ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SPBG FRANCHISING, INC. AND BREAD GARDEN FRANCHISING, INC. DATED SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
EXHIBIT 2.1
ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SPBG
FRANCHISING, INC. AND
BREAD GARDEN FRANCHISING, INC. DATED SEPTEMBER
30, 2008
THIS
ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into by
and between SPBG Franchising, Inc., a British Columbia corporation, (the “Purchaser”), and Bread Garden
Franchising, Inc., a British Columbia corporation (“Seller”), effective as of the
30th day of September 2008.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Seller is in the
business of franchising a restaurant concept known as Bread Garden Urban Cafes
primarily in British Columbia, Canada (the “Business”); and
WHEREAS, Purchaser is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Spicy Pickle Franchising, Inc. (“SPFI”), a Colorado company
that is in the business of franchising and operating Spicy Pickle Restaurants in
the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Seller leases the
real property for the business premises subject to that original lease between
Pacific Center Leaseholds Ltd. & Seller dated December 2, 2005 (the
“Lease”); and
WHEREAS, this Agreement
contemplates a transaction in which the Purchaser desires to purchase, and the
Seller desires to sell, all of the Assets, as defined below, of the Seller on the terms and subject to the
conditions hereinafter set forth and in return for certain shares of SPFI
common stock, and warrants; and
WHEREAS, the Purchaser and
Seller wish to make certain covenants, representations and warranties to each
other in connection with the proposed purchase and sale, and to set forth the
terms and conditions of the transaction.
NOW THEREFORE, in
consideration of the foregoing recitals, which shall be considered an integral
part of this Agreement, and the mutual promises, covenants, representations,
warranties and conditions hereinafter set forth, Purchaser and Seller hereby
agree as follows:
ARTICLE
I
Purchase and Sale of
Assets
1.1
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Purchase and
Sale. On the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth in this Agreement, at the Closing, the Seller shall sell, assign,
transfer and deliver to the Purchaser and the Purchaser shall purchase
from the Seller all of the right, title and interest of Seller in and to
the following assets of the Seller (all of which assets of the Seller are
hereinafter collectively referred to as the
"Assets"):
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1.1.1.
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Assets. Any and
all of the Seller’s:
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
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a)
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right,
title, and interests pertaining to any and all franchise agreements,
including but not limited to those agreements listed in Exhibit 1.1.1(a)
(“Franchise Agreements”);
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b)
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tangible
personal property (including, but not limited to, fixed assets, machinery,
equipment, inventory, fixtures, construction in progress, furniture,
furnishings, supplies, materials, material handling equipment, implements,
parts and tools that are owned by Seller and located at the Business and
any and all advertising and marketing materials) and any and all other
assets intended for use pursuant to the Business; including, but not
limited to those assets described in Exhibit
1.1.1(b) attached hereto and incorporated herein by
reference;
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c)
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Intellectual
Property, as defined below, goodwill associated therewith, licenses and
sublicenses granted and obtained with respect thereto, and rights
thereunder, remedies against infringements thereof, and rights to
protection of interests therein under the laws of all jurisdictions,
including, but not limited to, the name Bread Garden Franchising, Inc. and
the domain name xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx;
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d)
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right,
title, and interest in and related to the Bread Garden® concept, including
but not limited to all right, title, and interest as acquired and amended
through the following agreements between BG Franchising, Inc. and The
Spectra Group of Great Restaurants, Inc., and as acquired and assigned by
BG Franchising, Inc. to Bread Garden Franchising, Inc. through an
Assignment and Assumption Agreement dated April 7, 2005: The Master
Transaction Agreement, dated May 6, 2004, the Canadian Trade-Xxxx License
Agreement, dated May 6, 2004, and the Settlement and Amendment Agreement,
dated February 11, 2005 (the “Spectra
Agreements”);
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e)
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books,
records, ledgers, files, documents, correspondence, lists, plats,
architectural plans, drawings, and specifications, creative materials,
advertising and promotional materials, studies, reports, and other printed
or written materials;
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f)
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accounts,
notes and other receivables, securities, claims, deposits (the Purchaser
shall reimburse the Seller for the amount of the lease deposit pursuant to
Section 1.10 of this Agreement), prepayments, refunds, causes of action,
choses in action, rights of recovery, rights of set off, and rights of
recoupment (including any such item relating to the payment of
Taxes);
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g)
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approvals,
permits, licenses, orders, registrations, certificates, variances, and
similar rights obtained from governments and governmental
agencies;
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h)
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leasehold
improvements (including but not limited to the interest in all plants,
buildings, structures, fixtures, erections, improvements, easements,
rights-of-way, spur tracks and other appurtenances that are owned by
Seller and situated on, forming part of or intended for use at the
Business);
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i)
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right
and title under the Lease; and
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The
Assets shall not include (i) the corporate charter, qualifications to conduct
business as a foreign corporation, arrangements with registered agents relating
to foreign qualifications, taxpayer and other identification numbers, seals,
minute books, stock transfer books, blank stock certificates, and other
documents relating to the organization, maintenance, and existence of the Seller
as a corporation or (ii) any of the rights of the Seller under this Agreement
(or under any side agreement between the Seller on the one hand and the
Purchaser on the other hand entered into on or after the date of this
Agreement).
The term
“Intellectual
Property” means all of the following in any jurisdiction throughout the
world: (a) all inventions (whether patentable or unpatentable and whether or not
reduced to practice), all improvements thereto, and all patents, patent
applications, and patent disclosures, together with all reissuances,
continuations, continuations-in-part, revisions, extensions, and reexaminations
thereof, (b) all trademarks, service marks, trade dress, logos, slogans, trade
names, corporate names, Internet domain names and rights in telephone numbers,
together with all translations, adaptations, derivations, and combinations
thereof and including all goodwill associated therewith, and all applications,
registrations, and renewals in connection therewith, (c) all copyrightable
works, all copyrights, and all applications, registrations, and renewals in
connection therewith, (d) all mask works and all applications, registrations,
and renewals in connection therewith, (e) all trade secrets and confidential
business information (including ideas, research and development, know-how,
formulas, recipes, compositions, preparation and production processes and
techniques, technical data, designs, drawings, specifications, customer and
supplier lists, pricing and cost information, and business and marketing plans
and proposals), (f) all computer software (including source code, executable
code, data, databases and related documentation), (g) all advertising and
promotional materials, (h) all other proprietary rights, and (i) all copies and
tangible embodiments thereof (in whatever form or medium).
1.1.2.
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Prior
to or at the Closing, the Seller shall furnish the Purchaser with all of
its information regarding the Seller’s prospective franchisees, investors,
letters of intent, proposals, customer lists, and any other documents or
leads in connection with the sale of franchisees, locations of cafes, or
in any way related to the Business (collectively, “Business
Dealings”). Exhibit 1.1.2
shall include a complete and correct list of all of the contact
information as applicable regarding the Business Dealings and a general
description related thereto. The Assets shall include an
exclusive right for the Purchaser, including against the Seller, to any
and all rights, title and interest related to the Business
Dealings.
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
1.1.3.
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All
of the Seller’s goodwill and copies of books, records, ledgers, files,
documents, correspondence, lists, plats, architectural plans, drawings,
and specifications, creative materials, advertising and promotional
materials, studies, reports, and other printed or written materials, all
of Seller’s employment and personnel records and any and all other records
relating or pertaining to Seller’s Business including all sales records
and similar data (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Records");
the Seller shall deliver to the Purchaser copies of the Records within 5
(five) business days upon the written request of the
Purchaser.
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1.1.4.
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All
of the Seller’s right and title in and to any agreements, contracts,
indentures, mortgages, instruments, Security Interests, guaranties, and
other similar arrangements as expressly described in Exhibit
1.1.4.
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1.2
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Purchase Price for the
Assets; The Purchaser agrees to pay to the Seller at the Closing
the following consideration (the “Purchase
Price”):
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(i)
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4,500,000
shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, of SPFI (“SPFI
Stock”);
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(ii)
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Purchaser
shall issue an additional 677,500 shares of common stock, $0.001 par
value, of SPFI, which are not subject to the lock-up agreement pursuant to
Section 1.7 of this Agreement (“Additional
Shares”);
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(iii)
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five-year
warrants to purchase 2,700,000 shares of SPFI common stock at 150% of the
closing price of SPFI common stock on the date of the Closing (“SPFI
Warrants”); and
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(iv)
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Purchaser
shall issue additional five-year warrants to purchase 338,750 shares of
SPFI common stock at $0.615 price per share, which are not subject to the
lock-up agreement pursuant to Section 1.7 of this Agreement (“Additional
Warrants”).
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The
SPFI Warrants and the Additional Warrants shall be exercisable for five
years, cannot be exercised cashless and must be exercised or will
expire.
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1.3
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Liabilities of
Seller. Anything contained in this Agreement to the
contrary notwithstanding, the Seller shall be and remain solely liable and
responsible for all debts, obligations, duties, and liabilities of the
Seller and its Business, prior to the close of business, the day before
the Closing Date (as defined in Section 5.1). The Purchaser does not and
shall not assume, agree to pay or pay any debts, obligations, duties or
liabilities of any nature of the Seller or its Business, regardless of
whether any such debt, obligation, duties, tax or liability arises under
any contract, agreement, practice, arrangement, statute, law,
ordinance,
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
rule,
regulation or otherwise, and nothing in this Agreement or otherwise is intended
or shall be construed to the contrary.
1.5
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Present and Reasonably
Equivalent Value. The transactions contemplated by this
Agreement are intended by the parties to be a contemporaneous exchange
between the Purchaser and the Seller and will be accomplished at Closing
Date contemporaneously. The transactions contemplated by this
Agreement represent a regularly conducted, non-collusive sale, and have
been negotiated by the parties and their respective professional advisors
in an arm's-length manner with due regard for the respective obligations
of the parties and value of the assets
transferred.
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1.6
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Removal of
Assets. The Seller shall assemble by the time of Closing
on the Closing Date and thereafter maintain or cause to be delivered to
premises, where the Business is located, all of the Assets being purchased
by the Purchaser.
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1.7
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Lock-up
Agreement. As a principle part of the Purchaser’s inducement to
participate in this Agreement, any or all shares of SPFI Stock and any and
all SPFI Warrants shall be subject to the form of Lock-up Agreement
attached as Exhibit
1.7.
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1.8
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Confidentiality. The
Parties acknowledge that any information, material or documentation
received or observed by it in relation to this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement either before or after
execution of this Agreement is confidential. The Purchaser will only use
or disclose such confidential information in accordance with the
provisions of the Personal Information Protection Act (British Columbia).
The Purchaser shall take, and shall cause its employees, representatives
and agents to take, all reasonable steps and precautions to protect and
maintain the confidentiality of such information, materials and
documentation; provided that the foregoing will not prevent the Purchaser
from disclosing or making available to its accountants, professional
advisors and bankers and other lenders, whether current or prospective,
any such information, materials and documentation on a confidential basis
for the purpose of carrying out the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
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1.9
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Lease Deposit.
The parties agree that, in addition to the Purchase Price, at the Closing
the Purchaser shall reimburse the Seller for the lease deposit with
respect to the Lease in the amounts of CDN
$7,000.00.
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ARTICLE
II
Representation and
Warranties of Seller
The
Seller represents and warrants to the Purchaser as follows:
SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
2.1
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Due Organization; Good
Standing. Seller is a duly incorporated and validly
existing company under the Business Corporations
(British
Columbia), validly existing and in good standing with respect to
the filing of annual reports with the British Columbia Registrar of
Companies. Seller has full right, power, and authority to own
its properties and assets, and to carry on its business as now being
conducted. Seller is duly licensed, qualified and authorized to
do business as a limited company, and is in good standing in the
jurisdiction in which the property and assets owned by it or the nature of
the business conducted by it makes such licensing, qualification and
authorization legally necessary.
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2.2
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Authority. Seller
has all requisite power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution,
acknowledgement and delivery of this Agreement by the Seller and the
performance by the Seller of the transactions contemplated hereby have
been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate and
shareholder action. This Agreement has been duly executed,
acknowledged and delivered by the Seller and represents the legal, valid
and binding obligation of the Seller, enforceable against it in accordance
with their terms, except as such enforcement may be affected by bankruptcy
or insolvency laws and except with regard to the power of courts of equity
to reform certain documents. No consent, approval, order or
authorization of, or registration, declaration or filing with, any court,
administrative agency or commission or other governmental authority or
instrumentality, domestic or foreign is required by or with respect to
Seller in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or
the consummation by Seller of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
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2.3
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Agreement Not in
Conflict with Other Instruments; Required Approvals Obtained. The
execution, acknowledgement, sealing, delivery, and performance of this
Agreement by the Seller, and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement will not (i) violate or require any
consent, approval, or filing under, (a) any common law, law, statute,
ordinance, rule or regulation (collectively referred to throughout this
Agreement as "Laws") of any federal, provincial, state or local government
(collectively referred to throughout this Agreement as "Governments") or
any agency, bureau, commission, instrumentality or judicial body of any
Governments (collectively referred to throughout this Agreement as
"Governmental Agencies"), or (b) any judgment, injunction, order, writ or
decree of any court, arbitrator, Government or Governmental Agency by
which the Seller or any of the Assets are bound; (ii) conflict with,
require any consent, approval, or filing under, result in the breach or
termination of any provision of, constitute a default under, or result in
the creation of any claim, security interest, lien, charge, or encumbrance
upon any of the Assets pursuant to, (a) the Seller’s Articles or Bylaws,
(b) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, license, permit, approval,
consent, franchise, lease, contract, or other instrument, document or
agreement to which the Seller is a party or by which the Seller or any of
the Assets is bound, or (c) any judgment, injunction, order, writ or
decree of any court, arbitrator, Government or
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Governmental Agency by which the Seller or any of the Assets is bound; and all permits, licenses and authorizations of any Government or Governmental Agency required to be obtained prior to the Closing, shall have been obtained and shall be in full force and effect as of the Closing Date. |
2.4
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Books, Records and
Financial Statements. Seller has made and will make
available for inspection by the Purchaser within 5 (five) business days
upon written request all the books and records of Seller pertaining to the
Business. Such books, records and financial statements of
Seller have been maintained in the ordinary course of
business. All documents furnished or caused to be furnished to
the Purchaser by Seller is and shall be true and correct copies, and there
are no amendments or modifications thereto except as set forth in such
documents. The
books and records fairly and correctly set out and disclose in all
material respects the financial position and condition, and all revenues,
expenses and results of operations, of the Business and all material
financial transactions of the Seller relating to any of the Assets or the
Business have been accurately recorded in the books and records, all of
which are under the exclusive ownership and direct control of the Seller
(including all means of access thereto and therefrom) and the Seller has
original or true copies of all such books and records in its
possession.
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2.5
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Absence of Certain
Changes or Events. Seller has conducted its business
only in the ordinary course, and, as of the date of this Agreement, there
has not been (i) any material adverse change, alone or in the aggregate,
in the business, assets, liabilities, condition (financial or otherwise),
results of operations or prospects of Seller since April 1, 2008; or (ii)
any declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other
distribution (whether in cash, stock or property) with respect to any of
Seller’s equity.
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2.6
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Absence of
Liabilities. As of the Closing Date, Seller will have no
liabilities or obligations past due of any nature or kind, known or
unknown, whether accrued, absolute, contingent, or otherwise, including
but not limited to liabilities or obligations for rent, services or
supplies provided prior to Closing.
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2.7
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Litigation. Exhibit
2.7 contains a complete and accurate listing and
description of all current, pending and, to the knowledge of the Seller,
threatened, actions, claims, demands, lawsuits, assessments, arbitrations,
judgments, awards, decrees, orders, injunctions, prosecutions and
investigations, and other proceedings, of, by, against, or relating to,
the Seller, any of the Assets or the Business. There is no other suit,
action or proceeding pending, or, to the knowledge of Seller, threatened
against or affecting Seller which is reasonably likely to have a material
adverse effect on Seller, nor is there any judgment, decree, injunction,
rule or order of any Governmental Entity or arbitrator outstanding against
Seller having, or which, insofar as reasonably can be foreseen, in the
future could have, any such effect (“Other Litigation”). The
Seller represents and warrants that there is no Other Litigation and shall
indemnify the Purchaser from any and all potential liability of the Seller
related to the litigation listed in Exhibit 2.7 and
any liability of the Seller related to Other Litigation, pursuant to
Section 6.8 of this Agreement.
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2.8
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Compliance
Directives: Except as disclosed in Exhibit 2.8,
there is no outstanding compliance directive or work order relating to any
of the Assets or the Business from any police or fire department,
sanitation or health authority, environmental agency or any other
Governmental Agency, nor does the Seller have notice that there is any
matter under formal consideration by any such authority relating to the
Seller, the Business or any of the
Assets.
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2.9
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No Seizure.
There is no appropriation, expropriation or seizure of any of the Assets
that is pending or, to the knowledge of the Seller, that has been
threatened.
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2.10
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Reviewable
Transactions. The Seller did not acquire any of the Assets in a
transaction that is reviewable under the Investment Canada Act (Canada) or
that requires notice or is
reviewable under the Competition
Act (Canada).
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2.11
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Assets. Seller
has good and marketable title to the Assets free and clear of all
mortgages, liens, pledges, charges or encumbrances or other third party
interests of any nature whatsoever. All of the Equipment is in good repair
and good operating condition, fit for its intended purposes, and is
adequate for the continuation of Seller’s
business.
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2.12
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Lease and Leased
Premises. The Lease is valid and subsisting and is in
full force and effect and without amendment thereto. There are no other
leases, agreements to lease or tenancy arrangements relating to real
property to which the Seller is a party and which relate to the Business.
The Seller has not previously assigned any of the Lease nor sublet its
interest under the Lease. The Seller has not released any of the other
parties to any of the Lease from the performance of any of their
obligations thereunder. The Seller is not in breach of any of the terms of
any of the Lease and the Seller is not aware of any of the other parties
to the Lease being in breach of any of the terms thereof, and no event or
condition has occurred which, either immediately or after notice or lapse
of time or both, could give rise to the cancellation or termination of the
Lease. The Seller has made a correct and complete copy of the
Lease available to the Purchaser as set out in Exhibit
2.12.
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2.13
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Other
Contracts. Seller represents that there are no other written or
oral contracts, agreements, loan agreements, leases, mortgages or
commitments (“Other Contracts”) to which and of the Seller is a party or
may be bound. If such Other Contracts are in existence, they
are valid and in full force and effect on the date hereof, and Seller has
not violated any provision of, or committed or failed to perform any act
which would constitute a default under the provisions of, any Other
Contract. True and complete copies of all Other Contracts, together with
all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Purchaser or made
available for inspection prior to
Closing.
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2.14
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Licenses,
Permits. Seller owns or possesses for the construction
and operation of the Business all material licenses, permits, consents,
approvals, rights, waivers and other authorizations, governmental or
otherwise (“Authorization”), which are
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 8
necessary
for it to conduct its business as now conducted. The Seller is
not in material default, and has not received any notice of any claim of
default, with respect to any such Authorization or any notice of any other
claim or proceeding or threatened proceeding relating to any such
Authorization or claimed lack of any necessary
Authorization. Furthermore, the Seller represents and warrants
that it is in compliance with any and all relevant regulations, laws,
ordinances and codes with any and all government authorities that have
appropriate jurisdiction, including but not limited to all health, zoning
and fire codes. The Seller shall use its good faith and
reasonable efforts to transfer all transferable Authorization to the
Purchaser at or prior to the time of
Closing.
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2.15
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Conduct of Business in
Compliance with Regulatory and Contractual Requirements. Seller has
conducted and is conducting its Business in compliance with all applicable
laws of all governments and governmental agencies, including but not
limited to all applicable franchise laws and regulations of any
kind. Neither the real or personal properties owned, leased,
operated or occupied by Seller, nor the use, operation or maintenance
thereof, (i) violates any laws of any government or governmental agency,
or (ii) violates any restrictive or similar covenant, agreement,
commitment, understanding or
arrangement.
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2.16 |
Tax Matters. Seller
has duly and timely filed or will by the Closing have duly and timely
filed with all appropriate governmental agencies, all tax returns,
information returns, and reports required to be filed by
Seller. Except for accruals for payroll taxes payable, income
taxes payable and deferred, and any other accrued taxes (collectively,
“Accrued Taxes”), Seller has paid in full all taxes (including taxes
withheld from employees’ salaries and other withholding taxes and
obligations), interest, penalties, assessments and deficiencies owed by
Seller to all taxing authorities. Complete and correct copies of (i) the
income tax returns of Seller for Seller’s two fiscal years ending 2007, as
filed by Seller with the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) and all provincial
taxing authorities (collectively, the “Returns”), (ii) all audit reports
received by Seller during the last five years and issued by CRA or any
provincial taxing authorities, and (iii) all consents and agreements
entered into by Seller during the last two years with CRA or any
provincial taxing authorities (collectively, the “Tax Agreements”) as
received by Purchaser are collectively and incorporated by reference
herein. All information reported on the Returns is true, accurate, and
complete. All claims by CRA or any provincial taxing authorities for taxes
due and payable by Seller have been paid by Seller. The provisions for the
Accrued Taxes are adequate for the payment of all of Seller’s liabilities
for unpaid taxes (whether or not disputed). Seller is not a party to, and
is not aware of, any pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding, or
assessment against it for the collection of taxes by any governmental
agency.
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2.17
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Residency. The
Seller is not a non-resident of Canada for the purposes of the Income Tax
Act (Canada).
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 9
2.18
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GST. The Seller
is a registrant for purposes of Part IX of the Excise Tax Act (Canada),
and the Seller’s registration number is [number], and for the purposes of
the Excise Tax Act (Canada) the Assets constitute a business or part of a
business and represent all or substantially all of the property that can
reasonably be regarded as being necessary for the Purchaser to be capable of carrying on the
Business or part of the Business as a
business.
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2.19
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Environmental
Matters. To the best of the Seller’s knowledge, all real and leased
property subject to this Agreement is free of any hazardous material and
any harmful chemical or physical conditions and is free of any
environmental contamination of any
nature.
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2.20 |
Employment Issues. Seller
is not in violation of any applicable equal employment opportunity, wage
and hour, or any other Laws of any Government or Governmental Agency
relating to employment; there are no active, pending, or threatened
administrative or judicial proceedings under any Laws of any Government or
Governmental Agency; there are no claims, charges, and employment related
suits or controversies which have occurred within the last 10 years or are
presently pending or threatened under any employment related Laws of any
Government or Governmental Agency; and the Seller is not subject to any
judgments, decrees, conciliation agreements and settlement agreements
concerning employment related
matters.
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The
Seller has not entered into any employment agreements with any of its employees,
and all employees may be terminated at will; there is no contractual obligation
or special termination or severance arrangement in respect of any of Seller’s
employees; and there is no provision of any agreement or arrangement with any of
the Seller’s employees, or any other legal or contractual requirement, which
would obligate the Seller to require the Purchaser of the Assets to employ any
of the Seller’s employees.
The
Seller has paid all wages, bonuses, commissions and other benefits and sums due
(and all required taxes, insurance, social security and withholding thereon),
including all accrued vacation, accrued sick leave, accrued benefits and accrued
payments (and pro rata accruals for a portion of a year) to its
employees.
All
assessments which are due or overdue and payable under the Workers’ Compensation Act
(British Columbia) in relation to the Business have been paid and there
are no outstanding assessments which are due or overdue and payable but unpaid.
No events have occurred with respect to the Seller which, to the knowledge of
the Seller, are likely to result in any significant increase in any workers’
compensation board assessment or any similar assessment payable by the
Seller.
The books
and records accurately set out all banked vacation entitlement, regular and
supplementary vacation pay, banked and deferred overtime compensation,
SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 10
time-off
entitlement, severance, banked sick leave, retirement benefits and benefits due
or accruing under Benefit Plans (as defined below) to all
employees.
With the
sole exception of the specific employment or consulting agreement(s) attached as
Exhibit 2.20
and executed contemporaneously herewith, the Purchaser is under no obligation or
duty, whether under any contract, agreement, understanding or arrangement or
under any applicable Law of any Government or Governmental Agency to assume or
be responsible for any obligation, duty or liability, now existing or hereafter
arising, relating to or in connection with the Seller’s employees or any
compensation, benefits or benefit plans in respect of the Seller’s employees, or
otherwise arising out of or in connection with the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, and the Seller has made no commitment and is under no obligation
to cause the Purchaser to assume or to be responsible for any such obligation,
duty or liability.
2.21
|
Full
Disclosure. This Agreement (including the Exhibits
hereto) does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state any material fact necessary to make the statements contained
herein not misleading. There is no fact known to Seller, which is not
disclosed in this Agreement, which materially adversely affects the
accuracy of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement
or Seller’s financial condition, results of operations, business, or
prospects.
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2.22
|
Benefit
Plans. For
purposes of the representations and warranties set forth below in this
section, the term “Benefit Plans” is defined broadly to include all plans,
programs, or arrangements (whether or not insured), and whether written or
oral, which provide to employees pension, profit sharing, employee stock
ownership plan, stock option, incentive bonus, surgical or other
physician, hospitalization, major medical, dental, optical, prescription
drug, health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and
dismemberment, short-term disability, long-term disability, sick leave,
vacation, severance, supplemental unemployment, layoff, automobile,
apprenticeship and training, day care, scholarship, or group legal
benefits, and for greater certainty includes plans or programs in which
the Seller is obligated to participate by statute. The list and
description of Benefit Plans contained in Exhibit 2.22 is
a complete and accurate list and description of all Benefit Plans
applicable to employees together with all amendments which have been made
to such plans since their inception and all of the employee benefit
booklets relating thereto. All such plans and amendments have
been properly adopted or made and comply in all respects with all
applicable laws. All such plans and amendments have been registered or
filed with or accepted by the appropriate authorities where required. All
such plans and amendments under which contributions by the Seller are
intended to be deductible for income tax purposes have been filed with and
accepted by Canada Revenue Agency and satisfy the registration
requirements of Canada Revenue Agency in all respects (if applicable). The
Seller has made, on a timely basis, all contributions required to be made
to its Benefit Plans, including those required under the Benefit Plans or
otherwise by law or by contract.
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 11
2.23
|
Negotiations with
Other Persons. Seller shall not initiate, encourage the
initiation by others, or participate in any discussions or negotiations
with any other persons relating to the sale or any assets of Seller, and
will promptly notify the Purchaser if any person initiates such
discussions or negotiations with
them.
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2.24
|
No
Brokerage. Neither Purchaser nor Seller has incurred any
obligation or liability, contingent or otherwise, for brokerage fees,
finder’s fees, agent’s commissions, or the like in connection with this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby.
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2.25
|
Disclaimer of
Fraudulent Intent. Seller represents and warrants that the
transactions described in this Agreement have been undertaken by it in
good faith, considering its obligations to any person or entity to whom
the Seller owes a right to payment, whether the right is reduced to
judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured,
disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or unsecured (collectively
such persons with such claims are called "Creditors" under this
paragraph), and has undertaken these transactions without any intent to
hinder, delay or defraud any such Creditors, and either has disclosed in
the ordinary course of business or will undertake to disclose to all such
Creditors the existence of this transaction, and has not and will not
conceal this transaction or the proceeds of this transaction from any such
Creditors. Seller further represents and warrants
that: (i) it will not retain possession or control of any of
the property transferred under this Agreement following the Closing,
except as expressly provided in this Agreement and then only for and on
behalf of the account of the Purchaser; (ii) the Seller has not been
sued or threatened with suit by any Creditor prior to the execution of
this Agreement, except as fully disclosed in an exhibit to this Agreement;
(iii) the Seller has not removed or concealed any assets from any
Creditors; (iv) the Seller has not incurred any individual or
aggregate substantial debt that is significantly greater than the normal
and customary debts of the Seller in the ordinary course of business;
(v) the Seller at closing believes in good faith that Seller will
receive consideration reasonably equivalent to the value of the assets
transferred under this Agreement.
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2.26
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Representations as to
Solvency. Seller represents and warrants
that:
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2.26.1
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Prior
to and after the closing of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, Seller will not engage in any business or transaction for which
the remaining assets of the Seller are unreasonably small in relation to
the business or transactions in which they undertake or intend to engage;
and
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2.26.2
|
Seller
does not intend to incur or has no reasonable basis to believe that it
will incur any debts beyond the Seller’s ability to pay as they become
due; and
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 12
2.26.3
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Seller
has and will continue to have assets greater than its debts, based upon a
fair valuation; and
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2.26.4
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As
of the date of this Agreement and at closing, Seller shall have paid and
will pay its debts as they become
due.
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2.27
|
Disclosure of Contract
Interests. The Seller represents and warrants that prior to closing
it shall disclose to the Purchaser all of its interest in any agreements,
contracts, indentures, mortgages, instruments, Security Interests,
guaranties, and other similar
arrangements.
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2.28
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Powers of
Attorney. There are no outstanding powers of attorney
executed on behalf of the Seller.
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2.29
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Collection of
Payables. Seller agrees that any accounts receivable that it
receives after Closing that are directly related to the Assets sold
herein, including but not limited to any royalty payments collected by
franchisees, shall be held in trust by the Seller on behalf of the
Purchaser and shall be paid to Purchaser without demand or notice within a
reasonable time.
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2.30
|
Estoppel
Certificates. The Seller represents and warrants that the Estoppel
Certificates, as defined below, are, collectively, a complete, current and
correct representation of all of the agreements between Seller and each of
its franchisees. Seller represents and warrants that no other
agreements, addendums, amendments or any other forms of obligation exist
between Seller and its franchisees except what is expressly listed in the
Estoppel Certificates.
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2.31
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Intellectual
Property.
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2.31.1.
|
The
Seller owns or possesses or has the right to use pursuant to a valid and
enforceable, written license, sublicense, agreement, or permission all
Intellectual Property necessary for the operation of the business of the
Seller as presently conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted.
Each item of Intellectual Property owned or used by the Seller immediately
prior to the Closing hereunder will be owned or available for use by the
Purchaser on identical terms and conditions immediately subsequent to the
Closing hereunder. The Seller has taken all necessary action to maintain
and protect each item of Intellectual Property that it owns or
uses.
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2.31.2.
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The
Seller has not interfered with, infringed upon, misappropriated, or
otherwise come into conflict with any Intellectual Property rights of
third parties, and none of the Seller Stockholders and the directors and
officers (and employees with responsibility for Intellectual Property
matters) of the Seller has ever received any charge, complaint, claim,
demand, or notice alleging any such interference, infringement,
misappropriation, or violation (including any claim that any of the Seller
must license or refrain from using any Intellectual Property rights of any
third party). To the Knowledge of any of the Seller Stockholders and the
directors and officers (and employees with responsibility for Intellectual
Property matters) of the Seller, no third party has interfered with,
infringed upon,
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 13
misappropriated, or otherwise come into conflict with any Intellectual Property rights of the Seller. |
2.31.3.
|
Exhibit 2.31.3
identifies each patent or registration which has been issued to the Seller
with respect to any of its Intellectual Property, identifies each pending
patent application or application for registration which the Seller has
made with respect to any of its Intellectual Property, and identifies each
license, sublicense, agreement, or other permission which the Seller has
granted to any third party with respect to any of its Intellectual
Property (together with any exceptions). The Seller has delivered to the
Purchaser correct and complete copies of all such patents, registrations,
applications, licenses, sublicenses, agreements, and permissions (as
amended to date) and has made available to the Purchaser correct and
complete copies of all other written documentation evidencing ownership
and prosecution (if applicable) of each such item. Exhibit 2.31.3
also identifies each unregistered trademark, service xxxx, trade name,
corporate name or Internet domain name, computer software item (other than
commercially available off-the-shelf software purchased or licensed for
less than a total cost of CDN $1,000 in the aggregate) and each material
unregistered copyright used by the Seller in connection with its business.
With respect to each item of Intellectual Property required to be
identified in Exhibit
2.31.3:
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|
(A)
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the
Seller owns and possesses all right, title, and interest in and to the
item, free and clear of any Security Interest, license, or other
restriction or limitation regarding use or
disclosure;
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(B)
|
the
item is not subject to any outstanding injunction, judgment, order,
decree, ruling, or charge;
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(C)
|
no
action, suit, proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint,
claim, or demand is pending or, to the Knowledge of any of the Seller
Stockholders and the directors and officers (and employees with
responsibility for Intellectual Property matters) of the Seller, is
threatened which challenges the legality, validity, enforceability, use,
or ownership of the item, and there are no grounds for the
same;
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|
(D)
|
the
Seller has never agreed to indemnify any Person for or against any
interference, infringement, misappropriation, or other conflict with
respect to the item; and
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|
(E)
|
no
loss or expiration of the item is threatened, pending, or reasonably
foreseeable, except for patents expiring at the end of their statutory
terms (and not as a result of any act or omission by the Seller
Stockholders or Seller, including without limitation, a failure by the
Seller Stockholders or Seller to pay any required maintenance
fees).
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2.31.4.
|
Exhibit 2.31.4
identifies each item of Intellectual Property that any third party owns
and that the Seller uses pursuant to license, sublicense, agreement, or
permission. The Seller has delivered to the Purchaser correct and complete
copies of all such licenses, sublicenses, agreements, and permissions (as
amended to date). With respect to each item of Intellectual Property
required to be identified in Exhibit
2.31.4:
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|
(A)
|
the
license, sublicense, agreement, or permission covering the item is legal,
valid, binding, enforceable, and in full force and
effect;
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 14
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(B)
|
the
license, sublicense, agreement, or permission will continue to be legal,
valid, binding, enforceable, and in full force and effect on identical
terms following the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby
(including the assignments and assumptions referred to in §2
above);
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|
(C)
|
no
party to the license, sublicense, agreement, or permission is in breach or
default, and no event has occurred which with notice or lapse of time
would constitute a breach or default or permit termination, modification,
or acceleration thereunder;
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(D)
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no
party to the license, sublicense, agreement, or permission has repudiated
any provision thereof;
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(E)
|
with
respect to each sublicense, the representations and warranties set forth
in subsections (A) through (D) above are true and correct with respect to
the underlying license;
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(F)
|
the
underlying item of Intellectual Property is not subject to any outstanding
injunction, judgment, order, decree, ruling, or
charge;
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(G)
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no
action, suit, proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint,
claim, or demand is pending or, to the Knowledge of any of the Seller
Stockholders and the directors and officers (and employees with
responsibility for Intellectual Property matters) of the Seller, is
threatened which challenges the legality, validity, or enforceability of
the underlying item of Intellectual Property, and there are no grounds for
the same; and
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|
(H)
|
the
Seller has not granted any sublicense or similar right with respect to the
license, sublicense, agreement, or
permission.
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2.31.5.
|
To
the Knowledge of any of the Seller Stockholders and the directors and
officers (and employees with responsibility for Intellectual Property
matters) of the Seller: (A) the Seller has not in the past nor will
interfere with, infringe upon, misappropriate, or otherwise come into
conflict with, any Intellectual Property rights of third parties as a
result of the continued operation of its business as presently conducted
and as presently proposed to be conducted; (B) there are no facts that
indicate a likelihood of any of the foregoing; and (C) no notices
regarding any of the foregoing (including, without limitation, any demands
or offers to license any Intellectual Property from any third party) have
been received.
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2.31.6.
|
None
of the Seller Stockholders and the directors and officers (and employees
with responsibility for Intellectual Property matters) of the Seller has
any Knowledge of any new products, recipes, procedures, or methods of
preparation or processing that any competitors or other third parties have
developed which reasonably could be expected to supersede or make obsolete
any product or process of the Seller or to limit the business of the
Seller as presently conducted or as presently proposed to be
conducted.
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2.31.7.
|
The
Seller has taken all necessary and desirable action to maintain and
protect all of the Intellectual Property of Seller and will continue to
maintain and protect all of the Intellectual Property of Seller prior to
Closing so as not to adversely affect the validity or enforceability
thereof. To the Knowledge of the Seller, the owners
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 15
of
any of the Intellectual Property licensed to Seller has taken all
necessary and desirable action to maintain and protect the Intellectual
Property covered by such license and the Seller shall promptly notify the
Purchaser if the owners of any Intellectual Property licensed to Seller
fail, to the Knowledge of the Seller, to take all necessary and desirable
action to maintain and protect the Intellectual Property covered by such
license between now and Closing.
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2.31.8.
|
The
Seller has complied with and are presently in compliance with all foreign,
federal, state, local, governmental (including, but not limited to, the
Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General), administrative or
regulatory laws, regulations, guidelines and rules applicable to any
Intellectual Property and the Seller shall take all steps necessary to
ensure such compliance until
Closing.
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ARTICLE
III
Representation and
Warranties of Purchaser
The Purchaser represents and warrants
to Seller as follows:
3.1
|
Organization, Standing
and Power. The Purchaser is a duly incorporated and
validly existing company under the Business Corporations
(British
Columbia), has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and
operate its properties and to carry on its business as now being
conducted, and is duly qualified and in good standing to do business in
each jurisdiction in which the nature of its business makes such
qualification necessary.
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3.2
|
Authority. The
Purchaser has all requisite power and authority to enter into this
Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly
authorized by the Board of Directors of the Purchaser. No other
proceedings on the part of the Purchaser are necessary to authorize this
Agreement, or the other transactions contemplated
hereby.
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3.3
|
Conflict with Other
Agreements; Approvals. The execution and delivery of
this Agreement does not, and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby will not result in any violation of, or default under,
or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of
any obligation or the loss of a material benefit under, or the creation of
a lien, pledge, security interest or other encumbrance on assets pursuant
to any provision of the Articles of Incorporation, ByLaws or any
organizational document of the Purchaser. No consent, approval,
order or authorization of, or registration, declaration or filing with,
any court, administrative agency or commission or other governmental
authority or instrumentality, domestic or foreign is required by or with
respect to the Purchaser in connection with the execution and delivery of
this Agreement.
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 16
ARTICLE
IV
Conditions Precedent -
Purchaser and Seller Contingencies
4.1
|
The
obligations of Purchaser under this Agreement are subject to satisfaction
at or before the Closing, in the Purchaser’s sole and absolute discretion,
of the following conditions
precedent:
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4.1.1
|
Performance. Seller
shall have performed in all material respects all obligations required to
be performed by it under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Date,
and the Purchaser shall have received a certificate signed by Seller to
such effect.
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4.1.2
|
Representations and
Warranties. The representations and warranties of the
Seller set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all
material respects as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing
Date and the Purchaser shall have received a certificate signed by Seller
to such effect.
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4.1.3
|
Inspections. All
requisite Authorizations and inspections by any authority having
jurisdiction over the Business and whose approval is necessary for the
operations of the Business have been completed and all necessary permits
and business licenses have been issued to the Purchaser, and there are no
material deficiencies which would cause the Purchaser to spend in excess
of CDN $500 in aggregate to obtain such
approvals.
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4.1.4
|
Effectiveness of
Lease. The Lease is in full force and effect and will be
at Closing, and allows the Purchaser to operate the Business for at least
the remainder of the Lease term. Seller shall pay the rent for the month
of September, 2008 and all preceding months in the lease as contemplated
by the Lease pertaining to the Business’s
premises.
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4.1.5
|
Material Adverse
Changes. There shall have occurred no material adverse
change in the business, operations or financial condition of Seller after
January 1, 2008.
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4.1.6
|
Litigation or
Proceedings. There shall not be any litigation or other
proceeding pending, threatened or related to Seller or that would restrain
or invalidate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, which, in
the sole judgment of the Purchaser, would make the consummation of the
Agreement imprudent.
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4.1.7
|
Outfitting and
Stocking of the Business. At the time of Closing, the
Business shall be in a condition as is customary for its ordinary course
of business.
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 17
4.1.8
|
Asset
List. The Seller shall deliver to the Purchaser, at
least five (5) days prior to the Closing Date, an updated list of the
Assets, and the Seller shall permit the Purchaser a reasonable opportunity
to complete to its satisfaction a walkthrough of Business and a visual
inspection, where applicable, of the Assets to be sold pursuant to this
Agreement.
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4.1.9
|
Consent to Lease
Assignment. The Seller shall provide the Purchaser with
a copy of the Lease then in effect along with any addendums or amendments
thereto and shall acquire the written consent of the landlord and all
sublessor(s) to the assignment of the Lease from Seller to
Purchaser. The assignment terms, as consented to by the
landlord and sublessor(s), of the Lease assignment must be approved by the
Purchaser, in its sole discretion, prior to
Closing.
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4.1.10
|
Obtaining
Consents. To the
extent not already obtained, Seller shall promptly use all commercially
reasonable efforts to obtain and then deliver prior to
Closings consents, approvals and authorizations to
the assignments of the Assets where such consents, approvals and authorizations are
required. Any disagreement on what consents, approvals and
authorizations are required shall be settled by the sole determination of
the Purchaser.
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4.1.11
|
Consummation of Other
Agreements. The relevant parties shall have entered into
side agreements in form and substance as set forth in Exhibits 4.2.4
(a) through 4.2.4(g)
attached hereto and the same shall be in full force and
effect.
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4.1.12
|
Non-Disturbance
Agreement. The Seller shall have obtained and delivered to the
Purchaser a non-disturbance agreement with respect to each of the Lease(s)
for the Material Leased Property, in form and substance satisfactory to
the Purchaser, from each lender encumbering any real property underlying
the Leased Real Property for such Lease (the “Non-Disturbance
Agreements”).
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4.1.13
|
Franchise Estoppel
Certificates. The Seller shall have obtained and
delivered to the Purchaser an estoppel certificate with respect to each of
the Seller’s franchisees and the respective Franchise Agreements in form
and substance satisfactory to the Purchaser (the “Estoppel
Certificates”).
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4.1.14
|
Satisfaction of
Documentation. All actions to be taken by the Seller in
connection with consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and
all certificates, opinions, consents, instruments, and other documents
required to effect the transactions contemplated hereby will be
satisfactory in form and substance to the
Purchaser.
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4.1.15
|
The
Seller shall have obtained and will deliver or cause to be delivered to
the Purchaser:
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 18
(A) all
deeds of conveyance, bills of sale, transfer and assignments, in form and
content satisfactory to the Purchaser’s counsel, appropriate to effectively vest
a good and marketable title to the Assets in the Purchaser to the extent
contemplated by this Agreement, and immediately registrable in all places where
registration of such instruments is required;
(B) all
consents or approvals obtained by the Seller for the purpose of validly
assigning the Other Contracts;
(C) possession
of the Assets;
(E) the
elections under s. 167 of the Excise Tax Act and s. 22
of the Income Tax Act
in the forms attached;
(F) duly
executed releases of, or evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the
Purchaser as to the discharge of any and all liabilities which the Purchaser has
not agreed to assume and which may be enforceable against any of the Assets
being purchased under this Agreement;
(G) certified
copies of those resolutions of the shareholders and directors of the Seller
required to be passed to authorize the execution, delivery and implementation of
this Agreement and of all documents to be delivered by the Seller under this
Agreement; and
(H) from
the Commissioner of Social Service Tax, a certificate in duplicate pursuant to
s. 99 of the Social
Service Tax Act (British Columbia) confirming that all social service
taxes required to be paid or remitted up to but not including the Closing Date
by the Seller in connection with the Business have been paid and shall deliver a
duplicate copy thereof to the Purchaser immediately upon receipt
thereof.
4.1.16
|
Prior
to the Closing, Seller shall set aside a minimum of US$250,000 cash out of
which any liabilities of the Seller that are or could become a lien on the
Assets to be purchased hereunder will be satisfied and appropriate
releases obtained by Seller and delivered to Purchaser at or before the
Closing.
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4.1.17 Intentionally
Omitted.
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[This space has been
intentionally left blank.]
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 19
Each of
the foregoing conditions is for the exclusive benefit of the Purchaser and any
such condition may be waived in whole or part by the Purchaser at or before
closing by delivering to the Seller a written waiver to that effect signed by
the Seller.
4.2
|
The
obligations of Seller under this Agreement are subject to satisfaction at
or before the Closing, in the Seller’s sole and absolute discretion, of
the following conditions precedent:
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4.2.1
|
Performance. The
Purchaser shall have performed in all material respects all obligations
required to be performed by it under this Agreement at or prior to the
Closing Date.
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4.2.2
|
Representations and
Warranties. The representations and warranties of the
Purchaser set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all
material respects as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing
Date, except as otherwise contemplated by this
Agreement.
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4.2.3
|
Purchaser’s
Action. All action required by the Purchaser to
authorize and approve the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been
taken.
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4.2.4
|
Consummation of Other
Agreements. The relevant parties shall have entered into
side agreements in form and substance as set forth in Exhibits
4.2.4(a) through 4.2.4(g)
attached hereto and the same shall be in full force and
effect.
|
Each of
the foregoing conditions is for the exclusive benefit of the Seller and any such
condition may be waived in whole or part by the Seller at or before closing by
delivering to the Purchaser a written waiver to that effect signed by the
Seller.
ARTICLE
V
Closing
5.1
|
The
Closing. The Closing of the sale of the Assets and any
other transaction to be consummated therewith to the Purchaser (the
“Closing”) shall take place at a mutually agreeable location on a mutually
agreeable date (the “Closing Date”) as soon as practicable following
satisfaction or waiver of all conditions precedent to the obligations of
both parties as set forth in Article IV of this Agreement, which date
shall be no later than October 10,
2008.
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5.2
|
At
Closing the following shall take
place:
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5.2.1
|
Transfer
Documents. The Seller shall execute and deliver to the Purchaser a
xxxx of sale and such other documents of transfer as counsel for Purchaser
shall deem necessary or appropriate to assign, convey, transfer, and
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 20
deliver
to the Purchaser good and valid title to the Assets free of any
encumbrances. The xxxx of sale is attached hereto as Exhibit
5.2.1.
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5.2.2
|
Payment. Purchaser
shall transfer and deliver stock certificates and warrants pursuant to the
Purchase Price.
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5.2.3
|
Notice. Seller
shall deliver to Seller’s vendors a notice, in the form of Exhibit 5.2.3,
notifying them of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and that
Purchaser shall be servicing their
account.
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5.2.4
|
Closing
Statement. The parties shall execute a Closing
Statement, attached hereto as Exhibit 5.2.4,
which, among other things, shall list the Purchase Price of the Assets at
the close of business immediately prior to the Closing, any amounts due
and owing between the Purchaser and
Seller.
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5.2.5
|
Lease. Seller
shall execute such documents as are necessary for the assignment of the
Lease, of the Business premises. A copy of the form of Lease
assignment to be executed by the parties and the Lease are attached hereto
as Exhibit
5.2.5.
|
ARTICLE
VI
Covenants Prior to
Closing
6.1
|
Satisfaction of
Conditions Precedent. Each party shall use all
reasonable efforts and good faith to cause the conditions precedent to the
obligations of the parties, set forth herein, to be satisfied on or before
the Closing Date.
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6.2
|
Ordinary
Course. Between the date of this Agreement and the date
of Closing, Seller shall carry on its construction, equipping, outfitting,
stocking and operating of the Business in the usual, regular and ordinary
course in substantially the same manner as heretofore
conducted.
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6.3
|
Governing
Documents. Seller shall not amend or propose to amend
their Certificate of Organization or Operating
Agreement.
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6.4
|
No
Dispositions. Except for the transfer of assets in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, and the
liquidation of cash, accounts receivable and any personal property which
Purchaser does not desire to acquire pursuant to this Agreement, Seller
shall not sell, lease, encumber or otherwise dispose of, or agree to sell,
lease, encumber or otherwise dispose of, any of its assets, which are
material, individually or in the
aggregate.
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6.5
|
Indebtedness. Seller
shall not incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such
indebtedness or issue or sell any debt securities or warrants or
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 21
rights
to acquire any debt securities of such party or guarantee any debt
securities of others other than in each case in the ordinary course of
business consistent with prior
practice.
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6.6
|
Access to Business and
Books and Records. Seller shall make available to
Purchaser the Business premises and all of their books and records
pertaining to the Businesss within 5 (five) business days upon the written
request of the Purchaser. Seller shall also provide Purchaser
with the names and contacts for each of its significant customers and use
its best efforts to afford access to each of such individuals and entities
by Purchaser.
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6.7
|
Satisfaction of
Liabilities. Seller agrees to pay or cause to be paid
any and all liabilities and obligations of Seller, fixed or contingent,
existing prior to the Closing Date or those liabilities which may become
known after the Closing Date but which in fact arose prior to the Closing
Date.
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6.8
|
Seller’s
Indemnification. From and after the Closing, Seller, its
officers, directors, shareholders, agents, successors, assigns, heirs and
personal representatives shall indemnify and hold forever Purchaser, its
successors, assigns, representatives, agents, officers, directors,
shareholders and employees against and respect
of:
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6.8.1
|
Any
and all damages, losses, settlement payments, deficiencies, liabilities,
costs, expenses and claims suffered, sustained, incurred or required to be
paid by Purchaser because of or that result from, relate to or arise out
of the business, operations or assets of Seller prior to the Closing or
the actions or omissions of any officer, director, shareholder, employee
or agent of Seller prior to the Closing;
and
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6.8.2
|
Any
and all actions, suits, claims or legal, administrative, arbitration,
governmental or other procedures or investigation against Seller that
relate to the business, operations or assets of Seller in which the event
giving rise thereto occurred prior to the Closing or which results from or
arises out of any action or inaction prior to the Closing of Seller or any
director, officer, employee, agent, representative of Seller;
and
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6.8.3
|
A
breach of any representation or warranty by Seller contained herein;
and
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6.8.4
|
Any
and all actions, suits, claims, proceeding, investigations, allegations,
demands, assessments, audits, fines, judgments, costs and other expenses
(including without limitation reasonable legal fees and expenses) incident
to any of the foregoing.
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The
indemnification rights under this Section 6.8 are independent of and in addition
to such rights and remedies as such indemnified party may have at law, in equity
or otherwise for any misrepresentation, breach of warranty or failure to
SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 22
fulfill
any covenant or agreement under or in connection with this Agreement, including
without limitation the right to seek specific performance, rescission or
restitution, none of which rights or remedies shall be affected or diminished
hereby.
6.9
|
Purchaser’s
Indemnification. From and after the Closing, Purchaser,
its successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives shall
indemnify and hold forever harmless Seller, its successors, assigns,
representatives, agents, officers, directors, shareholders and employees
against and respect of:
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6.9.1
|
Any
and all damages, losses, settlement payments, deficiencies, liabilities,
costs, expenses and claims suffered, sustained, incurred or required to be
paid by Seller because of or that result from, relate to or arise out of
the business, operations or assets of Seller after the Closing or the
actions or omissions of any officer, director, shareholder, employee or
agent of Purchaser after the Closing;
and
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6.9.2
|
Any
and all actions, suits, claims or legal, administrative, arbitration,
governmental or other procedures or investigation against Seller that
relate to the business, operations or assets of Seller in which the event
giving rise thereto occurred after the Closing or which results from or
arises out of any action or inaction after the Closing of Purchaser or any
director, officer, employee, agent, representative of Seller;
and
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6.9.3
|
A
breach of any representation or warranty by Purchaser contained herein;
and
|
6.9.4
|
Any
and all actions, suits, claims, proceeding, investigations, allegations,
demands, assessments, audits, fines, judgments, costs and other expenses
(including without limitation reasonable legal fees and expenses) incident
to any of the foregoing.
|
The
indemnification rights under this Section 6.9 are independent of and in addition
to such rights and remedies as such indemnified party may have at law, in equity
or otherwise for any misrepresentation, breach of warranty or failure to fulfill
any covenant or agreement under or in connection with this Agreement, including
without limitation the right to seek specific performance, rescission or
restitution, none of which rights or remedies shall be affected or diminished
hereby.
6.10
|
Risk of
Loss. All risk of loss or damage to or destruction of
the Assets, in whole or in part, shall be and remain with the Seller until
the Closing and all of the transactions contemplated hereby shall have
been consummated. The Seller shall, promptly, following the Purchaser's
execution hereof, have all of Seller’s policies of insurance insuring the
Assets duly endorsed to protect the respective interests of the Seller and
the Purchaser under this Agreement and shall deliver to the
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 23
Purchaser a copy of such policy endorsement. In addition, the Purchaser may secure its own insurance for the Assets to be purchased hereunder. |
6.11
|
Lease
Assignment. The Seller shall use its good faith and
reasonable efforts to obtain the consent of the landlord to the assignment
of the Lease contemplated by Section 5.2.5 of this
Agreement.
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6.12
|
Compensation. Seller
shall not grant any increase in the salary or other compensation of its
officers or other employees or grant any bonus to any officer or other
employee or enter into any employment agreement or make any loan to or
enter into any material transaction of any other nature with any officer
or other employee of such party.
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6.13
|
No New
Severance. Seller shall not take any action to institute
any new severance or termination pay practices with respect to any
directors or officers or other employees of such party or to increase the
benefits payable under its severance or termination pay
practices.
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6.14
|
Retention of Seller’s
Employees. With the sole exception of any employee or
consulting agreements attached as Exhibit 2.14
and executed contemporaneously herewith, Seller acknowledges that on or
before the Closing Date, Purchaser may evaluate the operations of Seller
and determine, among other things, whether to make offers of employment to
existing employees or contractors of Seller. This decision will
be made in the best interests of Purchaser and its shareholders, and
Seller shall have no claim against Purchaser for any decisions made in the
course of this evaluation.
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The
Seller shall terminate the employment of all its employees effective at the
Closing Date, and shall pay all accrued or earned and outstanding compensation
owing to them as of the Closing Date, including without limitation, salary,
wages, overtime, benefits, commissions, bonuses, incentive payments, sick leave
pay, vacation pay and severance pay owing pursuant to their employment
agreements or any collective agreement applying to them, and shall provide to
the Purchaser evidence, satisfactory to the Purchaser at the Closing, that the
said employees’ employment has been terminated and that they have been paid as
aforesaid.
6.15
|
Audit
Cooperation. The Purchaser may conduct an audit of the Seller’s
business at any time. Seller shall permit such audit and give its
reasonable and good faith
assistance.
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ARTICLE
VII
Survival of Representations,
Warranties and Agreements
7.1.
|
Survival of
Representations by Seller. The representations,
warranties, covenants and agreement made by the Seller and contained in
this Agreement, or contained in
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 24
any
document or certificate given in order to carry out the transactions
contemplated hereby, will survive the closing of the purchase of the
Assets provided for herein and, notwithstanding such closing or
any investigation made by or on behalf of the Purchaser or any other
person or any knowledge of the Purchaser or any other person, shall
continue in full force and effect for the benefit of the Purchaser,
subject to the following provisions of this
section.
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7.1.1
|
Except
as provided in paragraphs (7.1.2) and (7.1.3) of this section, the
obligations of the Seller with respect to any claim shall continue for 2
years following the Closing Date.
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7.1.2
|
Any
claim which is based on or relates to the tax liability of the Seller for
a particular taxation year extends until the expiration of the period (if
any) during which an assessment, reassessment or other form of recognized
document assessing liability for tax, interest or penalties in respect of
such taxation year under applicable tax legislation could be issued,
assuming that the Seller does not file any waiver or similar document
extending such period as otherwise
determined.
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7.1.3
|
Any
claim which is based on or relates to the title to the Assets or which is
based on intentional misrepresentation or fraud by the Seller may be made
or brought by the Purchaser at any
time.
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7.2
|
Survival of
Representations by Purchaser. The representations and warranties
made by the Purchaser and contained in this agreement or contained in any
document or certificate given in order to carry out the transactions
contemplated hereby shall survive the closing of the purchase and sale of
the Assets provided for herein and, notwithstanding such closing or any
investigation made by or on behalf of the Seller or any other person,
shall continue in full force and effect for the benefit of the Seller for
2 years following the Closing Date. At the end of this period, the
Purchaser shall have no further obligations with respect to any
representations or warranties made by the Purchaser in this
agreement.
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ARTICLE
VIII
General
Provisions
8.1
|
Assignment; Binding
Effect. Purchaser may assign this Agreement or any of
its rights and duties hereunder to SPFI or a wholly owned subsidiary;
otherwise, only with the prior written consent of Seller. This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties
hereto and their respective heirs, personal representatives, successors
and permitted assigns.
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8.2
|
Waiver. No
waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute a
waiver of any other provision, whether or not similar, nor shall any
waiver constitute a continuing
waiver.
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 25
8.3
|
Modifications.
Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement may not be amended,
modified, altered, supplemented, or voided except by means of the duly
executed written consent of both parties. Further, the physical
destruction or loss of this document shall not be construed as a
modification or termination of this
Agreement.
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8.4
|
Notices. All
notices, requests and other communications under this Agreement shall be
in writing and shall be personally delivered or sent by certified mail,
postage prepaid, return receipt requested, by facsimile, or by overnight
courier to the appropriate party at the following
addresses:
|
If to
Purchaser: If
to Seller:
SPBG Franchising, Inc.
Attn: Xxxx Xxxxx
00 Xxxxxxx Xx., Xxxxx
000
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Notice shall be deemed given at the time of delivery, if personally delivered, at the time indicated on the duly completed Postal Service return receipt, if delivered by certified mail, at the time the facsimile is transmitted, if delivered by facsimile, or on the next business day after such notice is sent, if delivered by overnight courier.
8.5
|
Attorney’s
Fees. In the event of any default on the part of either
party to this Agreement, in addition to all other remedies, the party in
default will pay the aggrieved party all amounts due and all damages,
costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the
aggrieved party in any legal action, arbitration or other proceeding as a
result of such default, plus interest at the highest rate allowable by
law, accruing from the date of such
default.
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8.6
|
Entire
Agreement. This Agreement and the Exhibits hereto
constitute the entire Agreement among the Parties with respect to the
subject matter contained herein and supersede all prior and
contemporaneous agreements, representations, and understandings of the
Parties.
|
8.7
|
Headings and
Interpretation. The subject headings of the articles and
sections contained in this Agreement are included for the purposes or
convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning, construction
or interpretation of any provision hereof. No provision of this
Agreement shall be interpreted for or against either of the parties
because counsel for one of the parties drafted the
provision.
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8.8
|
Governing Law;
Jurisdiction. This Agreement will be governed
by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of British
Columbia.
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8.9
|
Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
shall be original and all of which together shall constitute one and the
same instrument. Facsimile signatures are acceptable as
originals.
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 26
8.10
|
Severability. Should
any provision of this Agreement be declared invalid by a court of
competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof shall remain in
full force and effect regardless of such
declaration.
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8.11
|
Time of
Essence. Time is of the
essence.
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8.12
|
Confidentiality.
The parties agree that the terms of this agreement shall be kept
confidential. The Seller shall not disclose to any third party any of the
terms herein or any of the negotiations related hereto without the express
written consent of the Purchaser.
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8.13
|
Recommendation of
Legal Counsel. The parties acknowledge that they have
had ample opportunity to consult with legal counsel before entering into
this Agreement and have been recommended to do
so.
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8.14
|
Further
Assurances. Each party herby agrees that at any time
after the Closing, it will execute such additional instruments and take
such additional actions as may be reasonably requested by the other party
to confirm or perfect or carry out the intent and purposes of this
Agreement or to transfer any manufacturer’s warranties related to the
Assets to the Purchaser.
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8.15
|
Expenses. Whether
or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated,
all legal, consulting and other expenses incurred in connection with this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the
party incurring such expenses.
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8.16
|
Press Releases and
Public Announcements. The Seller shall not issue any
press release or make any public announcement relating to the subject
matter of this Agreement without the prior written approval of the
Purchaser; provided,
however, that the Seller may make any public disclosure it believes
in good faith is required by applicable law or any listing or trading
agreement concerning its publicly-traded securities (in which case the
Seller will use its reasonable best efforts to advise the other Purchaser
prior to making the disclosure).
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8.17
|
Specific
Performance. Each of the Parties acknowledges and agrees
that the other Party 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. Accordingly, each of the Parties
agrees that the other Party shall be entitled to an injunction or
injunctions to prevent breaches of the provisions of this Agreement and to
enforce specifically this Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof in
any action instituted in any court of the United States or Canada or any
state or province thereof having jurisdiction over the Parties and the
matter [(subject to the provisions set forth in §8(p) below)], in addition
to any other remedy to which it may be entitled, at law or in
equity.
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SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement - 27
8.18
|
Notice of Disclosure
of Personal Information. The Purchaser shall notify the
employees, customers, directors, officers and shareholders whose Personal
Information was disclosed that the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement have taken place and that Personal Information about them has
been disclosed to the Purchaser.
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8.19 |
Set Off. If under
this Agreement or any document delivered under this Agreement, including
but not limited to the Consulting Agreement with Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, the Seller
becomes obligated to pay any sum of money to the Purchaser, then such sum
may at the election of the Purchaser, and without limiting or waiving any
right or remedy for the Purchaser under this Agreement, be set off against
and will apply to any sum of money or security owed by the Purchaser to
the Seller until such amount has been completely set
off.
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above
written.
SELLER: | PURCHASER: | |||
BREAD GARDEN FRANCHISING, INC. | SPBG FRANCHISING, INC. | |||
/s/
|
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxx
|
|||
By:
|
By:
Xxxx Xxxxx
|
|||
Its:
President
|
Its:
President
|
|||
By: | ||||
Its: Secretary |
SPBG
Franchising/BGFI
Asset
Purchase Agreement -
28