Form of Rule 10b5-1 Stock Purchase Plan
Form
of
This
Rule
10b5-1 Stock Purchase Plan (this “Purchase
Plan”),
is
entered into on ______, 2008 by and among Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
(“Credit
Suisse”
or
“Broker”),
Xxxxxxxxxxx Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
Xxxxxxxxxxx Capital, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Purchaser”),
and
GRST Acquisition, LLC (the “Sponsor”),
a
Delaware limited liability company the sole member of which is
Purchaser.
WHEREAS,
Purchaser desires to establish a plan that qualifies for the affirmative defense
and safe harbor provided by Rules 10b5-1 (“Rule
10b5-1”)
and
10b-18 (“Rule
10b-18”),
respectively, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange
Act”),
to
purchase shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”),
of
the Company, as described in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1
(File No. 333-148714) relating to the initial public offering (the “IPO”)
of the
Company (the “Registration
Statement”);
WHEREAS,
Purchaser desires to engage Credit Suisse as its exclusive agent to purchase
Shares on its behalf in accordance with this Purchase Plan; and
WHEREAS,
Purchaser has established or, prior to effecting transactions under this
Purchase Plan will establish, an account (the “Account”)
with
Credit Suisse by executing an account agreement and all other necessary
ancillary documents with Credit Suisse.
NOW,
THEREFORE, Credit Suisse, the Company and Purchaser hereby agree as follows:
1. Engagement
of Broker
During
the term of this Purchase Plan, Credit Suisse shall act as Purchaser’s exclusive
agent to purchase Shares pursuant to this Purchase Plan. Subject to the terms
and conditions set forth herein, Credit Suisse hereby accepts such appointment
and engagement.
2. Trading
Instructions
(a) Credit
Suisse is authorized to begin purchasing Shares as agent for Purchaser pursuant
to this Purchase Plan on the later of (i) two Business Days (as defined below)
after the Company files a preliminary proxy statement (the “Proxy
Statement”)
with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
relating to the Company’s proposed Business Combination (as defined below) and
(ii) 60 calendar days after termination of the “restricted period” in connection
with the IPO under Regulation M (the “Commencement
Date”).
Credit Suisse shall cease purchasing Shares on the Termination Date (as defined
below). “Business
Combination”
shall
mean the Company’s acquisition of one or more operating businesses (the
“Target”)
through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset or stock acquisition,
exchangeable share transaction or other similar business combination. The period
beginning on the Commencement Date and ending on the Termination Date is
referred to herein as the “Plan
Period”.
For
the avoidance of doubt, Credit Suisse shall not begin purchasing Shares as
agent
for Purchaser until it receives written notification from the Company and
Purchaser of the Commencement Date in accordance with Section 5(a) herein.
All
notices hereunder shall be given to Credit Suisse in writing by facsimile at
[(
) -
],
Attention: [ ],
and
confirmed by telephone at [(
) -
].
(b) In
accordance with Credit Suisse’s customary procedures, Credit Suisse will deposit
Shares purchased hereunder into the Account against payment to Credit Suisse
of
the purchase price therefor and commissions and other fees in respect thereof.
(c) Credit
Suisse will notify Purchaser and the Company via email of all transactions
executed under this Purchase Plan pursuant to customary trade confirmations,
which shall be provided within 24 hours of each transaction as follows: if
to
Purchaser, to [
]
at
[
],
if to
the Company, to [
]
at
[
].
(d) (i)
On each
day during the Plan Period on which the American Stock Exchange (the
“Exchange”)
is
open for trading (each, a “Business
Day”),
Credit Suisse shall use commercially reasonable efforts to purchase, as agent
and for the account of Purchaser in compliance with Rule 10b-18, the lesser
of
(x) the maximum number of Shares Purchaser is permitted to purchase under Rule
10b-18 on such Business Day and (y) the number of Shares to be purchased
pursuant to the Share Repurchase Guidelines set forth on Appendix A hereto,
provided, however, that to the extent such purchases would not constitute
“10b-18
purchases”
as
defined under Rule 10b-18 solely as a result of Rule 10b-18(a)(13)(iv), Credit
Suisse may, upon the advice of counsel to Credit Suisse that the restrictions
contained in Rule 10b-18(a)(13)(iv)(B) do not apply to a purchase of Shares,
disregard such restrictions in determining the number of Shares that may be
purchased pursuant to clause (x) above.
(ii) Purchaser
shall pay to Broker a commission of $[_____] per Share so purchased.
(e) Credit
Suisse will make, keep and produce promptly upon request of the Company,
Purchaser or the SEC, a daily time sequenced schedule of all Share purchases
made under this Purchase Plan, on a transaction by transaction basis, including
(i) size, broker (if any), time of execution and price of the purchase, and
(ii)
the exchange, quotation system, or other facility through which the Share
purchase occurred.
(f) Purchaser
agrees that this Purchase Plan constitutes an irrevocable limit order to
purchase Shares pursuant to the terms of this Purchase Plan, including the
Share
Repurchase Guidelines set forth on Appendix A hereto.
(g) The
purchase of Shares pursuant to this Purchase Plan will be made by Credit
Suisse unless another broker-dealer shall be mutually agreed upon in
writing by Credit Suisse and Purchaser, on such terms and conditions as Credit
Suisse and Purchaser shall mutually agree.
3. Broker’s
Discretion to Deviate from Trading Instructions
(a) Subject
to the Share Repurchase Guidelines and other terms and conditions set forth
in
this Purchase Plan, Credit Suisse shall have full discretion with respect to
the
execution of all purchases, and each of the Company, the Sponsor and the
Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that none of the Company, the Sponsor or
the
Purchaser has, and shall not attempt to exercise, any influence over how, when
or whether to effect such purchases of Shares pursuant to this Purchase
Plan.
(b) Notwithstanding
any provision herein to the contrary, including the provisions of Section
2(d)(i), in the event that, upon advice of counsel to Credit Suisse, effecting
purchases hereunder would result in a violation of applicable law, including,
without limitation, Regulation M, or a breach of any contract to which Credit
Suisse or its affiliates are a party or by which it or its affiliates are bound
or such purchases would result in a violation of applicable law by the Purchaser
(collectively, “Restrictions”),
Credit Suisse may refrain from purchasing Shares or purchase fewer than the
otherwise applicable number of Shares to be purchased set forth in the Share
Repurchase Guidelines, as determined by Credit Suisse, in its discretion with
regard to such Restrictions.
4. Termination
Date
This
Purchase Plan shall terminate upon the Termination Date. “Termination
Date”
means
the earliest of:
(a) the
Business Day immediately preceding the mailing date for proxy materials related
to the Business Combination;
(b) the
Business Day on which the aggregate purchase price for all Shares purchased
under this Purchase Plan equals $30,000,000; provided that, for the avoidance
of
doubt, in no event shall the aggregate purchase price for all Shares purchased
under this Purchase Plan exceed $30,000,000;
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(c) the
date
that Credit Suisse receives notice that Purchaser has filed a petition for
bankruptcy or reorganization, or a petition for bankruptcy has been filed
against Purchaser and has not been dismissed within sixty (60) calendar days
of
its filing;
(d) the
date
that the Company, the Sponsor or Purchaser or any other person publicly
announces a tender or exchange offer with respect to the Shares or a merger,
acquisition, reorganization, recapitalization or other similar business
combination or transaction as a result of the consummation of which the Shares
would be exchanged or converted into cash, securities or other property, other
than, in each case, in connection with the Business Combination;
(e) the
date
following the date on which the Company publicly announces that it does not
intend to proceed with the Business Combination described in the Proxy
Statement; and
(f) such
time
as Credit Suisse determines, in its sole discretion, that it is prohibited
for
any reason from engaging in purchasing activity as Purchaser’s agent under this
Purchase Plan.
If
Credit
Suisse determines that any event specified in Paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e)
or
(f), of this Section 4 has occurred, Credit Suisse shall promptly provide
written notice to Purchaser that this Purchase Plan has terminated pursuant
to
the terms of this Section 4 and shall state the date of such termination in
such
notice.
5. Representations,
Warranties and Covenants
(a) From
the
date hereof until the Termination Date, each of the Company, Sponsor and
Purchaser agrees not to discuss with Credit Suisse the Company’s or the Target’s
business, operations or prospects or any other information likely to be related
to the value of the Shares or likely to influence a decision to sell or purchase
Shares; provided that, with the approval of counsel to Credit Suisse, the
Company, Sponsor and Purchaser may communicate with Credit Suisse personnel
who
are not responsible for, and have no ability to influence, the execution of
this
Purchase Plan. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Company and Sponsor
shall jointly provide Broker with written notification of (i) the Commencement
Date, whether the shareholders of the Target have voted on the Business
Combination prior to the Commencement Date, and the 10-K Per Share Amount or
the
10-Q Per Share Amount, as applicable (as defined in Appendix A) within one
Business Day after the Proxy Statement is filed by the Company with the SEC
and
any change thereto within two Business Days after a subsequent annual report
on
Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q is filed by the Company with the
SEC
during the Plan Period, (ii) the mailing of a proxy statement or other
solicitation materials to stockholders of the Target with respect to a vote
on
the Business Combination, and (iii) any fact known to the Company, Sponsor
or
Purchaser that, alone or in combination with other facts known to the Company,
Sponsor or Purchaser, would make purchases under this Purchase Plan unlawful
pursuant to Regulation M or otherwise, promptly upon such fact becoming known
to
the Company, Sponsor or Purchaser.
(b) Purchaser
represents and warrants to Credit Suisse that this Purchase Plan and the
transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by Purchaser.
(c) Each
of
Purchaser and Sponsor agrees with Credit Suisse that it will not, and the
Company agrees with Credit Suisse that none of its “affiliated
purchasers”
as
defined in Rule 10b-18 have made and that none of the foregoing will make,
any
purchases of blocks as described in the proviso in Rule 10b-18(b)(4) during
the
four full calendar weeks immediately preceding the Commencement Date.
(d) Each
of
the Company, Purchaser and Sponsor represents and warrants to Credit Suisse
that
it is not aware of any material, nonpublic information concerning the Company
or
its securities (“Material,
Nonpublic Information”)
and is
entering into this Purchase Plan in good faith and not as part of a plan or
scheme to evade the prohibitions of Rule 10b5-1.
(e) Credit
Suisse represents and warrants to the Company, Sponsor and Purchaser that it
has
implemented reasonable policies and procedures, taking into consideration the
nature of Credit Suisse’s business, to ensure that individuals making investment
decisions will not violate the laws prohibiting trading on the basis of
Material, Nonpublic Information. These policies and procedures include those
that restrict any purchase or sale, or the causing of any purchase or sale,
of
any security as to which Credit Suisse has Material, Nonpublic Information,
as
well as those that prevent such individuals from becoming aware of or being
in
possession of Material, Nonpublic Information. Credit Suisse agrees that no
person who exercises influence on its behalf over how, when or whether to effect
purchases pursuant to this Purchase Plan may do so while aware of Material,
Nonpublic Information.
3
(f) From
the
date hereof until the Termination Date, Purchaser agrees not to enter into
any
hedging transaction with respect to any Shares.
(g) Each
of
the Company, Sponsor and Purchaser represents and warrants that as of the time
of execution of this Purchase Plan, neither the Company, Sponsor nor Purchaser
has entered into any similar plan or agreement with respect to Shares or any
security or interest convertible into or exchangeable for Shares. Other than
as
set forth above, each of the Company, Sponsor and Purchaser agrees that without
the prior written consent of Broker, neither the Company, Sponsor nor Purchaser
shall, during the Plan Period, directly or indirectly (including, without
limitation, by means of a cash-settled or other derivative instrument) purchase,
offer to purchase, place any bid or limit order that would effect a purchase
of,
any Shares (or an equivalent interest, including a unit of beneficial interest
in a trust or limited partnership or a depository share), or any security
convertible into or exchangeable for Shares, other than a redemption of units
held by the Company’s founders (as defined in the Registration Statement) at
cost as a result of the underwriters of the IPO not exercising in full the
over-allotment option granted to such underwriters by the Company in connection
with the IPO.
(h) Each
of
the Company, Sponsor and Purchaser agrees to inform Credit Suisse (i) of any
purchases made during the Plan Period by an “affiliated purchaser” as defined in
Rule 10b-18 promptly upon becoming aware of such purchases and (ii) if any
“affiliated purchaser” intends to make such purchases, promptly upon being
informed of such intention.
6. Compliance
with the Securities Laws
(a) It
is the
intent of the parties that this Purchase Plan comply with the requirements
of
Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B), and the parties agree that this Purchase Plan shall
be
interpreted to comply with the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c).
(b) Credit
Suisse agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with Rules 10b5-1
and 10b-18 in effecting purchases of Shares pursuant to this Purchase
Plan.
7. Indemnification
(a) The
Company, Sponsor and Purchaser agree to jointly and severally indemnify and
hold
harmless Credit Suisse (and its directors, officers, employees and affiliates)
from and against all claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses
(including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs) arising out of or attributable
to (i) any material breach by the Company, Sponsor or Purchaser of this Purchase
Plan (including the Company’s, Sponsor’s and Purchaser’s representations and
warranties), and (ii) any violation by the Company, Sponsor or Purchaser of
applicable laws or regulations with respect to the transactions contemplated
by
this Purchase Plan. This indemnification will survive the termination of this
Purchase Plan. Neither the Company, Sponsor nor Purchaser will have
indemnification obligations hereunder in the case of bad faith or willful
misconduct of Credit Suisse or any other indemnified person, as determined
by a
final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent
jurisdiction.
(b) Notwithstanding
any other provision herein, no party hereto will be liable to the other for
(i)
special, indirect, punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages, or incidental
losses or damages of any kind, including but not limited to lost profits, lost
savings, loss of use of facility or equipment, regardless of whether arising
from breach of contract, warranty, tort, strict liability or otherwise, and
even
if advised of the possibility of such losses or damages or if such losses or
damages could have been reasonably foreseen, or (ii) any failure to perform
or
for any delay in performance that results from a cause or circumstance that
is
beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to failure of
electronic or mechanical equipment, strikes, failure of common carrier or
utility systems, severe weather, market disruptions or other causes commonly
known as “acts of God”.
4
(c) The
Company, Sponsor and Purchaser acknowledge and agree that Credit Suisse has
not
provided the Company, Sponsor or Purchaser with any tax, accounting or legal
advice with respect to this Purchase Plan, including whether Sponsor or
Purchaser would be entitled to any of the affirmative defenses under Rule 10b5-1
or entitled to the safe harbor of Rule 10b-18.
8. General
(a) This
Purchase Plan (including any Appendices, Annexes or Exhibits) constitutes the
entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter
hereof, and supersedes any previous or contemporaneous agreements,
understandings, proposals or promises with respect thereto, whether written
or
oral.
(b) This
Purchase Plan will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws
of
the State of New York, without regard to such State’s conflict of laws rules.
(c) This
Purchase Plan and each party’s rights and obligations hereunder may not be
assigned or delegated without the written permission of the other party and
shall inure to the benefit of each party’s successors and permitted assigns,
whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise.
(d) This
Purchase Plan may be executed in two or more counterparts and by facsimile
signature.
[Signature
Page Follows]
5
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have signed this Purchase Plan as of the date
first written above.
Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
By:
____________________________
Name:
Title:
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Acquisition Corp.
By:
____________________________
Name:
Title:
GRST
Acquisition, LLC
By:
____________________________
Name:
Title:
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Capital, L.P.
By:
____________________________
Name:
Title:
6
APPENDIX
A
Share
Repurchase Guidelines
Purchase
Price Range
|
Number
of Shares to be Purchased
|
|
The
value in the Company’s trust account (as defined in the Registration
Statement) as of the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K or
quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as applicable, filed prior to a purchase
of
Shares pursuant to this Purchase Plan, divided by the number of Shares
issued in the IPO then outstanding (the “10-K
Per Share Amount”
or the “10-Q
Per Share Amount”,
as applicable), or below.
|
Credit
Suisse shall purchase up to $30,000,000 of Shares (AMEX:GNS), less
the
aggregate amount of any Shares previously purchased pursuant to this
Purchase Plan, excluding
commissions.
|
All
Share
amounts and limit prices listed herein shall be increased or decreased to
reflect stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends or similar
recapitalization transactions with respect to the Company should they occur.
A-1