Saleen Holdings, Inc. c/o Silver Lake Partners III, L.P. and Silver Lake Sumeru Fund, L.P. 2775 Sand Hill Road, Suite 100 Menlo Park, California 94025
Exhibit (e)(4)
Execution Version
Saleen Holdings, Inc.
c/o Silver Lake Partners III, L.P. and Silver Lake Sumeru Fund, L.P.
0000 Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
c/o Silver Lake Partners III, L.P. and Silver Lake Sumeru Fund, L.P.
0000 Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
April 25, 2011
Xxxx Xxxxx
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Dear Xxxx Xxxxx:
Reference is hereby made to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”),
dated as of April 25, 2011, by and among SMART Modular Technologies (WWH), Inc., a Cayman Islands
exempted company (the “Company”), Saleen Holdings, Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company
(“Parent”), and Saleen Acquisition, Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Merger
Sub”), pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company. Capitalized terms
used in this letter agreement but not defined herein will have the meanings ascribed to them in the
Merger Agreement. This letter agreement is being delivered by you to Parent in connection with the
execution of the Merger Agreement. In consideration of the mutual covenants and conditions as
hereinafter set forth, you and Parent do hereby agree as follows:
1. Following the Effective Time, your employment will continue on terms and conditions that
are no less favorable than as currently in effect. If you are party to a change in control
severance agreement or an employment agreement, that agreement will continue to apply to you
following the Effective Time.
2. Immediately prior to the Effective Time, you will invest gross proceeds equal to $0
in the equity of Parent. So long as you are employed by the Company (or any of its subsidiaries)
immediately prior to the Effective Time, you will be permitted to fulfill this obligation by
contributing shares of Common Stock and/or vested Company Stock Options held by you immediately
prior to the Effective Time, in a mix determined by you (if you are not employed by the Company (or
any of its subsidiaries) immediately prior to the Effective Time, the obligation will be satisfied
in a manner determined by Parent, including by withholding cash due to you in connection with the
Merger). For this purpose, each share contributed will be valued at the Merger Consideration and
each option contributed will be valued at the Merger Consideration less the applicable exercise
price. To the maximum extent possible, the rollover of your vested equity and your vested Company
Stock Options pursuant to this letter agreement will be structured to qualify as a fully tax
deferred exchange for U.S. federal income tax purposes (other than with respect to cash received in
exchange for Company equity and/or options that are not rolled over). Options and shares of Parent
to be received with respect to such investment shall be for the same class of equity as will be
held by the Sponsors (as defined below), which shall be ordinary shares of Parent (the “Parent
Shares”). The conversion of any vested Company Stock Options rolled over will be done using
the same adjustment methodology as used for Unvested Company Stock Options as set forth in the
Merger Agreement and in a manner intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Parent hereby
confirms that, in connection with its investment in Parent at the Effective Time, it will issue
only one class of shares, and will not issue, and has no current plans to issue, any convertible or
exchangeable instruments, or options or warrants, in connection with the third party financing of
the Merger. All Parent Shares to be issued hereby and in connection with the consummation of the
Merger shall be at the same purchase price paid by the Sponsors (the “Initial Purchase
Price”).
3. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, all of your unvested Company Stock Options
as of immediately prior to the Effective Time will be converted into options to acquire Parent
Shares (“Parent Options”) upon the Effective Time. Each Parent Option will continue to be
subject to the terms and conditions, including vesting, as set forth in the plan and award
agreement pursuant to which your Company Stock Option was granted, and will be subject to such
accelerated vesting (if any) upon a qualifying termination, as may be provided for in your change
in control severance agreement or employment agreement, if any.
4. All of your time-vesting Company Restricted Stock Awards will be accelerated and cashed out
for the Merger Consideration. Solely for purposes of the dollar contribution commitment pursuant to
Paragraph 2 hereof, with respect to your contribution of after-tax proceeds from the cash-out of
any Company Restricted Stock Awards, you will be credited with the gross intrinsic value of such
Restricted Stock Awards (without reduction for any applicable withholding taxes or your use of such
proceeds to pay income taxes attributable to the cash-out of such Company Restricted Stock Awards).
5. Notwithstanding any provision of the Merger Agreement to the contrary, you hereby agree
that (a) any and all performance-vesting Company Restricted Stock Awards held by you immediately
prior to the Effective Time that will vest upon the Effective Time in accordance with the terms of
the applicable plan or award agreement and/or of your change in control severance agreement or
employment agreement, as applicable, shall be cashed out at the Effective Time for the Merger
Consideration and you will apply an amount equal to the after-tax proceeds of such cash-out (which,
for U.S. taxpayers, will be assumed to be the highest marginal Federal and state income tax rates
taking into account the deductibility of state income for Federal income tax purposes) to purchase
Parent Shares at the Initial Purchase Price and (b) any and all performance-vesting Company
Restricted Stock Awards held by you immediately prior to the Effective Time that that will remain
unvested upon the Effective Time in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan or award
agreement and/or of your change in control severance agreement or employment agreement, as
applicable, shall not be cancelled and cashed out at the Effective Time and shall instead be
converted into restricted stock units that shall settle in Parent Shares (“Parent RSUs”).
The conversion of performance-vesting Company Restricted Stock Awards into Parent RSUs will be
carried out in a manner as to prevent the enlargement or dilution of your rights in such Company
Restricted Stock Awards as in existence as of the date hereof, except as set forth below with
respect to the vesting schedule. Except as set forth below, each Parent RSU will continue to be
subject to the terms and conditions as set forth in the plan and award agreement pursuant to which
such performance-vesting Company Restricted Stock Awards were granted, and such Parent RSUs will be
subject to such accelerated vesting (if any) upon a qualifying termination, as may be provided for
in your change in control severance agreement or employment agreement, if any. You hereby
acknowledge and agree that, notwithstanding any provision of the applicable plan or award agreement
or of your change in control severance agreement or employment agreement, as applicable, to the
contrary, such Parent RSUs will vest in equal installments on each three month anniversary of the
Effective Time (instead of on each monthly anniversary). You will be permitted to pay the required
tax withholding upon the vesting of your Parent RSUs through a net settlement of shares due on
vesting, whereby the number of shares to be delivered to you is reduced by that number of shares
having an aggregate fair market value equal to the tax withholding due and Parent pays such tax
withholding on your behalf.
6. The Parent Shares (including any such shares acquired upon exercise of Parent Options) will
be subject to a shareholders’ agreement to be negotiated in good faith by the parties with
customary and standard terms.
7. The Sponsors intend to provide you with an opportunity to make an additional investment in
Parent Shares at a per share price no greater than the Initial Purchase Price by no later than the
first anniversary of the Effective Time.
8. A new option plan will be adopted by Parent following the Effective Time, with an equity
pool of customary size, and awards (including awards to management) thereunder having customary
terms, for similarly situated sponsor-owned companies in the technology industry.
9. You represent and warrant that (a) you have the capacity and authority to execute and
deliver this letter agreement and to fulfill your obligations hereunder, (b) this letter agreement
constitutes a legal and binding agreement enforceable against you, and (c) neither the execution
and delivery of this letter agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby,
requires the consent of any third party, nor does it breach, nor will it breach, any contract
between you and any third party. We likewise represent and warrant that (x) Parent has the
capacity and authority to execute and deliver this letter agreement and to fulfill its obligations
hereunder, (y) this letter agreement constitutes a legal and binding agreement enforceable against
Parent, and (z) neither the execution and delivery of this letter agreement nor the consummation of
the transactions contemplated hereby, requires the consent of any third party, nor does it breach,
nor will it breach, any contract between Parent and any third party.
10. You hereby covenant and agree that you (a) shall not take, or fail to take, any action
that would cause any of the representations and warranties in Paragraph 9 to become untrue, (b)
will use your best efforts to suspend or terminate all your Rule 10b5-1 trading plans at the
earliest feasible date, and (c) will not, from the date hereof and through the Effective Time, sell
or otherwise transfer any shares of Common Stock or enter into any agreement to do any of the
foregoing.
11. This letter agreement will become effective immediately upon execution and delivery by
you. If the Merger Agreement is terminated for any reason prior to the Effective Time, this letter
agreement will automatically terminate and be null and void and neither you nor the Company, Parent
or any of their respective Affiliates will have any liability or obligation under this letter
agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may terminate this letter agreement if (x) the
rollover of Company vested equity and options (as contemplated in Paragraph 2, above) is not able
to be structured as a fully tax deferred exchange for U.S. federal income tax purposes (other than
with respect to cash received in exchange for Company equity or options that are not rolled over)
or (y) we collectively are unable in good faith to agree to the terms and conditions to be included
in the shareholders’ agreement (as provided in Paragraph 6, above).
12. Parent may only enforce this letter agreement at the direction of the Sponsors in their
sole discretion. “Sponsors” means both Silver Lake Partners III, L.P. and Silver Lake
Sumeru Fund, L.P.
13. This letter agreement shall be binding solely on, and inure solely to the benefit of, the
parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns, and nothing set forth herein
shall be construed to confer upon or give to any Person (including the Company) other than the
parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns any benefits, rights or
remedies under or by reason of, or any rights to enforce or cause Parent to enforce, any provisions
of this letter agreement.
14. This letter agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of New York. In connection herewith, each of the parties hereby waives to the fullest extent
permitted by law any right to a jury trial and hereby agrees that any New York state court or
Federal court sitting in New York City shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute relating
hereto. This letter agreement may (a) not be assigned, in whole or in part, by operation of law or
otherwise, by any party without the prior written consent of the other party, (b) be amended,
modified or supplemented at any time prior to the Effective Time in a written instrument executed
by the parties hereto, and (c) be executed in counterparts and/or by facsimile.
[Signature page follows]
Very truly yours, Saleen Holdings, Inc. |
||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxx | |||
Title: | President | |||
Acknowledged and Agreed:
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxx | ||||
Xxxx Xxxxx | ||||