| ● | ICE or we could be subject to litigation related to any failure to complete the Merger or related to any enforcement proceeding commenced against ICE or us to perform our respective obligations under the Merger Agreement. |
Regulatory approvals may not be received, may take longer than expected or may impose conditions that are not presently anticipated, that could have an adverse effect on ICE following the Merger or that are otherwise unacceptable to ICE.
Completion of the Merger is conditioned on, among other things, the expiration or early termination of the waiting period applicable to the consummation of the Merger under the HSR Act. There can be no assurance that this condition to the completion of the Merger will be satisfied on a timely basis or at all and there can be no assurance that, if regulatory approvals are granted, they will not result in the imposition of conditions, limitations, obligations or restrictions that have the effect of preventing the completion of any of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, imposing additional material costs on or materially limiting the revenues of ICE following the Merger or otherwise reducing the anticipated benefits of the Merger, or result in the delay or abandonment of the Merger.
Under the Merger Agreement, ICE and we have agreed to use our respective reasonable best efforts to cause the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement to be consummated as soon as practicable and to obtain all approvals from any governmental entity or third party that are necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Merger. In particular, each party has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to take promptly any and all steps necessary to avoid, eliminate or resolve each and every impediment and obtain all clearances, consents, approvals and waivers under U.S. antitrust laws so as to enable the parties to close the Merger as soon as practicable.
The Merger Agreement limits our ability to pursue alternatives to the Merger and may discourage other companies from trying to acquire us.
The Merger Agreement contains covenants that restrict our ability to, directly or indirectly, solicit, initiate, knowingly facilitate, knowingly encourage or knowingly induce any acquisition proposal, engage in any discussions or negotiations with any person relating to any takeover proposal, or provide any confidential or nonpublic information or data to any person relating to any takeover proposal, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, our Board of Directors is required to recommend that our stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement.
If the Merger Agreement is terminated under certain circumstances, we may be required to pay a termination fee of $398 million to ICE or we may be required to reimburse ICE for its reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in connection with the Merger Agreement and the Merger in an amount not to exceed $40 million.
These provisions could discourage a potential third-party acquiror or Merger partner that might have an interest in acquiring all or a significant portion of us or pursuing an alternative transaction from considering or proposing such a transaction
If the Merger Agreement is terminated and we determine to seek another business combination, we may not be able to negotiate a transaction with another party on terms comparable to, or better than, the terms of the Merger Agreement.
The Merger Agreement may be terminated in accordance with its terms and the Merger may not be completed, which could negatively affect us.
The Merger Agreement is subject to a number of conditions which must be satisfied or waived in order to complete the Merger. These conditions to the closing of the Merger may not be satisfied in a timely manner or at all, and, accordingly, the Merger may be delayed or may not be completed. In addition, if the Merger is not completed by the outside date, either ICE or we may choose not to proceed with the Merger, and the parties can mutually decide to terminate the Merger Agreement at any time, before or after receipt of our stockholder approval. In addition, ICE or we may elect to terminate the Merger Agreement in certain other circumstances as set forth in the Merger Agreement.
If the Merger Agreement is terminated, there may be various consequences. For example, our business may have been impacted adversely by the failure to pursue other beneficial opportunities due to the focus of management on the Merger, without realizing any of the anticipated benefits of completing the Merger. Additionally, if the Merger Agreement is terminated, the market price of our common stock could decline to the extent that the current market prices reflect a market assumption that the Merger will be completed. If the Merger Agreement is terminated under certain circumstances, we may be required to pay a termination fee of $398 million to ICE. In