EX-10.82 5 dex1082.htm JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT EXECUTION VERSION CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED REDACTED VERSION JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT THIS JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 15th day of February 2011...
Exhibit 10.82
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THIS JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 15th day of February 2011 by and between:
(1) | MEMC Singapore Pte. Ltd., a company organized and existing under the laws of Singapore with its principal offices at ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ #▇▇-▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ (“MEMC Singapore”); and |
(2) | Samsung Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd., a company organized and existing under the laws of Korea with its principal offices at 25th Floor, Samsung Electronics Building, 1320-10 ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇-▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇-▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ (“SFC”). |
MEMC Singapore and SFC are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Parties” and individually as a “Party”.
“Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to a Person, (i) any other Person that, directly or indirectly, Controls such Person or is Controlled by such Person or is under common Control with such
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Person and (ii) any director, officer or general partner of such Person or of any other Person falling under clause (i) above; provided, however, that neither Party shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of the other Party.
“Appointing Party” shall mean the non-breaching Party under Section 11.6 or the Terminating Party under Section 15.5.
“Articles of Incorporation” shall mean the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended from time to time.
“Board” shall refer to the duly constituted board of directors of the Company.
“Business” shall mean the business of developing, manufacturing, commercializing, distributing, selling and/or marketing polysilicon of any grade, regardless of how and for what purpose such polysilicon is used.
“Business Day” shall mean a day on which banks are open for normal banking business in Seoul, Korea and Singapore (excluding Saturdays).
“Buyout” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.6.
“Buyout Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.6(a).
“Buyout Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.6.
“Buyout Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.6(d).
“Buyout Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.6.
“Closing” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
“Closing Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
“Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the fourth WHEREAS clause.
“Company Products” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(c).
“Conditions Precedent” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
“Confidential Information” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.1.
“Control” shall mean the power and ability to direct the management and policies of the controlled enterprise, whether directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, through ownership of voting securities of the controlled enterprise or by contract or otherwise; and the terms “Controls,” “Controlled” and “Controlling” shall be construed accordingly.
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“Deadlock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.2.
“Directors” shall mean the duly elected members of the Board and “Director” shall mean a duly elected member of the Board.
“Fair Market Value” shall mean the fair market value of the Shares of the Company as determined by a reputable independent appraiser experienced in the valuation of enterprises in Korea that is appointed by the Appointing Party considering the Company as a going concern and assuming a sale and purchase transaction between a willing seller and a willing buyer; provided, however, that such appraiser shall be selected pursuant to the procedures set forth in Schedule II hereto.
“First Stage” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.4(a).
“General Meeting of Shareholders” shall refer to a duly constituted general meeting of Shareholders of the Company.
“Government Approvals” of any action to be taken by a Party hereunder shall mean such approval, authorization or confirmation of, consent to, or acceptance of report on the action, together with such licenses, permits or other permissions reasonably required for the action, all as the applicable statutes, decrees, regulations and rulings of governmental authority may require to be obtained in connection with the action from such governmental authority or from political subdivisions thereof.
“KFTC Approval” shall mean the approval by the Korean Fair Trade Commission (under the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act of Korea) of the establishment of the Company by the Parties pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; provided that such approval shall be unconditional or subject to conditions reasonably acceptable to both Parties.
“Korea” shall mean the Republic of Korea.
“Korean Won” and “KRW” shall mean the lawful currency of Korea.
“Lease and Services Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.6(a).
“MOU” shall have the meanings set forth in the third WHEREAS clause.
“Non-Terminating Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.5.
“Non-Transferring Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11.3(a).
“Offeree” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.4(b).
“Offeror” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.4(b).
“Person” shall mean a natural person, corporation, limited liability company, joint stock
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company, partnership, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity or organization.
“Plant” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.1.
“Polysilicon Sale Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.6.
“Polysilicon Supply Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.6(c).
“Related Agreements” shall mean, collectively, the Polysilicon Sale Agreement, the Lease and Services Agreement, the Technology License Agreement and the Polysilicon Supply Agreements.
“Representative Director” shall mean the representative director of the Company.
“Second Stage” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.4(b).
“Senior Officer(s)” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.3.
“Shares” shall mean shares of voting common stock of the Company, with a par value of Five Thousand Korean Won (KRW5,000) each; except where the context does not permit such construction, all references to the Shares of a Party shall be deemed to include Share Equivalents, if any, held by that Party (calculated for this purpose as if all Share Equivalents had been fully converted into, exchanged for or exercised for subscription of Shares).
“Share Equivalents” shall mean convertible bonds, warrants, options or other similar instruments or securities which are convertible into or exchangeable for, or which carry a right to subscribe for, Shares.
“Shareholder” shall mean a registered owner of Shares.
“Shareholding” shall mean the number or percentage (as the context may require) of Shares held by a Party; except where the context does not permit such construction, all references to the Shareholding of a Party shall be deemed to include Share Equivalents, if any, held by that Party (calculated for this purpose as if all Share Equivalents had been fully converted into, exchanged for or exercised for subscription of Shares).
“Starting Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.4(b).
“Statutory Auditor” shall mean the statutory auditor of the Company.
“Subsidiary” shall mean, with respect to a Party, any corporation, company, partnership, association or other entity (i) in which such Party directly or indirectly owns, beneficially or of record, 50% or more of the total issued and outstanding voting shares or other equity interests with voting rights or (ii) which is directly or indirectly Controlled by such Party.
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“Technology License Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.6(b).
“Terminating Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.5.
“Terms and Conditions” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.4(b).
“Transfer Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11.3(a).
“Transferring Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11.3(a).
(a) | Words denoting the singular shall include the plural and vice versa; the word “or” shall not be interpreted as exclusive; and words denoting one gender shall include both genders; |
(b) | References to Articles and Sections are references to Articles and Sections, respectively, in this Agreement; |
(c) | Reference to “writing” includes printing, typing, lithography and other means of reproducing words in visible form, other than e-mails, provided, however, that upon any acknowledgement by a receiving Party of an e-mail from a sending Party, such e-mail shall constitute valid notice in writing; |
(d) | Reference to any agreement means such agreement as amended, modified, extended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the applicable provisions thereof; |
(e) | The words “include” and “including” shall be without limitation; and |
(f) | Reference to any Person shall include such Person’s successors and permitted transferees and assigns. |
Article 2. Organization and Capitalization of the Company
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Party | Number of Shares | Ownership Percentage | ||||||
MEMC Singapore | 300,000 Shares | 50 | % | |||||
SFC | 300,000 Shares | 50 | % |
Article 3. Closing of Subscription of Shares
(a) | SFC shall have performed and complied with, in all material respects, all covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the time of Closing; |
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(b) | All of the representations and warranties made by SFC in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects at and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made at and as of the Closing Date; |
(c) | No order, injunction, decision or ruling shall have been made or issued by any court, arbitration tribunal or other governmental authority that disallows, challenges, enjoins, prohibits or imposes any damages, penalties or restrictions on, or otherwise makes illegal the consummation of, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; |
(d) | No suit, action or other legal proceeding shall be pending or threatened against SFC before any court, arbitration tribunal or other governmental authority, which seeks to disallow, challenge, enjoin, prohibit or impose any damages, penalties or restrictions on, or otherwise make illegal the consummation of, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and no investigation that could reasonably be expected to result in any such suit, action or proceeding shall be pending or threatened against SFC; |
(e) | The KFTC Approval shall have been duly obtained; |
(f) | All other Government Approvals and all authorizations, consents, approvals and waivers from any Person other than governmental authorities required to be obtained by SFC in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been duly obtained; and |
(g) | SFC shall have taken all corporate action necessary to approve the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which it is a party. |
(a) | MEMC Singapore shall have performed and complied with, in all material respects, all covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the time of Closing; |
(b) | All of the representations and warranties made by MEMC Singapore in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects at and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made at and as of the Closing Date; |
(c) | No order, injunction, decision or ruling shall have been made or issued by any court, arbitration tribunal or other governmental authority that disallows, challenges, enjoins, prohibits or imposes any damages, penalties or restrictions on, or otherwise makes illegal the consummation of, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; |
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(d) | No suit, action or other legal proceeding shall be pending or threatened against MEMC Singapore before any court, arbitration tribunal or other governmental authority, which seeks to disallow, challenge, enjoin, prohibit or impose any damages, penalties or restrictions on, or otherwise make illegal the consummation of, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and no investigation that could reasonably be expected to result in any such suit, action or proceeding shall be pending or threatened against MEMC Singapore; |
(e) | The KFTC Approval shall have been duly obtained; |
(f) | All other Government Approvals and all authorizations, consents, approvals and waivers from any Person other than governmental authorities required to be obtained by MEMC Singapore in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been duly obtained; and |
(g) | MEMC Singapore shall have taken all corporate actions necessary to approve the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which it is a party. |
(a) | A certificate of a duly authorized officer of MEMC Singapore, which shall be dated as of the Closing Date, certifying (i) that the representations and warranties of MEMC Singapore contained in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects at and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as though such representations and warranties were made at and as of such date and (ii) that all other Conditions Precedent set forth in Section 3.3 have been fulfilled; and |
(b) | An instrument evidencing that MEMC Singapore has duly taken all corporate actions necessary to approve the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. |
(a) | A certificate of a duly authorized officer of SFC, which shall be dated as of the Closing Date, certifying (i) that the representations and warranties of SFC contained in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects at and as of the Closing Date with |
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the same effect as though such representations and warranties were made at and as of such date and (ii) that all other Conditions Precedent set forth in Section 3.2 have been fulfilled; and |
(b) | An instrument evidencing that SFC has duly taken all corporate actions necessary to approve the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. |
Article 4. Acquisition and Ownership of Shares
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Article 5. Undertakings and Agreements of the Parties
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construction and operation of the Plant from MEMC Singapore or one of its Affiliates pursuant to the Technology License Agreement.
5.4 Polysilicon Manufacturing Cost. The Company shall endeavor to achieve a competitive cost structure for manufacturing polysilicon by lowering capital expenditure, utility costs, raw material costs and labor costs, seeking favorable financing terms, implementing innovative production efficiency improvement measures and maximizing government incentives available to the Company. The current target of the Parties (based on their current knowledge of prevailing market and economic conditions as of the date of this Agreement, such as exchange rate, oil price, material costs and borrowing costs) is for the Company to achieve a total production cost basis, inclusive of all costs, of no more than U.S.$[*****] per kilogram of polysilicon by [*****]. The Parties have agreed to target total costs of polysilicon per kilogram of U.S.$[*****] per kilogram in [*****] and U.S.$[*****] per kilogram in [*****].
5.5 | Production and Sale of Polysilicon by the Company. |
(a) | The Company shall endeavor to commence commercial production of polysilicon by [*****]. |
(b) | The Company shall maximize its actual polysilicon production output. Any departure from this policy shall require the prior approval of the Board. |
(c) | The Company shall sell to the Parties, and the Parties shall purchase from the Company for resale and/or internal consumption, all polysilicon products manufactured by the Company (“Company Products”) in proportion to their respective Shareholdings. Such sale and purchase of Company Products shall be made in accordance with and governed by the terms of the Polysilicon Supply Agreement entered into between the Company and the relevant Party. |
(d) | Company Products shall be sold to the Parties at equal prices negotiated and agreed between the Company and the Parties based on a standard cost plus a certain markup established by an independent professional transfer pricing consultant engaged by the Company, which shall meet all applicable legal, tax and regulatory requirements. |
(a) | A land lease and services agreement between the Company and SFC in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Parties, whereby (i) SFC will lease to the Company, and the Company will lease from SFC, certain land located in SFC’s plant complex in Ulsan, Korea for the construction and operation of the Plant and (ii) SFC will provide to the Company, and the Company will purchase from SFC, electricity, |
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steam, cooling water, process water, wastewater treatment services and other utilities and support services required by the Company for the operation and maintenance of the Plant to the extent available to SFC (the “Lease and Services Agreement”); |
(b) | A technology license and technical assistance agreement between the Company and MEMC Singapore or one of its Affiliates in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Parties, whereby the Company will license certain back-end technology necessary for the construction and operation of the Plant from MEMC Singapore or such Affiliate (the “Technology License Agreement”); and |
(c) | A polysilicon supply agreement between the Company and MEMC Singapore and another polysilicon supply agreement between the Company and SFC in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Parties, whereby the Company will supply to each Party, and each Party will purchase from the Company, its share of Company Products (each a “Polysilicon Supply Agreement”). |
In addition, the Parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts and cooperate with each other in good faith to ensure that as soon as reasonably practicable following the incorporation of the Company an appropriate technology license agreement for the front-end technology required by the Company for the construction and operation of the Plant will be entered into between the Company and a third party technology provider mutually agreed by the Parties upon terms and conditions approved by the Board.
Article 6. Board of Directors of the Company
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6.2 | Composition of the Board. |
(a) | The Board shall consist of six (6) Directors. |
(b) | Each Party shall have the right to nominate for election at the General Meeting of Shareholders the number of Directors that is obtained by multiplying the total number of Directors of the Company by the ratio of its respective Shareholding over the combined Shareholdings of MEMC Singapore and SFC; provided that any resulting decimal shall be rounded to the nearest whole number. Initially, each Party shall be entitled to nominate three (3) Directors. Each Party entitled to nominate one or more Directors shall consult in good faith with the other Party prior to making such nomination, although the final decision to appoint such Director(s) shall ultimately reside with such Party. |
(c) | Each Party shall have the right to replace any of its nominated Directors at any time for any reason, whether the term of his office has expired or not, without the consent of the other Party; provided, however, that the Party who so replaces its nominated Director shall indemnify the Company and the other Party for any claims, damages or expenses made or claimed by the replaced Director by reason of such replacement. If a Party gives written notice of such replacement to the other Party, the Parties shall take and cause to be taken all necessary actions (including causing their respective nominated Directors to hold a meeting of the Board and adopt necessary resolutions) to convene a General Meeting of Shareholders as soon as practicable to elect a replacement Director nominated by the Party who desires to replace its nominated Director. |
(d) | If the number of Directors that a Party is entitled to nominate is reduced hereunder, such Party shall determine which Director or Directors nominated by it are to be removed and cause such Director or Directors to resign or to be removed forthwith, and shall indemnify and hold the Company and the other Party harmless against any claims, damages or expenses made or incurred by reason of such resignation or removal. Furthermore, such Party shall exercise its voting rights in favor of the election of the person(s) nominated by the other Party as new Director or Directors, if such other Party is entitled to fill the vacant office(s) of the resigning or removed Director or Directors hereunder. |
(e) | Each Party shall exercise (and shall cause each of its Affiliates to exercise) its voting rights so that the nominees of the other Party shall be elected as Directors in accordance with this Section 6.2 during the term of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with a General Meeting of Shareholders at which the election of any Directors nominated by either MEMC Singapore or SFC is proposed, SFC or MEMC Singapore, as the case |
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may be, shall exercise (and shall cause each of its Affiliates to exercise) any and all voting rights it may have through proxies or powers of attorney in favor of the election of such Directors; provided, however, that the Parties shall have no obligation to solicit proxies. |
(a) | Meetings of the Board shall be held at least once every fiscal quarter at the head office of the Company unless otherwise determined by the Board. Meetings of the Board may also be convened by the Representative Director at his discretion or at the request of any Director by written notice to the Representative Director. |
(b) | In convening a meeting of the Board, a written notice (in English and in Korean) stating the agenda, date, time and place of the meeting shall be sent by the Representative Director to all of the Directors and the Statutory Auditors at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of such meeting. Such notice may be given by e-mail or facsimile. Each notice of a meeting of the Board shall be accompanied by a copy of all reports and materials that are necessary or appropriate for prior review and consideration by the Directors of the matters on the agenda. The notice period set forth herein may be shortened or omitted with the written consent of all of the Directors and the Statutory Auditors. |
(c) | The Representative Director shall preside over each meeting of the Board as chairman. In the event the Representative Director is unable or unwilling to perform such duty with respect to a meeting of the Board, another Director appointed by the Board shall act as chairman of such meeting. |
(d) | Meetings of the Board shall be conducted in English. The Company shall provide a Korean-English interpreter and such other support as is necessary to ensure that all participants are able to fully understand and participate in the meetings. Directors may participate in and vote at a meeting of the Board via video conferencing equipment whereby all participants in the meeting can simultaneously see and hear each other. |
(e) | Minutes of each meeting of the Board shall be prepared both in English and in Korean; provided that in the event of any conflict or discrepancy between the English and Korean versions of such minutes, the English version shall control. |
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(f) | A quorum for a meeting of the Board shall be the presence of a majority of the Directors then in office. All actions and resolutions taken at a meeting of the Board shall be adopted by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors present at the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall have no casting or tie-breaking vote. |
6.6 | Report to the Board. The following information shall be reported to the Board once each fiscal quarter: |
(a) | The unaudited financial statements of the Company consisting of a balance sheet as of the end of the preceding fiscal quarter and the related statements of income (including earnings per share), shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal quarter then ended, certified by the chief financial officer of the Company; |
(b) | A written report comparing actual results for such fiscal quarter to the annual budget and business plan and containing comments on any other significant operational or other developments which may affect the Company; and |
(c) | A summary or scorecard with key operational and business targets and milestones. |
Article 7. Officers of the Company
(a) | For so long as SFC has a Shareholding of at least fifty percent (50%) or the largest Shareholding (including where SFC is one of the largest Shareholders having the same Shareholding), SFC shall have the right to nominate one of the Directors nominated by it for election at a meeting of the Board as Representative Director, and MEMC Singapore shall procure for its nominated Directors to exercise voting rights so that such nominee of SFC shall be elected as Representative Director. |
(b) | In the event that MEMC Singapore becomes entitled to nominate a majority of the total number of Directors under this Agreement, MEMC Singapore shall have the right to nominate one of the Directors nominated by it for election at a meeting of the Board as Representative Director, and SFC shall procure for its nominated Directors to exercise voting rights so that such nominee of MEMC Singapore shall be elected as Representative Director. |
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(c) | In all other cases (other than the cases falling under Section 7.1(a) and (b) above), the Representative Director shall be elected in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation and applicable law, with no nomination right exercised by either Party. |
(d) | The Party entitled to nominate the Representative Director shall consult in good faith with the other Party prior to making such nomination. |
(e) | The provisions of Section 6.2(c) and (d) shall apply to the Representative Director, mutatis mutandis. |
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time by the Representative Director. The Statutory Auditors shall have the powers and duties prescribed by the Commercial Code of Korea.
Article 8. General Meeting of Shareholders
8.2 General Meetings of Shareholders.
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(a) | An ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders shall be held within ninety (90) days after the close of each fiscal year of the Company. An extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders may be held at any time pursuant to the resolution of the Board. The Representative Director shall convene each General Meeting of Shareholders in accordance with the resolutions of the Board. |
(b) | In convening a General Meeting of Shareholders, a written notice (in English and in Korean) stating the agenda, date, time and place of the meeting shall be sent by the Representative Director to all of the Shareholders at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of such meeting. Each notice of a General Meeting of Shareholders shall be accompanied by a copy of all reports and materials that are necessary or appropriate for prior review and consideration by the Shareholders of the matters on the agenda. The notice period set forth herein may be shortened or omitted with the written consent of all of the Shareholders. |
(c) | The Representative Director shall preside over each General Meeting of Shareholders as chairman. In the event the Representative Director is unable or unwilling to perform such duty with respect to a General Meeting of Shareholders, another Director or a Senior Officer appointed by the Shareholders attending such meeting (by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Shares represented in person or by proxy at such meeting) shall act as chairman of such meeting. |
(e) | Minutes of each General Meeting of Shareholders shall be prepared both in English and in Korean; provided that in the event of any conflict or discrepancy between the English and Korean versions of such minutes, the English version shall control. |
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the Company or to abusively force or induce the other Party to buy out such Party’s interest in the Company.
9.4 | Consequences of a Deadlock. |
(a) | First Stage. For the purposes hereof, “First Stage” shall mean the three (3) year period commencing on the Closing Date and expiring on the third (3rd) anniversary thereof. |
In the event of the occurrence of a Deadlock during the First Stage, neither Party shall have any rights to cause or effect a buyout auction procedure as provided under Section 9.4(b) until the First Stage has expired, in order to ensure the continuity of the Company for at least three (3) years from the Closing Date. The Parties shall use their best efforts to cooperate in the operations of the Company for the remainder of the First Stage in the event of the occurrence of a Deadlock during the First Stage.
Within sixty (60) days following either (i) the third (3rd) anniversary of the Closing Date, in the case that a Deadlock occurs during the First Stage and continues into the Second Stage, or (ii) the occurrence of a Deadlock during the Second Stage, either Party (the “Offeror”) may offer to acquire all of the Shares of the Company that the other Party (the “Offeree”) owns at a price per Share (the “Starting Price”), free and clear of
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all encumbrances, and under such other terms and conditions as are minimally necessary to clearly define the procedures for acquiring the Shares as set forth in this Section 9.4 (the “Terms and Conditions”).
Within sixty (60) days of the receipt of the offer, the Offeree shall either: (i) accept the offer (in which case all Shares of the Company that the Offeree owns shall be sold to the Offeror at the Starting Price under the Terms and Conditions within twenty (20) Business Days after the acceptance of such offer); or (ii) submit to the Offeror a counter-offer to buy all of the Offeror’s Shares of the Company at a price which shall be at least three percent (3%) higher than the Starting Price proposed by the Offeror and under the Terms and Conditions. If the Offeree does not respond to the offer within sixty (60) days of the receipt of the offer by taking one of the above-enumerated actions, such failure shall be conclusively considered as an acceptance of the offer and all Shares of the Company that the Offeree owns shall be sold to the Offeror at the Starting Price under the Terms and Conditions within twenty (20) Business Days after the expiration of such sixty (60) day period.
In the event the Offeree makes a counter-offer to buy the Shares owned by the Offeror at a price which is at least three percent (3%) higher than the Starting Price and under the Terms and Conditions, then within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such counter-offer, the Offeror shall either: (i) accept the counter-offer (in which case all Shares of the Company that the Offeror owns shall be sold to the Offeree at the price counter-offered by the Offeree under the Terms and Conditions within twenty (20) Business Days after the acceptance of such counter-offer); or (ii) submit to the Offeree who made the counter-offer another counter-offer to buy all of the Offeree’s Shares of the Company at a price that is at least three percent (3%) higher than Offeree’s counter-offer price and under the Terms and Conditions. If the Offeror does not respond to the counter-offer within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the counter-offer by taking one of the above-enumerated actions, such failure shall be conclusively considered as an acceptance of the counter-offer and all Shares of the Company that the Offeror owns shall be sold to the Offeree at the price counter-offered by the Offeree under the Terms and Conditions within twenty (20) Business Days after the expiration of such thirty (30) day period.
The above procedure shall continue with each counter-offer increasing the purchase price by at least three percent (3%) of the last counter-offer price until either: (i) one Party does not respond to the last counter-offer received from the other Party within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such last counter-offer (which shall be conclusively considered as an acceptance of such last counter-offer received); or (ii) one Party expressly accepts in writing the last counter-offer received from the other Party within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such last counter-offer, in either of which case the accepting Party shall sell to the offering Party, and the offering Party shall purchase from the accepting Party, all of the accepting Party’s Shares in the Company at the last counter-offer price and under the Terms and Conditions within twenty (20) Business Days after the expiration of the above thirty (30) day period (in the case of clause (i) above) or the acceptance of the last counter-offer (in the case of clause (ii) above).
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Article 10. Information Rights
(a) | Within thirty (30) days after the end of each fiscal year, unaudited financial statements consisting of a balance sheet as of the end of such fiscal year and the related statements of income (including earnings per share), shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal year then ended, certified by the chief financial officer of the Company; |
(b) | Within forty-five (45) days after the end of each fiscal year, (i) annual management reports and (ii) audited financial statements consisting of a balance sheet as of the end of such fiscal year and the related statements of income (including earnings per share), shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal year then ended, prepared in accordance with accounting principles and practices generally accepted in Korea (including the International Financial Reporting Standards) and restated under United States generally accepted accounting principles, and audited by a firm of independent public accountants of recognized standing; and |
(c) | Within fifteen (15) days after the end of each fiscal quarter, unaudited financial statements consisting of a balance sheet as of the end of such fiscal quarter and the related statements of income (including earnings per share), shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal quarter then ended, certified by the chief financial officer of the Company. |
(a) | Such information and/or materials as may be reasonably requested by such Party to make an informed judgment with respect to the agenda of a meeting of the Board or a General Meeting of Shareholders, as soon as such information and/or materials are available; |
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(b) | A copy of any notice, correspondence or other document informing the Company of a default, or the occurrence of an event of default, under or pursuant to any financial undertaking or commitment with any lender of the Company, the effect of which could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change in the financial position, business operations, assets or liabilities of the Company, promptly after receipt of such notice, correspondence or document; and |
(c) | A copy of any notice, correspondence or other document notifying the Company of a violation of or default under, or a potential violation of or default under, any applicable law, the effect of which could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change in the financial position, business operations, assets or liabilities of the Company, promptly after receipt of such notice, correspondence or document. |
Article 11. Restrictions on Transfer of Shares
11.1 Prohibition of Transfer of or Creation of Encumbrance over Shares. Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, the Parties agree that, during a period of five (5) years following the Closing Date, neither Party shall sell, transfer, pledge, mortgage or encumber, or agree to sell, transfer, pledge, mortgage or encumber, or otherwise dispose of any Shares or any interest in the Shares owned by such Party. Any sale, transfer, pledge, mortgage, encumbrance or disposition made or created in breach of this Section 11.1 shall be null and void ab initio.
11.2 Transfer to Affiliates. Notwithstanding Section 11.1:
(a) | MEMC Singapore may at any time transfer any or all of its Shares to any of its Affiliates; and |
(b) | SFC may at any time transfer any or all of its Shares to any of its Affiliates; |
provided that the transferring Party shall notify the other Party of its intention to do so by not less than thirty (30) days prior written notice; provided further that such transfer to an Affiliate shall be subject to the following conditions: (i) if the Affiliate to which the transferring Party has transferred any of its Shares pursuant to this Section 11.2 ceases to be an Affiliate of the transferring Party at any time after such transfer, the transferring Party shall procure that all such Shares are transferred back to the transferring Party or to another Affiliate of the transferring Party prior to the date of such cessation; and (ii) the transferring Party shall remain jointly and severally liable together with such Affiliate transferee under this Agreement as if the transferring Party had not transferred any of its Shares to such Affiliate transferee.
(a) | Subsequent to the passage of five (5) years from the Closing Date, in case of any sale or transfer of Shares by MEMC Singapore or SFC (the “Transferring Party”) except for sales or transfers made pursuant to Section 11.2, prior to any such sale or transfer, the Transferring Party shall first give the opportunity to purchase such Shares to the other |
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Party (the “Non-Transferring Party”) by giving written notice (the “Transfer Notice”) of its intention to sell or transfer such Shares, setting forth the number of Shares intended to be sold or transferred, the proposed manner of sale or transfer, the identity of the proposed buyer or transferee of such Shares and the proposed sale price and other major terms and conditions of such sale or transfer. |
(b) | The Non-Transferring Party shall then have the right to purchase all (and not less than all) of such Shares at the proposed sale price and upon the major terms and conditions specified in the Transfer Notice by giving written notice to the Transferring Party of its unconditional acceptance of such offer within thirty (30) days after its receipt of the Transfer Notice from the Transferring Party. |
(c) | If the Non-Transferring Party exercises its right under this Section 11.3, the closing of the purchase of such Shares shall take place within sixty (60) days after the Non-Transferring Party gives notice of such exercise. |
(d) | If the Non-Transferring Party rejects the offer contained in the Transfer Notice or fails to respond to the Transferring Party within thirty (30) days after its receipt of the Transfer Notice from the Transferring Party, the Transferring Party shall be free, subject to Section 11.4, during the period of sixty (60) days following the earlier of its receipt of such rejection from the Non-Transferring Party and the expiration of such thirty-day period, to sell or transfer all (and not less than all) of the Shares so offered to the Non-Transferring Party to the buyer or transferee specified in the Transfer Notice at a price equal to or higher than, and upon terms and conditions no more favorable to such buyer or transferee than, the proposed sale price per Share and other terms and conditions set forth in the Transfer Notice and in the manner proposed in such notice. In the event the Transferring Party fails to consummate the sale or transfer of such Shares within such sixty-day period, any subsequent sale or transfer of all or any part of such Shares shall again be subject to the provisions of this Article 11. |
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Agreement, including the terms of this Article 11. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary that may be contained in this Agreement, no Party may sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any Shares to any Person conducting or engaged in the Business without first obtaining the written consent of the other Party therefore.
(a) | In the event that a Party sells, transfers or otherwise disposes of or causes to be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of, or creates or permits to be created any pledge, mortgage or other encumbrances over (in each case whether voluntarily or involuntarily, except for any involuntary encumbrance which is removed within thirty (30) days from the date of its creation), any of its Shares in breach of its obligations under this Article 11, such Party shall pay the other Party upon demand liquidated damages in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the greater of (i) the Fair Market Value of such Shares so sold, transferred, disposed of, pledged, mortgaged or encumbered and (ii) the gross amount of proceeds received by the breaching Party for such Shares in such sale, transfer or disposition or in connection with the transaction secured by such pledge, mortgage or encumbrance; provided, however, that the non-breaching Party may at its discretion elect (but in no event be obligated) to dispense with the procedures for determining the Fair Market Value and to demand the breaching Party to pay the above gross amount of proceeds as liquidated damages; provided further that if the non-breaching Party elects to have the Fair Market Value determined, the breaching Party shall render such cooperation as may be necessary for the appraiser appointed by the non-breaching Party to determine the Fair Market Value and shall bear all costs and expenses associated with the determination of such Fair Market Value. The Parties agree that such computation of damages is fair and reasonable. |
(b) | Nothing in this Section 11.6 shall prevent a Party from enforcing other rights or pursuing other remedies under applicable law; provided, however, that the liquidated damages payable by the breaching Party under Section 11.6(a) shall represent, and shall be in lieu of, any and all monetary damages or losses that the non-breaching may suffer as a result of the breach of this Article 11 by the breaching Party and that the non-breaching Party may not claim, or seek to recover, any additional monetary damages or losses from the breaching Party by reason of or in relation to such breach. |
(c) | The Parties acknowledge and agree (i) that monetary damages for any breach of this Article 11 by a Party will be inadequate, (ii) that any such breach would cause irreparable harm to the other Party, and (iii) that a Party seeking enforcement of this Article 11 shall be entitled to temporary or permanent injunctive relief with respect to any such breach without the necessity of proving actual damages. |
Article 12. Confidentiality of Information
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contemplated hereby (collectively, “Confidential Information”) and to protect the Confidential Information with the same degree of care normally used to protect its own confidential information of a similar nature. Each Party agrees not to disclose or allow disclosure of any Confidential Information to any third party and not to use any Confidential Information, except, in each case, for the purposes of implementing and enforcing this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other Party.
(a) | which is or becomes generally available to the public through no fault on the part of the receiving Party; |
(b) | which is lawfully in the possession of the receiving Party prior to the disclosure of such information by or on behalf of the other Party or the Company, as can be reasonably evidenced by appropriate documentation; |
(c) | which lawfully becomes available to the receiving Party from a source other than the other Party and the Company without any duty as to confidentiality or non-use; or |
(d) | which is required to be disclosed or provided to any court, government or regulatory body of competent jurisdiction (including any relevant securities exchange) pursuant to any law, rule, regulation, judgment, decree or order; provided, however, that the receiving Party shall give the other Party prompt written notice of such requirement and fully cooperate with the other Party so that the other Party and/or the Company (as the case may be) may obtain assurances that confidential treatment will be accorded to such information. |
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consent of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.
Article 13. Additional Polysilicon Manufacturing Facilities
Article 14. Representations and Warranties of the Parties
Each Party represents and warrants to the other Party as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date (as though such representations and warranties were made at and as of the Closing Date):
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Article 15. Term and Termination
(a) | The Closing has not occurred by April 30, 2011; provided, however, that MEMC Singapore may terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 15.2(a) only if the Closing has not occurred by such date for a reason other than MEMC Singapore’s failure to fulfill any of its obligations under this Agreement which has been the cause of or has resulted in the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such date; |
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(b) | SFC commits a material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or obligations under this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice from MEMC Singapore specifying the particulars of such breach and requiring such breach to be remedied; |
(c) | SFC, any of its creditors or any other eligible party files or commences a proceeding for the liquidation, bankruptcy, receivership, reorganization, rehabilitation, composition or dissolution of SFC (and, in the case of any such proceeding brought against SFC, such proceeding has not been stayed or dismissed within ninety (90) days after the filing thereof), or SFC is unable to pay or has suspended payment of its debts generally as they become due (except debts being contested in good faith), or the creditors of SFC have taken over its management, or the relevant financial institutions have suspended the clearing house privileges of SFC; or |
(d) | If, at any time after the date of this Agreement, any change in the Control of SFC occurs, which MEMC Singapore reasonably deems to be materially adverse to the interests of MEMC Singapore or the Company. |
(a) | The Closing has not occurred by April 30, 2011; provided, however, that SFC may terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 15.3(a) only if the Closing has not occurred by such date for a reason other than SFC’s failure to fulfill any of its obligations under this Agreement which has been the cause of or has resulted in the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such date; |
(b) | MEMC Singapore commits a material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or obligations under this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice from SFC specifying the particulars of such breach and requiring such breach to be remedied; |
(c) | MEMC Singapore, any of its creditors or any other eligible party files or commences a proceeding for the liquidation, bankruptcy, receivership, reorganization, rehabilitation, composition or dissolution of MEMC Singapore (and, in the case of any such proceeding brought against MEMC Singapore, such proceeding has not been stayed or dismissed within ninety (90) days after the filing thereof), or MEMC Singapore is unable to pay or has suspended payment of its debts generally as they become due (except debts being contested in good faith), or the creditors of MEMC Singapore have taken over its management, or the relevant financial institutions have suspended the clearing house privileges of MEMC Singapore; or |
(d) | If, at any time after the date of this Agreement, any change in the Control of MEMC Singapore occurs, which SFC reasonably deems to be materially adverse to the interests of SFC or the Company. |
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If this Agreement is terminated by either MEMC Singapore or SFC pursuant to Section 15.2(b) or 15.3(b), in addition to the options granted to the Terminating Party under the preceding paragraph, the Terminating Party shall have the option, which shall be exercisable by written notice to the Non-Terminating Party within sixty (60) days after the effective date of termination of this Agreement, to initiate the buyout auction procedure set forth in Section 9.4(b) by offering to acquire all of the Shares of the Company that the Non-Terminating Party owns; provided that there shall be no waiting period and the Terminating Party may initiate the buyout auction procedure at any time within the above sixty (60) day period.
(a) | The Buyout shall be completed at the principal offices of the Company on a date to be agreed by the Parties (the “Buyout Date”), but in any event no later than sixty (60) days following receipt by the Non-Terminating Party of the Buyout Notice. |
(b) | If the Terminating Party elects through the Buyout Notice to purchase all of the Shares of the Non-Terminating Party and its Affiliates, the Non-Terminating Party shall notify |
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the Terminating Party of the number of Shares then held by it and its Affiliates no later than five (5) Business Days after receipt of the Buyout Notice. |
(c) | No later than ten (10) Business Days prior to the Buyout Date, the Party who shall purchase the Buyout Shares pursuant to the Buyout Notice shall notify the other Party of the identity of the purchaser of the Buyout Shares. If such Party nominates a third party to purchase the Buyout Shares, such Party shall remain jointly and severally liable for the performance by such third party of all obligations relating to the purchase of the Buyout Shares hereunder. |
(d) | The price payable (the “Buyout Price”) for the Buyout Shares shall be the Fair Market Value of such Shares determined in accordance with Section 15.5. |
(e) | The Buyout Price shall be paid to the seller(s) of the Buyout Shares on or prior to the Buyout Date in Korean Won by means of a wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account or bank accounts designated by such seller(s) at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Buyout Date. |
(f) | In exchange for payment of the Buyout Price, the seller(s) of the Buyout Shares shall deliver stock certificates representing the Buyout Shares to the purchaser at the closing of the Buyout, and the Company shall thereafter cause the transfer of the Buyout Shares to be registered in its register of shareholders. The sale of the Buyout Shares shall be made without any representations or warranties on the part of the seller(s) other than that the seller(s) is the lawful owner of the Buyout Shares and has the full right and power to transfer the Buyout Shares to the purchaser, free and clear of any claims, pledges, mortgages, liens, security interests or other encumbrances. |
(g) | Each Party shall be responsible for obtaining all Government Approvals and other authorizations, consents, approvals and waivers from any third party required to be obtained by such Party, its Affiliates or the purchaser of the Buyout Shares nominated by it in connection with the Buyout. |
Article 16. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
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If to MEMC Singapore:
MEMC Singapore Pte. Ltd.
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Attention: President
Facsimile: ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
with a copy to:
MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
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Attention: General Counsel
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If to SFC:
Samsung Fine Chemical Ltd.
25th Floor, Samsung Electronics Building
1320-10 ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇-▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ of Korea
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Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇-▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
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Article 18. Miscellaneous Provisions
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[Signatures on the Following Page]
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MEMC Singapore Pte. Ltd. | ||
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Samsung Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd. | ||
By: | /s/ Jonjoong ▇▇▇ | |
Jongjoong ▇▇▇ |