8-K
GPGI, Inc. (GPGI)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGECOMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13or 15(d)
of the Securities ExchangeAct of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 4, 2025 (November 2, 2025)
CompoSecure, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrantas Specified in its Charter)
| Delaware | 001-39687 | 85-2749902 |
|---|---|---|
| (State or Other Juris-diction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| 309 Pierce Street<br><br> <br>Somerset, New Jersey | 08873 | |
| --- | --- | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(908) 518-0500
(Registrant’s telephone number, includingarea code)
Not Applicable
(Former Name or FormerAddress, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
|---|---|
| x | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value | CMPO | NYSE |
| Redeemable warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A Common Stock | CMPOW | Nasdaq Global Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company x
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 1.01 Entry Into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Share Purchase Agreement
On November 2, 2025, CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“CompoSecure” or the “Company”), and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”) with Husky Technologies Limited (“Husky”), Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC (“Platinum Equity”), certain entities affiliated with Platinum Equity and certain members of Husky management (collectively, the “Sellers”). Under the terms of the Transaction Agreement, the Company will combine with Husky for aggregate consideration of approximately $3.953 billion in cash and 55,297,297 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (“Common Stock”), par value $0.0001 per share (the “Stock Consideration”), subject to the adjustments set forth in the Transaction Agreement.
Following the closing (the “Closing”) of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement (the “Transactions”), Husky will become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
Conditions to Closing
The Closing is subject to satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, including: (i) the approval of a majority of the votes cast by holders of Common Stock (the “Company Stockholders”) of the issuance of the Stock Consideration and the PIPE Shares (as defined below) (the “Company Stock Issuance” and such approval, the “Company Stockholder Approval”); (ii) the absence of any (A) temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other order issued by any court of competent jurisdiction or other governmental entity, preventing the consummation of the Transactions, and (B) a new law or regulation that has been enacted after the date of the Transaction Agreement or Specified Illegality has occurred, in each case, that would make the consummation of the Transactions illegal or result in the imposition of any Burdensome Condition; (iii) the receipt of certain regulatory clearances pursuant to merger control laws and foreign direct investment laws without resulting in a Burdensome Condition; (iv) the authorization for listing on the NYSE of the Stock Consideration and the PIPE Shares; (v) completion of certain pre-Closing restructuring transactions; (vi) the accuracy of the representations and warranties of, and compliance with covenants by, each of the parties to the Transaction Agreement, subject in each case to the materiality standards set forth in the Transaction Agreement; (vii) absence of a material adverse effect with respect to the Company or with respect to Husky; (viii) the purchase of customary directors’ and officers’ liability run-off/tail insurance; and (viii) the Company having taken all actions necessary such that two additional directors nominated by Platinum Equity will be directors on the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Company Board”).
Company Board Recommendation
The Company Board has approved the Transaction Agreement, the Transactions, the Purchase Agreements and the Company Stock Issuance, and the Company Board has resolved to recommend to Company Stockholders to approve the Company Stock Issuance. The Company Board may change its recommendation as a result of an intervening event that arises after the date of the Transaction Agreement if the failure to make such change would be inconsistent with the fiduciary duties of the Company Board.
Representations, Warranties and Covenants
The Transaction Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants made by each of the parties to the Transaction Agreement, including, among others, covenants regarding the conduct of Husky’s and the Company’s businesses during the pendency of the Transactions and other matters.
Termination
Either the Company or the Shareholders’ Representative may terminate the Transaction Agreement under certain specified circumstances, including (i) if the Closing does not occur on or before the date that is six months after the date of the Transaction Agreement, (ii) if the vote of the Company Stockholders with respect to the Company Stock Issuance has been taken and completed at a meeting of the Company Stockholders and the Company Stockholder Approval was not obtained, and (iii) if any permanent injunction or other order of a governmental entity of competent authority preventing the consummation of the Transactions becomes final and nonappealable.
The foregoing description of the Transaction Agreement does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by the text of the Transaction Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit 2.1 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein.
The Transaction Agreement has been attached to provide investors with information regarding its terms. It is not intended to provide any other factual information about the Company, the Sellers or the Acquired Companies. In particular, the assertions embodied in the representations and warranties contained in the Transaction Agreement are qualified by information in a confidential disclosure letter provided by the Acquired Companies to the Company and information in a confidential disclosure letter provided by the Company to the Sellers and the Acquired Companies in connection with the signing of the Transaction Agreement or in filings of the parties with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The confidential disclosure letters contain information that modifies, qualifies and creates exceptions to the representations and warranties and certain covenants set forth in the Transaction Agreement. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Transaction Agreement were made only for purposes of the Transaction Agreement and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Transaction Agreement, are subject to limitations agreed upon by the parties to the Transaction Agreement and are subject to standards of materiality applicable to the parties that differ from those applicable to investors. Information concerning the subject matter of representations and warranties may change after the date of the Transaction Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the Company’s public disclosures. Moreover, the representations and warranties in the Transaction Agreement were used for the purposes of allocating risk between the Company and the Sellers rather than establishing matters of fact. In addition, investors are not third-party beneficiaries under the Transaction Agreement. Accordingly, the representations and warranties in the Transaction Agreement should not be relied on as characterization of the actual state of facts about the Company, the Sellers or the Acquired Companies.
Voting Agreement
In connection with the Transaction Agreement, the Company entered into a Voting Agreement (the “Voting Agreement”) with entities affiliated with Platinum Equity, Resolute Compo Holdings LLC, Tungsten 2024 LLC and Ridge Valley LLC (collectively, the “Voting Stockholders”), pursuant to which, the Voting Stockholders have agreed, among other things, to vote all of their shares of Common Stock in favor of the Company Stock Issuance.
The shares of Common Stock owned by the Voting Stockholders represented approximately 41.3% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of September 10, 2025.
Investor Rights Agreement
In the Transaction Agreement, the Company has agreed to enter into an Investor Rights Agreement at Closing (the “Investor Rights Agreement”) with an affiliate of Platinum Equity. Pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, following the Closing, Platinum Equity will have the right to nominate (i) two members of the Company Board, for so long as it, together with its affiliates, continue to hold at least 10% of the outstanding shares of Company Stock, and (ii) one member of the Company Board so long as it, together with its affiliates, continue to hold less than 10% but more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Company Stock. In addition, the Investor Rights Agreement provides that Platinum Equity and its affiliates are allowed to freely pursue any business opportunity. Pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, Platinum Equity has agreed to be subject to a lock-up period of 90 days following the Closing, subject to early release by the Company. Separately, Resolute Compo Holdings LLC and its affiliates have agreed to be subject to a lock-up period of 365 days following the Closing Date, subject to customary exceptions.
Registration Rights Agreement
In the Transaction Agreement, entities affiliated with Platinum Equity and the Company have agreed to enter into a Registration Rights Agreement at Closing (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) which, among other things, provides for customary resale, demand and piggyback registration rights.
Management Agreement
In connection with the Closing, an indirect subsidiary of the Company, which will hold, directly or indirectly, the business of Husky following the Closing, will enter into a management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Resolute Holdings Management, Inc. (“Resolute Holdings”), pursuant to which Resolute Holdings will provide management and other related services to such subsidiary and Husky in exchange for payment of quarterly management fees. The Management Agreement will be on substantially the same form as the Management Agreement, dated as of February 28, 2025, by and between Resolute Holdings and CompoSecure Holdings, LLC.
First Amendment to the Amended and RestatedWaiver Agreement
In connection with the Closing, Resolute Compo Holdings LLC, Tungsten 2024 LLC and the Company will enter into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement, dated as of July 12, 2025, between such parties, pursuant to which the parties will agree that in the event the Board rescinds the Board Size Requirement Waiver (as defined therein), the Board will adopt resolutions increasing the size of the Board to allow Platinum Equity to continue to exercise its nomination rights under the Investor Rights Agreement.
Private Placement
On November 2, 2025, concurrently with the execution of the Transaction Agreement, the Company also entered into purchase agreements (together, the “Purchase Agreements”) with certain investors named therein (collectively, the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Investors in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) an aggregate of 106,056,083 million shares of Company Common Stock (the “PIPE Shares”), at a purchase price of $18.50 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.96 billion.
The Purchase Agreements contain representations, warranties and agreements by the Company and the Investors, indemnification obligations of the Company and the Investors, including for liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and other obligations of the parties including registration rights, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the resale of the PIPE Shares following the closing of the Transactions. The closing of the Private Placement is conditioned upon the concurrent consummation of the Transactions.
The foregoing description of the Voting Agreement, Investor Rights Agreement, Registration Rights Agreement, Management Agreement, Amendment and Purchase Agreements and the transactions contemplated thereby in this Current Report on Form 8-K is only a summary and does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Voting Agreement, Investor Rights Agreement, Registration Rights Agreement, Management Agreement, Amendment and Purchase Agreements, copies of which are filed as Exhibit 10.1, Exhibit 10.2, Exhibit 10.3, Exhibit 10.4, Exhibit 10.5 and Exhibit 10.6 hereto, respectively, and incorporated by reference herein.
Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
The disclosure set forth above in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference herein. The securities to be issued in connection with the Transaction Agreement, the Purchase Agreements and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the shares of Company Stock issuable in the Company Stock Issuance, will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and will be issued in reliance on exemptions from registration requirements thereof, including exemptions provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D and Regulation S promulgated thereunder.
Additional Information about the Transactions and Where to FindIt
This Current Report on Form 8-K is being made in connection with the Transactions. The Company plans to file a proxy statement and certain other documents with the SEC to seek the Company Stockholder Approval in connection with the Company Stock Issuance. The definitive proxy statement (if and when available) will be mailed to shareholders of the Company. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTIONS. Shareholders will be able to obtain, free of charge, copies of such documents filed by the Company when filed with the SEC in connection with the Transactions at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). In addition, the Company’s shareholders will be able to obtain, free of charge, copies of such documents filed by the Company at the Company’s website (https://ir.composecure.com). Alternatively, these documents, when available, can be obtained free of charge from the Company upon written request to the Company at ir@composecure.com.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company, Resolute Holdings and their respective directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of the Company Stockholders in connection with the Company Stockholder Approval. The Company Stockholders and other interested persons may obtain, without charge, more detailed information regarding the directors and officers of the Company in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on March 5, 2025 (including Part III thereof, which is incorporated by reference to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 18, 2025), as amended by the Current Reports on Form 8-K filed by the Company on July 14, 2025 (as amended on July 17, 2025), and regarding the directors and officers of Resolute Holdings in Resolute Holdings’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025 (including Part III thereof, which is incorporated by reference to Resolute Holdings’ Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 18, 2025), as amended by the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Resolute Holdings on July 14, 2025.
Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of the Company’s stockholders in connection with the Company Stock Issuance and other matters to be voted upon at the special meeting will be set forth in the proxy statement for the Company Stock Issuance when available. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Company Stock Issuance will be included in the proxy statement that the Company intends to file with the SEC.
Forward Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the timing and completion of the Transactions, expected benefits, future plans, expectations and opportunities, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Important factors include, among others: (i) the risk that the Transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; (ii) the failure to obtain required approvals, including regulatory approvals and the Company Stockholder Approval; (iii) the occurrence of any event that could give rise to termination of the Share Purchase Agreement; (iv) the effect of the announcement, pendency or consummation of the Transactions on the parties’ business relationships, operations, financial and accounting matters; (v) risks that the expected benefits of the Transactions, including financial projections, estimates and outlook, may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; (vi) risks related to financing the Transactions; (vii) costs related to the Transactions; (viii) potential litigation and/or regulatory actions relating to the Transactions; (ix) general economic, market, industry and competitive conditions; and (x) other risks and uncertainties described in CompoSecure’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. CompoSecure undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
No Offer or Solicitation.
This Current Report on Form 8-K is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock in connection with the Transactions will be submitted to CompoSecure’s stockholders for their consideration. In connection therewith, CompoSecure intends to file with the SEC a proxy statement.
Item 9.01 Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
* Certain exhibits and schedules have been omitted in accordance with Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| COMPOSECURE, INC. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date: November 4, 2025 | By: | /s/ Jonathan C. Wilk |
| Name: Jonathan C. Wilk | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Exhibit 2.1
EXECUTION VERSION
SharePurchase Agreement
by andamong
CompoSecure, Inc.,
ForgeNew Holdings, LLC,
1561604B.C. Unlimited Liability Company,
ForgeUS Top, LLC,
HuskyTechnologies Limited,
1561570B.C. Ltd.,
TheSellers
and
theShareholders’ Representative
November 2,2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
| Article I Definitions | 3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Certain Definitions | 3 | |
| Article II Purchase and Sale | 23 | ||
| 2.1 | TargetCo Purchase | 23 | |
| 2.2 | Company Purchase | 23 | |
| 2.3 | The Closings | 24 | |
| 2.4 | Closing Deliveries | 24 | |
| 2.5 | Consideration | 26 | |
| 2.6 | Tax Consequences | 29 | |
| 2.7 | Withholding Rights | 29 | |
| 2.8 | Further Cash / Net Working Capital Adjustment | 30 | |
| 2.9 | Tax Elections | 32 | |
| 2.10 | Taking of Necessary Action; Further Action | 32 | |
| Article III Representations and Warranties of the Company | 33 | ||
| 3.1 | Organization, Standing and Power | 33 | |
| 3.2 | Subsidiaries | 33 | |
| 3.3 | Capital Structure | 34 | |
| 3.4 | Authority; Noncontravention | 35 | |
| 3.5 | Financial Statements | 36 | |
| 3.6 | Undisclosed Liabilities; Indebtedness | 36 | |
| 3.7 | Absence of Certain Changes | 37 | |
| 3.8 | Litigation | 37 | |
| 3.9 | Compliance with Laws; Governmental Permits | 37 | |
| 3.10 | Title to Property and Assets; Sufficiency of Assets | 38 | |
| 3.11 | Real Estate | 39 | |
| 3.12 | Intellectual Property | 40 | |
| 3.13 | Environmental Matters | 45 | |
| 3.14 | Taxes | 45 | |
| 3.15 | Employee Benefit Plans and Employee Matters | 48 | |
| 3.16 | Interested Party Transactions | 51 | |
| 3.17 | Insurance | 52 | |
| 3.18 | Books and Records | 52 | |
| 3.19 | Brokers | 52 | |
| 3.20 | Material Contracts | 53 | |
| 3.21 | Customers and Vendors | 55 | |
| 3.22 | Bank Accounts | 55 | |
| 3.23 | Privacy and Data Security | 55 | |
| 3.24 | Disclosure Documents | 56 | |
| 3.25 | Drag-Along Notice | 56 | |
| 3.26 | No Additional Representations; No Reliance | 56 | |
| Article IV Representation and Warranties of the Sellers | 58 | ||
| 4.1 | Organization, Standing and Organizational Power | 58 | |
| 4.2 | Authority; Noncontravention | 58 | |
| 4.3 | Ownership of TargetCo Units, Company Shares | 59 | |
| 4.4 | Government Approvals | 59 | |
| 4.5 | Brokers | 59 | |
| 4.6 | Legal Proceedings | 59 | |
| 4.7 | TargetCo Operations | 59 |
- i -
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Continued)
Page
| 4.8 | New BC Operations | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9 | Investment | 60 | |
| 4.10 | Rollover Investment | 62 | |
| 4.11 | No Additional Representations No Reliance | 63 | |
| Article V Representations and Warranties of The Buyer Parties | 64 | ||
| 5.1 | Organization and Standing | 64 | |
| 5.2 | Authority; Noncontravention; Necessary Consents | 65 | |
| 5.3 | Capitalization | 66 | |
| 5.4 | Holdings, BidCo and CallCo | 67 | |
| 5.5 | ExchangeCo | 67 | |
| 5.6 | Exchangeable Shares | 67 | |
| 5.7 | No Litigation | 67 | |
| 5.8 | Environmental Matters | 68 | |
| 5.9 | Parent SEC Reports | 68 | |
| 5.10 | Company Financial Statements; Internal Controls | 68 | |
| 5.11 | Compliance with Laws; Governmental Permits | 69 | |
| 5.12 | Absence of Certain Changes | 70 | |
| 5.13 | Material Contracts | 70 | |
| 5.14 | No Undisclosed Liabilities | 70 | |
| 5.15 | Subscription Agreements | 71 | |
| 5.16 | Availability of Funds | 71 | |
| 5.17 | Disclosure Documents | 72 | |
| 5.18 | Opinion of Financial Advisor | 73 | |
| 5.19 | Transaction Fees | 73 | |
| 5.20 | Taxes | 73 | |
| 5.21 | Employee Benefit Plans and Employee Matters | 73 | |
| 5.22 | No Additional Representations; No Reliance | 75 | |
| Article VI Conduct Prior to the Closing Date | 77 | ||
| 6.1 | Conduct of Business of the Company | 77 | |
| 6.2 | Restrictions on Conduct of Business of the Company | 77 | |
| 6.3 | Restrictions on Conduct of Business of the Parent | 80 | |
| Article VII Additional Agreements | 82 | ||
| 7.1 | No Solicitation | 82 | |
| 7.2 | Public Disclosure | 82 | |
| 7.3 | Regulatory Approvals | 83 | |
| 7.4 | Reasonable Efforts | 84 | |
| 7.5 | Reserved | 84 | |
| 7.6 | Preparation of Proxy Statement; Parent Stockholders<br> Meeting | 85 | |
| 7.7 | Cooperation Regarding Financial Information and Financing<br> Matters | 87 | |
| 7.8 | Financing | 89 | |
| 7.9 | Treatment of Company Indebtedness | 91 | |
| 7.10 | Litigation | 91 | |
| 7.11 | Access to Information | 91 | |
| 7.12 | Spreadsheets | 93 | |
| 7.13 | Expenses | 94 | |
| 7.14 | Parachute Payment Waivers | 94 | |
| 7.15 | Corporate Matters | 95 | |
| 7.16 | Tax Matters | 95 | |
| 7.17 | Directors’ and Officers’ Indemnification | 97 |
- ii -
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Continued)
Page
| 7.18 | R&W Policy | 99 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.19 | Employees and Employee Benefits | 99 | |
| 7.20 | Interested Party Transactions | 100 | |
| 7.21 | Subscriptions | 101 | |
| 7.22 | Pre-Closing Restructuring | 101 | |
| 7.23 | Management Stockholders | 102 | |
| 7.24 | Virtual Data Room | 102 | |
| 7.25 | Section 16 Matters | 103 | |
| 7.26 | Retention of Books and Records | 103 | |
| 7.27 | Balance Sheet | 103 | |
| Article VIII Conditions to the Transactions | 103 | ||
| 8.1 | Conditions to Obligations of Each Party to Effect the<br> Transactions | 103 | |
| 8.2 | Additional Conditions to Obligations of the Sellers,<br> the Company and New BC | 104 | |
| 8.3 | Additional Conditions to the Obligations of the Buyer<br> Parties | 105 | |
| 8.4 | Waiver of Conditions; Frustration of Conditions | 106 | |
| Article IX Termination, Amendment and Waiver | 106 | ||
| 9.1 | Termination | 106 | |
| 9.2 | Effect of Termination | 107 | |
| 9.3 | Amendment | 107 | |
| 9.4 | Extension; Waiver | 107 | |
| Article X Survival; Shareholders’ Representative | 108 | ||
| 10.1 | Survival of Representations and Warranties and Covenants | 108 | |
| 10.2 | Shareholders’ Representative | 108 | |
| Article XI General Provisions | 110 | ||
| 11.1 | Notices | 110 | |
| 11.2 | Interpretation | 112 | |
| 11.3 | Counterparts | 112 | |
| 11.4 | Entire Agreement; Parties in Interest | 112 | |
| 11.5 | Assignment | 113 | |
| 11.6 | Severability | 113 | |
| 11.7 | Remedies Cumulative | 113 | |
| 11.8 | Governing Law; Venue; Waiver of Jury Trial | 114 | |
| 11.9 | Rules of Construction | 114 | |
| 11.10 | Pre-Closing Holder Release | 114 | |
| 11.11 | Parent Release | 115 | |
| 11.12 | No Recourse | 116 | |
| 11.13 | Waiver of Conflicts Regarding Representations;<br> Non-Assertion of Attorney-Client Privilege | 116 |
- iii -
Index of Exhibits
Exhibits
| Exhibit A | Pre-Closing Restructuring |
|---|---|
| Exhibit B | Investor Rights Agreement |
| Exhibit C | Registration Rights Agreement |
| Exhibit D | Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement |
| Exhibit E | Management Agreement |
| Exhibit F | Investor Questionnaire |
| Exhibit G | Escrow Agreement |
| Exhibit H | Form of Letter of Transmittal |
| Exhibit I | Director and Officer Resignation List |
| Exhibit J | Example Net Working Capital Schedule |
| Exhibit K | Management Sellers |
- i -
SharePurchase Agreement
This Share Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of November 2, 2025 (the “AgreementDate”), by and among CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), Forge New Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Holdings”), 1561604 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, an unlimited liability company existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“BidCo” and collectively with Holdings and Parent, the “BuyerParties”), Platinum Equity Capital Partners International IV (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE Cayman”), Platinum Equity Capital QIQ Partners International IV (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE QIQ Cayman”), Platinum Titan Principals International (Cayman), LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (“PE Principals”), Platinum Equity Titan Co-Investors Onshore (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE Co-Invest Onshore”), Platinum Equity Titan Co-Investors Offshore (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE Co-Invest Offshore” and, together with PE Cayman, PE QIQ Cayman, PE Principals and PE Co-Invest Onshore, the “PE Sellers”), Husky Technologies Limited, a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (the “Company”), 1561570 B.C. Ltd., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (“New BC”), Forge US Top, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TargetCo”), each of the undersigned (including by proxy or by joinder) shareholders of the Company designated on the signature pages under the heading “Management Sellers”, which includes all of the individuals set forth on Exhibit K (“Management Sellers” and, collectively with the PE Sellers, the “Sellers”), and the Shareholders’ Representative (as defined in Section 10.2(a)).
Recitals
A. As of the Agreement Date, (x) the PE Sellers own (i) that number of ordinary shares (the “PE UK I Common Shares”) and that number of preferred shares (the “PE UK I Preferred Shares”) of PE Titan Holding Limited, a private company limited by shares registered in England and Wales with registered number 11242644 and its registered office at 280 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AG (“PE UK I”), (ii) that number of ordinary shares (the “PE UK II Common Shares”) and that number of preferred shares (the “PE UK II Preferred Shares”) of PE Titan Holding II Limited, a private company limited by shares registered in England and Wales with registered number 11243295 and its registered office at 280 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AG (“PE UK II”), (iii) that number of ordinary shares (the “PE UK III CommonShares”) and that number of Series A Preferred Shares (the “PE UK III Preferred Shares”, and together with the PE UK I Common Shares, PE UK I Preferred Shares, PE UK II Common Shares, PE UK II Preferred Shares and PE UK III Common Shares, the “PE UK Company Securities”) of PE Titan Holding III Limited, a private company limited by shares registered in England and Wales with registered number 11232376 and its registered office at 280 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AG (“PE UK III” and, together with PE UK I and PE UK II, the “PE UK Companies”), (iv) that number of units (or, prior to the Pre-Closing Restructuring (defined below), membership interests) of TargetCo (“TargetCoUnits”) and (v) that number and class or series of common shares (the “New BC Shares”) of New BC, in each case, as set forth opposite such PE Seller’s name on Schedule 3.2 or 3.3, as applicable, of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and (y) the issued and outstanding PE UK III Preferred Shares not owned by PE Sellers are owned by such Persons as set forth on Schedule 3.2 of the Company Disclosure Schedule (the “Non-PE UK III Preferred Shareholders”), which, together with the PE UK Company Securities, the TargetCo Units and the New BC Shares owned by the PE Sellers or (in the case of securities in PE UK II and PE UK III) the PE UK Companies, comprise all of the equity interests of the PE UK Companies, TargetCo and New BC, respectively, as of the Agreement Date.
B. As of the Agreement Date, each Management Seller and PE UK III owns (i) that number of common shares of the Company (the “CompanyShares”) and (ii) that number of preferred shares of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), in each case, as set forth opposite such Person’s name on Schedule 3.3 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, which Company Shares and Preferred Shares (together with the options to purchase Class B common shares of the Company pursuant to the Company Option Plan) comprise all of the equity interests of the Company as of the Agreement Date.
1
C. Each of the parties hereto desires to effect the restructuring and the recapitalization of the Acquired Companies (defined below) to the extent contemplated to take place prior to the Closings (as amended in accordance with this Agreement, the “Pre-Closing Restructuring”) as detailed on Exhibit A hereto (as amended in accordance with this Agreement, the “Pre-Closing RestructuringPlan”) on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, and following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings, (i) New BC will wholly-own, directly or indirectly, each other Acquired Company and (ii) each Seller will own New BC Shares and the TargetCo Units, in each case, as set forth opposite such Seller’s name on the Initial Spreadsheet, which New BC Shares, together with the New BC Shares owned by TargetCo and the TargetCo Units (together with the Company Vested Options), will comprise all of the equity interests of New BC and TargetCo, respectively, as of immediately prior to the Closings.
D. The PE Sellers desire to sell their TargetCo Units to Holdings or its designee to the extent provided for in the Pre-Closing Restructuring, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than restrictions arising from applicable securities laws, and Holdings desires to purchase from the PE Sellers all such TargetCo Units on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.
E. The Sellers desire to sell their New BC Shares to BidCo and ExchangeCo free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than restrictions arising from applicable securities laws, and BidCo and ExchangeCo desire to purchase from the Sellers all such New BC Shares, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.
F. On or prior to the date hereof, Parent entered into certain subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with the PIPE Investors (as defined below) pursuant to which, and on the terms and subject to the conditions of which, such PIPE Investors agreed to purchase from Parent shares of Parent Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price equal to the PIPE Investment Amount, with such purchases to be consummated prior to or substantially concurrently with the Closings.
G. Contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, certain stockholders of Parent are entering into a voting agreement with the Company (the “Voting Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, such stockholders have agreed, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Voting Agreements, to vote all of their shares of Parent Common Stock in favor of the Parent Stock Issuance.
H. At the Closings, the PE Sellers and Parent will enter into the Investor Rights Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement contemplating, among other things, (i) certain governance and information rights of the PE Sellers in connection with the PE Sellers’ ownership of Parent Common Stock and (ii) certain registration rights, in each case, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B and Exhibit C.
I. Immediately prior to the Closings, Resolute Holdings Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Holdings will enter into a management agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit E, pursuant to which following the Closings, Resolute Holdings Management, Inc. will be responsible for managing the day-to-day business and operations, and overseeing the strategy of, Holdings and its subsidiaries.
2
J. Each of the parties desires to make certain representations, warranties, covenants and other agreements in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Transactions”) as set forth herein.
Now, Therefore, in consideration of the representations, warranties, covenants and other agreements contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
Article I
Definitions
1.1 Certain Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated below. Unless indicated otherwise, all mathematical calculations contemplated hereby shall be rounded to the tenth decimal place.
“Accounting Principles” means GAAP, and to the extent in conformity with GAAP, the accounting principles, policies, practices, judgments, procedures and methodologies used in the preparation of the Financial Statements, in each case, applied on a consistent basis; provided, however, (a) the Closing Balance Sheet and the Price Components shall reflect no changes in reserves (regardless of whether any such reserve is recorded as an offset to a current asset’s carrying value or is included as an accrued liability in the Closing Balance Sheet) from amounts contained in the Company Balance Sheet, other than changes therein attributable to changes in facts and circumstances occurring after the Company Balance Sheet Date, (b) except as provided in clause (e) below, the Closing Balance Sheet and the Price Components shall not give effect to the consummation of the Transactions, including any payments of cash in respect of the Total Closing Cash Consideration, or any financing transactions in connection therewith or, after the Effective Time, any dividend or distribution by the Company or other action or omission by the Buyer Parties, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is not in the Ordinary Course of Business consistent with past practice, (c) the treatment of leases as capital leases or operating leases shall be identical to their treatment in the Company Balance Sheet, and (d) the Closing Balance Sheet and the Price Components shall not reflect (i) except in the case of Actual Paid Parent Transaction Expenses, any expense or liability for which the Buyer Parties are responsible under this Agreement or which is paid or assumed as a Shareholders’ Representative Expense or (ii) any asset or liability that is transferred out of the Acquired Companies (or any liability that is otherwise settled) after the Effective Time pursuant to the Pre-Closing Restructuring (despite the fact that a Price Component is otherwise determined as of the Effective Time), and (e) notwithstanding anything else in this Agreement, the Tax items in the Closing Balance Sheet and the Price Components (i) shall reflect the value of all Transaction Tax Deductions to the extent deductible at a “more likely than not” (or greater) level of comfort, (ii) shall be determined in accordance with past Tax reporting practice except as required by applicable Legal Requirements and (iii) shall not reflect any accruals or reserves for contingent Taxes or with respect to uncertain Tax positions.
3
“Accrued IncomeTaxes” means, with respect to each of the Acquired Companies an amount equal to (i) accrued and unpaid income Taxes for any Pre-Closing Tax Period or portion thereof for which an originally filed (i.e., not an amended) Tax Return has not been filed on or prior to the Closing Date, solely in respect of those jurisdictions in which the applicable Acquired Company is currently filing Tax Returns with respect to income Taxes (or has initiated business or acquired the relevant income Tax nexus on or after January 1, 2025), calculated (a) on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis and separately with respect to each regarded entity, (b) in a manner consistent with the accounting methodology and past Tax reporting and other practice of the Acquired Companies (except as required by applicable Legal Requirements or as provided for in An Act To Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14, commonly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”), (c) taking into account any estimated income Tax payments and any overpayments of income Taxes made by any of the Acquired Companies in any Pre-Closing Tax Period, and any loss carryforwards, credits and other similar attributes of any of the Acquired Companies, to the extent such amounts would reduce unpaid income Taxes of the applicable Acquired Company with respect to any Pre-Closing Tax Period, (d) without regard to any deferred Tax assets or deferred Tax liabilities, (except as provided in preceding clause (c) and subject to the limitation therein), (e) in accordance with Section 7.16(c) in the case of any Straddle Period, (f) notwithstanding the preceding clause (b), by taking into account Transaction Tax Deductions to the extent deductible at a “more likely than not” or higher level of comfort, (g) by excluding any accruals or reserves established or required to be established under GAAP methodologies (e.g., for contingent income Taxes or with respect to uncertain Tax positions), (h) by excluding any Tax liabilities attributable to any action taken by Parent or any of its Affiliates (including, after the Closings, the Acquired Companies) in connection with its financing for the Transactions or otherwise after the Closings outside the Ordinary Course of Business, in each case except as specifically contemplated by the Agreement, and (i) by including any Tax imposed on Parent, any of its Affiliates or any of their direct or indirect owners with respect to “global intangible low-taxed income” within the meaning of Section 951A of the Code and “subpart F income” within the meaning of Section 952 of the Code for taxable years (or portions thereof) ending on or before the Closing Date in respect of any of the Acquired Companies that is a “controlled foreign corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes minus (ii) without duplication of amounts already taken into account in and that reduced the amount of the preceding clause (i), the aggregate amount of income Tax refunds receivable of the Acquired Companies for Pre-Closing Tax Periods for which the Acquired Companies have received written notice prior to the Closing Date that have not yet been received before the Closing Date. The amount of Accrued Income Taxes with respect to any jurisdiction, any Tax, any Tax period, or with respect to any entity shall not be a negative number, and the total amount of Accrued Income Taxes shall not be a negative number. In the event of any discrepancy between the principles set forth in this definition and the Accounting Principles, this definition shall prevail.
“Acquired Companies” means, collectively, (i) the PE UK Companies, (ii) New BC and, following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings, each Subsidiary of New BC and (iii) the Company and each Subsidiary of the Company.
“Acquisition Proposal” means any transaction or agreement, offer or proposal with respect to any transaction (other than this Agreement, the Transactions, any transaction or agreement entered into in connection herewith or with the Transactions or any other offer or proposal by Parent or its Subsidiaries), relating to, or involving: (a) any issuance by, or acquisition or purchase from, any Acquired Company, or any acquisition or purchase from the direct or indirect stockholders of any Acquired Company (whether by merger, consolidation or business combination with any such direct or indirect stockholder or otherwise), by any Person or Group (i) of more than a twenty-five percent (25%) interest in the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Acquired Company, (ii) any tender offer or exchange offer that if consummated would result in any Person or Group beneficially owning twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Acquired Company, (iii) of any option, call, warrant or right (whether or not immediately exercisable) to acquire twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Acquired Company, or (iv) of any security, instrument or obligation that is or may become convertible into or exchangeable for a twenty-five percent (25%) interest in the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Acquired Company; (b) any merger, consolidation, business combination, joint venture, partnership, or similar transaction involving any Acquired Company, (c) any sale, lease, mortgage, pledge, exchange, transfer, license, spin-off, acquisition, or disposition of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the assets of the Acquired Companies in any single transaction or series of related transactions (other than sales of inventory and other assets in the Ordinary Course of Business); or (d) any liquidation, dissolution, recapitalization or other reorganization of the Acquired Companies, or any extraordinary dividend, whether of cash or other property; provided, that none of the foregoing transactions, to the extent solely by and among the Acquired Companies (and not any third party), shall constitute an Acquisition Proposal.
4
“Actual CompanyCash” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 below.
“Actual CompanyDebt” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 below.
“Actual Net WorkingCapital” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 below.
“Actual Paid ParentTransaction Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 below.
“Actual TransactionExpenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 below.
“Adjustment Amount” means the positive or negative number that is equal to the sum of (a) the Actual Company Cash less the Estimated Company Cash, (b) the Estimated Company Debt less the Actual Company Debt, (c) the Actual Net Working Capital less the Estimated Net Working Capital, (d) Estimated Transaction Expenses less Actual Transaction Expenses, and (e) Actual Paid Parent Transaction Expenses less Estimated Paid Parent Transaction Expenses.
“Adjustment EscrowAmount” means an amount equal to $7,000,000.
“Adjustment EscrowFund” means, at any time after Closing, the portion of the Adjustment Escrow Amount then remaining in the one or more accounts in which the Escrow Agent has deposited the Adjustment Escrow Amount in accordance with the Escrow Agreement, including any amount of interest actually earned.
“Adjustment Spreadsheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12(b) below.
“Affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Aggregate CompanyVested Option Exercise Price” means the sum of the exercise prices of all Company Vested Options as calculated immediately prior to the Closings.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Agreement Date” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Anti-CorruptionLaws” means the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the UK Bribery of 2010, as amended, any national and international law enacted to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials in International Business Transactions, or any other applicable anti-corruption or anti-bribery Legal Requirements of any other jurisdiction where any Acquired Company operates or conducts business.
“Anti-Money LaunderingLaws” means all applicable Legal Requirements related to financial recordkeeping or reporting, or the prevention of money laundering or terrorist financing in the jurisdictions in which any Acquired Company is organized or conducts its business, including but not limited to the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended, and any Legal Requirement implementing the “Forty Recommendations” published by the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering.
“Antitrust andFDI Law” means the HSR Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914, in each case, as amended, and any other Legal Requirement that is designed to (a) prohibit, restrict or regulate actions having the purpose or effect of monopolization, restraint of trade, or substantial lessening of competition and/or (b) control, screen or prohibit foreign direct investment or investments related to national security.
5
“Articles of Amendment” means the Articles of Amendment of ExchangeCo to be effective as of the Closing Date, which Articles of Amendment shall authorize and set forth the share terms of the Exchangeable Shares and be in form and substance acceptable to each of the Shareholders’ Representative and Parent.
“Base Cash Amount” means $3,953,000,000.
“Base PurchasePrice” means the Base Cash Amount plus an amount equal to the Total Stock Consideration multiplied by $18.50.
“BidCo” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Books and Records” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.18 below.
“Business Day” means a day (a) other than Saturday or Sunday and (b) on which commercial banks are open for business in New York, New York or Bolton, Ontario.
“Buyer Parties” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“CallCo” means 1561754 B.C. Unlimited liability company, a unlimited liability company formed under the laws of the Province of British Columbia.
“Canadian ManagementSellers” means those Management Sellers who are residents of Canada pursuant to the Tax Act.
“Cash” means, with respect to a given Person, cash and cash equivalents, including checks, money orders, marketable securities, short-term instruments, negotiable instruments, funds in time and demand deposits or similar accounts on hand, in lock boxes, in financial institutions or elsewhere, together with all accrued but unpaid interest thereon, and all bank, brokerage or other similar accounts; provided that the amount of Cash as of any given time shall be: (a) decreased by any Restricted Cash; (b) increased by any uncleared checks, wire transfers and drafts deposited for the account of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries at such time; and (c) decreased by any issued but uncleared checks, wire transfers and drafts written or issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries at such time.
“Cash EquivalentConsideration” means the quotient of (a) the sum of (i) the sum of (A) the Base Cash Amount, plus (B) the sum of (1) the amount, if any, of Estimated Company Cash, (2) the amount, if any, by which the Estimated Net Working Capital is greater than the Net Working Capital Threshold, and (3) the amount, if any, of the Estimated Paid Parent Transaction Expenses, less (C) the sum of (1) the amount, if any, by which the Estimated Net Working Capital is less than the Net Working Capital Threshold, (2) the amount, if any, of Estimated Transaction Expenses and (3) the amount, if any, of Estimated Company Debt, plus (ii) the Aggregate Company Vested Option Exercise Price plus (iii) the product of the Total Stock Consideration multiplied by $18.50 divided by (b) the sum of the Total New BC Shares plus the number of New BC Shares issuable upon exercise of all Company Vested Options held by all Pre-Closing Holders, in each case, as determined following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings.
6
“Claim” means all past, present and future disputes, claims, controversies, demands, rights, obligations, Proceedings and causes of action of every kind and nature (whether matured or unmatured, absolute or contingent), including any unknown, inchoate, unsuspected or undisclosed claim.
“Closings” and “Closing Date” have the meanings set forth in Section 2.3 below.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any successor provisions and transition rules, whether or not codified.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Company Authorizations” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.9 below.
“Company BalanceSheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.5 below.
“Company BalanceSheet Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.6 below.
“Company Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Company Cash” means the aggregate amount of the Acquired Companies’ Cash as of the Effective Time, calculated in accordance with the Accounting Principles.
“Company Debt” means the aggregate amount of the Acquired Companies’ Debt as of the Effective Time, calculated in accordance with the Accounting Principles.
“Company DisclosureSchedule” has the meaning set forth in Article III below.
“Company EmployeePlan” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.15(a) below.
“Company IndemnifiedParty” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.17(a) below.
“Company IP Rights” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(ii) below.
“Company IP RightsAgreements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(ii) below.
“Company IT Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(viii) below.
“Company MaterialAdverse Effect” means a Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole.
“Company Option” means an option to purchase (i) prior to the Pre-Closing Restructuring, Class B common shares of the Company and (ii) following the Pre-Closing Restructuring, New BC Shares, in each case, pursuant to the Company Option Plan.
“Company OptionPlan” means the Titan I Holding Limited 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.
“Company Optionholders” means the holders of Company Options.
“Company-OwnedIP Rights” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(iii) below.
“Company PreferredHolders” means the holders of outstanding Preferred Shares.
7
“Company Products” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(vi) below.
“Company RegisteredIntellectual Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(iv) below.
“Company Representative” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 below.
“Company Securityholders” means the Company Shareholders, the Company Preferred Holders, the Company Optionholders, and the New BC Shareholders, collectively.
“Company Shareholders” means the holders of outstanding Company Shares.
“Company Shares” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Company SourceCode” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(vii) below.
“Company VestedOption” means that portion of a Company Option that, as of the Closings, is vested under the terms of the Company Option Plan or otherwise, after giving effect to any acceleration thereof. For the avoidance of doubt, Exercised Company Options shall not be Company Vested Options.
“ConfidentialityAgreement” means, collectively, the Nondisclosure Agreement, dated as of July 9, 2025 (as amended), by and between Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. and Resolute Holdings Management, Inc., the letter agreement, dated as of September 29, 2025, by and between Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. and Resolute Holdings Management, Inc., and the letter agreement, dated as of October 20, 2025, by and between Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. and Resolute Holdings Management, Inc.
“Continuing Employees” means employees of the Acquired Companies who remain employees of the Acquired Companies or become employees of Parent or its Subsidiaries immediately following the Closings.
“Contract” means any written or oral legally binding contract, agreement, instrument, commitment or undertaking of any nature (including leases, licenses, mortgages, notes, guarantees, sublicenses, subcontracts and legally binding letters of intent) as of the Agreement Date or as may hereafter be in effect.
“D&O Insurance” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.17(b) below.
8
“Debt” means, without duplication: (a) all obligations (including the principal amount thereof or, if applicable, the accreted amount thereof and the amount of accrued and unpaid interest thereon) of the Acquired Companies, whether or not represented by bonds, debentures, notes, loans (including equipment loans other than pursuant to leases) or other securities (whether or not convertible into any other security), for the repayment of money borrowed, whether owing to banks, financial institutions or otherwise; (b) all deferred obligations of the Acquired Companies for the payment of the purchase price of property or assets purchased (other than accounts payable incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business that are either (i) not more than ninety (90) days past due or (ii) held consistent with the past practice of the Acquired Companies in connection with one or more disputes with suppliers); (c) all obligations of each Acquired Company to pay rent or other payment amounts under a lease which is required to be classified as a capital lease in accordance with the Accounting Principles; (d) all outstanding reimbursement obligations of each Acquired Company with respect to letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances or similar facilities issued for the account of such Acquired Company; (e) the net settlement amount under any interest rate swap agreement, forward rate agreement, interest rate cap or collar agreement or other financial agreement or arrangement entered into for the purpose of limiting or managing interest rate risks (which amount will reduce Debt if in an asset position); (f) the aggregate Redemption Price (as defined in the Articles of Association of PE UK III) payable in respect of all of the PE UK III Preferred Shares without taking into account the Pre-Closing Restructuring (such aggregate amount, the “PreferredShare Payment Amount”); (g) all obligations of each Acquired Company, whether interest bearing or otherwise, in respect of any accrued or deferred unpaid distributions with respect to the New BC Shares or owed to any New BC Shareholder or any Affiliate thereof in respect of any accrued and unpaid management fees, director fees or other similar amounts; (h) all premiums, penalties, fees, expenses, breakage costs and change of control payments required to be paid in respect of any of the foregoing on prepayment as a result of the consummation of the Transactions; (i) all Accrued Income Taxes; and (j) the amount of any payment obligations described in clauses (a) through (h) of any Person (other than an Acquired Company) for which any Acquired Company has provided a guarantee or (up to the value of the applicable assets) to the extent secured by an Encumbrance on any of the assets of any Acquired Company; provided that Debt shall not include (i) any premiums, penalties, fees, expenses, breakage costs, change of control payments or consent fees required to be paid or offered in respect of the Notes or the Target Credit Agreement as a result of the consummation of the Transactions, including any Debt Change of Control Waiver (collectively, the “Financing Fees”), (ii) undrawn letters of credit and reimbursement obligations in respect of undrawn letters of credit, (iii) any liabilities related to inter-company debt between any Acquired Companies, (iv) any redemption premium, prepayment penalty or similar payment with respect to leases included in the Debt to the extent such leases are not required by their terms to be repaid in full at the Effective Time, (v) any Parent Transaction Expenses or Transaction Expenses, (vi) all obligations (up to the Preferred Share Payment Amount) under PE UK III Preferred Shares and/or promissory notes or other indebtedness issued with respect thereto in accordance with the Pre-Closing Restructuring and (vi) all obligations (up to the PE Sellers Preferred Share Payment Amount) under the NAV Loan Agreement (clauses (i) through (vii) collectively, the “Debt Exclusions”).
“Debt Change ofControl Waiver” means an amendment and/or waiver of the Target Credit Agreement sufficient to permit the transactions contemplated hereby, including any waiver of the event of default that would arise from a Change of Control (as defined in the Target Credit Agreement).
“Debt Exclusions” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Debt”.
“Delaware Courts” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.8(a) below.
“Effective Time” means 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Time) on the Closing Date.
“Encumbrance” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, charge, security interest, title retention device, option, right of first refusal, conditional sale or other security arrangement, collateral assignment, claim, charge, adverse claim of title, right to use, license, restriction or other encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset (including any restriction on (a) the voting of any security or the transfer of any security or other asset, (b) the receipt of any income derived from any asset, (c) the use of any asset, and (d) the possession, exercise or transfer of any other attribute of ownership of any asset).
“EnvironmentalClaim” means any claim, action, complaint, cause of action or written notice by any Person alleging potential Liability (including potential Liability for investigatory costs, governmental response costs, natural resources damages, property damages, personal injuries, or penalties) arising out of, based on or resulting from (a) the presence, Release or threatened Release of, or exposure to any Hazardous Materials, or (b) circumstances forming the basis of any violation or Liability, or alleged violation or Liability, of any Environmental Law.
9
“EnvironmentalLaws” mean any Legal Requirement relating to human or worker health and safety (solely to the extent related to exposure to Hazardous Materials), pollution or protection of the environment or natural resources, including without limitation, all Legal Requirements relating to the exposure to, contamination by, or Releases or threatened Releases of, Hazardous Materials or otherwise relating to the manufacture, sale, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage or handling of Hazardous Materials and all Legal Requirements with regard to recordkeeping, notification, disclosure and reporting requirements respecting Hazardous Materials.
“EnvironmentalPermit” means any Company Authorizations required by or pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“ERISA Affiliate” is any entity that is considered a single employer with the Company under Sections 414(b), (c), (m), or (o) of the Code.
“Escrow Agent” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4(a)(xi).
“Escrow Agreement” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4(a)(x).
“Estimated BalanceSheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.27 below.
“Estimated CompanyCash” means the amount of the estimated Company Cash, as specified in the Initial Spreadsheet.
“Estimated CompanyDebt” means the amount of the estimated Company Debt, as specified in the Initial Spreadsheet.
“Estimated NetWorking Capital” means the amount of the estimated Net Working Capital, as specified in the Initial Spreadsheet.
“Estimated PaidParent Transaction Expenses” means the amount of the estimated Paid Parent Transaction Expenses, as of the Effective Time, as specified in the Initial Spreadsheet.
“Estimated TransactionExpenses” means the amount of the Acquired Companies’ estimated Transaction Expenses, as of the Closings, as specified in the Initial Spreadsheet.
“Evaluation Material” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.26 below.
“Example Net WorkingCapital Schedule” means the schedule attached as Exhibit J hereto.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Exchange andSupport Agreement” means the Exchange and Support Agreement, by and among each of the Canadian Management Sellers, CallCo, ExchangeCo and Parent, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Shareholders’ Representative and Parent.
10
“Exchangeable Shares” means the shares in the capital of ExchangeCo designated in the Articles of Amendment as “Exchangeable Shares” to be issued by ExchangeCo to certain Canadian Management Sellers, which Exchangeable Shares, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Exchange and Support Agreement, shall be exchangeable into Common Shares on a 1:1 basis.
“ExchangeCo” means an unlimited liability company formed under the laws of the Province of British Columbia that is to be formed by and as a direct Subsidiary of Holdings pursuant to the Pre-Closing Restructuring.
“Exercised CompanyOptions” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(c)(iii) below.
“Expense Fund” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2(e) below.
“Expense Fund Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2(e) below.
“Export ControlLaws” means (a) all applicable trade, export control, import, and antiboycott laws and regulations imposed, administered, or enforced by the U.S. government, including the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. § 1778), the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. §§ 1701–1706), the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, Section 999 of the Internal Revenue Code, Title 19 of the U.S. Code, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 C.F.R. Part 120 et. seq.), the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. Part 730 et. seq.), the U.S. customs regulations at 19 C.F.R. Chapter 1, and the Foreign Trade Regulations (15 C.F.R. Part 30), the U.S. Commerce Department antiboycott regulations (15 C.F.R. Part 760), the U.S. Treasury Department antiboycott requirements (26 U.S.C. § 999), any other trade control regulations issued by the agencies listed in Part 730 of the Export Administration Regulations; and (b) all applicable trade, export control, and import, and antiboycott laws and regulations imposed, administered or enforced by any other country, including the EU Dual Use regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 (amended)), except to the extent inconsistent with U.S. law.
“Financial Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.5 below.
“Fraud” means, with respect to any Person, an actual and intentional common law fraud under Delaware law by such Person with respect to the making of any representation or warranty in this Agreement with actual personal and conscious awareness of breach when the related representations and warranties were made with the express intention that a counterparty to this Agreement would rely thereon to its detriment, and where such counterparty actually does justifiably rely to its detriment. For the avoidance of doubt, “(i) “Fraud” shall not include any claim for equitable fraud, promissory fraud, unfair dealings fraud or any torts based on negligence or recklessness and (ii) the only the Person who committed a Fraud shall be responsible for such Fraud, and only to the party hereto alleged to have suffered from such Fraud, provided, however, that a Person may be deemed to have committed a Fraud, for the purposes of this definition, if under the Legal Requirements of the State of Delaware as related to Fraud, if such Person is responsible as principal (including as an employer) for the Fraud of another Person who directly committed such Fraud.
“GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis, as they exist at the time of execution of this Agreement (or in reference to financial statements of the Company of an earlier date, as in effect as of such date).
“Governing Documents” means the legal document(s) by which any Person (other than an individual) establishes its legal existence or which govern its internal affairs. For example, the “Governing Documents” of a corporation are its certificate of incorporation and by-laws, the “Governing Documents” of a limited partnership are its limited partnership agreement and certificate of limited partnership and the “Governing Documents” of a limited liability company are its operating agreement and certificate of formation.
11
“Governmental Entity” means any supranational, national, state, municipal, local or foreign government, any court, tribunal, arbitrator, administrative agency, commission or other governmental official, authority or instrumentality, in each case whether domestic or foreign, any stock exchange or similar self-regulatory organization or any quasi-governmental or private body exercising any regulatory, taxing or other governmental or quasi-governmental authority.
“Group” has the definition ascribed to such term under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and related case law.
“Hazardous Materials” mean any substance, material or waste that is listed, regulated or defined as “hazardous,” “toxic,” “corrosive,” “radioactive,” or as a “pollutant” or “contaminant” under, or for which liability or standards of conduct are imposed due to their hazardous, toxic, dangerous or deleterious properties or characteristics pursuant to, any Environmental Laws, including but not limited to petroleum, petroleum products and by-products, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, polychlorinated biphenyls, radioactive materials, lead, urea formaldehyde, radon gas or mold.
“Holdings” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“HSR Act” means the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.
“Information orDocument Request” means any voluntary or compulsory request or demand for the production, delivery or disclosure of documents, information or other evidence, or any request or demand for the production of witnesses for interviews or depositions or other oral or written testimony, by any Governmental Entity relating to the Transactions or by any third party challenging the Transactions, including any so called “second request” for additional information and documentary material or any civil investigative demand or any subpoena, interrogatory or deposition, in each case, issued, made, requested or required by any Governmental Entity.
“Initial Spreadsheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12(a) below.
“Intellectual Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(i) below.
“IRS” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
“knowledge” or “known” means, with respect to any fact, circumstance, event or other matter in question, the actual knowledge (without any implied duty to investigate) of such fact, circumstance, event or other matter known to, the individuals listed on Schedule 1.1(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
“Lease” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.11 below.
“Leased Real Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.11 below.
12
“Legal Requirements” means all United States, or foreign federal, state, national, supranational, provincial, or local laws, constitutions, statutes, codes, rules, common law, regulations, ordinances, executive orders, decrees or edicts by a Governmental Entity having the force of law.
“Liabilities” means all debts, liabilities and obligations, whether accrued or fixed, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, determined or determinable, asserted or unasserted, known or unknown, including those arising under any law, action or governmental order and those arising under any Contract.
“Material AdverseEffect” means, with respect to any Person, any change, event, development, fact, circumstance or effect (each, an “Effect”) that, individually or in the aggregate, has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations or financial condition of such Person and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than any Effect to the extent resulting from or related to: (i) any change in the financial, banking, credit, commodities, currency or capital markets or economic or political conditions generally, in each case, in the United States or foreign economies, or any general shutdown of the United States government; (ii) changes in law, GAAP or other applicable accounting standards or the interpretations thereof; (iii) the occurrence of any pandemics, epidemics, public health events, natural disasters, weather conditions, acts of God or other calamities, national or international political or social conditions or other force majeure events, including the engagement by any country in hostilities or war, whether commenced before or after the Agreement Date, and whether or not pursuant to the declaration of a national emergency or war, or the occurrence, threatened occurrence of any military action, terrorism or cyberattack, in each case of the foregoing, including the escalation or worsening thereof; (iv) any change in, or effects arising from or relating to, general business or economic conditions affecting any industry in which such Person and its Subsidiaries operate; (v) the announcement or pendency of, or the performance or consummation of the transactions contemplated by, or the taking of any actions expressly contemplated by or the compliance with the express terms of, this Agreement and the other agreements contemplated hereby (it being understood that this clause (v) shall not apply to Sections 3.4(b), 3.12(e) or 3.15(d) and any other representation or warranty expressly intended to address the consequences of the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or such other agreements); (vi) to the extent such Person is an Acquired Company, (A) any action taken or not taken at the written request or with the written consent of any Buyer Party or (B) the fact that the prospective owner of the Acquired Companies is Parent or an Affiliate of Parent; (vii) to the extent such Person is any of the Buyer Parties, (A) any action taken or not taken at the written request or with the written consent of Seller or the Company or (B) the fact that the Buyer Parties will be the prospective owner of the Acquired Companies, or (viii) the failures by such Person and its Subsidiaries to meet any internal budgets, plans, estimates, predictions, performance metrics, or forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations, in and of itself (it being understood and agreed that the facts underlying such failure that are not otherwise excluded from this definition of Material Adverse Effect may be taken into consideration in determining whether there has been, is or would reasonably be expected to be, a Material Adverse Effect), in the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), other than to the extent such Effects disproportionately impact such Person or any of its Subsidiaries in a negative manner relative to the other companies in the industry in which such Person and its Subsidiaries operate.
“Material Contract” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.20(a) below.
“NAV Loan Agreement” means the Term Loan Agreement, dated as of April 19, 2024, as amended, by and among PE UK II, Alter Domus (US) LLC, Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch and the Additional Borrowers and Lenders party thereto (as defined therein).
13
“NAV Payoff Amount” means the amount payable by the Acquired Companies under the Payoff Letter for the NAV Loan Agreement.
“New BC Shareholders” means the holders of outstanding New BC Shares.
“Net PreferredShare Payment Amount” means the amount equal to (i) the Preferred Share Payment Amount minus (ii) the amount thereof payable in respect of the PE UK III Preferred Shares held by PE UK II immediately prior to the Pre-Closing Restructuring (such amount described in this clause (ii), the “PE Sellers Preferred Share Payment Amount”).
“Net Working Capital” means (a) the Acquired Companies’ consolidated total current assets as of the Effective Time (as defined by and determined in accordance with GAAP) minus (b) the Acquired Companies’ consolidated total current liabilities as of the Effective Time (as defined by and determined in accordance with GAAP), in each case, however, excluding (i) the Cash, Debt and Debt Exclusions, (ii) any interest receivable and (iii) any deferred Tax assets or liabilities or income Tax assets or liabilities, calculated in accordance with the Accounting Principles. Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing sentence to the contrary, for purposes of calculating Net Working Capital, the Acquired Companies’ current liabilities shall not include Transaction Expenses or Parent Transaction Expenses and, for the avoidance of doubt, the Acquired Companies’ consolidated total current assets and consolidated total current liabilities shall not include the items listed on Schedule 1.1(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the Example Net Working Capital Schedule represents an illustrative calculation of Net Working Capital as of June 30, 2025, and is prepared in accordance with the Accounting Principles.
“Net Working CapitalThreshold” means $80,000,000.
“New LitigationClaim” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.10 below.
“Notes” means the 9.000% Senior Secured Notes Due 2029, governed by the Indenture, dated as of February 12, 2024 (the “Indenture”), by and among Husky IMS Canadian Escrow Co-Issuer Ltd., wound up into Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., Husky IMS U.S. Escrow Co-Issuer, LLC, merged with and into Titan Co-Borrower, LLC, the guarantors from time to time party thereto and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee and as collateral agent.
“Notice of Objection” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(a) below.
“OFAC” means the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
“Order” means any order, writ, injunction, judgment, decree, ruling or award of any arbitrator or any court or other Governmental Entity.
“Ordinary Courseof Business” means transactions, actions, inactions or practices of the Acquired Companies that are consistent with those that are usual or customary for the Acquired Companies or applicable Acquired Company, as applicable, based on and consistent with past practice.
“Owned Real Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.11(a) below.
“Paid Parent TransactionExpenses” means the aggregate amount of the Parent Transaction Expenses paid by the Acquired Companies as of the Effective Time.
“Parent” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
14
“Parent AcquisitionProposal” means any transaction or agreement, offer or proposal with respect to any transaction (other than this Agreement, the Transactions or any agreement entered into in connection herewith or with the Transactions or any other offer or proposal by the Sellers or the Acquired Companies), relating to, or involving: (a) any issuance by, or acquisition or purchase from, any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or any acquisition or purchase from the direct or indirect stockholders of any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries (whether by merger, consolidation or business combination with any such direct or indirect stockholder or otherwise), by any Person or Group (i) of more than a twenty-five percent (25%) interest in the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, (ii) any tender offer or exchange offer that if consummated would result in any Person or Group beneficially owning twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, (iii) of any option, call, warrant or right (whether or not immediately exercisable) to acquire twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or (iv) of any security, instrument or obligation that is or may become convertible into or exchangeable for a twenty-five percent (25%) interest in the total outstanding capital stock or other equity securities or voting securities of any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries; (b) any merger, consolidation, business combination, joint venture, partnership, or similar transaction involving any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, (c) any sale, lease, mortgage, pledge, exchange, transfer, license, spin-off, acquisition, or disposition of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the assets of the Buyer Parties and their respective Subsidiaries in any single transaction or series of related transactions (other than sales of inventory and other assets in the Ordinary Course of Business); or (d) any liquidation, dissolution, recapitalization or other reorganization of any Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or any extraordinary dividend, whether of cash or other property; provided, that none of the foregoing transactions, to the extent solely by and among the Buyer Parties and their respective Subsidiaries (and not any third party), shall constitute a Parent Acquisition Proposal.
“Parent AuditedBalance Sheet” means the consolidated balance sheet (and the notes thereto) of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2024 set forth in Parent’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Parent with the SEC for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.
“Parent Board” means the Board of Directors of Parent.
“Parent CommonStock” means the Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Parent.
“Parent EquityPlans” means the Parent’s 2021 Incentive Equity Plan and the Composecure, L.L.C. Amended and Restated Equity Plan, each as amended.
“Parent InterveningEvent” means a material event, fact, development, occurrence or change in circumstance with respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that was not known and was not reasonably foreseeable to the Parent Board as of the date hereof (or if known, the consequences of which were not known or reasonably foreseeable) and that becomes known to the Parent Board after the date of this Agreement; provided that in no event shall any of the following constitute a Parent Intervening Event or be taken into account in determining whether a Parent Intervening Event has occurred: (a) the receipt, existence or terms of any inquiry, offer or proposal by Parent or its Subsidiaries that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, a Parent Acquisition Proposal or any matter relating thereto; (b) failure by Parent, the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries to meet any internal or published projections, forecasts or predictions in respect of financial performance; (c) any Effect with respect to the Acquired Companies that does not amount to a Company Material Adverse Effect (d) changes in the market price or trading volume of Parent Common Stock or any other securities of Parent, or any change in credit rating of Parent or the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries.
15
“Parent MaterialAdverse Effect” means a Material Adverse Effect with respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries.
“Parent Option” means an option to acquire Parent Common Stock pursuant to the Parent Equity Plans.
“Parent PSUs” means restricted stock units issued under (and within the meaning of) the Parent Equity Plans subject to performance-based vesting conditions.
“Parent Releasees” means: (a) Parent; (b) the Acquired Companies; (c) Parent’s current and future Affiliates (including Holdings, BidCo and, following the Transactions, the Company and TargetCo and their respective Subsidiaries); (d) the respective representatives of the Persons referred to in clauses (a), (b) and (c) above, including all former, current or future directors, officers, employees, general or limited partners, managers, members, direct or indirect equityholders, controlling persons, affiliates, attorneys, assignees, agents, advisors, or representatives, or representatives or Affiliates of any of the foregoing; and (e) the respective successors and past, present and future assigns of the Persons identified or otherwise referred to in clauses (a) through (d) above.
“Parent RSUs” means restricted stock units issued under (and within the meaning of) the Parent Equity Plans subject to time or service-based vesting conditions.
“Parent Stockholders” means the holders of shares of outstanding Parent Common Stock.
“Parent TransactionExpenses” means, without duplication, the sum of all third party fees, costs, payments, liabilities, expenditures and expenses (collectively, “Expenses”) incurred by or on behalf of any Acquired Company or any Seller in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions, whether or not billed or accrued (including those which may become due and payable by an Acquired Company on or after the Closings pursuant to contracts entered into by or on behalf of any Acquired Company prior to the Closings), including (i) any amounts payable to PE Seller or its Affiliates by the Acquired Company pursuant to any management or advisory services agreement, up to an amount equal to $25,000,000, (ii) all Expenses incurred in obtaining and fully paying the premiums for the D&O Insurance pursuant to Section 7.17(b), (iii) any Expenses of legal counsel and accountants, the amount of any Expenses payable to financial advisors, investment bankers and brokers of the Acquired Companies notwithstanding any contingencies for earnouts, escrows, etc., and any Expenses payable to any other Person who performed services for or on behalf of, or provided advice to any Acquired Company, or who is otherwise entitled to any compensation or payment from any Acquired Company, in each case, in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions (or any sales process conducted or pursued by any Acquired Company), (iv) any Expenses that arise, or are triggered, accelerated or become due or payable, as a direct or indirect result of the consummation (whether alone or in combination with any other event or circumstance) of the Transactions, including any Financing Fees and Transfer Taxes to the extent allocated to Parent pursuant to Section 7.16(e), and (v) all Expenses incurred in connection with the distribution of any materials to Company Securityholders; provided that Parent Transaction Expenses shall exclude any Transaction Expenses; provided, further, that Parent Transaction Expenses shall not be an amount in excess of $45,000,000; provided, however, that the immediately preceding limitation on Parent Transaction Expenses shall not apply to (x) any Parent Transaction Expenses other than those described in clause (i) or (iii) of this definition or (y) any fees or expenses described in clause (iii) of this definition to the extent incurred in connection with the financing transactions contemplated by this Agreement (whether or not such advisors’ other fees and expenses are subject to such limitation).
16
“Parent Warrants” means the redeemable warrants to purchase one share of Parent Common Stock.
“Payoff Letters” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.9 below.
“PE Seller” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Per Share ExchangeCoConsideration” means Exchangeable Shares in an amount equal to (a) the excess of the Total Stock Consideration over the number of shares of Parent Common Stock issued to Sellers in accordance with Section 2.5(b) in respect of Restricted New BC Shares divided by (b) the Total Company Shares (excluding the number of Restricted New BC Shares otherwise included in Total Company Shares).
“Per Share CompanyClosing Cash Consideration” means a cash amount equal to (a) with respect to any Restricted New BC Shares, zero, and (b) otherwise, (i) the Total Closing Cash Consideration divided by (ii) the Total New BC Shares (excluding the number of Restricted New BC Shares otherwise included in Total New BC Shares).
“Per Share Consideration” means (a) the applicable Per Share Company Closing Cash Consideration plus (b) the applicable Per Share Stock Consideration.
“Per Share StockConsideration” means that number of shares of Parent Common Stock in an amount equal to (a) with respect to any Restricted New BC Share, the Cash Equivalent Consideration divided by $18.50 and (b) otherwise, (i) the excess of the Total Stock Consideration over the number of shares of Parent Common Stock issued to Sellers in accordance with Section 2.5(b) in respect of Restricted New BC Shares divided by (ii) the Total New BC Shares (excluding the number of Restricted New BC Shares otherwise included in Total New BC Shares).
“Permitted Encumbrances” means (a) statutory Encumbrances for Taxes that are not yet due and payable (or are payable without penalty) or Encumbrances for Taxes being contested in good faith by any appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP; (b) statutory Encumbrances to secure obligations to landlords, lessors or renters under leases or rental agreements for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP; (c) deposits or pledges made in connection with, or to secure payment of, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, or similar programs mandated under applicable Legal Requirements in the Ordinary Course of Business for which adequate reserves have been established; (d) non-exclusive licenses of Company-Owned IP Rights by the Company or a Subsidiary in the Ordinary Course of Business; (e) statutory or common law Encumbrances in favor of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics and materialmen to secure claims for labor, materials or supplies and other like Encumbrances, which secure obligations to the extent that payment thereof is not overdue (after taking into account reasonable payment periods) for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP; (f) with respect to real property, (1) easements, rights of way, zoning, building, land use and other similar ordinances or restrictions or other, similar encumbrances of record affecting such real property and (2) Encumbrances that may be shown by a current survey or physical inspection of such real property, in each case, which do not or would not, individually or in the aggregate, materially impair the current use or occupancy of such real property by the Company and its Subsidiaries; (g) zoning, planning, entitlement and other land use restrictions and environmental regulations by any Governmental Entity that are not violated by the current uses of the assets of the Company or its Subsidiaries; (h) Encumbrances with respect to any obligations as lessee under leases; (i) to the extent terminated in full in connection with the payment of Debt at the Closings pursuant to Section 2.4(a)(iii), Encumbrances securing payment, or any other obligations, of any Acquired Company with respect to such Debt; (j) Encumbrances disclosed in the Financial Statements; and (k) Encumbrances described on Schedule 1.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
17
“Person” means any natural person, company, corporation, limited liability company, general partnership, limited partnership, trust, proprietorship, joint venture, business organization or Governmental Entity.
“Personal Data” means (a) any information or data relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, or that is reasonably capable of being used to identify or contact or precisely locate a particular natural person or a particular household or device, including but not limited to a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, email address, financial account number, government-issued identifier, social security number or tax identification number, biometric identifier or biometric information, banking information relating to any particular natural person or household, passport number, client or account identifier relating to any natural person or household, primary account number (PAN) data, “cardholder data” as defined in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, any Internet protocol address, or any other unique identifier, device or machine identifier, photograph, or credentials for accessing any accounts; (b) any information defined as “personal data”, “personal information”, “personally identifiable information”, “personally identifiable information”, “biometric identifiers”, “biometric information”, “nonpublic personal information”, “individually identifiable health information”, a “consumer report”, or equivalent term under any applicable Privacy Requirements; and (c) any information reasonably capable of being associated, directly or indirectly (by, for example, records linked via unique keys), with a particular natural person or a particular household.
“PIPE Investors” means the investors that are set forth on Schedule 1.1(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule or an Affiliate of any such investor to whom the applicable Subscription Agreement with such PIPE Investor is assigned in accordance with its terms after the Agreement Date.
“Pre-Closing Holders” means the Sellers and holders of Company Options, as of immediately prior to the Closings.
“Pre-Closing Restructuring” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Pre-Closing TaxPeriod” means any Taxable period ending on or before the Closing Date and the portion of any Straddle Period ending on the Closing Date.
“Pre-Closing TaxReturns” means any Tax Returns for or including Pre-Closing Tax Periods.
“Privacy Policies” means each external or internal policy of, or public representation, statement or notice made by, any Acquired Company relating to: (a) the privacy Personal Data or (b) the collection, obtainment, storage, use, maintenance, transfer, transmission, disclosure, security, disposal, or other processing of any Personal Data.
“Privacy Requirements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.23(a) below.
“Pro Rata ExcessAdjustment Share” means, with respect to a particular Pre-Closing Holder, the percentage determined by dividing (a) the sum of the number of New BC Shares and the number of New BC Shares subject to Company Vested Options, if any, held by such Person (plus, in the case of the PE Sellers, the number of New BC Shares held by TargetCo), if any, held by such Person by (b) the sum of the total number of New BC Shares outstanding and total number of New BC Shares subject to all Company Vested Options, in each case, as determined following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings.
18
“Pro Rata Share” means, with respect to a particular Pre-Closing Holder, the percentage determined by (a) (x) the number of New BC Shares held by such Pre-Closing Holder (plus, in the case of the PE Sellers, the number of New BC Shares held by TargetCo, minus, in the case of Management Sellers, the number of such Sellers’ New BC Shares that are Restricted New BC Shares) plus (y) the number of New BC Shares issuable upon exercise of any Company Vested Options held by such Pre-Closing Holder, divided by (b) (x) the total number of New BC Shares outstanding (excluding Restricted New BC Shares) plus (y) the number of New BC Shares issuable upon exercise of all Company Vested Options held by all Pre-Closing Holders, in each case, as determined following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings.
“Proceeding” means any private or governmental action, complaint, suit, claim, charge, hearing, demand, mediation, arbitration or investigation.
“Product Data” means all data and information: (a) uploaded or otherwise provided by or for clients or users of any Company Product to, or stored by or for, any Acquired Company or any Company Product, in connection with the development, delivery, provision or operation of any Company Products; (b) collected, created, compiled, inferred, derived, or otherwise obtained by or for any Company Product or any Acquired Company in connection with the development, delivery, provision or operation of any Company Products; or (c) compiled, inferred, or derived by or for any Acquired Company from any of the foregoing.
“R&W Policy” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.18 below.
“Related Party” means: (a) each Company Securityholder (excluding Acquired Companies) who holds more than one percent (1%) of any Acquired Company and their respective Affiliates (not including the Acquired Companies); (b) each individual who is an officer or director of any Acquired Company; (c) each member of the immediate family of each of the individuals referred to in clauses (a), and (b) above; and (d) any trust or other Person (other than the Acquired Companies) in which any one of the Persons referred to in clauses (a), (b) and (c) above holds (or in which more than one of such Persons collectively hold), beneficially or otherwise, a material voting, proprietary or equity interest.
“Release” means any release, spill, emission, leaking, pumping, injection, emitting, emptying, escape, injection, deposit, disposal, discharge, dispersal, dumping, leaching, transport or migration of Hazardous Material in, into, onto or through the environment (including ambient air, surface water, ground water, soils, land surface or subsurface strata).
“Restricted NewBC Shares” mean the number and class or series of New BC Shares that are issued and outstanding following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closing, that were issued in respect of Exercised Company Options.
“Restricted Cash” means any cash or cash equivalents classified as restricted cash in accordance with GAAP, consistent with the Company’s past practice.
“Reviewing Accountant” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(c) below.
*“Sanctioned Country”*means any country or territory against which the United States maintains or has maintained within the last five (5) years comprehensive economic sanctions or an embargo, which at the time of signing is the Crimea region, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
19
“Sanctioned Person” means (a) a party listed on a Sanctions-related list published by the United States government, including but not limited to the OFAC “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List” and the prohibited and restricted parties lists maintained by the U.S. Department of State, or otherwise “blocked” or the target of Sanctions pursuant to any applicable Sanctions; (b) the government, including any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, of a Sanctioned Country; (c) an ordinary resident of, or entity registered in or established in a Sanctioned Country, or the Government of Venezuela; or (d) a party acting, directly or indirectly, on behalf of, or a party fifty percent (50%) or more owned by, any of the parties listed in clauses (a), (b) or (c).
“Sanctions” means economic and financial sanctions laws, regulations, embargoes, and restrictive measures (in each case having the force of law) administered, enacted, or enforced from time to time by the United States (including OFAC and the U.S. Department of State), the United Nations, Canada, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom, or the European Union.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Seller Releasees” means: (a) each Pre-Closing Holder; (b) each Pre-Closing Holder’s current and future Affiliates; (c) the respective representatives of the Persons referred to in clauses (a) and (b) above, including all former, current or future directors, officers, employees, general or limited partners, managers, members, direct or indirect equityholders, controlling persons, affiliates, attorneys, assignees, agents, advisors, or representatives, or representatives or Affiliates of any of the foregoing; and (d) the respective successors and past, present and future assigns of the Persons identified or otherwise referred to in clauses (a) through (c) above.
“Shareholders’Representative” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2(a) below.
“Shareholders’Representative Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2(b) below.
“Shareholders’Representative Group” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2(b) below.
“Software” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(i) below.
“Spreadsheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12(b) below.
“Stockholders Agreement” means the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement of the Company, dated as of September 24, 2018, by and among the Company, PE Titan Holding III Limited and the other parties thereto.
“Straddle Period” means any Taxable period beginning on or before the Closing Date and ending after the Closing Date.
“Subscription Agreements” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
20
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, business entity, partnership, limited liability company or other Person of which such first Person, either directly or indirectly (a) owns or controls securities or other interests representing more than 50% of the voting power of such Person, or (b) is entitled, by Contract or otherwise, to elect, appoint or designate directors constituting a majority of the members of such Person’s board of directors or other governing body.
“Target CreditAgreement” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of March 28, 2018, among Husky IV Holding Limited (f/k/a Titan IV Holding Limited), a corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Titan Co-Borrower, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, the lenders party thereto from time to time and Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, as the administrative agent and the collateral agent, as amended from time to time prior to the date hereof.
“TargetCo” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“TargetCo Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3 below.
“TargetCo PurchasePrice” means (a) the Per Share Consideration multiplied by (b) the number of New BC Shares held by TargetCo following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closing, as set forth in the Initial Spreadsheet.
“TargetCo Units” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
“Tax” (and, with correlative meaning, “Taxes” and “Taxable”) means any and all taxes, and duties, fees, excises, premiums, assessments, imposts, levies and other similar charges or assessments, in each case in the nature of taxes, imposed by any Governmental Entity, including, without limitation (a) any net income, alternative or add-on minimum tax, gross income, estimated, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, value added, transfer, franchise, fringe benefit, capital stock, capital gains, goods and services, harmonized branch, profits, license, registration, withholding, payroll, social security (or equivalent), Canada pension plan, employment, unemployment, compensation, utility, production, disability, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property (real, tangible or intangible), personal property, environmental or windfall profit tax, custom duty or other tax, governmental fee or other like assessment or charge of any kind whatsoever in the nature of a tax, (b) any interest or any penalty, addition to tax or additional amount (whether disputed or not) imposed by any Tax Authority on or in respect of the type described in clause (a) or this clause (b), (c) any liability for the payment of any amount of the type described in the immediately preceding clauses (a) and/or (b), as a result of being a “transferee” (within the meaning of Section 160 of the Tax Act or any other similar applicable Legal Requirement) or successor of another entity or a member of an affiliated, consolidated, unitary or combined group and (d) any liability for any amount of the type described in the preceding clauses (a), (b) and/or (c) above as a result of a contractual obligation to indemnify any person or other entity (other than any such contractual obligation the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes).
“Tax Act” means the Income Tax Act (Canada).
“Tax Authority” means any Governmental Entity responsible for the imposition, determination or collection of any Tax or the review or audit of any Tax Return.
“Tax Proceeding” means any investigation, examination, review, audit, assessment, administrative hearing, litigation or other proceeding by a Tax Authority with respect to Taxes or Tax Returns of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
21
“Tax Return” means any return, statement, report or form (including estimated Tax returns and reports, withholding Tax returns and reports, amended returns, claims for refund, any schedule or attachment, and information returns and reports) filed or required to be filed with respect to Taxes.
“Tax Sharing Agreement” means any Tax sharing, Tax indemnity, Tax allocation or similar agreement or Contract, excluding ancillary provisions in commercial agreements not primarily related to Tax.
“Termination Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1(b) below.
“Third Party IntellectualProperty Rights” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)(v) below.
“Total ClosingCash Consideration” means (a) the Base Cash Amount, plus (b) the sum of (i) the amount, if any, of Estimated Company Cash, (ii) the amount, if any, by which the Estimated Net Working Capital is greater than the Net Working Capital Threshold, and (iii) the amount, if any, of the Estimated Paid Parent Transaction Expenses, less (c) the sum of (i) the amount, if any, by which the Estimated Net Working Capital is less than the Net Working Capital Threshold, (ii) the amount, if any, of Estimated Transaction Expenses, (iii) the amount, if any, of Estimated Company Debt, and (iv) the aggregate cash that would be payable with respect to the Company Options in accordance with clause (1) of Section 2.5(c) prior to taking into account any withholding for Tax or the Adjustment Escrow Amount or Expense Fund Amount (such net aggregate amount described in this clause (iv), the “Total Option Cash Consideration”).
“Total ClosingConsideration” means the Total Closing Cash Consideration, the Total Option Cash Consideration and the Total Stock Consideration.
“Total New BC Shares” means the sum, without duplication, of the aggregate number of New BC Shares that are issued and outstanding immediately following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings, including the New BC Shares held by TargetCo and the Restricted New BC Shares.
“Total Stock Consideration” means 55,297,297.3 shares of Parent Common Stock; provided, that in the event either (1) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding (or subject to any warrants or convertible securities obligating Parent to issue any such shares, which warrants or convertible securities are outstanding) as of the Signing Capitalization Date exceeds the sum of the number of shares set forth in Section 5.3(a)(x) plus Section 5.3(a)(z), (2) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock that are subject to issued and outstanding Parent Equity Awards as of the Signing Capitalization Date exceeds the sum of the number of shares set forth in Section 5.3(b)(i), plus Section 5.3(b)(ii), plus Section 5.3(b)(iii), or (3) Parent issues shares of Parent Common Stock in violation of Section 6.3(c) (sum of the amount of such excess referred to in clause (1) plus the amount of such excess referred to in clause (2) plus the number of shares referred to in clause (3), the “Undisclosed Shares”), then the Total Stock Consideration shall be increased by an amount equal to the product of (x) the fraction of 19/81 multiplied by (y) the Undisclosed Shares.
“Transaction Expenses” means, without duplication, the sum of all unpaid (as of the Closings) amounts of (i) any amount in excess of $25,000,000 payable to PE Seller or its Affiliates by the Acquired Companies pursuant to any management or advisory services agreement entered into prior to the Closings, (ii) any retention, sale, transaction, change of control or severance payments payable by the Acquired Companies to any officer, director, employee or other service provider as a result of the Transactions pursuant to any arrangements entered into prior to the Closings (other than any such payments resulting from the termination of such Person after the Closings or any other action taken at the direction or with the approval of Parent), (iii) the employer portion of any social security, Medicare, unemployment or other employment or payroll Tax or similar Tax owed by any Acquired Company with respect to any arrangement described in this definition and (iv) Transfer Taxes to the extent allocated to Sellers pursuant to Section 7.16(e).
22
“Transaction TaxDeductions” means all Tax deductions of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries resulting from or related to the Transactions that are attributable to amounts paid (other than Parent Transaction Expenses borne by Parent under this Agreement) by the Company or its Subsidiaries before the Determination Date, taken into account in the calculation of the Per Share Consideration pursuant to Section 2.8 or otherwise economically borne by the Sellers, including, without limitation, Tax deductions arising in connection with (a) any compensation for employees and service providers (including any vesting, exercise, exchange, settlement or cancellation of Company Options or any other compensatory equity-based awards, deferred compensation, change-in-control payments, other bonuses, and all payroll and other employer Taxes payable by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries related to any of the foregoing that are triggered or otherwise payable in connection with the Transactions), (b) any fees and expenses paid or payable by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with or related to the transactions contemplated hereby (including the Transaction Expenses or amounts that would have been Transaction Expenses if they remained unpaid as of the Closing Date) and (c) any fees, expenses, premiums and penalties paid or payable with respect to the repayment or prepayment of any debt and the write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing costs. The amount of Transaction Tax Deductions shall be computed assuming that an election is made under Revenue Procedure 2011-29 to deduct seventy percent (70%) of any “success-based fees” to the extent such election would increase the amount of Transaction Tax Deductions.
“Treasury Regulations” means the regulations of the U.S. Department of the Treasury promulgated under the Code.
“Voting Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble above.
Other capitalized terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement and not defined in this Section 1.1 shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in this Agreement.
Article II
Purchaseand Sale
2.1 TargetCo Purchase. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, at the TargetCo Closing, the PE Sellers shall sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Holdings or its designee to the extent provided for in the Pre-Closing Restructuring, and Holdings shall purchase, acquire and accept from the PE Sellers, the TargetCo Units, free and clear of all Encumbrances (other than restrictions on the transfer of securities arising pursuant to applicable securities Legal Requirements) (the “TargetCo Purchase”) for the applicable consideration set forth in, and to be paid in accordance with, Section 2.5.
2.2 Company Purchase.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, at the Company Closing, other than pursuant to Section 2.2(b), each Seller shall sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to BidCo, and BidCo shall purchase, acquire and accept from such Seller, the New BC Shares held by such Seller, free and clear of all Encumbrances (other than restrictions on the transfer of securities arising pursuant to applicable securities Legal Requirements) (the “BidCo Purchase”) for the applicable consideration set forth in, and to be paid in accordance with, Sections 2.5(b)(i) and (iii).
23
(b) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, at the Company Closing, each Canadian Management Seller, shall sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to ExchangeCo, and ExchangeCo shall purchase, acquire and accept from such Seller, the New BC Shares held by such Seller (other than Restricted New BC Shares), free and clear of all Encumbrances (other than restrictions on the transfer of securities arising pursuant to applicable securities Legal Requirements) (the “ExchangeCo Purchase” and together with the BidCo Purchase, the “Company Purchase”) for the applicable consideration set forth in, and to be paid in accordance with, Section 2.5(b)(ii) and (iv).
2.3 The Closings. Unless this Agreement is earlier terminated in accordance with Section 9.1, (i) the closing of the TargetCo Purchase (the “TargetCo Closing”) and (ii) the closing of the Company Purchase (the “CompanyClosing” and together with the TargetCo Closing, the “Closings”) shall be effective contemporaneously at a time and date to be agreed by each of the parties hereto but no later than four (4) Business Days following the date on which each of the conditions set forth in Article VIII has been satisfied or waived (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closings, but subject to the fulfillment or waiver of those conditions). The Closings shall take place remotely pursuant to the exchange of electronic signature pages or at such other location as the parties hereto agree. The date on which the Closings occur is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”
2.4 Closing Deliveries.
(a) The Buyer Parties Deliveries. At or prior to the Closings:
(i) Parent shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative a certificate, dated as of the Closing Date, executed on behalf of Parent by a duly authorized representative of Parent to the effect that each of the conditions set forth in clauses (a) and (c) of Section 8.2 has been satisfied;
(ii) on behalf of the Acquired Companies or any Seller, as applicable, BidCo shall make or cause to be made payments of the Transaction Expenses and the Parent Transaction Expenses (other than any Estimated Paid Parent Transaction Expenses) in the amounts and to the recipients set forth on the Initial Spreadsheet and in accordance (where applicable) with the applicable invoices delivered pursuant to Section 2.4(b)(ix);
(iii) on behalf of the Acquired Companies, BidCo shall make or cause to be made the payments to (i) the respective holders of any Repaid Debt by wire transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with the applicable Payoff Letters, (ii) respective Non-PE UK III Preferred Shareholders in an aggregate amount equal to the Net Preferred Share Payment Amount in accordance with the Initial Spreadsheet, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated in writing by the PE Sellers at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, and (iii) the PE Sellers in an aggregate amount equal to the excess of the PE Sellers Preferred Share Payment Amount over the NAV Payoff Amount, if any, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated in writing by the PE Sellers at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date;
(iv) ExchangeCo shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative evidence of the certified Articles of Amendment;
24
(v) Buyer Parties shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative the Exchange and Support Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date and duly executed by ExchangeCo, CallCo and Parent;
(vi) ExchangeCo shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative share certificates or evidence of issuance of the Exchangeable Shares, together with evidence satisfactory to the Shareholders’ Representative that those Canadian Management Sellers receiving Exchangeable Shares pursuant to Section 2.5 have been entered into the books of ExchangeCo as the holders of the Exchangeable Shares in respect of their New BC Shares sold to ExchangeCo;
(vii) Parent shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative the Investor Rights Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Investor Rights Agreement”), dated as of the Closing Date and duly executed by Parent;
(viii) Parent shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative the Registration Rights Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), dated as of the Closing Date and duly executed by Parent;
(ix) Parent shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D, dated as of the Closing Date and duly executed by Parent;
(x) BidCo shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative the Escrow Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit H (the “Escrow Agreement”), dated as of the Closing Date and duly executed by BidCo and the Escrow Agent; and
(xi) BidCo shall pay, or cause to be paid, to Acquiom Clearinghouse LLC (the “Escrow Agent”) the Adjustment Escrow Amount in accordance with the terms of the Escrow Agreement, such amount to be held in escrow in accordance with the Escrow Agreement.
(xii) Parent shall deliver to the Shareholders’ Representative its calculation of the Undisclosed Shares at least four (4) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, together with such information reasonably necessary for the Shareholders’ Representative to review and validate such calculation. Parent shall consider in good faith any comments by the Shareholders’ Representative with respect to Undisclosed Shares received pursuant hereto.
(b) Company and Shareholders’ Representative Deliveries. The Company, New BC and the Shareholders’ Representative shall deliver to the Buyer Parties, at or prior to the Closings, each of the following:
(i) a certificate, dated as of the Closing Date and executed on behalf of New BC by a duly authorized officer of New BC, to the effect that each of the conditions set forth in clause (a) of Section 8.3 has been satisfied;
(ii) evidence reasonably satisfactory to Parent of the resignation of each of the directors and each of the officers of each Acquired Company set forth on Exhibit I, effective no later than immediately prior to the Closings;
(iii) evidence that either (A) the requisite 280G shareholder approval was obtained or (B) in the absence of such shareholder approval, no Section 280G Payments shall be made, in accordance with Section 7.14 hereof;
25
(iv) the Initial Spreadsheet;
(v) the Payoff Letters;
(vi) a copy of the D&O Insurance and invoice therefor if not yet paid prior to the Closings;
(vii) the Investor Rights Agreement duly executed by the PE Sellers;
(viii) the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by the PE Sellers;
(ix) an invoice from each advisor or other service provider to the Acquired Companies, dated no more than three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, with respect to all unpaid Parent Transaction Expenses referenced in clause (iii) of the definition of Parent Transaction Expenses and included in the Initial Spreadsheet;
(x) with respect to each Seller, duly executed Letters of Transmittal;
(xi) the Escrow Agreement duly executed by the Shareholders’ Representative; and
(xii) the Exchange and Support Agreement, duly executed by each Canadian Management Seller.
2.5 Consideration.
(a) TargetCo Purchase. At the Closings, Holdings or its designee to the extent provided for in the Pre-Closing Restructuring shall pay, or cause to be paid, to the PE Sellers the TargetCo Purchase Price by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated in writing by the PE Sellers at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date.
26
(b) Company Purchase. At the Closings (and with respect to Section 2.5(b)(i) and (iii) in satisfaction of the consideration payable by BidCo for the New BC Shares transferred to BidCo in Section 2.2(a)) (i) BidCo shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Seller (other than any Canadian Management Seller), cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account of such Seller, as set forth in such Seller’s Letter of Transmittal, in the amount equal to (A) the product of the Per Share Company Closing Cash Consideration multiplied by the number of New BC Shares held by such Seller (minus, in the case of Management Sellers, the number of such Sellers’ New BC Shares that are Restricted New BC Shares) following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings, less (B) such Seller’s Pro Rata Share of the Adjustment Escrow Amount and Expense Fund Amount in accordance with Section 2.5(d) (ii) Parent shall cause ExchangeCo to deliver or cause to be delivered to each Canadian Management Seller with respect to such Seller’s New BC Shares that are not Restricted New BC Shares, cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account of such Seller, as set forth in such Seller’s Letter of Transmittal, in the amount equal to (A) the product of the Per Share Company Closing Cash Consideration multiplied by the number of New BC Shares that are not Restricted New BC Shares held by such Seller following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings, less (B) such Seller’s Pro Rata Share of the Adjustment Escrow Amount and Expense Fund Amount in accordance with Section 2.5(d), (iii) Parent shall issue to each Seller (other than any Seller that is a Canadian Management Seller that does not own any Restricted New BC Shares) shares of Parent Common Stock in the amount equal to the sum of (A) the product of (1) the applicable Per Share Stock Consideration multiplied by (2) the number of New BC Shares (other than Restricted New BC Shares) held by such Seller following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings and (B) the product of (1) the applicable Per Share Stock Consideration multiplied by (2) the number of Restricted New BC Shares held by such Seller following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings and (iv) Parent shall cause ExchangeCo to issue to each Canadian Management Seller Exchangeable Shares in the amount equal to the product of (A) the Per Share ExchangeCo Consideration multiplied by (B) the number of New BC Shares (other than Restricted New BC Shares) held by such Canadian Management Seller following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings, in each case of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), as set forth in the Initial Spreadsheet and applicable Letter of Transmittal, as applicable; provided, however, in the event (x) any Seller is not an “accredited investor” (as such term is defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act) and (y) after using commercially reasonable efforts (including but not limited to the use of disclosure, derived from its filings with the SEC, required for inclusion of up to 35 non-accredited investors under Rule 506 of Regulation D) to use available exemptions (including available exemptions under each of Rule 506 of Regulation D and Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act) from the registration requirements of the Securities Act with respect to the shares of Parent Common Stock, Parent is unable to issue such shares of Parent Common Stock with registering such issuance under the Securities Act, then, solely to the extent of such inability, in lieu of the cash and shares of Parent Common Stock such Seller shall be entitled to receive pursuant to clauses (i) and (iii) of the foregoing sentence, BidCo shall deliver or cause to be delivered to such Seller at the Closings an amount in cash equal to (x) the product of the number of New BC Shares held by such Seller following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings multiplied by the Cash Equivalent Consideration, less (y) such Seller’s Pro Rata Share of the Adjustment Escrow Amount and Expense Fund Amount in accordance with Section 2.5(d); provided, further, in the event (x) any Canadian Management Seller is not an “accredited investor” (as such term is defined under Part 2 of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions) and (y) after using commercially reasonable efforts to use available exemptions under applicable securities law (including available exemptions under Part 2 of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions) from any prospectus or registration requirements under applicable securities law with respect to the Exchangeable Shares or Parent Common Stock, as applicable, ExchangeCo is unable to issue such Exchangeable Shares or Parent is unable to issue such shares of Parent Common Stock, as applicable, solely to the extent of such inability, in lieu of cash and Exchangeable Shares or shares of Parent Common Stock, as applicable, such Canadian Management Seller shall be entitled to receive pursuant to clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) of the foregoing sentence, ExchangeCo or BidCo, as applicable, shall deliver or cause to be delivered to such Seller at the Closings an amount in cash equal to (x) the product of the number of New BC Shares held by such Canadian Management Seller following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings multiplied by the Cash Equivalent Consideration, less (y) such Seller’s Pro Rata Share of the Adjustment Escrow Amount and Expense Fund Amount in accordance with Section 2.5(d); provided, further, that as a condition precedent to each Seller’s receipt of its consideration pursuant to this Section 2.5(b), such Seller shall deliver to the Company a duly executed Letter of Transmittal and (in the case of any Canadian Management Seller who, immediately prior to the Closings, held New BC Shares that were not Restricted New BC Shares) Exchange and Support Agreement. The amount of cash each Seller is entitled to receive for the New BC Shares held by such Seller shall be rounded to the nearest cent and computed after aggregating cash amounts for all New BC Shares held by such Seller. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, each Seller may allocate the value of its aggregate Per Share Company Closing Cash Consideration (and any adjustments pursuant to Section 2.8) and the value of its aggregate Per Share Stock Consideration to the equivalent value of any New BC Shares it surrendered pursuant to Treasury Regulations Sections 1.356-1(b) and 1.358-2(a)(2). If BidCo elects for the payments to be made pursuant to this Section 2.5(b) through a disbursement or paying agent, BidCo may, at its sole cost and expense, appoint a disbursement or paying agent that is reasonably acceptable to Parent, to make such payments. In such case, BidCo shall enter into a customary disbursement or paying agent agreement (which shall be in a form reasonably acceptable to Parent) with such agent reasonably in advance of the Closing to ensure that all payments will be made in accordance with this Section 2.5(b) at the Closings. For greater certainty, the consideration set forth in this Section 2.5(b)(ii) **** and Section 2.5(b)(iv) shall be paid and issued in respect of each New BC Share transferred to ExchangeCo in accordance with the terms hereof.
27
(c) Company Options. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, and without any action on the part of any Company Optionholders:
(i) Exchange of Company Options. Upon consummation of the Pre-Closing Restructuring, each outstanding Company Option shall be exchanged for an option exercisable for the same number of New BC Shares as it was exercisable for Class B common shares of the Company with an equivalent exercise price as, and all other material terms applicable to, such Company Option.
(ii) Accelerated Vesting. Each outstanding Company Option will vest in full as of immediately prior to the Closings.
(iii) Election. A reasonable period of time prior to the Pre-Closing Restructuring, each Company Optionholder will be given an opportunity to elect in writing whether to (A) exercise all of such Company Optionholder’s Company Options (after taking into account the accelerated vesting in Section 2.5(c)(ii)) (such Company Options exercised in accordance with this sentence, the “ExercisedCompany Options”), which exercise shall be effective after the Pre-Closing Restructuring and before the Closings (but subject to the Closings occurring) or (B) if the Company Optionholder is in Canada, surrender all of such Company Optionholder’s Company Options in exchange for the amounts payable in respect of such Company Options under Section 2(c)(iv).
(iv) Option Cash Out. After the Pre-Closing Restructuring and immediately prior to the Closings, each outstanding and unexercised Company Vested Option shall be automatically surrendered or terminated in accordance with the Company Option Plan for the right of the applicable Company Optionholder to receive (A) an amount in cash, subject to applicable withholding Tax, equal to the product of the Cash Equivalent Consideration multiplied by the number of New BC Shares issuable upon exercise of such Company Vested Option, minus the aggregate exercise price with respect to such Company Option, minus the Company Optionholder’s Pro Rata Share of the Adjustment Escrow Amount and Expense Fund Amount in accordance with Section 2.5(c)(v); and (B) any amount payable to such Company Optionholder under Section 2.8(d) or Section 10.2(f). The amount of cash each Company Optionholder is entitled to receive under this Section 2.5(c)(iv) for all Company Vested Options held by such Company Optionholder shall be computed by aggregating the cash amounts for all Company Vested Options held by such Company Optionholder and rounding the result down the nearest whole cent. For the avoidance of doubt, if the aggregate exercise price with respect to a Company Vested Option is greater than the Cash Equivalent Consideration, such Company Vested Option shall terminate and be canceled as of the Closing without any consideration therefor.
(v) Company Vested Options Payment. As soon as reasonably practicable after the Closings (but no later than the later of ten (10) Business Days after the Closings or the first payroll date after the Closings), Parent shall cause the Company to pay the cash consideration payable under Section 2.5(c)(iv) with respect to Company Vested Options. Such cash amounts shall be paid (A) through the Company’s payroll to the former holders of Company Vested Options with respect to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries have Tax withholding obligations and (B) by the Company to the former holders of Company Vested Options with respect to which the Company and its Subsidiaries have no Tax withholding obligations.
(vi) Board Actions. Prior to the Closing Date, the Company Board (or, if appropriate, any committee administering the Company Option Plan) shall adopt such resolutions or shall take all other actions (including obtaining any required consents) as may be reasonably required to effect the actions set forth in Section 2.5(c).
28
(d) Adjustment Escrow Fund and Expense Fund. In addition to the consideration to be allocated to the Pre-Closing Holders in exchange for their New BC Shares as described in Section 2.5(b) hereof, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement, as applicable, the Pre-Closing Holders shall have the right to receive upon release of any of the Adjustment Escrow Fund or Expense Fund to the Pre-Closing Holders in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement, as applicable, their respective Pro Rata Share of such Adjustment Escrow Fund or Expense Fund, as applicable.
(e) Fractional Shares. No certificates or scrip representing fractional shares of Parent Common Stock or Exchangeable Shares shall be issued in exchange for New BC Shares pursuant to this Article II and such fractional share interests shall not entitle the owner thereof to vote or to any other rights of a holder of Parent Common Stock or Exchangeable Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, each holder of New BC Shares who would otherwise have been entitled to receive a fraction of a share of Parent Common Stock or Exchangeable Share pursuant to this Section 2.5 (after taking into account all New BC Shares exchanged by such holder) shall in lieu thereof, upon surrender of such holder’s book-entry New BC Shares, receive in cash from BidCo or ExchangeCo, as applicable (rounded to the nearest whole cent), without interest, an amount equal to such fractional amount multiplied by $18.50.
(f) Rights Not Transferable. The rights of the Sellers as of immediately prior to the Closings are personal to each such securityholder and shall not be transferable for any reason otherwise than by operation of law, or by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempted transfer of such right by any holder thereof (otherwise than as permitted by the immediately preceding sentence) shall be null and void.
2.6 Tax Consequences. The parties to this Agreement intend that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (a) Steps 17-22 of the Restructuring Plan, including the receipt of cash pursuant to Section 2.4(a)(iii)(iii), taken together, constitute an integrated plan described in Rev. Rul. 2001-46, 2001-2 C.B. 321 (the “Integrated Transaction”), (b) the Integrated Transaction will qualify as an “inbound reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(2)(D) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and Treasury Regulations Section 1.367(b)-3 and each of Parent, Holdings and New BC will be a “party to a reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, (c) this Agreement will constitute a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g), (d) any cash in lieu of fractional Parent Common Stock to be paid in accordance with Section 2.5(e) will be treated consistent with the principles set forth in Rev. Rul. 66-365, 1966-2 C.B. 116, (e) no portion of any cash received by the Sellers will be treated as a distribution pursuant to Section 301 of the Code and (f) the designation (if any) on the Initial Spreadsheet as to which particular shares of each Seller’s New BC Shares are exchanged for Parent Common Stock pursuant to Section 2.5(b) and which particular shares of each Seller’s New BC Shares are exchanged for cash pursuant to Section 2.5(b) (and any adjustments pursuant to Section 2.8). is a designation pursuant to Treasury Regulations Sections 1.356-1(b) and 1.358-2(a)(2) (the treatment described in clauses (a) through (f) being, collectively, the “Intended Tax Treatment”).
2.7 Withholding Rights. Parent, BidCo, Holdings, the Company, New BC and their respective Affiliates shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable under this Agreement, and from any other payments to any Company Securityholder or other payee otherwise required pursuant to this Agreement, such amounts as Parent, BidCo or Holdings is or may be required to deduct and withhold with respect to any such payments under the Code or any provision of state, local or non-U.S. Tax law. Except with respect to any such deduction or withholding on amounts properly treated as compensation for applicable tax purposes, before making any such deduction or withholding, the applicable withholding agent shall give the Person in respect of whom such deduction or withholding is to be made at least ten (10) Business Days’ prior written notice of such anticipated deduction or withholding (together with the legal basis thereof) and consult and cooperate with such Person to reduce or eliminate any such deduction or withholding to the extent permitted by applicable Legal Requirements. To the extent that amounts are so deducted and withheld in accordance with this Agreement and duly and timely deposited with or otherwise paid to the appropriate Governmental Entity, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been delivered and paid to such Person in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made.
29
2.8 Further Cash / Net Working Capital Adjustment. As promptly as practicable, but in no event later than sixty (60) days after the Closings, BidCo will cause to be prepared and delivered to the Shareholders’ Representative (i) a calculation of actual Company Cash, actual Company Debt, actual Net Working Capital, actual Transaction Expenses and actual Paid Parent Transaction Expenses (respectively, the “Actual Company Cash”, “Actual Company Debt”, “Actual Net WorkingCapital”, “Actual Transaction Expenses” and “Actual Paid Parent Transaction Expenses” and, collectively, the “Price Components”) and (ii) the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date (the “Closing Balance Sheet”), in each case, determined in accordance with the Accounting Principles and (in the case of the Price Components) the applicable definitions thereof. Without the prior written consent of the Shareholders’ Representative, BidCo shall not have the right (except to reflect the final resolution of any disputes in accordance with this Section 2.8) to modify the Closing Balance Sheet or BidCo’s proposed calculation of the Price Components after BidCo delivers such Closing Balance Sheet and calculations pursuant to this Section 2.8. If BidCo fails to timely deliver the Closing Balance Sheet and calculations of the Price Components on a timely basis in accordance with this Section 2.8, then the Shareholders’ Representative may, by written notice delivered to BidCo within seventy-five (75) days of the Closings (such timely notice so delivered, the “Shareholders’ Representative Election Notice”) elect to either (X) determine that the Price Components will equal Estimated Company Cash, Estimated Company Debt, Estimated Net Working Capital, Estimated Transaction Expenses and Estimated Paid Parent Transaction Expenses (collectively, the “Estimated Price Components”), or (Y) deliver the Closing Balance Sheet and the calculation of the Price Components to BidCo. If the Shareholders’ Representative Election Notice deems the Estimated Price Components to be the Price Components, the Closing Balance Sheet and such Price Components will be deemed to have been received by BidCo on the date BidCo receives the Shareholders’ Representative Election Notice. If the Shareholders’ Representative elects in the Shareholders’ Representative Election Notice to deliver, within a reasonable time taking into account the circumstances including information and access provided by Parent, the Closing Balance Sheet and calculation of Price Components to BidCo, the Shareholders’ Representative may retain (at the sole cost and expense of BidCo) a nationally recognized independent accounting or financial consulting firm to prepare the Closing Balance Sheet and calculation of Price Components consistent with the provisions of this Section 2.8; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Shareholders’ Representative (including on behalf of the Sellers) reserves any and all other rights granted to it in this Agreement. In any such event, BidCo will be entitled to dispute such Price Components solely pursuant to this Section 2.8, mutatismutandis.
(a) If the Shareholders’ Representative disagrees with BidCo’s calculation of the Closing Balance Sheet or any Price Component delivered pursuant to this Section 2.8, the Shareholders’ Representative may, within sixty (60) days after delivery thereof (the “Review Period”), deliver a notice to BidCo disagreeing with such calculation and setting forth the Shareholders’ Representative’s calculation of such amount(s) (the “Notice of Objection”); provided that, to the extent that BidCo fails to comply in any material respect with its obligations to provide the Shareholders’ Representative with such requested access to information as required in Section 2.8(b) (and in any event within five (5) days of any written request by the Shareholders’ Representative), then the Review Period will be extended by one (1) day for each day required for BidCo to comply with such request. Any such Notice of Objection shall specify those items or amounts as to which the Shareholders’ Representative disagrees, and the Shareholders’ Representative shall be deemed to have agreed with all other items and amounts contained in the calculation of the Price Components delivered pursuant to this Section 2.8 above.
30
(b) If a Notice of Objection shall be delivered pursuant to Section 2.8(a), BidCo, Parent and the Shareholders’ Representative shall, during the thirty (30) days following such delivery (or such longer period as they may mutually agree), use their reasonable best efforts to reach agreement on the disputed items or amounts in order to determine, as may be required, the amount of each of the Price Components, which amount shall not be less than the applicable amount thereof shown in Parent’s calculation delivered pursuant to this Section 2.8 above, nor more than the applicable amount thereof shown in the Shareholders’ Representative’s calculation delivered pursuant to the Notice of Objection. Following delivery of the Closing Balance Sheet and calculation of the Price Components from BidCo in accordance with this Section 2.8, BidCo shall provide the Shareholders’ Representative with access, upon reasonable advance notice and during normal business hours, to the books and records, properties, personnel and auditors of Parent and its Subsidiaries (including the Company) relevant to the Shareholders’ Representative’s review of the Closing Balance Sheet and calculation of the Price Components (subject to execution by the Shareholders’ Representative of a customary confidentiality agreement in form reasonably satisfactory to Parent).
(c) If, during the period described in Section 2.8(b) above, BidCo and the Shareholders’ Representative are unable to reach such agreement, they shall promptly thereafter cause FTI Consulting, Inc. or another independent accounting or financial consulting firm of recognized national standing as may be mutually selected by BidCo and the Shareholders’ Representative (the “ReviewingAccountant”) to promptly to review this Agreement and the disputed items or amounts set forth in the Notice of Objection for the purpose of calculating the Price Components. Each of BidCo and the Shareholders’ Representative (i) shall promptly provide their respective assertions regarding the Price Components and, to the extent relevant thereto, the Closing Balance Sheet in writing to the Reviewing Accountant and to each other, and (ii) shall have the opportunity to provide to the Reviewing Accountant and to the other a written response to the other’s written assertions promptly after receipt thereof. The Reviewing Accountant shall base its determination of the Price Components solely on (A) the written submissions of the parties and shall not conduct an independent investigation and (B) the extent (if any) to which the Price Components require adjustment (only with respect to the remaining disagreements submitted to the Reviewing Accountant) in order to be determined in accordance with this Section 2.8. Such Reviewing Accountant shall deliver to BidCo and the Shareholders’ Representative, as promptly as practicable (and BidCo and the Shareholders’ Representative will use their reasonable efforts to cause delivery to occur within thirty (30) days after the initial submissions to such Reviewing Accountant), a report setting forth such calculations. Such report shall be final and binding upon the parties. The fees and costs of the Reviewing Accountant shall be borne by the parties as follows: (i) by BidCo, if the aggregate dollar amounts of the final determination of the Price Components by the Reviewing Accountant is closer to the aggregate dollar amounts of the amount set forth in the Notice of Objection than to BidCo’s calculation of the Price Components submitted pursuant to this Section 2.8 above; and (ii) by the Sellers if the aggregate dollar amounts of the final determination of the Price Components by the Reviewing Accountant is closer to the aggregate dollar amounts of BidCo’s calculation of the Price Components submitted pursuant to this Section 2.8 above than to the amount set forth in the Notice of Objection. The date on which the calculation of the Price Components is finally determined in accordance with this Section 2.8 is referred as to the “DeterminationDate”.
31
(d) If the Adjustment Amount is a negative amount, then promptly following the Determination Date, and in any event within five (5) Business Days thereof, the Escrow Agent shall pay, from the Adjustment Escrow Fund, an amount equal to the absolute value of the Adjustment Amount (such amount, the “Deficit Amount”) to BidCo. If the Deficit Amount is less than the amount in the Adjustment Escrow Fund, promptly following the Determination Date, and in any event within five (5) Business Days following the Determination Date, the Escrow Agent shall promptly deliver to each Seller and each Company Optionholder (through the payroll system of BidCo or its Subsidiary and less any Taxes required by applicable law to be withheld therefrom) such Seller’s or Company Optionholder’s Pro Rata Share of the amount in the Adjustment Escrow Fund less the Deficit Amount, as set forth in the applicable Spreadsheet, to the account of such Seller set forth in such Seller’s Letter of Transmittal. If the Adjustment Amount is a positive amount, then promptly following the Determination Date, and in any event within five (5) Business Days following the Determination Date, (a) BidCo shall promptly deliver to each Seller and each Company Optionholder (through the payroll system of BidCo or its Subsidiary and less any Taxes required by applicable law to be withheld therefrom) such Seller’s or Company Optionholder’s Pro Rata Excess Adjustment Share of an amount equal to the Adjustment Amount (provided that in no event shall BidCo be required to make a payment to the Sellers and Company Optionholders of any portion of the Adjustment Amount to the extent it exceeds the Adjustment Escrow Amount), and (b) the Escrow Agent shall pay to each Seller and each Company Optionholder (through the payroll system of BidCo or its Subsidiary and less any Taxes required by applicable law to be withheld therefrom) such Seller’s or Company Optionholder’s Pro Rata Share of an amount in cash equal to the amount in the Adjustment Escrow Fund, in each case, to the account of such Seller set forth in such Seller’s Letter of Transmittal. Upon determination of the Adjustment Amount pursuant to this Section 2.8, each of BidCo and the Shareholders’ Representative shall execute joint written instructions to the Escrow Agent instructing the Escrow Agent to disburse the Adjustment Escrow Funds in accordance with this Section 2.8(d). In no event shall the Shareholders’ Representative have any liability under this Section 2.8, and in no event shall any Seller have any liability under this Section 2.8 in excess of such holder’s allocable share of the Adjustment Escrow Fund. In no event shall Parent or BidCo be entitled to payment pursuant to this Section 2.8 of any amount in excess of (or other than) the Adjustment Escrow Fund.
(e) Any payments made pursuant to this Section 2.8 shall be treated as an adjustment to the consideration payable hereunder to the extent permitted by applicable Legal Requirements.
2.9 Tax Elections. Holdings agrees that, upon request by a Canadian Management Seller and at the Canadian Management Seller’s sole cost, Holdings shall cause ExchangeCo to execute with such Canadian Management Seller a joint election under subsection 85(1) of the Tax Act and any corresponding provincial provision, as applicable, in respect of the New BC Shares sold by such Canadian Management Seller to ExchangeCo under this Agreement for the consideration set forth in Section 2.5(b)(ii) and (iv). Each Canadian Management Seller which wishes to make an election will provide ExchangeCo, within 90 days after Closing, with a properly completed election form for execution by ExchangeCo and such Canadian Management Seller shall be responsible for filing such form and Holdings and ExchangeCo shall have no responsibility with respect to the proper completion or filing of such form except that Holdings will cause ExchangeCo to (i) sign and execute the election form(s), (ii) provide, at the request of a Canadian Management Seller, any information related to ExchangeCo that is reasonably required to complete the election form, and (iii) deliver to the Canadian Management Seller an executed copy of the election form that has been completed and delivered by the Canadian Management Seller to ExchangeCo within ten (10) days of receipt of same by ExchangeCo. The Canadian Management Seller shall be entitled to determine the “elected amount” in respect of such election, provided such “elected amount” is within the limits set out by the Tax Act (and any corresponding provincial legislation).
2.10 Taking of Necessary Action; Further Action. If, at any time after the Closings, any further action is necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement, the officers and directors of the Acquired Companies are fully authorized in the name and on behalf of the Acquired Companies, to take all lawful action necessary or desirable to accomplish such purpose or acts, so long as such action is consistent with this Agreement.
32
Article III
Representationsand Warranties of the Company
Subject to the disclosures set forth in the disclosure schedule of the Company delivered to the Buyer Parties concurrently with the parties’ execution of this Agreement (the “Company Disclosure Schedule”) (each of which disclosures shall indicate the Section to which it relates (unless and only to the extent the relevance to other representations and warranties is reasonably apparent from the face of the disclosures)), each of the Company and New BC, jointly and severally, represents and warrants to the Buyer Parties, as of the date hereof and as of the Closings, as follows:
3.1 Organization, Standing and Power. Each Acquired Company is (or will be following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) a corporation, limited liability company or other entity duly organized, validly existing and, where applicable, in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, except, (i) in the case of the Acquired Companies (other than the Company and New BC), where the failure to be so organized or in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or materially impair or delay the ability of the Acquired Companies to consummate the Transactions or (ii) as contemplated by the Pre-Closing Restructuring. Each Acquired Company has (or will have following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) full corporate, limited liability company or other organizational power and authority to own or lease its properties and to conduct its business as currently conducted and is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction required for the current conduct of its business, except (i) where the failure to be so qualified or licensed or in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or materially impair or delay the ability of the Acquired Companies to consummate the Transactions and (ii) as contemplated by the Pre-Closing Restructuring. No Acquired Company is in material violation of any of the provisions of its Governing Documents. The Company has made available or caused to be made available to Parent true, correct and complete copies of the Governing Documents of the Company and New BC as in effect on the Agreement Date.
3.2 Subsidiaries. Schedule 3.2 of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists each of the Acquired Companies (other than the Company and New BC) (x) (i) as of the Agreement Date and (ii) following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings and (y) its place of organization. Schedule 3.2 of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth, for each Acquired Company (other than the Company and New BC): (i) the number and type of any capital stock of, membership, partnership or other equity or voting interests in, such entity that is outstanding as of the Agreement Date and that will be outstanding following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings; and (ii) the number and type of shares of capital stock of, membership, partnership, or other equity or voting interests in, such entity that, as of the Agreement Date and following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings, are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or New BC, as applicable. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of, or other equity or voting interests in, each Acquired Company (other than the Company and New BC) have been (or will be, following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) validly issued, were (or will be, following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) issued free of or in compliance with pre-emptive rights, are fully paid (to the extent required under the applicable Governing Document) and non-assessable, and are (or will be, following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) free and clear of all liens, including any restriction on the right to vote, sell, or otherwise dispose of such capital stock or other equity or voting interests, except for any liens imposed by applicable securities laws or liens set forth in the Governing Documents of such Acquired Companies made available to Parent (including in connection with the Pre-Closing Restructuring). There are no options, warrants, calls, rights, convertible securities or other Contracts to which any Acquired Company (other than the Company and New BC) is bound obligating any Acquired Company (other than the Company and New BC) to issue, deliver or sell, or cause to be issued, delivered or sold, any additional capital stock of, membership, partnership or other equity or voting interests in, any Acquired Company (other than the Company and New BC). Except for the capital stock of, or other equity or voting interests in, the Acquired Companies, the Acquired Companies do not own, directly or indirectly, any capital stock of, or other equity or voting interests in, any Person.
33
3.3 Capital Structure.
(a) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of unlimited Company Shares and unlimited Preferred Shares, of which 935,522.312 shares of Company Shares and 370,000 shares of Preferred Shares are issued and outstanding as of the Agreement Date. The authorized capital stock of New BC consists of unlimited New BC Shares, of which 100 New BC Shares are issued and outstanding as of the Agreement Date. As of the Agreement Date, there are no other issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company or New BC and no outstanding commitments or Contracts to issue any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company or New BC other than pursuant to the exercise of outstanding Company Options under the Company Option Plan. Schedule 3.3(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule accurately sets forth, as of the Agreement Date, the name of each Person that is the registered owner of Company Shares, Preferred Shares, New BC Shares or TargetCo Units and the number of such shares or units, as applicable, so owned by such Person. Following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings, the equity interests of TargetCo, New BC and the Company will be as set forth in the Initial Spreadsheet, which shall constitute all equity interests of TargetCo, New BC and the Company, as applicable. All issued and outstanding Company Shares, Preferred Shares and New BC Shares are (or will be, following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid (to the extent required under the Company’s or New BC’s Governing Documents) and non-assessable and, other than as set forth in the Company Option Plan or the related stock option agreements, are free of any Encumbrances, other than Encumbrances imposed by applicable securities laws or Encumbrances set forth in the Governing Documents of the Company or New BC, as applicable, made available to Parent or entered into in connection with the Pre-Closing Restructuring. There is no liability for dividends accrued and unpaid by the Company or New BC. The Company is not under any obligation to register under the Securities Act any Company Shares or any other securities of the Company, whether currently outstanding or that may subsequently be issued. New BC is not under any obligation to register under the Securities Act any New BC Shares or any other securities of New BC, whether currently outstanding or that may subsequently be issued.
(b) As of the Agreement Date, the Company has reserved 70,677 Class B common shares of the Company for issuance to employees, non-employee directors and consultants pursuant to the Company Option Plan, of which 68,881 shares are subject to outstanding and unexercised Company Options, and 1,796 shares remain available for issuance thereunder. Schedule 3.3(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth, as of the Agreement Date, a current, correct and complete list of all holders of outstanding Company Options, including the number of Class B common shares of the Company subject to each such Company Option, the date of grant, the exercise price per share and the Tax status of such option under Section 422 of the Code. Each grant of a Company Option (i) was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Company Option was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, including approval by the Company Board (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof), (ii) was made in all material respects in accordance with the terms of the Company Option Plan and (iii) has a per share exercise price that was greater than or equal to the fair market value of a Company Share on the applicable grant date, as determined by the Company Board. The Company has made available to the Buyer Parties accurate and complete copies of the Company Option Plan, each form of agreement used thereunder and each other Contract pursuant to which a Company Option is outstanding that materially differs from the form on which it is based. Each Company Option has been granted under the Company Option Plan. No Company Option is subject to Section 409A of the Code.
34
(c) Other than as set forth on Schedules 3.3(a) and 3.3(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule and except for this Agreement and the other agreements contemplated hereby, as of the Agreement Date, (i) no Person has any right to acquire any Company Shares or any options, warrants or other rights to purchase Company Shares or other securities of the Company, from the Company or any shareholder of the Company and (ii) no Person has any right to acquire any New BC Shares or any options, warrants or other rights to purchase New BC Shares or other securities of New BC, from New BC or any shareholder of New BC.
(d) Except for the Company Option Plan and related stock option agreements, the Company Options described in Schedule 3.3(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Governing Documents of the Company and New BC and as set forth in Schedule 3.3(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no Contracts relating to the voting, issuance, transfer, purchase, redemption or sale of any Company Shares or New BC Shares (i) between or among either the Company or New BC, as applicable, and any of their respective securityholders, other than written contracts granting the Company or New BC the right to purchase unvested shares upon termination of employment or service, and (ii) between or among any of its securityholders.
3.4 Authority; Noncontravention.
(a) Each of the Company and New BC has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company and New BC of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company and New BC of the Transactions, have been duly and validly authorized by the Company Board and the New BC Board. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each of the Company and New BC and, assuming this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the Buyer Parties, constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the Company and New BC enforceable against the Company and New BC, as applicable, in accordance with its terms, subject only to the effect, if any, of (i) applicable bankruptcy or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.
(b) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and New BC does not, and the consummation of the Transactions will not, (i) conflict with, or result in a material breach of any provision of, the Governing Documents of any Acquired Company, (ii) assuming the Debt Change of Control Waiver has been obtained prior to the Closing Date, contravene, conflict with, result in a violation of, require notice under, or constitute (with or without due notice or lapse of time or both) a default (or give rise to any right of termination, cancellation or acceleration) under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Material Contract or Lease, (iii) contravene, conflict with, result in a violation of, require notice under, or give any Governmental Entity the right to challenge the Transactions under, any Legal Requirement or any Order to which any Acquired Company or any of the assets owned or used by any Acquired Company, is subject, (iv) contravene, conflict with, result in a violation of any of the terms or requirements of, require notice under, or give any Governmental Entity the right to revoke, withdraw, suspend, cancel, terminate or adversely modify, any material Company Authorization that is held by any Acquired Company or (v) require any filings or registration with, notification to, or authorization, consent or approval of any Governmental Entity, other than such filings and notifications as may be required to be made by the Company in connection with the Transactions under the HSR Act and other applicable Antitrust and FDI Laws and the expiration or early termination of applicable waiting periods under the HSR Act and other applicable foreign Antitrust and FDI Laws, and such other consents, authorizations, filings, approvals, notices and registrations (A) which may be required solely by reason of Parent’s participation in the Transactions or any facts or circumstances relating to the Parent or any of its Affiliates or (B) which, if not obtained or made, would not be material to the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole, and would not prevent, materially alter or materially delay any of the Transactions, except in the case of each of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) as would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or materially impair or delay the ability of the Acquired Companies to consummate the Transactions.
35
3.5 Financial Statements.
(a) The Company has delivered to the Buyer Parties its audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024, December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, and its unaudited consolidated financial statements for the six (6) month periods ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (including, in each case, balance sheets, statements of operations and statements of cash flows) (collectively, the “Financial Statements”, and the balance sheet included in the Financial Statements as of December 31, 2024 (the “Company Balance Sheet”)). The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that the unaudited Financial Statements do not contain footnotes and are subject to normal recurring year-end audit adjustments). The Financial Statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries at the dates therein indicated and the consolidated results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for the periods therein specified (subject, in the case of unaudited interim period financial statements, the absence of footnotes and to normal recurring year-end audit adjustments).
(b) Since January 1, 2023, each Acquired Company has maintained systems of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance (A) regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements, (B) that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Financial Statements in accordance with the standards set forth in Section 3.5(a), (C) that receipts and expenditures of each Acquired Company are being made only in accordance with appropriate authorizations of management, (D) regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the assets of each Acquired Company and (E) that material information is made known to the management of the Company by others within the Company. Based on its most recent evaluation of internal control prior to the date hereof, the Company has disclosed to its auditors and the board of the Company, as applicable, (A) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the system of internal accounting controls utilized by any Acquired Company, (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves any Acquired Company’s management’s role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by such Acquired Company and (C) any written claim or written allegation regarding any of the foregoing.
3.6 Undisclosed Liabilities; Indebtedness.
(a) As of the Agreement Date, except (a) as disclosed, set forth or reflected or reserved against on the Financial Statements, (b) for liabilities permitted by or incurred pursuant to this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Transaction Expenses and the Parent Transaction Expenses, (c) for liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business since December 31, 2024 (the “CompanyBalance Sheet Date”), or (d) that would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, no Acquired Company has any liabilities of a nature required to be reflected or reserved against on a balance sheet (or the notes thereto) prepared in accordance with GAAP. Except as set forth in the Financial Statements, none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries maintain, or have any commitment to become party to, any material “off-balance-sheet arrangement” within the meaning of Item 303 of Regulation S-K of the SEC.
36
(b) Schedule 3.6(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and correct list of each material item of indebtedness for borrowed money of the Acquired Companies (other than indebtedness solely among any Acquired Companies directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Company or New BC or PE UK I) or guarantee of any such indebtedness (other than a guarantee of debt of an Acquired Company by the Company or another Acquired Company) identifying the creditor to which such indebtedness is owed, the title of the instrument under which such indebtedness is owed and the amount of such indebtedness, in each case, as of the close of business on September 30, 2025. With respect to each item of such debt, as of the close of business on September 30, 2025, no Acquired Company is in default, in any material respects, and no material payments are past due. No Acquired Company has received any written notice of a default, alleged failure to perform or any offset or counterclaim (in each case, that has not been waived or remains pending as of the date of this Agreement) with respect to any item of such debt.
3.7 Absence of Certain Changes. Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, between June 30, 2025 and the Agreement Date, (a) the Company and its Subsidiaries have conducted their business in the Ordinary Course of Business in all material respects, and (b) there has not occurred any event, condition, change, occurrence or development that, individually or in the aggregate, has had a Company Material Adverse Effect. Since June 30, 2025, there has not occurred any event, condition, action or occurrence that, if taken during the period from the Agreement Date through the Closing Date without the consent of BidCo, would constitute a breach of Section 6.2.
3.8 Litigation. Except as would not reasonably be material to the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole, there is no Proceeding pending before any Governmental Entity, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Acquired Company or any of their respective assets or properties or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective directors, officers or employees (in their capacities as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship with any Acquired Company). There is no material judgment, award, decree, injunction or order against any Acquired Company, any of their respective material assets or properties, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective directors, officers or employees (in their capacities as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship with any Acquired Company). Except as would not reasonably be material to the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole, (i) no Acquired Company has any Proceeding pending against any other Person, (ii) since January 1, 2023, no Proceeding has been commenced by or against, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against, any Acquired Company and (iii) since January 1, 2023, there is no Order in effect or pending to which any Acquired Company, or any of the assets owned or used by any Acquired Company, is subject or would reasonably be likely to be subject. To the knowledge of the Company, no officer or other employee of any Acquired Company (in their capacities as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship with any Acquired Company) is subject to any Order or pending Order that prohibits or would reasonably be expected to prohibit, respectively, such officer or other employee from engaging in or continuing any conduct, activity or practice relating to the respective Acquired Company’s business that would reasonably be expected to be material to the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole.
3.9 Compliance with Laws; Governmental Permits.
(a) Since January 1, 2023, the Acquired Companies have complied in all material respects with all material Legal Requirements applicable to the conduct of their business. As of the Agreement Date, the Acquired Companies have obtained each material federal, state, county, local or foreign governmental consent, license, permit, grant, or other authorization of a Governmental Entity that is necessary to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as owned, leased, operated or carried on as of the Agreement Date (all of the foregoing material consents, licenses, permits, grants, and other authorizations, collectively, the “Company Authorizations”), and all of the Company Authorizations are in full force and effect. Each Acquired Company is, and has at all times since January 1, 2023 been, in compliance in all material respects with the terms and requirements of their respective Company Authorizations. Since January 1, 2023, no Acquired Company has received any written notice from any Governmental Entity regarding (i) any material violation of any Legal Requirements or material violation of any Company Authorization or (ii) any revocation, withdrawal, suspension, cancellation or material adverse modification of any Company Authorization.
37
(b) During the past five (5) years, no Acquired Company, nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees (in each case, in their capacities as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship with the Acquired Companies), or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its agents acting on its behalf has violated any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws in any material respect. The Company maintains policies and procedures designed to promote compliance with applicable Anti-Corruption Laws. To the knowledge of the Company, there are no actions, conditions or circumstances pertaining to any Acquired Company that would reasonably be expected to give rise to any future claims, allegations, charges, investigations, violations, settlements, prosecutions, civil or criminal actions, lawsuits, or other court or enforcement actions under applicable Anti-Corruption Laws. No Acquired Company, and to the knowledge of the Company, no officer, director, employee, agent, or other Person associated with or acting on behalf of any Acquired Company, is the subject of any pending or threatened investigations by any governmental authority, settlements, voluntary disclosures, prosecutions, civil or criminal actions, lawsuits, or other court or enforcement actions with respect to actual or suspected violations by any Acquired Company of applicable Anti-Corruption Laws.
(c) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are, and have at all times since January 1, 2023, been in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Anti-Money Laundering Laws. No Acquired Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective directors, officers, or employees: (i) has been or is in material violation of any applicable Anti-Money Laundering Law; (ii) has engaged or engages in any transaction, investment, undertaking or activity (in each case, in the course of such Person’s employment) that violates any Anti-Money Laundering Law in any material respect; or (iii) has received any written notice from a Governmental Entity alleging that any Acquired Company, or any of their respective agents has violated, or is otherwise subject to penalties or an enforcement action under, any applicable Anti-Money Laundering Laws.
(d) Except as disclosed in Schedules 3.8 and 3.9 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any of their respective officers, directors, or employees nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agents or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, since April 24, 2019, directly or indirectly, violated any applicable Export Control Law or Sanctions in any material respect. Neither the Company nor any of the Company’s subsidiaries, nor their respective officers, directors, employees, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or at any time since April 24, 2019 has been a Sanctioned Person. Further, except as disclosed in Schedules 3.8 and 3.9 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries and their respective officers, directors, employees, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has not, since April 24, 2019, directly or indirectly, engaged in a transaction with or involving any Sanctioned Person or Sanctioned Country.
3.10 Title to Property and Assets; Sufficiency of Assets.
(a) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of their material properties and interests in material properties and assets, real and personal, reflected on the Company Balance Sheet or acquired after the Company Balance Sheet Date (except properties and assets, or interests in properties and assets, sold or otherwise disposed of since the Company Balance Sheet Date in the Ordinary Course of Business), or, with respect to leased properties and assets, including, without limitation, the Leased Real Property, valid leasehold interests in such properties and assets which afford the Company and its Subsidiaries peaceful and undisturbed leasehold possession of such properties and assets in all material respects, in each case, free and clear of all Encumbrances, except Permitted Encumbrances, except where the failure to hold such title or interest would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except to the extent the same would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the material property and equipment of the Company and its Subsidiaries that are used in the operations of its business are in all material respects (i) in good operating condition and repair, subject to normal wear and tear and (ii) not obsolete, dangerous or in need of renewal or replacement, except for renewal or replacement in the Ordinary Course of Business.
38
(b) The properties, rights, interests and assets of the Acquired Companies collectively constitute all of the properties, rights, interests and other tangible and intangible assets used by or necessary to enable the Acquired Companies to conduct their business in the manner in which such business is currently being conducted in all material respects.
3.11 Real Estate.
(a) Schedule 3.11(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true, correct and complete list of the addresses and the respective owners of each real property owned by an Acquired Company (the “Owned Real Property”). The applicable Acquired Company has good, registered where applicable, and marketable fee simple or comparable valid title to all Owned Real Property owned by such Acquired Company, free and clear of all Encumbrances, except Permitted Encumbrances, except where the failure to own such title would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened condemnation, eminent domain or similar proceedings affecting the Owned Real Property that would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Schedule 3.11(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth (i) a true, correct and complete list of all leases, licenses, subleases, sublicenses and occupancy agreements (including all amendments, extensions, renewals and guaranties with respect thereto) (each a “Lease”) under which the Acquired Companies lease, license, occupy or have the right to occupy real property and for which the annual rental payment exceeds $100,000 or which are otherwise listed on Schedule 3.11(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule (the “LeasedReal Property”) and (ii) the address or legal description of each parcel of Leased Real Property. The Company has made available to Parent a true, correct and complete copy of each Lease. Except to the extent the same would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) each Lease is valid, in full force and effect and enforceable against the Acquired Companies, as applicable, and the Acquired Companies hold an existing leasehold interest under each Lease free and clear of all Encumbrances, except Permitted Encumbrances, and (ii) the Acquired Companies are not in default (and, to the knowledge of the Company, there is no event or condition that after notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default by the Acquired Companies) under any Lease and, to the knowledge of the Company, there is no default (or event or condition that after notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default) by any other party thereto under any Lease.
(c) Except for Permitted Encumbrances or as set forth on Schedule 3.11(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, none of the Acquired Companies has leased, subleased, or granted the right to use or occupy, any material portion of the Owned Real Properties or Leased Real Properties to any Person (other than an Acquired Company). The Owned Real Properties and the Leased Real Properties constitute all material real property currently used in the business of the Acquired Companies.
39
3.12 Intellectual Property.
(a) As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated below:
(i) “IntellectualProperty” means any and all intellectual property rights and similar proprietary rights throughout the world, including: (A) patents and applications therefor and all reissues, divisions, renewals, extensions, provisionals, continuations and continuations-in-part thereof, (B) trade secrets or similar forms of protection for confidential information, know-how, rights in data, databases and data sets (including Product Data), inventions (whether patentable or not) and other information, (C) trade names, logos, trade dress, trademarks and service marks, registered or unregistered, trademark and service mark applications, and any and all goodwill associated with and symbolized by the foregoing items, (D) Internet domain name registrations and social media account handles and all goodwill associated with and symbolized by the foregoing items, (E) all copyrights, mask works and other works of authorship (whether copyrightable or not), registered or unregistered and applications therefor, (F) Software, and (G) moral rights and economic rights of authors and inventors, and any similar or equivalent rights to any of the foregoing.
(ii) “CompanyIP Rights” means (A) any Third Party Intellectual Property Rights licensed to any Acquired Company and included in any Company Products or used or held for use in the conduct of the business of the Acquired Companies as currently conducted by the Acquired Companies, or to which any Acquired Company has been granted an immunity from suit or covenant not to assert; and (B) Company-Owned IP Rights.
(iii) “Company-OwnedIP Rights” means Intellectual Property that is owned or purportedly owned by any Acquired Company.
(iv) “CompanyRegistered Intellectual Property” means all United States, international and foreign: (A) patents and patent applications (including provisional applications); (B) registered trademarks, applications to register trademarks, or intent-to-use applications; (C) registered Internet domain names or social media accounts; (D) registered copyrights and applications for copyright registration; and (E) any other Intellectual Property that is the subject of an application, certificate, filing, registration or other document issued, filed with, or recorded by any governmental authority owned by, registered or filed in the name of any Acquired Company.
(v) “ThirdParty Intellectual Property Rights” means any Intellectual Property owned by a third party.
(vi) “CompanyProducts” means all currently available, in-development and prior versions of all products or services that are owned or purportedly owned by, or marketed, distributed or otherwise offered by or on behalf of, any Acquired Company (including any products or services that are being developed by any Acquired Company).
(vii) “CompanySource Code” means, collectively, any Software source code or any proprietary information or algorithm contained in or relating to any Software source code for any Company Products.
40
(viii) “CompanyIT Systems” means all information technology and computer systems relating to the transmission, storage, maintenance, organization, presentation, generation, processing or analysis of data and information used in or necessary for the conduct of the business of the Acquired Companies.
(ix) “Software” means all computer programs, including all versions thereof, and all related documentation, manuals, source code and object code, program files, field and data definitions and relationships, data definition specifications, data models, program and system logic, interfaces, program modules, routines, sub-routines, algorithms, program architecture, design concepts, system designs, program structure, sequence and organization, screen displays and report layouts, and all other material related to computer programs.
(b) An Acquired Company (i) owns or (ii) has the valid right or license to all material Company IP Rights. The Company IP Rights are sufficient for the conduct of the business of the Acquired Companies as currently conducted by the Acquired Companies in all material respects.
(c) Except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole, none of the Acquired Companies has transferred ownership of any Intellectual Property that is or was, at any time within the three (3) years preceding the Company Balance Sheet Date, Company-Owned IP Rights, to any third party, or permitted any Acquired Company’s rights in any Intellectual Property that is or was, at any time within the three (3) years preceding the Company Balance Sheet Date, Company-Owned IP Rights to enter the public domain or, with respect to any Company Registered Intellectual Property, lapse (other than through the expiration of registered Intellectual Property at the end of its statutory term or where the Company has made a determination not to pursue the prosecution of any immaterial applications for any such Company Registered Intellectual Property).
(d) An Acquired Company is the sole and exclusive owner of each item of material Company-Owned IP Rights and each item of material Company Registered Intellectual Property, free and clear of any Encumbrances (other than Permitted Encumbrances). None of the Acquired Companies have made any commitments or agreements with any patent pool, industry standards body or standard setting organization, in each case that requires or obligates the Acquired Companies to grant or offer to any third party that request it a license to any material Company-Owned IP Rights.
(e) Neither the execution and delivery or effectiveness of this Agreement nor the performance of the Company’s obligations under this Agreement will cause the forfeiture or termination of, or give rise to a right of forfeiture or termination of any material Company IP Rights, or impair the right of the Acquired Companies or Parent to use, possess, sell or license any material Company IP Rights or portion thereof or grant or purport to grant to any third party any license, covenant not to sue or other rights related to Intellectual Property owned by Parent or any of its Affiliates (other than the Acquired Companies).
(f) Schedule 3.12(f) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists all Company Registered Intellectual Property including the owner thereof and jurisdictions in which each such item of Intellectual Property has been issued or registered or in which any application for such issuance and registration has been filed, or in which any other filing or recordation has been made. Title in and to all material Company Registered Intellectual Property is properly recorded in the name of an Acquired Company.
(g) Each material item of Company Registered Intellectual Property is subsisting and to the Company’s knowledge, valid and enforceable (or in the case of applications, applied for), all registration, maintenance and renewal fees currently due in connection with such material Company Registered Intellectual Property have been paid and all documents, recordations and certificates in connection with such material Company Registered Intellectual Property currently required to be filed have been filed with the relevant patent, copyright, trademark or other authorities in the United States or foreign jurisdictions, as the case may be, for the purposes of prosecuting, maintaining and perfecting such material Company Registered Intellectual Property and recording the applicable Acquired Company’s ownership interests therein.
41
(h) Following the Closings, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries (as wholly-owned by Parent) will be permitted to exercise all of the Acquired Companies’ rights under any Contract pursuant to which an Acquired Company is granted a license or other right to any Third Party Intellectual Property Rights or pursuant to which an Acquired Company grants a third party a right to use any Company IP Rights (the “Company IP Rights Agreements”) in all material respects to the same extent the Acquired Company would have been able to had the Transactions not occurred and without the payment of any additional amounts or consideration other than ongoing fees, royalties or payments which the Acquired Company would otherwise be required to pay.
(i) None of the Company IP Rights Agreements grants any third party exclusive rights to or under any Company-Owned IP Rights.
(j) Except as set forth in Schedule 3.12(j) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no royalties, honoraria, fees or other payments payable by any Acquired Company to any Person (other than salaries payable to employees, consultants and independent contractors not contingent on or related to use of their work product) as a result of the ownership, use, or possession of any Company-Owned IP Rights by an Acquired Company.
(k) There is no, and during the past six (6) years has not been any, unauthorized use, unauthorized disclosure, infringement or misappropriation of any material Company-Owned IP Rights, by any employee of any Acquired Company or by any third party. No Acquired Company is, or has been during the past six (6) years, a party to any Proceeding for infringement or misappropriation of any Company IP Rights or breach of any Company IP Rights Agreement.
(l) No Acquired Company is or has been a party to any Proceeding (or received any written notice or threat) which asserts a claim against any Acquired Company for infringement or misappropriation of any Third Party Intellectual Property Right or which contests the validity, ownership or right of any Acquired Company to exercise any rights in Intellectual Property.
(m) To the knowledge of the Company, the operation of the business of the Acquired Companies as such business is currently conducted by the Acquired Companies and as conducted during the past six (6) years, including (i) the design, development, reproduction, marketing, licensing, sale, offer for sale, delivery, distribution, provision and/or use of any Company Product and (ii) use of any product, device or process used in the business of the Acquired Companies as currently conducted, does not infringe or misappropriate any Third Party Intellectual Property Right in any material respect.
(n) None of the material Company-Owned IP Rights, the Company Products or any Acquired Company is subject to any outstanding administrative order issued by a Governmental Entity restricting in any manner the use, transfer, or licensing by any Acquired Company of any Company-Owned IP Right or any Company Product, or which may affect the validity, use or enforceability of any such material Company-Owned IP Right or Company Product.
42
(o) Each Acquired Company has obtained written (i) proprietary information and invention disclosure and assignment agreements from all current and former employees who are or were involved with the creation or development of material Company-Owned IP Rights and (ii) assignment agreements from all current and former consultants who are or were involved with the creation or development of material Company-Owned IP Rights. Such agreements assign by present assignment and require the assignment to an Acquired Company of all right, title and interest in and to any and all Intellectual Property developed by such employees or consultants in their respective capacities as employees or consultants to an Acquired Company or otherwise vest to the Company through operation of law such Intellectual Property rights, and such employees and consultants have not retained any rights in such Intellectual Property. To the knowledge of the Company, no employee of any of the Acquired Companies has entered into any Contract that would conflict in any material way with the work for which the employee has been engaged by the Acquired Companies or requires the employee to transfer, assign, or disclose proprietary or confidential information concerning his or her work for the Acquired Companies to anyone other than an Acquired Company To the knowledge of the Company, no current or former employee, consultant or independent contractor of any Acquired Company (i) is in violation of any (A) term or covenant of any contractual or other obligation to such Acquired Company relating to invention disclosure, invention assignment, non-disclosure or non-competition, or (B) applicable non-disclosure obligation or restrictive covenant obligation for the benefit of any former employer of such employee or consultant, by virtue of such employee or consultant being employed by or performing services for the Acquired Companies, or using trade secrets or proprietary information of such former employer for the benefit of the Acquired Companies, or (ii) has developed any material Intellectual Property for the Acquired Companies that is subject to any agreement between such employee or consultant and any other Person under which such employee or consultant has assigned or otherwise granted to any other Person any rights in or to such Intellectual Property.
(p) No employee or, to the Company’s knowledge, consultant or independent contractor of the Company or any Subsidiary is using trade secrets or proprietary information of others without permission in any material respect. All such current and former employees, consultants and independent contractors having access to material confidential information or trade secrets of the Acquired Companies, or of any of their respective clients or business partners as to which any Acquired Company had or has an obligation of secrecy, have executed and delivered to the Acquired Companies a written agreement obligating them to protect such confidential information and trade secrets.
(q) Each Acquired Company has taken commercially reasonable steps to protect and preserve the confidentiality of all material confidential information and trade secrets included in the Company IP Rights. To the Company’s knowledge, all material use by the Acquired Companies of confidential information not owned by the Acquired Companies has been pursuant to the terms of a written Contract between an Acquired Company and the owner of such confidential information.
(r) Schedule 3.12(r) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists all Software or other material that is distributed under any “free software” or “open source software” licenses, including the GNU General Public License, GNU Affero General Public License, GNU Lesser General Public License, BSD licenses, the Apache Licenses, and other similar licensing or distribution terms (collectively, “Open SourceMaterials”) that is included in the Company Products. Each Acquired Company is in compliance in all material respects with the terms and conditions of all Open Source Materials incorporated or distributed with any Company Products. No Acquired Company has used such Open Source Materials in a manner that: (i) requires the disclosure, licensing or distribution of any source code included in any Company-Owned IP Rights or any Company Product, other than such Open Source Materials; (ii) requires the licensing or disclosure of any Company-Owned IP Rights, or any portion of any Company Product, other than such Open Source Materials, for the purpose of making derivative works; (iii) imposes any material limitation, restriction or condition on the right or ability of any Acquired Company to use or distribute any Company-Owned IP Rights, including restrictions on the consideration to be charged for the distribution of any Company Product; or (iv) grants, or requires any of them to grant, any other Person any rights or immunities to any Company-Owned IP Rights or Company Product.
43
(s) Schedule 3.12(s) of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies each Contract pursuant to which the Company or any Subsidiary has deposited, or is or may be required to deposit, with an escrow holder any of the Company Source Code, and describes whether (i) any such Company Source Code was in fact disclosed to any Person pursuant to such arrangements and (ii) the execution of this Agreement or any of the Transactions, in and of itself, would reasonably be expected to result in the release from escrow or other disclosure of any Company Source Code. Except as otherwise disclosed in Schedule 3.12(s), no event that has occurred, and no circumstance or condition exists, that would reasonably be expected to, result in the release from escrow of any Company Source Code.
(t) No funding, facilities, or personnel of any Governmental Entity, educational or research institution were used, directly or indirectly, to develop or create, in whole or in part, any material Company-Owned IP Rights, and no such entity or educational institution has any right to, or right to royalties for, or to impose any requirement on the manufacture or commercialization of any Company Product.
(u) The Company IT Systems are adequate in all material respects for the operation of the business of the Acquired Companies as currently conducted, and the Acquired Companies have purchased a sufficient number of licenses for Software currently used in such operations. There are no material defects in the Company IT Systems that prevent the Company IT Systems from operating in all material respects as described in their related documentation or specifications. There is no back door, trap door, Trojan horse, time bomb, Software lock, worm, virus or malicious code or any other code, program, or sub program in any Company IT Systems (i) designed to erase, halt, disable, harm, impede, damage or otherwise interfere with the operation of the Company IT Systems (or any other computer system, Software or device in connection with which the Company IT Systems are used or on which such code is stored or installed) or damage or destroy data or files without the user’s consent or (ii) that permits any Person to circumvent the normal security associated with the Company IT Systems (or any other computer system, Software or device in connection with which the Company IT Systems are used or on which such code is stored or installed). Each Acquired Company has taken commercially reasonable steps to ensure that the Company Products are free of any virus or other harmful code.
(v) The Company Products perform in accordance with their documentation in all material respects. No Acquired Company has received any material unresolved claims that any services that have been performed pursuant to any Contract by or on behalf of any Acquired Company were performed improperly or not in conformity with the terms and requirements of the applicable Contracts and with all applicable Legal Requirements.
(w) The Company Source Code contains all materials necessary for a reasonably-skilled programmer to understand the Company Products for the purpose of the continued maintenance and development of the Company Products consistent with industry standards. Current copies of the Company Source Code are recorded on machine readable media, clearly identified and securely stored (together with the applicable documentation) by the Company and Subsidiaries.
(x) The Product Data is sufficient in all material respects for the Company Products, including the current development, offering, provision and operation thereof. All Acquired Companies are, and at all times have been, in material compliance with all third-party terms and conditions applicable to any Product Data.
44
3.13 Environmental Matters. The Acquired Companies are, and since January 1, 2023 have been, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Environmental Laws. Since January 1, 2023 (or earlier if unresolved), no Acquired Company has received any material Environmental Claim, and there is no material Environmental Claim pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against the Acquired Companies. Each Acquired Company holds and is, and since January 1, 2023 has held and been, in compliance in all material respects with all Environmental Permits required to operate at the Leased Real Properties and the Owned Real Properties and to conduct their respective businesses as currently and then conducted, all such Environmental Permits are or were, as necessary, in full force and effect, and, there are no material Proceedings pending or, threatened in writing, that seek the revocation, cancellation, suspension or adverse modification of any such Environmental Permit. No Acquired Company has treated, stored, arranged for or permitted disposal of, handled, manufactured, sold, distributed, Released, or exposed any Person to, or owned or operated any real property contaminated by, any Hazardous Materials, in each case in a manner which has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in material Liabilities of any Acquired Company under Environmental Laws. No Acquired Company has assumed, undertaken or provided an indemnity with respect to, or otherwise become subject to, any material Liability of any other Person under any Environmental Laws. The Company and each Acquired Company have made available to Parent true, correct and complete copies of all material environmental or health and safety reports, studies, records and audits created since January 1, 2023 relating to the Acquired Companies and their affiliates’ or predecessors’, past or current businesses, operations or assets that are within the Company’s or the Acquired Companies’ possession.
3.14 Taxes.
(a) Each of the Acquired Companies have properly completed and timely filed (taking into account all applicable extensions) all income and other material Tax Returns required to be filed by them and have timely paid all material Taxes (whether or not shown on such Tax Returns) required to be paid by or with respect to the Acquired Companies. All such Tax Returns are true, correct and complete in all material respects. The Company has delivered or made available to Parent copies of all income and other material Tax Returns filed after December 31, 2021 by or with respect to the Acquired Companies, and all examination reports and statements of deficiencies assessed against or agreed to by any of the Acquired Companies after December 31, 2021.
(b) No material claim for Taxes has been asserted against any of the Acquired Companies that has resulted in a current Encumbrance against the property of any of the Acquired Companies, other than Permitted Encumbrances. No audit or Tax controversy associated with any material Tax or material Tax Return of any of the Acquired Companies is currently pending, or to the knowledge of the Company being threatened or being conducted by a Tax Authority. No extension or waiver of any statute of limitations on the assessment of any material Taxes has been granted or agreed to by any of the Acquired Companies, which is currently in effect, nor has any request been made for any such extension or waiver that is currently pending. Each deficiency claimed, proposed, assessed in writing, or resulting from any audit or examination relating to material Taxes of any of the Acquired Companies by any Tax Authority has been fully paid or otherwise resolved, or is being contested in good faith and in accordance with applicable Legal Requirements and is fully reserved for on the Company Balance Sheet in accordance with GAAP in all material respects. None of the Acquired Companies has requested or is subject to any Tax ruling, technical advice memorandum, competent authority relief, closing agreement or similar guidance or agreement of any Tax Authority that will be binding on any of the Acquired Companies with respect to any period following the Closing Date.
45
(c) No written claim has been made by any Tax Authority in a jurisdiction where none the Acquired Companies file Tax Returns that any of the Acquired Companies is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction. None of the Acquired Companies is subject to Tax in any country other than its country of incorporation or formation by virtue of having a permanent establishment (as defined in any applicable income Tax treaty), branch, office or other fixed place of business in that country.
(d) None of the Acquired Companies is a party to or bound by any Tax Sharing Agreement nor do any of the Acquired Companies have any Liability or potential Liability to another party (other than any of the Acquired Companies) under any such Tax Sharing Agreement.
(e) Each of the Acquired Companies has timely withheld all material Taxes required to have been withheld in connection with amounts paid or owing to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, customer, shareholder or other party, including under all backup withholding provisions of applicable Legal Requirements, and is in material compliance with all associated information reporting requirements and all such withheld Taxes have been timely paid to the appropriate Tax Authority.
(f) None of the Acquired Companies has consummated or participated in any transaction which was or is a “Tax shelter” transaction as defined in Sections 6662 or 6111 of the Code or the Treasury Regulations, or a “listed transaction” or a “reportable transaction” within the meaning of Section 6707A(c) of the Code or Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b), or any transaction requiring disclosure under a corresponding or similar provision of state, local, or foreign law.
(g) None of the Acquired Companies has ever been a member of a consolidated, combined, unitary or aggregate group of which any of the Acquired Companies was not the ultimate parent corporation. None of the Acquired Companies has any Liability for the Taxes of any other Person (other than any of the Acquired Companies) under Section 1.1502-6 of the Treasury Regulations (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign law) as a transferee or successor, or by Contract, other than under commercial agreements the primary purpose of which is unrelated to Taxes.
(h) None of the Acquired Companies nor any Buyer Party (solely as a result of its ownership of any of the Acquired Companies) will be required to include any material item of income in, or exclude any material item of deduction from, Taxable income for, or otherwise be required to pay any material Tax in, any Taxable period (or portion thereof) beginning after the Closing Date as a result of any (i) change made before the Closings in method of accounting or impermissible method of accounting for a Taxable period ending on or prior to the Closing Date; (ii) “closing agreement” described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local, or foreign Tax law) entered into prior to the Closings; (iii) installment sale or open transaction disposition made prior to the Closing Date; (iv) prepaid amount or deferred revenue received outside of the Ordinary Course of Business on or prior to the Closing Date; or (v) deferred intercompany gain or loss with respect to transactions occurring prior to the Closings.
(i) None of the Acquired Companies has constituted either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a distribution of stock intended to qualify for non-recognition of gain under Section 355 of the Code in the past five (5) years.
(j) Husky Injection Molding Systems, Inc. is not and has not been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code.
(k) None of the Acquired Companies has granted any power of attorney with respect to Tax matters that will be in effect following the Closings.
46
(l) None of the Acquired Companies has any interest in any joint venture, partnership, limited liability company or Contract, in each case, that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
(m) Each of the Acquired Companies has properly collected and remitted all material amounts required to be collected and remitted with respect to sales, use, value added and similar Taxes or has properly received and retained any required Tax exemption certificate and other documentation for all material sales made without charging or remitting sales, use, value added or similar Taxes that qualify such sales as exempt from sales, use, value added or similar Taxes.
(n) Each of the Company and New BC is, and has been since its formation, treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income Tax purposes. TargetCo is, and has been since its formation, treated as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income Tax purposes. No election has been made pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3(c) with respect to any Acquired Company within the last five (5) years (other than as part of the Pre-Closing Restructuring).
(o) Each of the Acquired Companies has materially complied with all applicable transfer pricing laws (including the requirements of subsections 247(4)(a) to (c) of the Tax Act).
(p) None of the Acquired Companies has acquired property from a Person not dealing at arm’s length (for purposes of the Tax Act) with it in circumstances that would result in any of the Acquired Companies becoming liable to pay Taxes of such Person under Subsection 160(1) of the Tax Act or any analogous provision of any comparable Legal Requirements of any province or territory of Canada. None of the Acquired Companies has undertaken any Section 160 avoidance planning within the meaning of Section 160.01 of the Tax Act.
(q) None of the Acquired Companies has acquired property or services from, or disposed of property or provided services to, a person with whom it does not deal at arm’s length (within the meaning of the Tax Act), including any direct or indirect shareholders, for an amount that is other than the fair market value of such property or services, nor has any of the Acquired Companies been deemed to have done so for purposes of the Tax Act.
(r) None of sections, 15, 17, 78, sections 79 through 80.04 or subsection 90(6) of the Tax Act, or any equivalent provision under provincial Legal Requirements, has applied to any of the Acquired Companies, and there are no circumstances existing which could result in the application of any of such sections to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(s) None of the Acquired Companies has (i) made an “excessive eligible dividend designation” as defined in Subsection 89(1) of the Tax Act or (ii) elected in accordance with Subsection 83(2) in respect of the full amount of any dividend paid or payable (or deemed to have been paid or payable) by it on any shares of its capital stock where the full amount of such dividend exceeded the portion, if any, of such dividend deemed by Subsection 83(2) to have been a capital dividend.
(t) The total fair market value of all the shares that are held directly or indirectly by the Company and are shares of “foreign affiliates” of the Company (for purposes of the Tax Act) does not exceed 75% of the total fair market value (determined without reference to debt obligations of any corporation resident in Canada in which the Company has a direct or indirect interest) of all of the properties owned by the Company.
47
(u) To the knowledge of the Company and the PE UK Companies, none of the Acquired Companies has participated in any transaction that is a “reportable transaction” or “notifiable transaction” as defined for purposes of Section 237.3 or 237.4 of the Tax Act.
(v) The Company Shares are not “taxable Canadian property” within the meaning of the Tax Act.
(w) None of the Acquired Companies has taken, intends to take, or has agreed to take, any action or is aware of any fact or circumstance that would prevent or impede, or could reasonably be expected to prevent or impede, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement from qualifying for the Intended Tax Treatment.
(x) None of PE UK I, PE UK II or PE UK III conduct any business, activity or operations other than the sole activity of holding shares in PE UK II (in the case of PE UK I), PE UK III (in the case of PE UK II) and the Company (in the case of PE UK III).
(y) As at the date of this Agreement, PE UK III holds a “substantial shareholding” in the Company (within the meaning of paragraph 8 of Schedule 7AC of the UK Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992), and has so done continuously for the period of twelve months ending on the date of this Agreement.
(z) As at the date of this Agreement, each of PE UK I, PE UK II and PE UK III constitute (and have constituted continuously for the period of twelve months ending on the date of this Agreement) holding companies of a trading group or trading subgroup for the purposes of paragraph 19 of Schedule 7AC of the UK Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992.
3.15 Employee Benefit Plans and Employee Matters.
(a) Schedule 3.15(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth, as of the Agreement Date, each material Company Employee Plan and identifies whether each such Company Employee Plan is a Foreign Employee Plan. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Company Employee Plan” means: (i) each deferred compensation, bonus, incentive compensation, stock purchase, stock option, equity or equity-based, vacation, insurance, supplemental unemployment, retention, fringe benefit, profit-sharing, commission, pension, retirement, cafeteria, medical, life insurance, dental, vision, short- or long-term disability, supplemental retirement, employment, consulting, tax gross-up or change of control plan, program, policy, practice, agreement or arrangement (whether or not subject to ERISA); (ii) each severance or termination pay plan, program, policy, practice, agreement or arrangement; each employee welfare benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(1) of ERISA); each employee pension benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA); and (iii) each other employee benefit plan, fund, program, policy, practice, agreement or arrangement, in each case of subclause (i) – (iii), that is sponsored, maintained or contributed to or required to be contributed to by the Company or any Subsidiary, or to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or has any liability, for the benefit of any employee, director or consultant who is a natural person of the Company or any Subsidiary. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Foreign Employee Plan” means each Company Employee Plan that has been adopted or maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary, whether formally or informally, or with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary has any liability, in each case, with respect to any employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary who performs services primarily outside of the United States.
(b) As applicable with respect to each material Company Employee Plan, the Company has made available current, correct and complete copies of: (i) all documents setting forth the terms of each such Company Employee Plan, including the plan document, all amendments thereto, and all related trust documents, insurance contracts and policies and certificates of coverage (and, in the case of an unwritten Company Employee Plan, a summary of the material terms and conditions thereof); (ii) the most recent summary plan description together with any summaries of material modifications thereto; (iii) the annual report (Form 5500 series) and accompanying schedules and actuarial reports, as filed, for the most recently completed plan year; (iv) the most recent determination, advisory, or opinion letter issued by the IRS relating to the tax-qualified status of such Company Employee Plan; (v) annual testing results that relate to the Company or any Subsidiary or any employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary, including nondiscrimination and coverage testing results, for the three most recently completed plan years; and (vi) all non-routine, material correspondence to or from any Governmental Entity relating to the Company Employee Plan within the past three years.
48
(c) No Acquired Company nor any of their respective ERISA Affiliates have in the past six (6) years maintained, established, sponsored, participated in, contributed to, or been required to contribute to any or had any liability in respect of (i) employee pension benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA) that is subject to Title IV of ERISA or Sections 412 or 430 of the Code, (ii) “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA or Section 414(f) of the Code, or (iii) multiple employer plan within the meaning of Section 413(c) of the Code. No Acquired Company has any material liability on account of a violation of COBRA or any similar Legal Requirements, including any contingent liability resulting from its relationship to an ERISA Affiliate that has such Liabilities. No Company Employee Plan is intended to meet the requirements of Section 501(c)(9) of the Code or is a “multiple employer welfare arrangement” (as defined in Section 3(40)(A) of ERISA), and no Acquired Company has any liability with respect to any such arrangement. No Company Employee Plan provides or is obligated to provide health, life insurance, or other welfare benefits to any former employee of the Company or any Subsidiary (or dependent thereof), except (A) as may be required by applicable Legal Requirements (and for which the cost of such welfare benefit is fully paid by such former employee), (B) during the period severance benefits are payable under an employment Contract or (C) for continuation of benefits through the remainder of the month in which a termination of employment occurs. No Company Employee Plan provides or is obligated to provide health, life insurance, or other welfare benefits to any Person who is not a current or former employee of the Company or any Subsidiary (or spouse or dependent thereof).
(d) Neither the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the Transactions, will (either alone or in connection with any other event): (i) entitle any current or former employee, director, officer or other individual service provider of the Company or any Subsidiary to any payment (whether of severance pay or otherwise), forgiveness of indebtedness or distribution (other than any payment made at the direction of, and in the sole discretion of, Parent), (ii) increase, accelerate the time of payment or vesting, or obligation to fund, any compensation or benefits (through a grantor trust or otherwise) due to any employee, director, officer or other individual service provider of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (iii) create or otherwise result in any other material liability with respect to a Company Employee Plan. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no amount or benefit paid or payable in connection with the Transactions (either alone or in connection with any other event) would reasonably be expected to be an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code.
(e) To the knowledge of the Company, no fiduciary (within the meaning of Section 3(21) of ERISA) of any Company Employee Plan subject to Part 4 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA has committed a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to that Company Employee Plan that could subject the Company or any Subsidiary or an employee of any of the Company or any Subsidiary to any material liability (including liability on account of an indemnification obligation) that has not been fully satisfied. To the knowledge of the Company, no transactions prohibited by Section 4975 of the Code or Section 406 of ERISA (that are not otherwise exempt under Section 408 of ERISA or Sections 4975(c)(2) or 4975(d) of the Code) have occurred with respect to any Company Employee Plan, except as would not reasonably be expected to result in any material liability to the Company or any Subsidiary.
49
(f) Except as would not be material to the Acquired Companies, there are no pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened claims or Proceedings by or on behalf of any Company Employee Plan or by any current or former employee or beneficiary covered under any such Company Employee Plan (other than routine claims for benefits), and to the knowledge of the Company, there are no facts or circumstances that could reasonably form the basis for any material claims or Proceedings. Except as would not be material to the Acquired Companies, there is no Proceeding, claim, charge or grievance pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or being investigated in respect of any Employment Laws.
(g) Each Company Employee Plan has since January 1, 2023 been operated and administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms and applicable Legal Requirements. Each Company Employee Plan intended to be “qualified” within the meaning of Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and has received a currently effective favorable IRS determination letter, or is entitled to rely on an advisory or opinion letter, from the IRS with respect to such qualification, and no circumstances exist which could reasonably be expected to cause the loss of the qualified status of any such Company Employee Plan. The Acquired Companies have during the past three (3) years complied in all material aspects with the continuation coverage requirements under Part 6 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA, Section 4980B of the Code, and all similar state or local Legal Requirements (“COBRA”), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. The Acquired Companies have since January 1, 2023 complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. All material contributions to, and payments from, each Company Employee Plan with respect to current and former employees and service providers of the Company or any Subsidiary which have been required to be made in accordance with the terms of such Company Employee Plan or applicable Legal Requirements have since January 1, 2023 been timely made in all material respects, and all contributions for any period ending on or before the Closing Date, which are not yet due or paid are in all material respects properly reflected as an accrued liability on the Company Balance Sheet to the extent required by GAAP (or, with respect to each Foreign Employee Plan, if applicable, to the extent required by generally accepted accounting practices in the applicable jurisdiction applied to such matters).
(h) The Acquired Companies are not, and since January 1, 2023 have not been, bound by or a party to or negotiating any collective bargaining agreements, union contracts or similar agreements.
(i) There is no labor strike, lockout, stoppage or other material labor dispute pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against any Acquired Company. To the knowledge of the Company, there is no material labor union organizing activity involving any employees of any Acquired Company.
(j) No material unfair labor practice or labor charge or complaint is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing with respect to any Acquired Company before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or any other Governmental Entity. The Acquired Companies are, and since January 1, 2023, have been, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Legal Requirements, Contracts and orders respecting employment, including all Legal Requirements and orders which relate to hiring practices, data privacy, employment practices, terms and conditions of employment, wages, hours, overtime, wage payment, compensation, benefits, employment record keeping, unlawful discrimination, equal employment opportunity, labor relations and collective bargaining, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, work breaks, classification of employees (including as exempt or non-exempt and as employee or independent contractor), occupational health and safety, privacy, harassment, retaliation, immigration, U.S. Form I-9 requirements, work authorization, workers’ compensation, the WARN Act and other similar Legal Requirements, and wrongful discharge (collectively, “EmploymentLaws”).
50
(k) Since January 1, 2023, each Person classified or otherwise treated by any Acquired Company as a non-employee worker (including without limitation as an independent contractor, leased employee, or consultant) has, to the knowledge of the Company, been properly classified as such under applicable law and satisfies and has satisfied in all material respects all applicable Legal Requirements to be so classified or treated.
(l) Since January 1, 2023, (i) no allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct have been made against (A) any officer or director of the Company or any Subsidiary or (B) to the knowledge of the Company, any employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary who directly or indirectly supervises other employees of the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to their employment or service with the Company or any Subsidiary; (ii) the Acquired Companies have not been subject to any Proceeding involving allegations of sexual harassment; and (iii) the Acquired Companies have not been party to any Contract settling any claim of alleged sexual harassment.
(m) Each Company Employee Plan or other contract, plan, program, agreement, or arrangement that is a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” (within the meaning of Section 409A(d)(1) of the Code) is in compliance with Section 409A in all material respects. No Acquired Company is liable for any tax gross-up, reimbursement or indemnification payments for any payments taxable under, or in connection with, Section 409A.
(n) The Company has delivered to the Parent a current, correct and complete list as of September 30, 2025 of all current employees and individual independent contractors of the Acquired Companies and accurately lists for each such Person as of such date the following, as applicable: (i) employee ID (and names); (ii) hire date; (iii) current job title and/or position; (iv) with respect to employees located in the United States, classification as exempt or non-exempt for wage payment purposes; (v) classification by Company or Subsidiary as an employee or independent contractor; (vi) annualized salary or hourly rate of pay, as applicable; (vii) target annual bonus for which such Person is eligible; (viii) employing entity and work location; and (ix) leave status.
(o) All Foreign Employee Plans have been established, maintained, and administered in compliance in all material respects with their terms and all applicable statutes, laws, ordinances, rules, orders, decrees, judgments, writs, and regulations of any controlling Governmental Entity and, if intended to qualify for special tax treatment, qualify for such treatment, and, if required, are registered and approved with any applicable Governmental Entity. All material filings required to be made to any Governmental Entity or instrumentality with respect to each Foreign Employee Plan have been timely made.
3.16 Interested Party Transactions.
(a) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no Related Party has any material direct or indirect ownership, participation, royalty or other interest in, or is an officer, director, employee of or consultant or contractor for, any firm, partnership, entity or corporation that competes in any material respect with, or does material business with, or has any material contractual or other legally binding arrangement or understanding with, any Acquired Company (except (i) with respect to any interest in less than five percent (5%) of the stock of any corporation whose stock is publicly traded or (ii) as contemplated by clause (v) of the immediately following sentence) (collectively, the “Interested Party Transactions”). No Related Party is a party to any material Contract to which any Acquired Company is a party or by which any Acquired Company or any of its assets or properties are bound or affected (each such Contract, subject to the following exceptions, a “Related Party Contract”), except for (i) normal compensation for services as an officer, director or employee thereof, (ii) any standard offer letters, employment agreements, and proprietary information and inventions assignment agreements, (iii) any Company Employee Plan set forth on Schedule 3.15(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (iv) any director and officer indemnification agreements and (v) Contracts entered into on an arm’s length basis and in the Ordinary Course of Business between the Acquired Companies, on the one hand, and the direct or indirect portfolio companies of investment funds advised or managed by Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC or any of its Affiliates, on the other hand. No Related Party: (a) has any material interest in any material asset used in or otherwise relating to the business of any Acquired Company, (b) is indebted to any Acquired Company (other than for ordinary travel advances) or (c) to the knowledge of the Company, has any material claim or right against any Acquired Company other than as may be contemplated by clauses (i) through (v) of the immediately preceding sentence.
51
(b) Other than the director and officer indemnification agreements set forth in Schedule 3.16(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, each of which has been made available to Parent, and the Governing Documents of the Acquired Companies, no Acquired Company has any indemnification or exculpation obligation with respect to any Related Party and there are no material Contracts to which any Acquired Company is a party with regard to contribution or indemnification between or among any of the Pre-Closing Holders or their Affiliates.
3.17 Insurance. Schedule 3.17 of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies each material insurance policy maintained by, at the expense of or for the benefit of any Acquired Company (collectively, each policy set forth (or required to be set forth) in Schedule 3.17 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the “Insurance Policies”) and identifies whether such Insurance Policy is a “claims made” or an “occurrence” policy. The Company has made available to Parent accurate and complete copies of the Insurance Policies. As of the Agreement Date, there is no material claim pending under any Insurance Policy as to which coverage has been denied or disputed by the underwriters of such policies. All premiums due and payable under the Insurance Policies have been paid in all material respects and the Acquired Companies are otherwise in material compliance with the terms of such policies. As of the Agreement Date, the Company has no knowledge of any threatened termination of, or material premium increase with respect to, the Insurance Policies.
3.18 Books and Records. The Acquired Companies have maintained material business records, financial books and records, personnel records, ledgers, sales accounting records, and other books and records (including statutory registers required to be maintained under Legal Requirements, copies of filings and returns submitted with Governmental Entities) (collectively, the “Books and Records”) that are accurate and complete in all material respects, have been maintained in all material respects in accordance with reasonable business practices, and accurately and fairly reflect in all material respects the business activities of the Acquired Companies. The Acquired Companies have not engaged in any material transaction, maintained any material bank account or used any material corporate funds except as reflected in their normally maintained Books and Records. At the Closings, such books and records will be in the possession of the Acquired Companies. There are no outstanding powers of attorney executed by or on behalf of any Acquired Company.
3.19 Brokers. Other than fees payable to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or its Affiliates, the Acquired Companies have no obligation for the payment of any fees or expenses of any investment banker, broker, advisor or finder in connection with the origin, negotiation or execution of this Agreement or in connection with the Transactions.
52
3.20 Material Contracts.
(a) Except for this Agreement, the other agreements contemplated hereby, the Company Employee Plans, and the Contracts specifically identified in Schedule 3.20 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, as of the Agreement Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company is a party to and is bound by any of the following Contracts (each contract set forth (or required to be set forth) in Schedule 3.20 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, a “Material Contract”):
(i) other than any Contract for maintenance or quality assurance tools and commercially available, off-the-shelf Software entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business, any Contract with respect to Intellectual Property or other technology that form a part of or are contained or otherwise embedded in the Company Product pursuant to which the Acquired Companies paid in 2024 or reasonably estimates it is obligated to pay in 2025 more than $250,000;
(ii) any trust indenture, mortgage, promissory note, debenture, loan or credit agreement or other Contract for the borrowing of money, any currency exchange, commodities or other derivative agreement or hedging arrangement or any leasing transaction of the type required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP, and any Contract under which any Acquired Company guarantees any indebtedness of any Person other than another Acquired Companies, in each case, having a principal amount or value in excess of $250,000 and other than Contracts for indebtedness solely among the Company and any Acquired Companies directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Company;
(iii) any Contract for capital expenditures pursuant to which the Acquired Companies paid in 2024 or reasonably estimates it is obligated to pay in 2025 or in any year thereafter more than $5,000,000;
(iv) any Contract including a covenant expressly limiting the freedom of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company to engage or participate, or compete with any other Person, in any line of business, market or geographic area (other than commercial contracts containing customary employee non-solicitation provisions entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business), or any Contract granting most favored nation pricing, exclusive sales, distribution, marketing or other exclusive rights, rights of refusal, rights of first negotiation or similar rights and/or terms to any Person other than the Acquired Companies, or any Contract otherwise expressly limiting in any material respect the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to sell, distribute or manufacture any products or services;
(v) any Contract that grants to any person any option, right of first offer or right of first refusal or similar right, to purchase, license, use, possess or occupy any assets material to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, taken as a whole, other than Contracts for the purchase of products and services from the Acquired Companies in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(vi) any (A) Lease or (B) Contract pursuant to which any Acquired Company is a lessor of any real property;
(vii) any Related Party Contract;
(viii) any (A) Company IP Rights Agreements or (B) other Contracts pursuant to which the Company or any Subsidiary has agreed to any restriction on its right to use or enforce any Company-Owned IP Rights or pursuant to which the Company or any Subsidiary agrees to encumber, transfer or sell rights in or with respect to any Company-Owned IP Rights, in each case other than “shrink wrap” and similar generally available commercial end-user licenses to Software or other technology (including terms of use and terms of service) with annual fees of less than $250,000 and licenses of Open Source Materials;
53
(ix) any Contract with any investment banker, broker, advisor or similar party, or any other Person (other than accountants, attorneys, tax advisors and clerical personnel) retained to provide professional or financial advice or services in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions;
(x) any Contract pursuant to which the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company has acquired or divested a business or entity, or assets of a business or entity (other than purchases of products, services or equipment in the Ordinary Course of Business), whether by way of merger, consolidation, purchase of stock, purchase of assets, license, spin-off or otherwise, or any Contract pursuant to which it has any material ownership interest in any other Person (other than its Subsidiaries), in each case, entered into after January 1, 2023;
(xi) any Contract with, creating or related to any joint venture, strategic alliance, legal partnership or similar arrangements involving the sharing of profits or losses;
(xii) any litigation settlement agreement entered into by any Acquired Company after January 1, 2023 and (A) involving payment by the Acquired Companies of greater than $25,000 or (B) imposing material outstanding obligations on the Acquired Companies (other than customary confidentiality and non-disparagement obligations);
(xiii) any collectively bargained agreement or similar Contract with any labor union, work council, employee association or similar labor entity;
(xiv) any Contract relating to the voting rights or obligations of a stockholder or equityholder of any Acquired Company, other than the Governing Documents of the Acquired Companies;
(xv) any Contract creating or involving any referral or agency relationship, marketing affiliate, sale representative, distribution arrangement or franchise relationship having an annual value in excess of $500,000 or which is non-exclusive and terminable by the applicable Acquired Company upon notice of ninety (90) days or less;
(xvi) any Contract that contemplates or involves: (A) the payment of cash by any Acquired Company in an annual amount or having an annual value in excess of $5,000,000, when taken together with all other Contracts of the Acquired Companies involving such Person or such Person’s Affiliates; or (B) the payment to or receipt by any Acquired Company of cash consideration in excess of $3,000,000 individually;
(xvii) any Contract with, or relating to any Acquired Companies participation in, any trade or industry organization that is comprised of members (A) engaging in the same, similar or related lines of business, (B) participating in the same, similar or related industries or (C) with similar or related business objectives and goals, in each case as any Acquired Company and in each case that imposes any material obligations an Acquired Company other than payment of membership fees and other related expenses; or
(xviii) any Contract with any Governmental Entity or any entity sponsored by a Governmental Entity (other than any Contract entered into in the ordinary course of business with a U.S. Governmental Entity pursuant to which the Acquired Companies have not received in 2024, and could not reasonably be expected to receive in 2025, in excess of $100,000);
54
(b) The Company and each Subsidiary of the Company has performed all of the material obligations required to be performed by it (including complying in all material respects with restrictive covenants and “most favored nation” pricing terms and conditions) and is entitled to all material benefits under each Material Contract. Except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole, each of the Material Contracts is in full force and effect, subject only to the effect, if any, of applicable bankruptcy and other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies. There exists no material default or event of material default or event, occurrence, condition or act, with respect to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, with respect to any other contracting party, which, with the giving of notice, the lapse of time or the happening of any other event or condition, would reasonably be expected to give any third party (i) the right to declare a material breach and exercise any material remedy under any Material Contract, (ii) the right to accelerate in any material respect the maturity or performance of any obligation of any Acquired Company under any Material Contract, or (iii) the right to cancel or terminate any Material Contract. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company has received any written notice of material breach, default or intention to not extend, to terminate, cancel or materially and adversely modify any Material Contract. The Company has made available or caused to be made available to Parent true, correct and complete copies of each Material Contract.
3.21 Customers and Vendors. Schedule 3.21(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a list of the twenty (20) largest customers of the Acquired Companies, and Schedule 3.21(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a list of the twenty (20) largest vendors to the Acquired Companies, in each case, during fiscal year 2024 and, in each case, by dollar amount of revenue or expense recognized or amount paid to such vendor during each such fiscal year. Since January 1, 2025 through the Agreement Date, there has been no termination or material diminution of the business relationship of the Acquired Companies with any such customer or vendor, nor has any such customer or vendor threatened to so terminate or materially reduce such business relationships or demanded a material reduction or material and adverse change in the pricing or other terms of its relationship with any Acquired Company. As of the Agreement Date, no Acquired Company is engaged in any material dispute with any customer or vendor required to be listed in Schedule 3.21 of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
3.22 Bank Accounts. Schedule 3.22 of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true and complete list of the following information with respect to each material account maintained by or for the benefit of any Acquired Company at any bank or other financial institution: (a) the name of the bank or other financial institution at which such account is maintained; (b) the account number; (c) the type of account; and (d) the names of all Persons who are authorized to: (i) sign checks or other documents with respect to such account; and (ii) input or release payments from such account.
3.23 Privacy and Data Security.
(a) Each Acquired Company, and, to the knowledge of the Company, all vendors and service providers to any Acquired Company with access to Personal Data collected, maintained, or otherwise processed on behalf of any Acquired Company are, and in the past three (3) years have been, to the extent applicable (and in the case of vendors and service providers, to the extent relating to their services provided to any Acquired Company), in compliance in all material respects with (i) all applicable Legal Requirements related to privacy, data security, and the collection, obtainment, storage, use, maintenance, transfer, transmission, disclosure, security, disposal, or other processing of Personal Data (“Privacy Laws”), (ii) terms of any Contracts to which the Acquired Companies are bound that relate to the processing of Personal Data, (iii) Privacy Policies, and (iv) applicable industry self-regulatory obligations and applicable industry standards with which any Acquired Company, at the applicable time was, obligated to adhere (collectively, “PrivacyRequirements”). To the knowledge of the Company, all suppliers and licensors to the Acquired Companies of third-party Personal Data comply in all material respects with all Privacy Requirements applicable to their collection, generation, use, receipt, and other processing of such Personal Data.
55
(b) Neither the execution, delivery, or performance of this Agreement, the consummation of the Transactions, nor the disclosure or transfer of Personal Data to Parent or any of its Affiliates, will, in any material respect, violate any applicable Privacy Requirements
(c) With respect to all Personal Data collected, obtained, stored, used, maintained, transferred, transmitted, disclosed, secured, or otherwise processed by or for each Acquired Company, the Acquired Companies have at all times in the past three (3) years implemented, maintained, and enforced reasonable and appropriate plans, policies, procedures, and safeguards (including implementing and monitoring compliance with reasonable and appropriate measures with respect to technical and physical security) designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and security of such Personal Data and Company IT Systems. Except as would not be material to the Acquired Companies, in the past three (3) years, no Personal Data collected, obtained, stored, used, maintained, transferred, transmitted, disclosed, secured, or otherwise processed by an Acquired Company has been accessed, used, destroyed, damaged, disclosed, or otherwise processed without authorization, misappropriated, altered without authorization, or misused or unlawfully disclosed, including any such event, where Privacy Laws obligate the Acquired Companies to notify Governmental Entities, affected individuals or other parties of such occurrence.
(d) There is not and has not, in the past three (3) years, been any Proceeding relating to: (i) the collection, obtainment, storage, use, maintenance, transfer, transmission, disclosure, security, disposal; or (ii) other processing of Personal Data or alleged violation of the Privacy Requirements. To the knowledge of the Company, there are no facts or circumstances that could reasonably form the basis of any of the same. As of the Agreement Date, there are no actual or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened Proceedings contesting or challenging any Acquired Company’s rights or abilities to engage in any collection, obtainment, storage, use, maintenance, transfer, transmission, disclosure, security, disposal or other processing of Personal Data.
3.24 Disclosure Documents. None of the information supplied or to be supplied by or on behalf of any of the Acquired Companies for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement will, at the time the Proxy Statement is mailed to Parent Stockholders, or at the time of the Parent Stockholders Meeting, contain any untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein, necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading or necessary to correct any statement of a material fact in any earlier communication with respect to the solicitation of proxies for the Parent Stockholders Meeting which has become false or misleading.
3.25 Drag-Along Notice. The Company will have, prior to the Closings, validly provided each Management Stockholder (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) for which the Company does not have a duly executed Letter of Transmittal a Drag-Along Notice (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Stockholders Agreement.
3.26 No Additional Representations; No Reliance.
(a) Except for the representations and warranties contained in Article III, none of the Acquired Companies nor any of their Affiliates makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to the Acquired Companies, any of their Affiliates or any of their respective businesses or with respect to any other information provided, or made available, to Parent or any of its Affiliates, agents or representatives in connection with the Transactions. None the Acquired Companies, any of their Affiliates or any other Person will have or be subject to any liability or other obligation to any Buyer Party, its Affiliates, agents or representatives or any Person resulting from any information, documents, projections, forecasts or other material made available to any Buyer Party, its Affiliates or representatives in certain “data rooms,” confidential offering memorandum, offering materials or management presentations in expectation of the Transactions (all such information, collectively, the “Evaluation Material”), unless any such information is expressly and specifically included in a representation or warranty contained in Article III. The Acquired Companies disclaim any and all other representations and warranties, whether express or implied, and each Buyer Party acknowledges and agrees that none of the Acquired Companies, any Company Securityholder, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, stockholders, agents, Affiliates or representatives, or any other Person, shall have or be subject to any liability to any of the Buyer Parties or any other Person resulting from the distribution to any of the Buyer Parties of, or the use or reliance on by any of the Buyer Parties, any such Evaluation Material.
56
(b) The Company acknowledges that none of the Buyer Parties nor any other Person has made any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding any of the Buyer Parties or other matters that is not specifically included in this Agreement, the Parent Disclosure Schedule or any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, none of the Buyer Parties nor any other Person has made a representation or warranty to the Company with respect to, and none of the Buyer Parties nor any other Person, shall be subject to any liability to any of the Acquired Companies or any other Person resulting from the Buyer Parties making available to the Acquired Companies, (i) any projections, estimates or budgets for Parent or (ii) any materials, documents or information relating to Parent made available to the Company or its counsel, accountants or advisors in Parent’s data room or otherwise, in each case, except as expressly covered by a representation or warranty set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Parent has delivered, or made available to the Company and its Affiliates, agents and representatives, certain projections and other forecasts, including but not limited to, projected financial statements, cash flow items and other data of Parent relating to the business of Parent and certain business plan information of Parent. Without limiting any of the representations or warranties set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions, the Company acknowledges that there are uncertainties inherent in attempting to make such projections and other forecasts and plans and accordingly is not relying on them, that the Company is familiar with such uncertainties, that the Company is taking full responsibility for making its own evaluation of the adequacy and accuracy of all projections and other forecasts and plans so furnished to it, and that the Company and its Affiliates, agents and representatives shall have no claim against any Person with respect thereto. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that, without limiting the generality of Section 5.22, except as expressly covered by a representation or warranty set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions, neither Parent nor any of its representatives, agents or Affiliates, have made any representation or warranty with respect to such projections and other forecasts and plans.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement, it is the explicit intent of the parties hereto that the Buyer Parties are not making any representation or warranty whatsoever, express or implied, in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions beyond those expressly given in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions.
57
(d) In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company acknowledges that it is not relying on any representation or warranty of the Buyer Parties, other than those representations and warranties specifically set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. The Company acknowledges that it has conducted to its satisfaction an independent investigation of the financial condition, liabilities, results of operations and projected operations of the Buyer Parties and the nature and condition of its properties, assets and businesses and, in making the determination to proceed with the Transactions, has relied solely on the results of its own independent investigation and the representations and warranties set forth in Article V and in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement, including this Section 3.26, shall relieve Parent and its Subsidiaries, any of its Affiliates or any other Person from any loss or liability in the case of Fraud.
Article IV
Representation and Warranties of the Sellers
Subject to the disclosures set forth in the Company Disclosure Schedule (each of which disclosures shall indicate the Section to which it relates (unless and only to the extent the relevance to other representations and warranties is reasonably apparent from the face of the disclosures)), each Seller represents and warrants to the Buyer Parties, severally only as to itself and not as to any other Seller, and as of the date hereof and as of the Closings as follows:
4.1 Organization, Standing and Organizational Power. Such Seller is a natural person or is a legal entity that is duly organized, validly existing and, where applicable, in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization. Such Seller has full power and authority to own or lease its properties and to conduct its business as currently conducted and, to the extent a legal entity, is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction required for the current conduct of its business, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed or in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on such Seller’s ability to consummate the Transactions to occur hereunder at the Closings. If applicable, such Seller is not in material violation of any of the provisions of its Governing Documents.
4.2 Authority; Noncontravention.
(a) Such Seller, if a legal entity, has all requisite organizational power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions. The execution, delivery and performance by such Seller, if such Seller is a legal entity, of this Agreement and the consummation by such Seller of the Transactions, have been duly and validly authorized by such Seller’s board of directors (or other similar governing body). This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such Seller and, assuming this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the Buyer Parties, constitutes the valid and binding obligation of such Seller enforceable against such Seller in accordance with its terms, subject only to the effect, if any, of (i) applicable bankruptcy or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.
(b) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Seller do not, and neither the consummation of the Transactions nor compliance by such Seller with any provisions of this Agreement will conflict with, or result in any violation of, or default under (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both), or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or loss of a benefit under (i) any provision of its Governing Documents, if such Seller is a legal entity or (ii) any Contract to which such Seller is a party or applicable Legal Requirement, in each case, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on such Seller’s ability to consummate the Transactions to occur hereunder at the Closings.
58
4.3 Ownership of TargetCo Units, Company Shares, PE UK Securities and New BC Shares. Such Seller is, as of the Agreement Date, the sole record and direct beneficial owner of the TargetCo Units, Company Shares, PE UK Securities or New BC Shares, as applicable, as set forth opposite such Seller’s name on Schedule 4.3(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than Encumbrances imposed by applicable securities laws or Encumbrances set forth in the Governing Documents of the Company, the PE UK Companies, TargetCo and New BC made available to Parent. Such Seller will, following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings, be the sole record and direct beneficial owner of the TargetCo Units or the New BC Shares, as applicable, as set forth opposite such Seller’s name on the Initial Spreadsheet, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than Encumbrances imposed by applicable securities laws or Encumbrances set forth in the Governing Documents of New BC and TargetCo made available to Parent in connection with the Pre-Closing Restructuring. Such Seller shall transfer and deliver to Holdings or its designee to the extent provided for in the Pre-Closing Restructuring or BidCo, as applicable, at the Closings good and marketable title to such Seller’s TargetCo Units or New BC Shares, as applicable, as set forth in the Initial Spreadsheet, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than Encumbrances imposed by applicable securities laws or Encumbrances set forth in the Governing Documents of New BC and TargetCo made available to Parent in connection with the Pre-Closing Restructuring. Other than the Governing Documents of the Company, the PE UK Companies, TargetCo or New BC, such Seller is not a party to (a) any option, warrant, purchase right, right of first refusal, call, put or other contract (other than this Agreement) that could require such Seller to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of his, her or its Company Shares, PE UK Securities or New BC Shares, as applicable, or (b) any voting trust, proxy or other contract relating to the voting of such Seller’s Company Shares, PE UK Securities or New BC Shares, as applicable,.
4.4 Government Approvals. Except for (a) the consents, waivers, authorizations, approvals and filings listed in Schedule 3.4 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (b) the consents, waivers, authorizations, approvals and filings that may be required solely by reason of Parent’s participation in the Transactions or any facts or circumstances relating to the Parent or any of its Affiliates, (c) such filings or approvals as may be required by any applicable federal or state securities or “blue sky” Legal Requirements, and (d) filings required under, and compliance with other applicable requirements of, the HSR Act and any other Antitrust and FDI Laws, no consents, waivers, authorizations, or approvals of, or filings, declarations or registrations with, any Governmental Entity are necessary for the execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Seller and the consummation by such Seller of the Transactions, other than as would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on such Seller’s ability to consummate the Transactions to occur hereunder at the Closings.
4.5 Brokers. Other than fees payable to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or its Affiliates, such Seller has no obligation for the payment of any fees or expenses of any investment banker, broker, advisor or finder in connection with the origin, negotiation or execution of this Agreement or in connection with the Transactions.
4.6 Legal Proceedings. There are no Proceedings pending or, to such Seller’s knowledge, overtly threatened in writing against such Seller at law or in equity, or before or by any Governmental Entity, which would have a material adverse effect on such Seller’s ability to consummate the Transactions on the Closing Date. Such Seller is not subject to any Order which would have a material adverse effect on such Seller’s ability to consummate the Transactions on the Closing Date.
4.7 TargetCo Operations. The PE Sellers have delivered or made available to the Buyer Parties a true, complete and correct copy of the Governing Documents of TargetCo as of the Agreement Date. As of the Agreement Date, the PE Sellers are the sole record and direct beneficial owner of all equity interests of TargetCo. All of the outstanding equity interests of TargetCo have been (or will be following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) duly authorized and validly issued, and are (or will be following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) fully paid and nonassessable and not subject to any preemptive rights. The representations and warranties on Schedule 4.7 of the Company Disclosure Schedule are true and correct.
59
4.8 New BC Operations. TargetCo has delivered or made available to the Buyer Parties a true, complete and correct copy of the Governing Documents of New BC as of the Agreement Date. As of the date of this Agreement, TargetCo is the sole record and direct beneficial owner of all equity interests of New BC. All of the outstanding equity interests of New BC have been (or will be following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) duly authorized and validly issued, and are (or will be following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings) fully paid and nonassessable and not subject to any preemptive rights. New BC was formed solely for the purpose of effecting the Transactions and has not engaged in any business activities or conducted any operations other than in connection with the Transactions.
4.9 Investment. Each PE Seller represents and warrants to the Buyer Parties, as to itself and not any other Seller, and as of the date hereof and as of the Closings as follows:
(a) Each PE Seller is acquiring the shares of Parent Common Stock for investment for its own account, not as a nominee or agent, and, except in accordance with this Agreement, not with the view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution thereof, and each PE Seller has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing any of such shares of Parent Common Stock in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities Legal Requirements and has no contract, undertaking, agreement or arrangement with any person regarding the distribution of such securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law; provided that by making the representations herein, each PE Seller does not agree to hold any of the shares of Parent Common Stock for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of the shares of Parent Common Stock at any time in accordance with or pursuant to an effective registration statement or an exemption under the Securities Act.
(b) Each PE Seller, either alone or together with its representatives, has been given the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of the information received and to ask questions of and receive answers from certain representatives of Parent concerning the terms and conditions of each PE Seller’s acquisition of the shares of Parent Common Stock pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Each PE Seller is aware of Parent’s business affairs and financial condition and has, either alone or together with its representatives, acquired sufficient information about Parent to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the shares of Parent Common Stock.
(c) Each PE Seller is (i) a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) or (ii) an “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act).
(d) Neither each PE Seller, nor, if applicable, any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, members or partners has (i) engaged in any general solicitation, (ii) published any advertisement or (iii) engaged in any “directed selling efforts” as defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act, in any case in connection with the offer and sale of the Parent Common Stock.
60
(e) Each PE Seller understands that the shares of Parent Common Stock have not been registered under the Securities Act, and are being issued by reason of a specific exemption from the registration provisions of the Securities Act which depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of the investment intent and the accuracy of each PE Seller’s representations as expressed herein. Each PE Seller understands that the shares of Parent Common Stock are considered “restricted securities” under applicable United States federal and state securities laws and that, pursuant to these laws, each PE Seller may not transfer the shares of Parent Common Stock until they are registered with the SEC and, if applicable, qualified by state authorities, or an exemption from such registration and qualification requirements is available. Each PE Seller acknowledges that if an exemption from registration or qualification is available, the transfer of Parent Common Stock may be conditioned on various requirements including, but not limited to, the time and manner or sale, the holding period of the shares of Parent Common Stock, and requirements relating to Parent which are outside of each PE Seller’s or Parent’s control, and which Parent is under no obligation and may not be able to satisfy. Each PE Seller further understands that the shares of Parent Common Stock must be held indefinitely unless they are subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available.
(f) Each PE Seller understands that Parent provides no assurances as to whether he, she or it will be able to resell any or all of the shares of Parent Common Stock pursuant to Rule 144, promulgated under the Securities Act, which rule requires, among other things, that Parent be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act that resales of securities take place only after each PE Seller of the shares of Parent Common Stock has held the shares of Parent Common Stock for certain specified time periods, and under certain circumstances, that resales of securities be limited in volume and take place only pursuant to brokered transactions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each PE Seller further understands that in the event all of the applicable requirements of Rule 144 are not satisfied, registration under the Securities Act or compliance with some other registration exemption will be required to effect a transfer of shares of Parent Common Stock. Each PE Seller acknowledges that Parent was previously an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of Rule 144.
(g) Each PE Seller represents that each PE Seller is not subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act. Each PE Seller also agrees to notify the Parent if each PE Seller becomes subject to such disqualifications after the date hereof.
(h) Without limiting any of the representations or warranties set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions, each PE Seller acknowledges that Parent makes no representation or warranty with respect to (i) any projections, estimates or budgets delivered to or made available to each PE Seller of future revenues, future results of operations (or any component thereof), future cash flows or future financial condition (or any component thereof) of Parent and its subsidiaries or the future business and operations of Parent and its subsidiaries, or (ii) any other information or documents made available to each PE Seller or its counsel, accountants or advisors or each PE Seller with respect to Parent and its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, liabilities or operations.
(i) Each PE Seller acknowledges that (i) it has sought its own accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the shares of Parent Common Stock, (ii) it has had the opportunity to conduct its own due diligence in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions; (iii) in making its investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the shares of Parent Common Stock, it has relied on its own due diligence and sources of information and those representations and warranties specifically set forth in Article V of this Agreement and in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions; (iv) it, by reason of its, or its management’s, business, financial or investment experience, has the knowledge, sophistication and capacity to evaluate the risks involved in this Agreement and the Transactions and to protect its own interests in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions; and (v) it has not relied upon, and hereby disclaims reliance on, any and all representations, warrants, or other statements by Parent or any of its representatives other than those expressly set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Without limiting any of the representations or warranties set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions, each PE Seller represents that it has consulted any tax and financial consultants it deems advisable in connection with the receipt of shares of Parent Common Stock and that it is not relying on Parent for any tax or financial advice. Each PE Seller acknowledges that each PE Seller may suffer losses, damages, injuries, declines in value, lost opportunities, liabilities, fees, charges, costs or expenses of any nature in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions, in each case in connection with the existence of non-public information and the possible public disclosure following this Agreement and the Transactions by the Parent or otherwise of such non-public information.
61
4.10 Rollover Investment.
(a) Each Canadian Management Seller that is acquiring the Exchangeable Shares is doing so for investment for its own account, not as a nominee or agent, and, except in accordance with this Agreement, not with the view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution thereof in violation of applicable securities Law, and such Canadian Management Seller has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing any of such Exchangeable Shares in violation of applicable securities Law and has no contract, undertaking, agreement or arrangement with any person regarding the distribution of such securities in violation of applicable securities Law; provided that by making the representations herein, such Canadian Management Seller does not agree to hold any of the Exchangeable Shares for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of the shares of Exchangeable Shares at any time in accordance with applicable securities Law and the Governing Documents of ExchangeCo.
(b) Each Canadian Management Seller that is acquiring the Exchangeable Shares, either alone or together with its representatives, has been given the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of the information received and to ask questions of and receive answers from certain representatives of ExchangeCo, Holdings and Parent concerning the terms and conditions of such Canadian Management Sellers’ acquisition of the Exchangeable Shares pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Each Canadian Management Seller is aware of each of ExchangeCo’s and Parent’s business affairs and financial condition and has, either alone or together with its representatives, acquired sufficient information about each of ExchangeCo and Parent to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the Exchangeable Shares.
(c) Each Canadian Management Sellers that is acquiring the Exchangeable Shares acknowledges that (i) it has sought its own accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the Exchangeable Shares, (ii) it has had the opportunity to conduct its own due diligence in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions; (iii) in making its investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the Exchangeable Shares, it has relied on its own due diligence and sources of information and those representations and warranties specifically set forth in Article V of this Agreement and in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions; (iv) it, by reason of its, or its management’s, business, financial or investment experience, has the knowledge, sophistication and capacity to evaluate the risks involved in this Agreement and the Transactions and to protect its own interests in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions; and (v) it has not relied upon, and hereby disclaims reliance on, any and all representations, warrants, or other statements by Parent or any of its representatives other than those expressly set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Without limiting any of the representations or warranties set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions, each Canadian Management Seller represents that it has consulted any tax and financial consultants it deems advisable in connection with the receipt of the Exchangeable Shares and that it is not relying on Parent or ExchangeCo for any tax or financial advice. Each Canadian Management Seller acknowledges that it may suffer losses, damages, injuries, declines in value, lost opportunities, liabilities, fees, charges, costs or expenses of any nature in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions, in each case in connection with the existence of non-public information and the possible public disclosure following this Agreement and the Transactions by the Parent or ExchangeCo or otherwise of such non-public information.
62
4.11 No Additional Representations No Reliance.
(a) Except for the representations and warranties contained in Article IV, neither such Seller nor any of its Affiliates makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to the Acquired Companies, any of their Affiliates or any of their respective businesses or with respect to any other information provided, or made available, to any Buyer Party or any of its Affiliates, agents or representatives in connection with the Transactions (other than with respect to the representations and warranties of the Company expressly set forth in Article III). Neither such Seller nor any of its Affiliates or any other Person will have or be subject to any liability or other obligation to the Buyer Parties, their Affiliates, agents or representatives or any Person resulting from any Evaluation Material, unless any such information is expressly and specifically included in a representation or warranty contained in Article IV. Such Seller disclaims any and all other representations and warranties, whether express or implied, and each Buyer Party acknowledges and agrees that none of the Sellers, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, stockholders, agents, Affiliates or representatives, or any other Person, shall have or be subject to any liability to any of the Buyer Parties or any other Person resulting from the distribution to any of the Buyer Parties or any other Person of, or the use or reliance on by any of the Buyer Parties, any such Evaluation Material.
(b) Such Seller acknowledges that none of the Buyer Parties nor any other Person has made any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding any of the Buyer Parties or other matters that is not specifically included in this Agreement, the Parent Disclosure Schedule or any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, none of the Buyer Parties nor any other Person has made a representation or warranty to such Seller with respect to, and none of the Buyer Parties nor any other Person, shall be subject to any liability to such Seller or any other Person resulting from the Buyer Parties making available to such Seller, (i) any projections, estimates or budgets for Parent or (ii) any materials, documents or information relating to Parent made available to such Seller or its counsel, accountants or advisors in Parent’s data room or otherwise, in each case, except as expressly covered by a representation or warranty set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Parent may have delivered, or made available to such Seller and its Affiliates, agents and representatives, certain projections and other forecasts, including but not limited to, projected financial statements, cash flow items and other data of Parent relating to the business of Parent and certain business plan information of Parent. Without limiting any of the representations or warranties set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions, such Seller acknowledges that there are uncertainties inherent in attempting to make such projections and other forecasts and plans and accordingly is not relying on them, that such Seller is familiar with such uncertainties, that such Seller is taking full responsibility for making its own evaluation of the adequacy and accuracy of all projections and other forecasts and plans so furnished to it, and that such Seller and its Affiliates, agents and representatives shall have no claim against any Person with respect thereto. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that, without limiting the generality of Section 5.22, except as expressly covered by a representation or warranty set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions, neither Parent nor any of its representatives, agents or Affiliates, have made any representation or warranty with respect to such projections and other forecasts and plans.
63
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement, it is the explicit intent of the parties hereto that the Buyer Parties are not making any representation or warranty whatsoever, express or implied, in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions beyond those expressly given in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions.
(d) In furtherance of the foregoing, such Seller acknowledges that it is not relying on any representation or warranty of the Buyer Parties, other than those representations and warranties specifically set forth in Article V of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Such Seller acknowledges that it has conducted to its satisfaction an independent investigation of the financial condition, liabilities, results of operations and projected operations of the Buyer Parties and the nature and condition of its properties, assets and businesses and, in making the determination to proceed with the Transactions, has relied solely on the results of its own independent investigation and the representations and warranties set forth in Article V and in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transactions. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement, including this Section 4.11, shall relieve Parent and its Subsidiaries, any of its Affiliates or any other Person from any loss or liability in the case of Fraud.
Article V
Representationsand Warranties of The Buyer Parties
Subject to the disclosures set forth in (i) the Parent SEC Documents filed with the SEC on or after the date of the filing of Parent’s Form 10-K with the SEC for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and publicly available at least two (2) Business Days prior to the date of this Agreement (excluding any disclosures in any risk factors section, in any section relating to forward-looking statements and other disclosures that are predictive, cautionary or forward-looking in nature (other than any historical factual information contained within such sections or statements)) (provided that nothing disclosed in any such Parent SEC Documents shall in any case qualify or apply to the representations and warranties set forth in the first sentence of Section 5.1 or in Sections 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.17, 5.18, and 5.19) or (ii) the disclosure schedule of the Parent delivered to the Company concurrently with the parties’ execution of this Agreement (the “Parent Disclosure Schedule”) (each of which disclosures shall indicate the Section to which it relates (unless and only to the extent the relevance to other representations and warranties is reasonably apparent from the face of the disclosures)), the Buyer Parties represent and warrant to the Sellers and the Company as of the date hereof and as of the Closings as follows:
5.1 Organization and Standing. Each of the Buyer Parties and its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, except, in the case of such Subsidiaries that are not Buyer Parties, where the failure to be so organized or in good standing would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect or materially impair or delay the Buyer Parties to consummate the Transactions. Each of the Buyer Parties and its Subsidiaries has full corporate, limited liability company or other organizational power and authority to own or lease its properties and to conduct its business as currently conducted and is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction required for the current conduct of its business, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed or in good standing would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect or materially impair or delay the Buyer Parties to consummate the Transactions. None of Parent, Holdings, BidCo or any of their respective Subsidiaries is in material violation of any of the provisions of their respective Governing Documents.
64
5.2 Authority; Noncontravention; Necessary Consents.
(a) Each of Parent, BidCo and Holdings has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions. The execution, delivery and performance by Parent, BidCo and Holdings of this Agreement and the consummation by Parent, BidCo and Holdings of the Transactions, including the Parent Stock Issuance, have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Parent, BidCo and Holdings; without limiting the foregoing, the Parent Board, at a meeting duly called and held, unanimously duly adopted resolutions (i) approving this Agreement and the Transactions, including the Parent Stock Issuance, (ii) determining, subject to applicable Legal Requirements, to recommend that the holders of Parent Common Stock effect the Parent Stockholder Approval, (iii) directing that the Parent Stock Issuance be submitted to the holders of issued and outstanding Parent Common Stock for their approval as promptly as practicable and (iv) authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and consummation of the Transactions, by Parent (including approval by a majority of the independent directors of the Parent Board of the First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement). Other than the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by the holders of Parent Common Stock who are present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter at the Parent Stockholders Meeting approving the issuance of the Parent Common Stock pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements, in each case, in accordance with applicable Legal Requirements and the organizational documents of Parent (such issuance, the “Parent StockIssuance”, and such approval, the “Parent Stockholder Approval”), no further action by or on behalf of Parent, BidCo and Holdings or any of their stockholders, officers, board, members or managers is necessary to authorize this Agreement or any of the Transactions. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each of Parent, BidCo and Holdings and constitutes the valid and binding obligation of Parent, BidCo and Holdings enforceable against Parent, BidCo and Holdings, respectively, in accordance with its terms, subject only to the effect, if any, of (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium and other similar Legal Requirements affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) Legal Requirements governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.
(b) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by Parent, BidCo and Holdings do not, and neither the consummation of the Transactions nor compliance by Parent, BidCo and Holdings with any provisions of this Agreement will conflict with, require consent or notice under, or result in any violation of, or default under (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both), or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or loss of a benefit under (i) any provision of their respective Governing Documents, or (ii) any Contract to which Parent, BidCo or Holdings is a party or applicable Legal Requirement, except in the case of clause (ii), where such conflict, violation, default, termination, cancellation or acceleration, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(c) No consent, approval, order, waiver or authorization of, or registration, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Entity, is required by or with respect to Parent, BidCo or Holdings in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transactions, except for (i) such filings as may be required under the applicable requirements of NYSE, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, state securities laws and the securities laws of any foreign country, (ii) such filings and notifications as may be required to be made by Parent in connection with the Transactions under the HSR Act or other applicable foreign Antitrust and FDI Laws and the expiration or early termination of applicable waiting periods under the HSR Act or other applicable Antitrust and FDI Laws, and (iii) such other consents, authorizations, filings, approvals, notices and registrations which, if not obtained or made, would not be material to the Buyer Parties’ ability to consummate the Transactions or to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement.
65
5.3 Capitalization.
(a) The authorized capital stock of the Parent consists of (i) 1,000,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Parent Preferred Stock”). At the close of business on October 30, 2025 (the “Signing Capitalization Date”), (x) 125,195,336 shares of Parent Common Stock were issued and outstanding, (y) no shares of Parent Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding and (z) Parent Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 3,005,517 shares of Parent Common Stock were issued and outstanding. There are no other issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company and no outstanding commitments or Contracts to issue any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company other than the Subscription Agreements or pursuant to Parent Equity Awards. All issued and outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the Parent Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements, when issued, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and, in each case, other than as set forth in the Parent Equity Plans or the related award agreements, are free of any Encumbrances, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or “put”, “call” or similar rights created by statute, Governing Documents or any Contract to which the Parent is a party or by which the Parent is bound. There is no liability for dividends accrued and unpaid by the Parent.
(b) As of the Signing Capitalization Date, Parent has reserved 26,103,701 shares of Parent Common Stock for issuance to employees, non-employee directors and consultants pursuant to the Parent Equity Plans, of which (i) 2,966,146 shares are subject to outstanding and unexercised Parent Options, (ii) 5,816,068 shares are subject to awards of Parent RSUs and (iii) a maximum of 1,790,511 shares are subject to awards of Parent PSUs (all such stock options, restricted stock units and performance-based vesting restricted stock units, the “ParentEquity Awards”), and an aggregate total of 15,530,976 shares remain available for issuance under the Parent Equity Plans.
(c) Other than as set forth in Section 5.3(a) and Section 5.3(b), as of the Agreement Date, no Person has any right to acquire any shares of Parent Common Stock or any options, warrants, restricted stock units or other rights to purchase or be issued, or any phantom share or other similar awards based on the value of, shares of Parent Common Stock or other securities of Parent, from Parent or, to the knowledge of Parent, any shareholder of the Company.
(d) Except for the Parent Equity Plans, the Parent Equity Awards and as set forth in Schedule 5.3(d) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, as of the date hereof there are no Contracts relating to the voting, issuance, transfer, purchase, redemption or sale of any Parent Common Stock (i) between or among Parent and any of its securityholders, other than written contracts granting Parent the right to purchase unvested shares upon termination of employment or service, and (ii) to the knowledge of Parent, between or among any of its securityholders.
(e) The calculation of Undisclosed Shares delivered pursuant to Section 2.4(a)(xii) will, when delivered, include a complete and accurate list of (1) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding (or subject to any warrants or convertible securities obligating Parent to issue any such shares, which warrants or convertible securities are outstanding) as of the Signing Capitalization Date, (2) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock that are subject to issued and outstanding Parent Equity Awards as of the Signing Capitalization Date and (3) shares of Parent Common Stock issued in violation of Section 6.3(c).
66
5.4 Holdings, BidCo and CallCo. Parent has delivered or made available to the Company a true, complete and correct copy of the Governing Documents of Holdings, BidCo and CallCo. Parent is the sole indirect legal and beneficial owner of all equity interests of Holdings, BidCo and CallCo. All of the outstanding equity interests of Holdings, BidCo and CallCo have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable and not subject to any preemptive rights. Each of Holdings, Bidco and CallCo was formed solely for the purpose of effecting the Transactions and has not engaged in any business activities or conducted any operations other than in connection with the Transactions.
5.5 ExchangeCo. As of immediately following Closing, the authorized capital of ExchangeCo will consist of an unlimited number of common shares and an unlimited number of Exchangeable Shares. As of immediately following Closing, all issued and outstanding common shares will be held by Holdings, and all issued and outstanding Exchangeable Shares will be held by Canadian Management Sellers. Except for this Agreement or the transaction contemplated herein, there are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants convertible securities or other rights, agreements, arrangements or commitments of any character relating to any shares in the capital of ExchangeCo or obligating ExchangeCo to issue or sell any shares of, or any other interest in, ExchangeCo.
5.6 Exchangeable Shares. The Exchangeable Shares, upon issuance to the Canadian Management Sellers, will be authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Encumbrances contained in the Governing Documents of ExchangeCo and under applicable Legal Requirement.
5.7 No Litigation.
(a) Except as would not reasonably be material to the Buyer Parties, taken as a whole, there are no Proceedings pending before any Governmental Entity, or, to the knowledge of Parent, threatened against Parent, Holdings or BidCo or any of their respective Subsidiaries or any of their respective assets or properties or, to the knowledge of Parent, any of their respective directors, officers or employees (in their capacities as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship with Parent). There is no material judgment, award, decree, injunction or order against Parent, Holdings or BidCo, any of their respective Subsidiaries, or any of their respective material assets or properties, or, to the knowledge of the Parent, any of their respective directors, officers or employees (in their capacities as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship with Parent). Except as would not reasonably be material to the Buyer Parties, taken as a whole, (i) none of Parent, Holdings or BidCo or any of their respective Subsidiaries has any Proceeding pending against any other Person, (ii) since January 1, 2023, no Proceeding has been commenced by or against, or to the knowledge of the Parent, threatened against, Parent, Holdings or BidCo or any of their respective Subsidiaries, and (iii) there is no Order in effect or pending to which Parent, Holdings or BidCo or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or any of the assets owned or used by Parent, Holdings or BidCo or any of their respective Subsidiaries, is subject or would reasonably be likely to be subject. To the knowledge of Parent, no officer or other employee of Parent, Holdings or BidCo or any of their respective Subsidiaries (in their capacities as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship with any of the Buyer Parties or their respective Subsidiaries) is subject to any Order or pending Order that prohibits or would reasonably be expected to prohibit, respectively, such officer or other employee from engaging in or continuing any conduct, activity or practice relating to their respective businesses that would reasonably be expected to be material to the Buyer Parties.
67
(b) During the past five (5) years, none of the Buyer Parties, nor any of their respective directors, officers, or to the knowledge of the Buyer Parties, any of their respective agents, have violated any applicable Anti-Corruption Law or Anti-Money Laundering Law in any material respect. Parent maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with applicable Anti-Corruption Laws and Anti-Money Laundering Laws. None of the Buyer Parties are subject to any investigation, prosecution, enforcement action, litigation, or disclosure regarding any actual or potential violation of applicable Anti-Corruption Laws or Anti-Money Laundering Laws.
5.8 Environmental Matters. Each of the Buyer Parties and all of their respective Subsidiaries are, and since January 1, 2023 have been, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Environmental Laws. Since January 1, 2023 (or earlier if unresolved), no Buyer Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries has received any material Environmental Claim, and there is no material Environmental Claim pending or, to the knowledge of the Parent, threatened in writing against any of the Buyer Parties or their respective Subsidiaries. Each of the Buyer Parties and their respective Subsidiaries holds and is, and since January 1, 2023 has held and been, in compliance in all material respects with all Environmental Permits required to operate at the their respective properties and to conduct their respective businesses as currently and then conducted, all such Environmental Permits are or were, as necessary, in full force and effect, and, there are no material Proceedings pending or, threatened in writing, that seek the revocation, cancellation, suspension or adverse modification of any such Environmental Permit. None of the Buyer Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries has treated, stored, arranged for or permitted disposal of, handled, manufactured, sold, distributed, Released or exposed any Person to, or owned or operated any real property contaminated by, any Hazardous Materials which has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in material Liabilities of the Buyer Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries under Environmental Laws. None of the Buyer Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries has assumed, undertaken or provided an indemnity with respect to, or otherwise become subject to, any material Liability of any other Person under any Environmental Laws. Parent has made available to Seller true, correct and complete copies of all material environmental or health and safety reports, studies, records, and audits created since January 1, 2023 relating to the Buyer Parties and all of their respective Subsidiaries and their affiliates’ or predecessors’, past or current businesses, operations or assets that are within the Buyer Parties’ possession.
5.9 Parent SEC Reports. Since January 1, 2023, Parent has filed all forms, reports and documents with the SEC that have been required to be filed by it pursuant to applicable laws prior to the date hereof (the “Parent SEC Documents”). Each Parent SEC Documents complied, as of its filing date, in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as the case may be, each as in effect on the date that such Parent SEC Documents was filed. True, correct and complete copies of all Parent SEC Documents are publicly available in the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval database of the SEC (“EDGAR”). As of its filing date (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date hereof, on the date of such amended or superseded filing), each Parent SEC Document did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that no representation is made as to the accuracy of any financial projection or forward-looking statement set forth therein. No Subsidiary of Parent is required to file any forms, reports or documents with the SEC.
5.10 Company Financial Statements; Internal Controls.
(a) The consolidated financial statements (including any related notes and schedules) of Parent and its Subsidiaries filed with the Parent SEC Documents (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto or as otherwise permitted by Form 10-Q with respect to any financial statements filed on Form 10-Q); and (ii) fairly present, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of any financial statements filed on Form 10-Q, to normal year-end adjustments). Except as have been described in the Parent SEC Documents, there are no unconsolidated Subsidiaries of Parent or any off-balance sheet arrangements of the type required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC.
68
(b) Parent has established and maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” and “internal control over financial reporting” (in each case as defined pursuant to Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 promulgated under the Exchange Act). Parent’s disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that all (i) material information required to be disclosed by Parent in the reports and other documents that it files or furnishes pursuant to the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC; and (ii) such material information is accumulated and communicated to Parent’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications required pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Parent’s management has completed an assessment of the effectiveness of Parent’s internal control over financial reporting in compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and such assessment concluded that such system was effective. Since January 1, 2023, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of Parent have made all certifications required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Neither Parent nor its principal executive officer or principal financial officer has received notice from any Governmental Entity challenging or questioning the accuracy, completeness, form or manner of filing of such certifications.
(c) Parent has established and maintains a system of internal accounting controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, including policies and procedures that (i) require the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of Parent and its Subsidiaries; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and that receipts and expenditures of Parent and its Subsidiaries are being made only in accordance with appropriate authorizations of Parent’s management and the Parent Board; and (iii) provide assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the assets of Parent and its Subsidiaries. Neither Parent nor, to the knowledge of Parent, Parent’s independent registered public accounting firm has identified or been made aware of (A) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the system of internal control over financial reporting utilized by Parent and its Subsidiaries that has not been subsequently remediated; or (B) any fraud that involves Parent’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal control over financial reporting utilized by Parent and its Subsidiaries. As of the date hereof, there are no outstanding or unresolved comments in comment letters received from the SEC with respect to the Parent SEC Documents.
5.11 Compliance with Laws; Governmental Permits.
(a) Each of the Buyer Parties and its Subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with all material Legal Requirements applicable to the conduct of their business. As of the Agreement Date, each of the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries have obtained each material federal, state, county, local or foreign governmental consent, license, permit, grant, or other authorization of a Governmental Entity that is necessary to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as owned, leased, operated or carried on as of the Agreement Date (all of the foregoing material consents, licenses, permits, grants, and other authorizations, collectively, the “ParentAuthorizations”), and all of the Parent Authorizations are in full force and effect. Each of the Buyer Parties and its Subsidiaries is, and has at all times since January 1, 2023 been, in compliance in all material respects with the terms and requirements of their respective Parent Authorizations. Since January 1, 2023, none of the Buyer Parties or their respective Subsidiaries has received any written notice from any Governmental Entity regarding (i) any material violation of any Legal Requirements or material violation of any Parent Authorization or (ii) any revocation, withdrawal, suspension, cancellation or material adverse modification of any Parent Authorization.
69
(b) Parent is in compliance in all material respects with (i) the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and (ii) the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), in each case, that are applicable to Parent. The Parent Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and listed on the NYSE, and Parent has not received any notice of deregistration or delisting from the SEC or the NYSE, as applicable. No judgment, order, ruling, decree, injunction, or award of any securities commission or similar securities regulatory authority or any other Governmental Entity, or of the NYSE, preventing or suspending trading in any securities of Parent has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose are, to Parent’s knowledge, pending, contemplated or threatened. Parent has taken no action that is designed to terminate the registration of the Parent Common Stock under the Exchange Act.
5.12 Absence of Certain Changes. Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, between December 31, 2024 and the Agreement Date, (a) the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries have conducted their business in the Ordinary Course of Business in all material respects, (b) there has not occurred any event, condition, change, occurrence or development that, individually or in the aggregate, has had a Parent Material Adverse Effect, and (c) there has not occurred any event, condition, action or occurrence that, if taken during the period from the Agreement Date through the Closing Date without the consent of the Shareholders’ Representative, would constitute a breach of Section 6.3.
5.13 Material Contracts. Except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, each of the Buyer Parties and its Subsidiaries has performed all of the material obligations required to be performed by it (including complying in all material respects with restrictive covenants and “most favored nation” pricing terms and conditions) and is entitled to all material benefits under each Contract that is material to the business of the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (the “Parent Contracts”). Except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, each of the Parent Contracts is in full force and effect, subject only to the effect, if any, of applicable bankruptcy and other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies. There exists no material default or event of material default or event, occurrence, condition or act, with respect to any of the Buyer Parties or their respective Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of Parent, with respect to any other contracting party, which, with the giving of notice, the lapse of time or the happening of any other event or condition, would reasonably be expected to give any third party (a) the right to declare a material breach and exercise any material remedy under any Parent Contract, (b) the right to accelerate in any material respect the maturity or performance of any obligation of any Buyer Party or any of its Subsidiaries under any Parent Contract, or (c) the right to cancel or terminate any Parent Contract. None of the Buyer Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries has received any written notice of material breach, default or intention to not extend, to terminate, cancel or materially and adversely modify any Parent Contract.
5.14 No Undisclosed Liabilities. Parent and its Subsidiaries have no material liabilities of a nature required to be reflected or reserved against on a balance sheet (or the notes thereto) prepared in accordance with GAAP, other than liabilities (a) reflected or otherwise reserved against in the Parent Audited Balance Sheet or in the consolidated financial statements of Parent and its Subsidiaries (including the notes thereto) included in the Parent SEC Documents filed prior to the date hereof; (b) arising pursuant to this Agreement or incurred in connection with the Transactions, (c) incurred in the ordinary course of business on or after January 1, 2025, or (d) that would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
70
5.15 Subscription Agreements. On or prior to the date of this Agreement, Parent has entered into Subscription Agreements with the PIPE Investors, true and correct copies of which have been provided to the Company on or prior to the date of this Agreement, pursuant to which, and on the terms and subject to the conditions of which, such PIPE Investors have agreed, in connection with the Transactions, to purchase from Parent shares of Parent Common Stock for an aggregate investment amount of $1,962,037,554.00 (the “PIPE Investment Amount”). As of the date hereof, such Subscription Agreements are in full force and effect with respect to, and binding on, Parent and, to the knowledge of Parent, on each PIPE Investor party thereto, in accordance with their terms. As of the date hereof, none of the Subscription Agreements have been withdrawn, rescinded or terminated, or otherwise amended or modified in any respect (and no such amendment or modification is contemplated by Parent). There are no other agreements, side letters or arrangements between Parent and any PIPE Investor relating to any such Subscription Agreement that would adversely affect the obligation of such PIPE Investor. As of the date hereof, Parent does not have knowledge of any facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to result in any of the conditions set forth in any such Subscription Agreement not being satisfied, or the PIPE Investment Amount not being available to Parent, on the Closing Date. No fees, consideration or other discounts are payable or have been agreed by Parent (including, from and after the Closing Date, the Acquired Companies) to any PIPE Investor in respect of its portion of the PIPE Investment Amount.
5.16 Availability of Funds.
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, the Buyer Parties have received and delivered to the Company an executed debt commitment letter, dated as of the date hereof (including all exhibits, schedules and annexes thereto and any associated fee letter, collectively, as amended, the “Debt Commitment Letter”), from Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“Lender”), pursuant to which Lender has committed, subject solely to the terms and conditions set forth therein, to provide to the Buyer Parties the amount of debt financing set forth therein (the “Backstop Debt Financing”) solely for the Debt Financing Purposes. A true and complete copy of the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter (other than the fee letter referred to in the Debt Commitment Letter, which is addressed below), as in effect as of the date hereof, has been previously provided to the Company. The Buyer Parties have fully paid all fees required by the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter to be paid on or before the date hereof and will pay all additional fees as they become due. As of the date hereof, the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter is a legal, valid, binding and enforceable obligation of the Buyer Parties and, to the knowledge of the Buyer Parties, each other party thereto (subject to the (i) applicable bankruptcy or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies) and in full force and effect, has not been amended, modified, withdrawn, terminated or rescinded in any respect, and does not contain any material misrepresentation by the Buyer Parties and no event has occurred which (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) would reasonably be expected to constitute a breach thereunder on the part of the Buyer Parties. No amendment or modification to, or withdrawal, termination or rescission of, the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter is currently contemplated (other than amendments to add additional arrangers thereto).
(b) At the Closings, the aggregate net proceeds contemplated by the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter (after giving effect to the exercise of any or all “market flex” provisions related thereto) and the Subscription Agreements will be sufficient, together with the Buyer Parties’ cash on hand or undrawn amounts immediately available under existing credit facilities, for the Buyer Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and to satisfy all of the obligations of the Buyer Parties under this Agreement, including (i) payment of the Total Closing Cash Consideration and the Total Option Cash Consideration, (ii) effecting the repayment or refinancing of (1) the Target Credit Agreement required to be repaid or refinanced in connection with the Closings if the Debt Change of Control Waiver is not obtained on or prior to the Closings and (2) any other Repaid Debt, (iii) payment of the Net Preferred Share Payment Amount and the excess of the PE Sellers Preferred Share Payment Amount over the NAV Payoff Amount and (iv) payment of all fees and expenses of the Buyer Parties (and to the extent the Buyer Parties are responsible therefor under this Agreement, any other Person, including the Transaction Expenses and Parent Transaction Expenses) related to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Backstop Debt Financing (collectively, the “Debt Financing Purposes”). No Buyer Party has incurred any obligation, commitment, restriction or liability of any kind, and no Buyer Party is contemplating or aware of any obligation, commitment, restriction or liability of any kind, in either case that would reasonably be expected to impair or adversely affect in any material respect such resources.
71
(c) Except for the fee letter referred to in the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter (a true and complete copy of which fee letter has been provided to the Company, with only fee amounts, pricing caps, other economic terms and any “market flex” terms redacted), as of the date hereof, there are no side letters or other agreements, contracts (except for customary fee letters and engagement letters (none of which adversely affect the amount, conditionality, enforceability, termination or availability of the Backstop Debt Financing)) or arrangements related to the funding of the Backstop Debt Financing other than as expressly set forth in the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter. Neither the fee letter referred to in the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter nor any other Contract between the Lender, on the one hand, the Buyer Parties, any Buyer Party, or any of their Affiliates, on the other hand, contains any conditions precedent or other contingencies (i) related to the funding of the full amount of the Backstop Debt Financing, the PIPE Investment Amount or any provisions that could reasonably be expected to reduce the aggregate amount of the Backstop Debt Financing set forth in the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or the PIPE Investment Amount set forth in the Subscription Agreements or the aggregate proceeds contemplated by the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter below or the Subscription Agreements, as applicable, the amount required to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or (ii) that could reasonably be expected to otherwise adversely affect the conditionality, enforceability or availability of the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter with respect to all or any portion of the Backstop Debt Financing or the Subscription Agreements with respect to all or any portion of the PIPE Investment Amount. The Buyer Parties understand and acknowledge that, under the terms of this Agreement, the Buyer Parties’ obligation to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is not in any way contingent upon or otherwise subject to the Buyer Parties’ consummation of any financing arrangements, the Buyer Parties’ obtaining of any financing or the availability, grant, provision or extension of any financing to the Buyer Parties. As of the date hereof, the Buyer Parties are not, and no Buyer Party (A) is in breach of any of the terms or conditions set forth in the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or the Subscription Agreements and no event has occurred which, with or without notice, lapse of time or both, would constitute a default or breach on the part of the Buyer Parties, any Buyer Party or any other party thereto under any term or condition of the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or the Subscription Agreements or (B) has any reason to believe that any of the conditions to the Backstop Debt Financing or PIPE Investment Amount would not be expected to be satisfied on a timely basis or that the Debt Financing or the PIPE Investment Amount would not be expected to be available to the Buyer Parties on the date on which the Closings should occur pursuant to Section 2.3.
5.17 Disclosure Documents. None of the information supplied or to be supplied by or on behalf of Parent for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement will, at the time the Proxy Statement is mailed to Parent Stockholders, or at the time of the Parent Stockholders Meeting, contain any untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein, necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading or necessary to correct any statement of a material fact in any earlier communication with respect to the solicitation of proxies for the Parent Stockholders Meeting which has become false or misleading.
72
5.18 Opinion of Financial Advisor. The Parent Board has received the opinion of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to the effect that, as of the date of such opinion, and subject to the various assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and qualifications and limitations on the scope of the review undertaken as set forth therein, the Base Purchase Price to be paid by Parent is fair from a financial point of view to Parent.
5.19 Transaction Fees. Other than fees payable to Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC or its Affiliates, neither Parent nor any Affiliate of Parent is obligated for the payment of any fees or expenses of any investment banker, broker or finder in connection with the origin, negotiation or execution of this Agreement or in connection with the Transaction.
5.20 Taxes.
(a) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect, Parent and each of its Subsidiaries have properly completed and timely filed (taking into account all applicable extensions) all Tax Returns required to be filed by them and have timely paid all Taxes (whether or not shown on such Tax Returns) required to be paid by or with respect to Parent and each of its Subsidiaries. All such Tax Returns are true, correct and complete in all respects.
(b) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has consummated or participated in any transaction which was or is a “Tax shelter” transaction as defined in Sections 6662 or 6111 of the Code or the Treasury Regulations, or a “listed transaction” or a “reportable transaction” within the meaning of Section 6707A(c) of the Code or Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b), or any transaction requiring disclosure under a corresponding or similar provision of state, local, or foreign law.
(c) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has constituted either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a distribution of stock intended to qualify for non-recognition of gain under Section 355 of the Code in the past two (2) years.
(d) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken, intends to take, or has agreed to take, any action or is aware of any fact or circumstance that would prevent or impede, or could reasonably be expected to prevent or impede, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement from qualifying for the Intended Tax Treatment.
(e) Holdings is, and has been since its formation, treated as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. BidCo is, and has been since its formation, treated as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
5.21 Employee Benefit Plans and Employee Matters.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, a “Parent Employee Plan” means: (i) each deferred compensation, bonus, incentive compensation, stock purchase, stock option, equity or equity-based, vacation, insurance, supplemental unemployment, retention, fringe benefit, profit-sharing, commission, pension, retirement, cafeteria, medical, life insurance, dental, vision, short- or long-term disability, supplemental retirement, employment, consulting, tax gross-up or change of control plan, program, policy, practice, agreement or arrangement (whether or not subject to ERISA); (ii) each severance or termination pay plan, program, policy, practice, agreement or arrangement; each employee welfare benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(1) of ERISA); each employee pension benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA); and (iii) each other employee benefit plan, fund, program, policy, practice, agreement or arrangement, in each case of subclause (i) – (iii), that is sponsored, maintained or contributed to or required to be contributed to by the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or has any liability, for the benefit of any employee, director or consultant who is a natural person of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
73
(b) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has in the past six (6) years maintained, established, sponsored, participated in, contributed to, or been required to contribute or had any liability in respect of any (i) employee pension benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA) that is subject to Title IV of ERISA or Sections 412 or 430 of the Code, (ii) “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA or Section 414(f) of the Code, or (iii) multiple employer plan within the meaning of Section 413(c) of the Code.
(c) Neither the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the Transactions, will (either alone or in connection with any other event): (i) entitle any current or former employee, director, officer or other individual service provider of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to any payment (whether of severance pay or otherwise), forgiveness of indebtedness or distribution, (ii) increase, accelerate the time of payment or vesting, or obligation to fund, any compensation or benefits (through a grantor trust or otherwise) due to any employee, director, officer or other individual service provider of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iii) create or otherwise result in any other material liability with respect to a Parent Employee Plan.
(d) To the knowledge of Parent, no fiduciary (within the meaning of Section 3(21) of ERISA) of any Parent Employee Plan subject to Part 4 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA has committed a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to that Parent Employee Plan that could subject the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or an employee of any of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to any material liability (including liability on account of an indemnification obligation) that has not been fully satisfied. To the knowledge of Parent, no transactions prohibited by Section 4975 of the Code or Section 406 of ERISA (that are not otherwise exempt under Section 408 of ERISA or Sections 4975(c)(2) or 4975(d) of the Code) have occurred with respect to any Parent Employee Plan, except as would not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
(e) Each Parent Employee Plan has since January 1, 2023 been operated and administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms and applicable Legal Requirements. Each Parent Employee Plan intended to be “qualified” within the meaning of Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and has received a currently effective favorable IRS determination letter, or is entitled to rely on an advisory or opinion letter, from the IRS with respect to such qualification, and no circumstances exist which could reasonably be expected to cause the loss of the qualified status of any such Parent Employee Plan.
(f) Parent and its Subsidiaries are not, and since January 1, 2023 have not been, bound by or a party to or negotiating, any collective bargaining agreements, union contracts or similar agreements.
(g) There is no labor strike, lockout, stoppage or other material labor dispute pending or, to the knowledge of Parent, threatened in writing against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. To the knowledge of Parent, there is no material labor union organizing activity involving any employees of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
74
(h) No material unfair labor practice or labor charge or complaint is pending or, to the knowledge of Parent, threatened in writing with respect to any Parent or any of its Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or any other Governmental Entity.
(i) Parent and its Subsidiaries are, and since January 1, 2023, to the knowledge of Parent, have been, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Legal Requirements, Contracts and orders respecting employment, including all Employment Laws.
(j) Since January 1, 2023, each Person classified or otherwise treated by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries as a non-employee worker (including without limitation as an independent contractor, leased employee, or consultant) has, to the knowledge of Parent, been properly classified as such under applicable law and satisfies and has satisfied in all material respects all applicable Legal Requirements to be so classified or treated.
(k) Since January 1, 2023, (i) to the knowledge of the Company, no allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct have been made against (A) any officer or director of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or (B) any employee, director or consultant of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries who directly or indirectly supervises other employees of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries; (ii) Parent and its Subsidiaries have not been subject to any Proceeding involving allegations of sexual harassment; and (iii) Parent and its Subsidiaries have not been party to any Contract settling any claim of alleged sexual harassment.
(l) Each Parent Employee Plan or other contract, plan, program, agreement, or arrangement that is a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” (within the meaning of Section 409A(d)(1) of the Code) is in compliance with Section 409A in all material respects. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is liable for any tax gross-up, reimbursement or indemnification payments for any payments taxable under, or in connection with, Section 409A.
5.22 No Additional Representations; No Reliance.
(a) Except for the representations and warranties contained in Article V, none of Parent nor any of its Affiliates makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to Parent, any of its Affiliates or any of their respective businesses or with respect to any other information provided, or made available, to the Company or any of its Affiliates, agents or representatives in connection with the Transactions. None of Parent, any of their Affiliates or any other Person will have or be subject to any liability or other obligation to the Sellers, the Company, their respective Affiliates, agents or representatives or any Person resulting from any Evaluation Material, unless any such information is expressly and specifically included in a representation or warranty contained in Article V. Parent disclaims any and all other representations and warranties, whether express or implied, and the Company acknowledges and agrees that none of Parent, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, stockholders, agents, Affiliates or representatives, or any other Person, shall have or be subject to any liability to the Company or any other Person resulting from the distribution to the Company of, or the use or reliance on by the Company, any such Evaluation Material.
75
(b) The Buyer Parties acknowledge that none of the Sellers, the Acquired Companies nor any other Person has made any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding the Sellers, the Acquired Companies or other matters that is not specifically included in this Agreement, the Parent Disclosure Schedule, the Letters of Transmittal or any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, none of the Sellers, the Acquired Companies nor any other Person has made a representation or warranty to the Buyer Parties with respect to, and none of the Sellers, the Acquired Companies nor any other Person, shall be subject to any liability to the Buyer Parties or any other Person resulting from the Sellers or the Acquired Companies making available to the Buyer Parties, (i) any projections, estimates or budgets for the Acquired Companies or (ii) any materials, documents or information relating to the Acquired Companies made available to Parent or its counsel, accountants or advisors in the Company’s data room or otherwise, in each case, except as expressly covered by a representation or warranty set forth in Article III or Article IV of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction. In connection with Parent’s investigation of the Acquired Companies, the Acquired Companies have delivered, or made available to Parent and its respective Affiliates, agents and representatives, certain projections and other forecasts, including but not limited to, projected financial statements, cash flow items and other data of the Acquired Companies relating to the business of the Acquired Companies and certain business plan information of the Acquired Companies. Without limiting any of the representations or warranties set forth in Article III or Article IV of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction, Parent acknowledges that there are uncertainties inherent in attempting to make such projections and other forecasts and plans and accordingly is not relying on them, that Parent is familiar with such uncertainties, that Parent is taking full responsibility for making its own evaluation of the adequacy and accuracy of all projections and other forecasts and plans so furnished to it, and that Parent and its Affiliates, agents and representatives shall have no claim against any Person with respect thereto. Accordingly, the Buyer Parties acknowledge that, without limiting the generality of Section 3.26 and Section 4.11, except as expressly covered by a representation or warranty set forth in Article III or Article IV of this Agreement or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction, none of the Sellers, the Acquired Companies nor any of their representatives, agents or Affiliates, have made any representation or warranty with respect to such projections and other forecasts and plans.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement, it is the explicit intent of the parties hereto that the Sellers and the Acquired Companies are not making any representation or warranty whatsoever, express or implied, in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions beyond those expressly given in Article III and Article IV of this Agreement, the Letters of Transmittal or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction, except as expressly provided in Article III and Article IV of this Agreement, the Letters of Transmittal, or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction, and subject to the terms and conditions of Article III and Article IV of this Agreement, the Letters of Transmittal or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction, it is understood that Parent takes the Acquired Companies as is and where is with all faults as of the Closing Date with any and all defects.
(d) In furtherance of the foregoing, the Buyer Parties acknowledge that it is not relying on any representation or warranty of the Acquired Companies or the Sellers, other than those representations and warranties specifically set forth in Article III and Article IV of this Agreement, the Letters of Transmittal or in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction. The Buyer Parties acknowledges that it has conducted to its satisfaction an independent investigation of the financial condition, liabilities, results of operations and projected operations of the Acquired Companies and the nature and condition of its properties, assets and businesses and, in making the determination to proceed with the Transactions, has relied solely on the results of its own independent investigation and the representations and warranties set forth in Article III and Article IV of this Agreement, the Letters of Transmittal and in any other agreement, instrument or certificate entered into or delivered in connection with the Transaction. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement, including this Section 5.22, shall relieve the Sellers, the Company and its Subsidiaries, any of its Affiliates or any other Person from any loss or liability in the case of Fraud.
76
Article VI
ConductPrior to the Closing Date
6.1 Conduct of Business of the Company. During the period from the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement and the Closings, except (i) as set forth on Schedule 6.2 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (ii) to the extent expressly permitted or provided in this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Pre-Closing Restructuring), (iii) as required by Legal Requirements or (iv) as BidCo shall otherwise consent in advance in writing (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), the Company shall, and shall cause each other Acquired Company to, use commercially reasonable efforts to conduct its and their business in the Ordinary Course of Business and use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve its and their relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors, licensors, licensees and others having business dealings with it.
6.2 Restrictions on Conduct of Business of the Company. Without limiting the generality or effect of the provisions of Section 6.1, during the period from the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement and the Closings, the Company shall not, and shall cause each other Acquired Company not to, do, cause or permit any of the following (except (i) as set forth on Schedule 6.2 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (ii) to the extent expressly permitted or provided in this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Pre-Closing Restructuring), (iii) as required by Legal Requirements or (iv) as consented to in writing by BidCo (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed)):
(a) Legal Entities. Cause or permit any amendments to the Governing Documents of any Acquired Company (other than, in the case of any Acquired Company other than the Company, ministerial changes) or form any Subsidiary other than in accordance with the Pre-Closing Restructuring;
(b) Dividends; Changes in Capital Stock. (i) Declare, set aside, or pay any dividend on or make any other distribution (whether in cash, stock, property or combination thereof) in respect of any Company Shares (or other equity interests), other than dividends or distributions (x) of cash or cash equivalents prior to the Closing Date or (y) contemplated by the Pre-Closing Restructuring, or enter into any agreement with respect to the voting or registration of the Company Shares (or other equity interests of any Acquired Company), (ii) split, sub-divide, combine or reclassify any of the Company Shares (or other equity interests of any Acquired Company), (iii) issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for Company Shares (or other equity interests of any Acquired Company), or (iv) repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any Company Shares (or other equity interests of any Acquired Company) except (x) Company Shares from former employees, non-employee directors and consultants in accordance with agreements providing for the repurchase of equity interests in connection with any termination of service as in effect on the Agreement Date and (y) in accordance with the Pre-Closing Restructuring;
(c) Issuance of Securities. Issue, deliver, sell, authorize or propose the issuance, delivery or sale of, or purchase or propose the purchase of, any Company Shares or any capital stock of any Acquired Company or securities convertible into, or subscriptions, rights, warrants or options to acquire, or other Contracts of any character obligating it to issue any such shares or other convertible securities, other than: (i) the issuance of Company Shares pursuant to the exercise of Company Options; (ii) the repurchase of Company Shares from former employees, non-employee directors and consultants in accordance with Contracts providing for the repurchase of shares in connection with any termination of service, (iii) the issuance of equity interests by any Acquired Company directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Company to the Company or another such Acquired Company or (iv) in accordance with the Pre-Closing Restructuring;
77
(d) Dispositions. Sell, lease, license or otherwise dispose of or encumber (other than Permitted Encumbrances) any properties or assets of the Acquired Companies (other than Intellectual Property), other than (A) sales, leases, licenses and dispositions of inventory or assets in the Ordinary Course of Business, (B) sales or dispositions of obsolete assets or (C) pursuant to Contracts in effect prior to the Agreement Date and that (solely in the case of Material Contracts) have been made available to Parent;
(e) Intellectual Property. Sell, dispose of, assign, license, sublicense, covenant not to sue with respect to, or otherwise transfer any Intellectual Property, or abandon or permit to lapse or expire any Intellectual Property or acquire any Intellectual Property from any Person, or fail to take any action or pay any fees in a timely manner to maintain and preserve any Company-Owned IP Rights, except for granting or receiving non-exclusive licenses of Intellectual Property in the Ordinary Course of Business or expiration of Intellectual Property at the end of its statutory term;
(f) Material Contracts and Leases. (A) Enter into any Contract that is or would constitute a Material Contract if entered into as of the Agreement Date; or (B) amend or terminate, waive, release or assign to a third party any material right or remedy under any Contract that is or would constitute a Material Contract, in each case of clauses (A) and (B), other than (i) in the Ordinary Course of Business or (ii) as required by Legal Requirements and excluding any Debt Offer or Debt Change of Control Waiver;
(g) Indebtedness. Except as required by Legal Requirements, (i) incur, assume or guarantee any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such indebtedness (other than to the extent any such indebtedness or guarantee is either repaid and extinguished prior to the Closings or included in Estimated Company Debt in the Initial Spreadsheet), (ii) issue or sell any debt securities or guarantee any debt securities of others or (iii) lend money to any Person other than the Acquired Companies (except that (A) the Acquired Companies may make travel and business expense advances to current employees and officers of an Acquired Company in the Ordinary Course of Business and (B) for the avoidance of doubt, this clause (iii) shall not restrict the extension of trade or similar credit in the Ordinary Course of Business);
(h) Capital Expenditures. Make any capital expenditures, capital additions or capital improvements, in an amount in excess of $2,000,000 individually or in the aggregate, except for those amounts budgeted therefor by the Company that are reflected in the Company’s current budget provided to Parent prior to the date hereof and as set forth on Schedule 6.2(h) of the Company Disclosure Schedule;
(i) Real Property. Purchase or acquire any real property, or convey, sell, assign, mortgage, license, lease, sublease, encumber or otherwise transfer or dispose of (in each case, other than Permitted Encumbrances) any interest in any Owned Real Property or Leased Real Property, in each case, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business.
(j) Commence Operations in Additional Country. Commence material operations in any country in which the Acquired Companies currently do not operate as of the date hereof;
(k) Insurance. Other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, (A) materially reduce the amount of any insurance coverage held by the Acquired Companies or (B) allow any such insurance coverage to be canceled or terminated, unless such coverage is promptly thereafter replaced with substantially similar coverage;
78
(l) Employee Benefit Plans; Severance; Pay Increases. Except as required by applicable Legal Requirements or pursuant to the terms of any Company Employee Plan, (i) adopt, enter into, amend or terminate any Company Employee Plan, except in each case as required under ERISA or as necessary to maintain the qualified status of such plan under the Code or in the Ordinary Course of Business with respect to Company Employee Plans in which participation is not limited to employees with annual base compensation in the top 1% of the Acquired Companies’ population; (ii) adopt, enter into, materially amend or terminate any collective bargaining agreements, union contracts or material similar agreements; (iii) promise, make, increase, amend, grant or pay, or enter into any Contract providing for the granting of, any severance, retention, bonus, incentive, change of control termination or similar payment to any employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary, except in the Ordinary Course of Business with respect to any employee with annual base compensation below the top 1% of the Acquired Companies’ population; (iv) pay any special bonus or special remuneration to any employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary or modify or make any commitment to modify the salaries, wage rates, fees, commissions, bonuses, fringe benefits or other employee benefits or compensation (including equity-based compensation, whether payable in cash or otherwise) or remuneration payable to any employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary, except in the Ordinary Course of Business with respect to any employee with annual base compensation below the top 1% of the Acquired Companies’ population; (v) accelerate the vesting of or payment, or fund or in any other way secure the payment, of compensation or benefits under any Company Employee Plan, except in the Ordinary Course of Business with respect to any employee with annual base compensation below the top 1% of the Acquired Companies’ population; (vi) terminate the employment or services of, or demote, promote or change the title of, any employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary with annual base compensation within the top 1% of the Acquired Companies’ population, other than any termination for cause; or (vii) hire, engage or make an offer to hire or engage any new employee, director or consultant on a full-time, part-time, consulting or other basis with annual base compensation within top 1% of the Acquired Companies’ population;
(m) Lawsuits. (i) Commence a Proceeding other than (x) for the routine collection of bills, (y) in such cases where it in good faith determines that failure to commence suit would result in the material impairment of a valuable aspect of the Acquired Companies’ business or (z) for a breach of this Agreement, (ii) settle a Proceeding that (x) would reasonably be expected to result in any Acquired Company making any payment in an amount in excess of $500,000 individually or in the aggregate, (y) involves any equitable remedy imposed on any Acquired Company (other than customary confidentiality and non-disparagement obligations with respect to the terms of a settlement) or (z) involves any Governmental Entity as a party to such Proceeding or settlement thereof;
(n) Operations. (i) Enter into, conduct, engage in or otherwise operate any material new line of business or discontinue any material line of business or any material business operations and, (ii) in the case of PE UK I, PE UK II or PE UK III, conduct any business, activity or operations other than the sole activity of holding shares in PE UK II (in the case of PE UK I), PE UK III (in the case of PE UK II) and the Company (in the case of PE UK III) and activities incidental thereto (except, in each case, to the extent expressly permitted or provided in this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Pre-Closing Restructuring));
(o) Acquisitions. Acquire or agree to acquire (including by merging or consolidating with, or by purchasing the assets of, or by any other manner), any business or any corporation, partnership, association or other business organization or division thereof, or otherwise acquire or agree to acquire any assets (in the case of assets, in an amount in excess of $250,000 individually or in the aggregate), in each case, other that the purchase of inventory, equipment, products and services in the Ordinary Course of Business;
79
(p) Accounting. Change accounting methods or practices in any material respect or revalue any of its assets in any material respect (including writing down the value of inventory or writing off notes or accounts receivable otherwise than in the Ordinary Course of Business), except in each case as required by changes in GAAP or Legal Requirements;
(q) Taxes. (i) Settle or compromise any material Tax Proceeding, (ii) make, revoke, or change any material Tax election, (iii) surrender any claim for a refund of a material amount of Taxes, (iv) adopt or change any material Tax accounting method, (v) request a ruling with respect to Taxes, (vi) consent to any extension or waiver of any limitation period with respect to any claim or assessment for material Taxes, (vii) enter into any “closing agreement” within the meaning of section 7121 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local, or foreign law) with respect to a material amount of Taxes, or (viii) file any income or other material Tax Return in a manner, or reflecting a position, materially inconsistent with past practice;
(r) Investments. Make a (direct or indirect) “investment” in a “foreign affiliate” of the Company (within the meaning of subsection 212.3(10) of the Tax Act) other than where subsection 212.3(16) applies;
(s) Merger and Liquidations. Merge or consolidate the Company with any Person or adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation or resolutions providing for a complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of the Company;
(t) Authorizations. Other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, cancel, surrender, allow to expire or fail to renew (if due prior to the Closings) any material Company Authorizations;
(u) Working Capital; Accounts Receivable and Payable. Fail to manage the working capital of the Acquired Companies in the Ordinary Course of Business (taking into account seasonality, including customary quarter-end practices), including: (i) accelerate in any material respect the collection of any accounts receivable or delay in any material respect the payment of any accounts payable beyond their regular due dates and outside of the Ordinary Course of Business or (ii) fail to maintain and manage inventory levels in the Ordinary Course Of Business; and
(v) Other. Agree to take any of the actions described in clauses (a) through (u) in this Section 6.2.
6.3 Restrictions on Conduct of Business of the Parent. During the period from the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX and the Closings, except (i) as set forth on Schedule 6.3, (ii) to the extent expressly permitted or provided in this Agreement, (iii) as required by Legal Requirements or (iv) as the Shareholders’ Representative shall otherwise consent in advance in writing (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), the Buyer Parties shall, and shall cause each of their respective Subsidiaries to, use commercially reasonable efforts to conduct its and their business in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve its and their relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors, licensors, licensees and others having business dealings with it. Without limiting the generality or effect of the foregoing, during the period from the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX and the Closings, the Buyer Parties shall not, and shall cause each of their respective Subsidiaries not to, do, cause or permit any of the following (except (A) as set forth on Schedule 6.3, (B) to the extent expressly permitted or provided in this Agreement, (C) as required by Legal Requirements or (D) as consented to in writing by the Shareholders’ Representative (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed)):
80
(a) Legal Entities. Cause or permit any amendments to the Governing Documents of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries in a manner that would (i) materially and adversely affect any of the Sellers, in each case, disproportionately relative to other holders of Parent Common Stock or (ii) prevent, delay or impair the ability of any Buyer Party to consummate the Transactions;
(b) Dividends; Changes in Capital Stock. (i) Declare, set aside, or pay any dividend on or make any other distribution (whether in cash, stock, property or combination thereof) in respect of the Parent Common Stock (or other equity interests) or (ii) split, sub-divide, combine or reclassify any of the Parent Common Stock (or other equity interests) or (iii) issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for shares of Parent Common Stock (or other equity interests).
(c) Issuance of Securities. Issue, deliver, sell, authorize or propose the issuance, delivery or sale of, or purchase or propose the purchase of, any shares of Parent Common Stock or any capital stock of any Subsidiary or securities convertible into, or subscriptions, rights, warrants or options to acquire, or other Contracts of any character obligating it to issue any such shares or other convertible securities, other than: (i) the issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock upon the vesting or lapse of any restrictions on any awards granted under the Parent Equity Plans and outstanding as of the Agreement Date or issued in compliance with clause (ii) below, (ii) issuances of awards granted under the Parent Equity Plans in the ordinary course of business and with Parent’s standard vesting terms, (iii) the repurchase of shares of Parent Common Stock from former employees, non-employee directors and consultants in accordance with Contracts providing for the repurchase of shares in connection with any termination of service or (iv) the issuance of equity interests by any Subsidiary directly or indirectly wholly owned by a Buyer Party to such Buyer Party or another such Subsidiary.
(d) Merger and Liquidations. Merge or consolidate any Buyer Party with any Person or adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation or resolutions providing for a complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, Restructuring or other reorganization of any Buyer Party.
(e) Indebtedness. Except as required by Legal Requirements, (i) incur, assume or guarantee any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such indebtedness, (ii) issue or sell any debt securities or guarantee any debt securities of others or (iii) lend money to any Person other than wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Buyer Parties (except that (A) the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries may make travel and business expense advances to their respective current employees and officers in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) for the avoidance of doubt, this clause (iii) shall not restrict the extension of trade or similar credit in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice), in each case, if such actions would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to increase or materially delay the Debt Financing or otherwise delay the consummation of the Transactions in any material respect (including any delay of such consummation that would reasonably be expected to result in the Transactions not being consummated by or before the Termination Date).
(f) Other. Take or agree or otherwise to take, any of the actions described in clauses (a) through (e) in this Section 6.3.
(g) During the period from the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX and the Closings, each Buyer Party shall not, and shall cause its Subsidiaries not to, enter into any agreements with respect to, or consummate, any transactions for the acquisition of businesses, assets, equity or property of any other Persons (whether by merger, consolidation, stock or asset purchase or otherwise), for cash and/or equity interests of any Buyer Party or its Subsidiaries, if such transactions would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to (i) require any Buyer Party to abandon or terminate the Transactions, (ii) increase or materially delay the Regulatory Consents (or other consents, authorizations or approvals required from any Governmental Entity), or any filings or communications required with Governmental Entities, in connection with the Transactions, (iii) otherwise delay the consummation of the Transactions in any material respect (including any delay of such consummation that would reasonably be expected to result in the Transactions not being consummated by or before the Termination Date) or (iv) result in the prohibition or prevention the consummation of the Transactions on the terms contemplated hereby.
81
Article VII
AdditionalAgreements
7.1 No Solicitation. From and after the Agreement Date until the earlier of the Closings and the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX, none of the Sellers or the Acquired Companies will, nor will they authorize or permit any of their respective officers, directors or employees, or direct any of their respective Affiliates or stockholders or any investment banker, attorney or other advisor or representative retained by any of them (each, a “Company Representative” and collectively, the “Company Representatives”) to, directly or indirectly, (i) solicit, initiate, or knowingly encourage or knowingly induce the making, submission or announcement of any inquiry, expression of interest, proposal or offer that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal, (ii) enter into, participate in, maintain or continue any negotiations regarding, or deliver or make available to any Person any non-public information relating to the Acquired Companies with respect to, any inquiry, expression of interest, proposal or offer that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal, other than to state that the Sellers and the Acquired Companies are subject to contractual restrictions with respect thereto, (iii) agree to, accept, approve or publicly endorse or publicly recommend (or publicly propose or publicly announce any intention or desire to agree to, accept, approve), or enter into any letter of intent or any other Contract contemplating or otherwise relating to, any Acquisition Proposal, or (iv) submit any Acquisition Proposal to the vote of any shareholders of the Company. The Company shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries, and will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause its other Company Representatives, to immediately cease and cause to be terminated any and all existing negotiations with any Persons conducted prior to or on the Agreement Date with respect to any Acquisition Proposal or any inquiry, proposal or offer that constitutes or would reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal (and shall immediately terminate any online data room access related thereto, and request the return or destruction of any confidential, nonpublic or proprietary information or other transaction-related material in accordance with the terms and conditions of any confidentiality agreement with such Person entered into in connection with any such Acquisition Proposal).
7.2 Public Disclosure. Prior to the Closing Date, neither the Shareholders’ Representative nor the Company (nor any of their respective Affiliates or representatives) shall, directly or indirectly, issue any press release or other public statement relating to the terms of this Agreement or the Transactions without the prior written approval of Parent, unless and to the extent required by Legal Requirements, in which case such approval shall not be required but such party shall first advise Parent thereof and use commercially reasonable efforts to incorporate Parent’s reasonable comments thereto. Prior to the Closing Date, neither Parent nor any of its Affiliates shall, directly or indirectly, make any press release or other public statement concerning the terms of this Agreement or the Transactions without the prior written approval of the Shareholders’ Representative. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Parent and its Affiliates may, at any time, (a) make any public announcement or statement and issue any press release to the extent (i) required by Legal Requirements or by the rules of any relevant securities exchange or (ii) consistent with the final form of any press release or public announcement previously made in accordance with the terms hereof, and (b) respond to questions or provide a summary or update relating to, or discuss the benefits of, the Transactions in calls or meetings with Parent’s or its Affiliates’ analysts, investors or attendees of any industry conference; provided that Parent shall first advise the Shareholders’ Representative and the Company of the contents of such announcement, statement, release, response or discussions and use commercially reasonable efforts to incorporate their reasonable comments thereto. Following the Closings, none of the parties hereto or any of their respective Affiliates shall make any press release or other public announcement concerning the Transactions, unless and to the extent (a) required by Legal Requirements, in which case such party shall first advise Parent (in the case of a release or announcement by the Shareholders’ Representative, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates) or the Shareholders’ Representative (in the case of a release or announcement by Parent or any of its Affiliates) thereof and use commercially reasonable efforts to incorporate Parent’s or the Shareholders’ Representative’s, as applicable, reasonable comments thereto, or (b) consistent with the final form of any press release or public announcement previously made in accordance with the terms hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sellers and their respective Affiliates may provide ordinary course communications regarding this Agreement and the Transactions to existing or prospective direct and indirect general and limited partners, equityholders, members, managers and investors of such Persons, in each case, who are subject to customary confidentiality restrictions.
82
7.3 Regulatory Approvals.
(a) Each of the Buyer Parties and the Company shall promptly (and in the event of any filing required under the HSR Act, within fifteen (15) Business Days after the date of this Agreement and for any filings required under any applicable Antitrust and FDI Laws, within twenty (20) Business Days) execute and file, or join in the execution and filing of, any application or notification that may be required under the HSR Act or other applicable Antitrust and FDI Laws or other document that may be necessary in order to obtain the authorization, approval or consent of any other Governmental Entity, whether foreign, federal, state, local or municipal, which may be reasonably required under the HSR Act or other applicable Antitrust and FDI Laws in connection with the consummation of the Transactions (such authorizations, approvals or consents, “Regulatory Consents”). Subject to Section 7.3(b), each Seller, Buyer Party and the Company shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, use reasonable best efforts to, as promptly as practicable, (i) make an appropriate response to any Information or Document Requests applicable to it and (ii) obtain the Regulatory Consents applicable to it.
(b) Each party hereto shall use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause its Subsidiaries to take, all actions reasonably necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Legal Requirements to (x) obtain termination or expiration of any waiting period or comparable period under the HSR Act and otherwise obtain any other Regulatory Consent, including by cooperating reasonably to enable all filings for Regulatory Consents to be made in a timely fashion as outlined in Section 7.3(a), and (y) lawfully complete the Transactions as promptly as practicable (but in any event prior to the Termination Date). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall the Parent or any of its Affiliates be required to take any of the following actions, nor shall the Sellers or the Company or any of their respective Affiliates offer or agree to any of the following actions without Parent’s prior written consent: offering, proposing, negotiating or consenting or agreeing to (i) the sale, divestiture, licensing or other disposition, or the holding separate, of any assets, interests, businesses, or business units or divisions of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of Parent or its Affiliates; (ii) the termination, creation, amendment or assignment of relationships, ventures and contractual rights and obligations of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of Parent or its Affiliates; and (iii) the limitation, restriction or modification of the conduct, management or ownership of any assets, interests, businesses or operations of the Acquired Companies or any action, agreement or commitment that limits the freedom of action, ownership or control with respect to, or the ability to retain or hold, any of the businesses, interests or assets of the Acquired Companies or of Parent or its Affiliates, in each case of clauses (i) through (iii), that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to be material to Parent and its Affiliates (other than, following the Closings, the Acquired Companies), taken as a whole, or materially adversely affect the Acquired Companies, taken as a whole (any such actions in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii), a “Burdensome Condition”).
83
(c) Each of the Buyer Parties and the Company shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, promptly furnish to the other party copies of any notices or written communications received by such party or any of its Affiliates from any Governmental Entity with respect to the Transactions, and shall permit counsel to the other party an opportunity to review in advance, and shall consider in good faith the views of such counsel in connection with, any proposed written or oral communications to any Governmental Entity concerning the Transactions; provided, however, that the Company may redact from the copies of such communications provided to counsel to the Buyer Parties any competitively sensitive proprietary information of the Company. Each of the Buyer Parties and the Company shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, provide the other parties and its counsel the opportunity, on reasonable advance notice, to participate in any meetings or discussions, either in person or by telephone, with any Governmental Entity concerning or in connection with the Transactions. Notwithstanding anything to contrary herein, without limiting Parent’s obligations under this Section 7.3, (i) Parent shall determine the strategy to be pursued for obtaining and lead the effort to obtain all Regulatory Consents, and the Sellers and the Company shall take all reasonable action to support Parent in connection therewith, (ii) if there is a disagreement between the parties about such strategy or any actions related thereto, Parent’s decision will control and (iii) Parent will take the lead in all meetings, discussions and communications with any Governmental Entity relating to any Regulatory Consents.
(d) In furtherance and not in limitation of the covenants of the parties contained in this Section 7.3, but subject to Section 7.3(b), if any Proceeding by a Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction is instituted challenging the Transactions, Parent shall, until the Termination Date, use its reasonable best efforts to (A) oppose fully and vigorously, including by defending through litigation, any such action or proceeding, (B) pursue vigorously all available avenues of administrative and judicial appeal and (C) seek to have vacated, lifted, reversed or overturned any judgment that is in effect that prohibits, prevents or restricts consummation of any of the Transactions. To assist Parent in complying with its obligations set forth in this Section 7.3, the Sellers and the Company shall provide to Parent such cooperation as may be reasonably requested by Parent.
(e) Parent shall be solely responsible for and pay all filing fees payable pursuant to the HSR Act or payable to any Governmental Entity in respect of any other Regulatory Consent, in each case, in connection with the Transactions.
7.4 Reasonable Efforts. Subject to Section 7.3, each of the parties hereto agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts, and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with each other party hereto, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, appropriate or desirable to consummate and make effective the Transactions, including the satisfaction of the respective conditions set forth in Article VIII, and including to execute and deliver such other instruments and do and perform such other acts and things as may be necessary or reasonably desirable for effecting completely the consummation of the Transactions.
7.5 Reserved.
84
7.6 Preparation of Proxy Statement; Parent Stockholders Meeting.
(a) As promptly as practicable after the Agreement Date (but, in any event, no later than thirty (30) days following the date of this Agreement), Parent shall prepare and cause to be filed with the SEC a proxy statement (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “ProxyStatement”) to be sent to the Parent Stockholders relating to the special meeting of Parent Stockholders (including any postponement or adjournment thereof, the “Parent Stockholders Meeting”) to be held to consider the approval of the Parent Stock Issuance. The Company and its counsel will be given a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on the Proxy Statement before it is filed with the SEC, Parent will consider reasonable changes suggested by the Company and its counsel in good faith. Each of the Company and the Sellers shall each use their respective reasonable best efforts to provide all information related to themselves and their respective Subsidiaries as may be required or reasonably requested by Parent or as requested by the staff of the SEC to be included in the Proxy Statement. Parent covenants and agrees that the Proxy Statement and each other document that it is responsible for filing with the SEC in connection with the Transactions will comply with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC and will not, at the time the Proxy Statement, any other such document or any amendment or supplement thereto is filed with the SEC or is mailed to Parent Stockholders, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that Parent makes no covenant, representation or warranty with respect to statements made in the Proxy Statement (and the letter to stockholders, notice of meeting and form of proxy included therewith), if any, based on information provided by or on behalf of the Company, the Sellers or any of their respective representatives for inclusion therein.
(b) Parent shall cause the Proxy Statement to be mailed to the Parent Stockholders as promptly as reasonably practicable following the filing thereof with the SEC and confirmation from the SEC that it will not review, or that it has completed its review of, the Proxy Statement (but, in any event, no later than five (5) Business Days thereafter). No filing of, or amendment or supplement to, the Proxy Statement, or any response to comments from or other communication to the SEC with respect to the Proxy Statement, will be made by Parent or the Company, as applicable, without providing the other party a reasonable opportunity to review and comment thereon. Parent will (a) advise the Company promptly after it receives oral or written notice of any oral or written request by the SEC for amendment of the Proxy Statement or comments thereon and responses thereto or requests by the SEC for additional information, and will promptly provide the Company with copies of any written communication with the SEC or any state securities commission and a reasonable opportunity to participate in the responses thereto, (b) use its reasonable best efforts to promptly provide responses to the SEC with respect to all comments received on the Proxy Statement by the SEC and (c) consider in good faith changes to the responses suggested by the Company and its counsel. Prior to the Closing Date, each of the Company and Parent agrees to correct any information provided by it for the Proxy Statement, as the case may be, which if not corrected would result in the Proxy Statement to include any misstatement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and Parent agrees to file with the SEC an appropriate amendment or supplement to such filing describing such information and, to the extent required by applicable law or the SEC or its staff, disseminate any such amendment or supplement to the Parent Stockholders.
(c) As promptly as reasonably practicable after the mailing of the Proxy Statement to Parent Stockholders and in accordance with applicable Legal Requirements and the organizational documents of Parent, Parent shall duly call, give notice of, convene and hold the Parent Stockholders Meeting, for the purpose of obtaining the Parent Stockholder Approval and considering and voting upon any other matters required under applicable Legal Requirements to be considered at the Parent Stockholders Meeting. Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to solicit proxies from the Parent Stockholders in favor of the Parent Stock Issuance. Parent may postpone or adjourn the Parent Stockholders Meeting (i) with the prior written consent of the Company; or (ii) (A) due to the absence of a quorum at the time the Parent Stockholder Meeting is otherwise scheduled (provided, that Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain such a quorum as promptly as practicable); (B) if Parent reasonably believes in good faith that such adjournment or postponement is reasonably necessary to allow reasonable additional time to solicit additional proxies necessary for the Parent Stockholder Approval, whether or not a quorum is present; provided that (x) Parent may not postpone or adjourn the Parent Stockholders Meeting more than one time pursuant to this clause (B) without the prior written consent of the Company (not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) and (y) no adjournment pursuant to this clause (B) may be for a period exceeding ten (10) Business Days; (C) to allow reasonable additional time for the filing and mailing of any supplemental or amended disclosure that Parent has determined in good faith after consultation with outside legal counsel is necessary under applicable Legal Requirements and for such supplemental or amended disclosure to be disseminated and reviewed by the Parent Stockholders prior to the Parent Stockholders Meeting; or (D) to the extent such postponement or adjournment of the Parent Stockholders Meeting is required by an order issued by any court or other Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction in connection with this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent shall, at the request of the Company, to the extent permitted by Legal Requirements, adjourn the Parent Stockholders Meeting to a date specified by the Company for the absence of a quorum or if Parent has not received proxies representing a sufficient number of shares of Parent Common Stock for the Parent Stockholder Approval; provided, that Parent shall not be required to adjourn the Parent Stockholders Meeting more than one time pursuant to this sentence, and no such adjournment pursuant to this sentence shall be required to be for a period exceeding ten (10) Business Days.
85
(d) Parent shall not be in breach of the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.6 to the extent the Company’s failure to deliver the Requisite Financial Statements that are required to be included in the Proxy Statement within the timeframes required by Section 7.7 resulted in Parent’s failure to meet its obligations under the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.6.
(e) Parent shall cause the Parent Board to recommend that the Parent Stockholders approve the Parent Stock Issuance (the “Parent BoardRecommendation”) and shall include the Parent Board Recommendation in the Proxy Statement, unless the Parent Board shall have changed the recommendation in accordance with Section 7.6(f). The Parent Board shall not (and no committee or subgroup thereof shall) change, withdraw, withhold, qualify or modify, or publicly question or propose to change, withdraw, withhold, qualify or modify, the Parent Board Recommendation (a “Parent Change of Recommendation”) except as may be permitted by, and only in accordance with, Section 7.6(f). Unless this Agreement has been validly terminated pursuant to Article IX, Parent’s obligation to solicit proxies from the Parent Stockholders to obtain the Parent Stockholder Approval, and otherwise seek the Parent Stockholder Approval and (subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement) consummate the Transaction, shall not (except for making a Parent Change of Recommendation to the extent expressly permitted in Section 7.6(f)) be limited or otherwise affected by any Parent Change of Recommendation or any Parent Intervening Event.
(f) If, at any time prior to obtaining the Parent Stockholder Approval, the Parent Board determines in good faith, in response to a Parent Intervening Event, after consultation with its outside legal counsel, that the failure to make a Parent Change of Recommendation would be inconsistent with the Parent Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Legal Requirements, the Parent Board may, prior to obtaining the Parent Stockholder Approval, make a Parent Change of Recommendation; provided that Parent will not be entitled to make, or agree or resolve to make, a Parent Change of Recommendation unless (i) Parent first delivers to the Company a written notice (a “ParentIntervening Event Notice”) advising the Company that the Parent Board proposes to take such action and containing a reasonably detailed description of the material facts underlying the Parent Board’s determination that a Parent Intervening Event has occurred and the reasons for taking such action (it being acknowledged that such Parent Intervening Event Notice shall not itself constitute a breach of this Agreement) and (ii) at or after 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the fourth (4^th^) Business Day immediately following the day on which Parent delivered to the Company the Parent Intervening Event Notice (such period from the time the Parent Intervening Event Notice is provided until 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the fourth (4^th^) Business Day immediately following the day on which Parent delivered to the Company the Parent Intervening Event Notice (it being understood that any material development with respect to a Parent Intervening Event shall require a new notice but with an additional two (2) Business Day (instead of four (4) Business Day) period from the date of such notice) (it being understood that there may be multiple extensions), the “ParentIntervening Event Notice Period”), the Parent Board reaffirms in good faith (after consultation with its outside legal counsel) that, after taking into account any adjustments to the terms and conditions of this Agreement committed to by the Company in writing, the failure to make a Parent Change of Recommendation would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Legal Requirements. If requested by the Company, Parent will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause its or their respective representatives to, during the Parent Intervening Event Notice Period, engage in good faith negotiations with the Shareholders’ Representative, the Company and their respective representatives to make such adjustments in the terms and conditions of this Agreement so as to obviate the need for a Parent Change of Recommendation.
86
7.7 Cooperation Regarding Financial Information and Financing Matters.
(a) Prior to the Closings, the Company shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, use commercially reasonable efforts to:
(i) cooperate in connection with Parent’s compliance with its obligations under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder as may be reasonably requested by Parent with reasonable prior notice to Company, including using commercially reasonable best efforts to furnish Parent with (A) the audited consolidated balance sheet and related consolidated statement of income, changes in equity and cash flows of the Company as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 as soon as reasonably practicable following the end of such year and, in any event no later than 75 days after the end of such year, and (B) the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet and related condensed consolidated statements of operations, consolidated loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows as of and for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 and for each fiscal quarter (other than any fiscal fourth quarter) ending thereafter, together with the corresponding quarter in the preceding fiscal year, as soon as reasonably practicable following the end of such quarter and, in any event, no later than 45 days after end of such fiscal quarter, in each case prepared in accordance with GAAP and on a basis consistent with the Financial Statements;
(ii) cause its representatives to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide all cooperation that is necessary, customary or advisable and reasonably requested by Parent to assist Parent in the arrangement any financing obtained in connection with the Transactions (the “DebtFinancing”); provided however, that nothing in this Section 7.7 shall require such cooperation or other action on the part of the Company, its Subsidiaries or their respective representatives to the extent it would (A) unreasonably disrupt the conduct of the business or operations of the Company or its Subsidiaries or (B) require the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective representatives to enter into any agreement, take any corporate action or otherwise agree to pay any fees, reimburse any expenses or otherwise incur any liability (other than immaterial out-of-pocket expenses that shall be subject to reimbursement as set forth below) or give any indemnities prior to the Closings; such cooperation shall include (A) furnishing such customary financial and other pertinent information regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries as is reasonably available or existing and as may reasonably be requested by Parent in connection with the arrangement and syndication of the Debt Financing, (B) reasonably facilitating the pledging of collateral, provided that no documents or agreements related thereto shall be effective prior to the Closings, (C) taking reasonable corporate actions, subject to the occurrence of the Closings, reasonably requested by Parent to permit the consummation of the Debt Financing, (D) assisting Parent in the preparation of (x) customary marketing materials to be used in a syndication or marketing of the Debt Financing and (y) materials for rating agency presentations; provided that the Company shall, upon request, have the right to review and comment on materials in the foregoing clauses (x) and (y) prior to the dissemination of such material to potential lenders or other counterparties to any proposed financing transaction and (E) to the extent requested in writing on no fewer than 10 days’ notice, furnishing Parent and any lenders involved with such financing, with all documentation and other information required by any Governmental Entity with respect to such financing under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations; and
87
(iii) as promptly as practicable after receipt of written request by Parent to do so and solely at such request by Parent, (A) cooperate to allow Parent or one of its Subsidiaries to conduct consent solicitations or offers to purchase, tender offers or exchange offers, or issue notices of redemption, with respect to all or any of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes in connection with the consummation of the Transactions (each, a “Debt Offer”), provided that the effectiveness of any Debt Offer shall be expressly conditioned on the occurrence of the Closings, (B) cooperating in the solicitation of the Debt Change of Control Waiver on such terms and conditions that are reasonably proposed by Parent, and (C) cooperating as reasonably requested by Parent in connection with the Debt Change of Control Waiver; provided that (x) Parent shall consult with the Company and afford the Company a reasonable opportunity to review and provide comments for consideration on all documentation related to any such Debt Offer or Debt Change of Control Waiver and Parent shall incorporate therein reasonable comments from the Company, and (y) the Company’s obligation to commence the solicitation of the Debt Change of Control Waiver is subject to the Parent’s timely delivery to the Company of documentation related to the Debt Change of Control Waiver.
(b) During the Cooperation Period, the Company shall reasonably cooperate with Parent and provide such records, documents and financial and pertinent information regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries as may be reasonably requested by Parent or its representatives to prepare all pro forma financial statements required to be included pursuant to Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K or otherwise (including as may be required for a registered public offering of debt or equity (or equity-linked) securities) in any statements, forms, schedules, reports or other documents filed or furnished by Parent or its Affiliates with the SEC, including the Proxy Statement.
(c) During the period from the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement and the Closings, the Company shall request its independent auditors to (i) provide customary “comfort letters” (including customary “negative assurance” comfort), reports, letters and consents, including issuing any customary representation letters in connection therewith to each such auditor or reserve engineer, to any underwriter, placement agent or purchaser in a securities offering by Parent or its Affiliates and consent to the inclusion or incorporation by reference of its audit opinion or report with respect to any audited financial statements or reserve information of the Company, as applicable, (ii) provide their written consent for the inclusion or incorporation by reference of such financial statements or reserve information (and any applicable audit opinion or report) in any filing with the SEC of Parent or any of its Affiliates, including in any registration statement or prospectus used by Parent, (iii) provide their written consent to be named an expert in any offering memorandum, private placement memorandum, registration statement or prospectus used by Parent or its Affiliates and (iv) provide access to Parent and their representatives to the work papers of the Company’s independent auditors and reserve engineers.
(d) Promptly upon request by the Company, the Buyer Parties will reimburse the Acquired Companies (or cause the Acquired Companies to be reimbursed) for any documented and reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and rating agencies’ fees) incurred by the Acquired Companies in connection with the cooperation of the Acquired Companies contemplated by this Section 7.7 or otherwise in connection with the Backstop Debt Financing and, to the extent the Buyer Parties do not reimburse the Acquired Companies for any such costs or expenses on or prior to the Closing Date, the Acquired Companies shall be deemed to have a current asset in the amount of such unreimbursed costs and expenses; provided that, such reimbursement shall not include costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation of any financial statements or data that would be prepared by the Company, its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective representatives notwithstanding this Section 7.7.
88
(e) The Acquired Companies, the PE Seller, and each of their respective Affiliates and representatives will be jointly and severally indemnified and held harmless by the Buyer Parties from and against any and all liabilities, losses, damages, claims, costs, expenses (including attorneys’ fees), interest, awards, judgments, penalties and amounts paid in settlement suffered or incurred by them in connection with any cooperation provided pursuant to this Section 7.7, the provision of information utilized in connection therewith or otherwise in connection with the Backstop Debt Financing, except to the extent such liabilities, losses, damages, claims, costs, expenses, interest, awards, judgments, penalties or amounts paid in settlement arise from (i) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their respective representatives, or (ii) any historical financial information pertaining to the Company and its Subsidiaries provided by the Company or its Subsidiaries in writing to the Parent for inclusion in the Debt Offer or Debt Change of Control Waiver.
7.8 Financing.
(a) The Buyer Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions and do, or cause to be done, as promptly as possible, all things necessary, proper or advisable to arrange and obtain the Backstop Debt Financing on the terms and conditions described in the Debt Commitment Letter (including complying with any request requiring the exercise of any flex provisions in the fee letter), including, but not limited to, as promptly as possible:
(i) satisfying, or causing to be satisfied, on a timely basis all conditions to the Buyer Parties obtaining the Backstop Debt Financing set forth therein (including the payment of any fees required as a condition to the Backstop Debt Financing);
(ii) negotiating and entering into definitive agreements with respect to the Backstop Debt Financing on the terms and conditions contemplated by the Debt Commitment Letter (including any related flex provisions) that are not less favorable, taken as a whole, to the Buyer Parties, so that the agreements are in effect no later than the Closing Date; provided, however, that this clause (ii) will not prohibit the Buyer Parties from agreeing to terms that are less favorable to the Buyer Parties if such terms would be permitted in an amendment to the Debt Commitment Letter entered in accordance with this Section7.8;
(iii) maintaining in effect the Debt Commitment Letter and (from and when executed) the definitive documents in respect of the Backstop Debt Financing (the “Debt Documents”) through the consummation of the Closings; and
(iv) consummating the Backstop Debt Financing or causing the Backstop Debt Financing to be consummated at or prior to the Closings.
89
(b) The Buyer Parties shall give the Company prompt notice (A) of any breach or default (or any event or circumstance that, with or without notice, lapse of time or both, would reasonably be expected to result in a breach or default) by any party to the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or other Debt Document of which any Buyer Party becomes aware, (B) if and when any Buyer Party becomes aware that any portion of the Backstop Debt Financing contemplated by the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter may not be available for the Debt Financing Purposes, (C) of the receipt of any written notice or other written communication from any Person with respect to any (i) actual or potential breach, default, termination or repudiation by any party to the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or other Debt Document or (ii) material dispute or disagreement between or among any parties to the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or other Debt Document (but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any ordinary course negotiations with respect to the terms of the Backstop Debt Financing or Debt Documents), and (D) of any expiration or termination of the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or other Debt Document. Without limiting the foregoing, (x) each Buyer Party shall not, and shall not permit any of its Affiliates to, without the prior written consent of the Company, take or fail to take any action or enter into any transaction that could reasonably be expected to materially impair, delay or prevent consummation of the Backstop Debt Financing contemplated by the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter and (y) to the extent requested, each Buyer Party shall keep the Company informed on a reasonably current basis in reasonable detail of the status of their efforts to arrange the Backstop Debt Financing. If any portion of the Backstop Debt Financing becomes, or would reasonably be expected to become, unavailable, the Buyer Parties shall use all reasonable best efforts to arrange and obtain alternative financing, including from alternative sources, in an amount that is sufficient to replace any unavailable portion of the Backstop Debt Financing (“AlternativeFinancing”) as promptly as practicable following the occurrence of such event and the provisions of this Section 7.8 shall be applicable to the Alternative Financing, and, for the purposes of Section 7.7 and this Section 7.8, all references to the Backstop Debt Financing shall be deemed to include such Alternative Financing and all references to the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or other Debt Documents shall include the applicable documents for the Alternative Financing. The Buyer Parties shall (1) comply with the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter and each Debt Document, (2) use reasonable best efforts to enforce their rights under the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter and other Debt Documents, including (subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions precedent thereto) causing the Lender to fund the Backstop Debt Financing at or prior to the time the Closings should occur pursuant to Section 2.3, and (3) not permit, without the prior written consent of the Company, any material amendment or modification to be made to, or any termination, rescission or withdrawal of, or any material waiver of any provision or remedy under, the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter (including the fee letter referred to in the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter) or other Debt Document, including any such amendment, modification or waiver that (individually or in the aggregate with any other amendments, modifications or waivers) would reasonably be expected to (x) reduce the aggregate amount of the Backstop Debt Financing thereunder (including by changing the amount of fees to be paid or original issue discount thereof) below the amount required to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and satisfy all of the obligations of the Buyer Parties and their Affiliates (including from and after the Closings, the Acquired Companies) with respect to the Debt Financing Purposes, or (y) impose any new or additional condition, or otherwise amend, modify or expand any condition, to the receipt of any portion of the Backstop Debt Financing in a manner that would reasonably be expected to (i) delay or prevent the Closing Date or (ii) adversely impact in any material respect the ability of the Buyer Parties to enforce their rights against any other party to the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter or other Debt Document, the ability of the Buyer Parties to consummate the Transactions or the likelihood of the consummation of the Transactions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, compliance by the Buyer Parties with this Section 7.8 shall not relieve the Buyer Parties of their obligation to consummate the Transactions, whether or not the Backstop Debt Financing or Alternative Financing is available. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein shall prevent the Buyer Parties from replacing or amending the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter in order to add lead arrangers, bookrunners, syndication agents or similar entities which had not executed the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter as of the date hereof or as required pursuant to the market flex provisions in the fee letters.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.8, the Buyer Parties shall not be required to maintain the Backstop Debt Commitment Letter to the extent the Debt Change of Control Waiver is obtained, so long as the representations and warranties contained in Section 5.10 are true and correct.
90
7.9 Treatment of Company Indebtedness. At least ten (10) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, Parent shall notify the Company in writing of any indebtedness for borrowed money of the Acquired Companies that Parent will, on behalf of the Acquired Companies, pay or cause to be repaid at the Closings, which shall include the NAV Loan Agreement (such indebtedness, the “Repaid Debt”). The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to deliver payoff letters with respect to such Repaid Debt, which such letters shall set forth the aggregate amounts required to satisfy in full all such Repaid Debt as of the Closing Date and include lien release documents evidencing release and termination of all security interests in respect thereof and indicating that the holders of such Repaid Debt shall return all possessory and original collateral, in each case, on the Closing Date (subject to receipt by the holders of such Repaid Debt of the applicable payoff amounts), which payoff letters shall be in a form reasonably satisfactory to Parent, at least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date (it being understood that such payoff letters may be in draft form, with final payoff letters to be delivered prior to the Closing Date) (collectively, the “Payoff Letters”). It is hereby agreed that to the extent a Debt Change of Control Waiver is obtained, no Payoff Letter in respect of the Target Credit Agreement shall be required.
7.10 Litigation. From and after the Agreement Date until the earlier of the Closings and the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX, each of Parent and the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to (a) notify the other party in writing promptly after learning of any Proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity or arbitrator initiated by or against it (or any of its Subsidiaries), or known by such party to be threatened in writing against such party, its Subsidiaries or any of its and their directors, officers, employees or stockholders in their respective capacities as such, in each case, relating to the Transactions (a “New LitigationClaim”) and (b) the other party of ongoing material developments in any New Litigation Claim.
7.11 Access to Information.
(a) Subject to compliance with applicable Legal Requirements and the other provisions of this Section 7.11(a), during the period commencing on the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX and the Closings, (i) the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to afford Parent and its accountants, counsel and other representatives, upon reasonable advance notice, reasonable access during normal business hours to (A) the Company’s properties, books, Contracts and records and (B) such other information concerning the business, properties and personnel of the Company, in each case in this clause (i), as Parent may reasonably request and (ii) the Company shall to the extent reasonably requested by Parent use commercially reasonable efforts to provide to Parent and its accountants, counsel and other representatives, true, correct and complete copies of the Company’s internal financial statements, Tax Returns, Tax elections and other records, memoranda and workpapers relating to Taxes, in each case of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), solely to the extent such access or information is for purposes reasonably related to the consummation of the Transactions; provided, however, that any such access or provision of information shall be conducted at Parent’s sole expense, under the supervision of the Company’s personnel and in such a manner so as to not unreasonably interfere with the normal operations of the Company and subject to the terms of any Leases, and provided, further, that nothing in this Section 7.11(a) shall require any Seller, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates or representatives to provide Parent or its accountants, counsel or other representatives with any such access, files, books, records or information where such access or the provision of the foregoing would reasonably be expected to (w) result in the waiver of any attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine or other privileges or protections available under applicable Legal Requirements, (x) violate any privacy rights applicable to employees, (y) be prohibited by applicable Legal Requirements or (z) violate or constitute a breach of or default under the terms of any Contract, including any nondisclosure agreement with any third party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7.11(a), none of Parent or its accountants, counsel or other representatives shall have access to the properties of the Acquired Companies for the purpose of conducting any subsurface or other invasive or intrusive sampling or testing of environmental media.
91
(b) During the period commencing on the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX and the Closings, Parent shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates and its and their respective representatives not to, without the prior written consent of the Company, (i) engage in communications with Governmental Entities, policy makers and industry organizations with respect to the Transactions or (ii) make inquiries of Persons having business relationships with any Acquired Company (including suppliers, licensors, distributors, clients and resellers) with respect to the Acquired Companies or the Transactions.
(c) Subject to compliance with applicable Legal Requirements, from the Agreement Date until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement and the Closings, the Company shall confer from time to time as reasonably requested by Parent upon reasonable advance notice with one or more representatives of Parent to discuss any material changes or developments in the operational matters of the Company and the general status of the ongoing operations of the Company.
(d) The terms and conditions of the Confidentiality Agreement will apply to any information obtained by Parent or the Company, as applicable, or any of their respective representatives in connection with any information provided or investigation conducted pursuant to the access contemplated by this Section 7.11.
(e) Subject to compliance with applicable Legal Requirements and the other provisions of this Section 7.11(d), during the period commencing on the Agreement Date and continuing until the earlier of the valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article IX and the Closings, (i) each Buyer Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to afford the Company and its accountants, counsel and other representatives, upon reasonable advance notice, reasonable access during normal business hours to (A) the properties, books, Contracts and records of the Buyer Parties and their respective Subsidiaries and (B) such other information concerning the business, properties and personnel of the Buyer Parties and their respective Subsidiaries, in each case in this clause (i), as the Company may reasonably request and (ii) each Buyer Party shall to the extent reasonably requested by the Company use commercially reasonable efforts to provide to the Company and its accountants, counsel and other representatives, true, correct and complete copies of the internal financial statements, Tax Returns, Tax elections and other records, memoranda and workpapers relating to Taxes of the Buyer Parties and their respective Subsidiaries, in each case of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), solely to the extent such access or information is for purposes reasonably related to the consummation of the Transactions; provided, however, that any such access or provision of information shall be conducted at the Company’s sole expense, under the supervision of the Buyer Parties’ personnel and in such a manner so as to not unreasonably interfere with the normal operations of the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries and subject to the terms of any real property leases of the Buyer Parties and their Subsidiaries, and provided, further, that nothing in this Section 7.11(d) shall require any Buyer Party or any of its Affiliates or representatives to provide the Company or its accountants, counsel or other representatives with any such access, files, books, records or information where such access or the provision of the foregoing would reasonably be expected to (w) result in the waiver of any attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine or other privileges or protections available under applicable Legal Requirements, (x) violate any privacy rights applicable to employees, (y) be prohibited by applicable Legal Requirements or (z) violate or constitute a breach of or default under the terms of any Contract, including any nondisclosure agreement with any third party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7.11(d), none of Seller, the Acquired Companies or their respective accountants, counsel or other representatives shall have access to the properties of the Buyer Parties or their Subsidiaries for the purpose of conducting any subsurface or other invasive or intrusive sampling or testing of environmental media.
92
7.12 Spreadsheets.
(a) The Company shall prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and delivered, to Parent, at or prior to the date two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, a spreadsheet (the “Initial Spreadsheet”) which shall set forth all of the following information, calculated as of the Closing Date and immediately prior to the Closings: (i) the names of all the Sellers and Company Optionholders; (ii) the number of New BC Shares held by such Persons, in each case, following the Pre-Closing Restructuring and as of immediately prior to the Closings; (iii) with respect to each Company Option outstanding immediately prior to the Closings, the number of New BC Shares issuable upon exercise of such Company Option and the exercise price with respect to such Company Option; (iv) based on the Company’s estimates as of that time, the calculation of the Aggregate Company Vested Option Exercise Price, Total New BC Shares, Company Options, Total Closing Cash Consideration, Per Share Company Closing Cash Consideration, Per Share Stock Consideration, Per Share Consideration, Total Closing Consideration, Estimated Company Cash, Estimated Company Debt, Estimated Net working Capital, Estimated Transaction Expenses, Estimated Paid Parent Transaction Expenses and the amounts each Pre-Closing Holder is entitled to receive pursuant to Section 2.5; (v) the Pro Rata Share of each Pre-Closing Holder; (vi) the Net Preferred Share Payment Amount and the amount thereof that each Non-PE UK III Preferred Shareholder is entitled to receive pursuant to the Articles of Association of PE UK III and the Pre-Closing Restructuring; (vii) the PE Sellers Preferred Share Payment Amount, the excess thereof over the NAV Payoff Amount, and the amount of such excess that each PE Seller is entitled to receive pursuant to the Articles of Association of PE UK III and the Pre-Closing Restructuring; and (viii) the designation, pursuant to Section 2.6(f), as to which particular shares of New BC Shares held by each PE Seller are exchanged for Parent Common Stock pursuant to Section 2.5(b) and which particular shares of New BC Shares held by each PE Seller are exchanged for cash pursuant to Section 2.5(b). The Company shall consider in good faith any comments by Parent with respect to the Initial Spreadsheet received prior to the Closing Date, but shall not be obligated to make any changes thereto; provided, that (A) and no such review or comments shall delay the Closings and (B) the failure to include any of Parent’s comments shall in no event prejudice any party’s rights under Section 2.8.
(b) The Shareholders’ Representative shall prepare or cause to be prepared one or more spreadsheet(s) (each, an “AdjustmentSpreadsheet” and together with the Initial Spreadsheet, the “Spreadsheets”), setting forth the allocation of each payment to be made to the Pre-Closing Holders hereunder after the Closing Date. The Shareholders’ Representative shall deliver or cause to be delivered to Parent each applicable Adjustment Spreadsheet (i) with respect to the payment of any amounts pursuant to Section 2.8(d) (if any amount is payable to the Pre-Closing Holders after the Closing Date) no less than three (3) Business Days after final determination of the Adjustment Amount pursuant to Section 2.8 or (ii) with respect to the release of any portion of the Adjustment Escrow Amount, at least three (3) Business Days prior to the scheduled release of any amount of the Adjustment Escrow Amount.
Unless otherwise provided herein, all payments made pursuant to this Agreement and each Spreadsheet shall be made in cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds. With respect to the Initial Spreadsheet, the Company shall cooperate in good faith with Parent to provide to Parent, as promptly as practicable after Parent’s reasonable request, reasonable supporting information necessary to review the Company’s calculations of the Estimated Price Components and other information included in the Initial Spreadsheet Parent shall be entitled to rely on the accuracy of any Spreadsheet in all respects, including with respect to the amounts of the Total Closing Cash Consideration, Per Share Company Closing Cash Consideration, Per Share Stock Consideration, Per Share Consideration, Total Closing Consideration, and the amounts each Pre-Closing Holder is entitled to receive pursuant to Section 2.5, in each case, as set forth on the applicable Spreadsheet, without any obligation to investigate or verify the accuracy or correctness thereof, and, to the extent that payments are made in accordance with the Spreadsheets, in no event shall the Buyer Parties or their Affiliates (including, following the Closings, TargetCo and the Company) and their respective shareholders have any liability to any Pre-Closing Holder or the Shareholders’ Representative in connection with any claims relating to any actual or alleged inaccuracy, miscalculations or other error in the amounts payable pursuant to any Spreadsheet (or any other failure by the Company or the Shareholders’ Representative to accurately prepare and calculate such amounts and the allocation set forth therein) or payments made by any of the Buyer Parties, the Company or otherwise in accordance therewith. Parent’s obligation to make any payments pursuant to Section 2.8 shall be deemed fulfilled to the extent such payments are made by the applicable Affiliate of Parent in accordance with the applicable Spreadsheet. Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary contained in this Agreement, (x) subject to clause (y), in no event shall the aggregate amount due to Pre-Closing Holders from any of the Buyer Parties as consideration for the Company Shares and Company Shares in connection with the Transactions exceed the aggregate amounts required to be paid or issued under Article II and (y) the Buyer Parties acknowledge and agree that the Company and the Shareholders’ Representative (including in preparation of the Spreadsheets) are relying on Parent’s calculation of Undisclosed and that the Buyer Parties may not rely on the accuracy of the Spreadsheets to the extent any error therein results from a failure of Parent’s calculation of the Undisclosed Shares to be accurate and complete in all respects, and nothing in this Section 7.12 shall prejudice any party’s rights with respect to such failure.
93
7.13 Expenses. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein or in any other agreement entered into in connection with the Transactions, whether or not the Transactions are consummated, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions (including Transaction Expenses but excluding Parent Transaction Expenses) shall be paid by the party incurring such expense.
7.14 Parachute Payment Waivers. At least one (1) Business Day prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall, in good faith, submit to the voting equityholders of the Company, for approval or disapproval in manner intended to comply with the requirements of Section 280G(b)(5)(B) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, including Q-7 of Section 1.280G-1 of such Treasury Regulations (the “Section 280GVote”), a written consent in favor of a single proposal to render the parachute payment provisions of Section 280G of the Code inapplicable to any and all payments and/or benefits covered by a Section 280G Waiver (as defined below) that, separately or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in the payment of any amount and/or the provision of any benefit that would not be deductible by reason of Section 280G of the Code or that would subject the recipient to a Tax under Section 4999 of the Code as a result of the consummation of the Transactions (“Section 280G Payments”). Prior to soliciting the Section 280G Vote, the Company will use reasonable best efforts to obtain waivers of such Section 280G Payments from any Person otherwise entitled to Section 280G Payments (each, a “Section 280G Waiver”). Not less than three (3) Business Days prior to distributing any material related to the Section 280G Vote (including calculations, waivers, disclosure statement and consents), the Company shall provide Parent with drafts of such materials for prior reasonable review and comment, and shall consider in good faith all reasonable comments of Parent thereon. To the extent that there exists any Contract or plan entered into at or prior to the Closings by, or at the direction of, Parent or any of its Subsidiaries and any Person who is a “disqualified individual” (within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code) with respect to the Acquired Companies (the “ParentArrangements”), not less than five (5) Business Days prior to finalization of the material relating to the Section 280G Vote, Parent shall provide the Company sufficient information in order for the Company to calculate or determine the value (for purposes of Section 280G of the Code) of any payments or benefits granted or contemplated by the Parent Arrangements that may constitute “parachute payments”. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be deemed to be in breach of this Section 7.14 due to a failure to include the Parent Arrangements in the materials distributed related to the Section 280G Vote due to Parent’s breach of its obligations under this Section 7.14. Prior to Closing the Company shall deliver to Parent evidence that (x) a vote of the Company’s equityholders was received in conformance with Section 280G of the Code and the regulations thereunder, or (y) such requisite Company equityholders approval has not been obtained with respect to the Section 280G Waiver, and, as a consequence, the Section 280G Payments have not been and shall not be paid or provided.
94
7.15 Corporate Matters. The Company shall, at the Closings, deliver or otherwise make available to Parent, to the extent not already in the possession of the Acquired Companies, the minute books containing the records of proceedings, consents, actions and meetings of the Company Board, committees of the Company Board and shareholders of the Company and the stock ledgers, journals and other records reflecting all issuances and transfers of stock of the Company, in each case of the foregoing, to the extent in existence as of the Closings and pertaining to periods prior to the Closings.
7.16 Tax Matters.
(a) Cooperation. Parent, Shareholders’ Representative, the Sellers and the Company shall cooperate fully, as and to the extent reasonably requested by the other party, in connection with the preparation and filing of Tax Returns and any audit, litigation or other Proceeding with respect to Taxes. Such cooperation shall include the retention and (upon the other party’s request) the provision of records and information reasonably relevant to any such Tax Return, audit, litigation, or other Proceeding and making employees available on a mutually convenient basis to provide additional information and explanation of any material provided hereunder. Parent, the Sellers, Shareholders’ Representative, and the Company agree to retain all books and records with respect to Tax matters pertinent to the Company relating to any Taxable period beginning before the Closing Date until expiration of the statute of limitations of the respective Taxable periods, and to abide by all record retention agreements entered into with any Tax Authority.
(b) Tax Returns. The Buyer Parties shall prepare or cause to be prepared, and shall cause to be timely filed, all Pre-Closing Tax Returns of New BC and the Acquired Companies that are due after the Closing Date. Such Pre-Closing Tax Returns shall be prepared in accordance with past practice of the applicable Acquired Company, unless otherwise required by applicable Legal Requirements and (i) such Pre-Closing Tax Returns for Canadian resident corporations will include elections pursuant to subsection 256(9) of the Tax Act if so determined by Parent and (ii) the Buyer Parties, the Sellers, New BC and the Acquired Companies shall cooperate (and shall cause their Affiliates to cooperate) to make any available election to close the taxable year of any of the Acquired Companies that is treated as a foreign corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes as of the Closing Date. The Buyer Parties shall provide the Shareholders’ Representative with a copy of each such Pre-Closing Tax Return that is due prior to the Determination Date (taking into account applicable extensions) at least fifteen (15) days prior to the filing of such Tax Return (or, if required to be filed within fifteen (15) days after the Closing Date, as soon as possible following the Closing Date). Parent shall consider in good faith any comments to such Pre-Closing Tax Returns as are reasonably requested by the Shareholders’ Representative.
(c) Straddle Periods. With respect to any Straddle Period, for purposes of determining the amount of Taxes attributable to the Pre-Closing Tax Period: (i) in the case of property Taxes and other similar Taxes imposed on a periodic basis, such amount shall be equal to the Taxes for the entire Straddle Period multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days in the portion of the Straddle Period ending on the Closing Date and the denominator of which is the number of calendar days in the entire Straddle Period; and (ii) in the case of all other Taxes, such amount shall be determined as though the Straddle Period ended based on a “closing of the books” as of the end of the day on the Closing Date.
95
(d) Tax Sharing Agreements. On or before the Closing Date, the Sellers shall terminate, or cause to be terminated, the rights and obligations of and each of the Acquired Companies with respect to any Tax Sharing Agreement or similar arrangement between any of the Acquired Companies, on the one hand, and any Seller or any of its other Affiliates, on the other hand. Neither the Sellers nor any of their Affiliates, on the one hand, nor the any of the Acquired Companies, on the other hand, shall have any rights or obligations with respect to one another after the Closings in respect of any such agreement or arrangement.
(e) Transfer Taxes. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, all sales, use, transfer, real property transfer, registration, documentary, conveyance, goods and services, stamp, value added, or similar Taxes and related expenses (including the expense of preparing any associated Tax Return), fees and costs (including any penalties or interest) (“Transfer Taxes”) (i) imposed on or payable in connection with the Transactions contemplated by this Agreement, other than solely as a result of the Pre-Closing Restructuring, shall be borne by BidCo and (ii) imposed on or payable solely in connection with the Pre-Closing Restructuring shall be borne by the Sellers (including, for the avoidance of doubt and without limitation, any UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (and the costs of preparing and making any filings, claims or Returns in respect thereof) arising on any of the transactions entered into pursuant to the Pre-Closing Restructuring); provided, that the Buyer Parties acknowledge and agree that, in the absence of a breach of Section 3.14(y) or Section 6.2(n)(ii), no such UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax is due and payable. Each of Sellers, Parent, and their respective Affiliates shall reasonably cooperate with respect to the filing of all Tax Returns relating to Transfer Taxes.
(f) Intended Tax Treatment. Each party hereto agrees to report the transactions contemplated by this Agreement on all Tax Returns in a manner consistent with the Intended Tax Treatment and no party to this Agreement will take a Tax reporting position inconsistent with that treatment unless otherwise required to do so pursuant to a change in applicable Tax law after the date of this Agreement or a “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or non-U.S. Tax law). In connection with the foregoing, (i) the designee of Holdings referenced in Section 2.1 and Section 2.5(a) will be, and will have been since its formation, treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income Tax purposes and (ii) Parent will have, and will retain for the taxable year that includes the Closing Date, control of the designee of Holdings referenced in Section 2.1 and 2.5(a) for purposes of Section 368(c).
(g) Post-Closing Actions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement to the contrary, none of the Buyer Parties or any of their Affiliates shall (i) make any election under U.S. Treasury Regulation 301.7701-3 with an effective date with respect to any Acquired Company on or prior to the last day of the fiscal year with respect to such Acquired Company that includes the Closing Date or (ii) take any other action outside the ordinary course of business with respect to an Acquired Company that would increase the liability of any Seller (or any of its Affiliates or equity holders) for Taxes (including pursuant to Section 951 or 951A of the Code).
(h) Mandatory Disclosure. If, at any time after the Closing Date, the Shareholders’ Representative, on the one hand, or any Buyer Party, on the other hand, determines, or becomes aware that an “advisor” (as defined for purposes of section 237.3 or section 237.4 of the Tax Act) has determined, that the transaction contemplated by this Agreement, together with all transactions ancillary thereto, is subject to the reporting requirements under section 237.3 of the Tax Act or the notification requirements under section 237.4 of the Tax Act (or any comparable provisions under provincial tax legislation), including as a result of any future amendments or proposed amendments to such provisions (in this Section 7.16(h), the “Disclosure Requirements”), the Shareholders’ Representative or Buyer Party, as applicable, will promptly inform the other party of its intent, or its advisor’s intent, to comply with the Disclosure Requirements and such parties will cooperate in good faith with respect to preparing and filing the applicable information returns or notifications.
96
(i) Options. With respect to Company Vested Options (other than Company Vested Options to acquire non-qualified securities for purposes of the Tax Act) held by any holder that is resident in Canada or who is or was employed in Canada, in each case, for purposes of the Tax Act, the Company will elect pursuant to subsection 110(1.1) of the Tax Act and the equivalent provisions of any applicable provincial tax legislation, in prescribed form, in respect of each such employee’s Company Vested Options surrendered pursuant to this Agreement (and the Company will file such election with the applicable tax authority), that neither the Company, nor any person who does not deal at arm’s length (within the meaning of the Tax Act) with the Company, will deduct, in computing income for the purposes of the Tax Act, any amount in respect of the amounts paid to such employee holders of Company Vested Options pursuant to Section 2.5(c)(i) in consideration for the surrender and cancellation of its Company Vested Options and the Company will provide such holders of Company Vested Options with evidence in writing of such election.
7.17 Directors’ and Officers’ Indemnification.
(a) From and after the Closings, Parent agrees that it will cause the Acquired Companies to indemnify and hold harmless each Company Indemnified Party against any costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred in connection with any Proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining to any act or omission by such Company Indemnified Party in his or her capacity as (or otherwise arising out of or pertaining to his or her status as) a Company Indemnified Party at or prior to the Closings, whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Closings, to the fullest extent that any Acquired Company, as the case may be, would have been permitted under applicable Legal Requirements and its respective Governing Documents in effect on the date of this Agreement to indemnify such person (including promptly advancing expenses as incurred to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Legal Requirements). Without limiting the foregoing, all rights to indemnification and exculpation from liabilities for and advancement of expenses with respect to acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Closing Date existing in favor of any Persons who are or were current or former directors or officers of any of the Acquired Companies or who are or were serving at the request of any Acquired Company as a director, officer or manager of another Person (each, a “CompanyIndemnified Party”) as provided in the Company’s certificate of incorporation, the Company’s bylaws, the Governing Documents of the Acquired Companies other than the Company or in separate agreements between any Acquired Company and individual officers and directors, shall continue, and, after the Closings, Parent will fulfill and honor in all respects such obligations in accordance with the terms thereof in each case in effect on the Agreement Date (or entered into following the Agreement Date in accordance with this Agreement), and such rights will continue in full force and effect, for a period of six (6) years following the Closing Date, in accordance with their respective terms and shall not be amended, repealed or modified for a period of six (6) years following the Closing Date in any matter that adversely affects any Company Indemnified Party. Any Company Indemnified Party wishing to claim indemnification under this Section 7.17, upon learning of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, shall promptly notify Parent and the Company; provided that the failure to so notify shall not affect the obligations of Parent or the Company under this Section 7.17 except (and only) to the extent such failure to notify materially prejudices the Company.
(b) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will purchase a directors’ and officers’ and fiduciary liability run-off/tail insurance coverage, which by its terms shall survive the Closings and shall provide run-off coverage for not less than six (6) years following the Closing Date, having limits, terms and conditions no less favorable in all material respects than the terms of the directors’ and officers’ and fiduciary liability insurance policies currently maintained by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries and to cause such insurance to be bound not later than the Closing Date (the “D&O Insurance”); provided, that in no event shall the cost of the D&O Insurance exceed 300% of the current aggregate annual premium paid by the Company for such policies currently maintained by the Company and its Subsidiaries; and provided, further, that if the cost of such insurance coverage exceeds such amount, the Company shall obtain a policy with the greatest coverage available for a cost not exceeding such amount. Parent shall, and shall cause the Acquired Companies, to maintain the D&O Insurance in full force and effect during the term of the D&O Insurance without modification or amendment.
97
(c) The rights of indemnification, exculpation and advancement of expenses as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any Company Indemnified Party may at any time be entitled. No right or remedy herein conferred by this Agreement is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity, under contract or otherwise. The assertion of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent or subsequent assertion of any other right or remedy. Parent hereby acknowledges that certain Company Indemnified Parties have or may, in the future, have certain rights to indemnification, exculpation, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by Persons other than the Acquired Companies (collectively, including the Sellers and their respective general partners, “Other Indemnitors”). Parent hereby agrees that, with respect to any advancement or indemnification obligation owed, at any time, to a Company Indemnified Party by any Buyer Party, any Acquired Company or any Other Indemnitor, whether pursuant to any Governing Document, indemnification agreement or other document or agreement and/or pursuant to this Section 7.17 (any of the foregoing, an “Indemnification Obligation”), after the Closing, Parent shall cause the Acquired Companies to, (i) jointly and severally, and at all times, be the indemnitors of first resort (i.e., Parent’s and the Acquired Companies’ obligations to a Company Indemnified Party shall be primary and any obligation of the Other Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by a Company Indemnified Party shall be secondary) and (ii) at all times, be required to advance, and shall be liable, jointly and severally, for, the full amount of all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Agreement or any Indemnification Obligation, without regard to any rights that a Company Indemnified Party may have against the Other Indemnitors. Furthermore, each of Parent and the Company, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Other Indemnitors from any and all claims (x) against the Other Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation, indemnification or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof and (y) that the Company Indemnified Party must seek expense advancement, reimbursement or indemnification from any Other Indemnitor before Parent or any Acquired Company must perform its Indemnification Obligations. Parent hereby further agrees that no advancement, indemnification, exculpation or other payment by the Other Indemnitors on behalf of a Company Indemnified Party with respect to any claim for which a Company Indemnified Party has sought indemnification from Parent or any Acquired Company shall affect the foregoing, and the Other Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement, indemnification or other payment to all of the rights of recovery of such Company Indemnified Party against Parent or any Acquired Company, and Parent and the Acquired Companies shall jointly and severally indemnify and hold harmless the Other Indemnitors against such amounts actually paid by the Other Indemnitors to or on behalf of such Company Indemnified Party to the extent such amounts would have otherwise been payable by Parent or any Acquired Company under any Indemnification Obligation.
(d) This Section 7.17 shall survive the consummation of the Transactions and is intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each Company Indemnified Party, his or her heirs and representatives and the Acquired Companies (whether or not parties to this Agreement) and shall not be amended on or after the Closings without the consent of all Company Indemnified Parties. The rights pursuant to this Section 7.17 shall be in addition to any rights such persons may have under the Company Certificate of Incorporation or Company Bylaws or the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other Governing Documents of any Subsidiary of the Company, or under applicable Legal Requirements or under any agreement of any Company Indemnified Party with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. If Parent or the Company or any of their respective successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that such successors and assigns assume the obligations set forth in this Section 7.17.
98
7.18 R&W Policy.
(a) The Buyer Parties have a bound and incepted Buy-Side Representation and Warranty Insurance Policy, which includes, among other things, an express waiver of rights of or via subrogation, contribution or otherwise against any of the Pre-Closing Holders, their respective Affiliates, and each of their respective past, present or future directors, officers, employees, advisors, agents, managers, attorneys, partners, and representatives (collectively, the “R&W Subrogation Beneficiaries”), except and only to the extent of Fraud committed by such Person, with foregoing Persons being express third party beneficiaries of such anti-subrogation provision (the “R&W Policy”). The foregoing subrogation provision of the R&W Policy, shall not be in any way amended, modified, supplemented, terminated, waived, or otherwise revised, and no amendment, modification, supplementation, termination, waiver or revision shall be effective, without the express written consent of the Shareholders’ Representative. The Buyer Parties shall be responsible for all costs of acquiring the R&W Policy (including any premiums, broker fees and commissions, underwriting fees, Taxes, and any other insurer or broker charges or fees required by applicable law).
(b) The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the failure by the Buyer Parties to obtain and/or maintain the R&W Policy in accordance with this Section 7.18 shall not in any manner increase the liability of any of the Pre-Closing Holders or the Company otherwise applicable hereunder and, in the event of such failure to obtain and/or maintain the R&W Policy, the cost to purchase such insurance policy shall not be considered a Transaction Expense.
7.19 Employees and Employee Benefits.
(a) For at least one (1) year following the Closing Date, the Company shall provide or cause to be provided to all Continuing Employees (i) a rate of base salary, wages and annual target cash incentive compensation opportunities (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any equity or equity-based compensation or opportunities and any change in control compensation opportunities) that, in each case, is not less favorable than the rate of base salary, wages and annual target cash incentive compensation opportunities paid by the Company or its Affiliates immediately prior to the Closing Date and (ii) other benefits (but excluding any defined benefit pension, retiree health benefits, deferred compensation, equity or equity-based or severance benefits) that are at levels that are substantially similar in the aggregate to those in effect for such Continuing Employee immediately prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Following the Closing Date, Parent shall use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) ensure, or cause to ensure, that no limitations or exclusions as to pre-existing conditions, evidence of insurability or good health, waiting periods or actively-at-work exclusions or other limitations or restrictions on coverage are applicable to any Continuing Employees or their dependents or beneficiaries under any welfare benefit plans in which such Continuing Employees or their dependents or beneficiaries may be eligible to participate, and (ii) provide or cause to be provided that any costs or expenses incurred by Continuing Employees (and their dependents or beneficiaries) up to (and including) the Closing Date shall be taken into account for purposes of satisfying applicable deductible, co-payment, coinsurance, maximum out-of-pocket provisions and like adjustments or limitations on coverage under any such welfare benefit plans.
99
(c) With respect to each employee benefit plan, policy or practice, including severance, vacation and paid time off plans, policies or practices, sponsored or maintained by Parent or its Affiliates (including the Company following the Closings), Parent shall use commercially reasonable efforts to grant, or cause to be granted to, all Continuing Employees from and after the Closing Date credit for all service with the Company and its predecessors prior to the Closing Date for purposes of eligibility to participate, vesting credit, eligibility to commence benefits with respect to severance, vacation benefits and Company Employee Plans only, and with respect to Company Employee Plans only, benefit accrual, but excluding benefit accrual under any defined benefit pension plan and any such credit that would result in a duplication of benefits. To the extent included in Net Working Capital, Parent shall recognize all earned but unused paid vacation, sick leave, and other paid time off of the Continuing Employees as of the Closings and allow the Continuing Employees to use such earned but unused paid time off in accordance with the terms of the applicable Company Employee Plan as in effect immediately prior to the Closings. The Company shall provide Parent or its designee with all material information reasonably requested and necessary to allow Parent or its designee to comply with such obligation.
(d) Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon any Continuing Employee or other service provider any right to continue in the employ or service of Parent, the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective Affiliates, or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of Parent, the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective Affiliates, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of any Continuing Employee or other service provider at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, subject to applicable Legal Requirements. In no event shall the terms of this Agreement be deemed to (i) establish, amend, or modify any “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, or any other benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement maintained or sponsored by Parent, the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective Affiliates; or (ii) alter or limit the ability of Parent, the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective Affiliates to amend, modify or terminate any “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA or any other compensation or benefit or employment plan, program, agreement or arrangement after the Closing Date. The provisions of this Section 7.19 are for the sole benefit of the parties to this Agreement, and nothing herein, expressed or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give to any Person (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Continuing Employee or other current or former employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates), other than the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, any legal or equitable or other rights or remedies, including with respect to the matters provided for in this Section 7.19 under or by reason of any provision of this Agreement.
(e) If and to the extent that any transaction or retention bonus amount included in Actual Transaction Expenses as finally determined is forfeited by the recipient of the applicable bonus and not actually paid by the Parent or its Subsidiary (a “Forfeited Bonus”), BidCo shall promptly deliver to each Seller, to the account of such Seller set forth in such Seller’s Letter of Transmittal by wire transfer of immediately available funds, and each Company Optionholder (through the payroll system of BidCo or its Subsidiary and less any Taxes required by applicable law to be withheld therefrom) such Seller’s or Company Optionholder’s Pro Rata Excess Adjustment Share of an amount equal to the amount of such Forfeited Bonus (together with the amount of any employer social security, Medicare, unemployment or other employment or payroll Tax or similar Tax with respect thereto that was included in Actual Transaction Expenses).
7.20 Interested Party Transactions. On or prior to the Closings, the Company shall cause the termination, effective at or immediately prior to the Closings, of all Related Party Contracts, in each case, in its entirety without any ongoing liability or obligation of the Company from and after the Closings, except as set forth on Schedule 7.20 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, in each case, pursuant to documentation reasonably satisfactory to Parent.
100
7.21 Subscriptions. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), and except for any of the following actions that would not (i) reasonably be expected to increase conditionality or impose any new obligation on the Company or Parent, (ii) reduce the PIPE Investment Amount or the subscription amount under any Subscription Agreement, (iii) reduce or impair the rights of Parent under any Subscription Agreement or (iv) otherwise expand, amend, modify or waive any provision of any Subscription Agreement in a manner that in any such case would reasonably be expected to (A) delay or make less likely the funding of all or any portion of the PIPE Investment Amount (or satisfaction of the conditions to the funding of the PIPE Investment Amount) on the Closing Date, (B) adversely impact the ability of Parent to enforce its rights against the PIPE Investors or any other parties to the Subscription Agreements or (C) adversely affect the ability of Parent to timely consummate the Transactions and the other transactions contemplated hereby, Parent shall not permit any amendment or modification to be made to, any waiver (in whole or in part) of, or provide consent to modify (including consent to terminate), any provision or remedy under, or any replacements of, any of the Subscription Agreements, in each case, other than any assignment or transfer contemplated therein or expressly permitted thereby (without any further amendment, modification or waiver to such assignment or transfer provision); provided that, in the case of any such assignment or transfer, the initial party to such Subscription Agreement remains bound by its obligations with respect thereto in the event that the transferee or assignee, as applicable, does not comply with its obligations to consummate the purchase of shares of Parent Common Stock contemplated thereby. Subject to the immediately preceding sentence and in the event that all conditions in the Subscription Agreements have been satisfied (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closings, which conditions are then capable of being satisfied), Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to take, or to cause to be taken, all actions required, necessary or that it otherwise deems to be proper or advisable to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Subscription Agreements on the terms described therein, including using its reasonable best efforts to enforce its rights under the Subscription Agreements to cause the PIPE Investors to pay to (or as directed by) Parent the applicable purchase price under each PIPE Investor’s applicable Subscription Agreement in accordance with its terms. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Parent shall give the Company prompt (and, in any event within two (2) Business Days) written notice: (A) of any amendment to any Subscription Agreement; (B) of Parent’s knowledge of any breach or default (or any event or circumstance that, with or without notice, lapse of time or both, could give rise to any breach or default) by any party to any Subscription Agreement; (C) of the receipt of any written notice or other written or, to Parent’s knowledge, oral communication from any party to any Subscription Agreement with respect to any actual, potential or claimed expiration, lapse, withdrawal, breach, default, termination or repudiation by any party to any Subscription Agreement or any provisions of any Subscription Agreement; and (D) if Parent does not expect to receive all or any portion of the aggregate subscription amounts on the terms, in the manner or from the PIPE Investors contemplated by the Subscription Agreements.
7.22 Pre-Closing Restructuring.
(a) Subject to Schedule 7.22 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, the Buyer Parties, PE Sellers, the Company and New BC shall use reasonable best efforts to effectuate the Pre-Closing Restructuring and the steps contemplated to take place following the Closings in the Pre-Closing Restructuring Plan (collective, the “Restructuring Plan”) in accordance with, and at or before the times referred to in, the Restructuring Plan. No more than thirty (30) days following the date of this Agreement, and subject in all respects to Schedule 7.22 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, PE Sellers may amend the Restructuring Plan without the consent of Bidco; provided, however, that PE Sellers may not, without the prior written consent of Bidco (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), make any amendment to the Restructuring Plan if any such proposed amendment to the Restructuring Plan would reasonably be expected to (a) cause any Buyer Party or the Acquired Companies to violate any Legal Requirement or Contract in any material respect, (b) cause any representation or warranty set forth in this Agreement of any PE Seller to become untrue or incorrect, (c) create or give rise to any loans or balances (i) between any of the Acquired Companies if settling such loan or balance after the Closings would reasonably be expected to result in any incremental Tax or other cost for the Buyer Parties or the Acquired Companies or (ii) between any Acquired Company, on the one hand, and any PE Seller or any of its Affiliates (other than the Acquired Companies), on the other hand, that would not be canceled or terminated in accordance with Section 7.20 at or before the Closings pursuant to this Agreement, (d) involve entering into any covenant or agreement with any Governmental Entity that would impact any Buyer Party or the Acquired Companies in any material respect at any time following the Closings, (e) have a material adverse Tax impact on any Buyer Party or the Acquired Companies, or (f) materially delay the implementation of the Restructuring Plan beyond any timing requirements specifically set forth therein (any amendment described in this sentence, a “Seller Restructuring Amendment”). PE Sellers shall in good faith consult with the Buyer Parties as to each amendment to the Restructuring Plan proposed by PE Sellers (whether or not Bidco’s consent is required). In the event the Restructuring Plan is modified in accordance with this Section 7.22, Exhibit A shall be deemed to be automatically amended to reflect such modifications to the extent applicable. PE Sellers shall (1) keep the Buyer Parties reasonably informed, including at the Buyer Parties’ request, of the status of the Restructuring Plan, (2) provide Buyer Parties with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment, which comments, if any, PE Sellers shall reasonably consider, on the material documents intended by PE Sellers to effect the Restructuring Plan and (3) without limiting the foregoing, revise such documents to reflect reasonable comments from the Buyer Parties with respect to (I) any governing or organizational documents of any of Acquired Companies formed or amended in connection with the Restructuring Plan, or (II) any document pursuant to which the Acquired Companies would have any right or obligation following the Closings, in each case, in this clause (3) to the extent the Buyer Parties believes in good faith that such comments are necessary to avoid an adverse effect to the Buyer Parties or the Acquired Companies.
101
(b) The parties agree to the covenants set forth on Schedule 7.22.
7.23 Management Stockholders. As promptly as practicable following the Agreement Date (and in any event within ten (10) Business Days after the Agreement Date), the PE Sellers and the Company shall timely distribute or cause to be distributed: (a) to each Management Stockholder, a letter of transmittal, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit H (each, a “Letter of Transmittal”), (b) to each Management Stockholder that has indicated to the Company that such Person is an accredited investor or that the Company otherwise reasonably believes to be an “accredited investor” (as such term is defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act and under Part 2 of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions, as applicable), in each case, as of the Agreement Date, an investor questionnaire in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F, and (c) to each Management Stockholder, instructions for returning such Letter of Transmittal, investor questionnaire and surrender of such Management Stockholders’ Company Shares in exchange for the Per Share Consideration. The PE Sellers and the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain prior to the Closings such executed Letters of Transmittal and investor questionnaires from such Management Stockholders.
7.24 Virtual Data Room. The Company shall cause the virtual data room “Husky Data Room” hosted by Intralinks in connection with the Transactions to remain accessible until the Closings. Parent shall cause the virtual data room “CompoSecure Diligence” hosted by Datasite in connection with the Transactions to remain accessible until the Closings. At or prior to the Closings: (i) Parent shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Shareholders’ Representative five (5) copies of the virtual data room “Husky Data Room” hosted by Datasite in connection with the Transactions in a DVD-ROM or flash storage device format or, alternatively, a copy of such dataroom by transmission of an electronic ZIP or similar file, or such other format to be mutually agreed; and (ii) the Shareholders’ Representative shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Buyer Parties five (5) copies of the virtual data room “CompoSecure Diligence” hosted by Intralinks in connection with the Transactions in a DVD-ROM or flash storage device format or, alternatively, a copy of such dataroom by transmission of an electronic ZIP or similar file, or such other format to be mutually agreed.
102
7.25 Section 16 Matters. Prior to the Closings, the parties shall take all such steps as may be required to cause any acquisitions of Parent Common Stock (including derivative securities with respect to Parent Common Stock) resulting from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement by each Person who is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to Parent to be exempt under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
7.26 Retention of Books and Records. Parent shall cause the Acquired Companies to retain all books, ledgers, files, reports, plans, records and any other documents pertaining to the Acquired Companies in existence at the Closings that are required to be retained under current retention policies for a period of seven (7) years from the Closing Date (or, if later with respect to Tax matters, until sixty (60) days after the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations), and to make the same available after the Closings for inspection and copying by the Shareholders’ Representative or its representatives, at the Shareholders’ Representative’s expense, during regular business hours and upon reasonable request and upon reasonable advance notice. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, Parent shall not have any obligation to cause the Acquired Companies to provide the Shareholders’ Representative or its representatives with any such access or information which Parent determines in good faith cannot be disclosed without (i) violating applicable Legal Requirements or obligations of confidentiality, (ii) contravening any contract entered into by the Acquired Companies prior to the date of this Agreement, or (iii) waiving applicable attorney-client privilege or attorney work-product privilege; provided, however, that Parent will cause the Acquired Company to use reasonable best efforts to identify and pursue a legally permissible method of providing such disclosure in a manner that does not result in the violation of such obligations or waiver of applicable privilege. After such seven (7) year or longer period, before Parent or any Acquired Company may dispose of any such books and records, Parent shall give at least ninety (90) days’ prior written notice of such intention to dispose to the Shareholders’ Representative, and the Shareholders’ Representative shall be given an opportunity, at its cost and expense, to retain copies of all or any part of such books and records as it may elect.
7.27 Balance Sheet. At least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall prepare and deliver to Parent a good faith estimate (taking into account the Accounting Principles) of the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date (the “Estimated Balance Sheet”).
Article VIII
Conditionsto the Transactions
8.1 Conditions to Obligations of Each Party to Effect the Transactions. The respective obligations of each party hereto to consummate the Transactions shall be subject to the satisfaction as of the Closings of each of the following conditions:
(a) Parent Stockholder Approval. The Parent Stockholder Approval shall have been obtained.
(b) Illegality. No temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, in each case, issued by any court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Entity, preventing the consummation of the Transactions shall be in effect, and (after the Agreement Date) no new law or regulation shall have been enacted, and no Specified Illegality (as defined in Schedule 8.1(b)) shall have arisen, in each case, which makes the consummation of the Transactions illegal or results in a Burdensome Condition (unless such Burdensome Condition was agreed to in connection with obtaining a Regulatory Consent).
103
(c) Regulatory Consents. All Regulatory Consents set forth on Schedule 8.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule shall have been obtained or terminated or shall have expired, as applicable, including expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period (and any extensions thereof) under the HSR Act in each case, without the imposition of a Burdensome Condition (unless such Burdensome Condition was agreed to in connection with obtaining a Regulatory Consent).
(d) NYSE Listing. The shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements shall have been authorized for listing on NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance.
(e) Pre-Closing Restructuring. Subject to Schedule 7.22 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, the Pre-Closing Restructuring shall have been completed in all respects in accordance with the terms of the Pre-Closing Restructuring (as the same may be amended in accordance with this Agreement).
8.2 Additional Conditions to Obligations of the Sellers, the Company and New BC. The obligations of the Sellers, the Company and New BC to consummate the Transactions shall be subject to the satisfaction as of the Closings of each of the following additional conditions (it being understood that each such condition is solely for the benefit of the Sellers, the Company and New BC and may be waived by the Shareholders’ Representative in writing in its sole discretion without notice or Liability to any Person):
(a) Representations, Warranties and Covenants. (i) The representations and warranties of the Buyer Parties in this Agreement (other than the representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.1 (Organization and Standing), Section 5.2(a) (Authority), Section 5.3 (Capitalization), Section 5.12(b) (Absence of Certain Changes) and Section 5.19 (Transaction Fees)), disregarding all qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality or Parent Material Adverse Effect, shall be true and correct on and as of the Agreement Date and on and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made on and as of such date (except for representations and warranties which address matters only as to a specified date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects with respect to such specified date), except where the failure to be true and correct would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Buyer Parties set forth in Section 5.1 (Organizationand Standing), Section 5.2(a) (Authority), Section 5.3 (Capitalization) and Section 5.19 (Transaction Fees) shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Agreement Date and on and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made on and as of such date (except for representations and warranties which address matters only as to a specified date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects with respect to such specified date) and (iii) the representations and warranties of the Buyer Parties set forth in Section 5.12(b) (Absenceof Certain Changes) shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Agreement Date and on and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made on and as of such date. Each of the Buyer Parties shall have performed and complied in all material respects with all covenants, obligations and conditions of this Agreement required to be performed and complied with by it at or prior to the Closings.
(b) Receipt of Closing Deliveries. The Company or New BC shall have received each of the agreements, instruments and other documents set forth in Section 2.4(a).
104
(c) No Parent Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred and be continuing any Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(d) Investor Directors. Parent shall have taken all actions necessary such that, immediately following the Closings, the Investor Designees (as defined in the Investor Rights Agreement) specified in the Investor Rights Agreement shall be directors on the Parent Board.
8.3 Additional Conditions to the Obligations of the Buyer Parties. The obligations of the Buyer Parties to consummate the Transactions shall be subject to the satisfaction as of the Closings of each of the following additional conditions (it being understood that each such condition is solely for the benefit of the Buyer Parties and may be waived by Parent in writing in its sole discretion without notice or Liability to any Person):
(a) Representations, Warranties and Covenants. (i) The representations and warranties of the Sellers, the Company and New BC in this Agreement (other than the representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.1 (Organization, Standing and Power), Section 3.2 (Subsidiaries), Section 3.3 (Capital Structure), Section 3.4(a) (Authority), Section 3.7(b) (Absenceof Certain Changes), Section 3.19 (Brokers), Section 4.1 (Organization, Standing and OrganizationalPower), Section 4.2(a) (Authority) and Section 4.3 (Ownership of TargetCo Units and CompanyShares)), disregarding all qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality or Company Material Adverse Effect, shall be true and correct on and as of the Agreement Date and on and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made on and as of such date (except for representations and warranties which address matters only as to a specified date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects with respect to such specified date), except where the failure to be true and correct would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Sellers, the Company and New BC set forth in Section 3.1 (Organization,Standing and Power), Section 3.2 (Subsidiaries), Section 3.3 (Capital Structure), Section 3.4(a) (Authority), Section 3.19 (Brokers), Section 4.1 (Organization, Standing and Organizational Power), Section 4.2(a) (Authority) and Section 4.3 (Ownership of TargetCo Units and Company Shares) shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Agreement Date and on and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made on and as of such date (except for representations and warranties which address matters only as to a specified date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects with respect to such specified date), and (iii) the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 3.7(b) (Absence of Certain Changes) shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Agreement Date and on and as of the Closing Date as though such representations and warranties were made on and as of such date. The Company and New BC shall have performed and complied in all material respects with all covenants and obligations of this Agreement required to be performed and complied with by the Company or New BC, as applicable, at or prior to the Closings.
(b) Receipt of Closing Deliveries. Parent shall have received each of the agreements, instruments and other documents set forth in Section 2.4(b) (other than the documents set forth in Sections 2.4(b)(ii), 2.4(b)(ix), 2.4(b)(x) and 2.4(b)(xii)).
(c) Insurance Policies. Prior to or on the Closing Date, the Company shall have purchased the D&O Insurance.
(d) No Company Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred and be continuing any Company Material Adverse Effect.
105
8.4 Waiver of Conditions; Frustration of Conditions. All conditions to the Closings shall be deemed to have been satisfied or waived from and after the Closings. None of the Sellers or any Buyer Party may rely on the failure of any condition set forth in this Article VIII to be satisfied if such failure was caused by the failure of the Company or the Sellers, on the one hand, or any Buyer Party, on the other hand, respectively, to (i) use reasonable best efforts to consummate the Transactions and (ii) otherwise comply with its obligations under this Agreement.
Article IX
Termination,Amendment and Waiver
9.1 Termination. At any time prior to the Closings, this Agreement may be terminated and the Transactions abandoned by any of the following:
(a) by mutual written consent of the Shareholders’ Representative and Parent;
(b) by either Parent or the Shareholders’ Representative, by written notice to the other party, if the Closing Date shall not have occurred on or before the date that is six (6) months after the Agreement Date or such other date that Parent and the Company may agree upon in writing (the “Termination Date”); provided, however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under this clause (b) of Section 9.1 shall not be available to any party whose Willful Breach of this Agreement has resulted in the failure of the Closings to occur on or before the Termination Date;
(c) by either Parent or the Shareholders’ Representative, by written notice to the other party, if any permanent injunction or other order of a Governmental Entity of competent authority preventing the consummation of the Transactions shall have become final and nonappealable;
(d) by either Parent or the Shareholders’ Representative, by written notice to the other party, if the vote of the Parent Stockholders with respect to the Parent Stock Issuance has been taken and completed at the Parent Stockholders Meeting (including any adjournment thereof) and the Parent Stockholder Approval shall not have been obtained;
(e) by Parent, by written notice to the Shareholders’ Representative, if any of the Sellers or the Company shall have breached any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained herein and such breach shall not have been cured by the earlier of (i) fifteen (15) Business Days after receipt by the Shareholders’ Representative of written notice of such breach and (ii) the Termination Date (provided, however, that no such cure period shall be available or applicable to any such breach which by its nature cannot be cured) and if not cured within the timeframe above and as of the Closings, such breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8.1 or Section 8.3 to be satisfied; provided, that none of the Buyer Parties is then in breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained herein and of the Closings, such breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8.1 or Section 8.2 to be satisfied; or
(f) by the Shareholders’ Representative, by written notice to Parent, if any of the Buyer Parties shall have breached any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained herein and such breach shall not have been cured by the earlier of (i) fifteen (15) Business Days after receipt by Parent of written notice of such breach and (ii) the Termination Date (provided, however, that no such cure period shall be available or applicable to any such breach which by its nature cannot be cured) and if not cured within the timeframe above and as of the Closings, such breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8.1 or Section 8.2 to be satisfied; provided, that none of the Sellers or the Company is then in breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained herein and of the Closings, such breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8.1 or Section 8.3 to be satisfied.
106
9.2 Effect of Termination.
(a) In the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 9.1, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of the parties hereto or their respective officers, directors, stockholders or affiliates; provided, however, that (a) the provisions of Sections 7.7(d) and 7.7(e) (Cooperation Regarding Financial Information and Financing Matters), this Section 9.2 (Effect of Termination) (including, for the avoidance of doubt, Section 9.2(b) and Article XI (General Provisions) shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this Agreement and (b) nothing herein shall relieve any party hereto from liability in connection with any intentional and willful breach of such party’s representations, warranties, covenants or other provisions contained herein (a “WillfulBreach”) or Fraud; provided, further, that if such termination shall result from Willful Breach or Fraud by any party hereto of any representation, warranty, covenant or other provision contained herein, the parties hereto acknowledge and agree that recourse for such Willful Breach or Fraud shall not be limited to reimbursement of expenses or out-of-pocket costs and may include, to the extent proven, the benefit of the bargain lost by a party’s direct or indirect equityholders (taking into consideration relevant matters, including other combination opportunities and the time value of money).
(b) In the event that either the Shareholders’ Representative or Parent terminates this Agreement (i) pursuant to Section 9.1(d) or (ii) pursuant to Section 9.1(b) and (in the case of this clause (ii) at the time of such termination, either party could have terminated this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.1(d), then Parent shall reimburse the Company for all of its (and its Affiliates’) reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred in connection with the Transactions through the date of such termination (collectively “ReimbursableExpenses”), as promptly as reasonably practicable (and, in any event, within three (3) Business Days following receipt from the Shareholders’ Representative of the amounts of such Reimbursable Expenses), by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by the Company.
9.3 Amendment. Subject to the provisions of applicable Legal Requirements, this Agreement may be amended at any time by the parties hereto by, and only by, an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of Parent and the Shareholders’ Representative.
9.4 Extension; Waiver. At any time, any party hereto may, to the extent legally allowed, (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other parties hereto, (b) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties made to such party contained herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto, or (c) waive compliance with any of the agreements or conditions for the benefit of such party contained herein. Any agreement on the part of a party hereto to any such extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of such party. Without limiting the generality or effect of the preceding sentence, no delay in exercising any right under this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of such right, and no waiver of any breach or default shall be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default of the same or any other provision in this Agreement.
107
Article X
Survival;Shareholders’ Representative
10.1 Survival of Representations and Warranties and Covenants. The covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement that by their terms contemplate performance in whole or in part after the Closings shall survive the Closings in accordance with their respective terms solely with respect to performance after the Closings. All representations and warranties and all other covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement (and with respect to performance at or prior to the Closing, all covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement) shall terminate at and not survive the Closings, and there shall be no liability after the Closings in respect thereof, except in the case of Fraud. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing or anything else in this Agreement, from and after the Closings (other than in the case of Fraud), Parent, on behalf of itself, its Affiliates, and its and their respective representatives, hereby fully, unconditionally and irrevocably waives (and discharges and releases the Company, its Affiliates and its and their respective representatives, and its and their respective successors and assignees for) any and all claims, demands, torts, liens, suits, actions, causes of action, debts, damages, obligations, liabilities and rights whatsoever, at law or in equity, whether known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, now existing or which may hereafter accrue, directly or indirectly, arising out of or related to the Transactions, other than with respect to any covenants or agreements to the extent they expressly survive the Closings pursuant to this Section 10.1. Parent shall not make, and Parent shall not permit any of its Affiliates or representatives to make, any claim or demand, or commence any Proceeding asserting any claim or demand, including any claim of contribution or any indemnification, against any of the Company, its Affiliates and its and their respective representatives, and its and their respective successors and assignees, with respect to any liabilities or other items released pursuant to this Section 10.1.
10.2 Shareholders’ Representative.
(a) At the Closings, by virtue of the approval of the Transactions and this Agreement by the Pre-Closing Holders and without any further action of any of the Pre-Closing Holders or the Company, Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, shall be constituted and appointed as the Shareholders’ Representative. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Shareholders’ Representative” shall mean the exclusive agent and attorney-in-fact for and on behalf of the Pre-Closing Holders under this Agreement to: (i) give and receive notices and communications to or from Parent (on behalf of itself of any other Buyer Party) relating to this Agreement or any of the Transactions and other matters contemplated hereby (except to the extent that this Agreement expressly contemplates that any such notice or communication shall be given or received by such Pre-Closing Holders individually); (ii) object to claims asserted by Parent (on behalf of itself or any other Buyer Party) pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; (iii) consent or agree to, negotiate, enter into, or, if applicable, prosecute or defend, settlements and compromises of, and comply with orders of courts with respect to, such claims; (iv) consent or agree to any amendment to this Agreement; and (v) take all actions necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the Shareholders’ Representative in connection with this Agreement, in each case without having to seek or obtain the consent of any Person under any circumstance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Shareholders’ Representative shall have no obligation to act on behalf of the Pre-Closing Holders, except as expressly provided herein, and for purposes of clarity, there are no obligations of the Shareholders’ Representative in any ancillary agreement, schedule, exhibit or the Company Disclosure Schedule. The immunities and rights to indemnification shall survive the resignation or removal of the Shareholders’ Representative and the Closings and/or any termination of this Agreement. No bond shall be required of the Shareholders’ Representative. The powers, immunities and rights to indemnification granted to the Shareholders’ Representative Group (as defined below) hereunder are coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable and survive the death, incompetence, bankruptcy or liquidation of the respective Pre-Closing Holder and shall be binding on any successor thereto.
108
(b) Neither the Shareholders’ Representative nor any of its members, managers, directors, officers, contractors, agents, employees or direct or indirect equityholders (collectively, the “Shareholders’ Representative Group”) shall be liable to any former holder of Company Shares or any Pre-Closing Holder for any act done or omitted hereunder while acting in good faith (and any act done or omitted pursuant to the advice of counsel shall be conclusive evidence of such good faith) and without gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Pre-Closing Holders shall severally indemnify and defend the Shareholders’ Representative Group and hold it harmless against any loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment, fine, amount paid in settlement, fee, cost or expense (including fees, disbursements and costs of skilled professionals and in connection with seeking recovery from insurers) (collectively, the “Shareholders’Representative Expenses”) incurred without gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith on the part of the Shareholders’ Representative and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of its duties hereunder, including any out-of-pocket costs and expenses and legal fees and other legal costs reasonably incurred by the Shareholders’ Representative. Such Shareholders’ Representative Expenses may be recovered by the Shareholders’ Representative first, from the Expense Fund, and second, directly from the Pre-Closing Holders, and such recovery will be made from the Pre-Closing Holders according to their respective Pro Rata Shares. The Pre-Closing Holders acknowledge and agree that the Shareholders’ Representative shall not be required to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the exercise or performance of any of its powers, rights, duties or privileges or administration of its duties. Furthermore, the Shareholders’ Representative shall not be required to take any action unless the Shareholders’ Representative has been provided with funds, security or indemnities which, in its determination, are sufficient to protect the Shareholders’ Representative against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred by the Shareholders’ Representative in performing such actions.
(c) The Shareholders’ Representative shall have reasonable access to information about the Acquired Companies and the reasonable assistance of the Acquired Companies’ officers and employees for purposes of performing its duties and exercising its rights hereunder, provided that the Shareholders’ Representative shall treat confidentially any nonpublic information from or about the Company in accordance with the confidentiality obligations set forth in the Confidentiality Agreement, mutatis mutandis
(d) Any notice or communication given or received by, and any decision, action, failure to act within a designated period of time, agreement, consent, settlement, resolution or instruction of, the Shareholders’ Representative shall constitute a notice or communication to or by, or a decision, action, failure to act within a designated period of time, agreement, consent, settlement, resolution or instruction of all the Pre-Closing Holders and shall be final, binding and conclusive upon each such Pre-Closing Holder and such Pre-Closing Holder’s successors as if expressly confirmed and ratified in writing by such Pre-Closing Holder, and all defenses which may be available to the Pre-Closing Holders to contest, negate or disaffirm any decision, action, failure to act within a designated period of time, agreement, consent, settlement, resolution or instruction of the Shareholders’ Representative taken in good faith under this Agreement are hereby waived. Each Buyer Party shall be entitled to rely conclusively (without further evidence of any kind whatsoever) upon any such notice, communication, decision, action, failure to act within a designated period of time, agreement, consent, settlement, resolution or instruction of the Shareholders’ Representative as being a notice or communication to or by, or a decision, action, failure to act within a designated period of time, agreement, consent, settlement, resolution or instruction of the applicable Pre-Closing Holders. Parent and any other Buyer Party will not be obligated to inquire as to the authority of the Shareholders’ Representative with respect to the giving of any communication or the taking of any action that the Shareholders’ Representative gives or takes on behalf of any Pre-Closing Holder. For the avoidance of doubt, neither Parent, any other Buyer Party nor the Company shall be liable in any capacity for any claim filed by an Pre-Closing Holder against the Shareholders’ Representative or for any damages incurred by any Pre-Closing Holder in connection with any action taken, or failed to be taken, by the Shareholders’ Representative. The Shareholders’ Representative shall be entitled to: (i) rely upon the Spreadsheet, (ii) rely upon any signature believed by it to be genuine, and (iii) reasonably assume that a signatory has proper authorization to sign on behalf of the applicable Pre-Closing Holder or other party.
109
(e) Parent acknowledges and agrees that the Shareholders’ Representative is not an agent of or responsible in any fiduciary capacity with respect to Parent.
(f) Upon the Closings, Parent shall wire $2,000,000 (the “Expense Fund Amount”) to an account designated in writing by the Shareholders’ Representative at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date. The Expense Fund Amount shall be held by the Shareholders’ Representative (directly or through its agent) as agent and for the benefit of the Pre-Closing Holders and shall be used for the purposes of paying directly or reimbursing the Shareholders’ Representative for any Shareholders’ Representative Expenses incurred pursuant to this Agreement or any Shareholders’ Representative letter agreement (the “ExpenseFund”). The Shareholders’ Representative is not providing any investment supervision, recommendations or advice and shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss of principal of the Expense Fund other than as a result of its gross negligence or willful misconduct. As soon as reasonably determined by the Shareholders’ Representative that the Expense Fund is no longer required to be withheld, the Shareholders’ Representative shall distribute the remaining Expense Fund (if any) to the Pre-Closing Holders in accordance with each such Pre-Closing Holder’s Pro Rata Share (and in the case of a Company Optionholder, through the payroll system of BidCo or its Subsidiary and less any Taxes required by applicable law to be withheld therefrom).
Article XI
GeneralProvisions
11.1 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally or by commercial delivery service, or mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) or sent via email (provided the sender does not receive email notification of failed transmission or delivery) to the applicable parties hereto at the following addresses, as applicable (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice); provided that with respect to notices delivered to the Shareholders’ Representative, such notices must be delivered solely via email:
(a) if to the Buyer Parties, to:
CompoSecure, Inc.
309 Pierce Street
Somerset, NJ 08873
Attention: Thomas R. Knott, Chief Investment Officer
Email: [***]
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019-6064
Attention: Scott A. Barshay; Laura C. Turano
Telephone No.: (212) 373-3000
Email: sbarshay@paulweiss.com; lturano@paulweiss.com
110
(b) if to the Company, to:
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
1 Greenwich Office Park
North Building, Floor 2
Greenwich, CT 06831
Attention: Louis Samson; Delara Zarrabi
Email: [***]
[***]
and
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
360 North Crescent Drive, South Building
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Attention: John Holland
Email: [***]
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
555 Eleventh Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004-1304
Attention: David Brown; Victoria VanStekelenburg
Telephone No.: (202) 637-2200
Email: David.Brown@LW.com;
Victoria.VanStekelenburg@lw.com
(c) if to the Shareholders’ Representative, to:
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
1 Greenwich Office Park
North Building, Floor 2
Greenwich, CT 06831
Attention: Louis Samson; Delara Zarrabi
Email: [***]
[***]
and
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
360 North Crescent Drive, South Building
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Attention: John Holland
Email: [***]
111
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
555 Eleventh Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004-1304
Attention: David Brown; Victoria VanStekelenburg
Telephone No.: (202) 637-2200
Email: David.Brown@LW.com;
Victoria.VanStekelenburg@lw.com
11.2 Interpretation. When a reference is made in this Agreement to Articles, Sections or exhibits, such reference shall be to an Article or Section of, or an exhibit to this Agreement unless otherwise indicated. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” when used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation.” The phrases “provided to,” “made available,” “furnished to,” and phrases of similar import when used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, shall mean that a true, correct and complete electronic copy of the information or material referred to shall have been (i) with respect to materials or information of any Seller or Acquired Company, made available prior to the date of this Agreement in the virtual data room “Husky Data Room” hosted by Intralinks in connection with the Transactions to which Parent and its designated representatives had access during such period, (ii) with respect to materials or information of any Buyer Party or any of its Subsidiaries, made available prior to the date of this Agreement in the virtual data room “CompoSecure Diligence” hosted by Datasite in connection with the Transactions to which the Company and its designated representatives had access during such period, or filed with or furnished to the SEC and available on EDGAR prior to such time and (iii) with respect to materials or information of any other Person, sent via email to the applicable other Person or one of its representatives at least twenty-four (24) hours immediately prior to the date of this Agreement. Unless the context of this Agreement otherwise requires: (a) words of any gender include each other gender; (b) words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively; and (c) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder”, “hereby” and derivative or similar words refer to this entire Agreement. For purposes of determining Company Options and New BC Shares that are outstanding or held as of immediately prior to the Closing, the Exercised Company Options will be considered exercised (and no longer held or outstanding) and the Restricted New BC Shares will be considered issued and outstanding (and held by the applicable Pre-Closing Holder), regardless of the fact that the exercise of Exercised Company Options is subject to the Closings occurring.
11.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same instrument and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties hereto; it being understood that all parties hereto need not sign the same counterpart. If any signature is delivered by PDF or electronic signature (including DocuSign), such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf the signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such PDF or electronic signature were an original thereof.
11.4 Entire Agreement; Parties in Interest. This Agreement and the documents and instruments and other agreements specifically referred to herein or delivered pursuant hereto, including all the exhibits attached hereto, the Schedules, including the Company Disclosure Schedule and the Parent Disclosure Schedule, (a) constitute the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof; and (b) except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, are not intended to confer, and shall not be construed as conferring, upon any Person other than the parties hereto any rights or remedies hereunder; provided, that (i) the Company Indemnified Parties shall be express third party beneficiaries of, and have the right to enforce, Section 7.17; (ii) the R&W Subrogation Beneficiaries shall be express third party beneficiaries of, and have the right to enforce, Section 7.18(a); (iii) the Parent Releasees shall be express third party beneficiaries of, and have the right to enforce, Section 11.10; (iv) the Seller Releasees shall be express third party beneficiaries of, and have the right to enforce, Section 11.11; and (v) the Non-Recourse Parties shall be express third party beneficiaries of, and have the right to enforce, Section 11.11(a).
112
11.5 Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations under this Agreement may be assigned or delegated, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise by any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of Parent (in the case of any assignment by any Seller or the Company) or the Shareholders’ Representative (in the case of any assignment by any Buyer Party), and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void; provided, however, (i) Parent may assign or delegate, in whole or in part, from time to time, any of its rights, obligation or liabilities under this Agreement to an Affiliate so long as such assignment does not alter the intended tax treatment set forth in Section 2.6 or result in incremental costs or expenses for which the Company Securityholders or Company Optionholders would be responsible; provided further that no such assignment shall relieve Parent of its obligations hereunder or enlarge, alter or change any obligation of any other party hereto or due to Parent and (ii) the PE Sellers may assign or delegate, in whole or in part, from time to time, any of their rights, obligation or liabilities under this Agreement to one or more Affiliates, provided that no such assignment shall relieve any PE Seller of its obligations hereunder or enlarge, alter or change any obligation of any other party hereto or due to such PE Seller. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
11.6 Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof, becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect and shall be interpreted so as reasonably necessary to effect the intent of the parties hereto. The parties hereto shall use reasonable efforts to replace such void or unenforceable provision of this Agreement with a valid and enforceable provision that shall achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such void or unenforceable provision.
11.7 Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided or limited herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a party hereto shall be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such party, and the exercise by a party hereto of any one remedy shall not preclude the exercise of any other remedy and nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed a waiver by any party of any right to specific performance or injunctive relief. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur, and that the parties would not have any adequate remedy at law, in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to seek an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to seek specific enforcement of the terms and provisions hereof, without proof of actual damages or otherwise, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each party agrees to waive any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy. The parties further agree not to assert that a remedy of specific enforcement is unenforceable, invalid, contrary to law or inequitable for any reason, nor to assert that a remedy of monetary damages would provide an adequate remedy.
113
11.8 Governing Law; Venue; Waiver of Jury Trial.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without reference to such state’s principles of conflicts of law. The parties hereto hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and to the extent the Delaware Court of Chancery rejects jurisdiction, in any state or federal court located in the County of New Castle, State of Delaware, and in each case appellate courts therefrom (collectively, the “Delaware Courts”), in respect of the interpretation and enforcement of the provisions of this Agreement and of the documents referred to in this Agreement, and in respect of the Transactions and other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and hereby waives, and agrees not to assert, as a defense in any Proceeding for the interpretation or enforcement hereof or thereof, that it is not subject thereto or that such Proceeding may not be brought or is not maintainable in said courts or that the venue thereof may not be appropriate or that this Agreement or any such document may not be enforced in or by such courts, and the parties hereto irrevocably agree that all claims with respect to such Proceeding shall be heard and determined in the Delaware Courts. The parties hereby consent to and grant any such court jurisdiction over the person of such parties and over the subject matter of such dispute and agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such Proceeding by registered or certified mail in the manner provided in Section 11.1 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Legal Requirements, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof. Nothing herein shall affect the right of any party to commence Proceedings against any other party in any other jurisdiction to enforce Orders obtained in any Proceeding brought in accordance with this Section 11.8(a).
(b) EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY AND VOLUNTARILY WITH AND UPON THE ADVICE OF COMPETENT COUNSEL IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY PROCEEDING BETWEEN THE PARTIES HERETO ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY HERETO IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.
11.9 Rules of Construction. The parties hereto have been represented by counsel during the negotiation, preparation and execution of this Agreement and, therefore, hereby waive, with respect to this Agreement, each Schedule and each exhibit attached hereto, the application of any Legal Requirement, holding or rule of construction providing that ambiguities in an agreement or other document shall be construed against the party drafting such agreement or document.
11.10 Pre-Closing Holder Release.
(a) Effective as of the Closings, each Pre-Closing Holder hereby (i) irrevocably, unconditionally and completely releases, acquits and forever discharges each of the Parent Releasees of and from any and all Claims, and (ii) irrevocably, unconditionally and completely waives and relinquishes each and every Claim, in the case of each of clauses (i) and (ii) that such Pre-Closing Holder may have had in the past, may now have or may have in the future against any of the Parent Releasees, under any Legal Requirement, on any ground whatsoever, directly or indirectly relating to or directly or indirectly arising out of (A) such Pre-Closing Holders’ status as a securityholder of the Company at or prior to the Closing or (B) the negotiation, execution or performance of this Agreement or the Transactions (including any representation or warranty made in, in connection with, or as an inducement to this Agreement) or the other agreements delivered or required to be delivered pursuant hereto.
(b) Each Pre-Closing Holder hereby irrevocably covenants to refrain from asserting (for itself or in a representative capacity on behalf of others) any Claim, or commencing, instituting or causing to be commenced, any Proceeding of any kind against any Parent Releasee based upon any Claim released or purported to be released pursuant to this Section 11.10(a).
114
(c) For the purpose of implementing a full and complete release and discharge of the Claims effected in this Section 11.10, each Pre-Closing Holder acknowledges that this Section 11.10 is intended to include in its effect Claims that each Pre-Closing Holder does not know or suspects to exist in its favor at the time of execution of this Agreement, and this Section 11.10 contemplates the extinguishment of all such Claims.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall operate to release, and Claims for purposes of this Section 11.10 shall not include, (i) any rights or Claims available to any Pre-Closing Holder under or in connection with this Agreement or any agreement delivered pursuant hereto or any of the Transactions; (ii) any Pre-Closing Holder’s rights (A) subject to the provisions of Section 7.17, to indemnification, exculpation or advancement of expenses under the organizational documents of any Acquired Company or any separate agreement with any Acquired Company and (B) under the D&O Insurance; (iii) any rights available to any Pre-Closing Holder to receive salaries, bonuses and expenses that have accrued in respect of employment (or other contractor relationship) with any Acquired Company, other employment (or contractor)-based compensation or benefits pursuant to the terms of any Company Employee Plan or any statutory or other rights that are prohibited by Legal Requirements from being released, compromised or exchanged; and (iv) any rights available to any Pre-Closing Holder in the event a Claim is based on Fraud.
11.11 Parent Release.
(a) Effective as of the Closings, each Buyer Party, on behalf of itself and each of the other Parent Releasees, hereby (i) irrevocably, unconditionally and completely releases, acquits and forever discharges each of the Seller Releasees of and from any and all Claims, and (ii) irrevocably, unconditionally and completely waives and relinquishes each and every Claim, in the case of each of clauses (i) and (ii) that such Parent Releasee may have had in the past, may now have or may have in the future against any of the Seller Releasees, under any Legal Requirement, on any ground whatsoever, directly or indirectly relating to or directly or indirectly arising out of (A) such Seller Releasee’s status as a direct or indirect securityholder of the Company at or prior to the Closing, (B) the ownership or operation of the Acquired Companies at or prior to the Closings or (C) the negotiation, execution or performance of this Agreement or the Transactions (including any representation or warranty made in, in connection with, or as an inducement to this Agreement) or the other agreements delivered or required to be delivered pursuant hereto.
(b) Each Buyer Party, on behalf of itself and each of the other Parent Releasees, hereby irrevocably covenants to refrain from asserting (for itself or in a representative capacity on behalf of others) any Claim, or commencing, instituting or causing to be commenced, any Proceeding of any kind against any Seller Releasee based upon any Claim released or purported to be released pursuant to Section 11.11.
(c) For the purpose of implementing a full and complete release and discharge of the Claims effected in this Section 11.11, each Buyer Party, on behalf of itself and each of the other Parent Releasees, acknowledges that this Section 11.11 is intended to include in its effect Claims that each Parent Releasee does not know or suspects to exist in its favor at the time of execution of this Agreement, and this Section 11.11 contemplates the extinguishment of all such Claims.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall operate to release, and Claims for purposes of this Section 11.11 shall not include, (i) any rights or Claims available to any Parent Releasee under or in connection with this Agreement or any agreement delivered pursuant hereto or any of the Transactions; and (ii) any rights available to any Parent Releasee in the event a Claim is based on Fraud.
115
11.12 No Recourse. This Agreement may only be enforced against, and any Proceeding based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may only be brought against, the Persons that are expressly named as parties hereto and then only with respect to the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such Person. Except to the extent a named party to this Agreement (and then only to the extent of the specific obligations undertaken such named party in this Agreement and not otherwise), no past, present or future incorporator, member, partner, stockholder, Affiliate or advisor, or representative or Affiliate of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Non-Recourse Parties”), shall have any liability or obligation (whether in contract, tort, equity or otherwise) for any one or more of the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements or other obligations or liabilities of any one or more of the named parties to this Agreement or of or for any Proceeding based on, arising out of or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
11.13 Waiver of Conflicts Regarding Representations; Non-Assertion of Attorney-Client Privilege.
(a) Each Buyer Party acknowledges that Latham & Watkins LLP and Stikeman Elliott (“Prior Company Counsel”) have, on or prior to the Closing Date, represented one or more of the Sellers, the Acquired Companies and other Affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, managers and employees (each such Person, other than the Acquired Companies, a “DesignatedPerson”) in one or more matters relating to this Agreement or any other agreements or transactions contemplated hereby (including any matter that may be related a Proceeding arising under or related to this Agreement or such other agreements or in connection with such transactions) (each, an “Existing Representation”), and that, in the event of any post-Closing matters (i) relating to this Agreement or any other agreements or transactions contemplated hereby (including any matter that may be related to a Proceeding arising under or related to this Agreement or such other agreements or in connection with such transactions) and (ii) in which any Buyer Party or any of its Affiliates (including, after the Closings, the Acquired Companies), on the one hand, and one or more Designated Persons, on the other hand, are or may be adverse to each other (each, a “Post-Closing Matter”), the Designated Persons reasonably anticipate that Prior Company Counsel will represent them in connection with such matters. Accordingly, each of the Buyer Parties and the Company hereby (A) waives and shall not assert, and agrees after the Closings to cause its Affiliates to waive and to not assert, any conflict of interest arising out of or relating to the representation by one or more Prior Company Counsel of one or more Designated Persons in connection with one or more Post-Closing Matters (the “Post-Closing Representations”)*,*and (B) agrees that, in the event that a Post-Closing Matter arises, Prior Company Counsel may represent one or more Designated Persons in such Post-Closing Matter even though the interests of such Person(s) may be directly adverse to any Buyer Party or any of its Affiliates (including, after the Closings, the Acquired Companies), and even though Prior Company Counsel may have represented the Acquired Companies in a matter substantially related to such dispute. Without limiting the foregoing, each of the Buyer Parties and the Company (on behalf of itself and its Affiliates) consents to the disclosure by Prior Company Counsel to the Designated Persons of any information learned by Prior Company Counsel in the course of one or more Existing Representations, whether or not such information is subject to the attorney-client privilege of the Acquired Companies and/or Prior Company Counsel’s duty of confidentiality as to the Acquired Companies and whether or not such disclosure is made before or after the Closings.
116
(b) Each of the Buyer Parties and the Company (on behalf of itself and its Affiliates) waives and shall not assert, and agrees after the Closings to cause its Affiliates to waive and to not assert, any attorney-client privilege, attorney work-product protection or expectation of client confidence with respect to any communication between any Prior Company Counsel, on the one hand, and any Designated Person or the Acquired Companies (collectively, the “Pre-Closing Designated Persons”), on the other hand, or any advice given to any Pre-Closing Designated Person by any Prior Company Counsel, occurring during one or more Existing Representations (collectively, “Pre-Closing Privileges”) in connection with any Post-Closing Representation, including in connection with a dispute between any Designated Person and one or more of the Buyer Parties, the Company and their respective Affiliates, it being the intention of the parties hereto that all rights to such Pre-Closing Privileges, and all rights to waiver or otherwise control such Pre-Closing Privilege, shall be retained by the Sellers, and shall not pass to or be claimed or used by any Buyer Party or the Company, except as provided in the last sentence of this Section 11.13(b). Furthermore, each of the Buyer Parties and the Company (on behalf of itself and its Affiliates) acknowledges and agrees that any advice given to or communication with any of the Designated Persons shall not be subject to any joint privilege (whether or not any Acquired Company also received such advice or communication) and shall be owned solely by such Designated Persons. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that a dispute arises between one or more of the Buyer Parties, the Company and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and any of the Designated Persons, on the other hand, then the Company shall make available to the Sellers, acting on behalf of the applicable Designated Persons, all books and records of the Acquired Companies relevant to the dispute, and the Company shall (and shall cause the other Acquired Companies to) waive any Pre-Closing Privileges of the Acquired Companies applicable to such books and records. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a dispute arises between any Buyer Party or any Acquired Company, on the one hand, and a third party other than a Designated Person, on the other hand, the Company shall (and shall cause the other Acquired Companies to) assert the Pre-Closing Privileges on behalf of the Designated Persons to prevent disclosure of Privileged Materials to such third party; provided, however, that such privilege may be waived only with the prior written consent of the Shareholders’ Representative, acting on behalf of the applicable Designated Person.
(c) All such Pre-Closing Privileges, and all books and records and other documents of the Acquired Companies containing any advice or communication that is subject to any Pre-Closing Privilege (“Privileged Materials”), shall be excluded from the purchase, and shall be distributed to the Seller (on behalf of the applicable Designated Persons) immediately prior to the Closings with (in the case of such books and records) no copies retained by the Acquired Companies. Absent the prior written consent of the Shareholders’ Representative, acting on behalf of the applicable Designated Persons, none of the Buyer Parties or (following the Closings) the Acquired Companies shall have a right of access to Privileged Materials.
(d) Each Buyer Party hereby acknowledges that it has had the opportunity (including on behalf of its Affiliates and the Acquired Companies) to discuss and obtain adequate information concerning the significance and material risks of, and reasonable available alternatives to, the waivers, permissions and other provisions of this Agreement, including the opportunity to consult with counsel other than Prior Company Counsel. This Section 11.13 shall be irrevocable, and no term of this Section 11.13 may be amended, waived or modified, without the prior written consent of the Shareholders’ Representative, acting on behalf of the applicable Designated Persons and their respective Affiliates and Prior Company Counsel affected thereby.
[Signature Pages Follow]
117
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, all as of the date first written above.
| COMPOSECURE, INC. | |
|---|---|
| By: | /s/ Thomas R. Knott |
| Name: | Thomas R. Knott |
| Title: | Chief Investment Officer |
| FORGE NEW HOLDINGS, LLC | |
| By: | /s/ Jonathan C. Wilk |
| Name: | Jonathan C. Wilk |
| Title: | President |
| 1561604 B.C. UNLIMITED | |
| LIABILITY COMPANY | |
| By: | /s/ Mary Holt |
| Name: | Mary Holt |
| Title: | Director |
[Signature Page to Share Purchase Agreement]
| HUSKY TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | |
|---|---|
| By: | /s/ Mary Ann Sigler |
| Name: | Mary Ann Sigler |
| Title: | President and Treasurer |
| FORGE US TOP, LLC | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | President and Treasurer |
| 1561570 B.C. LTD. | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | President and Treasurer |
| PLATINUM EQUITY ADVISORS, LLC, solely in its capacity as the Shareholders’ Representative | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
| PLATINUM EQUITY CAPITAL PARTNERS<br> INTERNATIONAL IV (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
| --- | --- |
| By: Platinum Equity Partners International<br> IV (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings<br> IV (Cayman), LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
[Signature Page to Share Purchase Agreement]
| PLATINUM EQUITY CAPITAL QIQ PARTNERS<br> INTERNATIONAL IV (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
|---|---|
| By: Platinum Equity Partners International<br> IV (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings<br> IV (Cayman), LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
| PLATINUM TITAN PRINCIPALS INTERNATIONAL<br> (CAYMAN), LLC | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings<br> IV (Cayman), LLC, its senior managing member | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
| PLATINUM EQUITY TITAN CO-INVESTORS<br> ONSHORE (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
| --- | |
| By: Platinum Equity Partners International IV<br> (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings IV (Cayman),<br> LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| --- | --- |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
[SignaturePage to Share Purchase Agreement]
| PLATINUM EQUITY TITAN CO-INVESTORS<br> OFFSHORE (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
|---|---|
| By**:** Platinum Equity Partners International<br>IV (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings IV (Cayman),<br> LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| --- | --- |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
[SignaturePage to Share Purchase Agreement]
| Management<br> Sellers | |
|---|---|
| Executed by proxy with respect to the above Sellers, solely as agent and attorney-in-fact, HUSKY TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | |
| By: | /s/ Mary Ann Sigler |
| Name: | Mary Ann Sigler |
| Title: | President<br> and Treasurer |
[SignaturePage to Share Purchase Agreement]
Exhibit A
Pre-Closing Restructuring
[See attached.]
Exhibit B
Investor Rights Agreement
[See attached.]
Exhibit C
Registration Rights Agreement
[See attached.]
Exhibit D
Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement
[See attached.]
Exhibit E
Management Agreement
[See attached.]
Exhibit F
Investor Questionnaire
[See attached.]
Exhibit G
Escrow Agreement
[See attached.]
Exhibit H
Form of Letter of Transmittal
[See attached.]
Exhibit I
Director and Officer Resignation List
[See attached.]
Exhibit J
Example Net Working Capital Schedule
[See attached.]
Exhibit K
Management Sellers
[See attached.]
Exhibit 10.1
EXECUTION VERSION
VOTING AGREEMENT
This Voting Agreement (“Agreement”), dated as of November 2, 2025, is by and among Platinum Equity Capital Partners International IV (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE Cayman”), Platinum Equity Capital QIQ Partners International IV (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE QIQ Cayman”), Platinum Titan Principals International (Cayman), LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (“PE Principals”), Platinum Equity Titan Co-Investors Onshore (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE Co-Invest Onshore”), Platinum Equity Titan Co-Investors Offshore (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (“PE Co-Invest Offshore” and, together with PE Cayman, PE QIQ Cayman, PE Principals and PE Co-Invest Onshore, the “PE Sellers”), and each of Resolute Compo Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Tungsten 2024 LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Ridge Valley LLC (each, a “Stockholder” and, if applicable, collectively, the “Stockholders”) and, solely for purposes of Section 10, CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), Forge New Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Holdings”), 1561604 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, an unlimited liability company existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“BidCo”), the PE Sellers, Husky Technologies Limited, a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, 1561570 B.C. Ltd., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (“New BC”), Forge US Top, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TargetCo”), the Shareholders’ Representative (as defined in the Transaction Agreement) and the Management Sellers (as defined in the Transaction Agreement) (collectively with the PE Sellers, the “Sellers”) entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Transaction Agreement”), pursuant to which (i) the PE Sellers will sell to Holdings, and Holdings will purchase from the PE Sellers, the TargetCo Units, and (ii) the Sellers will sell to BidCo, and BidCo will purchase from the Sellers, the New BC Shares (each as defined in the Transaction Agreement) on the Closing Date on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Transaction Agreement;
WHEREAS, as of the date of this Agreement, each Stockholder is the record and “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Parent, as set forth next to such Stockholder’s name on Schedule A hereto, being all of the shares of Parent Common Stock (“Shares”) owned of record or beneficially by such Stockholder as of the date of this Agreement (with respect to each Stockholder, such Stockholder’s “Owned Shares” and, together with any additional Shares or other voting securities of Parent of which such Stockholder acquires record or beneficial ownership after the date of this Agreement, including by purchase, as a result of a stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, combination, consolidation, reclassification, exchange or change of such shares or other similar transaction, or upon exercise or conversion of any securities, such Stockholder’s “Covered Shares”);
WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to the willingness of the parties to the Transaction Agreement to enter into the Transaction Agreement and to proceed with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement, the Stockholders are entering into this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Stockholders acknowledge that each of the parties to the Transaction Agreement is entering into the Transaction Agreement in reliance on the representations, warranties, covenants and other agreements of the Stockholders set forth in this Agreement and would not enter into the Transaction Agreement if the Stockholders did not enter into this Agreement.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth below and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions. All capitalized terms that are used but not defined herein have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the Transaction Agreement. For all purposes of and under this Agreement, the following terms have the following respective meanings:
(a) “Termination Date” means the earliest to occur of: (i) the First Closing, (ii) the valid termination of the Transaction Agreement in accordance with its terms, (iii) the written consent of the Stockholders and the PE Sellers terminating this Agreement and (iv) the entry into any amendment, modification or waiver to any provision of the Transaction Agreement without the Stockholders’ written consent that amends, changes, or modifies any of the conditions to the Transactions in a manner that adversely affects any Stockholder in any material respect.
(b) A Person will be deemed to have effected a “Transfer” of a Covered Share if such Person, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, (i) sells, pledges, assigns, gifts, grants an option with respect to, transfers, exchanges, converts, tenders or disposes (by merger, by testamentary disposition, by operation of law or otherwise) of, or enters into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of a Covered Share or any interest in such security, (ii) creates or permits to exist any Encumbrances, other than Permitted Encumbrances (as defined below), on any of the Covered Shares, except which would not reasonably be expected to, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, delay or impede the performance by such Person of any of its obligations hereunder so long as, if any involuntary Transfer of any of the Covered Shares shall occur as a result of such Encumbrance (including, but not limited to, a sale by the Stockholders’ trustees in any bankruptcy, or a sale to a purchaser at any creditor’s or court sale), such transferees (which term, as used herein, shall include any and all transferees and subsequent transferees of the initial transferee) shall take and hold such Covered Shares subject to all of the restrictions, liabilities and rights under this Agreement, which shall continue in full force and effect until the date this Agreement is validly terminated in accordance with Section 11, (iii) deposits any of the Covered Shares into a voting trust or enters into a voting agreement or arrangement or grants any proxy, power of attorney or other authorization with respect thereto that (A) is inconsistent with this Agreement or (B) otherwise limits or affects any Stockholder’s power, authority or right to vote (or deliver a consent with respect to) any Covered Shares in accordance with this Agreement, or (iv) agrees or commits to take any of the actions referred to in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii). For the avoidance of doubt, any direct or indirect transfer of equity or other interests in a Stockholder by its equityholders shall not constitute a Transfer.
2
2. Transfer Restrictions. Except as provided hereunder or under the Transaction Agreement, from the date of this Agreement until the Termination Date, each Stockholder shall not Transfer (or cause or permit the Transfer of) any of the Covered Shares or enter into any agreement relating thereto, except (a) for the Transfer of Covered Shares to any Affiliate or Subsidiary of such Stockholder; provided, that the recipient of the Covered Shares pursuant to such Transfer shall have executed and delivered to the PE Sellers a joinder to this Agreement pursuant to which such recipient shall be bound by all of the terms of this Agreement, (b) for the Transfer of Covered Shares to any custodian or nominee for the purpose of holding such Covered Shares for the account of such Stockholder (provided, that such Stockholder shall retain sole voting and investment control over such Covered Shares) or (c) with the PE Sellers’ prior written consent.
3. Agreement to Vote; Closing Deliverables.
(a) Subject to the terms of this Agreement, each Stockholder hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that, from the date of this Agreement until the Termination Date, at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders of Parent, however called, including any adjournment or postponement thereof, and in connection with any action proposed to be taken by written consent of the stockholders of Parent, such Stockholder shall vote or cause to be voted, or deliver or cause to be delivered a written consent with respect to, all of such Stockholder’s Covered Shares:
(i) in favor of approving the Parent Stock Issuance and any other matters required to be approved or adopted in order to effect the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement (including any adjournment or postponement recommended by the PE Sellers with respect to any stockholder meeting with respect to the Transaction Agreement);
(ii) against any action or agreement that would reasonably be expected to result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of Parent contained in the Transaction Agreement, or of such Stockholder contained in this Agreement, or result in any of the conditions set forth in Article VIII of the Transaction Agreement not being satisfied on or before the Termination Date; and
(iii) against any proposal, transaction, agreement or action made in opposition to or in competition with, or that would reasonably be expected to, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, delay or impede the consummation of, the Transactions, including any action or proposal in favor of any Parent Acquisition Proposal, without regard to the terms of such Parent Acquisition Proposal.
3
(b) Each Stockholder shall appear, in person or by proxy, at each meeting of the stockholders of Parent, or adjournment or postponement thereof, to vote on any matter contemplated by this Agreement and shall cause all of its Covered Shares to be counted as present thereat for purposes of calculating a quorum and shall vote all of its Covered Shares in accordance with this Section 3.
(c) Each Stockholder shall retain at all times the right to vote all of its Covered Shares in such Stockholder’s sole discretion, and without any other limitation, on any matters other than those set forth in this Section 3 that are at any time or from time to time presented for consideration to Parent’s stockholders generally. Nothing in this Agreement, including this Section 3, limits or restricts any Affiliate or designee of each Stockholder who serves as a member of Parent Board in taking, or refraining from taking, any action in his or her capacity as a director of Parent or any of Parent’s Subsidiaries and exercising his or her fiduciary duties and responsibilities, it being understood that this Agreement applies to each Stockholder solely in its capacity as a stockholder of Parent and does not apply to any such Affiliate or designee’s actions, judgments or decisions as a director of Parent or any of Parent’s Subsidiaries.
(d) At or prior to the Closings, the Stockholders shall deliver to the PE Sellers the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Schedule B, duly executed by Resolute Compo Holdings LLC and Tungsten 2024 LLC.
4. No Inconsistent Agreements. Each Stockholder hereby represents, covenants and agrees that, except as contemplated by this Agreement, such Stockholder (a) has (i) not entered into, and shall not enter into at any time prior to the Termination Date, any voting agreement or voting trust with respect to any of its Covered Shares and (ii) not granted, and shall not grant at any time prior to the Termination Date, a proxy or power of attorney with respect to any of its Covered Shares, in either case, that (x) is inconsistent with such Stockholder’s obligations pursuant to this Agreement or (y) otherwise limits or affects any Stockholder’s power, authority or right to vote (or deliver a consent with respect to) any Covered Shares in accordance with this Agreement and (b) has not taken, and shall not take, any other action that would make any representation or warranty of such Stockholder contained herein untrue or incorrect or in any way restrict, limit or interfere with the performance of such Stockholders’ obligations hereunder or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement.
5. Non-Solicitation. Each Stockholder hereby agrees not to, and agrees to cause its Affiliates and its and their respective Representatives not to, take any action which, were it taken by Parent or its Representatives, would violate Section 6.3(g) of the Transaction Agreement.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Stockholders. Each Stockholder, as to itself, hereby represents and warrants to the PE Sellers as follows:
(a) Power; Organization; Binding Agreement. Such Stockholder has full power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution, delivery and performance by such Stockholder of this Agreement, and the consummation by such Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, limited liability company, limited liability partnership of similar equivalent action on the part of such Stockholder. Such Stockholder is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the applicable Legal Requirements of its jurisdiction of formation. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such Stockholder, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the PE Sellers, this Agreement is enforceable against such Stockholder in accordance with its terms, except that such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.
4
(b) No Conflicts. None of the execution and delivery by such Stockholder of this Agreement, the performance by such Stockholder of its obligations hereunder or the consummation by such Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby will (i) require any consent or approval under, or result in a violation or breach of, any agreement to which such Stockholder is a party or by which such Stockholder may be bound, including any voting agreement or voting trust, (ii) result in the creation of any Encumbrance, other than a Permitted Encumbrance (as defined below), on any of the assets or properties of such Stockholder, (iii) violate any applicable Legal Requirements or Order or (iv) violate the Governing Documents of such Stockholder, except, in the case of each of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), as would not, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by such Stockholder of any of its obligations hereunder.
(c) Absence of Litigation; Orders. As of the date hereof, (i) there is no Proceeding pending against or, to the knowledge of such Stockholder, threatened against such Stockholder and (ii) neither such Stockholder nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any Order, and to the knowledge of such Stockholder, no such Order is threatened to be imposed, except which, in the case of each of clauses (i) or (ii), as would not, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by such Stockholder of any of its obligations hereunder.
(d) Ownership of Covered Shares. Such Stockholder is the record and beneficial owner of such Stockholder’s Owned Shares. All of such Stockholder’s Covered Shares are free and clear of any Encumbrances, except for any such Encumbrance that may be imposed pursuant to (x) this Agreement or (y) any applicable restrictions on transfer under the Securities Act or any state securities laws (collectively, “Permitted Encumbrances”), and no person has a right to acquire any of such Covered Shares. As of the date of this Agreement, other than the Owned Shares, such Stockholder does not own beneficially or of record any (i) shares of capital stock or voting securities of Parent, (ii) securities of Parent convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock or voting securities of Parent or (iii) options or other rights to acquire from Parent any capital stock, voting securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock or voting securities of Parent.
(e) Voting Power. Such Stockholder has the requisite voting power, power of disposition, power to issue instructions with respect to the matters set forth herein, and power to agree to all of the matters set forth in this Agreement necessary to take all actions required under this Agreement, in each case, with respect to all of the securities subject to this Agreement owned by such Stockholder, with no limitations, qualifications or restrictions on such rights, subject to applicable federal securities laws and those arising under the terms of this Agreement.
5
(f) Reliance by the PE Sellers. Such Stockholder understands and acknowledges that the PE Sellers are entering into the Transaction Agreement in reliance upon such Stockholder’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.
(g) Consents and Approvals. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each Stockholder does not, and the performance by each such Stockholder of its obligations under this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not, require such Stockholder to obtain any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or to make any filing with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, except in each case for filings with the SEC, compliance with any applicable requirements of federal securities laws or where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits, or to make such filings and notifications that would not, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by such Stockholder of any of its obligations hereunder.
7. Representations and Warranties of the PE Sellers. Each PE Seller, as to itself, hereby represents and warrants to the Stockholders as follows:
(a) Power; Organization. Such PE Seller has full power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution, delivery and performance by such PE Seller of this Agreement, and the consummation by such PE Seller of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of such PE Seller. Such PE Seller is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the applicable Legal Requirements of its jurisdiction of formation.
(b) Binding Agreement. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such PE Seller, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Stockholders, this Agreement is enforceable against such PE Seller in accordance with its terms, except that such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.
(c) No Conflicts. None of the execution and delivery by such PE Seller of this Agreement, the performance by such PE Seller of its obligations hereunder or the consummation by such PE Seller of the transactions contemplated hereby will (i) require any consent or approval under, or result in a violation or breach of, any agreement to which such PE Seller is a party or by which such PE Seller may be bound, including any voting agreement or voting trust, (ii) result in the creation of any Encumbrance, other than a Permitted Encumbrance, on any of the assets or properties of such PE Seller, (iii) violate any applicable Legal Requirements or Order or (iv) violate the Governing Documents of such PE Seller, except, in the case of each of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), as would not, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by such PE Seller of any of its obligations hereunder.
(d) Absence of Litigation; Orders. As of the date hereof, (i) there is no Proceeding pending against or, to the knowledge of such PE Seller, threatened against such PE Seller or any of its Subsidiaries and (ii) neither such PE Seller nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any Order, and to the knowledge of such PE Seller, no such Order is threatened to be imposed, except which, in the case of each of clauses (i) or (ii), as would not, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by such PE Seller of any of its obligations hereunder.
6
(e) Consents and Approvals. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by such PE Seller does not, and the performance by such PE Seller of its obligations under this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not, require such PE Seller to obtain any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or to make any filing with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, except in each case where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits, or to make such filings and notifications that would not, either individually or in the aggregate, prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by such PE Seller of any of its obligations hereunder.
8. Certain Restrictions. Prior to the Termination Date, in the event that a Stockholder acquires record or beneficial ownership of, or the power to vote or direct the voting of, any additional Shares or other voting interests with respect to Parent, (i) such acquired Shares or voting interests will, without further action of the parties, be deemed Covered Shares and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, (ii) the number of Shares held by such Stockholder will be deemed amended accordingly, (iii) such acquired Shares or voting interests will automatically become subject to the terms of this Agreement and (iv) such Stockholder shall promptly notify in writing the PE Sellers and Parent of any such event.
9. Further Assurances. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, upon request of another party hereto, each party hereto shall use commercially reasonable efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.
10. Stop Transfer Instructions. At all times commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and continuing until the Termination Date, in furtherance of this Agreement, each Stockholder hereby authorizes and instructs Parent or its counsel to instruct its transfer agent to put in place a stop transfer order with respect to all of the securities of Parent held of record by such Stockholder (and that this Agreement places limits on the voting and transfer of). Parent agrees that as promptly as practicable after the date of this Agreement, it shall make a notation on its records and give instructions to the transfer agent for the Covered Shares not to permit, during the term of this Agreement, the Transfer of the Covered Shares.
11. Termination. This Agreement and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder and thereunder, will terminate automatically without any notice or other action by any person and have no further force or effect as of the Termination Date; provided, that this Section 11 and Section 14 shall survive the termination of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing set forth in this Section 11 or elsewhere in this Agreement relieves either party hereto from liability, or otherwise limits the liability of either party hereto, for any breach of this Agreement prior to such termination.
7
12. No Agreement until Executed. This Agreement shall not be effective unless and until (i) the Transaction Agreement is executed by all parties thereto and (ii) this Agreement is executed and delivered by all parties hereto.
13. No Other Representations and Warranties. The PE Sellers and the Stockholders acknowledge and agree that, except for the representations and warranties expressly set forth in Section 6 and Section 7 of this Agreement, none of the PE Sellers or the Stockholders makes, has made, or shall be deemed to have made, any representation or warranty in connection with this Agreement. The PE Sellers and the Stockholders acknowledge and agree that each is not entering into this Agreement in reliance on any representation or warranty, express or implied, except for the representations and warranties expressly set forth in Section 6 and Section 7, as applicable.
14. Miscellaneous.
(a) Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof, becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect and shall be interpreted so as reasonably necessary to effect the intent of the parties hereto. The parties hereto shall use all reasonable efforts to replace such void or unenforceable provision of this Agreement with a valid and enforceable provision that shall achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such void or unenforceable provision.
(b) Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations under this Agreement may be assigned or delegated, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise by any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
(c) Amendment and Modification; Waiver. this Agreement may be amended at any time by the parties hereto by, and only by, an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of each of the parties hereto. At any time at or prior to the Closing, any party hereto may, to the extent legally allowed, (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other parties hereto, (b) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties made to such party contained herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto, or (c) waive compliance with any of the agreements or conditions for the benefit of such party contained herein. Any agreement on the part of a party hereto to any such extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of such party. Without limiting the generality or effect of the preceding sentence, no delay in exercising any right under this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of such right, and no waiver of any breach or default shall be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default of the same or any other provision in this Agreement.
8
(d) Specific Performance. Except as otherwise provided or limited herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a party hereto shall be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such party, and the exercise by a party hereto of any one remedy shall not preclude the exercise of any other remedy and nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed a waiver by any party of any right to specific performance or injunctive relief. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur, and that the parties would not have any adequate remedy at law, in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to seek an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to seek specific enforcement of the terms and provisions hereof, without proof of actual damages or otherwise, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each party agrees to waive any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy. The parties further agree not to assert that a remedy of specific enforcement is unenforceable, invalid, contrary to law or inequitable for any reason, nor to assert that a remedy of monetary damages would provide an adequate remedy.
(e) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally or by commercial delivery service, or mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) or sent via email (provided the sender does not receive email notification of failed transmission or delivery) to the applicable parties hereto at the following addresses, as applicable (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
if to the PE Sellers, to:
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
1 Greenwich Office Park
North Building, Floor 2
Greenwich, CT 06831
Attention: Louis Samson; Delara Zarrabi
Email: [***]
and
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
360 North Crescent Drive, South Building
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Attention: John Holland
Email: [***]
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
555 Eleventh Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004-1304
Attention: David Brown; Victoria VanStekelenburg
Telephone No.: (202) 637-2200
Email: David.Brown@LW.com; Victoria.VanStekelenburg@lw.com
9
if to the Stockholders, to such Stockholder’s address or e-mail address set forth on a signature page hereto, or to such other address or e-mail address as such party may hereafter specify for the purpose by notice to each other party hereto.
(f) Entire Agreement; No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the documents and instruments and other agreements specifically referred to herein or delivered pursuant hereto (a) constitute the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof; and (b) except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, are not intended to confer, and shall not be construed as conferring, upon any Person other than the parties hereto any rights or remedies hereunder.
(g) Governing Law; Venue; Waiver of Jury Trial.
(i) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without reference to such state’s principles of conflicts of law. The parties hereto hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and to the extent the Delaware Court of Chancery rejects jurisdiction, in any state or federal court located in the County of New Castle, State of Delaware, and in each case appellate courts therefrom (collectively, the “Delaware Courts”), in respect of the interpretation and enforcement of the provisions of this Agreement and of the documents referred to in this Agreement, and in respect of the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and hereby waives, and agrees not to assert, as a defense in any Proceeding for the interpretation or enforcement hereof or thereof, that it is not subject thereto or that such Proceeding may not be brought or is not maintainable in said courts or that the venue thereof may not be appropriate or that this Agreement or any such document may not be enforced in or by such courts, and the parties hereto irrevocably agree that all claims with respect to such Proceeding shall be heard and determined in the Delaware Courts. The parties hereby consent to and grant any such court jurisdiction over the person of such parties and over the subject matter of such dispute and agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such Proceeding by registered or certified mail in the manner provided in Section 14(e) or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Legal Requirements, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof. Nothing herein shall affect the right of any party to commence Proceedings against any other party in any other jurisdiction to enforce Orders obtained in any Proceeding brought in accordance with this Section 14(g)(i).
(ii) EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY AND VOLUNTARILY WITH AND UPON THE ADVICE OF COMPETENT COUNSEL IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY PROCEEDING BETWEEN THE PARTIES HERETO ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY HERETO IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.
10
(h) Rules of Construction. The parties hereto have been represented by counsel during the negotiation, preparation and execution of this Agreement and, therefore, hereby waive, with respect to this Agreement, the application of any Legal Requirement, holding or rule of construction providing that ambiguities in an agreement or other document shall be construed against the party drafting such agreement or document.
(i) Interpretation. Section 11.2 of the Transaction Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference herein, mutatismutandis.
(j) Expenses. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or the Transaction Agreement, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party incurring such costs or expenses.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same instrument and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties hereto; it being understood that all parties hereto need not sign the same counterpart. If any signature is delivered by PDF or electronic signature (including DocuSign), such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf the signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such PDF or electronic signature were an original thereof.
[The remainder of this page is intentionallyleft blank.]
11
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties are executing this Agreement on the date set forth in the introductory clause.
| PLATINUM EQUITY CAPITAL PARTNERS<br> INTERNATIONAL IV (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
|---|---|
| By: Platinum Equity Partners International<br> IV (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings<br> IV (Cayman), LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
| PLATINUM EQUITY CAPITAL QIQ PARTNERS<br> INTERNATIONAL IV (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
| By: Platinum Equity Partners International<br> IV (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings<br> IV (Cayman), LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
| PLATINUM TITAN PRINCIPALS INTERNATIONAL<br> (CAYMAN), LLC | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings<br> IV (Cayman), LLC, its senior managing member | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
[Signature Page to VotingAgreement]
| PLATINUM EQUITY TITAN CO-INVESTORS<br> ONSHORE (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
|---|---|
| By: Platinum Equity Partners International<br> IV (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings<br> IV (Cayman), LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
[Signature Page to VotingAgreement]
| PLATINUM EQUITY TITAN CO-INVESTORS OFFSHORE (CAYMAN), L.P. | |
|---|---|
| By**:** Platinum Equity Partners International<br>IV (Cayman), L.P., its general partner | |
| By: Platinum Equity Investment Holdings IV (Cayman),<br> LLC, its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Ty Renbarger |
| --- | --- |
| Name: | Ty Renbarger |
| Title: | Vice President |
[Signature Page to VotingAgreement]
| RESOLUTE COMPO HOLDINGS LLC | |
|---|---|
| By: | /s/ John D. Cote |
| Name: | John D. Cote |
| Title: | John D. Cote, Manager of Tungsten 2024 LLC, its<br> managing member |
| 445 Park Avenue, Suite 5B | |
| New York, NY 10022 | |
| Attention: Thomas R. Knott |
[Signature Page to VotingAgreement]
| TUNGSTEN<br> 2024 LLC | |
|---|---|
| By: | /s/ John D. Cote |
| Name: | John D. Cote |
| Title: | Manager |
| c/o Resolute<br> Compo Holdings LLC | |
| 445 Park<br> Avenue, Suite 5B | |
| New York,<br> NY 10022 | |
| Attention:<br> Thomas R. Knott |
[Signature Page to VotingAgreement]
| RIDGE<br> VALLEY LLC | |
|---|---|
| By: | /s/ John D. Cote |
| Name: | John D. Cote |
| Title: | Manager |
| c/o Resolute<br> Compo Holdings LLC | |
| 445 Park<br> Avenue, Suite 5B | |
| New York,<br> NY 10022 | |
| Attention:<br> Thomas R. Knott |
[Signature Page to VotingAgreement]
| COMPOSECURE,<br> INC. | |
|---|---|
| By: | /s/ Thomas R. Knott |
| Name: | Thomas R. Knott |
| Title: | Chief Investment Officer |
[Signature Page to VotingAgreement]
Schedule A
| Name of Stockholders | Parent Common Stock |
|---|---|
| Resolute Compo<br> Holdings LLC | 49,290,409 |
| Tungsten 2024<br> LLC | 646,893 |
| Ridge Valley<br>LLC | 1,500,000 |
Schedule B
First Amendment to Amended and Restated WaiverAgreement
[See attached.]
Exhibit 10.2
AGREED FORM
INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of [·]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
| ARTICLE I GOVERNANCE MATTERS | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Composition of the Compo PubCo<br> Board at the Closing | 1 |
| 1.2 | Composition of the Compo PubCo<br> Board Following the Closing | 2 |
| 1.3 | Eligibility Criteria | 3 |
| 1.4 | Board Observer Rights | 4 |
| 1.5 | Board Meeting Expenses | 5 |
| 1.6 | Indemnification | 5 |
| 1.7 | Confidentiality | 6 |
| 1.8 | Voting Agreement | 8 |
| 1.9 | Compo PubCo Board Obligations | 8 |
| 1.10 | Freedom to Pursue Opportunities | 8 |
| 1.11 | Governing Documents | 9 |
| 1.12 | No Liability of the Investor | 9 |
| 1.13 | Preemptive Rights | 9 |
| ARTICLE II REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES | 11 | |
| 2.1 | Representations and Warranties<br> of the Investor | 11 |
| 2.2 | Representations and Warranties<br> of Compo PubCo | 12 |
| ARTICLE III INFORMATION; ACCESS | 13 | |
| 3.1 | Quarterly Financial Statements | 13 |
| 3.2 | Annual Financial Statements | 13 |
| 3.3 | Access | 13 |
| ARTICLE IV DEFINITIONS | 14 | |
| 4.1 | Defined Terms | 14 |
| 4.2 | Other Defined Terms | 17 |
| 4.3 | Interpretation | 18 |
| ARTICLE V MISCELLANEOUS | 18 | |
| 5.1 | Term | 18 |
| 5.2 | Notices | 19 |
| 5.3 | Amendments and Waivers | 20 |
| 5.4 | Severability | 20 |
| 5.5 | Counterparts | 20 |
| 5.6 | Entire Agreement; Parties in<br> Interest | 20 |
| 5.7 | Governing Law; Venue; Waiver<br> of Jury Trial | 21 |
| 5.8 | Remedies | 21 |
| 5.9 | Descriptive Headings | 21 |
i
INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of [·] (this “Agreement”), by and between CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Compo PubCo”) and [·], a [·] (the “Investor”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, on November 2, 2025, Compo PubCo, Forge New Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Compo PubCo (“Holdings”), 1561604 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, an unlimited liability company existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Compo PubCo (“BidCo”), the PE Sellers (as defined in the Transaction Agreement), Husky Technologies Limited, a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, 1561570 B.C. Ltd., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (“New BC”), Forge US Top, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TargetCo”), Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC, as the Shareholders’ Representative, and the Management Sellers (as defined in the Transaction Agreement) (collectively with the PE Sellers, the “Sellers”) entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Transaction Agreement”), pursuant to which (i) the PE Sellers sold to Holdings, and Holdings purchased from the PE Sellers, the TargetCo Units and (ii) the Sellers sold to BidCo, and BidCo purchased from the Sellers, the New BC Shares (each as defined in the Transaction Agreement) on the Closing Date on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Transaction Agreement;
WHEREAS, pursuant to and subject to the terms and conditions of the Transaction Agreement, in connection with the closing of the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Closing”), the Investor has received cash and Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Compo PubCo (the “Compo PubCo Common Stock”); and
WHEREAS, in connection with and pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, each of the parties hereto wishes to set forth in this Agreement certain terms and conditions regarding certain governance matters and the Investor’s ownership of the Shares and to establish certain rights, restrictions and obligations of Compo PubCo and the Investor with respect to the Shares.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants, representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties agree as follows:
1
ARTICLE I
GOVERNANCE MATTERS
1.1 Composition of the Compo PubCo Board at the Closing. As of the Closing, Compo PubCo and the Board of Directors of Compo PubCo (the “Compo PubCo Board”) have taken all action necessary to cause (a) the number of directors constituting each of Class I and Class III directors of the Compo PubCo Board to be increased by one (1), and (b) Louis Samson and Delara Zarrabi, each as designated by the Investor, to be appointed to fill such newly created vacancies on the Compo PubCo Board as the initial Investor Designees hereunder, serving as a Class I director and a Class III director, respectively.
1.2 Composition of the Compo PubCo Board Following the Closing.
(a) Following the Closing and for so long as the Investor (together with its Affiliates) holds a number of shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock representing at least the percentage of the outstanding shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock shown below, Compo PubCo shall take all Necessary Action to include in the slate of nominees recommended by the Compo PubCo Board for election as directors at any applicable annual or special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected, that number of individuals (including, in the case of any Investor Designee, such Investor Designee), which, assuming all such individuals are successfully elected to the Compo PubCo Board, when taken together with any incumbent Investor Director not standing for election at such annual or special meeting of stockholders, would result in the Investor having the number of directors serving on the Board that is shown below (each, an “Investor Designee”); provided, that so long as the Compo PubCo Board is a classified board, the Investor Directors shall be apportioned in Class I and Class III, or if the number of Investor Directors is decreased to one (1), to the applicable class of the remaining Investor Director after giving effect to the resignation or removal of the other Investor Director:
| Percentage of Outstanding Compo PubCo Common Stock | Number of<br><br> Investor Directors | |
|---|---|---|
| 10% or greater (the “First Ownership Threshold”) | 2 | |
| Less than 10% but greater than or equal to 5% (the “Second Ownership Threshold”) | 1 | |
| Less than 5% | 0 |
(b) The Investor shall notify Compo PubCo of the identity of each proposed Investor Designee, in writing, on or before the time such information is reasonably requested (reasonably in advance), in writing, by the Compo PubCo Board or the Governance Committee of the Compo PubCo Board for inclusion in a proxy statement for a meeting of shareholders, together with all information about each proposed Investor Designee as shall be reasonably requested by the Compo PubCo Board or the Governance Committee of the Compo PubCo Board in connection with the Compo PubCo’s disclosure obligations or in connection with Compo PubCo’s legal, regulatory or stock exchange requirements, which requests shall be of the same type as Compo PubCo requires of all other nominees to the Compo PubCo Board; provided, that in the event the Investor fails to provide any such notice, the applicable individual then serving as the Investor Director of the applicable Class shall be deemed to be the Investor Designee for such meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, the Investor shall not be required to comply with any other advance notice provisions generally applicable to the nomination of directors by Compo PubCo so long as the Investor complies with this Section 1.2(b).
2
(c) Except as provided for in Section 1.2 or Section 1.3 and to the extent not inconsistent with Section 141(k) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Compo PubCo’s Governing Documents: (i) the Investor shall have the exclusive right to remove any Investor Director from the Compo PubCo Board and the Compo PubCo Board shall take all Necessary Action to cause the removal of such Investor Director at the request of the Investor, and (ii) the Investor shall have the exclusive right to nominate for election to the Compo PubCo Board directors to fill vacancies created by reason of death, removal or resignation of the Investor Directors (or at any other time at which the number of Investor Directors is less than the number to which the Investor is then entitled), and the Compo PubCo Board and the Investor shall take all Necessary Action to cause any such vacancies to be filled by replacement directors nominated by the Investor (consistent with the other provisions of this Agreement) as promptly as reasonably practicable.
(d) In furtherance of the foregoing, the Investor agrees that (i) immediately upon the Investor no longer maintaining the First Ownership Threshold, the Investor and Compo Pubco shall take all necessary action to cause one of the Investor Directors to resign or be removed immediately, unless otherwise agreed in writing by Compo Pubco and (ii) immediately upon the Investor no longer maintaining the Second Ownership Threshold, the Investor and Compo Pubco shall take all necessary action to cause all of the Investor Directors to resign or be removed immediately, unless otherwise agreed in writing by Compo Pubco.
(e) Compo PubCo shall take all Necessary Action to, and shall cause the Compo PubCo Board or the Governance Committee of the Compo PubCo Board to take all Necessary Action to, cause the election of each Investor Designee to the Compo PubCo Board at any applicable annual or special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected (including supporting the Investor Designee for election in a manner no less rigorous and favorable than the manner in which Compo PubCo supports the other nominees that are included in its slate of nominees in accordance with this Agreement). For so long as the Investor has the right to nominate any Investor Designee, the Compo PubCo Board (and any committee thereof) shall not nominate (and Compo PubCo shall not include in the slate that is included in the proxy statement (or consent solicitation or similar document) of Compo PubCo relating to the election of directors) a number of nominees for any election of directors that exceeds the total number of directors on the Compo PubCo Board. The failure of the stockholders of Compo Pubco to elect any Investor Designee shall not affect the rights of the Investor, or the obligation of Compo PubCo or the Compo PubCo Board (including to take Necessary Action), with respect to any future election or appointment of directors to the Compo PubCo Board.
3
1.3 Eligibility Criteria.
(a) Each Investor Director shall (i) not be or have been the subject of a conviction or proceeding enumerated in Item 2(d) or (e) of Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act, (ii) satisfy all applicable requirements and standards for membership on the Compo PubCo Board (but not any committee thereof or any other more specific status) imposed by Applicable Law, the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) or any other national securities exchange on which shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock are then listed and (iii) be reasonably acceptable to the Governance Committee of the Compo PubCo Board, taking into account, among other things, the terms of this Agreement and the Transaction Agreement (such determination to be made by the independent directors of the Compo PubCo Board acting in good faith and consistent with Compo PubCo’s nominating and governance practices (consistently applied) in effect from time to time; provided, that, in the event that the Governance Committee comprises all independent directors, such determination may be made by the Governance Committee) (collectively, the “Eligibility Criteria”); it being understood and agreed by the parties that each of Louis Samson and Delara Zarrabi meets the foregoing Eligibility Criteria. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article I, the Investor will not be entitled to designate any individual to the Compo PubCo Board pursuant to this Article I if such individual does not satisfy the Eligibility Criteria (taking into account the last clause of the immediately preceding sentence), and the Investor agrees to cause any Investor Director then serving on the Compo PubCo Board to resign from such position promptly upon written notice, setting forth the relevant facts upon which such notice is based, from Compo PubCo to the Investor (which notice and facts underlying such notice are not disputed by the Investor) of such Investor Designee’s failure to satisfy any of the Eligibility Criteria set forth in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of the first sentence of this Section 1.3(a).
(b) In the event that the Investor designates any Investor Designee other than Louis Samson or Delara Zarrabi and the Compo PubCo Board or the Governance Committee in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment reasonably determines that any Investor Designee fails to satisfy the Eligibility Criteria, the Compo PubCo Board shall promptly notify the Investor of such designation and Investor will be entitled to designate a replacement Investor Designee for nomination.
1.4 Board Observer Rights.
(a) For so long as the Investor (collectively with its Affiliates) holds a number of shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock representing at least five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock, Compo PubCo will permit an individual designated in writing by Investor from time to time (each, an “Observer”) to attend meetings of the Compo PubCo Board as a non-voting observer, and will give such individual notice of such meetings at the same time and in the same manner as notice to the directors. Each Observer shall be entitled to concurrent receipt of any materials provided to the Compo PubCo Board, subject to the confidentiality obligations set forth in Section 1.7. The foregoing notwithstanding, (a) the Compo PubCo Board shall retain the right to exclude an Observer from meetings, discussions and materials (i) to the extent the Compo PubCo Board in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment reasonably believes there to be a material conflict of interest, (ii) with respect to any discussions of disputes between Compo PubCo and the Investor or its Affiliates, and (iii) as necessary, upon advice from counsel to Compo PubCo, to protect attorney-client privilege, (b) the Compo PubCo Board shall retain the right to require the Investor to replace its designated Observer if the Compo PubCo Board in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment reasonably determines that such Observer is not performing his or her duties in a reasonable manner and (c) the right of the Investor to have an Observer at the Compo PubCo Board’s meetings shall not be transferable to any unrelated third party. No Observer, its Affiliates or its or their employees, officers, directors, agents, successors and assigns shall have any fiduciary or similar duty to, or liability for any debt or obligation of, Compo PubCo or to or of any other entity or person whatsoever as a result of this Section 1.4 or any exercise of, or failure to exercise, the rights of an Observer under this Agreement.
4
(b) For so long as the Investor is entitled to nominate an Investor Director hereunder, with respect to each committee of the Compo PubCo Board on which an Investor Director does not serve as a member, such committee of the Compo PubCo Board shall allow an Investor Director to participate as a non-voting observer of such committee; provided, however, that if the Investor Director is not an independent director under applicable stock exchange rules and the inclusion of the Investor Director as a non-voting observer would reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect on Compo PubCo or is otherwise in contravention of such rules, the parties hereto will discuss in good faith the implementation of an alternative arrangement to provide the Investor Director with an opportunity to review materials furnished to such committees.
1.5 Board Meeting Expenses and Board Compensation.
(a) Compo PubCo shall pay all reasonable reimbursable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including, but not limited to, travel and lodging) incurred by each member of the Compo PubCo Board, and by each Observer (if any), incurred in the course of his or her service hereunder, including in connection with attending regular and special meetings of the Board, any board of directors or board of managers of each of Compo PubCo’s Subsidiaries and/or any of their respective committees.
(b) Except to the extent that the Investor may otherwise notify Compo PubCo, each Investor Director shall be entitled to compensation (including equity awards) that is consistent with the compensation received by other non-employee directors of the Compo PubCo Board; provided, that at the election of an Investor Director, any such compensation shall be paid to the Investor or any Affiliate thereof specified by such Investor Director rather than to such Investor Director.
1.6 Indemnification. Compo PubCo shall obtain and maintain customary director and officer indemnity insurance on reasonable terms. Compo PubCo hereby acknowledges that the Investor Directors may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by the Investor or one or more of its Affiliates (collectively, the “Affiliate Indemnitors”). Compo PubCo, on its own behalf and on behalf of any of its Subsidiaries that provides indemnification: (a) shall be the indemnitor of first resort with respect to any Investor Director (i.e., its obligations to an Investor Director shall be primary and any obligation of any Affiliate Indemnitor to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by an Investor Director shall be secondary); (b) shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by an Investor Director and shall be liable for the full amount of all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Agreement or any other agreement between Compo PubCo and an Investor Director, without regard to any rights an Investor Director may have against any Affiliate Indemnitor or its insurers; (c) irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Affiliate Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Affiliate Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof; and (d) agrees that no advancement or payment by the Affiliate Indemnitors on behalf of an Investor Director with respect to any claim for which such indemnitee has sought indemnification from Compo PubCo shall affect the foregoing and the Affiliate Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of such indemnitee against Compo PubCo and its applicable Subsidiary, if any. In addition to any other indemnification rights that the directors have pursuant to the Governing Documents of Compo PubCo, each person nominated by the Investor to serve on the Compo PubCo Board shall have the right to enter into, and Compo PubCo agrees to enter into, an indemnification agreement in a form consistent with Compo PubCo’s indemnification agreements entered into with other non-employee directors of the Compo PubCo Board.
5
1.7 Confidentiality.
(a) The Investor hereby agrees that all Confidential Information with respect to Compo PubCo, its Subsidiaries and its and their businesses, finances and operations shall be kept confidential by the Investor, each Investor Director and each Observer (if any) and shall not be disclosed by the Investor, any Investor Director or any Observer (if any) in any manner whatsoever, except as expressly permitted by this Section 1.7(a). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence or anything else to the contrary in this Agreement, any Confidential Information may be disclosed:
(i) by an Investor Director or Observer (if any) to the Investor or any of its Affiliates;
(ii) by the Investor to any of its Affiliates, any Investor Director or Observer (if any);
(iii) by (x) an Investor Director or Observer (if any) to any of their respective authorized representatives (including attorneys, accountants, consultants, bankers and financial advisors) or (y) the Investor to its or any of its Affiliates’ respective directors, officers, employees and authorized representatives (including attorneys, accountants, consultants, bankers and financial advisors thereof) (each of the Persons described in the foregoing clauses (x) and (y), a “Representative”), in each case, solely if and to the extent any Representative needs to be provided such Confidential Information to enable or assist the Investor Director, Observer (if any) or the Investor (or any of its Affiliates) in evaluating or reviewing its investment in Compo PubCo, including in connection with the disposition thereof, or serving as an Investor Director or Observer, as applicable, and such Confidential Information shall only be used by the Investor Director, Observer (if any) or the Investor (or any of its Affiliates) and their respective Representatives for such purposes. The Investor shall be responsible for any breach of this Section 1.7(a) by the Investor Director, Observer (if any), any of the Investor’s Affiliates or any Representative to the same extent as if such breach had been committed by the Investor; provided, that each of the Investor Director, Observer (if any) and the Investor shall (and the Investor shall cause its Affiliates to) direct their respective Representatives to maintain adequate procedures to prevent any Confidential Information from being used in connection with the purchase or sale of securities of Compo PubCo in violation of Applicable Law or Applicable Regulations;
6
(iv) by the Investor, to any prospective purchaser of any shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock from the Investor as long as such prospective purchaser agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Section 1.7 as if the Investor;
(v) by the Investor, to any Affiliate, partner, member, limited partners or related investment fund of the Investor and their respective directors, employees, consultants and representatives, in each case in the ordinary course of business (provided that the recipients of such confidential information are subject to a customary confidentiality and non-disclosure obligation at least as restrictive as the confidentiality obligations under this Section 1.7 as applied to the Investor);
(vi) by an Investor Director, Observer (if any), Investor or any of the Investor’s Affiliates, or any of their respective Representatives to the extent Compo PubCo consents in writing to such disclosure;
(vii) by the Investor Director, Observer (if any), Investor or any of the Investor’s Affiliates, or any of their respective Representatives to the extent that any such Person has received advice from its counsel (which may be internal counsel) that it is required to do so to comply with Applicable Law, Applicable Regulations or any other legal, regulatory or administrative process; provided, that prior to making such disclosure, the Person intending to make such disclosure uses its commercially reasonable efforts to preserve the confidentiality of the Confidential Information to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, including, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law and reasonably practicable under the circumstances, by (x) consulting with Compo PubCo regarding such disclosure and (y) if requested by Compo PubCo, reasonably cooperating with Compo PubCo (at Compo PubCo’s sole cost and expense) in seeking a protective order to limit the scope of the required disclosure; provided, further, that the Person making such disclosure shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to disclose only that portion of the Confidential Information as is, based on the advice of its counsel, legally required and to obtain assurances that confidential treatment will be afforded to any Confidential Information so disclosed; provided, further, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, no notification or consultation shall be required in respect of any disclosure made in response to any routine examination by any banking, financial, securities or similar regulatory or Governmental Authority exercising its supervisory, examination or audit functions over the Person intending to make such disclosure in the ordinary course of business so long as such audit or examination is not targeted at Compo PubCo; and
(viii) by an Investor Director, Observer (if any) and Investor, as may be reasonably determined to be necessary in connection with the enforcement of their rights in connection with this Agreement.
(b) For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of the obligations under this Section 1.7 by the Investor Director, Observer (if any), the Investor or any of their respective Representatives, Compo PubCo, in addition to all other available remedies, shall be entitled to seek specific performance to enforce the provisions of this Section 1.7 in accordance with Section 5.8.
7
1.8 Voting Agreement. For so long as the Investor has the right to designate at least one (1) director for nomination under this Agreement, the Investor hereby agrees to vote, or cause to be voted, all shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock Owned Beneficially or of record by the Investor, or over which the Investor maintains voting control, directly or indirectly, in such manner as may be necessary or advisable in support of, or to implement, maintain, or protect the various matters set forth in, and the intent of, this Article I, whether at an annual or special meeting of stockholders of Compo PubCo or pursuant to any written consent of the stockholders of Compo PubCo.
1.9 Compo PubCo Board Obligations. Any breach by the Compo PubCo Board, or any committee of the Compo PubCo Board, of its obligations under this Article I shall be deemed a breach by Compo PubCo of its obligations hereunder.
1.10 Freedom to Pursue Opportunities.
(a) Compo PubCo acknowledges and understands that each Investor Director, each Observer (if any) and the Investor and its Affiliates and its and their directors, officers and agents (each an, “Identified Person”), from time to time review the business plans and related proprietary information of many enterprises, including enterprises that may have products or services that compete directly or indirectly with those of Compo PubCo and its Subsidiaries, and may trade in the securities of such enterprises. Nothing in this Agreement shall preclude or in any way restrict any Identified Person from investing or participating in any particular enterprise, or trading in the securities thereof, whether or not such enterprise has products or services that compete with those of Compo PubCo and its Subsidiaries and, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, no such Identified Person shall be liable to Compo PubCo or its stockholders or to any Affiliate of Compo PubCo for breach of any fiduciary duty solely by reason of the fact that such person engages in any such activities, and Compo PubCo hereby waives on its own behalf and on behalf of its Subsidiaries, in perpetuity, any and all claims that it now has or may have in the future, and agree not to initiate any litigation or any other cause of action (whether or not in a court of competent jurisdiction) in respect of any such waived claims, or otherwise on the basis of, or in connection with, the doctrine of corporate opportunity (or any similar doctrine); provided, that if Compo PubCo and the Investor (or any of the Investor’s Affiliates) are, to the Investor’s knowledge, considering the same transaction, the Investor will promptly notify Compo PubCo of its (or its relevant Affiliate’s) interest in such transaction and, if requested by the Compo PubCo Board, cause each of the Investor Directors to recuse himself or herself from all Compo PubCo Board discussions and activities relating to such transaction.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted from time to time by the laws of the State of Delaware, Compo PubCo hereby renounces any interest or expectancy in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, any business opportunity that may be a corporate opportunity for an Identified Persons and Compo PubCo or any of its Affiliates. In the event that any Identified Person acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity that may be a corporate opportunity for itself, herself or himself, or any of its or his or her Affiliates, and Compo PubCo or any of its Affiliates, such Identified Person shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or other business opportunity to Compo PubCo or any of its Affiliates and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall not be liable to Compo PubCo or its stockholders or to any Affiliate of Compo PubCo for breach of any fiduciary duty as a stockholder, director or officer of Compo PubCo solely by reason of the fact that such Identified Person pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for itself, herself or himself, or offers or directs such corporate opportunity to another Person. For so long as this Agreement is in effect, Compo PubCo shall not, and shall not permit the Compo PubCo Board to, rescind or retract the Necessary Authorizations, or take any other action that would reduce or eliminate the renunciation or waivers included in the Necessary Authorization with respect to any Identified Person.
8
1.11 Governing Documents. Compo PubCo and the Compo PubCo Board shall take or cause to be taken all lawful action necessary to ensure at all times that Compo PubCo’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws, committee charters or similar governing documents (“Governing Documents”), director qualification standards and all other rules, policies and guidelines applicable to members of the Compo PubCo Board are consistent in all but de minimis respects with the provisions of this Agreement.
1.12 No Liability of the Investor. Neither the Investor nor any of its Affiliates shall have any liability as a result of designating a person for nomination for election as a director for any act or omission by such designated person in his or her capacity as a director of Compo PubCo, nor as a result of voting for any such designated nominee in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
1.13 Preemptive Rights.
(a) If Compo PubCo proposes to issue any Equity Securities (the “New Securities”) for cash (each, a “Capital Raising Transaction”), excluding New Securities issued (i) in connection with the exercise of equity awards issued pursuant to equity incentive plans or other management equity programs approved by the Compo PubCo Board or Compo PubCo’s manager, (ii) in connection with the exercise of warrants issued in connection with an arms-length business acquisition of or by Compo PubCo or its Affiliates, (iii) to the public in a firm commitment underwriting pursuant to a registration statement filed under the Securities Act, (iv) as consideration in connection with a business combination, acquisition transaction, partnership, joint venture or similar strategic transaction, in each case, involving Compo PubCo or its subsidiaries, (v) in connection with a reclassification, recapitalization, exchange, stock split (including a reverse stock split), combination or readjustment of shares or any stock dividend or other distribution or similar transaction, or (vi) upon conversion or exercise of any security convertible into or exercisable for any Equity Securities, provided that such convertible or exercisable security were issued in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Investor, for so long the Investor (together with its Affiliates) maintains the First Ownership Threshold (as determined immediately prior to such issuance), shall have the right to purchase, in whole or in part, a number of New Securities equal to its Pro Rata Portion with respect to such issuance on the same terms and at an all-cash purchase price per New Security equal to the price per share at which such shares are offered and sold in such Capital Raising Transaction (net of any underwriting discounts, commissions or similar sale expenses) (the “Exercise Price”) in accordance with this Section 1.13 (the “Capital Raising Preemptive Right”).
9
(b) Compo PubCo shall give written notice (a “Capital Raising Issuance Notice”) to the Investor of any proposed issuance described in Section 1.13(a) no later than ten (10) Business Days prior to the launch of the offering (or, if Compo PubCo has determined to launch such an offering within less than ten (10) Business Days, as promptly as practicable after Compo PubCo has determined to pursue such offering, but no later than three (3) Business Day prior to such launch). The Capital Raising Issuance Notice shall set forth the material terms and conditions of the proposed issuance, including:
(i) the number (which number shall not, except to the extent otherwise specified in such notice, be increased by the amount of New Securities to be purchased by the Investor pursuant to the exercise of their Capital Raising Preemptive Rights) or, if such number has not yet been determined, the basis on which the Pro Rata Portion will be determined and description of the New Securities to be issued and the Pro Rata Portion of the Investor;
(ii) the anticipated date or range of dates of the issuance;
(iii) the cash purchase price per New Security; and
(iv) the anticipated Exercise Price.
(c) The Investor’s Capital Raising Preemptive Right shall be exercisable by delivery of written notice to Compo PubCo no later than ten (10) Business Days after receipt of the Capital Raising Issuance Notice, but in any event, no later than the second (2^nd^) Business Day prior to the settlement date of such Capital Raising Transaction, specifying the number of New Securities to be purchased by the Investor (such number to be less than or equal to its Pro Rata Portion). The closing of such purchase by the Investor shall be consummated concurrently with the consummation of the Capital Raising Transaction, subject only to (i) the consummation of the Capital Raising Transaction and (ii) the satisfaction or waiver by the Investor of the conditions set forth in Sections 1.13(d) and 1.13(e).
(d) Upon the date of any Capital Raise Issuance Notice and the date of the applicable Preemptive Share Purchase by the Investor, as applicable, Compo PubCo shall be deemed to represent and warrant to the Investor, as of such date, that (i) Compo PubCo is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and has the corporate power and authority to consummate the Preemptive Share Purchase; (ii) the Compo PubCo Board has granted the Section 16 Exemption with respect to the acquisition of the New Securities by Investor in connection with the Preemptive Share Purchase; and (iii) the New Securities to be issued to Investor in connection with the Preemptive Share Purchase have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable. Upon the exercise of the Capital Raising Preemptive Rights, the Investor shall be deemed to represent and warrant to Compo PubCo, as of the date of such exercise and as of the date of the consummation of the applicable issuance to the Investor, (i) that all of the representations and warranties made by the Investor in Section 2.1 are true and correct, and (ii) that the Investor has performed all of its obligations hereunder. Each party to any purchase pursuant to Section 1.13(e) agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to cause the conditions to such closing to be satisfied.
10
(e) Subject to Section 1.13(c), the Preemptive Share Purchase Closing shall take place at such time and at such place as the applicable parties mutually agree. The obligations the Investor to consummate the Preemptive Share Purchase pursuant to this Section 1.13 shall be subject to the following conditions:
(i) Any applicable waiting period (or extensions thereof) under the HSR Act applicable to the Preemptive Share Purchase shall have expired or been terminated; and
(ii) No Law, order, judgment or injunction (whether preliminary or permanent) issued, enacted, promulgated, entered or enforced by a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Authority restraining, prohibiting or rendering illegal the consummation of the Preemptive Share Purchase, as applicable, by this Agreement is in effect;
provided, that, Compo PubCo shall deliver an officer’s certificate at the applicable date of each Preemptive Share Purchase Closing to the Investor certifying that the representations deemed made by Compo PubCo at such closing are true and correct in all respects, and the Investor shall deliver an officer’s certificate at the applicable date of each Preemptive Share Purchase Closing to Compo PubCo certifying that the representations made by the Investor at such closing are true and correct in all respects and that the condition set forth in clause (i) of the penultimate sentence of Section 1.13(d) above has been satisfied (or, if any such representation is inaccurate or such condition has not been satisfied, a reasonably detailed description as to the reasons for such inaccuracy or the failure of the condition shall be included in such certificate). For the avoidance of doubt, if any conditions set forth in this 1.13 are not satisfied, the Investor shall have no obligation to complete the Preemptive Share Purchase Closing, as the case may be.
(f) So long as the Investor has the right to designate an Investor Director, the Compo PubCo Board shall take such action as is necessary to cause the exemption of the Preemptive Share Purchase by the Investor from the liability provisions of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 16b-3 (each, a “Section 16 Exemption”).
(g) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 1.13 to the contrary, Compo PubCo will not be deemed to have breached this Section 1.13 if (i) the Compo PubCo Board or Compo PubCo’s manager determines that it is reasonably necessary for Compo PubCo to issue any New Securities without previously complying with the provisions of this Section 1.13, so as to be able to raise capital in a situation of financial distress (as reasonably determined by the Compo PubCo Board or Compo PubCo’s manager) where a delay in obtaining such funding would seriously jeopardize the financial viability of Compo PubCo (as reasonably determined by the Compo PubCo Board or Compo PubCo’s manager) and (ii) not later than thirty (30) Business Days following the issuance of any New Securities in contravention of this Section 1.13, Compo PubCo or the transferee of such New Securities offers to sell a portion of such New Securities to the Investor so that, taking into account such previously issued securities and any such New Securities, the Investor will have had the right to purchase or subscribe for securities in a manner consistent with the terms and upon same economic and other terms provided for in this Section 1.13.
11
ARTICLE II
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
2.1 Representations and Warranties of the Investor. The Investor hereby represents and warrants to Compo PubCo as follows:
(a) The Investor is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. The Investor has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(b) The execution and delivery by the Investor of this Agreement and the performance by the Investor of its obligations under this Agreement do not and will not conflict with or violate any provision of, or require the consent or approval of any Person (except for any such consents or approvals which have been obtained) under, (x) Applicable Law or Applicable Regulations, (y) its Governing Documents or (z) any material contract or agreement to which it is a party.
(c) The execution and delivery by the Investor of this Agreement and the performance by the Investor of its obligations under this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other analogous action on its part and does not require any corporate or other action on the part of any trustee or beneficial or record owner of any equity interest in it, other than those which have been obtained prior to the date hereof and are in full force and effect.
(d) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Investor and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto, constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity.
2.2 Representations and Warranties of Compo PubCo. Compo PubCo hereby represents and warrants to the Investor as follows:
(a) Compo PubCo is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation. Compo PubCo has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(b) The execution and delivery by Compo PubCo of this Agreement and the performance by Compo PubCo of its obligations under this Agreement do not and will not conflict with or violate any provision of, or require the consent or approval of any Person (except for any such consents or approvals which have been obtained) under, (x) Applicable Law or Applicable Regulations, (y) its Governing Documents or (z) any material contract or agreement to which it is a party.
(c) The execution and delivery by Compo PubCo of this Agreement and the performance by Compo PubCo of its obligations under this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on its part and on the part of the Compo PubCo Board, including with respect to the renouncing interests and expectancies under Section 1.10 hereof (the “Necessary Authorizations”) and does not require any corporate or other action on the part of any trustee or beneficial or record owner of any equity interest in it, other than those which have been obtained prior to the date hereof and are in full force and effect.
12
(d) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Compo PubCo and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto, constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of Compo PubCo, enforceable against Compo PubCo in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity.
ARTICLE III
TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS
3.1 Lock-up Period. Investor shall not Transfer any shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock acquired by Investor pursuant to the Transaction Agreement during the Lock-Up Period.
3.2 Permitted Transfers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Investor may Transfer any or all of its Compo PubCo Common Stock: (i) to its affiliates; (ii) in the event of Compo PubCo’s liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of Compo PubCo’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock for cash, securities or other property; or (iii) by distribution to partners, members or stockholders of Investor, or to any corporation, partnership or other entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with Investor; provided, however, that (x) it shall be a condition to any such Transfer pursuant to clause (i) or (iii) that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the securities subject to the provisions of, and agrees to be bound by the restrictions on Transfer set forth in, this Article III and (y) any purported Transfer pursuant to clauses (i) and (iii) that does not meet the conditions set forth in clause (x) shall be void ab initio.
ARTICLE IV
INFORMATION; ACCESS
4.1 Quarterly Financial Statements. Concurrently with the distribution of the Compo PubCo’s quarterly financial statements to the audit committee of the Compo PubCo Board for review, for so long as the Investor has the right to designate at least one (1) director for nomination under this Agreement, Compo PubCo shall deliver to the Investor an unaudited balance sheet of Compo PubCo as of the last day of each of the first three (3) fiscal quarters of each fiscal year and the related unaudited consolidated statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the fiscal year-to-date period then ended, including any related notes thereto, if available.
4.2 Annual Financial Statements. Concurrently with the distribution of the Compo PubCo’s annual financial statements to the audit committee of the Compo PubCo Board for review, for so long as the Investor has the right to designate at least one (1) director for nomination under this Agreement, Compo PubCo shall deliver to the Investor an audited balance sheet of Compo PubCo as of the end of such fiscal year and the related audited consolidated statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows for such fiscal year, including any related notes thereto.
13
4.3 Access. For so long as the Investor has the right to designate at least one (1) director for nomination under this Agreement and subject to the confidentiality obligations set forth in Section 1.7, Compo PubCo shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, permit the Investor and its respective designated representatives, at reasonable times and upon reasonable prior notice to Compo PubCo, to review the books, records, contracts and agreements of Compo PubCo or any of such Subsidiaries and to discuss the affairs, finances and condition of Compo PubCo or any of such Subsidiaries with the officers of Compo PubCo or any such Subsidiary. For so long as the Investor has the right to designate at least one (1) director for nomination under this Agreement, Compo PubCo shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, provide the Investor, in addition to other information that might be reasonably requested by the Investor from time to time: (a) direct access to the Compo PubCo’s auditors and officers; (b) copies of all materials provided to the Compo PubCo Board at the same time as provided to the Board; (c) access to appropriate officers and directors of Compo PubCo at such times as may be requested by the Investor with respect to matters relating to the business and affairs of Compo PubCo and its Subsidiaries; (d) information in advance with respect to any significant corporate actions, including, without limitation, extraordinary dividends, mergers, acquisitions or dispositions of assets, issuances of significant amounts of debt or equity and material amendments to the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of Compo PubCo or any of its respective Subsidiaries; and (e) to the extent otherwise prepared by Compo PubCo, operating and capital expenditure budgets and periodic information packages relating to the operations and cash flows of Compo PubCo and its Subsidiaries. For so long as the Investor has the right to designate at least one (1) director for nomination under this Agreement, Compo PubCo shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, use commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Investor access to “Growth Days” and any other substantive meetings that take place between Compo PubCo’s officers, directors and employees, on the one hand, and one or more members of the Compo PubCo Board or any stockholder of Compo PubCo, on the other hand.
ARTICLE V
DEFINITIONS
5.1 Defined Terms. Capitalized terms when used in this Agreement have the following meanings:
“Compo PubCo” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such Person. For purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any Person, unless otherwise specified, means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have correlative meanings; provided, however, that for the avoidance of doubt, the Investor shall not be deemed an Affiliate of Compo PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries for purposes of this Agreement.
14
“Applicable Law” means, with respect to any Person, all applicable U.S., non-U.S. or transnational federal, state or local Laws.
“Applicable Regulations” means applicable laws and national security exchange regulations that apply to Compo PubCo.
“Beneficial Owner”, “Beneficially Own” or “Beneficial Ownership” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, and a Person’s beneficial ownership of securities shall be calculated in accordance with the provisions of such Rule (in each case, irrespective of whether or not such rule is actually applicable in such circumstance).
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal agency administering the Securities Act.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Confidential Information” means all confidential and/or non-public information (irrespective of the form of communication,) obtained by or on behalf of the Investor or its Representatives from or on behalf of Compo PubCo or its Representatives pursuant to this Agreement, other than information which (i) was or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of a breach of this Agreement by the Investor or any of its Representatives, (ii) was or becomes available to the Investor or any of its Representatives on a non-confidential basis from a source other than Compo PubCo or its Representatives; provided that the source thereof is not known by the Investor or its Representatives to be bound by an obligation of confidentiality to Compo PubCo or its Subsidiaries in respect of such information, or (iii) is independently developed by the Investor or its Representatives without the use of or reference to any such information that would otherwise be Confidential Information hereunder.
“Equity Securities” means any equity securities of Compo PubCo or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for equity securities of Compo PubCo.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Governance Committee” means the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Compo PubCo.
“Governmental Authority” means any federal, national, state, local, cantonal, municipal, international or multinational government or political subdivision thereof, governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency, taxing or regulatory authority, instrumentality or judicial or administrative body, or arbitrator or SRO, having jurisdiction over the matter or matters in question.
“Investor Designee” means, at any applicable time, an individual designated in writing by the Investor for election or appointment to the Compo PubCo Board.
“Investor Director” means an Investor Designee who, at the applicable time, is a member of the Compo PubCo Board.
15
“Laws” means laws, statutes, binding Orders, rules, and regulations, ordinances, directives, treaties, rules of common law and rules of any applicable SRO.
“Lock-up Period” means the period ending on the earlier of (i) the 90th day following the date hereof, and (ii) the date on which the Compo PubCo notifies the Investor that the Lock-up Period has terminated.
“Necessary Action” means, with respect to a specified result, all actions, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, necessary to cause such result, including, without limitation, to the extent applicable: (a) recommending that the stockholders of Compo PubCo approve such result; (b) causing the Compo Pubco Board to recommend that the stockholders of Compo Pubco approve such result; (c) voting or providing a written consent or proxy with respect to the Compo PubCo Common Stock; (d) causing the adoption of amendments to the Governing Documents; (e) executing agreements and instruments; and (f) making, or causing to be made, with any Governmental Authority, all filings, registrations or similar actions that are required to achieve such result.
“Order” means any order, writ, decree, judgment, award, decision, injunction, ruling, settlement, verdict, consent decree, compliance order, civil or administrative order, or stipulation issued, promulgated, made, rendered or entered into by or with any Governmental Authority or arbitrator (in each case, whether temporary, preliminary or permanent).
“Person” an individual, firm, body corporate (wherever incorporated), partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, trust, foundation, works council or employee representative body (whether or not having separate legal personality) or other entity or organization, including a Governmental Authority.
“Preemptive Share Purchase” means the exercise of the Capital Raising Preemptive Right.
“Preemptive Share Purchase Closing” means closing of the Preemptive Share Purchase.
“Pro Rata Portion” means, with respect to the Investor, for any issuance of New Securities, the number of New Securities equal to the product of (a) the total number of New Securities to be issued by Compo PubCo in such issuance (including any securities to be issued to all stockholders of Compo PubCo) and (b) the percentage of outstanding Compo PubCo Common Stock held by the Investor and its Affiliates on such issuance date (immediately prior to any such issuance of New Securities).
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock issued to the Investor pursuant to the Transaction Agreement (as adjusted for any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, exchange or similar reorganization of shares).
“SRO” means (i) any “self-regulatory organization” as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange Act, (ii) any other United States or foreign securities exchange, futures exchange, commodities exchange or contract market, or (iii) any other securities exchange.
16
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, another Person with respect to which the first Person holds, directly or indirectly, (a) an amount of the voting securities, other voting ownership or voting partnership interests sufficient to elect at least a majority of its board of directors or other governing body or (b) more than fifty (50%) of the equity interests.
“Transfer” means the (a) sale or assignment of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any security; (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise; or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in the preceding clauses (a) or (b).
“Voting Securities” means shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock and any other securities of Compo PubCo entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of Compo PubCo.
5.2 Other Defined Terms.
| Term | Section |
|---|---|
| Affiliate Indemnitors | 1.6 |
| Agreement | Preamble |
| BidCo | Recitals |
| Closing | Recitals |
| Company | Recitals |
| Compo PubCo | Preamble |
| Compo PubCo Board | 1.1 |
| Compo PubCo Common Stock | Recitals |
| Delaware Courts | 5.7(a) |
| Eligibility Criteria | 1.3(a) |
| Governing Documents | 1.11 |
| Holdings | Recitals |
| Investor | Preamble |
| Investor Designee | 1.2(a) |
| NYSE | 1.3(a) |
| Observer | 1.4 |
| Representative | 1.7(a)(iii) |
| TargetCo | Recitals |
| Transaction Agreement | Recitals |
17
5.3 Interpretation. Whenever used: the words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation,” and the words “hereof,” “hereunder” and “herein” and similar words shall be construed as references to this Agreement as a whole and not limited to the particular provision of the Article or Section in which the reference appears. Unless the context otherwise requires, references herein: (x) to Articles and Sections mean the Articles and Sections of this Agreement; (y) to an agreement, instrument or other document means such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented and modified from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof; and (z) to a statute, rule or regulation means such statute, rule or regulation as amended or supplemented from time to time and includes any successor legislation thereto and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder. References to “$” or “dollars” means United States dollars. Any reference in this Agreement to any gender shall include all genders. The meanings of defined terms are equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of the defined terms. The headings and captions herein are for convenience of reference only and do not affect the construction or interpretation of any of the provisions hereof. The word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other theory extends and such phrase shall not mean “if.” The word “or” when used in this Agreement is not exclusive. If, and as often as, there is any change in the outstanding shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock by reason of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization or exchange or similar reorganization of shares, appropriate adjustment shall be made in the provisions of this Agreement so as to fairly and equitably preserve, as far as practicable, the rights and obligations set forth herein that continue to be applicable on the date of such change. Any reference to “written” or “in writing” refers to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form, including e-mail. To the extent that this Agreement requires an Affiliate or Subsidiary of any party to take or omit to take any action, such covenant or agreement includes the obligation of such party to cause such Affiliate or Subsidiary to take or omit to take such action. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement and, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as jointly drafted by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. References to any Person include the successors and permitted assigns of that Person. References from or through any date mean, unless otherwise specified, from and including or through and including, respectively. The word “party” is to be deemed to refer to a party hereto, unless the context requires otherwise.
ARTICLE VI
MISCELLANEOUS
6.1 Term. This Agreement will be effective as of the date hereof and, except as otherwise set forth herein, will continue in effect thereafter until the first date on which the Investor ceases to Beneficially Own any Voting Securities; provided, however, that Section 1.7 (Confidentiality) shall survive for one (1) year following the termination of this Agreement and Section 2.1 (Representations and Warranties of the Investor), Section 2.2 (Representation and Warranties of Compo PubCo), respectively, ARTICLE V (Definitions) and this ARTICLE VI (Miscellaneous) shall survive any termination of this Agreement indefinitely.
18
6.2 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally or by commercial delivery service, or mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) or sent via email (provided the sender does not receive email notification of failed transmission or delivery) to the applicable parties hereto at the following addresses, as applicable (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
(a) if to Compo PubCo, to:
CompoSecure, Inc.
309 Pierce Street
Somerset, NJ 08873
Attention: Thomas R. Knott, Chief Investment Officer
Email: [***]
with a copy (which shall not be considered notice) to:
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019-6064
| Attention: | Scott Barshay; Laura C. Turano |
|---|---|
| Telephone No.: | (212) 373-3000 |
| Email: | sbarshay@paulweiss.com; |
| lturano@paulweiss.com |
(b) if to the Investor, to:
[·]
[·]
| Attention: | [·] |
|---|---|
| Email: | [·] |
with a copy (which shall not be considered notice) to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
555 Eleventh Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004-1304
| Attention: | David Brown; Victoria VanStekelenburg |
|---|---|
| Telephone No.: | (202) 637-2200 |
| Email: | David.Brown@LW.com; |
| Victoria.VanStekelenburg@lw.com |
6.3 Amendments and Waivers. Subject to the provisions of applicable Laws, this Agreement may be amended at any time by the parties hereto by, and only by, an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the parties. In the event any Applicable Regulations come into force or effect (including by amendment), including any applicable rules of a national securities exchange upon with the Compo PubCo Common Stock is registered, or of the Commission, which conflicts with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the parties shall negotiate in good faith to revise the Agreement to achieve the parties’ intention set forth herein.
19
6.4 Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof, becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect and shall be interpreted so as reasonably necessary to effect the intent of the parties hereto. The parties hereto shall use all reasonable efforts to replace such void or unenforceable provision of this Agreement with a valid and enforceable provision that shall achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such void or unenforceable provision.
6.5 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same instrument and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties hereto; it being understood that all parties hereto need not sign the same counterpart. If any signature is delivered by PDF or electronic signature (including DocuSign), such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf the signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such PDF or electronic signature were an original thereof.
6.6 Entire Agreement; Parties in Interest. This Agreement and the documents and instruments and other agreements specifically referred to herein or delivered pursuant hereto (a) constitute the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and (b) except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, are not intended to confer, and shall not be construed as conferring, upon any Person other than the parties hereto any rights or remedies hereunder.
6.7 Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations under this Agreement may be assigned or delegated, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise by a party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party hereto, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Investor may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any Affiliate to which it transfers its shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock and such transferee shall be treated as the “Investor” for all purposes hereunder; provided, further, that it shall be a condition to any such transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the Compo PubCo Common Stock subject to the provisions of this Agreement.
6.8 Governing Law; Venue; Waiver of Jury Trial.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without reference to such state’s principles of conflicts of law. The parties hereto hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and to the extent the Delaware Court of Chancery rejects jurisdiction, in any state or federal court located in the County of New Castle, State of Delaware, and in each case appellate courts therefrom (collectively, the “Delaware Courts”), in respect of the interpretation and enforcement of the provisions of this Agreement and of the documents referred to in this Agreement, and in respect of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and hereby waives, and agrees not to assert, as a defense in any proceeding for the interpretation or enforcement hereof or thereof, that it is not subject thereto or that such proceeding may not be brought or is not maintainable in said courts or that the venue thereof may not be appropriate or that this Agreement or any such document may not be enforced in or by such courts, and the parties hereto irrevocably agree that all claims with respect to such proceeding shall be heard and determined in the Delaware Courts. The parties hereby consent to and grant any such court jurisdiction over the person of such parties and over the subject matter of such dispute and agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such proceeding by registered or certified mail in the manner provided in Section 6.2 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof. Nothing herein shall affect the right of a party hereto to commence proceedings against the other party hereto in any other jurisdiction to enforce orders obtained in any proceeding brought in accordance with this Section 6.8(a).
20
(b) EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY AND VOLUNTARILY WITH AND UPON THE ADVICE OF COMPETENT COUNSEL IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY PROCEEDING BETWEEN THE PARTIES HERETO ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY HERETO IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.
6.9 Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided or limited herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a party hereto shall be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such party, and the exercise by a party hereto of any one remedy shall not preclude the exercise of any other remedy and nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed a waiver by any party of any right to specific performance or injunctive relief. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur, and that the parties would not have any adequate remedy at law, in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to seek an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to seek specific enforcement of the terms and provisions hereof, without proof of actual damages or otherwise, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each party agrees to waive any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy. The parties further agree not to assert that a remedy of specific enforcement is unenforceable, invalid, contrary to law or inequitable for any reason, nor to assert that a remedy of monetary damages would provide an adequate remedy.
6.10 Descriptive Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
6.11 Inconsistent Agreements. Neither Compo PubCo nor the Investor shall enter into any agreement or side letter with, or grant any proxy to, the Investor, Compo PubCo or any other Person (whether or not such proxy, agreements or side letters are with affiliates of the Investor, holders of shares of Compo PubCo Common Stock that are not parties to this Agreement or otherwise) that conflicts with the provisions of this Agreement or which would obligate such Person to breach any provision of this Agreement.
The remainder of this page intentionally left blank.
21
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement by their authorized representatives as of the date first above written.
| COMPO PUBCO: | |
|---|---|
| CompoSecure, Inc. | |
| By: | |
| Name: | |
| Title: |
[Signature Page to Investor Rights Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement by their authorized representatives as of the date first above written.
| INVESTOR: | |
|---|---|
| [·] | |
| By: | |
| Name: | |
| Title: |
[Signature Page to Investor Rights Agreement]
Exhibit 10.3
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of [●], 2025, is made and entered into by and among CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), Platinum Equity Capital Partners International IV (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership (“PE Cayman Investor”), Platinum Equity Capital QIQ Partners International IV (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership (“PE QIQCayman Investor”), Platinum Titan Principals International (Cayman), LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (“PEPrincipals Investor”), Platinum Equity Titan Co-Investors Onshore (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership (“PE Co-Invest Onshore Investor”), Platinum Equity Titan Co-Investors Offshore (Cayman), L.P., a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership (“PE Co-Invest Offshore Investor” and, together with PE Cayman Investor, PE QIQ Cayman Investor, PE Principals Investor and PE Co-Invest Onshore Investor, the “Investors” or “Investor”). The Investor and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 or Section 5.10 of this Agreement are each referred to herein as a “Holder” and collectively as the “Holders”.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, on [●], the Company and the Investor entered into that certain Share Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth therein and on the terms thereof, Investor acquired an aggregate of [●] shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act;
ANDWHEREAS, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, certain Holders consisting of Canadian management acquired an aggregate of [●] Exchangeable Shares in the capital of [●] (the “Exchangeable Shares”), which such Exchangeable Shares may be exchanged on a 1:1 basis for Common Stock;
AND****WHEREAS, the Company and the Investor are entering into this Agreement for the purpose of providing Investor and other Holders with certain registration rights with respect to the Registrable Securities on the terms set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and certain other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLEI
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. The terms defined in this Article I shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, have the respective meanings set forth below:
“Additional Holder” shall have the meaning given in Section 5.10.
“AdditionalHolder Common Stock” shall have the meaning given in Section 5.10.
“Adverse Disclosure” shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (i) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein (in the case of any prospectus and any preliminary prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, declared effective or used, as the case may be, and (iii) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.
“Affiliate” shall mean with respect to a specified person, each other person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person specified; provided that no Holder shall be deemed an Affiliate of any other Holder by reason of an investment in, or holding of Common Stock (or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for share of Common Stock) of, the Company. As used in this definition, “control” (including with correlative meanings, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means possession, directly or indirectly, of power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies (whether through ownership of voting securities or by contract or other agreement).
“Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Block Trade” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.4.1.
“Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Closing” shall have the meaning given in the Purchase Agreement.
“Closing Date” shall have the meaning given in the Purchase Agreement.
“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble and includes the Company’s successors by recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, reorganization or similar transaction.
“Demanding Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.
2
“Exchangeable Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Existing Debt RegistrationRights Agreement” shall mean that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 27, 2021, by and among CompoSecure, Inc., CompoSecure Holdings, L.L.C. and the Investors (as defined therein) party thereto.
“Existing Equity RegistrationRights Agreement” shall mean that certain Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of December 27, 2021, by and among CompoSecure, Inc., the LLR Investors (as defined therein), the CompoSecure Investors (as defined therein), the Founder Investors (as defined therein), and the Additional Investors (as defined therein).
“Existing RRA Holders” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.5.
“Existing RRA Registrable Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.5.
“Form S-1 Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Form S-3 Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Holder Information” shall have the meaning given in subsection 4.1.2.
“Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble, for so long as such person or entity holds any Registrable Securities.
“Joinder” shall have the meaning given in Section 5.2.4.
“Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.5.
“Minimum Takedown Threshold” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.
“Misstatement” shall mean an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or necessary to make the statements in a Registration Statement or Prospectus (in the case of a Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.
“Permitted Transferees” shall mean with respect to the Investor and its respective Permitted Transferees, any person or entity to whom such Holder of Registrable Securities is permitted to transfer such Registrable Securities pursuant to and in accordance with any applicable agreement between such Holder and/or their respective Permitted Transferees and the Company and any transferee thereafter.
“Piggyback Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.
“Piggyback Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.5.
3
“PIPE Subscription Agreements” shall mean, collectively, those certain Subscription Agreements, entered into on [●], 2025, by and between the Company and each investor party thereto, governing such investor’s purchase of shares of Common Stock substantially concurrently with the completion of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement;
“Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.
“Purchase Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Registrable Security” shall mean (a) any outstanding share of Common Stock or any other equity security (including warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock and shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any equity security (including, for certainty, the exercise of any rights pursuant to the terms of any Exchangeable Shares)) of the Company held by a Holder immediately following the Closing (including any securities distributable pursuant to the Purchase Agreement), (b) any outstanding shares of Common Stock or any other equity security (including warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock and shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any equity security (including, for certainty, the exercise of any rights pursuant to the terms of any Exchangeable Shares)) of the Company acquired by a Holder following the date hereof to the extent that such securities are “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) or are otherwise held by an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company, (c) any Additional Holder Common Stock, and (d) any other equity security of the Company or any of its subsidiaries issued or issuable with respect to any securities referenced in clause (a), (b) or (c) above by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, reorganization or similar transaction; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities upon the earliest to occur of: (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred or disposed of in accordance with such Registration Statement by the applicable Holder; (B)(i) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, (ii) new certificates for such securities not bearing (or book entry positions not subject to) a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and (iii) subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; provided, that the foregoing clause (B) shall not apply to securities held by Permitted Transferees to the extent subsequent distribution of such securities by such Permitted Transferees requires registration under the Securities Act; (C) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (D) such securities have been sold without registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(1) of the Securities Act or Rule 144 or Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission); provided, that the foregoing clause (D) shall not apply to securities held by Permitted Transferees to the extent subsequent distribution of such securities by such Permitted Transferees requires registration under the Securities Act; (E) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction; and (F)(i) with respect to Registrable Securities held by a Holder (other than the Investor), such Holder and its Affiliates are able to dispose of all of their Registrable Securities without volume or manner of sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 and (ii) with respect to Registrable Securities held by the Investor, the later of (i) the date on which the Investor no longer beneficially owns at least 2% of the then outstanding Common Stock (including all options, warrants and other securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for (at any time or upon the occurrence of any event or contingency and without regard to any vesting or other conditions to which such securities may be subject), shares of Common Stock (including any note or debt security convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock) (“Common Stock Equivalents”), and the Investor (notwithstanding any beneficial ownership of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents by the Investor) is not an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company and (ii) the Investor and its Affiliates are able to dispose of all of their Registrable Securities without volume or manner of sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144; provided that, to the extent such information is not otherwise publicly available, the Investor shall confirm the number of shares that it beneficially owns upon the reasonable request of the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, a Person will be deemed to be a holder of Registrable Securities whenever such Person has the right to acquire, directly or indirectly, such Registrable Securities (including upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any equity interests but disregarding any restrictions or limitations upon the exercise of such right), whether or not such acquisition has actually been effected, and such Person shall not be required to convert, exercise or exchange such equity interests (or otherwise acquire such Registrable Securities) to participate in any registered offering hereunder until the closing of such offering.
4
“Registration” shall mean a registration, including any related Shelf Takedown, effected by preparing and filing a registration statement, Prospectus or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.
“Registration Expenses” shall mean the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:
(A) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and reasonable fees and disbursements of outside counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith) and any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed;
(B) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of outside counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);
5
(C) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;
(D) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;
(E) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration; and
(F) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the Demanding Holders in an Underwritten Offering.
“Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Requesting Holders” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.5.
“Requisite Percentage” shall mean at least fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities received by the Investor in connection with the Transactions.
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.
“Shelf” shall mean the Form S-1 Shelf, the Form S-3 Shelf or any Subsequent Shelf Registration, as the case may be.
“Shelf Registration” shall mean a registration of securities pursuant to a registration statement filed with the Commission in accordance with and pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule then in effect).
“Shelf Takedown” shall mean an Underwritten Shelf Takedown or any proposed transfer or sale using a Registration Statement, including a Piggyback Registration.
“Subsequent Shelf Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.2.
“Transactions” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Transfer” shall mean the (a) sale or assignment of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to, any security, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b).
6
“Underwriter” shall mean a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.
“Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.
“Underwritten Shelf Takedown” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.
“Withdrawal Notice” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.6.
ARTICLEII
REGISTRATIONS
2.1 Shelf Registration.
2.1.1 Filing. At the Investor’s request, as soon as practicable but no later than the later of (i) thirty (30) calendar days following the Closing Date and (ii) the earlier of (x) ninety (90) calendar days following the Company’s most recent fiscal year end and (y) two (2) calendar days following the date the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K with respect to such fiscal year (in either case of clauses (i) or (ii), the “Filing Date”), the Company shall file a Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-3 (the “Form S-3 Shelf”) or, if the Company is ineligible to use a Form S-3 Shelf, a Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-1 (the “Form S-1 Shelf”), in each case, covering the resale of all the Registrable Securities (determined as of two business days prior to such filing) on a delayed or continuous basis and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have such Shelf declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof and no later than the earlier of (x) the ninetieth (90th) calendar day following the Filing Date if the Commission notifies the Company that it will “review” the Shelf and (y) the fifth (5th) business day after the date the Company is notified in writing by the Commission that such Shelf will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review, provided that if the Commission is closed for operations due to a government shutdown, the deadline for the Shelf being declared effective shall be extended the same number of days that the Commission remains closed for operations following the Filing Date. Such Shelf shall provide for the resale of the Registrable Securities included therein pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, any Holder named therein. The Company shall maintain a Shelf in accordance with the terms hereof, and shall prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements as may be necessary to keep a Shelf continuously effective, available for use to permit all Holders named therein to sell their Registrable Securities included therein and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until such time as there are no longer any Registrable Securities. In the event the Company files a Form S-1 Shelf, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to convert the Form S-1 Shelf (and any Subsequent Shelf Registration) to a Form S-3 Shelf as soon as practicable after the Company is eligible to use Form S-3. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company shall not be required to file any Registration Statement contemplated by this section 2.1 during any trading “blackout” period under Company’s securities trading policies.
7
2.1.2 Subsequent Shelf Registration. If any Shelf ceases to be effective under the Securities Act for any reason at any time while Registrable Securities are still outstanding, the Company shall, subject to Section 3.4, use its commercially reasonable efforts to as promptly as is reasonably practicable cause such Shelf to again become effective under the Securities Act (including using its commercially reasonably efforts to obtain the prompt withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of such Shelf), and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as promptly as is reasonably practicable amend such Shelf in a manner reasonably expected to result in the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of such Shelf or file an additional registration statement as a Shelf Registration (a “SubsequentShelf Registration”) registering the resale of all Registrable Securities (determined as of two (2) business days prior to such filing), and pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, any Holder named therein. If a Subsequent Shelf Registration is filed, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) cause such Subsequent Shelf Registration to become effective under the Securities Act as promptly as is reasonably practicable after the filing thereof (it being agreed that the Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be an automatic shelf registration statement (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) if the Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) at the most recent applicable eligibility determination date) and (ii) keep such Subsequent Shelf Registration continuously effective, available for use to permit all Holders named therein to sell their Registrable Securities included therein and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until such time as there are no longer any Registrable Securities. Any such Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be on Form S-3 to the extent that the Company is eligible to use such form. Otherwise, such Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be on another appropriate form.
2.1.3 Additional Registrable Securities. In the event that any Holder holds Registrable Securities that are not registered for resale on a delayed or continuous basis, the Company, upon written request of the Investor, shall promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the resale of such Registrable Securities to be covered by either, at the Company’s option, any then available Shelf (including by means of a post-effective amendment) or by filing a Subsequent Shelf Registration and cause the same to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and such Shelf or Subsequent Shelf Registration Statement shall be subject to the terms hereof; provided, however, that the Company shall only be required to cause such Registrable Securities to be so covered twice per calendar year.
2.1.4 Requests for Underwritten Shelf Takedowns. Subject to Section 3.4, at any time and from time to time when an effective Shelf is on file with the Commission, the Investor (being in such case the “Demanding Holder”) may request to sell all or any portion of its Registrable Securities in an Underwritten Offering that is registered pursuant to the Shelf (each, an “Underwritten ShelfTakedown”); provided that the Company shall only be obligated to effect an Underwritten Shelf Takedown (other than a Block Trade pursuant to Section 2.4) if such offering shall include either (x) Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by the Demanding Holder, either individually or together with other Demanding Holders with a total offering price reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, $100 million, or (y) all remaining Registrable Securities held by the Demanding Holder ((x) or (y), as applicable, the “Minimum Takedown Threshold”). All requests for Underwritten Shelf Takedowns shall be made by giving written notice to the Company, which shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Underwritten Shelf Takedown. Subject to subsection 2.4.4 and the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, the initial Demanding Holder shall have the right to select the Underwriters for such offering (which shall consist of one or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks), subject to the Company’s and the other Demanding Holders’ (if any) prior approval (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). The Investor may demand not more than three (3) Underwritten Shelf Takedowns pursuant to this subsection 2.1.4 in any twelve (12) month period. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company may effect any Underwritten Offering pursuant to any then effective Registration Statement, including a Form S-3, that is then available for such offering.
8
2.1.5 Reduction of Underwritten Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Shelf Takedown, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Holders requesting piggy back rights pursuant to this Agreement (such Holders with respect to an offering or a Registration, the “Requesting Holders”) with respect to such Underwritten Shelf Takedown (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell and all other shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, that have been requested to be sold in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders, including the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, (i) first, the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Offering shall be allocated on a pro rata basis among the Demanding Holders and all Holders (as defined in the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, the “Existing RRA Holders”) requesting that Registrable Securities (as defined in the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, the “Existing RRA Registrable Securities”) be included in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to the exercise of piggyback rights pursuant to Section 2.2(a) of the Existing Registration Rights Agreement, based on the aggregate number of securities or Existing RRA Registrable Securities, as applicable, then owned by each of the foregoing requesting inclusion in relation to the aggregate number of securities or Existing RRA Registrable Securities, as applicable, owned by all such persons requesting inclusion, up to the Maximum Number of Securities, (ii) second, to the extent that the number of securities to be included pursuant to clause (i) of this Section 2.1.5 is less than the Maximum Number of Securities, the remaining securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering shall be allocated on a pro rata basis among all Requesting Holders and other persons requesting that securities be included in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other holders of the Company’s securities other than the Existing RRA Holders (collectively, the “PiggybackSecurities”), based on the aggregate number of Piggyback Securities then owned by such persons requesting inclusion in relation to the aggregate number of Piggyback Securities owned by all such persons requesting inclusion, up to the Maximum Number of Securities, (iii) third, to the extent that the number of securities to be included pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) of this Section 2.1.5 is less than the Maximum Number of Securities, any equity securities that the Company proposes to register for its own account, up to the Maximum Number of Securities.
9
2.1.6 Withdrawal. Prior to the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement used for marketing such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, any Demanding Holder initiating an Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall have the right to withdraw from such Underwritten Shelf Takedown for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification (a “Withdrawal Notice”) to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Underwritten Shelf Takedown. If withdrawn, a demand for an Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall constitute a demand for an Underwritten Shelf Takedown by the withdrawing Demanding Holder for purposes of subsection 2.1.4, unless (i) such Demanding Holder has not previously withdrawn any Underwritten Shelf Takedown, (ii) (a) the withdrawal is based upon adverse Company-specific information or (b) at the time of the Withdrawal Notice, the last reported sale price of the Common Stock is at least 10% lower than the last reported sale price of the Common Stock on the date prior to delivery of the demand or (iii) such Demanding Holder reimburses the Company for all Registration Expenses with respect to such Underwritten Shelf Takedown (or, if there is more than one Demanding Holder, a pro rata portion of such Registration Expenses based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder has requested be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown). Following the receipt of any Withdrawal Notice, the Company shall promptly forward such Withdrawal Notice to any other Holders that had elected to participate in such Shelf Takedown. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Shelf Takedown prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.1.6, other than if a Demanding Holder elects to pay such Registration Expenses pursuant to clause (iii) of this subsection 2.1.6.
2.2 Piggyback Registration.
2.2.1 Piggyback Rights. Subject to subsection 2.4.3, if the Company or any Holder proposes to conduct a registered offering of, or if the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Registration of, equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of stockholders of the Company (or by the Company and by the stockholders of the Company including, without limitation, an Underwritten Shelf Takedown pursuant to Section 2.1), other than a Registration Statement (or any registered offering with respect thereto) (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (ii) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (or similar form that relates to a transaction subject to Rule 145 under the Securities Act or any successor rule thereto), (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company, (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan or (v) a Block Trade pursuant to Section 2.4 and the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed offering to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but not less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement or, in the case of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Shelf Registration, the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement used for marketing such offering, which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (B) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to include in such registered offering such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) days after receipt of such written notice (such registered offering, a “Piggyback Registration”). Subject to subsection 2.2.2, the Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and, if applicable, shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of such Piggyback Registration to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.2.1 to be included therein on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company included in such registered offering and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The inclusion of any Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Piggyback Registration shall be subject to such Holder’s agreement to enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering (and, in the case of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to the provisions of the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, with the Initiating Holders or the Majority Participating Holders (as defined in the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement) in such Underwritten Offering).
10
2.2.2 Reduction of Piggyback Registration. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Offering that is to be a Piggyback Registration, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (i) the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration or a registered offering has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, including the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, (ii) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, and (iii) the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration or a registered offering has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, including the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:
(a) if the Registration or registered offering is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration or registered offering (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Existing RRA Registrable Securities of the Existing RRA Holders exercising their rights to register their Existing RRA Registrable Securities pursuant to the exercise of piggyback rights pursuant to Section 2.2(a) of the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, pro rata, based on the aggregate number of Existing RRA Registrable Securities then owned by each such Existing RRA Holder so exercising their rights in relation to the aggregate number of Existing RRA Registrable Securities owned by all such Existing RRA Holders so exercising their rights, and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), Piggyback Securities, pro rata, based on the respective number of Piggyback Securities then owned by each person that has requested inclusion in relation to the aggregate number of Piggyback Securities then owned by each such person requesting inclusion, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;
11
(b) if the Registration or registered offering is pursuant to a demand under the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, then the Company shall include in any such Registration or registered offering (A) first, the Existing RRA Registrable Securities of the Existing RRA Holders requested to be included therein (including pursuant to the exercise of piggyback rights pursuant to Section 2.2 of the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement), which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities, provided, that if the number of such Existing RRA Registrable Securities exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, the number of such securities to be included in such Registration or registered offering shall be allocated on a pro rata basis among all requesting Existing RRA Holders based on the number of Existing RRA Registrable Securities then owned by each such requesting Existing RRA Holder in relation to the aggregate number of Existing RRA Registrable Securities owned by all such requesting Existing RRA Holders; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), any securities that the Company proposes to register for its own account, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; provided, that the Company hereby agrees that it shall not propose to register any securities in connection with a demand under the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement without the consent of the Investor; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), Piggyback Securities, pro rata, based on the respective number of Piggyback Securities then owned by each person that has requested inclusion in relation to the aggregate number of Piggyback Securities then owned by each such person requesting inclusion, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and
(c) if the Registration or registered offering and Underwritten Shelf Takedown is pursuant to a request by Holder(s) of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.4 hereof, or pursuant to a demand by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities or Existing RRA Holders, then the Company shall include in any such Registration or registered offering securities in the priority set forth in subsection 2.1.5.
2.2.3 Piggyback Registration Withdrawal. Any Holder of Registrable Securities (other than a Demanding Holder, whose right to withdraw from an Underwritten Shelf Takedown, and related obligations, shall be governed by subsection 2.1.6) shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggyback Registration or, in the case of a Piggyback Registration pursuant to a Shelf Registration, the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement with respect to such Piggyback Registration used for marketing such transaction. The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration (which, in no circumstance, shall include a Shelf) at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.3.
12
2.2.4 Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Piggyback Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof shall not be counted as a demand for an Underwritten Shelf Takedown under subsection 2.1.4 hereof.
2.3 Market Stand-off.
2.3.1 In connection with any Underwritten Offering of Common Stock of the Company pursuant to this Agreement (other than a Block Trade), if requested by the Underwriters managing the offering, each Holder that is an executive officer or director of the Company or the beneficial owner of more than five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, and any other Holder reasonably requested by the managing Underwriter, agrees not to, and to execute a customary lock-up agreement (in each case on substantially the same terms and conditions as all such Holders, including customary waiver “mfn” provisions) in favor of the managing Underwriters to not, sell or dispose of any shares of Common Stock of the Company (other than those included in such offering pursuant to this Agreement), without the prior written consent of the Company, during the ninety (90)-day period (or such shorter time agreed to by the managing Underwriters) beginning on the date of pricing of such offering, except as expressly permitted by such lock-up agreement or in the event the managing Underwriters otherwise agree by written consent.
2.3.2. The Company hereby agrees that, in connection with an offering pursuant to Section 2.1 or 2.2, the Company shall not sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, any Common Stock (or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock) (other than as part of such underwritten public offering, a registration on Form S-4 or Form S-8 or any successor or similar form which is (x) then in effect or (y) shall become effective upon the conversion, exchange or exercise of any then outstanding securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock), until a period from seven days prior to the pricing date of such offering until ninety (90) days after the pricing date of such offering or such shorter period as the managing underwriter shall agree to; provided that the time period may be longer than ninety (90) days if required by the managing underwriter, as long as all Holders, directors and officers are subject to the same lock-up.
13
2.4 Block Trades.
2.4.1 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article II, but subject to Section 3.4, at any time and from time to time when an effective Shelf is on file with the Commission, if a Demanding Holder wishes to engage in an underwritten registered offering not involving a “roadshow,” an offer commonly known as a “block trade” (a “Block Trade”), with a total offering price reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, either (x) $40 million or (y) all remaining Registrable Securities held by the Demanding Holder, then such Demanding Holder only needs to notify the Company of the Block Trade at least [five (5)][three (3)] business days prior to the day such offering is to commence and the Company shall as expeditiously as possible use its commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate such Block Trade; provided that the Demanding Holders representing a majority of the Registrable Securities wishing to engage in the Block Trade shall use commercially reasonable efforts to work with the Company and any Underwriters prior to making such request in order to facilitate preparation of the registration statement, prospectus and other offering documentation related to the Block Trade.
2.4.2 Prior to the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement used in connection with a Block Trade, any Demanding Holder initiating such Block Trade shall have the right to submit a Withdrawal Notice to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Block Trade. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a block trade prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.4.2.
2.4.3 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Section 2.2 shall not apply to a Block Trade initiated by a Demanding Holder pursuant to this Agreement.
2.4.4 The Demanding Holder in a Block Trade shall have the right to select the Underwriters for such Block Trade (which shall consist of one or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks).
ARTICLEIII
COMPANY PROCEDURES
3.1 General Procedures. In connection with any Shelf and/or Shelf Takedown, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as possible (without limiting the generality of the Company’s obligations pursuant to Section 2.1):
3.1.1 prepare and file with the Commission as soon as practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities;
14
3.1.2 prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be reasonably requested by a majority-in-interest of the Holders with Registrable Securities registered on such Registration Statement and/or the Investor (provided that the Investor, as applicable, holds at least five percent (5%) of the Registrable Securities registered on such Registration Statement) or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;
3.1.3 prior to filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;
3.1.4 prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request (or provide evidence satisfactory to such Holders that the Registrable Securities are exempt from such registration or qualification) and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;
3.1.5 cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each national securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
3.1.6 provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;
3.1.7 advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;
15
3.1.8 at least five (5) days prior to the filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus (or such shorter period of time as may be necessary in order to comply with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, as applicable), furnish a copy thereof to each seller of such Registrable Securities or its counsel (excluding any exhibits thereto and any filing made under the Exchange Act that is to be incorporated by reference therein);
3.1.9 notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4;
3.1.10 permit a representative of the Holders, the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter to participate, at each such person’s own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that such representatives or Underwriters agree to confidentiality arrangements, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information;
3.1.11 in connection with such Registration, including in the event of (x) an Underwritten Offering, (y) a Block Trade or (z) a sale by a broker, placement agent or sales agent (subject to such broker, placement agent or sales agent provided such certification or representation reasonably requested by the Company’s independent registered public accountants and the Company’s counsel), use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from the Company’s independent registered public accountants a “cold comfort” letter (including any “bring-down” letter), in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders and the applicable broker, placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any;
3.1.12 in connection with such Registration, including in the event of (x) an Underwritten Offering, (y) a Block Trade or (z) a sale by a broker, placement agent or sales agent, obtain an opinion and negative assurance letter, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the participating Holders and to the broker, the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the participating Holders, or such broker, placement agent, sales agent, or Underwriter may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders and the applicable broker, placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any;
16
3.1.13 enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement or distribution agreement, in usual and customary form (including with respect to indemnification and “clear market” provisions contained therein), with the managing Underwriter or the broker, placement agent or sales agent of such offering or sale;
3.1.14 make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission);
3.1.15 with respect to an Underwritten Offering pursuant to subsection 2.1.4, use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering;
3.1.16 otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the participating Holders and the broker, placement agent or sales agent, if any, and Underwriters, if any, as applicable;
3.1.17 upon request of a Holder, the Company shall (i) authorize the Company’s transfer agent to remove any legend on share certificates of such Holder’s Common Stock restricting further transfer (or any similar restriction in book entry positions of such Holder) if such restrictions are no longer required by the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws or any agreement with the Company to which such Holder is a party, including if such shares subject to such a restriction have been sold on a Registration Statement, (ii) request the Company’s transfer agent to issue in lieu thereof shares of Common Stock without such restrictions to the Holder upon, as applicable, surrender of any stock certificates evidencing such shares of Common Stock, or to update the applicable book entry position of such Holder so that it no longer is subject to such a restriction, and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with such Holder to have such Holder’s shares of Common Stock transferred into a book-entry position at The Depository Trust Company, in each case, subject to delivery of customary documentation, including any documentation required by such restrictive legend or book-entry notation; and
3.1.18 in connection with such Registration, including in the event of (x) an Underwritten Offering, or (y) a Block Trade, to the extent requested by the majority participating Holders or Underwriter, cause the Company’s directors and executive officers to enter into lock-up agreements in customary form.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to provide any documents or information to an Underwriter if such Underwriter has not then been named with respect to the applicable Underwritten Offering.
3.2 Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that each Holder shall bear, with respect to such Holder’s Registerable Securities being sold, all Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing such Holders.
17
3.3 Requirements for Participation in Registration Statement in Underwritten Offerings. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any Holder does not provide the Company with its requested Holder Information, the Company may exclude such Holder’s Registrable Securities from the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus if the Company determines, based on the advice of counsel, that such information is necessary to effect the registration and such Holder continues thereafter to withhold such information. No person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (ii) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements. The exclusion of a Holder’s Registrable Securities as a result of this Section 3.3 shall not affect the registration of the other Registrable Securities to be included in such Registration.
3.4 Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure; Restrictions on Registration Rights.
3.4.1 Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed.
3.4.2 If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time, but in no event more than ninety (90) days in any twelve (12) month period, determined in good faith by the Board to be necessary for such purpose. In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this subsection 3.4.2.
3.5 Reporting Obligations. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings; provided that any documents publicly filed or furnished with the Commission pursuant to the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System shall be deemed to have been furnished or delivered to the Holders pursuant to this Section 3.5. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell shares of Common Stock held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), including providing any legal opinions. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.
18
3.6 Existing Registration Statements. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary and subject to applicable law and regulation, the Company may satisfy any obligation hereunder to file a registration statement or to have a registration statement become effective by designating a registration statement that previously has been filed with the SEC or become effective, as the case may be, as the relevant registration statement for purposes of satisfying such obligation, and all references to any such obligation shall be construed accordingly; provided that such previously filed registration statement may be, and is, amended or, subject to applicable securities laws, supplemented to add the number of Registrable Securities, and, to the extent necessary, to identify as selling stockholders the Holders pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. To the extent this Agreement refers to the filing or effectiveness of other Registration Statements, by or at a specified time and the Company has, in lieu of then filing such Registration Statements or having such Registration Statements become effective, designated a previously filed or effective registration statement as the relevant Registration Statement for such purposes, in accordance with the preceding sentence, such references shall be construed to refer to such designated Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented in the manner contemplated by the immediately preceding sentence.
3.6 Limitations on Registration of Other Securities; Representation. From and after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Investor (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), enter into any agreement with any holder or prospective holder of any securities of the Company giving such holder or prospective holder any registration rights the terms of which are more favorable taken as a whole than the registration rights granted to the Holders hereunder.
ARTICLEIV
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
4.1 Indemnification.
4.1.1 The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers, directors and agents and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act), to the extent permitted by applicable law, against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable and documented outside attorneys’ fees of one law firm (and one firm of local counsel)) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained or incorporated by reference in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any Holder Information (as defined below). The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act), and each broker, placement agent or sales agent to or through which a Holder effects or executes the resale of Registrable Securities, to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.
19
4.1.2 In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus (the “Holder Information”) and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors, officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable and documented outside attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any Holder Information; provided, however, that the obligation to indemnify shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders of Registrable Securities, and the liability of each such Holder of Registrable Securities shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act), and each broker, placement agent or sales agent to or through which a Holder effects or executes the resale of Registrable Securities, to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company.
4.1.3 Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement includes a statement or admission of fault and culpability on the part of such indemnified party or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
20
4.1.4 The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of securities. The Company and each Holder of Registrable Securities participating in an offering also agrees to make such provisions as are reasonably requested by any indemnified party for contribution to such party in the event the Company’s or such Holder’s indemnification is unavailable for any reason.
4.1.5 If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and out-of-pocket expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and out-of-pocket expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, was made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder under this subsection 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this subsection 4.1.5. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
21
ARTICLEV
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally or by commercial delivery service, or mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) or sent via facsimile (with confirmation of receipt) or email to the parties hereto at the following address (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice); provided that with respect to notices delivered to the Investor, such notices must be delivered solely via facsimile (with confirmation of receipt) or email:
If to a Holder (other than the Investor), at such Holder’s address as set forth in the Company’s books and records.
If to the Investor, to:
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
1 Greenwich Office Park
North Building, Floor 2
Greenwich, CT 06831
| Attention: | Louis Samson |
|---|---|
| Delara Zarrabi | |
| Email: | [***] |
| [***] |
and
c/o Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
360 North Crescent Drive, South Building
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
| Attention: | John Holland |
|---|---|
| Email: | [***] |
with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
555 Eleventh Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004-1304
| Attention: | David Brown |
|---|---|
| Victoria VanStekelenburg | |
| Email: | david.brown@lw.com; |
| victoria.vanStekelenburg@lw.com |
22
If to the Company, to:
CompoSecure, Inc.
309 Pierce Street
Somerset, NJ 08873
| Attention: | Thomas R. Knott, Chief Investment Officer |
|---|---|
| Email: | [***] |
with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
| Attention: | Laura C. Turano |
|---|---|
| Tim Cruickshank | |
| David A.P. Marshall | |
| Email: | lturano@paulweiss.com |
| tcruickshank@paulweiss.com | |
| dmarshall@paulweiss.com |
or to such other address or addresses as the parties may from time to time designate in writing. Copies delivered solely to outside counsel shall not constitute notice. Any party may change its address for notice at any time and from time to time by written notice to the other parties hereto, and such change of address shall become effective upon delivery of such notice as provided in this Section 5.1.
5.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.
5.2.1 This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part.
5.2.2 Subject to Section 5.2.4, this Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of a Holder hereunder may be assigned in whole or in part to such Holder’s Permitted Transferees. This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and its successors and Permitted Transferees.
5.2.3 This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and Section 5.2.
5.2.4 No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 5.1 and (ii) an executed joinder to this Agreement from such successor or permitted assignee in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (a “Joinder”). Any transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 5.2 shall be null and void.
23
5.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts (including facsimile or PDF counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same instrument, but only one of which need be produced.
5.4 Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without reference to such state’s principles of conflicts of law. The parties hereto hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and to the extent the Delaware Court of Chancery rejects jurisdiction, in any state or federal court located in the County of New Castle, State of Delaware (the “Delaware Courts”), in respect of the interpretation and enforcement of the provisions of this Agreement and of the documents referred to in this Agreement, and in respect of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and hereby waives, and agrees not to assert, as a defense in any proceeding for the interpretation or enforcement hereof or thereof, that it is not subject thereto or that such proceeding may not be brought or is not maintainable in said courts or that the venue thereof may not be appropriate or that this Agreement or any such document may not be enforced in or by such courts, and the parties hereto irrevocably agree that all claims with respect to such proceeding shall be heard and determined in the Delaware Courts. The parties hereby consent to and grant any such court jurisdiction over the person of such parties and over the subject matter of such dispute and agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such proceeding in the manner provided in Section 5.1 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable legal requirements, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof. With respect to any particular proceeding, venue shall lie solely in the County of New Castle, State of Delaware.
5.5 TRIAL BY JURY. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY AND VOLUNTARILY WITH AND UPON THE ADVICE OF COMPETENT COUNSEL IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING BETWEEN THE PARTIES HERETO ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY HERETO IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.
5.6 Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question, compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment hereto or waiver hereof shall also require the written consent of the Investor so long as the Investor and its respective Affiliates hold, in the aggregate, the applicable Requisite Percentage; provided, further, that any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of the shares of capital stock of the Company, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.
24
5.7 Other Registration Rights. Other than as provided in (i) the Existing Debt Registration Rights Agreement, (ii) the Existing Equity Registration Rights Agreement, (iii) the PIPE Subscription Agreements, and (iv) the Warrant Agreement, dated as of November 5, 2021, between Roman DBDR Tech Acquisition Corp. and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company represents and warrants that no person, other than a Holder of Registrable Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration Statement filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person.
5.8 Term. This Agreement shall terminate with respect to any Holder on the first date that such Holder no longer holds any Registrable Securities. The provisions of Section 3.5 and Article IV shall survive any termination.
5.9 Holder Information. Each Holder agrees, if requested in writing, to represent to the Company the total number of Registrable Securities held by such Holder in order for the Company to make determinations hereunder.
5.10 Additional Holder; Joinder. In addition to Persons who may become Holders pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof, (i) subject to the prior written consent of the Investor so long as the Investor and its respective Affiliates hold, in the aggregate, the applicable Requisite Percentage, the Company may make any person or entity who acquires Common Stock or rights to acquire Common Stock after the date hereof a party to this Agreement and (ii) the Company shall make a party to this Agreement any Pre-Closing Holder (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) who holds Common Stock at the Closing (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) (which would, if such Pre-Closing Holder was a Holder (as defined herein) at such time be Registrable Securities) as a result of the Purchase Agreement and delivers an executed Joinder to the Company (in either case of clause (i) or (ii), each such Person, an “Additional Holder”) by obtaining an executed Joinder from such Additional Holder in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. Such Joinder shall specify the rights and obligations of the applicable Additional Holder under this Agreement, including in the case of an Additional Holder pursuant to clause (ii) of this Section 5.10 that such Additional Holder will not have rights under Section 2.2. Upon the execution and delivery and subject to the terms of a Joinder by such Additional Holder, the Common Stock of the Company then owned, or underlying any rights then owned, by such Additional Holder (the “Additional Holder Common Stock”) shall be Registrable Securities to the extent provided herein and therein and such Additional Holder shall be a Holder under this Agreement with respect to such Additional Holder Common Stock (subject to the restriction noted in the immediately preceding sentence).
[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]
25
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
| COMPANY: | ||
|---|---|---|
| COMPOSECURE, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas R. Knott | |
| Title: | Chief Investment<br>Officer | |
| INVESTOR: | ||
| --- | --- | |
| [·] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
[Signature Page to Investor Rights Agreement]
26
EXHIBIT A
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT JOINDER
The undersigned is executing and delivering this joinder (this “Joinder”) pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of [●], between CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and [●] (the “Investor”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings provided in the Registration Rights Agreement.
By executing and delivering this Joinder to the Company, and upon acceptance hereof by the Company upon the execution of a counterpart hereof, the undersigned hereby agrees to become a party to, to be bound by, and to comply with the Registration Rights Agreement as a Holder of Registrable Securities in the same manner as if the undersigned were an original signatory to the Registration Rights Agreement, and the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock shall be included as Registrable Securities under the Registration Rights Agreement to the extent provided therein; provided, however, that the undersigned and its permitted assigns (if any) shall not have any rights as a Holder, and the undersigned’s (and its transferees’) shares of Common Stock shall not be included as Registrable Securities, for purposes of the Excluded Sections.
[For purposes of this Joinder, “Excluded Sections” shall mean [ ].]^1^
Accordingly, the undersigned has executed and delivered this Joinder as of the day of ___________, 20__.
| Signature of Stockholder |
|---|
| Print Name of Stockholder |
| By: |
| Its: |
| Address: |
^1^ Note to form: For Persons to be made Additional Holders pursuant to clause (ii) of Section 5.10, this language will be included and reference Section 2.2 of the Registration Rights Agreement.
Agreed and Accepted as of ______________, 20__.
COMPOSECURE, INC
| By: |
|---|
| Name: |
| Its: |
Exhibit 10.4
CONFIDENTIAL
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
This MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, dated as of [●], is entered into by and between Forge New Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), and Resolute Holdings Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Manager”).
WHEREAS, the Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CompoSecure Holdings, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability (“CompoSecure Holdings”);
WHEREAS, on [●], 2025, [●] (“Parent”), the Company, [●], a [●] corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of CompoSecure Holdings (“BidCo”), the Sellers (as defined in the Transaction Agreement), [●], a [●] corporation (“TargetCo”), [●], a [●] corporation (“New BC”), and the Shareholders’ Representative (as defined in the Transaction Agreement) entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Transaction Agreement”), pursuant to which the Sellers sold to the Company and BidCo, and the Company and BidCo purchased from the Sellers, the New BC Shares and the TargetCo Units (each as defined in the Transaction Agreement) on the Closing Date on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Transaction Agreement;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 15(d) of that certain Management Agreement, dated as of February 28, 2025, by and between CompoSecure Holdings and the Manager (the “CompoSecure Management Agreement”) and in connection with the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement (the “Closing”), the Manager has elected to have CompoSecure Holdings to cause, and CompoSecure Holdings desires to cause, the Company to retain the Manager to provide the management and other related services in the manner and on the terms set forth herein;
WHEREAS, the Manager is willing to provide such management and related services in the manner and on the terms hereinafter set forth; and
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
**Section 1.**Definitions.
(a) The following terms shall have the meanings set forth in this Section 1(a):
“Actions” has the meaning set forth in Section 9(a).
“Adjusted EBITDA” means, for any period, Net Income for such period, plus, without duplication, (i) the sum of the amounts for such period included in determining such Net Income of (A) Interest Expense, (B) Income Tax Expense, (C) Depreciation and Amortization Expense, (D) losses and expenses that are properly classified under GAAP as extraordinary, (E) all Quarterly Management Fees, (F) actual one-time and non-recurring fees, expenses and costs relating to any acquisition, business combination transaction or other transaction, in each case, evaluated, negotiated and, if applicable, implemented in accordance with the Management Agreement (whether or not closed), (G) any non-cash compensation charge or expense realized or resulting from any contingent payment obligation or similar payment obligation (including any “earn-out” obligation) that would require payments to any Person arising in connection with any acquisition, business combination transaction or other transaction consummated in accordance with the Management Agreement, (H) non-cash losses/(gains) attributable to foreign exchange hedges, (I) any impairment charges or asset write-offs, in each case, pursuant to GAAP, and (J) any other non-cash non-recurring expenses, minus, without duplication, (ii) (A) the sum of the amounts for such period included in determining such Net Income of (1) any gains on sales of assets and gains that are properly classified under GAAP as extraordinary, all as determined for the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and (2) any cash payments made during such period in respect of non-cash charges described in clause (i)(I) taken in a prior period, and (B) Parent Allocated Expense.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a Person, (i) any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such other Person, (ii) any executive officer, employee or general partner of such Person, (iii) any member of the board of directors or board of managers (or bodies performing similar functions) of such Person and (iv) any legal entity for which such Person acts as an executive officer or general partner; provided that it is acknowledged and agreed that (x) the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed to be Affiliates of the Manager and its Subsidiaries, (y) the Manager and its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed to be Affiliates of the Company and its Subsidiaries and (z) other Persons managed by the Manager shall not be deemed to be Affiliates of the Manager or its Subsidiaries or the Company or its Subsidiaries.
“Agreement” means this Management Agreement, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Automatic Renewal Term” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a).
“BidCo” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Business Day” means any day except a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are not required to be open.
“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any Capitalized Lease, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Capitalized Lease” means any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP.
“Claim” has the meaning set forth in Section 9(c).
“Class A Common Stock” means the Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Parent.
“Closing” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
2
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble, except that, solely for the purposes of Section 3(a), the term “Company” means, collectively, [●] and its controlled Affiliates.
“Company’s Business” means the activities, operations and business affairs of the Company and its controlled Affiliates.
“Company Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).
“Company Indemnified Party” has meaning set forth in Section 9(b).
“Company Kick-Out Event” means (i) a final judgment by any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction not stayed or vacated within thirty (30) days that the Manager has committed a felony or a material violation of applicable securities laws that has a material adverse effect on the business of the Company or the ability of the Manager to perform its duties under the terms of this Agreement, (ii) an order for relief in an involuntary bankruptcy case relating to the Manager or the Manager authorizing or filing a voluntary bankruptcy petition, (iii) the dissolution of the Manager or (iv) a final, non-appealable judgment by any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction that the Manager has (a) committed actual fraud against the Company, (b) misappropriated or embezzled funds of the Company or (c) acted, or failed to act, in a manner constituting bad faith, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard in the performance of its duties under this Agreement; provided, however, that if any of the actions or omissions described in this clause (iv) are caused by an employee and/or officer of the Manager or one of its Affiliates and the Manager cures the damage caused by such actions or omissions within thirty (30) days of such determination, then such event shall not constitute a Company Kick-Out Event.
“Company Kick-Out Right” means the Company’s right to terminate this Agreement, in accordance with the terms hereof, upon the occurrence of a Company Kick-Out Event.
“Company-Selected Valuation Firm” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(e)(ii).
“Company Termination Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(b).
“Confidential Information” means all confidential, proprietary or non-public information of, or concerning the performance, terms, business, operations, activities, personnel, training, finances, actual or potential acquisitions, plans, compensation, clients or investors of the Company or its Subsidiaries, written or oral, obtained by the Manager in connection with the services rendered hereunder; provided that Confidential Information shall not include information which (i) is in the public domain at the time it is received by the Manager, (ii) becomes public other than by reason of a disclosure by the Manager in breach of this Agreement, (iii) was already in the possession of the Manager lawfully and on a non-confidential basis prior to the time it was received by the Manager from the Company or its Affiliates, (iv) was obtained by the Manager from a third-party which, to the Manager’s knowledge, was not disclosed in breach of an obligation of such third-party not to disclose such information or (v) was developed independently by the Manager without using or referring to any of the Confidential Information.
“Consultation Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(b)(i).
3
“Covered Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
“Depreciation and Amortization Expense” means, for any period, all depreciation and amortization expense of the Company and its Subsidiaries, all as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a).
“Effective Termination Date” means, as applicable, (a) with respect to any termination of this Agreement by the Company pursuant to Section 11(b), the last day of the Initial Term or Automatic Renewal Term during which the Company exercises such termination right, (b) with respect to any termination of this Agreement by the Manager pursuant to Section 11(d)(iii), the date upon which the Manager provides a Manager Termination Notice pursuant to Section 11(d)(iii), or (c) with respect to any other termination of this Agreement by the Company or the Manager pursuant to Section 11, the last day of the notice period required for the exercise by the Company or the Manager of its applicable termination right.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto.
“Fair Market Value of Fees Payable” means, as of the Effective Termination Date, the fair market value of the aggregate Quarterly Management Fees then payable or that would become payable hereunder if this Agreement were automatically renewed and remained in effect in perpetuity. For the avoidance of doubt, the Fair Market Value of Fees Payable shall be determined without regard to any waiver or other discount by the Manager of any Quarterly Management Fee (which shall be calculated for purposes of the determination of the Fair Market Value of Fees Payable as though no such waiver or discount was applied).
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S.
“Governing Agreements” means, with regard to any entity, the articles of incorporation or certificate of incorporation and bylaws in the case of a corporation, the certificate of limited partnership (if applicable) and the partnership agreement in the case of a general or limited partnership, the certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement in the case of a limited liability company, the trust instrument in the case of a trust, or similar governing documents in each case, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Governmental Authority” means any domestic, foreign or transnational governmental, competition or regulatory authority, court, arbitral tribunal, agency, commission, body or other legislative, executive or judicial governmental entity or self-regulatory agency.
“Income Tax Expense” means, for any period, all provisions for taxes based on the net income of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any additions to such taxes, and any penalties and interest with respect thereto and any expensed taxes), all as determined for the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
4
“Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 9(b).
“Independent Director” means, a member of the board of directors of Parent who qualifies as an “independent director” under the Exchange Act and the NYSE Rules.
“Interest Expense” means, with reference to any period, total interest expense (including that attributable to Capital Lease Obligations) of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such period with respect to all outstanding indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances and net costs under Swap Agreements in respect of interest rates, to the extent such net costs are allocable to such period in accordance with GAAP), calculated for the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for such period in accordance with GAAP.
“Initial Term” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a).
“Initial Valuation Firm Review Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(e)(ii).
“Investment Bank-Selected Valuation Firm” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(e)(iii).
“Investment Company Act” means the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto.
“Letter Agreement” means the letter agreement, dated as of February 28, 2025, by and between Parent and the Manager.
“Losses” means any expenses, losses, damages, liabilities, demands, penalties, costs, charges and claims of any nature whatsoever (including any Out-of-Pocket Expenses).
“LTM Adjusted EBITDA” means, with respect to any twelve (12)-month period prior to a determination date, the last twelve (12) months’ aggregate amount of Adjusted EBITDA. Schedule I sets forth an illustrative calculation of LTM Adjusted EBITDA for the twelve (12)-month period ended [●].
“Manager” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Manager Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).
“Manager Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 9(a).
“Manager Permitted Disclosure Parties” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).
“Manager-Selected Valuation Firm” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(e)(ii).
“Manager Termination Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(ii).
5
“Mediation” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(b)(ii).
“Mediator” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(b)(ii).
“Multiple on Fees Value” means an amount equal to (i) the aggregate Quarterly Management Fees that became payable hereunder during the twenty-four (24)-month period ended as of the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter completed prior to the Effective Termination Date multiplied by (ii) four (4). For the avoidance of doubt, the Multiple on Fees Value shall be determined without regard to any waiver or other discount by the Manager of any Quarterly Management Fee (which shall be calculated for purposes of the determination of the Multiple on Fees Value as though no such waiver or discount was applied).
“Net Income” means, for any period, the consolidated net income (or loss) determined for the Company and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be excluded (i) the income (or deficit) of any Person (other than a Subsidiary) in which the Company or any Subsidiary has an ownership interest, except to the extent that any such income is actually received by the Company or such Subsidiary in the form of dividends or similar distributions and (ii) the undistributed earnings of any Subsidiary, to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by the terms of any contractual obligation law applicable to such Subsidiary.
“Net Present Value of Fees Payable” means, as of the Effective Termination Date, (i) the net present value of the aggregate Quarterly Management Fees then payable or that would become payable hereunder during the five (5)-year period following the Effective Termination Date, discounted annually at a per annum rate equal to six percent (6.0%), plus (ii) the net present value of the terminal value of the Quarterly Management Fees that would become payable hereunder after such five (5)-year period if this Agreement were automatically renewed and remained in effect in perpetuity, discounted from the terminal year to the applicable present date at a per annum rate equal to six percent (6.0%). For the avoidance of doubt, the Net Present Value of Fees Payable shall be determined without regard to any waiver or other discount by the Manager of any Quarterly Management Fee (which shall be calculated for purposes of the determination of the Net Present Value of Fees Payable as though no such waiver or discount was applied).
“NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.
“NYSE Rules” means the NYSE listing rules currently in effect and, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Out-of-Pocket Expenses” means any and all documented and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and out-of-pocket disbursements of counsel).
“Parent” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
6
“Parent Allocated Expense” means, for any period, the sum of all selling, general and administrative expenses of Parent, all as determined for Parent in accordance with GAAP, minus, without duplication, (i) the sum of (A) Depreciation and Amortization Expense, (B) losses and expenses that are properly classified under GAAP as extraordinary, (C) actual one-time and non-recurring fees, expenses and costs relating to any acquisition, business combination transaction or other transaction, in each case, evaluated, negotiated and, if applicable, implemented in accordance with the Management Agreement (whether or not closed), (D) any non-cash compensation charge or expense realized or resulting from any contingent payment obligation or similar payment obligation (including any “earn-out” obligation) that would require payments to any Person arising in connection with any acquisition, business combination transaction or other transaction consummated in accordance with the Management Agreement, (E) any impairment charges or asset write-offs, in each case, pursuant to GAAP, and (F) any other non-cash non-recurring expenses, plus, without duplication, (ii) the sum of the amounts for such period included in determining such selling, general and administrative expenses of Parent of (A) any gains on sales of assets and gains that are properly classified under GAAP as extraordinary, all as determined for Parent in accordance with GAAP and (B) any cash payments made during such period in respect of non-cash charges described in clause (i)(F) taken in a prior period.
“Parent Trading Price” means the VWAP of one (1) share of Class A Common Stock for the five (5) consecutive trading days ending on the trading day immediately preceding the date that the Termination Fee is finally determined pursuant to Section 11(e) (as adjusted as appropriate to reflect any stock splits, stock dividends, combinations, reorganizations, reclassifications or similar events).
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, partnership, association, limited liability company, estate, trust, joint venture, any federal, state, county or municipal government or any bureau, department or agency thereof or any other legal entity and any fiduciary acting in such capacity on behalf of the foregoing.
“Quarterly Management Fee” means, with respect to each fiscal quarter, the quarterly management fee, payable in arrears, in a cash amount equal to two-and-a-half percent (2.5%) of LTM Adjusted EBITDA, measured for the period ending on the last day of the fiscal quarter then ended. The Quarterly Management Fee shall be pro-rated for partial periods, to the extent necessary, as described more fully elsewhere herein.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto.
“Subsidiary” means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture or other entity or organization of which: (i) the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company is a general partner or managing member, or (ii) voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors, trustees or other Persons performing similar functions with respect to such entity or organization is held by the Company or by any one or more of the Company’s subsidiaries; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, it is acknowledged and agreed that (x) the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed to be Subsidiaries of the Manager and its Subsidiaries and (y) other Persons managed by the Manager shall not be deemed to be Subsidiaries of the Manager or its Subsidiaries or the Company or its Subsidiaries.
7
“Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, spot, future, credit default or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company or its Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“TargetCo” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Termination Fee” means an amount equal to the greatest of (i) the Fair Market Value of Fees Payable, (ii) the Net Present Value of Fees Payable and (iii) the Multiple on Fees Value.
“Termination Fee Negotiation Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(e)(i).
“Termination Make-Whole Cash Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(f).
“Termination Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(f).
“Termination Shares Value” means an amount equal to (i) the aggregate number of Termination Shares multiplied by (ii) the Parent Trading Price.
“Termination Without a Company Kick-Out Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(b).
“Trading Days” means a day on which NYSE is open for the transaction of business.
“Transaction Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Valuation Firm” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(e)(iii).
“VWAP” means the daily per share volume-weighted average price of Class A Common Stock on the principal U.S. securities exchange, “over-the-counter” market or automated or electronic quotation system on which Class A Common Stock trades, as displayed under the heading Bloomberg VWAP on the Bloomberg page designated for Class A Common Stock (or its equivalent successor if such page is not available) in respect of the period from the open of trading on such day until the close of trading on such day (or if such volume-weighted average price is unavailable, the per share volume-weighted average price of such Class A Common Stock on such day (determined without regard to afterhours trading or any other trading outside the regular trading session or trading hours)).
(b) As used herein, “fiscal quarters” shall mean the applicable fiscal quarter of Parent and “fiscal year” shall mean the applicable fiscal year of Parent. The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement, and Section references are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified. References herein to “Sections,” “clauses” and other subdivisions, and to Schedules, without reference to a document are to the specified Sections, clauses and other subdivisions of and Schedules to, this Agreement. The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. Where a word or phrase is defined herein, each of its other grammatical forms shall have a corresponding meaning. References to “dollars” or “$” mean United States dollars, unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary.
8
**Section 2.**Appointmentof the Manager. To the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, the Exchange Act, the Securities Act, the NYSE Rules and any other applicable rule or regulation (including the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act), the Company hereby appoints the Manager (and grants to it all powers necessary, convenient or appropriate) to, and the Manager hereby agrees and covenants that it shall manage the day-to-day business and operations and oversee the strategy of the Company and its controlled Affiliates in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
**Section 3.**Obligationsof the Manager.
(a) Subject to Section 2, the Manager shall use commercially reasonable efforts to perform (or cause to be performed) the following services (the “Services”):
(i) establishing and monitoring the Company’s objectives, financing activities and operating performance;
(ii) selecting and overseeing the Company’s management team and their performance;
(iii) reviewing and approving the Company’s compensation and benefit plans, programs, policies, arrangements and agreements, including with respect to any grants of equity awards to Persons providing services to the Company;
(iv) devising capital allocation strategies, plans and policies of the Company;
(v) setting the budget parameters and expense guidelines of the Company and monitoring compliance therewith;
(vi) identifying, analyzing and overseeing the consummation of business opportunities and potential acquisitions, dispositions and other business combinations;
(vii) originating and recommending opportunities to form or acquire, and structuring and managing, any joint ventures;
(viii) leading or overseeing negotiations with potential participants in any business opportunity under the Company’s consideration and determining (or delegating to any officer of the Company the decision to determine) if and when to proceed;
(ix) engaging and supervising, on the Company’s behalf, independent contractors and third-party service providers;
9
(x) communicating on behalf of the Company with the holders of any securities of the Company (A) as required to satisfy any reporting and other requirements of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Company and (B) to maintain effective relations with such holders;
(xi) overseeing all claims, disputes or controversies (including all litigation, arbitration, settlement or other proceedings or negotiations) in which the Company may be involved or to which the Company may be subject arising out of the Company’s day-to-day activities (other than with the Manager or its Affiliates);
(xii) counselling the Company in connection with decisions required by Delaware law to be made by the Board; and
(xiii) performing such other services from time to time in connection with the management of the business and affairs of the Company and its activities as the Company shall reasonably request and/or the Manager shall deem appropriate under the particular circumstances.
(b) From the Effective Date until the termination of this Agreement, if any, in accordance with Section 11, the Company, on behalf of itself and its controlled Affiliates, hereby constitutes, appoints and authorizes the Manager, and any officer of the Manager acting on its behalf from time to time, as the true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact of the Company and such controlled Affiliates, in its or their respective names, places and steads, to negotiate, execute, deliver and enter into any certificates, instruments, agreements, authorizations and other documentation in the name and on behalf of the Company or any such controlled Affiliate as the Manager, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or appropriate to perform the Services, in each case subject to subject to Section 2. This power of attorney is deemed to be coupled with an interest. In performing the Services, as an agent of the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates, the Manager shall have the right to exercise all powers and authority which are reasonably necessary and customary to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(c) The Manager may retain, for and on behalf, and at the sole cost and expense, of the Company, such services of the Persons as the Manager deems necessary or advisable to perform the Services (which Persons may include Affiliates of the Manager), in each case, subject to Section 2; provided that any such services may be provided by such Affiliates only to the extent such services are on arm’s length terms. In performing or causing to be performed the Services, the Manager shall be entitled to rely reasonably on qualified experts and professionals (including, accountants, legal counsel and other professional service providers) hired by the Manager.
(d) At the Company’s reasonable request, the Manager shall prepare, or, at the sole cost and expense of the Company, cause to be prepared, (i) reports and other information on the Company’s operations and (ii) other information relating to any proposed or consummated business acquisition or divestiture.
(e) At all times during the term of this Agreement, the Manager shall maintain “errors and omissions” insurance coverage and other insurance coverage that is customarily carried by managers performing functions similar to those of the Manager under this Agreement with respect to assets similar to the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
10
(f) Officers, employees and agents of the Manager and its Affiliates may serve as directors, officers, employees, agents, nominees or signatories for the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates. When executing documents or otherwise acting in such capacities for the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates, such Persons shall indicate in what capacity they are executing on behalf of the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates.
(g) The Manager shall refrain from any action that, in its sole judgment made in good faith, would materially violate any law, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Company and its controlled Affiliates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Manager nor any of its Affiliates shall be liable to the Company, any of its controlled Affiliates or any of their respective Affiliates or equityholders for any act or omission by the Manager or any of its Affiliates, except as provided in Section 9.
(h) For the avoidance of doubt, and not withstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the entry by the Company and the Manager into this Agreement and the performance of their respective obligations hereunder shall not affect the authority, duties or responsibilities of the executive officers of Parent or the Company, including the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Parent, or the Executive Chairman of the Company.
**Section 4.**Obligationsof the Company.
(a) The Company agrees to take all actions reasonably required to permit and enable the Manager to carry out its duties and obligations under this Agreement, including, all steps reasonably necessary to allow the Manager, subject to Section 2, to make any filing required to be made under the Securities Act, Exchange Act, the NYSE Rules or other applicable law, rule or regulation on behalf of the Company in a timely manner.
(b) The Company further agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to make available to the Manager all resources, information and materials reasonably requested by the Manager to enable the Manager to satisfy its obligations hereunder, including its obligations to deliver financial statements and any other information or reports with respect to the Company.
(c) The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Manager may use the name “Husky Technologies” and other trademarks of the Company in connection with its activities under this Agreement (including, in connection with the preparation of any filing with or notification to any Governmental Authority made on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries). The parties hereto will reasonably cooperate to maintain reasonable quality control with respect to the Manager’s use of such trademarks.
11
**Section 5.**AdditionalActivities of the Manager; Non-Solicitation.
(a) Nothing in this Agreement shall (i) prevent the Manager or any of its Affiliates, or any of its or their officers, directors or employees, from engaging in other businesses or from rendering services of any kind to any other Person, whether or not the business objectives or policies of any such other Person are similar to those of the Company, (ii) in any way bind or restrict the Manager or any of its Affiliates, or any of its or their officers, directors or employees from buying, selling or trading any securities or commodities for their own accounts or for the account of others for whom the Manager or any of its Affiliates, or any of its or their officers, directors or employees may be acting, or (iii) prevent the Manager or any of its Affiliates from receiving fees or other compensation or profits from such activities described in this Section 5(a) which shall be for the Manager’s (and/or its Affiliates’) sole benefit. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) this Agreement and the Manager’s obligation to provide the Services shall not create an exclusive relationship between the Manager and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company and its controlled Affiliates, on the other hand, (B) the Manager and its Affiliates may engage in or possess an interest in other profit-seeking or business ventures of any kind, nature or description, independently or with others, whether or not such ventures are competitive with the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates and the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, shall not apply to the Manager and its Affiliates, (C) none of the Manager or any of its Affiliates who acquires knowledge of a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an opportunity for the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates shall have any duty to communicate or offer such opportunity to the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates, and the Manager and its Affiliates shall not be liable to the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates for breach of any fiduciary or other duty by reason of the fact that the Manager or any of its Affiliates pursues or acquires for, or directs such opportunity to another Person or does not communicate such opportunity or information to the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates and (D) the Manager and its Affiliates may, in the Manager’s sole and absolute discretion, allocate opportunities among the Company and such other Persons to which the Manager renders services of any kind, or for which the Manager otherwise acts as an external manager, in any manner that the Manager determines would be necessary, convenient or appropriate (which determination, for the avoidance of doubt, may be based upon such allocation of opportunities that maximizes the aggregate management fees received by the Manager pursuant to this Agreement and any other management agreement or similar agreement entered into between the Manager and such other Persons). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to impose on the Manager an express or implied fiduciary duty to the Company, any of its controlled Affiliates or their respective holders of equity or voting interests, and (y) none of the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates shall have any rights in or to such business ventures, potential transactions, agreements, arrangements, opportunities or other matters referred to in this Section 5(a), or the income or profits or losses derived therefrom, and the pursuit of such business ventures, potential transactions, agreements, arrangements, opportunities or other matters, even if competitive with the activities of the Company and its controlled Affiliates, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper.
(b) In the event of a Termination Without a Company Kick-Out Event by the Company pursuant to Section 11(b), for a period of two (2) years following such termination, the Company shall not, without the consent of the Manager, employ or otherwise retain any employee of the Manager or any of its Affiliates or any Person who has been employed by the Manager or any of its Affiliates at any time within the two (2)-year period immediately preceding the date on which such Person commences employment with or is otherwise retained by the Company (any such Person, a “Covered Person”); provided that the preceding sentence shall not restrict the Company from employing or retaining any Covered Person who devotes substantially all of such Covered Person’s business time and attention to the Company’s Business, other than with respect to acquisitions, dispositions and other business combinations, joint ventures or other investments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Company acknowledges and agrees that, in addition to any damages, the Manager may be entitled to equitable relief for any violation of this Section 5(b) by the Company, including, injunctive relief.
12
**Section 6.**Records;Confidentiality.
(a) The Manager shall maintain appropriate books of account, records and files relating to services performed hereunder, and such books of account, records and files shall be accessible for inspection by representatives of the Company at any time during normal business hours upon advance written notice. The Manager shall have full responsibility for the maintenance, care and safekeeping of all such books of account, records and files (it being understood that if any such recordkeeping services are performed by service providers to the Company and such service providers are monitored by the Manager with due care, the Manager shall be in compliance with the foregoing).
(b) Until the third (3^rd^) anniversary of any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 11 (or in the case of trade secrets, for so long as such trade secrets constitute trade secrets under applicable law), the Manager shall keep confidential any and all Confidential Information and shall not use Confidential Information other than in connection with the performance of the Services or disclose Confidential Information, in whole or in part, to any Person other than (i) to officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, advisors of the Manager or its Affiliates who need to know such Confidential Information for the purpose of rendering services hereunder, (ii) to appraisers, lenders or other financing sources, co-originators, custodians, administrators, brokers, commercial counterparties or any similar entity and others in the ordinary course of the Company’s Business ((i) and (ii) collectively, “Manager Permitted Disclosure Parties”), (iii) in connection with any governmental or regulatory filings of the Company or its Affiliates or disclosure or presentations to investors in the Company’s Business (subject to compliance with applicable law), (iv) to Governmental Authorities having jurisdiction over the Company or the Manager, (v) as requested by law, legal process or regulatory request to which the Manager or any Person to whom disclosure is permitted hereunder is a party or subject, (vi) to existing or prospective investors in the Company’s Business and their advisors to the extent such Persons reasonably request such information, subject to an undertaking of confidentiality, non-disclosure and non-use, or (vii) with the consent of the Company, including pursuant to a separate agreement entered into between the Manager and the Company. The Manager agrees to inform each of its Manager Permitted Disclosure Parties of the non-public nature of the Confidential Information. Nothing herein shall prevent the Manager from disclosing Confidential Information (A) upon the order of any court or administrative agency, (B) upon the request or demand of, or pursuant to any law or regulation to, any regulatory agency or authority, (C) to the extent reasonably required in connection with the exercise of any remedy hereunder, or (D) to its legal counsel or independent auditors; provided, however, that with respect to clauses (A) and (B), it is agreed that, so long as not legally prohibited, the Manager will (x) consider, and if advisable seek, at the Company’s sole expense, an appropriate protective order or confidentiality agreement, (y) notify the Company of such disclosure, and (z) in the absence of an appropriate protective order or confidentiality agreement, disclose only that portion of such information that is responsive to such request or demand.
13
**Section 7.**Compensation.
(a) For the Services rendered, the Company shall pay the Quarterly Management Fees to the Manager. The Manager will not receive any Quarterly Management Fees for periods prior to the Effective Date. The Manager may (at its sole discretion) elect not to receive, or to discount, any Quarterly Management Fee for a given quarterly period, which election shall not be deemed to constitute a waiver or discount of the Quarterly Management Fee in any future periods and shall, for the avoidance of doubt, be ignored in calculating the Termination Fee (and the components thereof).
(b) The parties hereto acknowledge that the Quarterly Management Fee is intended in part to compensate the Manager and its Affiliates for the costs and expenses (other than reimbursable costs and expenses) the Manager will incur hereunder, as well as certain expenses not otherwise reimbursable under Section 8, in order for the Manager to provide the Services to the Company. A management fee paid by the Manager under a sub-management agreement (if any) shall not constitute an expense reimbursable by the Company under this Agreement or otherwise unless otherwise approved by the Company.
(c) Each Quarterly Management Fee shall be payable in arrears in cash, commencing with the fiscal quarter in which the Effective Date occurs. If applicable, the initial and final Quarterly Management Fees shall be pro-rated based on the number of days during the initial and final fiscal quarter, respectively, that this Agreement is in effect. The Manager shall calculate each Quarterly Management Fee, and deliver such calculation to the Company, within thirty (30) days following the last day of each fiscal quarter and the Company shall pay the Manager the applicable Quarterly Management Fee for such fiscal quarter within three (3) Business Days after the date of delivery to the Company of such computations.
(d) The Company shall make any payments due hereunder to the Manager or, if the Manager directs, to an Affiliate of the Manager.
(e) The parties hereto acknowledge that, for the avoidance of doubt, any fees under this Agreement, the CompoSecure Management Agreement and any other management agreement that may be entered into from time to time pursuant to Section 15(d) of the CompoSecure Management Agreement or Section 15(d) of this Agreement, shall be calculated in a manner such that there will be no duplication of fees nor fee deductions, including with respect to Parent Allocated Expenses.
**Section 8.**Expenses.
(a) Subject to Section 8(b) and except as otherwise specifically acknowledged and agreed in writing, the Manager shall be responsible for the expenses related to any and all personnel of the Manager and its Affiliates who provide services to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise (including, each of the officers of the Company and any directors of the Company who are also directors, officers or employees of the Manager or any of its Affiliates), including, salaries, bonuses and other wages, payroll taxes and the cost of employee benefit plans of such personnel, and costs of insurance (other than insurance specifically required under this Agreement, including pursuant to Section 3(e)) with respect to such personnel (collectively, “Manager Expenses”).
14
(b) The Company shall pay all of its costs and expenses and shall reimburse the Manager or its Affiliates for documented costs and expenses of the Manager and its Affiliates incurred on behalf of the Company other than Manager Expenses (collectively, “Company Expenses”). The Manager, in good faith, shall determine whether a cost or expense is a Manager Expense or Company Expense. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is specifically agreed that the following costs and expenses shall be paid by the Company and shall not be paid by the Manager or its Affiliates: (i) fees, costs and expenses in connection with transaction costs incident to the acquisition, negotiation, structuring, trading, settling, disposition and financing of any investments of the Company and its Subsidiaries (whether or not consummated); (ii) fees, costs and expenses of legal, tax, accounting, consulting, auditing (including internal audit), finance, administrative, investment banking, capital market and other similar services rendered to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including, where the context requires, through one or more third-parties and/or Affiliates of the Manager) or, if provided by the Manager’s personnel, in accordance with Section 3(c); (iii) the compensation and expenses of the directors and officers of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as applicable, the cost of liability insurance to indemnify such directors and officers and the non-cash equity incentive compensation (that is denominated in, or the value of which is determined with reference to, shares of capital stock of Parent) of the personnel of the Company and its Subsidiaries, the Manager and their respective Affiliates who provide services to the Company and its Affiliates; (iv) interest and fees and expenses arising out of borrowings made by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including, costs associated with the establishment and maintenance of any credit facilities, other financing arrangements, or other indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including commitment fees, accounting fees, legal fees, closing and other similar costs) or any securities offerings of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (v) expenses connected with communications to holders of securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and other bookkeeping and clerical work necessary in maintaining relations with holders of such securities and in complying with the continuous reporting and other requirements of any Governmental Authorities having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including, all costs of preparing and filing required reports with the SEC, the costs payable by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any transfer agent and registrar in connection with the listing and/or trading of the securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries on any exchange, the fees payable by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any such exchange in connection with its listing, costs of preparing, printing and mailing any other reports or related statements of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (vi) costs of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries associated with technology-related expenses, including without limitation, any computer software or hardware, electronic equipment or purchased information technology services from third-party vendors or Affiliates of the Manager, technology service providers and related software/hardware utilized in connection with the investment and operational activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries; (vii) expenses incurred by managers, officers, personnel and agents of the Manager for travel on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and other Out-of-Pocket Expenses incurred by them in connection with the Services or the acquisition, financing, refinancing, sale or other disposition of an investment or any securities offerings of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (viii) expenses incurred with respect to market information systems and publications, research publications and materials, including, news research and quotation equipment and services, obtained or used by the Manager in connection with rendering the Services or performing any other duty hereunder; (ix) the costs and expenses relating to ongoing regulatory compliance matters and regulatory reporting obligations relating to the Company’s Business; (x) the costs of any litigation involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or its or their respective assets and the amount of any judgments or settlements paid in connection therewith, (xi) all taxes and license fees of the Company and its Subsidiaries; (xii) all costs of directors and officers, liability or other insurance relating to the Company’s Business and other insurance costs incurred in connection with the operation of the Company’s Business, except for the costs attributable to the insurance that the Manager elects to carry for itself and its personnel, and all indemnification or extraordinary expense or liability relating to the Company’s Business; (xiii) costs and expenses incurred in contracting with any third-parties, in whole or in part, on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (xiv) all other costs and expenses relating to the Company’s Business and operations, including, the costs and expenses of acquiring, owning, protecting, maintaining, developing and disposing of businesses, including appraisal, reporting, audit and legal fees; (xv) expenses relating to any office(s) or office facilities, including, disaster backup recovery sites and facilities, maintained for the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any investments of the Company and its Subsidiaries separate from the office or offices of the Manager; (xvi) expenses connected with the payments of interest, dividends or distributions in cash or any other form authorized or caused to be made to or on account of holders of securities of the Company or any of its the Subsidiaries, including, in connection with any dividend reinvestment plan; (xvii) any judgment or settlement of pending or threatened proceedings (whether civil, criminal or otherwise) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or against any trustee, director, partner, member or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in such Person’s capacity as such for which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is required to indemnify such trustee, director, partner, member or officer by any Governmental Authority; and (xviii) all other expenses actually incurred by the Manager (except as otherwise specifically excluded herein) which are reasonably necessary for the performance by the Manager of its duties and functions under this Agreement.
15
(c) The Manager may, at its option, elect not to seek reimbursement for certain expenses during a given quarterly period, which determination shall not be deemed to construe a waiver of reimbursement for the same type of expenses or similar expenses in future periods if such expenses or similar expenses are incurred in future periods.
(d) The provisions of this Section 8 shall survive any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 11 to the extent such expenses have previously been incurred or are incurred in connection with such termination.
**Section 9.**Limitsof the Manager’s Responsibility; Indemnification.
(a) The Manager assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other than to render the Services in good faith in accordance with this Agreement. To the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, the Manager and its Affiliates, including their respective directors, officers, employees, managers, trustees, control persons, partners, stockholders and equityholders, will not be liable to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective Affiliates or equityholders, for any acts or omissions by the Manager or its officers, employees or Affiliates performed in accordance with, pursuant to, or in furtherance of, this Agreement, whether by or through attempted piercing of the corporate veil, by or through a claim, by the enforcement of any judgment or assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding (including any threatened or ongoing investigative, administrative, judicial or regulatory action or proceeding), or by virtue of any statute, regulation or other applicable law, or otherwise (together, “Actions”), except by reason of acts or omission constituting bad faith, fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of their respective duties under this Agreement. The Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, reimburse, indemnify and hold harmless the Manager, its Affiliates, and the directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Manager and its Affiliates including their respective directors, officers, employees, managers, trustees, control persons, partners, stockholders and equityholders (each, a “Manager Indemnified Party”), (i) of and from any and all Losses in respect of or arising from any acts or omissions of such Manager Indemnified Party performed in good faith in accordance with, pursuant to, or in furtherance of, this Agreement and not constituting bad faith, fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties of such Manager Indemnified Party under this Agreement and (ii) of and from any Out-of-Pocket Expenses incurred in connection with investigating, preparing or defending any Actions as such expenses are incurred or paid (provided that if it is ultimately finally judicially determined in a court of competent jurisdiction that such Manager Indemnified Party is not entitled to indemnification hereunder, such Manager Indemnified Party shall reimburse the Company for any Out-of-Pocket Expenses already paid or reimbursed by the Company in respect of which such final judicial determination was made). Notwithstanding the above, the Manager will not be liable for trade errors that may result from ordinary negligence, errors in the investment decision making process and/or in the trade process.
16
(b) The Manager shall, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, reimburse, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its Subsidiaries and the directors, officers and employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as applicable (each, a “Company Indemnified Party”, a Manager Indemnified Party and a Company Indemnified Party are each sometimes hereinafter referred to as an “Indemnified Party”) of and from any and all Losses in respect of or arising from (i) any acts or omissions of the Manager constituting bad faith, fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties of the Manager under this Agreement or (ii) any claims by the Manager’s or its Affiliate’s employees relating to the terms and conditions of their employment by the Manager or its Affiliate.
(c) In case any such claim, suit, action, investigation or proceeding (a “Claim”) is brought against any Indemnified Party in respect of which indemnification may be sought by such Indemnified Party pursuant hereto, the Indemnified Party shall give prompt written notice thereof to the indemnifying party, which notice shall include all documents and information in the possession of or under the control of such Indemnified Party reasonably necessary for the evaluation and/or defense of such Claim and shall specifically state that indemnification for such Claim is being sought under this Section 9; provided, however, that the failure of the Indemnified Party to so notify the indemnifying party shall not limit or affect such Indemnified Party’s rights other than pursuant to this Section 9 unless the failure to provide such notice results in material prejudice to the indemnifying party. Upon receipt of such notice of Claim (together with such documents and information from such Indemnified Party), the indemnifying party shall, at its sole cost and expense, in good faith control and defend any such Claim (including any settlement thereof) with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party, which counsel may, without limiting the rights of such Indemnified Party pursuant to the next succeeding sentence of this Section 9(c), also represent the indemnifying party in such Claim. In the alternative, such Indemnified Party may elect to conduct the defense of the Claim, if (i) such Indemnified Party reasonably determines that the conduct of its defense by the indemnifying party could be materially prejudicial to its interests, (ii) the indemnifying party refuses to assume such defense (or fails to give written notice to the Indemnified Party within ten (10) days of receipt of a notice of Claim that the indemnifying party assumes such defense), or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed, in such Indemnified Party’s reasonable judgment, to defend the Claim in good faith. The indemnifying party may settle any Claim against such Indemnified Party; provided that (A) such settlement is without any Losses (including equitable relief) whatsoever to such Indemnified Party, (B) the settlement does not include or require any admission of liability or culpability by such Indemnified Party and (C) the indemnifying party obtains an effective written release of liability for such Indemnified Party from the party to the Claim with whom such settlement is being made, which release must be reasonably acceptable to such Indemnified Party, and a dismissal with prejudice with respect to all claims made by the party against such Indemnified Party in connection with such Claim. Subject to the immediately prior sentence, the applicable Indemnified Party shall reasonably cooperate with the indemnifying party, at the indemnifying party’s sole cost and expense, in connection with the defense or settlement of any Claim in accordance with the terms hereof. If such Indemnified Party is entitled pursuant to this Section 9 to elect to defend such Claim by counsel of its own choosing and so elects, then the indemnifying party shall be responsible for any good faith settlement of such Claim entered into by such Indemnified Party. Except as provided in the immediately preceding sentence, no Indemnified Party may pay or settle any Claim and seek reimbursement therefor under this Section 9.
17
(d) Any Indemnified Party entitled to indemnification hereunder shall first seek recovery from any other indemnity then available with respect to portfolio entities and/or any applicable insurance policies by which such Indemnified Party is indemnified or covered prior to seeking recovery hereunder and shall obtain the written consent of the Company or the Manager (as applicable) prior to entering into any compromise or settlement which would result in an obligation of the Company or the Manager (as applicable) to indemnify such Indemnified Party. If such Indemnified Party shall actually recover any amounts under any applicable insurance policies or other indemnity then available, it shall offset the net proceeds so received against any amounts owed by the Company or the Manager (as applicable) by reason of the indemnity provided hereunder or, if all such amounts shall have been paid by the Company or the Manager (as applicable) in full prior to the actual receipt of such net insurance proceeds, it shall pay over such proceeds (up to the amount of indemnification paid by the Company or the Manager (as applicable) to such Indemnified Party) to the Company or the Manager (as applicable). If the amounts in respect of which indemnification is sought arise out of the conduct of the business and affairs of the Company or the Manager and also of any other Person or entity for which the Indemnified Party hereunder was then acting in a similar capacity, the amount of the indemnification to be provided by the Company or the Manager (as applicable) may be limited to the Company’s or the Manager’s (as applicable) allocable share thereof if so determined by the Company or Manager (as applicable) in good faith.
(e) The provisions of this Section 9 shall survive any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 11.
18
**Section 10.**NoJoint Venture. The Company and the Manager are not partners or joint venturers with each other and nothing herein shall be construed to make them such partners or joint venturers or impose any liability as such on either of them.
**Section 11.**Term;Renewal; Termination.
(a) *Term; Renewal.*This Agreement became effective on the Closing (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue in operation, unless terminated in accordance with the terms hereof, until the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Effective Date (the “Initial Term”). Following the Initial Term, this Agreement shall be deemed renewed automatically for successive and additional ten (10)-year period(s) (each, an “Automatic Renewal Term”) unless the Company or the Manager elects to terminate or not renew this Agreement in accordance with Section 11(b), Section 11(c) or Section 11(d), as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, during the Initial Term and each Automatic Renewal Term, the Company shall have the Company Kick-Out Right.
(b) Terminationby the Company Without a Company Kick-Out Event. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, upon both (x) the expiration of the Initial Term or an Automatic Renewal Term, as applicable, and (y) one hundred eighty (180) days’ prior written notice to the Manager (the “Company Termination Notice”), the Company may, without the occurrence of a Company Kick-Out Event, decline to renew this Agreement upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Independent Directors (who have not recused themselves with respect to such vote) that the Quarterly Management Fees payable to the Manager are not fair, subject to clauses (i)-(iv) below (any such nonrenewal, a “Termination Without a Company Kick-Out Event”). The Company Termination Notice shall include reasonable supporting detail for the Independent Directors’ determination that the Quarterly Management Fees payable to the Manager are not fair.
(i) No later than five (5) Business Days following the receipt by the Manager of the Company Termination Notice, the management teams of the Company and the Manager shall engage in good faith discussions and negotiations to resolve the Independent Directors’ concerns that the Quarterly Management Fees are not fair for a period of sixty (60) days (the “Consultation Period”).
(ii) If, at the end of the Consultation Period, the Company and the Manager have been unable to resolve such concerns, then the Company and the Manager shall attempt in good faith to retain as soon as reasonably practicable (but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days after the expiration of the Consultation Period) an agreed upon impartial professional mediator who is a partner or a retired partner, in each case, in a law firm of national standing based in New York City with experience in investment management (any such Person, a “Mediator”) for a nonbinding mediation of such dispute (such process, a “Mediation”); provided that if the Company and the Manager cannot agree on a Mediator within such ten (10)-Business Day period, or if the Mediator agreed upon by the Company and the Manager does not accept being retained for the Mediation, then within an additional ten (10) Business Days, the Company and the Manager shall each select one (1) Mediator and those two (2) Mediators shall, within ten (10) Business Days after their selection, select a third (3^rd^) Mediator. The Mediation shall be conducted by the Mediator selected in accordance with the preceding sentence on a strictly confidential basis, and no participant shall disclose the existence, nature, any documents, exhibits or information exchanged or presented, in connection with such Mediation, or the result of the Mediation, to any third-party, with the sole exceptions of its legal counsel and/or tax advisor, all of whom shall be bound by these confidentiality terms. The Company and the Manager agree to take all steps necessary to protect the confidentiality of the materials in respect of the Mediation, agree to file (and, if so required by applicable court rules, seek leave to file) confidential information (and documents containing confidential information) under seal, and agree to the entry of an appropriate protective order encompassing the confidentiality terms contained herein.
19
(iii) In the event that the Company and the Manager are able to resolve such concerns pursuant to Section 11(b)(i) or Section 11(b)(ii) prior to the Effective Termination Date, then the Termination Fee that became payable upon the Manager’s receipt of the Company Termination Notice delivered by the Company pursuant to Section 11(b) shall no longer be payable, (B) such Company Termination Notice shall be deemed to be of no force and effect, (C) the Company and the Manager shall as promptly as practicable (and in no event later than five (5) Business Days following the resolution of such concerns) execute and deliver an amendment to this Agreement setting forth the revised Quarterly Management Fee as then agreed upon by the Company and the Manager and (D) this Agreement, as so amended, shall continue in full force and effect on the terms stated herein and in such amendment.
(iv) In the event that the Company and the Manager are unable to reach an understanding with respect to the Quarterly Management Fee, the Agreement shall be deemed terminated and the Company shall pay to the Manager the Termination Fee in accordance with Section 11(f).
(c) Termination bythe Company Upon a Company Kick-Out Event. The Company may terminate this Agreement effective upon thirty (30) days’ prior written notice of termination from the Company to the Manager, without payment of the Termination Fee, upon the occurrence of a Company Kick-Out Event.
(d) Termination bythe Manager. The Manager shall have the following rights to terminate this Agreement:
(i) No later than one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or the then current Automatic Renewal Term, the Manager may deliver written notice to the Company informing it of the Manager’s intention to decline to renew this Agreement, whereupon this Agreement shall not be renewed and extended and this Agreement shall terminate effective on the expiration of the then-current term. The Company shall not be required to pay to the Manager the Termination Fee if the Manager terminates this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11(d)(i).
(ii) The Manager may terminate this Agreement effective upon sixty (60) days’ prior written notice of termination to the Company (any such notice, a “Manager Termination Notice”) (A) in the event that the Company shall default in the performance or observance of any material term, condition or covenant contained in this Agreement and such default shall continue for a period of thirty (30) days after written notice thereof specifying such default and requesting that the same be remedied in such thirty (30) day period or (B) upon the termination of the Letter Agreement, prior to any nonrenewal or termination of this Agreement. The Company shall be required to pay to the Manager the Termination Fee in accordance with Section 11(f) if the Manager terminates this Agreement pursuant to clause (A) or (B) above.
20
(iii) The Manager may terminate this Agreement if the Company becomes required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, with such termination deemed to occur immediately before such event, in which case the Company shall not be required to pay to Manager the Termination Fee.
(e) Determinationof the Termination Fee. If a Termination Fee becomes payable by the Company to the Manager upon a termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 11(b), Section 11(d)(ii)(A) or Section 11(d)(ii)(B), the Termination Fee shall be finally determined as follows:
(i) If the Company and the Manager agree on the Termination Fee within thirty (30) days following receipt (A) by the Manager of a Company Termination Notice delivered by the Company pursuant to Section 11(b) or (B) by the Company of a Manager Termination Notice delivered by the Manager pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii)(A) or Section 11(d)(ii)(B) (the “Termination Fee Negotiation Period”), then the finally determined Termination Fee shall be the amount agreed in writing by the Company and the Manager.
(ii) If the Company and the Manager do not agree on the Termination Fee prior to the expiration of the Termination Fee Negotiation Period, then, as soon as reasonably practicable (but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days after the expiration of the Termination Fee Negotiation Period), the Manager shall retain an internationally recognized top-tier investment bank (the “Manager-Selected Valuation Firm”) and the Company shall retain a different internationally recognized top-tier investment bank (the “Company-Selected Valuation Firm”), in each case, to deliver to the Manager and the Company, within thirty (30) days following the tenth (10^th^) Business Day after the expiration of the Termination Fee Negotiation Period (the “Initial Valuation Firm Review Period”), a report setting forth in reasonable detail such Valuation Firm’s good faith determination of (A) the Fair Market Value of Fees Payable, (B) the Net Present Value of Fees Payable, (C) the Multiple on Fees Payable and (D) the Termination Fee. If the Termination Fee determined by the Manager-Selected Valuation Firm and the Termination Fee determined by the Company-Selected Valuation Firm are within ten percent (10%) of each other, then the finally determined Termination Fee shall be the average of such Termination Fees determined by the Manager-Selected Valuation Firm and the Company-Selected Valuation Firm.
(iii) If the Termination Fees determined by the Manager-Selected Valuation Firm and the Company-Selected Valuation Firm are not within ten percent (10%) of each other, then:
21
(A) as soon as reasonably practicable (but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days after the expiration of the Initial Valuation Firm Review Period, the Manager-Selected Valuation Firm and the Company-Selected Valuation Firm shall select a third (3^rd^) internationally recognized top-tier investment bank (the “Investment Bank-Selected Valuation Firm”, together with the Manager-Selected Valuation Firm and the Company-Selected Valuation Firm, the “Valuation Firms”) to deliver to the Manager and the Company, within thirty (30) days following the tenth (10^th^) Business Day after the expiration of the Initial Valuation Firm Review Period, a report setting forth in reasonable detail such Valuation Firm’s good faith determination of (1) the Fair Market Value of Fees Payable, (2) the Net Present Value of Fees Payable, (3) the Multiple on Fees Payable and (4) the Termination Fee; and
(B) the finally determined Termination Fee shall be the average of the Termination Fee determined by the Investment Bank-Selected Valuation Firm and whichever Termination Fee determined by the Manager-Selected Valuation Firm or the Company-Selected Valuation Firm is closer in value to the Termination Fee determined by the Investment Bank-Selected Valuation Firm.
(iv) In preparing their respective reports, each Valuation Firm shall (A) determine the Termination Fee and components thereof in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, (B) be provided with the same access to the Company’s and the Manager’s respective management teams and the same source documents and information regarding the Company and the Manager and (C) take into account all factors such Valuation Firm determines relevant to such determination, including the Company’s historical financial and operating results, the Company’s future business prospects and projected financial and operating results and public and private market and industry conditions. Each such report prepared shall set forth a single point determination (and not a range of values) of the Termination Fee.
(v) The Manager shall bear the fees and expenses of the Manager-Selected Valuation Firm. The Company shall bear the fees and expenses of the Company-Selected Valuation Firm. The fees and expenses of the Investment Bank-Selected Valuation Firm shall be borne by the party hereto whose Valuation Firm’s determination of the Termination Fee was the furthest from the Termination Fee determined by the Investment-Bank Selected Valuation Firm, or, if the determinations of such other Valuation Firms were equally different from that determined by the Investment Bank-Selected Valuation Firm, then the Investment Bank-Selected Valuation Firm’s fees and expenses shall be borne equally by the Manager and the Company.
(f) Paymentof the Termination Fee. Within five (5) Business Days of the determination of the Termination Fee pursuant to Section 11(e), the Company shall pay to the Manager the Termination Fee, in cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, to one (1) or more accounts designated in writing by the Manager. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, at the option of the Company, by action of a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Independent Directors (who have not recused themselves with respect to such vote) and upon written notice to the Manager no later than two (2) Business Days after the determination of the Termination Fee pursuant to Section 11(e), the Company’s obligation to pay the Termination Fee pursuant to this Section 11(f) may be satisfied by (i) the issuance to the Manager of an aggregate number of shares of Class A Common Stock equal to (A) all or any portion of the Termination Fee divided by (B) the Parent Trading Price (such shares, collectively, the “Termination Shares”) and (ii) to the extent the Termination Fee exceeds the Termination Shares Value, the payment by the Company to the Manager of an amount equal to such excess, in cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, to one (1) or more accounts designated in writing by the Manager (such amount, the “Termination Make-Whole Cash Payment”); provided that any Termination Shares shall be issued and any Termination Make-Whole Cash Payment shall be paid to the Manager within five (5) Business Days of the determination of the Termination Fee pursuant to Section 11(e). For the avoidance of doubt, any issuance of Termination Shares pursuant to this Section 11(f) shall be in accordance with applicable laws and stock exchange regulations.
22
(g) *No Liability.*Except as expressly provided in Section 5(b), Section 6(b), Section 8 and Section 9 and the Termination Fee that shall become payable by the Company to the Manager upon any termination pursuant to Section 11(b), Section 11(d)(ii)(A) or Section 11(d)(ii)(B), a termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without any further liability or obligation of either party hereto to the other party hereto.
(h) *Cooperation.*Following a termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11, the Manager shall cooperate, at the Company’s request and expense, with the Company in executing an orderly transition of the management of the Company.
**Section 12.**Assignments.
(a) Assignments bythe Manager. This Agreement may not be assigned by the Manager without the consent of the Company, which consent shall be contingent on the affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Manager may, at any time without the approval of the Company and without the approval of the Company’s Independent Directors, (i) assign this Agreement to one or more Affiliates of the Manager and (ii) delegate to one or more of its Affiliates, including sub-managers where applicable, the performance of any of its responsibilities hereunder so long as it remains liable for any such Affiliates’ performance. Any such permitted assignment shall bind the assignee under this Agreement in the same manner as the Manager is bound, and the Manager shall be liable to the Company for all acts or omissions of the assignee under any such assignment. In addition, the assignee shall execute and deliver to the Company a counterpart of this Agreement naming such assignee as the Manager. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall preclude any pledge, hypothecation or other transfer of any amounts payable to the Manager under this Agreement.
(b) Assignments bythe Company. This Agreement shall not be assigned by the Company without the prior written consent of the Manager.
**Section 13.**ActionUpon Termination. Notwithstanding anything to contrary contained herein, from and after any Effective Termination Date, the Manager shall not be entitled to compensation for further Services hereunder, but shall be paid all compensation accruing to such Effective Termination Date and, upon a termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 11(b), Section 11(d)(ii)(A) or Section 11(d)(ii)(B), the Termination Fee.
23
**Section 14.**Representationsand Warranties.
(a) The Company hereby represents and warrants to the Manager as follows:
(i) The Company is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the limited liability company power and authority and the legal right to own and operate its assets, to lease any property it may operate as lessee and to conduct the business in which it is now engaged and is duly qualified as a foreign limited liability company and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except for failures to be so qualified, authorized or licensed that could not in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the business operations, assets or financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries, if any, taken as a whole.
(ii) The Company has the limited liability company power and authority and the legal right to make, deliver and perform this Agreement and all obligations required hereunder and has taken all necessary limited liability company action to authorize this Agreement on the terms and conditions hereof and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and all obligations required hereunder. No consent of any other Person that has not already been obtained, including stockholders and creditors of the Company, and no license, permit, approval or authorization of, exemption by, notice or report to, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required by the Company in connection with this Agreement or the execution, delivery, performance, validity or enforceability of this Agreement and all obligations required hereunder. This Agreement has been, and each instrument or document required hereunder will be, executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and each instrument or document required hereunder when executed and delivered hereunder will constitute, the legally valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.
(iii) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the documents or instruments required hereunder will not violate any provision of any existing law or regulation binding on the Company, or any order, judgment, award or decree of any Governmental Authority binding on the Company, or the Governing Agreements of, or any securities issued by the Company or of any mortgage, indenture, lease, contract or other agreement, instrument or undertaking to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or any of its assets may be bound, the violation of which would have a material adverse effect on the business operations, assets or financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries, if any, taken as a whole, and will not result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any lien or any of its property, assets or revenues pursuant to the provisions of any such mortgage, indenture, lease, contract or other agreement, instrument or undertaking.
24
(b) The Manager hereby represents and warrants to the Company as follows:
(i) The Manager is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the corporate power and authority and the legal right to conduct the business in which it is now engaged and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except for failures to be so qualified, authorized or licensed that could not in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the business operations, assets or financial condition of the Manager.
(ii) The Manager has the corporate power and authority and the legal right to make, deliver and perform this Agreement and all obligations required hereunder and has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize this Agreement on the terms and conditions hereof and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and all obligations required hereunder. No consent of any other Person, including stockholders of the Manager, and no license, permit, approval or authorization of, exemption by, notice or report to, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required by the Manager in connection with this Agreement or the execution, delivery, performance, validity or enforceability of this Agreement and all obligations required hereunder. This Agreement has been, and each instrument or document required hereunder will be, executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of the Manager, and this Agreement constitutes, and each instrument or document required hereunder when executed and delivered hereunder will constitute, the legally valid and binding obligation of the Manager enforceable against the Manager in accordance with its terms.
(iii) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the documents or instruments required hereunder will not violate any provision of any existing law or regulation binding on the Manager, or any order, judgment, award or decree of any Governmental Authority binding on the Manager, or the Governing Agreements of, or any securities issued by the Manager or of any mortgage, indenture, lease, contract or other agreement, instrument or undertaking to which the Manager is a party or by which the Manager or any of its assets may be bound, the violation of which would have a material adverse effect on the business operations, assets or financial condition of the Manager, and will not result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any lien or any of its property, assets or revenues pursuant to the provisions of any such mortgage, indenture, lease, contract or other agreement, instrument or undertaking.
25
**Section 15.**Miscellaneous.
(a) Notices. Any notices that may or are required to be given hereunder by any party to another shall be deemed to have been duly given if (i) personally delivered or delivered by facsimile, when received, (ii) sent by U.S. Express Mail or recognized overnight courier, on the second (2^nd^) following Business Day (or third (3^rd^) following Business Day if mailed outside the United States), (iii) delivered by electronic mail, when received or (iv) posted on a password protected website maintained by the Manager and for which the Company has received access instructions by electronic mail, when posted:
| The<br> Company: | [Company]<br><br> c/o CompoSecure Holdings, L.L.C.<br><br> <br>309 Pierce Street<br><br> <br>Somerset, NJ 08873<br><br> Attention: General Counsel |
|---|---|
| The<br> Manager: | Resolute Holdings Management, Inc.<br><br> <br>445 Park Avenue, Suite 5B<br><br> <br>New York, NY 10022<br><br> <br>Attention: Chief Executive Officer |
(b) BindingNature of Agreement*; Successors and Assigns; No Third-Party Beneficiaries*. 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 as provided herein. Except for Section 5 and Section 9, none of the provisions of this Agreement are intended to be, nor shall they be construed to be, for the benefit of any third-party.
(c) Integration. This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, inducements and conditions, express or implied, oral or written, of any nature whatsoever with respect to the subject matter hereof. The express terms hereof control and supersede any course of performance and/or usage of the trade inconsistent with any of the terms hereof.
(d) Additional Agreements. In the event the Company forms any Subsidiary or acquires any business or any other equity interest (or other interest convertible or exchangeable into an equity interest) in any other Person, following the Effective Date, the Company shall, at the Manager’s election, cause any such Subsidiary, business or other Person to enter into a management agreement with the Manager in a form substantially similar to this Agreement (for the avoidance of doubt, there will be no duplication of fees under this Agreement and any such agreement), and, if the Manager so elects shall not make such acquisition in the absence of such a management agreement.
(e) Amendments. Neither this Agreement, nor any terms hereof, may be amended, supplemented or modified except in an instrument in writing executed by the parties hereto.
(f) Governing Law. Notwithstanding the place where this Agreement may be executed by any of the parties hereto, the parties hereto expressly agree that all of the terms and provisions hereof shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Delaware.
26
(g) Forum; Consentto Service. To the fullest extent permitted by law, in the event of any proceeding arising out of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the parties hereto irrevocably (i) consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery and any state appellate court therefrom within the State of Delaware (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery shall decline jurisdiction over a particular matter, in which case, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware), (ii) waive any defense based on doctrines of venue or forum non conveniens, or similar rules or doctrines and, (iii) agree that all claims in respect of such a proceeding must be heard and determined exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery and any state appellate court therefrom within the State of Delaware (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery shall decline jurisdiction over a particular matter, in which case, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware). Process in any such proceeding may be served on any party anywhere in the world, whether within or without the jurisdiction of any such court. Each of the parties hereto hereby agrees and consents that service of any process, summons, notice, or document pursuant to Section 15(a) shall be effective service of process for any suit or proceeding arising out of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
(h) Waiver of JuryTrial. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT SUCH PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT.
(i) Survival of Representationsand Warranties. All representations and warranties made hereunder, and in any document, certificate or statement delivered pursuant hereto or in connection herewith, shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
(j) NoWaiver*; Cumulative Remedies*. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising, on the part of a party hereto, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.
(k) Costs and Expenses. Each party hereto shall bear its own costs and expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel and accountants) incurred in connection with the negotiations, preparation of and entry into this Agreement, and all matters incident thereto, prior to the Effective Time. For the avoidance of doubt, all costs and expenses incurred by the parties hereto on and after the Effective Time in connection with the performance of their respective duties hereunder shall be borne in accordance with Section 8.
(l) Headings. The section and subsection headings in this Agreement are for convenience in reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect the interpretation of any provisions hereof.
(m) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by the parties to this Agreement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
(n) Severability. Any provision of this Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
(o) Action by theCompany. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, only the Company, by action of a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Independent Directors (who have not recused themselves with respect to such vote), and for the avoidance of doubt not the Manager, may exercise the Company’s rights or grant any consent, amendment or waiver hereunder, including the termination rights under Section 11(b).
[Signature Page Follows]
27
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
| Company: | |
|---|---|
| [●] | |
| By: | |
| Name: | |
| Title: | |
| Manager: | |
| Resolute<br> Holdings Management, Inc., | |
| By: | |
| Name: | |
| Title: |
[Signature Page to Management Agreement]
28
Schedule I
Illustrative LTM Adjusted EBITDA Calculation
Exhibit 10.5
First Amendment to theAmended and Restated Waiver Agreement
This First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement (this “Amendment”) is made as of [●], by and among CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), Resolute Compo Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Resolute Compo Holdings”), and Tungsten 2024 LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Tungsten” and, together with the Company and Resolute Compo Holdings, the “Parties” and each, a “Party”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Governance Agreement (as defined below).
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the Company, Resolute Compo Holdings and Tungsten are parties to the Governance Agreement, dated as of September 17, 2024 (the “Governance Agreement”);
WHEREAS, the Company, Resolute Compo Holdings and Tungsten are parties to the Amended and Restated Waiver Agreement, dated as of July 12, 2025 (the “Waiver Agreement”), pursuant to which (a) the Parties waived the Board Size Requirement and (b) the Stockholder waived its right to designate a sixth (6th) Stockholder Director in accordance with the Stockholder Directors Requirement (the “Specified Stockholder Designation Right”), in each case, subject to and in accordance with the terms set forth therein;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 5 of the Waiver Agreement, any amendment by any Party of any provision of the Waiver Agreement must be (a) first approved by a majority of the Independent Directors and (b) set forth in an instrument in writing signed by the parties to the Waiver Agreement;
WHEREAS, the Parties desire to amend the Waiver Agreement as set forth in this Amendment; and
WHEREAS, prior to the execution and delivery of this Amendment, a majority of the Independent Directors approved this Amendment.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the Parties agree as follows:
1. The following sentence shall be added as the last sentence to Section 3 of the Waiver Agreement:
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in the event that either the Board rescinds the Board Size Requirement Waiver pursuant to Section 1 hereof or the Stockholder rescinds the Specified Stockholder Designation Right Waiver pursuant to Section 2 hereof, and, following such rescission, it is necessary to increase the size of the Board for [●] to be able to exercise its rights pursuant to that certain Investor Rights Agreement, dated as of [●], by and between [●] and the Company (the “Investor Rights Agreement”), the Board shall adopt resolutions increasing the size of the Board to a number of members that enables [●] to exercise its rights pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement.
2. Except to the extent specifically amended hereby, the Waiver Agreement remains unchanged and in full force and effect. From and after the execution of this Amendment, each reference in the Waiver Agreement to “this Waiver Agreement,” “hereof”, “herein”, and words of similar import, will be deemed to mean the Waiver Agreement, as amended by this Amendment.
3. Section 5 of the Waiver Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in this Amendment in its entirety and shall apply mutatis mutandis.
[Signature page follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Parties has executed and delivered this Amendment as of the date first above written.
| COMPOSECURE, INC. |
|---|
| By: |
| Name: |
| Title: |
| RESOLUTE COMPO HOLDINGS, LLC |
| By: |
| Name: |
| Title: |
| TUNGSTEN 2024 LLC |
| By: |
| Name: |
| Title: |
Exhibit 10.6
EXECUTION VERSION
FORM OF
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Purchase Agreement”) is entered into on November 2, 2025 by and between CompoSecure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the undersigned investors (each, an “Investor”).
WHEREAS, the Company is seeking commitments from interested investors to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), in a private placement for a purchase price of $18.50 per share of Common Stock;
WHEREAS, the aggregate purchase price to be paid by each Investor for the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock to be purchased by such Investor (the “Purchased Shares”) (as set forth on the signature page hereto) is referred to herein as the “Purchase Price”;
WHEREAS, substantially concurrently with the execution of this Purchase Agreement, the Company is entering into separate purchase agreements (collectively, the “Other Purchase Agreements”) with certain investors (collectively, the “Other Investors”), severally and not jointly, to purchase Common Stock from the Company with an aggregate purchase price, inclusive of the Purchase Price, of approximately $2.0 billion (the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement and the Other Purchase Agreements, collectively, the “PIPE Investment”);
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has (a) approved this Purchase Agreement, the Other Purchase Agreements, the PIPE Investment and the Merger Agreement and the Merger (each as defined below), (b) declared that it is in the best interests of the Company and the stockholders of the Company that the Company enter into this Purchase Agreement, the Other Purchase Agreements and the Merger Agreement, and to consummate the PIPE Investment and the Merger, and (c) recommended to the stockholders of the Company that they vote in favor of the approval of the PIPE Investment; and
WHEREAS, substantially concurrently with the execution of this Purchase Agreement, the Company or one of its subsidiaries entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) with PE Seller (as defined therein) (“Platinum”) and the other signatories thereto, pursuant to which, among other things, following the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, the Company will acquire Husky Technologies Limited (“Husky”).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual representations, warranties and covenants, and subject to the conditions, set forth herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, each Investor and the Company acknowledge and agree as follows:
1. Purchase. The Investor hereby agrees to purchase at the Closing (as defined below) from the Company, and the Company hereby agrees to issue and sell to the Investor at the Closing, the number of Purchased Shares set forth on the signature page of this Purchase Agreement at the Purchase Price, on the terms and subject to the conditions provided for herein.
2. Closing.
(a) The closing of the purchase and sale of the Purchased Shares contemplated hereby (the “Closing”) shall take place on the closing date of the Merger (the “Closing Date”), immediately prior to or substantially concurrently with the consummation of the Merger, after satisfaction or (to the extent permitted by applicable law) waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 3 (other than those that by their nature are to be satisfied or waived at the Closing, it being understood that the occurrence of the Closing shall remain subject to the satisfaction or waiver of such conditions at Closing), at the offices of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019 (or through electronic exchange of documents and signatures), unless another time, date or place is agreed to in writing by the Company and the Investor.
1
(b) At least ten (10) business days in advance of the anticipated Closing Date, the Company shall deliver written notice to the Investor (the “Closing Notice”) specifying (i) the anticipated Closing Date, and (ii) wire instructions for delivery of the Purchase Price to the Company (which wire instructions shall include a callback number for one or more authorized persons at the Company, which shall permit Investor to contact such authorized person(s) to confirm the accuracy of such wire instructions).
(c) At least three (3) business days prior to the Closing, the Investor shall (i) deliver to the Company a duly completed and executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 (or in the case the Investor is a non-U.S. person, a duly completed and executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-8) and (ii) pay to the Company the Purchase Price, in cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the escrow account specified by the Company in the Closing Notice, such funds to be held by the Company in escrow until the Closing. In the event the Closing does not occur within three (3) business days after the anticipated Closing Date specified in the Closing Notice or if this Purchase Agreement is terminated prior to the Closing and, in either case, any funds have already been sent to the escrow account specified by the Company in the Closing Notice, the Company shall promptly (but no later than three (3) business days following the anticipated Closing Date specified in the Closing Notice or termination of this Agreement, as applicable) return, or cause the return of, such funds delivered by any Investor for payment of such Investor’s Purchase Price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified in writing by such Investor, without deduction for or on account of any tax, withholding, charges or set-off, provided, that unless this Purchase Agreement has been terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof, such return of funds shall not terminate this Purchase Agreement or relieve the Investor of its obligation to purchase the Purchased Shares at the Closing.
(d) At the Closing, the Company shall issue the Purchased Shares to the Investor and subsequently cause the Purchased Shares to be registered in book entry form in the name of the Investor on the Company stock register with the Company’s transfer agent.
(e) For purposes of this Purchase Agreement, “business day” shall mean a day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.
3. Closing Conditions. The obligation of the parties hereto to consummate the purchase and sale of the Purchased Shares pursuant to this Purchase Agreement is subject to the satisfaction (or waiver in writing to the extent permitted by applicable law by each party entitled to the benefit thereof) of the following conditions:
(a) there shall not be in force any law, rule or regulation, injunction or order, in each case, whether temporary, preliminary or permanent, enjoining or prohibiting the issuance and sale of the Purchased Shares pursuant to this Purchase Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby;
(b) the Merger Agreement or any provision thereof shall not have been amended, modified or waived in contravention of Section 10(f) hereof;
(c) all conditions precedent to the closing of the Merger set forth in the Merger Agreement shall have been satisfied (as determined by the parties to the Merger Agreement) or waived in accordance with Section 10(f) hereof, and the consummation of the Merger shall occur substantially concurrently with or immediately following the Closing;
2
(d) the shares of Common Stock to be issued in the PIPE Investment shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), subject only to official notice of the issuance thereof, the Common Stock shall not have been suspended from trading on such exchange, and no stop order or suspension of trading shall have been imposed by the NYSE, the SEC or any other governmental or regulatory body with respect to public trading in the Common Stock;
(e) solely with respect to the Investor’s obligation to close, the Company shall have obtained all governmental, regulatory or third-party consents and approvals required for the sale and issuance of the Purchased Shares;
(f) (i) solely with respect to the Investor’s obligation to close, the representations and warranties made by the Company, and (ii) solely with respect to the Company’s obligation to close, the representations and warranties made by the Investor, in each case, in this Purchase Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date other than (A) those representations and warranties qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect (as defined below) or similar qualification, which shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Closing Date, and (B) those representations and warranties expressly made as of an earlier date, which shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, if qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or similar qualification, all respects) as of such date; provided that with respect to the representations and warranties made by the Company in Sections 5.5, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.12 and 5.14 of the Merger Agreement (without giving effect to any amendments thereto entered into following the date hereof), which are incorporated by reference pursuant to Section 5(w) of this Purchase Agreement, such representations and warranties are true and correct except where the failure to be true and correct would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Merger Agreement);
(g) all obligations, covenants and agreements to be performed or complied with hereunder by the Company or Investor, as applicable, shall have been performed or complied with in all material respects by the Company or Investor, as applicable;
(h) solely with respect to the Company’s obligation to close, the Investor shall have delivered to the Company the requested information set forth on Schedule A hereto;
(i) solely with respect to the Investor’s obligation to close, the lock-up provisions in (1) that certain Lock-Up Agreement by and between the Company and Resolute Compo Holdings LLC, and (2) that certain Investor Rights Agreement by and between the Company and Platinum, each dated as of the date hereof, shall have been executed and not have been amended, waived or terminated without the prior written consent of Investor; and
(j) solely with respect to the Investor’s obligation to close, the purchase of the Common Stock under Other Purchase Agreements representing at least $1.8 billion of the PIPE Investment shall have occurred substantially concurrently with the purchase of the Purchased Shares hereunder.
4. Further Assurances. At or prior to the Closing, the parties hereto shall execute and deliver such additional documents and take such additional actions as the parties reasonably may deem to be practical and necessary in order to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4 to the contrary, Investor shall not be required to take any action, execute any document, or provide any information to any person in connection with, or arising out of, or related to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement or the Company’s obligations thereunder.
3
5. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to the Investor that:
(a) The Company and each of its subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization. The Company has all power (corporate or otherwise) and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as presently and as proposed to be conducted and to enter into, deliver and perform its obligations under this Purchase Agreement.
(b) The Purchased Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and delivered to the Investor against full payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Purchase Agreement and registered with the Company’s transfer agent, the Purchased Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all liens or other encumbrances (other than those arising under this Purchase Agreement or applicable securities laws or those imposed by the Investor) and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar rights created under the Company’s organizational documents or contractual arrangements (as in effect at such time of issuance).
(c) This Purchase Agreement and the Other Purchase Agreements (collectively, the Transaction Documents”) have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming that this Purchase Agreement constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the Investor and that each Other Purchase Agreement constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the investor party thereto, each Transaction Document is enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally or (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity.
(d) The issuance and sale by the Company of the Purchased Shares pursuant to this Purchase Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, commitment, lease, license or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, or result in the suspension, revocation, forfeiture or nonrenewal of any material permit or license applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”), or affect the validity of the Purchased Shares or the legal authority of the Company to comply in all material respects with its obligations under this Purchase Agreement; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational documents of the Company; or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially affect the Company’s ability to comply in all material respects with its obligations under this Purchase Agreement.
(e) As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Except as set forth in the Parent SEC Documents (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and pursuant to the Other Purchase Agreements, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to subscribe for, purchase or acquire from the Company any securities of the Company.
(f) The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority, self-regulatory organization or other person in connection with the issuance and sale of the Purchased Shares pursuant to this Purchase Agreement, other than (i) filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), (ii) filings required by applicable state securities laws, (iii) those required by NYSE, including with respect to obtaining approval of the Company’s stockholders of the shares of Common Stock issuable in connection with the PIPE Investment, or (iv) the failure of which to obtain would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect or materially affect the Company’s ability to comply in all material respects with its obligations under this Purchase Agreement.
4
(g) Assuming the accuracy of the Investor’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 6, no registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is required for the offer and sale of the Purchased Shares by the Company to the Investor.
(h) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has at all times since January 1, 2024 been in compliance in all material respects with all laws applicable to the Company or such subsidiary or by which any of the material assets of the Company or its subsidiaries is bound.
(i) The Company is not, and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of Common Stock in the PIPE Investment, will not be, required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, and shall not rely on Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act as a basis for being exempt from such registration.
(j) Neither the Company nor any person acting on its behalf has offered or sold the Purchased Shares by any form of general solicitation or general advertising in violation of the Securities Act.
(k) The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and listed for trading on NYSE. There is no suit, action, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company by NYSE or the SEC, respectively, to prohibit or terminate the listing of the Common Stock on NYSE or to deregister the Common Stock under the Exchange Act.
(l) The Company is not under any obligation to pay any broker’s fee or broker’s commission in connection with the sale of the Purchased Shares.
(m) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”)) or other relevant sanctions authority of the United States, United Kingdom or the European Union, or is currently subject to any investigation, inquiry, or enforcement action by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Investment Services and Programs. If it is a financial institution, the operations of the Company are in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and other applicable money laundering statutes (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental or regulatory agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened. The Company is either (i) not a “person of a country of concern” or (ii) not engaged in any “covered activity,” as these terms are defined in 31 C.F.R. Part 850, as implemented or revised from time to time. The Company has no intention of becoming a “person of a country of concern” that engages in any “covered activity.”
5
(n) All necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken by the Company to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of the Merger Agreement. The Merger Agreement constitutes legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity or public policy (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity). The Company has provided to the Investor the execution version of the Merger Agreement.
(o) The information to be in included in the Proxy Statement (as defined in the Merger Agreement) will not, as of the date the Proxy Statement is filed with the SEC and at the Closing Date, contain any untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state any material fact required to be stead therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not false or misleading but excluding any forward looking statements contained therein.
(p) The Company Investor Presentation provided to the Investor in connection with the PIPE Investment (the “Investor Presentation”), as of the date of such Investor Presentation, did not contain any untrue statement of material fact, or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not false or misleading, but excluding any forward-looking statements or projected financial information contained therein. Any such forward-looking statements or projected financial information contained therein were prepared in good faith on a reasonable basis based on the information then available to the Company.
(q) (i) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.12, 5.14 and 5.17 of the Merger Agreement (without giving effect to any amendments thereto entered into following the date hereof) are incorporated by reference herein mutatis mutandis as if fully set forth in this Purchase Agreement as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, and are for the benefit of the Investor.
(r) As of the date hereof, to the knowledge of the Company, the representations and warranties contained in Article III and Article IV of the Merger Agreement, as each may be qualified by the Company Disclosure Schedules (as defined in the Merger Agreement), are true and correct.
(s) (i) No Other Purchase Agreement provides for any terms, rights or benefits to the investor under such Other Purchase Agreement that are more favorable to such other investor than the terms, rights and benefits hereof, and (ii) none of the Company, Husky or Resolute Holdings Management, Inc. has entered into any side letter or similar agreement regarding any other investor’s participation in the PIPE Investment other than the Other Purchase Agreements that is materially more favorable to such other investor than the terms, rights and benefits hereof.
6. Investor Representations and Warranties. The Investor represents and warrants to the Company that:
(a) (i) The Investor has conducted its own investigation of the Company, the Common Stock and the other outstanding securities of the Company, (ii) the Investor has had access to, and an adequate opportunity to review, financial and other information as the Investor deems necessary to make its decision to purchase the Purchased Shares, (iii) the Investor has been offered the opportunity to ask questions of the Company and received answers thereto, as it deemed necessary in connection with its decision to purchase the Purchased Shares and (iv) the Investor has made its own assessment and has satisfied itself concerning the relevant tax and other economic considerations relevant to its investment in the Purchased Shares.
6
(b) The Investor (i) is a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) or (ii) an “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act), in each case, satisfying the applicable requirements set forth on Schedule A hereto. Accordingly, the Investor understands that the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement meet the exemptions from filing under FINRA Rule 5123(b)(1)(C) or (J).
(c) The Investor is not purchasing the Purchased Shares with a view to, or for offer or sale in connection with, any distribution thereof (within the meaning of the Securities Act) that would be in violation of the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof, and the information set forth on Schedule A hereto with respect to the Investor shall be true in all respects. The Purchased Shares to be received by the Investor hereunder will be acquired for the Investor’s own account, not as nominee or agent, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or other securities laws of the United States or any state thereof.
(d) The Investor (i) is an “institutional account” as defined in FINRA Rule 4512(c), (ii) is a sophisticated investor, experienced in investing in private equity transactions and capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to all transactions and investment strategies involving a security or securities and (iii) has exercised independent judgment in evaluating the Investor’s purchase of the Purchased Shares. Accordingly, the Investor understands that the offering meets (A) the exemptions from filing under FINRA Rule 5123(b)(1)(A) and (B) the institutional customer exemption under FINRA Rule 2111(b).
(e) The Investor is aware that the offer and sale to the Investor of the Purchased Shares is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption from registration under the Securities Act and the Investor is acquiring the Purchased Shares for the Investor’s own account or for an account over which the Investor exercises sole discretion for another qualified institutional buyer or accredited investor.
(f) The Investor is able to fend for itself in the transactions contemplated herein. The Investor has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its prospective investment in the Purchased Shares, has the ability to bear the economic risks of its prospective investment and can afford the complete loss of such investment.
(g) The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the offer and sale of the Purchased Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act or any other applicable securities laws, are being offered for sale in a transaction not requiring registration under the Securities Act, and unless so registered, the Purchased Shares may not be offered, sold or otherwise transferred except in compliance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws, pursuant to any exemption therefrom or in a transaction not subject thereto. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that any certificates or book entries representing the Purchased Shares shall contain a restrictive legend to such effect (provided that such legend may be subject to removal in accordance with Section 8(e)). The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Purchased Shares will be subject to these securities law transfer restrictions and, as a result of these transfer restrictions, the Investor may not be able to readily offer, resell, transfer, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Purchased Shares and may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the Purchased Shares for an indefinite period of time. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Purchased Shares may not be eligible for offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that it has been advised to consult legal, tax and accounting advisors prior to making any offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition of any of the Purchased Shares.
(h) If the Investor is purchasing the Purchased Shares as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, the Investor has full investment discretion with respect to each such account, and the full power and authority to make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each owner of each such account.
7
(i) The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor has received or had access to such information as the Investor deems necessary in order to make an investment decision with respect to the Purchased Shares, including, with respect to the Company, its other securities and the business of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Investor acknowledges that the Investor has consulted with its own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory, and tax advisors, to the extent deemed appropriate. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investor acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Company’s filings with the SEC and certain additional information related to the Merger and Husky. The Investor acknowledges that it is aware that there are substantial risks incident to the purchase and ownership of the Purchased Shares, including those set forth in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The Investor acknowledges that the Investor shall be responsible for any of the Investor’s tax liabilities that may arise as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement, and that neither the Company nor the Company’s advisors or other representatives have provided any tax advice or any other representation or guarantee regarding the tax consequences of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement.
(j) The Investor became aware of this offering of the Purchased Shares solely by means of direct contact between the Investor and the Company or a representative of the Company (including a third party acting on behalf of the Company or its affiliates), and the Purchased Shares were offered to the Investor solely by direct contact between the Investor and the Company or a representative of the Company (including a third party acting on behalf of the Company or its affiliates). The Investor did not become aware of this offering of the Purchased Shares, nor were the Purchased Shares offered to the Investor, by any other means. The Investor acknowledges that the Purchased Shares (i) were not offered by any form of general solicitation or general advertising and (ii) are not being offered in a manner involving a public offering under, or in a distribution in violation of, the Securities Act, or any state securities laws. The Investor acknowledges that the Investor has relied solely upon independent investigation made by the Investor and that it is not relying upon, and has not relied upon, any statement, representation or warranty made by any person, firm or corporation (including, without limitation, the Company, any third party acting on behalf of the Company or its affiliates, any of their respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing), other than the SEC Documents, the Investor Presentation and the representations and warranties of the Company expressly contained in or incorporated into Section 5, in making its investment or decision to invest in the Company and the Purchased Shares.
(k) The Investor acknowledges and agrees that no federal or state agency has passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Purchased Shares or made any findings or determination as to the fairness of this investment.
(l) The Investor has been duly formed or incorporated and is validly existing and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation or incorporation, with power and authority to enter into, deliver and perform its obligations under this Purchase Agreement.
(m) The execution, delivery and performance by the Investor of this Purchase Agreement are within the powers of the Investor, have been duly authorized and will not constitute or result in a breach or default under or conflict with any order, ruling or regulation of any court or other tribunal or of any governmental commission or agency, or any agreement or other undertaking, to which the Investor is a party or by which the Investor is bound, and will not violate any provisions of the Investor’s organizational documents (if the Investor is not a natural person), including, without limitation, its incorporation or formation papers, bylaws, indenture of trust or partnership or operating agreement, as may be applicable, except any such breach, default or conflict, as the case may be, that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the ability of Investor to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement. The signature of the Investor on this Purchase Agreement is genuine, and the signatory has legal competence and capacity to execute the same or the signatory has been duly authorized to execute the same, and, assuming that this Purchase Agreement constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the Company, this Purchase Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally, and (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity.
8
(n) The Investor, or in the case Investor is not a natural person, any of its officers, directors, managers, managing members, general partners or any other individual acting in a similar capacity or carrying out a similar function, is not: (i) a person named on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, the Foreign Sanctions Evaders List, the Sectoral Sanctions Identification List, or any other similar list of sanctioned persons administered by OFAC, or any similar list of sanctioned persons administered by the European Union, any individual European Union member state or the United Kingdom (collectively, “Sanctions Lists”); (ii) directly or indirectly fifty percent (50%) or more owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf of, one or more persons on a Sanctions List; (iii) organized, incorporated, established, located, resident in, or a citizen, national, or the government, including any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, of, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic or the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the Crimea region of Ukraine, or any other country or territory that is the subject of comprehensive trade restrictions by the United States, the European Union, any individual European Union member state or the United Kingdom; (iv) a Designated National as defined in the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 515; or (v) a non-U.S. shell bank or, to the Investor’s knowledge, providing banking services indirectly to a non-U.S. shell bank (collectively, a “Prohibited Investor”). The Investor represents that, if it is a financial institution subject to the Bank Secrecy Act (31 U.S.C. Section 5311 et seq.), as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and its implementing regulations (collectively, the “BSA/PATRIOT Act”), then the Investor maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with applicable obligations under the BSA/PATRIOT Act. The Investor also represents that it maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with sanctions administered or enforced by the United States, the European Union, any individual European Union member state or the United Kingdom, to the extent applicable to it. The Investor further represents that the funds held by the Investor and used to purchase the Purchased Shares were legally derived and were not obtained, directly or indirectly, from a Prohibited Investor or in a manner that would violate any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States, the European Union, any individual European Union member state or the United Kingdom, or any applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption or anti-money laundering laws.
(o) If the Investor is or is acting on behalf of (i) an employee benefit plan that is subject to Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), (ii) a plan, an individual retirement account or other arrangement that is subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), (iii) an entity whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of any such plan, account or arrangement described in clauses (i) and (ii) (each, an “ERISA Plan”), or (iv) an employee benefit plan that is a governmental plan (as defined in Section 3(32) of ERISA), a church plan (as defined in Section 3(33) of ERISA), a non-U.S. plan (as described in Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA) or other plan that is not subject to the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) but may be subject to provisions under any other federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code (collectively, “Similar Laws,” and together with ERISA Plans, “Plans”), the Investor represents and warrants that (A) neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has provided investment advice or has otherwise acted as the Plans’ fiduciary, with respect to its decision to acquire and hold the Purchased Shares, and none of the parties to the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement is or shall at any time be the Plans’ fiduciary with respect to any decision in connection with the Investor’s investment in the Purchased Shares; and (B) its purchase of the Purchased Shares will not constitute or result in a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, or a violation of any applicable Similar Laws.
9
(p) When required to deliver payment to the Company pursuant to Section 2, the Investor will have sufficient funds to pay the Purchase Price and consummate the purchase and sale of the Purchased Shares pursuant to this Purchase Agreement.
(q) The Investor acknowledges and agrees that, except for the SEC Documents, the Investor Presentation and the representations and warranties of the Company expressly set forth in or incorporated by reference into Section 5, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing or any other person or entity makes or has made any express or implied representation or warranty to the Investor or any of its affiliates or representatives with respect to the Company or its affiliates or their respective securities or businesses, or any estimates, projections, forecasts and other forward-looking information or business and strategic plan information regarding the Company, Husky or their respective affiliates or with respect to any other information provided or made available to the Investor or its affiliates or representatives in connection with PIPE Investment (including any information, documents, projections, forecasts, estimates, predictions or other material made available to the Investor or its representatives in “data rooms,” management presentations, marketing materials or due diligence sessions in expectation of the PIPE Investment). The Investor acknowledges and agrees that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, no investor pursuant to any Other Purchase Agreement (including any of such investor’s respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing) shall be liable to the Investor pursuant to this Purchase Agreement, the negotiation hereof or the subject matter hereof, or the transactions contemplated hereby, for any action heretofore or hereafter taken or omitted to be taken by any of them in connection with the purchase of the Purchased Shares.
7. No Hedging. The Investor has not, during the period commencing as of the time that the Investor first agreed to receive information from the Company regarding the transaction contemplated hereby and ending immediately prior to the date hereof, entered into, any “short sales” (as such term is defined in Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act, 17 CFR 242.200(a)) or any “put equivalent position” as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act with respect to the Purchased Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if the Investor is a multi-managed investment vehicle or sovereign wealth fund whereby separate portfolio managers, investment teams or business lines manage separate portions of such Investor’s assets, the foregoing representation shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager, investment team or business line, as applicable, that made the investment decision to purchase the Purchased Shares and (ii) in the case that Investor’s investment adviser utilized an information barrier with respect to the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder after first being contacted by the Company, the representation set forth above shall only apply after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages the Investor’s assets was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder and, with respect to the Investor’s investment adviser, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to any purchases or sales of the securities of the Company on behalf of other funds or investment vehicles for which Investor’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or sub-adviser after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages the assets of such other funds or investment vehicles for which the Investor’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or sub-adviser was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder.
10
8. Registration Rights.
(a) The Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to, within fifteen (15) business days following the Closing Date (or, if the Company is on the Closing Date a well-known seasoned issuer, within five (5) business days following the Closing Date) (the “Filing Date”), file with the SEC a registration statement for a shelf registration on Form S-3 (if the Company is then eligible to use a Form S-3 shelf registration) or Form S-1 (if the Company is then not eligible to use a Form S-3 shelf registration) (the “Registration Statement”) covering the resale of the Purchased Shares pursuant to this Purchase Agreement (such shares of Common Stock and, unless issued in a transaction registered under the Securities Act, any other equity security issued or issuable with respect to such purchased Common Stock by way of stock split, dividend, distribution, recapitalization, merger, exchange, replacement or similar event, the “Registrable Shares”); and, if such Registration Statement does not become effective automatically upon filing, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have the Registration Statement declared effective as soon as reasonably practicable after the filing thereof, and no later than the earlier of (i) forty five (45) days following the Filing Date (or ninety (90) days if the SEC reviews the Registration Statement) (provided, that such periods shall be extended for the duration of any closure of the SEC due to a government shutdown), and (ii) five (5) business days after being informed (in writing or orally) that the SEC will not review or has completed its review of the Registration Statement; provided, that the Company’s obligations to include the Registrable Shares in the Registration Statement are contingent upon the Investor furnishing in writing to the Company such information regarding the Investor or its permitted assigns, the securities of the Company held by the Investor and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Shares (which shall be limited to non-underwritten public offerings) as shall be reasonably requested by the Company to effect the registration of the Registrable Shares, and the Investor shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request that are customary of a selling stockholder in similar situations; provided, further that the Investor shall not in connection with the foregoing be required to execute any lock-up or similar agreement or otherwise be subject to any contractual restriction on the ability to transfer the Registrable Shares. The Company shall not name any Investor as an “underwriter” in the Registration Statement without the prior written consent of the Investor unless the SEC requests that Investor be identified as a statutory underwriter; provided that if the SEC requests that Investor be identified as a statutory underwriter in the Registration Statement, Investor will have the opportunity to withdraw from the Registration Statement upon its prompt written request to the Company. The Company shall provide Investor with the Registration Statement, as applicable, for review not less than five (5) business days before filing. The Company shall, upon request, inform the Investor as to the status of the registration effected by the Company pursuant to this Purchase Agreement (to the extent the Registration Statement does not become effective automatically upon filing).
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Purchase Agreement, if as a result of SEC review, there is a limitation on the number of Registrable Shares permitted to be registered on a particular Registration Statement as a secondary offering, unless otherwise directed in writing by Investor as to its Registrable Shares, the number of Registrable Shares to be registered on such Registration Statement will be reduced on a pro rata basis based on the total number of unregistered Registrable Shares held by all selling stockholders to be included in such Registration Statement, subject to a determination by the SEC that certain selling stockholders must be reduced first based on the number of Registrable Shares held by such selling stockholders, and subject to any other registration rights agreements of the Company in effect as of the Closing Date. In the event such a limitation is imposed, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC, as promptly as allowed by applicable securities laws, one or more Registration Statements on Form S-3 (if available) or such other form available to register for resale those Registrable Shares that were not registered for resale on the initial Registration Statement.
(c) At its expense the Company shall:
(i) except during any customary blackout or similar period for which the Company is permitted hereunder to suspend the use of the prospectus forming part of a Registration Statement, use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such registration, and any qualification, exemption or compliance under state securities laws which the Company determines to obtain, continuously effective with respect to the Investor, and to keep the applicable Registration Statement or any subsequent shelf registration statement free of any material misstatements or omissions, until the earliest of the following: (A) the Investor ceases to hold any Registrable Shares and (B) the date all Registrable Shares held by the Investor may be sold without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement of Rule 144(i)(2) under the Securities Act and without volume or manner of sale restrictions under Rule 144. The period of time during which the Company is required hereunder to keep a Registration Statement effective is referred to herein as the “Registration Period”;
11
(ii) during the Registration Period, promptly advise the Investor:
(1) when a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed with the SEC and when such Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective;
(2) after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for such purpose;
(3) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Shares included therein for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and
(4) subject to the provisions in this Purchase Agreement, of the occurrence of any event that requires the making of any changes in any Registration Statement or prospectus so that, as of such date, the statements therein are not materially misleading and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Company shall not, when so advising the Investor of such events, provide the Investor with any material, nonpublic information regarding the Company other than to the extent that providing notice to the Investor of the occurrence of the events listed in (1) through (4) above constitutes material, nonpublic information regarding the Company;
(iii) during the Registration Period, use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement as soon as reasonably practicable;
(iv) during the Registration Period, upon the occurrence of any event contemplated in Section 8(c)(ii)(4), except for such times as the Company is permitted hereunder to suspend the use of a prospectus forming part of a Registration Statement, use its commercially reasonable efforts to, as soon as reasonably practicable, prepare a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement or a supplement to the related prospectus, or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of the Registrable Shares included therein, such prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
12
(v) during the Registration Period, use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all Registrable Shares to be listed on the national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed; and
(vi) during the Registration Period, use its commercially reasonable efforts to allow the Investor to review disclosure regarding the Investor in the Registration Statement.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Purchase Agreement, the Company shall be entitled to delay the filing or effectiveness of, or terminate or suspend the use of the Registration Statement (or any prospectus therein) if (x) it determines that in order for the Registration Statement not to contain a material misstatement or omission, (A) an amendment thereto would be needed to include information that would at that time not otherwise be required in a current, quarterly or annual report under the Exchange Act, or (B) the negotiation or consummation of a transaction by the Company or its affiliates is pending or an event has occurred, which negotiation, consummation or event that the Company reasonably believes would require additional disclosure by the Company in the Registration Statement of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for keeping confidential and the non-disclosure of which in the Registration Statement would be expected, in the reasonable judgment of the Company to cause the Registration Statement to fail to comply with applicable disclosure requirements, (y) such delay in filing or effectiveness (but not preparation) of, or suspension of, the Registration Statement arises out of the unavailability of required financial statements or (z) in the good faith judgment of the Company, such filing or effectiveness or use of such Registration Statement would require the disclosure of material non-public information concerning the Company that at the time is not, in the good faith judgment of the Company, in the best interests of the Company to disclose and is not otherwise required to be disclosed, and in either case, the Company concludes as a result to defer such filing or terminate or suspend the use of such Registration Statement (or any prospectus included therein) (each such circumstance, a “Suspension Event”); provided that (a) with respect to the filing and effectiveness of the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 8, the Company shall cure any delay as promptly as commercially practicable, and (b) otherwise, the Company may not delay or suspend the Registration Statement for more than sixty (60) consecutive calendar days, or more than ninety (90) total calendar days, in each case during any consecutive twelve (12) month period. Upon receipt of any written notice (which notice shall not contain material non-public information) from the Company of the happening of any Suspension Event during the period that the Registration Statement is effective or if as a result of a Suspension Event the Registration Statement or related prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in light of the circumstances under which they were made, in the case of the prospectus) not misleading, the Investor agrees that (I) it will immediately discontinue offers and sales of the Investor’s Purchased Shares under the Registration Statement (until the Investor receives copies of a supplemental or amended prospectus that corrects the misstatement(s) or omission(s) referred to above and receives notice that any post-effective amendment has become effective or unless otherwise notified by the Company that it may resume such offers and sales) and (II) it will maintain the confidentiality of any information included in such written notice delivered by the Company unless otherwise required by law or subpoena. If so directed by the Company, the Investor will deliver to the Company or, in the Investor’s sole discretion destroy, all copies of the prospectus covering the Investor’s Purchased Shares in the Investor’s possession; provided, that this obligation to deliver or destroy all copies of the prospectus covering the Investor’s Purchased Shares shall not apply (A) to the extent the Investor is required to retain a copy of such prospectus (1) in order to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, self-regulatory or professional requirements or (2) in accordance with a bona fide pre-existing document retention policy or (B) to copies stored electronically on archival servers as a result of automatic data back-up.
(e) If the Purchased Shares are sold (i) pursuant to an effective Registration Statement or (ii) Rule 144 under the Securities Act, then at the Investor’s written request, each of the Company and the Investor will reasonably cooperate with the Company’s transfer agent, such that any remaining restrictive legend set forth on such Purchased Shares will be removed in connection with such sale of such shares, subject to receipt from the Investor by the Company and its transfer agent of customary representations and other documentation reasonably requested by the Company and its transfer agent in connection therewith, including, if required by the Company’s transfer agent, an opinion of counsel, in a form reasonably acceptable to its transfer agent, regarding the removal of such restrictive legends.
13
(f) Following such time as Rule 144 under the Securities Act is available for the Purchased Shares, with a view to making available to the Investor the benefits of Rule 144, the Company agrees, for so long as the Investor holds the Purchased Shares purchased pursuant to this Purchase Agreement, to:
(i) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144; and
(ii) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so long as the Company remains subject to such requirements and the filing of such reports and other documents is required for the applicable provisions of Rule 144.
(g) Indemnification.
(i) The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Investor (to the extent a seller under the Registration Statement), its directors, officers, members, affiliates, managers, shareholders, partners, agents, advisers and employees, and each person who controls the Investor (within the meaning of the Securities Act), to the extent permitted by applicable law, against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable and documented outside attorneys’ fees of one law firm (and one firm of local counsel)) caused by or arising from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, prospectus included in any Registration Statement (“Prospectus”) or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Investor expressly for use therein.
(ii) In connection with any Registration Statement in which the Investor is participating, the Investor shall furnish (or cause to be furnished) to the Company in writing such information as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and each person or entity who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and reasonable documented out-of-pocket expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable and documented outside attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained or incorporated by reference in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained (or not contained in, in the case of an omission) in any information so furnished to the Company in writing by on behalf of the Investor expressly for use therein; provided, that the liability of the Investor shall be several and not joint with any other investor and shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by the Investor from the sale of Registrable Shares giving rise to such indemnification obligation.
14
(iii) Any person or entity entitled to indemnification herein shall (A) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s or entity’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (B) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement includes a statement or admission of fault and culpability on the part of such indemnified party or which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
(iv) The indemnification provided for under this Purchase Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling person or entity of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of the Purchased Shares purchased pursuant to this Purchase Agreement.
(v) If the indemnification provided under this Section 8(g) from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided, that the liability of the Investor shall be limited to the net proceeds received by the Investor from the sale of Registrable Shares giving rise to such indemnification obligation. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, was made by (or not made by, in the case of an omission), or relates to information supplied by (or not supplied by, in the case of an omission), such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 8(g)(i), (ii) and (iii) above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this Section 8(g)(v) from any person or entity who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
15
(vi) The indemnification rights and obligations pursuant to this Section 8(g) are in addition to, and not exclusive of, the indemnification rights and obligations set forth in Section 13 of this Purchase Agreement.
9. Termination. This Purchase Agreement shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect, and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall terminate without any further liability on the part of any party in respect thereof, upon the earliest to occur of (a) the mutual written agreement of each of the parties hereto to terminate this Purchase Agreement, (b) the termination of the Merger Agreement in accordance with its terms, and (c) if the Closing has not occurred by May 2, 2026. The Company will promptly notify the Investor in writing of any termination of any Other Purchase Agreement.
10. Miscellaneous.
(a) Neither this Purchase Agreement nor any rights that may accrue to the Investor hereunder (other than the Purchased Shares acquired hereunder, if any) may be transferred or assigned, without consent of the Company, other than an assignment to any affiliate of the Investor or any fund or account managed or advised by the same investment manager as the Investor or an affiliate thereof, subject to, if such transfer or assignment is prior to the Closing, such transferee or assignee, as applicable, executing a joinder to this Purchase Agreement or a separate Purchase Agreement in substantially the same form as this Purchase Agreement, including with respect to the Purchase Price and other terms and conditions; provided that, in the case of any such transfer or assignment, the initial party to this Purchase Agreement shall remain bound by its obligations under this Purchase Agreement in the event that the transferee or assignee, as applicable, does not comply with its obligations to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. Neither this Purchase Agreement nor any rights that may accrue to the Company hereunder may be transferred or assigned by the Company.
(b) The Company may request from the Investor such additional information concerning the Investor as the Company may reasonably deem necessary to evaluate the eligibility of the Investor to acquire the Purchased Shares and in connection with the inclusion of the Purchased Shares in the Registration Statement, and the Investor shall promptly provide such information concerning the Investor as may reasonably be requested, to the extent readily available and to the extent consistent with its internal policies and procedures; provided that the Company agrees to keep any such information provided by the Investor confidential, except as required by laws, rules or regulations, at the request of the staff of the SEC or another regulatory agency or by the regulations of any applicable stock exchange. The Investor acknowledges that the Company may file a copy of the form of this Purchase Agreement with the SEC as an exhibit to or within a current or periodic report or a registration statement of the Company.
(c) The Investor acknowledges that the Company will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties of the Investor contained in this Purchase Agreement. Prior to the Closing, the Investor agrees to promptly notify the Company if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties of the Investor set forth herein are no longer accurate.
(d) The Company and the Investor are each entitled to rely upon this Purchase Agreement and each is irrevocably authorized to produce this Purchase Agreement or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
16
(e) All of the representations and warranties contained in this Purchase Agreement shall survive the Closing. All of the covenants and agreements made by each party hereto in this Purchase Agreement shall survive the Closing until the applicable statute of limitations or in accordance with their respective terms, if a shorter period.
(f) This Purchase Agreement may not be modified, waived or terminated (other than pursuant to the terms of Section 9) except by an instrument in writing, signed by each of the parties hereto. No failure or delay of either party in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such right or power, or any course of conduct, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the parties hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have hereunder. The Company shall not amend, modify or waive (or approve an amendment, modification or a waiver requested by Husky of, or fail to contest an action regarding a breach of) any provision of the Merger Agreement in a manner that would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the benefits that Investor would reasonably expect to receive pursuant to this Purchase Agreement without the consent of the Investor, it being understood that any amendment, modification or waiver of the Merger Agreement that would result in (x) the Company issuing more than 60,827,026 shares of Common Stock in the aggregate in consideration for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (for the avoidance of doubt, excluding the PIPE Investment), or (y) the Company owning, directly or indirectly, as of immediately following the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, less than 100% of the issued and outstanding equity interests in each of the Company (as defined in the Merger Agreement), New BC (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and TargetCo (as defined in the Merger Agreement), shall require the consent of the Investor.
(g) No Other Purchase Agreement provides for any terms, rights or benefits to the investor under such Other Purchase Agreement that are more favorable to such other investor than the terms, rights and benefits hereof, and none of the Company, Husky or Resolute Holdings Management, Inc. has entered into any side letter or similar agreement regarding any other investors participation in the PIPE Investment other than the Other Purchase Agreements that is materially more favorable to such other investor than the terms, rights and benefits hereof. After the date hereof, no Other Purchase Agreement shall be amended or modified, and no terms or conditions thereof waived, in each case in a manner that is materially more favorable to such other investor than the terms, rights and benefits hereof, unless such amendment, modification or waiver is also offered to the Investor; provided that each Other Purchase Agreement reflects the same per share purchase price for the Purchased Shares and has other economic terms with respect to the purchase of the Purchased Shares that are no more favorable to any such other investor thereunder than the terms of this Purchase Agreement.
(h) This Purchase Agreement (including the schedule hereto) constitutes the entire agreement, and supersedes all other prior agreements, understandings, representations and warranties, both written and oral, among the parties, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except as set forth in Section 8(g) with respect to the persons referenced therein, this Purchase Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties hereto, and their respective successor and assigns.
(i) Except as otherwise provided herein, this Purchase Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns, and the agreements, representations, warranties, covenants and acknowledgments contained herein shall be deemed to be made by, and be binding upon, such heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.
17
(j) If any provision of this Purchase Agreement shall be adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Purchase Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall continue in full force and effect.
(k) Without limiting any remedies of a party hereunder for a breach of this Purchase Agreement by the other party, each party shall pay its own costs and expenses incurred in connection with the negotiation and execution of this Purchase Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, whether or not such transactions are consummated.
(l) This Purchase Agreement may be executed and delivered (including by means of telecopied signature pages or other means of electronic transmission, such as by electronic mail in “pdf” form or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. Federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) in counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same Purchase Agreement. The Purchase Agreement shall become effective when each party hereto shall have received a counterpart hereof signed by all of the other parties hereto. Until and unless each party has received a counterpart hereof signed by each other party hereto, this Purchase Agreement shall have no effect and no party shall have any right or obligation hereunder (whether by virtue of any other oral or written agreement or other communication). The parties irrevocably and unreservedly agree that this Purchase Agreement may be executed by way of electronic signatures and the parties agree that this letter, or any part thereof, shall not be challenged or denied any legal effect, validity and/or enforceability solely on the ground that it is in the form of an electronic record.
(m) The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Purchase Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to seek an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Purchase Agreement and to specific enforcement of this Purchase Agreement, in addition to any other remedy to which any party is entitled at law, in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise. In the event that any claim, action, suit or proceeding shall be brought in equity to enforce the provisions of this Purchase Agreement, no party hereto shall allege, and each party hereto hereby waives the defense, that there is an adequate remedy at law, and each party hereto agrees to waive any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection therewith.
(n) Any claim, action, suit or proceeding based upon, arising out of or related to this Purchase Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby must be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, only to the extent such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware or, if it has or can acquire jurisdiction, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware), and each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally (i) consents and submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of each such court in any such claim, action, suit or proceeding, (ii) waives any objection it may now or hereafter have to personal jurisdiction, venue or to convenience of forum, (iii) agrees that all claims in respect of such action, suit or proceeding shall be heard and determined only in any such court and (iv) agrees not to bring any claim, action, suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Purchase Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in any other court. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to affect the right of any party to serve process in any manner permitted by law or to commence legal proceedings or otherwise proceed against any other party in any other jurisdiction to enforce judgments obtained in any claim, action, suit or proceeding brought in accordance with this Section 10(n); provided that service of process with respect to any such claim, action, suit or proceeding may also be made upon any party hereto by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, to such party at its address as provided in Section 12.
18
(o) This Purchase Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws that would otherwise require the application of the law of any other State.
(p) Eachparty acknowledges and agrees that any controversy which may arise under this Purchase Agreement or the transactions contemplated herebyis likely to involve complicated and difficult issues, and therefore each such party hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives anyright such party may have to a trial by jury in respect of any litigation directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to this PurchaseAgreement or the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement. 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 the foregoing waiver; (ii) such party understands and has considered the implications of the foregoing waiver; (iii) suchparty makes the foregoing waiver voluntarily and (iv) such party has been induced to enter into this Purchase Agreement by, amongother things, the mutual waiver and certifications in this Section 10(p).
11. Disclosure; Press Releases.
(a) The Company shall, by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first business day immediately following the date of this Purchase Agreement (provided that, if this Purchase Agreement is executed between midnight and 9:00 a.m., New York City time on any business day, no later than 9:01 a.m. on the date hereof), issue one or more press releases or file with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K (collectively, the “Disclosure Document”, and the actual filing of such press release and/or Current Report on Form 8-K, the “Disclosure Time”), which Current Report on Form 8-K shall include as exhibits the Merger Agreement and the Investor Presentation provided to the Investor in connection with the PIPE Investment, disclosing any material non-public information within the meaning of the federal securities laws that the Company or any person acting at its direction or on its behalf has provided to the Investor in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement or the Merger Agreement prior to the filing of the Disclosure Document (which includes, for the avoidance of doubt, the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, the material terms of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby and any other material non-public information with respect to the Company made available to the Investor). Following the Disclosure Time, the Investor shall not be in possession of any material non-public information regarding the Company received from the Company or any person acting at its direction or on its behalf, and the Investor shall no longer be subject to any confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, with the Company or any of its affiliates, relating to the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement.
(b) The Company (i) shall not publicly disclose the name of Investor, its advisers or any of their respective affiliates, or include the name of Investor, its advisers or any of their respective affiliates in any press release, without the prior written consent of Investor and (ii) shall not publicly disclose the name of Investor, its advisers or any of their respective affiliates, or include the name of Investor, its advisers or any of their respective affiliates in any filing with the SEC or any regulatory agency or trading market, without the prior written consent of Investor, except (A) as required by the federal securities laws, rules or regulations, including in connection with the filing of a Registration Statement pursuant to Section 8, or (B) to the extent such disclosure is required by other laws, rules or regulations, at the request of the staff of the SEC or regulatory agency or under the regulations of the NYSE, in which case Company, as applicable, shall provide Investor with prior written notice (including by e-mail) of such permitted disclosure, and shall reasonably consult with Investor regarding such disclosure. Investor will promptly provide any information reasonably requested by the Company for any regulatory application or filing made or approval sought in connection with the PIPE Investment (including filings with the SEC). To the extent that any such information is publicly disclosed pursuant to the provisions hereunder, the parties agree that no further notice or consent is required for Company to further disclose such information. From and after the Disclosure Time, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other person acting on its behalf, will provide the Investor or any of its affiliates, advisers, agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto the Investor shall have consented to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential pursuant to the Investor’s standard “wall-cross” procedures.
19
12. Notices. All notices and other communications among the parties shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) when delivered in person, (b) when delivered after posting in the United States mail having been sent registered or certified mail return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (c) when delivered by FedEx or other nationally recognized overnight delivery service, or (d) when sent by electronic mail with no mail undeliverable or rejection notice, addressed as follows:
If to the Investor, to the address provided on the Investor’s signature page hereto.
If to the Company, to:
CompoSecure, Inc.
309 Pierce Street
Somerset, NJ 08873
| Attention: | Thomas R.<br> Knott, Chief Investment Officer |
|---|---|
| Email: | [***] |
with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
| Attention: | Laura C.<br> Turano<br><br> Tim Cruickshank<br><br> David A.P. Marshall |
|---|---|
| Email: | lturano@paulweiss.com<br><br> tcruikshank@paulweiss.com<br> dmarshall@paulweiss.com |
or to such other address or addresses as the parties may from time to time designate in writing. Copies delivered solely to outside counsel shall not constitute notice.
13. Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Investor and its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, trustees, members, managers, employees, investment advisers and agents (collectively, the “Indemnified Persons”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable and documented attorney fees and disbursements and other documented out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim or proceeding, pending or threatened and the costs of enforcement thereof) to which such Indemnified Person may become subject (i) as a result of any breach of representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by or to be performed on the part of the Company under this Purchase Agreement or (ii) as a result of or arising out of any action, claim or proceeding, pending or threatened, against an Indemnified Person in any capacity by any third party (including a stockholder of the Company), whether directly or in a derivative capacity, who is not an affiliate of the Indemnified Person, with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement or the Merger Agreement, and will reimburse any such Indemnified Person for all such amounts as they are incurred by such Indemnified Person.
20
(b) Any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided that any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such person unless (A) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees or expenses, (B) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such person or (C) in the reasonable judgment of any such person, based upon written advice of its counsel, a conflict of interest exists between such person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such person); and provided, further, that the failure of any indemnified party to give written notice as provided herein shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder, except to the extent that such failure to give notice shall materially adversely affect the indemnifying party in the defense of any such claim or litigation. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for fees or expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties. No indemnifying party will, except with the consent of the indemnified party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement unless such judgment or settlement (i) imposes no liability or obligation on, (ii) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving of a complete, explicit and unconditional release from the party bringing such indemnified claims of all liability of the indemnified party in respect of such claim or litigation in favor of, and (iii) does not include any admission of fault, culpability, wrongdoing, or wrongdoing or malfeasance by or on behalf of, the indemnified party. No indemnified party will, except with the consent of the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement.
(c) The indemnification rights and obligations pursuant to this Section 13 are in addition to, and not exclusive of, the indemnification rights and obligations set forth in Section 8(g) of this Purchase Agreement.
14. Separate Obligations. The obligations of Investor under this Purchase Agreement are several and not joint with the obligations of any investor under the Other Purchase Agreements, and Investor shall not be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other investor under the Other Purchase Agreements. The decision of Investor to purchase the Purchased Shares pursuant to this Purchase Agreement has been made by Investor independently of any other investor and independently of any information, materials, statements or opinions as to the business, affairs, operations, assets, properties, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which may have been made or given by any other investor or by any agent or employee of any other investor, and neither Investor nor any of its agents or employees shall have any liability to any other investor (or any other person) relating to or arising from any such information, materials, statements or opinions. Nothing contained herein or in any Other Purchase Agreement, and no action taken by Investor or any other investor pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute Investor and such other investors as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that Investor and such other investors are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Purchase Agreement and the Other Purchase Agreements. Investor acknowledges that no other investor under the Other Purchase Agreements has acted as agent for Investor in connection with making its investment hereunder and no other investor under the Other Purchase Agreements will be acting as agent of Investor in connection with monitoring its investment in the Purchased Shares or enforcing its rights under this Purchase Agreement. Investor shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Purchase Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.
[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]
21
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Investor has executed or caused this Purchase Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized representative as of the date first written above.
| Name of Investor: | State/Country of Formation or Domicile: |
|---|---|
| Signature | |
| By: | |
| Name: | |
| Title: | |
| Name in which Purchased Shares are to be registered<br> (if different): | |
| --- | |
| Investor’s SSN/EIN: | |
| --- | |
| Business Address: | Mailing Address (if different): |
| --- | --- |
| Street: | Street: |
| --- | --- |
| City, State, Zip: | City, State, Zip: |
| --- | --- |
| Attn: | Attn: |
| --- | --- |
| Telephone No.: | Telephone No.: |
| --- | --- |
| Facsimile No.: | Facsimile No.: |
| --- | --- |
| Email: | Email: |
| --- | --- |
| Number of Purchased Shares being purchased: | |
| --- | |
| Aggregate Purchase Price: $__________________ |
You must pay the Purchase Price by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company.
[Signature Page to Purchase Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has accepted this Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.
| COMPOSECURE, INC. | |
|---|---|
| By: | |
| Name: | |
| Title: |
[Signature Page to Purchase Agreement]
SCHEDULE A
ELIGIBILITY REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INVESTOR
| A. | QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER STATUS<br><br> (Please check the applicable subparagraphs): |
|---|---|
| ¨ | We are a “qualified<br> institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act). |
| --- | --- |
OR
| B. | ACCREDITED INVESTOR STATUS<br><br> (Please check the applicable subparagraphs): |
|---|---|
| 1. | ¨ We are an “accredited<br> investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act) and have marked<br> and initialed the appropriate box on the following page indicating the provision under which we<br> qualify as an “accredited investor.” |
| --- | --- |
| 2. | ¨ We are not a natural person. |
| --- | --- |
Rule 501(a), in relevant part, states that an “accredited investor” shall mean any person who comes within any of the below listed categories, or who the issuer reasonably believes comes within any of the below listed categories, at the time of the sale of the securities to that person. The Investor has indicated, by marking and initialing the appropriate box below, the provision(s) below which apply to the Investor and under which the Investor accordingly qualifies as an “accredited investor.”
| ¨ | Any bank, registered<br> broker or dealer, insurance company, registered investment company, business development<br> company, or small business investment company; |
|---|---|
| ¨ | Any plan established<br> and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of<br> a state or its political subdivisions for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has<br> total assets in excess of $5,000,000; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any employee benefit<br> plan, within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, if a bank,<br> savings and loan association, insurance company, or registered investment adviser makes the<br> investment decisions, or if the plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000, or, if a self-directed<br> plan, with investment decisions made solely by persons that are accredited investors; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any private business<br> development company; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any organization described<br> in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or<br> similar business trust, or partnership, or limited liability company, not formed for the<br> specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any director, executive<br> officer, or general partner of the issuer of the securities being offered or sold, or any<br> director, executive officer, or general partner of a general partner of that issuer; |
| --- | --- |
[Schedule A to Purchase Agreement]
| ¨ | Any natural person whose<br> individual net worth, or joint net worth with that person’s spouse or spousal equivalent,<br> exceeds $1,000,000. For purposes of calculating a natural person’s net worth: (a) the<br> person’s primary residence shall not be included as an asset; (b) indebtedness<br> that is secured by the person’s primary residence, up to the estimated fair market<br> value of the primary residence at the time of the sale of securities, shall not be included<br> as a liability (except that if the amount of such indebtedness outstanding at the time of<br> sale of securities exceeds the amount outstanding 60 calendar days before such time, other<br> than as a result of the acquisition of the primary residence, the amount of such excess shall<br> be included as a liability); and (c) indebtedness that is secured by the person’s<br> primary residence in excess of the estimated fair market value of the primary residence at<br> the time of the sale of securities shall be included as a liability; |
|---|---|
| ¨ | Any natural person who<br> had an individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint<br> income with that person’s spouse or spousal equivalent in excess of $300,000 in each<br> of those years and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the<br> current year; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any trust with total<br> assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities<br> offered, whose purchase is directed by a sophisticated person; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any entity in which<br> all of the equity owners are accredited investors; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any entity of a type<br> not listed first, second, third, fourth, ninth or tenth bullets of this section, not formed<br> for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, owning investments in excess<br> of $5,000,000; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any natural person holding<br> in good standing one or more professional certifications or designations or credentials from<br> an accredited educational institution that the Securities and Exchange Commission has designated<br> as qualifying an individual for accredited investor status; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any natural person who<br> is a “knowledgeable employee” as defined in rule 3c-5(a)(4) under the<br> Investment Company Act of 1940 of the issuer of the securities being offered or sold where<br> the issuer would be an investment company, as defined in section 3 of such act, but for the<br> exclusion provided by either section 3(c)(1) or section 3(c)(7) of such act; |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any “family office,”<br> as defined in rule 202(a)(11)(G)-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended,<br> with assets under management in excess of $5,000,000, not formed to acquire the securities<br> offered, and whose prospective investment is directed by a person who has such knowledge<br> and experience in financial and business matters that such family office is capable of evaluating<br> the merits and risks of the prospective investment; or |
| --- | --- |
| ¨ | Any “family client,”<br> as defined in rule 202(a)(11)(G)-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as<br> amended, of a family office meeting the requirements set forth above and whose prospective<br> investment in the issuer is directed by such family office pursuant to the requirements<br> set forth above. |
| --- | --- |
This page should be completed by theInvestorand constitutes a part of the Purchase Agreement.
[Schedule A to Purchase Agreement]