Stock Exchange De-listing. Prior to the Effective Time, Zix will cooperate with OpenText and use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions and do, or cause to be done, all things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable on its part pursuant to applicable law to cause (a) the delisting of Zix common stock from Nasdaq as promptly as practicable after the Effective Time; and (b) the deregistration of Zix common stock pursuant to the Exchange Act as promptly as practicable after such delisting.
Employee Benefit Matters. For purposes of the Merger Agreement, a “Company Benefit Plan” means any plan, program, policy, practice, contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for compensation or employee benefits, including each employment agreement, consulting agreement, independent contractor agreement, bonus, commission, stock option, stock purchase or other equity-based award, performance award, incentive compensation, profit sharing, savings, retirement, pension, disability, life insurance, health or medical benefits, employee assistance program, sick leave, vacation or other paid time-off, deferred compensation, severance, termination pay, post-employment or retirement benefits, retention, transaction bonus, change of control compensation, and fringe, welfare or other employee benefit or other similar plan, program, policy, practice, contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for remuneration of any kind, whether or not in writing, whether funded or unfunded, including each “employee benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA (whether or not subject to ERISA), in each case, which is sponsored, entered into, maintained, contributed to (or required to be sponsored, entered into, maintained or contributed to) for the benefit of any service provider or with respect to which Zix or any of its subsidiaries or “ERISA Affiliates” (which means any person under common control with Zix or any subsidiary or that, together with Zix, could be deemed a “single employer” within the meaning of Section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA or within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code at the relevant time) has any liability, contingent or otherwise.
A “Company Employee” means, for purposes of the Merger Agreement, any employee of Zix or Zix’s subsidiaries who is employed immediately prior to the Effective Time and who remains employed with the Surviving Corporation or any other affiliate of OpenText following the Effective Time.
The Merger Agreement provides that for a period of one year following the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation will honor all Company Benefit Plans, other than broad-based Company Benefit Plans, in accordance with their terms as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, and will not terminate or materially amend such Company Benefit Plans except as required by law. The Merger Agreement also provides that during the one-year period immediately following the Effective Time, OpenText will, or will cause the Surviving Corporation to, provide to each Company Employee, for so long as the Company Employee remains so employed by the Surviving Corporation or any other affiliate of OpenText, annual base salary, bonus and incentive opportunities and other compensation and employee benefits that, with respect to each employee, are substantially similar in the aggregate to the base salary, bonus and incentive opportunities and other compensation and employee benefits provided to such Company Employee immediately prior to the closing date (excluding, in each case, any paid time off or vacation, equity-based, change in control, retention, transaction bonus, severance or similar compensation or benefits), provided that for purposes of any benefits or payments related to defined contribution benefit plans, such benefits and payments shall be deemed to be comparable provided that they are at least as favorable as the benefits or payments OpenText provides to its similarly situated employees.
The Merger Agreement provides that, except as otherwise required under applicable law, OpenText shall, or shall cause the Surviving Corporation to, use commercially reasonable efforts to give Company Employees full credit for such Company Employees’ service with Zix for purposes of eligibility, vesting and determination of the level of benefits under any benefit plans maintained by OpenText or the Surviving Corporation or any affiliate of either in which a Company Employee participates to the same extent recognized by Zix immediately prior to the closing date of the Merger (including for purposes of vacation accrual but excluding for purposes of any defined benefit pension plans, equity-based, change in control, retention, transaction bonus, severance, or similar compensation or benefits); provided, however, that such service shall not be credited to the extent that it would result in a duplication of coverage or benefits with respect to the same period of service.
38