STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT AMONG SMART ONLINE, INC., iMART INCORPORATED, AND SHAREHOLDERS OF iMART INCORPORATED October 17, 2005
Exhibit
2.1
AMONG
SMART
ONLINE, INC.,
iMART
INCORPORATED,
AND
SHAREHOLDERS
OF
iMART
INCORPORATED
October
17,
2005
Page
i
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
1. DEFINITIONS.
|
1
|
|
2. PURCHASE
AND SALE OF SHARES.
|
3
|
|
3. PURCHASE
PRICE; PAYMENT.
|
3
|
|
3.1
|
Purchase
Price.
|
3
|
3.2
|
Security
for Purchase Price.
|
4
|
3.3
|
Post-Closing
Adjustment to Purchase Price.
|
5
|
4. COMPANY
ASSETS.
|
5
|
|
5. COMPANY
OBLIGATIONS AND LIABILITIES.
|
7
|
|
6. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF SELLERS AND COMPANY.
|
7
|
|
6.1
|
Shareholders
of Sellers; Corporate Records.
|
8
|
6.2
|
Financial
Statements.
|
8
|
6.3
|
Undisclosed
Liabilities.
|
9
|
6.4
|
Accounts
Receivable.
|
9
|
6.5
|
Material
Adverse Changes.
|
9
|
6.6
|
Litigation.
|
11
|
6.7
|
Compliance:
Governmental Authorizations.
|
12
|
6.8
|
Due
Organization.
|
12
|
6.9
|
Taxes.
|
12
|
6.10
|
Agreements.
|
13
|
6.11
|
Title
to Property and Related Matters.
|
14
|
6.12
|
Patents,
Trademarks, Licenses.
|
14
|
6.13
|
Due
Authorization.
|
14
|
6.14
|
Brokerage
Fees.
|
15
|
6.15
|
Approvals
Required.
|
15
|
6.16
|
Employee;
Benefit Plans.
|
15
|
6.17
|
Environmental
Matters.
|
17
|
6.18
|
Insurance.
|
18
|
6.19
|
Customers.
|
18
|
6.20
|
Contractors.
|
19
|
6.21
|
Change
in Business.
|
19
|
6.22
|
Licenses
and Permits.
|
19
|
6.23
|
Related
Party Transactions.
|
19
|
6.24
|
The
Premises.
|
20
|
6.25
|
Improper
Payments.
|
21
|
6.26
|
Full
Disclosure.
|
22
|
6.27
|
BWW
Contract.
|
22
|
6.28
|
Subchapter
S Distributions.
|
22
|
|
||
7. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER.
|
23
|
|
7.1
|
Due
Organization.
|
23
|
7.2
|
Due
Authorization.
|
23
|
Page
ii
7.3
|
Brokerage
Fees.
|
23
|
7.4
|
Approval.
|
23
|
7.5
|
No
Approvals Required.
|
23
|
7.6
|
Full
Disclosure.
|
24
|
7.7
|
Tax
Consequences.
|
24
|
8. COVENANTS
OF THE PARTIES.
|
24
|
|
8.1
|
Disclosure
Documents.
|
24
|
8.2
|
Access
to Information.
|
24
|
8.3
|
Confidentiality.
|
24
|
8.4
|
Nondisclosure.
|
25
|
8.5
|
Public
Announcements.
|
26
|
8.6
|
Consents.
|
26
|
8.7
|
Filings.
|
26
|
8.8
|
All
Reasonable Efforts.
|
26
|
8.9
|
Notification
of Certain Matters.
|
26
|
8.10
|
Bonuses
and Fees.
|
26
|
8.11
|
Documents
at Closing.
|
27
|
8.12
|
Interim
Operations of Sellers.
|
27
|
8.13
|
Investment
Representation and Restricted Stock.
|
27
|
8.14
|
Prohibition
on Trading in Buyer Stock.
|
27
|
8.15
|
Independent
Contractors.
|
28
|
8.16
|
Expenses.
|
28
|
8.17
|
Conduct
of Company’s Business Following the Closing Date.
|
28
|
8.18
|
Parties’
Access to Records After Closing.
|
31
|
8.19
|
Prorations.
|
31
|
8.20
|
Competing
Offers.
|
32
|
8.21
|
Distributions
to Shareholders; Bonus to Xxxxx.
|
32
|
8.22
|
Tax
Returns.
|
32
|
8.23
|
UCC
Financing Statement.
|
32
|
8.24
|
Lock
Box Withdrawals.
|
32
|
8.25
|
Further
Assurances; Post Closing Assistance.
|
32
|
9. THE
CLOSING.
|
33
|
|
9.1
|
Time
and Place.
|
33
|
9.2
|
Deliveries
by Sellers.
|
33
|
9.3
|
Deliveries
by the Buyer.
|
34
|
|
||
10. INDEMNIFICATION.
|
35
|
|
10.1
|
Sellers.
|
35
|
10.2
|
Limitation
on Liability.
|
37
|
10.3
|
Buyer.
|
38
|
10.4
|
Methods
of Asserting Claims for Indemnification.
|
38
|
11. TERMINATION.
|
39
|
Page
iii
12. ACTION
BY SELLERS.
|
39
|
|
13. NOTICES.
|
40
|
|
14. MISCELLANEOUS.
|
40
|
|
14.1
|
Nature
of Representations and Warranties.
|
40
|
14.2
|
Survival
of Representations.
|
40
|
14.3
|
Entire
Agreement.
|
41
|
14.4
|
Amendment.
|
41
|
14.5
|
Assignment.
|
41
|
14.6
|
Choice
of Law; Venue.
|
41
|
14.7
|
Headings.
|
41
|
14.8
|
Construction.
|
41
|
14.9
|
Effect
of Waiver.
|
41
|
14.10
|
Severability.
|
41
|
14.11
|
Binding
Nature.
|
42
|
14.12
|
No
Third-Party Beneficiaries.
|
42
|
14.13
|
Counterparts.
|
42
|
14.14
|
Facsimile
Signature.
|
42
|
14.15
|
Rules
of Construction.
|
42
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Page
iv
LIST
OF SCHEDULES
2
|
List
of Shareholders
|
3.1
(ii)
|
Acquisition
Shares Distribution List
|
3.2
|
Projected
Operating Expenses of Company
|
4
|
Excluded
Assets
|
4(i)
|
Fixed
Assets
|
4(ii)(A)
|
Common
Law State and Federal Trademarks, Service Marks, Trade Names,
Etc.
|
4(ii)(E)
|
Copyrights
Registered with United States Patent and Trademark
Office
|
4(ii)(G)
|
Domain
Names
|
4(ii)(P)
|
Telephone,
Facsimile, and Data Numbers
|
4(v)
|
Contracts
|
4(vi)
|
Premises
Lease
|
4(vii)
|
Insurance
Policies
|
4(viii)
|
Prepayments
|
4(ix)
|
Security
Deposits
|
4(xiii)
|
Employees
and Employment Agreements
|
5(i)
|
Liability
and Obligations to
Employees, Key Employees and Contractors
|
5(ii)
|
Litigation
|
5(iv)
|
Accounts
Payable
|
5(v)
|
Taxes
|
6.2(a)
|
Financial
Statements
|
6.2(a)(i)
|
Interim
Financial Statements
|
6.3
|
Undisclosed
Liabilities
|
6.4
|
Accounts
Receivable
|
6.5
|
Material
Adverse Changes
|
6.12
|
Potential
Infringement Claims
|
6.16(a)
|
Employees
|
6.16(b)
|
Benefit
Programs
|
6.17
|
Environmental
Matters
|
6.19
|
Customers
|
6.20
|
Contractors
|
6.22
|
Licenses
|
6.23
|
Related
Party Transactions
|
6.27
|
BWW
Contract
|
8.17(e)
|
EBITDA
for Fiscal Year 2004
|
Page
v
LIST
OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit
A
|
Employment
Agreement of Xxxx Xxxxxx
|
Exhibit
B
|
Employment
Agreement of Xxxxx Xxxxx
|
Exhibit
C
|
Lock
Box Agreement
|
Exhibit
D
|
Public
Announcement
|
Exhibit
E
|
Opinion
of Sellers’ Counsel
|
Exhibit
F
|
Non-Compete
Agreement of Xxx
Xxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
|
Exhibit
G
|
Form
of Non-Disclosure Agreement
|
Exhibit
H
|
Certificate
Policy on Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Unauthorized Disclosures
|
Exhibit
I
|
Certificate
Code of Ethics and Disclosure Policy
|
Exhibit
J
|
License
Agreement
|
Exhibit
K
|
Sellers’
Release
|
Exhibit
L
|
Instruction
Letter
for
Acquisition Shares
|
Exhibit
M
|
Restricted
Securities Letter
|
Page
vi
AGREEMENT
made
this 12th
day of
October, 2005 by and among SMART
ONLINE, INC.,
a
Delaware corporation (the “Buyer”),
iMART
INCORPORATED,
a
Michigan corporation (the “Company”),
and
the SHAREHOLDERS
of the
Company (the “Sellers”).
RECITALS
A. Company
is engaged in the business of providing multi-channel electronic commerce
systems.
X. Xxxxxxx
own one hundred percent (100%) of the capital stock of the Company (“Shares”)
and desire to sell the Shares, and Buyer desires to purchase all of the capital
stock of the Company represented by the Shares upon the terms and subject to
the
conditions herein set forth.
C. The
Company is entering into this Agreement in order to induce Buyer to consummate
the transactions described herein.
D. The
Boards of Directors of each of the Buyer and the Company have approved this
Agreement by resolutions duly adopted.
NOW,
THEREFORE,
in
consideration of the mutual promises herein contained and intending to be
legally bound hereby the parties agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS.
For
purposes of this Agreement, the terms set forth below shall have the following
meanings:
“Business”,
means
the business of providing multi-channel electronic commerce systems, as
heretofore conducted by the Company, including any subsidiary or affiliate
of
the Company.
“Bonus
Compensation Agreement” means the agreement dated October 7, 2005, between the
Company and Xxxxx Xxxxx.
“Broker
Agreement”
means
the agreement dated March 8, 2005, with eBiz Brokers, Inc. (“eBiz
Brokers”)
, as
amended on October 12,
2005.
“Code”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Closing”
means
the transaction of the events set forth in Section
8
hereof.
“Closing
Date”
means
the day on which the Closing is held as set forth in Section
8
hereof.
“Closing
Date Balance Sheet”
means
the unaudited balance sheet of the Company as of the Closing Date prepared
in
accordance with GAAP containing all accruals, including but not limited to
all
payroll accruals (including bonuses, commissions and vacations).
“Closing
Income Statement”
means
the unaudited income statement of the Company for the period January 1, 2005
through the Closing Date.
“Employment
Agreements”
means
the Employment Agreement among the Buyer, the Company and Xxxx Xxxxxx in the
form of Exhibit A, attached hereto and made a part hereof, and the Employment
Agreement among the Buyer, the Company and Xxxxx Xxxxx in the form of Exhibit
B,
attached hereto and made a part hereof.
“Financial
Statements”
mean
the audited balance sheets as of December 31, 2002, and
December
31, 2003, and the
statements
of
operations
and cash
for the years ended December 31, 2002, December 31, 2003, and December 31,
2004.
“Fiscal
Years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007”shall
mean the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007,
respectively.
“GAAP”
means
United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently
applied.
“Interim
Financial Statements”
mean the
unaudited sheet
as
of June 30, 2005, and the
statements of
operations and cash flows for the six-month period ended June 30,
2005,
prepared
in accordance with GAAP.
“Installment
Payments”
means
the installment payments described in Section
3.1(i)
of this
Agreement.
“Key
Employee”
means
Xxxx Xxxxxx.
“Knowledge” means,
with
respect to the Company and the Seller Shareholders, the actual knowledge of
the
Seller Shareholders
and, as
to the Company, also the actual knowledge of Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx
Xxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx,
and Xxxxx
Xxxxx,
together with such additional knowledge as would be imputed to them, in their
positions as owners, officers,
employees,
and
consultants of the Company, upon due inquiry.
“Material
Adverse Change”
and
“Material
Adverse Effect”
mean an
event, transaction, condition or change which has had or would reasonably be
expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, assets, operating
results or financial condition of the Company, except any such effect resulting
from or arising in connection with (i) the announcement, pendency or
consummation of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby
(including any cancellations of or delays in customer offers, any reduction
in
sales, any disruption in supplier, distributor, partner or similar relationships
or any loss of employees), (ii) changes or conditions affecting the software
industry generally (other than any such change or condition that
disproportionately affects the Company), (iii) changes in economic,
regulatory or political conditions generally in the United States (including
any
changes resulting from or arising in connection with any outbreak or escalation
of war, terrorism or other conflict) (iv)
2
changes
in any of the U.S. financial markets, (v) changes in GAAP or any change in
law
applicable to GAAP or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, (vi)
the
taking of any action consented to in writing by the Buyer
or (vii)
any acts of, or on behalf of, the Buyer or any of its affiliates (other than
the
Company) after the Closing.
“Noncompetition
Payments” means
the
noncompetition payments described in the Employment Agreements.
“Premises”
means
0000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000.
“Purchase
Price”
has
the
meaning ascribed to it in Section
3.1
hereof.
“SEC”
means
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Seller
Shareholders”
shall
mean Xxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx.
“Sellers”
means
all the shareholders of the Company, as set forth in Schedule
2 hereof.
Other
capitalized terms used in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to
them in the Sections where such terms are initially used or in such other
document referred to in this Agreement and attached to this Agreement as an
Exhibit.
2. PURCHASE
AND SALE OF SHARES.
Upon
the
terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, Sellers shall
sell, transfer, convey, and assign the Shares to Buyer, and Buyer shall purchase
and acquire the Shares from Sellers, at the Closing and as of the Closing Date.
Attached hereto and made a part hereof as Schedule
2,
is a
list of all of the shareholders of the Company (the “Shareholders”)
and the
number of Shares held by each Shareholder.
3. PURCHASE
PRICE; PAYMENT.
3.1 Purchase
Price. The
purchase price for the Shares is five million one hundred thousand ($5,100,000)
dollars (the “Purchase
Price”)
which
shall be paid to the Sellers as follows:
(i) Three
million three hundred sixty-six thousand ($3,366,000) dollars in cash (a) one
million six hundred eighty-three thousand ($1,683,000) dollars of which shall
be
paid in four equal installments of four hundred twenty thousand seven hundred
and fifty ($420,750) dollars each to be paid on January 2, 2006, April 3, 2006,
July 5, 2006 and October 2, 2006 and (b) one million six hundred eighty-three
thousand ($1,683,000) dollars of which shall be paid on January 5, 2007;
and
(ii) Two
hundred five thousand seven hundred sixty-seven (205,767) shares of the Buyers
common stock (the“Acquisition
Shares”),
which
shall be issued on the
Closing
Date
as set
forth on Schedule
3.1(ii)
attached
hereto and made a part hereof. All
3
Acquisition
Shares, which are restricted shares, shall contain the following legend as
appropriate for stock certificates:
THE
SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE
SECRUTIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNDER ANY STATE SECURITIES LAW AND MAY
NOT
BE SOLD, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, OR TRANSFERRED UNLESS THERE EXISTS
AN
EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT THEREFOR UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933,
AS
AMENDED, AND ALL APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR THE ISSUER HEREOF HAS
RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO COUNSEL OF THE
ISSUER, THAT SUCH SALE, ASSIGNMENT, PLEDGE, HYPOTHECATION, OR TRANSFER IS EXEMPT
FROM REGISTRATION.
3.2 Security
for Purchase Price. As
security for the Installment Payments, Buyer shall grant the Sellers a security
interest in all proceeds received by the Company from the operations of the
Business for the period of time during which the Installment Payments remain
due
and payable. The proceeds received by the Company shall be placed in a lock
box
account pursuant
to the lock
box
agreement
in the
form of Exhibit
C
attached
hereto
(the “Lock
Box Account”
and “Lock Box Agreement”),
and
shall be released to make the following payments as they become due and payable
to the extent there is a balance in the
Lock
Box
Account:
(i)
all
operating expenses of the Company (subject to the approval procedure provided
in
Section
8.17(e))
in
accordance with the projected operating expenses set forth on Schedule
3.2,
attached hereto and made a part hereof (the “Projected
Operating Expenses”),
(ii)
all
Installment Payments, and (iii) all
Noncompetition Payments.
All
withdrawals from the Lock Box Account only upon the written authorization of
both (a) Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, or other person designated from time
to
time by the Sellers to act on their behalf with respect to the account, and
(b)
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, or other person designated from time to time
by
the Buyer to act on the Buyer’s behalf with respect to the account.
The term
of the Lock Box Agreement shall begin on the Closing Date and terminate on
January 5, 2007, provided that all the Installment Payments and Noncompetition
Payments due and payable on or before January 5, 2007 have been made. Pursuant
to the terms and conditions of the Lock Box Agreement, if the balance of the
Lock
Box
Account
exceeds
five hundred thousand ($500,000) dollars at any time during the term of the
Lock
Box Agreement, then any such amount in excess of five hundred thousand
($500,000) dollars, reduced by the amount by which the Deferred Revenue
(determined in accordance with GAAP) exceeds the Deferred Revenue balance on
the
Closing Date as set forth on the Closing Balance Sheet, shall be referred to
as
the “Lock
Box Excess”
and such
Lock Box Excess, subject to Section
8.17(g),
shall
be released from the lock box and paid to the Buyer free and clear of any
security interest of the Sellers. If Buyer wishes that the security interest
of
the Sellers in the proceeds of the Company be subordinated to a security
interest held by a commercial lender, Buyer shall request the Sellers to
subordinate their security interest. Sellers agree to discuss such a request
in
good faith but shall not be obligated to release their security interest. Buyer
has the right exercisable at any time in its sole discretion to terminate the
security interest provided for herein by (i) providing Sellers with an
irrevocable letter of credit, (ii)
4
depositing
cash in an escrow account with an escrow agent reasonably acceptable to Sellers
in an amount equal to the remaining balance of the Installment Payments, or
(iii) paying the remaining balance of the Installment Payments.
3.3 Post-Closing
Adjustment to Purchase Price. If
the
Company’s receipts during the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on
November 15, 2005, from accounts receivable identified in Schedule 6.4 exceed
one hundred thirty thousand ($130,000) dollars, the Purchase Price shall be
increased by the amount of the excess, but not by more than one hundred
thirty-nine thousand five hundred ($139,500) dollars. The increase in the
Purchase Price shall be paid by increasing the amount payable under Section
3.1(i)
and
allocating the increase pro rata among the Installment Payments.
4. COMPANY
ASSETS.
The
Sellers shall cause the Company to retain all its assets and not to transfer
any
of its assets that have historically been owned or operated by the Company
to
conduct the Business, except for the assets set forth on Schedule
4,
attached
hereto and made a part hereof. Without limiting the foregoing, as of the Closing
Date, the Company shall retain the right, title, and interest in and to the
following tangible and intangible assets (collectively the “Assets”),
and
the Assets listed below shall be located at the Premises:
(i) The
machinery, equipment, fixtures, leasehold improvements, furniture, and other
personal property set forth on Schedule
4(i), attached
hereto and made a part hereof, including all computer equipment and software
used by Company in the conduct of the Business (collectively, the “Fixed
Assets”);
(ii) The
following intellectual property items: (A) the common law state and federal
trademarks, service marks, trade names, trade logos and trade styles, all of
which are listed on Schedule
4.1(ii)(A),
attached hereto and made a part hereof, (B) the pending applications for
registration or existing registrations on the Principal or Supplemental Register
of the United States Patent and Trademark Office of any of Company’s marks or
names, (C) the rights in any pending applications for registration of any of
Company’s marks or names in any state or foreign country, (D) the rights in any
pending applications for patent and all Company’s issued patents in this or any
foreign country including any continuations or continuations-in-part of the
applications for patent or improvements thereto, (E) the copyrights registered
with the Library of Congress, all of which are listed on Schedule
4.1(ii)(E),
attached hereto and made a part hereof, which also sets forth the registration
number and document number for such copyrights, (F) the common law and statutory
copyrights and registrations in this or any foreign country, (G) registered
domain names, all of which are listed on Schedule
4.1(ii)(G),
attached
hereto and made a part hereof, (H) the software, source, object and executable
code, manuals and materials used to operate, manage and facilitate the
e-commerce capabilities of the website located at xxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
(the
“E-Commerce
System”),
(I)
licenses, (J) inventions, (K) trade secrets, (L) all computer software used
in
connection with the Business, including source codes for current or former
versions of software owned by Company or a subsidiary or other affiliate of
Company that may be used for the operation of Company’s business, object and
executable code, databases (except to the extent that the data belongs to
customers), and third party computer software licensed by Company, (M) all
technical and business confidential or
5
proprietary
information including but not limited to discoveries, know-how, and other
business or technical confidential information that are used by Company or
in
connection with or related to the Business or that provide Company with a
commercial advantage over any or all of its competitors, (N) all promotional,
sales and advertising material, artwork, films, layouts, catalogues, brochures,
descriptions of products or services, and package designs, (O) all client lists,
customer lists, supplier lists, and prospect lists, (P) the telephone,
facsimile, and data numbers listed on Schedule
4.1(ii)(P),
attached hereto and made a part hereof, (Q) the right to the name iMART
Incorporated and any other trade names currently or previously used by Sellers
in connection with the Business, except for Bayberry Gifts, and (R) all goodwill
related to any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Intellectual
Property”);
(iii) All
of
Company’s books and records, including all employee lists, all market and
industry analyses, business development materials, all applicant data bases,
all
files, copies of all books of accounts and ledgers, and all other instruments
and documents relating to the Business of the Company;
(iv) All
of
the Company’s corporate, financial and fiscal books and records;
(v) All
leases and rental agreements, all accounts and trade receivables (including
but
not limited to those accounts receivables set forth on Schedule
6.4),
all
unperformed commitments and obligations owing to Company, all Company’s customer
contracts, open quotes, agreements, purchase orders and the like, and all other
instruments, contracts, and agreements of Company, all of which are set forth
on
Schedule
4(v),
attached hereto and made a part hereof, (collectively the “Contracts”);
(vi) The
lease
agreement between the
Company and Credo Ventures, LLC, attached hereto and made a part hereof as
Schedule
4(vi),
which
represents the Company’s leasehold interest in the Premises;
(vii) All
policies of insurance maintained by Company, all of which are set forth on
Schedule
4(vii),
attached
hereto and made a part hereof (collectively, the “Insurance”);
(viii) All
prepayments on behalf of Company including all prepaid payroll, insurance
premiums, and other statutory taxes, all of which are set forth on Schedule
4(viii),
attached hereto and made a part hereof;
(ix) All
security deposits owed to Company, all of which are set forth on Schedule
4(ix),
attached hereto and made a part hereof,
(x) All
intangible property rights and proprietary information of Company relating
to
Company’s operation of the Business (collectively, the “Proprietary
Information”);
(xi) All
warranties, representations, and guaranties made by suppliers or vendors in
connection with products or services furnished to the Company, or otherwise
pertaining to the Business or affecting the Assets;
(xii) All
goodwill in connection with the Business, including all covenants
not-to-compete, confidentiality or non-solicitation agreements running to
Company; and
6
(xiii) All
employment agreements (whether written or oral) with the employees set forth
on
Schedule
4(xiii),
which
Schedule shall also contain the list of all employees employed by the Company
(whether or not pursuant to an employment agreement) on the Closing Date with
their respective salaries (collectively, “Employees”).
5. COMPANY
OBLIGATIONS AND LIABILITIES.
The
Sellers shall cause the Company as of the Closing Date (i) to have only the
obligations and liabilities listed below, whether or not contingent or due
on,
before or after the Closing Date (“Liabilities”) and (ii) to have fully
performed and paid all liabilities that were due to be performed or paid on
or
prior to the Closing Date, whether or not the same are listed
below:
(i) Attached
hereto and made a part hereof as Schedule
5(i)
are all
unpaid liabilities and obligations of Company accrued since its inception
through the Closing Date for the Employees, the Key Employee, and Contractors
including, if any, all earned but unpaid vacations, holidays, and bonuses;
all
unpaid liabilities and obligations of Company accrued since its inception and
continuing after the Closing Date for the employees of Company who shall be
terminated as of the Closing Date, including all earned but unpaid vacations,
holidays, and bonuses, and severance obligations of Company, if any; all unpaid
liabilities and obligations of Company under or arising out of the contracts
or
obligations listed on Schedule
6.16(a) or (b);
(ii) Attached
hereto and made a part hereof as Schedule
5(ii)
are all
liabilities and obligations of the Company with respect to any claim, demand,
cause of action, suit, proceeding, judgment, loss, liability, damage, or expense
against Sellers;
(iii) All
obligations and liabilities of the Company to third parties under the leases,
rental agreements, licenses, registrations, and other contracts set forth on
Schedule
4(v);
(iv) Attached
hereto and made a part hereof as Schedule
5(iv)
are all
accounts payable of the Company as of September
30, 2005;
(v) Attached
hereto and made are part hereof as Schedule
5(v)
are all
income taxes, payroll taxes, statutory federal, state, and local taxes and
any
taxes which may become due by virtue of the operation of the Business prior
to
the Closing Date, a change in Company’s accounting method or as a result of the
sale contemplated by this Agreement.
6. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF SELLERS AND COMPANY.
The
Sellers, jointly and severally, as a material inducement to Buyer to enter
into
this Agreement and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, make the
following representations and warranties to Buyer, which representations and
warranties are true and correct in all respects on this date, and will be true
and correct in all respects on the Closing Date
7
as
though
made on and as of such date. All such representations and warranties are subject
to all of the provisions of the Schedules and Exhibits attached to this
Agreement.
6.1 Shareholders
of Sellers; Corporate Records.
(a) The
Shareholders are, and will be on the Closing Date, the sole owners, of record
and beneficially, of all the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s
capital stock, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims, or rights
of
other parties (whether under option agreements, shareholder agreements, or
otherwise). There are no outstanding (i) securities of the Company, convertible
or exchangeable for shares of capital stock or equity securities of the Company,
(ii) options, warrants, calls, or other rights to acquire from the Company,
or
other obligations, understandings, or arrangements of the Company to issue,
any
capital stock, equity securities, or securities convertible or exchangeable
for
capital stock or equity securities of the Company, (iii) voting agreements,
proxies, voting trusts or other agreements with respect to voting the Shares
or
(iv) any agreements with respect to dividends. The Company has not declared
any
dividends which have not been paid and no dividends have accrued.
(b) True,
complete, and correct copies of the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and all
minutes of the Company have heretofore been delivered to the Buyer, as such
documents or instruments are presently in effect.
6.2 Financial
Statements. Except
as
disclosed in any note or qualification to any Financial Statement,
(a) The
Financial Statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2002,
December 31, 2003, and December 31, 2004,
are attached
hereto and made a part hereof
as
Schedule
6.2(a).
The
Interim Financial Statements for the six-month
period
ended
June 30,
2005,
are
attached
hereto and made
a
part hereof as Schedule
6.2(a)(i).
The
Financial Statements
and the Interim Financial Statements and the financial information contained
therein (i) are in accordance with the books and records of the Company for
the
items reflected therein and accurately account for the financial condition
and
transactions of the Company, (ii) have been prepared by the Company in
accordance with GAAP, and (iii) present fairly the assets, liabilities, and
results of operations of the Company as of the dates and for the periods
indicated, but the Interim Financial Statements are subject to year-end audit
adjustments, if any. Since June 30, 2005 (the “Balance
Sheet Date”),
there
has been no Material Adverse Change in the condition (financial or otherwise)
of
the Company, or of any properties or the Company’s Business, and the Company’s
Business has been conducted only in the ordinary course. The Interim Financial
Statements set forth in Schedule
6.2(a)(i)
reflect
all liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of the Company as of the Balance
Sheet
Date to the extent required by GAAP to be shown or reserved for, except
performance obligations under executory contracts and other liabilities which
have not historically been reflected on the Financial Statements. Such
liabilities not so reflected were incurred in the ordinary course of business
and, except as may be reflected on Schedule
6.5,
do not
in the aggregate have any Material Adverse Effect upon the condition, financial
or otherwise, of the Company. The contingency, tax and other reserves reflected
on the Financial Statements are adequate, appropriate and reasonable in
accordance with GAAP.
8
(b) All
books
and records of the Company, financial and other, are in all material respects
complete and correct and have been maintained in accordance with good business
and accounting practices, and the financial records reflect all payroll accruals
including but not limited to all bonuses, vacations, holidays, and other
compensation.
6.3 Undisclosed
Liabilities. The
Company does not have any liabilities or obligations of any nature, fixed or
contingent, that are not shown or otherwise provided for in the Financial
Statements and the Interim Financial Statements, except as set forth in
Schedule
6.3,
attached hereto and made a part hereof. There are no material loss contingencies
(as such term is used in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 5
of
the Financial Accounting Standards Board) of the Company that will not be
adequately provided for. The Company is not a guarantor, indemnitor or otherwise
liable for any indebtedness of any other person, firm, or corporation except
as
an endorser of checks received by the Company and deposited in the ordinary
course of business.
6.4 Accounts
Receivable. Attached
hereto as Schedule
6.4,
attached hereto and made a part hereof, is a list of all accounts receivable
and
billable items not yet billed of Company
and aging schedule pertaining thereto as of September
30, 2005.
All of
the accounts
receivable and billable items not yet billed of Company now and on the Closing
Date are bona fide accounts receivable of Company representing the sales price
of (or other sums or fees receivable for or in respect of) goods, merchandise,
or services sold or performed by Company in valid transactions in the regular
course of its business to or for the benefit of its customers. Such accounts
receivable are collectible in full and are not subject to offset or counterclaim
or otherwise in controversy.
6.5 Material
Adverse Changes. Except
as
specifically stated in Schedule
6.5,
attached hereto and made a part hereof, or required by this Agreement, from
January 1, 2005 to the date of this Agreement, the Company has conducted the
Business in the ordinary course and with the Company’s best efforts to maintain
the business and the assets of the business, and to retain the employees.
Furthermore from June 30, 2005 through the Closing Date, there has not
been:
(a) Any
Material Adverse Change in the business, condition (financial or otherwise),
results of operations, properties, assets, liabilities, earnings, accounts
receivables or net worth of the Company for such period or at any time during
such period;
(b) Any
other
event or condition of any character which it is reasonable to expect will,
individually or in the aggregate with other events or conditions, have a
Material Adverse Effect on the future, the condition (financial or otherwise),
assets, liabilities, working capital, reserves, earnings, business, accounts
receivables, or prospects of the Company, or the Business, except for general
economic conditions and other matters affecting the technology industry in
which
the Buyer and the Company operate;
(c) Any
issuance or agreement to issue any additional shares of common stock or any
other voting security of the Company or any rights to acquire any such
additional common stock or voting security, except for shares issuable upon
exercise of previously granted employee stock options, which are reported in
Section
6.1.
(d) Any
merger, consolidation or sale of assets or securities of the Company, or the
authorization of the same, other than as contemplated in this Agreement, or
any
purchase of all or substantially all of the assets of any entity, or any other
extraordinary corporate transaction;
9
(e) Except
as
set forth in the Closing Balance Sheet, any indebtedness, guaranty or
encumbrance on the assets of the Company;
(f) Any
damage, destruction, or loss (whether or not covered by insurance) affecting
the
company or its assets, properties, or business;
(g) Any
cancellation of any debts (except in the ordinary course of business) or any
waiver of any material rights of value to the Company;
(h) Any
cancellation or material breaches on any existing contract of which Company
is a
party that would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Business of
Company;
(i) Any
statute, rule, regulation, or order adopted by any federal or Michigan state
governmental body, agency, or authority that adversely affects the company
or
the Business or the Company’s financial condition;
(j) Except
as
permitted by the terms of this Agreement, any payment of bonuses or accrued
salaries, nor any obligation to make any payment of bonuses or salaries, out
of
the ordinary course of business or agreements to materially increase the rate
or
terms of compensation payable or to become payable by Company to its directors,
officers, or key employees; provided, however, that this subsection shall not
restrict or limit the Company in any way from hiring additional personnel who
are required for its operations;
(k) Any
transfer, lapse, or grant of any rights in the Company’s patents, trademarks,
trade names, or copyrights or any disposition or, to the Company’s or Seller
Shareholders’ Knowledge, disclosure to any person of any trade secrets relating
to the Company’s Business;
(l) Any
modification, change, or termination of any contract or other document referred
to in this Agreement or any of the Schedules hereto, or relating to the
Company’s Business, or the failure to renew or extend any material contract
relating to the Company’s Business, except in the ordinary course of
business;
(m) Any
action which has increased the cost of the Company in funding or maintaining
any
employee pension or retirement plans or other employee benefit plans, except
for
general economic conditions and other matters affecting investment and insurance
markets;
(n) Any
entering into, creation or allowance of any new mortgage, lien, or encumbrance
on any assets of the Company other than the liens and encumbrances arising
in
the ordinary course of business;
10
(o) Any
increase or any change in any assumptions underlying or methods of calculating
any bad debt, contingency, tax, or other reserves or any change in its
accounting practices, methods, or assumptions (including changes in estimates
or
valuation methods);
(p) Any
lease
or sublease of real property or the exercise of any purchase options or rights
of first refusal contained in any lease or sublease, or the termination,
surrender, cancellation, or assignment of any of its properties demised under
any leases, or any part thereof;
(q) Except
as
set forth in the Closing Balance Sheet, any incurring of any indebtedness for
borrowed money, the entering into of any commitment to borrow money, or making
any loans in respect to borrowed money to third parties, or the agreement to
guaranty any obligations of third parties (other than in connection with the
negotiation and collection of negotiable instruments in the ordinary course
of
business);
(r) Any
writing up or writing down of the value on its financial statements of any
of
the Company’s assets;
(s) Any
contracts entered into with third parties for services outside of the ordinary
course of business or whose term, payment terms, or pricing are outside of
the
ordinary course of business;
(t) Any
notice oral or written from any customer, or any discussions with any customers,
which would reasonably cause any of the Sellers to believe the customer has
definite plans to significantly reduce or terminate the customer’s business with
the Company after the Closing Date or to wish to renegotiate or otherwise change
the terms and conditions (including, but not limited to, price) between the
customer and the Company;
(u) Any
notice oral or written from any customer, or any discussions with any customers,
which would reasonably cause any of the Sellers to believe the customer has
definite plans to either develop the capability to provide or obtain the
production and services currently provided by the Company from the internal
resources of the customer or any affiliated person or entity or any third party
vendor; and
(v) Any
agreement, whether in writing or otherwise, to take any action described in
this
Section
6.5.
6.6 Litigation.
Except
as
set forth in Schedule
5(ii)
there
are no actions, suits, claims, investigations, or legal, administrative, or
arbitration proceedings pending or, to the Company’s or Seller Shareholders’
Knowledge, threatened against the Sellers or the Company, whether at law or
in
equity, or before or by any federal, state, municipal, local, foreign, or other
governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency, or instrumentality,
or, to the Company’s or Seller Shareholders’ Knowledge, any basis for any such
action, suit, claim, investigation, or proceeding. The Sellers is not subject
to
any judgment. Neither the Sellers nor the Company is not in violation of or
in
default under any order, judgment, writ, injunction, or decree of any federal,
state, local, or foreign governmental or regulatory entity (or any department,
agency, authority, or political subdivision thereof) or court or arbitrator.
Set
forth on
11
Schedule
5(ii)
is a
description of the settlement of any proceedings of the nature described in
this
Section
6.6
since
January 1, 2004, together with a description of the amount and nature of each
settlement.
6.7 Compliance:
Governmental Authorizations. The
Company has not failed to file any report or return required by any government
or governmental agency which failure would have a Material Adverse Effect on
the
Company, its assets or financial condition or results of operations of its
business. The Company has complied in all material respects with all federal,
state, local or foreign laws, ordinances, regulations, and orders applicable
to
its business, including without limitation, federal and state anti-trust,
securities, banking collection, consumer protection, immigration, health,
occupational safety and health, plant closing, pension, requirements of any
Board of Fire Underwriters, laws and regulations.
6.8 Due
Organization. The
Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing
under the laws of the State of Michigan; it is qualified to do business and
in
good standing in each state where the properties owned, leased, or operated,
or
the business conducted, by it require such qualification except where failure
to
so qualify would not have a Material Adverse Effect on its financial condition,
properties, business, or results of operations. The Company has the power to
own
its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now presently
conducted.
6.9 Taxes.
(a) Except
as
disclosed on Schedule
5(v),
all (i)
federal, state, local, or foreign tax returns (collectively, the “Returns”)
required to be filed with respect to the properties, assets, operations, income,
payroll and net worth of Company have been timely filed or appropriate
extensions have been obtained and such Returns are true, correct, and complete
in all material respects; (ii) all such tax returns have been prepared in
accordance with all applicable laws and requirements, and accurately reflect
taxable income (or other measure of Tax) of the Company, and (iii) all taxes
and
governmental charges, including, without limitation, any interest and penalties
(collectively “Taxes”)
due
pursuant to such Returns or in connection with Company's operations have been
paid or adequate provision therefore has been made on the Financial Statements.
Except as disclosed on Schedule
5(v),
there
are no outstanding agreements or waivers extending the statutory period of
limitation concerning any tax liability of Company, no examination of any Return
of Company is currently in progress and no governmental authority has, within
the last three (3) years, notified Company or Shareholders of any tax claim,
investigation, or proceeding or conducted any audit. Except as disclosed in
Schedule
5(v), all
monies
required to be collected or withheld by the Company for income taxes, social
security, or other payroll taxes have been collected or withheld, and either
paid to the appropriate governmental agencies, set aside in accounts for such
purpose, or accrued, reserved against and entered upon the books of the Company
and the Company is not liable for any taxes or penalties for failure to comply
with any of the foregoing. Set forth on Schedule
5(v)
is a
list of all actions which have a material effect on the calculation of Taxes
payable or with respect to the income, deductions, credits, allowances, or
assets of the Company. The Company has not made, is not obligated to make,
and
will not, as a result of the transactions contemplated hereby, make or become
obligated to make any “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section
280G of the Code (determined without regard to subsection (b)(4)
thereof).
12
(b) Except
as
disclosed in Schedule
5(v), there
exist no grounds for the assertion or assessment of any additional Taxes against
the Company or its Assets. No claim has been made by a taxing authority in
any
jurisdiction where the Company does not file tax returns or when the Company
is
or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.
(c) True,
correct, and complete copies of all federal or state income tax returns, tax
examination reports, and statements of deficiencies assessed against, or agreed
to by, the Company with respect to the last two years have been delivered to
Buyer.
(d) The
Company has not ever (i) joined in or been required to join in filing a
consolidated or combined federal, state, or local income tax return, (ii) been
the subject of a tax ruling that has continuing effect, (iii) been the subject
of a closing agreement with any taxing authority that has continuing effect,
or
(iv) granted a power of attorney with respect to any tax matters that has
continuing effect.
(e) The
Company is not a party to any tax-sharing agreement.
(f) The
Sellers are not a “foreign person” within the meaning of Section 1445 of the
Internal Revenue Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(g) The
Company does not own any interest in any entity characterized as a partnership
for federal income tax purposes, and the Sellers do not own any interest in
any
such entity that is related to the Business.
(h) Company
has fully paid and has no liability, including liability arising out of any
employer or co-employer arrangement, for payroll, social security or any other
taxes related to any employee, co-employee or independent
contractor.
(i) Neither
the Buyer nor the Company will have any Tax liability, whenever assessed, for
Tax period ending on or before the Closing Date solely as a result of the
transfer of the Shares to Buyer or the termination of the Subchapter S status
of
the Company.
6.10 Agreements.
Schedule
4(v)
contains
a true and complete list of all contracts, agreements, leases, mortgages,
obligations, arrangements, restrictions, and other instruments to which the
Company is a party or by which the Company or its assets may be bound. True
and
correct copies of all written items set forth on Schedule
4(v),
and a
memorandum describing in full each oral item or contract listed on Schedule
4(v),
have
been or will have been made available to Buyer prior to the date hereof. No
event has occurred that (whether with or without notice or lapse of time) would
constitute a default by the Company or Sellers under any of the contracts or
agreements set forth in Schedule
4(v),
and no
other party has alleged the existence of any such default. Neither the Seller
Shareholders nor the Company have Knowledge of any material default by the
other
parties to such contracts or agreements. Except as set forth in Schedule
6.5,
no
contract is presently expected to result in a loss to the Company upon
completion or performance thereof or payment thereunder. No contract contains
any covenant limiting or restricting the freedom of the Company to engage in
any
business or compete with any person. The Company has complied in all material
respects with all other provisions of all such contracts.
13
6.11 Title
to Property and Related Matters. The
Company has, and at the time of the Closing will have, good and marketable
title
to all of the Assets, and all additional assets, real, personal, and mixed,
acquired by it after the date of this Agreement, of any kind or character,
free
and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, or encumbrances, except
for liens for current taxes not yet delinquent. Except for matters that may
arise in the ordinary course of business, all of the Company’s assets are in
good operating condition and repair, reasonable wear and tear excepted, and
all
are owned, maintained and used in conformity with all applicable federal, state,
and local laws, regulations, and ordinances (including but not limited to
zoning, environmental, and occupational safety and health regulations). There
does not exist any condition that materially interferes with the use thereof
in
the ordinary course of the business of the Company. All non-cash assets
constituting, used principally in connection with, and necessary to the conduct
of, the Company’s Business are owned or leased by the Company. None of the
Company’s tangible personal property is subject to any contract for its sale to
any party other than in the ordinary course of business, and none of the
Company’s tangible personal property is subject to any contract for its use by
any party.
6.12 Patents,
Trademarks, Licenses. Except
as
set forth on Schedules
4(ii)(A), (E) or (G),
there
are no trademarks, copyrights or patents owned by or licensed to the Company
or
Sellers. All trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by the Company are free
and clear of all liens, encumbrances, or claims of third parties and are not
subject to any license. Schedule
4(ii)(A), (E) or (G)
contains
a complete list of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, domain names,
fictitious names, symbols, logos, trade dress, copyrights, and patents used
by
the Company in connection with its business. The Company has adequate and
sufficient rights, registered or unregistered, to use such intellectual property
as currently used in its business, free and clear of any lien or competing
rights or interests of other which would preclude or otherwise impair such
use
by the Company.
Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.12,
the
Company
has not infringed upon any intellectual property rights of any third person
or
entity, including without limitation any patent rights,
trademarks, trade names, copyrights, or other intellectual property
rights
and
the
operations of the Business as currently conducted do not infringe upon any
trademark, trade name, copyright or patent of any third party. The Company
has
not received any claim of infringement of any trademark, trade name, copyright,
patent application, or patent of any third party.
6.13 Due
Authorization. This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by all the Sellers
and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of all the Sellers, enforceable
against the Sellers in accordance with its terms, except as such enforcement
may
be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, and other similar
laws relating to, limiting, or affecting the enforcement of creditors rights
generally, or by the application of equitable principles. The Company has been
duly authorized to execute and deliver this Agreement. Neither the execution
and
delivery of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, nor compliance with any of the provisions hereof, will
violate any order, writ, injunction, or decree of any court or governmental
authority, or violate or conflict with in any material respect or constitute
a
default under (or give rise to any right of termination, cancellation, or
acceleration under), any provisions of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation
or Bylaws, the terms or conditions or provisions of any note, bond, lease,
mortgage, or agreement of any kind to which any of the Sellers or the Company
is
a party or by
14
which
any
of the Sellers or the Company or its properties may be bound, or violate in
any
material respect any statute, law, rule, or regulation applicable to the
Company.
6.14 Brokerage
Fees. Except
for eBiz Brokers, whose fees will be paid by the Sellers, neither the Company
nor the Sellers have incurred, and will not incur, any liability for brokerage
or finder’s fees or similar charges in connection with the transactions
contained within this Agreement.
6.15 Approvals
Required. No
approval, authorization, consent, order, or other action of, or filing with,
any
person, firm, or corporation or any court, administrative agency, or other
governmental authority is required in connection with the execution and delivery
by the Company or Sellers of this Agreement or the consummation by them of
the
transactions described herein, except to the extent that Sellers and Company
may
be required to file reports in accordance with relevant regulations under
federal and state securities laws upon execution of this Agreement and/or
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
6.16 Employee;
Benefit Plans.
(a) Schedule
6.16 (a),
attached hereto and made a part hereof, sets forth the number and names of
the
employees of Company as of the date hereof.
(b) Company
does not have any “employee benefit plans” (as such term is defined in Section
3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(“ERISA”)
.
Schedule
6.16(b)
identifies all programs, including, without limitation, any pension plans,
health and welfare plans, life, disability, medical, dental or hospitalization
insurance plans, sick-leave, vacation accrual or holiday plans, bonus, savings,
profit-sharing or other similar benefit plans, deferred compensation, stock
option, stock ownership and stock purchase plans covering employees or former
employees of Company (“Benefit
Programs”).
Company does not sponsor or contribute to, nor has it ever sponsored or been
required to contribute to, any “multiemployer plan” as such term is defined in
Section 3(37) of ERISA. As applicable with respect to each Benefit Program,
the
Company has delivered to the Buyer true and complete copies of (i) each Benefit
Program, including all amendments thereto, and in the case of an unwritten
Benefit Programs, a written description thereof, (ii) all trust documents,
investment management contracts, custodial agreements, and insurance contracts
relating thereto, (iii) the current summary plan description and each summary
of
material modifications thereof, (iv) the two (2) most recent summary annual
reports, actuarial reports, financial statements, and trustee reports, and
(v)
all records, notices, and filings concerning (x) any governmental audit or
investigations, (y) “prohibited transactions” within the meaning of Section 406
of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code and (z) “reportable
events” within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA. There are no pending or, to
the Company’s or Seller Shareholders’ Knowledge, threatened investigations or
audits by governmental agencies or any claims by or on behalf of the Benefit
Programs or by any employee of the Company alleging a breach or breaches of
such
plans, or fiduciary duties thereunder, violations of other applicable federal
or
state law with respect to the Benefit Programs or arising out of events relating
to the employment of the employees of the Company, which could result in a
monetary liability, or any material non-monetary liability, on the part of
the
Company under ERISA or any other law, nor, to the Knowledge of Sellers or the
Company, is there any basis for such a claim.
15
(c) Except
as
disclosed on Schedule
6.16 (a)
Company
does not have any written contracts, or oral contracts, including any
employment, management, agency, or consulting contracts, with respect to any
of
its current, former, or retired employees.
(d) Company
is not a party to any collective bargaining agreement and there are no union
organizational activities or efforts to effect a representation election pending
or threatened.
(e) Company
has complied in all material respects with all applicable laws relating to
the
employment of labor, wages, hours, working conditions, fringe benefits, and
the
payment of withholding and social security taxes.
(f) No
present or former employee of the Company has any claim against the Company
(whether under federal or state law, any employment agreement, or otherwise)
on
account of or for (a) overtime pay, other than overtime pay for the current
payroll period, (b) wages or salary for any period other than the current
payroll period, (c) vacation, time off, or pay in lieu of vacation or time
off,
other than that earned in respect of the current fiscal year, or (d) any
violation of any statute, ordinance or regulation relating to minimum wages
or
maximum hours of work.
(g) Neither
the Company nor any agent, representative or employee of the Company has
committed any unfair labor practice as defined in the National Labor Relations
Act of 1947, as amended, and there is not now pending or threatened any charge
or complaint against the Company by the National Labor Relations Board or any
representative thereof.
(h) Company
has not had any worker’s compensation claims asserted against it during the
three (3) years preceding the date hereof.
(i) With
regard to Schedule
6.16(b):
(i) All
contributions to, and payments from, any Benefit Programs which may have been
required in accordance with the terms of such Benefit Programs or any related
document have been timely made. All such contributions to, and payments from,
any Benefit Programs, except those to be made from a trust, intended to be
qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, for any period ending before the
Closing Date that are not yet, but will be, required, shall be paid on or before
the Closing Date.
(ii) Neither
the Company, nor any fiduciary, trustee or administrator of any Benefit
Programs, has engaged in or, in connection with the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement, will engage in any transaction with respect to any Benefit
Programs which would subject any such Benefit Programs, the Company, the
Sellers, or the Buyer to a tax, penalty, or liability for a “prohibited
transaction” under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the
Code.
(iii) All
insurance premiums with respect to any insurance policy related to any Benefit
Programs for any period up to and including the Closing Date shall have been
paid on or before the Closing Date, and, with respect to any such insurance
policy or
16
premium
payment obligation, neither the Company nor the Buyer shall be subject to a
retroactive rate adjustment, loss sharing arrangement, or other actual or
contingent liability.
(iv) With
respect to each Benefit Program that is a “group health plan” within the meaning
of Section 607 of ERISA and/or that is subject to Section 4980B of the Code,
the
Company complies in all respects with the continuation coverage requirements
of
the Code and ERISA.
(v) None
of
the Benefit Programs provides benefits, including, without limitation, death
or
medical benefits, beyond termination of service or retirement other than (A)
coverage mandated by law or (B) death or retirement benefits under Benefit
Programs qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code. Company has not made a
written or oral representation to any current or former employee promising
or
guaranteeing any employer paid continuation of medical, dental, life, or
disability coverage for any period of time beyond retirement or termination
of
employment, except for coverage mandated by law.
(vi) Company’s
execution of, and performance of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, will not constitute an event under any Benefit Programs that will
result in any payment (whether as severance pay or otherwise), acceleration,
vesting, or increase in benefits with respect to any employee. None of the
Benefit Programs provides for “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section
280G of the Code.
6.17 Environmental
Matters. Company
is in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations relating to environmental
protection and conservation (including, but not limited to, the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and the Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, as amended and all applicable state
laws pertaining to the environment), and neither Company nor the Sellers have
received any notification of any asserted present or past failure to so comply
with such laws, rules, or regulations. Company has obtained and is in compliance
with all permits, licenses, and other authorizations required under federal,
state, and local laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened
releases of pollutants, contaminants, or hazardous or toxic materials or wastes
into ambient air, surface water, ground water, or land, or otherwise relating
to
the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal,
transport, or handling of pollutants, contaminants or hazardous or toxic
materials or wastes (collectively “Environmental
Requirements”).
The
Company does not have or presently use, possess, generate, treat, manufacture,
process, handle, store, recycle, transport, or dispose of hazardous or toxic
materials, substances, wastes, pollutants or contaminants (including, without
limitation, petroleum, petroleum products, poly-chlorinated biphenyls),
radioactive materials, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials in quantities
or in a manner which requires any environmental permit or in a manner which
has
caused, causes, or threatens to cause a release. There are no circumstances
which may interfere with or prevent continued compliance, or which may give
rise
to any liability, or otherwise form the basis of any claim, or investigation
under Environmental Requirements, relating to the operation of Company’s
Business. For the purpose of this Section, “hazardous substances” or “hazardous
materials” shall include (1) hazardous substances as defined in the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as
amended, and regulations thereunder, and (2) any substance for which state
or
local laws require the clean-up, removal, or other special handling of such
materials or imposing
17
liability
based upon improper handling thereof. Except as disclosed on Schedule
6.17,
neither
the Premises, nor any other properties leased to the Company, nor any properties
formerly owned, operated, or leased by the Company or any of its predecessors
is
listed or proposed for listing on any list maintained by any governmental agency
of sites requiring remediation. The Company has not retained or assumed, by
contract, law, or otherwise, any liability or responsibility for any
environmental claims or conditions.
6.18 Insurance.
(a) Schedule
4(vii)
contains
a list of all policies of liability, environmental, crime, fidelity, life,
fire,
workers’ compensation, health, director, and officer liability and all other
forms of insurance currently in effect and owned or held by Sellers, and
identifies for each such policy, the underwriter, policy number, coverage type,
premium, expiration date, and deductible. All of the insurance policies listed
on Schedule
4(vii)
are
outstanding and in full force and effect and all premiums required to be paid
with respect to such policies are currently paid. Such policies adequately
insure the Company against liability (including products liability risks) and
against risks of fire, theft, casualty, and vandalism.
(b) With
respect to each insurance policy listed on Schedule
4(vii):
(i) Company
has paid all premiums on or before the applicable due date, has not received
any
notice from any issuers of such policies that such policies have been
terminated, cancelled, or are void, and Company has not submitted any claim
for
coverage under any such policy which has been denied on the basis that Company
did not have a valid and binding insurance policy;
(ii) Neither
the Company nor any other party to any such policy is in breach or default
(including with respect to the payment of premiums or the giving of notices)
and
no event has occurred which, with notice or the lapse of time, or both, would
constitute such a breach or default, or permit termination, modification, or
acceleration, under the policy;
(iii) Neither
the Company nor the Buyer shall be subject to a retroactive rate adjustment,
loss sharing arrangement, or other actual or contingent liability;
and
(iv) No
party
to the policy has repudiated any provision thereof.
(c) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
4(vii),
all
such insurance policies are on an “occurrence”, as opposed to a “claims made”,
basis.
(d) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
4(vii),
all
such insurance policies are sufficient for compliance with all requirements
of
law and the Contracts.
6.19 Customers.
Set
forth
on Schedule
6.19,
attached hereto and made a part hereof, is a list of Company’s customers. No
such customer has terminated or, to the Company’s or Seller Shareholders’
Knowledge, is presently threatening to terminate its relationship with Company,
or to renegotiate or otherwise change the terms and conditions, including,
without limitation, the price. The relationships between the Company and the
customers listed on Schedule
6.19
are on a
sound, commercial basis and the Company and Seller Shareholders have no reason
to believe that the relationships with such customers will not continue without
material
18
change
following the Closing. Except as set forth on Schedule
6.19,
there
are no commitments, special arrangements, promotional agreements, advertising
programs, or similar arrangements with any customers of the
Company.
6.20 Contractors.
With
respect to the Company’s contractors, consultants, and other independent
personnel set forth on Schedule
6.20,
attached hereto and made a part hereof, the Company’s classification of the
Contractors as independent contractors or employees is in full compliance with
both Internal Revenue Service and applicable state and local laws, rules and
regulations, and the Company has no liability for noncompliance with any such
law, rule or regulations. Company has maintained, monitored, and continues
to
maintain and monitor those Contractors who are independent contractors to assure
the Company’s compliance with Internal Revenue Service regulations.
6.21 Change
in Business. Neither
the Seller Shareholders nor the Company have been informed of any facts which
give it reason to believe that the services of contractors or personnel
currently operating or employed in its business will not be available to Buyer
for a reasonable period of time after the Closing for the continued conduct
of
the Company’s Business on substantially the same terms as at present (other than
as requested by Buyer) or that business relations currently maintained by the
Company with customers, suppliers, and others will not similarly be
maintained.
6.22 Licenses
and Permits.
(a) Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.22,
attached hereto and made a part hereof, (i) the permits, licenses, and
governmental authorizations described in Schedule
6.22
(collectively, “Licenses”)
constitute all of the Licenses required for and utilized in the ownership and
operation of the Business as it is currently being conducted, all of which
are
owned or held legally and beneficially by the Company; (ii) all Licenses are
in
full force and effect and good standing, and there are no violations of any
Licenses; (iii) the Company or the Sellers have not received any notice to
the
effect additional Licenses are required by the Company; (iv) no consent, waiver,
approval, license or authorization of or designation, declaration, or filing
with any governmental agency authority or any third party is required in
connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or any instrument
contemplated hereby or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby;
(v) no modification, suspension or cancellation of a License, or any proceeding
relating thereto, is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Seller Shareholders
or
the Company, threatened with respect to a License; and (vi) the Company has
complied with, and is currently in compliance with, all statutes, laws,
ordinances, rules, regulations, judgments, decrees, and orders, of any court
or
governmental or quasi-governmental authority, to which it is subject or by
which
it is bound and which affect the Licenses.
(b) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement, and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby will not result in a revocation or suspension
of, or require the amendment of, any License.
6.23 Related
Party Transactions. Except
as
set forth on Schedule
6.23,
attached hereto and made a part hereof, neither the Sellers nor any officer,
director, or employee of the
19
Sellers
or the Company nor any member of any such person’s or any of their immediate
family is presently a party to any transaction with the Company, including
without limitation, any contract, agreement, or other arrangement (i) providing
for the furnishing of services by, (ii) providing for the rental of real or
personal property from, or (iii) otherwise requiring payments (other than for
services as officers, directors, or employees of the Company) to any such
person, or to any corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity in which
any
such person has a substantial interest as a shareholder, officer, director,
trustee, or partner. Except as set forth on Schedule
6.23,
the
Company is not indebted, directly or indirectly, to (a) any Seller or any
officers, directors or employees of the Company or to any affiliate, other
than
in respect of items (and amounts) fully disclosed in the Closing Date Balance
Sheet, or (b) any officer, director, employee, or trustee of the Sellers for
any
liability or obligation, whether arising by reason of stock ownership, or other
written agreement or understanding or otherwise. Schedule
6.23
is a
complete and accurate list of all employees of the Company owing more than
$1,000 (except in respect of advances for business expenses, none of which
exceeds $1,000 individual or $3,000 in the aggregate) in principal to the
Company, setting forth the amounts owed, the applicable interest rates,
description of the security, and the maturity dates of all such
debts.
6.24 The
Premises.
(a) Schedule
4(vi)
discloses a complete list, and a brief description of all of Company’s leased
real property. All of the land, buildings, structures, and other improvements
located on the Premises are used by the Company in the conduct of and as part
of
its business.
(b) Except
as
indicated in Schedule
4(vi)
Company
has a valid leasehold interest in the Premises, free and clear of all mortgages,
liens, encumbrances, leases, equities, security interests, pledges, claims,
charges, easements, licenses, rights-of-way, covenants, conditions,
restrictions, options, and adverse or equitable claims or rights whatsoever,
except for liens, if any, for property taxes not yet due; provided that each
lease is subordinated to the interests of the landlord’s
mortgagees.
(c) Except
as
indicated in Schedule
4(vi),
with
respect to the Premises:
(i) To
the
Company’s Knowledge,
there
exists no fact or condition which, with the giving of notice or the passage
of
time or both, would result in the breach of any obligations of any landlord
under any lease to which Company is a party;
(ii) To
the
Company’s Knowledge,
any so
called hook-up fees and other associated charges assessed by utility companies
have been fully paid and each such utility or other service is provided by
a
public or private utility or service company;
(iii) To
the
Company’s Knowledge,
each
such building, structure, or other improvement on the Premises has direct access
to a public street adjoining the real property on which such improvement is
situated over the driveways and access ways currently being used in connection
with the use and operation of such improvement, and no existing driveway or
access way crosses or encroaches upon any property or property interest not
leased by the Company;
20
(iv) To
the
Company’s Knowledge,
all
buildings, structures, fixtures, and other improvements erected on such
properties, and the present use thereof, conform in all respects with all
applicable zoning, subdivision, building, land use, and other similar laws,
codes, ordinances, rules, regulations, and orders of governmental authorities
(or constitute a legal nonconforming use, the status of which would not be
affected as a result of any transfer of the property by operation of law or
otherwise), and applicable deed restrictions, and do not encroach on property
of
others;
(v) The
continued existence, use, occupancy, and operation of each such improvement,
and
the right and ability to repair and/or rebuild the same following damage or
destruction by fire or other casualty, is not dependent on the granting of
any
special permit, exception, approval, or variance;
(vi) There
is
no pending or, to the Company’s or Seller Shareholders’ Knowledge, threatened
(a) change of such zoning or building laws, ordinances, regulations, or other
laws adversely affecting any of the Premises or (b) condemnation of any such
properties;
(vii) Neither
the Sellers nor the Company has received any notice from any governmental
authority requiring work to be done or improvements to be made upon any of
the
Premises or has any Knowledge of the enactment or adoption of any ordinance
or
resolution by any such authority authorizing work or improvements for which
such
property may be assessed;
(viii) No
improvement or portion thereof (a) is dependent for its access, operation,
or
utility on any land, building, or other improvement not located on the Premises
or (b),
to the
Company’s Knowledge,
encroaches upon any property not included within the Premises or upon the area
of any easement affecting the Premises; and
(ix) To
the
Company’s Knowledge,
there
are no encroachments or other facts or conditions affecting any parcel
comprising the Premises that would be revealed by an accurate survey or careful
physical inspection thereof that would, individually or in the aggregate,
interfere in any material respect with the use, occupancy, or operation of
such
parcel as currently used, occupied and operated.
(d) Set
forth
on Schedule
4(vi)
is a
complete list of all lease agreements, subordination agreements, non-disturbance
agreements, attornment agreements, or similar agreements executed by the Company
and relating to the Premises, true and correct copies of which Company has
delivered to the Buyer.
(e) Company
does not own any real property.
6.25 Improper
Payments. Except
for non-cash gifts or transfers made in the ordinary course of business and
not
involving goods, services, or items with a value of more than $250, neither
Sellers nor the Company, nor any officer, director, employee, or agent of
Company, has at any time made gifts, gratuities, or payments in any other form,
whether in cash, goods, or services, to any persons or entities whatsoever,
in
payment for, or intended to encourage, or which resulted in or may have resulted
in or had the effect of obtaining,
21
encouraging,
or continuing the referral of persons or entities as customers of the Company's
business, or obtaining, encouraging, or extending any contractual relationship,
written or oral, for any of the same; nor has the Sellers or the Company or
any
officer, director, or, to the Knowledge of Sellers or Company, employee or
agent
of Company (i) entered into any arrangement, written or oral, under or pursuant
to which bribes, kickbacks, rebates, payoffs, or other forms of illegal or
improper payments or remuneration have been or will be made, provided for or
suffered, either directly, or indirectly through agents, brokers, distributors,
dealers, or other intermediaries, to any person or entity or (ii) made any
illegal or improper contribution of monies, services, or property to any
political party, candidate, or elected official for any purpose.
6.26 Full
Disclosure. All
Schedules, Exhibits and any other statements, charters, certificates, texts,
lists, schedules, memorandum, records, documents, agreements, contracts,
or any other materials or writings (collectively, “Statements”)
furnished by
the
Sellers, or by the Company at the direction of the Seller Shareholders
(including all Statements furnished by Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxx Xxxxx), to Buyer (or to Buyer’s auditors, BDO Xxxxxxx,
LLP, in connection with their audit of the Company’s financial
statements)
shall be
deemed to have been furnished by the Sellers. The
Seller Shareholders and the Company furnished to the Buyer’s auditors all
information requested by the auditors in connection with their audit of the
Company’s financial statements.
None of
the representations and warranties, or any other statement, made by the
Sellers,
or
by the
Company at the direction of the Seller
Shareholders
in this
Agreement, including all Statements furnished by Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxx Xxxxx, and including all Statements
furnished or to be furnished by the
Sellers
or the Company pursuant hereto, is or will be materially incorrect or
incomplete, or contains or will contain any material untrue statement of fact,
and none of such representations, warranties, and Statements omits or will
omit
to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained
herein or therein not misleading.
There
is
no material fact within the Knowledge of Sellers or the Company which Sellers
or
the Company have not disclosed in this Agreement, or in a Schedule hereto,
or in
a Statement, which has
or may
reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect on
the
Company,
the
Business, or the
prospects, operations, earnings, assets, liabilities, or condition (financial
or
otherwise) of the Company. The
representation and warranties
made
pursuant to this Section
6.26 shall
be
limited to the Knowledge of
the
Sellers, Seller Shareholders, or
Company,
as the
case may be,
if and
only if such representations and
warranties are
so
limited pursuant to another Section of this Agreement.
6.27 BWW Contract.
The
parties to the form of contract contained in Schedule
6.27,
attached
hereto and made a part hereof, have been operating under the material terms
of
such contract from
March
31, 2003,
through
the Closing Date (“BWW Contract”). The Sellers warrant that the BWW
Contract will
not
be terminated by BWW before the first anniversary of the Closing Date. The
Sellers further warrant that BWW will continue to purchase from the Company,
until the first anniversary of the Closing Date, BWW’s requirements for products
and services of the type now purchased from the Company under the BWW
Contract.
6.28 Subchapter
S Distributions. Prior
to
the Closing Date, the Company was a subchapter S corporation and thus made
distributions to its shareholders. Such
distributions were properly authorized and made, and neither the Company nor
the
Buyer have or shall have any
22
liability
for any taxes, penalties, interest or tax preparation fees as a result of such
distributions, whether assessed before or after Closing.
7. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER.
As
a
material inducement to the Sellers and the Company to enter into this Agreement
and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, Buyer does hereby make
the
following representations and warranties to the Sellers and the Company, which
representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects at this
date, and will be true and correct in all respects on the Closing Date as though
made on and as of such date.
7.1 Due
Organization. Buyer
is
a corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under
the
laws of the State of Delaware; Buyer is qualified to do business and is in
good
standing in each state where the properties owned, leased, or operated, or
the
business conducted, by it require such qualification except where failure to
so
qualify would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the financial condition,
properties, business, or results of operations of Buyer. Buyer has the corporate
power and authority to own its property and assets and to carry on its business
as now presently conducted.
7.2 Due
Authorization. This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed, and delivered by Buyer, and
constitutes a legal, valid, and binding obligation of Buyer, enforceable in
accordance with its terms except as such enforcement may be limited by
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, and other similar laws relating
to, limiting or affecting the enforcement of creditors rights generally or
by
the application of equitable principles. Neither the execution and delivery
of
this Agreement, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby,
nor compliance with any of the provisions hereof, will violate in any material
respect any order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or governmental
authority, or violate or conflict with in any material respect, or constitute
a
default under (or give rise to any right of termination, cancellation, or
acceleration under), any provisions of Buyer’s Certificate of Incorporation or
Bylaws, the terms or conditions or provisions of any note, bond, lease,
mortgage, or agreement of any kind to which Buyer is a party or by which Buyer,
or its respective properties may be bound, or violate in any material respect
any statute, law, rule, or regulation applicable to Buyer. No consent or
approval by any governmental authority is required in connection with the
execution and delivery by Buyer of this Agreement or the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby.
7.3 Brokerage
Fees. Except
for CapTrust Financial Advisors, whose fees will be paid by Buyer, Buyer has
not
incurred, and will not incur, any liability for brokerage or finder’s fees or
similar charges in connection with the transactions contained within this
Agreement.
7.4 Approval.
The
Boards of Directors of Buyer have approved the execution of this Agreement
and
the transactions contemplated hereby.
7.5 No
Approvals Required. No
approval, authorization, consent, order, or other action of, or filing with,
any
person, firm or corporation or any court, administrative agency, or other
governmental authority is required in connection with the execution and
23
delivery
by Buyer of this Agreement or the consummation by Buyer of the transactions
described herein, except to the extent that the parties may be required to
file
reports in accordance with relevant regulations under federal and state
securities laws.
7.6 Full
Disclosure. Buyer
hereby incorporates by reference Buyer’s reports filed with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act
of
1934 since February 15, 2005 (“SEC Disclosure Documents”). No material fact
required to be in such SEC Disclosure Documents is omitted from such SEC
Disclosure Documents and such SEC Disclosure Documents do not omit to state
any
material fact necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading.
7.7 Tax
Consequences. Buyer
makes no representations as to the tax consequences of the transactions subject
to the Agreement.
8. COVENANTS
OF THE PARTIES.
8.1 Disclosure
Documents.
(a) Buyer
shall supply to Sellers the SEC Disclosure Documents of Buyer for inclusion
in
any document(s) in connection with seeking their approval of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) Sellers
shall supply to Buyer the necessary information in writing, or cause the
necessary information to be supplied in writing, relating to Sellers for
inclusion in any documents or reports to be filed with the SEC or any regulatory
agency in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
8.2 Access
to Information. At
all
times prior to the Closing Date or the earlier termination of this Agreement
in
accordance with the provisions of Section
11,
Sellers
and Company shall provide to the Buyer (and the Buyer’s authorized
representatives) full access during normal business hours to the premises,
properties, books, records, assets, liabilities, operations, contracts,
personnel, financial information, and other data and information of or relating
to the Sellers and the Company (including without limitation all written
proprietary and trade secret information and documents, and other written
information and documents relating to intellectual property rights and matters),
and will cooperate with the Buyer in conducting its due diligence investigation
of the Company.
8.3 Confidentiality.
(a) Confidentiality
of Buyer-Related Information.
With
respect to information concerning Buyer that is made available to Sellers or
Company in connection with this Agreement, Sellers and Company agree that they
shall hold such information in strict confidence, shall not use such information
except for the sole purpose of evaluating the transactions contemplated by
this
Agreement, and shall not disseminate or disclose any of such information other
than to representatives who need to know such information for the sole purpose
of evaluating the transactions to be undertaken pursuant to this Agreement
(each
of whom shall be informed in writing by Sellers or Company of the confidential
nature of such information and directed by Sellers or Company to treat such
information confidentially). If this
24
Agreement
is terminated pursuant to the provisions of Section
11,
Sellers
and Company shall immediately return all such information, all copies thereof,
and all information prepared by Sellers or Company based upon the same, upon
Buyer’s request; provided, however, that one copy of all such material may be
retained by Sellers’ outside legal counsel for purposes only of resolving any
disputes under this Agreement. The above limitations on use, dissemination,
and
disclosure shall not apply to information that (i) is learned by Sellers or
the
Company from a third party entitled to disclose it; (ii) became known publicly
other than through Sellers or the Company or any party who received the same
through Sellers or the Company; (iii) is required by law or court order to
be
disclosed by Sellers or the Company (after notice and opportunity to oppose
such
disclosure); or (iv) is disclosed with the express prior written consent thereto
of Buyer. Sellers or the Company shall undertake all necessary steps to ensure
that the secrecy and confidentiality of such information will be maintained
in
accordance with the provisions of this subparagraph (a).
(b) Confidentiality
of Sellers-Related Information.
With
respect to information concerning Sellers or the Company that is made available
to Buyer in connection with this Agreement, Buyer agrees that until the Closing
it shall hold such information in strict confidence, shall not use such
information except for the sole purpose of evaluating the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and shall not disseminate or disclose any of
such
information other than to their directors, officers, employees, shareholders,
affiliates, agents, and representatives who need to know such information for
the sole purpose of evaluating the transactions to be undertaken pursuant to
this Agreement (each of whom shall be informed in writing by Buyer of the
confidential nature of such information and directed by Buyer to treat such
information confidentially). If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to the
provisions of Section
11,
Buyer
shall immediately return all such information, all copies thereof, and all
information prepared by it based upon the same, upon the Company’s request;
provided, however, that one copy of all such material may be retained by Buyer’s
outside legal counsel for purposes only of resolving any disputes under this
Agreement. The above limitations on use, dissemination, and disclosure shall
not
apply to information that (i) is learned by Buyer from a third party entitled
to
disclose it; (ii) became known publicly other than through Buyer or any party
who received the same through Buyer; (iii) is required by law or court order
to
be disclosed by Buyer (after notice and opportunity to oppose such disclosure);
(iv) is disclosed with the express prior written consent thereto of Sellers;
or
(v) is disclosed upon advice of securities counsel to Buyer to comply with
securities laws, rules or regulations. Buyer shall undertake all necessary
steps
to ensure that the secrecy and confidentiality of such information will be
maintained in accordance with the provisions of this subparagraph
(b);
8.4 Nondisclosure.
Neither
Buyer nor Sellers nor Company shall disclose to the public or to any third
party
the existence of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or
any
other material non-public information concerning or relating to the other
parties hereto, other than with the express prior written consent of the other
parties hereto, except as advised by legal counsel to comply with applicable
securities laws, law, or court order or to enforce the rights of such disclosing
party under this Agreement, in which event the contents of any proposed
disclosure shall be discussed with the other party before release; provided,
however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this
Agreement, any party hereto may disclose this Agreement to any of its directors,
officers, employees, shareholders, affiliates, agents, financial institutions,
and representatives who need to know such information
25
for
the
sole purpose of evaluating the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
to
any party whose consent is required in connection with this Agreement, or any
regulatory body where such disclosure is required under federal or state
law.
8.5 Public
Announcements. Buyer
and
Sellers shall issue a joint press release in substantially the form of
Exhibit
D
(“Press
Release”)
at such
time as Buyer determines. Buyer may make such other public statements which
Buyer’s counsel recommends for a public company. Buyer will notify Sellers prior
to release of any such public announcements. Sellers shall not make any other
public statements without the prior written approval of Buyer and Buyer’s
counsel.
8.6 Consents.
Buyer,
Company and Sellers shall cooperate and use their best efforts to obtain, prior
to the Closing Date, all licenses, permits, consents, approvals, authorizations,
qualifications, and orders of governmental authorities and parties to contracts
as are necessary for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
8.7 Filings.
Buyer,
Company and Sellers shall, as promptly as practicable, make any required
filings, and Buyer, Company and Sellers shall promptly make any other required
submissions, under any law, statute, order, rule, or regulation with respect
to
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the related transactions
and
shall cooperate with each other with respect to the foregoing.
8.8 All
Reasonable Efforts. Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and to the fiduciary duties and
obligations of the board of directors of Sellers and Buyer, each of the parties
to this Agreement shall use all reasonable efforts to take, or cause to be
taken, all action and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper,
or advisable under applicable laws and regulations, or to remove any injunctions
or other impediments or delays, legal or otherwise, as soon as reasonably
practicable, to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
8.9 Notification
of Certain Matters. Except
with respect to the actions required by this Agreement, Sellers and Company
shall give prompt notice to Buyer, and Buyer shall give prompt notice to
Sellers, of (a) the occurrence or non-occurrence of any event, the occurrence
or
non-occurrence of which would cause any of its representations or warranties
in
this Agreement to be untrue or inaccurate in any material respect at or prior
to
the Closing Date, and (b) any material failure of Sellers and Company, on the
one hand, or Buyer, on the other hand, as the case may be, to comply with or
satisfy any covenant, condition, or agreement to be complied with or satisfied
by it under this Agreement; provided, however, the delivery of any notice
pursuant to this Section shall not limit or otherwise affect the remedies
available to the party receiving such notice under this Agreement.
8.10 Bonuses
and Fees. Any
and
all accrued bonuses or other compensation over and above historic compensation
levels which may be due and owing to the Sellers from the Company shall be
discharged and the Company released from such obligations on or before the
Closing Date.
26
8.11 Documents
at Closing. Each
party to this Agreement agrees to execute and deliver on the Closing Date those
documents identified in Section
9.
8.12 Interim
Operations of Sellers. Except
as
contemplated by this Agreement, including any Exhibits and Schedules hereto,
during the period from the date of this Agreement and continuing until the
Closing Date, the Company (i) shall carry on its businesses only in the usual,
regular, and ordinary course in substantially the same manner as heretofore
conducted and, to the extent consistent with such business, use all reasonable
efforts to preserve intact its present organizations of such business, keep
available the services of its present officers and employees and preserve its
relationships with customers, suppliers, and others having business dealings
with it, (ii) shall not take any action, or fail to take any action, that is
reasonably likely to result in any of their respective representations and
warranties set forth in this Agreement becoming untrue as though such
representations and warranties are made as of and on the Closing Date, (iii)
will not authorize or consummate any dividends or distributions of any assets
to
Sellers, any consolidation, merger, sale of any of the assets other than in
the
ordinary course of business, or purchase of all or substantially all of the
assets of any entity, or any other extraordinary corporate transaction, (iv)
will not place any indebtedness or guaranty on the assets or place or allow
any
encumbrance on the assets and (v) will not terminate any material right or
settle or agree to settle any litigation.
8.13 Investment
Representation and Restricted Stock. The
Sellers are
acquiring the Acquisition Shares for investment purposes and not with a view
toward distribution. The Sellers and are
sophisticated and experienced in investing in securities of companies like
the
Buyer and are “accredited investors” as defined in Regulation D of the
Securities and Exchange Commission. All the Sellers are
located within the State of Michigan and have no residence outside such State.
Company has a total of three shareholders. Sellers acknowledge
that the Acquisition Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act
of
1933 (the “Act”)
or any
applicable state securities law and that the Securities may not be sold,
assigned, pledged, hypothecated, or transferred, unless there exists an
effective registration statement therefor under the Act and all applicable
state
securities laws or the Buyer has received an opinion of counsel, reasonably
acceptable to counsel for the Buyer, or other reasonable assurances, that such
sale, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, or transfer is exempt from
registration. The Sellers understand
that in the absence of an effective registration statement covering the
Acquisition Shares or an exemption therefrom under the Act and all applicable
state securities laws, the Acquisition Shares must be held indefinitely. In
particular, the Sellers are
aware
that the Acquisition Shares may not be sold pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated
under the Act, unless all conditions of Rule 144 are met. Among the conditions
for the use of Rule 144 may be the availability of current and adequate
information to the public about the Buyer. Buyer has no obligation to register
the Acquisition Shares. The Buyer may put on the stock certificates representing
the Acquisition Shares a legend relating to these restrictions.
8.14 Prohibition
on Trading in Buyer Stock. The
Sellers acknowledge
that the United States Securities Laws prohibit any person who has received
material non-public information concerning the matters which are the subject
matter of this Agreement or concerning Buyer generally from purchasing or
selling the securities of Buyer, or from communicating such information to
any
person under circumstances in which it is reasonably foreseeable that such
person is likely to purchase or sell securities of Buyer. Accordingly, the
Sellers agree
that they
27
will
not
purchase or sell any securities of Buyer, or communicate such material
non-public information to any other person under circumstances in which it
is
reasonably foreseeable that such person is likely to purchase or sell securities
of Buyer, until the later of (i) 72 hours following the filing of a Current
Report on Form 8-K with the SEC announcing the Closing pursuant to this
Agreement or (ii) confirmation from Buyer that the Sellers do
not
possess material nonpublic information about Buyer. Key Employee hereby agrees
to comply with the Code of Ethics and Corporate Conduct, and Policy on Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx and Unauthorized Disclosures
of Buyer. If
at any
time after the Closing Date
the
Buyer
registers any shares of common stock,
and
if
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx is allowed to participate in such registration, then the
Sellers and
other
persons identified in Schedule 3.1(ii) shall
also
be
allowed to participate in
such
registration; provided, however, this provision shall not apply to any Form
S-8,
or successor form, registration statement that includes Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx.
8.15 Independent
Contractors. If,
with
respect to any period prior to the Closing, any governmental authority (i)
challenges the status as independent contractors of the contractors set forth
on
Schedule
6.20
or any
other contractors of Company; or (ii) asserts the applicability to Company’s
employees or contractors, including the Contractors set forth on Schedule
6.20,
of
statutes, ordinances, or regulations regulating the wages, working conditions
and hours of employment of such individuals, then any payroll or other taxes
and
any interest or penalties attributable thereto and any liability for additional
employment compensation and any fines or penalties connected therewith shall
be
the obligation of the Sellers subject to the exclusive
remedy and limitations provided in Sections
10.1
and
10.2
hereafter.
8.16 Expenses. The
parties
shall
bear their
own
expenses in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
8.17 Conduct
of Company’s Business Following the Closing Date.
(a) Neither
Sellers, nor an affiliate of Sellers, either prior to and including or
subsequent to the Closing Date, nor any employee of Sellers or an affiliate
of
Sellers shall compete with Buyer or the Company in regard to the Business or
any
other business conducted by Buyer or Company, or an affiliate or subsidiary
of
Buyer or the Company for a period of four (4) years following the Closing
Date.
(b) The
Employees and the Key Employee shall work exclusively for the Buyer or the
Company, and shall terminate as of the Closing Date any employment, consulting,
or service providing relationship of any nature with any other entity. No
activity outside of the scope of the employment relationship with Buyer or
Company shall be performed by the Key Employee and the Employees on the
Premises. No records or files of any other entity shall be maintained on the
Premises, and no resources of the Buyer or the Company shall be used for the
benefit of any entity, other than the Buyer or Company. The parties acknowledge
that the Key Employee is authoring a book, and has various real estate
investments, and agree that such activities may continue after the Closing
so
long as they do not interfere with the Key Employee’s performance as the
vice
president and chief operating officer
of the
Company.
(c) The
Sellers covenant that they shall not directly or indirectly, on behalf of
themselves or on behalf of any other person, firm, partnership, corporation,
association
28
or
other
entity, call upon any of the customers or clients of the Company or Buyer for
the purpose of soliciting or providing any product or service similar to that
provided by the Company or Buyer, nor will they, in any way, directly or
indirectly, for themselves, or on behalf of any other person, firm, partnership,
corporation, association, or other entity solicit, divert or take away, or
attempt to solicit, divert, or take away any of the customers, clients,
business, or patrons of the Company or the Buyer.
(d) The
Sellers covenant that they shall not directly or indirectly, on behalf of
themselves or on behalf of any other person, firm, partnership, corporation,
association or entity, contract with, induce or attempt to influence, any
individual or entity who is an employee, contractor, agent or representative
of
the Company or the Buyer to terminate or otherwise impair her employment or
relationship with the Company or the Buyer.
(e) The
Key
Employee shall be the vice
president and chief operating officer
of the
Company, and shall report directly to the President of the Company
the
Chief
Executive Officer of the Buyer,
or the
person otherwise indicated by the Chief Executive Officer
of the
Buyer. As long as the Company’s cost of operations, EBITDA (earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) as set forth on Schedule
8.17(e),
and
other financial performance parameters remain substantially similar to, or
better than, the equivalent figures for the Company for 2004, the Key
Employee
shall be
authorized (i) to operate the Company in accordance with the projected operating
expense table set forth in Schedule
3.2,
and
(ii) enter into obligations and make payments thereunder on behalf of the
Company in accordance with Schedule
3.2,
which
payments shall be made by the Key
Employee
on
behalf of the Company, using the proceeds in the Lock
Box
Account
to make
such payments. Notwithstanding the above, except as contemplated by this
Agreement, the Key
Employee
must
obtain the approval in writing of the President
of the Company or the Chief
Executive Officer of the Buyer to (iii)
make any
payments or enter into any obligations on behalf of the Company that create
a
liability in excess
of
twenty thousand ($20,000) dollars, (iv)
make
and capital investment or enter into any transaction out of the ordinary course
of business, (v)
enter
into any revenue producing contract with a total value in excess of fifty
thousand ($50,000) dollars and (vi)
commit
the Company to provide services for a period of time greater than six (6)
months. Until all amounts due Sellers pursuant to Section
3.1
of this
Agreement are paid in full, and subject to the restriction herein contained,
Key
Employee shall make all decisions as the vice
president
of the
Company with regard to the best interests of the Buyer, Company, and Sellers;
provided,
however,
except
as provided in the following sentence and subsections (h) and (i)
below,
that
should there be a conflict among the interests of such parties, the Key Employee
shall so inform the President
of the Company or the Chief Executive Officer of the Buyer,
and the
President or Chief Executive Officer
shall
decide upon a course of action, subject to (vii)
maintaining
a
minimum
of $500,000 in the Lock Box Account or (viii)
terminating the security interest as set forth in Section
3.2
should
President’s
or Chief Executive Officer’s
decision materially affect the operations of the Company so as to render
the earnings
from
operations to be substantially less than the
amount
set
forth in Schedule
8.17(e).
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section, any actions
taken in good faith by the President of the Company to comply with the advice
of
legal counsel to the Company in regards to Michigan or federal laws, regulations
or rules, or to change the administrative, legal, financial or human resource
policies, practices and procedures of the Company to comply with such Michigan
or federal laws, regulations or rules, as well as any rules, regulations or
laws
applicable to the Buyer that the Company is required to comply
29
with,
shall be deemed not to be a conflict among the interest of the parties, and
therefore the provisions set forth in the preceding sentence shall not
apply.
(f) All
outstanding stock options of the Company, whether held by the employees of
the
Company or others prior to the Closing Date, shall terminate on the Closing
Date. The Employees shall be entitled to receive employee stock options of
the
Buyer on a case by case basis pursuant to the Buyer’s existing employee stock
option plan. Buyer shall make available 100,000 options of its common stock
for
issuance to the Employees, which options shall be issued in the sole discretion
of the Buyer.
(g) For
any
calendar quarter commencing after September 30, 2005, to the extent that the
Company’s revenues for any calendar quarter, calculated in accordance with GAAP,
are greater than nine-hundred thousand ($900,000) dollars, and provided that
there is a Lock Box Excess at the end of such calendar quarter, the (i) Sellers
shall each be entitled to receive a payment representing fifty (50%) percent
of
the Lock Box Excess to the extent there is a balance due on the payment due
and
owing Seller under Section
3.1(i)(b),
and
(ii) Buyer shall be entitled to receive fifty (50%) percent of the Lock Box
Excess. The balance due and owing the Sellers under Section
3.1(i)(b)
shall be
reduced by the amount of any payments made pursuant to this Section
8.17(g).
(h) The
Key
Employee shall use his best efforts to a
new
lease of
the Premises to the Company, on terms substantially equivalent to those in
the
Company’s existing lease dated July 19, 2000, for a period of 36-months, no
later than 60 days after the Closing, and
shall
be authorized to execute the new lease on behalf of the Company, subject
to the approval of the Buyer
(which
shall not unreasonably be withheld, conditioned, or delayed),
despite
the possibility that Key Employee may acquire the Premises from the landlord.
Further, Key Employee shall have the right, despite any conflict of interest
or
fiduciary obligation to the Company or the Buyer, to acquire the Premises from
the landlord subject to the lease of the Premises to the Company.
(i) If
any
default in payment of the Installment Payments or Noncompetition Payments is
not
cured within ninety days (90) after receipt of written notice from the Sellers,
then (i) the Key Employee shall be released from his obligations under Sections
7, 8 (as limited below), and 9 (as limited below) of his Employment Agreement,
(ii) Xxxxx Xxxxx shall be released from his obligations under Sections 7, 8
(as
limited below), and 9 (as limited below) of his Employment Agreement, (iii)
Xxx
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx shall be released from his obligations under Sections 1, 2
(as
limited below), and 3 (as limited below) of his Non-Compete Agreement, and
(iv)
the Key Employee shall be given a, royalty-free, nonexclusive license to use
the
xXX software and OneDomain, including the right to modify the software,
effective beginning on the 91st day after the foregoing written notice of
default and terminating eighteen months (18) thereafter.
The
foregoing releases shall become effective by lapse of time, without the need
for
any affirmative action by the Buyer or the Company. The foregoing releases
under
Section 8 of the Employment Agreements and Section 2 of the Non-Competition
Agreement shall be strictly limited to information concerning OneDomain and
the
xXX software pertaining to the customers identified on Schedule
6.19.
The
foregoing releases under Section 9 of the Employment Agreements and Section
3 of
the Non-Competition Agreement shall be strictly limited to Xxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx and up to five other employees. The Sellers
30
shall
take reasonable steps at Buyer’s request to assist Buyer in retaining the
customers identified on Schedule 6.19 for products other than OneDomain and
xXX
software. The remedy provided in this subsection (i) shall be in addition to
all
remedies the Sellers may have, at law or in equity, for default in payment
of
the Installment Payments or the Noncompetition Payments or any other breach
by
the Buyer or the Company.
(j) The
Buyer
may cause the Company to reincorporate under Delaware law by merging with and
into a Delaware corporation that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Buyer
and
formed by the Buyer for this purpose.
8.18 Parties’
Access to Records After Closing. Sellers
acknowledge that all customer lists, records, and other information pertaining
to the Company, the Business, or its customers is proprietary, confidential
information and that on and after the Closing Date, all such lists, records,
and
information shall be the remain the property of the Company. Sellers agree
to
deliver to the Company, all records in its possession relating to any of the
assets, liabilities, or business of the Company for all time periods hereof
ended on or prior to the Closing Date, or to the transactions contemplated
herein. In the event that either party needs access to such records in the
possession of the other party relating to any of the assets, liabilities, or
business of the Company or to the transactions contemplated herein for the
purpose of preparing income tax returns or financial statements or for complying
with any audit request, subpoena or other investigative demand by any
governmental authority, or for any civil litigation or any other legitimate
purpose not injurious to the other party, each party will allow representatives
of the other party reasonable access to such records during normal business
hours at such party’s place of business for the sole purpose of obtaining
information for use as aforesaid and will permit such other party to make
extracts and copies thereof as may be necessary or convenient and, if required
for such purpose, to have access to and copies of original documents (at the
requesting party's expense).
8.19 Prorations.
(a) With
respect to those charges (including, without limitation, lease payments, real
estate taxes, water and sewer rents, if any, utility charges, telephone bills,
and similar items) which relate to a period both prior to and subsequent to
the
Closing Date, any invoices or statements received by either party which cover
such period shall be prorated by Buyer in good faith between Buyer and Sellers
according to the number of working or calendar days, as applicable, in the
period covered by such invoice or statement during which Buyer and Sellers,
respectively, operated the Business and each shall pay its allocable share
thereof, either directly or by way of reimbursement if the other party shall
have paid the same, upon receipt of an invoice therefor or evidence of such
payments, as applicable.
(b) At
the
Closing, Sellers and Buyer shall adjust as necessary for any and all wages
and
payroll taxes (i) either paid by Sellers for periods subsequent to the Closing
Date for the benefit of Buyer and/or those employees of Company who are employed
by Buyer subsequent to the Closing Date or (ii) incurred by Sellers and paid
by
Buyer and relating to periods prior to the Closing Date, and shall adjust for
other employment-related expenses with respect to such employees.
31
8.20 Competing
Offers. From
the
date of this Agreement until the Closing or termination hereof, the Sellers
shall not solicit or encourage inquiries or proposals with respect to, or
furnish any information relating to, or participate in any negotiations or
discussions concerning, any merger, acquisition, or purchase of any portion
of
the assets or Company or involving the stock of Company, other than as
contemplated by this Agreement, except those which are consented to in writing
by Buyer in its sole discretion; and to notify Buyer immediately if any such
inquiries or proposals are received by, or such information is requested from,
or any such negotiations or discussions are sought to be initiated with Sellers.
In the event that Sellers violate this Section
8.20,
then
notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary in this Agreement, Sellers
shall be responsible for paying all of Buyer’s legal, accounting, consulting,
and other expenses related to the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
8.21 Distributions
to Shareholders;
Bonus
to Xxxxx.
The
Buyer
acknowledges, that Company is a subchapter S corporation and, as such, will
make
distributions to shareholders.
The
Buyer further acknowledges that the Company will pay bonus compensation to
Xxxxx
Xxxxx pursuant to his Bonus Compensation Agreement, but such bonus compensation
must be paid at or before the Closing.
8.22 Tax
Returns.
The
Sellers shall be responsible for the preparation and timely filing (without
extension) of all corporate tax returns and tax reports required by law of
the
Company for all periods ending on or prior to the Closing Date. The Sellers
shall pay the costs associated with such preparation. Copies of all such returns
shall be delivered into the possession of the Buyer immediately upon
preparation.
8.23 UCC
Financing Statement. From
time
to time after the Closing, and at the request of Sellers, the Buyer shall cause
the Company to execute UCC financing statements, in customary form, for filing
in such locations as necessary or appropriate, with respect to the security
interest provided in Section
3.2
of this
Agreement.
8.24 Lock
Box Withdrawals. The
persons described in Section
3.2
whose
written authorization is necessary for withdrawals from the Lock Box Account
shall promptly execute such written authorizations as may be necessary or
appropriate from time to time to authorize withdrawals from the Lock Box Account
for the purposes described in Section 3.2, and shall not unreasonably withhold,
condition, or delay such written authorizations.
8.25 Further
Assurances; Post Closing Assistance. At
the
Closing, and from time to time thereafter, Sellers shall, at the request of
Buyer take whatever action that Buyer or counsel for Buyer may reasonably
request, in order to more effectively transfer and convey the Shares to the
Buyer and aid Buyer in the continued operation of the Business of the Company.
Sellers shall, at the request of Buyer, cooperate with Buyer in sending a notice
to Company's customers and suppliers to assist Buyer in continuing to enjoy
good
relationships with such customers and suppliers.
32
9. THE
CLOSING.
9.1 Time
and Place. The
closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
(the “Closing”)
shall
be at 11:30 p.m. on October 17,
2005
(the “Closing
Date”)
at
the
offices of the Buyer. Closing may be by facsimile and email, except for the
execution and delivery of stock certificates.
9.2 Deliveries
by Sellers. At
the
Closing and against the deliveries to be made by the Buyer pursuant to
Section
9.3
hereof,
Sellers shall deliver the following to the Buyer:
(i) Stock
certificates evidencing all the Shares, together with stock powers executed
by
the Seller in form and substance satisfactory to Buyer.
(ii) A
certified copy of resolutions of the Board of Directors and shareholders of
Company authorizing the making, execution, and delivery of this Agreement and
each of the agreements and instruments executed in connection herewith or
delivered pursuant hereto and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby, together with an incumbency certificate, each of which shall be
certified as true, correct and complete as of the Closing Date by the Secretary
of Company;
(iii) The
opinion of counsel to Seller, in substantially the form of Exhibit
E
hereto;
(iv) All
consents and approvals required as set forth in this Agreement;
(v) The
Employment Agreement between the Buyer and Xxxx Xxxxxx substantially in the
form
of Exhibit
A
hereto
duly executed by the Buyer and Xxxx Xxxxxx;
(vi) The
Employment Agreement between the Buyer and Xxxxx Xxxxx substantially in the
form
of Exhibit
B hereto
duly executed by the Buyer and Xxxxx Xxxxx;
(vii) A
Non-Compete Agreement between the Buyer and Xxx
Xxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
substantially in the form of Exhibit
F
hereto
duly executed by the Buyer and Xxx
Xxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx;
(viii) A
Non-Disclosure
Agreement
between
the Buyer and each of the Employees substantially in the form of Exhibit
G
duly
executed by each of the Employees and the Buyer;
(ix) A
Certificate signed by each of the Employees and Key Employee in the form of
Exhibit
H
certifying that each has read and agrees to the terms of the Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
and
Unauthorized Disclosures Policy of the Buyer;
33
(x) A
Certificate signed by each of the Employees and Key Employee in the form of
Exhibit
I
certifying that each has read and agrees to the terms of the Code of Ethics
and
Disclosure Policy of the Buyer;
(xi) A
copy
duly executed by Company of an Officers’ Certificate stating that the
representations and warranties of Company and Sellers set forth in this
Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date, and that all covenants
of
Sellers and Company to be performed at or prior to Closing have been duly
performed;
(xii) A
good
standing certificate with respect to Company issued by the Secretary of State
for Michigan within ten (10) days prior to the Closing Date;
(xiii) An
Assignment from the Company to Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx of BayBerry Gifts business,
which means the business conducted through the website located at xxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx,
not
including any portion of the E-Commerce System, effective prior to the
Closing;
(xiv) A
License
Agreement signed by the Company and Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx in the form of Exhibit
J
hereto
regarding the E-Commerce System;
(xv) A
Lock
Box Agreement signed by the
parties
thereto
in the
form of Exhibit
C;
(xvi) A
Release
executed by Sellers and
all
employees in
form
of Exhibit
K
hereto;
(xvii) Instruction
Letter from the Sellers to Smart Online concerning the issuance
of the
Acquisition Shares in the form of Exhibit
L
hereto;
(xviii) Restricted
Securities Letter from Xxxxx Xxxxx and eBiz Brokers to the Buyer in the form
of
Exhibit
M
hereto;
(xix) The
written resignations of the Sellers as directors and corporate officers of
the
Company, effective upon the Closing; and
(xx) Such
other documents as are reasonably requested by the Buyer in connection with
the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereto.
9.3 Deliveries
by the Buyer. At
the
Closing and against the deliveries to be made
by
Sellers pursuant to Section
9.2
hereof,
the Buyer shall deliver to Sellers the following:
(i) The
Acquisition Shares to be issued as set forth in Schedule
3.1 (ii);
(ii) A
certified copy of resolutions of the Boards of Directors of the Buyer
authorizing the making, execution, and delivery of this Agreement and each
of
the agreements executed in connection herewith or delivered pursuant hereto
and
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereto, together with an
incumbency certificate, each of which
34
shall
be
certified as true, correct and complete as of the Closing Date by the Secretary
of the Buyer;
(iii) Fully
executed counterparts to any of the instruments to be delivered by Sellers
or
Company pursuant to Section
9.2
hereof
that require execution by the Buyer;
(iv) A
copy
duly executed by the Buyer of an Officers’ Certificate stating that the
representations and warranties of Buyer set forth in this Agreement are true
and
correct as of the Closing Date, and that all covenants of Buyer to be performed
at or prior to Closing have been duly performed;
(v) The
Employment Agreement between the Buyer and Xxxx Xxxxxx in substantially the
form
of Exhibit
A
hereto
duly executed by the Buyer and Xxxx Xxxxxx;
(vi) The
Employment Agreement between the Buyer and Xxxxx Xxxxx substantially in the
form
of Exhibit
B
hereto
duly executed by the Buyer and Xxxxx Xxxxx;
(vii) A
Non-Compete Agreement between the Buyer and Xxx
Xxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
substantially in the form of Exhibit
F
hereto
duly executed by the Buyer and Xxx
Xxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx;
(viii) A
Non-Disclosure between the Buyer and each of the Employees substantially in
the
form of Exhibit
G
duly
executed by each of the Employees and the Buyer;
(ix) A
Lock-Box Agreement signed by the Buyer, the Sellers and the Company in the
form
of Exhibit
C;
(x) A
copy
of the
Buyer’s 2004 Equity Compensation Plan; and
(xi) Such
other documents as are reasonably requested by Sellers in connection with the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
10. INDEMNIFICATION.
10.1 Sellers.
(a) The
Sellers, jointly and severally to
the
extent provided
in
Section
10.2(a),
shall
indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Buyer from and against any and all demands,
claims, actions or causes of action, judgments, assessments, losses,
liabilities, damages, or
penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees and related disbursements
(collectively, “Claims”)
incurred by Buyer or the Company which arise out of or result from (i) any
misrepresentation, breach of warranty, or breach or non-fulfillment of any
covenant of the Sellers, Seller Shareholders and/or the Company, the Employees,
or the Key Employees contained herein or in
35
the
Schedules or Exhibits annexed hereto or in any other documents or instruments
furnished or to be furnished by the Sellers, the Company, the Employees, or
the
Key Employees pursuant hereto or in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby, whether asserted by Buyer or the Company in
its
own right or asserted against Buyer or the Company by any third-party, or any
allegation which, if true, would constitute a misrepresentation or breach or
non-fulfillment of any such covenant of Sellers, the Company, the Employees,
or
the Key Employees (ii) any claims of any Seller or third-parties arising out
of
or relating to the ownership of the Company or operation of the Business by
Sellers prior to the
Closing,
(iii)
any claim made by a lender or any creditor of Company or any Seller against
Buyer, including any claim that arises from the non-payment by Company’s
customers, termination of contracts with Company’s customer, or termination of
the business, (iv) any breach of any non-competition or non-disclosure
obligations of Sellers, the Company, Employees, or Key Employees hereunder
or in
the Schedules annexed hereto or in any other documents or instruments furnished
or to be furnished by the Sellers, Company, Employees, or Key Employees, (v)
any
liabilities of Company
arising out of or relating to the ownership of
the
Company or
operation of the Business
by
Sellers prior to the
Closing,
whether
accrued, absolute, contingent, or otherwise, (vi) any claim
made against the Buyer arising out of the contracts set forth in Sections
6.16
and 6.20
(with
respect
to products or services provided prior to the
Closing)
(vii)
any claim made against the Company arising out of the contracts set forth in
Sections
6.16
and 6.20
(with
respect to products or services provided prior to the
Closing),
(viii)
any liabilities of the Company arising out of the claims set forth in
Schedule5(ii),
including any costs incurred by the Company in its defense or otherwise
pertaining to such litigation, (vii) any claims made by any lender, creditor,
shareholder, customer or any other person or entity in relation to the merger
of
Winsoft Inc. with the
Company pursuant to the
certificate of merger filed on April 2, 2001,
(ix) any
claims made
by any
lender, creditor or customer in relation to Bayberry Company, (x) any
liabilities as a result of any tax issues set forth in Schedule
5(v),
(xi)
the amount of any claims or security interests held by creditors or lenders
in
relation to any of the Assets, (xii) any charge back on any credit cards for
amounts collected by the Company prior to the Closing,
(xiii)
any amounts by which payments received by the Company under the contract
contained in Schedule
6.27
are less
than those due and owing the Company under such contract for the term of such
contract, as well as any breach of the warranty set forth in Section
6.27,
(xiv)
any
Tax
liability,
including any penalties, interest or preparation fees, as a result of the
failure of
the
Sellers to properly and accurately prepare and file the tax returns, or pay
any
taxes thereto, required
under Section
8.22,
(xv)
any liability as a result of distributions made pursuant to Section
6.28,
and
(xvi) any
Tax
liability resulting from the distribution of Acquisition Shares
pursuant
to Schedule
3.1(ii).
(b) The
Sellers, jointly and severally to
the
extent provided
in
Section
10.2(a),
shall
indemnify the Buyer if a termination by the Company for cause or by the employee
for whatever reason occurs under the Employment Agreements between Buyer,
Company and
each of
Xxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxx Xxxxx (Exhibits
A and B
respectively), during the Employment Period, as that term is defined in such
Employment Agreements. The Sellers acknowledge that such Employment Agreements
are an essential part of this Agreement and that the termination of employment
thereunder during the Employment Period would seriously damage the Buyer.
Therefore the Sellers agree and acknowledge that the value of the
indemnification under this Section
10.1(b)
shall be
the amount by which the revenues of the Company for Fiscal Years 2005, 2006
and
2007 are each less than the revenues of the Company for Fiscal Year 2004 as
set
forth in Schedule
6.2(a).
Any
indemnification amounts due and payable under this Section
36
10.1(b)
shall be
reduced by any indemnification payments received by Buyer pursuant to the
indemnity provision in Section
10.1(a)(xiii).
(c) Notwithstanding
the terms of
this
Section
10.1,
the
shall
not be liable to Buyer for the first $50,000 in aggregate claims sustained
by
Buyer arising out of the provisions
of this Section
10.1.
(d) The
indemnification provided in this Section
10.1
shall be
the exclusive
remedy of the Buyer against the Sellers for all matters described herein, and
the exclusive remedy for any related claim the Company may have against any
of
the Sellers
for any such matter, and the Sellers shall have no other liability, at law
or in
equity, to the Buyer or the Company for any such matter.
10.2 Limitation
on Liability. The
liability of the Sellers for indemnification shall be limited as provided in
this Section
10.2.
(a) All
indemnification shall be payable as follows: (i) by the forfeiture of the number
of Acquisition Shares that represent the value of the indemnification; (ii)
if
the indemnification exceeds the value of the Acquisition Shares forfeited by
the
Sellers, then from any proceeds received by Sellers from the disposition of
any
of the Acquisition Shares, if any; and (iii) if the indemnification exceeds
the
amount paid to Buyer under clauses (i) and (ii), then Sellers shall pay Buyer
an
amount equal to the remaining balance of the indemnification up to five hundred
thousand dollars ($500,000). The
indemnification payable from the sources described clause (i) and clause (ii)
shall be several, and not joint, among the Sellers in proportion to the Shares
sold by each.
The
indemnification payable from the amount provided in clause (iii) shall be joint
and several among the Seller Shareholders, and payable solely by the Seller
Shareholders.
(b) For
purposes of Section
10.2(a)(i),
the
value of the Acquisition Shares shall be $8.427 per share.
(c) Sellers
indemnification under Section
10.1
shall be
limited to the amounts set forth in Section
10.2(a).
(d) All
claims against the Sellers for indemnification must be made within the time
period provided in this subsection (d) or the claim shall be forever
barred.
(i) Any
claim
for breach of the representations and warranties in Section
6.1
may be
made at any time.
(ii) Any
claim
for breach of the representations and warranties in Sections
6.9, 6.28, 8.21 and 8.22
may be
made at any time within the applicable limitation period for assessment of
the
Tax involved.
(iii) All
other
claims for indemnification must be made within one
year
after
the Closing Date.
37
10.3 Buyer.
Buyer
shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Sellers from and against any and
all
Claims incurred by the Sellers which arise out of or result from
misrepresentation, breach of warranty or breach or non-fulfillment of any
covenant of Buyer contained herein or in the Schedules or Exhibits annexed
hereto or in any other documents or instruments furnished by Buyer pursuant
hereto or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or
thereby.
10.4 Methods
of Asserting Claims for Indemnification. All
claims for indemnification under this Agreement shall be asserted as
follows:
(a) Third
Party Claims.
In the
event that any Claim for which a party (the “Indemnitee”)
would
be entitled to indemnification under this Agreement is asserted against or
sought to be collected from the Indemnitee by a third party, the Indemnitee
shall promptly notify the other party (the “Indemnitor”)
of
such Claim, specifying the nature thereof, the applicable provision in this
Agreement or other instrument under which the Claim arises, and the amount
or
the estimated amount thereof (the “Claim
Notice”).
The
Indemnitor shall have 30 days (or, if shorter, a period to a date not less
than
10 days prior to when a responsive pleading or other document is required to
be
filed but in no event less than 10 days from delivery or mailing of the Claim
Notice) (the “Notice
Period”)
to
notify the Indemnitee (i) whether or not it disputes the Claim and (ii) if
liability hereunder is not disputed, whether or not it desires to defend the
Indemnitee. If the Indemnitor elects to defend by appropriate proceedings,
such
proceedings shall be promptly settled or prosecuted to a final conclusion in
such a manner as to minimize any risk of additional damage to the Indemnitee;
and all costs and expenses of such proceedings and the amount of any judgment
shall be paid by the Indemnitor. If the Indemnitee desires to participate in,
but not control, any such defense or settlement, it may do so at its sole cost
and expense. If the Indemnitor has disputed the Claim, as provided above, and
shall not defend such Claim, the Indemnitee shall have the right to control
the
defense or settlement of such Claim, in its sole discretion, and shall be
reimbursed by the Indemnitor for its reasonable costs and expenses of such
defense if it shall thereafter be found that such Claim was subject to
indemnification by the Indemnitor hereunder.
(b) Non-Third
Party Claims.
In the
event that the Indemnitee shall have a Claim for indemnification hereunder
which
does not involve a Claim being asserted against it or sought to be collected
by
a third party, the Indemnitee shall promptly send a Claim Notice with respect
to
such Claim to the Indemnitor. If the Indemnitor does not notify the Indemnitee
within the Notice Period that it disputes such Claim, the Indemnitor shall
pay
the amount thereof to the Indemnitee. If the Indemnitor disputes the amount
of
such Claim, the controversy in question shall be submitted to arbitration
pursuant to Section
11
hereof.
(c) Cooperation
of Parties.
If
either party chooses to defend or participate in the defense of any liability,
it shall have the right to receive from the other party, subject to any
restriction of applicable law or that may be necessary to preserve the privilege
of attorney-client communications, any books, records, or other documents within
such other party’s control that are necessary or appropriate for such
defense.
(d) Each
Indemnitee shall use reasonable efforts to collect any amounts available under
any third-party insurance coverage for any loss for which the
38
Indemnitee
seeks indemnification under this Agreement, and to obtain any waiver of
subrogation included in the insurance coverage. All such amounts (less the
Indemnitee’s reasonable costs of collection) shall reduce the Indemnitor’s
liability for indemnification under this Agreement. If the Indemnitee collects
any such amount after the Indemnitor has paid the Indemnitee under any
indemnification provision of this Agreement in respect of that loss, the
Indemnitee must notify the Indemnitor and reimburse the Indemnitor the extent
of
the amount collected (less the Indemnitee’s reasonable costs of mitigation)
promptly after the amount is collected.
11. TERMINATION.
The
obligation of the parties hereto to consummate the purchase and sale
contemplated hereby may be terminated:
(a) At
any
time by the mutual consent of Buyer and Sellers;
(b) By
Buyer
(if not then in material breach of this Agreement), if the conditions set forth
in Section
9.2
of this
Agreement shall not have been satisfied on or before October 18, 2005, and
by
Sellers (if not then in material breach of this Agreement), if the conditions
set forth in Section
9.3
of this
Agreement shall not have been satisfied on or before October 18, 2005;
or
(c) By
either
Buyer or Sellers, if on or before October 10, 2005, the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement are enjoined by a court of competent jurisdiction
and such injunction is final, permanent, and non-appealable.
(d) By
Buyer
if the closing sales price for Buyer’s common stock is below $5.00 per share for
any period of five consecutive trading days during the twenty consecutive
trading days prior to the Closing Date.
In
the
event of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section
11,
this
Agreement shall become void and have no effect, without any liability on the
part of any party or its directors, officers, or stockholders to any other
party
(with respect to the payment of its expenses or otherwise), except as provided
in Sections
8.3, 8.4, 8.13, 8.14, 8.15, 8.16, 8.17, 8.18, 8.19, 8.20, and
8.21
hereof,
which provisions shall survive the termination of this Agreement. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a termination pursuant to this Section
11
shall
not relieve a party
who
deliberately and willfully failed to comply with any agreement or covenant
in
this Agreement prior to the date of termination, or who knowingly misrepresented
or breached a warranty, of liability for any such deliberate and willful failure
to comply with any agreement or covenant in this Agreement prior to the date
of
termination or any knowing misrepresentation or breach of warranty, or
constitute a waiver of any claim with respect thereto.
12. ACTION
BY SELLERS.
All
Sellers are required to unanimously agree upon taking any action under this
Agreement and any action taken by the Sellers under this Agreement shall be
on
behalf of all Sellers for all purposes, including but not limited to any legal
claims, arbitration, an indemnity claim, termination, assignment, amendment
or
waiver.
39
13. NOTICES.
All
notices or other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered in person
or
sent by overnight delivery, confirmed telecopy, or prepaid first class
registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the following
addresses, or such other addresses as are given to the other parties to this
Agreement in the manner set forth herein:
If to Buyer, to: |
Smart
Online, Inc.
0000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, 0xx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx,
XX 00000
Fax:
000-000-0000
|
If to the Sellers, to: |
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
iMART
Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxx. XX, Xxx 000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Fax:
000-000-0000
|
With a Copy to: |
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Mika,
Meyers, Becket & Xxxxx
000
Xxxxxx Xxx XX
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Fax:
000-000-0000
|
Any
such
notices shall be effective when delivered in person or sent by telecopy, one
business day after being sent by overnight delivery, or three business days
after being sent by registered or certified mail. Any of the foregoing addresses
may be changed by giving notice of such change in the foregoing manner, except
that notices for changes of address shall be effective only upon
receipt.
14. MISCELLANEOUS.
14.1 Nature
of Representations and Warranties. All
of
the parties hereto are executing and carrying out the provisions of this
Agreement in reliance on the representations, warranties, covenants, and
agreements contained in this Agreement or at the Closing of the transactions
herein provided for, and any investigation that they might have made or any
other representations, warranties, covenants, agreements, promises, or
information, written or oral, made by the other party or parties or any other
person shall not be deemed a waiver of any breach of any such representation,
warranty, covenant, or agreement.
14.2 Survival
of Representations. All
covenants, agreements, representations, and warranties made herein shall survive
the Closing Date. All covenants and agreements by or on behalf of the parties
hereto that are contained or incorporated in this Agreement shall bind and
inure
to the benefit of the successors and assigns of all parties hereto.
40
14.3 Entire
Agreement. This
Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with
respect to the subject matter hereof. It supersedes all prior negotiations,
letters, and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.
14.4 Amendment.
This
Agreement may not be amended, supplemented, or modified in whole or in part
except by an instrument in writing signed by the party or parties against whom
enforcement of any such amendment, supplement, or modification is
sought.
14.5 Assignment.
This
Agreement may not be assigned by any party hereto without the prior written
consent of the other parties.
14.6 Choice
of Law; Venue. This
Agreement shall be interpreted, construed, and enforced in accordance with
the
laws of the State of Delaware. Any action, suit or proceeding against any of
the
parties hereto arising under or relating in any way to this letter or any
transaction contemplated hereby may be commenced and maintained only in the
United States District Court for the State of Delaware. Each party irrevocably
consents to the personal jurisdiction of the foregoing state and federal courts,
agrees that Delaware, is an appropriate venue for any such action, suit, or
proceeding, such courts, each of the parties hereto consents to the jurisdiction
of each such court in respect of any such action, suit or proceeding. Each
of
the parties hereto further irrevocably consents to the service of process in
any
such action, suit or proceeding by the mailing of copies thereof by registered
or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or by a
nationally-recognized overnight courier, to such party at its addresses provided
for notices hereunder.
14.7 Headings.
The
section and subsection headings in this Agreement are inserted for convenience
only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement.
14.8 Construction.
The
parties hereto and their respective legal counsel participated in the
preparation of this Agreement, therefore, this Agreement shall be construed
neither against nor in favor of any of the parties hereto, but rather in
accordance with the fair meaning thereof.
14.9 Effect
of Waiver. The
failure of any party at any time or times to require performance of any
provision of this Agreement will in no manner affect the right to enforce the
same. The waiver by any party of any breach of any provision of this Agreement
will not be construed to be a waiver by any such party of any succeeding breach
of that provision or a waiver by such party of any breach of any other
provision.
14.10 Severability.
The
invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability of any provision or provisions
of
this Agreement will not affect any other provision of this Agreement, which
will
remain in full force and effect, nor will the invalidity, illegality, or
unenforceability of a portion of any provision of this Agreement affect the
balance of such provision. In the event that any one or more of the provisions
contained in this Agreement or any portion thereof shall for any reason be
held
to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, this Agreement shall
be
reformed, construed, and enforced as if such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable
provision had never been contained herein.
41
14.11 Binding
Nature. This
Agreement will be binding upon and will inure to the benefit of any successor
or
successors of the parties hereto.
14.12 No
Third-Party Beneficiaries. No
person
shall be deemed to possess any third-party beneficiary right pursuant to this
Agreement. It is the intent of the parties hereto that no direct benefit to
any
third party is intended or implied by the execution of this
Agreement.
14.13 Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will be
deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one and the same
instrument.
14.14 Facsimile
Signature. This
Agreement may be executed and accepted by facsimile signature and any such
signature shall be of the same force and effect as an original
signature.
14.15 Rules
of Construction. Unless
the context of this Agreement clearly requires otherwise, references to the
plural include the singular, references to the singular include the plural,
the
term "including" is not limiting, and the term “or” has, except where otherwise
indicated, the inclusive meaning represented by the phrase “and/or”. The words
“hereof”, “herein”, “hereby”, “hereunder”, and similar terms in this Agreement
refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this
Agreement. Section, subsection, clause, schedule, and exhibit references are
to
this Agreement unless otherwise specified. Any reference to this Agreement
shall
include all alterations, amendments, changes, extensions, modifications,
renewals, replacements, substitutions, and supplements thereto and thereof,
as
applicable.
42
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
the
parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above
written.
SMART
ONLINE, INC.
|
iMART
INCORPORATED
|
BY:
/s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
|
BY:
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxxx
|
NAME:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
|
NAME:
Xxxx Xxxxxx
|
TITLE:
President
|
TITLE:
President
|
SELLERS
|
|
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxxx
|
|
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
/s/
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
|
|
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
/s/
Hak Xxx X. Xxxxx
|
|
Xxx
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
|
43