EX-2
2
ex2.htm
EXHIBIT 2
Exhibit
2
STOCK
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Dated
as of
September 12, 2005
between
CCMG
HOLDINGS, INC.,
FORD
HOLDINGS LLC
and
FORD
MOTOR
COMPANY
(for
purposes of Article VI and Sections 3.2(xxiv), 3.2(xxv), 4.2(d), 5.11,
7.15
and 7.16 only)
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Page
ARTICLE
I
SHARE PURCHASE
|
1
|
1.1
|
Share
Purchase; Funding
|
1
|
1.2
|
Closing
|
2
|
ARTICLE
II
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
|
3
|
2.1
|
Representations
and Warranties of Holdings
|
3
|
2.2
|
Representations
and Warranties of Buyer
|
17
|
2.3
|
Representations
and Warranties of the Parties
|
20
|
2.4
|
Survival
of
Representations and Warranties
|
20
|
2.5
|
Schedules
|
20
|
ARTICLE
III
CONVENANTS
|
21
|
3.1
|
Access;
Information and Records; Confidentiality
|
21
|
3.2
|
Conduct
of
the Business of the Company Prior to the Closing Date
|
22
|
3.3
|
Filings
|
27
|
3.4
|
Public
Announcements
|
28
|
3.5
|
Further
Actions
|
28
|
3.6
|
Termination
of Affiliate Relations
|
29
|
3.7
|
Indemnification
of Directors and Officers
|
29
|
3.8
|
Director
Resignations
|
30
|
3.9
|
Financing
|
30
|
3.10
|
Debt
Tender
Offer; Repayment of Third-Party Indebtedness
|
34
|
3.11
|
Insurance
|
36
|
ARTICLE
IV
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
|
37
|
4.1
|
Conditions
Precedent to Obligations of Parties
|
37
|
4.2
|
Conditions
Precedent to Obligation of Buyer
|
37
|
4.3
|
Conditions
Precedent to the Obligation of Holdings
|
39
|
ARTICLE
V
EMPLOYEE AND LABOR MATTERS
|
39
|
5.1
|
Comparability
of Benefits
|
39
|
5.2
|
Continuity
of
Employment
|
39
|
5.3
|
Welfare
Plans
|
40
|
5.4
|
Retirement
Plans
|
40
|
5.5
|
Vacation
and
Severance
|
40
|
5.6
|
WARN
Act
|
41
|
5.7
|
Cash
Bonus
Plans
|
41
|
5.8
|
Collective
Bargaining Agreements
|
41
|
5.9
|
Options
on
Ford Shares
|
41
|
i
5.10
|
Cooperation
Regarding Pension Plans
|
42
|
5.11
|
Employee
Discount Program
|
42
|
ARTICLE
VI
TAX MATTERS
|
42
|
6.1
|
Liability
for
Taxes
|
42
|
6.2
|
Tax
Sharing
Agreements
|
43
|
6.3
|
Tax
Returns,
Elections, etc.
|
44
|
6.4
|
Tax
Audits,
Assistance and Cooperation
|
44
|
6.5
|
Refunds
and
Tax Credits
|
46
|
6.6
|
Carrybacks
|
46
|
6.7
|
Transfer
Taxes
|
47
|
ARTICLE
VII
MISCELLANEOUS
|
47
|
7.1
|
Termination
and Abandonment
|
47
|
7.2
|
Expenses
|
49
|
7.3
|
Notices
|
49
|
7.4
|
Entire
Agreement
|
51
|
7.5
|
Exclusive
Remedy
|
51
|
7.6
|
No
Third
Party Beneficiaries
|
51
|
7.7
|
Assignability
|
52
|
7.8
|
Amendment
and
Modification; Waiver
|
52
|
7.9
|
Severability
|
52
|
7.10
|
Section
Headings
|
52
|
7.11
|
Interpretation
|
52
|
7.12
|
Definitions
|
52
|
7.13
|
Company
Actions
|
55
|
7.14
|
Counterparts
|
55
|
7.15
|
Enforcement
|
55
|
7.16
|
Governing
Law
|
55
|
ii
INDEX
OF DEFINED
TERMS
1986
Indenture
|
52
|
1994
Indenture
|
53
|
2001
Indenture
|
53
|
ABL
Financing
|
19
|
ABS
Financing
|
19
|
Accounting
Arbitrator
|
45
|
Acquisitions
|
24
|
Affiliate
|
53
|
Affiliate
Agreements
|
17
|
Affiliate
Indebtedness
|
29
|
Affiliate
Indebtedness Repayment Amount
|
1
|
Affiliated
Group
|
11
|
Agreement
|
1
|
Alternative
Tender Offers
|
35
|
Antitrust
Division
|
27
|
Applicable
Insurance Laws
|
6
|
Assistance
Costs
|
37
|
Australian
Authority
|
6
|
Benefit
Plans
|
13
|
Bermuda
Insurance Laws
|
6
|
Board
of
Directors
|
53
|
Bonus
Plans
|
41
|
Bridge
Financing
|
19
|
Business
Day
|
53
|
Buyer
|
1
|
Buyer
Indemnitees
|
53
|
CBC
|
6
|
CE
|
24
|
Closing
|
2
|
Closing
Date
|
2
|
Closing
Debt
Amount
|
36
|
Code
|
14
|
Common
Stock
|
1
|
Company
|
1
|
Company
Option Plan
|
41
|
Confidentiality
Agreement
|
21
|
Connecticut
DEP
|
7
|
Consent
|
6
|
Consent
Solicitation
|
34
|
Consolidated
or Combined Return
|
53
|
Contracts
|
16
|
Coverage
Period
|
36
|
D&O
Tail
Coverage
|
30
|
Debt
Commitment Letter
|
18
|
Debt
Financing
|
19
|
Debt
Payment
Amount
|
36
|
Debt
Receipt
Failure
|
48
|
Debt
Tender
Offer
|
34
|
iii
ECMR
|
6
|
Encumbrances
|
9
|
Environmental
Laws
|
13
|
Equity
Commitment Letters
|
18
|
Equity
Financing
|
18
|
ERISA
|
13
|
Exchange
Act
|
7
|
Exchange
Offeror
|
34
|
Exchange
Offers
|
35
|
Exchange
Value
|
35
|
Exchanged
Notes
|
35
|
FASB
|
25
|
Federal
and
Consolidated Income Tax Liabilities
|
53
|
Financial
Statements
|
7
|
Financing
|
19
|
Fleet
Expenditures
|
24
|
Ford
|
1
|
Ford
Group
|
53
|
Ford
Insurance
|
36
|
Ford
Letter
of Credit
|
38
|
Ford
Option
Plan
|
41
|
Ford
Options
|
41
|
Foreign
Antitrust Laws
|
6
|
FTC
|
27
|
GAAP
|
7
|
Governmental
Authority
|
6
|
Group
|
3
|
Group
Employees
|
13
|
Group
Member
|
3
|
Group
Relief
|
53
|
Guarantees
|
19
|
Hazardous
Substances
|
13
|
High
Yield
Financing
|
19
|
HIRE
|
7
|
HIRE
(Bermuda)
|
6
|
Holdings
|
1
|
Holdings
Note
|
54
|
HSR
Act
|
6
|
Income
Tax
|
54
|
Indebtedness
|
54
|
Intellectual
Property
|
15
|
Interim
Credit Agreement
|
54
|
International
ABS Bridge Financing
|
19
|
Irish
Finance
Requirements
|
7
|
Irish
Insurance Laws
|
6
|
IRS
|
14
|
Knowledge
|
54
|
Law
|
54
|
Long
Dated
Notes
|
34
|
Marketing
Period
|
31
|
Material
Adverse Effect
|
3
|
Material
Proceeding
|
26
|
Material
Real
Property
|
9
|
Material
Subsidiary
|
4
|
iv
Multiemployer
Plan
|
13
|
Non-Fleet
Expenditures
|
24
|
Offering
Documents
|
32
|
Options
|
42
|
Orders
|
6
|
Partnership
|
29
|
Partnership
Agreement
|
29
|
Permits
|
12
|
Permitted
Encumbrances
|
9
|
Permitted
Extension
|
25
|
Person
|
54
|
Pre-Closing
Claim
|
36
|
Pre-Closing
Period
|
54
|
Prior
SEC
Filings
|
5
|
Probus
|
6
|
Purchase
Price
|
1
|
Requested
Bond Consents
|
34
|
Requested
Indenture Consents
|
34
|
Required
Financial Information
|
32
|
Returns
|
10
|
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
Act
|
8
|
SEC
|
7
|
SEC
Filings
|
7
|
Securities
Act
|
7
|
Senior
Secured Term Loan Financing
|
19
|
Shares
|
1
|
Short
Dated
Notes
|
34
|
Specified
Contract
|
16
|
State
and
Foreign Insurance Laws
|
6
|
Subsidiary
|
3
|
Surviving
Agreements
|
29
|
Tax
Sharing
Agreements
|
54
|
Taxes
|
10
|
Taxing
Authority
|
10
|
Tender
Amount
|
34
|
Tendered
Notes
|
34
|
Termination
Fee
|
48
|
Transfer
Taxes
|
54
|
Undisclosed
Material Affiliate Agreement
|
29
|
WARN
|
41
|
Wholly
Owned
Subsidiary
|
5
|
v
STOCK
PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
STOCK
PURCHASE
AGREEMENT, dated as of September 12, 2005
(this
“Agreement“),
between CCMG
Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Buyer”),
and Ford
Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Holdings”)
and, for
purposes of only the provisions noted on the signature page hereto, Ford Motor
Company, a Delaware corporation (“Ford”).
WHEREAS,
Holdings,
an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford, owns 100 shares (the “Shares”)
of common stock,
par value $0.01 per share (the “Common
Stock”),
of The Hertz
Corporation (the “Company”),
representing
100% of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company;
WHEREAS,
Buyer
desires to purchase from Holdings, and Holdings desires to sell to Buyer, the
Shares pursuant to this Agreement; and
WHEREAS,
in
connection with the purchase and sale of the Shares, the parties desire to
effect certain other transactions as more fully described herein, including
causing the Company to complete a tender offer with respect to certain series
of
its outstanding senior notes and cooperating with an exchange offer by an
Affiliate of Ford with respect to certain other series of the Company’s
outstanding senior notes;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in
consideration of the mutual terms, conditions and other agreements set forth
herein and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto hereby
agree
as follows:
ARTICLE
I
SHARE
PURCHASE
1.1 Share
Purchase;
Funding.
(a) Purchase
and
Sale.
Upon the terms
and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, at the Closing, Holdings shall
sell to Buyer (or to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer), and Buyer (or a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer) shall purchase from Holdings, the
Shares.
(b) Purchase
Price.
In consideration
for the sale and transfer of the Shares, and upon the terms and subject to
the
conditions of this Agreement, at the Closing, Buyer shall pay, or cause to
be
paid, to Holdings (or an Affiliate of Holdings designated by Holdings) an
aggregate amount in cash equal to (x) $5,600,000,000 minus (y) the principal
amount of and all accrued and unpaid interest on the Holdings Note (the
“Purchase
Price”).
(c) Repayment
of
Affiliate Indebtedness.
Upon the terms
and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, at the Closing, Buyer shall
cause the Company to repay all Affiliate Indebtedness referred to in Section
3.6
(the “Affiliate
Indebtedness Repayment Amount”).
(d) Repayment
of
Certain Third Party Indebtedness.
At the Closing,
and as a condition thereof, Buyer shall cause the Company to purchase the
Tendered Notes and shall purchase or repay or cause a Group Member to purchase
or repay, as applicable, all of the Indebtedness referred to in Section
3.10(c).
(e) Payment
for
Exchange Notes.
At the Closing,
and as a condition thereof, Buyer shall pay or cause to be paid by the Company
to the applicable Exchange Offeror (or to an Affiliate of the Exchange Offeror
designated by the Exchange Offeror in writing), cash in an amount equal to
the
aggregate Exchange Value of any Exchange Notes accepted for exchange in any
Exchange Offer in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof on or prior
to
the Closing, and tendered by the Exchange Offeror for purchase in accordance
with Section 3.10(b).
(f) Source
of
Funds.
At or prior to
the Closing, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, (i) Buyer
(or a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer) shall incur the portion of the Financing
to be incurred by it, and (ii) a portion of the proceeds of the Financing,
together with (at the option of Buyer) the Company’s cash on hand, together with
indebtedness to be incurred by the Company and other Group Members at the
Closing, shall be applied to make the payments set forth in this Section
1.1.
(g) Payment
Terms.
At the Closing,
upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, (i) Holdings
shall deliver to Buyer (or to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer designated
by
Buyer at least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date) certificates
representing the Shares owned by Holdings duly endorsed, or accompanied by
stock
powers duly executed and (ii), all payments provided for in this Section 1.1
shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to account(s)
designated by the applicable recipients at least two Business Days prior to
the
Closing Date.
1.2 Closing
.
Unless this Agreement shall have been terminated and the transactions herein
contemplated shall have been abandoned pursuant to Section 7.1, and subject
to
the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article IV, the
closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Closing”)
will take place
at 10:00 a.m.
New York City time on the first Business Day following the
satisfaction or waiver of each of the conditions set forth in Article IV hereof
on the date (the “Closing
Date”)
that is the
earliest of (a) any Business Day during the Marketing Period as may be specified
by Buyer on no less than three Business Days’ prior notice to Holdings, (b) the
final day of the Marketing Period or (c) the date following commencement of
the
Marketing Period that is three business days following the date the Debt
Financing is obtained, at the offices of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, 000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, unless another date, time or place is
agreed to in writing by the parties hereto.
2
ARTICLE
II
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
2.1 Representations
and Warranties of Holdings.
Holdings hereby
represents and warrants to Buyer as follows:
(a) Due
Organization
and Qualification.
(i) Holdings
is a
limited liability company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of Delaware. Holdings (A) has all requisite corporate
power
and authority to own and lease its properties and assets and to carry on its
business as it is now being conducted and (B) is in good standing and
is
duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which it is required
to be so qualified, except, in the case of clause (A) or (B), where the failure
to have such power and authority or to be in good standing would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent, materially
delay or materially impede the ability of Holdings to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(ii) The
Company is a
corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under
the
laws of Delaware. The Company (A) has all requisite corporate power
and
authority to own and lease its properties and assets and to carry on its
business as it is now being conducted and (B) is in good standing and
is
duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which it is required
to be so qualified, except in the case of clause (A) or (B), where the failure
to have such power and authority or to be in good standing would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(iii) Each
entity listed
on Schedule 2.1(a)(iii) (each, a “Subsidiary”;
each of the
Subsidiaries and the Company individually, a “Group
Member”,
and
collectively, the “Group”)
(A) is duly
incorporated or organized, as the case may be, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization appearing opposite
its name on Schedule 2.1(a)(iii) and (B) has all requisite corporate power
and
authority to own and lease its properties and assets and to carry on its
business as it is now being conducted and (C) is in good standing and is duly
qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which it is required
to
be so qualified, except in the case of clauses (A), (B) or (C), where the
failure to have such power and authority or to be in good standing would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
For
purposes of
this Agreement, “Material
Adverse
Effect”
shall mean any
fact, event, change, circumstance or effect that is materially adverse to the
business, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the
Group, taken as a whole, or would materially impair the ability of Holdings
or
any member of the Group to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, other than any fact, event, change, circumstance or effect resulting
from (A) general changes or developments (other than those resulting
from
acts of terrorism, war or armed hostilities) in the industries in which the
Group operates or in the general economy, financial, banking, currency or
capital markets, (B) normal seasonal changes in the results of operations
of the Group, (C) the solicitation of offers to enter into this Agreement,
the negotiation of the terms of and entering into of this Agreement, the
announcement of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby
3
or
any action taken at the request of Buyer, (D) changes in accounting requirements
or principles or any changes in applicable Laws or interpretations thereof
or
(E) any failure in and of itself by any Group Member to meet any estimates
of
revenues or earnings or other financial performance for any period (it being
agreed that the facts and circumstances giving rise to such failure may be
taken
into account in determining whether there has been a Material Adverse Effect),
except, in the case of the foregoing clause (A), to the extent such changes
referred to therein have a disproportionate adverse effect on the Group, taken
as a whole, relative to other participants in the industries in which the Group
operates; provided,
that (i) solely
with respect to the representations and warranties set forth in Section 2.1(f),
the exception set forth in clause (C) above shall not apply and (ii) for
purposes of the definition of “Material Adverse Effect”, the industries in which
the Group operates shall be deemed to be the vehicle rental industry and the
construction, industrial and materials handling equipment rental
industry.
(iv) Certificate
of
Incorporation and By-Laws.
Holdings has made
available to Buyer a complete and correct copy of the Certificate of
Incorporation and the By-Laws (or similar organizational documents), each as
amended to date, of the Company and each of the Subsidiaries listed on Schedule
2.1(a)(iii) as a “Material Subsidiary” (each such Subsidiary, a “Material
Subsidiary”).
Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary is, nor has been, in violation of any of the
provisions of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws (or similar
organizational documents), except in the case of any Subsidiary (other than
any
Material Subsidiary) for violations that would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Holdings
has made available to Buyer complete and correct copies of the minutes of all
meetings of the Board of Directors of the Company, other than the portion of
any
minutes regarding the deliberations of the Board of Directors of the Company
in
connection with entering into this Agreement or pursuing other strategic
alternatives, and of the stockholders of the Company, in each case since
January 1, 2002.
(b) Authorization
and Validity of Agreement.
The execution,
delivery and performance by Holdings of this Agreement and the consummation
by
Holdings of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized
by
the Board of Directors of Holdings, and no other corporate action on the part
of
Holdings is necessary for the execution, delivery and performance by Holdings
of
this Agreement and the consummation by Holdings of the transactions contemplated
hereby. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Holdings and
is a
legal, valid and binding obligation of Holdings, enforceable against it in
accordance with its terms, except to the extent that its enforceability may
be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws
relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equity
principles.
(c) Capitalization.
(i) 100
shares of
Common Stock are issued and outstanding as of the date hereof and constitute
the
Shares. The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 3,000 shares
of
Common Stock. No shares of Common Stock are held in treasury. All of the issued
and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable.
4
(ii) Except
as disclosed
in the SEC Filings filed prior to the date hereof, (such filings, excluding
the
“Risk Factors” sections therein, the “Prior
SEC
Filings”)
or on
Schedule 2.1(c)(ii), (A) there are no (x) outstanding
options,
warrants, or other rights, of any kind relating to the sale, purchase,
redemption, issuance or voting of any shares of capital stock of any class
(whether issued or unissued) or other equity or voting securities of the
Company, or (y) securities convertible into, exchangeable for or evidencing
the right to purchase from the Company any shares of capital stock of any class
or other equity or voting securities of the Company, or (z) equity
equivalents, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock or other rights similar
to
or derived from the economic benefits and rights accruing to holders of any
equity interest in the Company, (B) there are no preemptive or similar
rights with respect to the issuance, sale or other transfer (whether present,
past or future) of the issued or unissued capital stock or other equity
interests of the Company and (C) there are no agreements or other
obligations (contingent or otherwise) which may require the Company to vote,
dispose of, repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of, or other equity
interests in, the Company’s capital stock or to make any investment (in the form
of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any Subsidiary or other Person.
Except as disclosed on Schedule 2.1(c)(ii), from June 30, 2005
to the
date hereof, (a) (i) no dividends on or distributions in respect
of
the Company’s Common Stock have been declared or paid and (ii) there has
been no repurchase of any shares of or options in respect of the Company’s
capital stock and (b) (i) no dividends on or distributions in
respect
of any of the non-Wholly Owned Subsidiaries’ capital stock have been declared or
paid and (ii) there has been no repurchase of any shares of or options
in
respect of the capital stock of any Subsidiary.
(iii) Except
as disclosed
on Schedule 2.1(c)(iii), with respect to each Subsidiary, (A) there
are no
(x) outstanding options, warrants, or other rights of any kind relating
to
the sale, purchase, redemption, issuance or voting of any shares of capital
stock (whether issued or unissued) or other equity or voting security, in or
of
such Subsidiary which are binding on any Group Member, (y) securities
convertible into, exchangeable for or evidencing the right to purchase from
any
Group Member any shares of capital stock of any class or other equity or voting
securities of any such Subsidiary, (z) equity equivalents, stock
appreciation rights, phantom stock, or other right similar to or derived from
the economic benefits and rights accruing to holders of any equity interest
in,
any such Subsidiary, (B) there are no preemptive or similar rights with
respect to the issuance, sale or other transfer (whether present, past or
future) of the issued or unissued capital stock, or other equity interests,
of
such Subsidiary and (C) there are no agreements or other obligations
(contingent or otherwise) which may require any Group Member to vote, dispose
of, repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of, or other equity interest
in, such Subsidiary’s capital stock or to make any investment (in the form of a
loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in such Subsidiary or other Person,
in
each case other than options, warrants and other rights running in favor of
the
Company and Subsidiaries in which the Company directly or indirectly owns at
least a 99.0% equity interest (each such Subsidiary, a “Wholly
Owned
Subsidiary”).
(d) Subsidiaries.
Except as
disclosed on Schedule 2.1(d), (i) there are no entities in which the
Company directly or indirectly owns or controls more than 50% of the voting
power, other than the Subsidiaries, (ii) there are no entities in which
the
Company directly or indirectly owns an equity interest, other than the
Subsidiaries and (iii) all capital stock and equity interests in each
Subsidiary are owned beneficially and of record by the Company and/or
5
Wholly
Owned
Subsidiaries, free and clear of any Encumbrance other than restrictions imposed
on U.S. Subsidiaries by applicable securities Laws and restrictions on transfer
imposed on non-U.S. Subsidiaries by applicable Laws.
(e) Ownership
of the
Shares.
Holdings is the
record and beneficial owner and holder of the Shares. The Shares are held free
and clear of all Encumbrances other than restrictions imposed by applicable
securities Laws. Upon the transfer of the Shares to Buyer on the Closing Date
in
accordance with this Agreement, Buyer will receive good and valid title to
the
Shares, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than restrictions imposed
by
applicable securities Laws.
(f) No
Conflict.
Except as set
forth on Schedule 2.1(f), as specifically contemplated in this Agreement or,
in
the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iv) of this Section 2.1(f) only, as would
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect or be expected to prevent, materially delay or materially impede
the ability of Holdings to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Holdings
and consummation by Holdings of the transactions contemplated
hereby:
(i) will
not violate
any provision of any Law or order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree
(“Orders”)
of the European
Union, any federal, state, municipal, foreign or other governmental department,
commission, board, bureau, agency, court or instrumentality, whether domestic
or
foreign (“Governmental
Authority”)
applicable to
Holdings or any Group Member;
(ii) will
not require
any license, consent, clearance, authorization, permit, qualification, waiver,
order or approval of, or filing with or notice to, any Governmental Authority
(each, a “Consent”)
under any
provision of Law applicable to Holdings or any Group Member, except for
(A) the requirements of the Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Antitrust Improvements
Act of
1976, as amended (the “HSR
Act”),
(B) any
filing with the European Commission of a merger notification in accordance
with
Council Regulation (EC) 139/2004, the E.C. Merger Regulation (the “ECMR”),
(C) the
applicable requirements of any competent antitrust or competition Governmental
Authority of any member state of the European Union, (D) the applicable
requirements of the Canadian Bureau of Competition (the “CBC”),
(E) the
applicable requirements of any competent Australian antitrust or competition
Governmental Authority (the “Australian
Authority”),
(F) the
applicable requirements of antitrust, competition or other similar Laws, rules,
regulations and judicial doctrines of jurisdictions, other than the United
States and the European Union, or of investment Laws relating to foreign
ownership (the Laws and requirements described in clauses (B) through (F),
collectively, the “Foreign
Antitrust Laws”),
(G) the
applicable requirements of insurance law and regulatory authorities in
(x) Bermuda (the “Bermuda
Insurance Laws”)
in connection
with an indirect transfer of control of HIRE (Bermuda) Limited, an insurance
company domiciled in Bermuda (“HIRE
(Bermuda)”),
(y) Ireland (the “Irish
Insurance
Laws”)
in connection
with an indirect transfer of control of Probus Insurance Company Europe Limited,
an insurance company domiciled in Ireland (“Probus”)
and (z) any U.S.
state or other foreign jurisdiction (the “State
and
Foreign Insurance Laws”,
and together
with Bermuda Insurance Laws, and Irish Insurance Laws, the “Applicable
Insurance Laws”)
in connection
with an indirect transfer of control of any Group Member that is
6
licensed
as an
insurance company or as an insurance agent, insurance broker, third-party
administrator or claims adjustor, (H) the applicable requirements of
the
Department of Finance of Ireland in respect of the tax operating certificates
of
each of Probus and Hertz International Re Limited (“HIRE”),
a reinsurance
company domiciled in Ireland (the “Irish
Finance
Requirements”),
(I) the
filing with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
(“Connecticut
DEP”),
and
(J) any other Consent which is applicable solely as a result of the
specific regulatory status of Buyer or its Affiliates or which Buyer or its
Affiliates are otherwise required to obtain;
(iii) will
not violate
any provision of the limited liability company operating agreement of Holdings
or the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company; and
(iv) will
not require
any consent, approval or notice under, and will not conflict with, or result
in
the breach or termination of, or constitute a default (or an event which, with
notice or lapse of time or both, would become a breach or default or give to
others a right of termination) under, result in the acceleration of the
performance or the loss of any benefit by any Group Member under, or result
in
the creation of an Encumbrance on any property or asset of any Group Member
pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, license, franchise,
contract (written or oral), agreement, permit or other binding commitment,
instrument or obligation to which any Group Member is a party or by which any
of
the assets of the Group are bound or affected.
(g) SEC
Filings;
Financial Statements.
Except as set
forth on Schedule 2.1(g):
(i) the
Company has
timely filed all forms, reports, schedules, declarations, statements,
applications and other documents required to be filed with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)
pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange
Act”)
since December
31, 2003. For purposes of this Agreement, all forms, reports, schedules,
declarations, statements, applications and other documents filed with the SEC
since December 31, 2004 under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933,
as
amended (the “Securities
Act”),
are
collectively referred to as the “SEC
Filings”.
Each SEC Filing,
when filed, complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements
of the Exchange Act, as the case may be, and other applicable federal securities
Laws as in effect on the date so filed, and none of the SEC Filings (including
any financial statements or schedules included or incorporated by reference
therein), when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact required to be stated or incorporated by
reference therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading;
(ii) each
of the audited
and unaudited financial statements (including any related notes) included in
the
SEC Filings (the “Financial
Statements”),
when filed,
complied in all material respects with all applicable accounting requirements
and with the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto,
has been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
(“GAAP”)
(except, in the
case of unaudited quarterly statements, as permitted by Form 10-Q and Regulation
S-X) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except
as
may be indicated in the notes thereto) and, when filed, fairly
7
presented
in all
material respects the consolidated financial position of the Group at the
respective dates thereof and the consolidated results of its operations and
cash
flows for the periods indicated (subject, in the case of unaudited quarterly
statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments, which were not and are not
expected to be material in amount);
(iii) Other
than the
Holdings Note, as of the date hereof, no Group Member owes any Indebtedness
to
Ford or any of its Affiliates (other than the Group);
(iv) Since
the enactment
of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
Act”),
the Company has
been and is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable
provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder;
(v) The
Company has
designed disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information
relating to the Company, including its subsidiaries, is made known to the chief
executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company by others
within those entities;
(vi) The
Company has
disclosed, based on its most recent evaluation prior to the date hereof, to
the
Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors
(i) any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect in any material respect the Company’s ability to
record, process, summarize and report financial information and (ii) any fraud
or allegation of fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls
over financial reporting. As of the date hereof, to the Knowledge of Holdings,
the Company has not received any complaints since December 31, 2004 regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, including any
such
complaint regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters;
and
(vii) As
of the date
hereof, to the Knowledge of Holdings, the Company has not identified any
material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over
financial reporting. To the Knowledge of Holdings, there is no reason to believe
that its auditors and its chief executive officer and chief financial officer
will not be able to give the certifications and attestations required pursuant
to the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Section 404 of the
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act, when first due.
(h) Absence
of
Certain Changes.
Except as
disclosed on Schedule 2.1(h)(i) hereto, since June 30, 2005 there has not been
any Material Adverse Effect and there has not been any fact, event, change
or
circumstance that would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Except as a result of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, as expressly
contemplated hereby or as disclosed in Prior SEC Filings or on Schedule
2.1(h)(ii), from June 30, 2005 to the date of this Agreement, (i) the business
of the Group has been conducted in all material respects in the ordinary course
consistent with past practice and (ii) except for transactions that would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect, no Group Member has taken any action or omitted to take any
action
8
that
would, after
the date hereof, be prohibited by clause (iv), (v), (vi), (x), (xii),
(xiii) and (xv) through (xix) of Section 3.2.
(i) Absence
of
Undisclosed Liabilities.
Except as
disclosed in the Prior SEC Filings or on Schedule 2.1(i), no Group Member has
any obligations or liabilities (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or
otherwise) that are required to be set forth on a balance sheet prepared in
accordance with GAAP, except (A) liabilities reflected on the unaudited
condensed consolidated balance sheet of the Group as of June 30,
2005 or
the notes
thereto included in the Financial Statements, (B) liabilities incurred
in
the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice since June 30,
2005 that would not be prohibited by this Agreement, (C) liabilities
which,
individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect, (D) obligations and liabilities otherwise
expressly disclosed in this Agreement or the Schedules hereto and
(E) obligations and liabilities incurred at the prior written request
or
with the prior written consent of Buyer.
(j) Real
and
Personal Properties.
Real and Personal
Properties. (i) Schedule
2.1(j)(i)-1 lists, and Buyer has been furnished true, correct and complete
copies of, all instruments and agreements (A) granting to the Group
ownership, leasehold and associated concession or operating rights with respect
to the real property constituting each rental location of the Group from which
net revenues in the year 2004 exceeded $50,000,000 and (B) granting
to the
Group ownership of the real property constituting the Hertz World Headquarters,
Park Ridge, New Jersey, and the Hertz Financial, Administrative, Reservation
and
Data Centers in and about Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the leasehold rights
in
the real property constituting the Hertz Europe Service Center, Swords, Ireland,
the Saraland, Alabama reservations center and the Hertz Europe Ltd.
headquarters, Uxbridge, U.K. (all such interests in real property and associated
concession and operating rights referred to in clauses (A) and (B), the
“Material
Real
Property”).
The Company or
one of its Subsidiaries has good, valid and marketable title to each parcel
of
Material Real Property owned in fee, and a good and valid leasehold interest,
or
interest as a tenant at sufferance or concession and operating rights, in each
parcel of Material Real Property leased or operated under such concession or
operating right by the Group, except as would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The interests of the Group in the
Material Real Property are free and clear of all liens, claims, encumbrances,
security interests or other charges or rights of other Persons (“Encumbrances”),
except
(A) as set forth on Schedule 2.1(j)(i)-2, (B) as disclosed in
the
Financial Statements, (C) for liens for taxes, assessments and other
governmental charges not yet due and payable or, if due, not delinquent or
being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, during which collection
or
enforcement against the Material Real Property is stayed, (D) mechanics’,
workmen’s, repairmen’s, warehousemen’s, carriers’ or other like liens arising or
incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices,
(E) with respect to real property, (1) any conditions, including
easements, licenses, covenants, rights-of-way and other similar restrictions
that may be shown by survey or title report, (2) incurred in the ordinary course
of business that, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount and, do not
materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially
interfere with the ordinary course of business of the Company and
(3) zoning, building and other similar restrictions, and (F) other
Encumbrances which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect (those Encumbrances described in clauses (A) through (E), “Permitted
Encumbrances”).
With respect to
any portion of the Material Real Property that constitutes a leasehold interest
or concession or operating
9
right,
Holdings has
no Knowledge of the termination of, and no Group Member has received any written
notice from the landlord or grantor of such rights terminating (by reason of
a
default or otherwise) any such leasehold interest, concession or operating
right. With respect to all real property utilized by the Group in the conduct
of
its business, other than the Material Real Property, Group Members have good,
valid and marketable title to, or a good and valid leasehold interest, license
or concession rights in, such property, except as would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) Except
as would not
reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect, and except for personal property disposed of since June 30,
2005
in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, Group Members
have good and valid title to, or a valid and enforceable leasehold interest
in,
all of the Group’s personal property (subject to the effects of bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting
creditors’ rights generally) (A) that
is
used or held for use in connection with the business of the Group and is
reflected on or included in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet
of the Group as of June 30, 2005 included in the Financial Statements or
(B) acquired by Group Members after June 30, 2005 and which would be
reflected on or included in such a balance sheet prepared as of the date this
representation is made, in each case free and clear of all Encumbrances other
than Permitted Encumbrances.
(k) Tax
Matters.
(i) Certain
Defined
Terms.
For purposes of
this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:
(A) The
term
“Taxes”
shall mean all
taxes, however denominated, including any interest, penalties or other additions
to tax that may become payable in respect thereof, imposed by any federal,
territorial, state, local or foreign government or any agency or political
subdivision of any such government (collectively, “Taxing
Authority”),
which taxes
shall include, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all income
or
profits taxes (including, but not limited to, federal income taxes and state
income taxes), payroll and employee withholding taxes, unemployment insurance
taxes, social security taxes, sales and use taxes, ad valorem taxes, value
added
taxes, excise taxes, franchise taxes, gross receipts taxes, business license
taxes, occupation taxes, real and personal property taxes, stamp taxes,
environmental taxes, transfer taxes, and other obligations of the same or of
a
similar nature to any of the foregoing, which any Group Member is required
to
pay, withhold, collect or for which it is otherwise liable.
(B) The
term
“Returns”
shall mean all
reports, estimates, declarations of estimated Tax, information statements,
forms
and returns relating to, or required to be filed in connection with, any
Taxes.
(ii) Returns
Filed
and Taxes Paid.
Except as set
forth on Schedule 2.1(k)(ii) or as would not reasonably be expected to have
a
material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise)
or
results of operations of the Group, taken as a whole, (A) all Returns
required to be filed by or on behalf of Group Members insofar as they relate
to
any Group
10
Members
have been
duly filed on a timely basis and any such filed Returns are true, complete
and
correct, (B) all Taxes shown to be payable on the Returns or on subsequent
assessments with respect thereto have been paid in full on a timely basis,
(C)
each Group Member has withheld and paid over all Taxes required to have been
withheld and paid over, and complied with all information reporting
requirements, including maintenance of required records with respect thereto,
in
connection with amounts paid or owing to any employee, creditor, independent
contractor or other third party for all periods for which the statute of
limitations has not expired, and (D) there are no liens on any of the
assets of the Group with respect to Taxes, other than liens for Taxes not yet
due and payable or for Taxes that Group Members are contesting in good faith
through appropriate proceedings and for which appropriate reserves in accordance
with GAAP have been established by the appropriate Group Member.
(iii) Tax
Deficiencies; Audits, Statutes of Limitations.
Except as set
forth on Schedule 2.1(k)(iii) or as would not reasonably be expected to have
a
material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise)
or
results of operations of the Group, taken as a whole, (A) there is no audit,
examination, investigation or other proceeding by a governmental or Taxing
Authority in process or pending or, to the Knowledge of Holdings, threatened
in
writing with respect to any Returns of any Group Member, (B) no deficiencies
exist or have been asserted, in writing, with respect to any Taxes of the Group
Members and no Group Member has received written notice that it has not filed
a
Return or paid Taxes required to be filed or paid by it, (C) no Group Member
is
a party to any action or proceeding for assessment or collection of any Taxes,
nor has such event been asserted, in writing, against any Group Member or any
of
its assets and (D) no Group Member has waived any statute of limitations in
respect of a material amount of Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with
respect to an assessment or deficiency for a material amount of Taxes (other
than pursuant to extensions of time to file Returns obtained in the ordinary
course and other than Tax Returns filed on a consolidated, combined or unitary
basis with Ford or any of its affiliates).
(iv) Affiliated
Group.
The domestic
corporate Group Members are members of an “affiliated group” (the “Affiliated
Group”)
within the
meaning of Section 1504(a) of the Code and Ford is the “common parent” of the
Affiliated Group. Ford and all domestic corporate Group Members join in filing
a
consolidated U. S. federal Income Tax Return. For purposes of this Section
2.1(k) and Article VI, “domestic” has the meaning set forth in Section
7701(a)(4) of the Code. Except with respect to the Affiliated Group or as set
forth on Schedule 2.1(k)(iv) or as would not reasonably be expected to have
a
material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise)
or
results of operations of the Group, taken as a whole, none of the Group Members
has been included in any “consolidated,”“unitary” or “combined” Return provided
for under any Law with respect to Taxes for which any Member may be liable
for
any taxable period for which the statute of limitations has not
expired.
(v) Tax
Sharing.
Except as set
forth on Schedule 2.1(k)(v) or as would not reasonably be expected to have
a
material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise)
or
results of operations of the Group, taken as a whole, there are no tax sharing,
allocation, indemnification or similar agreements in effect between any of
the
Group Members and any other Person (other than solely with other Group Members),
except for (i) customary agreements to indemnify lenders or security holders
in
respect of Taxes, and (ii) customary tax sharing obligations under commercial
lease agreements.
11
(vi) Classifications.
Each of Hertz
Fleet Funding LLC, Hertz General Interest LLC, Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC
and
Hertz Vehicles LLC is classified as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income
tax purposes.
(l) Compliance
with
Laws; Permits and Filings.
Except as
disclosed in the Prior SEC Filings or on Schedule 2.1(l), (A) no Group Member
has received any written notice from any Governmental Authority, and Holdings
does not have Knowledge, (x) that any Group Member is not in compliance with
any
of the Laws applicable to the Group Members, their respective businesses or
by
which any property or asset of any Group Member is bound, or (y) that revokes
or
threatens to revoke any permits, licenses, certificates, easements, approvals,
concessions, leases or other authorizations or consents of a Governmental
Authority necessary to own, lease and operate its properties, and to conduct
their respective businesses as presently conducted (“Permits”),
(B) each
Group Member (x) is, and has been since December 31, 2003, in compliance with
any Law applicable to such Group Member, its business or by which any property
or asset of such Group Member is bound, and (y) is in possession of any and
all
Permits, except in the case of (A) or (B) above, where such failure to be in
compliance or such failure to be in possession of such Permit would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The consummation
of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in any
revocation, cancellation or suspension of any such Permit, except as would
not
reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material
Adverse Effect. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Holdings makes
no representation or warranty in this Section 2.1(l) with respect to Tax
matters, environmental matters, employee benefit matters or labor and employment
matters.
(m) Legal
Proceedings.
There are no
actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the Knowledge of Holdings,
threatened against the Group, except for proceedings (i) disclosed in
the
Prior SEC Filings, (ii) disclosed on Schedule 2.1(m), (iii) seeking
damages (including punitive damages) or other remedies for death, bodily injury
or property damage allegedly arising from the operation of vehicles and
construction and industrial equipment in which Group Members have interests
and
(iv) as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) Environmental
Matters.
(i) Except
as disclosed
in the Prior SEC Filings or on Schedule 2.1(n) or as would not, individually
or
in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect:
(A) Each
Group Member
is and has been in compliance with all applicable Environmental
Laws;
(B) Each
Group Member
possesses the Permits required under applicable Environmental Laws for it to
operate as it currently operates;
(C) no
Group Member has
received any written notice or claim against it alleging a violation of any
Environmental Laws, other than such notices or claims that have been
resolved;
12
(D) no
Group Member has
received any written notice or claim alleging that it is or may be liable to
any
Person under any applicable Environmental Law as a result of a release or
threatened release of any Hazardous Substance at any location, other than such
notices or claims that have been resolved; and
(E) no
Group Member is
a party to any pending judicial or administrative proceedings or, to the
Knowledge of Holdings, the subject of any investigations by any Governmental
Authority, pursuant to any Environmental Laws.
(ii) For
purposes of
this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned
below:
(A) “Environmental
Laws”
shall mean any
and all laws (including common law), statutes, codes, regulations, ordinances,
decrees or orders of the United States, any other nation, and any state, local,
or municipal authority thereof, regulating or imposing liability or standards
of
conduct concerning pollution or protection of human health as it relates to
exposure to Hazardous Substances or the environment, including surface water,
groundwater, ambient air, surface or subsurface soil, or wildlife
habitat.
(B) “Hazardous
Substances”
shall mean any
gasoline or petroleum (including crude oil or any fraction thereof) or petroleum
products, polychlorinated biphenyls, urea-formaldehyde insulation, hazardous
wastes, toxic or hazardous substances, asbestos, pollutants, or contaminants
defined as such in or regulated under any applicable Environmental
Law.
(iii) Notwithstanding
the
generality of any other representations and warranties in this Agreement, the
representations and warranties in this Section 2.1(n) and Section 2.1(i) shall
be deemed the only representations and warranties in this Agreement with respect
to matters relating to Environmental Laws or to Hazardous
Substances.
(o) Employee
Benefit
Plans.
(i) All
material
“employee benefit plans” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)),
but excluding
any plan that is a “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA
(“Multiemployer
Plan”),
deferred
compensation, change in control or employment, vacation, fringe benefit,
incentive, bonus, stock option, stock purchase, or restricted stock plans,
programs, agreements or policies contributed to or maintained by any Group
Member or with respect to which any Group Member has or is reasonably expected
to have any liability for the benefit of any current or former employee,
officer, consultant, independent contractor or director of any Group Member
(such persons, collectively, “Group
Employees”,
and such plans,
programs, agreements and policies, collectively, the “Benefit
Plans”),
other than
those Benefit Plans disclosed in the SEC Filings filed prior to the date hereof
or required by the Laws of the applicable jurisdictions to be so maintained,
are
set forth on Schedule 2.1(o)(i).
(ii) With
respect to
each Benefit Plan, Holdings has made available to Buyer a true and complete
copy
thereof (or, if a plan is not written, a written summary of the material terms
thereof) and, to the extent applicable, (v) any related trust or custodial
agreement or other
13
funding
instrument,
(w) the most recent determination letter, if any, received from the
Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”),
(x) any
current summary plan description or employee handbook, (y) for the most recently
completed year (A) the Form 5500 and attached schedules or comparable
foreign filing or report, (B) audited financial statements and
(C) actuarial valuation reports and (z) copies of any material
correspondence from the IRS, SEC, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation,
Department of Labor or any comparable foreign Governmental Authority relating
to
the operation of such Benefit Plan.
(iii) Each
Benefit Plan
has been established and administered and is in compliance with the terms of
such Benefit Plan and all applicable Laws, except where the failure thereof
would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have
a
Material Adverse Effect.
(iv) Each
Benefit Plan
that is intended to be qualified under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”),
has received a
favorable determination letter regarding such qualification from the IRS and,
to
the Knowledge of Holdings, nothing has occurred that could reasonably be
expected to adversely affect such qualification. The Hertz (UK) 1972 Pension
Plan UK Plan has been registered and has been maintained in good standing with
all applicable United Kingdom Governmental Authorities, and, to the Knowledge
of
Holdings, nothing has occurred that could reasonably be expected to adversely
affect such status.
(v) There
are no
pending or, to the Knowledge of Holdings, threatened claims or litigation with
respect to any Benefit Plans, other than ordinary and usual claims for benefits
by participants and beneficiaries or that would not reasonably be expected,
individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(vi) Except
as would not
reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a
Material Adverse Effect, (x) no Group Member has incurred any liability under
Title IV of ERISA that has not been satisfied in full and (y) to the knowledge
of the Holdings, no condition exists that is likely to cause any Group Member
to
incur any such liability (other than liability for premiums due the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation).
(vii) Except
as set forth
on Schedule 2.1(o)(vii), no Benefit Plan exists that provides that the execution
of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby
will (either alone or upon occurrence of any additional or subsequent events)
result in any payment, acceleration, vesting, distribution, increase in benefits
or obligation to fund benefits with respect to any Group Employee under any
Benefit Plan, or will result in the triggering or imposition of any restrictions
or limitations on the right of any Group Member to amend or terminate any
Benefit Plan.
(p) Labor
and
Employment Matters.
(i) Except
as disclosed
in the Prior SEC Filings or on Schedule 2.1(p)(i), or as would not reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, there is no strike, slowdown or
work
stoppage by, or lockout of, or other labor dispute involving any Group Employees
pending or, to the Knowledge of Holdings, threatened as of the date
hereof.
14
(ii) Schedule
2.1(p)(ii)
sets forth a true and complete list of each Multiemployer Plan in which any
Group Member participates other than any entered after the date hereof in
compliance with this Agreement.
(q) Intellectual
Property.
(i) Except
as disclosed
in the SEC Filings filed prior to the date hereof or on Schedule 2.1(q) or
as
would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) Group
Members own (free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted
Encumbrances), or have obtained a license or other right to use, the
Intellectual Property necessary to the conduct of the Group’s businesses as
conducted on the date hereof, and (B) to the Knowledge of Holdings, (x) no
actions or claims have been asserted in writing by any third party (1)
challenging the validity or ownership of any such Intellectual Property or
the
Group’s right to use such Intellectual Property, or (2) claiming that any Group
Member is infringing any Intellectual Property owned by third parties, in each
case other than actions, proceedings and claims that have been finally
adjudicated with no further right of appeal, (y) the Intellectual Property
that
is registered with Governmental Authorities in the name of any Group Member
is
valid and enforceable, and (z) no third party is infringing any Intellectual
Property owned by any Group Member (it
being
understood that third parties may be making authorized uses of certain
Intellectual Property).
For
purposes of this
Agreement, “Intellectual
Property”
shall mean all
U.S. and foreign patents, inventions, trademarks, service marks, trade names,
corporate names, domain names, logos, trade dress, trade secrets, copyrights
and
copyrightable works, and all registrations or applications related thereto,
and
databases and computer software.
(ii) Holdings
has
furnished to the Buyer copies of all material Intellectual Property license
agreements pursuant to which (A) any third party grants any Group Member any
rights in any Intellectual Property, or (B) any Group Member grants to any
third
party any rights in any Intellectual Property other than such license agreements
the absence of possession of which would not reasonably be expected to have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(iii) Except
as would not
reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material
Adverse Effect, to the Knowledge of Holdings, each Group Member is in compliance
with all applicable contractual and legal requirements pertaining to information
privacy and security, including without limitation any privacy policies
concerning the collection and use of personally identifiable
information.
(r) Specified
Contracts.
(i) Except
as would not
reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect, each Specified Contract is a legal, valid and binding obligation
of a Group Member (and, to Holdings’ Knowledge, of the counterparty thereto) and
is in full force and effect and enforceable against such Group Member (and,
to
Holdings’ Knowledge, against the counterparty thereto) in accordance with its
terms (subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally).
No Group Member is and, to Holdings’ Knowledge, no counterparty is in breach or
violation of, or default under, any Specified Contract, except as would not
reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect. To the Knowledge of Holdings, no event has occurred which would
result in a breach or violation of, or a default under, any Specified Contract
(in each case, with or without notice or lapse of time or both).
15
(ii) For
purposes of
this Agreement, the term “Specified
Contract”
means any of the
following contracts, agreements, commitments or understandings, written or
oral,
together with all exhibits and schedules thereto (“Contracts”),
if applicable,
to which any Group Member is a party, or by which any Group Member or any of
their respective properties or assets are bound or affected, all of which,
as of
the date hereof, are listed on Schedule 2.1(r) to the extent not filed
as
an exhibit to a Prior SEC Filing:
(A) any
Contract filed
(or that will be required to be filed) as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K under the
Securities Act or disclosed or required to be disclosed by the Company in a
Current Report on Form 8-K;
(B) any
limited
liability company agreement, joint venture or other similar agreement or
arrangement relating to the formation, creation, operation, management or
control of any material partnership or joint venture (other than a Subsidiary)
other than any such agreement or arrangement entered into by the Company at
the
request of any entity operating an airport at which the Company has rental
facilities;
(C) any
credit
agreement, indenture, note or other instrument (other than among consolidated
Subsidiaries) evidencing Indebtedness having an outstanding principal amount
in
excess of $10,000,000;
(D) any
Contract that
constitutes a leasehold interest or concession or operating right for any
Material Real Property which is required to be listed on Schedule 2.1(j)(i)-1;
and
(E) any
Contract
relating to the acquisition of a business or the acquisition of any interest
in
real property for consideration in excess of $25,000,000 if such acquisition
is
still pending or was completed in 2005.
(iii) (A)
Each Group
Member that is a party to any Contract for the repurchase of motor vehicles
is,
and to the Knowledge of Holdings, the counterparty to such Contract is, in
compliance with the terms of such Contract, and (B) each such Contract is in
full force and effect and enforceable against such Group Member (and, to
Holdings’ Knowledge, against the counterparty thereto), in accordance with its
terms (subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally)
except for any failures to be in compliance or to be enforceable as would not
reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect.
(s) Sufficiency
of
Assets; Relationship with Affiliates of Holdings.
(i) Except
as specifically disclosed in the “Certain Relationships and Related
Transactions” sections of the Prior SEC Filings or Schedule 2.1(s), neither
Holdings nor any Affiliate of Holdings, other than the Group, owns or makes
available any of the assets, properties or rights that are necessary to conduct
the business of the Group substantially as it is currently conducted. As of
the
date hereof, there are no material contracts, agreements or arrangements between
Group Members, on the one hand, and Holdings or any Affiliate of Holdings (other
than Group Members), on the other hand (all such contracts, agreements and
arrangements, whether or not
16
material,
“Affiliate
Agreements”)
that are not
disclosed on Schedule 2.1(s). As of the date hereof, all contracts, agreements
or arrangements between Group Members, on the one hand, and Holdings or any
Affiliate of Holdings (other than Group Members), on the other hand, not listed
on Schedule 2.1(s), if any, were, in the judgment of the parties thereto,
entered into on an arms-length basis.
(t) Brokers,
Finders, etc.
Neither Holdings
nor any Group Member has engaged, or is subject to any valid claim of, or is
bound by any arrangement or agreement with, any broker, finder, consultant
or
other intermediary in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement who might be or is entitled to a fee or commission from any Group
Member in connection with such transactions. Holdings will be responsible for
any fees and commissions payable in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement to its advisors.
(u) Notification
of
Certain Matters.
As of the
Closing, Holdings shall not have failed to provide notice of the occurrence,
or
failure to occur, of any event which occurrence or failure to occur would cause
(a) any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement to be
untrue
or inaccurate in any material respect, or (b) any material failure of
Holdings to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to
be
complied with or satisfied by it under this Agreement.
(v) Investigation.
Except to the
extent Holdings has otherwise advised Buyer in writing, Holdings has no
Knowledge (to the actual Knowledge of those persons identified on part 2.1(v)
of
Schedule 7.12(b)) of any of the representations or warranties contained in
Section 2.2 being untrue or incorrect as of the date hereof.
2.2 Representations
and Warranties of Buyer.
Buyer hereby
represents and warrants to Holdings as follows:
(a) Due
Organization
and Power.
Buyer is duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of organization. Buyer (A) has all requisite corporate
power
and authority to own and lease its properties and assets and to carry on its
business as it is now being conducted and (B) is in good standing and
is
duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which it is required
to be so qualified, except, in the case of clause (A) or (B), where the failure
to have such power and authority or to be in good standing would not reasonably
be expected to prevent, materially delay or materially impede the ability of
Buyer to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(b) Authorization
and Validity of Agreement.
The execution,
delivery and performance by Buyer of this Agreement and the consummation by
Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized in
accordance with the laws and organizational documents of Buyer, and no other
corporate action on the part of Buyer (or any member, partner, joint venturer,
shareholder, board, director or officer of Buyer) is or will be necessary for
the execution, delivery and performance by Buyer of this Agreement and the
consummation by Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement
has been duly executed and
17
delivered
by Buyer
and is a legal, valid and binding obligation of Buyer, enforceable against
Buyer
in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may
be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws
relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equity
principles.
(c) No
Conflict.
Except in the
case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iv) of this Section 2.2(c) only, for any consent,
approval, filing or notice that would not reasonably be expected to prevent,
materially delay or materially impede the ability of Buyer to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the execution, delivery and
performance by Buyer of this Agreement and the consummation by Buyer of the
transactions contemplated hereby:
(i) will
not violate
any provision of Law or Order applicable to Buyer or any of its
Affiliates;
(ii) will
not require
any Consent or approval of, or filing or notice to, any Governmental Authority
under any provision of Law applicable to Buyer, except for (A) the
requirements of the HSR Act, (B) the applicable requirements of any
other
Foreign Antitrust Laws, (C) the applicable requirements of Applicable
Insurance Laws, (D) applicable Irish Finance Requirements, (E) any
requirements of the Connecticut DEP and (F) any Consent, which is applicable
solely as a result of the specific regulatory status of Holdings or any Group
Member or which Holdings or any Group Member is otherwise required to
obtain;
(iii) will
not violate
any provision of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other governing
documents of Buyer; and
(iv) will
not require
any consent or approval under, and will not conflict with, or result in the
breach or termination of, or constitute a default under, or result in the
acceleration of the performance by Buyer under, any indenture, mortgage, deed
of
trust, lease, license, franchise, contract, agreement or other instrument to
which Buyer is a party or by which it or any of its assets is
bound.
(d) Brokers,
Finders, etc.
Buyer has not
employed, and is not subject to, the valid claim of, any broker, finder,
consultant or other intermediary in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement who might be entitled to a fee or commission
from
Holdings or any Group Member in connection with such transactions.
(e) Financing.
Concurrently with
the execution of this Agreement, Buyer has delivered correct and complete copies
of (i) executed commitment letters, dated the date hereof (the
“Equity
Commitment Letters”),
from Xxxxxxx,
Dubilier & Rice Fund VII, L.P., Carlyle Partners IV, L.P., ML Global Private
Equity Fund, L.P. (collectively, the “Equity
Funds”)
and Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Ventures L.P. 2001 to provide equity financing in an aggregate amount
of
$2.295 billion to fund a portion of the Purchase Price (the “Equity
Financing”),
and
(ii) an executed commitment letter, dated the date hereof (the
“Debt
Commitment
Letter”),
from Xxxxxx
Brothers Inc., Xxxxxx Commercial Paper Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.,
Deutsche Bank AG Cayman Islands Branch, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx &
Xxxxx Incorporated, Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Capital Corporation, Xxxxxxx Sachs Credit
Partners L.P., Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.,
18
JPMorgan
Chase
Bank, N.A., and X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. to provide Buyer or the applicable
Group Member with (A) up to $2.1 billion in senior secured term loan
financing (the “Senior
Secured
Term Loan Financing”),
(B) up to
$1.5 billion in asset-based senior secured financing (the “ABL
Financing”),
(C) up to
$3.05 billion in interim financing (the “Bridge
Financing”),
(D) up to
$5.937 billion in asset-backed securities financing (the “ABS
Financing”)
and (E) up
to $2.4 billion in international bridge financing (the “International
ABS Bridge Financing”,
and together
with the Senior Secured Term Loan Financing, the ABL Financing, the Bridge
Financing, the ABS Financing and any high yield debt financing used to fund
the
acquisition in lieu of the Bridge Financing (the “High
Yield
Financing”),
being
collectively referred to as the “Debt
Financing”,
and the Debt
Financing together with the Equity Financing being collectively referred to
as
the “Financing”).
Subject to its
terms and conditions, the Financing, when funded in accordance with the Equity
Commitment Letters and the Debt Commitment Letter, will, together with cash
on
hand held by the Company or another Group Member, provide financing sufficient
to pay the Purchase Price, all other amounts called for to be paid or repaid
under Sections 1.1, 3.6, 3.9 and 3.10 (whether payable on or after the Closing)
and all of Buyer’s fees and expenses associated with the transactions
contemplated in this Agreement. As of the date hereof, each of the Equity
Commitment Letters in the form so delivered is, and to the Knowledge of Buyer,
the Debt Commitment Letter in the form so delivered is, valid and in full force
and effect and no event has occurred which, with or without notice, lapse of
time or both, would constitute a default or breach on the part of Buyer under
any term or condition of the Equity Commitment Letters or the Debt Commitment
Letter.
Except as set
forth, described or provided for in the Equity Commitment Letters and the Debt
Commitment Letter, (x) there are (I) no conditions precedent to the respective
obligations of the Equity Funds and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Ventures L.P. 2001 to fund
the
Equity Financing, or (II) material conditions precedent to the respective
obligations of the Committing Lenders (as defined in the Debt Commitment Letter)
to fund the Debt Financing, and (y) there are no express contractual
contingencies under any agreement relating to the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement to which the Buyer or any of its Affiliates is a party that
would
permit any of the Equity Funds, Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Ventures L.P. 2001 and the
Committing Lenders to reduce the total amount of the Financing (other than,
in
the case of the Debt Financing, to provide for “OID” that the applicable
borrower is permitted to finance with revolving borrowings) or impose any
additional condition precedent to the availability of the Equity Financing
or
any additional material condition precedent to the availability of the Debt
Financing. As of the date hereof, Buyer has no reason to believe that any of
the
conditions to the Financing will not be satisfied on a timely basis. Buyer
has
fully paid any and all commitment fees or other fees required by the Debt
Commitment Letter to be paid as of the date hereof. If the Debt Financing (or
alternative debt financing as contemplated by Section 3.9) is obtained, or
if
the conditions to the funding thereunder are satisfied (other than the
availability of funding under the Equity Commitment Letters and provided that
the lenders do not default in their obligations to provide such financing),
Buyer shall have at the Closing proceeds in connection with the Financing in
an
amount sufficient to pay the Purchase Price, all amounts called for to be repaid
under Sections 1.1, 3.6, 3.9 and 3.10 and all of Buyer’s fees and expenses
associated with the transactions contemplated in this Agreement.
(f) Guarantee.
Concurrently with
the execution of this Agreement, Buyer has delivered to Holdings guarantees,
dated the date hereof, of each of the Equity Funds with respect to certain
matters on the terms specified therein (the “Guarantees”).
19
(g) Unregistered
Equity.
Buyer
acknowledges that it has been advised by Holdings that the Shares have not
been
and will not be registered under the Securities Act. Buyer is an “accredited
investor” as that term is defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act. The
Shares will be acquired by Buyer for its own account for investment and without
a view to resale.
(h) Investigation.
Except to the
extent Buyer has otherwise advised Holdings in writing, Buyer has no Knowledge
of any of the representations or warranties contained in Section 2.1 being
untrue or incorrect as of the date hereof.
(i) Notification
of
Certain Matters.
As of the
Closing, Buyer shall not have failed to provide notice of the occurrence, or
failure to occur, of any event which occurrence or failure to occur would cause
(a) any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement to be
untrue
or inaccurate in any material respect, or (b) any material failure of
Buyer
to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied
with or satisfied by it under this Agreement.
2.3 Representations
and Warranties of the Parties
.
Each party hereto represents and warrants to the other that it is the explicit
intent of each party hereto that, except for the express representations and
warranties contained in this Article II, Holdings is making no
representation or warranty whatsoever, whether express or implied, including,
but not limited to, any implied warranty or representation as to condition,
merchantability or suitability as to any of the properties or assets of any
Group Member and that Buyer takes the Group “as is” and “where is.” It is
understood that any cost estimates, projections or other predictions, any data,
any financial information or any memoranda or offering materials or
presentations provided or addressed to Buyer, are not and shall not be deemed
to
be or to include representations or warranties of Holdings or any of its
Affiliates.
2.4 Survival
of
Representations and Warranties
.
Except for the first sentence of each of Sections 2.1(b), 2.1(c)(i), 2.1(e)
and
of 2.2(b) and the second sentence of Section 2.1(c)(i), the respective
representations and warranties made by Holdings and Buyer contained in this
Article II shall expire and be terminated and extinguished at the Closing and
shall not survive the Closing, and no party shall have any liability or
obligation in connection with any such representation or warranty following
the
Closing.
2.5 Schedules
.
Disclosure of any fact or item in any Schedule hereto referenced by a particular
paragraph or section in this Agreement shall, should the existence of the fact
or item or its contents be relevant to any other paragraph or section that
is
qualified by reference to a Schedule, be deemed to be disclosed with respect
to
that other paragraph or section only to the extent that such relevance is
reasonably apparent from the face of the Schedule; provided,
however,
that no fact or
item in any Schedule hereto shall be deemed to be disclosed for purposes of
Schedule 2.1(h)(i) unless such fact or item is set forth on
Schedule 2.1(h)(i). Disclosure of any fact or item in any Schedule hereto
shall not necessarily mean that such item or fact individually is material
to
the business or financial condition of any of the Company or the Subsidiaries
individually or of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a
whole.
20
ARTICLE
III
COVENANTS
3.1 Access;
Information and Records; Confidentiality.
(a) During
the period
commencing on the date hereof through the Closing Date, Holdings shall, and
shall cause the Group to, upon request and reasonable notice (i) afford
to
Buyer, its counsel, accountants and other authorized representatives reasonable
access (which access shall be exercised to the extent practicable during normal
business hours) to the offices, properties, senior management, books and records
of the Group Members and to the books and records of Holdings relating to the
Group in order that Buyer may have the opportunity to make such reasonable
investigations as it shall desire to make of the affairs of the Group and
(ii) instruct the employees, counsel, accountants and financial advisors
of
the Group Members to cooperate with Buyer in its investigation of the Group.
Holdings shall, and shall cause the Group Members, to cause their officers,
employees, accountants and other agents to furnish to Buyer such additional
financial and operating data and information in their possession with respect
to
the Group as Buyer may from time to time reasonably request. The Group Member
shall not be required to provide access to or to disclose information where
such
access or disclosure would jeopardize the attorney-client privilege of the
Group
Member or contravene any Law or binding agreement entered into prior to the
date
of this Agreement (it being agreed that the parties shall use their reasonable
best efforts to cause such information to be provided in a manner that does
not
cause such violation or jeopardization).
(b) Prior
to the
Closing Date and (if the Closing does not occur) after any termination of this
Agreement, Buyer shall hold, and shall cause their respective directors,
officers, employees, accountants, counsel, financial advisors and other
representatives and Affiliates to hold, any information in confidence to the
extent required by, and in accordance with, the provisions of the letters,
dated
July 1, 2005, July 5, 2005 and July 6, 2005, between Xxxxxxx, Dubilier &
Rice, Inc., Carlyle Investment Management, L.L.C. and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Global
Partners, Inc., respectively, and the Company and Ford (collectively, the
“Confidentiality
Agreement”);
provided,
that unless this
Agreement is terminated (i) any requirement under the Confidentiality Agreement
to obtain consent for the disclosure of Information (as defined in the
Confidentiality Agreement) to prospective debt financing sources and prospective
equity co-investors and (ii) Sections 2 and 7(a) of the Confidentiality
Agreement, shall cease to have further force and effect from and after the
date
hereof. Sections 6 and 7(b) (with respect to employees of the Company) of the
Confidentiality Agreement shall cease to have further force and effect upon
Closing.
(c) Prior
to the
Closing Date and (if the Closing does not occur) after any termination of this
Agreement, with respect to any information obtained pursuant to this Section
or
the Confidentiality Agreement, Buyer shall not, and shall cause its respective
directors, officers, employees, accountants, counsel, financial advisors and
other representatives and Affiliates not to, take any action that would cause
any Group Member to violate its Privacy Policy for Rental Customers or Privacy
Policy for Car Sales Customers, as such policies are in effect on the date
hereof.
21
(d) From
the date
hereof and until the second anniversary of the Closing Date, Holdings will
hold,
and will cause Ford and its Affiliates to hold, and will use their reasonable
best efforts to cause their respective officers, directors, employees,
accountants, counsel, consultants, advisors and agents to hold, in confidence,
unless compelled to disclose by judicial or administrative process or by other
requirements of Law, all confidential documents and information concerning
the
Group Members, except to the extent that such information can be shown to have
been (i) in the public domain through no fault of Holdings or its
Affiliates (other than the Group Members) or (ii) later lawfully acquired
by such Person from sources other than those related to Holdings’ ownership of
Shares or the operation of the business of the Group. The obligation of Holdings
to hold or cause to be held any such information in confidence shall be
satisfied if they exercise the same care with respect to such information as
they would take to preserve the confidentiality of their own similar
information.
(e) From
and after the
Closing Date, (i) Holdings will afford promptly to Buyer and its agents
reasonable access to its books of account, financial and other records
(including accountant’s work papers), information, employees and auditors to the
extent necessary or reasonably useful for Buyer in connection with any audit,
investigation, dispute or litigation or any other reasonable business purpose
relating to the Group and (ii) Buyer will cause the Company to afford promptly
to Holdings and its agents reasonable access to the Company’s books of account,
financial and other records (including accountant’s work papers), information,
employees and auditors to the extent necessary or reasonably useful for Holdings
in connection with any audit, investigation, dispute or litigation or any other
reasonable business purpose relating to the Group; provided,
that any such
access by Buyer or Holdings shall not unreasonably interfere with the conduct
of
the business of Holdings or the Company, as the case may be and; provided,
further,
that this
provision shall not be available to and shall not expand the scope of discovery
in the case of a legal proceeding between the parties (but only to the extent
of
the matters that are the subject of such proceeding). The party afforded access
shall bear all of the out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including attorneys’
fees, but excluding reimbursement for general overhead, salaries and employee
benefits) reasonably incurred in connection with the foregoing.
No party shall be
required to provide access to or to disclose information where such access
or
disclosure would jeopardize the attorney-client privilege of such party or
contravene any Law or binding agreement entered into prior to the date of this
Agreement (it being agreed that the parties shall use their reasonable best
efforts to cause such information to be provided in a manner that does not
cause
such violation or jeopardization).
3.2 Conduct
of the
Business of the Company Prior to the Closing Date
.
Holdings and, solely for purposes of clauses (xxiv) and (xxv) below, Ford agree
that, except (x) as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, including, without
limitation, Section 6.2 and
those actions
contemplated on Schedule 2.1(h)(ii) or Schedule 3.2, or (y) otherwise requested
or consented to in writing by Buyer, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld or delayed, during the period commencing on the date hereof and through
the time of the Closing:
(i) Holdings
shall not
transfer the Shares to any Person or create or suffer to exist any Encumbrance
upon the Shares other than, in each case, restrictions on their transfer under
applicable securities Laws;
22
(ii) the
businesses of
the Group shall be conducted only in the ordinary course of business and in
a
manner consistent with past practice;
(iii) the
Company shall
not amend its Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws or take, agree to take
or
authorize, any action to wind up its affairs or dissolve or change the corporate
or other organizational form of any Group Member;
(iv) except
to the
extent required under any Benefit Plan, collective bargaining agreement, labor
agreement or works council agreement, or as required by applicable Law or any
Governmental Authority, no Group Member shall (A) adopt any Benefit Plan (other
than with respect to any cash incentive plan adopted in the ordinary course
of
business for 2006), (B) amend any Benefit Plan in any material respect or
exercise any discretion to accelerate the vesting or payment of any compensation
or benefit under any Benefit Plan, (C) increase or decrease the compensation
or
fringe benefits of any Group Employee, except for routine increases in
accordance with past practice or any such increases made in connection with
the
promotion of any Group Employee in a manner consistent with past practice,
(D)
grant any severance or termination pay not provided for under any Benefit Plan
except for payments made in connection with any settlement with terminating
Group Employees below the level of senior vice presidents in a manner consistent
with past practice in exchange for a release of all claims against the Group
Members, (E) enter into any employment or consulting agreement or arrangement
that provides for annual cash compensation in excess of $400,000, or any
amendment thereof, (F) enter into any change in control or severance agreement
or arrangement with any Group Employee at the level of senior vice president
or
above or (G) hire or terminate any executive officer other than a termination
for cause;
(v) except
to the
extent required under any Benefit Plan, collective bargaining agreement, labor
agreement or works council agreement, or as required by Law, applicable
accounting standards, or any Governmental Authority, no Group Member shall
(A)
materially change any actuarial or other assumption used to calculate funding
obligations with respect to any Benefit Plan or materially change the manner
in
which contributions to any Benefit Plan are made or the basis on which such
contributions are determined, (B) commit to or agree with any Governmental
Authority to abide by any funding arrangement or contribution schedule that
would purport to be binding on Buyer or its Affiliates following the Closing
with respect to any Benefit Plan that is a pension plan or (C) make any
contribution to any Benefit Plan other than in the ordinary course of business
and in a manner consistent with past practice or as required by Law or any
Governmental Authority;
(vi) the
Group Members
shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to preserve intact their
business organization, to keep available the services of their present officers
and key employees (as determined by the Company, but subject to clause (iv)
above), and to preserve the good will of those having business relationships
with them;
(vii) the
Group shall not
(A) make or commit to make any Acquisitions (other than (x) Acquisitions of
the
Group’s licensees or franchisees for consideration, in the aggregate, of less
than $20,000,000 (including assumed Indebtedness) and (y) other Acquisitions
for
consideration in the aggregate of less than $5,000,000), (B) incur Fleet
Expenditures that, in the aggregate (including assumed Indebtedness) and on
a
consolidated basis, (x) for the period from
23
the
date hereof
until December 31, 2005, are in excess of 110% of the amount allocated to Fleet
Expenditures in the CE for the period commencing on September 1, 2005, and
ending on December 31, 2005, and (y) for the period from January 1, 2006 until
Closing, are in excess of 132% of the amount of aggregate, consolidated Fleet
Expenditures actually incurred by the Group for the period commencing on January
1, 2005, and ending on February 28, 2005, (C) incur Non-Fleet Expenditures
(other than in connection with Acquisitions) that, in the aggregate and on
a
consolidated basis, (x) for the period from the date hereof until December
31,
2005, are in excess of the sum of the amount allocated to Non-Fleet Expenditures
in the CE for the period commencing on September 1, 2005 and ending on December
31, 2005, and (y) for the period from January 1, 2006 until the Closing, are
in
excess of $55 million (provided
that in addition
to the amounts of Non-Fleet Expenditures permitted above, Holdings may incur
an
additional $20 million of Non-Fleet Expenditures during the period from the
date
hereof until the Closing), or (D) incur or commit to incur any Fleet
Expenditures or Non-Fleet Expenditures (other than in connection with
Acquisitions) other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with
past
practice; as used herein, “Acquisitions”
shall mean
acquisitions (by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets or
any
other business combination) of any corporation, partnership, other business
organization or any business or any division thereof, “CE”
shall mean the
consolidated August 2005 Current Estimate for the Group, as previously furnished
to Buyer, “Fleet
Expenditures”
shall mean
capital expenditures for the purchase of revenue-earning equipment (as such
term
is used in the Group’s consolidated financial statements), and “Non-Fleet
Expenditures”
shall mean
capital expenditures other than Fleet Expenditures;
(viii) except
between
Wholly Owned Subsidiaries or between a Wholly Owned Subsidiary and the Company
in connection with cash management, financing of operations and movement of
vehicles and equipment, in each case in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice, no Group Member shall redeem or repurchase,
directly or indirectly, any shares of the capital stock of any Group Member
or
declare or pay any dividends or distributions, with respect to any shares of
its
capital stock;
(ix) no
Group Member
shall issue, sell, transfer or encumber any equity securities of any Group
Member, securities convertible into equity securities of any Group Member or
warrants, options or other rights to acquire any such securities;
(x) no
Group Member
shall sell, assign, transfer, pledge or encumber, or grant any security interest
(other than Permitted Encumbrances described in clauses (C) and (D) of the
definition thereof) in, any of their tangible or intangible assets, in excess
of
$10,000,000 in the aggregate, except (A) in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice, (B) as contemplated by the CE or (C)
except
in connection with the incurrence of Indebtedness or financings permitted by
the
terms of this Agreement;
(xi) except
between
Wholly Owned Subsidiaries or between a Wholly Owned Subsidiary and the Company
in connection with cash management, financing of operations and movement of
vehicles and equipment, in each case in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice, no Group Member shall (A) repurchase, repay
or
prepay any Indebtedness other than at maturity, other than Indebtedness owed
to
Affiliates of Holdings and Indebtedness outstanding under the Interim Credit
Agreement that is repurchased, repaid or prepaid in connection with a Permitted
Extension, (B) incur any Indebtedness other than under (i) the
24
Interim
Credit
Agreement (or any Permitted Extension), (ii) other lines of credit existing
on
the date hereof, and existing commercial paper programs and (iii) loans from
Affiliates of Holdings; provided
that the
consolidated Indebtedness of the Group outstanding following any such incurrence
of Indebtedness would not exceed (1) during the period from the date
hereof
until September 30, 2005, the sum of (x) amount of Indebtedness
reflected in the balance sheet of the Group as of June 30, 2005 included in
the
Financial Statements and (y) $100 million, and (2) during
the
period from October 1, 2005 through the Closing Date, the amount of
Indebtedness reflected in the balance sheet of the Group as of June 30,
2005 included in the Financial Statements, (C) no Group Member shall assume,
endorse, or otherwise become responsible for the indebtedness for borrowed
money
of any Person other than another Group Member, or make any loan or advance
to
any Person, except for loans or advances to non-executive employees of the
Group
made in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice and
(D) no Group Member shall assume, endorse or otherwise become responsible for
the obligations (other than obligations constituting indebtedness for borrowed
money) of any Person other than in the ordinary course of business and
consistent with past practice; for purposes hereof, “Permitted
Extension”
shall mean an
extension, an amendment or a replacement (whether effected through entry into
new agreements and instruments or amendment of existing agreements and
instruments, and whether with the same or different lenders) of the Interim
Credit Agreement through a date not later than November 1, 2006, so long as
(i)
the aggregate availability thereunder does not exceed $3.0 billion, (ii) the
terms thereof (other than the interest rates and other fees applicable
thereunder) shall be substantially similar to those of the Interim Credit
Agreement, (iii) the loans outstanding thereunder may be prepaid without premium
or penalty, other than customary “breakage” fees associated with the prepayment
of short-term loans on which interest accrues at rates based on the rates quoted
in inter-bank markets and (iv) the facility is unsecured;
(xii) the
Company shall
not make any change to its methods of accounting, as applied to its consolidated
and consolidating financial statements, in effect at June 30, 2005, except
(A) as required by changes in GAAP (or any interpretation thereof) or
Regulation S-X of the Exchange Act, (B) as may be required by a change
in
applicable Law or required by a Governmental Authority or quasi-Governmental
Authority (including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)
or any similar
organization), or (C) as disclosed in the Prior SEC Filings;
or
(xiii) there
shall be no
Tax election, change in any Tax election or change or adoption of any method
of
Tax accounting that could be reasonably expected to have a material adverse
effect on the Group or Buyer;
(xiv) Holdings
shall use
all reasonable efforts subject to the proviso below to maintain in full force
and effect substantially the same level of insurance coverage for the Group’s
respective businesses, operations, personnel and other risks as the insurance
provided under the policies in force on the date hereof, including any coverage
under policies of Ford and its Affiliates; provided,
however,
that nothing
herein shall prohibit Ford or its Affiliates (other than members of the Group)
from replacing, amending, cancelling or otherwise changing any insurance
policies made available to members of the Group so long as the Company is not
disproportionately and adversely affected relative to Ford’s other
Affiliates;
25
(xv) except
as required
by Law, continue to manage and conduct the business of Probus, HIRE and HIRE
(Bermuda), in the ordinary course consistent with past practices;
(xvi) no
Group Member
shall write up, write down or write off the book value of any material assets
of
the Group, other than (i) in the ordinary course of business and consistent
with past practice or (ii) as may be required by GAAP or FASB;
(xvii) no
Group Member
shall cancel without reasonable consideration any material debts owing to or
held by Group Members, except for debts cancelled in the ordinary course of
the
Group’s business consistent with past practice in connection with routine
customer service activities, collection of accounts receivable and settlement
of
claims against Group Members;
(xviii) enter
into any
agreement that restricts the ability of any Group Member to engage or compete
in
any line of business in any respect material to the business of the Group,
taken
as a whole, other than in the ordinary course of business or that restricts
the
ability of any stockholder or Affiliate of such stockholder to engage in such
competing line of business;
(xix) no
Group Member
shall, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, (x) enter into, amend, modify, grant a waiver in respect of,
cancel or consent to the termination of any Specified Contract (or any Contract
that would be a Specified Contract if in effect on the date of this Agreement)
or (y) settle or compromise any material action, suit, claim, litigation,
proceeding, arbitration, investigation, audit or controversy (each, a
“Material
Proceeding”)
or enter into
any consent, decree, injunction or similar restraint or form of equitable relief
in settlement of any Material Proceeding;
(xx) no
Group Member
shall enter into or adversely amend, modify or waive any rights under, in each
case, in any material respect, any Contract (or series of related Contracts)
with (A) Holdings or any Affiliate of Holdings (other than any Group
Member), or (B) with any executive officer or director, or (other than on arm’s
length terms in the ordinary course of business) any Person in which such
executive officer or director, or any immediate family member of such executive
officer or director, has over a 10% interest, other than the entry into or
amendment, modification, or waiver of any such Contracts on an arms’ length
basis which are not in the aggregate materially adverse to the business of
the
Group;
(xxi) notwithstanding
clause 3.2(y) above, the Company shall not (A) enter into or amend any
collective bargaining agreement covering more than 100 full-time employees
in
North America or (B) settle or otherwise voluntarily resolve any material
condemnation proceeding, in either case without first consulting with, and
in
good faith considering the recommendations of, Buyer;
(xxii) no
Group Member
registered as an insurance company shall effect a merger, consolidation,
redomestication, or any other transaction or series of transactions that has
the
effect of changing its jurisdiction of incorporation or
organization;
(xxiii) except
as otherwise
required by Law, no Group Member that is not primarily regulated as an insurance
company shall transfer reserves held against its self-insured liabilities and
the assets supporting such reserves to any entity that is so primarily
regulated;
26
(xxiv) Ford
shall not
cause any Group Member to engage in any transactions outside the ordinary course
of business between the date hereof and through the Closing that would
materially increase the Taxes for which Buyer is responsible under this
Agreement or that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect
on the Taxes of any Group Member after the date hereof, other than transactions
expressly contemplated or permitted by this Agreement or the Schedules
hereto;
(xxv) Ford
shall not
cause any Group Member to engage in any transaction between the date hereof
and
through the Closing that would result in any change to the entity classification
of any Group Member for U.S federal Income Tax or foreign Tax purposes without
the consent of Buyer;
(xxvi) no
Group Member
shall engage in any transaction that would result in any change in the ownership
or form of organization of any Group Member; and
(xxvii) no
Group Member
shall announce an intention, enter into any formal or informal agreement or
otherwise make a commitment, to do any of the foregoing.
3.3 Filings.
(a) Each
party hereto
shall (i) make the filings required of it or any of its Affiliates with
the
CBC and under the HSR Act, any Foreign Antitrust Laws and the Applicable
Insurance Laws in connection with this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby as promptly as practicable following the date hereof,
(ii) comply at the earliest practicable date and after consultation
with
the other party hereto with any request for additional information or
documentary material received by it or any of its Affiliates from the Federal
Trade Commission (the “FTC”),
the Antitrust
Division of the Department of Justice (the “Antitrust
Division”),
the European
Commission, the CBC or any other Governmental Authority, (iii) cooperate
with one another (which, for the avoidance of doubt will include in the case
of
Holdings, making reasonably available appropriate employees and representatives
of the Group Members), in connection with any filing or submission with the
CBC
and under the HSR Act, any Foreign Antitrust Laws and the Applicable Insurance
Laws and in connection with resolving any investigation or other inquiry
concerning the transactions contemplated by this Agreement initiated by the
FTC,
the Antitrust Division, the European Commission, the CBC, any other Governmental
Authority or any private party, (iv) take any other action reasonably necessary
to obtain the approvals and consents required for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement at the earliest possible date and
(v) take all necessary actions within its control to cause the waiting periods
under the HSR Act to terminate or expire at the earliest possible
date.
(b) For
purposes of
this Section 3.3, without limiting the foregoing, required actions by Buyer
shall include acceptance by Buyer of any and all divestitures of any subsidiary
or assets of Buyer or its Affiliates or the Group or acceptance of an agreement
to hold any assets of Buyer or its Affiliates or the Group separate in any
lawsuit or other legal proceeding, whether judicial or administrative and
whether required by the FTC, the Antitrust Division, the European Commission,
the CBC or any other applicable Governmental Authority in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated
hereby.
27
(c) Each
party hereto
shall promptly inform the other parties of any material communication made
to,
or received by such party from, the FTC, the Antitrust Division, the European
Commission, the CBC or any other Governmental Authority regarding any of the
transactions contemplated hereby.
(d) The
filing fee
under the HSR Act, the ECMR and, subject to Section 3.3(e) below, any fee or
payment to a Governmental Authority under any other Foreign Antitrust Laws
or
the Applicable Insurance Laws and any fees paid in connection with obtaining
an
advance ruling certificate from the CBC shall be borne by Buyer.
(e) Holdings
agrees
that, if any Governmental Authority, in connection with its review of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, requests (and such request is
not
withdrawn within five days following such request) or requires that any amounts
owing from Ford, Transcon Insurance Limited, or any other direct or indirect
subsidiaries of Ford (other than Group Members) to Probus, HIRE or HIRE
(Bermuda), as the case may be, be collateralized, Holdings will cause such
amounts to be collateralized (in an amount not greater than the amount owing
from any of the above entities) at Holdings’ option either by providing a letter
of credit or surety bond (in a form acceptable to the Governmental Authority)
or
by providing any other form of collateral, in each case acceptable to such
Governmental Authority. In any event, unless the regulator requires to the
contrary, the amount of collateral will be reviewed as of December 31 of each
year (beginning in 2006) and adjusted to reflect the actual amounts then
owing.
3.4 Public
Announcements
.
Holdings and Buyer shall agree on the form of a joint press release with respect
to the announcement of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Except
as set forth above, unless otherwise required by Law, including the rules and
regulations promulgated by the SEC, prior to the Closing Date, no news release
or other public announcement pertaining to the transactions contemplated by
this
Agreement shall be made by or on behalf of any party or their respective
Affiliates without the consent of the other party, which shall not be
unreasonably withheld or delayed. Prior to any party or their Affiliates issuing
a press release or other public announcement required by Law, Buyer and Holdings
shall consult with each other and each of them shall have reasonable opportunity
to comment on such press release.
3.5 Further
Actions
.
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each of the parties
hereto agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken,
all actions and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or
advisable to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by
this
Agreement, including using its reasonable best efforts: (i) to obtain,
in
addition to the Consents discussed in Section 3.3 hereof, any Consents of any
Governmental Authority and/or similar actions of or with respect to any third
party as are necessary or advisable in connection with the consummation of
the
transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) to effect, in addition to the
filings discussed in Section 3.3 hereof, all necessary or advisable
registrations and filings, (iii) to defend any lawsuits or other legal
proceedings, whether judicial or administrative, whether brought derivatively
or
on behalf of third parties (including Governmental Authorities or officials),
challenging this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby and (iv) to furnish to each other such information and assistance
and to consult with respect to the terms of any registration, filing,
application or undertaking as reasonably may be requested in connection with
the
foregoing.
28
3.6 Termination
of
Affiliate Relations.
(a) Except
as
contemplated by this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the
matters addressed in Section 6.2, which are addressed exclusively in such
section, and Schedule 3.10(b)), on or prior to the Closing Date, (i) the
Group Members shall repay Indebtedness under the Holdings Note and under any
loan made by Holdings or its Affiliates to any Group Member after the date
hereof in compliance with this Agreement (collectively, “Affiliate
Indebtedness”)
and (ii) all
other liabilities (other than payables for goods sold and services rendered
in
the ordinary course under the Contracts set forth in Schedule 2.1(s) which
shall
be paid in the ordinary course of business) owed to Ford or any of its
Affiliates (other than a Group Member) by any Group Member or owed to any Group
Member by Ford or any of its Affiliates (other than a Group Member) shall in
each case be settled and terminated without any payment in respect of such
liability. On the Closing Date, Buyer shall provide the Company with amounts
of
cash equal to the amounts of cash needed for the Group to repay all of its
outstanding Affiliate Indebtedness owed to Ford or Ford’s Affiliates (other than
a Group Member).
(b) All
agreements
between Group Members, on the one hand, and Ford and its Affiliates (other
than
the Group), on the other hand (the “Affiliate
Agreements”)
shall be
terminated as of the Closing, and all obligations and liabilities thereunder
(other than payables for goods sold and services rendered in the ordinary course
under the Contracts set forth in Schedule 2.1(s) which shall be paid in the
ordinary course of business) shall thereupon be discharged and released, except
that the agreements listed on Schedule 3.6(b) (the “Surviving
Agreements”)
shall remain in
full force and effect. This covenant is intended to be for the benefit of,
and
shall be enforceable by, Ford and its Affiliates as if such Persons were parties
hereto.
(c) The
Company shall
have the right, exercisable by notice to Holdings within 180 days following
the
Closing, to require Holdings to cause any Undisclosed Material Affiliate
Agreement to be reinstated as of the date of such notice and to continue in
effect until the earlier to occur of the fifth anniversary of the Closing or
the
expiration of the term of such Undisclosed Material Affiliate Agreement. Any
such Undisclosed Material Affiliate Agreement that the Company properly elects
to be reinstated shall be reinstated within 10 Business Days of such election
by
the Company. “Undisclosed
Material Affiliate Agreement”
shall mean any
material Affiliate Agreement entered into prior to the Closing and not set
forth
on Schedule 2.1(s).
(d) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this Agreement, on or prior to the Closing Date,
Holdings shall cause the partnership (the “Partnership”)
formed pursuant
to the Investment Partnership Agreement of the Ford Investment Partnership,
dated May 31, 1992, among the parties listed on Exhibit A thereto, as amended
(the “Partnership
Agreement”),
to cause all
amounts or securities or other assets payable, owing or distributable to all
Group Members by the Partnership under the Partnership Agreement to be paid
or
distributed to such Group Member at or prior to the Closing Date, and upon
such
payment or distribution in full such Partnership Agreement shall be terminated
without further liability or obligation of the parties thereto.
3.7 Indemnification
of Directors and Officers.
(a) The
certificate of
incorporation and by-laws
(or
equivalent governing instruments) of each Group Member shall contain
29
provisions
no less
favorable with respect to indemnification than are set forth in the certificate
of incorporation and by-laws
of such Group
Member as of the date hereof, which provisions shall not be amended, repealed
or
otherwise modified for a period of six years after the Closing Date in any
manner that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of individuals who
at
or prior to the Closing Date were directors, officers, agents or employees
of
such Group Member or who were otherwise entitled to indemnification pursuant
to
the certificate of incorporation and by-laws
(or
equivalent governing instruments) of such Group Member. After the Closing Date,
Buyer shall cause the Company to indemnify each individual who served as a
director or officer of any Group Member (or any other direct or indirect
subsidiary of the Company from time to time) at any time prior to the Closing
Date from and against all actions, suits, proceedings, hearings, investigations
and claims, including all court costs and reasonable attorney fees and expenses
resulting from or arising out of, or caused by, this Agreement or any of the
transactions contemplated hereby. This
covenant is
intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each person
who
served as a director or officer of any Group Member prior to the Closing Date
and their respective heirs and legal representatives and shall survive the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) For
a period of six
years following the Closing Date, to the extent Ford retains directors’ and
officers’ liability insurance, Holdings shall cause Ford to arrange to provide
coverage to the Group directors and officers as of the date hereof for alleged
wrongful acts that occurred prior to the Closing Date on the same terms and
conditions as applicable to other covered directors and officers (the
“D&O
Tail
Coverage”);
provided,
that nothing
herein shall require Ford or any of its Affiliates to maintain or preserve
in
effect any items of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance which it does
not otherwise maintain or preserve in effect for directors and officers other
than the directors and officers of the Group; and provided,
further,
that Holdings
shall use its reasonable best efforts to give the Company no less than 60 days
prior written notice before any lapse in or cancellation or termination of
the
D&O Tail Coverage and shall consult with the Company and keep the Company
reasonably informed with respect to any of the foregoing. Buyer shall pay the
Company’s allocable cost for such insurance (based on the amount paid by the
Company with respect to coverage for the period from December 15, 2004 to
December 15, 2005) and shall promptly reimburse Holdings or its designee for
all
other reasonable costs and expenses whatsoever incurred in providing the
coverage described in this Section 3.7(b).
3.8 Director
Resignations.
At the Closing,
Holdings shall cause to be delivered to Buyer duly signed resignations of those
directors of the Group Members who are also officers of Ford and, in addition,
any other directors of the Group Members designated by Buyer to Holdings in
writing at least 10 Business Days prior to the Closing.
3.9 Financing. (a) Buyer
shall use its
reasonable best efforts to arrange the Debt Financing on the terms and
conditions described in the Debt Commitment Letter, including using reasonable
best efforts to (i) negotiate definitive agreements with respect thereto
on
the terms and conditions contained therein or on other terms not materially
less
beneficial to Buyer and the Company, (ii) satisfy on a timely basis
all
conditions applicable to Buyer in such definitive agreements that are within
its
control and (iii) consummate the Financing contemplated by the Debt Commitment
Letter at Closing. Buyer shall obtain the Financing contemplated by the Equity
Commitment Letters upon satisfaction or waiver of (A) the conditions
to the
Closing set
30
forth
in Section
4.1 and 4.2 (other than those conditions that by their nature will not be
satisfied until the Closing) and (B) the conditions to the funding of
the
Debt Financing or any alternative debt financing that is on terms not materially
less beneficial to Buyer and the Company (other than those conditions that
by
their nature will not be satisfied until the Closing and conditions related
to
the funding of the Equity Financing and provided that the lenders do not default
in their obligations to provide such financing). In the event any portion of
the
Debt Financing becomes unavailable on the terms and conditions contemplated
in
the Debt Commitment Letters, Buyer shall use its reasonable best efforts to
arrange to obtain alternative financing, including from alternative sources,
on
terms that are not materially less beneficial to Buyer and the Company as
promptly as practicable following the occurrence of such event. In the event
that (x) any portion of the Debt Financing structured as High Yield Financing
has not been consummated, (y) all closing conditions contained in Article IV
shall have been satisfied or waived (other than those conditions contained
in
Sections 4.2(c) and 4.3(c) and any other conditions that by their nature will
not be satisfied until the Closing) and (z) the Bridge Financing (or alternative
bridge financing obtained in accordance with this Section 3.9(a)) is available
on the terms and conditions described in the Debt Commitment Letter (or any
replacement commitment letter), then Buyer shall borrow under and use the
proceeds of the Bridge Financing (or such alternative bridge financing) to
replace such affected portion of the High Yield Financing no later than the
last
day of the Marketing Period. For purposes of this Agreement, the “Marketing
Period”
shall mean (x) if
the conditions set forth in Section 4.1 (other than the approval under the
Irish
Insurance Laws and the Bermuda Insurance Laws so long as Buyer reasonably
believes such approvals will be obtained prior to December 22, 2005) and
4.2(e)(i) are satisfied or waived on or prior to November 27, 2005, the period
from the date such conditions are satisfied or waived until and including
December 22, 2005 or (y) if the conditions set forth in Section 4.1 (other
than
the approval under the Irish Insurance Laws and the Bermuda Insurance Laws)
and
4.2(e)(i) are satisfied or waived on or after November 28, 2005, the 20
consecutive Business Day period commencing on the later of January 2, 2006
and
the date such conditions are satisfied or waived (it being agreed that Buyer
shall have the right in its sole discretion to delay the commencement date
described in this clause (y) until the later of the date on which
(i) approval under Irish Insurance Laws is received and (ii) approval
under the Bermuda Insurance Laws is received, but such right to delay shall
expire on January 18, 2006); provided
that, in the case
of clauses (x) and (y), the Company shall have timely filed, without extension,
a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2005 that
complies with Section 2.1(g)(i); and provided further
that, the
conditions set forth in (x) and (y) shall not be deemed satisfied and the
“Marketing Period” shall not be deemed to have commenced if, prior to the
completion of the Marketing Period, PricewaterhouseCoopers shall have withdrawn
its audit opinion on the Company’s audited financial statements as of and for
the period ended December 31, 2004 or withdrawn as the Company’s independent
auditors in either case as a result of PricewaterhouseCooper’s
failure to be independent with respect to the Company or Ford (if and to the
extent relevant to the financial statements of the Company) under Rule 2-01
of
Regulation S-X.
Buyer shall give
the Company prompt notice upon becoming aware of any material breach by any
party of the Debt Commitment Letter or any termination of the Debt Commitment
Letter. Buyer shall keep the Company informed on a reasonably current basis
in
reasonable detail of the status of its efforts to arrange the Financing and
shall not permit any material amendment or modification to be made to, or any
waiver of any material provision or remedy under, the Debt Commitment Letter
without the prior written consent of Holdings
31
(such
consent not
to be unreasonably withheld or delayed). Buyer shall provide notice to Holdings
promptly upon receiving the Debt Financing. Buyer shall not permit any amendment
or modification to be made to, or any waiver of any material provision or remedy
under, the Equity Commitment Letters without the prior written consent of
Holdings.
(b) Holdings
shall
provide, and shall cause the Group to provide, and shall use reasonable best
efforts to cause the Group’s independent auditors, counsel and other
representatives to provide, all reasonable and timely cooperation in connection
with the arrangement of the Debt Financing as may be reasonably requested by
Buyer (provided,
that Holdings
shall not be required to provide, or cause any Group Member to provide,
cooperation under this Section 3.9(b) that (A) unreasonably interferes with
the
ongoing business of the Group or Holdings, (B) causes any representation or
warranty in this Agreement to be breached, (C) causes any closing condition
set forth in Article IV to fail to be satisfied or otherwise causes the breach
of this Agreement or any material agreement to which Holdings is a party or
the
breach prior to Closing of any other material agreement to which a Group Member
is a party (provided,
the effect of any
such breach shall be excluded when determining if the condition set forth in
Section 4.2(a) is satisfied) or (D) involves any binding commitment by any
Group
Member or Holdings which commitment is not conditioned on the Closing and does
not terminate without liability to Holdings or the Group upon the termination
of
this Agreement), including but not limited to (i) arranging for senior
management of the Company and, if requested by Buyer, any other Group Member
(x)
to meet at reasonable times and on a reasonable number of occasions with rating
agencies, prospective lenders and investors in presentations, meetings, road
shows and due diligence sessions, (y) to provide reasonable and customary
management and legal representations to auditors and (z) to provide reasonable
and timely assistance with the preparation of business projections and similar
materials, (ii) otherwise reasonably cooperating with the marketing
efforts
of Buyer and its financing sources for any of the Debt Financing,
(iii) upon request, furnishing Buyer and its financing sources with
timely
financial and other pertinent information regarding the Company as shall exist
(or if not existing, using reasonable best efforts to prepare such financial
or
other pertinent information) that it reasonably believes to be accurate in
all
material respects and as may be reasonably requested by Buyer, including the
financial statements and financial data and related material (including
appropriate management’s discussion and analysis) consistent with the
requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder for a registered offering of debt securities or, in the case of
an
offering pursuant to Rule 144A, as customarily applied to an offering under
Rule
144A for a private offering of debt securities, as the case may be, (and
including, with respect to any audited financial statements, the report of
the
Company’s auditors thereon) (the “Required
Financial Information”),
(iv)
satisfying the conditions set forth in paragraphs (k) and (i) of Exhibit F
to
the Debt Commitment Letter and clause (y) of the last sentence of numbered
paragraph 9 in the Debt Commitment Letter (to the extent satisfaction of such
conditions requires actions by or cooperation of Holdings or any of the Group
and subject to the proviso to clause (v) of this Section 3.9(b)), subject to
such provisions of the Debt Commitment Letter being in the form provided to
Holdings prior to the signing of this Agreement, (v) assisting Buyer and its
financing sources (including by participating in drafting sessions) in the
timely preparation (provided
that, for the
avoidance of doubt, Buyer shall be responsible for the preparation and
finalization of all Offering Documents) of (A) offering, information
or
syndication documents for any of the Financing or any alternative to all or
any
portion thereof (“Offering
Documents”),
including but
not limited to (x) a
32
prospectus
or an
offering memorandum, prepared in accordance with customary practices for any
registered offering of debt securities or an offering under Rule 144A, as the
case may be, and consistent with the Securities Act for a registered offering
of
debt securities or, in the case of an offering pursuant to Rule 144A, as
customarily applied to an offering under Rule 144A for a private offering of
debt securities, as the case may be, with respect to any High Yield Financing
(or any alternative thereto) that Buyer is seeking to obtain and (y) an offering
memorandum or prospectus prepared in accordance with customary practices for
asset-backed facilities of comparable terms and size with respect to any ABS
Financing (or any alternative thereto) that Buyer is seeking to obtain,
including in each case under clauses (x) and (y) above by timely providing
the
Required Financial Information and such other financial and pertinent
information (such as tabular, compiled or other financial data), as shall exist
(or if not existing, using reasonable best efforts to prepare such financial
or
other pertinent information) that Holdings or such Group Member reasonably
believes to be accurate in all material respects and as may be reasonably
requested by Buyer, and (B) materials for rating agency presentations,
(vi) facilitating the pledging of collateral and obtaining surveys and
title insurance as reasonably requested by Buyer, (vii) using reasonable
best efforts to obtain comfort letters from the auditors of the Company or
any
other Group Member and consent from such auditors for Buyer, the Company and
any
applicable Group Member to use any of their audit reports (including but not
limited to by including such reports in any Offering Documents),
(viii) taking
all
necessary actions to cause each Subsidiary (as defined in each indenture or
other agreement in Schedule 3.9(b), respectively) not to be a "Restricted
Subsidiary" (as defined in, and for all purposes under, such indenture or
agreement), in each case no later than September 30, 2005, (x) other than those
set forth in Schedule 3.9(b) with respect to the relevant indenture or other
agreement and (y) except as otherwise provided in such Schedule 3.9(b), (ix)
taking such corporate actions as shall be reasonably necessary to permit the
consummation of the Debt Financing and to permit the proceeds thereof to be
made
available to the Company at the Closing, (x) using reasonable best efforts
to obtain legal opinions as may reasonably be requested by Buyer and
(xi) using reasonable best efforts to provide and execute necessary
documents and certificates, including officer’s certificates, as may be
reasonably requested by Buyer. In no event shall any Group Member be required
to
pay any commitment or similar fee or (except as otherwise expressly contemplated
by this Agreement) incur any liability in connection with the Debt Financing
prior to the Closing. Buyer shall, from and after the Closing or promptly after
the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1(a) (other than Section
7.1(a)(iii)), (i) promptly upon request by Holdings reimburse Holdings for
all
out-of-pocket costs incurred in good faith by Holdings and, in the event of
such
termination, the Group in connection with such cooperation and (ii) indemnify
and hold harmless Holdings and the Group Members and their respective directors,
employees and representatives from and against any and all liabilities, losses,
damages, claims, costs, expenses, interest, awards, judgments and penalties
suffered or incurred by them in connection with the arrangement of the Debt
Financing and any information utilized in connection therewith (other than
information provided by Holdings or any Group Member).
(c) Holdings
shall
cause the Company to use reasonable best efforts to enter into any Permitted
Extension no later than October 11, 2005.
33
3.10 Debt
Tender
Offer; Repayment of Third-Party Indebtedness.
(a) Short-Dated
Notes.
As soon as
practicable after the date of this Agreement, Holdings shall cause the Company
to launch a tender offer and Consent Solicitation (as defined below) (the
“Debt
Tender
Offer”)
for those series
of the Company’s debt securities listed on Schedule 3.10(a) (the “Short-Dated
Notes”),
on the terms
set forth on such schedule and Buyer shall assist Holdings and the Company
in
connection therewith. Promptly upon the receipt of the Requested Bond Consents
with respect to any series of Short-Dated Notes or the Requested Indenture
Consents with respect to the 1986 Indenture, the 1994 Indenture and the 2001
Indenture, the Company will enter into a supplemental indenture or supplemental
indentures reflecting the amendments to such indentures approved by such
Requested Bond Consent or Requested Indenture Consent, as the case may be,
and
will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the relevant indenture trustee
to
promptly enter into such supplemental indenture or supplemental indentures;
provided,
that the
amendments contained in such supplemental indentures shall become operative
upon
the acceptance of the applicable notes in the Debt Tender Offers, Exchange
Offers and/or Alternative Tender Offers (as defined below), as applicable.
The
closing of any Debt Tender Offer shall be conditioned on the occurrence of
the
Closing, and the parties shall use their reasonable best efforts to cause the
Debt Tender Offer to close on the Closing Date. Upon the closing of the Debt
Tender Offer, at Closing and in accordance with the terms of the Debt Tender
Offer, Buyer shall cause the Company to accept for purchase and purchase the
Short-Dated Notes tendered in the Debt Tender Offer (the “Tendered
Notes”)
and provide to
the Company or cause the Company to obtain (whether through the Financing or
use
of cash on hand) cash in an amount sufficient to fund the purchase of all
Tendered Notes, including any applicable premiums, and all related fees and
expenses (the “Tender
Amount”).
For purposes of
the Agreement, “Consent
Solicitation”
shall mean a
solicitation of the Requested Bond Consents and the Requested Indenture Consents
from the holders of the applicable debt securities; “Requested
Bond
Consents”
shall mean the
consents of holders of a majority in principal amount of the holders of the
applicable series of the Company’s debt securities outstanding under the 1986
Indenture, 1994 Indenture or 2001 Indenture, as the case may be, to the
amendments to such series of debt securities described in Schedule 3.10(a)
or
3.10(b) or in the applicable Consent Solicitation materials, as the case may
be
(but in the case of the 2001 Indenture, only with the prior written consent
of
Holdings, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, taking into account
Holdings’ judgment as to the impact on the success of the related Debt Tender
Offer, Exchange Offer and/or Alternative Tender Offer of such amendments),
and
“Requested
Indenture Consents”
shall mean the
consents of holders of a majority in principal amount of all of the debt
securities outstanding under the 1986 Indenture, 1994 Indenture or 2001
Indenture, as the case may be, to the amendments to such indenture described
in
Schedule 3.10(a) or 3.10(b) or in the applicable Consent Solicitation materials,
as the case may be (but in the case of the 2001 Indenture, only with the prior
written consent of Holdings, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, taking
into account Holdings’ judgment as to the impact on the success of the related
Debt Tender Offer, Exchange Offer or Alternative Tender Offer of such
amendments).
(b) Long-Dated
Notes.
As soon as
practicable and no later than October 17, 2005, Holdings shall either (i)
through one or more of its Affiliates (other than any Group Member) (any such
Affiliate, an “Exchange
Offeror”),
launch offer(s)
to exchange all of the series of the Company’s debt securities listed on
Schedule 3.10(b) (the “Long-Dated
Notes”)
in
34
exchange
for debt
securities of the applicable Exchange Offeror in amounts and on terms as
described in Schedule 3.10(b), which offers shall also contain a Consent
Solicitation (the “Exchange
Offers”)
or (ii) cause
the Company to launch tender offer(s) for all of the Long-Dated Notes, which
offers shall also contain a Consent Solicitation (the “Alternative
Tender Offers”
), on the terms
set forth on Schedule 3.10(b). Promptly upon the receipt of the Requested Bond
Consents with respect to any series of Long-Dated Notes or the Requested
Indenture Consents with respect to the 1994 Indenture or the 2001 Indenture,
the
Company will enter into a supplemental indenture or supplemental indentures
reflecting the amendments to such indentures approved by such Requested Bond
Consent or Requested Indenture Consent, as the case may be, and will use its
reasonable best efforts to cause the relevant indenture trustee to promptly
enter into such supplemental indenture or supplemental indentures; provided,
that the
amendments contained in such supplemental indentures shall become operative
upon
the acceptance of the applicable notes in the Debt Tender Offers,
Exchange Offers and/or Alternative Tender Offers, as applicable. The
closing of the Exchange Offers shall be conditioned on the occurrence of the
Closing, and the parties shall use their reasonable best efforts to cause the
Exchange Offers to close on the Closing Date. Upon any closing of the Exchange
Offers, at Closing and in accordance with the terms of the Exchange Offers,
Holdings shall cause the Exchange Offerors to accept for exchange the Long-Dated
Notes tendered in the Exchange Offers (the “Exchanged
Notes”).
In the event
any Exchange Offer is completed with respect to any one or more series of the
Long-Dated Notes, then at Closing, Buyer shall pay to the applicable Exchange
Offeror cash in an amount equal to the face amount plus any accrued and unpaid
interest with respect to all Exchanged Notes (such value, the “Exchange
Value”)
with respect to
each such series, and as soon as practicable after completion of the Exchange
Offer, Holdings shall deliver to Buyer the Exchanged Notes or evidence of
cancellation thereof. This covenant is intended to be for the benefit of, and
shall be enforceable by, each applicable Exchange Offeror as if such Person
were
a party hereto. The closing of any Alternative Tender Offer shall be conditioned
on the occurrence of the Closing, and the parties shall use their reasonable
best efforts to cause the Alternative Tender Offers to close on the Closing
Date. Upon any closing of the Alternative Tender Offers, at Closing and in
accordance with the terms of the Alternative Tender Offers, Holdings shall
cause
the Company to accept for purchase and purchase the Long-Dated Notes tendered
in
the Alternative Tender Offers (any Long-Dated Notes so accepted in an
Alternative Tender Offer shall be deemed to be “Tendered Notes” under the
Agreement except that the purchase of such Long-Dated Notes shall be funded
by
Buyer in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3.10(b) instead of the
provisions of Section 3.10(a)). Holdings shall indemnify and hold harmless
Buyer
and its directors, employees, representatives and Affiliates from and against
any and all liabilities, losses, damages, claims, costs, expenses, interest,
awards, judgments and penalties suffered or incurred by them in connection
with
the Exchange Offers and any information utilized in connection therewith (other
than information provided by Buyer or its Affiliates other than Group
Members).
(c) Certain
Other
Indebtedness.
Not less than two
business days prior to the Closing Date, Holdings shall deliver to Buyer payoff
letters from third-party lenders or trustees, as applicable, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to Buyer, with respect to all Indebtedness
of
the Company required to be identified on Schedule 3.10(c) or entered into after
the date hereof. Such payoff letters shall correctly specify the amount,
including any applicable premiums or fees and expenses, necessary to repay
such
Indebtedness and completely discharge the obligations of the Group with respect
thereto. At Closing, Buyer shall provide to the
35
Company
or cause
the Company to obtain (whether through the Financing or use of cash on hand)
the
aggregate amount necessary to make such repayment and discharge, and shall
cause
the Company or another Group Member to discharge such Indebtedness in accordance
with the delivery instructions provided in such payoff letters. The amount
of
such Indebtedness to be repaid at Closing is referred to as the “Closing
Debt
Amount”
and, together
with the Tender Amount, the “Debt
Payment
Amount”.
(d) On
the Closing
Date, Holdings shall cause each Group Member to permanently terminate the
unsecured credit facilities identified on Schedule 3.10(d), and all related
agreements, to which such Group Member is a party, it being understood and
agreed that the Interim Credit Agreement will be terminated by the applicable
Group Member prior to the repayment of the Affiliate Indebtedness.
3.11 Insurance.
Except
as set forth
in Section 3.7 and this Section 3.11, coverage of any Group Members or any
of
their respective businesses, operations, personnel and other risks attributable
to them under all insurance policies of Ford and its Affiliates (other than
the
Group Members) shall cease as of the Closing Date. To the extent that Ford
retains in effect blanket policies of umbrella liability insurance, then from
the Closing Date until the last day of the 2006 policy year (the “Coverage
Period”),
Holdings shall
cause Ford to maintain blanket policies of umbrella liability insurance coverage
(subject to the terms of those policies) for the Group (the “Ford
Insurance”)
for liabilities,
costs or damages relating to any event occurring prior to the Closing Date
(but
not occurring after the Closing Date), and upon the request of Buyer, Holdings
shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to assert any and all claims
for
payment made by the Company at the request of Buyer within the Coverage Period
under the Ford Insurance (“Pre-Closing
Claim”);
provided
that nothing
herein shall require Ford or any of its Affiliates to maintain or preserve
in
effect any policies of insurance which it does not otherwise maintain or
preserve in effect for entities other than the Group Members or for its business
other than the business of the Group. Any Pre-Closing Claim shall be processed
by Ford in the same manner and shall be given the same priority relative to
other claims as if such claim had been made by Ford or one of its Affiliates.
Holdings (or its designee) will promptly remit to the Company any and all
amounts recovered pursuant to Ford Insurance for any Pre-Closing Claim. The
Company shall provide, or cause the Group to provide, all assistance and
information reasonably requested by Holdings in connection with processing
Pre-Closing Claims and providing information to its insurance underwriters,
in
each case in a manner consistent with the practices of Ford and the Company
prior to the date hereof and Holdings shall consult with the Company, and keep
the Company reasonably informed with respect to, any of the foregoing. Holdings
shall coordinate with the Company to provide such information relating to the
Ford Insurance as the Company may reasonably request, in a manner consistent
with the practices of Ford and the Company prior to the Closing, including
providing the Company with notice of any cancellation or termination of such
Ford Insurance as promptly as practicable after (i) receiving any notice
thereof or (ii) reaching a decision to provide a notice of cancellation
or
termination. None of Holdings, Ford or any Ford Affiliate assumes or intends
to
incur any liability to Buyer or any Group Member or any of their respective
Affiliates in connection with its obligations under this Section 3.11. The
Company shall pay the Company’s allocable cost for such insurance (based on the
amount paid by the Company with respect to coverage for the period from December
15, 2004 to December 15, 2005) and shall promptly reimburse Holdings or its
designee for all other reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses whatsoever
incurred (a) at Buyer’s request or (b) in
36
providing
the
assistance described in this Section 3.11 (“Assistance
Costs”).
“Assistance
Costs” shall include third party expenses, including without limitation
attorneys’ fees and claims adjustment expenses, paid in connection with
investigating, preparing, or pursuing recoveries from insurance contracts and
retroactive or prospective premium increases to the extent (and only to the
extent) attributable to losses incurred in connection with the Group following
the Closing.
ARTICLE
IV
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
4.1 Conditions
Precedent to Obligations of Parties.
The respective
obligations of each of the parties hereto hereunder are subject to the
satisfaction, at or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following
conditions:
(a) No
Injunction.
At the Closing
Date, there shall be no injunction, restraining order or decree of any nature
of
any Governmental Authority that is in effect that restrains or prohibits the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided,
however,
that the party or
parties invoking this condition shall have used its or their reasonable best
efforts to have any such injunction, order or decree vacated or
denied.
(b) Regulatory
Authorizations.
The applicable
waiting periods specified under the HSR Act with respect to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement shall have lapsed or been terminated and those
other consents and approvals required to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement from (i) the CBC, (ii) the European
Commission under the ECMR or the antitrust or competition Governmental Authority
of any member state of the European Union, (iii) the Australian Authority,
(iv) the antitrust or competition Governmental Authorities of those
other
jurisdictions in which the Group owns a material amount of assets and
(v) Governmental Authorities in Ireland and Bermuda with respect to
the
Irish Insurance Laws and the Bermuda Insurance Laws, shall have been obtained
or
the relevant waiting periods shall have lapsed, as applicable (provided
that the condition
set forth in clause (v) shall not apply following February 15, 2006).
All
other consents and approvals from any other Governmental Authority required
to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the failure of
which
to obtain would have a material adverse effect on the business, condition
(financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Group, taken as a
whole, shall have been obtained.
4.2 Conditions
Precedent to Obligation of Buyer.
The obligation of
Buyer to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is subject
to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing Date of each of the following
additional conditions:
(a) Accuracy
of
Representations and Warranties.
Each of the
representations and warranties of Holdings set forth in this Agreement, in
each
case, made as if none of such representations and warranties contained any
qualifications or limitations as to “materiality” or Material Adverse Effect,
shall be true and accurate, in each case, as of the date hereof and as of the
Closing Date as though made on and as of the Closing Date except (i) those
37
representations
and
warranties that address matters only as of a particular date or only with
respect to a specific period of time, which need only be true and accurate
as of
such date or with respect to such period, and (ii) where the failure of such
representations and warranties to be true and accurate as so made, individually
or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have or constitute
a
Material Adverse Effect; provided,
that the
representations and warranties of Holdings in (x) the first sentence of Section
2.1(h) and Section 2.1(i) shall be true in all respects, without disregarding
the reference to Material Adverse Effect contained in either such subsection,
(y) the first sentence of Section 2.1(e), the first sentence of Section
2.1(c)(i) and clause (a) of the last sentence of 2.1(c)(ii) shall be true in
all
respects (provided
that Holdings
shall have an opportunity to repay to the Company prior to Closing any amounts
distributed in a manner that would cause the representation in such clause
(a)
of the last sentence of Section 2.1(c)(ii) not to be true and correct), and
(z)
Section 2.1(b), the second and third sentences of Section 2.1(c)(i), Section
2.1(c)(ii) (other than clause (a) of the last sentence of such section) and
Section 2.1(e) (other than the first sentence of such section) shall be true
in
all material respects.
(b) Performance
of
Agreement.
Holdings shall
have performed in all material respects all obligations and agreements, and
complied in all material respects with all covenants contained in this Agreement
to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the Closing Date;
provided
that, Holdings
shall have complied in all respects with the covenants contained in Section
3.2(a)(viii) unless the amounts (or securities or other assets) distributed
or
paid in violation of such covenant (if any) shall have been repaid to the
Group.
(c) Certificate.
Buyer shall have
received a certificate of Holdings, dated the Closing Date, executed on behalf
of Holdings by an authorized signatory certifying that the conditions specified
in paragraphs (a) and (b) above have been satisfied.
(d) Letter
of
Credit.
Subject to the
requirements, terms and conditions set forth on Schedule 4.2(d), at the Closing,
if the ABS Financing is implemented (whether bridge or otherwise), Ford shall
have caused an Eligible Letter of Credit Provider (as defined on Schedule
4.2(d)) to issue a letter of credit in the stated amount of $200,000,000 for
the
benefit of BNY Midwest Trust Company, as trustee under the Base Indenture (as
defined on Schedule 4.2(d)), as supplemented by the LOC Series Supplement (as
defined on Schedule 4.2(d)), in the form described on Schedule 4.2(d) (the
“Ford
Letter of
Credit”),
for the account
of and at the expense of Ford or an Affiliate thereof, it being agreed by Ford
that it shall use reasonable best efforts to obtain the letter of credit
contemplated by this Section 4.2(d).
(e) Required
Consents.
(i) Consents of
holders of a majority in principal amount of all the debt securities issued
and
outstanding under the 2001 Indenture to the amendments to such indentures
described in Schedule 3.10(b) shall have been received and may not be withdrawn,
and (ii) an indenture supplement to the 2001 Indenture implementing the
amendments to the 2001 Indenture described in Schedule 3.10(b) has been executed
by the Company and the trustee for the 2001 Indenture, is in effect, and the
amendments to be effected thereby have become operative.
(f) FIRPTA.
Buyer shall have
received a certificate complying with the Code and Treasury Regulations, in
form
and substance reasonably satisfactory to Buyer, duly
38
executed
and
acknowledged, certifying that Holdings or its shareholder, as applicable, is
not
a “foreign person” for purposes of Section 1445 of the Code.
4.3 Conditions
Precedent to the Obligation of Holdings.
The obligation of
Holdings to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is
subject to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing Date of each of the
following additional conditions:
(a) Accuracy
of
Representations and Warranties.
Each of the
representations and warranties of Buyer set forth in this Agreement, in each
case, made as if none of such representations and warranties contained any
qualifications or limitations as to “materiality”, shall be true and accurate,
in each case, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date as
though made on and as of the Closing Date (except those representations and
warranties that address matters only as of a particular date or only with
respect to a specific period of time, which need only be true and accurate
as of
such date or with respect to such period), except where the failure of such
representations and warranties to be true and accurate as so made, individually
or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to materially impair
Buyer’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement; provided,
that the
representations and warranties of Buyer in Section 2.2(b) shall be true in
all
material respects.
(b) Performance
of
Agreements.
Buyer shall have
performed in all material respects all obligations and agreements, and complied
in all material respects with all covenants contained in this Agreement to
be
performed or complied with by it prior to or at the Closing Date.
(c) Certificate.
Holdings shall
have received a certificate of Buyer, dated the Closing Date, executed on behalf
of Buyer by an authorized signatory, to the effect that the conditions specified
in paragraphs (a) and (b) above have been satisfied.
ARTICLE
V
EMPLOYEE
AND
LABOR MATTERS
5.1 Comparability
of
Benefits.
For one year
following the Closing Date, Buyer shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to,
provide compensation (including rate of annual base salary or wages and annual
and long-term cash incentive opportunities) and employee benefits to each Group
Employee employed by a Group Member on the Closing Date and who is not
represented by a labor organization that are substantially comparable in the
aggregate to the compensation and employee benefits that are in effect for
such
Group Employee immediately prior to the Closing Date, and for each Group
Employee who is represented by a labor organization, Buyer shall and shall
cause
its Affiliates to comply with Section 5.8. Nothing in this Section 5.1 shall
limit the right of any Group Member to terminate the employment of any employee
at any time following the Closing Date.
5.2 Continuity
of
Employment.
It is agreed that
prior to or in connection with the Closing, Buyer shall take no action to cause
Holdings or any Group Member to terminate the employment of any Group Employee,
and neither Holdings nor any Group Member shall be under any obligation to
terminate any Group Employee prior to the Closing Date.
39
5.3 Welfare
Plans.
To the extent
that after the Closing Date Buyer chooses to satisfy its obligations under
Section 5.1 through the substitution of a “welfare benefit plan” (as defined in
section 3(1) of ERISA) maintained by Buyer or any of its Affiliates for the
benefit of Group Employees for such a plan maintained by any Group Member
immediately prior to the Closing Date, Buyer shall (a) cause there to
be
waived any eligibility requirements or pre-existing condition limitations under
such substitute plan and (b) take into account, in determining any
deductible and maximum out-of-pocket limitations imposed under such substitute
plan after the Closing Date but during the plan year in which the Closing Date
occurs, to claims incurred and amounts paid by, and amounts reimbursed to,
covered Group Employees prior to the Closing Date during the plan year in which
the Closing Date occurs with respect to similar plans maintained by such Group
Member immediately prior to the Closing.
5.4 Retirement
Plans.
For one year
following the Closing Date, Buyer shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to,
maintain in full force and effect the retirement plans maintained by Group
Members immediately prior to the Closing Date identified in Schedule 5.4 for
Group Employees who are not represented by a labor organization, including
The
Hertz Corporation Account Balance Defined Benefit Pension Plan, The Hertz
Corporation Benefit Equalization Plan, The Hertz Corporation Supplement
Retirement and Savings Plan, The Hertz Corporation Supplemental Executive
Retirement Plan and the features of The Hertz Corporation 2005 Executive Long
Term Incentive Plan relating to retirement, in each case without any amendment
that is materially adverse to Group Employees who participate in any such plans
immediately prior to the Closing Date (other than any such amendment necessary
to comply with applicable Law or to preserve the customary Tax treatment of
amounts paid thereunder). With respect to the Group Employees who are
represented by a labor organization, Buyer shall, and shall cause its Affiliates
to, comply with Section 5.8 with respect to the treatment of any retirement
plans maintained for the benefit of any such Group Employee.
5.5 Vacation
and
Severance.
For a period of
one year following the Closing Date, Buyer shall maintain a vacation, holiday
and time off policy, plan, practice, program or arrangement for the benefit
of
each Group Employee who is not represented by a labor organization that is
not
materially adverse in the aggregate from such policy, plan, practice, program
or
arrangement in effect immediately prior to the Closing Date with respect to
such
Group Employee. For a period of one year following the Closing Date, Buyer
shall
maintain a severance pay plan, practice, program or arrangement for the benefit
of each Group Employee who is not represented by a labor organization that
is
not materially adverse in the aggregate from such policy, plan, practice or
arrangement in effect immediately prior to the Closing Date with respect to
such
Group Employee. For Group Employees who are represented by a labor organization,
Buyer shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, comply with Section 5.8 with
respect to the treatment of any vacation, holiday, time off and/or severance
arrangements maintained for the benefit of any such Group Employees. Effective
as of the Closing, Ford and its Affiliates shall be released from any liability
with respect to the agreements of the Company governing special
change-in-control, employment and severance arrangements with certain Group
Employees in effect as of the date of this Agreement, which agreements are
identified in Schedule 5.5, and Buyer shall assume any and all liability of
the
Company, Ford and its Affiliates under such agreements and at all times
thereafter maintain such agreements in accordance with their terms and
conditions; provided,
however,
that Ford shall
retain responsibility for Ford Options granted to Group Employees under the
Ford
Option Plan and
40
referenced
in any
such agreements, consistent with the provisions of Section 5.9 of this
Agreement.
5.6 WARN
Act.
The Buyer and its
Affiliates shall not at any time prior to 90 days after the Closing Date,
effectuate a “plant closing” or “mass layoff” as those terms are defined in the
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 (“WARN”)
or effectuate
any similar triggering event under any other applicable Law, affecting in whole
or in part any site of employment, facility, operating unit or Group Employee.
Buyer agrees to provide any required notice under WARN and any other applicable
Law and to otherwise comply with any such statute with respect to any “plant
closing” or “mass layoff” (as defined in WARN) or any similar triggering event
under any other applicable Law occurring on or after the Closing or arising
as a
result of the transactions contemplated hereby.
5.7 Cash
Bonus
Plans.
From the Closing
Date through the end of the applicable bonus year in which the Closing Date
occurs, Buyer shall (a) continue to maintain the annual cash bonus plans,
cash management incentive and local cash incentive plans and other cash
arrangements maintained by Group Members and disclosed on Schedule 5.7 as in
effect immediately prior to the Closing Date (the “Bonus
Plans”)
and (b) pay
to the Group Employees who participated in such plans immediately prior to
the
Closing Date cash bonus amounts at such level(s) and at such time(s) as the
terms of the Bonus Plans provide; provided,
however,
that, except as
otherwise provided in any applicable change in control agreement or in any
other
applicable severance plan, policy or arrangement, notwithstanding anything
to
the contrary in any Bonus Plan, each Group Employee whose employment is
terminated by Buyer or any of its Affiliates on or after the Closing Date,
but
prior to the end of the applicable bonus year other than for “cause” (as such
term is defined in the employment, change in control, or severance agreement
or
plan, or employee manual, that is applicable, respectively, to each Group
Employee who participates in any Bonus Plan) shall be entitled to receive a
cash
bonus pursuant to the applicable Bonus Plan equal to the
pro rata
portion (based on the number of days worked by the Group Employee during the
applicable performance period) of the annual target bonus that such Group
Employee would have been entitled to receive under the applicable Bonus Plan
in
respect of the bonus year in which such date of termination occurs (if the
Group
Employee had remained employed by Buyer and its Affiliates through the date
such
bonus would otherwise be payable).
5.8 Collective
Bargaining Agreements.
Effective as of
the Closing, Buyer shall cause the Group Members to comply fully with the terms
of all collective bargaining agreements or similar contracts with
representatives of the Group’s employees.
5.9 Options
on Ford
Shares.
Each
of Holdings
and Buyer acknowledge the following: (a) certain Group Employees have been
granted options which as of the date hereof, subject to certain terms and
conditions, entitle them to purchase, at specified prices, shares of common
stock of Ford (“Ford
Options”)
pursuant to
Ford’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Ford
Option
Plan”)
and/or the
Company’s Hertz Long-Term Equity Compensation Plan (the “Company
Option
Plan”),
as applicable;
and (b) pursuant to the terms of the Ford Option Plan and the Company Option
Plan, the Ford Options held thereunder by Group Employees immediately prior
to
the Closing may remain outstanding for periods of time following the Closing.
In
connection with the exercise or expiration, as applicable, of any such Ford
Options following the Closing, each of Holdings, Buyer and Company shall
cooperate with any
41
reasonable
request
for information or actions to be taken made by any such party, and shall take
such actions as are from time to time reasonably requested by Holdings or Ford
to facilitate the administration of the Ford Option Plan or Company Option
Plan,
as applicable, including but not limited to (i)
informing Ford promptly of the death or other change in employment status of
any
holder of Ford Options granted under the Ford Option Plan or the Company Option
Plan (collectively, the “Options”)
that results in the forfeiture of, or otherwise relates to the exercisability
of, any such Options, (ii) providing Ford with changes in address and contact
information of any holder of any Option, to the extent such changes relate
to
the exercisability or forfeiture of any Options granted and (iii) providing
such
other
information to Ford or its designated administrator/recordkeeper as needed
to
administer such Options.
Such information shall be provided at the same intervals at which it was
historically provided to Ford or its Affiliates or to third party service
providers of the Ford Option Plan or the Company Option Plan, as applicable,
prior to the date hereof.
5.10 Cooperation
Regarding Pension Plans.
From and after
the date hereof, each of Holdings, Buyer and the Company shall cooperate and
consult with each other with regard to any negotiations or communications with,
requests to furnish information to or actions to be taken at the request of
any
Governmental Authority concerning any pension plan.
5.11 Employee
Discount Program.
For a period of
one year following the Closing Date, Group Employees may participate in Ford’s
“A Plan” employee discount program for vehicles on the same terms available
to Ford employees.
ARTICLE
VI
TAX
MATTERS
6.1 Liability
for
Taxes.
(a) Federal
and
Consolidated Income Tax Liabilities.
Ford shall be
responsible for and shall indemnify and hold harmless Buyer Indemnitees from
and
against, and shall pay, all Federal and Consolidated Income Tax Liabilities
(i)
attributable to any Pre-Closing Period, (ii) pursuant to Treas. Reg.
§ 1.1502-6 (or comparable provision of state, local or foreign law or
regulation) by virtue of a Group Member’s being or having been a member of a
consolidated, combined, affiliated, unitary or other Tax group on or prior
to
the Closing Date, to the extent a Group Member is liable for the Income Taxes
of
a Person that is not a Group Member (iii) arising by virtue of any Tax
Sharing Agreement entered into on or prior to the Closing that is not cancelled
pursuant to Section 6.2 or (iv) attributable to the transfer of the
Shares.
(b) Tax
Liabilities
Other than Federal and Consolidated Income Tax Liabilities.
Except as
otherwise provided in Section 6.1(c) or 6.7, the Company shall be responsible
for, and shall pay or cause to be paid, all Taxes relating to the Group Members,
excluding Federal and Consolidated Income Tax Liabilities for which Ford is
responsible under Section 6.1(a).
42
(c) Subpart
X.
Xxxx shall be responsible for and shall indemnify and hold harmless Buyer
Indemnitees from and against, and shall pay, all Taxes attributable to any
inclusion under Section 951 of the Code by any Group Member at the end of the
taxable year of the applicable controlled foreign corporation (as defined in
Section 957 of the Code) that includes the Closing Date arising out of any
transaction not in the ordinary course of business occurring between the date
hereof and through the Closing.
(d) Reimbursement.
After the
Closing, Ford or Buyer (each a “party”), as the case may be, shall provide or
shall cause to be provided reimbursement for any Taxes paid by one party or
its
Affiliates which are the responsibility of the other party or its Affiliates
in
accordance with the terms of this Section 6.1 or 6.7. Within a reasonable time
prior to the payment of any such Taxes, the indemnified party paying such Taxes
shall give written notice to the indemnifying party of the Taxes payable and
the
amount which is the liability of each party, although failure to do so will
not
relieve the indemnifying party of its liability hereunder except to the extent
the indemnifying party is actually prejudiced. Subject to the delivery of prior
written notice of the payment of any such Taxes, the party required to provide
reimbursement hereunder shall pay such amount on the later to occur of (i)
the
date payment is made by the party paying such Taxes and (ii) five Business
Days
after receipt of such prior written notice.
(e) Allocation
of
Closing Date Items.
Pursuant to
Treas. Reg. § 1.1502-76(b)(1)(ii)(B), Ford and the Buyer agree that
deductions arising on the Closing Date in connection with the Exchange Offer
and
other transactions the expense of which is economically borne by Buyer shall
be
allocated to the U. S. federal (and, if applicable, state and local) Tax period
of the Group beginning the day after the Closing Date.
(f) Expenses.
For purposes of
this Section 6.1 and 6.7, the terms “Taxes” and “Transfer Taxes” shall include
all liabilities for Taxes and Transfer Taxes, as the case may be, and any
reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred after the Closing Date, including
attorney and professional fees, connected with such liabilities for Taxes or
Transfer Taxes, as the case may be.
6.2 Tax
Sharing
Agreements.
On or prior to
the Closing Date, Ford shall terminate, or shall cause to be terminated, all
Tax
Sharing Agreements between any of the Group Members, on the one hand, and Ford
or its Affiliates, on the other hand (including, but not limited to, the Tax
Sharing Agreement dated March 10, 1997 between Ford and the Company and the
Company’s Affiliates (and all amendments thereto)), such that, after the
Closing, neither Ford or its Affiliates nor any Group Member shall be bound
thereby or have any obligation or liability thereunder. Any intercompany
receivables or payables arising out of any such Tax Sharing Agreement shall
be
cancelled prior to or at the Closing, including, but not limited to,
(i) the receivable of approximately $249 million, which is related to
the
use of prior-year net operating losses of the Group, and associated interest,
(ii) any amounts that would otherwise be payable, currently or in the
future, related to the use of the Group’s foreign tax credits, and associated
interest and (iii) any receivable under the Default Tax Sharing Agreement
between Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited and each entity listed in
Schedule 1 to the Default Tax Sharing Agreement and the Tax Funding Agreement
between Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited and each entity listed in
Schedule 1 to the Tax Funding Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary herein, the Ford Group shall be entitled to retain any amount paid
by
any Group
43
Member
to the Ford
Group pursuant to a Tax Sharing Agreement on or prior to June 30, 2005 and
shall, at or prior to the Closing, reimburse the Company for any amount paid
by
any Group Member pursuant to any Tax Sharing Agreement after June 30, 2005.
The
Ford Group shall not permit any Group Member to pay for any Group Relief without
the written consent of Buyer, and any intercompany payable owed by any Group
Member in respect of Group Relief shall be cancelled on or prior to the Closing
Date. The Ford Group shall not withdraw or withdraw its consent to the surrender
of any U.K. Tax losses by way of Group Relief initiated on or before the date
hereof.
6.3 Tax
Returns,
Elections, etc. (a) Ford
and Buyer
shall cause each Group Member to join, to the extent permitted by law for all
Pre-Closing Periods, in (i) (A) the consolidated U. S. federal Income Tax
Returns of Ford, and (B) combined, consolidated or unitary Returns for state
and
local Taxes including one or more members of the Ford Group with respect to
which the relevant Group Member(s) filed such a Return for the 2003 or 2004
taxable year or (ii) is required by the applicable Taxing Authority to file
such
a Return. Ford shall file or cause to be filed all Returns set forth in the
immediately preceding sentence and shall cause the income, gains, deductions,
losses and credits of the relevant Group Members to be included on such Returns
(except to the extent provided in Section 6.1(e)). All Tax items of relevant
Group Members shall, to the extent permitted by applicable Tax law, be reported
on Consolidated or Combined Returns on a basis consistent with the last previous
such Returns filed as of the date hereof in respect of such Group Member(s)
to
the extent the failure to do so could reasonably be expected to have a material
cost to Buyer or any Group Member. Ford shall not cause any Group Member(s)
(i)
to fail to file any Return in respect of any Group Member(s) that is required
to
be filed on or prior to the Closing Date (taking into account extensions) or
(ii) to file any such Return in a manner inconsistent with the last previous
Return filed as of the date hereof in respect of such Group Member(s) unless
(A)
filing on such basis is not permitted by applicable Tax law or (B) failing
to
file on such basis would not reasonably be expected to have a material cost
to
Buyer or any Group Member.
(b) Buyer
shall file,
or cause to be filed, all Returns relating to the busi-ness or assets of the
Group Members other than those Returns described in
Section 6.3(a).
(c) Ford
shall not, and
shall not permit any of its Affiliates, to amend any Returns or make or change
any Tax elections or accounting methods with respect to any Group Member(s),
without the consent of Buyer, relating to a Pre-Closing Period to the extent
such amendment could reasonably be expected to have a material cost to Buyer
or
any Group Member.
6.4 Tax
Audits,
Assistance and Cooperation.
(a) Ford
or Buyer, as
the case may be, shall notify such other party within twenty (20) days, upon
receipt by such first party or any of its Affiliates of notice of any pending
or
threatened federal, state, local or foreign Tax audits, examinations, notices
of
deficiency or other adjustments, assessments or redeterminations (“Tax
Matters”)
relating to
Taxes for which such other party or its Affiliates may be responsible under
Section 6.1.
(b) Ford
shall have the
sole right to control, contest, resolve and defend against any Tax Matters
relating to Taxes of any Group Member for which Ford is obligated to
44
indemnify
Buyer
under Section 6.1, and to employ counsel of its choice at its own expense;
provided,
however,
that (i) Ford
shall keep Buyer informed with respect to the commencement, status and nature
of
any such Tax Matter, notify Buyer of significant developments with respect
to
such Tax Matter and consult with Buyer with respect to any issue that could
reasonably be expected to have a material cost to Buyer or any Group Member,
and
(ii) neither Ford nor any of its respective Affiliates shall enter into any
settlement of, or otherwise compromise, any such Tax Matter to the extent that
any such settlement or compromise could reasonably be expected to have a
material cost to Buyer or any Group Member unless Ford indemnifies and holds
harmless Buyer Indemnitees from and against any such cost.
(c) Buyer
shall have
the sole right to control all Tax Matters of any Group Member not controlled
by
Ford pursuant to Section 6.4(b).
(d) Assistance
and
Cooperation.
After the Closing
Date, each of Ford and Buyer shall (and shall cause their respective Affiliates,
including each of the Group Members, to):
(i) assist
the other
party in preparing any Returns which such other party is responsible for
preparing and/or filing in accordance with Section 6.3;
(ii) maintain
and make
available to the other party, on such other party’s reasonable request, copies
of any and all information, books and records necessary to prepare and/or file
any Return or to respond to audits by any Taxing Authority, for the full period
of the applicable statute of limitations, including any extensions thereof,
with
respect to the relevant Taxes. After the applicable period, Ford or Buyer may
dispose of such information, books and records provided that prior to such
disposition, Ford or Buyer shall give the other party the opportunity to take
possession of such information, books and records;
(iii) upon
reasonable
notice and without undue interruption to the business of such party or the
Group
Members, as the case may be, provide access during normal business hours to
the
books and records of such party or the Group Members relating to the Taxes
of
the Group Members prior to the Closing Date;
(iv) promptly
furnish
the other party with copies of all correspondence received from any Taxing
Authority in connection with any Tax Matter of any Group Member or information
request with respect to any taxable period for which the other party may have
a
liability under Section 6.1; and
(v) timely
provide to
the other party powers of attorney or similar authorizations reasonably
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Section 6.4.
(e) Disputes.
If the parties
disagree as to the calculation of any amount relating to Taxes governed by
Section 6.1, the parties shall promptly consult with each other and endeavor
in
good faith, for a period of 30 days, to resolve any such disagreements (each
disagreement not so resolved, a “Tax
Dispute”).
Thereafter,
either party may submit the resolution of any Tax Disputes to a mutually agreed
upon nationally recognized accounting firm (the “Accounting
Arbitrator”)
to resolve the
dispute. The Accounting Arbitrator shall only be authorized as directed by
the
parties on any one issue to either (i) decide in favor of and choose
45
the
position of
either of the parties or (ii) to decide upon a compromise position within the
range of positions presented by the parties to the Accounting Arbitrator. The
Accounting Arbitrator shall base its decision solely upon the presentations
of
the parties to the Accounting Arbitrator at a hearing held before the Accounting
Arbitrator and upon any materials made available by either party and not upon
independent review. The Accounting Arbitrator shall be instructed to resolve
the
Tax Disputes and such resolution shall be (i) set forth in writing and signed
by
the Accounting Arbitrator, (ii) delivered to Buyer and Ford as soon as
practicable after the Tax Disputes are submitted to the Accounting Arbitrator
but not later than the 30th day after the Accounting Arbitrator is instructed
to
resolve the Tax Disputes, (iii) made in accordance with this Agreement, and
(iv)
final, binding and conclusive on the parties on the date of delivery of such
resolution. Any expenses relating to the engagement of the Accounting Arbitrator
shall be shared equally by the parties.
6.5 Refunds
and Tax
Credits.
Subject to the
provisions of Section 6.6, (a) Ford shall be entitled to retain, or
Ford
shall be entitled to receive immediate payment from the relevant Group Member
or
Buyer of, any refund or credit with respect to Taxes, plus any interest received
with respect thereto (net of any Tax cost arising out of such receipt) from
the
applicable Taxing Authorities, relating to any Group Member that are described
as being the responsibility of Ford in Section 6.1(a) and (b) Buyer, the Company
or any Group Member shall be entitled to retain, or shall be entitled to receive
immediate payment from Ford of, any other refund or credit with respect to
Taxes, plus any interest received with respect thereto (net of any Tax cost
arising out of such receipt) from the applicable Taxing Authorities, relating
to
any Group Member.
Buyer
and Ford
shall cooperate, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to cooperate,
with
respect to claiming any refund or credit with respect to Taxes referred to
in
this Section 6.5. Such cooperation shall include providing all relevant
information available to Ford or Buyer (through the Company or otherwise),
as
the case may be, with respect to any such claim; filing and diligently pursuing
such claim (including by litigation, if appropriate); paying over to Ford or
Buyer, as the case may be, and in accordance with this provision, any amount
received by Buyer (or any Group Member) or Ford (or any member of the Ford
Group), as the case may be, with respect to such claim; and, in the case of
the
party filing such a claim, consulting with the other party prior to agreeing
to
any disposition of such claim, provided that the foregoing shall be done in
a
manner so as not to interfere unreasonably with the conduct of the business
of
the parties. The party that is to enjoy the economic benefit of a refund under
this Section 6.5 shall bear the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the other
party incurred in seeking such refund. Any dispute regarding a party’s
entitlement to a payment in respect of a refund shall be resolved pursuant
to
the Tax Dispute resolution mechanism in Section 6.4(e).
6.6 Carrybacks.
To the extent
permitted by law, Buyer shall cause the Group to elect to relinquish any
carryback of net operating losses, net capital losses, unused tax credits and
other deductible or creditable tax attributes arising in a period beginning
after the Closing Date to a consolidated, combined or unitary Return for any
Pre-Closing Period. In cases where the Group is not permitted by law to
relinquish the carryback, any net Tax benefit actually realized by the Ford
Group (as reasonably determined by Ford as set forth in reasonably detailed
calculations to be provided by Ford to Buyer) shall be remitted by Ford to
Buyer
at the time such Tax benefit is realized.
46
6.7 Transfer
Taxes.
Notwithstanding
any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, all Transfer Taxes shall be
borne 50% by Buyer and 50% by Ford. Buyer shall file, or shall cause to be
filed, to the extent permitted by applicable law, all Returns, as may be
required to comply with the provisions of such Tax laws relating to Transfer
Taxes. Ford shall cooperate with Buyer in connection with all such filings
and
shall file those Returns Buyer is not permitted to file.
ARTICLE
VII
MISCELLANEOUS
7.1 Termination
and
Abandonment.
(a) General.
This Agreement
may be terminated and the transactions contemplated hereby may be abandoned
at
any time, but not later than the Closing Date:
(i) by
mutual written
consent of Buyer and Holdings;
(ii) by
Buyer or
Holdings if an injunction, restraining order, decree or other action of any
Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction is issued, enacted,
promulgated, enforced or entered that prohibits the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and such injunction, restraining
order, decree or other action is final and non-appealable; provided,
however,
that the party
seeking to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this clause (ii) shall have
used
its reasonable best efforts to have such injunction, order, decree or other
action vacated, denied, annulled, quashed or lifted;
(iii) by
Buyer if there
has been a violation or breach by Holdings of any covenant, representation
or
warranty contained in this Agreement which has prevented the satisfaction of
any
condition to the obligations of Buyer set forth in Section 4.2(a) or 4.2(b)
and
such violation or breach has not been waived by Buyer and has not been, or
cannot be, cured by Holdings within thirty days after written notice thereof
from Buyer;
(iv) by
Holdings if
there has been a violation or breach by Buyer of a any covenant, representation
or warranty contained in this Agreement which has prevented the satisfaction
of
any condition to the obligations of Holdings set forth in Section 4.3(a) or
4.3(b) and such violation or breach has not been waived by Holdings and has
not
been, or cannot be, cured by Buyer within thirty days after written notice
thereof from Holdings (provided
that the failure
of Buyer to fund (or cause to be funded) the Purchase Price and the other
amounts described in Section 1.1 at the Closing as required hereunder shall
not
be subject to cure hereunder, and in the event of such breach, Holdings may
terminate this Agreement immediately by delivery of notice in writing as
provided in Section 7.3); or
(v) by
either Buyer or
Holdings if the Closing shall not have been consummated on or before February
28, 2006; provided
that the right to
terminate this Agreement pursuant to this clause (v) shall not be available
to
the party (if any) whose failure to fulfill or cause to be fulfilled any
obligation under this Agreement has been the primary cause of the failure of
the
Closing to occur on or before such date.
47
(b) Procedure
Upon
Termination.
In the event of
the termination and abandonment of this Agreement, written notice thereof shall
promptly be given to the other parties hereto and this Agreement shall terminate
and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be abandoned without further
action by any of the parties hereto.
(c) Survival
of
Certain Provisions.
The respective
obligations of the parties hereto pursuant to Sections 3.1(b) and (c), 3.3(d),
the last sentence of Section 3.9(b), the last sentence of Section 3.10(b) and
this Article VII shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
(d) Effect
of
Termination.
In the event of a
termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1(a), no party shall have
any liability to the other party except (i) in connection with an intentional
material breach of this Agreement occurring prior to such termination, (ii)
as
provided in Section 7.1(c) and (iii) as provided in the following sentence.
In
the event that the conditions to the Closing set forth in Sections 4.1 and
4.2
hereunder (other than those conditions that by their nature cannot be satisfied
until the Closing) are satisfied or waived and Buyer breaches (whether or not
intentional) its obligation to effect the Closing pursuant to Article I and
satisfy its obligations to fund (or cause to be funded) all payments pursuant
to
Section 1.1 because of a failure to receive the proceeds of one or more of
the
debt financings contemplated by the Debt Commitment Letters or the failure
to
have received the proceeds of any alternative debt financing (a “Debt
Receipt
Failure”),
then, except as
set forth on Schedule 7.1(d), upon Holdings’ termination of this Agreement
pursuant to Section 7.1(a)(iv) or by either party pursuant to Section 7.1(a)(v),
Buyer shall pay $125 million (the “Termination
Fee”)
to Holdings or
as directed by Holdings as promptly as reasonably practicable (and, in any
event, within two Business Days following such termination). Notwithstanding
anything else in this Agreement to the contrary: (1) if in the circumstances
in
which Buyer becomes obligated to pay the Termination Fee (or has been excused
from paying such Termination Fee for the reason set forth on Schedule 7.1(d)),
Buyer is not otherwise in breach of this Agreement such that the conditions
set
forth in Section 4.3(a) or 4.3(b) would not be satisfied (excluding Buyer’s
failure in and of itself to fund, or cause to be funded, all payments pursuant
to Section 1.1 and otherwise effect the Closing because of a Debt Receipt
Failure, but not excluding any other breach, including for the avoidance of
doubt any breach of Section 2.2(e) or Section 3.9, that would cause the
conditions set forth in Section 4.3(a) or 4.3(b) not to be satisfied), then
the
right of Holdings to receive payment of the Termination Fee (which shall be
zero
if payment thereof has been excused for the reason set forth on Schedule 7.1(d))
in accordance herewith shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of Holdings
against Buyer for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the breach of
any
representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained in the Agreement
by
Buyer and the failure of the transactions to be consummated (it being understood
that in any other case Holdings’ right to recover any other or additional
damages and remedies available to it in respect of any intentional material
breach of this Agreement by Buyer shall not be limited in any respect, subject
to the limitation set forth in the immediately following clause (2)); and (2)
in
no event shall Buyer and the Guarantors, on the one hand, or Holdings and Ford,
on the other hand, be subject to liability in excess of $300 million in the
aggregate (inclusive of the Termination Fee in the case of Buyer or the
Guarantors) for all losses and damages arising from or in connection with
breaches by Buyer or Holdings or Ford, as the case may be, of any of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained in this
Agreement (other than those set forth in Article VI and in addition, following
any Closing, other than the representations and warranties set forth as
surviving the Closing in Section 2.4).
48
7.2 Expenses.
Except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement, Holdings, Buyer and each Group Member
shall each bear its own costs and expenses incurred in connection with this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
7.3 Notices.
All notices,
requests, demands, waivers and other communications required or permitted to
be
given under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by personal
delivery or sending by United States Postal Service Express Mail or an overnight
courier service, proof of delivery requested, or sent by telecopy, to the
following addresses:
(a) if
to Holdings, to
it at:
Ford
Holdings
LLC
c/o
Ford Motor
Company
Xxx
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx
00000
Attention:
Secretary
Telecopy:
000-000-0000
with
a copy to
(which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
& Xxxxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx
00000
Attention: Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
Telecopy: 000-000-0000
(b) if
to the Company,
to it at:
The
Hertz
Corporation
000
Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxx, Xxx
Xxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Senior
Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
Telecopy:
000-000-0000
with
a copy to
(which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
& Xxxxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx
00000
Attention: Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
Telecopy: 000-000-0000
49
(c) if
to Buyer, to it
at:
CCMG
Holdings,
Inc.,
c/o M&C
Corporate Services Limited (on behalf of Xxxxxxx, Dubilier
& Rice
Fund VII,
L.P.)
P.O.
Box
309GT
Xxxxxx
House
South
Church
Street
Xxxxxx
Town, Grand
Cayman
Cayman
Islands,
British West Indies
Telecopy:
000-000-0000
with
a copy to
(which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxxx,
Dubilier
& Rice, Inc.
000
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx
Xxxx 00000
Attention:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Telecopy:
000-000-0000
with
a copy to
(which shall not constitute notice):
The
Carlyle
Group
0000
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX
Xxxxx
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx,
XX
0000-0000
0
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX
00000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Telecopy:
000-000-0000
with
a copy to
(which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Global Private Equity
0
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX
00000
Attention:
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
End
Telecopy:
000-000-0000
with
a copy to
(which shall not constitute notice):
50
Debevoise
&
Xxxxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx
00000
Attention: Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxx
Telecopy: 000-000-0000
or
to such other Person or address as a party shall specify by notice in writing
to
the other parties. All such notices, requests, demands, waivers and
communications shall be deemed to have been given on the date of personal
receipt or proven delivery or, in the case of notice by telecopier, when receipt
thereof is confirmed by telephone.
7.4 Entire
Agreement.
This Agreement
(including the Schedules and Exhibits hereto) and the Confidentiality Agreement
constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes all
prior agreements and understandings, oral and written, between the parties
hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.
7.5 Exclusive
Remedy.
(a) Except
as set forth
in Section 2.4 and except for Sections 3.1(d), 3.1(e), 3.3(e), 3.6, 3.7, 3.9(b)
(last sentence), 3.10(b) (last sentence), 3.11, 4.2(f), 5.1, 5.3 through 5.7,
5.9 through 5.11, Article VI, and Sections 7.2 through 7.16, and in the
Confidentiality Agreement, from and after the Closing, the parties hereto waive
any rights and claims that a party may have against any other party, whether
in
law or in equity, relating to the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby,
including claims for contribution or other rights of recovery arising out of
or
relating to any Laws (including Environmental Laws), claims for breach of
contract (including, without limitation, claims for breach of any certificate
or
instrument delivered hereunder except to the extent expressly referred to in
one
of the provisions specified above), breach of representation or warranty or
covenant, negligent misrepresentation and all claims for breach of duty;
provided,
however,
that nothing set
forth in this Agreement shall limit the rights, remedies and claims of any
party
with respect to any fraud or willful misconduct.
(b) The
parties hereto
agree that the current, former and prospective direct or indirect stockholders
of Buyer and its Affiliates (other than Buyer) are not parties to this Agreement
and (i) Holdings, and its Affiliates shall not have any right to cause
any
monies to be contributed to Buyer by any current, former or prospective direct
or indirect stockholder of Buyer or any of its Affiliates and (ii) except
to the extent provided in the Guarantees and, to the extent in effect, the
Confidentiality Agreement, no current, former or prospective direct or indirect
stockholder of Buyer or any Affiliate thereof (other than Buyer) or any of
their
partners, directors, officers, managers, members, agents or representatives
shall owe any contractual obligation to Holdings or its Affiliates in connection
with this transaction.
(c) Subject
to Section
2.2(h), no investigation by Buyer or other information received by Buyer shall
operate as a waiver or otherwise affect any representation, warranty or
agreement given or made by Holdings or the Company hereunder.
7.6 No
Third Party
Beneficiaries.
This Agreement
shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their
respective successors and assigns, and nothing in this
51
Agreement,
expressed or implied, is intended to confer on any Person other than the parties
hereto, or their respective successors and assigns, any rights, remedies,
obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement other than
Sections 1.1 and 3.10; Section 3.6; Article VI; and Section 3.7, which are
intended to be for the benefit of the applicable Exchange Offeror; Ford and
its
Affiliates; Ford Group and the Buyer Indemnitees; and the directors
and
officers of the Group prior
to the
Closing Date, respectively, and may be enforced by such Persons.
7.7 Assignability.
This Agreement
shall not be assigned by any of the parties hereto whether by operation of
law
or otherwise without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto;
provided
that Buyer may,
without the prior written consent of the other parties, (x) assign this
Agreement and all of its rights hereunder to its lenders and debt providers
for
collateral security purposes and (y) assign all of its rights (or, as provided
in Article I, certain of its rights) to a direct or indirect wholly owned
subsidiary of Buyer (provided
that,
notwithstanding any such assignment, Buyer shall remain liable to perform all
of
its obligations hereunder); and provided further,
that at any time
after the Closing, Holdings may assign this Agreement to Ford or any Affiliate
of Ford, subject to the written assumption by Ford or such Affiliate of all
the
obligations of Holdings hereunder (provided
that,
notwithstanding any such assignment, Holdings shall remain liable to perform
all
of its obligations hereunder).
7.8 Amendment
and
Modification; Waiver.
Subject to
applicable Law, this Agreement may be amended, modified and supplemented by
a
written instrument authorized and executed on behalf of the parties hereto
at
any time prior to the Closing with respect to any of the terms contained herein.
No waiver by any party of any of the provisions hereof shall be effective unless
explicitly set forth in writing and executed by the party so waiving. The waiver
by any party hereto of a breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not
operate or be construed as a waiver of any other or subsequent
breach.
7.9 Severability.
If any provision
of this Agreement or the application thereof under certain circumstances is
held
invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, the other
provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect. Any provision
of this Agreement held invalid or unenforceable only in part or degree will
remain in full force and effect to the extent not held invalid or
unenforceable.
7.10 Section
Headings.
The section
headings contained in this Agreement are inserted for reference purposes only
and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement.
7.11 Interpretation.
Unless the
context requires otherwise, all words used in this Agreement in the singular
number shall extend to and include the plural; all words in the plural number
shall extend to and include the singular; and all words in any gender shall
extend to and include all genders.
7.12 Definitions.
As used in this
Agreement:
“1986
Indenture”
means the
Indenture dated as of April 1, 1986 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase
Bank,
N.A., as trustee (as the same may be amended or supplemented).
52
“1994
Indenture”
means the
Indenture dated as of December 1, 1994 between the Company and First Fidelity
Bank, N.A., as trustee (as the same may be amended or
supplemented).
“2001
Indenture”
means the
Indenture dated as of March 6, 2001 between the Company and the Bank of
New
York, as trustee (as the same may be amended or supplemented).
“Affiliate”
means, with
respect to a specified Person, any other Person who, directly or indirectly,
controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such specified
Person. As used in this definition, the term “control”
means the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the
direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership
of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise; provided
that each of the
Guarantors and their Affiliates shall be considered Affiliates of
Buyer.
“Board
of
Directors”
means the board
of directors of any specified Person and any committees thereof.
“Business
Day”
means any day on
which banks are not required or authorized to close in the City of
New
York.
“Buyer
Indemnitees”
means Buyer and
its Affiliates and, from and after the Closing, each Group Member, together
with
successors, assigns, representatives, employees, officers and directors of
any
of them.
“Consolidated
or
Combined Return”
means any Return
(whether or not domestic) that is filed or that is required to be filed, and
that includes one or more Group Members or items therefrom on the one hand
and
one or more members of the Ford Group or items therefrom on the other
hand.
“Federal
and
Consolidated Income Tax Liabilities”
means any and all
Taxes of any Group Member relating to either (a) any U. S. federal Income Taxes
or (b) any Income Taxes with respect to which (i) any Group Member has
or
will file, or is required pursuant to Section 6.3(a) to file, a
Consolidated or Combined Return, (ii) one or more Group Members is liable
for the Income Taxes of a Person other than a Group Member under a provision
of
state, local or foreign law or regulation comparable to Treas. Reg. §1.1502-6
imposing several liability upon members of a consolidated, combined, affiliated,
unitary or other Tax group by virtue of a Group Member’s being or having been a
member of such a group on or prior to the Closing Date, or (iii) one
or
more Group Members is liable (if such Income Taxes are attributable to a
consolidated, combined, affiliated, unitary or other Tax group) under principles
of successor or transferee liability relating to an event or transaction
occurring on or prior to the Closing Date.
“Ford
Group”
means Ford and
its present or former Affiliates other than any Group Member.
“Group
Relief”
means the group
relief for U.K. corporation tax purposes contained in Chapter IV of Part X
of
the Taxes Act relating to the surrender of Tax losses between members of the
same group and any equivalent system outside the United Kingdom for the
surrender of Tax losses between members of a group.
53
“Holdings
Note”
means the
$1,185.0 million principal amount subordinated promissory note issued by the
Company to Holdings on June 10, 2005.
“Income
Tax”
means any Tax on
or measured by net income, profits or earnings.
“Indebtedness”
means the
principal amount of any indebtedness for borrowed money and any accrued
interest, prepayment premiums and penalties related thereto.
“Interim
Credit
Agreement”
means the Credit
Facility, dated as of May 26, 2005, among the Company, Hertz Canada Limited,
JPMorgan Chase Bank and the other banks and financial institutions party
thereto.
Buyer
has
“Knowledge”
of a particular
fact or other matter if, and only if, any of the individuals listed on Schedule
7.12(a) has actual knowledge thereof.
Holdings
has
“Knowledge”
of a particular
fact or other matter if, and only if, any of the individuals listed on Schedule
7.12(b) has actual knowledge thereof.
“Law”
means any law,
statute, order, ordinance, rule or regulation of any Governmental
Authority.
“Person”
means an
individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association,
joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity, as well
as
any syndicate or group that would be deemed to be a Person under section
13(a)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Pre-Closing
Period”
means any Tax
year or period (or portion thereof) ending on or prior to the Closing
Date.
“Rule
144A”
means Rule 144A
promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Tax
Sharing
Agreements”
means the Tax
Sharing Agreement dated March 10, 1997 between Ford and Company and the
Company’s Affiliates (and all amendments thereto), the Default Tax Sharing
Agreement between Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited and each entity listed
in Schedule 1 to the Default Tax Sharing Agreement, the Tax Funding Agreement
between Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited and each entity listed in
Schedule 1 to the Tax Funding Agreement and all other Tax sharing, Organschaft
profit and loss allocation, indemnification or similar agreements in effect
between any of the Group Members and any other Person (other than solely with
other Group Members), except for (a) customary agreements to indemnify lenders
or security holders in respect of Taxes and (b) customary Tax sharing
obligations under commercial lease agreements.
“Transfer
Taxes”
means all
transfer, documentary, sales, use, registration and other similar Taxes
(including all applicable real estate transfer taxes) incurred in connection
with the transfer of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement. Transfer Taxes
shall
not include Income Taxes.
54
7.13 Company
Actions.
To the extent
that this Agreement calls for any Group Member to take any action prior to
the
Closing Date, it is understood and agreed by the parties that Holdings shall,
and to the extent that this Agreement calls for any Group Member to take any
action on or following the Closing Date, Buyer shall, cause such Group Member
to
take such action (subject to any limitations or standards of effort contained
therein).
7.14 Counterparts.
This Agreement
may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed
to
be an original, and all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the
same
instrument.
7.15 Enforcement.
The parties agree
that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions
of
this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or
were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be
entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement
and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement in any
court of the United States located in the State of
New York, this being in
addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.
In
addition, each of the parties hereto (i) consents to submit itself to
the
personal jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern
District of
New York or any court of the State of
New York located in such
district in the event any dispute arises out of this Agreement or any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) agrees that it will
not
attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction or venue by motion or
other
request for leave from any such court and (iii) agrees that it will
not
bring any action relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement in any court other than such courts sitting
in
the State of
New York. THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION,
SUIT, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM BROUGHT BY EITHER OF THEM AGAINST THE OTHER
IN
ANY MATTERS ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THIS
AGREEMENT.
7.16 Governing
Law.
This Agreement
shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
New
York.
55
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement
as of the date first above written.
CCMG
HOLDINGS,
INC.
By:
|
/s/Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxxxxx
Title:
FORD
HOLDINGS
LLC
Name:
Xxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Title:
Chairman of
the Board
----------------------------------
(solely
with
respect to Article VI and
Sections
3.2(xxiv),
3.2(xxv), 4.2(d),
5.11,
7.15 and
7.16)
FORD
MOTOR
COMPANY
Name:
Xxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Title:
Chairman of
the Board