OPTION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 4.25
English Translation
English Translation
OPTION AGREEMENT
This
Call Option Agreement (“this Agreement”) is made on
April 23, 2010 in Shenzhen:
BY AND AMONG:
Party A: Shenzhen Wentai Education Industry Development Co., Ltd.
Address: Xxxx 00, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxxxx X, Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx Middle Road, Shenzhen
Address: Xxxx 00, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxxxx X, Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx Middle Road, Shenzhen
Party B: Xu Dong
ID Card Number: _____
Address: _____
ID Card Number: _____
Address: _____
Party C: Du Qicai
ID Card Number: _____
Address: _____
ID Card Number: _____
Address: _____
WHEREAS:
1. | Shenzhen Wentai Investment Co., Ltd. (the “Target Company”) is a limited liability company
established under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”, and for the purpose
of this Agreement, excluding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special
Administrative Region and Taiwan of the PRC), with its registered
address at: ; |
2. | Party B and Party C own 70% and 30% of equity interest of the Target Company, respectively
(collectively referred to as the “Equity Interest”); |
3. | Party B and Party C intend to grant to Party A an option so that Party A or any third party
designated by it shall be entitled to purchase from Party B and/or Party C all of his/their
equity interest in the Target Company to the extent permitted by the laws of the PRC and at
the time when it thinks appropriate (the “Call Option”). |
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED as follows after friendly consultation:
1. | Grant of the Call Option |
Party B and Party C hereby irrevocably grant to Party A the following rights:
1.1 | Party A and any third party designated by it shall, within 20 years after this
Agreement becomes effective (the “Exercise Period”), and to the extent permitted by the
laws and regulations of the PRC then in effect, have an option to acquire from Party B
and/or Party C all or part of his/their Equity Interest in the Target Company at an
exercise price or a certain percentage of exercise price. Party B and Party C agree to
sign an equity transfer agreement
in the form as set forth in Exhibit 1 hereto (the “Equity Transfer Agreement”) with
Party A and any third party designated by it at the time when the acquisition is
made. |
1.2 | Party A shall, at any time during the Exercise Period, and to the extent
permitted by the laws and regulations of the PRC then in effect, have the right to
require Party B and Party C to transfer all or part of their Equity Interest to Party A
or any third party designated by it at the exercise price. |
1.3 | During the Exercise Period, Party A or any third party designated by it shall
have the right to exercise its Call Option hereunder in several occasions without
subject to any restriction on frequency, until all the Equity Interest is transferred
to Party A or any third party designated by it. |
1.4 | To the extent permitted by laws and after Party A issues the notice for
exercise of the Call Option (see Article 4.1), Party B and Party C shall
unconditionally offer cooperation for the implementation of the above procedures to
transfer all or part of the Equity Interest to Party A or any third party designated by
it, and shall coordinate with Party A to complete all necessary formalities in relation
to the approval, permission, registration and filing of the transfer. |
1.5 | If, during the Exercise Period, Party B and/or Party C continue to hold all or
part of his/their Equity Interest, which would result in any violation of laws and
administrative regulations, Party B and/or Party C shall immediately issue written
notice to Party A, stating the specific reasons thereof. In this circumstance, Party A
shall have an option to exercise one of the following rights: (1) to exercise the Call
Option immediately pursuant to Article 4.1 hereof; or (2) to designate an
appropriate third party to acquire from Party B and/or Party C all or part of his/their
Equity Interest at the exercise price. |
2. | Price of the Call Option |
The price of the Call Option shall be determined pursuant to Article 5 hereof.
3. | Confirmation from Other Shareholders |
Party B and/or Party C shall, during the exercise of the Call Option by Party A, ensure that
other shareholders of the Target Company will approve the equity transfer specified herein
and give up their right of first refusal in respect of the Equity Transfer.
4. | Exercise of the Call Option |
4.1 | Party A may, during the Exercise Period, and to the extent permitted by the
laws and regulations of the PRC then in effect, require to exercise its Call Option
hereunder by giving notice for exercise of the Call Option (the “Exercise Notice”) to
Party B and/or Party C so as to acquire from Party B and/or Party C all or part of
his/their Equity Interest or require them to transfer the Equity Interest to any third
party designated by Party A. |
4.2 | Once Party B and/or Party C receive(s) the Exercise Notice issued by Party A
pursuant to Article 4.1 above, Party B and/or Party C shall immediately: |
4.2.1 | sign the Equity Transfer Agreement in the form as set forth in
Exhibit 1 hereof with Party A and/or any third party designated by it according
to the requirements of the Exercise Notice; |
4.2.2 | amend the articles of association of the Target Company with
Party A and/or any third party designated by it and any other shareholders of
the Target Company at that time pursuant to the requirements of the Equity
Transfer Agreement; |
4.2.3 | procure the equity transfer resulting from the exercise of the
Call Option and the shareholders resolution concerning the amendments to the
articles of association of the Target Company to be approved at a shareholders’
meeting of the Target Company; |
4.2.4 | procure the Target Company to submit the Equity Transfer
Agreement and the amendments to the articles of association of the Target
Company to the relevant approval authority, and assist in obtaining all
necessary approvals in respect thereof with Party A and/or any third part
designated by it and any other shareholders of the Target Company at that time; |
4.2.5 | procure and assist the Target Company to complete the relevant
formalities in relation to the change of registration with its registration
authority with Party A and/or any third part designated by it and any other
shareholders of the Target Company at that time; and |
4.2.6 | complete all other matters necessary for the completion of the
acquisition of equity interest. |
5. | Exercise Price |
The parties agree that unless otherwise required by applicable laws, Party A shall
purchase all the Equity Interest at a price of RMB30 million (the “Exercise Price”);
if Party A purchases only part of the Equity Interest, the price shall be determined
pursuant to certain percentage of the Exercise Price.
6. | Termination of the Target Company |
Party B and Party C further undertake that they will not take any action which might
result in the termination of the Target Company during the Exercise Period due to
the reasons such as bankruptcy, dissolution or closing down ordered by laws.
7. | Representations and Warranties by Party B and Party C |
Party B and Party C represent and warrant to Party A that during the period from the
date on which this Agreement becomes effective to the completion of the transfer of
all the Equity Interest to Party A:
7.1 | Party B and Party C are the legitimate owners of the Equity Interest. |
7.2 | Party B and Party C strictly observe all obligations required
by the articles of association of the Target Company. There is no circumstance
which might affect the legal status of Party B and Party C as shareholders of
the Target Company, nor is there any circumstance which might affect the
exercise by Party A of the Call Option hereunder. |
7.3 | Save for any equity pledge approved by Party A, there has
been no security interest in any form created over and no detrainment on any
of Party B and Party C’s Equity Interest. There is no dispute, litigation,
arbitration or administrative and judicial mandatory measures of any other
form taken against the Equity Interest, nor is there any person who is able to
make claims against the Equity Interest. |
7.4 | Party B and Party C have disclosed to Party A all materials or
information which might have an adverse effect on the ability of Party B and
Party C in performing their obligations hereunder or the intention of Party A
to sign this Agreement in substantive aspects. |
In addition, all representations and warranties made by Party B and Party C to Party
A in the loan agreement dated , 2010 between the parties shall be deemed to be given
in this Agreement.
8. | Further Undertakings of Party B and Party C |
Party B and Party C undertake to Party A as follows:
8.1 | During the term hereof, they must take all necessary measures
to guarantee that the Target Company can obtain all business licenses in a
timely manner, and all business licenses remain effective at all times. |
8.2 | During the term hereof and without the prior written consent of
Party A: |
8.2.1 | Party B and Party C shall not transfer or
otherwise dispose of any of the Equity Transfer, nor create any
security interest or other third party right over any of the Equity
Interest; |
8.2.2 | Party B and Party C shall not grant their
consent to any increase or decrease of the Target Company’s registered
capital or the number of its existing shareholders; |
8.2.3 | Party B and Party C shall not dispose of or
procure the management of the Target Company to dispose of any assets
of
the Target Company (except for those disposals conducted in the
ordinary course of business); |
8.2.4 | Party B and Party C shall not terminate or
procure the management of the Target Company to terminate any material
agreement signed by the Target Company (the definition of which shall
be determined by Party A at the time when such termination occurs), or
enter into any other agreement which is in conflict with any existing
material agreement; |
8.2.5 | Party B and Party C shall not appoint or
remove any executive directors, board members (if any) or supervisors
of the Target Company, or any other management staff of the Target
Company that shall be appointed or removed by all existing
shareholders; |
8.2.6 | Except for any mandatory requirements in laws,
Party B and Party C shall not, without the consent of Party A,
distribute or actually release any distributable profits, bonus,
profits of shares or dividends of the Target Company; |
8.2.7 | Except for any mandatory requirements in laws,
Party B and Party C shall not grant their consent to any amendment to
the articles of association of the Target Company. |
9. | Confidentiality |
Without the prior consent of the parties, either party shall keep the content of
this Agreement in confidence, and shall not disclose the content of this Agreement
to any other persons, nor comment on the same, unless:
9.1 | any disclosure is made in accordance with the relevant laws or
the requirements of any securities exchange; |
9.2 | any information disclosed has been publicly available due to
the reasons other than the default of the disclosing party; |
9.3 | any disclosure is made to the lawyers, accountants, financial
advisors, legal advisors or other professional advisors of the parties; or |
9.4 | any disclosure is made to the potential purchasers of equity
interest/assets, other investors, debt or equity holders of the parties, but
the parties receiving the information disclosure shall make the corresponding
confidentiality undertaking; to the extent that the seller is not Party A, such
seller shall also obtain the consent from Party A. |
10. | Liabilities for Breach of Contract |
10.1 | The following events shall constitute as events of default of
Party B and/or Party C: |
10.1.1 | Party B and/or Party C violate(s) any provision of this Agreement, or
any representation and warranty made by Party B and/or Party C herein
contains material mistakes, is untrue and incorrect; |
10.1.2 | Without the prior written consent of Party A, Party B and/or Party C
transfer(s), or otherwise transfer(s) or pledge(s) any rights
hereunder. |
10.2 | In the event of any breach of this Agreement by Party B and/or
Party C or any other events, Party A may take the following measures, in
addition to any remedial measures for breach as required by laws: |
10.2.1 | to the extent permitted by the laws of the PRC then in effect,
require Party B and/or Party C to immediately transfer all or part of
the Equity Interest to Party A or any third party designated by it at
the Exercise Price; |
10.2.2 | immediately recover any loan under the loan agreement signed with
Party B and/or Party C; |
10.2.3 | require Party B and/or Party C to indemnify against all direct and
indirect losses, including but not limited to the expenses, such as
yields generated from the Equity Interest, or all legal fees,
travelling costs and investigation expenses paid for the enforcing and
seeking remedies for breach. |
11. | Discharge of this Agreement |
11.1 | Party A may, at any time during the Exercise Period, decide at
its own discretion to discharge this Agreement by giving the Exercise Notice to
Party B and/or Party C, and shall bear no liabilities in respect thereof. |
11.2 | None of Party B and Party C shall be entitled to discharge this
Agreement unilaterally at any time during the Exercise Period. |
12. | Governing Law and Dispute Resolution |
12.1 | The formation of this Agreement, its effectiveness,
interpretation and performance, as well as the dispute resolution hereunder
shall be governed by the laws of the PRC. |
12.2 | The parties shall make their best effort to resolve any
dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection with this
Agreement (a “Dispute”), or the breach, termination or invalidity hereof
through friendly consultation. If, however, the parties fail to resolve the
Dispute within fifteen (15) business days after the notice of Dispute is
served, they shall submit the Dispute to China International Economic and Trade
Arbitration Commission for arbitration. The seat
of arbitration shall be Shenzhen. The arbitration shall be conducted in
Chinese. The arbitral award shall be final and binding upon the parties. |
13. | Miscellaneous |
13.1 | The exhibit hereto is an integral part of this Agreement, which
shall have the same legal effect as this Agreement. |
13.2 | Any matters not covered herein shall be resolved by the parties
by supplemental agreement. Any written supplemental agreement signed by the
parties shall become an integral part of this Agreement. |
13.3 | No party hereto shall make changes to this Agreement without
authorization. Any change to this Agreement shall be unanimously approved by
the parties after mutual consultation and shall be made in written contract or
agreement. |
13.4 | Any failure or delay by Party A to exercise any right or remedy
under this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver thereof, nor shall it
affect the exercise of such right or remedy by Party A at any time pursuant to
this Agreement and/or the requirements of laws and regulations. |
13.5 | The invalidity of any particular provision of this Agreement
shall not affect the validity of other provisions hereof. |
13.6 | Party A shall have the right to transfer at any time all or
part of its rights hereunder to any third party without first obtaining the
consent of Party B and Party C; however, none of Party B and Party C shall
transfer any of their rights and obligations hereunder without the consent of
Party A. Party B and Party C shall ensure that Party A and any transferee will
comply with the relevant obligations under this arrangement after the transfer
of rights hereunder. |
14. | Counterparts and Effectiveness |
14.1 | This Agreement is executed in 6 originals and each signing
party shall keep two originals. Each of them shall have the same legal effect. |
14.2 | This Agreement shall become effective on the date separately
approved by the parties hereto after it is signed by the parties themselves or
their respective authorized representatives. Notwithstanding any provisions of
this Agreement to the contrary, neither party hereto shall require to discharge
this Agreement, declare this Agreement to be invalid or terminate it prior to
its expiry date under the pretext that this Agreement or any of its provisions
are unfair, or violate the principle of fairness, industry practices or market
price, or due to similar reasons. |
(The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.)
This Agreement has been signed by the parties hereto or their respective duly authorized
representatives on the day first above written in Shenzhen.
Party A (Chop): Shenzhen Wentai Education Industry Development Co., Ltd.
[Chop of Shenzhen Wentai Education Industry Development Co., Ltd. is affixed]
[Chop of Shenzhen Wentai Education Industry Development Co., Ltd. is affixed]
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Position: |
Party B:
Xu Dong
/s/ Xu Dong |
||
Party C:
Du Qicai
/s/ Du Qicai |
||
Exhibit 1: EQUITY TRANSFER AGREEMENT
This
Equity Transfer Agreement is made on
(mm)
(dd)
(yy):
BETWEEN:
(1) (the “Transferor”)
(2) (the “Transferee”)
WHEREAS:
1. | The Transferor holds _____% equity interest in
_____
(the “Target Company”); |
|
2. | The Transferor agrees to transfer his/her/its
_____% equity interest in the Target Company to the
Transferee, and the Transferee agrees to accept
the transfer of the above equity interest. |
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties have reached the following agreement in respect of the equity transfer
mentioned above after friendly consultation:
Article 1 Equity Transfer and its Completion
1.1 | The parties hereto agree
that the Transferor will transfer
his/her/its % equity
interest in the Target Company to the Transferee on the terms and conditions specified
herein. Party B agrees to accept the transfer of the equity interest from Party A. |
1.2 | The completion date of the equity transfer mentioned above shall be the date on
which the Target Company completes the change of registration with the industrial and
commercial administrative department. From the completion date of the equity transfer,
the Transferor’s % equity interest in the Target Company shall be transferred to and
held by the Transferee. The Transferee shall be entitled to shareholders’ rights of
the Target Company and undertake shareholders’ obligations in respect of all equity
interest held by him/her/it. |
Article 2 Transfer Price
2.1 | The parties hereto agree that the price for the equity transfer shall be:
Renminbi , which shall be paid
within day(s) after the execution of this Agreement. |
Article 3 Taxes and Fees
The parties shall bear any applicable taxes, and costs and expenses in connection with the
negotiation, preparation and execution of this Agreement and the obtaining of all necessary
approval for this Agreement, respectively, including any reasonable costs and expenses of their
respective lawyers, accountants and other experts.
Article 4 Dispute Resolution
Any disputes between the Transferor and the Transferee arising from this Agreement shall be first
resolved through friendly consultation. If such dispute cannot be resolved within 15 days after
the commencement of the above consultation, either party may make an application to China
International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission for arbitration in Shenzhen pursuant to its
arbitration rules. The arbitral award shall be final and binding upon the parties hereto.
Article 5 Miscellaneous
This Agreement is executed in Chinese in 6 originals. The Transferor and the Transferee shall each
keep two originals, the other one original shall be submitted to the original industrial and
commercial administrative department responsible for the registration of Target Company for filing
purpose, and the remaining original shall be submitted to public notary institution for
notarization (if necessary at that time). Each of the originals shall have the same legal effect.
Transferor (Common Chop):
|
Transferee: | |
Authorized Representative of the
Transferor (Signature):
|
Authorized Representative of the Transferee (Signature): |