The parties have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
EXHIBIT A
DEFINED TERMS
1. The following capitalized terms have the meanings indicated:
“Advisers Act” means the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
“Affiliate” of any Person means any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Common Stock” means the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share.
“DGCL” means the Delaware General Corporation Law.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect in the United States.
“HSR Act” means the United States Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Intellectual Property Rights” means all registered copyrights, copyright registrations and copyright applications, trademark registrations and applications for registration, patents and patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names and Internet domain names that are used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in their business as presently conducted, including all (i) databases, computer programs and other computer software user interfaces, know-how, trade secrets, customer lists, proprietary technology, processes and formulae, source code, object code, algorithms, development tools, instructions and templates created by or on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (ii) inventions, trade dress, logos and designs created by or on behalf or any of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
“Investment Company Act” mean the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
“Investor Rights Agreement” means the Investor Rights Agreement among the Company and each of the Purchasers in the form attached to the Agreement asExhibit C.
“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, security interest or other encumbrance.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect upon the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
“Material Subsidiaries” means Promotions.com LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Corsis Technology Group II, LLC, a New York limited liability company, SP-TSC
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Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Stockpickr LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, BFPC Newco LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Bankers Financial Products Corporation, a Wisconsin corporation, and BankingMyWay.com LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company.
“Permitted Disclosee” means any former partners of a Purchaser who retained an economic interest in such Purchaser, and any current or prospective partner, limited partner, general partner or management company of such Purchaser (or any employee or representative of any of the foregoing).
“Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or unincorporated organization or a government or agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Proxy Statement” means the Company’s definitive proxy statement for its 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on April 23, 2007.
“Restricted Affiliate” means: (a) any Person who is directly or indirectly responsible for the formation, management, operations, oversight or administration of the Purchasers (including, without limitation, any principals, partners or employees of any such Person); (b) any investment fund directly or indirectly formed or controlled by any one or more Persons referred to in the preceding clause (a); and (c) any direct or indirect Subsidiary of any Person referred to in the preceding clauses (a) or (b) in which any one or more such Persons have the right to elect (directly or indirectly) a majority of the board of directors (or a comparable governing body with a different name) of such Subsidiary or own a majority of the voting securities entitled to elect the board of directors (or comparable governing body with a different name) of such Subsidiary.
“Representative” means, with respect to a particular Person, any director, officer, manager, partner, employee, agent, consultant, advisor, or other representative of such Person, including legal counsel, accountants, and financial advisors.
“Rights Agreement” means the Rights Agreement dated as of May 14, 1999 (as amended on August 7, 2000) between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York banking corporation, as rights agent.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“SEC Documents” means all reports, schedules, registration statements and other documents (including all amendments, exhibits and schedules thereto) filed by the Company with the SEC on or after January 1, 2006.
“Short Sale” means: (a) a sale of Common Stock that is marked as a short sale; (b) any entering into or establishment of any arrangement constituting a “put equivalent position,” as defined by Rule 16a-1(h) promulgated under the Exchange Act; (c) entering into any swap, option or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise; or (d) the announcement of any intent to do any of the foregoing. Notwithstanding
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the foregoing, the parties agree that, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, nothing in Section 4.3 shall restrict the ability of a Purchaser or any of its Restricted Affiliates to outright sell, distribute or transfer the Purchased Shares, the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares.
“Stock Plans” means the Company’s Amended and Restated 1998 Stock Incentive Plan and the Company’s 2007 Performance Incentive Plan.
“Subsidiary” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 1-02(x) of Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC.
“Tax” and “Taxes” means all federal, state, local and foreign taxes, including, without limitation, income, franchise, property, sales, withholding, payroll and employment taxes.
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| | |
| 2. | The following terms are defined in the Sections of the Agreement indicated: |
INDEX OF TERMS
| | | | |
Term | | | Page | |
| | |
| |
Agreement | | | Preamble | |
Certificate of Designation | | | 1.1 | |
Closing | | | 1.2 | |
Closing Date | | | 1.2 | |
Company | | | Preamble | |
Confidential Information | | | 4.4 | (a) |
Conversion Shares | | | 2.4 | (b) |
ERISA Documents | | | 2.16 | |
Financial Statements | | | 2.7 | |
Preferred Stock | | | 2.4 | (a) |
Purchased Shares | | | Recitals | |
Purchasers | | | Preamble | |
Related Agreements | | | 2.2 | |
Restricted Period | | | 4.2 | |
Schedule of Exceptions | | | 7.13 | |
Securities Act | | | 2.4 | (c) |
Series B Preferred Stock | | | Recitals | |
TCV IV | | | Preamble | |
TCV Member Fund | | | Preamble | |
Warrant Shares | | | Recitals | |
Warrants | | | Recitals | |
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SCHEDULE 1.1
PURCHASED SHARES AND WARRANT SHARES
| | | | | | | | | | |
Purchaser | | Number of Purchased Shares | | Number of Warrant Shares | | Aggregate Purchase Price | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
TCV VI, L.P. | | | 5,455.95095 | | | 1,147,816 | | $ | 54,559,509.50 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
TCV Member Fund, L.P. | | | 44.04905 | | | 9,267 | | $ | 440,490.50 | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Total | | | 5,500.00000 | | | 1,157,083 | | $ | 55,000,000.00 | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Schedule of Exceptions
This is the “Schedule of Exceptions” referred to in the Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of November 15, 2007 (the “Purchase Agreement”) among TheStreet.com, Inc., a Delaware corporation, TCV VI, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and TCV Member Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Purchase Agreement.
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Section 2.2 | Authorization, Etc. |
| | |
| 1. | The Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement dated as of December 21, 1998 among TheStreet.com, Inc. and the several persons named therein, as amended on August 7, 2000, requires the consent of the parties thereto with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement. The Company has obtained such consents. |
| | |
| 2. | See Section 2.3(a) through (g) of the Purchase Agreement. |
| |
Section 2.4 | Authorized and Outstanding Stock |
| | |
| 1. | TheStreet.com 2007 Performance Incentive Plan approved by shareholders May 24, 2007. |
| | |
| 2. | TheStreet.com, Inc. Option to Purchase Common Stock dated November 1, 2007 (Investor Larry Starkweather; 175,600 shares at $12.57). |
| | |
| 3. | The Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement dated December 21, 1998, as amended. |
| | |
| 4. | Shares issued pursuant to (i) Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 25, 2007 between SP-TSC Holdings LLC and A.R. Partners LLC, (ii) Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 2, 2007, among TP Newco LLC, David Barnett and Gregg Alwine, and (iii) Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2007, among BFPC Newco LLC, Larry Starkweather, Kyle Selberg, Rachelle Zorn and Robert Quinn (the “BFPC Purchase Agreement”). |
| | |
| 5. | Escrow Agreement, dated as of August 2, 2007, among TP Newco LLC, Gregg Alwine and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as escrow agent |
| | |
| 6. | Go2Net, Inc. and Vulcan Ventures Inc. were each granted rights by the Company with respect to the registration of Common Stock under the Securities Act pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 7, 2000, among the Company, Go2Net, Inc. and Vulcan Ventures Inc. To the Company’s knowledge, as of the date of the Purchase Agreement, Go2Net, Inc. and Vulcan Ventures Inc. do not beneficially own any capital stock of the Company. |
| | |
| 7. | The Options and other securities referenced in Section 2.4(a) and (b) of the Purchase Agreement. |
|
Section 2.5 | Subsidiaries |
Schedule Exceptions to SPA (executed)
| | |
| 1. | Subsidiaries of the Company: |
|
| | Promotions.com LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; |
| | Corsis Technology Group II, LLC, a New York limited liability company; SP-TSC Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; |
| | Stockpickr LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; |
| | BFPC Newco LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; |
| | Bankers Financial Products Corporation, a Wisconsin corporation; BankingMyWay.com LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company; |
| | TheStreet.com Ratings, Inc., a Delaware corporation; |
| | SmartPortfolio.com, Inc., a Delaware corporation; and |
| | Independent Research Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. |
| | | |
Section 2.10 Absence of Certain Events; No Material Adverse Change |
| | | |
| 1. | Resignation of President and Chief Operating Officer James Lonergan effective October 12, 2007. |
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| 2. | The transactions contemplated by the following: |
| | | |
| | a. | The BFPC Purchase Agreement; |
| | | |
| | b. | Escrow Agreement, by and among the BFPC Newco LLC (“BFPC”), Larry Starkweather, as the Agent, and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the escrow agent; |
| | | |
| | c. | Employment Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2007, between the Company and Larry Starkweather; |
| | | |
| | d. | Assignment, Assumption, and Amendment to Employment Agreement, by and among the Company, BFPC, and Kyle Selberg; |
| | | |
| | e. | Assignment, Assumption, and Amendment to Employment Agreement, by and among the Company, BFPC and Rachelle Zorn; |
| | | |
| | f. | Assignment, Assumption, and Amendment to Employment Agreement, by and among the Company, BFPC and Robert Quinn; |
| | | |
| | g. | Option to Purchase Common Stock in the Company, granted to Larry Starkweather; |
| | | |
| | h. | Stock Subscription Agreement, by and between BFPC and Kyle Selberg, dated as of October 31, 2007; |
| | | |
| | i. | Stock Subscription Agreement, by and between BFPC and Rachelle Zorn, dated as of October 31, 2007; and |
| | | |
| | j. | Stock Subscription Agreement, by and between BFPC and Robert Quinn, dated as of October 31, 2007. |
| |
Section 2.11 Litigation |
1. IPO Securities Litigation
In December 2001, the Company was named as a defendant in a securities class action filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York related to its initial public offering (“IPO”) in May 1999. The lawsuit also named as individual defendants certain of
its former officers and directors, James J. Cramer, a current director, and certain of the underwriters of the IPO, including The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Hambrecht & Quist LLC (now part of JP Morgan Chase & Co.), Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, Robertson Stephens Inc. (an investment banking subsidiary of BankBoston Corp., later FleetBoston Corp., which ceased operations in 2002), and Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc. Approximately 300 other issuers and their underwriters have had similar suits filed against them, all of which are included in a single coordinated proceeding in the District (the “IPO Litigations”). The complaints allege that the prospectus and the registration statement for the IPO failed to disclose that the underwriters allegedly solicited and received “excessive” commissions from investors and that some investors in the IPO allegedly agreed with the underwriters to buy additional shares in the aftermarket in order to inflate the price of the Company’s stock. An amended complaint was filed April 19, 2002. The Company and the officers and directors were named in the suits pursuant to Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act of 1934, and other related provisions. The complaints seek unspecified damages, attorney and expert fees, and other unspecified litigation costs.
On July 1, 2002, the underwriter defendants in the consolidated actions moved to dismiss all of the IPO Litigations, including the action involving the Company. On July 15, 2002, the Company, along with other non-underwriter defendants in the coordinated cases, also moved to dismiss the litigation. On February 19, 2003, the district court ruled on the motions. The district court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss the claims against it under Rule 10b-5, due to the insufficiency of the allegations against the Company. The motions to dismiss the claims under Section 11 of the Securities Act were denied as to virtually all of the defendants in the consolidated cases, including the Company. In addition, the individual defendants in the IPO Litigations, including Mr. Cramer, signed a tolling agreement and were dismissed from the action without prejudice on October 9, 2002.
In June 2003, a proposed collective settlement of this litigation was structured between the plaintiffs, the issuer defendants in the consolidated actions, the issuer officers and directors named as defendants, and the issuers’ insurance companies. On or about June 25, 2003, a committee of the Company’s Board of Directors conditionally approved the proposed settlement. The settlement agreements collectively provide as follows:
The Company and the other issuer defendants would assign their interests in claims against the underwriters for excess compensation in connection with their IPOs to the plaintiffs, and agree not to assert certain other claims against the underwriters, such as underpricing, indemnification and antitrust claims, except in certain defined circumstances. A number of issuers’ assigned claims have been asserted already; these were dismissed by the district court on February 24, 2006. The dismissal is currently on appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, although the plaintiffs have indicated their intent to withdraw the appeal in light of recent events, detailed below. The Company and the other issuer defendants would also cooperate with the plaintiffs to provide the plaintiffs with informal discovery as the litigation continues as to the underwriter defendants. Further, the plaintiffs would receive an undertaking from the insurers of the Company and the other issuer defendants guaranteeing that the plaintiff class would recover, in the aggregate, $1 billion from their various suits against the underwriters (including the claims assigned by the issuer defendants). The Company’s per capita portion of the maximum amount payable to the plaintiffs under the settlement, assuming the entire $1 billion is payable, would be approximately $3–4 million. The plaintiffs’ actual recoveries from the underwriter defendants (through settlements or damages assessed as a result of litigation) would be applied against the guarantee; and to the extent that the underwriter defendants settle all of the cases for at least $1 billion, no payment would be required under the issuer defendants’ settlement. In exchange for
the consideration described above, the plaintiffs would release the non-bankrupt issuer defendants from all claims against them (the bankrupt issuers would receive a covenant not to sue) and their individual defendants. Under the terms of the settlement agreements, all costs and expenses of the settlement (including legal expenses after June 1, 2003) would be borne by the insurance carriers of the Company and the other issuer defendants using each issuer defendant’s existing insurance coverage, with deductibles waived.
The plaintiffs have continued to litigate against the underwriter defendants. The district court directed that the litigation proceed within a number of “focus cases” rather than in all of the 310 cases that have been consolidated. The Company’s case is not one of these focus cases. On October 13, 2004, the district court certified the focus cases as class actions. The underwriter defendants appealed that ruling, and on December 5, 2006, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed the district court’s class certification decision. On April 6, 2007, the Second Circuit denied plaintiffs’ petition for rehearing. In light of the Second Circuit opinion, counsel to the issuers has informed the district court that the settlement with the plaintiffs described above cannot be approved because the defined settlement class, like the litigation class, cannot be certified with the Court of Appeals. Because the Company’s settlement with the plaintiffs involves the certification of the case as a class action as part of the approval process, the impact of this ruling on the Company’s settlement is unclear. The settlement was terminated pursuant to a Stipulation and Order dated June 25, 2007.
We cannot predict whether we will be able to renegotiate a settlement that complies with the Second Circuit’s mandate. If we cannot, we intend to defend the action vigorously. Any unfavorable outcome of this litigation could have an adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
2. IPO Securities Litigation Section 16(b) Claim
On August 1, 2007, the Company received a letter from counsel to Vanessa Simmonds demanding that the Company’s Board of Directors prosecute a claim against the Company’s IPO underwriters, in addition to certain of its officers, directors and principal shareholders as identified in the IPO prospectus, for violations of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The letter alleges that these entities and individuals, by coordinating their efforts to acquire and dispose of the Company ’s securities in connection with its IPO, constituted a group owning in excess of 10% of the Company ’s outstanding common stock under Exchange Act rules, and were therefore subject to short swing trading prohibition of Section 16(b) during the period from May 11, 1999 (the date of the IPO) through May 10, 2000. Accordingly, the letter alleges, the group members should be compelled to disgorge the profits they made through purchases and sales of Company stock during the period.
Statutorily, 60 days after issuing the demand letter, a cause of action automatically vested in Ms. Simmonds to bring this suit derivatively if the Company did not bring suit. After considering the demand, the Special Litigation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors determined that the claim was without merit and that it was not in the best interest of the Company to bring suit against the underwriters and directors as demanded by Ms. Simmonds. On its face, the claim appears to be quite weak: (i) the underlying conduct took place more than seven years ago, and therefore may be time-barred, (ii) underwriters are specifically exempted from the provisions of Section 16(b), and (iii) shares held by the Company’s directors and officers were locked up for at least six months following the date of the IPO, and therefore could not have been used to obtain short-swing profits.
On October 10, 2007, the Company received a formal Complaint filed by Vanessa Simmonds in the United States District Court in the Western District of Washington. The Complaint does not specify the amount of damages claimed. In addition, as described above, the claims are weak and the Company is named only as a Nominal Defendant. For these reasons, a loss contingency for potential damages or settlement costs relating to this potential claim is not probable or reasonably estimable under the guidance of SFAS No. 5.
3. Groves Employment Litigation
On December 8, 2005, Judy Groves, a former employee of the Company’s registered broker-dealer subsidiary, Independent Research Group LLC (“IRG”), brought a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against IRG and the Company, alleging the breach of her employment agreement with IRG. Plaintiff Groves seeks $212,500, plus interest, costs and attorneys’ fees. Both IRG and the Company intend to defend the action vigorously. Currently, the action is in the discovery phase.
Section 2.16 Employee Matters
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| 1. | TheStreet.com, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan: Effective 01/01/1997. |
| | |
| 2. | Corsis Technology Group 401(k) Plan: Effective 01/01/2002. |
| | |
| 3. | Simple IRA Bankers Financial Products Corp.: Effective: 03/01/04. |