out of, in connection
with or otherwise relating to the employment or termination of employment by
the
Company or any Company Subsidiary of employees or other Persons providing
services to or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary.
27
(b) Section 3.09(b)
of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true, accurate and complete
list
of (i) the Company’s directors, officers, employees, consultants and independent
contractors, and (ii) each individual holding outstanding equity awards granted
under the Company Option Plans or any other equity arrangement with the Company,
as well as the date of grant, applicable vesting schedule, exercise price and
any other material terms of such equity awards. As of the date of this
Agreement, there are 36 employees of the Company who reside or work in the
United States, and 7 employees who reside or work in the United Kingdom. As
of
the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, the Company and each
Company Subsidiary are not delinquent in any material payment to any of their
respective employees for any wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses or other
direct compensation for any services performed by any such
employees.
(c) The
Company has previously delivered or made available to Parent true and complete
copies of all employment, consulting, termination, severance and similar
Contracts with or for the benefit of, or otherwise relating to, any directors,
officers, employees, consultants or independent contractors of the Company
or
any Company Subsidiary. Except as set forth in Section 3.09(c) of the Company
Disclosure Schedule, none of the execution, delivery or performance of any
Transaction Document by the Company or the consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby will result in any liability under
any Benefit Plan, including, without limitation, liability for severance pay,
retention pay, unemployment compensation, termination pay or withdrawal
liability, or accelerate the time of payment or vesting or increase the amount
of compensation or benefits due to any directors, officers, employees,
consultants, or independent contractors, or former directors, officers,
employees, consultants or independent contractors of the Company or any Company
Subsidiary. No amount that could be received (whether in cash or property or
the
vesting of property), as a result of the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, by any employee, officer, director or other
service provider or Shareholder of the Company or any Company Subsidiary who
is
a “disqualified individual” (as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.280G-1) under any Benefit Plan or otherwise could be characterized
as
an “excess parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the
Code).
(d) Except
as
set forth in Section 3.09(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no employee
has
given notice to, or received notice from, the Company or any Company Subsidiary
or any of their Representatives that any such employee’s employment or service
may be terminated or advised the Company or any Company Subsidiary of an
intention to give such notice to, or is expected to receive notice from, the
Company or any Company Subsidiary or any of their Representatives that any
such
employee’s employment or service may be terminated.
(e) Neither
the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has ever maintained, contributed to
(or
has been required to maintain or contribute to) or incurred any Liability under
any Benefit Plan that is or was subject to Section 412 of the Code, Section
302
of ERISA or Title IV of ERISA, including, without limitation, any “multiemployer
plan” (within the meaning of Sections 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA or Section
414(f) of the Code) or any single employer pension plan (within the meaning
of
Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA) which is subject to Sections 4063, 4064 or 4069
of
ERISA. Except as set forth in Section 3.09(e) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, there are no, nor have there ever been, any individuals, Persons
or
entities that together with the Company would be treated as a single-employer
within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section
4001(b) of ERISA.
28
(f) Section
3.09(f) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a current, accurate and
complete list of each Benefit Plan.
(g) The
Company has delivered or made available to Parent current, accurate and complete
copies of (i) each Benefit Plan and all amendments thereto, and, in the
case of an unwritten Benefit Plan, a written description thereof, (ii) all
trust agreements, insurance contracts, investment management agreements,
investment advisory agreements, administrative services agreements or similar
agreements maintained in connection with any Benefit Plan, (iii) the three
most recent annual reports (Form Series 5500), if any, required under ERISA
or
the Code in connection with each Benefit Plan, (iv) the most recent summary
plan
description, if any, required under ERISA with respect to each Benefit Plan
or
any other summary of any Benefit Plan, and (v) the most recent Internal Revenue
Service determination or opinion letter issued with respect to each Benefit
Plan
intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code.
(h) No
person
previously employed by the Company or any Company Subsidiary has now or may
have
a right to return to work or a right to be reinstated or re-engaged by any
applicable Law. The Company and each Company Subsidiary has at all relevant
times complied in all material respects with applicable Laws to which the
Company and each Company Subsidiary and the employees or other Persons providing
services to or on behalf of the Company and each Company Subsidiary is subject
relating to the employment of labor or engagement of other service providers,
including all such applicable Laws relating to wages, hours, employment
standards, the WARN Act, collective bargaining, immigration, discrimination,
civil rights, safety and health, and workers’ compensation, and, except as set
forth in Section 3.09(h) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no claims
pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, capable of arising or being
threatened by any party in respect of any accident or injury which is not fully
covered by insurance of the Company or any Company Subsidiary. Any individual
who performs services for the Company and who is not treated as an employee
for
federal income tax purposes by the Company is not an employee under applicable
Law or for any purpose including, without limitation, for tax withholding
purposes or Benefit Plan purposes.
(i) Except
as
set forth in Section 3.09(i) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, to the
Knowledge of the Company, no employees or former employees of the Company or
any
Company Subsidiary are currently in violation or have previously violated any
term of any employment contract, non-disclosure agreement, non-competition
agreement, or any restrictive covenant to a former employer relating to the
right of any such employee to be employed by the Company or any Company
Subsidiary because of the nature of the business conducted or presently proposed
to be conducted by the Company or any Company Subsidiary or to the use of trade
secrets or proprietary information of others. No employees of the Company or
any
Company Subsidiary have given notice to the Company or any Company Subsidiary,
nor is the Company or any Shareholder otherwise aware, that any such employee
intends to terminate his or her employment with the Company or any Company
Subsidiary.
29
(j) Each
person who is an employee of the Company on the date of this Agreement and
each
person who is an employee of the Company on the Closing Date has signed a
non-competition agreement with the Company pursuant to which such persons are
restricted in their ability to enter into an employment or consulting
arrangement with a competing company for a period of at least one year following
the cessation of their employment with the Company.
(k) Each
person who is an employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary on the date
of this Agreement and each person who is an employee of the Company or any
Company Subsidiary on the Closing Date has signed an agreement with the Company
or a Company Subsidiary pursuant to which such persons have assigned to the
Company or any Company Subsidiary any and all rights associated with any
invention or idea in any way connected to the employee’s employment by the
Company or any Company Subsidiary or in any way connected to the Company’s
business, research and development, or demonstrably anticipated research and
development.
(l) Each
Benefit Plan intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code is qualified
and has received a determination letter from the IRS upon which it may rely
regarding its qualified status (or such Benefit Plan utilizes a prototype form
plan document and the prototype plan’s sponsor has received a favorable opinion
or advisory letter from the IRS upon which the Company may rely as to its
qualified status pursuant to the IRS’s Announcement 2001-77 and its progeny) and
nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, that caused or
could cause the loss of such qualification or the imposition of any penalty
or
tax liability. Each Benefit Plan that is intended to receive favorable tax
treatment under applicable Law is designed and operated in a manner consistent
with such treatment, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure
to act, that caused or could cause the loss of such favorable tax treatment.
Each Benefit Plan complies in form and has been maintained and operated in
all
material respects in accordance with its terms and applicable Law, including,
without limitation, ERISA and the Code. The Company and each Company Subsidiary
are not in default of any obligation relating to any Benefit Plan. No non-exempt
“prohibited transaction,” within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code and
Section 406 of ERISA, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with
respect to any Benefit Plan.
(m) Except
as
set forth in Section 3.09(m) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the
Company nor any Company Subsidiary has any obligation to provide
post-termination health and welfare benefits of any kind to any of their current
or former employees pursuant to any Benefit Plan, other than in accordance
with
Section 4980B of the Code or applicable state continuation coverage
law.
(n) All
payments required by any Benefit Plan, any collective bargaining agreement
or
other agreement, or by law (including, without limitation, all contributions,
insurance premiums or intercompany charges) with respect to all prior periods
have been timely made or provided for by the Company, in accordance with the
provisions of each of the Benefit Plans, applicable Law and United States
GAAP.
30
(o) No
claim,
lawsuit, arbitration or other action has been asserted, instituted, or, to
the
Knowledge of the Company, is anticipated or has been threatened against any
of
the Benefit Plans (other than non-material, routine claims for benefits and
appeals of such claims), any trustee or fiduciaries thereof, the Company, any
Company Subsidiary, any employee, officer, director, stockholder or other
service provider of the Company or any Company Subsidiary (whether current,
former or retired), or any of the assets of any trust of any of the Benefit
Plans. No Benefit Plan is under, and the Company has not received any notice
of,
an audit or investigation by the IRS, Department of Labor or any other
Governmental Entity and no such completed audit, if any, has resulted in the
imposition of any tax or penalty.
(p) With
respect to each Benefit Plan that is funded mostly or partially through an
insurance policy, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has any
liability in the nature of retroactive rate adjustment, loss sharing arrangement
or other actual or contingent liability arising wholly or partially out of
events occurring on or before the date of this Agreement or is reasonably
expected to have such liability with respect to periods through the Closing
Date.
(q) None
of
the Company, any Company Subsidiary, any employee, officer, director,
stockholder or other service provider of the Company or any Company Subsidiary
has made any promises or commitments, whether legally binding or not, to create
any additional plan, agreement or arrangement, or to modify or change in any
material way any existing Benefit Plan.
(r) Neither
the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has any unfunded liabilities pursuant
to
any Benefit Plan that is not intended to be qualified under Section 401(a)
of
the Code and is an employee pension benefit plan within the meaning of Section
3(2) of ERISA, a nonqualified deferred compensation plan or an excess benefit
plan. Except as set forth in Section 3.09(r) of the Company Disclosure Schedule,
each Benefit Plan that is a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” (as
defined under Section 409A(d)(1) of the Code) has been operated and administered
in good faith compliance with Section 409A of the Code from the period beginning
January 1, 2005 through the date hereof and has not been materially modified
since October 2, 2004.
(s) With
respect to each Benefit Plan mandated
by a government other than the United States or subject to the laws of a
jurisdiction outside of the United States (each, a “Foreign
Benefit Plan”),
the
fair market value of the assets of such plan, the liability of each insurer
for
any such plan funded through insurance or the book reserve established for
any
such plan, together with any accrued contributions, is sufficient to procure
or
provide for the accrued benefit obligations, as of the date of this Agreement,
with respect to all current and former participants in such plan according
to
the actuarial assumptions and valuations most recently used to determine
employer contributions to such plan, and no transaction contemplated by this
Agreement shall cause such assets or insurance obligations to be less than
such
benefit obligations. Each Foreign Benefit Plan has been maintained and operated
in all material respects in accordance with the applicable plan document and
all
applicable Laws and other requirements, and if intended to qualify for special
tax treatment, satisfies all requirements for such treatment.
31
SECTION
3.10. Contracts.
Except
for the Contracts described in Section 3.10 of the Company Disclosure Schedule
(individually, a “Material
Contract”
and
collectively, the “Material
Contracts”),
the
Company is not a party to or bound by any material Contract, including without
limitation:
(a) any
sales, advertising, distribution or agency contract in excess of $24,000 over
the life of the contract or in excess of $2,000 a month if the Contract is
for a
period of less than 12 months;
(b) any
continuing contract for the purchase of materials, supplies, equipment or
services involving in the case of any such contact in excess of $24,000 over
the
life of the contract or in excess of $2,000 a month if the Contract is for
a
period of less than 12 months;
(c) any
contract for which the current term extends beyond one year after the date
of
this Agreement;
(d) any
trust
indenture, mortgage, promissory note, loan agreement or other contract for
the
borrowing of money, any currency exchange, commodities or other hedging
arrangement or any leasing transaction of the type required to be capitalized
in
accordance with GAAP;
(e) any
contract for capital expenditures in excess of $24,000 in the
aggregate;
(f) any
contract limiting the freedom of the Company to engage in any line of business
or to compete with any other corporation, partnership, limited liability
company, trust, individual or other entity;
(g) any
confidentiality, secrecy or non-disclosure contract entered into by the Company
with respect to which the Company is, or could reasonably be expected to have,
ongoing obligations which could, if not complied with, result in a Company
Material Adverse Effect;
(h) any
contract pursuant to which the Company is a lessor of any machinery, equipment,
motor vehicles, office furniture, fixtures or other personal property, pursuant
to which payments in excess of $24,000 remain outstanding;
(i) any
contract with an Affiliate;
(j) any
agreement of guarantee, support, indemnification, assumption or endorsement
of,
or any similar commitment with respect to, the obligations, liabilities (whether
accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise) or indebtedness of any other Person;
(k) any
foreign currency forward exchange contracts; or
32
(l) any
employment contract, arrangement or policy (including without limitation any
collective bargaining contract or union agreement) which may not be immediately
terminated without penalty (or any augmentation or acceleration of
benefits).
The
Company has performed in all material respects all of the obligations required
to be performed by it and is entitled to all benefits under, and has not
received notice that it is in default in respect of any Material Contract.
Each
of the Material Contracts is valid and binding and in full force and effect,
and
there exists no default or event of default or event, occurrence, condition
or
act, with respect to the Company, or to the Knowledge of the Company, with
respect to the other contracting party, which, with the giving of notice, the
lapse of the time or the happening of any other event or conditions, would
become a default or event of default under any Material Contract. True, correct
and complete copies of all Material Contracts have been delivered to the
Parent.
SECTION
3.11. Litigation.
Except
as set forth in Section 3.11 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there is no
private or governmental action, suit, proceeding, claim, arbitration or
investigation pending before any agency, court or tribunal, foreign or domestic,
or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any
of
its properties or any of its officers or directors (in their capacities as
such)
or relating to the Business. There is no judgment, decree or order against
the
Company or, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any of its directors or
officers (in their capacities as such), that could prevent, enjoin, or
materially alter or delay any of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, or that could reasonably be expected to have a Company Material
Adverse Effect. Section 3.11 of the Company Disclosure Schedule also lists
all
litigation that the Company has pending against other parties.
SECTION
3.12. Environmental
Matters.
To the
Company’s Knowledge: (a) the Company is in material compliance with all
applicable Environmental Laws and all Company Permits required by Environmental
Laws; (b) all past noncompliance, if any, of the Company with Environmental
Laws
or Environmental Permits has been resolved without any pending, ongoing or
future obligation, cost or liability; and (c) the Company has not released
a
Hazardous Material at, or transported a Hazardous Material to or from, any
real
property currently or formerly owned, leased or occupied by the Company, in
violation of any Environmental Law.
SECTION
3.13. Intellectual
Property.
(a)
Section 3.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a true and complete
list of the Company’s patents, patent applications, registered trademarks,
trademark applications, trade names, registered service marks, service xxxx
applications, Internet domain names, Internet domain name applications,
copyright registrations and applications and other filings and formal actions
made or taken pursuant to Federal, state, local and foreign Laws by the Company
to protect its interests in the Company Intellectual Property, and includes
details of all due dates for further filings, maintenance, payments or other
actions falling due in respect of the Company Intellectual Property within
twelve (12) months of the Closing Date. All of the Company’s owned patents,
patent applications, registered trademarks, trademark applications and
registered copyrights remain in good standing with all fees and filings due
as
of the date hereof.
33
(b) The
Company Intellectual Property contains only those items and rights which are:
(i) owned by the Company or the Company Subsidiary; (ii) in the public domain;
or (iii) rightfully used by the Company pursuant to a valid and enforceable
license or other agreement (the “Company
Licensed Intellectual Property”),
the
parties, date, term and subject matter of all licenses or other agreements
in
which the Company is licensed to use Intellectual Property owned by a third
party (each, a “License
Agreement”)
(other
than for open source software, which is subject to Section 3.13(n)) being set
forth in Section 3.13(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. The Company
has all rights in the Company Intellectual Property which includes all rights
necessary to carry out the Company’s current activities and the Company’s future
activities to the extent such future activities are already planned, including
without limitation, to the extent required to carry out such activities, rights
to make, use, reproduce, modify, adopt, create derivative works based on,
translate, distribute (directly and indirectly), transmit, display and perform
publicly, license, rent and lease and, other than with respect to the Company
Licensed Intellectual Property, assign and sell, the Company Intellectual
Property.
(c) The
reproduction, manufacturing, distribution, licensing, sublicensing, sale or
any
other exercise of rights in any Company Intellectual Property, product, work,
technology or process as now used or offered or proposed for use, licensing
or
sale by the Company does not infringe on any Intellectual Property or personal
right of any Person anywhere in the world. The Company has not received notice
of any pending or threatened claims (including offers to grant licenses)
(i) challenging the right of the Company to use any Intellectual Property
or alleging any violation, infringement, misuse or misappropriation by the
Company of Intellectual Property or indicating that the failure to take a
license would result in any such claim, (ii) challenging the validity,
effectiveness or, other than with respect to the Company Licensed Intellectual
Property, ownership by the Company of any Company Intellectual Property or
asserting any opposition, interference, termination, abandonment,
unenforceability, or infirmity of any Company Intellectual Property, or (iii)
to
the effect that the use, distribution, licensing, sublicensing, sale or any
other exercise of rights in any product, work, technology or process as now
used
or offered or proposed for use, licensing, sublicensing or sale by the Company
or its agents or use by its customers infringes or will infringe on or
misappropriate any intellectual property or other proprietary or personal right
of any Person. No such claims have been threatened by any Person, nor are there
any valid grounds for any bona fide claim of any such kind. All of the rights
within the Company Intellectual Property are enforceable and subsisting. To
the
Knowledge of the Company, there is no unauthorized use, infringement or
misappropriation of any Company Intellectual Property by any third party,
employee or former employee.
(d) Except
as
set forth in Section 3.13(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company
has
not made any claim of a violation, infringement, misuse or misappropriation
by
any third party (including any employee or former employee of the Company)
of
any Company Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in Section 3.13(d) of
the
Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company has not entered into any agreement
to
indemnify any other Person against any charge of infringement of any
Intellectual Property, other than indemnification provisions contained in
agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business.
(e) The
Company has taken commercially reasonable measures to maintain and protect
the
proprietary nature of the Company Intellectual Property, including the signing
by all employees, agents, consultants, contractors or any other Persons who
have
contributed to or participated in the conception and development of the Company
Intellectual Property or have or had access to know-how or trade secret
information, of valid and binding nondisclosure agreements. All such Persons
who
have contributed to or participated in the conception and development of the
Company Intellectual Property have also (i) been a party to an enforceable
agreement with the Company in accordance with applicable national and state
Law
that accords the Company full, effective, exclusive and original ownership
of
all tangible and intangible property as “works-for-hire,” arising from the
efforts of such personnel, and (ii) executed appropriate instruments of
assignment in favor of the Company that have conveyed to the Company full,
effective and exclusive ownership of all tangible and intangible property
arising from the efforts of such personnel, which are not otherwise covered
by
(i).
34
(f) The
Company is not, nor as a result of the execution or delivery of this Agreement,
or performance of the Company’s obligations hereunder, will the Company be, in
violation of any license, sublicense, agreement or instrument to which the
Company is a party or otherwise bound, nor will execution or delivery of this
Agreement, or performance of the Company’s obligations hereunder, cause the
diminution, termination or forfeiture of any the Company Intellectual
Property.
(g) Section
3.13(g) of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a true and complete list
of
all the software programs used in connection with the Business (the
“Company
Software Programs”)
(other
than for open source software, which is subject to Section 3.13(n)). The Company
owns full and unencumbered right and good, valid and marketable title to such
Company Software Programs that it owns, free and clear of all mortgages,
pledges, liens, security interests, conditional sales agreements, encumbrances
or charges of any kind. The Company has full and unrestricted rights to use
the
Company Software Programs that it licenses, pursuant to license agreements
listed in Section 3.13(b).
(h) The
source code and system documentation relating to the Company Software Programs
have been maintained in strict confidence and (i) have been disclosed by the
Company only to those of its employees who have a “need to know” the contents
thereof in connection with the performance of their duties to the Company and
who have executed nondisclosure agreements with the Company; and (ii) have
been
disclosed to only those third parties who have executed nondisclosure agreements
with the Company. The source code and system documentation relating to the
Company’s Software Programs are not the subject of any escrow or similar
agreement giving any third party rights in or to such source code and/or system
documentation upon the occurrence of certain events.
(i) Except
as
set forth in Section 3.13(i) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company
Intellectual Property is free and clear of any and all mortgages, pledges,
liens, security interests, conditional sale agreements, encumbrances or charges
of any kind.
(j) Except
as
set forth in Section 3.13(j) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company
does not owe nor will owe any royalties or other payments to third parties
in
respect of the Company Intellectual Property. All royalties or other payments
that have accrued prior to the Closing Date have been paid.
35
(k) To
the
Knowledge of the Company, the Company Software Programs and other Company
Intellectual Property contain no “viruses.” For the purposes of this Agreement,
“virus” means any computer code designed to disrupt, disable or harm in any
manner the operation of any software or hardware including, without limitation,
worms, bombs, backdoors, clocks, timers, or other disabling device code, designs
or routines which causes the software to be erased, inoperable, or otherwise
incapable of being used, either automatically or upon command by any
party.
(l) All
data
which has been collected, stored, maintained or otherwise used by the Company
has been collected, stored, maintained and used in accordance with all
applicable Laws and industry standards. The Company has not received a notice
of
noncompliance with applicable data protection laws, rules, regulations,
guidelines or industry standards. The Company has made all registrations that
the Company is required to have made in relation to the processing of data,
and
is in good standing with respect to such registrations, with all fees due prior
to or as of the Closing Date duly made. The Company’s practices are, and have
always been, in compliance with (i) its then-current privacy policy, including
the privacy statement posted on the Company’s Web site, and (ii) its customers’
privacy policies, when required to do so by Contract.
(m) The
Company has implemented standards which are commercially reasonable in the
technology services industry to ensure the physical and electronic protection
of
its information assets from unauthorized disclosure, use or modification and
there has been no breach of security involving any information
assets.
(n) (i)
The
Company is in compliance with all licenses and other requirements of all open
source or public library software licenses (including any version of any
software licensed pursuant to any GNU public license and all other similar
public licenses) which is embodied or included or employed in any product
marketed, licensed, sold or distributed by the Company; (ii) except as set
forth
in Section 3.13(n) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no product currently
marketed, licensed, sold, or distributed by the Company (or portion thereof)
is,
nor, when delivered to the Parent, will be, in whole or in part, governed by
an
Excluded License (for purposes of this Agreement, an “Excluded
License”
is
any
license that requires, as a condition of modification and/or distribution of
software subject to the Excluded License, that (a) such software and/or
other software combined and/or distributed with such software be disclosed
or
distributed in source code form, or (b) such software and/or other software
combined and/or distributed with such software and any associated intellectual
property be licensed on a royalty free basis (including for the purpose of
making additional copies or derivative works)); (iii) the Company has not
incorporated into any product that is currently marketed, licensed, sold, or
distributed by the Company (or any portion of any of the foregoing) any code,
modules, utilities, or libraries that are covered in whole or in part by a
license that triggers the discontinuance of some or all license rights if
certain patent enforcement suits are brought by the Company, (iv) the Company
has not incorporated into any product that is currently marketed, licensed,
sold, or distributed by the Company (or any portion of any of the foregoing)
any
code, modules, utilities, or libraries that are covered in whole or in part
by a
license that requires that the Company give attribution for its use of such
code, modules, utilities, or libraries.
36
SECTION
3.14. Taxes.
(a) All
material Tax Returns required to be filed by or on behalf of the Company and
the
Company Subsidiaries or any of their predecessor corporations, or any
consolidated, combined, affiliated or unitary group of which the Company or
a
Company Subsidiary is or has ever been a member, have been timely filed with
the
appropriate tax authorities or requests for extensions have been timely filed
and any such extensions have been granted and have not expired. All such Tax
Returns were correct and complete in all material respects, except as otherwise
set forth, reflected in, reserved against or disclosed in the Company Financial
Statements.
(b) All
Taxes
with respect to taxable periods or portions thereof covered by such Tax Returns
and all other material Taxes (without regard to whether a Tax Return was or
is
required) for which the Company or a Company Subsidiary is otherwise liable
that
are due have been paid in full or are being contested in good faith (and such
contest is disclosed in Section 3.14(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule)
and,
to the extent the liabilities for such Taxes are not due or are being contested
in good faith, adequate reserves have been established on the Company Financial
Statements in accordance with GAAP.
(c) To
the
Knowledge of the Company, there are no Liens on any of the assets of the Company
or a Company Subsidiary that arose in connection with any failure (or alleged
failure) to pay any Tax.
(d) The
Company and the Company Subsidiaries have timely withheld proper and accurate
amounts from their employees, customers, shareholders and others from whom
they
are or were required to withhold Taxes, including social security, in compliance
in all material respects with all applicable Laws and has timely paid all such
withheld amounts to the appropriate taxing authorities.
(e) The
United Kingdom is the only country other than the United States of America
in
which the Company or a Company Subsidiary regularly conducts trade or
business.
(f) Neither
the Company nor any Company Subsidiaries has waived any statute of limitations
in respect of Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to a Tax
assessment or deficiency.
(g) Parent
has been furnished by the Company with true and complete copies of all federal,
state local and foreign income or franchise Tax Returns and state sales and
use
Tax Returns for or including the Company and each of the Company Subsidiaries
for all periods after December 31, 2000.
(h) Neither
the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries has received notice that it
has
not filed a Tax Return or paid Taxes required to be filed or paid, and no tax
authority of a jurisdiction in which it does not file Tax Returns has asserted
that it may be obligated to file Tax Returns in that jurisdiction.
(i) Neither
the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries is a party to any tax sharing
agreement.
37
(j) Neither
the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has been or is required to
make
any adjustment pursuant to Code Section 481(a) or any similar provision of
state, local or foreign tax law by reason of any change in any accounting
methods, there is no application pending with any taxing authority requesting
permission for any changes in any of its accounting methods for Tax purposes
and
no taxing authority has proposed any such adjustment or change in accounting
method.
(k) Neither
the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has distributed stock of another
Person, or has had its stock distributed by another Person, in a transaction
that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section
355
or Section 361 of the Code.
(l) Neither
the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries (1) has been a member of an
affiliated or similar group filing a consolidated, combined, unitary or similar
income Tax Return, other than a consolidated group of which the Company is
the
common parent or (2) has any liability for Taxes of any person (other than
Company and the Company Subsidiaries) under Treasury Regulations section
1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign law), as a
transferee or successor, by agreement or otherwise.
(m) Since
January 1, 2003, neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has
participated in a “reportable transaction” as described in Treasury Regulations
section 1.6011-4.
(n) There
are
no tax rulings, requests for rulings or closing agreements relating to the
Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries that could affect their liability
for
Taxes for any period after the Closing Date. Neither the Company nor any of
the
Company Subsidiaries will be required to include in the gross income of a
taxable period ending after the Closing Date income or gain attributable to
a
prior taxable period that was not recognized in that prior taxable period as
a
result of the installment method, the completed contract method or the cash
method of accounting, any other method of accounting or section 263A of the
Code.
(o) The
shares of the Company do not constitute a United States real property interest
within the meaning of IRC Section 897.
(p) Neither
the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has any obligation to pay and
no
payments will be made in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement of any amount that constitutes an excess parachute payment within
the
meaning of Code section 280G.
(q) Neither
the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has treated as an independent contractor
any Person not properly classified as such.
(r) There
is
no outstanding power of attorney of the Company or any Company Subsidiary with
respect to Taxes.
SECTION
3.15. Insurance.
The
Company is presently insured, and since inception has been insured, against
such
risks as companies engaged in a similar business would, in accordance with
good
business practice, customarily be insured. The policies of fire, theft,
liability and other insurance maintained with respect to the assets or
businesses of the Company provide adequate coverage against loss. There is
no
material claim pending under any of such policies as to which coverage has
been
questioned, denied or disputed by the underwriters of such policies. The Company
has heretofore furnished to the Parent a complete and correct list as of the
date hereof of all insurance policies maintained by the Company, and has made
available to the Parent complete and correct copies of all such policies,
together with all riders and amendments thereto. All such policies are in full
force and effect and all premiums due thereon have been paid to the date hereof.
The Company has complied in all material respects with the terms of such
policies. The Company has no Knowledge of any threatened termination of, or
material premium increase with respect to, any of such policies. The Company
is
not aware of any facts or circumstances which could reasonably be expected
to
result in the denial of insurance coverage under policies issued to the Company
in respect of such suits, claims, actions, proceedings and investigations.
38
SECTION
3.16. Properties.
Except
as set forth in Section 3.16 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company
has
good and marketable title to all of its properties and assets, free and clear
of
all material Liens, whether tangible or intangible, real, personal or mixed,
reflected in the Company Financial Statements as being owned by the Company
as
of the date thereof, other than (i) any properties or assets that have been
sold
or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business since the date
of
such financial statements, (ii) Liens disclosed in the notes to the Company
Financial Statements and (iii) Liens arising in the ordinary course of business
after the date of such financial statements. All properties used in the
Company’s operations are reflected in the balance sheets included in the Company
Financial Statements to the extent GAAP require the same to be reflected. All
buildings, and all fixtures, equipment and other property and assets that are
material to its business on a consolidated basis, and held under leases or
sub-leases by the Company, are held under valid instruments enforceable against
the Company in accordance with their respective terms, subject to applicable
Laws of bankruptcy, insolvency or similar Laws relating to creditors’ rights
generally and to general principles of equity (whether applied in a proceeding
in law or equity). Substantially all of the Company’s equipment in regular use
has been reasonably maintained and is in serviceable condition, reasonable
wear
and tear excepted. The Company owns or has the valid and subsisting right to
use
all assets and properties necessary to operate the Company’s business in the
manner presently conducted.
SECTION
3.17. Affiliates.
Section 3.17 of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth the names and
addresses of each Person who is, in the Company’s reasonable judgment, an
Affiliate of the Company. The Company is not indebted to, nor does it owe any
contractual commitment or arrangement to, with or for the benefit of, any
director, officer, employee, Affiliate or agent of the Company (except for
amounts due as normal salaries and bonuses and in reimbursement of ordinary
expenses). To the Knowledge of the Company, no current or former director,
officer, employee, Affiliate or agent of the Company is presently, or, in the
last three years has been, the direct or indirect owner of an interest in any
corporation, firm, association, or business organization which is a present
(or
potential) competitor, supplier or customer of the Company. Except for normal
salaries and bonuses and reimbursement of ordinary expenses, since
December 31, 2005, the Company has not made any payments, loans or advances
of any kind, or paid any dividends or distributions of any kind, to or for
the
benefit of the Shareholders, or any of their respective affiliates, associates
or family members.
39
SECTION
3.18. Brokers.
No
broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or
other fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby
based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company.
SECTION
3.19. Certain
Business Practices.
Neither
the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any directors, officers,
agents or employees of the Company (in their capacities as such) has (i) used
any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful
expenses relating to political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to
foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic
political parties or campaigns or violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or (iii) made any other unlawful
payment.
SECTION
3.20. Accounts
Receivable.
Subject
to any reserves set forth in the Company Financial Statements, the accounts
receivable shown on the Company Financial Statements represent bona fide claims
for sales and other charges, and are not subject to discount except for normal
cash and immaterial trade discounts. The amount carried for doubtful accounts
and allowances disclosed in the Company Financial Statements was calculated
in
accordance with GAAP and in a manner consistent with prior periods and is
sufficient to provide for any losses which may be sustained on realization
of
the receivables.
SECTION
3.21. Customers
and Suppliers.
Except
as set forth in Section 3.21 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no customer
which individually accounted for more than 5% of the Company’s or the Business’
gross revenues during the 12-month period preceding the date hereof has canceled
or otherwise terminated, or made any written threat to the Company to cancel
or
otherwise terminate or decrease its relationship with the Company, or has
decreased materially its relationship with the Company or its usage of the
services or products of the Company, as the case may be.
SECTION
3.22. Grants,
Incentives and Subsidies.
The
Company has not received any grants, incentive and subsidy programs
(“Grants”)
from
any Governmental Authority. The Company is not subject to any obligation to
pay
royalties in connection with sales of its products.
SECTION
3.23. Bank
Accounts.
Section
3.23 of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a complete and correct list
of
each bank account or safe deposit box of the Company, the names and locations
of
all banks in which the Company has accounts or safe deposit boxes, and the
names
of all persons authorized to draw thereon or to have access
thereto.
SECTION
3.24. Books
and Records.
The
books of accounts, minute books, stock record books, and other records of the
Company have been maintained in accordance with sound business practices in
all
material respects. The stock or ownership records of the Company as presented
to
Parent fairly and accurately reflect the record ownership of all of its
outstanding shares of capital stock.
SECTION
3.25. The
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act.
The
Company and the Company Subsidiaries warrant and represent that they have and
will continue to have fewer than 50 employees through the date of this
Agreement. The Company and the Company Subsidiaries further represent and
warrant that they shall not take any actions on or prior to the date of this
Agreement, and have not contemplated taking any actions between the date of
this
Agreement and the Effective Date that would implicate the notice provisions
or
any other provisions of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act or similar
state law.
40
SECTION
3.26. Representations
Complete.
None of
the representations or warranties made by the Shareholders or the Company herein
or in any Company Disclosure Schedule hereto, or certificate furnished by the
Shareholders or the Company pursuant to this Agreement, when all such documents
are read together in their entirety, contains or will contain at the Closing
Date any untrue statement of a material fact, or omits or will omit at the
Closing Date to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements contained herein or therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which made, not misleading.
IV.
[INTENTIONALLY
OMITTED]
V.
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT
The
Parent represents and warrants to the Company as follows:
SECTION
5.01. Organization
and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
The
Parent and each directly and indirectly owned Subsidiary of the Parent (the
“Parent
Subsidiaries”)
has
been duly incorporated or otherwise organized and is validly existing and in
good standing (to the extent applicable) under the Laws of the jurisdiction
of
its incorporation or organization, as the case may be, and has the requisite
corporate power and authority and all necessary governmental approvals to own,
lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now
being
conducted. The Parent, and each Parent Subsidiary is duly qualified or licensed
to do business, and is in good standing (to the extent applicable), in each
jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned, leased or operated
by
it or the nature of its business makes such qualification or licensing
necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified or licensed and in good
standing that could not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in
the
aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
5.02. Capitalization.
(a) The
authorized capital stock of the Parent consists of (i) 100,000,000 shares
of the Parent Common Stock, of which 38,879,018 shares are issued and
outstanding at March 31, 2006, and (ii) 5,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock,
par
value $0.001 per share, of which no shares are currently issued and outstanding.
All of the outstanding shares of the Parent Common Stock have been validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and not subject to preemptive
rights.
(b) All
of
the shares of the Parent Common Stock to be issued to the Shareholders in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, when issued in accordance
with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and
not subject to any contractual restriction, preemptive rights or similar
contractual rights granted by the Parent (other than the Trading Restriction
Agreements).
41
SECTION
5.03. Authority
Relative to this Agreement.
The
Parent has all necessary corporate power and authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party,
to
perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder and to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution and delivery of
this
Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party by the
Parent and the consummation by the Parent of the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary
corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Parent
are necessary to authorize this Agreement or any other Transaction Document
to
which the Parent is a party or to consummate such transactions. This Agreement
has been, and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party will be,
duly executed and delivered by the Parent. Assuming the due authorization,
execution and delivery by the Company and the Shareholders, this Agreement
constitutes, and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party will
constitute, legal, valid and binding obligations of the Parent, enforceable
against the Parent in accordance with their respective terms, except to the
extent that enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally or by general equitable principles.
SECTION
5.04. No
Conflict; Required Filings and Consents.
(a) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parent and the execution and
delivery of each other Transaction Document to which it is a party by the
Parent, do not, and the performance by the Parent of its obligations hereunder
and/or thereunder, as the case may be, and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby will not, (i) conflict with or violate any
provision of the Organizational Documents of the Parent or any equivalent
organizational documents of any Parent Subsidiary, (ii) conflict with or violate
any Law applicable to the Parent or any other Parent Subsidiary or by which
any
property or asset of the Parent or any Parent Subsidiary is bound or affected
or
(iii) result in any breach of or constitute a default (or an event which
with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both could reasonably be expected
to become a default) under, or give to others any right of termination,
amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of a
lien
or other encumbrance on any material property or asset of the Parent or any
Parent Subsidiary pursuant to, any material note, bond, mortgage, indenture,
contract, agreement, lease, license, permit, franchise or other instrument
or
obligation in each case, with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii) of this Section
5.04(a), which will result in a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Assuming
the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Article III,
the
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parent do not, and the execution
of each other Transaction Document to which it is a party will not, and the
performance by the Parent of its obligations hereunder and the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated hereby will not, require any consent, approval,
authorization or permit of, or filing by the Parent with or notification by
the
Parent to, any Governmental Entity.
SECTION
5.05. SEC
Filings; Financial Statements.
(a)
Parent
has
filed or furnished all forms, reports and documents (the “Parent
SEC Documents”)
required to be filed or furnished by it under the Exchange Act.
42
(b) Except
as
is provided in the Parent SEC Documents, each of the consolidated financial
statements (including, in each case, any notes thereto) contained in the Parent
SEC Documents complied as to form in all material respects with applicable
accounting requirements, was prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a
consistent basis throughout the periods indicated (except as may be indicated
in
the notes thereto) and each presented fairly, in all material respects, the
consolidated financial position of the Parent and the consolidated Parent
Subsidiaries as at the respective dates thereof and the consolidated results
of
operations and cash flows of the Parent and the consolidated Parent Subsidiaries
for the respective periods indicated therein, except as otherwise noted therein
(subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal and recurring year-end
adjustments).
SECTION
5.06. Absence
of Certain Changes or Events.
Except
as disclosed in the Parent SEC Documents filed prior to the date of this
Agreement, since the date of Parent’s most-recently filed Form 10-Q, there has
not been (a) any condition, event, occurrence or development that has had or
would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent
Material Adverse Effect or which would reasonably be expected to prevent, hinder
or materially delay the ability of the Parent to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby, (b) any material change by the Parent or any Parent
Subsidiary in its accounting methods, principles or practices, or (c) any event
pursuant to which the Parent or any Parent Subsidiary has incurred any material
liabilities (direct, contingent or otherwise) or engaged in any material
transaction or entered into any material agreement, in each case, outside of
the
ordinary course of business which, individually or in the aggregate, would
be
reasonably expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
5.07. Brokers.
No
broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or
other fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby
based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Parent.
SECTION
5.08. Certain
Tax Representations and Warranties.
(a) Parent
has no present plan or intention to liquidate the Company following the Merger,
to merge the Company into another corporation, or cause the Company to sell
or
otherwise dispose of any assets acquired in the Merger, except for dispositions
made in the ordinary course of business or transfers described in Section
368(a)(2)(C) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations issued
thereunder.
(b) Parent
has no present plan or intention to cause the Company, following the Merger,
(A)
to not continue its historic business or (B) to not use a significant portion
of
its historic business assets in a business, in each case within the meaning
of
Section 1.368-1(d) of the Treasury Regulations.
(c) Parent
has no present plan or intention, following the Merger, to issue additional
shares that would result in Parent losing control of the Company within the
meaning of Section 368(c) of the Code.
43
(d) Neither
Parent nor, to the Knowledge of Parent, any person related to Parent within
the
meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-1(e)(4), has a present plan or
intention to acquire any of the Parent stock issued in the Merger.
(e) Prior
to
the Merger, Parent will be in control of Merger Sub within the meaning of
Section 368(c) of the Code.
SECTION
5.09. Representations
Complete.
None of
the representations or warranties made by the Parent herein or in any
certificate furnished by the Parent pursuant to this Agreement, when all such
documents are read together in their entirety, contains or will contain at
the
Closing Date any untrue statement of a material fact, or omits or will omit
at
the Closing Date to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements contained herein or therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which made, not misleading.
VI.
COVENANTS
SECTION
6.01. Conduct
of Business by the Company Pending the Closing.
The
Company agrees that, between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date,
unless contemplated by or provided for in this Agreement, or unless Parent
shall
otherwise agree in writing, (x) the businesses of the Company shall be conducted
only in, and the Company shall not take any action except in, the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice and (y) the Company shall
use its reasonable efforts to keep available the services of such of the current
officers, significant employees and consultants of the Company and to preserve
the current relationships of the Company with such of the corporate partners,
customers, suppliers and other Persons with which the Company has significant
business relations in order to preserve substantially intact its business
organization. By way of amplification and not limitation, the Company shall
not,
between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date, directly or indirectly,
do, or agree to do, any of the following without the prior written consent
of
Parent:
(a) amend
or
otherwise change its Organizational Documents, other than to adopt an amendment
to its articles of incorporation to provide for the issuance of Series C
Preferred Stock to the UK Minority Shareholders;
(b) (i)
other
than with respect to the exercise of currently outstanding Company Options
or
Company Warrants, and other than with respect to the issuance of shares of
a
newly-created Series C Preferred Stock to the UK Minority Shareholders, issue
or
sell or authorize the issuance or sale of any shares of capital stock of the
Company of any class, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or
exercisable for any shares of such capital stock, or any options, warrants
or
other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of such capital stock, or any
other ownership interest (including, without limitation, any phantom interest),
of the Company; or (ii) pledge, dispose of, grant, transfer, lease, license,
guarantee or encumber, or authorize the pledge, disposition, grant, transfer,
lease, license or encumbrance of any property or assets of the Company, except
sales of inventory in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice;
44
(c) (i)
acquire (including, without limitation, by merger, consolidation, or acquisition
of stock or assets) any interest in any corporation, partnership, other business
organization or Person or any division thereof; (ii) other than the
borrowing of the Senior Unsecured Promissory Notes, incur any indebtedness
for
borrowed money or issue any debt securities or assume, guarantee or endorse,
or
otherwise as an accommodation become responsible for, the obligations of any
Person for borrowed money or make any loans or advances material to the
business, assets, liabilities, financial condition or results of operations
of
the Company; (iii) terminate, cancel or request any material change in, or
agree to any material change in, any Material Contract or License Agreement;
(iv) make or authorize any capital expenditure, other than capital
expenditures in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice
that have been budgeted for fiscal year 2006 and disclosed in writing to the
Parent and that are not, in the aggregate, in excess of $10,000 for the Company;
or (v) enter into or amend any contract, agreement, commitment or
arrangement that, if fully performed, would not be permitted under this
Section 6.01(c);
(d) declare,
set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash,
stock, property or otherwise, with respect to any of its capital
stock;
(e) reclassify,
combine, split, subdivide or redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire, directly
or
indirectly, any of its capital stock;
(f) amend
the
terms of, repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, any of its securities or
propose to do any of the foregoing;
(g) (i)
grant
or
announce any stock option, equity or incentive awards or any increase in the
compensation payable or to become payable to its directors, officers,
consultants or employees; (ii) grant any rights to pension, retirement
allowance, termination, severance pay, bonus or other employee benefits to
its
directors, officers, consultants or employees; (iii) hire any new employees,
other than in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice
with respect to employees with an annual base and incentive compensation
opportunity not to exceed $75,000, (iv) enter into any employment or severance
agreement which provides benefits upon a change in control of the Company that
would be triggered by the transactions contemplated hereby with, any director,
officer, consultant or other employee of the Company, in each case who is not
currently entitled to such benefits; (v) establish, adopt, enter into, amend
or
terminate any collective bargaining agreement or any Benefit Plan, except to
the
extent required by applicable Law or the terms of a collective bargaining
agreement; or (vi) enter into or amend any contract, agreement, commitment
or
arrangement between the Company and any of the Company’s directors, officers,
consultants or employees;
(h) pay,
discharge or satisfy any claims, liabilities or obligations (absolute, accrued,
asserted or unasserted, contingent or otherwise), other than the payment,
discharge or satisfaction in the ordinary course of business and consistent
with
past practice of liabilities reflected or reserved against on the balance sheet
of the Company dated as of March 31, 2006 previously presented to the
Parent and only to the extent of such reserves;
45
(i) make
any
change with respect to the Company’s accounting policies, principles, methods or
procedures, including, without limitation, revenue recognition policies, other
than as required by GAAP;
(j) make
or
change any material Tax election, adopt or change any Tax method of accounting,
file any amended Tax Return or refund claim, or settle or compromise any
material Tax liability;
(k) cancel
or
terminate any insurance policy naming it as a beneficiary or a loss payee,
except in the ordinary and usual course of business;
(l) maintain
the books and records of the Company in a manner not consistent with past
business practices;
(m)
take any
action which would materially adversely affect the goodwill of its suppliers,
customers and others with whom it has business relations;
(n) fail
to
pay and perform all of its debts, obligations and liabilities as and when due
and all leases, agreements, contracts and other commitments to which it is
a
party in accordance with the terms and provisions thereof;
(o) fail
to
comply in all material respects with all Laws that may be applicable to its
business; or
(p) authorize
or enter into any formal or informal agreement or otherwise make any commitment
to do any of the foregoing or to take any action which would make any of the
representations or warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement untrue
or incorrect or prevent the Company from performing or cause the Company not
to
perform its covenants hereunder or result in any of the conditions to the
Closing set forth herein not being satisfied.
SECTION
6.02. Notices
of Certain Events.
Each of
the Parent and the Company shall give prompt notice to the other of (i) any
notice or other communication from any Person alleging that the consent of
such
Person is or may be required in connection with the transactions contemplated
hereby; (ii) any notice or other communication from any Governmental Entity
in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby; (iii) any actions,
suits, claims, investigations or proceedings commenced or, to its Knowledge,
threatened (in each case, after the date hereof) against, relating to or
involving or otherwise affecting the Parent or the Company, or that relate
to
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; (iv) the
occurrence of a default or event that, with the giving of notice or lapse of
time or both, will become a default under any Material Contract; and
(v) any change that could reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material
Adverse Effect or a Company Material Adverse Effect, or to delay or impede
the
ability of the Parent, the Company or any of the Shareholders to perform their
respective obligations under this Agreement and to effect the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated hereby.
SECTION
6.03. Access
to Information; Confidentiality.
(a)
Except as required pursuant to any confidentiality agreement or similar
agreement or arrangement to which the Parent or the Company is a party or
pursuant to applicable Law or the regulations or requirements of any stock
exchange or other regulatory organization with whose rules a party hereto is
required to comply, from the date of this Agreement to the Closing Date, the
Parent and the Company shall (i) provide to the other (and its officers,
directors, employees, accountants, consultants, legal counsel, agents and other
representatives (collectively, “Representatives”))
access at reasonable times upon reasonable prior notice to its officers,
employees, agents, properties, offices and other facilities and to the books
and
records thereof, and (ii) furnish reasonably promptly such information
concerning its business, properties, contracts, assets, liabilities and
personnel as the other party or its Representatives may reasonably request.
No
investigation conducted pursuant to this Section 6.03 shall affect or be
deemed to modify any representation or warranty made in this
Agreement.
46
(b) The
parties hereto shall comply with, and shall cause their respective
Representatives to comply with, all of their respective obligations under the
Confidentiality Agreement with respect to the information disclosed pursuant
to
this Section 6.03 or pursuant to the Confidentiality Agreement. The
Shareholders hereby agree to be bound by the terms of the Confidentiality
Agreement as if they were parties thereto.
SECTION
6.04. No
Solicitation of Transactions.
The
Company and the Shareholders shall not, directly or indirectly, and shall cause
the Company’s Representatives not to, directly or indirectly, solicit, initiate
or encourage (including by way of furnishing nonpublic information), any
inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer (including, without limitation,
any proposal or offer to the Shareholders) that constitutes, or may reasonably
be expected to lead to, any Competing Transaction, or enter into or maintain
or
continue discussions or negotiate with any Person in furtherance of such
inquiries or to obtain a Competing Transaction, or agree to or endorse any
Competing Transaction, or authorize or permit any of the Company’s
Representatives to take any such action. Any violation of the restrictions
set
forth in this Section 6.04 by any Representative of the Company, whether or
not such Person is purporting to act on behalf of the Company or otherwise,
shall be deemed to be a breach of this Section 6.04 by the Company. The
Company shall notify the Parent promptly if any proposal or offer, or any
inquiry or contact with any Person with respect thereto, regarding a Competing
Transaction is made, such notice to include the identity of the Person making
such proposal, offer, inquiry or contact, and the terms of such Competing
Transaction, and shall keep the Parent apprised, on a current basis, of the
status of such Competing Transaction. The Company immediately shall cease and
cause to be terminated all existing discussions or negotiations with any parties
conducted heretofore with respect to a Competing Transaction. The Company shall
not release any third party from, or waive any provision of, any confidentiality
or standstill agreement to which it is a party.
SECTION
6.05. Further
Action; Consents; Filings.
(a)
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereof, each of the parties hereto
shall use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) take, or cause to be
taken, all appropriate action, and do, or cause to be done, all things
necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Law or otherwise to consummate
and make effective the transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) obtain from
Governmental Entities any consents, licenses, permits, waivers, approvals,
authorizations or orders required to be obtained or made by the Parent or the
Company in connection with the authorization, execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and
(iii) make all necessary filings, and thereafter make any other required or
appropriate submissions, with respect to this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby required under any applicable Laws. The parties hereto
shall
cooperate and consult with each other in connection with the making of all
such
filings.
47
(b) Each
of
the Company and the Parent will give any notices to third Persons, and use
commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any consents from third Persons
necessary, proper or advisable (as determined in good faith by the Parent with
respect to such notices or consents to be delivered or obtained by the Company)
to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
SECTION
6.06. Certain
Tax Matters.
(a)
Transfer
Taxes.
All
transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration and other such Taxes
and
fees (including any penalties and interest) incurred in connection with this
Agreement, shall be paid by the Shareholders when due, and the Shareholders
will, at their own expense, file all necessary Tax Returns and other
documentation with respect to all such transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp,
registration and other Taxes and fees, and, if required by applicable law,
The
Parent will, and will cause its Affiliates to, join in the execution of any
such
Tax Returns and other documentation.
(b) Tax
Returns.
The
following provisions shall govern the allocation of responsibility as between
the Parent and the Shareholders for certain tax matters following the Closing
Date:
(i) Tax
Periods Ending on or Before the Closing Date.
The
Parent shall prepare or cause to be prepared and file or cause to be filed
all
Tax Returns for the Company and its Subsidiaries for all periods ending on
or
prior to the Closing Date which are filed after the Closing Date. The Parent
shall permit the Shareholders’ Representative to review and comment on each such
Tax Return described in the preceding sentence prior to filing. The Shareholders
shall reimburse the Parent for Taxes of the Company and its Subsidiaries with
respect to such periods within fifteen (15) days after payment by the Parent
or
the Company of such Taxes to the extent such Taxes are not reflected in the
reserve for Tax liability (rather than any reserve for deferred Taxes
established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax income) shown
on
the face of the Company’s balance sheet as of March 31, 2006.
(ii) Tax
Periods Beginning Before and Ending After the Closing Date.
The
Parent shall prepare or cause to be prepared and file or cause to be filed
any
Tax Returns of the Company and its Subsidiaries for Tax periods which begin
before the Closing Date and end after the Closing Date. The Parent shall permit
the Shareholders’ Representative to review and comment on each such Tax Return
described in the preceding sentence prior to filing. The Shareholders shall
pay
to the Parent within fifteen (15) days after the date on which Taxes are paid
with respect to such periods an amount equal to the portion of such Taxes which
relates to the portion of such Taxable period ending on the Closing Date to
the
extent such Taxes are not reflected in the reserve for Tax liability (rather
than any reserve for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences
between book and Tax income) shown on the face of the Company’s balance sheet as
of March 31, 2006. For purposes of this Section, in the case of any Taxes that
are imposed on a periodic basis and are payable for a Taxable period that
includes (but does not end on) the Closing Date, the portion of such Tax which
relates to the portion of such Taxable period ending on the Closing Date shall
(x) in the case of any Taxes other than Taxes based upon or related to income
or
receipts, be deemed to be the amount of such Tax for the entire Taxable period
multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of days in the
Taxable period ending on the Closing Date and the denominator of which is the
number of days in the entire Taxable period, and (y) in the case of any Tax
based upon or related to income or receipts be deemed equal to the amount which
would be payable if the relevant Taxable period ended on the Closing Date.
Any
credits relating to a Taxable period that begins before and ends after the
Closing Date shall be taken into account as though the relevant Taxable period
ended on the Closing Date. All determinations necessary to give effect to the
foregoing allocations shall be made in a manner consistent with prior practice
of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
48
(iii) Cooperation
on Tax Matters.
The
Parent, the Shareholders’ Representative and the Shareholders shall cooperate
fully, as and to the extent reasonably requested by the other party, in
connection with the filing of Tax Returns pursuant to this Section and any
audit, litigation or other proceeding with respect to Taxes. Such cooperation
shall include the retention and (upon the other party’s request) the provision
of records and information which are reasonably relevant to any such audit,
litigation or other proceeding and making employees available on a mutually
convenient basis to provide additional information and explanation of any
material provided hereunder. The Company and the Shareholders agree (A) to
retain all books and records with respect to Tax matters pertinent to the
Company relating to any taxable period beginning before the Closing Date until
the expiration of the statute of limitations (and, to the extent notified by
the
Parent or the Shareholders, any extensions thereof) of the respective taxable
periods, and to abide by all record retention agreements entered into with
any
taxing authority, and (B) to give the other party reasonable written notice
prior to transferring, destroying or discarding any such books and records
and,
if the other party so requests, the Company or the Shareholders, as the case
may
be, shall allow the other party to take possession of such books and
records.
(iv) The
Parent and the Shareholders further agree, upon request, to use their reasonable
efforts to obtain any certificate or other document from any governmental
authority or any other Person as may be necessary to mitigate, reduce or
eliminate any Tax that could be imposed (including, but not limited to, with
respect to the transactions contemplated hereby).
(v) The
Parent and the Shareholders further agree, upon request, to provide the other
party with all information that either party may be required to report pursuant
to Section 6043 of the Code and all Treasury Department Regulations promulgated
thereunder.
49
(c) Tax
Sharing Agreements.
All tax
sharing agreements or similar agreements with respect to or involving the
Company shall be terminated as of the Closing Date and, after the Closing Date,
the Company shall not be bound thereby or have any liability
thereunder.
(d) FIRPTA
Certificate.
At the
Closing, the Company shall provide Parent with a statement pursuant to Treasury
Regulations Section 1.897-2(h), dated no more than 30 days prior to Closing,
certifying that the shares of the Company do not constitute a U.S. real property
interest.
SECTION
6.07. Public
Announcements.
Until
the earlier of termination of this Agreement or the Closing Date, the Parent,
on
the one hand, and the Company and the Shareholders, on the other hand, will
consult with each other before issuing any press release or otherwise making
any
public statements with respect to the Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby and shall not issue any such press release or make any such public
statement that is not approved by the other party, except as may be required
by
Law or the rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, in which case the parties will
make reasonable efforts to consult with each other prior to the making of such
public statement.
SECTION
6.08. Trading
Restriction Agreement Legend.
Each
Parent Certificate Stock issued to a Significant Shareholder shall bear the
following legend:
“THE
SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO A TRADING RESTRICTION
AGREEMENT, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE SECRETARY OF LIVEPERSON,
INC.”
SECTION
6.09. Certain
Covenants of Parent.
Parent
covenants and agrees in favor of the Shareholders that (i) it shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to maintain and grow the customer base of the
Company consistent with the practices of Parent and the Company prior to the
Closing Date, including, without limitation, supporting the efforts to secure
the prospective customers set forth on Annex II
and
Annex
III
hereto,
and (ii) it shall make timely severance payments to those employees of the
Company whose employment is terminated consistent with the Company’s prior
severance policies, as set forth on Section 6.09.
SECTION
6.10. Certain
Covenants of Company.
Company
covenants and agrees in favor of Parent to (i) payoff all amounts owed pursuant
to the Loan and Security Agreement by and between PSI and RBC Centura Bank,
(ii)
cause to be repaid in Parent Common Stock, out of the Aggregate Merger
Consideration, all of the Senior Secured Promissory Notes Repayment Amount,
and
(iii) cause to be repaid in Parent Common Stock, out of the Aggregate Merger
Consideration, all of the Senior Unsecured Promissory Notes Repayment
Amount.
VII.
STOCK
MATTERS
SECTION
7.01. Required
Registration.
As
promptly as practicable after the Closing, unless prohibited by Law, but in
no
event later than ten (10) calendar days after the Closing Date (or, if such
date
is any day on which the filing of documents with the SEC pursuant to the
Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder may not be made, then
the
next day thereafter on which the filing of such documents with the SEC may
be
made), Parent agrees to file a Registration Statement on Form S-3 or other
applicable registration statement (the “Re-Sale
Registration Statement”)
to
register the resale of any and all of the shares of Parent Common Stock issued
or issuable pursuant to this Agreement (together, the “Shares”).
Parent shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the SEC to declare
the Re-Sale Registration Statement effective as promptly as possible, but in
any
event no later than the 90th day after the Closing; provided,
however,
that
not less than two Business Days prior to the filing of the Re-Sale Registration
Statement or any amendment thereto or any supplement to the prospectus included
therein, Parent shall provide the Shareholders’ Representative with a copy of
the Re-Sale Registration Statement or amendment or supplement proposed to be
filed and Parent agrees to consider all appropriate comments provided by the
Shareholders’ Representative with respect to the Re-Sale Registration Statement
for inclusion in the Re-Sale Registration Statement; provided,
further,
that
Parent shall have no liability to the Company or the Shareholders’
Representative for the failure of the SEC to declare the Re-Sale Registration
Statement effective no later than the 90th day after the Closing if such failure
is a result, directly or indirectly, of the Company’s or the Shareholders’
Representative’s failure to cooperate with Parent pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement. Parent shall thereafter maintain the effectiveness of the Re-Sale
Registration Statement until the earlier of (a) the date on which all the Shares
have been sold pursuant to the Re-Sale Registration Statement or Rule 144
promulgated under the Securities Act (“Rule
144”),
and
(b) such time as Parent reasonably determines, based on an opinion of counsel,
that the holders of the Shares will be eligible to sell under Rule 144 all
of
the Shares then owned by them within the volume limitations imposed by paragraph
(e) of Rule 144 in the three-month period immediately following the termination
of the effectiveness of the Re-Sale Registration Statement. Parent’s obligations
contained in this Section 7.01 shall terminate on the second anniversary of
the
last date on which shares of Common Stock are issued or released from escrow
pursuant to this Agreement.
50
SECTION
7.02. Registration
Procedures.
(a)
In
case
of the Re-Sale Registration Statement effected by Parent subject to this Article
VII, Parent shall keep the Company and its counsel advised in writing as to
the
initiation of such registration, the effectiveness thereof, any correspondence
from the SEC with respect thereto, and the completion thereof. In addition,
subject to Section 7.01 above, Parent shall, to the extent applicable to the
Re-Sale Registration Statement:
(i) prepare
and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to the Re-Sale
Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep such registration
continuously effective and free from any material misstatement or omission
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in
which
they are made, not misleading, and comply with provisions of the Securities
Act
with respect to the disposition of all securities covered thereby at all times
during the period referred to in Section 7.01;
(ii) update,
correct, amend and supplement the Re-Sale Registration Statement as
necessary;
51
(iii) notify
the Shareholders’ Representative promptly when the Re-Sale Registration
Statement or any amendment thereto is declared effective by the SEC and upon
the
filing of any amendment to the Re-Sale Registration Statement or any supplement
to the prospectus included therein, and furnish such number of prospectuses,
including preliminary prospectuses, and other documents incident thereto as
the
Shareholders’ Representative may reasonably request from time to
time;
(iv) use
its
commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the Shares under such
other securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions of the United States
where an exemption is not available and as the Shareholders’ Representative may
reasonably request to enable it to consummate the disposition in such
jurisdiction of the Shares (provided,
however,
that
Parent will not be required to (A) qualify generally to do business in any
jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this
provision, or (B) consent to general service of process in any such
jurisdiction, or (C) subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction where it
is
not already subject to taxation);
(v) notify
the Shareholders’ Representative at any time when a prospectus relating to the
Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening
of
any event as a result of which the prospectus included in the Re-Sale
Registration Statement contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits
any fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and subject
to
Section 7.02(d), Parent will promptly prepare a supplement or amendment to
such
prospectus, so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of such shares,
such
prospectus will not contain any untrue statements of a material fact or omit
to
state any fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(vi) cause
all
such Shares to be listed or qualified for trading on each securities exchange
or
market on which similar securities issued by Parent are then listed or qualified
and obtain all necessary approvals from such exchange or market for trading
thereon;
(vii) provide
a
transfer agent and registrar for all such Shares not later than the effective
date of the Re-Sale Registration Statement and at all times during the period
specified in Section 7.01;
(viii) upon
the
sale of any Shares pursuant to the Re-Sale Registration Statement, direct the
transfer agent to remove the Securities Act legend from all certificates or
other instruments evidencing the Shares;
(ix) With
a
view to making available to the Shareholders the benefits of certain rules
and
regulations of the SEC that at any time permit the sale of the Shares to the
public without registration, so long as any Shares are outstanding, Parent
shall
use its commercially reasonable efforts for a period of two years following
the
last date on which shares of Common Stock are issued or released from escrow
pursuant to this Agreement:
52
(a)
|
to
make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood
and defined in Rule 144(c) under the Securities
Act;
|
(b) |
to
file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents
required of Parent under the Exchange Act;
and
|
(c) |
to
furnish to the Shareholders’ Representative upon any reasonable request a
written statement by Parent as to its compliance with the public
information requirements of Rule 144(c) under the Securities Act;
and
|
(x) To
advise
the Shareholders’ Representative promptly after it has received notice or
obtained knowledge of the existence of any stop order by the SEC delaying or
suspending the effectiveness of the Re-Sale Registration Statement or of the
initiation or threat of any proceeding for that purpose, and to make every
commercially reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending
the effectiveness of the Re-Sale Registration Statement at the earliest possible
time.
(b) Notwithstanding
anything stated or implied to the contrary in Section 7.02(a) above, Parent
shall not be required to consent to any underwritten offering of the Shares
or
to any specific underwriter participating in any underwritten public offering
of
the Shares.
(c) The
holders of the Shares agree that upon receipt of any notice from Parent of
the
happening of any event of the kind described in Section 7.02(a)(v), and subject
to Section 7.02(d), such holders will forthwith discontinue their disposition
of
Shares pursuant to the registration statement relating to such Shares until
the
receipt by such holders of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus
contemplated by Section 7.02(a)(v) (such interim period in which the holders
of
the Shares are unable to dispose of the Shares is hereinafter referred to as
the
“Blocked
Period”)
and,
if so directed by Parent, will deliver to Parent at Parent’s expense all copies,
other than permanent file copies, then in such holders’ possession, of the
prospectus relating to such Shares current at the time of receipt of such
notice. However, if during the Blocked Period, Parent proposes to register
on a
registration statement (other than a resale registration statement on Form
S-3
or a registration statement on Form S-8 or Form S-4, or their successors, or
any
other form for a similar limited purpose, or any registration statement covering
only securities proposed to be issued in exchange for securities or assets
of
another corporation) any of its stock or other securities in connection with
the
public offering of such stock or securities, then Parent shall use its best
efforts to include such Shares as requested by the holders thereof in such
registration statement filed by Parent with the SEC; provided,
however,
that in
the case of an underwritten public offering, if the underwriters advise Parent
that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of shares to be
underwritten, Parent and its underwriters shall allocate the number of shares
to
be registered in such offering as follows: (i) first, to Parent; (ii)
second, to the holders of the Shares; and (iii) thereafter, to the extent
additional securities may be included in such offering, to any other holders
of
Parent securities other than the holders of the Shares.
53
(d) In
addition to any discontinuance of the disposition of Shares under Section
7.02(c) above, Parent, upon the happening of any pending corporate development,
public filing with the SEC or similar event, that, in the good faith judgment
of
Parent’s Board of Directors based on the advice of counsel, renders it advisable
to suspend use of the prospectus, may, for no more than forty-five (45) days
in
the aggregate per event and no more than ninety (90) days in the aggregate
in
any 180-day period (each a “Suspension
Event”),
suspend use of the prospectus, on written notice to the holders of the Shares
(which notice will not disclose the content of any material non-public
information and will indicate the date of the beginning and end of the intended
period of suspension, if known), in which case the holders of the Shares shall
discontinue disposition of Shares covered by the registration statement related
to such Shares or prospectus until copies of a supplemented or amended
prospectus are distributed to them or until they are advised in writing by
Parent that sales of Shares under the applicable prospectus may be resumed
and
have received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are
incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in any such prospectus,
provided that in any event holders of Shares will not be required to discontinue
disposition of the Shares for more than the aggregate period(s) set forth in
this Section 9.02(d) above. The suspension and notice thereof described in
this
Section 7.02(d) shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section
6.03 herein and the Nondisclosure Agreement and shall not be disclosed by the
Seller. Parent may not utilize the suspension described in this Section 7.02(d)
for more than two (2) Suspension Events in any twelve-month period. Parent
will
use commercially reasonably efforts to ensure that the use of the Re-Sale
Registration Statement and prospectus may be resumed as promptly as
practicable.
(e) Except
as
required by Law, all expenses incurred by Parent in complying with this Article
VII, including but not limited to, all registration, qualification and filing
fees, printing expenses, fees and disbursements of counsel and accountants
for
Parent, blue sky fees and expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel
related to all blue sky matters) incurred in connection with any registration,
qualification or compliance pursuant to this Article VII shall be borne by
Parent. All underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to a
sale
incurred in connection with any registration of Shares and the legal fees and
other expenses of the holders of the Shares shall be borne by such
holders.
If
Shares
are included in any registration, the holder(s) of such Shares shall furnish
Parent such information regarding itself or themselves as Parent may reasonably
request and as shall be required in connection with any registration (or
amendment or supplement thereto), referred to in this Agreement, and the holders
of such Shares shall indemnify Parent with respect thereto in accordance with
Article IX hereof. The holders of such Shares agree and acknowledge that Parent
may rely on such information as being true and correct for purposes of preparing
and filing the Re-Sale Registration Statement at the time of filing thereof
and
at the time it is declared effective, unless the holders of such Shares have
notified Parent in writing to the contrary prior to such time.
SECTION
7.03. Transfer
of Shares.
A
holder of the Shares may transfer all or any part of his or its Shares to any
Affiliate of such holder; provided,
that
any such
transfer shall be effected in full compliance with all applicable federal and
state securities laws, including, but not limited to, the Securities Act, and
further
provided,
that in
any such case, it shall be a condition to any such transfer that the transferee
execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the
Shares subject to the provisions of this Agreement, and there shall be no
further transfer of such Shares except in accordance with this Agreement. Parent
will effect such transfer of restricted certificates and will promptly amend
the
Prospectus forming a part of the Re-Sale Registration Statement to add the
transferee to the selling shareholders in the Re-Sale Registration Statement;
provided
that
the
transferor and transferee shall be required to provide Parent with the
information requested by Parent in this Agreement as provided for in the last
paragraph of Section 7.02, and information reasonably necessary for Parent
to
determine that the transfer was effected in accordance with all applicable
federal and state securities laws, including, but not limited to, the Securities
Act, and all other information reasonably requested by Parent from time to
time
in connection with any transfer, registration, qualification or compliance
referred to in this Article VII.
54
SECTION
7.04. Restricted
Securities, Stock Certificate Legend.
The
holders of the Shares acknowledge that the issuance by Parent of the shares
of
Common Stock to such holders hereunder has not and will not be registered under
the Securities Act by reason of their contemplated issuance in transactions
exempt from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the
Securities Act pursuant to Section 4(2) thereof, and that such shares will
be
deemed “restricted securities” for purposes of the Securities Act. The holders
of the Shares acknowledge that any certificate or certificates representing
shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to this Agreement initially shall bear
the following legend, in addition to any legend that may be required by any
Law
or any other provisions of this Agreement:
“THE
SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED,
HYPOTHECATED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF (i) AN EFFECTIVE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR SUCH SECURITIES UNDER SAID ACT OR (ii) AN OPINION
OF
COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED
UNDER
SUCH ACT.”
SECTION
7.05. Reservation
of Stock;
Certain Adjustments.
Parent
shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued
shares of Common Stock, solely for the purpose of issuance of the shares of
Common Stock hereunder, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock to issue
such shares, and if at any time the number of authorized but unissued shares
of
Common Stock shall not be sufficient to issue the shares of Common Stock that
Parent is required to issue pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, in addition
to such other remedies as shall be available to the holders of the Shares,
Parent will use its reasonable efforts to take such corporate action as may,
in
the opinion of its counsel, be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued
shares of Common Stock to such number of shares as shall be sufficient for
such
purposes. In addition, if any of the types of adjustment contemplated by Section
2.11 shall occur, Parent shall modify the number of shares of its common stock
reserved under this Section 7.05 to account for such adjustment.
55
SECTION
7.06. No
Shareholder Rights.
Prior
to the issuance of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement, the holders of the Shares shall not be entitled, by virtue of this
Agreement, to any rights of a stockholder of Parent, including (without
limitation) the right to vote, receive dividends or other distributions or
be
notified of stockholder meetings, and except as otherwise provided herein,
the
holders of the Shares shall not be entitled to any notice or other communication
concerning the business or affairs of the Buyer, except as required by
Law.
SECTION
7.07. Compliance
with Law or Stock Exchange.
If at
any time after Closing, any new Law, rule or regulation is enacted or
promulgated by (i) any national securities exchange or Nasdaq; or (ii) any
federal or state securities authority having jurisdiction over Parent, which
must be satisfied in the good faith determination of the Parent as a condition
of the issuance of any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement, or if the consent or approval of a Governmental Entity to the
issuance of any shares of Common Stock must be obtained as a condition to such
issuance, in whole or in part, then Parent may delay such issuance until such
condition has been satisfied. Parent and the holders of the Shares mutually
agree to cooperate with one another to satisfy any such condition as promptly
as
possible and to provide any information, representations and agreements as
are
required for such purpose.
SECTION
7.08. Limitation
on Resale.
The
provisions of the Trading Restriction Agreement limiting the resale of the
Shares shall not apply to any transfer permitted pursuant to Section 7.03
hereunder.
VIII.
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
SECTION
8.01. Conditions
Precedent to the Obligations of Each Party.
The
obligations of the parties hereto to consummate the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement are subject to the satisfaction or, if permitted by applicable
Law, waiver of the following conditions:
(a) no
court
of competent jurisdiction shall have issued or entered any order, writ,
injunction or decree, and no other Governmental Entity shall have issued any
order, which is then in effect and has the effect of making the transactions
contemplated hereby illegal or otherwise prohibiting its consummation;
(b) all
consents, approvals and authorizations legally required to be obtained to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been obtained from
all Governmental Entities, except where the failure to obtain any such consent,
approval or authorization could not reasonably be expected to result in a Parent
Material Adverse Effect or a Company Material Adverse Effect; and
(c) the
Parent, the Shareholders’ Representative and the Escrow Agent shall have
executed and delivered an Escrow Agreement.
SECTION
8.02. Conditions
Precedent to the Obligation of the Parent.
The
obligation of the Parent to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement is subject, at the option of the Parent, to the satisfaction at or
prior to the Closing Date of each of the following conditions:
56
(a) Accuracy
of Representations and Warranties.
The
representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement or
in
any certificate or document delivered to the Parent pursuant hereto shall be
true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and
warranties subject to “materiality” or “material adverse effect” qualifiers,
which shall be true and correct in all respects) both when made and on and
as of
the Closing Date as though made at and as of the Closing Date (other than
representations and warranties which address matters only as of a certain date
which shall be so true and correct as of such certain date), and, if the Closing
Date shall occur on a date other than the date hereof, the Company shall have
so
certified to the Parent in writing.
(b) Compliance
with Covenants.
The
Company and the Shareholders’ Representative shall have performed and complied
in all material respects with all terms, agreements, covenants and conditions
of
this Agreement to be performed or complied with by him or her at or prior to
the
Closing Date, and, if the Closing Date shall occur on a date other than the
date
hereof, the Company and the Shareholders’ Representative shall have so certified
to the Parent in writing.
(c) All
Proceedings To Be Satisfactory.
All
proceedings to be taken by the Company and the Shareholders’ Representative in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and all documents incident
thereto shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Parent
and
its counsel, and the Parent and said counsel shall have received all such
counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such documents as they
may
reasonably request.
(d) No
Material Adverse Change.
There
shall not have occurred since December 31, 2005 any Company Material Adverse
Effect, and, if the Closing Date shall occur on a date other than the date
hereof, the Company shall have so certified to the Parent in
writing.
(e) Opinion
of Counsel.
The
Parent shall have received the opinion of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel
to
the Company, in substantially the form of Exhibit
B
hereto.
(f) Consents
and Approvals.
The
authorizations, consents, waivers and approvals set forth in Section 3.05(c)
of the
Company Disclosure Schedule shall have been duly obtained and shall be in form
and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Parent.
(g) SAS
100.
The
Parent shall have received a review report, reasonably satisfactory in form
and
substance to the Parent, from the Company’s independent public accountants,
pursuant to Statement of Accounting Standards No. 100.
(h) Contractual
Severance Waiver Employees.
Each
Contractual Severance Waiver Employee shall have signed a letter agreement
in
form and substance satisfactory to the Parent and its counsel pursuant to which
such person shall waive any and all rights he may have to receive severance
payments from the Company.
57
(i) Board
Resignations.
The
Parent shall have received from each Person who is, immediately prior to the
Closing Date, a director of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, his or
her
written resignation, effective as of the Closing Date, from such position.
(j) Termination
of Agreements.
All
agreements between any Shareholder and the Company shall have been terminated
and of no further force or effect as of the Closing Date.
(k) Trading
Restriction Agreements.
Trading
Restriction Agreements in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit
C
hereto
and otherwise in form and substance satisfactory to the Parent and its counsel
shall have been executed by the Parent and each of the
Shareholders.
(l) Identification
of Non-Accredited Shareholders. At
least
one Business Day prior to the scheduled Closing, the Company shall revise
Schedule I hereto to indicate, based on the responses to information the Company
has received from the Shareholders, which Shareholders are Accredited Holders
and which Shareholders are Non-Accredited Shareholders.
(m) Maximum
Amount of Non-Accredited Shareholder Consideration.
The
Non-Accredited Shareholders’ Consideration shall not exceed
$200,000.
(n) Maximum
Dissenters Rights.
The
holders of no more than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding shares of any
class
of capital stock of the Company shall have exercised their dissenters rights
pursuant to Section 2.06, and have not, as of the Closing Date, effectively
withdrawn or become ineligible for their dissenters’ rights under the
GBCC.
(o) Waivers
from Certain Holders of Options.
The
Company shall have obtained waivers from holders of Company Options and from
holders of options granted by the Company outside of the Company Stock Option
Plans whose options do not include the notice provision described in Section
2.04(f).
(p) Supporting
Documents.
On or
prior to the Closing Date, the Parent and its counsel shall have received copies
of the following supporting documents:
(i) (A)
the
Third Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company certified
as
of a recent date by the Secretary of State of the state in which the Company
is
incorporated and (B) a certificate of the Secretary of State of the state in
which the Company is incorporated as to the due incorporation and existence
of
the Company and listing all documents on file with said official;
(ii) a
certificate of the Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date and
certifying (A) that attached thereto is a true and complete copy of the By-laws
of the Company as in effect on the date of such certification; and (B) that
the
Third Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company have not
been amended since the date of the last amendment referred to in the certificate
delivered pursuant to clause (i)(B) above;
(iii) a
consent
and waiver in the form of Exhibit
D
attached
hereto signed by each of the UK Minority Shareholders;
58
(iv) a
UK
Exchange Agreement in the form of Exhibit
E
attached
hereto signed by each of the UK Minority Shareholders; and
(v) such
additional supporting documents and other information with respect to the
operations and affairs of the Company as the Parent or its counsel may
reasonably request.
All
such
documents shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Parent and its
counsel.
SECTION
8.03. Conditions
Precedent to the Obligations of the Company and the
Shareholders.
The
obligations of the Company and the Shareholders to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement are subject, at the option of the Company and
the
Shareholders, to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing Date of each of
the
following conditions:
(a) Accuracy
of Representations and Warranties.
The
representations and warranties of the Parent contained in this Agreement or
in
any certificate or document delivered to the Company and the Shareholders
pursuant hereto shall be true and correct in all material respects (other than
representations and warranties subject to “materiality” or “material adverse
effect” qualifiers, which shall be true and correct in all respects) both when
made and on and as of the Closing Date as though made at and as of the Closing
Date (other than representations and warranties which address matters only
as of
a certain date which shall be so true and correct as of such certain date),
and,
if the Closing Date shall occur on a date other than the date hereof, the Parent
shall have so certified to the Company and the Shareholders in
writing.
(b) Compliance
with Covenants.
The
Parent shall have performed and complied in all material respects with all
terms, agreements, covenants and conditions of this Agreement to be performed
or
complied with by it at or prior to the Closing Date, and, if the Closing Date
shall occur on a date other than the date hereof, the Parent shall have so
certified to the Company and the Shareholders in writing.
(c) All
Proceedings to Be Satisfactory.
All
proceedings to be taken by the Parent in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby and all documents incident thereto shall be reasonably
satisfactory in form and substance to the Company and the Shareholders and
their
respective counsel, and the Company and the Shareholders and said counsel shall
have received all such counterpart originals or certified or other copies of
such documents as they may reasonably request.
IX.
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION
9.01. Survival
of Representations and Warranties.
The
representations and warranties set forth in Articles III and IV and elsewhere
in
this Agreement or in any other Transaction Document will survive until the
first
anniversary of the Closing Date. This Section 9.01 shall not limit any covenants
or agreements of the parties hereto that by its terms contemplated performance
after the Closing Date.
59
SECTION
9.02. Tax
Indemnity.
(a)
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Article IX, the Accredited Holders
jointly and severally agree to and will indemnify, defend and hold harmless
the
Parent, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, and their respective officers,
directors, advisors, Affiliates, agents, employees and each Person, if any,
who
controls or may control the Parent within the meaning of the Securities Act
(the
“Parent
Indemnified Group”)
from
and against any and all Taxes incurred by, imposed upon or attributable to
the
Company or the Company Subsidiaries, including, without limitation, reasonable
legal fees and expenses incurred by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries
or
any party hereto and relating thereto, for any period (or portion thereof)
prior
to and including the Closing Date to the extent that such Taxes were not
reflected on the Company Financial Statements as a reserve for the payment
of
Taxes for the period (or portion thereof) ending on or prior to the Closing
Date, including without limitation any amount due for sales and use Taxes
payable as a result of an audit conducted by state or local governmental
authorities.
(b) For
purposes of this Section 9.02, any interest, penalty or additional charge
included in Taxes shall be deemed to be a Tax for the period to which the item
or event giving rise to such interest, penalty or additional charge is
attributable, and not a Tax for the period during which such interest, penalty
or additional charge accrues.
(c) The
indemnity provided for in this Section 9.02 shall be independent of any other
indemnity provision hereof. Any Taxes, legal fees and expenses subject to
indemnification under this Section 9.02 shall not be subject to indemnification
under Section 9.03 hereof.
SECTION
9.03. General
Indemnity.
(a)
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Article IX, the Accredited Holders
agree to and will, jointly and severally, indemnify, defend and hold the Parent
Indemnified Group harmless from and against all demand so claims, actions or
causes of action, assessments, losses, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses,
including without limitation interest, penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees
and expenses (hereinafter collectively called “Damages”),
asserted against, resulting to, imposed upon or incurred by the Company, the
Company Subsidiaries or the Parent, by reason of, resulting from or arising
out
of (without duplication):
(i) a
breach
of any representation or warranty of the Company or any Shareholder contained
in
or made pursuant to this Agreement, or any facts or circumstances constituting
such a breach, except as and to the extent that Section 9.02 above shall be
applicable thereto, in which case the provisions of said Section 9.02 shall
govern;
(ii) any
breach of any covenant or agreement of the Company or any Shareholder contained
in or made pursuant to this Agreement or the Escrow Agreement; or
(iii) any
claim
of infringement of a patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other
intellectual property right by or on behalf of Company in connection with
providing products or services (at any time) to Company Existing Customers,
Company Pipeline Customers, and/or Company Business Development
Customers.
60
(b) Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Article IX, the Parent agrees to and will
indemnify, defend and hold the Company (prior to the Closing Date) and the
Shareholders (following the Closing Date) harmless from and against all Damages
asserted against, resulting to, imposed upon or incurred by them by reason
of or
resulting from or arising out of (i) a breach of any representation or warranty
of the Parent contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement, or any facts
or
circumstances constituting such a breach, or (ii) any breach of any covenant
or
agreement of the Parent contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement or
the
Escrow Agreement.
SECTION
9.04. Conditions
of Indemnification.
The
respective obligations and liabilities of the Accredited Holders, on the one
hand, and the Parent, on the other hand (herein sometimes called the
“indemnifying
party”),
to
the other (herein sometimes called the “party
to be indemnified”
or
the
“indemnified
party”)
with
respect to claims resulting from the assertion of liability by third parties
shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
(a) within
30
days after receipt of notice of commencement of any action or the assertion
of
any claim by a third party, the party to be indemnified shall give the
indemnifying party written notice thereof together with a copy of such claim,
process or other legal pleading (provided that failure so to notify the
indemnifying party of the assertion of a claim within such period shall not
affect its indemnity obligation hereunder except as and to the extent that
such
failure shall adversely affect the defense of such claim), and the indemnifying
party shall have the right to undertake the defense thereof by representatives
of its own choosing;
(b) in
the
event that the indemnifying party, by the 30th
day
after receipt of notice of any such claim (or, if earlier, by the tenth day
preceding the day on which an answer or other pleading must be served in order
to prevent judgment by default in favor of the Person asserting such claim),
does not elect to defend against such claim, the party to be indemnified will
(upon further notice to the indemnifying party) have the right to undertake
the
defense, compromise or settlement of such claim on behalf of and for the account
and risk of the indemnifying party, subject to the right of the indemnifying
party to assume the defense of such claim at any time prior to settlement,
compromise or final determination thereof;
(c) anything
in this Section 9.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) if there is a
reasonable probability that a claim may materially and adversely affect the
indemnified party other than as a result of money damages or other money
payments, the indemnified party shall have the right, at its own cost and
expense, to compromise or settle such claim, but (ii) the indemnified party
shall not, without the prior written consent of the indemnifying party, settle
or compromise any claim or content to the entry of any judgment which does
not
include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or the
plaintiff to the indemnifying party a release from all liability in respect
of
such claim;
61
(d) any
rights of the indemnified party under this Article IX based on the breach of
a
representation, warranty or covenant or based on the failure of such
representation or warranty to be true as of the date hereof or the Closing
Date
shall not be diminished or otherwise affected in any way as a result of the
existence of such indemnified party’s Knowledge of such breach or untruth as of
the date hereof or as of the Closing Date, regardless of whether such Knowledge
exists as a result of the indemnified party’s investigation or as a result of
disclosure by the Company (or any other Person), unless such disclosures were
set forth in this Agreement or in any applicable schedules hereto;
and
(e) in
connection with any such indemnification, the indemnified party will cooperate
in all reasonable requests of the indemnifying party.
In
the
event that the “indemnifying party” or the “party to be indemnified” as
described in this Section 9.04 is the Shareholders as a group, then any notices
required to be given to or by, and all other actions or decisions required
to be
taken or made by, such “indemnifying party” or the “party to be indemnified” as
provided in this Section 9.04, may be given to or by, or may be taken or made
by, the Shareholders’ Representative.
SECTION
9.05. Threshold
for Damages.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Indemnified Person may not make a claim for
Damages until the aggregate amount of claims by Indemnified Persons exceeds
$50,000 (the “Threshold
Amount”);
provided,
however,
that
once the aggregate amount of Damages of Indemnified Persons exceeds the
Threshold Amount, then the Indemnified Persons shall have the right to recover
the full amounts due without regard to the threshold. In determining the amount
of any Damage attributable to a breach, any materiality standard contained
in a
representation, warranty or covenant of the Shareholders or the Company shall
be
disregarded. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 9.05, any breach
of the representations, warranties or covenants contained in Section 2.05 or
Section 3.03 shall not be subject to the foregoing Threshold
Amount.
SECTION
9.06. Escrow
Funds.
On the
Closing Date, the Parent shall deliver to the Escrow Agent the Indemnity Escrow
Fund and the Balance Sheet Escrow Fund. The Indemnity Escrow Fund and the
Balance Sheet Escrow Fund shall be held by the Escrow Agent under the Escrow
Agreement pursuant to the terms set forth therein. Except
in
the case of
fraud,
criminal activity, intentional misrepresentation or intentional misconduct,
the
sole
and exclusive monetary remedy for any breach or alleged breach of any
representation, warranty, covenant or agreement in this Agreement or any
Transaction Document shall be indemnification in accordance with this Article
IX
and any recovery for Damages related thereto shall be limited to the Parent
Common Stock held in the Indemnity Escrow Fund from time to time. Except in
the
case of fraud,
criminal activity, intentional misrepresentation or intentional misconduct,
no
Shareholder shall have any personal liability whatsoever to any Parent
Indemnified Person in respect of or in connection with this Agreement or any
of
the transactions contemplated hereby or herein.
Except
as set forth above, and in furtherance of the foregoing, each party hereby
waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, any and all other
rights, claims and causes of action (including rights of contribution, if any)
known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, which exist or may arise in the
future, that it may have against the Shareholders or the Parent, as the case
may
be, arising under or based upon any federal, state or local Law.
62
SECTION
9.07. Escrow
Period.
The
Parent shall release to the Shareholders on a pro rata
basis
any portion of the Indemnity Escrow Fund remaining in escrow on the first
anniversary of the Closing Date (the “Indemnity
Escrow Period”);
provided,
however,
that a
portion of the Indemnity Escrow Fund that is necessary to satisfy any
unsatisfied claims on the Indemnity Escrow Fund prior to termination of the
Escrow Period with respect to facts and circumstances existing prior to
expiration of the Escrow Period, shall remain in escrow until such claims have
been resolved.
SECTION
9.08. Claims
upon Escrow.
Upon
simultaneous delivery to the Shareholders’ Representative and to the Escrow
Agent on or before the last day of the Escrow Period of a certificate signed
by
any officer of the Parent (an “Officer’s
Certificate”):
(i) stating
that Damages exist in an aggregate amount greater than $50,000; and
(ii) specifying
in reasonable detail the individual items of such Damages included in the amount
so stated, the date each such item was paid, or properly accrued or arose,
and
the nature of the misrepresentation or breach of representation, warranty,
covenant or agreement made by the Company or the Shareholders under this
Agreement,
the
Escrow Agent shall, subject to the provisions of Sections 9.09 and 9.10 hereof,
remove for the benefit of the Parent, or the benefit of the other Indemnified
Persons, a portion of the Indemnity Escrow Fund having a value equal to such
Damages in accordance with the Escrow Agreement. The per share value of the
Escrow Shares shall be deemed to be the Closing Price.
SECTION
9.09. Objections
to Claims.
At the
time of delivery of any Officer’s Certificate to the Shareholders’
Representative and for a period of thirty (30) days after delivery to the
Shareholders’ Representative of such Officer’s Certificate, the Parent shall not
remove any portion of the Indemnity Escrow Fund unless it shall have received
written authorization from the Shareholders’ Representative to make such
delivery. After the expiration of such thirty (30) day period, the Parent shall
remove the appropriate portion of the Indemnity Escrow Fund in accordance with
Section 9.06 hereof, provided that no such delivery may be made if the
Shareholders’ Representative shall object in a written statement to the claim
made in the Officer’s Certificate, and such statement shall have been delivered
to the Parent prior to the expiration of such thirty (30) day
period.
SECTION
9.10. Resolution
of Conflicts; Arbitration.
(a) In
the event the Shareholders’ Representative shall so object in writing to any
claim or claims by the Parent made in any Officer’s Certificate, the Parent
shall have thirty (30) days after receipt of an objection by the Shareholders’
Representative to respond in a written statement to the objection of the
Shareholders’ Representative. If after such thirty (30) day period there remains
a dispute as to any claims, the Shareholders’ Representative and the Parent
shall attempt in good faith for forty-five (45) days to agree upon the rights
of
the respective parties with respect to each of such claims. If the Shareholders’
Representative and the Parent should so agree, a memorandum setting forth such
agreement shall be prepared, signed by both parties and delivered to the Escrow
Agent.
63
(b) If
no
such agreement can be reached after good faith negotiation, either the Parent
or
the Shareholders’ Representative may, by written notice to the other, demand
arbitration of the matter unless the amount of the damage or loss is at issue
in
pending litigation with a third party, in which event arbitration shall not
be
commenced until such amount is ascertained or both parties agree to arbitration;
and in either such event the matter shall be settled by arbitration conducted
by
three arbitrators. Within fifteen (15) days after such written notice is sent,
the Parent and the Shareholders’ Representative shall each select one
arbitrator, and the two arbitrators so selected shall select a third arbitrator.
The decision of the arbitrators as to the validity and amount of any claim
in
such Officer’s Certificate shall be binding and conclusive upon the parties to
this Agreement.
(c) Judgment
upon any award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered in any court having
jurisdiction. Any such arbitration shall be held in the State of New York under
the commercial rules then in effect of the American Arbitration Association.
For
purposes of this Section 9.10, in any arbitration hereunder in which any
claim or the amount thereof stated in the Officer’s Certificate is at issue, the
Parent shall be deemed to be the “Non-Prevailing Party” unless the arbitrators
award the Parent at least one-half (1/2) of the amount in dispute, plus any
amounts not in dispute; otherwise, the Accredited Holders shall be deemed to
be
the Non-Prevailing Party. The Non-Prevailing Party to an arbitration shall
pay
its own expenses, the fees of each arbitrator, the administrative fee of the
American Arbitration Association, and the expenses, including without
limitation, attorneys’ fees and costs, reasonably incurred by the other party to
the arbitration.
X.
TERMINATION
AND ABANDONMENT
SECTION
10.01. Termination.
This
Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing on the Closing
Date:
(a) by
the
mutual consent of the Company and the Parent;
(b) by
the
Parent, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, if the Closing
shall
not have occurred on or before August 31, 2006, or such later date as may be
agreed upon by the parties hereto, provided,
however,
that the
right to terminate this Agreement under this clause (b) shall not be available
to any party (a “Defaulting
Party”)
whose
failure to fulfill any obligation under this Agreement has been the cause of,
or
resulted in the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such
date;
(c) by
the
Parent, upon a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement
on
the part of the Company or any Shareholder set forth in this Agreement, or
if
any representation or warranty of the Company shall have become untrue,
incomplete or incorrect, in either case such that the conditions set forth
in
Section 8.02 would not be satisfied (a “Terminating
Company Breach”);
provided,
however,
that if
such Terminating Company Breach is curable by the Company through the exercise
of its reasonable efforts within twenty (20) days and for so long as the Company
continues to exercise such reasonable efforts, the Parent may not terminate
this
Agreement under this Section 10.01(c); or
64
(d) by
the
Company or the Shareholders, upon breach of any representation, warranty,
covenant or agreement on the part of the Parent set forth in this Agreement,
or
if any representation or warranty of the Parent shall have become untrue,
incomplete or incorrect, in either case such that the conditions set forth
in
Section 8.03 would not be satisfied (a “Terminating
Parent Breach”);
provided,
however,
that if
such Terminating Parent Breach is curable by the Parent through the exercise
of
its reasonable efforts within twenty (20) days and for so long as the Parent
continues to exercise such reasonable efforts, the Company may not terminate
this Agreement under this Section 10.01(d).
If
the
Closing shall not have occurred, or this Agreement shall not have been
terminated in accordance with this Section 10.01, by December 31, 2006, this
Agreement shall automatically terminate on said date, provided,
however,
that
such termination shall not affect the liability hereunder of any Defaulting
Party.
SECTION
10.02. Procedure
and Effect of Termination.
In the
event of termination of this Agreement and abandonment of the transactions
contemplated hereby by any or all of the parties pursuant to Section 10.01
above, written notice thereof shall forthwith be given to the other parties
to
this Agreement (other than in the event of an automatic termination as provided
in such Section) and this Agreement (except for this Section and Sections 10.01
and 11.01, which shall continue) shall terminate and the transactions
contemplated hereby shall be abandoned, without further action by any of the
parties hereto. If this Agreement is terminated as provided in this
Agreement:
(a) the
parties hereto will promptly redeliver all documents, work papers and other
material of any other party relating to the transactions contemplated hereby,
whether obtained before or after the execution hereof, to the party furnishing
the same; and
(b) no
party
shall have any liability or further obligation to any other party to this
Agreement pursuant to this Agreement except as provided in this Article
X.
XI.
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION
11.01. Expenses,
Etc..
(a) All
Expenses shall be paid by the party incurring such Expenses.
(b) The
Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Parent, on the other hand, will indemnify
the other and hold it or them harmless from and against any claims for finders’
fees or brokerage commissions in relation to or in connection with such
transactions as a result of any agreement or understanding between such
indemnifying party and any third party.
65
SECTION
11.02. Notices.
All
notices which are required or may be given pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sufficient and deemed to be received
if (i) on the date of delivery, if delivered personally, (ii) 3 days after
mailing, if mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested
and
postage prepaid, (iii) the day after mailing, if sent via a nationally
recognized overnight courier service or (iv) the day after transmission, if
sent
via facsimile or e-mail confirmed in writing to the recipient, in each case
as
follows:
if
to the
Parent, to:
LivePerson,
Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
with
a
copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Proskauer
Rose LLP
0000
Xxxxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Esq.
if
to the
Company (prior to Closing), or to the Shareholders’ Representative (after
Closing), to:
Proficient
Systems, Inc.
0000
Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000
Attention:
Chief Executive Officer
with
a
copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx LLP
0000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000
Attention:
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Esq.
Xxxxxxx
X. Cinnamon, Esq.
if
to any
Shareholder, to the address appearing under the name of such Shareholder in
Schedule
I
hereto;
or
such
other address or addresses as any party shall have designated by notice in
writing to the other parties.
SECTION
11.03. Waivers.
Either
the Shareholders’ Representative, on the one hand, or the Parent, on the other
hand, may, by written notice to the other, (i) extend the time for the
performance of any of the obligations or other actions of the other under this
Agreement, (ii) waive any inaccuracies in the representations or warranties
of
the other contained in this Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant
to
this Agreement, (iii) waive compliance with any of the conditions or covenants
of the other contained in this Agreement, or (iv) waive performance of any
of
the obligations of the other under this Agreement. Except as provided in the
preceding sentence, no action taken pursuant to this Agreement, including,
without limitation, any investigation by or on behalf of any party, shall be
deemed to constitute a waiver by the party taking such action of compliance
with
any representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in this
Agreement. The waiver by any party hereto of a breach of any provision of this
Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent
breach.
66
SECTION
11.04. Amendments,
Supplements, Etc. At
any
time this Agreement may be amended or supplemented by such additional
agreements, articles or certificates, as may be determined by the parties hereto
to be necessary, desirable or expedient to further the purposes of this
Agreement, or to clarify the intention of the patties hereto, or to add to
or
modify the covenants, terms or conditions hereof or to effect or facilitate
any
governmental approval or acceptance of this Agreement or to effect or facilitate
the filing or recording of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the
transactions contemplated hereby. Any such instrument must be in writing and
signed by the Parent, the Company and the Shareholders’
Representative.
SECTION
11.05. Governing
Law;
Submission to Jurisdiction.
This
Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with,
the laws of the State of New York other than conflict of laws principles thereof
directing the application of any law other than that of New York. Courts within
the State of New York, County of New York or the United States District Court
for the Southern District of New York will have jurisdiction over all disputes
between the parties hereto arising out of or relating to this agreement and
the
agreements, instruments and documents contemplated hereby. The parties hereby
consent to and agree to submit to the jurisdiction of such courts. Each of
the
parties hereto waives, and agrees not to assert in any such dispute, to the
fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any claim that (i) such party
is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such courts, (ii) such
party and such party’s property is immune from any legal process issued by such
courts or (iii) any litigation commenced in such courts is brought in an
inconvenient forum.
SECTION
11.06. Waiver
of Jury Trial.
Each
party hereto hereby irrevocably waives all right to trial by jury in any
proceeding (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of or
relating to this Agreement or any transaction or agreement contemplated hereby
or the actions of any party hereto in the negotiation, administration,
performance or enforcement hereof.
SECTION
11.07. Headings;
Interpretation.
The
descriptive headings contained in this Agreement are included for convenience
of
reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation
of
this Agreement. The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and
drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent
or
interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly
by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring
or
disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this
Agreement.
67
SECTION
11.08. Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed and delivered (including by facsimile transmission)
in
one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate
counterparts, each of which when executed and delivered shall be deemed to
be an
original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
agreement.
SECTION
11.09. Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement (including the Exhibits, Schedules, Annexes and the Company Disclosure
Schedule) and the Confidentiality Agreement constitute the entire agreement
among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all
prior agreements and understandings among the parties with respect thereto.
No
addition to or modification of any provision of this Agreement shall be binding
upon any party hereto unless made in writing and signed by all parties hereto.
Parent hereby agrees to use its best efforts to ensure that the Company
Disclosure Schedule is not filed with the SEC or any stock exchange;
provided,
however,
that if
such a filing or disclosure is required under applicable rules or regulations,
Parent will use its best efforts to seek confidential treatment of those
portions of the Company Disclosure Schedule that Parent and/or the Shareholders’
Representative reasonably believes are appropriate provisions for confidential
treatment.
SECTION
11.10. Binding
Effect; Benefits.
This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto
and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Notwithstanding anything
contained in this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement,
expressed or implied, is intended to confer on any Person other than the parties
hereto or their respective successors and assigns, any rights, remedies,
obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement.
SECTION
11.11. Assignability.
Neither
this Agreement nor any of the parties’ rights hereunder shall be assignable by
any party hereto without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto,
except (i) in the case of the Parent, to any Person who shall acquire
substantially all of the assets of the Parent or a majority of the voting
securities of the Parent, whether pursuant to a merger, consolidation, sale
of
stock or otherwise, and (ii) in the case of an individual Shareholder, to the
estate of such Shareholder upon death.
SECTION
11.12. Severability.
If any
term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal, or incapable
of
being enforced by any law or public policy, all other terms or provisions of
this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as
the
economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not
affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination
that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal, or incapable of being
enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this
Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as
possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated
hereby are consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent
possible.
68
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the
parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxxx
X. XxXxxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxxx
X. XxXxxxxx
|
|
Title:
Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
SOHO
ACQUISITION CORP.
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxxx
X. XxXxxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxxx
X. XxXxxxxx
|
|
Title:
President
|
|
PROFICIENT
SYSTEMS, INC.
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
Title:
Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
SHAREHOLDERS’
REPRESENTATIVE
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
|
69
EXHIBIT
A
Form
of Escrow Agreement
EXHIBIT
B
Form
of Opinion of Counsel to the Company
EXHIBIT
C
Form
of Trading Restriction Agreement
EXHIBIT
D
Form
of UK Minority Shareholder Consent and Waiver
EXHIBIT
E
Form
of UK Exchange Agreement