Exhibit 99.1
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
By and Among
AMERICAN REALTY CAPITAL PROPERTIES, INC.,
DESERT ACQUISITION, INC.
and
COLE CREDIT PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
Dated as of March 17, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Article I | |||
DEFINITIONS | |||
Section 1.1 | Definitions | 2 | |
Article II | |||
THE OFFER | |||
Section 2.1 | The Offer | 10 | |
Section 2.2 | Company Actions | 13 | |
Section 2.3 | Directors | 14 | |
Section 2.4 | Top-Up Option | 15 | |
Article III | |||
THE MERGER
| |||
Section 3.1 | Merger | 16 | |
Section 3.2 | Closing | 16 | |
Section 3.3 | Effective Time | 16 | |
Section 3.4 | Organizational Documents | 17 | |
Section 3.5 | Tax Consequences | 17 | |
Article IV | |||
EFFECT OF THE MERGER
| |||
Section 4.1 | Effect on Shares | 17 | |
Section 4.2 | Exchange Fund; Exchange Agent | 18 | |
Section 4.3 | Withholding Rights | 20 | |
Section 4.4 | Lost Certificates | 20 | |
Section 4.5 | Rights of Objecting Stockholders
| 21 | |
Article V | |||
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY | |||
Section 5.1 | Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries. | 21 | |
Section 5.2 | Organizational Documents | 22 | |
Section 5.3 | Capital Structure | 22 | |
Section 5.4 | Authority | 24 | |
Section 5.5 | No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents | 24 |
Section 5.6 | Permits; Compliance With Law | 25 | |
Section 5.7 | SEC Filings; Financial Statements | 26 | |
Section 5.8 | Disclosure Documents | 28 | |
Section 5.9 | Absence of Certain Changes or Events | 28 | |
Section 5.10 | Employee Benefit Plans | 29 | |
Section 5.11 | Labor and Other Employment Matters | 30 | |
Section 5.12 | Material Contracts | 30 | |
Section 5.13 | Litigation | 31 | |
Section 5.14 | Environmental Matters | 32 | |
Section 5.15 | Intellectual Property | 33 | |
Section 5.16 | Properties | 33 | |
Section 5.17 | Taxes | 37 | |
Section 5.18 | Insurance | 40 | |
Section 5.19 | Opinion of Financial Advisor | 40 | |
Section 5.20 | Takeover Statutes | 41 | |
Section 5.21 | Vote Required | 41 | |
Section 5.22 | Brokers | 41 | |
Section 5.23 | Investment Company Act | 41 | |
Section 5.24 | Affiliate Transactions | 41 | |
Section 5.25 | Past Contracts, Transactions, Negotiations and Agreements | 41 | |
Section 5.26 | No Other Representations or Warranties | 41 | |
Article VI | |||
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUB | |||
Section 6.1 | Organization and Qualification | 42 | |
Section 6.2 | Authority | 42 | |
Section 6.3 | No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents | 43 | |
Section 6.4 | Disclosure Documents | 44 | |
Section 6.5 | Litigation | 44 | |
Section 6.6 | Brokers | 44 | |
Section 6.7 | Sufficient Funds | 44 | |
Section 6.8 | Ownership of Merger Sub; No Prior Activities | 44 | |
Section 6.9 | Ownership of Company Common Stock | 45 | |
Section 6.10 | No Other Representations or Warranties | 45 | |
Article VII | |||
COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS | |||
Section 7.1 | Conduct of Business by the Company | 45 | |
Section 7.2 | Indebtedness | 49 | |
Section 7.3 | Preparation of Proxy Statement; Company Stockholder Meeting | 50 | |
Section 7.4 | Access to Information; Confidentiality | 52 | |
Section 7.5 | Company Acquisition Proposals. | 53 |
Section 7.6 | Appropriate Action; Consents; Filings | 58 | |
Section 7.7 | Notification of Certain Matters; Transaction Litigation | 59 | |
Section 7.8 | Public Announcements | 60 | |
Section 7.9 | Directors’ and Officers’ Indemnification and Insurance | 60 | |
Section 7.10 | Dividends | 62 | |
Section 7.11 | Merger Sub | 62 | |
Section 7.12 | Section 16 Matters | 62 | |
Section 7.13 | Voting of Shares | 63 | |
Article VIII | |||
CONDITIONS | |||
Section 8.1 | Conditions to the Obligations of Each Party | 63 | |
Section 8.2 | Conditions to the Obligations of Parent and Merger Sub | 63 | |
Article IX | |||
TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER | |||
Section 9.1 | Termination | 64 | |
Section 9.2 | Effect of Termination | 65 | |
Section 9.3 | Termination Fee | 66 | |
Section 9.4 | Amendment | 68 | |
Section 9.5 | Waiver | 68 | |
Section 9.6 | Fees and Expenses | 68 | |
Section 9.7 | Transfer Taxes | 69 | |
Article X | |||
GENERAL PROVISIONS | |||
Section 10.1 | Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties | 69 | |
Section 10.2 | Notices | 69 | |
Section 10.3 | Interpretation; Certain Definitions | 70 | |
Section 10.4 | Severability | 71 | |
Section 10.5 | Assignment; Delegation | 71 | |
Section 10.6 | Entire Agreement | 71 | |
Section 10.7 | No Third-Party Beneficiaries | 71 | |
Section 10.8 | Specific Performance | 72 | |
Section 10.9 | Counterparts | 72 | |
Section 10.10 | Governing Law | 72 | |
Section 10.11 | Consent to Jurisdiction | 72 | |
Section 10.12 | WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL | 73 |
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of March 17, 2014 (this “Agreement”), is made by and among American Realty Capital Properties, Inc., a Maryland corporation (“Parent”), Desert Acquisition, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”), and Cole Credit Property Trust, Inc. a Maryland corporation (the “Company”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, Parent desires to acquire the Company on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement;
WHEREAS, in furtherance thereof and pursuant to this Agreement, Merger Sub has agreed to commence a tender offer (as it may be amended from time to time as permitted under this Agreement, the “Offer”) to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Company Common Stock”), at a price per share of Company Common Stock of $7.25 (such amount or any different amount per share that may be paid pursuant to the Offer, the “Offer Price”), to the seller in cash, without interest, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement;
WHEREAS, following the consummation of the Offer, the Company shall be merged with and into Merger Sub with Merger Sub surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Merger”), pursuant to which each issued and outstanding share of Company Common Stock, other than shares of Company Common Stock owned by Parent, any Parent Subsidiary or any wholly owned Company Subsidiary, shall be cancelled and converted into the right to receive an amount equal to the Merger Consideration, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement;
WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Company (the “Company Board”) has, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, (i) determined that the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby are fair and reasonable to the Company and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, and (iii) resolved to recommend acceptance of the Offer, and, if required by applicable Law, approval of the Merger by the Company’s stockholders;
WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent, upon the recommendation of a special negotiating committee of the board of directors, has approved this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Offer and the Merger, on the terms and subject to the conditions provided for in this Agreement;
WHEREAS, the board of directors of Merger Sub has taken all actions required for the execution of this Agreement by Merger Sub and to adopt and approve this Agreement and to approve the consummation by Merger Sub of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, each of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub desire to make certain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in connection with the Offer and the Merger, and also to prescribe various conditions to the Offer and the Merger, as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual representations, warranties and covenants and subject to the conditions herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
Article I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1Definitions.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement:
“Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement” shall mean a confidentiality agreement that contains provisions as to the treatment of confidential information that are no less favorable in any material respect to the Company than those contained in the Confidentiality Agreement (except for such changes necessary for the Company to comply with its obligations under this Agreement).
“Action” shall mean any claim, action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, mediation or other investigation.
“Affiliate” of a specified Person shall mean a Person who, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person.
“Benefit Plan” shall mean any “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) and any employment, consulting, collective bargaining, termination, severance, change in control, separation, salary continuation, retention, stock option, restricted stock or other equity awards, stock purchase, deferred compensation, bonus, incentive compensation, profit sharing, commission, fringe benefit, tuition, scholarship, relocation, service award, company car, payroll practice, health, medical, dental, disability, accident, life insurance, welfare benefit, cafeteria, vacation, paid time off, perquisite, retirement, pension, or savings or any other compensation or employee benefit plan, agreement, program, policy or other arrangement, whether or not subject to ERISA and whether written or unwritten, insured or self-insured or domestic or foreign.
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which all banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or obligated by Law or executive order to close.
“Code” shall mean the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
2 |
“Company Financial Advisor” means (a) with respect to Section 5.19, Duff & Phelps, LLC (“DPLLC”), (b) with respect to Section 5.22, Duff & Phelps Securities, LLC (“DPS,” and collectively with DPLLC, “Duff & Phelps”), and (c) with respect to Section 7.1(c)(xxv), Duff & Phelps.
“Company Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any event, circumstance, change or effect (a) that is material and adverse to the business, assets, properties, liabilities, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole or (b) that will, or would reasonably be expected to, prevent or materially impair the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby on a timely basis;provided,however, that for purposes of clause (a) “Company Material Adverse Effect” shall not include any event, circumstance, change or effect to the extent arising out of or resulting from (i) any failure of the Company to meet any projections or forecasts or any decrease in the market price of the Company Common Stock (it being understood and agreed that any event, circumstance, change or effect giving rise to such failure or decrease shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Company Material Adverse Effect), (ii) any events, circumstances, changes or effects that affect the commercial real estate REIT industry generally, (iii) any changes in the United States or global economy or capital, financial or securities markets generally, including changes in interest or exchange rates, (iv) any changes in legal or regulatory conditions, (v) the commencement, escalation or worsening of a war or armed hostilities or the occurrence of acts of terrorism or sabotage, (vi) the negotiation, execution or announcement of this Agreement, or the consummation or anticipation of the Offer, the Merger or other transactions contemplated hereby, (vii) the taking of any action expressly required by, or the failure to take any action expressly prohibited by, this Agreement, or the taking of any action at the written request or with the prior written consent of an executive officer of Parent who is not an officer or director of the Company, (viii) fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods or other weather-related events or natural disasters, (ix) any damage or destruction of any Company Property covered by insurance, subject to customary and reasonable retention limits, or (x) changes in Law or GAAP, which in the case of each of clauses (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) and (x) do not adversely affect the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole in a materially disproportionate manner, relative to other similarly situated participants in the commercial real estate REIT industry in the United States, and in the case of clause (viii) do not disproportionately affect the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, relative to other participants in the commercial real estate REIT industry in the geographic regions in which the Company and the Company Subsidiaries operate or own or lease properties.
“Company Operating Partnership” shall mean Cole Operating Partnership I, LP, a Delaware limited partnership.
“Company Option” shall mean any option to purchase shares of Company Common Stock.
“Company Stockholder Meeting” shall mean the meeting of the holders of shares of Company Common Stock for the purpose of seeking the Company Stockholder Approval (if required), including any postponement or adjournment thereof.
3 |
“Company Subsidiary” shall mean (a) any corporation of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting securities is, directly or indirectly, owned by the Company, and (b) any partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other entity of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the total equity interest is, directly or indirectly, owned by the Company or of which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a general partner, manager, managing member or the equivalent, including the Company Operating Partnership.
“Company Subsidiary Partnership” shall mean a Company Subsidiary or Other Company Subsidiary that is a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes.
“Company Tax Protection Agreements” shall mean any written agreement to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party pursuant to which: (i) any liability to holders of limited partnership interests in a Company Subsidiary Partnership relating to Taxes may arise, whether or not as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and/or (ii) in connection with the deferral of income Taxes of a holder of limited partnership interests in a Company Subsidiary Partnership, the Company or the Company Subsidiaries have agreed to (A) maintain a minimum level of debt, continue a particular debt or provide rights to guarantee debt, (B) retain or not dispose of assets for a period of time that has not since expired, (C) make or refrain from making Tax elections, (D) operate (or refrain from operating) in a particular manner, (E) use (or refrain from using) a specified method of taking into account book-tax disparities under Section 704(c) of the Code with respect to one or more assets of such party or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, (F) use (or refrain from using) a particular method for allocating one or more liabilities of such party or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries under Section 752 of the Code and/or (D) only dispose of assets in a particular manner.
“Confidentiality Agreement” shall mean the letter agreement, dated March 11, 2014, as amended from time to time, between the Company and Parent.
“control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, by contract or otherwise.
“Delaware Secretary” shall mean the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
“DGCL” shall mean the Delaware General Corporation Law.
“Environmental Law” shall mean any Law (including common law) relating to the pollution or protection of the environment (including air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface land), or human health or safety (as such matters relate to Hazardous Substances), including Laws relating to the use, handling, presence, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge of Hazardous Substances.
“Environmental Permit” shall mean any permit, approval, license or other authorization required under any applicable Environmental Law.
4 |
“ERISA” shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“ERISA Affiliate” shall mean any entity, trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that would be treated as a single employer with the Company or any Company Subsidiary under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 4001 of ERISA.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Expense Amount” shall mean the amount of Expenses actually incurred by Parent and its Affiliates up to a maximum of $500,000 in the aggregate.
“Expenses” shall mean all expenses (including all fees and expenses of counsel, accountants, investment bankers, experts and consultants to a party hereto and its Affiliates) incurred by a party or on its behalf in connection with or related to the authorization, preparation, negotiation, execution and performance of this Agreement, the preparation, printing, filing and mailing of the Schedule TO, Schedule 14D-9 and Proxy Statement and all SEC and other regulatory filing fees incurred in connection with any of the foregoing, the solicitation of stockholder approvals, engaging the services of the Exchange Agent, obtaining third party consents, any other filings with the SEC and all other matters related to the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
“GAAP” shall mean the United States generally accepted accounting principles.
“Governmental Authority” shall mean any United States (federal, state or local) or foreign government, arbitration panel, or any governmental or quasi-governmental, regulatory, judicial or administrative authority, board, bureau, agency, commission or self-regulatory organization.
“Hazardous Substances” shall mean (i) those substances listed in, defined in or regulated under any Environmental Law, including the following federal statutes and their state counterparts, as each may be amended from time to time, and all regulations thereunder: the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Atomic Energy Act and the Clean Air Act, (ii) petroleum and petroleum products, including crude oil and any fractions thereof, and (iii) polychlorinated biphenyls, mold, methane, asbestos and radon.
“Indebtedness” shall mean, with respect to any Person, (i) all indebtedness, notes payable, accrued interest payable or other obligations for borrowed money, whether secured or unsecured, (ii) all obligations under conditional sale or other title retention agreements, or incurred as financing, in either case with respect to property acquired by such Person, (iii) all obligations issued, undertaken or assumed as the deferred purchase price for any property or assets, (iv) all obligations under capital leases, (v) all obligations in respect of bankers acceptances or letters of credit, (vi) all obligations under interest rate cap, swap, collar or similar transaction or currency hedging transactions, and (vii) any guarantee of any of the foregoing, whether or not evidenced by a note, mortgage, bond, indenture or similar instrument.
5 |
“Indemnitee” shall mean any individual who, on or prior to the Effective Time, was an officer, director, partner, member, trustee or agent of the Company or served on behalf of the Company as an officer, director, partner, manager, member or trustee of any trust, association, Benefit Plan or any of the Company Subsidiaries.
“Intellectual Property” shall mean all United States and foreign (i) patents, patent applications, invention disclosures, and all related continuations, continuations-in-part, divisionals, reissues, re-examinations, substitutions and extensions thereof, (ii) trademarks, service marks, trade dress, logos, trade names, corporate names and symbols, Internet domain names, design rights and other source identifiers, together with the goodwill symbolized by any of the foregoing, (iii) copyrightable works and copyrights, (iv) confidential and proprietary information, including trade secrets, know-how, ideas, formulae, models and methodologies, (v) all rights in the foregoing and in other similar intangible assets, and (vi) all applications and registrations for the foregoing.
“Investment Company Act” shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
“IRS” shall mean the United States Internal Revenue Service or any successor agency.
“knowledge” shall mean the actual knowledge of the following officers and employees of the Company and Parent, as applicable, after inquiry reasonable under the circumstances: (i) for the Company: Nicholas S. Schorsch, D. Kirk McAllaster, Jr., Benjamin Coleman and Matthew Stoloff; and (ii) for Parent: David S. Kay, Lisa E. Beeson and Brian S. Block.
“Law” shall mean any and all domestic (federal, state or local) or foreign laws, rules, regulations, orders, judgments or decrees promulgated by any Governmental Authority.
“Lien” shall mean with respect to any asset (including any security), any mortgage, deed of trust, claim, condition, covenant, lien, pledge, charge, security interest, preferential arrangement, option or other third party right (including right of first refusal or first offer), restriction, right of way, easement, or title defect or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset, including any restriction on the use, voting, transfer, receipt of income or other exercise of any attributes of ownership.
“MGCL” shall mean the Maryland General Corporation Law.
“Order” shall mean a judgment, order or decree of a Governmental Authority.
“Parent Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any event, circumstance, change or effect that will, or would reasonably be expected to, prevent or materially impair the ability of Parent or Merger Sub to consummate the Offer or the Merger on a timely basis, and in any event prior to the Outside Date.
“Parent Subsidiary” shall mean (a) any corporation of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting securities is, directly or indirectly, owned by Parent, and (b) any partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the total equity interest is, directly or indirectly, owned by Parent or of which Parent or any Parent Subsidiary is a general partner, manager, managing member or the equivalent.
6 |
“Partnership Agreement” shall mean the Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Company Operating Partnership, entered into effective as of April 6, 2004, as amended, modified or supplemented through the date hereof.
“Partnership Unit” shall have the meaning set forth in the Partnership Agreement.
“Person” shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, person (including a “person” as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), trust, association or other entity or a Governmental Authority or a political subdivision, agency or instrumentality of a Governmental Authority.
“Representative” shall mean, with respect to any Person, such Person’s directors, officers, employees, consultants, advisors (including attorneys, accountants, consultants, investment bankers and financial advisors), agents and other representatives.
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” shall mean the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended.
“SEC” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (including the staff thereof).
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Tax” or “Taxes” shall mean any and all federal, state, local or foreign or other taxes of any kind, together with any interest, penalties and additions to tax, imposed by any Governmental Authority, including taxes on or with respect to income, franchises, gross receipts, gross income, property, sales, use, transfer, capital stock, payroll, employment, unemployment, alternative or add on minimum, estimated and net worth, and taxes in the nature of excise, withholding, backup withholding and value added taxes, whether disputed or not and including any obligation to indemnify or otherwise assume or succeed to the tax liability of any other Person.
“Tax Return” shall mean any return, report or similar statement, together with any attached schedule, that is required to be provided to a Governmental Authority with respect to Taxes, including information returns, refunds claims, amended returns and declarations of estimated Tax.
“Termination Payment” shall mean the Expense Amount or the sum of the Termination Fee and the Expense Amount, as applicable and payable pursuant toSection 9.3.
“Third Party” shall mean any Person or group of Persons other than Parent, Merger Sub and their respective Affiliates.
(b) The following terms shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Section set forth below opposite such term:
7 |
Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement | Section 1.1(a) |
Action | Section 1.1(a) |
Adverse Recommendation Change | Section 7.5(e) |
Affiliate | Section 1.1(a) |
Agreement | Preamble |
Alternative Acquisition Agreement | Section 7.5(b) |
Articles of Merger | Section 3.3(a) |
Benefit Plan | Section 1.1(a) |
Book-Entry Share | Section 4.1(b) |
Business Day | Section 1.1(a) |
Certificate | Section 4.1(b) |
Certificate of Merger | Section 3.3(a) |
Closing | Section 3.2 |
Closing Date | Section 3.2 |
Code | Section 1.1(a) |
Company | Preamble |
Company Acquisition Proposal | Section 7.5(j)(i) |
Company Board | Recitals |
Company Bylaws | Section 5.2 |
Company Charter | Section 5.2 |
Company Common Stock | Recitals |
Company Disclosure Letter | Article V |
Company Financial Advisor | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Insurance Policies | Section 5.18 |
Company Leases | Section 5.16(h) |
Company Material Adverse Effect | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Material Contract | Section 5.12(a) |
Company Operating Partnership | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Option | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Permits | Section 5.6(a) |
Company Permitted Liens | Section 5.16(b) |
Company Properties | Section 5.16(a) |
Company Property | Section 5.16(a) |
Company Recommendation | Section 5.4(a) |
Company SEC Filings | Section 5.7(a) |
Company Stockholder Approval | Section 5.21 |
Company Stockholder Meeting | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Subsidiary | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Subsidiary Partnership | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Tax Protection Agreements | Section 1.1(a) |
Company Third Party | Section 5.16(l) |
Company Title Insurance Policy | Section 5.16(n) |
Confidentiality Agreement | Section 1.1(a) |
control | Section 1.1(a) |
D&O Insurance | Section 7.9(c) |
Delaware Secretary | Section 1.1(a) |
8 |
DGCL | Section 1.1(a) |
Effective Time | Section 3.3(a) |
Environmental Law | Section 1.1(a) |
Environmental Permit | Section 1.1(a) |
ERISA | Section 1.1(a) |
ERISA Affiliate | Section 1.1(a) |
Exchange Act | Section 1.1(a) |
Exchange Agent | Section 4.2(a) |
Exchange Fund | Section 4.2(a) |
Existing Directors | Section 2.3 |
Expense Amount | Section 1.1(a) |
Expenses | Section 1.1(a) |
Expiration Time | Section 2.1(d) |
GAAP | Section 1.1(a) |
Go Shop Bidder | Section 7.5(a) |
Go Shop Period | Section 7.5(a) |
Governmental Authority | Section 1.1(a) |
Hazardous Substances | Section 1.1(a) |
Indebtedness | Section 1.1(a) |
Indemnitee | Section 1.1(a) |
Initial Expiration Time | Section 2.1(d) |
Inquiry | Section 7.5(b) |
Intellectual Property | Section 1.1(a) |
Interim Period | Section 7.1(a) |
Investment Company Act | Section 1.1(a) |
IRS | Section 1.1(a) |
knowledge | Section 1.1(a) |
Law | Section 1.1(a) |
Lender Consents | Section 7.2 |
Letter of Transmittal | Section 4.2(c)(i) |
Lien | Section 1.1(a) |
Material Company Leases | Section 5.16(i) |
Merger | Recitals |
Merger Consideration | Section 4.1(b) |
Merger REIT Opinion | Section 8.2(a) |
Merger Sub | Preamble |
MGCL | Section 1.1(a) |
Minimum Condition | Section 2.1(b) |
No Shop Period Start Date | Section 7.5(a) |
Notice of Superior Proposal | Section 7.5(f) |
Offer | Recitals |
Offer Closing | Section 2.1(f) |
Offer Closing Date | Section 2.1(f) |
Offer Conditions | Section 2.1(b) |
Offer Documents | Section 2.1(h) |
Offer Price | Recitals |
9 |
Offer REIT Opinion | Exhibit A |
Offer to Purchase | Section 2.1(c) |
Order | Section 1.1(a) |
Other Company Subsidiary | Section 5.1(c) |
Outside Date | Section 2.1(e) |
Ownership Limit Waivers | Section 2.1(b) |
Parent | Preamble |
Parent Material Adverse Effect | Section 1.1(a) |
Parent SEC Filings | Article VI |
Parent Subsidiary | Section 1.1(a) |
Partnership Agreement | Section 1.1(a) |
Partnership Unit | Section 1.1(a) |
Person | Section 1.1(a) |
Promissory Note | Section 2.4(b) |
Proxy Statement | Section 5.5(b) |
Qualified REIT Subsidiary | Section 5.1(c) |
Qualifying Income | Section 9.3(d)(i) |
REIT | Section 5.17(b) |
Representative | Section 1.1(a) |
Sarbanes-Oxley Act | Section 1.1(a) |
Schedule 14D-9 | Section 2.2(a) |
Schedule TO | Section 2.1(h) |
SDAT | Section 3.3(a) |
SEC | Section 1.1(a) |
Securities Act | Section 1.1(a) |
Short Form Threshold | Section 2.4(a) |
Superior Proposal | Section 7.5(j)(ii) |
Surviving Entity | Section 3.1 |
Takeover Statutes | Section 5.20 |
Tax | Section 1.1(a) |
Tax Return | Section 1.1(a) |
Taxable REIT Subsidiary | Section 5.1(c) |
Taxes | Section 1.1(a) |
Termination Fee | Section 9.3(a)(i) |
Termination Payment | Section 1.1(a) |
Third Party | Section 1.1(a) |
Top-Up Option | Section 2.4(a) |
Top-Up Shares | Section 2.4(a) |
Transfer Taxes | Section 9.7 |
Section 2.1The Offer.
(a) Provided that this Agreement shall not have been terminated pursuant toArticle IX, Merger Sub shall (and Parent shall cause Merger Sub to) commence (within the meaning of Rule 14d-2 under the Exchange Act) the Offer within a reasonable period of time following the date of this Agreement, and in any event within ten (10) Business Days following the execution of this Agreement by the parties (or such other date as the parties may agree in writing).
10 |
(b) The obligation of Merger Sub to, and of Parent to cause Merger Sub to, accept for payment and pay for any shares of Company Common Stock validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer shall be subject to: (i) there being validly tendered in the Offer and not validly withdrawn prior to any then scheduled Expiration Time that number of shares of Company Common Stock which, together with the shares of Company Common Stock beneficially owned by Parent or Merger Sub (if any), represents at least a majority of the shares of Company Common Stock outstanding as of immediately prior to the expiration of the Offer (as it may be extended and re-extended in accordance with thisSection 2.1) (the “Minimum Condition”); (ii) the Company Board having granted each of Parent and Merger Sub an effective exemption from the restrictions on transfer and ownership of the Company’s stock contained in Article VII of the Company Charter (the “Ownership Limit Waivers”); and (iii) the satisfaction, or waiver by Parent or Merger Sub, of the other conditions and requirements set forth inExhibit A, as such conditions may be modified in accordance with this Agreement (together with the Minimum Condition and the Ownership Limit Waivers, the “Offer Conditions”). For purposes of determining whether the Minimum Condition has been satisfied, any shares tendered in the Offer pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures shall be included only if such shares have been delivered pursuant to such procedures. Subject to the prior satisfaction of the Minimum Condition and the satisfaction, or waiver by Parent or Merger Sub, of the other Offer Conditions as of the Expiration Time, Merger Sub shall, and Parent shall cause Merger Sub to, consummate the Offer in accordance with its terms and accept for payment and pay for all shares of Company Common Stock validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer as promptly as practicable after the Expiration Time. The Offer Price payable in respect of each share of Company Common Stock validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer shall be paid to the seller in cash, without interest (subject to any withholding of Tax pursuant toSection 4.3), on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.
(c) The Offer shall be made by means of an offer to purchase (the “Offer to Purchase”) that describes the terms and conditions of the Offer as set forth in this Agreement, including the Offer Conditions. Parent and Merger Sub expressly reserve the right (in their sole discretion) to waive, in whole or in part, any Offer Condition, to increase the Offer Price or to make any other changes in the terms and conditions of the Offer;provided,however, that unless otherwise provided by this Agreement or as previously approved in writing by the Company, neither Parent nor Merger Sub shall (i) reduce the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to the Offer, (ii) reduce the Offer Price or change the form of consideration payable in the Offer, (iii) change, modify or waive the Minimum Condition, (iv) add to the conditions set forth inExhibit A or modify or change any Offer Condition in any manner materially adverse to any stockholders of the Company, (v) except as otherwise provided in thisSection 2.1, extend or otherwise change the expiration date of the Offer, or (vi) otherwise amend, modify or supplement any of the other terms of the Offer in any manner materially adverse to any stockholder of the Company.
11 |
(d) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Offer shall expire at midnight (New York City time) on the date that is twenty (20) Business Days following the commencement (within the meaning of Rule 14d-2 under the Exchange Act) of the Offer (the “Initial Expiration Time”) or, in the event the Initial Expiration Time has been extended pursuant to this Agreement, the date and time to which the Offer has been so extended (the Initial Expiration Time, or such later date and time to which the Initial Expiration Time has been extended pursuant to this Agreement, is referred to as the “Expiration Time”).
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, unless this Agreement has been terminated in accordance with its terms, Merger Sub shall, and Parent shall cause Merger Sub to, (i) extend the Offer on one or more occasions, in consecutive increments of up to fifteen (15) Business Days (or such longer period as the parties hereto may agree) each, if on any then-scheduled Expiration Time any of the Offer Conditions shall not be satisfied or waived if in the reasonable discretion of Parent such condition or conditions are capable of being satisfied on or prior to the Outside Date, until such time as such condition or conditions are satisfied or waived, and (ii) extend the Offer for the minimum period required by applicable Law or any interpretation or position of the SEC applicable to the Offer;provided,however, that in no event (A) shall Merger Sub be required to extend the Offer beyond September 17, 2014 (the “Outside Date”) or (B) shall thisSection 2.1(e) be construed or deemed to impair, limit or otherwise restrict in any manner the right of the parties to terminate this Agreement pursuant toArticle IX. Merger Sub expressly reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, following the Offer Closing, make available one (1) or more “subsequent offering periods” in accordance with Rule 14d-11 under the Exchange Act, and the Offer Documents may, in Merger Sub’s sole discretion, provide for such a reservation of right.
(f) On the terms and subject to the satisfaction or waiver by Merger Sub of the Offer Conditions as of the Expiration Time, Merger Sub shall, and Parent shall cause Merger Sub to, accept and pay the Offer Price (subject to any withholding of Tax pursuant toSection 4.3) pursuant toSection 2.1(b) for all shares of Company Common Stock validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer as soon as practicable after the Expiration Time (as it may be extended and re-extended in accordance with thisSection 2.1). Parent shall provide or cause to be provided to Merger Sub, on a timely basis, the funds necessary to pay for any shares of Company Common Stock that Merger Sub becomes obligated to accept for payment pursuant to the Offer and shall cause Merger Sub to fulfill all of Merger Sub’s obligations under this Agreement. Acceptance for payment of shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to and subject to the Offer Conditions upon the Expiration Time is referred to in this Agreement as the “Offer Closing,” and the date on which the Offer Closing occurs is referred to in this Agreement as the “Offer Closing Date.”
(g) Merger Sub shall not terminate the Offer prior to any scheduled Expiration Time without the prior written consent of the Company, except in the event that this Agreement is terminated pursuant toArticle IX. If the Offer is terminated or withdrawn by Merger Sub, or this Agreement is terminated pursuant toArticle IX, prior to the acceptance for payment of the Company Common Stock tendered in the Offer, Merger Sub shall promptly return, and shall cause any depository acting on behalf of Merger Sub to promptly return, all tendered Company Common Stock to the registered holders thereof.
12 |
(h) As soon as practicable on the date of the commencement of the Offer, Parent and Merger Sub shall file with the SEC a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO with respect to the Offer (together with all amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto, the “Schedule TO”). The Schedule TO shall include, as exhibits, the Offer to Purchase and a form of letter of transmittal and summary advertisement (such Schedule TO and the documents included therein by reference or otherwise pursuant to which the Offer will be made, together with any amendments and supplements thereto, the “Offer Documents”). The Company shall promptly furnish to Parent and Merger Sub in writing all information concerning the Company and the Company Subsidiaries that may be required by applicable Laws or reasonably requested by Parent or Merger Sub for inclusion in the Offer Documents. Parent and Merger Sub shall take all steps necessary to cause the Offer Documents to be filed with the SEC and disseminated to the stockholders of the Company, in each case as and to the extent required by the Exchange Act. Parent and Merger Sub, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, shall promptly correct any information provided by it for use in the Offer Documents if and to the extent that such information is or shall have become false or misleading in any material respect or as otherwise required by applicable Law. Parent and Merger Sub shall take all steps necessary to cause the Offer Documents, as so corrected, to be filed with the SEC and disseminated to the stockholders of the Company, in each case as and to the extent required by the Exchange Act. Parent and Merger Sub shall promptly notify the Company upon the receipt of any comments from the SEC, or any request from the SEC for amendments or supplements, to the Offer Documents, and shall promptly provide the Company with copies of all correspondence between them and their Representatives, on the one hand, and the SEC, on the other hand, relating to the Offer Documents. Prior to the filing of the Offer Documents (including any amendments or supplements thereto) with the SEC or dissemination thereof to the stockholders of the Company, or responding to any comments of the SEC with respect to the Offer Documents, Parent and Merger Sub shall provide the Company and its counsel a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on such Offer Documents or response, and Parent and Merger Sub shall give reasonable and good faith consideration to any such comments.
Section 2.2Company Actions.
(a) On the date the Schedule TO is filed with the SEC, the Company shall file with the SEC a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the Offer (together with all amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto, the “Schedule 14D-9”) that shall, subject to the provisions ofSection 7.5, contain and reflect the Company Recommendation. The Company shall take all steps necessary to cause the Schedule 14D-9 to be prepared and filed with the SEC and disseminated to the stockholders of the Company, in each case as and to the extent required by the Exchange Act. Parent and Merger Sub shall promptly furnish to the Company in writing all information concerning Parent and Merger Sub that may be required by applicable Laws or reasonably requested by the Company for inclusion in the Schedule 14D-9. The Company, on the one hand, and Parent and Merger Sub, on the other hand, shall promptly correct any information provided by it for use in the Schedule 14D-9 if and to the extent that such information is or shall have become false or misleading in any material respect or as otherwise required by applicable Law. The Company shall take all steps necessary to cause the Schedule 14D-9, as so corrected, to be filed with the SEC and disseminated to the stockholders of the Company, in each case as and to the extent required by the Exchange Act. The Company shall promptly notify Parent and Merger Sub upon the receipt of any comments from the SEC, or any request from the SEC for amendments or supplements, to the Schedule 14D-9, and shall promptly provide Parent and Merger Sub with copies of all correspondence between it and its Representatives, on the one hand, and the SEC, on the other hand, relating to the Schedule 14D-9. Unless the Company Board has effected a change in the Company Recommendation, prior to the filing of the Schedule 14D-9 (including any amendments or supplements thereto) with the SEC or dissemination thereof to the stockholders of the Company, or responding to any comments of the SEC with respect to the Schedule 14D-9, the Company shall provide Parent, Merger Sub and their counsel a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on such Schedule 14D-9 or response, and the Company shall give reasonable and good faith consideration to any such comments. The Company hereby consents to the inclusion in the Offer Documents of the Company Recommendation contained in the Schedule 14D-9.
13 |
(b) In connection with the Offer, the Company shall promptly furnish or cause to be furnished to Parent and Merger Sub mailing labels, security position listings and any other available listings or computer files containing the names and addresses of all record holders or beneficial owners of the shares of Company Common Stock, in each case as of the most recent practicable date, and shall furnish Parent and Merger Sub with such information and assistance (including lists of record holders or beneficial owners of the shares of Company Common Stock, updated from time to time upon Parent’s, Merger Sub’s or either of their respective agents’ reasonable request, and the addresses, mailing labels and lists of security positions of such record holders or beneficial owners) as Parent, Merger Sub or either of their respective agents may reasonably request for the purpose of communicating the Offer to the record holders and beneficial owners of the shares of Company Common Stock. Subject to the requirements of applicable Law, and except for such steps as are necessary to disseminate the Offer Documents and any other documents necessary to consummate the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, Parent and Merger Sub shall hold in confidence the information contained in any such labels, listings and files and shall use such information only in connection with the Offer and the Merger and, if this Agreement shall be terminated, shall promptly deliver (and shall use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to cause their agents and Representatives to deliver) to the Company or destroy all copies and any extract or summaries of such information then in their possession or control.
Section 2.3Directors. Until the Effective Time, the approval of a majority of the directors of the Company then in office who were not designated by Parent (the “Existing Directors”) (or the approval of the sole Existing Director if there shall only be one Existing Director) shall be required to authorize (and such authorization shall constitute the authorization of the Company Board and no other action on the part of the Company, including any action by any other director of the Company, shall be required to authorize) (i) any termination of this Agreement by the Company, (ii) any amendment of this Agreement (including any decrease or change in the form of the Offer Price), (iii) any extension of time for performance of any obligation or action hereunder by Parent or Merger Sub, and (iv) any waiver of compliance with any of the agreements or conditions contained herein for the benefit of the Company;provided that if there shall be no Existing Directors as a result of such individuals’ deaths, disabilities, resignations or refusals to serve, then such actions may be effected by a majority vote of the Company Board. The Existing Directors will have the authority to retain counsel (which may include current counsel to the Company) and other advisors at the reasonable expense of the Company as determined appropriate by the Existing Directors for the purpose of fulfilling their obligations hereunder. Until the Effective Time, any action by the Company to enforce any obligation of Parent or Merger Sub under this Agreement shall be effected only by the action of a majority of the Existing Directors (or the approval of the sole Existing Director if there shall only be one Existing Director);provided that if there shall be no Existing Directors as a result of such individuals’ deaths, disabilities, resignations or refusals to serve, then such actions may be effected by a majority vote of the Company Board.
14 |
Section 2.4Top-Up Option.
(a) The Company hereby grants to Merger Sub an irrevocable option (the “Top-Up Option”), exercisable only on the terms and conditions set forth in thisSection 2.4, to purchase at a price per share equal to the Offer Price, that number of shares of Company Common Stock (the “Top-Up Shares”) equal to the lowest number of shares of Company Common Stock that, when added to the number of shares of Company Common Stock owned by Parent and its Subsidiaries at the time of exercise of the Top-Up Option, shall constitute one share more than ninety percent (90%) of the shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately after the issuance of the Top-Up Shares (the “Short Form Threshold”);provided, that the Top-Up Option will not be exercisable unless, immediately after such exercise and the issuance of Top-Up Shares pursuant thereto, the Short Form Threshold would be reached (after giving effect to the issuance of the Top-Up Shares). The Top-Up Option shall be exercisable only once, in whole but not in part, at any time following the Offer Closing and prior to the earliest to occur of (A) the close of business on the fifth (5th) Business Day following the Offer Closing, (B) the Effective Time and (C) the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.
(b) In the event Merger Sub wishes to exercise the Top-Up Option, Merger Sub shall notify the Company in writing, and shall set forth in such notice (i) the number of shares of Company Common Stock owned by Parent and its Subsidiaries at the time of such notice (giving effect to the Offer Closing) and (ii) a place and a time for the closing of such purchase which shall, unless the Existing Directors otherwise agree, be at the Company’s principal offices not less than one (1) Business Day after receipt of such notice. The Company shall, promptly following receipt of such notice, deliver written notice to Merger Sub specifying, based on the information provided by Merger Sub in its notice, the number of Top-Up Shares to be purchased by Merger Sub. At the closing of the purchase of Top-Up Shares, the aggregate purchase price owed by Merger Sub to the Company for the Top-Up Shares (calculated by multiplying the number of such Top-Up Shares by the Offer Price) shall be paid to the Company at Parent’s election, either (i) entirely in cash, by wire transfer of same-day funds or (ii) by issuing to the Company a promissory note having a principal amount equal to the aggregate purchase price pursuant to the Top-Up Option (the “Promissory Note”). The Promissory Note (i) shall bear simple interest at a rate of three percent (3.0%) per annum, (ii) shall mature on the first anniversary of the date of execution of the Promissory Note, (iii) shall be full recourse to Parent and Merger Sub, (iv) may be prepaid, at any time, in whole or in part, without premium or penalty, and (v) shall have no other material terms. The Company shall cause to be issued to Merger Sub a certificate representing the Top-Up Shares or, if the Company does not then have certificated shares of Company Stock, the applicable number of Book-Entry Shares. Such certificates or Book-Entry Shares may include any legends that are required by the Company Charter or federal or state securities Laws.
15 |
(c) Parent and Merger Sub acknowledge that any Top-Up Shares issued upon exercise of the Top-Up Option will not be registered under the Securities Act and that all such shares will be issued in reliance upon an applicable exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Each of Parent and Merger Sub hereby represents and warrants to the Company that Merger Sub is, and will be, upon the purchase of the Top-Up Shares, an “accredited investor,” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act. Merger Sub agrees that the Top-Up Option and the Top-Up Shares to be acquired upon exercise of the Top-Up Option are being and will be acquired by Merger Sub for the purpose of investment and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution thereof (within the meaning of the Securities Act).
(d) If Merger Sub exercises the Top-Up Option and the number of Top-Up Shares exceeds the number of shares of authorized Company Common Stock that at the time of exercise are not outstanding, the Company Board will, as promptly as practicable after Merger Sub exercises the Top-Up Option, approve an amendment to the Company Charter increasing the number of shares of Company Common Stock the Company is authorized to issue to a number that is sufficient to enable the Company to issue to Merger Sub all of the Top-Up Shares Merger Sub is to purchase as a result of exercise of the Top-Up Option and such amendment will be duly executed and filed with and accepted for record by the SDAT.
Article III
THE MERGER
Section 3.1Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, and in accordance with the MGCL and the DGCL, at the Effective Time, the Company shall be merged with and into Merger Sub, whereupon the separate existence of the Company shall cease, and Merger Sub shall continue under the name “Desert Acquisition, Inc.” as the surviving entity in the Merger (the “Surviving Entity”) and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.
Section 3.2Closing. The closing of the Merger (the “Closing”) shall occur on the third (3rd) Business Day after all of the conditions set forth inArticle VIII (other than those conditions that by their terms are required to be satisfied or waived at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of such conditions) shall have been satisfied or waived by the party entitled to the benefit of the same or at such other time and date as shall be agreed upon by the parties. The date on which the Closing occurs is referred to in this Agreement as the “Closing Date”. The Closing shall take place at the offices of Proskauer Rose LLP, Eleven Times Square, New York, New York 10036, or at such other place as agreed to by the parties hereto.
Section 3.3Effective Time.
(a) Prior to the Closing, Parent shall prepare and, on the Closing Date, the Company, Parent and Merger Sub shall (i) cause articles of merger with respect to the Merger (the “Articles of Merger”) to be duly executed and filed with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”) as provided under the MGCL, (ii) cause a certificate of merger with respect to the Merger (the “Certificate of Merger”) to be duly executed and filed with the Delaware Secretary as provided under the DGCL and (iii) make any other filings, recordings or publications required to be made by the Company or Merger Sub under the MGCL or DGCL in connection with the Merger. The Merger shall become effective at such time as the Articles of Merger are accepted for record by the SDAT and the Certificate of Merger shall have been duly filed with the Delaware Secretary on the Closing Date or on such other date and time (not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date the Articles of Merger are accepted for record by the SDAT and the Certificate of Merger is duly filed with the Delaware Secretary) as shall be agreed to by the Company and Parent and specified in the Articles of Merger and Certificate of Merger (such date and time being hereinafter referred to as the “Effective Time”).
16 |
(b) The Merger shall have the effects set forth in the applicable provisions of the MGCL, the DGCL and this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, from and after the Effective Time, the Surviving Entity shall possess all properties, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of the Company and Merger Sub, and all of the claims, obligations, liabilities, debts and duties of the Company and Merger Sub shall become the claims, obligations, liabilities, debts and duties of the Surviving Entity.
Section 3.4Organizational Documents. Subject toSection 7.9, at the Effective Time, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Merger Sub, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Entity, until thereafter amended in accordance with applicable Law and the applicable provisions of such certificate of incorporation and bylaws.
Section 3.5Tax Consequences. The parties hereto intend that, for U.S. federal, and applicable state, income tax purposes, the Merger will be treated as a taxable sale by the Company of all of the Company’s assets to Parent in exchange for the Merger Consideration provided for herein to be provided to the stockholders of the Company and the assumption of all of the Company’s liabilities, followed by the distribution of such Merger Consideration to the stockholders of the Company in liquidation of the Company pursuant to Section 331 and Section 562 of the Code, and that this Agreement be, and is hereby adopted as, a “plan of liquidation” of the Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Article IV
EFFECT OF THE MERGER
Section 4.1Effect on Shares. At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of the Company, Parent, Merger Sub or the holder of any securities of the Company, Parent or Merger Sub:
(a)Cancellation of Company Common Stock. Each share of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time that is held by any wholly owned Company Subsidiary, by Parent or by any Parent Subsidiary shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be cancelled and retired and shall cease to exist, and no payment shall be made with respect thereto.
17 |
(b)Conversion of Company Common Stock. Each share of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than shares to be cancelled in accordance withSection 4.1(a)) shall automatically be converted into the right to receive, in cash and without interest, an amount equal to the Offer Price (the “Merger Consideration”). At the Effective Time, each share of Company Common Stock converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration pursuant to thisSection 4.1(b), when so converted, shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be cancelled and retired and shall cease to exist, and each holder of a certificate (a “Certificate”) or book-entry share registered in the transfer books of the Company (a “Book-Entry Share”) that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented shares of Company Common Stock shall cease to have any rights with respect thereto other than the right to receive the Merger Consideration in accordance withSection 4.2.
(c)Treatment of Merger Sub Common Stock. All shares of common stock of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall remain outstanding as shares of common stock of the Surviving Entity.
(d)Adjustments. Without limiting the other provisions of this Agreement and subject toSection 7.1(c)(ii), if at any time during the period between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, the Company should split, combine or otherwise reclassify the Company Common Stock or make a dividend or other distribution in shares of Company Common Stock (including any dividend or other distribution of securities convertible into Company Common Stock), or engage in a reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or exchange or other like change, then (without limiting any other rights of Parent or Merger Sub hereunder), the Offer Price and the Merger Consideration (as applicable) shall be ratably adjusted to reflect fully the effect of any such change.
Section 4.2Exchange Fund; Exchange Agent.
(a) Prior to the Effective Time, Parent shall appoint a bank or trust company reasonably satisfactory to the Company to act as exchange agent (the “Exchange Agent”) for the payment and delivery of the Merger Consideration, as provided inSection 4.1(b). At or prior to the Effective Time, Parent shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, with the Exchange Agent cash in immediately available funds in an amount sufficient to pay the Merger Consideration (the “Exchange Fund”) for the sole benefit of the holders of shares of Company Common Stock. Parent shall cause the Exchange Agent to make, and the Exchange Agent shall make, payments of the Merger Consideration out of the Exchange Fund in accordance with this Agreement, the Articles of Merger and the Certificate of Merger. The Exchange Fund shall not be used for any other purpose. Any and all interest and other amounts earned on cash deposited in the Exchange Fund shall be paid to the Surviving Entity.
(b)Share Transfer Books. At the Effective Time, the share transfer books of the Company shall be closed, and thereafter there shall be no further registration of transfers of shares of Company Common Stock. From and after the Effective Time, Persons who held shares of Company Common Stock immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to have rights with respect to such shares, except as otherwise provided for herein. On or after the Effective Time, any Certificates presented to the Exchange Agent or the Surviving Entity for any reason shall be exchanged for the Merger Consideration with respect to the shares of Company Common Stock formerly represented thereby.
18 |
(c)Exchange Procedures.
(i) As promptly as practicable following the Effective Time (but in no event later than two (2) Business Days thereafter), Parent or the Surviving Entity shall cause the Exchange Agent to mail (and to make available for collection by hand) to each holder of record of a Certificate (A) a letter of transmittal (a “Letter of Transmittal”), which shall specify that delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall pass only upon proper delivery of the Certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) to the Exchange Agent, and which Letter of Transmittal shall be in such form and have such other customary provisions as the Company and Parent may reasonably agree upon, and (B) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates in exchange for the Merger Consideration into which the number of shares of Company Common Stock previously represented by such Certificate shall have been converted pursuant to this Agreement (which instructions shall provide that, at the election of the surrendering holder, (1) Certificates may be surrendered by hand delivery or otherwise or (2) the Merger Consideration in exchange therefor may be collected by check or wire transfer to the surrendering holder).
(ii) Upon surrender of a Certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof) to the Exchange Agent, together with a Letter of Transmittal duly completed and validly executed in accordance with the instructions thereto, and such other documents as may reasonably be required by the Exchange Agent, the holder of such Certificate shall be entitled to receive in exchange therefor the Merger Consideration for each share of Company Common Stock formerly represented by such Certificate by check or wire transfer, to be mailed or delivered by wire transfer within two (2) Business Days following the later to occur of (A) the Effective Time or (B) the Exchange Agent’s receipt of such Certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof), and the Certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof) so surrendered shall be forthwith cancelled. The Exchange Agent shall accept such Certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) upon compliance with such reasonable terms and conditions as the Exchange Agent may impose to effect an orderly exchange thereof in accordance with customary exchange practices. Until surrendered as contemplated by thisSection 4.2, each Certificate shall be deemed, at any time after the Effective Time, to represent only the right to receive, upon such surrender, the Merger Consideration as contemplated by thisArticle IV. No interest shall be paid or accrued for the benefit of holders of the Certificates on the Merger Consideration payable upon the surrender of the Certificates.
(iii) As promptly as practicable following the Effective Time (but in no event later than two (2) Business Days thereafter), Parent or the Surviving Entity shall cause the Exchange Agent to issue and deliver to each holder of Book-Entry Shares a check or wire transfer representing the Merger Consideration that such holder has the right to receive pursuant to the provisions ofSection 4.1(b), in each case without such holder being required to deliver a Certificate or an executed Letter of Transmittal to the Exchange Agent, and such Book-Entry Shares shall then be canceled. No interest shall be paid or accrued for the benefit of holders of Book-Entry Shares on the Merger Consideration payable in respect of the Book-Entry Shares.
19 |
(iv) In the event of a transfer of ownership of shares of Company Common Stock that is not registered in the transfer records of the Company, it shall be a condition of payment that any Certificate surrendered in accordance with the procedures set forth in thisSection 4.2(c) shall be properly endorsed or shall be otherwise in proper form for transfer, or any Book-Entry Share shall be properly transferred, and that the Person requesting such payment shall have paid any transfer Taxes and other Taxes required by reason of the payment of the Merger Consideration to a Person other than the registered holder of the Certificate or Book-Entry Share surrendered or shall have established to the reasonable satisfaction of Parent that such Tax either has been paid or is not applicable.
(d)Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion of the Exchange Fund (including any interest and other income received with respect thereto) which remains undistributed to the former holders of shares of Company Common Stock on the first (1st) anniversary of the Effective Time shall be delivered to Parent, upon demand, and any former holders of shares of Company Common Stock who have not theretofore received any Merger Consideration to which they are entitled under thisArticle IV shall thereafter look only to Parent and the Surviving Entity for payment of their claims with respect thereto.
(e)No Liability. None of Parent, Merger Sub, the Company, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, or any employee, officer, director, agent or Affiliate of any of them, shall be liable to any holder of shares of Company Common Stock in respect of any part of the Merger Consideration delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar Law. Any amounts remaining unclaimed by holders of any such shares immediately prior to the time at which such amounts would otherwise escheat to, or become property of, any Governmental Authority shall, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, become the property of the Surviving Entity, free and clear of any claims or interest of any such holders or their successors, assigns or personal representatives previously entitled thereto.
Section 4.3Withholding Rights. Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, as applicable, shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable to any Person pursuant to this Agreement such amounts as Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the Code, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or any provision of applicable Tax Law. To the extent that amounts are so deducted or withheld and paid over to the appropriate Governmental Authority by Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, as applicable, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made by Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, as applicable.
Section 4.4Lost Certificates. If any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, then upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and, if required by the Surviving Entity, the posting by such Person of a bond in such reasonable amount as the Surviving Entity may direct, as indemnity against any claim that may be made against it with respect to such Certificate, the Exchange Agent will issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate the Merger Consideration to which the holder thereof is entitled pursuant to thisArticle IV.
20 |
Section 4.5Rights of Objecting Stockholders. No rights of an objecting stockholder (under MGCL Section 3-201 et seq. or otherwise) shall be available with respect to the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Article V
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
Except (a) as set forth in the disclosure letter that has been prepared by the Company and delivered by the Company to Parent in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement (the “Company Disclosure Letter”) (it being agreed that disclosure of any item in any Section of the Company Disclosure Letter with respect to any Section or subsection ofArticle V of this Agreement shall be deemed disclosed with respect to any other Section or subsection ofArticle V of this Agreement to the extent such relationship is reasonably apparent,provided that nothing in the Company Disclosure Letter is intended to broaden the scope of any representation or warranty of the Company made herein), or (b) as disclosed in publicly available Company SEC Filings, filed with, or furnished to, as applicable, the SEC on or after January 1, 2013 and prior to the date of this Agreement (excluding any risk factor disclosures contained in such documents under the heading “Risk Factors” and any disclosure of risks or other matters included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or other statements that are cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), the Company hereby represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Sub that:
Section 5.1Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
(a) The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland and has the requisite organizational power and authority and any necessary governmental authorization to own, lease and, to the extent applicable, operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. The Company is duly qualified or licensed to do business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned, operated or leased by it or the nature of its business makes such qualification, licensing or good standing necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified, licensed or in good standing that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Each Company Subsidiary is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as the case may be, and has the requisite organizational power and authority and any necessary governmental authorization to own, lease and, to the extent applicable, operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted, except, with respect only to each Company Subsidiary that would not constitute a “significant subsidiary” (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X), for such failures to be so organized, in good standing or have certain power and authority that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Each Company Subsidiary is duly qualified or licensed to do business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned, operated or leased by it or the nature of its business makes such qualification, licensing or good standing necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified, licensed or in good standing that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
21 |
(c)Section 5.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of the Company Subsidiaries and each other corporate or non-corporate subsidiary in which the Company owns any direct or indirect voting, capital, profits or other beneficial interest (“Other Company Subsidiary”), including a list of each Company Subsidiary or Other Company Subsidiary that is a “qualified REIT subsidiary” within the meaning of Section 856(i)(2) of the Code (“Qualified REIT Subsidiary”), or a “taxable REIT subsidiary” within the meaning of Section 856(l) of the Code (“Taxable REIT Subsidiary”), together with (i) the jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, as the case may be, of each Company Subsidiary or Other Company Subsidiary, (ii) the type of and percentage of interest held (including capital account balances for any entity treated as a partnership for income tax purposes), directly or indirectly, by the Company in each Company Subsidiary and each Other Company Subsidiary, (iii) the names of and the type of and percentage of interest held (including capital account balances for any entity treated as a partnership for income tax purposes) by any Person other than the Company or a Company Subsidiary in each Company Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, each Other Company Subsidiary, and (iv) the classification for United States federal income tax purposes of each Company Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, each Other Company Subsidiary.
(d) Except as set forth inSection 5.1(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, owns any interest or investment (whether equity or debt) in any Person (other than equity interests in the Company Subsidiaries or Other Company Subsidiaries, loans to any Taxable REIT Subsidiary of the Company and investments in bank time deposits and money market accounts).
Section 5.2Organizational Documents. The Company has made available to Parent complete and correct copies of (i) the Company’s charter, as amended or supplemented to date (the “Company Charter”), and the Company’s bylaws, as amended to date (the “Company Bylaws”), and (ii) the organizational documents of each Company Subsidiary, each as in effect on the date hereof.
Section 5.3Capital Structure.
(a) The authorized stock of the Company consists of 90,000,000 shares of Company Common Stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. At the close of business on March 14, 2014, 10,090,951 shares of Company Common Stock were issued and outstanding and no shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding. All issued and outstanding shares of Company Common Stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and no class of stock of the Company is entitled to preemptive rights. There are no outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of the Company having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matter on which holders of shares of Company Common Stock may vote. There are no outstanding Company Options. There are no rights, options, stock or unit appreciation rights, phantom stock or units, restricted stock units, dividend equivalents or similar rights with respect to the Company Common Stock or units in the Company Operating Partnership other than the Partnership Units disclosed onSection 5.3(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter.
22 |
(b) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Company Subsidiaries that is a corporation are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. All equity interests in each of the Company Subsidiaries that is a partnership or limited liability company are duly authorized and validly issued. All shares of capital stock of (or other ownership interests in) each of the Company Subsidiaries that may be issued upon exercise of outstanding options or exchange rights are duly authorized and, upon issuance will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set forth inSection 5.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock and other ownership interests of each of the Company Subsidiaries, free and clear of all encumbrances other than statutory or other liens for Taxes or assessments which are not yet due or delinquent or the validity of which is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves are being maintained, and there are no existing options, warrants, calls, subscriptions, convertible securities or other securities, agreements, commitments or obligations of any character relating to the outstanding capital stock or other securities of any Company Subsidiary or which would require any Company Subsidiary to issue or sell any shares of its capital stock, ownership interests or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of its capital stock or ownership interests.
(c) Except as set forth in thisSection 5.3(c) or inSection 5.3(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, there are no securities, options, warrants, calls, rights, commitments, agreements, rights of first refusal, arrangements or undertakings of any kind to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party or by which any of them is bound, obligating the Company or any Company Subsidiary to issue, deliver or sell or create, or cause to be issued, delivered or sold or created, additional shares of Company Common Stock or other equity securities or phantom stock or other contractual rights the value of which is determined in whole or in part by the value of any equity security of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries or obligating the Company or any Company Subsidiary to issue, grant, extend or enter into any such security, option, warrant, call, right, commitment, agreement, right of first refusal, arrangement or undertaking. Except as set forth inSection 5.3(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, there are no outstanding contractual obligations of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of Company Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company or any Company Subsidiary. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to or bound by any agreements or understandings concerning the voting (including voting trusts and proxies) of any capital stock of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries.
(d) All dividends or other distributions on the shares of Company Common Stock and any material dividends or other distributions on any securities of any Company Subsidiary which have been authorized or declared prior to the date hereof have been paid in full (except to the extent such dividends have been publicly announced and are not yet due and payable).
23 |
Section 5.4Authority.
(a) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and, subject to receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval if required by applicable Law, to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Company are necessary to authorize this Agreement, the Offer or the Merger or to consummate the other transactions contemplated hereby, subject, with respect to the Merger, to receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval if required by applicable Law, the filing of the Articles of Merger with and acceptance for record of the Articles of Merger by the SDAT and the due filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware Secretary. The Company Board, at a duly held meeting, has, by unanimous vote of the entire Company Board, (i) duly and validly authorized the execution and delivery of this Agreement and declared advisable the consummation of the Offer and the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) if required by applicable Law, directed that the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby be submitted for consideration at the Company Stockholder Meeting, and (iii) resolved to recommend that the holders of Company Common Stock accept the Offer, tender their shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to the Offer and, if required by applicable Law, vote in favor of the approval of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby (the “Company Recommendation”) and to include such recommendation in the Schedule 14D-9 and the Proxy Statement, if any, subject toSection 7.5.
(b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by each of Parent and Merger Sub, constitutes a legally valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
Section 5.5No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents.
(a) Except as set forth inSection 5.5(a)of the Company Disclosure Letter, the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company does not, and the performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby by the Company will not, assuming receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval if required by applicable Law, (i) conflict with or violate any provision of (A) the Company Charter or Company Bylaws or (B) any equivalent organizational or governing documents of any Company Subsidiary, (ii) assuming that all consents, approvals, authorizations and permits described inSection 5.5(b) have been obtained, all filings and notifications described inSection 5.5(b) have been made and any waiting periods thereunder have terminated or expired, conflict with or violate any Law applicable to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary is bound, or (iii) require any consent or approval (except as contemplated bySection 5.5(b)) under, result in any breach of or any loss of any benefit or material increase in any cost or obligation of the Company or any Company Subsidiary under, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any right of termination, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice or the lapse of time or both) of, or give rise to any right of purchase, first offer or forced sale under or result in the creation of a Lien on any property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary pursuant to, any note, bond, debt instrument, mortgage, indenture, contract, agreement, ground lease, license, permit or other legally binding obligation to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party, except, as to clauses (i)(B), (ii) and (iii), respectively, for any such conflicts, violations, breaches, defaults or other occurrences which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
24 |
(b) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company does not, and the performance of this Agreement by the Company will not, require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or filing with or notification to, any Governmental Authority, except (i) the filing with the SEC of (A) the Schedule 14D-9, (B) if required by applicable Law, a proxy statement in preliminary and definitive form relating to the Company Stockholder Meeting (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Proxy Statement”), and (C) such reports under, and other compliance with, the Exchange Act and the Securities Act as may be required in connection with this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) the filing of the Articles of Merger and the acceptance for record by the SDAT of the Articles of Merger pursuant to the MGCL, (iii) the due filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware Secretary, (iv) such filings and approvals as may be required by any applicable state securities or “blue sky” Laws, and (v) such filings as may be required in connection with state and local transfer Taxes.
Section 5.6Permits; Compliance With Law.
(a) The Company and each Company Subsidiary is in possession of all authorizations, licenses, permits, certificates, approvals, variances, exemptions, orders, franchises, certifications and clearances of any Governmental Authority and accreditation and certification agencies, bodies or other organizations, including building permits and certificates of occupancy, necessary for the Company and each Company Subsidiary to own, lease and, to the extent applicable, operate its properties or to carry on its respective business substantially as it is being conducted as of the date hereof (the “Company Permits”), and all such Company Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the failure to be in possession of, or the failure to be valid or in full force and effect of, any of the Company Permits, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. All applications required to have been filed for the renewal of the Company Permits have been duly filed on a timely basis with the appropriate Governmental Authority, and all other filings required to have been made with respect to such Company Permits have been duly made on a timely basis with the appropriate Governmental Authority, except in each case for failures to file which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received any claim or notice nor has any knowledge indicating that the Company or any Company Subsidiary is currently not in compliance with the terms of any such Company Permits, except where the failure to be in compliance with the terms of any such Company Permits, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
25 |
(b) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is or has been in conflict with, or in default or violation of (i) any Law applicable to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary is bound, or (ii) any Company Permits, except in each case for any such conflicts, defaults or violations that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.7SEC Filings; Financial Statements.
(a) The Company has filed with, or furnished (on a publicly available basis) to, the SEC all forms, reports, schedules, statements and documents required to be filed or furnished by it under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, including any amendments or supplements thereto, from and after January 1, 2012 (collectively, the “Company SEC Filings”). Each Company SEC Filing, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, (i) as of its date, or, if amended or supplemented, as of the date of the most recent amendment or supplement thereto, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, and (ii) did not, at the time it was filed (or became effective in the case of registration statements), or, if amended or supplemented, as of the date of the most recent amendment or supplement thereto, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. As of the date of this Agreement, no Company Subsidiary is separately subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
(b) Each of the consolidated financial statements contained or incorporated by reference in the Company SEC Filings (as amended, supplemented or restated, if applicable), including the related notes and schedules, was prepared (except as indicated in the notes thereto) in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods indicated, and each such consolidated financial statement presented fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position, results of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the respective dates thereof and for the respective periods indicated therein (subject, in the case of unaudited quarterly financial statements, to normal year-end adjustments).
(c) The records, systems, controls, data and information of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries that are used in the system of internal accounting controls described in the following sentence are recorded, stored, maintained and operated under means that are under the exclusive ownership and direct control of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries or accountants, except for any non-exclusive ownership and non-direct control that would not reasonably be expected to have a materially adverse effect on the system of internal accounting controls. The Company and the Company Subsidiaries have devised and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including that: (1) transactions are executed only in accordance with management’s authorization; (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the financial statements of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries and to maintain accountability for the assets of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries; (3) access to such assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s authorization; (4) the reporting of such assets is compared with existing assets at regular intervals; and (5) accounts, notes and other receivables and inventory are recorded accurately, and proper and adequate procedures are implemented to effect the collection thereof on a current and timely basis. The Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer have disclosed to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company Board (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data, and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls, and the Company has made available to Parent copies of any material written materials relating to the foregoing. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 promulgated under the Exchange Act) designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company required to be included in reports filed under the Exchange Act, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared, and, to the knowledge of the Company, such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in timely alerting the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer to material information required to be included in the Company’s periodic reports required under the Exchange Act. Since the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, none of the Company or any Company Subsidiary has made any prohibited loans to any director or executive officer of the Company (as defined in Rule 3b-7 promulgated under the Exchange Act).
26 |
(d) Except as and to the extent disclosed or reserved against on the Company’s most recent balance sheet (or, in the notes thereto) included in the Company SEC Filings, none of the Company or its consolidated subsidiaries has any liabilities or obligations of any nature (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise), except for liabilities or obligations (i) expressly contemplated by or under this Agreement, includingSection 7.1 hereof, (ii) incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice since the most recent balance sheet set forth in the Company SEC Filings made through and including the date of this Agreement, (iii) described in any section of the Company Disclosure Letter or (iv) that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Except as set forth inSection 5.7(e) of the Company Disclosure Letter, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the Company SEC Filings is the subject of ongoing SEC review and the Company has not received any comments from the SEC with respect to any of the Company SEC Filings since January 1, 2012 which remain unresolved, nor has it received any inquiry or information request from the SEC as to any matters affecting the Company which has not been adequately addressed. The Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of all written comment letters from the staff of the SEC received since January 1, 2012 through the date of this Agreement relating to the Company SEC Filings and all written responses of the Company thereto through the date of this Agreement. None of the Company SEC Filings is the subject of any confidential treatment request by the Company.
27 |
Section 5.8Disclosure Documents.
(a) None of the information supplied or to be supplied in writing by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement, if any, will, at the date it is first mailed to the stockholders of the Company, at the time of the Company Stockholder Meeting or at the Effective Time, contain any untrue statement 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 in which they were made, not misleading. All documents that the Company is responsible for filing with the SEC in connection with the transactions contemplated herein, to the extent relating to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or other information supplied by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary for inclusion therein, will comply as to form, in all material respects, with the provisions of the Securities Act or Exchange Act, as applicable, and each such document required to be filed with any Governmental Authority (other than the SEC) will comply in all material respects with the provisions of any applicable Law as to the information required to be contained therein.
(b) The written information supplied by the Company expressly for inclusion in the Offer Documents (and any amendment or supplement thereto) will not 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Schedule 14D-9 will comply as to form, in all material respects, with the provisions of Rule 14d-9 of the Exchange Act and any other applicable federal securities Laws and will not, when filed with the SEC or distributed or disseminated to the Company’s 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) The representations and warranties contained in thisSection 5.8 will not apply to statements or omissions included in the Proxy Statement or Schedule 14D-9 to the extent based upon information supplied to the Company by or on behalf of Parent or Merger Sub.
Section 5.9Absence of Certain Changes or Events. Between January 1, 2014 and the date hereof, except as contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth inSection 5.9 of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company and each Company Subsidiary has conducted its business in all material respects in the ordinary course. Between January 1, 2013 and the date hereof, there has not been any Company Material Adverse Effect or any effect, event, development or circumstance that, individually or in the aggregate with all other effects, events, developments and changes, would reasonably be expected to result in a Company Material Adverse Effect.
28 |
Section 5.10Employee Benefit Plans.
(a) The Company and the Company Subsidiaries do not and are not required to, and have not and have never been required to, maintain, sponsor or contribute to any Benefit Plans. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has any contract, plan or commitment, whether or not legally binding, to create any Benefit Plan.
(b) Except as individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, none of the Company, any Company Subsidiary or any of their respective ERISA Affiliates has incurred any obligation or liability with respect to or under any Benefit Plan or other agreement, program, policy or other arrangement (including any agreement, program, policy or other arrangement under which any current or former employee, director or consultant has any present or future right to benefits) which has created or will create any obligation with respect to, or has resulted in or will result in any liability to Parent, Merger Sub or any of their respective subsidiaries.
(c) None of the Company, any of the Company Subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA Affiliates has ever maintained, contributed to, or participated in, or otherwise has any obligation or liability in connection with: (i) a “pension plan” under Section 3(2) of ERISA that is subject to Title IV or Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 or 4971 of the Code; (ii) a “multiemployer plan” (as defined in Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA or Section 414(f) of the Code); (iii) a “multiple employer welfare arrangement” (as defined in Section 3(40) of ERISA); (iv) a “multiple employer plan” (as defined in Section 413(c) of the Code); or (v) a “single employer plan” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA) which is subject to Sections 4063, 4064 or 4069 of ERISA.
(d) Except as set forth inSection 5.10(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter, neither the execution of this Agreement nor the consummation of the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated hereby will, individually or together with the occurrence of any other event: (i) result in any payment becoming due to any service provider of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, (ii) increase or otherwise enhance any benefits otherwise payable by the Company or any Company Subsidiary or the amount of compensation due to any service provider of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment or vesting of any such benefits or the funding of any such compensation or benefits.Section 5.10(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth the estimated maximum amount or value of each such payment or number of vested shares.
(e) Except as individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, no amount that could be received (whether in cash or property or the vesting of property) as a result of the consummation of the Offer or the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby (alone or in combination with any other event) by any Person who is a “disqualified individual” (as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1) under any compensation arrangement could be characterized as an “excess parachute payment” (as such term is defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code).
29 |
(f) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to or has any obligation under any contract or otherwise to compensate any Person for excise taxes payable pursuant to Section 4999 of the Code or for additional taxes payable pursuant to Section 409A of the Code.
Section 5.11Labor and Other Employment Matters. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has, or has ever had, any employees.
Section 5.12Material Contracts.
(a) Except for contracts listed inSection 5.12 of the Company Disclosure Letter or filed as exhibits to the Company SEC Filings, as of the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to or bound by any contract that, as of the date hereof:
(i) is required to be filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K pursuant to Item 601(b)(2), (4), (9) or (10) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC;
(ii) obligates the Company or any Company Subsidiary to make non-contingent aggregate annual expenditures (other than principal and/or interest payments or the deposit of other reserves with respect to debt obligations) in excess of $125,000 and is not cancelable within sixty (60) days without material penalty to the Company or any Company Subsidiary, except for any Company Lease or any ground lease affecting any Company Property;
(iii) contains any non-compete or exclusivity provisions with respect to any line of business or geographic area that restricts the business of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or that otherwise restricts the lines of business conducted by the Company or any Company Subsidiary or the geographic area in which the Company or any Company Subsidiary may conduct business;
(iv) is an agreement which obligates the Company or any Company Subsidiary to indemnify any past or present directors, officers, trustees, employees and agents of the Company or any Company Subsidiary pursuant to which the Company or Company Subsidiary is the indemnitor, other than any operating agreements or property management agreements or any similar agreement pursuant to which a Company Subsidiary that is not wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company provides such an indemnification to any such directors, officers, trustees, employees or agents in connection with the indemnification by such non-wholly owned Company Subsidiary of the Company or another Company Subsidiary thereunder;
(v) constitutes an Indebtedness obligation of the Company or any Company Subsidiary with a principal amount as of the date hereof greater than $125,000;
(vi) would prohibit or materially delay the consummation of the Offer or the Merger as contemplated by this Agreement;
30 |
(vii) requires the Company or any Company Subsidiary to dispose of or acquire assets or properties (other than in connection with the expiration of a Company Lease or a ground lease affecting a Company Property), or involves any pending or contemplated merger, consolidation or similar business combination transaction, except for any Company Lease or any ground lease affecting any Company Property;
(viii) constitutes an interest rate cap, interest rate collar, interest rate swap or other contract or agreement relating to a hedging transaction;
(ix) sets forth the operational terms of a joint venture, partnership, limited liability company with a Third Party member or strategic alliance of the Company or any Company Subsidiary;
(x) is with a Governmental Authority; or
(xi) constitutes a loan to any Person (other than a wholly owned Company Subsidiary) by the Company or any Company Subsidiary (other than advances made pursuant to and expressly disclosed in the Company Leases or pursuant to any disbursement agreement, development agreement, or development addendum entered into in connection with a Company Lease with respect to the development, construction or equipping of Company Properties or the funding of improvements to Company Properties).
Each contract listed onSection 5.12 of the Company Disclosure Letter to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party or by which it is bound as of the date hereof is referred to herein as a “Company Material Contract”.
(b) Each Company Material Contract is legal, valid, binding and enforceable on the Company and each Company Subsidiary that is a party thereto and, to the knowledge of the Company, each other party thereto, and is in full force and effect, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The Company and each Company Subsidiary has performed all obligations required to be performed by it prior to the date hereof under each Company Material Contract and, to the knowledge of the Company, each other party thereto has performed all obligations required to be performed by it under such Company Material Contract prior to the date hereof. None of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, is in material breach or violation of, or default under, any Company Material Contract, and no event has occurred that with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a violation, breach or default under any Company Material Contract. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received notice of any violation or default under any Company Material Contract.
Section 5.13Litigation. Except as set forth inSection 5.13 of the Company Disclosure Letter, (a) there is no material Action pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by or before any Governmental Authority, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is there any material investigation pending by any Governmental Authority, in each case, against the Company or any Company Subsidiary, and (b) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary, nor any of the Company’s or any Company Subsidiary’s respective property, is subject to any material outstanding Order, writ or injunction of any Governmental Authority.
31 |
Section 5.14Environmental Matters. Except as set forth inSection 5.14 of the Company Disclosure Letter:
(a) The Company and each Company Subsidiary are in compliance in all material respects with all Environmental Laws.
(b) The Company and each Company Subsidiary have all material Environmental Permits necessary to conduct their current operations and are in compliance in all material respects with their respective Environmental Permits, and all such Environmental Permits are in good standing.
(c) Except as individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received any written notice, demand, letter or claim alleging that the Company or any such Company Subsidiary is in violation of, or liable under, any Environmental Law or that any judicial, administrative or compliance order has been issued against the Company or any Company Subsidiary which remains unresolved. There is no material litigation, investigation, request for information or other proceeding pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company and any Company Subsidiary under any Environmental Law.
(d) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has entered into or agreed to any consent decree or order or is subject to any judgment, decree or judicial, administrative or compliance order relating to compliance with Environmental Laws, Environmental Permits or the investigation, sampling, monitoring, treatment, remediation, removal or cleanup of Hazardous Substances and no investigation, litigation or other proceeding is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any Company Subsidiary under any Environmental Law.
(e) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has assumed, by contract or operation of Law, any material liability under any Environmental Law or relating to any Hazardous Substances, or is an indemnitor in connection with any threatened or asserted claim by any third-party indemnitee for any liability under any Environmental Law or relating to any Hazardous Substances.
(f) Except as individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has caused, and to the knowledge of the Company, no Third Party has caused any release of a Hazardous Substance that would be required to be investigated or remediated by the Company or any Company Subsidiary under any Environmental Law.
(g) Except as individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, there is no site to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary has transported or arranged for the transport of Hazardous Substances which, to the knowledge of the Company, is or may become the subject of any Action under Environmental Law.
32 |
(h) None of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will trigger any filing requirement or other action under any Environmental Law or property transfer statute or any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.
Section 5.15Intellectual Property.
(a)Section 5.15(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a correct and complete list of all material Intellectual Property registrations and applications for registration owned by the Company.
(b) Except as set forth inSection 5.15(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter or as, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and the Company Subsidiaries own or are licensed or otherwise possess valid rights to use all Intellectual Property necessary to conduct the business of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries as it is currently conducted, (ii) the conduct of the business of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries as it is currently conducted does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the Intellectual Property rights of any Third Party, (iii) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened claims with respect to any of the Intellectual Property rights owned by the Company or any Company Subsidiary, and (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, no Third Party is currently infringing or misappropriating Intellectual Property owned by the Company or any Company Subsidiary. The Company and the Company Subsidiaries are taking all actions that they reasonably believe are necessary to maintain and protect each material item of Intellectual Property that they own.
Section 5.16Properties.
(a)Section 5.16(a) (Part I) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of the common name of each facility and real property owned, leased (as lessee or sublessee), including ground leased, by the Company or any Company Subsidiary as of the date of this Agreement (all such real property interests, together with all buildings, structures and other improvements and fixtures located on or under such real property and all easements, rights and other appurtenances to such real property, are individually referred to herein as a “Company Property” and collectively referred to herein as the “Company Properties”).Section 5.16(a) (Part II) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of the common name of each facility and real property which, as of the date of this Agreement, is under contract by the Company or a Company Subsidiary for purchase or which is required under a binding contract to be leased or subleased by the Company or a Company Subsidiary after the date of this Agreement. Except as set forth inSection 5.16(a) (Part II) of the Company Disclosure Letter, there are no real properties that the Company or any Company Subsidiary is obligated to buy, lease or sublease at some future date.
(b) The Company or a Company Subsidiary owns good and marketable fee simple title or leasehold title (as applicable) to each of the Company Properties, in each case, free and clear of Liens, except for Company Permitted Liens that have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Company Permitted Liens” shall mean any (i) Liens relating to any Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (ii) Liens that result from any statutory or other Liens for Taxes or assessments that are not yet due and payable or subject to penalty or the validity of which is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which there are adequate reserves on the financial statements of the Company (if such reserves are required pursuant to GAAP), (iii) any Company Material Contracts or other service contracts, management agreements, leasing commission agreements, agreements or obligations set forth inSection 5.16(l) of the Company Disclosure Letter, or Company Leases or ground leases or air rights affecting any Company Property, (iv) Liens imposed or promulgated by Law or any Governmental Authority, including zoning regulations, permits and licenses, (v) Liens that are disclosed on the existing Company Title Insurance Policies made available by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to Parent prior to the date hereof and, with respect to leasehold interests, Liens on the underlying fee or leasehold interest of the applicable ground lessor, lessor or sublessor, (vi) any cashiers’, landlords’, workers’, mechanics’, carriers’, workmen’s, repairmen’s and materialmen’s liens and other similar Liens imposed by Law and incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice that are not yet subject to penalty or the validity of which is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, and (vii) any other Liens, limitations, restrictions or title defects that do not materially impair the value of the Company Property or the continued use and operation of the Company Property as currently used and operated.
33 |
(c) The improvements comprising the Company Properties (x) are supplied with utilities and other services reasonably required for their continued operation as they are now being operated, (y) are, to the knowledge of the Company, in working order sufficient for their normal operation in the manner currently being operated and without any material structural defects other than as may be disclosed in any physical condition reports that have been made available to Parent, and (z) are, to the knowledge of the Company, adequate and suitable for the purposes for which they are presently being used.
(d) To the knowledge of the Company, each of the Company Properties has sufficient access to and from publicly dedicated streets for its current use and operation, without any constraints that interfere with the normal use, occupancy and operation thereof.
(e) Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has received (i) written notice that any certificate, permit or license from any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over any of the Company Properties or any agreement, easement or other right of an unlimited duration that is necessary to permit the lawful use and operation of the buildings and improvements on any of the Company Properties or that is necessary to permit the lawful use and operation of all utilities, parking areas, retention ponds, driveways, roads and other means of egress and ingress to and from any of the Company Properties is not in full force and effect as of the date of this Agreement, except for such failures to be in full force and effect that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, or of any pending written threat of modification or cancellation of any of same, that would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) written notice of any uncured violation of any Laws affecting any of the Company Properties which, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
34 |
(f) No certificate, variance, permit or license from any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over any of the Company Properties or any agreement, easement or other right that is necessary to permit the current use of the buildings and improvements on any of the Company Properties or that is necessary to permit the current use of all parking areas, driveways, roads and other means of egress and ingress to and from any of the Company Properties has failed to be obtained or is not in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received written notice of any outstanding threat of modification or cancellation of any such certificate, variance, permit or license, except for any of the foregoing as, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(g) Except as set forth inSection 5.16(g) of the Company Disclosure Letter, no condemnation, eminent domain or similar proceeding has occurred or is pending with respect to any owned Company Property or, to the knowledge of the Company, any Company Property leased by the Company or any Company Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received any written notice to the effect that (i) any condemnation or rezoning proceedings are threatened with respect to any of the Company Properties, or (ii) any zoning regulation or ordinance (including with respect to parking), building, fire, health or other Law has been violated (and remains in violation) for any Company Property.
(h) Except for discrepancies, errors or omissions that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the rent rolls for each of the Company Properties, dated March 13, 2014, which rent rolls have previously been made available by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to Parent, and the schedules with respect to the Company Properties subject to triple-net leases, which schedules have previously been made available to Parent, correctly reference each lease or sublease that was in effect in March 2014 and to which the Company or the Company Subsidiaries are parties as lessors or sublessors with respect to each of the applicable Company Properties (all leases or subleases (including any triple-net leases), together with all amendments, modifications, supplements, renewals and extensions related thereto, the “Company Leases”).Section 5.16(h) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth the current rent annualized and security deposit amounts currently held for each Company Lease.
(i) True and complete in all material respects copies of (i) all ground leases affecting the interest of the Company or any Company Subsidiary in the Company Properties and (ii) all Company Leases (the “Material Company Leases”), in each case in effect as of the date hereof, together with all amendments, modifications, supplements, renewals and extensions related thereto, have been made available to Parent. Except as set forth onSection 5.16(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter, (1) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is and, to the knowledge of the Company, no other party is in breach or violation of, or default under, any Material Company Lease, (2) no event has occurred which would result in a breach or violation of, or a default under, any Material Company Lease by the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto (in each case, with or without notice or lapse of time or both) and no tenant under a Material Company Lease is in monetary default under such Material Company Lease, (3) no tenant under a Company Lease is the beneficiary or has the right to become a beneficiary of a loan or forbearance from the Company or any Company Subsidiary in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate, (4) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is in receipt of any rent under any Company Lease paid more than thirty (30) days before such rent is due and payable, and (5) each Material Company Lease is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms and is in full force and effect with respect to the Company or a Company Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, with respect to the other parties thereto, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
35 |
(j) Except as set forth onSection 5.16(j) of the Company Disclosure Letter, there are no Tax abatements or exemptions specifically affecting the Company Properties, and the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have not received any written notice of (and the Company and the Company Subsidiaries do not have any knowledge of) any proposed increase in the assessed valuation of any of the Company Properties or of any proposed public improvement assessments that will result in the Taxes or assessments payable in the next tax period increasing by an amount material to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, considered as a whole.
(k) Except as set forth inSection 5.16(k) of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, no purchase option has been exercised under any Company Lease for which the purchase has not closed prior to the date of this Agreement.
(l) Except for Company Permitted Liens or as set forth inSection 5.16(l) of the Company Disclosure Letter and as set forth in contracts provided to Parent prior to the date hereof, (i) there are no unexpired option to purchase agreements, rights of first refusal or first offer or any other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any Company Property or any portion thereof that would materially adversely affect the Company’s, or the Company Subsidiary’s, ownership, ground lease or right to use a Company Property subject to a Material Company Lease, and (ii) there are no other outstanding rights or agreements to enter into any contract for sale, ground lease or letter of intent to sell or ground lease any Company Property or any portion thereof that is owned by any Company Subsidiary, which, in each case, is in favor of any party other than the Company or a Company Subsidiary (a “Company Third Party”).
(m) Except as set forth inSection 5.16(m) of the Company Disclosure Letter or pursuant to a Company Lease or any ground lease affecting any Company Property, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to any agreement pursuant to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary manages or manages the development of any real property for any Company Third Party.
(n) The Company and each Company Subsidiary, as applicable, is in possession of title insurance policies or valid marked-up title commitments evidencing title insurance with respect to each Company Property (each, a “Company Title Insurance Policy” and, collectively, the “Company Title Insurance Policies”). A copy of each Company Title Insurance Policy and each of the documents referenced in Schedule B, Part II thereof, in the possession or control of the Company, has been made available to Parent. No written claim has been made against any Company Title Insurance Policy, which, individually or in the aggregate, would be material to any Company Property.
36 |
(o)Section 5.16(o) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists each Company Property which is (i) under development as of the date hereof, and describes the status of such development as of the date hereof, and (ii) which is subject to a binding agreement for development or commencement of construction by the Company or a Company Subsidiary, in each case other than those pertaining to minor capital repairs, replacements and other similar correction of deferred maintenance items in the ordinary course of business. A copy of each contract or development agreement between Company or a Company Subsidiary pertaining to such development or construction has been made available to Parent.
(p) The Company and the Company Subsidiaries have good and valid title to, or a valid and enforceable leasehold interest in, or other right to use, all personal property owned, used or held for use by them as of the date of this Agreement (other than property owned by tenants and used or held in connection with the applicable tenancy), except as, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or any of the Company Subsidiaries’ ownership of or leasehold interest in any such personal property is subject to any Liens, except for Company Permitted Liens and Liens that have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.Section 5.16(p) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth all leased personal property of the Company or any Company Subsidiary with monthly lease obligations in excess of $25,000 and that are not terminable upon thirty (30) days’ notice.
(q)Section 5.16(q) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists the parties currently providing third-party property management services to the Company or a Company Subsidiary and the number of facilities currently managed by each such party.
Section 5.17Taxes.
(a) The Company and each Company Subsidiary has timely filed (or had filed on its behalf) with the appropriate Governmental Authority all U.S. federal and all other material Tax Returns required to be filed, taking into account any extensions of time within which to file such Tax Returns, and all such Tax Returns were complete and correct in all material respects. The Company and each Company Subsidiary has duly paid (or there has been paid on their behalf), or made adequate provisions for, all material Taxes required to be paid by them, whether or not shown on any Tax Return. True and complete copies of all U.S. federal Tax Returns that have been filed with the IRS by the Company and each Company Subsidiary with respect to the taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2009 have been provided or made available to Representatives of Parent.
(b) The Company (i) for all taxable years commencing with the Company’s taxable year ended December 31, 2004 through December 31, 2013, has been subject to taxation as a real estate investment trust within the meaning of Section 856 of the Code (a “REIT”) and has satisfied all requirements to qualify as a REIT for such years; (ii) has operated since January 1, 2014 to the date hereof in a manner consistent with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT; (iii) intends to continue to operate (including with regard to the REIT distribution requirements in the taxable year that includes and/or ends on the Closing Date) through to the Merger (and the consummation thereof) in such a manner so as to qualify as a REIT for its taxable year that will end with the Merger (and the consummation thereof); and (iv) has not taken or omitted to take any action that could reasonably be expected to result in a challenge by the IRS or any other Governmental Authority to its status as a REIT, and no such challenge is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing.
37 |
(c) Each Company Subsidiary and Other Company Subsidiary has been since the later of its acquisition or formation and continues to be treated for U.S. federal and state income Tax purposes as (i) a partnership (or a disregarded entity) and not as a corporation or an association or publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation, (ii) a Qualified REIT Subsidiary, or (iii) a Taxable REIT Subsidiary.
(d) (i) There are no disputes, audits, examinations, investigations or proceedings pending (or threatened in writing), or claims asserted, in each case, in writing, for and/or in respect of any Taxes or Tax Returns of the Company or any Company Subsidiary and neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a part to any litigation or administrative proceeding relating to Taxes; (ii) no deficiency for Taxes of the Company or any Company Subsidiary has been claimed, proposed or assessed or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing by any Governmental Authority, which deficiency has not yet been settled, except for such deficiencies which are being contested in good faith or with respect to which the failure to pay, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect; (iii) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has extended or waived (nor granted any extension or waiver of) the limitation period for the assessment or collection of any Tax that has not since expired; (iv) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary currently is the beneficiary of any extension of time within which to file any material Tax Return that remains unfiled; (v) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received a claim in writing by a Governmental Authority in any jurisdiction in which any of them does not file Tax Returns or pay any Taxes that it is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction; and (vi) neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has entered into any “closing agreement” as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign income Tax Law).
(e) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary holds, directly or indirectly, any asset the disposition of which would be subject to (or to rules similar to) Section 1374 of the Code.
(f) Since the Company’s formation, (i) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has incurred any liability for Taxes under Sections 857(b), 860(c) or 4981 of the Code, (ii) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has incurred any material liability for Taxes other than (x) in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice, or (y) transfer or similar Taxes arising in connection with sales of property, (iii) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary (other than a Taxable REIT Subsidiary or any subsidiary of a Taxable REIT Subsidiary) has engaged at any time in any “prohibited transaction” within the meaning of Section 857(b)(6) of the Code, and (iv) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has engaged in any transaction that would give rise to “redetermined rents, redetermined deductions and excess interest” described in Section 857(b)(7) of the Code. No event has occurred, and no condition or circumstance exists, which presents a material risk that any material Tax described in the preceding sentence will be imposed upon the Company or the Company Subsidiaries.
38 |
(g) The Company and the Company Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable Laws, rules and regulations relating to the payment and withholding of Taxes (including withholding of Taxes pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445, 1446 and 3402 of the Code or similar provisions under any state and foreign Laws) and have duly and timely withheld and, in each case, have paid over to the appropriate taxing authorities all material amounts required to be so withheld and paid over on or prior to the due date thereof under all applicable Laws.
(h) There are no Company Tax Protection Agreements currently in force, and no Person has raised in writing or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing to raise, a material claim against the Company or any Company Subsidiary for any breach of any Company Tax Protection Agreements and none of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will give rise to any liability or obligation to make any payment under any Company Tax Protection Agreement.
(i) There are no Tax Liens upon any property or assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary except Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP.
(j) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has requested, has received or is subject to any written ruling of a Governmental Authority or has entered into any written agreement with a Governmental Authority with respect to any Taxes.
(k) There are no Tax allocation or sharing agreements or similar arrangements with respect to or involving the Company or any Company Subsidiary, and after the Closing Date neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary shall be bound by any such Tax allocation agreements or similar arrangements or have any liability thereunder for amounts due in respect of periods prior to the Closing Date; in each case, other than customary provisions of commercial or credit agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes and Company Tax Protection Agreements.
(l) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary (A) has been a member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated federal income Tax Return or (B) has any liability for the Taxes of any Person (other than the Company or any Company Subsidiary) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local, or foreign law), as a transferee or successor, by contract, or otherwise.
(m) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary will be required to include in a taxable period ending after the Effective Time taxable income attributable to income that arose in a prior taxable period but was not recognized for Tax purposes in any prior taxable period as a result of the installment method of accounting, the completed contract method of accounting, the long-term contract method of accounting, the cash method of accounting or Section 481 of the Code.
39 |
(n) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has participated in any “listed transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).
(o) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary (other than a Taxable REIT Subsidiary) has or has had any earnings and profits attributable to such entity or any other corporation in any non-REIT year within the meaning of Section 857 of the Code.
(p) Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has constituted either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” (within the meaning of Section 355(a)(1)(A) of the Code) in a distribution of stock qualifying for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Code (A) in the two (2) years prior to the date of this Agreement or (B) in a distribution which could otherwise constitute part of a “plan” or “series of related transactions” (within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code) in conjunction with transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(q) No written power of attorney that has been granted by the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries (other than to the Company or a Company Subsidiary) currently is in force with respect to any matter relating to Taxes.
Section 5.18Insurance. The Company has made available to Parent copies of all material insurance policies (including title insurance policies) and all material fidelity bonds or other material insurance service contracts in the Company’s possession providing coverage for all Company Properties (the “Company Insurance Policies”). The Company Insurance Policies include all material insurance policies and all material fidelity bonds or other material insurance service contracts required by any Material Company Lease. Except as individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, there is no claim for coverage by the Company or any Company Subsidiary pending under any of the Company Insurance Policies that has been denied or disputed by the insurer. Except as individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, all premiums payable under all Company Insurance Policies have been paid, and the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have otherwise complied in all material respects with the terms and conditions of all the Company Insurance Policies. To the knowledge of the Company, such Company Insurance Policies are valid and enforceable in accordance with their terms and are in full force and effect. No written notice of cancellation or termination has been received by the Company or any Company Subsidiary with respect to any such policy which has not been replaced on substantially similar terms prior to the date of such cancellation.
Section 5.19Opinion of Financial Advisor. The Company Board has received the opinion of the Company Financial Advisor to the effect that, as of the date of this Agreement and subject to the assumptions and limitations set forth therein, the consideration to be received in the Offer and the Merger is fair from a financial point of view to the holders (other than Parent and its Affiliates) of shares of Company Common Stock.
40 |
Section 5.20Takeover Statutes. The Company Board has taken all action necessary to (i) render inapplicable to the Offer and the Merger the restrictions on business combinations contained in Subtitle 6 of Title 3 of the MGCL, and (ii) grant the Ownership Limit Waivers, and, in each case, has delivered evidence thereof to Parent. The restrictions on control share acquisitions contained in Subtitle 7 of Title 3 of the MGCL are not applicable to the Offer or the Merger. No other “business combination,” “control share acquisition,” “fair price,” “moratorium” or other takeover or anti-takeover statute or similar federal or state Law (collectively, “Takeover Statutes”) are applicable to this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 5.21Vote Required. If approval of the holders of Company Common Stock is required by applicable Law, the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock (the “Company Stockholder Approval”) is the only vote of the holders of any class or series of shares of stock of the Company necessary to approve the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 5.22Brokers. No broker, finder or investment banker (other than the Company Financial Advisor) is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the Offer or the Merger based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary.
Section 5.23Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is required to be registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
Section 5.24Affiliate Transactions. Except as set forth inSection 5.24 of the Company Disclosure Letter or in the Company SEC Filings made through and including the date of this Agreement or as permitted by this Agreement, from January 1, 2013 through the date of this Agreement there have been no transactions, agreements, arrangements or understandings between the Company or any Company Subsidiary, on the one hand, and any Affiliates (other than Company Subsidiaries) of the Company or other Persons, on the other hand, that would be required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC.
Section 5.25Past Contracts, Transactions, Negotiations and Agreements. Except as set forth inSection 5.25 of the Company Disclosure Letter, from January 1, 2012 through the date of this Agreement there have been no transactions, agreements, arrangements or understandings between the Company or any Company Subsidiary, on the one hand, and Parent or any Affiliates of Parent, on the other hand, that would be required to be disclosed in the Offer Documents under Item 1005 of Regulation M-A promulgated by the SEC.
Section 5.26No Other Representations or Warranties. Except for the representations and warranties contained inArticle VI, the Company acknowledges that neither Parent nor any other Person on behalf of Parent has made, and the Company has not relied upon, any representation or warranty, whether express or implied, with respect to Parent or any of the Parent Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, affairs, assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, future operating or financial results, estimates, projections, forecasts, plans or prospects (including the reasonableness of the assumptions underlying such estimates, projections, forecasts, plans or prospects) or with respect to the accuracy or completeness of any other information provided or made available to the Company by or on behalf of Parent.
41 |
Article VI
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUB
Except as disclosed in publicly available forms, reports, schedules, statements and documents filed with, or furnished to, as applicable, the SEC by Parent under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, including any amendments or supplements thereto (collectively, “Parent SEC Filings”), on or after January 1, 2013 and prior to the date of this Agreement (excluding any risk factor disclosures contained in such documents under the heading “Risk Factors” and any disclosure of risks or other matters included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or other statements that are cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), Parent and Merger Sub hereby jointly and severally represent and warrant to the Company that:
Section 6.1Organization and Qualification.
(a) Parent is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland and has the requisite organizational power and authority and any necessary governmental authorization to own, lease and, to the extent applicable, operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. Parent is duly qualified or licensed to do business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned, operated or leased by it or the nature of its business makes such qualification, licensing or good standing necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified, licensed or in good standing that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Merger Sub is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has the requisite organizational power and authority and any necessary governmental authorization to own, lease and, to the extent applicable, operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. Merger Sub is duly qualified or licensed to do business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned, operated or leased by it or the nature of its business makes such qualification, licensing or good standing necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified, licensed or in good standing that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
Section 6.2Authority.
(a) Each of Parent and Merger Sub has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of Parent and Merger Sub and the consummation by each of Parent and Merger Sub of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of Parent or Merger Sub are necessary to authorize this Agreement, the Offer or the Merger or to consummate the other transactions contemplated hereby, subject, with respect to the Merger, to the filing of the Articles of Merger with and acceptance for record of the Articles of Merger by the SDAT and the due filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware Secretary.
42 |
(b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each of Parent and Merger Sub and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company, constitutes a legally valid and binding obligation of each of Parent and Merger Sub, enforceable against Parent and Merger Sub in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
Section 6.3No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents.
(a) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of Parent and Merger Sub does not, and the performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby by each of Parent and Merger Sub will not, (i) conflict with or violate any provision of (A) Parent’s charter or bylaws, Merger Sub’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or (B) any equivalent organizational or governing documents of any other Parent Subsidiary, or (ii) assuming that all consents, approvals, authorizations and permits described inSection 6.3(b) have been obtained, all filings and notifications described inSection 6.3(b) have been made and any waiting periods thereunder have terminated or expired, conflict with or violate any Law applicable to Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary or by which any property or asset of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary is bound, except, as to clauses (i)(B) and (ii), respectively, for any such conflicts or violations which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(b) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of Parent and Merger Sub does not, and the performance of this Agreement by each of Parent and Merger Sub will not, require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or filing with or notification to, any Governmental Authority, except (i) the filing with the SEC of (A) the Offer Documents, and (B) such reports under, and other compliance with, the Exchange Act and the Securities Act as may be required in connection with this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) as may be required under the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Stock Market, (iii) the filing of the Articles of Merger and the acceptance for record by the SDAT of the Articles of Merger pursuant to the MGCL, (iv) the due filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware Secretary, (v) such filings and approvals as may be required by any applicable state securities or “blue sky” Laws, (vi) such filings as may be required in connection with state and local transfer Taxes, and (vii) where failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits, or to make such filings or notifications, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
43 |
Section 6.4Disclosure Documents.
(a) None of the information supplied or to be supplied in writing by or on behalf of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement, if any, will, at the date it is first mailed to the stockholders of the Company or at the time of the Company Stockholder Meeting contain any untrue statement 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 in which they were made, not misleading.
(b) The Offer Documents (and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto) will not, when filed with the SEC and at the time of distribution or dissemination thereof to the Company’s 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no representation or warranty is made by Parent or Merger Sub with respect to statements made therein supplied by the Company or its Representatives expressly for inclusion in the Offer Documents. The Offer Documents will comply as to form in all material respects with applicable federal securities Laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Section 6.5Litigation. There is no Action pending or, to the knowledge of Parent, threatened by or before any Governmental Authority, nor is there any Order imposed upon Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary, whether temporary, preliminary or permanent, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
Section 6.6Brokers. No broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the Offer or the Merger based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary.
Section 6.7Sufficient Funds. Parent has available (and Parent will provide Merger Sub at the Offer Closing and prior to the Effective Time), sufficient cash or lines of credit available to pay the aggregate Offer Price and Merger Consideration, any and all amounts required to be paid in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Offer and the Merger, and any related fees and expenses.
Section 6.8Ownership of Merger Sub; No Prior Activities.
(a) Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. All of the capital stock of Merger Sub is owned, directly or indirectly, by Parent.
(b) Except for the obligations or liabilities incurred in connection with its organization and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, Merger Sub has not, and will not have prior to the Effective Time, incurred, directly or indirectly through any subsidiary or Affiliate, any obligations or liabilities or engaged in any business activities of any type or kind whatsoever or entered into any agreements or arrangements with any Person.
44 |
Section 6.9Ownership of Company Common Stock. None of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary is, nor at any time during the last two (2) years has been, an “interested stockholder” of the Company as defined in Section 3-601 of the MGCL.
Section 6.10No Other Representations or Warranties. Except for the representations and warranties contained inArticle V, each of Parent and Merger Sub acknowledge that neither the Company nor any other Person on behalf of the Company has made, and neither Parent nor Merger Sub has relied upon, any representation or warranty, whether express or implied, with respect to the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, affairs, assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, future operating or financial results, estimates, projections, forecasts, plans or prospects (including the reasonableness of the assumptions underlying such estimates, projections, forecasts, plans or prospects) or with respect to the accuracy or completeness of any other information provided or made available to Parent or Merger Sub by or on behalf of the Company.
Article VII
COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS
Section 7.1Conduct of Business by the Company.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that, between the date of this Agreement and the earlier to occur of the Effective Time and the date, if any, on which this Agreement is terminated pursuant toSection 9.1 (the “Interim Period”), except to the extent required by Law, as may be agreed in writing by Parent, as may be expressly required or expressly permitted pursuant to this Agreement, or as set forth inSection 7.1(a) orSection 7.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company shall, and shall cause each of the Company Subsidiaries to, (i) conduct its business in all material respects in the ordinary course and in a manner consistent with past practice, and (ii) use its reasonable best efforts to maintain its material assets and properties in their current condition (normal wear and tear and damage caused by casualty or by any reason outside of the Company’s or the Company Subsidiaries’ control excepted), preserve intact in all material respects its current business organization, goodwill, ongoing businesses and relationships with third parties, keep available the services of its present officers, maintain all Company Insurance Policies, and maintain the status of the Company as a REIT. The consent of Parent shall be deemed to have been given for purposes of thisSection 7.1(a) andSection 7.1(c) if Parent does not object in writing within five (5) Business Days from the date on which the written request for such consent from the Company is received by Parent.
(b) The Company shall use its commercially reasonable best efforts to obtain the Offer REIT Opinion and the Merger REIT Opinion.
(c) Without limiting the foregoing, the Company covenants and agrees that, during the Interim Period, except to the extent required by Law, as may be agreed in writing by Parent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), as may be expressly required or permitted pursuant to this Agreement, or as set forth inSection 7.1(a) or7.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any Company Subsidiary to, do any of the following:
45 |
(i) amend or propose to amend the Company Charter or Company Bylaws (or such equivalent organizational or governing documents of any Company Subsidiary) or waive the stock ownership limit under the Company Charter (other than the amendment to the Company Charter contemplated bySection 2.4(d) or the grant of the Ownership Limit Waivers);
(ii) split, combine, reclassify or subdivide any shares of stock or other equity securities or ownership interests of the Company or any Company Subsidiary;
(iii) declare, set aside or pay any dividend on or make any other distributions (whether in cash, stock, property or otherwise) with respect to shares of stock of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or other equity securities or ownership interests in the Company or any Company Subsidiary, except for (A) the declaration and payment by the Company of the regular daily cash dividends, payable monthly, and not for any interim period (except as set forth inSection 7.10), in accordance with past practice, at an annual rate not to exceed $0.50 per share of Company Common Stock, (B) the declaration and payment of dividends or other distributions to the Company by any directly or indirectly wholly owned Company Subsidiary, and (C) distributions by any Company Subsidiary that is not wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company, in accordance with the requirements of the organizational documents of such Company Subsidiary;provided,however, that, notwithstanding the restriction on dividends and other distributions in thisSection 7.1(c)(iii), the Company and any Company Subsidiary shall be permitted to make distributions, including under Sections 858 or 860 of the Code, reasonably necessary for the Company to maintain its status as a REIT under the Code and avoid or reduce the imposition of any corporate level Tax or excise Tax under the Code;
(iv) redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or other equity interests of the Company or a Company Subsidiary (other than redemptions or repurchases made pursuant to the restrictions on transfer and ownership of the Company’s stock contained in Article VII of the Company Charter);
(v) except for transactions among the Company and one or more wholly owned Company Subsidiaries or among one or more wholly owned Company Subsidiaries, issue, sell, pledge, dispose, encumber or grant any shares of the Company’s or any of the Company Subsidiaries’ capital stock, or any options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of the Company’s or any of the Company Subsidiaries’ stock or other equity interests;
(vi) grant, confer, award or modify the terms of any Company Options, convertible securities or other rights to acquire, or denominated in, any of the Company’s or any of the Company Subsidiaries’ capital stock or other equity securities;
46 |
(vii) acquire or agree to acquire (including by merger, consolidation or acquisition of stock or assets) any real property, personal property (other than personal property at a total cost of less than $50,000 in the aggregate), corporation, partnership, limited liability company, other business organization or any division or material amount of assets thereof, except acquisitions by the Company or any wholly owned Company Subsidiary of or from an existing wholly owned Company Subsidiary;
(viii) sell, pledge, lease, assign, transfer, dispose of or encumber, or effect a deed in lieu of foreclosure with respect to, any property or assets, except (A) pursuant to an obligation arising under any agreement referenced inSection 5.16(l) of the Company Disclosure Letter, and (B) pledges and encumbrances on property or assets in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and that would not be material to any Company Property or any assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary;
(ix) incur, create, assume, refinance, replace or prepay any Indebtedness for borrowed money or issue or amend the terms of any debt securities of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or assume, guarantee or endorse, or otherwise become responsible (whether directly, contingently or otherwise) for the Indebtedness of any other Person (other than a wholly owned Company Subsidiary);
(x) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (including to any of its officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, agents or consultants), make any change in its existing borrowing or lending arrangements for or on behalf of such Persons, or enter into any “keep well” or similar agreement to maintain the financial condition of another entity, other than (A) by the Company or a wholly owned Company Subsidiary to the Company or a wholly owned Company Subsidiary, and (B) loans or advances required to be made under any of the Company Leases or ground leases affecting the Company Properties;
(xi) enter into, renew, modify, amend or terminate, or waive, release, compromise or assign any rights or claims under, any Company Material Contract (or any contract that, if existing as of the date hereof, would be a Company Material Contract), other than any termination or renewal in accordance with the terms of any existing Company Material Contract that occurs automatically without any action by the Company or any Company Subsidiary;
(xii) enter into, renew, modify, amend or terminate, or waive, release, compromise or assign any rights or claims under, any Company Lease (or any lease for real property that, if existing as of the date hereof, would be a Company Lease);
(xiii) waive, release, assign any material rights or claims or make any payment, direct or indirect, of any liability of the Company or any Company Subsidiary before the same comes due in accordance with its terms, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
47 |
(xiv) settle or compromise (A) any legal action, suit or arbitration proceeding, in each case made or pending against the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, including relating to Taxes, and (B) any legal action, suit or proceeding involving any present, former or purported holder or group of holders of the Company Common Stock other than in accordance withSection 7.7;
(xv) (A) hire or terminate (other than for cause) any officer, director or employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or promote or appoint any Person to a position of officer or director of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, (B) increase in any manner the amount, rate or terms of compensation or benefits of any of its directors, officers or employees, (C) pay or agree to pay any pension, retirement allowance or other compensation or benefit to any director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, whether past or present, (D) enter into, adopt, amend or terminate any employment, bonus, severance or retirement contract or Benefit Plan or other compensation or employee benefits arrangement, (E) accelerate the vesting or payment of any compensation or benefits, or (F) take any action to fund or in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under any employee plan, agreement, contract or arrangement or Benefit Plan, in each case, other than as required by Law;
(xvi) fail to maintain all financial books and records in all material respects in accordance with GAAP (or any interpretation thereof) or make any material change to its methods of accounting in effect at January 1, 2014, except as required by a change in GAAP (or any interpretation thereof) or in applicable Law, or make any change, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, with respect to accounting policies, unless required by GAAP or the SEC;
(xvii) enter into any new line of business;
(xviii) fail to duly and timely file all material reports and other material documents required to be filed with any Governmental Authority, subject to extensions permitted by Law or applicable rules and regulations;
(xix) enter into, amend or modify any Company Tax Protection Agreement, or take any action that would violate any Company Tax Protection Agreement or otherwise give rise to any material liability of the Company or any Company Subsidiary with respect thereto, make, change or rescind any material election relating to Taxes, change a material method of Tax accounting, file or amend any material Tax Return, settle or compromise any material federal, state, local or foreign Tax liability, audit, claim or assessment, enter into any material closing agreement related to Taxes, or knowingly surrender any right to claim any material Tax refund, except in each case (A) if required by Law or (B) if necessary (x) to preserve the Company’s qualification as a REIT under the Code or (y) to qualify or preserve the status of any Company Subsidiary as a disregarded entity or partnership for United States federal income tax purposes or as a Qualified REIT Subsidiary or a Taxable REIT Subsidiary under the applicable provisions of Section 856 of the Code, as the case may be;
48 |
(xx) take any action, or fail to take any action, which action or failure would reasonably be expected to cause (A) the Company to fail to qualify as a REIT or (B) any Company Subsidiary to cease to be treated as any of (1) a partnership or disregarded entity for United States federal income tax purposes or (2) a Qualified REIT Subsidiary or a Taxable REIT Subsidiary under the applicable provisions of Section 856 of the Code, as the case may be;
(xxi) adopt a plan of merger, complete or partial liquidation or resolutions providing for or authorizing such merger, liquidation or a dissolution, consolidation, recapitalization or bankruptcy reorganization, except by a Company Subsidiary in connection with any acquisitions permitted pursuant toSection 7.1(c)(vii) in a manner that would not reasonably be expected to be adverse to the Company or to prevent or impair the ability of the Company to consummate the Merger;
(xxii) initiate or consent to any zoning reclassification of any real property or any other material change to any approved site plan, special use permit, planned development approval or other land use entitlement materially affecting any Company Property, other than in connection with any eminent domain or condemnation proceedings regarding which the Company has provided prompt notice to Parent;
(xxiii) form any new funds or joint ventures;
(xxiv) except for the expansion of a Company Property pursuant to expansion rights requested by the applicable tenant pursuant to the terms of the applicable Company Lease after prior notice to Parent, make or commit to make any capital expenditures;
(xxv) amend or modify the compensation terms or any other obligations of the Company contained in the engagement letter with the Company Financial Advisor in a manner adverse to the Company, any Company Subsidiary or Parent or engage other financial advisers in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; or
(xxvi) authorize, or enter into any contract, agreement, commitment or arrangement to do any of the foregoing.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit the Company from taking any action, at any time or from time to time, that in the reasonable judgment of the Company Board, upon advice of counsel to the Company, is reasonably necessary for the Company to maintain its qualification as a REIT under the Code for any period or portion thereof ending on or prior to the Effective Time, including making dividend or other distribution payments to stockholders of the Company in accordance with this Agreement or otherwise.
Section 7.2Indebtedness. In connection with any Indebtedness of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to be assumed by or otherwise become payable by Parent or the Surviving Entity, in connection with obtaining the consents from any lender or related parties related to any Indebtedness required as a result of the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company or the performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the Offer or Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby by the Company (such consents and approvals required in respect of any individual loan, a “Lender Consent” and such consents and approvals collectively, the “Lender Consents”), and without limitation of the foregoing, Parent shall, and Parent shall cause Merger Sub to, furnish such information and provide such assistance to, and otherwise cooperate with, the Company, in each case, as the Company may reasonably request, in connection with any actions contemplated to be taken by the Company with respect to obtaining the Lender Consents, including by providing customary non-recourse carve-out, or “bad boy”, guaranties. Parent and Merger Sub agree that Parent shall be responsible for the payment of all Expenses necessary to obtain the Lender Consents in connection with the Offer Closing or the Closing, as applicable with respect to such Lender Consents.
49 |
Section 7.3Preparation of Proxy Statement; Company Stockholder Meeting.
(a) If the Company Stockholder Approval is required under the MGCL in order to consummate the Merger other than pursuant to Section 3-106 of the MGCL, then, in accordance with applicable Law and the Company Charter and Company Bylaws, the Company, in consultation with Parent, shall establish a record date (which will be as promptly as reasonably practicable following the Offer Closing) for, duly call, give notice of and convene and hold the Company Stockholder Meeting as promptly as practicable following the Offer Closing;provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to hold the Company Stockholder Meeting prior to the No Shop Period Start Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of thisSection 7.3(a), if, on a date for which the Company Stockholder Meeting is scheduled, the Company has not received proxies representing a sufficient number of shares of Company Common Stock to obtain the Company Stockholder Approval, whether or not a quorum is present, the Company shall have the right to make one or more successive postponements or adjournments of the Company Stockholder Meeting;provided that the Company Stockholder Meeting is not postponed or adjourned to a date that is more than thirty (30) days after the date for which the Company Stockholder Meeting was originally scheduled (excluding any adjournments or postponements required by applicable Law).
(b) If the Company Stockholder Approval is required under the MGCL in order to consummate the Merger other than pursuant to Section 3-106 of the MGCL, then, in accordance with applicable Law and the Company Charter and Company Bylaws, as promptly as reasonably practicable after the Offer Closing, the Company shall prepare and cause to be filed with the SEC the Proxy Statement in preliminary form. Parent shall furnish all information concerning itself, its Affiliates and the holders of its stock to the Company and provide such other assistance as may be reasonably requested in connection with the preparation, filing and distribution of the Proxy Statement. The Proxy Statement shall include all information reasonably requested by such other party to be included therein. The Company shall promptly notify Parent upon the receipt of any comments from the SEC or any request from the SEC for amendments or supplements to the Proxy Statement, and shall, as promptly as practicable after receipt thereof, provide Parent with copies of all correspondence between the Company and its Representatives, on the one hand, and the SEC, on the other hand, and all written comments with respect to the Proxy Statement received from the SEC and advise Parent of any oral comments with respect to the Proxy Statement received from the SEC. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to respond as promptly as practicable to any comments from the SEC with respect to the Proxy Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to mailing the Proxy Statement (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or responding to any comments of the SEC with respect thereto, the Company shall cooperate and provide to Parent a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on such document or response (including the proposed final version of such document or response).
50 |
(c) If, at any time prior to the receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval, any information relating to the Company or Parent, or any of their respective Affiliates, should be discovered by the Company or Parent which, in the reasonable judgment of the Company or Parent, should be set forth in an amendment of, or a supplement to, the Proxy Statement, so that such document would not include any misstatement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the party which discovers such information shall promptly notify the other parties hereto, and the Company and Parent shall cooperate in the prompt filing with the SEC of any necessary amendment of, or supplement to, the Proxy Statement and, to the extent required by Law, in disseminating the information contained in such amendment or supplement to stockholders of the Company. Nothing in thisSection 7.3(c) shall limit the obligations of any party underSection 7.3(b). For purposes ofSection 5.8,Section 6.4 and thisSection 7.3, any information concerning or related to the Company, its Affiliates or the Company Stockholder Meeting will be deemed to have been provided by the Company, and any information concerning or related to Parent or its Affiliates will be deemed to have been provided by Parent.
(d) The Company shall cause the definitive Proxy Statement to be mailed to the stockholders of the Company entitled to vote at the Company Stockholder Meeting as soon as practicable after the definitive Proxy Statement is filed with the SEC. The Company shall, through the Company Board, recommend to its stockholders that they give the Company Stockholder Approval, include such recommendation in the Proxy Statement and solicit and use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the Company Stockholder Approval, except to the extent that the Company Board shall have made an Adverse Recommendation Change as permitted bySection 7.5(e). If the Company Stockholder Approval is required under the MGCL in order to consummate the Merger other than pursuant to Section 3-106 of the MGCL, nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to relieve the Company of its obligation to submit the Merger to its stockholders for a vote on the approval thereof. The Company agrees that, unless this Agreement shall have been terminated in accordance withSection 9.1, its obligations to hold the Company Stockholder Meeting pursuant to thisSection 7.3(d) shall not be affected by the commencement, public proposal, public disclosure or communication to the Company of any Company Acquisition Proposal or by any Adverse Recommendation Change.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if following the Offer and any subsequent offering period and the exercise, if any, of the Top-Up Option, Parent, Merger Sub and their respective subsidiaries shall hold, in the aggregate, at least ninety percent (90%) of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, the parties hereto shall take all necessary and appropriate action, including with respect to the transfer to Merger Sub of any shares of Company Common Stock held by Parent or any Parent Subsidiary, to cause the Merger to become effective as soon as practicable after the Offer Closing without the Company Stockholder Meeting in accordance Section 3-106 of the MGCL.
51 |
Section 7.4Access to Information; Confidentiality.
(a) During the Interim Period, to the extent permitted by applicable Law and contracts, and subject to the reasonable restrictions imposed from time to time upon advice of counsel, the Company shall, and shall cause each of the Company Subsidiaries to, afford to Parent, Parent’s financing sources and their respective Representatives reasonable access during normal business hours and upon reasonable advance notice to all of their respective properties, offices, books, contracts, commitments, personnel and records and, during such period, the Company shall, and shall cause each of the Company Subsidiaries to, furnish reasonably promptly to Parent (i) a copy of each report, schedule, registration statement and other document filed by it during such period pursuant to the requirements of federal or state securities Laws, and (ii) all other information (financial or otherwise) concerning its business, properties and personnel Parent may reasonably request. Parent, at its own expense, shall have the right to such reasonable access during normal business hours and upon reasonable advance notice in order to prepare or cause to be prepared surveys, inspections, engineering studies, environmental assessments and other tests, examination or studies with respect to each Company Property that Parent deems to be reasonably necessary, so long as such access or activities do not unduly interfere with the Company’s operation of each such Company Property in the ordinary course of business. Parent will use its reasonable best efforts to minimize any disruption to the Company’s business that may result from its requests for access, data and information hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required by thisSection 7.4 to provide Parent, Parent’s financing sources or their respective Representatives with access to or to disclose information (w) relating to the consideration, negotiation and performance of this Agreement and related agreements, (x) that is subject to the terms of a confidentiality agreement with a third party entered into prior to the date of this Agreement or entered into after the date of this Agreement in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice (provided,however, that the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the required consent of such third party to such access or disclosure), (y) the disclosure of which would violate any Law or applicable fiduciary duty (provided,however, that the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to make appropriate substitute arrangements to permit reasonable disclosure not in violation of any Law or applicable fiduciary duty) or (z) that is subject to any attorney-client, attorney work product or other legal privilege (provided,however, that the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to allow for such access or disclosure to the maximum extent that does not result in a loss of any such attorney-client, attorney work product or other legal privilege).
(b) Parent will hold, and will cause its Representatives and Affiliates to hold, any nonpublic information of the Company or any Company Subsidiary in confidence to the extent required by and in accordance with, and will otherwise comply with, the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement.
(c) The Company agrees to give prompt written notice to Parent upon becoming aware of the occurrence or impending occurrence of any event or circumstance relating to it or any of the Company Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.
52 |
Section 7.5Company Acquisition Proposals.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement but subject toSection 7.5(f), during the period (the “Go Shop Period”) beginning on the date of this Agreement and continuing until 11:59 p.m. (New York City time) on April 16, 2014 (the “No Shop Period Start Date”), the Company and its Representatives shall have the right (acting under the direction of the Company Board or any committee thereof) to, directly or indirectly, (i) initiate, solicit, induce, cause, encourage and facilitate any Company Acquisition Proposals, including by way of providing non-public information pursuant to (but only pursuant to) one or more Acceptable Confidentiality Agreements;provided,however, that any non-public information concerning the Company or the Company Subsidiaries that is provided to such Third Party shall, to the extent not previously provided to Parent or Merger Sub, be provided to Parent or Merger Sub prior to or simultaneously with providing it to such Third Party, and (ii) engage in and maintain discussions or negotiations with respect to any inquiry, proposal or offer that constitutes or may reasonably be expected to lead to a Company Acquisition Proposal or otherwise cooperate with or assist or participate in, or facilitate any such inquiries, proposals, offers, discussions or negotiations or the making of any Company Acquisition Proposal, including providing access to or otherwise making available non-public information in accordance with the terms set forth inSection 7.5(a)(i). No later than one (1) Business Day after the No Shop Period Start Date, the Company shall notify Parent in writing of the identity of each Person that submitted a Company Acquisition Proposal prior to the No Shop Period Start Date (each, a “Go Shop Bidder”) and provide to Parent (x) a copy of any Company Acquisition Proposal made in writing and any other written terms or proposals provided (including financing commitments) to the Company or any Company Subsidiary and (y) a written summary of the material terms of any Company Acquisition Proposal not made in writing (including any terms proposed orally or supplementally).
(b) Except as expressly permitted by thisSection 7.5, from and after the No Shop Period Start Date until the Effective Time, neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries nor any of their respective officers, directors or employees shall, and the Company shall instruct and cause its and the Company Subsidiaries’ Representatives not to, directly or indirectly through another Person, (i) whether publicly or otherwise, solicit, initiate, induce, cause, encourage or facilitate any inquiry, discussion, offer or request that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, a Company Acquisition Proposal, including from any Go Shop Bidder (an “Inquiry”), (ii) enter into, continue, conduct, engage, maintain or otherwise participate in any discussions or negotiations regarding, or furnish to any Third Party (including any Go Shop Bidder) any non-public information in connection with, or otherwise cooperate in any way with, or facilitate in any way any effort by, any Third Party (including any Go Shop Bidder) in connection with any Company Acquisition Proposal or Inquiry, (iii) approve, endorse or recommend a Company Acquisition Proposal (including any Company Acquisition Proposal submitted by a Go Shop Bidder prior to the No Shop Period Start Date), or enter into any letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in principle, acquisition agreement, merger agreement, share purchase agreement, asset purchase agreement, share exchange agreement, option agreement or other similar definitive agreement (other than an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement entered into in accordance with thisSection 7.5) providing for or relating to a Company Acquisition Proposal with any Third Party (including any Go Shop Bidder) (an “Alternative Acquisition Agreement”), (iv) amend or grant any waiver or release under, or fail to enforce, any standstill or similar contract with respect to any class of equity securities of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, (v) take any action to make the provisions of any Takeover Statute or any restrictive provision of any applicable anti-takeover provision in the Company Charter or Company Bylaws inapplicable to any transactions contemplated by a Company Acquisition Proposal (and, to the extent permitted thereunder, the Company shall promptly take all steps necessary to terminate any waiver that may have been previously granted to any Person other than Parent or any of its Affiliates under any such provisions), or (vi) resolve, agree, approve, recommend or publicly propose or agree to do any of the foregoing.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in thisSection 7.5, at any time following the No Shop Period Start Date and prior to the Offer Closing (and in no event after that time), the Company may, directly or indirectly through any Representative, in response to an unsolicitedbona fide written Company Acquisition Proposal by a Third Party made after the date of this Agreement (that did not result from a breach of thisSection 7.5; provided that anybona fidewritten Company Acquisition Proposal received from a Go Shop Bidder and not actively solicited following the No Shop Period Start Date shall not be deemed a solicitation of a Company Acquisition Proposal in breach of thisSection 7.5) (i) furnish non-public information to such Third Party (and such Third Party’s Representatives) making a Company Acquisition Proposal (provided,however, that (A) prior to so furnishing such information, the Company receives from the Third Party an executed Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement, and (B) any non-public information concerning the Company or the Company Subsidiaries that is provided to such Third Party shall, to the extent not previously provided to Parent or Merger Sub, be provided to Parent or Merger Sub prior to or simultaneously with providing it to such Third Party), and (ii) engage in discussions or negotiations with such Third Party (and such Third Party’s Representatives) with respect to the Company Acquisition Proposal if, in the case of each of clauses (i) and (ii): (x) the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel and financial advisors, that such Company Acquisition Proposal constitutes, or is reasonably likely to result in, a Superior Proposal, and (y) the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that failure to take such action would be inconsistent with the directors’ duties under applicable Law;provided,however, that in each of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), such Company Acquisition Proposal was not solicited in violation ofSection 7.5.
53 |
(d) In addition to the other obligations of the Company set forth in thisSection 7.5, after the No Shop Period Start Date, the Company shall notify Parent promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) after (i) receipt of any Company Acquisition Proposal or any request for nonpublic information relating to the Company or any Company Subsidiary by any Third Party, or any Inquiry from any Person seeking to have discussions or negotiations with the Company relating to a possible Company Acquisition Proposal (such notice shall indicate the identity of the Third Party making the Company Acquisition Proposal, request or Inquiry and the material terms and conditions of any Company Acquisition Proposals, Inquiries, proposals or offers, including a copy thereof if in writing and any related documentation or correspondence), and (ii) it enters into any discussions or negotiations concerning any Company Acquisition Proposal or provides nonpublic information or data to any Person in accordance with thisSection 7.5(d), and, in each case, the Company shall keep Parent informed of the status and terms of any such Company Acquisition Proposals, Inquiries, proposals, offers, discussions or negotiations on a current basis (including any change to the financial terms, conditions or other material terms thereof and the terms of any and all material agreements in connection therewith (including any financing arrangements)), including by providing a copy of all material documentation or material correspondence relating thereto.
54 |
(e) Except as permitted by thisSection 7.5(e), neither the Company Board nor any committee thereof shall (i) withhold, withdraw, modify or qualify (or publicly propose to withhold, withdraw, modify or qualify), in a manner adverse to Parent or Merger Sub, the Company Recommendation, (ii) approve, adopt, endorse or recommend (or publicly propose to approve, adopt, endorse or recommend) any Company Acquisition Proposal, (iii) fail to include the Company Recommendation in the Schedule 14D-9 and, if Company Stockholder Approval is required under the MGCL in order to consummate the Merger other than pursuant to Section 3-106 of the MGCL, in the Proxy Statement, (iv) fail to publicly recommend against any Company Acquisition Proposal within ten (10) Business Days of the request of Parent and/or reaffirm the Company Recommendation within ten (10) Business Days of the request of Parent (any of the actions described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of thisSection 7.5(e), an “Adverse Recommendation Change”), or (v) approve, adopt, declare advisable or recommend (or agree to, resolve or propose to approve, adopt, declare advisable or recommend), or cause or permit the Company to enter into, any Alternative Acquisition Agreement (other than an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement entered into in accordance with thisSection 7.5). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, at any time prior to the Offer Closing, the Company Board shall be permitted to effect an Adverse Recommendation Change if the Company Board (x) has received abona fide Company Acquisition Proposal (that did not result from a breach of thisSection 7.5) that, in the good faith determination of the Company Board, after consultation with outside legal counsel and financial advisors, constitutes a Superior Proposal, after having complied with, and giving effect to all of the adjustments which may be offered by Parent and Merger Sub pursuant toSection 7.5(f), and such Company Acquisition Proposal is not withdrawn, and (y) determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that failure to take such action would be inconsistent with the directors’ duties under applicable Law, and in such case the Company may (i) terminate this Agreement pursuant toSection 9.1(c)(ii), (ii) make an Adverse Recommendation Change and/or (iii) approve or recommend such Superior Proposal to the Company’s stockholders and, in the case of a termination, the Company may immediately prior to or concurrently with such termination of this Agreement, enter into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement with respect to such Superior Proposal (provided, that in the event of any such termination, the Company complies with its obligation to pay the Termination Payment pursuant toSection 9.3(a)(iii)).
(f) The Company Board shall not be entitled to effect an Adverse Recommendation Change pursuant toSection 7.5(e) unless (i) the Company has provided a written notice (a “Notice of Superior Proposal”) to Parent and Merger Sub that the Company intends to take such action, specifying in reasonable detail the reasons therefor and describing the material terms and conditions of, and attaching a complete copy of, the Superior Proposal and the terms of any and all agreements in connection therewith, including any financing arrangements, that is the basis of such action (it being understood that such material terms shall include the identity of the Third Party), (ii) during the five (5) Business Day period following Parent’s and Merger Sub’s receipt of the Notice of Superior Proposal, the Company shall, and shall cause its Representatives to, negotiate with Parent and Merger Sub in good faith (to the extent Parent and Merger Sub desire to negotiate) to make such adjustments in the terms and conditions of this Agreement so that such Superior Proposal ceases to constitute a Superior Proposal, and (iii) following the end of the five (5) Business Day period, the Company Board shall have determined in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel and financial advisors, taking into account any changes to this Agreement proposed in writing by Parent and Merger Sub in response to the Notice of Superior Proposal or otherwise, that the Superior Proposal giving rise to the Notice of Superior Proposal continues to constitute a Superior Proposal and, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that failure to take such action would be inconsistent with the directors’ duties under applicable Law. Any amendment to the financial terms or any other material amendment of such Superior Proposal shall require a new Notice of Superior Proposal, and the Company shall be required to comply again with the requirements of thisSection 7.5(f);provided,however, that references to the five (5) Business Day period above shall then be deemed to be references to a three (3) Business Day period.
55 |
(g) Nothing contained in thisSection 7.5 or elsewhere in this Agreement shall prohibit the Company or the Company Board, directly or indirectly through its Representatives, from disclosing to the Company’s stockholders a position contemplated by Rule 14e-2(a) or Rule 14d-9 promulgated under the Exchange Act or making any disclosure to its stockholders if the Company Board has determined, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that the failure to do so would be inconsistent with applicable Law;provided,however, that any disclosure other than a “stop, look and listen” or similar communication of the type contemplated by Rule 14d-9(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act, an express rejection of any applicable Company Acquisition Proposal or an express reaffirmation of the Company Recommendation to the Company’s stockholders in favor of the Offer and the Merger shall be deemed to be an Adverse Recommendation Change; andprovidedfurther that the taking of any such position or making of any such disclosure contemplated by thisSection 7.5(g) shall not affect the Company’s and the Company Board’s duties under thisSection 7.5.
(h) At the No Shop Period Start Date, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries and their respective officers, directors and employees shall, and the Company shall instruct and cause its and the Company Subsidiaries’ Representatives to, immediately cease and cause to be terminated any existing discussions, negotiations or communications with any Person conducted prior to the No Shop Period Start Date with respect to any Company Acquisition Proposal and shall request the prompt return or destruction of all confidential information previously furnished in connection therewith. From and after the No Shop Period Start Date, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries and their respective officers, directors and employees shall, and the Company shall instruct and cause its and the Company Subsidiaries’ Representatives to, take such action as is necessary to enforce any confidentiality provisions or provisions of similar effect to which the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries is a party or of which the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries is a beneficiary.
(i) Except as expressly set forth inSection 7.5(e), nothing in thisSection 7.5 shall (i) permit the Company to terminate this Agreement or (ii) affect any other obligation of the Company under this Agreement. The Company shall not submit to the vote of its stockholders any Company Acquisition Proposal other than the Merger prior to the termination of this Agreement.
56 |
(j) For purposes of this Agreement:
(i) “Company Acquisition Proposal” shall mean any proposal or offer for (or expression by a Third Party that it is considering or may engage in), whether in one transaction or a series of related transactions, (i) any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination or similar transaction involving the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, (ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, license, transfer or other disposition, directly or indirectly, by merger, consolidation, sale of equity interests, share exchange, joint venture, business combination or otherwise, of any assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the consolidated assets of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole as determined on a book-value basis, (iii) any issue, sale or other disposition of (including by way of merger, consolidation, joint venture, business combination, share exchange or any similar transaction) securities (or options, rights or warrants to purchase, or securities convertible into, such securities) representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the voting power of the Company, (iv) any tender offer or exchange offer in which any Person or “group” (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) shall seek to acquire beneficial ownership (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act), or the right to acquire beneficial ownership, of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities of the Company, or (v) any recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or other similar type of transaction with respect to the Company in which a Third Party shall acquire beneficial ownership of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities of the Company;provided,however, that the term “Company Acquisition Proposal” shall not include the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(ii) “Superior Proposal” shall mean abona fide written Company Acquisition Proposal (except that, for purposes of this definition, the references in the definition of “Company Acquisition Proposal” to “fifteen percent (15%)” shall be replaced by “fifty percent (50%)”) made by a Third Party after the date hereof that did not result from a breach ofSection 7.5(b) on terms that the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with the Company’s outside legal counsel and financial advisors, taking into account all financial, legal, regulatory and any other aspects of the transaction described in such proposal, including the identity of the Person making such proposal, any break-up fees, expense reimbursement provisions and conditions to consummation, as well as any changes to the financial terms of this Agreement proposed by Parent and Merger Sub in response to such proposal or otherwise, to be (A) more favorable to the Company and the Company’s stockholders (solely in their capacity as such) from a financial point of view than the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (B) fully financed, and (C) reasonably likely to receive all required governmental approvals on a timely basis and otherwise reasonably capable of being completed on the terms proposed.
57 |
Section 7.6Appropriate Action; Consents; Filings.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, each of the Company and Parent shall and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries and the Parent Subsidiaries, respectively, to use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, and to assist and cooperate with the other party in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Law or pursuant to any contract or agreement to consummate and make effective, as promptly as practicable, the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including (i) the taking of all actions necessary to cause the conditions to Closing set forth inArticle VIII and the Offer Conditions to be satisfied, (ii) the obtaining of all necessary actions or nonactions, waivers, consents and approvals from Governmental Authorities or other Persons necessary in connection with the consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the making of all necessary registrations and filings (including filings with Governmental Authorities, if any) and the taking of all reasonable steps as may be necessary to obtain an approval or waiver from, or to avoid an action or proceeding by, any Governmental Authority or other Persons necessary in connection with the consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) the defending of any lawsuits or other legal proceedings, whether judicial or administrative, challenging this Agreement or the consummation of the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including seeking to have any stay or temporary restraining order entered by any court or other Governmental Authority vacated or reversed, the avoidance of each and every impediment under any antitrust, merger control, competition or trade regulation Law that may be asserted by any Governmental Authority with respect to the Offer or the Merger so as to enable the Closing to occur as soon as reasonably possible, and (iv) the execution and delivery of any additional instruments necessary to consummate the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and to fully carry out the purposes of this Agreement.
(b) In connection with and without limiting the foregoing, each of Parent and the Company shall give (or shall cause the Parent Subsidiaries or the Company Subsidiaries, respectively, to give) any notices to Third Parties, and each of Parent and the Company shall use, and cause each of their respective Affiliates to use, its reasonable best efforts to obtain any Third Party consents not covered bySection 7.6(a) that are necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Offer and the Merger. Each of the parties hereto will furnish to the other such necessary information and reasonable assistance as the other may request in connection with the preparation of any required governmental filings or submissions and will cooperate in responding to any inquiry from a Governmental Authority, including promptly informing the other party of such inquiry, consulting in advance before making any presentations or submissions to a Governmental Authority, and supplying each other with copies of all material correspondence, filings or communications between either party and any Governmental Authority with respect to this Agreement. To the extent reasonably practicable, the parties or their Representatives shall have the right to review in advance and each of the parties will consult the others on, all the information relating to the other and each of their Affiliates that appears in any filing made with, or written materials submitted to, any Governmental Authority in connection with the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except that confidential competitively sensitive business information may be redacted from such exchanges. To the extent reasonably practicable, neither the Company nor Parent shall, nor shall they permit their respective Representatives to, participate independently in any meeting or engage in any substantive conversation with any Governmental Authority in respect of any filing, investigation or other inquiry without giving the other party prior notice of such meeting or conversation and, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, without giving the other party the opportunity to attend or participate (whether by telephone or in person) in any such meeting with such Governmental Authority.
58 |
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, in connection with obtaining any approval or consent, other than the Lender Consents, from any Person (other than any Governmental Authority) with respect to the Offer or the Merger, none of the Company, Parent, any of the Company Subsidiaries, any of the Parent Subsidiaries or any of the their respective Representatives, shall be obligated to pay or commit to pay to such Person whose approval or consent is being solicited any cash or other consideration, make any accommodation or commitment or incur any liability or other obligation to such Person. The parties shall cooperate with respect to accommodations that may be requested or appropriate to obtain such consents.
Section 7.7Notification of Certain Matters; Transaction Litigation.
(a) The Company shall give prompt notice to Parent, and Parent shall give prompt notice to the Company, of any notice or other communication received by such party from any Governmental Authority in connection with this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or from any Person alleging that the consent of such Person is or may be required in connection with the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) The Company shall give prompt notice to Parent, and Parent shall give prompt notice to the Company, if (i) any representation or warranty made by it contained in this Agreement becomes untrue or inaccurate such that the applicable closing conditions (including any of the conditions set forth onExhibit A) would reasonably expected to be incapable of being satisfied by the Outside Date or (ii) it fails to comply with or satisfy in any material respect any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it under this Agreement;provided,however, that no such notification shall affect the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements of the parties or the conditions to the obligations of the parties under this Agreement;provided,further, that the failure to provide such prompt notice under thisSection 7.7(b) pursuant to clause (i) above shall not constitute a breach of a covenant for purposes of paragraph (e) ofExhibit A.
(c) The Company shall give prompt notice to Parent, and Parent shall give prompt notice to the Company, of any Action commenced or, to such party’s knowledge, threatened against, relating to or involving such party or any of the Company Subsidiaries or the Parent Subsidiaries, respectively, which relate to this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company shall give Parent the opportunity to reasonably participate in the defense and settlement of any stockholder litigation against the Company and/or its directors relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and no such settlement shall be agreed to without Parent’s prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). Parent shall give the Company the opportunity to reasonably participate in the defense and settlement of any stockholder litigation against Parent and/or its directors relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and no such settlement shall be agreed to without the Company’s prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).
59 |
Section 7.8Public Announcements. The Company, Parent and Merger Sub shall, to the extent reasonably practicable, consult with each other before issuing any press release or otherwise making any public statements or filings with respect to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, and none of the parties shall issue any such press release or make any such public statement or filing prior to obtaining the other parties’ consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed);provided,however, that a party may, without obtaining the other parties’ consent, issue such press release or make such public statement or filing as may be required by Law, Order or the applicable rules of any stock exchange or the applicable provisions of any listing agreement of any party hereto. If for any reason it is not practicable to consult with the other party before making any public statement with respect to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, then the party making such statement shall not make a statement that is inconsistent with public statements or filings to which the other party had previously consented;provided,further, that such consultation and consent shall not be required with respect to any release, communication or announcement specifically permitted bySection 7.5.
Section 7.9Directors’ and Officers’ Indemnification and Insurance.
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, from and after the Effective Time, the Surviving Entity shall provide exculpation, indemnification and advancement of expenses for each Indemnitee, which is at least as favorable in scope and amount to such Indemnitee as the exculpation, indemnification and advancement of expenses provided to such Indemnitee by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Effective Time in the Company Charter and the Company Bylaws or each of the Company Subsidiaries’ respective articles or certificates of incorporation or bylaws (or comparable organizational or governing documents), as in effect on the date of this Agreement;provided that such exculpation, indemnification and advancement of expenses covers actions or omissions at or prior to the Effective Time, including all transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) Without limiting the provisions ofSection 7.9(a), during the period commencing as of the Effective Time and ending on the sixth (6th) anniversary of the Effective Time, Parent and the Surviving Entity shall (and Parent shall cause the Surviving Entity to): (i) indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Indemnitee against and from any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages, liabilities and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any Action, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, to the extent such Action arises out of or pertains to (x) any action or omission or alleged action or omission in such Indemnitee’s capacity as a director, officer, partner, member, trustee, employee or agent of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, or (y) this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Offer and the Merger; and (ii) pay in advance of the final disposition of any such Action the expenses (including attorneys’ fees and any expenses incurred by any Indemnitee in connection with enforcing any rights with respect to indemnification) of any Indemnitee, without the requirement of any bond or other security, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Indemnitee to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, Parent or the Surviving Entity (i) shall not be liable for any settlement effected without their prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned) and (ii) shall not have any obligation hereunder to any Indemnitee to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine in a final and non-appealable order that such indemnification is prohibited by applicable Law, in which case the Indemnitee shall promptly refund to Parent or the Surviving Entity the amount of all such expenses theretofore advanced pursuant hereto.
60 |
(c) Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall or, if the Company is unable to, Parent shall cause the Surviving Entity as of the Effective Time to, obtain and fully pay the premium for the non-cancellable extension of the coverage afforded by the Company’s existing directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies and the Company’s existing fiduciary liability insurance policies (collectively, the “D&O Insurance”), in each case, for a claims reporting or discovery period of at least six (6) years from and after the Effective Time with respect to any claim related to any period or time at or prior to the Effective Time from one or more insurance carriers with the same or better credit rating as the Company’s current insurance carrier with respect to D&O Insurance with terms, conditions and retentions that are no less favorable in the aggregate than the coverage provided under the Company’s existing policies and with limits of liability that are no lower than the limits on the Company’s existing policies as long as the annual premium in the aggregate does not exceed 250% of the annual aggregate premium(s) under the Company’s existing policies. If the Company or the Surviving Entity for any reason fails to obtain such “tail” insurance policies as of the Effective Time, (i) the Surviving Entity shall continue to maintain in effect, for a period of at least six (6) years from and after the Effective Time, the D&O Insurance in place as of the date hereof with the Company’s current insurance carrier or with an insurance carrier with the same or better credit rating as the Company’s current insurance carrier with respect to D&O Insurance with terms, conditions, retentions and limits of liability that are no less favorable in the aggregate than the coverage provided under the Company’s existing policies as of the date hereof, or (ii) Parent shall provide, or shall cause the Surviving Entity to provide, for a period of not less than six (6) years after the Effective Time, the Indemnitees who are insured under the Company’s D&O Insurance with comparable D&O Insurance that provides coverage for events occurring at or prior to the Effective Time from an insurance carrier with the same or better credit rating as the Company’s current insurance carrier, that is no less favorable in the aggregate than the existing policy of the Company (which may be provided under Parent’s D&O Insurance policy) or, if substantially equivalent insurance coverage is unavailable, the best available coverage;provided,however, that Parent and the Surviving Entity shall not be required to pay an annual premium for the D&O Insurance in excess of 250% of the annual premium currently paid by the Company for such insurance; andprovided,further, that if the annual premiums of such insurance coverage exceed such amount, Parent or the Surviving Entity shall be obligated to obtain a policy with the greatest coverage available, with respect to matters occurring prior to the Effective Time, for a cost not exceeding such amount.
(d) The Indemnitees to whom thisSection 7.9 applies are intended to be third-party beneficiaries of thisSection 7.9. The provisions of thisSection 7.9 are intended to be for the benefit of each Indemnitee and his or her successors, heirs, executors, trustees, fiduciaries, administrators or representatives. Parent shall pay all reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees, that may be incurred by any Indemnitee in successfully enforcing the indemnity and other obligations provided in thisSection 7.9.
61 |
(e) The rights of each Indemnitee under thisSection 7.9 shall be in addition to any rights such Person or any employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary may have under the Company Charter, the Company Bylaws or the certificate of incorporation or bylaws (or equivalent organizational or governing documents) of any of the Company Subsidiaries, or the Surviving Entity or any of its subsidiaries, or under any applicable Law or under any agreement of any Indemnitee or any employee with the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries listed inSection 5.12 the Company Disclosure Letter. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, shall be construed to or shall release, waive or impair any rights to directors’ and officers’ insurance claims under any policy that is or has been in existence with respect to the Company or its officers, directors and employees, it being understood and agreed that the indemnification provided for in thisSection 7.9 is not prior to, or in substitution for, any such claims under any such policies.
(f) Notwithstanding anything contained inSection 10.1 orSection 10.7 to the contrary, thisSection 7.9 shall survive the consummation of the Merger indefinitely and shall be binding, jointly and severally, on all successors and assigns of Parent, the Surviving Entity and its subsidiaries, and shall be enforceable by the Indemnitees and their successors, heirs or representatives. In the event that Parent or the Surviving Entity or any of its successors or assigns 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 transfers or conveys all or a majority of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Parent or the Surviving Entity, as applicable, shall succeed to the obligations set forth in thisSection 7.9. The parties acknowledge and agree that Parent guarantees the payment and performance of the Surviving Entity’s obligations pursuant to thisSection 7.9.
Section 7.10Dividends. In the event that a distribution with respect to the shares of Company Common Stock permitted under the terms of this Agreement has (i) a record date prior to the Effective Time and (ii) has not been paid as of the Effective Time, the holders of shares of Company Common Stock shall be entitled to receive such distribution from the Company immediately prior to the time such shares are exchanged pursuant toArticle IV of this Agreement.
Section 7.11Merger Sub. Parent and Merger Sub shall take all actions necessary to (a) cause Merger Sub to perform its obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Offer and the Merger on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and (b) ensure that, prior to the Effective Time, Merger Sub shall not conduct any business or make any investments or incur or guarantee any indebtedness other than as specifically contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 7.12Section 16 Matters. The Company shall take all such steps as may be necessary or appropriate to ensure that any dispositions of Company Common Stock (including derivative securities related to such stock) resulting from the consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement by each individual who is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time are exempt under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
62 |
Section 7.13Voting of Shares. Parent shall vote all shares of Company Common Stock beneficially owned by it or any of the Parent Subsidiaries as of the record date for the Company Stockholder Meeting, if any, in favor of approval of the Merger.
Article VIII
CONDITIONS
Section 8.1Conditions to the Obligations of Each Party. The respective obligations of each party to effect the Merger and to consummate the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be subject to the satisfaction or (to the extent permitted by Law) waiver by each of the parties, at or prior to the Effective Time, of the following conditions:
(a)Company Stockholder Approval. If required by the MGCL, the Company Stockholder Approval shall have been obtained.
(b)No Restraints. No Law, Order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) or other legal restraint or prohibition entered, enacted, promulgated, enforced or issued by any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction shall be in effect which prohibits, makes illegal, enjoins, or otherwise restricts, prevents or prohibits the consummation of the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(c)Purchase of Company Common Stock in the Offer. Merger Sub shall have previously accepted for payment all shares of Company Common Stock validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer (including pursuant to any subsequent offering period provided by Merger Sub pursuant to this Agreement).
Section 8.2Conditions to the Obligations of Parent and Merger Sub. The respective obligations of Parent and Merger Sub to effect the Merger and to consummate the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be subject to the satisfaction, at or prior to the Effective Time, of the following condition:
(a)Merger REIT Opinion. Parent shall have received a written opinion of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, or other counsel to the Company satisfactory to Parent, dated as of the Closing Date and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent, to the effect that, commencing with the Company’s taxable year that ended on December 31, 2004, the Company has been organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code and its actual method of operation has enabled the Company to meet, through the Effective Time, the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code (the “Merger REIT Opinion”), which Merger REIT Opinion will be subject to customary exceptions, assumptions and qualifications and based on customary representations contained in an officer’s certificate executed by the Company and the Company Operating Partnership. For the avoidance of doubt, the condition contained in thisSection 8.2(a) shall not be waivable.
63 |
Article IX
TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
Section 9.1Termination. This Agreement may be terminated and the Offer and the Merger may be abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval, as follows:
(a) by mutual written agreement of each of Parent and the Company; or
(b) by either Parent or the Company, if:
(i) the Offer Closing shall not have occurred on or before the Outside Date;provided,however, that the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to thisSection 9.1(b)(i) shall not be available to any party if the failure of such party (and in the case of Parent, including the failure of Merger Sub) to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement has been a principal cause of, or resulted in, the failure of the Offer Closing to have occurred on or before the Outside Date; or
(ii) any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction shall have issued an Order permanently restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Offer or the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and such Order or other action shall have become final and non-appealable;provided,however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under thisSection 9.1(b)(ii) shall not be available to a party if the issuance of such final, non-appealable Order was primarily due to the failure of such party (and in the case of Parent, including the failure of Merger Sub) to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement, including pursuant toSection 7.6; or
(iii) the Company Stockholder Approval is required under the MGCL, the Company Stockholder Approval shall not have been obtained at a duly held Company Stockholder Meeting (including any adjournment or postponement thereof) at which the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby have been voted upon,provided that the right to terminate this Agreement under thisSection 9.1(b)(iii) shall not be available to the Company if the failure to obtain such Company Stockholder Approval was primarily due to the Company’s failure to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement.
(c) by the Company:
(i) if, prior to the Offer Closing, Parent or Merger Sub shall have breached or failed to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or other agreements set forth in this Agreement, which breach or failure to perform (x) would, or would reasonably be expected to, prevent, materially impede or materially delay the consummation by Parent or Merger Sub of the Offer or the Merger, and (y) cannot be cured on or before the Outside Date or, if curable, is not cured by Parent within twenty (20) days of receipt by Parent of written notice of such breach or failure;provided that the Company shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to thisSection 9.1(c)(i) if the Company is then in material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement; or
64 |
(ii) at any time prior to the Offer Closing in order to enter into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal in accordance withSection 7.5(e);provided, that such termination shall be null and void unless the Company shall concurrently pay the Termination Payment in accordance withSection 9.3(a)(iii).
(d) by Parent, if:
(i) prior to the Offer Closing, the Company shall have breached or failed to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or other agreements set forth in this Agreement, which breach or failure to perform (x) would, or would reasonably be expected to, result in any condition to the Offer set forth inExhibit A not being satisfied and (y) cannot be cured on or before the Outside Date or, if curable, is not cured by the Company within twenty (20) days of receipt by the Company of written notice of such breach or failure;provided that Parent shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to thisSection 9.1(d)(i) if Parent or Merger Sub are then in material breach of any of their respective representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement; or
(ii) (x) the Company Board shall have made an Adverse Recommendation Change, (y) the Company shall have materially breached any of its obligations underSection 7.3 orSection 7.5 or (z) the Company enters into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement (other than an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement entered into in accordance withSection 7.5).
Section 9.2Effect of Termination. In the event that this Agreement is terminated and the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement are abandoned pursuant toSection 9.1, written notice thereof shall be given to the other party or parties, specifying the provisions hereof pursuant to which such termination is made and describing the basis therefor in reasonable detail, and this Agreement shall forthwith become null and void and of no further force or effect whatsoever without liability on the part of any party hereto (or any of the Company Subsidiaries, Parent Subsidiaries or any of the Company’s or Parent’s respective Representatives), and all rights and obligations of any party hereto shall cease;provided,however, that, notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary (a) no such termination shall relieve any party hereto of any liability or damages resulting from or arising out of any willful or intentional breach of this Agreement; and (b) the Confidentiality Agreement, thisSection 9.2,Section 9.3,Section 9.6,Article X and the definitions of all defined terms appearing in such sections shall survive any termination of this Agreement pursuant toSection 9.1. If this Agreement is terminated as provided herein, all filings, applications and other submissions made pursuant to this Agreement, to the extent practicable, shall be withdrawn from the Governmental Authority or other Person to which they were made.
65 |
Section 9.3Termination Fee.
(a) If, but only if, the Agreement is terminated:
(i) by either the Company or Parent pursuant toSection 9.1(b)(i) orSection 9.1(b)(iii) or by Parent pursuant toSection 9.1(d)(i), and in any such case the Company (x) receives or has received a Company Acquisition Proposal after the date of this Agreement and prior to termination of this Agreement, which proposal has been publicly announced and (y) within twelve (12) months of the termination of this Agreement, consummates a transaction regarding, or executes a definitive agreement which is later consummated with respect to, a Company Acquisition Proposal, then the Company shall pay, or cause to be paid, to Parent a fee equal to $1,463,000 (the “Termination Fee”) plus, if not previously paid pursuant toSection 9.3(a)(ii) below, the Expense Amount, by wire transfer of same day funds to an account designated by Parent, not later than the consummation of such transaction arising from such Company Acquisition Proposal;provided,however, that for purposes of thisSection 9.3(a)(i), the references to “fifteen percent (15%)” in the definition of Company Acquisition Proposal shall be deemed to be references to “fifty percent (50%)”; or
(ii) by either the Company or Parent pursuant toSection 9.1(b)(iii), the Company shall pay, or cause to be paid, to Parent the Expense Amount (by wire transfer to an account designated by Parent) within two (2) Business Days of such termination; or
(iii) by the Company pursuant toSection 9.1(c)(ii), then the Company shall pay, or cause to be paid, to Parent the Termination Fee together with the Expense Amount, by wire transfer of same day funds to an account designated by Parent as a condition to the effectiveness of such termination; or
(iv) by Parent pursuant toSection 9.1(d)(ii), then the Company shall pay, or cause to be paid, to Parent the Termination Fee together with the Expense Amount, by wire transfer of same day funds to an account designated by Parent, within two (2) Business Days of such termination.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the parties agree that:
(i) under no circumstances shall the Company be required to pay the Termination Fee or Expense Amount, as applicable, earlier than one (1) full Business Day after receipt of appropriate wire transfer instructions from Parent; and
(ii) under no circumstances shall the Company be required to pay the Termination Fee or Expense Amount, as applicable, on more than one occasion.
(c) Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that (i) the agreements contained in thisSection 9.3 are an integral part of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) the Termination Payment is not a penalty, but is liquidated damages, in a reasonable amount that will compensate Parent in the circumstances in which such fee is payable for the efforts and resources expended and opportunities foregone while negotiating this Agreement and in reliance on this Agreement and on the expectation of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, which amount would otherwise be impossible to calculate with precision, and (iii) without these agreements, Parent would not enter into this Agreement; accordingly, if the Company fails to timely pay any amount due pursuant to thisSection 9.3 and, in order to obtain such payment, Parent commences a suit that results in a judgment against the Company for the payment of any amount set forth in thisSection 9.3, the Company shall pay Parent its costs and Expenses in connection with such suit, together with interest on such amount at the annual rate of five percent (5%) for the period from the date such payment was required to be made through the date such payment was actually received, or such lesser rate as is the maximum permitted by applicable Law.
66 |
(d) (i) If the Company is required to pay to Parent the Termination Payment, such Termination Payment shall be paid into escrow on the date such payment is required to be paid by the Company pursuant to this Agreement by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an escrow account designated in accordance with thisSection 9.3(d). In the event that the Company is obligated to pay Parent the Termination Payment, the amount payable to Parent in any tax year of Parent shall not exceed the lesser of (i) the Termination Payment, and (ii) the sum of (A) the maximum amount that can be paid to Parent without causing Parent to fail to meet the requirements of Section 856(c)(2) and (3) of the Code for the relevant tax year, determined as if the payment of such amount did not constitute income described in Sections 856(c)(2) or 856(c)(3) of the Code (“Qualifying Income”) and Parent has $1,000,000 of income from unknown sources during such year which is not Qualifying Income (in addition to any known or anticipated income which is not Qualifying Income), in each case, as determined by Parent’s independent accountants, plus (B) in the event Parent receives either (x) a letter from Parent’s counsel indicating that Parent has received a ruling from the IRS as described below in thisSection 9.3(d) or (y) an opinion from Parent’s outside counsel as described below in thisSection 9.3(d), an amount equal to the excess of the Termination Payment less the amount payable under clause (A) above.
(ii) To secure the Company’s obligation to pay these amounts, the Company shall deposit into escrow an amount in cash equal to the Termination Payment with an escrow agent selected by the Company on such terms (subject to thisSection 9.3(d)) as shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company, Parent and the escrow agent. The payment or deposit into escrow of the Termination Payment pursuant to thisSection 9.3(d) shall be made at the time the Company is obligated to pay Parent such amount pursuant toSection 9.3 by wire transfer. The escrow agreement shall provide that the Termination Payment in escrow or any portion thereof shall not be released to Parent unless the escrow agent receives any one or combination of the following: (i) a letter from Parent’s independent accountants indicating the maximum amount that can be paid by the escrow agent to Parent without causing Parent to fail to meet the requirements of Sections 856(c)(2) and (3) of the Code determined as if the payment of such amount did not constitute Qualifying Income and Parent has $1,000,000 of income from unknown sources during such year which is not Qualifying Income (in addition to any known or anticipated income which is not Qualifying Income), in which case the escrow agent shall release such amount to Parent, or (ii) a letter from Parent’s counsel indicating that (A) Parent received a ruling from the IRS holding that the receipt by Parent of the Termination Payment would either constitute Qualifying Income or would be excluded from gross income within the meaning of Sections 856(c)(2) and (3) of the Code or (B) Parent’s outside counsel has rendered a legal opinion to the effect that the receipt by Parent of the Termination Payment should either constitute Qualifying Income or should be excluded from gross income within the meaning of Sections 856(c)(2) and (3) of the Code, in which case the escrow agent shall release the remainder of the Termination Payment to Parent. The Company agrees to amend thisSection 9.3(d) at the reasonable request of Parent in order to (i) maximize the portion of the Termination Payment that may be distributed to Parent hereunder without causing Parent to fail to meet the requirements of Sections 856(c)(2) and (3) of the Code, (ii) improve Parent’s chances of securing a favorable ruling described in thisSection 9.3(d) or (iii) assist Parent in obtaining a favorable legal opinion from its outside counsel as described in thisSection 9.3(d). Any amount of the Termination Payment that remains unpaid as of the end of a taxable year shall be paid as soon as possible during the following taxable year, subject to the foregoing limitations of thisSection 9.3(d),provided that the obligation of the Company to pay the unpaid portion of the Termination Payment shall terminate on the December 31 following the date which is five (5) years from the date of this Agreement.
67 |
Section 9.4Amendment. Subject to compliance with applicable Law, this Agreement may be amended by mutual agreement of the parties hereto by action taken or authorized by their respective boards of directors (or similar governing body or entity) at any time before or after the Offer Closing or receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval and prior to the Effective Time;provided,however, that (a) after the Offer Closing, no amendment shall be made which decreases the Merger Consideration and no other amendment shall be made without the approval required underSection 2.3, and (b) after the Company Stockholder Approval has been obtained, there shall not be any amendment of this Agreement which by applicable Law requires the further approval of the stockholders of the Company without such further approval of such stockholders. This Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed by each of the parties hereto.
Section 9.5Waiver. At any time prior to the Effective Time, subject to applicable Law, any party hereto may, subject toSection 2.3, (a) extend the time for the performance of any obligation or other act of any other party hereto, (b) waive any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the other party contained herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto, and (c) subject to the proviso ofSection 9.4, waive compliance with any agreement or condition 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 by the party or parties to be bound thereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no failure or delay by the Company, Parent or Merger Sub in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise of any other right hereunder.
Section 9.6Fees and Expenses. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all Expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be paid by the party incurring such expenses, whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated;provided,however, that the Company and Parent shall share equally all Expenses related to the printing, filing and distribution of the Proxy Statement, if any, other than attorneys’ and accountants’ fees.
68 |
Section 9.7Transfer Taxes. Parent and the Company shall cooperate in the preparation, execution and filing of all returns, questionnaires, applications or other documents regarding any real property transfer or gains, sales, use, transfer, value added, stock transfer or stamp taxes, any transfer, recording, registration and other fees and any similar taxes that become payable in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (together with any related interests, penalties or additions to Tax, “Transfer Taxes”), and shall cooperate in attempting to minimize the amount of Transfer Taxes. From and after the Effective Time, the Surviving Entity shall pay or cause to be paid, without deduction or withholding from any consideration or amounts payable to holders of the Company Common Stock, all Transfer Taxes.
Article X
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 10.1Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties. None of the representations or warranties in this Agreement or any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant to this Agreement, including any rights arising out of any breach of such representations or warranties, shall survive the Effective Time. ThisSection 10.1 does not limit any covenant or agreement of the parties which by its terms contemplates performance after the Effective Time. The Confidentiality Agreement will survive termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.
Section 10.2Notices. Any notice, request, claim, demand and other communications hereunder shall be sufficient if in writing and sent (i) by facsimile transmission (providing confirmation of transmission) or e-mail of a pdf attachment (provided that any notice received by facsimile or e-mail transmission or otherwise at the addressee’s location on any Business Day after 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) shall be deemed to have been received at 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the next Business Day), or (ii) by reliable overnight delivery service (with proof of service), hand delivery or certified or registered mail (return receipt requested and first-class postage prepaid), addressed as follows (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with thisSection 10.2):
if to Parent or Merger Sub:
American Realty Capital Properties, Inc.
405 Park Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Phone: (212) 415-6500
Fax: (212) 415-6507
Attention: Lisa E. Beeson
Richard A. Silfen, Esq.
69 |
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Proskauer Rose LLP
Eleven Times Square
New York, New York 10036
Phone: (212) 969-3000
Fax: (212) 969-2900
Attention: Peter M. Fass, Esq.
Steven L. Lichtenfeld, Esq.
Daniel I. Ganitsky, Esq.
if to the Company prior to the Closing:
Cole Credit Property Trust, Inc.
2325 East Camelback Road, Suite 1100
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Phone: (602) 778-8700
Fax: (480) 449-7025
Attention: D. Kirk McAllaster, Jr.
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
1600 Atlanta Financial Center
3343 Peachtree Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Phone: (404) 504-7744
Fax: (404) 365-9532
Attention: Lauren B. Prevost, Esq.
Carl J. Erhardt, Esq.
Heath D. Linsky, Esq.
Section 10.3Interpretation; Certain Definitions. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. Consequently, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly 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 “this Agreement” shall include the Company Disclosure Letter. When a reference is made in this Agreement to an Article, Section, Appendix or Exhibit, such reference shall be to an Article or Section of, or an Appendix or Exhibit to, this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The table of contents and headings for this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.” 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. All terms defined in this Agreement shall have the defined meanings when used in any certificate or other instrument made or delivered pursuant hereto unless otherwise defined therein. The definitions contained in this Agreement are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms and to the masculine as well as to the feminine and neuter genders of such term. Any Law defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such Law as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including (in the case of statutes) by succession of comparable successor Laws. References to a Person are also to its successors and permitted assigns. All references to “dollars” or “$” refer to currency of the United States of America.
70 |
Section 10.4Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced under any present or future Law, or public policy, (a) such term or other provision shall be fully separable, (b) this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never comprised a part hereof, and (c) all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable term or other provision or by its severance herefrom so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that transactions contemplated by this Agreement be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.
Section 10.5Assignment; Delegation. Other than to the Surviving Entity, neither this Agreement nor any rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall be assigned or delegated, in whole or in part, by any of the parties hereto (whether by operation of Law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto, except that Merger Sub may assign or delegate (whether by operation of Law or otherwise), in its sole discretion, any or all of its rights, interests and obligations under this Agreement to any direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent without the consent of the Company.
Section 10.6Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including the exhibits, annexes and appendices hereto) constitutes, together with the Confidentiality Agreement, the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.
Section 10.7No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is not intended to and shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any Person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns, except for the provisions ofSection 7.9 (which shall be to the benefit of the Persons referred to in such section). The representations and warranties in this Agreement are the product of negotiations among the parties hereto and are for the sole benefit of the parties hereto. Any inaccuracies in such representations and warranties are subject to waiver by the parties hereto in accordance withSection 9.5 without notice or liability to any other Person. The representations and warranties in this Agreement may represent an allocation among the parties hereto of risks associated with particular matters regardless of the knowledge of any of the parties hereto. Accordingly, Persons other than the parties hereto may not rely upon the representations and warranties in this Agreement as characterizations of actual facts or circumstances as of the date of this Agreement or as of any other date.
71 |
Section 10.8Specific Performance. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage, for which monetary damages (even if available) would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that the parties hereto do not perform the provisions of this Agreement (including failing to take such actions as are required of it hereunder to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement) in accordance with its specified terms or otherwise breach such provisions. Accordingly, the parties acknowledge and agree that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each of the parties agrees that it will not oppose the granting of an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief on the basis that any other party has an adequate remedy at law or that any award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason at law or in equity. Any party seeking an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with any such order or injunction.
Section 10.9Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more 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 agreement. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by facsimile transmission or by e-mail of a pdf attachment shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
Section 10.10Governing Law. This Agreement and all Actions (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise), directly or indirectly, arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the actions of Parent, Merger Sub or the Company in the negotiation, administration, performance and enforcement thereof, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Maryland, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of Laws provision or rule (whether of the State of Maryland or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland.
Section 10.11Consent to Jurisdiction.
(a) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Maryland and to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the State of Maryland, for the purpose of any Action (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise), directly or indirectly, arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the actions of the parties hereto in the negotiation, administration, performance and enforcement thereof, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably agrees that all claims in respect to such Action may be heard and determined exclusively in any Maryland state or federal court.
(b) Each of the parties hereto (i) irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any other Action relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, on behalf of itself or its property, by personal delivery of copies of such process to such party and nothing in thisSection 10.11 shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by Law, (ii) consents to submit itself to the personal jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland or any Maryland state court in the event any dispute arises out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court and (iv) agrees that it will not bring any Action relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any court other than any United States federal court located in the State of Maryland or any Maryland state court. Each of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company agrees that a final judgment in any Action shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by Law.
72 |
Section 10.12WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE EACH SUCH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT SUCH PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE), DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, OR THE ACTIONS OF THE PARTIES HERETO IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT THEREOF. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (A) 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, (B) EACH SUCH PARTY UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WAIVER, (C) EACH SUCH PARTY MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY, AND (D) EACH SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THISSECTION 10.12.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank; signature page follows.]
73 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first written above by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized.
AMERICAN REALTY CAPITAL PROPERTIES, INC. | |||
By: | /s/ Lisa E. Beeson | ||
Name: | Lisa E. Beeson | ||
Title: | Chief Operating Officer |
DESERT ACQUISITION, INC. | |||
By: | /s/ Lisa E. Beeson | ||
Name: | Lisa E. Beeson | ||
Title: | Chief Operating Officer |
COLE CREDIT PROPERTY TRUST, INC. | |||
By: | /s/ D. Kirk McAllaster, Jr. | ||
Name: | D. Kirk McAllaster, Jr. | ||
Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]
EXHIBIT A
CONDITIONS TO OFFER
Notwithstanding any other term of the Offer or this Agreement, Merger Sub shall not be required to, and Parent shall not be required to cause Merger Sub to, accept for payment or, subject to any applicable rules and regulations of the SEC, including Rule 14e-1(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act (relating to Merger Sub’s obligation to pay for or return tendered shares of Company Common Stock promptly after the termination or withdrawal of the Offer), pay for any shares of Company Common Stock tendered pursuant to the Offer if immediately prior to acceptance of shares of Company Common Stock for payment in the Offer any of the following conditions exists:
(a) any event, change or occurrence shall have occurred since the date of this Agreement that, either individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect;
(b) any pending or threatened action, proceeding or counterclaim, by any Governmental Authority (i) challenging or seeking to make illegal, delay materially or otherwise directly or indirectly restrain or prohibit the making of the Offer, the acceptance for payment of or payment for some or all of the shares of Company Common Stock by Parent or Merger Sub or the consummation of the Offer or the Merger, (ii) seeking to obtain material damages in connection with the Offer or the Merger, (iii) seeking to restrain, prohibit or limit Parent’s, the Company’s or any of their respective Affiliates’ ownership or operation of all or any material portion of the business or assets of Parent, the Company or any such Affiliate, or to compel Parent, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates to dispose of, license or hold separate all or any material portion of the business or assets of Parent, the Company or such Affiliate, or (iv) seeking to impose material limitations on the ability of Parent, Merger Sub or any of Parent’s other Affiliates effectively to acquire, hold or exercise full rights of ownership of any shares of Company Common Stock or any capital stock of the Surviving Entity, including the right to vote the shares of Company Common Stock or capital stock of the Surviving Entity acquired or owned by Parent, Merger Sub or any of Parent’s other Affiliates on all matters properly presented to the Company’s stockholders;
(c) any Law enacted, entered, enforced, proposed, issued, in effect or deemed applicable to the Offer or the Merger that, in the good faith judgment of Parent, is likely, directly or indirectly, to result in any of the consequences referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) of paragraph (b) above;
(d) (i) any of the representations and warranties set forth inSection 5.1(a) (Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries),Section 5.3(a) (Capital Structure) (except for the first two sentences),Section 5.4 (Authority),Section 5.19 (Opinion of Financial Advisor),Section 5.20 (Takeover Statutes),Section 5.21 (Vote Required),Section 5.22 (Brokers) andSection 5.23 (Investment Company Act) shall not be true and correct in all material respects as of the date of this Agreement or at any time prior to the Offer Closing as if made as and as of such time, (ii) the representations and warranties set forth in the first two sentences ofSection 5.3(a) (Capital Structure) shall not be true and correct in all but de minimis respects as of the date of this Agreement or at any time prior to the Offer Closing as if made as and as of such time, (iii) the representations and warranties set forth inSection 5.8 (Disclosure Documents) shall not be true and correct in all respects as of the date of this Agreement or at any time prior to the Offer Closing as if made as and as of such time, and (iv) each of the other representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall not be true and correct as of the date of this Agreement or at any time prior to the Offer Closing as if made as and as of such time, except (x) in each case, representations and warranties that are made as of a specific date shall be true and correct only on and as of such date, and (y) in the case of clause (iv) where the failure of such representations or warranties to be true and correct (without giving effect to any materiality or “Company Material Adverse Effect” qualifications set forth therein) does not have, and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect;
(e) the Company shall have failed to perform or comply in any material respect with any of its agreements, obligations or covenants under this Agreement prior to the Expiration Time and such failure to perform or comply with such other agreements, obligations or covenants shall not have been cured to the good faith satisfaction of Parent;
(f) any revocation of the Ownership Limit Waivers shall have occurred since the date of this Agreement;
(g) any of the consents, authorizations and approvals set forth onSection 1.1 of the Company Disclosure Letter shall not have been obtained or shall not be in full force and effect; or
(h) this Agreement shall have been terminated in accordance with its terms.
Immediately prior to the expiration of the Offer, the Company shall deliver to Parent (i) a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by a senior officer of the Company and dated as of the Offer Closing Date, certifying that none of the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a), (d) and (e) above shall have occurred and be continuing as of the expiration of the Offer, and (ii) a written opinion of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, or other counsel to the Company satisfactory to Parent, dated as of the Offer Closing Date and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent, to the effect that, commencing with the Company’s taxable year that ended on December 31, 2004, the Company has been organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code and its actual method of operation through the Offer Closing Date has enabled the Company to meet and the Company’s proposed method of operation will enable the Company to continue to meet, through the Effective Time, the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code (the “Offer REIT Opinion”), which Offer REIT Opinion will be subject to customary exceptions, assumptions and qualifications and based on customary representations contained in an officer’s certificate executed by the Company and the Company Operating Partnership. For the avoidance of doubt, the condition contained in this paragraph regarding the Offer REIT Opinion shall not be waivable.
The foregoing conditions are for the sole benefit of Parent and Merger Sub, may be asserted by Parent or Merger Sub regardless of the circumstances giving rise to any such conditions, and, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and applicable Law, may be waived by Parent and Merger Sub, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time in their sole discretion (other than the Minimum Condition and the delivery of the Offer REIT Opinion). The failure by Parent or Merger Sub at any time to exercise any of the foregoing rights shall not be deemed a waiver of any such right and each such right shall be deemed an ongoing right that may be asserted at any time and from time to time.