AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF
MERGER
This Agreement and Plan of Merger (this “Agreement”) is made
and entered into on December 31, 2008 by and among Capital City Energy Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Buyer”), Hotwell Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned Subsidiary of the Buyer (the “Merger
Sub”), Hotwell Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxxx Sites (“Sites”) and Hotwell
Ges.m.b.H (“Hotwell Austria”), NPS
Bahrain (“NPS”), as
shareholders of the Company (collectively, Sites and Hotwell Austria, the
“Sellers”). The Buyer, Merger Sub, the Company,
and the Sellers are collectively referred to herein as (the
“Parties”).
WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Company has approved and declared advisable and in the best
interests of the Company and its stockholders, this Agreement and the merger of the Merger Sub with
and into the Company (the “Merger”), on the
terms and subject to the conditions provided for in this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the board of directors of each of the Buyer and the Merger Sub have approved and
declared advisable and in the best interests of the Buyer and
the Merger Sub and their respective stockholders, this Agreement and the Merger, on the terms and
subject to the conditions provided for in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises herein made,
and in consideration of the representations, warranties, and covenants herein
contained, the Parties and the Sellers
agree as follows:
(a) The
Merger. Upon
the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, and in accordance with the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), at the Effective Time the Merger Sub shall be merged
with and into the Company, and the separate corporate
existence of the Merger Sub shall thereupon cease, and the
Company shall be the surviving corporation in the Merger (the “Surviving
Corporation”).
(b) Closing. The
closing of the Merger (the “Closing”) shall take
place at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxx LLP located
at 000 X. Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000 on December 31, 2008, or such other time and place as the parties may agree upon in writing. If
and to the extent the Buyer and the Company mutually agree, the Closing may take
place by exchange of facsimile or electronic signatures without the necessity
for a physical meeting of the parties. The date on which the Closing is to occur is herein referred to as the “Closing
Date.”
(c) Effective
Time. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, as soon as practicable on the Closing Date the parties shall file with the Secretary of State of
the State of Delaware a certificate of merger, executed in
accordance with the relevant provisions of the DGCL (the
“Certificate of
Merger”). The Merger shall become effective
upon the filing and acceptance of the Certificate of Merger or at such later time as is agreed to by the
parties hereto and specified in the Certificate of Merger (the time at which the Merger becomes effective is herein referred to as the “Effective
Time”).
(d) Effects of
the Merger. The
Merger shall have the effects set forth in the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
and subject thereto, at the Effective Time, all the
properties, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of the Merger Sub and the Company shall vest in the
Surviving Corporation, and all debts,
liabilities and duties of the Merger Sub and the Company shall become the debts, liabilities and duties of the Surviving Corporation. The Company
acknowledges that, from and after the Effective Time, the
Buyer shall have the absolute and unqualified right to deal
with the assets and business of the Surviving
Corporation as its own property without limitation on the disposition or use of
such assets or the conduct of such business. For the avoidance of
doubt, following the Effective Time, except for the indemnification obligations
contained herein, the Sellers shall have no liability for the operations of the
business of the Company occurring after the Effective Date.
(i) The
certificate of incorporation of the Company attached hereto as
Exhibit A, as in
effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be the
certificate of incorporation of the Surviving
Corporation until thereafter amended as provided therein or by applicable
Law.
(ii) The
bylaws of the Company attached hereto as Exhibit
B, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective
Time, shall be the bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation until thereafter amended as provided therein or by applicable
Law.
(iii) The
directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the directors of the Surviving Corporation and shall hold office from the Effective Time until their respective successors have been duly
elected or appointed and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or
removal in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and
bylaws. The officers of Merger Sub immediately
prior to the Effective Time shall be the initial officers of
the Surviving Corporation and shall
hold office from the Effective Time until their respective
successors have been duly elected or appointed and qualified or until their
earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the certificate of
incorporation and bylaws.
(f) Effect on Capital
Stock. At the Effective Time, by virtue of the
Merger and without any action on the part
of the holder of any shares of capital stock of the Merger
Sub or any shares of capital stock of the Company (“Company
Common Shares”):
(i) Capital Stock of the
Merger
Sub. All shares of common stock of the Merger Sub outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, collectively, shall be converted into and become one
(1) fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock of the Surviving Corporation.
(ii) Conversion of Company
Common Shares. Each issued and outstanding share of Company Common Shares shall be converted into the right to receive a
portion of the Merger Consideration determined in accordance
with Section
3
hereof. As of the Effective Time, all such shares
of Company Common Shares shall no longer be outstanding and
shall automatically be cancelled and shall cease to exist, and each holder of a
certificate which immediately prior to the Effective Time
represented any such shares of Company Common Shares (each, a
“Certificate”) shall
cease to have any rights with respect thereto, except the right to receive the
Merger Consideration to be paid in consideration therefor
upon surrender of such Certificate in
accordance with Section 2(a), without
interest.
(a) Exchange
Procedures. Following the Effective Time,
upon surrender of a Certificate
for cancellation to the Buyer, the holder of such Certificate shall be entitled to receive in exchange
therefor a portion of the Merger Consideration determined in
accordance with Section 3
hereof, without interest, for each share of Company Common
Shares formerly represented by such Certificate, and the Certificate so surrendered shall forthwith be
canceled. If issuance of the Merger Consideration
is to be issued to a Person other than the Person in whose name the surrendered Certificate is registered, it shall be a condition of issuance that
(x) the Certificate so surrendered shall be properly endorsed or shall
otherwise be in proper form for transfer and (y) the Person requesting such issuance shall have presented to the
satisfaction of the Surviving Corporation all
documents required to evidence that any transfer and other Taxes required to be paid by reason of the issuance of the Merger Consideration to a Person other than the
registered holder of such Certificate
surrendered have been fully and timely paid or that such Tax
is not applicable. Until surrendered as contemplated by this Section 2(a), each Certificate shall be deemed at any
time after the Effective Time to represent only the right to
receive the Merger Consideration as contemplated by this
Agreement, without interest.
(b) Lost, Stolen or Destroyed
Certificates. If any Certificate shall have
been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by
the Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and an indemnity against
any claim that may be made against it with respect to such Certificate, the Buyer will pay, in exchange for
such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate,
the applicable Merger Consideration to be paid in respect of
the shares of Company Common Shares formerly represented by
such Certificate, as contemplated by this
Agreement.
(c) Withholding Taxes. The
Buyer shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the
consideration otherwise payable to a holder of shares of Company Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement
such amounts as may be required to be deducted and withheld with respect to the
making of such payment under the Code, or under any provision
of state, local or foreign tax Law. To the extent
amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate taxing authority, the
withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Person in
respect of which such deduction and withholding was made.
3. Merger
Consideration. The merger consideration (the “Merger
Consideration”) for the exchange of Company Common
Shares pursuant to Section 2(a) shall be an aggregate of
$5,000,000 in the form of shares of common stock of Buyer (“Buyer’s Common
Stock”) valued at the Closing Price; provided however,
in no event shall the Merger Consideration be less than 2,500,000 shares of
Buyer’s Common Stock. The Sellers, upon compliance
with the procedures set forth in Section 2, will be entitled
to receive their Merger Consideration in accordance with the
Schedule
3.
(a) Director
Seat. For a period of one (1) year, Sellers shall have the
right to designate one candidate to fill a vacancy on the Board of Directors of
the Buyer, and the Buyer agrees to effect such designation and
election. Initially, Sites will fill such vacancy and sit on the
Board of Directors of Buyer. Anytime prior to the one (1) year
anniversary of this Agreement, Sellers may remove Sites and nominate any of
Buyer’s management to fill such vacancy.
(b) License. Hotwell
Austria hereby grants Buyer, for a period of five (5) years, an exclusive and
royalty-free license for the use of “Hotwell Services” and all registered
trademarks currently used by the Company in its Business in the United
States. The Parties agree to enter into a license agreement after
Closing.
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5. Company and the Sellers’ Closing
Deliveries. At
the Closing, the following shall be delivered to the Buyer:
(b) written resignations of the officers and directors of the Company, if any, effective on the Closing Date;
(c) good standing certificates for the Company from
the Delaware Secretary of State and from the appropriate state authorities in
each jurisdiction in which the Company is qualified to do
business, each dated within ten (10) days prior to the Closing Date;
(d) the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Company as amended or supplemented, each certified by the secretary
of the Company (and, in the case of the certificate of
incorporation, certified as of the most recent practicable date prior to the
Closing by the Delaware Secretary of
State) to be true, correct, complete and in full force and effect and unmodified
and without rescission as of the Closing and an incumbency
certificate of the officers of the Company;
(e) a certificate of the secretary of the Company in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Buyer,
setting forth the resolutions of the Company’s board of
directors and all of the shareholders authorizing the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement and all agreements and other
documents relating hereto to be executed by the Company in
connection herewith, the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby and the taking of any and all actions deemed
necessary or advisable to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, by or on behalf of the Company;
(f) pay-off letters from each lender identified by the
Buyer within five (5) days prior to the Closing Date or evidence of any debt owed to Sellers having been
converted to equity of the Company;
(g) an executed employment agreement between the Company and Sites, in form and substance acceptable
to Buyer and Sites; and
(h) Audited
financial statements of the Company, including an unqualified opinion of the
certified public accountants (mutually acceptable to the Company and Buyer)
providing such audited financial statements.
6. Buyer and Merger
Sub’s
Closing Deliveries. At
the Closing, the Buyer
shall deliver to the Company and the Sellers, the following:
(a) a certificate of the secretary of the Buyer, in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company,
setting forth the resolutions of the Buyer’s board
of directors, authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and all agreements and other documents relating hereto to
be executed by the Buyer in connection herewith, the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby and the taking of any and all actions deemed necessary or advisable to
consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby, by or on behalf of the Buyer;
(b) a certificate of the secretary of the Merger Sub,
in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company,
setting forth the resolutions of the Merger Sub’s board of
directors, authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and all agreements and other documents relating hereto to
be executed by the Merger Sub in connection herewith, the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby and the taking of any and all actions deemed necessary or advisable to
consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby, by or on behalf of Merger Sub;
and
7. Representations and
Warranties Concerning the Company. The
Company and the Sellers, jointly and
severally, represent and warrant to the Buyer and the Merger Sub as follows:
(i) The Company is duly organized, validly existing
and in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Company has no
Subsidiaries. The Company is
duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in
which its ownership of the Assets of the Business or conduct
of the Business requires it to qualify, except for such
failures to so qualify which have not had and could not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has all requisite entity power and authority to own, operate
or lease its assets and to conduct its business as presently conducted and, as
applicable, to enter into the Transaction
Documents and to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby. Schedule 7(a) attached hereto
lists all of the jurisdictions in which the Company is duly
qualified to do business and is in good standing. The Company has delivered to the Buyer true, accurate
and complete copies of (1) the Organizational Documents of the Company and
(2) the minute books, if any, of the Company which contain records of all meetings held of, and other
material corporate or other entity actions taken by, its stockholders or other
equityholders, boards of directors, and any committees appointed by its boards
of directors.
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(ii) The Company has all requisite power and authority
to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which the Company is a party, and to perform its obligations hereunder and
thereunder. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which the Company is a
party by the Company has been duly authorized by all
necessary action required to be taken by the Company. Each of this Agreement and
the other Transaction Documents to which the
Company is a party has been duly executed and delivered by
the Company. Assuming the due and valid
authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement and
the other Transaction Documents to which each
of the Company and the Sellers is a party
by the Buyer and the Merger Sub (or, in
the case of the other Transaction Documents,
such other parties), each of this Agreement and such other
Transaction Documents constitutes the valid
and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against it
in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors rights in general, moratorium laws or by general principles of
equity.
(iii) Neither the execution and the delivery of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, will (1)
violate or result in a breach or violation of any provision of any of the Organizational Documents of the Company, (2) (A) violate or
result in a breach or violation of any Legal Requirement or
Order to which the Company is subject or
by which the Company is bound or to which any of its
respective properties or assets is subject or bound or (B)
conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, constitute (with or without
due notice or lapse of time or both) a default or breach under, result in the
acceleration of, create in any party or give rise to the right to accelerate,
terminate, modify, or cancel, cause the acceleration or modification of any
obligation under, require any notice under any material Contract to which the Company is a party or by
which the Company is bound or to which any of its respective
properties or assets is subject or bound or (3) (x) require any action by or in
respect of, or filing with, any Governmental
Authority other than (A) compliance with any applicable
requirements of the Securities Act or a valid
exemption therefrom, (B) compliance with any applicable
foreign or state securities or “blue sky” laws and (C)
immaterial actions or filings relating to ordinary operational matters; or
(y) require any consent of any Person,
whether pursuant to a contract or otherwise, except for consents set forth on
Schedule 7(a).
(b) Licenses
and Permits. The
Company owns, holds, possesses or lawfully uses all Permits necessary or desirable for the ownership, use, occupancy or
operation of the Assets of the Business and the conduct and
operation of the Business, except for such failures to have
Permits which have not had and could not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Business. The Company is in compliance
with such Permits, all of which are in full force and effect,
and the Company has not received any notices (written or
oral) to the contrary and there is no basis for believing that any Permit will not be renewable upon expiration without the need to
comply with any special qualification procedures or to pay any amounts other
than routine filing fees. None of such Permits
will be adversely affected by consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, none of such Permits will expire or terminate as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby, and each such Permit issued to or held by the Company will continue in full force and effect following the Closing without requiring the consents or approval of any Person.
(c) Capitalization. Schedule 7(c) sets forth the
authorized Equity Interests of the Company. All of the outstanding Equity
Interests of the Company are held of record and beneficially
owned by the Sellers in the respective amounts set forth in
Schedule 7(c), which also
indicates each Seller’s Pro Rata
Share. All of the Securities have been duly
authorized, are validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, and are held of
record by the Sellers, free and clear of all Liens. All the Securities issued to
the Sellers are certificated. Except for the Securities, there are no outstanding Equity
Interests of the Company. The Company does
not presently own, of record or beneficially, or control any capital stock,
securities convertible into capital stock or any other Equity
Interest in any corporation, association or business entity nor is Company a participant in any joint venture, partnership or other
non-corporate entity. The Company has not violated
the 1933 Act, any state “blue sky” or securities laws, any
other similar Legal Requirement or any preemptive or other
similar rights of any Person in connection with the issuance
or redemption of any of its Equity
Interests.
(d) Financial
Statements. Schedule 7(d) attached hereto
contains the following financial statements (collectively the “Financial
Statements”): (i) unaudited
consolidated balance sheet of the Company as at December 31, 2007 (the “Most Recent Balance
Sheet”), together with the related unaudited consolidated statement of
income, changes in partners’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal years then
ended and (ii) the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of
the Company as at November 30, 2008
together with the related unaudited consolidated statement of income, changes in
partners’ equity and cash flows for the eleven-month period then
ended. The Financial Statements (i) present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
condition of the Company as of such dates and the results of
operations of the Company for such periods set forth therein,
and (ii) are complete and accurate and were prepared from and
consistent with the books and records of the Company.
(e) Events
Subsequent to Most Recent Fiscal Year End. Since December 31, 2007, and except as set forth on Schedule 7(e) attached hereto
(which instances have not had and could not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect), the Company has
conducted its business in the Ordinary Course of Business and
there has not been any material adverse change in the condition (financial or
otherwise), results of operations, employee relations, or customer or supplier
relations of the Company. Specifically, except as
set forth on Schedule
7(e), since December 31, 2007:
(i) the Company has not sold, leased, transferred or
assigned any of the Assets of the Business, tangible or
intangible, other than sales of inventory in the Ordinary
Course of Business;
(ii) the Company has not entered into any agreement,
contract, lease or license (or series of related agreements, contracts, leases
and licenses) and which is for an amount greater than $100,000 (excluding purchase orders for the sale of product or
service by the Company);
(iii) no other party to any agreement, contract, lease or license (or
series of any such related agreements, contracts, leases, and licenses) between
such party and the Company has accelerated, terminated,
modified (except pursuant to the Buyer’s instructions) or
canceled any such agreement, contract, lease, or license (or any such series of
related agreements, contracts, leases, and licenses) or has notified the Company of its intention to so accelerate, terminate, modify or
cancel;
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(iv) the Company has not delayed, postponed or
scheduled the payment of accounts payable, or other obligations and liabilities
other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, and the Company has not accelerated its collection of any accounts
receivable in connection with any discount or forgiveness of funds due, other
than in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(vi) the Company has not discharged or satisfied any
Lien or paid any material obligation or Liability;
(vii) the Company has not mortgaged, pledged or
subjected any portion of its properties or assets (whether tangible or
intangible) to any Lien;
(viii) the Company has not forgiven, waived, canceled or
agreed to extend repayment on any debts or claims owing to or held by
it;
(ix) neither the Sellers nor any other officers or
agents of the Company have disclosed any confidential
information (other than pursuant to agreements requiring the disclosure to
maintain the confidentiality of and preserving all its rights in such
confidential information) or received any confidential information of any third
party in violation of any obligation of confidentiality or granted any license
or sublicense of any rights under or with respect to any Intellectual Property (as such term is defined
herein);
(x) neither the Sellers nor any other officers or
agents of the Company have received notification of any
customer error or that any customer or supplier will stop or decrease the rate
of business done with the Company;
(xi) the Company has not borrowed any amount, incurred
or became subject to any Liabilities, except current Liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of
Business or Liabilities under contract entered into in the
Ordinary Course of Business;
(xii) the Company has not created, incurred, assumed,
committed to or guaranteed any Debt (including capitalized
lease obligations) either involving more than $100,000
individually or $250,000 in the aggregate;
(xiii) the Company has not made any capital investment
in, any loan to, or any acquisition of the securities or assets of any other
Person;
(xiv) the Company has not made any capital expenditures
or commitments for capital expenditures such that the aggregate outstanding
amount of unpaid obligations and commitments are in excess of $100,000;
(xv) the Company has not entered into any employment
contract or collective bargaining agreement, written or oral, or modified the
terms of any such existing Contract;
(xvi) the Company has not granted any increase in the
base compensation, fringe benefits or bonuses or otherwise changed any of the
terms of employment or service for any of the employees, officers, directors or
consultants of the Company;
(xvii) the Company has not adopted, amended, modified or
terminated any bonus, profit-sharing, incentive, severance or other Benefit Plan, contract or commitment for the benefit of any of the
employees of the Company;
(xviii) the Company has not disposed of, or permitted to
lapse, any Permits or Intellectual
Property (as such term is defined herein) currently used in connection with the
Business, which such disposal or lapse would result in a
Material Adverse Change to the Business;
(xix) the Company has not instituted or settled any
Action before any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property or
assets;
(xx) the Company has not made any change in any method
of accounting or any accounting practice used by the Company;
(xxiv) no event or circumstance has occurred which has had, or is
reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
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(i) The Company has no Liability
except for (i) Liabilities set forth on
the face of the Most Recent Balance Sheet; (ii) Liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of
Business which have arisen since the date of the Most Recent Balance Sheet, or (iii) as set forth
on Schedule
7(f).
(ii) The Company has no Liabilities
in respect of (i) Debt or (ii) Guarantees of any Liability of any other Person, as to both, except
as set forth on Schedule 7(f). For
each item of Debt, Schedule 7(f) correctly sets
forth the debtor, the principal amount and accrued interest of the Debt as of the date of this Agreement, the
creditor, the maturity date, the collateral, if any, securing the Debt.
(g) Legal
Compliance. The Company’s conduct of the
Business is, and has been at all times been in compliance
with all Legal Requirements and Orders applicable to the Company and the Assets of the Business, and rules and regulations relating to
discrimination, employment, equal opportunity, collective bargaining and wage
and hour practices. Neither the Sellers nor any
other officers or agents of the Company have received any
notification from any Governmental Authority
or any employee of the Company of any claim of any past or
present failure by the Company to comply with such Legal Requirements which is continuing. The Company is not in violation or default of any Order relating to the Business or the Assets of
the Business, or by which the Company or
the Assets of the Business are bound.
(h) Assets.
(i) Title. Except
as set forth on Schedule 7(h), the Company has sole and exclusive, good and marketable title to, or, in
the case of property held under a lease or other contract, a sole and exclusive,
valid and enforceable leasehold interest in, or a valid right to use, all of the
Assets of the Business, in each case free and clear of all
Liens.
(ii) Sufficiency;
Condition. The Assets of the Business
include all of the tangible and intangible assets, properties and rights, of any
nature whatsoever, used in or material to the Business and
all of the assets or properties necessary to conduct the Business as presently conducted or necessary to permit the Buyer to conduct the Business after the Closing in the same manner as the Business has
been conducted by the Company prior to the Closing, and all items of Personal Property are
in good operating condition and repair and are useable and adequate in the
Ordinary Course of Business, and none of the items of Personal Property require any repair or replacement except for
maintenance in the Ordinary Course of
Business. Except as set forth on Schedule 7(h), none of the
Personal Property of the Company is held
under any lease, security agreement, conditional sales contract or other title
retention or security arrangement or is located other than on the premises of
the Company. No unreleased mortgage, trust deed,
chattel, mortgage, security agreement, financing statement or other instrument
encumbering any of the Assets of the Business has been
recorded, filed, executed or delivered.
(i) Taxes.
(i) All Tax Returns required to be
filed by the Company have been duly and timely filed in all
required jurisdictions, and all such Tax
Returns are true, correct and complete in all material respects. The
Company has duly and timely paid all Taxes
(including estimated taxes) and other charges for which it is
liable (whether or not shown on any Tax
Return). There are no Liens with respect to Taxes (except for Liens with respect to current
Taxes not yet due) upon any of the Assets
of the Business. Except as set forth on Schedule 7(i), the Company is not the beneficiary of any extension of time in which to
file any Tax Return. The Company does not own an interest in any Person
that constitutes a partnership or a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax
purposes.
(ii) The unpaid Taxes of the Company (a) did not as of the Most Recent Balance Sheet exceed
the reserve for Taxes (excluding any reserve for deferred
Taxes established to reflect timing difference between book
and Tax income) set forth on the face of the Most Recent Balance Sheet (rather
than in any notes thereto) and (b) will not, as of the Closing Date, exceed that reserve as adjusted for the
passage of time until (but not including) the Closing Date in accordance with the past custom and practice of the
in filing its Tax Returns.
(iii) No audit, dispute, or other proceeding by any U.S. federal, state or local or non-U.S. court,
governmental or regulatory authority, or similar Person is
pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened with
respect to any Taxes due from the Company
or any Tax Return filed or required to be
filed by, relating to or including the Company. The Company has not waived
any statute of limitations in respect of Taxes or agreed to
any extension of time with respect to a Tax assessment or
deficiency. The Company has provided to the Buyer true, correct and complete copies of all income Tax Returns, examinations, reports, and statements of
deficiencies filed, assessed against or agreed to by the Company.
(iv) The Company has not been and is not in violation
(or with notice or lapse of time or both, would be in violation) of any
applicable Legal Requirement relating to the withholding,
depositing, reporting or recordkeeping of Taxes. The Company has duly and timely
withheld and deposited with the appropriate taxing authorities all amounts
required to be so withheld and deposited in connection with amounts paid or
owing to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, stockholder, partner or
other third party.
(v) No claim has ever been made by an authority in a jurisdiction where
the Company does not file Tax Returns that the Company was or may have been
subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.
(vi) The Company has not made, changed, or revoked any
Tax election, adopted, elected or changed any method of
accounting for Tax purposes, filed any amended Tax Return, settled or consented to any action in respect of Taxes, entered into any
Contract in respect of Taxes with any
Governmental Authority, or taken any position
inconsistent with any past practice or any Tax
Return.
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(vii) The Company is not a party to any Contract relating to Tax sharing or Tax allocation or Taxes. The Company has no liability for the Taxes of any Person under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any
similar provision of state local or foreign Legal
Requirement), as a transferee or successor, by contract or
otherwise.
(viii) The Company will not be required to include any
amount in Taxable income or exclude any item of deduction or
loss from Taxable income for any Taxable
period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of (a) any “closing
agreement” as described in Code Section 7121 (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or
non-U.S. income Tax law) executed on or
prior to the Closing Date, (b) any installment sale or open transaction disposition made on or
prior to the Closing Date, or (c) any prepaid amount received on or prior to the Closing Date.
(ix) The Company has not been or is a party to any
Benefit Plan, agreement, contract, arrangement or plan that
could result in it making payments on or after the Closing Date that would result, separately or in the aggregate
(including, for the avoidance of doubt, due to the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement or to any subsequent or additional event
thereto), in an “excess parachute
payment” within the meaning of Code Section 280G or in the imposition of an excise Tax under
Code Section 4999 (or any corresponding
provision of a state, local or foreign Tax Legal Requirement) or that would not be deductible under Code Section 162 or 404 or that would be required to be included in gross income under
Code Section 409A(a)(1)(A).
(x) The Company is not a party to any understanding
or arrangement described in Code Section 6011(g), Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4 (with respect to “reportable
transactions”), Code Section 6111
or Code Section 6662(d)(2) (with respect
to a “tax
shelter”).
(xi) The Company has not or has not been required to
make any adjustment pursuant to Code Section 481(a) (or any predecessor provision) or any similar provision of
state, local or foreign tax Legal
Requirement by reason of any change in any accounting methods, and there is no
application pending with any Governmental
Authority requesting permission for any changes in any of their accounting
methods for Tax purposes. To the Knowledge
of the Company, no Governmental Authority
has proposed in writing any such adjustment or change in accounting
method.
(j) Real
Property. The Company (a) does not have a fee interest in any real property and (b) has not in the past owned any real property. Schedule 7(j) sets forth all
of the leasehold interests of the Company in real property,
including any amendments or modifications thereto (the “Real Property
Leases”). True, correct and complete copies of the Real Property Leases have been delivered to the Buyer, including all amendments, notices, memoranda of lease,
estoppel certificates, and subordination, non-disturbance and attornment
agreements related thereto. The Real Property
Leases have not been modified, altered, terminated or revoked, and are in full
force and effect. The Company is not, and as of
the Closing Date will not be, in default, and
no facts or circumstances have occurred, or on or prior to the Closing will occur, which through the passage of time or the giving
of notice, or both, would constitute a default, under any of the Real Property Leases. Except as disclosed on Schedule 7(j), none of the
Real Property Leases contain any provisions which, after the
Closing Date, would (i)
hinder or prevent the Buyer from continuing to use any of the
properties which are the subject of the Real Property Leases
in the manner in which they are currently used, including any lessor rights of
recapture or termination or (ii) impose any additional costs
(other than scheduled rental increases) or burdensome requirements as a
condition to their continued use. To the Knowledge
of the Company, (i) the lessors under the Real Property Leases are not in default thereunder, or in breach
thereof, and (ii) there are no existing facts or conditions
which could give rise to any such breach or default, or any claim against the
lessors under the Real Property Leases. Except as
set forth on Schedule
7(j), there are no
written or oral subleases, licenses, concessions, occupancy agreements or other
obligations granting to any Person the right of use or
occupancy of the property subject to the Real Property Leases
and there is no Person (other than the Company) in possession of such property.
(i) The Company owns, or is validly licensed or otherwise has the right to
use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, trade
names, trade dress, logos, domain names, service marks, service xxxx
applications, copyrights, design rights, trade secrets, inventions, know-how,
privacy rights, data rights, computer programs, documentation and all other
intellectual property rights of any kind or nature arising under U.S. or foreign Legal Requirement (collectively,
“Intellectual
Property”) which are used in the conduct of the Business. Schedule 7(k)(i) is a complete
and accurate list of (1) all issued patents, (2) registered and material unregistered trademarks, service
marks and trade names, (3) registered Internet domain
names, (4) registered copyrights and (5) applications for registration for any of the foregoing,
presently owned by the Company or used in the Business. Schedule 7(k)(i) indicates the
extent to which any such item of Intellectual Property has
been duly registered in, filed in, or issued by the United
States Patent and Trademark Office or the corresponding agency or office of each
of such state or country so indicated, and each pending application for patent
or xxxx registration and each license agreement pertaining to any of the Intellectual Property. Schedule 7(k)(i) also lists
each item of Intellectual Property that any third party owns
and that the Company uses pursuant to a license, sublicense,
agreement, or permission, other than with respect to “off the shelf”
software. Except as may be disclosed in Schedule 7(k)(i), without
limiting the foregoing, all issuances of patents and registrations of marks have
been properly obtained in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations
governing the prosecution of applications for patents and trademarks, are valid
and subsisting, and are not subject to any conditions or restrictions that would
impair the full use and enjoyment thereof after the Closing Date.
(ii) Schedule 7(k)(ii) lists, under
separate headings, each contract under which the Company has
granted any right or interest with respect to any Intellectual Property and each contract under which the Company has acquired or been granted any right or interest with
respect to any Intellectual Property owned by a third party
(each, an “Inbound IP
Agreement”).
(iii) To the Knowledge of the Company, no product or service marketed or sold (or
presently proposed to be marketed or sold) by the Company, no
Intellectual Property owned or used by the Company (or presently proposed to be owned or used by the Company), and no conduct (or presently proposed conduct) of the
Business, either (1) violates (and the
Company has no reason to believe that any conduct will
violate) or infringes (and the Company has no reason to
believe that any conduct will infringe) any license or any Intellectual Property of any other Person or
(2) to the Knowledge of the Company, has
been infringed by any other Person.
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(iv) Except as
set forth in Schedule
7(k)(iv), no action is pending or, to the Knowledge of the
Company, threatened against the Company, which challenges the
legality, validity, enforceability, use, or ownership of the Owned Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in Schedule 7(k)(iv), the Owned Intellectual Property is not subject to any outstanding Order. For the purposes of this Agreement the “Owned Intellectual
Property” means the registered Intellectual Property
identified on Schedule
7(k)(i) as being
owned by the Company and any other Intellectual Property used by the Company in the
Business, other than the Intellectual
Property owned by third parties and licensed to the Company
under an Inbound IP Agreement identified on
Schedule 7(k)(ii).
(v) All Intellectual Property that has been created by any Person for the Company, owned by third parties
and licensed to the Company pursuant to license agreements,
are the subject of a valid and enforceable written assignment and/or work made
for hire agreement providing that the Company is the owner of
such Intellectual Property.
(vi) Schedule 7(k)(vi) indicates
the steps the Company and has taken to maintain the
confidentiality of trade secrets and other confidential Intellectual Property. To the Knowledge of the Company, there has been no misappropriation of any
trade secrets or other confidential or Intellectual Property
of the Company by any Person and no Person is in default or breach of any term of any employment
agreement, non disclosure agreement, assignment of invention agreement or
similar agreement or contract relating in any way to the protection, ownership,
development, use or transfer of Intellectual Property.
(vii) The Company has complied with all applicable contractual and Legal Requirements pertaining to information privacy and
security. No complaint relating to an improper use or disclosure of,
or a breach in the security of, any such information has been made or, to the
Knowledge of the Company, threatened against Company. To the Knowledge of the
Company, there has been no unauthorized disclosure of, and no unauthorized third
party has gained access to, any third party confidential information in the
possession, custody or control of Company.
(viii) The
consummation of the transaction contemplated by this Agreement
will not alter or impair the ownership, right to use or possession by the Company after the Closing Date of
the Intellectual Property or result in them being bound by
any non compete or other restriction on the operation of the Business or the Assets of the Business.
(l) Inventory. The
inventories reflected on the books and records of the Company are
good and useable or saleable in the Ordinary Course of
Business, except for the reserves set forth on the Financial
Statements and other immaterial amounts of slow-moving, obsolete, damaged, or
defective items. The quantities of each item of inventory (whether
raw materials, work-in-process or finished goods) are not excessive based on the
Company’s historical practices.
(i) any Contract concerning a partnership, limited liability company or joint venture or any similar equity or
investment related agreement;
(ii) any Contract (or group of related Contracts) under which the Company has created,
incurred, assumed or guaranteed any Debt under which it has
imposed a Lien on any of the Assets of the Business, tangible or intangible;
(iii) any Contract concerning confidentiality or non-competition or otherwise
limiting the freedom of the Company to engage in any line of
business in any geographic area;
(iv) any Contract involving the Business entered into with
the Sellers, or any of the officers, employees or Affiliates of the Sellers, or any entity in which
the Sellers, any of such officers, and employees individually
or collectively own, directly or indirectly, an equity or voting interest
representing five percent (5%) or more of the equity or voting interests in such
entity;
(v) any
“employee benefit
plan”, as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, each
employment, severance or similar contract, plan, program, arrangement or policy
and each other plan, program, policy or arrangement (whether written or oral)
providing for compensation, bonuses, profit-sharing, stock option, stock
purchase or other stock related rights or other forms of incentive or deferred
compensation, vacation benefits, fringe benefits, insurance (including any
self-insured arrangements), health or medical benefits, employee assistance
program, disability or sick leave benefits, workers’ compensation, supplemental
unemployment benefits, severance benefits and post-employment or retirement
benefits (including compensation, pension, health, medical or life insurance
benefits) which is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company and covers any current, former or retired director, officer,
employee, consultant, agent or independent contractor of the Company, or with respect to which the Company has
or may have any obligation or liability (collectively “Benefit
Plans”);
(vi) any Contract with any of the employees, officers or directors of the
Company that is not a Benefit Plan,
including, without limitation, any collective bargaining agreement;
(vii) any Contract (or group of related Contracts) for the lease or sublease of Personal
Property to or from any other entity providing for payments in excess of $100,000 per annum;
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(viii) each open
purchase order or other Contract with a supplier or vendor related to the purchase of goods
or services for an amount where the unfilled portion of such purchase order or other Contract is in
excess of $100,000;
(ix) each open
customer purchase order or other Contract with a customer or distributor related to the sale of goods
or services for an amount where the unfilled portion of such purchase order or other Contract is in
excess of $50,000;
(x) each
employment, management service, consulting, maintenance or any other similar Contract (including any employee lease or outsourcing
arrangement) providing for annual aggregate payments of more than $100,000;
(xi) any Contract (or group of related Contracts) relating to any outstanding non-cancelable commitment to
make capital expenditures after the date of this Agreement in
an amount in excess of $25,000 individually or $50,000 in the aggregate;
(xii) any Contract relating to the purchase or sale of Assets of the Business outside of the Ordinary
Course of Business;
(xiii) any Contract under which the Company is, or may
become, obligated to incur any severance pay or special compensation obligations
which would become payable by reason of, this Agreement or in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; or
(xiv) any
agreement (or group of related agreements), other than those listed in any other
provision of this Section 7(m), the performance
of which involves consideration in excess of $100,000.
The Company has made available to the Buyer a correct and complete copy of each written Disclosed Contract (as defined below), including all
amendments and/or supplements thereto, and a written summary setting forth the
terms and conditions of each oral Disclosed
Contract. Each Disclosed Contract
was entered into in the Ordinary Course of
Business. Neither the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party
thereto, is in breach or violation of, or in default in respect of, or has
repudiated any provision of, any Contract required to be
disclosed on Schedule
7(f) (Debt), Schedule 7(j) (Real Property),
Schedule 7(k) (Intellectual
Property), Schedule 7(m) (Contracts),
Schedule 7(o) (Insurance),
Schedule 7(q) (Employees),
Schedule 7(r) (Employee
Benefits) or Schedule
7(v) (Certain
Business Relationships with the Company) (each, a “Disclosed Contract”),
nor has there occurred any event or condition which, with or without notice or
lapse of time or giving of notice (or both), is reasonably likely to result in a
default or permit the termination of any Disclosed
Contract. Each Disclosed Contract
is a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable
by or against them and each other party thereto, in accordance with its terms
(except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other
similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors rights in general,
moratorium laws or by general principles of equity), and is in full force and
effect and, subject to obtaining any necessary consents disclosed in Schedule 7(a), will continue
to be so enforceable and in full force and effect on identical terms following
the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, other than any Disclosed Contracts that
have expired in accordance with their terms. The Company has not received any notice, whether written or oral, from
any other party to a Disclosed Contract of any
breach or anticipated breach by such other party.
(n) Notes and Accounts
Receivable. With respect to the accounts receivable of the Company:
(i) all
accounts and notes receivable reflected on the Most Recent Balance Sheet and all accounts and
notes receivable since the date of the Most
Recent Balance Sheet have arisen in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(ii) except as
set forth in Schedule
7(n), the Company has not received any notice, whether written or oral, from a
customer disputing the payment of the accounts receivable of the Company or the quality of goods and services which gave rise to them
and there are otherwise no disputes, contests, claims, counterclaims or setoffs
with respect to any accounts receivable that have not been reserved for in the
Financial Statements;
(iii) the Company has not directly or indirectly solicited any customer to pay
the amount thereof in a manner which is outside the normal terms of payment;
and
(iv) the Company has not discounted or entered into any factoring transaction
with respect to any accounts receivable including any accounts receivable on the
books of the Company as of November 30, 2008.
(o) Insurance. Schedule 7(o) attached hereto
identifies each policy of insurance currently maintained by, or on behalf of,
the Company (or any of their assets, properties, employees,
officers or directors), setting forth the name of the insurer, the nature of
coverage, policy number, the amount of such coverage and the expiration dates
thereof. All such policies are in full force and effect, all premiums
with respect thereto covering all periods up to and including the date of Closing have been paid, and no notice of cancellation or termination
has been received with respect to any such policy. Such policies
(i) are sufficient for compliance with all Legal Requirements and of all agreements to which the Company is a party (or any of its assets or properties are bound or
subject), (ii) are valid, outstanding and enforceable
policies, (iii) will remain in full force and effect through
the Closing Date and (iv)
will not in any way be affected by, or terminate or lapse by reason of, the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. During the past three (3) years and except as
set forth on Schedule
7(o), (i) the Company has not been refused any
insurance with respect to its assets or operations, (ii) the
Company’s insurance coverage has not been limited, modified
or terminated by any insurance carrier to which the Company
has applied for any such insurance or with which it has carried insurance,
(iii) there is no or has been no existing default or event
that, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or otherwise, would constitute
a default under any insurance policies of the Company or
covering any of its assets, properties, employees, officers or directors, (iv) no insurer has questioned, denied or disputed (or otherwise
reserved its rights with respect to the coverage of any claim pending under) any
such insurance policies and (v) historical claims activity
has not materially impaired limits under any such insurance policies.
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(p) Litigation and Related
Matters. Except as set forth in Schedule 7(p), there is no
Action or Order pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company, the Business or the Assets of the Business or to which the Company is otherwise a
party, before any Governmental Authority, nor
is there any basis, or any fact or facts likely to form a basis, for any such
Action or Order. The Company, the Business, and the Assets of the
Business are not bound by, any Order of
any Governmental Authority, the Company has not received any opinion or memorandum or legal advice
or notice (whether written or oral) from legal counsel to the effect that the
Company is exposed, from a legal standpoint, to any Liability which may be material. The Company is not engaged in any Action to recover
monies due it or for damages sustained by it. Schedule 7(p) sets forth all
Actions to which the Company has been a
party (either as a plaintiff or defendant).
(i) To the Knowledge of the Company, no executive or key employee, or group of
employees, presently plans to terminate employment with the Company. Except as disclosed in Schedule 7(q), the Company is not a party to, nor bound by, any collective bargaining agreements or any other labor-related
agreements with any labor union or labor organization (“Collective
Bargaining Agreements”). There are no representation
proceedings or petitions seeking a representation proceeding presently pending
before the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) or any other
United States labor relations
tribunal. Except as disclosed in Schedule 7(q): (1) there is no pending or, to the Knowledge of
the Company, threatened material labor dispute, material grievance or
arbitration, labor strike, slowdown or stoppage against or affecting the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, is any such activity threatened; and (2)
the Company has not received written notice of (A) any unfair labor practice charge or complaint pending before the
NLRB or any other Governmental Authority against it, (B) any charge
or complaint against it pending before the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission or any other Governmental Authority responsible for the prevention of unlawful
employment practices, or (C) any pending complaint or lawsuit
against the Company concerning employees or former employees
of the Company alleging employment discrimination or
violations of occupational safety and health requirements; and (3) no union organizing campaign or activity with respect to
non-union employees of the Company is on-going, pending, or
to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(ii) All
individuals classified by the Company as independent contractors
have been correctly classified as such. The Company (1) has been in
compliance with all applicable Legal Requirements regarding
employment, employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages
and hours, in each case, with respect to employees, (2) has
not employed or contracted with an agency to procure services from any
individual who is not legally authorized to work in the United States; (3) has procured temporary or day
laborers only through agencies that have, at all relevant times, been properly
registered as day or temporary labor service agencies and that have, at all
relevant times, properly verified the employment eligibility of the workers
provided to the Company; (4) has withheld
all amounts required by any Legal Requirement or by
agreements to be withheld from wages, salaries and other payments to employees,
(5) has not been liable for any arrears of wages, salaries,
commissions, bonuses or other direct compensation for any services performed or
amounts required to be reimbursed to any employees, day or temporary laborers or
consultants or any Taxes or any penalty for failure to comply
with any of the foregoing, and (6) the Company has not been subject to any assessments (excluding taxes that arise in the Ordinary Course of
Business), fines, delinquencies or penalties to any trust or other fund or to
any Government Authority, with respect to unemployment
compensation, social security benefits or other benefits or obligations for
employees, except in the case of (2) through (6) above, for matters
that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to
result in a material Liability.
(iii) The Company has not, during the ninety (90) day period prior to the
date hereof, taken any action that would constitute a
“Mass Layoff” or “Plant Closing” within the meaning of the Worker
Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act or would otherwise trigger notice
requirements or Liability under any state or local plant
closing notice Legal Requirement.
(iv) Except
with respect to the Contracts
listed on Schedule
7(q) or otherwise
referred to in this Agreement or the schedules attached
hereto, the Company has not entered into any collective
bargaining agreement, labor union contracts, consulting agreements or other
employment agreements and all employees are “at will”
employees. There is no requirement or obligation imposed by any
collective bargaining or other labor agreement that would restrict, require any
consent to, or impose any obligation of notice concerning the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(r) Employee
Benefits. Schedule 7(r) lists each of
the Benefit Plans. The Company has made available to Buyer (i) as required by Section 7(m), complete copies
of each Benefit Plan and all amendments thereto (or, in the
case of any such Benefit Plan that is unwritten, a written
description thereof), together with the most recent annual report on Form 5500,
if applicable, prepared in connection therewith (together with all attachments
and financial statements thereto), (ii)
the most recent summary plan description for each Benefit
Plan for which such a summary plan description is required, (iii) each trust agreement, administrative services agreement, and
insurance or group annuity contract relating to any Benefit
Plan, and (iv) any material notices, letters or other
correspondence with any Governmental
Authority in respect of any Benefit Plan. Except
as set forth in Schedule 7(r), with respect to
each of the Benefit Plans:
(i) all
payments, premiums, contributions and reimbursements required for all periods
ending prior to or as of the Closing Date shall
have been timely made or to the extent not due have been appropriately accrued
on the books and records of the Company as of the Closing;
(ii) no Benefit Plan that is a “welfare
plan” within the meaning set forth in ERISA
Section 3(1) provides benefits or coverage following
retirement or other termination of employment except as required under Section
601 et seq. of ERISA;
(iii) no Company or any trade or business, whether or not incorporated,
that, together with the Company, at the relevant time is or
would be deemed to be a single employer under Section 414 of the Code, has ever sponsored, maintained, contributed to, or had any
Liability, contingent or otherwise, with respect to, any
Benefit Plan subject to Title IV of
ERISA, including without limitation any “multiemployer plan” as defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, or Section 412 of the Code;
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(iv) there is
no unfunded Liability which will not be reflected on the books
and records of the Company as of the Closing;
(v) each of
the Benefit Plans maintained or contributed to, currently or in
the past, by the Company has not been operated in full
compliance with its terms and the requirements of any and all Legal Requirements, including but not limited to Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”) and each
Benefit Plan which is intended to be qualified under Section
401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination
letter, or has pending or has time remaining in which to file an application for
such determination from the Internal Revenue Service, and to
the Knowledge of the Company there is no
reason why any such determination letter should be revoked or not be
reissued. The Company has made available to the
Buyer copies of the most recent Internal
Revenue Service determination letters with respect to each such Benefit Plan;
(vi) there
have been no violations of ERISA by the Company with respect to any of the Benefit
Plans (including, without limitation, any prohibited transactions within the
meaning set forth in Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975
of the Code); no fiduciary (as defined in Section 3(21) of
ERISA) has any Liability for breach of
fiduciary duty or any other failure to act or comply in connection with the
administration or investment of the assets thereof; no action, suit, proceeding, hearing or investigation with respect to
the administration or the investment of the assets thereof (other than routine
claims for benefits) is pending or, to the Knowledge of the
Company, threatened by any employee of the Company or any Governmental Authority
and no Benefit Plan has been the subject of any action,
suit, proceeding, hearing or investigation by a Governmental Authority or been the subject of an application or
filing under a government-sponsored amnesty, voluntary compliance,
self-correction or similar program;
(vii) the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall not, whether
alone or upon the occurrence of any subsequent or additional event, (i) result in any payment of severance or other compensation to, or
any acceleration, vesting or increase in benefits under any Benefit Plan for the benefit of any employee, officer, consultant,
independent contractor, agent or director (current, former or retired) of the
Company or (ii) result in the triggering
or imposition of any restrictions or limitations on the right of the Company to amend or terminate any Benefit Plan;
and
(viii) each Benefit Plan that is a nonqualified deferred compensation plan
subject to section 409A of the Code has been operated and
administered in good faith compliance with such Code section 409A through the date
hereof.
(i) Definition. For
purposes of this Section 7(s), “Environmental, Health, and
Safety Requirements” shall mean all federal, state, and local statutes,
regulations, ordinances and other provisions having the force or effect of law,
all judicial and administrative orders and determinations, all contractual
obligations and all common law concerning public health and safety, worker
health and safety and pollution or protection of the environment, including
without limitation all those relating to the presence, use, production,
generation, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal,
distribution, labeling, testing, processing, discharge, release, threatened
release, control, or cleanup of any hazardous materials, substances or wastes,
chemical substances or mixtures, pesticides, pollutants, contaminants, toxic
chemicals, petroleum products or byproducts, asbestos, polychlorinated
biphenyls, noise or radiation, each as amended and as now in
effect.
(ii) Except where noncompliance would not result in a Material Adverse
Effect on the Business of the Company has complied with and
is in compliance with all applicable Environmental, Health,
and Safety Requirements.
(iii) The Company has not received any notice, report
or other information regarding any actual or alleged violation by the Company of applicable Environmental, Health,
and Safety Requirements or any liabilities or potential liabilities (whether
accrued, absolute, contingent, unliquidated or otherwise), including any
investigatory, remedial or corrective obligations, of the Company and arising under Environmental,
Health, and Safety Requirements.
(iv) Except as set forth on Schedule 7(s), the Company has not used, treated, stored, disposed of, arranged for or
permitted the disposal of, transported, handled, or released any substance,
including without limitation any hazardous substance, or owned or operated any
property or facility (and no such property or facility is contaminated by any
such substance) in a manner that has given or would reasonably be expected to
give rise to any Liabilities, including any Liability for response costs, corrective action
costs, personal injury, property damage, natural resources damages or attorney
fees, pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended or any other Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.
(v) The Company has not either expressly or, to the
Knowledge of the Company, by operation of law, assumed or
undertaken any Liability, including without limitation any
obligation for corrective or remedial action, of any other
Person or entity relating to Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.
(vi) No facts, events or conditions relating to the past or present
facilities, properties or operations of the Company will
prevent, hinder or limit continued compliance with Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements, give rise to any investigatory, remedial or
corrective obligations pursuant to Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements, or give rise to
any other liabilities (whether accrued, absolute, continent, unliquidated or
otherwise) pursuant to Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements, including
without limitation, any relating to on-site or off-site releases or threatened
releases of hazardous materials, substances or wastes, personal injury, property
damage or natural resources damage.
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(t) Customers
and Suppliers. Schedule 7(t) attached hereto
lists (i) the identity and dollar amount of the five (5)
largest customers (by dollar volume of purchases from the Company on a consolidated basis) of the Company
and (ii) the identity and dollar amount of the ten (10)
largest suppliers (by dollar volume of purchases by the Company on a consolidated basis) of the Company. No such customer or supplier of the Company has cancelled or otherwise terminated, changed the terms
of, or reduced its business with the Company (or notified
the Company of its intention to do any of the foregoing) or,
to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened to cancel or
otherwise terminate its relationship with the Company.
(u) Operational Books and
Records. The books and records of the Company maintained in connection with the operation of the Business (including, without limitation, (i)
books and records relating to the purchase of materials and supplies,
manufacture or processing of products, sales of products, dealings with
customers, invoices, customer lists, mailing lists, databases, inventories,
supplier lists, personnel records and taxes, and (ii) computer software and data in computer readable and human
readable form used to maintain such books and records together with the media on
which such software and data are stored and all documentation relating thereto)
accurately record all transactions relating to the Business,
and have been maintained consistently in the Ordinary Course
of Business. At the Closing, all of such books
and records will be in the possession of the Company.
(v) Certain
Business Relationships with the
Company. Except
as set forth in Schedule 7(v), none of the
Sellers, their respective Affiliates or
any Affiliates of the Company (other
than the Company) (i) have been involved
in any business arrangement or relationship with, or has any financial interest
in any transaction with, the Company within the past twelve
(12) months or, except as set forth on Schedule 7(v), own any asset,
tangible or intangible, which is used in the Business or
(ii) is a competitor, creditor, debtor, customer,
distributor, supplier or vendor of the Company.
(w) Warranties. Except
for liabilities for which there is a reserve reflected in the Financial Statements, there are no claims outstanding, pending or,
to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened for breach of
any express written warranty relating to any products or services manufactured,
sold or delivered by the Company. To the Knowledge of the Company, there is no design defect with respect to
any of the Company’s products.
(x) Brokers,
Finders, etc. Except as set forth on Schedule 7(x), neither the
Company nor any of its Affiliates have
retained any broker, finder or investment banker or other intermediary in
connection with the transactions contemplated herein so as to give rise to any
claim against the Buyer for any brokerage, finder’s or
investment banker’s commission, fee or similar compensation.
(y) Disclosure. No
representation, warranty or statement contained in this Section 7
or any disclosure schedule furnished to the Buyer by or on
behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement contains or will contain any untrue statement of material
fact or omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading.
(z) Closing Date. All
of the representations and warranties of the Company and the
Sellers contained in this Section 7
and elsewhere in this Agreement, and all information
delivered in any schedule hereto or in any writing delivered to the Buyer are true and correct on the date of this Agreement and shall be true and correct on the Closing Date, except to the extent that the Buyer is advised otherwise in writing prior to the Closing.
8. Representations and
Warranties of Buyer and Merger
Sub. Buyer and Merger
Sub jointly and severally represent and warrant to the Company and the Sellers as
follows:
(a) Organization. Buyer is a corporation, duly organized, validly existing, and in
good standing under the laws of the State of
Nevada. Merger Sub is a corporation, duly
organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
(b) Authorization of
Transaction. Each of the Buyer and the
Merger Sub has all requisite power and authority to enter
into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which each of the Buyer and the Merger Sub is a party, and to
perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other
Transaction Documents to which each of the
Buyer and the Merger Sub is a party by
the Buyer and the Merger Sub has been
duly authorized by all necessary action required to be taken
by each of the Buyer and the Merger
Sub. Each of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which each of the Buyer and the Merger Sub is a party has been
duly executed and delivered by each of the Buyer and the
Merger Sub. Assuming the due and valid
authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement and
the other Transaction Documents to which
each of the Buyer and the Merger Sub is
a party by the Company and the Sellers
(or, in the case of the other Transaction
Documents, such other parties), each of this Agreement and
such other Transaction Documents constitutes
the valid and binding obligation of each of the Buyer and
the Merger Sub, enforceable against it in accordance with
its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors rights
in general, moratorium laws or by general principles of equity.
(c) Noncontravention. Neither
the execution and the delivery of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, will (i) violate or result in a breach
or violation of any provision of the Organizational Documents of the Buyer or the
Merger Sub (ii) (A)
violate or result in a breach or violation of any Legal
Requirement or Order to which the Buyer
or the Merger Sub is subject or by which the Buyer or the Merger Sub is bound or to which
any of its properties or assets is subject or bound or (B)
conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, constitute (with or without
due notice or lapse of time or both) a default or breach under, result in the
acceleration of, create in any party or give rise to the right to accelerate,
terminate, modify, or cancel, cause the acceleration or modification of any
obligation under, require any notice under any material agreement, contract,
lease, license, instrument, or other arrangement to which the Buyer or the Merger Sub is a party or by which
it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject or
bound. Neither the Buyer nor the Sellers need give any notice to, make any filing with, or obtain
any material authorization, consent, or approval of any Governmental Authority in order to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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(e) Shares of Buyer Common
Stock. The Buyer’s common Stock to be issued as the Merger
Consideration will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable at the time issued pursuant to this Agreement.
(f) Ownership and Operations of
Merger Sub. Buyer owns beneficially and of record all of the
outstanding capital stock of Merger Sub. Merger Sub was formed solely
for the purpose of engaging in the Transactions, has engaged in no other
business activities and has conducted its operations only as contemplated
hereby.
(g) Brokers, Finders,
etc. Neither the Buyer, the Merger Sub nor any of their respective Affiliates has retained any broker, finder or investment banker or
other intermediary in connection with the transactions contemplated herein so as
to give rise to any claim against the Company for any
brokerage, finder’s or investment banker’s commission, fee or similar
compensation.
(a) Publicity;
Disclosure. Except as otherwise required by law, any and all
public announcements or other public communications concerning this Agreement and the Merger shall be subject to
the prior written approval of the Buyer.
(b) Transaction
Expenses. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, each
Party shall bear the fees, costs and expenses (including all
taxes and all legal, accounting, consulting, investment
banking, brokerage and other fees and expenses) incurred by it in connection
with the negotiation, preparation, execution, performance and consummation of
this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (whether or not
consummated).
(i) In the event that a claim is asserted against the Buyer, Merger Sub or their stockholders,
directors, officers or employees, with respect to events or conditions occurring
or existing in connection with, or arising out of, the operation of the Business prior to the Closing, or the
ownership, possession, use or sale of the Assets of the
Business prior to the Closing, the Company and the Sellers shall reasonably
cooperate with the Buyer and Merger Sub
in the defense of any such claim, the cost of which will be borne by
Buyer. If such claim does not give rise to a claim for indemnity by
the Buyer or Merger Sub against the
Company or the Sellers pursuant to the
terms of this Agreement, the Buyer shall
hold harmless the Company and the Sellers for their out-of-pocket expenses arising from their
cooperation.
(ii) In the event that a claim is asserted against any of the Sellers, with respect to events or conditions occurring or existing
in connection with, or arising out of, the operation of the Business after the Closing, or the ownership,
possession, use or sale of the Assets of the Business after
the Closing, the Buyer
shall reasonably cooperate with the Sellers in the defense
of any such claim, the cost of which will be borne by Sellers. If
such claim does not give rise to a claim for indemnity of the Sellers against the Buyer pursuant to the terms
of this Agreement, the Sellers shall
hold harmless the Buyer for its out-of-pocket expenses
arising from the Buyer’s cooperation.
(d) Confidentiality. From
and after the Closing, the parties
shall, and shall cause its affiliates, officers, directors, shareholders,
employees, representatives, consultants, and advisors to, hold in confidence and
not use any confidential information which remains after Closing in the possession of the Company. The parties shall not
release or disclose any such information to any Person other
than any other Party or its authorized
representatives. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the confidentiality
obligations of this Section 9(d) shall not apply
to information:
(i) which the Company or its affiliates, officers,
directors, shareholders, employees, representatives, consultants and advisors
are compelled to disclose by judicial or administrative process, or, in the
opinion of counsel, by other mandatory requirements of law;
(ii) which can be shown to have been generally available to the public
other than as a result of a breach of this Section 9(d);
or
(iii) which can be shown to have been provided to the Company or its affiliates, officers, directors, shareholders,
employees, representatives, consultants and advisors by a third party who
obtained such information other than from the Company or
other than as a result of a breach of this Section 9(d).
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(e) Conduct
of Business. From
the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the Closing Date and the date of the termination of
this Agreement in accordance with Section 10(d), the Company will and the Sellers will cause the
Company to:
(i) conduct the Business only in the Ordinary Course of Business, including, for the avoidance of doubt,
refraining from taking any of the actions set forth in Sections 7(e)(xvi) and (xvii) of this Agreement;
(iv) consult with the Buyer prior to taking any
action or entering into any transaction that may be of
strategic importance to the Company.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except for any
actions disclosed pursuant to a Company
Post-Signing Supplement, the Company will not take or omit
to take any action (a) that would cause
the representations and warranties in Section 7
to be untrue at, or as of any time prior to, the earlier of the Closing and such date of the termination of this Agreement and (b) which, if taken or omitted to
be taken between December 31, 2007 and the
date of this Agreement would have been required to be
disclosed on Schedule
7(e).
(f) Monthly
Financials. The Company will prepare and
furnish to Buyer, promptly after becoming available and in
any event within twenty-one (21) days of the end of each calendar month, monthly
Financial Statements for each month following the date
hereof through the Closing
Date.
(g) Sellers’
Release. Effective as of the Closing, each Seller hereby releases, remises
and forever discharges any and all rights and claims that it has had, now has or
might now have against the Company except for its rights and
claims arising from or in connection with (i) this Agreement, (ii) claims asserted against such
Sellers by third parties for which Buyer
Indemnified Parties are not entitled to indemnification by
such Sellers hereunder or (iii) claims
pursuant to which the such Seller would be entitled to the
benefit of any director and officer insurance maintained by the Company (or the Surviving
Corporation after the Effective Time).
(h) Notices
and Consents. The Company will give any
notices to, make any filings with, and use its Commercially
Reasonable Efforts to obtain any authorizations, consents or approvals from, any
Governmental Authority or other Person that are set forth on Schedule 5(a).
(i) Exclusivity. From
the date hereof until the Closing Date,
neither the Company nor the Sellers will
(or will cause or permit any of its respective stockholders, directors,
officers, Affiliates or representatives to) directly or
indirectly, (i) solicit, initiate, or encourage the
submission of any proposal or offer from any Person relating
to, or enter into or consummate any transaction relating to, the acquisition of
all or substantially all of the capital stock or assets of the Company (including any acquisition structured as a merger,
consolidation, or share exchange) or (ii) participate in any
discussions or negotiations regarding, furnish any information with respect to,
assist or participate in, or facilitate in any other manner any effort or
attempt by any Person to do or seek any of the
foregoing. The Company and the Sellers will notify the Buyer immediately if
any Person makes any proposal, offer, inquiry or contact
with respect to any of the foregoing (whether solicited or
unsolicited).
(j) Notification. From
the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, (i) the Company and the Sellers will give the Buyer prompt written notice (a “Company
Disclosure Supplement”) upon becoming
aware of any event or circumstance occurring or arising either prior to (and
previously undisclosed) or after the date hereof (such event or circumstances,
occurring or arising after the date hereof, a “Company
Post-Signing Supplement”) that could reasonably be expected to result in
a breach of, or inaccuracy in, any of the Company’s or the
Sellers’ representations and warranties or a breach or
nonfulfillment of any covenant or agreement of the Company
or any of the Sellers set forth in this Agreement and (ii) the Buyer will give the Company and the Sellers prompt written notice upon (a “Buyer
Disclosure Supplement”) becoming aware of any event or circumstance
occurring or arising either prior to (and previously undisclosed) or after the
date hereof (such event or circumstances, occurring or arising after the date
hereof, a “Buyer Post-Signing
Supplement”) that could reasonably be expected to result in a breach of,
or inaccuracy in, any of the Buyer’s or the Merger Sub’s representations and warranties or a breach or
nonfulfillment of any covenant or agreement of the Buyer or
the Merger Sub set forth in this Agreement; provided, however, that,
subject to the following sentence, in each case, no such disclosure will be
deemed to prevent or cure any such breach of, inaccuracy in or nonfullfillment
of, amend or supplement any disclosure schedule to, or otherwise disclose any
exception to, any of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements
set forth in this Agreement. In the event that no
later than five (5) Business Days prior to the Closing Date (i) the Buyer receives any Company Disclosure
Supplement that gives rise to a right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 10(d)(vi) or (ii) the Sellers and the Company receive any Buyer Disclosure Supplement
that gives rise to a right to terminate this Agreement
pursuant to Section
10(d)(vii), and such
Person, as applicable, elects not to so terminate, such
Person shall be deemed to have waived its right pursuant to
Section 10
relating to the matters expressly specified in such Company Disclosure Supplement or Buyer Disclosure Supplement, as applicable, and such Company Disclosure Supplement or Buyer Disclosure Supplement, as applicable, shall
be deemed to amend the Schedules to this
Agreement; provided, however, that no
waiver shall deemed to have been made with respect to any claims that arise from
or are the subject of matters that are not expressly specified in such Company Disclosure Supplement or Buyer Disclosure Supplement, as
applicable.
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(k) Access. From
the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, the Company will permit the
Buyer, Merger Sub and their respective
Representatives to have full access (at reasonable times and
upon reasonable notice) to all officers of the Company and
to all premises, properties (including for the purposes of environmental
inspection), books, records (including Tax records),
contracts, financial and operating data and information and documents pertaining
to the Company and make copies of such books, records,
contracts, data, information and documents as the Buyer,
Merger Sub and their respective Representatives may reasonably request. In the event the
Closing does not occur, for whatever reason, the Buyer and the Merger Sub shall return all
information provided by the Company or its agents pursuant
to the terms of the Confidentiality
Agreement.
(l) Subsequent
Matters. The Company shall keep the Buyer informed, on a current basis, of any events, discussions,
notices or changes with respect to any Tax (other than
communications in the Ordinary Course of Business which
could not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company), criminal or regulatory investigation or action involving the Company, and shall
reasonably cooperate with the Buyer and its members,
representatives and Affiliates in an effort to avoid or
mitigate any cost or regulatory consequences to them that might arise from such
investigation or action (including by reviewing written
submissions in advance, attending meetings with Governmental
Authorities and coordinating and providing assistance in meeting with
regulators).
(m) Further
Assurances. The Company and Sellers shall, from time to time, at the request of the Buyer, and without further expense to the Buyer, take such actions and/or execute and deliver such other
instruments of conveyance and transfer (including powers of attorney) as the
Buyer may reasonably request, in order
to more effectively consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby.
(n) Certain Items Immediately
Prior to the Effective Time. Immediately prior to the
Effective Time, the following shall be deemed to occur (without any further
action by any of the Sellers):
(i) The
Shareholders Agreement dated November 26, 2007 between Sites and Hotwell Austria
shall be terminated; and
(ii) All Debt
owed by the Company to any of the Sellers or their affiliates shall be deemed to
have been contributed to the equity of the Company (without further issuance of
shares by the Company) such that the Company shall have no liabilities to the
Sellers or their Affiliates for such Debt.
(a) Conditions Precedent to
Obligations of Both Parties. The
respective obligations of each of the Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be subject to the following
condition: that no Governmental
Authority shall have issued any Order or taken any other
action (which Order the Parties hereto shall use their Commercially
Reasonable Efforts to lift), in each case restraining, enjoining or otherwise
prohibiting (whether temporarily or permanently) the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement.
(b) Conditions Precedent to
Obligations of Buyer and Merger
Sub. The obligations of the Buyer and the Merger Sub to effect the Merger under this
Agreement are subject, in the discretion of the Buyer and the Merger Sub, to the satisfaction
at or prior to the Closing of each of the following
conditions:
(i) Accuracy
of Representations and Warranties. All representations and
warranties of the Company and the Sellers contained herein or in any certificate or other document
delivered to the Buyer pursuant hereto, shall be true and
correct in all respects (in the case of any such representation and warranty
that contains any materiality or Material Adverse Effect
qualification) or in all material respects (in the case of any such
representation and warranty that does not contain any materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualification) at and as of the Closing, with the same force and effect as though made at and as of
the Closing (except for any representation or warranty that
expressly relates to an earlier date, in which case such representation and
warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date).
(ii) Performance of Agreements. The
Company and the Sellers shall have
performed (or caused the Company to perform), in all
material respects, all obligations and agreements, and complied with all
covenants and conditions contained in this Agreement to be
performed or complied with by it prior to or at the Closing,
including, without limitation, the delivery of the items set forth in Section 5
hereof.
(iii) Officers’
Certificate. The
Buyer shall have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date, signed by an authorized officer of
the Company and the Sellers to the
effect that the conditions specified in Section 10(b)(i) and Section 10(b)(ii) have been
fulfilled.
(iv) Receipt
of Licenses, Permits and Other
Consents. The Buyer shall have received
evidence, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to its counsel, that all
licenses, Permits, consents, approvals, authorizations,
qualifications and Orders of Governmental Authorities and parties to contracts relating to the
operation of the Business or necessary to permit or effect
the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby have been obtained.
(v) Actions and
Proceedings. All actions, proceedings, instruments and
documents required to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or incidental thereto and all other related legal matters
shall have been reasonably satisfactory to, and approved by counsel for Buyer, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such
certified copies of such corporate actions and proceedings and such other
instruments and documents as it shall have reasonably
requested.
(vi) Material Adverse
Effect. Since the date hereof, there shall not have occurred
any Material Adverse Effect.
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(c) Conditions Precedent to the
Obligations of Company and the Sellers. The
obligations of the Company and the Sellers to effect the Merger under this Agreement are subject, in the discretion of the Company and the Sellers, to the satisfaction at
or prior to the Closing of each of the following
conditions:
(i) Accuracy
of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties of
the Buyer and the Merger Sub contained
herein or in any document or certificate delivered to the Company pursuant hereto shall be true and correct in all respects
(in the case of any such representation and warranty that contains any
materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualification) or in
all material respects (in the case of any such representation and warranty that
does not contain any materiality or Material Adverse Effect
qualification) at and as of the Closing, with the same force
and effect as though made at and as of the Closing (except
for any representation or warranty that expressly relates to an earlier date, in
which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such
earlier date).
(ii) Performance of Agreements. The
Buyer and the Merger Sub shall have
performed all obligations and agreements in all material respects, and complied
with all covenants and conditions in all material respects, contained in this
Agreement to be performed or complied with by it prior to or
at the Closing, including, without limitation, the delivery
of the items set forth in Section 6
hereof.
(iii) Officers’
Certificate. The
Company shall have received a certificate dated the Closing Date of an authorized officer of the Buyer to the effect that the conditions specified in Section 10(c)(i) and Section 10(c)(ii) above have
been fulfilled.
(d) Termination of
Agreement. This Agreement may be terminated and the transactions contemplated hereby may be
abandoned at any time prior to the Closing:
(ii) by either the Buyer (on behalf of Buyer and Merger Sub) or the Company (on behalf of the Company and the
Sellers) if a final nonappealable Order
permanently enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting the Closing will have been issued by a Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction;
(iii) by either the Buyer (on behalf of Buyer and Merger Sub) or the Company (on behalf of the Company and the
Sellers) if the Closing shall not have
occurred on or before 5:00 p.m. Chicago time, on January 31, 2009 (the “Drop Dead
Date”); provided, that the
right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 10(d) shall not be
available to the Buyer if the Buyer’s or
Merger Sub’s failure to fulfill or breach of any obligation
under this Agreement has been the cause of, or resulted in,
the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such date
and shall not be available to the Company if the Company’s or the Sellers’ failure to fulfill or
breach of any obligation under this Agreement has been the
cause of, or resulted in, the failure of the Closing to
occur on or before such date;
(iv) by the Company (on behalf of the Company and the Sellers) if (1) any of the representations and warranties of the Buyer or Merger Sub contained in this Agreement, or in any certificate or other document delivered to the
Company pursuant hereto, shall fail to be true and correct
such that the condition set forth in Section 10(c)(i) would not be
satisfied or (2) the Buyer or Merger Sub shall have breached or failed to comply with any of
their respective obligations under this Agreement such that
the condition set forth in Section 10(c)(ii) would not
be satisfied, (in either case, other than as a result of a material breach by
the Company or the Sellers of any of
their respective obligations under this Agreement) and such
failure or breach with respect to any such representation, warranty or
obligation cannot be cured or, if curable, shall continue unremedied for a
period of ten (10) days after the Buyer or Merger Sub has received written notice from the Company of the occurrence of such failure or breach (provided, that in no
event shall such ten (10) day period extend beyond the Drop
Dead Date);
(v) by the Buyer (on behalf of Buyer and Merger Sub) if (1) any of the representations and warranties of the Company or the Sellers contained in this Agreement, or in any certificate or other document delivered to the
Buyer or the Merger Sub pursuant hereto,
shall fail to be true and correct such that the condition set forth in Section 10(b)(i) would not be
satisfied or (2) the Company or the
Sellers shall have breached or failed to comply with any of
its obligations under this Agreement such that the condition
set forth in Section
10(b)(ii) would not
be satisfied, (in either case, other than as a result of a material breach by
the Buyer or Merger Sub of any of their
respective obligations under this Agreement) and such
failure or breach with respect to any such representation, warranty or
obligation cannot be cured or, if curable, shall continue unremedied for a
period of ten (10) days after the Company has received
written notice from the Buyer or Merger
Sub of the occurrence of such failure or breach (provided, that in no
event shall such ten (10) day period extend beyond the Drop
Dead Date);
(vi) by the Buyer (on behalf of Buyer and Merger Sub) by giving written notice
to the Company at any time prior to the Closing in the event the Company or the Sellers have within the then-previous five (5) Business Days given the Buyer any Company Disclosure Supplement pursuant to Section 9(j) and such
proposed Company Disclosure Supplement is
necessary to cure any breach of any representation or warranty of the Company or the Sellers contained in this Agreement that would give rise, or could reasonably be expected to
give rise, to a failure of a condition set forth in Section 10(b)(i);
or
(vii) by the Company (on behalf of the Company and the Sellers) by giving written
notice to the Buyer at any time prior to the Closing in the event the Buyer has within the
then-previous five (5) Business Days given the Company any Buyer Disclosure Supplement
pursuant to Section
9(j) and such
proposed Buyer Disclosure Supplement is
necessary to cure any breach of any representation or warranty of the Buyer or the Merger Sub contained in this
Agreement that would give rise, or could reasonably be
expected to give rise, to a failure of a condition set forth in Section 10(c)(i);
or
Any Party desiring to terminate this Agreement shall give written notice of such termination to the
other Parties.
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(e) Effect of
Termination. In the event of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 10(d), this Agreement (other than the provisions of this Section
10(e) and Section
7(x), Section
8(d), Section
9(a), Section
9(d), Section
11, Section 12, and Section 18
which shall survive such termination) shall then be null and void and have no
further force and effect and all other rights and liabilities of the parties
hereunder will terminate without any liability of any party
to any other party, except for Liabilities arising in
respect of breaches under this Agreement by any party prior
to such termination; provided however, there shall
be no Liability associated with a Company Post-Signing Supplement or a Buyer Post-Signing Supplement.
11. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of
Buyer and Surviving
Corporation. Subject to the provisions of this Section 11, the Sellers shall indemnify and hold the Buyer and
its directors, stockholders, employees, agents, successors, Affiliates and assigns and, after the Closing,
the Surviving Corporation (“Buyer Indemnified
Parties”) harmless from and against all Losses
suffered or incurred by any Buyer Indemnified Party based upon, arising out of or otherwise in
respect of:
(i) any breach of or inaccuracy in any representation or warranty of
the Company or the Sellers in this
Agreement or in any other Transaction Document furnished to the Buyer
under this Agreement (in each case, as such representation
or warranty would read if all qualifications as to materiality, including each
reference to the defined term “Material Adverse Effect” or
similar defined term, were deleted therefrom);
(ii) any breach or nonfulfillment of any covenant or agreement of the
Company or the Sellers in this Agreement or in any other Transaction Document furnished to the Buyer
under this Agreement;
(iii) fraud, fraud in the inducement or intentional misrepresentation of
the Company or the Sellers;
and
(iv) the failure to obtain any of the third party consents identified on
Schedule 5(a) (the foregoing,
together with the damages described in Section 11(a)(i), Section 11(a)(ii), and Section 11(a)(iii) are
hereinafter referred to collectively as “Buyer
Losses”).
(b) Indemnification of
Sellers. Buyer shall indemnify and hold the Sellers
harmless from and against all Losses suffered or incurred by
any Seller based upon, arising out of or otherwise in
respect of:
(i) any breach of or inaccuracy in any representation or warranty of
the Buyer or the Merger Sub set forth in
this Agreement or in any other Transaction Document furnished to the Sellers
under this Agreement (in each case, as such representation
or warranty would read if all qualifications as to materiality, including each
reference to the defined term “Material Adverse
Effect” or similar defined term, were deleted
therefrom);
(ii) any breach or nonfulfillment of any covenant or agreement of the
Buyer or the Merger Sub in this Agreement or in any other Transaction Document furnished to the Sellers
under this Agreement; and
(iii) fraud, fraud in the inducement or intentional misrepresentation of
the Buyer or Merger Sub (the foregoing,
together with the Losses described in Section 11(b)(i) and Section 11(b)(ii), are
hereinafter referred to collectively as “Seller
Losses”).
(i) If any third party shall notify any Party (the
“Indemnified Party”)
with respect to any claim by such third party (a “Third
Party Claim”) which may give rise to a claim for indemnification against
any other Party (the “Indemnifying Party”),
then the Indemnified Party shall give a Notice of Claim (as such term is defined in Section 11(e) hereof) to the
Indemnifying Party promptly after receipt of notice of the
Third Party Claim; provided, however, that failure
to give such Notice of Claim shall not affect the
indemnification provided hereunder except to the extent the Indemnifying Party shall have been actually prejudiced as a result
of such failure.
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(ii) The Indemnifying Party may assume and control
the defense of such Third Party Claim so
long as (a) the Indemnifying Party gives
notice of its intention to so assume and control the defense thereof to the
Indemnified Party within twenty (20) days of the receipt of
the notice contemplated by Section 11(c)(i) that it will
indemnify the Indemnified Party against the Third Party Claim, (b) the
Third Party Claim involves only money
damages and does not seek an injunction or other equitable relief against the
Indemnified Party, (c) the Indemnified Party has not been advised by counsel that a conflict
exists between the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party in connection with the defense of the Third Party Claim, (d) the
Third Party Claim does not relate to or
otherwise arise in connection with Taxes or any criminal or
regulatory enforcement action, (e) a
settlement of or an adverse judgment with respect to or the Indemnifying Party’s conduct of the defense of the Third Party Claim is not, in the good faith
judgment of the Indemnified Party, likely to be adverse to
the Indemnified Party’s reputation or continuing business
interests (including its relationships with current or potential customers,
suppliers or other parties material to the conduct of its business) and (f) the Indemnifying Party conducts the defense
of the Third Party Claim actively and
diligently, and in good faith. In the event the Indemnifying Party so assumes the defense thereof, the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to settle and compromise
such Third Party Claim on terms which are
judged reasonable by the Indemnifying Party and such
settlement and compromise shall be binding upon the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party
for purposes of indemnification under this Agreement; provided, however, that (i) the Indemnifying Party shall retain counsel
reasonably acceptable to the Indemnified Party, (ii) the Indemnified Party, at its sole cost
and expense for which it shall not be entitled to any indemnification hereunder,
may participate in the defense of such Third Party Claim
with co-counsel of its choice (provided, that the
Indemnifying Party will pay the reasonable fees and expenses
of separate co-counsel retained by the Indemnified Party
that are incurred prior to the Indemnifying Party’s
assumption of control of the defense of the Third Party Claim) and (iii) the Indemnifying Party shall not consent to the entry of any judgment
with respect to the Third Party Claim or
enter into any settlement with respect to the Third Party Claim unless (A) such settlement
includes a provision whereby the plaintiff or claimant asserting the Third Party Claim releases the Indemnified Party from all Liability arising out of, relating to, in connection with or with
respect thereto (pursuant to an unconditional and full release reasonably
acceptable to the Indemnified Party’s
counsel) and the Indemnified Party shall
have been held harmless against or indemnified for all amounts agreed to be
paid, and all amounts paid, in such settlement, (B) there is
no finding or admission of any violation of law or any violation of the rights
of any Person and there is no effect on any other claims
that may be made against the Indemnified
Party, (C) the sole relief of the claimant provided is
monetary damages that are paid in full by the Indemnifying Party and (D) the claim does not
relate to Taxes or is covered by the
insurance policies of the Indemnified
Party. The Indemnified Party shall reasonably
cooperate with and make available to the Indemnifying Party
such assistance and materials as may be reasonably requested of
it. If a suit, action or proceeding involves a
matter solely of concern to the Indemnified Party in
addition to a Third Party Claim for which
indemnification under this Section 11
is being sought, such additional matter shall be within the sole responsibility
of the Indemnified Party and its counsel. If the Indemnifying Party does not elect to defend a Third Party Claim within twenty (20) days after
notice thereof (or any of the conditions set forth in clauses (a) through (f) in this Section 11(c)(ii) is or
becomes unsatisfied), the Indemnified Party may defend
and/or settle such Third Party Claim in such
manner as it deems appropriate; provided, the Indemnifying Party shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived any
objection which it might otherwise have regarding the manner in which such
Third Party Claim is so defended and/or
settled; provided, however, (a) that the Indemnified Party
shall not, without the Indemnifying Party’s
prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned),
settle or compromise any Third Party Claim
or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any Third Party Claim for which the Indemnifying Party shall have a Liability under this Agreement, and (b) the failure of the Indemnifying Party to elect to defend such Third Party Claim shall not subject the Indemnifying Party to Liability with respect to
such Third Party Claim unless it is
determined, whether by adjudication, settlement or otherwise, the Indemnifying Party is responsible to indemnify the
Indemnified Party pursuant to this Section 11.
(d) Other
Claims. In the event the Indemnified Party
shall claim that it is entitled to be indemnified pursuant to the terms of this
Section 11
other than with respect to a Third Party
Claim, the Indemnified Party shall give a Notice of Claim promptly after the Indemnified
Party becomes aware of such claim or of any event or circumstances which may
reasonably be expected to result in such claim; provided, however, that failure
to give such notification shall not affect the indemnification provided
hereunder except to the extent the Indemnifying Party shall
have been actually prejudiced as a result of such failure. If the
Indemnifying Party agrees with such claim for
indemnification, it shall remit payment for the amount of such claim promptly
after receipt from the Indemnified Party of the Notice of Claim and the determination of the agreed upon amount of
the Buyer Losses or the Seller Losses,
as the case may be, with respect thereto. In the event of a dispute,
the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party shall proceed in good faith and attempt to
negotiate a resolution of such dispute.
(e) Notice of
Claim. Each “Notice of Claim”
hereunder shall be in writing and (i) shall specify the
breach of warranty or misrepresentation set forth in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document furnished under this Agreement or any other basis for indemnification hereunder claimed
by the Indemnified Party, (ii) shall
describe in reasonable detail such Third
Party Claim if such Notice of Claim is being given with
respect to a Third Party Claim and (iii) shall specify the Buyer Losses or the
Seller Losses, as the case may be, incurred by, or imposed
upon, the Indemnified Party on account of the basis for the
claim for indemnification specified in the Notice of
Claim. If such Buyer Losses or such Seller Losses, as the case may be, are liquidated in amount, the
Notice of Claim shall so state and such amount shall be
deemed the amount of the claim of the Indemnified
Party. If such Buyer Losses or such Seller Losses, as the case may be, are not liquidated in amount,
the Notice of Claim shall so state and, in such event, a
claim shall be deemed asserted against the Indemnifying
Party by the Indemnified Party, but no payment shall be made
on account thereof until the amount of such claim is liquidated and the claim is
finally determined.
(f) Survival. The
representations and warranties contained in of this Agreement shall survive the Closing for two (2) years; provided however, the
representations and warranties set forth in Section 7(f), Section 7(i), Section 7(r) and Section 7(s) (collectively,
“Specific
Representations”) shall survive until sixty (60) days after the
expiration of the applicable statutes of limitations (taking into account any
tolling periods and other extensions) and the representations and warranties set
forth in Section 7(a)(i), Section
7(a)(ii), Section
7(a)(iii)(1), Section 7(c), Section
7(x), Section 8(a), Section 8(b), Section 8(c)(i) and Section 8(d) (collectively,
“Fundamental
Representations”) shall survive without limitation; and provided, further, that all
covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement or in
any other Transaction Document furnished to
the Buyer or the Sellers under this
Agreement shall survive the Closing and
remain in full force and effect indefinitely, subject to applicable statutes of
limitation. In the event a claim for indemnification relative to any
breach of any warranty or misrepresentation is asserted in accordance with this
Section 11
prior to the expiration of the survival period applicable to such warranty or
representation set forth above, such claim and any corresponding indemnity shall
survive until finally determined by the Parties or
litigation in an appropriate court of competent jurisdiction.
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(g) No
Circular Recovery. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
this Agreement, the Sellers hereby agree
that it will not make any claim for indemnification against any Buyer Indemnified Party by reason of the fact
that any Seller was a controlling person, director, employee or representative of the Company with respect to any claim brought by a Buyer Indemnified Party against the Sellers relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby or
that is based on any facts or circumstances that form the basis for an
indemnification claim by a Buyer Indemnified Party hereunder.
(h) Restrictions. Neither
the Buyer Indemnified Parties nor the
Sellers, as applicable, shall be entitled to recover under
Section 11:
(i) until the total amount which the Buyer
Indemnified Parties or the Sellers, as
applicable, would recover under Section 11, but for this
Section 11(j)(i), exceeds
Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) (the “Basket”), and then
the Buyer Indemnified Parties or the
Sellers, as applicable, shall be entitled to recover only
the excess over the Basket;
(ii) to the extent the aggregate indemnification obligations of the
Buyer or the Sellers, as applicable,
under Section
11 exceeds Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) (the “Cap”) (provided that
each Seller’s indemnification obligations shall be limited to the product of (A)
the percentage of Buyer’s Common Stock such Seller receives as set forth on
Schedule 3 divided by the aggregate shares of Buyer’s Common Stock received by
all of the Sellers and (B) $5,000,000);
provided, however, that, with
respect to Section
11(h)(i) and Section 11(h)(ii), any Losses incurred by a Buyer Indemnified Party or a Seller, as applicable,
based upon, arising out of or otherwise in respect of (i) a
breach of or inaccuracy in any of the Fundamental
Representations or Specific Representations, or (ii) any fraud, fraud in the inducement or intentional
misrepresentation shall not be subject to the Basket or the
Cap.
12. Expenses. The
Parties shall pay their own expenses, including accountants’
and attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with the negotiation and
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided however, if this Agreement is terminated in
accordance with the provisions herein, the Buyer shall reimburse the Sellers for the cost of the annual audit of its financial
statements, which Buyer required Seller to undertake.
13. Notices. All
notices under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall
be (a) delivered in person, (b) sent by telecopy or e-mail, or (c) mailed,
postage prepaid, either by registered or certified mail, return receipt
requested, or overnight express carrier, addressed in each case as
follows:
If
to the Company or the Sellers:
|
Xxxxxx
Sites
0000
Xxxxx 00
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile:
E-mail:
And
Hotwell
Ges.m.b.H
Hotwell
Handelsgesellshaft MBH
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
0,
0000
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Attention:
Xxxx Xxxxx
E-mail:
x.xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xx
And
NPS Bahrain
NPS
Bahrain for Oil and gas Well Services W.L.L
Dipl
Area, Xxxx 00, Xxxxxxxx 000, Xxxx 0000, Xxxxx 317
Manama,
Kingdom of Bahrain
Attention:
Mr Abdulaziz Al Dolaimi.
E-mail:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
|
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-
If
to Buyer or Merger Sub:
|
0000
Xxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxx,
Xxxx 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
E-mail:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
With
copy to:
Xxxxxx
Xxxx & Xxxxxx LLP
000
X. Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Facsimile: (000)
000-0000
E-mail: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
|
or to any other address, telecopy number, or e-mail as such party
shall designate in a written notice to the other. All notices sent
pursuant to the terms of this Section 14
shall be deemed received (a) if personally delivered, then
on the date of delivery; (b) if sent by telecopy or e-mail
before 2:00 p.m. local time of the recipient, on the day sent if a Business Day or if such day is not a Business
Day or if sent after 2:00 p.m. local time of the recipient, then on the next
Business Day; (c) if sent by overnight,
express carrier, on the next Business Day immediately
following the day sent; or (d) if sent by registered or
certified mail, on the earlier of the third (3rd) Business
Day following the day sent or when actually received. Any notice by
telecopy or e-mail shall be followed by delivery of a copy of such notice on the
next Business Day by overnight express carrier or by
hand.
14. Definitions. For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the
meaning set forth below.
“Action” means any
claim, action, cause of action or suit (whether in contract or tort or
otherwise), litigation (whether at law or in equity, whether civil or criminal),
controversy, assessment, arbitration, investigation, hearing, complaint, demand
or proceeding to, from, by or before any Governmental Authority.
“Affiliate” means,
with respect to any specified Person at any time means,
(a) each Person directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such
specified Person at such time, (b) each
Person who is at such time an officer or director of, or
direct or indirect beneficial holder of at least 20% of any class of the Equity Interests of, such specified Person,
(c) each Person that is managed by a
common group of executive officers and/or directors as such specified Person, (d) each Person of
which such specified Person or an Affiliate (as defined in clauses (a) through (c)) thereof
will, directly or indirectly, beneficially own at least 20% of any class of
Equity Interests at such time.
“Assets of the
Business” means all of the assets of the Company used
by the Company in connection with the operation of the
Business or otherwise owned by the Company.
“Business” means the
business currently or proposed to be conducted by the Company as of the date hereof, including, without limitation,
remote tank monitoring and telemetry.
“Business Day” shall
mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday on which banks are authorized or required
to be closed for the conduct of commercial banking business in Chicago, Illinois.
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“Closing Price” shall
be equal to the closing price of Buyer’s Common Stock at the close of business
on the Closing Date.
“Commercially Reasonable
Efforts” means the efforts that a commercially reasonable and prudent
Person desirous of achieving a result would use in similar
circumstances to ensure that such result is achieved as expeditiously as
possible, including the incurrence of reasonable expenditures or Liabilities by such Person.
“Contract” means, with
respect to any Person, any contract, agreement, deed,
mortgage, lease, sublease, license, commitment, promise, undertaking,
arrangement or understanding, whether written or oral and whether express or
implied, or other document or instrument to which or by which such Person is a party or otherwise subject or bound or to which or by
which any property, business, operation or right of such Person is subject or bound.
“Debt” means, with
respect to any Person, all obligations (including all
obligations in respect of principal, accrued interest, penalties, fees and
premiums) of such Person (a) for
borrowed money (including overdraft facilities), (b)
evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar contractual obligations, (c) for the deferred purchase price of property, goods or services
(other than trade payables or accruals incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business), (d) under
capital leases (in accordance with GAAP), (e) in respect of letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances,
(f) for contractual obligations relating to interest rate
protection, swap agreements and collar agreements and (g) in
the nature of Guarantees of the obligations described in
clauses (a) through (f) above of any other
Person.
“Equity Interests”
means (a) any capital stock, share, partnership or
membership interest, unit of participation or other similar interest (however
designated) in any Person and (b) any option, warrant, purchase right, conversion right,
exchange rights or other contractual obligation which would entitle any Person to acquire any such interest in such Person or otherwise entitle any Person to share
in the equity, profit, earnings, losses or gains of such Person (including stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit
participation or other similar rights).
“Existing Customer”
means any distributor or customer of the Company (or the
Surviving Corporation after the Effective Time) as of date hereof or at any time during the five
(5) year period from and after the Closing
Date.
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“GAAP” means generally
accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of
the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements
and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards
Board (or any successor authority) that are applicable as the date of any
applicable financial statement or calculation.
“Governmental
Authority” means any United States federal, state or
local or any foreign government, or political subdivision thereof, or any
multinational organization or authority or any authority, agency or commission
entitled to exercise any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative,
police, regulatory or taxing authority or power, any court or tribunal (or any
department, bureau or division thereof), or any arbitrator or arbitral
body.
“Guarantee” means,
with respect to any Person, (a) any
guarantee of the payment or performance of, or any
contingent obligation in respect of, any Debt or other
Liability of any other Person, (b) any other arrangement whereby credit is extended to any
obligor (other than such Person) on the basis of any promise
or undertaking of such Person (i) to pay the Debt or other Liability of such obligor, (ii) to
purchase any obligation owed by such obligor, (iii) to
purchase or lease assets under circumstances that are designed to enable such
obligor to discharge one or more of its obligations or (iv) to maintain the capital, working capital, solvency or
general financial condition of such obligor and (c) any
Liability as a general partner of a partnership or as a
venturer in a joint venture in respect of Debt or other
obligations of such partnership or venture.
“Knowledge of the
Company” means the
actual knowledge of the Sellers after reasonable
investigation.
“Legal Requirement”
means any United States federal, state or local or foreign
law, statute, standard, ordinance, code, rule, regulation,
resolution or promulgation, or any Order, or any license,
franchise, permit or similar right granted under any of the foregoing, or any
similar provision having the force or effect of law.
“Liability” means,
with respect to any Person, any liability or obligation of
such Person whether known or unknown, whether asserted or
unasserted, whether determined, determinable or otherwise, whether absolute or
contingent, whether accrued or unaccrued, whether liquidated or unliquidated,
whether incurred or consequential, whether due or to become due and whether or
not required under GAAP to be accrued on the financial statements of such Person.
“Liens” means any
mortgages, pledges, security interests, deeds of trust, liens, charges, options,
conditional sales contracts, claims, restrictions, covenants, easements, rights
of way, title defects or other encumbrances or restrictions with respect to, or
conditions governing the use, construction, voting (in the case of any Equity Interest), transfer, receipt of income or exercise of any
other attribute of ownership.
“Losses” means all
demands, claims, complaints, actions or causes of action,
suits, proceedings, investigations, arbitrations, assessments, losses, damages,
liabilities, costs and expenses, including, but not limited to, interest,
penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements, calculated after
taking into account any insurance recoveries and net tax benefit from such
Loss.
“Material Adverse
Effect” means any change in, or effect on, the Business, operations, Assets of the Business or
condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company which,
when considered either individually or in the aggregate together with all other
adverse changes or effects with respect to which such phrase is used in this
Agreement, is, or is reasonably likely to be, materially
adverse to the Business, operations, Assets of the Business or condition (financial or otherwise) of the
Company, taken as a whole, other than as a result of (i) events, changes, developments, conditions or circumstances that
effect the economy generally, (ii) an outbreak or escalation
of war, armed hostilities, acts of terrorism, political instability or other
national or international calamity, crisis or emergency, or any governmental or
other response to any of the foregoing, in each case, whether occurring within
or outside the United States or (iii)
general changes within the industry in which the Company
operates; provided, however, that in
clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above, that the Company is not
disproportionately affected thereby as compared to other businesses in the
industry in which the Company competes.
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“Net Assets” shall
mean total assets less total Liabilities of the Company as of 11:59 p.m. Chicago time on the
Business Day immediately preceding the Closing Date.
“Order” means any
order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, stipulation, ruling, determination or
award entered by or with any Governmental
Authority.
“Ordinary Course of
Business” shall mean an action taken by a Person if such action is in the ordinary course
of such Person’s business and consistent with the past
customs and practices of such Person (including past
practice with respect to quantity, amount, magnitude and frequency, standard
employment and payroll policies and past practice with respect to management of
working capital) which is taken in the ordinary course of the normal day-to-day
operations of such Person.
“Organizational
Documents” means, with respect to any Person (other
than an individual), (a) the certificate or certificate
of incorporation or organization and any joint venture, limited liability company, operating or partnership agreement and other
similar documents adopted or filed in connection with the creation, formation or
organization of such Person and (b) all bylaws, voting agreements and similar documents,
instruments or agreements relating to the organization or governance of such
Person, in each case, as amended or
supplemented.
“Permits” means all
franchises, approvals, permits, licenses, Orders,
registrations, certificates, variances and similar rights obtained from Governmental Authorities.
“Person” means any
individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated
association, corporation, entity or government (whether Federal, state, county,
city or otherwise, including, without limitation, any instrumentality, division,
agency or department thereof).
“Personal Property”
means the manufacturing equipment owned or leased by, in the possession of, or
used by the Company and each other tangible asset owned or
leased by, in the possession of, or used by the Company.
“Pro Rata Share”
means, with respect to each holder of Certificates of
Company Common Shares, a percentage, the numerator of which is the number of
Company Common Shares held by such holder and the
denominator of which is the aggregate outstanding Company
Common Shares.
“Representative” means
with respect to a particular Person, any director, officer,
employee, agent, consultant, advisor, or other representative of such Person, including legal counsel, accountants and financial
advisors.
“Securities Act” means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
the regulations and rules issued pursuant thereto.
“Subsidiary” and
“Subsidiaries” means,
respectively, with respect to any Person, each and all such
corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, limited liability
partnerships, joint ventures or other entities (a) of which
or in which such Person owns, directly or indirectly, such
number of outstanding equity securities as have (i) more
than fifty percent (50%) of the ordinary voting power for the election of
directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity or (ii) the power to elect a majority of that corporation’s or other
Person’s board of directors or similar governing body or
otherwise having the power to direct the business and policies of that
corporation or other Person, in each case, irrespective of
whether, at the time, the Equity Interests have such power
only upon the happening of a contingency that has not occurred or (b) of which such specified Person will,
directly or indirectly, be a general partner, managing member or joint
venturer.
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“Tax” or “Taxes” means (a) any and all Federal, state, local or non-U.S. taxes, however denominated, the liability for which is imposed by law, contractual agreement or
otherwise with a Governmental Authority,
which taxes shall include, but not be limited to, all net
income, gross income, gross receipts, franchise, excise, occupation, estimated,
alternative minimum, add-on minimum, premium, windfall profit, profits, gains,
net worth, paid up capital, capital stock, greenmail, sales, use, ad valorem,
value added, retailers’ occupation, stamp, natural resources, environmental,
real property, personal property, custom, duty, transfer,
recording, escheat, registration, documentation, leasing, insurance, social
security, employment, severance, workers’ compensation, impact, hospital,
health, unemployment, disability, payroll, license, service, service use,
employee or other withholding, or other tax or governmental
charge, of any kind whatsoever, including any interest, penalties, fees,
charges, levies, assessments, duties, tariffs, imposts or additions to Tax that may become payable in respect thereof, in each case
whether disputed or not, and (b) any liability in respect of such amounts arising as a result of being a
member of any affiliated, consolidated, combined, unitary or similar group, as a
successor to or transferee of another person or by
contract.
“Tax Returns” means
returns, declarations, reports, statements, elections, estimates, claims for
refund, information returns or other documents (including any related or
supporting schedules, statements or information, any amendment to the foregoing,
and any sales and use and resale certificates) filed or required to be filed in
connection with the determination, assessment, payment, deposit or collection of
any Taxes of any party or the administration of any laws,
regulations or administrative requirements relating to any Taxes.
“Transaction
Documents” means this Agreement and any other
agreements, certificates, instruments, statements, schedules, exhibits or
documents entered into or delivered pursuant to this Agreement.
15. Complete
Agreement. This
Agreement and the other agreements executed pursuant thereof
are complete and all understandings and agreements with reference thereto have
been expressed herein or in the exhibits hereto and this Agreement supersedes any other prior agreements, if any, between
the parties hereto with respect to the transaction contemplated
hereby.
16. Assignability. This
Agreement shall not be assignable by any Party without the prior written consent of the other Party; provided, that the
Buyer may assign its rights hereunder to one or more of its
Affiliates with prior written notice to the Company and the Sellers.
17. Binding
Effect. This Agreement shall be binding
upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
permitted successors and assigns, and nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon
any other person any right, benefit or remedy of any nature
whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
18. Governing
Law; Venue. This Agreement and the rights
of the parties shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of
the State of Delaware without reference
to conflict of law provisions or any other provisions which would result in the
application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware. The Parties agree that any action brought by any
Party to interpret or enforce any provision of this Agreement shall be brought in, and each Party
agrees to, and does hereby, submit to the jurisdiction and venue of, the
appropriate state or federal court in Delaware.
19. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall constitute one Agreement, and the signature of any Party to any counterpart shall be deemed to be a signature to, and
may be appended to, any other counterpart.
20. Headings;
Use of Certain Words. The captions of the various article and
section headings of this Agreement have been inserted only
for convenience of reference and shall not be deemed to be part of this Agreement or modify, explain, enlarge or restrict any of the
provisions of this Agreement.
22. Waivers. Except
as otherwise provided herein, any party may waive in writing compliance by any
of the other Parties hereto (to the extent such compliance
is for the benefit of the Party giving such waiver) with any
of the terms, covenants or conditions contained in this Agreement (except such as may be imposed by law). Any
waiver by any Party of any violation of, breach of, or
default under, any provision of this Agreement by any other
Party shall not be construed as, or constitute, a continuing
waiver of such provision, or waiver of any other violation of, breach of or
default under any other provision of this Agreement.
23. Remedies
Not Exclusive. Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 32
with respect to the remedy of specific performance (which may only be obtained
in accordance with such Section), no remedy conferred by any of the specific
provisions of this Agreement is intended to be exclusive of
any other remedy and each remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to
every other remedy given hereunder or hereafter existing at law or in equity or
by statute or otherwise. No remedy shall be deemed to be a limitation
on the amount or measure of damages resulting from any breach of this Agreement. The election of any one or more remedies
shall not constitute a waiver of the right to pursue other available
remedies.
24. Schedules
and Exhibits. The Schedules and Exhibits attached
to this Agreement are incorporated herein and shall be part
of this Agreement for all purposes.
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26. Construction. The
Parties hereto acknowledge that each Party was represented (or had the opportunity to be represented) by
legal counsel in connection with this Agreement, the
exhibits hereto and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and that each of them and its counsel have reviewed this
Agreement, or have had an opportunity to do so, and that any
rule of construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against
the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of this Agreement or any amendments or any exhibits hereto or
thereto.
27. No Third Party
Beneficiary. Except as expressly provided herein, this Agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties and their
permitted successors and assignees and nothing herein expressed or implied will
give or be construed to give any Person, other than the
parties and such successors and assignees, any legal or equitable rights
hereunder. Nothing herein shall be deemed to confer upon any person not a party hereto any right, benefit or remedy of any
nature whatsoever, including any rights of employment for any specified period,
under or by reason of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
this Agreement, no provision of this Agreement is intended to, or does, constitute the establishment of,
or an amendment to, any Benefit Plan.
28. Waiver of
Jury Trial. TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW
THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED, THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE, AND COVENANT THAT THEY WILL NOT
ASSERT (WHETHER AS PLAINTIFF, DEFENDANT OR OTHERWISE), ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY
JURY IN ANY ACTION ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS
AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTIONS, WHETHER
NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT ANY
OF THEM MAY FILE A COPY OF THIS PARAGRAPH WITH ANY
COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE KNOWING, VOLUNTARY AND BARGAINED-FOR AGREEMENT AMONG THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY TO WAIVE ITS RIGHT TO TRIAL
BY JURY IN ANY PROCEEDING WHATSOEVER BETWEEN THEM RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTIONS WILL INSTEAD BE
TRIED IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION BY A JUDGE SITTING WITHOUT A
JURY.
29. Specific
Performance. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the Company
and the Buyer would be damaged irreparably in the event any
of the provisions of this Agreement are not performed in
accordance with their specific terms or otherwise are breached or violated by a
Party. Accordingly, each of the Parties agrees that, without posting bond or other undertaking, the
Parties will be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to
prevent breaches or violations of the provisions of this Agreement and to enforce specifically this Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof in any proceeding
instituted in any court of the United States or any state
thereof having jurisdiction over the parties and the matter in addition to any
other remedy to which it may be entitled, at law or in equity. Each
of the Parties further agree that, in the event of any
action for specific performance in respect of such breach or
violation, it will not assert that the defense that a remedy at law would be
adequate.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement and Plan of Merger was executed
on the date first above written
Buyer:
|
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Its:
Chief Executive Officer
|
Merger
Sub:
|
Hotwell
Acquisition Corporation
By:
/s/ Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Its:
Chief Executive Officer
|
Company:
|
Hotwell
Services, Inc.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx
Sites
Name:
Xxxxxx
Sites
Its:
President
|
Sellers:
|
Xxxxxx
Sites
|
Hotwell
Ges.m.b.H
By:
/s/
X. Xxxx M. Aldelaimi
Name:
X. Xxxx M. Aldelaimi
Its:
Chairman
|
|
NPS
Bahrain
By:
/s/
X. Xxxx M. Aldelaimi
Name:
X. Xxxx M. Aldelaimi
Its:
Chairman
|
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Index
of Exhibits and Schedules Omitted pursuant to Regulation S-K, Item
601(b)(2)
Exhibit A
– Certificate of Incorporation of Hotwell Services, Inc.
Exhibit B
– Bylaws of Hotwell Services, Inc.
Schedule
3 – Merger Consideration
Schedule
5(a) – Consents
Schedule
7(a) – Jurisdictions
Schedule
7(c) – Capitalization
Schedule
7(d) – Financial Statements
Schedule
7(e) – Subsequent Events
Schedule
7(f) – Undisclosed Liabilities; Debt
Schedule
7(h) – Assets
Schedule
7(i) – Taxes
Schedule
7(j) – Real Property
Schedule
7(k) – Intellectual Property
Schedule
7(m) – Contracts
Schedule
7(n) – Notes and Accounts Receivable
Schedule
7(o) – Insurance
Schedule
7(p) – Litigation and Related Matters
Schedule
7(q) – Employees
Schedule
7(r) – Employee Benefits
Schedule
7(s) – Environmental
Schedule
7(t) – Customers and Suppliers
Schedule
7(v) – Certain Business Relationships
Schedule
7(x) – Brokers
The
Company agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of such schedules to the
Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.
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