Exhibit 4.3
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION (this "Agreement"), effective as of
September 30, 1996 but dated this ____ day of October 1996, by and among SYLVAN
LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC., a Maryland corporation (the "Purchaser"), JANNICK
EDUCATION, CORP., a Minnesota corporation (the "Company"), which has elected to
be treated as an S Corporation pursuant to Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and Jan Eian and Nick Eian, husband and
wife, and the sole stockholders of the Company (the "Stockholder").
W I T N E S S E T H:
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The Stockholder owns all the issued and outstanding capital stock of the
Company. The Purchaser and the Stockholder wish to enter into an agreement for
the acquisition of the Company by the Purchaser through a merger of the Company
into the Purchaser in a transaction qualifying as a tax-free reorganization
under Section 368(a)(1)(A) of the Code (the "Merger"). The parties agree and
acknowledge that for accounting purposes, the Merger is to be treated as a
pooling-of-interests. The Purchaser, the Company and the Stockholder wish to
enter into a definitive agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the
Merger.
Accordingly, in consideration of the foregoing and of the covenants,
agreements, representations and warranties hereinafter contained, the Purchaser,
the Company and the Stockholder hereby agree as follows:
1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE PURCHASER. The Purchaser
hereby represents and warrants to the Company and the Stockholder as follows:
1.1 Organization and Standing. The Purchaser is a corporation duly
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organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of
Maryland and has the corporate power to carry on its business as it is now being
conducted and to own or hold under lease the properties and assets it now owns
or holds under lease. Copies of the Charter and By-Laws of the Purchaser have
been delivered to the Company, and such copies are complete and correct and in
full force and effect on the date of this Agreement. The Purchaser has at all
times in the past operated and used its assets in material compliance with, and
currently is not in violation of, and has obtained all material licenses and
permits required by, any law, rule or regulation.
1.2 Financial Statements. The Purchaser has delivered to the Company
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copies of the Purchaser's audited consolidated financial statements for the
fiscal years ended December 31, 1994 and 1995. These financial statements are
true and complete in all material respects, have been prepared in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles
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("GAAP") consistently followed throughout the periods covered by such statements
(except as may be stated in the explanatory notes to such statements), and
present fairly the consolidated financial position and results of operations of
the Purchaser at the dates of such statements and for the periods covered
thereby. The Purchaser also has delivered to the Company copies of its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, its proxy statement
dated May 1, 1996 and all other reports or documents required to be filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), after the
filing of such Annual Report on Form 10-K and prior to the date of this
Agreement.
1.3 No Conflict With Other Documents. Neither the execution and
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delivery of this Agreement nor the carrying out of the transactions contemplated
hereby will result in any violation, termination or modification of, or be in
conflict with, the Purchaser's Charter or By-Laws, or, any terms of any
contract, instrument or other agreement to which the Purchaser is a party or by
which it or any of its properties is bound or affected, or any law, rule,
regulation, license, permit, judgment, decree or order applicable to the
Purchaser or by which any of its properties or assets are bound or affected, or
result in any breach of or constitute a default (or with notice or lapse of time
or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of
termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation, or result in the creation
of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of its properties or assets, except
where such event or occurrence would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a
material adverse on the Purchaser.
1.4 Brokers and Advisors. The Purchaser has taken no action which
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would give rise to a valid claim against any party hereto for a brokerage
commission, finder's fee, counseling or advisory fee, or like payment.
1.5 Authority. The execution, delivery and performance of this
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Agreement by the Purchaser have been duly authorized by its Board of Directors,
and this Agreement is a valid, legally binding and enforceable obligation of the
Purchaser. Upon the satisfaction of all conditions contained herein and the
filing of the Articles of Merger (as defined in Section 4.2) with the Maryland
State Department of Assessments and Taxation and the Secretary of State of the
State of Florida, this Agreement will result in the valid, legally binding and
enforceable statutory merger of the Company and the Purchaser.
1.6 Validity of Common Stock. The shares of Purchaser's Common Stock
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to be issued and delivered by the Purchaser in connection with the Merger have
been duly authorized for issuance and will, when issued and delivered as
provided in this Agreement, be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-
assessable.
1.7 Registration Statement on Form S-3. As of the date hereof, the
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Purchaser is aware of no events, actions or conditions which would prevent the
Purchaser from being able to comply with the provisions of Section 11.1(a) of
this Agreement, and will use its
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best efforts to continue to be eligible to comply with the provisions of Section
11.1(a).
1.8 Tax-Free Reorganization. The Purchaser is not aware of any
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events or conditions relating to the Purchaser which would preclude the Company
or the Stockholder from treating the Merger as a tax-free reorganization under
Section 368(a)(1)(A) of the Code.
2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDERS.
The Company and each of the Stockholder hereby jointly and severally represent
and warrant to the Purchaser as follows:
2.1 Authorized and Issued Shares. The Company's entire authorized
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capital stock consists of _______________ thousand (______________) shares of
Common Stock, $____________ par value per share (the "Company Common Stock"), of
which ______ shares are issued and outstanding. No shares of Company Common
Stock are held in the Company's treasury and no shares are reserved for
issuance. All outstanding shares of Company Common Stock have been duly
authorized and are validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are
owned by the Stockholder. The Company is not a party to or bound by any
options, calls, contracts, preemptive rights or commitments of any character
relating to any issued or unissued capital stock, or any other equity security
issued or to be issued by the Company.
2.2 Organization. The Company is a corporation duly organized,
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validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Minnesota,
and has the corporate power and authority to carry on its business as it is now
being conducted and to own or hold under lease the properties or assets it now
owns or holds under lease and to perform the actions contemplated hereby.
Complete and accurate copies of the current Charter, By-Laws, minute books and
stock transfer books of the Company have been provided to the Purchaser, and
such copies are complete and correct and in full force and effect. The Company
does not own or have any direct or indirect interest in any other corporation,
firm, partnership, joint venture enterprise or other business entity. (The
Company has duly and effectively elected to be treated as an S Corporation under
and is presently operating in accordance with the provisions of Subchapter S of
the Code.
2.3 Transactions with Affiliates. Except as set forth in Section 2.3
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of the disclosure schedule delivered to the Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement
(the "Disclosure Schedule") or in the Company Financial Statements (as
hereinafter defined), the Company is not a party to any contract, agreement or
other arrangement with any current or former officer, director or stockholder or
any affiliate of any such persons. Each transaction required to be listed on
the Disclosure Schedule is on terms no less favorable than terms available from
unrelated parties.
2.4 Financial Statements. The Company has provided to the Purchaser
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the unaudited financial statements for the fiscal years of the Company ended on
December 31, 1995
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and the preliminary balance sheet and income statement for the nine month period
ending September 30, 1996, which shall be reviewed as soon as practicable after
the Closing (collectively, the "Company Financial Statements"). The Company
Financial Statements are complete and correct, have been prepared on a
consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby and present fairly and
accurately the financial position and results of operations of the Company as of
and for the periods indicated. There are no material liabilities or obligations
of the Company, whether contingent or absolute, as of the dates of such
statements, including liability for taxes of any type, which in accordance with
GAAP consistently applied should have been shown or provided for in the Company
Financial Statements and are not so shown or provided for. Since September 30,
1996, there has been no material adverse change in the condition (financial or
otherwise), assets, liabilities, earnings, net worth, financial position,
business, operations, properties or prospects of the Company. The Company's
accounts receivable arose, and all accounts receivable that will be outstanding
as of the Closing Date shall have arisen, from bona fide transactions in the
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ordinary course of business and will be collectible by the Company in full (but
which are not material), less applicable reserves shown in the Company Financial
Statements, in the ordinary course of business within ninety days of the Closing
Date, and there are no offsets or claims related to such accounts receivable.
2.5 Taxes. The Company and the Stockholder have properly prepared
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and filed all federal, state and other tax returns required to be filed in
connection with the operations of the Company. True and complete copies of all
federal and state income tax returns for the Company and the Stockholder for
each of the years ended December 31, 1992 through December 31, 1995 have been
delivered or made available to the Purchaser on or prior to the date hereof and
copies of other returns will be made available upon request. Except as set
forth on Section 2.5 of the Disclosure Schedule, neither the Company nor the
Stockholder has any liability for any federal, state, county, local or other
taxes whatsoever that arose or otherwise was incurred on or before the date of
the balance sheet for 1993 included in the Company Financial Statements. No
proposed taxes, additions to tax, interest or penalties have been asserted or
are pending against the Company or the Stockholder with respect to periods
ending on or before Closing, and no such matters are under discussion with the
applicable authorities. There are no agreements, waivers, or other arrangements
providing for extensions of time with respect to the assessment or collection of
any unpaid tax against the Company or the Stockholder. The Company and the
Stockholder have withheld or otherwise collected all taxes or amounts it or he
was required to withhold or collect under any applicable federal, state or local
law, including, without limitation, any amounts required to be withheld or
collected with respect to employee state and federal income tax withholding,
social security, unemployment compensation, sales or use taxes or workmen's
compensation, and all such amounts have been timely remitted to the proper
authorities.
2.6 Agreements. Section 2.6 of the Disclosure Schedule identifies
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each of the following agreements, contracts, documents and other items (whether
written or oral) as to which the Company is a party or otherwise is bound (and
all such contracts, or summaries
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thereof, have been made available to the Purchaser): (i) all documents relating
to indebtedness for money borrowed or collateral therefor, including guarantees;
(ii) all agreements or plans relating to employment, compensation of or benefits
for officers or employees of the Company; (iii) all contracts for the purchase
of materials, supplies, services, merchandise or equipment involving
consideration of more than $10,000 or involving purchases in excess of normal
operating requirements; (iv) any contract, agreement, or instrument not entered
into in the ordinary course of the business of the Company on a basis consistent
with past practice; (v) any contract containing restrictions on the Company's
operations or its ability to compete in any geographic region or in any line of
business; (vi) any lease of real property and all personal property leases
calling for annual lease payments in excess of $10,000; and (vii) each and every
other contract which is material to the financial condition, earnings, operation
or business of the Company. Each of the contracts and agreements so listed
(collectively, the "Contracts") is a valid and existing contract or agreement in
full force and effect and there exists no default thereunder. None of the
Contracts will be violated or breached and no default or right of termination or
modification shall arise thereunder as a result of the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.7 Property. Section 2.7 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a
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schedule (the "Property Schedule") of (i) all real property owned or leased by
the Company (the "Real Property"), (ii) all individual items of tangible
personal property and assets (other than inventory) of the Company having a fair
market value in excess of $10,000, and (iii) all patents, trademarks, trade
names, service marks, trade secrets, copyrights, franchise rights or
applications therefor which are held, used, prepared in connection with or
otherwise related to the conduct of the business of the Company. Except as set
forth in the Property Schedule, the Company has good and marketable title to all
of such property and assets owned by it, free of any pledge, mortgage, lien,
lease, security agreement, encumbrance, charge or claim of any nature
whatsoever. The machinery and equipment of the Company are, in all material
respects, in good operating condition and repair, ordinary wear and tear
excepted. To the Company's knowledge, the Company is not infringing on any
patent, trademark, trade name, service mark, trade secret or copyright of
another entity and has received no notice or claim of any such infringement.
2.8 Legal Proceedings, Etc. Except as set forth in Section 2.8 of
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the Disclosure Schedule, there are no legal, administrative, arbitration, or
other proceedings or governmental investigations pending or, to the best of the
Company's and the Stockholder's knowledge, threatened against the Company, the
Stockholder or the respective properties or assets of the Company and the
Stockholder.
2.9 Compliance; Licenses. The Company has at all times in the past
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operated and used its assets in material compliance with, and currently is not
in violation of, and has obtained all material licenses and permits required by,
any law, rule or regulation. Section 2.9 of the Disclosure Schedule contains a
true and complete list of all material licenses, permits,
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approvals, franchises and other authorizations as are necessary in order to
enable the Company to own and conduct its business.
2.10 Bank Accounts, etc. Section 2.10 of the Disclosure Schedule sets
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forth a true and complete list of all bank accounts, safe deposit boxes and lock
boxes of the Company including, with respect to each such account and lock box
identification of all authorized signatories.
2.11 Insurance. Section 2.11 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a
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summary of all general liability, product liability, fire, casualty, motor
vehicle and other insurance currently maintained by or on behalf of the Company.
All requirements and provisions thereof are being complied with. True and
correct copies of all insurance policies relating to such coverage have been
provided by the Company to the Purchaser. No notice of cancellation has been
given to or received by the Company with respect to any of its insurance
policies, and no such policies are subject to any retroactive rate or audit
adjustments or coinsurance arrangements.
2.12 Employee Matters. Except as set forth in Section 2.12 of the
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Disclosure Schedule, the Company does not maintain, sponsor or contribute to any
plans in effect for pension, profit-sharing, deferred compensation, severance
pay, bonuses, stock options, stock purchases, or any other retirement or
deferred benefit, or for any health, accident or other welfare plan, or any
other employee or retired employee benefits or incentive plan, program,
contract, understanding or arrangement in which any employee, former employee,
retired employee, or beneficiary of any of these, of the Company is entitled to
participate. The plans, programs, contracts, understandings and arrangements
listed on the Disclosure Schedule pursuant to this Section 2.12 are hereinafter
referred to as the "Employee Plans." The Company has supplied the Purchaser
with complete and accurate copies of each such Employee Plan. Each Employee
Plan has been operated according to its terms in compliance with all applicable
laws.
2.13 Recent Operations; Employee Matters. Since December 31, 1995,
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(i) the Company has operated its business substantially as it was operated
immediately prior to said date and only in the ordinary course, and the Company
and the Stockholder have used their best efforts to preserve intact the
Company's business relationships, (ii) there have been no bonuses paid to or
increases in the compensation of officers or employees, except as set forth in
Section 2.13(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, and (iii) except as set forth in
Section 2.13(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company has not declared or
paid any dividend or made any other distribution with respect to its capital
stock.
2.14 Stockholder Distributions. The aggregate of all dividends and
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distributions declared and/or paid to the Stockholder (whether in cash or other
assets) after December 31, 1995 through the date hereof (the "1996 Period"),
when stated as a percentage of the Company's EBIT (as hereinafter defined) for
the 1996 Period, does not exceed the aggregate
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of all distributions declared or paid to the Stockholder (whether in cash or
other assets) during the twelve month period ending December 31, 1995 when
stated as a percentage of the Company's EBIT for such twelve month period.
"EBIT" means the Company's net revenues minus all of its expense items,
including any extraordinary and non-recurring items and depreciation and
amortization but excluding interest and taxes.
2.15 Environmental Matters. No storage tanks, underground or
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otherwise, are now located on any properties occupied by the Company. The
Company has complied in all material respects with all environmental laws
relating to its operations or properties occupied by it. There are no asbestos
containing materials located on properties occupied by the Company. The Company
has not received any notice, demand, suit or information request pursuant to the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ("CERCLA")
or any comparable state law, nor does it have knowledge of any other party's
receipt of same relating to any properties occupied by the Company.
2.16 Disclosure. The Company and the Stockholder have disclosed to
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the Purchaser all facts material to the assets, business, operations, financial
condition and prospects of the Company. All agreements, schedules, exhibits,
documents, certificates, reports or statements furnished or to be furnished to
the Purchaser by or on behalf of the Company in connection with this Agreement
or the transactions contemplated hereby are true, complete and accurate in all
material respects, and no such items contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained
herein and therein not misleading.
2.17 No Conflict With Other Documents. Neither the execution and
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delivery of this Agreement, nor the carrying out of any of the transactions
contemplated hereby, will result in any violation, termination or modification
of, or be in conflict with, the Company's Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws,
any terms of any contract, instrument or other agreement to which the Company is
a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound or affected, or any
law, rule, regulation, license, permit, judgment, decree or order applicable to
the Company or by which any of its properties or assets are bound or affected,
or result in any breach of or constitute a default (or with notice or lapse of
time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of
termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation, or result in the creation
of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of its properties or assets, except
where such event or occurrence would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a
material adverse effect on the Company.
2.18 Brokers and Advisors. The Company has taken no action which
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would give rise to a valid claim against any party hereto for a brokerage
commission, finder's fee, counseling or advisory fee, or like payment.
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2.19 Authority. The execution, delivery and performance of this
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Agreement by the Company have been duly authorized by the sole Director and the
Stockholder, and this Agreement is a valid and legally binding and enforceable
obligation of the Company. Upon the satisfaction of all conditions contained
herein and the filing of the Articles of Merger with the Maryland State
Department of Assessments and Taxation and the Secretary of State of the State
of Florida, this Agreement will result in the valid, legally binding and
enforceable statutory merger of the Company and the Purchaser, under Florida
law.
3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE STOCKHOLDERS. Each Stockholder
hereby represents and warrants to the Purchaser as follows:
3.1 Ownership of Company Common Stock. Such Stockholder has good and
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marketable title to the number of issued and outstanding shares of Company
Common Stock set forth opposite his or her name on Section 3.1 of the Disclosure
Schedule hereto, free and clear of any pledges, liens, restrictions, claims or
encumbrances of any kind. Such Stockholder is not a party to or bound by any
options, calls, contracts, or commitments of any character relating to any
issued or unissued stock or any other equity security issued or to be issued by
the Company.
3.2 No Conflicts. Neither the execution and delivery of this
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Agreement nor the carrying out of the transactions contemplated hereby, will
result in any breach of or constitute a default (or with notice or lapse of time
or both would become a default), or give to others any rights, under the terms
of any contract, instrument or other agreement to which such Stockholder is a
party or is otherwise bound, or any judgment, decree or order applicable to such
Stockholder.
3.3 Binding Effect. This Agreement is a valid and legally binding
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and enforceable obligation of the Stockholder.
3.4 Litigation. There is no litigation, proceeding or governmental
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investigation pending or threatened or in prospect against or relating to such
Stockholder or the shares of Company Common Stock owned by him or her or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
3.5 Brokers and Advisors. Such Stockholder has taken no action which
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would give rise to a valid claim against any party hereto for a brokerage
commission, finder's fee, counseling or advisory fee, or like payment.
3.6 Investment Intent. It is understood that the shares of Purchaser
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Common Stock to be delivered to the Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement are
not being registered, for purposes of the transactions hereunder, under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or any state
securities laws, and the shares are being delivered without registration in
reliance upon an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities
Act or any state securities laws. The Stockholder is acquiring the Purchaser
Common Stock
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hereunder only for his own account and not with any intention of making, or with
a view to, or for sale in connection with, any distribution thereof within the
meaning of the Securities Act unless such shares first are registered under the
Securities Act.
In connection with the foregoing, each of the Stockholder hereby
represents and warrants that:
(a) such Stockholder has reviewed, discussed and evaluated the
information delivered under Section 1.2 and has had the opportunity to ask
questions of, and receive answers from, executive officers of the Purchaser
concerning the terms and conditions of this Agreement and to obtain any
additional information which such Stockholder considered necessary to verify the
accuracy of the information delivered under Section 1.2;
(b) such Stockholder understands that he or she must bear the economic
risks of the investment in Purchaser Common Stock to be made hereunder for an
indefinite period of time because such stock has not been registered under the
Securities Act and, therefore, may not be sold until such stock subsequently is
registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration is
available; and
(c) such Stockholder has sufficient knowledge and experience in
financial and business matters to enable such Stockholder to be capable of
evaluating the merits and the risks of the exchange of the Company Common Stock
for the Purchaser Common Stock contemplated by this Agreement and such
Stockholder's prospective investment in the Purchaser.
3.7 Legends. It is understood and agreed that, to implement the
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requirements of the Securities Act and state securities laws and evidence the
restrictions upon transfer contained in this Agreement, the Purchaser will cause
a legend to be conspicuously noted on the certificates representing the
Purchaser Common Stock deliverable hereunder, and that the Purchaser will issue
stop transfer instructions to its transfer agent, to the effect that such stock
has not been registered under the Securities Act and that no transfer may take
place except as permitted by Section 11 of this Agreement and after delivery of
an opinion of Purchaser's counsel to the effect that registration thereof for
the purpose of transfer is not required under the Securities Act or that the
stock proposed to be transferred has been effectively registered for that
purpose under the Securities Act.
3.8 No Agreements with Respect to Purchaser Common Stock.
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Stockholder has not entered into any agreement or understanding with anyone for
the sale, at Stockholder's option or otherwise, of any of the Purchaser Common
Stock to be delivered hereunder to Stockholder at the Closing.
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4. COVENANTS OF THE PURCHASER. The Purchaser covenants to the Company
and the Stockholder that, except as otherwise consented to in writing by the
Company after the date of this Agreement:
4.1 Stock Reservation. Between the date hereof and the Closing Date,
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the Purchaser will keep available and reserve a sufficient number of shares of
Purchaser Common Stock for issuance and delivery to the Stockholder as
contemplated in this Agreement.
4.2 Cause Conditions to be Satisfied. The Purchaser will use its
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best efforts to cause all of the conditions described in Sections 8 of this
Agreement to be satisfied (to the extent such matters reasonably are within its
control).
4.3 Registration Statement on Form S-3. The Purchaser will use its
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best efforts to meet the requirements for eligibility set forth in paragraph A.
of the General Instructions to Form S-3, as promulgated by the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission in fulfilling its obligations under Section 11 hereof.
4.4 Tax-Free Reorganization. The Purchaser recognizes that the
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Company and the Stockholder desire to treat the Merger as a tax-free
reorganization under Section 368(a)(1)(A) of the Code and will use its best
efforts to cooperate with the Company and the Stockholder in this regard.
5. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDERS. The Company and the
Stockholder jointly and severally covenant to the Purchaser that, except as
otherwise consented to in writing by the Purchaser after the date of this
Agreement:
5.1 Conduct of Business. After the date hereof and through the date
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of the Closing, with respect to the Company (a) its business will be conducted
only in the ordinary course; (b) it will terminate each of its Employee Plans
and will not enter into, adopt or amend any employee benefit plan, agreement or
arrangement, enter into or amend any employment contracts, or increase the
salaries or compensation of its officers or employees, other than ordinary
increases in salaries in accordance with past practices; (c) it shall repay in
full all debt outstanding on the date hereof and it shall not incur any
additional liability for borrowed money, or encumber any of its assets; (d) all
outstanding loans payable by the Company to either of the Stockholder or
receivable by the Company from either of the Stockholder or any employee shall
be repaid in full by the appropriate party; (e) its current assets at all times
will be greater than its current liabilities; (f) it will use its best efforts
to preserve its business organization intact, to keep available the service of
its officers and employees and to preserve the goodwill of suppliers, customers
and others doing business with it; (g) it will not enter into any agreement for
the purchase, sale or other disposition, or purchase, sell or dispose of, any
equipment, supplies, inventory, investments or other assets (other than sales of
inventory and purchases of materials
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and supplies in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with past
practices); (h) it will not compromise or write off any material account
receivable other than by collection of the full recorded amount thereof; (i) no
change shall be made in its Charter or By-Laws; (j) no change shall be made in
the number of shares or terms of its authorized, issued or outstanding capital
stock, nor shall it enter into or grant any options, calls, contracts or
commitments of any character relating to any issued or unissued capital stock;
and (k) no dividend or other distribution or payment shall be declared or paid
in respect of its capital stock, except as permitted by Section 2.14.
5.2 Pre-Tax Income of the Company. The Company's Pre-Tax Income for
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the nine months ending September 30, 1996 will be equal to or greater than
$______________. "Pre-Tax Income" means the Company's EBIT minus interest,
taxes and any distributions or dividends to the Stockholder.
5.3 Consents. The Company and the Stockholder agree to take all
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necessary corporate or other action and to use their best efforts to obtain all
consents and approvals required for consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
5.4 Audited Financial Statements. The Stockholder will cause the
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Company to deliver to Purchaser audited financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 1995, as soon as practicable after the Closing.
5.5 Cause Conditions to Be Satisfied. The Company and the
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Stockholder will use their best efforts to cause all of the conditions described
in Sections 7 and 8 of this Agreement to be satisfied (to the extent such
matters reasonably are within their control).
6. MERGER OF PURCHASER AND THE COMPANY. Subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, the Purchaser and the Company agree to effect the
following transactions at the Closing:
6.1 Conditions. The Purchaser and the Company will deliver to the
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other appropriate evidence of the satisfaction of the conditions to their
respective obligations hereunder.
6.2 Merger. At the Closing, the Company will be merged with and into
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the Purchaser pursuant to the provisions and with the effect provided in the
general corporation laws of the States of Maryland and Minnesota. The parties
shall prepare and execute appropriate merger documents under the corporate laws
of Maryland and Minnesota, containing the terms provided in this Agreement,
including a Certificate and Articles of Merger which shall be filed with the
Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation and with the Secretary of
State of the State of Minnesota on the date of the Closing. The Purchaser shall
be the surviving corporation in the Merger.
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6.3 Conversion Amount; Conversion of the Company Shares. As a result
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of the Merger and without any action by the holders thereof, all of the shares
of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger
and all rights in respect thereof, shall be converted into that number shares of
Purchaser Common Stock having a market value of $______________ (the "Conversion
Amount"). As a result of such conversion, each of the Stockholder will receive,
based upon the number of shares of Company Common Stock owned by such
Stockholder immediately prior to the Merger, his or her pro rata share of the
number of shares of Purchaser Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Merger,
rounded to the nearest whole share. In order to effect such conversion, (i)
each of the Stockholder will deliver to the Purchaser at the Closing
certificates in due and proper form representing the shares of Company Common
Stock owned by such Stockholder, duly endorsed or accompanied by duly executed
stock powers, with signatures guaranteed by a commercial bank or a member of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and (ii) the Purchaser shall
deliver to each of the Stockholder a certificate, in due and proper form,
representing the number of shares of Purchaser Common Stock to which such
Stockholder is entitled. Each share of Purchaser Common Stock issued pursuant
to the Merger shall be fully paid and non-assessable. For purposes of the
foregoing, the market value of the Purchaser Common Stock shall equal the
average of the closing price reported in the Wall Street Journal for each the 10
trading days immediately preceding October 1, 1996.
6.4. Closing. The closing (the "Closing") of the transactions
-------
contemplated by this Agreement shall take place at the offices
of _________________________________, _____________________________________,
___________________________, Minnesota beginning at 10:00 a.m. on
October _____, 1996, or at such other time and place as may be agreed upon in
writing by the Purchaser and the Company (the "Closing Date").
7. CONDITIONS TO THE PURCHASER'S OBLIGATIONS. Unless waived by the
Purchaser in writing in its sole discretion, all obligations of the Purchaser
under this Agreement are subject to the fulfillment, prior to or at the Closing,
of each of the following conditions:
7.1. Opinion of Counsel. The Company and the Stockholder shall have
------------------
delivered to the Purchaser a favorable opinion of their counsel,
___________________________, dated the date of Closing, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Purchaser and its counsel, to the effect that: (a) the
Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and whose status is
active under the laws of the State of Minnesota and has the corporate power to
carry on its business as it is now being conducted, to own or hold under lease
the properties and assets it now owns or holds under lease and to enter into and
perform its obligations under this Agreement, and such counsel has no reason to
believe that the Company is not operating in material compliance with all
applicable laws and regulations; (b) the authorized, issued and outstanding
capital stock of the Company is as set forth in Section 2.1 of this Agreement,
and each of the issued and outstanding shares of such stock has been duly
authorized and issued and is fully paid and non-assessable and
-12-
is reflected on the stock ledger of the Company as being issued and solely owned
on the date of such opinion by the Stockholder as set forth on Section 3.1 of
the Disclosure Schedule to this Agreement; (c) to the knowledge of such counsel,
the Stockholder have good and marketable title to the Company Stock, free and
clear of any pledges, liens, restrictions, encumbrances or claims of any kind;
(d) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and all other
documents to be executed by the Company in connection with this Agreement (the
"Company Documents") have been duly authorized and approved by all requisite
action of the sole director and stockholder of the Company, and this Agreement
and all other Company Documents have been duly executed and delivered by the
Company and constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company
subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium and other similar laws
of general application and such general principles of equity as a court having
jurisdiction may apply; (e) this Agreement and all other documents to be
executed by the Stockholder prior to or at the Closing in connection with this
Agreement (the "Stockholder Documents") have been duly executed and delivered by
the Stockholder, and constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the
Stockholder, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium and other
similar laws of general application and such general principles of equity as a
court having jurisdiction may apply; (f) the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the other Company Documents did not, and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not, violate any provision of
the Charter or By-Laws of the Company; (g) the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the other Company Documents and Stockholder Documents did not, and
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not,
violate any provision of any agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree,
of which such counsel has knowledge, to which the Stockholder or the Company may
be a party or by which either of them is bound; (h) except as may be specified
by such counsel, such counsel does not know of any suit or proceeding pending or
threatened against or affecting the Company or the Stockholder, the respective
businesses or properties of the Company or the Stockholder or the consummation
of the transactions contemplated hereunder, or which seeks to restrain or
prohibit the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (i) the Certificate
and Articles of Merger have been duly authorized by all requisite action of the
sole director and the sole stockholder of the Company, has been duly executed
and delivered by the Company and, upon the filing thereof with the Maryland
State Department of Assessments and Taxation and the Secretary of State of the
State of Minnesota will be valid and effective as a statutory merger of the
Purchaser and the Company under Minnesota law, in accordance with the terms
thereof; (j) to the knowledge of such counsel, all regulatory and governmental
approvals, consents and filings required of the Company or the Stockholder for
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any of
the other Company Documents and Stockholder Documents have been obtained or
made; and (k) to the knowledge of such counsel, all federal state and local
taxes owed by the Company have been duly paid and that there are no outstanding
tax liens or tax deficiency notices affecting the Company, and all such
approvals, consents or filings remain in full effect as of the date of such
opinion.
-13-
7.2. Approvals of Governmental Authorities. All governmental
-------------------------------------
approvals necessary or advisable in the reasonable opinion of the Purchaser's
counsel to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have
been received and shall not contain any provision which, in the reasonable
judgment of the Purchaser, is unduly burdensome.
7.3 No Adverse Proceedings or Events. No suit, action or other
--------------------------------
proceeding against the Company or the Purchaser, or their respective officers or
directors, or either of the Stockholder, shall be threatened or pending before
any court or governmental agency in which it will be, or it is, sought to
restrain or prohibit any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or
to obtain damages or other relief in connection with this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated hereby.
7.4. Consents and Actions; Contracts. All requisite consents of any
-------------------------------
third parties and other actions which the Company has covenanted to use its best
efforts to obtain and take under Section 5.2 hereof shall have been obtained and
completed. All material contracts and agreements of the Company, including,
without limitation, all contracts and agreements listed on Section 2.6 of the
Disclosure Schedule, shall be in full force and effect and shall not be affected
by the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
7.5 Other Evidence. The Purchaser shall have received from the
--------------
Company and the Stockholder such further certificates and documents evidencing
due action in accordance with this Agreement, including certified copies of
proceedings of the Board of Directors and stockholders of the Company, as the
Purchaser reasonably shall request.
7.6 Employment Agreement. The Purchaser and Jan Eian shall have
--------------------
entered into an Employment Agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit A
---------
attached hereto.
7.7 Current Financial Statements and Projections. The Company shall
--------------------------------------------
have provided to Purchaser the unaudited financial statements for the month of
September 1996 and the first nine months of 1996 as well as a projection of
revenues and expenses for the remaining three months of 1996, which projection
reflects net income of at least $_______________ for such three month period.
8. CONDITIONS TO THE COMPANY'S AND THE STOCKHOLDERS' OBLIGATIONS.
Unless waived by the Company and the Stockholder' all obligations of the Company
and the Stockholder under this Agreement are subject to the fulfillment, prior
to or at the Closing, of each of the following conditions:
8.1. Opinion of Counsel to Purchaser. The Purchaser shall have
-------------------------------
delivered to the Company and the Stockholder a favorable opinion of the
Purchaser's counsel, Piper & Marbury, dated the date of Closing, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Company, the Stockholder and their counsel, to the
effect that (a) the Purchaser is a corporation duly organized,
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validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland;
(b) the Purchaser has the corporate power to carry on its business as it is now
being conducted and to own or hold under lease the properties and assets it now
owns or holds under lease and such counsel has no reason to believe that
Purchaser is not operating its business in material compliance with all
applicable laws and regulations; (c) the Purchaser has the corporate power to
enter into the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and perform it
obligations hereunder; (d) the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement and all other documents to be executed by the Purchaser in connection
with this Agreement (the "Purchaser Documents") have been duly authorized and
approved by all requisite action of the Board of Directors of the Purchaser, and
this Agreement and all other Purchaser Documents have been duly executed and
delivered by the Purchaser and constitute valid and legally binding obligations
of the Purchaser, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium and
other similar laws of general application and such general principles of equity
as a court having jurisdiction may apply; (e) the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the other Purchaser Documents did not, and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby will not, violate or conflict with
any provision of the Charter or By-Laws of the Purchaser; (f) the execution and
delivery of this Agreement and the other Purchaser Documents did not, and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby will not,
violate any provision of any agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree,
of which such counsel has knowledge, to which the Purchaser may be a party or by
which it is bound; (g) except as may be specified by such counsel, such counsel
does not know of any material suit or proceeding pending or threatened against
the Purchaser which seeks to restrain or prohibit the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement other than those which have been
disclosed in filings made prior to the execution of this Agreement by Purchaser
pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; (h) upon the appropriate filing
of the Certificate and Articles of Merger with the Maryland State Department of
Assessments and Taxation and the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota
the merger will be valid and effective as a statutory merger of the Purchaser
and the Company, in accordance with the terms thereof under the laws of the
State of Maryland; (i) the shares of Purchaser Common Stock to be issued in
connection with the Merger are duly authorized and reserved for issuance and,
when issued and delivered in accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and
validly issued and outstanding shares of Purchaser Common Stock, fully paid and
non assessable under the laws of the State of Maryland; (j) to the knowledge of
such counsel, all regulatory and governmental approvals, consents and filings
required of the Purchaser for the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement or any of the other Purchaser Documents have been obtained or
made, and to the knowledge of such counsel, all such approvals, consents or
filings remain in full effect as of the date of such opinion; and (k) to such
further effect regarding the validity and sufficiency of legal proceedings and
matters relative to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as the
Company may reasonably request.
8.2. No Adverse Proceedings or Events. No suit, action or other
--------------------------------
proceeding against the Company or the Purchaser, or their respective officers or
directors, or any of the Stockholder, shall be threatened or pending before any
court or governmental agency in which it
-15-
will be, or it is, sought to restrain or prohibit or to obtain damages or other
relief in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby.
8.3. Consents and Actions. All requisite consents of any third
--------------------
parties and other actions which the Purchaser has covenanted to use its best
efforts to obtain and take under Section 4.4 of this Agreement shall have been
obtained and completed.
8.. Other Evidence. The Company and the Stockholder shall have
--------------
received from the Purchaser such further certificates and documents evidencing
due action in accordance with this Agreement, including certified copies of
proceedings of the Board of Directors and Stockholder of the Purchaser, as the
Company and the Stockholder reasonably shall request.
9. INDEMNIFICATION.
9.1. Indemnification by the Stockholder. The Stockholder hereby
----------------------------------
covenants and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Purchaser and its
respective successors and assigns, at all times from and after the date of
Closing against and in respect of the following:
(i) any damage or loss resulting from any misrepresentation, breach of
representation or warranty or breach or non-fulfillment of any agreement or
covenant on the part of the Company or the Stockholder under this Agreement, or
from any inaccuracy or misrepresentation in or omission from any certificate or
other instrument or document furnished or to be furnished by the Company or the
Stockholder hereunder;
(ii) arises out of any liabilities or obligations of the Company or
the Stockholder for federal, state or local income tax or, to the extent not
accrued or reflected in the Financial Statements, any personal property, FICA,
withholding, excise, unemployment, sales or franchise taxes arising from
operations of the Company prior to the Closing;
(iii) all claims, actions, suits, proceedings, demands, assessments,
judgments, costs, reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses of any nature incident
to any of the matters indemnified against pursuant to this Section 9.1,
including, without limitation, all such costs and expenses incurred in the
defense thereof or in the enforcement of any rights of the Purchaser hereunder.
9.2. Notice and Defense. The Purchaser shall notify the Stockholder
------------------
of any asserted liability, damage, loss or expense claimed to give rise to
indemnification hereunder. Thereafter, the Purchaser shall have, at its
election, the right to compromise or defend any such matter at the Stockholder'
sole cost and expense through counsel chosen by the Purchaser and reasonably
acceptable to the Stockholder; provided, however, that any such compromise or
defense shall be conducted in a manner which is reasonable and the Stockholder
shall in all events have a right to veto any such compromise or defense which
might increase the potential liability of, or create a new liability for, the
Stockholder (other than under Section 9.1). Each
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party agrees in all cases to cooperate with the defending party and its or his
counsel in the compromise of or defending of any such liabilities or claims. In
addition, the non defending party shall at all times be entitled to monitor such
defense through the appointment, at its or his own cost and expense, of advisory
counsel of its own choosing.
9.3. Indemnification by the Purchaser. From and after the Closing
--------------------------------
Date, the Purchaser hereby covenants and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
the Stockholder against and in respect of the following:
(i) any liability, loss, damage or expense resulting from any
misrepresentation, breach of warranty or non-fulfillment of any agreement or
covenant on the part of Purchaser under this Agreement, or from any
misrepresentation in or omission from any certificate or other instrument or
document furnished or to be furnished by the Purchaser hereunder; and
(ii) all claims, actions, suits, proceedings, demands, assessments,
judgments, costs, reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses of any nature incident
to any of the matters indemnified against pursuant to this Section 9.3,
including without limitation, all such costs and expenses incurred in the
defense thereof or in the enforcement of any rights of the Stockholder
hereunder.
The Stockholder shall notify the Purchaser of any asserted liability,
damage, loss or expense claimed to give rise to indemnification hereunder and
thereafter the Purchaser shall have the right to defend, compromise and settle
such matter provided that the Stockholder are fully protected from any cost or
expense in connection therewith.
10. SURVIVAL; LIMITATIONS.
10.1 Survival. The representations, warranties and agreements made by
--------
the parties in this Agreement and in any other certificates and documents
delivered in connection herewith, including the indemnification obligations of
the Stockholder and Purchaser set forth in Section 9 hereof, shall survive the
Closing under this Agreement regardless of any investigation made by the party
making claim hereunder, except that, subject to the provisions of the next
sentence, neither the Purchaser, on the one hand, nor the Stockholder, on the
other, shall have any liability with respect to any matter if notice of a claim
has not been provided on or prior to December 31, 1999. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, (i) any indemnification obligations of the Stockholder relating to
federal, state or local tax matters or environmental matters of any sort shall
continue in full force and effect without limitation until expiration of the
statute of limitations applicable to such tax or environmental matters, (ii) the
representation and warranty contained in Sections 3.1, 3.3 or 3.6 and any
indemnification obligations of the Stockholder in connection therewith shall
continue in full force and effect without any limitation, (iii) any claims,
actions or suits the Purchaser, on the one hand, or the Company or the
Stockholder, on
-17-
the other hand, may have which arises from any fraud or willful misconduct on
the part of the Stockholder or the Company, or any representative of either, on
the one hand, and the Purchaser or any representative of it, on the other hand,
shall continue in full force and effect without limitation until expiration of
the statute of limitations applicable thereto.
10.2 Limitations. No indemnified party shall be entitled to
-----------
indemnification hereunder until such time as a single loss or an aggregate of
several losses equals Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000), at which time such
indemnified party shall be entitled to indemnification for all losses sustained,
incurred, paid or required to be paid by such indemnified party in excess of the
$10,000; and in no event shall any party to this Agreement be entitled to
indemnification for a single loss or an aggregate of several losses which
exceeds $______________________.
11. REGISTRATION RIGHTS.
11.1 Registration Procedures and Expenses. So long as Jan Eian has
------------------------------------
not terminated her employment with the Purchaser pursuant to Section 4.04 of the
Employment Agreement between the Jan Eian and the Purchaser dated as of the date
hereof, Purchaser shall:
(a) as soon as practicable after ___________________, 199___ but in no
event later than ___________________, prepare and file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3
which meets the requirements of Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act (a
"Shelf Registration Statement") covering the sale by the Stockholder from time
to time of one-half of the shares of the Purchaser Common Stock received by each
Stockholder in the Merger and as soon as practicable after December 9, 1995 a
Shelf Registration Statement covering the sale by the Stockholders from time to
time of the remaining shares of Purchaser Common Stock received by each
Stockholder in the merger.
(b) use its best efforts, subject to receipt of necessary information
from the Stockholder, to cause each of the Shelf Registration Statements to
become effective;
(c) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and
supplements to the Shelf Registration Statements and the prospectus used in
connection therewith as may be necessary to keep the Shelf Registration
Statements effective until the earlier of the date on which the Purchaser Common
Stock registered by such Shelf Registration Statement has been sold, or two
years after the closing;
(d) during the period referred to in (c) above, prepare and promptly
file with the Commission, and promptly notify the Stockholder of the filing of,
such amendment or supplement to each such Shelf Registration Statement and the
prospectus as may be necessary to correct any statements or omissions if, at any
time when a prospectus relating to the Purchaser Common Stock is required to be
delivered under the Securities Act, any event has occurred the result of which
is that any such prospectus then in effect would include or incorporate an
untrue
-18-
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances in
which they were made;
(e) advise the Stockholder, promptly after it shall receive notice or
obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission
suspending the effectiveness of any of such Shelf Registration Statements or the
initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and promptly use
its diligent best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order and to
obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;
(f) furnish to the Stockholder with respect to the Purchaser Common
Stock registered under any of the Shelf Registration Statements such number of
copies of prospectuses and preliminary prospectuses in conformity with the
requirements of the Securities Act and such other documents as the Stockholder
may reasonably request (but in no event more than 100), in order to facilitate
the public sale or other disposition of all or any of the registered Purchaser
Common Stock by the Stockholder; provided, however, that the obligation of
-------- -------
Purchaser to deliver copies of prospectuses or preliminary prospectuses to the
Stockholder shall be subject to the receipt by Purchaser of reasonable
assurances from the Stockholder that the Stockholder will comply with the
applicable provisions of the Securities Act and of such other securities or blue
sky laws as may be applicable in connection with any use of such prospectuses or
preliminary prospectuses;
(g) file documents required of Purchaser for normal blue sky clearance
in states reasonably specified in writing by the Stockholder, provided, however,
that Purchaser shall not be required to qualify to do business or consent to
service of process in any jurisdiction in which it is not now so qualified or
has not so consented; and
(h) bear all expenses in connection with the procedures in paragraphs
(a) through (g) of this Section 11.1 and the registration of the Purchaser
Common Stock pursuant to each of the Shelf Registration Statements, other than
fees and expenses, if any, of counsel or other advisers to the Stockholder.
11.2 Engagement of Underwriters. The parties hereto agree that the
--------------------------
Purchaser shall have no obligation to (i) conduct, arrange or coordinate any
distribution or sales activities on behalf of the Stockholder with respect to
the Purchaser Common Stock other than as set forth in Section 11.1 above or (ii)
retain any underwriter(s) in connection with the registration and/or
distribution of the Purchaser Common Stock pursuant to this Section 11. The
Stockholder agrees that any underwriter(s) or counsel engaged in connection with
the registration or distribution of the Purchaser Common Stock required to be
registered pursuant to this Section 11 will be retained by and at the sole
expense of the Stockholder and agrees further that any discounts or commissions
payable to such underwriter(s) shall also be an expense solely of the
Stockholder. In the event the Stockholder engages one or more underwriters
pursuant to this Section 11.2, the
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Stockholder shall enter into an underwriting agreement with the managing or lead
managing underwriter in the form customarily used by such underwriter with such
changes thereto as the parties thereto shall agree; and, further, shall provide
to such underwriter any documents or other information as is necessary, in the
underwriter's reasonable opinion, to facilitate the effectiveness of the Shelf
Registration Statement and the completion of the distribution of the Purchaser
Common Stock so registered.
11.3 Indemnification with respect to Shelf Registration Statements.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Purchaser hereby agrees to indemnify the Stockholder against liability arising
out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
material fact in any of the Shelf Registration Statements filed by Purchaser
pursuant hereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state or incorporated by
reference in such Shelf Registration Statements any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not
misleading, other than any such statement included or incorporated by reference
in, or omitted from, such Shelf Registration Statements by Purchaser in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to Purchaser
specifically for use therein by or on behalf of the Stockholder. The
Stockholder hereby agrees to indemnify Purchaser against liability arising out
of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact included or incorporated by reference in the Shelf Registration Statements
or the omission or alleged omission to state or incorporate by reference therein
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make
the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made by
Purchaser in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished
to Purchaser for use or incorporation by reference in such Shelf Registration
Statements.
12. CONFIDENTIALITY. After the date hereof, the Stockholder will hold in
confidence and not reveal to any third parties any knowledge or information of a
confidential nature with respect to the business, products, know-how and methods
of operation of the Company, and will not disclose, publish or make use of the
same, provided, however, that the foregoing shall not be applicable to any
disclosure or use of confidential information or knowledge that can be
demonstrated to have (i) been publicly known prior to the date of this
Agreement, (ii) become well known by publication or otherwise not due to the
unauthorized act or omission on the part of the Stockholder, or (iii) been
supplied to the Stockholder by a third party without violation of the rights of
the Company or the Purchaser or any other party. The parties agree that the
remedy at law for any breach by the Stockholder of this Section 13 shall be
inadequate and that the aggrieved party shall be entitled to injunctive relief
in addition to any other remedy.
13. EXPENSES. Each party to this Agreement shall pay all of its expenses
relating hereto, including fees and disbursements of its counsel, accountants
and financial advisors, whether or not the transactions hereunder are
consummated. It is expressly understood that the Stockholder will bear, and
will not cause the Company to pay, any legal fees or other expenses incurred in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this agreement, except that the
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Company may bear the cost of furnishing the audited and reviewed Company
Financial Statements referred to in Section 2.4; provided, however, that in the
event of any litigation between the parties hereto relating to or arising from
this Agreement, the prevailing party in such litigation shall be entitled to
payment by the non-prevailing party of all reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
14. NOTICES. Except as otherwise provided herein, all notices, requests,
demands and other communications under or in connection with this Agreement
shall be in writing, and, (a) if to the Purchaser, shall be addressed to:
B. Lee McGee, Chief Financial Officer
Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc.
9135 Guilford Road
Columbia, Maryland 21046
with a copy to:
Richard C. Tilghman, Jr., Esquire
Piper & Marbury
36 South Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(b) if to the Company or the Stockholder, shall be addressed to:
Jan Eian
with a copy to:
(Eian's Attorney)
All such notices, requests, demands or communications shall be mailed
postage prepaid, certified mail, return receipt requested, or by overnight
delivery or delivered personally, and shall be sufficient and effective when
delivered to or received at the address so specified. Any party may change the
address at which it is to receive notice by like written notice to the other.
15. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement (including the exhibits hereto and
the lists, schedules and documents delivered pursuant hereto, which are a part
hereof) is intended by the parties to and does constitute the entire agreement
of the parties with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
This Agreement supersedes any and all prior understandings, written or oral,
between the parties, and this Agreement may be amended, modified, waived,
discharged or terminated only by an instrument in writing signed by the party
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against which enforcement of the amendment, modification, waiver, discharge or
termination is sought.
16. GENERAL. The paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for
reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously
in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all
of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement
shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their
respective successors and assigns, but nothing herein, express or implied, is
intended to or shall confer any rights, remedies or benefits upon any person
other than the parties hereto. This Agreement may not be assigned by any party
hereto. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by
the laws of the State of Maryland.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Purchaser, the Company and the Stockholder have
caused this Agreement to be duly executed and their respective seals to be
hereunto affixed as of the date first above written.
WITNESS: SYLVAN LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC.
By: /s/
- ------------------------- -------------------------
ATTEST: JANNICK EDUCATION, CORP.
By: /s/
- ------------------------- -------------------------
, Secretary
[Corporate Seal]
WITNESS: STOCKHOLDER:
/s/ Jan Eian
- ------------------------- -------------------------(Seal)
Jan Eian
/s/ Nick Eian
-------------------------(Seal)
Nick Eian
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