conditioned or delayed), as taken or omitted to be taken in response to the actual or anticipate effects of COVID-19 or any COVID-19 measure (after reasonable consultation with Regeneron) as expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement, as disclosed in the confidential disclosure letter delivered by Checkmate to Regeneron in connection with the Merger Agreement (the “Checkmate Disclosure Letter”) or as required by applicable law, Checkmate will, and will cause its subsidiaries to, use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) conduct its business in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice in all material respects, (ii) preserve intact its assets (including technology) (other than assets of de minimis value), business organizations and relationships with third parties and keep available the services of its present executive officers and employees as set forth in the Checkmate Disclosure Letter and (iii) maintain satisfactory business relationships with governmental bodies, customers, suppliers, licensors, licensees, distributors, collaboration partners and other business partners having material business dealings with the Acquired Corporations.
Checkmate has further agreed that, from the date of the Merger Agreement until the Effective Time, except as consented to in writing by Regeneron (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), as expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement, as disclosed in the Checkmate Disclosure Letter, or as required by applicable law, Checkmate will not, and will not permit its subsidiaries to, among other things and subject to specified exceptions (including specified ordinary course exceptions):
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(1) establish a record date for, declare, set aside or pay any dividend or make any other distribution in respect of any shares of its capital stock, or (2) subject to certain exceptions, repurchase, redeem or otherwise reacquire any of the Shares, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire any of the Shares;
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split, combine, subdivide or reclassify any Shares or other equity interests;
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sell, issue, grant, deliver, pledge, transfer, encumber or authorize the sale, issuance, grant, delivery, pledge, transfer or encumbrance of (A) any capital stock, equity interest or other security, (B) any option, call, warrant, restricted securities or right to acquire any capital stock, equity interest or other security, or (C) any instrument convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock, equity interest or other security, subject to certain exceptions;
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except as required under any employee plan in effect on the date of the Merger Agreement, (A) establish, adopt, enter into, terminate or amend any benefit plan or any collective bargaining agreement or other labor agreement, practice or amend or waive any of its rights under, or accelerate the payment or vesting of compensation or benefits under, any provision of any benefit plans; (B) grant or agree to grant any current or former employee, director or other service provider any increase in compensation, bonuses or other benefits; (C) cause the funding of any rabbi trust or similar arrangement or take any action to fund or secure the payment of compensation or benefits; (D) grant or pay any awards or accelerate the vesting of or lapsing of restrictions with respect to any incentive compensation or benefits; (E) hire or promote any employee or other service provider of Checkmate (or with respect to hiring, would become an employee or other service provider of Checkmate) who has (or with respect to hiring or promotion, would have) a target annual compensation opportunity (base salary, target annual bonus and target long-term incentive opportunity) of $200,000 or more or who is or would be the Chief Executive Officer of Checkmate or a direct report thereto; or (F) terminate other than for cause the employment of any employee or other service provider of Checkmate or its Subsidiaries who has a target annual compensation opportunity (base salary, target annual bonus and target long-term incentive opportunity) of $200,000 or more;
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amend or permit the adoption of any amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws or other charter or organizational documents;
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form any subsidiary, acquire any equity interest in any other entity or enter into any joint venture, partnership or similar arrangement;
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except as otherwise required in Checkmate’s operating budget disclosed in the Checkmate Disclosure Letter, make or authorize any capital expenditure (except that the Acquired Corporations may make capital expenditures that do not exceed $250,000 individually or $750,000 in the aggregate);
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acquire, lease, license, sublicense, pledge, sell or otherwise dispose of, divest or spin-off, abandon, waive, relinquish or permit to lapse (other than any patent expiring at the end of its statutory term