VOTING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 2.2
Execution Copy
This VOTING AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 18, 2012, by and between the undersigned stockholder (“Stockholder”) of Network Engines, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Unicom Systems, Inc., a California corporation (“Parent”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, concurrently with or following the execution of this Agreement, the Company, Parent and UNICOM SUB TWO, INC., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”), have entered, or will enter, into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of the date of this Agreement (the “Merger Agreement”), providing for, among other things, the merger (the “Merger”) of Merger Sub with and into the Company pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement;
WHEREAS, as a condition to its willingness to enter into the Merger Agreement, Parent has required that Stockholder execute and deliver this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, in order to induce Parent to enter into the Merger Agreement, Stockholder is willing to make certain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements with respect to the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Company Common Stock”) beneficially owned by Stockholder and set forth below Stockholder’s signature on the signature page hereto (the “Original Shares” and, together with any additional shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to Section 6 hereof, the “Shares”).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt, sufficiency and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Definitions.
For purposes of this Agreement, capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the Merger Agreement.
2. Representations of Stockholder.
Stockholder represents and warrants to Parent that:
(a) (i) Stockholder owns beneficially (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) all of the Original Shares free and clear of all Liens, and (ii) except pursuant hereto, there are no options, warrants or other rights, agreements, arrangements or commitments of any character to which Stockholder is a party relating to the pledge, disposition or voting of any of the Original Shares and there are no voting trusts or voting agreements with respect to the Original Shares.
(b) Stockholder does not beneficially own any shares of Company Common Stock other than (i) the Original Shares and (ii) any options, warrants or other rights to acquire any additional shares of Company Common Stock or any security exercisable for or
convertible into shares of Company Common Stock, set forth on the signature page of this Agreement (collectively, “Options”).
(c) Stockholder has full corporate power and authority (if not a natural person) and legal capacity to enter into, execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform fully Stockholder’s obligations hereunder (including the proxy described in Section 3(a) below)). This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by Stockholder and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Stockholder, enforceable against Stockholder in accordance with its terms.
(d) None of the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Stockholder, the consummation by Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby or compliance by Stockholder with any of the provisions hereof will conflict with or result in a breach, or constitute a default (with or without notice of lapse of time or both) under any provision of, any trust agreement, loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, instrument or Law applicable to Stockholder or to Stockholder’s property or assets.
(e) No consent, approval or authorization of, or designation, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Entity or other Person on the part of Stockholder is required in connection with the valid execution and delivery of this Agreement. No consent of Stockholder’s spouse is necessary under any “community property” or other laws in order for Stockholder to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.
3. Agreement to Vote Shares; Irrevocable Proxy.
(a) Stockholder agrees during the term of this Agreement to vote the Shares, and to cause any holder of record of Shares to vote or execute a written consent or consents if stockholders of the Company are requested to vote their shares through the execution of an action by written consent in lieu of any such annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Company: (i) in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement, at every meeting (or in connection with any action by written consent) of the stockholders of the Company at which such matter is considered and at every adjournment or postponement thereof; and (ii) against (1) any Acquisition Proposal, and (2) any action, proposal, transaction or agreement which would reasonably be expected to result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of the Company under the Merger Agreement or of Stockholder under this Agreement.
(b) Stockholder hereby appoints Parent and any designee of Parent, and each of them individually, its proxies and attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to vote or act by written consent during the term of this Agreement with respect to the Shares in accordance with Section 3(a). This proxy and power of attorney is given to secure the performance of the duties of Stockholder under this Agreement. Stockholder shall take such further action or execute such other instruments as may be necessary to effectuate the intent of this proxy. This proxy and power of attorney granted by Stockholder shall be irrevocable during the term of this Agreement, shall be deemed to be coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable proxy and shall revoke any and all prior proxies granted by Stockholder with respect to the Shares. The power of attorney granted by Stockholder herein is a durable power of attorney and shall survive the dissolution, bankruptcy, death or incapacity of Stockholder. The proxy and
power of attorney granted hereunder shall terminate upon the termination of this Agreement.
4. No Voting Trusts or Other Arrangement.
Stockholder agrees that Stockholder will not, and will not permit any entity under Stockholder’s control to, deposit any of the Shares in a voting trust, grant any proxies with respect to the Shares or subject any of the Shares to any arrangement with respect to the voting of the Shares other than agreements entered into with Parent.
5. Transfer and Encumbrance.
Stockholder agrees that during the term of this Agreement, Stockholder will not, directly or indirectly, transfer, sell, offer, exchange, assign, pledge or otherwise dispose of or encumber (“Transfer”) any of the Shares or enter into any contract, option or other agreement with respect to, or consent to, a Transfer of, any of the Shares or Stockholder’s voting or economic interest therein. Any attempted Transfer of Shares or any interest therein in violation of this Section 5 shall be null and void. This Section 5 shall not prohibit a Transfer of the Shares by Stockholder to an Affiliate of Stockholder; provided, that a Transfer referred to in this sentence shall be permitted only if, as a precondition to such Transfer, the transferee agrees in a writing, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to Parent, to be bound by all of the terms of this Agreement.
6. Additional Shares.
Stockholder agrees that all shares of Company Common Stock that Stockholder purchases, acquires the right to vote or otherwise acquires beneficial ownership (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of after the execution of this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement and shall constitute Shares for all purposes of this Agreement.
7. Waiver of Appraisal and Dissenters’ Rights.
Stockholder hereby waives, and agrees not to assert or perfect, any rights of appraisal or rights to dissent from the Merger that Stockholder may have by virtue of ownership of the Shares.
8. Termination.
This Agreement shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of (i) the Effective Time and (ii) the date on which the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms. Stockholder shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement by written notice to the Company in the event that Section 5.6 of the Merger Agreement is amended after the date hereof without the prior written consent of the Stockholder.
9. No Agreement as Director or Officer.
This Agreement is being entered into by Stockholder solely in his capacity as the record holder and beneficial owner of the Shares, Stockholder makes no agreement or understanding in this Agreement in Stockholder’s capacity as a director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (if Stockholder holds such office), and nothing in this Agreement: (a) will limit or affect any actions or omissions taken by Stockholder in stockholder’s capacity as such a director or officer, including in exercising rights under the Merger Agreement, and no such actions or omissions shall be deemed a breach of this Agreement or
(b) will be construed to prohibit, limit or restrict Stockholder from exercising Stockholder’s fiduciary duties as an officer or director to the Company or its stockholders.
10. Specific Performance.
Each party hereto acknowledges that it will be impossible to measure in money the damage to the other party if a party hereto fails to comply with any of the obligations imposed by this Agreement, that every such obligation is material and that, in the event of any such failure, the other party will not have an adequate remedy at law or damages. Accordingly, each party hereto agrees that injunctive relief or other equitable remedy, in addition to remedies at law or damages, is the appropriate remedy for any such failure and will not oppose the seeking of such relief on the basis that the other party has an adequate remedy at law. Each party hereto agrees that it will not seek, and agrees to waive any requirement for, the securing or posting of a bond in connection with the other party’s seeking or obtaining such equitable relief.
11. Entire Agreement.
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements, written or oral, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or supplemented, and no provisions hereof may be modified or waived, except by an instrument in writing signed by both of the parties hereto. No waiver of any provisions hereof by either party shall be deemed a waiver of any other provisions hereof by such party, nor shall any such waiver be deemed a continuing waiver of any provision hereof by such party.
12. Notices.
All notices, requests, claims, demands, and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (a) when delivered by hand (with written confirmation of receipt), (b) when received by the addressee if sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (receipt requested), (c) on the date sent by facsimile or e-mail of a PDF document (with confirmation of transmission) if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and on the next Business Day if sent after normal business hours of the recipient, or (d) on the third day after the date mailed, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. Such communications must be sent to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 12):
If to Parent or Merger Sub, addressed to it at:
UNICOM Systems, Inc.
00000 Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xx., Xxx. 000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxx, President and CEO
Fax: (000) 000-0000
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
UNICOM Systems, Inc.
15535 San Xxxxxxxx Mission Bl., Ste 310
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq.
Fax: (000) 000-0000
If to Stockholder, to the address or facsimile number set forth for Stockholder on the signature page hereof.
13. Miscellaneous.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to Laws that may be applicable under conflicts of laws principles (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.
(b) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery and any appellate court from thereof in the State of Delaware (or, if the Delaware Court of Chancery declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware and any appellate court from any thereof), in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the agreements delivered in connection herewith or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment relating thereto, and each of the parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees not to commence any such action or proceeding except in such court, (ii) agrees that any claim in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such court, (iii) waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such court, and (iv) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in such court located in Delaware. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by Law. Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 12. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by Law.
(c) EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE IT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY OF THE AGREEMENTS DELIVERED IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY. EACH PARTY CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (I) NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE EITHER OF SUCH WAIVERS, (II) IT UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH
WAIVERS, (III) IT MAKES SUCH WAIVERS VOLUNTARILY, AND (IV) IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 13(c).
(d) If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of Law or public policy, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner to the end that the transactions contemplated hereby are fulfilled to the extent possible.
(e) This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The exchange of a fully executed Agreement (in counterparts or otherwise) by facsimile or by electronic delivery in .pdf format shall be sufficient to bind the parties to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, subject to Section 13(h).
(f) Each party hereto shall execute and deliver such additional documents as may be necessary or desirable to effect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(g) All Section headings herein are for convenience of reference only and are not part of this Agreement, and no construction or reference shall be derived therefrom.
(h) The obligations of Stockholder set forth in this Agreement shall not be effective or binding upon Stockholder until (i) all executive officers and directors of the Company have executed and delivered a Voting Agreement with substantially similar terms to those set forth herein, (ii) after such time as the Merger Agreement is executed and delivered by the Company, Parent and Merger Sub, and (iii) the parties agree that there is not and has not been any other agreement, arrangement or understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the matters set forth herein.
(i) Neither party to this Agreement may assign any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party hereto. Any assignment contrary to the provisions of this Section 13(i) shall be null and void.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first written above.
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Signature Page to Voting Agreement with Stockholder of Network Engines, Inc.
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Signature Page to Voting Agreement with Stockholder of Network Engines, Inc.