AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER AND REORGANIZATION among KENTUCKY USA ENERGY, INC. (formerly known as Las Rocas Mining Corp.) KY ACQUISITION CORP. and KY USA ENERGY, INC. May 2, 2008
Exhibit
2.1
among
(formerly
known as Las Rocas Mining Corp.)
KY
ACQUISITION CORP.
and
KY USA
ENERGY, INC.
May 2,
2008
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I THE MERGER |
1
|
|
1.1
|
The
Merger
|
1
|
1.2
|
The
Closing
|
2
|
1.3
|
Actions
at the Closing
|
2
|
1.4
|
Additional
Actions
|
3
|
1.5
|
Conversion
of Company Securities
|
3
|
1.6
|
Dissenting
Shares
|
4
|
1.7
|
Fractional
Shares
|
4
|
1.8
|
Options
and Warrants
|
5
|
1.9
|
Escrow
|
5
|
1.10
|
Certificate
of Incorporation and ByLaws
|
6
|
1.11
|
No
Further Rights
|
6
|
1.12
|
Closing
of Transfer Books
|
6
|
1.13
|
Post-Closing
Adjustment
|
6
|
1.14
|
Exemption
from Registration
|
7
|
ARTICLE II REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY |
7
|
|
2.1
|
Organization,
Qualification and Corporate Power
|
7
|
2.2
|
Capitalization
|
8
|
2.3
|
Authorization
of Transaction
|
8
|
2.4
|
Noncontravention
|
8
|
2.5
|
Subsidiaries
|
9
|
2.6
|
Financial
Statements
|
10
|
2.7
|
Absence
of Certain Changes
|
10
|
2.8
|
Undisclosed
Liabilities
|
10
|
2.9
|
Tax
Matters
|
10
|
2.10
|
Assets
|
12
|
2.11
|
Owned
Real Property
|
12
|
2.12
|
Real
Property Leases
|
12
|
2.13
|
Contracts
|
13
|
2.14
|
Accounts
Receivable
|
14
|
2.15
|
Powers
of Attorney
|
15
|
2.16
|
Insurance
|
15
|
2.17
|
Litigation
|
15
|
2.18
|
Employees
|
15
|
2.19
|
Employee
Benefits
|
16
|
2.20
|
Environmental
Matters
|
18
|
2.21
|
Legal
Compliance
|
19
|
2.22
|
[Intentionally
Omitted]
|
19
|
2.23
|
Permits
|
19
|
2.24
|
Certain
Business Relationships with Affiliates
|
19
|
2.25
|
Brokers’
Fees
|
19
|
2.26
|
Books
and Records
|
19
|
2.27
|
Intellectual
Property
|
20
|
2.28
|
Independent
and Internal Engineering Report
|
21
|
2.29
|
Title
to Interests
|
21
|
2.30
|
Compliance
with Leases and Laws; Operation of Assets
|
22
|
2.31
|
Sale
of Production
|
24
|
2.32
|
Status
of Xxxxx
|
25
|
2.33
|
Hedging
|
25
|
2.34
|
Drilling
Obligations
|
25
|
2.35
|
Royalty
Interests
|
25
|
2.36
|
Seismic
Information
|
25
|
2.37
|
Tax
Partnerships
|
26
|
2.38
|
Disclosure
|
26
|
2.39
|
Duty
to Make Inquiry
|
26
|
ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE PARENT AND THE ACQUISITION SUBSIDIARY |
26
|
|
3.1
|
Organization,
Qualification and Corporate Power
|
26
|
3.2
|
Capitalization
|
27
|
3.3
|
Authorization
of Transaction
|
27
|
3.4
|
Noncontravention
|
28
|
3.5
|
Subsidiaries
|
28
|
3.6
|
Exchange
Act Reports
|
29
|
3.7
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
29
|
3.8
|
Financial
Statements
|
30
|
3.9
|
Absence
of Certain Changes
|
30
|
3.10
|
Litigation
|
30
|
3.11
|
Undisclosed
Liabilities
|
31
|
3.12
|
Tax
Matters
|
31
|
3.13
|
Assets
|
32
|
3.14
|
Owned
Real Property
|
32
|
3.15
|
Real
Property Leases
|
32
|
3.16
|
Contracts
|
33
|
3.17
|
Accounts
Receivable
|
34
|
3.18
|
Powers
of Attorney
|
34
|
3.19
|
Insurance
|
34
|
3.20
|
Warranties
|
35
|
3.21
|
Employees
|
35
|
3.22
|
Employee
Benefits
|
35
|
3.23
|
Environmental
Matters
|
37
|
3.24
|
Permits
|
38
|
3.25
|
Certain
Business Relationships with Affiliates
|
38
|
3.26
|
Tax-Free
Reorganization
|
38
|
3.27
|
Split-Off
|
39
|
3.28
|
Brokers’
Fees
|
39
|
3.29
|
Disclosure
|
39
|
3.30
|
Interested
Party Transactions
|
40
|
3.31
|
Duty
to Make Inquiry
|
40
|
3.32
|
Accountants
|
40
|
3.33
|
Minute
Books
|
40
|
3.34
|
Board
Action
|
41
|
ARTICLE IV COVENANTS |
41
|
|
4.1
|
Closing
Efforts
|
41
|
4.2
|
Governmental
and Thirty Party Notices and Consents
|
41
|
4.3
|
Current
Report
|
41
|
4.4
|
Operation
of Company Business
|
41
|
4.5
|
Access
to Company Information
|
43
|
4.6
|
Operation
of Parent Business
|
43
|
4.7
|
Access
to Parent Information
|
45
|
4.8
|
Expenses
|
45
|
4.9
|
Indemnification
|
45
|
4.10
|
Listing
of Merger Shares
|
46
|
4.11
|
[Intentionally
Omitted]
|
46
|
4.12
|
Name
Change
|
46
|
4.13
|
Split-Off
|
46
|
4.14
|
Stock
Option Plan
|
46
|
4.15
|
Parent
Board; Amendment of Charter Documents
|
46
|
4.16
|
Information
Provided to Company Stockholders
|
46
|
4.17
|
No
Registration
|
47
|
4.18
|
No
Shorting
|
47
|
4.19
|
No
Organic Changes
|
47
|
ARTICLE V CONDITIONS TO CONSUMMATION OF MERGER |
47
|
|
5.1
|
Conditions
to Each Party’s Obligations
|
47
|
5.2
|
Conditions
to Obligations of the Parent and the Acquisition
Subsidiary
|
48
|
5.3
|
Conditions
to Obligations of the Company
|
49
|
ARTICLE VI INDEMNIFICATION |
50
|
|
6.1
|
Indemnification
by the Company Stockholders
|
50
|
6.2
|
Indemnification
by the Parent
|
51
|
6.3
|
Indemnification
Claims by the Parent
|
51
|
6.4
|
Survival
of Representations and Warranties
|
54
|
6.5
|
Limitations
on Parent’s Claims for Indemnification
|
54
|
ARTICLE VII DEFINITIONS |
55
|
|
ARTICLE VIII TERMINATION |
58
|
|
8.1
|
Termination
by Mutual Agreement
|
58
|
8.2
|
[Intentionally
Omitted]
|
58
|
8.3
|
Termination
by Operation of Law
|
58
|
8.4
|
Termination
for Failure to Perform Covenants or Conditions
|
58
|
8.5
|
Effect
of Termination or Default; Remedies
|
58
|
8.6
|
Remedies;
Specific Performance
|
58
|
ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS |
59
|
|
9.1
|
Press
Releases and Announcements
|
59
|
9.2
|
No
Third Party Beneficiaries
|
59
|
9.3
|
Entire
Agreement
|
59
|
9.4
|
Succession
and Assignment
|
59
|
9.5
|
Counterparts
and Facsimile Signature
|
59
|
9.6
|
Headings
|
60
|
9.7
|
Notices
|
60
|
9.8
|
Governing
Law
|
60
|
9.9
|
Amendments
and Waivers
|
60
|
9.10
|
Severability
|
61
|
9.11
|
Submission
to Jurisdiction
|
61
|
9.12
|
Construction
|
61
|
EXHIBITS
Exhibit
A Form
of Split-Off Agreement
Exhibit
B Form
of Escrow Agreement
Exhibit
C Signatories
to Lock-Up Agreements
Exhibit
D Opinion
of Counsel to the Company
Exhibit
E Opinion
of Counsel to the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary
Exhibit
F Form
of IR Shares Escrow Agreement
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER AND
REORGANIZATION (this “Agreement”), dated as of May 2, 2008, by and among
Kentucky USA Energy, Inc. (formerly known as Las Rocas Mining Corp.), a Delaware
corporation (the “Parent”), KY Acquisition Corp., a Kentucky corporation (the
“Acquisition Subsidiary”), and KY USA Energy, Inc., a Kentucky corporation (the
“Company”). The Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary and the Company
are each a “Party” and referred to collectively herein as the
“Parties.”
WHEREAS,
this Agreement contemplates a merger of the Acquisition Subsidiary with and into
the Company, with the Company remaining as the surviving entity after the merger
(the “Merger”), whereby the stockholders of the Company will receive common
stock of the Parent in exchange for their capital stock of the
Company;
WHEREAS,
prior to the execution of this Agreement, pursuant to the terms of that certain
Promissory Note, dated as of October 5, 2007 and related documents, the Company
has borrowed $800,000 (the “Bridge Loan”) from Somerset Recycling,
Inc.;
WHEREAS,
contemporaneously with the closing of the Merger, the Parent intends to
split-off its wholly owned subsidiary, Las Rocas Leaseco, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (“Leaseco”), through the sale of all of the outstanding capital
stock of Leaseco (the “Split-Off”) upon the terms and conditions of a split-off
agreement by and among the Parent, Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx (“Buyer”), the Company
and Leaseco, substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached
hereto (the “Split-Off Agreement”); and
WHEREAS,
the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary and the Company desire that the Merger
qualifies as a “plan of reorganization” under Section 368(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and not subject the holders of
equity securities of the Company to tax liability under the Code;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, warranties and covenants
herein contained, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt,
adequacy and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto,
intending legally to be bound, agree as follows:
ARTICLE
I
THE
MERGER
1.1 The
Merger. Upon and subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, the Acquisition Subsidiary shall merge with and into the Company at
the Effective Time (as defined below). From and after the Effective
Time, the separate corporate existence of the Acquisition Subsidiary shall cease
and the Company shall continue as the surviving corporation in the Merger (the
“Surviving Corporation”). The “Effective Time” shall be the time at
which the Articles of Merger (the “Articles of Merger”) and other appropriate or
required documents prepared and executed in accordance with the relevant
provisions of the Kentucky Business Corporation Act (the “BCA”) are filed with
the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Merger
shall have the effects set forth in the applicable provisions of the
BCA.
1.2 The
Closing. The closing of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement (the “Closing”) shall take place at the offices of Gottbetter &
Partners, LLP in New York, New York commencing at 10:00 a.m. local time on May
2, 2008, or, if all of the conditions to the obligations of the Parties to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby have not been satisfied or
waived by such date, on such mutually agreeable later date as soon as
practicable (and in any event not later than three (3) business days) after the
satisfaction or waiver of all conditions (excluding the delivery of any
documents to be delivered at the Closing by any of the Parties) set forth in
Article V hereof (the “Closing Date”).
1.3 Actions at the
Closing. At the Closing:
(a) the
Company shall deliver to the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary the various
certificates, instruments and documents referred to in Section 5.2;
(b) the
Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary shall deliver to the Company the various
certificates, instruments and documents referred to in Section 5.3;
(c) the
Surviving Corporation shall file the Articles of Merger with the Secretary of
State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky;
(d) each of
the stockholders of record of the Company immediately prior to the Effective
Time (collectively, the “Company Stockholders”) shall, if requested by the
Parent, deliver to the Parent the certificate(s) representing his, her or its
Company Shares (as defined below);
(e) the
Parent shall deliver certificates for the Initial Shares (as defined below) to
each Company Stockholder in accordance with Section 1.5 and shall deliver Parent
Warrants (as defined below) to the applicable holders of Warrants (as defined
below), as contemplated by Section 1.8(d);
(f) the
Parent shall deliver to the Company (i) evidence that the Parent’s board of
directors is authorized to consist of five individuals, (ii) the resignations of
all individuals who served as directors and/or officers of the Parent
immediately prior to the Closing Date, (iii) evidence of the appointment of five
directors to serve immediately following the Closing Date, four of whom shall
have been designated by the Company and one of whom shall have been designated
by the Parent, provided that such Parent designee is reasonably acceptable to
the four Company designees, and (v) evidence of the appointment of such
executive officers of the Parent to serve immediately following the Closing Date
as shall have been designated by the Company; and
(g) the
Parent, Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx and X.X. Xxxxxxx (the “Indemnification
Representatives”) and Gottbetter & Partners, LLP (the “Escrow Agent”) shall
execute and deliver the Escrow Agreement in substantially the form attached
hereto as Exhibit
B (the “Escrow Agreement”), and the Parent shall deliver to the Escrow
Agent a certificate for the Escrow Shares (as defined below) being placed in
escrow on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 1.9.
2
(h) the
Parent and the Escrow Agent shall execute and deliver the IR Shares Escrow
Agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit F (the “IR
Shares Escrow Agreement”), and the Parent shall deliver to the Escrow Agent a
certificate for the IR Escrow Shares (as defined below) being placed in escrow
on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 1.9.
1.4 Additional
Actions. If at any time after the Effective Time the Surviving
Corporation shall consider or be advised that any deeds, bills of sale,
assignments or assurances or any other acts or things are necessary, desirable
or proper (a) to vest, perfect or confirm, of record or otherwise, in the
Surviving Corporation, its right, title or interest in, to or under any of the
rights, privileges, powers, franchises, properties or assets of either the
Company or the Acquisition Subsidiary or (b) otherwise to carry out the purposes
of this Agreement, the Surviving Corporation and its proper officers and
directors or their designees shall be authorized (to the fullest extent allowed
under applicable law) to execute and deliver, in the name and on behalf of
either the Company or the Acquisition Subsidiary, all such deeds, bills of sale,
assignments and assurances and do, in the name and on behalf of the Company or
the Acquisition Subsidiary, all such other acts and things necessary, desirable
or proper to vest, perfect or confirm its right, title or interest in, to or
under any of the rights, privileges, powers, franchises, properties or assets of
the Company or the Acquisition Subsidiary, as applicable, and otherwise to carry
out the purposes of this Agreement.
1.5 Conversion of Company
Securities. At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and
without any action on the part of any Party or the holder of any of the
following securities:
(a) Each
share of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company (“Company
Shares”) issued and outstanding, on a fully-diluted basis, immediately prior to
the Effective Time (other than Company Shares owned beneficially by the Parent
or the Acquisition Subsidiary and Dissenting Shares (as defined below)) shall be
converted into and represent the right to receive (subject to the provisions of
Section 1.6) such number of shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share,
of the Parent (“Parent Common Stock”) as is equal to the Common Conversion Ratio
(as defined below). An aggregate of 18,000,000 shares of Parent
Common Stock, on a fully-diluted basis, shall be issued to the security holders
of the Company in connection with the Merger.
(b) The
“Common Conversion Ratio” shall be obtained by dividing (i) 18,000,000 shares of
Parent Common Stock by (ii) the total number of outstanding Company Shares
immediately prior to the Effective Time on a fully diluted basis after giving
effect to the exercise of all outstanding common stock purchase warrants
(“Warrants”), the exercise of all outstanding options to purchase Company Shares
(“Options”) and the conversion or exercise of all other rights to acquire
Company Shares. The parties agree that the Common Conversion Ratio
shall be 9,000 shares of Parent Common Stock for every one Company
Share. The Company Stockholders shall be
entitled to receive immediately 95% of the shares of
Parent Common Stock into which their Company Shares were converted pursuant to
this Section 1.5 (the “Initial Shares”) pro rata in accordance with their
respective holdings of Company Shares immediately prior to the Closing; the
remaining 5% of the shares of Parent
Common Stock into which their Company Shares were converted pursuant to this
Section 1.5, rounded to the nearest whole number (with 0.5 shares rounded
upward to the nearest whole number) (the “Escrow Shares”), shall be deposited in
escrow pursuant to Section 1.9 and shall be held and disposed of in accordance
with the terms of the Escrow Agreement and, if and as released from escrow, will
be distributed to the Company Stockholders pro rata according to
their holdings of the Initial Shares as of the Closing. The Initial
Shares and the Escrow Shares shall together be referred to herein as the “Merger
Shares.”
(c) Each
issued and outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the
Acquisition Subsidiary shall be converted into one validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable share of common stock of the Surviving
Corporation.
1.6 Dissenting
Shares.
(a) For
purposes of this Agreement, “Dissenting Shares” means Company Shares held as of
the Effective Time by a Company Stockholder who has not voted such Company
Shares in favor of the adoption of this Agreement and the Merger and with
respect to which appraisal shall have been duly demanded and perfected in
accordance with Section 210 of the BCA and not effectively withdrawn or
forfeited prior to the Effective Time. Dissenting Shares shall not be
converted into or represent the right to receive shares of Parent Common Stock
unless such Company Stockholder’s right to appraisal shall have ceased in
accordance with the BCA. If such Company Stockholder has so forfeited
or withdrawn his, her or its right to appraisal of Dissenting Shares, then,
(i) as of the occurrence of such event, such holder’s Dissenting Shares
shall cease to be Dissenting Shares and shall be converted into and represent
the right to receive the Merger Shares issuable in respect of such Company
Shares pursuant to Section 1.5, and (ii) promptly following the
occurrence of such event, the Parent shall deliver to such Company Stockholder a
certificate representing 95% of the Merger Shares to which such holder is
entitled pursuant to Section 1.5 (which shares shall be considered Initial
Shares for all purposes of this Agreement) and shall deliver to the Escrow Agent
a certificate representing the remaining 5% of the Merger Shares to which such
holder is entitled pursuant to Section 1.5 (which shares shall be
considered Escrow Shares for all purposes of this Agreement).
3
(b) The
Company shall give the Parent prompt notice of any written demands for appraisal
of any Company Shares, withdrawals of such demands, and any other instruments
that relate to such demands received by the Company. The Company
shall not, except with the prior written consent of the Parent, make any payment
with respect to any demands for appraisal of Company Shares or offer to settle
or settle any such demands.
1.7 Fractional
Shares. No certificates or scrip representing fractional
Initial Shares shall be issued to Company Stockholders on the surrender for
exchange of certificates that immediately prior to the Effective Time
represented Company Shares converted into Merger Shares pursuant to Section 1.5
(“Certificates”) and such Company Stockholders shall not be entitled to any
voting rights, rights to receive any dividends or distributions or other rights
as a stockholder of the Parent with respect to any fractional Initial Shares
that would have otherwise been issued to such Company
Stockholders. In lieu of any fractional Initial Shares that would
have otherwise been issued, each former Company Stockholder that would have been
entitled to receive a fractional Initial Share shall, on proper surrender of
such person’s Certificates, receive such whole number of Initial Shares as is
equal to the precise number of Initial Shares to which such Company Stockholder
would be entitled, rounded up or down to the nearest whole number (with a
fractional interest equal to 0.5 rounded upward to the nearest whole number);
provided that each such Company Stockholder shall receive at least one Initial
Share.
1.8 Options and
Warrants.
(a) As of the
Effective Time, all Options to purchase Company Shares issued by the Company,
whether vested or unvested, shall be canceled and exchanged for options to
purchase shares of Parent Common Stock (“Parent Options”) without further action
by the holder thereof. Each Parent Option shall constitute an option
to acquire such number of shares of Parent Common Stock as is equal to the
number of Company Shares subject to the unexercised portion of the Option
multiplied by the Common Conversion Ratio (with any fraction resulting from such
multiplication to be rounded to the nearest whole number, and with 0.5 shares
rounded upward to the nearest whole number). The exercise price per
share of each Parent Option shall be equal to the exercise price of the Option
prior to conversion divided by the Common Conversion Ratio. On
October 19, 2007, the Parent adopted its 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Parent
Option Plan”).
(b) As soon
as practicable after the Effective Time, the Parent or the Surviving Corporation
shall take appropriate actions to collect the Options and the agreements
evidencing the Options, which shall be deemed to be canceled and shall entitle
the holder to exchange the Options for Parent Options in the
Parent.
(c) The
Company shall cause the termination, as of the Effective Time, of any and all
outstanding Warrants to purchase capital stock of the Company which remain
unexercised and the Parent shall, at Closing, issue new warrants (the “Parent
Warrants”) in substitution for the Warrants, on substantially the same terms and
conditions of the Warrants, but reflecting the Common Conversion
Ratio.
(d) The
Parent shall take all corporate action necessary to reserve for issuance a
sufficient number of shares of Parent Common Stock for delivery upon exercise of
(i) the Parent Options to be issued for the Options and (ii) the Parent Warrants
to be issued for the Warrants, in accordance with this
Section 1.8.
1.9 Escrow. On
the Closing Date, the Parent shall deliver to the Escrow Agent certificates
(issued in the name of the Escrow Agent or its nominee) representing (i) the
Escrow Shares, as described in Section 1.5, for the purpose of securing the
indemnification obligations of the Company Stockholders set forth in this
Agreement and (ii) 5,000,000 shares of Common Stock (the “IR Escrow Shares”) to
be issued to consultants providing public and investor relations services to the
Company. The Escrow Shares and the IR Escrow Shares shall be held by
the Escrow Agent pursuant to the Escrow Agreement and the IR Shares Escrow
Agreement, respectively. The Escrow Shares and the IR Escrow Shares
shall be held as a trust fund and shall not be subject to any lien, attachment,
trustee process or any other judicial process of any creditor of any Party, and
shall be held and disbursed solely for the purposes and in accordance with the
terms of the Escrow Agreement and the IR Shares Escrow Agreement,
respectively.
1.10 Certificate of Incorporation
and Bylaws.
(a) The
certificate of incorporation of the Company in effect immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall be the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving
Corporation until duly amended or repealed.
(b) The
bylaws of the Company in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be
the bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until duly amended or
repealed.
1.11 No Further
Rights. From and after the Effective Time, no Company Shares
shall be deemed to be outstanding, and holders of Certificates shall cease to
have any rights with respect thereto, except as provided herein or by
law.
1.12 Closing of Transfer
Books. At the Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the
Company shall be closed and no transfer of Company Shares shall thereafter be
made. If, after the Effective Time, Certificates are presented to the
Parent or the Surviving Corporation, they shall be cancelled and exchanged for
Merger Shares in accordance with Section 1.5, subject to Section 1.9
and to applicable law in the case of Dissenting Shares.
4
1.13 Post-Closing
Adjustment. In the event that, during the period commencing
from the Closing Date and ending on the second anniversary of the Closing Date,
the Parent or the Surviving Corporation incurs any Loss (as defined below) with
respect to, in connection with, or arising from any Parent Liabilities (as
defined below), then promptly following the filing by the Parent with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) of a quarterly report relating to
the most recent completed quarter for which such determination has been made,
the Parent shall issue to the Company Stockholders and/or their designees such
number of shares of Parent Common Stock as would result from dividing (x) the
whole dollar amount representing such Losses by (y) the average of the closing
bid prices of the Common Stock during the 30 trading days immediately prior to
the Closing Date, rounded to the nearest whole number (with 0.5 shares rounded
upwards to the nearest whole number). The limit on the aggregate
number of shares of Parent Common Stock issuable under this Section 1.13 shall
be 2,000,000 shares. As used in this Section 1.13: (a) “Loss” shall
mean any and all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, court
costs, reasonable accountants’ fees, and damages and losses, net of any
insurance proceeds actually received by the Party suffering the Loss with
respect thereto; (b) “Claims” shall include, but are not limited to, any claim,
notice, suit, action, investigation or other proceedings (whether actual or
threatened); and (c) “Parent Liabilities” shall mean all Claims against and
liabilities, obligations or indebtedness of any nature whatsoever of Leaseco,
whenever accruing, and of the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary, accruing on
or before the Closing Date (whether primary, secondary, direct, indirect,
liquidated, unliquidated or contingent, matured or unmatured), including, but
not limited to (i) any breach by the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary of any
of their respective representations or warranties set forth in Article III
herein, (ii) any litigation threatened, pending or for which a basis exists
against the Parent or any Parent Subsidiary (as defined in this Agreement);
(iii) any and all outstanding debts owed by the Parent or any Parent Subsidiary;
(iv) any and all internal or employee related disputes, arbitrations or
administrative proceedings threatened, pending or otherwise outstanding; (v) any
and all liens, foreclosures, settlements, or other threatened, pending or
otherwise outstanding financial, legal or similar obligations of the Parent or
any Parent Subsidiary; (vi) any and all Taxes (as defined below) for which the
Parent or any of its direct or indirect assets may be liable or subject, for any
taxable period (or portion thereof) ending on or before the Closing Date,
including, without limitation, any and all Taxes resulting from or attributable
to the Parent’s ownership or operation of Leaseco’s assets; (vii) any and all
Taxes for which the Parent or its direct or indirect assets may be liable or
subject (including, without limitation, the interests and assets of the
Surviving Corporation and any Parent Subsidiary) as a consequence of the
Parent’s acquisition, formation, capitalization, ownership, and Split-Off of
Leaseco, whether related to a taxable period (or portion thereof) ending on or
after the Closing Date; and (viii) all fees and expenses incurred in connection
with effecting the adjustments contemplated by this Section 1.13, as such Parent
Liabilities are determined by the Parent’s independent auditors, on a quarterly
basis. Any shares of Parent Common Stock that are issued under this
Section 1.13 shall be issued to the Company Shareholders pro rata according to
their respective holdings of the Initial Shares as of the Closing.
1.14 Exemption from
Registration. The Parent and the Company intend that the
shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued pursuant to Section 1.5 hereof
or upon exercise of Parent Options and Parent Warrants, if applicable, granted
pursuant to Section 1.8 hereof or upon the provisions of Section 1.13 hereof, in
each case in connection with the Merger, will be issued in a transaction exempt
from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities
Act”), by reason of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, Rule 506 of Regulation D
promulgated by the SEC thereunder and/or Regulation S promulgated by the
SEC.
ARTICLE
II
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
The
Company represents and warrants to the Parent that the statements contained in
this Article II are true and correct, except as set forth in the disclosure
schedule provided by the Company to the Parent on the date hereof and accepted
in writing by the Parent (the “Disclosure Schedule”). The Disclosure
Schedule shall be arranged in paragraphs corresponding to the numbered and
lettered paragraphs contained in this Article II. The inclusion
of any item on the Disclosure Schedule shall constitute disclosure for all
purposes under this Agreement, and shall not be construed as an indication of
the materiality or lack thereof of such item.
2.1 Organization, Qualification
and Corporate Power. The Company is a corporation duly
organized, validly existing and in corporate and tax good standing under the
laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Company is duly qualified
to conduct business and is in corporate and tax good standing under the laws of
each jurisdiction in which the nature of its businesses or the ownership or
leasing of its properties requires such qualification, except where the failure
to be so qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, has
not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect (as defined below). The Company has all requisite corporate
power and authority to carry on the businesses in which it is engaged and to own
and use the properties owned and used by it. The Company has
furnished or made available to the Parent complete and accurate copies of its
certificate of incorporation and bylaws. The Company is not in
default under or in violation of any provision of its certificate of
incorporation, as amended to date, or its bylaws, as amended to
date. For purposes of this Agreement, “Company Material Adverse
Effect” means a material adverse effect on the assets, business, financial
condition, or results of operations or future prospects of the Company taken as
a whole.
5
2.2 Capitalization. The
authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 2,000 shares of common stock
and no shares of preferred stock. As of the date of this Agreement,
2,000 Company Shares were issued and outstanding and no preferred shares were
issued and outstanding, and no Company Shares or preferred shares were held in
the treasury of the Company. As of the date of this Agreement, there
were no issued and outstanding Options or Warrants to purchase Company
Shares. Section 2.2 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a
complete and accurate list of (i) all stockholders of the Company,
indicating the number and class of Company Shares held by each stockholder, and
(ii) all stock option plans and other stock or equity-related plans of the
Company. All of the issued and outstanding Company Shares are duly
authorized, validly issued, fully paid, nonassessable and free of all preemptive
rights. There are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants,
rights, agreements or commitments to which the Company is a party or which are
binding upon the Company providing for the issuance or redemption of any of its
capital stock. There are no outstanding or authorized stock
appreciation, phantom stock or similar rights with respect to the
Company. Other than as listed in Section 2.2 of the Disclosure
Schedule, there are no agreements to which the Company is a party or by which it
is bound with respect to the voting (including without limitation voting trusts
or proxies), registration under the Securities Act, or sale or transfer
(including without limitation agreements relating to pre-emptive rights, rights
of first refusal, co-sale rights or “drag-along” rights) of any securities of
the Company. To the knowledge of the Company, there are no agreements
among other parties, to which the Company is a party and by which it is bound,
with respect to the voting (including without limitation voting trusts or
proxies) or sale or transfer (including without limitation agreements relating
to rights of first refusal, co-sale rights or “drag-along” rights) of any
securities of the Company. All of the issued and outstanding Company
Shares were issued in compliance with applicable federal and state securities
laws.
2.3 Authorization of
Transaction. The Company has all requisite power and authority
to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder. The execution and delivery by the Company of this
Agreement and, subject to the adoption of this Agreement and the approval of the
Merger by no less than a majority of the votes represented by the outstanding
Company Shares entitled to vote on this Agreement and the Merger (the
“Stockholder Approval”), the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated hereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of the Company. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the board of directors of the Company
(i) determined that the Merger is fair and in the best interests of the
Company and the Company Stockholders, (ii) adopted this Agreement in
accordance with the provisions of the BCA, and (iii) directed that this
Agreement and the Merger be submitted to the Company Stockholders for their
adoption and approval and resolved to recommend that the Company Stockholders
vote in favor of the adoption of this Agreement and the approval of the
Merger. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and
delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the
Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
terms.
2.4 Noncontravention. Subject
to receipt of Stockholder Approval and the filing of the Articles of Merger as
required by the BCA, neither the execution and delivery by the Company of this
Agreement, nor the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated
hereby, will (a) conflict with or violate any provision of the certificate
of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, as amended to date, (b) require
on the part of the Company any filing with, or any permit, authorization,
consent or approval of, any court, arbitrational tribunal, administrative agency
or commission or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency (a
“Governmental Entity”), except for such permits, authorizations, consents and
approvals for which the Company is obligated to use its Reasonable Best Efforts
(as defined below) to obtain pursuant to Section 4.2(a), (c) conflict with,
result in a breach of, constitute (with or without due notice or lapse of time
or both) a default under, result in the acceleration of obligations under,
create in any party the right to terminate, modify or cancel, or require any
notice, consent or waiver under, any contract or instrument to which the Company
is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any of its assets is
subject, except for (i) any conflict, breach, default, acceleration,
termination, modification or cancellation in any contract or instrument set
forth in Section 2.4 of the Disclosure Schedule, for which the Company is
obligated to use its Reasonable Best Efforts to obtain waiver, consent or
approval pursuant to Section 4.2(b), (ii) any conflict, breach, default,
acceleration, termination, modification or cancellation which would not have a
Company Material Adverse Effect and would not adversely affect the consummation
of the transactions contemplated hereby or (iii) any notice, consent or
waiver the absence of which would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect and
would not adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby, (d) result in the imposition of any Security Interest (as defined
below) upon any assets of the Company or (e) violate any order, writ,
injunction, decree, statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any
of its properties or assets. For purposes of this Agreement:
“Security Interest” means any mortgage, pledge, security interest, encumbrance,
charge or other lien (whether arising by contract or by operation of law), other
than (i) mechanic’s, materialmen’s, and similar liens, (ii) liens
arising under worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, social security,
retirement, and similar legislation, and (iii) liens on goods in transit
incurred pursuant to documentary letters of credit, in each case arising in the
Ordinary Course of Business (as defined below) of the Company and not material
to the Company; and “Ordinary Course of Business” means the ordinary course of
the Company’s business, consistent with past custom and practice (including with
respect to frequency and amount).
6
2.5 Subsidiaries.
(a) The
Company has no Company Subsidiaries. For purposes of this Agreement,
a “Subsidiary” shall mean any corporation, partnership, joint venture or other
entity in which a Party has, directly or indirectly, an equity interest
representing 50% or more of the equity securities thereof or other equity
interests therein; a “Company Subsidiary” is a Subsidiary of the
Company.
(b) [Intentionally
Omitted]
(c) Except as
set forth in Section 2.5(c) of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company does not
control directly or indirectly or have any direct or indirect equity
participation or similar interest in any corporation, partnership, limited
liability company, joint venture, trust or other business association which is
not a Company Subsidiary.
2.6 Financial
Statements. The Company has provided or made available to the
Parent the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company (the “Company
Balance Sheet”) at October 31, 2007 (the “Company Balance Sheet Date”), and the
related consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the period from
October 5, 2007 (date of inception) through October 31, 2007 (the “Company
Financial Statements”). The Company Financial Statements have been
prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting
principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered
thereby, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the respective dates
thereof and for the periods referred to therein, comply as to form with the
applicable rules and regulations of the SEC for inclusion of such Company
Financial Statements in the Parent’s filings with the SEC as required by the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and are
consistent in all material respects with the books and records of the
Company.
2.7 Absence of Certain
Changes. Since the Company Balance Sheet Date, and except for
the indebtedness incurred in connection with the Bridge Loan or as set forth in
Section 2.7 of the Disclosure Schedule, (a) to the knowledge of the
Company, there has not occurred any event or development which,
individually or in the aggregate, has had, or could reasonably be expected to
have in the future, a Company Material Adverse Effect, and (b) the Company
has not taken any of the actions set forth in paragraphs (a) through (m) of
Section 4.4.
2.8 Undisclosed
Liabilities. The Company does not have any liability (whether
known or unknown, whether absolute or contingent, whether liquidated or
unliquidated and whether due or to become due), except for (a) liabilities
shown on the Company Balance Sheet referred to in Section 2.6,
(b) liabilities which have arisen since the Company Balance Sheet Date in
the Ordinary Course of Business and (c) contractual and other liabilities
incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business which are not required by GAAP to be
reflected on a balance sheet.
2.9 Tax
Matters.
(a) For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(i) “Taxes”
means all taxes, charges, fees, levies or other similar assessments or
liabilities, including without limitation income, gross receipts, ad valorem,
premium, value-added, excise, real property, personal property, sales, use,
transfer, withholding, employment, unemployment insurance, social security,
business license, business organization, environmental, workers compensation,
payroll, profits, license, lease, service, service use, severance, stamp,
occupation, windfall profits, customs, duties, franchise and other taxes imposed
by the United States of America or any state, local or foreign government, or
any agency thereof, or other political subdivision of the United States or any
such government, and any interest, fines, penalties, assessments or additions to
tax resulting from, attributable to or incurred in connection with any tax or
any contest or dispute thereof.
(ii) “Tax
Returns” means all reports, returns, declarations, statements or other
information required to be supplied to a taxing authority in connection with the
Taxes.
(b) Except as
set forth in Section 2.9 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company has filed on a
timely basis all Tax Returns that it was required to file, and all such Tax
Returns were complete and accurate in all material respects. The
Company is not and has never been a member of a group of corporations with which
it has filed (or been required to file) consolidated, combined or unitary Tax
Returns, other than a group of which only the Company is or was a
member. The Company has paid on a timely basis all Taxes that were
due and payable. The unpaid Taxes of the Company for tax periods
through the Company Balance Sheet Date do not exceed the accruals and reserves
for Taxes (excluding accruals and reserves for deferred Taxes established to
reflect timing differences between book and Tax income) set forth on the Company
Balance Sheet. The Company does not have any actual or potential
liability for any Tax obligation of any taxpayer (including without limitation
any affiliated group of corporations or other entities that included the Company
during a prior period) other than the Company. All Taxes that the
Company is or was required by law to withhold or collect have been duly withheld
or collected and, to the extent required, have been paid to the proper
Governmental Entity.
(c) Except as
set forth in Section 2.9 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company has delivered
or made available to the Parent complete and accurate copies of all federal
income Tax Returns, examination reports and statements of deficiencies assessed
against or agreed to by the Company since the date of the Company’s
incorporation in Kentucky (the “Organization Date”). No examination
or audit of any Tax Return of the Company by any Governmental Entity is
currently in progress or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or
contemplated. The Company has not been informed by any jurisdiction
that the jurisdiction believes that the Company was required to file any Tax
Return that was not filed. The Company has not waived any statute of
limitations with respect to Taxes or agreed to an extension of time with respect
to a Tax assessment or deficiency.
7
(d) The
Company: (i) has not been a United States real property holding corporation
within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable
period specified in Section 897(c)(l)(A)(ii) of the Code; (ii) has not
made any payments, is not obligated to make any payments, or is not a party to
any agreement that could obligate it to make any payments that may be treated as
an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code;
(iii) does not have any actual or potential liability for any Taxes of any
person (other than the Company) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6
(or any similar provision of federal, state, local or foreign law), or as a
transferee or successor, by contract or otherwise; or (iv) is not and has
not been required to make a basis reduction pursuant to Treasury Regulation
Section 1.1502-20(b) or Treasury Regulation
Section 1.337(d)-2(b).
(e) None of
the assets of the Company: (i) is property that is required to be treated
as being owned by any other person pursuant to the provisions of former
Section 168(f)(8) of the Code; (ii) is “tax-exempt use property”
within the meaning of Section 168(h) of the Code; or (iii) directly or
indirectly secures any debt the interest on which is tax exempt under
Section 103(a) of the Code.
(f) The
Company has not undergone a change in its method of accounting resulting in an
adjustment to its taxable income pursuant to Section 481 of the
Code.
(g) No state
or federal “net operating loss” of the Company determined as of the Closing Date
is subject to limitation on its use pursuant to Section 382 of the Code or
comparable provisions of state law as a result of any “ownership change” within
the meaning of Section 382(g) of the Code or comparable provisions of any
state law occurring prior to the Closing Date.
2.10 Assets. The
Company owns or leases all tangible assets reasonably necessary for the conduct
of its businesses as presently conducted and as presently proposed to be
conducted. Except as set forth in Section 2.10 of the Disclosure
Schedule, each such tangible asset is free from material defects, has been
maintained in accordance with normal industry practice, is in good operating
condition and repair (subject to normal wear and tear) and is suitable for the
purposes for which it presently is used. Except as set forth in
Section 2.10 of the Disclosure Schedule, no asset of the Company (tangible or
intangible) is subject to any Security Interest.
2.11 Owned Real
Property. The Company does not own any real
property.
2.12 Real Property
Leases. Section 2.12 of the Disclosure Schedule lists all
real property leased or subleased to or by the Company and lists the term of
such lease, any extension and expansion options, and the rent payable
thereunder. The Company has delivered or made available to the Parent
complete and accurate copies of the leases and subleases listed in
Section 2.12 of the Disclosure Schedule. With respect to each
lease and sublease listed in Section 2.12 of the Disclosure
Schedule:
(a) the lease
or sublease is legal, valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and
effect;
(b) the lease
or sublease will continue to be legal, valid, binding, enforceable and in full
force and effect immediately following the Closing in accordance with the terms
thereof as in effect immediately prior to the Closing;
(c) neither
the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party is in breach
or violation of, or default under, any such lease or sublease, and no event has
occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, which,
after the giving of notice, with lapse of time or otherwise, would constitute a
breach or default by the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any other
party under such lease or sublease;
(d) the
Company has not assigned, transferred, conveyed, mortgaged, deeded in trust or
encumbered any interest in the leasehold or subleasehold; and
(e) to the
knowledge of the Company, there is no Security Interest, easement, covenant or
other restriction applicable to the real property subject to such lease, except
for recorded easements, covenants and other restrictions which do not materially
impair the current uses or the occupancy by the Company of the property subject
thereto.
2.13 Contracts.
(a) Section
2.13 of the Disclosure Schedule lists the following agreements (written or oral)
to which the Company is a party as of the date of this Agreement:
8
(i) any
agreement (or group of related agreements) for the lease of personal property
from or to third parties providing for lease payments in excess of $25,000 per
annum or having a remaining term longer than 12 months;
(ii) any
agreement (or group of related agreements) for the purchase or sale of products
or for the furnishing or receipt of services (A) which calls for
performance over a period of more than one year, (B) which involves more
than the sum of $25,000, or (C) in which the Company has granted
manufacturing rights, “most favored nation” pricing provisions or exclusive
marketing or distribution rights relating to any products or territory or has
agreed to purchase a minimum quantity of goods or services or has agreed to
purchase goods or services exclusively from a certain party;
(iii) any
agreement which, to the knowledge of the Company, establishes a partnership or
joint venture;
(iv) any
agreement (or group of related agreements) under which it has created, incurred,
assumed or guaranteed (or may create, incur, assume or guarantee) indebtedness
(including capitalized lease obligations) involving more than $25,000 or under
which it has imposed (or may impose) a Security Interest on any of its assets,
tangible or intangible;
(v) any
agreement concerning confidentiality or noncompetition;
(vi) any
employment or consulting agreement;
(vii) any
agreement involving any officer, director or stockholder of the Company or any
affiliate (as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) thereof (an
“Affiliate”);
(viii) any
agreement or commitment for capital expenditures in excess of $25,000, for a
single project (it being represented and warranted that the liability under all
undisclosed agreements and commitments for capital expenditures does not exceed
$100,000 in the aggregate for all projects);
(ix) any
agreement (A) for the sale of oil or other liquid hydrocarbons or minerals
produced or to be produced from the Interests (as defined below) that is not
terminable by the Company or its successors without penalty on more than 90
days’ notice or (B) for the sale of gas produced or to be produced from the
Interests that has a term exceeding one year that warrants the amount of gas to
be delivered or has a pricing provision not based on current market
value;
(x) any
advance payment agreement or any oil and gas balancing agreement, or any group
of related agreements of such type, under which the Company has a net
obligation, as of the most recent date available, which shall be no more than 90
days prior to the date hereof, in excess of $25,000 in cash or market value in
oil or gas;
(xi) any
agreement under which the consequences of a default or termination would
reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect;
(xii) any
agreement which contains any provisions requiring the Company to indemnify any
other party thereto (excluding indemnities contained in agreements for the
purchase, sale or license of products entered into in the Ordinary Course of
Business);
(xiii) any other
agreement (or group of related agreements) either involving more than $25,000 or
not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business; and
(xiv) any
agreement, other than as contemplated by this Agreement, relating to the sales
of securities of the Company to which the Company is a party.
(b) The
Company has delivered or made available to the Parent a complete and accurate
copy of each agreement listed in Section 2.13 of the Disclosure
Schedule. With respect to each agreement so listed, and except as set
forth in Section 2.13 of the Disclosure Schedule: (i) the
agreement is legal, valid, binding and enforceable and in full force and effect;
(ii) the agreement will continue to be legal, valid, binding and
enforceable and in full force and effect immediately following the Closing in
accordance with the terms thereof as in effect immediately prior to the Closing;
and (iii) neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any
other party, is in breach or violation of, or default under, any such agreement,
and no event has occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, is
threatened, which, after the giving of notice, with lapse of time or otherwise,
would constitute a material breach or default by the Company or, to the
knowledge of the Company, any other party under such contract.
2.14 Accounts
Receivable. All accounts receivable of the Company reflected
on the Company Balance Sheet are valid receivables subject to no setoffs or
counterclaims and are current and collectible (within 90 days after the date on
which it first became due and payable), net of the applicable reserve for bad
debts on the Company Balance Sheet. All accounts receivable reflected
in the financial or accounting records of the Company that have arisen since the
Company Balance Sheet Date are valid receivables subject to no setoffs or
counterclaims and are collectible (within 90 days after the date on which it
first became due and payable), net of a reserve for bad debts in an amount
proportionate to the reserve shown on the Company Balance Sheet.
2.15 Powers of
Attorney. Except as set forth in Section 2.15 of the
Disclosure Schedule, there are no outstanding powers of attorney executed on
behalf of the Company.
2.16 Insurance. Section 2.16
of the Disclosure Schedule lists each insurance policy (including fire, theft,
casualty, general liability, workers compensation, business interruption,
environmental, product liability and automobile insurance policies and bond and
surety arrangements) to which the Company is a party. Such insurance
policies are of the type and in amounts customarily carried by organizations
conducting businesses or owning assets similar to those of the
Company. There is no material claim pending under any such policy as
to which coverage has been questioned, denied or disputed by the underwriter of
such policy. All premiums due and payable under all such policies
have been paid, the Company is not liable for retroactive premiums or similar
payments, and the Company is otherwise in compliance in all material respects
with the terms of such policies. The Company does not have any
knowledge of any threatened termination of, or material premium increase with
respect to, any such policy. Each such policy will continue to be
enforceable and in full force and effect immediately following the Effective
Time in accordance with the terms thereof as in effect immediately prior to the
Effective Time.
9
2.17 Litigation. As of the date of this
Agreement, there is no action, suit, proceeding, claim, arbitration or
investigation before any Governmental Entity or before any arbitrator (a “Legal
Proceeding”) which is pending or has been threatened in a writing received by
the Company against the Company which (a) seeks either damages in excess of
$10,000 individually, or $25,000 in the aggregate, or (b) if determined
adversely to the Company, could have, individually or in the aggregate, a
Company Material Adverse Effect.
2.18 Employees.
(a) Section
2.18 of the Disclosure Schedule contains a list of all employees of the Company
whose annual rate of compensation exceeds $100,000 per year, along with the
position and the annual rate of compensation of each such
person. Section 2.18 of the Disclosure Schedule contains a list of
all employees of the Company who are a party to a non-competition agreement with
the Company; copies of such agreements have previously been delivered to the
Parent. To the knowledge of the Company, no key employee or group of
employees has any plans to terminate employment with the Company.
(b) The
Company is not a party to or bound by any collective bargaining agreement, and
does not have experienced any strikes, grievances, claims of unfair labor
practices or other collective bargaining disputes. To the knowledge
of the Company, no organizational effort has been made or threatened, either
currently or within the past two years, by or on behalf of any labor union with
respect to employees of the Company. To the knowledge of the Company,
there are no circumstances or facts which could individually or collectively
give rise to a suit based on discrimination of any kind.
2.19 Employee
Benefits.
(a) For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(i) “Employee
Benefit Plan” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as defined in
Section 3(2) of ERISA), any “employee welfare benefit plan” (as defined in
Section 3(1) of ERISA), and any other written or oral plan, agreement or
arrangement involving direct or indirect compensation, including without
limitation insurance coverage, severance benefits, disability benefits, deferred
compensation, bonuses, stock options, stock purchase, phantom stock, stock
appreciation or other forms of incentive compensation or post-retirement
compensation.
(ii) “ERISA”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended.
(iii) “ERISA
Affiliate” means any entity which is, or at any applicable time was, a member of
(1) a controlled group of corporations (as defined in Section 414(b)
of the Code), (2) a group of trades or businesses under common control (as
defined in Section 414(c) of the Code), or (3) an affiliated service
group (as defined under Section 414(m) of the Code or the regulations under
Section 414(o) of the Code), any of which includes or included the
Company.
(b) Section 2.19(b)
of the Disclosure Schedule contains a complete and accurate list of all Employee
Benefit Plans maintained, or contributed to, by the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate (collectively, the “Company Plans”). Complete and accurate
copies of (i) all Company Plans which have been reduced to writing,
(ii) written summaries of all unwritten Company Plans, (iii) all
related trust agreements, insurance contracts and summary plan descriptions, and
(iv) all annual reports filed on IRS Form 5500, 5500C or 5500R and (for all
funded plans) all plan financial statements for the last five plan years for
each Company Plan, have been delivered or made available to the
Parent. Each Company Plan has been administered in all material
respects in accordance with its terms and each of the Company and the ERISA
Affiliates has in all material respects met its obligations with respect to such
Company Plan and has made all required contributions thereto. The
Company, each ERISA Affiliate and each Company Plan are in compliance in all
material respects with the currently applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code
and the regulations thereunder (including without limitation Section 4980B
of the Code, Subtitle K, Chapter 100 of the Code and Sections 601
through 608 and Section 701 et seq. of ERISA). All filings and
reports as to each Company Plan required to have been submitted to the Internal
Revenue Service or to the United States Department of Labor have been duly
submitted.
(c) To the
knowledge of the Company, there are no Legal Proceedings (except claims for
benefits payable in the normal operation of the Company Plans and proceedings
with respect to qualified domestic relations orders) against or involving any
Company Plan or asserting any rights or claims to benefits under any Company
Plan that could give rise to any material liability.
(d) All the
Company Plans that are intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the
Code have received determination letters from the Internal Revenue Service to
the effect that such Company Plans are qualified and the plans and the trusts
related thereto are exempt from federal income taxes under Sections 401(a)
and 501(a), respectively, of the Code, no such determination letter has been
revoked and revocation has not been threatened, and no such Company Plan has
been amended since the date of its most recent determination letter or
application therefor in any respect, and no act or omission has occurred, that
would adversely affect its qualification or materially increase its
cost. Each Company Plan which is required to satisfy
Section 401(k)(3) or Section 401(m)(2) of the Code has been tested for
compliance with, and satisfies the requirements of, Section 401(k)(3) and
Section 401(m)(2) of the Code for each plan year ending prior to the
Closing Date.
10
(e) Neither
the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has ever maintained an Employee Benefit Plan
subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA.
(f) At no
time has the Company or any ERISA Affiliate been obligated to contribute to any
“multiemployer plan” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of
ERISA).
(g) There are
no unfunded obligations under any Company Plan providing benefits after
termination of employment to any employee of the Company (or to any beneficiary
of any such employee), including but not limited to retiree health coverage and
deferred compensation, but excluding continuation of health coverage required to
be continued under Section 4980B of the Code or other applicable law and
insurance conversion privileges under state law. The assets of each
Company Plan which is funded are reported at their fair market value on the
books and records of such Company Plan.
(h) No act or
omission has occurred and no condition exists with respect to any Company Plan
maintained by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that would subject the Company
or any ERISA Affiliate to (i) any material fine, penalty, tax or liability of
any kind imposed under ERISA or the Code or (ii) any contractual indemnification
or contribution obligation protecting any fiduciary, insurer or service provider
with respect to any Company Plan.
(i) No
Company Plan is funded by, associated with or related to a “voluntary employee’s
beneficiary association” within the meaning of Section 501(c)(9) of the
Code.
(j) Each
Company Plan is amendable and terminable unilaterally by the Company at any time
without liability to the Company as a result thereof and no Company Plan, plan
documentation or agreement, summary plan description or other written
communication distributed generally to employees by its terms prohibits the
Company from amending or terminating any such Company Plan.
(k) Section
2.19(k) of the Disclosure Schedule discloses each: (i) agreement with any
stockholder, director, executive officer or other key employee of the Company
(A) the benefits of which are contingent, or the terms of which are
materially altered, upon the occurrence of a transaction involving the Company
of the nature of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
(B) providing any term of employment or compensation guarantee or
(C) providing severance benefits or other benefits after the termination of
employment of such director, executive officer or key employee;
(ii) agreement, plan or arrangement under which any person may receive
payments from the Company that may be subject to the tax imposed by
Section 4999 of the Code or included in the determination of such person’s
“parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code; and
(iii) agreement or plan binding the Company, including without limitation
any stock option plan, stock appreciation right plan, restricted stock plan,
stock purchase plan, severance benefit plan or Company Plan, any of the benefits
of which will be increased, or the vesting of the benefits of which will be
accelerated, by the occurrence of any of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement or the value of any of the benefits of which will be calculated on the
basis of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The
accruals for vacation, sickness and disability expenses are accounted for on the
Company Balance Sheet and are adequate and materially reflect the expenses
associated therewith in accordance with GAAP.
2.20 Environmental
Matters.
(a) The
Company has complied with all applicable Environmental Laws (as defined below),
except for violations of Environmental Laws that, individually or in the
aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the knowledge of
the Company, threatened civil or criminal litigation, written notice of
violation, formal administrative proceeding, or investigation, inquiry or
information request by any Governmental Entity, relating to any Environmental
Law involving the Company, except for litigation, notices of violations, formal
administrative proceedings or investigations, inquiries or information requests
that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of
this Agreement, “Environmental Law” means any federal, state or local law,
statute, rule or regulation or the common law relating to the environment,
including without limitation any statute, regulation, administrative decision or
order pertaining to (i) treatment, storage, disposal, generation and
transportation of industrial, toxic or hazardous materials or substances or
solid or hazardous waste; (ii) air, water and noise pollution;
(iii) groundwater and soil contamination; (iv) the release or
threatened release into the environment of industrial, toxic or hazardous
materials or substances, or solid or hazardous waste, including without
limitation emissions, discharges, injections, spills, escapes or dumping of
pollutants, contaminants or chemicals; (v) the protection of wild life,
marine life and wetlands, including without limitation all endangered and
threatened species; (vi) storage tanks, vessels, containers, abandoned or
discarded barrels, and other closed receptacles; (vii) health and safety of
employees and other persons; and (viii) manufacturing, processing, using,
distributing, treating, storing, disposing, transporting or handling of
materials regulated under any law as pollutants, contaminants, toxic or
hazardous materials or substances or oil or petroleum products or solid or
hazardous waste. As used above, the terms “release” and “environment”
shall have the meaning set forth in the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (“CERCLA”).
(b) Set forth
in Section 2.20(b) of the Disclosure Schedule is a list of all documents
(whether in hard copy or electronic form) that contain any environmental
reports, investigations and audits relating to premises currently or previously
owned or operated by the Company (whether conducted by or on behalf of the
Company, and whether done at the initiative of the Company or directed by a
Governmental Entity) which were issued or conducted during the past five years
and which the Company has possession of or access to. A complete and
accurate copy of each such document has been provided to the
Parent.
11
(c) To the
knowledge of the Company, there is no material environmental liability with
respect to any solid or hazardous waste transporter or treatment, storage or
disposal facility that has been used by the Company.
2.21 Legal
Compliance. The Company, and the conduct and operations of its
business, is in compliance with each applicable law (including rules and
regulations thereunder) of any federal, state, local or foreign government, or
any Governmental Entity, except for any violations or defaults that,
individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
2.22 [Intentionally
Omitted]
2.23 Permits. Section
2.23 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a list of all material permits,
licenses, registrations, certificates, orders or approvals from any Governmental
Entity (including without limitation those issued or required under
Environmental Laws and those relating to the occupancy or use of owned or leased
real property) (“Permits”) issued to or held by the Company. Such
listed Permits are the only material Permits that are required for the Company
to conduct its business as presently conducted except for those the absence of
which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably
be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Each such
Permit is in full force and effect and, to the knowledge of the Company, no
suspension or cancellation of such Permit is threatened and, to the knowledge of
the Company, there is no reasonable basis for believing that such Permit will
not be renewable upon expiration. Each such Permit, to the knowledge
of the Company, will continue in full force and effect immediately following the
Closing.
2.24 Certain Business
Relationships with Affiliates. Except as listed in Section
2.24 of the Disclosure Schedule, no Affiliate of the Company (a) owns any
material property or right, tangible or intangible, which is used in the
business of the Company, (b) has any claim or cause of action against the
Company, or (c) owes any money to, or is owed any money by, the
Company. Section 2.24 of the Disclosure Schedule describes any
transactions involving the receipt or payment in excess of $25,000 in any fiscal
year between the Company and any Affiliate of the Company thereof which have
occurred or existed since the Organization Date, other than employment
agreements.
2.25 Brokers’
Fees. The Company does not have any liability or obligation to
pay any fees or commissions to any broker, finder or agent with respect to the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except as listed in Section 2.25 of
the Disclosure Schedule.
2.26 Books and
Records. The minute books and other similar records of the
Company contain complete and accurate records in all material respects of all
actions taken at any meetings of the Company’s stockholders, board of directors
or any committees thereof and of all written consents executed in lieu of the
holding of any such meetings.
2.27 Intellectual
Property.
(a) The
Company owns, is licensed or otherwise possesses legally enforceable rights to
use, license and exploit all issued patents, copyrights, trademarks, service
marks, trade names, trade secrets, and registered domain names and all
applications for registration therefor (collectively, the “Intellectual Property
Rights”) and all computer programs and other computer software, databases,
know-how, proprietary technology, formulae, and development tools, together with
all goodwill related to any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Intellectual
Property”), in each case as is necessary to conduct their respective businesses
as presently conducted, the absence of which would be considered reasonably
likely to result in a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Section
2.27(b) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth, with respect to all issued
patents and all registered copyrights, trademarks, service marks and domain
names registered with any Governmental Entity by the Company or for which an
application for registration has been filed with any Governmental Entity by the
Company, (i) the registration or application number, the date filed and the
title, if applicable, of the registration or application and (ii) the names
of the jurisdictions covered by the applicable registration or
application. Section 2.27(b) of the Disclosure Schedule identifies
each agreement currently in effect containing any ongoing royalty or payment
obligations of the Company in excess of $25,000 per annum with respect to
Intellectual Property Rights and Intellectual Property that are licensed or
otherwise made available to the Company.
(c) Except as
set forth on Section 2.27(c) of the Disclosure Schedule, all Intellectual
Property Rights of the Company that have been registered with any Governmental
Entity are valid and subsisting, except as would not reasonably be expected to
have a Company Material Adverse Effect. As of the Effective Date, in connection
with such registered Intellectual Property Rights, all necessary registration,
maintenance and renewal fees will have been paid and all necessary documents and
certificates will have been filed with the relevant Governmental
Entities.
(d) The
Company is not, and will not as a result of the consummation of the Merger or
other transactions contemplated by this Agreement be, in breach in any material
respect of any license, sublicense or other agreement relating to the
Intellectual Property Rights of the Company, or any licenses, sublicenses or
other agreements as to which the Company is a party and pursuant to which the
Company uses any patents, copyrights (including software), trademarks or other
intellectual property rights of or owned by third parties (the “Third Party
Intellectual Property Rights”), the breach of which would be reasonably likely
to result in a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Except as
set forth on Section 2.27(e) of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company has not
been named as a defendant in any suit, action or proceeding which involves a
claim of infringement or misappropriation of any Third Party Intellectual
Property Right and the Company has not received any written notice of any actual
or alleged infringement, misappropriation or unlawful or unauthorized use of any
Third Party Intellectual Property Right. With respect to its product
candidates and products in research or development, after the same are marketed,
the Company will not, to its knowledge, infringe any Third Party Intellectual
Property Rights in any material manner.
(f) To the
knowledge of the Company, except as set forth on Section 2.27(f) of the
Disclosure Schedule, no other person is infringing, misappropriating or making
any unlawful or unauthorized use of any Intellectual Property Rights of the
Company in a manner that has a material impact on the business of the Company,
except for such infringement, misappropriation or unlawful or unauthorized use
as would not be reasonably expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect.
12
2.28 Independent and Internal
Engineering Reports.
(a) The
Company has made available to the Parent the results of the Independent
Engineering Report, prepared by Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx (the “Independent Engineer”)
with respect to reserves as of October 31, 2007 (the “Independent Engineering
Report”) on the oil and gas fields listed on the attachment thereto (the
“Evaluated Properties”) in which the Company will have interests subsequent to
the Effective Time. The Independent Engineering Report is the latest
independent engineering report available to the Company relating to the
Evaluated Properties. The Company has provided no materially false or
misleading information to and has not withheld from the Independent Engineer any
material information with respect to the preparation of the Independent
Engineering Report. Except as disclosed on Schedule 2.28 of the
Disclosure Schedule, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that
should reasonably cause the Company to conclude that (i) any of the information
that was supplied by the Company to the Independent Engineer in connection with
its preparation of the Independent Engineering Report is not currently correct
in all material respects (other than normal depletion by production in the
ordinary course) or (ii) the Independent Engineering Report is incorrect in any
material respect.
(b) The
Company has made available to the Parent the results of the internal engineering
report, with respect to reserves as of October 31, 2007, a copy of which is
attached hereto as Schedule 2.28(b) of the Disclosure Schedule (the “Internal
Engineering Report”), on the Evaluated Properties. The Internal
Engineering Report is the latest engineering report available to the Company
relating to the Evaluated Properties. The Internal Engineering Report
does not contain any materially false or misleading information and is currently
correct in all material respects (other than normal depletion by production in
the ordinary course).
2.29 Title to
Interests.
(a) Except as
disclosed in Section 2.29 of the Disclosure Schedule, (i) the Company owns the
interest in producing oil xxxxx and producing gas xxxxx described in the
Independent Engineering Report, (individually, a “Well” and collectively, the
“Xxxxx”), (ii) the Company’s net revenue interest and leasehold cost bearing
interest (i.e., working interest) in each Well are as described in the
Independent Engineering Report, and (iii) each oil, gas, and mineral lease in
which the Company owns any interest and the type of interest owned by the
Company (individually and collectively, the “Leases”) are as described to the
Parent. The lands identified in the Leases and owned by the Company
are individually and collectively called the “Land.” The Xxxxx, the Leases, and
the Land, together with all of the Company’s right, title and interest in (i)
all contracts, agreements, leases, licenses, permits, authorization, easements
and orders (individually and collectively called “Property Agreements”) in any
way relating to the Xxxxx, the Leases and/or the Land, the operations conducted
or to be conducted pursuant thereto or thereon, or the production, treatment,
sale or disposal of hydrocarbons or water produced therefrom or attributable
thereto, (ii) all personal property, fixtures (including, without limitation,
pipe, plants and pipelines), equipment (including, without limitation,
compressors, parts, rods, tubular goods and supplies) and improvements located
at, under or on the Xxxxx, the Leases and/or the Land, or used or obtained in
connection therewith or with the operation or maintenance of the Xxxxx or other
facilities thereon or with the production, treatment, sale or disposal of
hydrocarbons or water produced therefrom or attributable thereto, and (iii) all
other rights and interests in, to or under or derived from the Xxxxx, the
Leases, the Property Agreements, and/or the Land (including, without limitation,
all mineral and royalty interests, and all overriding royalty interests and all
other interests in or payable out of or measured by production, and all surface
interests, for a term or in fee), or in any way relating thereto, are referred
to herein as the “Interests.”
(b) With
respect to each Well, the Company’s interests in the Leases and the Land are
such that, after giving effect to the Property Agreements, existing spacing
orders, operating agreements, unit agreements, communitization agreements and
orders, unitization orders and pooling designations and orders, subject to any
limitations described in Section 2.29 of the Disclosure Schedule, and after
taking into account all royalty interests, overriding royalty interests, net
profits interests, production payments and other burdens on production
attributable to third parties, (i) the Company is entitled, during the
respective terms of the Leases covering such Well, to a share (expressed as a
decimal) of all oil, gas and other minerals produced from such Well which is not
less than the “net revenue interest” set forth in connection with the
description of such Well, free and clear of all liens, claims, mortgages, deeds
of trust, assignments of production, and security interests, other than those
described in Section 2.29 of the Disclosure Schedule, (ii) the Company owns an
undivided interest (expressed as a decimal) equal to the “working interest” set
forth in connection with the description of such Well in and to all property and
rights incident thereto, including all rights in, to and under all agreements,
leases, permits, easements, licenses and orders in any way relating thereto, and
in and to all xxxxx, personal property, fixtures and improvements thereon,
appurtenant thereto or used or obtained in connection therewith or with the
production or treatment or sale or disposal of hydrocarbons or water produced
therefrom or attributable, for a share of the costs relating to the exploration,
development, and operation of such Well which is no greater than the “working
interest” set forth in connection with the description of such
Well. Notwithstanding the foregoing, title to the Company’s Interests
classified as proved developed producing, proved developed nonproducing and
proved undeveloped in the Independent Engineering Report is of a type and nature
customarily acceptable to the reasonably prudent oil and gas operator of oil and
gas interests.
13
2.30 Compliance with Leases and
Laws; Operation of Assets. Except as set forth in Section 2.30
of the Disclosure Schedule:
(a) Each
Lease is in full force and effect and all rentals, royalties, shut-in well
payments, bonuses and other payments due or payable from or by the Company under
the Leases and applicable laws, rules and regulations, have been properly and
timely paid, except where the failure to pay properly and timely is in the
normal course of business and would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect,
and all conditions necessary to keep the Leases in full force and effect as of
the date hereof and as of the Closing Date have been or shall be fully
performed, including, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, all payments or
obligations due from or by third parties except where the failure to satisfy
such conditions is in the normal course of business and would not have a Company
Material Adverse Effect;
(b) The
Company is entitled to receive (and are currently receiving with respect to
producing oil, gas and/or mineral leases) without present suspense or presently
required indemnity against asserted or known defects or disputes regarding the
Company’s ownership, from each pipeline purchaser or other purchaser of
production, or from the person receiving payments from any such purchasers, the
proceeds attributable to the net revenue interest in production from each of the
Leases, except as set forth in Section 2.30 of the Disclosure Schedule, where
the failure to receive such proceeds would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect;
(c) All Xxxxx
operated by the Company have been drilled, completed and bottomed within the
boundaries of each of the respective Leases or within the limits otherwise
permitted by contract and by law, and no such Well is subject to material
penalties or restrictions on allowables because of any overproduction (legal or
illegal) which would prevent the assignment of a full allowable (including
maximum permissible tolerance) to each such Well by the state or local
governmental agency having jurisdiction. No Well is subject to any
“take or pay” or similar obligation by which a purchaser of production has made
payment to the Company for oil, gas or mineral production yet to be delivered,
or by which any party is entitled to take or receive production from the Leases
without thereafter paying the full value therefor;
(d) The
Company has complied with all applicable laws relating to the production of or
from the Interests, the conduct of drilling, completion and production
operations with respect to the Interests and the regulation thereof and have
administered and maintained the Interests in a reasonable manner and in
accordance with generally prevailing standards of the oil and gas industry,
except where the failure to comply or so administer or maintain would not have a
Company Material Adverse Effect;
(e) The
Company has not received any written notice of violation or probable violation
of any applicable law relating to or directly or indirectly affecting the
Interests, nor are there any such violations, other than such violations which
would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect;
(f) There
have been no demands for cancellation or termination of any of the Interests or
for any claimed breach of any Interest due to the failure of the Company or any
third party to produce or conduct drilling or other operations thereon, nor have
there been any suits, enforcement proceedings or other actions filed, threatened
or anticipated by the Company which might have a Company Material Adverse
Effect;
(g) The
Company holds all licenses, franchises, permits, easements, certificates,
consents, rights and privileges (“Operating Permits”) necessary to the operation
of the Interests, and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, each third party
operator of any of the Interests holds all Operating Permits necessary to the
operation of the Interests except for such Operating Permits the lack of which
would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect;
(h) To the
best knowledge of the Company’s management, except as set forth in Section
2.30(h) of the Disclosure Schedule and except for current invoices received
within ten (10) days of the date hereof, which invoices were incurred in the
Ordinary Course of Business, all invoices, statements, bills and accounts of and
to the Company for labor, services, materials or supplies furnished to or for
the Interests have been paid in full in the Ordinary Course of Business
consistent with past practices and the Company are current in payment of all
joint interest xxxxxxxx for operations or other contracts pertaining to the
operation of the Interests;
(i) All
production from the Xxxxx operated by the Company has been properly accounted
for and all proceeds attributable thereto have been properly paid in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practices;
(j) No
production or sale of oil, gas or other hydrocarbons heretofore produced or sold
from or attributable to the Interests has been in excess of any allowable
quantity or price or in violation of any other rule or regulation affecting the
sale of hydrocarbons as established by the applicable regulatory authorities
except where such excess or violation would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect;
14
(k) No gas
produced is subject to the price control jurisdiction of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) under the Natural Gas Policy Act;
and
(l) The
Company has properly prepared in full compliance with all applicable laws and
regulations and have timely filed all reports required to be filed by any law,
government entity or agency as a result of the operation of the Interests and no
extensions of time to file any such reports has been requested except where the
failure to fully comply and timely file or any extension request would not have
a Company Material Adverse Effect.
2.31 Sale of
Production. Except as set forth in Section 2.31 of the
Disclosure Schedule and except as would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect, the Company has no production from any Well which is subject to
balancing rights of third parties or is subject to balancing duties under
governmental requirements, and no third party has production from any Well which
is subject to the balancing rights of the Company. Except as set
forth in Section 2.31 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company has not collected
any proceeds from the sale of hydrocarbons produced from the Interests which are
subject to refund. Except as set forth in Section 2.31 of the
Disclosure Schedule, proceeds from the sale of oil, gas and natural gas liquids
from the Xxxxx are being received by the Company in a materially timely manner
and in accordance with the terms of the applicable purchase agreement governing
such sale, and are not being held in suspense for any reason except in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practices. The
Company has described all contracts and agreements and made available to the
Parent for examination all contracts and agreements terminable by the Company
upon less than ninety (90) days’ notice pursuant to which hydrocarbons produced
from the Interests are sold, transported, processed or otherwise disposed of or
marketed. Except as set forth in Section 2.31 of the Disclosure
Schedule, no person has any call upon, preferential right or option to purchase
or similar rights with respect to the Interests or to the production therefrom
except at prevailing market prices. Except as set forth in Section
2.31 of the Disclosure Schedule, no person has a right of first refusal with
respect to the Interests triggered by the transactions contemplated
hereby. Except as set forth in Section 2.31 of the Disclosure
Schedule, price renegotiation procedures have not been commenced under FERC
Order No. 451 which involve or which hereafter may affect any gas produced from
the Interests. Except as set forth in Section 2.31 of the Disclosure
Schedule, no offer of credits under FERC Order No. 500 has been made which would
entitle any purchaser of gas produced from the Interests to credit transported
volumes against such purchaser’s take-or-pay obligations under any contract for
the sale of gas produced form the Interests.
2.32 Status of
Xxxxx. Except as disclosed in Section 2.32 of the Disclosure
Schedule, all Xxxxx set forth in the Independent Engineering Report, excluding
proved undeveloped and proved developed nonproducing properties as identified in
such report, are producing or operationally capable of producing hydrocarbons
(based upon prevailing economic conditions) without the necessity of
recompletion or material reworking operations. Except as disclosed in
Section 2.32 of the Disclosure Schedule or reserved for in the Company Balance
Sheet, the Company has no obligations existing for the plugging or abandonment
(including obligations for restoration of the surface) of any oil and/or gas
well, salt water disposal well or other well located at the Interests other than
the general obligation to plug and abandon xxxxx.
2.33 Hedging. Section
2.33 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth for the periods shown obligations of
the Company and each of its Subsidiaries for the delivery of hydrocarbons
attributable to any of the properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
in the future on account of prepayment, advance payment, take-or-pay or similar
obligations without then or thereafter being entitled to receive full value
therefor. Except as set forth in Section 2.33 of the Disclosure
Schedule, as of the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is bound by futures, hedge, swap, collar, put, call, floor, cap,
option or other contracts that are intended to benefit from or reduce or
eliminate the risk of fluctuations in the price of commodities, including
hydrocarbons, or securities.
2.34 Drilling
Obligations. Other than as set forth in Section 2.34 of the
Disclosure Schedule, the Company does not have any material drilling obligations
or other development commitments that are not terminable at will by the Company
without penalty, other than commitments and obligations that arose in the
ordinary course of business where the sole consequence to the Company for a
failure to participate is to suffer a “non-consent” penalty or forfeit an
interest in the undeveloped lands subject to the commitment or
obligation.
2.35 Royalty
Interests. Section 2.35 of the Disclosure Schedule contains a
true, correct and complete description of any royalty, overriding royalty, net
profit or similar interests in oil and gas properties of the Company, held by
any current or former directors, officers, employees, or consultants of the
Company, or their assigns, any independent contractors engaged by the Company,
or any other Persons.
2.36 Seismic
Information. Section 2.36 of the Disclosure Schedule describes
all material agreements by which the Company has a license to use, a right or
commitment to acquire, or that otherwise provide access to, 3-D seismic data
(such agreements collectively referred to as the “Seismic
Agreements”). True and complete copies of the Seismic Agreements will
be delivered to the Parent upon request. Except as set forth in
Section 2.36 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company has no obligations in order
to have full use of the seismic information covered by the Seismic
Agreements. Except to the extent set forth in the Seismic Agreements,
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not terminate or otherwise
should not adversely affect the Company’s rights under the Seismic
Agreements.
2.37 Tax
Partnerships. No item of the Interests is treated for income
tax purposes by the Company as being owned by a partnership.
15
2.38 Disclosure. No
representation or warranty by the Company contained in this Agreement, and no
statement contained in the Disclosure Schedule or any other document,
certificate or other instrument delivered or to be delivered by or on behalf of
the Company pursuant to this Agreement, contains or will contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omits or will omit to state any material fact
necessary, in light of the circumstances under which it was or will be made, in
order to make the statements herein or therein not misleading. The
Company has disclosed to the Parent all material information relating to the
business of the Company or the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
2.39 Duty to Make
Inquiry. To the extent that any of the representations or
warranties in this Article II are qualified by “knowledge” or “belief,” the
Company represents and warrants that it has made due and reasonable inquiry and
investigation concerning the matters to which such representations and
warranties relate, including, but not limited to, diligent inquiry by its
directors, officers and key personnel.
ARTICLE
III
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE PARENT
AND
THE ACQUISITION SUBSIDIARY
Each of
the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary represents and warrants to the Company
that the statements contained in this Article III are true and correct,
except as set forth in the disclosure schedule provided by the Parent and the
Acquisition Subsidiary to the Company on the date hereof and accepted in writing
by the Company (the “Parent Disclosure Schedule”). The Parent
Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged in paragraphs corresponding to the
numbered and lettered paragraphs contained in this
Article III. The inclusion of any item on the Disclosure
Schedule shall constitute disclosure for all purposes under this Agreement, and
shall not be construed as an indication of the materiality or lack thereof of
such item.
3.1 Organization, Qualification
and Corporate Power. The Parent is a corporation duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware and the Acquisition Subsidiary is a corporation duly organized, validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky. The Parent is duly qualified to conduct business and is in
corporate and tax good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction in which the
nature of its businesses or the ownership or leasing of its properties requires
such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good
standing would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect (as defined
below). The Parent has all requisite corporate power and authority to
carry on the businesses in which it is engaged and to own and use the properties
owned and used by it. The Parent has furnished or made available to
the Company complete and accurate copies of its certificate of incorporation and
bylaws. Neither the Parent nor the Acquisition Subsidiary is in
default under or in violation of any provision of its certificate of
incorporation, as amended to date, or its bylaws, as amended to
date. For purposes of this Agreement, “Parent Material Adverse
Effect” means a material adverse effect on the assets, business, condition
(financial or otherwise), or results of operations of the Parent and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
3.2 Capitalization. The
authorized capital stock of the Parent consists of 300,000,000 shares of Parent
Common Stock, of which 36,000,000 shares were issued and outstanding as of the
date of this Agreement, after giving effect to a twelve for one forward stock
split in the form of a stock dividend (the “Stock Split”) to shareholders of
record on November 19, 2007, and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001
par value per share, of which no shares are outstanding. The Parent
Common Stock is presently eligible for quotation and trading on the
Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (the “OTCBB”) in all 00 xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx and is not subject to any notice of suspension or
delisting. The Parent Common Stock is eligible for registration under
the Exchange Act. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Parent
Common Stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, nonassessable and
free of all preemptive rights. Except as contemplated by the
Transaction Documentation (as hereinafter defined) or as described in Section
3.2 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, there are no outstanding or authorized
options, warrants, rights, agreements or commitments to which the Parent is a
party or which are binding upon the Parent providing for the issuance or
redemption of any of its capital stock. There are no outstanding or
authorized stock appreciation, phantom stock or similar rights with respect to
the Parent. Except as contemplated by the Transaction Documentation,
there are no agreements to which the Parent is a party or by which it is bound
with respect to the voting (including without limitation voting trusts or
proxies), registration under the Securities Act, or sale or transfer (including
without limitation agreements relating to pre-emptive rights, rights of first
refusal, co-sale rights or “drag-along” rights) of any securities of the
Parent. There are no agreements among other parties, to which the
Parent is not a party and by which it is not bound, with respect to the voting
(including without limitation voting trusts or proxies) or sale or transfer
(including without limitation agreements relating to rights of first refusal,
co-sale rights or “drag-along” rights) of any securities of the
Parent. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Parent Common
Stock were issued in compliance with applicable federal and state securities
laws. The Merger Shares to be issued at the Closing pursuant to
Section 1.5 hereof, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms
hereof and of the Articles of Merger, shall be duly and validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable and free of all preemptive rights and will be issued in
compliance with applicable federal and state securities
laws. Immediately prior to the Effective Time, after giving effect to
(i) the surrender of 24,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock by Buyer (the
“Share Contribution”) in connection with the Split-Off and (ii) the Stock Split,
there will be 12,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock issued and
outstanding.
3.3 Authorization of
Transaction. Each of the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary
has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and
(in the case of the Parent) the Split-off Agreement and the Escrow Agreement and
to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder. Leaseco has all
requisite power and authority to execute and deliver the Split-Off Agreement and
to perform its obligations thereunder. The execution and delivery by the Parent
and the Acquisition Subsidiary of this Agreement and (in the case of the Parent)
the Split-Off Agreement and the Escrow Agreement, and the agreements
contemplated hereby and thereby (collectively, the “Transaction Documentation”),
and the execution by Leaseco of the Split-Off Agreement and the consummation by
the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary and Leaseco of the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly and validly authorized by all
necessary corporate action on the part of the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary
and Leaseco, respectively. Each of the documents included in the
Transaction Documentation has been duly and validly executed and delivered by
the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary or Leaseco, as the case may be, and
constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Parent, the Acquisition
Subsidiary or Leaseco, as the case may be, enforceable against them in
accordance with its terms.
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3.4 Noncontravention. Subject
to the filing of the Articles of Merger as required by the BCA, neither the
execution and delivery by the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary or Leaseco, as
the case may be, of this Agreement or the Transaction Documentation, nor the
consummation by the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary or Leaseco, as the case
may be, of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, will
(a) conflict with or violate any provision of the certificate of
incorporation or bylaws of the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary or Leaseco, as
the case may be, (b) require on the part of the Parent, the Acquisition
Subsidiary or Leaseco, as the case may be, any filing with, or permit,
authorization, consent or approval of, any Governmental Entity,
(c) conflict with, result in breach of, constitute (with or without due
notice or lapse of time or both) a default under, result in the acceleration of
obligations under, create in any party any right to terminate, modify or cancel,
or require any notice, consent or waiver under, any contract or instrument to
which the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary or Leaseco, as the case may be, is
a party or by which either is bound or to which any of their assets are subject,
except for (i) any conflict, breach, default, acceleration, termination,
modification or cancellation which would not have a Parent Material Adverse
Effect and would not adversely affect the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby or (ii) any notice, consent or waiver the absence of
which would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect and would not adversely
affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, (d) result
in the imposition of any Security Interest upon any assets of the Parent or the
Acquisition Subsidiary or (e) violate any order, writ, injunction, decree,
statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary
or Leaseco or any of their properties or assets.
3.5 Subsidiaries.
(a) The
Parent has no Subsidiaries other than the Acquisition Subsidiary and
Leaseco. Each of the Acquisition Subsidiary and Leaseco is an entity
duly organized, validly existing and in corporate and tax good standing under
the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. The Acquisition
Subsidiary was formed solely to effectuate the Merger, Leaseco was formed solely
to effectuate the Split-Off, and neither of them has conducted any business
operations since its organization. The Parent has delivered or made
available to the Company complete and accurate copies of the charter, bylaws or
other organizational documents of the Acquisition Subsidiary and
Leaseco. The Acquisition Subsidiary has no assets other than minimal
paid-in capital, it has no liabilities or other obligations, and it is not in
default under or in violation of any provision of its charter, bylaws or other
organizational documents. All of the issued and outstanding shares of
capital stock of the Acquisition Subsidiary are duly authorized, validly issued,
fully paid, nonassessable and free of preemptive rights. All shares
of the Acquisition Subsidiary are owned by the Parent free and clear of any
restrictions on transfer (other than restrictions under the Securities Act and
state securities laws), claims, Security Interests, options, warrants, rights,
contracts, calls, commitments, equities and demands. There are no
outstanding or authorized options, warrants, rights, agreements or commitments
to which the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary is a party or which are
binding on any of them providing for the issuance, disposition or acquisition of
any capital stock of the Acquisition Subsidiary or Leaseco (except as
contemplated by this Agreement and the Split-Off Agreement). There
are no outstanding stock appreciation, phantom stock or similar rights with
respect to the Acquisition Subsidiary. There are no voting trusts,
proxies or other agreements or understandings with respect to the voting of any
capital stock of the Acquisition Subsidiary.
(b) At all
times from September 29, 2006 (inception) through the date of this Agreement,
the business and operations of the Parent have been conducted exclusively
through the Parent.
(c) The
Parent does not control directly or indirectly or have any direct or indirect
participation or similar interest in any corporation, partnership, limited
liability company, joint venture, trust or other business association which is
not a Subsidiary.
3.6 Exchange Act
Reports. The Parent has furnished or made available to the
Company complete and accurate copies, as amended or supplemented, of its (a)
Registration Statement on Form SB-2, which contained audited financial
statements for the period September 29, 2006 (inception) through February 28,
2007, as filed with the SEC, and (b) all other reports filed by the Parent
under Section 13 or subsections (a) or (c) of Section 14 of the
Exchange Act with the SEC since June 5, 2007 (such reports are collectively
referred to herein as the “Parent Reports”). The Parent Reports
constitute all of the documents required to be filed by the Parent with the SEC,
including under Section 13 or subsections (a) or (c) of Section 14 of the
Exchange Act, from June 5, 2007 through the date of this
Agreement. The Parent Reports complied in all material respects with
the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder
when filed. As of their respective dates, the Parent Reports did not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
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3.7 Compliance with
Laws. Each of the Parent and its Subsidiaries:
(a) and the
conduct and operations of their respective businesses, are in compliance with
each applicable law (including rules and regulations thereunder) of any federal,
state, local or foreign government, or any Governmental Entity, except for any
violations or defaults that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and
would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse
Effect;
(b) has
complied with all federal and state securities laws and regulations, including
being current in all of its reporting obligations under such federal and state
securities laws and regulations;
(c) has not,
and the past and present officers, directors and Affiliates of the Parent have
not, been the subject of, nor does any officer or director of the Parent have
any reason to believe that the Parent or any of its officers, directors or
Affiliates will be the subject of, any civil or criminal proceeding or
investigation by any federal or state agency alleging a violation of securities
laws;
(d) has not
been the subject of any voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy proceeding, nor has
it been a party to any material litigation;
(e) has not,
and the past and present officers, directors and Affiliates have not, been the
subject of, nor does any officer or director of the Parent have any reason to
believe that the Parent or any of its officers, directors or Affiliates will be
the subject of, any civil, criminal or administrative investigation or
proceeding brought by any federal or state agency having regulatory authority
over such entity or person;
(f) does not
and will not on the Closing, have any liabilities, contingent or otherwise,
including but not limited to notes payable and accounts payable, and is not a
party to any executory agreements; and
(g) is not a
“blank check company” as such term is defined by Rule 419 of the Securities
Act.
3.8 Financial
Statements. The audited financial statements and unaudited
interim financial statements of the Parent included in the Parent Reports
(collectively, the “Parent Financial Statements”) (i) complied as to form in all
material respects with applicable accounting requirements and, as appropriate,
the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto when filed,
(ii) were prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis
throughout the periods covered thereby (except as may be indicated therein or in
the notes thereto, and in the case of quarterly financial statements, as
permitted by Form 10-QSB under the Exchange Act), (iii) fairly present the
consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
Parent as of the respective dates thereof and for the periods referred to
therein, and (iv) are consistent with the books and records of the
Parent.
3.9 Absence of Certain
Changes. Since the date of the balance sheet contained in the
most recent Parent Report, (a) there has occurred no event or development which,
individually or in the aggregate, has had, or could reasonably be expected to
have in the future, a Parent Material Adverse Effect and (b) neither the Parent
nor the Acquisition Subsidiary has taken any of the actions set forth in
paragraphs (a) through (m) of Section 4.6.
3.10 Litigation. Except
as disclosed in the Parent Reports, as of the date of this Agreement, there is
no Legal Proceeding which is pending or, to the Parent’s knowledge, threatened
against the Parent or any Subsidiary of the Parent which, if determined
adversely to the Parent or such Subsidiary, could have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect or which in any manner challenges or
seeks to prevent, enjoin, alter or delay the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. For purposes of this Section 3.10, any such pending or
threatened Legal Proceedings where the amount at issue exceeds or could
reasonably be expected to exceed the lesser of $10,000 per Legal Proceeding or
$25,000 in the aggregate shall be considered to possibly result in a Parent
Material Adverse Effect hereunder.
3.11 Undisclosed
Liabilities. None of the Parent and its Subsidiaries has any
liability (whether known or unknown, whether absolute or contingent, whether
liquidated or unliquidated and whether due or to become due), except for
(a) liabilities shown on the balance sheet contained in the most recent
Parent Report, (b) liabilities which have arisen since the date of the
balance sheet contained in the most recent Parent Report in the Ordinary Course
of Business which do not exceed $1,000.00 in the aggregate and
(c) contractual and other liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of
Business which are not required by GAAP to be reflected on a balance
sheet.
3.12 Tax
Matters.
(a) Each of
the Parent and its Subsidiaries has filed on a timely basis all Tax Returns that
it was required to file, and all such Tax Returns were complete and accurate in
all material respects. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries
is or has ever been a member of a group of corporations with which it has filed
(or been required to file) consolidated, combined or unitary Tax Returns, other
than a group of which only the Parent and its Subsidiaries are or were
members. Each of the Parent and its Subsidiaries has paid on a timely
basis all Taxes that were due and payable. The unpaid Taxes of the
Parent and its Subsidiaries for tax periods through the date of the balance
sheet contained in the most recent Parent Report do not exceed the accruals and
reserves for Taxes (excluding accruals and reserves for deferred Taxes
established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax income) set forth
on such balance sheet. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries
has any actual or potential liability for any Tax obligation of any taxpayer
(including without limitation any affiliated group of corporations or other
entities that included the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries during a prior
period) other than the Parent and its Subsidiaries. All Taxes that
the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is or was required by law to withhold or
collect have been duly withheld or collected and, to the extent required, have
been paid to the proper Governmental Entity.
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(b) The
Parent has delivered or made available to the Company complete and accurate
copies of all federal income Tax Returns, examination reports and statements of
deficiencies assessed against or agreed to by the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries since September 29, 2006 (which was the date of the Parent’s
incorporation). No examination or audit of any Tax Return of the
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries by any Governmental Entity is currently in
progress or, to the knowledge of the Parent, threatened or
contemplated. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has been
informed by any jurisdiction that the jurisdiction believes that the Parent or
its Subsidiaries was required to file any Tax Return that was not
filed. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has waived any
statute of limitations with respect to Taxes or agreed to an extension of time
with respect to a Tax assessment or deficiency.
(c) Neither
the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries: (i) has been a United States real
property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the
Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(l)(A)(ii) of
the Code; (ii) has made any payments, is obligated to make any payments, or
is a party to any agreement that could obligate it to make any payments that may
be treated as an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code;
(iii) has any actual or potential liability for any Taxes of any person
(other than the Parent and its Subsidiaries) under Treasury Regulation
Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of federal, state, local or
foreign law), or as a transferee or successor, by contract or otherwise; or
(iv) is or has been required to make a basis reduction pursuant to Treasury
Regulation Section 1.1502-20(b) or Treasury Regulation
Section 1.337(d)-2(b).
(d) None of
the assets of the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries: (i) is property that
is required to be treated as being owned by any other person pursuant to the
provisions of former Section 168(f)(8) of the Code; (ii) is
“tax-exempt use property” within the meaning of Section 168(h) of the Code;
or (iii) directly or indirectly secures any debt the interest of which is
tax exempt under Section 103(a) of the Code.
(e) Neither
the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has undergone a change in its method of
accounting resulting in an adjustment to its taxable income pursuant to
Section 481 of the Code.
(f) No state
or federal “net operating loss” of the Parent determined as of the Closing Date
is subject to limitation on its use pursuant to Section 382 of the Code or
comparable provisions of state law as a result of any “ownership change” within
the meaning of Section 382(g) of the Code or comparable provisions of any
state law occurring prior to the Closing Date.
3.13 Assets. Each
of the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary owns or leases all tangible assets
necessary for the conduct of its businesses as presently conducted and as
presently proposed to be conducted. Each such tangible asset is free
from material defects, has been maintained in accordance with normal industry
practice, is in good operating condition and repair (subject to normal wear and
tear) and is suitable for the purposes for which it presently is
used. No asset of the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary (tangible
or intangible) is subject to any Security Interest.
3.14 Owned Real
Property. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries owns
any real property.
3.15 Real Property
Leases. Section 3.15 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule lists
all real property leased or subleased to or by the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries and lists the term of such lease, any extension and expansion
options, and the rent payable thereunder. The Parent has delivered or
made available to the Company complete and accurate copies of the leases and
subleases listed in Section 3.15 of the Parent Disclosure
Schedule. With respect to each lease and sublease listed in
Section 3.15 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule:
(a) the lease
or sublease is legal, valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and
effect;
(b) the lease
or sublease will continue to be legal, valid, binding, enforceable and in full
force and effect immediately following the Closing in accordance with the terms
thereof as in effect immediately prior to the Closing;
(c) neither
the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Parent, any
other party, is in breach or violation of, or default under, any such lease or
sublease, and no event has occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of the
Parent, is threatened, which, after the giving of notice, with lapse of time or
otherwise, would constitute a breach or default by the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Parent, any other party under such
lease or sublease;
(d) neither
the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has assigned, transferred, conveyed,
mortgaged, deeded in trust or encumbered any interest in the leasehold or
subleasehold; and
(e) to the
knowledge of the Parent, there is no Security Interest, easement, covenant or
other restriction applicable to the real property subject to such lease, except
for recorded easements, covenants and other restrictions which do not materially
impair the current uses or the occupancy by the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries of the property subject thereto.
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3.16 Contracts.
(a) Section
3.16 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule lists the following agreements (written
or oral) to which the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party as of the
date of this Agreement:
(i) any
agreement (or group of related agreements) for the lease of personal property
from or to third parties;
(ii) any
agreement (or group of related agreements) for the purchase or sale of products
or for the furnishing or receipt of services;
(iii) any
agreement establishing a partnership or joint venture;
(iv) any
agreement (or group of related agreements) under which it has created, incurred,
assumed or guaranteed (or may create, incur, assume or guarantee) indebtedness
(including capitalized lease obligations) or under which it has imposed (or may
impose) a Security Interest on any of its assets, tangible or
intangible;
(v) any
agreement concerning confidentiality or noncompetition;
(vi) any
employment or consulting agreement;
(vii) any
agreement involving any current or former officer, director or stockholder of
the Parent or any Affiliate thereof;
(viii) any
agreement under which the consequences of a default or termination would
reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect;
(ix) any
agreement which contains any provisions requiring the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries to indemnify any other party thereto (excluding indemnities
contained in agreements for the purchase, sale or license of products entered
into in the Ordinary Course of Business);
(x) any other
agreement (or group of related agreements) either involving more than $5,000 or
not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business; and
(xi) any
agreement, other than as contemplated by this Agreement, the Bridge Loan and the
Split-Off, relating to the sales of securities of the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries to which the Parent or such Subsidiary is a party.
(b) The
Parent has delivered or made available to the Company a complete and accurate
copy of each agreement listed in Section 3.16 of the Parent Disclosure
Schedule. With respect to each agreement so
listed: (i) the agreement is legal, valid, binding and
enforceable and in full force and effect; (ii) the agreement will continue
to be legal, valid, binding and enforceable and in full force and effect
immediately following the Closing in accordance with the terms thereof as in
effect immediately prior to the Closing; and (iii) neither the Parent nor
any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Parent, any other party, is
in breach or violation of, or default under, any such agreement, and no event
has occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of the Parent, is threatened,
which, after the giving of notice, with lapse of time or otherwise, would
constitute a breach or default by the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or, to
the knowledge of the Parent, any other party under such contract.
3.17 Accounts
Receivable. All accounts receivable of the Parent and its
Subsidiaries reflected on the Parent Reports are valid receivables subject to no
setoffs or counterclaims and are current and collectible (within 90 days after
the date on which it first became due and payable), net of the applicable
reserve for bad debts on the balance sheet contained in the most recent Parent
Report. All accounts receivable reflected in the financial or
accounting records of the Parent that have arisen since the date of the balance
sheet contained in the most recent Parent Report are valid receivables subject
to no setoffs or counterclaims and are collectible (within 90 days after the
date on which it first became due and payable), net of a reserve for bad debts
in an amount proportionate to the reserve shown on the balance sheet contained
in the most recent Parent Report.
3.18 Powers of
Attorney. There are no outstanding powers of attorney executed
on behalf of the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.19 Insurance. Section 3.19
of the Parent Disclosure Schedule lists each insurance policy (including fire,
theft, casualty, general liability, workers compensation, business interruption,
environmental, product liability and automobile insurance policies and bond and
surety arrangements) to which the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a
party. Such insurance policies are of the type and in amounts
customarily carried by organizations conducting businesses or owning assets
similar to those of the Parent and its Subsidiaries. There is no
material claim pending under any such policy as to which coverage has been
questioned, denied or disputed by the underwriter of such policy. All
premiums due and payable under all such policies have been paid, neither the
Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries may be liable for retroactive premiums or
similar payments, and the Parent and its Subsidiaries are otherwise in
compliance in all material respects with the terms of such
policies. The Parent has no knowledge of any threatened termination
of, or material premium increase with respect to, any such
policy. Each such policy will continue to be enforceable and in full
force and effect immediately following the Closing in accordance with the terms
thereof as in effect immediately prior to the Closing.
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3.20 Warranties. No
product or service sold or delivered by the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is
subject to any guaranty, warranty, right of credit or other indemnity other than
the applicable standard terms and conditions of sale of the Parent or the
appropriate Subsidiary, which are set forth in Section 3.20 of the Parent
Disclosure Schedule.
3.21 Employees.
(a) Section
3.21 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule contains a list of all employees of the
Parent and each of its Subsidiaries, along with the position and the annual rate
of compensation of each such person. Each current or past employee of
the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has entered into a
confidentiality/assignment of inventions agreement with the Parent or such
Subsidiaries, a copy or form of which has previously been delivered to the
Company. Section 3.21 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule contains a
list of all employees of the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries who are a party
to a non-competition agreement with the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries;
copies of such agreements have previously been delivered to the
Company. To the knowledge of the Parent, no employee or group of
employees has any plans to terminate employment with the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries.
(b) Neither
the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to or bound by any collective
bargaining agreement, nor have any of them experienced any strikes, grievances,
claims of unfair labor practices or other collective bargaining
disputes. The Parent has no knowledge of any organizational effort
made or threatened, either currently or since the date of organization of the
Parent, by or on behalf of any labor union with respect to employees of the
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.22 Employee
Benefits.
(a) Section 3.22(a)
of the Parent Disclosure Schedule contains a complete and accurate list of all
Employee Benefit Plans maintained, or contributed to, by the Parent, any of its
Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate of the Parent (a “Parent ERISA Affiliate”)
(collectively, the “Parent Plans”). Complete and accurate copies of
(i) all Parent Plans which have been reduced to writing, (ii) written
summaries of all unwritten Parent Plans, (iii) all related trust
agreements, insurance contracts and summary plan descriptions, and (iv) all
annual reports filed on IRS Form 5500, 5500C or 5500R and (for all funded plans)
all plan financial statements for the last five plan years for each Parent Plan,
have been delivered or made available to the Parent. Each Parent Plan
has been administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms and
each of the Parent, its Subsidiaries and the Parent ERISA Affiliates has in all
material respects met its obligations with respect to such Parent Plan and has
made all required contributions thereto. The Parent, each of its
Subsidiaries, each Parent ERISA Affiliate and each Parent Plan are in compliance
in all material respects with the currently applicable provisions of ERISA and
the Code and the regulations thereunder (including without limitation
Section 4980B of the Code, Subtitle K, Chapter 100 of the Code and
Sections 601 through 608 and Section 701 et seq. of
ERISA). All filings and reports as to each Parent Plan required to
have been submitted to the Internal Revenue Service or to the United States
Department of Labor have been duly submitted.
(b) To the
knowledge of the Parent, there are no Legal Proceedings (except claims for
benefits payable in the normal operation of the Parent Plans and proceedings
with respect to qualified domestic relations orders) against or involving any
Parent Plan or asserting any rights or claims to benefits under any Parent Plan
that could give rise to any material liability.
(c) All the
Parent Plans that are intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the
Code have received determination letters from the Internal Revenue Service to
the effect that such Parent Plans are qualified and the plans and the trusts
related thereto are exempt from federal income taxes under Sections 401(a)
and 501(a), respectively, of the Code, no such determination letter has been
revoked and revocation has not been threatened, and no such Parent Plan has been
amended since the date of its most recent determination letter or application
therefor in any respect, and no act or omission has occurred, that would
adversely affect its qualification or materially increase its
cost. Each Parent Plan which is required to satisfy
Section 401(k)(3) or Section 401(m)(2) of the Code has been tested for
compliance with, and satisfies the requirements of, Section 401(k)(3) and
Section 401(m)(2) of the Code for each plan year ending prior to the
Closing Date.
(d) Neither
the Parent, any of its Subsidiaries, nor any Parent ERISA Affiliate has ever
maintained an Employee Benefit Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code or
Title IV of ERISA.
(e) At no
time has the Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent ERISA Affiliate been
obligated to contribute to any “multiemployer plan” (as defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).
(f) There are
no unfunded obligations under any Parent Plan providing benefits after
termination of employment to any employee of the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries (or to any beneficiary of any such employee), including but not
limited to retiree health coverage and deferred compensation, but excluding
continuation of health coverage required to be continued under
Section 4980B of the Code or other applicable law and insurance conversion
privileges under state law. The assets of each Parent Plan which is
funded are reported at their fair market value on the books and records of such
Parent Plan.
21
(g) No act or
omission has occurred and no condition exists with respect to any Parent Plan
maintained by the Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent ERISA Affiliate
that would subject the Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent ERISA
Affiliate to (i) any material fine, penalty, tax or liability of any kind
imposed under ERISA or the Code or (ii) any contractual indemnification or
contribution obligation protecting any fiduciary, insurer or service provider
with respect to any Parent Plan.
(h) No Parent
Plan is funded by, associated with or related to a “voluntary employee’s
beneficiary association” within the meaning of Section 501(c)(9) of the
Code.
(i) Each
Parent Plan is amendable and terminable unilaterally by the Parent at any time
without liability to the Parent as a result thereof and no Parent Plan, plan
documentation or agreement, summary plan description or other written
communication distributed generally to employees by its terms prohibits the
Parent from amending or terminating any such Parent Plan.
(j) Section
3.22(j) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule discloses
each: (i) agreement with any stockholder, director, executive
officer or other employee of the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (A) the
benefits of which are contingent, or the terms of which are materially altered,
upon the occurrence of a transaction involving the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries of the nature of any of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, (B) providing any term of employment or compensation guarantee
or (C) providing severance benefits or other benefits after the termination
of employment of such director, executive officer or employee;
(ii) agreement, plan or arrangement under which any person may receive
payments from the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries that may be subject to the
tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or included in the determination of
such person’s “parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code; and
(iii) agreement or plan binding the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries,
including without limitation any stock option plan, stock appreciation right
plan, restricted stock plan, stock purchase plan, severance benefit plan or
Parent Plan, any of the benefits of which will be increased, or the vesting of
the benefits of which will be accelerated, by the occurrence of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the value of any of the benefits
of which will be calculated on the basis of any of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement. The accruals for vacation, sickness and disability
expenses are accounted for on the balance sheet contained in the most recent
Parent Report and are adequate and materially reflect the expenses associated
therewith in accordance with GAAP.
3.23 Environmental
Matters.
(a) Each of
the Parent and its Subsidiaries has complied with all applicable Environmental
Laws, except for violations of Environmental Laws that, individually or in the
aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent
Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the knowledge of
the Parent, threatened civil or criminal litigation, written notice of
violation, formal administrative proceeding, or investigation, inquiry or
information request by any Governmental Entity, relating to any Environmental
Law involving the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, except for litigation,
notices of violations, formal administrative proceedings or investigations,
inquiries or information requests that, individually or in the aggregate, have
not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) Set forth
in Section 3.23(b) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule is a list of all
documents (whether in hard copy or electronic form) that contain any
environmental reports, investigations and audits relating to premises currently
or previously owned or operated by the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
(whether conducted by or on behalf of the Parent or its Subsidiaries or a third
party, and whether done at the initiative of the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries or directed by a Governmental Entity or other third party) which
were issued or conducted during the past five years and which the Parent has
possession of or access to. A complete and accurate copy of each such
document has been provided to the Company.
(c) The
Parent is not aware of any material environmental liability of any solid or
hazardous waste transporter or treatment, storage or disposal facility that has
been used by the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.24 Permits. Section
3.24 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth a list of all permits,
licenses, registrations, certificates, orders or approvals from any Governmental
Entity (including without limitation those issued or required under
Environmental Laws and those relating to the occupancy or use of owned or leased
real property) (“Parent Permits”) issued to or held by the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries. Such listed permits are the only Parent Permits that
are required for the Parent and any of its Subsidiaries to conduct their
respective businesses as presently conducted except for those the absence of
which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably
be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Each such
Parent Permit is in full force and effect and, to the knowledge of the Parent,
no suspension or cancellation of such Parent Permit is threatened and there is
no basis for believing that such Parent Permit will not be renewable upon
expiration. Each such Parent Permit will continue in full force and
effect immediately following the Closing.
3.25 Certain Business
Relationships with Affiliates. No Affiliate of the Parent or
of any of its Subsidiaries (a) owns any property or right, tangible or
intangible, which is used in the business of the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries, (b) has any claim or cause of action against the Parent or
any of its Subsidiaries, or (c) owes any money to, or is owed any money by,
the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. Section 3.25 of the
Parent Disclosure Schedule describes any transactions involving the receipt or
payment in excess of $1,000 in any fiscal year between the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries and any Affiliate thereof which have occurred or existed since the
beginning of the time period covered by the Parent Financial
Statements.
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3.26 Tax-Free
Reorganization.
(a) The
Parent (i) is not an “investment company” as defined in
Section 368(a)(2)(F)(iii) and (iv) of the Code; (ii) has no present
plan or intention to liquidate the Surviving Corporation or to merge the
Surviving Corporation with or into any other corporation or entity, or to sell
or otherwise dispose of the stock of the Surviving Corporation which the Parent
will acquire in the Merger, or to cause the Surviving Corporation to sell or
otherwise dispose of its assets, all except in the ordinary course of business
or if such liquidation, merger or disposition is described in
Section 368(a)(2)(C) or Treasury Regulation Section 1.368-2(d)(4) or
Section 1.368-2(k); and (iii) has no present plan or intention,
following the Merger, to issue any additional shares of stock of the Surviving
Corporation or to create any new class of stock of the Surviving
Corporation.
(b) The
Acquisition Subsidiary is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Parent, formed solely
for the purpose of engaging in the Merger, and will carry on no business prior
to the Merger.
(c) Immediately
prior to the Merger, the Parent will be in control of Acquisition Subsidiary
within the meaning of Section 368(c) of the Code.
(d) Immediately
following the Merger, the Surviving Corporation will hold at least 90% of the
fair market value of the net assets and at least 70% of the fair market value of
the gross assets held by the Company immediately prior to the Merger (for
purposes of this representation, amounts used by the Company to pay
reorganization expenses, if any, will be included as assets of the Company held
immediately prior to the Merger).
(e) The
Parent has no present plan or intention to reacquire any of the Merger
Shares.
(f) The
Acquisition Subsidiary will have no liabilities assumed by the Surviving
Corporation and will not transfer to the Surviving Corporation any assets
subject to liabilities in the Merger.
(g) Following
the Merger, the Surviving Corporation will continue the Company’s historic
business or use a significant portion of the Company’s historic business assets
in a business as required by Section 368 of the Code and the Treasury
Regulations promulgated thereunder.
(h) The
Split-Off Agreement will constitute a legally binding obligation among the
Parent, Leaseco and Buyer prior to the Effective Time; immediately
following consummation of the Merger, the Parent will distribute
the stock of Leaseco to Buyer in cancellation of the Purchase Price Shares (as
such term is defined in the Split-Off Agreement); no property other than
the capital stock of Leaseco will be distributed by the Parent
to Buyer in connection with or following the Merger; upon execution of
the Split-Off Agreement, Buyer will have no right to sell or transfer the
Purchase Price Shares to any person without the Parent’s prior written
consent, and the Parent will not consent (nor will it permit others to consent)
to any such sale or transfer; upon execution of the Split-Off Agreement, there
will be no other plan, arrangement, agreement, contract, intention or
understanding, whether written or verbal and whether or not enforceable in law
or equity, that would permit Buyer to vote the Purchase
Price Shares or receive any property or other distributions
from the Parent with respect to the Purchase Price Shares other than
the capital stock of Leaseco.
3.27 Split-Off. As
of the Effective Time, the Parent will have discontinued all of its business
operations which it conducted prior to the Effective Time by closing the
transactions contemplated by the Split-Off Agreement. Upon the
closing of the transactions contemplated by the Split-Off Agreement, the Parent
will have no liabilities, contingent or otherwise, in any way related to its
pre-Effective Time business operations or to Leaseco.
3.28 Brokers’
Fees. Except as set forth on Section 3.28 of the Parent
Disclosure Schedule, neither the Parent nor the Acquisition Subsidiary has any
liability or obligation to pay any fees or commissions to any broker, finder or
agent with respect to the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
3.29 Disclosure. No
representation or warranty by the Parent contained in this Agreement, and no
statement contained in the any document, certificate or other instrument
delivered or to be delivered by or on behalf of the Parent pursuant to this
Agreement, contains or will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omits or will omit to state any material fact necessary, in light of the
circumstances under which it was or will be made, in order to make the
statements herein or therein not misleading. The Parent has disclosed
to the Company all material information relating to the business of the Parent
or any of its Subsidiaries or the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
3.30 Interested Party
Transactions. Except for the Split-Off Agreement, to the
knowledge of the Parent, no officer, director or stockholder of the Parent or
any “affiliate” (as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange
Act) or “associate” (as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities
Act) of any such person currently has or has had, either directly or indirectly,
(a) an interest in any person that (i) furnishes or sells services or products
that are furnished or sold or are proposed to be furnished or sold by the Parent
or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) purchases from or sells or furnishes to the
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries any goods or services, or (b) a beneficial
interest in any contract or agreement to which the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which it may be bound or
affected. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has extended
or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an
extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or
executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries.
3.31 Duty to Make
Inquiry. To the extent that any of the representations or
warranties in this Article III are qualified by “knowledge” or “belief,” the
Parent represents and warrants that it has made due and reasonable inquiry and
investigation concerning the matters to which such representations and
warranties relate, including, but not limited to, diligent inquiry by its
directors, officers and key personnel.
3.32 Accountants. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, CPA (“GS”) are and have been throughout the periods covered by the
financial statements of the Parent for the past fiscal year (a) a registered
public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act
of 2002), (b) “independent” with respect to the Parent within the meaning of
Regulation S-X and (c) in compliance with subsections (g) through (l) of Section
10A of the Exchange Act and the related rules of the SEC and the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board. Schedule 3.32 of the Parent Disclosure
Schedule lists all non-audit services performed by GS for the Parent and/or any
of its Subsidiaries since September 29, 2006. The report of GS on the
financial statements of the Parent for the past fiscal year did not contain an
adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, or was qualified as to uncertainty,
audit scope, or accounting principles. During the Parent’s most
recent fiscal year and the subsequent interim periods, there were no
disagreements with GS on any matter of accounting principles or practices,
financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures. None
of the reportable events listed in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-B occurred
with respect to GS.
23
3.33 Minute
Books. The minute books and other similar records of the
Parent and each of its Subsidiaries contain, in all material respects, complete
and accurate records of all actions taken at any meetings of directors (or
committees thereof) and stockholders or actions by written consent in lieu of
the holding of any such meetings since the time of organization of each such
corporation through the date of this Agreement. The Parent has
provided true and complete copies of all such minute books and other similar
records to the Company’s representatives.
3.34 Board
Action. The Parent’s Board of Directors (a) has unanimously
determined that the Merger is advisable and in the best interests of the
Parent’s stockholders and is on terms that are fair to such Parent stockholders
and (b) has caused the Parent, in its capacity as the sole stockholder of the
Acquisition Subsidiary, and the Board of Directors of the Acquisition
Subsidiary, to approve the Merger and this Agreement by unanimous written
consent.
ARTICLE
IV
COVENANTS
4.1 Closing
Efforts. Each of the Parties shall use its best efforts, to
the extent commercially reasonable (“Reasonable Best Efforts”), to take all
actions and to do all things necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including without limitation using
its Reasonable Best Efforts to ensure that (i) its representations and
warranties remain true and correct in all material respects through the Closing
Date and (ii) the conditions to the obligations of the other Parties to
consummate the Merger are satisfied.
4.2 Governmental and Third-Party
Notices and Consents.
(a) Each
Party shall use its Reasonable Best Efforts to obtain, at its expense, all
waivers, permits, consents, approvals or other authorizations from Governmental
Entities, and to effect all registrations, filings and notices with or to
Governmental Entities, as may be required for such Party to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and to otherwise comply with all
applicable laws and regulations in connection with the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) The
Company shall use its Reasonable Best Efforts to obtain, at its expense, all
such waivers, consents or approvals from third parties, and to give all such
notices to third parties, as are required to be listed in Section 2.4 of
the Disclosure Schedule.
4.3 Current
Report. As soon as reasonably practicable after the execution
of this Agreement, the Parties shall prepare a Current Report on Form 8-K
relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (the
“Current Report”). Each of the Company and the Parent shall use its
Reasonable Best Efforts to cause the Current Report to be filed with the SEC
within four business days of the execution of this Agreement and to otherwise
comply with all requirements of applicable federal and state securities
laws. Further, the Parties shall prepare and file with the SEC an
amendment to the Current Report within four business days after the Closing
Date, if such Current Report was filed before the Closing Date.
4.4 Operation of Company
Business. Except as contemplated by this Agreement, during the
period from the date of this Agreement to the Effective Time, the Company
shall conduct its operations in the Ordinary Course of Business and
in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and, to the
extent consistent therewith, use its Reasonable Best Efforts to preserve intact
its current business organization, keep its physical assets in good working
condition, keep available the services of its current officers and employees and
preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers and others having business
dealings with it to the end that its goodwill and ongoing business shall not be
impaired in any material respect. Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing, prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall not, without the
written consent of the Parent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed):
(a) issue or
sell, or redeem or repurchase, any stock or other securities of the Company or
any Warrants, Options or other rights to acquire any such stock or other
securities (except pursuant to the conversion or exercise of convertible
securities or Options or Warrants outstanding on the date hereof), or amend any
of the terms of (including without limitation the vesting of) any such
convertible securities or Options or Warrants;
(b) split,
combine or reclassify any shares of its capital stock; declare, set aside or pay
any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or property or any
combination thereof) in respect of its capital stock;
(c) except as
contemplated by, and in connection with, the Bridge Loan, create, incur or
assume any indebtedness for borrowed money (including obligations in respect of
capital leases) except in the Ordinary Course of Business or in connection with
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; assume, guarantee, endorse or
otherwise become liable or responsible (whether directly, contingently or
otherwise) for the obligations of any other person or entity; or make any loans,
advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other person or
entity;
(d) enter
into, adopt or amend any Employee Benefit Plan or any employment or severance
agreement or arrangement or (except for normal increases in the Ordinary Course
of Business for employees who are not Affiliates) increase in any manner the
compensation or fringe benefits of, or materially modify the employment terms
of, its directors, officers or employees, generally or individually, or pay any
bonus or other benefit to its directors, officers or employees;
24
(e) acquire,
sell, lease, license or dispose of any assets or property, other than purchases
and sales of assets in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(f) mortgage
or pledge any of its property or assets or subject any such property or assets
to any Security Interest (except in connection with senior debt in existence on
the date of this Agreement);
(g) discharge
or satisfy any Security Interest or pay any obligation or liability other than
in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(h) amend its
charter, by-laws or other organizational documents;
(i) change in
any material respect its accounting methods, principles or practices, except
insofar as may be required by a generally applicable change in
GAAP;
(j) enter
into, amend, terminate, take or omit to take any action that would constitute a
violation of or default under, or waive any rights under, any material contract
or agreement;
(k) institute
or settle any Legal Proceeding;
(l) take any
action or fail to take any action permitted by this Agreement with the knowledge
that such action or failure to take action would result in (i) any of the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement
becoming untrue in any material respect or (ii) any of the conditions to
the Merger set forth in Article V not being satisfied; or
(m) agree in
writing or otherwise to take any of the foregoing actions.
4.5 Access to Company
Information.
(a) The
Company shall permit representatives of the Parent to have full access (at all
reasonable times, and in a manner so as not to interfere with the normal
business operations of the Company) to all premises, properties, financial and
accounting records, contracts, other records and documents, and personnel of or
pertaining to the Company.
(b) Each of
the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary (i) shall treat and hold as
confidential any Company Confidential Information (as defined below),
(ii) shall not use any of the Company Confidential Information except in
connection with this Agreement, and (iii) if this Agreement is terminated
for any reason whatsoever, shall return to the Company all tangible embodiments
(and all copies) thereof which are in its possession. For purposes of
this Agreement, “Company Confidential Information” means any information of the
Company that is furnished to the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary by the
Company in connection with this Agreement; provided, however, that it
shall not include any information (A) which, at the time of disclosure, is
available publicly other than as a result of non-permitted disclosure by the
Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary or their respective directors, officers or
employees, (B) which, after disclosure, becomes available publicly through
no fault of the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary or their respective
directors, officers or employees, (C) which the Parent or the Acquisition
Subsidiary knew or to which the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary had access
prior to disclosure, provided that the source of such information is not known
by the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary to be bound by a confidentiality
obligation to the Company, or (D) which the Parent or the Acquisition
Subsidiary rightfully obtains from a source other than the Company, provided
that the source of such information is not known by the Parent or the
Acquisition Subsidiary to be bound by a confidentiality obligation to the
Company.
4.6 Operation of Parent
Business. Except as contemplated by this Agreement, during the
period from the date of this Agreement to the Effective Time, the Parent shall
(and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to) conduct its operations in the
Ordinary Course of Business and in material compliance with all applicable laws
and regulations and, to the extent consistent therewith, use its Reasonable Best
Efforts to preserve intact its current business organization, keep its physical
assets in good working condition, keep available the services of its current
officers and employees and preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers
and others having business dealings with it to the end that its goodwill and
ongoing business shall not be impaired in any material
respect. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, prior to
the Effective Time, the Parent shall not (and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries not to), without the written consent of the Company:
(a) issue or
sell, or redeem or repurchase, any stock or other securities of the Parent or
any rights, warrants or options to acquire any such stock or other securities,
except as contemplated by, and in connection with, the Bridge Loan, the Merger
and the Split-Off;
(b) split,
combine or reclassify any shares of its capital stock; declare, set aside or pay
any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or property or any
combination thereof) in respect of its capital stock, except as contemplated by,
and in connection with, the Stock Split;
(c) except as
contemplated by, and in connection with, the Bridge Loan: create,
incur or assume any indebtedness (including obligations in respect of capital
leases); assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise become liable or responsible
(whether directly, contingently or otherwise) for the obligations of any other
person or entity; or make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or
investments in, any other person or entity;
(d) enter
into, adopt or amend any Parent Plan or any employment or severance agreement or
arrangement or increase in any manner the compensation or fringe benefits of, or
materially modify the employment terms of, its directors, officers or employees,
generally or individually, or pay any bonus or other benefit to its directors,
officers or employees, except for the adoption of Parent Option Plan covering
4,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock in connection with the
Merger;
(e) acquire,
sell, lease, license or dispose of any assets or property (including without
limitation any shares or other equity interests in or securities of any
Subsidiary of the Parent or any corporation, partnership, association or other
business organization or division thereof), except as contemplated by, and in
connection with, the Split-Off;
25
(f) mortgage
or pledge any of its property or assets or subject any such property or assets
to any Security Interest;
(g) discharge
or satisfy any Security Interest or pay any obligation or liability other than
in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(h) amend its
charter, by-laws or other organizational documents;
(i) change in
any material respect its accounting methods, principles or practices, except
insofar as may be required by a generally applicable change in
GAAP;
(j) enter
into, amend, terminate, take or omit to take any action that would constitute a
violation of or default under, or waive any rights under, any contract or
agreement;
(k) institute
or settle any Legal Proceeding;
(l) take any
action or fail to take any action permitted by this Agreement with the knowledge
that such action or failure to take action would result in (i) any of the
representations and warranties of the Parent and/or the Acquisition Subsidiary
set forth in this Agreement becoming untrue in any material respect or
(ii) any of the conditions to the Merger set forth in Article V not
being satisfied; or
(m) agree in
writing or otherwise to take any of the foregoing actions.
4.7 Access to Parent
Information.
(a) The
Parent shall (and shall cause the Acquisition Subsidiary to) permit
representatives of the Company to have full access (at all reasonable times, and
in a manner so as not to interfere with the normal business operations of the
Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary) to all premises, properties, financial
and accounting records, contracts, other records and documents, and personnel of
or pertaining to the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary and
Leaseco.
(b) The
Company (i) shall treat and hold as confidential any Parent Confidential
Information (as defined below), (ii) shall not use any of the Parent
Confidential Information except in connection with this Agreement, and
(iii) if this Agreement is terminated for any reason whatsoever, shall
return to the Parent all tangible embodiments (and all copies) thereof which are
in its possession. For purposes of this Agreement, “Parent
Confidential Information” means any information of the Parent or any Parent
Subsidiary that is furnished to the Company by the Parent or its Subsidiaries in
connection with this Agreement; provided, however, that it
shall not include any information (A) which, at the time of disclosure, is
available publicly other than as a result of non-permitted disclosure by the
Company or its directors, officers or employees, (B) which, after
disclosure, becomes available publicly through no fault of the Company or its
directors, officers or employees, (C) which the Company knew or to which
the Company had access prior to disclosure, provided that the source of such
information is not known by the Company to be bound by a confidentiality
obligation to the Parent or any Subsidiary of the Parent or (D) which the
Company rightfully obtains from a source other than the Parent or a Subsidiary
of the Parent, provided that the source of such information is not known by the
Company to be bound by a confidentiality obligation to the Parent or any
Subsidiary of the Parent.
4.8 Expenses. The
costs and expenses of the Parent and the Company (including legal fees and
expenses of the Parent and the Company) incurred in connection with this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be payable at
Closing.
4.9 Indemnification.
(a) The
Parent shall not, for a period of three years after the Effective Time, take any
action to alter or impair any exculpatory or indemnification provisions now
existing in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company for the
benefit of any individual who served as a director or officer of the Company at
any time prior to the Effective Time, except for any changes which may be
required to conform with changes in applicable law and any changes which do not
affect the application of such provisions to acts or omissions of such
individuals prior to the Effective Time.
(b) From and
after the Effective Time, the Parent agrees that it will, and will cause the
Surviving Corporation to, indemnify and hold harmless each present and former
director and officer of the Company (the “Indemnified Executives”) against any
costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines,
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or amounts paid in settlement incurred in
connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining
to matters existing or occurring at or prior to the Effective Time, whether
asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Effective Time, to the fullest
extent permitted under Kentucky law (and the Parent and the Surviving
Corporation shall also advance expenses as incurred to the fullest extent
permitted under Kentucky law, provided the Indemnified Executive to whom
expenses are advanced provides an undertaking to repay such advances if it is
ultimately determined that such Indemnified Executive is not entitled to
indemnification).
4.10 Listing of Merger
Shares. The Parent shall take whatever steps are necessary to
cause the Merger Shares (and any shares of Parent Common Stock that may be
issued pursuant to Section 1.13) to be eligible for quotation on the
OTCBB.
4.11 [Intentionally
Omitted]
4.12 Name
Change. The Parent shall take all necessary steps to enable it
to change its corporate name to such name as is agreeable to the Company as of
the Effective Time, if the Parent has not already done so prior to the Effective
Time.
4.13 Split-Off. The
Parent shall take whatever steps are necessary to enable it to effect the
Split-Off prior to or as of the Effective Time.
4.14 Stock Option
Plan. The Board of Directors and shareholders of Parent shall
adopt the Parent Option Plan reserving for issuance 4,000,000 shares of Parent
Common Stock prior to or as of the Effective Time.
26
4.15 Parent Board; Amendment of
Charter Documents. The Parent shall take such actions as are
necessary to authorize the Parent’s Board of Directors to consist of five
members.
4.16 Information Provided to
Company Stockholders. The Company shall prepare, with the
cooperation of the Parent, information to be sent to the holders of Company
Shares in connection with receiving their approval of the Merger, this Agreement
and related transactions. Such information shall constitute a
disclosure of the offer and issuance of the shares of Parent Common Stock to be
received by the Company Stockholders in the Merger. The Parent and
the Company shall each use Reasonable Best Efforts to cause information provided
to such holders to comply with applicable federal and state securities laws
requirements. Each of the Parent and the Company agrees to provide
promptly to the other such information concerning its business and financial
statements and affairs as, in the reasonable judgment of the providing party or
its counsel, may be required or appropriate for inclusion in the information
sent, or in any amendments or supplements thereto, and to cause its counsel and
auditors to cooperate with the other’s counsel and auditors in the preparation
of the information to be sent to the holders of Company Shares. The
Company will promptly advise the Parent, and the Parent will promptly advise the
Company, in writing if at any time prior to the Effective Time either the
Company or the Parent shall obtain knowledge of any facts that might make it
necessary or appropriate to amend or supplement the information sent in order to
make the statements contained or incorporated by reference therein not
misleading or to comply with applicable law. The information sent
shall contain the recommendation of the Board of Directors of the Company that
the holders of Company Shares approve the Merger and this Agreement and the
conclusion of the Board of Directors of the Company that the terms and
conditions of the Merger are advisable and fair and in the best interests of the
Company and such holders. Anything to the contrary contained herein
notwithstanding, the Company shall not include in the information sent to such
holders any information with respect to the Parent or its affiliates or
associates, the form and content of which information shall not have been
approved by the Parent in its reasonable discretion prior to such
inclusion.
4.17 No
Registration. For a period of 12 months following the
Effective Time, the Parent shall not register, nor shall it take any action to
facilitate registration, under the Securities Act, the Merger
Shares. In addition, the Company shall use its Reasonable Best
Efforts to cancel any agreements, understandings or undertakings to register
Company securities under the federal securities laws, which agreements,
understandings or undertakings might otherwise survive the Closing.
4.18 No
Shorting. The Company shall use its Reasonable Best Efforts to
ensure that each Company Stockholder agrees that it will not, for a period
commencing on the date hereof and terminating one year after the Effective Time,
directly or indirectly, effect or agree to effect any short sale (as defined in
Rule 200 under Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act), whether or not against the
box, establish any “put equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under
the Exchange Act) with respect to the Parent Common Stock, borrow or pre-borrow
any shares of Parent Common Stock, or grant any other right (including, without
limitation, any put or call option) with respect to the Parent Common Stock or
with respect to any security that includes, relates to or derives any
significant part of its value from the Parent Common Stock or otherwise seek to
hedge its position in the Parent Common Stock (each, a “Prohibited
Transaction”).
4.19 No Organic
Changes. For a period of one year following the Effective
Time, the Parent shall not effect any transaction or series of transactions,
including but not limited to a reverse stock split, the effect of which would be
to reduce the respective percentage ownerships of the Parent’s equity of any
class of stockholder other than the former Company Stockholders by more than ten
percent (10%) (each, an “Organic Change”) from such percentage ownership as of
the Effective Time. The foregoing shall not be deemed to prohibit (i)
a firm commitment underwritten public offering of Parent’s securities with gross
proceeds of at least $20,000,000 or (ii) an Organic Change approved by both the
unanimous consent of the Board of Directors and the affirmative vote of at least
two thirds (2/3) of the shares of Parent Common Stock not held by
management.
ARTICLE
V
CONDITIONS
TO CONSUMMATION OF MERGER
5.1 Conditions to Each Party’s
Obligations. The respective obligations of each Party to
consummate the Merger are subject to the satisfaction of the following
conditions:
(a) this
Agreement and the Merger shall have received the approval of at least 95% of the
votes represented by the outstanding Company Shares entitled to vote on this
Agreement and the Merger; and
(b) satisfactory
completion by the Parent and the Company of all necessary legal due
diligence.
5.2 Conditions to Obligations of
the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary. The obligation of
each of the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary to consummate the Merger is
subject to the satisfaction (or waiver by the Parent) of the following
additional conditions:
(a) the
number of Dissenting Shares shall not exceed 2% of the aggregate number of
outstanding Company Shares as of the Effective Time;
(b) the
Company shall have obtained (and shall have provided copies thereof to the
Parent) all waivers, permits, consents, approvals or other authorizations, and
effected all of the registrations, filings and notices, referred to in
Section 4.2 which are required on the part of the Company, except for any
the failure of which to obtain or effect does not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Company Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect
on the ability of the Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement;
(c) the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement (when
read without regard to any qualification as to materiality or Company Material
Adverse Effect contained therein) shall be true and correct as of the date of
this Agreement and shall be true and correct as of the Effective Time as though
made as of the Effective Time (provided, however, that to the
extent such representation and warranty expressly relates to an earlier date,
such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier
date), except for any untrue or incorrect representation and warranty that,
individually or in the aggregate, do not have a Company Material Adverse Effect
or a material adverse effect on the ability of the Parties to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
27
(d) the
Company shall have performed or complied with its agreements and covenants
required to be performed or complied with under this Agreement as of or prior to
the Effective Time, except when any non-performance or non-compliance does not
have a Company Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on the
ability of the Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement;
(e) no Legal
Proceeding shall be pending wherein an unfavorable judgment, order, decree,
stipulation or injunction would (i) prevent consummation of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) cause any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement to be rescinded following
consummation, and no such judgment, order, decree, stipulation or injunction
shall be in effect;
(f) the
Company shall have delivered to the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary a
certificate (the “Company Certificate”) to the effect that each of the
conditions specified in clauses (a) and (c) (with respect to the Company’s
due diligence of the Parent) of Section 5.1 and clauses (a) through (e)
(insofar as clause (e) relates to Legal Proceedings involving the Company)
of this Section 5.2 is satisfied in all respects;
(g) the
individuals set forth on Exhibit C to this
Agreement shall have entered into agreements with the Parent pursuant to which
they shall have agreed to certain restrictions on the sale or other disposition
of the Parent Common Stock received by them in connection with the Merger for a
period of 24 months following the Closing Date;
(h) the
Company Stockholders shall have agreed not to engage in any Prohibited
Transactions;
(i) each of
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, X.X. Xxxxxxx and Xxx Xxxxx shall have employments agreements
mutually satisfactory to the Company, the Parent and to the respective
employees; and
(j) the
Parent shall have received from Sichenzia Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel to
the Company, an opinion with respect to the matters set forth in Exhibit D
attached hereto, addressed to the Parent and dated as of the Closing
Date.
5.3 Conditions to Obligations of
the Company. The obligation of the Company to consummate the
Merger is subject to the satisfaction of the following additional
conditions:
(a) the
Parent shall have obtained (and shall have provided copies thereof to the
Company) all of the waivers, permits, consents, approvals or other
authorizations, and effected all of the registrations, filings and notices,
referred to in Section 4.2 which are required on the part of the Parent or
any of its Subsidiaries, except for any the failure of which to obtain or effect
does not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Parent Material Adverse
Effect or a material adverse effect on the ability of the Parties to consummate
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(b) the
representations and warranties of the Parent set forth in this Agreement (when
read without regard to any qualification as to materiality or Parent Material
Adverse Effect contained therein) shall be true and correct as of the date of
this Agreement and shall be true and correct as of the Effective Time as though
made as of the Effective Time (provided, however, that to the
extent such representation and warranty expressly relates to an earlier date,
such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier
date), except for any untrue or incorrect representation and warranty that,
individually or in the aggregate, do not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect
or a material adverse effect on the ability of the Parties to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) each of
the Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary shall have performed or complied with
its agreements and covenants required to be performed or complied with under
this Agreement as of or prior to the Effective Time, except when any
non-performance or non-compliance does not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect
or a material adverse effect on the ability of the Parties to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(d) no Legal
Proceeding shall be pending wherein an unfavorable judgment, order, decree,
stipulation or injunction would (i) prevent consummation of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) cause any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement to be rescinded following
consummation, and no such judgment, order, decree, stipulation or injunction
shall be in effect;
(e) the
Parent shall have delivered to the Company a certificate (the “Parent
Certificate”) to the effect that each of the conditions specified in clauses (b)
and (c) (with respect to the Parent’s due diligence of the Company) of Section
5.1 and clauses (a) through (d) (insofar as clause (d) relates to
Legal Proceedings involving the Parent, the Acquisition Subsidiary or Leaseco)
of this Section 5.3 is satisfied in all respects;
(f) the
Company shall have received from Gottbetter & Partners, LLP, counsel to the
Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary, an opinion with respect to the matters
set forth in Exhibit
E attached hereto, addressed to the Company and dated as of the Closing
Date;
(g) the total
number of shares of Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior
to the Effective Time shall equal 12,000,000 shares, after giving effect to the
Stock Split and the Share Contribution, but excluding (i) the Merger Shares and
(ii) warrants to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued in
connection with the Bridge Loan;
(h) Each of
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, X.X. Xxxxxxx and Xxx Xxxxx shall have employments agreements
mutually satisfactory to the Company, the Parent and to the respective
employees;
(i) the
Parent shall have adopted the Parent Option Plan;
28
(j) the
Company shall have received a certificate of Parent’s transfer agent and
registrar certifying that as of the Closing Date there are 36,000,000 shares of
Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding (without giving effect to the
24,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock to be retired in connection with the
Split-Off, after which retirement there will be 12,000,000 shares of Parent
Common Stock issued and outstanding);
(k) the
Parent’s Board of Directors shall be authorized to consist of five
members;
(l) contemporaneously
with the closing of the Merger, the Parent, Leaseco and the Buyer shall execute
the Split-Off Agreement, which Split-Off is effective simultaneous with the
Effective Time; and
(m) the
Parent shall have changed its name to such name as is acceptable to the
Company.
ARTICLE
VI
INDEMNIFICATION
6.1 Indemnification by the
Company Stockholders. The Company Stockholders receiving the
Merger Shares pursuant to Section 1.5 shall indemnify the Parent in respect
of, and hold it harmless against, loss, liability, deficiency, damages, expense
or cost (including without limitation amounts paid in settlement, interest,
court costs, costs of investigators, fees and expenses of attorneys,
accountants, financial advisors and other experts, and other expenses of
litigation) (“Damages”) incurred or suffered by the Surviving Corporation or the
Parent resulting from:
(a) any
misrepresentation, breach of warranty or failure to perform any covenant or
agreement of the Company contained in this Agreement or the Company
Certificate;
(b) any
failure of any Company Stockholder to have good, valid and marketable title to
the issued and outstanding Company Shares issued in the name of such Company
Stockholder, free and clear of all Security Interests; or
(c) any claim
by a stockholder or former stockholder of the Company, or any other person or
entity, seeking to assert, or based upon: (i) ownership or rights to
ownership of any shares of stock of the Company; (ii) any rights of a
stockholder (other than the right to receive the Merger Shares pursuant to this
Agreement or appraisal rights under the applicable provisions of the BCA),
including any option, preemptive rights or rights to notice or to vote;
(iii) any rights under the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the
Company; or (iv) any claim that his, her or its shares were wrongfully
repurchased by the Company.
6.2 Indemnification by the
Parent.
(a) The
Parent shall indemnify the Company Stockholders in respect of, and hold them
harmless against, any and all Damages incurred or suffered by the Company
Stockholders resulting from any misrepresentation, breach of warranty or failure
to perform any covenant or agreement of the Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary
contained in this Agreement or the Parent Certificate.
(b) The
post-Closing adjustment mechanism set forth in Section 1.13 is intended to
secure the indemnification obligations of the Parent under this Agreement and
shall be the exclusive means for the Company Stockholders to collect any Damages
for which they are entitled to indemnification under this Article
VI. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the post-Closing
adjustment set forth in Section 1.13 shall not be limited in any way by this
Article VI.
6.3 Indemnification Claims by
the Parent.
(a) In the
event the Parent is entitled, or seeks to assert rights, to indemnification
under Section 6.1, the Parent shall give written notification to the Company
Stockholders of the commencement of any suit or proceeding relating to a third
party claim for which indemnification pursuant to this Article VI may be
sought. Such notification shall be given within 20 business days
after receipt by the Parent of notice of such suit or proceeding, and shall
describe in reasonable detail (to the extent known by the Parent) the facts
constituting the basis for such suit or proceeding and the amount of the claimed
damages; provided, however, that no
delay on the part of the Parent in notifying the Company Stockholders shall
relieve the Company Stockholders of any liability or obligation hereunder except
to the extent of any damage or liability caused by or arising out of such
failure. Within 20 days after delivery of such notification, the
Company Stockholders may, upon written notice thereof to the Parent, assume
control of the defense of such suit or proceeding with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to the Parent; provided that the Company Stockholders may not
assume control of the defense of a suit or proceeding involving criminal
liability or in which equitable relief is sought against the
Parent. If the Company Stockholders do not so assume control of such
defense, the Parent shall control such defense. The party not
controlling such defense (the “Non-Controlling Party”) may participate therein
at its own expense; provided that if the Company Stockholders assume control of
such defense and the Parent reasonably concludes that the Company Stockholders
and the Parent have conflicting interests or different defenses available with
respect to such suit or proceeding, the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel
to the Parent shall be considered “Damages” for purposes of this
Agreement. The party controlling such defense (the “Controlling
Party”) shall keep the Non-Controlling Party advised of the status of such suit
or proceeding and the defense thereof and shall consider in good faith
recommendations made by the Non-Controlling Party with respect
thereto. The Non-Controlling Party shall furnish the Controlling
Party with such information as it may have with respect to such suit or
proceeding (including copies of any summons, complaint or other pleading which
may have been served on such party and any written claim, demand, invoice,
billing or other document evidencing or asserting the same) and shall otherwise
cooperate with and assist the Controlling Party in the defense of such suit or
proceeding. The Company Stockholders shall not agree to any
settlement of, or the entry of any judgment arising from, any such suit or
proceeding without the prior written consent of the Parent, which shall not be
unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided that the consent of the Parent shall
not be required if the Company Stockholders agree in writing to pay any amounts
payable pursuant to such settlement or judgment and such settlement or judgment
includes a complete release of the Parent from further liability and has no
other materially adverse effect on the Parent. The Parent shall not
agree to any settlement of, or the entry of any judgment arising from, any such
suit or proceeding without the prior written consent of the Company
Stockholders, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
29
(b) In order
to seek indemnification under this Article VI, the Parent shall give
written notification (a “Claim Notice”) to the Company Stockholders which
contains (i) a description and the amount (the “Claimed Amount”) of any Damages
incurred or reasonably expected to be incurred by the Parent, (ii) a statement
that the Parent is entitled to indemnification under this Article VI for
such Damages and a reasonable explanation of the basis therefor, and (iii) a
demand for payment (in the manner provided in paragraph (c) below) in the
amount of the Claimed Amount. The Parent shall also deliver a copy of
the Claim Notice to the Escrow Agent.
(c) Within 20
days after delivery of a Claim Notice, the Company Stockholders shall deliver to
the Parent a written response (the “Response”) in which the Company Stockholders
shall: (i) agree that the Parent is entitled to receive all of
the Claimed Amount (in which case the Company Stockholders and the Parent shall
deliver to the Escrow Agent, within three days following the delivery of the
Response, a written notice executed by both parties instructing the Escrow Agent
to distribute to the Parent such number of Escrow Shares as have an aggregate
Value (as defined below) equal to the Claimed Amount), (ii) agree that the
Parent is entitled to receive part, but not all, of the Claimed Amount (the
“Agreed Amount”) (in which case the Company Stockholders and the Parent shall
deliver to the Escrow Agent, within three days following the delivery of the
Response, a written notice executed by both parties instructing the Escrow Agent
to distribute to the Parent such number of Escrow Shares as have an aggregate
Value (as defined below) equal to the Agreed Amount) or (iii) dispute that
the Parent is entitled to receive any of the Claimed Amount. If the
Company Stockholders in the Response disputes its liability for all or part of
the Claimed Amount, the Company Stockholders and the Parent shall follow the
procedures set forth in Section 6.3(d) for the resolution of such dispute
(a “Dispute”). For purposes of this Article VI, the “Value” of
any Escrow Shares delivered in satisfaction of an indemnity claim shall be $1.00
per Escrow Share (subject to equitable adjustment in the event of any stock
split, stock dividend, reverse stock split or similar event affecting the Parent
Common Stock since the Closing Date), multiplied by the number of such Escrow
Shares.
(d) During
the 60-day period following the delivery of a Response that reflects a Dispute,
the Company Stockholders and the Parent shall use good faith efforts to resolve
the Dispute. If the Dispute is not resolved within such 60-day
period, the Company Stockholders and the Parent shall discuss in good faith the
submission of the Dispute to a mutually acceptable alternative dispute
resolution procedure (which may be non-binding or binding upon the parties, as
they agree in advance) (the “ADR Procedure”). In the event the
Company Stockholders and the Parent agree upon an ADR Procedure, such parties
shall, in consultation with the chosen dispute resolution service (the “ADR
Service”), promptly agree upon a format and timetable for the ADR Procedure,
agree upon the rules applicable to the ADR Procedure, and promptly undertake the
ADR Procedure. The provisions of this Section 6.3(d) shall not
obligate the Company Stockholders and the Parent to pursue an ADR Procedure or
prevent either such Party from pursuing the Dispute in a court of competent
jurisdiction; provided that, if the Company Stockholders and the Parent agree to
pursue an ADR Procedure, neither the Company Stockholders nor the Parent may
commence litigation or seek other remedies with respect to the Dispute prior to
the completion of such ADR Procedure. Any ADR Procedure undertaken by
the Company Stockholders and the Parent shall be considered a compromise
negotiation for purposes of federal and state rules of evidence, and all
statements, offers, opinions and disclosures (whether written or oral) made in
the course of the ADR Procedure by or on behalf of the Company Stockholders, the
Parent or the ADR Service shall be treated as confidential and, where
appropriate, as privileged work product. Such statements, offers,
opinions and disclosures shall not be discoverable or admissible for any
purposes in any litigation or other proceeding relating to the Dispute (provided
that this sentence shall not be construed to exclude from discovery or admission
any matter that is otherwise discoverable or admissible). The fees
and expenses of any ADR Service used by the Company Stockholders and the Parent
shall be considered to be Damages; provided, that if the Company Stockholders
are determined not to be liable for Damages in connection with such Dispute, the
Parent shall pay all such fees and expenses. The Parent and the
Company Stockholders shall deliver to the Escrow Agent, promptly following the
resolution of the Dispute (whether by mutual agreement, pursuant to an ADR
Procedure, as a result of a judicial decision or otherwise), a written notice
executed by both parties instructing the Escrow Agent as to what (if any)
portion of the Escrow Shares shall be distributed to the Parent (which notice
shall be consistent with the terms of the resolution of the
Dispute).
30
(e) Notwithstanding
the other provisions of this Section 6.3, if a third party asserts (other
than by means of a lawsuit) that the Parent is liable to such third party for a
monetary or other obligation which may constitute or result in Damages for which
the Parent may be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article VI,
and the Parent reasonably determines that it has a valid business reason to
fulfill such obligation, then (i) the Parent shall be entitled to satisfy
such obligation, with prior notice to but without prior consent from the Company
Stockholders, (ii) the Parent may subsequently make a claim for
indemnification in accordance with the provisions of this Article VI, and
(iii) the Parent shall be reimbursed, in accordance with the provisions of
this Article VI, for any such Damages for which it is entitled to
indemnification pursuant to this Article VI (subject to the right of the
Company Stockholders to dispute the Parent’s entitlement to indemnification, or
the amount for which it is entitled to indemnification, under the terms of this
Article VI).
(f) For
purposes of this Section 6.3 and the last two sentences of
Section 6.4, any references to the Company Stockholders (except provisions
relating to an obligation to make or a right to receive any payments provided
for in Section 6.3 or Section 6.4) shall be deemed to refer to the
Indemnification Representatives. The Indemnification Representatives
shall have full power and authority on behalf of each Company Stockholder to
take any and all actions on behalf of, execute any and all instruments on behalf
of, and execute or waive any and all rights of, the Company Stockholders under
this Article VI. The Indemnification Representatives shall have
no liability to any Company Stockholder for any action taken or omitted on
behalf of the Company Stockholders pursuant to this
Article VI.
6.4 Survival of Representations
and Warranties. All representations and warranties contained
in this Agreement, the Company Certificate or the Parent Certificate shall
(a) survive the Closing and any investigation at any time made by or on
behalf of the Parent or the Company and (b) shall expire on the date two
years following the Closing Date. If the Parent delivers to the
Company Stockholders, before expiration of a representation or warranty, either
a Claim Notice based upon a breach of such representation or warranty, or a
notice that, as a result a legal proceeding instituted by or written claim made
by a third party, the Parent reasonably expects to incur Damages as a result of
a breach of such representation or warranty (an “Expected Claim Notice”), then
such representation or warranty shall survive until, but only for purposes of,
the resolution of the matter covered by such Expected Claim
Notice.
6.5 Limitations on Parent’s
Claims for Indemnification.
(a) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary herein, the Parent shall not be entitled to recover, or
be indemnified for, Damages arising out of a misrepresentation or breach of
warranty set forth in Article II unless and until the aggregate of all such
Damages paid or payable by the Company Stockholders collectively exceeds
$100,000 (the “Damages Threshold”) and then, if such aggregate threshold is
reached, the Parent shall only be entitled to recover for Damages in excess of
such respective threshold; and in no event shall any Company Stockholder be
liable under this Article VI for an aggregate amount, whether paid in cash or in
shares of Parent Common Stock, greater than the product of the number of Escrow
Shares held on account of such Company Stockholder, pursuant to Section 1.5
above, multiplied by the Value. For purposes of the preceding
sentence, each Escrow Share delivered by a party in payment of his, hers or its
obligations under this Article VI shall be valued at the Value.
(b) The
Escrow Agreement is intended to secure the indemnification obligations of the
Company Stockholders under this Agreement and shall be the exclusive means for
the Parent to collect any Damages under this Article VI for which it is entitled
to indemnification under this Article VI.
(c) Except
with respect to claims based on fraud, after the Closing, the rights of the
Company Stockholders and the Parent under this Article VI and the Escrow
Agreement shall be the exclusive remedy of the Parent with respect to claims
resulting from or relating to any misrepresentation, breach of warranty or
failure to perform any covenant or agreement contained in this
Agreement.
31
(d) No
Company Stockholder shall have any right of contribution against the Surviving
Corporation with respect to any breach by the Company of any of its
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements. The amount of
Damages recoverable by the Parent under this Article VI with respect to an
indemnity claim shall be reduced by (i) any proceeds received by the Parent
with respect to the Damages to which such indemnity claim relates, from an
insurance carrier and (ii) the amount of any tax savings actually realized
by the Parent, for the tax year in which such Damages are incurred, which are
clearly attributable to the Damages to which such indemnity claim relates (net
of any increased tax liability which may result from the receipt of the
indemnity payment or any insurance proceeds relating to such
Damages).
ARTICLE
VII
DEFINITIONS
For
purposes of this Agreement, each of the following defined terms is defined in
the Section of this Agreement indicated below.
Defined
Term
|
Section
|
Acquisition
Subsidiary
|
Introduction
|
ADR
Procedure
|
6.3(d)
|
ADR
Service
|
6.3(d)
|
Affiliate
|
2.13(a)(vii)
|
Agreed
Amount
|
6.3(c)
|
Agreement
|
Introduction
|
Articles
of Merger
|
1.1
|
BCA
|
1.1
|
Bridge
Loan
|
Introduction
|
Buyer
|
Introduction
|
CERCLA
|
2.20(a)
|
Certificates
|
1.7
|
Claim
Notice
|
6.3(b)
|
Claimed
Amount
|
6.3(b)
|
Claims
|
1.13
|
Closing
|
1.2
|
Closing
Date
|
1.2
|
Code
|
Introduction
|
Common
Conversion Ratio
|
1.5(b)
|
Company
|
Introduction
|
Company
Balance Sheet
|
2.6
|
Company
Balance Sheet Date
|
2.6
|
Company
Certificate
|
5.2(f)
|
Company
Confidential Information
|
4.5(b)
|
Company
Financial Statements
|
2.6
|
Company
Material Adverse Effect
|
2.1
|
Company
Plans
|
2.19(b)
|
Company
Shares
|
1.5(a)
|
Company
Stockholders
|
1.3(d)
|
Company
Subsidiary
|
2.5(a)
|
Contemplated
Transactions
|
8.3
|
Controlling
Party
|
6.3(a)
|
Current
Report
|
4.3
|
Damages
|
6.1
|
Damages
Threshold
|
6.5(a)
|
Defaulting
Party
|
8.6
|
Disclosure
Schedule
|
Article II
|
Dispute
|
6.3(c)
|
Dissenting
Shares
|
1.6(a)
|
Effective
Time
|
1.1
|
Employee
Benefit Plan
|
2.19(a)(i)
|
Environmental
Law
|
2.20(a)
|
ERISA
|
2.19(a)(ii)
|
ERISA
Affiliate
|
2.19(a)(iii)
|
Escrow
Agent
|
1.3(g)
|
32
Escrow
Agreement
|
1.3(g)
|
Escrow
Shares
|
1.5(b)
|
Evaluated
Properties
|
2.28(a)
|
Exchange
Act
|
2.6
|
Expected
Claim Notice
|
6.4
|
FERC
|
2.30(k)
|
GAAP
|
2.6
|
Governmental
Entity
|
2.4
|
GS
|
3.32
|
Indemnification
Representatives
|
1.3(g)
|
Indemnified
Executives
|
4.9(b)
|
Independent
Engineer
|
2.28(a)
|
Independent
Engineering Report
|
2.28(a)
|
Initial
Shares
|
1.5(b)
|
Intellectual
Property
|
2.27(a)
|
Intellectual
Property Rights
|
2.27(a)
|
Interests
|
2.29(a)
|
Internal
Engineering Report
|
2.28(b)
|
IR
Escrow Shares
|
1.9
|
IR
Shares Escrow Agreement
|
1.3(h)
|
Land
|
2.29(a)
|
Leases
|
2.29(a)
|
Legal
Proceeding
|
2.17
|
Loss
|
1.13
|
Leaseco
|
Introduction
|
Merger
|
Introduction
|
Merger
Shares
|
1.5(b)
|
Non-Controlling
Party
|
6.3(a)
|
Non-Defaulting
Party
|
8.6
|
Operating
Permits
|
2.30(g)
|
Options
|
1.5(b)
|
Ordinary
Course of Business
|
2.4
|
Organic
Change
|
4.19
|
Organization
Date
|
2.9(c)
|
OTCBB
|
3.2
|
Parent
|
Introduction
|
Parent
Certificate
|
5.3(e)
|
Parent
Common Stock
|
1.5(a)
|
Parent
Confidential Information
|
4.7(b)
|
Parent
Disclosure Schedule
|
Article
III
|
Parent
ERISA Affiliate
|
3.22(a)
|
Parent
Financial Statements
|
3.8
|
Parent
Liabilities
|
1.13
|
Parent
Material Adverse Effect
|
3.1
|
Parent
Options
|
1.8(a)
|
Parent
Option Plan
|
1.8(a)
|
Parent
Permits
|
3.24
|
Parent
Plans
|
3.22(a)
|
Parent
Reports
|
3.6
|
Parent
Warrants
|
1.8(c)
|
Party
|
Introduction
|
Permits
|
2.23
|
Prohibited
Transaction
|
4.18
|
Property
Agreements
|
2.29(a)
|
Reasonable
Best Efforts
|
4.1
|
Response
|
6.3(c)
|
SEC
|
1.13
|
Securities
Act
|
1.14
|
Security
Interest
|
2.4
|
Seismic
Agreements
|
2.36
|
Share
Contribution
|
3.2
|
Split-Off
|
Introduction
|
Split-Off
Agreement
|
Introduction
|
Stock
Split
|
3.2
|
Stockholder
Approval
|
2.3
|
Subsidiary
|
2.5(a)
|
Surviving
Corporation
|
1.1
|
Tax
Returns
|
2.9(a)(ii)
|
Taxes
|
2.9(a)(i)
|
Third
Party Intellectual Property Rights
|
2.27(d)
|
Transaction
Documentation
|
3.3
|
Value
|
6.3(c)
|
Warrants
|
1.5(b)
|
Xxxxx
|
2.29(a)
|
33
ARTICLE
VIII
TERMINATION
8.1 Termination by Mutual
Agreement. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by
mutual consent of the Parties, provided that such consent to terminate is in
writing and is signed by each of the Parties.
8.2 [Intentionally
Omitted]
8.3 Termination by Operation of
Law. This Agreement may be terminated by any Party hereto if
there shall be any statute, rule or regulation that renders consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Contemplated Transactions”)
illegal or otherwise prohibited, or a court of competent jurisdiction or any
government (or governmental authority) shall have issued an order, decree or
ruling, or has taken any other action restraining, enjoining or otherwise
prohibiting the consummation of such transactions and such order, decree, ruling
or other action shall have become final and nonappealable.
8.4 Termination for Failure to
Perform Covenants or Conditions. This Agreement may be
terminated prior to the Effective Time:
(a) by the
Parent and the Acquisition Subsidiary if: (i) any of the conditions set
forth in Section 5.2 hereof have not been fulfilled in all material respects by
the Closing Date; (ii) the Company shall have failed to observe or perform
any of its material obligations under this Agreement or (iii) as otherwise
set forth herein; or
(b) by the
Company if: (i) any of the conditions set forth in Section 5.3 hereof have
not been fulfilled in all material respects by the Closing Date; (ii) the
Parent or the Acquisition Subsidiary shall have failed to observe or perform any
of their material respective obligations under this Agreement or (iii) as
otherwise set forth herein.
8.5 Effect of Termination or
Default; Remedies. In the event of termination of this
Agreement as set forth above, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and
there shall be no liability on the part of any Party hereto, provided that such
Party is a Non-Defaulting Party (as defined below). The foregoing
shall not relieve any Party from liability for damages actually incurred as a
result of such Party’s breach of any term or provision of this
Agreement.
8.6 Remedies; Specific
Performance. In the event that any Party shall fail or refuse
to consummate the Contemplated Transactions or if any default under or breach of
any representation, warranty, covenant or condition of this Agreement on the
part of any Party (the “Defaulting Party”) shall have occurred that results in
the failure to consummate the Contemplated Transactions, then in addition to the
other remedies provided herein, the non-defaulting Party (the “Non-Defaulting
Party”) shall be entitled to seek and obtain money damages from the Defaulting
Party, or may seek to obtain an order of specific performance thereof against
the Defaulting Party from a court of competent jurisdiction, provided that the
Non-Defaulting Party seeking such protection must file its request with such
court within forty-five (45) days after it becomes aware of the Defaulting
Party’s failure, refusal, default or breach. In addition, the
Non-Defaulting Party shall be entitled to obtain from the Defaulting Party court
costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with or in pursuit
of enforcing the rights and remedies provided hereunder.
ARTICLE
IX
MISCELLANEOUS
9.1 Press Releases and
Announcements. No Party shall issue any press release or
public announcement relating to the subject matter of this Agreement without the
prior written approval of the other Parties; provided, however, that any
Party may make any public disclosure it believes in good faith is required by
applicable law, regulation or stock market rule (in which case the disclosing
Party shall use reasonable efforts to advise the other Parties and provide them
with a copy of the proposed disclosure prior to making the
disclosure).
9.2 No Third Party
Beneficiaries. This Agreement shall not confer any rights or
remedies upon any person other than the Parties and their respective successors
and permitted assigns; provided, however, that
(a) the provisions in Article I concerning issuance of the Merger
Shares and Article VI concerning indemnification are intended for the
benefit of the Company Stockholders and (b) the provisions in
Section 4.9 concerning indemnification are intended for the benefit of the
individuals specified therein and their successors and assigns.
9.3 Entire
Agreement. This Agreement (including the documents referred to
herein) constitutes the entire agreement among the Parties and supersedes any
prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the Parties,
written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof, including, without
limitation, the Term Sheet dated July 25, 2007 and amended as of August 24, 2007
relating to the contemplated transactions referred to therein.
9.4 Succession and
Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to
the benefit of the Parties named herein and their respective successors and
permitted assigns. No Party may assign either this Agreement or any
of its rights, interests or obligations hereunder without the prior written
approval of the other Parties; provided that the Acquisition Subsidiary may
assign its rights, interests and obligations hereunder to a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Parent (other than Leaseco).
9.5 Counterparts and Facsimile
Signature. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement
may be executed by facsimile signature.
9.6 Headings. The
section headings contained in this Agreement are inserted for convenience only
and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement.
9.7 Notices. All
notices, requests, demands, claims and other communications hereunder shall be
in writing. Any notice, request, demand, claim or other communication
hereunder shall be deemed duly delivered four business days after it is sent by
registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or one
business day after it is sent for next business day delivery via a reputable
nationwide overnight courier service, in each case to the intended recipient as
set forth below:
If
to the Company or the Company Stockholders:
KY
USA Energy, Inc.
000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxx. 0
Xxxxxx,
XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx, Chief Executive Officer
|
Copy
to (which copy shall not constitute notice hereunder):
Sichenzia
Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP
00
Xxxxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxx
X. Xxxx, Esq.
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
If
to the Parent or
the
Acquisition Subsidiary (prior to the Closing):
000
X. Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Chief Executive Officer
|
Copy
to (which copy shall not constitute notice hereunder):
Gottbetter
& Partners, LLP
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxxx, Esq.
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
34
Any Party
may give any notice, request, demand, claim or other communication hereunder
using any other means (including personal delivery, expedited courier, messenger
service, telecopy, telex, ordinary mail or electronic mail), but no such notice,
request, demand, claim or other communication shall be deemed to have been duly
given unless and until it actually is received by the Party for whom it is
intended. Any Party may change the address to which notices,
requests, demands, claims and other communications hereunder are to be delivered
by giving the other Parties notice in the manner herein set forth.
9.8 Governing
Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York without giving effect
to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New
York or any other
jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdictions
other than those of the State of New York.
9.9 Amendments and
Waivers. The Parties may mutually amend any provision of this
Agreement at any time prior to the Effective Time. No amendment of
any provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless the same shall be in
writing and signed by all of the Parties. No waiver of any right or
remedy hereunder shall be valid unless the same shall be in writing and signed
by the Party giving such waiver. No waiver by any Party with respect
to any default, misrepresentation or breach of warranty or covenant hereunder
shall be deemed to extend to any prior or subsequent default, misrepresentation
or breach of warranty or covenant hereunder or affect in any way any rights
arising by virtue of any prior or subsequent such occurrence.
9.10 Severability. Any
term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any
situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of
the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of
the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other
jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent
jurisdiction declares that any term or provision hereof is invalid or
unenforceable, the Parties agree that the court making the determination of
invalidity or unenforceability shall have the power to limit the term or
provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or
unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and
enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or
unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so
modified.
9.11 Submission to
Jurisdiction. Each of the Parties (a) submits to the
jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in the County of New York in
the State of New York in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to
this Agreement, (b) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or
proceeding may be heard and determined in any such court, and (c) agrees
not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this
Agreement in any other court. Each of the Parties waives any defense
of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought
and waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any
other Party with respect thereto. Any Party may make service on
another Party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the Party to be
served at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in
Section 9.7. Nothing in this Section 9.11, however, shall
affect the right of any Party to serve legal process in any other manner
permitted by law.
9.12 Construction.
(a) The
language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the
Parties to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall
be applied against any Party.
[SIGNATURE
PAGE FOLLOWS]
35
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement and Plan of Merger and
Reorganization as of the date first above written.
PARENT:
By: /s/ Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
Title: President
and Chief Executive Officer
ACQUISITION
SUBSIDIARY:
KY
ACQUISITION CORP.
By: /s/ Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
Title: President
and Chief Executive Officer
COMPANY:
KY USA
ENERGY, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
36