Exhibit
2.1
EXECUTION
VERSION
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER
among
COLONEL HOLDINGS, INC.,
COLONEL MERGER SUB, INC.
and
CKX, INC.
Dated as of May 10, 2011
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Page
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ARTICLE I THE OFFER
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2
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Section 1.1
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The Offer
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2
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Section 1.2
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Offer Documents
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3
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Section 1.3
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Company Actions
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3
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Section 1.4
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Directors
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4
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Section 1.5
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The Top-Up
Option
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5
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ARTICLE II THE MERGER
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6
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Section 2.1
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The Merger
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6
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Section 2.2
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Closing
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6
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Section 2.3
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Effective Time
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6
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Section 2.4
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Effects of the Merger
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6
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Section 2.5
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Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws
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6
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Section 2.6
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Directors
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7
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Section 2.7
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Officers
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7
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ARTICLE III EFFECT ON THE CAPITAL STOCK OF THE CONSTITUENT
CORPORATIONS; EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES
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7
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Section 3.1
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Conversion of Capital Stock
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7
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Section 3.2
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Treatment of Company Stock Plan
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8
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Section 3.3
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Exchange and Payment
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8
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Section 3.4
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Withholding Rights
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10
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Section 3.5
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Dissenting Shares
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10
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ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
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11
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Section 4.1
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Organization, Standing and Power
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11
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Section 4.2
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Capital Stock
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12
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Section 4.3
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Subsidiaries
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13
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Section 4.4
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Authority
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13
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Section 4.5
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No Conflict; Consents and Approvals
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14
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Section 4.6
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SEC Reports; Financial Statements
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15
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Section 4.7
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No Undisclosed Liabilities
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16
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Section 4.8
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Schedule 14D-9/Proxy
Statement; Other Information
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17
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Section 4.9
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Absence of Certain Changes or Events
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17
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Section 4.10
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Litigation
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17
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Section 4.11
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Compliance with Laws
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18
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Section 4.12
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Benefit Plans
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18
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Section 4.13
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Labor Matters
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19
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Section 4.14
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Environmental Matters
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20
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Section 4.15
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Taxes
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20
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Section 4.16
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Material Contracts
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22
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Section 4.17
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Insurance
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23
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Section 4.18
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Properties
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24
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Section 4.19
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Intellectual Property
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24
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Section 4.20
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Certain Payments
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26
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i
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
(Continued)
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Page
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Section 4.21
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State Takeover Statutes
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26
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Section 4.22
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Rights Agreement
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26
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Section 4.23
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Related Party Transactions
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26
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Section 4.24
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Brokers
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27
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Section 4.25
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Opinion of Financial Advisor
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27
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Section 4.26
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No Other Representations and Warranties
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27
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ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND
MERGER SUB
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27
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Section 5.1
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Organization, Standing and Power
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27
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Section 5.2
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Authority
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27
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Section 5.3
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No Conflict; Consents and Approvals
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28
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Section 5.4
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Schedule 14D-9/Proxy
Statement; Other Information
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28
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Section 5.5
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Brokers
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28
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Section 5.6
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Merger Sub
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29
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Section 5.7
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Financing
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29
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Section 5.8
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Ownership of Shares
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29
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Section 5.9
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Solvency
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29
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Section 5.10
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No Agreements with Stockholders
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30
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Section 5.11
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No Other Representations and Warranties
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30
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ARTICLE VI COVENANTS
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30
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Section 6.1
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Conduct of Business
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30
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Section 6.2
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No Solicitation
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33
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Section 6.3
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Preparation of Proxy Statement; Stockholders’ Meeting
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35
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Section 6.4
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Access to Information; Confidentiality
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36
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Section 6.5
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Reasonable Best Efforts
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37
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Section 6.6
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Takeover Laws
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37
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Section 6.7
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Notification of Certain Matters; Stockholder Actions
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38
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Section 6.8
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Indemnification, Exculpation and Insurance
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38
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Section 6.9
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Equity Financing
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39
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Section 6.10
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Debt Financing
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39
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Section 6.11
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Public Announcements
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41
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Section 6.12
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Section 16 Matters
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41
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Section 6.13
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Obligations of Merger Sub
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42
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Section 6.14
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Control of Operations
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42
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Section 6.15
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Certain Benefits
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42
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Section 6.16
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Leasehold Mortgages
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43
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Section 6.17
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FIRPTA Certificate
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43
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Section 6.18
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NASDAQ Delisting and Deregistration
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43
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Section 6.19
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Rule 14d-10(d)
Matters
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43
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ARTICLE VII CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
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44
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Section 7.1
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Conditions to Each Party’s Obligation to Effect the Merger
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44
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ii
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
(Continued)
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Page
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Section 7.2
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Conditions to Parent’s and Merger Sub’s Obligations to
Effect the Merger
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44
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Section 7.3
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Conditions to the Company’s Obligations to Effect the Merger
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44
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Section 7.4
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Frustration of Closing Conditions
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45
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ARTICLE VIII TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
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45
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Section 8.1
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Termination
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45
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Section 8.2
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Effect of Termination
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46
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Section 8.3
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Fees and Expenses
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46
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Section 8.4
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Amendment or Supplement
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48
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Section 8.5
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Extension of Time; Waiver
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49
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ARTICLE IX GENERAL PROVISIONS
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49
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Section 9.1
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Nonsurvival of Representations and Warranties
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49
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Section 9.2
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Notices
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49
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Section 9.3
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Certain Definitions
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50
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Section 9.4
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Interpretation
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51
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Section 9.5
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Entire Agreement
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51
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Section 9.6
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No Third Party Beneficiaries
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51
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Section 9.7
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Governing Law
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51
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Section 9.8
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Submission to Jurisdiction
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52
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Section 9.9
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Assignment; Successors
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52
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Section 9.10
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Enforcement
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53
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Section 9.11
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Currency
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54
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Section 9.12
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Severability
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54
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Section 9.13
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Waiver of Jury Trial
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54
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Section 9.14
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Counterparts
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54
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Section 9.15
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Facsimile Signature
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54
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Section 9.16
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No Presumption Against Drafting Party
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54
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Exhibits
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Exhibit A
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Offer Conditions
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Exhibit B
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Limited Guarantee
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Exhibit C
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Amendment to Rights Agreement
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iii
INDEX OF
DEFINED TERMS
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Term
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Section
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409A Authorities
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4.12(d)
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Acceptance Time
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1.4(a)
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Acquisition Proposal
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6.2(e)(i)
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Action
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4.10
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Adverse Recommendation Change
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6.2(b)
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Affiliate
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9.3(a)
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Affiliate Transaction
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4.23
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Agreement
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Preamble
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AJCA
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4.12(d)
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Alternative Acquisition Agreement
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6.2(b)
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Alternative Debt Financing
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6.10(a)
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beneficial ownership
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9.3(b)
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Book-Entry Shares
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3.3(b)
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Business Day
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9.3(c)
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Cash Equity
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5.7
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Certificate of Merger
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2.3
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Certificates
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3.3(b)
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Chosen Court
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9.8(a)
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Closing
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2.2
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Closing Date
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2.2
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Code
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3.4
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Commitment Letters
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Recitals
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Common Shares
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Recitals
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Commonly Controlled Entity
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4.12(c)(v)
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Company
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Preamble
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Company Board
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Recitals
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Company Bylaws
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4.1(b)
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Company Charter
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4.1(b)
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Company Disclosure Letter
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IV
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Company Employees
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6.15(a)
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Company Equity Plans
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3.2(b)
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Company Intellectual Property
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4.19(c)
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Company Minority Interest Business
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4.3
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Company Option
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3.2(a)(i)
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Company Plans
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4.12(a)
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Company Preferred Stock
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4.2(a)
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Company Recommendation
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4.4(b)
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Company Registered IP
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4.19(b)
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Company Related Parties
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8.3(f)
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Company Restricted Share
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3.2(a)(ii)
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Company SEC Documents
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4.6(a)
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Company Stock Plan
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3.2(a)(i)
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Company Stockholder Approval
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4.4(a)
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iv
INDEX OF
DEFINED TERMS
(Continued)
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Term
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Section
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Company Stockholders Meeting
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6.3(b)
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Confidentiality Agreement
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6.4
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Contract
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4.5(a)
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control
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9.3(d)
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Copyrights
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4.19(a)
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Debt Commitment Letter
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Recitals
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Debt Financing
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5.7(b)
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Debt Financing Source
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9.8(b)
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2.3
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DGCL
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2.1
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Dissenting Shares
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3.5
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DOJ
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6.5
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Domain Names
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4.19(a)
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Effective Time
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2.3
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Environmental Law
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4.14(b)
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Equity Commitment Letter
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Recitals
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Equity Investors
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5.7
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ERISA
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4.12(a)
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Exchange Act
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1.1(a)
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Existing Policies
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6.8(b)
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Expenses
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9.3(e)
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Fairness Opinion
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4.25
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Financing
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5.7(b)
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FTC
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6.5
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GAAP
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4.6(b)
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Governmental Entity
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4.5(b)
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Hazardous Substance
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4.14(c)
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HSR Act
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4.5(b)
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Indebtedness
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9.3(f)
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Independent Directors
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1.4(c)
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Intellectual Property
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4.19(a)
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IRS
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4.12(a)
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knowledge
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9.3(g)
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Law
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4.5(a)
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Leased Real Property
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4.18(a)
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Leases
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4.18(a)
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Lenders
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5.7(b)
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Liens
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9.3(h)
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Limited Guarantee
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5.7(f)
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Marks
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4.19(a)
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Material Adverse Effect
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4.1(a)
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Material Contract
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4.16(a)(xv)
|
v
INDEX OF
DEFINED TERMS
(Continued)
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Term
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Section
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Merger
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Recitals
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Merger Outside Date
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8.1(b)(i)
|
Merger Sub
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Preamble
|
Minimum Condition
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9.16(a)
|
NASDAQ
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4.5(a)
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New Plans
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6.15(b)
|
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan
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4.12(d)
|
Notice Period
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6.2(c)(ii)
|
Offer
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Recitals
|
Offer Conditions
|
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1.1(a)
|
Offer Documents
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1.2
|
Offer Outside Date
|
|
1.1(b)
|
Offer Price
|
|
Recitals
|
Offer Termination
|
|
1.1(b)
|
Offer to Purchase
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1.2
|
Old Plans
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6.15(b)
|
Owned Real Property
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4.18(a)
|
Parent
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Preamble
|
Parent Material Adverse Effect
|
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5.1
|
Parent Related Parties
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8.3(f)
|
Participant
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4.12(d)
|
Patents
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4.19(a)
|
Paying Agent
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3.3(a)
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Payment Fund
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3.3(a)
|
Per Share Merger Consideration
|
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3.1(a)
|
Permits
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4.11
|
Permitted Liens
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4.18(b)
|
Person
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9.3(i)
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Promissory Note
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1.5(c)
|
Proxy Statement
|
|
4.8
|
Real Property
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|
4.18(a)
|
Related Party
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|
4.23
|
Representatives
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6.2(a)
|
Required Information
|
|
6.10(b)
|
Reverse Termination Fee
|
|
8.3(c)
|
Rights Agreement
|
|
4.2(a)
|
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act
|
|
4.6(a)
|
Schedule 14D-9
|
|
1.3(b)
|
Schedule TO
|
|
1.2
|
SEC
|
|
IV
|
Securities Act
|
|
4.6(a)
|
Series B and C Consent
|
|
4.4(a)
|
vi
INDEX OF
DEFINED TERMS
(Continued)
|
|
|
Term
|
|
Section
|
|
Series B Convertible Preferred Stock
|
|
3.1(b)
|
Series B Preferred Share
|
|
3.1(b)
|
Series C Convertible Preferred Stock
|
|
3.1(b)
|
Series C Preferred Share
|
|
3.1(b)
|
Shares
|
|
3.1(c)
|
Solvent
|
|
5.9
|
Subsequent Company SEC Documents
|
|
4.6(a)
|
Subsequent Offering Period
|
|
1.1(b)
|
Subsidiary
|
|
9.3(j)
|
Superior Proposal
|
|
6.2(e)(ii)
|
Support Agreement Shares
|
|
Recitals
|
Support Agreements
|
|
Recitals
|
Surviving Corporation
|
|
2.1
|
Takeover Laws
|
|
4.4(b)
|
Tax Returns
|
|
4.15(i)
|
Taxes
|
|
4.15(i)
|
Termination Fee
|
|
8.3(b)(iii)
|
Top-Up
Closing
|
|
1.5(c)
|
Top-Up
Closing Date
|
|
1.5(c)
|
Top-Up Option
|
|
1.5(a)
|
Top-Up Shares
|
|
1.5(a)
|
Treasury Regulation
|
|
9.3(k)
|
vii
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this
“
Agreement”), dated as of May 10, 2011,
among Colonel Holdings, Inc., a
Delaware corporation
(“
Parent”), Colonel Merger Sub, Inc., a
Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent
(“
Merger Sub”), and
CKx, Inc., a
Delaware
corporation (the “
Company”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, it is proposed that Merger Sub shall commence a tender
offer (as it may be amended from time to time as permitted by
this Agreement, the “Offer”) to purchase all of
the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per
share, of the Company (the “Common Shares”) at
a price per Common Share of $5.50 net to the seller in cash
(such amount or any greater amount per Common Share as may be
paid pursuant to the Offer, the “Offer Price”),
on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;
WHEREAS, the parties intend that following the consummation of
the Offer, Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company,
with the Company surviving that merger as a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Parent, on the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth herein (the “Merger”);
WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of Parent and Merger Sub have
each approved this Agreement and declared it advisable for
Parent and Merger Sub, respectively, to enter into this
Agreement;
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the
“Company Board”) has , (i) determined that
it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,
and declared it advisable, to enter into this Agreement,
(ii) approved the execution, delivery and performance by
the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby, including the Offer and the
Merger and (iii) resolved and agreed to recommend that the
Company’s stockholders accept the Offer, tender their
Shares into the Offer and, to the extent required by applicable
Law, adopt and approve this Agreement, in each case on the terms
and subject to the conditions of this Agreement;
WHEREAS, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company desire to make
certain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in
connection with the Offer and the Merger and also to prescribe
certain conditions to the Offer and the Merger as specified
herein;
WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, Apollo Investment Fund VII, L.P., certain of its
affiliated investment funds and Parent have entered into an
equity commitment letter, dated as of the date hereof (the
“Equity Commitment Letter”) and Xxxxxxx Sachs
Bank USA and Parent have entered into a debt commitment letter,
dated as of the date hereof (the “Debt Commitment
Letter” and together with the Equity Commitment Letter,
the “Commitment Letters”); and
WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, and as a condition and inducement to the willingness
of Parent and Merger Sub to enter into this Agreement, one or
more stockholders of the Company have delivered to Parent a
support agreement (collectively, the “Support
Agreements”) in respect of the Common Shares (if any)
held by them (the “Support Agreement Shares”)
and the Series B Preferred Shares and Series C
Preferred Shares (each as hereinafter defined) held by them,
pursuant to which such stockholders shall, among other things,
(i) agree not to tender Support Agreement Shares held by
them (if any) into the Offer, (ii) support the Merger and
the other transactions contemplated hereby and (iii) prior
to the Effective Time, transfer or exchange the Support
Agreement Shares (if any) and the Series B Preferred Shares
and the Series C Preferred Shares held by them to or with
Parent or an Affiliate of Parent, in each case, on the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth in the Support Agreements.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, and of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained
herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, Parent, Merger
Sub and the Company hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
THE OFFER
Section 1.1 The
Offer.
(a) Provided that this Agreement shall not have been
terminated in accordance with Article VIII and no
event shall have occurred and be continuing that, had the Offer
been commenced, would give rise to a right to terminate the
Offer pursuant to any of the conditions set forth in
Exhibit A hereto (the “Offer
Conditions”) (other than the Minimum Condition and
condition (b) on Exhibit A hereto), Merger Sub
shall, and Parent shall cause Merger Sub to, use commercially
reasonable efforts to commence (within the meaning of
Rule 14d-2
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (including
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the
“Exchange Act”)) not later than three
(3) Business Days following the date hereof (and in any
event Merger Sub shall, and Parent shall cause Merger Sub to,
commence not later than five (5) Business Days following
the date hereof), an offer to purchase all outstanding Common
Shares at the Offer Price. The obligations of Merger Sub, and of
Parent to cause Merger Sub, to accept for payment and pay for
any Common Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer shall be
subject to the satisfaction or waiver by Merger Sub of the Offer
Conditions and the terms and conditions hereof. Merger Sub
expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive
any Offer Condition, in whole or in part, at any time or from
time to time, or to modify the terms or conditions of the Offer,
except that, without the written consent of the Company, Merger
Sub shall not (i) reduce the Offer Price, (ii) change
the form of consideration payable in the Offer (other than by
adding consideration), (iii) reduce the number of Common
Shares subject to the Offer, (iv) waive or change the
Minimum Condition (as defined in Exhibit A),
(v) add to the Offer Conditions, (vi) extend the
expiration of the Offer except as required or permitted by
Section 1.1(b) or (vii) modify any Offer
Condition or any term of the Offer set forth in this Agreement
in a manner adverse to the holders of Common Shares. Either
Parent or Merger Sub may, in its sole and absolute discretion
and without the consent of the Company, increase the Offer
Price, in which case the Offer shall be extended, without the
consent of the Company, as required by applicable Law. The
Company agrees that no Common Shares held by the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries will be tendered in the Offer.
(b) The Offer shall expire on the date that is twenty
(20) Business Days (determined in accordance with
Rule 14d-1(g)(3)
under the Exchange Act) after the commencement of the Offer,
except as may otherwise be required by applicable Law;
provided, however, that if at any scheduled
expiration date of the Offer, all of the Offer Conditions shall
have been satisfied or waived other than the Minimum Condition,
Merger Sub may, or if requested by the Company, Merger Sub
shall, extend the Offer to the earliest to occur of (i) a
date that is no more than fifteen (15) Business Days after
such previously scheduled expiration date (the length of each
such period to be determined by Merger Sub in its sole
discretion), or (ii) the later of (A) three
(3) months from the date hereof or (B) such other date
on or prior to the Merger Outside Date as Parent may specify in
its sole discretion upon delivery of written notice to the
Company (the “Offer Outside Date”);
provided further, that Merger Sub may, in its sole
discretion, (A) extend the Offer for a period of no more
than 15 (fifteen) Business Days in the aggregate, if at any time
at or prior to any scheduled expiration date of the Offer, less
than 78.75% of the number of Common Shares then outstanding less
the number of Support Agreement Shares (if any) held in a voting
trust in accordance with a Support Agreement, have been validly
tendered and not withdrawn
and/or
(B) provide a subsequent offering period (a
“Subsequent Offering Period”) after the
expiration of the Offer, in accordance with
Rule 14d-11
under the Exchange Act. If (1) as of any scheduled
expiration date of the Offer (x) all of the Offer
Conditions shall not have been satisfied or waived, (y) no
further extensions or re-extensions of the Offer are required
pursuant to this Section 1.1(b) and (z) Merger
Sub shall elect by delivery of a written notice to the Company,
or (2) all of the Offer Conditions shall not have been
satisfied or waived as of the Offer Outside Date, then, in each
case of clauses (1) and (2), the Offer shall
terminate. The termination of the Offer pursuant to the
immediately preceding sentence is referred to herein as the
“Offer Termination.” If the Offer is terminated
or withdrawn by Merger Sub, or this
2
Agreement is terminated by Parent in accordance with
Section 8.1, Merger Sub shall promptly return, and
shall cause any depository acting on behalf of Merger Sub to
return, all tendered Common Shares to the registered holders
thereof to the extent required by the terms of the Offer.
(c) Subject to the terms of the Offer and this Agreement
and the satisfaction of all of the Offer Conditions, Merger Sub
will accept for payment and pay for all Common Shares validly
tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer as soon
as practicable after the expiration date thereof (as the same
may be extended or required to be extended) or (in the case of
any Common Shares tendered during any Subsequent Offering
Period) as soon as practicable following the valid tender
thereof.
Section 1.2 Offer
Documents. As promptly as reasonably
practicable on the date of commencement of the Offer, Parent and
Merger Sub shall (a) file a combined Tender Offer Statement
and
Schedule 13E-3
under cover of Schedule TO (together with all amendments
and supplements thereto, the
“Schedule TO”) with respect to the Offer,
which shall contain or shall incorporate by reference an offer
to purchase (the “Offer to Purchase”) and forms
of the related letter transmittal and form of summary
advertisement (the Schedule TO, the Offer to Purchase and
such other documents, together with all amendments and
supplements thereto, the “Offer Documents”) and
(b) cause the Offer Documents to be disseminated to the
Company’s stockholders, in each case as and to the extent
required by applicable federal securities laws. The Company
shall promptly supply Parent and Merger Sub in writing, for
inclusion in the Offer Documents, all information concerning the
Company and its Subsidiaries and the Company’s stockholders
that may be required under the Exchange Act or reasonably
requested in connection with any action contemplated by this
Section 1.2 to be included in the Offer Documents.
The Company hereby consents to the inclusion in the Offer
Documents of the Fairness Opinion and all other material
disclosure relating to the Company’s financial advisor
(including the fees and other consideration that the
Company’s financial advisor will receive upon consummation
of the Offer and the Merger). Each of Parent, Merger Sub and the
Company agrees promptly to correct any information provided by
it for use in the Offer Documents if and to the extent that such
information shall have become false or misleading in any
material respect, and each of Parent and Merger Sub further
agrees to take all steps necessary to cause the Offer Documents
as so corrected to be filed with the SEC and to be disseminated
to the Company’s stockholders, in each case as and to the
extent required by applicable federal securities laws. The
Company and its counsel shall be given a reasonable opportunity
to review and comment on the Offer Documents and any amendments
thereto prior to the filing thereof with the SEC and Parent
shall give due consideration to all reasonable additions,
deletions or changes suggested thereto by the Company and its
counsel. In addition, Parent agrees to provide the Company and
its counsel any written comments that Parent may receive from
the SEC or its staff with respect to the Offer Documents
promptly after the receipt of such comments, and any written
responses thereto, and to promptly inform them of any oral
comments or other communications. The Company and its counsel
shall be given a reasonable opportunity to review and comment
upon any written responses and to participate in any oral
responses and Parent shall give due consideration to all
reasonable additions, deletions or changes, as applicable,
suggested thereto by the Company and its counsel.
Section 1.3 Company
Actions.
(a) The Company hereby consents to the Offer and to the
inclusion in the Offer Documents of the Company Recommendation
(subject only to the Company’s right to rescind, modify or
withdraw the Company Recommendation in accordance with the
provisions of Section 6.2).
(b) As promptly as reasonably practicable on the date of
filing by Parent and Merger Sub of the Offer Documents, the
Company shall file with the SEC and mail to the Company’s
stockholders a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on
Schedule 14D-9
(such
Schedule 14D-9,
together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the
“Schedule 14D-9”)
containing the Company Recommendation and the Fairness Opinion,
and shall cause the
Schedule 14D-9
to be disseminated to the Company’s stockholders
(concurrently with and in the same mailing envelope as the Offer
Documents) as required by
Rule 14d-9
under the Exchange Act. Each of the Company, Parent and Merger
Sub agrees promptly to correct any information provided by it
for use in the
Schedule 14D-9
if and to the extent that such information shall have become
false or misleading in any material respect, and the Company
further agrees to take all steps necessary to cause the
Schedule 14D-9
as so corrected to be filed with the SEC and to be disseminated
to the Company’s stockholders, in each case, as and to the
extent required by applicable federal securities Law. Parent,
Merger Sub and their counsel shall be given a reasonable
opportunity
3
to review and comment on the
Schedule 14D-9
and any amendments thereto prior to the filing thereof with the
SEC and the Company shall give due consideration to all
reasonable additions, deletions or changes suggested thereto by
Parent, Merger Sub and their counsel. In addition, the Company
agrees to provide Parent, Merger Sub and their counsel any
written comments that the Company or its counsel may receive
from the SEC or its staff with respect to the
Schedule 14D-9
promptly after the receipt of such comments, and any written
responses thereto, and to promptly inform them of any oral
comments or other communications. Parent, Merger Sub and their
counsel shall be given a reasonable opportunity to review and
comment upon any written responses and to participate in any
oral responses and the Company shall give due consideration to
all reasonable additions, deletions or changes, as applicable,
suggested thereto by Parent, Merger Sub and their counsel.
(c) In connection with the Offer, the Company shall cause
its transfer agent promptly (but in any event not later than
three (3) Business Days following the date hereof) to
furnish Parent and Merger Sub with mailing labels, security
position listings, any non-objecting beneficial owner lists and
any available listings or computer files containing the names
and addresses of the record holders of Common Shares as of the
most recent practicable date and shall furnish Parent and Merger
Sub with such additional available information (including
periodic updates of such information) and such other assistance
as Parent, Merger Sub or their agents may reasonably request in
communicating the Offer to the record and beneficial holders of
Common Shares. The Company shall, and shall cause its directors,
officers, employees and other Representatives to, use their
reasonable best efforts to make solicitations and
recommendations to the holders of Common Shares for purposes of
causing the Minimum Condition to be satisfied, including, upon
Parent’s request, together with Parent and Merger Sub,
jointly preparing a presentation to RiskMetrics Group or such
other proxy advisory firm as designated by Parent to recommend
this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby,
including the Offer and the Merger.
Section 1.4 Directors.
(a) Subject to compliance with applicable Law, promptly
upon the acceptance for payment by Merger Sub of Common Shares
pursuant to the Offer representing at least such number of
Common Shares as shall satisfy the Minimum Condition (the time
of such acceptance, the “Acceptance Time”), and
from time to time thereafter, Parent shall be entitled to
designate such number of directors, rounded up to the next whole
number, to the Company Board as is equal to the product of the
total number of directors on the Company Board (determined after
giving effect to the directors elected pursuant to this
sentence) multiplied by the percentage of the total number of
outstanding Common Shares at such time represented by the
aggregate number of Common Shares beneficially owned by Parent
or its Affiliates at such time (including Shares so accepted for
payment) plus the aggregate number of Support Agreement Shares
(if any) held in a voting trust in accordance with a Support
Agreement; provided, however, that Parent shall be
entitled to designate at least a majority of the directors on
the Company Board as long as Parent, its Affiliates and the
stockholders party to the Support Agreements beneficially own a
majority of the Shares of the Company. In furtherance thereof,
the Company shall, upon request of Parent, promptly take all
actions necessary to cause Parent’s designees to be so
elected or appointed, including increasing the size of its Board
of Directors
and/or
securing the resignations of one or more incumbent directors
and/or
filling any vacancies so created with Parent’s designees.
At such time, the Company shall, upon request of Parent, also
promptly take all actions necessary to cause individuals
designated by Parent to constitute at least the same percentage
(rounded up to the next whole number) as is on the Company Board
of (i) each committee of the Company Board, (ii) each
board of directors (or similar body) of each Subsidiary of the
Company and (iii) each committee (or similar body) of each
such board. The Company shall cause the foregoing actions to be
effected concurrently with the Acceptance Time.
(b) The Company’s obligations to appoint Parent’s
designees to the Company Board shall be subject to
Section 14(f) of the Exchange Act and
Rule 14f-1
thereunder. The Company shall promptly take, at its expense, all
actions required pursuant to Section 14(f) and
Rule 14f-1
in order to fulfill its obligations under this
Section 1.4, including mailing to stockholders
together with the
Schedule 14D-9
the information required under Section 14(f) and
Rule 14f-1
as is necessary to enable Parent’s designees to be elected
or appointed to the Company Board. Parent shall supply to the
Company any information with respect to itself and its officers,
directors and Affiliates to the extent required by
Section 14(f) and
Rule 14f-1.
The provisions of this Section 1.4 are in addition
to and shall not limit any rights that Parent, Merger Sub or any
of their Affiliates may have as a holder or beneficial owner of
Shares as a matter of applicable Law with respect to the
election of directors or otherwise.
4
(c) In the event that Parent’s designees are elected
or appointed to the Company Board pursuant to this
Section 1.4, then, until the Effective Time, the
Company shall cause the Company Board to maintain at least two
directors who are members of the Company Board on the date of
this Agreement and who are independent for purposes of
Rule 10A-3
under the Exchange Act (the “Independent
Directors”); provided, however, that if
the number of Independent Directors is reduced below two for any
reason, the remaining Independent Director(s) shall be entitled
to nominate an individual or individuals to fill such vacancy
who shall be deemed to be Independent Directors for purposes of
this Agreement or, if no Independent Directors then remain, the
other directors shall promptly (and in any event within ten
(10) Business Days) designate two individuals to fill such
vacancies who are independent for purposes of
Rule 10A-3
under the Exchange Act, and such individuals shall be deemed to
be Independent Directors for purposes of this Agreement;
provided, that if no such Independent Director is
appointed in such time period, Parent shall designate such
Independent Director(s). The Company and the Company Board shall
promptly take all action as may be necessary to comply with
their obligations under this
Section 1.4(c). Notwithstanding anything
in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the time, if
any, that Parent’s designees pursuant to this
Section 1.4 constitute a majority of the Company
Board and prior to the Effective Time, subject to the terms
hereof, any amendment or termination of this Agreement by the
Company requiring action by the Company Board, any extension by
the Company of the time for the performance of any of the
obligations or other acts of Parent or Merger Sub or waiver of
any of the Company’s rights hereunder, will require the
concurrence of a majority of the Independent Directors (or in
the case where there are two or fewer Independent Directors, the
concurrence of one Independent Director), in each case, if such
amendment, termination, extension or waiver would reasonably be
expected to have an adverse effect on the rights of any holders
of Shares other than Parent or Merger Sub.
Section 1.5 The
Top-Up
Option.
(a) The Company hereby grants to Merger Sub an irrevocable
option (the
“Top-Up
Option”) to purchase that number of Common Shares (the
“Top-Up
Shares”) equal to the lowest number of Common Shares
that, when added to the number of Common Shares held by Parent
and Merger Sub at the time of such exercise, together with the
number of Support Agreement Shares (if any) held in a voting
trust in accordance with a Support Agreement, shall constitute
one share more than 90% of the total Common Shares then
outstanding (determined on a fully diluted basis and assuming
the issuance of the
Top-Up
Shares), at a price per Common Share equal to the Offer Price.
(b) The
Top-Up
Option shall be exercisable once in whole and not in part on or
prior to the second (2nd) Business Day after the Acceptance Time
or the expiration of any Subsequent Offering Period;
provided, however, that the obligation of the
Company to deliver the
Top-Up
Shares is subject to the conditions that (i) no judgment,
injunction, order or decree of any Governmental Entity shall
prohibit the exercise of the
Top-Up
Option or the delivery of the
Top-Up
Shares in respect of such exercise; (ii) the
Top-Up
Option shall not be exercisable for a number of Common Shares in
excess of the number of authorized but unissued Common Shares
(including as authorized and unissued Shares, for purposes of
this Section 1.5, any Common Shares held in the
treasury of the Company); and (iii) Merger Sub has accepted
for payment and paid for all Shares validly tendered in the
Offer and not withdrawn; provided further, that
the Top-Up
Option shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (A) the
Effective Time and (B) the termination of this Agreement in
accordance with its terms. The parties shall cooperate to ensure
that the issuance of the
Top-Up
Shares is accomplished consistent with applicable Law, including
compliance with an applicable exemption from registration of the
Top-Up
Shares under the Securities Act.
(c) In the event Merger Sub wishes to exercise the
Top-Up
Option, Merger Sub shall so notify the Company in writing, and
shall set forth in such notice (i) the number of Common
Shares that will be owned by Parent and Merger Sub immediately
preceding the purchase of the
Top-Up
Shares, together with the number of Support Agreement Shares (if
any) held in a voting trust in accordance with a Support
Agreement, and (ii) the place and time for the closing of
the purchase of the
Top-Up
Shares (the
“Top-Up
Closing” and the date of such closing,
“Top-Up
Closing Date”), which shall take place not later than
two (2) Business Days following the Acceptance Time or the
expiration of any Subsequent Offering Period. The Company shall,
as soon as practicable following receipt of such notice (and in
no event later than the
Top-Up
Closing Date), notify Parent and Merger Sub in writing of the
number of Shares then outstanding and the number of
Top-Up
Shares. At the
Top-Up
Closing, Merger Sub shall pay the Company the aggregate price
required to be paid for the
Top-Up
Shares and the Company shall cause to be issued to Merger Sub a
certificate representing the
Top-Up
Shares, which certificate may include any legends required by
applicable
5
securities laws. The aggregate price required to be paid for the
Top-Up
Shares shall be paid by Merger Sub or Parent by (A) paying
in cash, by wire transfer of readily available funds, an amount
equal to not less than the aggregate par value of the
Top-Up
Shares and (B) executing and delivering to the Company a
promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) having
a principal amount equal to the aggregate cash purchase price
for the
Top-Up
Shares less the amount paid in cash pursuant to clause (A). The
Promissory Note shall bear interest at the rate of interest per
annum equal to the prime lending rate prevailing from time to
time during such period as published in The Wall Street Journal,
shall mature on the first anniversary of the date of execution
and delivery of such promissory note and may be prepaid without
premium or penalty. Merger Sub and the Company hereby agree that
in any appraisal proceeding described in Section 3.5
hereof, that the fair value of the Dissenting Shares subject to
the appraisal proceeding shall be determined in accordance with
the DGCL without regard to the
Top-Up
Option, the
Top-Up
Shares or the Promissory Note.
ARTICLE II
THE MERGER
Section 2.1
The
Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth in this Agreement and in accordance with
the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (the
“
DGCL”), at the Effective Time, Merger Sub
shall be merged with and into the Company. Following the Merger,
the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease, and
the Company shall continue as the surviving corporation in the
Merger (the “
Surviving Corporation”) and a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent.
Section 2.2 Closing. The
closing of the Merger (the “Closing”) shall
take place (a) if the Merger is consummated in accordance
with Section 253 of the DGCL as contemplated in
Section 6.3(c), on the second (2nd) Business Day
following the Acceptance Time or the expiration of the final
Subsequent Offering Period and the satisfaction or, to the
extent permitted by applicable Law, waiver of the conditions set
forth in Article VII (other than those conditions
that by their terms are to be satisfied at the Closing, but
subject to the satisfaction or, to the extent permitted by
applicable Law, waiver of those conditions) or (b) if the
Merger is not consummated in accordance with Section 253 of
the DGCL as contemplated in Section 6.3(c), on the
third (3rd) Business Day following the satisfaction or, to the
extent permitted by applicable Law, waiver of the conditions set
forth in Article VII (other than those conditions
that by their terms are to be satisfied at the Closing, but
subject to the satisfaction or, to the extent permitted by
applicable Law, waiver of those conditions), in each case of
clauses (a) and (b), at 10:00 a.m., eastern
standard time, at the offices of Xxxx, Weiss, Rifkind,
Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, 0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
00000-0000,
unless another date, time or place is agreed to in writing by
Parent and the Company. The date on which the Closing occurs is
referred to in this Agreement as the “Closing
Date.”
Section 2.3
Effective
Time. Upon the terms and subject to the
provisions of this Agreement, as soon as practicable on the
Closing Date, the parties shall file a certificate of merger or,
if applicable, a certificate of ownership and merger (the
“
Certificate of Merger”) with the Secretary of
State of the State of
Delaware (the “
Delaware Secretary
of State”), executed in accordance with the relevant
provisions of the DGCL, and, as soon as practicable on or after
the Closing Date, shall make any and all other filings or
recordings required under the DGCL. The Merger shall become
effective at such time as the Certificate of Merger is duly
filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State or at such other date
or time as Parent and the Company shall agree in writing and
shall specify in the Certificate of Merger (the time the Merger
becomes effective being the “
Effective Time”).
Section 2.4 Effects
of the Merger. The Merger shall have the
effects set forth in this Agreement and in the relevant
provisions of the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Effective Time, all the
property, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of the
Company and Merger Sub shall vest in the Surviving Corporation,
and all debts, liabilities and duties of the Company and Merger
Sub shall become the debts, liabilities and duties of the
Surviving Corporation.
Section 2.5 Certificate
of Incorporation; Bylaws.
(a) The certificate of incorporation of Merger Sub, as in
effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be the
certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation until
thereafter amended in accordance with the
6
provisions thereof and applicable Law, in each case consistent
with the obligations set forth in
Section 6.8, and
except that
Article I thereof shall read as follows:
“The name of the Corporation is
CKx, Inc.”
(b) The Bylaws of Merger Sub, as in effect immediately
prior to the Effective Time, shall be the Bylaws of the
Surviving Corporation until thereafter amended in accordance
with the provisions thereof and applicable Law, in each case
consistent with the obligations set forth in
Section 6.8, and except that such Bylaws shall be
amended to reflect that the name of Surviving Corporation shall
be
CKx, Inc.
Section 2.6 Directors. The
directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time
shall be the directors of the Surviving Corporation until the
earlier of their resignation or removal or until their
respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or their
earlier death, resignation or removal.
Section 2.7 Officers. The
officers of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time
shall be the officers of the Surviving Corporation until the
earlier of their resignation or removal or until their
respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or their
earlier death, resignation or removal.
ARTICLE III
EFFECT ON
THE CAPITAL STOCK OF THE
CONSTITUENT
CORPORATIONS; EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES
Section 3.1 Conversion
of Capital Stock. At the Effective Time, by
virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of the
Company, Parent, Merger Sub or the holders of any shares of
capital stock of the Company, Parent or Merger Sub:
(a) Each Common Share issued and outstanding immediately
prior to the Effective Time (other than (i) Dissenting
Shares, (ii) Support Agreement Shares (if any) held in a
voting trust or by Parent or its designee in accordance with a
Support Agreement so long as such Support Agreement has not been
terminated prior to the Effective Time and (iii) Common
Shares to be cancelled pursuant to Section 3.1(c)),
shall thereupon be cancelled and converted automatically into,
and shall thereafter only represent the right to receive, the
Offer Price per Common Share in cash, without interest, and
subject to deduction for any required withholding Taxes as
described in Section 3.4 (the “Per Share
Merger Consideration”).
(b) (i) Each share of Series B Convertible
Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company
(the “Series B Convertible Preferred
Stock”, and each share of Series B Convertible
Preferred Stock, a “Series B Preferred
Share”) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the
Effective Time (other than (A) Dissenting Shares and
(B) Series B Preferred Shares to be cancelled pursuant
to Section 3.1(c)) shall be contributed to Parent
(or its Affiliate) in exchange for preferred securities of
Parent (or such Affiliate) on the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth in the applicable Support Agreement; and
(ii) each share of Series C Convertible Preferred
Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the
“Series C Convertible Preferred Stock”,
and each share of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, a
“Series C Preferred Share”) issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than
(A) Dissenting Shares and (B) Series C Preferred
Shares to be cancelled pursuant to Section 3.1(c))
shall be contributed to Parent (or its Affiliate) in exchange
for preferred securities of Parent (or such Affiliate) on the
terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the applicable
Support Agreement.
(c) Each Common Share, Series B Preferred Share and
Series C Preferred Share (collectively, the
“Shares”) held in the treasury of the Company
or owned, directly or indirectly, by Parent or Merger Sub
immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Support
Agreement Shares (if any) held in a voting trust in accordance
with a Support Agreement and any Series B Preferred Shares
and Series C Preferred Shares subject to a Support
Agreement) shall automatically be cancelled and retired and
shall cease to exist, and no consideration shall be delivered in
exchange therefor.
(d) Each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per
share, of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to
the Effective Time shall be converted into one share of common
stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Surviving
Corporation.
7
(e) If at any time during the period between the date of
this Agreement and the Effective Time, any change in the
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, or
securities convertible into or exchangeable into or exercisable
for shares of such capital stock, shall occur as a result of any
reclassification, recapitalization, stock split (including a
reverse stock split) or subdivision or combination, exchange or
readjustment of shares, or any stock dividend or stock
distribution with a record date during such period (excluding,
in each case, normal quarterly cash dividends), merger or other
similar transaction, the Per Share Merger Consideration, the
Minimum Condition and the Offer Price shall be equitably
adjusted, without duplication, to reflect such change;
provided, that nothing in this Section 3.1(e)
shall be construed to permit the Company to take any action with
respect to its securities that is prohibited by the terms of
this Agreement.
Section 3.2 Treatment
of Company Stock Plan.
(a) Company Stock Options and Restricted
Stock.
(i) At the Acceptance Time, each option to purchase Common
Shares granted under the Company’s 2005 Omnibus Long-Term
Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Company Stock
Plan,” and each such option, a “Company
Option”), whether vested or unvested, that is
outstanding immediately prior to the Acceptance Time shall be
cancelled and, in exchange therefor, the Company shall pay to
each former holder of any such cancelled Company Option as soon
as practicable following the Acceptance Time an amount in cash
(without interest, and subject to deduction for any required
withholding Tax) equal to the product of (i) the excess of
the Offer Price over the exercise price per Common Share under
such Company Option and (ii) the number of Common Shares
subject to such Company Option; provided, that if the
exercise price per Common Share of any such Company Option is
equal to or greater than the Offer Price, such Company Option
shall be cancelled without any cash payment being made in
respect thereof; provided, further, that the
foregoing shall not apply to Company Options (if any) held by
stockholders party to the Support Agreements to the extent
elected by Parent in accordance with the terms of the Support
Agreements, which Company Options shall be treated in accordance
with the terms thereof.
(ii) Each holder of an unvested award of restricted stock
granted under the Company Stock Plan (each, a “Company
Restricted Share”) shall have the right to tender such
Company Restricted Share into the Offer, subject to and
contingent upon the occurrence of the Acceptance Time. At the
Acceptance Time, each such Company Restricted Share that is
tendered into the Offer shall become fully vested and, to the
extent not withheld by the Company to satisfy Tax withholding
obligations, shall be treated the same as other Common Shares
properly tendered into the Offer. Each Company Restricted Share
which is not so tendered into the Offer shall become fully
vested at the Acceptance Time and, upon the Effective Time,
shall be cancelled and converted into, and shall thereafter only
represent the right to receive, the Per Share Merger
Consideration in accordance with Section 3.1(a).
(b) Corporate Action. At or prior
to the Acceptance Time, the Company, the Company Board and the
compensation committee of the Company Board, as applicable,
shall (i) adopt resolutions and take all such other actions
reasonably required to implement the provisions of
Section 3.2(a), and (ii) ensure that no Person
or any participant in any employee or director stock option,
stock purchase or equity compensation plan, arrangement or
agreement of the Company, including the Company Stock Plan (the
“Company Equity Plans”) shall have any rights
to acquire, or other rights in respect of, the capital stock of
the Company, the Surviving Corporation or any of their
Subsidiaries following the Effective Time, except the right to
receive the payment contemplated by Section 3.2(a)
in cancellation and settlement thereof.
Section 3.3 Exchange
and Payment.
(a) At or immediately subsequent to the Effective Time,
Parent shall deposit (or cause to be deposited) with a bank or
trust company designated by Parent (the “Paying
Agent”) the cash in U.S. dollars sufficient to pay
the aggregate amount of the payments due under
Section 3.1(a) (such cash being hereinafter referred
to as the “Payment Fund”). The Payment Fund
shall not be used for any purpose other than to fund payments
due pursuant to Section 3.1(a), except as provided
in this Agreement.
(b) As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective
Time (and in any event not later than the third (3rd) Business
Day following the Effective Time), the Surviving Corporation
shall cause the Paying Agent to mail to each holder of record of
(i) an outstanding certificate or outstanding certificates
(“Certificates”) that immediately prior to the
Effective Time represented outstanding Common Shares or
(ii) uncertificated Common Shares represented by
8
book-entry (“Book-Entry Shares”) which, in each
case, were converted into the right to receive the Per Share
Merger Consideration with respect thereto pursuant to
Section 3.1(a), (A) a form of letter of
transmittal (which shall specify that delivery shall be
effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates or
Book-Entry Shares held by such Person shall pass, only upon
proper delivery of the Certificates to the Paying Agent or, in
the case of Book-Entry Shares, adherence to the procedures set
forth in the letter of transmittal, and shall be in customary
form and contain such other provisions as Parent or the Paying
Agent may reasonably specify) and (B) instructions for use
in effecting the surrender of Certificates (or effective
affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) or Book-Entry Shares in
exchange for the Per Share Merger Consideration payable with
respect thereto pursuant to Section 3.1(a).
(c) Upon surrender of a Certificate (or effective
affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) or Book-Entry Share to the
Paying Agent, together with such letter of transmittal, duly
completed and validly executed, and such other documents as the
Paying Agent may reasonably require, the holder of such
Certificate or Book-Entry Share shall be entitled to receive in
exchange therefor the Per Share Merger Consideration for each
Common Share formerly represented by such Certificate (or
effective affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) or Book-Entry
Share (subject to deduction for any required withholding Tax),
and such Certificate or Book-Entry Share shall forthwith be
cancelled. No interest shall be paid or shall accrue on any cash
payable upon surrender of any Certificate or Book-Entry Share.
In the event that the Per Share Merger Consideration is to be
paid to a Person other than the Person in whose name any
Certificate is registered, it shall be a condition of payment
that the Certificate so surrendered shall be properly endorsed
or otherwise in proper form for transfer, that the signatures on
such Certificate or any related stock power shall be properly
guaranteed and that the Person requesting such payment shall pay
any transfer or other Taxes required by reason of such payment
to a Person other than the registered holder of such Certificate
or establish to the satisfaction of Parent and the Paying Agent
that such Taxes have been paid or are not applicable. Until
surrendered as contemplated by this Section 3.3,
each Certificate or Book-Entry Share shall be deemed at any time
after the Effective Time to represent only the right to receive
upon such surrender or transfer the Per Share Merger
Consideration payable in respect of Common Shares theretofore
represented by such Certificate or Book-Entry Shares, as
applicable, pursuant to Section 3.1(a), without any
interest thereon.
(d) All cash paid upon the surrender for exchange of
Certificates or Book-Entry Shares in accordance with the terms
of this Article III shall be deemed to have been
paid in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to the Common
Shares formerly represented by such Certificates or Book-Entry
Shares. At the Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the
Company shall be closed and there shall be no further
registration of transfers on the stock transfer books of the
Surviving Corporation of the Shares that were outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time. If, after the Effective
Time, Certificates are presented to the Surviving Corporation or
the Paying Agent for transfer or transfer is sought for
Book-Entry Shares, such Certificates or Book-Entry Shares shall
be cancelled and exchanged as provided in, and subject to the
terms of, this Article III, subject to applicable
Law in the case of Dissenting Shares.
(e) The Paying Agent shall invest any cash included in the
Payment Fund as directed by Parent, on a daily basis;
provided, however, that no such investment or loss
thereon shall affect the amounts payable to holders of
Certificates of Book-Entry Shares pursuant to this
Article III. Any interest or other income resulting
from such investments shall be paid to Parent, upon demand.
(f) Any portion of the Payment Fund (and any interest or
other income earned thereon) that remains undistributed to the
holders of Certificates or Book-Entry Shares six (6) months
after the Effective Time shall be delivered to the Surviving
Corporation, upon demand, and any holders of Certificates or
Book-Entry Shares who have not theretofore complied with this
Article III shall thereafter look only to the
Surviving Corporation (subject to abandoned property, escheat or
other similar Laws), as general creditors thereof, for payment
of the Per Share Merger Consideration with respect to Common
Shares formerly represented by such Certificate or Book-Entry
Share, without interest.
(g) None of the Company, Parent, the Surviving Corporation,
the Paying Agent or any other Person shall be liable to any
Person in respect of cash from the Payment Fund properly
delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable
abandoned property, escheat or similar Law. If any Certificates
or Book-Entry Shares shall not have been exchanged prior to two
years after the Effective Time (or immediately prior to such
earlier date on which the related Per Share Merger Consideration
would escheat to or become the property of any Governmental
Entity), any such
9
Per Share Merger Consideration in respect thereof shall, to the
extent permitted by applicable Law, become the property of the
Surviving Corporation, free and clear of all claims or interest
of any Person previously entitled thereto.
(h) If any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or
destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit, in form and
substance reasonably acceptable to Parent, of that fact by the
Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed
and, if required by Parent or the Paying Agent, the posting by
such Person of a bond in such amount as Parent or the Paying
Agent may determine is reasonably necessary as indemnity against
any claim that may be made against it or the Surviving
Corporation with respect to such Certificate, the Paying Agent
will deliver in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed
Certificate the Per Share Merger Consideration payable in
respect thereof pursuant to this Agreement.
(i) Any portion of the aggregate Per Share Merger
Consideration made available to the Paying Agent pursuant to
Section 3.1(a) to pay for Common Shares for which
appraisal rights have been perfected as described in
Section 3.5 shall be returned to Parent, upon demand.
(j) Any consideration payable in respect of the
Series B Preferred Shares and the Series C Preferred
Shares pursuant to Section 3.1(b) shall be delivered
by the Surviving Corporation to the holders of such
Series B Preferred Shares and Series C Preferred
Shares promptly after the Effective Time upon surrender to the
Surviving Corporation of the certificates representing such
shares. No interest shall be paid or shall accrue on any cash
payable upon surrender of any such certificates. In the event
that the consideration payable pursuant to
Section 3.1(b) is to be paid to a Person other than
the Person in whose name any such certificate is registered, it
shall be a condition of payment that the certificate so
surrendered shall be properly endorsed or otherwise in proper
form for transfer, that the signatures on such certificate or
any related stock power shall be properly guaranteed and that
the Person requesting such payment shall pay any transfer or
other Taxes required by reason of such payment to a Person other
than the registered holder of such certificate or establish to
the satisfaction of Parent that such Taxes have been paid or are
not applicable. Until surrendered as contemplated by this
Section 3.3, each certificate representing
Series B Preferred Shares or Series C Preferred Shares
shall be deemed at any time after the Effective Time to
represent only the right to receive upon such surrender or
transfer the consideration payable pursuant to
Section 3.1(b) in respect of the Series B
Preferred Shares or Series C Preferred Shares theretofore
represented by such certificate without any interest thereon.
Section 3.4 Withholding
Rights. Parent, Merger Sub, the Surviving
Corporation, the Company and the Paying Agent shall be entitled
to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable
to any holder of Shares or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement
such amounts as Parent, Merger Sub, the Surviving Corporation,
the Company or the Paying Agent is required to deduct and
withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”), or any provision of state, local or
foreign Tax Law. To the extent that amounts are so withheld and
paid over to the appropriate taxing authority by Parent, Merger
Sub, the Surviving Corporation, the Company or the Paying Agent,
such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this
Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of which
such deduction and withholding was made.
Section 3.5 Dissenting
Shares. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, Shares that are issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and that are
held by a holder thereof who has not voted in favor of the
Merger and who is entitled to demand and validly demands payment
of the fair value for such Shares as determined in accordance
with Section 262 of the DGCL (such Shares, the
“Dissenting Shares”), shall not be converted
into or be exchangeable for the right to receive the
consideration specified in Sections 3.1(a) and
(b), but instead shall be converted into the right to
receive payment from the Surviving Corporation with respect to
such Dissenting Shares in accordance with the DGCL, unless and
until such holder shall have failed to perfect or shall have
effectively withdrawn or lost such holder’s right under the
DGCL. If any such holder of Shares shall have failed to perfect
or shall have effectively withdrawn or lost such right, each
Share of such holder shall be treated as a Share that had been
converted as of the Effective Time into the right to receive the
consideration specified in Sections 3.1(a) and
(b). The Company shall give prompt notice to Parent of
any written demands received by the Company for appraisal of
Shares pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL or written
threats thereof, attempted withdrawals of such demands and any
other instruments served pursuant to the DGCL and received by
the Company with respect stockholders’ rights of appraisal
and Parent shall have the right to participate in and direct all
10
negotiations and proceedings with respect to such demands. The
Company shall not, except with the prior written consent of
Parent, make any payment with respect to, or settle or offer to
settle, any such demands, or agree to do or commit to do any of
the foregoing.
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
Except (i) as disclosed in, and reasonably apparent from,
any report, schedule, form or other document filed with, or
furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”) and publicly available not less than
five (5) Business Days prior to the date of this Agreement
(with respect to such time frame, excluding any filings on
Form 10-Q
within such five (5) Business Day period) and only as and
to the extent disclosed therein (excluding, in each case, any
disclosures set forth (x) under the captions “Risk
Factors” or “Forward-Looking Statements” and
(y) in any other section relating to forward-looking
statements to the extent they are primarily cautionary or
predictive in nature), or (ii) as set forth in the
corresponding section or subsection of the disclosure letter
delivered by the Company to Parent prior to the execution of
this Agreement (the “Company Disclosure
Letter”) (it being agreed that disclosure of any
information in a particular section or subsection of the Company
Disclosure Letter shall be deemed disclosure with respect to any
other section or subsection of this Agreement to which the
relevance of such information is reasonably apparent on its
face), the Company represents and warrants to Parent and Merger
Sub as follows:
Section 4.1 Organization,
Standing and Power.
(a) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) is an
entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing
under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization (with
respect to jurisdictions that recognize such concept),
(ii) has all requisite corporate or similar power and
authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry
on its business as now being conducted and (iii) is duly
qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing
(with respect to jurisdictions that recognize such concept) in
each jurisdiction in which the nature of its business or the
ownership, leasing or operation of its properties makes such
qualification or licensing necessary, except in the case of
clause (iii) where the failure to be so qualified or
licensed or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate,
has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement,
“Material Adverse Effect” means any event,
change, development, circumstance, occurrence, effect, condition
or state of facts that, individually or in the aggregate,
(A) is or would reasonably be expected to be materially
adverse to the assets, liabilities, condition (financial or
otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (B) materially impairs
the ability of the Company to consummate, or prevents or
materially delays, any of the other transactions contemplated by
this Agreement or would reasonably be expected to do so;
provided, however, that, for purposes of
clause (A) and clause (B), Material
Adverse Effect shall not include any event, change, development,
circumstance, occurrence, effect, condition or state of facts to
the extent resulting from (1) conditions generally
affecting the entertainment industry, or the economy or the
financial or securities markets, in the United States,
(2) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of
war or terrorism (other than any of the foregoing that causes
any damage or destruction to or renders physically unusable or
inaccessible any facility or property of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries), (3) changes in Law or GAAP after the
date hereof, (4) actions of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries which Parent has expressly requested in writing or
to which Parent expressly consents in writing (other than
pursuant to this Agreement); and (5) resulting from the
announcement or performance of this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby (it being understood that this
clause (5) shall not apply to references to
“Material Adverse Effect” set forth in
Sections 4.5, 4.12(c)(vii), 4.12(e)
and 4.16(a)(xv) and, to the extent related to such
representations and warranties, the conditions set forth in
clause (c)(iv) of the Offer Conditions and, if the
Offer Termination shall have occurred, the conditions set forth
in Section 7.2(a)); provided, that with
respect to clauses (1), (2) and (3), the
impact of such event, change, development, circumstances,
occurrence, effect, condition or state of facts is not
disproportionately adverse to the Company and its Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, relative to similarly situated companies in
the entertainment industry.
(b) The Company has previously delivered to Parent true and
complete copies of the Company’s certificate of
incorporation (the “Company Charter”) and
bylaws (the “Company Bylaws”) and the
certificate of incorporation
11
and bylaws (or comparable organizational documents) of each of
its significant Subsidiaries, in each case as amended to the
date of this Agreement, and each as so delivered is in full
force and effect. The Company is not in violation of any
provision of the Company Charter or Company Bylaws. The Company
has made available to Parent true and complete copies of the
minutes (or, in the case of draft minutes, the most recent
drafts thereof as of the date of this Agreement) of all meetings
of the Company’s stockholders, the Company Board and each
committee of the Company Board and the minutes of meeting of the
stockholders and board of directors of each of its Subsidiaries
held since January 1, 2008.
Section 4.2 Capital
Stock.
(a) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of
200,000,000 Common Shares and 75,000,000 shares of
preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the
“Company Preferred Stock”). As of the close of
business on May 8, 2011, (i) 92,613,473 Common Shares
(excluding treasury shares) were issued and outstanding,
including 7,500 Company Restricted Shares outstanding pursuant
to awards granted under the Company Stock Plan,
(ii) 5,014,646 Common Shares were held by the Company in
its treasury, (iii) 1,491,818 shares of Company
Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, consisting of
(x) 1,491,817 shares of Series B Convertible
Preferred Stock and (y) 1 share of Series C
Convertible Preferred Stock and no shares of Company Preferred
Stock were held by the Company in its treasury,
(iv) 3,348,347 Common Shares were reserved for issuance
pursuant to the Company Stock Plan (of which 2,893,500 Common
Shares were subject to outstanding Company Options as of
March 31, 2011), (v) 1,491,817 Common Shares were
reserved for issuance upon conversion of the Series B
Convertible Preferred Stock, (vi) 1 Common Share was
reserved for issuance upon conversion of the Series C
Convertible Preferred Stock, and (vii) the number of shares
of Company Preferred Stock that will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding rights in accordance with
Section 7 of the Rights Agreement, dated as of
June 24, 2010 between the Company and Mellon Investor
Services LLC (the “Rights Agreement”) are
reserved for issuance upon trigger of the Rights Agreement. All
the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are, and
all shares reserved for issuance as noted in clauses
(iv) – (vii) above will be, when issued in
accordance with the terms thereof, duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable and not subject to any
preemptive rights, and not subject to or issued in violation of
any purchase option, call option, right of first refusal,
preemptive right, subscription right or any similar right under
any provision of the DGCL, the Company Charter, the Company
Bylaws or any Contract to which the Company is a party or is
otherwise bound. No shares of capital stock of the Company are
owned by any Subsidiary of the Company. All the outstanding
shares of capital stock or other voting securities or equity
interests of each Subsidiary of the Company have been duly
authorized and validly issued, are fully paid, nonassessable and
not subject to any preemptive rights, and not subject to or
issued in violation of any purchase option, call option, right
of first refusal, preemptive right, subscription right or any
similar right under any provision of applicable Law, the
organizational documents of such Subsidiary or any Contract to
which such Subsidiary is a party or is otherwise bound. Except
as set forth on Section 4.2(a) of the Company Disclosure
Letter, all of the shares of capital stock or other voting
securities or equity interests of each such Subsidiary are
owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company, free and clear of
all Liens (for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not
include licenses of or other grants of rights to use
Intellectual Property). Except for as set forth in
Section 4.2(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has outstanding
any bonds, debentures, notes or other obligations having the
right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable or
exercisable for, securities having the right to vote) with the
stockholders of the Company or such Subsidiary on any matter.
Except for the
Top-Up
Option and except as set forth above in this
Section 4.2(a), there are no outstanding
(A) shares of capital stock or other voting securities or
equity interests of the Company, (B) securities of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries convertible into or
exchangeable or exercisable for shares of capital stock of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or other voting securities or
equity interests of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
(C) stock appreciation rights, “phantom” stock
rights, performance units, interests in or rights to the
ownership or earnings of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or other equity equivalent or equity-based award or right,
(D) subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, commitments,
Contracts or other rights to acquire from the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, or obligations of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to issue, any shares of capital stock of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, voting securities, equity
interests or securities convertible into or exchangeable or
exercisable for capital stock or other voting securities or
equity interests of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or
rights or interests described in clause (C), or
(E) obligations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any such securities
or to issue, grant, deliver or
12
sell, or cause to be issued, granted, delivered or sold, any
such securities. Except as set forth in Section 4.2(a)
of the Company Disclosure Letter, there are no stockholder
agreements, voting trusts or other agreements or understandings
to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or on
file with the Company with respect to the holding, voting,
registration, redemption, repurchase or disposition of, or that
restricts the transfer of, any capital stock or other equity
interest of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(b) Section 4.2(b) of the Company Disclosure
Letter sets forth a true and complete list of all holders,
as of May 8, 2011, of outstanding Company Options or other
rights to purchase or receive Shares or similar rights,
including restricted stock, stock performance shares or awards,
stock appreciation rights and other forms of long-term
incentives granted under the Company Equity Plans or otherwise,
indicating, with respect to each Company Option then
outstanding, the type of award granted, the number of Common
Shares subject to such Company Option, the name of the plan
under which such Company Option was granted, the date of grant,
exercise price, vesting schedule and expiration thereof, and
whether (and to what extent) the vesting of such Company Option
will be accelerated in any way by the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or by the
termination of employment or engagement or change in position of
any holder thereof following or in connection with the Merger.
Each Company Option intended to qualify as an “incentive
stock option” under Section 422 of the Code so
qualifies and the exercise price of each other Company Option is
no less than the fair market value of a Share as determined on
the date of grant of such Company Option. The Company has made
available to Parent true and complete copies of all Company
Equity Plans and the forms of all stock option agreements
evidencing outstanding Company Options.
Section 4.3 Subsidiaries. Section 4.3
of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and
complete list of each Subsidiary of the Company, including its
jurisdiction of incorporation or formation, and a true and
complete list of each other corporation, partnership, limited
liability company or other entity that is not a Subsidiary but
in which the Company, directly or indirectly, holds an equity
interest (each, a “Company Minority Interest
Business”). All of the shares of capital stock or other
equity or voting interests of each such Company Minority
Interest Business that are owned, directly or indirectly, by the
Company or a Subsidiary thereof are owned free and clear of all
Liens. Except for the capital stock of, or other equity or
voting interests in, its Subsidiaries, and its interests in the
Company Minority Interest Businesses, the Company does not own,
directly or indirectly, any equity, membership interest,
partnership interest, joint venture interest, or other equity or
voting interest in, or any interest convertible into,
exercisable or exchangeable for any of the foregoing, nor is it
under any current or prospective obligation to form or
participate in, provide funds to, make any loan, capital
contribution, guarantee, credit enhancement or other investment
in, or assume any liability or obligation of, any Person.
Section 4.4 Authority.
(a) The Company has all necessary corporate power and
authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under
this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby. The execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of
the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized
by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and
no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Company are
necessary to approve this Agreement or to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby, subject, in the case of the
consummation of the Merger and if required by applicable Law, to
the adoption and approval of this Agreement by the holders of at
least a majority of the Common Shares, the Series B
Preferred Shares and the Series C Preferred Shares, voting
as a single class (with (x) each Series B Preferred
Share being entitled to that number of votes equal to the
largest number of whole Common Shares into which such shares
could be converted and (y) each Series C Preferred
Share being entitled to one vote) (the “
Company
Stockholder Approval”), and to the filing of the
Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State
of
Delaware as required by the DGCL. The Promenade Trust, as the
sole holder of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and
Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, has consented to the
Merger (the “
Series B and C Consent”) and
no further separate consent or approval of The Promenade Trust
is required in respect of this Agreement, the Merger or the
other transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been
duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due
authorization, execution and delivery by Parent and Merger Sub,
constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms
(except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium,
13
reorganization or similar Laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally or by general principles of
equity).
(b) The Company Board, at a meeting duly called and held at
which all directors of the Company were present duly and validly
adopted resolutions (i) determining that the terms of this
Agreement, the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated hereby are fair to and in the best interests of the
Company’s stockholders, (ii) approving and declaring
advisable this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
hereby, including the Offer and the Merger, (iii) directing
that this Agreement be submitted to the stockholders of the
Company for adoption and approval (unless the Merger is
consummated in accordance with Section 253 of the DGCL as
contemplated in Section 6.3(c), (iv) resolving
to recommend that the Company’s stockholders accept the
Offer, tender their shares pursuant to the Offer and vote in
favor of the adoption and approval of this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby, including the Offer and the
Merger (if required by applicable Law) (this clause (iv),
the “Company Recommendation”) and
(v) irrevocably approving for all purposes each of Parent,
Merger Sub and their respective Affiliates and this Agreement
and the transactions contemplated hereby to exempt such Persons,
agreements and transactions from any “moratorium,”
“fair price,” “business combination,”
“control share acquisition” or similar provision of
any state anti-takeover Law (collectively, “Takeover
Laws”) of any jurisdiction that may purport to be
applicable to the Company, Parent, Merger Sub or any of their
respective Affiliates or this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby, which resolutions have not been
subsequently rescinded, modified or withdrawn in any way, except
as may be permitted by Section 6.2.
(c) In the event that Section 253 of the DGCL is
inapplicable and unavailable to effectuate the Merger, other
than the Company Stockholder Approval and the Series B and
C Consent, there are no other votes of holders of any class of
securities of the Company which are required in connection with
the consummation of the Merger. No vote of the holders of any
class or series of the Company’s capital stock or other
securities is required in connection with the consummation of
any of the transactions contemplated hereby to be consummated by
the Company other than the Merger.
Section 4.5 No
Conflict; Consents and Approvals.
(a) Except as set forth on Section 4.5 of the
Company Disclosure Letter, the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement by the Company does not, and the
consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated hereby and compliance by the Company with the
provisions hereof will not, conflict with, or result in any
violation or breach of, or default (with or without notice or
lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of, or
result in, termination, cancellation, modification or
acceleration of any obligation or to the loss of a benefit
under, or result in the creation of any Lien in or upon any of
the properties, assets or rights of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries under, or give rise to any increased, additional,
accelerated or guaranteed rights or entitlements under, or
require any consent, waiver or approval of any Person pursuant
to any provision of (i) the Company Charter or Company
Bylaws, or the certificate of incorporation or bylaws (or
similar organizational documents) of any Subsidiary of the
Company, (ii) any bond, debenture, note, mortgage,
indenture, guarantee, license, lease, purchase or sale order or
other contract, commitment, agreement, instrument, obligation,
arrangement, understanding, undertaking, permit, concession or
franchise, whether written, oral, through course of conduct or
otherwise (each, including all amendments thereto, a
“Contract”) to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets may
be bound or (iii) subject to the governmental filings and
other matters referred to in Section 4.5(b), any
material federal, state, local or foreign law, common law,
statute, ordinance, rule, code, regulation, order, judgment,
injunction, decree, writ or other legally enforceable
requirement (“Law”) or any rule or regulation
of the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”)
applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
respective properties or assets may be bound, except as, in the
case of clause (ii), as individually or in the aggregate,
has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(b) No consent, approval, order or authorization of, or
registration, declaration, filing with or notice to, any
federal, state, local or foreign government or subdivision
thereof or any other governmental, administrative, judicial,
arbitral, legislative, executive, regulatory or self-regulatory
authority, instrumentality, agency, commission, tribunal or body
(each, a “Governmental Entity”) is required by
or with respect to the Company or any of its
14
Subsidiaries in connection with the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement by the Company or the consummation
by the Company of the Offer, the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated hereby or compliance with the
provisions hereof, except for (i) the filing of the
pre-merger notification report under the
Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the
“
HSR Act”) and any foreign antitrust filings as
the Company and Parent determine are required to be filed,
(ii) such filings and reports as required pursuant to the
applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder, (iii) the filing of the
Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State
of
Delaware as required by the DGCL, and (iv) any filings
required under the rules and regulations of NASDAQ.
Section 4.6 SEC
Reports; Financial Statements.
(a) The Company has filed on a timely basis with the SEC,
and has heretofore made available to Parent, true and complete
copies of all forms, reports, schedules, statements and other
documents required to be filed by the Company with the SEC since
January 1, 2008 (all such filed documents, together with
all exhibits and schedules thereto and all information
incorporated therein by reference, the “Company SEC
Documents”). As of their respective filing dates (and,
in the case of registration statements and proxy statements, as
of the dates of effectiveness and the dates of mailing,
respectively), the Company SEC Documents complied, and all
documents required to be filed by the Company with the SEC after
the date hereof (the “Subsequent Company SEC
Documents”) will comply, in all material respects with
the applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the “Securities Act”), the Exchange
Act and the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the
“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”), as the case may be,
including, in each case, the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder, and none of the Company SEC Documents contained, and
the Subsequent Company SEC Documents will not contain, any
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, or will omit, to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Except
to the extent that information contained in any Company SEC
Document has been revised or superseded by a later filed Company
SEC Document filed not later than five (5) Business Days
prior to the date hereof (with respect to such time frame,
excluding any filings on
Form 10-Q
within such five (5) Business Day period), none of the
Company SEC Documents contains any untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
(b) The financial statements (including the related notes
thereto) included (or incorporated by reference) in the Company
SEC Documents comply as to form in all material respects with
applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and
regulations of the SEC with respect thereto, have been prepared
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
(“GAAP”) (except, in the case of unaudited
statements, as permitted by
Form 10-Q
of the SEC) applied on a consistent basis during the periods
involved (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto), have
been prepared in a manner consistent with the books and records
of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and fairly present in all
material respects the consolidated financial position of the
Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and their
respective consolidated results of operations and cash flows for
the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited
statements, to normal and recurring year-end audit adjustments
that were not, or are not expected to be, individually or in the
aggregate, material in amount), all in accordance with GAAP and
the applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. The
books and records of the Company and its Subsidiaries have been,
and are being, maintained in all material respects in accordance
with GAAP (to the extent applicable) and any other applicable
legal and accounting requirements and reflect only actual
transactions. Since January 1, 2008, the Company has not
made any change in the accounting practices or policies applied
in the preparation of its financial statements, except as
required by GAAP, SEC rule or policy or applicable Law.
(c) Each of the principal executive officer of the Company
and the principal financial officer of the Company (or each
former principal executive officer of the Company and each
former principal financial officer of the Company, as
applicable) has made all certifications required by
Rule 13a-14
or 15d-14
under the Exchange Act and Sections 302 and 906 of the
Sarbanes Oxley Act with respect to the Company SEC Documents,
and the statements contained in such certifications are true and
accurate. For purposes of this Agreement, “principal
executive officer” and “principal financial
officer” shall have the meanings given to such terms in the
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. To the knowledge of the Company, neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has outstanding, or has
arranged any outstanding, “extensions of credit” to
directors or executive officers within the meaning of
Section 402 of the
15
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company has no reason to believe that
its outside auditors and its principal executive officer and
principal financial officer will not be able to give, without
qualification, the certificates and attestations required
pursuant to the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act when due.
(d) As of the date of this Agreement, there are no
outstanding or unresolved comments in the comment letters
received from the SEC staff with respect to the Company SEC
Documents. To the knowledge of the Company, as of the date of
this Agreement, none of the Company SEC Documents is subject to
ongoing review or outstanding SEC comment or investigation. The
Company has made available to Parent true, correct and complete
copies of all written correspondence between the SEC, on the one
hand, and the Company and any of its Subsidiaries, on the other
hand, occurring since January 1, 2008.
(e) The records, systems, controls, data and information of
the Company and its Subsidiaries are recorded, stored,
maintained and operated under means (including any electronic,
mechanical or photographic process, whether computerized or not)
that are under the exclusive ownership and direct control of the
Company or its Subsidiaries (including all means of access
thereto and therefrom), except for any nonexclusive ownership
and nondirect control that has not had and would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have
a Material Adverse Effect on the system of internal accounting
controls described below in this Section 4.6(e). The
Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintain a
system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements in
accordance with GAAP. The Company (i) has implemented and
maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Rule 13a-15(e)
of the Exchange Act) to ensure that material information
relating to the Company, including its consolidated
Subsidiaries, is made known to the Chief Executive Officer and
the Chief Financial Officer of the Company by others within
those entities and (ii) has disclosed, based on its most
recent evaluation prior to the date of this Agreement, to the
Company’s outside auditors and the audit committee of the
Company Board (A) any significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over
financial reporting (as defined in
Rule 13a-15(f)
of the Exchange Act) that would be reasonably likely to
adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process,
summarize and report financial information and (B) any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have a significant role in the
Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. A
true, correct and complete summary of any such disclosures made
by management to the Company’s auditors and audit committee
is set forth as Section 4.6(e) of the Company Disclosure
Letter.
(f) Except as set forth in Section 4.6(f) of the
Company Disclosure Letter, since January 1, 2008,
(i) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to
the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee,
auditor, accountant or representative of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries has received or otherwise had or obtained
knowledge of any material complaint, allegation, assertion or
claim, whether written or oral, regarding the accounting or
auditing practices, procedures, methodologies or methods of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective internal
accounting controls, including any material complaint,
allegation, assertion or claim that the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing
practices and (ii) no attorney representing the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not employed by the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, has reported evidence of a material
violation of securities Laws, breach of fiduciary duty or
similar violation by the Company or any of its officers,
directors, employees or agents to the Company Board any
committee thereof or to any director or officer of the Company.
(g) No Subsidiary of the Company is or has been required to
file any form, report, schedule, statement or other document
with the SEC or any foreign Governmental Entity that performs a
similar function to that of the SEC or any national securities
exchange or national quotation system.
Section 4.7 No
Undisclosed Liabilities. Neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries has any liabilities or obligations
of any nature, whether accrued, absolute, contingent or
otherwise, known or unknown, whether due or to become due and
whether or not required to be recorded or reflected on a balance
sheet under GAAP, except (a) to the extent accrued or
reserved against in the audited consolidated balance sheet (and
the notes thereto) of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at
December 31, 2010 included in the Company SEC Documents;
and (b) for liabilities and obligations incurred in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice since
December 31, 2010, that, individually or in the aggregate,
has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a
16
Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is a party to, or has any commitment to become a
party to, any joint venture, off-balance sheet partnership or
any similar contract or arrangement (including any contract
relating to any transaction or relationship between or among the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any
unconsolidated Affiliate, including any structured finance,
special purpose or limited purpose entity or person, on the
other hand, or any “off-balance sheet arrangements”
(as defined in Item 303(a) of
Regulation S-K
of the SEC), where the result, purpose or effect of such
contract is to avoid disclosure of any material transaction
involving, or material liabilities of, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries in the Company’s audited financial statements
or other Company SEC Documents.
Section 4.8 Schedule 14D-9/Proxy
Statement; Other Information. None of the
information provided by the Company or any of its
Representatives to be included in (a) the
Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on
Schedule 14D-9
or (b) the Proxy Statement or
Schedule 13E-3
will, in the case of the
Schedule 14D-9
and the
Schedule 13E-3,
as of the date of its filing and of each amendment or supplement
thereto and, in the case of the Proxy Statement, (i) at the
time of the mailing of the Proxy Statement or any amendments or
supplements thereto and (ii) at the time of the Company
Stockholder’s Meeting, contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading. Each of the Proxy Statement, the
Schedule 14D-9
and the
Schedule 13E-3
(as to information supplied by the Company or any of its
Representatives) will comply as to form in all material respects
with the provisions of the Exchange Act. The letter to
stockholders, notice of meeting, proxy statement and forms of
proxy and other soliciting material, or the information
statement, as the case may be, to be distributed to stockholders
in connection with the Merger to be filed with the SEC are
collectively referred to herein as the “Proxy
Statement.” None of the information supplied or to be
supplied by the Company specifically for inclusion or
incorporation by reference in any of the Offer Documents or the
Schedule 13E-3
will, at the respective times they are first filed with the SEC,
amended or supplemented or first published, sent or given to the
Company’s stockholders, contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no
representation or warranty with respect to the information
supplied in writing by Parent, Merger Sub or any of their
respective Representatives that is provided specifically for
inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement,
the
Schedule 13E-3,
the Offer Documents or the
Schedule 14D-9.
Section 4.9 Absence
of Certain Changes or Events. Except as set
forth on Section 4.9 of the Company Disclosure
Letter, since December 31, 2010 (and, with respect to
clause (b), through the date hereof): (a) except as
directly related to the negotiation and execution of this
Agreement, the Company and its Subsidiaries have conducted their
businesses only in the ordinary course consistent with past
practice; (b) there has not been any event, change,
development, circumstance, occurrence, effect, condition or
state of facts or prospective event, change, development,
circumstance, occurrence, effect, condition or state of facts
that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and
(c) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
suffered any loss, damage, destruction or other casualty
affecting any of its material properties or assets, whether or
not covered by insurance.
Section 4.10 Litigation. Except
as set forth in Section 4.10 of the Company Disclosure
Letter, there is no action, suit, claim, audit, arbitration,
investigation, inquiry, grievance or other proceeding, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (each, an
“Action”) (or basis therefor) pending or, to
the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any of their respective
properties or assets, or any present or former officer, director
or employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in such
individual’s capacity as such, other than any Action
commenced by a Person other than a Governmental Entity that
(a) does not involve an amount in controversy in excess of
$250,000, (b) does not seek material injunctive or other
non-monetary relief and (c) individually or in the
aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of
its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective properties or
assets is subject to any outstanding judgment, order,
injunction, rule, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity.
There is no Action pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened seeking to prevent, hinder, modify, delay or
challenge the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
17
Section 4.11 Compliance
with Laws. Except with respect to ERISA,
Environmental Matters and Taxes, which are the subject of
Sections 4.12, 4.14 and 4.15,
respectively, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries are and
have been in compliance with all Laws applicable to their
businesses, operations, properties or assets, except where any
non compliance, individually or in the aggregate, has not had
and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. None of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has
received, since January 1, 2008, a notice or other
communication alleging or relating to a possible material
violation of any Law applicable to their businesses, operations,
properties or assets. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries
have in effect all material permits, licenses, variances,
exemptions, authorizations, operating certificates, franchises,
orders and approvals of all Governmental Entities (collectively,
“Permits”) necessary or advisable for them to
own, lease or operate their properties and assets and to carry
on their businesses and operations as now conducted. All Permits
held by the Company and its Subsidiaries are in full force and
effect and, to the knowledge of the Company, there has occurred
no violation of, default (with or without notice or lapse of
time or both) under or event giving to others any right of
revocation, non-renewal, adverse modification or cancellation
of, with or without notice or lapse of time or both, any such
Permit, nor would any such revocation, non-renewal, adverse
modification or cancellation result from the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 4.12 Benefit
Plans.
(a) The Company has provided to Parent a true and complete
list of each material “employee benefit plan” (within
the meaning of section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(“ERISA”)) and all stock purchase, stock
option, severance, employment,
change-in-control,
fringe benefit, bonus, incentive, deferred compensation and all
other employee benefit plans, agreements, programs, policies or
other arrangements, whether or not subject to ERISA (including
any funding mechanism therefor now in effect or required in the
future as a result of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement or otherwise), under which any employee or former
employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries has any present or
future right to benefits or the Company or its Subsidiaries has
any present or future liability. All such plans, agreements,
programs, policies and arrangements shall be collectively
referred to as the “Company Plans.” With
respect to each Company Plan, the Company has furnished or made
available to Parent a current, accurate and complete copy
thereof and, to the extent applicable: (i) any related
trust agreement or other funding instrument, (ii) the most
recent determination letter of the Internal Revenue Service (the
“IRS”), if applicable, (iii) any summary
plan description and other written communications (or a
description of any oral communications) by the Company or its
Subsidiaries to their employees concerning the extent of the
benefits provided under a Company Plan and (iv) for the
three (3) most recent years (A) the Form 5500 and
attached schedules, (B) audited financial statements, and
(C) actuarial valuation reports.
(b) No Company Plan is or has ever been (or has ever been
the successor or transferee of) a “multiemployer plan”
(as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA or a “defined
benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA).
The Company does not have any actual or potential, secondary, or
contingent liability to any Person under Title IV of ERISA
and no Company Plan is subject to Title IV of ERISA. The
Company has not contributed to, been required to contribute to,
or withdrawn from any “multiemployer plan” (as defined
in Section 3(37) of ERISA).
(c) With respect to the Company Plans, except as disclosed
in the Company SEC Documents or to the extent that the
inaccuracy of any of the representations set forth in this
Section 4.12(c), individually or in the aggregate,
have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect:
(i) each Company Plan has been established and administered
in all material respects in accordance with its terms and in
compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code,
and no prohibited transaction, as described in Section 406
of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code has occurred with
respect to any Company Plan, and all contributions required to
be made under the terms of any Company Plan have been timely
made;
(ii) each Company Plan intended to be qualified under
Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable
determination, advisory
and/or
opinion letter, as applicable, from the IRS, with respect to the
most recent legislation for which such a letter is available,
that it is so qualified and nothing has occurred since the date
of such letter that would reasonably be expected to cause the
loss of such qualified status of such Company Plan;
18
(iii) there is no Action (including any investigation,
audit or other administrative proceeding) by the Department of
Labor, the IRS or any other Governmental Entity or by any plan
participant or beneficiary pending, or to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened, relating to the Company Plans, any
fiduciaries thereof with respect to their duties to the Company
Plans or the assets of any of the trusts under any of the
Company Plans (other than routine claims for benefits) nor are
there facts or circumstances that exist that could reasonably
give rise to any such Actions;
(iv) with respect to any Company Plan that provides
post-employment welfare benefits, the FAS 106 liabilities
of the Company or its Subsidiaries set forth in the financial
statements included (or incorporated by reference) in the
Company SEC Documents and the assumptions used therefor
accurately reflect the costs associated with the rights and
benefit of all employees of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries;
(v) none of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any other
Person that would be treated as a single employer with the
Company under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of
the Code (each, a ‘‘Commonly Controlled
Entity”) has incurred any direct or indirect material
liability under ERISA or the Code in connection with the
termination of, withdrawal from or failure to fund, any Company
Plan or other retirement plan or arrangement to which the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries could become subject
following the date hereof, and no fact or event exists that
could reasonably be expected to give rise to any such liability;
(vi) the Company and its Subsidiaries do not maintain any
Company Plan that is a “group health plan” (as such
term is defined in Section 5000(b)(1) of the Code) that has
not been administered and operated in all respects in compliance
with the applicable requirements of Section 601 of ERISA
and Section 4980B(b) of the Code, and the Company and its
Subsidiaries are not subject to any material liability,
including additional contributions, fines, penalties or loss of
Tax deduction as a result of such administration and
operation; and
(vii) except as set forth in Section 4.12(c)(vii)
of the Company Disclosure Letter, none of the Company Plans
provides for payment of a benefit, the increase of a benefit
amount, the payment of a contingent benefit or the acceleration
of the payment or vesting of a benefit determined or occasioned,
in whole or in part, by reason of the execution of this
Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
(d) Each Company Plan that is a “nonqualified deferred
compensation plan” within the meaning of
Section 409A(d)(1) of the Code (a “Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation Plan”), if any, subject to
Section 409A of the Code has been operated in compliance
with Section 409A of the Code since January 1, 2006,
based upon a good faith, reasonable interpretation of
(i) Section 409A of the Code and (ii) IRS Notice
2005-1 or
any other applicable IRS guidance, in each case as modified by
IRS Notice
2007-86
(clauses (i) and (ii), together, the “409A
Authorities”). No Company Plan that would be a
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan subject to
Section 409A of the Code but for the effective date
provisions that are applicable to Section 409A of the Code,
as set forth in Section 885(d) of the American Jobs
Creation Act of 2004, as amended (the “AJCA”),
(A) has been “materially modified” within the
meaning of Section 885(d)(2)(B) of the AJCA after
October 3, 2004, based upon a good faith reasonable
interpretation of the AJCA and the 409A Authorities and
(B) has not been operated in compliance with the 409A
Authorities. No Participant is entitled to any
gross-up,
make-whole or other additional payment from the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries in respect of any Taxes imposed under
Section 409A of the Code or interest or penalty related
thereto. For purposes of this Section 4.12,
“Participant” shall mean current or former
director, officer, employee, contractor or consultant of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(e) Except as set forth on Section 4.12(e) of the
Company Disclosure Letter, neither the execution of this
Agreement, stockholder approval of this Agreement nor the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (alone or
in connection with any other event) will result in
(i) payments made to any employee, officer, director or
independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
that would constitute an “excess parachute payment”
within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code or
(ii) payments under any Company Plan which would not
reasonably be expected to be deductible under
Section 162(m) of the Code.
Section 4.13 Labor
Matters.
(a) There are no collective bargaining agreements or other
labor union contracts applicable to any employees of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries and none of the employees of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries are otherwise represented by
a works council or other labor organization excluding unions,
guilds or similar
19
organizations for entertainment professionals. There is no labor
dispute, strike, work stoppage or lockout, or, to the knowledge
of the Company, threat thereof, by or with respect to any
employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and there
has been no material labor dispute, strike, work stoppage or
lockout in the previous three years. To the knowledge of the
Company, there are no organizational efforts with respect to the
formation of a collective bargaining unit presently being made
or threatened involving employees of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries and there have been no such organizational efforts
in the previous three (3) years. Neither the Company nor
any of its Subsidiaries has engaged or is engaging in any unfair
labor practice. Except as set forth in Section 4.13 of
the Company Disclosure Letter, no unfair labor practice or
labor charge or complaint is pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened with respect to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or any other
Governmental Entity.
(b) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a
party to, or otherwise bound by, any consent decree with, or
citation by, any Governmental Entity relating to employees or
employment practices. None of the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or any of its or their executive officers has
received within the past three years any notice of intent by any
Governmental Entity responsible for the enforcement of labor or
employment Laws to conduct an investigation relating to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the
Company, no such investigation is in progress.
Section 4.14 Environmental
Matters.
(a) Except as, individually or in the aggregate, has not
had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and each of its
Subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses in
compliance with all, and have not violated any, applicable
Environmental Laws; (ii) there has been no release of any
Hazardous Substance in any manner that has given or would
reasonably be expected to give rise to any remedial obligation,
corrective action requirement or liability of the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries under applicable Environmental Laws;
(iii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
received any claims, notices, demand letters or requests for
information (except for such claims, notices, demand letters or
requests for information the subject matter of which has been
resolved prior to the date of this Agreement) from any federal,
state, local, foreign or provincial Governmental Entity or any
other Person asserting that the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is in violation of, or liable under, any
Environmental Law; (iv) no Hazardous Substance has been
disposed of, arranged to be disposed of, released or transported
in violation of any applicable Environmental Law, or in a manner
that has given rise to, or that would reasonably be expected to
give rise to, any liability under any Environmental Law, from
any current or former properties or facilities while owned or
operated by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or as a
result of any operations or activities of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries at any location and, to the knowledge of the
Company, Hazardous Substances are not otherwise present at or
about any such properties or facilities in amount or condition
that has resulted in or would reasonably be expected to result
in liability to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under any
Environmental Law; and (v) neither the Company, its
Subsidiaries nor any of their respective properties or
facilities are subject to, or are threatened to become subject
to, any liabilities relating to any suit, settlement, court
order, administrative order, regulatory requirement, judgment or
claim asserted or arising under any Environmental Law or any
agreement relating to environmental liabilities.
(b) As used herein, “Environmental Law”
means any Law relating to (i) the protection, preservation
or restoration of the environment (including air, surface water,
groundwater, drinking water supply, surface land, subsurface
land, plant and animal life or any other natural resource) or
(ii) the exposure to, or the use, storage, recycling,
treatment, generation, transportation, processing, handling,
labeling, production, release or disposal of Hazardous
Substances.
(c) As used herein, “Hazardous Substance”
means any substance listed, defined, designated, classified or
regulated as a waste, pollutant or contaminant or as hazardous,
toxic, radioactive or dangerous or any other term of similar
import under any Environmental Law, including petroleum.
Section 4.15 Taxes. Except
as, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or as
set forth on Section 4.15 of the Company Disclosure
Letter:
(a) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has timely
filed all Tax Returns required to be filed by it and each such
Tax Return was complete and correct in all respects at the time
of filing. Each of the Company and its
20
Subsidiaries has timely paid or caused to be timely paid all
Taxes shown on such Tax Returns to be due with respect to the
taxable periods covered by such Tax Returns and all other Taxes
as are due (including Taxes for which no Tax Returns are
required to be filed), and the most recent financial statements
contained in the Company SEC Documents reflect an adequate
reserve (in addition to any reserve for deferred Taxes
established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax
income) for all Taxes payable by the Company and its
Subsidiaries for all taxable periods and portions thereof
through the date of such financial statements.
(b) No Tax Return of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is under audit or examination by any taxing authority, and no
written notice of such an audit or examination has been received
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. There is no
deficiency, refund litigation, proposed adjustment or matter in
controversy with respect to any Taxes due and owing by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Each deficiency resulting
from any completed audit or examination relating to Taxes by any
taxing authority has been timely paid. Neither the Company nor
any of its Subsidiaries has received written notice from a
taxing authority in any jurisdiction in which the Company or any
Subsidiary has not filed a Tax Return for any period that the
Company or such Subsidiary is required to file a Tax Return in
such jurisdiction. The United States federal income Tax Returns
of the Company and its Subsidiaries have either been examined
and settled with the Internal Revenue Service or closed by
virtue of the expiration of the applicable statute of
limitations for all years through 2006.
(c) There is no currently effective written agreement or
other written document extending or waiving, or having the
effect of extending or waiving, the period of assessment (or
reassessment) or collection of any Taxes of the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries, and no such request for an extension or
waiver is currently pending. No power of attorney (other than
powers of attorney authorizing employees of the Company to act
on behalf of the Company) with respect to any Taxes has been
executed or filed with any taxing authority. Neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries is party to or bound by any written
Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnity obligation or similar
arrangement with respect to Taxes (including any advance pricing
agreement, closing agreement or other similar agreement related
to Taxes) (other than any such agreement, obligation or
arrangement between or among the Company and its Subsidiaries).
(d) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
(i) has been a member of an affiliated group of
corporations with the meaning of Section 1504 of the Code
or any group that has filed a combined, consolidated or unitary
Tax Return (other than a group of which the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries is or was the common parent) or (ii) has
any liability for Taxes of another Person (other than the
Company or its Subsidiaries) under Treasury
Regulation Sections 1.1502-6,
1.1502-78 (or similar provisions of state, local or foreign
Law), as a transferee or successor, by contract or otherwise.
(e) No Liens for Taxes exist with respect to any assets or
properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for
statutory Liens for Taxes not yet due.
(f) The Company and its Subsidiaries have complied in all
respects with all applicable Laws relating to the payment and
withholding of Taxes (including withholding of Taxes pursuant to
Sections 1441, 1442, 3121 and 3402 of the Code and similar
provisions under any other domestic or foreign Tax Laws) and
have, within the time and the manner prescribed by Law, withheld
from and paid over to the proper Governmental Entities all
amounts required to be so withheld and paid over under
applicable Laws.
(g) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has disclosed
on their United States federal income Tax Returns all positions
taken therein that could give rise to a substantial
understatement of United States federal income tax within the
meaning of Section 6662 of the Code, and neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has ever participated in any
listed transaction, as defined in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.6011-4(b)(2),
required to be reported in a disclosure statement pursuant to
Treasury
Regulation Section 1.6011-4.
(h) During the two (2) year period ending on the date
hereof, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries was a
“distributing corporation” or a “controlled
corporation” in a transaction intended to be governed by
Section 355 of the Code.
(i) As used in this Agreement,
(i) “Taxes” shall include (A) all
forms of taxation, whenever created or imposed, and whether
domestic or foreign, and whether imposed by a national, federal,
state, provincial, local
21
or other Governmental Entity, including taxes imposed on, or
measured by, income, franchise, profits or gross receipts, and
ad valorem, value added, capital gains, sales, goods and
services, use, real or personal property, capital stock,
license, branch, payroll, estimated withholding, employment,
social security (or similar), unemployment, compensation,
utility, severance, production, excise, stamp, occupation,
premium, windfall profits, transfer and gains taxes, and customs
duties, and all interest, penalties and additions imposed with
respect to such amounts, (B) liability for the payment of
any amounts of the type described in clause (A) as a
result of being a member of an Affiliated, consolidated,
combined or unitary group and (C) liability for the payment
of any amounts as a result of being party to any tax sharing or
similar agreement or as a result of any express or implied
obligation to indemnify any other Person with respect to the
payment of any amount described in clauses (A) or
(B) and (ii) “Tax Returns” shall
mean all domestic or foreign (whether national, federal, state,
provincial, local or otherwise) returns, declarations,
statements, reports, schedules, forms and information returns
(and any information required to be filed therewith) relating to
Taxes and any amended Tax Return or claim for refund.
Section 4.16 Material
Contracts.
(a) Section 4.16(a) of the Company Disclosure
Letter lists each of the following types of Contracts to
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by
which any of their respective properties or assets is bound
(other than Contracts that have been filed as exhibits in the
Company’s SEC Documents prior to the date of this Agreement:
(i) any Contract that would be required to be filed by the
Company as a “material contract” pursuant to
Item 601(b)(10) of
Regulation S-K
under the Securities Act or disclosed by the Company on a
Current Report on
Form 8-K
to be performed (in whole or in part) after the date of this
Agreement that has not been filed or incorporated by reference
in the Company’s SEC Documents;
(ii) any Contract that limits the ability of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries (or, following the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, would limit the
ability of Parent or any of its Affiliates, including the
Surviving Corporation) to compete in any line of business or
with any Person or in any geographic area or to solicit or hire
any employee or consultant;
(iii) any Contract material to the operation of the
Company’s businesses as a whole that (A) contains most
favored customer pricing provisions with any third party (other
than any Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice) or (B) grants
exclusive rights, rights of first refusal, rights of first
negotiation or offer or similar rights to any Person;
(iv) any Contract with respect to the formation, creation,
operation, management or control of a joint venture,
partnership, limited liability or other similar agreement or
arrangement;
(v) any Contract or series of related Contracts relating to
Indebtedness and having an outstanding principal amount in
excess of $100,000;
(vi) any Contract involving the acquisition or disposition,
directly or indirectly (by merger or otherwise), of assets or
capital stock or other equity interests for aggregate
consideration (in one or a series of transactions or related
Contracts) under such Contract of at least $100,000
individually, or $250,000 in the aggregate (other than
acquisitions or dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course
of business consistent with past practice);
(vii) any Contract or series of related Contracts that by
its terms calls for aggregate payment or receipt by the Company
and its Subsidiaries under such Contract(s) of more than
$1,000,000 over the remaining term of such Contract(s);
(viii) any Contract pursuant to which the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries has continuing indemnification, guarantee,
“earn-out” or other contingent payment obligations, in
each case that could result in payments, individually or in the
aggregate, in excess of $100,000 (excluding any Contracts
requiring customary commission payments due to licensing agents);
(ix) any Contract that is material to the business of the
Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, pursuant to
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party and
licenses in Intellectual Property or
22
licenses out Intellectual Property owned by the Company or its
Subsidiaries, other than Contracts (A) in which grants of
Intellectual Property are incidental and not material to such
Contracts, and (B) for software that is generally
commercially available through retail stores, distribution
networks, that is subject to “shrink-wrap” or
“click-through” license agreements, or that is
pre-installed as a standard part of hardware purchased by Seller;
(x) any Contract or series of related Contracts that
obligates the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to make any
capital commitment, loan or expenditure in an amount in excess
of $250,000;
(xi) any Contract or series of related Contracts between
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any
Affiliate thereof other than any Subsidiary of the Company, on
the other hand, (A) of the type that would be required to
be disclosed under Item 404 of
Regulation S-K
or (B) that calls for aggregate payment or receipt by the
Company and its Subsidiaries under such Contract(s) of more than
$250,000;
(xii) any Contract with Fox Broadcasting Company or any of
its Affiliates;
(xiii) any Contract with Fremantle Media North America,
Inc. or its Affiliates;
(xiv) any Contract or series of related Contracts that is
material to the Company’s or any of its Subsidiary’s
relationships with Simon Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx F.X. Sillerman,
The Promenade Trust, Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group
relating to American Idol, Xxxx Disney World Co., Cirque
du Soleil, AEG Live, The Xxxxxxxx Xxx Family Trust, xxxx xxxxx
productions, Inc. relating to the production of So You Think
You Can Dance in the United States, Xxxx Xxxxxxxx, any
developer with respect to the Graceland property, or any of
their respective Affiliates; or
(xv) any Contract that requires a consent to or otherwise
contains a provision relating to a “change of
control,” or that would or would reasonably be expected to
prevent, delay or impair the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
Each contract of the type described in clauses (i)
through (xv) (whether or not set forth in
Section 4.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter) is
referred to herein as a ‘‘Material
Contract.”
(b) (i) Each Material Contract is valid and binding on
the Company and any of its Subsidiaries to the extent such
Subsidiary is a party thereto, as applicable, and to the
knowledge of the Company, each other party thereto, and is in
full force and effect and enforceable in accordance with its
terms, except where the failure to be valid, binding,
enforceable and in full force and effect, individually or in the
aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) the Company and each
of its Subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company, each
other party thereto, has performed all material obligations
required to be performed by it under each Material Contract; and
(iii) except as is set forth on Section 4.16(b) of
the Company Disclosure Letter, there is no default under any
Material Contract by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or,
to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, and no
event or condition has occurred that constitutes, or, after
notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute, a default on
the part of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the
knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto under any such
Material Contract, nor has the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries received any notice of any such default, event or
condition, except where any such default, event or condition,
individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The
Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of
all Material Contracts, including any amendments thereto.
Section 4.17 Insurance. The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries is covered by valid and
currently effective insurance policies issued in favor of the
Company or one or more of its Subsidiaries that are customary
and adequate for companies of similar size in the industries and
locations in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate.
Section 4.17 of the Company Disclosure Letter sets
forth, as of the date hereof, a true and complete list of all
material insurance policies issued in favor of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries, or pursuant to which the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries is a named insured or otherwise a
beneficiary, as well as any historic occurrence-based policies
still in force. With respect to each such insurance policy,
except as, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and
would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect, (a) such policy is in full force and effect and all
premiums due thereon have been paid, (b) neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in
23
breach or default, and has not taken any action or failed to
take any action which (with or without notice or lapse of time,
or both) would constitute such a breach or default, or would
permit termination or modification of, any such policy and
(c) to the knowledge of the Company, no insurer issuing any
such policy has been declared insolvent or placed in
receivership, conservatorship or liquidation, and no rating or
any debt securities of any such insurer has been downgraded or
eliminated by any recognized rating agency. No notice of
cancellation or termination has been received with respect to
any such policy, nor will any such cancellation or termination
result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
Section 4.18 Properties.
(a) Section 4.18 of the Company Disclosure
Letter sets forth (i) a true and complete list of all
current material leases, subleases and licenses, including the
current base rent and expiration date with respect thereto, and
any and all material ancillary documents pertaining thereto,
(collectively, the “Leases”) relating to the
real property leased by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
as tenant or landlord (the “Leased Real
Property”) and (ii) a true and complete list of
the real property owned by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (the ‘‘Owned Real Property”
and together with the Leased Real Property, the “Real
Property”), including each record owner thereof. The
Company made available to Parent true and complete copies of all
of the Leases prior to the date hereof.
(b) Except as set forth on Section 4.18(b) of the
Company Disclosure Letter, the Company or one of its
Subsidiaries has good and valid title to, or in the case of the
Leased Real Property and leased tangible assets, a valid
leasehold interest in, all of its (i) Real Property and
(ii) tangible assets that are necessary for the Company and
its Subsidiaries to conduct their respective businesses as
currently conducted, in each case, free and clear of all Liens
other than (A) Liens for current Taxes not yet past due or
the amount or validity of which is being contested in good faith
by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have
been established in accordance with GAAP, (B) mechanics’,
workmen’s, repairmen’s, warehousemen’s and
carriers’ Liens arising in the ordinary course of business
of the Company or such Subsidiary consistent with past practice,
and (C) any such minor matters of record, Liens and other
imperfections of title that do not, individually or in the
aggregate, impair in any material respect the continued
ownership, use and operation of the assets to which they relate
in the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently
conducted (“Permitted Liens”).
(c) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has complied
with the terms of all of the Leases, and all of the Leases are
in full force and effect, except for any such noncompliance or
failure to be in full force and effect that, individually or in
the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any
of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any
counterparty to any of the Leases, is in breach of, or default
under, any of the Leases. Except for locations where the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries has subleased or licensed space to a
third party, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries enjoys
peaceful and undisturbed possession under all of the Leases,
except for any such failure to do so that, individually or in
the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
(i) owns or holds, or is obligated under or a party to, any
option, right of first refusal or other contractual right to
purchase, acquire, sell or dispose of the Real Property or any
portion thereof or interest therein or (ii) has received
notice of any condemnation or eminent domain proceedings with
respect to the Real Property.
(e) All of the land, buildings, structures and other
improvements used by the Company or its Subsidiaries in the
conduct of their respective businesses are included in the Real
Property.
This Section 4.18 does not relate to Intellectual
Property, which is the subject of Section 4.19.
Section 4.19 Intellectual
Property.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, “Intellectual
Property” means any and all intellectual property
rights arising from or associated with any of the following,
whether protected, created or arising under the Laws of the
United States or any other jurisdiction: (i) trade names,
trademarks and service marks (registered and unregistered),
trade dress and similar rights, common law trademark rights in
motion picture and television titles, characters’ names,
show format and other protectable elements, and registrations of
the foregoing and applications therefor, and
24
equivalents of the foregoing throughout the world (collectively,
“Marks”); (ii) domain names and other
Internet addresses or identifiers (“Domain
Names”), (iii) patents and patent applications
(collectively, “Patents”); (iv) copyrights
(registered and unregistered) and similar rights in protectable
material, including mask works, including rights to use and all
renewals and extensions thereof and registrations of the
foregoing and applications therefor, and equivalents of the
foregoing throughout the world (collectively,
“Copyrights”); (v) know-how, inventions,
methods, processes, customer lists and any other information of
any kind or nature, in each case to the extent any of the
foregoing derives economic value (actual or potential) from not
being generally known to other Persons who can obtain economic
value from its disclosure; (vi) moral rights, rights of
attribution, rights of privacy, publicity and all other
proprietary, intellectual or industrial property rights of any
kind or nature.
(b) Section 4.19 of the Company Disclosure
Letter sets forth a true and complete list in all material
respects as of the date of this Agreement of all Marks, Patents
and Copyrights that are registered, applied for, filed or
recorded with any Governmental Entity (and with respect to
domain names, any material domain names registered with any
registrar or similar entity), including any pending applications
to register any of the foregoing, and owned (in whole or in
part) by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and which are
material to the businesses of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (collectively, “Company Registered
IP”). Except as, individually or in the aggregate, has
not been and would not reasonably be expected to be, material to
the business and operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, all Company Registered IP (other than patent
applications or applications to register trademarks) is
subsisting and, to the knowledge of the Company, valid and
enforceable and except as set forth on Section 4.19(b)
of the Company Disclosure Letter no Company Registered IP is
involved in any interference, reissue, reexamination,
opposition, cancellation or similar proceeding and, to the
knowledge of the Company, no such action is or has been
threatened with respect to any of the Company Registered IP.
(c) Except as set forth on Section 4.19 of the
Company Disclosure Letter, the Company or its Subsidiaries
is the sole and exclusive owner, free and clear of any and all
Liens, of all right, title and interest in and to all Company
Registered IP and all other Intellectual Property that is
material to the businesses of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries other than Intellectual Property owned by a third
party that is licensed to the Company or a Subsidiary thereof
pursuant to an existing license agreement and used by the
Company or such Subsidiary within the scope of such license. The
Company or one of its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed or
otherwise possesses sufficient legally enforceable rights to
use, all Intellectual Property which is material to the business
of the Company and its Subsidiaries (collectively,
“Company Intellectual Property”) in the manner
that the Company and its Subsidiaries currently use such Company
Intellectual Property to conduct their business, and such
Company Intellectual Property includes all of the material
Intellectual Property necessary or advisable for the conduct of
the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently
conducted.
(d) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has taken all
legally and commercially reasonable steps in accordance with
standard industry practices to protect its rights in the Company
Intellectual Property and maintain the confidentiality of all
information of the Company or its Subsidiaries that derives
economic value (actual or potential) from not being generally
known to other persons who can obtain economic value from its
disclosure or use, including safeguarding any such information
that is accessible through computer systems or networks.
(e) Except as set forth on Section 4.19 of the
Company Disclosure Letter, none of the activities,
operations, products or services of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (including the use of any Intellectual Property in
connection therewith and including any of the literary, dramatic
or musical material contained or used in any film, television or
theatrical show or upon which any film, television or theatrical
show is based) have infringed upon, misappropriated or diluted
any Intellectual Property of any third party or constitutes a
libel, slander or other defamation of any Person, and neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written
notice or claim asserting or suggesting that any such
infringement, misappropriation, dilution, libel, slander or
other defamation is or may be occurring or has or may have
occurred, except where any such infringement, misappropriation,
dilution, libel, slander or other defamation, individually or in
the aggregate, has not been and would not reasonably be expected
to be, material to the business and operations of the Company
and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. To the knowledge of the
Company, no third party is misappropriating, infringing, or
diluting in any material respect any Company Intellectual
Property owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries that is material to any of the businesses of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries except where any such
infringement, misappropriation, dilution, libel, slander or
other defamation, individually or in the aggregate,
25
has not been and would not reasonably be expected to be,
material to the business and operations of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. No Company Intellectual Property
owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries that is material to any of the businesses of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any outstanding
order, judgment, decree or stipulation restricting or limiting
in any material respect the use or licensing thereof by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor is any Action pending
or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened that challenges
the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ rights in,
or the validity of, any Company Intellectual Property, except
where any outstanding order, judgment, decree or stipulation or
pending or threatened Action, individually or in the aggregate,
has not been and would not reasonably be expected to be,
material to the business and operations of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. This Section 4.19(e)
constitutes the only representation and warranty of the Company
with respect to any actual or alleged infringement or other
violation of any Intellectual Property.
(f) Except as set forth on Section 4.19 of the
Company Disclosure Letter, the execution, delivery and
performance by the Company of this Agreement, and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, will not
result in (i) the loss of, or give rise to any right of any
third party to terminate, restrict, modify or otherwise
adversely affect any of the Company’s or any
Subsidiaries’ rights or obligations under any agreement
under which Company Intellectual Property is licensed to or by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) a grant, or
require the Company or any Subsidiary to grant, to any Person
any rights with respect to any Company Intellectual Property, or
(iii) subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any
material increase in royalties or other payments under any
agreement under which the Company Intellectual Property is
licensed to or by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
Section 4.20 Certain
Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries (nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their
respective directors, executives, representatives, agents or
employees) (a) has used or is using any corporate funds for
any illegal contributions, gifts, entertainment or other
unlawful expenses relating to political activity, (b) has
used or is using any corporate funds for any direct or indirect
unlawful payments to any foreign or domestic governmental
officials or employees, (c) has violated or is violating
any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977,
(d) has established or maintained, or is maintaining, any
unlawful fund of corporate monies or other properties or
(e) has made any bribe, unlawful rebate, payoff, influence
payment, kickback or other unlawful payment of any nature.
Section 4.21 State
Takeover Statutes. The Company has opted-out
of Section 203 of the DGCL. No other Takeover Law is, or at
the Acceptance Time or the Effective Time will be, applicable to
this Agreement, the Support Agreements, the Offer, the Merger or
any of the other transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 4.22 Rights
Agreement. Prior to the execution and
delivery of this Agreement, (a) the Company has taken all
necessary action such that neither the execution of delivery of
this Agreement or the Support Agreements nor the consummation of
the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will
(i) cause the rights granted under the Rights Agreement to
become exercisable, (ii) cause any Person to become an
“Acquiring Person” (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) or (iii) give rise to a “Distribution
Date” (as defined in the Rights Agreement), and
(b) the Rights Agreement has been amended in the form of
Exhibit C hereto. Other than the Rights Agreement,
there is no other stockholder rights plan, “poison
pill” anti-takeover plan or other similar device in effect
to which the Company is or has been a party or is or has
otherwise been bound.
Section 4.23 Related
Party Transactions. No present or former
director, executive officer, stockholder, partner, member,
employee or Affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
nor any of such Person’s Affiliates or family members (each
of the foregoing, a “Related Party”), is a
party to any Contract with or binding upon the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets
or has any interest in any property owned by the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries or has engaged in any transaction with any
of the foregoing since January 1, 2008, in each case, that
is of a type that would be required to be disclosed in the
Company SEC Documents pursuant to Item 404 of
Regulation S-K
(an “Affiliate Transaction”) that has not been
so disclosed. Any Affiliate Transaction as of the time it was
entered into and as of the time of any amendment or renewal
thereof contained such terms, provisions and conditions as were
at least as favorable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
as would have been obtainable by the Company in a similar
transaction with an unaffiliated third party. No Related Party
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries owns, direct or
indirectly, on an individual or joint basis,
26
any interest in, or serves as an officer or director or in
another similar capacity of, any supplier or other independent
contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any
organization which has a Contract with the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries.
Section 4.24 Brokers. No
broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other Person,
other than Gleacher & Company Securities, Inc., the
fees and expenses of which will be paid by the Company, is
entitled to any broker’s, finder’s, financial
advisor’s or other similar fee or commission in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement based upon
arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company or any of its
Affiliates. The Company has furnished to Parent a true and
complete copy of any Contract (including any and all amendments
thereto) between the Company and Gleacher & Company
Securities, Inc. pursuant to which Gleacher & Company
Securities, Inc. could be entitled to any payment from the
Company relating to the transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 4.25 Opinion
of Financial Advisor. The Company has
received the opinion of Gleacher & Company Securities,
Inc., dated as of the date of this Agreement, to the effect
that, as of such date, and based upon and subject to the matters
set forth in the opinion, the Offer Price and the Per Share
Merger Consideration are fair, from a financial point of view,
to the holders of Common Shares (such opinion, the
“Fairness Opinion”), a signed true and complete
copy of the Fairness Opinion will promptly (and in any event
within two (2) days) be provided to Parent after the date
of this Agreement. The Company has received the consent of
Gleacher & Company Securities, Inc. to include the
Fairness Opinion in the
Schedule 14D-9,
the Proxy Statement and the
Schedule 13E-3
and to allow Parent and Merger Sub to include the Fairness
Opinion in the Offer Documents.
Section 4.26 No
Other Representations and Warranties. Except
for the representations and warranties contained in this
Article IV, none of the Company, any Subsidiary of
the Company, or any other Person on behalf of the Company makes
any other express or implied warranty in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
ARTICLE V
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF
PARENT AND
MERGER SUB
Parent and the Merger Sub represent and warrant to the Company
as follows:
Section 5.1 Organization,
Standing and Power. Each of Parent and Merger Sub
(a) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and
in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware and
(b) has all requisite corporate power and authority to own,
lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as
now being conducted, except as, individually or in the
aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to
have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this
Agreement, “Parent Material Adverse Effect”
means any event, change, development, circumstance, occurrence,
effect, condition or state of facts that materially impairs the
ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate, or prevents or
materially delays, the Offer, the Merger or any of the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or would reasonably
be expected to do so.
Section 5.2 Authority. Each
of Parent and Merger Sub has all necessary corporate power and
authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under
this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby. The execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement by Parent and Merger Sub and the consummation by
Parent and Merger Sub of the transactions contemplated hereby
have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on
the part of Parent and Merger Sub and no other corporate
proceedings on the part of Parent or Merger Sub are necessary to
approve this Agreement or to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby, subject to the adoption of the Agreement by
Parent as the sole direct or indirect stockholder of Merger Sub.
This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Parent
and Merger Sub and, assuming the due authorization, execution
and delivery by the Company, constitutes a valid and binding
obligation of each of Parent and Merger Sub, enforceable against
each of Parent and Merger Sub in accordance with its terms
(except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization or
similar Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally or by general principles of equity).
27
Section 5.3 No
Conflict; Consents and Approvals.
(a) Assuming the truth and accuracy of the representations
and warranties of the Company contained in
Section 4.5(a), the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement by each of Parent and Merger Sub
does not, and the consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated hereby (including the Financing)
and compliance by each of Parent and Merger Sub with the
provisions hereof will not, conflict with, or result in any
violation or breach of, or default (with or without notice or
lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of, or
result in, termination, cancellation, modification or
acceleration of any obligation or to the loss of a material
benefit under, or result in the creation of any Lien in or upon
any of the properties, assets or rights of Parent or Merger Sub
under, or give rise to any increased, additional, accelerated or
guaranteed rights or entitlements under, or require any consent,
waiver or approval of any Person pursuant to, any provision of
(i) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of Parent or
Merger Sub, (ii) any Contract to which Parent or Merger Sub
is a party or by which Parent, Merger Sub or any of their
respective properties or assets may be bound or
(iii) subject to the governmental filings and other matters
referred to in Section 5.3(b), any Law or any rule
or regulation of a national securities exchange or national
securities quotation system applicable to Parent or Merger Sub
or by which Parent, Merger Sub or any of their respective
properties or assets may be bound, except as, in the case of
clause (ii), as individually or in the aggregate, has not
had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent
Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Assuming the truth and accuracy of the representations
and warranties of the Company contained in
Section 4.5(b), no consent, approval, order or
authorization of, or registration, declaration, filing with or
notice to, any Governmental Entity is required by or with
respect to Parent or Merger Sub in connection with the
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Parent
and Merger Sub or the consummation by Parent and Merger Sub of
the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated
hereby or compliance with the provisions hereof, except for
(i) the filing of the pre-merger notification report under
the HSR Act and any foreign antitrust filings, (ii) such
filings and reports as required pursuant to the applicable
requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder, (iii) the filing of the Certificate
of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware
as required by the DGCL, (iv) any filings required under
the rules and regulations of NASDAQ and (v) such other
filings the failure of which to be obtained or made,
individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not
reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.4 Schedule 14D-9/Proxy
Statement; Other Information. None of the
information provided by Parent, Merger Sub or any of their
respective Representatives specifically for inclusion in the
Schedule 14D-9,
the Proxy Statement or the
Schedule 13E-3
will, in the case of the
Schedule 14D-9
and the
Schedule 13E-3,
as of the date of its filing and of each amendment or supplement
thereto and, in the case of the Proxy Statement, (a) at the
time of the mailing of the Proxy Statement or any amendments or
supplements thereto and (b) at the time of the Company
Stockholder’s Meeting, contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading. The Offer Documents will not, at the
respective times they are first filed with the SEC, amended or
supplemented or first published, sent or given to the
Company’s stockholders, contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading. The Offer Documents and the
Schedule 13E-3
(as to information supplied by Parent, Merger Sub and their
respective Representatives) will comply as to form in all
material respects with the provisions of the Exchange Act.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither Parent nor Merger Sub
makes any representation or warranty with respect to any
information supplied by the Company or any of its
Representatives specifically for inclusion or incorporation by
reference in the Offer Documents, the
Schedule 14D-9,
the Proxy Statement or the
Schedule 13E-3.
Section 5.5 Brokers. No
broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other Person,
other than AGM Partners LLC, Evolution Media Capital and
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., the fees and expenses of which
will be paid by Parent, is entitled to any broker’s,
finder’s, financial advisor’s or other similar fee or
commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of
Parent or Merger Sub.
28
Section 5.6 Merger
Sub. Merger Sub was formed solely for the
purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated hereby and
has engaged in no business other than in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. All of the issued
and outstanding capital stock of Merger Sub is owned directly or
indirectly by Parent.
Section 5.7 Financing.
(a) Parent has received and accepted the Equity Commitment
Letter from certain persons (collectively, the “Equity
Investors”) relating to the commitment of the Equity
Investors, severally and not jointly, subject to the terms and
conditions thereof, to provide cash equity in the aggregate
amount set forth therein (the “Cash Equity”). A
complete and correct copy of the executed Equity Commitment
Letter has been provided to the Company.
(b) Parent has received and accepted the executed Debt
Commitment Letter from the lenders party thereto (collectively,
the “Lenders”) relating to the commitment of
the Lenders, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, to
provide debt financing in the aggregate amount set forth therein
(the “Debt Financing” and together with the
Cash Equity, the “Financing”). A complete and
correct copy of the executed Debt Commitment Letter has been
provided to the Company.
(c) There are no conditions precedent to the obligations of
the Lenders or the Equity Investors to provide the Financing
other than as set forth in the Debt Commitment Letter and the
Equity Commitment Letter.
(d) The Financing, when funded in accordance with the
Commitment Letters, shall provide Parent and Merger Sub with
acquisition financing on the Closing Date sufficient for the
payment of the aggregate consideration payable pursuant to
Article III of this Agreement (including any amounts
payable pursuant to Section 3.2) and sufficient for
the satisfaction of all of Parent’s and Merger Sub’s
obligations under this Agreement.
(e) Each of the Equity Commitment Letter and the Debt
Commitment Letter is valid and binding and in full force and
effect, and subject to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties of the Company contained in Article IV
and assuming the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in
Article VII, no event has occurred that, with or
without notice, lapse of time, or both, would reasonably be
expected to constitute a default or breach or a failure to
satisfy a condition precedent on the part of Parent or Merger
Sub under the terms and conditions of the Commitment Letters,
other than any such default, breach or failure that has been
waived by the Lenders or the Equity Investors, as the case may
be, or otherwise cured in a timely manner by Parent to the
satisfaction of the Lenders or the Equity Investors, as the case
may be. Parent has paid in full any and all commitment fees or
other fees required to be paid pursuant to the terms of the
Commitment Letters on or before the date of this Agreement.
(f) Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement,
Parent has delivered to the Company the limited guarantee of the
Equity Investors in the form attached as Exhibit B
to this Agreement (the “Limited Guarantee”).
The Limited Guarantee is valid, binding and in full force and
effect, and no event has occurred that would reasonably be
expected to result in a breach of, or a default under, the
Limited Guarantee on the part of any of the Equity Investors,
and the Limited Guarantee guarantees delivery of the Reverse
Termination Fee, on the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth therein.
Section 5.8 Ownership
of Shares. Neither Parent nor Merger Sub, nor
any of their Affiliates, own any Shares, beneficially, of record
or otherwise, as of the date hereof or at any time prior to the
Acceptance Time.
Section 5.9 Solvency. As
of the Effective Time, assuming (a) the Company is Solvent
immediately prior to the Acceptance Time, (b) the
satisfaction of the conditions to Parent’s and Merger
Sub’s obligation to consummate the Merger, or waiver of
such conditions, (c) the accuracy of the representations
and warranties of the Company set forth in
Article IV hereof (for such purposes, such
representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all
material respects and all knowledge, materiality or
“Material Adverse Effect” qualifications or exceptions
contained in such representations and warranties shall be
disregarded) and (d) any estimates, projections or
forecasts of the Company and its Subsidiaries have been prepared
in good faith based upon assumptions that were and continue to
be reasonable, and after giving effect to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, including the Debt Financing (if
any), the Cash Equity, and the payment of the aggregate Per
Share Merger Consideration, any other repayment or refinancing
of existing indebtedness contemplated by this Agreement, any
debt financing commitments or the commitments under the Equity
Commitment Letter, payment of all amounts required to be paid
29
in connection with the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby and payment of all related fees and
expenses, the Surviving Corporation will be Solvent as of the
Effective Time and immediately following the transactions
contemplated hereby. For purposes of this
Section 5.9, “Solvent” with respect
to any Person means that, as of any date of determination,
(i) the amount of the “fair saleable value” of
the assets of such Person and its Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole, exceeds, as of such date, the value of all
“liabilities of such Person and its Subsidiaries, taken as
a whole, including contingent and other liabilities,” as of
such date, as such quoted terms are generally determined in
accordance with the applicable federal Laws governing
determinations of the insolvency of debtors; (ii) such
Person will not have, as of such date, an unreasonably small
amount of capital for the operation of the business in which it
is engaged or proposed to be engaged; and (iii) such Person
will be able to pay its liabilities, including contingent and
other liabilities, as they mature.
Section 5.10 No
Agreements with Stockholders. Other than the
Support Agreements, none of Parent, Merger Sub or any of their
respective Affiliates or any other Person on behalf of Parent or
Merger Sub or their respective Affiliates has entered into any
contract, commitment, agreement, instrument, obligation,
arrangement, understanding or undertaking, whether written or
oral, with any stockholder of the Company (where such
stockholder has entered into such contract, commitment,
agreement, instrument, obligation, arrangement, understanding or
undertaking in his or her or its capacity as a stockholder of
the Company), including, but not limited to “lock up”
or similar arrangements pertaining to the shares of capital
stock of the Company held by such stockholder.
Section 5.11 No
Other Representations and Warranties. Except
for the representations and warranties contained in this
Article IV, none of the Parent, Merger Sub or any
other Person on behalf of Parent or Merger Sub makes any other
express or implied warranty in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
ARTICLE VI
COVENANTS
Section 6.1 Conduct
of Business. During the period from the date
of this Agreement to the earlier of the Acceptance Time, the
Effective Time and the date, if any, on which this Agreement is
terminated pursuant to Section 8.1, except as
consented to in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld, conditioned or delayed) in advance by Parent or as
otherwise specifically required by this Agreement, the Company
shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, carry on its
business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice
and use reasonable best efforts to preserve intact its business
organization, preserve its assets, rights and properties in good
repair and condition, keep available the services of its current
officers, employees and consultants and preserve its goodwill
and its relationships with customers, suppliers, licensors,
licensees, distributors and others having business dealings with
it. In addition to and without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, during the period from the date of this Agreement to
the earlier of the Acceptance Time, the Effective Time and the
date, if any, on which this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 8.1, except as set forth in
Section 6.1 of the Company Disclosure Letter or as
specifically required by another Section of this Agreement,
without Parent’s prior written consent (which consent shall
not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), the
Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries
to, directly or indirectly, including by merger, consolidation
or otherwise:
(a) other than as may be required under existing written
Contracts and the organizational documents of the Company and
its Subsidiaries which have been previously made available to
Parent (i) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or
make any other distributions (whether in cash, stock or
property) in respect of, any of its capital stock or other
equity interests, except for dividends by a wholly owned
Subsidiary of the Company to its parent, (ii) purchase,
redeem or otherwise acquire shares of capital stock or other
equity interests of the Company or its Subsidiaries or any
options, warrants, or rights to acquire any such shares or other
equity interests, other than in the case of shares withheld in
respect of required withholding Taxes in connection with the
exercise of Company Options, the vesting of Company Restricted
Shares or the vesting or delivery of other awards issued under
the Company Stock Plan, or (iii) split, combine, reclassify
or otherwise amend the terms of any of its capital stock or
other equity interests or issue or authorize the issuance of any
other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution
for shares of its capital stock or other equity interests;
30
(b) issue, deliver, sell, grant, pledge or otherwise
encumber or subject to any Lien any shares of its capital stock
or other equity interests or any securities convertible into, or
exchangeable for, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire,
any such shares or other equity interests, or any stock
appreciation rights, “phantom” stock rights,
performance units, rights to receive shares of capital stock of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries on a deferred basis or
other rights linked to the value of Shares, including pursuant
to Contracts as in effect on the date hereof (other than the
issuance of Common Shares upon the exercise of Company Options
outstanding on March 31, 2011 in accordance with their
terms as in effect on such date);
(c) amend, authorize or propose to amend its certificate of
incorporation or by-laws (or similar organizational documents)
or the Rights Agreement;
(d) directly or indirectly acquire or agree to acquire
(i) by merging or consolidating with, purchasing an equity
interest in or a portion of the assets of, making an investment
in or loan or capital contribution to or in any other manner,
any corporation, partnership, association or other business
organization or division thereof or (ii) any assets that
are otherwise material to the Company and its Subsidiaries;
(e) directly or indirectly sell, lease, license, sell and
leaseback, abandon, mortgage or otherwise encumber or subject to
any Lien or otherwise dispose in whole or in part of any of its
material properties, assets or rights or any interest therein,
except sales, leases, licenses and encumbrances in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice;
(f) adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial
liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, capitalization or other
reorganization;
(g) (i) incur, create, assume or otherwise become
liable for, or repay or prepay, any Indebtedness, individually
or in the aggregate, in excess of $1,000,000, or amend, modify
or refinance any Indebtedness or (ii) make any loans,
advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any
other Person, other than the Company or any direct or indirect
wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company, individually or in the
aggregate, in excess of $500,000;
(h) incur or commit to incur any capital expenditure or
authorization or commitment with respect thereto that,
individually or in the aggregate, are in excess of $1,000,000;
(i) (i) pay, discharge, compromise, settle or agree to
settle, or satisfy any claims, liabilities or obligations
(whether absolute, accrued, asserted or unasserted, contingent
or otherwise), other than (A) as required by their terms as
in effect on the date of this Agreement of claims, liabilities
or obligations reflected or reserved against in the most recent
audited financial statements (or the notes thereto) of the
Company included in the Company SEC Documents filed not less
than five (5) Business Days prior to the date hereof
(excluding, with respect to such time frame, any filings on
Form 10-Q
during such five (5) Business Day period) (for amounts not
in excess of such reserves), and (B) claims, liabilities or
obligations not in excess of $500,000 individually or $1,000,000
in the aggregate; (ii) cancel any Indebtedness in excess of
$100,000 individually or $250,000 in the aggregate or
(iii) waive, release, grant or transfer any right of
significant value;
(j) (i) commence any Action (other than an Action as a
result of an Action commenced against the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries), or compromise, waive any benefits of, settle or
agree to settle any Action (including any Action relating to
this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby) relating
to the Persons set forth on Section 6.1(j)(i) of the
Company Disclosure Letter or (ii) commence any Action
(other than an Action as a result of an Action commenced against
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), or compromise, waive
any benefits of, settle or agree to settle any Action (including
any Action relating to this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby) relating to any other Person other than, in
the case of this clause (ii), compromises, settlements or
agreements in the ordinary course of business consistent with
past practice that involve only the payment of money damages not
in excess of $500,000 individually or $1,000,000 in the
aggregate, in any case without the imposition of any equitable
relief on, or the admission of wrongdoing by, the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries;
(k) change its financial or Tax accounting methods,
principles or practices, except insofar as may have been
required by a change in GAAP or applicable Law, or revalue any
of its material assets;
31
(l) except as may be required by Law or as in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice and does not
result in liability to the Company or any Subsidiaries which
would result in aggregate liabilities in excess of $500,000, in
the aggregate, settle or compromise any material liability for
Taxes or surrender any right to claim a material Tax refund
(including any such refund to the extent that it is used to
offset or otherwise reduce Tax liability), amend any material
Tax Return, make any material Tax election or take any material
position on any material Tax Return filed on or after the date
of this Agreement or change any method of accounting for Tax
purposes, or enter into any closing agreement, material Tax
allocation agreement, Tax sharing agreement or Tax indemnity
agreement;
(m) change its fiscal year;
(n) (i) grant any current or former director, officer,
employee or independent contractor any increase in compensation,
bonus or other benefits, or any such grant of any type of
compensation or benefits to any current or former director,
officer, employee or independent contractor not previously
receiving or entitled to receive such type of compensation or
benefit, or pay any bonus of any kind or amount to any current
or former director, officer, employee or independent contractor,
in each case other than (except with respect to stock options,
stock appreciation rights, performance units, restricted stock
or other stock-based or stock-related awards) in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice with respect to
any employee whose annual cash compensation does not exceed
$100,000, (ii) grant or pay to any current or former
director, officer, employee or independent contractor any
severance, change in control or termination pay, or
modifications thereto or increases therein, other than pursuant
to arrangements outstanding on the date hereof, in accordance
with their terms as in effect on such date, (iii) pay any
benefit or grant or amend any award (including in respect of
stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance units,
restricted stock or other stock-based or stock-related awards or
the removal or modification of any restrictions in any Company
Plan or awards made thereunder) except as required to comply
with any applicable Law or any Company Plan in effect as of the
date hereof or for grants (except with respect to stock options,
stock appreciation rights, performance units, restricted stock
or other stock-based or stock-related awards) made to newly
hired employees in the ordinary course of business with respect
to any employee whose annual cash compensation does not exceed
$100,000, (iv) adopt, enter into, amend, modify or
terminate any collective bargaining agreement or other labor
union contract, (v) take any action to accelerate the
vesting or payment of any compensation or benefit under any
Company Plan or other Contract, other than as required pursuant
to this Agreement or any Company Stock Plan or Contract
outstanding on the date hereof or award issued thereunder prior
to the date hereof or (vi) adopt any new employee benefit
plan or arrangement or amend, modify or terminate any existing
Company Plan, in each case for the benefit of any current or
former director, officer, employee or independent contractor,
other than (A) as required by applicable Law (B) as
would not result in a material increase in the cost of
maintaining any existing Company Plan or, in the case of any new
plan or arrangement (other than with respect to stock options,
stock appreciation rights, performance units, restricted stock
or other stock-based or stock-related awards), would not result
in any material increase in cost and does not apply to any
employee whose annual cash compensation does not exceed $100,000;
(o) fail to keep in force insurance policies or replacement
or revised provisions regarding insurance coverage with respect
to the assets, operations and activities of the Company and its
Subsidiaries as currently in effect;
(p) renew or enter into any non-compete, exclusivity,
non-solicitation or similar agreement that would restrict or
limit, in any material respect, the operations of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries;
(q) adopt, enter into, supplement, waive any benefits of,
or agree to modify or amend in any respect, or fail to enforce
or renew, terminate, or consent to any matter with respect to
which its consent is required under, any confidentiality,
standstill or similar agreement to which the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries is a party or any other Contract or series of
related Contracts that would constitute a Material Contract;
(r) adopt, enter into, amend, modify or supplement any
Affiliate Transaction;
(s) enter into any new line of business outside of its
existing business (except as otherwise may be permitted pursuant
to this Section 6.1);
32
(t) enter into any new lease or amend the terms of any
existing lease of real property that would require payments over
the remaining term of such lease in excess of $100,000;
(u) take any action (or omit to take any action) if such
action (or omission) could reasonably be expected to result in
any of the Offer Conditions or any conditions to the Merger set
forth in Article VII not being satisfied; or
(v) authorize any of, or commit, resolve or agree to take
any of, the foregoing actions.
Section 6.2 No
Solicitation.
(a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit or
authorize any of its Subsidiaries or their respective directors,
officers, employees, investment bankers, financial advisors,
attorneys, accountants or other advisors, agents or
representatives, in each case, acting on behalf of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries (collectively,
“Representatives”), directly or indirectly, to
(i) solicit, initiate, propose, encourage or knowingly
facilitate any inquiry, proposal or offer with respect to, or
the making or completion of, any Acquisition Proposal, or any
inquiry, proposal or offer constituting or related to, or which
is intended to or would reasonably be expected to lead to, any
Acquisition Proposal, whether publicly or otherwise,
(ii) enter into, continue or otherwise participate in any
discussions or negotiations regarding, or furnish to any Person
any information or data with respect to, or otherwise cooperate
in any way with, any Acquisition Proposal or (iii) resolve,
agree or propose to do any of the foregoing. The Company shall,
and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and the Representatives
to, (A) immediately cease and cause to be terminated all
existing discussions or negotiations with any Person conducted
heretofore with respect to any Acquisition Proposal,
(B) request the prompt return or destruction of all
confidential information previously furnished and (C) not
terminate, waive, amend, release or modify any provision of any
confidentiality or standstill agreement to which it or any of
its Affiliates or Representatives is a party with respect to any
Acquisition Proposal, and shall enforce the provisions of any
such agreement. The Company shall advise Parent promptly (and in
any event within twenty-four (24) hours) of (x) any
Acquisition Proposal, (y) any request for non-public
information relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
and (z) any inquiry or request for discussion or
negotiation regarding an Acquisition Proposal, which notice, in
each case, shall specify the party making such Acquisition
Proposal or indication or inquiry and the material terms and
conditions of any such Acquisition Proposal or indication or
inquiry (including, if applicable, copies of all written
requests, proposals, offers or proposed agreements). The Company
shall keep Parent informed on a current basis of the status and
terms (including any material changes to the terms thereof) of
any such Alternative Proposal or indication or inquiry
(including, if applicable, any revised copies of any written
requests, proposals, offers or proposed agreements), including
any change in the Company’s intentions as previously stated.
(b) Neither the Company Board nor any committee thereof
shall (i) (A) withdraw (or modify or qualify in any
manner adverse to Parent or Merger Sub) the approval,
recommendation or declaration of advisability by the Company
Board or any such committee of this Agreement, the Offer, the
Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby,
(B) adopt, approve, recommend, endorse or otherwise declare
advisable the adoption of any Acquisition Proposal,
(C) subject to the last sentence of
Section 6.2(d), fail to recommend against any
Acquisition Proposal subject to Regulation 14D under the
Exchange Act in a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on
Schedule 14D-9
within ten (10) Business Days after the commencement of
such Acquisition Proposal, (D) fail to include the Company
Recommendation in either the
Schedule 14D-9
or Proxy Statement or (E) resolve, agree or propose to take
any such actions (each such action set forth in this
Section 6.2(b)(i) being referred to herein as an
“
Adverse Recommendation Change”) or
(ii) cause or permit the Company to enter into any written
letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in
principle, acquisition agreement,
merger agreement, option
agreement, joint venture agreement, partnership agreement or
other agreement (each, an “
Alternative Acquisition
Agreement”) constituting or related to, or which is
intended to or is reasonably likely to lead to, any Acquisition
Proposal.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time prior to the
earlier of the Acceptance Time and the date that the Company
Stockholder Approval shall have been obtained, the Company Board
shall be entitled, if the Company receives an Acquisition
Proposal and the Company Board determines, in good faith, after
(i) consultation with outside legal counsel that the
failure to do so would be inconsistent with the proper exercise
of its fiduciary duties to the stockholders of the Company under
applicable Law and (ii) taking into account all adjustments
to the terms of
33
this Agreement that may be offered by Parent pursuant to this
Section 6.3(c), that such Acquisition Proposal is a
Superior Proposal, to (x) make an Adverse Recommendation
Change or (y) cause the Company to terminate this Agreement
pursuant to Section 8.1(d)(iv) (including payment of
the Termination Fee) and concurrently enter into a binding
Alternative Acquisition Agreement with respect to such Superior
Proposal; provided, however, that the Company
Board may not make an Adverse Recommendation Change or terminate
this Agreement pursuant to the foregoing unless:
(i) the Company shall have complied with its obligations
contained in the first two sentences of
Section 6.2(a) and in Section 6.2(d);
(ii) the Company shall have provided prior written notice
to Parent, at least three (3) full days (or two
(2) Business Days, whichever is longer) in advance (the
“Notice Period”), of its intention to make an
Adverse Recommendation Change or terminate this Agreement to
enter into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement with respect to
such Superior Proposal, which notice shall specify the material
terms and conditions of any such Superior Proposal (including
the identity of the party making such Superior Proposal and
complete copies of all proposed agreements, including schedules,
exhibits and all other documentation, with respect to such
Superior Proposal), and;
(iii) prior to making any Adverse Recommendation Change or
terminating this Agreement to enter into an Alternative
Acquisition Agreement with respect to such Superior Proposal,
the Company shall, and shall cause its financial and legal
advisors to, during the Notice Period, negotiate with Parent and
its Affiliates in good faith (to the extent Parent and its
Affiliates also seek so to negotiate) to make such adjustments
in the terms and conditions of this Agreement so that this
Agreement results in a transaction that is no less favorable to
the stockholders of the Company than any Acquisition Proposal
that is deemed to constitute a Superior Proposal after giving
effect to, among other things, the payment of the Termination
Fee set forth in Section 8.3.
The Company shall not make an Adverse Recommendation Change or
terminate this Agreement if, prior to the expiration of the
Notice Period, Parent makes a proposal to adjust the terms and
conditions of this Agreement that the Company Board determines
in good faith (after consultation with outside legal counsel and
its financial advisor) to be at least as favorable to the
stockholders of the Company as such Superior Proposal after
giving effect to, among other things, the payment of the
Termination Fee set forth in Section 8.3.
(d) The Company shall not take any action to
(i) exempt any Person (other than Parent, Merger Sub and
their respective Affiliates) from the restrictions on
“business combinations” contained in Section 203
of the DGCL (or any similar provision of any other Takeover Law)
or otherwise cause such restrictions not to apply, or exempt,
waive or amend any provision of the Rights Agreement with
respect to any Person (other than Parent, Merger Sub and their
respective Affiliates), or agree to do any of the foregoing, in
each case unless such actions are taken substantially
concurrently with a termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 8.1(d)(iv). Nothing contained in
this Section 6.2 or elsewhere in this Agreement
shall prohibit the Company Board from (i) complying with
its disclosure obligations under U.S. federal or state Law
with respect to an Acquisition Proposal, including taking and
disclosing to its stockholders a position contemplated by
Rule 14d-9
and 14e-2(a)
promulgated under the Exchange Act (or any other similar
communication to stockholders); provided, that any such
disclosure (other than a “stop, look and listen”
communication or similar communication of the type contemplated
by
Rule 14d-9(f)
under the Exchange Act) shall be deemed an Adverse
Recommendation Change unless the Company Board expressly
publicly reaffirms the Company Recommendation or
(ii) making any “stop, look and listen”
communication or similar communication of the type contemplated
by
Rule 14d-9(f)
under the Exchange Act.
(e) For purposes of this Agreement:
(i) ‘‘Acquisition Proposal”
means any inquiry, proposal or offer from any Person or group of
Persons (other than Parent and its Affiliates) relating to, or
that, if consummated, could lead to, any direct or indirect
acquisition or purchase, or could result in ownership, whether
of record, beneficial or otherwise, in one transaction or a
series of transactions, including any merger, reorganization,
consolidation, tender offer, self-tender, exchange offer, stock
acquisition, asset acquisition, binding share exchange, business
combination, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, joint
venture or similar transaction, (A) of assets or businesses
of the Company and its Subsidiaries that generate 15% or more of
the net revenues or net income or that represent
34
15% or more of the total assets (based on fair market value), of
the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, immediately
prior to such transaction, (B) of 15% or more of any class
of capital stock, other equity security or voting power of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any resulting parent
company of the Company, (C) involving the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, individually or taken together, whose
businesses constitute 15% or more of the net revenues, net
income or total assets (based on fair market value) of the
Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, immediately
prior to such transaction, or (D) involving any combination
of the foregoing, in each case other than the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(ii) ‘‘Superior Proposal”
means any unsolicited, bona fide, binding written Acquisition
Proposal that contemplates paying cash
and/or
securities for the Common Shares and which the Company Board
determines in good faith (after consultation with outside
counsel and its financial advisor), taking into account all
legal, financial, regulatory and other aspects of the proposal
and the Person making the proposal, and, which is not subject to
a financing condition or, if financing is required, such
financing is then fully committed on a basis that is subject to
no greater conditions, individually or in the aggregate, than
the Financing, (A) is more favorable to the stockholders of
the Company from a financial point of view than the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement (including any adjustment to the
terms and conditions proposed by Parent in response to such
proposal pursuant to Section 6.2(c) or otherwise,
and including the Termination Fee hereunder and any
break-up
fees and expense reimbursement provisions thereof) and
(B) is reasonably likely of being completed on the terms
proposed on a timely basis; provided, that, for purposes
of this definition of “Superior Proposal,” references
in the term “Acquisition Proposal” to “15%”
shall be deemed to be references to “80%.”
(f) In no event shall the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or its Representatives be deemed to be in breach of
their respective obligations under this
Section 6.2
with respect to conducting any discussions or negotiations with,
providing information to or entry into a letter of intent,
memorandum of understanding, agreement in principle, acquisition
agreement,
merger agreement, option agreement, joint venture
agreement, partnership agreement or other agreement with, any
Person with respect to a transaction that is permitted pursuant
to
Section 6.1(d) of this Agreement.
Section 6.3 Preparation
of Proxy Statement; Stockholders’
Meeting.
(a) The Company shall prepare, and if approval of, or
notification to, the Company’s stockholders is required by
applicable Law to consummate the Merger, then the Company shall
use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC not
later than three (3) Business Days (and in any event Parent
shall file not later than five (5) Business Days) following
the consummation of the Offer or, to the extent permitted by
applicable Law, the written request of Parent (in which case the
Company shall file with the SEC not later than ten
(10) calendar days), as applicable, the Proxy Statement in
preliminary form relating to the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement as required by the
Exchange Act. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts
to have the Proxy Statement cleared by the SEC and shall use its
commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Proxy Statement to
be mailed to the Company’s stockholders not later than
three (3) Business Days following the date of such
clearance (and in any event Parent shall cause the Proxy
Statement to be mailed not later than five (5) Business
Days following the date of such clearance); provided,
however, that prior to the filing of the Proxy Statement,
the Company shall consult with Parent with respect to such
filings and shall afford Parent or its Representatives
reasonable opportunity to comment thereon. Parent and Merger Sub
shall provide the Company with any information for inclusion in
the Proxy Statement which may be required under applicable Law
or which is reasonably requested by the Company. The Company
shall notify Parent of the receipt of comments of the SEC or its
staff and of any request from the SEC or its staff for
amendments or supplements to the Proxy Statement or for
additional information, and will promptly supply Parent with
copies of all correspondence between the Company or its
Representatives, on the one hand, and the SEC or members of its
staff, on the other hand, with respect to the Proxy Statement.
Each of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub shall use its
respective reasonable best efforts to resolve all SEC comments
with respect to the Proxy Statement and any other required
filings as promptly as practicable after receipt thereof.
Concurrently with the preparation and filing of the Proxy
Statement, the Company, Parent and Merger Sub shall jointly
prepare and file with the SEC the
Schedule 13E-3
with respect to the Merger. Each of the Company, Parent and
Merger Sub shall cooperate and consult in the preparation of the
Schedule 13E-3,
including furnishing all information relating to such party
required by the Exchange Act to be set forth in the
Schedule 13E-3.
Each of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub shall use its
reasonable best efforts to resolve all SEC comments with respect
to the
Schedule 13E-3.
35
Each of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub agree to correct any
information provided by it for use in the Proxy Statement or
Schedule 13E-3
which shall have become false or misleading. If at any time
prior to the Company Stockholder’s Meeting any event should
occur which is required by applicable Law to be set forth in an
amendment of, or a supplement to, the Proxy Statement or
Schedule 13E-3,
the party that discovers such information will promptly inform
the other parties hereto. In the case of any required amendment
of the Proxy Statement, the Company, with the cooperation of
Parent, will, upon learning of such event, promptly prepare and
file such amendment or supplement with the SEC to the extent
required by applicable Law and shall mail such amendment or
supplement of or to the Proxy Statement to the Company’s
stockholders to the extent required by applicable Law;
provided, however, that prior to such filing, the
Company shall consult with Parent with respect to such amendment
or supplement and shall afford Parent or its Representatives
reasonable opportunity to comment thereon. In the case of any
required amendment to the
Schedule 13E-3,
the parties will jointly, upon learning of such event, promptly
prepare and file such amendment or supplement with the SEC to
the extent required by applicable Law.
(b) If approval of the Company’s stockholders is
required by applicable Law to consummate the Merger, then, if
this Agreement cannot be approved by a written consent of the
Company’s stockholders without a meeting, as promptly as
practicable following the consummation of the Offer or, if
requested by Parent, following the Offer Termination, as
applicable, and after the Proxy Statement is cleared by the SEC
for mailing to the Company’s stockholders (or at any such
time prior to clearance by the SEC if the Company determines it
advisable), the Company shall establish a record date for, duly
call and give notice of a special meeting of its stockholders
(the “Company Stockholders Meeting”), solely
for the purpose of obtaining the Company Stockholder Approval.
Subject to the last sentence of this Section 6.3(b),
the Company Stockholders Meeting shall be held not later than
two (2) Business Days following the earliest date permitted
by the Company Bylaws, NASDAQ rules and applicable Law. Except
in the case of an Adverse Recommendation Change specifically
permitted by Section 6.2, the Company Recommendation
shall be included in the Proxy Statement and the Company shall,
and shall cause its directors, officers, employees and other
Representatives to, use their reasonable best efforts to make
solicitations and recommendations to the holders of Shares for
purposes of causing the adoption and approval of this Agreement
by the Company’s stockholders. If on the date for which the
Company Stockholders Meeting is scheduled, the Company has not
received proxies representing a sufficient number of shares of
Company Common Stock to obtain the Company Stockholder Approval,
whether or not a quorum is present, the Company shall be
entitled to elect to adjourn the Company Stockholders Meeting
one (1) time (and shall adjourn the Company Stockholders
Meeting if requested by Parent) to a date specified by the
Company (or specified by Parent, if so requested), but in no
event, if such adjournment is elected by the Company, to a date
that is more than thirty (30) days after the date from
which the Company Stockholders Meeting was originally scheduled
(excluding any adjournments or postponements required by
applicable Law).
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing clauses (a) and (b),
if following the Acceptance Time or the exercise of the
Top-Up
Option, Parent, Merger Sub or any other direct or indirect
Subsidiary of Parent shall collectively hold at least
90 percent (90%) of each of the outstanding Common Shares
and the outstanding Series B Preferred Shares and the
outstanding Series C Preferred Share, each of Parent,
Merger Sub and the Company shall (subject to
Section 7.1) take all necessary and appropriate
action to cause the Merger to become effective as soon as
practicable after the consummation of the purchase of Shares
without a meeting of stockholders of the Company, in accordance
with Section 253 of the DGCL.
Section 6.4 Access
to Information; Confidentiality. The Company
shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, afford to
Parent, Merger Sub and their respective Representatives
reasonable access during normal business hours, during the
period prior to the Effective Time or the termination of this
Agreement in accordance with its terms, to all their respective
properties, assets, books, contracts, commitments, personnel and
records and, during such period, the Company shall, and shall
cause each of its Subsidiaries to: (a) furnish promptly to
Parent (i) a copy of each report, schedule, registration
statement and other document filed or received by it during such
period pursuant to the requirements of federal or state
securities Laws and (ii) all other information concerning
its business, properties and personnel as Parent or Merger Sub
may reasonably request (including Tax Returns filed and those in
preparation and the workpapers of its auditors);
provided, however, that the foregoing shall not
require the Company to disclose any information to the extent
such disclosure would contravene applicable Law; and (b) at
the request of Parent, use reasonable best efforts to facilitate
and arrange introductions, meetings and discussions
36
between Parent and its Representatives and customers, suppliers
and other Persons with whom the Company has business relations.
All such information shall be held confidential in accordance
with the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement between Apollo
Management VII, L.P. and the Company dated as of April 18,
2010 (the “Confidentiality Agreement”). No
investigation pursuant to this Section 6.4 or
information provided, made available or delivered to Parent
pursuant to this Agreement shall affect any of the
representations, warranties, covenants, rights or remedies, or
the conditions to the obligations of, the parties hereunder.
Section 6.5 Reasonable
Best Efforts. Upon the terms and subject to
the conditions set forth in this Agreement, each of the parties
agrees to use reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be
taken, all actions that are necessary, proper or advisable to
consummate and make effective, in the most expeditious manner
practicable, the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, including using reasonable best
efforts to accomplish the following: (i) obtain all
required consents, approvals or waivers from, or participation
in other discussions or negotiations with, third parties,
including as required under any Material Contract,
(ii) obtain all necessary actions or nonactions, waivers,
consents, approvals, orders and authorizations from Governmental
Entities, make all necessary registrations, declarations and
filings and take all steps as may be necessary to obtain an
approval or waiver from, or to avoid any Action by, any
Governmental Entity, including filings under the HSR Act with
the United States Federal Trade Commission (the
“FTC”) and the Antitrust Division of the United
States Department of Justice (the “DOJ”),
(iii) contest any Action instituted (or threatened to be
instituted) by the FTC, the DOJ or any Governmental Entity,
including administrative or judicial Action, and seek to have
vacated, lifted, reversed or overturned any decree, judgment,
injunction or other order (whether temporary, preliminary or
permanent) that is in effect in the United States or applicable
foreign jurisdiction and that could restrict, prevent or
prohibit consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby,
including by pursuing all avenues of administrative and judicial
appeal, and (iv) execute and deliver any additional
instruments necessary to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby and fully to carry out the purposes of this
Agreement; provided, however, that (A) in no
event shall Parent, Merger Sub, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries be required to pay any fee, penalty or other
consideration to any third party, unless such payment would be,
individually or in the aggregate, in an amount that would not be
material, to obtain any consent or approval required for the
consummation of the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions
contemplated hereby other than antitrust filing fees and
(B) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall
commit to any concession, waiver or amendment under any Contract
in connection with obtaining any consent without the prior
written consent of Parent. Each of the parties hereto shall
furnish to each other party such necessary information and
reasonable assistance as such other party may reasonably request
in connection with the foregoing. Subject to applicable Law
relating to the exchange of information, Parent and the Company
shall have the right to review in advance, and to the extent
practicable each shall consult with the other in connection
with, all of the material information relating to Parent or the
Company, as the case may be, and any of their respective
Subsidiaries, that appears in any filing made with, or written
materials submitted to, any third party
and/or any
Governmental Entity in connection with the Offer, the Merger and
the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except
for 4(c) documents filed pursuant to the HSR Act. In exercising
the foregoing rights, each of Parent and the Company shall act
reasonably and as promptly as practicable. Subject to applicable
Law and the instructions of any Governmental Entity, the Company
and Parent shall keep each other reasonably apprised of the
status of matters relating to the completion of the transactions
contemplated hereby, including promptly furnishing the other
with copies of notices or other written communications received
by the Company or Parent, as the case may be, or any of their
respective Subsidiaries, from any Governmental Entity
and/or third
party with respect to such transactions, and, to the extent
practicable under the circumstances, shall provide the other
party and its counsel with the opportunity to participate in any
meeting with any Governmental Entity in respect of any filing,
investigation or other inquiry in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby. All confidential or
proprietary information received by any party in connection with
the foregoing shall be held confidential and not used or
disclosed except to the extent that disclosure may be required
by applicable Law, court process or by obligations pursuant to
any listing agreement with any national securities exchange or
national securities quotation system.
Section 6.6 Takeover
Laws. The Company and the Company Board shall
(a) take no action to cause any Takeover Law to become
applicable to this Agreement, the Merger or any of the other
transactions contemplated hereby and (b) if any Takeover
Law is or becomes applicable to this Agreement, the Offer, the
Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby,
take all action necessary to ensure that the Offer, the Merger
and the other
37
transactions contemplated hereby may be consummated as promptly
as practicable on the terms contemplated by this Agreement and
otherwise to eliminate, or, if not possible, to minimize to the
maximum extent possible, the effect of such Takeover Law with
respect to this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated hereby. No Adverse Recommendation
Change shall change the approval of the Company Board for
purposes of causing any Takeover Law to be inapplicable to the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 6.7 Notification
of Certain Matters; Stockholder Actions.
(a) The Company and Parent shall promptly notify each other
of (i) any notice or other communication received by such
party from any Governmental Entity in connection with the Merger
or the other transactions contemplated hereby or from any Person
alleging that the consent of such Person is or may be required
in connection with the Offer or the Merger or the other
transactions contemplated hereby, if the subject matter of such
communication could be material to the Company, the Surviving
Corporation or Parent, (ii) any Action commenced or, to
such party’s knowledge, threatened against, relating to or
involving or otherwise affecting such party or any of its
Subsidiaries which relate to the Offer or the Merger or the
other transactions contemplated hereby or (iii) any change,
condition or event (including any renewal, termination, or
amendment of, or any proposed modification to, any Material
Contract) (A) that to such party’s knowledge renders
or would reasonably be expected to render any representation or
warranty of such party set forth in this Agreement to be untrue
or inaccurate in any material respect or (B) that results
or would reasonably be expected to result in any failure of such
party to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or
agreement (including any of the Offer Conditions or any
condition set forth in Article VII) to be complied
with or satisfied hereunder; provided, however,
that no such notification shall affect any of the
representations, warranties, covenants, rights or remedies, or
the conditions to the obligations of, the parties hereunder.
(b) In the case of any Action against the Company, any of
its Subsidiaries or any of their respective directors or
officers by any stockholder of the Company relating to the Offer
or the Merger or the other transactions contemplated hereby, the
Company shall promptly provide copies to Parent of all
proceedings and correspondence relating to such Action and shall
give Parent the opportunity to participate with the Company
regarding the defense or settlement of any such stockholder
Action, shall give due consideration to Parent’s advice
with respect to such stockholder Action and shall not settle or
offer to settle any such Action without the prior written
consent of Parent.
Section 6.8 Indemnification,
Exculpation and Insurance.
(a) Parent and Merger Sub agree that all rights to
exculpation, indemnification and advancement of expenses for
acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Effective Time,
whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Effective
Time, now existing in favor of the current or former directors,
officers or employees, as the case may be, of the Company or its
Subsidiaries as provided in their respective certificates of
incorporation or bylaws or other organizational documents or in
any agreement shall survive the Offer, the Merger and shall
continue in full force and effect. The Surviving Corporation
shall maintain in effect any and all exculpation,
indemnification and advancement of expenses provisions of the
Company’s and any of its Subsidiaries’ articles of
incorporation and bylaws or similar organizational documents in
effect immediately prior to the Effective Time or in any
indemnification agreements of the Company and its Subsidiaries
with any of their respective current or former directors,
officers or employees in effect as of the date hereof, and shall
not for period of six (6) years from the Effective Time
amend, repeal or otherwise modify any such provisions in any
manner that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of any
individuals who at the Effective Time were current or former
directors, officers or employees of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries and all rights to indemnification in respect of any
Action pending or asserted or any claim made within such period
shall continue until the disposition of such Action or
resolution of such claim.
(b) For a period of six years after the Effective Time,
Parent shall cause to be maintained in effect the Company’s
current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance
covering each Person currently covered by the Company’s
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy (a
correct and complete copy of which has been heretofore made
available to Parent) for acts or omissions occurring prior to
the Effective Time; provided, that Parent may
(i) substitute therefor policies of an insurance company
the material terms of which, including coverage and amount, are
not materially less favorable in the aggregate to such directors
and officers than the Company’s existing policies as of the
date hereof or (ii) request that the Company obtain such
extended reporting period coverage under its existing insurance
programs (to be effective as of the Effective Time); and
provided further, that
38
in no event shall Parent or the Company be required to pay
aggregate premiums for insurance under this
Section 6.8(b) in excess of 300% of the amount of
the aggregate premiums paid by the Company for fiscal year 2010
for such purpose (which fiscal year 2010 premiums are hereby
represented and warranted by the Company to be as set forth in
Section 6.8(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter), it
being understood that Parent shall nevertheless be obligated to
provide such coverage as may be obtained for such 300% amount.
The Company may purchase a “tail” policy prior to the
Closing (which policy by its express terms shall survive the
Merger) which (i) has an effective term of six
(6) years from the Effective Time, (ii) covers each
Person covered by the Company’s existing directors’
and officers’ insurance policies in effect as of the date
of this Agreement (collectively, the “Existing
Policies”), for actions and omissions occurring prior
to the Effective Time, and (iii) contains terms that are no
less favorable in the aggregate than the Existing Policies, and
Parent’s obligations under this Section 6.8(b)
shall be deemed to be satisfied so long as Parent causes the
“tail” policy to be maintained in effect by the
Surviving Corporation for six (6) years from the Effective
Time.
(c) In the event that the Surviving Corporation or any of
its successors or assigns shall (i) consolidate with or
merge into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or
surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger
or (ii) transfer all or substantially all its properties
and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper
provision shall be made so that the successor and assign of the
Surviving Corporation assumes the obligations set forth in this
Section 6.8.
(d) The provisions of this Section 6.8 shall
survive consummation of the Merger and are intended to be for
the benefit of, and will be enforceable by, each indemnified
party, his or her heirs and his or her legal representatives.
Section 6.9 Equity
Financing. Parent shall use its commercially
reasonable efforts to (i) maintain in effect the Equity
Commitment Letter, (ii) satisfy on a timely basis all
conditions applicable to Parent and Merger Sub to obtaining the
Cash Equity set forth in the Equity Commitment Letter that are
within their control, and (iii) consummate the financing of
the Cash Equity at or promptly after the Acceptance Time (with
respect to amounts required to consummate the Offer) and at or
prior to the Closing Date (with respect to amounts required to
consummate the Merger and make such other payments required at
the Effective Time pursuant to the terms hereof). Parent shall
not, and shall cause Merger Sub not to, without the prior
written consent of the Company, amend, modify or supplement
(x) any of the conditions or contingencies to funding
contained in the Equity Commitment Letter, or (y) any other
provision of the Equity Commitment Letter, in either case, to
the extent such amendment, modification or supplement would
reasonably be expected to have the effect of materially
adversely affecting the ability of Parent or Merger Sub to
timely consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
Section 6.10 Debt
Financing.
(a) Parent and Merger Sub shall use their respective
commercially reasonable efforts to (i) maintain in effect
the Debt Commitment Letter, (ii) satisfy on a timely basis
all conditions applicable to Parent and Merger Sub to obtaining
the Debt Financing set forth in the Debt Commitment Letter that
are within their control, and (iii) arrange the Debt
Financing at or promptly after the Acceptance Time (with respect
to amounts required to consummate the Offer) and at or prior to
the Closing Date (with respect to amounts required to consummate
the Merger and make such other payments required at the
Effective Time pursuant to the terms hereof), including using
their respective commercially reasonable efforts to:
(A) enter into definitive agreements with respect thereto
on the terms contained in the Debt Commitment Letter,
(B) cause the Lenders and any other Debt Financing Source
to fund the Debt Financing at or promptly after the Acceptance
Time (with respect to amounts required to consummate the Offer)
and at or prior to the Closing Date (with respect to amounts
required to consummate the Merger and make such other payments
required at the Effective Time pursuant to the terms hereof) and
(C) seek to enforce its rights under the Debt Commitment
Letter if in Parent’s reasonable judgment it is
commercially reasonable to do so. Parent shall not, and shall
cause Merger Sub not to, without the prior written consent of
the Company, amend, modify, supplement or replace (1) any
of the conditions or contingencies to funding contained in the
Debt Commitment Letter, or (2) any other provision of the
Debt Commitment Letter, in either case, to the extent such
amendment, modification or supplement would reasonably be
expected to have the effect of materially adversely affecting
the ability of Parent or Merger Sub to timely consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (it being understood
that Parent and Merger Sub may (x) amend the Debt
Commitment Letter to add lenders, lead arrangers, bookrunners,
syndication agents or similar entities who had not executed the
Debt Commitment Letter as of the date
39
of this Agreement or (y) otherwise amend, modify,
supplement or replace the Debt Commitment Letter so long as the
terms are not materially less beneficial to Parent or Merger
Sub, with respect to conditionality, than those in the Debt
Commitment Letter as in effect on the date of this Agreement).
If any portion of the Debt Financing becomes unavailable on the
terms and conditions contemplated in the Debt Commitment Letter,
Parent use its commercially reasonable efforts until the Offer
Outside Date to obtain alternative debt financing from
alternative sources on terms and conditions that are not less
favorable to Parent and Merger Sub, in the aggregate, in any
material respect, than those contained in the Debt Commitment
Letter and in an amount at least equal to the Debt Financing or
such unavailable portion thereof, as the case may be (the
“Alternative Debt Financing”) (it being
understood that if the Offer Termination shall have occurred,
Parent shall not be required to replace any margin loan included
in the Debt Financing intended to cover the period between the
consummation of the Offer and the Closing). As used herein, the
term “Debt Financing” shall include any
Alternative Debt Financing to the extent all or any portion of
the Debt Financing contemplated by the Debt Commitment Letter is
replaced in accordance with the foregoing.
(b) Prior to the Effective Time, the Company and its
Subsidiaries agree to use their commercially reasonable efforts
to provide and to cause their respective Representatives,
including legal and accounting advisors to provide, to Parent
all cooperation reasonably requested by Parent that is
necessary, proper or advisable in connection with the Debt
Financing (in each case, provided that such requested
cooperation does not unreasonably interfere with the ongoing
operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries), including using
commercially reasonable efforts with respect to
(i) participation in a reasonable number of meetings,
drafting sessions, presentations, road shows, due diligence
sessions and sessions with rating agencies, (ii) assisting
with the preparation of materials for rating agency
presentations, offering documents, business projections, private
placement memoranda, bank information memoranda, prospectuses
and similar documents required in connection with the Debt
Financing, including execution and delivery of customary
representation letters in connection with bank information
memoranda; provided, that any such memoranda or
prospectuses shall contain disclosure and financial statements
with respect to the Company or the Surviving Corporation
reflecting the Surviving Corporation
and/or its
Subsidiaries as the obligor (the information described in this
clause (ii), the “Required
Information”), (iii) executing and delivering as
of the Effective Time any pledge and security documents, other
definitive financing documents, or other certificates, legal
opinions or documents as may be reasonably requested by Parent
(including a certificate of the chief executive officer of any
of the Company or its Subsidiaries with respect to solvency
matters and consents of accountants for use of their reports in
any materials relating to the Debt Financing) and otherwise
facilitating the pledging of collateral (including cooperation
in connection with the pay-off of existing Indebtedness and the
release of related Liens), (iv) cooperating with the Debt
Financing Sources’ due diligence and furnishing Parent and
its Debt Financing sources with financial and other pertinent
information regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries as may be
reasonably requested by Parent, including (A) audited
consolidated balance sheets and related statements of income,
stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its
Subsidiaries for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2010,
December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008,
(B) unaudited consolidated balance sheets and related
statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows
of the Company and its Subsidiaries for each subsequent fiscal
quarter ended at least forty-five (45) days before the
Closing Date and the same period during the fiscal year ended
2010, (C) a pro forma consolidated balance sheet and
related pro forma consolidated statement of income of the
Company and its Subsidiaries as of and for, (1) the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2010, (2) the subsequent
quarterly periods, and (3) the twelve-month period ending
on the last day of the most recently completed four-fiscal
quarter period ended at least forty-five (45) days prior to
the Closing Date and after giving effect to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and each of the Cash Equity and
Debt Financing as if such transactions had occurred as of such
date (in the case of such balance sheet) or at the beginning of
such period (in the case of such other financial statements),
(D) any other financial statements and financial data of
the type required by
Regulation S-X
and
Regulation S-K
under the Securities Act and of the type and form customarily
included in private placements under Rule 144A of the
Securities Act to consummate any proposed offerings of debt
securities in connection with the Debt Financing and
(E) monthly financial statements within 30 days of the
end of each month prior to the Closing Date, (v) obtaining
any necessary and customary accountants’ consents and
comfort letters and legal opinions, appraisals, surveys,
engineering reports, environmental and other inspections
(including providing reasonable access to Parent and its agents
to all owned real property for such purposes) and title
insurance as reasonably requested by Parent; provided,
that nothing herein shall require such cooperation to the extent
it would interfere unreasonably with the business or operations
of the Company or its Subsidiaries, (vii) assisting
40
Parent to obtain waivers, consents, estoppels and approvals from
other parties to material leases, encumbrances and contracts to
which the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company is a party
and to arrange discussions among Parent, Merger Sub and their
financing sources with other parties to material leases,
encumbrances and contracts as of the Closing Date,
(viii) taking all reasonable actions necessary to
(A) permit the prospective lenders involved in the Debt
Financing to evaluate the Company’s current assets, cash
management and accounting systems, policies and procedures
relating thereto for the purposes of establishing collateral
arrangements and (B) establish bank and other accounts and
blocked account agreements and lock box arrangements in
connection with the foregoing, (ix) obtaining any necessary
rating agencies’ confirmation or approvals for the Debt
Financing, and (x) taking all corporate actions necessary
to permit the consummation of the Debt Financing and to permit
the proceeds thereof to be made available as of the Effective
Time; provided, however, that (A) no
obligation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under any
such agreement, certificate, document or instrument shall be
effective until the Acceptance Time (or, if the Offer
Termination shall have occurred, the Effective Time) and neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will be required to pay
any commitment or other fee or incur any extraordinary cost,
expense or other liability that is not simultaneously reimbursed
by Parent or Merger Sub in connection with the Debt Financing
prior to the Acceptance Time (or, if the Offer Termination shall
have occurred, the Effective Time), and (B) no Person that
is a director or officer of the Company or its Subsidiaries
shall be required to execute any agreement, certificate,
document or instrument with respect to the Debt Financing that
would be effective prior to the Acceptance Time (or, if the
Offer Termination shall have occurred, the Effective Time). For
the avoidance of doubt, if requested by Parent to most
effectively access the financing markets, the Company shall use
its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with this
Section 6.10(b) at any time, and from time to time
and on multiple occasions, between the date hereof and the
Closing Date. In addition, the Company agrees that if reasonably
requested by Parent it will supplement and use commercially
reasonable efforts to keep current the Required Information so
that Parent may most effectively access the financing markets.
If, in connection with a marketing effort contemplated by the
Debt Commitment Letter, the Parent reasonably requests the
Company to file a report on
Form 8-K
pursuant to the Exchange Act that contains material non-public
information with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries,
which Parent reasonably determines to include in a customary
offering memorandum for such debt, then, upon the Company’s
review of and satisfaction with such filing (it being
acknowledged and agreed that such filing shall contain any and
all reasonable comments of the Company), the Company shall file
such report on
Form 8-K;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be
required to file any information on
Form 8-K
that the Company determines in good faith would reasonably be
expected to be competitively harmful to the Company, it being
understood that publication of an adjusted EBITDA number will
not be deemed to be competitively harmful to the Company. Parent
shall, promptly upon request by the Company, reimburse, or cause
its Affiliates to reimburse, the Company for all reasonable and
documented extraordinary
out-of-pocket
costs and expenses incurred by the Company or its Subsidiaries
in connection with such cooperation and shall indemnify and hold
harmless the Company, its Subsidiaries and their respective
Representatives for and against any and all losses suffered or
incurred by them in connection with the arrangement of the Debt
Financing and any information utilized in connection therewith.
The Company hereby consents to the use of its and its
Subsidiaries’ logos in connection with the Debt Financing;
provided, that such logos are used solely in a manner
that is not intended to nor reasonably likely to harm or
disparage the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the
reputation or goodwill of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
and its or their marks.
Section 6.11 Public
Announcements. Each of Parent and Merger Sub,
on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, shall, to
the extent reasonably practicable, consult with each other
before issuing, and give each other a reasonable opportunity to
review and comment upon, any press release or other public
statement with respect to this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger
and the other transactions contemplated hereby and shall not
issue any such press release or other public statement without
the prior consent of the other party, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, except as may be
required by applicable Law, court process or by obligations
pursuant to any listing agreement with any national securities
exchange or national securities quotation system.
Section 6.12 Section 16
Matters. Prior to the Acceptance Time, the
Company Board shall take all such reasonable steps as may be
necessary or appropriate to cause the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement, the Support Agreements, including any
dispositions of Shares (including derivative securities with
respect to such Shares) by each individual who is or will be
subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of
the Exchange
41
Act with respect to the Company, to be exempt under
Rule 16b-3
promulgated under the Exchange Act in accordance with that
certain No-Action Letter dated January 12, 1999 issued by
the SEC regarding such matters.
Section 6.13 Obligations
of Merger Sub. Parent shall take all actions
necessary to cause Merger Sub and the Surviving Corporation to
perform their respective obligations under this Agreement.
Section 6.14 Control
of Operations. Without in any way limiting
any party’s rights or obligations under this Agreement, the
parties understand and agree that (a) nothing contained in
this Agreement shall give Parent, directly or indirectly, the
right to control or direct the Company’s operations prior
to the Acceptance Time, and (b) prior to the Acceptance
Time, the Company shall exercise, consistent with the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, complete control and supervision
over its operations.
Section 6.15 Certain
Benefits.
(a) From and after the Acceptance Time, Parent shall cause
the Company (and, following the Effective Time, the Surviving
Corporation) to honor the Company Plans (excluding any plans or
arrangements providing for the issuance of equity or
equity-based compensation, but without limiting the
Company’s obligations pursuant to
Section 3.2(a)) and compensation arrangements and
agreements in accordance with their terms as in effect
immediately before the Acceptance Time (without giving effect to
any amendments thereto after the Acceptance Time except if
consented to by the affected party). For a period of one
(1) year following the Acceptance Time, Parent shall
provide, or shall cause to be provided, to all employees of the
Company and its Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Acceptance
Time (“Company Employees”) compensation and
benefits that are no less favorable, in the aggregate and taken
as a whole, than the compensation and benefits provided to
Company Employees immediately before the Acceptance Time;
provided, that (i) Parent shall not be required to,
or to cause to be provided to, retain, implement or provide any
plans or arrangements providing for the issuance of equity or
equity-based compensation, and (ii) no such plans or
arrangements of the Company referred to in the immediately
preceding clause (i) shall be taken into account in
determining whether the compensation and benefits provided to
Company Employees during the one (1) year period following
the Acceptance Time are no less favorable in the aggregate than
the compensation and benefits provided to Company Employees
immediately before the Acceptance Time. Notwithstanding any
other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, for a period
of one (1) year following the Acceptance Time, Parent shall
or shall cause the Surviving Corporation to provide Company
Employees whose employment terminates during the one
(1) year period following the Acceptance Time with
severance benefits in accordance with the applicable severance
plans, programs, agreements and arrangements of Company as in
effect immediately prior to the Acceptance Time (with full
service credit for years of service with Company and its
Subsidiaries (and predecessors) and without taking into account
any reduction after the Acceptance Time in compensation paid to
Company Employees).
(b) For all purposes (including purposes of vesting,
eligibility to participate and level of benefits) under the
employee benefit plans of Parent and its Subsidiaries providing
benefits to any Company Employees after the Acceptance Time (the
“New Plans”), each Company Employee shall be
credited with his or her years of service with the Company and
its Subsidiaries and their respective predecessors before the
Acceptance Time, to the same extent as such Company Employee was
entitled, before the Acceptance Time, to credit for such service
under any similar Company employee benefit plan in which such
Company Employee participated or was eligible to participate
immediately prior to the Acceptance Time, provided, that
the foregoing shall not apply (i) for service credit for
benefit accrual purposes under any defined benefit pension plan
of Parent or its Subsidiaries, (ii) for service credit for
eligibility purposes under any post-retirement welfare benefit
plan of Parent or its Subsidiaries or (iii) to the extent
such credit would result in duplication of benefits for the same
period of service. In addition, and without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, (A) Parent shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to cause each Company Employee
to be immediately eligible to participate, without any waiting
time, in any and all New Plans to the extent coverage under such
New Plan is comparable to a Company Benefit Plan in which such
Company Employee participated immediately before the Acceptance
Time (such plans, collectively, the “Old
Plans”), and (B) for purposes of each New Plan
providing medical, dental, pharmaceutical
and/or
vision benefits to any Company Employee, Parent shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to cause each third party
insurer to (1) waive all pre-existing condition exclusions
and actively-at-work requirements of such New Plan for such
employee and his or her covered dependents, unless such
conditions would not have been waived under the comparable Old
Plans
42
of the Company or its Subsidiaries in which such employee
participated immediately prior to the Acceptance Time and
(2) cause any eligible expenses incurred by such employee
and his or her covered dependents during the portion of the plan
year of the Old Plan ending on the date such employee’s
participation in the corresponding New Plan begins to be taken
into account under such New Plan for purposes of satisfying all
deductible, coinsurance and maximum
out-of-pocket
requirements applicable to such employee and his or her covered
dependents for the applicable plan year as if such amounts had
been paid in accordance with such New Plan.
(c) Parent and Merger Sub hereby acknowledge that the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
constitute a “change of control,” “change in
control” or term of similar import within the meaning of
the Company Plans.
(d) Nothing in this Section 6.15, express or
implied, shall affect the right of the Company (or the Surviving
Corporation, as applicable) to terminate the employment of any
employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or shall be
construed to grant any current or former employee of the Company
(or the Surviving Corporation, as applicable) or any of its
Subsidiaries a right to continued employment by, or to receive
any payment or benefits from, the Company (or the Surviving
Corporation, as applicable) or any of its Subsidiaries or
through any Company Plan or other benefit plan that increases or
expands such Person’s rights beyond what is provided by the
terms of such plan. Other than as expressly contemplated by this
Agreement, nothing in this Agreement shall limit the ability of
the Company (or the Surviving Corporation, as applicable) or its
Affiliates (including Parent and its Affiliates after the
consummation of the Offer
and/or the
Merger) to amend or terminate any Company Plan or other benefit
or compensation plan or program. Nothing in this Agreement,
express or implied, shall (i) constitute an amendment to
any Company Plan or other benefit plan, (ii) create any
third party beneficiary rights or (iii) inure to the
benefit of or be enforceable by any employee, director or
consultant of the Company (or the Surviving Corporation, as
applicable), any of its Subsidiaries or their respective
Affiliates, of any entity or any Person representing the
interest of any such employee, director or consultant or of any
Person whose rights are derivative of any such employee,
director or consultant (including a family member or estate of
any such employee, director of consultant).
Section 6.16 Leasehold
Mortgages. The Company and its Subsidiaries
will cooperate, and use their respective reasonable best efforts
to cause the applicable landlords to cooperate, to the extent
that any Lease requires modification in order to permit such
Lease to be mortgaged in connection with the Debt Financing.
Section 6.17 FIRPTA
Certificate. Prior to the Acceptance Time,
the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver
to Parent an executed affidavit, in accordance with Treasury
Regulation
Section 1.897-2(h)
certifying that an interest in the Company is not a United
States real property interest within the meaning of
Section 897(c) of the Code and that sets forth the
Company’s name, address, and taxpayer identification number.
Section 6.18 NASDAQ
Delisting and Deregistration. Prior to the
Closing Date, the Company shall cooperate with Parent and shall
use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken,
all actions, and do or cause to be done all things, reasonably
necessary, proper or advisable on its part under applicable Law
and rules and policies of NASDAQ to cause the delisting of the
Company and the Common Shares from NASDAQ as promptly as
practicable after the Effective Time and the deregistration of
the Common Shares under the Exchange Act as promptly as
practicable after such delisting.
Section 6.19 Rule 14d-10(d)
Matters. Prior to the Acceptance Time and to
the extent permitted by Law, the Company (acting through the
Company Board, compensation committee or its Independent
Directors, to the extent required) will take all such steps as
may be required to cause each agreement, arrangement or
understanding as may be entered into by the Company or its
Subsidiaries on or after the date hereof with any officer,
director or employee that holds Common Shares pursuant to which
compensation is paid to such officer, director or employee to be
approved as an “employment compensation, severance or other
employee benefit arrangement” within the meaning of
Rule 14d-10(d)(1)
under the Exchange Act and to otherwise satisfy the requirements
of the non-exclusive safe harbor set forth in
Rule 14d-10(d)
under the Exchange Act.
43
ARTICLE VII
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
Section 7.1 Conditions
to Each Party’s Obligation to Effect the
Merger. The obligation of each party to
effect the Merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver by
all parties (to the extent permitted by applicable Law) at or
prior to the Effective Time of the following conditions:
(a) Stockholder Approval. The
Company Stockholder Approval (if required by applicable Law)
shall have been obtained.
(b) HSR Act; Antitrust. Any
waiting period (and any extension thereof) applicable to the
Merger under the HSR Act and applicable foreign antitrust Laws
shall have expired or been terminated (and approval of the
transactions contemplated hereby shall have been obtained to the
extent required under applicable foreign antitrust Laws).
(c) No Injunctions or Legal Restraints;
Illegality. (i) Solely if the Offer
Termination shall not have occurred, no temporary restraining
order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other judgment,
order or decree issued by any court of competent jurisdiction or
other legal restraint or prohibition shall be in effect, and no
Law shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated, enforced or
deemed applicable by any Governmental Entity that, in any case,
prohibits or makes illegal or otherwise restrains the
consummation of the Merger or (ii) solely if the Offer
Termination shall have occurred, there shall not exist any of
the conditions set forth in clauses (c)(i) and
(ii) of the Offer Conditions.
(d) Purchase of Common Shares in the
Offer. Unless the Offer Termination shall
have occurred, Merger Sub shall have purchased all Common Shares
validly tendered (and not withdrawn) pursuant to the Offer.
Section 7.2 Conditions
to Parent’s and Merger Sub’s Obligations to Effect the
Merger. Solely if the Offer Termination shall
have occurred, then the obligation of Parent and Merger Sub to
effect the Merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver by
Parent at or prior to the Effective Time of the following
conditions:
(a) (i) the representations and warranties of the
Company set forth in Sections 4.1, 4.2,
4.4, 4.5(a)(i) and (iii), 4.9(b),
4.20, 4.21, 4.22, 4.24 and
4.25 shall be true and correct as of the date hereof and
as of the Closing Date as if made as of the Closing Date (except
to the extent such representations and warranties expressly
relate to an earlier date, in which case as of such earlier
date) and (ii) each of the remaining representations and
warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall be
true and correct, without giving effect to any materiality or
“Material Adverse Effect” qualifications or exceptions
contained in such representations and warranties, except as,
individually and in the aggregate, would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, in each case, as of
the date hereof and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent
such representations and warranties expressly relate to an
earlier date, in which case as of such earlier date);
(b) the Company shall have performed and complied in all
material respects with each of its obligations, covenants and
agreements contained in this Agreement;
(c) the Company shall have delivered to each of Parent and
Merger Sub a certificate of an executive officer of the Company,
dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in the
foregoing Sections 7.2(a) and (b); and
(d) since the date hereof, there shall not have occurred
any event, change, development, circumstance, occurrence,
effect, condition or state of facts that, individually or in the
aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
Section 7.3 Conditions
to the Company’s Obligations to Effect the
Merger. Solely if the Offer Termination shall
have occurred, then the obligation of the Company to effect the
Merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Company
at or prior to the Effective Time of the following conditions:
(a) each of the representations and warranties of Parent
and Merger Sub set forth in this Agreement shall be true and
correct except as, individually and in the aggregate, would not
reasonably be expected to have a
44
Parent Material Adverse Effect, in each case, as of the date
hereof and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent such
representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier
date, in which case as of such earlier date);
(b) each of Parent and Merger Sub shall have performed and
complied in all material respects with each of its obligations,
covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement; and
(c) Parent shall have delivered to the Company a
certificate of an executive officer of Parent, dated as of the
Closing Date, to the effect set forth in the foregoing
Sections 7.3(a) and (b).
Section 7.4 Frustration
of Closing Conditions. None of Parent, Merger
Sub or the Company may rely on the failure of any condition set
forth in this Article VII to be satisfied if such
failure was caused by such party’s breach of this Agreement.
ARTICLE VIII
TERMINATION,
AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
Section 8.1 Termination. This
Agreement may be terminated and the Offer and Merger may be
abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time,
notwithstanding approval thereof by the stockholders of the
Company (with any termination by Parent also being an effective
termination by Merger Sub):
(a) by mutual written consent of Parent and the Company;
(b) by either Parent or the Company:
(i) if the Effective Time shall not have occurred on or
prior to five (5) months from the date of this Agreement
(the “Merger Outside Date”); provided,
that, neither party shall have the right to terminate this
Agreement pursuant to this Section 8.1(b)(i) if the
failure of such party to perform or comply in all material
respects with the covenants and agreements of such party set
forth in this Agreement shall have been the cause of, or
resulted in, the failure of the Effective Time to have occurred
by the Merger Outside Date.
(ii) if any court of competent jurisdiction or other
Governmental Entity shall have issued a judgment, order,
injunction, rule or decree, or taken any other action
restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and such judgment,
order, injunction, rule, decree or other action shall have
become final and nonappealable; provided, that the party
seeking to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 8.1(b)(ii) shall have used its reasonable
best efforts to contest, appeal and remove such judgment, order,
injunction, rule, decree, ruling or other action in accordance
with Section 6.5; or
(iii) if the Company Stockholder Approval is required by
applicable Law and such Company Stockholder Approval shall not
have been obtained at the Company Stockholders Meeting duly
convened therefor or at any adjournment or postponement thereof
at which a vote on the adoption of this Agreement was taken;
(c) by Parent, at any time prior to the Acceptance Time or,
if the Offer Termination shall have occurred, at any time prior
to the Effective Time:
(i) if the Company shall have breached or failed to perform
any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements
set forth in this Agreement (other than with respect to a breach
of Section 6.2, as to which
Section 8.1(c)(ii) will apply), which breach or
failure to perform or to be true, either individually or in the
aggregate, (A) (1) if the Offer Termination shall not
have occurred, would result in the failure of an Offer Condition
or of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7.1
or 7.2 and (2) if the Offer Termination shall have
occurred, would result in the failure of any of the conditions
set forth in Section 7.1, and (B) (1) in
the case of clause (A)(1), cannot be or has not been
cured by the Offer Outside Date and (2) in the case of
clause (A)(2), cannot be or has not been cured by
the Merger Outside Date; provided, that Parent shall not
have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 8.1(c)(i)
45
if Parent or Merger Sub is then in material breach of any of its
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth
in this Agreement;
(ii) (A) if the Company Board effects an Adverse
Recommendation Change, (B) the Company or Company Board (or
any committee thereof) shall (1) approve, adopt, endorse or
recommend any Acquisition Proposal or (2) approve, adopt,
endorse or recommend, or enter into or allow the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries to enter into, an Alternative Acquisition
Agreement or (C) the Company shall have failed to comply
with its obligations under the first two sentences of
Section 6.2(a), Section 6.2(c) (other
than any failure to comply with Section 6.2(c)(ii)
that is de minimis, individually and in the aggregate) or
Section 6.2(d); or
(iii) if, as of any scheduled expiration date of the Offer
(A) all of the Offer Conditions shall not have been
satisfied or waived by Parent and (B) no further extensions
or re-extensions of the Offer by Parent and Merger Sub are
required pursuant to Section 1.1(b).
(d) by the Company, at any time prior to the Acceptance
Time or, if the Offer Termination shall have occurred, at any
time prior to the Effective Time:
(i) if Parent or Merger Sub shall have breached or failed
to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or
agreements set forth in this Agreement, which breach or failure
to perform or to be true, either individually or in the
aggregate, (A) (1) if the Offer Termination shall not
have occurred, would or would reasonably be expected to prevent
or materially delay the consummation of the Offer and
(2) if the Offer Termination shall have occurred, would or
would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the
consummation of the Merger and (B) (1) in the case of
clause (A)(1), cannot be or has not been cured by
the Offer Outside Date and (2) in the case of
clause (A)(2), cannot be or has not been cured by
the Merger Outside Date; provided, that the Company shall
not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 8.1(d)(i) if it is then in material breach
of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or
agreements set forth in this Agreement;
(ii) if all of the Offer Conditions shall have been
satisfied or waived as of the expiration of the Offer (including
any extensions thereof in accordance with
Section 1.1(b)) and Merger Sub shall have failed to
consummate the Offer promptly thereafter in accordance with
Section 1.1(c) and the Company stood ready, willing
and able to consummate the Offer during such period;
(iii) if all of the conditions set forth in
Section 7.1 and, if the Offer Termination shall have
occurred, Section 7.2, shall have been satisfied and
Parent and Merger Sub shall have failed to consummate the Merger
within three (3) Business Days following the date the
Closing should have occurred pursuant to Section 2.2
and the Company stood ready, willing and able to consummate the
Closing during such period; or
(iv) in accordance with and subject to the terms and
conditions of Section 6.2(c)(y), provided,
that the Company shall have (1) simultaneously with such
termination entered into the Alternative Acquisition Agreement
and paid to Parent the Company Termination Fee pursuant to
Section 8.3(b), and (2) otherwise complied with
its obligations under Section 6.2 (other than any
such failure to comply that is de minimis, individually
and in the aggregate).
Section 8.2 Effect
of Termination. In the event of termination
of this Agreement, this Agreement shall forthwith become void
and have no effect, without any liability or obligation on the
part of Parent, Merger Sub, the Company, the Equity Investors,
the Lenders or any other Debt Financing Sources, except that the
Confidentiality Agreement and the provisions of
Section 4.24 and 5.5 (Brokers),
Section 6.11 (Public Announcements), this
Section 8.2, Section 8.3 (Fees and
Expenses), Section 8.4 (Amendment or Supplement),
Section 8.5 (Extension of Time; Waiver) and
Article IX (General Provisions) of this Agreement
shall survive the termination hereof.
Section 8.3 Fees
and Expenses.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this
Section 8.3, all fees and expenses incurred in
connection with this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the
party incurring such fees or expenses, whether or not the Offer
or the Merger is consummated, except that the expenses
46
incurred in connection with the filing, printing and mailing of
the Offer Documents, the
Schedule 14D-9,
the Proxy Statement and the
Schedule 13E-3
(if required by applicable Law) and all filing and other fees
paid to the SEC or in respect of the HSR Act, in each case in
connection with the Offer and the Merger (other than
attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees and related
expenses), shall be shared equally by Parent and the Company.
(b) In the event that:
(i) (A) an Acquisition Proposal (whether or not
conditional) or intention to make an Acquisition Proposal
(whether or not conditional) shall have been provided to the
Company, the Company Board or their respective Representatives
or otherwise publicly disclosed, (B) this Agreement is
thereafter terminated by the Company or Parent pursuant to
Sections 8.1(b)(i) or 8.1(b)(iii), or by
Parent pursuant to Sections 8.1(c)(i) or 8.1(c)(iii)
(and as of such time the Minimum Condition has not been
satisfied), and (C) within one (1) year from the date
of such termination of this Agreement, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries executes any definitive agreement with respect to,
or consummates, any Acquisition Proposal; provided, that,
for purposes of this Section 8.3(b)(i),
“Acquisition Proposal” shall have the meaning
ascribed thereto in Section 6.2(e)(i) except that
references in Section 6.2(e)(i) to “15%”
shall be replaced by “50%”;
(ii) this Agreement is terminated by Parent pursuant to
Section 8.1(c)(ii); or
(iii) this Agreement is terminated by the Company pursuant
to Section 8.1(d)(iv);
then, in any such event, the Company shall pay to Parent a
termination fee of $20,000,000 (the “Termination
Fee”); provided, however, that in no
event shall the Company be required to pay the Termination Fee
on more than one occasion; provided, further, that, with respect
to the payment of the Termination Fee pursuant
Section 8.3(b)(i), the amount of such Termination
Fee shall be reduced if and to the extent Expenses shall have
been paid by the Company to Parent pursuant to
Section 8.3(d).
(c) In the event that this Agreement is terminated by the
Company pursuant to Section 8.1(d)(i) due to a
willful and material breach by Parent or Merger Sub at a time
when, if the Offer Termination shall not have occurred, all of
the Offer Conditions shall have been satisfied or waived and, if
the Offer Termination shall have occurred, all of the conditions
set forth in Sections 7.1 and 7.2 shall have
been satisfied or waived, or pursuant to
Section 8.1(d)(ii) or (iii), and, in each
case, the Company is not in material breach of any of its
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth
in this Agreement, then, in any such event, Parent shall pay to
the Company a termination fee of $40,000,000 (the
“Reverse Termination Fee”); provided,
however, that in no event shall Parent be required to pay
the Reverse Termination Fee on more than one occasion.
(d) In the event that this Agreement is terminated
(i) by either the Company or Parent pursuant to
Section 8.1(b)(iii) or (ii) by Parent pursuant
to Section 8.1(c)(i) or (iii), then, in each case,
the Company shall reimburse Parent and Merger Sub for all
Expenses up to $7,500,000.
(e) Payment of the Termination Fee, Reverse Termination Fee
and Expenses, as applicable, shall be made by wire transfer of
same day funds to the account or accounts designated by Parent
or the Company, as applicable (i) on the earliest of the
execution of a definitive agreement with respect to, or
consummation of, any transaction contemplated by an Acquisition
Proposal, as applicable, in the case of a Termination Fee
payable pursuant to Section 8.3(b)(i), (ii) as
promptly as reasonably practicable after termination (and, in
any event, within two (2) Business Days thereof), in the
case of termination by the Company pursuant to
Section 8.1(d)(ii) or (iii) or by Parent
pursuant to Section 8.1(c)(ii),
(iii) simultaneously with, and as a condition to the
effectiveness of, termination, in the case of a termination by
the Company pursuant to Section 8.1(d)(iv) and
(iv) in the case of Expenses, as promptly as reasonably
practicable after termination (and, in any event, within two
(2) Business Days thereof).
(f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, if Parent and Merger Sub fail to consummate the Offer
or effect the Closing for any or no reason or otherwise breach
this Agreement (whether willfully, intentionally,
unintentionally or otherwise) or fail to perform hereunder
(whether willfully, intentionally, unintentionally or
otherwise), then, except for an order of specific performance as
and only to the extent expressly permitted by
Section 9.10(b)), the Company’s sole and
exclusive remedy (whether at law, in equity, in contract, in
tort or otherwise) against Parent, Merger Sub, the Equity
Investors and their Affiliates and any of their respective
47
former, current and future direct or indirect equity holders,
controlling persons, stockholders, directors, officers,
employees, agents or other Representatives, members, Lenders (or
other Debt Financing Sources) or other financing sources,
managers, general or limited partners or assignees
(collectively, the “Parent Related Parties”)
for any breach, loss or damage shall be to terminate this
Agreement and receive payment of the Reverse Termination Fee, in
each case, only to the extent provided by
Section 8.3(c) or, without duplication, pursuant to
the Limited Guarantee, as applicable; and upon payment of such
amount, no Person shall have any rights or claims against any of
the Parent Related Parties under this Agreement, the Limited
Guarantee, the Equity Commitment Letter, in respect of any oral
representations made or alleged to be made in connection
herewith or therewith, in respect of the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby, whether at law or equity, in
contract, in tort or otherwise, and none of the Parent Related
Parties shall have any further liability or obligation relating
to or arising out of this Agreement, the Limited Guarantee, the
Equity Commitment Letter, in respect of any oral representations
made or alleged to be made in connection herewith or therewith,
in respect of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.
In no event shall the Company be entitled to seek the remedy of
specific performance of this Agreement other than solely under
the specific circumstances and as specifically set forth in
Section 9.10(b). If the Company is required to pay
the Termination Fee to Parent pursuant to this Agreement,
Parent’s and Merger Sub’s sole and exclusive remedy
(whether at law, in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise)
against the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates and
any of their respective former, current and future direct or
indirect equity holders, controlling persons, stockholders,
directors, officers, employees, agents or other Representatives,
members, financing sources, managers, general or limited
partners or assignees (collectively, “Company Related
Parties”), without prejudice to the remedy of specific
performance set forth in Section 9.10(a), against
the Company Related Parties for any breach, loss or damage shall
be to terminate this Agreement and receive payment of the
Termination Fee and reimbursement of Expenses, in each case,
only to the extent provided by Sections 8.3(b) and
(d), respectively; and upon payment of such amount, no
Person shall have any rights or claims against any of the
Company Related Parties under this Agreement or in respect of
any oral representations made or alleged to be made in
connection herewith or in respect of the transactions
contemplated hereby, whether at law or equity, in contract, in
tort or otherwise, and none of the Company Related Parties shall
have any further liability or obligation relating to or arising
out of this Agreement or in respect of any oral representations
made or alleged to be made in connection herewith or in respect
of the transactions contemplated hereby. The provisions of this
Section 8.3(f) shall be enforceable by each Parent
Related Party, each of its Affiliates and their respective
successors and permitted assigns.
(g) Each of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub acknowledges
that (i) the agreements contained in this
Section 8.3 are an integral part of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) each of the
Termination Fee and the Reverse Termination Fee is not a
penalty, but is liquidated damages, in a reasonable amount that
will compensate the Company or Parent and Merger Sub, and their
respective Affiliates, as the case may be, in the circumstances
in which such fee is payable for the efforts and resources
expended and opportunities foregone while negotiating this
Agreement and in reliance on this Agreement and on the
expectation of the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby, which amount would otherwise be impossible to calculate
with precision, and (iii) without these agreements, the
parties would not enter into this Agreement. In the event that
the Company shall fail to pay the Termination Fee or Expenses
when due or Parent shall fail to pay the Reverse Termination Fee
when due, the Company or Parent, as the case may be, shall
reimburse the other party for all reasonable Expenses actually
incurred or accrued by such other party (including reasonable
Expenses of counsel) in connection with the collection under and
enforcement of this Section 8.3.
Section 8.4 Amendment
or Supplement. This Agreement may be amended,
modified or supplemented by the parties by action taken or
authorized by their respective Boards of Directors at any time
prior to the Effective Time, whether before of after the Company
Stockholder Approval has been obtained; provided,
however, that (a) after the Acceptance Time, no
amendment shall be made which decreases the Per Share Merger
Consideration and (b) after the Company Stockholder
Approval has been obtained, no amendment shall be made that
pursuant to applicable Law requires further approval or adoption
by the stockholders of the Company without such further approval
or adoption. This Agreement may not be amended, modified or
supplemented in any manner, whether by course of conduct or
otherwise, except by an instrument in writing specifically
designated as an amendment hereto, signed on behalf of each of
the parties in interest at the time of the amendment.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, after the Acceptance Time and
prior to the Effective Time, any amendment to this Agreement
must be approved by a majority of the Independent Directors (or
in the case where there are two or fewer Independent Directors,
the
48
concurrence of one Independent Director), if such amendment
would reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect on the
rights of any holders of Shares other than Parent or Merger Sub.
Section 8.5 Extension
of Time; Waiver. At any time prior to the
Effective Time, the parties may, by action taken or authorized
by their respective Boards of Directors, to the extent permitted
by applicable Law, (a) extend the time for the performance
of any of the obligations or acts of the other parties,
(b) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and
warranties of the other parties set forth in this Agreement or
any document delivered pursuant hereto or (c) subject to
applicable Law, waive compliance with any of the agreements or
conditions of the other parties contained herein;
provided, however, that, if Company Stockholder
Approval is required by applicable Law, after the Company
Stockholder Approval has been obtained, no waiver may be made
that pursuant to applicable Law or in accordance with the rules
and regulations of NASDAQ requires further approval or adoption
by the stockholders of the Company without such further approval
or adoption. Any agreement on the part of a party to any such
waiver shall be valid only if set forth in a written instrument
executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer on behalf of
such party. No failure or delay of any party in exercising any
right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor
shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power,
or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such
right or power, or any course of conduct, preclude any other or
further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or
power. The rights and remedies of the parties hereunder are
cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies which
they would otherwise have hereunder.
ARTICLE IX
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
Section 9.1 Nonsurvival
of Representations and Warranties. None of
the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements in this
Agreement or in any instrument delivered pursuant to this
Agreement shall survive the Effective Time, other than those
covenants or agreements of the parties which by their terms
apply, or are to be performed in whole or in part, after the
Effective Time.
Section 9.2 Notices. All
notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing
and shall be deemed duly given (a) on the date of delivery
if delivered personally, or if by facsimile, upon written
confirmation of receipt by facsimile, (b) on the first
(1st) Business Day following the date of dispatch if delivered
utilizing a
next-day
service by a recognized
next-day
courier or (c) on the earlier of confirmed receipt or the
fifth (5th) Business Day following the date of mailing if
delivered by registered or certified mail, return receipt
requested, postage prepaid. All notices hereunder shall be
delivered to the addresses set forth below, or pursuant to such
other instructions as may be designated in writing by the party
to receive such notice:
(i) if to Parent, Merger Sub or the Surviving
Corporation, to:
c/o Apollo
Management VII, L.P.
0 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxx, Weiss, Rifkind, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX
00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
49
(ii) if to Company, to:
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Wachtell, Lipton, Xxxxx & Xxxx
00 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
Section 9.3 Certain
Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:
(a) “Affiliate” of any Person means
any other Person that directly or indirectly, through one or
more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under
common control with, such first Person;
(b) “beneficial ownership” has the
meaning given to such term in Rule 13d 3 under the Exchange
Act.
(c) “Business Day” means any day
other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banks in New
York, New York are authorized by Law or executive order to be
closed;
(d) “control” (including the terms
“controlled,” “controlled by”
and “under common control with”) means the
possession, directly or indirectly or as trustee or executor, of
the power to direct or cause the direction of the management
policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of stock, as
trustee or executor, by contract or otherwise;
(e) “Expenses” means all actual,
documented
out-of-pocket
expenses actually incurred by a party or on its behalf in
connection with or related to the investigation, authorization,
preparation, negotiation, execution and performance of this
Agreement, including all fees and expenses payable to financing
sources (including any amounts payable in connection with the
Debt Financing and the Debt Commitment Letter), counsel,
accountants, investment bankers, experts and consultants and
other Representatives
(f) “Indebtedness” means
(i) indebtedness for borrowed money (whether current,
short-term or long-term, secured or unsecured),
(ii) obligations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures, letters of credit or
similar instruments, (iii) obligations under conditional or
installment sale Contracts or other title retention Contracts
relating to purchased property (including
“earn-outs”), (iv) capital lease obligations,
(v) obligations in respect of interest rate and currency
obligation swaps, collars, caps, xxxxxx or similar arrangements,
(vi) liabilities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
for any bank overdrafts, (vii) accrued interest, premiums,
penalties and other obligations relating to the foregoing in
connection with the repayment thereof on or prior to the
Effective Date, (viii) obligations of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries to guarantee any of the foregoing types of
indebtedness of any other Person and “keepwell” or
other agreements to maintain any financial statement condition
of any other Person and (ix) all arrangements having the
economic effect of any of the foregoing.
(g) “knowledge” of any party means
(i) the actual knowledge of any executive officer of such
party or other officer having primary responsibility for the
relevant matter or (ii) any fact or matter which any such
officer of such party could be expected to discover or otherwise
become aware of in the course of conducting a reasonably
comprehensive investigation concerning the existence of the
relevant matter;
(h) “Liens” means any pledges,
claims, liens, charges, options, rights of first refusal,
encumbrances, mortgages, deeds of trust, easements, covenants,
rights of way, title defects and security interests of any kind
or nature whatsoever (including any limitation on voting, sale,
transfer or other disposition or exercise of any other attribute
of ownership).
50
(i) “Person” means an individual,
corporation, partnership, limited liability company,
association, trust, labor union or other association, entity or
organization, including any Governmental Entity; and
(j) “Subsidiary” means, with
respect to any Person, any other Person of which at least a
majority of the voting or equity securities, or ownership
interests otherwise having by their terms ordinary voting power
to elect a majority of the board of directors or other Persons
performing similar functions of such Person, is directly or
indirectly owned or controlled by such Person
and/or by
one or more of its Subsidiaries.
(k) “Treasury Regulation” means the
regulations promulgated under the Code, including temporary
regulations.
Section 9.4 Interpretation. When
a reference is made in this Agreement to a Section, Article or
Exhibit such reference shall be to a Section, Article or Exhibit
of this Agreement unless otherwise indicated. The table of
contents and headings contained in this Agreement or in any
Exhibit are for convenience of reference purposes only and shall
not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement. All words used in this Agreement will be construed to
be of such gender or number as the circumstances require. Any
capitalized terms used in any Exhibit but not otherwise defined
therein shall have the meaning set forth in this Agreement. All
Exhibits annexed hereto or referred to herein are hereby
incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set
forth herein. The word “including” and words of
similar import when used in this Agreement will mean
“including, without limitation,” unless otherwise
specified. The phrase “made available,” when used in
reference to anything made available to Parent, Merger Sub or
any of their respective Representatives will mean uploaded to
and made available to Parent, Merger Sub and their
Representatives in the on-line data room hosted on behalf of the
Company in the on-line workspace captioned “Project
Colonel” or as otherwise delivered to Parent or any
Representative of Parent via electronic copy at any time prior
to the parties entering into this Agreement.
Section 9.5 Entire
Agreement. This Agreement (including the
Exhibits hereto), the Company Disclosure Letter, the Support
Agreements, the Equity Commitment Letter, the Limited Guarantee
and the Confidentiality Agreement constitute the entire
agreement, and supersede all prior written agreements,
arrangements, communications and understandings and all prior
and contemporaneous oral agreements, arrangements,
communications and understandings among the parties with respect
to the subject matter hereof and thereof.
Section 9.6 No
Third Party Beneficiaries. Except (a) as
provided in Sections 6.8, 8.3(f) and
9.10(b) (with respect to the Parent Related Parties and
the Company Related Parties) and Section 9.8(b)
(with respect to the Debt Financing Sources) and (b) for
the provisions of Article III concerning payment of
the Per Share Merger Consideration (or the amounts set forth in
Section 3.2), which following the Effective Time
shall inure to the Company’s stockholders, holders of the
Series B Convertible Preferred Shares, holders of the
Series C Convertible Preferred Shares, and to the holders
of Company Options and Company Restricted Shares, but, in each
case, subject to the limitations on enforcement (including as
provided in Sections 9.7, 9.8, 9.10
and 9.13) provided for in this Agreement, nothing in this
Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer
upon any Person other than the parties and their respective
successors and permitted assigns any legal or equitable right,
benefit or remedy of any nature under or by reason of this
Agreement. The representations and warranties set forth in
Articles IV and V and the covenants and
agreements set forth in Article VI have been made
solely for the benefit of the parties to this Agreement and
(i) may be intended not as statements of fact, but rather
as a way of allocating risk to one of the parties if those
statements prove to be inaccurate; (ii) have been qualified
in certain instances by reference to the Company Disclosure
Letter, which contains certain disclosures not reflected in the
text of this Agreement; and (iii) may apply standards of
materiality in a way that is different from what may be viewed
as material by the stockholders of, of other investors in, the
Company.
Section 9.7 Governing
Law. This Agreement and all disputes or
controversies arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the
Equity Commitment Letter and the Limited Guarantee or the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be governed
by, and construed in accordance with, the internal Laws of the
State of Delaware, without regard to the Laws of any other
jurisdiction that might be applied because of the conflicts of
laws principles of the State of Delaware.
51
Section 9.8 Submission
to Jurisdiction.
(a) Each of the parties irrevocably agrees that any Action
(whether at law, in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise)
arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Equity
Commitment Letter or the Limited Guarantee brought by any other
party or its successors or assigns shall be brought and
determined in the Delaware Court of Chancery and any state
appellate court therefrom within the State of Delaware (unless
the Delaware Court of Chancery shall decline to accept
jurisdiction over a particular matter, in which case, in any
Delaware state or federal court within the State of Delaware)
(each, a “Chosen Court”), and each of the
parties hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction
of the Chosen Courts for itself and with respect to its
property, generally and unconditionally, with regard to any such
Action arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Equity
Commitment Letter or the Limited Guarantee, in respect of any
oral representations made or alleged to be made in connection
herewith or therewith and the transactions contemplated hereby
and thereby. Each of the parties agrees not to commence any
Action (whether at law, in equity, in contract, in tort or
otherwise) relating thereto except in the Chosen Courts, other
than Actions in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce
any judgment, decree or award rendered by any such Chosen Court.
Each of the parties further agrees that notice as provided
herein shall constitute sufficient service of process and the
parties further waive any argument that such service is
insufficient. Each of the parties hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally waives, and agrees not to assert, by way of
motion or as a defense, counterclaim or otherwise, in any Action
(whether at law, in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise)
arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Equity
Commitment Letter or the Limited Guarantee, in respect of any
oral representations made or alleged to be made in connection
herewith or therewith or the transactions contemplated hereby or
thereby, (a) any claim that it is not personally subject to
the jurisdiction of the Chosen Courts for any reason,
(b) that it or its property is exempt or immune from
jurisdiction of any such Chosen Court or from any legal process
commenced in such Chosen Courts (whether through service of
notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of
execution of judgment, execution of judgment or otherwise) and
(c) that (i) the Action in any such Chosen Court is
brought in an inconvenient forum, (ii) the venue of such
Action is improper or (iii) this Agreement, the Equity
Commitment Letter or the Limited Guarantee, or the subject
matter hereof or thereof, may not be enforced in or by such
Chosen Courts.
(b) Notwithstanding anything in Section 9.8(a)
to the contrary, each of the parties hereto agrees that it will
not bring or support any Action (whether at law, in equity, in
contract, in tort or otherwise) against the Lenders or any other
Persons that have committed to provide or otherwise entered into
agreements in connection with the Debt Financing or other
financings in connection with the transactions contemplated
hereby, including any joinder agreements or credit agreements
relating thereto (each such Person, a “Debt Financing
Source”) in any way relating to this Agreement or any
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including
any dispute arising out of or relating in any way to the Debt
Commitment Letter or the performance thereof, in any forum other
than the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New
York, or, if under applicable Law exclusive jurisdiction is
vested in the Federal courts, the United States District Court
for the Southern District of New York (and appellate courts
thereof). The provisions of this Section 9.8(b)
shall be enforceable by each Debt Financing Source, its
Affiliates and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
Section 9.9 Assignment;
Successors. Neither this Agreement nor any of
the rights, interests or obligations under this Agreement may be
assigned or delegated, in whole or in part, by operation of law
or otherwise, by any party without the prior written consent of
the other parties, and any such assignment without such prior
written consent shall be null and void; provided,
however, that Parent or Merger Sub may assign all or any
of their rights and obligations hereunder (including Merger
Sub’s rights and obligations as the offeror under the
Offer) (a) prior to the Effective Time, to an Affiliate or
to any parties providing the Financing pursuant to the terms
thereof (including for purposes of creating a security interest
herein or other assignment as collateral in respect of such
Financing) and (b) after the Effective Time, in connection
with a merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all
of the assets of Parent or the Surviving Corporation or any of
its Subsidiaries. Any such assignment will not relieve the party
making such assignment from its obligations hereunder. Subject
to the two (2) immediately preceding sentences, this
Agreement will be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be
enforceable by, the parties and their respective successors and
assigns.
52
Section 9.10 Enforcement.
(a) The parties agree that irreparable damage would occur
in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement to be
performed by Parent, the Company or any of their respective
Subsidiaries were not performed in accordance with their
specific terms or were otherwise breached. Accordingly, prior to
any termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 8.1, the Company, Parent and Merger Sub (as
applicable) shall be entitled to specific performance of the
terms hereof, including an injunction or injunctions to prevent
breaches of this Agreement by the other (as applicable) and to
enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement
in the Chosen Courts, this being in addition to any other remedy
to which such party is entitled at law or in equity. The
Company, Parent and Merger Sub each hereby further waives
(i) any defense in any action for specific performance that
a remedy at law would be adequate and (ii) any requirement
under any Law to post security as a prerequisite to obtaining
equitable relief.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, including Section 9.10(a), it is
explicitly agreed that the Company shall be entitled to seek
specific performance of Parent’s obligation to cause the
Cash Equity to be funded to fund the Offer and the Merger and to
consummate the Offer and the Merger, as applicable, only in the
event that (i) (A) with respect to the Offer, all of the
Offer Conditions shall have been satisfied or waived as of the
expiration of the Offer and (B) with respect to the Merger,
all of the conditions set forth in Section 7.1 and,
if the Offer Termination shall have occurred, all of the
conditions set forth in Section 7.2, shall have been
satisfied or waived as of the time when the Closing would have
occurred pursuant to Section 2.2 but for the failure
of the Cash Equity to be funded, (ii) the Debt Financing
has been funded or will be funded at or promptly after the
Acceptance Time or at or prior to the Closing, as applicable, if
the Cash Equity is funded at such time in accordance with the
Equity Commitment Letter, (iii) Parent and Merger Sub fail
to consummate the Offer or effect the Closing in accordance with
Sections 1.1(c) or 2.2, respectively and
(iv) with respect to the Merger, the Company has
irrevocably confirmed that if specific performance is granted
and the Cash Equity and Debt Financing are funded, then the
Closing will occur. For the avoidance of doubt, in no event
shall the Company be entitled to enforce or seek to enforce
specifically Parent’s obligation to cause the Cash Equity
to be funded or to consummate the Offer or the Merger if the
Debt Financing has not been funded (or will not be funded at or
promptly after the Acceptance Time or at or prior to the
Closing, as applicable, if the Cash Equity is funded at such
time). Each of the parties agrees that it will not oppose the
granting of an injunction, specific performance and other
equitable relief when expressly available pursuant to the terms
of this Agreement on the basis that the other parties have an
adequate remedy at law or an award of specific performance is
not an appropriate remedy for any reason at law or equity. Any
party seeking an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches
of this Agreement when expressly available pursuant to the terms
of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and
provisions of this Agreement when expressly available pursuant
to the terms of this Agreement shall not be required to provide
any bond or other security in connection with any such order or
injunction. If a Chosen Court has declined to specifically
enforce the obligations of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate
the Offer or the Merger pursuant to a claim for specific
performance brought against Parent and Merger Sub pursuant to
this Section 9.10(b) but the standards set forth in
this Section 9.10(b) for the Company’s
entitlement to such specific performance have been met and would
otherwise entitle the Company to such specific performance,
then, and solely in such event, the Company shall be entitled
to, and Parent and Merger Sub shall pay to the Company, the
Reverse Termination Fee as promptly as reasonably practicable
following the two (2) week period in the proviso below
(and, in any event, within two (2) Business Days of such
two (2) week period), payable by wire transfer of readily
available funds; provided, that if a Chosen Court has
granted an award of damages, the Company may enforce such award
and accept damages up to the amount of the Reverse Termination
Fee only if, within two (2) weeks following such award,
Parent and Merger Sub shall not have not consummated the Offer
(to the extent the Offer Termination shall not have occurred)
and the Merger. In addition, the Company agrees to cause any
Action still pending to be dismissed with prejudice at such time
as Parent and Merger Sub consummate the Offer (to the extent the
Offer Termination shall not have occurred) and the Merger. For
the avoidance of doubt and subject only to the possible
entitlement to specific performance as set forth in this
Section 9.10, in no event shall Parent, Merger Sub
or any Parent Related Party have any liability under or in
respect of this Agreement, the Limited Guarantee, the Equity
Commitment Letter, the Debt Commitment Letter or in respect of
any oral representations made or alleged to be made in
connection herewith or therewith or in respect of the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby in excess of an
aggregate amount equal to the Reverse Termination Fee. The
provisions of this
53
Section 9.10(b) shall be enforceable by each Parent
Related Party, each of its Affiliates and their respective
successors and permitted assigns.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, except as and to the extent expressly permitted by
Section 9.10(b), the parties acknowledge that the
Company shall not be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to
prevent breaches of this Agreement by Parent or Merger Sub or
any remedy to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of
this Agreement and that the Company’s sole and exclusive
remedies with respect to any such breach shall be the remedies
set forth in Section 8.3(f).
Section 9.11 Currency. All
references to “dollars” or “$” or
“US$” in this Agreement refer to United States
dollars, which is the currency used for all purposes in this
Agreement.
Section 9.12 Severability. Whenever
possible, each provision or portion of any provision of this
Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective
and valid under applicable Law, but if any provision or portion
of any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any applicable Law
or rule in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or
unenforceability shall not affect any other provision or portion
of any provision in such jurisdiction, and this Agreement shall
be reformed, construed and enforced in such jurisdiction as if
such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or portion of
any provision had never been contained herein.
Section 9.13 Waiver
of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THIS
AGREEMENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY
IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR
RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE EQUITY COMMITMENT LETTER OR
THE LIMITED GUARANTEE OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR
THEREBY.
Section 9.14 Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of
which shall be considered one and the same instrument and shall
become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed
by each of the parties and delivered to the other party.
Section 9.15 Facsimile
Signature. This Agreement may be executed by
facsimile signature and a facsimile signature shall constitute
an original for all purposes.
Section 9.16 No
Presumption Against Drafting Party. Each of
Parent, Merger Sub and the Company acknowledges that each party
to this Agreement has been represented by counsel in connection
with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. Accordingly, any rule of Law or any legal decision
that would require interpretation of any claimed ambiguities in
this Agreement against the drafting party has no application and
is expressly waived.
[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.]
54
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be
executed as of the date first written above by their respective
officers thereunto duly authorized.
COLONEL HOLDINGS, INC.
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Chairman
COLONEL MERGER SUB, INC.
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Chairman
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By:
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/s/ Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
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Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer
55
EXHIBIT A
CONDITIONS
TO THE OFFER
Notwithstanding any other term of the Offer or the
Merger
Agreement, Merger Sub shall not be required to accept for
payment or, subject to any applicable rules and regulations of
the SEC, including
Rule 14e-1(c)
under the Exchange Act (relating to Merger Sub’s obligation
to pay for or return tendered Common Shares promptly after the
termination or withdrawal of the Offer), to pay for any Common
Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer and, subject to the terms
of the
Merger Agreement, may delay the acceptance for payment of
or payment for Shares or amend the Offer, if at any scheduled
expiration date of the Offer:
(a) there shall not have been validly tendered and not
withdrawn a number of Common Shares that, together with the
Common Shares, if any, then owned by Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries and the Support Agreement Shares, if any, held in a
voting trust in accordance with a Support Agreement, would
represent at least a majority of the outstanding Common Shares
on a fully diluted basis on the date of purchase (which means,
as of any time, the number of Common Shares outstanding,
together with all Common Shares that the Company would be
required to issue pursuant to the conversion or exercise of all
options, rights and securities convertible into or exercisable
for Shares or otherwise, including after giving effect to
Section 3.2(a)) (the “Minimum
Condition”);
(b) the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act or
foreign antitrust filings in respect of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement shall not have expired or been
terminated (or approval of the transactions contemplated by the
Merger Agreement shall not have been obtained to the extent
required under applicable foreign antitrust Laws); or
(c) any of the following conditions shall exist:
(i) there shall be pending any Action by any Governmental
Entity that seeks, directly or indirectly, to (A) challenge
or make illegal or otherwise prohibit, restrain or materially
delay the consummation of the Offer, the Merger or any of the
other transactions contemplated by the
Merger Agreement, or to
make materially more costly the making of the Offer, or to
obtain from the Company, Parent or Merger Sub any damages that
are material in relation to the Company and its Subsidiaries
taken as a whole, (B) to prohibit or limit the ownership,
operation or control by the Company, Parent or any of their
respective Affiliates of any material portion of the business or
assets of the Company, Parent or any of their respective
Affiliates, or to compel the Company, Parent or any of their
respective Affiliates to dispose of or hold separate any
material portion of the business or assets of the Company,
Parent or any of their respective Affiliates or (C) to
impose limitations on the ability of Parent to acquire or hold,
or exercise full rights of ownership of, any Shares (or shares
of capital stock of the Surviving Corporation), including the
right to vote the Shares purchased or owned by them on all
matters properly presented to stockholders of the Company;
(ii) there shall be any Law enacted, entered, promulgated,
enforced or deemed applicable by any Governmental Entity that
would, or would reasonably be expected to, directly or
indirectly, result in any of the consequences referred to in
clauses (A) through (C) of paragraph (c)(i) above;
(iii) since the date of the
Merger Agreement, there shall
have occurred any event, change, development, circumstance,
occurrence, effect, condition or state of facts that,
individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(iv) (A) the Company shall have breached or failed to
comply in any material respect with any of its obligations,
covenants or agreements contained in the
Merger Agreement; (B)
(1) any of the representations and warranties of the
Company set forth in
Sections 4.1,
4.2,
4.4,
4.5(a)(i) or
(iii),
4.9(b),
4.20,
4.21,
4.22,
4.24 or
4.25 shall not be true and correct as of the date of the
Merger Agreement or as of any scheduled expiration date of the
Offer as if made as of the time of such determination (except to
the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate
to an earlier date, in which case as of such earlier date) or
(2) any of the remaining representations and warranties of
the Company set forth in the Merger Agreement shall not be true
and correct, without giving effect to any materiality or
“Material Adverse Effect” qualifications or exceptions
contained in such representations and warranties, except as,
individually and in the aggregate, would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, in
each case, as of the date of the Merger Agreement or as of any
scheduled expiration date of the Offer as if made as of the time
of such determination (except to the extent such representations
and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which
case as of such earlier date); or (C) Parent and Merger Sub
shall have failed to received a certificate of an executive
officer of the Company, dated as of the scheduled expiration
date of the Offer, to the effect set forth in the foregoing
clauses (A) and (B);
(v) Prior to the purchase of Common Shares pursuant to the
Offer, the Company Board shall have made an Adverse
Recommendation Change; or
(vi) the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated in
accordance with its terms or shall have been amended in
accordance with its terms to provide for such termination or
amendment of the Offer.
The foregoing conditions are for the sole benefit of Merger Sub
and Parent and may be asserted by Merger Sub or Parent
regardless of the circumstances giving rise to such condition,
in whole or in part, at any applicable time or from time to time
in their sole discretion prior to the expiration of the Offer,
except that the conditions relating to receipt of any approvals
from any Governmental Entity may be asserted at any time prior
to the acceptance for payment of Common Shares, and all
conditions (except for the Minimum Condition) may be waived by
Parent or Merger Sub in their sole discretion in whole or in
part at any applicable time or from time to time, in each case
subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and
the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. The failure of
Parent or Merger Sub at any time to exercise any of the
foregoing rights shall not be deemed a waiver of any such right
and each such right shall be deemed an ongoing right that may be
asserted at any time and from time to time.
Capitalized terms used in this Exhibit A and not
otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned
thereto in the Merger Agreement to which this
Exhibit A is attached (the “Merger
Agreement”).
EXHIBIT B
LIMITED
GUARANTEE
[Attached.]
EXHIBIT C
AMENDMENT
TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT
[Attached.]