46. For example, the Individual Defendants have all but ensured that another entity will not emerge with a competing proposal by agreeing to a “no solicitation” provision in the Merger Agreement that prohibits the Individual Defendants from soliciting alternative proposals and severely constrains their ability to communicate and negotiate with potential buyers who wish to submit or have submitted unsolicited alternative proposals. Section 5.4 of the Merger Agreement provides, in relevant part:
(a) Except as permitted by this Section 5.4, the Company shall not, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and its and their respective officers and directors, and shall instruct each of its other Representatives not to, directly or indirectly, (A) solicit, initiate, or knowingly encourage or facilitate any proposal or offer or any inquiries regarding the making of any proposal or offer, including any proposal or offer to its shareholders, that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, a Company Takeover Proposal, (B) engage in, continue or otherwise participate in any discussions or negotiations regarding, or furnish to any other Person any information in connection with or for the purpose of encouraging or facilitating, any inquiry, proposal or offer that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, a Company Takeover Proposal (other than, in response to an unsolicited inquiry, to ascertain facts from the Person making such Company Takeover Proposal for the sole purpose of clarifying the terms and conditions thereof so as to determine whether such Company Takeover Proposal constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, a Company Superior Proposal and to refer the inquiring Person to this Section 5.4 and to limit its conversation or other communication exclusively to such referral and such clarifying of terms as provided herein) or (C) approve, recommend or enter into, or propose to approve, recommend or enter into, any letter of intent or similar document, agreement, commitment, or agreement in principle with respect to a Company Takeover Proposal.
(b) The Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and direct its and their Representatives to, immediately cease and cause to be terminated any discussions or negotiations with any Persons (other than Parent and Merger Subs) that may be ongoing with respect to a Company Takeover Proposal and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause any such person in possession of non-public information in respect of the Company or its Subsidiaries that was furnished by or on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries in connection with such Company Takeover Proposal to return or destroy (and confirm such destruction of) all such information. The Company shall not release any third party from, or waive, amend or modify any provision of, or grant permission under, any standstill or confidentiality provision with respect to a Company Takeover Proposal or similar matter in any agreement to which the Company is a party; provided , that if the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel that the failure to take such action would be inconsistent with the directors’ fiduciary duties under applicable Law, the Company may waive any such standstill provision solely to the extent necessary to permit a third party to make a Company Takeover Proposal.
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