Schedules
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Schedule 2.4(a)
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Example Calculation of Working Capital
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Schedule 3.3
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Non-contravention (Seller)
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Schedule 3.4
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Government Approvals (Seller)
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Schedule 3.6
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Legal Proceedings (Seller)
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Schedule 3.7
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Brokers’ Fees
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Schedule 4.2(a)
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Other Assets of Seller
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Schedule 4.4
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Changes in Business
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Schedule 4.7
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Liens
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Schedule 4.8
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Leases
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Schedule 4.9
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Adequacy of Assets
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Schedule 4.10
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Material Contracts
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Schedule 4.11
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Noble Agreements
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Schedule 4.13
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Intellectual Property
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Schedule 4.14
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Taxes
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Schedule 4.14(g)
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Disregarded Entity
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Schedule 4.14(h)
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Group Filing
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Schedule 4.15(a)
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Plan Sponsors
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Schedule 4.15(b)
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Plan Compliance Variation
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Schedule 4.15(d)
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Acceleration of Payments
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Schedule 4.15(f)
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Labor Law Violations
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Schedule 4.15(i)
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Employees, Independent Contractors, Consultants
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Schedule 4.20
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Transactions with Affiliates
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Schedule 4.21
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Insurance Policies
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Schedule 5.3
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Non-contravention (Buyer)
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Schedule 5.4
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Government Approvals (Buyer)
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Schedule 5.5
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Legal Proceedings (Buyer)
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Schedule 5.6
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Brokers Fees (Buyer)
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Schedule 6.1(a)
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Conduct of Business
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Schedule 6.1(b)
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Material Changes
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Schedule 6.9
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Contracts Not Terminated
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Schedule 6.11
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Officers and Directors-Provider Companies
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MEMBERSHIP INTEREST PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This
MEMBERSHIP INTEREST PURCHASE AGREEMENT
(this “
Agreement
”), dated as of May 3, 2016 (the “
Execution Date
”), is entered into by and among Provider Power, LLC (“
Seller
”), Spark HoldCo, LLC (“
Buyer
”), Kevin B. Dean and Emile L. Clavet. Kevin B. Dean and Emile L. Clavet are each individually referred to as a Seller’s Representative, and together as the “Seller’s Representatives”. Each of the parties to this Agreement is sometimes referred to individually in this Agreement as a “
Party
” and all of the parties to this Agreement are sometimes collectively referred to in this Agreement as the “
Parties
.”
R E C I T A L S
WHEREAS, Seller owns all of the outstanding membership interests in Electricity Maine, LLC, a Maine limited liability company (“
Maineco
”); Electricity N.H., LLC, a Maine limited liability company (“
NHco
”); and Provider Power Mass, LLC, a Maine limited liability company (“
Massco
”
and, together with Maineco and NHco, the “
Provider Companies
”);
WHEREAS, upon the Closing, Seller will sell, transfer, assign and convey to Buyer all of the outstanding membership interests in MaineCo, NHCo and MassCo (collectively, the “
Provider Interests
”) in exchange for the consideration, and on the terms and conditions, set forth in this Agreement (collectively, the “
Conveyance
”);
WHEREAS, the Seller’s Representatives are making certain representations and commitments in consideration of Buyer purchasing the Provider Interests (as defined below)
A G R E E M E N T S
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and legal sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties undertake and agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
1.1
Definitions
. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement but not defined in the body of this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in
Exhibit A
.
1.2
Interpretations
. In this Agreement, unless a clear contrary intention appears: (a) the singular includes the plural and vice versa; (b) reference to a Person includes such Person’s successors and assigns but, in the case of a Party, only if such successors and assigns are permitted
by this Agreement, and reference to a Person in a particular capacity excludes such Person in any other capacity; (c) reference to any gender includes each other gender; (d) references to any Exhibit, Schedule, Section, Article, Annex, subsection and other subdivision refer to the corresponding Exhibits, Schedules, Sections, Articles, Annexes, subsections and other subdivisions of this Agreement unless expressly provided otherwise; (e) references in any Section or Article or definition to any clause means such clause of such Section, Article or definition; (f) “hereunder,” “hereof,” “hereto” and words of similar import are references to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (g) the word “or” is not exclusive, and the word “including” (in its various forms) means “including without limitation”; (h) each accounting term with specific reference to GAAP shall have the meaning attributed to it in GAAP; (i) references to “days” are to calendar days; and (j) all references to money refer to the lawful currency of the United States. The Table of Contents and the Article and Section titles and headings in this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be a part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
ARTICLE II
TRANSFER OF PROVIDER COMPANIES
2.1
Transfer of Membership Interest in Provider Companies
. At the Closing, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, (a) Seller shall transfer, convey, assign and deliver to Buyer all of its right, title and interest in and to the Provider Companies, constituting all outstanding membership interests in the Provider Companies, free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens) or other Indebtedness, in exchange for the consideration set forth in
Section 2.2
, as adjusted, and (b) Buyer shall purchase all outstanding membership interests in the Provider Companies from Seller. As of the Closing Date, the membership interests in the Provider Companies shall be free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens) or other Indebtedness, other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of business that are not past due for more than thirty (30) days, which trade payables will be included in determining the Estimated Working Capital and the Effective Date Working Capital.
2.2
Consideration for the Membership Interest Transfer
. In consideration for the transfer of all outstanding membership interests in the Provider Companies, Buyer shall pay to Seller total aggregate consideration of Twenty-Eight Million and No/100 Dollars ($28,000,000.00) plus Net Working Capital (as defined below) as follows:
(a)
at the Closing, Buyer shall pay to Seller a cash payment equal to the sum of (i) the Noble Indebtedness as of the Closing Date, plus (ii) $1,350,000.00 less (iii) positive Net Working Capital (the
“Cash Consideration”
) plus an adjustment pursuant to this
Article II
for Net Working Capital;
(b)
Buyer shall pay the remainder of the consideration in installments totaling the difference between (i) Twenty-Eight Million and No/100 Dollars ($28,000,000.00) and (ii) the Cash Consideration (the “
Installment Consideration
”) which shall be payable in ten equal monthly installments commencing on August 1, 2016 and ending on May 1, 2017. The Installment Consideration and Cash Consideration are referred to herein as the “
Base Consideration
.” An example of how the Base Consideration, Cash Consideration and Installment Consideration are calculated using hypothetical assumptions is set forth on Exhibit C to this Agreement. Buyer shall pay simple interest on the unpaid Installment Consideration at an annual rate of ten percent (10%) compounded annually as calculated in Exhibit C attached hereto (the “
Installment Interest
”) which interest shall be placed into escrow in accordance with Section 2.5 for the purposes of satisfying Sellers’ indemnification obligations under Article X; and
(c)
An earnout payment constituting an addition to the Base Consideration (the “
Earnout
”) pursuant to which Seller shall be entitled to receive up to Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000) payable on June 30, 2017 based on achievement by the Provider Companies of certain minimum customer counts at weighted average sales prices as of a measurement date of May 1, 2017 (the “
Earnout Measurement Date
”) as set forth on Exhibit D and subject to the following:
(i)
the weighted average sales price for purposes of determining the Earnout shall be calculated using weighted average historical volume for the last twelve months of each customer’s historical usage prior to May 1, 2017 multiplied by the customer’s sales price at the Measurement Date based on Seller’s Position Report produced by Esco Advisors as of the Earnout Measurement Date;
(ii)
the Provider Companies shall be entitled to a budget of up to $2,000,000 for customer acquisition costs for the period from the Closing Date until the Earnout Measurement Date (the “
Earnout Measurement Period
“); provided that the average cost to acquire each customer is less than or equal to $80.00 per customer at any given time for customers being acquired during the Earnout Measurement Period and each such customer acquired during the Earnout Measurement Period has positive margin.
For purposes of this subsection (c), “customer” shall mean a valid customer account in Maine or New Hampshire that is on-flow and current on its account, or budget billing plan, or is performing under a payment plan, all as determined by Seller’s Position Report and existing account collection procedures.
2.3
Base and Cash Consideration Adjustment
.
(a)
At least five (5) Business Days prior to Closing, Seller shall deliver to Buyer the Estimated Closing Statement setting forth Seller’s good faith and fully informed estimate of the Working Capital that will exist as of the Closing Date (the “
Estimated Working Capital
”), which Estimated Working Capital will be calculated in accordance with this Agreement and in the same manner as the Example Calculation of Working Capital in
Schedule 2.3(a)
, together with supporting Records. Seller shall make available to Buyer and its Representatives, as reasonably requested by Buyer, all Records and other documents used by Seller in preparing the Estimated Closing Statement and personnel of Seller and/or Provider Power responsible for preparing or maintaining such Records and documents. Buyer shall have five Business Days after its receipt of the Estimated Closing Statement to either accept or reject same. If Buyer rejects the Estimated Closing Statement, Seller and Buyer shall meet as soon as reasonably possible to resolve their differences concerning the Estimated Closing Statement. If Buyer and Seller are unable to resolve their differences, Closing will be delayed until such time as Buyer and Seller are able to agree on the Estimated Closing Statement.
(b)
The final agreed upon or determined Estimated Working Capital, if positive, shall be added to the Cash Consideration and paid at Closing in accordance with Section 2.2. If the final Estimated Working Capital is negative, such amount will be deducted from the Cash Consideration as set forth in
Section 2.2
.
2.4
Post-Closing Adjustment
.
(a) Within ninety (90) days after the Closing Date, Buyer will deliver to Seller a preliminary closing statement (the “
Preliminary Closing Statement
”) setting forth the Buyer’s good faith estimate of the Working Capital of the Provider Companies, together with supporting records as of the Closing Date (the “
Closing Date Working Capital
”). This calculation shall be prepared in accordance with the example in Schedule 2.4(a) and based on:
(iii) the data and receipts received subsequent to the Closing Date covering the period prior to the Closing Date; and
(iv) generally accepted accounting principles.
Buyer will make available to Seller and its Representatives, as reasonably requested by Seller, all Records and other documents used by Buyer in preparing the Preliminary Closing Statement.
(b) As soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) days after Seller receives the Preliminary Closing Statement (the “
Objection Period
”), Seller shall deliver to Buyer
a written report containing all changes (if any) that Seller proposes to be made to such Preliminary Closing Statement (the “
Objection Notice
”). Such changes shall be specified in reasonable detail with reasonable supporting documentation, if applicable, and include Seller’s calculation of the Closing Date Working Capital. All items on the Preliminary Closing Statement for which Seller does not propose changes shall be deemed to be final and binding on the Parties, except with respect to the accrued RPS Obligations for New Hampshire which shall be adjusted in accordance with Section 2.4(g). If Seller fails to deliver to Buyer the Objection Notice within the Objection Period, the Preliminary Closing Statement as delivered by Buyer will be deemed to be final and binding on the Parties.
(c) As soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event later than ten (10) days after Buyer receives the Objection Notice, the Parties shall meet and undertake to agree on the final adjustments to the Preliminary Closing Statement and, specifically, the Closing Date Working Capital. If the Parties fail to agree on the final adjustments within the fifteen (15) day period after Buyer’s receipt of the Objection Notice, any Party may submit the disputed items to the Independent Accountant for resolution. The Parties shall direct the Independent Accountant to resolve the disputes within thirty (30) days after the relevant materials are submitted for review. The Independent Accountant shall consider only those items or amounts in the Preliminary Closing Statement as to which Seller proposed changes in the Objection Notice and that remain in dispute between the Parties, shall render its decision based solely on written materials submitted by the Parties and the terms of this Agreement and shall not assign a value to any item greater than the greatest value for such item claimed by the Parties or less than the smallest value for such item claimed by the Parties. The Independent Accountant shall have exclusive jurisdiction over, and resort to the Independent Accountant as provided in this
Section 2.4(c)
shall be the sole recourse and remedy of the Parties against one another or any other Person with respect to, any disputes arising out of or relating to the Preliminary Closing Statement. The decisions of the Independent Accountant regarding the Preliminary Closing Statement and the Closing Date Working Capital will be binding on and non-appealable by the Parties, and shall be enforceable in a court of law. In the event the parties reach a settlement on the working capital calculation, the fees and expenses associated with the Independent Accountant shall be borne fifty percent (50%) by Buyer and fifty percent (50%) by Seller.
(d) The Preliminary Closing Statement shall become final and binding on the Parties with respect to the determination of the Closing Date Working Capital upon the earliest of (i) if no Objection Notice has been given within the Objection Period, the expiration of the Objection Period, (ii) if an Objection Notice has been given during the Objection Period, upon the agreement by the Parties that such Preliminary Closing Statement, together with any modifications thereto agreed to in writing by the Parties, is final and binding and (iii) if an Objection Notice has been given but
there is no agreement between the Parties regarding Seller’s proposed changes, the date on which the Independent Accountant issues its decision with respect to any dispute referred to the Independent Accountant pursuant to
Section 2.4(c)
, giving effect to any items reflected in the Objection Notice as to which the Parties were able to reach agreement prior to such referral. The Preliminary Closing Statement, as adjusted, if applicable, pursuant to any agreement between the Parties or pursuant to the decision of the Independent Accountant, when final and binding with respect to the determination of the Closing Working Capital, is herein referred to as the “
Final Closing Statement
”.
(e) If the Final Closing Statement indicates that the Closing Date Working Capital is less than the Estimated Working Capital (a “
Final Deficiency
”), Buyer shall deliver written notice (the “
Final Settlement Notice
”) to the Seller specifying and instructing Seller to pay the Final Deficiency to Buyer by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated in writing by Buyer. In the event Seller fails to make payment of the Final Deficiency within three (3) Business Days after the date of the Final Closing Statement, Buyer shall be entitled to offset any or all of the Final Deficiency against payment of the Installment Consideration under Section 2.2 until such time as the Final Deficiency has been paid in full to Buyer.
(f) the Final Closing Statement indicates that the Closing Date Working Capital is greater than the Estimated Working Capital (a “
Final Surplus
”), the Final Settlement Notice shall be sent to Seller and Buyer shall pay the amount of the Final Surplus to Seller within five Business Days after the date of the Final Closing Statement by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated in writing by Seller.
(g) The Parties shall adjust the RPS Obligations for New Hampshire which will be accrued as a Current Liability in determining Working Capital on a separate basis from the adjustments to Working Capital hereunder upon the earlier to occur of: (i) filing of the 2016 alternative compliance payment with the New Hampshire Commission; and (ii) July 1, 2017 (the “
RPS True-Up Date
”). In the event that actual RPS Obligations are less than the accrued amount set forth on Schedule 2.4(a), Buyer shall remit payment of the difference to Seller within ten (10) days of the RPS True-Up Date.
2.5
Escrow
(a) Seller shall deposit into escrow (a) two hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($275,000.00) of each Installment up to an aggregate total of $2,750,000.00 (the “
Reserve Payment
”); less (b) the Installment Interest (together (a) and (b), are referred to as the “
Escrow Amount
”) to be held in an escrow account held by Compass Bank (BBVA) N.A. (the “
Escrow Agent
”) on behalf of Buyer and Seller in accordance with an escrow agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit F (the “
Escrow Agreement
”). In the event that any Installment is
insufficient to make the Reserve Payment as a result of the working capital set-off in Section 2.4(e) or a set-off of an indemnification claim permitted under Section 10.3(i), Buyer shall be entitled to increase the amount of subsequent Reserve Payments so that the Escrow Amount reflects the total Reserve Payments required to be made to date hereunder. Notwithstanding anything elsewhere set forth herein, nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent the Seller from pursuing the Freedom Logistics Litigation appeal in accordance with the Joint Defense Agreement at its sole cost and expense. No payment shall be made to Freedom Logistics, LLC from the Escrow Amount until the earlier of (i) Seller appeals have been exhausted, or the applicable appeal period has expired; or (ii) payment is ordered to be made by the presiding court. None of Buyer or Provider Companies shall be obligated to take any action or make any agreement in its name or otherwise in pursuit of Seller’s appeal. The Escrow Amount shall serve as security for the payment of any claims for indemnification by Buyer under Article X. Any payments owed by the Seller to any Buyer Indemnified Parties pursuant to
Article X
shall be paid first from any set-off of Installment Payments under Section 10.3(i) and then from the Escrow Funds at Buyer’s discretion. On the second anniversary of the Closing Date, the Escrow Agent shall release in accordance with the terms of the Escrow Agreement an amount of the Escrow Funds equal to the excess, if any, of (i) any remaining Escrow Funds over (ii) the aggregate amount of any claims asserted by Buyer pursuant to Article X prior to the second anniversary of the Closing Date that are not yet resolved (“
Unresolved Escrow Claims
”). The Escrow Funds retained for an Unresolved Escrow Claim shall be released by the Escrow Agent (to the extent not utilized to pay a Buyer Indemnified Party for any such claims resolved in favor of a buyer Indemnified Party) to Seller upon the resolution of such Unresolved Escrow Claim in accordance with this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement.
(b) In addition to the Escrow Amount set forth in (a) above, Seller shall also escrow an amount equal to the lesser of $250,000 or the amount recommended by the Experis consultant pursuant to written recommendation, said amount to be deposited with Escrow Agent pursuant to the Escrow Agreement (the “
Tax Escrow
”) to serve as security for the potential state tax claims set forth on Schedule 5.5 (the “
State Tax Claim
”). The Tax Escrow shall be funded through a deduction of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) from each installment of the Installment Consideration. The Tax Escrow shall remain in escrow pending resolution of the State Tax Claim; provided that, as long as no audit by taxing authorities is pending or noticed by the second anniversary of the Closing Date, then one half of the remaining Tax Escrow shall be released to Seller. Upon final resolution or settlement of the State Tax Claim with the applicable taxing authority which is not subject to further appeal, Seller shall indemnify Buyer for taxes, penalties and interest and attorneys’ fees payable for the actual State Tax Claim from the Tax Escrow. In the event the actual amount of the State Tax Claim as determined at final resolution of such claim exceeds the Tax Escrow, Buyer shall be entitled to recover any difference from the Escrow Amount. In the event the actual
amount of the State Tax Claim as determined at final resolution of such claim is less than the Tax Escrow, Seller shall be entitled to receive the remaining amount from the Tax Escrow.
2.6
Payoff of Indebtedness at Closing.
Buyer shall payoff all Indebtedness outstanding at Closing including the Noble Indebtedness but excluding indebtedness for current trade payables properly included in Net Working Capital. All outstanding Liens (excluding Permitted Liens) on the Provider Companies or to which the Provider Assets are subject shall be released.
2.7
Management Fee
.
Each of the Seller’s Representatives shall receive a management fee for the period running from the date of Closing to the Earnout Measurement Period equal to Ten Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($10,000.00) per month payable on the first day of each month.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER
Seller and each Seller’s Representative hereby represent and warrant to the Buyer as of the Execution Date and the Closing Date as follows:
3.1
Organization; Qualification
.
Seller is duly formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its state of organization and has full limited liability company power and authority to own and hold the properties and assets it now owns and holds and to carry on its business as and where such properties are now owned or held and such business is now conducted. Seller is duly licensed or qualified to do business as a limited liability company (either foreign or domestic) and is in good standing in the states in which the character of the properties and assets now owned or held by it or the nature of its business now conducted by it requires it to be so licensed or qualified, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not have a Seller Material Adverse Effect.
3.2
Authority; Enforceability
.
(c) Seller has the requisite power and authority to execute and deliver the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party, to consummate the transactions contemplated thereby and to perform all the terms and conditions thereof to be performed by it. The execution and delivery by Seller of the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party, the consummation by
Seller of the transactions contemplated thereby and the performance by Seller of all of the terms and conditions thereof to be performed by it has been duly and validly authorized by Seller, and no other proceedings on the part of Seller are necessary to enter into the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party, to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party or to perform all of the terms and conditions thereof to be performed by it.
(d) The Transaction Documents to which Seller is, or will be, a party have been (or will be, when executed and delivered at the Closing) duly executed and delivered by Seller, and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, each Transaction Document to which Seller is, or will be, a party constitutes (or will constitute, when executed and delivered at the Closing) the valid and binding agreement of Seller, enforceable against Seller in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject, as to enforceability, to legal principles of general applicability governing the availability of equitable remedies, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) (collectively, “
Creditors’ Rights
”).
3.3
Non-Contravention
.
Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.3
of the Seller Disclosure Schedules, the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents to which Seller is, or will be, a party and the consummation by Seller of the transactions contemplated thereby does not and will not:
§
conflict with, or require the consent of any Person under, or result in any breach of, any provision of the Organizational Documents of Seller;
§
conflict with, or require the consent of any Person under, or constitute a default (or an Event that with the giving of notice or passage of time or both would give rise to a default) or cause any obligation under, or give rise to any right of termination, cancellation, amendment, preferential purchase right or acceleration (with or without the giving of notice, or the passage of time or both) under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Contract to which Seller is a party or by which any property or asset of Seller is bound or affected;
§
assuming compliance with the matters referred to in
Section 3.4
, conflict with or violate any Law to which Seller is subject or by which any property or asset of Seller is bound;
§
constitute (with or without the giving of notice or the passage of time or both) an Event which would result in the creation of, or afford any Person the right to obtain, any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) on any asset of Seller or
§
result in the revocation, cancellation, suspension, or material modification, individually or in the aggregate, of any Contract or Governmental Approval that is necessary or desirable for the ownership, lease or operation of Seller as now conducted, except, in the cases of clauses (b), (c), (d) and (e), for such defaults or rights of termination, cancellation, amendment, acceleration, violations or Liens as would not reasonably be expected to have a Seller Material
Adverse Effect or to prevent or materially delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which Seller is, or will be, a party or to materially impair Seller’s ability to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party.
3.4
Governmental Approvals
.
Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.4
of the Seller Disclosure Schedules, no declaration, filing or registration with, or notice to, or authorization, consent or approval of, any Governmental Authority, is necessary for
•
the consummation by Seller of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party or
•
the enforcement against Seller of its obligations under the Transaction Documents except in the cases of clauses (i) and (ii), other than such declarations, filings, registrations, notices, authorizations, consents or approvals that have been obtained or made or that would in the ordinary course be made or obtained after the Closing, or which, if not obtained or made, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which Seller is, or will be, a party or to materially impair Seller’s ability to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party.
3.5
Capitalization.
(a) Emile L. Clavet and Kevin B. Dean own all of the outstanding membership interests in Seller free and clear of all Liens other than (i) transfer restrictions imposed by federal and state securities laws, (ii) transfer restrictions contained in the Organization Documents of Seller; and (iii) any restrictions imposed by and under the Noble Agreements, including without limitation the pledge of said interests pursuant to Pledge Agreements to Noble Americas Energy Solutions LLC.
(b) Seller owns one hundred percent (100%) of the outstanding membership interests in Massco, Maineco and NHco free and clear of all Liens other than (i) transfer restrictions imposed by federal and state securities laws, (ii) transfer restrictions contained in the Organizational Documents of Massco, Maineco and NHco, and (iii) any restrictions imposed by and under the Noble Agreements, including without limitation the pledge of the Provider Interests pursuant to Pledge Agreements to Noble Americas Energy Solutions LLC.
(c) The membership interests in the Provider Companies owned by Seller are duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with their respective Organizational Documents and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Organizational Documents of the Provider Companies) and nonassessable and have not been issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any Person.
(d) There are no preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other outstanding rights, options, warrants, conversion rights, equity appreciation rights, redemption rights, repurchase rights,
agreements, arrangements, calls, subscription agreements, commitments or rights of any kind that obligate Seller to issue or sell any equity interests of Seller or any securities or obligations convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for, or giving any Person a right to subscribe for or acquire, any equity interests in Seller, and no securities or obligations evidencing such rights are authorized, issued or outstanding other than the pledge of the Provider Interests to Noble.
(e) Seller does not have any outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other obligations the holders of which have the right to vote (or convertible into or exercisable for securities having the right to vote) with the holders of equity interests in Seller on any matter.
(f) Except for the Noble Agreements, Seller is not a party to any agreements, arrangements, or commitments obligating Seller to grant, deliver or sell, or cause to be granted, delivered or sold, any interest in any Provider Company by sale, lease, license or otherwise, other than this Agreement.
(g) There are no voting trusts, proxies or other agreements or understandings to which Seller or either Seller’s Representative is bound with respect to the voting of the membership interests of Seller or the Provider Interests.
3.6
Legal Proceedings
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.6
of the Seller Disclosure Schedules, there are no Proceedings pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened against or by Seller, either of the Seller’s Representatives or any of the Provider Companies (a) relating to or affecting the Provider Business or (b) that questions or involves the validity or enforceability of the obligations of Seller under this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or seeks to prevent or delay, or seeks damages in connection with, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
3.7
Brokers’ Fee
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.7
of the Seller Disclosure Schedules,
neither Seller nor Seller’s Representatives nor any of their Affiliates has entered (directly or indirectly) into any agreement with any broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other Person that would obligate Buyer or any of its Affiliates to pay any broker’s, finder’s, financial advisor’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein.
3.8
Bankruptcy
. There are no bankruptcy, reorganization or arrangement proceedings pending against, being contemplated by, or to the knowledge of Seller, threatened against Seller or any of its Subsidiaries.
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES REGARDING THE PROVIDER COMPANIES
Seller and each Seller’s Representative hereby represent and warrant to the Buyer as of the Execution Date and the Closing Date as follows:
4.1
Organization; Qualification
. Each Provider Company is a limited liability company duly formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maine. Each Provider Company has full limited liability company power and authority to own and hold the properties and assets it now owns and holds and to carry on its business as and where such business is now conducted. Each Provider Company is duly licensed or qualified to do business as a foreign limited liability company and is in good standing in the states in which the character of the properties and assets now owned or held by it or the nature of the business now conducted by it requires it to be so licensed or qualified, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not have Seller Material Adverse Effect. Seller has made available to Buyer true and complete copies of the Organizational Documents of each Provider Company as in effect on the Execution Date.
4.2
Capitalization
.
(h)
The only equity interests in the Provider Companies are owned by Seller and the only equity interests in Seller are owned by Seller’s Representatives. Other than the Provider Interests and the assets set forth on Schedule 4.2(a), and other than as provided below, Seller owns no other equity or other ownership interest in any other Person and the Provider Companies own no equity or other ownership interest in any other Person. The entities in which the Seller owns equity or other interests on Schedule 4.2(a) have not had any historical operations, have no assets or liabilities, and have no other equity owners. The ownership by Seller of its interests in such entities will not conflict with, prevent or delay the consummation of the Purchase Transactions.
(i)
The ownership interests in the Provider Companies owned by Seller are duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the respective Organizational Documents of the Provider Companies and are fully paid and nonassessable and have not been issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any Person. Seller owns, directly, one hundred percent (100%) of the Provider Interests free and clear of all Liens other than (i) transfer restrictions imposed by federal and state securities laws, (ii) any transfer restrictions contained in the Organizational Documents of the Provider Companies; and (iii) such restrictions under the Noble Agreements as will be terminated at Closing. Other than Seller, no Person owns any Interest in the Provider Companies.
(j)
Except as set forth in the Organizational Documents of the Provider Companies, and the Noble Agreements, there are no preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other outstanding rights, options, warrants, conversion rights, equity appreciation rights, redemption rights, repurchase rights, agreements, arrangements, calls, subscription agreements, commitments or rights of any kind that obligate any of the Provider Companies to issue or sell any equity interests of any such party or any securities or obligations convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for, or giving any Person a right to subscribe for or acquire, any equity interests in any of the Provider Companies, and no securities or obligations evidencing such rights are authorized, issued or outstanding.
(k)
No Provider Company has any outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other obligations the holders of which have the right to vote (or convertible into or exercisable for securities having the right to vote) with the holders of equity interests in the Provider Companies on any matter.
(l)
Neither Seller’s Representative nor Seller is a party to any agreements, arrangements, or commitments obligating such Party to grant, deliver or sell, or cause to be granted, delivered or sold, any interest in Seller or any Provider Company by sale, lease, license or otherwise, other than this Agreement and the Noble Agreements. There are no voting trusts, proxies or other agreements or understandings to which Seller or either Seller’s Representatives are bound with respect to the voting of the Interests of any Provider Company.
(m)
None of the Provider Parties owns, directly or indirectly, any equity or long-term debt securities of any Person.
4.3
Financial Statements
.
(c)
Seller has made available to the Buyer § consolidated balance sheets of the Provider Companies as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and the related income statements and statements of cash flows, for the twelve-month periods of operations of the Provider Companies, ending as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, together with the footnotes thereto, if any (the “
Provider Annual Financial Statements
”); and § unaudited consolidated balance sheets of the Provider Companies as of March 31, 2016, and the related unaudited consolidated income statements and statements of cash flows, for the three-month periods of operations of the Provider Companies then ended, together with the footnotes thereto, if any (the “
Provider Interim Financial Statements
” and, together with the Provider Annual Financial Statements, the “
Provider Financial Statements
”). The Provider Financial Statements (A) are consistent with the books and records of the Provider Companies, (B) have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and (C) present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position and operating results, equity and cash flows of the Provider Companies as of, and for the periods ended on, the respective dates thereof.
(d)
None of Seller nor any Provider Company has any liability, whether accrued, contingent, absolute, unliquidated or otherwise, whether due or to become due, or any unrealized or unanticipated loss, which was then or will be material to Seller and such Provider Company and the Provider Assets and Provider Business and that would be required to be included in the Provider Financial Statements under GAAP (including the footnotes thereto) except for (i) liabilities set forth in the Provider Financial Statements; and (ii) liabilities relating to the Provider Business that have arisen since March 31, 2016, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice.
(e)
There is no asset, liability equity, income, loss or expense on Sellers’ financial statements or accounted for by Seller that should properly be reflected in the Provider Financial Statements.
4.4
Absence of Certain Changes
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.4
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules or as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, since December 31, 2015, (a) the Provider Companies have conducted their business in the ordinary course and in a manner consistent with past practice, (b) the Provider Assets have been operated or utilized in the ordinary course and in substantially the same manner consistent with past practices, (c) there has not been any Event, occurrence or development which would be reasonably expected to have an Seller Material Adverse Effect, (d) there have been no changes or modifications to the organizational documents of either Seller or any Provider Company, (e) no guaranties have been issued by or on behalf of Seller or any Provider Company, (f) neither Seller nor any Provider Company has incurred any Indebtedness other than the Noble Agreements, (g) neither Seller nor any Provider Company has declared any dividends or other distributions, (h) neither Seller nor any Provider Company has issued any equity, (i) neither Seller nor any Provider Company has allowed to be placed any Liens on the Provider Assets or any portion of the Provider Business, except as set forth in the Noble Agreements, (j) no new material Contracts have been entered into by Seller or any Provider Company, (k) there have been no changes in the accounting methods utilized by Seller or any Provider Company, (l) there have been no changes in cash management policies of Seller or any Provider Company, (m) neither Seller nor any Provider Company has made any loans to or capital investments in another Person or to any of its members or employees and (n) no bonuses have been paid or have been committed to be paid to any employees of Seller or any Provider Company.
4.5
Compliance with Law
.
Except as to matters that would not reasonably be expected to have Seller Material Adverse Effect, (a) each of Seller and the Provider Companies is in compliance with Laws applicable to the conduct of the Provider Business as currently conducted or the ownership or use of the Provider Assets, (b) none of the Seller nor any Provider Company has received written notice of any violation of any Laws applicable to the conduct of the Provider Business as currently conducted or the ownership or use of the Provider Assets, and (c) none of the Seller nor any Provider Company are under investigation by any Governmental Authority for potential non-compliance
with any Law applicable to the conduct of the Provider Business as currently conducted or the ownership or use of the Provider Assets.
4.6
Legal Proceedings
. Except as is set forth on
Schedule 4.6
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, there are no Proceedings pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened against or by any Provider Party (a) relating to or affecting the Provider Business or Provider Assets or (b) that questions or involves the validity or enforceability of the obligations of Seller under this Agreement or the Transaction Documents or seeks to prevent or delay, or seeks damages in connection with, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
4.7
Assets.
(a)
Seller has good and valid title to the Provider Assets free and clear of all Liens except (i) such as are set forth on
Schedule 4.7
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules that will be released in full at Closing or (ii) for Permitted Liens.
(b)
All the Provider Assets have been maintained in accordance with generally accepted industry practice and are in good operating condition and repair, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and adequate for the purposes for which they are currently being used or held for use.
4.8
Leases
. Other than as set forth to the contrary on
Schedule 4.8
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, Seller has and includes, such office and other leases (the “
Leases
”) as are sufficient to operate the Provider Business as such business is being conducted on the Execution Date. Either Seller or the Provider Companies have fulfilled and performed all the material obligations with respect to Leases and, to the Knowledge of Seller and Seller’s Representatives, no Event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or would result in any impairment of the rights of the holder of any such Leases, except for such revocations, terminations and impairments that would not reasonably be expected to have an Seller Material Adverse Effect.
4.9
Adequacy of Assets
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.9
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, all of the assets, interests and other rights necessary to own the Provider Assets and conduct the operations of Seller and Provider Companies and carry on the Provider Business in the ordinary course and in substantially the same manner as currently being conducted and consistent with past practice, are owned or leased by Seller and the Provider Companies, except as would not reasonably be expected to have an Seller Material Adverse Effect. The Provider Assets are sufficient and adequate to operate the Provider Business in accordance with good industry practice and in compliance with applicable Laws. There is no deficiency in the Provider Assets or in the current operations of the Seller Companies that could have a Seller Material Adverse Effect. Schedule 4.9
sets forth a list of each Provider Asset necessary to operate the Provider Business which will be assigned to the Provider Companies at Closing.
4.10
Material Contracts
.
(a)
Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.10
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, as of the Execution Date, none of the Seller nor any Provider Company are a party to or bound by any Contract used in the Provider Business or included in the Provider Assets that:
(i)
contains any provision or covenant which materially restricts any of Seller or any Provider Company or any Affiliates thereof from engaging in any lawful business activity or competing with any Person or operate at any location, including any preferential rights, rights of first refusal or rights of first offer granted to third parties;
(ii)
o relates to the creation, incurrence, assumption, or guarantee of any indebtedness for borrowed money, liabilities or other obligations by any of Seller or any Provider Company (including so-called take-or-pay or keepwell agreements) or o creates a capitalized lease obligation;
(iii)
is in respect of the formation of any partnership, joint venture or other arrangement or otherwise relates to the joint ownership or operation of the assets owned by any of Seller or any Provider Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries or which requires any such party or any of their respective Subsidiaries to invest funds in or make loans to, or purchase any securities of, another Person;
(iv)
relates to any commodity or interest rate swap, cap or collar agreements or other similar hedging or derivative transactions;
(v)
is a bond, letter of credit, guarantee or security deposit posted (or supported) by or on behalf of any Provider Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries;
(vi)
includes the acquisition of assets or properties or the sale of assets or properties, in each case with a book value in excess of $50,000 (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise);
(vii)
involves a sharing of profits, losses, costs or liabilities by any Provider Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries with any other Person;
(viii)
relates as of the Execution Date to o the purchase of materials, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets, o the purchase or sale of electrical power, (C) the
purchase, sale, transportation or storing of natural gas or the purchase, or storing of, natural gas or the provision of services related thereto or (D) the construction of capital assets, (E) the management of any part or all of the Provider Business or Provider Assets, (F) services provided to or in connection with, the Provider Business, (G) the paying of commissions related to the Provider Business, (H) advertising contracts and (I) other similar types of Contracts of the kind listed in (A) through (H) above, in the cases of clauses (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), and (H) that provides for annual payments by or to Seller or Provider Power or any of their respective Subsidiaries in excess of $50,000;
(ix)
provides for indemnification of one or more Persons by Seller or Provider Power or any of their respective Subsidiaries or the assumption of any Tax or other liability of any Person;
(x)
governs the employment relationship of any employee of Seller or Provider Power or provides for any severance, bonus, retention or other similar payment to any employee;
(xi)
otherwise involves the annual payment by or to Seller or Provider Power or any of their respective Subsidiaries that cannot be terminated on 90 days or less notice without payment by Seller or Provider Power or any of their respective Subsidiaries of any penalty; and
(b)
Seller has made available to Buyer a true and correct copy of each contract required to be disclosed on
Schedule 4.10
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules (all such Contracts being referred to as the “
Provider Contracts
”).
(c)
Each Provider Contract is a valid and binding obligation of Seller or Provider Power or their respective Subsidiaries, and is in full force and effect and enforceable in accordance with its terms against such entity and, to the Knowledge of Seller, the other parties thereto, except, in each case, as enforcement may be limited by Creditors’ Rights, and no defenses, off-sets or counterclaims have been asserted or, to the knowledge of Seller, threatened by any other party thereto nor has any Provider Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries executed any waiver that waives any material rights thereunder.
(d)
None of the Provider Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries nor, to the Knowledge of Seller, any other party to any Provider Contract is in default or breach in any material respect under the terms of any Provider Contract and no Event has occurred that with the giving of notice or the passage of time or both would constitute a breach or default in any material respect by Seller or Provider Power or any of their respective Subsidiaries or, to the Knowledge of Seller, any other
party to any Provider Contract, or would permit termination, modification or acceleration under any Provider Contract.
(e)
None of Seller nor any Provider Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries (i) have received any material prepayment, advance payment, deposits or similar payments, and have no refund obligation, with respect to any electric power, gas or other hydrocarbons purchased, sold or transported by or on behalf of Seller nor any Provider Company or their respective Subsidiaries with respect to the Provider Business; and (ii) none of the Seller nor any Provider Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries have received any material compensation or deposits for the sale of electric power or natural gas which would be subject to any refund or create any repayment obligation by any Provider Company, and to the Knowledge of Seller or Seller’s Representative, there is no basis for a claim that a refund is due with respect to the Provider Business.
4.11
Noble Energy Agreements.
The contracts, agreements and undertakings involving any Noble Americas Energy Solutions LLC (“
Noble
”), on the one hand, and Seller and Provider Companies on the other hand, and all amendments thereto (collectively, the “
Noble Agreements
”) set forth on
Schedule 4.11(a)
will be terminated at the Closing Date, and all amounts required to be paid by any Seller and the Provider Companies in connection with such termination will have been paid by Seller at or prior to the Closing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Hedges set forth on
Schedule 4.11(b)
shall remain in full force and effect immediately following the Closing.
4.12
Permits
.
The Provider Companies have all Permits as are necessary for the ownership and operation of the Provider Business and Provider Assets except for those the failure of which to have would not reasonably be expected to have a Seller Material Adverse Effect.
4.13
Intellectual Property.
Schedule 4.13
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules sets forth a true and complete list of all patents, registered trademarks, registered copyrights, trade names, “DBAs” and applications therefor (collectively, “
Registered Intellectual Property
”) included among the Provider Assets that is material to the operation of the Provider Business. With respect to registered trademarks included among the Registered Intellectual Property,
Schedule 4.13
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules sets forth a list of all jurisdictions in which such trademarks are registered or applied for or will be registered or applied for as of the Closing Date, and all registration and application numbers. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.13
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, the Provider Parties or their respective Subsidiaries own or will own as of the Closing Date, and one or more of the Provider Parties will have as of the Closing Date, the right to use without claim of infringement by any other person, all intellectual property that is material to the operation of the Provider Business as currently conducted. The consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not impair or require the consent of any person with respect to any such rights, in each
case, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have, or reasonably be expected to have, a Seller Material Adverse Effect.
4.14
Taxes
. Except as provided in Schedule 4.14,
(a)
All Tax Returns required to be filed with respect to the Provider Business and Provider Assets (taking into account any valid extension of the due date for filing) have been timely filed, all such Tax Returns are complete and correct in all material respects and all Taxes due relating to the Provider Business and Provider Assets have been paid in full.
(b)
No Tax audits or administrative or judicial proceedings are being conducted or are pending with respect to any portion of the Provider Business or Provider Assets.
(c)
All Taxes required to be withheld, collected or deposited by or with respect to the Provider Business have been timely withheld, collected or deposited as the case may be, and to the extent required, have been paid to the relevant taxing authority.
(d)
There are no outstanding agreements or waivers extending the applicable statutory periods of limitation for any material Taxes associated with the ownership or operation of the Provider Business and the Provider Assets for any period.
(e)
None of the Provider Parties is a party to any Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnity agreement Tax allocation agreement or similar agreement (excluding customary Tax indemnification provisions in commercial Contracts not primarily relating to Taxes).
(f)
None of the Provider Parties has been a party to a transaction that is a “reportable transaction,” as such term is defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(1).
(g)
Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.14(g)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, each Provider Party is currently, and has been since its formation an entity disregarded as separate from its owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes and none of Seller or Provider Power has elected to be treated as a corporation for federal Tax purposes.
(h)
Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.14(h)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, none of the Provider Parties has been a member of or is a successor to an entity that has been a member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated federal income Tax Return or has any liability for the Taxes of any Person 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.
4.15
Employee Benefits; Employment and Labor Matters
.
(a)
Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.15(a)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, none of Seller nor any Provider Company, nor any ERISA Affiliate of any such Party, sponsors, maintains, contributes to or is required to contribute to, or has sponsored, maintained, contributed to or been required to contribute to within the past six years any of the following:
(i)
any “employee benefit plan,” as such term is defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA (including, but not limited to, employee benefit plans, such as foreign plans, which are not subject to the provisions of ERISA) or
(ii)
any material personnel policy, equity-based plan (including, but not limited to, unit option plans, unit purchase plans, unit appreciation rights and phantom unit plans), collective bargaining agreement, bonus plan or arrangement, incentive award plan or arrangement, vacation policy, severance pay or retention plan or arrangement, change in control policy or agreement, deferred compensation agreement or arrangement, executive compensation or supplemental income arrangement, consulting agreement, employment agreement or any other employee benefit plan, agreement, arrangement, program, practice or understanding which is not described in
Section 4.15(a)(i)
(collectively, along with the plans described in
Section 4.15(a)(i)
above, the “
Provider Benefit Plans
”).
True, correct and complete copies of each of the Provider Benefit Plans, including all amendments thereto, have been made available to Buyer. Except as identified on
Schedule 4.15(a)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, none of the Provider Benefit Plans are sponsored, maintained or contributed to, or have been sponsored, maintained or contributed to, by any of the Provider Parties.
(b)
Except as disclosed on
Schedule 4.15(b)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules and except as to matters that would not reasonably be expected to have an Seller Material Adverse Effect:
(i)
each Provider Benefit Plan has been administered in compliance with its terms, the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and all other applicable Laws and the terms of all applicable collective bargaining agreements;
(ii)
there are no actions, suits or claims pending (other than routine claims for benefits) or, to the Knowledge of Seller or either Seller’s Representative, threatened, with respect to any Provider Benefit Plan and no Provider Benefit Plan is under audit or is subject to an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor or any other federal or state Governmental Authority nor, to the Knowledge of Seller or either Seller’s Representative, is any such audit or investigation pending; and
(iii)
each Provider Benefit Plan intended to be qualified under Section 401 of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service (or has pending or has time remaining in which to file an applicable for such a determination letter) or is the subject of an opinion letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service on which it can rely.
(c)
In connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, no payments, acceleration of benefits or provision of other rights have or will be made under the
Provider Benefit Plans
or otherwise which, in the aggregate, would result in the loss of deduction or the imposition any excise tax under sections 280G and 4999 of the Code, whether or not some other subsequent action or event would be required to cause such payment, acceleration or provision to be triggered.
(d)
Except as disclosed on
Schedule 4.15(d)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (whether alone or in conjunction with a subsequent event) will result in the acceleration or creation of any rights of any person to payments or benefits or increases in or funding of any payments or benefits or any loan forgiveness.
(e)
No Provider Benefit Plan is a Multiemployer Plan, Multiple Employer Plan or other pension plan subject to Title IV of ERISA, and no Provider Party nor any ERISA Affiliate of any Provider Party has sponsored or contributed to or been required to contribute to a Multiemployer Plan, Multiple Employer Plan or other pension plan subject to Title IV of ERISA at any time within the previous six (6) years. No Provider Benefit Plan provides compensation or benefits to any employee or service provider who resides or performs services primarily outside of the United States.
(f)
Except as disclosed on
Schedule 4.15(f)
and except as would not reasonably be expected to result in an Seller Material Adverse Effect, (i) each of the Provider Parties is and has been in compliance with all applicable labor and employment Laws including, without limitation, all Laws, rules, regulations, orders, rulings, decrees, judgments and awards relating to employment discrimination, retaliation, payment of wages, overtime compensation, immigration, recordkeeping, employee leave, occupational health and safety, and wrongful discharge; (ii) no action, suit, complaint, charge, arbitration, inquiry, proceeding or investigation by or before any Governmental Authority, brought by or on behalf of any employee, prospective or former employee or labor organization or other representative of the employees or of any prospective or former employees of any of the Provider Parties is pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened against any of the Provider Parties, any present or former director or employee (including with respect to alleged sexual harassment, unfair labor practices, discrimination, retaliation or wage practices); and (iii)
none of the Provider Parties is subject to or otherwise bound by, any material consent decree, order, or agreement with, any Governmental Authority relating to employees or former employees of any of the Provider Parties.
(g)
None of the Provider Company is a party to or otherwise subject to any collective bargaining agreements. None of the employees of the Provider Parties is represented by a labor union and, to the Knowledge of Seller, there has not been any effort to organize any of the employees of the Provider Parties in the past five years. There is no labor dispute, strike, work stoppage or other labor trouble against any of the Provider Parties pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened.
(h)
Neither Seller nor any Provider Company has any employment agreements or commitments regarding employment of any employees who are employed by or otherwise provide services to or on behalf of Seller nor any Provider.
(i)
Schedule 4.15(i)
contains a list of all persons who are employees, independent contractors or consultants of either the Seller and the Provider Companies as of the date hereof, including any employee who is on a leave of absence of any nature, paid or unpaid, authorized or unauthorized, and sets forth for each such individual the following: (i) name; (ii) title or position (including whether full or part time); (iii) hire date; (iv) current annual base compensation rate; (v) commission, bonus or other incentive-based compensation; (vi) a description of the fringe benefits provided to each such individual paid for the calendar year 2015 and such amounts payable as of the date hereof; and (vii) any other amounts due and owing to such Person. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.15(i)
, as of the date hereof, all compensation, including wages, commissions and bonuses, payable to all employees, independent contracts or consultants of any of Seller or any Provider Company for services performed on or prior to the date hereof have been paid in full (or accrued in full in the Provider Financial Statements and will be included Estimated Closing Statement) and there are no outstanding agreements, understandings or commitments of the Companies with respect to any compensation, commissions or bonuses
4.16
Regulatory Status
. None of the Seller nor any Provider Company nor any of their respective Subsidiaries is (a) an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or (b) a “holding company,” a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company,” an “affiliate” of a “holding company,” a “public utility” or a “public-utility company,” as each such term is defined in the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. There is no regulatory proceeding in effect or threatened, nor has any regulatory agency made any written or oral communication to Seller, the Provider Companies or either Seller’s Representative that could reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect on the Provider Business.
4.17
Bankruptcy
. There are no bankruptcy, reorganization or arrangement proceedings pending against, being contemplated by, or to the Knowledge of Seller or Seller’s Representative, threatened against any of Seller or any Provider Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries.
4.18
Books and Records
. The books and records of the Provider Business that are necessary for the ownership and operation of the Provider Business and Provider Assets have been maintained in accordance with prudent industry practice and such books and records have been made available to Buyer. All of the historical and projected financial and operational data provided to Buyer in connection with its due diligence is true and correct in all material respects.
4.19
Change of Control Payments.
There are no Change of Control Payments that would be owed resulting from the Closing of the transactions contemplated in the Transaction Documents, except as provided in the Noble Agreements.
4.20
Transactions with Affiliates.
Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.20
, there are no loans, leases or other continuing transactions between Seller, on the one hand, and (i) any officer, director, member, manager or employee of any of Seller or any Provider Company; (ii) any Provider Company; or (iii) any respective family member or Affiliate of such officer, director, member, manager or employee, on the other hand. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.20
, no officer, director, manager, employee, family member or Affiliate of any of Seller or any Provider Company or the Seller possesses, directly or indirectly, any financial interest in, or is an owner, director, officer, member, manager, employee or Affiliate of, any corporation, firm, association or business organization that is a client, supplier, distributor, broker, lessor, lessee, sublessor, sublessee or competitor of any of Seller or any Provider Company.
4.21
Insurance.
Schedule 4.21
sets forth a list, as of the date hereof, of all insurance policies maintained by either Provider Party (collectively, the “
Insurance Policies
”). Such Insurance Policies are in full force and effect on the date of this Agreement and all premiums due on such Insurance Policies have been paid. Seller has made available to Buyer accurate and complete copies of all current Insurance Policies, in each case, as amended or otherwise modified and in effect. Except as disclosed on
Schedule 4.21
, no insurer (a) has denied coverage of any claim pending under any Insurance Policy or (b) has threatened in writing to cancel any Insurance Policy. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.21
, there are no claims relating to the business of either Provider Party under any such Insurance Policies as to which coverage has been questioned, denied or disputed. The Insurance Policies are of the type and in amounts customarily carried by Persons conducting a business similar to either the Provider Companies and are sufficient for compliance with all applicable Laws and Contracts to which the Provider Companies are a party or bound.
ARTICLE V
REPRESENTATION AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER
Buyer hereby represents and warrants to Seller as of the Execution Date and the Closing Date as follows:
5.1
Organization; Qualification
.
Buyer is duly formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its state of organization and has full limited liability company power and authority to own and hold the properties and assets it now owns and holds and to carry on its business as and where such properties are now owned or held and such business is now conducted. Buyer is duly licensed or qualified to do business as a limited liability company (either foreign or domestic) and is in good standing in the states in which the character of the properties and assets now owned or held by it or the nature of its businesses now conducted by it requires it to be so licensed or qualified, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a Buyer Material Adverse Effect.
5.2
Authority; Enforceability
.
(f)
Buyer has the requisite limited liability company power and authority to execute and deliver the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party, to consummate the transactions contemplated thereby and to perform all the terms and conditions thereof to be performed by it. The execution and delivery by Buyer of the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party, the consummation by Buyer of the transactions contemplated thereby and the performance by Buyer of all of the terms and conditions thereof to be performed by it has been duly and validly authorized by Buyer, and no other proceedings on the part of Buyer is necessary to authorize the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party, to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party or to perform all of the terms and conditions thereof to be performed by it.
(g)
The Transaction Documents to which Buyer is, or will be, a party have been (or will be, when executed and delivered at the Closing) duly executed and delivered by Buyer and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, each Transaction Document to which Buyer is, or will be, a party constitutes (or will constitute, when executed and delivered at the Closing) the valid and binding agreement of Buyer, enforceable against Buyer in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by Creditors’ Rights.
5.3
Non-Contravention
.
Except as set forth on
Schedule 5.3
of the Buyer Disclosure Schedules, the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents to which Buyer is, or will be, a party and the consummation by Buyer of the transactions contemplated thereby does
not and will not:
§
conflict with, or require the consent of any Person under, or result in any breach of, any provision of the Organizational Documents of Buyer;
§
conflict with, or require the consent of any Person under, or constitute a default (or an Event that with the giving of notice or passage of time or both would give rise to a default) or cause any obligation under, or give rise to any right of termination, cancellation, amendment, preferential purchase right or acceleration (with or without the giving of notice, or the passage of time or both) under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Contract to which Buyer or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any property or asset of Buyer or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected;
§
assuming compliance with the matters referred to in
Section 5.3
, conflict with or violate any Law to which Buyer or any of its Subsidiaries is subject or by which any property or asset of Buyer or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;
§
constitute (with or without the giving of notice or the passage of time or both) an Event which would result in the creation of, or afford any Person the right to obtain, any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) on any asset of Buyer; or
§
result in the revocation, cancellation, suspension, or material modification, individually or in the aggregate, of any Contract or Governmental Approval that is necessary or desirable for the ownership, lease or operation of Buyer as now conducted, except, in the cases of clauses (c), (d), and (e), for such defaults or rights of termination, cancellation, amendment, acceleration, violations or Liens as would not reasonably be expected to have a Buyer Material Adverse Effect or to prevent or materially delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which Buyer is, or will be, a party or to materially impair Buyer’s ability to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party.
5.4
Governmental Approvals
.
Except as set forth on
Schedule 5.4
of the Buyer Disclosure Schedules, no declaration, filing or registration with, or notice to, or authorization, consent or approval of, any Governmental Authority, is necessary for
•
the consummation by Buyer of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party or
•
the enforcement against Buyer of its obligations under the Transaction Documents except in the cases of clauses (i) and (ii), other than such declarations, filings, registrations, notices, authorizations, consents or approvals that have been obtained or made or that would in the ordinary course be made or obtained after the Closing, or which, if not obtained or made, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which Buyer is, or will be, a party or to materially impair Buyer’s ability to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is, or will be, a party.
5.5
Legal Proceedings
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 5.5
of the Buyer Disclosure Schedules, there are no Proceedings pending or, to the Knowledge of Buyer, threatened against or by Buyer, that questions or involves the validity or enforceability of the obligations of Buyer under
this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or seeks to prevent or delay, or seeks damages in connection with, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
5.6
Brokers’ Fee
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 5.6
of the Buyer Disclosure Schedules, neither Buyer nor any of its Affiliates has entered (directly or indirectly) into any agreement with any broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other Person that would obligate Buyer or any of its Affiliates to pay any broker’s, finder’s, financial advisor’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein.
5.7
Bankruptcy
. There are no bankruptcy, reorganization or arrangement proceedings pending against, being contemplated by, or to the knowledge of Buyer, threatened against Buyer or any of its Subsidiaries.
ARTICLE VI
COVENANTS OF THE PARTIES
6.1
Conduct of Provider Business.
(h)
From the Execution Date through the Closing, except (i) as expressly permitted or required by the terms of this Agreement, (ii) as described in
Schedule 6.1(a)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules, (iii) as required by applicable Law or (iv) as consented to or approved in writing by Buyer (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), Seller and each Provider Company shall, and shall cause their respective Subsidiaries to:
(xii)
conduct the Provider Business in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, including with respect to any Hedging activities;
(xiii)
use all Reasonable Efforts to preserve intact their goodwill and relationships with customers, suppliers and others having business dealings with them with respect thereto;
(xiv)
maintain the tangible assets used in the operation of the Provider Business in good working order and condition as of the Execution Date, ordinary wear and tear excepted;
(xv)
maintain and preserve the business and operations of the Provider Business in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(xvi)
comply in all material respects with all applicable material Laws relating to the Provider Business;
(xvii)
use all Reasonable Efforts to maintain in full force without interruption its present insurance policies or comparable insurance coverage relating to the Provider Business;
(xviii)
file on a timely basis all material notices, reports or other filings necessary or required for the continued operation of the Provider Business to be filed with or reported to any Governmental Authority; and
(xix)
file on a timely basis all complete and accurate applications or other documents necessary to maintain, renew or extend any permit, variance or any other approval required by any Governmental Authority necessary or required for the continuing operation of the Provider Business in all material respects, whether or not such approval would expire before or after Closing.
(i)
Without limiting the generality of
Section 6.1(a)
, and except as described in
Schedule 6.1(b)
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules or as expressly permitted or required by the terms of this Agreement, or consented to or approved in writing by Buyer (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), from the Execution Date until the Closing or termination of this Agreement as provided in
Section 9.1
, Seller’s Representatives, Seller and the Provider Companies shall not, and shall not authorize or permit any Subsidiary to:
(i)
make any material change or amendment to the Organizational Documents of any of Seller or any Provider Company;
(ii)
waive any rights or benefits held by Seller attributable to Seller’s ownership of the Provider Interests that would be binding on Buyer or its ownership of the Provider Interests after the Closing;
(iii)
make any material change to the Tax methods, principles or elections, book accounting procedures, practices and methods of any of Seller or any Provider Company;
(iv)
split, combine or reclassify any Provider Interests or issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for, the Provider Interests;
(v)
with respect to the Provider Companies, issue, deliver, sell, pledge or dispose of, or authorize the issuance, delivery, sale, pledge or disposition of, any (A) Interests, (B) debt securities having the right to vote on any matters on which holders of capital stock or members or partners of the same issuer may vote or (C) securities convertible
into or exercisable for, or any rights, warrants, calls or options to acquire, any such securities;
(vi)
sell, mortgage, pledge, create a security interest in, dispose of, or otherwise encumber the Provider Interests;
(vii)
cause any of Seller or any Provider Company to merge with, or into, or consolidate with, any other Person;
(viii)
make any material change in the conduct of the Provider Business;
(ix)
terminate or amend or otherwise modify in any material respect any Provider Contract or any other Contract included in the Provider Business, except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(x)
mortgage, pledge, create a security interest in, dispose of, or otherwise encumber any portion of the properties, Contracts or other assets owned by any Provider Party (other than Permitted Liens);
(xi)
permit any portion of the properties, Contracts or other assets owned by any Provider Party to become subject to any Lien, other than Permitted Liens;
(xii)
enter into any Contract with Seller or either of the Provider Parties’ officers, directors or employees or any Affiliate of the foregoing;
(xiii)
sell any properties, Contracts or other assets owned by any Provider Party;
(xiv)
(A) settle any claims, demands, lawsuits or state or federal regulatory Proceedings with respect to the Provider Business for damages to the extent such settlements assess damages in excess of $10,000 in the aggregate (other than any claims, demands, lawsuits or proceedings to the extent insured (net of deductibles), reserved against in the Provider Financial Statements or covered by an indemnity obligation not subject to dispute or adjustment from a solvent indemnitor) or (B) settle any claims, demands, lawsuits or state or federal regulatory Proceedings seeking an injunction or other equitable relief where such settlements would have or would reasonably be expected to materially impair the Provider Business or the operation thereof;
(xv)
take any action with respect to or in contemplation of any liquidation, dissolution, recapitalization, reorganization, or other winding up;
(xvi)
enter into or amend any employment, severance, retention, change of control or other similar agreement with any employee of any of Seller or any Provider Company;
(xvii)
make any cash or non-cash distributions to any equity owner in of Seller or any Provider Company, including the Seller, or any of their respective Affiliates or related parties; or
(xviii) commit or agree to do any of the foregoing.
6.2
Notice of Certain Events
. From and after the Execution Date until the earlier to occur of (a) the Closing Date and (b) the termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 9.1
, to the extent it has Knowledge, each Party shall promptly notify the other Parties of (i) the occurrence, or non-occurrence, of any Event that would be likely to cause any condition to the obligations of any Party to effectuate the transactions contemplated in this Agreement and the Transaction Documents not to be satisfied or (ii) the failure of any Party to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it pursuant to this Agreement that would reasonably be expected to result in any condition to the obligations of the other Party to the transactions contemplated in this Agreement and the Transaction Documents not to be satisfied;
provided, however
, that the delivery of any notice pursuant to this
Section 6.2
shall not cure the inaccuracy of any representation or warranty, the failure to comply with any covenant, the failure to meet any condition or otherwise limit or affect the remedies available hereunder to the Party receiving such notice; provided, further, that the failure to comply with this
Section 6.2
shall not result in the failure of any of the conditions to the Closing in
Article VII
to be satisfied, or give rise to any right to terminate this Agreement under
Section 9.1
, if the underlying Event would not in and of itself give rise to such failure or right.
6.3
Access to Information; Confidentiality
.
(a)
From the Execution Date until the Closing Date, Seller shall, and shall cause each of the Provider Parties to, (i) give Buyer and its Affiliates, and their respective Representatives reasonable access to the offices, properties, books and records of each Provider Party, in each case during normal business hours and (ii) furnish to Buyer and its Representatives such financial and operating data and other information relating to each Provider Party as such Persons may reasonably request, subject to Buyer’s and its Representatives’ compliance with applicable Law governing the use of such information. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
Section 6.3
, no Provider Party shall be required to, or to cause any Provider Party to, grant access or furnish information to Buyer or any of its Representatives to the extent that such information is subject to an attorney/client or attorney work product privilege or that such access or the furnishing of such information is prohibited by law or an existing contract or agreement. To the extent practicable, each Provider Party shall
make reasonable and appropriate substitute disclosure arrangements under circumstances in which the restrictions of the preceding sentence apply.
6.4
Expenses
.
(a)
Except as otherwise provided for in this Agreement, (i) Buyer shall pay all costs and expenses incurred by it in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and (ii) Seller shall pay
all costs and expenses incurred by it and Seller’s Representatives in connection with Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby.
(b)
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, if any action at law or equity is necessary to enforce or interpret the terms of the Transaction Documents, the prevailing Party shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses in addition to any other relief to which such Party may be entitled.
6.5
All Reasonable Efforts
.
(c)
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each of the Parties shall use all Reasonable Efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all action, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Law to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Party shall use all Reasonable Efforts to timely obtain all authorizations, consents and approvals of all third parties necessary in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents prior to the Closing. The Parties will coordinate and cooperate with each other in exchanging such information and assistance as any of the Parties may reasonably request in connection with the foregoing. Seller, the Provider Companies and Buyer shall use all Reasonable Efforts to promptly and timely negotiate in advance of Closing a termination agreement relating to the Noble Agreements (the “
Noble Termination Agreement
”) in a form satisfactorily agreed upon by Seller, the Provider Companies, Buyer and Noble.
6.6
Public Statements
. The Parties shall consult with each other prior to issuing any public announcement, statement or other disclosure with respect to the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby and neither Seller nor Buyer shall, and Seller and Buyer shall cause their respective Affiliates not to, issue any such public announcement, statement or other disclosure without having first obtained approval of the contents thereof by the non-issuing Parties;
provided
,
however
, that any of Seller or Buyer or their respective Affiliates may make any public disclosure without first so consulting with or notifying the other Party or Parties or obtaining consent
to the contents thereof if such disclosing Party reasonably believes that it is required by Law or a national securities exchange to do so.
6.7
No Solicitation
. Prior to the earlier of the Closing or the termination of this Agreement, Seller shall not, nor permit its Affiliates or its Representatives to, directly or indirectly, (a) discuss, encourage, negotiate, undertake, initiate, authorize, recommend, propose or enter into, any transaction involving any sale, lease, license, exchange, mortgage, transfer or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, of all or a portion of the Provider Business or the membership interest in Seller or any Provider Company, whether by merger, consolidation, business combination, purchase or sale of equity interests or other securities, reorganization or recapitalization, loan, issuance of equity interests or other securities or any other transaction, except for the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (“
Provider Acquisition Transaction
”), (b) facilitate, encourage, solicit or initiate discussions, negotiations or submissions of proposals or offers in respect of an Provider Acquisition Transaction, (c) furnish or cause to be furnished, to any Person, any information concerning the Provider Business in connection with an Provider Acquisition Transaction or (d) otherwise cooperate in any way with, or assist or participate in, facilitate or encourage, any effort or attempt by any other Person to do or seek any of the foregoing. Upon the execution of this Agreement, Seller shall, and shall cause its Affiliates and its Representatives to, immediately cease and cause to be terminated any existing discussions or negotiations with any Persons (other than Buyer) conducted heretofore with respect to any Provider Acquisition Transaction.
6.8
Tax Matters
.
(f)
Transfer Taxes
. Fifty percent (50%) of all transfer, stamp, documentary, sales, use, registration, value-added and other similar Taxes incurred in connection with the transfer, conveyance and delivery of the membership interests in the Provider Companies (the “
Transfer Taxes
”) shall be borne by Seller, and the remainder of such Transfer Taxes shall be borne by Buyer. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Section 6.8
, any Tax Returns that must be filed in connection with Transfer Taxes shall be prepared and filed when due by the Party primarily or customarily responsible under the applicable local law for filing such Tax Returns, and such Party will use all Reasonable Efforts to provide such Tax Returns to the other Party at least ten days prior to the due date for such Tax Returns. Upon the filing of Tax Returns in connection with Transfer Taxes, the filing Party shall provide the other Party with evidence satisfactory to the other Party that such Transfer Taxes have been filed and paid.
(g)
Tax Indemnification
. Subject to the other limitations in this
Article VI
, the Seller and Seller’s Representatives shall jointly and severally indemnify each Provider Company, Buyer and each Affiliate of Buyer and hold them harmless from and against, any Loss attributable to (i) any
and all Taxes imposed on any Provider Company or for which either Provider Party may otherwise be liable for any Pre-Closing Date Tax Period, (ii) all Taxes of any member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or unitary group of which any Provider Party (or any predecessor) is or was a member on or prior to the Closing Date, (iii) any and all Taxes of any person imposed on Buyer or any Provider Company as a transferee or successor, by contract or pursuant to any law, rule, or regulation, which Taxes relate to an event or transaction occurring before the Closing and (iv) any Taxes arising from the sale of the Provider Interests and the transactions contemplated thereby, including all transfer-related Taxes provided in
Section 6.8(a)
.
(h)
Straddle Period
. In the case of any taxable period that includes (but does not end on) the Closing Date (“
Straddle Period
”), the amount of any Taxes based on or measured by income, receipts or payroll of any Provider Company for the Pre-Closing Date Tax Period shall be determined based on an interim closing of the books as of the close of business on the Closing Date, and the amount of other Taxes of such Provider Company for a Straddle Period relating to the Pre-Closing Date Tax Period shall be deemed to be the amount of such Tax for the period running from January 1, 2016 to the Closing Date. All other Taxes for periods thereafter shall be the sole and exclusive responsibility of the Buyer.
Responsibility for Filing Tax Returns and Paying Taxes
. Seller shall prepare and timely file or cause to be prepared and timely filed at its sole cost and expense all Tax Returns required to be filed by or with respect to the Provider Companies for the period ending on or before the Closing Date that are filed after the Closing Date and Seller shall be responsible for, and shall cause to be fully paid to the appropriate Governmental Authority, the amount of Taxes shown as payable with respect to such Tax Returns. Such Tax Returns shall be prepared on a basis consistent with past practice except to the extent otherwise required by applicable Law. Not later than fifteen (15) days prior to the due date for filing such Tax Returns, Seller shall provide Buyer with a copy of such Tax Returns for review and comment and shall make such revisions to such Tax Returns as reasonably requested. Buyer shall prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed all other Tax Returns for the Provider Companies that are filed after the Closing Date, including Tax Returns for the Straddle Period. Upon request from Buyer, which shall be no earlier than fifteen (15) days before the due date for such a Tax Return, the Seller shall pay Buyer within seven (7) days thereafter the amount of Taxes owed by the Seller based on its obligations under
Section 6.8(b)
, including the Seller’s share of the Taxes for such Straddle Period, as determined in
Section 6.8(c)
. Each of the Parties shall cooperate fully, as and to the extent reasonably requested by the other Party, in connection with the filing of Tax Returns and any audit, litigation or other proceeding with respect to Taxes. Such cooperation shall include the retention and (upon the other Party’s request) the provision of records and information relevant to any such audit, litigation or other proceeding and making employees available on a mutually convenient basis to provide additional information and explanation of any material provided hereunder.
(i)
Responsibility for Tax Audits and Contests
. Seller shall control any audit or contest with respect to Taxes for a period ending on or before the Closing Date and Buyer shall control any other audit or contest, including those relating to a Straddle Period; provided further, that, with respect to a Straddle Period, Buyer shall allow the Seller to participate at their own cost and expense. The Party in control of an audit or controversy shall keep the other Party informed of the status of the audit or controversy (including providing copies of correspondence and pleadings). Neither Buyer nor the Seller shall settle any audit or contest in a way that would adversely affect the other Party without the other Party’s written consent, which the other Party shall not unreasonably withhold. Buyer and the Seller shall each provide the other with all information reasonably necessary to conduct an audit or contest with respect to Taxes.
(j)
Tax Sharing Agreements
. All tax-sharing agreements or similar agreements with respect to or involving any of the Provider Companies shall be terminated as of the Closing Date and, after the Closing Date, none of the Seller nor any Provider Company shall be bound thereby or have any liability thereunder.
(k)
Tax Treatment and Allocations
. With the Provider Companies treated as “disregarded entities” for U.S. federal income Tax purposes, each of the Parties hereby agrees that the purchase and sale of the Provider Interests under this Agreement is properly treated as a taxable purchase of the underlying assets of the Seller for federal income Tax purposes. The Parties further agree to prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed all Tax Returns in all respects and for all purposes consistent with such Tax treatment. No Party shall take any position (whether in audits, Tax Returns or otherwise) that is inconsistent with such Tax treatment. Since the transaction is treated as an acquisition of assets, the Parties agree that the Base Consideration, as adjusted, and the liabilities of the Provider Parties (plus other relevant items) will be allocated to the assets of the Provider Parties in a manner consistent with the fair market values set forth in the Base Consideration Allocation Schedule. Within ninety (90) days after the Closing, Buyer shall provide Seller with a proposed allocation of the Base Consideration (and any other items constituting consideration paid by Buyer or received by Seller in connection with the disposition of the membership interests) among the assets of the Provider Parties (“
Base Consideration Allocation Schedule
”). If Seller disputes any amount reflected on the Base Consideration Allocation Schedule, Seller shall notify Buyer in writing of their objections in reasonable detail on or before the thirtieth (30th) day after Buyer’s delivery to Seller of the Base Consideration Allocation Schedule. If Seller so objects, and if the Parties have not agreed on a resolution of those objections, then within twenty (20) days after the forty-fifth (45th) day following the delivery of Seller’s notice of objection pursuant to this
Section 6.8(g)
, Buyer or Seller may require that the dispute components of the Base Consideration Allocation Schedule be resolved by an Independent Accountant in the same manner as provided in
Section 2.4(c)
. The costs and expenses of the Independent Accountant shall be shared between
Buyer and Seller. The Parties shall use their reasonable efforts to cause the Independent Accountant to render a written decision resolving the matter within twenty (20) days following submission thereof. The Base Consideration Allocations Schedule, as agreed upon by the Parties or the Independent Accountant will be used by Buyer and Seller as the basis for reporting asset values and other items for all purposes (including financial accounting and Tax purposes) (including any Tax Returns required to be filed under Section 1060(b) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder). Buyer and Seller shall not assert, in connection with any audit or other proceeding with respect to Taxes, (i) any asset values or other items inconsistent with the allocations set forth on the Base Consideration Allocation Schedule hereto or (ii) any position inconsistent with the tax treatment provided herein. The Parties shall file all Tax Returns, including, in the case of Buyer, IRS Form 8594, in a manner consistent with such values, and no Party shall take any position in any Tax Return that is inconsistent with the Base Consideration Allocation Schedule, as adjusted, unless required to do so by a final determination as defined in Section 1313 of the Code. The Parties agree to promptly advise each other regarding the existence of any Tax audit, controversy or litigation related to the tax treatment of this transaction or the Base Consideration Allocation Schedule, as mutually agreed upon.
(l)
Conclusion of Fieldwork on Sales and Use Tax Review
. Seller shall use all Reasonable Efforts to assist Experis in the finalization of its field work and the issuance of its report in connection with its review of the sales and use tax exposure of the Provider Companies.
(m)
Conflict
. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this
Section 6.8
and any other provision of this Agreement, this
Section 6.8
shall control.
6.9
Termination of Related Party Transactions
. Except for the Contracts listed in
Schedule 6.9
, Seller shall cause all Contracts or other arrangements between Seller, any Affiliate of Seller, any Seller’s Representative or any of their Affiliates and officers, directors and employees thereof, on the one hand, and any Provider Company, on the other hand (including the transactions set forth on Schedule 4.20 and any amounts due to/from affiliates on the Provider Financial Statements), to be terminated on or prior to the Closing without any loss, liability or expense of any Provider Company paid or remaining thereunder, except for the Transaction Documents.
6.10
Amendments to Schedules
. Each Party may, prior to the Closing Date, deliver to the other Parties modifications, changes or updates to such Party’s Disclosure Schedules in order to disclose or take into account facts, matters or circumstances which arise or occur between the Execution Date and the Closing Date and which, if existing or occurring as of the Execution Date, would have been required to be set forth or described in such Disclosure Schedules. No updated information provided to the Parties in accordance with this
Section 6.10
shall be deemed to cure
any breach of a representation, warranty or covenant made in this Agreement for any purpose, including with respect to
Section 7.2(a)
,
7.2(b)
,
7.3(a)
,
7.3(b)
or
Article X
.
6.11
Resignations
. At or prior to the Closing, Seller shall cause the officers and directors of the Provider Companies set forth on
Schedule 6.11
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules to resign or be removed from such positions.
6.12
Release of Liens.
Prior to, or concurrently with, the Closing, Seller shall have obtained and provided to Buyer releases of any Liens on Seller or any Provider Company and all or any portion of the Provider Business, including the Contracts, except for Permitted Liens, without any post-Closing liability or expense to the Provider Business or Buyer and shall provide proof of such releases and payment in full in a form and substance reasonably acceptable to Buyer at the Closing.
6.13
Delivery of Audited Financial Statements
. Prior to Closing, Seller shall have completed and delivered to Buyer an audit performed by a certified public accountant for the Provider Annual Financial Statements for each of the Provider Companies as of and for the period ended December 31, 2015 with an unqualified opinion in each audit.
ARTICLE VII
CONDITIONS TO CLOSING
7.1
Conditions to Obligations of all Parties
. The respective obligations of each Party to consummate the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, on or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, any one or more of which may be waived in writing, in whole or in part, as to a Party by such Party (in such Party’s sole discretion):
(h)
Governmental Filings and Consents
. All necessary and material filings with and consents of any Governmental Authority required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement shall have been made and obtained, other than those that are customarily obtained after Closing and all waiting periods with respect to filings made with Governmental Authorities in contemplation of the consummation of the transactions described herein shall have expired or been terminated.
(i)
Legal Constraints
. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other order enacted, entered, promulgated, enforced or issued by any Governmental Authority, or other legal restraint or prohibition preventing the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall be in effect.
7.2
Conditions to Obligations of Buyer
. The obligation of Buyer to consummate the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, on or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, any one or more of which may be waived in writing, in whole or in part, by Buyer (in Buyer’s sole discretion):
(b)
Representations and Warranties of Seller
. • The representations and warranties of Seller contained in
Section 3.1
,
Section 3.2
,
Section 3.3
,
Section 3.4
,
Section 3.5
,
Section 3.7
,
Section 4.1
,
Section 4.2
, and
Section 4.14
(the “
Seller Fundamental Representations
”) shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Execution Date and the Closing Date with the same effect as though made at and as of the Closing (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case as of such earlier date), and • the other representations and warranties of Seller made in this Agreement shall be true and correct (without regard to qualifications as to materiality, any Seller Material Adverse Effect or any Seller Material Adverse Effect contained therein) as of the Execution Date and the Closing Date with the same effect as though made at and as of the Closing (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case as of such earlier date), except in the case of clause (ii) where the failure of the representations and warranties to be true and correct would not reasonably be expected to have an Seller Material Adverse Effect.
(c)
Performance by Seller
. Seller shall have performed and complied in all material respects with all covenants and agreements required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by Seller on or prior to the Closing Date.
(d)
Financing
. Buyer shall have obtained financing on commercially reasonable terms that is acceptable to Buyer; provided that, Buyer shall be entitled to exercise its right to terminate this Agreement or otherwise rely on this condition until June 1, 2016, after which time such condition shall be waived.
(e)
Noble Agreements
. The Noble Agreements that are set forth on
Schedule 4.11(a)
shall have been terminated and the costs associated with such termination shall have been paid in full by either Seller or the Provider Companies and the Hedges set forth on
Schedule 4.11(b)
shall remain in full force and effect immediately following the Closing. Seller, the Provider Companies and Buyer shall have entered into the Noble Termination Agreement.
(f)
Closing Deliverables
. Seller shall have delivered or caused to be delivered all of the closing deliveries set forth in
Section 8.2
and the other documents contemplated by this Agreement.
(g)
Seller Material Adverse Effect
. Since the Execution Date, there shall not have occurred any Event or Events which has had, or could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Seller Material Adverse Effect.
(h)
Assignment of Assigned Assets
. The Provider Assets shall have been assigned to the Provider companies pursuant to an assignment agreement in substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G (the “Asset Assignment Agreement”).
(i)
Lease of Rodman Road Property
. The Provider Companies shall have entered into a lease with Emerald Holdings, LLC for the real property located at 306 Rodman Road, Auburn, Maine on the terms set forth on Exhibit H (the “
Premises Lease
”) and in a form satisfactory to Buyer and Seller.
(j)
Execution of Joint Defense Agreement.
Seller and the Provider Companies shall have entered into a joint defense agreement to provide for the pursuit of an appellate claim by Seller at its sole risk, cost and expense as to the amount of damages in the litigation matter described in Schedule 3.6 between the Provider Companies and Freedom Logistics, LLC (the “
Freedom Logistics Litigation
”) in a form reasonably satisfactory to Buyer and Seller.
7.3
Conditions to Obligations of Seller
. The obligation of Seller to consummate the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, on or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, any one or more of which may be waived in writing, in whole or in part, by Seller (in their sole discretion):
(c)
Representations and Warranties of Buyer
. • The representations and warranties of Buyer contained in
Section 5.1
,
Section 5.2
,
Section 5.3(a)
and
Section 5.4
(the “
Buyer Fundamental Representations
”) shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Execution Date and the Closing Date with the same effect as though made at and as of the Closing (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case as of such earlier date), and • the other representations and warranties of Buyer made in this Agreement shall be true and correct (without regard to qualifications as to materiality or any Buyer Material Adverse Effect contained therein) as of the Execution Date and the Closing Date with the same effect as though made at and as of the Closing (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case as of such earlier date), except in the case of clause (ii) where the failure of the representations and warranties to be true and correct would not reasonably be expected to have a Buyer Material Adverse Effect.
(d)
Performance
. Buyer shall have performed and complied in all material respects with all covenants and agreements required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by Buyer on or prior to the Closing Date.
(e)
Closing Deliverables
. Buyer shall have delivered or caused to be delivered all of the closing deliveries set forth in
Section 8.3
and the other documents contemplated by this Agreement.
(f)
Noble.
Noble shall have approved the transaction contemplated herein and shall have agreed to execute the Noble Termination Agreement.
(g)
Execution of Joint Defense Agreement.
Seller and Provider Companies shall have entered into a joint defense agreement to provide for the pursuit of an appellate claim by Seller at its sole risk, cost, and expense as to the amount of damages in the Freedom Logistics Litigation in a form reasonably satisfactory to Buyer and Seller.
ARTICLE VIII
CLOSING
8.1
Closing
. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties, the closing (the “
Closing
”) of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will be held at the offices of Buyer, 12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77079 at 9:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time on the date that is three (3) Business Days immediately following the date of fulfillment or waiver (in accordance with the provisions hereof) of the last to be fulfilled or waived of the conditions set forth in
Article VII
(other than those conditions that by their nature are to be fulfilled at the Closing, but subject to the fulfillment or waiver of such conditions) or such other date, place and time as may be mutually agreed upon by the Parties. The date on which the Closing occurs is referred to as the “
Closing Date
.” In all events, the Closing must occur not later than the Termination Date. Time is of the essence.
8.2
Deliveries by Seller
. At or before the Closing, Seller will deliver (or cause to be delivered) the following:
(h) To Buyer:
(i)
a counterpart to that certain assignment of the Provider Interests to Buyer, dated as of the Closing Date (the “
Provider Interests Assignment
”), substantially in the form of
Exhibit B
attached hereto, duly executed by Seller;
(ii)
a counterpart to that certain non-competition and non-solicitation agreement of Seller and each Seller’s Representative in favor of Buyer and the Provider Companies in substantially the form attached as
Exhibit E
signed by Seller, Dean and Clavet;
(iii)
A counterpart to the Noble Termination Agreement executed by the Seller, Noble and the Provider Companies;
(iv)
the written resignations of the officers and managers of the Provider Companies set forth on
Schedule 6.11
of the Provider Disclosure Schedules effective as of Closing;
(v)
A counterpart to the Asset Assignment Agreement duly executed by Provider Power, LLC as owner of the Provider Assets;
(vi)
A fully executed copy of the Premises Lease duly executed by Emerald Holdings, LLC on the one hand and the Provider Companies on the other hand duly assigned to the Buyer and assumed by Buyer, incorporating such amendments as the Buyer and Seller shall mutually agree upon;
(vii)
releases of Liens, other than Permitted Liens, evidencing the discharge and removal of all Liens on Seller and the Provider Companies and the Provider Business (including all Liens associated with or arising under the Noble Indebtedness, including all tangible and intangible assets of Provider and all Provider Contracts and other contracts, if any, other than Permitted Liens;
(viii)
all books and records relating to the Provider Companies, the Provider Business (including books of account, Tax returns and supporting work papers, Contract files and the like relating to the Provider Companies and the Provider Business) that are in the possession of Seller or the Provider Parties;
(ix)
an executed statement described in Treasury regulations section 1.1445-2(b)(2) certifying that Seller is neither a disregarded entity nor a foreign person within the meaning of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder;
(x)
a closing certificate, dated as of the Closing Date, duly executed by a Responsible Officers of Seller, certifying that to such officer’s Knowledge, the conditions set forth in
Section 7.2(a)
and
Section 7.2(b)
, in each case with respect to Seller, have been satisfied;
(xi)
an officer’s certificate, dated as of the Closing Date, duly executed by a Responsible Officer of Seller, certifying as to and attaching (i) Unanimous Written
Consent of the sole member of Seller authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and (ii) the incumbency of the officers authorized to execute this Agreement on behalf of Seller;
(xii)
certificates from the Secretary of State of Maine and each other State in which each of the Provider Companies conducts business evidencing that Seller, and such Provider Company each is in good standing in such States, as applicable;
(xiii)
a fully executed joint defense agreement between Seller and the Provider Companies addressing the Freedom Logistics Litigation in accordance with Section 7.2(i) and 7.3(e); and
(xiv)
such other documents, certificates and other instruments as may be reasonably requested by Buyer prior to the Closing Date to carry out the intent and purposes of this Agreement.
8.3
Deliveries by Buyer
.
(d) To Seller:
(xx)
the Adjusted Cash Consideration, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account specified by Seller;
(xxi)
a counterpart to the Provider Interests Assignment, duly executed by Buyer;
(xxii)
a counterpart to that certain non-competition and non-solicitation agreement of Seller and Seller’s Representatives in favor of Buyer and the Provider Companies in substantially the form attached as Exhibit E signed by Buyer and the Provider Companies;
(xxiii)
A counterpart to the Noble Termination Agreement executed by Buyer.
(xxiv)
a closing certificate, dated as of the Closing Date, duly executed by a Responsible Officer of Buyer, certifying that to such officer’s Knowledge, the conditions set forth in
Section 7.3(a)
and
Section 7.3(b)
, in each case with respect to Buyer, have been satisfied;
(xxv)
an officer’s certificate, dated as of the Closing Date, duly executed by a Responsible Officer of Buyer, certifying as to and attaching (i) Unanimous Written Consent of the sole member of Buyer authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and (ii) the incumbency of the officers authorized to execute this Agreement on behalf of Buyer;
(xxvi)
an executed statement described in Treasury regulations section 1.1445-2(b)(2) certifying that Buyer is neither a disregarded entity nor a foreign person within the meaning of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder;
(xxvii)
certificates from the Secretary of State of Delaware evidencing that Buyer, is in good standing in the State of Delaware;
(xxviii)
An Assignment and Assumption of the Premises Lease whereby the Buyer agrees to assume, and the Seller agrees to assign, said Lease, incorporating such amendments as the Buyer and Seller shall mutually agree upon;
(xxix)
A fully executed joint defense agreement between Seller and the Provider Companies addressing the Freedom Logistics Litigation in accordance with Section 7.2(i) and 7.3(e).
(xxx)
such other documents, certificates and other instruments as may be reasonably requested by Buyer prior to the Closing Date to carry out the intent and purposes of this Agreement.
ARTICLE IX
TERMINATION RIGHTS
9.1
Termination Rights
. This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing as follows:
(i) By mutual written consent of the Parties;
(j)
By any Party if any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction shall have issued a final and non-appealable order, decree or judgment prohibiting the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents;
(k)
By any Party in the event that the Closing has not occurred on or prior to July 1, 2016 (the “
Termination Date
”);
provided
,
however
, that (i) Buyer may not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 9.1(c)
if such failure of the Closing to occur is due to the failure of Buyer to perform and comply in all material respects with the covenants and agreements to be performed or complied with by Buyer under this Agreement; (ii) Seller may not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 9.1(c)
if such failure of the Closing to occur is due to the failure of Seller to perform and comply in all material respects with the covenants and agreements to be performed or complied with by Seller under this Agreement; and (iii) either Party may extend the Termination Date for one additional thirty (30) day period until August 1, 2016 in the event that a closing condition
has not been met as of July 1, 2016 so long as such Party is acting in good faith and using commercial reasonable efforts to effect the Closing, identifies the contingency which has not been met in writing to the other Party, together with an explanation of why that contingency has not been met and what efforts have been made and will be made toward satisfaction of said contingency;
(l)
By Buyer if there shall have been a breach or inaccuracy of Seller’s representations and warranties in this Agreement or a failure by Seller to perform its covenants and agreements in this Agreement, in any such case in a manner that would result in, if occurring and continuing on the Closing Date, the failure of the conditions to the Closing set forth in
Section 7.2(a)
and
Section 7.2(b)
, unless such failure is reasonably capable of being cured, and Seller is using all Reasonable Efforts to cure such failure by the Termination Date;
provided
,
however
, that Buyer may not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 9.1(d)
if (i) any of Buyer’s representations and warranties shall have become and continue to be untrue in a manner that would cause the condition set forth in
Section 7.3(a)
not to be satisfied or (ii) there has been, and continues to be, a failure by Buyer to perform its covenants and agreements in such a manner as would cause the condition set forth in
Section 7.3(b)
not to be satisfied;
(m)
By Seller if there shall have been a breach or inaccuracy of Buyer’s representations and warranties in this Agreement or a failure by Buyer to perform its covenants and agreements in this Agreement, in any such case in a manner that would result in, if occurring and continuing on the Closing Date, the failure of the conditions to the Closing set forth in
Section 7.3(a)
or
Section 7.3(b)
, unless such failure is reasonably capable of being cured, and Buyer is using all Reasonable Efforts to cure such failure by the Termination Date;
provided
,
however
, that Seller may not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 9.1(e)
if (i) Seller’s representations and warranties shall have become and continue to be untrue in a manner that would cause the condition set forth in
Section 7.2(a)
not to be satisfied or (ii) there has been, and continues to be, a failure by Seller to perform its covenants and agreements in such a manner as would cause the condition set forth in
Section 7.2(b)
not to be satisfied;
9.2
Effect of Termination
. In the event of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 9.1
, all rights and obligations of the Parties under this Agreement shall terminate, except for the provisions of this
Section 9.2
,
Section 6.4
,
Section 6.6
,
Article XI
and
Article XII
;
provided
,
however
, that no termination of this Agreement shall relieve any Party from any liability for any willful and intentional breach of this Agreement by such Party or for fraud by such Party and all rights and remedies of a non-breaching Party under this Agreement in the case of any such willful and intentional breach or fraud, at law and in equity, shall be preserved, including the right to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses. Except to the extent otherwise provided in the immediately preceding sentence, the Parties agree that, if this Agreement is terminated, the Parties shall have no
liability to each other under or relating to this Agreement. In the event of any willful and intentional breach of this Agreement by a Party or for fraud by such Party, the waiver provisions set forth in
Section 10.3(f)
shall be inapplicable. For purposes of this
Section 9.2
, “willful and intentional breach” is defined as a Party’s deliberate and conscious non-performance of a material contractual obligation.
ARTICLE X
INDEMNIFICATION
10.1
Indemnification by the Seller and Seller’s Representatives
. Solely for purposes of the indemnities made in this
Section 10.1
, the representations and warranties made by Seller in this Agreement shall be deemed to have been made without regard to any materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualifier. Subject to the terms of this
Article X
, from and after the Closing, Seller and each Seller’s Representative shall jointly and severally indemnify and hold harmless Buyer and its members, managers, directors, officers, employees, consultants and permitted assigns (collectively, the “
Buyer Indemnitees
”), to the fullest extent permitted by Law, from and against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and reasonable expenses of investigating, defending and prosecuting litigation) (collectively, “
Losses
”) incurred or suffered by the Buyer Indemnitees as a result of, caused by, arising out of or relating to:
(e)
any breach or inaccuracy of Seller of any of the Seller Fundamental Representations (in each case, when made);
(f)
any breach or inaccuracy of any of the other representations or warranties (in each case, when made) of Seller contained in this Agreement;
(g)
any breach of any of the covenants or agreements of Seller contained in this Agreement;
(h)
the matters set forth on Schedule 3.6, including without limitation, the State Tax Claim and legal fees and liabilities attributable to the lawsuit (and any appeal thereof) between the Provider Companies and Freedom Logistics, LLC (dba Freedom Energy Logistics); and
(i)
any brokerage or transaction fees and expenses due and payable by any party to Stephens and Company resulting from the transactions contemplated hereby.
10.2
Indemnification by Buyer
.
Solely for the purposes of the indemnities made in this
Section 10.2
, the representations and warranties made by Buyer in this Agreement shall be deemed to have been made without regard to any materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualifiers. Subject to the terms of this
Article X
, from and after the Closing, Buyer shall indemnify and hold harmless
Seller and its members, managers, directors, officers, employees, consultants and permitted assigns (collectively, the “
Seller Indemnitees
”), to the fullest extent permitted by Law, from and against any Losses incurred or suffered by the Seller Indemnitees as a result of, caused by, arising out of or relating to:
(a)
any breach or inaccuracy of Buyer of any of the Buyer Fundamental Representations (in each case, when made);
(b)
any breach or inaccuracy of any of the other representations or warranties (in each case, when made) of Buyer contained in this Agreement; and
(c)
any breach of any of the covenants or agreements of Buyer contained in this Agreement.
10.3
Limitations and Other Indemnity Claim Matters
. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Article X
or elsewhere in this Agreement (subject to
Section 10.3(f)
), the following terms shall apply to any claim for monetary damages arising out of this Agreement or related to the transactions contemplated hereby:
(a)
De Minimis
. No indemnifying party (an “
Indemnifying Party
”) will have any liability under this
Article X
in respect of any individual claim involving Losses arising under
Section 10.1(b)
or
Section 10.2(b)
to any Indemnitee of less than $10,000 (each, a “
De Minimis Claim
”).
(b)
Deductible
.
(xxxi)
Seller will not have any liability under
Section 10.1(b)
unless and until the Buyer Indemnitees have suffered Losses in excess of $100,000
in the aggregate (the “
Seller Deductible
”) arising from Claims under
Section 10.1(b)
that are not De Minimis Claims and then recoverable Losses claimed under
Section 10.1(b)
shall be limited to those that exceed the Seller Deductible.
(xxxii)
Buyer will not have any liability under
Section 10.2(b)
unless and until the Seller Indemnitees have suffered Losses in excess of $100,000
in the aggregate (the “
Buyer Deductible
”) arising from Claims under
Section 10.2(b)
that are not De Minimis Claims and then recoverable Losses claimed under
Section 10.2(b)
shall be limited to those that exceed the Buyer Deductible.
(c)
Cap
.
(xix)
Buyer’s aggregate liability under
Section 10.2(b)
shall not exceed $3,000,000.
(xx)
Seller’s aggregate liability under
Section 10.1(b)
shall not exceed $3,000,000; provided that at the one year anniversary of the Closing Date, Seller’s aggregate liability under Section 10.1(b) shall be reduced to $2,750,000 if aggregate Losses and outstanding claims as of such date are not in excess of $500,000 at such date.
(d)
Survival; Claims Period
.
(i)
The representations and warranties of the Parties under this Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and shall continue in full force and effect until the two year anniversary of the Closing Date (the “
Expiration Date
”);
provided
that the Buyer Fundamental Representations and the Seller Fundamental Representations shall survive for a period equal to the applicable statute of limitations for each such representation (the “
Fundamental Expiration Date
”).
(ii)
No action for a breach of any representation or warranty contained herein shall be brought after the Expiration Date or the Fundamental Expiration Date, as applicable, except for claims of which a Party has received a Claim Notice setting forth in reasonable detail the claimed misrepresentation or breach of warranty with reasonable detail, prior to the Expiration Date.
(e)
Calculation of Losses
. In calculating amounts payable to any Indemnitee (each such person, an “
Indemnified Party
”) for a claim for indemnification hereunder, the amount of any indemnified Losses shall be determined without duplication of any other Loss for which an indemnification claim has been made or could be made under any other representation, warranty, covenant or agreement and shall be computed net of (i) payments actually recovered by the Indemnified Party under any insurance policy with respect to such Losses and (ii) any prior or subsequent actual recovery by the Indemnified Party from any Person other than the applicable Indemnifying Party with respect to such Losses.
(f)
Waiver of Certain Damages
. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, in no event shall any Party be liable for punitive, special, indirect, consequential, remote, speculative or lost profits damages of any kind or nature, regardless of the form of action through which such damages are sought, except (i) for any such damages recovered by any third party against an Indemnified Party in respect of which such Indemnified Party would otherwise be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this
Article X
and (ii) in the case of consequential damages, (A) to the extent an Indemnified Party is required to pay consequential damages to an unrelated third party and (B) to the extent of consequential damages to an Indemnified Party arising from fraud or willful misconduct.
(g)
Sole and Exclusive Remedy
. Except for the assertion of any claim based on fraud or willful misconduct, the remedies provided in this
Article X
shall be the sole and exclusive legal remedies of the Parties, from and after the Closing, with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
(h)
Inapplicability of Limitations
. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, none of the limitations set forth in this
Section 10.3
(including the limitations in
Sections 10.3(a)
,
(b)
and
(c)
), shall apply to: (i) any breach of the Seller Fundamental Representations, the Buyer Fundamental Representation or the representations set forth in
Sections 4.11
,
4.16
or
4.20
; or (ii) any claim based on fraud or willful misconduct, provided that Seller’s liability pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) shall in no circumstances exceed the sum of the Base Consideration.
(i)
Setoff Amount of Installment Payments
. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Buyer Indemnitees shall have the option, at their sole discretion, to notify Seller of their election to offset all Losses subject to indemnification hereunder that are due and payable and have not been so paid against any unpaid Installment Consideration and Installment Interest on a dollar-for-dollar basis and prior to making any claims against the Escrow Amount.
10.4
Indemnification Procedures
.
(n)
Each Indemnitee agrees that promptly after it becomes aware of facts giving rise to a claim by it for indemnification pursuant to this
Article X
, including receipt by it of notice of any Proceeding, by any third party with respect to any matter as to which it claims to be entitled to indemnity under the provisions of this Agreement, such Indemnitee must assert its claim for indemnification under this
Article X
(each, a “
Claim
”) by providing a written notice (a “
Claim Notice
”) to the Indemnifying Party allegedly required to provide indemnification protection under this
Article X
specifying, in reasonable detail, the nature and basis for such Claim (
e.g.
, the underlying representation, warranty, covenant or agreement alleged to have been breached). Such notice shall include a formal demand for indemnification under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Indemnitee’s failure to send or delay in sending a third party Claim Notice will not relieve the Indemnifying Party from liability hereunder with respect to such Claim except to the extent the Indemnifying Party is materially prejudiced by such failure or delay and except as is otherwise provided herein. If the indemnified party knowingly failed to notify the Indemnifying Party thereof in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement in sufficient time to permit the indemnifying party or its counsel to defend against such matter and to make a timely response thereto including any responsive motion or answer to a complaint, petition, notice or other legal, equitable or administrative process relating to the Claim, the Indemnifying Party’s indemnity obligation relating to such Claim shall be limited to the extent that such knowing failure to notify the Indemnifying Party has actually resulted in material prejudice or damage to the Indemnifying
Party. Except as specifically provided herein, each Indemnitee’s rights and remedies set forth in this Agreement will survive the Closing and will not be deemed waived by such Indemnitee’s consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and will be effective regardless of any inspection or investigation conducted, or the awareness of any matters acquired (or capable or reasonably capable of being acquired), by or on behalf of such Indemnitee or by its directors, officers, employees, or representatives or at any time (regardless of whether notice of such knowledge has been given to the Indemnifying Party), whether before or after the Execution Date or the Closing Date with respect to any circumstances constituting a condition under this Agreement.
(o)
In the event of the assertion of any third party Claim for which, by the terms hereof, an Indemnifying Party is obligated to indemnify an Indemnitee, the Indemnifying Party will have the right, at such Indemnifying Party’s expense, to assume the defense of same including the appointment and selection of counsel on behalf of the Indemnitee so long as such counsel is reasonably acceptable to the Indemnitee. If the Indemnifying Party elects to assume the defense of any such third party Claim, it shall within 30 days of its receipt of the Claim Notice notify the Indemnitee in writing of its intent to do so. Any such contest may be conducted in the name and on behalf of the Indemnifying Party or the Indemnitee as may be appropriate. The Indemnifying Party will have the right to settle or compromise or take any corrective or remediation action with respect to any such Claim by all appropriate proceedings, which proceedings will be diligently prosecuted by the Indemnifying Party to a final conclusion or settled at the discretion of the Indemnifying Party. The Indemnitee will be entitled, at its own cost, to participate with the Indemnifying Party in the defense of any such Claim. If the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of any such third-party Claim but fails to diligently prosecute such Claim, or if the Indemnifying Party does not assume the defense of any such Claim, the Indemnitee may assume control of such defense and in the event it is determined pursuant to the procedures set forth in this
Article X
that the Claim was a matter for which the Indemnifying Party is required to provide indemnification under the terms of this
Article X
, the Indemnifying Party will bear the reasonable costs and expenses of such defense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses).
(p)
If requested by the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnitee agrees to reasonably cooperate with the Indemnifying Party and its counsel in contesting any Claim that the Indemnifying Party elects to contest or, if appropriate, in making any counterclaim against the Person asserting the Claim, or any cross-complaint against any Person, and the Indemnifying Party will reimburse the Indemnitee for any reasonable expenses incurred by it in so cooperating. At no cost or expense to the Indemnitee, the Indemnifying Party shall reasonably cooperate with the Indemnitee and its counsel in contesting any Claim.
(q)
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Indemnifying Party will not be permitted to settle, compromise, take any corrective or remedial action or enter into an agreed judgment or consent decree, in each case, that subjects the Indemnitee to any criminal liability, requires an admission of guilt, wrongdoing or fault on the part of the Indemnitee or imposes any continuing obligation on or requires any payment from the Indemnitee without the Indemnitee’s prior written consent.
(r)
Notwithstanding anything in this
Article X
to the contrary, any indemnification payment to be made to an Indemnitee pursuant to this
Article X
shall be effected by wire transfer of immediately available funds from the Indemnifying Party to an account designated by the Indemnitee within ten (10) days after the final determination thereof.
10.5
Express Negligence
.
THE PARTIES INTEND THAT THE INDEMNITIES SET FORTH IN THIS
ARTICLE X
BE CONSTRUED AND APPLIED AS WRITTEN ABOVE, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY RULE OF CONSTRUCTION TO THE CONTRARY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, SUCH INDEMNITIES SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY STATE’S “EXPRESS NEGLIGENCE” OR SIMILAR RULE THAT WOULD DENY COVERAGE BASED ON AN INDEMNIFIED PARTY’S SOLE OR CONCURRENT, ACTIVE OR PASSIVE NEGLIGENCE OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE. IT IS THE INTENT OF THE PARTIES THAT, TO THE EXTENT PROVIDED ABOVE, THE INDEMNITIES SET FORTH IN THIS
ARTICLE X
SHALL APPLY TO AN INDEMNIFIED PARTY’S SOLE OR CONCURRENT, ACTIVE OR PASSIVE NEGLIGENCE OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT THIS PROVISION IS “CONSPICUOUS” FOR PURPOSES OF ALL STATE LAWS.
10.6
No Reliance
.
(a)
THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER CONTAINED IN
ARTICLE III
AND
ARTICLE IV
CONSTITUTE THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER TO BUYER IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER CONTAINED IN
ARTICLE V
CONSTITUTE THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER TO SELLER IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT FOR SUCH REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, NO PARTY OR ANY OTHER PERSON MAKES ANY OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WITH RESPECT TO SUCH PARTY OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, AND EACH PARTY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, WHETHER MADE BY
SUCH PARTY OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF, OR ANY PERSON’S RELIANCE ON, ANY INFORMATION, DISCLOSURE OR OTHER DOCUMENT OR OTHER MATERIAL MADE AVAILABLE TO ANY PARTY IN ANY DATA ROOM, ELECTRONIC DATA ROOM, MANAGEMENT PRESENTATION OR IN ANY OTHER FORM IN EXPECTATION OF, OR IN CONNECTION WITH, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT). EXCEPT FOR SUCH REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, EACH PARTY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, PROJECTION, FORECAST, STATEMENT, OR INFORMATION MADE, COMMUNICATED OR FURNISHED (ORALLY OR IN WRITING) TO ANY OTHER PARTY OR ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING OPINION, INFORMATION, PROJECTION, OR ADVICE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN OR MAY BE PROVIDED TO ANY PARTY OR ANY OFFICER, DIRECTOR, EMPLOYEE, AGENT OR REPRESENTATIVE OF SUCH PARTY OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES).
10.7
Tax Treatment
. Any payments made to any Party pursuant to
Article X
shall constitute an adjustment of the Cash Consideration for Tax purposes and shall be treated as such by the Parties on their Tax Returns to the extent permitted by Law.
ARTICLE XI
GOVERNING LAW, CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND JURY TRIAL WAIVER
11.1
Governing Law
. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to the conflicts of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Texas or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Texas.
11.2
Consent to Jurisdiction
. The Parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of (a) any state or federal court sitting in Harris County, Texas, and (b) any state appellate court therefrom within the State of Texas for the purposes of any Proceeding arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (and each agrees that no such Proceeding relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be brought by it except in such courts). The Parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive (and agree not to plead or claim) any objection to the laying of venue of any Proceeding arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in (i) any state or federal court sitting in Harris County, Texas, or (ii) any state appellate court therefrom within the State of Texas or that any such Proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each of the Parties hereto also agrees that any final and non-appealable judgment against a Party hereto in connection with any Proceeding shall
be conclusive and binding on such Party and that such award or judgment may be enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction, either within or outside of the United States. A certified or exemplified copy of such award or judgment shall be conclusive evidence of the fact and amount of such award or judgment.
11.3
JURY TRIAL WAIVER.
EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT OR THE OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES AND, THEREFORE, EACH SUCH PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LEGAL ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (A) NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER IN THE EVENT OF A LEGAL ACTION, (B) SUCH PARTY HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WAIVER, (C) SUCH PARTY MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY, AND (D) SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
ARTICLE XII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
12.1
Amendment and Modification
. This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented only by written agreement of the Parties hereto.
12.2
Waiver of Compliance; Consents
. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, any failure of any of the Parties to comply with any obligation, covenant, agreement or condition in this Agreement may be waived by the Party or Parties entitled to the benefits thereof only by a written instrument signed by the Party or Parties granting such waiver, but such waiver or failure to insist upon strict compliance with such obligation, covenant, agreement or condition shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure.
12.3
Notices
. Any notice, demand or communication required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered personally, by reputable overnight delivery service or other courier or by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) as of the date of delivery if delivered personally or by overnight delivery service or other courier or (b) on the date receipt is acknowledged if delivered by certified mail, addressed as follows;
provided
that a notice of a change of address shall be effective only upon receipt thereof:
If to Buyer to:
Spark Holdco, LLC
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, TX 77079
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
With a copy to:
Spark Energy, Inc.
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, TX 77079
Attention: General Counsel
If to Seller to:
Provider Power, LLC
306 Rodman Road
Auburn, ME 04210
Attention: Kevin B. Dean
With a copy to:
The Bell Firm, P.A.
810 Lisbon Street, P.O. Box 1776
Lewiston, Maine 04241-1776
Attention: Shawn Bell
12.4
Assignment
. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their successors and permitted assigns. No Party may assign or transfer this Agreement or any of its rights, interests or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Parties; provided that Buyer may assign its rights (but not its obligations) to an Affiliate of Buyer without the consent of Seller, but nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve Buyer of any of its obligations herein.
12.5
Third Party Beneficiaries
. (a) this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns; (b) none of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the benefit of or enforceable by any third party, including any creditor of any Party or any of their Affiliates; and (c) no such third party shall obtain any right under any provision of this Agreement or shall by reasons of any such provision make any claim in respect of any liability (or otherwise) against any other Party.
12.6
Entire Agreement
. This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both oral and written, among the Parties or between any of them with respect to such subject matter.
12.7
Severability
. Whenever possible, each provision or portion of any provision of this Agreement will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable Law but if any provision or portion of any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or rule in any jurisdiction, such provision or portion of any provision shall be severable and the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not affect any other provision or portion of any provision in such jurisdiction, and this Agreement will be reformed, construed and enforced in such jurisdiction as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or portion of any provision had never been contained herein.
12.8
Representation by Counsel
. Each Party agrees that it cooperated in the drafting and preparation of this Agreement and the documents referred to herein, and any and all drafts relating thereto shall be deemed the work product of the Parties and may not be construed against any Party by reason of its preparation. Therefore, the Parties waive the application of any Law providing that ambiguities in an agreement or other document will be construed against the Party drafting such agreement or document.
12.9
Disclosure Schedules
.
The inclusion of any information (including dollar amounts) in any section of the Seller Disclosure Schedules, the Provider Disclosure Schedules or the Buyer Disclosure Schedules shall not be deemed to be an admission or acknowledgment by a Party that such information is required to be listed on such section of the Seller Disclosure Schedules, the Provider Disclosure Schedules, or the Buyer Disclosure Schedules or is material to or outside the ordinary course of the business of such Party or the Person to which such disclosure relates. The information contained in this Agreement, the Exhibits and the Schedules is disclosed solely for purposes of this Agreement, and no information contained in this Agreement, the Exhibits or the Schedules shall be deemed to be an admission by any Party to any third Person of any matter whatsoever (including any violation of a legal requirement or breach of contract). The disclosure contained in one disclosure schedule contained in the Seller Disclosure Schedules, the Provider Disclosure Schedules, or the Buyer Disclosure Schedules may be incorporated by reference into any other disclosure schedule contained therein, and shall be deemed to have been so incorporated into any other disclosure schedule so long as it is readily apparent on the face of such disclosure that the disclosure is applicable to such other disclosure schedule.
12.10
Electronic Signatures; Counterparts
. This Agreement may be executed by electronic transmission of signatures by any Party (i.e., portable document format or similar method) and such
signature shall be deemed binding for all purposes hereof, without delivery of an original signature being thereafter required. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which, when executed, shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same document.
12.11
Guaranty of Seller Obligations
. Each of Kevin B. Dean and Emile L. Clavet hereby jointly and severally guarantees the performance by Seller of its obligations hereunder.
12.12
Guaranty of Certain Buyer Obligations
. Spark Energy, Inc. hereby guarantees the obligations of Seller to pay the Installment Consideration, the Installment Interest and the RPS True-Up in accordance with Sections 2.2(b) and 2.4(g).
[
Signature page follows
]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Parties has caused this Agreement to be executed by its respective duly authorized officers as of the date first above written.
SELLER:
PROVIDER POWER, LLC
By:
/s/ Kevin B. Dean
Name:
Kevin B. Dean
Title:
President
SELLER’S REPRESENTATIVES:
By:
/s/ Kevin B. Dean
Name: Kevin B. Dean
By:
/s/ Emile L. Clavet
Name: Emile L. Clavet
Signature Page to
Membership Interest Purchase Agreement
BUYER:
SPARK HOLDCO, LLC
By:
/s/ Nathan Kroeker
Name: Nathan Kroeker Title: Chief Executive Officer
GUARANTOR:
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
By:
/s/ Nathan Kroeker
Name: Nathan Kroeker Title: Chief Executive Officer
Signature Page to
Membership Interest Purchase Agreement
Exhibit A
DEFINITIONS
“
Affiliate
” means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, a specified Person. A Person shall be deemed to control another Person if such first Person possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct, or cause the direction of, the management and policies of such other Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“
Agreement
” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
“
Base Consideration
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.2(b)
.
“
Base Consideration Allocation Schedule
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 6.8(g)
.
“
Business Day
” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in the State of Texas are authorized or obligated to be closed by applicable Laws.
“
Buyer
” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
“
Buyer Deductible
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.3(b)(ii)
.
“
Buyer Disclosure Schedules
” means the disclosure schedules to this Agreement prepared by Buyer and delivered to Seller on the Execution Date.
“
Buyer Fundamental Representations
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 7.3(a)
.
“
Buyer Indemnitees
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.1
.
“Buyer Material Adverse Effect”
means any Material Adverse Effect in respect of the Buyer.
“
Cash Consideration
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.2.
“Change of Control Payment”
means (a) any bonus, severance or other payment or other form of compensation that is created, accelerated, accrues or becomes payable by either Provider Party to any present or former director, owner, manager, member employee or consultant thereof, including pursuant to any benefit plan or any other contract, including any Taxes due from either Provider Party payable on or triggered by any such payment and (b) any other payment, expense or fee that accrues or becomes payable by either Provider Party to any Governmental Body or other Person under any Law or pursuant to the terms of any contract, including in connection with the
making of any filings, the giving of any notices or the obtaining of any consents, authorizations or approvals, in each case of (a) and (b), as a result of, or in connection with, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereunder and in the Transaction Documents.
“
Claim
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.4(a)
.
“
Claim Notice
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.4(a)
.
“
Closing
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 8.1
.
“
Closing Date
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 8.1
.
“
Closing Date Working Capital
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4
.
“
Code
” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“
Contract
” means any agreements (written or oral), commitments, leases, licenses, notes, evidences of indebtedness, mortgages, security agreements, bonds, or other instruments, obligations or binding arrangements or understandings of any kind or character, whether oral or in writing.
“
Control
” means, where used with respect to any Person, the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through ownership of Voting Interests, by contract or otherwise, and the terms “
Controlling
” and “
Controlled
” have correlative meanings.
“
Conveyance
” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“
Creditors’ Rights
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 3.2(b)
.
“
Current Assets
” means the assets of the Provider Companies, on a consolidated basis, which would be classified as “current assets” under GAAP and determined in accordance with the principles, policies, methodologies and procedures adopted in the preparation of the Provider Financial Statements. Current Assets shall not include revenues from any Hedges.
“
Current Liabilities
” means liabilities of the Provider Companies, on a consolidated basis, which would be classified as “current liabilities” under GAAP and determined in accordance with the principles, policies, methodologies and procedures adopted in the preparation of the Provider Financial Statements. Current Liabilities shall not include any liabilities for the current portion of, and any interest expense on, any Indebtedness of Provider Power and Seller that is discharged in full at or prior to the Closing.
“
De Minimis Claim
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.3(a)
.
“
Disclosure Schedule
” means (i) with respect to Seller, the Seller Disclosure Schedules and the Provider Disclosure Schedules, (ii) with respect to Buyer, the Buyer Disclosure Schedules.
“
Effective Date
” means 12:01 the first day of the calendar month in which Closing occurs.
“
Effective Date Working Capital
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(a)
.
“
ERISA
” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“
ERISA Affiliate
” means, with respect to any entity, trade or business, any other entity, trade or business that is a member of a group described in Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA that includes the first entity, trade or business, or that is a member of the same “controlled group” as the first entity, trade or business pursuant to section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA.
“
Escrow Agent
” means Compass Bank (BBVA) N.A.
“
Escrow Amount
” means (a) fifty percent (50%) of each Installment up to an aggregate total of $3,000,000.00; plus (b) the Installment Interest.
“
Estimated Closing Statement
” means pro forma unaudited balance sheets, statements of operations and cash flows and other documents of Provider Power and Seller, on a consolidated basis, setting forth the Current Assets and Current Liabilities of Provider Power and Seller, on a consolidated basis, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and a calculation of the Working Capital that is estimated to exist as of the Effective Date in accordance with GAAP.
“
Estimated Working Capital
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.3(a)
.
“
Event
” means any event, change, development, effect, condition, matter, occurrence or state of facts.
“
Execution Date
” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
“
Expiration Date
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.3(d)(i)
.
“
Final Closing Statement
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(d)
.
“
Fundamental Expiration Date
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.3(d)(i)
.
“
GAAP
” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth from time to time in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (or agencies with similar functions of comparable stature and authority within the U.S. accounting profession), which are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.
“
Governmental Approval
” means all material notices, reports, filings, approvals, orders, authorizations, consents, licenses, permits, qualifications or registrations or waivers of any of the foregoing, required to be obtained from or made with, or any notice, statement or other communications required to be filed with or delivered to, any Governmental Authority.
“
Governmental Authority
” means any executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative agency, body, commission, department, board, court, tribunal, arbitrating body or authority of the United States or any foreign country, or any state, local or other governmental subdivision thereof.
“
Hedges
” means any swap, option, swaption, hedge, collar, futures or similar Contract involving natural gas or electric power, or any other commodities trading Contract.
“
Indebtedness
” means, without duplication, all indebtedness, liabilities and obligations, now existing or hereafter arising, whether or not for money borrowed by a Person (including accrued and unpaid interest) or the incurrence of an obligation resulting in a monetary liability or obligation, or any contingent liability for or guaranty by a Person of any obligation of any other Person (including the pledge of any collateral or grant of any security interest by a Person in any property as security for any such liability, guaranty or obligation) whether or not any note, indenture, guaranty, bond, debenture, loan agreement or other similar instruments.
“
Indemnified Party
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.3(e)
.
“
Indemnifying Party
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.3(a)
.
“
Indemnitee
” means, individually and as a group, the Buyer Indemnitees or the Seller Indemnitee, who are seeking indemnification under this Agreement, as applicable.
“
Independent Accountant
” means an independent nationally recognized United States based accounting firm that does not have an existing relationship with either of the Parties as is mutually agreed upon by the Parties, together with any experts such firm may require in order to settle a particular dispute.
“
Installment Interest
” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(b).
“
Insurance Policies
” hast the meaning set forth in
Section 4.21
.
“
Interest
” means (i) capital stock, common units, member or limited liability company interests, partnership interests, other equity interests, rights to profits or revenue and any other similar interest, (ii) any security or other interest convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of the foregoing and (iii) any right (contingent or otherwise) to acquire any of the foregoing.
“
Knowledge
” means (i) with respect to Seller and any Provider Company, the actual knowledge of Emile L. Clavet or Kevin B. Dean and (ii) with respect to Buyer, the actual knowledge of Nathan Kroeker, Georganne Hodges or Gil Melman.
“
Law
” means any law, statute, code, ordinance, order, rule, rule of common law, regulation, judgment, decree, injunction, franchise, permit, certificate, license or authorization of any Governmental Authority.
“
Leases
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.8
.
“
Lien
” means § any mortgage, security interest, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, charge or other encumbrance, lien (statutory or otherwise), right or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever in respect of any property or assets (including those created by, arising under or evidenced by any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, the interest of a lessor under a capital lease, any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing, or the filing of any financing statement naming any Provider Party or its Subsidiaries, under the Uniform Commercial Code or any comparable law) or other similar property interest or encumbrance in respect of any property or asset, and (ii) any easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, restrictive covenants, rights, leases and other encumbrances on the title to real or personal property (whether or not of record).
“
Losses
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.1
.
“
Maineco
” means interests in Electricity Maine, LLC, a Maine limited liability company.
“
Massco
”
means a Provider Power Mass, LLC, a Maine limited liability company.
“
Material Adverse Effect
” shall mean with respect to any Person, any Event that, individually or in the aggregate, (x) is or would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the assets, liabilities, business, condition (financial or otherwise), operations or properties of such Person and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (y) if applicable, is or would reasonably be
expected to adversely affect such Person’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated in this Agreement,
provided
that in determining whether a Material Adverse Effect has occurred, any change, event or development relating to (i) the markets or industries in which the relevant Person operates, (ii) United States or global economic conditions or financial markets in general, (iii) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement including any public announcement of same, or (iv) changes in Law, shall not be considered to give rise to or constitute a Material Adverse Effect;
provided further,
that to be excluded under subsection (iv) above, such condition may not disproportionately affect, as compared to others in such business or industry, the relevant Person.
“
Multiemployer Plan
” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(37) of ERISA.
“
Multiple Employer Plan
” means a plan described in Section 4063(a) of ERISA.
“
NHco
” means Electricity New Hampshire, LLC, a Maine limited liability company.
“
Noble
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.11
.
“
Noble Agreements
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.11
.
“
Noble Indebtedness
” means all Indebtedness of Seller and the Provider Company to Noble Energy, Inc. and its affiliates under the Noble Agreements or otherwise..
“
Preliminary Closing Statement
”
has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(a)
.
“
Provider Acquisition Transaction
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 6.7
.
“
Provider Assets
” means the following assets and properties owned or leased by or on behalf of the Provider Companies:
(ii)
all tangible personal property of every kind and nature that is used primarily in the ownership and operation of the Provider Business, including furniture, supplies, inventory, materials and other fixtures, improvements and appurtenances thereto, wherever located at and used or necessary in the operation of the Provider Business (collectively, the “
Provider Personal Property
”);
(iii)
all benefits and rights under permits, licenses, certificates, orders, approvals, authorizations, grants, consents, concessions, waivers, registrations, warrants, franchises and similar rights and privileges that are granted by a Governmental Authority and are necessary for, or are used or held for use primarily for or in connection with, the ownership and operation of the Provider Business and the Provider Personal Property, including the Permits;
(iv) all prepaid rent, lease and security deposits;
(v)
all warranties, representations and guarantees made by suppliers, manufacturers and contractors covering the Provider Business and Contracts;
(vi) all benefits and rights under the Contracts;
(vii)
all rights and benefits of the following, in each case relating primarily to the Provider Business: (A) all purchase orders, invoices, storage or warehouse receipts, certificates of title and documents, and (B) all keys, lock combinations, computer access codes and other devices or information necessary to gain entry to or take possession of the assets used or useful in connection with the Provider Business;
(viii)
copies or originals of all tangible, digital or electronic Contracts, operating, performance, warranty, accounting, and other data, files, documents, instruments, notes, correspondence, equipment, procedures and records, historical data, sales and purchase records, materials relating to suppliers, vendors and other service providers, papers, ledgers, journals, reports, books, records, plans, and studies which relate primarily to the Provider Business or which are used or held for use primarily in connection with, the ownership and operation of the Provider Business; provided, however, such material shall not include (A) any proprietary data that is not primarily used in connection with the continued ownership or operations of the Provider Business, (B) any information subject to third Person confidentiality agreements for which a consent or waiver cannot be secured after commercially reasonable efforts with no obligation to spend money, or (C) any information which, if disclosed, would violate an attorney-client privilege or would constitute a waiver of rights as to attorney work product or attorney-client privileged communications, unless such information is needed for operation of the Provider Business, and the Parties enter a mutually agreeable joint defense agreement related thereto (collectively, the “
Provider Records
”); and
(ix)
the benefits in and rights to enforce all claims, causes of action, indemnities, rights of recovery, rights of set off, rights of recoupment, warranties, covenants, guarantees, and all suretyship agreements (and all proceeds from any of the foregoing) to the extent relating to the Provider Business.
(x)
all cash, accounts receivable and inventory of the Provider Companies shall remain with the Provider Companies.
“
Provider Audited Annual Financial Statements
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.3(a)
.
“
Provider Benefit Plans
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.15(a)(ii)
.
“
Provider Business
” means the Provider Parties’ business of retail, commercial and industrial sales of electrical power and natural gas consistent with past practices.
“
Provider Companies
” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals to this Agreement.
“
Provider Contracts
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.10(b)
.
“
Provider Financial Statements
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.3(a)
.
“
Provider Interests
” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals to this Agreement.
“
Provider Interests Assignment
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 8.2(a)(i)
.
“
Provider Parties
” means the Seller’s Representatives and the Provider Companies, collectively.
“
Provider Personal Property
” has the meaning set forth in
Exhibit A
under the definition “Provider Assets.”
“
Provider Records
” has the meaning set forth in
Exhibit A
under the definition of “Provider Assets.”
“
Provider Unaudited Annual Financial Statements
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.3(a)
.
“
Provider Unaudited Interim Financial Statements
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.3(a)
.
“
Objection Notice
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(b)
.
“
Objection Period
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(b)
.
“
Organizational Documents
” means, with respect to any Person, the articles of incorporation, certificate of incorporation, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership, bylaws, limited liability company agreement, operating agreement, partnership agreement, stockholders’ agreement and all other similar documents, instruments or certificates executed, adopted or filed in connection with the creation, formation or organization of such Person, including any amendments thereto.
“
Original Working Capital
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(a)
.
“
Party
” or “
Parties
” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
“
Permits
” means all permits, approvals, consents, licenses, franchises, exemptions and other authorizations, consents and approvals of or from Governmental Authorities.
“
Permitted Liens
” means, with respect to any Person, (a) statutory Liens for current Taxes applicable to the assets or business of such Person or assessments not yet delinquent or the amount or validity of which is being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP; (b) mechanics’, carriers’, workers’, repairmens’, landlords’ and other similar liens arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business of such Person relating to obligations as to which there is no default on the part of such Person or the amount or validity of which is being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP, (c) Liens as may have arisen in the ordinary course of business of such Person, none of which are material to the ownership, use or operation of the assets of such Person and which relate to amounts not yet delinquent; (d) statutory Liens for obligations that are not delinquent or the amount or validity of which is being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP, (e) zoning and building laws, ordinances and regulations, that do not materially interfere with the use and operation of the assets of such Person in the ordinary course of business and (f) any Liens with respect to assets of such Person, which, together with all other Liens, do not materially detract from the value of such Person or materially interfere with the present use of the assets owned by such Person or the conduct of the business of such Person.
“
Person
” means any natural person, corporation, limited partnership, general partnership, limited liability company, joint stock company, joint venture, association, company, estate, trust, bank trust company, land trust, business trust, or other organization, whether or not a legal entity, custodian, trustee-executor, administrator, nominee or entity in a representative capacity and any Governmental Authority.
“
Pre-Closing Date Tax Period
” means any Tax period (or a portion thereof) ending on or before the Closing Date.
“
Preliminary Closing Statement
” means pro forma unaudited balance sheets, statements of operations and cash flows and other documents setting forth the Current Assets and Current Liabilities of Provider Power, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and a calculation of the Effective Date Working Capital using the same principles, policies, methodologies and procedures utilized in the preparation of the Provider Financial Statements.
“
Proceeding
” means any action, suit, arbitration proceeding, administrative or regulatory investigation, review, audit, proceeding, citation, summons or subpoena of any nature (civil, criminal, regulatory or otherwise) in law or in equity.
“
Reasonable Efforts
” means with respect to a given goal, the efforts that a reasonable person in the position of the promisor would use so as to achieve that goal as expeditiously as possible, provided, however, that an obligation to use all Reasonable Efforts under this Agreement does not require the promisor to take any actions that would, individually or in the aggregate, cause the promisor to incur costs, or suffer any other detriment, out of reasonable proportion to the benefits to the promisor under this agreement.
“
Records
” means the books (including books of accounting and minute books), records and files, including Contracts and any and all Tax, financial, human resources, and other information of the Provider Companies.
“
Registered Intellectual Property
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.13
.
“
Representatives
” means, with respect to any Person, any and all directors, officers, managers, employees, consultants, financial advisors, counsel, accountants and other agents of such Person.
“
Responsible Officer
” means, with respect to any Person, any vice-president or more senior officer of such Person.
“
Seller
” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
“
Seller Deductible
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.3(b)(i)
.
“
Seller Disclosure Schedules
” means the disclosure schedules to this Agreement prepared by Seller pertaining to the Provider Companies and delivered to Buyer on the Execution Date.
“
Seller Fundamental Representations
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 7.2(a)
.
“
Seller Indemnitees
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 10.2
.
“
Seller Material Adverse Effect
” means any Material Adverse Effect in respect of the Seller or the Provider Companies.
“
Straddle Period
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 6.8(c)
.
“
Subsidiary
” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity of which a majority of the Voting Interests are at the time owned or Controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof.
“
Target Working Capital
” means Working Capital of the Provider Companies, on a consolidated basis, of zero ($0.00).
“
Tax
” means any federal, state, local or foreign income, gross receipts, branch profits, license, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, windfall profits, escheat, environmental, customs duties, capital stock, franchise, profits, withholding, social security, unemployment, disability, real property, personal property, sales, use, transfer, registration, ad valorem, value added, alternative or add-on minimum or estimated tax or other tax of any kind whatsoever, including any interest, penalty or addition thereto, whether disputed or not.
“
Tax Return
” means any return, report, information return, declaration, claim for refund or other document (including any related or supporting information or schedules) supplied or required to be supplied to any taxing authority or any Person with respect to Taxes and including any supplement or amendment thereof.
“
Termination Date
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 9.1(c)
.
“
Transaction Documents
” means this Agreement, the Provider Interests Assignment, the Escrow Agreement and the agreements, instruments, documents and certificates contemplated hereby and thereby.
“
Transfer Taxes
” has the meaning set forth in
Section 6.8(a)
.
“
Treasury Regulations
” means the regulations (including temporary regulations) promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury pursuant to and in respect of provisions of the Code. All references herein to sections of the Treasury Regulations shall include any corresponding provision or provisions of succeeding, similar or substitute, temporary or final Treasury Regulations.
“
Voting Interests
” of any Person as of any date means the equity interests of such Person pursuant to which the holders thereof have the general voting power under ordinary circumstances to elect at least a majority of the board of directors, managers, general partners or trustees of such Person (regardless of whether, at the time, equity interests of any other class or classes shall have, or might have, voting power by reason of the occurrence of any contingency) or, with respect to a partnership (whether general or limited), any general partner interest in such partnership.
“
Working Capital
” means the difference between Current Assets and Current Liabilities, calculated in accordance with the example of such calculations set forth in Schedule 2.3(a) attached hereto.
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF PROVIDER INTERESTS ASSIGNMENT
EXHIBIT C
EXAMPLE OF CALCULATION OF PURCHASE PRICE
The numbers below are assumed values only and are included herein solely for illustrative purposes. Actual amounts under the Agreement will be different.
Purchase Price: $28,000,000
Assumed Outstanding debt: $22,000,000
Assumed Accounts Receivable: $5,000,000
Assumed Unbilled Accts Receivable: $6,000,000
Assumed Supply Payables $6,000,000
|
|
1.
|
Calculation of Net Working Capital: $5,000,000 +6,000,000-6,000,000=
$5,000,000
|
|
|
2.
|
Calculation of Purchase Price payable at closing:
|
Outstanding debt…………$22,000,000
Less Net Pos.WC…………($5,000,000)
Plus add’l Closing payment.
$1,350,000
Total……………………….$18,350,000
|
|
3.
|
Total Amount payable at closing:
|
Portion of Purchase Price payable at closing……$18,350,000
Plus Net Working Capital…………………………$5
,000,000
Total………………………………………………$23,350,000
|
|
4.
|
Deferred Purchase Price payable in installments:
|
Total Purchase Price….……………………………$28,000,000
Less portion already paid at closing………………
($18,350,000)
Deferred Purchase Price payable over 10 months………………$9,650,000
EXHIBIT D
EARNOUT PAYMENT UNDER SECTION 2.3(c)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Customer Count (000s) - As of May 31, 2017
|
WASP (¢/kWh)
|
110 – 120
|
120 – 130
|
130 – 140
|
140+
|
9.0 – 9.5
|
$0.0
|
$1.0
|
$3.0
|
$4.0
|
9.5 – 10.0
|
$1.0
|
$2.0
|
$4.0
|
$4.0
|
10.0 – 10.5
|
$2.0
|
$3.0
|
$4.0
|
$4.0
|
Amounts in table represent millions of dollars
|
EXHIBIT E
FORM OF NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT OF SELLER AND EACH OF KEVIN B. DEAN AND EMILE L. CLAVET
EXHIBIT F
FORM OF ESCROW AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT G
NOT USED
EXHIBIT H
KEY TERMS OF LEASE
|
|
Monthly Lease Payments:
|
$12,500
|
|
|
Renewal Options:
|
Lessee option to renew for four additional one year periods
|
|
|
Description of Space:
|
5425contiguous square feet of office space as currently being used by the Provider Buyers
|
|
|
Inclusions:
|
All ancillary terms currently provided, including without limitation, lawn care, snow removal, janitorial, utilities system help, desk support security, maintenance
|
SCHEDULE 2.4(a)
EXAMPLE CALCULATION OF WORKING CAPITAL
Cash in Bank of Seller on date of Closing
+
Accounts Receivable of Seller on date of Closing, net of allowances for doubtful accounts
+
Unbilled Accounts Receivable on date of Closing, net of allowances for doubtful accounts
+
Deposits on account with any trading partners
-
Trade payables and other accrued liabilities outstanding on date of Closing
-
June delivered energy supply bill.
-
RPS Obligations for NH based on 2016 RPS standards
*
*
True-up for this line item to be addressed separately under Section 2.4(g).
ANNEX B
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN AND TO BE ISSUED PURSUANT HERETO HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. THERE ARE FURTHER RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.
THE PURCHASE OF THE SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ONLY BY PERSONS WHO CAN BEAR THE RISK OF THE LOSS OF THEIR ENTIRE INVESTMENT.
ISSUERS:
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77042
SPARK ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77042
Article I
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Retailco, LLC (“
Subscriber
”) understands that (i) Spark Energy, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (“
Issuer 1
”), is offering an aggregate of 900,000 shares of
its Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “
Issuer 1 Securities
”) in a private placement and (ii) Spark Holdco, LLC, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (“
Issuer 2
”) is offering an aggregate of up to 900,000 of its membership units (“
Issuer 2 Securities
”) in a private placement. Subscriber understands that each offering of Issuer 1 Securities and Issuer 2 Securities is being made without registration of the Issuer 1 Securities and Issuer 2 Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “
Securities Act
”), or any securities law of any state of the United States or of any other jurisdiction, and is being made only to “accredited investors” (as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act). The Issuer 1 Securities and Issuer 2 Securities may sometimes hereinafter be collectively referred to as the “
Securities
”.
1.
Subscription
. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, Subscriber hereby irrevocably subscribes for the Securities for the aggregate purchase price of Eighteen Million and No/100 Dollars ($18,000,000.00) (the “
Subscription Price
”), which is payable as described in
Section 4
hereof. Subscriber acknowledges that the Securities will be subject to restrictions on transfer as set forth in this subscription agreement (the “
Subscription Agreement
”).
2.
Acceptance of Subscription and Issuance of Securities
. It is understood and agreed that each of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 shall have the sole right, at its complete discretion, to accept or reject this subscription, in whole or in part, for any reason and that the same shall be deemed to be accepted by Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 only when it is signed by a duly authorized officer of each of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 and delivered to Subscriber at the Closing referred to in
Section 3
hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if either Issuer 1 or Issuer 2 rejects this Subscription, it shall be deemed that each of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 have rejected same. Notwithstanding anything in this Subscription Agreement to the contrary, neither Issuer 1 nor Issuer 2 shall have any obligation to issue any of the Securities to any person who is a resident of a jurisdiction in which the issuance of Securities to such person would constitute a violation of the securities, “blue sky” or other similar laws of such jurisdiction (collectively referred to as the “
State Securities Laws
”).
3.
The Closing
. The closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities (the “
Closing
”) shall take place at the offices of Issuer 1 on July 1, 2016, or at such other time and place as Issuer 1 may designate by notice to Subscriber.
4.
Payment for Securities
. At the Closing, the Subscription Price shall be paid by Subscriber to Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 by wire transfer of immediately available funds or other means approved by Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 at or prior to the Closing. At the Closing Issuer 1 shall instruct its transfer agent to issue on behalf of Issuer 1 the Issuer 1 Securities to Subscriber and Issuer 2 shall issue the Issuer 2 Securities to Subscriber, each bearing an appropriate legend referring to the fact that the Securities were sold in reliance upon an exemption from registration under the Securities Act.
5.
Representations and Warranties of the Issuer 1
. As of the Closing, Issuer 1 represents and warrants to and covenants with Subscriber that:
(a)
Issuer 1 is duly formed and validly existing under the laws of Delaware, with full power and authority to conduct its business as it is currently being conducted and to own its assets; and has secured any other authorizations, approvals, permits and orders required by law for the conduct of its business as it is currently being conducted.
(b)
Issuer 1 has all requisite authority to sell the Issuer 1 Securities, enter into this Subscription Agreement and to perform all the obligations required to be performed by Issuer 1 hereunder, and such sale will not contravene any law, rule or regulation binding on Issuer 1 or any restriction applicable to Issuer 1.
(c)
The Issuer 1 Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in the manner set forth in this Subscription Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
6.
Representations and Warranties of the Issuer 2
. As of the Closing, Issuer 2 represents and warrants to and covenants with Subscriber that:
(a)
Issuer 2 is duly formed and validly existing under the laws of Delaware, with full power and authority to conduct its business as it is currently being conducted and to own its assets; and has secured any other authorizations, approvals, permits and orders required by law for the conduct of its business as it is currently being conducted.
(b)
Issuer 2 has all requisite authority to sell the Issuer 2 Securities, enter into this Subscription Agreement and to perform all the obligations required to be performed by Issuer 2 hereunder, and such sale will not contravene any law, rule or regulation binding on Issuer 2 or any restriction applicable to Issuer 2.
(c)
The Issuer 2 Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in the manner set forth in this Subscription Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
7.
Representations and Warranties of Subscriber
. As of the Closing, Subscriber hereby represents and warrants to and covenants with Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 that:
(a)
General
.
(i)
Subscriber has all requisite authority to purchase the Securities, enter into this Subscription Agreement and to perform all the obligations required to be performed by Subscriber hereunder, and such purchase will not contravene any law, rule or regulation binding on Subscriber or any restriction applicable to Subscriber.
(ii)
Subscriber is duly formed and validly existing under the laws of Texas, with full power and authority to conduct its business as it is currently being conducted and to own its assets; and has secured any other authorizations, approvals, permits and orders required by law for the conduct of its business as it is currently being conducted.
(b)
Information Concerning Issuer 1 and Issuer 2
.
(i)
Subscriber understands and accepts that the purchase of the Securities involves various risks, including the risks outlined in Issuer 1’s most recent 10-K and in this Subscription Agreement. Subscriber represents that it is able to bear any loss associated with an investment in the Securities.
(ii)
Subscriber confirms that it is not relying on any communication (written or oral) of Issuer 1 or Issuer 2 or any of their respective affiliates, as investment advice or as a recommendation to purchase the Securities. It is understood that information and explanations
related to the terms and conditions of the Securities provided by either Issuer 1, Issuer 2 or any of their respective affiliates shall not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to purchase the Securities, and that none of Issuer 1, Issuer 2 and any of their respective affiliates is acting or has acted as an advisor to Subscriber in deciding to invest in the Securities. Subscriber acknowledges that none of Issuer 1, Issuer 2 and any of their respective affiliates has made any representation regarding the proper characterization of the Securities for purposes of determining Subscriber’s authority to invest in the Securities.
(iii)
Subscriber is familiar with the business and financial condition and operations of each of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2. Subscriber has had access to information concerning Issuer 1, Issuer 2 and the Securities as it deems necessary to enable it to make an informed investment decision concerning the purchase of the Securities.
(iv)
Subscriber acknowledges that each of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 has the right in its sole and absolute discretion to abandon this private placement at any time prior to the completion of the offering and that if either Issuer 1 or Issuer 2 abandons this private placement, such abandonment shall also be deemed abandoned by the other issuer. This Subscription Agreement shall thereafter have no force or effect and Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 shall return any previously paid Subscription Price of the Securities, without interest thereon, if paid by Subscriber prior to any such abandonment.
(v)
Subscriber understands that no federal or state agency has passed upon the merits or risks of an investment in the Securities or made any finding or determination concerning the fairness or advisability of this investment.
(c)
Non-reliance
.
(i)
Subscriber represents that it is not relying on (and will not at any time rely on) any communication (written or oral) of either Issuer 1 or Issuer 2, as investment advice or as a recommendation to purchase the Securities, it being understood that any information and explanations related to the terms and conditions of the Securities and the other transaction documents
made by either Issuer 1 or Issuer 2 shall not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to purchase the Securities.
(ii)
Subscriber confirms that neither Issuer 1 nor Issuer 2 has (A) given any guarantee or representation as to the potential success, return, effect or benefit (either legal, regulatory, tax, financial, accounting or otherwise) of an investment in the Securities or (B) made any representation to Subscriber regarding the legality of an investment in the Securities under applicable legal investment or similar laws or regulations. In deciding to purchase the Securities, Subscriber is not relying on the advice or recommendations of either Issuer 1 or Issuer 2 and Subscriber has made its own independent decision that the investment in the Securities is suitable and appropriate for Subscriber.
(d)
Status of Subscriber
.
(i)
Subscriber has such knowledge, skill and experience in business, financial and investment matters that Subscriber is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Securities. With the assistance of Subscriber’s own professional advisors, to the extent that Subscriber has deemed appropriate, Subscriber has made its own legal, tax, accounting and financial evaluation of the merits and risks of an investment in the Securities and the consequences of this Subscription Agreement. Subscriber has considered the suitability of the Securities as an investment in light of its own circumstances and financial condition and Subscriber is able to bear the risks associated with an investment in the Securities and its authority to invest in the Securities.
(ii)
Subscriber is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act. Subscriber agrees to furnish any additional information requested by Issuer 1, Issuer 2 or any of its affiliates to assure compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws in connection with the purchase and sale of the Securities.
(e)
Restrictions on Transfer or Sale of Securities
. As applies to Subscriber:
(i)
Subscriber is acquiring the Securities solely for Subscriber’s own beneficial account, for investment purposes, and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution of the Securities. Subscriber understands that the Securities have not been registered
under the Securities Act or any State Securities Laws by reason of specific exemptions under the provisions thereof which depend in part upon the investment intent of Subscriber and of the other representations made by Subscriber in this Subscription Agreement. Subscriber understands that each of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 is relying upon the representations and agreements contained in this Subscription Agreement (and any supplemental information) for the purpose of determining whether this transaction meets the requirements for such exemptions.
(ii)
Subscriber understands that the Securities are “restricted securities” under applicable federal securities laws and that the Securities Act and the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “
Commission
”) provide in substance that Subscriber may dispose of the Securities only pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom.
(iii)
Subscriber agrees: (A) that Subscriber will not sell, assign, give, transfer or otherwise dispose of the Securities or any interest therein, or make any offer or attempt to do any of the foregoing, except pursuant to a registration of the Securities under the Securities Act and all applicable State Securities Laws, or in a transaction which is exempt from the registration provisions of the Securities Act and all applicable State Securities Laws; (B) that the Securities will bear a legend making reference to the foregoing restrictions; and (C) that none of Issuer 1, Issuer 2 and any of their respective affiliates shall be required to give effect to any purported transfer of such Securities except upon compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
(f) Undertakings by Subscriber:
(i)
Subscriber shall approve the issuance and purchase of the Securities through a written consent of majority shareholder of Issuer 1 in a form reasonably satisfactory to Issuer 1 and in compliance with the requirements for shareholder approval of certain issuances of stock under the NASDAQ Listing Rules and Regulations (the “NASDAQ Rules”). Subscriber shall take all actions reasonably requested by Issuer 1 in order for Issuer 1 to comply with the NASDAQ Rules in connection with the transaction contemplated in this Agreement.
8.
Registration Rights
. Issuer 1 does hereby grant unto Subscriber registration rights effective at the Closing as set forth in that certain Registration Rights Agreement set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto.
9.
Conditions to Obligations of Subscriber, Issuer 1 and Issuer 2
. The obligations of Subscriber to purchase and pay for the Securities as set forth in this Subscription Agreement and of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 to sell the Securities are subject to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing of the following conditions precedent: the representations and warranties of each of Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 contained in
Section 5
and
Section 6
hereof and of Subscriber contained in
Section
7 hereof shall be true and correct as of the Closing in all respects with the same effect as though such representations and warranties had been made as of the Closing.
10.
Obligations Irrevocable
. Subject to the provisions of Section 3, the obligations of Subscriber shall be irrevocable.
11.
Legend
. The Securities sold pursuant to this Subscription Agreement will be subject to the following legend in substantially the following form, whether physical securities are issued or are delivered in book-entry form:
“THE SECURITIES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE OR IN BOOK-ENTRY FORM HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT (1) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR (2) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND THE SECURITIES LAWS OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AND IN THE CASE OF A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION, UNLESS THE ISSURE 1 OR ISSUER 2, AS APPLICABLE, HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSACTION DOES NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND SUCH OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS.”
12.
Waiver, Amendment
. Neither this Subscription Agreement nor any provisions hereof shall be modified, changed, discharged or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by the party against whom any waiver, change, discharge or termination is sought.
13.
Assignability
. Neither this Subscription Agreement nor any right, remedy, obligation or liability arising hereunder or by reason hereof shall be assignable by Issuer 1, Issuer 2 or Subscriber without the prior written consent of the other parties.
14.
Waiver of Jury Trial
. EACH OF ISSUER 1, ISSUER 2 AND SUBSCRIBER IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT.
15.
Governing Law
. This Subscription Agreement and the rights and duties of the parties arising out of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed, enforced, and performed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, as the same may be amended from time to time, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Texas.
16.
Section and Other Headings
. The section and other headings contained in this Subscription Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Subscription Agreement.
17.
Counterparts
. This Subscription Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same agreement. Delivery of an executed version of this Subscription Agreement by facsimile transmission, email or other electronic means shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.
18.
Notices
. All notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered personally or sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid to the following addresses (or such other address as a party shall have specified by notice in writing to the other parties):
If to the Issuer 1: Spark Energy, Inc.
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77079
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
With a copy to: Spark Energy, Inc.
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77079
Attention: General Counsel
If to Issuer 2: Spark Holdco, LLC
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77079
Attention: Spark Energy, Inc.
Managing Member
If to Subscriber: Retailco, LLC
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77079
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
With a copy to: Retailco, LLC
12140 Wickchester Lane, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77079
Attention: General Counsel
19.
Binding Effect
. The provisions of this Subscription Agreement shall be binding upon and accrue to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
20.
Survival
. All representations, warranties and covenants contained in this Subscription Agreement shall survive the acceptance of the subscription by Issuer 1 and Issuer 2 and the Closing.
21.
Notification of Changes
. Each of Issuer 1, Issuer 2 and Subscriber hereby covenants and agrees to notify the other parties upon the occurrence of any event prior to the Closing of the purchase of the Securities pursuant to this Subscription Agreement which would cause any representation, warranty, or covenant of Issuer 1, Issuer 2 or Subscriber, as applicable, contained in this Subscription Agreement to be false or incorrect.
22.
Severability
. If any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Subscriber has executed this Subscription Agreement this third day of May, 2016.
SUBSCRIBER:
RETAILCO, LLC
By:
/s/ W. Keith Maxwell III
Name: W. Keith Maxwell III
Title: Chief Executive Officer
The offer to purchase Issuer 1 Securities as set forth above is confirmed and accepted by Issuer 1.
ISSUER 1:
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
By:
/s/ Nathan Kroeker
Name: Nathan Kroeker
Title: Chief Executive Officer
The offer to purchase Issuer 2 Securities as set forth above is confirmed and accepted by Issuer 2.
ISSUER 2:
SPARK HOLDCO, LLC
By: Spark Energy, Inc., in its
capacity as Managing Member
By:
/s/ Nathan Kroeker
Name:Nathan Kroeker
Title:Chief Executive Officer
[Signature Page to Subscription Agreement]
ANNEX C
MEMBERSHIP INTEREST PURCHASE AGREEMENT
BY AND AMONG
NATIONAL GAS & ELECTRIC, LLC,
RETAILCO, LLC,
SPARK HOLDCO, LLC,
AND
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
DATED AS OF MAY 3, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
1.1
|
Certain Definitions 1
|
|
|
1.2
|
Other Definitional and Interpretive Matters 15
|
|
|
ARTICLE 2
|
SALE AND PURCHASE OF EQUITY INTERESTS; PURCHASE PRICE 16
|
|
|
2.1
|
Sale and Purchase of Interests 16
|
|
|
2.2
|
Purchase Price; Escrow; Earnout 16
|
|
|
2.3
|
Purchase Price Adjustment 18
|
|
|
3.2
|
Transaction to be Effected at the Closing 20
|
|
|
ARTICLE 4
|
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES REGARDING THE COMPANIES 21
|
|
|
4.1
|
Organization, Authority and Qualification 21
|
|
|
4.5
|
Financial Statements 24
|
|
|
4.6
|
Absence of Certain Changes or Events 25
|
|
|
4.7
|
Litigation and Regulatory Matters 27
|
|
|
4.8
|
Compliance With Laws; Permits 27
|
|
|
4.9
|
Environmental Matters 27
|
|
|
4.10
|
Material Contracts 28
|
|
|
4.11
|
Intellectual Property 29
|
|
|
4.12
|
Title to Assets; Real Property 30
|
|
|
4.13
|
Employee Benefits 31
|
|
|
4.16
|
Brokers’ and Other Fees of Seller 33
|
|
|
4.17
|
Banking Facilities 33
|
|
|
4.18
|
Change of Control Payments 33
|
|
|
4.19
|
Agreements with Affiliates 34
|
|
|
ARTICLE 5
|
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER 34
|
|
|
5.3
|
No Conflicts; Consents 34
|
|
|
5.4
|
Ownership and Transfer 35
|
|
|
5.5
|
Investment Purpose 35
|
|
|
5.6
|
Restricted Securities 35
|
|
|
5.7
|
Information Made Available to Seller 35
|
|
|
ARTICLE 6
|
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER 36
|
|
|
6.1
|
Organization and Authority 36
|
|
|
6.2
|
No Conflicts; Consents 36
|
|
|
6.3
|
Investment Purpose 36
|
|
|
6.4
|
Restricted Securities 36
|
|
|
6.5
|
Information Made Available to Buyer 36
|
|
|
6.6
|
Brokers’ Fees and Other Fees of Buyer 37
|
|
|
7.1
|
Employees; Benefit Plans; Employment Agreements 37
|
|
|
7.2
|
Director and Officer Indemnification 38
|
|
|
7.3
|
Attorney-Client Privilege 39
|
|
|
7.6
|
Public Announcements; Confidential Treatment 40
|
|
|
7.7
|
Further Assurances 40
|
|
|
7.8
|
Commercially Reasonable Efforts; Notices and Consents 40
|
|
|
7.9
|
Operation of the Business 40
|
|
|
7.10
|
Access to Premises 41
|
|
|
7.11
|
Notice of Developments 42
|
|
|
7.14
|
Change of Control Exclusion Payments and Change of
|
Control Payments 44
|
|
7.16
|
Seller’s Parent Guaranty 44
|
|
|
7.18
|
No Additional Representations or Warranties 46
|
|
|
ARTICLE 8
|
CONDITIONS TO THE CLOSING 46
|
|
|
8.1
|
Conditions to Buyer’s Obligations 46
|
|
|
8.2
|
Conditions to Seller’s Obligations 48
|
|
|
ARTICLE 9
|
SURVIVAL AND INDEMNIFICATION 49
|
|
|
9.2
|
Indemnification by Seller 50
|
|
|
9.3
|
Indemnification by Buyer 50
|
|
|
9.4
|
Limitations on Indemnification 50
|
|
|
9.5
|
Indemnification Procedures 52
|
|
|
9.6
|
Tax Treatment of Indemnity Payments 54
|
|
|
9.7
|
Equitable Remedies 54
|
|
|
9.8
|
Sole and Exclusive Remedies 54
|
|
|
ARTICLE 10
|
TERMINATION; REMEDIES 55
|
|
|
10.1
|
Termination of Agreement 55
|
|
|
10.2
|
Effect of Termination 56
|
|
|
10.3
|
Remedies for Certain Actions 56
|
|
|
ARTICLE 11
|
MISCELLANEOUS 56
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11.1
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Prior Sellers’ Representative 56
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11.3
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Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction 57
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11.4
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Entire Agreement; Amendments and Waivers 57
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11.7
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Binding Effect; Assignment 58
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11.9
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Waiver of Jury Trial 59
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit A – Omnibus Assignment and Assumption Agreement
Exhibit B – Escrow Agreement
Exhibit C – Escrow Disbursement Agreement
Exhibit D – Escrow Assignment and Assumption Agreement
Exhibit E – Earnout Agreement
Exhibit F – Executive Earnout Agreement
SCHEDULES
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Schedule 1.1
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– Working Capital
|
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Schedule 4.3(b)
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– Consents and Approvals
|
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Schedule 4.5(a)
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– Financial Statements
|
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Schedule 4.5(b)
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– Liabilities
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Schedule 4.5(c)
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– Letters of Credit and Bonds
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Schedule 4.5(d)
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– Accounts Receivable Reserves
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Schedule 4.5(e)
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– Indebtedness
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Schedule 4.6
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– Changes or Events
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Schedule 4.7
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– Litigation and Regulatory Matters
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Schedule 4.9
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– Environmental Matters
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Schedule 4.10
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– Material Contracts
|
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Schedule 4.11(a)
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– Intellectual Property
|
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Schedule 4.11(b)
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– Third Party IP Licenses
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Schedule 4.11(c)
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– Company Confidential Information
|
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Schedule 4.12
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– Real Property Leases; Excluded Property
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Schedule 4.13
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– Benefit Plans
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Schedule 4.14
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– Employees
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Schedule 4.15
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– Insurance Policies
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Schedule 4.16
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– Brokers’ or Other Fees of Sellers
|
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Schedule 4.17
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– Banking Facilities
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Schedule 4.18
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– Change of Control Payments
|
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Schedule 4.19
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– Agreements with Affiliates
|
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Schedule 6.2
|
– Conflicts; Consents
|
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Schedule 7.1
|
– Employee Benefit Plans; Employment and Other Services Agreements
|
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Schedule 7.1(a)
|
– Company Continuing Employees
|
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Schedule 7.2
|
– Director and Officer Indemnification and Insurance
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Schedule 7.9(a)
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– Conduct of Business; Permitted Activities of Companies
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Schedule 8.1(h)
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– Regulatory Approvals
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MEMBERSHIP INTEREST PURCHASE AGREEMENT
THIS MEMBERSHIP INTEREST PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “
Agreement
”) dated as of May 3, 2016, is entered into by and among National Gas & Electric, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“
Seller”
); RetailCo, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“
RetailCo
”); Spark HoldCo, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, on behalf of itself and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Spark Energy, LLC and Spark Energy Gas, LLC, each of which is a Texas limited liability company (“
Buyer
”); and Spark Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation and the parent of Buyer (“
SEI
”) (each, a “
Party
”, and collectively, the “
Parties
”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Prior Purchase Agreement (defined below), Seller acquired all of the Interests (defined below) of Major Energy Services LLC, a New York limited liability company (“
MES
”), Major Energy Electric Services LLC, a New York limited liability company (“
MEES
”), and Respond Power, LLC, a New York limited liability company (“
RP
”, and together with MES and MEES, collectively, the “
Companies
” and each, a “
Company
”);
WHEREAS, Seller now owns beneficially and of record all of the Interests of the Companies, which constitute all of the issued and outstanding membership interests in the Companies; and
WHEREAS, Seller desires to sell to Buyer, and Buyer desires to purchase from Seller, the Interests for the Purchase Price and upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth (the “
Transaction
”).
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained, and the above recitals, which are hereby incorporated by reference, the Parties hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1.1
Certain Definitions
. In addition to terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings specified in this
Section 1.1
:
“
2017 Earnout Stock
” means One Hundred Thousand (100,000) Shares and an equivalent number of Units.
“
2018 Earnout Stock
” means Fifty Thousand (50,000) Shares and an equivalent number of Units.
“
2019 Earnout Stock
” means Fifty Thousand (50,000) Shares and an equivalent number of Units.
“
Actual Closing Working Capital
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.3(b)
.
“
Adjusted EBITDA
” means EBITDA calculated in accordance with components thereof as defined in and as calculated under GAAP, subject to (i) any deviations from GAAP as to accounting principles actually applied in accounting for the operations of the Business in periods prior to the Prior Closing Date and (ii) the exclusion, if and to the extent applicable, of any earnings (or losses) of any or all of the Companies which are reasonably attributable directly to: (1) any new acquisitions of Persons or books of business acquired by, or with funding supplied by, Buyer and consolidated with the Business; or (2) Profitability Enhancements. For the purpose of determining Adjusted EBITDA during any Target Year, (i) the base salary (but not any incentive based compensation) for the management employees of the Companies constituting the Senior Management Team (but not Key Employees) earned during any Target Year shall be included as a deduction in determining the earnings of the Companies to the extent not already deducted therefrom, (ii) any expenses incurred for customer acquisition shall be expensed for such Target Year, notwithstanding any election or mandate under GAAP to amortize such expenses over a longer time period, and (iii) mark-to-market hedging transactions shall not be taken into account in any manner. For purposes of further clarification: (i) no sum that is paid out of the Escrow Account shall be taken into account in any manner for the purpose of any determination of Adjusted EBITDA (subject, however, to the next sentence below); and (ii) no charges or fees of any kind (however characterized or accounted for) imposed by Buyer (or any of its Affiliates) on the Companies on account of or in connection with Buyer’s (or any such Affiliate’s) provision thereto of any management, administration, capital raising, lending, banking, investment banking, consulting, advisory, overhead or like services, or of any office or other facilities or premises of any kind, shall be taken into account in any manner for the purpose of any determination of Adjusted EBITDA. In connection with clause (i) in the preceding sentence, it is agreed that expenses paid by the Companies in connection with legal and regulatory settlements of the types for which Buyer is indemnified in respect of
Section 4.7
, if (A) such expenses are properly includable in the calculation of EBITDA and (B) such expenses are borne by Seller pursuant to such Buyer indemnity right or compensated for by insurance, shall be reversed for the purposes of calculating Adjusted EBITDA.
“
Adjusted EBITDA Plan
” means, for each Target Year, the following: (i) $20,749,213 for the 2016 Target Year for the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 2016; (ii) $25,003,343 for the 2017 Target Year; and (ii) $27,831,052 for the 2018 Target Year.
“
Affiliate
” means, with respect to any Person, (a) any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person, (b) each Person who is at such time an officer or director of, or direct or indirect beneficial holder of more than 50% of any class of the Equity Interests of, such specified Person, and (c) if such specified Person is an individual, the members of the immediate family of such Person, with the term “control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) being defined to mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“
Aggregate Earnout Ceiling
” has the meaning given to it in the Earnout Agreement.
“
Agreement
” has the meaning given to it in the preamble to this Agreement.
“
Assignment
” means the Omnibus Assignment and Assumption Agreement executed by the Parties in the form provided in
Exhibit A
.
“
Benefit Plan
” means any pension, benefit, excess benefit, defined benefit, defined contribution, individual account, retirement, supplement retirement income, compensation, profit-sharing, deferred compensation, non-qualified deferred compensation (top hat), incentive, performance award, phantom equity, stock or stock-based, change in control, retention, severance, voluntary early retirement incentive, vacation, paid time off, fringe-benefit, welfare, or other similar agreement, plan, policy, program or arrangement (and any amendments thereto), in each case whether or not reduced to writing and whether funded or unfunded, including each “employee benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA, whether or not tax-qualified and whether or not subject to ERISA, which is or has been maintained, sponsored, contributed to, or required to be contributed to by the Companies for the benefit of any current or former employee, officer, director, retiree, independent contractor or consultant of such Person or any spouse or dependent of such individual, all of which Benefit Plans shall be set forth on
Schedule 4.13
.
“
Business
” means, individually or collectively as the context indicates, the business of the Companies as conducted in prior periods and as of the Closing Date.
“
Business Day
” means any day of the year on which national banking institutions in New York, New York are open to the public for conducting business and are not required or authorized to close.
“
Buyer
” has the meaning given to it in the preamble to this Agreement.
“
Buyer Benefit Plans
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 7.1(c)
.
“
Buyer Indemnified Parties
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.2
.
“
Buyer’s Transaction Expenses
” means all costs, fees, and expenses incurred in connection with or in anticipation of the negotiation, execution, and delivery of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents or the consummation of the Transaction contemplated hereunder (other than payments made to acquire the Interests under or as described in
Article 2
of this Agreement), including without limitation all fees and expenses of legal counsel, accountants, consultants, and other experts and advisors so incurred, and any Change in Control Exclusion Payments.
“
Cash Installments
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.2(a)
.
“
Cash Installment Adjustments
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.2(a)
.
“
Change of Control Exclusion Payment
” means: (a) Buyer’s share of Severance Obligations under
Section 7.1(b)
and (b) all termination, cancellation or breakage fees due and owing to Pacific Summit Energy LLC as a result of the termination of the agreements between Pacific Summit Energy LLC and the Companies, if any, subsequent to the Closing Date.
“
Change of Control Payment
” means Seller’s share of any termination, cancellation or breakage fees due and owing to Pacific Summit Energy, LLC prior to Closing as a result of the termination of the agreements between Pacific Summit Energy, LLC and the Companies.
“
Closing
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 3.1
.
“
Closing Balance Sheet
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.5(a)
.
“
Closing Date
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 3.1
.
“
Closing Disbursements
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 3.2(a)
.
“
Closing Documents
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 3.2
, consisting of the “Closing Documents of Buyer” in
Section 3.2(a)
and the “Closing Documents of Seller” in
Section 3.2(b)
.
“
COBRA
” means the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.
“
Code
” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“
Company
” and “
Companies
” have the meanings given to them in the first Recital to this Agreement.
“
Company Confidential Information
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.11(c)
.
“
Company Continuing Employee
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 7.1(a)
.
“
Company Intellectual Property
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.11(b)
.
“
Contract
” means any oral or written contract, agreement, commitment, undertaking, understanding, binding arrangement, license, sublease, option agreement, indenture, note, bond, mortgage, loan, instrument, lease, license, power of attorney, proxy, and non-competition agreement to which the Companies is a party or to which any of the Companies, or the Business of any of the Companies is otherwise subject.
“
Direct Claim
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.5(c)
.
“
Disclosure Schedules
” has the meaning given to it in the preamble to
Article 4
.
“
DSS
” means Direct Sales Solutions, LLC.
“
Earnout
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.2(c)
.
“
Earnout Agreement
” means that certain Earnout Agreement dated March 18, 2016 by and among Seller, MES, MEES, RP, and the Prior Sellers’ Representative.
“
Earnout Stock
” means the aggregate of the 2017 Earnout Stock, the 2018 Earnout Stock and the 2019 Earnout Stock.
“
EBITDA
” means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization calculated in accordance with GAAP.
“
Effective Date
” means July 1, 2016.
“
Employees
” mean those Persons employed by the Companies immediately prior to the Closing.
“
Environmental Laws
” shall mean any applicable federal, state or local law, common law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, code, order, judgment, decree or injunction as in effect at the Closing Date relating directly or indirectly to: (a) the protection of the environment (including air, water vapor, surface water, groundwater, drinking water supply, surface or subsurface land); (b) occupational safety and health; or (c) the use, storage, recycling, treatment, generation, transportation, processing, handling, labeling, protection, release or disposal of hazardous materials or hazardous substances.
“
Equity Interest
” means: (a) (i) with respect to a limited liability company, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of membership interests of a limited liability company; (ii) with respect to a partnership, any and all partnership interests, units, interests, participation shares or other equivalents (however designated) of partnership interests; and (iii) with respect to a corporation, any and all capital stock, shares and other equivalents (however designated) of equity interests; and (b) securities convertible into or exchangeable for any of the foregoing, and any and all warrants, rights or options to purchase, or obligations of a Person to sell, any of the foregoing, whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are authorized or otherwise existing on any date of determination. All Equity Interests of, issued by, or relating to the Companies are set forth in
Schedule 2.1
and are included within the meaning of the term Interests (as defined in
Section 2.1
).
“
ERISA
” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, any successor statute thereto, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“
Escrow Account
” means the Escrow Account referenced in the Escrow Agreement.
“
Escrow Agent
” means BBVA Compass Bank, a national banking institution.
“
Escrow Agreement
” means that certain Escrow Agreement effective March 18, 2016, by and among Seller, the Companies, Prior Sellers’ Representative, and Escrow Agent; attached hereto as
Exhibit B
, which shall be assigned at Closing by Seller to Buyer pursuant to the prior written consent of Escrow Agent and Prior Sellers’ Representative.
“
Escrow Amount
” means the sum of money escrowed by Seller (as Buyer therein) under the Escrow Agreement.
“
Escrow Assignment and Assumption Agreement
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 3.2(a)(iii)
.
“
Escrow Disbursement Agreement
” means the Escrow Disbursement Agreement among the parties to the Prior Purchase Agreement and attached hereto as
Exhibit C
that governs the determination of which parties are entitled to disbursements from the Escrow Account.
“
Estimated Closing Working Capital
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.3(a)
.
“
Excluded Property
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.12(c)
.
“
Executive Earnout Agreement
” means the agreement dated effective April 1, 2016, executed by and between Seller herein and five (5) executives of the Companies (being the Senior Management Team and the two Key Employees) with respect to the sharing of Adjusted EBITDA in excess of the Adjusted EBITDA payable to the Prior Members under the Earnout Agreement.
“
Financial Statements
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.5(a)
.
“
Fundamental Representations
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.1
.
“
GAAP
” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, consistently applied.
“
Governmental Body
” means any (a) government or governmental or regulatory body thereof, or political subdivision thereof, whether federal, state, local or foreign, or any agency, instrumentality or authority thereof; (b) quasi-governmental body, agency, authority, department, commission, board, bureau, or instrumentality; (c) non-governmental regulatory authority governing the industry in which the Business is engaged; (d) arbitrator, mediator, panel, or similar authority under any alternative dispute resolution tribunal; or (e) court or tribunal in any jurisdiction.
“
Guaranty Obligation
” means, as to any Person, any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or any other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any direct or indirect obligation of such Person: (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation; (b) to purchase or lease Property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other
obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation; (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital, net worth, solvency, liquidity or any level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation; or (d) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such owner against loss in respect thereof, in whole or in part.
“
Hazardous Material
” means (a) any material, substance or waste (whether liquid, gaseous or solid) that (i) requires investigation, removal, remediation, creates liability or standards of care, or requires reporting or other response action, under any Environmental Law, or is listed, classified or regulated as a “hazardous waste” or as a “hazardous substance” (or other similar term) pursuant to any Environmental Law or (ii) is regulated under applicable Environmental Laws as being toxic, explosive, corrosive, flammable, infectious, radioactive, carcinogenic, mutagenic or otherwise hazardous; and (b) any petroleum product or by-product, petroleum-derived substances, wastes or breakdown products, radioactive material (including any naturally occurring radioactive material), asbestos, lead-based paint or polychlorinated biphenyls solely to the extent regulated under applicable Environmental Laws.
“
Indebtedness
” of any Person at any date, without duplication, means:
(a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money;
(b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar instruments;
(c) all indebtedness created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to Property acquired by such Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such Property);
(d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of Property or services that would be shown as a long-term liability on the liability side of the balance sheet of such Person in accordance with GAAP;
(e) all obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP;
(f) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any payment in respect of any Equity Interests in such Person or any other Person;
(g) all obligations of such Person, contingent or otherwise, as an account party or applicant under any bankers’ acceptance, surety or other bond, letter of credit, letter of guaranty or similar facility;
(h) all Guaranty Obligations of such Person in respect of obligations of the kind referred to in subsections (a) through (g) above; and
(i) all obligations of the kind referred to in subsections (a) through (h) above secured by (or which the holder of such obligation has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on Property (including accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, whether or not such Person has assumed or become liable for the payment of such obligation.
“
Independent Accounting Firm
” means an independent accounting or auditing firm of national or regional recognition that is reasonably acceptable to and agreed upon by Buyer and Seller in writing.
“
Insurance Policies
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.15
.
“
Intellectual Property
” means any and all intellectual property rights of a Person (statutory or common law), including any works of authorship, inventions (whether patentable or not), inventions, protected disclosures, industrial models, industrial designs, utility models and certificates of invention, designs (including graphics, label and artistic designs), all United States and foreign patents and patent applications (including provisional patent applications, continuations, continuations-in-part, reexaminations, reissues and the like), trademarks, trade names, service marks, copyrights, and any applications for such trademarks, trade names, service marks and copyrights, names, product designs, product packaging, business or product names and logos together in all cases with related intangible value, domain names, pricing and cost information, business and marketing plans, business proposals, schematics, technical information, technology, manufacturing and engineering information, know-how, and computer software programs or applications, source codes, object codes, data files and records, application programming interfaces, architecture, compositions, articles of manufacture, processes, systems, methodologies, apparatus, data, writings and works of authorship, drawings and other tangible items, improvements, processes, techniques, devices, methods, patterns, formulae, specifications, lists of suppliers,
vendors, customers, brokers, agents and distributors, and other trade secrets, whether registered or not, including without limitation the Registered Intellectual Property, Third Party Licenses, and Company Confidential Information set forth in
Schedules 4.11(a)
,
4.11(b)
, and
4.11(c)
, respectively.
“
Interests
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.1
.
“
IRS
” means the United States Internal Revenue Service and, to the extent relevant, the United States Department of Treasury.
“
Key Employee
” means Levi Moeller and David Sobel.
“
Knowledge of Seller
”, “
Seller’s Knowledge
” and phrases of similar import mean the actual knowledge of any of Todd Gibson, David Hennekes, Paul Konikowski, Saul Horowitz, Mark Wiederman, Gary Lancaster, and Dan Alper, in each case, after due inquiry.
“
Law
” means any applicable foreign, federal, state or local law, statute, code, ordinance, rule, regulation, Order, ordinance, requirement, or other legal requirement.
“
Legal Proceeding
” means any judicial, administrative or arbitral actions, suits or proceedings (public or private) by or before a Governmental Body.
“
Legal Requirements
” mean compliance with any applicable Contract, Governmental Body, Law, Legal Proceeding, Order, or Organizational Document.
“
Lien
” means any lien, encumbrance, pledge, mortgage, deed of trust, security interest, claim, lease, charge, easement, servitude, option, preemptive right, right of first option, right of first refusal or similar restriction, including any restriction on use, voting (in the case of any security or equity interest), transfer, receipt of income, or exercise of any other attribute of ownership.
“
Litigation and Regulatory Losses
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.4(b)
.
“
Litigation Credit
” means a credit towards the Purchase Price in the amount of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00).
“
Losses
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.2
.
“
Losses Threshold
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.4(a)
.
“
material
” or other similar qualifier regarding materiality, material respects or the like, when used in connection with any activity, compliance, item, matter or circumstance relating to the Business, or any Company, means “material to the Business taken as a whole.”
“
Material Adverse Effect
” means any event, occurrence, fact, circumstance, change, development, event, occurrence, condition (financial or otherwise), or effect that, individually or in the aggregate, has, or would reasonably be expected to have, a material and adverse effect on (i) the Companies taken as a whole, the Business conducted by the Companies taken as a whole, or the results of operations or financial condition of the Companies taken as a whole, or (ii) the ability of Seller to consummate the Transaction contemplated hereunder. The term Material Adverse Effect does not mean, include or apply to changes or events (a) generally affecting the economy, (b) generally affecting the industry in which the Companies are engaged, (c) as a result of any changes in accounting rules or principles, including changes in GAAP, (d) as a result of any actions required by this Agreement, or (e) resulting from the actions to be taken pursuant to or in accordance with this Agreement, the Transaction Documents, the consummation of the Transaction contemplated hereunder, or the announcement of the consummation of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in the case of the changes or events contemplated in clause (a), (b) or (c) thereof, such changes or events shall not qualify as a Material Adverse Effect if such changes or events, individually or in the aggregate, will not disproportionately affect the Companies taken as a whole, as compared to the effect of similar changes or events on third parties operating similarly situated businesses.
“
Material Contracts
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.10(b)
.
“
MEES
” has the meaning given to it in the first Recital to this Agreement.
“
MES
” has the meaning given to it in the first Recital to this Agreement.
“
New Employment Agreements
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 7.1(d)
.
“
Non-Party Affiliates
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 7.18(c)
.
“
Order
” means any order, injunction, judgment, decree, ruling, writ, assessment or arbitration award of a Governmental Body.
“
Ordinary Course of Business
” means the ordinary and usual course of normal day-to-day operations of the Companies consistent with past practices and does not require authorization by the directors or members of any Company.
“
Organizational Document
” means, for any Person: (a) the articles or certificate of formation or incorporation (as applicable) and the by-laws or similar governing document of such Person; (b) any limited liability company agreement, partnership agreement, operating agreement, shareholder agreement, voting agreement, voting trust agreement or similar document of or regarding such Person; (c) any other charter or similar document adopted or filed in connection with the formation, organization or governance of such Person; or (d) any amendment to any of the foregoing.
“
Pacific Summit Agreements
” mean the operating agreements, security agreements, and the Pacific Summit Omnibus Amendment and Agreement.
“Pacific Summit Omnibus Amendment and Agreement
” means that certain Omnibus Amendment and Agreement by and among Pacific Summit Energy, LLC, MES, MEES, RP, and Seller dated April 13, 2016.
“
Party
” means any Person who is a party to this Agreement and “
Parties
” means all such Persons, collectively.
“
Permits
” mean all permits, licenses, franchises, approvals, authorizations, and consents required to be obtained from any Governmental Body.
“
Permitted Encumbrances
” mean (i) statutory liens for current Taxes, assessments or other governmental charges not yet delinquent or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate procedures, and, in each case, for which a bond has been posted or adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP and reflected in the Financial Statements; (ii) mechanics’, carriers’, workers’, repairers’, materialmens’, and similar Liens arising or incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business for which the Business would be responsible, but that are not yet delinquent or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate procedures, and, in each case, for which a bond has been posted or adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP and reflected in the Financial Statements; (iii) easements, rights of way, zoning ordinances, and other similar encumbrances affecting Real Property leased for the Business; (iv) other than with respect to leased Real Property, liens arising under original purchase price conditional sales contracts, and equipment leases with third parties entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business, the financial obligations of which are contained in the Financial Statements; and (v) any liens and other encumbrances under the Pacific Summit Agreements in the event the Pacific Summit Agreements remain in force and effect after Closing.
“
Person
” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, Governmental Body or other entity.
“
Pre-Closing Tax Period
” has the meaning given to it in Section 4.4(a).
“
Prior Closing Date
” means the closing of the Prior Transaction on April 15, 2016.
“
Prior Members
” means the persons and entities that collectively owned the Interests in the Companies that were sold to Seller herein (and Buyer therein) under the Prior Purchase Agreement, the classification of which and respective ownership shares of which were more fully described in
Schedule 2.1
of said Prior Purchase Agreement.
“
Prior Purchase Agreement
” means the Membership Interest Purchase Agreement dated as of March 18, 2016, entered into by and among National Gas & Electric, LLC as Buyer; Major Energy Services LLC, Major Energy Electric Services LLC, and Respond Power, LLC as the Companies; each of the Prior Members of the Companies as Sellers and Saul Horowitz as sellers’ representative, including all Schedules and Exhibits thereto.
“
Prior Sellers’ Representative
” means Saul Horowitz.
“
Prior Transaction
” means the closing of the sale of the Interests in the Companies from the Prior Members to Seller, effective April 1, 2016, under the terms of the Prior Purchase Agreement.
“
Profitability Enhancements
” means, in the context of exclusions from the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA, earnings generated after the Prior Closing Date from sources outside of the ordinary course of business of the Business as conducted with respect to any or all of the Companies prior to the Prior Closing Date, primarily due to, although not exclusively limited to, new investments, such as, by way of illustration and not of limitation, acquisitions of companies or books of business from third party energy service companies or green energy sources.
“
Property
” means any right or interest in or to property of any kind whatsoever, whether real, personal or mixed, and whether tangible or intangible, including Equity Interests, Intellectual Property, and Real Property.
“
Purchase Price
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.2(a)
.
“
Qualified Benefit Plan
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.13(c)
.
“
RP
” has the meaning given to it in the first Recital to this Agreement.
“
Real Property
” means any (a) interest in land and (b) any options, agreements or other interests related to the foregoing.
“
Registered Intellectual Property
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.11(a)
.
“
RetailCo
” has the meaning given to in
the preamble to this Agreement
.
“
SEI
” has the meaning given to it in the preamble to this Agreement.
“
SEI Guaranty
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 7.17
.
“
Securities Act
” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“
Seller
” has the meaning given to it in the preamble to this Agreement.
“
Seller Indemnified Parties
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.3
.
“
Seller’s Parent Guaranty
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 7.16
.
“
Seller’s Severance Obligations
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.14(c)
.
“
Seller’s Transaction Expenses
” means all costs, fees, and expenses incurred in connection with or in anticipation of the negotiation, execution, and delivery of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents or the consummation of the Transaction contemplated hereunder to the extent such costs, fees, and expenses are payable by or reimbursable by any Company, including (i) all brokerage fees, commissions, finders’ fees or financial advisory fees so incurred; and (ii) all fees and expenses of legal counsel, accountants, consultants, and other experts and advisors so incurred.
“
Senior Management Team
” means Saul Horowitz, Moshe (Mark) Wiederman, and Daniel Alper.
“
Severance Obligations
” means any bonus, severance, retention, incentive, or other payment or form of compensation that is created, accelerated, accrues or becomes payable by any Company to any present or former director, owner, manager, member, employee or consultant thereof, including any payment made pursuant to any Benefit Plan or any other Contract, including any Taxes due from any Company payable on or triggered by any such payment (other than payments made to acquire the Interests under or as described in
Article 2
of this Agreement) as more fully described in
Section 4.14
.
“
Shares
” means shares of SEI Class B Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share.
“
Stock
” means 2,000,000 Shares and an equivalent number of Units.
“
Subsidiary
” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or other legal entity of any kind of which such Person (either alone or through or together with one or more of its other Subsidiaries) owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the stock or other Equity Interests, the holders of which are (a) generally entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing body of such legal entity or (b) generally entitled to share in the profits or capital of such legal entity.
“
Target Working Capital
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 2.2(a)
.
“
Target Year
” has the meaning given to it in the Earnout Agreement.
“
Target Year Earnout Ceiling
” has the meaning given to it in the Earnout Agreement.
“
Tax
” or “
Taxes
” means (a) any taxes, charges, levies or other similar assessments or liabilities, including income, gross receipts, profits, licenses, capital stock, franchise, ad valorem, value added, excise, environmental, real property, personal property, sales, use, transfer, service, use, customs duty, withholding, social security, employment, payroll, franchise, escheat or other obligation with respect to unclaimed property, disability, unemployment, alternative or add-on minimum taxes or other taxes, fees, assessments or charges of any kind whatsoever imposed by the United States or any state or local government, or any agency thereof, or other political subdivision of the United States or any such government, and any interest, fines, penalties, assessments or additions to tax resulting from, attributable to or incurred in connection with any tax or any contest or dispute thereof; (b) any obligation with respect to any item described in (a) as a result of being part of a consolidated, combined or similar group of entities; and (c) any obligation with respect to obligations of another Person described in (a) or (b) imposed by Law or contract, including liability as a successor, transferee or indemnitor.
“
Tax Return
” means any return, report or statement filed or required to be filed with respect to any Tax (including any attachments thereto, any amendment thereof and any related or supporting information), including any information return, claim for refund, amended return or declaration of estimated Tax, and including, where permitted or required, combined, consolidated or unitary returns for any group of entities that includes any Company or any Affiliate thereof.
“
Taxing Authority
” means the IRS or any other Governmental Body responsible for the administration of any Tax.
“
Tax Sharing Agreement
” means any existing written or unwritten agreement or arrangement binding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that provides for the allocation, apportionment, sharing, assignment or payment of any Tax liability or benefit or the transfer or assignment of income, revenues, receipts or gains for the purpose of determining any person’s Tax liability.
“
Termination Date
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 10.1(c)
.
“
Third-Party Claim
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.5(a)
.
“
Third Party Licenses
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 4.11(b)
.
“
Transaction
” has the meaning given to it in the third Recital to this Agreement.
“
Transaction Documents
” means this Agreement, the Assignment, the Escrow Agreement, the Escrow Assignment and Assumption Agreement, the Escrow Disbursement Agreement, the Earnout Agreement (attached hereto as
Exhibit E
), and the Executive Earnout Agreement (attached hereto as
Exhibit F
).
“
Treasury Regulations
” means the Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code, as such Treasury Regulations may be amended from time to time. Any reference herein to a particular provision of the Treasury Regulations shall include or mean, if and where appropriate, the corresponding successor provision.
“
Units
” means the membership units of Buyer.
“
Unused Litigation Reserve
” has the meaning given to it in
Section 9.4(b)(i)
.
“
Working Capital
” means, as of a given date, the current assets of the Companies
minus
the current liabilities of the Companies calculated in accordance with GAAP as consistently applied by the Companies during the periods prior to the Closing Date in preparing the Financial Statements (and taking into account any deviations from GAAP consistently employed thereby during such period). For purposes of clarification, Working Capital as of a given date shall consist of (i) the currents assets line items set forth on
Schedule 1.1
as of such date (which for the avoidance of doubt will include cash or marketable securities, accounts receivable (other than those specifically excluded from such definition below), miscellaneous receivables, inventory, prepaid current assets (including
prepaid expenses and the current portion of deposits),
minus
(ii) the current liabilities of the Companies comprising the line items set forth on
Schedule 1.1
as of such date (which for the avoidance of doubt will include accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and other current liabilities, including Indebtedness owed by the Companies to the Persons identified on
Schedule 4.5(d)
). The Companies’ current liabilities (as well as said
Schedule 1.1
) shall nonetheless
exclude
any and all collateral posted with utilities, including without limitation collateral posted under the Pacific Summit Agreements. For all purposes herein, the “
Working Capital
” of the Companies shall
include
, in the classification of current liabilities as of the Closing Date, all amounts of accrued but unpaid payroll and payroll taxes (in accordance with GAAP), regardless of the amounts accrued therefor on the Company’s balance sheet. For all purposes herein, the “
Working Capital
” of the Companies shall
exclude
, by mutual agreement of the Parties, the following items from current assets and current liabilities, as applicable, to the extent included on the consolidated books and records of the Companies: (a) risk management transactions designed to mitigate the impact of changes in the price of natural gas and/or electricity, including the market-to-market position of all hedging transactions on the book of all customer accounts; (b) assets included in current assets that should properly be classified as long term assets, including without limitation deferred tax liabilities, or for which no realizable value exists in the foreseeable future (such as certain deferred tax assets or prepaid deposits); (c) accounts receivable from DSS; (d) accounts receivable which are over 120 days old; or (e) receivables referred to as net of deductibles, allowances, or similar offsets, or which are otherwise regarded as bad or uncollectible accounts receivable net of the reserves established therefor in the latest Financial Statements. For purposes of further clarification, no sum that this Agreement requires to be paid out of the Escrow Account shall be taken into account in any manner for the purpose of any determination of Working Capital.
1.2
Other Definitional and Interpretive Matters
.
(a)
Unless otherwise expressly provided, for purposes of this Agreement, the following rules of interpretation shall apply:
(i)
Calculation of Time Period
. When calculating the period of time before which, within which or following which any act is to be done or step taken pursuant to this Agreement, the date that is the reference date in calculating such period shall be excluded. If the last day of such period is a non-Business Day, the period in question shall end on the next succeeding Business Day.
(ii)
Exhibits/Schedules
. The Exhibits and Schedules annexed hereto or referred to herein are hereby incorporated and made a part hereof as if set forth in
full herein and are considered to be an integral part of this Agreement. Any capitalized terms used in any Schedule or Exhibit, but not otherwise defined therein, shall be defined as set forth in this Agreement.
(iii)
Headings
. The provision of a Table of Contents, the division of this Agreement into Articles, Sections and other subdivisions, and the insertion of headings are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect or be utilized in construing or interpreting this Agreement. All references in this Agreement to any “Section” shall mean the corresponding Section of this Agreement, unless otherwise specified or unless the context of its usage otherwise requires.
(iv)
Including
. The word “
including
” or any variation thereof means (unless the context of its usage otherwise requires) “
including without limitation
” and shall not be construed to limit any general statement that it follows to the specific or similar items or matters immediately following it.
(v)
Reflected On or Set Forth In
. An item arising with respect to a specific representation or warranty shall be deemed to be “
reflected on
” or “
set forth in
” a balance sheet or financial statements, to the extent any such phrase appears in such representation or warranty, if: (a) there is a separately identified reserve, accrual or other similar item underlying a number on such balance sheet or financial statements that related to the subject matter of such representation; (b) such item is otherwise separately identified and specifically set forth on the balance sheet or financial statements; or (c) such item is separately identified and reflected on the balance sheet or financial statements and is specifically set forth in the notes thereto.
(b)
The Parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement and, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as having been jointly drafted by the Parties and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise that favors or disfavors any Party hereto by virtue of the authorship of any specific provision of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 2
SALE AND PURCHASE OF EQUITY INTERESTS; PURCHASE PRICE
2.1
Sale and Purchase of Interests
. Upon the terms contained herein, on the Closing Date, Seller agrees to sell to Buyer, and Buyer agrees to purchase from Seller, all of Seller’s issued and outstanding membership interests in each of the Companies, which are as set forth on
Schedule 2.1
hereto (collectively, the “
Interests
”) and which Seller represents to collectively constitute all of the
issued and outstanding Equity Interests in each of the Companies as of the date of execution of this Agreement, the Effective Date, and Closing.
2.2
Purchase Price; Escrow; Earnout
.
(a)
Purchase Price
. The consideration for purchase of the Interests (the “
Purchase Price
”) shall be equal to the sum of: (i) the Stock and the Earnout Stock, plus (ii) assumption of Seller’s obligation with respect to the Unused Litigation Reserve (as more fully set forth in
Section 9.4(b)
) plus (iii) assumption of Seller’s obligation with respect to three (3) annual cash installments of Five Million and No/100 Dollars ($5,000,000.00) each (“
Cash Installments
”), subject to certain potential adjustments (“
Cash Installment Adjustments
”), under the Prior Purchase Agreement less a credit for Seller’s proportionate share thereof based upon the actual final calculations of Adjusted EBITDA net of adjustments for the first of such Cash Installments, as adjusted, for the second quarter of calendar year 2016 in proportion to the calculations for the second, third, and fourth quarters of calendar year 2016 plus (iv) the targeted Working Capital of the Companies of $0.00 (the “
Target Working Capital
”), payable in cash, subject to adjustment as provided in
Section 2.3
, plus (v) assumption of Seller’s obligation with respect to the Earnout as provided in
Section 2.2(c)
under the Prior Purchase Agreement less a credit for Seller’s proportionate share thereof based upon the actual final calculations of Adjusted EBITDA net of adjustments for the Earnout for 2016, as adjusted, for the second quarter of calendar year 2016 in proportion to the calculations for the second, third, and fourth quarters of calendar year 2016, plus (vi) assumption of Seller’s obligation with respect to the Executive Earnout as provided under the Executive Earnout Agreement less a credit for Seller’s proportionate share thereof based upon the calculations for the Executive Earnout for 2016, as adjusted, for the second quarter of calendar year 2016 in proportion to the calculations for the second, third, and fourth quarters of calendar year 2016. Seller shall pay the amount of any “credits” described in this Section 2.2(a)(iii), (v) and (vi) in cash to Buyer within five (5) Business Days of the final determination of such amounts.
The Cash Installments shall be paid to the Prior Members by Buyer and shall (A) be payable on or before March 31, 2017, March 31, 2018, and March 31, 2019, (B) never exceed the face amount of such Cash Installment in respect of the just-ended calendar year, and (C) be subject to potential reduction (and any such reduction(s) shall be subject to potential make-up in future calendar years) or potential roll-over of excess (for make-up of any reduction(s) from prior calendar years) as follows: (i) if the Adjusted EBITDA for the Target Year exceeds $20,000,000, but is less than the Adjusted EBITDA Plan for said Target Year, then the Cash Installment shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is
the actual dollar amount of Adjusted EBITDA achieved in such Target Year and the denominator of which is the dollar amount of the Adjusted EBITDA Plan for such Target Year; (ii) if the Adjusted EBITDA for such Target Year is less than $20,000,000, then the Cash Installment shall be further reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis for every dollar less than $20,000,000;
provided
,
however
, that in no event shall the total reduction under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) exceed $5,000,000.00; or (iii) if the Adjusted EBITDA for the Target Year exceeds the Adjusted EBITDA Plan for said Target Year, then the Cash Installment shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the actual dollar amount of Adjusted EBITDA achieved in such Target Year and the denominator of which is the dollar amount of the Adjusted EBITDA Plan for such Target Year and the cash in excess of $5,000,000.00 shall be credited toward make-up of any reduction(s) from prior calendar years.
(b)
Escrow
. Subject to and pursuant to the terms of Prior Purchase Agreement and the Escrow Agreement, Seller herein deposited the Escrow Amount with the Escrow Agent as security for the payment of (i) any Working Capital Adjustment owed by Seller pursuant to
Section 2.3
below and (ii) any claim or claims for indemnification of Losses in accordance with
Article 9
of this Agreement, and at the Closing of the Transaction hereunder Seller shall transfer all rights and obligations for indemnity under
Article 9
to access the Escrow Amount for the Working Capital Adjustment and under the Escrow Agreement to Buyer pursuant to
Section 2.4
below.
(c)
Earnout
. As part of the Purchase Price payable at Closing, Buyer shall be obligated to assume the obligation of Seller to pay the Prior Members (subject to the
Target Year Earnout Ceiling
and the “
Aggregate Earnout Ceiling
”), the applicable Earnout Percentage of the Adjusted EBITDA (the “
Earnout
”) earned by the Companies, on a consolidated basis, for each Target Year subject to the credits in
Section 2.2(a)
. The terms and conditions governing the Earnout are more fully set forth in the Earnout Agreement.
(d)
Earnout Stock
. If the Target Year Earnout Ceiling for the 2016 Target Year is achieved and payable to the Prior Members under the Earnout Agreement, then the Seller shall be entitled to the 2017 Earnout Stock. If the Target Year Earnout Ceiling for the 2017 Target Year is achieved and payable to the Prior Members under the Earnout Agreement, then the Seller shall be entitled to the 2018 Earnout Stock. If the Target Year Earnout Ceiling for the 2018 Target Year is achieved and payable to the Prior Members under the Earnout Agreement, then the Seller shall be entitled to the 2019 Earnout Stock. The 2017 Earnout Stock, 2018 Earnout Stock, and/or 2019 Earnout Stock, if due pursuant to this Section 2.2
(d), shall be issued to Seller by SEI and Buyer on the same date as the Earnout Payment is made for the respective Target Year under this
Section 2.2(d)
.
2.3
Purchase Price Adjustment
.
(a)
Determination of the Purchase Price on the Closing Date
. No later than two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, Seller shall prepare and deliver to Buyer a good faith estimate of the Working Capital of the Companies, on a consolidated basis, as of the Closing Date (the “
Estimated Closing Working Capital
”). This estimate shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP in all material respects and in a manner consistent with the procedures, practices, methodologies, and standards used by the Companies in the preparation of their financial statements. Seller shall permit Buyer and its representatives and advisors reasonable access to the books and records, accountant’s work papers, personnel, and facilities of Seller and the Companies in order for Buyer to complete its review of the Estimated Closing Working Capital and the calculations implicit therein for the purpose of resolving any disputes with respect thereto. Such access shall be at such times and in such a manner as shall not unreasonably interfere with the Companies’ operation of the Business. If the Estimated Closing Working Capital is less than the Target Working Capital, the Purchase Price payable at Closing by Buyer shall be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis by such difference below the Target Working Capital. If the Estimated Closing Working Capital is greater than the Target Working Capital, the Purchase Price payable at Closing by Buyer shall be increased on a dollar-for-dollar basis by such excess above the Target Working Capital. If Buyer and Seller are unable to agree on the Estimated Closing Working Capital, the Closing shall be delayed until such time as the Parties mutually agree on the Estimated Closing Working Capital.
(b)
Adjustments after the Closing Date
. Within one hundred fifty (150) days following the Closing Date, Buyer shall prepare and deliver to Seller a statement reflecting the calculation of the Working Capital as of the Closing Date (the “
Actual Closing Working Capital
”). This calculation shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP and in a manner consistent with the procedures, practices, methodologies, and standards used by the Companies in prior periods in the preparation of the Financial Statements. The Actual Closing Working Capital shall be based on and calculated using data and receipts received subsequent to the Closing Date covering the time period prior to the Closing Date. Buyer shall permit Seller and its representatives and advisors reasonable access to the books and records, accountant’s work papers, personnel, and facilities of Buyer and the Companies in order for Seller to complete its review of the statement of the Actual Closing Working Capital and the calculations implicit therein for the purpose of resolving any disputes with respect
thereto. Such access shall be at such times and in such a manner as shall not unreasonably interfere with the Companies’ operation of the Business.
(c)
Review by Sellers
. Seller shall have thirty (30) days from the date Buyer delivers the statement required in
Section 2.3(b)
to dispute the calculation of the Actual Closing Working Capital by providing Buyer with written notice of such dispute. If Seller has not given written notice of any objections to the calculation of the Actual Closing Working Capital during such thirty (30) day period, then Buyer’s calculation shall be deemed to be agreed upon by the Parties, and the adjustments contemplated by clause (d) below, if any, shall be made based on such statement. If Seller gives Buyer written notice of objection within such thirty (30) day period, then the Parties shall attempt to resolve their dispute through direct discussion. If the Parties are unable to resolve their dispute within fifteen (15) days from the date a written notice of dispute is delivered, then the items remaining in dispute shall be submitted to the Independent Accounting Firm. Buyer and Seller shall each be entitled to submit supporting arguments and work papers to the Independent Accounting Firm in support of their respective positions. The Independent Accounting Firm shall proceed to resolve the issues in dispute employing such procedures and conducting such investigations or inquiries as it deems necessary. The Parties agree that all adjustments shall be made without regard to materiality. The Independent Accounting Firm shall only decide the specific items under dispute. The Independent Accounting Firm shall make its final determination with respect to the dispute within forty-five (45) days of its engagement, and such report shall be final and binding on the Parties, absent fraud, intentional misconduct or manifest error. The fees and disbursements of the Independent Accounting Firm shall be allocated between Buyer and Seller in the same proportion that the aggregate amount of unsuccessfully disputed items submitted by each such Party (as finally determined by the Independent Accounting Firm) bears to the total amount of disputed items so submitted. In acting under this Agreement, the Independent Accounting Firm shall be entitled to the privileges and immunities of arbitrators.
(d)
Adjustment to Purchase Price
. Upon final determination of the Actual Closing Working Capital, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted. If the Actual Closing Working Capital is less than the Estimated Closing Working Capital, the Purchase Price shall be decreased by such difference and Seller shall pay to Buyer the amount of such difference from the Working Capital Escrow Account. If the funds allocated from the Escrow Amount to the Working Capital Escrow Account portion of the Escrow Amount, are insufficient to satisfy such deficiency, then the pour-over provisions of the Litigation Escrow Account shall apply;
provided
,
however
, that any remaining deficiency shall be satisfied by deductions from the Earnout. If the Actual Closing Working Capital is greater than the Estimated Closing
Working Capital, the Purchase Price shall be increased by such excess. Any payments required to be made by a Party pursuant to this
Section 2.3(d)
shall be made in cash to the applicable Party within five (5) Business Days of the final determination of the Actual Closing Working Capital. Any payment obligations under this
Section 2.3(d)
shall give effect to any adjustments to the Purchase Price made on the Closing Date pursuant to
Section 2.3(a)
based on the Estimated Closing Working Capital.
2.4
Escrow
. At Closing under the terms set forth in the Escrow Assignment and Assumption Agreement, Seller shall assign to Buyer all of its rights and obligations with respect to the Escrow Amount, which shall be held in escrow by the Escrow Agent on behalf of Buyer and the Prior Members in accordance with the Escrow Agreement. The Escrow Amount shall be held and released by the Escrow Agent to the Prior Members or Buyer in accordance with the directions provided to the Escrow Agent or as otherwise provided in the Escrow Agreement in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Escrow Disbursement Agreement.
2.5
Withholding
. Buyer or the appropriate withholding agent shall, following notice to, and agreement of Seller (such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), be entitled to deduct and withhold, or cause to be deducted and withheld, from any amounts payable under this Agreement, the Transaction Documents, or under the Escrow Agreement any withholding Taxes or other amounts required under the Code or any applicable Legal Requirement to be deducted and withheld. To the extent that any such amounts are so deducted and withheld, such amounts will 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.
ARTICLE 3
CLOSING
3.1
Closing Date
. The closing of the sale and purchase of the Interests provided for in
Section 2.1
hereof (the “
Closing
”) shall take place, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time at the offices of Buyer at a time and date agreed to by the Parties (the “
Closing Date
”), but not later than July 15, 2016, unless otherwise extended by mutual agreement of the Parties.
3.2
Transaction to be Effected at the Closing
.
(e)
At Closing, Buyer shall deliver the following documentation (collectively, the “
Closing Documents of Buyer
”) (the “
Closing Disbursements
”), or shall take the following actions:
(i)
cause to be issued in the name of Seller the Shares, fully paid and non-assessable with such restrictive legends as may be necessary to issue such Shares in a private placement;
(ii)
cause to be issued in the name of Seller the Units, along with any amendments to Buyer’s Organizational Documents that are necessary to evidence Seller’s admission as a member of Buyer;
(iii)
to the Escrow Agent, with a copy to Prior Sellers’ Representative, the Escrow Assignment and Assumption Agreement, in the form provided in
Exhibit D
, reflecting the assignment by Seller to Buyer of all of its rights in and to the Escrow Agreement, including the Escrow Amount (the “
Escrow Assignment and Assumption Agreement
”), in exchange for Buyer’s agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Escrow Agreement, together with the prior written consent of both the Escrow Agent and Prior Sellers’ Representative (or, in the alternative, execution of a replacement Escrow Agreement between and among Buyer, Escrow Agent, and Prior Sellers’ Representative);
(iv) the Assignment;
(v)
to Seller, the Closing Certificates contemplated in
Section 8.2(d)
, duly executed by Buyer;
(vi)
to Seller, a counterpart of each Transaction Document (other than this Agreement) to which Buyer is a Party, duly executed by Buyer;
(vii)
to Seller, a certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary (or equivalent officer) of Buyer certifying that attached thereto are true and complete copies of all resolutions adopted by the board of directors of Buyer authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the Transaction contemplated hereby, and that all such resolutions are in full force and effect and are all the resolutions adopted in connection with the Transaction contemplated hereby;
(viii)
to Seller, a certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary (or equivalent officer) of Buyer certifying the names and signatures of the officers of Buyer authorized to sign this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered hereunder, including without limitation the Transaction Documents; and
(ix)
to Seller, the written consent of the Prior Sellers’ Representative to the Assignment.
(f)
At Closing, Seller shall deliver the following documentation (collectively, the “
Closing Documents of Seller
”) to Buyer at Closing:
(i)
the Closing Certificates contemplated in
Section 8.1(d)
, duly executed by Seller;
(ii)
a counterpart of each other Transaction Document (other than this Agreement) to which Seller is a Party, duly executed by Seller; and
(iii) the Assignment.
ARTICLE 4
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES REGARDING THE COMPANIES
Except as set forth in the disclosure schedules attached hereto (the “
Disclosure Schedules
”), Seller hereby makes the following representations and warranties to Buyer:
4.1
Organization, Authority and Qualification
.
True and complete copies of the Organizational Documents of each Company have been furnished by Seller to the Buyer and:
(g)
Each Company is a limited liability company duly formed, validly existing, and in good standing under the Laws of the State of New York and has all necessary power and authority under its Organizational Documents to own, operate or lease the properties and assets now owned, operated or leased by it and to carry on its Business as it is currently conducted.
(h)
Each Company is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction in which the nature of its businesses or the ownership or leasing of its properties now owned, operated or leased by it and to carry on its Business as it is currently conducted requires such qualification.
(i)
Each Company has the requisite power and authority under its Organizational Documents to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, to perform fully its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to consummate the Transaction contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution and delivery by each Company of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is a Party, the
performance by such Company of its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and the consummation by such Company of the Transaction contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of such Company. This Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which each Company is a Party have been duly executed and delivered by such Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery hereof and thereof by the other Parties thereto, constitute the valid and binding obligations of such Company, enforceable against such Company, in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws relating to creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity.
4.2
Capitalization
.
(a)
The outstanding Equity Interests of each Company are as described on
Schedule 2.1
and consist of the number of corresponding units of membership interest described therein. All such units have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable. None of such units are represented by any certificates or like instruments.
(b)
Except as set forth in
Schedule 2.1
, there are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights, agreements, arrangements or commitments of any character relating to the membership interest units of any Company or obligating any Company to issue or sell any membership interest units of, or any other interest in, any Company. Except as set forth in
Schedule 2.1
, no Company has outstanding or authorized any membership interest unit appreciation, phantom equity, profit participation or similar rights.
(c) No Company has any Subsidiaries.
4.3
Conflicts
.
(a)
Neither the execution or delivery by Seller of this Agreement nor the consummation of the sale of the Interests does or will (with or without the passage of time or giving of notice): (i) constitute a breach of or violate or give rise to or create any right or obligation under the Organizational Documents of any Company; (ii) violate any applicable Law or Order; or (iii) subject to
Section 4.3(b)
, and except as set forth on
Schedule 4.3(b)
, constitute a breach or violation of or a default under or give rise to or create any right of any Person to accelerate, increase, terminate, modify or cancel any material right or obligation in a manner adverse to any Company or result in the creation of any Lien
on any assets of any Company under any Contract to which any Company is a party or by which any asset of any Company is bound, except where such a breach, violation, default, conflict or right under clause (ii) or (iii) above does not constitute a Material Adverse Effect on the Business of the Companies.
(b)
The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Seller does not require any consent or approval of, or filing with, any Person or Governmental Authority other than (i) the consents, approvals and filings identified on
Schedule 4.3(b)
, and (ii) such consents, approvals or filings that, if not obtained or made (as applicable) would not in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
4.4
Taxes
. Except as set forth in
Schedule 4.4
:
(a)
Each Company has filed (taking into account any valid extensions) all Tax Returns required to be filed by it in all jurisdictions in which such returns are required to be filed. Such Tax Returns are true, complete and correct in all material respects and, accordingly, accurately and correctly reflect the Taxes of such Company for the periods covered thereby. No Company is currently the beneficiary of any extension of time within which to file any Tax Return. All Taxes due and owing by each Company which are attributable to the Pre-Closing Tax Periods either (i) shall have been paid as of the Closing Date, whether or not such Taxes are shown to be payable on such Company’s Tax Returns or on subsequent assessments thereto, or (ii) are or shall be accrued on the Financial Statements. The term “
Pre-Closing Tax Period
” means all taxable periods or portions thereof ending on or prior to the Closing Date.
(b)
No extensions or waivers of statutes of limitations have been given or requested with respect to any Taxes of any Company.
(c)
There are no ongoing Legal Proceedings by any Taxing Authority against any Company. There is no dispute or claim concerning any liability relating to Taxes of any Company either (i) claimed or raised by any Governmental Body in writing or (ii) as to which Seller has Knowledge. No examination or audit of any Tax Return of any Company by any Governmental Body is currently in progress or, to Seller’s Knowledge, threatened or contemplated.
(d) No Company is a party to any Tax Sharing Agreement.
(e)
All Taxes that the Companies are obligated to withhold from amounts owing to any employee, creditor or third party have been paid or accrued.
(f)
No Company has taken any action that would have the effect of deferring any liability for such Company’s Taxes from any taxable period ending on or before the Closing Date to any taxable period ending thereafter.
(g)
Each Company has at all times since its formation been properly classified as either a partnership or a disregarded entity for United States federal income tax purposes.
4.5
Financial Statements
.
(a)
Set forth on
Schedule 4.5(a)
are (i) the audited balance sheets of the Companies on a consolidated basis at December 31, 2013, and December 31, 2014, (ii) the unaudited balance sheet of the Companies on a consolidated basis at December 31, 2015, (iii) the audited income statements of the Companies on a consolidated basis for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2013, and December 31, 2014, (iv) the unaudited income statement of the Companies on a consolidated basis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, (v) the unaudited balance sheet of the Companies on a consolidated basis at December 31, 2015 (the “
Closing Balance Sheet
”), (vi) the unaudited income statement of the Companies on a consolidated basis for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, and (vii) the unaudited balance sheet of the Companies on a consolidated basis for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 (collectively, the “
Financial Statements
”). The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP in all material respects and consistently applied throughout the specified periods and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Companies on a consolidated basis as of the dates and for the periods indicated, except that the unaudited statements of the Companies included in the Financial Statements do not include all of the notes thereto which may be required by GAAP and are subject to customary year-end adjustments.
(b)
No Company has any liabilities, obligations or commitments of any kind whatsoever required by GAAP to be set forth on a financial statement, asserted or unasserted, known or unknown, absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, matured or unmatured or otherwise, except for (i) liabilities accrued or reserved as set forth in the most recent Financial Statements, (ii) liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business since the date of the most recent Financial Statements (which in the aggregate are not material), and (iii) any other material liabilities set forth on
Schedule 4.5(b)
.
(c)
Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.5(c)
, no Company has any outstanding letters of credit, surety or other bonds to which such Company is a party.
(d)
All Indebtedness of each Company is described on
Schedule 4.5(d)
. Except with respect to the Indebtedness that is described on
Schedule 4.5(d)
or is otherwise reflected on the Closing Balance Sheet, no Company has any outstanding Indebtedness as of the Closing.
(e)
Except as set forth in
Schedule 4.5(e)
, the accounts receivable reflected on the date of the latest Financial Statements and the accounts receivable arising after the date thereof (i) have arisen from bona fide transactions entered into by the Companies involving the sale of goods or the rendering of services in the Ordinary Course of Business consistent with GAAP and past practice; (ii) constitute only valid, undisputed claims of the Companies not subject to claims of set-off or other defenses or counterclaims other than normal cash discounts accrued in the Ordinary Course of Business consistent with GAAP and past practice; and (iii) are collectible in full within ninety (90) days after billing. The reserves for bad debts shown on the latest Financial Statements, or with respect to accounts receivable arising after the date of the latest Financial Statement, on the accounting records of the Companies have been determined in accordance with GAAP and past practice, consistently applied, subject to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of disclosures normally made in footnotes. Since the date of the latest Financial Statement, except as set forth on
Schedule 4.5(e)
hereto, no event has occurred that would, under prior practices in effect when such Financial Statement was prepared and GAAP, require a material increase in the reserves for bad debts. There is no contest, claim or right of set-off with any account debtor relating to the amount or validity of any account receivable other than those which do not exceed, in the aggregate, the reserve for uncollectible accounts contained in the latest Financial Statements.
4.6
Absence of Certain Changes or Events
. Since the date of the most recent Financial Statements, the Business has been conducted in the Ordinary Course of Business and, except for the matters disclosed in
Schedule 4.6
:
(a)
none of the Companies has (i) amended its Organizational Documents, (ii) amended any term of its outstanding Equity Interests or other securities or (iii) issued, sold, granted, or otherwise disposed of its Equity Interests or other securities, except to reflect the change in ownership of the Companies pursuant to the Prior Transaction;
(b)
none of the Companies has become liable in respect of any material guarantee or has incurred, assumed or otherwise become liable in respect of any material Indebtedness;
(c)
none of the Companies has permitted any of its assets to become subject to a material Lien other than a Permitted Encumbrance;
(d)
none of the Companies has (i) made any declaration of, set aside or paid any dividend or other distribution with respect to, or any repurchase, redemption or other acquisition of, any of its Equity Interests or (ii) entered into, or performed, any transaction with, or for the individual and direct benefit of, Seller or an Affiliate of Seller;
(e)
there has been no material loss, destruction, damage or eminent domain taking (in each case, whether or not insured) affecting the Business or any material asset of the Companies;
(f)
none of the Companies has instituted any new, or modified any existing, material severance or termination pay practices;
(g)
none of the Companies has made any material change in its methods of accounting or accounting practices (including without limitation with respect to reserves);
(h)
none of the Companies has made, changed or revoked any Tax election, elected or changed any method of accounting for Tax purposes, amended any Tax Return, settled or compromised any Legal Proceeding in respect of Taxes, entered into any Contract in respect of Taxes with any Governmental Body, or consented to any extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any Tax claim or assessment relating to any Company;
(i)
none of the Companies has terminated or closed any facility, business or operation that would be considered material in and of itself or to the Business as a whole;
(j)
none of the Companies has adopted, modified, suspended or terminated any material Benefit Plan or increased any benefits under any material Benefit Plan, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business or pursuant to changes required by an applicable Law;
(k)
none of the Companies has compromised or settled, or consented to judgment in, any one or more Legal Proceedings or instituted any Legal Proceedings concerning any material Intellectual Property;
(l)
no Company has entered into any Contract or understanding to do any of the things referred to elsewhere in this
Section 4.6
;
(m) no Material Adverse Effect has occurred;
(n)
there has been no material change in the Companies’ cash management practices and their policies, practices and procedures with respect to collection of accounts receivable, establishment of reserves for uncollectible accounts, accrual of accounts receivable,
inventory control, prepayment of expenses, payment of trade accounts payable, accrual of other expenses, deferral of revenue and acceptance of customer deposits;
(o)
there has been no entry into any Contract that would constitute a Material Contract;
(p)
there has been no transfer, assignment, sale or other disposition of any of the assets shown or reflected in the Financial Statements or cancellation of any debts or entitlements;
(q)
there has been no capital investment in, or any loan to, any other Person;
(r) there have been no material capital expenditures;
(s)
except as otherwise set forth in
Schedules 4.13
and
4.14
, there has been no (1) grant of any bonuses, whether monetary or otherwise, or increase in any wages, salary, severance, pension or other compensation or benefits in respect of its current or former employees, officers, directors, independent contractors or consultants, other than as provided for in any written agreements or required by ERISA, COBRA, or other applicable Law; (2) change in the terms of employment for any employee or any termination of any employees; or (3) action to accelerate the vesting or payment of any compensation or benefit for any current or former employee, officer, director, independent contractor or consultant;
(t)
there has not been any loan to (or forgiveness of any loan to), or entry into any other transaction with, any of the Companies’ members, managers or current or former directors, officers and employees of any of the Companies or any of their family members or Affiliates;
(u)
there has been no entry into a new line of business or abandonment or discontinuance of existing lines of business by the Companies; and
(v)
none of the Companies have adopted any plan of merger, consolidation, reorganization, liquidation or dissolution, filed a petition in bankruptcy under any provisions of federal or state bankruptcy Law, or consented to the filing of any bankruptcy petition against it under any similar Law.
4.7
Litigation and Regulatory Matters
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.7
, (a) there is no pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened Legal Proceeding to which any Company is a party (either as plaintiff or defendant), to which its assets are subject, or to which Seller or any Affiliate of Seller is a party, relating to the Companies, including any claims, demands, disputes, lawsuits, judicial, regulatory, or other Legal Proceedings, Orders, or other breaches of Legal
Requirements or similar matters; (b) there are no agreements or other documents or instruments settling or proposing to settle any such Legal Proceeding; (c) no Order has been issued that is binding upon any Company or the Business; (d) no event has occurred or circumstances exist that may give rise to, or serve as a basis for, any such Legal Proceeding; and (e) the reserves reflected on the latest Financial Statements adequately reflect the anticipated total amounts likely to be incurred by such Company for any Losses, damages, and expenses relating to such matters listed on said
Schedule 4.7
.
4.8
Compliance With Laws; Permits
.
(a)
Each Company is in compliance in all material respects with all Laws applicable to it or its business, properties or assets.
(b)
All Permits required for each Company to own its assets and conduct the Business have been obtained by it and are valid and in full force and effect, except where the failure to obtain such Permits would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
Schedule 4.8
lists all current Permits as of the date hereof issued to the Companies. No event has occurred that with or without notice, or lapse of time or both, would reasonably be expected to result in the revocation, suspension, lapse or limitation of any Permit set forth in
Schedule 4.8
.
4.9
Environmental Matters
.
Except as set forth in
Schedule 4.9
:
(a)
Each Company is in compliance in all material respects with all Environmental Laws and has not received from any Person any (i) written notice or claim or (ii) written request for information pursuant to Environmental Law, which, in each case, either remains pending or unresolved, or is the source of ongoing obligations or requirements as of the Closing Date;
(b)
Each Company has obtained and is in material compliance with all environmental Permits necessary for the ownership, lease, operation or use of the Business or assets of such Company;
(c)
Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, to the Knowledge of Seller, there has been no release of Hazardous Materials in contravention of Environmental Laws with respect to the business or assets of the Companies, or any Real Property currently operated or leased by any Company, and no Company has received any written notice that any Real Property currently operated or leased in connection with the Business (including soils, groundwater, surface water, buildings and other structure located on any such real property) has been contaminated with any Hazardous Material.
The representations and warranties set forth in this
Section 4.9
are Seller’s sole and exclusive representations and warranties regarding Environmental Laws, environmental Permits and Hazardous Materials.
4.10
Material Contracts
.
(a)
Schedule 4.10
sets forth a list of the following Contracts to which a Company is a party:
(i)
Contracts for the purchase by any Company of materials, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets (other than purchase orders for inventory or Contracts for services in the Ordinary Course of Business) that provides for annual payments by such Company of $50,000 or more;
(ii)
Contracts for the sale by any Company of materials, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets that provides for a specified annual minimum dollar sales amount by such Company of $50,000 or more;
(iii)
Contracts that are a note, debenture, bond, letter of credit, loan or other Contract for the borrowing or lending of money (other than to employees for travel expenses in the Ordinary Course of Business) or agreement or arrangement for a line of credit or guarantee, pledge or undertaking of any indebtedness of any other Person;
(iv)
Contracts that restrain the ability of any Company to engage or compete in any material manner or in any business, including any covenant not to sue, or any provision requiring any exclusivity;
(v)
Contracts for the acquisition or disposition of any material assets by any Company other than in the Ordinary Course of Business (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise); and
(vi)
Contracts pursuant to which a third party has agreed to act as a sales representative or distributor or manufacturer for any Company.
(b)
Each of the Transaction Documents and each Contract set forth on
Schedule 4.10
(collectively, the “
Material Contracts
”) remains in full force and effect and no Company, nor, to Seller’s Knowledge, any other party thereto is in default under any Material Contract.
(c)
The Companies have made available or delivered to Buyer a correct and complete copy of each Material Contract, together with all schedules and exhibits thereto. Each Material Contract is a valid and binding Contract of the applicable Company that is party thereto (as applicable) and is enforceable against such Company subject to Laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, and the relief of debtors and rules of Law governing specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.10
, no Company is under any obligation or has any liability to pay any early termination, change of control, earnout, take-or-pay, or similar payment under any Contract.
4.11
Intellectual Property
.
(a)
Schedule 4.11(a)
lists all patents, patent applications, trademark and service mark registrations and pending applications for registration, copyright registrations and pending applications for registration and internet domain name registrations owned by or registered in the name of any Company (“
Registered Intellectual Property
”) or otherwise used in the Business, or of which any Company is a licensee or in which such Company has any right, together with a statement of the specific rights of such Company in any of the foregoing, and a statement of the jurisdiction or jurisdictions in which such rights apply. To Seller’s Knowledge, all Registered Intellectual Property is subsisting, valid and enforceable.
(b)
Each Company owns and possesses sufficient right, title and interest in and to, or has obtained sufficient rights in and to, all Intellectual Property that is used to or otherwise necessary to offer such Company’s goods and services or that are used in or otherwise necessary for the conduct of the Business, free and clear of all Liens, other than Permitted Encumbrances (all of which are referred to as “
Company Intellectual Property
”). No agreement under which any Company licenses Intellectual Property Rights to or from third parties (“
Third Party Licenses
”) has been materially breached by such Company, and, to Seller’s Knowledge, all agreements are valid and enforceable and in full force and effect, and (other than “shrink wrap” and similar widely available software license agreements) are set forth in
Schedule 4.11(b)
. To Seller’s Knowledge, each item of the Company Intellectual Property owned by as Company and set forth on
Schedule 4.11(a)
(other than patent applications) is subsisting, valid, and enforceable. To Seller’s Knowledge, the Business has not infringed or misappropriated, and does not infringe or misappropriate upon, any Intellectual Property of any third party or breach any Third Party License. No Company has received any written notice of any actual, alleged, possible or potential infringement, misappropriation or unlawful use of any proprietary asset owned or used by any third party. There is no Legal Proceeding pending or, to Seller’s Knowledge, threatened that challenges
the legality, validity, enforceability or ownership of any item of Company Intellectual Property or alleges a claim of infringement or misappropriation of any Intellectual Property of any third party by any Company. No Company has made a written allegation or brought a proceeding claiming infringement or misappropriation of Company Intellectual Property against any third party.
(c)
Each Company has taken all commercially reasonable and customary measures necessary to protect and maintain the confidentiality of all information that gives such Company a competitive advantage by remaining confidential (“
Company Confidential Information
”). All employees and contractors of each Company that have been involved in the development of Company Intellectual Property owned by a Company have entered into written agreements (i) obligating them to keep the Company Confidential Information confidential and to use the Company Confidential Information solely for the purpose of performing their duties to such Company; and (ii) except as set forth on
Schedule 4.11(c)
, assigning to one of the Companies all right, title, and interest in and to any such Company Intellectual Property conceived, created, discovered, developed, authored, or reduced to practice by such employees during the course of performing their duties to such Company. Each Company has the right to use the personally identifiable information, including electronic mail addresses that are contained in any customer or marketing database, mailing list or other compilation used by such Company in the Business for the purpose such information is used, including sending electronic e-mail to promote products and services of such Company, the Business or such Company’s customers. To Seller’s Knowledge, all such personally identifiable information, including electronic mail addresses, was obtained lawfully and without breaching any contractual or other obligation.
4.12
Title to Assets; Real Property
.
(a)
Each Company has good and valid title to, or a valid leasehold interest in, all of its respective Real Property, tangible personal property, and other material assets. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.12
, all such properties and assets (including leasehold interests) are free and clear of Liens, except for applicable Permitted Encumbrances, if any. All tangible personal property and other assets are in reasonable repair and operating condition for their current use, ordinary wear and tear excepted.
(b)
No Company owns any Real Property.
Schedule 4.12
lists the street address of each parcel of leased Real Property of any Company, and a list, as of the date of this Agreement, of all leases for each parcel of leased Real Property, including the identification of the lessee and lessor thereunder.
(c) Excluding the Real Property and any other property specifically identified as “
Excluded Property
” on
Schedule 4.12
, all items of tangible personal property and other assets, including without limitation the Intellectual Property, utilized in the Business of the Companies, as such Business is being conducted as of the Closing Date, are owned by the Companies.
4.13
Employee Benefits
.
(a)
Schedule 4.13
sets forth a list of each of the Benefit Plans in effect as of the date hereof. None of the Benefit Plans provide for post-employment life or health insurance, benefits or coverage for any participant or any beneficiary of a participant, except as may be required under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“
COBRA
”), as amended, and solely at the expense of the participant or the participant’s beneficiary.
(b)
True, correct and complete copies of the following documents, with respect to each of the Benefit Plans, have been made available or delivered to Buyer by the Companies, to the extent applicable: (i) any plans, all amendments thereto and related trust documents, and amendments thereto; (ii) the most recent Forms 5500 and all schedules thereto; (iii) the most recent IRS determination letter; (iv) written communications to employees relating to the Benefit Plans; (v) written descriptions of all non-written agreements relating to the Benefit Plans; and (vi) results of the tests for compliance with coverage, nondiscrimination and top heavy status of Benefit Plans for the three most recent years as applicable.
(c)
To Seller’s Knowledge, each Benefit Plan complies, in all material respects, with all applicable Laws (including ERISA and the Code, together with the regulations promulgated thereunder) and has been administered in accordance with the terms thereof. Each Benefit Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code (a “
Qualified Benefit Plan
”) has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS, or with respect to a prototype plan, can rely on an opinion letter from the Internal Revenue Service to the prototype plan sponsor, to the effect that such Qualified Benefit Plan is so qualified and that the plan and the trust related thereto are exempt from federal income Taxes under Sections 401(a) and 501(a), respectively, of the Code, and, to the Knowledge of Seller, nothing has occurred that would cause the revocation of such determination letter from the IRS, the unavailability of reliance on such opinion letter from the IRS, as applicable, or the imposition of any material liability, penalty or tax under ERISA, the Code, or any other applicable Law.
(d)
No Benefit Plan is (i) subject to the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code; or (ii) a “multi-employer plan” (as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA). Except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, no Company has (i) withdrawn from any pension plan under circumstances resulting in a liability to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; or (ii) engaged in any transaction that would give rise to a liability of any Company under Section 4069 or Section 4212(c) of ERISA.
(e)
There is no pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened Legal Proceeding relating to a Benefit Plan, and no Benefit Plan has, within the two (2) years prior to the date hereof, been the subject of an examination or audit by a Governmental Body.
(f)
No Benefit Plan exists that would: (i) result in the payment to any Employee, director or consultant of any money or other property; or (ii) accelerate the vesting of or provide any additional rights or benefits (including funding of compensation or benefits through a trust or otherwise) to any Employee, director or consultant, except as a result of any partial plan termination due to execution of this Agreement; in each case, as a result of the execution of this Agreement. Neither the execution of this Agreement nor the consummation of the Transaction contemplated hereby will result in “excess parachute payments” with respect to any Employee within the meaning of Section 280G(b) of the Code.
(g)
Each Benefit Plan providing deferred compensation or benefits subject to Section 409A of the Code, including applicable transitional guidance, has been operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code if and when Section 409A of the Code applies to such Plan.
(h)
The representations and warranties set forth in this
Section 4.13
are Seller’s sole and exclusive representations and warranties regarding employee benefit matters.
4.14
Employees
.
(a)
No Company is a party to, nor bound by, any collective bargaining agreement or other agreement with a labor organization representing any of its Employees. There has not been, nor, to the Knowledge of Seller, has there been any threat of, any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, concerted refusal to work overtime or other similar labor activity or dispute affecting any Company.
(b)
Each Company is in compliance with all applicable Laws pertaining to employment and employment practices, except to the extent non-compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in
Schedule 4.14
, there are no Legal
Proceedings against any Company pending, or to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened in writing to be brought or filed by or with any Governmental Body or arbitrator in connection with the employment of any current or former employee of any Company, including any claim relating to wrongful termination, unfair labor practices, employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, equal pay or any other employment related matter arising under applicable Laws.
(c)
Schedule 4.14
of the Disclosure Schedules contains a list of all persons who are employees, independent contractors or consultants of the Company as of the date of execution hereof, including any employee who is on a leave of absence of any nature, paid or unpaid, authorized or unauthorized, and sets forth for each such individual the following: (i) name; (ii) title or position (including whether full or part time); (iii) hire date; (iv) current annual base compensation rate; (v) commission, bonus or other incentive-based compensation; (vi) a description of the fringe benefits provided to each such individual paid for the calendar year 2015 and payable as of the date hereof; and (vii) any other amounts due and owing to such Person as of the Closing Date. As of the Closing Date, all compensation, including wages, commissions and bonuses, payable to all employees, independent contractors or consultants of the Companies for services performed on or prior to the Closing Date shall have been paid in full (or accrued in full on the estimated Working Capital Statement prepared for Closing based upon the latest Financial Statements and estimates for the period thereafter until Closing), and there shall be no outstanding agreements, understandings or commitments of the Companies with respect to any compensation, commissions or bonuses payable to officers, directors, employees, consultants, independent contractors, or otherwise, including without limitation any monetary obligations owed by any of the Companies for severance upon the separation of employment or for early termination of agreements for the services of consultants or independent contractors, prior to the Closing Date that will survive Closing (“
Seller’s Severance Obligations
”);
provided
,
however
, that any severance obligations that would otherwise be deemed to be Seller’s Severance Obligations as a result of the New Employment Agreements shall be expressly excluded from such definition.
4.15
Insurance
.
Schedule 4.15
sets forth a list, as of the date hereof, of all insurance policies maintained by the Companies (collectively, the “
Insurance Policies
”). Such Insurance Policies are in full force and effect on the date of this Agreement and all premiums due on such Insurance Policies have been paid. The Companies have made available to Buyer accurate and complete copies of all current Insurance Policies, in each case, as amended or as otherwise modified and in force and effect. Except as disclosed on
Schedule 4.15
, no insurer (a) has denied coverage of any claim pending under any Insurance Policy or (b) has threatened in writing to cancel any Insurance Policy.
Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.15
, there are no claims relating to the Business of the Companies under any such Insurance Policies as to which coverage has been questioned, denied or disputed. The Insurance Policies are of the type and in amounts customarily carried by Persons conducting a business similar to the Companies and are sufficient for compliance with all applicable laws and Contracts to which any Company is a party or bound.
4.16
Brokers’ and Other Fees of Seller
. No broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Seller, and Seller agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold Buyer harmless from and against any such brokers’ or other fees of Seller.
4.17
Banking Facilities
.
Schedule 4.17
sets forth an accurate and complete list of (i) each bank, savings and loan or similar financial institution with which any of the Companies has an account or safety deposit box or other similar arrangement, and any account numbers, passwords, or other identifying codes of such accounts, safety deposit boxes, or such other arrangements maintained by any Company at any such institution, and (ii) the names of all Persons authorized to draw on any such account or to have access to any such safety deposit box facility or such other arrangement.
4.18
Change of Control Payments
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.18,
there are no Change of Control Payments outstanding or owed, and none are anticipated, as a result of this Transaction or other Seller’s Transaction Expenses and, as of Closing, there will be no Change of Control Payments for which Buyer or any of the Companies are responsible.
4.19
Agreements with Affiliates
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.19
, there are no loans, leases or other continuing transactions between any Company, on the one hand, and (i) any officer, director, member, manager or employee of any Company; (ii) Seller; or (iii) any respective family member or Affiliate of such officer, director, member, manager or employee of Seller, on the other hand. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.19
, neither Seller nor any officer, director, manager, employee, family member or Affiliate of Seller, possesses, directly or indirectly, any financial interest in, or is an owner, director, officer, member, manager, employee or Affiliate of, any corporation, firm, association or business organization that is a client, supplier, distributor, broker, lessor, lessee, sublessor, sublessee or competitor of the Business.
4.20
Full Disclosure
. As of the Closing Date, no representation or warranty by Seller in this Agreement, and no statement contained in the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement or any certificate or other document furnished or to be furnished to Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact, or shall omit to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements contained therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading.
ARTICLE 5
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER
Seller hereby represents and warrants to Buyer that:
5.1
Formation
. Seller is duly formed, validly existing, and in good standing under the Laws of the state of its formation, with full power and authority to conduct its Business as it is now being conducted and to own or use the properties and assets that it purports to own or use.
5.2
Authorization
. Seller has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the Transaction contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery by Seller of this Agreement, the Transaction Documents, and the other agreements contemplated hereby to which Seller is a Party, and the consummation by Seller of the Transaction contemplated hereby and the transactions or other business arrangements contemplated in the other agreements thereby, have been duly and validly authorized and approved and no other action is necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the Transaction contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by Seller and, assuming due execution and delivery by the other Parties, constitutes the valid and binding obligation of Seller, enforceable against Seller in accordance with its terms, subject to Laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, and the relief of debtors and rules of Law governing specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies.
5.3
No Conflicts; Consents
. Neither the execution or delivery by Seller of this Agreement nor the consummation of the sale of the Interests does or will (with or without the passage of time or giving of notice): (i) constitute a breach of or violate or give rise to or create any right or obligation under the Organizational Documents of Seller; (ii) violate any applicable Law or Order; or (iii) subject to
Section 4.3(b)
, and except as set forth on
Schedule 4.3(b)
, constitute a breach or violation of or a default under or give rise to or create any right of any Person to accelerate, increase, terminate, modify or cancel any material right or obligation in a manner adverse to any Company or result in the creation of any Lien on any Company under any Contract to which Seller is a party or by which any asset of any Company is bound, except where such a breach, violation, default, conflict or right under clause (ii) or (iii) above does not constitute a Material Adverse Effect.
5.4
Ownership and Transfer
. Seller is the record and beneficial owner of the Interests indicated as being owned by Seller on
Schedule 2.1
(and such Interests are all the Equity Interests of the applicable Companies owned by Seller as of the date of execution of this Agreement and as
of Closing), free and clear of any and all Liens, other than restrictions imposed by securities laws applicable to securities generally. Seller has the power and authority to sell, transfer, assign and deliver such Interests as provided in this Agreement, and such delivery will convey to Buyer good and marketable title to such Interests, free and clear of any and all Liens other than restrictions imposed by securities laws applicable to securities generally. Seller acknowledges that the Stock is not registered under the Securities Act or under any state securities laws, and that the Stock may not be transferred or sold, except pursuant to the registration provisions of the Securities Act, or pursuant to an applicable exemption therefrom and subject to state securities laws and regulations, as applicable.
5.5
Investment Purpose
. Seller is an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501 of Regulation D of the Securities Act and is acquiring the Stock solely for its own account, not as nominee or agent, for beneficial interests and investment and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution or public offering thereof within the meaning of the Securities Act or under any state securities laws.
5.6
Restricted Securities
. Seller understands that the Stock and any securities issued pursuant to such Stock are not registered under the Securities Act and are “restricted securities” under the federal securities laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from issuers in a transaction not involving a public offering and that under such law and applicable regulations such securities may be resold without registration under the Securities Act only in limited circumstances. Seller represents that it is familiar with Rule 144, as presently in effect, and understands the resale limitations imposed thereby and by the Securities Act.
5.7
Information Made Available to Seller
. Seller acknowledges that Buyer has made available to Seller, or to Seller’s attorney, accountant or representative, all documents that Seller has requested, and that Seller has requested all documents and other information that Seller has deemed necessary to consider in connection with the Transaction. Seller acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to consult with Buyer’s and SEI’s management regarding Buyer’s and SEI’s prospects and the risks associated with Buyer and SEI’s business. Seller acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to review financial information relating to Buyer’s and SEI’s businesses. Seller is familiar with the current capitalization and ownership of Buyer and SEI.
ARTICLE 6
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER
Buyer hereby represents and warrants to Seller that:
6.1
Organization and Authority
. Buyer is a limited liability company duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware. Buyer has all necessary power and authority under its Organizational Documents to enter into this Agreement, to carry out its obligations hereunder, and to consummate the Transaction contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery by Buyer of this Agreement, the performance by Buyer of its obligations hereunder, and the consummation by Buyer of the Transaction contemplated hereunder have been duly authorized by all requisite action on the part of Buyer. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Buyer, and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other Parties), this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of Buyer, enforceable against Buyer in accordance with its terms, subject to Laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, and the relief of debtors and rules of Law governing specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies.
6.2
No Conflicts; Consents
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 6.2
, neither the execution or delivery by Buyer of this Agreement nor the consummation of the purchase of the Interests does or will (with or without the passage of time or giving of notice): (i) constitute a breach of or violate or give rise to or create any right or obligation under the Organizational Documents of Buyer; (ii) violate any applicable Law or Order; or (iii) constitute a breach or violation of or a default under or give rise to or create any right of any Person to accelerate, increase, terminate, modify or cancel any material right or obligation in a manner adverse to Buyer or result in the creation of any Lien on Buyer under any Contract to which Buyer is a party or by which any asset of the Buyer is bound, except where such a breach, violation, default, conflict or right under clause (ii) or (iii) above does not constitute a Material Adverse Effect.
6.3
Investment Purpose
. Buyer is an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501 of Regulation D of the Securities Act and is acquiring the Interests solely for its own account, not as nominee or agent, for beneficial interests and investment and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution or public offering thereof within the meaning of the Securities Act or under any state securities laws.
6.4
Restricted Securities
. Buyer understands that the Interests are not registered under the Securities Act and any securities issued pursuant to such Interests are “restricted securities” under the federal securities laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from issuers in a transaction not involving a public offering and that under such law and applicable regulations such securities may
be resold without registration under the Securities Act only in limited circumstances. Buyer represents that it is familiar with Rule 144, as presently in effect, and understands the resale limitations imposed thereby and by the Securities Act.
6.5
Information Made Available to Buyer
. Buyer acknowledges that Seller has made available to the Buyer, or to Buyer’s attorney, accountant or representative, all documents that Buyer has requested, and that Buyer has requested all documents and other information that Buyer has deemed necessary to consider in connection with the Transaction. Buyer acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to consult with Seller’s management regarding the Companies’ prospects and the risks associated with the Companies’ business. Buyer acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to review financial information relating to the Companies’ businesses. Buyer is familiar with the current capitalization and ownership of the Companies.
6.6
Brokers’ Fees and Other Fees of Buyer
. No broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Buyer, and Buyer agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold all other Parties hereto harmless from and against any such brokers’ or other fees of Buyer. Buyer shall be responsible for making payment of any Buyer Transaction Expenses and any Change of Control Exclusion Payments.
6.7
Legal Proceedings
. There are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or other legal proceedings pending or, to Buyer’s knowledge, threatened against or by Buyer, or any Affiliate of Buyer that challenge or seek to prevent, enjoin or otherwise delay the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement.
ARTICLE 7
COVENANTS
7.1
Employees; Benefit Plans; Employment Agreements
.
Schedule 7.1
lists all employment contracts, consulting agreements, and agreements with independent contractors to provide services to the Companies to which the Companies are bound as of and after the Closing Date, including without limitation any severance benefits or other agreements, similar or dissimilar, under which any of the Companies would be subject to any further payments or other obligations after services thereunder ceased to be provided to the Companies, other than payments due in the Ordinary Course of Business after the Closing Date for services rendered prior to the Closing Date.
(h)
During the period commencing at Closing and ending on the date that is twelve (12) months from the Prior Closing Date (or if earlier, the date of the employee’s termination
of employment with the applicable Company or Affiliate thereof), Buyer acknowledges that Seller was obligated to cause the Companies (as applicable) to provide each Employee (other than members of the Senior Management Team and any Key Employees who received new employment agreements with the Companies as contemplated in
Section 7.1(d)
below) who remains employed immediately after Closing (“
Company Continuing Employee
”) with: (i) base salary or hourly wages no less than the base salary or hourly wages provided by such Company (as applicable) immediately prior to the Closing; (ii) target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation), if any, that are no less than the target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation) provided by such Company (as applicable) immediately prior to the Closing; and (iii) welfare and other benefits under the Buyer Benefit Plans (as defined in
Section 7.1(b)
below), and Buyer agrees that it will take all reasonably necessary and appropriate actions to ensure that the Companies remain bound to and fulfill the commitments set forth in this
Section 7.1
.
(i)
Severance benefits, if any, due to any employee of any of the Companies accruing after the Closing Date who (y) became a Company Continuing Employee on the Closing Date, but (z) shall have become separated from employment after the Closing Date and prior to December 31, 2016, shall be paid by the Companies and shall constitute Buyer’s share of Severance Obligations (which is classified as a Change of Control Exclusion Payment hereunder). Notwithstanding any interpretation or construction of any provision herein to the contrary, the Parties acknowledge and agree that any employment of any Company Continuing Employees on and after the Closing Date shall be deemed to be employment “at-will” and subject to termination at any time by either employee or by any of the Companies for any reason or no reason, including without limitation with or without “Cause” or with or without “Good Reason”, except as otherwise provided under any New Employment Agreements.
(j)
With respect to any employee benefit plan maintained by Buyer or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (collectively, “
Buyer Benefit Plans
”) in which any Company Continuing Employees will participate effective as of or after Closing, Buyer shall, or shall cause the applicable Company to, recognize all service of the Company Continuing Employees with such Company as if such service were with Buyer, for vesting and eligibility purposes in any Benefit Plan in which such Company Continuing Employees may be eligible to participate after the Closing;
provided
,
however
, such service shall not be recognized to the extent that (x) such recognition would result in a duplication of benefits or (y) such service was not recognized under the corresponding Benefit Plan.
(k)
Buyer acknowledges receipt of, and agrees that the Companies are bound by, the employment agreements (“
New Employment Agreements
”) with members of the Senior Management Team (Saul Horowitz, Moshe (Mark) Wiederman, and Daniel Alper) as well as with Levi Moeller and David Sobel, who are the two (2) employees that were designated as Key Employees under the Prior Purchase Agreement. Subject to the Exeutive Earnout Agreement, any payments of salary under the New Employment Agreements for the Senior Management Team shall be the responsibility of the Companies and shall be deducted from earnings in the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of the calculation of the Earnout; provided that no payments thereunder of any incentive-based compensation shall be so deducted. Severance Obligations, if any, under the New Employment Agreements shall (i) be deemed to be Buyer’s Share of Severance Obligations (which are classified as a Change of Control Exclusion Payments), and (ii) not be deducted from earnings in the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of the calculation of the Earnout.
7.2
Director and Officer Indemnification
.
(f)
Buyer agrees that all rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses, and exculpation by each Company now existing in favor of each Person who is now, or has been at any time prior to the date hereof or who becomes prior to the Closing Date, an officer or director of such Company, as provided in the Organizational Documents of such Company, in each case as in effect on the date of this Agreement, or pursuant to any other agreements in effect on the date hereof and disclosed in
Schedule 7.2
, shall survive the Closing Date and shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with their respective terms.
(g)
The obligations of Buyer under this
Section 7.2
shall not be terminated or modified in such a manner as to adversely affect any director or officer to whom this
Section 7.2
applies without the consent of such affected director or officer (it being expressly agreed that the directors and officers to whom this
Section 7.2
applies shall be third-party beneficiaries of this
Section 7.2
, each of whom may enforce the provisions of this
Section 7.2
).
(h)
In the event Buyer, any Company, or any of their respective Affiliates, successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity in such consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in either such case, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Buyer or such Company, as the case may be, shall assume all of the obligations set forth in this
Section 7.2
.
7.3
Attorney-Client Privilege
. From and after the Closing, Buyer and each Company, including their respective Affiliates, shall not knowingly, or in a negligent manner, without the prior written consent of Seller, waive or fail to assert attorney-client privilege with respect to representation matters for any Company occurring prior to Closing. No waiver of the attorney-client privilege is intended or effectuated by the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement. Buyer agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve, and shall cause each Company and their respective Affiliates to use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve, the attorney-client privilege of each Company as of Closing and to notify Seller in writing of any demand, requirement or desire to disclose information that may be protected by the attorney-client privilege as of Closing (without making any disclosure of such information prior to having received Seller’s written consent, which such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).
7.4
Confidentiality
. Seller acknowledges and agrees to not, and to cause its Affiliates and its representatives not to, at any time on or after the Closing Date, without the prior written consent of Buyer, disclose or use, any proprietary information of the Business or any Company;
provided
,
however
, that the information subject to this
Section 7.4
will not include any information generally available to, or known by, the public (other than as a result of disclosure in violation hereof and thereof); that the provisions of this
Section 7.4
will not prohibit any retention of copies of records or disclosure (A) required by any applicable Legal Requirement so long as reasonable prior notice is given to Buyer of such disclosure and a reasonable opportunity is afforded Buyer to contest such disclosure, including without limitation by obtaining a protective order, or (B) made in connection with the enforcement of any right or remedy relating to this Agreement.
7.5
Books and Records
. In order to facilitate the resolution of any claims made against or incurred by Seller prior to Closing, or for any other reasonable purpose, for a period of not less than seven (7) years after the Prior Closing, Buyer shall (i) retain the books and records (including personnel files) of the Companies relating to periods prior to the Prior Closing in a manner reasonably consistent with the prior practices of the Companies, GAAP, and applicable Law; and (ii) upon reasonable notice, afford Seller and its representatives reasonable access during normal business hours, to such books and records of the Companies.
7.6
Public Announcements; Confidential Treatment
. Except as required by applicable Law (based upon the reasonable advice of counsel), no Party shall make any public announcements in respect of this Agreement or the Transaction contemplated hereby or otherwise communicate with any news media without the prior written consent of Buyer and Seller, and the Parties shall cooperate as to the timing and contents of any such announcement. In the event this Agreement or the Transaction contemplated herein are required to be disclosed pursuant to applicable Law or pursuant to the rules and regulations of a Governmental Body or any stock exchange, including NASDAQ,
or other regulatory agency, then the disclosing Party will (i) notify the other Party with reasonable advance notice before such disclosure, (ii) cooperate with the other Party to seek confidential treatment with respect to the disclosure if requested by the other Party, and (iii) otherwise proceed, in connection with the making and timing of such disclosure, in compliance with
Section 7.4
. Seller acknowledges that Buyer or SEI will be obligated to file this Agreement and disclose certain other aspects of the Transaction in an Information Statement and other filings as required by federal securities laws and NASDAQ rules.
7.7
Further Assurances
. Following Closing, each of the Parties shall, and shall cause the authorized representatives of the Companies and their respective Affiliates to, execute and deliver such additional documents, instruments, conveyances and assurances, and take such further actions as may be reasonably required to carry out the provisions hereof, to effectuate Closing of the Transaction, and to give effect to the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement after Closing.
7.8
Commercially Reasonable Efforts; Notices and Consents
. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, from the date of this Agreement to Closing, or the earlier termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Article 10
, the Parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to take or cause to be taken all actions, to file or cause to be filed all documents, to give or cause to be given all notices to Governmental Bodies or other Persons, to obtain or cause to be obtained all authorizations, consents, waivers, approvals, permits or orders from Governmental Bodies or other Persons, and to do or cause to be done all other things necessary, proper or advisable, in order to consummate and make effective the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement promptly following the date of this Agreement.
7.9
Operation of the Business
.
(c)
Conduct of the Business Generally
. From the date of this Agreement until the Closing, or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with
Article 10
, without the prior written consent of Buyer, and except to the extent described on
Schedule 7.9(a)
, the Companies shall:
(i)
conduct the Business, including any hedging activities, only in the Ordinary Course of Business and in all material respects in accordance with all applicable Legal Requirements;
(ii)
maintain in effect the insurance coverage described on
Schedule 4.15
(or equivalent replacement coverage);
(iii)
use commercially reasonable efforts to timely file with each applicable state public service commission or other Governmental Body all renewable portfolio
standard compliance filings that are required under Law to be filed by any Company prior to the Closing Date;
(iv)
use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve intact its business organization and relationships with third parties (including lessors, licensors, suppliers, distributors and customers) and employees and maintain the value of the Business as a going concern; and
(v)
refrain from making any claims under the Escrow Agreement.
(d)
Buyer’s Consent
. Without limiting the generality or effect of
Section 7.9(a)
, from the date of this Agreement until the Closing, or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with
Article 10
, without the prior written consent of Buyer (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), and, except to the extent described on
Schedule 7.9(a)
, the Companies shall not:
(i)
take or omit to take any action that would cause (i) the representations and warranties in
Article 4
that are not qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar materiality qualifier to be untrue in any material respect at the Closing Date, or (ii) the representations and warranties in
Article 4
that are qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar materiality qualifier to be untrue as of the Closing Date;
(ii)
furnish or make available to any third party following the date hereof any customer lists of any Company (unless the Transaction fails to close, in which case this restriction shall not apply); and
(iii)
take or omit to take any action that, if taken or omitted to be taken between the date of the most recent Financial Statements and the date of this Agreement, would have been required to be disclosed on
Schedule 4.6
.
7.10
Access to Premises
. From the date of this Agreement until the Closing, or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with
Article 10
, each of the Companies and Seller shall permit Buyer and its representatives to have full access (at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice) to representatives of the Companies and to all premises, properties, books, records (including Tax records), contracts, financial and operating data and other information and documents of, or pertaining to, the Companies, their assets or the Business, and to make copies of such books, records, contracts, data, information and documents as Buyer or its representatives may reasonably request.
7.11
Notice of Developments
.
(d)
From the date of this Agreement until the Closing, or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with
Article 10
, the Companies or Seller, as applicable, will give Buyer prompt written notice upon becoming aware of (i) any development that constitutes a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any event or circumstance that would reasonably be expected to result in a breach of, or inaccuracy in, any of the representations and warranties made herein by Seller or Buyer, (iii) any need on the part of any Company or Seller to amend, supplement or otherwise modify in any way any information set forth in the Disclosure Schedules (which the Parties understand are subject to change until immediately before the Closing), or (iv) any failure of any Company or Seller, as the case may be, to comply materially with any covenant or agreement made by such Party herein. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no such disclosure will be deemed to prevent or cure any breach of, inaccuracy in or failure to comply with any of the representations, warranties or covenants set forth in this Agreement or to amend or supplement any of the Disclosure Schedules hereto;
provided
,
however
, in the event that, following any such notice to Buyer regarding any matter(s) contemplated in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iv), Buyer proceeds with the Closing, (A) Buyer shall be deemed to have waived such matter(s) and (B) Buyer and any and all Buyer Indemnified Parties shall not be entitled, in respect of such matter(s), to be indemnified by Seller under
Article 9
, to sue for damages or to assert any other right or remedy for Losses arising from such matter(s), notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or in any certificate delivered pursuant hereto.
(e)
From the date of this Agreement until Closing, or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with
Article 10
, Buyer will give Seller prompt written notice upon becoming aware of (i) any development, event or circumstance that would reasonably be expected to result in a breach of, or inaccuracy in, any of the representations and warranties made herein (including in the Disclosure Schedules) by Seller or Buyer, or (ii) any failure of Buyer to comply materially with any covenant or agreement made by Buyer herein. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no such disclosure will be deemed to prevent or cure any breach of, inaccuracy in or failure to comply with any of the representations, warranties or covenants set forth in this Agreement;
provided
,
however
, in the event that, following such notice to Seller regarding such development, breach or failure, Seller proceeds with the Closing, (A) Seller shall be deemed to have waived such development, breach or failure and (B) Seller and any and all Seller Indemnified Parties shall not be entitled, in respect of such development, breach or failure, to be indemnified by Buyer under
Article 9
, to sue for damages or to assert any other right or remedy for Losses
arising therefrom, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or in any certificate delivered pursuant hereto.
7.12
Exclusivity
. From the date of this Agreement until the Closing, or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with
Article 10
, neither Seller nor the Companies shall, directly or indirectly: (a) solicit, initiate, or encourage the submission of any proposal or offer from any Person relating to, or enter into or consummate any transaction relating to, the acquisition of any Equity Interests in any Company or any merger, recapitalization, interest exchange, sale of assets or any similar transaction or any other alternative to the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement; or (b) participate in any discussions or negotiations regarding, furnish any information with respect to, assist or participate in, or facilitate in any other manner, any effort or attempt by any Person to do or seek any of the foregoing. Seller shall notify Buyer if any Person makes any proposal, offer, inquiry or contact with respect to any of the foregoing (whether solicited or unsolicited and whether to Seller, any Company, or any of their respective Affiliates).
7.13
Tax Matters
.
(a)
Buyer shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, all Tax Returns required to be filed by any Company after the Closing Date with respect to any pre-Closing Tax period. Any such Tax Return shall be prepared in a manner consistent with past practice and GAAP (unless otherwise required by Law) and without a change of any election or any accounting method and shall be submitted by Buyer to Seller (together with schedules, statements and, to the extent requested by Seller, supporting documentation) at least forty-five (45) days prior to the due date (including extensions) of such Tax Return. If Seller objects to any item on any such Tax Return, it shall, within fifteen (15) days after delivery of such Tax Return, notify Buyer in writing that it so objects, specifying with particularity any such item and stating the specific factual or legal basis for any such objection. If a notice of objection shall be duly delivered, Buyer and Seller shall negotiate in good faith and use their reasonable best efforts to resolve such items. If Buyer and Seller are unable to reach such agreement within fifteen (15) days after receipt by Buyer of such notice, the disputed items shall be resolved by the Independent Accounting Firm and any determination by the Independent Accounting Firm shall be final. The Independent Accounting Firm shall resolve any disputed items within twenty (20) days of having the item referred to it pursuant to such procedures as it may require. If the Independent Accounting Firm is unable to resolve any disputed items before the due date for such Tax Return, the Tax Return shall be filed as prepared by Buyer and then amended to reflect the Independent Accounting Firm’s resolution. The costs, fees, and expenses of the Independent Accounting Firm shall be borne equally by Buyer and Seller.
(b)
Buyer shall be reimbursed by Seller for an amount equal to the portion of such Taxes which relates to the portion of such Tax period ending on and including the Closing Date within fifteen (15) days after filing the applicable Tax Return and providing proof of payment by Buyer or the Companies of such Taxes, except to the extent such Taxes were reflected as a liability on the Closing Balance Sheet. For purposes of this
Section 7.13(b)
, in the case of any Taxes that are imposed on a periodic basis and are payable for a Tax period that includes (but does not end on) the Closing Date, the portion of such Tax that relates to the portion of such Tax period ending on the Closing Date shall (i) in the case of any Taxes other than Taxes based upon or related to income or receipts, be deemed to be the amount of such Tax for the entire Tax period multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of days in the Tax period ending on and including the Closing Date and the denominator of which is the number of days in the entire Tax period, and (ii) in the case of any Tax based upon or related to income or receipts, be deemed equal to the amount which would be payable if the relevant Tax period ended on the Closing Date. Any credits relating to a Tax period that begins before and ends after the Closing Date shall be taken into account as though the relevant Tax period ended on the Closing Date. All determinations necessary to give effect to the foregoing allocations shall be made in a manner consistent with the prior practice of the Companies.
(c)
Buyer and Seller and their respective Affiliates shall cooperate in the conduct of any proceeding relating to Taxes, for which one Party could reasonably require the assistance of the other Party in obtaining any necessary information. Such cooperation shall include, but not be limited to, furnishing prior years’ Tax Returns or return preparation packages illustrating previous reporting practices or containing historical information relevant to the preparation of such Tax Returns, and furnishing such other information within such Party’s possession requested by the other Party as is relevant to the preparation of the Tax Returns or the conduct of the Tax proceeding. Such cooperation and information also shall include forwarding copies of appropriate notices and forms or other communications received from or sent to any Governmental Body which relate to a Company, and providing copies of all relevant Tax Returns, together with accompanying schedules and related work papers, documents relating to rulings or other determinations by any Governmental Body and records concerning the ownership and Tax basis of Property, which the requested Party may possess.
(d)
All transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration, value added and other such Taxes and fees (including any penalties and interest) incurred in connection with this Agreement (including any real property transfer Tax and any other similar Tax) shall be borne and paid by Buyer when due. Buyer shall, at its own expense, timely file any Tax Return or other document with respect to such Taxes or fees.
7.14
Change of Control Exclusion Payments and Change of Control Payments
. In the event of the early termination of any of the Pacific Summit Agreements by either party thereto and the entry into new supply agreements with Pacific Summit Energy LLC, Buyer or its Affiliate or a third party by the Companies at any time prior to expiration of the Pacific Summit Agreements, any hedge breakage, early termination, or other costs and expenses payable to Pacific Summit Energy LLC as a result thereof shall be considered Change of Control Exclusion Payments attributable to Buyer. Any Change of Control Exclusion Payments shall not be deducted in the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of the calculation of the Earnout. Any positive financial benefit as a result of entering into any new supply agreements shall be credited to earnings in the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of the calculation of the Earnout.
7.15
Existence
. Seller covenants and agrees that it will remain in existence and in good standing in the state of its formation until at least December 31, 2019.
7.16
Seller’s Parent Guaranty
. RetailCo hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to Buyer (the “
Seller’s Parent Guaranty
”) on the terms and conditions set forth herein, the prompt payment when due (subject to written demand by Buyer upon RetailCo) of any and all obligations owed by Seller under any of the Transaction Documents, including, but not limited to, any claim for indemnification from Seller by Buyer or a Buyer Indemnified Party. In addition, RetailCo shall reimburse Buyer for all sums (if any) paid to Buyer by Seller, which Buyer is subsequently required to return to Seller (or a representative of Seller’s creditors) as a result of Seller’s bankruptcy, insolvency or any similar proceeding. This Seller’s Parent Guaranty is an independent guaranty of payment and not of collection. Buyer shall not be required to proceed first against Seller or any other person, firm, corporation or other entity before resorting to RetailCo for payment under this Seller’s Parent Guaranty. This Seller’s Parent Guaranty is in no way conditioned on or contingent upon (i) any attempt to enforce (in whole or in part) against Seller any of the obligations under the Transaction Documents, (ii) the existence or continuance of Seller as a legal entity, (iii) the consolidation or merger of Seller with or into any other entity, (iv) the sale, lease or disposition by Seller of all or substantially all of its assets to any other entity, (v) the bankruptcy or insolvency of Seller, (vi) the admission by Seller of its inability to pay its debts as they mature, or (vii) the making by Seller of a general assignment for the benefit of, or entering into a composition or arrangement with, creditors. Each failure by RetailCo to pay or perform any of the Guaranteed Obligations shall give rise to a separate cause of action, and separate suits may be brought hereunder as each cause of action arises. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Section 7.16
, this Seller’s Parent Guaranty shall not exceed the sum of: (y) Two Million, Two Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($2,225,000.00) for a period of one (1) year from the Closing Date, nor (z) One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) for the period from the one year anniversary of the Closing Date until December 31, 2019.
7.17
SEI Guaranty
. SEI hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to Seller (the “
SEI Guaranty
”) on the terms and conditions set forth herein, the prompt payment when due (subject to written demand by Seller upon SEI) of any and all obligations owed by Buyer under any of the Transaction Documents, including, but not limited to, any claim for indemnification from Buyer by Seller or a Seller Indemnified Party. In addition, SEI shall reimburse Seller for all sums (if any) paid to Seller by Buyer, which Seller is subsequently required to return to Buyer (or a representative of Buyer’s creditors) as a result of Buyer’s bankruptcy, insolvency or any similar proceeding. This SEI Guaranty is an independent guaranty of payment and not of collection. Seller shall not be required to proceed first against Buyer or any other person, firm, corporation or other entity before resorting to SEI for payment under this SEI Guaranty. This SEI Guaranty is in no way conditioned on or contingent upon (i) any attempt to enforce (in whole or in part) against Buyer any of the obligations under the Transaction Documents, (ii) the existence or continuance of Buyer as a legal entity, (iii) the consolidation or merger of Buyer with or into any other entity, (iv) the sale, lease or disposition by Seller of all or substantially all of its assets to any other entity, (v) the bankruptcy or insolvency of Buyer, (vi) the admission by Buyer of its inability to pay its debts as they mature, or (vii) the making by Buyer of a general assignment for the benefit of, or entering into a composition or arrangement with, creditors. Each failure by SEI to pay or perform any of the obligations under this SEI Guaranty shall give rise to a separate cause of action, and separate suits may be brought hereunder as each cause of action arises. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Section 7.17
, this SEI Guaranty shall not exceed the sum of: (y) Two Million, Two Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($2,225,000.00) for a period of one (1) year from the Closing Date, nor (z) One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) for the period from the one year anniversary of the Closing Date until December 31, 2019.
7.18
No Additional Representations or Warranties
.
(a)
Buyer acknowledges and agrees that, except as specifically set forth in
Article 4
and
Article 5
of this Agreement, Seller has not made, and Seller shall not have any liability for, any representation or warranty, express or implied, in connection with the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement, including any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding the Business or the Companies furnished to Buyer or its representatives in connection with Buyer’s due diligence review of the Business or the Companies.
(b)
Seller acknowledges and agrees that, except as specifically set forth in
Article 6
of this Agreement, Buyer has not made, and shall have no liability for, any representation or warranty, express or implied, in connection with the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement.
(c)
All claims or causes of action (whether in contract or in tort, in law or in equity) that may be based upon, arise out of, or relate to this Agreement, or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Agreement (including any representation or warranty made in connection with this Agreement or as an inducement to enter into this Agreement), may be made only against the Persons that are Parties hereto. No Person who is not a named party to this Agreement, including any Affiliate, agent, attorney, or representative of any Party (such Persons, “
Non-Party Affiliates
”), shall have any liability (whether in contract or tort, in law or in equity, or based upon any theory that seeks to impose liability of an entity party against its owners or Affiliates) for any obligations or liabilities arising under, in connection with, or related to this Agreement or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of this Agreement or its negotiation or execution, and each Party waives and releases all such liabilities, claims, and obligations against any such Non-Party Affiliates. Non-Party Affiliates are expressly intended as third party beneficiaries of this provision of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 8
CONDITIONS TO THE CLOSING
8.1
Conditions to Buyer’s Obligations
. The obligations of Buyer to consummate the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Documents is subject to the fulfillment, or, to the extent permitted by Law, written waiver by Buyer, of each of the following conditions:
(i)
Representations and Warranties
. The representations and warranties of Seller contained in
Article 4
and
Article 5
of this Agreement (i) that are not qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar materiality qualifier will be true and correct in all material respects both when made and at Closing with the same force and effect as if made as of the Closing Date, other than such representations and warranties that expressly speak only as of a specific date or time, which will be true and correct in all material respects as of such specified date or time and (ii) that are qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar materiality qualifier will be true and correct in all respects both when made and at Closing with the same force and effect as if made as of the Closing Date, other than such representations and warranties that expressly speak only as of a specific date or time, which will be true and correct as of such specified date or time.
(j)
Performance
. Seller and the Companies will have performed and complied with, in all material respects, with all agreements, obligations and covenants contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by them at or prior to the Closing.
(k)
Financial Statements
. Seller shall have delivered to Buyer (i) the audited balance sheet of the Companies on a consolidated basis at December 31, 2015, (ii) the audited income statement of the Companies on a consolidated basis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, and (iii) written consents from the Companies’ auditor permitting Buyer or SEI to use such audited balance sheet and income statement for 2015 and for any other period(s) required in its Securities and Exchange Commission and other public filings that may be required of Buyer or SEI.
(l)
Delivery of Closing Certificates
. Seller shall have delivered to Buyer the following:
(i)
Secretary Certificate
: A certificate dated as of the Closing Date, signed by the secretary of Seller certifying as to (A) the names and incumbency of each of the officers of Seller executing this Agreement or any Transaction Document, (B) the Organizational Documents of Seller, and (C) all resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of Seller in connection with this Agreement and the Transaction contemplated hereunder;
(ii)
FIRPTA Certificate
: A certification from Seller (in a form as may be reasonably requested by Buyer) conforming to the requirements of Treasury Regulation Sections 1.1445-2(b)(2) certifying Seller is not a “foreign person” as defined in Code Section 1445;
(iii)
Bring-Down Certificate
: A certificate dated as of the Closing Date, signed by the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Seller, certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in
Sections 8.1(a)
and
8.1(b)
; and
(iv)
Good Standing Certificates
: Certificates of good standing for Seller and each Company issued by the state of formation of such entity, and in each state or jurisdiction in which such entity is doing business or in which it is licensed to do business, each as of a recent date not more than thirty (30) days prior to the Closing.
(m)
Qualifications
. No provision of any applicable Legal Requirement and no Order will prohibit or unduly condition or delay the Closing of the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement.
(n)
Absence of Litigation
. No Legal Proceeding will be pending, nor will there be any Order in effect, that would (i) prevent Closing the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) result in the Closing of the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement being rescinded following consummation thereof.
(o)
Resignations
. Buyer will have received the resignations, effective as of the Closing, of each officer and director of each Company, other than any continuing officers and directors whom Buyer will have specified to the Companies in writing at least ten (10) days prior to Closing, which continuing officers shall include without limitation the officers designated as the Senior Management Team.
(p)
Securities Law Approvals
. Buyer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause SEI to undertake all actions and filings necessary under the Securities Act and applicable NASDAQ rules as a result of the Transaction.
(q)
Third Party Approvals
. Buyer will have received evidence of the written notice from the Companies to Pacific Summit Energy LLC required under the Pacific Summit Agreements to consummate the Transaction.
(r)
Approval of Transaction
. Seller shall cause its Affiliate, RetailCo, to approve the transaction as majority holder of Seller, by written consent under the provisions of SEI’s charter.
(s)
Material Adverse Effect
. From the date of execution of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect, nor shall any events have occurred that, individually or in the aggregate, with or without the lapse of time, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
8.2
Conditions to Seller’s Obligations
. The obligations of Seller to consummate the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Documents is subject to the fulfillment, or, to the extent permitted by Law, written waiver by Seller, of each of the following conditions:
(w)
Representations and Warranties
. The representations and warranties of the Buyer contained in
Article 6
of this Agreement (i) that are not qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar materiality qualifier will be true and correct in all material respects both when made and at Closing with the same force and effect as if made as of the Closing Date, other than such representations and warranties that expressly speak only as of a specific date or time, which will be true and correct in all material respects as of such specified date or time and (ii) that are qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar materiality qualifier will be true and correct in all respects both when made and at Closing with the same force and effect as if made as of the Closing Date, other than such representations and warranties that expressly speak only as of a specific date or time, which will be true and correct as of such specified date or time.
(x)
Performance
. Buyer will have performed and complied with, in all material respects, all agreements, obligations and covenants contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by it at or prior to Closing.
(y)
Delivery of Purchase Price; Registration Rights; Assignment and Assumption
. (i) Buyer and SEI shall have delivered the Stock for the applicable portion of the Purchase Price due to Seller at Closing; (ii) SEI shall grant Seller certain registration rights, including without limitation, piggyback registration rights, such that Seller will have similar demand registration and piggyback registration rights as were granted to NuDevco Retail, LLC and NuDevco Retail Holdings, LLC, in that certain Registration Rights Agreement dated August 1, 2014, that was entered into at the time of SEI’s initial public offering, with respect to the Stock and, if and as applicable, with respect to the Earnout Stock; and (iii) Buyer shall have assumed all rights and obligations of Seller pursuant to the Assignment.
(z)
Delivery of Closing Certificates
. Buyer shall have delivered to Seller the following:
(i)
Secretaries’ Certificate
: A certificate, dated as of the Closing Date, signed by the secretary of Buyer certifying as to (A) the names and incumbency of each of the officers of Buyer executing this Agreement or any Transaction Document, (B) the Organizational Documents of Buyer, and (C) all resolutions adopted by the Board of Managers of Buyer in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereunder; and
(ii)
Bring-Down Certificate
: A certificate dated as of the Closing Date, signed by the President or Chief Executive Officer of Buyer, certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in
Sections 8.2(a)
and
8.2(b)
.
(aa)
Qualifications
. No provision of any applicable Legal Requirement and no Order will prohibit or unduly condition or delay the Closing of the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement.
(bb)
Absence of Litigation
. No Legal Proceeding will be pending, nor will there be any Order in effect, that would (i) prevent Closing the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement, or (ii) result in the Closing of the Transaction contemplated by this Agreement being rescinded following consummation thereof.
(cc)
Third Party Approvals
. Seller shall have delivered evidence of the written notice from the Companies to Pacific Summit Energy LLC required under the Pacific Summit Agreements to consummate the Transaction.
ARTICLE 9
SURVIVAL AND INDEMNIFICATION
9.1
Survival
. The covenants and agreements of the Parties contained in this Agreement will survive Closing without limitation as to time. The representations and warranties of the Parties contained in this Agreement will survive the Closing (it being understood that representations and warranties relate to the applicable date or period of time for which such representations and warranties are made and not to subsequent periods) for a period ending on December 31, 2018;
provided
,
however
, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the representations and warranties set forth in
Sections 4.4
and
4.9
shall survive the Closing until thirtieth (30
th
) day following the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations (taking into account any tolling periods and other extensions) and (ii) the representations and warranties set forth in
Sections 4.1
,
4.2
,
4.7
,
4.16
,
5.1
,
5.2
,
5.4
,
6.1
and
6.6
shall survive the Closing forever (such representations in subsections (i) and (ii) above, being, collectively, the “
Fundamental Representations
”);
provided
,
however
, in the event that a written notice of a claim for indemnification shall have been given herewith within the applicable survival period, the representations and warranties that are the subject of such claim shall survive with respect to such claim until such time as the claim is fully and finally resolved.
9.2
Indemnification by Seller
. Seller shall indemnify and hold Buyer and its directors, officers, employees, subsidiaries (including the Companies), owners, agents, attorneys, representatives, successors and permitted assigns (collectively, the “
Buyer Indemnified Parties
”) harmless from and after the date of this Agreement against and in respect of all claims, demands, Legal Proceedings, Liens, judgments, penalties, damages, losses, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees in connection therewith or in pursuing right to indemnification hereunder) (collectively, “
Losses
”) that the Buyer Indemnified Parties incur to the extent caused by:
(a)
the breach of any representation or warranty of Seller contained in
Article 4
or
Article 5
of this Agreement or in any of the Disclosure Schedules or certificates delivered by or on behalf of any Seller or any Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(b)
the breach of or failure to perform by any Company of any covenant contained in this Agreement, including any covenants contained in the Disclosure Schedules; or
(c)
the breach of or failure to perform by Seller of any covenant contained in this Agreement.
9.3
Indemnification by Buyer
. Buyer shall indemnify and hold Seller and its respective owners, directors, officers, agents, attorneys, representatives, successors and permitted assigns (collectively, the “
Seller Indemnified Parties
”) harmless at all times from and after the date of this
Agreement, against and in respect of all Losses that Seller Indemnified Parties incur to the extent caused by:
(c)
the breach of any representations or warranties of Buyer contained in
Article 6
of this Agreement; or
(d)
the breach of or failure to perform by Buyer of any covenant of Buyer contained in this Agreement.
9.4
Limitations on Indemnification
.
(d)
Except as set forth below, Seller shall have no liability pursuant to
Section 9.2(a)
until the Losses incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties shall exceed Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($600,000.00) (“
Losses Threshold
”), in which event Seller shall be liable to the Buyer Indemnified Parties solely for all Losses in excess of such amount.
(e)
Except as described below with respect to Litigation and Regulatory Losses, and any losses covered under
Section 9.4(c)
below, the aggregate amount Seller shall be liable for pursuant to
Section 9.2(a)
shall be the sum of the Litigation Credit and the Escrow Amount. In addition, Buyer shall be entitled to apply the Litigation Credit against the first dollar (without application of the Losses Threshold) of any and all Losses that the Seller and Buyer Indemnified Parties may suffer which arise from the Litigation and Regulatory Matters set forth on
Schedule 4.7
hereto (the “
Litigation and Regulatory Losses
”). In the event that, as of December 31, 2018, the aggregate, cumulative amount of the Litigation and Regulatory Losses shall be less than the Litigation Credit, then the following provisions shall apply (notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or the Escrow Agreement):
(i)
If at that time there shall be no unresolved claims by any Buyer Indemnified Parties which were asserted pursuant to the Escrow Agreement, then Buyer shall be obligated, within thirty (30) days after December 31, 2018, to deliver in cash to Prior Sellers’ Representative, as Purchase Price payable to Prior Members under the Prior Purchase Agreement, the difference between the Litigation Credit and the aggregate, cumulative amount of the Litigation and Regulatory Losses (the “
Unused Litigation Reserve
”). Such delivery by Buyer shall be without right of setoff, counterclaim or deduction.
(ii)
If at that time there are any such unresolved claims, then, whenever those claims are later resolved in accordance with the Escrow Agreem